TNS Video History- The Kentucky Headhunters- Dumas Walker (Live)

Watch the Headhunters play “Dumas Walker” live at Farm Aid 1990.

That Nashville Sound’s Top Ten Albums of 2009

It’s that time of year in which we reflect on the year behind us and count our blessings that we live in a part of the world with a plethora of music that moves the soul. Our favorite 2007 album was the Alison Krauss & Robert Plant album Raising Sand and last year’s top spot on our 2008 list went to Lee Ann Womack’s Call Me Crazy. But 2009 had some terrific albums that will go down as some of my big music collection’s favorites. The ten albums are a wide variety of country genres from more contemporary country to traditional country- and even some inspirational and alt-country stuff thrown in as well. But without any further delay… here’s That Nashville Sound’s Top Ten Albums for 2009…

10. Bryan White- Dustbowl Dreams- The title track, “Dustbowl Dreams” could be the most eloquent autobiographical song of 2009. As the “son of a son of an auctioneer,” White talks about things like pressing on and perseverance, losing his way, being bruised and cut and carrying on the dustbowl dreams of his family. In three minutes, White has beautifully told his ten year story. It’s truly a treasure of a song. The song even ends on a personal note- an old clip of his grandfather being introduced as an auctioneer and then auctioning off some piece of farm life.

9. Willie Nelson- Naked Willie- Willie Nelson is a national treasure. We don’t have a more prolific recorder in country music even as he approaches his 75th birthday. Naked Willie is compilation of some of his best work, but not at the same time. Its old recordings, but not ever done this way before. Stripped of all of the “Nashville Sound” of strings and background filler, the first thing you notice on Naked Willie is how much clearer and cleaner these new versions sound. Willie's voice takes on a much deeper timbre, and the guitar and piano are also that much crisper sounding. His distinct voice has never been argued to be the fullest and widest range, but it has been the point of distinction between he and other artists that have come and gone.

8. Tracy Lawrence- The Rock- A promise kept. That’s really the crux of this entire project. When Lawrence first kicked off his career back in 1991 with Sticks and Stones, he made a promise to his parents that he would one day record an inspirational country album.Each song has been carefully selected to match both his vocals and preferred instrumentalization. Each album cut speaks of character, faith, truth, hope, forgiveness and belief. The messages don’t hit your over the head. They’re not preachy. They’re delivered with the same warmth and tenderness that Lawrence has approached nearly every song over his storied career- filled with steel guitar, fiddles, guitars and even a bit of piano.

7. Brad Paisley- American Saturday Night- Paisley has an incredible touch for pointing out the Sienfeldian nuances in life on fun stuff like "Ticks," "I'm Gonna Miss Her," or "Online." His ability to riff on the ironies of life in his funnier songs are a gift. He also has an innate ability to write a song that touch on a true emotional level- songs like "We Danced," "He Didn't Have to Be," or "She's Everything" come to mind. On both sides of that coin, Brad has country music fans loving every word. American Saturday Night is another wonderful combination of this same pen and paper gumbo that country music has come to like about him. Fatherhood may be the reason for a slightly (only slightly) more serious and mature musical theme on this album.

6. Wade Hayes- Place To Turn Around- With an emotive voice and meaningful storytelling lyrics, this is country music that is getting very little representation on the radio dial. What might have not been that unique in the 80’s and early 90’s is fresh and new. Hayes’ emotive baritone voice is a bit throaty and breathless when he sings higher notes or with power. But that so-called-fault in his voice only gives the songs more emotion and feeling. On songs like “Every Time I Give The Devil A Ride” and “Good Day To Go Crazy,” we’re reminded what a great guitarist and underrated instrumentalist that Hayes has always been. This was the most underrated album of 2009 for sure.

5. David Nail- I’m About To Come Alive- From the opening bluesy piano opening, it’s obvious that some of the Mississippi delta blues have seeped into David Nail’s version of country music. And that’s a very good thing. With an album that is as autobiographical as it is soulful, Nail is one of the few artists that have taken a theme and chosen/written songs to fit that or any theme from near start to finish.

4. Holly Williams- Here With Me- It’s almost impossible to disconnect the Williams legacy from this new young artist. What she brings to the table is much of her grandfather’s touch with a song. Her voice, while beautiful, has a unique ability to convey the nuances of feeling including sadness, genuine hurt, joy and disappointment. It’s a very emotional sound- most notable through her slower and quieter songs. This emotive songstress channels the very best of her musical legacy on nearly every song- drawing the listener in with some of the best melancholy textured ballads released this year. Each song has roots to her soul.

