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Roots Watch: Spring Words and Music — History Worth Catching, Part 2
A look at some new books, albums and a broadcast that look at where we’ve been to show us where we are: Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches and Encounters, edited by Jeff Burger. Those of us who interview and profile performers for articles concerning what they do sometimes get, and occasionally deserve, credit for pulling [...]
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George Jones Dies at 81; Calgary Folk Fest Lineup Announced; Johnny Cash Museum to Open in May
George Jones passed away this morning. He was 81. WSM is playing Jones songs A-Z today. Listen here. Here’s a fine piece on the Possum that David Cantwell wrote for a 1999 issue of No Depression. Brian Mansfield remembers Jones in this USA Today article. Billy Currington is free on bond. His arraignment hearing is [...]
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Patti Page Passes Away; Folk Archive Goes Digital; New Music from Blake Shelton
Patti Page passed away on New Year’s Day at the age of 85. Here are obituaries from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post. Topic Records is set to launch “The Great Big Digital Archive Project,” with 84 downloadable folk albums and digital booklets becoming available this month. Six to ten albums [...]
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Best Music Books of 2012
Making year-end lists of best books is an exercise at once exciting and frustrating. Listing the best books of the year helps recall fondly those great books that revealed new information about an artist or his or her music or drives you to pick a again a book that you didn’t want to end the [...]
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WSM Radio Tower Turns 80; Hee Haw Co-Creator Passes Away; Lambert and Lumineers Go Platinum
Frank Peppiatt, co-creator of Hee Haw, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 85. The iconic WSM radio tower turns 80. The station is celebrating tomorrow with an open house at the tower. Chet Flippo’s new Nashville Skyline column is all about artists he thinks are deserving of Hall of Fame induction, including Ray [...]
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Nothing Much Goin’ on Around Here: Jason Aldean Makes Nowhere Big Business
He doesn’t sing about much. Not really. Back water towns with water towers, driving with no place to go, working with one’s hands, no real arc for what the future holds, needing to believe and finding little to put one’s faith in. An American Dream that’s faded, now torn and shrinking. The will to survive [...]
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The Cowboy Rides Away: Retiring or No, George Strait Announces Last Tour
It’d be too easy to be cynical given the way legendary country acts of the last 30 years – see the Judds eternal farewell tour or Alabama’s three trips through many markets final trek – have cried wolf about “last” tours. But something about iconic Hall of Famer George Strait – known to many as “King [...]
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Idol Hands: The Trouble with Keith Urban, Fame & Talent Shows
In the biting album track “The Long Run,” the title track, but never single from the Eagles’ follow-up to Hotel California, Don Henley practically spits out the rejoinder, “Did you do it for love? Did you do for money? Did you do it for fame? Think you had to, honey?” with all the churlish invective you’d expect [...]
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Friday Five: Springsteen Covers, Part II
We did a Springsteen Friday Five on The 9513 three years ago, but there are so many good covers that it’s time for a second volume. Bonus Track: Trisha Yearwood — “Sad Eyes” Okay, this one made the last Springsteen Friday Five, but it’s so good I’ve got to post it again. Double Bonus [...]
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101 Arrested at New England Country Music Festival; Claire Lynch Signs with Compass; Album Releases
Claire Lynch signed with Compass Records. Her Compass debut will be released in early 2013. (via press release) Zac Brown Band’s The Foundation went triple platinum. Hunter Hayes’ “Wanted” and Toby Keith’s “As Good As I Once Was” have both gone platinum, and Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” has been certified gold. Bruce Springsteen is a fan [...]
Current Discussion
- Luckyoldsun: Sounds good. Is she--or her husband--related to Dallas? (I'll assume not to Joe.)
- Luckyoldsun: R-- Sounds like you're expanding your palate. "60′s style California hippie vibe" sounds like something you'd have banned from your playlist.
- Rick: I like the production, the excellent guitar picking, and Rebecca has a nice voice with individuality, but the song structure ...
- Rick: That Buddy Emmons tribute album sounds kinda interesting. I just might have to give it a listen when it's available. Congratulations ...
- Jon: Jack Bernhardt is the bomb.
- Bruce: Good article on Rucker. I do not care for all his songs and he is far from my favorite. I ...
- Kelly D.: Dig the Whiskey Sisters and the write-up from ol' Jim C.
- Bruce: "Why do people talk about the authenticity and/or genuineness of others with whom they’ve had no direct, normal social interaction ...
- Luckyoldsun: Hank III says "Old Junior once said it best,"--Is that some sort of rapprochement in the Williams family soap opera? It's ...
- Joan Harrison: Hi, My husband and I really enjoy watching your show each week. You had a recipe on for pork ...
