Main

September 18, 2008

Krauss & Plant win big at AMA Awards

(NODEPRESSION.NET) -- Alison Krauss & Robert Plant won took home two of the major awards at the seventh annual Americana Honors And Awards Show Thursday night at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Krauss & Plant were named Duo/Group of the Year and also received the Album of the Year award for their 2007 release Raising Sand on Rounder Records. Guitarist Buddy Miller, a member of Krauss & Plant's touring band, received Instrumentalist of the Year honors for the second straight year.

Former Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies frontman Mike Farris, who had made a major impression on attendees of the Americana Music Association conference last year at a tribute to Porter Wagoner, received the New/Emerging Artist of the Year award on the strength of his solo debut gospel album Salvation In Lights.

Former Band drummer Levon Helm, who resurfaced in 2007 with the solo disc Dirt Farmer and thrilled AMA conference members on Wednesday night with his "Ramble on the Road" performance at the Ryman, was named Artist of the Year.

Song of the Year went to Hayes Carll and Brian Keane for "She Left Me For Jesus", from Carll's 2008 release Trouble In Mind on Lost Highway Records.

Receiving the second annual Americana Trailblazer Award was Nashville-by-way-of-Austin singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith. The President's Award, a posthumous honor given annually since the AMA Awards began in 2002, went to Grateful Dead ringleader Jerry Garcia. The conference's annual "Spirit of Americana" Free Speech Award was presented to singer and activist Joan Baez.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients were Jason & the Scorchers (Performer), John Hiatt (Songwriter), Larry Campbell (Instrumentalist), Tony Brown (Engineer/Producer), and Austin City Limits producer Terry Lickona (Executive).

Posted by Peter at 11:36 PM | Permalink

August 15, 2008

Bluegrass Awards nominees announced

(NO DEPRESSION.NET) -- The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced its nominees for the 2008 IBMA Awards, which will be presented at the organization's 19th annual awards show on October 2 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Nominated for the major "Entertainer of the Year" honor are longtime veterans the Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, as well as relative newcomers the Grascals and Dailey & Vincent (featuring Rhonda's brother Darrin).

Three acts tied for the most nominations, with six each: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Blue Highway, and the Dan Tyminski Band.

The full list of nominees is posted here.

Posted by Peter at 11:49 AM | Permalink

August 10, 2008

Isaac Hayes RIP

(NODEPRESSION.COM) -- Soul legend Isaac Hayes was pronounced dead Sunday, August 10. He was found, according to a family member, in an unresponsive state on the floor next to his treadmill at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. Hayes was 65.

Best known for his Academy Award-winning "Theme From Shaft" (1971), Hayes became a somewhat unlikely star in 1969 on the strength of the album Hot Buttered Soul (1969). He had been a member of the Stax studio family since 1964, first as a pianist and sax player, and then co-writing with David Porter (including Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming", Carla Thomas's "B-A-B-Y" and Johnnie Taylor's "I Had A Dream").

His singing style (that deep, slow voice, a bit like Barry White's) is credited with leading to rap, and to disco, though it's possible disco owed more to Hayes' fashion sense.

Hayes later played "Chef" on "South Park," but left after an episode in which the cartoon show made fun of Scientology, which happened to be his religion.

Issac Hayes was an actor, an arranger, and a member of the royal family of Ghana.

He was elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Posted by Grant at 5:07 PM | Permalink

July 28, 2008

Jon Dee Graham hospitalized after car crash

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jon Dee Graham is recovering from multiple injuries sustained in a car crash on Interstate 35 Saturday night after Graham fell asleep at the wheel while returning home to Austin after a performance in the Dallas area, according to a statement on Graham's MySpace page.

All of us at No Depression extend our best wishes for his full and speedy recovery.

Posted by Peter at 3:28 PM | Permalink

July 23, 2008

New Joan Baez, produced by Steve Earle, due September 9

Joan Baez is to release her 24th studio album, Day After Tomorrow, September 9 (Bobolink/Razor & Tie), her first studio release since 2003's Dark Chords On A Big Guitar.

