Miranda L. Lambert

Thu May 24, 2007 1:33 am

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51007.asp

Country Music Site

Kathy Lyngholm
BellaOnline's Country Music Editor
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Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

In this sophomore CD from Miranda Lambert, sometimes it is hard to tell which direction she is taking with her music.

For the former Nashville Star contestant, this CD seems to lack a common sound that links the songs together. It’s almost like Miranda is having a hard time deciding if she wants to go with Country, Southern Rock or even Punk Rock with this CD. The title track Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, she performed this on the CMA Awards show last year, seems better suited to the Punk Rock genre than the more laid back Country music scene. Gunpowder & Lead seems to be more of a old school country song, along with Famous in a Small Town.

Love Letters written by Miranda is a beautiful song that showcases her voice, she does very well with ballads and the slower tempo songs. Desperation is another ballad that is just a gorgeous showcase of Miranda’s voice.

Tracks:
Gunpowder & Lead talks about an abusive boyfriend who is going to meet the business end of a shotgun.

Dry Town is a song that will remind you of Loretta Lynns style. It talks about exactly what the title says, no beer, no alcohol in the town which seems to be totally dry of any excitement.

Famous in a Small Town talks about how "everyone dies famous in a small town". Anything that happens is news, births, deaths, hunting, etc.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend talks about not letting her ex get away with showing up with a new girl at a place they used to hang out in and have fun.

Love Letters is about a love gone wrong. Beautifully written by Miranda.

Desperation talks about still being in love with with an ex boyfriend.

More Like Her talks about how she should have been more like the former girlfriend and maybe the relationship would have lasted.

Down talks about breaking hearts and telling people to stay away from her so they don't get hurt.

Guilty in Here is about feeling guilty about all the things she did to keep guys under her thumb.

Getting Ready is about working up to breaking it off with a boyfriend.

Easy From Now On talks about it getting easier now that the guy is gone and she can move on from the relationship.


While Miranda is having a bit more luck with her career than the previous winners of Nashville Star, she needs to find a bit more direction in her choice of songs, in my opinion. This mish mash of music left this reviewer a bit confused.

Miranda Lambert Shows Her Softer Side

 Miranda Lambert backstage in the press room after winning Top New Female Vocalist at the "42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards," Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Photo by David Vespie.

May 16, 2007 — Miranda Lambert's image is that of a tough young Texan who just might have a gun in her purse, but after winning the ACM for Top New Female Vocalist, she was emotional, even teary, The Tennessean reports.

"I used to have a yellow tablet, write down all the nominees and circle my winners," she said backstage. "I told my parents that I wanted to win an ACM award one day, and now here I am."

Still, Miranda mustered a characteristic display of humor and gumption. "I hope I'm busting open the door for music that's not just straight down the middle," she said. "A lot of women don't sing about drinking and cheating, but we all do it and we know it."

Miranda attended the ceremonies with boyfriend and fellow country singer Blake Shelton, but he missed her victory. "He went to the bathroom just as I was winning, so I had nobody to hug," she said.

Tue May 15, 2007 7:23 am

Texas Wrangler
By J. Freedom du Lac

The Washington Post

May 15, 2007

NEW YORK

Miranda Lambert is the most dangerous-sounding woman in country music. She's also No. 1 with a bullet. So you have to ask: Miranda, are you packing heat?

"Can't tell you," Lambert twangs. "That's why it's called a concealed weapon. How about you just be nice?"

Asking Lambert about her armament is a legitimate question. The country starlet's new album, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," opens with the raging "Gunpowder & Lead," in which she sings of delivering shotgun-pellet payback to an abusive man. She wrote the chorus's kicker -- "I'm gonna show him what a little girl's made of / Gunpowder and lead" -- during a concealed handgun class back home in East Texas.

"Miranda has lived in gun culture all her life," explains her father, Rick, a retired cop and private investigator. "I'm a firearms collector and hunter. She was taught to shoot when she was a little bitty girl. So it's natural for her to put a gun in a song.

"But she's not a gangsta talking about shooting cops and bonking women on the head. She's talking about real things that happen to real people. It's not that safe [stuff] that's going on in country music, and some people are scared of it."

And how. Miranda Lambert specializes in rough-and-ready music -- drinkin' songs and breakup songs and bloodthirsty revenge fantasies about, say, torching a cheating boyfriend's abode ('Kerosene') or starting a bar brawl over a former flame ('Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'). The 23-year-old singer and songwriter can come across like a loose cannon with a Texas-size temper onstage, too. Remember that performance on last year's Country Music Association Awards that ended with Lambert looking all wild-eyed as she smashed her Gibson Epiphone? So not Nashville nice!

Lambert promises she'll be on her best behavior during tonight's Academy of Country Music Awards show (8 p.m. on CBS), on which she's performing her self-explanatory single, "Famous in a Small Town," and possibly accepting an award. (She's up for two: best female vocalist and best new female vocalist.)

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is a stunning recording that's brimming with energy and personality. Featuring 11 superlative songs -- eight of which were written or co-written by Lambert -- the CD flirts with perfection and might well be the best new album you'll hear all year, in any genre. As on Lambert's 2005 major-label debut, "Kerosene," the music on "Crazy Ex" isn't slick or safe or glitzy or designed for maximum mainstream appeal. It's raw and full of verve, with lyrical depth, like a louder, harder-edged take on the outlaw country music on which Lambert was raised.

During promotional appearances, she hears one question a lot -- Are you, like, crazy?-- but, in fact, if you listen to her new album, you'll hear a completely different side, particularly on the bittersweet ballad 'Love Letters' and the aching, yearning 'More Like Her.'

"I'm really glad the album's out, because I feel like people really were starting to think of me only as the bad-ass 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,' " Lambert says. "I'm not that mean, scary, hard-core chick. I mean, I can be, because I'm from Texas. But I also have that 23-year-old-wanna-be-in-love thing, too. My music is about being strong, even in your vulnerability. I have all kinds of emotions, but I think having strength is the main thread to my writing on this album."

Released May 1, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" entered the country album chart at No. 1, edging out "Pure BS," the new CD from Blake Shelton, who happens to be Lambert's boyfriend. Lambert says she won a bet with her beau by outselling him; he now owes her a vacation. "He plans it, he pays for it," she says. "All he tells me is what day we're leaving and what clothes to bring." She giggles.

Shelton, 30, who divorced his high school sweetheart last year, "is so great," Lambert says. But she admits: "I was never really into his type of music. It's mainstream country, and I like singer-songwriters, like Chris Knight -- kind of raw country. But I think Blake's a great singer, and I actually like his new album. As a 23-year-old girl, it's something I'd actually listen to and go buy. I just won't buy it until he takes me on that vacation."

Lambert is sitting in a corner booth at Cowgirl, a Manhattan restaurant that serves "fine chuckwagon cuisine" and Southwestern kitsch: The tables are covered with plastic gingham, the chandeliers are made of antlers and there are steer horns mounted on the wall next to a Texas star. Lambert is polite and Texas-cheerleader pretty, with perfectly bronzed skin, pouty lips and long blond hair. "And her dimples!" says Devra Dedeaux, one of the restaurant's owners. "They're so adorable." Lambert is wearing a sundress and weathered cowboy boots. A tattoo of her crossed pistols-and-wings logo adorns her forearm.

Lambert is nobody's Nashville puppet and certainly isn't the product of any sort of Music Row assembly line. She writes most of her own songs, cranks up the volume in concert ("We're a rock band with a country singer," she says) and is headstrong enough that shortly upon signing a record deal with Sony Nashville, she informed the company that she was either going to cut the album she wanted to make or she was going home. Smartly, the suits acquiesced: Though country radio gave Lambert a relatively cool reception, "Kerosene" entered Billboard's country album chart at No. 1 -- just the sixth time a new artist had done so -- and went on to sell nearly 900,000 copies.

She celebrated by buying a 400-acre hunting ranch and a John Deere tractor.

Lambert and her kid brother, Luke, grew up in Lindale, roughly 80 miles east of Dallas. It's a small Texas town (population: 3,370) whose motto is "Good Country Living." After Rick Lambert retired from police work, he opened a private detective agency with his wife, Beverly. In the mid-'90s, the couple worked for the Texas attorneys representing Paula Jones in her sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill Clinton.

"We investigated the president's sex life," Rick says from his Lindale home. "We were kind of the anti-bimbo squad." More commonly, the Lamberts were hired on child-custody and divorce cases -- work that wound up providing Miranda with a wealth of source material.

When she was 9, her father -- who wrote and performed country songs himself -- took her to a Garth Brooks show, at the height of the singer's popularity. "She came back and said, 'Daddy, I would like to do that someday,' " Rick Lambert says. At that point her only experience was singing in a praise band at church. "I told her she had the voice, and pretty soon after that, I was trying to put a little pressure on her to learn how to play the guitar. But she showed no interest."

That was true, he says, even after he bought his daughter a guitar when she was 13. "We have a saying in our family: 'You raise a child according to their bend.' And at the time, Miranda was doing the dancing and cheerleading and all the things young girls get involved in with their peers."

Lambert went on with her teenage life until she was 16 and heard a radio ad for the True Value Country Showdown. She told her parents that she wanted to enter, recorded two of her father's original songs and was accepted into the competition. She lost but was encouraged by the feedback and soon went to Nashville to cut a demo. She does not have fond memories of the experience, saying the songs she recorded were "awful" and "cheesy."

"I cried in the studio. My dad spent $6,000 to do those demos, and we didn't have $6,000 at all. It was terrible. But he says it was a cheap lesson because I learned in three hours what I wanted to do."

Upon retreating from Nashville, she asked her father to teach her some guitar chords and she immediately started writing songs. "It's the only thing that's ever come naturally to me," she says. "I had to work at everything. I sucked in school. I sucked at sports except for softball, but I had to work at that. I was a cheerleader but always had to stay after. Music was the first thing I did where I was naturally talented."

