KayLyne's Jukebox * ~ * The Music Corner

Matt Kennon - You had to pick on me

2012-01-29T07:55:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-29T07:09:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-26T15:17:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-20T15:16:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-13T16:01:00.000-06:00

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'

2012-01-10T16:41:00.000-06:00

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"

2012-01-05T16:07:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-05T14:41:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-03T16:10:00.000-06:00

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"

2012-01-02T17:42:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-01T12:22:00.000-06:00

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

Riders In The Sky member Woody Paul Being Honored by National Fiddler Hall of Fame

2011-12-12T14:50:00.000-06:00

Woody Paul is known as “King of the Cowboy Fiddlers.” He is lead singer/musician for Riders in the Sky, and has been selected as one of the 2012 inductees into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame. Paul says being inducted is an honor that is truly one of a kind. The induction gala will be held on Saturday, April 14th, at the historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Riders In The Sky will be taking center stage as headlining performers during the celebration.

Riders In The Sky are probably best known for their recording of “Woody’s Round Up” from “Toy Story 2.” Riders in the Sky are seven-time Western Music Association Entertainers of the Year and 2-time Grammy winners. Their latest CD, "Land Beyond The Sun", offers a collection of songs recorded in the Western tradition that Riders In The Sky fans have come to expect along with classic humor which has been their trademark for more than 30 years.

The National Fiddler Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that is committed to offering workshops, mentoring programs and educational community outreach. Its advisory board consists of notable fiddlers, celebrities, and entertainment industry executives.

Previous National Fiddler Hall of Fame inductees include: Roy Acuff, Bob Wills, Dick Barrett, Johnny Gimble, Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Johnnie Lee Wills, Buddy Spicher, Rufus Thibodeaux, and Chubby Wise.

For more information, please visit the Riders In The Sky website at
RidersInTheSky.com

or the National Fiddler Hall of Fame website at
NationalFiddlerHallOfFame.org

Martha Berner's "Fool's Fantasy" released Dec 13th

2011-11-08T17:13:00.000-06:00

Martha Berner will release her first album since her debut "...this side of yesterday" in 2005.

"Fool's Fantasy" will be released on Tuesday, December 13th. The album was recorded at Chicago's premiere digital recording studio, Stranded On A Planet, with producer Scott Fritz.

Martha Berner & The Significant Others (including Scott Fritz, Tyson Ellert, and Will Sprawls)

Take a listen to the first single, "Cry"

Americana Music Association announces Lifetime Achievement Honorees

2011-09-12T16:13:00.000-05:00

Lucinda Williams, Gregg Allman, Jerry Douglas, Rick Hall, and Bob Harris will be honored by the Americana Music Association with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the AMA’s Honors & Awards show Thursday, October 13th, at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Singer-Songwriter Lucinda Williams receives the Lifetime Achievement for Songwriter honor. She continues to influence countless others with her roots-grounded sound.

Gregg Allman receives the Achievement for Performer. He has captivated audiences since his early days with The Allman Brothers Band, and continues to lead the charge of genre-melding Southern-bred rockers.

Master of the dobro, Jerry Douglas receives the Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist. Douglas is equally revered for his solo work, session playing, and as a longtime member of Alison Krauss and Union Station.

Rick Hall will receive the Lifetime Achievement for Executive award. Hall earns the honor with his groundbreaking production work at FAME Studios, recording Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Etta James, The Osmonds, and Bobbie Gentry.

Bob Harris is a celebrated radio host and journalist. He will receive the Trailblazer Award.

The Honors & Awards is the main event of the Americana Music Association’s Festival and Conference, running October 12-15 in Nashville. Jim Lauderdale will again serve as master of ceremonies for the Honors & Awards, while Buddy Miller will lead an all-star house band. Among the other artists attending are Robert Plant and the Band of Joy, Hayes Carll, The Civil Wars, Elizabeth Cook, Justin Townes Earle, Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Secret Sisters, and more to be announced.

A limited number of awards show tickets, $35 and $65, are available through the Ryman Box Office or ryman.com.

ASCAP to honor Don Williams

2011-09-12T14:52:00.000-05:00

Country music star Don Williams will be honored with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award during its 49th Annual Country Music Awards on Sunday, Nov. 6th, at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland. The event will also honor the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most performed country songs from April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011, and present awards for Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year.

The Golden Note Award is bestowed upon songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones.

Don Williams is a recording artist & songwriter who has enjoyed 45 Top Ten hits and 17 No. 1 singles. Williams’ began his career as a member of the mid-1960’s folk-pop trio, the Pozo-Seco Singers. His self-penned hits include The Shelter of Your Eyes, Lay Down Beside Me, Love Me Over Again, and his collaboration with Wayland Holyfield, Till the Rivers All Run Dry. Despite a well-known aversion to the spotlight, Williams has risen to international fame. Williams was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Martina McBride debuts 11th album on October 11

2011-08-22T16:20:00.000-05:00

Martina McBride will be releasing her 11th studio album, aptly titled, ELEVEN, on October 11th.

The album will feature some of Martina's most personal songs to date, with Martina penning 6 of the 11 tracks.

Jesse Keith Whitley Offers Free Download

2011-08-22T16:15:00.001-05:00

Jesse Keith Whitley, son of Lorrie Morgan and the late Keith Whitley, is offering a very special gift to his fans. This month marks the 23rd anniversary of "Don’t Close Your Eyes" going #1 for Jesse's dad. In tribute, Jesse added his own version of the song on his recently-released EP, Kentucky Thunder. Jesse is making that song available to fans as a free download from his website, www.jessekeithwhitley.com.

New single from Vince Gill

2011-08-22T15:29:00.000-05:00

The first radio single in four years from Vince Gill will be released to radio stations on Aug. 29. The new single, "Threaten Me With Heaven", is the lead track from his latest album, Guitar Slinger, which is due to be released Oct. 25th on MCA Nashville.

Vince co-wrote the single with wife Amy Grant, Dillon O’Brian and Will Owsley. Since the recording of the song, Owsley took his own life, giving the song a deeper impact for the singer.

Other tracks from the upcoming album include "True Love", which features Amy Grant and her daughter, Sarah Chapman, on vocals. Daughters Jenny Gill and Corinna Gill, also will make guest appearances on the album.

Among the songwriters with credits on the upcoming project are Leslie Satcher, who penned “Bread and Water” with Gill.

Oak Ridge Boys - It's only natural

2011-08-03T20:07:00.000-05:00

The Oak Ridge Boys will release their new album, It’s Only Natural through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® exclusive music program on September 19, 2011. The album will celebrate the 30th year of one of their biggest hits, "Elvira" with a rerecording of the song along with six other Oak Ridge Boys hits, plus five new songs.

Tracks for It’s Only Natural:

1. What’cha Gonna Do?
2. True Heart
3. Before I Die
4. Gonna Take a Lot of River
5. No Matter How High
6. The Shade
7. Elvira
8. Louisiana Red Dirt Highway
9. Beyond Those Years
10. Wish You Could Have Been There
11. Lucky Moon
12. Sacrifice… For Me

For more information: http://oakridgeboys.com/natural

Steve Richard Debuts New Animated Music Video "Love's Gotta Go Somewhere"

2011-08-01T14:19:00.000-05:00

Force MP Entertainment recording artist Steve Richard releases the video for his new single, "Love's Gotta Go Somewhere," which is already in the #6 spot on the Power Source Christian Country Chart. The song tells the story of love lost to the grave but the one left behind rejoices in the memory of the love of a lifetime.

The new animated video was filmed at the historic St Louis landmark, Dunaway Books, which was established in the late 1800's and is still in business today and has one of the most diverse and largest selections of books in the state of Missouri, carrying fine used and out-of-print, rare volumes.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band new release

2011-07-25T16:29:00.000-05:00

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band have released a new live EP called Under the Big Top Vol. 1. The EP features six fan favorites performed live at the band’s 2010 performance at Big Top Chautauqua in Wisconsin. Some of the songs include: Mr. Bojangles, Bless the Broken Road and Fishin’ in the Dark.

The album is available now and featured for digital download at iTunes and in the band’s online store at nittygritty.com.

Jason Michael Carroll - Numbers

2011-07-25T14:43:00.000-05:00

Jason Michael Carroll's new album, Numbers, is the latest in Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program. Numbers is a compilation of songs about everyday life experiences, including his big hit "Alyssa Lies," and the title song "Numbers," which was written by Patrick Davis and Rodney Clawson.

The album debuts today exclusively at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations and online at crackerbarrel.com.

Track listing for Numbers:

1. This Is For The Lonely
2. Numbers
3. Ray Of Hope
4. Meet Me In The Barn
5. Hell Or Hallelujah
6. Can I Get An Amen
7. My Favorite
8. Don't Know Why
9. Let Me
10.Stray
11.Last Word
12.Alyssa Lies

Dirt Drifters - this is my blood

2011-07-19T16:23:00.000-05:00

Warner Bros. Records is releasing the debut album from The Dirt Drifters today. The album is titled, This Is My Blood, and is available at all digital retailers.

The Dirt Drifters, comprised of lead singer/guitarist Matt Fleener, vocalist/guitarist Ryan Fleener, vocalist/guitarist Jeff Middleton, bassist Jeremy Little and drummer Nick Diamond, wrote or co-wrote 10 of the project’s 11 tracks, and played on every song of the album. They also have legend Willie Nelson for guest vocals on "I’ll Shut Up Now."

The full track listing includes:
1. Something Better
2. Always A Reason
3. There She Goes
4. It Takes A Man
5. Hurt Somebody
6. Married Men And Motel Rooms
7. I’ll Shut Up Now (ft. Willie Nelson)
8. Name On My Shirt
9. Sun Goes Down
10. Just Got Tonight
11. This Is My Blood

Take a listen to "I'll shut up now"

Ricky Skaggs new album

2011-07-13T17:42:00.000-05:00

Ricky Skaggs' newest CD, Country Hits Bluegrass Style, will be released next Tuesday, July 19th. The 14-song album is a mix between Skaggs’ country and bluegrass roots.

Ricky's band, Kentucky Thunder, along with some of Ricky's original award-winning country band alumni, and special friends are part of this album as well.

Blake Shelton - Red River Blue

2011-07-11T19:50:00.002-05:00

Blake Shelton one of the rare singers who can seamlessly go from country "party boy" to heartfelt, sweet, charming "aw shucks" guy in a heartbeat. That's quite noticeable on his latest album, "Red River Blue", as well. Blake offers up some 'charmers', like "Honey Bee", "God gave me you", "I'm sorry", and "over", in contrast with the 'having a good timers' like "ready to roll", "get some", "good ole boys", and "hey". The greatest 'charmer' on this album is the title track, a duet with wife, Miranda Lambert.

Take a listen to a few songs:
Get some:

Good Ole Boys:

Sunny in Seattle:

Red River Blue:

Dolly Parton - Better Day

2011-07-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

In the 44 years since her first album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released, Dolly Parton has continued to reinvent herself to the latest generation without changing either her music or herself. With her 41st studio release, Better Day, Dolly brings more of the same countrified brightness as only she can. All of the songs are penned by Dolly, who seems to still be underrated for her songwriting skills. The greatest thing is that she's still able to incorporate the old country/bluegrass sound while making it sound mainstream enough to catch the non-country listener's ear.

While the songs are all written by Dolly, they're not all new. The first single, "Together You and I", is actually a remake of a song she had recorded with her former mentor and duet partner Porter Wagoner for their 1974 LP, Porter 'n' Dolly. This version, however, has a new tempo and has been updated to suit today's country music sound. Other tracks include "Holding Everything", which was recorded by Alabama lead singer Randy Owen; "Missing You" was originally recorded by Dolly for the film "First Dog"; and "I Just Might", "Shine Like The Sun", "Get Out", and "Let Love Grow" were all songs Dolly had written for her Tony-nominated score of "9 to 5-The Musical.

Take a listen to a few songs:
Together You & I:

Country Is As Country Does:

Get Out & Stay Out:

Brad Paisley - This is Country Music

2011-05-20T16:37:00.002-05:00

Brad Paisley will release This is Country Music on Monday, May 23rd.

This is Country Music is Brad's 9th studio album. It's a 15-track collection, with 12 of those songs co-written by Brad. There are a number of great guest performances on the album, including Don Henley on "love her like she's leavin'", Blake Shelton on "Don't drink the water", Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow & Carl Jackson on "life's railway to Heaven", Clint Eastwood on the instrumental "Eastwood", and a duet with Carrie Underwood on "remind me".

Take a listen to "Life's Railway To Heaven"

New Eric Church album coming in late July.

2011-05-05T15:18:00.000-05:00

Eric Church's third studio album, Chief, will be released on July 26 on EMI Records. The album is produced by Jay Joyce, who also produced Church's previous two releases.

The first single release from the new album is,Homeboy.

Here is the track listing for the new album - all but track 4 are co-written by Church:
1. Creepin’
2. Drink In My Hand
3. Keep On
4. Like Jesus Does
5. Hungover & Hard Up
6. Homeboy
7. Country Music Jesus
8. Jack Daniels
9. Springsteen
10. I’m Gettin’ Stoned
11. Over When It’s Over

Hazel Dickens dies

2011-04-25T17:13:00.000-05:00

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Hazel Dickens on Friday, April 22nd from complications of pneumonia.

Hazel was noted for her strongly feminist song lyrics. She was part of various bluegrass and folk-music groups such as The Strange Creek Singers and Hazel & Alice.

Hazel's songs were featured in the Oscar-winning 1976 documentary Harlan County U.S.A., and she appeared in the 1987 coal-mining movie Matewan.

In 1994, she became the first woman to receive the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Award of Merit. In 2008, she was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Her autobiography, Working Girl Blues, was published by the University of Illinois Press later that same year.

The Charlie Daniels Band Releases "Let 'Em Win or Bring 'Em Home"

2011-04-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

(Nashville, Tenn. - April 21, 2011) Legendary artist and proud American Charlie Daniels has released a special patriotic track through Hopesong Digital/GMV Nashville called "Let 'Em Win or Bring 'Em Home."

A new orginal cut written by Daniels and recorded by The Charlie Daniels Band, "Let 'Em Win or Bring 'Em Home" is available this week at www.GMVNashville.com and all major online digital outlets, including iTunes, Amazon.com and Rhapsody.com. The song was first released exclusively at www.CharlieDaniels.com on Friday, April 15, 2011

New album for The Judds released today

2011-04-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

The mother/daughter country music duo, The Judds, have released a new album, "I Will Stand By You: The Essential Collection". The new compilation features twelve classics as well as two brand new songs: "I Will Stand By You" and "Back Home", which features Alison Krauss. The two new songs mark the first time the duo have recorded together since 2004 when Naomi joined Wynonna for the single, "Flies On The Butter", which is also featured on this album.

Along with the two new tracks, this collection features fan favorites such as "Mama He’s Crazy", "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)", "Turn It Loose" and the song that has become the duo's anthem, "Love Can Build A Bridge."

Lori McKenna - Lorraine

2011-03-18T01:07:00.000-05:00

While Lori's previous album, Unglamorous, was pretty decent, I find this new release to be a nice step up in listening pleasure.

What makes a great song is the mixture of voice, instrumentation and songwriting. Lori has done that remarkably well in all 13 of them on this album. Sometimes I'm not sure which of those parts is the highlight. At one point, I'd think it was the lyrics that intrigued me. On another listen, I'd swear it was her voice that grabbed my attention, or was it the simple instrumentation? In reality, it was all of the above. A great mixture.

What makes a great album is a compilation of well-crafted songs that the listener can identify with in his/her own life. With "Lorraine", Lori seamlessly goes from heartache and loss to reflection and hope and back again. It's sadness and sweetness all rolled together into one wonderful collection.

Take a listen to a few of the cuts:
The Luxury of Knowing:

"Damn it must be easy being in love with someone so blind. Cuz - I’ll tell you right now the only thing I really know is that you might change your mind. Any day you could change your mind."

Buy this town:

"If I could buy your pain, first I’d buy the great big sea. I’d put that pain inside a box, and bury it so deep..."

All I ever do:

"All I ever do is work. All I ever do is pray. But I do know that I have for you a love that never fades and it's okay if it's all I ever do."

Sweet Disposition:

"I believe everyone is good but I’ve been wrong a time or two. When a friend kicks you in the gut there’s not much that you can do. Oh but that friend she was never my friend. The only thing she feels is ambition. Still I’m left searching for my sweet disposition."

Miss Willie Brown

2011-03-15T15:03:00.000-05:00

The duo known as Miss Willie Brown - comprised of Amanda Watkins & Kasey Buckley - is releasing their major label debut EP today. The duo is the first country act signed to New York based A&M/Octone Records.

The EP is a four-song project, produced by Keith Stegall. Watkins and Buckley share lead vocals on the tracks, which they also co-wrote.

A new album coming soon from Emmylou Harris

2011-03-09T15:21:00.000-06:00

Country/Folk legend Emmylou Harris will release her new album on Nonesuch Records, Hard Bargain, on April 26th. Emmylou wrote 11 of the 13 tracks including song tributes to Gram Parsons ("The Road") and the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle ("Dear Kate").

The project included just three musicians - Emmylou, producer Jay Joyce, and Giles Reeves - however, it's not a stripped-down album. To promote the album's release, Emmylou will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on April 27th.

