CMT Blog: 2010 April

Every year, Time magazine lists the 100 people who most affect our world. You can probably guess who is on that list, but what I like about their approach is that they asked Stevie Nicks for her take on Taylor Swift after this year's Grammy Awards. "When I first got the call from Taylor Swift about performing with her at this year's Grammy Awards, I really didn't want to do it," Nicks said. "She's 20 years old, 5 ft. 11 in. and slender; I'm 40 years older and, to be frank, neither of the other two things!" She goes on to rave about both Swift's determination and her childlike nature. But the line I love best is this: "This girl writes the songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John." Then she says of their performance, "I still walk around singing her song 'Today Was a Fairytale.' All of us girls want that boy to pick us up and think that we look beautiful even though we're in jeans and clogs. We want it at 14, and we want it at 60. Taylor is writing for the universal woman and for the man who wants to know her. The female rock-'n'-roll-country-pop songwriter is back, and her name is Taylor Swift. And it's women like her who are going to save the music business." I've never heard such high praise for Swift, but it's hard to argue with any of it.

If you think Brad Paisley is the kind of artist who just shows up and sings, you are dead wrong. From reading this story on the Gibson Guitars website, it sounds like he is the exact opposite, in fact, and very involved in the nuts and bolts of his whole operation. So much so, you may actually need a translator to understand what he has to say about his guitar amplifiers and speakers: "The setup changes over time, but right now I'm using a handwired Vox AC30 head, a Tony Bruno Underground 30 head, a custom Dr. Z head we call the 'Z-Wreck,' and a Fender Vibro-King. I run the heads through Dr. Z 2x12 cabs loaded with Celestion Blue 25-watt speakers or the new Celestion Gold 50-watt speakers. I love the sound of the Blues -- they bring out that classic Vox chime -- but I play really loud, and, sometimes, the 25-watt speakers just start to give up. The Golds still have that alnico tone, but they can handle higher volumes. We've got one of the cabs loaded with a Blue and a Gold," he said. Whatever the hell all that means.

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Nashville.com got to the bottom of why Carrie Underwood never does Twitter. She's been known before to call the micro-blogging tell-all site organized stalking. But now she says she does do some things on the computer, just not that. "I can do fan club stuff. I talk to them, I blog on message boards. But other than that, I'm not really very technologically advanced," she said. And you know how you're never supposed to Google yourself? And how gossip usually leans towards the negative? Well, it sounds like Underwood tries to stay away from reading about herself on the Internet, but admits it's hard not to even if she doesn't go looking for it. "I really try not to. I think it's impossible sometimes 'cause sometimes I'll go to check my e-mail, and I'm on the homepage somewhere. I'll just go, 'Aw, man'. But I really, really try to stay away from negativity."

When the Georgia Theater in Athens, Ga., was destroyed by a fire on June 19, 2009, a call went up to save this historic venue from the wrecking ball. Artists and music fans from all across the world came together, but no one was more supportive than the Zac Brown Band. Along with Kid Rock, they put together a star-studded benefit concert at Atlanta's Fox Theatre that ended up raising $40,000. In this video from the show, Joey & Rory join ZBB for a spirit-rousing performance of "Free" that features some really tricky photography. A DVD/CD recorded at the concert is in the works, and if you'd like to donate to the theater's restoration, visit the Band Together fundraising website.

Dierks Bentley was on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Tuesday night (April 27), and I finally got around to watching it. (I love you, DVR.) But I am always so stunned when there are only three minutes left in the show and the country artist still has not come on yet. Why are they wasting all that time on other guests when they could be letting Bentley steal the show with the title track of his upcoming roots music album, Up on the Ridge? His slot was way too short, but I'm guessing it was enough to get people to stop whatever they were doing and watch as Bentley's six-man band did their thing and did it so well, especially Bentley himself on vocals and his Martin guitar. And then that insanely good Sam Bush was by Bentley's side on a resophonic mandolin he was playing with a slide. Frankly, Leno probably should've devoted the whole show to this band.

Remember when the only way to find out what a country artist was up to was on country radio? Or when the fan club packets came the old-fashioned way -- in the mail? Well, Genevieve Jewell has changed all that. Now it's all very, very viral.

Jewell's job is director of new media at Borman Entertainment, the artist management company that represents Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban and others. And she's only been there for three years, but look how far those artists have come. I mean, three years ago, did any artist have a Facebook page? Did they Twitter? Did they document almost their every move on camera to let fans in on behind-the-scenes happenings? Kind of makes you understand why Jewell was one of Billboard's Top 30 Executives Under 30 a couple years ago.

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Just in time for Mother's Day, thanks to Wednesday night's (April 28) American Idol, the world gets to celebrate a band that has given their mother the greatest gift of all time. They put her name in their band name. How great is that? Sons of Sylvia is made up of brothers Ashley, Austin and Adam Clark -- the sons of Sylvia Clark, a woman who gave birth not only to those three boys but eight other kids, as well. Two sets of twins, even. (I am sitting here trying to imagine a day when Ryan Seacrest introduces Kids of Alison, and it's very weird. But Sons of Sylvia has a much nicer ring to it.) Anyway, they all sing, plus Adam plays mandolin and guitar, Ashley plays guitar and fiddle, and Austin plays Dobro and lap steel. The Sons were raised in a family that did a lot of revival crusades and played all kinds of bluegrass and country gospel music. And Carrie Underwood was there Wednesday night to introduce them as "three guys who mean a lot to me," adding, "I'm such a fan." They are one of her opening acts on tour this summer. Are they country enough? How would you define their sound?

Instead of getting down on herself after a breakup, Whitney Duncan decides that she's definitely better off in her feisty new movin'-on song, "Right Road Now." Her ex wanted his freedom and she realizes that two can play that game. All's fair in love and war after all. "I won't feel sorry for myself," she sings. "Matter of fact, by tonight I'll be kissing on someone else." In the video, the "Skinny Dippin'" singer takes her band to the top of a high rise to let off some steam -- and maybe make a little, too.

It started with Shania Twain and ended with Shakira, if that tells you anything about how country country week was on American Idol. Wednesday night's (April 28) show had Rascal Flatts doing "Unstoppable," Sons of Sylvia performing "Love Left to Lose," Lady Antebellum singing "Need You Now" and then Rascal Flatts and Shakira doing a duet of her song, "Gypsy." I'm sorry. But in all my wildest dreams, I cannot think of a worse singing partner for Gary LeVox than Shakira. It was a match made in hell. To see him with barefoot gypsy belly dancers all around him was bizarre enough, but then they barely allowed him to sing on that song. I mean, if you're going to bring one of the biggest country bands in the past decade onto your show to duet, at least give them more to sing than just "come along for the ride." LeVox belongs on lead vocals and not as a sideman. At the very end of the show, Siobhan Magnus was sent home.

It would be impossible to count how many music festivals I've attended in the last 10 years, but there's no doubt that the Avett Brothers have me beat. I caught them at Merlefest four years ago, early in their career trajectory, noting in a review that they were "indisputably stars in the making." I stand behind that statement today. Watching these guys thrash around on acoustic instruments, playing interesting songs about growing up and making mistakes -- it's really hard not to be intrigued.

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