Sugarland’s new album, Love on the Inside, has become their first to top the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. It debuted last week immediately behind Miley Cyrus’ new release, Breakout. Additionally, Sugarland’s "All I Wanna Do" reached No. 1 on Billboard’s country singles chart just 11 weeks after its release. They first reached No. 1 in 2006 with "Want To" and again in 2007 with "Settlin’." According to Nielsen SoundScan data cited by Billboard, sales of Love on the Inside declined 45 percent in its second week of release, but they still sold 171,000 units to surpass Cyrus’ new album. Breakout sold 163,000 copies, a decline of 56 percent from its first week of release.

Farm Aid stages America’s longest running annual concert event that unites farmers, artists, consumers, and concerned citizens to build a powerful movement for good food from family farms. Throughout the year, Farm Aid promotes food from family farms through inspiring and informative television, radio, mail, and web campaigns.

Tickets for this year’s Farm Aid will go on sale to the general public July 28 at 10am EST.

The surprise of the evening, though, was the overwhelming reception accorded a couple of newer acts. A sweet-sounding traditional duo from North Carolina, Heather Berry and Tony Mabe, won the crowd over with their charming rendition of Hall’s “Can You Hear Me Now.” They have also recorded the song for their new CD. And new bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent ran through an energetic and rigorous version of the Statlers’ “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine” and drew a well-deserved audience ovation. All 100 percent genuine, effects-free musical performances, all night.

Induction into the Hall is the pinnacle of any career in country music. There are currently 105 of country music’s best inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Del McCoury has put out a compilation project that sings about the plight of rural America. The album enlists a stellar group of artists to tell this story. Moneyland, which is also the name of the title cut, invokes the spirit of FDR and his New Deal to tell this story. The first and last cut on the album are excerpts from a couple of FDR’s famous fireside chats, which makes this the first and likely last album review I will do which includes tracks by a dead president. Speaking of dead presidents, money is really the central subject on this project. Every song is really about either the lust for or lack of money, as the greedy are pushing the less fortunate to the margins, especially in rural America.

With the nation’s economic woes at the top of American minds for the foreseeable future, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more country music stars follow their lead. Our hearts go out to the heartland and those struggling economically.

From Variety.com - Plans are in motion for documentarians David Leaf (The U.S. vs. John Lennon) and Morgan Neville (The Night James Brown Saved Boston) to chronicle the history of country music/ the series will be produced by Shout! Factory and Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The individual segments will be thematically divided. On the slate are “The Roots of Country and Bluegrass,” “The Honky Tonk Tradition,” “Outlaw Country,” “The Nashville Sound,” “The Politics of Country,” “Country Songs and Songwriters,” “California Country” and “No Depression,” a look at the alternative country music movement.

Modern country stars will be participating in the films, providing their personal connections to the past.

Looks like an exciting project to check out when it comes out.

This writer and music fan wonders where country music has gone and opines for days of old, choosing to opt for authenticity and twang of the alternative country genre rather than listen to more popular mainstream country.

The writer further suggests:

Country music isn’t country music anymore. And who do we have to thank for that? Garth Brooks? Toby Keith? Record Executives?

For the author, the best alternatives to mainstream country include:

…The Jayhawks, The Cowboy Junkies, Wilco, or Ryan Adams, there is something earnest in their music.

Or perhaps Dwight Yokham…

The writer ultimately suggests:

The country music I grew to love over the years has its roots in the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee. Some may call it hillbilly, some may call it bluegrass, or some may call it traditional, but is from the heart. When I listen to what passes for country music, I think Hank Williams, Sr. would roll over in his grave.

Is country dying on the vine or is it merely re-inventing itself?

So, are my Chicken Little friends, who say the sky is falling in terms of country music’s quality, correct? Do they have a valid argument? I think we should look at the record over several years and compare things before coming to a decision.

Let’s look back at, say, the last 20 years and compare emerging crops of young country artists.

