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Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood Lead ACM Nominees; Billy Joe Shaver Trial Date Set
If you had any lingering doubts about Lady Antebellum’s rising status, put ‘em to rest. The nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards were announced and the trio earned not five nominations like Taylor Swift, or six like Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, but a total of seven nominations. Off-camera nominees were announced as [...]
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Hall Honorees Comment On Induction; Josh Thompson’s Polarizing Reception; Sarah Buxton Performs New Album Acoustically
The Tennessean’s Peter Cooper provided brief background info for each of the four new Country Hall of Fame inductees along with quotes from all but Don Williams, who chose not to be interviewed.
Brad Paisley hurled a couple of good-natured jabs at the audience during a recent concert:
During the testosterone-fest, ‘I’m Still a Guy,’ he stopped [...] -
Rockabilly HoFer Dale Hawkins Passed Away; Mindy McCready Covers Garth Brooks; Darius Rucker Not Replacing Kevin Eubanks
Rockabilly legend Dale Hawkins passed away on Feb. 13 following a long battle with colon cancer. He was 73.
In yesterday’s list of new releases, I missed Carolina Chocolate Drops‘ Genuine Negro Jig ( Amazon | iTunes | MySpace ). As always, let me know if there’s any others that were missed.
Preview half the tracks from [...] -
Eli Yound Band Joins Republic Nashville; Stream Court Yard Hounds; Joey+Rory Announce ‘Album #2′
Eli Young Band joined the Republic Nashville roster.
Miranda Lambert’s Third Annual “Cause for Paws” benefit will be held May 15 in Tyler, Texas.
Tour News: Trace Adkins and Toby Keith will hit the road for their American Ride tour on June 19; Miranda Lambert is taking her first official headlining tour, Roadside Bars And Pink [...] -
Willie Nelson Not Slowing Down; Ralph Stanley’s Swan Song; The Lovell Sisters Trio Downsize
Willie Nelson collaborated with T Bone Burnett on a forthcoming album of vintage country songs that date back as far as the ’20s, and as reported by The Boot, he’s completed three others: one with James Stroud, one with Leon Russell, and another with Wynton Marsalis that serves as a tribute to Ray Charles.
Townes [...] -
Garth Brooks Is Officially Unretired; Opry Planning Wednesday Night Show; Sunny Sweeney’s New Demo
A newly unretired Garth Brooks performed the first of his Vegas shows this weekend. The Los Angeles Times and USA Today have the details.
Do we really believe it was as much of a struggle as Brooks let on to honor requests for deep catalog material such as “Mr. Midnight”? Given the occasional flub, he was [...] -
Top Country Albums of the Decade (#30-#21)
Miranda Lambert’s best album, Vince Gill’s epic artistic endeavor and an Opry legend’s final turn in the spotlight all land on the third-to-last installment of our countdown of the decade’s top 100 country albums.
30. Revolution (2009) – Miranda Lambert
The wunderkind sheds some of the more outrageous elements of her previous album–the violence, the [...]Continue reading "Top Country Albums of the Decade (#30-#21)"
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Grammy Nominees; Jack Cooke & Big Bill Lister Passed Away; Dixie Chick Lawsuit Dropped; CMA CEO Resigns
Nominees for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in the country category are as follows:
Best Female Country Vocal Performance
“Dead Flowers” – Miranda Lambert
“I Just Call You Mine” – Martina McBride
“White Horse” – Taylor Swift
“Just A Dream” – Carrie Underwood
“Solitary Thinkin” – Lee Ann WomackBest Male Country Vocal Performance
“All I Ask For Anymore” – Trace Adkins
“People Are [...] -
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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Album Review: Mark Stuart and The Bastard Sons – Bend In The Road
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.” Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene ii, lines 47-48
That Shakespeare fella might have been on to something. They may have a new band name, but West Coast workhorses Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons, formerly The Bastard Sons [...]Continue reading "Album Review: Mark Stuart and The Bastard Sons – Bend In The Road"
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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.Current Discussion
- Jim Malec: "Keeps her letters in a nightstand." She sent him letters, Jon!
- Leverett Sherrif: Paulaw, Brutal, sir..you heard them when they were first getting started..these young girls have worked extremely hard to get to ...
- sam (sam): I'm just a fan, but as I understand it, both singing and songwriting are essential to making good music. It ...
- Jon: @K, thanks for the further explanation. As near as I can tell, there are at least as many mediocre ...
- K: “I would hope that the legacy of a great singer is rewarded more richly than a great writer.” After reading my ...
- Jon: PS – Its too bad Amie Comeaux wasn’t born years later so she could have been a contestant on American ...
- Joe: Great guilty pleasure. I'll enjoy hearing this on the radio.
- Michelle: I love That's My Job by Conway Twitty, but I can't listen to it with others in the room.
- Michelle: Two stars? Whatever!
- Michelle: I love this song. I would love to climb up in his lap and drive his big green tractor!