Lambert began performing with a band around Texas, including a bar 45 miles from home, where she gigged three nights a week, four hours a night. She'd get back to Lindale around 4 a.m., then get up for high school. "It wasn't working," she says. So she graduated early, through, she says, "a program what was supposed to be for kids that were on drugs or pregnant."

Lambert released an independent CD and continued to do hard time on the Texas music circuit, with her mother handling her booking and her dad sometimes paying the band with his own money. She also tried acting and worked at a department store, where she cleaned hanger racks and sorted underwear. She quit after two weeks.

Then, in 2003, Lambert tried out for a new USA Network talent show, "Nashville Star." She wound up flooring the program's producers at her Houston audition. "We knew we'd found someone special who'd really help put the show on the map," says H.T. Owens, an executive producer. "She was this incredible 19-year-old ingenue from the heartland of Texas who had so much talent."

Lambert didn't win the competition (she finished third to Buddy Jewell and runner-up John Arthur Martinez), but "Nashville Star" put her on an accelerated schedule to country stardom.

"The show was an incredible shot in the arm for her," Owens says. "But I think she would have made it anyway. I'll put it this way: Being on 'Nashville Star' wouldn't have been that helpful if she wasn't so great."

While Lambert has an effective voice, her true strength is her songwriting, which was deeply informed by her parents' work. That was especially true on "Kerosene."

"When I was writing for that album, I was 17 to 20 years old and I didn't have a lot of life to write about," she says. "So I was really taking from other experiences. This time around, I feel like I've lived a lot more and I feel like I have more soul to me than I did when I was 20. So a lot more of this album is me. But not all of it. 'Gunpowder & Lead' isn't me. It's more like a mini-movie -- though I'm not saying I wouldn't be like that if it came down to it."

Rick Lambert believes he knows exactly what inspired that song. "We used to take in abused women and their kids," he says. "Miranda's been moved out of her room several times to make room for a mother and her teenage daughter. She's heard me tell those wives, 'If he comes over here, he might get shot 'cause we're not going to take [guff] from anybody.' She saw these women break down and talk about how they were mentally and physically abused. She gleaned content just by listening. She did that a lot. We didn't hide anything from the kids. So the content of her songs doesn't surprise me."

Nor does her spitfire attitude. "People say: Where'd she get that anger? But it's not necessarily anger. It's a lifestyle." Just consider that guns-and-wings logo, he says. "You know what that means? It means if you jack with the Lamberts, we'll send you to heaven."

If you want to see Miranda Lambert get worked up, start talking about country radio, where the format's gatekeepers regard her as a bit too tough, or left of center. The men who program the format generally like Lambert but say she just hasn't delivered "that song."

It's mystifying that her singles never reached higher than No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Country chart, which is where the Molotov cocktail of a title track from "Kerosene" peaked. (Lambert, by the way, had to give Steve Earle co-writing credit on the song after realizing she'd swiped the melody from Earle's "I Feel Alright." "I pretty much ripped him off without realizing it," she says.)

Her struggle to break into the upper reaches of the singles charts is a festering wound. "I really don't understand radio at all," she says. "I don't feel like I'm too edgy or out there. A million people don't. I don't know what I could do differently. And if I did anything differently, I wouldn't be me. So I'm not going to. But I'm really frustrated."

Gregg Swedberg, program director for the Minneapolis-St. Paul country station KEEY, says Lambert "is one of the most talented females we've got." And: " 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' is an awfully good record." And: "I suspect that anybody who buys the album is going to be really happy they did." Yet Swedberg doesn't think there's anything like a hit on the CD. "I hear 11 really good songs, but I don't think there's a giant anthem.

" 'Gunpowder & Lead' is one of the nastiest songs I've heard in any genre, and I love it," he continues. "But I don't think it's a number one record because it's too angry."

Joe Galante, chairman of Sony BMG Nashville, says Lambert's struggles to break through on radio seem strangely familiar. "I've been through this before: I worked Waylon in the '70s, and heck -- we didn't have a Top 10 with him for six years." Galante's message to Lambert: "It's the same thing we tell all our artists -- you have to show patience. Some people are going to be late to the game with her, but so be it. They'll catch up eventually."

Even if, for now, it makes her crazy.

Sat May 12, 2007 11:37 pm

Miranda Lambert Gets Crazy on the Charts

Miranda Lambert's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend debuts this week at the top of Billboard's country album chart -- just ahead of her significant other, Blake Shelton. But how can you not love someone who has the audacity to choose Pure BS
as the title of their new album?

Meanwhile, Sugarland's "Settlin'" tops the trade publication's country singles chart, moving Rascal Flatts' "Stand" to the No. 2 position.

First week sales of Lambert's album totaled more than 52,000 copies to also debut at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. However, she was eclipsed on that all-genre chart by new albums debuted by Michael Buble, Rush and Tori Amos. Shelton's Pure BS landed at No. 8. Lambert's first album, Kerosene, debuted at No. 1 in 2005.

With Lambert and Shelton in first and second place on the list of country albums, Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts endures what will likely be a temporary drop from No. 1 to No. 3. In fact, the new additions to the chart have caused a downward shift all of all titles in the Top 10. In descending order, the other seven CDs are Tim McGraw's Let It Go, Martina McBride's Waking Up Laughing, Taylor Swift self-titled debut, Rascal Flatts' Me and My Gang, Alison Krauss' A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection, Bucky Covington's self-titled release and Larry the Cable Guy's Morning Constitutions.

The only other CD to hit the country chart this week is What I Love About Sunday, a multi-artist inspirational compilation that gets its title from the Craig Morgan hit. Others on the collection include McGraw, Wynonna, Randy Travis, Tracy Lawrence and Billy Ray Cyrus.

One of the tracks worth noting from What I Love About Sunday is Clay Davidson's "Unconditional," which reached No. 3 on the country singles chart in 2000. Davidson, a Virginia native, was off to a strong start on the Virgin Nashville label but somehow got lost in the shuffle when Virgin closed its country division and moved its artists to the Capitol Nashville roster. And that's a shame, but it all happened long before being a redneck became fashionable again.

Sugarland and Rascal Flatts continue to dominate the uppermost region of the country singles chart, but Billy Currington's "Good Directions" shows upward movement by climbing to No. 3. Underwood's recent No. 1, "Wasted," rolls to No. 4 while Toby Keith spends a second week at No. 5 with "High Maintenance Woman." Emerson Drive is also on the upswing with "Moments" rising to No. 6. Alan Jackson's "A Woman's Love" slips to No. 7 as Brad Paisley's "Ticks" digs in at No. 8 for a third week. Also holding steady -- at No. 9 -- is Tracy Lawrence's "Find Out Who Your Friends Are." Dierks Bentley's "Long Trip Alone" rises one notch to No. 10.

Joe Nichols' "Another Side of You" arrives at No. 50 to become this week's highest-charting single. Newcomer Sarah Johns makes a bow at No. 57 with "The One in the Middle."

May 7, 2007, 07:18 PM

Miranda Lambert and the two Stagecoaches

by Chris Willman

Miranda Lambert (pictured) was sitting in a folding chair outside her tour bus, taking in the idyllic scene that was this past weekend's Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California. She'd just had a couple of drinks after coming off a rousing main stage set, and was ready to wander the bus zone, mingle with old friends, and make some new ones. "It's paradise for me," she told us, "because I like mainstream and I love Lucinda Williams and Robert Earl Keen and Emmylou Harris. It's the first festival I've been to, as far as country festivals go, that really crosses genres. It takes guts to come up with something like this and actually try it. Stagecoach is cool because it bridges the gap. It doesn't have to be country or Americana or bluegrass, it's just all good music."

Lambert is turning into a bit of a poster girl for the cause of uniting fans from different rootsy corners. If you read EW regularly, you know Lambert is as close to an officially staff-designated favorite as we get, but we're not the only magazine that loves her; she just showed up on the cover of No Depression. "Which is so cool to me," she said. "Love that! My guys and I were just freaking out. It's an awesome magazine." This was a milestone, actually, the first time that No Depression has deigned to so endorse a current mainstream country hitmaker. That publication's editors take a slight risk by giving her their imprimatur; the mag usually covers alt-country, Americana, and even more left-of-center subgenres, and in the rare instances when they profile an actual contemporary hitmaker who's signed to a Nashville label (even one with clearly definable roots leanings, like Dierks Bentley), they get hostile letters from overly hip readers who think they've sold out. But Lambert's newly released second album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, is so good — with its mixture of honky-tonk, intimate singer/songwriter balladry, and ballsy rock, it's got something for just about everybody — she just has to be a uniter, not a divider.

But maybe these divides aren't so easily bridged. Stagecoach was a brave, brilliant idea, with one of the most fantastic lineups any music festival has ever boasted, and it was a success on most of the imaginable levels. But it really ended up being two different festivals, proceeding on parallel tracks. Of the estimated 30,000 attendees who showed up both days, it's probably to safe to say that at least 27,000 were there only to see the mainstream superstars on the main stage: Alan Jackson and George Strait one night, and Brooks & Dunn and Kenny Chesney the next. Most of these guys' fans planted their chairs and blankets early on that vast field and never left except for beer runs. There were three other stages, meanwhile, one devoted to Americana and alt-country, one to bluegrass, and one to cowboy or Western music... each of these brilliantly programmed lineups drawing audiences of about 150-500 at a time, with a few notable exceptions. And it's not clear how many of the hipsters who populated these side areas ever wandered over to see the big-name Nashvillians. Chesney fanatics were never forced to take in Earl Scruggs, Neko Case, or Drive-By Truckers against their will, and a lot of the cool types who might've gravitated toward an Americana festival that featured only the critically acclaimed acts probably just stayed home, maybe fearful of having to rub tattoos with guys shouting "Git 'er done!" So to the question of "Can't we all just get along?," we'd have to say the jury is still out.

