New releases: Dec. 12, 2006

New releases next week? None.

So let's talk about old releases instead. Old releases, and the awards they might get.

For those who still have some faith in the Grammys (don't look at me -- I'm so disenchanted that I barely bothered to roll my eyes when I saw that "My Humps" is up for one), the 2006 nominations are out. There's actually a decent amount of non-suck in this year's bunch, including Elvis Costello and Allan Toussaint, The Del McCoury Band, Willie Nelson (for the Cindy Walker project), the Duhks, Tom Petty, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Bruce Hornsby, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, The Raconteurs, KT Tunstall, Beck, Neil Young, Corinne Bailey Rae, T Bone Burnett, the Flaming Lips, and -- this one's for you, Justin -- Mr. Justin Timberlake.

Here's a look at the nominees in "our" categories (you know, the ones never shown on TV):

In the newly renamed category of Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album:
Solo Acoustic Vol. 1 by Jackson Browne
Black Cadillac by Rosanne Cash
Workbench Songs by Guy Clark
Modern Times by Bob Dylan
All The Roadrunning by Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris

Best Country Instrumental Performance:
Jerusalem Ridge, Casey Driessen (from 3D)
Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag, Tommy Emmanuel (from The Mystery)
Whiskey Before Breakfast, Bryan Sutton & Doc Watson (from Not Too Far from the Tree)
The Eleventh Reel, Chris Thile (from How To Grow A Woman From The Ground)
Nature Of The Beast, Jim VanCleve (from No Apologies)

Best Bluegrass Album:
Long List Of Heartaches, The Grascals
Bluegrass, Jim Lauderdale
Instrumentals, Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder
Live At The Ryman, Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives
All American Bluegrass Girl, Rhonda Vincent

Best Traditional Folk Album:
I Stand Alone, Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Gonna Let It Shine, Odetta
Adieu False Heart, Linda Ronstadt & Ann Savoy
We Shall Overcome — The Seeger Sessions, Bruce Springsteen
A Distant Land To Roam, Ralph Stanley

Watch the spectacle unfold on Feb. 11. Or, save yourself the agony of live performances from the likes of nominees Christina Aguilera or Carrie Underwood and get the highlights from your pals right here at HickoryWind.org. We promise not to duet with Diddy or stage a nipple slip. Well, almost promise.