CMT Blog: Eli Young Band

Because my job requires it, I am able to rationalize spending a good chunk of my days listening to albums in their entirety, which means I have time to fall in love with the other songs on the album. Not just the ones on the radio. So I will be starting a new blog series called Top 10 Tracks I'm Digging Right Now. Occasionally there will be older tunes. But for the most part, these songs will come from the newish CDs strewn across my desk and the floor of my car. This week's faves are, in totally random order:

Jason Aldean, "Keep the Girl"
Keith Urban, "My Heart is Open"
Dierks Bentley, "Better Believer"

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It seems like I left Detroit way too early. I moved out of my childhood home in the Motor City in 1983, the very same year a country radio station there started this Downtown Hoedown. A free country music festival. Free. And it's country. For three days. And it's not just a handful of bands you've never heard of. This year's event, on May 15-17, boasts Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack, Phil Vassar, Jack Ingram, Luke Bryan, Rodney Atkins, Zac Brown Band, Darryl Worley, Eli Young Band and even more on the books. Maybe I should go back, just for the weekend, and drag all my old friends into the city to hear some good country. The people in charge expect about 800,000 country fans to soak in all that rowdy twangy music in downtown's Hart Plaza. I wonder if John Rich will be one of them, now that they're shuttin' Detroit down for a very good reason.

I have a new favorite song from a new favorite band, and I want to share the love. And luckily, Jimmy Kimmel agrees with me. Because tonight (April 2), he's having the Eli Young Band on his show. They'll be performing their brilliantly written, beautifully sung "Always the Love Songs." (That's my new favorite, because of lines like this: "Honky-tonk drinkin' songs/We could do 'em all night long/But the ones I remember the most/It was always the love songs every time/Made everybody feel something inside.) But they'll also be doing "When It Rains," which isn't bad either. Frontman Mike Eli has, in my opinion, the perfect country voice. Yearning, believable and pure, without too much of a heavy-handed twang. It's definitely worth staying up late for. And if you can't handle the late air time, it's definitely worth making room for it on your DVR.

Carrie Underwood sings a Randy Travis classic live on stage as this week's entry in the CMT New Music Video Evaluation process. Additionally, an Eli Young Band live presentation makes its debut on CMT.

Video: "I Told You So"
Artist: Carrie Underwood
Director: Jim Yockey

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The nominees for the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards were announced Wednesday morning (Feb. 11) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Leading the list were Brad Paisley (six nominations) and former Trick Pony vocalist Heidi Newfield (five).

Other artists receiving multiple nominations include Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Little Big Town, James Otto, Jake Owen, Taylor Swift and Sugarland.

The album of the year nominees will be announced in March. In the meantime, here's a complete list of the nominations so far:

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban
Carrie Underwood

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The new video from Taylor Swift was rushed over to CMT for viewing by the channel's video evaluation team, who liked what they saw. And there was plenty more to consider this week by the panel. James Otto did a hot vocal, despite the frigid temperatures. The Eli Young Band brings in a lively performance, Dan Evans from The Biggest Loser checks in, and Katie Armiger shows off her latest.

Artist: Eli Young Band
Video: "Always the Love Songs" (Live)
Director: Eli Young Band

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The Eli Young Band spent a few days in Nashville last month with a show prior to the CMA Awards and a guest spot on the Grand Ole Opry. The Texas band, who had a Top 40 hit this year with "When It Rains," carried along a video camera to share the experience. Check it out. They're not afraid to admit that they're a little nervous.

A friend of mine e-mailed me yesterday looking for some new music recommendations. Now, I should tell you that this is not some casual country fan. He used to work in country radio, so I had to think long and hard about what he might like. He's pretty much heard it all. I wanted to make sure my playlist had the kind of music that was fresh and new but still country enough to feel genuine. And this is the what I came up with, by browsing my iPhone's "Recently Added" playlist. Some may not be technically new, but they may be new to him. If you'd like to add to the list, feel free. The more country, the better. With enough good twangy vocals and steel guitars, maybe he'll realize what he's missing and come on back to country for good.

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Rain storms are like therapy for me. I don't need to lie on a fancy couch and pay someone $300 an hour to work out my issues. I just pull a chair out to the porch and watch the puddles fill. I don't know why but for some reason it gives me perspective on the things that get me down. It seems like the Eli Young Band feels the same way, and I was glad to hear "When It Rains" because they use the rain like a symbol of hope instead of despair.

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Six new videos were lined up by the big screen for viewing in this week's session by the CMT new video evaluation team. They represent a wide array of artists: Rodney Atkins, Reba McEntire, Craig Morgan, Eli Young Band, Chuck Wicks and Emma Mae Jacob. So let's get to them.

Artist: Rodney Atkins
Video: "Invisibly Shaken"
Director: Eric Welch

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