The 9513 - Country MusicThe 9513 - Country MusicCountry music news, gossip, and reviews ranging from mainstream country to lesser known Americana and Texas country artists. Articles
Video of Troy Gentry?s Bear Hunt Released; Dierks Bentley?s Four Nights In
2010-10-26 19:33:00 Could the release of Troy Gentry’s bear “hunt” video be the reason Montgomery Gentry and its label parted ways? Want to know who all those songs on the new Taylor Swift album are about without having to do the work? Chris Willman has you covered in his latest article about the hidden messages in Swift’s songs. A ... More About: Video , Dierks Bentley , Released
Tim McGraw ? ?Felt Good On My Lips?
2010-10-26 18:01:00 Songwriters: Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Brad Warren, and Brett Warren Over the last few years, Tim McGraw has become the New York Yankees of country music: well paid and certainly talented, but poorly managed and underperforming. His latest single, ?Felt Good on My Lips ,? from the upcoming Number One Hits, continues his streak of strong performances ...
On the Road: A Kick in the Groin Is Always a Surprise
2010-10-26 16:11:00 The only real cure for jet lag is adrenalin, and it?s only temporary. The six-hour time difference between New York City and France gives rise to a mental fog that a good meal, vitamins, jumping jacks, a nap, or a shower are all powerless to fix. Nonetheless, for any band that dreams of ... More About: Road
Carrie Underwood Reportedly Engaged; Taylor Swift to Play Supergirl; New As
2009-12-21 17:59:00 Rumors swirled on Sunday about the possible engagement of Carrie Underwood and hockey player Mike Fisher. This morning, the Toronto Sun is citing a source who has supposedly confirmed the engagement. “The rumours began spreading after a friend of Underwood?s family congratulated the former American Idol and the Senators centre on their upcoming marriage on his ... More About: Engaged , Play , Supergirl , Taylor
The Band Perry ? ?Hip To My Heart?
2009-12-21 15:08:00 New Republic Nashville sibling trio The Band Perry sprightly treks through country?s bubbly side on ?Hip To My Heart ,? a rollicking up-tempo that pulses with energy. Lead singer Kimberly Perry?s voice is a pleasant surprise, invigorating, full of youthful vitality and accented by just a hint of raspy grit. Likewise, ?Hip To My Heart? is ...
Your Take: Sex (Kinda) Sells
2009-12-19 14:00:00 Is his review of Luke Bryan’s new single “Rain is a Good Thing,” Jim touched on a recent thematic trend in country music – or lack thereof: Sex is one of the most fundamental human desires; Ever present in the messages we send and consume, it affects our behavior, our world view and serves as the impetus behind emotional (and sometimes physical) conflict. Given all of that, you would think that it would be a significant contributing influence in a genre that prides itself on truth and telling the stories of “real” people. To be sure, the country music industry is aware of how sex affects image; Nashville has no problem casting aside all but the most alluring singers, and record labels work hard to bring out their artist’s best attributes; from perfectly messy hair and styled facial scruff to outfits that accentuate female assets, anyone in the business will tell you that sex sells. But when it comes to the music itself, sex is essentially off limits. Al... More About: Kinda
Willie Nelson Not Slowing Down; Ralph Stanley’s Swan Song; The Lovell Sis
2009-12-18 18:18:00 Willie Nelson collaborated with T Bone Burnett on a forthcoming album of vintage country songs that date back as far as the ’20s, and as reported by The Boot, he’s completed three others: one with James Stroud, one with Leon Russell, and another with Wynton Marsalis that serves as a tribute to Ray Charles. Townes Van Zandt is among the new inductees to the Austin Music Memorial. The Bluegrass Blog on Ralph Stanley’s album-in-progress and recording future: Ralph Stanley has been in the studio this month, working on a new album for Rebel Records, one which he has intimated may be his last. This will be an all-Gospel project, produced by his son Ralph Stanley II. Ralph is recording with The Clinch Mountain Boys, and a few special guest performances are expected to be included, along with II singing lead on a couple of tracks. They have new songs from Ronnie Bowman and Jim Lauderdale, and Ralph is also planning to include a song from the days of The Stanley Brothers a... More About: Willie Nelson , Song , Swan , Willie
Carrie Underwood – “Temporary Home”
2009-12-18 14:05:00 Before I begin to sound like a broken record when it comes to Carrie Underwood , I should make it clear that I really do enjoy her singing. Early in Underwood’s career, her voice was in constant overdrive, powering through even the most sensitive subjects. To her credit, she’s evolved immensely since those early days. Her delivery has become colorful and nuanced, and her voice has thus transformed from a powerful soundbox to a truly formidable and well-used instrument. Hearing Underwood sing classic country music is a pure delight. Underwood shows off those refined chops on new single “Temporary Home”; her vocal is beautifully delicate, and the downtempo pace of the song grants a welcome reprieve for her typically bombastic production. But here’s where the record starts to skip: “Temporary Home” is such a heavy-handed piece of songwriting that, despite Underwood’s gripping performance, it offers little emotional payoff beyond rote inspirationalism. The song is built ...
