As promised, today I am finally going to offer you a little sneak peak at the Road Hammers’ new release, Blood, Sweat and Steel. If you’re a country fan, you will definitely want to pick this one up when it gets a physical release at the end of the month. Their music has that modern flair, yet keeps true to a more traditional southern sound. The songs range from uptempo numbers full of attitude to laid-back songs that are good for a hanging out and relaxing. Here are a few of my personal highlights:

"Working Hard at Loving You"- This is one of the uptempo songs and is sung with attitude and confidence. It’s about doing what you can to make the person you love happy. The chorus goes "It’s not a 9-to5 situation when you’re doing what you love to do. Your kiss is my compensation. Working hard at loving you."

"I’ve Got the Scars to Prove It"- This is probably my favorite song. It’s what I’d call the most mature one of the bunch. This is a slow number about being scarred by love. One of my favorite lines is "These marks are here to remind me where I went wrong, what made me strong and how I moved on."

"Overdrive"- Another uptempo one with a lot of harmonica in it. It’s one of those songs whose energy is catching... you will not be able to sit still while this one is on! It’s about only feeling alive when you’re going at a crazy pace.

Overall, a really nice effort and I’m looking forward to seeing where they go from here. Be sure to check your local music store or amazon to get your copy when it’s released at the end of this month.

In other news, Sara Evans tied the knot again. Congrats and much luck to her... with the way celeb marriages have gone lately, she may need it!

Brad Paisley is working hard on that instrumental album. Here’s a neat story courtesy of GAC about a strange coincidence that happened behind the scenes. I hope radio will embrace this CD, but I’m not holding my breath.

Congrats to Carrie Underwood for "Last Name" getting to #1. It was a close race with Brad... can Carrie hang on to the top? We’ll see when the chart is released later in the week.

Finally, if you’re a Jewell fan, tune into GAC tomorrow to catch her new video, "I Do".It’s going to air at 8:45 AM eastern. Stay tuned, because tomorrow I am going to start bringing you regular commentary on the new season of Nashville Star. First, I will fill you in on the premiere, then later on in the day I’ll post my thoughts on the new episode. I’ll start posting on the show every Monday after that.

Well, that’s it for now. Take care and I’ll see y’all later!

Hi, everyone! Just wanted to update y’all on a couple cool things coming on TV this week. First, don’t forget to watch Carrie Underwood become the latest member of the Grand Ole Opry. It airs at 8 PM eastern on the 10th, with a "Road to the Opry" special right before it, at 7:30.

On the 9^th, you can catch Sara Evans and Maroon 5 on CMT Crossroads. That airs at 9PM eastern. They’ll not only be doing eachother’s songs, but a cover or two as well. Check the CMT site for details and other airtimes.

Well, that's it for now. See y'all next time! Stay safe and "play something country!"

Well, I just got to see the new Carrie Underwood video for "Last Name" on TV for the first time. It's even better on TV- my computer doesn't always like  playing videos, unfortunately. If you wanna catch it, it'll be at at 12:56 PM tomorrow, as well as many other times.

Gretchen Wilson is gonna spill more details about her new CD on the CMA Celebrity Closeup Special. It's supposed to air June 5th. More more details, and to see how you can go, check the link. There's even a number there to call and ask Gretchen and a couple others questions.

And, finally.... the main reason for my post title. John Rich is gonna take another go at Gone Country. And this time? He's even got a Jackson involved, as well as an actress that is known for being a bit... out there? So much for any intergrity or true talent in this competiton. Well, except maybe Sabastian Bach. Damn you, Sabastian!! You just might make me tune in. See the full list of competitors here.

Well, that's it for now. See y'all next time!

Even though "Last Name" was only released a few weeks back and has still not peaked, her label is looking to the future. According to this, XM radio's Highway 16 will play two possible singles and let fans decide which will win. It starts at 7 PM eastern time, so tune in! If you don't get a chance to listen, check the blog's comments to see what the choices are.

EDIT: XM Radio listeners chose "Just a Dream" over "I Know You Won't" with 84% of the vote. According to Pulse, other people's stations are doing the same thing. Will the label ultimately listen? Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the video for "Last Name", courtesy CMT. I'm loving it. It's fun, energetic and I'm looking forward to seeing it on TV.

In other news, looks like Tim McGraw is jumping on the fragrance bandwagon. He'll be releasing his own later this year. I guess we can expect a fashion line and hair products or something next. Hey, it's the next logical step in the celeb marketing playbook. Good luck to him. I'm sure his fans would prefer a decent single, though...

Does anyone remember the Guns N Roses videos from the early 90s that were supposed to tell a story from start to finish? Well, according to a blog post being discussed on Pulse Music Board, Carrie Underwood’s "Last Name" tells what happened pre-"Before He Cheats". The country music video is even said to feature the same guy from the "BHC" and the infamous Red truck (that thing's been getting a lot of milage in her videos...).

If you wanna read more, check out the discussion here. I love the idea for this video. It seems like her videos are getting more fun and creative with this album and I’m curious to see what else gets released from Carnival Ride. Personally, I want "Just a Dream" and "Flat on the Floor" to get released as well. Maybe even "The More Boys I Meet". Now, that could have a fun video...

What do you all think? Is this video concept a good idea? Are you wondering "where’s the Pinto"? What should be next? Sound off and let me know! Til then, take care and "play something country!"

Well, there was actually a little bit of a shake-up on the Country charts this week. Here are the top 10 Country Music cds, according to Billboard:

10) Sugarland, Enjoy the Ride. They dropped a couple of spots, but are still going strong. Expect this one to start really dropping only after their new CD is released later on this year.

9) Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's Raising Sand also dropped two spots this week.

8) I think I'm seeing a trend here- the Eagles also dropped two spots on this week's chart. You'll find out what the trend is about a little later...

7) Garth Brooks' latest hits collection also drops 2 spots this week. Maybe the new video will help pick things up again...

6) Trace Adkins is down three this time, breaking the 2-spot trend. Let's see if he gets any increase from his upcoming performance a daytime soap...

5) Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride drops one spot. Don't expect it to stay down long, though. Her Idol Gives Back performance and breif skit will surely help her sales increase. Not to mention "Last Name" climbing up the charts.

4) And now... we start seeing what the trend was about, as two new entries make their debuts. The first is Josh Gracin's long-delayed We Weren't Crazy. I gotta say I'm loving the title song and video for this one

3) Alan Jackson drops 1 spot this week with his latest release, Good Time.

2) Taylor Swift's debut also drops one spot. This, of course, means that there is a new #1 this week.

