Nashville Radio Station WSM Heads ‘Back to the Barn’
- WSM, the radio station in Tennessee that’s famous for it’s exclusive broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry, is introducing a live variety show called Back to the Barn, which borrows its name from the Opry’s original moniker, WSM Barn Dance. The new show will target a younger audience by showcasing music “from country and Americana to more progressive interpreters of tradition,” in other words, “old school entertainment for the digital age.” It will debut on Feb. 20 and broadcast live on Friday nights from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. from the stage of the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville.
- In the new episode of Nashville at Nite, Randy Houser talks about his tender love ballads about women’s behinds and asks host Ashlie Kolb if she likes her apples waxed.
- The title for Keith Urban’s March 31st release will be Defying Gravity.
- Since undergoing lung surgery, Merle Haggard says “I feel like I’ve extended my life. I’m in better shape than when I went in.” With that renewed health, he’s back to writing songs, the latest of which was inspired by Obama.
- Watch the video for Mike Runnels‘ “Last Date,” a salute to the musical spirit and style of pianist Floyd Cramer.
- The Austin American-Statesman’s Michael Corcoran on the new Dierks Bentley album:
[Feel That Fire], which hits stores Feb. 3, is a more organic-sounding album than his previous three, which sported five No. 1 country singles. Although his looks and voice are mainstream country, Bentley’s musical sensibilities are at the midpoint between Nashville’s marketing machine and Austin’s “for the sake of the song” lean. With its bedrock of subtle banjo and flights of pedal steel, “Feel the Fire” uses traditional instruments in new and interesting ways.
- No matter how many times I’ve seen it, Jim McGuire’s photography never gets old.
- Ray Wylie Hubbard is one of the writers on Last Rites of Ransom Pride, a movie starring Kris Kristofferson and Dwight Yoakam that Hubbard describes as “a bunch of despicable people cussin’ and killin’ each other in Texas and Mexico in 1911.” It’s still in production, but Hubbard discusses the film in an interview with Music Fog’s Jessie Scott and performs a song from the soundtrack titled “Black Wings.”
- Delbert McClinton names Willie Nelson’s “Night Life” as a song he wishes he had written. (via Still Is Still Moving)
- Lady Antebellum performs an acoustic version of their new single “I Run To You” and the group’s members talk about the song’s background in their new webisode.
- In her interview with The Wenatchee World Online staff writer Jefferson Robbins, LeAnn Rimes talks about the music she’s been listening to lately, notably absent of country, her thoughts on her last album and her upcoming album, and her struggle to have the country genre embrace her. (via ggcolumn)
- Blake Shelton will be joining George Strait on his tour that kicks off in May.
- Watch Randy Rogers perform an acoustic version of “Ft. Worth Was a Fabulous Waste of Time,” a song he co-wrote with Guy Clark that didn’t make his most recent album.
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Current Discussion
- Kim: Hey...I shop at vintage boutiques and I drink smoothies and I still don't like this.
- real talk: the funny thing about miley dissing country is she also dissed singing pop, saying this The pop singer's new hit song ...
- Mayor JoBob: Actually Rick, in Randy Travis' song, he tells them to "bury me under mama's apple tree"
- real talk: some of you people are being ridiculous, this song was specifically written for the radio, and its going to do ...
- TexasVet: Actually, her fans in defending it are trying to convince us that writing this bad is a specific FORM of ...
- TexasVet: According to Billboard, two of her singles went to #2 while the last one peaked at #3. If you are referring ...
- Rick: Altough burial is not in the title, my vote goes to Doug Supernaw's "Honky Tonkin' Fool" about a friend who ...
- Stormy: K: Actually, her fans in defending it are trying to convince us that writing this bad is a specific FORM of ...
- Ron: I couldn't make it to the end. Horrid.
- Steve M.: According to Billboard, two of her singles went to #2 while the last one peaked at #3.
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January 22, 2009 at 11:23 am Permalink
Amber Digby will be one of the artist performing on that first show. That’s pretty cool that they’re having her.
