From Geoff Himes at the Nashville Scene:
This is a friendly reminder that the deadline for the Country MusicCritics Poll is Wednesday, January 4, 2006, at 11 p.m. A few of you havealready voted, but I'd like to encourage everyone else to vote as soonas possible. If you have voted, you should have received a confirmationfrom me that I got your ballot.
Several people have asked about eligible recordings, so I am includingBillboard's list of the year's best-selling country albums and singlesas well as the poll's leading vote getters in the early balloting.
BILLBOARD'S BEST-SELLING COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2005:(* released in 2004 or 2003)
1. * Shania Twain: Greatest Hits2. * Rascal Flatts: Feels Like Today3. * Toby Keith: Greatest Hits 24. * Gretchen Wilson: Here for the Party5. * Tim McGraw: Live Like You Were Dying6. George Strait: Fifty #1s7. * Keith Urban: Be Here8. Toby Keith: Honky Tonk University9. * Big & Rich: Horse of a Different Color10. * Sugarland: Twice the Speed of Life11. Kenny Chesney: Be As You Are12. * Kenny Chesney: When the Sun Goes Down13. Faith Hill: Fireflies14. * Alison Krauss & Union Station: Lonely Runs Both Ways15. Various Artists: Totally Country Vol. 416. George Strait: Somewhere Down in Texas17. * Brad Paisley: Mud on the Tires18. Larry the Cable Guy: The Right To Bare Arms19. Gretchen Wilson: All Jacked Up20. Brad Paisley: Time Well Wasted21. LeAnn Rimes: This Woman22. * Blake Shelton: Barn & Grill23. * Brooks & Dunn: Greatest Hits Collection II24. Kenny Chesney: The Road and the Radio25. * Martina McBride: Martina26. Dierks Bentley: Modern Day Drifter27. * Montgomery Gentry: You Do Your Thing28. Trace Adkins: Songs About Me29. Martina McBride: Timeless 30. * Jimmy Buffett: License To Chill31. Jo Dee Messina: Delicious Surprise32. Lee Ann Womack: There's More Where That Came From33. * Toby Keith: Shock'n Y'All34. * Josh Gracin: Josh Gracin35. * Alan Jackson: What I Do36. Brooks & Dunn: Hillbilly Deluxe37. Miranda Lambert: Kerosene38. Van Zant: Get Right with the Man39. * Reba McEntire: Room To Breathe40. * Alan Jackson: Greatest Hits Volume II41. Trisha Yearwood: Jasper County42. * Various Artists: Blue Collar Comedy Hour Rides Again43. * Sara Evans: Restless44. Craig Morgan: My Kind of Livin'45. Cowboy Troy: Loco Motive46. Sara Evans: Real Fine Place47. * Terri Clark: Greatest Hits 1994-200448. Jason Aldean: Jason Aldean49. * Dierks Bentley: Dierks Bentley50. * SheDaisy: Sweet Right Here
BILLBOARD'S BEST-SELLING COUNTRY SINGLES OF 2005:
1. Craig Morgan: That's What I Love About Sunday2. Toby Keith: As Good as I Once Was3. Rascal Flatts: Bless the Broken Road4. Sugarland: Something More5. Rascal Flatts: Fast Cars and Freedom6. Josh Gracin: Nothin' To Lose7. Sugarland: Baby Girl8. Keith Urban: Making Memories of Us9. Faith Hill: Mississippi Girl10. Montgomery Gentry: Gone11. Brad Paisley: Mud on the Tires12. Brooks & Dunn: It's Getting Better All the Time13. Kenny Chesney: Anything But Mine14. Jo Dee Messina: My Give a Damn's Busted15. Keith Urban: You're My Better Half16. Dierks Bentley: Lot of Leavin' To Do17. Montgomery Gentry: Something To Be Proud Of18. Andy Griggs: If Heaven19. Sara Evans: A Real Fine Place To Start20. George Strait: You'll Be There21. Joe Nichols: What's a Guy Gotta Do22. Brooks & Dunn: Play Something Country23. Jamie O'Neal: Somebody's Hero24. Brad Paisley: Alcohol25. Craig Morgan: Redneck Yacht Club26. LeAnn Rimes: Probably Wouldn't Be This Way27. Trace Adkins: Songs About Me28. Blake Shelton: Some Beach29. Keith Urban: Better Life30. Josh Gracin: Stay with Me (Brass Bed)31. LeAnn Rimes: Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense32. Tim McGraw: Do You Want Fries with That33. Gretchen