Honky Tonk Happy Hour: Let The Free Market Rule
2009-12-17 19:17:00 In a time where the music industry focuses on “what will sell” and low-risk musical projects, the story of Susan Boyle has been interesting to follow. Interesting that she is 48. Interesting that she is not easy on the eyes, nor has a body sculpted by a personal trainer. Interesting that her voice and story captured legions of fans. Susan Boyle is anything but machine manufactured. And although that machine has certainly capitalized on the story, in my book, the story is still the point. The highest single-song sales week of 2009 came from a dowdy, never-been-kissed almost 50-year old. The song? From a 1995 musical. Interesting. What is especially interesting to me is that this story began as a dynamic between music and the fans. Music was just put out there (primarily via YouTube) with no marketing push, no millions of dollars invested, no goal of platinum sales, and the fans responded. Almost a free market scenario. Music is discovered. Music is responded to. No one is checki... More About: Market , Free , Happy Hour , Happy
Academy of Country Music Alters ACM Awards Categories; Rodney Carrington’
2009-12-17 17:41:00 The Academy of Country Music announced that eight nominees will now be eligible for the fan-voted entertainer of the year prize at the 2010 ACM Awards . They’ve also merged the top new male and new female vocalist categories into one top new solo vocalist category and split the new duo-or-group category into top new vocal duo and top new vocal group categories. The newest single from Rodney Carrington’s Make It Christmas CD, “Camouflage and Christmas Lights,” isn’t a novelty song like it’s title might suggest, but instead pays tribute to the troops who can’t be home during the holidays. Watch the video on YouTube. In the first of a two-part list, Country California’s C.M. Wilcox checked off the best albums of the year. This year’s Tin Pan South songwriters festival will be held from from March 30-April 3. The folks at Hear Ya recorded an exclusive live session with Lissie. She writes beautiful country-tinged songs that were like A... More About: Country Music
Luke Bryan – “Rain is a Good Thing”
2009-12-16 18:50:00 Sex is one of the most fundamental human desires; Ever present in the messages we send and consume, it affects our behavior, our world view and serves as the impetus behind emotional (and sometimes physical) conflict. Given all of that, you would think that it would be a significant contributing influence in a genre that prides itself on truth and telling the stories of “real” people. To be sure, the country music industry is aware of how sex affects image; Nashville has no problem casting aside all but the most alluring singers, and record labels work hard to bring out their artist’s best attributes; from perfectly messy hair and styled facial scruff to outfits that accentuate female assets, anyone in the business will tell you that sex sells. But when it comes to the music itself, sex is essentially off limits. Allusions to love making are allowed, as long as they aren’t too graphic or direct, and if you’re unmarried, you had better keep it PG—Carrie Underwoo... More About: Good
Americana Music Auction Raises $9,000; Garth Sues Hometown Hospital; Willie
2009-12-16 17:25:00 The Americana Music Association raised more than $9,000 on Monday by auctioning handwritten, autographed lyrics of songs from the likes of Guy Clark, Dolly Parton, and John Hiatt. In between bids, Clark, Hiatt, Cowboy Jack Clement, Elizabeth Cook, Jim Lauderdale, Kix Brooks, Sam Bush, Mary Gauthier and Jeff Black all played and sang songs. The auctioning isn’t over through, even more artists have handwritten lyrics on the block until Thursday, with Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again” currently topping the highest bid list at $2,000. Farce the Music targeted Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Alan Jackson and plenty of others with parody album covers for this month’s country day. The new Backyard venue in Central Texas will host Willie Nelson’s 2010 Fourth of July Picnic. The video for Brad Paisley’s song “American Saturday Night” made an exclusive debut on iTunes yesterday. Its television debut will be tomorrow on CMT and GAC. (iTune... More About: Hospital , Auction
The 9513 Last.fm Chart Update (12-13-09)
