The 9513 - Country Music Blog

Britney Spears‘ new single was released Monday, which wouldn’t ordinarily be news here, but The Bellamy Brothers are taking issue with some of the songs lyrics, specifically the line “If I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me?” It’s eerily close to the Brothers’ 1979 classic “If I Said You [...]

Continue reading "The Bellamy Brothers Raise Questions Over Britney Spears Single; George Strait/Reba McEntire Lead Country Tours in 2010"

Current Sugarland members Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush settled a lawsuit with the group’s founding member, Kristen Hall, who claims she was owed more than $14 million. Details of the settlement weren’t disclosed. NPR’s Meredith Ochs says the new Hank Williams box set The Complete Mother’s Best Recordings…Plus! challenges commonly held perceptions: Though it’s well-known [...]

Continue reading "Sugarland Settles Lawsuit with Founder Kristen Hall; Country Shows Expand; Anna Wilson Adds Jazz to Country Standards"

Photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum I was privileged to be on hand in August for all three of Buddy Miller’s Artist-in-Residence shows at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater, the first of which marked the theater’s reopening after its repair from damage in May’s Nashville flooding. These [...]

Continue reading "Scanning the Countryside: Country’s Buddy"

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"

Craig Shelburne recapped Buddy Miller‘s artist-in-residence gig at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Tuesday, which featured special guests Tom T. Hall, Emmylou Harris, and the McCrary Sisters. With the song’s composer sitting in the front row, just a few steps away, Miller nervously introduced Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis.” [...]

Continue reading "Buddy Miller’s Residence Show; Free Sons of Bill EP; Hayes Carll Performs for ‘Austin City Limits’"

Willie Nelson releases albums like most people change their underpants. For the most part, that’s a good thing. He’s had some missteps along the way, but his recent offerings (Willie and the Wheel, American Classic, and Two Men with the Blues) rank as some of the best work in his long and storied career. Produced [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: Willie Nelson – Country Music"

Last.fm Top Artists While Josh Turner has normally averaged around 13 listeners per week, the release of a new album shot him up to #4 on the list this week, with 23 listeners. It’s a decent showing but not spectacular, which is pretty much in line with how the album reviews have been. Once again, [...]

Continue reading "The 9513 Last.fm Chart Update (2-14-10)"

In her ubiquitous smash hit “You Belong with Me,” Taylor Swift’s cute quirks work for her. To fend off a prettier, more-perfect romantic rival, she‘s making her would-be man think twice about his options. “She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts/She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers,” Swift sings, fully aware that she’s got [...]

Continue reading "‘You Belong with Me?’: Taylor Goes for Grammy Gold"

From the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou to his work on the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss collaboration, T-Bone Burnett is the top producer for country and Americana “event” recordings. His latest event is the soundtrack for current awards show darling Crazy Heart, co-produced by the late Stephen Bruton. The two movies couldn’t be more [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: Various Artists – Crazy Heart (Soundtrack)"

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)"