The 9513 - Country Music Blog

After 22 years together, Alan Jackson and Arista Nashville are parting ways. As for a future label home, Jackson’s manager says there’s currently three options that look really good, but doesn’t mention what they are. Our Country’s Chris Willman gets more into the specifics of what the split means. Something else to think about: Trace [...]

Continue reading "Alan Jackson Splits with Longtime Label; Bloodshot Signs Lydia Loveless; The Steep Canyon Rangers Celebrate 10 Years"

Universal Music Group is donating some 200,000 vintage master recordings to the Library of Congress for preservation and digitizing, the majority of which is out of print. UMG is holding on to the copyrights though, which will still allow the company to commercially release the best stuff once it’s cleaned up and sorted through. “Hopefully,” [...]

Continue reading "UMG Donates 200,000 Songs to Library of Congress; Gurf Morlix Covers Blaze Foley; Country Music Sales Down In 2010"

Two years is a long time in the music business, and 2008 seems like forever ago, especially when you’re waiting on an artist whose debut generated a lot of hype but not a lot of sales. So Ashton Shepherd’s return is certainly welcome, especially for anyone who remembers the way her debut, Sounds So Good, [...]

Continue reading "Ashton Shepherd – “Look It Up”"

Merle Haggard was among the honorees praised during Sunday night’s Kennedy Center Honors gala. The Recording Academy announced inductees for the 2011 GRAMMY Hall of Fame, an institution set up to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Songs in the country category include: “Lovesick Blues” by [...]

Continue reading "Merle Haggard Praised at Kennedy Center Honors; Songs From Hank, Willie, & Bob Wills Added to GRAMMY Hall of Fame"

Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, and the Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson will perform at the CMA Awards on Nov. 10. Watch the video premiere for Elizabeth Cook‘s song “All The Time.” In the latest issue of Brad’s Corner at Galleywinter, he argues that Nashville sucks. Just kidding. It’s [...]

Continue reading "Miranda Lambert and Zac Brown Band Among CMA Awards Performers; Songs That Make Men Cry; Elizabeth Cook’s New Video"

Brooks & Dunn haven’t yet wrapped up their final tour together (their last gig is tonight), but that hasn’t stopped Kix Brooks from lining up tour dates for next year. It’ll be a different kind of tour though. Instead of performing, Brooks will take his nationally syndicated American Country Countdown to various radio affiliates across [...]

Continue reading "Kix Brooks Schedules New Tour; Turkey Hunting with James McMurtry; ‘Nashville Scene’ Covers Americana"

At the end of 2009, I offered up an argument that traditional country music would make a mainstream comeback in 2010, on the heels of artists such as Jamey Johnson, Chris Young and Ashton Shepherd. Today, I produce Easton Corbin’s self-titled debut from Mercury Nashville as Exhibit A of this turning tide. Despite sometimes sharing [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: Easton Corbin – Easton Corbin"

Rumors swirled on Sunday about the possible engagement of Carrie Underwood and hockey player Mike Fisher. This morning, the Toronto Sun is citing a source who has supposedly confirmed the engagement. “The rumours began spreading after a friend of Underwood’s family congratulated the former American Idol and the Senators centre on their upcoming marriage on [...]

Continue reading "Carrie Underwood Reportedly Engaged; Taylor Swift to Play Supergirl; New Ashton Shepherd Album in the Works"

Jeff Bridges received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Crazy Heart, which also netted Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett nods for best original song for “The Weary Kind.” Sarah Jarosz recently dropped by the KUT studios to record some old favorites and a few new tunes. Listen to new tune “Come Around” [...]

Continue reading "Ryan Bingham/T Bone Burnet Pick Up Golden Globe Nods; Luke Bryan’s “Do I” Tops Charts"

Taylor Swift’s first appearance on our list is balanced out by a heft of traditional country music, including two icons doing their best to pay tribute to each other. From Texas to Canada to a pickin’ shed in Georgia, these 10 country albums were among the best of the previous decade. 70. Sounds So Good [...]

Continue reading "Top Country Albums of the Decade (#70-#61)"