The 9513 - Country Music Blog

By now, there’s not a recording artist, country or otherwise, who hasn’t heard that we’re in a new era — fundamentally, a singles era. They’ve all heard how CD album chart leaders are topping those charts with lower sales figures than anyone can remember. And they’ve all heard horror stories (as have followers of The [...]

Continue reading "Scanning The Countryside: What Artists Want From CDs—Still"

Larry Cordle has a new album, Pud Marcum’s Hangin’, scheduled for a March 15 release and three singles scheduled for release tomorrow. For country fans, Cordle offers his own expressive version of a song first recorded by country star Trace Adkins in 2008, “Sometimes a Man Takes a Drink.” The lighthearted “Uncle Bob Got Religion,” [...]

Continue reading "Larry Cordle Schedules New Album and Three Singles; Will, Wills and Willie; Introduction to the Westbound Rangers"

Charlie Louvin‘s autobiography will be released later this year. Dierks Bentley describes the direction of his next album: “I’m going to use the term kick (butt) to describe it,” Bentley said of his new material. “Everyone is asking me, ‘Is it bluegrass or country?’ I think you’re asking the wrong guy because I thought the [...]

Continue reading "Charlie Louvin Autobiography In the Works; Ronnie Dunn’s New Single; Rodney Hayden Introduces Video Series"

Ed Crowell covered the taping of the last Austin City Limits show at Studio 6A for the Austin American-Statesman. It will air on Saturday. Alison Krauss, who has a new album titled Paper Airplanes scheduled for an April release, on whether she listens to the melody or lyrics first when choosing new songs: Lyrics, usually. [...]

Continue reading "Watch Lyle Lovett on ‘Austin City Limits’ Tomorrow; Remembering Charlie Louvin; New Site Helps Indie Bluegrass Bands"

Jamey Johnson eats critics polls for breakfast. At least that’s the logical conclusion from the just-published critics poll in Nashville Scene, where Johnson received nearly twice as many votes as the runner-up. After looking at the results himself, Geoffrey Himes took the time to write a more reasoned conclusion. Check it out, it’s well worth [...]

Continue reading "Jamey Johnson Dominates ‘Nashville Scene’ Critics Poll; ACM Plans Tribute to Women of Country; Todd Snider on Bob Dylan"

Country music legend Charlie Louvin passed away early this morning at the age of 83. If you get a chance, check out his final recordings, released as a two-song project at the Country Music Hall of Fame. It contains “Alabama,” the first song ever recorded by The Louvin Brothers, and “Back When We Were Young,” [...]

Continue reading "Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin Passed Away Early This Morning at the Age of 83"

Here’s a briefer for the past couple of weeks: Shania Twain got married. So did Kellie Pickler. The Grascals’ Terry Eldredge got engaged. LeAnn Rimes got new boobs and engaged. The Shania and LeAnn stories seem to be the biggest, and of course there are other stories and links that were missed during my hiatus, [...]

Continue reading "George Jones, Charlie Louvin, & Ralph Stanley Hospitalized In the Past Week; Year End Lists; RIP Gary Claxton"

From three to two, Love and Theft loses a member. Trace Adkins on John Rich‘s Celebrity Apprentice appearance: “After that first season, they came to me and said, ‘Who in country music should we go after?’ He was the first name that I told ‘em. I said, ‘You gotta get John Rich.’ He’s like a [...]

Continue reading "Love and Theft Drops to Duo Status; Billboard Adds Social 50 Chart; Edgar Loudermilk Releases Duet with Rhonda Vincent"

Carrie Underwood co-wrote a new song titled “There’s a Place For Us” for the upcoming film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Stream it, if you’d like, over at NashvilleGab. Am I still allowed to mention The Fabulous Ginn Sisters on a country blog? They mention a change in sound from [...]

Continue reading "Carrie Underwood Records Song for ‘Narnia’ Movie; Norah Jones’ “Creepin’ In” with Dolly Parton; Carter’s Chord’s Christmas Collection"

Martina McBride left her longtime label Sony Music Nashville to join the Republic Nashville roster. Lady Antebellum‘s hit “Need You Now” won song of the year at last night’s SESAC awards ceremony, and one of the song’s co-writers, Hillary Scott (Lady A’s only member of SESAC), took home songwriter of the year honors. The Tennessean [...]

Continue reading "Martina McBride Joins Republic Nashville; Hillary Scott Named SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year; Stream Reba McEntire"