The 9513 - Country Music Blog

Today is Maryland Day, a celebration of the day back in 1634 that settlers first stepped foot onto what would become Maryland soil. Several country singers have paid tribute to various aspects of the state over the years; here are five of my favorite songs about the city of Baltimore. 5. “Baltimore Johnny” – The [...]

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There have always been some who see country music and jazz as opposite ends of the American music spectrum—one down home, emotionally straightforward and inclined towards the well-understood and safe; the other urban, sophisticated, even intellectual, and born to go off on unfettered, exploratory tangents. You could, of course, hear that opposition expressed by fans [...]

Continue reading "Scanning the Countryside: Country—and All That Jazz"

On Feb. 5, the night before the Super Bowl, Faith Hill and The Pretenders will team up for a live episode of CMT Crossroads. The success of “Somewhere With You” earned Kenny Chesney his 21st No. 1 single. Preview “Mountain Home,” the title track to Owen Temple‘s next album. Vote: The 2011 LoneStarMusic Awards In [...]

Continue reading "Faith Hill to Join the Pretenders for ‘Crossroads’; New Album Releases; Court Yard Hounds Schedule Live Web Chat"

At last night’s annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, Dailey & Vincent triumphed — again, maintaining their hold on the entertainer of the year and top vocal group categories for the third year in a row. The duo also notched wins for album of the year for their tribute project Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler [...]

Continue reading "2010 IBMA Award Winners"

Stop the presses: Merle Haggard is one of the five 2010 Kennedy Center honorees for his “lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.” The annual Honors Gala is scheduled to take place Dec. 5 and later broadcast on CBS on Dec. 28. Joey+Rory‘s Album Number Two can be streamed a week early on [...]

Continue reading "Merle Haggard Named Kennedy Center Honoree; Alan Jackson Celebrates Career with Release of ’34 Number Ones’"

Nominees for the 21st annual International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced this morning and once again, Dailey & Vincent top the list with 10 nominations. Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out follow with six nods and right on their heels are Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Sam Bush, and The Grascals with five apiece. The full [...]

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Tomorrow is the third annual National Train Day. Now, country music is known to have more than a few good train songs, but since this event has only been in existence since 2008, this week’s Friday Five will only feature songs released since Train Day’s inception. 5. “White Pass Railroad” – The Del McCoury Band [...]

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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)"

The first decade of the 21st century was a tumultuous one for country music. Piracy exploded, iPods ascended, and within a few years the genre had bid adieu to three of its biggest stars–Garth Brooks, who retired after the release of 2001’s Scarecrow (his final studio album); Shania Twain, who retreated after 2002’s Up!; and [...]

Continue reading "Top Country Albums of the Decade (#100-#91)"

Juli Thanki One More For The Road by Adam Steffey The past few months have been pretty rough on the wallets of bluegrass fans, with stellar releases coming from the Del McCoury Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Ricky Skaggs. But for my money, the best bluegrass record of the past few months—maybe all year—is Adam [...]

Continue reading "Staff Picks For September/October 2009"