Lost Highway Debut Announced for Robert Earl Keen; Rounder Celebrates 40; Kenny Snatches Camera
- Robert Earl Keen will release The Rose Hotel, his Lost Highway debut and first album since 2005, on Sept. 29.
- Buddy Jewell is the first artist signed to the new label ALL Entertainment, and should have a new single next month.
- NPR has an interview with Loudon Wainwright III and song selections from his newest album, High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, which is described as a celebration of the old-time country banjo player.
- Bill Anderson is scheduled to headline the 7th Annual Roger Miller Music & Arts Festival concert on Saturday, October 24th, in Miller’s hometown of Erick, Oklahoma.
“I am truly honored that Mary and Dean have invited me to be a part of this year’s celebration,” the Country Music Hall of Famer says, “And I promise to tell some Roger stories that even they have never heard!”
- Old Crow Medicine Show’s first live DVD, Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theatre, is out now and you can watch several of the song selections on MySpace.
- Hickory Wind’s Larry Karnowski claims Exebelle and the Rusted Calvacade might be Virginia’s best-kept secret, and at two dollars apiece for both their EPs released this year, he says they’re also Virginia’s biggest steal.
“It’s self-produced, lo-fi, folk-country with a mountain stomp and a rock ‘n roll swagger. … These songs are grade-A solid. Toss in the fun “Bees” — a cross between “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and Sweetheart of the Rodeo-era Byrds…”
- My Kind of Country: What live albums or tracks would you recommend?
- The Time Jumpers will be the musical guest for the season premiere of “Says You,” a game show built around two competing panels of word-savvy contestants. The game show will be taping several episodes in Nashville on Sunday. (via press release)
- It’s honest album cover day at Farce the Music, and although the theme is Aussie, you should recognize names like Olivia Newton John, Keith Urban, and Jamie O’Neal.
- Country Haiku:
We have worked all week
It is time to get sideways
Also, really drunk - Chris Neal briefly profiled the career of Steve Earle, who will play at The Belcourt on Monday, and his relationship with Townes Van Zandt for Nashville Scene.
- On her website, Shania Twain announced that she’d have a surprise for her fans on Aug. 28, her 44th birthday. A source told People.com that the surprise won’t be new music, but a video — a travelogue — of what she’s been doing for the past year.
- Country Universe listed six tracks apiece from ’90s groups The Mavericks and Blackhawk that you should check out.
- Rounder Records will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Oct. 12 at the Grand Ole Opry House with performances from Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bela Fleck and Irma Thomas as well as special guests yet to be announced.
- Alt-512 Music Musings posted a 28-part video from a house concert Corb Lund played back in Sept. of 2007.
- One of the fans at Kenny Chesney’s concert in Foxborough last weekend says the singer grabbed her camera from the stage, shut it, and threw it onto the stage as he walked down the walkway. She did eventually get her camera back, but it was missing the memory card with pictures from her family vacation. (via reader email)
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Alison Krauss // Bela Fleck // Bill Anderson // Buddy Jewell // Charlie Poole // Corb Lund // Exebelle and the Rusted Calvacade // Jamie O'Neal // Jerry Douglas // Jewel // Keith Urban // Kenny Chesney // Loudon Wainwright III // Mary Chapin Carpenter // Old Crow Medicine Show // Robert Earl Keen // Roger Miller // Shania Twain // Steve Earle // The Time Jumpers // Townes Van Zandt // Union Station
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23 Comments
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August 20, 2009 at 11:25 am Permalink
As excited as I am for Keen’s new disc, I am even more “un”excited about Jewell’s…which minority group will he find to badger this time?
August 20, 2009 at 2:04 pm Permalink
Gosh Kelly “This Ain’t Mexico” is my favorite Buddy Jewell song. Unfortunately if he sings it here in California the song is incorrect as the previous “Golden State” has already morphed completely into Mexifornia.
As for Exebelle and company, I don’t care for lo-fi production under any circumstances. Far too many low budget indie efforts suffer from crappy production (as could be expected). If the artists can make it to Nashville, doesn’t Mark Oliverius offer quality recording and production for reasonable costs? Hmmm…
I really enjoyed Trailer’s Aussie album cover spoofs. I think the Sunny Cowgirls would actually like the “Dixie Sheilas” name. And Keith Urban didn’t earn enough back home in Australia to afford cocaine, which is likely why he headed to the US! I guess Jedd Hughes initial hype as “The Next Keith Urban” didn’t quite pan out…
August 20, 2009 at 2:26 pm Permalink
Get ready for “This Ain’t Canada.”