3. Miranda Lambert- Revolution- On Revolution we have witnessed the birth of a real artist and one of the true treasures of Nashville. Miranda's spunky Texas tongue-in-cheek sarcasm is alive and well on "Only Prettier," “White Liar” and "That's the Way the World Goes Round." She is and can still be a badass at times- “Time To Get A Gun” and "Sin For A Sin." But this album marks the first time we really get a feeling of the softer side of Lambert. Her incredibly emotive voice, from the wistful whispers to the highest belted notes, shine an emotion previously unseen on tracks like “Virginia Bluebell,” “Dead Flowers,” and “Maintain The Pain.”

2. Jason Eady- When The Money’s All Gone- It’s the songwriting and song selection that gets the highest marks on this incredible album. Each song is as socially relevant with a theme drawn out from the tough times we're living in. One of our favorite tracks of the year is the outstanding, classic story-song "Promises In Pieces." Filled with fiddle and steel guitar, the song tells the confessional and somberly haunting tale of someone who shoots a teller during a bank robbery and whose friend, the only friend that continues to give him second chances, takes the fall for the crime and is hanged. Positively haunting songwriting on nearly every song.

And the top album of the year goes to…

1 . Eric Church- Carolina- A little more edgy and bordering on the Gary Allan Bakersfield sound (a compliment), it’s a full layered sound that compliments his everyman’s voice. It leans rock without ever leaving a true country sound. The album features one of our favorite songs of 2009- “Lotta Boot Left To Fill.” Channeling his inner outlaw, Church slams boy bands, challenges Nashville’s music soul, tells us “I don’t think Waylon done it that way” and “You sing about Johnny Cash, the Man in Black would’ve whipped your ass.” There’s legitimacy to every song on the album- evident as each was written or co-written by his pen. Five great rockers, five ballads, and two somewhere in between- each of them feel like they’re legitimately “owned” by Church.

New Music Video For Gary Allan's "Today"

New Chris Young Music Video For "The Man I Want To Be"

CD Reviews- Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers- Pilgrimage

The Background:
Larry Gatlin is best-known for teaming up with his brothers in the late 1970s, where they became one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. With 33 Top 40 country singles, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers’ popularity lasted throughout much of the 1980s. Their biggest hits together included, "Broken Lady", "All the Gold In California", "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)", "She Used to Be Somebody's Baby", and "Talkin' to the Moon.” This new 2009 introduction is a storyteller's album that began back in 1972 when the legendary Johnny Cash took Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers under his wing. Listen in as Larry Gatlin weaves personal stories of friendship throughout this classic album that features the highly talked about debut single, 'Johnny Cash Is Dead And His House Burned Down'.

The Review:
Webster’s defines the word storyteller as “a reciter of tales.” Gatlin’s friend and mentor Johnny Cash is the muse for this storyteller’s album. Between songs, Gatlin tells personal stories of how the legacy of Cash (and to a lesser degree Kris Kristofferson and June Carter Cash) played a role in making him the person and musician he is today. The stories are fascinating for this Johnny Cash fan- at least for the first few times around. I’m not sure how I would feel about them after I’ve heard them a dozen times. But hearing touching stories about Johnny giving Larry’s son a tin cup from Folsom Prison upon his birth are touching reminders of the true Man In Black. It’s a unique personal touch on an album that while not a traditional tribute album, is certainly a dedication. On the musical side of things, Gatlin pays homage to the Cash family with a new song, "Johnny Cash Is Dead (And His House Burned Down)," and has recorded two of his classic old songs, "Sweet Becky Walker" and “Penny Annie” that were Johnny’s favorites. Gatlin's voice is a little more grizzled than it was in the 1970s, but on a song like “Penny Annie,” it gives it a great distinction between original and new. When Gatlin’s brothers kick in with a chorus, it instantly reminds of older songs like “All The Gold In California.” The layered harmony buoy and adequately cover any singular voice changes. The highlight of the album for this reviewer was the last, “A Man Can’t Live With A Broken Heart Too Long.” Dedicated to and written about Johnny after June Carter passed away a few months prior to the legend, it recounts the love story between the two. With eloquent lyrics such as June Carter running across the River Jordan to hug her man after he passes, it’s an appropriate and touching end to the album- telling a story really no one really saw but we all hope happened. The Gatlins misfire on a couple of the songs along the way to get there, most notably “Hey Nashville, Whaddya Say?” and “Americans, That’s Who”- both of which end up being a little cheesy trying a little too hard for relevancy and topicality. But overall, it’s a welcome return for three harmony driven brothers adding to a long musical legacy of their own.