In 2005, I wrote a book that addressed some of these issues, called Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music, dealing with the divides between the mainstream country audience (which is generally perceived as musically and culturally conservative) and alt-country (which tends to swing the other way). I had some friends who told me the musicians and audiences in these two camps were too disparite to even belong in the same book. But I was heartened when I talked to people like veteran journalist Chet Flippo, a former Texan and New Yorker who wrote for Rolling Stone in the '70s and now works at CMT. Flippo believes these divides are artificial, and I quoted him in my book saying this: "There's a huge amount of overlap in country music audiences. It's always seemed to me that the notion of country music Balkanization — that there is one huge monolithic mainstream country audience and one small alt-country audience — has been propagated by mainstream radio, some music critics, and music snobs. There are overlapping circles of country fans and artists and alt-country fans and artists, and that's always been the case. Kinky Friedman was alt-country in 1975 — but no such term existed then, so he was just considered a failed mainstream artist." (I love that.) "But he still found his audience, which included some mainstream fans. That is still the case with artists and audiences today. I know many country fans who would be considered mainstream because they like Toby Keith or Sara Evans, but they're also listening to Outlaw Radio on Sirius and turning on to what are considered alt-country artists. It's a matter of what people are exposed to. Mainstream radio is still the main country delivery system, although satellite radio and TV are making dramatic inroads. The impact of downloads on country is still being assessed."

Good points, all — but the setup at Stagecoach allowed for fairly easy segregation. A lot of people who'd been camped out for the main stage came over to the alternative stage to see old-timers Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Kris Kristofferson, and went into the bluegrass tent for Nickel Creek. And I saw some suspiciously punky sorts headed over to the big field for Lambert, Alan Jackson, and Gary Allan. Even without race-mixing — er, I mean, genre-mixing — everyone there had the time of their lives in their respective camps, far as I could tell. Still, it was easy to dream of a lineup that mixed things up a little more between stages and stretched people's boundaries just a little. I can tell you that if organizers put some of the top bluegrass-oriented acts (Nickel Creek, Ricky Skaggs, Earl Scruggs, Del McCoury) or veteran cred artists (namely, Emmylou) on the main stage as an apertif before the stadium-sized headliners, that mass audience wouldn't have balked at the excellence set before them. And putting some mid-level mainsteam acts on the side stages might've gotten the bigger part of the audience used to, you know, walking. (At the Coachella Festival the weekend before, it would've been unthinkable that anyone would stay in one spot for very long, but Stagecoach, unlike Coachella, allows chairs and blankets, which turned out to be a hindrance to audience adventurousness.)

Early in the festival, Lambert was taking the hopeful view with me. "I think it's different sets of audiences than you could be in front of at any other venue," she said Saturday, "because people that go see Lucinda are probably not gonna go see me, unless they just happen to hear me and like it. But I think there's a way to be cool and mainstream. To me, Dwight Yoakam [who wasn't booked at Stagecoach] is the perfect example." But she confessed to her own nervousness about what the implications of this labeling might mean. "When I first made Kerosene, and then this album, too, whenever people that I thought were really cool said 'We love your album,' I was like, oh gosh, cool people think my album is good, so it's not gonna be mainstream. It seemed like there's hardly anyone that goes between."

The easiest thing to do might seem to be to admit that mainstream country and Americana are distinctly different forms of music that inherently attract different kinds of fans. Except my fellow PopWatch blogger Whitney Pastorek and I are living proof that Chet Flippo isn't just blowing smoke, and that it is not just possible but, for anyone who really loves the art of popular songwriting, inevitable to love at least a little bit of both ends of the spectrum. And some of the songs are literally the same, with mainsteam acts so often borrowing the most commercial tunes their alternative brethren have to offer. (Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood made a joke of this when his stage patter was getting drowned out by Brooks & Dunn: "Maybe those guys over there will cover this one and get [fellow Trucker] Cooley a Cadillac.") You have to believe it's true when Lambert says: "People, especially in mainstream country, don't put enough faith in their audience, saying, 'This is what our listeners want to hear, this is what the country audience is. Period, the end.' And it's not true, because I'm a mainstream country fan, and I love off-the-beaten-path stuff like Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer and Robert Earl Keen. They underestimate their audience, and this is a place that's a test of it." But it's also true that the other side, feeling marginalized, is just as incapable of even considering that Strait, Jackson, Sara Evans, and B&D, while not quite fitting the definition of "album artists," have recorded some of the greatest singles in any genre in the last 20 years.

This festival could only have taken place in California because we have a tradition of hippieish country-rock that I think still lingers in the collective memory. That was represented at Stagecoach by Chris Hillman, of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, and Richie Furay, of Buffalo Springfield and Poco — and both of them formerly of the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band — doing nostalgic conjoining sets. Arguably, it could have happened in Texas, which also has a stubborn independent streak when it comes to genre-mixing. But I wonder if it's telling that Willie Nelson, who's brought rock and country acts together for his Fourth of July picnic in Texas every year since the 1970s, is moving the event to Washington state this year. In my book, Steve Earle recalled, "There was a moment in Texas, when Rodney Crowell and I came up, that Texas wasn't the place it was now. Rednecks and hippies started going to the same gigs. And I stopped getting my ass kicked all of a sudden! I remember hitchhiking to see Willie, and some guy in a limo, who worked for some oil company, picked me up. He was going, too, so he took me. It was just this moment — a window that opened up, and then closed."

Well, as long as Willie is still around, that window isn't completely closed. God bless the Stagecoach organizers for believing that different camps could not just put up with each other but indulge in some sort of collective embrace for a weekend. Segregated as Stagecoach felt, it also felt like an enormous potential force for good in the overall musical landscape.

Of course, it's easy for the alt folks to feel drowned out — symboically and, at Stagecoach, quite literally. Nearly every act that played the secondary outdoor stage commented on the blare from the larger adjacent one that made it hard for artists and fans alike to concentrate on the often quieter sounds at hand. Some had a good humor about it. "You get two shows for the price of one!" said Emmylou Harris. Some of the comments were a little more barbed: "Pull up close and we'll try to play louder than whatever that is over there. We're the antidote," barked the Truckers' Patterson Hood. And then there was Neko Case, who made a running joke of it her entire set, with song intros like, "George Strait is doing a sad one... This is a sad one. We're gonna do a tandem stereo bum-out with George over there."

"George Strait's got it goin' on," announced Case's backup singer.

"Get in line," retorted Case.

"Get in line behind my grandma!"

"My grandma will fistfight you to make out with George Strait!"

"That's all right," said Case's backup singer. "I'll take sloppy seconds from your grandma."

At that moment, it became clear what can really unite rednecks and bluenecks: George Strait's overwhelming studliness. But what will do it for the guys? Miranda Lambert's? Miranda, you have a mandate to bring a divided nation of roots music lovers together again... by any sexy means necessary.

Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:25 am

Fiery Music Warms Up a Cold Night
Toby Keith pays tribute to Drum soldiers in crowd
Saturday, January 27, 2007
By Mark Bialczak
Staff writer

Toby Keith admitted to all in the sold-out crowd Friday night at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino Event Center that he was a little under the weather.

But the country star wouldn't let an extra winter coat on his always-husky voice stop him. Not when there were 100 soldiers from Fort Drum just back from serving in Iraq out there in the crowd.

So Keith saluted his beloved servicemen and women and gave all 4,300 folks a series of goose-bump moments in his one-two encore of "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (Angry American)."

"Thank God for your service, and Godspeed to all your brothers and sisters still over there," Keith said to the special 100.

Then everybody cheered and soaked it in: A couple dozen little American flags waving in the rows front and center. The big screen shot from the crowd of a soldier in camouflage hugging his sweetie. A small cluster of fans on the side chanting, "USA, USA," as the guitarist for Keith's band Easy Money got fiery on "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Of course, Keith couldn't let the night pass without doing the other things he does best. He got coarse at the couple of people who didn't stand up when he introduced the soldiers.

And he sang with the swagger and long line of hits - 22 songs in all - that have made him a favorite. In Toby Keith's world, it's all right to love sex and liquor and liquor and sex and be damn proud of it.

It didn't really matter much that Keith's bout of ill health had him coming in late with the vocals every now and then. With the talent of Easy Money and his tried-and-true string of huge hits, the "Hookin' Up and Hangin' Out Tour" is the kind of spectacle that Keith can wind up and let it sail wondrously on its own momentum.

When Keith's voice found its groove on stuff like "Get Drunk and Be Somebody" and "A Little Too Late" from last year's "White Trash with Money" and his catalog of hits ranging from "Should've Been a Cowboy" to "Honkytonk U" and "I Love This Bar," it was a grand sight and sound.

He paid tribute to his old pal Willie Nelson, as well as singing their duet "Beer for My Horses."

Second act Miranda Lambert brought an intriguing combination of traits onto the stage. Her voice carried a golden sweetness like Sara Evans', while her attitude sizzled with the swagger of Gretchen Wilson.

Lambert got fans standing with the biggest rocking hit from her debut disc, "Kerosene." When the golden-haired Lambert sang "Love Is Looking for You," loads of fans thundered along with her.

Opening band Flynnville Train sounded a little bit like the Marshall Tucker Band on "High on the Mountain" and a little like the Charlie Daniels Band on "Last Good Time."

Jan 26, 2007 7:34 am

Toby Keith, Times Union Center, 1/25/07
January 26, 2007 at 12:44 am by newsdesk
 
Toby Keith offers up solid set

By MICHAEL LISI

Special to the Times Union

ALBANY … Toby Keith is bigger than life these days … and that’s saying a lot.

Keith, the lanky 6-foot-3 country guitar-slinger who shills for a certain
truck company, is the star of "Burning Bridges,'’ his own made-for-TV movie that aired on
CMT in December.

And he kicked off the latest leg of his "Hookin’ Up & Hangin’ Out Tour'’ at
the Times Union Center on Thursday night, showcasing 90 minutes’ worth of country anthems
about hard drinking, love gone bad and even a few tears-in-your-beer ballads.

Keith turned in a solid, upbeat 90-plus-minute performance that would have
been more enjoyable without the cheesy pyrotechnics and a ridiculous, needless 10-minute
infomercial at the show’s start featuring a certain truck made by a company that’s sponsoring
his tour.

All Keith needed to do was play.