2009-12-15 21:37:00 Last.fm has put together a list of the Top 1000 artists for 2009. Artists tagged as country take up… eight spots. By way of comparison, “pop” has 121 artists, “folk” has 80 and “melodic death metal” has 26. Last.fm’s Top 8 Country artists of the year are, by order of where they ranked in the Top 1000: #13 Taylor Swift with the album Fearless (5,512,011 plays) #77 Neko Case with the album Middle Cyclone (1,553,592 plays) #211 Ryan Adams & The Cardinals with the album Cardinology (679,153 plays) #583 Rascal Flatts with the album Unstoppable (230,822 plays) #591 Keith Urban with the album Defying Gravity (227,605 plays) #596 Jessie James with the album Jessie James (224,785 plays) #711 Ilse DeLange with the album Incredible (174,602 plays) #975 Justin Townes Earle with the album Midnight At The Movies (98,907 plays) Three of the eight are mainstream favorites, three are Americana favorites, one is a pop singer who puts some country elements into h... More About: Update
Ryan Bingham/T Bone Burnet Pick Up Golden Globe Nods; Luke Bryan’s “Do
2009-12-15 17:50:00 Jeff Bridges received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Crazy Heart, which also netted Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett nods for best original song for “The Weary Kind.” Sarah Jarosz recently dropped by the KUT studios to record some old favorites and a few new tunes. Listen to new tune “Come Around” on Texas Music Matters. Josh Turner plans to release a standard and deluxe edition of his new album Haywire on February 9. The deluxe edition will include two previously unreleased songs, live audio tracks of his hits “Your Man” and “Long Black Train,” and video footage. Julianne Hough’s new DVD, Dance with Julianne: Cardio Ballroom, is out today. Watch a promotional video on Amazon. CMT’s Chet Flippo and Music Mix’s Whitney Pastorek turned in more reviews of Garth Brooks‘ shindig in Vegas over the weekend. Music Fog: Madison Violet – “The Ransom” In a condensed interview with The Boston Globe&r... More About: Pick
The Genre-Blending of Randy Kohrs’ Resophonic Guitar
2009-12-15 15:57:00 Having played on more than 500 albums and toured with artists that range from Hank III to Dolly Parton, Randy Kohrs has become one of the go-to musicians when there’s a need for a resophonic guitar. Dierks Bentley got noticed as a star-in-waiting with “What Was I Thinking,” a song driven largely by Kohrs Dobro. Jim Lauderdale won a Grammy for The Bluegrass Diaries, which not only featured Kohrs’ guitar skills but was also produced by Kohrs in his own studio. “What’s so cool about the resophonic guitar is that it really has a voice,” explains Kohrs, who moved from his native Iowa to Nashville when he was 21. “I’ve played on blues records, Christian country records, some rock records, some weird, Daniel Lanois-type of lap steel stuff. The Dobro seems to fit in anywhere.” Kohrs has also become an in-demand producer, engineer and all-around studio guru, His own Slack-Key Studio has recorded the likes of Lauderdale, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard... More About: Guitar
Fast Ryde ? ?Make It Rain?
2009-09-23 22:02:00 Boasting a repertoire filled with titles like ?That Thang,? ?Ridin? Dirty? and upcoming second single ?Make it Rain ,? James Harrison and Jody Stevens–the two men behind the new Republic Nashville duo Fast Ryde–seem to be betting their career aspirations on their ability to spin phrases from prominent hip hop songs into slick pop-country fare for ... More About: Country Music
Miranda Lambert Kisses Haggard; Tom Russell ? Best Album of the Year?; Keen
2009-09-23 18:08:00 Peter Cooper recapped last night’s ACM Honors, which seemed to be the kind of event that should be televised in the place of the regular ACM Awards. If Williams had attended, he probably would have enjoyed the musical performances, which included medleys of his hits by Jamey Johnson and The Grascals and a smashing version of ... More About: Miranda , Miranda Lambert , Kisses , Album , Russell
Album Review: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ? Speed of Life
2009-09-23 16:12:00 It’s been five years since the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band released an album. Though they haven’t exactly been resting on their laurels, this interval between records isn’t too surprising: After all, once a band’s been together for 45 years, don’t you think they’d get a little bored with it all? Listening to Speed of Life , ... More About: Country Music , Review , Guy Clark
Jason Aldean ? ?The Truth?