The Judds & Loretta Lynn added to ACM's Girls' Night Out

2011-03-09T14:50:00.000-06:00

The Judds and Loretta Lynn have been added to the lineup of the ACM’s Girls’ Night Out: Superstar Women of Country tribute concert.

Performers previously announced include Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Reba and Carrie Underwood. These female artists will be honored at the taping, which will be held on Monday, April 4th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. There will also be special guest duets, including Ronnie Dunn with Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts with Reba, Vince Gill singing with Carrie Underwood, as well as performances by Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and still more to be announced.

The show will air Friday, April 22nd on CBS TV. Ticket sales from the special will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy.

ACM Nominees to perform

2011-03-02T16:37:00.000-06:00

The 46th Academy of County Music Awards will be handed out on Sunday, April 3rd, live on CBS TV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

All of the ACM Entertainer of the Year nominees - Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban - will be performing during the event.

For the third consecutive year, the winner will be fan voted. Voting begins March 11 at www.voteACM.com and will conclude during the third hour of the live broadcast.

Shania Twain to release autobiography

2011-03-02T16:33:00.000-06:00

Shania Twain's autobiography, "From This Moment On", is set for release on May 3.

Shania has multiple ventures in the works this summer. Along with the release of her autobiography, which is her first book, she has a new docu-series for OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) debuting in May as well.

The 2011 Country Music Hall of Fame Class

2011-03-01T15:11:00.000-06:00

The Country Music Association revealed the 2011 inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame today.

Bobby Braddock, Jean Shepard and Reba McEntire will be the latest inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame

Bobby Braddock is inducted in the Songwriter category. He has been writing hit songs in Nashville for half a century. Some of his classics include "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today," and some of his more modern hits are "I Wanna Talk About Me" and the recent "People Are Crazy."

After moving to Nashville in 1964, Braddock became the piano player for Marty Robbins. He released three major label albums and also performed in Country Music-themed movies. He also added his talent as a producer, working on Blake Shelton’s first five albums.

* * * *

Jean Shepard is inducted in the Veterans Era.

She is often called The Grand Lady of the Grand Ole Opry, as she has been a member of the Opry for over 50 years. Jean had 44 charted hits between 1953 and 1978, including her first hit, "A Dear John Letter", which was a duet with Ferlin Husky.

Some of Jean Shepard's hits include: "Twice the Lovin’ in Half the Time", "Don’t Fall in Love With a Married Man", "The Root of All Evil (Is a Man)", and "The Other Woman". She also joined the cast of Ozark Jubilee on ABC TV.

* * *

Reba McEntire is a Modern Era inductee to the Hall of Fame

Reba started out her career a bit slow, but things began to soar for the Oklahoma redhead by 1984, when she won the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award for the 1st of 4 consecutive years. Two years later, she joined the Grand Ole Opry and was also named CMA Entertainer of the Year. In her music career, Reba has sold more than 55 million albums worldwide, and to date has achieved 35 No. 1 singles. She has also received 6 CMA Awards, and 2 Grammy Awards.

Reba's talents broadened to acting on the big screen (Tremors), the small screen (her own sitcom, "Reba"), and even the Broadway stage (Annie Get Your Gun).

Songwriter Hall of Fame Inductees

2011-02-22T16:15:00.000-06:00

The Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct six new members at the 42nd Annual Induction & Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 16th in New York City.

Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint will become the newest members inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Garth Brooks has been certified by the RIAA as the No. 1 selling solo artist in U.S. history. He has sold more than 128 million albums and is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million mark. His songwriter credits include hits "If Tomorrow Never Comes," "The Thunder Rolls," "Unanswered Prayers" and more.

Leon Russell's classic songwriting credits include "A Song For You", "This Masquerade", "Delta Lady", "Tight Rope", "Bluebird", "Back To The Island", and "Hummingbird". Leon will also be honored with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first Award for Musical Excellence in March.

Other inductees include John Bettis, whose songwriting efforts have sold more than 250 million records worldwide; musician, songwriter and record producer Allen Toussaint; and Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly, a songwriting duo who co-wrote five No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, including "Like A Virgin", "True Colors", and "Eternal Flame".

More Upcoming Releases

2011-02-15T15:26:00.000-06:00

Brad Paisley will be releasing his new album, This Is Country Music, May 24 with Arista Records. Brad will once again be teamed with longtime producer Frank Rogers for this new release. It's his first all-new studio album since 2009's acclaimed American Saturday Night. He did release the compilation, Hits Alive, in November last year.

The lead single - title track This Is Country Music - is already a hit at radio.

The digital single for This Is Country Music is available, and fans who pre-order the album for $9.99, will also receive an immediate download of the single. In addition, pre-orders will entitle purchasers periodic access to exclusive content.

Brad is also currently headlining his H2O Frozen Over Tour.

* * * * * * *

I'm very excited to see that Matraca Berg, a Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame inductee, will be releasing a new album, The Dreaming Fields, on May 17th. It will be her first new release in 14 years.

Matraca's new album will cover many sensitive issues like domestic violence, fading beauty, selling the family farm, and a son sent off to war.

* * * * * *

Kenny Rogers will have a second album released through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store exclusive music program when The Love of God comes out on March 7. The album will be an inspirational collection of classic songs, along with new recordings of some contemporary songs. There will be some great guest appearances on the album, including The Whites, Winfield’s Locket, and Point of Grace.

* * * * * * *

Jeff Bates' new release is out today. It's titled, One Day Closer, and is his second album for the Black River label.

The album covers the circle of life that Jeff has experienced in recent years with the deaths of his parents and the birth of his daughter. Along with the six song EP, Jeff also recorded a live DVD that features all the music from the album with bonus tracks highlighting some of his previous singles.

* * * * * *

The inimitable Ralph Stanley releases A Mother’s Prayer on April 19th.

The Rebel Records release will be a collection of newly recorded hymns and spirituals. Also making contributions to the album are Sara Evans, Billy and Terry Smith, Dewey Brown (fiddler for Clinch Mountain Boys), and Ralph's grandson Nathan Stanley.

Bandit records to release new George Jones album

2011-02-14T16:49:00.000-06:00

Bandit Records will be releasing the first new George Jones material in over 5 years as part of a compilation called "George Jones: Hits". New songs include "I ain't ever slowin' Down", written by Al Anderson and Stephen Bruton and "I should have called" written by Eddie Raven. Both new songs were produced by George's long time producer, Keith Stegal, in 2006. Also featured on the album are some of The Possum's biggest and most iconic hits such as, "The Window Up Above", "Take Me", "The Grand Tour", "White Lightin" ,and his signature song "He Stopped Lovin’ Her Today".

The 24-song compilation will be released this Tuesday, February 15th and sold exclusively at Wal-Mart Stores, the 24 song compilation will be released on Feb. 15th.

Mandrell boots return to Fontanel

2011-02-07T18:04:00.000-06:00

Nashville, Tenn. -- February 7, 2011 -- Marc Oswald (pictured above left), co–owner of The Fontanel Mansion & Farm, and Jaime Dudney (picture above right), director of hospitality (and Mandrell’s daughter), recently accepted one-of-a-kind memorabilia from the Nashville Music Garden to remain on permanent display at The Fontanel.

The highlight of the exhibit, the inspiration for the Nashville Music Garden logo, is a beautiful bouquet of vibrant roses artfully arranged in a pair of Mandrell’s personalized boots. “One of our main intentions when we opened the Fontanel Mansion and Farm to the public last year was to give country music fans the opportunity to step inside the life of a Hall of Fame entertainer,” said Fontanel co-owner Marc Oswald. “To have a pair of Barbara Mandrell’s boots on display in the mansion, along with the photos from the beautiful Nashville Music Garden, really adds to the experience of our guests.”

Pat Bullard, Nashville Music Garden founder, also presented The Fontanel with a collage of photos and memorabilia from the September 2009 Nashville Music Garden dedication ceremony. Country greats honored by the Nashville Music Garden and featured in the new exhibit at Fontanel include Little Jimmy Dickens, Brenda Lee, Lynn Anderson and Pam Tillis.

"Only in Nashville could there be the one and only Nashville Music Garden and only at The Mansion at Fontanel have Barbara’s boots found their way back to her room for all country music fans to enjoy every time they visit," said Bullard.

For more information on Nashville Music Garden visit www.nashvillemusicgarden.com

Info from Kaleidoscope Media

David Lowery - The Palace Guards

2011-01-30T13:12:00.001-06:00

Growing up primarily a country music fan (for the first couple decades of life), it's taken the past two decades to catch up on lots of other great music that I've missed out on. Even with the convenience of the internet, there is still much that I have yet to hear. So I'm always pleased when artists (& their PR people) send new music to check out. I've found some of the best music that way. And I'm always pleased to bring it to the attention of other music fans.

Thus is the case with David Lowery, who is releasing his full-length solo debut, The Palace Guards, this Tuesday through 429 Records.

David Lowery was the co-founder and frontman for Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, neither of which I'd previously listened to (but definitely need to go back & check out). I was looking through some background info, and noticed that his previous music was listed as ranging between "electric twang" and "psych-country". Anything that included "twang" and "country" is going to perk up my ears.

Since I'd never heard any of David's previous work and didn't know what to expect, my first listen of the album was about finding the sound. I was pleasantly surprised at what I heard. David's voice brought thoughts of a not-quite-as-raspy/gravelly Leonard Cohen (especially on Deep Oblivion) with a mixture of Umajets, Jakob Dylan & some other Roots/Americana artists.

After a few listens of the album, my favorite is by far, Ah, you left me, followed closely by Raise 'em up on honey, Deep Oblivion (which started out sounding eerily like a cross between Sheryl Crow's Good is Good and Diamond Ring), and The Palace Guards. The beginning of Marigold reminds me of an old Johnny Lee song. There seems to be a bit of a subtle change in vibe from the first half of the album to the second half. Strangely enough, I seem to favor the first half.

David isn't totally "solo" on this one. He relies on some of his trusted musical cohorts to help with the sound of the record. A couple of David's 'Cracker' buddies Sal Maida and Johnny Hickman make guest appearances.

Other info regarding David Lowery:

David has also currently been writing new music with Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven for upcoming albums from both bands (this will mark the first new material from CVB since their lauded 2004 New Roman Times release). In addition, David also plans to continue working on his popular 300 Songs project - a blog chronicling all of the songs he's written and recorded with both Cracker & CVB. Plans are also in the works to turn these wry, humorous and informative musings on his songs, bands and, ultimately, the music business in general, into his first published book later in the year.

To check out the album & find more information on David Lowery, visit the website: DavidLoweryMusic.com

Charlie Louvin dies

2011-01-26T15:39:00.000-06:00

Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Louvin has passed away at the age of 83 following a fight with pancreatic cancer.

Louvin was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2010 and underwent surgery, but the operation was limited in its success. It stabilized his health long enough for him continue working through the end of the year.

Charlie & his brother, Ira performed as the Louvin Brothers in the early years. The duo broke up in 1963, and Ira died in a car crash back in 1965. Charlie has been singing & performing for over six decades.

Alison Krauss & Union Station's new album

2011-01-19T17:17:00.000-06:00

April 12th is the release date set for the latest from Alison Krauss and Union Station, titled "Paper Airplane".

This will be Alison's first new music released since her highly acclaimed 2007 collaboration with Robert Plant. It will also be her first album with longtime band Union Station since "Lonely Runs Both Ways", released in 2004.

Here is the reported track list:

1. Paper Airplane
2. Dustbowl Children
3. Lie Awake
4. Lay My Burden Down
5. My Love Follows You Where You Go
6. Dimming Of The Day
7. On The Outside Looking In
8. Miles To Go
9. Sinking Stone
10. Bonita and Bill Butler
11. Opening Farewell

Country stars join "The Boot Campaign"

2011-01-18T14:55:00.000-06:00

Country music stars are taking off their cowboy boots and replacing them with army boots in support ofThe Boot Campaign. The campaign is a way for Americans to give back and say thank you to our armed forces. It was inspired by Marcus Luttrell, who is a retired US Navy SEAL and author of the book Lone Survivor.

Many Country music stars have become involved including George Jones, Jan Howard, Mel Tillis, Oak Ridge Boys, Lee Greenwood and Charlie Daniels, as well as Josh Turner, Joe Nichols, Heidi Newfield, Randy Rogers Band, Randy Houser, Gretchen Wilson, Phil Vassar, Joe Diffie, Little Texas, Jamie O’Neal, Justin Moore, Chuck Wicks, Colt Ford, Eli Young Band, Derek Sholl, Joey + Rory and Jack Ingram.

It's not just Country music artists getting involved in this campaign. Many others are jumping on board, including bluegrass artists The Grascals and The Roys, as well as Texas artists like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Robert Earl Keen, Jason Boland, Aaron Watson, Mick and the Motorcars, Reckless Kelly, Wade Bowen, Kevin Fowler, Stoney LaRue, No Justice, Bleu Edmondson, and Granger Smith.

The campaign encourages Americans to purchase a pair of army combat boots to wear in support of our nation’s troops. Proceeds from the boot sales are donated to partner charities, including the Lone Survivor Foundation.

For more information about The Boot Campaign, please visit: www.bootcampaign.com

Aretha Franklin collection set for release

2011-01-17T16:12:00.000-06:00

Columbia Legacy will honor music legend Aretha Franklin with the release of a 12-disc set "Take a Look: Aretha Franklin Complete On Columbia." on March 22nd. The box set is produced by Leo Sacks, and will comprehensively survey Aretha's 1960-65 stint at the Columbia. All of her master takes will be compiled; the collection will also have bonus tracks, mono mixes, alternate takes and studio chatter.

In addition to 11 CDs -- which will comprise of seven original albums, two discs of non-LP material and two new compilations -- the set will also include a five-song DVD featuring 1964 performances from "The Steve Allen Show." A 60-page booklet will include photos, recollections and an essay.

On the same day, Columbia Legacy will also issue a single CD set, "Aretha Franklin: The Great American Songbook," devoted to her Columbia recordings of standards.

Upcoming Releases

2011-01-13T19:11:00.000-06:00

Here is a list of the upcoming album releases:

January 18:
Gregg Allman – Low Country Blues
Braids – Native Speaker
The Decemberists – The Kind Is Dead
Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
James Blunt – Some Kind Of Trouble
Blackmore’s Night – Autumn Sky

January 25:
Joe Nichols – Greatest Hits
Lori McKenna – Lorraine
Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
Wanda Jackson – The Party Ain’t Over
Eva Cassidy – Simply Eva
Olivia Newton-John – A Celebration In Song

February 1:
The JaneDear Girls – self titled
Todd Snider – Live: The Storyteller
Bobby Long – A Winter Tale
The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

February 8:
Thompson square – TBA
VA – The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings
Steve Wariner – Guitar Laboratory

February 15:
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Drive-By Truckers – Go-Go Boots
Sarah Darling – Angels & Devils
Jeff Bates – One Day Closer
Due West – Forget The Miles
Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories)
Bright Eyes – People’s Key

February 22:
Johnny Cash – From Memphis to Hollywood
Adele – 21
Lauren Pritchard – Wasted in Jackson

March 1:
Craig Campbell – self titled
Lucinda Williams – Blessed

March 8:
Sara Evans – stronger
Carol Bui – Red Ship
Bruce Cockburn – Small Source Of Comfort
Avril Lavigne – Goodbye Lullaby
Charley Pride – Choices

March 15:
James Wesley – Real

March 22:
The Roys – Lonesome Whistle
Green Day – Awesome as F**K

April 19:
Brad Paisley – This is Country Music

Wanda Jackson & Jack White teaming up

2011-01-13T15:47:00.000-06:00

Wanda Jackson and Jack White are set to perform at the Grand Ole Opry Sat., Jan. 15. The night will mark the first time the pair has performed together publicly. The Opry is being staged through January at the Ryman Auditorium. White produced Jackson’s The Party Ain’t Over, set for a Jan. 25 release.

Dolly Parton to be honored during Grammy Week

2011-01-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

There will be a flurry of Grammy related events to surround the awards show. On Saturday, February 12th, the Recording Academy will honor Dolly Parton with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She joins fellow honorees Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, The Kingston Trio, Ramones, and George Beverly Shea. Also being honored at the invitation-only event in Los Angeles will be Trustees Award winners Al Bell, Wilma Cozart Fine and Bruce Lundvall; and Technical Grammy winners Roger Linn and Waves Audio.

A day prior to that, Friday, February 11th, Barbra Streisand will be honored as the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year at a special event celebrating her exceptional artistic achievements as well as her philanthropic work. LeAnn Rimes will be among the performers, which also includes Bebe Winans, Tony Bennett, Seal, Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow and Kristin Chenoweth. Proceeds from the event at the Los Angeles Convention Center will support MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of need.

New music from Blues legend, T-Model Ford

2011-01-11T14:34:00.001-06:00

90-Year old Blues legend T-Model Ford has a new album in stores today.

"Taledragger" is a studio album that was recorded during a 14-show US tour in 2010. T-Model Ford is backed by his regular touring band, GravelRoad, with guest appearances by Brian Olive & Matthew Smith.

Take a listen to "Same Old Train"

After listening to the music, it's hard to believe this music man is 90 years old.