With the winners’ names bolded, let’s do a year-by-year run-through of the nominees:

• 1988: Highway 101, Patty Loveless, K.T. Oslin, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Ricky Van Shelton

• 1989: Clint Black, Desert Rose Band, Loveless, Shenandoah, Keith Whitley

• 1990: Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Kentucky HeadHunters, Lorrie Morgan, Travis Tritt

• 1991: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mark Chesnutt, Doug Stone, Pam Tillis, Travis Tritt

• 1992: Suzy Bogguss, Brooks & Dunn, Billy Dean, Pam Tillis, Trisha Yearwood

• 1993: Mark Chesnutt, Sammy Kershaw, Tracy Lawrence, John Michael Montgomery, Trisha Yearwood

• 1994: Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, John Michael Montgomery, Lee Roy Parnell

• 1995: David Ball, John Berry, Faith Hill, Alison Krauss, Shania Twain

• 1996: Terri Clark, Wade Hayes, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain, Bryan White

• 1997: Trace Adkins, Deana Carter, Terri Clark, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack

• 1998: Trace Adkins, Dixie Chicks, Jo Dee Messina, Michael Peterson, Womack

• 1999: Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Jo Dee Messina, the Wilkinsons, Chely Wright

• 2000: Sara Evans, Montgomery Gentry, Brad Paisley, SHeDAISY, Chely Wright

• 2001: Jessica Andrews, Nickel Creek, Jamie O’Neal, Keith Urban, Phil Vassar

• 2002: Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Nickel Creek, Rascal Flatts, Phil Vassar, Darryl Worley

• 2003: Gary Allan, Buddy Jewell, Joe Nichols, Blake Shelton, Darryl Worley

• 2004: Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Julie Roberts, Josh Turner, Gretchen Wilson

• 2005: Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Miranda Lambert, Julie Roberts, Sugarland

• 2006: Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Sugarland, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood

• 2007: Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Little Big Town, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift

While country music has temporarily given up some of its more traditional roots, Flippo suggests that the Chicken Littles of country music may be too overly pessimistic, because, “You must remember that there have been eras in country music’s history when a lot of the music was easy listening pabulum. ” Without a doubt a shift is definitely occurring. Somewhere between the Keith Urban and Taylor Swift award wins, a change in the face and sinew of country music changed to a more rock music focused.

Danny Dill’s songwriting has had a dramatic impact on country music and the life of mainstream music as well. CMT Online highlights the life and times of Mr. Dill:

Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975, Danny Dill is one of country music’s greatest songsmiths. His tune, “Long Black Veil”, written with Marijohn Wilkin, has been recorded by everyone from Lefty Frizzell and Johnny Cash to the Band, Jerry Garcia and Jason And The Scorchers. Bobby Bare scored a major hit with his song, “Detroit City”, in 1963. Both “Long Black Veil” and “Detroit Hits” have become international hits, translated and recorded in more than two dozen languages.

“The Long Back Veil” has been covered by many artists. Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell do a marvelous job of covering this country classic here:

Another great interpretation of “The Long Black Veil” was recently done by Dave Matthews and Emmy Lou Harris

If you want to know about Danny Dill’s other major hit “Detroit City” click here.

Willie and Snoop recently finished a new song and video in Amsterdam. There is no information yet on the title of the song. However, these two have more in common than just marijuana in their histories.

The article continues:

“I have a new single called ‘My Medicine’ and I wanted to get a lot of Country artists to perform on it,” Snoop Dogg said. “It was inspired by Country Music legend and the late Johnny Cash.”

Only history and perhaps the music charts will tell if this duet is an amicable musical marriage. Looking forward to the fusion of these two genres and if Willie will stay true to his roots.

…”West Texas Town,” a duet with songwriter Dean Dillon, finds Strait pulling off an excellent take on Texas Swing that favorably recalls Asleep at the Wheel. “House of Cash,” a duet with Patty Loveless, who is in predictably stellar voice, foregrounds a far grittier electric guitar riff than is typically found on Strait’s records, and it actually works with Strait’s just-behind-the-beat delivery. Unfortunately, not all of the risks pay off quite so well: In an attempt to update “Convoy,” “Brothers of the Highway” uses the kind of pirate imagery more commonly associated with Kenny Chesney, while “River of Love” adopts a second-rate Jimmy Buffett production style that simply doesn’t work for Strait.

Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine continues:

Still, the obvious singles “Make Her Fall In Love with Me Song” and “House with No Doors” are well written and should perpetuate Strait’s unrivaled run at the top of the country charts.

Other Notable Reviews of George Strait’s “Troubadour” release:

Country Music Central has a great review of George Strait’s “Troubador,” including a helpful track by track breakdown.

Entertainment Weekly music critic Chris Willman give’s “Troubador” a B+

For comprehensive info on George Strait check here.