2012 CMA Nominations

They’re out!  What are your thoughts on this year’s CMA nominations?  Discuss in the comments section.

Entertainer of the Year 

Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Female Vocalist of the Year

Kelly Clarkson
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban

Vocal Group of the Year

The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year

Big & Rich
Love and Theft
Sugarland
The Civil Wars
Thompson Square

New Artist of the Year

Lee Brice
Brantley Gilbert
Hunter Hayes
Love and Theft
Thompson Square

Album of the Year (Awarded to artist and producer)

Luke Bryan, Tailgates and Tanlines – Produced by Jeff Stevens and Mark Bright

Eric Church, Chief – Produced by Jay Joyce

Miranda Lambert, Four the Record – Produced by Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay, and Glenn Worf

Dierks Bentley, Home – Produced by Brett Beavers, Luke Wooten, and Jon Randall Stewart

Lady Antebellum, Own the Night  – Produced by Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum

Song of the Year (Awarded to songwriters)

Eli Young Band, “Even if It Breaks Your Heart” – Will Hoge and Eric Paslay

Blake Shelton, “God Gave Me You” – Dave Barnes

Dierks Bentley, “Home” – Dierks Bentley, Dan Wilson and Brett Beavers

Miranda Lambert, “Over You” – Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton

Eric Church, “Springsteen” – Eric Church, Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell

Single of the Year (Awarded to artist and producer)

Jason Aldean, “Dirt Road Anthem” – Produced by Michael Knox

Blake Shelton, “God Gave Me You” – Produced by Scott Hendricks

Dierks Bentley, “Home” – Produced by Brett Beavers and Luke Wooten

Little Big Town, “Pontoon” – Produced by Jay Joyce

Eric Church, “Springsteen” – Produced by Jay Joyce

Musical Event of the Year

“Dixie Highway,” Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band

“Feel Like a Rock Star,” Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw

“Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,” Willie Nelson featuring Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson

“Safe and Sound,” Taylor Swift featuring the Civil Wars

“Stuck on You,” Lionel Richie and Darius Rucker

Music Video of the Year (Awarded to artist and director)

Eric Church, “Springsteen” – Directed by Peter Zavadil

Kenny Chesney, “Come Over” – Directed by Shaun Silva

Miranda Lambert, “Over You” – Directed by Trey Fanjoy

Little Big Town, “Pontoon” – Directed by Declan Whitebloom

Toby Keith, “Red Solo Cup” – Directed by Michael Salomon

Musician of the Year

Sam Bush
Paul Franklin
Dann Huff
Brent Mason
Mac McAnally

 

Album Review: Teea Goans – That’s Just Me

With her sophomore album That’s Just Me, traditional country crooner Teea Goans continues to build upon the remarkable promise she displayed on her 2010 debut The Way I Remember It.  Like its predecessor, That’s Just Me offers an eclectic mix of new material with a selection of well-chosen covers.

With a distinct, plaintive voice that sounds like it was tailor-made for classic country – vaguely reminiscent of Pam Tillis with a few shades of Carlene Carter – Goans inhabits the throwback arrangements with grace and ease.  Terry Choate produces the project, framing Goans voice with the sweet sounds of fiddle and steel, with cool touches like some bluesy guitar chords (such as on “The Big Hurt”) added in for good measure.

That’s Just Me features fine covers of good’ns such as Larry Gatlin’s “I’ve Done Enough Dying Today,” as well as “Nobody Wins,” a top-notch Kris Kristofferson composition that was a hit for Brenda Lee in 1973.  Also cited is the Bob Montgomery-penned “Misty Blue,” which Wilma Burgess, Eddy Arnold, and Billie Jo Spears all had Top 5 hits with in 1966, 1967, and 1976, respectively, and which Goans likewise covers with aplomb.  The melody finely showcases Goans pristine vocal control and nuance.  The album closes with a beautifully raw, sparsely produced rendition of “Over the Rainbow” from the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.  It would be an understatement to say that the song has been covered endlessly, but Goans impresses by delivering beautifully heartfelt vocal reading that comes across as uniquely her own.

As satisfying as the cover songs may be, That’s Just Me reaches similarly great heights with its inspired original material.  When Goans joins forces with Jamie Dailey of acclaimed bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent on “That’s Just Me Loving You,” it’s hard to a imagine a sweeter-sounding vocal pairing.  The two voices meld seamlessly on a duet that makes you want to savor every note, and then attack the replay button.  Goans cuts loose with infectious abandon on jovial uptempo cuts such as the Western Swing-influenced number “Pour a Little Love On It” – a definite album highlight.  Similarly catchy uptempo cuts “Loving Proof” and Overboard” are given more percussive, modern-sounding arrangements than most of the album’s other cuts, while nodding heavily to traditional genre conventions, and thus still melding comfortably with the rest of the album.  Featuring consistently solid songs that are tastefully produced and beautifully sung, there simply isn’t a weak track to be found on That’s Just Me, making for an effortlessly lovable collection of tunes.

Every bit as straightforward, sincere, and unpretentious as its title would imply, That’s Just Me is a simple refreshing country delight, the likes of which are few and far between these days.  It’s not so much a genre exercise as a reminder of why we fell in love with country music in the first place.

TEEA’S SCORE:  9
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

Top Tracks:  “Pour a Little Love On It,” “Misty Blue,” “That’s Just Me Loving You”

Buy:  That’s Just Me

 

It’s Time to Light the Lights, Y’all – Country Music Meets the Muppets

Two things I love:  (1) Country music, and (2) The Muppets.  Miss Piggy’s cameo appearance at last month’s CMA Awards was hardly the first time the two had intersected.  But before I head off to the movie theater to see The Muppets – the first theatrical film to star the Muppets since 1999 – I thought I’d celebrate my 300th blog post on The 1-to-10 by sharing a few classic TV moments that featured great country performers surrounded by those ever-lovable Muppets.

The Muppet Show, the classic Muppet-centric television series that ran from 1976 to 1980, had a history of featuring many prolific country music performers as special guest stars – performers who often went on to become legends.

Kris Kristofferson and Miss Piggy, “Help Me Make It Through the Night” – The Muppet Show, 1978

“It’s a very sexy number,” Piggy warn Kermit.  “Are you sure you won’t be jealous?”  To Miss Piggy’s dismay, Kermit doesn’t really seem to care.

Roy Clark, “Rocky Top” – The Muppet Show, 1978

It’s The Muppet Show with special guest stars… Roy Clark, Roy Clark, Roy Clark, and Roy Clark!

Loretta Lynn, “One’s On the Way” – The Muppet Show, 1978

One of my favorite Loretta Lynn songs sung by the woman herself backed by a brood of somewhat aggressive Muppet infants.

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, “Hazy Mountains”/ “Tumbling Tumbleweeds”/ “Happy Trails” – The Muppet Show, 1979

Two legends of music and film perform a medley of Western classics.

John Denver, “Grandma’s Feather Bed” – The Muppet Show, 1979

This number is, for lack of a better description, cuter than a box of kittens.

Crystal Gayle, “River Road” – The Muppet Show, 1979

With Loretta having appeared on The Muppet Show, there was obviously no way little sister Crystal Gayle was getting left out.  In this number, she portrays a young runaway persuaded to return home by an elderly woman.

Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler” – The Muppet Show, 1979

Okay, so those eerily-realistic old man puppets just might be the creepiest Muppets I’ve ever seen, but hey, we still get Kenny Rogers singing his timeless classic “The Gambler”!

Johnny Cash, “Dirty Ol’ Egg-Suckin’ Dog” – The Muppet Show, 1980

The legendary Man In Black performs a song which the pianist Rowlf seems to find quite offensive.

Linda Ronstadt, “Blue Bayou” – The Muppet Show, 1980

Kermit the Frog finds himself smitten with the beaufitul Linda Ronstadt, as she is likewise with him, but she’ll have Miss Piggy to get past first!  In this hilarious episode, Ronstadt performs her classic country and pop hit “Blue Bayou.”

What are your favorite country music moments involving the Muppets?  Share them in the comments section.

 

LeAnn Rimes, Lady & Gentlemen Tracklist Revealed

After being delayed for a year, LeAnn Rimes’ new covers album Lady & Gentlemen will finally hit stores on September 27.  With this 14-song set, Rimes will offer her own re-interpretations of classic country songs originally recorded by male artists.  The album will also include the original song and current single “Give,” as well as a re-recorded version of her classic 1996 debut single “Blue.”

Fans can listen to the album online 48 Hours in advance of release at www.leannrimesworld.com, and album is now available for pre-order on iTunes

“This album was born out of the memories of when I first fell in love with country music and in reflecting, I realized that almost all of my favorite country songs from back then were sung by men,” says LeAnn of the album. “I am honored to take a step back in time and sing these songs from a woman’s perspective and hopefully help reintroduce them to a new audience.”

The final track listing is as follows:

1.            Swingin’    3:00

(originally recorded by John Anderson, released in 1982)

2.            Wasted Days And Wasted Nights    4:04

(originally recorded by Freddy Fender, released in 1975) 

3.            Only Mama That’ll Walk The Line    2:37

(originally recorded by Waylon Jennings “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line”, released in 1966)

4.            I Can’t Be Myself    3:10

(originally recorded by Merle Haggard, released in 1970)

5.            16 Tons    2:39

(originally recorded by Tennessee Ernie Ford, released in 1955)

6.            Help Me Make It Through The Night    2:58

(originally recorded by Kris Kristofferson, released in 1970)

7.            Rose Colored Glasses    3:04

(originally recorded by John Conlee, released in 1978)

8.            Good Hearted Woman    3:38

(originally recorded by Waylon Jennings, released in 1972)

9.            When I Call Your Name    3:49

(originally recorded by Vince Gill, released in 1990)

10.          He Stopped Loving Her Today    2:26

(originally recorded by George Jones, released in 1980)

11.          Blue   2:26

(originally recorded by LeAnn Rimes, released in 1996)

12.          Bottle Let Me Down    3:29

(originally recorded by Merle Haggard, released in 1966)

13.          Crazy Women    3:22

(bonus track – original new song)

14.          Give    4:31

(bonus track – original new song)