and of course…God!
We talked on the show last week about The Americana Awards Nominations.
Here they are, by the way…..
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The List – Rosanne Cash
A Friend of a Friend – Dave Rawlings Machine
Downtown Church – Patty Griffin
A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There is no C) – Ray Wylie Hubbard
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ryan Bingham
Patty Griffin
Levon Helm — tie
Steve Earle — tie
Ray Wylie Hubbard
DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Avett Brothers
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Band of Heathens
Dave Rawlings Machine
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Buddy Miller
Dave Rawlings
Will Kimbrough
Sam Bush
NEW & EMERGING ARTIST
Sarah Jarosz
Ryan Bingham
Hayes Carll — tie
Corb Lund
Joe Pug
SONG OF THE YEAR
“The Weary Kind” written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett, performed by Ryan Bingham
“Drunken Poets Dream,” written by Hayes Carll and Ray Wylie Hubbard, performed by Ray Wylie Hubbard
“Ruby,” written by Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch, performed by Dave Rawlings Machine
“I and Love and You,” written and performed by The Avett Brothers.
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There’s a few things in there you might well know. There’s some things that are puzzling by their absence and some…..well, let’s just say that their inclusion is a mystery to me. One thing you should probably know is the Americana Chart on Billboard is based on such small data samples as to make it almost meaningless. The term Americana, though useful, can often be misleading and slightly exclusive. We could be here all day arguing about who should be in or out. To get an idea who might be seen as ‘in” you can look at past winners here.
Here’s m suggestion folks: Let’s have some nominations of our own! Just fill in as many of the above categories yourself and we’ll see if we can make the list a little more interesting.
Talking of interesting….We are going to be joined this Friday by this young lady….
Tift Merrit will be playing some songs from her fine new album, “See You On The Moon.” Talking about being married, and telling us about the writing process that in past times has led her to the city of Paris. Don’t miss it….
Plus we’ll look forward to the visit of Willie Nelson and play some new things from The Black Keys, Band of Horses and The Acorn.
I’ll also throw forward to the final show of this series and see if you can’t give us some help with that one…now that we’ve included Mary Chapin Carpenter anything can happen!
Straight in with a positive comment. Love Tift, her gig at the Classic Grand (Celtic Connections 2009?) was just superb, Another Country a great album to follow up the first two (which interestingly I downloaded as my first experiment at digital rather than physical purchase and as a result just have not got into – you cannot beat liner notes, physical feel etc.) so fair to say I am really looking forward to the session!
Suprised you are not a MCC fan I must admit. No matter my list for the final show to follow but I suspect you, Adam , Mary and many others will be way ahead of me on the artists I list!
Cheers all Norrie.
Mary???? I meant Nanci what an unforgiveable error!
My apologies Nanci and all best wishes!!!
My typos are legendary, but that was not good…..
Really looking forward to this week’s show – I wouldn’t be listening to Tift Merrit at all if it wasn’t for “Another Country” (the show, that is – which led me to the album) and am really looking forward to the new album. Plus, if I may say so, Tift looks absolutely stunning in that photo!
I too am a little surprised that you’re not a fan of Mary Chapin, but so so grateful that we got a play of something from the new album and amused by the reference here that this means that anything goes at this point!
Speaking of diversions from the norm, I’ll be listening all the way from Spain’s Sierra Nevada this week… but I will still be listening. Hopefully I’ll be doing so live but it’s the local village (Chite) festival this weekend and I understand it goes on 24 hours a day, so please do forgive me if I have to do so via the iPlayer! Either way, I’ll be using some of the time that I’m kicking back here to make some suggestions for the final show of the run – and sparing you another Mary Chapin Carpenter request!
In terms of awards, I seldom find I am in alignment with any of them – they certainly seem prone to subjectivity as, I suppose, are we all (see above). Great to see “The List” and “The Weary Kind” in there, though.
And more to the point… I’m really sad to hear the current run is coming to an end at all. Please don’t leave the airwaves two hours poorer of great radio a week so soon, Ricky! Here’s one request off the back of that, though: a Scottish band whose sound may suit the show and a song that may be fitting for the final show of the run – Stornoway’s “Here Comes the Blackout…!”.
Excuse my ignorance there – Stornoway are in fact from Bristol and are only named for the town. That will teach me to do a little more research before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). I’m going to blame being a long way from home and being delirious from the heat here!
Bristol?! Where did that come from – I meant Oxford.
I think it’s contagious, Norrie.
Hi Ricky, really looking forward to Tift’s session. I had the pleasure of welcoming Tift to last years Belfast Nashville festival. She’s the real deal for sure and her new record is a real grower. One of very few artists that I really care about these days. Would like to hear the closing track After Today on the show.
As for nominations for the Another Country awards, Caitlin Rose, The Low Anthem, Rosanne Cash, Avett Brothers & First Aid Kit spring immediately to mind.
I’d also like to hear more of Johnny Cash’s American VI before the series ends. This record shouldn’t be forgotten about.
And finally please consider playing some Jackson Browne – it’s a long time since I heard Before The Deluge on my wireless.
Take care & thanks for the best start to the weekend since The Tube was on..!
A pre-comment – did you enjoy Willie Nelson & band tonight? His voice, like wine gets better with age. When he and his guitar warm up there is nothing to compare to the quality of sound/harmony which flows from them. Incredible!
OK folks, thanks for all your comments but we’re going to need some hard and fast nominations. Final show till August on Friday 18th so you have 7 days to get them in and perhaps hear the song on the last show.
Aileen….I loved Willie. More news on that subject very soon!
Norrie’s first annual awards:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The List – Rosanne Cash, great songs great production.
Roseanne and Bruce – Sea of Heartache
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Really tough one. I’m tempted to go for Bonnie Prince Billy, keeps innovating
Hot Chip and Bonnie Prince Billy – I Feel Bonnie
but settled on
Tom Russell – East Woodstock, West of Vietnam
DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Avett Brothers – are they truly only a duo, who cares What an album.
The Avett Brothers – I, And Love, And You.
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Buddy Miller, it has to be surely.
Buddy and Julie Miller w Patti Griffin – Chalk
NEW & EMERGING ARTIST
The Duke & The King, what a great debut album, so until we get a Caitlin Rose release
The Duke & The King – If I Ever Get Famous
SONG OF THE YEAR
I’m reverting a bit to type here but was there anything better than
Bruce Springsteen – The Last Carnival
Well, Ricky — you did ask! Here are a number of nominations from me with, I can assure you, no false flattery included…
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
“The Age of Miracles” – Mary Chapin Carpenter (sorry!)
“No Fool for Trying” – Madison Violet
“The Great Lakes” – McIntosh Ross
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Mary Chapin Carpenter (again… sorry!)
DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR
Madison Violet
McIntosh Ross
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Buddy Miller
NEW & EMERGING ARTIST
Ryan Bingham
SONG OF THE YEAR
“From Here to Forever” – Kris Kristofferson
“Charlie Darwin” – The Low Anthem
“Small of My Heart” – Madison Violet
“A Passing Place” – McIntosh Ross
“Jesus Nailed My Sins Upon the Tree” – McIntosh Ross
Oooh… and I forgot a couple of extra “SONG OF THE YEAR” nominations. (As if I’ve not given you enough there.) Although I doubt these will hit your playlist, Ricky, I’ll throw them in there anyway…
“Mrs Hemingway” – Mary Chapin Carpenter
“The Way I Feel” – Mary Chapin Carpenter