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Favorite Songs of 2012
More than 350 songs were on this year’s ballot. We cut the list to just our top 60, though it easily could have been a Top 100 countdown. What were your favorite songs of the past year? You can listen to a Spotify playlist of the available songs here. 60. Bucky Covington — “A Father’s [...]
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Roots Watch: Looking Forward, Looking Back
Year’s end is all at once “make a list” time, “last chance to bring it up” time and “turn the page” time, so I thought I’d keep all of that in mind this column and point you towards some recent roots and country releases, reissues and re-visits in particular, that strike me as worthy of [...]
Continue reading "Roots Watch: Looking Forward, Looking Back"
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Satellite Radio to Increase Music Royalties; Shooter Jennings Premieres New Song; New Music Videos
Many artists expressed their feelings on social media following last week’s horrific elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Here is a small sampling: “I’m heartsick about the senseless tragedy in CT and praying for the families of the children and teachers who lost their lives. Unthinkable.” Taylor Swift “Stand strong and united everyone…We are Americans [...]
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Ashley Monroe’s Album Release Postponed; Stream Caitlin Rose’s New Single; Bluegrass for the Rockaways Compilation Raises Funds for Sandy Relief
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will be closed to the public from January 22 to February 6 to “make needed improvements and accommodate expansion-related construction.” The release of Ashley Monroe’s Like a Rose has been pushed back to March 5. From the press release: “The great Vince Gill and I have written [...]
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The Band Perry Premieres New Video; Underwood, Stringdusters Announce Tour Dates; New Christmas Music from Black Prairie & Sallie Ford
The Dallas Observer’s Kelly Dearmore lists the North Texas area’s ten best country songs of the year. Watch the new video for The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two.” The Americana Music Association announced a new board of directors. Don Maddox will be recognized by Ashland, Oregon as part of his 90th Birthday Celebration, held on December [...]
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ACM Makes Changes to New Artist Category; Rolling Stone Premieres New Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris Duet; Album Releases
Rick Blackburn, a retired record executive for CBS Records and Atlantic, who also served as president of the CMA’s board of directors and the organization’s chairman, passed away at the age of 70. The Academy of Country Music announced a few changes: it will award trophies in three individual newcomer categories, New Male Vocalist, New [...]
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Stream Songs from Van Zandt, Willis & Robison; The Band Perry & Dierks Bentley to Pay Tribute to Johnny Cash; Peter Rowan Goes Old School
Listen to a track from the upcoming Townes Van Zandt collection Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971-1972. Paste has a stream of “Drinking Coke and Eating Ice,” a cut from Drive-By Trucker Mike Cooley’s new solo record, The Fool on Every Corner, which drops December 11. Here’s an hour-long BBC documentary called The Joy [...]
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Hall of Fame Attendance Jumps 15%; Curb Partners with Cracker Barrel; New Music Videos
In the ongoing saga of Curb Records versus Tim McGraw, McGraw won a battle that keeps Big Machine from releasing sensitive negotiation documents with McGraw. In an unrelated Curb Records story, they’ve partnered with Cracker Barrel to release compilation albums from McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, The Bellamy Brothers, Rodney Atkins, The Judds and Wynonna Judd. Peter [...]
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FTC to Vote on Universal-EMI Merger; Gary Allan, Brad Paisley Plan New Albums; New Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard Video
European regulators approved Universal’s $1.9 billion takeover of EMI. The FTC votes on it today. This article about the Universal-EMI deal and the digital music market paints a grim picture. An excerpt: Major labels control so much of the world’s music catalog, however, that new providers have to ink deals with them before turning to [...]
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Kix Brooks to Host Overnight Radio Show; Bankesters Premiere New Video; How Does Americana Stay True?
Wall Street Journal music critic Jim Fusilli wrote a fine article called “How Americana Stays True.” An excerpt: Will the Americana movement succumb to the temptation to dumb down, or gloss up, its music to appeal to a wider audience? It seems unlikely. The AMA’s 1,600 members, many of whom are Americana musicians, control its [...]
Current Discussion
- Rick: Why Leeann, I'm all for "charity" when I am the recipient! (lol)
- Rick: I'm glad to see Miss Leslie was able to raise enough funds to record a new album. I can't wait ...
- J.R. Journey: Congratulations to Trisha Yearwood and Little Big Town. They join Hank Williams Jr. in the country-stars-with-Emmy-awards category.
- Juli Thanki: They're no Tracy Jordan.
- Luckyoldsun: Here he is with Mr. Johnny Carson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L5QC9ZJkM8
- Blake Boldt: Trisha and LBT for the EGOT.
- Barry Mazor: I thought Luckyol was kidding--and he may have been. The Ames Bros charted dozens of times, and Ed Ames ...
- bob: Before going solo, Ed Ames was a member of the Ames Brothers. The brothers had some hits in the 50's ...
- Luckyoldsun: "My parents’ record collection consisted of Ed Ames, Perry Como..." Ed Ames made records? I did not know that. I thought ...
- Leeann Ward: Old Town, where Griffin is from, is just a few minutes away from me.
