Roots Run Strong for 56th Grammy Award Nominees

Grammy Noms Americana

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Science held their big to-do to announce a few of the nominees for the next round of the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The choices in the Americana and roots categories again display an appreciation of some of the veterans of the genre and the roots they represent.

Collaborations reigned in the Best Americana Album category. Emmylou Harris may add another trophy to the 12 GRAMMYS she a lead has on her mantel with “Old Yellow Moon,” her duet collaboration Hot Band guitarist and legendary singer-songwriter , Rodney Crowell. Steve Martin & Edie Brickell are nominated for “Love Has Come For You,” their first joint effort and Americana stalwarts Buddy Miller And Jim Lauderdale are up for their “Buddy And Jim.” Mavis Staples , who won for Best Americana Album in 2011 is up for “One True Vine.” Legendary composer, producer, performer Allen Toussaint intimate and live deliberation of his new New York City home “Songbook” rounds out the list

Nominees for Best American Roots Song include another new New York resident (By way of Texas) Sarah Jarosz for the title cut of her third studio release, “Build Me Up From Bones.” Steve Earle snagged a spot for “Invisible,” his song focused on the homeless and indigent, from his latest “The Low Highway.” Old partners reconvene to gain a spot with Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott’s “Keep Your Dirty Lights On” from their Memories and Moments. Best Americana Album nominees Edie Brickell & Steve Martin is nominated for the title cut “Love Has Come For You” and Allen Toussaint for “Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed.”

There are no slackers in a bluegrass band, and Best Bluegrass Album nominees are some of the best in the field. A nice surprise was the choice for newcomers Della Mae’s nomination for their sophomore release “This World Oft Can Be” Members of The Boxcars have collected numerous IBMA and GRAMMY Awards and have shared the stage with legends so it’s no surprise that their third album “It’s Just A Road” was nominated. Though Harlan Howard was referring to country music when he coined the term “…three chords and the truth.” James King and his cracker-Jack band adopted it as the title for their first GRAMMY-nominated album. Veterans Dailey & Vincent (Jamie Dailey (guitar, bass, vocals), Darrin Vincent (mandolin, guitar, bass, vocals)) are up for their 3rd GRAMMY Award nomination for their sixth release “Brothers Of The Highway” and the Del McCoury Band nabbed a nomination for their 14th release “The Streets Of Baltimore.” Del and the band won in the category in 2006 for “The Company We Keep.”

Roots music greatness continued with the Best Folk Album category, whose boundaries blur so much with Best Americana Album category that any performer from either side could swap with a perfumer from the other and few people would notice. Patriarch singer/songwriter Guy Clark grabbed his 6th nomination for his latest “My Favorite Picture Of You.” The Greencards received their 3rd GRAMMY nomination for their sixth studio album “Sweetheart Of The Sun” and Sarah Jarosz is up for her 2nd nomination for “Build Me Up From Bones.” Newcomer favorites The Milk Carton Kids are on the list for their current “The Ash & Clay.” “They All Played For Us: Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary Celebration,” the roots-rich benefit
in tribute to the Arhoolie Foundation, and the 50th anniversary of Arhoolie Records, is also included.

Music Row continues to show some interest in Americana-leaning performers with country newcomer
Kacey Musgraves up for Best New Artist, Best Country album (Same Trailer, Different Park) andBest Country Snog (“Merry Go ‘Round”.) Best Country Duo/Group Performance category features The Civil Wars for “From This Valley, ” Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill for “Don’t Rush” and Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton for “You Can’t Make Old Friends.”

Other nominations honoring Americana and roots artists are the soundtrack for “Muscle Shoals”, nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

Root-rock pioneer Neil Young, with his band Crazy Horse, is looking to garner this third GRAMMY win with “Psychedelic Pill” for Best Rock Album

Multiple GRAMMY winner, and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, folksinger Pete Seeger received a GRAMMY nomination for “The Storm King,” in the category of Best Spoken Word Album.

Uncle Tupelo / Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy is up for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for his work with Mavis Staples, Low and Sarah Lee Guthrie And Johnny Irion.