2009-09-22 23:10:00 Songwriters: Brett James and Ashley Monroe. Jason Aldean definitely knows what his fans want and expect?country songs about country life and country living…as long as they don?t sound too, you know, country. Sure, you can throw in a fiddle or a steel guitar, as long as those instruments don?t take away from the drums and electric ... More About: Truth , Reviews , Country Music
Joe Nichols Rediscovers His Passion For Country Music
2009-09-22 19:02:00 Joe Nichols has had a rocky road on his climb to country music stardom. For several years, Nichols fought alcohol addiction?and a music industry that can encourage a hard lifestyle. Now, Nichols is back with a new album, Old Things New, that hits stores on October 27. The 9513 caught up with Nichols to chat ... More About: Music , Country , Country Music , Passion , Interview
Pat Green and BNA Records Split; New Releases; Country Hall Looking to Doub
2009-09-22 18:16:00 Pat Green and BNA Records have parted ways. New releases for the week of September 22, 2009 include: Adam Steffey – One More for the Road Amazon | iTunes | MySpace Arty Hill and the Long Gone Daddys – Montgomery on My Mind: The Hank EP Amazon | iTunes | MySpace | MP3 Samples Diamond Rio – The Reason Amazon | iTunes | MySpace Guy Clark – Somedays the Song Writes You Amazon | iTunes | MySpace Jeremy Steding – A Damn Good Ride Amazon | iTunes | MySpace Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons – Bend In the Road Amazon | iTunes | MySpace Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Speed of Life Amazon | iTunes | MySpace Ralph Stanley – Can’t You Hear The Mountains Calling Amazon | iTunes | Rounder Records The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is looking to double in size. Twangville is giving away a package that includes a copy of Rosanne Cash’s forthcoming album, The List, an autographed poster, and a pack of Field Notes to make ... More About: Pat Green
The New And Improved Last.fm + Chart Update
2009-09-22 17:10:00 Welcome to The 9513’s chart update, now with twice the charts. We’re trying a couple new things to give a slightly broader reach of what’s going on in the country chart world, so let me know if you like the changes. The focus of this feature will continue to be The 9513’s Last.fm charts, however, as our listeners are the crème de la crème among music fans. Last.fm Top Artists The fact that George Strait (26 listeners) is our top artist has long since become an accepted reality on this chart, but it’s nice to see some motion going on with the rest of the Top 10. Sugarland, which used to consistently be #1 or #2, is out of the Top 10 for the second week in a row. Instead, Dwight Yoakam and Lee Ann Womack tie for second with 24 listeners each, with Brad Paisley (22) and Alan Jackson and Trisha Yearwood (21) filling out the rest of the Top 5. Reba McEntire had 20 listeners, and the group of artists with 19 includes Patty Loveless, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks and Brooks ... More About: Update , Chart
Roseanne Cash with Bruce Springsteen – “Sea of Heartbreak”
2009-09-22 16:12:00 When Roseanne Cash turned eighteen, her father gave her a list of what he considered the 100 essential country songs. By way of an eleventh studio album, she recorded a dozen of them with a loose, jazzy backing band and an array of guests including Jeff Tweedy, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen. Without that backstory, The List might seem like just another covers album, like Tanya Tucker’s My Turn, or, worse, a standards album in the vein of those Rod Stewart abominations. But there’s obviously a story behind it, and a personal connection with each of these songs, which makes her engagement with the Songbook more akin to Johnny’s American Recordings series in its scope and sound. It’s surprising to realize that Johnny never record with Bruce Springsteen , even though they both covered each other’s songs over the years. Roseanne corrects that omission with a lovely version of “Sea of Heartbreak,” which was a hit for Don Gibson in 1961. Johnny covered it on his 1996 a... More About: Roseanne Cash
Rosanne Cash with Bruce Springsteen ? ?Sea of Heartbreak?
