Matt Kennon - You had to pick on me

In 2010, Matt Kennon's single, The Call, shed light on suicide prevention. This year, he continues that crusade with You Had To Pick On Me, a powerful message of anti-bullying.



Bullying is cruel, and unnecessary, and unconscionable. Don't wait until it's too late to talk about it with those around you. Visit www.bullying.org

Janie Fricke - the other side of country

Janie Fricke has always been one of my favorite singers. On this new release, Country Side of Bluegrass, she gives her biggest hits a little bluegrass flavor. The album is available on iTunes, Amazon.com MP3, Amazon.com CD, and www.janiefricke.com

Track List:

1. You Don’t Know Love
2. Goodbye Broken Heart
3. Do Me With Love
4. Faithless Love
5. He’s A Heartache
6. Please Help Me, I’m Falling (In Love With You)
7. She’s Single Again
8. I’ll Need Someone To Hold Me (When I Cry)
9. Down To My Last Broken Heart
10. Tell Me A Lie
11. It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Easy
12. Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby
13. Ring of Fire (Bonus Track)

ACM Nominees

The 2012 Academy of Country Music awards will be presented on Sunday, April 1st. The list of nominees was released today.

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Female Vocalist of the Year
Sara Evans
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Chris Young

Vocal Group of the Year
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year
Love and Theft
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland
Thompson Square

New Artist of the Year (To Be Announced Jan. 30)

Album of the Year
(Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company)
Chief — Eric Church (EMI Nashville) [Producer: Jay Joyce, Arturo Bunahora, Jr.]
Four the Record — Miranda Lambert (RCA) [Producer: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell]
Hemingway’s Whiskey — Kenny Chesney (BNA) [Producer: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney)
My Kinda Party — Jason Aldean (Broken Bow) [Producer: Michael Knox]
Own The Night — Lady Antebellum (Capitol Nashville) [Producer: Lady Antebellum, Paul Worley]

Song of the Year
(Award to Composer/Publisher/Artist)
“Crazy Girl” — Eli Young Band (Composers: Liz Rose, Lee Brice) [Publishers: Cake Taker Music (BMI), Mike Curb Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Sweet Hysteria Music (BMI)]
“Home” — Dierks Bentley (Composers: Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley, Dan Wilson) [Publishers: Big White Tracks (ASCAP), Chestnut Barn Music (BMI), Chrysalis Music/BMG Rights (ASCAP), Chrysalis One Songs (BMI)]
“Just A Kiss” — Lady Antebellum (Composers: Dallas Davidson, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott) [Publishers: Dwhaywood Music (BMI), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), EMI Foray Music (SESAC), Hillary Dawn Songs (SESAC), Radiobulletspublishing (BMI), String Stretcher Music (BMI) Warner-Tamberlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)]
“Threaten Me With Heaven” — Vince Gill (Composers: Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Dillon O’Brian, Will Owsley) [Publishers: Grant Girls Music (ASCAP), Vinny Mae Music (BMI), Willie-O Music (ASCAP)]
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney (Composers: Matraca Berg, Deana Carter) [Publishers: Deanaling Music (ASCAP), Hannaberg Music (BMI), Songs of Universal Inc., (BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)]

Single Record of the Year
(Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company)
“Crazy Girl” — Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville) [Producer: Mike Wrucke]
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” — Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson (Broken Bow) [Producer: Michael Knox]
“Red Solo Cup” — Toby Keith (Show Dog-Universal) [Producer: Toby Keith]
“Tomorrow” — Chris Young (RCA) [Producer: James Stroud]
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter (BNA) [Producer: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney]

Vocal Event of the Year
(Award to Artist/Producer/Record Company)
“Country Boy” — Aaron Lewis feat. George Jones and Charlie Daniels (R&J Records) [Producer: Aaron Lewis, James Stroud]
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” — Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson (Broken Bow) [Producer: Michael Knox]
“Old Alabama” — Brad Paisley feat. Alabama (Arista) [Producer: Frank Rogers]
“Remind Me” — Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood (Arista) [Producer: Frank Rogers]
“You and Tequila” — Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter (BNA) [Producer: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney]

Video of the Year
(Award to Producer/Director/Artist)
“Tattoos On This Town” — Jason Aldean [Producer: John Burke; Director: Wes Edwards]
“Homeboy” — Eric Church [Producer: Brandon Arolfo; Director: Peter Zavadil]
“Red Solo Cup” — Toby Keith [Producer: Mark Kalbfeld; Director: Michael Salomon]
“Just a Kiss” — Lady Antebellum [Producer: Don Lepore; Director: Shaun Silva]
“Mean” — Taylor Swift [Producer: Oualid Mouaness; Director: Declan Whitebloom]

