Brand New Song 11/8 – 11/12

11/8 Ashley Gearing ”What Do You Think About Us” When you and Brenda Lee can be mentioned positively in the same sentence, then there is something to you. What is the connection? In 2003 Ashley Gearing took over Brenda Lee’s spot as the youngest artist ever to chart on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles Chart – she was 11 or 12 at the time – with her rendition of “Can You Hear Me When I Talk to You.” Fast forward 7 years, through the Grand Ole Opry shows, performances with the Boston Pops and Red Sox, and studio recordings for the Disney CD series “DISNEYMAINA,” “What Do You Think About Us” is her debut single as a newly signed artist with Curb Records. It’s an uptempo song written with Ben Glover and Brian Davis, with crossover potential. “What You Think About Us” is a song that finds Ashley singing about the boy in her life and as she listens to him list off the things he loves and wants to do, Ashley simply asks him “what he thinks about us?”  While some could consider the question something that would only be asked by an insecure girl, in reality this is a question that all people – particularly young women – think about all the time, particularly when the relationship is in its early stages.  Well with a record under her belt, and experience like mentioned above in her back pocket, Ashley Gearing is beyond the beginning stages musically. Read more about the story of Ashley Gearing Here.

11/9  Darius Rucker “This” What Darius Rucker mostly feels these days is grateful . . . Grateful that the millions of fans that knew Rucker as the voice of Hootie & The Blowfish, the Grammy-winning group whose album Cracked Rear View sold more than 16 million copies, happily followed the singer/songwriter in his natural evolution to country music. Grateful that hundreds of country radio programmers embraced him as a welcome addition to the genre – as did the nation’s countless country music fans. . . And finally, grateful that, as a seasoned performer who has already experienced the fickle highs and lows of fame, he’s grounded and secure enough these days to truly appreciate this new phase in his music career. And what better way to sum all this feeling up than in the opening song to his new album Charleston, SC 1966. He’s a family man now, and country singer, but you can hear the past influence in the sound of this song. But when you stop and think about it, that country sound was always in Hootie and the Blowfish, right? Now that Rucker is the first Black aritst since Charley Pride in the 1970s to win a CMA, you can hear it was there all along, since the days in Charleston, when a “Bar Band… Got Lucky” as He puts it. Read more about Darius Rucker being back for the first time Here. 

11/10 Sugarland ”Little Miss”  At first glance, The Clash and Johnny Cash seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. However, according to Jennifer Nettles “If you dig far enough you’re going to see that The Clash and Johnny Cash had a lot in common. I (we, Sugarland) like to live right where those guys meet.” This is the basis of their 4th album, The Incredible Machine. A profile of a woman who tries to handle everything, all by herself, “Little Miss” is an inspiring “keep your head up” type of song with interesting harmonies and a dominant, yet not overwhelming, acoustic guitar lead. It was also one of the first songs written for the new album, Kristian  Bush described it as being “…discovered (was) fun and really beautiful.” both Jennifer and Kristian see their mothers, daughters, and in Jennifer’s case, herself as the character in this song, which really bonds well with the overall theme of the album. “It’s just the two of us,” says Kristian. “In the story of who we are, this album is more us than we’ve ever been.” Read more about the development of this Incredible Machine Here.

11/11 Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson ”Don’t You Wanna Stay” There has been much talk / hype around this song coming out, the latest single on Aldean’s new album My Kinda Party. Their performance at the Country Music Awards lived up to the expectations musically. While the subject matter could be seemed as typical – wanting a relationship between 2 people to go beyond just making love one night – the musical and vocal presentation of the subject can really set itself apart from other songs that may want to compare itself. There’s no cockiness and no forcefulness in Aldean’s stance. The name of the game is individuality, and Aldean is protecting it. Which is why even after 10 years of working at it, selling 3.5 million records in the first phase of his career, and having the pick of the litter of songwriters, musicians, etc to work with, this Macon, Georga native is still using the same band of musicians and engineer to continue the success that started with the 2005 single Hicktown. Read more about how and why Jason Aldean just doesn’t sound like anyone else in Country Music Here.

11/12 LeAnn Rimes ”Crazy Women” Sometimes it takes something to laugh at and be fun in order to get a message across. How else can the message “Crazy Women are made by Crazy Men” not be interpreted as something potentially scandalous AND be on an album where a woman is reinterpreting classic country songs that were all originally sung by men? The uptempo and honest storyline and musical vibe of this song is a great addition and special bonus track to LeAnn’s upcoming new album Lady and Gentleman, due out early next year on Curb Records. Singing them from a woman’s perspective, each song on the album has been rearranged and reinterpreted by LeAnn, with the album Executive Produced by 20-time GRAMMY Award-winner Vince Gill, Darrell Brown (Keith Urban, Rascall Flatts) and LeAnn Rimes. After 37 million albums, 17 awards, and 42 hit singles in 15 years, it’s good to know that there are artists still reaching forward, while not forgetting their past. Read more about LeAnn Rimes “sing(ing) these songs from a woman’s perspective to hopefully help reintroduce them to a new audience,” Here. 