1) George Straight, Troubadour. His brand new CD takes the top spot. Can he keep Taylor Swift and others at bay? We'll see... tune in next time to find out.

Well, there you have it. This week's top 10. If you want to see a more complete listing, go to Billboard's website. You can also see what's hot on the Country singles chart there. Before I sign off, I just wanted to mention a little bit about Carrie on Idol Gives Back.

For those who missed it, Carrie and James Denton were sitting under a sink in her dressing room and she was telling him what was wrong with it. Teri Hatcher comes in and throws a Susan Meyeresque fit about it, saying she knows what's really going on here. She says that since Carrie stole her man, she's going to steal Carrie's song. The next shot has her taking the stage and performing "Before He Cheats". I was actually kind of surprised... she wasn't all that terrible. I was expecting a massive disaster and only got a slight embarrassment. Carrie comes onstage after to tell Teri what a great job she did. Later on, Carrie performed a beautiful version of George Micheal's "Praying for Time".

Well that's all for now. See y'all next time. Til then, take care and "play something country!"

Carrie Underwood will be returning to American Idol on Wednesday to perform on the "Idol Gives Back Special". She just may have some other surprises in store, too. According to many reports out there, Teri Hatcher of Desperate Housewives will be singing Carrie's "Before He Cheats". I think that a picture posted of Carrie Underwood and James Denton in a kitchen set with "uh oh" looks on their faces might be the inspiration for Teri's serenade. Check it out for yourself when the show airs.

Since I started reading her blogs on CMT's site, I've found myself agreeing more than once with her. With this post? She becomes my hero. She's right... it really is getting to be a bit annoying watching these politicians wives sitting there stoically and quietly in front of tons of cameras while their men admit to being dogs. It really is about time they did what she suggested and pull a Carrie Underwood on their cheating butts.

I know poilitics is, for the most part, really PC and wives are expected to do this. Still, I want to see them act human. Show a little anger. Kick their butts to the curb if that's what you want to do. It'd be a nice change of pace. It's unlikely to happen, but still- it's nice to dream.

I just got done watching Carrie Underwood perform "I Told You So" on the Grand Ole Opry. After her performance, Randy Travis came onstage and asked Carrie to be a member of the Opry. Of course, Carrie said yes. Or more accurately... "let me think about that..." with a big ole smile on her face. What a great moment! You could genuinely see the surprise on her face and she about burst into tears when Randy said her official induction is May 10th. Congrats to her.

In other Opry news, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town also performed and absolutely nailed it. Lady Antebellum in particular sounded practically the same as their CD. Check GAC's site for other airtimes if you missed it.

Since I didn't get the chance to get a blog posted yesterday, here's a few things I came across today and want to comment on:

Go Carrie Underwood!! I was reading the Pulse boards today and saw that "Last Name" has been confirmed as her new single. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks and I think it's gonna be a massive hit.

Here's one reason I like Taylor Swift.... she's totally image concious. Normally, I'd hate this kind of thing, but I appreciate her owning it. So many people today try to hide the fact they throw out a lot of spin or avoid anything controversial. She loves what she's doing and is serious about protecting it as well. I can get behind that.

Finally, there's a new issue of Country Weekly out now. Check out the website to see some web excerpts about Alan Jackson, Sara Evans, Josh Turner and more.

Hey all! Just wanted to let you know that LeAnn's new video for "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine" starts airing on GAC today at 4:26 PM eastern time.

In other video news, SHeDaisy's back on GAC. They're airing three videos by the trio starting at 5:31 PM. Guess that Best of promotion is kicking into high gear.

Finally, to see a really great Carrie Underwood performance check out "How Great Thou Art". It airs at 6:37 PM. Remember, all airtimes are Eastern and you'll want to tune in a minute or two early to make sure you catch em. Til next time... take care and "play something Country!"

Well, the nominations are in. Can't say there are any major surprises here. Who are you all pulling for to win? Here  are my personal choices...

Entertainer of the Year: Brad Paisley

Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley

Female Vocalist: This is a tough one, as several of my favorites are nominated here. Carrie will likely get it, but it would be nice to see LeAnn or Miranda win one.

Top Vocal Group: Little Big Town

Top Vocal Duo: Sugarland

Top New Male Vocalist: I have to go with Jack Ingram

Top New Female Vocalist: Kellie Pickler

Top New Vocal Duo: Lady Antelbellum (By the way... how are The Wreckers nominated here? They've been out for several years now and aren't even recording together anymore...)

Album of the Year: I say either 5th Gear or Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year: I vote for "Stay" here.

Video of the Year: My vote is for "Online" or "Stay".

Vocal Event of the Year: I choose either "Because of You" or "Til We Ain't Strangers Anymore".

There you have it! My picks for who I'd like to win at the ACM awards this year. Now, it's your turn. Am I crazy for picking Kellie Pickler? Do you think anyone other than George for Male Vocalist is robbery? Let me know!

Here's a little update on the Dolly Parton tour situation I mentioned the other day. She may have had to change the dates, but she's still going out there. Good for her.

Speaking of Country Music singers who are gonna be busy... Looks like Carrie Underwood just might have been bitten by the acting bug. I can definitely see her doing this, although I would love to see Miranda try her hand at this too. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. Carrie's still got her tour with Keith Urban going on along with a Solo tour.

Well, that's about it for now. Take care and see y'all next time.

Turns out, there is not much to chat about! The Top 10 is nearly identical to last week, except for one position...

#8 Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts. This surprising return to the top ten (will this album ever die?? lol) is no doubt a result of her performance on the Grammys the other night. Go Carrie! Let's see what happens with Carnival Ride now since "All-American Gir"l is riding high on the charts.

Good morning, Country Music fans!! I was browsing the GAC site today and was surprised to learn  that Loretta Lynn has her own Zip code. I guess nothing says "I made it" more than the US postal service having to pay you rent!

Speaking of making it.... Carrie Underwood's made history (again)! Can't say it doesn't deserve the sales it achieved. It's one of the strongest songs of her debut and definitely became "her" song. This is one country music song I don't expect to see get covered any time soon. At least, not professionally.

Finally... let's talk about Martina a minute. Yet again, there's a story on GAC about how Martina never set out to be a "message singer". Don't get me wrong; I love me some Martina and think she's one of the strongest singers out there. I just think that it's about time for her to either stop releasing these types of songs for awhile or stop talking about it already. Seriously.