Songwriter of the Year
Rhett Akins
Dallas Davidson
Ben Hayslip
Luke Laird
David Lee Murphy

Promoter of the Year
Ben Ferrell ‐ Varnell Enterprises, Inc.
Brad Garrett ‐ Police Productions
Brian O’Connell ‐ Live Nation
Glenn Smith ‐ Glenn & Linda Present
Ed Warm ‐ Joe’s Bar

Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Ethan Hirsch ‐ Wilson Events
Jimmy Jay ‐ Jayson Promotions, Inc.
R.J. Kaltenbach ‐ Klein’s Attractions
Gary Osier ‐ Gary Osier Presents
Huston Powell ‐ C3 Presents

Venue of the Year
BOK Center ‐ Tulsa, OK
Bridgestone Arena ‐ Nashville, TN
First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre ‐ Chicago, IL
Jiffy Lube Live ‐ Bristow, VA
Sprint Center ‐ Kansas City, MO

Nightclub of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas ‐ Ft. Worth, TX
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace ‐ Bakersfield, CA
Grizzly Rose ‐ Denver, CO
Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill ‐ Minneapolis, MN
Wormy Dog ‐ Oklahoma City, OK

Casino of the Year
Agua Caliente Casino ‐ Rancho Mirage, CA
IP Casino ‐ Biloxi, MS
Island Resort Casino ‐ Harris, MI
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino ‐ Las Vegas, NV
WinStar World Casino ‐ Thackerville, OK

Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
Eric Darken
Aubrey Haynie
Ilya Toshinsky
John Willis
Jonathan Yudkin

Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
Tony Harrell
John Hobbs
John Jarvis
Charlie Judge
Michael Rojas

Fiddle Player of the Year
Glen Duncan
Stuart Duncan
Larry Franklin
Joe Spivey
Jonathan Yudkin

Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Paul Franklin
Mike Johnson
Greg Leisz
Russ Pahl
Scotty Sanders

Guitarist of the Year
J.T. Corenflos
Kenny Greenberg
Jay Joyce
Brent Mason
Adam Shoenfeld

Percussionist/Drummer of the Year
Matt Chamberlain
Chad Cromwell
Shannon Forrest
Chris McHugh
Greg Morrow

Bass Player of the Year
Mike Brignardello
Kevin “Swine” Grantt
Mark Hill
Michael Rhodes
Jimmy Lee Sloas

Audio Engineer of the Year
Jeff Balding
Derek Bason
John Kelton
Mills Logan
Justin Niebank

Producer of the Year
Mark Bright
Buddy Cannon
Nathan Chapman
Jay Joyce
Frank Liddell


For more information about the ACM awards, visit their website: ACMCountry.com

Kellie Pickler - 100 Proof

Kellie Pickler will release 100 Proof on Jan. 24. The album is her third release. It includes 11 songs, including six that Kellie co-wrote.

With 100 Proof, Kellie brings a more traditional sounding country album, with her intent to pay homage to her musical influences, such as Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn.

100 Proof track listing:

1. Where’s Tammy Wynette
2. Unlock That Honky Tonk
3. Stop Cheatin’ On Me
4. Long As I Never See You Again
5. Tough
6. Turn On The Radio And Dance
7. Mother’s Day
8. Rockaway (The Rockin’ Chair Song)
9. Little House On The Highway
10. 100 Proof
11. The Letter (To Daddy)


Fans can pre-order 100 Proof now on iTunes at http://bit.ly/tHNwQz.

Kellie is also giving fans the opportunity to unlock and stream one new song a day from 100 Proof by "liking" her Facebook page.

Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison

It was on this day in 1968 that the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, recorded one of the greatest albums of all-time: "At Folsom Prison".



Johnny performed two shows at Folsom State Prison in California on January 13, 1968. The album that was compiled from those shows consisted of 15 tracks from the first show and two tracks from the second.

Johnny's standard entourage for those days - June Carter, The Carter Family, Carl Perkins and the Statler Brothers - all made appearances on the album as well.

The track listing for the original album release:
Side 1
1. "Folsom Prison Blues"
2. "Dark as a Dungeon"
3. "I Still Miss Someone"
4. "Cocaine Blues"
5. "25 Minutes to Go"
6. "Orange Blossom Special"
7. "The Long Black Veil"

Side 2
1. "Send a Picture of Mother"
2. "The Wall" Harlan Howard
3. "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog"
4. "Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart"
5. "Jackson" (with June Carter)
6. "Give My Love to Rose" (with June Carter)
7. "I Got Stripes"
8. "Green, Green Grass of Home"
9. "Greystone Chapel"

This album (mainly side 1, actually) was the soundtrack to my youth. It's one of a number of vinyl albums that I grew up listening to over & over again.

If you haven't heard this album, please be sure to check it out. It's a classic.

Gene Watson to bring 'Best of the Best'

Gene Watson will be celebrating his 50 years of making country music with a release of "Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits" on February 14.

The album features re-recorded versions of his classics, such as "Love In The Hot Afternoon," "Farewell Party," "Fourteen Carat Mind," "Memories To Burn," and more.

Grimes to release "Visions"

Grimes, a project of Claire Boucher, will release the new album, Visions, to those outside of Canada on February 21st, which coincides with a tour through the US & Canada. The album will be released to the rest of the world on March 12th. The tour is scheduled to reach Europe in May.

Track list for Visions
1. Infinite ♡ Without Fulfillment
2. Genesis
3. Oblivion
4. Eight
5. Circumambient
6. Vowels = Space and Time
7. Visiting Statue
8. Be A Body
9. Colour of Moonlight (Antiochus) (feat. Doldrums)
10. Symphonia IX (My Wait Is U)
11. Nightmusic (feat. Majical Cloudz)
12. Skin
13. Know The Way (Outro)

Check out the first single, Genesis

Sara Evans releases 3rd book

Sara Evans released her third novel, Love Lifted Me, on Tuesday of this week. The novel was co-written by Rachel Hauck, and is the third installment in Sara’s Songbird series, which include The Sweet By and By (released in 2009) and Softly and Tenderly (released last year). All three books follow the life of protagonist Jade Benson.

Love Lifted Me features the challenge that Jade & her husband, Max, go through after they gain custody of his son.

Look for Love Lifted Me at your favorite bookstore or here at Amazon.com

Dierks Bentley - Home

Dierks Bentley's upcoming Capitol Nashville album, Home, is set for release on February 7th. This will be the sixth album for Dierks.

Dierks wrote four of the songs on the album, including the first single, "Am I The Only One," as well as the title track. Dierks brings in guests, including Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town on "When You Gonna Come Around," as well as bluegrass players Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien on "Heart of a Lonely Girl." There's also a hidden special guest on the final track.

Track List for "Home":

1. Am I The Only One
2. Gonna Die Young
3. Tip It On Back
4. Home
5. Diamonds Make Babies
6. In My Head
7. Breathe You In
8. The Woods
9. When You Gonna Come Around (Featuring Karen Fairchild)
10. 5-1-5-0
11. Heart Of A Lonely Girl
12. Thinking Of You

For more album details and for a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Tim McGraw releases "emotional traffic"

Tim McGraw & Curb Records will be getting the new year off & running with the release of Tim's new album, Emotional Traffic, on January 24th. The album was produced by Tim's longtime producer, Byron Gallimore.

Emotional Traffic includes 12 new tracks, with "Felt Good On My Lips" as the first single released, which has already been certified digital gold. His current single from the album, "Better Than I Used To Be", has just recently been released and is now climbing the charts.

Tim collaborates with R&B pop artist Ne-Yo on "Only Human". Other highlights include "I will not fall down", a song co-written by Tim, Martina McBride and The Warren Brothers.

The track listing for Emotional Traffic:

1. Halo
2. Right Back Actha Babe
3. One Part, Two Part
4. I Will Not Fall Down
5. The One
6. Better Than I Used To Be
7. Touchdown Jesus
8. The One That Got Away
9. Felt Good On My Lips
10. Hey Now
11. Only Human
12. Die By My Own Hand

KayLyne's top albums of 2011

Since we’ve begun 2012, it’s time to look back on the best in music for 2011. I must say that other than a small handful of albums, I wasn’t impressed with what 2011 had to offer.


1. Pistol Annies – Hell on Heels
“Somebody had to set a bad example, teach all the prim & propers what not to do. Nobody ‘round here wants to ramble. What the hell, that’s what I was born to do.” – Bad example

“Trailer for rent, no down payment. Comes with some holes & dents where I got tired of his shit. Call if you’re interested. Trailer for rent” – Trailer for rent

Twang. Simple instrumentation. Straight-up lyrics. Great harmony. Yep, they’ll hook me every time. If you don’t know the Pistol Annies, I’m sure you’ll know at least one or two of the members. Miranda Lambert (Lone Star Annie), Ashley Monroe (Hippie Annie) and Angaleena Presley (Holler Annie) make up this trio of purely wonderful twang. It’s rare for a trio of individual artists to get together and make a unique group such as this, all while continuing with their own solo careers.


