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Top Country Albums of the Decade (#90-#81)
The second installment of our countdown of the decade’s top 100 albums is a male-dominated affair, save for a Georgia peach with big old voice and a young Aussie Sheila with a love for traditional country.
90. Twice The Speed Of Life (2004) – Sugarland
Twice The Speed Of Life may not be the most perfect [...]Continue reading "Top Country Albums of the Decade (#90-#81)"
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Acuff, Rogers & Evans, and Monroe Head to Grammy Hall of Fame; Unfinished Hank Williams Song Finally Released
The Recording Academy inducted 25 songs into the Grammy Hall of Fame yesterday. Songs in the country category are:
Roy Acuff & The Crazy Tennesseans – “Great Speckled Bird” (Amazon)
Roy Rogers & Dale Evans – “Happy Trails” (Amazon)
Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Boys – “Mule Skinner Blues” (Amazon)On the surface, Rosanne Cash and Ricky Skaggs [...]
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Kristofferson Honored As BMI Icon; Live Video Stream of Underwood at Opry; Hough & Wicks Call It Quits
Kris Kristofferson was named a BMI Icon at last night’s BMI Country Awards and Bobby Pinson took home the award for songwriter of the year. Visit The Tennessean for a full list of winners.
In light of today’s holiday, revisit The 9513’s playlist “20 Top War and Soldier Songs.”
George Strait’s publicist confirmed that the singer will [...] -
Staff Picks For September/October 2009
Juli Thanki
One More For The Road by Adam Steffey
The past few months have been pretty rough on the wallets of bluegrass fans, with stellar releases coming from the Del McCoury Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Ricky Skaggs. But for my money, the best bluegrass record of the past few months—maybe all year—is Adam Steffey’s One [...] -
Michael Martin Murphey Inks Multi-Album Deal; Josh Turner’s Groovin’ Video; Corb Lund Acoustic
Michael Martin Murphey signed a multi-album contract with Rural Rhythm Records during last week’s IBMA convention and will release his second set of bluegrass tunes, Buckaroo Blue Grass 2, next February. The first single is a remake of “Wildfire” as a duet with Carrie Hassler.
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Despite Early Setbacks, Ashley Monroe is Satisfied With Career Track
Ashley Monroe has had an unlikely career so far. Signed to Sony as a teenager, she released two strong singles that went nowhere. Her debut album, Satisfied, was shelved, and she was eventually released from her contract. That spells doom for most artists, but Monroe has flourished since then: collaborating with Trent Dabbs and Brendan [...]
Continue reading "Despite Early Setbacks, Ashley Monroe is Satisfied With Career Track"
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Jason Aldean – “The Truth”
Songwriters: Brett James and Ashley Monroe.
Jason Aldean definitely knows what his fans want and expect—country songs about country life and country living…as long as they don’t sound too, you know, country.
Sure, you can throw in a fiddle or a steel guitar, as long as those instruments don’t take away from the drums and electric [...] -
Pat Green and BNA Records Split; New Releases; Country Hall Looking to Double In Size
Pat Green and BNA Records have parted ways.
New releases for the week of September 22, 2009 include:
Adam Steffey – One More for the Road
Amazon | iTunes | MySpaceArty Hill and the Long Gone Daddys – Montgomery on My Mind: The Hank EP
Amazon | iTunes | MySpace | MP3 SamplesDiamond Rio – The Reason
Amazon | iTunes [...] -
Album Review: Guy Clark – Somedays the Song Writes You
Guy Clark is one of the premier songwriters of his generation–even that might be an understatement.
Unlike his friend, the late, great Townes Van Zandt, Clark’s songs have always been readily accessible, yet still manage to contain layers of depth. He likes to talk about the holes he leaves in his guitar playing, but it’s also [...]Continue reading "Album Review: Guy Clark – Somedays the Song Writes You"
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Guy Clark Continues To Hone His Craft
The title track to Guy Clark’s new album, Somedays The Song Writes You, is a rumination on songwriting and how a song can force its way into being. Considering Clark’s reputation as one of the most respected songwriters around, any of his thoughts on the craft of songwriting should be taken seriously.
That particular song, he [...]
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- Dan E: Stormy: You're going to great lengths trying to make something good seem bad. You know, it does work both ways.
- Stormy: Jon: Fanwanking is a term that originated in television. It refers to fans going to great lengths to ...
- Nicolas: Waynoe: "I wonder. Did you make similar remarks about the Dixie Chicks? I won’t make this a political post but ...
- Jon: No, that #1 is exactly right; that song was way old when the Carters cut it, and it's still got ...
- Ken Morton, Jr.: Juli, very nice list. I'd throw out there the sad "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss. "We found ...
- Steve M.: Well in my world Jon wanking is a personal matter. Perhaps you consider differently.
- Dan E: Honestly, it doesn't matter what a reviewer or bloggers on here say that's negative. As long as Carrie is enjoying ...
- Mike K: Thanks for the great list, Juli. My addition would be John Prine singing "Please Don't Bury Me."
- Dave D.: Nice list. You could add one more for the Carter Family (and Robbie Fulks) with "Away out on the Old ...
- Paul W Dennis: Actually I think #1 should be "Bury Me In An Indian Burial Ground" by Marvin Rainwater, a native American country ...
While the voice of country’s future took home this year’s big honor, a legendary voice from country music’s past scored a win for Album Of The Year. Check out the winners in The 9513's 2nd Annual Country Music Awards now!
Josh Turner's fourth album, Haywire, furthers his reputation as one of the leading men in contemporary country, a true, traditional voice in an ever-changing Nashville scene.
Having played on more than 500 albums and toured with artists that range from Hank III to Dolly Parton, Randy Kohrs has become one of the go-to musicians when there’s a need for a resophonic guitar
Sammy Kershaw – “Better Than I Used To Be”
As the title track off his upcoming album, “Better Than I Used to Be” is a straight-up look back on the career of a country music staple.
Emily West Featuring Keith Urban – “Blue Sky” Emily West turns in a gorgeous performance on “Blue Sky,” hitting notes few of her contemporaries can reach.
What does Alan Jackson like on his eggs?
Cheese and corn; he still likes bologna; a load of salsa; hens? Answers to the questions you'd never dream of asking. (
In each and every instance, the best country albums of the past ten years were built on the backs of songs -- stories about you and me from birth to death and stories that paint landscapes rooted in every region of America and beyond. These are the top country albums of the decade.