Wilson: Homewrecker34. Alan Jackson: Monday Morning Church35. Lee Ann Womack: I May Hate Myself in the Morning36. Darryl Worley: Awful, Beautiful Life37. Billy Dean: Let Them Be Little38. Tim McGraw: Back When39. SheDaisy: Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing40. Lonestar: You're like Comin' Home41. Gretchen Wilson: When I Think About Cheatin'42. Van Zant: Help Somebody43. Kenny Chesney: Keg in the Close44. Rascal Flatts: Skin (Sarabeth)45. Gary Allan: Best I Ever Had46. Toby Keith: Honky Tonk U47. Blake Shelton: Goodbye Time48. Jason Aldean: Hicktown49. Reba McEntire: He Gets That from Me50. Neal McCoy: Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
ALBUMS GETTING SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT IN THE EARLY VOTING (in alphabeticalorder):
Ryan Adams: Jacksonville City NightsGary Allan: Tough All Over Bobby Bare: The Moon Was BlueDierks Bentley: Modern Day DrifterBig & Rich: Comin' to Your CityDeana Carter: The Story of My LifeCaitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell: BegoniasRodney Crowell: The OutsiderRobbie Fulks: Georgia HardMary Gauthier: Mercy NowJimmie Dale Gilmore: Come on BackThe Hacienda Brothers: The Hacienda BrothersMerle Haggard: Chicago WindShooter Jennings: Put the O Back in CountryMiranda Lambert: KerosenePatty Loveless: Dreamin' My DreamsMartina McBride: TimelessDelbert McClinton: The Cost of LivingJames McMurtry: Childish ThingsBrad Paisley: Time Well WastedJohn Prine: Fair & SquareTom Russell: HotwalkerMarty Stuart: Soul's ChapelGretchen Wilson: All Jacked UpLee Ann Womack: There's More Where That Came FromThe Wrights: Down This RoadDwight Yoakam: Blame the VainAdrienne Young: The Art of VirtueNeil Young: Prairie Wind
SINGLES GETTING SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT IN THE EARLY VOTING (in alphabeticalorder):
Gary Allan: The Best I Ever HadDierks Bentley: Lot of Leavin' To DoCaitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell: Don't Make It BetterRodney Crowell: The Obscenity PrayerRobbie Fulks: Georgia HardMary Gauthier: Mercy NowMerle Haggard: Where's All the FreedomShooter Jennings: Fourth of JulyToby Keith: As Good As I Once WasMiranda Lambert: KerosenePatty Loveless: Keep Your DistanceShelby Lynne: When Johnny Met JuneJames McMurtry: We Can't Make It HereJoe Nichols: Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall OffBrad Paisley: AlcoholKeith Urban: Makin' Memories of UsGretchen Wilson: I Don't Feel Like Loving You TodayLee Ann Womack: I May Hate Myself in the MorningLee Ann Womack: There's More Where That Came FromThe Wrights: Down This RoadDwight Yoakam: Blame the Vain
REISSUES GETTING SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT IN THE EARLY VOTING (inalphabetical order):
Terry Allen: Silent MajorityThe Band: A Musical HistoryJune Carter Cash: Keep on the Sunny SideJohnny Cash: The LegendDavid Alan Coe: Penitentiary Blues Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & HighwaysCharlie Poole: You Ain't Talkin' to MeDoug Sahm: The Complete Mercury MastersShel Silverstein: The Best ofSon Volt: RetrospectiveVarious Artists: Good for What Ails YouVarious Artists: Night Train to Nashville, Volume 2
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 02:53 (eighteen years ago) link
From: "Frank Kogan"To: "Geoff Himes"Subject: Re: Country Music Critics Poll BallotDate: Monday, January 02, 2006 7:37 PM
Hi Geoff - I either will or will not send along comments in a couple of days. I enjoyed the agony of having to eliminate great stuff more than ever this year. Obviously I didn't listen to a lot of reissues, and my oddball choice belongs predominantly to some other country than this one, but there was room, so why not? It's an amazing record.
