Shelton, Richie again lead charts
Thursday, April 26, 2012 – Lionel Richie and Blake Shelton both continue atop the Billboard charts for the week ending May 5. Richie, once again, has the best selling disc in the U.S. with "Tuskegee," while Shelton's Drink On It leads the country song chart.
Lady Antebellum inched up one to second on the song chart with Dancin' Away With My Heart. Rascal Flatts was third, up two, with Banjo. Miranda Lambert stayed fourth with Over You.Lee Brice's former number one, A Woman Like You, was fifth, down three. Kip Moore broke into the top 10 for the first time with his single, Somethin' 'Bout a Truck, at 9. Springsteen, by Eric Church, was just behind at 10, up 2.
THE FARM's single, Home Sweet Home, rose 3 to 24. So did Love And Theft's Angel Eyes, situated at 26. Thompson Square jumped 5 to 28 with Glass. Dierks Bentley rounded out the top 30 with the biggest jumper - 5-1-5-0 - going from 37 to 30.
On the album chart, Bryan was second with "tailgates & tanlines," changing places with Rascal Flatts' "Changed" in third. Church stayed fourth with "Chief" as did Jason Aldean in fifth with "My Kinda Party."
Hank Williams III debuted at 16 with "Long Gone Daddy." Rodney Atkins was up 6 to 21 with "Take a Back Road." Hunter Hayes' self-titled debut was 23rd. Thompson Square was up 6 to 35 with their self-titled debut. Alan Jackson debuted at 38 with "The Essential Alan Jackson."
On the bluegrass album chart, Trampled By Turtles stayed first with "Stars And Satellites." Punch Brothers stood in second with "Who's Feeling Young Now?," switching spots with Carolina Chocolate Drops' "Leaving Eden." Alison Krauss & Union Station were fourth with "Paper Airplane," one ahead of "The Goat Rodeo Sessions" by Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile.
On the overall top 200 chart, Bryan was 10th, Rascal Flatts 13th and Church 18.
More news for Blake Shelton
CD reviews for Blake Shelton
Based on a True Story
After Blake Shelton won his first CMA for Best Male Vocalist, he finally began to think he was one of the artists that would influence the direction of country music. If his latest release "Based on a True Story" is any indication, the genre is headed toward records featuring super catchy songs with homogenous themes. Every number has an infectious melody with lead single potential. The trade-off for the sonic pleasantry is a 12-song collection that is short on meaningful material, but long on fun. »»» |
Cheers, It's Christmas
For his first Christmas album, Blake Shelton goes for the traditional approach. For a guy that can be a real loose cannon when appearing on The Voice, Blake sure comes off conservative throughout this 14-song collection. Most of these tracks feature full orchestrations, and it sure doesn't sound like any down home holiday celebration.
Shelton is at his best, and country-ist, when joined by fellow Okie Reba during the western swinging Oklahoma Christmas. In fact, that classy red head even »»» |
Red River Blue
With the right set of songs, Blake Shelton can sound really great. "Red River Blue" just might be that right set of songs because Shelton has never sounded better. There are moments on this set where Shelton goes country-soul, a la James Otto, most notably with Ready To Roll and Drink On It, and also places where that The Voice guy voices a few power ballads, such as on I'm Sorry.
A big part of Shelton's appeal with viewers on The Voice is the way Shelton seems to think and »»» |
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
Few artists exude pain in their voices the way Slaid Cleaves can, and there are moments during his strong new full-length, "Still Fighting the War," when he seems a little like the male equivalent to Lucinda Williams. With Rust Belt Fields, Cleaves speaks up for most anybody that's been laid low be America's recent recession, from those dealing with home foreclosure to the ones laid off from their jobs. »»» |
Southeastern
Given the fact that Jason Isbell opts for solo billing this time around, it might be assumed that last year's "Live From Alabama," recorded with the 400 Unit, was the band's swan song of sorts. That is, unless one considers the fact that drummer Chad Gamble and keyboardist Derry deBorja are still along for the ride, albeit sans the band billing. »»» |
Fossils
Aiofe O'Donovan has been on a roll. As lead singer of the well-regarded alt.-bluegrass band, Crooked Still, O'Donovan helped put the alt. in the bluegrass with her light, sometimes breathy vocals. She also gained attention for singing on two songs on "The Goat Rodeo Sessions." She's now on her own (Crooked Still is on hiatus) for her first full-length disc. »»» |
Pokey LaFarge
Although Pokey LaFarge is a relatively young 30 years old, his songwriting soul is as old as a Victrola crank. In the past seven years and across seven albums, LaFarge has paid homage to the American music that caught his ear as a teenager (hot jazz, swing, country blues and Appalachian folk), not with an idolator's slavish heart, but with the nervy spirit of an innovator. »»» |
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