A sellout crowd of more than 12,000 loved Keith’s mix of attitude-laced country
rockers and rollicking honky-tonk, cheering and singing along to songs such as "Stays In
Mexico,'’ "Get Drunk and Be Somebody,'’ "Good As I Once Was'’ and "Who’s Your Daddy.'’

Wearing blue jeans and a jeans jacket, Keith and his 10-piece Easy Money Band
were on the money from the start, rolling through a mix of older fare and a good sampling of
songs from his latest disc, "White Trash With Money.'’ His gruff voice sounded fine on
Thursday night, making the most of "I Love This Bar,'’ "Should’ve Been a Cowboy'’ and "I’m
Just Talking About Tonight.'’

Keith’s duet with a video of Willie Nelson on "Beer For My Horses'’ was fun
and had fans dancing and singing along.

The show’s highlight came when Keith invited singer Lindsey Haun on stage for
a pair of songs from "Burning Bridges,'’ including a duet on the title track. The pixie-like
Haun has a huge voice, sounding fantastic on "Broken'’ … and begs the question why Keith
isn’t using her as an opening act. Haun is a true talent; she’ll make her mark soon.

Keith is known as a crowd pleaser and he didn’t disappoint on Thursday night.

Grammy Award nominee Miranda Lambert offered up an energetic half-hour performance that
won her a few new Capital Region country fans, even though the only thing truly country about
her sound was her voice.

Lambert sounds a lot like Dolly Parton, her nasal twang an odd complement to
her music, which was solidly rock with heavy 1970s influences. Singing with a noticeable
Texas drawl, Lambert was hard to understand at times, which stole from her exuberant
performance.

Still, there was something about Lambert that made her likable, even if she’s a
country artist who doesn’t play country music.

Flynnville Train, a five-piece act from Indiana, opened the show with 15
minutes of country rock that came off as a cross between Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Georgia
Satellites without the catchy hooks.

Michael Lisi is a freelance music critic from Schenectady and a frequent contributor to the
Times Union.
Music review

Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:04 pm

Miranda Lambert says she was wondering why her publicist was calling her attention to the GRAMMY nominations the night before they were announced. Miranda recalls being told she might get one – and laughing at the idea. Miranda is up for the Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Kerosene" – and she’s not laughing, anymore. "I can’t believe it still. That’s just so crazy. And it is kind of a different feeling from ACM’s and CMA’s because it’s not just country. It’s across all genres. And, what I’ve seen from the GRAMMY’s in the past they don’t, they don’t necessarily go for who is the most popular, they go for someone who is really working hard. And sometimes the underdog, you know?" Miranda is in a tough category that includes Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes and Gretchen Wilson. The GRAMMY’s will be presented in Los Angeles on February 11th.

1-22-07
http://www.frontpagepublicity.com/miranda/cutbycut.htm

MIRANDA LAMBERT's
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - TRACK-BY-TRACK

GUNPOWDER & LEAD
(Miranda Lambert/Heather Little)
OK, so we had that vulnerable moment, now get over it. I can do that, my dad calls me the ice princess. Heather Little and I have written a lot together, but I haven’t cut a lot of those songs yet. She lives in the house I grew up in, right down the street from us. I had one day at home to write, and we sat in her kitchen. We had the whole song written except for the line about what little girls are made of. The next day, I was in my concealed handgun class, and I was calling Heather on the breaks every hour. My dad kept saying, "you’re not paying attention, you’re gonna fail the test." I was thinking, what’s actually in bullets, what are they made of? And then the words "gunpowder and lead" just popped into my head. That song talks about real things – drinking and fighting - and we need to bring all that back to country music.

DRY TOWN
(Gillian Welch/David Rawlings)
I first learned about Gillian Welch on the soundtrack to "O Brother Where Art Thou?" When I found this song, I couldn’t get it out of my head, couldn’t stop thinking about. In order for me to cut any song I didn’t write, I want to feel it more than I feel my own words – it has to feel like I could have written it. And I live in a dry town, 35 miles from a beer store. So it’s just fun and true, and it makes me picture one of those hot days when all you really need is a beer.

FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN
(Miranda Lambert/Travis Howard)
We wrote that in my house, and it’s exactly what it says. I’ve been on the front page of my hometown paper seven times. I wasn’t trying to write a "small town" song, I had gone around visiting people that day and it got me remembering situations. It all came back to me and came out in the song. They’re true stories – if you’re late for church, people are going to talk about it and be all in your business.

CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
(Miranda Lambert/Travis Howard)
That song started out totally different. I was out touring with George Strait, and we were really hitting a wall. I was tired, really burnt-out, just ready to go home. I felt like I didn’t have any creativity left, and I was probably mad at my boyfriend. We had started this song "Favorite Ex-Girlfriend," which was kind of a sweet song. And I said, you know, I hate this, it’s not me. I don’t do sweet songs, especially not right then. So I just said that title, and we took off from there. It’s one of those songs that everyone, especially the guys, will relate to – it’s like "Kerosene." When I play it and ask if there are any crazy ex-girlfriends out there, the girls all scream.

LOVE LETTERS
(Miranda Lambert)
I wrote that song on the floor in my friend’s bathroom in Nashville. When I get the spirit to write I have to do it right then. I was probably 18 then, so it’s kind of an old song – not old to anyone else, but to me. I wasn’t going to cut it, but my producer talked me into it. And it’s my grandmother’s favorite song of mine, so she would have killed me if I didn’t put it on. It’s different from everything else on here – it’s a real country ballad, and I don’t usually do songs like that. It shows a more vulnerable side.

DESPERATION
(Miranda Lambert)
I’m really proud of that one because I wrote it by myself. It’s harder to do that now, my head is so cluttered. My friends and my parents liked it, but felt like I just wrote it for me. It just came alive in the studio, the track really moves you through the story. Sometimes you get so frustrated in a relationship. I didn’t know if people would really understand what I was saying, but it’s from the heart. I didn’t think about hooks or radio play or any of that when I was writing. My mom is my radio listener – she’ll always tell me what she does and doesn’t like in a song.

MORE LIKE HER
(Miranda Lambert)
That’s a really personal song I wrote not long ago, when I was going through a lot of stuff. I had a situation where there was another woman who I felt was getting the things I wanted. It almost scared me to put it on the record, it was so personal and introspective. But my fans deserve that from me, so I just need to go for it. I felt it so much in the studio, and you can hear it in my voice. This is the first time I’ve let myself be that vulnerable. I’m usually the girl who won’t take any crap, but that’s not realistic all the time.

DOWN
(Miranda Lambert/Travis Howard)
I was in California doing a radio tour, and Travis and I wrote that song in the car driving between stops. I was listening to a lot of Buddy and Julie Miller at the time. It’s got a little edge to it, but with kind of a bluegrass feel. I had had a couple of run-ins with boys, so it’s a somewhat true story.

GUILTY IN HERE
(Miranda Lambert/Travis Howard)
That’s one of the first songs I ever wrote, right after "Nashville Star." I wasn’t on tour yet, was getting my record deal going. Actually, I almost put that song on "Kerosene" but it didn’t fit. I was driving around with Travis griping about my boyfriend. Travis and I are so close, and I think that was kind of an issue. Usually, you don’t expect the girl to be the guilty one – really, girls do some stuff, but they just don’t sing about it. My parents are private investigators, so I know all that goes on. I grew up hearing about it.

GETTING READY
(Patty Griffin)
I love Patty Griffin. I found out about her from the Dixie Chicks "Fly" record, and also through Jack Ingram. I always wanted to cut one of Patty’s songs, but I was scared that I just wouldn’t be able to do it justice. I went to a charity show in Nashville and Emmylou, Mindy Smith, Paula Cole, and Patty were playing. She closed the show and she played this song and I was just freaking out, it was so good. I asked my producer, can you please get me that song? So he got a hold of the work tape, just her and her guitar, recorded at her house. I was kind of a chicken - since she hadn’t recorded it yet, I didn’t have to compete with her own version - but it just seemed like the right one. The energy was so high when we recorded that we just used the scratch vocal on the album.

EASY FROM NOW ON
(Carlene Carter/Susanna Clark)
That’s a ridiculously great song. My favorite line is "Don’t worry about me/I got a wild card up my sleeve." I love Emmylou so much - I got on "Nashville Star" singing "Two More Bottles of Wine." We were getting songs together the day before we went into the studio. I’d never thought about doing it before, but a light bulb just came on. It’s been recorded a few times before, but I don’t think you can ever hear it enough.

Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:46 am
http://www.netmusiccountdown.com/inc/news_article.php?id=11908

Miranda Lambert Readies New Album
"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" set to drop May 1st

By Neil Haislop


NASHVILLE, TN Friday Jan.19.2007 /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- Miranda Lambert is set to release her new CD, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, on May 1, 2007. The album follows her near-platinum and critically-acclaimed debut Kerosene and was again produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke.

Miranda wrote or co-write eight of the eleven songs on the new disc, and she called on some pretty high-profile writers to round out the album. Patty Griffin and Gillian Welch contributed their works to the collection, and the closing song "Easy From Now On" was written by Carlene Carter and Susanna Clark and recorded by Emmylou Harris on her Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town album in 1978.

"You can take each song on this album and compare it to the first record, and you can see that it's an upgrade," says Lambert. "It shows two years of growth. I also let people in a lot a lot more than I did on the last record - so I'm a little scared, but I'm proud."

Finally, the moment the Junk Gypsies had been waiting for...presenting the newly Gypsified tour bus to Grammy nominee Miranda Lambert. To say it went well would be an understatement. Miranda was thrilled, even a little teary, when she had her first peek. "I just love what Amie, Jolie, and Janie have done. It's so me," said Miranda.


Senior Editor Monica Michael Willis (top right) poses with Miranda Lambert (center) and the Junk Gypsies in the doorway of the new bus.

Miranda takes five in her new bedroom on the bus.

At 6 a.m., our intrepid driver, Lee, picked us up at the Peabody Hotel and we got on the road to Memphis. We're all getting used to traveling on the bus (check it out above!). It's a lot like a rolling summer camp. You're never quite sure what time it is, and there's always a Gypsy cracking jokes, good tunes on the radio, and someone telling a great story. Miranda's dad, Rick (below), captivated the crowd with tales from his recent safari to Namibia.

About half way to Nashville, we made a pitstop at Loretta Lynn's Kitchen & Gift Shop in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., for a little sustenance and retail therapy. Amie picked up a metal serving tray emblazoned with Loretta on it for Miranda's bus, Jack bought a mini pocket knife engraved with the name Joyce (go figure?), and Monica and Jolie got a bucket of piping-hot grits to go.

Just arrived in Nashville. Snow started falling just as we saw the sign for downtown. We're staying at the Hilton right off of Broadway, probably one of the most famous streets in the city. We're also right across from the super-fabulous Country Music Hall of Fame.

A New Year And A Crazy EX!

Jan 11, 2007

Well I have to say that I had one of the greatest holiday seasons of my life! I had exactly four weeks off and enjoyed every minute of wearing absolutely no makeup and my camo overalls just about everyday. I recently bought some land in east texas and I spent most of my time in the woods. Also, my dogs and I were inseparable. I got spoiled to seeing them everyday. I got to spend some much needed of time with my close friends and my family as well. I got some really great christmas gifts. Mostly I got stuff for my new hunting cabin and some more camo clothes. My mom got me two autographed pictures from Jack (Ingram,my favorite) blown up and framed and also one from none other than my hero Merle Haggard. I will never forget this christmas. Dad got a toy we could all play with. Mom and I went in together and got him one of those 4 seater mules. He cried. We knew he would since he's been wanting one for like 10 years. We spent New Years Eve at my cabin with a group of friends and family and had a fire and guitar pickin' just like ol' days. Then after new years all the YA-YA's(my grandma and her 5 cronies) mom, Crysta, Ashley Monroe and I, went out to the local bar for a ladies night out. We danced and laughed all night and had well.. a FEW adult beverages! Then went back to the cabin for a game of taboo and slumber party. I haven't been to one of those since 4th grade. Even Dixie and Molly attended. That was just the thing I needed to start a great year. Now moving on, I am actually writing this on a plane to Orlando. Tomorrow is my first day back at work. I am playing The Shot Show(a private gig) with Blake. I did have such a great break but I am ready to see the guys again and get back on the road. Just a few more weeks till the Toby tour starts. I look foraward to seeing all you fans out there. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is officially out as my single now so dont forget to request it at your local radio stations. We should have a video to go with it soon. Thanks to all the Ran Fans, friends and family for making 2006 such an incredible year. Lets hope 2007 looks just as good. Happy New Year! ML

Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:04 pm

Worth the Drive: Miranda Lambert
SONIA SHARAN
Issue date: 1/11/07 Section: Out & About
For those able to venture into Kennesaw on Saturday, Cowboys Atlanta is showcasing Miranda Lambert, a country musician who got her start from USA network's country singing competition "Nashville Star."

Jade Aaron, a senior from Savannah, might travel the distance to see her.

"I have seen Miranda Lambert three times in concert," Aaron said. "I saw her once at the Melting Point and once at the Georgia Theatre last year."

Aaron even travelled to Nashville this summer to see her perform at the CMA Summer Music Fest.

"All three performances were excellent," Aaron said. "Though she was performing for just a handful of people, her energy never dropped."

Lambert, a 23-year-old native of Texas, is a country singer and musician.

From the age of ten, when she was inspired by Garth Brooks, she's pursued a career in country music. After much effort to make herself known, she's finally succeeded.

Her family funded her first album, and she toured promoting her music.

She placed first in the Texas auditions for "Nashville Star" and came in third in the competition. Even though she didn't win, she still signed with Sony Music. In 2005 she released her debut album, "Kerosene," which opened at No. 1 on the Billboard Country albums chart.

Lambert has written and composed her own songs - another popular one being "Greyhound Bound for Nowhere" - and she wrote her top hits between the ages of 17 and 20.

Her songs are a mix of ballads and country-rock with her musical influences including Merle Haggard and Emmy Lou Harris.

"I love Miranda's music because she sings about topics that almost all women can relate to," said Ashlyn Alford, a junior from Gainesville. "We've all had our hearts broken. We've all had our own struggles, and she eases the burden by telling us to 'soak 'em in kerosene.'"

Lambert said on her Web site, "I don't want my music to be taken as something you just hum along with. No matter what I'm singing, I want to say something that makes people think. I want people to hear my songs and feel something. I want to be appreciated as someone whose music is real. I want to be thought of as a true artist, not just as an entertainer."

Alford said college students can understand her.

"She sings about making a new start and moving on," Alford said. "We've left home, trying to make a new start for ourselves and that's part of the reason her music is something I can relate to."

Accompanying Miranda are Aden Bubeck on bass, Chris Kline on keyboard, Alex Weeden on lead guitar, Scotty Wray on rhythm guitar and Keith Zebrowski on percussion.

"Her live voice is amazing and she really gives it her all on stage," Aaron said. "She is a determined and passionate up-and-coming artist with an amazing set of pipes to back it up."When: 10:30 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $22-40
More Information:
www.mirandalambert.com and " target=_blankwww.cowboysatlanta.com>

For members of her fan club - Rans Fans - there will be the chance to attend a meet-and-greet an hour before the show. Members can R.S.V.P. through their fan profile for the chance to personally talk to Lambert.

Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:23 pm

'Nashville' brass
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 

But it's happened a little bit of everywhere. It happens in airports all the time, goin A couple of years ago, Chris Young was like a lot of hard-working but anonymous singers: He did 200 to 250 gigs a year, he had a self-financed independent album, and most people couldn't have picked him out of a police lineup.

Then, while he was in the house band at Cowboys Arlington, a fan pushed him to audition for Nashville Star, the USA Network's country-music reality competition that begins its fifth season tonight. Initially reluctant, Young decided to take the shot when he found out that the winner would get a recording contract with RCA Records.

Fast-forward to 2006, when viewers voted Young the winner of Nashville Star's season four. No longer anonymous, Young has a self-titled RCA album, with a single, Drinkin' Me Lonely, sharing country-radio playlists with the likes of Toby Keith and George Strait, whose influence can be heard in the song.

'There's been, like, three or four things happening right now that were really amazing moments for me this past year,' Young says, 'and one of them was, when the album debuted, it debuted at No. 3 on the chart, and it was behind George Strait and Alan Jackson. I seriously got a copy of Billboard magazine, cut it out and framed it.'

And, the 21-year-old says with some surprise, he gets recognized now.

'Obviously, it happens a lot more in Tennessee,' the Volunteer State native says. 'But it's happened a little bit of everywhere. It happens in airports all the time, goin' places. It's just a real cool feeling when that happens. I'm a new artist, and I don't really expect to be walking through an airport and hear someone say, 'Hey, are you Chris Young?''

But despite the success of Young and other Nashville Star alumni, such as first-season winner Buddy Jewell and second runner-up Miranda Lambert, the show never gets the attention that that other singing competition gets. To give you an idea where Star stands in the mainstream-media pantheon, American Idol's judges and host grace the current cover of Entertainment Weekly and get a five-page spread inside. Nashville Star gets a one-line joke about the careers of Stephenville resident Jewel and Fort Worth-raised country rapper Cowboy Troy, who are co-hosting this season.

Ben Silverman, one of Nashville Star's executive producers, is bemused by stuff like this, but he takes it in stride.

'The show was created before Idol ever made it to air,' Silverman says during a Nashville Star teleconference (but Idol premiered first). 'What you see with our show, whether it's the singing-songwriting aspect, or the musicianship of our talent, or the fact that we have no age limits, we're really looking at what country music's about.'

But, he adds, he absolutely would love more attention.

There are other reasons Idol gets the bulk of it: It's youth-friendly, it's on a broadcast network while Star is on cable, and no reality show has been able to beat the volatile chemistry of Idol's oft-bickering judges.

But from a purist's standpoint, Nashville Star may make for more authentic music. Unlike Idol, which is a singing and interpretation competition, Nashville Star features contestants who not only do covers but their own songs as well. That's not to take anything away from Idol winners such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, who have made smart career decisions in Idol's wake, but most music geeks tend to give more respect to people who write their own material.

'All of these next 20 contestants, they all play at least one instrument,' Jewel says during the conference call. 'Most of them play three instruments. And they all, also, are writers. So these aren't just people singing that are great singers. They actually have the whole package, which is unusual. I think that's one of the hardest things to promote, and, when you're that kind of artist, to come up through, because people are looking for something kind of poppier and showier.'

Smokey Rivers, the assistant program director at KPLX/99.5 FM 'The Wolf,' says Nashville Star helps in his job, not only because he can watch the show and see potential breakout artists but because viewers also call to ask if the station is going to play songs by the contestants. But even on radio, Nashville Star is often eclipsed by American Idol. Sharing spots with Young on the Wolf playlist are Underwood and fellow Idol competitor Kellie Pickler.

'Because [Nashville Star] tends to focus on one genre, whereas Idol is kind of a mass-appeal thing, it's kind of limiting in that scope,' Rivers says. 'But for those of us in radio, it's an opportunity for us to see some new acts. ... We're always looking for an artist who's had some additional push behind them, like they've been on TV, because listeners know 'em already.'

For a Texas station like the Wolf, it doesn't hurt that Lambert is from the Lone Star State and that Young had a standing gig here (season three winner Erika Jo is also from Texas, and the upcoming season features East Texan Kacey Musgraves). But in many other markets, country artists face an uphill battle, even though the Country Music Association reports that nearly 75 million country albums sold in 2006.

'There's no country radio now in New York, San Francisco,' Rivers says. 'L.A.'s got a limited signal. Country radio is not in front of a lot of people that would necessarily write about [Nashville Star]. I think it just comes with a part of being the nation's most popular format, that amazingly just doesn't get as much push from the coastal media. That's something we've lived with for years.'

