The stars are blindingly bright this week. Here for your listening enjoyment are top-tier new sounds from Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Jamey Johnson. That’s what I call an embarrassment of riches. Up-and-comers like Jaron & The Long Road to Love and Crossin’ Dixon have fresh offerings, too.
These may be the Dog Days of summer, but some of the puppies in this stack of new tunes are as cute as the dickens. Ashley Gearing, Taylor Swift, The Roys and Amber Hayes are all bopping brightly. Joey + Rory have teamed with The Zac Brown Band to record an excellent ode to country’s core fans. Jesse Lee wins the DisCovery Award. She not only has a richly evocative country vocal style, but also the listening session’s best written song.
Nashville producer, songwriter, publisher, manager and record executive George Richey died more than three weeks ago, but the news was kept private for unknown reasons. WSMV news and The Tennessean have confirmed that Richey died on July 31. The station stated that, at his request, he was buried without a public memorial or publicity. Posts […]
It’s Independents’ Day. As regular readers know, I occasionally like to stray off the major-label path and devote a column entirely to indies. Just to survey the scene and see what’s going on.
Can I get a witness for Lloyd Maines? The steel-guitar wonder is behind two of the finest country performances in this stack of platters. And in the case of James Hand, I mean Country with a capital “C.”
Veteran television producer John Aylesworth died Wednesday in Rancho Mirage, CA at age 81. He was best known to Nashvillians as the co-producer of the enormously successful country-music series Hee Haw. Born in Canada, Aylesworth moved to the U.S. in 1958 to write for the CBS TV series Your Hit Parade. He and his writing […]
Among the new super sounds are efforts by Mark Chesnutt, Train, Kenny Chesney and Matt Kennon. Newcomers Kathe Knight, Manning-Dickson and The Ketucky Linemen are also welcome additions to our audio environment.
Steel guitar great Ben Keith has died in Northern California at age 73. He reportedly suffered a heart attack. Born Bennett Keith Schaeufele, he grew up in Bowling Green, KY. He joined the Nashville Musicians Union at age 19 in 1956. A year later, he joined Faron Young’s band The Country Deputies. He rose to […]
With temperatures on Music Row soaring into the upper 90s this week, I’m taking every opportunity to stay here at my desk. Including penning today’s roundup of new country sounds.
It’s Duo Day! All three of our top contenders this week are teams of two. If your taste runs to authentic, nostalgic country music I urge you to seek out Keeping Up Appearances by Texas-based label-mates Amber Digby and Justin Trevino. It does my heart good to hear that somebody is still making music this pure and fine.