Rascal Flatts scores chart double
Thursday, April 16, 2009 – Rascal Flatts lived up to the title of their new disc as "Unstoppable" was the number 1 selling CD in the land with 351,000 units sold. Rascal Flatts took over from last week's number one, "Defying Gravity," by Keith Urban, which slipped to seventh on the overall top 200 chart for the week ending April 24.
On the song chart, Rascal Flatts was also number one with Here Comes Goodbye, up from sixth. The trio replaced George Strait's River Of Love, which fell all the way to ninth. Jake Owen stayed second with Don't Think I Can't Love You. Jason Aldean was up two to third with She's Country. Rodney Atkins stayed fourth with It's America. Carrie Underwood jumped from ninth to fifth with I Told You So.
Kenny Chesney was up 4 to 16 with Out Last Night. Alan Jackson was up 3 to 21 with Sissy's Song.
Aldean debuted fourth on the overall top 200 album chart with "Wide Open" and second on the country chart with sales of 108,690. "I knew that there was some excitement building for the new album because the crowds at our shows have been crawling the walls when we break into She's Country," said Aldean. "I just had no idea that it would be this big. This blows my mind. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now."
Taylor Swift was sixth with "Fearless," up from 10th, and third on the country chart. Underwood was 16th on the overall chart, up from 34, and fifth on the country chart.
More news for Rascal Flatts
CD reviews for Rascal Flatts
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To some, Rascal Flatts is little more than a trio of pretty boys, existing just on the periphery of traditional country music. And to some degree, these haters are correct. This ain't no honky tonk music. But there is still a lot of goodness wrapped inside all the overly ornate sonic packaging.
This new album's title track, for example, has all the power of a camp meeting revival ballad. Heck, the single Banjo sports some mighty fine picking from the inappropriately named Ilya »»» |
Nothing Like This
Rascal Flatts have become one of country's most bankable bands by turning out albums that are consistently strong and provide the listener with a nice mix of fast and slow. Which is why it's so surprising that their latest offering, "Nothing Like This," is so bad. While the sound is signature RF, the song lineup lacks anything to distinguish it - the material is boring and nondescript, each song blending into the next without any sort of demarcation. The low point is probably »»» |
Unwrapped EP
If the best things in life do indeed come in small packages, this "Unwrapped" EP from Rascal Flatts fits that most worthy description. All but one song have been unavailable for about a year, and one track (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) is a brand new recording. For Jingle Bell Rock, Rascal Flatts actually trade rock music for big band jazz; this one features plenty of brass horn work. However, White Christmas sticks to a stately orchestrated formula. The trio shows off its vocal chops on »»» |
Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: Music City goes (Boston) Pop(s) –
On the face of it, the idea of top shelf country songwriters coming up from Nashville to play with the Boston Pops may seem incongruous. The idea of the venerable Boston institution and fixture on the July 4 scene, playing patriotic songs doesn't have all that much to do with country.
The idea isn't without precedent, of course.... »»»
Concert Review: O'Donovan goes home –
Aiofe O'Donovan had plenty of reason to be filled with good cheer. This was a hometown gig, after all, and only three days before the release of her first full-length solo debut, "Fossils."
Joking that the audience was filled with people she knew from high school and her parents' friends, O'Donovan made it clear that Boston... »»»
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Still Fighting the War
Few artists exude pain in their voices the way Slaid Cleaves can, and there are moments during his strong new full-length, "Still Fighting the War," when he seems a little like the male equivalent to Lucinda Williams. With Rust Belt Fields, Cleaves speaks up for most anybody that's been laid low be America's recent recession, from those dealing with home foreclosure to the ones laid off from their jobs. »»» |
Southeastern
Given the fact that Jason Isbell opts for solo billing this time around, it might be assumed that last year's "Live From Alabama," recorded with the 400 Unit, was the band's swan song of sorts. That is, unless one considers the fact that drummer Chad Gamble and keyboardist Derry deBorja are still along for the ride, albeit sans the band billing. »»» |
Fossils
Aiofe O'Donovan has been on a roll. As lead singer of the well-regarded alt.-bluegrass band, Crooked Still, O'Donovan helped put the alt. in the bluegrass with her light, sometimes breathy vocals. She also gained attention for singing on two songs on "The Goat Rodeo Sessions." She's now on her own (Crooked Still is on hiatus) for her first full-length disc. »»» |
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