There was so much going on in Carrie Underwood's new video "All-American Girl" that I missed something cute before. In the newscaster shots, pay attention to the scrolling text at the bottom. Not only does it reference "Before He Cheats", it also mentions the UFO sightings that were reporting during the making of "So Small". I thought that was a cute nod to all the fans out there.

Well, I just got done watching Carrie Underwood's new video for "All-American Girl" and I have to say it is one of my favorites by her. It kind of reminds my of Faith's Hill's "The Way You Love Me" in that Carrie is shown in many different costumes throughout. She goes from a wedding dress to a nurse outfit to a cheerleader outfit and more. Carrie appears to be having a blast with it, too, which makes it even more fun. Here are my two favorite scenes...

1) Carrie, dressed up as a newscaster sings behind a desk while a ticker goes by discussing a crime. The only part I caught of that was black sunglasses and loiusville slugger. LOL

2) Carrie is shown in her "Before He Cheats" sunglasses and leather get-up in front of a smashed up red truck. She's holding a baseball bat and gives a "who me?" look to the camera as she shrugs.

This is definitely worth a look for Carrie fans. Check it out on GAC at 5:35 PM today and again at 11:19 PM. If you miss it, be sure to check out the GAC site to find out when it will air again. Well, that's all for today. Take care and see y next time!!

I just read on the GAC website that she's getting ready to headline her own small concert tour with opening act Josh Turner. This is awesome news to me, as I am a fan of both. The dates are supposed to be in the middle of her tour with Keith Urban. Looks like 2008 is going to be a very busy year for the American Idol turned Country Music Singer.

There's movement all over the top 10 Country Music CDs charts this week. Let's get started, Country Music fans!!

Kenny Chesney moved one spot to get back into the top 10 with his latest, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates.

At #9, we have Keith Urban's Greatest Hits CD for another week. Go Keith. He seems to be one of the few who is doing well with one of these.

Reba drops one spot to land at #8 this week with her Duets CD. I just picked this one up not long ago and am enjoying it very much. I'm glad it's been having lots of success lately.

Sugarland also fell one spot this week. Their sophmore CD, Enjoy the Ride is at #7 this week. Expect this one to stay in the top 10 for a while yet to come, especially with all the hype over "Stay" still happening.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss went up two spots this week to secure the #6 position. Raising Sand has been getting plenty of praise and airplay on GAc lately, so expect it to keep climbing.

Rascal Flatts stays at #5 this week with Still Feels Good. Personally, I'm not enjoying some of the songs off this one as much as I have their other work. I think they're starting to become one of those groups where if you heard one CD by them, you've heard em all.

Carrie Underwood gets bumped down a couple spots after having tons of success on year-end countdowns over the past week or so. Carnival Ride takes the #4 spot this week.

Taylor Swift, meanwhile keeps her #3 spot. On a different note, she was recently pictured at a Hockey game with Carrie and Kellie Pickler. Looks like they're good buddies, even though there have been some fan wars on different message boards.

Garth Brooks is at #2 this week, switching with Carrie. Ultimate Hits seems to be the only other hits collection doing really well since a big bunch of the CDs came out over the past year.

Is there any stopping the Eagles? I'm doubting it. They log in yet another week at number 1 with Long Road Out of Eden. Stay tuned, Country Music Fans. It should be interesting to see if anyone can take them down.

Well, Country Music fans... it looks like it was a pretty quiet week this week. From what I can see the top ten seems virtually unchanged so I'm not going to post the top 10 this week. I will, however, mention a few singles...

Both Brad Paisley and Gary Allen have hit the top 10 on the Country Music songs chart this week. Brad's "Lett to Me" comes in at #9, while "Watching Airplanes" is at #10. Go them! Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl" has moved up to #22 after only a few weeks out. It also earned a "Greatest Gainer" designation. Speaking of jumps... Sugarland just might begin 2008 with a #1 hit. This week, "Stay" came in second to Taylor Swift's "Our Song".

In other Taylor Swift news, the Country Music singer told GAC that she is hard at work already on her follow-up CD. Can lightening strike twice? We'll see. Afterall, it did for Carrie Underwood. Her second Country Music CD, Carnival Ride has already been certified 2X platinum.

That's all for this post. Check out some more Year-End Review coming soon. Til then, take care and "play something Country!"

Good morning one and all!! There's some good news on the singles front, Country Music fans. Carrie Underwood is releasing "All American Girl", while LeAnn is releasing "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine" for their second single. I would have liked to have seen Carrie put out "Flat on the Floor" next to really mix it up, but there's plenty of time for that later. Right now, I guess "AAG" is not all that bad of a choice. It's a Carrie-written track and very catchy. LeAnn, on the other hand... I can't think of another song I think would have been better than this for a second single. It's a very catchy anthem kind of song that fans will surely love. Still waiting to see "What I Cannot Change" or "Nothing Wrong" get released eventually, though.

In other Country Music news, I got Brad Paisley's Christmas CD the other day (or, more acuarately, the B/F got it for me as an early present). It's a great listen! Brad did several holiday classics as well as writing some new tracks for it. For the classic tunes, Brad chose a very simple Country arrangement musically and sang them in a very low-key way. It's a nice change from the over-singing that often happens with Christmas songs.

Well, that's about it for now. Tomorrow starts all our Christmas festivities, so I might not get back to posting until the 26th. If I don't post until then, have a great holiday everyone!! Meanwhile, why not post a comment here letting me know what some of your favorite Chistmas songs are? I'd love to hear them! Also, what do you all think about Carrie and LeAnn's single choices? Later y'all! Take care, and "play something Country!"

Good morning, Country Music fans!! Hope everyone is doing well. It's thrusday, so you know what that means: it's time to take a look at the billboard charts. There are quite a few surprises in store here, too.

10) George Strait, 22 More Hits. Ulike some of the other Greatest collections this year, it actually saw an increase this week.

9) Keith Urban, Greatest Hits. Keith actually managed to keep his position from last week. Let's see if he and George can actually keep this up. If so, they'd be among the few to do it.

8) Reba, Duets. The legendary Country Music singer lost a little ground this week, but still- Duets has been doing great, staying near the top of the list ever since it was released.

7) Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand.  This week, they moved up three spots and I'm thrilled. Alison is one of the best vocalists out there, but she seems to have a hard time getting hits all on her own. Hopefully, the success of this project will help her out with that in the future.

6) Sugarland, Enjoy the Ride. This is the CD that just won't die.It keeps this position for yet another week.

5) Rascal Flatts, Still Feels Good. The trio brings a bit more stability to the top 10, keeping the #5 spot for another week.