Sounds Like:
The Oak Ridge Boys Minus The Baritone

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Penny Annie
Johnny Cash Is Dead (& His House Burned Down)
Fill Me
A Man Can’t Live With A Broken Heart Too Long

The Verdict:
Three Stars Out Of Five

Trailer Choir Releases New Holiday Music Video For "Rockin' The Cheer Gut"

Taylor Swift Up For Eight GRAMMY Awards

Country crossover sensation Taylor Swift, the year's best-selling artist outside of the late Michael Jackson, is all set up for another big night at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. The 19-year-old got eight nominations, including album of the year for her multiplatinum sophomore disc "Fearless"; song and record of the year for her hit, "You Belong With Me."

Swift, who has won everything from American Music Awards to Country Music Association trophies to that now-infamous MTV Video Music Award moonman, said her Grammy nominations represented the apex for her.

"To be recognized by the Grammys is the ultimate honor," said Swift in a telephone call shortly after finding out about her nominations. "The last couple of months has been a nonstop dream come true."

The GRAMMY Awards will be held on January 31, 2010.

Other nominees in country specific categories were:

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

Dead Flowers – Miranda Lambert
I Just Call You Mine – Martina McBride
White Horse – Taylor Swift
Just A Dream – Carrie Underwood
Solitary Thinkin’ – Lee Ann Womack

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

All I Ask For Anymore – Trace Adkins
People Are Crazy – Billy Currington
High Cost Of Living – Jamey Johnson
Living For The Night – George Strait
Sweet Thing – Keith Urban

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

Beautiful World – Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin
Down The Road – Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally
Start A Band – Brad Paisley & Keith Urban
I Told You So – Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis
Everything But Quits – Lee Ann Womack & George Strait

Best Country Song

All I Ask For Anymore – Casey Beathard & Tim James, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
High Cost Of Living – Jamey Johnson & James Slater, songwriters (Jamey Johnson)
I Run To You – Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)
People Are Crazy – Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones, songwriters (Billy Currington)
White Horse – Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Best Country Album

The Foundation – Zac Brown Band
Twang – George Strait
Fearless – Taylor Swift
Defying Gravity – Keith Urban
Call Me Crazy – Lee Ann Womack

Country Duo or Group With Vocals

Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
Lady Antebellum
Zac Brown Band
Brooks & Dunn

Zac Brown Band was also nominated for the overall Best New Artist category.

A Great Video Of Reba McEntire & Andrea Bocelli Singing "Blue Christmas"

Reba McEntire joins Andrea Bocelli for a duet version of the Christmas classic "Blue Christmas", live at Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

You can find the duet on Andrea Bocelli's new album, "My Christmas".

The Top Ten Country Songs You Never Heard in 2009

On this feature, That Nashville Sound seeks to bring you a wonderous menagerie of aural pleasures. We have scouted out music you've likely not heard this year. Expect music curiously different, yet simply enjoyable- jump on i-Tunes and go buy it. C’mon… what are you waiting for?

1. One Flew South- Life- Although released on the 2008 album Last Of The Good Guys, “Life” was the second single released to radio by this trio. Opening with a pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitars quickly ring before the listener is served a tale of being helplessly in love with someone thought only to be a friend. The real standout here is the intricate and precisely delivered vocal harmonies that soar throughout the chorus.

2. Guy Clark- The Guitar- This great tune tells of six-string divine intervention. It’s a talking story-song about discovering a pawn shop guitar predestined to be his. It is truly storytelling at it’s very best- not to mention outstanding guitar picking work.

3. Jason Eady- Promises In Pieces- One of our favorite tracks of the year is the outstanding, classic story-song "Promises In Pieces." Filled with fiddle and steel guitar, the song tells the confessional and somberly haunting tale of someone who shoots a teller during a bank robbery and whose friend, the only friend that continues to give him second chances, takes the fall for the crime and is hanged.

4. Dean Brody- Cattleman’s Gun- Easily the best track on the Dean Brody’s debut album is "Cattleman's Gun." It’s a new old-school Western epic tale of good guys, bad guys, morals and shoot-outs that’s engaging and marks one of our favorite tracks of the year.

5. Bryan White- Dustbowl Dreams- The title track off of Bryan White’s album could be the most eloquent autobiographical song of 2009. As the “son of a son of an auctioneer,” White talks about things like pressing on and perseverance, losing his way, being bruised and cut and carrying on the dustbowl dreams of his family. In three minutes, White has beautifully told his ten year story. It’s truly a treasure of a song. The song even ends on a personal note- an old clip of his grandfather being introduced as an auctioneer and then auctioning off some piece of farm life.