2009-09-22 16:12:00 When Rosanne Cash turned eighteen, her father gave her a list of what he considered the 100 essential country songs. By way of an eleventh studio album, she recorded a dozen of them with a loose, jazzy backing band and an array of guests including Jeff Tweedy, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen. Without that backstory, The ... More About: Reviews , Country Music , Johnny Cash
Wade Hayes Finds A Place To Turn Around
2009-09-21 21:57:00 On the surface, it might look like country music success is in Wade Hayes’ rear view mirror. In all reality, however, he’s doing exactly what he had hoped for when he came to Nashville in the early 1990s. The son of a professional country music musician, Hayes grew up around music. By age 11, he was a phenomenally talented mandolin player and guitarist, and unlike most hopeful artists who go to Nashville dreaming of a major record deal and radio hits, Hayes dreamed of the life of a studio and road musician after seeing Ricky Skaggs perform live. Picking the strings has always been his first love. But his original Nashville goals were all set aside when he signed a deal with Columbia Records in late 1994. Over the next handful of years, few artists could match the success that Hayes was creating across the radio airwaves. Songs like 1994’s “Old Enough To Know Better,” “Don’t Stop,” “What I Meant To Say,” and “On A Good Night,” are just some of the 14 charted ... More About: Place , Turn
Album Review: Guy Clark – Somedays the Song Writes You
2009-09-21 21:08:00 Guy Clark is one of the premier songwriters of his generation–even that might be an understatement. Unlike his friend, the late, great Townes Van Zandt, Clark’s songs have always been readily accessible, yet still manage to contain layers of depth. He likes to talk about the holes he leaves in his guitar playing, but it’s also the holes he leaves in his songs that allow the listener to insert themselves and connect with the message without feeling like nothing more than an observant bystander. At the same time, it’s never been Clark’s voice that has provided an overwhelmingly compelling reason to listen to his work, although he is able to connect with his songs and deliver them in a way that few others have been able to duplicate. But his voice has noticeably diminished since the outstanding Workbench Song s was released back in 2006. A lack of tempo, in conjunction with his aging voice and sparse production that’s even more scant when not listenin... More About: Review , Guy Clark , Album
The Little Nashville Opry Burned Down; Music Fog Films Americana Festival;
2009-09-21 18:19:00 The Little Nashville Opry in Nashville, Indiana burned down over the weekend. In celebration of the fall return of “Opry Country Classics,” Opry.com asked a few country artists to name their favorite country classics. (via Country Music Tattle Tale) At least one country music DJ is upset that his station received a prerecorded interview with Taylor Swift while the local pop station was granted a live interview. And in other Taylor Swift-radio-station-interview-news, a Tampa Bay DJ pressed the young starlet on the Kanye incident enough to make her walk away from the interview. With the latest Americana Roots Spotlight Podcast, Greg Geil highlights the San Antonio band Two Tons of Steel. BLEVE Records has decided to continue the promotion of the new Ronnie Milsap single featuring Trace Adkins, “My First Ride,” after receiving calls and emails from angry firefighters and police officers. The record label originally planned to discontinue support for the single when Ca... More About: Films , Festival
John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen – “When Will I Be Loved”
2009-09-21 15:43:00 These days, the Everly Brothers might be best remembered for singing odes to teenage love, but Phil and Don Everly had an abiding love for straight-up country music, as anyone who’s heard the rootsy Songs Our Daddy Taught Us knows. These Brylcreemed boys could write damn good songs as well. And although the brothers themselves dropped off the country charts decades ago, country artists have known about the power of an Everly-penned song for quite some time. Just in the past 20 years, Reba took “Cathy’s Clown” to #1, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss covered “Gone Gone Gone” on 2007’s Raising Sand, and now John Fogerty tackles “When Will I Be Loved” (written by Phil) for his new release The Blue Ridge Rangers Ride Again. This song, which has also been covered by Linda Ronstadt among others, is so masterfully written and artfully arranged that it’s near impossible to screw up. Add hearty amounts of fiddle and pedal steel, as F... More About: Bruce , Bruce Springsteen , John Fogerty
Your Take: Regional vs. Mainstream
2009-09-19 14:00:00 I reviewed Texas honky-tonker Kevin Fowler’s new single “Beer Season” this week, and the comments section brought up some interesting points on the pluses and minuses of being a regional artist. Fowler is a mainstay in the Texas country music scene, but the only songs he’s written that have reached mainstream success have been recorded ... More About: Regional , Country Music
Randy Houser ? ?My Kind Of Country?
More articles from this author:2009-09-18 20:20:00 Songwriters: Dallas Davidson and Randy Houser. Randy Houser debuted as a balladeer of uncommon skill with the soulful ?Anything Goes,? but it was the Adkinsesque rocker ?Boots On? (in the vein of, but not quite as interesting as, ?Honky Tonk Badonkadonk?) that very nearly took him to the top of the charts, blocked only by Jason ... More About: Reviews , Country , Country Music , Dunn 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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