Even though Nashville Star still feels like Idol's neglected stepsibling, it also feels like it's poised for a big season, with NBC-Universal giving it a bigger promotional push and the show landing a crossover artist like Jewel as co-host (as well as Alabama's Randy Owen and country star Blake Shelton as judges). And having a charismatic country rapper such as Cowboy Troy as the other co-host doesn't hurt.

'I sense that the growth is very organic, as far as our show's concerned,' Cowboy Troy says. 'We really try to make sure that we connect with our viewers, obviously through television but also getting them to go check out our show online as well. I think that organic growth has really assisted the show in terms of staying around and being something that folks are really poised to pay attention to this season.'

But despite country music's enduring popularity and its fundamental simplicity, Nashville Star's success will still be relative, and the show is so niche-targeted that it probably still won't have the water-cooler cachet of something like Bravo's Project Runway.

Still, if your life has changed the way Young's has, you probably don't care that the show that kick-started your career doesn't get talked about enough.

'I've had friends that have been signed to deals for years,' Young says, 'and their album has never come up, nor has a single been released to radio. That's one of the really cool things about this show. It gets you out there immediately.'

Nashville Star - 9 tonight - USA Network

Like American Idol, Nashville Star has a mixed record when it comes to putting contestants on the charts. Winning the competition doesn't guarantee huge success, and not winning can sometimes work out well. Here's a look at the four previous winners and one wild card.

Buddy Jewell

You get an idea how long this 45-year-old former Allen resident was struggling from a look at Star-Telegram archives, which contain articles about him competing to open for Alabama in 1991. After he won the first Nashville Star in 2003, Jewell's Help Pour Out the Rain became one of the highest-charting debut country singles in history. Continues to record and perform.

Miranda Lambert

Perhaps Nashville Star's biggest success story, this East Texas native placed third in the show's inaugural season -- but that was good enough for her to have a gold debut album (Kerosene), which led to CMA nominations, which led to her setting the stage on fire -- and we don't mean metaphorically -- in a memorable CMA performance (Lambert told the Star-Telegram that people could feel her pyrotechnics 30 rows back). Toured with George Strait. Not bad for a 23-year-old.

Brad Cotter

Season 2 winner Cotter saw his debut album, 2004's Patient Man, debut at No. 4 on the country chart. But in interviews, he has said that he still has trouble getting radio play, despite the album's success and his built-in Nashville Star following.

Erika Jo

The first woman to win Nashville Star, this photogenic 20-year-old (yet another Texan -- she was born in Angleton) hadn't even graduated high school yet when she won Season 3. She has released only one album, her self-titled debut from 2005, which sold 36,000 copies during its first week of release, good enough for a No. 5 debut on the country chart.

Chris Young

The former member of the Cowboys Arlington house band won the fourth edition of Nashville Star and is reaping the benefits with a hit single, Drinkin' Me Lonely, which he performed on the show. Self-titled album was released in October.

-- Robert Philpot

SOURCES: Star-Telegram archives, Nashville Star Web page ( www.usanetwork.com/series/nashvillestar); www.cmt.com; artists' official Web sites

January 5, 2007, 11:40 pm

A country music couple just can't see eye to eye on music. Blake Shelton began his stint as a "Nashville Star" judge Friday night. Is he going to ask his "Nashville Star" alum girlfriend, Miranda Lambert, for help? Shelton says the answer’s no, because the two have completely different tastes in music. Shelton says that there are very few of his own songs that Lambert likes, and adds that the music she listens to is "boring".

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

By Blair Lovern

Just passing along a photo from 99.5 The Wolf, the second most powerful and influential country station in America. They are so powerful and influential they can get a cake for Miranda Lambert. Er, I could have also gotten a cake but it would've been just be me there eating it.

Columbia's Miranda Lambert spent her 23rd birthday (11/10) visiting Dallas area radio stations in support of her new single "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." Pictured at KPLX (The Wolf) prior to a carb binge are (l-r) Columbia's Jordan Pettit, The Wolf's Justin Frazell, Lambert, KPLX's Tara and Cody Alan, Columbia's Teddi Bonadies, and the station's Chris Sommer and Ed Lambert (no relation).

Things are Crazy!
Nov 16, 2006

Contenders

Artist
Sean Paul
Chris Brown
Nickelback
Rascal Flatts

Female Artist
Rihanna
Mary J. Blige
Kelly Clarkson
Carrie Underwood

Male Artist
Sean Paul
Chris Brown
James Blunt
T.I.

Duo/Group
Nickelback
Rascal Flatts
The Pussycat Dolls
The Fray

New Artist
Chris Brown
Carrie Underwood
Ne-Yo
The Fray

Modern Rock Artist
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
AFI
Shinedown
Blue October
System of a Down
Foo Fighters
Nine Inch Nails

Rock Artists
Shinedown
Nickelback
Disturbed
Korn
Godsmack

Country Artist
Rascal Flatts
Carrie Underwood
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
George Strait

Female Country Artist
Carrie Underwood
Faith Hill
Gretchen Wilson
Sara Evans
Miranda Lanbert
Leann Rimes
Martina McBride

Male Country Artist
Kenny Chesney
George Strait
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
Josh Turner
Keith Urban
Johnny Cash

Duo/Group Country Artist
Rascal Flatts
Brooks & Dunn
Little Big Town
Dixie Chicks

R&B/Hip Hop Artist
Mary J. Blige
Jamie Foxx
T.I.
Ne-Yo
Chris Brown

Female R&B/Hip Hop Artist
Mary J. Blige
Mariah Carey
Keyshia Cole
Heather Headley

Male R&B/Hip Hop Artist
Jamie Foxx
T.I.
Ne-Yo
Chris Brown

Duo/Group R&B/Hip Hop Artist
Dem Franchize Boyz
Three Six Mafia
E-40
Black Eyed Peas

Rap (Singles) Artist
T.I.
Yung Joc
Sean Paul
Black Eyed Peas

Hot 100 Single of the Year
Daniel Powter - Bad Day
Sean Paul - Temperature
Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie

Country Single
Rodney Atkins - If You're Going Through Hell
Brad Paisley - The World
Kenny Chesney - Summertime
Rascal Flatts - What Hurst the Most
The Wreckers - Leave the Pieces
Steve Holy - Brand New Girlfriend

Digital Song
Daniel Powter - Bad Day
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous
Sean Paul - Temperature
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
Justin Timberlake - Sexyback

Rock Track
Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
Godsmack - Speak
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
Nickelback - Animals
Korn - Coming Undone

Modern Rock Track
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
The Raconteurs - Steady, As She Goes
AFI - Miss Murder
Blue October - Hate Me
Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill

R&B/Hip Hop Single
Mary J. Blige - Be Without You
Jamie Foxx featuring Ludacris - Unpredictable
Ne-Yo - So Sick
Yung Joc - It's Goin' Down
Kirk Franklin - Looking For You

Rap Track
Yung Joc - It's Goin' Down
Dem Franchize Boyz featuring Lil Peanut & Charlay - Lean With It, Rock With It
Lil Jon featuring E-40 & Sean Paul of the YoungBloodZ - Snap Yo Fingers
Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp - Grillz

Pop Single
Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous
Sean Paul - Temperature
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie
Daniel Powter - Bad Day
Justin Timberlake - Sexyback

Album
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts
Soundtrack - High School Musical
Nickelback - All the Right Reasons
Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough
Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang

Country Album
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts
Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang
Kenny Chesney - The Road and the Radio
Johnny Cash - The Legend of Johnny Cash

R&B/Hip Hop Album
Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough
Jamie Foxx - Unpredictable
T.I. - King
Ne-Yo - In My Own Words
Chris Brown - Chris Brown

Rap Album
T.I. - King
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter II
Eminem - Curtain Call: The Hits
The Notorious B.I.G. - Duets: The Final Chapter
Yung Joc - Port of Miami

Rock Album
James Blunt - Back to Bedlam
Nickelback - All the Right Reasons
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
Tool - 10,000 Days
Panic! At the Disco - A Fever You Can't Seat Out
The Fray - How To Save a Life
Bob Dylan - Modern Times

Internet Album
Dixie Chicks -Taking the Long Way
Andrea Bocelli -Amore
Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
Bob Dylan - Modern Times

Digital Album
The Fray - How To Save A Life
James Blunt - Back to Bedlam
John Mayer - Continuum
Jack Johnson - Curious George (Soundtrack)
Justin Timberlake - Futuresex/Lovesounds

Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:39 pm

Exclusive: As Monday's CMA Awards loom, two rising young musicians chat about life on the road -- and packin' heat.

By Alanna Nash

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Look who stopped by to chat

Miranda Lambert
Hometown: Lindale, Texas
Latest release: Kerosene
Next album ETA: March
Biggest influences: Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette
What you never would have guessed about her: She loves listening to Beyonce CDs before every performance.

Jason Aldean
Hometown: Macon, Ga.
Latest release: Jason Aldean
Next album ETA: spring/summer
Biggest influences: George Strait, Alabama, Tracy Lawrence
What you never would have guessed about him: He has held jobs as a pager salesman and a Pepsi deliveryman.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She's a fiery, in-your-face country rocker who sings about a torched ex-lover in the hit "Kerosene." He's a dad with perspective on life in small burgs off interstates ("Hicktown"). Both of them are hot: Miranda Lambert, who turns 23 on Friday, is nominated in two categories at Monday's Country Music Association Awards, and one is for the Horizon Award (up-and-comer of the year).

Jason Aldean, 29, is the Academy of Country Music's reigning "New Male Vocalist of the Year." Both have notched smash sales for their freshman albums, and critics consider them among the best of Nashville's new bumper crop of young country artists. They've even toured together. In our exclusive interview, they chat about fame, crazy fans and the new talent that's making country music more energized than ever.

Is being a hot new country star all you thought it would be?
Jason: No. It's a lot busier than I thought!
Miranda: Same here. I didn't realize how much time away from home I'd be spending. I'm a single girl, but Jason has a daughter. I know it's tough on him being away. Everybody thinks it's a big party all the time, and it is, especially when Jason and I play together. But it's still a job, like everything else.