TOP TEN COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2005:
1. Deana Carter -- The Story of My Life2. Miranda Lambert -- Kerosene3. Bobby Bare -- The Moon Was Blue4. Jamie O'Neal -- Brave5. Shooter Jennings -- Put the O Back in Country6. Gary Allan -- Tough All Over7. Lee Ann Womack -- There's More Where that Came From8. The Mighty Jeremiahs -- The Mighty Jeremiahs9. Little Big Town -- The Road to Here10. Dierks Bentley -- Modern Day Drifter
TOP TEN COUNTRY SINGLES OF 2005:
1. Deana Carter -- "The Girl You Left Me For"2. Miranda Lambert -- "Kerosene"3. Shooter Jennings -- "4th of July"4. Miranda Lambert -- "Bring Me Down"5. Dierks Bentley -- "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do"6. Miranda Lambert -- "Me and Charlie Talking"7. Kentucky Headhunters -- "Big Boss Man"8. Jo Dee Messina -- "Delicious Surprise (I Believe It)"9. Toby Keith -- "Big Blue Note"10. Little Big Town -- "Boondocks"
TOP FIVE COUNTRY REISSUES OF 2005:
1. Various Artists -- Guitars of the Golden Triangle: Raw, Rare & Forgotten Archival Recordings from 1970's Shan State. Folk and Pop Music of Myanmar (Burma) Vol. 2(believe it or not, this has a folk-rock, c&w, rockabilly, garage-rock influence)2. Charley Poole and others -- You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music3. David Allan Coe -- Penitentiary Blues4. --5. --
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST MALE VOCALISTS OF 2005:
1. Gary Allan2. Gene Watson3. Toby Keith
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST FEMALE VOCALISTS OF 2005:
1. Miranda Lambert2. Deana Carter3. Jamie O'Neal
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST LIVE ACTS OF 2005:
--
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST SONGWRITERS OF 2005:
1. Deana Carter2. Miranda Lambert3. Odie Blackmon
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST DUOS, TRIOS OR GROUPS OF 2005:
1. Big & Rich2. Little Big Town3. The Mighty Jeremiahs
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST INSTRUMENTALISTS OF 2005:
1. Deana Carter2. Greg Martin3. James Wright (since you don't have a special spot for producers, I put him here)
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST NEW ACTS OF 2005:
1. Miranda Lambert2. Shooter Jennings3. Shelly Fairchild
COUNTRY MUSIC'S THREE BEST OVERALL ACTS OF 2005:
1. Deana Carter2. Miranda Lambert3. Bobby Bare
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 02:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:19 (eighteen years ago) link
"If only I was the president, I'd paint the white house pink and never have to pay the rent."
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:27 (eighteen years ago) link
I will say that Dierks' being on a major meant there was money to throw at the recording, which may ultimately have been why his record held up for me more than the McQueen or the Maybelles, whose ideas were at least as interesting as Dierks'. Dierks' album had a nice round easy professional motion, and this motion spoke to my body.
xpost (as usual)
The Jeremiah alb is a killer guitar album, too.
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:32 (eighteen years ago) link
In general I like music that overspills its container, though for this to work well there has to be a good container in the first place.
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:45 (eighteen years ago) link
It's like Black Oak Arkansas meets a (white) booty video with the Skynyrd 'turn it up' at the start and a bit of a techno backing thing. I've only seen it as a video and am wondering how it stands up as a song.
― hannah, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 12:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― anthony easton (anthony), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 14:03 (eighteen years ago) link
and yeah, I did kinda like Carrie Underwood's "The Night Before" (that's the one about the girl leaving home, rhymes "Baton Rouge," "LSU" and "in my rearview?), but for me, that song demonstrates where that whole record falls down--every chorus just seemed *too* overblown and mannered to me, always going for the big place-name drama. She kind of gets around that on "I Ain't in Checotah" but it still feels like a couple of songs tacked onto each other to me, it almost works. I think the Diane Warren songs are better than the other ones they found for her, and seem to be about what happens after she gets successful, with the overblown drama a bit more, uhm, aestheticized I guess. "Wasted" isn't bad either, but I would've liked the record even more if they'd tried to lay back just a little bit. But that wouldn't have played into the whole drama of her ascension.xps
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 15:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― TRG (TRG), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― katie, a princess (katie, a princess), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 18:30 (eighteen years ago) link
Huk-L: I hope you give the Bocephus King album a listen. My tastes don't align well with Xhuxk's, either.
