During the recent dust-up caused by my less-than-glowing Hayes Carll review, someone pointed me in the direction of the 9513. Helmed by Austin residents and twin brothers Brady and Brody Vercher, it’s a country music site that doesn’t take sides in the battle between mainstream and Americana. It takes the current crop of Nashville poseurs to task when needed, but doesn’t praise all things alt or Texas either, pointing the way to what’s good on either side of the fence.
Brody explains that the name for the site is a tribute to their grandmother. Her street address was 9513 and when she passed away while they were looking for a name for what they were doing – the blog started about a year and a half ago – it seemed to signify home.
“We just wanted to build a community of people who enjoy country music and provide some credibility to country music, really,” he states. “It’s an alternative to what was out there, a place for people to come to discuss country music intelligently and not just go with what the radio was trying to provide for you. Country music is the only music I listen to really. It’s what we have a passion for. I guess the first song I ever knew was “Pancho and Lefty.” It’s something my dad taught me when I probably four years old.”
While still growing – Vercher claims about 2,500 visitors per day – the 9513 caught the attention of a couple of record labels who’ve bought advertising. It’s not surprising that Chicago’s country insurgents Bloodshot Records approached them about ad sales. “Right now we’re making a little bit to get by, to pay for hosting and pay the writers a little bit of money,” he maintains.
One of the things to enjoy is the variety of voices. With two other writers besides the twentysomething Vercher brothers, there are varied viewpoints and a deep appreciation for what they cover. As with most blogs, the comments sections are interesting as well. They’ve taken to live blogging recent telecasts of Nashville Star, country’s version of American Idol, generating hundreds of comments, some hilarious, almost all negative.
“We’ve done live blogs on country music awards shows in the past,” Vercher relates, “and they’ve been popular, maybe not as popular as Nashville Star, though. Most of the people who are watching the show don’t actually care for it this year, mainly because they say that NBC and the guy they brought in to run it doesn’t know anything about country music. It’s really not country music anymore.”
The 9513, on the other hand, is all about country music, and anyone with an interest in what it’s about these days owes themselves to visit the site, get cozy, and make it home.
This article appears in June 20 • 2008.