04.26.06 (MusicPortal.com) Country singer JULIE ROBERTS is set to release her next album, entitled "Men & Mascara," on June 27th via Mercury Nashville Records. With her poignant Blues-soaked voice, Roberts quickly became a favorite of fans and fickle music critics alike upon the release of her self-titled debut album in 2004. Spotting her talent early, CMT selected Roberts to be the first artist ever to appear on "In The Moment," that music network's hour-long documentary on the making of a star. Roberts' debut was certified gold and led to two Horizon Award nominations from the Country Music Association, as well as a Top New Artist nomination and a Top New Female Vocalist nomination from the Academy Of Country Music Awards, as well as a Breakthrough Artist nomination from the CMT Awards. She delivered two memorable performances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, and was chosen over artists in all musical genres to sing the "Good To Go" theme song of the television show Good Morning America. "It's been amazing," she says of her success. "We've played so many places and I've been to so many places. But I haven't really had time to sit back and reflect on all we've done." With her debut disc, Roberts was Country music's Cinderella, a stunning blonde from Lancaster, South Carolina who stole everyone's heart with her honest music, cover-girl looks, exuberant personality and irresistible laughter. And now with her second album, Roberts proves she's in it for the long run. "Men & Mascara," produced by Byron Gallimore (Lee Ann Womack, Faith Hill), is an impressive collection of songs. After touring non-stop for two years, Roberts has honed her signature vocal style and developed a newfound confidence that she unleashes on her sophomore release. That self-assurance allowed her to rise to the level of Gallimore's musical direction, which included twice the number of musicians as her first album and introduced the fiddle to Roberts' music, as well as more steel guitar and mandolin. "It shows my maturity as an artist vocally and artistically, because I wrote on it," says Roberts, who co-penned four songs in 'First To Never Know,' 'Smile,' 'A Bridge That's Burning' and 'All I Want.' "I think it's a step up, the next step." In terms of musical progression, it's more of the same, only better. "I've been getting a great response to my first record on the road, people singing my songs and telling me, 'Don't change your next record much. We love it.' So I knew I wanted it to be a lot of the same," she says. "My mindset didn't change that much. I started looking for songs that meant something to me, just like I did for my first album. Every lyric I sing has to mean something to me." Roberts... [full story]
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04.24.06 (MusicPortal.com) T BONE BURNETT T Bone has emerged from a self-imposed 14-year hiatus as a recording artist to release two highly-anticipated collections of music simultaneously on May 16th: "The True False Identity," his first album of new original songs since 1992, and "20/20: The Essential T Bone Burnett," a 40-song retrospective spanning Burnett's entire career of music-making. Burnett says of his extended break: "After the last record (1992's "The Criminal Under My Own Hat"), I felt I could write some new songs and go around the track again, but I didn't feel that I would get anywhere. The road had become too difficult. Music had come completely apart for me. But more importantly, I didn't have anything I wanted to say. It all seemed pointless, so I decided to explore some of the other ideas that were coming my way. I needed freedom. I needed time to find another way into playing music again." It is no coincidence that T Bone Burnett is releasing both a retrospective and a new album on the same day. In his revelatory liner notes for 20/20, he has written: "This is the way I wanted to close the book on these songs from a dead man, and open the book on the new life I am beginning after forty years of wandering in the desert." An enigmatic sentiment coming from a man whose solo work has always been filled with droll humor, sardonic wordplay and keen cultural observations. But, for T Bone Burnett, the past is prologue and The True False Identity is the fulfillment of an artistic vision that's been forming in the back of his brain for decades. As Burnett explains, the aim of "The True False Identity" is to "erase the nonexistent line between comedy and tragedy. In the theater, you hear laughter and gasps at the same moment. Some people are amused by the same thing other people are appalled by." As he continues: "The tragedy and the comedy is that reality has been devoured by image management. Today, you can say anything you want and you can do anything you want. Then, you can say you didn't say it or didn't do it, and no one will remember or know the difference or believe anything other than what he or she wants to believe." The musical genesis of "The True False Identity" has its roots in the records T Bone Burnett and his musicians immersed themselves in while recording. Burnett acted as DJ for those sessions, spinning records and videos between takes. "We were listening to Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, The Carter Family, and a lot of Haitian music," he says, "so the axis this music turns on is some kind of line drawn from New Orleans through Mississippi and Tennessee to Haiti."
