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Nico Rosberg fined six-figure sum for collision with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton at Belgian Grand prix
- Mercedes have taken 'suitable disciplinary measures' against Rosberg
- The German 'acknowledged' his role in the crash on lap 2 of the Belgian GP
- He has since issued an apology to the team and rival for F1 title Hamilton
- Hamilton has said 'it would be wrong to point fingers' in statement
- Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe, Hamilton and Rosberg held crunch meeting at Mercedes HQ in Brackley on Friday to discuss fall-out from Spa
- The rivals for this year's title will however, be free to race for rest of season
- Mercedes have said they 'remain committed to hard, fair racing'
Nico Rosberg has been fined a six-figure sum for his crash with Lewis Hamilton at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
Mercedes, keen to show they have a grip of the fractious situation, called both drivers to the team's factory in Brackley on Friday to discuss the second-lap incident that later forced Hamilton to retire from the race.
The pair met in the boardroom for two hours with Toto Wolff, Mercedes motorsport's executive director, and Paddy Lowe, the technical director.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch Nico Rosberg: I prefer to keep fall out with Lewis internal
Coming together: Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton crashed at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix
Flashpoint: The two title rivals collided for the first time this season at round 13 of the world championship
Afterwards Mercedes issued a statement, saying: 'During this meeting, Nico acknowledged his responsibility for the contact and apologised for this error of judgment.
'Suitable disciplinary measures have been taken.
'Lewis and Nico understand and accept the team's No 1 rule: there must be no contact between the team's cars on track.
'It has been made clear that another such incident will not be tolerated. But Nico and Lewis are our drivers and we believe in them. They remain free to race.'
Although Mercedes' idea of transparency did not extend to revealing the nature of the 'disciplinary measures', Sportsmail understands Rosberg's fine will go to charity. Both men issued statements after the meeting.
Reflecting on the incident, when the drivers collided as Rosberg attempted to overtake at the Les Combes chicane, the German offered an apology to his British team-mate.
Collision: Hamilton suffered a puncture before he retired, falling further behind Rosberg in the F1 title race
Recovery: Mercedes will be hoping Rosberg's apology to Hamilton will draw a line under the incident
1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - 220
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 191
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) - 156
4. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) - 121
5. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) - 110
Rosberg, who leads Hamilton by 29 points at the top of the drivers' world championship standings, said: 'The No 1 rule for us as team-mates is that we must not collide — but that is exactly what happened.
'For that error of judgment, I apologise to Lewis and the team.
'I also want to say sorry to the fans who were deprived of our battle in Belgium.
'Lewis and I have been given clear instructions about how we race each other. 'As drivers, we have a clear responsibility to the team, the fans of the sport, our partners and Mercedes-Benz to deliver clean racing.
'We take that responsibility very seriously. I look forward to concluding the season with hard, fair competition on and off track right up to the final lap of the season in Abu Dhabi.'
Sorry: Hamilton said he and Nico had 'both made mistakes' in his statement issued on Friday afternoon
Hamilton, who had revealed details of an internal team meeting held soon after the race, escaped without punishment for that particular indiscretion but he admitted: 'Nico and I accept that we have both made mistakes and I feel it would be wrong to point fingers and say which one is worse than the other.
'What's important is how we rise as a team from these situations.
'We win and we lose together and, as a team, we will emerge stronger.
'There is a deep foundation that still exists for me and Nico to work from, in spite of our difficult times and differences.
'It's going to be a tough road from here but championships have been won from much further back than I am now.'
Podium finish: Rosberg finished second at the Belgian GP to extend his lead in the championship to 29 points
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This week, country music lost another icon in Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Guy Clark. The list of artists who have covered Clark's brilliant, poetic songs over the years reads like a who's who of country music royalty, and he continued to build upon his storied legacy in recent years with collaborations with the likes of Ashley Monroe and Chris Stapleton. His ability to weave salt-of-the-Earth images into profound insights into the most complex of human emotions is something that few could ever hope to match. This is another loss that really and truly stings.
Elsewhere this week, it looks like no one wanted to go up against Blake Shelton's new album, despite the creepy thousand-yard stare of its cover art, so look for him to go uncontested at the top of next week's Country Albums chart.
The creative director of Carrie Underwood's Storyteller tour gave a peek behind the scenes at some of the technical specs that have helped her shows earn rave reviews from both fans and critics alike, while Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price gave well-received concerts on smaller scales. Darrell Scott, Anderson East, and a couple of folk icons released new music videos, and both Jake Owen and Kelsea Ballerini gave interviews that inspired, respectively, eye-rolls and outright ire.
New Releases & Reissues, 5/20/2016
Billy "Crash" Craddock, My Country Rock: The Definitive Collection. (Wrasse)
The Highwaymen, The Very Best of the Highwaymen and The Highwaymen Live – American Outlaws. (Columbia / Legacy)
Tim McGraw, Humble & Kind – Hardcover book. (Hachette Books)
Blake Shelton, If I'm Honest. (Warner)
News & Notes
"Guy Clark was one of the greatest songwriters who ever put pen to paper. He was the epicenter of a group of just brilliant writers– Rodney Crowell, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Young, who also passed away this year. And he had this incredible ability to take plain things– a homegrown tomato or a Randall knife– and craft these gorgeous songs around it and build these little worlds."
— Friend-of-the-blog and best-in-the-biz Juli Thanki of The Tennessean, on the passing of Guy Clark. Thanki referred to Clark as a "keystone to such great music," and, as ever, we are in full agreement with her assessment. Though perhaps not so well-known among contemporary audiences, Clark's legacy is an impossibly deep catalogue of exceptional songs. (JK)
For anyone unfamiliar with Clark's work, Rolling Stone posted a well-chosen primer of a dozen of his most essential songs. (JK)
I missed the release of his latest album on last week's list of new albums, but I won't make the same mistake with Darrell Scott this week– one of our very favorite singer-songwriters premiered the music video for his new single, "Down to the River." (JK)
"I worried so long that I would sing to empty bars my whole life. I was singing my guts out, there would be five people into it. I'm in my prime right now."
— Margo Price reflected on how her fortunes have changed just a wee bit of late in an interview with Laura Snapes of The Guardian. Price spoke about the double-standards she has faced in how she is portrayed– a point about how a comment she made about only being compared to other women and not to her main influences was later twisted into a non-existent beef with Kacey Musgraves is particularly on-point– and about her unique path to semi-stardom. (JK)
Willie Nelson announced the line-up for his always-eclectic 4th of July picnic. This year, performers range from legends like Kris Kristofferson and Billy Joe Shaver to genre favorites Lee Ann Womack and Jamey Johnson, along with Margo Price… and Brantley Gilbert. (JK)
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry released a music video for "The Midnight Special," the first single for their upcoming album, Shine a Light: Field Recordings from The Great American Railroad, a collection of songs about trains. The project is slated for release in September. (JK)
"I think it's more just people saying women are not being played on the radio because right now there are a ton of us and it's awesome… 'Peter Pan' broke Top 30 and it's my favorite song on the record. And radio has been so good to me and good to [fellow female singers] Maren [Morris], Cam, Maddie and Tae."
— Kelsea Ballerini, in a flat-out infuriating interview with Fox News, utterly failed to consider that her own experiences– which, it's worth noting, include being signed to a billionaire's vanity music label that has spent an absurd amount of money to promote her to country radio– might not be representative of what is actually occurring for women at country radio. For instance, she ignores the facts that Morris' single "My Church" has outsold her own "Dibs" (491K to 390K) but has stalled at #9 at radio instead of racing to #1, Cam's "Mayday" is struggling to move up on the current charts (where it sits at #37 in its 14th week), and each of Maddie & Tae's singles has peaked lower than its predecessor since "Girl A Country Song" became their sole top 5 hit. Or that the whole of this week's top 40 singles list contains just 6 solo women, plus 2 duet partners, and that looking to the full top 60 singles list expands that number to a whopping 8 solo women. But clearly, it's just a matter of people saying there's a problem with women not being played on the radio. (JK)
While his single "Night's On Fire" continues to inch up the charts in its 41st week, David Nail released a cover of Adele's current single, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," looking back to his well-received rendition of her hit, "Someone Like You." (JK)
Though the song recently moved to recurrent status at AAA radio, Anderson East released a music video for his terrific, soulful single, "Devil in Me." (JK)
"I know that this is the Opera House, but you don't have to be so formal."
"Sometimes my voice gets hidden… People don't even have the opportunity to know that I love to sing."
