Are the Dixie Chicks still exiled from country music?

May 2024 · 17 minute read

I was not a particular fan in the 90s but give them huge props for releasing a song called “Not Ready To Make Nice” after the way they were treated. I remember an interview with Diane Sawyer in which she piled on them, have disliked her ever since.

by Anonymousreply 92November 14, 2018 11:46 PM

The drama with the death threats pretty much broke them down and broke them up. They made a great album out of it—won the Grammy for Album of the Year—but they haven't made any new music since then, which was 2006.

Emily and Martie—the two sisters—have released albums under the name Courtyard Hounds, and Natalie Maines has released a solo album. Both projects were pretty mediocre and nowhere close to the perfect alchemy they had as a trio.

They reunited for a tour a few years ago, so I'm hoping the wounds have healed and they make another album in the future. Will it get play on country radio? I have no idea. I don't know that world—just love the DC.

by Anonymousreply 1March 29, 2018 11:00 PM

I'd love to know DL's opinion of Natalie Maines.

by Anonymousreply 2March 29, 2018 11:43 PM

I don't know the country music world's opinion of them.

But I generally like them. I don't see any of them having much commercial success in the future however.

by Anonymousreply 4March 29, 2018 11:53 PM

Former Nashville songwriter here. I don't know if they are exiled so much as past their sell-by date. I'm sure most listeners have forgotten about the controversy, or they no longer care. The real issue is that they are too old to be on radio, and their brand of music no longer has a home on radio. Country radio -- well, all radio, actually -- plays young artists. It is the rare artist who can age and still keep radio play. Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw might be the exceptions, although their singles get less and less play. One of the reasons even a legend like George Strait retired is because his songs were no longer guaranteed to go number 1, never mind top 10. Every act has its day, and the Dixie Chicks have long seen theirs. And, for the record, I loved them when they first came out, even before Natalie Maines joined the band and they were playing the Texas State Fair circuit. Their brand of acoustic country was fresh and just what the genre needed at just that time, and country needed its own "girl power" group as a country counterpart to the Spice Girls. I love Natalie's voice and irreverence, but I never felt like country was her main love. I saw them play at casual bars as they were recording their first album, and she always gravitated towards Bonnie Raitt bluesy kind of songs, which made me think that she was singing the country stuff for the commercial prospects, and not out of love.

by Anonymousreply 5March 29, 2018 11:53 PM

Natalie never had the musicality of Emily and Martie—what she had was the spunk and the voice that brought it all together.

[quote]The real issue is that they are too old to be on radio, and their brand of music no longer has a home on radio.

I think the real real issue is they haven't released new music together in over a decade.

by Anonymousreply 6March 29, 2018 11:56 PM

r5 I call BS - you have to remember who owns country radio and its still clear channel which is pro-republican, pro trump etc. There is still an unwritten law of NO DIXIE CHICKS on country radio. Period.

by Anonymousreply 7March 30, 2018 12:01 AM

Love having a (former) Nashville songwriter here on DL! The Dixie Chicks are one of my favorite bands, Natalie has a strong personality and one of the best voices IMO. If you look at Facebook comments, or country music pages that talk about the DC… A lot of traditional country music fans still hate them. I know Natalie tried a solo career and it did not go anywhere (I definitely prefer her country sound) ..

by Anonymousreply 8March 30, 2018 12:02 AM

Can anyone who listens to country radio confirm whether or not their old hits ever get airplay?

by Anonymousreply 9March 30, 2018 12:02 AM

God, I hated those bitches. Glad they’re done.

by Anonymousreply 10March 30, 2018 12:02 AM

R5: You're right up to a point---for new music, it's young artists, but there's an oldies station for every genre and while they play no new music, they basically support the ability of old acts, no matter how trivial in the canon of music, to tour forever.

by Anonymousreply 12March 30, 2018 12:03 AM

Goodbye Earl is a really good song. Wasn't there a thread here recently about the best songs that are stories? I wish I had remembered Goodbye Earl!

