Vince Gill Named New Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Artist-In-Residence

So when do we get to see the Top 10 lists from you 9513 staffers?

Soon! It’s not the end of the year, yet ;-)

I wish James Otto’s Sunset Man had gotten more attention. The man obvious oozes talent, and you guys gave the album 4 1/2 stars. Wha hahpuhned?

Ashton Shepherd’s debut was truly amazing, and deserved way more attention.

I havent heard much about the latest from Taylor Swift…and come to think of it, did Sugarland release anything new this year????

From CMT’s lists, it looks as though Coal is going to be criminally overlooked this year.

I can only describe CMT’s lists as “unfocused.” Part of this is due to the fact that Edward Morris and Craig Shelburne cited some records that most country critics probably won’t be thinking about (kudos to Morris for recognizing the excellent Dailey and Vincent, which will make my top ten).

Top-to-bottom, Chet Flippo has the most credible list. However, his omission of Coal is a major snub and inclusion of Good Time, probably the worst album of Alan Jackson’s career is inexplicable (well, the explanation is that Flippo long ago gave up attempting to honestly criticize artists like Jackson). He also includes Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love, which I consider a 2007 album.

These lists do make it clear that Alison Bonaguro is not a credible music critic and should not be allowed by CMT to function in that capacity. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about the Keith Anderson album that she included. Darius Rucker, Lady A, Phil Vassar, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift all made average to slightly above average albums that do not approach the year’s top ten. I’d be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt if she’d only included one (or even two) of them, but when all five of those albums plus the Keith Anderson set make her list, she leaves me with no choice. Bonaguro either doesn’t know what she’s talking about or is being manipulated by CMT to appease management who want their artists’ very mediocre albums to appear on somebody’s top ten list.

Yeah I’ve never understood the whole “top X of the year” coming out before the year ends.

In this case, sure there might not be anything promising coming out.. but you never know, and you might come across something else you missed.

Also, Top lists are such a weird American institution. Just like rewarding the worst sports team with first pick of a better new player. How weird.

Why exactly Jim? I probably like it so much because it was my first introduction to Mattea at all; I had never heard of her previously. The album’s also very depressing, so I could definitely see people not liking it.

Last time I checked, Matt, taste was subjective. Or did I miss something? Were you somehow granted the power to legislate taste?

If y’all weren’t so determined to love the music that country radio hates, then maybe you would’ve heard what I heard. Really great tracks from Anderson, like “Adaleine” and “I Ain’t Hurtin’ Nobody But Me.” And songs like Vassar’s “Prayer of a Common Man” and “I Would” are very solid by country music standards. Maybe these guys aren’t the darlings of music critics, but that’s certainly no reason to leave them off year-end lists. And the fact that I liked the albums from Chesney, Rucker, Swift and Lady A–and you didn’t–just shows how vast our tastes are. I like what country fans are buying, and you like, um, Coal?

And a couple more things. I am a very credible music critic and am in no way being manipulated by anyone. I will continue to function in that capacity at CMT.com and for the Chicago Tribune. So if you my taste in music bothers you that much, I suggest you stop reading whenever you see my byline.

So because people aren’t buying Coal, it’s not good? That sounds silly.

An artist isnt obscure or a “critical darling” simply due to a lack of cmt or radio airplay. The playlist for those avenues are amazingly narrow and exclude such a large amount of music that is country. While I dont begrudge Alison her opinion and her right to make a top 10 list, or Liz her opinion on what is good, I think they’ll find that most critics top 10 lists are far more varied and accepting of Country Music in all of it’s forms, not just contemporary, pop 40.

I wasn’t crazy about Coal, either. (And I think “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” is one of the greatest songs ever written.) It seemed like one of those ideas that was brilliant in theory but in execution it was just so bleak. I think there’s a more nuanced album to be made on the subject.

I don’t know how you can deem a critic “not credible” unless it’s determined that they’re on some record label’s payroll. You may find you agree more with some than others, but an opinion is an opinion. Likewise, a critic isn’t better or worse than others because their picks line up with record sales. I tend to like the Roger Ebert model of criticism — he’s not afraid to give a guilty-pleasure pic a good review, but he’ll also draw readers’ attention to more obscure gems.

Stormy and Jason, you are both soooo wrong about Jypsi! They don’t sound like any other group and they aren’t trying to either, and its their uniqueness I find refreshing. Lillie Mae’s vocals can be a bit loose at times but at least she’s usually on pitch. The silly clothes they wear definitely leaves a negative first impression with many people, but they can play their instruments and have a lot of talent. They are definitely the artists I feel undeservedly got the most overlooked this past year, and I’d place Carter’s Chord right behind them.

I think Alison Bonaguro’s music tastes mirror those of most of the soccer mom demographic female listeners to Top 40 country radio better than the other CMT.com bloggers. On the other hand I can’t stand most of the pop-rock crap currently featured on that format and find Chet Flippo’s Top 10 list dang near perfect in comparison. Its just a matter of personal taste.

For those of you above who think Ashton Shepherd’s fine album has been overlooked, take a look at the CMT.com Top 10 lists. She hasn’t been overlooked there at least….

PS – Congratulation to Jamey Johnson for entering the Top 10 on mainstream country radio! Now if only Ashton Shepherd could pull that off as well. For Ashton’s next single I’d go with “The Bigger The Heart” and any Top 40 country format PD that considers it “too country” should be tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail!

Oddly, Chet Flippo’s picks for the top albums of 2008 are almost completely on par with my own. I would have swapped the Emmylou album for Rodney Crowell’s ‘Sex & Gasoline’. But other than that, he’s right on the money.

Stormy, I think the Rische siblings would make for a great Real World! (lol)

Roni Stoneman will be performing in Los Angeles on Monday night December 15th at the Grand Ole Echo in Echo Park and I’m excited! The event will be the west coast release party for an amazing new book full of great photographs of traditional country artists taken at outdoor concerts during the 1960’s. Some of the pictures are posted on the MySpace page of the venue and I can’t wait to thumb through one of the actual books. This looks like something Paul Dennis might enjoy!

Link: http://www.myspace.com/thegrandoleecho

“Sun City” was the brainchild of one Little Steven Van Zandt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_City_(song)

I don’t wanna speak for Alison, but perhaps her role at CMT and the Tribune is simply to review these mainstream efforts by artists. It’s impossible to review EVERY CD that came out this year, and CMT likely doesn’t have too many people visiting their blog to read about Kathy Mattea, and nothing’s wrong with that. It’s catering to the audience, and in journalism, you have to understand your audience. Our audience here at The 9513 is much different from CMT’s…