Alabama Shakes is up for Best Rock Performance (“Always Alright”) Jack White for Best Rock Performance (“I’m Shakin'”) Neko Case for Best Alternative Music Album (The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight…) and Mumford & Sons are nominated for Best Boxed or Special Edition Limited Package, Best Music Film (The Road to Red Rocks)

After the nominations were announced twitter was abuzz with folks pointing out a glaring oversight of Jason Isbell’s “Southeastern” for Best Americana Album. The album is on all Americana and roots music end of year lists.

Isbell took to twitter to address with humor the snub,”Don’t worry guys, I’ll get plenty of noms. There’s a Chipotle right across the street from the hotel! #NOM”

“Don’t worry guys, I’ll get plenty of noms. There’s a Chipotle right across the street from the hotel! #NOM”

Congratulations to them all the nominees. Keep an eye on GRAMMY.com and on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/P on on January 26, 2014 to see who wins.

56th Annual Grammy Award Nominees in Americana and Related Categories

Grammy Noms Americana

Here’s a list of the Country, Americana and roots and related categories from the 56th Annual GRAMMY Award Nominees. Look for a more in-depth post soon.

You can get the full list of all nominees here.

Best Americana Album:
Old Yellow Moon — Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Love Has Come For You — Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
Buddy And Jim — Buddy Miller And Jim Lauderdale
One True Vine — Mavis Staples
Songbook — Allen Toussaint

Best American Roots Song
“Build Me Up From Bones” Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz) Label: Sugar Hill Records
“Invisible” – Steve Earle, songwriter (Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses)) Label: New West Records
“Keep Your Dirty Lights On” Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott, songwriters (Tim O’Brien And Darrell Scott) Label: Full Skies Records
“Love Has Come For You” – Edie Brickell & Steve Martin, songwriters (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell) Label: Rounder; Publishers: LA Films Music/Brick Elephant Music
“Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed” Allen Toussaint, songwriter (Allen Toussaint) Label: Rounder; Publishers: Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc/Marsaint Music, Inc.

Best Bluegrass Album
“It’s Just A Road” — The Boxcars
“Brothers Of The Highway” — Dailey & Vincent
“This World Oft Can Be” — Della Mae
“Three Chords And The Truth” — James King
“The Streets Of Baltimore” — Del McCoury Band

Best Folk Album
“My Favorite Picture Of You” — Guy Clark
“Sweetheart Of The Sun” — The Greencards
“Build Me Up From Bones” — Sarah Jarosz
“The Ash & Clay” — The Milk Carton Kids
“They All Played For Us: Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary Celebration” — (Various Artists) Chris Strachwitz, producer

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“From This Valley” — The Civil Wars
“Don’t Rush” — Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill
“You Can’t Make Old Friends” — Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton

Artists/albums of interest to the Americana community, nominated in other categories:

Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Best Rock Album (“Psychedelic Pill”)
Pete Seeger – “The Storm King” (Best Spoken Word Album)
Muscle Shoals – Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Jeff Tweedy – Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (Invisible Way (Low) • One True Vine (Mavis Staples) (A) • Wassaic Way (Sarah Lee Guthrie And Johnny Irion))
Kacey Musgraves – Best New Artist, Best Country Artist (Same Trailer, Different Park), Best Country Snog (“Merry Go ‘Round”)
Alabama Shakes – Best Rock Performance (“Always Alright”)
Jack White – Best Rock Performance (“I’m Shakin'”)
Neko Case – Best Alternative Music Album (The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight…)
Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower – Best Children’s Album (Blue Clouds)
Mumford & Sons – Best Boxed or Special Edition Limited Package, Best Music Film (The Road to Red Rocks)
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Patty Griffin’s Shelved “Silver Bell” to be Released Sept. 24

Patty-griffin-silver-bell

Patty Griffin’s follow-up to 1998’s Flaming Red, which went unreleased by her then label A&M records, now has a street date. After being shelved for more than a decade, “Silver Bell” will be released on September 24 by A+M/Universal.

Though “lost” “Silver bell has hardly been forgotten. The album has been available on-line for years for fans willing to do a little digging. And Several of the songs from “Silver Bell,” “Top of the World,” “Mother Of God” and “Standing” found their way on her following album, “Impossible Dream.” Some songs have also been covered by others, “Truth #2″ was recorded by The Dixie Chicks, “What You Are” by The Greencards and “One More Girl” by The Wreckers

Though it’s preferable that music be released at the timing chosen by the artist, sometimes a shelving can build a demand and mystique that can work to the benefit of the release when it finally does become available. Either way, it will be nice to hear the tracks as she originally intended them.