2. Brandi Carlile – Live at Benaroya Hall
“these days we go to waste like wine that’s turned to turpentine, oh it’s 6am and I’m all messed up. I didn’t mean to waste your time, so I’ll fall back in line. But I’m warning you, we’re growing up.” - Turpentine

It’s not very often that I get attached to a “live” album, but there have been a few throughout the years that have grabbed my attention – like Johnny Cash’s “at Folsom Prison”, Barbara Mandrell’s “live”, Patsy Cline’s “live at the Cimarron Ballroom” and Sheryl Crow’s “Live at Central Park”. Add this one from Brandi to that list. When you combine Brandi’s strong voice and wonderful songs with the sound of a full symphony orchestra, well…things just take on a whole new dimension of music enjoyment. Brandi gets the crowd involved in providing backing vocals on “turpentine”, and the best track on this live album doesn’t even involve Brandi. Tim & Phil Hanseroth (aka "The Twins") do a hauntingly accurate portrayal of Simon & Garfunkel on “The Sound of Silence”. As Brandi says – “is that not the creepiest, most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard?” The answer is a definite “yes”.


3. Lady Antebellum – own the night
“I wish I was cold as stone, then I wouldn’t feel a thing. Wish I didn’t have this heart, then I wouldn’t know the sting of the ring. I could stand strong & still watching you walk away. I wouldn’t hurt like this, or feel so all alone. I wish I was cold as stone.” – Cold as stone

I still haven’t figured out just why this trio continues to find a spot near the top of my list each year, considering they’re still a bit too mainstream with not enough twang. I think it’s a combination of the harmonies and the male/female duet-style songs. That’ll usually hook me. Whatever the reason, Lady A is back in the top 5 yet again.


4. Brad Paisley – this is country music
“You’re not supposed to say the word cancer in a song. And tellin’ folks that ‘Jesus is the answer’ can rub ‘em wrong. It ain’t hip to sing about tractors, trucks, or mama. Yeah, that might be true. But this is country music, and we do.” This is country music

I’m so glad that Brad is an artist who is not afraid to express his love for the history of country music. Most of the “country” artists these days really have no clue as to the history of the genre. Brad is an artist who will highlight that storied history. With this album, it’s his incorporation of the group Alabama in both song lyrics and vocally. The album ends with “life’s railway to heaven”, keeping with the old country tradition of including a gospel-type song on an album. In keeping with his own tradition of including quirky/fun songs, Brad brings us “Camouflage”, “toothbrush”, “working on a tan”, “be the lake” and the instrumental, “Eastwood”, which includes an intro from Clint himself. He nicely mixes the quirky with the serious & sincere, like “I do now”, “love her like she’s leaving”, and “a man don’t have to die”. Brad also brings in some friends to play again. We hear duets/harmony from Alabama, Blake Shelton, Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, Clint Eastwood, and Carrie Underwood. It should be no surprise that my least-favorite song on this wonderful album is the duet with Carrie.


5. Blake Shelton – red river blue
“On the Oklahoma shore of that old Red River, I stand right here & curse my pride. That river runs deep, that current is strong. And the woman I love is on the other side. How did the love we made together break apart & drift away, leave me lost & lonely on this crimson bank. Red River blue, God pull me through. I’d walk through fire if that bridge hadn’t burned in two. Texoma sky. Tears in my eyes. She said goodbye & now I’m Red River Blue.” –Red River Blue

Whether it’s slow & heartfelt (Red River Blue, God gave me you, I’m sorry), upbeat/fun (ready to roll, get some, honey bee, sunny in Seattle, hey) or rowdy with the guys (Good Ole Boys), it seems that Blake is one of the rare singers who can make the seamless transition and bring them all together to make a great album. The greatest song from the regular album is the duet with his wife, Miranda Lambert, on the title track. If you have the deluxe version of the album with the bonus tracks, then you’ll want to check out Blake’s wonderful remake of the Dan Seals classic, “Addicted”. I love when artists bring back an old classic and stay very true to the original.


6. Ashton Shepherd – where country grows
“I am just a woman and that’s what women do. We carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, making sure every little thing goes through. And I know you’re doing all you can, and I know that after all, you are just a man. But you should understand that I am just a woman.” – I’m just a woman

There’s just nothing better than a light twang to fill my real-country heart. With this album, Ashton reminds me a lot of one of my all-time favorite singers, Patty Loveless. There’s just enough twang to keep it feeling country, but not too much to think you’re stuck in the hillbilly backwoods.


7. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
“I used to let you paint a pretty picture. You got me caught up with your ‘you’re my girl forever’. So I forgive you. It felt good when you hold me. Yeah, you owned me. Now you wish you had really known me. All I have to say is you don’t deserve me, you don’t deserve me. I’m finally walking away, cause you only hurt me. And you’re not worthy. And I won’t let you pull me in, because I know you’re gonna win. (the war is over) but the war is over (the war is over) – The war is over

Most of the time, I find myself shying away from a lot of the pop, pop/rock or even much of the pop-ish mainstream country. It’s normally harmonies or great melodies that attract my attention. With Kelly, it’s her voice, and most notably, it’s the strength of her voice that grabs me.


8. Thompson Square – self titled
“We may shine, we may shatter, we may be picking up the pieces here on after. We are fragile, we are human, we are shaped by the light we let through us. We break fast ‘cause we are glass.” – Glass

Like recent husband & wife duos before them - such as The Wrights and Joey + Rory - Keifer & Shawna Thompson have managed to find the harmony that defines their sound. But unlike those other duos, they seem a bit too pop/mainstream country-oriented, which limits the strength of that harmony. That being said, they’ve managed to put together a very cohesive, and quite enjoyable album.


9. Matraca Berg – the dreaming fields
“Mothers hold your baby's clothes. Father, Son and Holy Ghost cannot keep him safe on earth. So throw your rose down in the dust. This ain't where the Angels dwell, South of Heaven, North of Hell. 21 Guns and Cathedral bell, South of Heaven, North of Hell” – South of Heaven

“If I had wings I would fly over the river & into the night. If I had wings I would roll, 10 years of dreams tethered to my soul” – If I had wings

Matraca is an artist that I’ve pretty much followed from the beginning. In 1990, she released the single (and video), “the things you left undone”, and I was hooked. However, as great as her singing is, it’s always her songwriting that comes to the forefront when talking about Matraca. She’s been the writer for some great songs done by Martina McBride, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, and many more. Kenny Chesney & Grace Potter may have done the current popular ‘whimsical’ version of “You and Tequila”, but Matraca’s version is a bit more haunting, and being the writer of the song, it seems to carry more significance when she sings it. This album has a bit of an angel/afterlife theme to it.


10. Miranda Lambert – four the record
“your mama’s gonna cry her eyes. There ain’t gonna be no wedding day. What’s she gonna say when I tell her I have no choice. Same ol’ you couldn’t even raise your voice and ask me to stay. I wouldn’t anyway. So you can keep your ring and I can keep my daddy’s name. It’s the same ol’ you when you get to drinkin’. Same ol’ you when you’re on the town. Same ol’ you in church on Sunday, getting high when the sun goes down.” Same Ol You

It’s Miranda by herself this time, without the two other Annies. There’s a bit less twang & harmony than the PA’s, however, it’s just Miranda, plain & simple. It seems that Miranda is starting to have fun with her music, playing with distorted vocals on “fine tune”, and a few more crunching guitar sounds throughout. Basically, it makes for less enjoyable music. Strangely enough, I think I enjoyed the lyrics more than the songs themselves for much of this album.

Other albums worth a listen:

* Juliana Hatfield – there’s always another girl
* Shelby Lynne – revelation road
* Indigo Girls – beauty queen sister
* Uh Huh Her - Nocturnes
* Dolly Parton – better day
* Madison Violet – the good in goodbye
* Mark Wills – the legend of mark wills
* Steel Magnolia – self titled
* Stevie Nicks – in your dreams
* Tegan & Sara – get along
* Thompson Square – self titled
* Tracy Lawrence – the singer
* Those Darlins – screws get loose
* Susan Cattaneo – heaven to heartache
* Jeff Bridges self titled
* Paul Brandt – give it away
* Oh susanna – soon the birds
* Joe Nichols – it’s all good
* John Hiatt – dirty jeans & mudslide hymns
* Lori McKenna - Lorraine
* Sara Evans – stronger
* Madison Violet – the good in goodbye
* Merle Haggard – working in Tennessee
* Michael Martin Murphey – tall grass cool water
* Kasey Chambers – storybook
* Kate & Anna McGarrigle – tell my sister
* Hayes Carll – Kmag yoyo & other American Stories
* George Strait – here for a good time
* Georgette Jones – strong enough to cry
* Eilen Jewell – Queen of the minor key
* Alison Krauss & Union Station – paper airplane
* Adele -21
* Martina McBride – eleven