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04.19.06 (AP) His was the voice of heartache and the lovelorn in the world of early Rock 'N' Roll. ROY ORBISON, who died in 1988 at age 52 of a heart attack, has been a member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame since 1987, a testament to his long popularity derived from his way of blending Pop, Rock and Country music. An exhibit that opens to the public Wednesday called "Haunting & Yearning: The Life And Music Of Roy Orbison" offers a glimpse into his Rockabilly career and his personal struggles. The exhibit is not traveling. It was put together for the Rock Hall, said Barbara Orbison, Roy Orbison's widow, who came to Cleveland from Nashville on Tuesday for the opening. "I'm proud of it," she said. "It has a lot of private things. I think Roy's legacy is alive. He's so well known and respected. There's always a radio station somewhere playing him. And Roy was fond of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It was Bruce Springsteen who inducted him. Roy said to me that was so wonderful." The display coincides with what would have been Orbison's 70th birthday, April 23rd. Included are letters Orbison wrote to himself making vows to take better care of himself, committing to exercise and stopping smoking. There are model airplanes he built as his hobby. A poster for a 1963 show in England shows the Beatles were the warm-up band for Orbison. "The Beatles had gotten so popular so fast that they demanded a switch, and Roy went along," opening up for the Fab Four instead, said Howard Kramer, Rock Hall curator. In 1990, Orbison posthumously won a Grammy for "Best Male Vocalist" for his concert performance of 'Oh, Pretty Woman' in 1988. But well before that, Roy Orbison influenced a broad range of rock stars who were his contemporaries, such as Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers and John Lennon. "His one-of-a-kind voice and ethereal songs set him apart from all of his contemporaries and made for a diverse set of followers," Kramer said. The exhibit runs until October 29th. It is small in comparison to the Rock Hall's ongoing salute to music icon Sam Cooke. An exhibit featuring a 10-year period of Bob Dylan's career is planned to open May 20th. A video screen in the Orbison exhibit shows some of his performances, for which he usually wore big-framed glasses beneath thick, black hair. From the release of 'Only The Lonely' in 1960 to 'Oh, Pretty Woman' four years later, he was often near the top in the Pop music charts with his brooding songs like 'Crying' and 'It's Over.' He later lived through personal crises. His first wife, Claudette, died in a motorcycle accident in 1966, and two of his three boys died in a house fire in 1968. The exhibit also coincides with the release of Legacy Records' Roy Orbison Reissue Project. The first Legacy release is "Black & White Night," a 1987 concert originally aired on cable TV. "What I hope young people get out of it is that Roy came from a small town in Texas against all odds and with a dream in his heart and a melody on his lips," Barbara Orbison said. "That's what it really is about - making your dream come true."

04.13.06 (AP) Condolences and flowers came in from all over the world. GENE PITNEY, 66, who died last week while touring in Wales, was remembered during funeral services Wednesday in Somers, Connecticut as a friend and neighbor who, regardless of where he traveled, cherished coming back home to be with his wife and three sons. "He loved being here, not in Hollywood," Somers resident Chett Ladd said. Pitney, whose keening voice produced a string of hits including "Town Without Pity," died of natural causes. He was found dead April 5 in his hotel room a day after he had played a concert that fans claimed was one of his best. About 300 mourners attended services at All Saints Church. Fans from around the country and the world expressed their condolences on the Web site of the Rockville funeral home that handled the arrangements. During a long career, Pitney had hits as a singer - "24 Hours from Tulsa," "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance," and "Half Heaven, Half Heartache." As a writer, he penned "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson and "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Mourners included neighbors and lifelong fans. Paul Gagliarducci, a longtime family friend, called Pitney "a man full of quiet generosity." Linda Mallory of Chicago said she fell in love with Pitney and his music when she was 13 and traveled to Connecticut for his wake. She estimates she's been to more than 30 of his concerts since 2000. "I was in love as I could be as a 13-year-old," Mallory said. Gary Rue, of Minneapolis, who toured the United States with Pitney as his musical director for nearly 18 years, said working with him was a wonderful experience. "I'm going to miss him, bad," Rue said. Born in Hartford, Conn., Pitney married his high school sweetheart, Lynne, in 1967, and kept a base in Connecticut all his life. He built a recording studio in his home in Somers, 20 miles northeast of Hartford. Pitney was buried in Somers Center Cemetery. At this time, the official Gene Pitney website states the following: "Due to extremely high server load, genepitney.com is on hold until traffic normalizes. We would like to thank family, friends and fans all across the world for their overwhelming support. Gene's greatest joy was seeing the happiness his music brought to the lives of those around him. He will be greatly missed, but will live on through his songs. Listen to them and remember."

