Americana Spirit

Posted by amyclark on 08/20/2008
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Stephen L. Betts The top eight spots on this week’s Americana airplay chart are held by the same entries as last week, with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant’s Raising Sand remaining at No. 1, followed by Steve Earle (Washington Square Serenade), Levon Helm (Dirt Farmer), John Fogerty (Revival), Dwight Yoakam (Dwight Sings Buck), Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino by various artists, Shooter Jennings (The Wolf), and Ryan Bingham (Mescalito). Rounding out the Top 10 are Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez (Live from the Ruhr Triennale) and Lyle Lovett and His Large Band’s It’s Not Big, It’s Large, which was at No. 10 last week. Albums moving up include Will Hoge’s Draw the Curtains, Neil Young’s Chrome Dreams II, and Lost Boy by Bleu Edmondson. A couple of holiday collections are on the rise: My Holiday by Mindy Smith, and Marshmallow World by Raul Malo. ----- Steve Earle will tour North America and Europe in early 2008, in support of his latest album, the double Grammy-nominated Washington Square Serenade. Steve’s wife, singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, will also perform on the tour which will include shows in January and February in the U.K., the Netherlands, France, Germany and Spain. Beginning with a Feb. 28 show in Northampton, Mass., the tour dates in the U.S. and Canada are scheduled to run through March 25 in Los Angeles. Washington Square Serenade received a Grammy nomination for best contemporary folk/Americana album, while the couple received a nod in the category of best country collaboration with vocals for “Days Aren't Long Enough.” Steve is currently in a Nashville studio producing an album for folk legend Joan Baez.