Subject: Taylor Swift

• Stop the Slaughter: Pundits pan Jordin Sparks' debut album, for all the wrong reasons

  November 29, 2007

• Naughty and Nice

  What do musicians want in their stockings?

  December 20, 2007

• Taylor Swift, Al Barr, and More Reflect on Songs to Be Thankful for

  November 27, 2008

• Rolling Stone: Still Blowing Bob Dylan

  Rolling Stone, that music magazine that felt it necessary to feature the ladies from MTV's The Hills on the cover of its May issue, just released its list of top 50 albums of 2008. Wouldn't you know it; they put Bob Dylan at number two. Why not number one, Rolling Stone? Maybe because they realize it's the year 2008 - and believe me, they do by putting Taylor Swift and The Jonas Brothers at numbers 39 and 40, respectively. At least they put those two right next to each other to get that crap o

  December 11, 2008

• Top 10 Country Records of 2008

  By Michael McCall Photo by Michael Alan GoldbergTwo young blondes with toothy smiles and hard-core work ethics, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, helped country expand its fan base in these years of shrinking music sales. Meanwhile, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and George Strait kept filling arenas and at least maintaining their popularity on the road, if not with record sales. But as has often been the case, the best country music has little

  December 30, 2008

• Hitsville: The Year in Music, by the Numbers

  By Randall Roberts You don't need a half-wit music critic to tell you it's been a remarkable year for America, one historians will be discussing and researching for centuries to come. War, financial collapse, politics, technology: All have been dinner-table topics for many Americans. Racial barriers in 2008 were demolished by a Midwestern black man, and gender barriers were hurdled by an Arkansan and an Alaskan.Democracy has a few awesome new dance moves rolling into the Obama presidency, and i

  December 30, 2008

• Fleet Foxes To Grace SNL's Music Stage

  As reported on this past Friday, Fleet Foxes have been named the musical guest for this Saturday's episode of Saturday Night Live with host Rosario Dawson. Lorne Michaels booked the band to perform a week after sugary-sweet teen pop-star Taylor Swift graced the stage, ushering in the second time Fleet Foxes have been mentioned in the same breath with Ms. Swift in the past month. Saturday Night Live has always focused on bringing the newest, most relevant music to the masses, so their decision to

  January 11, 2009

• Cover Your Ears, American Idol Singers on the Loose!

  Casey Carlson: Just one night away from going back to making bubble tea for good.After a horrible, seizure-inducing Hollywood Week, I was actually sort of excited to get this show on the road and hear the offerings of The Best Singers in All the Land, as decreed by the "experts." I should have known better than to be optimistic. Have I learned nothing over the course of eight seasons? Two hours and 12 singers later, all I wanted to do was lie down, put a cold compress on my head, and call my mom

  February 18, 2009

• This Week's Number-One Album Sells Only 62,000 Copies

  Less than a decade ago, an album would have to sell well over 100,000 copies in a single week to become the number-one album in the country. Single-week sales of over a million units were not uncommon for major acts. Now, with the collapse of the CD market, DigitalmusicNews.com is reporting the number one album in the country sold just 62,000 copies, and only three albums sold more than 50,000 copies, according to Nielsen Soundscan. That number one album is Taylor Swift's Fearless. I think it i

  February 26, 2009

• Just Announced: Taylor Swift, Foreigner, Pokafase

  Why isn't Taylor Swift bigger than she is? Being the best selling artist of last year and having her own line of clothing at Wal-Mart, you might expect Taylor swift to be a little more exposed than she is. With a Rolling Stone cover this month and a Saturday Night Live appearance in January she's getting there, but the country kiddie still has a lower profile than many of her peers who've had much, much less success.Changing that might start next month in Indiana where she launches her Fearless

  March 2, 2009

• Swift Success

  From farmer's daughter to hitmaker

  February 1, 2007

• Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

  Ten reasons to tune in country radio in 2006

  January 4, 2007

• Taylor Made

  May 21, 2009

• Taylor Swift

  May 21, 2009

• Taylor Swift Sweet as Sugar at Glendale Show

  By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Country star Taylor Swift has to be the coolest 19-year-old who admittedly didn't have any friends in junior high. Now, she has famous friends like Garth Brooks and Miley Cyrus define the word "fearless" -- also the title of her latest album -- in a pre-show video. She rocks the acoustic guitar and sings teen-ready anthems so sweet it'll cause cavities. But underneath, the leggy blonde is still a music nerd at heart and the 15,000 or so kids in the audience of her

  May 22, 2009

• No Doubt, Fun., Pool Parties and Taylor Swift Over the (Memorial Day) Weekend

  Girl Power: Females Flock to Cricket Wireless Pavilion for No Doubt and Paramore Right now my ears are ringing something fierce after enduring a non-stop auditory assault of thousands of tweens and teenyboppers girls screaming in absolute elation during No Doubt and Paramore's show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion on Saturday night. Girl power was in full effect, as roughly two-thirds of the near-sellout crowd was made up of chickadees that turned out en masse to get their fill of female-fronted po