by Anonymousreply 14March 30, 2018 12:15 AM

I listen to country radio and come to think of it I never hear the Dixie chicks. I’m in the Minneapolis market. South I figure forget it.

by Anonymousreply 15March 30, 2018 12:18 AM

Sirius XM's Prime Country (the 80s & 90s Country) channel plays them pretty regularly.

by Anonymousreply 16March 30, 2018 12:20 AM

Remember when Republicans made piles of and piles of their CDs and ran over them with tractors?

by Anonymousreply 17March 30, 2018 12:22 AM

If Faith and Trisha can’t get played, they probably can’t.

I read that they took Shania’s inroads and ran with it. And since they left country music radio, there is a big women sized hole in it.

Miranda Lambert is the real deal but I don’t like Carrie’s voice.

by Anonymousreply 18March 30, 2018 3:12 AM

Do Americana and alt-country (is alt-country still a thing?) artists get played on the same stations as Jason Aldean?

by Anonymousreply 19March 30, 2018 3:14 AM

Dixie Chicks are still the top selling all-female band and biggest-selling country group in the U.S. during the Nielsen SoundScan era (1991–present). They played to 800,000 fans during their DCX MMXVI World Tour, raking in millions of dollars. I don't think we've heard the last of them ;)

by Anonymousreply 20March 30, 2018 5:19 AM

You all do realize that R5 is Poo Shoes, right?

by Anonymousreply 21March 30, 2018 5:26 AM

Their last album, which was in 2006, went double platinum, even with no country radio AirPlay. It's probably been too long now for them to sell big numbers, but I'd sure like to see them make some new music.

by Anonymousreply 22March 30, 2018 5:32 AM

Simon Renshaw, their longtime manager, is set to retire soon. He's been with them since 1995. According to Variety, they've been taking meetings with several high-profile music managers, including Scooter Braun, whose SB Projects represents Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Kanye West and recently signed country group Zac Brown Band.

by Anonymousreply 23March 30, 2018 5:41 AM

Next month, they'll be headlining the 2018 Mack, Jack & McConaughey Gala. MJ&M benefits organizations that support children’s education, health, and wellness. Recipients include Dell Children’s Medical Center, Just Keep Livin Foundation, the Rise School of Austin, and HeartGift. Also, the event’s founders are actor Matthew McConaughey, singer Jack Ingram, and former football coach Mack Brown. The event SOLD OUT in no time.

by Anonymousreply 24March 30, 2018 5:52 AM

I think they’d do well as a heritage act.

I imagine that the completely pussified PTB in Nashville hated them performing with Beyoncé, though the actual artists and musicians liked it or didn’t care.

by Anonymousreply 25March 30, 2018 6:22 AM

Natalie Maines' voice grates.

by Anonymousreply 26March 30, 2018 6:49 AM

So jealous Natalie was married to her hot husband for all those years.

by Anonymousreply 27March 31, 2018 4:28 AM

I loved them singing with Beyonce at the Country Music Awards last year.

by Anonymousreply 28April 4, 2018 5:42 AM

Me too R28, great performance and it made me sick to my stomach when all people complained so much that the message board of the CMA had to shut down.

I am not a particular fan of Beyonce, but she and Dixie Chicks absolutely rocked it that night. I remember I had tears in my eyes when I saw the Dixie Chicks perform Not Ready To Make Nice.

Fucking conservatives and racists, they poison this country!

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by Anonymousreply 29April 4, 2018 6:19 AM

[quote] I'm sure most listeners have forgotten about the controversy, or they no longer care.

If they don't, Fox News, Limbaugh, Breitbart and Trump will be sure to remind them.

by Anonymousreply 30April 4, 2018 8:16 AM

Even after all these years, this song still sends chills through-out my body.

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by Anonymousreply 31April 4, 2018 9:59 PM

Those shitty things. I dislike Natalie.

by Anonymousreply 32April 4, 2018 10:49 PM

R29 that was amazing and I hate country music

by Anonymousreply 33April 4, 2018 11:38 PM

Something is in the works!

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by Anonymousreply 34July 30, 2018 5:09 PM

Maines has said more than once that she likes that they went out with 5 Grammys, but with her recent divorce maybe she's changed her tune. I saw them live in 2016 I believe and they're still great.

by Anonymousreply 35July 30, 2018 5:14 PM

The Chicks are together in Hawaii.

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by Anonymousreply 36July 30, 2018 5:25 PM

Country music is shit these days so all for bringing back that 90's or early 2000 sound

by Anonymousreply 37July 30, 2018 5:28 PM

They are also under new management.

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by Anonymousreply 39July 30, 2018 5:46 PM

They're playing at Matthew McConaughey's annual fundraiser in Austin. A friend in Austin loves them and tried to book tickets but they sold out 5 minutes after sales went live. So Austin loves them.

by Anonymousreply 40July 30, 2018 5:59 PM

Well Austin is a liberal town. It'll be interesting to see how deplorables respond to their music, probably not well.

by Anonymousreply 41July 30, 2018 6:00 PM

Hope they come out swinging against the repugs.

by Anonymousreply 42July 30, 2018 6:06 PM

I really like Natalie Maines

by Anonymousreply 43July 30, 2018 6:22 PM

They never would have been able to sustain that level of success and popularity anyway. When an artist hits it that big with their first album and wins lots of Grammys, they usually fizzle out quickly, like Nora Jones, Lauryn Hill, Bonnie Raitt and Christopher Cross.

by Anonymousreply 44July 30, 2018 7:28 PM

R6, Natalie went to Berklee College of Music so I would imagine that her musicality is on par, at least, with her band mates.

by Anonymousreply 45July 30, 2018 8:35 PM

I am and always will be a big fan. I wish Natalie would bad mouth Trump but understand why she's been quiet.

by Anonymousreply 46July 30, 2018 8:52 PM

R46 she probably doesn’t have to because my guess is everyone knows.

I’m not much of a country music person, but I love them. This song and video is haunting:

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by Anonymousreply 47July 31, 2018 1:06 AM

Natalie Maines seems tame to how embarrassing Trump was while in Europe.

Excellent band though.

I loved the hypocrisy of county music “ fans”. They all shot loads when Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton sang the year before but the women with a black superstar brings out the racist. That shows you how little they know about the African-American influences on country music.

Timberlake is such a piece of fake trash and isn’t worthy to clean Stapleton’s dirty boots. He was just trying to steal a little attention away from Stapleton. At least the girls brought their own songs.

by Anonymousreply 48July 31, 2018 1:59 AM

Remember this? You can tell in the audience who's a rightwinger (closet case Chesney) and who isn't (Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood & Garth Brooks and McBongo having an orgasm).

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by Anonymousreply 49July 31, 2018 2:52 AM

So excited about their comeback

by Anonymousreply 52August 1, 2018 7:47 AM

They are working with Jack Antonoff.

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by Anonymousreply 53August 1, 2018 2:49 PM

Does satellite radio count as "Country Radio"?

If it does, the Dixie Chicks are still alive there.

The first week of July 2018, I went on a trip with my family. My MAGA Trump-loving uncle drove so we had to listen to his Sirius XM Country stations. I was in shock to hear so much Dixie Chicks on that trip.

The stations were The Highway, Prime Country, Outlaw Country and Y2Kountry (1997 to 2012). I heard:

Landslide (their cover of the Stevie Nicks classic)

Cowboy Take Me Away

Travelin' Soldier

Without You

Wide Open Spaces

Long Time Gone

Goodbye Earl

I was very shocked to keep hearing them on Satellite Country Radio.

