Let's say you're sent to cover the Country Thunder festival for your local Wisconsin newspaper and Jessica Simpson is slated to perform. Would you expect your portrayal of the audience's reaction to her performance to launch dozens of stories and blog posts around the globe?
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Bjork's claims that dropping out of the headlining spot at this weekend's Wild In The Country festival was based on general concern for all the artists' rather than demands on her part were backed up by Battles and Soulwax leaving the lineup soon after. With ticket sales dropping in response and a "key investor" pulling out, the entire festival, planned for Saturday, has been canceled. The organizers claim to be offering refunds to ticket buyers, as they did following Bjork's cancellation late Friday, but have yet to provide information as to how fans can receive them. NME]
Two of this year's Country Music Hall of Fame honorees (Emmylou Harris and Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman) were inducted in a ceremony in April. They're certainly worthy of recognition, but let's take a moment to recognize the two inductees that the Hall paid tribute to on Sunday night, Tom T. Hall and the Statler Brothers.
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Claiming the organizers of this weekend's electronica jamboree Wild In The Country have been "unable to secure any staging, sound and lighting for the festival," Bjork pulled out of her headlining spot late Friday. The Knebworth-based fest has since announced its plans to continue without Iceland's Finest, wishing her all the best while noting that it would have been nice to hear about her problems a little bit sooner, and that they "have diligently provided all production requirements for all of the other acts appearing on this years line-up." Unless the festival's other acts, like Soulwax, Hercules & Love Affair, and The Field, start dropping out, maybe we can assume that the organizers were dragging their heels on whether she could bring a giant automated turkey that transformed into a fluorescent gondola or not.
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The social conscience and strident voice of Bono has influenced many a singer over the last few decades. The U2 frontman successfully melded the earnest social conscience of Bruce Springsteen with the self-glorifying pomp of European arena acts, realizing that both the Common Man and King Dick were below Jesus on the food chain. Sure there was precedent, but Sting is handicapped by his ego (and jazz bass), while Ian McCullough wanted to be a romantic poet/sex object more than the messiah. Here are ten singers who, at their best (or worst), have aspired to the Almighty's throne.
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Rod Stewart will undoubtedly start writing "slave" on his cheek and checking into "this whole Internet thing" now that J Records won't let him record an album of country standards. What did you expect, Rod? Did you think you'd be able to luck into some "one for you, one for me" trade-off in this economy? Or even a "four for you, one for me" deal? It's been 15 years since Unplugged...and Seated upended your pop career, and over five since you sold what was left of your career for a Great American Songbook. While I'd love to see you do something more daring (I'm not a big Black Keys fan, but I'd be curious to hear the musical outcome of your bromance), you'll probably have to shut up and make that Christmas album.
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There are days where I want to stop writing about Vampire Weekend saying they've "paid [theiir] dues," or Roger Waters' lost inflatable pig, and just write about country music. Miranda Lambert had a benefit for her local humane society! Emmylou Harris was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame! I don't actually enjoy country music, but its news just seems more interesting, and less likely to mysteriously appear on other blogs after being posted here. But my country-only project isn't quite ready yet, and you can't really hold a stabbing story until later. Plus, I'm not likely to get sick of hearing more Mindy McCready news anytime soon (or ever).
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After noting that the just-announced CMT Music Award nominees include rockers (or "rockers") Robert Plant, Bon Jovi, Huey Lewis, and the Eagles, the CMT blog says this is nothing to get worked up about. Really, Huey Lewis is just nominated for songwriting because Garth Brooks covered him (!). And Plant, of course, is there because of his duet with Alison Krauss. As for the other two? Well...
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The nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards were announced this morning, and Kenny Chesney was the big winner, scoring 12 nominations including nods for Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist. Other big nominees include Rodney Atkins (six), Brad Paisley (four), and Idolator fave Miranda Lambert (three); Kelly Clarkson also got a nod for the version of "Because Of You" that she performed with Reba McEntire. (Click the photo of Chesney for the full slate of nominees.) [Official site / Photo: AP]
So I was moving on Friday night and Maura was doing whatever it is she does during the baseball off-season and apparently the Idolator TiVo doesn't pick up CMT and so we missed the premier of Gone Country, the reality TV contest where the Rich half of Nashville duo Big & Rich tries to groom the likes of Dee Snider and Carnie Wilson to become America's Next Passable Country Singer. Thankfully, this MTV interview with Gone Country contestant Bobby Brown makes it sound like we can at least still look forward to the episode where Brown's overactive bladder lands Marcia Brady on her ass. Actually re-reading this we're not so sure why we're sorry.
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Do not forget! Tomorrow at 8 p.m. EST marks the premiere of CMT's Gone Country, where John Rich of Big & fame grooms seven celebs in varying stages of washed-upness to become a country "superstars." Maura sez: "Sisqo is going to totally own this show." I sez: Do not count out Marcia Brady just yet. [CMT
Want live reviews of old Cocteau Twins gigs and ripped-from-vinyl Thompson Twins MP3s? Then please enjoy the debut issue of Debut, an '80s pop mag that "featured a full 12" lp with various artists." First dance-punk band to swipe the opening to that Big Country tune wins blog infamy for six weeks. [Dalston Oxfam Shop]
With 123 million records sold and counting, a low-priced hit greatest hits package high on the charts, and nine consecutive sold out shows in Kansas City of all places, Garth Brooks would look ready for a comeback, and if you ask nearly any one in the Nashville wing of the music business, they'll be happy to roll out the red carpet, shine his boots, pick up his dry-cleaning, buy a few copies of the new Trisha Yearwood—whatever it takes—to get Garth Brooks to come back and save their business model. It's hard to imagine any artist who would hold this much power over high ranking business people, but even the vague hint that Garth Brooks might come back means "let the wild speculation and compliments begin!"
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Recently filed patents suggest that American Idol producers FremantleMedia may be starting a show called Country Keynotes; it's referred to as "a television game show" in the paperwork, causing bloggers to speculate that an all-twang version of Idol is in the offing. But while it isn't too much of a stretch to think that FremantleMedia would want to set up a stable of Carrie Underwood clones in case she decides to ditch the heartland and embrace her hard rock destiny, I'm suspicious of this speculation for a few reasons. 
Idolator
