Underwood leads country charts
Wednesday, May 30, 2012 – Carrie Underwood has the best selling country disc with "Blown Away," having sold 45,000 units, down 17 percent. Underwood has the third best selling disc in the U.S.
Lionel Richie's "Tuskegee" was up three to sixth with 33,000 units sold, down 15 percent.
Charts will be out on Thursday.
More news for Carrie Underwood
CD reviews for Carrie Underwood
Blown Away
Carrie Underwood's calling card remains intact - her ultra strong set of pipes. "Blown Away" is almost a tale of two CDs. The first half or so tends to be far more pop oriented and at times rocks, while the other half veers far more towards country and even gets traditional on a song or two.
The lead-off hit first single, Good Girl, rocks far more than anything else. It sounds good, catchy, but with Underwood singing hard, the song is geared for arena rock, not anything remotely »»»
|
Play On
Through three releases, the one constant about Carrie Underwood is her big voice. It's an instrument in and of itself no matter whether going for somewhat of a country sound, a pure pop bent or a tougher, rocking edge. She can add the right touch to sad songs such as Temporary Home in part about a young boy who has to shuffle from home to home or the tough sounding Quitter.
Underwood would not be accused of being heavy-duty country. She actually displayed more signs of that on her last CD, »»»
|
Carnival Ride
Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" debut sold 6 million, yielded 5 smash singles and was the fastest-selling debut by any country artist ever. If that weren't enough, she even passed Kelly Clarkson to be the lead-selling engine on the American Idol gravy train. So, who in their right mind would tamper with the soup?
Underwood's handlers, not about to let their franchise suffer a sophomore jinx, have assembled an airtight collection of pure country-pop from elite »»»
|
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. »»»
|
|