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October-December 2005 Page
1,
2, 3,
4, 5,
6, 7
Page Index:
Ryan
Adams Releases Third CD of 2005
Grammys
Fail to Recognize Americana as a Distinct Genre
2006
Grammy Nominations Announced
Dr.
John Releases CD to Benefit Hurricane Katrina Victims
Wilco
Releases Live CD
Americana
Homeplace Radio Hits the Web
The
Cherryholmes Release Major Label Debut
Bluegrass Awards Held in
Nashville
Dolly
Parton's Classic Covers
Katrina Recalls Randy Newman
Classic
Americana Artists Respond to
Hurricane Katrina
10 Years of No Depression
Magazine
Merlefest Announces 2006 Lineup
BB
King Turns 80
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NEW
RELEASE:
Ryan
Adams Releases Third CD of 2005
 On
November 20, Ryan Adams released his third CD of 2005
entitled "29." Whereas Adams'
previous efforts, Cold Roses and Jacksonville City
Nights, were credited to Ryan Adams and The Cardinals,
the newest release is strictly a solo effort bearing only
the name of its enigmatic author. 29 is an
introspective collection of songs which departs from the
country-oriented approach of Jacksonville City Nights
and the updated Whiskeytown sound of Cold Roses.
According to Adams, who recently turned 31, each of the nine
songs featured on his latest release chronicles a different
year of his life throughout his twenties (though the opening
track entitled "Twenty Nine" appears to
challenge Adams' chronological assertion).
(Dec. 27, 2005) |
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COMMENTARY:
Grammys
Fail to Recognize Americana as a Distinct Genre
As noted in the
article below, the Grammys recently announced their nominees
for the 2006 Grammy Awards to be held in February. It’s
always interesting to see where Americana artists end up on
the list of categories used by the Grammys. Since there is
no "Americana" category, the Grammys have to place
most Americana artists within one or more of the established
genres or categories.
[I suppose the
following discussion should begin with a blanket disclaimer.
I recognize that any discussion about the labeling or
categorizing of music - especially Americana music - upsets
and offends some music fans. And to a large extent that view
is justified. After all, why spend time labeling music which
you can simply listen to and enjoy it? However, in order to
discuss a genre of music as broad and diverse as Americana,
we sometimes have to resort to labels and categories to make
sense out of it. As long as Americana is seen as merely a
haphazard mesh of these separate musical styles, it will not
succeed as its own genre. While many of us complain about
the lack of "Americana" music stations on
commercial radio, we have to recognize that many radio
programmers - and music fans - simply refuse to recognize
Americana as its own separate genre. Since Americana
Homeplace serves to promote Americana as a unique genre of
music, we sometimes have to engage in the dirty business of
analyzing the various sub-genres of music that comprise
Americana. This means playing around with labels and
categories. So with that disclaimer out of the way - let’s
proceed.]
Traditionally,
the Grammys have tended to place a lot of Americana artists
in the "Country" category. This seems to be a
logical default category for a lot of the more
country-oriented Americana artists. However, sometimes
it’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
You may recall the nomination of Tift Merritt’s Tambourine
for Country Album of the Year last year. While Merritt hails
from North Carolina and has a certain country lilt in her
voice, Tambourine didn’t really fit in the Country
category. (Although her previous release, Bramble Rose,
would have fit nicely in that category.)
Sometimes, there
doesn’t appear to be any method behind the Grammys’
madness. This year Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones received
nominations in Country categories, while Jimmie Dale Gilmore
received a Folk nomination. Rodney Crowell’s rock-oriented
release The Outsider received nominations in both
Country and Folk categories. Meanwhile, country-oriented
releases by Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young received Rock
nominations. Alison Krauss received numerous Country
nominations for her latest release Lonely Runs Both Ways,
but the CD failed to receive a nomination for Bluegrass
Album of the Year.