6. Lynyrd Skynyrd- Floyd- With a nod to Charlie Daniels Band’s “Legend Of Wooley Swamp,” another favorite is a great story-song, “Floyd.” The track tells the tale of a G-Man eluding backwoods bayou moonshiner who outsmarts the law with the help of his backwoods bayou neighbors.

7. Jack Ingram & Patty Griffin- Seeing Stars- It’s a gorgeous acoustic song with Ingram playing the hopeless romantic astronomer. With touching and meaningful lyrics like “wishing on stars only when you see em’ is like asking God for help only when you need him,” it’s a winner. The absolute highlight of the album, however, is Patty Griffin singing harmony behind Ingram on the track. She’s heavenly.

8. Oak Ridge Boys- Mama’s Table- There was something familiar about the song, and it was only after I checked the liner notes that I realized it was co-written by Jamey Johnson. With the lyrics that reflect how a table handed down through the generations being the center of a family, it’s lyrics that make a perfect match to who and what the Oak Ridge Boys are and it represents the simplicity and rawness that Johnson’s tracks on That Lonesome Song are so critically acclaimed for. There is a rumor that Johnson laid down tracks alongside the Oak Ridge Boys on this tune- hopefully someone will have the genius to release it to the public.

9. Reba McEntire- Maggie Creek Road- Over her history, some of her greatest hits and songs she’s been most recognized for have allowed her redheaded sass and a bit of lyrical controversy stand through. Tunes like “Fancy” and “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” come to mind. On Keep On Loving You, she’s kept that tradition alive with her best track, “Maggie Creek Road”- a great story song about a mom taking things into her own hands when her daughter is caught being taken advantage of by her boyfriend.

10. Ronnie Milsap & Trace Adkins- My First Ride- We all missed out on the Bleve Records debut single by Trace Adkins and Ronnie Milsap called ”My First Ride” following a cease and desist order from Capitol Records Nashville.

FREE Dolly Parton Music From Amazon

Back in 2008, Dolly Parton did a series of live shows in London and captured the concert for all to hear on a brand new disc available through retailers everywhere. But... for a limited time... Amazon is offering her live rendition of "Jolene" for a whole lot of nothing. Click on this link to Jolene to download your free song.

FREE Darius Rucker Christmas Music On i-Tunes This Week

iTunes will be giving away a "Holiday Single of the Week" all this December. This week we find Darius Rucker getting the honor of being the first up for the 2009 Holiday season with a fun little upbeat holiday tune called "Candy Cane Christmas."

Click HERE to download your FREE song.

Phil Vassar Releases New Artwork & Track Listing For 12/15 Release

Universal Records South’s Phil Vassar is preparing to release his next studio album Traveling Circus on December 15, 2009, much sooner than anticipated. Initially expected to be released this coming February, Vassar’s team has now put plans into overdrive for the surprise December 15 release.

Vassar took a unique, hands-on approach when it came to making Traveling Circus. Vassar produced the album himself and actually hired his road band to play on the album. His friend and high school art teacher Jason Erwin painted all of the album art, aspiring videographer fresh out of film school Chris Cella produced the video for “Everywhere I Go,” and a young and aspiring photographer Wes Aldridge shot the new album photo shoot.

“My life has been one big traveling circus for many years and just felt like this is a perfect title for the release,” states Vassar. “I have been all over the country performing and wouldn’t want my life to be any other way. This record is, as all have been, a very personal and cathartic experience. I am hoping that this year’s stockings get filled with this record. It's been great working with some very young and innovative talents while putting this project together. When we were told of the release date, the team jumped into action and hope we will be engaging our fans and new ones in some very creative ways, so look out.”

TRACK LISTING:
1. Life (Phil Vassar)
2. Lemonade (Phil Vassar/Charlie Black/Tim Ryan)
3. Everywhere I Go (Phil Vassar/Jeffrey Steele)
4. John Wayne (Phil Vassar/Tom Douglas)
5. Tequila Town (Phil Vassar/Kelly Loveless)
6. Bobbi With An I (Phil Vassar/Craig Wiseman)
7. She’s On Her Way (Phil Vassar/Tim Nichols/Jeff Outlaw)
8. A Year From Now (Phil Vassar/Craig Wiseman)
9. Save Tonight For Me (Phil Vassar/Tim Ryan/Julie Wood)
10. I Will Remember You (Phil Vassar/Kenny Chesney)
11. Where Have All The Pianos Gone (Phil Vassar/James Slater)

New Country Music History Book: Linthead Stomp- The Creation of Country Music in the Piedmont South

If you’re a country music history buff, there’s a new book to add to your holiday gift list.