Brand New Song 11/1 – 11/5

11/1 Aaron Tippen “Wanna Play” This is a special project release by Aaron Tippen in conjunction with James Stroud
with Special Guest Gov. Mike Huckabee that was released in October fully entitled I Wanna Play!: An Album To Put Musical Instruments Into The Hands Of Every Child In America. The Wanna Play Fund, where procedes from the album go to,  stems from a national public awareness campaign called Wanna Play created by NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, to educate people of all ages about the many social and wellness benefits of making music.  Read more about this project, as well as what brought Aaron Tippen to it Here.

11/2  Josh Thompson “Won’t Be Lonely Long” It’s a pure optimist’s set up. This song starts like it will be a “Tear in My Beer” classic. But by the first chorus, it becomes an up tempo hell-raiser about being dumped as the gateway to a great Friday night. Looking beyond the hurt, even as a temporary fix. Honesty seems to be the main quality of Josh’s album Way Out There. He is an artist whose songwriting reflects both the gritty realities of blue-collar life and the beer-fueled release of the Friday-night honky-tonk. This is perfectly evident in the combination of having a publishing deal on one end, and pouring concrete as a 7am-5pm job 3 days a week on the other at the same time. Way Out Here, above all, shows His personal journey through the landscape of the people whose love and loss, living and dying have fueled the best of country music. At its core are “who I am” songs that define the salt-of-the-earth characters whose concerns Josh knows and relates so well. And what does Won’t Be Lonely Long suggest? To look ahead to the good times instead of dwelling on the negative past or present. Read more about the honest living, playing, working, and music of Josh Thompson Here.

11/3 Chuck Wicks “Old School” The Song “Stealing Cinderella” made Chuck Wicks a top 5 household name in 2007 and 2008. Since that time, he has continued using the hard working lessons he learned as a Deleware bred youngster on the farm. 2010 into 2011 will bring his debut album “Starting Now” to the masses. As what most good to future classic country songs are, “Old School”  is upbeat and who doesn’t love a song about fun past times? Easy to sing along with, especially the little “howl” along tag that will stick in people’s head positively soon, Chuck is just showing more of what he has to offer as a young, up and coming country singer / songwriter that got him signed to RCA Nashville. Feel free to check out the various clips on YouTube of him singing the song live either at a radio station or on stage, and you will see and hear what the buzz is about. Read more about the road that Chuck Wicks took from Deleware to Florida (as a Baseball player) to Nashville and nationwide success Here.

11/4  Crossin Dixon “Goodbye to Henry”  If you are from the Southern Delta / Gulf Coast region, you will definitely hear the Central Mississippi roots that Crossing Dixon are based from. “Goodbye to Henry” is a song that is based on another southern tradition – the celebration and aspects towards a friend that recently passed. Immediate visuals come to mind while listening to this song, a la “the thunder of a hundred motorbikes followed him down main street,” or “I don’t think that church had ever heard a word of ‘Midnight Rider’.” Crossin Dixon is a band that can communicate real, raw emotion while still rocking a party like nobody’s business. Their soon to be released follow up to their 2008 self titled album is based upon being “a little bit more edgy” than its predecesor, and this song is a good start. Learn more about the last 8 years of Crossin Dixon Here.

11/5 Lathan Moore “Love in Your Life”Agreeing with what the Press Release states about this song, “…Moore’s “Love In Your Life” (the title cut from his debut CD released in March 2010) encourages the listener to humbly reflect upon the small acts of love in his/her own life and recognize that the wee but powerful action could make even the toughest man cry. Moore’s deep, soulful voice reminds the listener of what “living” truly means. A heart-to-heart story (written by Matt McClure, John Paul Williams and Stan Swinarski), the mid-tempo tune features stellar percussion that takes a back seat only to Lathan’s strong vocals. Much like its message, the lap steel, acoustic guitars and keys appear in minimal form–simplistic yet significant.” Originally from Illinois, Moore has always believed in the simple things. That is what took him on his journey from childhood, to Southern Illinois on a Music Scholarship, to Nashville, where he signed with Blue Steel Records in 2008. Learn more about this 2010 version of the ‘New Traditionalist(s)’ sound Here.

