The ever snarky yet entertaining music site PopMatters are dropping their “Best Of…” lists by genre and their list of 2007’s Best Country is an insightful pick of the crop. My three favorite female  country crooners of the year, Elizabeth Cook, Sunny Sweeney,  and Miranda Lambert made the list as well as some typical Nashville faire. They also take time to take some cheap shots at the Eagles (Linda Ronstadt’s old backing back reinvent itself as the oldest boy band on the planet, HA! ) which always scores points with me.

And then there’s this lyrical insight to Rascal Flatts.

It’s safe to say Rascal Flatts will never make that leap across the firewire because I really don’t see any merit in an outfit that takes ostensibly good ideas, drowns them like kittens in a syrup of glossy good taste, skins them, and then drags them out over four minutes where two-and-a-half would have been more than enough. It’s all enough to make you long for an American Idol or two.

Bless you PopMatters….bless your snarky hide!

One of the most memorable show I ever attended here in New York was the CMT Crossroads featuring Rosanne Cash and Steve Earle. The pairing of artists from the country and rock/pop genre is getting harder and harder to differentiate from one another but it’s still one of the best shows on CMT. The New York Times has a nice slide-show on Crossroads featuring Joss Stone and LeAnn Rimes, Kid Rock (Bob Ritchie) and Hank Williams Jr., Bonnie Raitt and Lyle Lovett, Bon Jovi and Sugarland and Kenny (Babyface) Edmonds and Trisha Yearwood.

CMT reports that spooky author and member of the Rock Bottom Remainders band Stephen King has included new albums by Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett on his year-end list of favorite music, published in the Dec. 7 issue of Entertainment Weekly. Earle’s Washington Square Serenade topped the list, followed by Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band’s It’s Not Big It’s Large, John Fogerty’s Revival and Southern Culture on the Skids’ Countrypolitan Favorites.

In the ever shifting musical business landscape there often needs to be an outside arbitrator to straighten things out. And ironically a country as free-market loving as ours it’s often the Feds left to straighten things out.

I think this is correct. Figuring out if a broadcaster should start paying songwriter royalties to performing rights groups ASCAP, BMI and SESAC (who was a big presence at the Americana Music Conference) instead of the current model of exemption from performance royalties because, as the broadcasters argue, the promotional value gained by playing music on the radio more than offsets any royalty that performers and record companies would receive. There needs to be a formalized and fairly equitable business model for terrestrial, satellite and Internet radio for the future. If these no money in it for the artist, then great songwriters might never pick up the pen for the need to support themselves and their family.

Lyle Lovett is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday as the music industry continues its push for a royalty for over-the-air broadcasts. Good for Lyle!

Another clip from the Americana Conference.

NASHVILLE, October 1, 2007 - Artist Lyle Lovett will receive the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award and perform at the organization’s 2007 Honors and Awards show, slated for November 1 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. To further delve into all things Lyle, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will also sponsor a keynote interview with Lovett the following day, Friday, November 2, during the Americana Music Association’s annual conference.

Dr. Warren Zanes, Education Advisor to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, will moderate the in-depth discussion with Lovett. Scheduled for 11am at the Nashville Convention center, this rare glimpse into the creative process of one of contemporary music’s most fructuous minds is open to conference registrants only.

Established to recognize true musical pioneers, the Americana Trailblazer Award seeks to honor those emboldened artists who create timeless musical capsules of individualistic style and purpose. A connoisseur and catalyst of fine music, Lyle Lovett embodies the term genre-bending. Three decades of the Texas native’s sui generis gospel-roots-jazz-swing concoction have been well-documented by eleven albums, four Grammy’s and a distinct voice both as a songwriter and vocal stylist. Lovett’s newest offering, It’s Not Big It’s Large, offers more literary song gumbo.

“It’s an honor to be part of the Americana Honors & Awards tribute to Lyle Lovett,” said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “The social soundtrack that Lyle continues to create makes us proud to be working with the Americana Music Association in our shared mission of celebrating modern music and the great artists who create it.”

“Lyle Lovett’s designation as the first recipient of the Trailblazer Award really sets the tone for the honor itself,” said Americana Music Association Executive Director Jed Hilly. “We at the AMA are consistently thrilled by the caliber of artist we represent and applaud. Lyle Lovett naturally falls into that elite fold.”

Lovett rounds out the nonpareil lineup of artists scheduled to perform during the 8th annual Americana Awards and Honors ceremony. Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Darrell Scott, Joe Ely, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Todd Snider, Gurf Morlix, The Avett Brothers, Sunny Sweeney, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hacienda Brothers and Elizabeth Cook will all take the stage. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale and featuring a band led by Buddy Miller, the event will also toast winners in six member-voted categories: Album, Artist, Instrumentalist, New and Emerging Artist, Song and Duo/Group of the Year. The AMA will also recognize beloved beatnik Joe Ely with the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Performance category. Venerable scribe Guy Clark will accept the AMA President’s award on behalf of his friend, Townes Van Zandt. Clark’s performance will pay tribute to the late Van Zandt, whose unparalleled influence touches the upper echelon of song.

Slated for Wednesday, October 31 through Saturday, November 3, the 8th Annual Americana Festival and Conference will offer daily seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center. Each evening brings stacked Americana showcases to key venues throughout Nashville.

Lyle Lovett - That’s Right You’re Not From Texas

Lyle Lovett is set to release “It’s Not Big It’s Large,” on Aug. 28. The album, produced by Lovett and longtime collaborator Billy Williams, features the singer’s Large Band on 12 new tracks. The four-time Grammy winner will cover everything from country to blues, to folk, jazz and gospel.

A deluxe version of the CD will be released simultaneously and include a DVD with studio footage, according to a press release.

Lovett, who likes to take his time between albums, released his latest, “My Baby Don’t Tolerate,” in 2003. That set, his first collection of original material since 1996’s “Road to Ensenada,” reached No. 7 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart..

Lovett and his Large Band have been touring with K.D. Lang for the last couple of few weeks. Lovett and band will break off for a headlining stint in California, Montana and Idaho. Then in October, Lovett will return home to Texas for a half-dozen shows, including the Big State Music Festival in College Station, which is home to Lovett’s alma mater, Texas A&M University.

Lovett has  also recently announced that he will join Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt, Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller in headlining “Cayamo: A Journey Through Song,” a six-day Carribean cruise scheduled to launch from Miami next February. Lovett’s tour itinerary is listed below.

Lyle Lovett Tour Dates (dates may change, call ahead)

July 2007
29 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion *
30 - Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
31 - Redding, CA - Cascade Theatre

August 2007
2 - Bozeman, MT - Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
3 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theatre
4 - Sandpoint, ID - Festival At Sandpoint

October 2007
10-11 - Fort Worth, TX - Bass Performance Hall
12 - Tyler, TX - R. Don Cowan Fine Arts Center
13 - College Station, TX - Big State Music Festival
14 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre
15 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Bar-B-Que

February 2008
4-7 - Miami, FL - Carnival “Victory” Cruise

*co-headlining with K.D. Lang