Contrary to popular belief, the roots of American country music do not lie solely on southern farms or in mountain hollows. Rather, much of this music recorded before World War II emerged from the bustling cities and towns of the Piedmont South. No group contributed more to the commercialization of early country music than southern factory workers. In Linthead Stomp: The Creation of Country Music in the Piedmont South, Patrick Huber explores the origins and development of this music in the Piedmont's mill villages.

Huber offers vivid portraits of a colorful cast of Piedmont millhand musicians, including Fiddlin' John Carson, Charlie Poole, Dave McCarn, and the Dixon Brothers, and considers the impact that urban living, industrial work, and mass culture had on their lives and music. Drawing on a broad range of sources, including rare 78-rpm recordings and unpublished interviews, Huber reveals how the country music recorded between 1922 and 1942 was just as modern as the jazz music of the same era. Linthead Stomp celebrates the Piedmont millhand fiddlers, guitarists, and banjo pickers who combined the collective memories of the rural countryside with the upheavals of urban-industrial life to create a distinctive American music that spoke to the changing realities of the twentieth-century South.

New Christmas Joey+Rory Music Video

Joey+Rory have released the new music video for their beautiful new holiday song called “It’s Christmas Time.” Watch it below…

Up & Coming New Nashville- Leslie Christian (With Exclusive Interview)

With the recent smash success of Darius Rucker, Leslie Christian hopes there’s an upcoming female African-American country music success story in the near future.

Leslie Christian learned to sing, the official story goes, sitting on the back porch with her grandmother. But that’s not the entire story.

Her grandfather owned a convenience store to which her grandmother was denied admission because she had a habit of reducing the beer inventory.

So, it became Leslie’s job to go inside, smile sweetly, grab some beer and make for the back porch, “and Grandma would be there, playing Charlie Pride.”

Leslie Christian was born in Shelby, North Carolina. She is the second of four children and got her start singing and performing in various talent shows and functions with her siblings.

At the age of seventeen, Leslie was a full time singer traveling throughout North America and abroad. She has had the privilege of working and recording with Murlyn Music, (Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez) R. Kelly, Ralph Stacey, (Dru Hill, Mya), SoulShock and Karlin, (Whitney Houston) also, with Nashville musicians and producers Kenny Greenburg, (Pam Tillis, Gretchen Wilson) Matt Rollings, (Keith Urban, Faith Hill) and Gordon Mote (Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride).

Though very versatile in her profession, country music has stolen her heart. She has even refused many opportunities to sign with major labels, because the direction was geared toward urban music. She is not only an artist, but a songwriter as well, having penned all her recordings to date- except for this fun country cover of "Shook Me All Night Long" below...



We had a chance to catch up to this up and coming songstress and talk a little about her past and future in music.

That Nashville Sound- What brought you to music in the first place?

LC- I grew up in a very musical family. Both my parents were in bands, so music was a part of my life from birth. My dad used to put my brother and sisters and me in every talent show within 100 miles. And my grandma used to listen to country music stations all the time. I was actually introduced to country music by my grandma, BettySue.

TNS- Describe your music- what's the mission behind the music?

LC- I listen to so many different artists, from Dolly to Stevie, and those influences help me to write my songs. I want my music to touch people, make people laugh, cry, and fall in love. Music means so much to me and I want to share that love with people through "my" music.

TNS- What might people be surprised to find out about you?

LC- People are surprised that I am in love with country music. I love it so much that when I was a little girl I used to think my grandmother was Loretta Lynn because she looked so much like her. I think around the age of 11 I found out that she wasn't, because I saw Coal Miner’s daughter. I was crushed when I found out. I think I'm still a little sad.

TNS- What kind of music are you listening to? What's in your iPod?

LC- I'm listening to everything... Celine Dion, who never leaves my iPod. Faith Hill, Heart, Avalon and Journey are currently in rotation.

TNS- If you had a crystal ball and looked forward five years, what do you see for yourself?

LC- In five years I see myself performing my music to a larger audience, writing for other artists, and just enjoying life. As long as I'm making a living doing what I love, life is good.

TNS- Nickname for your guitar or other instruments?

LC- "Learn Me" is the name of my guitar. (Laughter)

Sugarland On Oprah Today

Sugarland will appear on Oprah today to promote their holiday album Gold And Green. The duo will perform a Christmas classic during the show with Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Hudson. This will mark Sugarland’s second appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show this year. Check your local listings for time. And while we're at it, we'll share a funny Time Life informercial spoof by the two promoting the new album below...

TNS Video History- Carrie Underwood Sings “Stand By Your Man” At Opry