To get more information on this album, Click Here

And check out T-Model Ford's Tour blog: Click Here

A special US full length release of Ellie Goulding's debut cd

2011-01-07T14:17:00.000-06:00

Already a success in her native England, 24-year-old UK singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding will release a special US full length of Lights on March 8th. The US version will include three songs (Lights, Animal, and Your Song) that were not available on the original UK version.

Ellie's music is described as "electro-folk-acoustic-pop", mixing heartfelt emotion with other-worldly atmospherics and spinning electronica.

JaneDear's debut album to be released next month

2011-01-06T16:09:00.000-06:00

Warner Bros. Records has set a Feb. 1st release date for the debut album from the JaneDear girls.

The self-titled project includes 11 songs all written by Susie Brown and Danelle Leverett, the duo that makes up JaneDear. They play at least seven instruments between the two of them, including accordion, guitar, bass, fiddle, ganjo, harp and mandolin.

The lead single from the album is Wildflower, and is already a Top 20 hit.

At the end of January, JaneDear will head out on their first major tour, with Jason Aldean on his My Kinda Party tour, which opens Jan. 21 in Little Rock, AR.

Here's the track listing for JaneDear's debut album:
1. Wildflower
2. Shotgun Girl
3. Merry Go Round
4. Sugar
5. Saturdays in September
6. Sing Along
7. Lucky You
8. Pretender
9. Never Gonna Let You Go
10. Free Ride
11. Everyday’s A Holiday

The Roys to release new album in March

2011-01-06T16:03:00.000-06:00

The Roys are launching the release of their new album, Lonesome Whistle, on March 22nd, on Rural Rhythm Records. The CD was produced by the brother/sister duo, Lee & Elaine, as well as Andy Leftwich.

The lead single, Coal Minin’ Man, was written by Lee Roy and his friend Matt Rogers. It is available for digital purchase.

Steve Martin to release new bluegrass album

2011-01-06T15:59:00.000-06:00

Steve Martin will release his second full length bluegrass album, Rare Bird Alert on March 15th. On this new album, Steve will be joined by the Steep Canyon Rangers, who toured extensively with him over the last year.

The new album includes 13 new tracks written by Steve. Sir Paul McCartney and The Dixie Chicks are included as guest vocalists on the project. This is the follow-up to his Grammy Award winning album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo.

Producer T-Bone Burnett to be honored

2011-01-04T17:05:00.000-06:00

Producer T Bone Burnett will receive a salute from the Producers & Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy during Grammy Week. The special event is titled "Shaken Rattled & Rolled", and is part of the 10th Anniversary celebration of the P&E Wing. Grammy winners Elton John and Leon Russell will serve as honorary co-chairs of the gala, which will be held Wednesday, February 9 at The Village Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Elton & Leon's duet album, "The Union" was produced by Burnett.

A Paramore shakeup

2011-01-04T17:01:00.000-06:00

Paramore members Josh Farro and Zac Farro have left the band. Remaining on board are lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York.

2011-01-04T16:58:00.000-06:00

UMPG Nashville songwriter Lori McKenna is planning the Jan. 25 release of her new album Lorraine. Lori is a hit songwriter who has had recent songs cut by Keith Urban, Alison Krauss, Faith Hill, LeAnne Rimes, Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood.

Kellie Pickler weds

2011-01-04T16:55:00.003-06:00

Kellie Pickler and songwriter Kyle Jacobs were married in an intimate ceremony on Saturday, January 1, 2011 on a private island in the Caribbean.

Johnny Cash live, unreleased & demos

2011-01-04T16:55:00.000-06:00

Columbia/Legacy is planning the Feb. 22 release of Johnny Cash’s From Memphis To Hollywood, a double album featuring previously unreleased demos, live radio recordings, non-album singles and B-sides. The tracks are from Cash’s early career in the 1950s and ‘60s, including time at Sun Records and Columbia Records.

Shania Twain weds

2011-01-03T16:39:00.000-06:00

Shania Twain married Frédéric Thiébaud in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day. Forty friends and family members gathered for the intimate sunset ceremony in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Twain was escorted down the aisle by her nine-year-old son, Eja.

Twain and Thiebaud have been dating since 2009.

The Grascals & Dolly Parton raise awareness for childhood cancer

2011-01-03T15:41:00.001-06:00

Nashville, TN – In a rare occasion of combined efforts, Nashville’s music community is gathering is support of “I AM STRONG,” a song drawing awareness to the childhood cancer epidemic.

Two versions of “I AM STRONG” have been recorded. Version 1 includes award-winning, Grammy-nominated group, The Grascals, with special guest Dolly Parton. Version 2 includes The Grascals, Dolly Parton, Randy Owen, Joe Nichols, Darryl Worley, Terri Clark, Charlie Daniels, Tom T. Hall, The Oak Ridge Boys and Steven Seagal.

A music video was directed by cancer survivor David Corlew of d. corlew films and is already gaining much notoriety.

About “I AM STRONG” and its origin:
"I AM STRONG," was written by Grascals’ band member Jamie Johnson and his wife Susanne Mumpower-Johnson along with Jenee Fleenor after The Grascals visited the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® in Memphis and were inspired by the stories and power of the children being treated there. "I Am Strong" is powerful in its message and artistic vision and brings together vocals from all of the artists who also appear separately with The Grascals on other tracks on this CD.

In honor of the children and this song, Cracker Barrel is donating a percentage of the proceeds from this CD to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The album, The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin, has 13 country music songs on it that you have probably heard before, but most likely not like this. The Grascals bring their own bluegrass style to the tunes and bring the different tracks to life with eight of their friends, including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels and Dolly Parton. The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin will be available on January 10th, 2011, exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations.

Top albums of 2010

2010-12-27T15:41:00.000-06:00

As we journeyed through 2010, it didn’t really feel like there were many good, solid albums being released that would get me excited and make me take notice . Even releases from many of my favorite artists were a bit… dull. One thing I am noticing is that some artists are bringing back more of a countrified sound (however slight it may be – at least it’s a step in the right direction) away from the nauseating pop-y mainstream country.

Unlike previous years, there really wasn’t a single album this year that stood out from the others to grab the top spot without contest. There were, however, many that were equally impressive and deserving to be tops on the list. In fact, I think any of those on my Top 10 could have probably been in the #1 spot on any given day, depending on my mood.

So, let’s begin:

1. Beth Hart – My California

“It’s gonna be a dark, cold December. We’re shaking lilies in the yard. Your sweet face I will remember, and how I’m gonna miss your stubborn heart. So forgive me for my weakness. I guess my faith is a little stoned. The angels cried on a Friday – the day that God walked you home. So goodbye Sister Heroine. I’ll remember everything. I love you. I love you. I love you. Goodbye white trash beauty queen. You’re cooking hot in your beat-up dreams. I love you. I love you. I love you.” – Sister Heroine

I’ve been an occasional fan of Beth’s music through the years, as it’s mainly been a single here & there that’s caught my attention. However, with this album, I found myself playing it all the way through without wanting to skip ahead and find something different. I find it a much more cohesive album than some of her previous offerings. I think part of that is because the album isn’t quite as bombastic as some of her others have been. There seems to be a mellower sound, which is more pleasant to listen to compared to some where it seemed that she was screaming at the top of her lungs.

Highlights include: “Sister Heroine” (a tribute to her sister, Sharon, who passed away a few years ago), “My California”, “life is calling” and “take it easy on me”

2. Johnny Cash – American VI: Ain’t No Grave

“It’s a long and a dusty road, a hot & a heavy load, and the folks that I meet ain’t always kind. Some are bad, some are good, some have done the best they could. And some have tried to ease my troubled mind. And I can’t help but wonder where I’m bound, where I’m bound. Can’t help but wonder where I’m bound.” - Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound

The fact that this is the last time I can put a new Johnny Cash album on a year-end “best of” album list aside, the reason this album is in the #2 spot here is because it’s just a plain darn good album. Johnny Cash is a legend, and he always will be. This album is a testament to that fact. Following the death of his beloved June, he immersed himself in his music, and followed his desire to record a number of songs that he’d always wanted to record before he died. As with most of his other “American” recordings, this one is simplified musically, just Johnny and a guitar. To me, that’s what makes it so intriguing. Johnny’s voice has always been (and still is) his greatest instrument – even if it does sound a bit rougher at this stage of his life. The simple acoustic guitar accompaniment highlights that. It’s what the ‘Man in Black’ has always been about – nothing flashy, but full of substance.

Highlights: “Redemption Day” (a nice cover version of the Sheryl Crow song), “Can’t help but wonder where I’m bound”, “Cool Water”, and “Satisfied Mind”.

3. Lady Antebellum – Need You Now

“And I wonder if I ever cross your mind. To me, it happens all the time. It’s a quarter after one, I’m a little drunk & I need you now. Said I wouldn’t call, but I’ve lost all control & I need you now. And I don’t know how I can do without. I just need you now.” – Need You Now

It feels strange for me to put a mainstream ‘country’ (and I use that term loosely) group so high on the list of albums of the year, but there’s no way around it. This trio made a great album. I guess it proves again that if you have some great musical harmony, along with a good story/lyrics, I’ll probably enjoy listening to it. I think Lady A found their niche with the duet-style songs, with both male & female voices taking lead on different verses. The male/female duet is something that’s been lacking in music for the past decade. You usually have your male artists, female artists, and groups which are usually all male, all female, or a mixed group with a single lead (Trick Pony, Highway 101, etc). The male/female duet has become somewhat of a lost art. I’m glad to see these three bring that back.

Highlights: “Need you now”, “Our kind of love”, “Perfect day” and “When you got a good thing”

4. Jamey Johnson – The Guitar Song

“All this gripping & grinning, boozing & winning, and running. Promises break like an egg on the hot asphalt. What the hell was I thinking, drinking like I’d never get caught. These high dollar women, and the fame and the fortune, ain’t worth the ticket I bought. When the only L.A. I knew was a Lower Alabama, back when me & Hannah was wishing on a southern star. Now it’s so complicated, I really hate it. Why’d I ever want to go so far. Takin’ depression pills in the Hollywood Hills, acting like I’m playing the part.” Playing the Part

How can you not love a guy who has Bill Anderson as a guest on a song? If that’s not good enough, how about nice renditions of “mental revenge” and the Vern Gosdin classic, “set ‘em up Joe”? Still not sold? How about a guy who sounds like a cross between Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings and Trace Adkins? The final kicker – how about 25 songs in a 2-cd set? These days it’s standard to get about 10 songs on a single album release, or even 5 or 6 songs on an EP – which I think is kind of a waste (both for artist & fan). Jamey Johnson seems to be the antithesis of today’s standard artists.

Highlights: “Playing the part”, “The Guitar Song” (featuring Bill Anderson), “Can’t cash my checks”, “dog in the yard” and “lonely at the top” (‘It might be lonely at the top, but it’s a bitch at the bottom’)

5. Dierks Bentley – Up On The Ridge

“Dance around in the dirt, listen to the crickets chirp. Hear old Jake start to howl when he hears that old hoot owl. Give you all I’ve got to give. That’s how we live up on the ridge. Won’t you come with me tonight where moonlight drips into your eyes? I just want one little kiss when we get high up on the ridge.” – Up on the ridge

I know, it’s ANOTHER country mainstreamer near the top of the list. However, this isn’t your typical mainstream country album. This time around, the grass is blue with Dierks’ latest release. That’s right, Dierks is bringing you a dose of banjo, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, great harmonies, some knee-slapping and a little “Yee Haw” as he goes “down home” with a touch of class. He does it very well, too. Miranda Lambert makes an appearance on “Bad Angel”, and a nice guest appearance from Kris Kristofferson on “bottle to the bottom”. Dierks also gets quite brave and does a grassy version of U2’s “Pride (In the name of love)”. Surprisingly, it’s quite good.

Highlights: “Up on the ridge”, “Bad angel” (with Miranda Lambert), “draw me a map”, “bottle to the bottom” (with Kris K), and “you’re dead to me”.

6. Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn

“Well I was born a coal miner’s daughter, in a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler. We were poor, but we had love. That’s the one thing that daddy made sure of. He shoveled coal to make a poor man’s dollar.” – Coal Miner’s Daughter

It usually takes something special for me to enjoy a tribute album from beginning to end. With this one, the only thing needed was Loretta’s wonderful songwriting, and maybe some of my favorite singers too. There are great matchups, like Alan Jackson & Martina McBride (“Louisiana Woman/Mississippi Man), the husband-wife team of Steve Earle & Allison Moorer (“After the fire is gone”), Reba with the Time Jumpers (“If you’re not gone too long”). Then there’s the one that really had me intrigued; it’s the final cut on the album, and Loretta’s signature song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. This time, it’s sung by Loretta, Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow. What a wonderful combination. Some may question Sheryl’s inclusion in that trio, but one only needs to take a listen to see how pronounced that her “twang” gets when surrounded with other “twangers”. She was, after all, born in the bootheel of Missouri. I also enjoyed Paramore’s take on “You ain’t woman enough (to take my man)”. The one that surprised me is Carrie Underwood’s “You’re lookin’ at country”. It just goes to show that Carrie can actually sing country music if she wanted to. Loretta’s buddies, The White Stripes, did a good job with “Rated X”. The only song I have a problem with on this album is Kid Rock’s version of “I know how”. Hey, I like the Kid, but this version of the song is just…ewwww!

Highlights: “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, “Louisiana Woman/Mississippi Man”, “Somebody Somewhere” (featuring Lucinda Williams), “You ain’t Woman Enough (to take my man)”, and “after the fire is gone”.

7. Melissa Etheridge – Fearless Love

“She tried to be a good girl. She tried to make everything right. She tried to kill the voices that haunt her each & every night. She looks up to Heaven and wonders why love is so cruel. She loves him, won’t hurt him. Can’t stop the wanting of you.” – The Wanting Of You

The tenth studio album from Melissa brings more of the same raw power that this lady is known for. It’s evident that she’s got John Shanks back working with her again. Her strong voice, the rocking guitars, a sound that pulls no punches. It’s very reminiscent of Melissa in her “Breakdown” days, when she hooked up the first time with Shanks. The new album is aptly titled, Fearless Love, because the songs are about fear, love, and the battle of the two. All songs are written by Melissa as well.

Highlights: “Fearless love”, “the wanting of you”, “heaven on earth”, and “we are the ones”

8. The Rescues – Let Loose The Horses

“If everything we know all goes up in smoke, nothing can take me away from you. (let it burn down, let it burn down) Even if it rips right through. (in your arms now, in your arms now) All that we’ve been living for doesn’t matter anymore. My love, let’s watch it all burn.” – Let loose the horses

Great harmonies. If you’re going to get me to enjoy new music, that’s one of the main ingredients that will hook me. That’s what The Rescues have done here. I hadn’t heard of the group previously, but decided to take a quick listen when searching through new album releases, and this one grabbed me from the very beginning. The great harmonies and the catchy beats make for a very pleasant listen.

Highlights: “let loose the horses”, “Start a riot”, “before the fall”, and “follow me back into the sun”

9. Chely Wright – Lifted Off The Ground

“You’ll want to take my blood to smear on a slide. But if you just read on, you’ll know how I died. Terminal sadness, chronic regret, a big ball of pain in pajamas. These are my notes to the coroner. Clues with no compromise. Notes to the coroner. Details of my demise.” – Notes to the coroner

It’s been five years since we’ve been blessed with a studio album from Chely. Her last was 2005’s The Metropolitan Hotel, which I enjoyed immensely. Chely enlists the help of Rodney Crowell on this album as producer, as well as adding his guitar & vocal talents. This seems to be a more complex album than some of her previous offerings, however I didn’t feel that it was as cohesive an album as the last one. “Notes to the coroner” is my favorite song here, however, it does have one flaw that continually irks me: she always says “Cor-in-er” instead of “Cor-on-er”. I still think they should use the song in an episode of CSI.

Highlights: “Broken”, “Notes to the coroner”, “damn liar”, “snow globe”, and “object of your rejection”.

10. The Band Perry – Self-titled

“If I die young, bury me in satin. Lay me down on a bed of roses, sink me in the river at dawn. Send me away with the words of a love song. Uh-oh, Uh-oh. Lord, make me a rainbow, I’ll shine down on my mother. She’ll know I’m safe with you when she stands under my colors. Oh, and life ain’t always what you think it outta be, no. Ain’t even gray, but she buries her baby. The sharp knife of a short life. Well, I’ve had just enough time.” –If I die young

I was moderately intrigued with this new group (comprised of sister Kimberly & brothers Reid & Neil) when I heard their first single, “Hip to my heart”. When “If I die young” was released as a single, it didn’t really hit me at first how great a song it was. However, the lyric “funny when you’re dead, how people start listening” kept getting stuck in my head. It was then that I started really listening to the story of the song. I hope they get to release a few more singles from this album, as the first two singles really haven’t shown their strength – harmony & instrumentation. The greatest part of this group is their instrumentation, with the mandolin, accordion, pedal steel and even the fiddle being highlighted, it brings the ‘down home’ feeling, which I seem to crave. The album seems to bring a variety of styles – from a smidgen of bluegrass, to rockabilly, to mainstream country, and everything in between.

