Bill Anderson Releases "Songwriter"

Country Music Hall of Famer Whisperin' Bill Anderson will release his long-awaited CD (digital) "Bill Anderson - Songwriter" on June 8th and fans can expect a widely diverse collection of self-penned tunes from the legendary artist.

Anderson produced the CD, along with Rex Schnelle. Co-writers on the project include Brad Paisley, Jon Randall, Buddy Cannon, Rivers Rutherford, Jamie Johnson (Grascals), Rex Schnelle, Barry Dean, Tim Nichols, Joshua Ragsdale, Bobby Tomberlin, Jim Martin, Gordie Sampson, Coley McCabe, John Wiggins, Billy Montana, and Brad Crisler. In addition to being a co-writer, Paisley also lends his incredible electric guitar licks to the song "If You Can't Make Money Make Love".

Anderson, who first hit pay-dirt as a teenage songwriter when he crafted the country classic "City Lights", is currently enjoying the 7th decade of his life-and "still" writing hit songs!

AngryCountry has an advance copy of this album and can tell you it is a blast to listen to! Fun, lighthearted songs that spotlight what songwriters can come up with when they sit down to pick and play! "It Ain't My Job To Tote Your Monkey" - the first track on the album, is one of the most unique and hilarious songs I've heard in a very long time!

Mark Chesnutt - Outlaw

Mark Chesnutt and Saguaro Road Records present a collection of "all-American, all-time favorite, whiskey-soaked standards." An impressive collection of classic country music by one of its greatest artists. it takes me back to a time when country singer's didn't care if it was five o'clock and didn't need a beach - life was enough to set you to drinking. A true joy to listen too, these songs are timeless gems that are just as good the second time around!

Says Chesnutt: "I cut my teeth on this kind of music and it's an opportunity for me to pay tribute to some of my biggest heroes in country music."

I give it four stars 'cuz I drank the fifth.
A must have for fans of classic country.


Track Listing:

Black Rose
Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound
Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line
A Couple More Years
Need a Little Time Off for Bad Behavior
Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
Are You Ready for the Country
Lovin' Her was Easier
Country State of Mind
Freedom to Stay
Bloody Mary Morning
Desperados Waiting for a Train



Web: http://www.markchesnutt.com/
Shop: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0038KMW1E/ecnadmedia-20
Social: http://www.facebook.com/markchesnutt

Randy Houser - Anything Goes
By Michael - AngryCountry.com Senior Writer

I haven't done any album reviews in months... and there's a good reason why not: In general country music is boring me right now. It's too much rock; and too much of the same. We need less Jimmy Buffet and more Randy Travis.; Less American Idol and more Nashville Star. But while flipping through my cable channels I happened upon a music video that made me buy an album. It was Randy Houser's "Boots On" and the album is called "Anything Goes."

This Universal South artist is giving me exactly what I like: Real country music. A touch of southern rock and a whole bunch of tender melodies. From the radio-friendly "My Kind of Country" to the meaningful "Back To God" Houser delivers one of the best country albums of the year. With a sound that reminds me of the better half of Brooks and Dunn with a touch of Buddy Jewell, Randy is pleasing to listen too on the deep "Something Real" or the light-hearted "Lie."

I give it an easy 5-stars, and suggest all fans of great country music give it a try.
You won't be disappointed!

Web: http://www.randyhouser.com
Purchase: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001COVD9A/ecnadmedia-20
Social: http://www.www.facebook.com/RandyHouser

I have rcvd word, not confirmed, but my sources are good, that The Grand Ole Opry will hold its performances this week at NASHVILLE’S WAR MEMORIAL. You can go to the Opry’s website this evening and it should be posted regarding this week’s performances and times, and possibly there will be more info on the future shows of the Grand Ole Opry, in the coming weeks. At this time we do not know the extent of the flood damage or how long repair will take to reopen the Opry House for performances.

The Grand Ole Opry House has had extensive water damage, and also the Opryland Hotel, and Opryland Mills Shopping Center. The changes are due to the devastating flood which has occurred here in Nashville. The City of Nashville as always, has come together to do whatever it is going to take, and as quickly as they can, to get back up and running. I will send out any info that I might receive in the future hours and days.

Thank you and please keep our people in your prayers.

Marty Martel
Pres., MSP Inc.
Pres., BKD Promotions
Pres., R.O.P.E. Intl.