  May 26, 2009

• May 26 In Blogs: No Doubt, El Chorro Lodge, Liquid Meth and More

  In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Up on the Sun: No Doubt, Fun., Pool Parties and Taylor Swift Over the (Memorial Day) Weekend You Asked For It: Cardiac Party Chow Bella: Waiter Confidential: My Kind Of Crowd El Chorro Lodge Set to Close Valley Fever: "Liquid Meth" Seized Near Border; California Man Arrested Maricopa County Jury About to Dete

  May 26, 2009

• Just Announced: Miley Cyrus, Bo Bice, Juvenile

  I've never been sure why there isn't more of a rivalry between Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, but, aside from some boy drama, the two country-tinged pop princesses seem to co-exist happily.If you missed Swift's excellent show at Jobing.com Arena last month, you'll have a chance to check out what I can only imagine will be a much, much shoddier performance by Billy Ray's spawn in September.A pretty poor substitute if you ask me, but still one of the more interesting shows in this week's slate of a

  June 5, 2009

• Loretta Lynn Is a Legend, but She’s Also Just Plain Kind

  June 11, 2009

• Lil Wayne's Lawyers Making Moves in Arizona Courts, Deftones Wiping Bassist Off Record, Casey Kasem Goes For Good

  Rolling Stone: Lil Wayne's Lawyer Questions Role of Drug-Sniffing Dog in Bust NME: Deftones re-record new album without bassist Pitchfork: Jay Bennett's Death: Overdose Idolator: Casey Kasem To Reach For The Stars For The Last Time Next Week Electric Mustache: Video: Know Your Enemy NME: Florence And The Machine: 'my life so far has gone into debut album' Pitchfork: Pavement's Spiral Stairs Set to Release First Solo Album on Matador Rolling Stone: Joe Jonas on Taylor Swift Dis: "That's Just How

  June 24, 2009

• Where It’s Legal to Sleep with a Jonas Brother

  August 6, 2009

• Def Leppard and Poison Reside Far Apart on the Hair-Metal Spectrum

  August 27, 2009

• Kanye West and the Art of Award Show Interruptions

  Watch out, Taylor Swift, you're next -- especially if that already opened bottle of Hennessy is any indication.​ In a move that is shocked no one, Kanye West once again bum-rushed the stage to interrupt an acceptance speech. At last night's MTV Music Video Awards, the Late Graduator himself took to the stage to butt in on Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for winning the Best Female Video award. Upon seeing him grace the stage -- complete with his own microphone -- those in attendance let out a

  September 14, 2009

• Katharine McPhee's New Hair, Kanye Interupts Obama, Details on New Vampire Weekend

  Electric Mustache: Electric Mustache Is Blog of the Week!Idolator: Katharine McPhee: Over Her Brown Hair, Not Over Classic Adult-Contemporary StylingsIdolator: Kanye West: Back To Reality?NME: The Strokes' Julian Casablancas reveals release date for debut solo albumPitchfork: Vampire Weekend Announce Everything About Second AlbumRolling Stone: Taylor Swift Recounts Kanye West VMAs Incident on "The View"So Much Silence: Silversun Pickups: Substitution (video)Spin: DOWNLOAD: Sufjan Stevens' Ode to

  September 15, 2009

• Kanye West, Lady Gaga Plot Tour: Phoenix is First Stop

  ​Kanye West and Lady Gaga are coming to U.S. Airways Center on November 10, the first date on their Fame Kills joint tour.Having been blown away by Kanye's last tour, I'm super excited, as you should be, even if that Taylor Swift stunt pissed you off, as it did Michael Lopez.Full concert dates below. Tickets here.

  September 15, 2009

• The Killers Vs. Kanye

  September 24, 2009

• The Killers Are Fun but Vapid, Like Their Hometown

  September 24, 2009

• In Search of Real Honky-Tonk at the Arizona State Fair

  October 22, 2009

• Darius Rucker Is The CMA's Best New Artist? Wait A Minute, That's Hootie!

  ​A lot of things about last night's CMAs confused me. For example, why was there not a break in the middle so ABC could broadcast Modern Family at its regularly scheduled time? And why did no one (rightfully) interrupt Taylor Swift to point out how much better Beyonce is than her?Oh, and why was Hootie named "Best New Artist?" Look, I know Darius Rucker's "daring" move in to the country genre is kinda-sorta novel, but, c'mon, this guy sold 16 million copies of his band's debut. It's the fiftee

  November 12, 2009

• Sorry America, Kanye West Was Right About Taylor Swift

  ​Have you ever wondered about the girl who plays the foil to Taylor Swift in her brilliant single "You Belong With Me?" I mean, it's hard to imagine any teenage girl capable of captivating the object of Swift's affections to the point of rendering Swift invisible to him. Listen to the track below and try to picture her.OK, now imagine for a second that the other woman is not a teenage girl at all. Imagine that it's Beyonce Knowles he's hung up on. Make more sense now?Like, say it's a typical T

  November 12, 2009

• November 12 In Blogs: Lou Dobbs, Kanye West, Draft Magazine, and Mike Tyson

  ​In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard: Lou Dobbs Delivers His Head to Hispanics, But That's Not Necessarily a Good Thing Up on the Sun: Sorry America, Kanye West Was Right About Taylor Swift Bishop Allen at Modified Arts Chow Bella: A Sneak Peek at Kabuki's New Arizona Sushi Draft Magazine's Big Pour Starts Tonight Valley Fev

  November 12, 2009