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 21:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― xhuxk, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 21:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― xhuxk, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 21:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 22:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 22:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 23:28 (eighteen years ago) link
woah, xp!! I swear I wrote my entire post before seeing Roy's!!
― xhuxk, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 23:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 23:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 00:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 01:44 (eighteen years ago) link
TOP TEN COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2005:>> 1. Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Souls' Chapel> 2. Gary Allan, Tough All Over> 3. Deana Carter, The Story of My Life> 4. The Del McCoury Band, The Company We Keep> 5. Ezequiel Peña, Nuestra Tradición: La Charreria> 6. Jon Nicholson, A Little Sump'm Sump'm> 7. Marty Stuart, Badlands> 8. Freddy Fender & Flaco Jimenez, Dos Amigos> 9. Dallas Wayne, I'm Your Biggest Fan> 10. Jessi Alexander, Honesuckle Sweet>> TOP TEN COUNTRY SINGLES OF 2005:>> 1. Gary Allan, "Best I've Ever Had"> 2. Jo Dee Messina, "My Give a Damn's Busted"> 3. Dierks Bentley, "Lot of Leavin' to Do"> 4. Intocable, "Aire"> 5. Lee Ann Womack, "I May Hate Myself in the Morning"> 6. Del McCoury Band, "She Can't Burn Me Now"> 7. Grupo Montez de Durango, "Quiero Saber de Ti"> 8. Robbie Fulks, "Georgia Hard"> 9. Bon Jovi, "Have a Nice Day"> 10. Carrie Underwood, "Some Hearts"
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 05:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:57 (eighteen years ago) link
i think he and brucewere more "influential" thanthe eagles (or kiss)
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― xhuxk, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:26 (eighteen years ago) link
plus xhuxk if he didyou would be 'i hate his voice,it is SO LEADEN'
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― xhuxk, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:58 (eighteen years ago) link
xp!
― xhuxk, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― xhuxk, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:59 (eighteen years ago) link
Another bet on Womack to win the country poll; voters just visiting country from a rock place and some pure ND sorts (whatever THAT sort would be) vote out of proportion to those who actually follow country closely, in all polls. When somehting scores on both sides of that fence, as Lee Ann's CD does--put your money there. Gary Allan will do well for similar reasons. (I happen to find both albums very deserving, so no arguments here.)
As for the basis of the riff on Lambert's "Kerosene"; you don't have to look further back than Steve Earle's "I Feel Alright "...But she uses it well!
― Barry Mazor (B Mazor), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 17:53 (eighteen years ago) link
2 1 DIERKS BENTLEY Come A Little Closer 97 93 4 0.8681 1 2 JACK INGRAM Wherever You Are 96 98 -2 0.8678 3 3 CARRIE UNDERWOOD Jesus, Take The Wheel 96 91 5 0.8639 4 4 BILLY CURRINGTON Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right 50 49 1 0.4497 5 5 TOBY KEITH Get Drunk And Be Somebody 48 48 0 0.4289 7 6 RASCAL FLATTS What Hurts The Most 47 42 5 0.4283 6 7 GEORGE STRAIT She Let Herself Go 47 45 2 0.4292 15 8 BON JOVI Who Says You Can't Go Home 33 28 5 0.2968 8 9 LITTLE BIG TOWN Boondocks 32 34 -2 0.2741 9 10 TRENT TOMLINSON Drunker Than Me
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 17:58 (eighteen years ago) link
That would be me, but I'm actually fairly tepid about the Womack. (And I'm also coming from a disco place, since disco rocks harder than rock; also from a hip-hop place, 'cause hip-hop rocks harder than rock; and a teenpop place, which rocks harder than rock. I guess country rocks harder than rock, too.)