The biggest surprise about the CMA nominations this year was the people who weren't nominated, especially among the more established stars, such as Toby Keith. What does that signify about where country music is heading?
Jason: I think it says we've got a lot of young listeners right now who are hearing country for the first time and like the new music. That's apparent when you look at all the Horizon nominees that have only been out for a couple of years -- Miranda, and Little Big Town and Sugarland. Guys like George Strait grew up listening to Merle Haggard. But I grew up listening to everything from George Strait to Guns N' Roses. So, for younger fans like me, it's different. In the late 1980s and early '90s, all kinds of acts came in and played different styles of country music that people hadn't heard before. It was a crazy period, and people couldn't get enough of it. I think we're seeing that again.
Miranda: Yeah, we're making a splash, and people are taking notice. That's huge. There's a lot of rocking new stuff coming out. It's more entertaining. This new music from Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban -- even Jason and me -- is high energy. And it's bringing in a younger audience to country music, because it is something they haven't seen before.

Have you two had any surreal experiences on the road with those younger audiences?
Miranda: There's always crazy stuff. Last night I got my first pair of boxers thrown on stage! That surprised me. I hung 'em on the microphone stand until I could figure out what to do with them. And then I swung 'em around and threw 'em back out there. I'm like, "What am I gonna do with a pair of dirty underwear? I really don't want them." Our fans get a little rowdy sometimes.

Jason: I had my first experience with almost getting my pants ripped off about two nights ago. I was on stage playing, and they just grabbed my pants and started tearin' 'em.
Miranda: You mean the fans were rippin' 'em?
Jason: Yeah. They ripped 'em up about halfway tomy shin.
Miranda: Oh my!

Maybe you're the new Elvis.
Jason: Actually, I got ticked off. It was one of my favorite pairs of jeans. [Laughs.]

What do you do for fun on the road?
Jason: My band plays golf four or five days a week. We didn't until a couple months ago, but we were sitting on the bus a lot doing nothing. The whole band likes to play golf, so we got everybody to bring their clubs out, and now we play all the time.
Miranda: I bring my four-wheeler out to ride around, especially in the summer. But a lot of times, I'll just sit in a lawn chair at fairs and festivals and people-watch. And I've got a bow. I'm starting to bow hunt, and I brought that out last summer as my hobby on the road. I travel with a target. I mean, I don't shoot it at people! (This girl cracks me up!Has She been hanging out with Kellie?)

And you have a thing for guns, right?
Miranda: I grew up around guns. My dad and mom were PIs who snuck around and took people's pictures in their windows. My parents always took me everywhere, so I learned about life early. I got my permit to carry a concealed weapon last spring.
Jason: I'm finding out all kinds of things about you. I didn't know you traveled with a piece!

Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:53 pm

Entertainment Elite Intersect in Nashville for 'The 40th Annual CMA Awards'

Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Sugarland, and Josh Turner to Perform.
Presenters Include 'American Idol' Alum Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes,
Barbara Mandrell, and New Jersey Rockers Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The stars appearing on "The
40th Annual CMA Awards" are a testament to the overall popularity of
Country Music. Legends, newcomers, style innovators and artists from other
genres are all coming together for "Country Music's Biggest Night(TM)."
Added to the star-packed, performance line up for the 2006 CMA Awards
are Horizon nominees Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Sugarland, and Josh
Turner.

Presenting Awards will be "American Idol" alum Kellie Pickler; LeAnn
Rimes; two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Barbara Mandrell; and rock
royalty Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora of CMA Awards nominated group Bon
Jovi.

"The interest from the artistic community to be involved this year
really demonstrates the excitement about the CMA Awards and overall appeal
of Country Music," said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese.
"Country Music crosses genres and touches people with stories that speak to
the heart and performances that touch the human spirit."

And viewers can see for themselves when "The 40th Annual CMA Awards"
airs live Monday, Nov. 6 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network
from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville. CMA's most celebrated
duo Brooks & Dunn return to host for the third consecutive year.
Lambert, Little Big Town, and Sugarland were among the artists who
received two CMA Awards nominations this year.

Lambert received her first CMA Awards nomination in 2005 for the
Horizon Award and in 2006 she received nominations for Horizon and Music
Video of the Year for "Kerosene," which was directed by Trey Fanjoy. An
artist can only receive two nominations for the Horizon category in their
career.

Little Big Town received their first CMA Awards nominations in 2006
including Horizon and Vocal Group of the Year. The multi-Platinum selling
Sugarland also received nominations for Horizon and Vocal Group of the
Year, and Jennifer Nettles also picked up a solo nod for Musical Event of
the Year with Bon Jovi for their duet "Who Says You Can't Go Home," marking
the New Jersey-based rock group's first CMA Awards nomination.

Rounding out the Horizon Award category with Lambert, Little Big Town,
Sugarland and Carrie Underwood is Josh Turner. Turner received his first
CMA Awards nomination in the category in 2004.

"The depth and diversity of the Horizon nominees this year really
speaks to the strength and future of the format," Genovese said.
Other performers already announced for the CMA Awards include Brooks &
Dunn with Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Sara
Evans, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal
Flatts, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, and John Rich of Big & Rich
performing with Gretchen Wilson. Actor, songwriting legend and member of
the Country Music Hall of Fame Kris Kristofferson will introduce the 2006
Hall of Fame inductees.

Tickets for "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" are now on-sale to the general
public, and can be purchased by logging on to http://www.ticketmaster.com; calling
(615) 255-9600; or in-person at the Gaylord Entertainment Center box
office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville).
The ticket price is $150 for Bronze level seating; $200 for Silver level
seating (excluding applicable service/handling fees).

"The 40th Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music
Association. Walter C. Miller is the Executive Producer; Robert Deaton is
the Consulting Producer; Paul Miller is the Director; and David Wild will
script the ceremonies. Premiere Radio Network is the official radio
packager of the CMA Awards, including a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala
event. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2006 CMA Awards.

Chevy, an American Revolution, is the official ride of the 2006 CMA Awards.
Additional promotional partners include aolmusic.com, Camping World(R),
Carl Black Chevrolet, Coca-Cola(R), Country Music Television, Inc.(R),
Crisco(R), Greased Lightning Cleaning Products(R), Hallmark Cards(R),
Miller Brewing Company(R), Prilosec OTC(R), Purity Dairies(R), T.G.I.
Friday's(R), The Biography Channel and Yankee Candle(R). Charles Fazzino is
the official artist of the 2006 CMA Awards.

SOURCE Country Music Association

10/13/06-Tyler, TX
>> The Story

Lindale Native Miranda Lambert Selling Clothes For A Cause

Auburn University’s UPC presented some of country music’s hottest artists Wednesday night during their fall concert at Hutsell Track which featured Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, and The Randy Rogers Band.

Check out the photos!HYPERLINK "javascript:var x=window.open('http://media.mgnetwork.com/thecorner/UPC/index.htm','Slideshow','toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=728,height=450')"HYPERLINK "javascript:var</p"x=window.open('http://media.mgnetwork.com/thecorner/UPC/index.htm','Slideshow','toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=728,height=450')"

Locked and Loaded!

Well the summer’s over and it’s now my favorite season of all…. Hunting!! I’ve gotten to go a few times already this season and can’t wait to do a lot more on my few days off this fall. Dad’s still way ahead of me on the game brought home this year but I’m trying to keep up. We plan on keeping mom really busy cooking!

The shows have been so great lately. The Ran Fans seem to get louder and crazier with every show. I love it. Thank ya’ll for always making me feel welcome up there and singing along with all my songs. Believe me, it makes the show much more fun for me and the band.

The shows that stand out the most to me are the two we did at Joe’s Bar in Chicago in September. There are a couple of reasons for that: Luke celebrated his 18th birthday with us a brought Nonny, Uncle Stan, Dad and a bunch of our friends and we got to debut 4 songs from my upcoming album. The audience seemed to love the new stuff and made me even more anxious for the album to come out!

I’m off to do my photo shoot and video in a couple of weeks. As always, that means I’ve had to cut back on eating some of the goodies I love (Chicken fried steak, funnel cakes, cookies..) Lots of salad, fruits and wraps. Tony is keeping me working hard too, which helps! My "no food-bad moods" have gotten better too. I guess I’m getting’ used to it.

We are really excited about the tour with Dierks. I think the shows are going to be great because he likes for the crowd to be right up next to the stage, just like me. I’m also glad for everyone to hear another artist from my home state, Randy Rogers. I think ya’ll are going to like him. I’m already thinking of some good tricks to play on both the guys and their bands. I’ve got to get the jump on that so they know they can’t gang up on the girl!

Speaking of the Dierks tour, our drummer, Keith will be out for the first few gigs of the tour because he and his wife, Erika, are delivering our very first band baby! She’s due anytime so ya’ll all give him a big congratulations when you see him again. I’m sure baby Zebroski will be making his debut as a future rock star at some shows very soon! We all can’t wait to spoil him rotten! (Especially baby lover Scotty Wray)

We’re working on some new shirt designs for later in the year. Junk Gypsy is doing a great job of putting them together and making them extra cool. Hopefully we will have some of them out by the end of the year.

I guess that’s all for now. I’m enjoying meeting everyone at the meet and greets. See you on the Locked and Loaded Tour!

Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:28 am

BMNN wrote: on Sep. 27, 2006:
/CMA Close Up News Service/ - by Lorie Hollabaugh

 
Real or imagined, the dreaded "sophomore curse" is a fear of nearly every artist who enters the studio to record a second album. The curse often weighs heavy on artists' minds as they prepare to prove to the world that their initial success was not a fluke.

Artists are given a much shorter time to produce a successful album now than years ago and are sometimes cut from a record label roster before they have a chance to prove themselves.

Occasionally a new artist comes along with such a strong sense of who they are that they won't budge for anyone, even if it means losing their chance at a record deal. Miranda Lambert is such an artist. Lambert rose to fame on the debut season of "Nashville Star," and though she took third place to Buddy Jewell, she was offered a deal with Sony Music Nashville, now SONY BMG. From the start, she was firm about the album she wanted to make and stuck to her guns, recording her own songs in her own way.

The gamble paid off for Lambert, whose debut CD went Gold and produced hits including "Kerosene." In August, she received two CMA Awards nominations, Horizon Award and Music Video of the Year for "Kerosene," directed by Trey Fanjoy. But Lambert's success wasn't instantaneous.

"Her first two singles failed to catch on at radio," Stark said. "One of the turning points was her fiery performance of 'Kerosene' on the 2005 CMA Awards in New York, which pinned back quite a few ears."

Also helping boost her popularity was her opening slot on the George Strait tour, as well as a recent spread in Blender magazine and the opening of the Miranda Lambert Store and Fan Club Headquarters in her Lindale, Texas hometown. But even with momentum on her side, a new single set for release in October, a new tour with Dierks Bentley this fall and a new album scheduled for release early next year, Lambert admits to fears about the "sophomore curse."

"It's scary, especially if your first one is really successful," she said. "But I just did what I did last time - recorded the music I believed in. They let me have all the freedom in the world again, so hopefully it'll work. I'm worried, but I know I've made a great record. I just hope everybody else thinks so too."

As far as image goes, Lambert says she is trying to be a bit more fashion forward.

"I'm growing up, and I'm not going to stay this sweet-faced, 19-year-old like I was on 'Nashville Star.' I learned a lot, and the road makes you a bit harder, so I'm growing up as a regular girl, as well as an artist. It's not an easy life. You don't get a lot of sleep, and every night is basically a party. I'm playing at bars, you know. It's a hard life, but I love it."

09/14/2006 08:03:24 PM MDT

Texas roots let singer branch out her way
Miranda Lambert's rising appeal is partly the product of her against-the-grain push to define herself and to compose her own songs

If you know anyone raised in Texas, you know the pride Lone Star staters have in everything from their football to their barbecue to their awesome music scene.
Rising country star Miranda Lambert is certainly proud of her Texas roots as well, starting her career with years of Texas talent contests and honky-tonk gigs before getting her big break on the first season of "Nashville Star." She finished third in the countrified "American Idol" knock-off among more than 8,000 challengers.
But even though some of her favorite songwriters are Texans - folks such as Guy Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker - Lambert always knew she wanted to be more than just Texas-big.
"There are a lot of songwriters, and that's why I really loved growing up there," Lambert said. "It's really encouraging to write songs; that's what everybody does. But you can also put yourself in a category, and that scared me. My whole goal was to get out of Texas . . . and go national. A lot of people get so stuck in their 'Texas thing' that they almost shoot themselves in the foot by being so 'Texas.'
"You can make a good living there, don't get me wrong, just doing that. But I was never one of those people who said, 'Nashville sucks!' or that whoever goes there is selling out. I don't think it's selling out at all. We're just getting our music out to the rest of the people."
Lambert's been getting her music out to the people in massive numbers since landing on "Nashville Star" in early 2003 and signing a major-label deal in September that same year. And make no mistake about it - the music filling Lambert's hit debut album, "Kerosene," is her music. She wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on "Kerosene," mostly between the ages of 17 and 20 when she was playing gigs around Dallas, about 80 miles from her small hometown of Lindale.

Anyone paying attention to country music knows that most of the biggest stars don't write their own material, let alone newcomers just getting their feet wet in Nashville. But Lambert said that was the only kind of record deal she was interested in, and she let the powers that be know that at every turn of the negotiations.
Just as remarkable is the fact that Lambert did not encounter many people trying to turn the young blonde into a country-pop starlet instead of the rootsy, old-school country type she naturally is. But she did have to battle to be taken seriously from the start.
"What was hard was being a young, blond chick in Texas music. There weren't any others and I was alone out there," Lambert said. "That was hard because this whole business is a man's world, it really is, and especially when you're just starting out.
"I had to fight to prove myself to people and be like, 'Hey, I do have something to say. Just listen. Don't stereotype me just because I have blond hair. I'm not going to get up there and sing some crap. I have something to say.' "
With the success of "Kerosene" and a new album on the way in early 2007, Lambert should have plenty of time to get her music heard.

More new songs:

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

"Gunpowder and Lead"

"Dry Town"

"Ready to Go"

September 8, 2006--

GACTV

Miranda Lambert tells the Allentown, Pa. paper The Morning Call that one of the first things she did after her CD Kerosene struck gold was to pay for the college education of her brother, Luke.
"It's a big deal to me to take care of my family because they are the ones who took care of me and made my success possible," she says. "People dream of careers like the one I am having. I feel so very fortunate and blessed. You can't take it for granted because it could be gone in an instant."

But the determined Miranda intends to be around for a long while. "I'm doing what I've always wanted to do," she says. "I have been working non-stop and making music the way I've always wanted to. I want to keep singing songs and sell a lot of records. And maybe I'd like to win the `Entertainer of the Year Award' just once. That's a goal of mine because all I've ever wanted to do is entertain people."

New Music, New Tour

There are several things to report this month so I better get started. I am making a video next month for my new single (which means cutting out the funnel cakes and corn dogs!) I am excited to start playing some stuff on the new record soon. We are going to debut a couple of songs when we play Joe's Bar in Chicago on Sept. 9th and 10th. I hear a few of my new songs are on

Rate the Music. It ends on Sept. 8 so ya’ll hurry on over and give them a listen. I am excited to hear what people think about them. I can't wait to start playing them live. I am also a little nervous because I've already got the sophomore album jitters. Especially now that it's getting closer to the single coming out.

I want to say that I can't believe some of the turnouts we have had in the last couple of weeks. The crowds have been amazing and have really made the band and me feel great. Thanks, from all of us, for coming out and supporting us. More importantly for showing us that our hard work is paying off. When we see people in the crowd singing the words to not just singles but album cuts, and cheering for solos and having a great time, it reminds us why were are doing this in the first place: To entertain. So in other words, YALL ROCK!!

Also, we stole Crysta from mom and the store! She is now out on the road with us full time working merch. She has officially taken Dad’s place and he’s at home working on the tour merch. Mom is happy about that (I’m not sure if she misses him or Crysta more but don’t tell Dad!). Most of you know her as VP of the fan club. I’m sure glad to have female back up out here. I get tired of having to keep all the guys in line by myself. Ya'll be sure and welcome her to road life when you see her. And guys, she's just as "fiery" as I am so be careful if you’re hitting on her!

It's finally getting a little cooler. Thank Goodness! Im in Iowa today and it's 68 degrees. I forgot what it’s like to wear a sweatshirt. This time of year is my favorite cause it's starting to feel like hunting season!

A couple more weeks and well start our tour with Dierks. We have done a few shows together in the past but I think a real tour together is gonna be great. Also Randy Rogers Band is on the tour and I am a huge fan of their last record Roller Coaster. The great thing about Dierks is that his fans are fun and almost every show is open floor, which means the fans are right there at the front of the stage. That always makes for a better show. It's also fitting that it is called "Locked & Loaded", considering I have a thing for guns!

Gypsy is at Mom's hanging out with Dixie, Molly, and Lou for a few weeks. I miss her but I know that she is being spoiled rotten.

So many of you have asked about Dad’s trip to Africa. He had such a great time I think I’ll join him next time! Check out Dad's journal and pictures in the forum.

Gypsy says thanks for the treats on the road!!

See ya down the road!

-Ran

PS I don't know if I mentioned it in the last diary about the beach balls at shows, and how much I hate them, but I have noticed there hasn't been any in the last few weeks so thanks for that!

Here are the nominees in the catagories that Ran is in.

Pretty tough competition.

Horizon Award
* Miranda Lambert
* Little Big Town
* Sugarland
* Josh Turner
* Carrie Underwood

Music Video of the Year

* “8th of November”
Big & Rich
Directed by Robert Deaton/George J. Flanigen IV/Marc Oswald

* “Believe”
Brooks & Dunn
Directed by Robert Deaton/George J. Flanigen IV

* “Jesus Take The Wheel”
Carrie Underwood
Directed by Roman White

* “Kerosene”
Miranda Lambert
Directed by Trey Fanjoy

* “When I Get Where I’m Going”
Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton)
Directed by Jim Shea

CMA Nominees Announced  - Aug 26, 2006

ABC’s "Good Morning America" and CMT to Air CMA Awards Nominations Live from New York City and Nashville Wednesday, Aug. 30

"The 40th Annual CMA Awards" Airs Live Nov. 6 on the ABC Television Network

The announcement of the final nominees for the 2006 CMA Awards will be carried live Monday, Aug. 30, on network and cable television from New York City during "Good Morning America" on the ABC Television Network, and from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville on a special edition of CMT’s "CMT Insider."

"The 40th Annual CMA Awards" will be hosted for the third year by Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of super duo Brooks & Dunn and broadcast live from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville Monday, Nov. 6 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on ABC.

For the first time, the final nominees in select categories will be announced live on national television during "Good Morning America" with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland and five-time CMA Awards winner Brad Paisley from the "Good Morning America" studios located in the heart of New York City’s Times Square Wednesday, Aug. 30 during the 8:30 AM/ET half-hour of the morning news program.

Broadcasting live from Nashville, CMT’s Katie Cook and Lance Smith will present exclusive coverage of the remaining 2006 CMA Awards nominee announcements in a special half-hour edition of "CMT Insider," premiering Wednesday, Aug. 30 (10:00 AM/ET; 9:00 AM/CT) on CMT. The special will re-air on CMT immediately following the live broadcast at 10:30 AM/ET; and again at 4:00 and 11:00 PM/ET; and Thursday, Aug. 31 at 1:30, 6:30, and 11:30 PM/ET.

Chili Cook-Off

This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in Texas.

Note: Please take time to read this slowly. If you pay attention to the
first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is even better.


Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank, who was visiting
from Springfield, IL.

Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili
cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I
happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for
directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was
assured by the other two judges(Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't
be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer
during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge 3."

Here are the scorecard notes from the event: