After the difficulty of the category, this one felt like a breeze. One of the categories where I instantly knew who my pick would be. Makes this a whole lot easier, lemme tell you.
The nominees:
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
My pick for CMA Vocal Group of the Year?
Little Big Town
Before I talk about the other nominees, I just have to say once more how ridiculous I think it is that Rascal Flatts didn't get a nomination this year. Biggest snub of the CMAs, in my opinion. Though that's probably a sign of how tough this category could become. What with all the groups currently doing so well in country music. There was a time when you always knew who'd get nominated in this category because that's all the groups there were. Now in addition to the nominees and Rascal Flatts, we have Eden's Edge, The Farm, Pistol Annies and Gloriana. And then there's Lonestar, who are going to be putting out a new album at some point with Richie McDonald back on lead vocals after taking a break from the group. I've also been seeing a lot about the Canadian group High Valley, who have just released their first single here in the United States. I have a feeling there's a group I'm not thinking of and if any of you think of one I didn't mention, please let me know. My point being that nominations in this category are no longer a given. Who knows what this'll look like a year from now.
But for now there's just five groups I want to focus on and of course I'm going to start with Eli Young Band. I believe that they have a shot at this award, if only a small one. Their two last singles "Crazy Girl" and "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" were huge for them, the latter of which being nominated for Song of the Year. They've been one of the openers on the Rascal Flatts tour and have just released a new single "Say Goodnight". The response for which seems to be pretty positive based on what I've seen. Is that enough to give them a win? My instinct says no, but there's no doubt in my mind that they deserved the nomination.
Lady Antebellum. Perhaps the favorite for this award. They are the reigning champions, after all, and their tour this year was a big success. They had a whole lot of sold out shows and did a string of shows in both Europe and Australia. Those are going to be hard facts for the CMA voters to ignore. It shouldn't surprise anyone if they win. But I think it's time for the torch to be passed to another group. Honestly, this category feels a little stale to me, largely because of what I talked about earlier. How you could always predict the nominees because there weren't as many groups to pick from. There's a desperate need for a shake up here and I'd love to see it happen this year.
The Band Perry. I really don't have much to say about them, aside from the fact that their nomination confuses me a little. I know they've been on the road with Brad Paisley, on what was another huge tour. And from all accounts, they got great responses from the crowds. Their latest single, "Postcard from Paris", was a top ten hit. But still, this one kind of threw me. And I don't say that to be insulting towards them in anyway. That was just my reaction. I don't think they can be counted out; they probably have a chance here.
Zac Brown Band. I don't have much to say about them either. They had a solid year, released a new album Uncaged and had yet another successful tour. I don't think they have much of a shot. They always seem to get nominations, but it rarely results in them winning. But who knows.
And now, it's time to talk about Little Big Town.
2012 has been very good to Little Big Town so far. Not only did they score their first ever #1 single with "Pontoon", their new album Tornado stayed at the top of the country charts for five weeks. And not only did "Pontoon" got all the way to the top, it was also the summer song of the year. Who knew a song about a boat could make such a splash. Of course, being on tour with Eden's Edge, Eli Young Band and Rascal Flatts didn't hurt anything either. It seems like the general country audience has finally figured out just how great Little Big Town is.
Which begs the question: what took everyone so long?
Seriously, I will never understand it. Little Big Town is without question one of the best vocal groups in country music. Shoot, they're one of the best vocal groups in music period. If this award was judged solely on vocal ability, it would have to go to Little Big Town. I say that with no disrespect intended towards any of the other groups; I just believe that LBT's harmonies are the best.
So I ask again: what took everyone so long? Tornado was a bit of a departure for them and this time it really felt like they were making a play for the general country audience. A play that's worked pretty well so far. I hope that all their new fans go back and check out their other albums. You really can't go wrong with any of them. You have their debut self titled album and then there's The Road to Here which features "Boondocks" and "Bring It On Home". Then there's my personal two favorite albums of theirs: The Reason Why and A Place to Land, the latter of which I'd consider to be their best album to date. So I urge you to go and give those a listen if you haven't done so already.
As a longtime fan of Little Big Town, it makes me so happy that they are doing so well. I've seen them over fifty times and met them more times than I could say. Well, if we're being technical, I've only met them once. But you know what I'm saying. The first time I met them - the second time I saw them - was at the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse in Burgettstown, PA when they were opening for Trick Pony in 2006. It was about a five hour drive and we were mainly going to see Trick Pony. Well, Little Big Town did their set and they went and met people at the merchandise table before Trick Pony came on. It was pretty hectic as it seemed like the entire audience was trying to meet them. In that environment it would've been very easy for them to herd people through as fast as possible. But they didn't do that. At least it didn't feel that way.