While we may
nitpick some of these labeling decisions, the fact is that
most of them can be justified based on the artists’
recording history. The problem is that many of these
releases deserve their own unique category where they can be
fairly judged against each other. For example, we believe
that Neil Young’s Prairie Wind and Jimmie Dale
Gilmore’s Come On Back should be judged against
their true contemporaries - Crowell’s The Outsider
and John Prine’s Fair & Square, among others.
Unfortunately, the Grammys separate these releases into
distinct categories based largely upon the artists’
recording history rather than the actual sound featured on
the CDs.
Given the rapid
growth of interest in Americana music and its diverse
nature, it is about time the Grammys recognized Americana as
its own unique style or genre. The closest thing the Grammys
have to an "Americana" category is Contemporary
Folk. Nominees in that category this year include Ry Cooder,
Rodney Crowell, Nickel Creek, John Prine and Bruce
Springsteen. That sounds a lot like Americana to me.
Actually, for
reasons that I will not address here, "Americana"
and "Contemporary Folk" are probably synonymous
terms in the strict academic sense. However, the popular
perception of "folk" music is Pete Seeger and Joan
Baez strumming acoustic guitars and singing protest songs in
the 1960s. For this reason, we think the Grammys should
re-name the "Contemporary Folk" category to be
either the "Americana" category or the
"Americana/Contemporary Folk" category.
If the Grammys
would consider making such a change, it would help to
solidify Americana as its own unique genre. From there,
Americana could pull together music fans and grow as its own
unique format. Perhaps one day there would be as much
attention given to the "Americana Album of the
Year" as the "Country Album of the Year."
Hey, we can
hope, can’t we?
[For more on
the topic of promoting Americana music as its own genre, we
encourage you to check the following article: Americana
Tries to Establish Roots as a Viable Genre].
(Dec.
13, 2005)
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AMERICANA
NEWS:
2006
Grammy Nominations Announced
On December 8, the
nominees for the 48th annual Grammy Awards were announced.
Several Americana artists received nominations in a variety
of categories. Some of the more notable nominations
featuring Americana artists include:
Contemporary
Folk Album: Chavez
Ravine, Ry Cooder; The Outsider, Rodney Crowell; Why
Should The Fire Die? Nickel Creek; Fair & Square,
John Prine; Devils & Dust, Bruce Springsteen.
Traditional
Folk Album: Live
From Dublin — A Tribute To Derek Bell, The Chieftains;
Come On Back, Jimmie Dale Gilmore; Fiddler's
Green, Tim O'Brien; Live In The UK, Tom Paxton; Cajun
Mardi Gras! Jo-EL Sonnier.
Female
Country Vocal Performance: The
Connection, Emmylou Harris; Mississippi Girl,
Faith Hill; All Jacked Up, Gretchen Wilson; I May
Hate Myself in the Morning, Lee Ann Womack; Georgia
Rain, Trisha Yearwood.
Male
Country Vocal Performance: Funny
How Time Slips Away, George Jones; As Good As I Once
Was, Toby Keith; Midnight Communion, Delbert
McClinton; Good Ol' Boys, Willie Nelson; Alcohol,
Brad Paisley; You'll Think of Me, Keith Urban.
Country
Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: Comin'
to Your City, Big & Rich; Play Something Country,
Brooks & Dunn; I Hope, Dixie Chicks; Restless,
Alison Krauss and Union Station; Bless the Broken Road,
Rascal Flatts.
Country
Collaboration With Vocals: Building
Bridges, Brooks & Dunn, Sheryl Crow & Vince
Gill; Shelter From the Storm, Rodney Crowell &
Emmylou Harris; Like We Never Loved at All, Faith
Hill & Tim McGraw; Dreams Come True, Willie
Nelson & Norah Jones; Politically Uncorrect,
Gretchen Wilson & Merle Haggard.
Country
Instrumental Performance: I'll
Fly Away, Charlie Daniels; Who's Your Uncle?
Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush & Bela Feck; Unionhouse
Branch, Alison Krauss and Union Station; Scotch &
Chocolate, Nickel Creek; Time Warp, Brad Paisley.