Produced by Steve Earle in Nashville, the ten-track album was recorded with an acoustic ensemble made up of Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, Viktor Krauss, Kenny Malone, and Earle himself.

Songs include Tom Waits' title track, "Day After Tomorrow," Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett's co-written "Scarlet Tide," and a new Steve Earle song, "God Is God." Another track comes from Patty Griffin.

Posted by Grant at 10:59 AM | Permalink

July 7, 2008

Avett Brothers team up with American/Columbia; Rick Rubin to produce next album

(NO DEPRESSION.NET) -- North Carolina band the Avett Brothers have signed a deal with American/Columbia Records for the release of the group's next album. American honcho Rick Rubin will produce the sessions, which recently commenced, according to a statement on the band's website.

The Avett Brothers, hailing from the town of Concord just outside of Charlotte, had released five albums over the past five years with Ramseur Records, a label owned and run by their longtime manager, Dolph Ramseur. The most recent of those albums, 2007's Emotionalism, helped catapult the band to new heights, including Band of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year honors at the 2007 Americana Music Association Awards. The band has also gradually grown into a major live draw, typically selling out rooms larger than 1,000 and playing to huge crowds at both rock and bluegrass festivals, including Merlefest and Coachella.

The Avetts have one more disc coming on Ramseur, a six-song EP titled The Second Gleam due out July 22. A release date for the American/Columbia disc has not yet been announced.

Photo: Avett Brothers at Merlefest 2007. Photograph by Peter Blackstock.

Posted by Peter at 9:49 AM | Permalink

June 23, 2008

George Jones unearths new/old duets

(NO DEPRESSION.NET) -- Drawing from the 1993 Bradley Barn sessions and various late 1980s-early 1990s Billy Sherrill sessions, George Jones will release an album of unreleased duet tracks called Burn Your Playhouse Down on his own Bandit imprint. It also includes an unreleased 1977 track with Tammy Wynette.

The Bradley Barn sessions were produced by Brian Ahern during an ice storm, and originally released in 1994 by MCA. His duet partners included Vince Gill, Keith Richards, Ricky Skaggs, and Leon Russell. The studio band included Keith Richards, Mark Knopfler, and Emmylou Harris, with Nashville session greats like Mac McAnally, Jerry Douglas, Glenn Worf, Glen D. Hardin, John Hennings, and Richard Bennett.

The extra and previously unreleased tracks from those sessions, slated for August 19 release, are:

"Burn Your Playhouse Down" with Keith Richards
"Window Up Above" with Leon Russell
"Selfishness In Man" with Vince Gill
"She Once Lived Here" with Ricky Skaggs
"I Always Get Lucky With You" with Mark Knopfler"
"You're Still On My Mind" with Marty Stuart
"When The Grass Grows Over Me" with Mark Chesnutt

Three additional tracks didn't make the cut for the 1991 Epic release, Friends In High Places, a collection of Billy Sherrill-produced duets. Those tracks are:

"I Always Get Right With You" with Shelby Lynne
"Tavern Choir" with Jim Lauderdale
"Rockin' Years" with Dolly Parton

The final two duets in the set include an unreleased George Jones-Tammy Wynette track from November of 1977 called "Lovin' You, Lovin' Me." Their only child, Georgette, duets on the final track, "You And Me And Time," produced by Keith Stegall in 2007.

Posted by Grant at 7:40 PM | Permalink

June 20, 2008

Whiskeytown alum Mike Daly in a metal mood

Whiskeytown went through enough members that it's tough to track them as their creative lives evolve. But occasionally we have to try. And sometimes even we are surprised.

Original steel guitarist Mike Daly has resurfaced as an author. His new book is titled Time Flies When You're In A Coma: The Wisdom Of The Metal Gods, and will be published in December by the Plume imprint.