— Jake Owen, evidently surprised by the outcomes of his choice to deliver a not insubstantial number of his songs in a speak-singing style. Owen spoke with Entertainment Weekly about making the choice to reboot his upcoming album, American Love, after his marriage dissolved and the ostensible lead single, "Real Life," bricked at radio. (JK)
That will do it for this week. Let us know in the comments if we missed something!
This week's new releases are led off by Sugarland frontwoman Jennifer Nettles.
New Releases & Reissues, 5/13/2016
Rob Baird, Wrong Side of the River. (Hard Luck Recording Company)
The Blind Boys of Alabama, Spirit of the Century (2001). (Omnivore Recordings)
John Evans, Polyester. (Splice)
Sawyer Fredericks, A Good Storm. (Republic)
Hard Working Americans, Rest in Chaos. (Thirty Tigers)
Sammy Kershaw, The Blues Got Me. (Big Hit)
Michaela Anne, Bright Lights and the Fame. (Kingswood)
Jennifer Nettles, Playing With Fire. (Big Machine)
John Prine, Aimless Love (1984), German Afternoons (1986), and 9 other albums through 2011's The Singing Mailman Delivers. (Oh Boy)
Todd Snider, 5 albums from 2000's Happy to Be Here through 2004's East Nashville Skyline. (Oh Boy)
News & Notes
"I'm fully aware that, in our culture and in our society, there are myriad limits and boundaries and ridiculous glass ceilings and etiquettes from top to bottom… I know those things exist. Maybe I've gotten myself in trouble here and there by either ignoring them or mouthing off about them or whatever it is. I see something that says you can't be a certain way, and it just makes me want to be that certain way."
— Mary Chapin Carpenter reflected on her tendency to push back hard against boundaries in a terrific interview and profile with Amanda Wicks of The Bluegrass Situation. Carpenter's latest album, The Things We Are Made Of, is her strongest in at least a decade, and The Bluegrass Situation has, quite sensibly, named her their artist of the month for May. (JK)
Because there is apparently nothing she can't do, the incomparable Rhiannon Giddens will be making her debut on Broadway this summer, filling in for Tony-award winner Audra McDonald in the role of 2016 Tony-nominated Shuffle Along: Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. She'll be joined on stage by Savion Glover. (JK, LW)
"After all, the protests against Sinead O'Connor and the Dixie Chicks were huge and dramatic, and extremely effective at signaling to other women that they should be silent or suffer the wrath of the angry mob. In both cases, the women who were targeted never really recovered, retreating from the spotlight somewhat and downscaling their artistic ambitions… Beyoncé, on the other hand, seems unstoppable."
— Amanda Marcotte of Salon drew parallels between the current protests Beyoncé has drawn and the reaction to Natalie Maines' comments about George W. Bush, positing that Maines– and Sinead O'Connor, in her protests against the abuses of the Catholic church– have fallen on the "right" side of history in their stances. (JK)
"I just always set out to be authentic to myself and never chase whatever the trend is. I make a conscious effort just not to allow people to sway or persuade me to do certain things. I write what's true to me and what I think is true to my fanbase. I'm elated when a song works on radio because I understand how important radio is, but I never write in terms of chasing after that."
— Kip Moore suggested that he probably won't be the next act to try his hand at lite-R&B masquerading as country in an interview with Entertainment Focus. Moore spoke at length about his recent gigs in the United Kingdom and how the fans he has cultivated overseas respond differently to his music than do U.S. audiences. (JK)
"It's going to be exciting to be playing with real musicians — people who actually know music… It's going to be a little intimidating for me. I'm just going to have to put it in the back of my head. Hopefully, they can play with our mediocrity as far as our knowledge of notes, and we'll sing our songs. Hopefully it will be a special night for us and all involved."
— Randy Owen of Alabama expressed some nerves about his band's May 12 – 14 performances with the Nashville Symphony, in an interview with Chuck Dauphin of Billboard. (JK)
"I'm not going to say no. Chris has taught me a lot about walking through the doors that are open. It would definitely take some soul-searching, but I'm open to it."
— Morgane Stapleton cast another beacon of hope that she might put out a proper solo album in an insightful and charming interview with Billboard's Phyllis Stark. Stapleton comments on her brief stint at Arista Nashville, the Southern Family compilation album, and her husband's awards show run. (JK)
A 16 disc box set, The Complete Monument & Columbia Album Collection, will be released on June 10th in celebration of Kris Kristofferson's 80th birthday. From Sony Music Legacy Recordings, the collection will include 11 of Kristofferson's studio albums from the 70s as well as many rare and unreleased recordings. The package will also include a deluxe booklet of essays and liner notes especially written for the project. (LW)
Video Highlights:
Listen to Sturgill Simpson chat with comedian, Marc Maron, on Maron's popular podcast, WTF. (LW)
Cam has released her new music video, "Mayday," inspired by the sexist backlash experienced by Amelia Earhart. (JK)
Cyndi Lauper twangs up "Time After Time" in Louisville while promoting her quite good country album, Detour. (KJC)
Trisha Yearwood talks about how lucky she is to sing for a living in an interview with WOOD. (KJC)
Dixie Chicks cover Beyoncé's "Daddy Lesssons" in Dublin. (KJC)]]>
The country superstar has had a lot to say– some of it coherent, some of it less so– about the recording of his new album, Ripcord, which includes his collaboration with hip-hop star Pitbull and R&B legend Nile Rodgers. Urban isn't the only one looking well beyond the borders of the country genre this week. Jennifer Nettles dropped a duet with one of Urban's fellow American Idol judges, Kimberly Perry suffered from a case of mistaken identity while she and her siblings embarrassed themselves at Stagecoach Festival, and Eric Paslay talked about doo-wop (that thing).
Urban's latest is the highest-profile new release of the week, but there are plenty of other big names in the mix. Mary Chapin Carpenter collaborated with producer Dave Cobb on her strongest album in ages, Ryan Adams reissued his solo debut, and Cyndi Lauper took a detour into the country genre. And there's also the new album by Cole Swindell.
New Releases & Reissues, May 6, 2016
Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker Deluxe Edition (2000). (PAXAM)
Ryan Beaver, Rx. (St. Beaver Music)
Bethany Becker, I Want Love. (Spectra Music Group)
Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Things That We Are Made Of. (Thirty Tigers)
Jared Deck, Jared Deck. (Sony RED)
Kacy & Clayton, Strange Country. (New West)
Cyndi Lauper, Detour. (Sire)
Mountain Heart, Blue Skies. (Compass)
Johnny Paycheck, Take This Job And Shove It: The Definitive Collection. (Real Gone Music)
The Rides, Pierced Arrow. (429)
Cole Swindell, You Should Be Here. (Warner Nashville)
Keith Urban, Ripcord. (Capitol Nashville)
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, The Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys Collection 1935 – 50. (Avitone)
Faron Young, The Faron Young Collection 1951 – 62. (Acrobat)
News & Notes
"But nowhere was this genre-blurring more subtly explored than through the performances. Country artists have always embraced covers (Merle Haggard, of course, was given tribute), but a number of headliners chose to play pop tracks of yesterday and today, as if hesitant to rely on their own actual material for an outing like this… On Saturday, The Band Perry did The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," CeeLo's "Crazy" and Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack," as well as Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" and a frankly embarrassing version of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls," all while in front of a backdrop of an neon, electropop-looking heart. ("In my heart, I am Beyoncé," Perry's frontwoman Kimberly Perry said before shaking her ass during the latter track. "My body is still trying to catch up." She was clad in the apparent preferred outfit of woman performers that weekend, one that I'm sure would have fit in a Coachella, consisting of a halter top and harem-style pants, because the '90s are back everywhere.)"
— Kate Dries asked, "Who Goes to Country Music's Coachella?" in regard to the Stagecoach Festival, and the answer involved more of The Band Perry's ongoing identity crisis slash public meltdown slash cry for help. Kimberly Perry's belief in her heart that she is Beyoncé is a good reminder that, just because you believe something, that doesn't make it true. (JK)
"I'm grateful that the songs that have been hits I really do love. I definitely have a lot of great songs that no one probably will ever record, because it's a little too deep or it might not fit exactly what doo-wops are going on right now. But the wild thing about songs is they have forever to be heard, and music goes in phases. We're almost back to the 50's right now, there's a lot of doo-wops, there's whistles on everything which is fun, I don't mind whistles, but even guitar tones and things sound like The Temptations, and I love it. We go in these phases that are cool. I love all kinds of music so I'm glad country music accepts it all right now. I just try to keep up with the times and have fun doing it."