Country
Album: Fireflies,
Faith Hill; Lonely Runs Both Ways, Alison Krauss and
Union Station; Time Well Wasted, Brad Paisley; All Jacked
Up, Gretchen Wilson; Jasper County, Trisha
Yearwood.
Bluegrass
Album: Marbletown,
Blue Highway; Cherryholmes, Cherryholmes; The
Grascals, The Grascals; The Company We Keep, The
Del McCoury Band; Ragin' Live, Rhonda Vincent and The
Rage.
Solo
Rock Vocal Performance: Revolution,
Eric Clapton; Shine It All Around, Robert Plant; Devils
& Dust, Bruce Springsteen; This Is How a Heart
Breaks, Rob Thomas; The Painter, Neil Young.
Rock
Song: Best of You,
Foo Fighters, (Foo Fighters).; Beverly Hills, Rivers
Cuomo, (Weezer); City of Blinding Lights, U2, (U2); Devils
& Dust, Bruce Springsteen, (Bruce Springsteen); Speed
of Sound, Guy Berryman, Jon Buckland, Will Champion
& Chris Martin, (Coldplay).
Rock
Album: X&Y,
Coldplay; In Your Honor, Foo Fighters; A Bigger
Bang, The Rolling Stones; How to Dismantle an Atomic
Bomb, U2; Prairie Wind, Neil Young.
Alternative
Music Album: Funeral,
The Arcade Fire; Guero, Beck; Plans, Death Cab
for Cutie; You Could Have It So Much Better, Franz
Ferdinand; Get Behind Me Satan, The White Stripes.
Song
of the Year: Bless
the Broken Road, Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna & Marcus
Hummon, (Rascal Flatts); Devils & Dust, Bruce
Springsteen, (Bruce Springsteen); Ordinary People, W.
Adams & J. Stephens, (John Legend); Sometimes You
Can't Make It on Your Own, U2; We Belong Together,
J. Austin, M. Carey, J. Dupri & M. Seal, (D. Bristol, K.
Edmonds, S. Johnson, P. Moten, S. Sully & B. Womack)
(Mariah Carey).
The
Grammy Awards will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at
the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. CBS Television will
broadcast the event the event live from 8 - 11:30 p.m.
(ET/PT).
(Dec.
12, 2005) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Dr.
John Releases CD to Benefit Hurricane Katrina Victims
 On
November 22, Dr. John released a CD to benefit victims of
his native New Orleans and surrounding Gulf Coast areas
affected by Hurricane Katrina. All proceeds from the CD's
sales will be divided equally between the New Orleans
Musicians Clinic, the Jazz Foundation of America and the
Voice of the Wetlands. The release features an updated
version of "Sweet Home New Orleans" with
revised lyrics to reflect the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina.
(Dec. 3, 2005) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Wilco
Releases Live CD
 On
November 15, Wilco released their first live CD entitled Kicking
Television: Live in Chicago. The CD was recorded over
several nights at the Vic Theatre in Chicago in May 2005.
Most of the songs on Kicking Television were culled
from 2004's A Ghost is Born and 2002's Yankee
Hotel Foxtrot. Plans for a live DVD to accompany
the CD were scrapped by the band at the last minute.
For Americana Homeplace's review of this release click
here.
(Dec. 3, 2005) |
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WEBSITE
NEWS:
Americana
Homeplace Radio Hits the Web
 On
November 15, we at Americana Homeplace announced the
creation of our new online radio station. Presenting a
mix of Americana, alt-country, folk, bluegrass and blues,
Americana Homeplace Radio is designed to promote the music
and artists discussed here at Americana Homeplace.
Over the next few weeks we will add additional features to
Americana Homeplace Radio, including a regular news brief
called "What's Happening in Americana." Stay
tuned for more updates.
(Dec. 3, 2005) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
The
Cherryholmes Release Major Label Debut
 On
September 27, the Cherryholmes family released their debut CD for
Scaggs Family Records entitled simply Cherryholmes.
