Is country music support for the war waning?

Now [Toby] Keith says he is a lifelong Democrat and has claimed he never supported the war, while [Darryl] Worley has had a hit with “I Just Came Back from a War”, about a soldier returning from Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder. [Toby] Keith’s switch, however, has angered conservative country fans and anti-war activists alike. Jon Iwanski, a blogger in Chicago, said Keith had “damaged his credibility”, while opponents of the war accused the singer of opportunism.(Full article)

Managing time, when music isn’t your “day job”

How will you spend your time once you’ve made your songwriting dreams come true and you’ve become the artist you’re meant to be? Nourish this vision until it’s clear in your mind. It’s essential to know what you’re working towards. Remember, you won’t always be this busy unless you choose to be. (Full article)

About.com reviews the top hit songwriters of the 80′s

When I cooked up the idea to compile this list, naturally I thought first of pop/rock music’s greatest songwriting tandem, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Their collaborative friction helped create legendary music, but that blueprint has not been often successfully duplicated. Here’s a list of some of the ’80s’ finest examples of unique individuals blending their talents to create something even more brilliant than individuals alone could muster. (Full article)

Chris talks about his friend’s coffee cup method of songwriting

The coffee cup method is simple. You go to a coffee shop, and you sit down at a table, on your own, and you sit and drink coffee until you finish writing your song. This frees you from distractions and allows you to focus on the task at hand. You are not permitted to leave until the song is complete, and the more coffee you drink the more you will want to finish it, as I’m sure too much coffee will make you feel ill. (Full article)

According to the NY Times, MySpace launched a new part of its Website this week called Transmissions that will feature candid session videos and recordings of musicians.

LargeHeartedBoy has a master list of “Best Of 2007″ music blog posts. There’s some great ones on there.