Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean for $5.00
Amazon has posted their August “50 for $5.00” selection, and they’re offering two top-selling country albums for $5.00.
First up is Darius Rucker’s country album Learn to Live, which is close to spawning three #1 singles. I didn’t have any of them, so I’m buying it:
[Amazon music download link]
Second is Jason Aldean’s debut album, which includes the hits “Hicktown”, “Amarillo Sky” and “Why”:
[Amazon music download link #2]
Clicking through the above links to purchase these albums or anything else at the Amazon store helps support Country Universe. Dan is saving up for a new Bentley, so help him out!
Picking the CMA Nominees: Album of the Year
This year’s eligibility period runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. In those twelve months, there have been some solid albums released, and while there isn’t a wealth of treasures to choose from, there are enough good albums to round out this category.
Here are the five albums that I would nominate for Album of the Year:
Joey + Rory, The Life of a Song
The past twenty years have brought several excellent breakthrough albums by groups, especially those by Sugarland, Little Big Town, Brooks & Dunn, Diamond Rio, and Big & Rich. This set by Joey + Rory is better than all of them, and is selling quite well despite limited airplay.
Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song
It’s been nominated for ACM’s trophy and for the Best Country Album Grammy, but Johnson’s best shot at winning has always been with the traditional-leaning CMA voter membership. If both Sugarland and Taylor Swift secure a nod, he’s a shoo-in.
Anthony Smith, “Bringing Back the Sunshine”
Anthony Smith is likely better known as a songwriter than a recording artist. As a well established songwriter, he’s written songs for Trace Adkins”I’m Tryin’”, “Chrome”), George Strait (“Run”), Tim McGraw (“Kristofferson”), Montgomery Gentry (“What Do You Think About That”), Trisha Yearwood (“Who Reinvented the Wheel”), and countless other big name stars. As a recording artist he has struggled, releasing his 2002 If That Ain’t Country to some positive critical reception, but ultimately met with limited commercial success. In an attempt to revive the singing part of his career, Smith has recently signed with Stroudavarious Records, which has released the offbeat rocker, “Bringing Back the Sunshine”, as the upcoming album’s lead single.
Recommend a Track: John Conlee, “Friday Night Blues” and “She Can’t Say That Anymore”
The only thing that’s kept me from doing a Starter Kit on John Conlee is the scarcity of digitally available material. Thankfully, two of his best songs from one of his best albums can be downloaded, and they’re just the sort of forgotten classics that all country fans should have in their collection.
“Friday Night Blues”
One of those great “scenes from a marriage” songs that paints a sympathetic portrait of both the wife who’s been home alone all week waiting for a night out with her husband, and the husband who is too wiped out from the work week to get up off of the couch: “He’s been working all week, he’s got mental fatigue, and that old couch sure looks fine. All week he’s been gone, she’s been sitting alone, slowly going out of her mind…”
Picking the CMA Nominees: Female Vocalist
As I work my way through these categories, it’s becoming apparent to me that this was a very weak year for country music. I’m struggling to come up with a list of five women who actually made a musical impact over the twelve months that make up the eligibility period.
Only two women have made any serious commercial impact this year, so I’m filling up the category with the women who put out solid music that also did reasonably well:
Patty Loveless
If the Grammys can acknowledge her, I don’t see why the CMA should overlook her. She made an excellent covers album that has sold as well as several major label efforts. She was a surprise nominee in 2003 on the strength of Mountain Soul, and it would be nice to see the CMA show such good judgment again.
Bargain Hunter: Sugarland’s Twice the Speed of Life ($2.99)
It has been awhile since Amazon has had a Daily Deal worth mentioning here. However, they have returned to country music in a big way today by offering Sugarland’s smash debut album, Twice the Speed of Life for just $2.99.
This album, by one of country music’s most popular duos, famously includes the radio hits, “Baby Girl”, “Something More”, and “Just Might (Make Me Believe)”. it also includes my new personal Sugarland favorite (as I’ve just bought the album thanks to this deal), the unreleased organic-sounding “Hello.”
Alan Jackson, “I Still Like Bologna”
Jeez, talk about your “Good Artists Gone Bad.” Alan Jackson’s latest manages to take two things I really like – honky-tonk music and silly song titles – and make them seem duller than a bad Learn-To-Type program.
It’s almost the kind of song Tim McGraw’s “Back When” once poked fun at, actually, except the subject matter here is the progression of technology, and this doesn’t even feel like enough of an effort to warrant spoofing. I mean, there’s not much to say about a song whose first three minutes basically break down to, “I kind of like my plasma T.V….but also, I kind of like whippoorwills.”