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Album Review: The Sweetback Sisters — Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular
Listening to the harmonies of Sweetback Sisters Zara Bode and Emily Miller could put a smile on the Grinch’s sour, green face. Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular is the result of the Brooklyn-based band’s annual holiday concerts, which have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Here, the six-person band romps through a collection of [...]
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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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“I Have This Urge to Rebel”: An Exclusive Interview with Emily West
Three critically well-received singles that barely dented the country charts, a finished but never released album, and eight plus years of grinding on the country radio wheel were some of the keys of Emily West’s time on Capitol Records. After “Blue Sky,” her duet with Keith Urban, peaked at #38 in 2010, there was a [...]
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Grammy Nominations Announced; New Videos from Don Williams, Hunter Hayes; Chelle Rose, The Mavericks Added to SXSW Roster
The Grammy nominees were announced last night. Taylor Swift and Mumford and Sons were nominated for Record of the Year and Album of the Year, respectively. You can read the entire list of nominations here. Best Country Solo Performance Dierks Bentley, “Home” Eric Church, “Springsteen” Ronnie Dunn, “Cost of Livin’” Hunter Hayes, “Wanted” Blake Shelton, [...]
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Stream New Junior Brown Song; JD Crowe to Receive Honorary Doctorate; Album Releases
Matraca Berg’s new album, Love’s Truck Stop, is getting good reviews across the pond. The second annual Red River Songwriters Festival will be held January 24-26 in Red River, New Mexico. Artists scheduled to perform include Ray Wylie Hubbard, Walt Wilkins, Drew Kennedy, and more. Listen to new Junior Brown song, “Hang Up and Drive.” [...]
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Little Jimmy Dickens is Victim of Identity Theft; Julie Roberts Releases New EP; New Music Videos
The change to Billboard’s Hot Country music chart, in which digital sales, web-streamed play and non-country-radio spins will influence chart performance has caused quite the internet flutter. Some takes on the change: Matt Bjorke at Roughstock The Triggerman at Saving Country Music Edward Morris at CMT Kevin John Coyne at Country Universe And now there’s a [...]
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Braddock, Gill Among Songwriters Hall of Fame Nominees; Avett Brothers & Randy Travis to Film CMT Crossroads Episode; Stream New Rosie Flores Record
Bobby Braddock, Vince Gill, JD Souther, and Bob McDill are among the nominees for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Wanda Jackson talks about her old songs, new album Unfinished Business, Elvis, and Justin Townes Earle, in this interview posted on The A.V. Club. Jackson also answered a few questions for CMT. Jewly Hight [...]
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Friday Five: The Ed Sullivan Show
On this date in 1901, a young boy was born in New York who would go on to change modern media as we know it. At the age of 47, Ed Sullivan would take the still-relatively-new media of television and start the variety show called simply, Toast of the Town. (It would eventually be renamed [...]
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George Strait to Hold Press Conference This Afternoon; Chris LeDoux Gets Marker on Country Music Trail; Tony Rice Cancels Shows Due to Illness
Loretta Lynn celebrated 50 years as an Opry member yesterday. George Strait is holding a press conference this afternoon at 12:35 Central. You’ll be able to watch here. No word yet on what the big announcement will be, but hopefully it’s not his retirement. UPDATE: the two-year The Cowboy Rides Away Tour will be Strait’s [...]
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Charley Pride to be Honored by Smithsonian; Listen to a New Rodney Crowell Song; Album Releases
On October 3, Charley Pride will be honored by the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture with a reception. Pride’s sending the museum his 1971 Country Male Vocalist of the Year Award, his 1972 Grammy, a guitar, and some ‘70s outfits for display at the museum, which is slated to open [...]
Current Discussion
- Doug Gilliland: Can't say for sure if these artists are currently unsigned, but I would love to hear new material from Kathy ...
- Rick: Opry Alert! I'm guessing(?) tonight marks the end of the spring season of the Thursday Night Classic Country Opry shows ...
- bob: Thanks for the info on the PBS Carole King concert. It will be good to see Trisha Yearwood sing again.
- Jon: Nope.
- 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 ...