4) Garth Brooks, Ultimate Hits. The country music singer who just can't stay in retirement lost a little ground this week, as he fell one spot.

3) Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride. Carrie's lost a little ground from last week, but she's still hanging in there near the top. Who managed to take her down a notch (literally)?

2) Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift. This is slightly shocking, yet not totally unexpected. I figured she'd seel an increase after "Our Song" hit #1 on the Country Music singles charts, but I didn't expect her to outsell Carrie's CD.

1) The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden. Are we even surprised? I know I'm not. The success of the Eagles is going to be one of the big stories on all the year end charts and I say good for them! We need more people like them to come back and do something huge like this to help revive the Industry. I think this is the whole reason that Country Music has been one of the last genres to suffer a decrease in sales, because there are genuine artists out there writing and performing their own stuff. No wonder people are moving towards that genre now.  

There’s quite a bit of activity this week in the Billboard top ten Country Music CDs Chart, so let’s get started!

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant are still sitting pretty at #10 this week with Raising Sand. From the little bit I heard, I can see why this has been a success. Keith Urban is following a trend by dropping 3 spots with his Greatest Hits CD. Should be dropping more next week, as hits packages have seemed to be dropping pretty quickly lately. Meanwhile, Trace Adkins debuted in the top 10 with his own hits package, American Man: Greatest Hits, Volume 2. Reba proves she is still one of the top females in Country Music by moving up one spot to #7 this week with Duets. Sugarland’s Enjoy the Ride also moves up one to take the 6^th position this week. Spots 5 and 4 belong to Rascal Flatt’s Still Feels Good and Taylor Swift’s Taylor Swift respectively, holding on to their spots from last week. Meanwhile, Garth Brook’s Ultimate Hits and Carrie Underwood’s Carnival Ride switch places. Garth is at #3 and Carrie is #2.

Finally, there is the #1 Spot. Once again, it goes to the Eagles’ Long Road Out of Eden.

In other chart news, Taylor was named one of the Greatest Gainers this week, while LeAnn Rimes managed to hold on to the #19 spot with Family. Carrie Underwood is also still in the top 20 with Some Hearts. It’s not all great news, though, for Carrie on the charts. Her hit "So Small" fell to #10 this week on the Country Singles chart. Who replaced her at the top? Taylor Swift! Her hit "Our Song" became the newcomer’s first #1 single on Billboard. Go her!

Well, that’s all for now! Tune in next time for more Country Music news and reviews! Take care!!

Since we are closing in on Christmas (and 2008), I thought this would be a good time to start reflecting on the year in Country Music. I’m gonna start by talking about some of my favorite moments in 2007.

LeAnn Rimes and Joss Stone performing on Crossroads. Last night’s episode was one of the better ones I’ve seen. LeAnn and Joss seemed totally comfortable singing each other’s music and just radiated energy and joy through the whole show. My personal highlights are LeAnn taking over most of Joss’ "Fell in Love With a Boy" and Joss rocking out to "Nothin’ Better to Do". The interview footage was fun, too. They were just sitting at a table with a bottle of what looked like wine and chatting, looking like old friends. One of my favorite moments was Joss recounting the meeting her label had when the soul music singer changed her hair color before the release of her latest CD. When she said it was supposed to be about the music, I almost stood up and said "AMEN" right there. Situations like that are part of what has helped to hurt the Industry.

Another favorite moment also happened last night during Movies Rock. Carrie Underwood sang "The Sound of Music" and was absolutely flawless. I have massive respect for any singer that can handle practically any genre of music and Carrie can. Her love may be Country Music songs, but she can rock out and sing pop just as effortlessly. And without a hint of twang while she’s doing it.

Another great thing about 2007? The way so many artists are embracing Country Music. Michelle Branch crossed over before 07 to massive success. Now Jewel and Jessica Simpson are taking the plunge as well. Kelly Clarkson is going to tour with Reba and has appeared on many programs singing Country Music songs. Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock have also done some songs that lean more towards to Country genre as well as appearing on Industry shows. Finally, Bon Jovi made yet another leap to the top by teaming up with Jennifer Nettles on "Who Says You Can’t Go Home" as well as Making a Country-influenced CD. LeAnn Rimes and Big&Rich were included on some of the songs. I know some people probably are not going to agree that the trend is a good thing, but I love it.

Well, that’s about it for now. I’ll pop in with more favorite (and not-so-favorite) moments another time. Til then, take care and "play something Country!"

Good morning, Country Music fans. Grammy Nominations were announced yesterday, so here is a look at some of the categories along with some commentary.

Female Vocal Perfomance: "Simple Love", Alison Krauss; "Famous In A Small Town", Miranda Lambert; "Nothin' Better To Do", LeAnn Rimes; "Before He Cheats", Carrie Underwood; "Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love", Trisha Yearwood. This is a really tough category. Sure, Carrie will most likely take it, but the others are really good and can give her a run for her money. My personal hope is LeAnn gets it. Carrie’s had tons of recognition for this song already and "Nothin’ Better to Do" is a great track. It’s also LeAnn’s only nod this year.

 

Best Collaboration with Vocals: "Days Aren't Long Enough" Steve Earle & Allison Moorer; "Because Of You" Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson; "I Need You" Tim McGraw & Faith Hill; "Lost Highway" Willie Nelson & Ray Price; "Oh Love", Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood. This is a category where anything can happen, in my opinion. I love most of the songs in this category, too, so I’ll be happy with anyone who wins. The only one I think has no shot is "Days Aren’t Long Enough". I’ve never heard it, so I can’t comment on the quality of the song. I just think one of the more high-profile nominees will take it.

" ; ", . This is a category where anything can happen, in my opinion. I love most of the songs in this category, too, so I’ll be happy with anyone who wins. The only one I think has no shot is "Days Aren’t Long Enough". I’ve never heard it, so I can’t comment on the quality of the song. I just think one of the more high-profile nominees will take it.

Best Country Music Album: Long Trip Alone, Dierks Bentley; These Days, Vince Gill; Let It Go, Tim McGraw; 5th Gear, Brad Paisley; It Just Comes Natural, George Strait. While my personal vote goes to Brad, I think this really comes down to George and Vince.

While my personal vote goes to Brad, I think this really comes down to George and Vince.

In other Grammy news, Taylor Swift is up for Best New Artist (Otherwise known as the Kiss of Death award), Brad Paisley is nominated in the Instrumental category for "Throttleneck" and Sugarland was completely left out. What’s up with that?