Brand New Song 10/25 – 10/29

10/25 Christian Kane – “House Rules” If you don’t know the feeling of Jelly Roll playing the Harmonica, then just listen to the tradition of old classic and new country Funky on this song, because it’s the last time you won’t know it. It’s a romp through the dos and don’ts when visiting the Bar / hangout spot / etc. This lead single from the album of the same name hits like a Freight Train to your ear that you really don’t want to miss. Now if the name sounds familiar, then maybe you have seen Kane in another form of media, television and/or movies. With credits ranging from TNT’s Leverage to a reoccuring part in Buffy Expansion series Angel he has TV down. Or maybe you saw him on the Movies Taxi (with Queen Latifia & Jimmy Fallon) or Friday Night Lights. However you recognize him, Christian Kane is making sure you add Singer (he’s already a noted songwirter, writing for Trace Adkins among others) to your memory banks. Read more about The House Rules Christian Kane wants you to follow Here.

10/26 Point of Grace “Labor of Love” A slow, Christmas tune just in time for their new release Home for the Holidays. Full of harmony, it gives the feeling of sitting by the fire with the family. Listed under Contemporary Christian, these ladies are continuing the music with a message. “We were intentional about making sure that the songs we were singing weren’t bubble gum, but had a real message,” says Leigh. What matters the most to Point of Grace is the message of God’s love, and they continue their consistent career course of embracing songs that are unmistakably Christian.” Whether it’s touring for their music, or touring for their event “The Girls of Grace Conference,” this Inspirational Country Music Awards’ ‘Entertainers  Of The Year’ Supergroup are continuing to spread God’s word. Read More about Point of Grace Here.

10/27 Josh Turner “I Wouldn’t Be A Man” “I’ve learned from certain people that it takes a lot of hard work, passion and love for what you do to have longevity in this career.” This should be the summation of every person in the Music Business, but alas, it is not. Josh Turner takes this to heart (it is his quote) and it shows on his new album Haywire. The Hannah, S.C. native has sold more than 4 million albums and garnered two multi-week No. 1s (“Your Man” and “Would You Go With Me”). His debut album was certified platinum for more than 1 million copies sold, and his sophomore album, Your Man, was one of only four country albums to reach double-platinum status in 2006. Six years after his Opry debut, he was inducted into the prestigious organization, becoming one of the youngest artists to receive such an honor. He recorded a CMT special with his musical hero, Randy Travis, and has spent time writing songs with another one of his heroes, John Anderson. This single allows Turner to be his most sensual. “I don’t feel like you can have too many love songs,” he says. “The world is always looking for that next great love song. It’s like what Eddy Arnold told me a long time ago. ‘If you have the opportunity to record a great love song, do it.” Read more about the successes and passion Turner has for music Here.

10/28 Katie Armiger “Best Song Ever” Confident, secure, bold, assertive, vulnerable and in-your-face could all describe the songs on the new album, Confessions of a Nice Girl, as well as the artist who sings them. Best Song Ever opens the album all perky and happy, and really sets an interesting tone for the rest of the album. Co-written with Amanda Flynn and Bruce Wallace, this song actually belies the darker undertones of what is really going on in the mind of this young woman. A lot has happened for this woman on both sides of the spectrum between her self titled album at 15 and “Confessions” at 19, and this song seems to be an introduction into that change. Everybody remembers those changing years. This is just a demonstration to how it happens being a rising country singing star. Read more about Katie Armiger’s Confessions Here.

10/29 David Adam Byrnes “Sweet Distraction”  You want a good feeling country rocker? “Sweet Distraction” is the song for you. Easy to sing along with with a groove to easily dance to (dare I say to Line Dance to?) this first single has made an appearace on Billboard, and is the first single to the 23 year old,  Arkansas native’s debut album Preminum Country. Trying to follow in the footsteps of other legendary Arkansas Stars like Johnny Cash, and Glen Campbell, Byrnes writes about growing up, relationships, heartache, and just about anything else he can relate to. One thing is certain, what you hear is what you get – you won’t find a song on David’s record that he can’t personally relate to. All 14 tracks are based off of his “average man” experience, and his love for country music, since first being taken to a George Strait concert at age 3. Read more about David’s rise towards the top Here.

Brand New Song 10/18 – 10/22

10/18 Matt Gary – “I’m Just Sayin’”  In life, there always a saying that to every plan you have, always have a backup plan. The combination of having a Plan A and a Plan B (maybe even a C,D,E…) will never let you fall. Matt Gary is a country music example of how plans work for the better. Gary always had dreams of being a Country Star, even while growing up in the “American Boy-Next-Door” in Kansas City(Kansas). This was his Plan A, and every song Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and Keith Urban made registered with him, because of the “..diverse and always sincerity(of the songs), which gives them the ability to connect with listeners of all ages. They definitely know what to look for during the song selection process and that’s exactly what I aim to do.” High School graduation was supposed to be the next big step towards Plan A, but his parents knew about life, and offered Matt a Plan B – if He goes to college and graduates, they’ll totality support him in his Music Career. 4 Years and 2 degrees later from the University of Tampa (a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and a B.A. in Digital Art with Concentration in 3-D Animation),Matt moved to Nashville and established a working relationship and friendship with Grammy award-nominated producer Kent Wells (Dolly Parton/Neal McCoy/Michael Peterson) and in 2009 recorded the single “The Days You Live For.”  “I’m Just Sayin” is the Sophomore follow up and leader to his self titled album off of his newly formed Record Label 17 Music Entertainment. Told by an outside admirer looking in, the song is about a relationship heading south and his willingness to step in. Matt’s temperate tenor voice complements the catchy, rock-inspired lead guitar rhythms while blending with a charming piano melody that glistens. Matt’s smooth vocals plead, “If you were mine, I’d love you good and treat you right…I’m just sayin’.” Read More about Matt Gary’s veteran use of Plans Here and Here.

10/19 Colt Ford – “Hip Hop in a Honkytonk’” “I’m Just an average Joe who’s been blessed with the ability to write music and who loves to perform. I talk about everyday real country life and I believe in real country values – God, Family, Friends, and hard work. And if that ain’t country, I don’t know what is.” That about sums up this 300 Pound, Athens, Georgia native, Lover of Live. mHe is described as a “Spoken-Word Country” Artist, along the lines of “Devil Went Down to Georgia”  or “Boy Named Sue.” This is where a song like “Hip Hop in a Honkytonk” comes in. His love for both genres ran deep in his life, but then he realized something. “The DJ’s would play hip-hop and those country girls would be out there on the floor dancing to it. I knew there was a place for combining them.” This is just a part of the real world / yours and mine backyard writing style that makes Colt Ford a fan favorite, keeps him on the road doing over 200 shows a year, and is displayed in his sophomore album Chicken and Biscuits. being Relaeased on his own independent label, Average Joes Entertainment, their objective is simple. “I know every time I step on that stage and see that crowd reaction that fans are hungry for something different, and I’m here to give it to them.” Read more about Colt Ford’s Loving of Country, Hip-Hop, and Life Here.

10/20 Kenny Chesney – “Somewhere With You”   After topping the charts earlier this season with the monster classic “The Boys of Fall,” (which is his 20th #1 Single, and includes the full 90 minute DVD coming November 9th) Kenny Chesney is releasing “Somewhere With You,” the second single from his new album Hemingway’s Whiskey which debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200. Hemingway’s Whiskey is Chesney’s sixth album to debut at the spot and the album is receiving widespread praise as one of the best of his storied career. Hauntingly different is the phrase that is Chesney is using for this single, which is about getting over a recent relationsip ending. “what the song says is so true, because when you’re trying to get over somebody, you do a lot of things to try to get over that person. You try to go out with somebody new, but you realize it’s just a temporary high- like the song says. Getting over somebody is tough, it’s really tough. There’s always something to remind you of a time, a place, a memory, a feeling. And you always think about that person. And I think that’s why this song is so powerful.” The entire album is still in the Top 5, and with this single and the DVD, it may stay there for a while longer. Learn more about the successes of Kenny Chesney Here.

10/21 Randy Rogers Band – “Steal You Away” Classic story subject, the outsider observing the woman with the wrong man, and what the observer would love to do about it. Slow, sturdy Classic Country feel, and a catchy vocal tone is what makes this followup of “Too Late for Goodbye” from their album Burning the Day, worth knowing. everyone has been through this at one time or another, thats one main aspect of this song that gets under your skin. The Band attests that they have seen it happen from the stage at several shows. “We heard this song, and we were blown away,” according to Bass player Jon “Chops” Richardson. “It was something we didn’t have written for the record; we had rockers, two-steppers, but this is a great ballad: a guy sees a girl with guy who doesn’t deserve and think, ‘I should just take her away.” Read more about how the Randy Rodgers Band is stealing the hearts of Country fans around the country Here and Here.

10/22 Elvis Presley – “Suspicious Minds” With today’s technology, the Great Ones never fade away, they just get rethought of and repackaged! Viva ELVIS – The Album is a 21st century celebration of Elvis and his music, featuring the voice of the king in a whole new context. The 12-track compilation is a companion piece to the Las Vegas show “Viva Elvis” by Cirque du Soleil, which began in February. The context in this case is based on the remixing of Award Winning Producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen). The new album is a unique way to bring Elvis’ music to a whole new younger audience,” said Tom Cording, vice president of media relations for Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment’s catalog division. The Elvis machine is relying on fans who never saw him in person to keep revenue pouring in. Last year, Elvis generated more than $60 million in revenue from royalties, licensing and Graceland’s operations, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings by CKx Inc., which owns Elvis Presley Enterprises. So the great ones with today’s technology continue on, and on, and on…. Read More about the latest incarnation of Elvis Here.