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by Anonymousreply 54August 1, 2018 3:08 PM

Last day of island recording...for now. #dcx2018

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by Anonymousreply 55August 2, 2018 8:48 PM

Getting ready for the next go round. #dcx2018 #homestudio

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by Anonymousreply 56September 8, 2018 4:36 PM

Will they sing about Trump

by Anonymousreply 57September 8, 2018 4:52 PM

Natalie Maines bad-mouths Trump on Twitter...when she tweets. I’ve seen more than 1 tweet of her going after Trump over the last few years. But it blends in with all the other 40-something female entertainers writing bitter, angry, vengeful Trump-hating tweets.

Natalie Maines: Dear @POTUS @realDonaldTrump Why are you such a whiney baby?

by Anonymousreply 58September 8, 2018 5:10 PM

Finally! Something worthwhile.

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by Anonymousreply 60September 8, 2018 5:49 PM

Golf course not included.

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by Anonymousreply 61September 8, 2018 5:55 PM

New album cover? #dcx2018

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by Anonymousreply 62September 11, 2018 2:26 PM

KD Lang was banned for no good reason too, so they have company.

by Anonymousreply 63September 11, 2018 2:45 PM

Is kd Lang country or vocal pop?

by Anonymousreply 64September 11, 2018 2:57 PM

R44 Bonnie Raitt? She's been around since the seventies.

by Anonymousreply 65September 11, 2018 3:22 PM

[quote] I remember an interview with Diane Sawyer in which she piled on them, have disliked her ever since.

The issue at the time was that they bad mouthed the US at an out of the country concert. That's really unacceptable. You don't air your dirty laundry outside the house. However, in recent years, even people like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have done it, so it has become popular by leftists to bad mouth the US to foreign audiences.

by Anonymousreply 66September 11, 2018 4:34 PM

NG1 Here. A little trivia: Dan Wilson co-wrote I'm Not Ready to Make Nice, and he was the lead singer of Semisonic, and wrote that big hit Closing Time; you know, the one whose chorus is I know who i want to take me home, etc. I watched the video of the song, and I had never noticed how much the girls look like they could be the spawn of Julia Roberts and Glen Close.

I didn't know they were back in the studio. If they're working with Antonoff, I assume that it will be pop, which is just as well, but I don't see it working. Older acts just run out of things to say, and once a band reaches that level of success, they are too confident in their writing ability to plumb for great songs. They tend to think everything they do is great, and they are surrounded by too many people who tell them how great they are, that they just don't push themselves hard enough. I can't think of a heritage band or singer who continues to make relevant music, or somethign nearly as great as when they were young and hungry and still trying to prove something.

There is a telling scene in some movie that I can not recall; it was a documentary about a legendary recording studio. One of the scenes showed a writing session with Dave Grohl and Macca. The song was absolute garbage, but Grohl kept telling Macca how great it was, and they kept on writing it. How on earth are you going to get a great song when no one is pushing you, and everyone is telling you that the first thing you crap is brilliant. Ergo, I don't have high hopes for the new Chicks album.

by Anonymousreply 67September 11, 2018 5:06 PM

^^I recall the movie, obviously, but not the name.

by Anonymousreply 68September 11, 2018 5:54 PM

[quote]The issue at the time was that they bad mouthed the US at an out of the country concert. That's really unacceptable.

Oh, please.

by Anonymousreply 69September 12, 2018 2:10 PM

They need to join Willie Nelson in his benefit concert for Beto O'Rourke. Beyonce - also a Texan - could too.

by Anonymousreply 70September 15, 2018 5:20 PM

Is it a documentary, R67? HBO had one about the old recording Sound City studio and all the musicians that passed through there. It was located in Burbank(?) or someplace like that. Dave Grohl bought the mixing board.

by Anonymousreply 71September 16, 2018 1:40 PM

WXTU in Philadelphia still plays them for what it's worth. And they were a station that didn't play them for years after the silly controversy.