— Eric Paslay confessed his affinity for "doo-wops" as part of a lengthy interview with Annie Dineen of The Shotgun Seat. Paslay speaks at length about having his songs cut by other artists and talks about listening to a lot of U2, Tom Petty, and Fleetwood Mac… (JK)
"Rhythm is everything, and [Pitbull]'s got the Cuban blood, so his sense of rhythm is super cool… I just wanted him on the track. I wanted what he does. It wasn't about having a rapper on there. . .The thing that separates this record from any others is I never second guessed anything. If an idea hit me, I'd act on it. You can always change it after the fact. But I wasn't thinking in terms of limitations or parameters. If Pitbull didn't respond to the track, we would've just left it how it was. It wasn't like I was going to find another rapper."
— Keith Urban, on not second-guessing anything and simply acting on impulse. Listeners can gauge Urban's latest attempts at quality control, as his new album, Ripcord, was released on Friday. Relatively speaking, Urban's collaborations with Pitbull and Nile Rodgers are more listenable than the new duet with Jennifer Lopez that Jennifer Nettles debuted this week. Make of that what you will. (JK)
Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle took to YouTube to announce their "Colvin & Earle" project, which will release a self-titled debut on June 10th. (JK)
Up-and-coming star Mickey Guyton, who has a new single slated for release later this spring, earned a surprise visit from the one-and-only Dolly Parton, and she reacts the way we think most people would react to a surprise visit from the one-and-only Dolly Parton. (JK)
"I think for the millennial group, understanding how millennials are different than previous generations that came before them — it's a different mindset and they have different options for consuming music now."
— Karen Stump, senior director of market research for the Country Music Association, considered how younger generations of fans engage with country music in comparison to the genre's long-standing fanbase. Data from the CMA indicates that country's audience is skewing both younger and more ethnically diverse. (JK)
"Artists like Merle Haggard are important because they became legends and set trends not by worrying about money and fame but just by being themselves. So it just inspires me even more to uphold what's important to me as a person and songwriter first and not worry about the rest."
— Kacey Musgraves talked about the influence of the late Merle Haggard when she was announced as one of the headliners for "G Fest," a festival that was originally slated to feature Haggard but has transformed into a tribute to the genre legend. Other performers announced for the event, which will take place just outside of Muskogee on June 16 – 18, include Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, Marty Stuart, The Avett Brothers, and Aubrie Sellers. (JK)
American Idol finalist Kree Harrison released the music video for her new single, "This Old Thing," a retro-soul throwback that showcases her powerful voice and intuitive sense of phrasing. (JK)
"I feel more confident as a vocalist than I ever have. Definitely my stage presence has evolved. I used to hardly talk to the audience, I was so shy. Now I've got a lot more animated on stage and communicate with the audience more. I think my songwriting has evolved. I've kept up a certain level of artistry. I'm writing as much or more than I ever have."
— Lucinda Williams reflected on the newfound confidence in her vocal style and the prolific– by her standards, at least– period of songwriting she has been in, as part of an interview with Laurel Hiatt for The Red & Black prior to a show in Athens, Georgia. (JK)
"Prince and Merle Haggard have a lot more in common than they don't, and that true musicianship is a force that knows no class distinction, genre distinction, race [or] region. Little Richard and Bob Dylan sure look a lot different but they have an element to them that is exactly the same. As entertainers, they know something. Charlie Chaplin and Bert Williams knew it, too. Prince and Merle Haggard — they're finally singing their duet together."
— Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show considered the distinctions, or lack thereof, between some of popular music's most iconic figures, in a fascinating and insightful interview for The Emory Wheel. Secor talks about where OCMS fits into the country genre– he lands on "rock and roll string-band," which is an apt descriptor– along with the legacy of "Wagon Wheel." (JK)
"'Papa Was A Rodeo' mixes together the sensibilities of a few of those genres. Even though it's rendered as a hollowed-out, indie-rock ballad, at its core it's a kind of tear-in-your-beer country duet with lyrics that somehow both poke fun of and embrace the conventions of just such a song. Like so many Merritt compositions, it will keep you laughing right until you find yourself all choked up."
— Jim Beviglia of American Songwriter chose The Magnetic Fields' "Papa Was a Rodeo" for this week's "Lyric of the Week." Beviglia digs deep into the song's syntax and shifting points-of-view, and we'll take literally any excuse to plug Kelly Hogan's masterful cover of the song. (JK)
"Without wading into the murky waters of what constitutes 'real' country music, there's no question that "Daddy Lessons" sounds as much like country as many of the genre's biggest contemporary stars: It's easy to imagine a version sung by Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert, one that would generate substantially less anxiety about whether or where it belongs."
— Sam Adams of Slate forged into the still-ongoing debate as to whether or not Beyonce's "Daddy Lessons" is a country song. We addressed the issue in last week's post– because, obviously, our commentary is always on the most cutting of edges– but it's noteworthy to see that the discussion about the song's genre ties has continued unabated. (JK)
Though he passed away on March 18th, it was only confirmed earlier this week that songwriter Ned Miller, best known for the country standard "From a Jack to a King," has died at the age of 90. (JK)
"I had no furniture; I had no clothes; I had a very small amount of things… There were no lamps in the house but one – I didn't have a shade on it. It had luckily been left there. So I would just plug that in at night so I could see to get into the room I slept in."
— Ryan Adams recounted living in bare-bones conditions during the recording of his solo debut, 2000's Heartbreaker, in an interview with Rolling Stone. The album was recently reissued in a deluxe edition on vinyl and is still an essential listen from the alt-country canon. (JK)
Josh Abbott Band premiered the music video for their single "Wasn't That Drunk," featuring Carly Pearce. (JK)
"Buy Me A Boat" wasn't exactly the most auspicious of debut singles, but Chris Janson's "Holdin' Her" is one of the best-written singles at country radio at the moment. (JK)
That will do it for this week. Be sure to check back on Thursday for our roundtable discussion of the Dixie Chicks' Fly!]]>
Released in 1998, Wide Open Spaces established the Dixie Chicks as superstars right out of the gate. It produced five top ten hits, including three #1 singles, and sold more than twelve million copies in the United States alone. It remains their biggest selling album to date. But is it among their best?
Leeann Ward's Take:
By 1998, country music had noticeably shifted from the neo-traditionalism of the early nineties to more pop driven country. So, it is striking how unapologetically country Wide Open Spaces sounded in the time of crossovers. With steel guitar laden tracks aplenty, along with Natalie Maines' unique and powerhouse voice, the harmony driven album from the innovative trio was an exhilarating blast of fresh air.
Wide Open Spaces had strong and successful single releases, such as the cheeky "I Can Love You Better" and "There's Your Trouble," along with the thoughtful "You Were Mine" and the title track. However, as it often is with the best albums, some of the best songs are unreleased gems, including compositions from respected songwriters like Radney Foster, J. D. Souther, Maria McKee and Bonnie Raitt.
Even though the Dixie Chicks had already existed in name for several years, their first album with Natalie Maines proved to be the boost that they needed to propel them to major label success as well as a household name. If there ever was an album that showed so much potential and mastery all at once, it was Wide Open Spaces. The young trio masterfully mixed confidence with innocence, which is palpable throughout the album. Since it's impossible to hear this album outside of the context of their subsequent work, it's hard not to note and even marvel that such a strong debut was just the beginning and that the best from them was still yet to come.
Recommended Tracks: "Never Say Die," "Let 'Er Rip," "I'll Take Care of You," "Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)"
Jonathan Keefe's Take:
Recommended Tracks: "Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)," "You Were Mine," "Wide Open Spaces," "Tonight the Heartache's On Me"
Ben Foster's Take:
The Dixie Chicks' major-label debut establishes their immediately-recognizable signature sound, introducing mainstream audiences to the formidable instrumental talents of the Erwin sisters and to harmonies anchored by Natalie Maines' commanding lead vocals. The album demonstrates an already solid song sense, paying tribute to the group's eclectic influences, while Martie and Emily's composition "You Were Mine" previews the songwriting talent that would be fully showcased on future projects.
The album includes a couple of nods to radio – Top 10 singles "I Can Love You Better" and "There's Your Trouble" are clearly meant to go down easy – while Blake Chancey and Paul Worley's production carries a perceptible sheen of mainstream polish. Wide Open Spaces is an album that comes across as consistently competent and enjoyable on its own merits, while lacking the status quo-challenging impact that would characterize the group's later work. The real feast was yet to come, but what a tasty appetizer.
Recommended Tracks: "Wide Open Spaces," "You Were Mine," "Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)"
Sam Gazdziak's Take:
For a band that was essentially starting over with a new lead singer (Natalie Maines) and a completely new sound (contemporary country), Wide Open Spaces was an excellent starting point for the Dixie Chicks 2.0.
Even in an era that leaned much more toward traditional country than today's version of country music, the Chicks stood out on radio with catchy, uptempo songs that were unapologetically filled with fiddle and steel guitar. Maines' vocals were a far cry from the polished pop-country sounds of many other female vocalists, helping them stand out even further.
