CMT Blog

Warm Up to Lizz Wright's Dreaming Wide Awake

Craig Shelburne — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:40:52 +0000

Last night it got really cold, really fast, in Nashville. I didn't have anywhere to be so I found a dozen reasons to turn on the oven and returned to one of my favorite albums, Lizz Wright's Dreaming Wide Awake. I first heard about it in a No Depression cover story in 2005, when the album was new, yet the music still works wonders when all I want to do is curl up with a blanket and a book. Her quiet interpretations of Neil Young's "Old Man" and the Youngbloods' "Get Together" may remind you that time is fleeting but her warm alto is so inviting that you feel like there's really no rush. She wrote a handful of songs here (including the title track) and collaborated with Jesse Harris, whose writing credits include Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why." If you're a fan of Jones' music, you'll probably be intrigued by this album, too. I think country fans who appreciate a subtle approach and a rich alto voice will be satisfied with it as well -- especially on a quiet winter night at home.

The Band Perry Get "Hip to My Heart"

Kelley Cook — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:46:33 +0000

Talented musician siblings Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry -- known as the Band Perry -- have finally released their catchy debut single, "Hip to My Heart," after years of touring and perfecting their sound together. Growing up in Mobile, Ala., the Perry siblings were constantly influenced by rock and country music. "Daddy rocked us to sleep with the Rolling Stones; Mama woke us up with Loretta Lynn. So we get it honest," Kimberly says on their Web site. With a comic-book feel, their video channels a playful tone as they dance and play guitars atop their lyrics. Then they transform the starch-white walls with brightly colored graffiti using cans of electric spray paint, just like disobedient children coloring on the kitchen walls. The video matches the song's upbeat nature and carefree attitude. I think we're going to see good things from this brothers-and-sister group who are committed to making their mark on the country music stage.

Sheryl Crow on the Prowl in Cougar Town

Alison Bonaguro — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:46:25 +0000

Thank you, Sheryl Crow, for giving me a real legit reason to tune into the much-talked-about new show, Cougar Town. Until now, I've only heard bad things: Courteney Cox plays a divorced woman on the prowl for men and talks incessantly about sex with anyone who will listen, like her neighbor/friend Ellie and her assistant/friend Laurie. (Ellie is the young mom. Laurie is the slut.) Enter the always classy Crow, who will play a recurring romantic rival to Cox' character, Jules. The story is that Jules' mission to hook up with her neighbor Grayson will be thwarted by Crow's arrival. The series is one of those trashy indulgences you wish you didn't like, but you do. And having Crow on a few episodes will make it even more addictive. I can't wait to see if her character will be the girl so perfect you hate her or just another narcissistic cougar out to snag a boy toy.

I've Had It With Blake Shelton's Pure BS

Alison Bonaguro — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:47:59 +0000

I loved Blake Shelton's album, Pure BS, from 2007. I thought it was one of his best. One of country's best, even. But you know how it goes: you get obsessed with a CD and then you just kind of overdose on it -- "The More I Drink," "She Don't Love Me," "The Last Country Song" and "She Can't Get That." It was pretty much all I listened to for what seemed like the past couple years. While I liked his other albums, too, I just kept coming back to Pure BS. So now I'm psyched to see that he has new music that he is delivering in a whole new way. Instead of just one 10-song CD, he's releasing two six-song CDs. Hillbilly Bone, the first so-called Six Pak comes out March 2. Then in August, he'll put out another Six Pak of new stuff. "Fans will get more music than me putting out a new album every two years," he said. So enough with the Pure BS. I am so ready for a couple of Six Paks.

Jake Owen Ropes In More Fans at Rodeo Concert

Alison Bonaguro — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:40:01 +0000

They might've come for the rodeo. But after the 1,800-pound bulls had gone back into the exit chute and the cowboys had all packed up their chaps, the audience stuck around. That's because Jake Owen gave the Chicago crowd a whole lot of reasons to stay put for his post-rodeo concert on Friday night (Feb. 5). For one, Owen can flat-out sing. There is nothing his rich baritone voice can't do. And, he writes good-timin' songs perfect for this kind of show. He also seems to have a knack for putting together a set list to keep the party going after two hours of bull riding, starting with "Yee Haw" and "Startin' With Me" (in double time) and then getting right into newer tunes like the sexy "Cherry on Top" and the hometown celebration that is "Every Reason I Go Back."

Oh, then there was the cover song of all cover songs, David Allan Coe's "You Never Even Call Me by My Name." So many country artists do it, but Owen's take was a long journey down a very country road right up to the point where it was raining on the night his mom got out of prison. He also gave credit where credit was due, by pointing out that one of his favorite bands was Alabama and what an honor it was to write and sing with frontman Randy Owen on "You Can Thank Dixie."

