Nick Krewen GRAMMY.com September 2004 Marshall Crenshaw feels the pain. Nineteen years ago, the New York-based singer-and-songwriter was in a state of panic when he vainly searched for inspiration to create the tunes that would eventually become his third album. The root of his anguish: writer’s block. “My confidence was shot and I felt kind of beset by circumstances beyond my control,” recalls Crenshaw of the agonizing days,…
THE RETURN OF REDNECK COUNTRY Nick Krewen GRAMMY.com August 2004 Country music is getting rowdy again. As newcomers Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich suddenly race up the charts with attitude-brandishing anthems like “Redneck Woman” and “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)” and outspoken veterans Toby Keith and Montgomery Gentry watch their fan base increase by leaps and bounds, country audiences have returned to embracing the genre’s ornery streak….
Suzie Katayama…Cellist and Arranger to the Stars Nick Krewen GRAMMY.com October/November 2003 As with most five-year-olds enamored with Saturday morning television, Suzie Katayama was dazzled by the animated images dancing in front of her eyes, fuelling her imagination and making her laugh. But unlike most youngsters, she was equally taken with the variety of sonics bombarding her ears, ranging from the wild sound effects punctuating the action to the music…
Fan Fair Nick Krewen GRAMMY.COM Farewell Fan Fair. When it wound down June 8 with a rare reunion of The Judds, the door closed on a 32-year tradition. Upon its return in 2004, the annual Nashville country music festival – which encourages fans to mingle with its stars – will be sporting a different name: the CMA (Country Music Association) Music Festival. More troubling to hardcore country music fans,…
NICK KREWEN Hamilton Spectator Thursday, August 18, 1994 Dance Naked, John Mellencamp‘s latest album that contains his hit remake of Van Morrison‘s ‘Wild Night’, didn’t only surprise the public — it also shocked his co-producer. Mike Wanchic, guitarist and co-producer in the Indiana singer and composer’s band since 1978, said he was astonished he received a phone call from his boss to head back into the studio within months of…
