Rhonda Vincent Announces New Album; Steel Guitarist Ben Keith Passed On; Worst Album Titles
- Rhonda Vincent‘s new album Taken, her first since departing Rounder Records in Feb., will be released on Sept. 21. She talked in-depth about the album during a press conference at the recent HullabaLOU Music Festival.
- Jason Aldean is country…with an edge:
“I grew up listening to George Strait, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty … I also listened to a lot of ’80s rock bands. What I do is country … lyrically, melodically, everything about it is country. The only thing we we change around a little bit is that we make the guitars … a little more aggressive. It has a little more of an edge to it.”
[...] “We always have a cover or two we put in our show,” says Jason, noting that covers of Guns N’ Roses and Bryan Adams are among those he’s sung in the past.
- Steel guitarist Ben Keith passed away at the age of 73 from a heart attack. Although he was a well-known sideman for Neil Young, he also worked as a popular session musician with a list of artists that includes Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings.
- With all the songs presented for his recently released Outlaw album, Mark Chesnutt says the project could have had six discs.
- Pop star Ke$ha tells Papermag that country might be in her future, but for now, she’s happy being “a white girl rapper.” (via The Tennessean)
- Stage props are a common part of concerts these days (it has something to do with enhancing the level of entertainment), but how many stars who use props can actually fly them? I’d venture a guess that Aaron Tippin stands alone. For his new tour, the CAF Red, White & Loud Tour, he’s teamed up with the Commemorative Air Force to co-pilot a restored Boeing B-29 Superfortress from event to event. GAC’s Jason Mease notes that once Tippin is on the ground, the B-29, which goes by the name FIFI, will be used as a backdrop to his performance.
- James Otto, the self-professed musical lovechild of Ronnie Milsap and Barry White, will release his next album, titled Shake What God Gave Ya, on Sept. 14.
- LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian are moving in together.
- A judge ended a five-year feud between the four children of the late country music songwriter Darrell “Wayne” Perry and his sister on Monday with his ruling that the family’s share of Perry’s catalog will be placed into a trust fund for the children. Perry’s catalog includes Tim McGraw‘s “Not a Moment Too Soon,” Toby Keith‘s “A Woman’s Touch,” and nearly 3,000 other songs, most of which have not been published or performed. (via That Nashville Sound)
- Over 1,300 people voted in the poll to choose the title of Katie Armiger‘s new album and the result is: Confessions of a Nice Girl.
- Darryl Worley is scheduled to host his 9th Annual Tennessee River Run Festival from Sept. 16-18. The festival includes: ” and Evening With Darryl & Friends (9/16), a Golf Tournament (9/17), a 5K Run/Walk (9/18), a Motorcycle Poker Run (9/18), a Rock Concert with headliner Marshall Tucker Band (9/17) , and an all-star Country Concert featuring Worley and former American Idol contestant, Danny Gokey (9/18).”
- For week 29 of his Nashville or Bust series, Nathan Rabin covered the original King of Country Music, Roy Acuff.
- Country Universe’s Kevin J. Coyne opened the discussion on worst album titles.
- Justin Townes Earle injured his hand over the weekend and had to get 19 stitches, which means a couple of shows had to be canceled.
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July 28, 2010 at 11:45 am
It seems to me that Jason Aldean is always defending the fact that he is country. It is sad that he doesn’t realize that his music speaks for itself. He is right that his lyrics- as pandering, bland, and cliche as they usually are- do sound country. But his music is so uncountry. Here is a young man who has allowed his limited talent to be molded, twisted, and cheapened by an industry that sells him fame in order to make money off of an image. Maybe he was willing make that deal. Maybe he is too young and lmited to see how obtuse he sounds. Or maybe he doesn’t understand that he is not gracing country music with his sound, but slapping it’s face under the guise of changing it up a bit. Whatever reason one picks I can only hope that Jason Aldean will stop defending his music. He only sounds as shallow and tepid as it does.