I remember each one taking the time to introduce themselves and ask everyone's name, each making eye contact with whoever they were talking to. Phillip Sweet was the last in the line and I said something about enjoying their set and he took my hand in both of his, held on for a second or two and thanked me. Again making eye contact. I remember them all being very genuine and grateful for everyone who wanted to meet them. It was over after that. They completely won me over - not just from meeting them, but from the strength of their set too. From that point on I made a point to see them whenever possible. Over fifty shows in eight states and Washington, D.C. They were solid in the beginning and have only grown as a group since them. And they are some of the sweetest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. They've given me a lot of great memories over the years and a ton of great music. It's so wonderful watching other people finally get it.
Finally.
Finally.
Now they're not only up for Vocal Group, they also scored nominations for Single and Video of the Year, both for "Pontoon". As far as Vocal Group, they've been overlooked in this category for far too long. Largely due, in my opinion, to the fact that they just weren't connecting with the general country audience. Until now. I can't even tell you all how much I would love for them to finally win. As I said before, this category is in dire need of a shake up and I can't think of a better way to do that. They so deserve it and I think that there is a huge chance that it'll happen. It wouldn't surprise me in the least.
So let's go LBT!
That wraps up my thoughts on Vocal Group. Next up: Duo of the Year. Another category that would benefit from a bit of a shake up. Thank you for reading! I think I'm going to end this post with some lyrics, change the format up a little bit. Inspired by the fact that this song just so happened to start playing and pretty much sums up my feelings about Little Big Town. Because honestly, in the past few years there's been a lot of changes. A lot of things have happened. Some of the greatest experiences and worst experiences of my life have happened these past few years. There's been a lot of confusion and questions, a lot of growing. But one of the few constants has been music. Sometimes that's the only thing that makes sense and I know that other people out there are going to know what I'm talking about.
I don't know how many miles I've put on my car in my travels to see Little Big Town all over the place. Though I know it's a heck of a lot. I don't know how much gas I've spent, which is probably something I don't want to know. I don't know how many hours I stayed on my feet in line and later during the show, back when they were playing clubs. I couldn't tell you how many lost turns I made back before I had GPS and on that note, how many sketchy neighborhoods I ended up in as a direct result. I could never explain all the crazy things that have happened on all these road trips. But what I can tell you is that it was all worth it.
This song, found on A Place to Land and appropriately named "I'm With the Band", says it perfectly.
"Lord, I was born with a suitcase in my hand/ Living in a life that few could understand/ Sometimes it gets so confusing that I don't know where I am/ But I always know who I'm with/ I'm with the band".
Yeah, that's about right.
The nominees:
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
My pick for CMA Vocal Group of the Year?
Little Big Town
Before I talk about the other nominees, I just have to say once more how ridiculous I think it is that Rascal Flatts didn't get a nomination this year. Biggest snub of the CMAs, in my opinion. Though that's probably a sign of how tough this category could become. What with all the groups currently doing so well in country music. There was a time when you always knew who'd get nominated in this category because that's all the groups there were. Now in addition to the nominees and Rascal Flatts, we have Eden's Edge, The Farm, Pistol Annies and Gloriana. And then there's Lonestar, who are going to be putting out a new album at some point with Richie McDonald back on lead vocals after taking a break from the group. I've also been seeing a lot about the Canadian group High Valley, who have just released their first single here in the United States. I have a feeling there's a group I'm not thinking of and if any of you think of one I didn't mention, please let me know. My point being that nominations in this category are no longer a given. Who knows what this'll look like a year from now.
But for now there's just five groups I want to focus on and of course I'm going to start with Eli Young Band. I believe that they have a shot at this award, if only a small one. Their two last singles "Crazy Girl" and "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" were huge for them, the latter of which being nominated for Song of the Year. They've been one of the openers on the Rascal Flatts tour and have just released a new single "Say Goodnight". The response for which seems to be pretty positive based on what I've seen. Is that enough to give them a win? My instinct says no, but there's no doubt in my mind that they deserved the nomination.
Lady Antebellum. Perhaps the favorite for this award. They are the reigning champions, after all, and their tour this year was a big success. They had a whole lot of sold out shows and did a string of shows in both Europe and Australia. Those are going to be hard facts for the CMA voters to ignore. It shouldn't surprise anyone if they win. But I think it's time for the torch to be passed to another group. Honestly, this category feels a little stale to me, largely because of what I talked about earlier. How you could always predict the nominees because there weren't as many groups to pick from. There's a desperate need for a shake up here and I'd love to see it happen this year.
The Band Perry. I really don't have much to say about them, aside from the fact that their nomination confuses me a little. I know they've been on the road with Brad Paisley, on what was another huge tour. And from all accounts, they got great responses from the crowds. Their latest single, "Postcard from Paris", was a top ten hit. But still, this one kind of threw me. And I don't say that to be insulting towards them in anyway. That was just my reaction. I don't think they can be counted out; they probably have a chance here.
