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Keith Urban T-Shirts Now Made With Recycled Plastic
- Keith Urban has partnered with a company to help make his t-shirts more environmentally-friendly by being partially made from recycled plastic bottles. At the same time, Kenny Chesney says his tour requires 55 trucks and 28 buses to make everything work.
- Who didn’t see this one coming years ago? Dolly Parton postponed her tour, citing back problems and she even acknowledges her “puppies” while making light of the injury. The woman is business savvy, though, you gotta hand it to her–she knows how to keep abreast of her publicity duties while not able to perform.
- Loretta Lynn, John Michael Montgomery, and John Conlee have been added to the list of presenters and performers for the February 21 Kentucky Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Loretta Lynn will induct her sister, Crystal Gayle. Tom T. Hall and Ralph Emery will act as presenters and Dwight Yoakam, an inductee, will perform as well.
- Do blogs have an impact on music sales?
NYU Stern Professor Vasant Dhar, an expert in the strategic implications of information technology, finds that the volume of blog posts featured on the Internet before an album’s release can significantly affect future album sales, and in turn predict sales for record labels. This is the first study to quantify the economic impact of user-generated content for the music industry.
The linked press release goes on to say, “If the albums blogged about were associated with a major record label, sales increased five-fold.”
- I didn’t see the episode, but here’s Rolling Stones recap of the horse shit that gets broadcast on CMT nowadays. At least it’s got something in common with country music–train wrecks…
- When Matthew Knowles purchased Compadre Records Logan Rogers was laid off, but it allowed him to start his own label, Lightning Rod Records. For now James McMurtry is the only artist on the label, but Rogers says he may sign someone else this year. His criteria for signing artists is finding established touring acts.
- If you have aspirations to become the next Nashville Star then check out the open casting calls schedule. The first two cities have already been visited and the next two will be tomorrow in Charlotte, NC and Kansas City, MO.
Popular Stuff
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Miranda Lambert - “More Like Her” This kind of material, as opposed to her tough-chick-done-wrong romps like “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Gunpowder and Lead,” is where her real promise lies
Joey Rory - “Cheater, Cheater” It’s actually downright frivolous, but that just makes it all the more fun. And really, are you allowed to say “ho” on country radio?
Josh Gracin - “Unbelievable (Ann Marie)” Despite initial marketing that touted the album as deep and personal, “Unbelievable (Ann Marie)” is anything but deep or personal.
Josh Turner - "Everything Is Fine" Turner is the rare example of an artist who records material that’s both quality and trademark.
Darryl Worley - "Tequila On Ice" A groovy mid-tempo that sways, a refreshing reprieve from the exhausting pace of a format that clamors for loud music and swelling choruses.
Blake Shelton - "She Wouldn't Be Gone" It’s all about nailing the melody rather than providing a legitimate interpretation that accentuates the lyrical content, although Shelton does do a pretty good job of injecting what limited emotion he can.
In Memory of Don Helms (1927 - 2008) Helms dated back to a time when an excellent four or five piece band and a good singer were all that were needed to make great country music. No drums, no light shows, no production tricks in the recording studio–just good music.
Don’t look now, but Darius Rucker, lead singer of 90s rock group Hootie & The Blowfish, has a country hit on his hands. What you probably haven’t heard is that Rucker is the first black artist to chart a single in the country top 20 since Charley Pride last did it in 1988.
News that former Sugarland member and co-founder Kristen Hall is suing her ex-mates, to the tune of $1.5 million, goes a long way towards providing a bit of context regarding the Atlanta singer/songwriter’s sudden departure from the group.
Forgotten Artist: Wynn Stewart Both Buck Owens and Merle Haggard have cited Wynn Stewart as a major influence on their careers, yet somehow, he was never able to translate his enormous talent into extended and consistent success for himself.
Forgotten Artist: David Rogers David Rogers (1936-1993) is proof of the adage that it’s great to be on a major label, but only if the label is truly behind you.
In this exclusive interview with The 9513, the Show Dog Records trio talks about growing up around Waylon and Jessi Colter, and about how those experiences have helped shaped their music as they set off on their own country music journey.
One of an emerging wave of artists empowered by decreasing production costs and a rapidly changing distribution landscape, Kelleigh Bannen has taken a do-it-yourself approach to her debut album, Radio Skies.Tagged In This Article
Crystal Gayle // Dolly Parton // Dwight Yoakam // James McMurtry // John Michael Montgomery // Keith Urban // Kenny Chesney // Loretta Lynn // Nashville Star // Ralph Emery // Tom T. Hall
Current Discussion
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February 12, 2008 at 11:53 am Permalink
The minute I heard about “gone country” I knew it would suck. Glad to see I was right.
February 12, 2008 at 6:39 pm Permalink
I watched “Gone Country” on CMT’s website and it isn’t THAT bad. Still, it’s not like any of the singers on the show will be country stars. Well, maybe Diana DeGarmo has a shot at it (she’s 20 and from American Idol).
February 12, 2008 at 7:44 pm Permalink
was that a real synopsis of an episode? does anyone know? I would watch it to find out, but I can’t.
It’s not that I don’t get CMT, or that my tv is broken.
I just can’t watch it. I have wanted to, but I’m offended at such a fundamental level by the idea that I can’t bear to watch an episode.
February 12, 2008 at 7:57 pm Permalink
Maybe its time for Dolly to give up the circus sideshow look and get boob reduction surgery. She looked fantastic back in her early days with Porter Wagoner before she decided to compete with Chesty Morgan…
Its nice to see how blogs like The 9513 having a positive impact on country music marketing. A new album that gets praised by different reviewers on different blogs reduces the risk of wasting one’s money on a musical dog. I hope this system works out for The Wrights this time around as their first album had no such support structure at the time of release. The good taste of reviewers here at The 9513 at least puts me on notice about interesting new artists even if I don’t rush out and buy their CD. At a minimum positive mental seeds have been planted that may come to fruition at a later date….
“Gone Country” sounds like a countrified “Surreal Life” with Bobbie Brown being the new Verne Troyer this go round. I will admit to enjoying “Cowboy U” due to the danger factor, but this show sounds like the manure left over afterwards. As tasteless as “Gone Country” may be, it will never come near to the bottom scraping level reached by CMT’s airing of the VH-1 reality show “Surviving Nugent” where the first three “challenges” all involved relocating animal feces, sometimes with bare hands…
February 12, 2008 at 9:32 pm Permalink
“… the volume of blog posts featured on the Internet before an album’s release can significantly affect future album sales, and in turn predict sales for record labels.”
Positively or negatively? Inquiring Phil Stacey fans want to know. ;)
February 13, 2008 at 5:33 am Permalink
The show (the third episode) finds the members going to Gretchen Wilson’s farm to ‘get what it’s like to be country’ or something like that.
Bobby Brown is as whacked on this show as he was on that one with his ex-wife Whitney Houston. It’s interesting for the ‘freak show’ factor and since “The Freak Parade” leaders are John Rich and Big Kenny, I guess it makes sense.
February 13, 2008 at 8:48 am Permalink
Matt B, the horse shit comment was more about the content of the program than the quality, as I hadn’t seen anything. I watched part of the show on their website last night and wow, it’s pretty dang crazy. “Freak show” might be the most apt description.
John Rich talks about how classic rock and modern country are the exact same thing and how they’re really looking for someone to connect country music with the Hispanic demographic. I figure they just need to get Johnny Rodriguez sober and recording again.
Ben, you can check it out on CMT’s website if you want to. Go ahead, you know you want to. Instead of just hurting this time, your soul might actually keel over and die.
February 13, 2008 at 9:22 am Permalink
well, my soul has passed on as i have watched the last couple of episodes, and it’s fairly apparent that they are having a hard time even putting together a full 22 minutes of footage without “previewing” certain scenes later in the episode 10 times as they go to commercial. Hell, they havent even made anyone sing an actual country song yet. as my soul is now dead, i am curious to see many of these “has beens” attempt to actually sing anything remotely close to country….
February 13, 2008 at 2:03 pm Permalink
John Rich talks about how classic rock and modern country are the exact same thing
does he really? really he says that? on TELEVISION????? I hate that John Rich.
That Hispanic thing is right on though, the problem with these clowns in that they are thinking “man, if only we could find someone to sell country to the hispanic demographic, someone like the country Ricky Martin” eh, they vex me so.
When of course they should be thinking of the country José Alfredo Jiménez. By the by, when they do find that combination, it is gonna be completely and totally awesome.
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