The 9513 - Country Music Blog

This week’s Friday Five is inspired by a song that was mentioned in Ralph Stanley’s autobiography Man of Constant Sorrow: Cager Farler’s “There’ll Be No Hippies in Heaven.” (Really, Cager? Not even that longhaired dude in sandals?) So what else isn’t in heaven? Let’s find out. 5. “No Lawyers in Heaven” – Ray Stevens If [...]

Continue reading "Friday Five: Not In Heaven"

I’ve been listening to country music–not just hearing it in the background, but, as well as I know how, listening to it–for close to 45 years, and writing about it in various public places, off and on, for about 35. The publications and online outlets that have chosen to publish what I’ve reported and observed [...]

Continue reading "Scanning the Countryside: On Writing About Country"

Equally influenced by Patsy Cline and Radiohead, Brandi Carlile blends country, pop, folk, and rock and counts Elton John as one of her fans. At only 28 years old, she’s already worked with the likes of T Bone Burnett and Rick Rubin, who produced her third full length album, 2009′s Give Up the Ghost. Written [...]

Continue reading "Brandi Carlile – “Dying Day”"

Asleep at the Wheel will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance at the Americana Awards in Nashville on Sept. 17. LeAnn Rimes left the audience confused last Thursday when she took an intermission after just two songs — “Crazy” and “Blue.” Despite the confusion, The Washington Post‘s Dave McKenna says Rimes hit notes for [...]

Continue reading "Asleep At The Wheel Wins Lifetime Achievement Award; Is Merle Haggard Greatest Living American Songwriter?"

With “I Told You So,” Carrie Underwood became the first country artist in history ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles on the strength of their first two albums. New releases for the week of May 12, 2009 include: Alecia Nugent – Hillbilly Goddess Amazon | iTunes | MySpace Amazing Rhythm Aces – Very Best [...]

Continue reading "Carrie Underwood Sets New Record"

The reporters and editors who craft headline banners atop newspapers and magazines across the country have been making the front pages themselves over the last few months–and between layoffs, furloughs and shut-downs at newspapers, magazines and television stations across the country, these aren’t fluffy, feel-good feature stories. It’s no surprise, then, country music news outlets [...]

Continue reading "Your Take: Where Do You Get Your Country Music News?"

In a letter posted to its website Friday, Publisher Kyla Fairchild announced that the web incarnation of Americana magazine No Depression has ceased editorial operations, citing a lack of revenue. “While traffic to the website has been great and the response positive, we have determined that it is impossible to bring in enough revenue to [...]

Continue reading "NoDepression.com Ceases Editorial Operations, Morphs"