It’ll be interesting to see if the show will be successful. I sure hope so. I hope that it’s a sign of Nashville making some changes, and that it’s the beginning of another traditional revival. I sure hope so.
January 22, 2009 at 12:02 pm Permalink
I’m really interested to hear how the new WSM show turns out, although it does conflict with “Battlestar Gallactica” for the next nine weeks or so out here on the West Coast. The WSM staffers behind the program will have total freedom booking acts, unlike at the Opry where Pete Fisher and Opry traditions rule with an iron fist. The choice of Amber Digby to be a guest on the premiere episode speaks volumes about the breadth of artists they intend to feature, and I’m sure Eddie Stubbs had a lot to do with that. Hopefully Ashley Monroe, Elizabeth Cook, Sunny Sweeney, and The Wrights won’t be far behind.
First it was Hag writing a song praising Shrillary Rotten Clinton and now he’s been inspired by Emperor Obama. He’s making it increasingly difficult for me to listen to any of his music. Thanks, Merle….
I think Keith Urban sould name his new album “Defying Slumping Country Music Album Sales” as his fans are particularly devoted.
Many country artists start out with music based in traditional roots and move further away towards pop and rock over time to appeal to radio and a wider audience. Dierks Bentley in contrast seems to be heading back in the other direction. Good on ya Dierks.
January 22, 2009 at 12:52 pm Permalink
“Shrillary”? Really? What grade are you in?
January 22, 2009 at 1:00 pm Permalink
In the Hag’s defense, there’s really not a lot of difference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama politically. They share many of the same views on policy. So I don’t see it as any kind of ship-jumping or being wishy-washy on Merle’s part.
And when did Obama become emperor?
January 22, 2009 at 1:34 pm Permalink
Even with only the cursory knowledge of Hag’s discography that I have, I don’t think his left-leaning songwriting should come as any great shock to a country music fan.
January 22, 2009 at 2:58 pm Permalink
For the WSM trollers or others who might know:
Does the institution of “Back to the Barn” mean the end of “WSM by Request” with Eddie Stubbs? If so, that’s a shame, because as much as some might enjoy “Back to the Barn,” “WSM by Request” is undoubtedly the best program on country radio and it would be a devastating loss for fans of traditional country music.
January 22, 2009 at 3:17 pm Permalink
That’s just Right-wingy Rickie being his usually open-minded self LOL
January 22, 2009 at 7:18 pm Permalink
Peter, you sure hit the nail on the head with that comment…(lol)
Matt C., I’m hoping that Eddie’s request show just gets moved to another night as it does dig up some really obscure gems. I’ve made some requests at the start of that show a few times and I don’t think Eddie’s ever played any of them! He must have a personal grudge against The Willis Brothers as I don’t think requesting “Give Me 40 Acres” is a bad choice. Oh well…
Amber Digby is excited about the coverage The 9513 is giving to WSM’s “Back To The Barn” in this topic thread! She posted a new MySpace Blog today and hope it signals a welcome mat in Nashville for traditionalists like herself. Go Amber!
Link: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=99492417&blogID=465701068
(PS – She also posted a new blog about being in “active songwriter” mode today. Go Amber, Go!)
January 23, 2009 at 11:00 pm Permalink
A couple of nights ago, I attended an acoustical performance of LeAnn Rimes in Beaver Creek , CO. Just LeAnn and a very talented guitarist. I was totally blown away by her powerful voice.
She shared quite a bit with the audience that is referred to in the above article. She sang ,not only her old and new songs, but covers by Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Stevie Wonder and Patsy Cline. The audience loved her with a standing ovation for this eclectic show covering all genres. I was not a fan until now. Hope she wins a Grammy for her nominated song that is a twist on the Serenity Prayer.
January 24, 2009 at 6:49 am Permalink
Hope that “Back To The Barn” will be archived like the Opry is – it’ll be on a bit too late for me in Scotland!
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