The promotional paragraph from his publisher's fall catalogue reads: "Generations of teenagers have turned to the lyrics of eighties metal anthems for guidance and support. After all, besides a haircut, a few pesky social diseases, some short jail time, heavy eyeliner, and multiple drug addictions, what separates the Metal Gods from the Deepak Chopras and Anthony Robbinses of the world? [uh, the girls?]. Songwriter-producer Mike Daly brings together their philosophical gems in a collection of Zen Questions, Daily a ffirmations, Meditations, and Words of Wisdom. This hilarious gift book is a heavy-metal banquet for the eyes and soul."

It comes complete with an introduction by respected music journalist and drummer Michael Azzerad. 208 pages, 6"x6", $13. You have been warned!

Posted by Grant at 4:35 PM | Permalink

June 12, 2008

2008 Americana Awards nominees announced

(NO DEPRESSION.NET) -- The Americana Music Association announced on Wednesday evening the nominees for the 2008 AMA Honors and Awards Show, which will be held September 18 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Four nominees (five for "Song of the Year") were selected in each of six categories, recognizing work release between June 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008. Those selected through voting by members of the AMA were:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Raising Sand, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant; Just Us Kids, James McMurtry; Dirt Farmer, Levon Helm; Trouble In Mind, Hayes Carll.

SONG OF THE YEAR: "Broken", Tift Merritt; "Cheney's Toy", James McMurtry; "She Left Me For Jesus", Hayes Carll; "Gone Gone Gone", Alison Krauss & Robert Plant; Poor Old Dirt Farmer", Levon Helm.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Levon Helm; James McMurtry; Jim Lauderdale; Steve Earle.

DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant; Avett Brothers; Drive-By Truckers; Kane Welch Kaplin.

NEW/EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Mike Farris; Steeldrivers; Justin Townes Earle; Ryan Bingham.

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR: Chris Thile; Sam Bush; Gurf Morlix; Buddy Miller.

Also slated to be honored at the awards show are John Hiatt (Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting) and Jason & the Scorchers (Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance). Other special awards, as well as a list of performers, will be announced later.

Meanwhile, the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show announced Wednesday that its annual event also will be held at the Ryman Auditorium, on October 2. Nominees will be announced on August 14.

Posted by Peter at 12:53 AM | Permalink

June 11, 2008

Welch, Rawlings crash a couple of Rilo Kiley shows

(NO DEPRESSION.NET) -- Wondering what Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have been up to lately? Us too; it's now been a rather alarming five years since their last record, Soul Journey, was released in June 2003.

They've toured off-and-on during that stretch, occasionally unveiling new numbers from what would presumably be their next album. At least one of those, "Throw Me A Rope", has already taken its deserved place among the duo's classics, even without having been released yet. They've been playing it at least since 2004, when it appeared on an Austin City Limits episode:

Sometime around 2005 they did release a digital-only single (available on eMusic and elsewhere) featuring their resplendent cover of Radiohead's "Black Star" (from a 2004 live show in Minneapolis). But in terms of a new record of Welch/Rawlings originals, well, we're still waiting.

Events of this past weekend might suggest they're pretty close to being ready, though. Saturday night, they turned up unannounced in the middle slot of a bill at the Ram's Head in Annapolis, Maryland, featuring headliner Rilo Kiley and opener Thao With The Get Down Stay Down. Welch and Rawlings played half a dozen new songs, explaining that they were working on a new record and wanted to try out some new material on the audience. The following night, they repeated the stealth-act on the same bill at Toad's Place in Richmond, Virginia, where some enterprising camera-carrier took this video (of marginal sound quality but solid documentary value):

We'll let you know as soon as we hear anything about an actual completed album and release date.

AN UPDATE: Apparently Welch & Rawlings also turned up at Rilo Kiley's show in Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday evening (June 11), and joined Rilo Kiley leader Jenny Lewis for a cover of the Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks chestnut "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around".

Posted by Peter at 12:54 PM | Permalink