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Country Stars Remember Kitty Wells; New Little Big Town Album Due in September; Punch Brothers Announce New Tour Dates
Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, and Lee Ann Womack all made statements about Kitty Wells’ passing. Janis Martin’s final album, The Blanco Sessions, will be released on September 18. The album, produced by Rosie Flores and Bobby Trimble, was funded through Kickstarter. (via press release) Punch Brothers announced a bunch of new North American [...]
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Pick Six: June 2012
June was a superbly good month for music, with Alan Jackson, Don Williams, and Elizabeth Cook all releasing albums. Here are a few of my favorite releases from the past month that we haven’t reviewed. What albums were in heavy rotation on your stereo this June? 6. The Bankesters – Looking Forward This bluegrass family band [...]
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Everett Lilly Passes Away; Elizabeth Cook Records Gospel EP; Ralph Emery Inducted Into Tenn. Radio Hall of Fame
Everett Lilly (The Lilly Brothers) passed away at the age of 87. Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee has been certified platinum. Due out June 19: Ruby Jane’s Celebrity (Empire of Emptiness). Yesterday evening, Elizabeth Cook tweeted “Can’t believe Im sayin this, but I’m in RCA studio Making a Gospel EP! Holy hell.” Ralph Emery was inducted into the [...]
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Mark Collie Unveils Brushy Mountain Prison Project; Stream Sara Watkins’ Sun Midnight Sun; New Music Videos
Stream Sara Watkins’ new album, Sun Midnight Sun, before its May 8 release date. Peter Cooper wrote about Mark Collie’s “prison project,” Alive at Brushy Mountain, which is finally getting released after ten years. Carrie Underwood was on NPR’s All Things Considered. Underwood is also the subject of a lengthy Tennessean feature penned by Cindy [...]
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Kellie Pickler — 100 Proof
That sound you hear is Kellie Pickler coming into her own. For all the attention its ‘traditionalism’ has drawn in the popular music press, 100 Proof is a better example of unadulterated Kellie Pickler than of unadulterated country tradition. Neither a typical mainstream release nor a revivalist exercise in tear-in-your-beer balladry, this is a collection [...]
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Hubert Sumlin Passes Away; The Band Perry Goes Platinum; The Avett Brothers Get to Work
Blues guitarist and singer Hubert Sumlin passed away yesterday. Here is a piece on Sumlin that Barry Mazor wrote for No Depression in 2005. Taylor Swift is the cover girl of Billboard Magazine after they’ve named her Woman of the Year. After winning his first case against Curb allowing him to pursue a music deal [...]
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Frank Liddell to Produce Lee Ann Womack’s New Record; Whitey Morgan & The 78s to Record Live Album; New Releases
Lee Ann Womack’s husband, Frank Liddell, will produce her new album, which will be released some time in 2012. The newest Quotable Country features Mac McAnally, Caitlin Rose, Jimmy Wayne, and more. Barry Mazor had a talk with Guy Clark and Verlon Thompson for a feature in the Wall Street Journal. Speaking of Clark, he’s [...]
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Friday Five: Buddy Miller
In addition to releasing his own solo records and projects with his wife Julie, Buddy Miller is one of the most in-demand musicians in American roots music. Chances are that even if you don’t own any of his own records, you have at least half a dozen albums in your collection featuring his singing or [...]
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Album Review: Stoney LaRue — Velvet
With smart songwriting sensibilities and Texas everyman vocals, Stoney LaRue’s long overdue second studio album Velvet is worth the wait. LaRue and his producers, Frank Liddell (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Lee Ann Womack) and Mike McCarthy (Patty Griffin), have combined meaningful lyrics with a production sound that would have been interesting all by itself. [...]
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Wade Mainer and Don Wayne Pass Away; Lee Ann Womack Returns to Studio; Justin Townes Earle Contributes to Boardwalk Empire Soundtrack
Banjo pioneer Wade Mainer passed away on Monday at the age of 104. Songwriter Don Wayne, whose extensive body of work included “Saginaw, Michigan,” also passed away on Monday. He was 78. Lee Ann Womack is back in the studio working on a new album. Check out the Opry’s birthday celebration for George Jones. Justin [...]
Current Discussion
- BRUCE: Toby's generosity and philanthropic work is very expansive. His USO tours plus other works deserves praise, though I an sure ...
- Luckyoldsun: Arlene, That's another big one.
- Fervor Coulee: Sometimes I really think I live in a Stephen King bubble-town: 12 weeks at number one, and I've never heard ...
- bll: Nice roundup today, Trisha singing and Jen Chapin too!
- Paul W Dennis: I guess my favorite would be George Hamilton IV's version of "Forever Young" and The Byrd's cover of Mr. Tambourine ...
- Jack Williams: Speaking of Chris Smither, he did a nice version of Visions of Johanna. Other favorites: Neville Brothers - The Ballad of Hollis ...
- Leeann Ward: I think benefit concerts and telethons are great and needed, but I'm also impressed by Underwood's generous donation.
- Arlene: Ummm? "For impact, nothing surpasses The Byrd's cover of "Mr. Tamborine Man?"" How about Peter, Paul and Mary singing "Blowin' ...
- Jon: Interesting that folks are falling all over themselves to talk up Toby Keith's prospective benefit for Oklahoma tornado victims, while ...
- Luckyoldsun: For Dylan covers with impact, nothing surpasses the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man." As far as obscure ones, I happened to like ...