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:12 (eighteen years ago) link
Yes, I'm definitely coming from a rock place (though as a wee-un I was coming from a folk place; that's 'cause in 1963, folk rocked harder than rock).
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:15 (eighteen years ago) link
Such statements always frighten me, as I foresee this follow-up: "OK. Got the Bare. Will never use you as a basis for album purchases in the future."
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:20 (eighteen years ago) link
You used to love her, but it's all over now?
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:21 (eighteen years ago) link
Xgau told me he thought Lee Ann's album was bland; he'd been a fan of "Dance," I think, however. Has he ever liked her otherwise? I think he's also felt both Lee Ann and Deana Carter are overrated, in general. I don't want to put words in his mouth, though.
Am I the only person, by the way, who has trouble thinking of Lee Ann's album as a "roots" move, or whatever people call it? It sounds so pop; I'm not sure she's had a catchier album. Though yeah, obviously, there are throwback string sounds in the production etc. It doesn't *feel* like a throwback album to me, either way. More importantly, though, critics were sent the vinyl version -- So it definitely *looks* like a throwback album to them, if nothing else.
----
Oh wait, here goes:
http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=lee+ann+womack
http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=deana+carter
― xhuxk, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Thursday, 16 November 2006 23:10 (seventeen years ago) link
pretty good, a bit genteel in the vocal department. really gets going about track 10 with "san franciscop mabel joy" and "you've always got the blues." who can tell me what the best newbury record from the '70s is? xgua gives neither one he grades in his '70s guide above B-. He says, "Never trust meteorological symbolism," and sure enough kacey jones' record has these rain sounds in it...
speaking of nashville humanist songwriters, bobby braddock has a new autobiography coming out, "down in oberndale," (pretty sure that's spelled correctly) which is pidgin southern for auburndale, fla., where he grew up. what are the great *songwriter* autobiographies?
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 16 November 2006 23:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Friday, 17 November 2006 06:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Friday, 17 November 2006 06:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Friday, 17 November 2006 07:00 (seventeen years ago) link
And Pitbull's El Mariel didn't make the ballot in the "Hip-Hop" category. And Ms. Peachez "Fry That Chicken" didn't make the ballot under videos.
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Friday, 17 November 2006 07:16 (seventeen years ago) link
The Kentucky Headhunters – Flying Under The Radar (CBUJ reissue)*Becky Hobbs – Best Of The Beckaroo Part 1 (Beckaroo reissue)Shawn Camp – Fireball (Skeeterbit)Hacienda Brothers – What’s Wrong With Right (Proper)Terry Lee Bolton – American Man (MRC)Alan Bros. Band – Brick By Brick (Alan Bros. Music)
New Bill Kirchen album sounds pretty dang good so far, too. Kentucky Headhunters just made the top 10 (not just country, everything) album list I submitted to the poll for my current employer. As did Leanne Kingwell's album, but we decided she's not country despite being indie right? As did Victory Brothers, who are definitely both, but they are not from A to L in the alphabet. As did Montgomery Gentry and Toby Keith, who are country but not indie (and Huck Johns, who may or might be country and/or indie, but probably not). And so on.
― xhuxk (xheddy), Friday, 17 November 2006 08:46 (seventeen years ago) link
Bill Kirchen's album is more rock and soul and blues than anything I've heard by him before. Great title (and rocking title track): Hammer Of The Honky Tonk Gods. He does "Devil With A Blue Dress On" as a slow shuffle, closes with an Arthur Alexander song.
― xhuxk (xheddy), Friday, 17 November 2006 12:04 (seventeen years ago) link
Oy vey. Me upthread:
I finally listened to this here Kasey Jones album of Mickey Newbury songs. Uggh. Useful if only to have all the worst versions of Newbury's songs in one place.
I think genteel is the best thing you can say about it. To my ears it's basically Mancini Americana, with a vocalist who may as well be parsing a phone book from Kazakistan, for all she seems to understand what she's singing.
The best Newbury album from the '70s remains Frisco Mabel Joy (and the tribute to that album that came out a few years ago >>>> than this Kacey Jones record). Most of his '60s and '70s stuff gets swamped in confused, faux-Sherrill arrangements (and I love real Sherrill), so buyer beware. But Mabel Joy is classic. Also, the double album, Live at Montezuma Hall anticipates his most intense and purely beautiful album, from the late '90s, the solo/live Nights When I Am Sane. This is not background music; he sings the living fuck out of every line.
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Friday, 17 November 2006 14:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Friday, 17 November 2006 14:50 (seventeen years ago) link
Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror (Back Porch)Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time (Sub Pop)Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Letting Go (Drag City)Calexico - Garden Ruin (Quarterstick)Califone - Roots & Crowns (Thrill Jockey)Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing And A Curse (New West)Eef Barzelay - Bitter Honey (SpinART)Horse Feathers - Words Are Dead (Lucky Madison)Jenny Lewis w/ The Watson Twins - Jenny Lewis w/ The Watson Twins (Team Love)Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You (Anti-)M. Ward - Post-War (Merge)Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Anti-)
(the Plug Independent Music Awards link, if you're interested in voting.
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Friday, 17 November 2006 19:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― don (dow), Friday, 17 November 2006 20:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Friday, 17 November 2006 23:57 (seventeen years ago) link
Well, actually...Freaky Friday must be over now because the Kirchen album's sounding a lot duller to me today than it was a couple days ago. Just kinda stodgy and slow and colorless, and the title track doesn't really kick all that hard after all, and why the hell would anybody want to slow down "Devil With a Blue Dress On," come to think of it? So right now, I'm on the fence, but maybe it'll kick back in, or maybe it won't. What basically keeps happening is, well, it's in the five-disc changer now with the Game (clunky rap voice, ocassionally tasty and tasteful retro-soul backup, sounds very Dr. Dre a lot of it no matter what Dre's involvement was or wasn't, but I never gave much a shit about Dre give or take a couple songs so I doubt I'll have much more patience with this thing), Yabby You (who sounds warm and dubby and greater than I would have guessed), Borat (just saw the movie, which was slightly disappointing though still frequently hilarious but maybe the disappointment was just that it had been built up so much by so many people, but at any rate i also just realized today that the soundtrack is a compilation, and track #7 is beautiful, and i think it's by o.m.f.o. but it's hard to tell because there are not the same number of titles on the cover as tracks on the cd, since some of the tracks are just snippets of dialouge and stuff, so you can't just count down to the seventh title, which is "grooming pubis", and also "o kazakhastan" which ends the movie sounds more like laibach than most of the national anthems on laibach's own new album) and joe gruschecky (ex of the iron city houserockers, and his new album features bruce springteen on a few tracks and while i have no doubt that this album must blow out of the water that springsteen seeger covers album which must be the most boring idea for an album of the year even though i didn't listen to the thing since life is too fucking short, but gruschecky is still not writing them like he was in 1980 or 1981 and his band barely rocks at all, dude really needs to befriend kenny aranoff or somebody, though sometimes there's some passable drama in joe's oily sobersided sincerity and the guitar buildups in a way that a couple of the tracks like "safe at home" for instance might sound decent in a "rescue me" episode or perhaps a scene from "the wire" with mcnulty fucking up again), and oftimes when a kirchen song comes on i think it's gruschecky by mistake, which is frankly not a good sign.
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 00:53 (seventeen years ago) link
and the more I hear of the new Intocable album Cruce de Caminos a.k.a. Crossroads the more I fall in love with it. Johnny Lee Rosas might have the best voice in America, because it's not quite perfect but DAMN he delivers the goods. hilariously, when they do a "pop" version of huge hit single "Por Ella," it lays on the country signifiers so thick that I think maybe they actually consider modern country to be the real sound of "pop" in the U.S. but sadly for y'all, it's all in Spanish, so you won't really care about it. (P.S. I am an asshole tonight.)
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Sunday, 19 November 2006 01:43 (seventeen years ago) link
The Game and Gruschecky now replaced in the changer with Fairyland (French-I-think metal band on Napalm) and new Ying Yang Twins.
"One More Day" on the Kirchen album does have a nice Dock Boggs era white country blues feel to it, I guess. And I do like the Arthur Alexander cover. So I haven't written the thing off quite yet.