Though this marks the family bluegrass group's first official
release on a major bluegrass record label, their reputation
certainly precedes them. As
noted in Americana News & Notes, the group were the first
bluegrass band in history to be nominated for both the Emerging
Artist and Entertainer of the Year awards by the International
Bluegrass Music Association. To the astonishment of many bluegrass
fans, only days after the release of their debut CD with Scaggs
Family Records, Cherryholmes dethroned longtime winners The Del
McCoury Band to receive the Entertainer of the Year award at the
IBMA awards ceremony in Nashville.
(Oct. 28, 2005)
AMERICANA NEWS:
Bluegrass Awards Held in
Nashville
The International Bluegrass Music
Association held its annual awards ceremony on October 27 at
Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. The ceremony featured several
surprises - including the emergence of Cherryhomes as one of the
critical favorites.
The
Del McCoury Band has won the top honor for Entertainer of the Year
so many times over the past decade that it should probably be
renamed in their honor. This year was not expected to be any
different. In a category that also featured the likes of Alison
Krauss & Union Station, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and
Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, few people gave relative newcomers
Cherryholmes much of a chance. As they say in sports, that's
why they play the game. The glass slipper fit for
Cherryholmes and the family bluegrass band from California upset
the traditional favorites to win the award's top honor.
Cherryholmes
had been the first bluegrass band in the history of the awards to
be nominated for both the Entertainer of the Year and Emerging
Artist awards. It was not a clean sweep, however, as the
Emerging Artist award went to The Grascals. The Song of the
Year award also went to the Grascals for "Me and John and
Paul."
(Oct. 28, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Dolly
Parton's Classic Covers
 On
October 11, Dolly Parton released her latest CD entitled Those
Were The Days. As its name suggests, the new CD is a
collection of classic pop and folk songs primarily from the 1960s.
All of the tracks feature Parton dueting with a
variety of folk and country artists, including George Jones,
Porter Wagoner, Brenda Lee, Nickel Creek, Keith Urban, Kris
Kristofferson, Alison Krauss, Mindy Smith, Alison Krauss, and
Roger McGuinn.
(Oct. 21, 2005)
COMMENTARY:
Katrina Recalls Randy Newman
Classic
What
has happened down here is the wind has changed.
Clouds roll in from the North and it started to rain.
Rained real hard and it rained for a real long time.
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline.
-- Randy Newman
Randy
Newman’s "Louisiana 1927" tells the story of the Great
Flood of 1927 which devastated the City of New Orleans. Written
more than 30 years ago, the song is one of the highlights of
Newman’s 1974 release, Good Old Boys. Before Newman
attained fame for novelty songs like "Short People" and
"I Love LA," he was already a highly regarded songwriter
with a unique, witty and often ironic perspective on America and
its people.
Newman’s
Good Old Boys is a concept album about the people and
politics of Louisiana where Newman spent much of his early
childhood. Based loosely around the life and times of Louisiana
Governor and Senator Huey P. Long, the album featured many
memorable songs, including the aforementioned story of the 1927
flood. The album maintained Newman’s well established
songwriting approach which often featured the concept of an
untrustworthy narrarator. It’s an approach that has made Newman
a favorite of critics over the years, but has probably prevented
him from achieving consistent commercial success. "People
don’t expect irony in pop music," he once said. But
"Louisiana 1927" departed from his typical songwriting
approach and featured a straight-forward sympathetic view of the
devastation a natural disaster can reap upon a community and its
people.
It
was probably inevitable that "Louisiana 1927" would
garner renewed attention in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Both Aaron Neville (who featured the song as the opening track on
his 1991 release, Warm Your Heart) and Newman himself have
performed the song for televised benefits in the aftermath of
Katrina. In this regard, the song has helped to raise money for
the people whose lives were so tragically affected.
The
re-discovery of this classic Americana song and the relevance it
has to this particular event in our history tells us something
very important about Americana music. It is music that evokes
images and stories about real people, real places and real events.
It is not artificial or manufactured. Instead, it comes from the
heart and it's part of the land. It also has a relevance and
permanence that will outlive much of what passes for popular
music. It is part of our culture and will be with us in one form
or another for the rest of our lives. And no flood can ever change
that.