Zac Brown Band. I don't have much to say about them either. They had a solid year, released a new album Uncaged and had yet another successful tour. I don't think they have much of a shot. They always seem to get nominations, but it rarely results in them winning. But who knows.
And now, it's time to talk about Little Big Town.
2012 has been very good to Little Big Town so far. Not only did they score their first ever #1 single with "Pontoon", their new album Tornado stayed at the top of the country charts for five weeks. And not only did "Pontoon" got all the way to the top, it was also the summer song of the year. Who knew a song about a boat could make such a splash. Of course, being on tour with Eden's Edge, Eli Young Band and Rascal Flatts didn't hurt anything either. It seems like the general country audience has finally figured out just how great Little Big Town is.
Which begs the question: what took everyone so long?
Seriously, I will never understand it. Little Big Town is without question one of the best vocal groups in country music. Shoot, they're one of the best vocal groups in music period. If this award was judged solely on vocal ability, it would have to go to Little Big Town. I say that with no disrespect intended towards any of the other groups; I just believe that LBT's harmonies are the best.
So I ask again: what took everyone so long? Tornado was a bit of a departure for them and this time it really felt like they were making a play for the general country audience. A play that's worked pretty well so far. I hope that all their new fans go back and check out their other albums. You really can't go wrong with any of them. You have their debut self titled album and then there's The Road to Here which features "Boondocks" and "Bring It On Home". Then there's my personal two favorite albums of theirs: The Reason Why and A Place to Land, the latter of which I'd consider to be their best album to date. So I urge you to go and give those a listen if you haven't done so already.
As a longtime fan of Little Big Town, it makes me so happy that they are doing so well. I've seen them over fifty times and met them more times than I could say. Well, if we're being technical, I've only met them once. But you know what I'm saying. The first time I met them - the second time I saw them - was at the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse in Burgettstown, PA when they were opening for Trick Pony in 2006. It was about a five hour drive and we were mainly going to see Trick Pony. Well, Little Big Town did their set and they went and met people at the merchandise table before Trick Pony came on. It was pretty hectic as it seemed like the entire audience was trying to meet them. In that environment it would've been very easy for them to herd people through as fast as possible. But they didn't do that. At least it didn't feel that way.
I remember each one taking the time to introduce themselves and ask everyone's name, each making eye contact with whoever they were talking to. Phillip Sweet was the last in the line and I said something about enjoying their set and he took my hand in both of his, held on for a second or two and thanked me. Again making eye contact. I remember them all being very genuine and grateful for everyone who wanted to meet them. It was over after that. They completely won me over - not just from meeting them, but from the strength of their set too. From that point on I made a point to see them whenever possible. Over fifty shows in eight states and Washington, D.C. They were solid in the beginning and have only grown as a group since them. And they are some of the sweetest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. They've given me a lot of great memories over the years and a ton of great music. It's so wonderful watching other people finally get it.
Finally.
Finally.
Now they're not only up for Vocal Group, they also scored nominations for Single and Video of the Year, both for "Pontoon". As far as Vocal Group, they've been overlooked in this category for far too long. Largely due, in my opinion, to the fact that they just weren't connecting with the general country audience. Until now. I can't even tell you all how much I would love for them to finally win. As I said before, this category is in dire need of a shake up and I can't think of a better way to do that. They so deserve it and I think that there is a huge chance that it'll happen. It wouldn't surprise me in the least.
So let's go LBT!
That wraps up my thoughts on Vocal Group. Next up: Duo of the Year. Another category that would benefit from a bit of a shake up. Thank you for reading! I think I'm going to end this post with some lyrics, change the format up a little bit. Inspired by the fact that this song just so happened to start playing and pretty much sums up my feelings about Little Big Town. Because honestly, in the past few years there's been a lot of changes. A lot of things have happened. Some of the greatest experiences and worst experiences of my life have happened these past few years. There's been a lot of confusion and questions, a lot of growing. But one of the few constants has been music. Sometimes that's the only thing that makes sense and I know that other people out there are going to know what I'm talking about.
I don't know how many miles I've put on my car in my travels to see Little Big Town all over the place. Though I know it's a heck of a lot. I don't know how much gas I've spent, which is probably something I don't want to know. I don't know how many hours I stayed on my feet in line and later during the show, back when they were playing clubs. I couldn't tell you how many lost turns I made back before I had GPS and on that note, how many sketchy neighborhoods I ended up in as a direct result. I could never explain all the crazy things that have happened on all these road trips. But what I can tell you is that it was all worth it.
This song, found on A Place to Land and appropriately named "I'm With the Band", says it perfectly.
"Lord, I was born with a suitcase in my hand/ Living in a life that few could understand/ Sometimes it gets so confusing that I don't know where I am/ But I always know who I'm with/ I'm with the band".
Yeah, that's about right.
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