by Anonymousreply 72September 16, 2018 1:47 PM

They've had gigs in Canada and done very well. I think the issue is they just haven't come up with material to get back into the American market. Looking back, particularly now with Trump, they got royally fucked. Nobody in America gives a shit what you say about the president anymore. I'm ashamed the president is from Earth.... Although, not a proven fact

by Anonymousreply 74September 16, 2018 2:30 PM

R71, yes, Sound City. I didn't much care for the documentary; I thought they were trying to make something out of nothing, but the scene with Macca was telling. I was a professional songwriter for 20 years - I stopped when I stopped liking most of the music being produced -- and I've spent a lot of time in studios. Maybe I feel different, but I just don't get all warm and fuzzies about studios. I've always just thought they were a place to work, nothing more. Here in Nashville, there was a big brouhaha when they were going to tear down a studio in which Dolly and Elvis had recorded, but I just didn't care. It is just a building that they happened to have booked; they could have just as easily booked a studio across the street. It's just machinery.

by Anonymousreply 75September 16, 2018 4:20 PM

Get bent, Trump-fellating MAGA-hat wearing cunt at R66.

They vocally disparaged Bush for taking the US into an unprovoked war via outright lies. They were absolutely right to do so.

by Anonymousreply 76September 16, 2018 4:29 PM

Due in a grease fire, r66!

by Anonymousreply 77September 16, 2018 4:45 PM

R66 you mean like Drumpf siding with Putin against US intelligence agencies in fucking Helsinki?

by Anonymousreply 78September 16, 2018 9:19 PM

Those bitches? Nobody but DL could give 2 shits about them.

by Anonymousreply 79September 18, 2018 1:08 AM

New drummer? lol #dcx2018

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by Anonymousreply 80September 21, 2018 5:04 PM

[quote]Can anyone who listens to country radio confirm whether or not their old hits ever get airplay?

I live in New Mexico and will occasionally listen to country stations here and a few months back one station played their cover version of Landslide.

by Anonymousreply 81September 21, 2018 5:10 PM

1nataliemaines Today’s press conference was a fascinating documentary on mental illness. Unfortunately this ill person is the leader of our country. #saveus

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by Anonymousreply 82September 27, 2018 12:37 AM

1nataliemaines Our album is going to be awesome all thanks to this little #thingamajig . #dcx2018

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by Anonymousreply 83October 11, 2018 10:46 PM

1nataliemaines Emily recording How Do You Sleep At Night. #howdoyousleepatnight #dcx2018 #banjo

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by Anonymousreply 84October 11, 2018 10:47 PM

1nataliemaines This song is called For Her. #wurlitzer #dcx2018

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by Anonymousreply 85October 11, 2018 10:48 PM

fuffanoo Who knew Martie played cello??!! #firsts #dcx2018 @martiemaguire @dixie_chicks #newalbum

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by Anonymousreply 86October 25, 2018 11:55 PM

I don't listen to country, so I have no idea what those people think. I did once buy a Dixie Chick CD, to support them.

by Anonymousreply 87October 25, 2018 11:59 PM

If R5 is Poo Shoes, then Poo Shoes makes a lot of sense. I never inquired who that was but they seem to have a good brain.

by Anonymousreply 88October 26, 2018 12:07 AM

I am R5, and, since I have no idea who or what Poo Shoes is, it's a good bet that I am not it or him or them.

by Anonymousreply 89October 26, 2018 1:13 AM

Yes, they’ve been over for many years now and are not coming back. Move on, tampon.

by Anonymousreply 90October 26, 2018 1:15 AM

1nataliemaines Just wrapped up another week with this musical genius. @jackantonoff #dcx2018

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by Anonymousreply 91November 14, 2018 11:45 PM

fuffanoo Always looking for new sounds...who knew Nat played thighs. @chadsmithofficial @redhotchilipeppers @dixie_chicks

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by Anonymousreply 92November 14, 2018 11:46 PM

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