Highlights: “If I die young”, “all your life”, “postcard from Paris”, “independence”, “walk me down the middle”, “quittin’ you”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Okay, so that’s the top 10. You’re probably thinking, “huh? No Sheryl Crow? No Heart? No Kid Rock or Willie Nelson? Indigo Girls? Michelle Branch? Mary Gauthier?”

As I said at the beginning, the releases from many of my favorite artists were a bit dull. That’s the case here. However, they’re all coming – just not in the Top 10.

So, let’s continue.

11. Rhonda Vincent - Taken

“He doesn’t know that everything is changed. He still says he loves me, but now he looks away. And more than that, he says less & less each day. He’s telling me goodbye a little at a time. I can see it in his eyes, feel it in his touch. I hear it in his voice, but he don’t say much. In the quiet moments after we make love he’s telling me goodbye a little at a time.” – A Little At A Time

I was so close to putting this one in the Top 10, but just couldn’t find a place for it. Usually, the greatest thing about bluegrass music is the instrumentation – banjos, fiddles, mandolins, dobros, harmonicas, etc. What makes Rhonda’s music so great is that she has the wonderful voice to go nicely with it. With Taken, Rhonda offers up a few well-known covers into the mix. She does wonderful versions of “Back on my mind” and “Tonight my baby’s coming home”. As great as the up-tempo bluegrass tunes are, Rhonda really shines on the slower ballads, like “A little at a time”, “taken” and “Songs of a whiporwill”.

Highlights: “a little at a time”, “In the garden by the fountain”, “back on my mind”, and “when the bloom is off the rose”

12. Blake Shelton – All About Tonight

“Hey Baby, I just asked your daddy if I could take your hand. He said ‘Boy, over my dead body’, guess I ain’t his kind of man. But I love you and you love me, so baby I’ve got a plan. We’ll push my truck off the Red Top bridge right below the Jackson Dam. And they’ll be dragging the river, catching nothing but an old catfish. They’ll be dragging the river, that’ll show that son of a bitch.” – Dragging the river

Another short EP (I’m still divided on the concept of the EP), but it’s seven pretty darn good songs. When you add in the fiancee (Miranda Lambert) for a duet and some backing vocals, that makes it even better. And how about the great cover of the Dan Seals hit, “addicted”? That’s a great song for Blake to bring back into the limelight.

Highlights: “draggin’ the river”, “all about tonight”, “who are you when I’m not looking”, “addicted” and “that thing we do”

13. Rodney Hayden – Tavern of Poets

“Dark clouds move across the night sky. Shadows dancin’ on my wall. Never thought I’d walk a rope this tight, feeling like I’m about fall, ‘cause you… just went away. I’m waitin’ on the pain. Waitin’ on this sky to explode. Waitin’ on this bridge to catch fire. Waitin’ on this road I’ve known’s a dead end, like all your desires, ‘cause you used to love me that way and I still love you that way. And we swore that it’d never change, but you broke your promise to me. I’m waitin’ on the pain. ” - Waiting on the Pain

As the title might indicate, this album is full of great bar laments. Pain, rain, lost love, and lonely nights seem to make for a great album. I’d describe Rodney’s sound as “updated cowboy”. There’s a nice acoustic guitar, with traces of mandolin, accordion, and steel guitar sound mixed in.

Highlights: “waiting on the pain”, “Last train to Rome”, “too many highs”, and “it’s just the rain”

14. Merle Haggard – I Am What I Am

“how did you find me? And how did you know I’d be here in this hole in the ground? I can’t even see out over the edge, looking up from all the way down. I thought I’d been left here to die, when I saw your face appear. What a surprise. How did you find me here? I thought I could do it, all of it, all by myself. I thought I could win every round. Then I hit rock bottom, and the blues – I’ve got ‘em. Lifted me out of my fear. How did you find me here?” - How did you find me here?

Some good old country, simple instrumentation, and a bit of Western Swing - That’s been the standard that Merle set many decades ago. He hasn’t veered from that formula, and that’s what makes his music so great. And how can you not love a good “train” song?

Highlights: “I’ve seen it go away”, “Old tanker train”, “how did you find me here”, “bad actor”

15. Indigo Girls – Staring Down the Brilliant Dream

“I went to the doctor. I went to the mountains. I looked to the children and I drank from the fountains. There’s more than one answer to these questions, pointing me in a crooked line. The less I seek my source for something definitive, the closer I am to fine. Closer I am to fine.” – Closer to fine

It’s always a treat to hear Emily & Amy singing in a live setting. This two-disc set is a compilation of live performances ranging from 2006-2009. It’s great to hear some of my favorites sung live, like “Closer to fine”, “Cold beer & remote control” and “wild horses”. And the album even gets better with the addition of Brandi Carlile on “Don’t think twice, it’s alright”.

Highlights: it’s a compilation of some of their favorites, so how can you choose?

16. Michelle Branch – everything comes & goes EP (6 songs)

“Well you walked in and knocked me right out of my seat. How could a pretty little boy make such a fool out of me. You’d better run for cover, you’d better get on your knees. You’d better think about it, then turn around & leave. I’m ready to let you go. I’m reaching for something that I can’t hold. I’m tired of feeling low. I’m getting ready to let you go.” - Ready to let you go

Michelle basically picks up where The Wreckers (her duo with Jessica Harp) leaves off. It’s an enjoyable 6-song set of a country-ish Michelle music. The drawback is that it’s only a 6-song EP. I’d really like much more.

Highlights: “ready to let you go”, “sooner or later” and “summertime”

17. David Ball – Sparkle City

“what’ll I do if I don’t have you? How will I find my way? How will I know which way to go? Oh, I’m begging you to stay. I’d be lost in this old town without your love when the sun goes down. What will I do if I don’t have you? How will I find my way?” – What’ll I Do If I Don’t Have You

I categorize David Ball as kind of a Willie Nelson type: a singer/songwriter who consistently makes great, simple music. With David, you even get a bit variety in styles. There’s the cowboy/western, swing, slight contemporary, and even a bit of Mexican flavor at times as well.

Highlights: “What’ll I do if I don’t have you”, “hot water pipe”, “smiling in the morning”, and “Tulsa”

18. Hey Romeo – that’s what I am

“I’m not a floor you can walk on. I’m not a car you can drive. I’m not a trophy for winning, and I’m not a ladder to climb. I know you’re looking for something. I think there’s something you missed. I’m also looking for something, something better than this. I am a walking, talking, breathing person, living with a need for no more hurting. Looking for a better plan, hey that’s what I am.” – that’s what I am

My introduction to the music of this Canadian trio came a few months ago when their PR people notified me at the radio station of their latest single release. (yes, sometimes being in radio has its perks!) I was immediately drawn to their more countrified sound, even though it has quite a bit of mainstream country in it. As usual, it seems to be the harmonies and instrumentation that draws me in.

Highlights: “That’s what I am”, “searchin’ for you”, “he still calls me baby” and “can’t wait to see the rest”

19. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat the Devil’s Tattoo

“I'd never known her to cry, But this time is different for sure. She's shaking with tears in her eyes as she picks up what's left of the night. The hope for a reason seemed pure as we leave what's left on the wall. But oh, how it's taken its toll.” – The Toll

Don’t even ask me why I like this group because I honestly have no clue. It’s usually not the style of music that I enjoy. I think maybe it’s because they have kind of a unique sound and it’s not very bombastic. It sounds a bit gothic. I can thank CSI’s Marg Helgenberger for introducing me to BRMC’s music. She mentioned in an interview a few years ago that she was a fan and a friend of the group, so of course, I had to check it out. I’m definitely glad that I did. I’ve enjoyed their music ever since.

Highlights: “beat the devil’s tattoo”, “bad blood”, “sweet feeling” and “the toll”

20. Clay Walker – she won’t be lonely long

“I've nowhere to go if I wanna get down. All the usual suspects are hanging around. But after a round or two it was just a another day again. For a minute or two I'll get you off of my mind. But you keep coming back to me every time. Where do I go to get over the fact That you got on a plane and you ain't coming back? I said what I said and you did what you had to do. Where does a man have to go to get over the truth? Where do I go from you?” – Where Do I Go From You

It seems like a long time since there’s been a release from Clay Walker, but it’s actually only been three years since “fall” was released. It seems to be worth the wait, no matter how long it’s been. I never realized how much I missed his music until I listened to this album for the first time. Clay’s music seems as alive & fresh as when he first started out. I was pleasantly surprised at his cover of “Feels so right”, in which Alabama’s Randy Owen makes an appearance as well.

Highlights: “like we never said goodbye”, “where do I go from you”, “double shot of John Wayne”, and “All American”

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Top 20 not enough for you? Well, let’s continue on then.

21. Chatham Co Line - Wildwood

“ Sweet Marie, I can hardly wait, back when I thought you were my fate. But a diamond told you to walk that aisle, even though it could have been, could have been my style. She said ‘come see me when the crop comes in’ (When the water is high, you can’t afford to spin) But I’m high on the cotton and the dress is fine. (I wouldn’t spend it all if you could be mine.) – Crop Comes In

Don’t mistake this North Carolina group as just being a bluegrass band because there’s certainly a lot of Americana in the wonderful music they bring to life. ‘Wildwood’ is their fifth studio release and it’s the first they've self-produced. The music mixes banjo, fiddle, mandolin and harmonica with great harmonies. Add a great mix of stories and melodies, and you’ve got something that is starting to resemble the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Highlights: “Saturdays and Sundays”, “crop comes in”, “wildwood” and “end of the line”

22. Sarah McLachlan – Laws Of Illusion

“loving you is easy. Loving you is wondrous and pure. I shout it from the rooftops. How long must I wait till I see your smile.Might of been the moonlight, Caught up in the sparkle in your eyes. So we gotta know I should go slow, But its not in me to wait” – Loving you is easy

after listening to a lot of country, bluegrass, and a bit of pop, it’s always refreshing to take a journey with Sarah’s mellow, piano-driven songs. Some of them usually have an ethereal mystique about them.

Highlights: “loving you is easy”, “rivers of love”, and “heartbreak”

23. Willie Nelson – Country Music

“Come listen, you fellas, so young and so fine. Seek not your fortune in the dark, dreary mine. It’ll form as a habit & seep in your soul. ‘Til the stream of your blood is as black as the coal. It’s dark as a dungeon & damp as the dew. The danger is doubled, the pleasures are few. Where the rain never falls, the sun never shines. It’s dark as a dungeon way down in the mine.” – Dark As A Dungeon

If there’s one certainty in music, it’s that each year there’s going to be at least one album released by Willie Nelson. Willie’s latest release is as simple as the album’s title, “Country Music”. That’s also where Willie is at his best, making simple country music, including covers of some of the country greats, like “dark as a dungeon”, “my baby’s gone”, and “satisfied mind”. It’s simply, just Willie.

Highlights: “Dark as a dungeon”, “my baby’s gone”, “Pistol packin’ mama”, “man with the blues”

24. Sheryl Crow – 100 Miles From Memphis

“I called you on the phone. It seems like you're never home but I know. It's not that you don't care. I think it's that you're scared to let go. Don't have to tell me twice. I've made the sacrifice to hold on. I could be out instead. You're playing with my head and that's wrong. Don't you know that I love you? And there ain't no one above you. Don't know why you keep holding back. Baby, don't you know that While you're hesitating, Baby our love is fading. But you keep me hanging on.” – Our Love Is Fading

It seems that every Sheryl Crow album is an adventure. Her albums never seem to sound the same. With this latest effort, Sheryl is going back to more of her roots. Her hometown, Kennett, is located in the bootheel of Missouri – just 100 miles from Memphis (thus the title). So, she incorporated the Memphis sound into her latest collection of songs. It’s nice to have a different sound from Sheryl, but I really miss the days of “The Globe Sessions” and “Sheryl Crow” albums.

Highlights: “our love is fading”, “long road home”, “say what you want”, and “I want you back”

25. Mary Gauthier – The Foundling

“I shook my fist at my father's rage. I cursed my mother's sadness. Whatever home I tried to call my own, Washed in to that river of madness. The raging surge the stagnant mire, Taste of bread embittered. Disconnected highway lines, Where souls like ours lay livid. Passing through I'm passing through. I might be gone tomorrow. Wild and worn I'm hanging on To another day borrowed. It's another day borrowed.” – Another Day Borrowed

Mary’s 13-song offering (three are less than a minute in length) is an autobiographical look at her childhood as an adoptee and her adulthood search for her real mother, complete with two short musical interludes. The music is filled with sadness and longing, with the music itself being subdued and languid in a forlorn setting. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any happiness on the horizon, even through to the very end. While it might seem cathartic for Mary to get her musical story told, it’s quite a depressing journey for the listener to take a ride on.

Highlights: “the orphan king” and “another day borrowed”

26. Heart – Red Velvet Car

“I watched him go to the wind. I close my eyes. Goodbye, goodbye my friend yeah. A trick of light upon our eyes. A trick of time upon our lives. Ancient songs cry out to you. And surely this sweet sand is slipping through. Slipping through the glass of time. Surely this sweet sand will run on by and by. And while the days come down to you. You are just a traveler passing through.” – Sand

No matter how many times I listen to this album, I just really can’t get into it, which is quite unusual because I usually love Ann & Nancy’s music. This collection of songs just seems different, but I’m not sure why. It’s Nancy’s turn on lead vocals (too few & far between) that always seem to perk up my ears. For this album, that’s “hey you”, which is kind of a “na na na na” song, and “sunflower”. Another saving grace for this album is the inclusion of “Sand” to conclude the collection. I love when they do this song. It always seems so pure, no matter how many versions they do of it.

Highlights: “Hey you”, “Safronias Mark”, “sunflower” and “sand”.

27. Goldfrapp – Head First

“starting something, thought it could be fun. I started something, couldn't go wrong. Danger, heartache, I'd always knew there's no winner, in this game you lose. But I still wanna know how she got in the door uninvited. oo-ooh i got a rocket. oo-ooh you're going on it. oo-ooh you're never coming back.” - Rocket

I’m not usually one for mindless, dancey pop tunes, but with this album, I just can’t help but tap my toes and don’t even think about hitting the ‘skip’ button as I usually would for this kind of music. I’ve finally found some dancey pop tunes that actually have some depth to them. Miracles do happen, I guess.

Highlights: “Rocket”, “alive”, “head first” and “I wanna a life”

28. Kid Rock – Born Free

“The concrete and steel stand strong against the wind, With the memories of what was and what has been. The sounds of sweet soul music and blue-collar blues. There were 17 colors for a Chevy all red white and blue. I heard them say that you can't save that town, But I won't leave, I will stand my ground. And it's times like these we can't replace” – Times Like These

The biggest saving grace for the Kid’s latest release is his guests – Martina McBride (is that really her voice?), Sheryl Crow, Bob Seger, and the Zac Brown Band. This album is much different from his previous offerings. I like the more country feel to the album, however a number of the songs seem to be a bit subpar. “Collide” is his third song with Sheryl Crow, but their first collaboration “Picture” is still far & above anything they’ve done since then, although “Collide” really isn’t too bad. The collaboration with the Zac Brown Band is probably the best thing on the album, as their voices blend well.

Highlights: “born free”, “collide”, “flyin’ high”, “times like these” and “when it rains”

29. Little Big Town – the reason why

“I hope you’re happy now I am wide awake. Now I gotta deal with every ounce of this heartache. Why your moving on I’m stuck in this place. It’s all your fault so shut up train. Every time the front door shakes, Every time I hear the breaks, And that long whistle cryin through the night, I’m reminded of the way I feel. Just like that cold black steel gettin crushed by your wheels tonight. I can’t take no more pain so shut up train.” – Shut Up Train

Great harmonies. It gets me sucked in every time. It doesn’t really matter that their songs have become a bit more mainstream than their early songs, the melodies & harmonies overshadow that bit of annoyance. I also like the fact that they take turns on lead vocals. It brings more of a variety to the music.

Highlights: “kiss goodbye”, “shut up train”, “you can’t have everything”, and “all the way down”

30. Alan Jackson – freight train

“The love you thought was dead and gone Somehow keeps on hanging on. Even when your heart has left it far behind, Just when you have turned the page. It seems to find a way. There it is again, Every now and then. And every now and then that old feeling comes around. Every now and then I see your face in another cloud. And every now and then some old something takes me right back again. Every now and then.” – Every Now & Then

I’ll admit, I have not been a really big fan of Alan throughout the years, but he seems to consistently put out songs that I enjoy listening to. He’s able to mix enough of the classic country with an updated style of country, but not getting too mainstream pop-y like the rest of his contemporaries these days. And hey! He’s even got a train song! That brings some extra points! And then there’s the duet with LeeAnn Womack on “’Til the end”. Okay, so it’s not as great as the Vern Gosdin/Janie Fricke version, but it’s great that he can help bring some light to an old classic.

Highlights: “every now & then”, “After 17”, “freight train”, and “Til the end”

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So, that’s my Top 30 albums for 2010. How about 30 more that are worth checking out?