I've been considering springing for the Intocable CD, actually. I probably won't mind the Spanish of it if the tunes are catchy enough.
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 01:45 (seventeen years ago) link
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:52 (seventeen years ago) link
Sounds like a hell of a lot of work to get through...(What do they think they are, a hip-hop group or something?) (I hate great values!)
Kirchen's "Hammer of The Honky Tonk Gods" title cut kicks (or at least "signifies kicking") in a Junior Brown kind of way, I guess. There's something sorta deluded about it -- half of Nashville rocks harder; hell, Kellie Pickler might rock harder -- but it's not bad.
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 02:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Sunday, 19 November 2006 03:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― pinkmoose (jacklove), Sunday, 19 November 2006 06:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― pinkmoose (jacklove), Sunday, 19 November 2006 08:18 (seventeen years ago) link
kirchen's record has the same faults as his show i saw this fall. he's real good for about two songs. his supposedly awesome guided tour of pop where he interpolates all the licks he knows is actually pretty great, but seemed empty even with a couple beers in me. you kind of wish he'd go johnny guitar watson and write more songs about more interesting and perhaps raffish reality. the songs blur in my mind. the curse of reverence and "americana" and all that, but he's been at it for a while just like nick lowe, who used to write about more interesting and raffish reality but now is a very good genre artist. we all love arthur alexander, man. (i love nick lowe, but the last record of his i found remotely interesting was "party of one," which is what, 1990?)
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 19 November 2006 15:14 (seventeen years ago) link
(Hey Frank brought the album up! I guess I should put all this on the world music thread too. I'm not sure what it has to do with country, though yeah, there's a twang in the music now and then, and didn't one of you guys vote for Gogol Bordello in a Nashville Scene poll once? This CD belongs on a shelf near them, Kultur Shock, Balkan Beatbox, etc, unless like me you file in alphabetical order.)
And my new maybe-favorite on Kirchen's CD is "Skid Row in My Mind."
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 15:19 (seventeen years ago) link
ha ha, for me it was labour of lust in 1979! (though i guess i gave nick the knife or whatever a fairly mixed review for my college paper in missouri when it came out, a few years later.)
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 15:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― xhuxk (xheddy), Sunday, 19 November 2006 22:45 (seventeen years ago) link
ghostfinger, a nashville (actually murfreesboro, tn.) band, does really cool country-rock pastiches. the singer sounds like jagger or arthur lee or some white guy trying to be soulful, and it's mostly funny. they get doleful and sometimes the rockers don't quite work, but "moon" alternates sections of fake-rock and country-rock quite effectively. can't make out what it is they're exactly trying to express, but get the feeling they're a bit more than the usual history lesson. it's been a good year for nashville pop bands--lone official, the features, ghostfinger and i guess lambchop, too, have all released good records. certainly, lone official's "tuckassee take" made my no depression top 20 new releases.
and i have to say that i've listened to neko case's record (which also made my ND list) as much as i have anything this year; the songs are better than i initially thought, and she sustains a *mood* throughout that sorta skirts desolation--the line about driving past the beautiful flooded fields resonates as they say with my experience. and it's one of the great records in 6/8, a time signature she manipulates savvily and which suggests, i guess, the timelessness (or the immersion in memory) she's going after.
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 20 November 2006 15:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Monday, 20 November 2006 20:34 (seventeen years ago) link
So this Dixie Chick flick, Shut Up and Sing, is playing in town. Should I go? That whole brouhaha seems like decades ago.
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Thursday, 23 November 2006 02:50 (seventeen years ago) link
did the ND Ballots go out already?
― pinkmoose (jacklove), Thursday, 23 November 2006 11:42 (seventeen years ago) link
Do we know yet if the Scene poll is dead? Is Himes gonna do it elsewhere? I mean, he's got the rolls...
And I know this has been chattered about elsewhere, but I never got a clear answer: what's to become of Pazz n Jop?
― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Thursday, 23 November 2006 15:09 (seventeen years ago) link
New George Strait album Twang. The First single "Living For The Night" is so classic. Any thoughts?
― Jacob Sanders, Friday, 14 August 2009 17:10 (fourteen years ago) link