Jennifer Nettles says their next album is almost done, and it’s called “The Incredible Machine.”  Now here’s the funky part:  Jennifer says the CD is insired by something called “Steampunk.”  What?  That is a genre of Sci-fi where technology is stuck back in the past, but it’s still kind of futuristic…think “Wild Wild West” with Will Smith.  what does this have to do with Sugarland?  I’m still not really sure.  Though if I had to guess I think maybe they’re using state-of-the-art recording technology to make classic old instruments like the banjo and the fiddle sound super-cool.

Remember back in the 90s when all of these music festivals were created, like Lollapalooza and the Lilith Fair?  Well the Lilith lives on, and in fact they are kicking off the tour with a show right here in town at the Clark County Amphitheater on July 2nd.  (Tix go on sale March 27th.)  Why should you care?  Because Sugarland and Sheryl Crow are part of the line-up this year.   Other country stars are participating this year (Martina, Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert, the Courtyard Hounds) but unfortunately none of them will be at the Clark County show.

Did you hear that producer Quincy Jones is remaking the big charity group song “We Are the World” from 1985?  They recorded it just after the Grammys in order to get the most stars in one place.  Some of the big names involved include the Jonas Brothers, Barbra Streisand and Kanye West, to name a few.  Representing country music in the crowd were Sugarland, Zac Brown,and Julianne Hough.  Miley Cyrus was also there, and I have decided that whenever Miley does something good I will consider her a country star (she’s had a few songs on our charts) and when she does something stupid (like dancing on a pole) I’ll consider her a pop star.  The revamped version of the song will air during NBC’s coverage of the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics.

Today Oprah hosts her first ever “Holiday Music Extravaganza,” and either she’s become a country fan or someone has told her that country music = good ratings, because she’s featuring both Sugarland AND Tim McGraw as part of the show.  Sugarland will sing with Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, while Tim will team up with Alicia Keys, an R&B singer seen most recently singing that “New York” song with Jay-Z at the World Series.  Oprah, in case you didn’t know, is on at 4 o’clock on KGW, channel 8.