Kim Richey – Wreck your wheels
Highlights: “leaving 49”, “in the years to come” and “once in your life”

Chris Pureka – How I learned to see in the dark
Highlights: “barn song”, “lowlands” and “wrecking ball”

Toni Braxton – Pulse
Highlights: “hands tied”, “if I have to wait”, “lookin’ at me” and “hero”

Teea Goans – the way I remember it
Highlights: “lying in my arms”, “walk out backwards” and “letter from God”

Elizabeth Cook – Welder
Highlights: “girlfriend tonight”, “mama’s funeral”, “snake in the bed” and “I’ll never know”

Hank Williams III – The Rebel Within
Highlights: “rebel within”, “lookin’ for a mountain”, drinkin’ ain’t hard to do” and “lost in Oklahoma”

Kenny Chesney – Hemingway’s Whiskey
Highlights: “the boys of fall”, “you and tequila” and “round and round”

Flynnville Train – Redemption
Highlights: “preachin’ to the choir”, “33 steps”, “friend of sinners” and “the one you love”

Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez – the New Bye & Bye
Highlights: the songs from “red dog tracks” – “Keep your hat on, Jenny” and “must be the whiskey”.

Shelby Lynne – Tears, Lies & Alibis
Highlights: “rains came”, “why didn’t you call me” and “old dog”

Jewel – Sweet & Wild
Highlights: “no good in goodbye”, “I love you forever”, “fading” and “stay here forever”

Catherine Britt – self titled
Highlights: “I want you back”, “down”, “anywhere you are” and “call you back town”

Keith Urban – Get Closer
Highlights: “you gonna fly”, “without you” and “right on back to you”

Jakob Dylan – Women & Country
Highlights: “nothin’ but the whole wide world”, “everybody’s hurting”, and “truth for a truth”

Matt Kennon – self titled
Highlights: “drive it like you stole it”, “the call”, “the man I used to be”, and “some people piss me off”

Reba – All The Women I Am
Highlights: “the bridge you burn”, “when love gets a hold of you”, and “the day she got divorced”

Band of Horses – Infinite arms
Highlights: “factory”, “evening kitchen” and “older”

Patty Griffin – Downtown Church
Highlights: “little fire” (with Emmylou Harris), “move up” (with Ann & Regina McCrary & Jim Lauderdale)

Gary Allan – Get Off On The Pain
Highlights: “get off on the pain”, “kiss me when I’m down”, and “today”

Brother Dege – Folk Songs of the American Longhair
Highlights: “the battle of New Orleans”, “dead and gone” and “old angel midnight”

Dale Watson – Carryin’ On
Highlights: “carryin’ on this way”, “flowers in your hair”, “how to break your own heart” and “hello, I’m an old country song”

Elvis Costello – National Ransom
Highlights: “national ransom”, “I lost you”, “Dr Watson, I presume”, and “a voice in the dark”

1st aid kit – The Big Black & The Blue
Highlights: “hard believer”, “Josefin”, “I met up with the King”, and “all my trials”

Hudson Ridge – On The Right Track
Highlights: “lucky one”, “forever and for always”, “if I could only win your love”, and “the boxer”

The Webb Sisters - Savages
Highlights: “calling this a life”, “savages”, “burn”, and “in your Father’s eyes”

The McClymonts – Wrapped Up Good
Highlights: “kick it up”, “boy who cried love”, “take it back”, “I’m not done with you just yet” and “I could be a cowboy”

Lifehouse – Smoke & Mirrors
Highlights: “all in”, “had enough”, “it is what it is”, and “here tomorrow, gone today”

Josh Turner – Haywire
Highlights: “I wouldn’t be a man”, “all over me” and “I’ll be there”

Julianna Hatfield – Peace and Love
Highlights: “peace and love”, “the end of the war”, “faith in our friends” and “dear anonymous”

Amy Grant – Somewhere down the road
Highlights: “better than hallelujah”, “what is the chance of that” and “somewhere down the road”

Last but not least, I need to add one from 2009 that I didn’t find until a few months ago:

Alison Pipitone – Me & Miss Grimes (2009)

“The walls don’t talk, the paint don’t talk, the floor don’t talk. But the bricks talk, the bricks talk, the bricks talk. they told the trees, all the trees down the block. the sidewalks talk, the telephone pole shoots it down the line and the birds on the wire fly away like their wings are on fire. they sing out everything, mother mary, oh, how they sing. they all told me, they all told me you lied. – The Walls Don’t Talk

Even though I have a bunch of Alison’s previous albums, I somehow didn’t realize that she released an album last year. That’s a shame, because I was deprived of some great music for a whole year. Thankfully that was rectified, and I’ve been able to enjoy more of Alison’s gritty voice and interesting stories. She can go from introspective & contemplative to rip-rockin’ and everything in between. This has turned out to be my second favorite AP album, right behind the raw/acoustic “I’ll ask her”.

Highlights: “Hello is not the word”, “the walls don’t talk”, and “when down comes tumbling down”

Lucinda Williams Sets March Release

2010-12-08T16:09:00.000-06:00

Lucinda Williams is getting ready for the release of her upcoming album, Blessed. The album is scheduled for a March 1, 2011 release on Lost Highway. The album will have 12 songs, and Lucinda paired with Grammy Award-winning producer Don Was, and co-producers Eric Liljestrand and Tom Overby.

Elvis Costello was recruited to play guitar on the track “Seeing Black.” There will also be appearances on the album from Rami Jaffe on keyboards, and Matthew Sweet on vocals. The album will also contain a new version of Kiss Like Your Kiss, which originally appeared on the True Blood: Music From The HBO Original Series – Volume 2 soundtrack - a song that was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Lucinda, a three-time Grammy winner, will also release a deluxe edition of Blessed with bonus material titled The Kitchen Tapes.

The Grascals & Friends Coming To Cracker Barrel

2010-12-06T16:09:00.000-06:00

The next cd in the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store exclusive music program will feature some of the biggest names in country music joining up with one of the most beloved bands on today's bluegrass scene, The Grascals. The album is, "The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin". It has 13 country songs that are well known, but you probably haven't heard them in this way. The Grascals bring their own bluegrass style to the tunes and bring the different tracks to life with eight of their friends, including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels and Dolly Parton. The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin will be available on January 10th, 2011, exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations.

There is a bonus track on the album, "I Am Strong," that was written by Grascals band member Jamie Johnson and his wife Susanne Mumpower-Johnson along with Jenee Fleenor after The Grascals visited the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®. In honor of the children and the song, Cracker Barrel is donating a percentage of the proceeds from the CD to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Here's the track list for "The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin":

Tiger By The Tail (with Brad Paisley)
Folsom Prison Blues (with Dierks Bentley)
Pain of Lovin' You (with Dolly Parton)
I Am Strong (with Dolly Parton)
Louisiana Saturday Night
The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (with Tom T. Hall)
White Lightning (with Darryl Worley)
The Devil Went Down To Georgia (with Charlie Daniels)
Leavin' Louisiana In Broad Daylight (with The Oak Ridge Boys)
Mr. Bojangles (with Joe Nichols)
Hank Williams Jr. Medley-Born To Boogie / All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over Tonight
Cracker Barrel Swing (Instrumental)
I Am Strong (Bonus Track) Featuring guest appearances by Dolly Parton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Darryl Worley, Charlie Daniels, Terri Clark, Randy Owen, Steven Seagal, Tom T. Hall, Joe Nichols and Ansley McLaurin

KENNY ROGERS RELEASES CHRISTMAS LIVE

2010-11-23T14:56:00.000-06:00

Nashville, TN – It’s that time of year again…and that means Kenny Rogers is gearing up to celebrate the holidays, once again, on his Christmas & Hits Tour – now a holiday tradition – coming to a city near you soon…plus this holiday season brings the release of Kenny’s first-ever live Christmas recording, Christmas Live.

Featuring such favorites as “Silent Night,” “Mary, Did You Know,” “My Favorite Things,” “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” “Away In A Manger / O Holy Night,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “We Three Kings/The Little Drummer Boy,” “‘Til The Season Comes Around Again, and “The Chosen One/Joy To The World,” the album truly captures the essence of his live holiday performances so that you and yours can enjoy these special musical moments wherever you happen to be and whenever you’d like.

Available for pre-order now via www.kennyrogers.com and at Kenny’s Christmas & Hits shows on the road beginning November 26th, Christmas Live makes the perfect gift or stocking stuffer.

Listen for "The Chosen One/Joy To The World" on a radio station near you!

2010 Christmas & Hits Tour
11/26 - Bossier City, LA
11/27 - Biloxi, MS
11/28 - Anderson, SC
12/2 - London, ON CAN
12/3 - Toronto, ON CAN
12/4 - Quebec, QC CAN
12/6 - Ottawa, ON CAN
12/7 - Greensburg, PA
12/8 - Verona, NY
12/9 - Morristown, NJ
12/10 - Glens Falls, NY
12/11 - Atlantic City, NJ
12/12 - Mashantucket, CT
12/14 - Binghamton, NY
12/16 - Detroit, MI
12/18 - Lynn, MA
12/19 - North Bethesda, MD
12/20 - Reading, PA
12/21 - Virginia Beach, VA
12/22 - Westbury, NY

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Signs with New Frontier Touring

2010-11-23T14:06:00.000-06:00

Nashville, TN – New Frontier Touring is thrilled to announce the signing of multiple Grammy and CMA award-winning artist Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to their roster for exclusive worldwide representation!

“Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and their music epitomizes what the New Frontier Touring roster is all about,” said agency prez Paul Lohr. “We are honored to be entrusted with their tour guidance, and continuing their decades of success. We look forward to working with the Dirt Band and riding with them “to Infinity and Beyond!”

Immortalized for their “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” recordings and iconic hits such as “Mr. Bojangles” and “Fishin’ In the Dark,” Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are country-rock pioneers, country-radio hit makers and modern-day standard bearers for the Americana scene. They continue to release new, vibrant and relevant music in their on-going, legendary career

Jennings To Be Honored With Tribute Collection

2010-11-22T17:24:00.000-06:00

Late country music icon Waylon Jennings will be honored with a deluxe tribute compilation on February 8, as Scatter Records and the Big Machine Label Group team up to release The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated To Waylon Jennings, Vol. 1. Distribution and promotion will be handled by The Valory Music Co.

The star-studded tribute is part of a three volume project featuring some of country music’s best performing Jennings’ songs, including Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, Trace Adkins, Patty Griffin, and Sunny Sweeney. The lead single from Vol. 1 is “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,” which supergroup Alabama reunited to record. The single goes for adds Dec. 13.

The project was conceived in 2007 by Scatter Records founder Witt Stewart, who contacted Jennings’ widow Jessi Colter with the idea. Colter also appears on the tribute, dueting with Sunny Sweeney on “Good Hearted Woman.” Colter and Jennings’ son Shooter pays tribute as well, performing “Belle of the Ball” for Vol. 1. Every performance on the collection earned Jessi and Shooter’s blessing.

“There have been several tribute albums made in my father’s honor, all of which were great tributes to his legacy. But this one has been a true passion project for a lot of artists and friends who truly wanted to remember and give back to the wonderful man he was,” says Shooter. “In the years since my dad passed away, I’ve grown as an artist and I feel this is the first time I’ve been able to give back truly to the man who inspired, influenced and nurtured me and my musical passion.”

Volumes 2 and 3 are due to be released later in 2011.

Vol. 1 tracklist:

1. This Time – Jamey Johnson
2. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way – Alabama
3. I’m A Ramblin’ Man – Randy Houser
4. Belle of the Ball – Shooter Jennings
5. Good Hearted Woman – Sunny Sweeney and Jessi Colter
6. Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out Of Hand – James Otto
7. Just To Satisfy You – John Hiatt w Waylon Jennings
8. Rose In Paradise – Kris Kristofferson and Patty Griffin
9. You Ask Me To – Trace Adkins
10. Go Down Rockin’ – Waylon Jennings

(Bonus Track)
The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want To Get Over You) – Chanel Campbell

Brett Eldredge - Raymond

2010-11-03T20:17:00.000-05:00

There are certain songs that tug at your heart strings and don't want to let go. Like Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss with "Whiskey Lullaby", Martina McBride's "Independence Day", or Alan Jackson & Patty Loveless singing together on "Monday Morning Church". "They make you teary-eyed, or get you to say "wow".

I heard Brett Eldredge's single, "Raymond", earlier today and felt the tug on the old heart strings. It may have to do with the fact that I can relate to the Alzheimer's Disease story in the lyrics. I had to watch my Grandmother waste away from that disease. This song reminds me how she wouldn't remember much of recent events, but if you went back 20 years or more and talked about those events, she was quite coherent.

Take a listen to "Raymond":

I work down at Ashberry Hills
Minimum wage, but it pays the bills
Cleaning floors and leading hymns on Sunday

Katherine Davis, room 303
Sweetest soul you ever could meet
I bring her morning coffee everyday

She calls me Raymond
She thinks I'm her son
Tells me get washed up for supper
before your daddy gets home
She goes on about the weather
how she can't believe it's already 1943
She calls me Raymond, and that's all right by me

She talks about clothes on the line in the summer air
Christmas morning and Thanksgiving prayer
Stories of a family that I never had
Sometimes I find myself wishing I'd been there

When she calls me Raymond
She thinks I'm her son
Tells me get washed up for supper
before your daddy gets home
She goes on about the weather
how she can't believe it's already 1943
She calls me Raymond, and that's all right by me

There's a small white cross in Arlington
Reads Raymond Davis '71
Until she can see his face again
I'm gonna fill in the best I can

When she calls me Raymond
She thinks I'm her son
Tells me get washed up for supper
before your daddy gets home
She goes on about the weather
how she can't believe it's already 1943
She calls me Raymond, and that's all right by me
She calls me Raymond, and that's all right by me

Be sure to stop by Brett's website and check out his music, videos & more: BrettEldredge.com

Hank Williams

2010-11-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

Today at the station, I received a sampler of Hank Williams: The Complete Mother's Best Recordings, a 16-disc collector's box set released by Time Life.

Here are a few previews:

Where the Old Red River flows:

Nobody's lonesome for me:

Audrey Williams & The Drifting Cowboys: I like that kind

Check out the Time Life website to order the collection: Hank Williams The Complete Mother's Best

Don Williams

2010-10-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

Country music legend, Don Williams, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday evening.

"What's the score" is a song that was recorded for Don's last major label release on Capitol Records, Prime Cuts, in 1989. A greatest hits package was re-mastered in 2004 which contained two new not-previously-released recordings. They were "Old Coyote Town", and "What's The Score", which was co-written by Buddy Cannon. This song was intended to be a single release, but it never made it out as a radio single due to Don's departure from the record label and a changing of the guard at Capitol.

Take a listen to the Gentle Giant’s song, “what's the score”.

Warner Bros. Records releases songwriter demos

2010-10-19T21:08:00.001-05:00

Warner Brothers Records is releasing the original songwriter demos to some of country music’s biggest hits. Some of Nashville’s best songwriters are represented in the two-volume series. And the CD/digital booklet for the Demos contains the stories behind each hit as told by the writers.

It is available online at www.originalsongwriterdemos.com as well as at all digital retailers.

Track listing for the Original Songwriter Demos:

Volume 1
1. The Dance – Garth Brooks (Tony Arata)
2. Strawberry Wine – Deana Carter (Matraca Berg, Gary Harrison)
3. Something Like That – Tim McGraw (Rick Ferrell, Keith Follese)
4. Independence Day – Martina McBride (Gretchen Peters)
5. Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts (Jeff Hanna, Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd)
6. It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere – Alan Jackson (Jim Brown, Donald Rollins)
7. She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy – Kenny Chesney (Jim Collins, Paul Overstreet)
8. I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack (Mark Sanders, Tia Sillers)
9. Amazed – Lonestar (Marv Green, Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo)
10. The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert (Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin)

Volume 2

1. Check Yes Or No – George Strait (Dana Hunt, Danny Wells)
2. If Tomorrow Never Comes – Garth Brooks (Kent Blazy, Garth Brooks)
3. It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Stephony Smith)
4. If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Adkins (Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate)
5. I Swear – John Michael Montgomery (Gary Baker, Frank Myers)
6. How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes (Diane Warren)
7. Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You – Brooks & Dunn (Rivers Rutherford, Tom Shapiro)
8. Every Day – Rascal Flatts (Alissa Moreno, Jeffrey Steele)
9. How Forever Feels – Kenny Chesney (Wendell Mobley, Tony Mullins)
10. Jesus Take the Wheel – Carrie Underwood (Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, Brett James)

Beth Hart - My California

2010-10-19T17:11:00.000-05:00

The new Beth Hart album, My California, has been released.

On first listen, I found this album to be much better than her previous release. On second listen, I realized this was a very good compilation of songs. It's a bit different than her previous releases as the music is not as raw, gritty or loud, but yet her voice is still very powerful. It's a wonderful change.

"Sister Heroine" was written for Beth's sister, Sharon, who died at the age of 32. "Heroine" (with the 'e' on the end) refers to being a female hero and not the drug, heroin. It's a wonderful song with great melody and interesting lyrics. The song has become my favorite so far this year.

Check out a few of the songs from this album:

My California:

Bad love is good enough:

Sister Heroine:

Coal Miner's Daughter - the tribute version

2010-10-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

What began as a ho-hum day turned bright very quickly when I arrived at the radio station and saw that a bunch of new singles had arrived. One of them caught my eye very quickly. It's a new version of Loretta Lynn's classic, Coal Miner's Daughter, which features Loretta along with Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow.

Now I know, some of you are saying "how does Sheryl fit into that group?" Well, Sheryl is a bit of a Southern girl herself, growing up in the bootheel of Missouri. It's interesting to hear how much her southern "twang" emerges when singing with the likes of Loretta & Miranda on this one.

Take a listen:

"Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn" will be released on November 9th. It includes Loretta songs done by Gretchen Wilson, LeeAnn Womack, The White Stripes, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson & Martina McBride (I really want to hear THAT one!), Faith Hill, Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, Reba McEntire, Kid Rock and more. See it here at Amazon

By the way: If you haven't heard Sheryl do some 'twang' previously, take a listen to her remake of the Carter Family classic, No Depression in Heaven:

New releases

2010-09-27T18:12:00.000-05:00

I received a couple new-ish albums at the station today.

Jadi Norris' "Make Hay" was released a few months ago.

This is Jadi Norris' debut album. It features the patriotic song, "Hail the American Soldier". Jadi's style is a bit contemporary and a bit rockabilly. The album does well in mixing the rockin' & rowdy with the sweet & tender.

Take a listen to a few of the highlights -

Workin Man's Saturday Night:

Not Coming Back:

Hail the American Soldier:

She Needs Me:

Mickey Utley's "Til Our Hats Float" has been out for about a week:

Mickey may be known for his delta-blues heritage - which does come through a bit in this album - but he also brings some contemporary sound mixed with a little bit of twang. We get to hear a smidgen of fiddle, pedal steel, and even *gasp* a cowbell?! It was nice to see some familiar names in the credits of this album, including Eddie Bayers, John Jarvis, & Brent Mason.

Take a listen to a few of the tracks -
What I've learned about women:

Feels like freedom:

Let's talk about us:

Happy Patsy Cline Day!

2010-09-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

The incomparable Patsy Cline was born on this day in 1931.

She was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Winchester, Virginia. Patsy only recorded four albums before the plane crash that claimed her life in 1963, but her music legacy has spanned many generations.

Take a listen to some of her songs:

Yes, I understand:

A church, a courtroom and then goodbye:

Crazy Dreams:

I Fall to Pieces:

Three cigarettes in an ashtray:

Sweet Dreams:

I don't wanna:

The Spotlight is on... Patty Loveless

2010-09-06T11:58:00.007-05:00

Patty Loveless is the epitome of a music artist who has the respect of her peers and other industry professionals, gets raves from music critics, yet isn’t a superstar. Patty was part of a new wave of female country singers, including Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, & Wynonna, who enjoyed success in the late 80s & early 90s.

Patty Loveless emerged on the Country Music scene in the mid-80s with her first album, a self-titled project for MCA Records. The first single released was "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights", reaching #46 on the Billboard country charts. “I did”, “Wicked Ways” and “After All” were also released as singles, but none charted very well. “After All” was my first introduction to Patty and her wonderful voice.

“After All”

Patty’s second album, “If my heart had windows”, was released in January of 1988, and included two songs that charted in the Top 10 – the title track and “a little bit in love”.

Another album, “Honky Tonk Angels” was released in October of the same year. This album garnered Patty more success, with five singles reaching the Top 10, including two in the top spot – “Chains” and “Timber, I’m falling in love”. “Don’t toss us away” reached the #5 position on the charts and featured Rodney Crowell on background vocals. “The lonely side of love” peaked at #6. “Don’t toss us away” was one of my favorites. There was also a video for it.

“Don’t toss us away”

In 1990, “On down the line” brought Patty success with “I’m that kind of girl”, “blue side of love”, and the title track. A year later came the album, “Up against my heart”, and included the hits “Jealous bone” and “hurt me bad (in a real good way)”.

By the end of 1992, Patty had left MCA Records and signed with Epic. At this point, she was also suffering through throat problems and eventually had surgery. She was back in the studio in 1993 and released “Only what I feel” in April of that year. “Blame it on your heart” brought her immediate success with a climb to the top spot on the singles chart. “How can I help you say goodbye” also brought success, including CMA nominations for single & video of the year. The song & video is also another of my favorites.

“How can I help you say goodbye”

The follow-up to “Only what I feel” was “When fallen angels fly”, released in August of 1994, and brought Patty top honors as CMA’s Album of the Year. The album also produced four Top 10 singles – “I try to think about Elvis”, “Here I am”, “You don’t even know who I am” and “halfway down”.

“Here I Am”

“You don’t even know who I am”

“The trouble with the truth” was Patty’s third release for Epic Records. This time there were five notable singles – “you can feel bad”, “a thousand times a day”, “lonely too long”, “she drew a broken heart”, and the title track. Her increasing music success and popularity brought her Female Vocalist honors from both the CMA and ACM.

“A thousand times a day”

However, it seemed that her popularity and chart success could not keep pace with the barrage of country artists that kept emerging in the genre and seemed more flashy.

September of 1997 saw the release of Patty’s “Long stretch of lonesome”. It managed to reach #9 on the album chart, however none of the singles, including “you don’t seem to miss me” (which featured a duet with George Jones) and “to have you back again”, made it to the Top 10. “Strong Heart” was her first album in the new decade, released in August of 2000, but the results were much the same as the previous album. Singles like “that’s the kind of mood I’m in” and “the last thing on my mind” garnered little success, however, the album did reach #13 on the charts.

“You don’t seem to miss me”

It was at this point that Patty decided to follow her heart and not worry about commercial success. She went back to her roots and emerged with the bluegrass album, “Mountain Soul”, which was released in 2001. The album garnered much critical success and decent sales despite the lack of radio support. This album is amongst my all-time favorites.

“Boys are back in town”

“pretty little miss”

“You’ll never leave Harlan alive”

A bluegrass Christmas album, “Bluegrass and White Snow: A Mountain Christmas” followed in 2002.

Patty returned to a more commercial country sound in 2004 with “on your way home” – another album that came with much critical acclaim, but only reaching #29 on the album chart. The album featured singles like “lovin’ all night” (a Rodney Crowell tune), “I wanna believe” and the title track.

Almost two years later came “dreaming my dreams”, again reaching #29 on the album chart, but no singles charted. This ended up being the last album Patty would record for Epic Records as the label closed its Nashville division and Patty was released from her contract.

She returned to the studio in 2008, having signed a contract with Saguaro Road Records. The first project was a tribute album, “Sleepless Nights”, that featured Patty remaking some old country classics. She was rewarded with a Grammy nomination in the Best Country Album category.

“There stands the glass”

Patty’s second project on the Saguaro Road label was “Mountain Soul II”, released in late September 2009. It’s a follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2001 project. Some of the highlights included a remake of John Conlee's "Busted", as well as "Fool's thin air" and "when the last curtain falls".

Another great part of Patty's career has been her ability to provide wonderful harmony vocals, most notably with Alan Jackson on "Monday Morning Church", Vince Gill on "Pocket full of gold", and a wonderful rendition of "Go rest high on that mountain" featuring Patty with Vince Gill & Ricky Skaggs.

On April 7, 2011, Patty will be honored with induction into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.

Heart - Red Velvet Car

2010-08-30T23:34:00.002-05:00

The Wilson sisters are rockin' & rollin' again - this time in their Red Velvet Car!

Ann & Nancy Wilson, along with the rest of the aura that encompasses Heart, are back with a new album titled "Red Velvet Car". With this new release, there's a little rocking, a little lamenting, and a whole lot of great harmony. It's nothing less than one would expect from a project that includes Ann & Nancy. Oh, and did I mention the sounds of the mandolin? It warms my heart every time I hear it.

Nancy takes lead vocals on "Hey you" and "Sunflower". The album concludes with one of my favorite songs ever done by the Wilson sisters - "Sand".

Check out a few of the album highlights:

Red Velvet Car:

Hey You:

Safronias Mark:

Sand:

Be sure to put this album on your list of ones to listen to. And don't forget to check out their website: Heart-Music.com

Shannon Whitworth - Water Bound

2010-08-18T17:33:00.003-05:00

Here's a new one that's out this week from an artist I hadn't heard of previously, but enjoy the music immensely.

Shannon Whitworth's music is of the Americana/Roots variety. It's refreshing to hear the great sounds of the banjo, dobro, pedal steel, mandolin and fiddle... and the voice is pretty good too!

Check out a few of the songs:

Spring is here:

Don't Lie:

Put Me Back:

Be sure to check out Shannon's website too.
The cd is also available at Amazon.com

Georgette Jones - a slightly used woman

2010-08-18T16:38:00.003-05:00

This album has been out for a few months (released in late April), but I finally got a chance to take a listen to it.

Being the daughter of country legends Tammy Wynette & George Jones, Georgette has a huge music legacy to overcome. With this album, she doesn't shy away from that task - covering four songs from her mother's repertoire ("Slightly Used Woman", "Send Me No Roses", "I Don't Want to Play House" and "I Still Believe in Fairy Tales") and one from her dad's ("the race is on"). A highlight is a duet with her father, "you and me and time".

At times, Georgette sounds eerily like her mother, with a little less of the 'weathered hurt' that made Tammy's voice so recognizable. Georgette, however, is still able to make this album her own and not just an extension of her parents.

Take a listen to some tracks:

Leaving Yesterday:

You Don't Hear:

You and Me & Time:

I Don't Want To Play House:

We've Got Something Goin' On

2010-08-05T20:21:00.002-05:00

I got a bunch of new singles at the radio station today. One of them intrigued me greatly, not so much for the song itself, but by the people singing.

"Something Going On" is a duet with Wayne Warner & Bonnie Tyler. While I've never really heard of Wayne Warner, I've definitely heard of Bonnie Tyler (and my brain immediately starts humming "Total eclipse of the heart"). However, after the first listen of the song, I came to the realization that it's a nice little ditty of a song.

Check it out:

She's almost home

2010-07-14T18:21:00.002-05:00

Sheryl Crow's new album, 100 Miles From Memphis, is being released next week.

As has been the case for all of Sheryl's albums, this one has a little different sound than her previous releases.

For those that know of Sheryl's roots, the title of the album should be self-explanatory. Sheryl grew up in Kennett, Missouri, located in the bootheel of the state, and - oddly enough - only 100 miles from the music mecca of Memphis, Tennessee. So, of course, the music that was made there had a profound effect on her life and her music. This new album pays homage to the Memphis sound that she grew up with.

Take a listen to a few of the songs:

Eye To Eye:

Long Road Home:

Say What You Want:

Clay Walker

2010-06-13T09:03:00.002-05:00

Clay Walker is back with his tenth offering.

It's good to have him back. Clay seems to always get pushed to the sidelines by country radio in favor the barrage of today's current popp-y mainstreamers. That's quite a shame, because not only is his voice always a pleasure to listen to, but his music always seems to have a nice depth to it as well.

With this album, Keith Stegall is on board to produce most of the project, and bringing a bit of honky tonk sound back to the forefront.

A few of the songs draw on our cultural icons, like "Double Shot of John Wayne" - a nice country waltz that talks of the need to be people of integrity. Another name dropper is "Jesse James", which gives the inclination of wanting to be free.

I encourage the pop-y mainstream country fans to take a listen to this album to remember what a countrified album can be without excessive twang.

Check out some of the songs:

Where do I go from you:

Jesse James:

Double shot of John Wayne:

Seven Sundays:

All American:

Catherine Britt

2010-06-13T08:35:00.002-05:00

Catherine Britt offers a self-titled project

The Australian Country artist returns with a new album in which she wrote or co-wrote all of the songs. Catherine has gone back to her roots with this new release (both literally & figuratively), as she returned to Australia after six years in Nashville - an experience which she shares in the lyrics of "Call you back town". -- "In this counterfeit city, they don't look if you ain't pretty. And it's such a damn pity in this counterfeit city. 'Cuz they push you up just to pull you down. They pour on lies to watch you drown in this call you back town."

The greatest part of Catherine's music is her lyrical songwriting.

Here are a few songs to take a listen to:

I want you back:

I can't change a thing:

Sleepy town:

Call you back town:

Since you slipped away:

Dierks Bentley

2010-06-13T08:04:00.002-05:00

Dierks Bentley has released his new album, Up On The Ridge.

The new album brings a wonderful change of sound to the all-acoustic bluegrass and roots side of the spectrum. The change is very welcome and quite refreshing.

If the change of sound wasn't enough to get you jumping for joy (like it did for me), then maybe the nice collection of guest artists here will. Dierks rounds up assistance from The Punch Brothers, Del McCoury, and Chris Thile; featured vocals of Kris Kristofferson, as well as Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson teaming up on "Bad Angel".

The one track on this album that quite surprised me was the cover of the U2 song, "Pride (in the name of love)". I'm normally skeptical about covers of well-known songs, but with this one, the bluegrass style brings a nice change.

Take a listen to a few of the highlights from this album:

Up On The Ridge:

Senor (tales of Yankee power) with the Punch Brothers & Chris Thile:

Bad Angel (with Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson):

You're dead to me:

Pride (in the name of love):

Jewel - Sweet & Wild

2010-05-26T21:26:00.001-05:00

With Jewel’s latest release comes a bit more of a pop-y flavor, with a touch of country – including a hint of fiddle & mandolin.

While some of the melodies may be standard mainstream fare, the lyrics are all pure Jewel (even one not written by her). Thankfully, she’s able to intersperse the more pop-y flavored songs with the countrified ones to make a very nice, cohesive compilation - some being a bit sweet, some a bit on the wild side.

The combination of the ‘Sweet’ and the “Wild” here makes me think of the latest release from Laura Bell Bundy, “Achin’ and Shakin’” , where half of the album was a “heartbreak” tone and the other half was upbeat, “dancin’” tone – and it turned into a bit of a bi-polar album that seemed out of place. With “Sweet & Wild”, Jewel takes that same type of concept, but intersperses the songs to make a much more cohesive unit.

Take a listen to some of the songs:

Fading:

Bad as it gets:

Stay here forever:

Ten:

"Sweet & Wild" will be released on June 8th. Be sure to pick this one up

Teea Goans

2010-05-11T18:10:00.006-05:00

Got a new album at the station this week from an artist I hadn't heard of previously.

Her name is Teea Goans (TEE-uh GO-uhnz), and her sound is all Country music - not what the occasional listener thinks "Country" is these days. There's no "mainstream" about it. If you like fiddles, steel guitars, and a twang - this will bring a smile to your face.

The album brings back some classics, like Ernest Tubb's "Walking The Floor Over You", along with Willie Nelson's "I m Still Not Over You", Merle Haggard's "I Didn t Mean To Love You", Bill Anderson's "Walk Out Backwards", and more. But there's one song that you definitely need to take a listen to. It's the album finale - "Letter From God". Also, "Made for loving you" is a duet with Dan Tyminski.

Take a listen to some songs:

Lying in my arms:

Walk out backwards:

Same Ol Song & Dance:

Letter from God:

Chely Wright - Lifted off the ground

2010-05-05T18:49:00.004-05:00

It always makes me smile when I hear new music from mainstream country artists who are able to keep a hint of the "country" in their music.

Thus is the case with Chely Wright and her new release, Lifted Off The Ground. It's been five years since Chely has put out a new album, but it seems that she hasn't changed what got her to where she is today. With this album, you get a touch of the mainstream mixed with a touch of the country, and definitely ALL Chely - including writing all of the songs on the album, with one of them co-written by Rodney Crowell.

It's not much of a surprise to hear the country sounds when you see that the album was produced by Rodney Crowell. In fact, Rodney even makes an appearance on the second track, "heavenly days".

The album, as a whole, is a great compilation of melodies, lyrics, and production.
Take a listen to some of the standout tracks:

Heavenly Days:

Notes to the coroner:

That Train:

Damn Liar:

Shadows of a doubt:

This album should be a 'must' for your albums to get this year. It's on my Top 5 of 2010 list so far.

McKinley & Beggs

2010-05-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

Got another new one at the station today. It's the duo of McKinley & Beggs with their album, "By the fire".

It's a nice, more countrified sound.
Take a listen to a few songs:

New Friends:

Too Many Horses:

Drink Goodbye Dry:

To find out more, you can check out their MySpace page

Court Yard Hounds

2010-05-03T20:28:00.002-05:00

Martie Maguire and Emily Robison – the sisters that make up the new duo known as the Court Yard Hounds – aren’t newcomers to the music industry. In fact, they’re quite well-known. Country fans will know them as 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks.

Yes, there are going to be all kinds of comparisons to the Dixie Chicks, but that wouldn’t do justice to the purity of this album. Yes, the music is similar to the Dixie Chicks’ style, but it’s still quite different without Natalie’s distinct lead vocals. The Court Yard Hounds have a mellower sound, with a little more highlight on the instrumentation.

Emily takes the lead singer duties and was the songwriter on every song except for "Gracefully," which Martie wrote and also sings. There’s also a pleasant surprise with the addition of Jakob Dylan’s guest vocals on “See you in the spring”. The voices blend quite well.

Take a listen to some of the songs:
The Coast:

Delight (Something new under the sun):

See You In The Spring (ft Jakob Dylan):

Gracefully:

It didn’t make a sound:

This is a great ‘debut’ for two ladies who have been in this business for a long time.
Be sure to check it out.