They were already showing their ability to choose songs from some of the best writers around — Kostas, Radney Foster, George Ducas, Tia Sillers and Maria McKee are among the ace songwriters on this album. Overall, it's as close as the group ever got to being middle of the road. Wide Open Spaces doesn't quite fall under the category of "Essential Country Music" like some of their later work, but it helped introduced the Dixie Chicks as a band that required your attention.
Kevin John Coyne's Take:
Country music gets really, really excited when a new act surfaces that flaunts their traditional leanings. Sometimes those new acts become legends, like Randy Travis. Other times, they fade away quietly, like Gretchen Wilson. (Chris Stapleton enthusiasts, take note.)
While the genre's leading ladies were crossing over, the Dixie Chicks came on the scene waving the traditionalist flag, and were warmly embraced, with this set beating out Shania Twain's Come On Over for Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards. I thought they were a bit overrated at that time, and I personally didn't warm up to them until Fly. So of the four albums we'll be looking at, I was most interested in revisiting this one, and seeing if there was something I missed the first time around.
Turns out that I didn't miss much! Over the years, I've listened to this album the least, but it's still overly familiar because I knew so many of these songs before the Chicks recorded them. I'd heard these songs first by Radney Foster ("Never Say Die"), Joy Lynn White ("Tonight the Heartache's on Me") and even Olivia Newton-John ("Loving Arms.") To their credit, I think that they do all three songs more effectively than the first versions I'd heard, and "Heartache" in particular is as good as their later work.
Wide Open Spaces is almost sterile in its professionalism, and the best moments are the ones where they break through the restraints of the milquetoast nineties production. "Wide Open Spaces" and "Let 'Er Rip" even resemble the fearless feminists that would throw Earl in the trunk and go toe-to-toe with the President of the United States. They also absolutely shred Maria McKee's "Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)," which is on par with their takes on Patty Griffin's catalog.
Recommended Tracks: "Am I the Only One (Who Ever Felt This Way)," "Wide Open Spaces," "Tonight the Heartache's on Me"
… And, boy howdy, are they bad at it.
Whatever your political leanings, we have an infuriating, poorly-researched, and terribly-written essay about Haggard's death to make your blood boil this week. It speaks to the complexity that made Haggard's body of work such a vital force in contemporary popular culture that writers approaching his work from a reactive and ideologically slanted POV would struggle to get a grasp on his legacy. And it speaks to the quality of modern political discourse that there's a whole lot of smug name-calling and values-policing in these attempts to use Haggard's death as some kind of political capital.
And if that isn't enough to send your blood pressure through the roof, there are some interviews with country radio insiders that should do the trick. Some journalists claimed this week that the state of radio has improved since #SaladGate last year, but we remain skeptical of a format that encourages artists to do exactly one thing then bitches-and-moans that they have too many sound-alike ballads in their playlists, and whose programming directors can't be bothered to name a single woman when thinking about current music.
Fortunately, there are some fantastic videos to make up for all of the nonsense. Vince Gill and Paul Franklin pay tribute to Haggard, Maren Morris and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats gave great performances on the talk-show circuit, while Jamie Lin Wilson and the Dixie Chicks unveiled some killer covers.
New Releases & Reissues, 4/29/2016
The Bo-Keys, Heartaches By The Number. (Omnivore Recordings)
Glen Campbell, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour Country Special (DVD). (Shout! Factory)
John Doe, The Westerner. (Cool Rock / Thirty Tigers)
Buddy Guy & Otis Clay, Live in Chicago 88. (Klondike)
The Jayhawks, Paging Mr. Proust. (Sham / Thirty Tigers)
George Jones, When My Heart Hurts No More. (Southern Routes)
Lonestar, Never Enders. (Shanachie)
Martina McBride, Reckless. (Nash ICON)
Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors (DVD). (Warner Home Video)
Linda Ronstadt, Canciones de mi Padre (1987), Mas Canciones (1991), Frenesi (1992). (Elektra)
Leon Russell, Leon Russell (1970). (Audio Fidelity)
Boz Scaggs, Other Roads: The Deluxe Edition (1988). (Friday Music)
Shenandoah, Good News Travels Fast. (New Day / Daywind Records)
News & Notes
"No tears from me over Merle Haggard, the legendary country singer who died today of pneumonia at age 79. Haggard was a punkass criminal (literally) who spent his life in anti-war attacks on America and then rushed to the defense of Barack Obama… It's a commonly believed myth in America that country music artists–particularly the older ones–are conservative patriots. In fact, in many cases, they are not. See Willie Nelson. And see the late Mr. Haggard (friend of Willie). The "Okie From Muskogee" was one of the most successful country music artists of all time and one of the most well known "pioneers" of the depressing genre of music and song, with at least three dozen #1 country music chart hits in almost six decades. He was a White House guest of both Presidents Nixon and Reagan, so it's easy to assume he leaned right. Not so."
— Debbie Schlussel, a political commentator whose "online fanclub is the internet's second-largest for a political personality– behind only Ann Coulter," posted an invective-filled screed in which she celebrated Haggard's death and insulted country music and its fans. (JK)
"Throughout his career, Haggard was disdainful of the wealthy while showing fierce loyalty to the poor. But this led him toward bigotry, territorialism, and nostalgia. In the vain hope of reviving an imaginary epoch of hard work and big rewards, he defended the very forces that produce the poverty he lamented… We can defend the millions of Americans — many of them poor, rural, and neglected — who find comfort and companionship in Merle Haggard's music without defending Haggard himself, because we understand what Haggard didn't: together we can build a just, prosperous world for the future, rather than simply imagining one in the past."
— Jonah Walters, a researcher at Jacobin, proved no less condescending and insufferable than Schlussel in "Merle's America: Merle Haggard provided the soundtrack of American reaction for five decades," a maddening essay that illustrates how both conservative and liberal ideologues have utterly and comprehensively failed to grapple with the complexity of Haggard's public persona and body of work. (JK)
"'We understand what Haggard didn't' is perhaps the most condescending phrase of all time. It screams of, 'let me tell you, poor whites, what the real and correct politics are.' It says that Haggard's songs, or at least the few cherry-picked songs to support this essay and not the actual catalog of Merle Haggard, are actually wrong and we now know better."
— Eric Loomis, in part of his well-researched, logical, and unapologetic dismantling of Walters' article, points out the shallowness of the Jacobin hit-piece and how it fails to account for the entirety of Merle Haggard's legacy. Loomis' response is a true mic-drop that defends Haggard by accounting for his songwriting, live performances, and interviews and how they interact to create a persona that cannot be dismissed with reactionary contemporary political discourse. (JK)
Vince Gill & Paul Franklin performed a new song, "A World Without Haggard" at this year's All For The Hall concert. (JK)
"… A lot of Merle's songs were really about a way to escape that life, from working that hard and not having a lot to show for it. He wasn't giving you a way out in the sense of 'you should make your life better,' he was giving you a way of imagining that you're somewhere different, that you have a life out fishing and hunting in the woods, or roaming free somewhere in the West, rather than having to get up and go to work. Merle was always able to live inside his songs, whether it was his own story or somebody else's."
— Jason Isbell, proving that not everyone who has spoken about Haggard in the past two weeks has been more interested in politicizing his work than in recognizing the greatness of Haggard's persona. As ever, Isbell gets it. (JK)
Last week, we posted a few videos of country artists paying tribute to the late Prince. This week, we have Chris Stapleton singing the fire out of "Nothing Compares 2 U." (JK)
"Hey Ashley. It's Neil. Let's write together someday. Just meet me towards sunset."
— Neil Young, in a message he left on Ashley Monroe's voicemail. Monroe used the phrase, "meet me towards sunset," as the jumping-off point for a songwriting session with 2014 lyric contest winner Blair Bodine. (JK)
"I've been doing it for years with Sugarland: understanding that communicating with the most amount of people starts at the songwriting stage and because I wrote all of our songs that are mine it's a very quick feedback process – you know when you're failing. You walk up and you're like, that's not working, and you immediately go back and write the songs that seems to work. It's great feedback."
— Kristian Bush, in an interview with Aimee Dunn of The Shotgun Seat, talks about how the immediacy of the feedback he gets as a performer during music festivals impacts his songwriting process. (JK)
Maren Morris gave a spirited performance of "My Church" on Good Morning America. The performance vaulted the single back to the top of iTunes' country charts, though Morris continues to tread water just outside the top 10 at country radio. (JK)
"In the Billboard top 30, I've got 10 coded as 'ballad' or 'can't play next to ballad.' If you look at the top 30 as the snapshot of the format, a third of it is too low-energy for late spring. Then you look at what's waiting in the wings, [and] I'm getting sent more ballads … in April!"
