Their vision is a strange and potent one: To fuse the quiet dignity of Steve Reich, the yodel of Jimmie Rodgers, and the facial hair of Billy Gibbons into one ‘sound enchilada’. They always put the song first in what they do, and are extremely interested in that ill-defined area where Country meets Punk, and then has lunch with Rock 'n' Roll.

They have a new EP out and Time Out described them as sounding something like “Dinosaur Jr, Royal Trux, and The National.”

They think they sound like Birdman Ray, or as one sage put it, “redneck chamber-pop.”

Regardless, they hope you dig what you hear and come back for more.

Nickelback's devotion to their craft inspired the title of the band's hard-hitting new album, For All the Right Reasons. Fueled by Kroeger's raspy vocals and melodic songs, the disc entered the Billboard Hot 200 Albums charts at #1 and spawned the hit singles "Photograph" and "Savin' Me." Within months of its release, Reasons was certified double platinum.

Apparently, the band's stickler proclivities have struck a chord with millions of fans across the globe. Nickelback's albums, including The State, Silver Side Up and The Long Road, have sold nearly 15 million copies in the U.S. alone, yielding such hits as "Leader of Men," "Never Again," "Someday," "Figured You Out" and "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good." The band's breakout hit, "How You Remind Me," was the number one Most Played Song of 2002.

Having set stratospherically high standards for themselves, Kroeger and his bandmates — guitarist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger and drummer Daniel Adair — paid meticulous attention to detail while recording Reasons. From its painstakingly tweaked verses, to its oft-altered choruses and arrangements, the album is the result of careful consideration. "We're perfectionists," Kroeger confesses.

It's this sort of scrupulousness that has helped make Nickelback one of the most revered hard-rock bands of the day. In fact, All The Right Reasons features guest performances by some of the most revered names in the genre, including ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and late Pantera axeman Dimebag Darrell Abbott. Gibbons added Texas flavor to the tracks "Follow You Home" and "Rock Star," while Abbott's searing guitar improvisations on "Side of a Bullet" were added posthumously.

The latter tune sprang to life after Dimebag was shot and killed onstage in 2004. Kroeger honored his fallen friend by composing and recording "Side of a Bullet," then seeking the blessing of his brother, Vinnie Abbott.

"I called him up and played the track for him over the phone," Kroeger says. "He said, 'I'd love to have you do a song about my brother.' Vinnie then sent some guitar outtakes and we pieced together a solo and put it on the song. The result is a new Dimebag Darrell solo."

Like its platinum predecessors, All the Right Reasons was born of emotional revelation and a genuine passion for music. The band was slated for a long vacation following the completion of 2004's The Long Road jaunt, but Kroeger and company were so inspired, they began planning the new album just days after returning to their Canadian home.

"On this record, we didn't want to overlook any small detail," Kroeger says. "If you finish a song and it's not stuck in your head, then how will it stick in someone else's head when they've only heard it once or twice?"]]> 2006-06-12T18:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334825 Artists, Aldean, Jason, Brooks & Dunn, Dickens, Little Jimmy, DiPiero, Bob, Dunn, Ronnie, Evans, Sara, Gibbons, Billy, Gill, Vince, Kristofferson, Kris, Lambert, Miranda, Marcos, Andy, Monroe, Bill, Mullins, Tony, Niebank, Justin, Parton, Dolly, Rascal Flatts, Scruggs, Earl, Steele, Jeffrey, Sugarland, Urban, Keith, Yudkin, Jonathan, Awards, Industry Awards, ACM Awards, Musical Styles, Country Academy of Country Music Awards provided a welcome excuse for Music City to invade Sin City Tuesday night (5/23), and there were plenty of experiences that, luckily, won't stay in Vegas.

Top Male Vocalist Keith Urban (left) shares the stage with 21-time ACM winning duo Brooks & Dunn

BMI country stars boasted both repeat wins in top slots and initiations into the winner's circle. Superstar Keith Urban took home his second consecutive Top Male Vocalist trophy, while Sara Evans earned the Top Female Vocalist award-the first ACM award of her flourishing career.

Hot up-and-comer Miranda Lambert performs

The unwaveringly eminent Brooks and Dunn snagged two awards-Top Vocal Duo and Song of the Year for "Believe"-bringing the grand total of ACM trophies for the duo to an impressive 21, including six consecutive Top Vocal Duo wins. Fan favorites Rascal Flatts kept their all-encompassing triumphant streak alive and scored their fourth Top Vocal Group award in a row.

Four-time Top Vocal Group winners Rascal Flatts perform with “American Idol” star Kelly Clarkson

BMI newcomers won big as well, acquiring top honors in all three new artist categories. The angelically voiced Carrie Underwood seized trophies for Top New Female Vocalist and Single Record of the Year ("Jesus, Take the Wheel"), while rowdy hitmaker Jason Aldean scored this year's Top New Male Vocalist title. Top New Duo or Vocal Group honors were bestowed on the fresh and charismatic Sugarland.

Keith Urban and Ronnie Dunn

Vince Gill was recognized for his charitable endeavors as he received the fifth ever Academy of Country Music/Home Depot Humanitarian Award. Gill, overwhelmingly admired as both a musician and philanthropist, chose to give his award to a young girl named Caitlin he met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

BMI’s Shelby Kennedy congratulates Carrie Underwood on her two ACM Awards at the Sony BMG after-party

Before the show, BMI legends Earl Scruggs, Kris Kristofferson, Little Jimmy Dickens and Bill Monroe were honored as ACM Pioneer recipients. The four honorees are all Country Music Hall of Famer inductees.

The night also featured a stirring tribute to the late country legend Buck Owens. A diverse assembly of musicians was introduced by Vince Vaughn and included Owens' protégé Dwight Yoakum, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, country star Brad Paisley, Buddy Alan Owens (son of Buck and Bonnie Owens), Buck Owens and the Buckaroos' original steel guitar player Tom Brumley, the Byrds' Chris Hillman and blink182/+44 rock drummer Travis Barker. The hodgepodge of musical genres participating reflected both the roots and impact of the "Bakersfield sound" Buck Owens cultivated and shared with millions.

The heroes behind the hit songs received wholly deserved attention the day before the awards. Monday night hosted behind the scenes entertainment as the first ever ACM Songwriters-in-the-Round event lent the spotlight to some of this year's hottest BMI songwriters: Jeffrey Steele, Bob DiPiero and Tony Mullins; Craig Wiseman was also featured. The four tunesmiths performed on the top floor of the MGM Grand Convention Center overlooking the Las Vegas strip.

The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 with a mission to support, promote and enhance the advancement of the country music industry worldwide. The Academy, which is comprised of more than 4,000 professional members and more than 35,000 associate members, is headquartered in Burbank, Calif.

BMI's 41st Annual ACM Winners:

Top Male Vocalist
Keith Urban

Top Female Vocalist
Sara Evans

Top Vocal Group
Rascal Flatts

Top Vocal Duo
Brooks & Dunn

Top New Male Vocalist
Jason Aldean

Top New Female Vocalist
Carrie Underwood

Top New Duo or Vocal Group
Sugarland

Song of the Year
"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn
Ronnie Dunn, writer
Sony/ATV Tree Publishing Co. and Showbilly Music

Vocal Event Of The Year
When I Get Where I’m Going
Dolly Parton

Video Of The Year
When I Get Where I’m Going
Dolly Parton

Audio Engineer of the Year
Justin Niebank

Fiddle Player of the Year
Jonathan Yudkin

Shown before the ceremony are BMI's Barbara Cane, RockWalk inductee Robert Cray, BMI's Tony George, Tracie Verlinde and Paige Sober, and RockWalk inductee Ike Turner.

Founded in 1985, Hollywood's RockWalk is a sidewalk gallery on Sunset Boulevard that pays homage to those musicians and innovators who have made a significant and lasting impact on rock 'n roll, including such creatively diverse individuals and groups as Isaac Hayes, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Aerosmith, Herbie Hancock, Queen, the Black Crowes, Dick Clark, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, KISS, Les Paul, John Lee Hooker and Smokey Robinson.

Pictured at the RockWalk induction ceremony are (back row) BMI's Barbara Cane, Tracie Verlinde and Paige Sober, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, BMI's Tony George, and (front row) RockWalk inductees Robert Cray, Solomon Burke and Ike Turner.

Photos by Ellen Ratner

Little Richard; Frances W. Preston, BMI President & CEO; Chuck Berry; and Bo Diddley

“If You’re Gone” earned the BMI Pop Song of the Year crystal for songwriter Rob Thomas of matchbox twenty and publishers Bidnis, Inc. and EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. This distinction is given to the song tallying the most feature broadcast performances during the eligibility period. A #1 single from matchbox twenty’s Lava/Atlantic album Mad Season, “If You’re Gone” brings Thomas’s BMI Awards total to 11. With this win, Thomas, who was named 1999 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year, joins an illustrious list of those who have taken both Song and Songwriter trophies, including Stephen Bishop, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Barry and Robin Gibb, Will Jennings, Bert Kaempfert (GEMA), Dolly Parton, Carole Bayer Sager and Shania Twain.

Rob Thomas

Brad Arnold

Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down placed four songs on the Most Performed List of 50 to collect the BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year reward. From the band’s debut album The Better Life on Republic/Universal Records, the songs earning Arnold the crown were “Be Like That,” “Duck and Run,” “Kryptonite” (2nd award) and “Loser.”

BMI's Barbara Cane, Universal Music Publishing's David Renzer, BMI's Frances W. Preston, Songwriter of the Year Brad Arnold, BMI's Del Bryant and Universal Music Publishing's Tom Sturges

With 11 songs cited - including Arnold’s four - Universal Music Publishing (through its companies Irving Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., and Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.) claimed the BMI Pop Publisher of the Year prize; David Renzer, President, Worldwide Universal Music Group, accepted the crystal obelisk. The Publisher of the Year title is given to the publishing concern with the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. Universal’s other top performing tunes were “All Or Nothing,” “Breathe,” “Breathless,” “Change Your Mind,” “Hemorrhage (In My Hands),” “Play” and “Ride Wit Me.”

Johnny Lang performing during the Chuck Berry tribute

3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold shows off his Songwriter of the Year crystal

Of the 86 songwriters recognized, ten, in addition to Arnold, were multiple winners. Placing three songs each on the list were 3 Doors Down members Todd Harrell and Matt Roberts and previous songwriter victors Janet Jackson (1990) and Cory Rooney (2000); double honorees were Mirwais Ahmadzai, 3 Doors Down’s Chris Henderson, and Red Hot Chili Peppers Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith.

Little Richard and Ivan Neville (Neville performed the Little Richard tribute)

Publishers gathering three or more awards were Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., Escatawpa Songs, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Black Ice Publishing, Cori Tiffani Publishing and Ensign Music Corporation.

Mavis Staples

“Hanging By A Moment” grabbed Most Performed Song on College Radio kudos for songwriter Jason Wade of Lifehouse. The song, from Lifehouse’s debut DreamWorks album No Name Face, is published by G-Chills Music and Songs of DreamWorks.

Josh Groban and Chuck Berry

Among this year’s honorees, 15 songs have earned the status of BMI Million-Air (accumulating at least one million broadcast performances) for a total of more than 22 million performances. Based on an average length of three minutes, one million airplays is the equivalent of 50,000 hours or 5.7 years, continuously. Million-Airs on the 2001 list translate into over 1.1 million hours or 125.4 years of airplay.

BMI's Tracie Verlinde (2nd left) and Myles Lewis (right) with members of Lifehouse

Five of the 50 top Pop are repeat achievers. “Amazed” collected its third consecutive Pop Award; the 2000 BMI Country Song of the Year has accrued nearly four million performances. Four songs picked up second Awards: last year’s honorees “Kryptonite,” “With Arms Wide Open” and “Breathe” (also Pop Song of the Year), and “Lady Marmalade,” first recognized in 1975.

BMI songwriter/producer Dallas Austin, BMI Board member Frank Melton and Chuck Berry

BMI’s Citation of Achievement is given annually in recognition of popularity in the field of popular music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television. This year’s Pop Awards' eligibility period ran October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2001.

Evan and Jaron

High-resolution photos are available for downloading on the BMI Media Relations web site at press.bmi.com.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Bo Diddley

Tatiana Litvin, BMI songwriter Tre Hardson, BMI songwriter Dallas Austin, BMI's Catherine Brewton, Jody Gerson and actor Orlando Jones

George Thorogood

members of CrazyTown