Country Universe – A Country Music Blog

44th Annual ACM Awards Nominations Announcement

February 11, 2009

The Academy of Country Music announced nominees for their 44th annual awards ceremony this morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Julianne Hough, Kellie Pickler, Leann Rimes and Jessica Simpson were on hand to present this year’s nominees. More analysis to follow.

Entertainer of the Year

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• George Strait
• Carrie Underwood
• Keith Urban

(more…)

Lambert, Cash Prep New Releases

February 10, 2009

Two of country music’s most critically-acclaimed artists are scheduled to release new discs later this year.

While the gold-certified Crazy-Ex Girlfriend continues a formidable chart run, Miranda Lambert is finishing her third album in Nashville, tentatively set for a September release. Lambert hopes to complete recording before embarking on Kenny Chesney’s Sun City Carnival tour, where she’ll serve as an opening act starting in April. Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke return as co-producers.

Rosanne Cash is planning a fall release for her first album on Manhattan Records. Based on her father’s list of 100 essential country songs, the aptly-named The List will include a series of classics culled from his distinctive roster.

Per Cash’s website:

“…it is so liberating and so affirming of everything I’ve written and recorded to this point. You might not think that would be the case, as I am a songwriter, and have defined myself that way for my entire adult life, but this project ties all the threads together—past and future, legacy and youth, tradition, timelessness and the pull of the unknown.”

Cash’s last collection, 2006′s Black Cadillac, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Her 11 No.1 singles include “Seven Year Ache,” “Runaway Train” and the Grammy-winning “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me.”

An Interview with Marty Stuart

February 10, 2009

Widely acclaimed as one of country music’s greatest warriors, Marty Stuart turned a childhood obsession into a lifelong career filled with hit records and collaborations with numerous Nashville legends.  A member of the Country Music Foundation and the Grand Ole Opry, he’s preserved the traditions of the genre by assembling a collection of country-related artifacts that has no rival. His most recent project is The Marty Stuart Show, a weekly television program airing Saturday nights on RFD-TV. Stuart discusses the development of the show, his thoughts on the future of country music and his role in honoring its past.

What was the single driving force behind creating The Marty Stuart Show? What are your hopes for the future of the program?

The most important thing was the right setting, the channel, RFD (a Nashville-based television station focused on rural America programming). I’m a big fan of the network and I’ve watched it grow. As a country music fan, I loved those old syndicated shows—The Porter Wagoner Show, The Johnny Cash Show, The Flatt & Scruggs Show, The Wilburn Brothers Show. I loved the spirit of those shows and started talking to Patrick (Carr, Stuart’s biographer) and really wanted to develop this idea. There was nothing like it on television at the time. Traditional country has so few outlets now. I wanted to give it a voice and show the integrity and entertainment value. You know, you have your Kenny Chesneys and Taylor Swifts, and they’re great for the genre, but this is the absolute other end of the country universe, the real traditional stuff. I’m just trying to present country music as a part of American culture, our heritage.

(more…)

44th Annual ACM Awards Projections

February 9, 2009

On Wednesday, February 11, the Academy of Country Music will unveil the nominees for their 44th annual awards ceremony. Last year, the usual suspects prevailed. Brad and Carrie repeated in the Vocalist categories, Brooks & Dunn claimed their 14th Vocal Duo prize and Kenny Chesney earned his fourth consecutive Entertainer of the Year award. As a prelude to the nominations announcement, here’s my projected slate for this year’s ceremony. (Favorites are in bold.)

Entertainer of the Year

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Sugarland
• Carrie Underwood
• Keith Urban

Prognosis: The “no girls allowed” edict will likely be lifted.  Underwood is the genre’s most prominent ambassador, and Sugarland’s rise to the high ranks has both commercial and critical support.

Note of interest: “The winner shall be determined by a combination of votes from the membership of the ACM and viewer voting.”

(more…)

Taylor Swift, “White Horse”

February 9, 2009

In the new video for her single, “White Horse,” our little Taylor Swift is growing up. A convincing reconstruction of a real-life breakup (Swift only sings her brutal truths), this project is the most subtle song yet in her burgeoning catalog.

“White Horse” is a perfect companion piece to her recent No. 1 single, the aptly-named “Love Story.” This time, her special someone is unable to keep up his end of the bargain, and Swift learns a painful lesson one “I love you” too late. Trey Fanjoy returns as the videographer for this damsel in distress, handling the heartache behind “White Horse” with a keen eye for detail. The most striking quality of “White Horse” is the maturity in Swift’s response, and the visual interpretation of how the characters change from frame to frame makes for compelling product.

The object of Swift’s misplaced affections is Laguna Beach “star” Stephen Colletti, continuing a trend of reality show castoffs being cast in Swift videos. (Nashville Star devotees will recall model-turned-musician Justin Gaston in “Love Story.”) And while Gaston had the sweetly adorable, puppy-dog appearance that melted the hearts of teen girls everywhere, the seemingly squeaky-clean Colletti is well-suited for the role of a phantom paramour.

Clips of the happy couple bathed in sunlight, nuzzling on the couch and playing a comfy game of cards are slowly interwoven with shots of Swift wearing a gray sweater (Flashdance-style, for the record) and crying like the rain falling outside her basement window. Why, oh, why, do you cry, Taylor?

Because her dime-store dreams are crushed at the hands of a heartless cad. Naive to believe that he’s bound to his promises, Swift chirps on cheerily about their affair during a friendly lunch with a girlfriend, one that turns into an informational meeting for the misled lass. She’s quickly disabused of any notion that their love will be everlasting.

As she makes the slow, painful walk across town to confront him, the red flashing lights in the distance signal disaster. In the final moments, Swift arrives at her soon-to-be-ex’s house where she finds him entertaining another girl; Colletti’s image is tweaked to fit his real reputation.  His once-boyish hairdo is now perfectly coiffed, spiked (like his words) and slick (like his actions). The baby-blue tee is hidden underneath a black hoodie (a knight in not-so-shining armor?). A smitten smile is replaced by a guilty glare. The last time Swift swiveled in the rain, she was giving an off-key performance of her vitriolic “Should’ve Said No,” at last year’s Academy of Country Music Awards. While that effort seemed forced, this emotion is much more genuine.

Swift, back against a brick wall (literally), is faced with a world-changing choice, at least in her eyes. The pain of ending their relationship is secondary to the pain marking her loss of innocence. A teen queen is turning into a young woman. Growing up is hard to do.

Grade: A-

Directed by Trey Fanjoy

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards: The Big Four (Staff Favorites)

February 7, 2009

• “Chasing Pavements,” Adele
• “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay  (Blake, Lynn)
• “Bleeding Love,” Leona Lewis
• “Paper Planes,” M.I.A.  (Dan, Kevin)
• “Please Read The Letter,” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Blake: Coldplay’s anthemic rock ballad just feels like the most important record of the year.  A pure atmospheric wonder, “Viva” is a string-laden symphony that ponders the fear of power, paranoia and eternal purgatory. Here, Chris Martin sings about being king, one with a self-doubting streak. For four intensely brilliant (but confusing) minutes,  he wears the crown well.

Dan: I think these are all pretty exemplary records – even “Bleeding Love” is a cut above a lot of radio pop, and it’s easily the weakest thing here. I’m really tempted to pick Adele’s big inner-conflict number; it has a classic quality to it, and her performance is phenomenal. But I have to give my support to M.I.A.’s weirdly brilliant satire of immigrant stereotypes – there’s just nothing else like it out there.

Kevin: M.I.A. turned in the most wildly entertaining and intellectually challenging hit this year.

Lynn: I’m definitely not a huge Coldplay fan (I believe the operative word I used in the past was b.o.r.i.n.g.), but even I found “Viva La Vida” nearly irresistible this year.

(more…)

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards: The Big Four (Staff Predictions)

February 7, 2009

Dan: I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see “Viva La Vida” triumph, but something tells me the older voters will squeak Plant & Krauss to a win here. Coldplay took this award home for “Clocks” when theirs was the tamest song in the category, but now P&K have that distinction.

Kevin: I have serious trouble betting against a Grammy favorite and an overdue legend.  I think that Plant and Krauss will sweep all of their categories.

Lynn: I will be shocked if “Viva La Vida” does not win this category. I haven’t encountered such a universally loved/admired song in a long time.

(more…)

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards: Keeping It Country (Staff Favorites)

February 6, 2009

The second article in our Grammy Awards series, our personal favorites in the country categories at this year’s ceremony.