July 28, 2010 at 12:09 pm
…sorry no time, i’ve got to add katie armiger’s album title to the list over at country universe.
this title must be a record-breaking attempt to spell: boring.
July 28, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Don’t disagree with the bulk of comments on Aldean. However, “The Truth” was a good song.
July 28, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Did you actually want to add the news about James Ottos new album or was it just a desperate attempt to get a comment out of Holly from East Tennessee?
July 28, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Hah! :)
July 28, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Armiger could amp up her CD’s title by changing it to CONFESSIONS OF A ‘NICE’ GIRL. Oh, and Aldean is a talentless hack who will soon be gone…
July 28, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Amarillo Sky, The Truth, Why and Big Green Tractor were well written songs that he didn’t butcher, vocally, so much of the time, i don’t really have a problem with JA, but stuff like “She’s Country” is just such a giant pile of dung, and the fact that his vocals are regularly sub-par, make me want to hit the dislike button regularly.
Y’all like to laugh at me, but history will show Jason Aldean as an Eric Church-wannabe and not the other way around.
July 28, 2010 at 5:07 pm
I don’t like “Crazy Town.” It does nothing for me, but love most of his other songs. Now he’s an Eric Church wannabe(king of wannabe’s)? Whatever!!
July 28, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Doesn’t “Crazy Town” sound somewhat like “Hicktown”? Not words..but something about the music I’ve heard before in his music.
July 28, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I don’t think it sounds like “Hicktown.” It’s not his voice or the music that I don’t like. It’s the lyrics that I don’t like. Just doesn’t do anything for me.
July 28, 2010 at 5:52 pm
About the same number of people who participated in Katie Armiger’s “Name My Album” contest will wind up buying it at retail.
The B-29 is part of what until a few years ago used to be called the “Confederate Air Force”. Political correctness ultimately took care of that. I wish they’d change it back, paint confederate flags on the sides of their old WWII warbirds, and make a mock bombing run on the White House while dropping a load of teabags. I could see Aaron leading the formation in a P-51 Mustang…
So Mark Chesnutt’s label came up with the idea for this project, huh? Do they really think there is any real market for an album of this nature? Hmm…
Jason Aldean must have an extremely high AirHead Appeal Quotient factor! How else could his success level possibly be explained? The same applies to Luke Bryan and Justin Moore for that matter.
July 28, 2010 at 6:13 pm
I could say the same about some of the crap you like! You seem to only like female singers anyway. Will you still like Sunny if she ever wins any awards or will she then be considered overrated to ya?
July 28, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Where does James Otto get off?
July 28, 2010 at 8:22 pm
I shake everything that God gave me at the mention of James Otto, I love him so much and I pray so hard that the precious beautiful sweet hearted teddy bear has himself a safe and awesome 37th birthday tomorrow!!! (big smile)
God bless you and him always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
July 28, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I could go on a extended diatribe about how Holly probably also likes GaGa (who actually is pretty cool) and Justin Beiber, a la Lewis and Waynoe, but to each his/her own. James Otto’s ego just isn’t my bag.
July 28, 2010 at 8:54 pm
^^^ Huh? Who are those people?
God bless you always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
July 29, 2010 at 4:45 am
…you crack me up every time, holly in east tennessee. probably the most charming super-über-fan of any country artist.
July 29, 2010 at 7:58 am
I’m with Thomas.:)
July 29, 2010 at 10:35 am
Jason Aldean’s next single is “My Kind of Party”. I don’t need to say anything else.
July 29, 2010 at 10:55 am
Noeller,
Your post I agree with but trying to to discern your comment about Eric Church and Aldean. Not quite there yet.
July 29, 2010 at 11:38 am
We won’t have any news this morning, but it was just announced that Rascal Flatts is moving to Big Machine Records. I wonder what this means for the other artists Disney was holding on to after deciding to shutter Lyric Street.
