Country Universe – A Country Music Blog

The 44th Annual ACM Awards Reaction, Part Two (Fail Blog)

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

In honor of FAIL Blog (the perfect workday distraction), here’s my take on the Academy of Country Music Awards nominations. Opinions expressed belong solely to the author, and do not represent the views of other contributors to Country Universe.

WIN- Carrie Underwood, Entertainer of the Year

A Grand Ole Opry induction, four No. 1 singles and best-seller status on the concert trail. Serious credentials for the reigning female vocalist, ensuring her a well-deserved Entertainer nod.

WIN- Miranda Lambert, Single of the Year (“Gunpowder and Lead”)

Lambert’s vengeful stand against domestic violence is amply rewarded with an appearance in the Single category. Her spicy snarl is an intimidating match for a clever, caustic lyric.

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44th Annual ACM Awards Nominations Announcement

Wednesday, February 11th, 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

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Discussion: SoundScan Sound Off

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

In this era of rampant piracy and economic recession, things aren’t looking good for the music industry.   We don’t post too often about the business side of the music business here, as we tend to keep the focus on the music.   But the reality is that these numbers matter.  If Little Big Town’s second Equity album had performed as well as the first, the label might still be in business.

It’s not all doom and gloom, as many artists go on to make their best music once they leave major labels.   But this Christmas, you can guarantee that some artists and record executives will be bracing for the New Year, while others are embracing it.

Here’s a look at some totals for albums released in 2008, ranked by total sales (rounded to the nearest thousand):

1. Taylor Swift, Fearless – 1,519,000
2. Sugarland, Love on the Inside – 1,179,000
3. George Strait, Troubadour – 693,000
4. Alan Jackson, Good Time – 628,000
5. Toby Keith, 35 Biggest Hits – 530,000
6. Kenny Chesney, Lucky Old Sun – 479,000
7. Faith Hill, Joy to the World – 341,000
8. Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum – 337,000
9. James Otto, Sunset Man – 332,000
10. Rascal Flatts, Greatest Hits Volume 1 – 330,000
11. Darius Rucker, Learn to Live – 284,000
12. Julianne Hough, Julianne Hough – 260,000
13. Toby Keith, That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy – 224,000
14. Jewel, Perfectly Clear – 203,000
15. Dierks Bentley, Greatest Hits: Every Mile a Memory -  195,000
16. Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song – 183,000
17. Heidi Newfield, What Am I Waiting For – 162,000
18. Jessica Simpson, Do You Know – 153,000
19. Brad Paisley, Play – 137,000
20. Kellie Pickler, Kellie Pickler – 129,000
21. Montgomery Gentry, Back When I Knew it All – 127,000
22. Tim McGraw, Greatest Hits Vol. 3 – 127,000
23. Emmylou Harris, All I Intended to Be – 119,000
24. Zac Brown Band, Foundation – 118,000
25. Randy Travis, Around the Bend – 89,000
26. Ashton Shepherd, Sounds So Good - 84,000
27. Jimmy Wayne, Do You Believe Me Now – 81,000
28. Trace Adkins, X – 72,000
29. Billy Currington, Little Bit of Everything – 65,000
30. Blake Shelton, Startin’ Fires – 60,000
31. Hank III, Damn Right Rebel Proud – 47,000
32. Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy – 45,000
33. Joey + Rory, Life of a Song – 44,000
34. Patty Loveless, Sleepless Nights – 38,000
35. Craig Morgan, Greatest Hits – 34,000
36. Craig Morgan, That’s Why – 31,000
37. Randy Owen, One on One – 22,000
38. Randy Houser, Anything Goes – 17,000

Heidi Newfield, “Cry Cry (‘Til the Sun Shines)”

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Sad day: Heidi Newfield wastes her great voice on a super uncreative self-help song that recycles contemporary country’s favorite standby characters – women whose men mistreat them, and men who drink away their troubles – and offers zero consolation for either beyond “it’s gonna be alright.”

I’ll give the seasoned songwriting team some credit: the tune is pretty dang catchy, and I can see how this all might have sounded somewhat fresh had the song been released at some point in the 60′s. But by now, it’s just been phrased like this way too many times.

Written by Marv Green, Hillary Lindsey, Chris Lindsey & Aimee Mayo

Grade: C

Listen: Cry Cry (‘Til the Sun Shines)

Buy: Cry Cry (‘Til the Sun Shines)

Heidi Newfield, <em>What Am I Waiting For</em>

Monday, August 11th, 2008

Heidi Newfield
What Am I Waiting For

There isn't a lot of mainstream country music made these days that seems to speak for, and to, actual adults. Heidi Newfield's first solo album attempts to fill that void, and she has crafted an album that could only have been made by a woman who has a lot of living behind her, but still quite a bit to go.

So while love goes wrong throughout the course of What Am I Waiting For, there are no innocent illusions shattered, and when it occasionally goes right, there's little more than cautious optimism. It's interesting to compare Newfield's “All I Wanna Do” to the Sugarland smash of the same name, as both songs express the same sentiment: blocking out the rest of the world and getting lost in the arms of their mortal man. But there's a sadness to the slow ballad that Newfield is crooning, suggesting the troubles that she needs to block out are of a more harrowing nature.

Of course, that's the love gone right song, but most of the album is about processing the aftermath of poor choices that have been made, and charting a course for the future that leaves them behind. The winning title track doubles as a th

eme for the album, with Newfield “five years in to a two-year plan” and knowing that there's nothing left for her where she is, but still not quite able to make the move. Another strong track, “Wreck You”, has her taking account of the fact that no matter what she does, she only seems to damage the man that she loves.

There's a desperation to “Johnny and June”, which has her longing for a love affair like the one that's been portrayed on the movie screen in Walk the Line, but it's really just her longing for a fantasy, a romanticized version of real life that only exists on celluloid. A similar intensity surfaces in “When Tears Fall Down”, a powerful song that is probably the best-written track on the album, but is overwhelmed by the layers of production. Thematic guitar chords and gospel choruses are difficult to be heard over when it's just one of them in the mix, let alone two.

The too-busy production distracts from the many strengths of the album, and while Newfield is an effective vocalist, she doesn't sound in complete control of her surroundings. While she has a pretty good set of material to work with, songs like “Can't Let Go” and “Nothin' But a Memory” never live up to their early potential, falling short in both melody and turns of phrase.

The album closes on a high note though, with “Knocked Up”, which more than lives up to its title. It is Newfield's most self-assured moment on the album, as she deflects the finger-pointers in her midst and celebrates her life as an unwed mother. It may be an unconventional choice for the next single, but I imagine there are quite a few women (and men) out there who would embrace it as their own.

Heidi Newfield, “Johnny And June”

Sunday, March 2nd, 2008

Heidi Newfield, the former lead singer of Trick Pony, tries her hand at a solo career with a song that drops the names of one of country music’s most beloved couples, Johnny and June Cash. When we hear a song that dares to use the names of revered artists, especially when used as the song title, we expect a satisfying pay off.

With “Johnny And June”, Newfield delivers on the name dropping standard. The song is sung from the point of view of wanting a “love like Johnny and June.” It utilizes fun wordplay on their songs and stories about their lives that we either know or assume to be true. We aren’t forced to dig for the Johnny and June connections; they’re right there for us to enjoy.

The production is nothing special and the la la las are annoying, but it seems that Newfield is well on the way to finding her own voice apart from Trick Pony here.

Grade: B+

Listen: Johnny and June

Buy: Johnny and June