— Bob Walker, PD at WCTK in Providence, Rhode Island, spoke with Billboard's Phyllis Stark about the fact that radio is currently over-run with ballads… Meanwhile, Chris Stapleton's "Nobody to Blame" barely scraped the top 10, Morris' "My Church" is still struggling to gain traction, and Maddie & Tae's uptempo "Shut Up & Fish" peaked outside the top 20. Moreover, Walker gives a long list of current songs that he describes as "really good" despite their lack of tempo and a bunch of songs slated for release later this spring– and literally every song he mentions is by a man or a male-led band. Mark McKay, PD for WGH-FM in Virginia Beach, provides a list of current songs that offset the number of ballads on playlists– and, again, every song that he mentions is by a man or a male-led band. Country radio is pretty much beyond repair. (JK)
"Hey – if we can give Lee Brice 40-plus weeks to hit top 10, we can certainly show the same patience and commitment to Stapleton. As I have said before: this is low hanging fruit. Pick it, take credit for planting and growing it, then sell it – and keep on stocking it."
Or is it? Current VP of CRS, R.J. Curtis, wrote a must-read editorial about some of the current trends at country radio, and he goes in hard for Stapleton and Jon Pardi. (JK)
"If it makes any statement, I think it's just a reminder that we have some strong female artists in this format and even more than that, we have strong and passionate female fans that definitely relate to our music. The fact that 'This One's for the Girls' is still relevant 13 years after its release, and that the fans in the audience will be singing every word, proves that songs by female artists can stand the test of time and resonate with both male and female fans alike."
— Martina McBride, in an interview with Beverly Keel for The Tennessean, talked about the lasting impact of one of her biggest hits, while Keel also spoke to some radio insiders who argued that the state of country radio has improved significantly for women in the year since Salad Gate. Emily Yahr of The Washington Post made a similar argument based upon the successes of Kelsea Ballerini, Cam, and Morris. (JK)
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats performed their latest single, "I Need Never Get Old" on The Late Late Show With James Corden. (JK)
"I didn't think music meant I'd live my dreams, because all my friends were musicians and they were all poor, screwed and depressed. But I thought maybe I could move in a general direction of what my dreams could be. I know that's not something catchy you put on a poster, but that's what I've been doing since."
— Sam Outlaw reflected on his aspirations for success in an (infuriatingly titled) interview with L.A. Weekly. The profile suggests that Outlaw could develop into L.A.'s biggest country export since Dwight Yoakam. (JK)
This week's highest-profile new release is Beyonce's incendiary, politically-charged Lemonade, and there has been considerable discussion about whether or not the track "Daddy Lessons" is a country song. Genre purists have, predictably, bristled at that notion, with some going so far as to suggest that Beyonce is guilty of appropriating country music. Victoria M. Massie of Vox provides a thoughtful counterpoint, outlining country music's important roots in black and West African music. (JK)
The Dixie Chicks covered "Daddy's Lessons" in concert this week. Already a killer country song in its own right, the Chicks kicked it up with an even more country arrangement. (LMW)
And, because we have missed hearing the Dixie Chicks cover Patty Griffin something fierce, this performance of Griffin's "Don't Let Me Die in Florida" makes for a most welcome return. (JK)
"… At the time I thought, 'Oh my gosh. It's the end of the world. I'm never gonna live past this… And that's why we wrote that song, because I personally had to heal from it. I had to know that it's gonna be okay. Like, someone does not define your self-worth."
— Maddie Marlow of the aforementioned Maddie & Tae, recalled the origins of the duo's new (uptempo…) single, "Sierra," in an interview with Rolling Stone Country. (JK)
The legendary Dolly Parton announced dates for the first portion of her "Pure And Simple" tour, which will kick off in Greensboro, North Carolina, on June 3rd. (JK)
Friend of the blog Vickye Fisher recommended that we check out "Hurtin' Songs" by Shotgun Wedding this week, and we can't not pass along a recommendation for this killer track. (JK)
"There was no scene that we felt like we were part of. If anything, there was Uncle Tupelo, but I think we were a little bit ahead of some of the other bands. There weren't a lot of people doing what we doing at the time, and that was part of the thrill of it. It didn't fit in Minnesota and didn't fit anywhere else. There was never any kind of country-rock summit meeting. Even to this day, we're still outsiders. We never get acknowledged by any kind of Americana music festival. It's almost like we don't exist in some way, and that's ok. Part of it is probably a result of being isolated up here in Minneapolis."
— Gary Louris of The Jayhawks, in an interview with Rolling Stone, considered his band's under-the-radar status throughout the entirety of their career, and how, despite being grouped with acts like Wilco, Whiskeytown, and The Bottle Rockets, they are still outsiders within even the alt-country and Americana scenes. (JK)
"Next time I write a record and pour my heart out, I gotta remember that I gotta go out and sing that shit."
— Sturgill Simpson had an epiphany about the difficulties inherent in writing a deeply personal album that he then has to go out and perform on stage night after night. The quip came as part of an in-depth profile for Esquire magazine. Simpson will have to get used to that difficulty, since A Sailor's Guide to Earth debuted at #1 on Billboard's country, folk, and rock albums charts and finished the week at #3 on the Billboard 200, following a late-week surge for two Prince albums. Josh Hurst wrote an absolutely essential review of A Sailor's Guide this week, giving the dense album the kind of thoughtful analysis it both merits and rewards. (JK)
And finally, the just-awesome Jamie Lin Wilson posted a series of performances from her front porch this week. Her cover of Lyle Lovett's "South Texas Girl" is everything, and her covers of George Jones and Jessi Colter songs are also spectacular. (JK)
As ever, let us know in the comments if we missed anything!]]>
Written by Jason Wade
One of six popular songs that Trisha Yearwood recorded for The Passion: New Orleans, "Broken" transcends its adult rock origins through its reinvention as Mary's plaintive wail after the death of her son on the cross.
It's a powerhouse performance, and a reminder of that brief, late nineties period where Yearwood flirted with pop stardom. Of course she's got the pipes to pull it off. We all know that.
But what she does with her songs from The Passion went beyond any expectations I've ever had of her, and I already considered her to be the finest singer of her generation. She embodied Mary as a mother and Mary as a disciple throughout her six tracks, but as the crucifixion draws near, she sheds the discipleship from her performances and moves fully into the fearful, protective mother role. By the time she sings "Broken," she's a grieving mother, and the lingering faith has receded to the background.
The surprising radio success of "Broken" will hopefully encourage listeners to seek out the full soundtrack. All six songs are best heard as a collective story arc, and as great as "Broken" is, it's not even in the upper echelon of the six tracks. ("I Won't Give Up" is among her finest moments on record. Among Trisha Yearwood's finest moments on record, y'all.)
But if all you've heard is the Lifehouse version, then trust me, friends. You haven't heard "Broken" at all.
Grade: A]]>
2016 continues to be just awful when it comes to the giants of popular music; now Prince is gone. It's a testament to how far-reaching his influence was that he penned songs– pseudonymously, of course– for country artists during his most prolific period, and some of today's country acts were eager to pay tribute to him this week.
Elsewhere, it's a light week for new releases and reissues. I'll admit that I knew nothing about "Nudie" prior to compiling this week's post, but I'm certainly intrigued by the song samples on his website. Trisha Yearwood is finding a spot on radio again– Can a get a hallelujah? Can I get an amen?– while Chely Wright announced a new album. Sara Watkins and Hillary Scott released new music, and Sturgill Simpson– who, at the moment, is battling Rihanna and Chris Stapleton for the #1 spot on this week's Billboard 200 all-genre albums chart– premiered perhaps the most important song of the year.
New Releases & Reissues, 4/22/2016
Josh Kelley, New Lane Road. (Sugar Hill)
Michael Martin Murphey, High Stakes: Cowboy Songs VII. (Murphey Kinship Recordings)
Juice Newton, Emotion (1987). (RCA / Legacy)
Nudie, Everything's Different in the Night. (Nudie Music)
News and Notes
Along with a sharp review from Ann Powers, NPR's "Songs We Love" gives us a chance to listen to and watch the video for "Move Me," the first single from Sara Watkins' new album. Watkins' third solo album, Young in All the Wrong Ways, will be released July 1st. It will be her first album for New West Records, and they are offering some pre-sale incentives over at Pledge Music. (LMW)
The music world is mourning the loss of a true giant and innovator in Prince this week. Speaking to the true breadth of his talent and influence, in 1986, Kenny Rogers recorded a song called, "You're My Love," which was written by Prince under the pseudonym of Joey Coco. (LMW)
Country artists paying tribute to Prince this week included Little Big Town, who performed a brief a capella cover of "When Doves Cry," and American Idol finalist Kree Harrison, who gave an acoustic performance of "Nothing Compares 2 U" for Taste of Country. (TS)
"This really feels like 'old times again'– when I could feel positive things happening in my career and it was all because of energy and momentum that only comes from fans. It cannot be generated by industry hype (as much as I benefitted from those types of efforts on many occasions in my career), it cannot be synthesized by landing the right press piece… no, this kind of energy is something that is truly real. It's as good as it gets."
— Chely Wright, in a letter to her fans, announced that she will be releasing her Kickstarter-funded album on September 21st. The Joe Henry produced I Am the Rain will feature guests Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, and The Milk Carton Kids. (LMW)
Thao Nguyen of the just-awesome Thao And The Get Down Stay Down spoke about her love for Lucinda Williams' classic song "Drunken Angel" as part of KUTX's "This Song" series. (JK)
"I hope that country radio will look at the success of the AC and say, 'We want to be playing Trisha Yearwood music on our station.' It's been fun to see that there is a place for me there and that people are responding."
— Trisha Yearwood reflected on the success that her cover of Lifehouse's "Broken" from The Passion: Live has found at Adult Contemporary radio. This week, the single hit the top 20 at that format, marking Yearwood's biggest hit at AC radio and her first crossover hit since "Trying To Love You." And we would certainly love it if country radio made room for Yearwood again. (JK)
Last week, we mentioned that Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott was recording a gospel album with her family. This week, Scott whets our appetite for the album, which includes her parents, Linda Davis and Lane Scott, along with her sister, with the premiere of the lyric video for the single "Thy Will." The gospel album, Love Remains, is produced by Ricky Skaggs, and a release date will be announced in the next few weeks. (LMW)
NPR's World Cafe hosted a "Sense of Place" trip in Raleigh-Durham, NC, where they caught up with indie band Hiss Golden Messenger and Country Universe favorite Tift Merritt. Merritt and Hiss Golden Messenger performed a lovely cover of the title track from her debut album, Bramble Rose. Also as part of the series, NPR dug into the World Cafe archives and re-posted a killer in-studio set by Whiskeytown from back in 1997! (JK)
The latest "Back Porch Session" from Garden & Gun features one of our favorite up-and-coming acts, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. (JK)
"It has been hard to realize that I have to spend time away from my son; I never want to do that… But when I am home I'm with him 100 percent of the time. I try to look at the fact that Loretta Lynn had four children before she made it, Tammy (Wynette) was also a mom, and Emmylou Harris. But you see men do it all the time and it's not a question that people would probably ask Sturgill Simpson. But it's harder for a mother to be away from home, and I've felt judgment from friends, at times. Like, 'How does it feel to go vacation everywhere and go to Europe and leave your kid at home?' It's not always a vacation and it is work."
— Margo Price spoke about balancing motherhood and her touring schedule as part of an interview with Roman Gokhman. Gokhman also penned a fantastic, in-depth profile of Price for Paste magazine this week. (JK)
Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne performed a fantastic cover of Chris Stapleton's "Fire Away" at this week's AIMP Awards. (JK)
"That was the whole country, playing bars and dives. There'd be times when 50 people would be in there, and 30 of them were watching the game on TV. There was a lot of humble pie for a lot of years."
— Kip Moore remembers when he wasn't the biggest draw in the room as part of an interview with Paul Sexton of uDiscover Music. (JK)
Not to be outdone by the ACMs as their dubious "Crystal Milestone" awards, the what-is-the-point-of-these-again American Country Countdown awards announced that Brooks & Dunn will be receiving a "Nash Icon Award" at the show on May 1st. We're sure the duo will be clearing shelf space among their haul of Grammy, CMA, and ACM trophies. (JK)
And, in perhaps the greatest thing that has happened in all of popular culture in 2016, Sturgill Simpson and Stephen Colbert premiered "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Knuckleheads," a song dedicated to Waffle House. Simpson also performed his single, "Brace for Impact (Live a Little)," but, great as that song is, it doesn't have any lines about evil robots enslaving mankind. (JK)
That's it for this week!]]>
… And boy it is divisve.
Genre purists are predictably up-in-arms about Simpson's incorporation of prominent horn sections and heavily distorted guitars, while, at least for the moment, the album stands as 2016's best-reviewed album from any genre. Either way, it's an essential listen that demands an intense reaction.
Simpson is just one of a slew of new releases for the week, though. After several weeks that were relatively light on new releases and reissues, this week sees new albums from veterans Graham Nash, Marie Osmond, and the Del McCoury Band and reissues from Charlie Rich and Justin (son of Ernest) Tubb. Two of Johnny Cash's most famous albums and all four of the albums from the Natalie Maines era of the Dixie Chicks are also newly reissued on vinyl.
The news round-up includes interviews with up-and-comers like Maren Morris and Aubrie Sellers and veterans like Rodney Crowell and Linda Davis, and tons of new videos. Two of the best new male artists in Nashville dropped new music videos, while Elizabeth Cook, Fantasia, and The Avett Brothers released new singles. Sam Hunt tried his hand at singing a for-real country song with results that will likely be viewed through the lens of one's existing opinion of Hunt and his relative talents, and Hayes Carll and Allison Moorer performed a lovely duet.
New Releases & Reissues, 4/15/2016
Pauline Andres, The Heart Breaks. (Pauline Andres)
Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop, Love Letter for Fire. (Sub Pop)
Johnny Cash, I Walk the Line (1964) and Man in Black (1971). (Friday Music)
Charly Cole, Gotcha. (Red Mess Music)
Mark Collie, ICON. (MCA Nashville)
Dixie Chicks, MMXVI: The Classic Albums Collection. (Columbia / Legacy)
Drivin N Cryin, Best of Songs. (Plowboy)
Bob Dylan, John Wesley Harding (1967). (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab)
James Edge & The Mindstep, On a Red Horse. (Folkstock)
Herrick, Cottonfields. (Breakaway Entertainment)
Keb' Mo', Keb' Mo' LIVE – That Hot Pink Blues Album. (Kind of Blue / RED)
The Del McCoury Band, Del and Woody. (McCoury Music)
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Sacred Memories. (Rebel)
Graham Nash, This Path Tonight. (Blue Castle)
Marie Osmond, Music is Medicine. (OliveMe / RED)
Charlie Rich, Big Boss Man (1966). (RCA / Legacy)
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, PersonA. (Community Music)
Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor's Guide to Earth. (Atlantic)
Justin Tubb, Things I Still Remember Very Well (1969). (Omni Recording)
News & Notes
The Avett Brothers returned with "Ain't No Man," the new single from their first album in three years. (JK)
"I want to be as gracious and thankful as I can because it has been a long road," she said. "I'm young but I've been doing this a long time … There's obviously a lot of hard work that goes into it. It's a hard town. There's a lot of talent here. It's all about timing, too. I just feel like I finally found the right town and the right song."
— Maren Morris, reflecting on her path to success and desire to stay humble, in an interview with People magazine. She also reads the text message Dierks Bentley sent her to ask her to join him for a duet on "I'll Be The Moon" for his upcoming album, Black. (JK)
"That's true for me 100%. With me, too. The things that attract people to me—that I'm spur of the moment, I'm a dreamer, I give a lot of myself real fast to people—are often times the thing that drives them crazy in the end."
— Brandy Clark began posting a series of annotations to the lyrics of her latest single, "Girl Next Door," over at Genius.com. At the site, click on the highlighted portions of the lyrics to read Clark's notes. To the surprise of absolutely no one, she's insightful and articulate… Though not even a talent like Clark can justify that Marcia Brady line… (JK)
American Idol season 3 winner Fantasia is best known for her outsized R&B, but her new single, "Ugly," has some strong country ties. The song was co-written by Audra Mae and Nicole Gallyon, and Little Big Town had the song on hold for their album Pain Killer. It's still an R&B single, but its country roots are also evident, and Fantasia sounds as great as ever. (JK)
"I've been saying 'country soul,' and I don't really know what that means just yet, but I do, you know? Soul music is in right now and it's cool to sing, but it's what comes out of me naturally. If I'm singing gospel music, or I'm singing country music, or I'm singing pop music, I sing it soulfully. That's just how it comes out. So I feel like that's going to come through on this country album."
— Trent Harmon, winner of the recently-wrapped final season of American Idol, spoke with TV Guide about what the style of his debut album for Big Machine Records will be. The phrase "country Justin Timberlake" is used, so read into that what you will. (JK)
"As parents, it's so fun to be able to be involved in a project with both of our children… It's a dream we didn't even know to dream about that's fallen into place."
— Linda Davis, speaking to Cindy Watts of The Tennessean about the album she is recording with her husband and two daughters, one of whom is Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. It will be interesting to hear how Scott's voice stacks up against her mother's, which is a stronger and more technically sound instrument. Meanwhile, there is no word about any side projects for Lady A's Dave Haywood… (JK)
Hayes Carll and Allison Moorer gave a soulful performance of "Love Don't Let Me Down" from Carll's latest album, Lovers & Leavers, for Folk Alley Sessions at 30A. (JK)
"Emmy and I will always work together. I don't know if we'll make another album, but certainly we'll perform together. That was a beautiful rekindling of something we started in our 20s. She was generous back then. I was just a member of her band, and she reached her hand out and got me front and center. At the time, I was a songwriter and I was fine with that, but she got me to sing. At the end of that, I felt I could look at myself and say, 'I'm a good singer.'"
— Rodney Crowell, who gave a great interview to Sarah Jarosz for the Austin Chronicle. Crowell praises Tom Hiddleston, Emmylou Harris, Jedd Hughes, and Jarosz herself. (LMW)
Terry Jennings, son of Waylon Jennings, collaborated with writer David Thomas on Waylon: Tales Of My Outlaw Dad, a memoir that provides new insights into the Outlaw country legend. (JK)
At an "All For The Hall" benefit, Sam Hunt took a break from his regularly scheduled music to sing an actual country song, Merle Haggard's "The Way I Am." (LMW)
And, since "The Way I Am" happens to be one of both my and Leeann's most favorite Haggard songs, here's a less breathy and less affected cover, performed by Miranda Lambert and Ashton Shepherd several years ago (JK) :
"I never set out for anything in particular, but in hindsight, I hope the song humanizes the character, and makes them relatable, and that they may even show some charm and appeal that translates into compassion and understanding."
— The incomparable Elizabeth Cook, who premiered the lead single, "Methadone Blues," from her first album in six years, via NPR. Cook's new album, Exodus of Venus, is due on June 17th. (JK)
"We're totally a band… A couple years ago we put out 'A Dotted Line' and the tour was more fun than it's ever been. I think we'll continue to do stuff; there's no telling when."
— Sean Watkins, who was profiled by the Star Tribune, alluded to the future of Nickel Creek. Happily, he says that the band is likely to put out more music at some point down the road. (JK)
"So I just kept listening and pretended that was some other singer on the jukebox singing about 'The Fightin' Side of Me.' Denial, I suppose, was as close to transcendence as my teenage self was going to get. I kept writing, and it would be many years and a couple of hundred songs later before I realized that, maybe, sometimes the songwriter is not always the same person as the characters he or she creates. And Merle Haggard's songs were nothing if not transcendent."
— Steve Earle, who penned an absolutely must-read editorial for The New York Times, recounting the influence Merle Haggard's music had on him as a teenager. (JK)
Jon Pardi, one of the more promising up-and-coming male acts in Nashville, premiered the music video for his single, "Head Over Boots." He rocks a pretty crisp Nudie suit in parts of the video! (JK)
The ever-reliable Geoffrey Himes posted an essential list of 5 classic Lucinda Williams tracks over at American Songwriter. (JK)
"I grew up in the music business, and I sang growing up. I got my first guitar when I was 13. I've always played and I was always surrounded by music. I started writing this record in 2012, (with) "Light of Day." That's sort of when I knew … I was probably going to make a record."
— Aubrie Sellers, in an interview with Roman Gokhman, spoke about the origins of her terrific debut album, New City Blues, her inspirations for the project, and her previous acting gigs. (JK)
Country Universe favorite Drake White released the video for his latest single, "Livin' the Dream." The video features White's wife and is filmed mostly from the POV of his dog. (JK)
That will do it for this week. As always, let us know what we missed in the comments section!]]>
Kevin has posted remembrances of Haggard, who quite rightly ranked at #1 on our countdown of The 100 Greatest Men of Country Music back in 2014. Everything Kevin wrote about Haggard then stands just as true today: He remains the greatest of the great, and this is an irreparable loss for the genre.
Despite the temptation to "go dark" for a week in recognition of Haggard's passing, there are still some other stories to cover. It was a huge week for Margo Price, who scored a historic debut with her album and who made a great impression on the SNL stage. American Idol came to a close, and some radio insiders gave some insights into the stagnation at the format. Tami Neilson, Brandy Clark, Craig Campbell, and Kacey Musgraves shared new live performance videos, and one of the supporting players from Brooklyn Nine-Nine provided an apt description of Dolly Parton's career.
New Releases & Reissues, 4/08/2016
Hayes Carll, Lovers and Leavers. (Thirty Tigers)
Great American Canyon Band, Only You Remain. (Six Degrees)
The Lumineers, Cleopatra. (Dualtone)
Ray Price, Another Bridge to Burn (1966). (Columbia / Legacy)
Maggie Rose, The Variety Show Volume I. (Play It Again)
Ernest Tubb, The Complete US Hits 1941 – 62. (Acrobat)
News and Notes
Tami Neilson is just the very best. This week, she posted a video of a jaw-dropping and note-perfect cover of Patsy Cline's "She's Got You" with some exceptional pedal steel work by Greg Leisz. Neilson's single "So Far Away" was also featured in the most recent episode of ABC's hit series, Nashville. (JK)
It was a big week for the inimitable Margo Price. Garden & Gun magazine shared a terrific "Back Porch Sessions" video from SXSW, and she performed her single "Hurtin' (On The Bottle)" and "Since You Put Me Down" on Saturday Night Live. Price's debut album, Midwest Farmer's Daughter, also debuted at #10 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, the highest-ever debut for a woman who has never charted on Billboard's corresponding country airplay chart. (JK)
"His particular Alabama dialect, as far as I'm aware, doesn't exist anymore… He had something of the period with the way he spoke. There was a particular cadence and particular musicality there that doesn't exist anymore, so I had to study it and study the music and the way he spoke. It was great. It was a fascinating thing to study sound and how the way people speak changes over time."
— Tom Hiddleston spoke to The AV Club about his intensive study of Hank Williams' unique drawl and dialect as preparation for his role in I Saw The Light. (JK)
"For Dolly Parton, it would just be, like, 'Thank you for existing.' How do you even like—'Thank you for being amazing and incredible and saving millions of lives through your incredible work magic?' I was just trying to be normal."
— Stephanie Beatriz, best known as Rosa on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, in another interview with The AV Club, talked about running into Dolly Parton at a taping for the Today show and not knowing what to say. We think "your incredible work magic" sums Dolly up nicely, for the record. (JK)
"Throughout the concert, the three musical acts performing namedropped the NRA a total of 20 times. During their 45-minute set, LoCash alone mentioned the organization on 13 occasions, or roughly once every three minutes… With I Love This Life, LoCash were also the only group that managed to sneak in a lyric about the NRA into one of their songs. After (Preston) Brust sang his line about the NRA, the group then handed out NRA Country T-shirts to the crowd and mentioned the organization a half-dozen more times before closing their set. "God bless the NRA," they shouted, before disappearing offstage."
— Jonathan Bernstein, in a fascinating piece for The Guardian: "Welcome to NRA Country." Bernstein spoke with several music industry insiders regarding the NRA Country "lifestyle brand" and its attempts to provide additional marketing for the NRA among country music fans and for country music artists among NRA members. (JK)
Brandy Clark gave an acoustic performance of her latest single, "Girl Next Door," which as of this week is sitting just outside the top 40 at country radio. (JK)
"I've said it before and I'll say it again-you are completely wrong about country radio. I work at the largest/most popular mid-market country station in the nation. There is no payola. Nobody in country radio is that stupid. And you said that there will always be great Americana, etc…musicians. You may be right, but nobody will EVER hear of them. Why? Because the way country music has been going for about 3 years (the way this website hates) is the only reason country is the most popular genre of music in America. Country music shouldn't have to stick to its roots in order to progress."
— Adam McGurk, of San Jose's KRTY, commented on the weekly country radio round-up by our pals at Country Perspective. Because it had been far too long since someone involved at country radio said something infuriating that indicated an exceptionally limited perspective on the genre and what it can do. (JK)
"If the girls solo don't get the attention or airplay, maybe the girl groups will. And while I appreciate that effort, I think this glut of so many at once will make it extra challenging to set any of them apart …One or two will really have to stand out with an exceptional song or angle beyond just being a girl group."
— Sue Wilson, Programming Director for WQMX in Akron, OH, remarked on the influx of new all-women bands that are all simultaneously attempting to make inroads at country radio, in an article by Phyllis Stark for Billboard. Based upon some of the clips provided by the article, Wilson's point is well-taken, and few of the acts mentioned seem particularly distinctive or interesting. Moreover, by pushing so many all-women acts at once, it reduces gender to a "trend," rather than addressing country radio's ongoing issues with inherent sexism head-on. The more things change… (JK)
Craig Campbell announced a new series called "Woman Cover Wednesdays" on his YouTube channel. For his first video, he turned in a solid– if abbreviated– cover of Maren Morris' "My Church." We're not sold on the title of the series, but we like the intent behind it and look forward to what Campbell tackles in the upcoming weeks. (JK)
"I just did a country-music festival called C2C in the U.K. it was very emotional, because we had a two-song acoustic set in the middle of the arena. It was sold out, so it was 20,000 people. You only have two songs to win them over. But I got up there and sang my two songs and ended on 'My Church.' By the time we get to the breakdown chorus, every corner of that place was singing along."
— Maren Morris reflected on the one-year anniversary of having written "My Church," which she performed at the C2C festival to a warm reception. Alas, country radio hasn't received the single quite as well– it has spent the past couple of weeks floundering just outside the top 10, because of course it has. (JK)
"(American Idol) excelled at creating a personal link between artists and viewers, compelling the latter to take action by calling in and voting. The most successful contestants appealed to a wide swath of the American public—Carrie Underwood's sheer humility may very well have cinched her the title—but that didn't stop smaller factions of fans from giving contestants like Elliot Yamin respectable careers."
— Our very own Tara Seetharam, who published a fantastic article, "American Idol and the Evolution of Criticism," in The Atlantic to coincide with the finale of the long-running series. Sure, it isn't really "country" news per se, but we're all super proud of Tara and want all of our readers to check out her article! (JK)
Also on the subject of American Idol, former finalist and chart-topping artist Josh Gracin issued a statement via Facebook as to why he didn't appear as part of the show's country-music medley alongside Kellie Pickler, Scotty McCreery, and Kree Harrison. (JK)
It isn't clear if there will be another proper single from Kacey Musgraves' Pageant Material, but, this week, she performed "High Time" on The Late Show with James Corden. (JK)
"It's starting to feel like Cheers in here. I'm like Norm at the bar."
— Chris Stapleton, perhaps a bit uneasy with going where everybody knows his name, in a profile for Garden & Gun magazine on his breakout success over the past five months. (JK)
Meanwhile, the nominees for the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards were announced this week. As far as we can tell, these exist so that there is a Stapleton-free country awards show that can give Sam Hunt a trophy after he was completely shut out at the CMAs, Grammys, and ACMs. (JK)
That's a wrap for this week. Check out the tributes we've posted to Merle Haggard earlier in the week, along with Kevin's reviews of the latest singles by Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, and Kenny Chesney.]]>
Growing up as the son of two country music fans, my exposure to the genre was limited by their tastes. So even though I was exposed to many country artists that were active during Haggard's decades of hitmaking, he wasn't one that made the rotation during those long car rides. I heard a lot of Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, and Ray Price. I had to discover Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, and Merle Haggard on my own.
And it took me a long time to really discover Haggard. Until the digital music boom, I didn't have access to his rich catalog. But by the time I'd heard enough, I'd heard more than enough to know that he was a singer and songwriter without peer. An argument could be made that George Jones was a better singer, or Willie Nelson a better songwriter. I wouldn't make that argument, but it could certainly be made. But you just can't get away with arguing that either man exceeded Haggard as both a singer and a songwriter.
Haggard was such an amazing songwriter that my favorite work of his isn't even a recorded piece of music. It's a book that collects his lyrics: Merle Haggard – Poet of the Common Man.
Organized by theme, the book closes with the final entry in the Spirit section:
Don't Give Up On Me
Lord, don't give up on me
I'll do right someday
Lord, don't tune me out
Don't turn away
I'm just a wandering
Pilgrim all alone
And Lord, I'm only halfway home
Wait just a little longer
I need some time
Make me just a little stronger
So I can climb
It's a long way up from the very bottom
To heaven's dome
And Lord, I'm only halfway home
Haggard's made it all the way home now, but here on Earth, his music will live on.
Here are some of my favorites from Merle Haggard.
"Branded Man" (1967)
"I Can't Be Myself" (1971)
"Carolyn" (1971)
"If We Make it Through December" (1974)
"Things Aren't Funny Anymore" (1974)
"A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today" (1977)
"I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall" (1978)
"Got Lonely Too Early This Morning" (1979)
"I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" (1980)
"Misery and Gin" (1980)
"Our Paths May Never Cross" (1980)
"That's the Way Love Goes" (1985)
"In My Next Life" (1994)
"No Time to Cry" (1996)
"Wishing All These Old Things Were New" (2000)
"I Still Can't Say Goodbye" (2005)
"I've Seen it Go Away" (2010)
"Unfair Weather Friend" (with Willie Nelson) (2015)]]>

subset: commoncrawl


text:
37, Tucson, AZI moved to Tucson, AZ from Omaha, NE for work 2 years ago now. I am passionate about my career, following my curiosity, taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures, and becoming...
62, Mesa, AZI was born in Michigan. I lived on a wonderful whinding country road, Oakwood Rd. I have one older sister and two younger brothers. My parents were "the best". I lived in a...
60, Casa Grande, AZLove life. I take each day and enjoy it. Looking for someone to share life with. I am open to anything as long as it doesn't kill me. Love to try new places to eat. Small tow...
23, Tucson, AZWell hello there! I am passionate about living life to the fullest extent that God has blessed me with to become the best version of myself. I'm an old soul with a child's hea...
56, Tucson, AZI love the Lord with all my heart. I want to grow in my faith and to share the life that God has intended me to live.... Me, I am a teacher, and have taught many subjects and...
68, Tucson, AZActive, compassionate and fun to be with are words my friends use to describe me. I enjoy the outdoors and relish in the beauty of nature. I go hiking at least once a week...
34, Tucson, AZI was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. Other then my time in the Marines, I've always lived in Arizona.. I like to consider myself a classy, responsible, educated man. Lets...
28, Globe, AZWell, I'm a country girl from a small town in Arizona. I lived in Oklahoma for 8 years while going to school at Oklahoma State, I loved my time there, but it was time for my n...
33, Tucson, AZI was born and raised in Tucson. I went to the University of Arizona where I got a degree in biology. I have worked in biomedical research in the past. I just finished a ma...
49, Casa Grande, AZMy name is Frank and I am new to this area. I am a very kind, loving, open and honest man. I'm very family oriented and involved with the church. I have values and moral...
71, Green Valley, AZSince retiring, I enjoy my option to volunteer. The high lite of a week in Tucson is volunteering in the NICU at the Diamond Children's Center. Friend's in Deed and the Fo...
56, Tucson, AZHello! I'm an active, compassionate, intelligent woman who loves to explore everything our beautiful desert has to offer. I keep physically fit with Zumba and long walks, spir...
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text:
Blogs HNN HIRSI ALI IS COMING TO HARVARDMay 9, 2006 12:34 am
On May 9, Harvard students will be exposed to a real profile in courage. She will be speaking about Islam, gender and free speech.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a woman to be reckoned with. She was born and raised in Somalia. She moved to the Netherlands where she rose from a cleaning woman to a member of parliament. She has been an outspoken critic of radical Islam and in response jihadists have reminded her of the fate of her collaborator in the making of the"film submission," Theo Van Gogh. She, of course, needs 'round the clock police protection.
You can listen here to they type of things she will be saying. Amazon also has an excerpt from her book, The Caged Virgin : An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam.
Now, she is a real worthy candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Read Hitchen's report on the shameful way the Dutch treat her. Apparently, they still hate the messanger.
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'Bones' Final Season Is Pushed to Midseason. Find Out the Replacement
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Performing at The 4th Annual South Beach Comedy Festival
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CAIRO Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi, facing street protests over his attempts to push through a new constitution, will soon authorise the armed forces to help police keep order, the state-run newspaper al-Ahram reported on Saturday.
The daily said the cabinet had approved a legal measure under which the armed forces would help "maintain security and protect vital state institutions" and would be given powers of arrest, but did not say when it would be issued.
The opposition was still staging protests around Mursi's official palace, where clashes with his Islamist supporters killed seven people and wounded 350 earlier this week.
Egypt's military was the power behind all previous presidents and an army council temporarily took over after a popular revolt toppled Hosni Mubarak last year.
However, Mursi pushed the generals aside in August, two months after he was elected and they have shown no appetite to intervene in the latest crisis in the most populous Arab nation.
(Reporting by Omar Fahmy: Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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