Bucky Covington, Clay Walker, Pam Tillis top new releases
Tuesday, April 17, 2007 – An American idol finalist and two country veterans top the list of new releases out Tuesday. Bucky Covington participated in the 2006 American Idol, and following the lead of Carrie Underwood, the North Carolina native landed himself a record deal in Nashville. Covington did not win the competition as did Underwood, but he made enough of a name for himself to grab a record deal. His first album is self titled.
Clay Walker finally releases his first album for Curb, "Fall." "'Fore She was Mama," the first song on the 12-song disc, charted, though was not a big hit. The disc includes his rendition of "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" with the late Freddy Fender, who had a big hit with the song.
Pam Tillis had a number of hits oin Arista, but she now formed her own label to release "Rhinestoned." The disc comes out more than four years after a tribute disc to her father, Mel. Tillis co-produced the disc with Matt Spicher and Gary Nicholson, opting for more of a country sound as the recording went on.
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Just in Time for Christmas
Pam Tillis takes a supper club approach to Christmas music. It may be the holiday season, but Tillis has put male/female relationships prominently under her tree, right along with all her other presents.
Songs like "Christmas Waltz," "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" all point out the social nature of this popular season. Many arrangements sound the way a piano man might sing them at his piano bar. »»» |
Rhinestoned
Pam Tillis' first non-major label disc, "Tillis Sings Tillis," reminded listeners that Mel's daughter had strong roots in his brand of traditional country. She takes advantage of her continued independence on this new release on her own label to venture not just into traditional fare, but pop, rock and even bit of cabaret jazz style. The end result is a widely varied and enjoyable album that's still commercial-sounding enough that one could imagine many of these songs on »»» |
Bucky Covington
Bucky Covington is the latest American Idol alum to dive headlong in the country genre. Covington and fellow Idol Season 5 contestant Kellie Pickler are out to prove you don't have to win the competition to launch a career.
As a top 10 finisher, Covington was a fan favorite because of his vocals and fun-loving personality. The problem with his debut album is that much of that personality is suppressed in favor of broad stroke generic songs. While his vocals sound better than ever, many of »»» |
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: Music City goes (Boston) Pop(s) –
On the face of it, the idea of top shelf country songwriters coming up from Nashville to play with the Boston Pops may seem incongruous. The idea of the venerable Boston institution and fixture on the July 4 scene, playing patriotic songs doesn't have all that much to do with country.
The idea isn't without precedent, of course.... »»»
Concert Review: O'Donovan goes home –
Aiofe O'Donovan had plenty of reason to be filled with good cheer. This was a hometown gig, after all, and only three days before the release of her first full-length solo debut, "Fossils."
Joking that the audience was filled with people she knew from high school and her parents' friends, O'Donovan made it clear that Boston... »»»
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Still Fighting the War
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Southeastern
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