August 20, 2009 at 2:36 pm Permalink
Or if he really wants to get offensive “This Ain’t Kenya.”
August 20, 2009 at 3:08 pm Permalink
Virginias best kept secret is Wrinkle Neck Mules and good BBQ. But I am curious to hear these others
August 20, 2009 at 3:12 pm Permalink
Way to be a d***, Kenny Chesney
August 20, 2009 at 3:37 pm Permalink
Robert Earl’s albums have been a release-day purchase for me ever since I discovered him. Can’t wait to hear this one as well.
A YouTube search for “Kenny Chesney Concert” yielded 10,200 results. If he wants to keep from getting recorded in concert, he’s going to have to do better than getting rid of one memory card at a time.
August 20, 2009 at 3:38 pm Permalink
What’s up with the language lately? Let’s try to keep it a little cleaner around here.
August 20, 2009 at 4:05 pm Permalink
Kenny hates the camera-toting fan and Sugarland hates the indie record store…wow, way to stay country guys :-P
August 20, 2009 at 4:16 pm Permalink
Naw…I’d say that it’s more accurate that Allison Bonaguro hates the indy store. At least Kristian stopped in as a token instead of getting catty.
August 20, 2009 at 4:37 pm Permalink
What, no one thought this was funny? http://www.countrycalifornia.com/scientists-baffled-by-peculiar-bird-behavior/
August 20, 2009 at 7:11 pm Permalink
Stay classy, Kenny.
August 20, 2009 at 8:20 pm Permalink
Brady said: “What’s up with the language lately? Let’s try to keep it a little cleaner around here.”
And what’s worse Nicholas isn’t even old enough to be using those kinds of words! (lol)
Speaking of foul language, here’s my favorite segment from the CMT blog about a recent Kellie Pickler performance regarding Kellie’s admiration of Loretta Lynn:
“She raved about meeting Loretta Lynn at a fair in Canada, and told us Lynn wants to write songs with her. Pickler summed up the story (which she rarely does) by saying that if she’s in the business long enough, she hopes that people will consider her as genuine in person as they do when she’s onstage, just like Loretta Lynn.
However, I don’t think Loretta would drop F-bombs in front of Opry management, or refer to her latest single as “Didn’t Yo’ Ass Know?!” And that’s what happened at the showcase.”
F-Bombs! Who does Kellie think she is, the Richard Cheese of female country singers! Yikes! (lol)
August 20, 2009 at 8:46 pm Permalink
^ Oh please I’m plenty old enough to use “foul language”
You’d think it wouldn’t be such a big deal on a country music blog =)
August 20, 2009 at 10:00 pm Permalink
Pickler summed up the story (which she rarely does) by saying that if she’s in the business long enough, she hopes that people will consider her as genuine in person as they do when she’s onstage, just like Loretta Lynn.
I don’t think she is going to live 647 years.
August 20, 2009 at 10:26 pm Permalink
I’m actually surprised to learn that Pickler knows who Loretta Lynn is.
August 20, 2009 at 10:51 pm Permalink
And honestly, I wouldn’t really be surprised by anything Loretta Lynn says.
August 20, 2009 at 10:53 pm Permalink
Rick’s Random Tidbits: Ashley Monroe performed publicly in LA for the first time last night and I was completely unaware of it! Michelle Branch was performing at “The Grove” and asked Ashley to join her for “Leave The Pieces”. This makes Ashley an honorary “Wrecker” for one night! Fortunatley someone with a camcorder recorded it and posted the video on YouTube. First it was Jewel and now Michele Branch is on board the Ashley train. Go Ashley!
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYoazhSUdEs
August 20, 2009 at 11:03 pm Permalink
That was quite a treat, Rick. Thanks for posting it.
Nothing against Michelle, but Ashly’s voice really shone there.
August 20, 2009 at 11:15 pm Permalink
Yea…I watched the video earlier, and realized that having her sing with her was a poor decision on Michelle Branchs part.
August 21, 2009 at 9:46 am Permalink
Rick…what has Keith Urban ever done to you? Look where he is today and where you are….sitting here on a message board criticizing someone for their mistakes! Guess you’ve never made any..huh!
August 21, 2009 at 9:54 am Permalink
“Rick…what has Keith Urban ever done to you?”
I don’t know what Urban has done to Rick, but he has annoyed the heck out of me for years with his glossy, vapid, non-country brand of country.
August 21, 2009 at 9:56 am Permalink
I hate to destroy anyone’s dreams, but in real life country stars curse just like everyone else. And “Opry management” can probably cope with it without fainting.
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