But the other thing Owen got so right was how he worked the room. He spent about half his show walking off the stage and into the crowd. At one point, he found a girl who'd taken a picture of him onstage with Britney Spears, and he was so enamored with her that he brought her to the front of the stage to sing "Don't Think I Can't Love You" with him. And he closed the show with the very appropriate "Eight Second Ride," something that the cowboys had been striving for all night.

Josh Thompson Enjoys the Beers of His Labor

Whitney Self — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:11:40 +0000

If you fancy a little poker on Saturday nights, butter on your biscuit and a few scratch-off tickets, then you’re sure to enjoy country newcomer Josh Thompson’s debut single, “Beer on the Table.” Born in a small town near Milwaukee, Wis., Thompson grew up laying concrete for his father’s construction company and understands the demands of physical labor. “My work ethic is probably a big factor that shaped who I am as an artist,” he told me during an interview Monday (Feb. 8). “And that came from growing up in the concrete industry. My dad was big on making sure that I knew how to work.” Judging by his video, it’s plain to see how he spends his Friday nights and also his money -- with his buddies and some hard-earned brewsky. Sound familiar? Take a look.

Eric Church Has a "Lotta" Explaining to Do

Alison Bonaguro — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:26:39 +0000

In this Q&A with the Washington Post, Eric Church sounds very complicated. Maybe even a little conflicted. Because first he says, "Country music, the thing I love about it, more than any other music, it does represent real life and it represents Middle America better than any format." But then Church goes on to talk openly about his controversial song, "Lotta Boot Left to Fill." You know, the one where he criticizes his country music brethren? Like one-hit wonders and pretty boys acting tough, and how they sing about Johnny Cash but the man in black would've whipped their ass. And how if it looks good on TV it'll look good on a CD. Yeah, that one. After the head of his record label heard it for the first time, he told Church, "Well, I played 'Lotta Boot.' Eric, I'll be honest with you. A lot of people were pretty nervous when they heard it." But to Church, that was the very reason to get the song out there. "It makes you a little uncomfortable," he said.

Patty Loveless Goes Back in Time for "Busted"

Chris Parton — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:52:31 +0000

Patty Loveless tackles the Harlan Howard classic "Busted" on her Mountain Soul II album and makes it her own using traditional bluegrass instrumentation. After growing up in Kentucky, those mournful sounds and her voice now seem made for each other. Her video finds a confused waitress who appears to stumble back in time to a strange moving picture parlor. Filled with men who ravenously crank away at their personal viewing machines -- including Buddy Apple, loyal sideman to Doyle & Debbie -- she gives one a try and sees Loveless in the viewfinder. Unfortunately, the waitress remains confused, but since she's got a job, at least she's not "busted."

Americana Music Flourishing in Early 2010

Craig Shelburne — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:40:41 +0000

We're only six weeks into the year and I've been pleased with the amount of new Americana music that's been coming my way. I think my favorite album title so far is Ray Wylie Hubbard's A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There Is No C) and if you listen closely, you might just get some answers from this perceptive Texan. I really like his electrified version of a song he wrote with Hayes Carll, "Drunken Poet's Dream." Another cool record I'd recommend is from I See Hawks in L.A., who have just released a compilation called Shoulda Been Gold 2001-2009. Even though I've heard their distinctive name for years, it's the first album I've heard by this band. Blending lonesome country with smart lyrics, I now realize I shoulda been paying more attention. Luckily I feel like this solid Gold brings me up to date, even if I am a decade late. At any rate, here's a sampling of some new Americana music from the last few weeks.

"Drunken Poet's Dream," Ray Wylie Hubbard
"Shoulda Been Gold," I See Hawks in L.A.
"Cumberland," Randy Kohrs
"Hand of God," Jason Boesel
"Candice," Blue Rodeo
"The Day After Everything Changed," Ellis Paul
"Monday Night," Barton Carroll
"River Girl," Zane Williams
"Hearts," Blair
"Through the Screen Door," Glossary
"Same Ol' Feeling," Joe Swank and the Zen Pirates
"Cold and Lowdown Lonesome Blues," Blue Highway
"Grandma's Tattoos," Bill Emerson and Sweet Dixie
"Alfred," Gordie Tentrees

Keith Urban Lends Gravity to People Country

Alison Bonaguro — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:02:33 +0000

If you are a country fan, today might be a good day to call in sick. Or at least take a really, really long lunch. That's because the latest issue of People Country is out and you won't want to miss a page (or a free download.) Cover boy Keith Urban tells the magazine that writing songs for Defying Gravity was almost like taking a moral inventory of himself. Taylor Swift admits that no one wanted her to record "Love Story" but that she knew in her head it would be magical. Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott talks about how "Need You Now" was inspired by her recent devastating break-up and that it was Lifetime movie-esque. Blake Shelton says he has a secret crush on Katy Perry. And then Kellie Pickler dishes on the dishes she served at her recent book club party to discuss the bestseller, The Help. They had cherry tomatoes with broccoli filling, baked Vidalia onion dip and pound cake with Kahlua cream. (Hopefully, all prepared by Pickler and not by "the help.")