Well, that’s all for now, Country Music fans!! Don’t forget to check out Movies Rock tonight to see Carrie Underwood sing The Sound of Music. Also, LeAnn Rimes and Joss Stone perform on Crossroads tonight on CMT. Movies Rock is on at 9 PM Eastern until 11 PM. Crossroads starts at 10PM. You can also catch a repeat of Crossroads tomorrow at 10 AM. Til next time, take care and "play something Country!"

Hello out there, Country Music fans! Since I didn’t get the chance to post Chart Watch before, I’m going ahead and doing it now so it’s all caught up for the new one tomorrow. Sorry about not being as detailed. I’m working a couple other posts for today right now as well. And now, the top 10 Country Music CDs according to Billboard. Enjoy!!

10) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raising Sand

9) George Strait, 22 More Hits

8) Sugarland, Enjoy the Ride (More about them later...)

7) Reba McEntire, Duets

6) Rascal Flatts, Still Feels Good

5) Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift

4) Keith Urban, Greatest Hits (What is up with all the Greatest Hits releases lately?)

3) Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride

2) The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden

1) Garth Brooks, The Ultimate Hits

Hello! Well, the Holidays are over and it's time to get back to business! So, here is a look at this week's top 10 selling Country Music CDs according to Billboard. If you want to see additional Chart information, just go the the Billboard Website.

10) Trisha Yearwood, Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love. The Country Music singer has made the top 10 her first week out. This is Trisha's first record for new label Big Machine Records. The label is also home to Taylor Swift.

9) Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand. The unlikely duo manages to keep a spot near the top this week after falling two. It's their 4th week on the charts.

8) Sugarland, Enjoy the Ride. Coming off their CMA win and  AMA performance, the duo finds themselves slipping two this week. This one is definitely on my list of favorites for the year.

7) Rascal Flatts, Still Feels Good. The AMAs were also good to this trio. After their big win, their latest effort moves up 1 spot this week.

6) Reba McEntire, Duets. LeAnn may not be benefitting much from the CMAs, but Reba is. Her all star CD is hanging in the top 10 after 2 months.

5) Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift. The Country Music newcomer also moves down one on the charts this week. Still it manages to stay near the top after over 50 weeks.

4) Goerge Strait, 22 More Hits. This is the legenday Country Music star's first week on the chart. Let's see how the CD does in the weeks ahead... some Greatest Hits compilations have not been doing so well lately.

3) Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride. The American Idol turned Country superstar actually manages to hold on to her spot this week. This is the only release in the top 10 to do so.

2) The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden. They've turned out to be the big surprise of the year, having one of the biggest sales weeks of the year their first week out. This week, they make room at the top for a new champion.

1) Garth Brooks, The Ultimate Hits. Garth manages to take the top spot his second week out. If you want to go inside the making of this CD, check the GAC listings. They have a couple specials out there devoted to Garth and the CD.

Well, there you have it. This week's top Country CDs. There's one more post coming tonight, so stay tuned. Til then, stay safe and "play something country!"

Hello, Country Music fans! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Who watched the American Music Awards last night? If you didn’t, you missed quite an interesting performance. Country Music Duo Sugarland teamed up with Beyonce for a performance last night of her hit song "Irreplaceable." I have to be honest here, I hate that song and I really don’t like most of what Beyonce has put out since the early days of Destiny’s Child. I did, however, enjoy this performance. Jennifer did really well with it and seemed to have a great time. I liked the arrangement they worked up, too. According to the stories about the awards, they do the song at their concerts. Makes me interested to go to a show and see what else they do.

Speaking of the AMAs, Carrie Underwood ruled them last night. She won favorite Female artist, Favorite Country Music CD, and the T-Mobile Text-in Award. Well deserved honors, I have to say. One thing though, Carrie- I don’t know whose idea that dress was, but please don’t ever listen to their advice again. In other Carrie news, word is she’s going to hit #1 on the charts with "So Small." I guess a new single should be coming before too long. I’m excited to hear what it will be. There are plenty of great single choices on Carnival Ride.

So, do you think you have what it takes to be a Country Music singer and perform a great Duet? Well, CMT wants to hear from you. They’re holding auditions for a new TV show. Check out the details and find out how to enter here.

Well, that’s about it for this post. Stay tuned, cause more info is coming today!! Til then, stay safe and "play something Country!"

Hello, everyone!! It’s Chart Watch time again. Here’s a look at the top ten Country Music CDs for this week. There’s a big story on the charts this, so let’s get things started!

10) Kenny Chesney, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates. The CMA Entertainer of the year drops two spots this week. Let’s see how his appearance and win affects next week’s rankings...

9) Sugarland, Enjoy the Ride. The Country Music Duo has been seeing steadily increasing sales lately. This week, they dropped two. Let’s see what that CMA performance does for them.

8) Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift. Her CMA performance may not have done her any favors, in my opinion, but I’m sure it won’t hurt her too much. Especially with the Deluxe Edition just being released.

7) Gary Allen, Living Hard. He takes a four spot drop on the charts after three weeks on. As a fan, I hate to say it, but I see more of the same happening next week as the Awards begin having their effect on the chart.

6) Reba McEntire, Duets. Reba and company drop one spot this week after 7 weeks on the chart. Let’s see what her performance with LeAnn does for her next week...

5) Rascal Flatts, Still Feels Good. In a case of deja vu, they also fall 1 spot in their 7^th week.

4) Alison Krauss/Robert Plant, Raising Sand. The queen of Country Music duets and the legendary rocker fall 2 spots in their 2^nd week.

3) Josh Turner, Everything is Fine. The newest member of the Grand Ole Opry debuts on the chart.

2) Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride. The 2-time CMA Female Vocalist of the year finds herself in the runner up spot on the chart thanks to the big news....

1) The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden. The legendary 70s band returns with their first new album in over 2 decades. Thanks to a last minute change in policy allowing records sold at one retailer to be listed on the chart, the Eagles find themselves at the top. With their sales, it would have been a crime if they hadn’t.

Well, that’s all for now. See ya next time! Until then, stay safe and "play something country!"

It's called "Country Music's Biggest Night" and I can't say they didn't live up to the hype. This was everything an awards show should be, in my opinion. They kept it short and sweet  (2 hours) while not sacrificing quality and they kept up the pace through out the show instead of limping to a close like so many others have. I think the multi-host format was pretty good, too. Often, award show hosts might start out amusing and end up falling flat later on. Other times, the host is bad from start to finish. Having several different hosts for the night kept things fresh and fun.

Let's talk performances. I want to end things on a pretty good note, so let's get the bad ones out of the way. Taylor Swift shocked me. I kept expecting her vocals to get a little better, but it just didn't happen and I actually felt a little embarrassed watching it. Rascal Flatts also disappointed. Particularly in the second number with Jamie Foxx. Over all, though, the performances were among the best I've seen on an awards show.

The performance of the night, for me, was Sugarland. They performed "Stay" and I have to say, I loved it even better than the version on their CD. I think the lack of an organ helped out. Jennifer actually looked like she was about to cry several times during the song, and had the audience on their feet. Another highlight was Kellie Pickler's performance of "I Wonder". She actually did break down during her perfomance, but held it together enough to turn in a great vocal. Other great perfomances include Brad Paisley, who actually brough the marching band that recorded online with him to perform. Adding to the fun performance was Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler, who appeared in the video, dancing with him onstage. Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Josh Turner and Alison Krauss also did well, sounding as good or better than their recordings.

Now that that is out of the way, it's time to get down to the business of the night: awards.

Single of the Year: Carrie Underwood, "Before He Cheats"

Song of the Year: "Give it Away", George Strait

Vocal Group of the Year: Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland

Album of the Year:  It Just Comes Natural, George Straight

Video of the Year: Brad Paisley, "Online"

Horizon Award: Taylor Swift

Musician of the Year:  Jerry Douglas

Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley

Musical Event of the Year: "Find Out WhoYour Friends Are", Tracey Lawrence with Time McGraw and Kenny Chesney

Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney

Overall, I'm very happy with the results of the awards. Especially Brad Paisley's wins. In looking over my old predictions, I'm surprised to see that I did pretty good at guessing the winners. How did you guys do? Did you have a favorite performance? I'd like to hear about it! That's all for now! See ya tomorrow! Tile then, stay safe and "play something Country!"

As promised, here’s a quick run down on the Country Music CDs chart. I'll post another one on Thursday when the new Albums chart is released. Also on Thursday, I'll fill you in on what's up with the Country Music songs chart, so stay tuned! You don't wanna miss it.

10) Sara Evans drops 7 spots in her third week with Greatest Hits.

9) LeAnn Rimes manages to stick around in the top ten with her new CD, Family, after falling 5 spots. I’ll be posting something about this disc and LeAnn tomorrow.

8) Kenny Chesney’s latest, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates, falls 3 spots this week on the charts.

7) After 51 weeks on the chart, Sugarland manages to stay steady at number 7 with their sophomore disc, called Enjoy the Ride.

6) Taylor Swift is also offering some stability on the charts, managing to keep her spot from last week, with her self-titled debut.

5) Reba drops 3 spots this week with Duets. The CD is also getting her awards show buzz.

4) Rascal Flatts’ Still feels Good falls 3 spots this week after 6 weeks on the chart.

3) Gary Allan debuts on the charts this week with his new release, Living Hard.

2) In sort of surprising, yet good, news Alison Krauss and Robert Plant debut with Raising Sand.

1) And, in the least surprising news on the Countdown, Carrie Underwood debuted at the top of this chart and the billboard 200 with Carnival Ride.

Another week has come and gone, and what a week it’s been. I’m still rocking out to Carnival Ride. According to early predictions, I’m not the only one either. Carrie’s second Country Music CD is trending about 400,000-500,000 for her first week sales. In other Carrie news, she’s not only performing the National Anthem this weekend during the World Series, she’s also going to appear on a special called "Movies Rock" on December 7^th. She’s supposed to be performing the title song from one of my all-time favorite musicals "The Sound of Music." I’m interested to see what she can do with the song Julie Andrews made famous.

Opry Month continues on GAC as they induct Josh Turner into the exclusive club. That’s not all that will be going on tomorrow night, though. It will also be the debut of a brand new theme song and opening montage co-written and performed by Brad Paisley! I’m interested to see what he’s come up with, as he’s one of my favorite writers in the business right now. The program airs at 8PM eastern, so set those VCRs!

Speaking of setting the VCRs, if you aren’t a night owl, you’ll want to record this one: the 20 Funniest Videos special on CMT. It airs at 1am Saturday morning and features videos from Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson, Joe Diffie and the Dixie Chicks, among others. Whose number one? You’ll have to tune in to find out!

Well, that’s it for now. Check back on Monday for another week of Country Music news and reviews. I’ve got plenty of reviews in store for you. I might even post one this weekend... in the meantime, make sure stop by the forum and post your thoughts. I’d love to see them. Til then, stay safe and "play something country!"

Hello, Country Music fans!! I’ve got a new occasional feature on the blog for you: Release Day Review! It all starts with Carrie Underwood’s new Country Music CD Carnival Ride, in stores now. I’ll also be providing some thoughts her first disc, Some Hearts, over the next day or two. Let’s get started with the new one!!

From start to finish, it’s a good disc and a cohesive effort. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "Wheel of the World" describing life as a carnival ride. Since Carrie’s had a crazy two years since her debut’s release, she thought it was a good metaphor and she keeps the theme going all the way through, starting with the cover and text on it. Also keeping with the theme is a variety of up-tempo numbers mixed with a few slow or mid-tempo ones that make you feel as though you’re going on a ride yourself. The lyrics, which Carrie helped write, do their part by telling stories ranging from a funeral, to a crazy night in Vegas to a girl frustrated with losers. It’s not exactly a total departure from Some Hearts, but it is a great step in a more mature and focused direction I am enjoying. Vocally, she’s progressed as well. She sounds more mature and confident in her vocals, ranging from gritty performances, big power ballad notes to more subtle performances. Here’s a run down of some of the stand outs, in my opinion:

Flat on the Floor: This is the first track on the CD and is a great start to a new era for her. Some of the song is reminiscent of 70's rock with a modern twist and Carrie owns it, singing with confidence and attitude. Written by Brett James and Ashley Monroe, it’s about a girl wanting to be left alone after the end of a relationship so she can recover and move on.

All American Girl: This is a cute, mid-tempo song about a baby who is the center of her father’s world. As she grows, she becomes the center of her husband’s world. Later, she gives birth to a baby that becomes the center of her husband’s world, completing the cycle of life. The lyrics are cute and were co-written by Carrie.

Just a Dream: This is one of the most moving songs on the CD by far. A classic Carrie ballad, it tells the story of a young girl whose wedding day turns into a funeral when her soldier fiancé is killed. When she sings "Why’d you have to leave me, why’d you have to go? I was counting on forever, but now I’ll never know. I can’t even breathe" I couldn’t help but get a bit emotional myself, as Carrie delivers it with such conviction you think she’s going through it too.

Last Name: By far, this is my favorite of her up-tempo songs here. Also co-written by Carrie, she sings about getting caught up in the party atmosphere of Vegas and ending up married to a stranger so now she doesn’t know her last name. It’s kinda the "Before He Cheats" of Carnival Ride, letting Carrie show a more playful, wild side that is sure to be a great party song.

So there you have it: my impressions of Carnival Ride. Now it’s your turn. If you got the CD or heard it, stop by the forum and let me know what you think. See ya next time... stay safe and "play something country!"

Hey, all!! As a new feature, I am going to be offering some recaps of specials for those who are unable to watch them for whatever reason. My first recap is going to be of the Grand Ole Opry’s 82^nd birthday special. I’m sure y’all know that the venue is a legendary one that pretty much every Country Music singer dreams of performing at. Several lucky Country Music stars were chosen to be on hand for the event including Carrie Underwood, Ronnie Milsap and Travis Tritt.

The show opened with Carrie Underwood, who has become a favorite at the Opry, performing her revenge anthem "Before He Cheats." Carrie, as usual, hit that song right out of the park, packing lots of attitude into it. She also seemed to be having a great time with it. After she finished, the TV Host, Nan Kelly, gave a little plug for Carnival Ride, out tomorrow. She then introduces Emerson Drive, talking about some of the awards they’ve won this year.

Lead singer Brad Mates mentions the passing of former bass player Patrick Bourque, saying how the song has a deeper meaning to them now as they begin to play "Moments." Brad appeared to struggle through most of the song, seeming to get lost in the personal connection he’s found in the song. A picture of Patrick appears on a screen at the end with an "In Memory" inscription.

After Emerson Drive finished their performance, Nan is shown backstage interviewing Carrie about her new CD. Carrie says that "Wheel of the World" is her favorite song on the disc and that she picked the CD’s title from a line in that song. She also discusses writing some of the songs this time around.

Next up on the Opry stage is Travis Tritt. He comes out to perform his new single "You Never Take Me Dancing," and what a performance it is. He delivered the song with enthusiasm and lots of energy, sounding just as good as on the recorded version. Before he goes into his next song, he gives a shout-out to Porter Wagoner, who was diagnosed with Lung Cancer after the special was taped. He offers his well wishes and dedicates his song "It’s a Great Day to Be Alive" to the ailing Opry star. He says it’s a optimistic, feel-good song and he’s right. The banjo and fiddle in the music give it a fun vibe you can’t help but enjoy.

Emerson Drive comes back to perform their new single "You Still Own Me" and then it’s backstage for an interview with Travis Tritt. He talks about how much fun he has performing at the Opry and working with American Idol Judge Randy Jackson. This is the perfect segue for Carrie Underwood’s first TV performance of "So Small."

One of the highlights of the night for me was a performance by Ronnie Milsap. While I love Country Music, I tend to know more about the newer artists, so Ronnie was a revelation to me. His performance of "Precious Lord" is one of the most moving and soulful performances I’ve seen in awhile. He made sure to get the audience involved, sounding a bit like a preacher at a sermon as he throws the words out to the audience towards the end, encouraging them to join in. They obliged and it sounded great, all those voices coming together. He got the audience even more pumped as he launched into "Legend in My Time." Even though the song is a sad tale of regret and heartbreaks over a lifetime, the music sounded a bit more upbeat then you would expect. It sounded like a song straight out of the 50s or 60s to me.

The show closes with Carrie performing another new song from Carnival Ride called "Crazy Dreams." It’s a fun song, but I would say that it is not going to be a favorite of mine from the new disc based on the sound clips available on Amazon. Carrie does sound great, though, and clearly loved performing the song. After she finishes, they bring out a huge birthday cake and sing "Happy Birthday" to the Grande Ole Opry. And what a party it was!

So, there’s your recap! Did you see the show? If so, make sure to drop by the forum and tell me what you thought! Til tomorrow, stay safe and "play something country!"

Hello, Country Music fans! There’s lots to share today, so I’m gonna jump right in...

First, some sad news. Porter Wagoner, the man who introduced the world to Dolly Parton, is in the hospital in critical condition and he has asked for prayers from family and friends, so if you want to join in please do so. After several years of working together, Dolly struck out on her own but has kept in contact with him over the years. Her hit "I Will Always Love You" was all about her friendship with him and the difficulty she experienced in breaking the professional ties they had. Recently, he helped with her album Those Were the Days, a collection of cover songs from the 60s and 70s.

Remember that song "Gone Country" by Alan Jackson? It told the story of a guy and a girl who are trying their hand at being entertainers and get frustrated with what they’re doing and decide to make a change, going to Country Music and back to the more simple roots it represents. Well, looks like this is Jessica Simpson’s new theme song! Rumors have been flying that the pop singer was thinking of moving to the Country genre for awhile now but according to GAC it’s true! They report that Jessica has been in Nashville meeting with Sony BMG people as well as other country artists and writers, including Hillary Lindsey. Lindsey is one of the writers on Carrie Underwood’s debut song "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and her current single "So Small." Will a move to Country work for the fomer pop star? We’ll see....

Sara Evans is back on the road! Tonight, she kicks off a month-long tour in Indiana that will end in New York. If you want tickets, better move fast! These are sure to sell out before too long. The tour includes Josh Turner, Luke Bryan and George Ducas. Check out her official site to see if the tour is coming to a city near you.

All you Kellie Pickler fans out there might want to tune into the Vikings/Cowboys game on October 21^st on FOX. The Country Music singer who got her start on American Idol is going to open the game with a performance of the National Anthem. She’s been really busy lately, as her three dates with Rascal Flatts conclude tomorrow and she just did a sold out show in her home state of North Carolina.

Finally, don’t forget to check out the 82^nd birthday bash for the Grand Ole Opry. It’ll air tomorrow night at 8 PM Eastern. Carrie Underwood will be there to deliver the first TV performance of "So Small." Ronnie Milsap, Travis Tritt and Emerson Drive will also be performing at the show. Look out for some great interviews being featured on the show as well.

Well, that’s all for today. Feel free to stop by the forum and give me your thoughts on the stories you’ve seen here or anything else related to the genre. See y’all next time with more news and reviews. Til then, stay safe and "play something country!"

I’m a huge music fan, so I am always into any show that goes behind the scenes to show you what exactly goes on during the making of a CD, video or tour. The new GAC series, The Hitmen of Music Row, is right up my alley. It follows 4 of the most successful writers of Country Music songs today through their daily lives and shows them writing and performing the hits of such artists as Phil Vassar, Kenny Chesney and others. They are also the ones behind Phil Vassar’s new single "Love is a Beautiful Thing". The episode I watched showed clips of Phil talking about the hitmen and how you make sure to put a song on hold when it’s sent your way, which just goes to prove how successful they’ve been. Another great part of the series is when they get to talking about how they came up with some of their hits. They describe getting inspired to write "Hell Yeah" (performed by Montgomery Gentry) after hearing a fan screaming at a show. The men have a great chemistry together that makes them infinitely entertaining. It’s definitely worth checking out.

In other Country Music News, CMT really loves Carrie Underwood. For the second time in the past few months, she is going to take over the channel! It all starts on October 19^th, when Carrie shows up on the Top 20 Countdown at 2 pm Eastern time. On the 20^th, she’ll be featured on the Insider following a repeat of the countdown at 11 AM Eastern. They’ll also air her "In the Moment" special that documented the making of her debut CD, Some Hearts. Still haven’t gotten enough Carrie? Don’t worry- CMT is also going to have a series of 30-minute specials called "Carrie Music Television" where she’ll play her favorites. Some of the themes include Girl Power, Get the Party Started and Best Live Performances. You won’t want to miss this. Check the CMT site for airtimes. The specials start on 20^th.

I guess that’s all the news for today. Don’t forget to check out the forum to post your opinions on anything Country-related. Until next time, stay safe and "play something country!"

Hey, Country Music fans!! Got a couple headlines for you as well as a look at the singles chart as promised. Make sure you check out the GAC Countdown tonight at 8PM Eastern, because you will be seeing double. Blonde Country Music Singers Carrie Underwood and Trisha Yearwood will appear on the show to promote their latest releases. Carrie’s new CD is called Carnival Ride and Trisha’s is Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love. If you happen to miss it, don’t worry. It will repeat several times over the weekend so check your local listings and catch up on what’s hot in Country at the moment.

The road is usually tough on an artist, especially when they’re away from family. Jason Michael Carroll has found out just how hard it can be now that his career is hot and he doesn’t get to see his kids as much. To make time, he admitted to GAC that he will sometimes take last minute flights just to have some face time with the family. Now, that’s a dad! His single, "Living Our Love Song" is currently in heavy rotation on GAC, so keep an eye out for this one.

Speaking of Country Music Videos, GAC will feature almost an hour of Brooks and Dunn clips so tune in around 3 PM eastern to catch em. That’s about it for now. Stay tuned, cause later I will post the singles chart for you so you can see how your favorite songs are doing. Til then, Stay safe and "play something country!"

Hey, everyone! I’m gonna send some more reviews your way in the next day or two, but for now I wanna update you on a little bit of Country Music news. Today, I want to share the Country categories for the American Music Awards.

The nominees for Male Artist are: Toby Keith, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley. It is really hard to even begin to take a guess at who will win this one. I would like Brad Paisley to take home the award, but you can’t count out Tim and Toby after the year they all had.

Favorite Female Artist Nominees are: Martina McBride, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. I would pick Carrie for this one hands down. Ever since her debut country music CD is 2005, she has been considered the genre’s new darling and had a highly anticipate album coming out.

Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Big and Rich, Brooks and Dunn, and Rascal Flatts. While I would prefer Brooks and Dunn to win this one, I have a feeling Rascal Flatts will pull out a win.

Favorite Album: Tim McGraw’s Let it Go, Rascal Flatts’ Me and My Gand and Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts. I think it’s going to be a battle between Carrie and Rascal Flatts. They have had the biggest discs of the genre for awhile now, so it makes sense. We’ll see what happens...

The awards will be aired on ABC on November 18^th. You won’t want to miss this, cause the show is about to make history. For the very first time, they are going to let the fans decide who walks away with the prizes. If you want to vote, go to the website and make your selection. The deadline is the 1^st of November, so don’t wait! If you want, come back and share your picks on the forum. I’d love to know who you chose.

Check back tomorrow, when I review Miranda Lambert’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and share a couple other headlines. Til next time, stay safe and "play something country!

Hi, Country Music fans!! It's time for some more news. Let's start it off right, shall we? We all know the Grand Ole Opry is a legendary venue any country music singer dreams of being able to play one day. Well, the Opry has found a new home in XM Radio. The Opry's first XM Broadcast will happen on October 20th and feature some of today's biggest names: Carrie Underwood, Ronnie Milsap and Travis Tritt. The performances will also mark another milestone- the Opry's 82nd
birthday.  Talk about a long and rich history.

As you may have seen, CMT has a new show called CMT Giants. The series is dedicated to celebrating the very best of Country and kicked off with a tribute to Reba McEntire. This time, they will honor Hank Williams, Jr.  Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson and more will be on hand to pay tribute to his career. Stay tuned for airtimes as they are announced.

Finally, let's talk Taylor Swift. The teenager has become one of the genre's fastest rising stars with with two hit videos to her name. Well, she's at it again. Taylor annouced that she has completed a video for "Our Song", the third single from her self-titled debut country music CD. Keep an eye out for it... she also mentioned this is the first time her band will be featured in a video.

Well, that's all the news for now.  Remember to stop by the forum and share your thoughts on today's headlines or anything else related to the Country Genre. I'll be back tomorrow with more. Til then, stay safe and "play something country!"

Hello, everyone! It’s time yet again for another week of Country Music news and reviews. Let’s get started, shall we?

As I reported in an earlier entry, Cody Collins has been named as the new lead singer of Lonestar and how the group promised he would change their sound. Well, you will be able to hear this new sound for yourself when the group releases a Christmas album, the first with Collins. It’s called "My Christmas List" and will be released in November. It is only going to be available through Cracker Barrel, so check the site to keep up-to-date on the project and get your copy when it’s released.

Speaking of new releases, Sony/BMG is helping to change how music is formatted with a new kid of release: a ringle. Each ringle will feature great Country Music songs by your favorite artists as well as other content, including ringtones and remixes. Carrie Underwood’s "Before He Cheats" will be the first, followed by releases from Brooks and Dunn, Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney. Ringles will be released the same day as Carrie’s "Carnival Ride" CD so keep an eye out!

Speaking of these Country Music artists... Carrie, Brooks and Dunn and Brad Paisley have been confirmed as performers on the CMA awards. They join other artists such as Martina McBride and others I mentioned earlier in the blog. Be sure to tune in on November 7^th to see if your favorites win!

That’s all the news for now. Be sure to stop by the forum to comment on these stories or anything else related to Country Music. Til next time, stay safe and "play something country!"