** An Original Chicks News Flash
** from The All-Inclusive Dixie Chicks Page!
http://www.dixie-chicks.com/

Thanks to Nici Lawson's DC newsletter, we have some rumblings that
things may be coming together, slowly, in the present-day Dixie
Chicks' return to the spotlight. Unlike the message you're reading
now, Nici sends regular bulletins on the latest happenings -- I'll
include a link to her site at the bottom of this note.

** Sony's Dixie Chicks DualDisc Survey **

Of particular interest to fans of the original Dixie Chicks look and
sound: Sony wants to know what you think should be included in a
"DualDisc" release. DualDisc is a new technology that works like
using superglue to stick your favorite CD to your favorite DVD (but
without the mess). One side is a standard audio CD, and the other
side is a DVD with anything from goofy animations to a surround-sound
version of the CD.

Some so-called "artists" probably *need* goofy animations to sell
their "product" -- and since the pop-country charts are full of those
"artists", Sony probably figures the best thing to put on a Dixie
Chicks DualDisc release would be a "click the chick" game, or
something. But there's hope, because Sony is asking us!

Here's a link to Sony's survey. At the end, you can also sign up to
win a home theater system, plus six DualDiscs to break it in.

http://www.epicrecords.com/contests/dd/index_dixiechicks.html

Don't forget, when Sony asks "How many full-length CDs do you own by
Dixie Chicks?" you should include those three independent releases
stored safely away in the safe-deposit box. And when they ask, "What
would you include on the DVD side," that it would be a great place to
include some of those great sounds from before they hit the big time.


** Sony's Greater Involvement **

Nici also passes on this snippet from Billboard Magazine:

"Although no release date has been set, Sony Music Nashville president
John Grady says he expects the Nashville division to be more involved
than it was on 2002's 'Home,' which has sold 5.8 million copies in the
United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and was released on
Columbia via the group's Open Wide imprint. 'The business of the Dixie
Chicks had transferred to New York before I got here and I believe the
Chicks will use all arms of the company [this time],' he says."

Reading between the lines, it doesn't look like the Chicks will be
issuing a "Mexican Polka" album, as they teased about earlier this
year. Remember, "Home" was issued after a huge feud between the
Chicks and Sony -- the Chicks even testified against Sony and the
other big labels before the California legislature. They built on the
surprise success of "Wide Open Spaces" and "Fly" to craft an album
that pushed the boundaries of country music -- in the right direction,
back to the genre's roots. "Home" was the Chicks' album, not Sony's.
They were, as their tour's name indicated, on the "Top of the World".

Then, they fell. "Travelin' Soldier", which was on its way to #1,
tumbled off the charts, and "Getting Dixie Chicked" became part of the
lexicon. The group became known for protest instead of music, but the
new shoes were a poor fit -- Natalie's talent for putting emotion into
a song didn't translate into building support behind a movement. They
proclaimed their departure from Country Music, but it's been almost
three years since the group got airplay on country stations in their
home town of Dallas -- and the handful of spins that "Landslide" gets
on the local Jack-FM station won't keep the group's seven babies in
diapers.

In September 2003, the Chicks declared "We don't feel a part of the
country scene any longer" -- though the quote may have been taken out
of context. But two years later, Sony Nashville says it will be "more
involved". With the next album's release pushed to 2006 (according to
the Chicks' publicist, quoted by Nici), the next few months may
provide an informative lesson in the art of eating crow.


** More information **

As always, the best source for the latest news on the present-day
Dixie Chicks is the first: Nici Lawson's site, started in 1998 when
she was just 14 and "I Can Love You Better" was cracking the top ten.

DixieChicksFans.net
http://www.dixiechicksfans.net/

Don't forget that Wikipedia not only lets you read the history, but
update it as well. But don't bother replacing the page with "NATALIE
STINKS!" -- I and a veritable army of Wikipedians stand ready to
prevent vandalism.

Dixie Chicks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Chicks

And of course, you know that this newsletter is completely unofficial
and not supported by any Dixie Chicks -- past, present, or future.
But if you see them, tell them I said "hi". :)

Their official web site is the place to find the latest official word
(which still mentions the upcoming Spanish Polka album). Interesting
note: the Chicks appear to have broken their association with Yahoo!'s
"Launch", which required fans to pay for "premium" content.

The Dixie Chicks
http://www.dixiechicks.com/

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Talk about real country music at http://www.khyi.org/

"I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness,
but you are already doing that..." - 2 Cor 11:1