04.11.06 (MusicPortal.com) PANTERA's late guitarist Dimebag Darrell, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Rex Brown are teamed up with iconic redneck iconoclast David Allan Coe -- best known to Pantera audiences for the 'Jack Daniels If You Please' warm-up music -- for a seamless sonic thrust that packs a blindsided-rusty-nail-two-by-four kind of wallop on the upcoming REBEL MEETS REBEL album, due for release on May 2nd. Captured in stray moments over the course of four years, the Rebel Meets Rebel project tears into musical pockets with the power-teeth of a chain saw - shredding, pumping, thumping, wheeling, and at times even finding a way to whiplash melodic cyclones to Vinnie Paul's always-propulsive backbeats. The CD and artwork were completed and stored for safekeeping. Dimebag joked to Vinnie he wanted the sessions to be released on CD "before the old man (Coe) kicks the bucket..." Instead fate stepped in with the untimely death of Dimebag himself. Two years and a few unfathomable pages in the history books later, a work of music that is the culmination of the groundbreaking guitarist's vision and also the fruit of his brother's business acumen will be unleashed on his own Big Vin Records. "Dimevision, Volume 1," a DVD culled from footage Dimebag had shot with a camcorder over several years on the road and at home, will also hit stores May 2nd. Sometimes the most unlikely meetings present the most intense possibilities. And sometimes nothing's more engaging than extreme opposites, with only their excellence and commitment to what they do as individuals, creating a whole new realm of reason. Pummeling. Undulating. Propulsive. There is something about forces of nature merging that is as relentless as it is powerful. And so it was that Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, along with Pantera bassist Rex Brown, calling themselves the "Cowboys From Hell" joined forces with hardcore Country iconoclast David Allen Coe for what would come to be known as Rebel Meets Rebel. Captured at odd and off periods in each entity's recording and touring schedule beginning four years ago, this wild child hybrid is a labor of love, passion and shared good times. With thrashing down strokes, intricate solos and Coe's far-flung vocal attack, this is a seamless musical synthesis that exists beyond the realm of any genre, format or label. That's what makes this one of the most exciting projects to come down the pike in a long, long time. "Dime and I had been talking about this in interviews practically since we started making music with David," says Paul in his easy-going, aw-Hell humility. "People were wondering when or if they'd get to hear it. We wanted to make sure we got Damageplan established. We always knew this music was special, it was just a matter of the right time to put it out." Hard to believe something that could hit with the force of Rebel Meets Rebel came about in such an off-handed way. Certainly Pantera fans were more than familiar with Coe's hard-drinking anthem, 'Jack Daniels If You Please,' from the no-nonsense band's warm-up music. But it wasn't until Dimebag decided to take in a Coe show at Fort Worth's legendary honky tonk, Billy Bob's, that the seeds were sown. "Once I saw the videos, I couldn't believe this guy actually stood in the autograph line after the show with all the fans," Coe acknowledged of their first meeting. "I mean, he could've identified himself to someone, told them who he was and been brought right backstage, but that wasn't who he was... and I liked that immediately." A few weeks later, Coe was scheduled to be in Dallas and... [full story]
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04.10.06 (AP) Keith Urban won video of the year and Carrie Underwood of "American Idol" was the only double winner at the Country Music Television awards show Monday. Urban performed the song for his winning video, 'Better Life,' with a displaced choir from the Gulf Coast and scenes from the hurricane-damaged region. "We just wanted to present a better tone for 'Better Life,' and I had been down to New Orleans and was struck by a combination of things - how much has been done and how little has been done," Urban said. "We just wanted to bring a little more awareness back to the cause down there." Underwood, launched her career last year after winning "American Idol," took home honors for breakthrough video and female video for her inspirational hit 'Jesus, Take the Wheel.' "This is my very first acceptance speech so I made a list," Underwood said before thanking everyone from God to "American Idol." "Music videos are a huge tool," she said after the ceremony for the awards, chosen by fans. "Fans love them because they add a new dimension to the song, and we love them because it's just another way to get (the music) out there. For my first video to win two awards tonight was amazing." Another song with a strong spiritual theme, Brad Paisley's duet with Dolly Parton 'When I Get Where I'm Going,' won for inspiring video. Bon Jovi and Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles won collaborative video for 'Who Says You Can't Go Home,' and Kenny Chesney won the male video award for 'Who You'd Be Today.' "I think everybody has lost somebody before they were meant to, and Shaun Silva and I did this video to help us all remember those people," Chesney said. Rascal Flatts won the group/duo video award for 'Skin (Sarabeth),' about a girl with cancer. "I think this song took on a life of its own," said Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts. "It became almost bigger than we are, honestly. We were just the voice behind it." Billy Currington won hottest video for his R&B-flavored hit 'Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right,' and Sophie Muller won video director for the Faith Hill-Tim McGraw duet 'Like We Never Loved At All.' Dwight Yoakam paid tribute to his friend and mentor Buck Owens, creator of the twangy "Bakersfield sound" and longtime "Hee Haw" host, who died of a heart ailment March 25th. Yoakam called Owens the "best friend country music could ever ask for" and an inspiration to thousands of musicians. Owens pioneered the California Country/Rock sound that flourished in the 1960s with such groups as The Byrds, he said. Hank Williams Jr. received the Johnny Cash Visionary Award for his contributions to country music, joining such previous winners as Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire and The Dixie Chicks. "My father changed and molded country music. Johnny Cash changed and molded country music. Waylon Jennings changed and molded country music," Williams said. "I'm just a guy that is another carpenter in a long line, and there's a lot more new ones here tonight." The son of the legendary Hank Williams began his career performing his father's songs, but in the 1970s forged his own identity by fusing Country music with the... [full story]
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[Country News: March 2006]
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