Silver Bell Track Listing:

1) Little God
2) Boston
3) Perfect White Girls
4) Truth #2
5) What You Are
6) Silver Bell
7) Driving
8) Sooner Or Later
9) Top Of The World
10) Sorry And Sad
11) Making Pies
12) Mother Of God
13) One More Girl
14) Standing

Americana Music Association Announces Showcase Line-up

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Building on the already excellent initial lineup announcement the Nashville-based Americana Music Association has released has released the full roster of artists performing during the event.

Some of the additions that stand out to me are roots-rockers Shooter Jennings and Austin Lucas, alt.country stalwarts Bottle Rockets and Ashley Monroe who apparently has no problem working both the Americana and Music Row sides of the fence (good!) One performer I’m bummed to see missing from the roster is Jason Isbell (Though his talented better half, Amanda Shires, is on the list.) There might be scheduling conflicts with his current tour supporting the excellent “Southeastern.”

The vagueness of Americana’s boundaries allows a richness and diversity within a shared source and vision. it’s what legend, and scheduled performer, Darrell Scott describes positively as a “hard-to-define place.”

the selections show a broad range of diversity and excellence the of the genre. Great to see many Casa Twang favorites represented as well.

The AMA has created a Spotify playlist of the performers on the 2013 bill.

The 14th annual event will take place in Nashville, Sept. 18-22. I’ll be there. hope you are too!

Americana Music Festival & Conference Showcase Performing Artistt
Alanna Royale
Amanda Shires
American Aquarium
Amy Speace
Andrew Combs
Andrew Leahey & the Homestead
Aoife O’Donovan
Ashley Monroe
Austin Lucas
Band of Heathens
Bear’s Den
Ben Miller Band
Bhi Bhiman
Billy Bragg
Black Prairie
Bobby Rush
Bottle Rockets
Brian Wright
Chelsea Crowell
Claire Lynch
Daniel Romano
Darrell Scott & Tim O’Brien
Dash Rip Rock
David Bromberg
Delbert McClinton
Della Mae
Donna the Buffalo
Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors
DUGAS
Elephant Revival
Farewell Drifters
Field Report
Frank Fairfield
Hillbilly Killers
Holly Williams
Houndmouth
Howe Gelb
Howlin’ Brothers
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Infamous Stringdusters
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound
JD McPherson
Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons
Joe Nolan
John Fullbright
Jonny Fritz
Josh Rouse
Joy Kills Sorrow
Judah & the Lion
Justin Townes Earle
Kim Richey
Kruger Brothers
Laura Cantrell
Lera Lynn
Levi Lowrey
Lindi Ortega
Lisa Marie Presley
Luella & the Sun
Mandolin Orange
Matt Mays
Max Gomez
McCrary Sisters
Melody Pool
Mustered Courage
My Darling Clementine
Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers
Nikki Lane
Noah Gunderson
Nora Jane Struthers
North Mississippi Allstars
NQ Arbuckle
Old Man Luedecke
Over The Rhine
Parker Millsap
Patrick Sweany
Paul Kelly
Peter Bruntnell
Phil Madeira
Pokey LaFarge
Randall Bramlett
Rayland Baxter
Richard Thompson
Rosanne Cash
Rose Cousins
Sam Doores, Riley Downing & the Tumbleweeds
Samantha Crain
Shakey Graves
Shannon McNally
Shel
Shooter Jennings
Sons of Fathers
Spirit Family Reunion
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Steelism
Steep Canyon Rangers
Stewart Mann & the Statesboro Revue
Sturgill Simpson
Susan Cowsill
The Bushwackers
The Del-Lords
The Devil Makes Three
The Greencards
The Lone Bellow
The Lost Brothers
The Stray Birds
The Westbound Rangers
The White Buffalo
Tim Easton
Tommy Malone
Treetop Flyers
Two Man Gentleman Band
Uncle Lucius
Water Liars
Wheeler Brothers
Willie Sugarcaps
Willy Mason
Wood Brothers