The 9513 - Country Music Blog

Gospel/country hybrid album Take The High Road doesn’t waste any time cutting to the chase. The sheer joy and enthusiasm that permeates every nook and cranny of The Blind Boys of Alabama’s new album launches full-throttle in its opening seconds, seamlessly combining a breathless, preaching testimony, crisply powerful harmonies and an instrumental backing that could [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: The Blind Boys of Alabama – Take The High Road"

Country music is known for its tear-jerkers, a fact not lost on the Vidalia Onion Committee. [Insert your own Sammy Kershaw joke here.] The industry association is set to launch a campaign featuring country artists Vince Gill, Billy Currington, Gary Allan and Ashton Shepherd. The promotion is in conjunction with Universal Music Group Nashville and [...]

Continue reading "Your Take: Buy or Sell Out"

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"

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"

Audio engineer Jim Williamson, whose many recording credits include “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Stand by Your Man,” and “That’s The Way Love Goes,” passed away Thursday at the age of 75. Mr. Williamson’s composure was evidenced during a three-hour Gene Watson session in which only 10 minutes remained. Watson wanted to attempt one more song, though [...]

Continue reading "Audio Engineer Jim Williamson Passed Away; Chuck Wicks and RCA Split; Sierra Hull at The Kennedy Center"

Up until this past fall, sisters Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer have kept their musical lives separate. Recently though, they’ve performed several intimate shows together as part of what they’ve dubbed their Side By Side tour. NPR is streaming a collection of songs that they performed live in Studio 4A, including the song they open [...]

Continue reading "Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer Perform Toegther; Country Stars Land Roles in New Civil War Mini-Series; Free Rodney Crowell"

Tim McGraw on his relationship with his label, Curb Records: Pressed on why 20 years was too long, Tim caught himself and pulled a few of his punches while answering. “Look, I think there comes a time when you’ve gotten everything out of each other that you can … When a relationship doesn’t work mutually [...]

Continue reading "Tim McGraw Nears the End of His Record Contract; Joe Nichols Readies Hits; Taylor Swift at Ed Sullivan Theater"

You’ve probably noticed the tremendous amount of energy and verbiage being expended online these days, in all sorts of places, by people who feel attached to some ongoing or even, often, some abandoned recording format. The conventionally-sized CD album, regularly derided for years—not less in country than in other musical genres— as often an over-priced [...]

Continue reading "Scanning the Countryside: Right-Size Me"

The recent All for the Hall benefit concert brought in nearly $450,000. A charitable initiative called NASH2O has begun auctioning flood-damaged instruments to benefit the Nashville community. Guitars donated by Vince Gill, Keith Urban and others are currently up for bidding with many more planned for the next month. Lady Antebellum tied Eminem with five [...]

Continue reading "All for the Hall Raises Nearly $450,000; Lady Antebellum Leads American Music Awards Nominations"