I was so jazzed to be included in last year’s annual Nashville Scene Country Music Critics poll, and equally so this year. It’s pretty cool to be lumped into a group that includes writers at Billboard, All Things Considered, American Songwriter, The Wall Street Journal and People. (Yes, I just included People magazine in with that list. Carrie Underwood’s leg workout is NEWS, people.)
You can see my two comments below, and check out:
Back in May when country music blog The 9513 closed its virtual doors (tabs?), I didn’t make note of it here on the blog. I didn’t just contribute album reviews, single reviews and a weekly column to the site for more than two years - I made industry contacts, traveled to Nashville to film a CMT special, hosted a weekly news radio show, improved my writing, connected with a special group of people who treated the genre I love so much with respect and appropriate amounts of suspicion, and even got a bona-fide job in the music business. And loved every minute of it.
That’s why it was so hard to fathom losing all of that – and also why I’m very excited to announce a new collaboration with former The 9513 writers Juli Thanki, Ken Morton, Jr. and C.M. Wilcox: Engine 145 launches today.
The newest addition to my Google Reader – outfits entirely under $100.
On my reading list right now, including Hank Williams, Hank Jr., Ralph Emery, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Patsy Cline:
Just discovered this lovely blog – it takes you inside the closets of fashion designers and editors, and tells the stories behind each of their pieces.
This new online magazine has a great feature of Raleigh’s own Jamie Meares, who blogs at I Suwannee and owns Furbish in Five Points.
It’s been a very exciting few weeks for me. Lots of changes, lots of opportunities, lots of challenges. Stay tuned.
One of those opportunities was being a part of the Nashville Scene’s Country Music Critics Poll for the first time. I was able to submit my ballot and comments on the industry, which would then be combined with country critics from across the country. To top it all off, one of my comments was used. Check out all of the good info and commentary below.
If I had to reduce Pride’s oeuvre to a single adjective, it would be “nice.” Other adjectives that would apply include “pleasant,” “mellow,” “smooth,” “soothing” and, for some reason, “Fergalicious,” which isn’t applicable or even a real word.
-Nathan Rabin’s last Nashville or Bust column on Charley Pride