Universal Music Group Nashville showcased 18 acts during their Country Radio Seminar (CRS) luncheon Wednesday, February 24th at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Artists included Easton Corbin, Laura Bell Bundy, Josh Kelley, Coldwater Jane, Randy Montana, Mallary Hope, Ashton Shepherd, Randy Rogers Band, Ryan Bingham, David Nail, Julianne Hough, Billy Currington, Jamey Johnson, Gary Allan (who'd just recently hit the Ryman stage during his first headlining show there!), Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill and Sugarland.

Front Row (L to R): Brandon Jane (Coldwater Jane), Leah Crutchfield (Coldwater Jane), Corbin, Shepherd, Bundy, Kelley, Hope, Montana

2nd Row (L to R): Brady Black (Randy Rogers Band), Geoffrey Hill (RRB), Randy Rogers (RRB), Nail, Hough, Currington

3rd Row (L to R): Johnson, Jon Richardson (RRB), Turner, Allan, Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland)

4th Row (L to R): Womack, Gill, Kristian Bush (Sugarland)

Bingham is not pictured.



PHOTO CREDIT: Peyton Hoge

MARLEY’S GHOST'S 9th ALBUM 'GHOST TOWN,' RECORDED IN NASHVILLE WITH COWBOY JACK CLEMENT

Acoustic quintet from Northern California and Pacific Northwest migrates to the (615) to record with legendary musician/producer, veteran of Jerry Lee Lewis, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash.

Marley’s Ghost, cited by Paste magazine as “(having) earned cult-band status over 20 years of spirited musicianship, multi-part harmonies and irreverent humor,” will return from a three-year absence from recording with a new album, Ghost Town, due out February 23, 2010 on Sage Arts Records. The new album was produced by Cowboy Jack Clement, in whose Nashville home studio it was recorded. The cover was painted by acclaimed American watercolorist William Matthews.

The album follows Marley’s Ghost’s 2006 album Spooked, which was produced by Van Dyke Parks and featured a cover by R. Crumb. Of Spooked, No Depression remarked, “The band’s eighth full-length in 20 years glides with deadpan sincerity through sea chanteys, perverted mountain gospel, country-rock, vintage pre-WWII pop, Jazz Age vamps, Dylan, western campfire songs, and a rib-tickling salute to ‘the French Elvis,’ Johnny Hallyday. Brilliantly sung and played, Spooked is a heady, subversive treat.”

The latest development in the band’s recording career may prove to be the crucial link for Marley’s Ghost. Clement, the country music cornerstone whose career entwined with those of Jerry Lee Lewis, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and so many others, is the beloved dean of Nashville producers, and the presence of Marley’s Ghost in his studio earned the band its first Music Row buzz.

“Working with Jack is standing in the front door looking out into the world with the whole house of rock ’n’ roll and country music behind you,” says Marley’s Ghost bassist and singer Dan Wheetman. “Jack is steeped in the Sun Records ideals of music. The technical side is important but takes a backseat to the ‘bang,’ the performance with heart and energy.”

“It’s easy to think of Jack as the guy who wrote hits for Cash at Sun Records and recorded Charley Pride in the ’70s, but you know, he has a platinum album with U2,” he adds, referring to a portion of Rattle and Hum that Clement oversaw.

“Marley’s Ghost is very experienced, versatile and best of all, open-minded, and a fun bunch of guys,” says Clement. “I prefer to play with a great band rather than a bunch of great session players. And they are a great band. They understand that we are all in the fun business and if we’re not having fun, we’re not doing our jobs. And they can play just about anything they want to. Even polkas. I ain’t got ’em to do one yet, but I will.”

After more than 20 years of making music together— recording nine albums and performing thousands of shows around the country — Marley’s Ghost remains one of the best-kept secrets in the music world, an untapped natural resource waiting to be discovered.

“Our criteria,” says the band’s guitarist, Mike Phelan, “has always been: bring it, let’s run it. It’s not about genre or style.” This is one band that knows all the songs from both The Harder They Come soundtrack and Ralph Stanley’s Cry From the Cross. Or as Paste puts it, "a decidedly unusual band, as capable of reanimating Appalachian folk songs as they are traditional Celtic fare, honky tonk and reggae.”

The most important ingredients in the Marley’s Ghost musical brew are the characters in the band. The five multi-instrumentalists boast distinctive musical personalities that couldn’t be less alike.

Dan Wheetman is a veteran of the ’60s Simi Valley, Calif. teen rock group the Humane Society, and, as a member of ’70s country-rockers Liberty, toured for years with John Denver and Steve Martin. Jon Wilcox, mandolinist and vocalist, used to trudge around the country as a solo artist. Mike Phelan, like Wheetman and Wilcox a prolific songwriter, can tear your heart out with a soul tune, put a romantic lilt into an Irish folk tune or blast molten lead guitar licks through the heart of a blues. Innovative pedal steel guitarist Ed Littlefield, Jr., spent years performing C&W in rugged roadhouses for loggers across the Pacific Northwest, and plays a fierce fiddle and bagpipes. And Jerry Fletcher, the band’s secret weapon and unofficial fifth Ghost, became “certified” in 2006, bringing his eclectic music skills (drums, keys, accordion and vocal arranging) to bear full-time.

Together they are a unique amalgam of their respective backgrounds, personal proclivities and musical abilities — a blend honed to a seamless collaboration over the many miles they have traveled together down the road.

“I call it ’bang,’” says Clement in summation. “It’s got bang. The band’s got some bang to it.”

     Every rose has its thorn. And Hank's not afraid to show his thorny side on 127 Rose Avenue, with powerful takes on justice, near-poverty, family trees, bluegrass, women with over-the-top tastes, and more.

     Avenue finds him walking new streets – it’s his first album of all-new material since 2003’s very shamefully underrated I’m One of You. Though in 2006 That’s How They Do It in Dixie – The Essential Collection was thrown into the mix, it contains only ten “essential” tracks with two new ones. He also guested last year on “Bartender Song (Sittin’ at a Bar)” by rap/rock act Rehab. (That unique pairing also ordered up a very amusing video).

     Speaking of rap, “fast-paced” is an understatement for all the words thrown at listeners in opener “Farm Song.” Sugar rush meets acid trip might be more appropriate. Despite some unnecessary hunting-related lyrics, it’s hard not to like with such happily crazed delivery. Next comes cleverly-titled first single “Red, White, and Pink Slip Blues,” which slows things down and takes a long hard look at financial life, or lack thereof. Its message is hard to sum up but it’s impossible to not be affected in some way.

     Apparently it pays to listen up. Seconds later, Hank loses the cut-to-the-heart conviction found on "Blues" and jumps right into the incredibly catchy "High Maintenance Woman." Oh, and thank God - this is NOT the same-named Toby Keith song. Williams Jr. wrote it himself, and it's not hard to believe he's lived it too (background singers and all). Single-worthy, the hook is "she's a high maintenance woman and I'm a low budget man.” Keep your ears open for the phone ring; don’t let it lead you to reach for your own (phone).

     Strangely, he sounds particularly convincing when embracing songs he didn’t write (“Mighty Oak Trees,” “Sounds Like Justice,” “Forged by Fire,” “127 Rose Avenue”), all of which address personal-sounding plights. Whether it’s thankfulness for friends he’s had, even sharing war-ties with some, taking matters into one’s own hands, or walking through the house his father grew up in and feeling his presence there, Williams sounds firmly rooted in every role.

     His father’s presence isn’t elsewhere unfelt on this album, either. Hank Jr. includes his “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” (also covered by Hank III) and “Last Driftin’ Cowboy.” Intended to show “what they really were versus what people have turned them into,” its morbidness midway through is overwhelmingly sad if you don’t know what you’re getting into.

     “It’s like I’m on the Opry, standing there with Bill Monroe,” says Hank of “All the Roads,” done with bluegrass maestros The Grascals (c’mon, it’s in their name). Rose definitely proves the perfect home to grow well into the grass on “Roads.” The two acts sound nature-made for each other.

     On “Blues,” he asks “Is anybody listening?” and if they’re smart they will. Let’s just hope it’s not another six years before there’s more…his music brings significantly more than most radio gives it credit for. –MELISSA COKER

     Husband and wife duo Joey+Rory (that's Joey Martin and Rory Lee Feek) are no strangers to working together. Musically though, the soulmates are also well-grounded, with Joey having had a solo artist deal and Rory writing several acclaimed songs (Blake Shelton's "Some Beach" and Blaine Larsen's "How Do You Get That Lonely" among them). They've also been consistently voted onto CMT Pure’s 12 Pack countdown, named Overstock.com Spokespersons in a national ad campaign, and placed prominently on the CMT show Can You Duet?

     And do it they can – The Life of a Song brings humor, heartbreak, passion – oh, and hos, to the table in its twelve tracks. Garden implements aside, the way these two collide is a well-fertilized musical soil for sure.

     In the video for abundantly catchy lead single "Cheater, Cheater", the two can't keep from cracking up. Speaking of which, there's a surprise appearance from Naomi Judd (a Duet judge) at the end that should be especially amusing to those who followed the duo on Duet. Showing further how far removed they are from the song's story of "white trash hos" and such, the couples kiss and bow at the end. It should be noted too that the couple took cheating to a whole new level on an online-only "sleighbell mix" of the song, wherein Rory did his best Santa-esque "ho, ho, ho."

     But it's the beginning of Song that sets the tone for this smoothly flowing album from the down home clever couple, highlighting that a song can be interpreted in a myriad of different ways.

     Written by Rory, the infectiously grooving "Play the Song" practically dares anyone anywhere to just try and review this album – with lines such as "let the people decide if the music is right or it's wrong" and "if you ask me…why's a song gotta be so darn PC; so damn PC" among them – fittingly enough, it's next to impossible to describe; however, it IS decidedly quite well-done. Otherwise, decide amongst yourselves.

     Life isn't all fun and games, though; story song "Sweet Emmylou" gives gorgeous vocal detail of how records are turned to in the midst of pain, "Rodeo" achingly evokes the feel of being cheated on by the rodeo as if it were another woman (Cory Batten, artist and writer of the #1 “She Wouldn't Be Gone” by Blake Shelton, lent pen); "Heart of the Wood" acoustically warbles of a tree's varying destinies, and "To Say Goodbye" is likely to make even the most fierce cry. There's even an intimately done take on "Free Bird," which makes the classic more akin to a romantic relationship.

     "Tune of a Twenty Dollar Bill" (written and also recorded by Shawn Camp) kicks back into up-tempo country sweetness, though containing some sadness, some might say.

     And though "Play the Song" advises against judging wordplay, it's worth it to say "Loved the Hell" has a vastly effective loving hook in its turn of phrase. The title track and closer beautifully dares to wonder what might happen if we could only be a song.

     Unfortunately, the liner notes don't contain lyrics – but they do house what are undoubtedly some of the most honest stories behind the songs someone could share. And the album is dedicated to Johnny and June Carter Cash, "for their example of loving, living, dreaming, and leading the way together, right up 'til the end."

     It's unlikely too many true "cheaters" could combine like this. --Melissa Coker

     

      **If you're in the Nashville area, take note: Joey+Rory play their songs at Mercy Lounge on Feb. 24th as part of a very special benefit featuring Lee Roy Parnell, Hal Ketchum, Delbert McClinton and more.

Charlie Daniels is one of the best at what he does, what we have here is him caught live at the Ford Theater in Nashville ,Tenn with some great musicians.

      Calling all crazies: Lee Ann Womack's here to call you out…starting with "Last Call," an instant country classic featuring aching heartbreak and alcohol-rocky with a twist. Accompanied by a sufficiently sad video, the piece is the first single from Womack's eighth album, set to be in stores on the 28th. Written by Erin Enderlin ("Monday Morning Church") and Shane McAnally, it finds Womack wandering the streets when her (presumed) ex calls her to pick him up and lays loving lies on her all the while. Of special lyrical prowess are the changes in chorus from the first to last, describing the descent of song type and a glass of Johnny Walker Red. Also especially clever is the play of "I'm always your last call – me crazy," probably how the album title was conceived, too.

     Elsewhere, there's the unstoppable sentiment in "Everything But Quits," a duet with George Strait (their second together). The Womack/Strait pairing is a straight shot that clearly just comes natural. Southern rock sensation Waylon Payne, who starred as Jerry Lee Lewis in the movie Walk the Line, wrote the smooth "Solitary Thinkin'." And Keith Urban adds a unique flavor to the sweet circle of the five-minute spellbinding story of "The Bees."

      Among the other special songs making a stand on Crazy are "New Again" (co-written by Womack); "If These Walls Could Talk," and "I Think I Know." "Know" is beautiful, while also possibly one of the most depressing works ever – with lines like "I think I know what killed Keith Whitley" and "I think I know what took Old Johnny" flowing from the pens of hit writers Tom Shapiro, Tony Martin and Mark Nesler. Recording artist Whitney Duncan also lends in lyrics (on "I Found It In You"). Brent Mason, Chris Stapleton, Wes Hightower, Jason Sellers, and other notable talents share vocals and musicianship to the collection. The album is produced by the acclaimed Tony Brown.

     Crazy is as crazy does, and Lee Ann plays the part with style. ..so she just might be the lunatic you're looking for. -MELISSA COKER