(Oct. 18, 2005)
AMERICANA NEWS:
Americana Artists Respond to
Hurricane Katrina
In response to the devastation in
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama caused by Hurricane Katrina,
numerous Americana artists have offered their services for benefit
concerts and CDs to raise money for the relief and rebuilding
effort.
On
September 20, a benefit concert was held at Madison Square Garden
in New York to raise money for Katrina victims. The show, entitled
"Big Apple/Big Easy," featured performances from
Americana artists including Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, John
Fogerty, Ry Cooder, Allen Toussaint, Buckwheat Zydeco, Clarence
"Frogman" Henry, Dave Bartholomew, the Neville Brothers
and the Meters.
On
November 1, Wilco organized a show at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre
for the benefit of the New Orleans Musician Relief Fund and the
Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans.
Dr.
John, whose music is synonymous with New Orleans, will release a
benefit CD entitled Sippiana Hericane on November 22. All
proceeds from the CD's sales will be divided equally between the
New Orleans Musicians Clinic, the Jazz Foundation of America and
the Voice of the Wetlands.
(Oct. 18, 2005)
COMMENTARY:
10 Years of No Depression
Magazine
For 10 years No Depression
magazine has provided its readers with a bi-monthly dose of "Alt.Country
(Whatever That Is)." Now, a decade after its founding
in September 1995, No Depression marks its 10th anniversary with a
new slogan and a series of concerts at selected venues around the
country.
As
many No Depression readers are aware, the magazine's adopted
slogan, "Alt.Country (Whatever That Is)," has appeared
in one form or another on every issue since its first publication.
Of course, the editors have had lots of fun with the slogan
through the years, giving us such variations as "The Black
& White & Red All Over Alt.Country (Whatever That Is)
Bimonthly" and "Happy Acting as an Alt.Country Bimonthly
(Whatever That May Be)." For its July-August edition,
the slogan read "The Last Alt-Country (Whatever That Is)
Bimonthly."
Beginning
this month, the magazine has jumped on board a trend which has
been documented and discussed at Americana Homeplace. The
10th anniversary edition reads, "Surveying the Past, Present,
and Future of American Music." It appears that this in
one more nail in the coffin of the term "alt.country."
Soon the term will pass the way of other such labels like "cowpunk,"
"y'all-ternative" and "insurgent country."
It's just another sign of inevitable musical progress and
evolution.
No
Depression is also marking its anniversary by staging a series of
concerts in Seattle, Nashville, Chicago, Austin and Chapel Hill,
N.C. The concerts will feature Americana performers such as
Tift Merritt, Billy Joe Shaver, Marty Stuart and Tres Chicas.
The
world of Americana owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to No
Depression. As the term "alt.country" slowly
morphs into "Americana," it is good to know that No
Depression is still there providing us with its bi-monthly look at
the music we love (whatever we call it).
(Oct. 18, 2005)
AMERICANA NEWS:
Merlefest Announces 2006 Lineup
Merlefest, the annual
Americana music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, has
announced a preliminary list of performers for the 2006
festival. The announced artists include Doc Watson (of
course), Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Guy Clark, John Cowan, The Duhks,
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Emmylou Harris, Hot Tuna,
Jim Lauderdale, Nickel Creek, Tony Rice, Darrell Scott and Pete
Seeger. This is only a sampling of the massive list of
performers. If you are an Americana music fan, a trip to Merlefest
is an absolute must. Click here for lots more information
about the event: Merlefest.org.
(Oct. 18, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
BB
King Turns 80
 For
B.B. King's 80th birthday, he has chosen to give all of his fans a
present by releasing a collection of newly recorded tracks.
King's latest CD - appropriately entitled 80 - finds King
joined on the CD by some of the biggest names in popular
music. Guests include Americana-friendly artists such as Van
Morrison, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Mark Knopfler, Glenn Frey,
Billy Gibbons and Bobby Bland.
(Oct. 10, 2005)
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