Best Country Album

• Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song
• Patty Loveless, Sleepless Nights  (Blake, Leeann)
• George Strait, Troubadour
• Randy Travis, Around the Bend
• Trisha Yearwood, Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love  (Dan, Kevin, Lynn)
  

Blake: Strait’s collection is a mixed bag of middlebrow art with the occasional glimpse at his right-as-rain Texas style. Excepting Troubadour, these discs are highwater marks for the genre. Johnson and Loveless finished one-two on my 2008 list, but I’ll root for Loveless to win a long-awaited solo Grammy.

Dan: I actually think Johnson made the best album, but Yearwood’s is my second-favorite, and she’s long overdue.

Kevin: It’s a strong field overall, but Yearwood’s album is the most cohesive. She’s the greatest female album artist since Emmylou Harris, yet she’s never won an album award. It’s time.

Leeann: My choice is Patty Loveless’ album, though Trisha Yearwood’s is a very close second. While Loveless’ is an album of covers, it’s the one I find myself putting in without skipping a track more than Yearwood’s. I really would be happy for either choice, however.

Lynn: Loveless put together my favorite album as a whole, but Yearwood is long overdue and her wonderful album was shamefully ignored. I hope she wins.

(more…)

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards: Keeping It Country (Staff Predictions)

February 6, 2009

In a nod towards diversity, the General Field nominees for the 51st annual Grammy Awards include a shepherd’s pie of musical genres, with Brit soul ingenues (Adele, Duffy) against American pop trios (Jonas Bros., Lady A), Brit pop bands (Coldplay, Radiohead) against American rappers (Ne-Yo, Lil’ Wayne), all with a Brit rock legend (Robert Plant) lording over them. While it’s hard to argue the breadth of recent nominees in these categories, their depth is always up for discussion (see: Herbie Hancock, 2008 Album of the Year; Ray Charles, 2005 Record of the Year).

The country field is filled with critical faves. George Strait enjoys the strongest across-the-board success in his estimable career, newcomer Jamey Johnson is lauded for his neo-outlaw soul, and Randy Travis, Patty Loveless and Trisha Yearwood continue Grammy’s trend of nominating veterans alongside newer artists.

The staff of Country Universe have chosen their personal favorites and predictions for this year’s Grammy ceremony. First up on the docket: our predictions in the country categories.

Best Country Album

• Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song (Blake, Leeann, Lynn)
• Patty Loveless, Sleepless Nights
• George Strait, Troubadour  (Dan, Kevin)
• Randy Travis, Around the Bend
• Trisha Yearwood, Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love

Blake: Is Jamey Johnson the savior of modern-day country music? I think by placing his name next to four of the format’s legends, the Grammy voters have already voiced their opinion on the matter. The vociferous critical support surrounding this release suggests that Johnson will surpass the veterans in this race.

Dan: I was totally thinking Johnson until just this morning, but I’m having last-minute doubts about his widespread support – he’s still very new to lots of voters, and I’m not confident that his hype will be sufficient to summon confidence from everyone voting in this category. So I’m siding with Kevin’s prediction on Strait.

Kevin: The only proven vote-getter here is Randy Travis, but I’m doubtful that he’ll be able to triumph with Johnson and Loveless garnering so many of the traditionalist’s votes. Grammy loves its women, which could give Yearwood and Loveless an advantage, but I’m not sure there’s a clear favorite between them. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict George Strait. He’s long overdue for a Grammy, and he has the most commercially successful album of the five. With three of the album’s songs represented in other categories (“Troubadour”, “I Saw God Today, “House of Cash”), this might be his year.

Leeann: I really think Johnson will grab this one. The critics love him and he’s had the most hype in the last year.

Lynn: I agree this will be a tough one for Grammy voters. Yearwood and Loveless both have the sheer talent Grammy voters appreciate and they produced quality albums. However, I think the voters’ penchant and love for multi-talented newcomers with musical integrity will give Johnson his first Grammy.

(more…)

Discussion: Book Nook

February 5, 2009

The book industry, despite notable successes in 2008, is experiencing the same tumult as other niches in the economic world.  Even the comic-book kingdom has suffered, with numerous indie stores signing off after poor sales. New technology tricks are now designed to rekindle the flame in this flagging economy.

The nation’s bookstores are still home to a number of fine titles that focus on music. Artist biographies and industry examinations provide us with a different viewpoint about the songs we hear every day.

Recommend a book about music, country or otherwise.