Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

8:00 AM Biography: Led Zeppelin

9:00 AM Biography: Jerry Garcia

9:00 AM Syndicated: Live with Regis and Kelly: The Bacon Brothers

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Ludacris

10:00 AM Sundance: French Beauty: Jane Birkin , Charlotte Gainsbourg

11:00 AM ABC: The View: Harry Connick Jr.

1:30 PM FUSE: Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks 2

8:00 PM Biography: Jimi Hendrix

9:00 PM Biography: Janis Joplin

9:00 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit: The (International) Noise Conspiracy

10:00 PM Biography: The Who

11:00 PM Sundance: Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...:  Sir Elton John

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Common

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Tom Jones

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: The Airborne Toxic Event

12:37 AM CBS: The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: X

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: The Sounds

All proceeds go to a worthwhile charity.

By Fred Mills

From Ramseur Records, home of the mighty Avett Brothers, comes Jim Avett and Family. It features the Avetts themselves - Seth and Scott, plus partner Bob Crawford, along with Avetts associates Joe Kwon on cello and Nelson Mullis on guitar - along with their sister Bonnie and their dad Jim.

It's a gospel album with a decided North Carolina bent, and it's for a good cause, too: all of the proceeds will be given to Kid's First of the Carolinas: http://www.kidsfirstofthecarolinas.com.

‘Tis the season to be generous. ‘Nuf said. Here's are the details from the label, and you can get more info about the album and how to order it at www.ramseurrecords.net .

***

Jim Avett and Family is a gospel album by a retired welder, his daughter and two sons.  He is not only a welder of course. He, like any man, is more than his career, more than his working business.  He is a farmer. He is an ex-psychology professor. He is a husband of forty years and a father of thirty-five.  He draws.  He cuts and bails his own hay for his own cows.  From 1967 to 1971, he served in the United States Navy.  He is a dedicated family man.  He has worked with neglected children and broken households as a social worker. He has built bridges of steel and a home of lumber. Oh yes, he sings and picks the guitar as well.  

With this record, he has done so with his family in mind, so that his children's children and so on will have a way to know a little of who he is, who he was.  Perhaps fittingly, it is by his own children's encouragement that it is now available to the general public.  For all of what he is, this collection of tunes is a glimpse into his sentiment and history; the son of a preacher and a pianist, who as a boy, sat in the pews and heard not only his father's sermons, but these songs as well. Now, he has sung them with the tape rolling, as honest and rough-cut as it gets, and anyone may listen.

Held Wed., Dec. 3 at the Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles and BLURT was there!

BY JOSE MARTINEZ

Award shows usually make their official announcements at some God awful time early in the morning (if you're on the West Coast anyway) where bleary-eyed journalists go to some sterile hotel banquet room half awake and slowly come to life on free coffee and pastries. This year the GRAMMYs opted to announce the nominees for the 51^st annual GRAMMY Awards, to be held Sunday, February 8 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, on a weeknight during a live-on-television concert.

The fact that the GRAMMY brain trust was able to sell thousands of seats at hundred of dollars to the general public for an hour-long show (followed by an hour-long solo set by John Mayer) was a stroke a genius. I guess there really is a sucker born every second. The show also served as an opportunity to constantly plug the brand new GRAMMY Museum that opens this Friday at the state-of-the-art LA LIVE entertainment complex. But to the Academy's credit, the first-ever GRAMMY Nomination Concert ran like clockwork.

Coming up with a novel twist, all of the evening's performers were former GRAMMY winners doing their rendition of songs now in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. Opening the show was Mariah Carey singing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." Still able to hit at least one of her trademark annoying high pitch squeals, unfortunately for us U2 was neither available nor interested in appearing on the broadcast.

Up next, performing to an audience that also included the Jonas Brothers (sitting in the front row), Smokey Robinson, Natalie Cole, and Lindsey Buckingham, Celine Dion offered an uninspired take on Janis Ian's "At Seventeen." This would have been the perfect time to run to the kitchen for a snack or to fix a quick drink, or even an opportunity to do some channel surfing, but being stuck in the makeshift pressroom in the bowels of the Nokia Theatre that was not an option. (But at least there was some finger food to feast on.)

After a commercial break the Foo Fighters took on Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" which made me wonder if this would have made Kurt Cobain cringe? Joined onstage by a violinist that was drowned out by the roar of the band, the Foo's take on the ‘70s classic was sometimes rockin' and sometimes just off base. After the song, singer Dave Grohl announced the nominees for best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, and had some fun at the expense of the Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals category.

Then came a hockey moment between the evening's hosts Taylor Swift and LL Cool J - the former, of  course, is pretty far removed from the rapper that broke onto the scene nearly 20 years ago. That was followed by Swift's version of Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry" along with a quick rendition of her own song "White Horse." I'm not sure if that was her way of insinuating that she's on par with Little Miss Dynamite or if she's just desperate to plug her own catalog. Either way, at least she looked hot and leggy.

The broadcast's final performance paired guitar legend B.B. King with John Mayer who is better known these days for who he is or isn't dating, as well as his sometimes funny rants on TMZ, but it was good to see him get back to work. Together they delivered a knockout performance of Louis Jordan's 1946 hit "Let The Good Times Roll."

After the show went off the air, and John Mayer performed a solo set for those that decided to remain in their seats, many of the night's nominees, among the various 110 categories, stopped by the press area.

Ne-Yo, nominated for six awards, including Album of the Year, said he prides himself on his music's diversity, noting, "I'm in great company," adding he's "dumbfounded" at being nominated.       

Nominated for Best New Artist, singer Jazmine Sullivan called her nomination "surreal" and "unbelievable," reflecting, "I've been in this industry for so long that's it's great that it's finally coming together."

Polished beyond their years, the Jonas Brothers, also void of any personality, made time for a quick Q&A. "The GRAMMY nomination is the tip of the iceberg," Kevin Jonas stated. "We never forget where we come from so this is truly an honor."

Brother Nick Jonas said if he could pick any artist to collaborate on a GRAMMY performance with it would be with Elvis Costello. (Meanwhile, over on the Sundance Channel, EC was kibitzing with Elton John. Life is sweet, no?)

Comedian Kathy Griffin, nominated for Best Comedy Album, was a breath of fresh air backstage, even if she was surrounded by a whole team of handlers. "Britney Spears is a train wreck!" she declared. Whether or not she was kidding is open for interpretation. Wearing a "sweaty armband" courtesy of Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, Griffin confessed she, like the Jonas Brothers, is "carefully looking for the right girl to lose [her] virginity to."

Finally, living legend B.B. King confessed that at age 83 he enjoys sitting down and quickly sat for a quick chat. Noting he had a "great time" playing with John Mayer, King, reflecting on the recent presidential election, admitted, "I never thought I'd live long enough to see a black president elect. America has grown up, but not enough, but I'm very happy and proud."

And now, let the flood of overblown, meaningless, self-congratulatory emails and press releases from record labels and p.r. firms begin!

***

Nominations of interest include:

Album of the Year:

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Record of the Year:

Adele - "Chasing Pavements"

Coldplay -  "Viva La Vida"

Leona Lewis - "Bleeding Love

M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Please Read The Letter"

Best New Artist:

Adele

Duffy

Jonas Brothers

Lady Antebellum

Jazmine Sullivan

Song of the Year:

"American Boy" - Estelle featuring Kanye West

"Chasing Pavements" - Adele

"I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz

"Love Song" - Sara Bareilles

"Viva La Vida" - Coldplay

Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals:

Coldplay - "Viva La Vida"

Eagles - "Waiting In The Weeds"

Gnarls Barkley - "Going On"

Maroon 5 - "Won't Go Home Without You"

OneRepublic - "Apologize"

Best Pop Vocal Album:

Sheryl Crow - Detours

Duffy - Rockferry

Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden

Leona Lewis - Spirit

James Taylor - Covers

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals:

AC/DC - "Rock ‘N Roll Train"

Coldplay - "Violet Hill"

Eagles - "Long Road Out Of Eden"

Kings Of Leon - "Sex On Fire"

Radiohead - "House Of Cards"

Best Rock Song:

"Girls In Their Summer Clothes" -  Bruce Springsteen

"House of Cards" - Radiohead

"I Will Possess Your Heart" - Death Cab For Cutie

"Sex On Fire" - Kings Of Leon

"Violet Hill" - Coldplay

Best Rock Album:

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Kid Rock - Rock N Roll Jesus

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night

Metallica - Death Magnetic

The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely

And he's been in a movie too!

By Brian Creech

Dex Romweber has been around. After a stint in Athens, GA in the late 80's and a featured spot in the documentary "Athens: Inside/out," the former frontman for the world famous psycho-surf-rockabilly-garage-punk combo Flat Duo Jets, released his first of nine albums in 1990.  He has been showcased on MTV's The Cutting Edge and 120 Minutes and has shared the stage with dozens of other rock icons including Iggy Pop and the White Stripes.  But the 1990's, being the rollicking time they were Dex, are over, but the rock-a-billiy revivalist has been busy readying "Ruins of Berlin" for a release on Tuesday, February 10th.

The new album was produced by John Plymale (Meat Puppets, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Corrosion Of Conformity), and special guests include Cat Power, Neko Case, Exene Cervenka and Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids. The Dex Romweber Duo also features Dex's sister Sara Romweber (Lets Active, Snatches of Pink) on drums.

A press release from Bloodshoot, the duo's label teases for a tour with the following, "Expect massive touring in every populated area of the planet in 2009, the Duo have vowed to shun sleep until every last fan of grease-soaked, primitive proto-rock has heard songs from this new platter."

 If Dexter is going on a missionary trip to bring rawk to all the dark corners of the world, he'll have to put his recently launched acting career.  His first role, in the new film Lake City is in theaters now. Lake City stars Sissy Spacek, Keith Carradine, Rebecca Romjin and Drea de Matteo. Dex plays Frank, the guitarist in Keith Carradine's band, and he is joined in that combo by Dave Matthews. This is probably the only time you'll see these two in the same room, let alone in the same band.

Ruins of Berlin Track Listing:

1. Lookout (featuring Rick Miller of Southern Culture On The Skids)

2. Lovers Gold

3. Picture Of You

4. Love Letters (featuring Cat Power)

5. Cigarette Party

6. Camillias Gone

7. Lonesome Train (featuring Exene Cervenka)

8. People, Places And Things

9. Still Around (featuring Neko Case)

10. Ruins Of Berlin

11. Oh, Lovers Gone

12. Polish Work Song

13. Grey Skies

14. Is It Too Late?

High-minded announcement of album's impending January 20th release

By Brian Creech

"The Crying Light" is the highly anticipated full-length follow-up to Antony and the Johnson's Mercury Prize winning "I Am a Bird Now."  A Secretly Canadian press release describes the album as a "shift in thematic focus that explores his relationship with the natural world."  The album also holds elements of avant-classical composer Nico Muhly amd Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.  The album seems to be describe as a trip through Antony's loneliness and into his reverie. 

If this , ahem, level of ostentatiousness isn't enough, a Secretly Canadian press release also states, "The Crying Light may even become one of those albums that becomes emblematic of its time,  a reflection of the momentous changes that we are facing, within each of our private worlds as well as collectively, and how we are summoning the courage to start moving through them."

So, already, they are placing it on par with Sgt. Pepper's, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Appetite for Destruction, Let it Be, Nevermind, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and countless others of your favorite albums.  Antony's good, but man, can anybody really be that good?

We'll find out on Jan.20!

Otherwise known as hopping on the "have a fan direct a video" bandwagon. Winners to receive signed copies of the things they create.

By Brian Creech

Have you ever looked at a Dandy Warhols video and decided that you can make it better?  No?  Well, now you can anyway.

As announced on art and culture magazine Juxtapoz's, the Dandys have made both the music and the art to the song/video for "Mis Amigos" available for remixing.

There is a reward though waiting at the end of the tunnel for all those who dare to try their hand directing/mildly re-editing a Warhols' video.  Two winners will be selected (one for music, one for art), and will receive a signed 12" vinyl copy of their remix and a signed and framed 12" single cover, respectively, and both pieces will be featured on the Dandys' MySpace site.

Instructions can be found by pushing the "How It Works" button on the remix widget at www.thedandywarhols.com. All entries must be received by February 1, 2009, which gives you just a little over 2 months to build up the motivation.

Reportedly gone fishin' and casting around for a new record label...

By Fred Mills

"Hmmm, where to go... bye..."

That's the latest post on Ryan Adams' personal blog, dated yesterday, Dec. 2, and though fans can read what they want into it, it has particular resonance in light of an article published yesterday on the Mojo magazine blog. Adams is leaving his longtime label Lost Highway in the wake of the artist and label being unable to agree on how to proceed in terms of Adams' career, according to Mojo.

Referencing an interview with Adams that appears in this month's print edition of the magazine (Oasis appears on the cover), the songwriter is quoted as saying, "Today my attorney sent me my termination agreement with Lost Highway, signed. I'm not like, ‘Ding dong, the witch is dead,' because I respect them and understand what we went through, how I wanted to do things a certain way, more unconventional than what they were attached to."

Adams maintains that over the course of his nine-album tenure with Lost Highway he consistently indicated his intentions to experiment stylistically, but that the label was more focused on marketing his alt-country, Americana side. For their part, the record label commented to Billboard earlier this year that with Adams' contract now up following the release of the recent Cardinology, the artist is probably served better by being "totally independent."

Observed label head Luke Lewis, "We took some pretty harsh criticism for putting out so much music, but we could have put out more." [In 2009, Lost Highway will issue an Adams anthology featuring several new songs.] "As much as we've tried to accommodate him by putting out a lot of records, a major-label deal is probably a bit restrictive for Ryan. My sense is he'd be better served by being independent, and by that I mean totally independent."

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the arenas....

By Fred Mills

Already beset by a deep financial recession, the national mood grew darker this week as word arrived of the forthcoming reunion of mook-rockers Creed. Rumored to be on the table for some time now, the reunion appears to be nearing reality as the former band members hammer things out.

In a report filed by Billboard, vocalist Scott Stapp, estranged since 2004 from guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall (who formed the almost-as-mooky Alter Bridge following the Creed split, is in "prime physical and mental condition" and ready for a reconciliation. A spokesman for the band's old label, Wind-Up, told Billboard that there have been talks, dollars put on the table, and an announcement could be imminent, "but it would be premature to comment on them at this time."

Well, all right then! Who can argue with 26.1 millions sold in the U.S. alone? What do a bunch of pointy headed critics know, anyway?

Fun fact: Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy is reportedly being considered for the singer position in the Robert Plant-less Led Zeppelin reunion that has been floated lately. For more reunion madness, go to the BLURT reunion poll page HERE. You can have your say on Creed, Led Zep and a host of other proposed 2009 reunions!

Written in Chalk due March 3 from New West.

By Blurt Staff

This info just slipped over the BLURT transom, and indeed, here are few songwriting partnerships in music today that are as consistently compelling as the dynamic between Buddy and Julie Miller.

The husband-and-wife duo have been writing and making music together since they first met and married over 20 years ago. Some of the efforts resulted in solo records for Buddy (five); others ended up albums by Julie (six). Written in Chalk, due out on New West Records on March 3, 2009, is only the second collaboration credited to both Millers following eight years after 2001's Buddy & Julie Miller.

Guests on Written in Chalk include Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Regina and Ann McCrary and Larry Campbell.  The record was recorded at the couple's home studio in Nashville, TN.  Written In Chalk will also be available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl.

Julie wrote nine of the twelve tracks on this extraordinary record. Her songs are emotional, even gut-wrenching at times, but all with underlying hints of love and of her faith.  The most touching song on the album is "Don't Say Goodbye" a beautiful, poignant ballad that features Patty Griffin on backing vocals.  Her lyrics often evoke a deep sadness evident in "A Long, Long Time" with the muted trumpet crying as Julie sings.  The record is balanced out with Buddy contributing to the country-rock duet "Gasoline and Matches" and Dee Ervin's bluesy, "One Part, Two Part" which Buddy sings with Regina and Ann McCrary.  Robert Plant supplies vocals on "What You Gonna Do, Leroy" a swampy stomp written by Mel Tillis and originally performed by Lefty Frizzell.

 Named "Artist of the Decade" by No Depression magazine, and instrumentalist of the year by the Americana Music Association for the past several years, Buddy Miller is one of the more highly sought after guitarists and has played with such greats as Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jim Lauderdale, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Buddy's songs have been cut by such artists as The Dixie Chicks, LeeAnn Womack, Jim Lauderdale and Emmylou Harris, among others. As a producer, his resume is just as impressive; he produced Emmylou Harris's live album Spyboy, Solomon Burke's Grammy® nominated Nashville and Allison Moorer's covers record Mockingbird.

 Julie received her first real attention with the release of Buddy Miller's 1995 HighTone debut, Your Love And Other Lies, for which she co-wrote several songs and sang on three. Her songwriting soon attracted the attention of Emmylou Harris, who recorded Julie's "All My Tears," as did jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott.  Emmylou Harris, as well as Steve Earle and Karen Perris of Innocence Mission, guested on Miller's album Blue Pony, which generated reams of critical praise and brought Julie's talents to center stage.

Check out www.buddyandjulie.com  for more information.

 Written In Chalk track List & credits:

 1 "Ellis County"

(Julie Miller)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

Larry Campbell - Fiddle

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

2 "Gasoline And Matches"

(Julie And Buddy Miller)

Bryan Owings - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

3 "Don't Say Goodbye"

(Julie Miller)

Patty Griffin - Vocal

John Deaderick - Piano

4 "What You Gonna Do, Leroy"

(Mel Tillis)

Jay Belerose - Drums

Dennis Crouch - Bass

Stuart Duncan - Fiddle

Gurf Morlix - Lap Steel

Robert Plant - Vocal

5 "A Long, Long Time"

(Julie Miller)

Matt Rollings - Piano

Brady Blade - Drums

Byron House - Bass

Kami Lyle - Trumpet

6 "One Part, Two Part"

(Dee Ervin)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Russ Pahl - Steel Guitar

Regina And Ann Mccrary - Vocals

7 "Chalk"

(Julie Miller)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Patty Griffin - Vocal

8 "Everytime We Say Goodbye"

(Julie Miller)

John Deaderick - Piano

9 "Hush, Sorrow"

(Julie Miller)

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Larry Campbell - Mandolin

Russ Pahl - Steel Guitar

Regina  Mccrary - Vocal

10 "Smooth"

(Julie Miller)

Bryan Owings - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

11 "June"

(Julie Miller)

Buddy And Julie Miller - Vocals

12 "The Selfishness In Man"

(Leon Payne)

Brady Blade - Drums

Chris Donohue - Bass

John Deaderick - Keyboards

Russ Pahl - Steel Guitar

Emmylou Harris - Vocal

Tour Dates:

Feb 3 2009      8:00P

            The Birchmere             Alexandria, Virginia

Feb 4 2009      8:00P

            The Birchmere             Alexandria, Virginia

Feb 5 2009      8:00P

            Whitaker Center at the Forum            Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Feb 6 2009      8:00P

            The Keswick   Glenside, Pennsylvania

Feb 8 2009      8:00P

            Music Hall       Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Feb 9 2009      8:00P

            State Theatre   Ithaca, New York

Feb 10 2009    8:00P

            The Warner Theater    Torrington, Connecticut

Feb 19 2009    8:00P

            Meyershoff Symphony Hall   Baltimore, Maryland

Feb 20 2009    8:00P

            Beacon Theatre           New York City, New York

Feb 21 2009    8:00P

            Bardavon 1869 Opera House             Kingston, New York

Feb 22 2009    8:00P

            The Orpheum Boston, Massachusetts

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

8:00 AM TVONE: Tom Joyner Sky Show:  Cameo

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Keane

9:00 AM Syndicated: Live with Regis and Kelly: Aretha Franklin

11:30 AM Sundance: The True History of the Traveling Wilburys

12:00 PM PLD HD: VH1 Hip Hop Honors

 4:00 PM FUSE: The Killers Rock Fuse:

7:00 PM Smithsonian: Sound Revolution: Sounds of Jazz w/New Orleans All Stars , Louie Bellson , The Modern Jazz Quartet , Miles Davis , Newport All Stars , Quincy Jones

8:00 PM CBS: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer w/Burl Ives

8:00 PM NBC: Christmas In Rockefeller Center w/Harry Connick Jr. , Beyoncé , Tony Bennett , Faith Hill , Jonas Brothers , David Cook

9:00 PM CBS: The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! w/Foo Fighters , B.B. King , John Mayer , Taylor Swift , Celine Dion , Mariah Carey

9:00 PM Sundance: Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...:  Elton John

11:35 PM CBS: The Late Show With David Letterman: Jenny Lewis , Elvis Costello

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Tom Jones

12:00 AM Oxygen: The Tyra Banks Show: Beyoncé

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Ice Cube

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: The SteelDrivers

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Pendulum