New music

2010-05-03T20:12:00.003-05:00

A duo of Dixies are howling as “Hounds” (and doing it extraordinarily well). Sisters Martie & Emily of the Dixie Chicks have a new album out tomorrow (without Natalie) and call themselves the Court Yard Hounds. So far, reviews I’ve seen are mixed, however, I do enjoy their sound. I’m also pleased to see the two are getting a bit of recognition for themselves. As the Dixie Chicks, they’re usually overshadowed by Natalie most of the time.

I'm working on an album review right now and it should be up soon.

A little more music talk includes a little Q&A with Melissa, and a new album for Toni Braxton. I’ll admit that I’m only a semi-casual fan of Toni’s music, as I have enjoyed a few of her songs through the years (“breathe again”, “unbreak my heart”, and “he wasn’t man enough for me”). This new album is pretty decent. A few songs that I enjoy from this one include “yesterday”, “hands tied”, “wardrobe” and “hero”. Be sure to check it out.

Another album that’s out tomorrow, but I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet is Chely Wright’s new one, “lifted off the ground”. Can’t wait to hear that one!

He is what he is...and what he's always been

2010-04-13T01:02:00.004-05:00

Right now, I'm listening to Merle Haggard's new album, "I am what I am", which is being released on April 20th.

The title succinctly sums up this man and his music. What you get in the new album is exactly what you've heard from him throughout the years. It's what you'd expect from the man whose music has been wonderfully simplistic in melody and lyrics - and wonderfully "Country" in its feel. Steel guitars, dobros, fiddles... this album has it all.

As usual, Merle's lyrics don't pull punches. There are drinkin' songs, train songs, Texas swing songs, and great 'real-life' songs.

At the moment, my favorite song from the album is "How did you find me here?" --
"I thought I could do it; all of it. All by myself. I thought I could win every round. Then I hit rock bottom, the blues I got 'em. Lifted me out of my beer. How did you find me here?"

Another favorite is the opening track, "I've seen it go away." --
"I've seen it in its pride and all its glory. I've seen it through the bars on a dark & stormy day. I've seen it from on high through the tears I've had to cry. Sad part is, I've seen it go away."

The title track wraps up this wonderful compilation with a reflective look at life -- "I'm just a seeker. I'm just a sinner. And I am what I am."

Take a listen to a few of the songs:
"I've seen it go away"

"How did you find me here"

"I am what I am"

"Bad actor"

Yes, the title says it well. This is The Hag - and he is what he is.

If you love pure, real country music - this one is a must-have for your music collection. Be sure to pick this one up for a listen.

On the horizon

2010-04-05T00:50:00.004-05:00

I was just taking a look at some of the upcoming album releases, and there are a number of great ones on the horizon. Let's make a list & check them twice:

This week:
Jakob Dylan - Women & Country

April 13th:
Carrie Rodriguez - Love & Circumstance

Laura Bell Bundy - Achin' & Shakin'

April 20th:
Willie Nelson - Country Music

Merle Haggard - I am what I am

David Ball - Sparkle City

Shelby Lynne - Tears, Lies & Alibis

April 27th:
Mary Chapin Carpenter - the age of miracles

Melissa Etheridge - fearless love

May 4th:
Court Yard Hounds (2/3 of the Dixie Chicks) - self titled

Chely Wright - Lifted off the ground

May 18th:
Mary Gauthier - The foundling

Later on this summer, Sheryl Crow is scheduled to release "100 miles from Memphis" on July 20th. It's supposed to be a funky R&B/Soul feeling album. something a bit different from her.

Are there any others on your list that you're looking forward to hearing?

Madison Violet

2010-03-27T21:41:00.003-05:00

There are many days where I'm thankful for being in the radio business. Most times it's because I've 'discovered' some great music from an artist I had not previously heard of.

Thus was the case yesterday.

I got an email from a music PR company with a list of various artists they're currently promoting. Among the list was a duo with the name Madison Violet. What caught my eye was that their music was listed under the "roots country" category. Well, that's sure to perk my ears up in a heartbeat. So, of course, I needed to do a little research and music preview.

Yep. I'm sure you can tell that there's a big smile on my face.

Madison Violet is a Canadian duo composed of singer-songwriters Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac. What threw me the most is that they're not 'new'. They have, in fact, already released four albums: a self-titled EP in 2002; Worry The Jury in 2004; Caravan in 2006; and No Fool For Trying was released last year. It's a shame that I hadn't been aware of last year's album, or it would have made my Top-15 of 2009 list.

I had to laugh at a review I read about their last album -- "If Lucinda Williams was shagging Gillian Welch and had a collective love-child with Steve Earle, their offspring might sound a little bit like Madison Violet's new album No Fool For Trying." -- Now how could you not enjoy their music when given that description?

Take a moment to check out their website: MadisonViolet.com or their MySpace page

A final (maybe, maybe not) Cash offering

2010-02-26T00:01:00.005-06:00

They’re a very rare species: Those music artists whose legacy transcends all genres.

Johnny Cash, The Man in Black, is at the top of that list of rare species. His legions of followers weren’t limited to the Country music genre; They were as diverse as you could find – from hip-hop to gospel, as well as everything in between and everything beyond.

Today, Friday, February 26th, would have been Johnny’s 78th birthday. The day is celebrated with the release of a new album of Cash’s final recordings, American VI: Ain’t No Grave. It’s a collection of 10 songs amongst those that Johnny recorded following the death of his beloved wife, June Carter Cash. As always, the music on this new album showcases Johnny’s commanding baritone voice, which by this time in his life was a bit frail. However, you’re still able to hear the strength and authority that his voice always seemed to command throughout the years.

It’s that same strength and authority that makes the lyrics to the songs on this album resonate even more powerfully. “Ain’t no grave”, “redemption day”, “I don’t hurt anymore”, “I Corinthians 15:55”, and “can’t help but wonder where I’m bound” all bring the impression of a man at a crossroads (or the end of his life) with his head held high, and ready for whatever fate comes his way. The songs are all backed with a sparse instrumentation, making the sound even more raw and fitting in well with his voice.

Redemption Day is a song by Sheryl Crow, which she had on her self-titled album in 1996. After hearing Sheryl’s version many, many times throughout the years, I’m pleased to note that Johnny’s version is also quite striking.
Listen to Redemption Day

Cool Water is a song that I associate with the Sons of the Pioneers, as it was their vinyl record from my dad’s collection that I’d play many times growing up. Other classics which I grew up on that are covered in this album include For the Good Times, and Satisfied Mind. It’s great to hear Johnny’s voice on them this time around.

I Corinthians 15:55 is a Cash original, and shows that he never lost his musical writing touch.

Aloha Oe is a surprising close to this compilation. One wouldn’t think of the legend of Cash going off with a Hawaiian farewell, yet after listening to the full album, I realize that it is indeed the perfect picture of Johnny’s farewell: the Man in Black going off into the sunset.
Listen to Aloha Oe

Something new under the sun

2010-02-10T20:11:00.003-06:00

If you're a Dixie Chicks fan, you'll be excited to hear that sisters Martie & Emily have teamed up (without Chicks' lead singer Natalie Maines) to record a new album under the name of the Court Yard Hounds. The music is quite similar to what Chicks fans are used to hearing, without Natalie's distinct vocals. It's a nice change to actually hear their voices as something more than just background harmony for Natalie.

The new Court Yard Hounds album is now available for pre-order (in the US - for now) at their official website. You can also preview their music there as well . With your pre-order, you will be able to download 4 album tracks immediately.

Fill in the 'Crossword Puzzle'

2010-01-26T01:55:00.003-06:00

This has bugged me for years - basically ever since the song came out in 1984.

It's Barbara Mandrell's song, "Crossword Puzzle", from her 'Clean Cut' album. The lyrics tell of clues that would fill in a make-believe crossword. For "Seven Down", I've always thought of the answer as 'abused', but the severity of that word just doesn't seem to fit. Is there anything else that would be more appropriate, and fill in the 'space'?

What we've become is 1 Across, and also rhymes with rules. (fools)
Two Down is what we tell that's opposite the truth. (lie)
Three Across is what we do to each other's feelings. (hurt)
Four Across begins with 'A', and means disagreeing. (arguing)

We're living out a crossword puzzle. Filling in the spaces day by day.
We're living out a crossword puzzle. Now love's the only word without a space.

To be untrue is Five Across, and rhymes with 'disbelieving'. (cheating)
Six Down is what we wipe away when we are crying. (tear)
Seven Down's a word for children that we're hurting when we fight. _______
Eight Across is seven letters that the lawyers recognize. (Divorce)

We're living out a crossword puzzle. Filling in the spaces day by day.
We're living out a crossword puzzle. Now love's the only word without a space.

Take a listen to Barbara's "Crossword Puzzle".

Or Download 'Crossword Puzzle Here

2009 album reviews

2010-01-24T23:27:00.004-06:00

I've come to the conclusion that I'm never going to finish all of the reviews from the 2009 albums that I've heard, so let's just go with what I've got done - in addition to the Top-15 albums of 2009 I posted previously.

A--

-- Alice Peacock – love remains
“I’d like to get stoned, never come home. I’d like to be free, not do what I should. Do what feels good with whomever I please.” – All About Me

A diverse compilation of rugged & reflective stories is what this album is all about; From Hard Way (“I could make it easy on myself, Taking the advice of someone else. But if there's a road that goes through hell, That's what I'd take.”) to If I Could Talk To God (“If I could talk to God - I’d have a million questions. If we could sit down face to face, I’d inquire how He likes to spend his days and if he has any regrets about this world he made.”) combined with nice instrumentation, makes this album a must-listen.

-- Adam Lambert – for your entertainment
“you feel the weight of lies and contradictions that you live with every day. It's not too late
Think of what could be if you rewrite the role you play. Take a step before you leap, Into the colors that you seek. You give back what you give away, So don't look back on yesterday.” - Aftermath

I don’t watch any of that reality show crap, so didn’t know what all of the hype was over this guy, and I guess I still don’t. After listening to the album, I would rate it as ‘average’. At first listen, I felt like I was thrown back to 1980s rock. The songs themselves aren’t too bad, but the album, as a whole, is kind of all over the place in terms of continuity. If I had to pick a favorite song from this collection, I’d go with Broken Open. If this is the best that American Idol has to offer these days, then it’s a good thing I’m still not wasting my time watching.

Alecia Nugent – Hillbilly goddess
“I turned up my bottle, poured his memory down. Took a hard look at my bible, almost made me turn around. Then that moon started shining, casting shadows of doubt. That’s just me wreckin’ the train. Just when things are going my way, that need for rambling gets rolling through my veins. Don’t try to change me, no I ain’t gonna change.” – Wreckin’ the train

The grass is mighty blue to begin this album and I guarantee that you’ll be tapping your toes by the first 30 seconds of this album with the rollin’ Wreckin’ The Train. You’re afforded a breather with the slower paced, Don’t Tell Me, a song that I’ve heard recorded by LeeAnn Womack previously. I like this version with the bluegrass sound much better than LeeAnn’s smoother, mellow version. The album continues with the mixed up & down tempo. As with most bluegrass music, the songs tell great stories, and Alecia’s voice is the perfect ingredient to add the final touch in making this a great album.

B --

-- Bearfoot – doors and windows
“you don’t have to talk about me. It won’t change who I am. I’ll be traveling down some road to nowhere, before you see me again.” – Northward Bound

Bearfoot is a five-member bluegrass group from Alaska, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a typical bluegrass album. While it may offer some of the traditional bluegrass sounds, the album kind of evolves into a blend of Americana-Folk. If you want a real taste of this quintet, take a listen to the album finale – the five-part a cappella original, Good In The Kitchen. Even the Beatles’ cover, Don’t Let Me Down, is quite lovely.

-- Billy Ray Cyrus – Back to Tennessee
“He was 17, and his heart was broke. The middle of the night, a bottle full of pills and a goodbye note. Sittin’ on his bed, but then he bowed his head. Now I see him every week, and every now & then he talks about that night and the peace that came over him.” – Somebody said a prayer

Riding on the coattails of his daughter, Miley, Billy Ray comes out with a new album that really doesn’t say much. He’s kind of lost his musical touch from his previous decent singles through the years, like “Busy Man,” “Some Gave All,” and “Could’ve Been Me”. Here, “thrillbilly” tries to imitate something that sounds like Big & Rich. As much as I don’t like B&R, I think they do a pop-hillbilly sound much better. “Country as country can be” tries to make him sound like a ‘country’ boy, but he never pulls it off successfully. The fiddles seem so out of place with the rest of the over-production. The cover of Sheryl Crow’s Real Gone – Oy! The finale to this album is a Billy Ray duet with his daughter, Miley, on Butterfly Fly Away, which seems kind of a rip-off of Butterfly Kisses. What I actually do like from this album is Somebody said a prayer and give it to somebody. Two decent songs with great messages.

Bomshel – fight like a girl
“Bein free bein wild being bullet proof back then we were rebels without a clue. nothing in the world that we wouldn't do. Didn't give a damn what people say we were doing it doing it our way i wish that we could always stay 19 and crazy.” – 19 & crazy

Kelley Shepard replacing Buffy Lawson to sing in tandem with Kristy Osmunson hasn’t brought forth any changes in sound for the duo of Bomshel. In fact, I hear many similarities between their previous songs and this new album – 19 & Crazy is the ‘rebel’ theme, much like Ain’t My Day To Care back in 2006. The title track, Fight Like A Girl is lyrically similar to The Power of One, which the duo had included on the Evan Almighty soundtrack. And how can you not compare Karma is a female dog to It Was an Absolutely, Finger Lickin', Grits and Chicken, Country Music Love Song? The song from this album that raises an eyebrow (maybe both) is the cover of No Doubt’s Just a girl. Interesting, to say the least. However, none of the songs on this album can unseat Calling All Angels as my favorite Bomshel song.

Brad Paisley – American Saturday night
“When I was 10 years old, I remember thinking how cool it would be, when we were going on an 8-hour drive, if I could just watch tv. I’d have given anything to have my own PacMan game at home. I used to have to get a ride down to the arcade. Now I’ve got it on my phone.” – Welcome To The Future

Oh how this man continues to confound me! He continues to be sweet and sensitive, with songs like She’s Her Own Woman, Then and I Hope That’s Me. Then he’s Mr Old-School American with American Saturday Night, and Welcome to the Future. And finally he pokes you in the gut with the wacky & absurd, like Catch All The Fish. That’s been his recipe for success from the beginning. Thank goodness he’s not changing anytime soon.

D --

-- Dolly Parton – Dolly (4 disc set)
“ Just because I’m blonde, don’t think I’m dumb, ‘cause this dumb blonde ain’t nobody’s fool” – dumb blonde

Normally, when an artist has been making music for as long as Dolly has, the ‘greatest hits’ albums usually become much of the same. This one, however, is quite different. This 99-song collection includes all of the Dolly favorites in a 4-cd set, including Jolene, 9 to 5, I will always love you and Coat of Many Colors, and of course, the great duets with Porter Wagonner and Kenny Rogers. But the treasures here are the a number of previously unreleased songs, and there are some from her very early days where she almost sounds a bit like Brenda Lee.

The greatest thing about Dolly’s music is her down-home songwriting. It’s usually all straight-forward lyrics and not a lot of metaphors to try and decipher.

-- Donna Ulisse – walk this mountain down
“They say I’m young, and I don’t know how sure love lasts, how fast it goes. But I don’t care. I’ll risk the pain, ‘cuz I want to ride love’s crazy train.” – Love’s crazy train

How do you like your bluegrass? Me? I kind of like it Donna Ulisse style – rockin’ acoustic instruments, good stories, and great harmonies. Classic bluegrass. Enough said.

E --

- Eilen Jewell – sea of tears
“There’s only one constant in this whole world, that’s nothing ever stays the same. Someday my life will be over, and no one will remember my name. That’s alright, ‘cause what’s in a name? Who needs another one to memorize anyway? Make no fuss over my grave. Just plant something pretty and call it a day. Let’s just listen to the rain roll in. I don’t feel like we gotta do nothing. Years go by and before too long, even the very last one is gone. The very last one is gone.” – Rain Roll In

With tiles like I’m Gonna Dress In Black, One Of Those Days, Final Hour, and The Darkest Day, you’d think this was going to be a depressing album. Not so. Those titles may suggest lost love or lost loved ones, but some of the beats are anything but. Take The Darkest Day, for example. It’s a break-up song disguised in a country swing. Final Hour brings you the blues. The title track brings a bit of rockin’ to the mix.

-- Eric Church – carolina
“You say you’re the real deal, but you play what nobody feels. You sing about Johnny Cash. The ‘man in black’ would’ve whipped your ass. And I don’t think Waylon done it that way. And if he was here he'd say Hoss, neither did Hank. I ain't dogging what you're doing, But boys come on let's get real, You still got a lotta boot left to fill”. – Lotta boot left to fill

I liked a few songs from Eric’s first album, Sinners like me, including the title track, Two Pink Lines, and Guys Like Me. However, this new album is a bit too much of the mainstream country that I don’t really enjoy. That being said, there are some nice tunes, such as Love Your Love The Most, His Kind Of Money, Hell On The Heart, and Faster Than My Angels Can Fly. However, one listen to the story of Those I’ve Loved will keep me from skipping to the next album. And how about Where She Told Me To Go? “When I said baby, it's all for the better. Yeah what do you know, I think I wound up where she told me to go.” Lotta Boot Left To Fill pokes fingers at those using the Johnny Cash name in their songs. Uh, hypocritical much?

F --

-- Flyleaf – Memento Mori
“Here you are down on your knees again, trying to find air to breathe again. Only surrender will help you now. I love you, please see and believe again.” - Again

Yeah, not the usual type of music that I listen to, but hey, it has the same title as a Stargate SG-1 episode, so I had to check it out. The one problem I have with hard rock music is that it takes me a long time to actually understand what the lyrics are. Most of the time they become distorted in the music. When I could finally understand them, I realized they were a bit Christian-themed at times. It’s nice to hear lyrics in the hard rock genre that are fairly positive in nature.

G --
- - Gemma Hayes – Oliver EP:
Just five songs, but yet a very nice compilation. Most of the songs are very thought-provoking, or introspective, like These Days: “These days I seem to think a lot, about the things that I forgot to do. And all the times that I had a chance to.” My favorite from this five-song set is Ghost. “This is what I see. This is what I believe in.” This EP is more mellow than last year’s, The Hollow of Morning LP.

J --
Justin Townes Earle – midnight at the movies
“Well when John Henry died, he laid looking at the sun. He said ‘Lord take me now, my work is done. Lord, Lord. Lord, take me now, my work is done’. Yeah, but when they laid him out in that box of pine, boy, they laid that hammer by his side. Lord, lord. Laid that hammer by his side.” – They Killed John Henry

He’s got the name and he’s got the voice. He’s got a pretty nice knack for making good music, and he knows how to mix things up. He can do old-school, he can do swing, he can do rockabilly, and more. It’s nice to hear an album that’s got a little bit of everything, yet has that voice that brings it all together seamlessly.

K --
Kris Kristofferson – closer to the bone
“Cool shadows fall through the moonlight. Soft as a breeze through your hair. And the smile on your face while you’re sleeping is the answer to anyone’s prayer. Fill your heart for the morning tomorrow. You still got a long way to grow. And the love that you’re dreaming will guide you, and live like a song in your soul.” – From Here To Forever

He’s never been a real great singer, but Kris’ songs have always been at the forefront. That’s quite evident with his latest album. His voice is quite ragged now, but he can sure tell a story. Just take a listen to Sister Sinead. From Here To Forever is a song he wrote for his kids. And one guess at who Good Morning John is about. You wanna put some 'Cash' on that bet?

L --

Lyle Lovett – natural forces
“I think I’ll look around for a drinking stream. I think I’ll look around for a drinking stream. They say you turned the water into wine. That must’ve been right this time, ‘cause I look around for a drinking stream and I can’t find one.” – Whooping Crane

Where this wacky, wonderful talent gets his ideas is anybody’s guess. He just always keeps me shaking my head in amusement and tapping my toes in enjoyment at the same time because of his strange songs. Case in point on this album: Farmer Brown – Chicken Reel. Absolute ‘shake-your-head-and-laugh’ entertainment. But he also has a serious side. Don’t You Think I Feel It Too, Sun And Moon And Stars, Empty Blue Shoes. This one is all about the many sides of the man with big hair.

M --
Martina McBride – shine
“Look at you standing there, you look so out of place. I turn around one more time, regret still has your face. I can read your mind right now. You want me to stick around. But nothing ends if I don’t leave right now. Let me go, let me walk away. Walk away, baby. I can’t stay. Walk away. Walk away, baby. I’ll be fine. I will recover, and I will learn to love another. Sometimes goodbye’s the hardest thing to say. So, I’ll walk away.” – Walk Away

Whether she’s bright & cheerful (Sunny Side Up or Don’t Cost A Dime) or sad & sorrowful (I’m trying or Walk Away), Martina’s voice is always front & center, and she’s turned that into an art all in itself. Her voice seems to turn every song into an interesting story, even if it’s just a happy-go-lucky, I Still Call You Mine or Sunny Side Up. Through the years, Martina has become a master at choosing songs that give her voice the spotlight. What makes me smile even more with this album is that I still hear mandolin, fiddle, and steel sounds amidst the guitars. That’s going to garner a two thumbs up almost every time. Also, for a great ‘story’, be sure to check out Wild Rebel Rose.

N --
-- Nanci Griffith – the loving kind
“this house is full of memories that aren’t mine. Pieces I thought I would clear out over time. Life takes over, I get ahead of myself, I turn around and I’ve filled up the shelf with things I don’t need that weigh me down. Things I don’t want, but still keep around. I woke up today and I made up my mind. From now on I’ll leave all those things I don’t need behind.” – Things I don’t need

Nanci has always been one of the great musical storytellers, and this album continues that tradition. Her voice is made for ‘story songs’. However, this album isn’t just filled with story songs, but also includes a few ‘drinking’ songs – like Tequila After Midnight and Pour Me A Drink – the two songs which conclude the album.

-- Naomi Sommers – gentle as the sun
“It’ll be alright. Yes, it’ll be alright. Any time, place, country, day or night. It’ll be alright, and I’ll be good if you stand by me when I say you should.” – It will be alright.

Gentle as the sun is an album of all original songs from Naomi Sommers, and one cover, Sea of Heartbreak. CDBaby.com lists this as bluegrass/folk/alt-rock all in one. Personally, I only hear a watered-down version of that. I hear more of a smooth, easy-listening style for most of the songs, mainly because that’s what her vocal style presents itself as. Her voice doesn’t really seem to have the strength to be in any of those genres, it’s too smooth. Other than that sticking point, this is a nice compilation of tunes. Rosanne Cash also did a cover of sea of heartbreak on her album this year, and there’s no comparison between the two. Rosanne is able to give her version a much more ‘real’ style.

-- Natalie Imbruglia – come to life
“I climbed the walls, You hit the bars. I am from Venus, You are from Mars. You got your brand new friends And I got a broken heart. Doesn’t matter who we are…Everyone has their scars.” -- Scars

Come to Life is Natalie’s first studio album since 2005, and the first on her own label, Malabar Records. The album includes three writing collaborations with Coldplay’s Chris Martin, including the first single release, Want. My God, Lukas, Twenty, and Scars are all great tracks to check out.

-- NCIS – official tv soundtrack
“Are you scared of the dark? Are you afraid they’ll break your heart? Are you afraid you’ll lose yourself? Are you afraid of your own health? Are you scared to lose? Are you afraid to choose? Are you afraid you’ll win? Are you scared of your own sin? Are you scared to forgive? Are you afraid to live? Are you afraid to die? Do you think it's all a lie To live When you think you’re dying? To laugh When you feel like crying? To stand When you think you’re gonna fall? It’s just fear after all. It’s only fear after all.” -- Fear by Stop Making Friends (aka Pauley Perrette)

TV show soundtracks usually don’t get me excited. However, when the soundtrack includes songs sung by some of the main characters of the show, that’s another story. The first NCIS soundtrack released this year included songs from two of the main actors – Pauley Perrette (as ‘Stop Making Friends’) on Fear, and Cote De Pablo on Temptation. Add songs by Jakob Dylan, Bob Dylan, Dashboard Confessional, and John Mellencamp, and you’ve got a pretty nice compilation.

-- NCIS – official tv soundtrack Volume 2
“I haven’t been happy in such a long time. Cloudy & gray skies instead of sunshine. I guess that’s how I’m looking now, so pale, like I’m in disguise. I’m thoughtful and I’m gloomy and bitter & blue.” – Bitter & Blue

It’s a bit rare to have two full soundtracks from the same show released in the same year. The NCIS Volume 2 compilation includes songs from Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp, Joss Stone, Otis Redding, and more, including songs from series star Michael Weatherly. And don’t be surprised with Michael’s songs, he’s got a great voice. It kind of reminds me of Sting. Now, all we need are songs from Mark Harmon, Sean Murray, & David McCallum. As a Sheryl Crow fan, I was a bit disappointed in the song she has included in this compilation. For some reason, the song doesn’t seem to work well with her voice. The greatest song on this album is That time of year by Sick Puppies.

-- Norah Jones – the fall
“You've ruined me now, But I liked it - but I'm ruined. Do you have a plan, 'cause I'm in your hands. You've ruined me now, though I liked it now I'm ruined. I had no choice when I heard your voice. I know you said, can't be mislead. Now I'm the one whose face is red. You ruined me now, though I liked it, now I'm ruined. Your child-lit eyes like buttons of lies.” – You’ve ruined me

We get a bit of a different sound from Norah this time around. The first two songs, Chasing Pirates and Even though, start the album on a great note. The album has a fairly guitar-heavy tone to it, in contrast to her more ‘normal’ piano-driven style. This album delves into more of the ‘soul’ sound. It’s quite a nice change for Norah.

R --
Reba McEntire – keep on loving you
“Her husband left on Saturday for a woman that was half her age. Sunday she just stayed in bed with the covers pulled over her head. But on Monday morning she woke up and loaded up her pickup truck. Took one last look at her old life then hit the gas & said goodbye in her faded jeans and her old baseball cap. All she knows for sure, she ain’t coming back.” – She’s Turning 50 Today

You’ve got to hand it to Reba. After all these years of venturing into different projects (TV show, Broadway productions, etc) this lady still knows how to make music. Just like Martina McBride, Reba can turn a good ‘story’ song into a masterpiece. Take a listen to She’s Turning 50 Today, Eight Crazy Hours (In the story of love), or Over You. She even let’s you kick up your two-stepping heels with I’ll Have What She’s Having .

Rhonda Vincent – destination life
“I’ll make a brand new start, give love a second chance. I’ll put away the blues, you won’t get another glance. You’re nothing to me and baby that’s a fact. I’m looking to the future and I’ll never look back. When the tears come falling down like rain from the sky, leaves me feeling lonely and I hang my head and cry. But there’ll be another day & I’ll start my life anew. It’s a fast break from heartache and the last time loving you.” – Last Time Loving You

There are many who are contending, but Destination Life keeps Rhonda atop the pedestal as the queen of today’s bluegrass. I was intrigued by Rhonda’s cover of Stop the World (and let me off), a song I usually associate with Patsy Cline in her inimitable style. Another interesting cover is Crazy Love. I’ve heard lots of versions of this, but I love Rhonda’s voice with the banjos & fiddles – and of course the harmonies. That’s always a must in bluegrass. You’ve got to have the harmonies. A great way to wrap up the album is the a cappella When I Travel My Last Mile. Lovely. Very lovely.

S --
-- Sarah Darling – every Monday morning
“If this is the way it feels, I don’t wanna feel it anymore. I’m out the door, baby. If this is the way it goes down, don’t wanna be around to see how low it takes me, ‘cause if this is love… baby don’t love me.” – Don’t Love Me

I think of this album as kind of 1970s California Country-Rock. Thankfully, this album doesn’t have the over-production that you hear in a lot of today’s mainstream country. It kind of reminds me of a LeeAnn Womack album. “Jack of Hearts” is the first single off the album, and is probably my favorite from this collection.

Steve Earle – Townes
“If I had no place to fall and I needed to, could I count on you to lay me down? I’d never tell you no lies. Don’t believe it’s wise. But you got pretty eyes. Won’t you spin me around. I ain’t much of a lover it’s true. I’m here then I’m gone. And I’m forever blue. But I’m sure wanting you.” – No Place To Fall

Yes, it’s a tribute to Steve’s hero, Townes Van Zant. He’s enough of a hero for Steve to name his son after the guy. Oh and in case you don’t know your music history, Townes was a pretty darn good singer & songwriter too. It took me a while to warm up to Steve’s version of Pancho & Lefty. It’s a song that I highly associate with Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard. After listening to that version for so long, it was hard to enjoy the change in sound. In usual Steve Earle style, the album is quite raw and old-school. If you’re not familiar with the songs of Townes, this is a great place to start without actually hearing the originals.

Susan Boyle – I dreamed a dream
“when I was a child, I could see the wind in the trees and I heard the song in the breeze. It was there singing out my name. But I’m not a girl. I’ve known the taste of defeat. And I’ve finally grown to believe it’ll all come around again. Though I may not know the answers, I can finally say I’m free. And if the questions led me here, then I’m who I was born to be.” – Who I Was Born To Be

They’re always rare in today’s age of reality shows. They’re the exceptions to the rule. I’m talking about those who are actually worthy of receiving their ’15 minutes of fame’. Susan Boyle is one of those people. There are many cliché’s you can use while describing her success, but the best one is probably “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. It seemed that everyone in the audience (including the judges) on Britian’s Got Talent was groaning and snickering at her before she even sang a single note, I’m guessing because of her appearance. Chalk one up for Susan! One line of lyrics from her voice, and those same groaning & snickering people were gasping in awe at the treasure that they’d all ‘discovered’. With the story of her ‘rise to fame’ aside, the music on this album is comprised of standard covers – Wild Horses, I Dreamed A Dream, Cry Me A River, How Great Thou Art, Amazing Grace, Daydream Believer, etc. Yet once again, it’s Susan’s voice that reigns supreme to make this a compilation worthy of your time to listen.

T --

Terri Clark – the long way home
“In the basement of the church, I took the last chair in the room. Embarrassed & ashamed, but that all began to change when she stood up & spoke her truth. She said I came here years ago when I lost my sanity. I hit an all-time low, but then I found serenity. I took shelter hiding from the pain, in any place to make it go away. In the arms of a stranger, keeping company with danger, or staring down the barrel of a gun. At the bottom of a bottle, getting numb with every swallow, ‘cause it’s easy when it’s what you’ve always done with a million ways to run.” – A Million Ways To Run

Truthfully, Terri lost me back a number of years ago with the Pain To Kill album, or maybe even back to How I Feel. She seemed to lose her ‘Countriness’ in favor of the more popular mainstream sound. She hasn’t really roped me back in the fold since then. This album is getting a little bit closer to being back on the right track. I hear mandolin, I hear banjo, I hear shades of what used to draw me to her music to begin with. She seems to have the country sound back, but now she just needs to work on the choice of songs. A Million Ways To Run, The One You Love (featuring Vince Gill), Poor Girls Dream, If I Could Be You, and Tough With Me are all pretty darn good songs. It’s a shame that the most mainstream song from the record, Gypsy Boots, is the first single released. That’s definitely not one that I’d highlight. In fact, it’s probably my least favorite of the entire album. And it also really doesn't represent the rest of the album at all.

W –

- - Willie Nelson/Asleep at the Wheel – Willie & the Wheel
“Bring it on down to my house honey, there ain’t nobody home but me. Bring it on down to my house, honey. I need your company.”

Willie’s done some great duets over his many years in the music business, and his collaborations with Asleep at the Wheel have been some of the best. If you’re in the mood for some Western Swing, this album is the one for you. You’ll recognize Right or wrong, Hesitation Blues, I’m sittin’ on top of the world, and other favorites.

The collaborations don’t end with Willie & the ‘Wheel’ gang. South also features instrumentals from Paul Shaffer (from David Letterman’s show) and Vince Gill.

-- Webb Sisters - Comes in twos
“Love. Hate. Oh what a fine line we walk. Close. Bloom. When do we learn how to talk? Hopes & dreams come in twos. So what do we do when one is gone. Gone.” – Baroque thoughts

Just five songs on this one, but they’re a very nice compilation. Very nice harmonies with these as well, and I love the inclusion of the mandolin sounds without making it bluegrass-ey. They remind me of The Murmurs. If it be your will features the wonderful Leonard Cohen giving them an intro to his song.

A lost art

2010-01-21T02:10:00.003-06:00

Today, January 21st is National Disc Jockey Day.

Yep, that's me. But in reality, it just reminds me that there aren't very many that are actual "disc" jockeys anymore - thanks to today's technology. It's almost mind boggling to look back on the changes in the past 21 years that I've been at this job.

My job started out spinning 45s (and being grateful to find a 4-minute song!), playing ads on carts, and recorded interviews on cassettes or reel-to-reels. Every once in a while, I find myself longing to go back to that era - just for an hour or two. I don't think I could survive doing a full 8-hour shift in that manner again. Now fast-forward through the past two decades and the evolution to cds, then mp3s, up to today where much of the business is automated and most everything that can be pre-programmed up to a week in advance.

The radio evolution includes not just the airwaves, but also the capabilities of streaming audio on the internet, for a full global audience. That almost seems scary at times - to know that your voice is traveling the entire world over.

So, in honor of National Disc Jockey Day, a term that is basically outdated (just call me a Radio Announcer), I send a salute to my fellow 'jocks'. Hope you have as fond of memories of the job as I do.

Take Your Pick

2010-01-18T20:40:00.005-06:00

There are those certain songs that turn out great no matter who ends up singing them. Take the wonderful "You'll never leave Harlan alive", for instance.

I first heard this great song on Patty Loveless' 2001 album, Mountain Soul. She did an incredible job with it. Then I heard Brad Paisley's version of the song on his album, Part II, which was also released in 2001 - about a month prior to Patty's. Kathy Mattea also recorded the song and included it on her wonderful 2008 album, Coal.

I find all three versions of this song to be wonderfully recorded. I'd still consider Patty's version to be my slight favorite, probably only because it was the first one I heard - and maybe because Patty's one of my all-time favorite singers (but Kathy is too!).

So take a listen, and decide which one would be your favorite.

Patty Loveless' Version:

Brad Paisley's Version:

Kathy Mattea's Version: