11/23 Steel Magnolia “Last Night Again”  How often is it that the words “Country Music” and “New Orleans” are put into the same sentence these days? What about adding the words “Illinois” and “Grease (The Movie)?” Well mixing all of this together and you have the new single, and stuck between a detailed Fan Film and quality Low Budget Produced Music Video for “Last Night Again.” When 2 people can get chemistry developed after singing Air Supply’s “I’m All Out of Love” at a Karaoke Night, then there is room for above mentioned balance. There is a young honesty – She being  Meghan Linsey from New Orleans is 23; He being Joshua Scott Jones from Illinois, is 28 - in the lyrics and harmony from the 2 singer-songwriters. The Lyrics and the Grease (the first one) at the Bowling Alley Video suggest “What would have happened if Sandy and Danny would have hooked up before the big number and wanted to again?” Hense, the title. Well little grassroots moves like this song and video is a good step in the direction to catching the industry and the fans’ attention. Read more about Steel Magnolia’s brew of songwriting and artist chemistry Here.

11/24 Christine Van Hoy “What I Live For” So far, Christine has lived for a good life, good family, and her music among other things. Christine has been the lead singer and guitarist in an all female rock band, fronted a pop/jazz/rock 10-piece band complete with full percussion and horn sections, been a member and soloist in numerous church choirs, and had a solo career – just the guitar and voice doing country and folk. “I have learned through my volunteer work with the American Cancer Society, to live each day to its fullest and I don’t believe in regrets.  So the time to record my songs is now, today!  It’s never too late to go after your dreams.   About her current single, she said in an interview with the Independent Music Network: The back story is simple, just like the song. Jason Campbell, a wonderful singer songwriter and lead singer for SingleTree, and his friend and lead guitarist David Scott (both are from Arkansas) had come out to California to write with me.  We were sitting in our living room just talking about life and how important it is to keep all the simple things in mind, and not let all the craziness and stress get to you.  From there the song was born.  We could have had at least 10 verses on this song.  There are a lot of simple things in life that we have a tendency to forget about, until you specifically take the time to think about them.  It’s a great exercise for everyone to do.” Read More about Christine and what She Lives For Here and Here.  

11/25 Thanksgiving

11/26 Lucy Angel “Only Woman Left”Honestly IMHO the harmonies are the first thing, and should be the first thing, that captures your attention with this song. And if they allow it, those harmonies from this song have “sample” written all over them (musically speaking, 9 times out of 10, it’s a compliment to be sampled). Orginally from Arizona, and 3 sisters of a self proclaimed “Army Brat” mother, who has had a little musical success of her own, Kate, Lindsay and Emily Anderton are releasing this new single  off their self-titled LUCY ANGEL EP, produced by Nashville songwriting prodigy Anthony Smith.  The EP includes several songs written by Smith (George Strait, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill) including “Only Woman Left” co-written with Sarah Buxton.  This mid-tempo lead-off single  is a little bit sassy and a little bit sweet. It describes what type of women they are, beyond the ‘one night stand’ status that other women may accept.  From the above mentioned opening harmony to the closing note this sure fire radio hit is refreshingly honest, undeniably catchy, and quite unmistakably LUCY ANGEL. The YouTube Video teaser, though 1:37 long, is entertaining also, with its mix of the 3 sisters, and stock 1930-ish footage. You can see the teaser Here, and read more about Lucy Angel Here.

11/16 Easton Corbin “I Can’t Love You Back” Every singer usually has an early memory of when the music bug bit them. For Easton Corbin, it is a gearshift and Mel McDaniels. One of my earliest memories is from when I was three or four,” he remembers. “I was sitting between my parents in the car and a song came on the radio—it was Mel McDaniel’s ‘Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On’. I began using the gearshift as my microphone. The desire has always been there.” Fast forward through years of guitar learning, local party playing, a degree from the University of Florida (in business) and marriage, and Corbin is now working on making his mark in Nashville with his self titled debut album. Quite a long way from his Gilchrist County, Florida roots (complete with no Walmart, a closed Hardees, and one red light)  “I Can’t Love You Back,” written by Carson Chamberlain (producer of the album), Clint Daniels and Jeff Hyde, has a universal message of loss. “It can mean different things for different people,” Easton says. “She could have died, she could have left him—people can interpret it the way they feel.” Country Traditionalists and George Strait fans (which can and should be the same people) are going to love this song. There is no rock or pop in this song at all. A pure country romantic ballad. Now that his gearshift mic is now a real one nationwide, Easton Corbin is set upon making great country music for country music lovers. Read more about Easton Corbin being a little more country Here.

11/17 Alan Jackson “Ring of Fire” If the words “Love…Is a burning thing” were said to you, do you think that Alan Jackson can eventually come to mind. In the hearts and minds of not only country fans, but general music fans period, that quote will always be attributed to Johnny Cash. Alan Jackson gives the classic country song a modern spin as a part of his album Freight Train. First off I want to say, that before you think of this as being some sort of remix, Jackson doesn’t go too modern on this. He really stay’s in the traditional pocket of the song. It will be up to you as to the way you feel about it, as the reactions to this cover have been mixed. This is my favorite quote I’ve read about the song. “I don’t know what to think about this one. If I was at an AJ (Alan Jackson) show and he covered it…I’d think it was pretty cool. But do I really want to hear this on the radio? So far the callers have been just as conflicted as I am.” After 20 years of consistent music, Alan Jackson can do just about what he wants musically, and his career, this song, along with the rest of the new album is just like where the album title comes from. “Locomotives aren’t much about bluster.  They’re more about power, speed, efficiency, rugged beauty, and drive.” Read more about the 20 year locomotive named Alan Jackson Here.

11/18 Kelly Parkes “Nothing (Good Ever Happens After Midnight)” Just about every musician has this general feeling about themselves, even the ones that suffer with stage fright. “I’m a ham,” Kelly Parkes says. “I’ve always been a ham. I love what I do and I love that I get to do it…When I see someone on stage performing, I want to be the one up there performing.” The feisty 23 year-old from rural Lancaster County, Penn., shows her personality on her debut single, produced by Darran Smith (Tim McGraw) and Lofton Creek Records chief Mike Borchetta. The former Ball State attendee knows all about the subject matter which is having a good time while making the right decisions.  She’s been on her way for that since moving to Nashville in 2008, and she wants to continue that in 2011. Learn more about Kelly Parkes Here.

11/19 Due West “The Bible and the Belt” If the way Due West met and was formed is any indication of future success, give them their star now. “We were all at a party,” Matt Lopez recalls. “Dan Truman of Diamond Rio was having a house party at his sister’s house…  Everybody was just sitting around playing guitar, and we started doing some Restless Heart, Shenandoah, and Diamond Rio tunes. Brad and I jumped right in there on the harmonies.” The response was along the lines of “when is your next show” even though the 3 of them had just met a couple of hours before. The harmony displayed at that party is what drove their 2009 hit “I Get That All The Time,” to top 20 status,  what makes “The Bible and the Belt” noticeable. Written by 3rd Due West member Tim Gates from a conversation about living between (title) his whole life, have those harmonies with lyrics meant to be lighthearted and helpful. Their debut EP on Black River Records hopes to keep them going in the right direction. Read More about Due West 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. 

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.

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.

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.

10/12 – Joey + Rory  “That’s Important to Me”  This Husband and Wife Duo started their lives nowhere near the Industry road of relationships for the added attention (a quick Bing Search led to 10 pages of sites, and 15 Related Searches). The first 5 Years of their marriage was Joey pursuing her solo career, Rory becoming a hit Songwriter, and the balence of both of them raising 2 daughters. A somewhat reluctant tryout on CMT’s Can You Duet Season I, at the urging of a co-writer, changed all that. Suddenly becoming a part of the celebrity spotlight, and finishing 3rd let them to a record deal with Vanguard / Sugar Hill Records. The 2010 ACM Award Winners for Top New Vocal Duo are now back with their follow-up to Life of a Song with Album Number Two.  This single That’s Important To Me, is a song that encapsulates the down-to-earth values that define Joey+Rory both as a couple and a duo alike. It’s what got them to this point over the last decade, and they are not trying to change any of that, that’s just how important it is to them. Read more about Joey + Rory’s ideas of importance Here.

10/5 – Braden Gray “A Little Less Lonely”  The self-titled debut album by the Mississippi Native, is best described by Braden as a collection of sincere lyrics matched with a sound that blends traditional country with hints of ‘90s country and an ever-so subtle rock edge. “Country ofmusic is a genre that is known for its genuine, heartfelt lyrics, and to me,” he asserts, “honesty in country music is even more important than talent.” A Little Less Lonely is the 3rd single from the album and has become known through an extensive summer radio tour where Braden wowed program directors at every station with his flawless acoustic rendition of the heartache-healing ballad performed live in their studios. With his previuos 2 singles hitting the New Music Weekly Top 50 Chart, and a new deal with ATP Records, there’s a whole lot more of  Braden Grey coming. Read more Here. 

10/6 – Taylor Swift  “Speak Now” Speak Now is an expertly catchy pop composition whose twangy, up-and-down hooks might remind you of “You Belong With Me.” The title track from the album coming on October 25th spent its first 24 hours plus at the top of the itunes all genre charts and defintely have people talking – when is the last time you can say “country music” and “haters” in the same blog entry? Go Here
to see what I mean. And go Here to read more of what the public is talking about.

10/7 – Little Big Town ”Kiss Goodbye” This song signals new territory for the band from a result of spending more time in the studio verses their usual relentless travels around the country. Not to say that this formula has been bad for them: they have sold 1.5 million records to date and 3 grammy nominations. Philip Sweet stated “For the first time, we were able to take off the road and really focus on making a record. It was an amazing creative time for the band. There’s a lot of push and pull that goes into making music, we believe that’s what makes it interesting.”  This is the 2nd single from their album The Reason Why, the follow up to Little White church. Read more on the new sonic territory this song is taking Here.

10/8 – Rio Grande “I Love Beer” With a title like that, it’s pretty straight forward what this song is about! It’s being touted as a new anthem for many, which could be true given the band’s Texas roots. Signed with Curb/Asylum and is managed by Graham Artist Management, Rio Grand puts the pedal to the metal and pushes your average vocal group fast-forward with amazing storytelling, great stage antics and undeniable vocal strength. They are constantly doing live shows and are preparing for their first album. Learn more about Rio Grande Here and Here.

9/28 – Billy Currington “Let Me Down Easy” Billy’s latest album Enjoy Yourself adds a branch to the tree of “concept albums.” Out of the 10 songs on this disc, Billy only gave songwriting contribution on one. “This record was about recording songwriters’ songs,” he explained.  “I could have gone back and recorded a bunch of mine that I’ve written, but there were a lot of writers I wanted to record, like Shawn and Troy. I had to put their songs on this album.” Let Me Down Easy is a soulful and sexy tune that written by Marty Dodson, Jennifer Hanson, and Mark Nesler that still has Currington’s trademark mix of Country, R&B and beach music.  Billy’s voice has be characterized as one that would sound good even “singing the numbers out of the phonebook,” and this is no exception. The other half of this song, and the album itself toward the “concept” idea is that this along with another song Love Done Gone are the closest to sad songs on this album, hense the title of the album. Read more about the Georgia native’s spreading of his Happy-go-lucky personality musically Here.

9/29 – The Harters “If I Run“ Produced by Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band) and written by Leslie Harter and Michael Harter with Rachel Williams, If I Run tells the story of a woman in love asking herself if her partner will accompany her through life’s peaks and valleys as she contemplates a long-term future. With a different type of love, these 3 sibilings are looking to each other toward their long-term musical future. After spending years each traveling seperate musical roads, Michael, Leslie and Scott Harter took their father’s advice and came together with a sound that goes beyond harmony that only family, through DNA or ESP, can.  Keith Stegall, a producer with over 70 Million records sold, is the man behind capturing this amazing sound. According to Stegall, “What they do is spontaneous. Sometimes things theoretically aren’t exciting if there’s no tension between the notes. The beauty of The Harters is just letting them do what they do instinctively.” This song is the first step toward their as yet untitled album that leads back to three words: “Family, Love, and Harmony.” Learn more about the importance of these 3 words Here.

9/30 – Mary Chapin Carpenter “The Way I Feel” The Age of Miracles is the twelfth studio album from five-time Grammy award-winning Carpenter, including one Grammy-winning and two Grammy-nominated albums. And the title is very proper for her personally as well as musically. She has been through the mill during the past few years after suffering a pulmonary embolism in 2007. Thankfully, she has recovered fully, and there is a sense of renewal, reflection and resilience permeating this impressive comeback album. Specifically, the single is about something that just about all adults go through: that freedom of driving on a late night highway. “I think it’s like a right of passage,” Carpenter describes. “Once you’re old enough to drive that you find yourself on a dark highway somewhere. You’re not necessarily fleeing something and you’re not necessarily racing toward something but you just want to be alone. And you just want to be in the dark and you just want to see the glow of the radio. And you just want to sing at the top of your lungs. And there’s something liberating and freeing, it’s a version of being alive that feels pretty universal.” Read more of Mary Chapin Carpenters own words about her “lyric writing seem(ing) more fine-tuned than ever,” Here.

9/21 – Tim McGraw “Felt Good On My Lips” If it weren’t for Tim McGraw, I wouldn’t know anything about Start, Louisiana. But after a 17 year career including 40 million albums, 30 Number One singles. 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, and 10 American Music Awards, and a parallel career as a successful actor (The Blind Side is a Good Movie!) one can easily say that McGraw to Start is like Jerry Lee Lewis to Ferriday. Now with his 10th Studio Album Southern Voice, is singing about the life of a man who is a Father, a Husband, and a Southerner. Heavy on rhythmic guitar and busy backbeat percussion, the frisky uptempo rocker allows McGraw to croon about, in straight to the point terms, “a kiss that ‘Felt Good on My Lips.” Learn more about Tim McGraw’s progression in music and entertainment over the last 2 decades Here.

9/22 – Lady Antebellum “Hello World” The 4th Single off of the seeminigly unstoppable album Need you Now, this faith-infused track is set up to remind the listener – the world in general – what we are here for. Charles Kelly takes the lead on this uplifting song written by  Tom Douglas, Tony Lane and David Leen. This song was almost never done by Lady A. It was thanks to their instinctual following to touring that they took on a tour supporting Keith Urban, even though they were halfway through recording this, their second album, which was right after a tour in support of Kenny Chesney! Hello World was one of the 2 or 3 songs they found during the Keith Urban Tour that they ended up recording, and now it’s the 4th single for an album that has already sold over 2 Million copies in the US, and has either gold or platinum certifications in 3 other countries. Learn more about the “total blessing” their forming, touring and recording has been to Lady Antebellum Here.

9/23 – Toby Keith “Bullets in the Gun” Toby Keith’s 15th Studio Album – the same name as the single – has more of a deeper meaning than the sterotypical thoughts that may past through one’s mind. It is defined as “…our need to explain ourselves and the world around us…one of the most primal human forces. It’s at the core of man’s greatest quests. It powers his ambitions. It colors his art. Those with an obvious gift for expressing those definitions can themselves become objects for framing…” According to Keith the songs that make up this album are the deepest he’s ever written. Good news for the lister and fan, but causes “troubles” in the studio. Keith produced the album himself, and ended having to cut around a dozen songs, including 3 or 4 potential singles beyond the ones like “Trailerhood,” and “Bullets.” Bullets displays how deep Keith went in writing and producing for this by being a  fantastic reminder of how a strongly lyrical song can take us places and into a movie in our minds Learn more about just how many Bullets Keith used Here.

9/24 – Kid Rock “Born Free” “I started to just think about no matter where somebody was born in this world, how lucky you are just by the grace of God to be born free.” That is the summery Kid Rock gives to this lead single to the album of the same name, being released on November 16th ( the tenth anniversary of the passing of Joe C). Inspired by the various trips and performances in USO tours to Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Kyrgystan, Italy, Spain, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, this Bob Seger influenced rocker (they actually collaborated together on the song) has become a fan favorite for soldiers and civilians alike on both sides of the oceans. Learn more about how Kid Rock feels about how freedom feels in the US and around the world Here.