July 29, 2010 at 11:55 am
Brady,
Kevin Fowler’s songs are being worked by Bigger Picture, Covington’s song was finished at radio and Tyler Dickerson never got that second single out. My best guess is that Fowler will leave LSR for Bigger Picture outright once the single is done.
July 29, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Can you really cite “Bryan Adams” as evidence of your “edginess”?
July 29, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I don’t know–he did get his first six string at the five and dime, played it ‘tll his fingers bled, started a band, broke up his band, stood on someone’s porch and swore never ending devotion and had the best days of his life, all when he was 10.
July 29, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Ok..who has the bigger power now? Big Machine or Arista Nashville?
July 29, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Vicki,
Actually, I’d say it’s between Big Machine and Capitol Nashville (which basically has kept the EMI parent company floating in the states, along with Katy Perry).
July 29, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Waynoe — it’s okay. Most don’t get it yet, and that’s fine. I’m totally cool with where everyone’s head is at right now, but mark my words — history will reward Eric Church and Kellie Pickler as far more talented as they’re currently being given credit for.
July 29, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Noeller,
I do agree that Eric is talented. I think he is underrated for sure. I will leave Pickler for another time however. Not sold on her.
Eric’s Opry performance of “Lightening” was hauntingly incredible.
July 29, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Yeah…Eric got points for that performance at the Opry
August 2, 2010 at 8:42 pm
A message for Thomas:
If you are still here, what is that supposed to mean? Are you making fun of me?
A message for SW:
If you are still here, James doesn’t have an ego problem. I know this because I have heard him talk plenty of times. The sweetie couldn’t be more humble. (smiles)
God bless you and him and Thomas always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
August 2, 2010 at 9:47 pm
The ability to speak doesn’t equate to lack of ego.
August 3, 2010 at 12:11 am
A message for Stormy:
I wasn’t talking about the ability to speak. I was talking about what James is about. Don’t form an opinion of a person until you know more about them. (smiles)
God bless you and James always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
August 3, 2010 at 8:20 am
The only opinion of Jame Otto that I need is that his music is basically unlistenable.
August 3, 2010 at 8:47 am
Otto might be a lot of things, but “unlistenable” seems a bit over-the-top. Then again, that’s how I feel about Ryan Adams. Different strokes.
August 3, 2010 at 9:20 am
I’m not sure why the comment about James Otto’s ego. I met him last summer, and he seemed pretty cool. I’m not sure about the unlistenable comment regarding Otto either. The song “For You” is one of the best sung songs to come out of Nashville by a male singer in a long time.
Leeann, I agree with Ryan Adams being unlistenable :)
August 3, 2010 at 9:46 am
I third the Ryan Adams comment. As for James Otto, I’m no great fan of his music, but I wouldn’t call it unlistenable. I also won’t comment on his ego, except to say that the couple of times I’ve talked to him (back when he was just another songwriter), he was very personable. I’m also friends with several of his high school friends, and other than to comment on how he was more a headbanger than anything else, the word ego has never come up.
August 3, 2010 at 9:56 am
@ james otto sweet heart
…no, i was quite serious. btw. “sunset man” is a fine album, in my book, and “just got started…” one of the best country songs of the millenium.
god bless you too, holly in east tennessee
August 3, 2010 at 10:17 am
Ryan was a cokehead and coke breeds rage.
August 3, 2010 at 11:16 am
Thank you so much, y’all, for your honesty! (smiles)
God bless you and James always!!
Holly in East Tennessee
August 3, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I probably should have said this earlier, but because of how mature y’all seem to be here, I wish that there were more people like y’all at the official website message forum for Country Weekly magazine. There is like four or five over there who love to gang up on me. Why I haven’t I left the place? I have been there for almost seven years now which is longer than any of them. I am also the one who started the chat about James over there and I don’t intend to leave it no matter how hard they try to take it over by making it be all about them. Anyways, I’m sorry, but I just had to vent.
God bless you and James always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee