Little Big Town, Shelton lead country charts
Thursday, September 2, 2010 – Little Big Town debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart for the week ending Sept. 11 with "The Reason Why." The quartet took over from Trace Adkins' "Cowboy's Back in Town," which slipped to third. Blake Shelton held the top position on the song chart with All About Tonight.
Randy Rogers Band debuted in second with "Burning the Day" on the album chart. Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" stood at fourth, down two. Zac Brown Band remained fifth with "The Foundation."
Josh Turner was up from 23 to 20 with "Haywire." Lady A had a big decline with its "iTunes Session (EP)" down from 3 to 21. Eric Church was at 24, up 3 with "Carolina." The Bandy Perry's self-titled EP moved from 35 to 32. Rodney Atkins' "It's America" moved up 5 to 39.
On the bluegrass chart, Dierks Bentley once again was first with "Up on the Ridge." "Palomino" from Trampled by Turtles" was second with "Genuine Negro Jig" from Carolina Chocolate Drops" remaining third.
On the country song chart, Billy Currington's Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer was up one to third, switching sports with Keith Urban's I'm In. Lady Antebellum inched up one to fourth with Our Kind of Love, changing spots with Lee Brice and Love Like Crazy.
Little Big Town broke into the top 10 - at 10 - with Little White Church.
Taylor Swift looks ready to enter the top 10 next week as Mine was up 3 to 11 on its fourth week on the chart. Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson was a big mover with As She's Walking Away going from 25 to 21.
The bottom end of the chart showed action. With Miranda Lambert having a huge week thanks to the CMA nominations, her Only Prettier single moved from 29 to 26. Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party also climbed 3 to 27. The biggest mover was Chris Young, whose Voices jumped from 36 to 29. Steel Magnolia has another single moving up as Just By Being You (Halo And Wings) was at 30, up 4.
On the overall top 200 chart, LBT was 5th, Randy Rogers Band 8th, Adkins 11th, Lady A 12th and Zac Brown Band 26th.
More news for Little Big Town
CD reviews for Little Big Town
Tornado
When the chorus to Leavin' in Your Eyes kicks in with some lovely layered vocals, it's tempting to compare Little Big Town to Fleetwood Mac. After better sense kicks in, though, it's more reasonable to categorize LBT as Fleetwood Mac-lite, at best. All that '70s cocaine and infidelity made Fleetwood Mac so much darker than anything modern day Nashville could ever produce. To its credit, though, Fleetwood Mac could never produce anything nearly as catchy as Pontoon, easily the »»» |
The Reason Why
Little Big Town has bounced around the country music industry through no fault of their own, but when it comes to the music, LBT moves beyond its role as the country successor to Fleetwood Mac. Similar to that touchstone, LBT has the two male, two-female line-up, including a married couple (Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook). More importantly, soaring harmonies rule as evidenced from the get go on the bouncy title track.
But on their third label (Monument Nashville for their self-titled debut »»» |
A Place To Land (re-release)
Little Big Town's third studio album was recently re-released by the group's new label after they split from Equity Music Group and took the CD with them. Those already familiar with the quartet will find a dozen tracks from the original recording, but there are also four new tracks to enjoy including a live coda - a cover of The Dream Academy's Life in a Northern Town - recorded with Jake Owen and Sugarland that has charted on its own. Highlights include That's Where I'll »»» |
Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: Size doesn't matter to Winslow-King –
Luke Winslow-King may have a fine new CD out ("The Coming Tide") on a long respected indie country/roots label (Bloodshot), but that didn't mean the throngs were going to fill the club. In fact, in a second night of shows in the Boston area, Winslow-King drew a handful of people. Well, make that literally two handfuls of people.
As in 10 people.... »»»
Concert Review: McGraw has plenty of fight left –
Despite the fact that Tim McGraw is five years sober, fit as a triathlete and touring behind a number one album, he is still in an unenviable position. As he approaches 50, McGraw has to stay a step ahead of the current crop of young country hunks with TV shows, cross format radio airplay and wider appeal. But as he proved at First Niagara's... »»»
|
|
Country News Digest
 CST
 CST
Elsewhere in the news
Currently at the CST blogs
Some folks listening to Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison's new duet album, "Cheaters Game," may well exclaim, 'Well, it's about time!' after finally hearing these two talented country singer/songwriters recording music as a pair for the first time. Willis has built quite a following for her independently-minded feminine perspective, while Robison has written hits for the Dixie Chicks ( Travelin' Soldier) and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill ( Angry All the Time), as well as penning the ultimate Willie Nelson tribute, What Would Willie Do? and recording it as a solo act.
... »»»
Last fall, singer/songwriter Steve Forbert dropped the 14th studio album of his 35-year career, the impeccable "Over With You." Critics recognized the album as a return to the form Forbert displayed on his earliest works - 1978's stripped back and personal "Alive on Arrival" and 1979's more lushly produced and commercially accessible "Jackrabbit Slim" - but the fact is that Forbert has never strayed far from their basic folk/rock tenets.... »»»
Over the course of the past 20 years or so, Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller have both experienced a certain rise in their respective rootsy country profiles. Miller has become one of Nashville's hottest speed dial numbers, as an artist, a guitarist-for-hire (a role he has performed for Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Robert Plant, among others) and an intuitive producer (he's currently working with Executive Music Producer T Bone Burnett to provide the soundtrack for ABC's "Nashville" television series).... »»»
Wilderness
"Wilderness" is another twisted menagerie of The Handsome Family songs. Once again, husband Brett Sparks sings their songs, sometimes in a bellowing gravedigger voice, after adding music to wife Rennie's lyrics. This time out, each and every tune is named after an animal, insect or other such nature creature. However, Rennie studies animals the way Flannery O'Connor wrote about humans, which is with the weirdness and character flaws in primary focus. »»» |
Love Is Everything
George Strait may have reached his seventh decade, but he shows zero signs of slowing down. In fact, Strait seems to be getting even more consistent as he gets older. Strait doesn't stray all that far from the formula that has resulted in superstar status. First and foremost, that means his sonorous voice is mixed far above the music, a very good thing. »»» |
Dark Dirty Mile
Jason Boland and the Stragglers have released a new country album that sounds old. This isn't to imply that the sound is aged in a negative way; they have a classic country maturity that isn't heard too much these days with the exception of Jamey Johnson. For those not familiar with the music of Boland, the first track is a great way to decide whether this is your kind of country music. The title track is a mid tempo country song reminiscent of the late Waylon Jennings. »»» |
Golden
Lady Antebellum probably needed a change in direction after "Own the Night" dropped in 2011. The material was overly geared towards taking dead aim at the radio jugular. That isn't the case this time out on the trio's fifth release because most of the songs veer away from being obviously radio fodder (except for the current single Downtown with its soulful beginning and strong vocals from Hillary Scott), but that also doesn't man that this was the right change. »»» |
|
