Kenny Chesney photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Kenny Chesney has already given fans a taste of what his new album, Welcome To The Fishbowl, out June 19, will sound like with the release of his duet with Tim McGraw, “Feel Like A Rock Star.” He’s giving fans another peek into the new project by releasing “Come Over” to country radio. The song, written by Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, shipped out to country radio Monday.

“’Come Over’” is about two people who are as broken as their relationship is, when they realize deep down that their time together has probably ran its course, but they aren’t really ready to emotionally or physically move on to something else,” Kenny said. “They keep going back to each other because it’s familiar. It’s about emotionally feeling wanted in a moment, but it feels impossible to let anybody else fill that void. It’s a really sexy song with lyrics that are incredibly universal.”

The song’s video was directed by Kenny’s longtime collaborator and friend Shaun Silva. They filmed it off the coast of Florida and while the “Come Over” video hasn’t been released yet, Shaun shared a few details about their latest collaboration.

“’Come Over’ is the most intimate journey I’ve captured of Kenny in the 10 years we’ve been making music videos together,” Shaun said. “It’s clear within the first five seconds of this video that Kenny is committed to his character in the video and was more than willing to open up to the vulnerabilities associated with this tortured love story. The music video was finished in black-and-white, delivering a strikingly timeless and cinematic result.” Continue Reading

ShareThis

Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway Records.

Willie Nelson will world premiere his new album, Heroes, on Sirius XM Radio’s Willie’s Roadhouse channel. Beginning May 12, Willie’s Roadhouse, channel 56, will play a different song from the album every hour with commentary from Willie. The album will be released May 15.

In addition to previewing his new album, Willie and his son and fellow musician, Lukas Nelson, will perform their cover of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe” live in the SiriusXM studio on Tuesday, May 15. During the special, hosted by Dallas Wayne, Willie and Lukas will take calls from listeners and some of Willie’s friends. The special will air at 3 p.m. Eastern.

Heroes will showcase new songs as well as country classics. It includes guests vocalists Merle Haggard, Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson.   Continue Reading

ShareThis

Lee Ann Womack photo courtesy of MCA Nashville. Photo credit Danny Clinch.

Lee Ann Womack has been in the studio working on new music with her husband/producer Frank Liddell, but she’s kept the details under wraps – until now. The album is still a work in progress, but she will share her new music with the Lee Ann Womack’s Country Music Appreciation Society & Social Club during a special sound check for an upcoming show at Biloxi’s IP Resort & Casino on May 26.

“I’ve been living with this music now for months, and I’m dying to let the fans hear some,” Lee Ann said. “It’s funny. Frank and I just never seemed to really get around to working together, beyond those few tracks on I Hope You Dance. We both love music so much in so many ways, we really challenged each other in the best way!

“He knows my voice,” Lee Ann continued. “He understands the things I love. He knows where I want to go in ways I can’t even say. And when we got started – from having Randy Scruggs help me work up the songs on acoustic guitar – it was just a whole different process, that just kept building. We’ve got real country songs; we’ve got some Texas songs, a bit of gospel, some surprises. I’m fired up – and I think the fans will be, too.” Continue Reading

ShareThis

Pat Green - Songs We Wish We'd Written II.

In 2001, Texan Pat Green released an album full of his favorite songs that spanned such diverse sounds as Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” and Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home.” The first edition, Songs We Wish We’d Written, was done in collaboration with fellow Texas artist Cory Morrow. Pat’s now releasing the second round, Songs We Wish We’d Written II, as a solo project. The record, hitting stores May 8, is a special collection for the singer that speaks to important moments and relationships in Pat’s life. Continue Reading

ShareThis

Carrie Underwood's 2012 CD Blown Away. Photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Today is the release date of Carrie Underwood‘s new CD, Blown Away (read our review of it HERE and buy a copy of it HERE). In addition to the new album, Carrie also announced her new headlining North American arena tour this fall, “The Blown Away Tour.” The tour will also include an international run of shows this summer sponsored by Olay, including her first-ever United Kingdom concert taking place at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London on June 21, which sold-out in 90 minutes.  Additional international concert dates will be announced soon.

The North American tour dates will be presented and hydrated by vitaminwater®, sponsored by Olay, and promoted by AEG Live. Special guest Hunter Hayes will open. Tickets will be available for “The Blown Away Tour” beginning Friday, May 11. Please go to www.carrieunderwood.fm for additional on sale information.

“I can’t wait to get back out on the road and perform new music from my new album for my fans,” says Carrie.  “We have a lot of exciting things planned!”

In preparation for the album release, Carrie filmed a video cut-by-cut. Watch our exclusive interview with Carrie below, as she talks about one of the songs on Blown Away called “See You Again”: Continue Reading

ShareThis

Carrie Underwood photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

As Carrie Underwood prepares to launch her new album, Blown Away, on Tuesday, May 1, she sat down with Billboard’s Chuck Dauphin this past Friday for a live Q&A session to talk about her new music, life on the road and answer a few fan questions. Carrie talked in depth about the darker tones that run through Blown Away, but assured fans it lightens up if they can just hang in there.

“We start off a little heavy, a little darker, a little more ominous, and definitely lighten up after that so if you listen to the album don’t be worried when you hear the first three songs, it does get happier,” she said.

Read our review of Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away »

The darker songs, including the album’s lead track and first single, “Good Girl,” are part of Carrie experimenting with new sounds and themes on her latest project. “I feel like we took things in a lot of different directions, things that are new for me, that darker, heavier tone, a little more dramatic,” she said. “We also do some songs that are really really organic and sweet, Just groovy songs. The only plugged in instrument on a couple of them is the bass guitar. And then we get a little redneck in the end.” Continue Reading

ShareThis

Zac Brown Band photo courtesy of CMA.

Zac Brown Band will release their latest album, Uncaged, on July 10. The album will mark the official debut of ZBB’s newest member, world renowned percussionist Daniel de los Reyes. “It’s your basic country-Southern rock-bluegrass-reggae-jam record,” Zac Brown joked to the Associated Press.

The addition of Daniel, who has worked with the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire, Sting and Jennifer Lopez, to the rhythm section that already includes bassist John Driskell Hopkins and drummer Chris Fryar, has enabled the band to push its sound into a new territory. “They’ve really got to be smart about how they play so it doesn’t get too busy,” Zac said. “But it really creates a new kind of pulse within the band.”

Zac kept most of the album’s surprises a secret, but did reveal that Trombone Shorty and the New Orleans Star‘s horn section make an appearance on “Overight,” the band’s first straight-up R&B tune.  Tour through England with rockers Kings of Leon inspired them to start thinking about different arrangements and sticking with it. They also looked to U2 for inspiration.

“It’s really about making people dance,” Zac said. “You just don’t let them go. There’s a lot of songs on the record that when we play them live we’ll extend out long. But it’s really about just grabbing people in that pulse and then not letting them go that entire song.” Continue Reading

ShareThis

Carrie Underwood's 2012 CD Blown Away. Photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

There’s no escaping Carrie Underwood’s grasp on Blown Away, the country diva’s captivating fourth studio album, due in stores May 1. Like a lightning strike starting a fire, an intense tour-de-force ignites Carrie’s first record since 2009’s double-platinum Play On as the singer/songwriter displays compelling emotional range.

Blown Away opens with three songs that, quite honestly, serve as a potential watershed moment for what “Pop Country” can achieve. The crisp power chords and handclap fills of current Top 10 single “Good Girl” fuel Carrie’s electric vocal through rapid melodies building to an engaging hook. The intense title-track “Blown Away,” with tough sentiments like, There’s not enough rain in Oklahoma / To wash the sins out of that house, comes unhinged amidst swirling harmonies and kinetic instrumentation. On the dramatic “Two Black Cadillacs,” with a tale of revenge that would make even the staunchest traditionalist sit up at attention, rumbling percussion and meticulous strings set the scene as the song rages on. Yet, even with heavy thematic elements, the songs impressively maintain a pop/crossover shine and accessible sound, courtesy of Carrie’s pristine voice and modern delivery.

Working again with producer Mark Bright, Carrie co-wrote eight of the album’s 14 songs, including the aforementioned “Good Girl” and “Two Black Cadillacs.” This continues the trend of her taking on more of a role as a songwriter on her albums. The uplifting and empowering “Nobody Ever Told You” skips to an optimistic beat as Carrie sings, You shine like a diamond and glitter like gold /And you need to know, with the love of an older sister. On the lighthearted, “One Way Ticket,” Carrie’s voice glides over island-inspired rhythms while singing, Raise your hands in the air tonight / Put a little love back in your life, with a groove that should make both the ‘Bama and NYC girls hit the dance floor.

Blown Away succeeds in showcasing Carrie’s dynamic range. While the album begins with its darkest songs and moves toward its more optimistic, Carrie holds the collection together by continuously building on her previous work. The touching ballad “Forever Changed,” which deals with a loved one’s Alzheimer’s, has a similar feel to the mature understanding found in 2009’s “Temporary Home.” On “Cupid’s Got A Shotgun,” a fiery and fun barnburner complete with a duel against the god of love himself, Brad Paisley provides a healthy dose of guitar twang as the two reconnect after their No. 1 hit duet, “Remind Me.”

The stories here are often dramatic, but they’re grounded in relatable details. Songs like the nostalgic “Thank God for Hometowns” speaks of subtle Americana like ‘Prescott Lane’ while the curious “Do You Think Of Me” shares a universal sentiment by finishing the title’s question with, like I think about you? Carrie doesn’t shy away from complexities, and with a powerful voice unafraid to push the envelope, Blown Away could be just the album to show what’s possible for pop-influenced country.

Key Tracks – “Good Girl,” “Blown Away,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” “Nobody Ever Told You”

ShareThis

Kip Moore photo by Stephen Shepherd, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

MCA Nashville singer-songwriter Kip Moore is celebrating the gold certification of his single, “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck,” as he releases his debut album, Up All Night, today.

“I can’t quite wrap my head around what that means,” Moore says of his first gold record. “I had hopes, but I had no expectations, and those are two different things.

Read our review of Up All Night >>

“It caught me off guard because a lot of people have mentioned to me how different the song is as far as its format, having four verses before the chorus. I’m so grateful to my friends at country radio for taking a chance on this song. To see this happening is just a humbling, humbling feeling.”

Read the stories behind the songs on Up All Night >>

“Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck,” which has sold more than 536,000 units, sits at Continue Reading

ShareThis

Mercyland photo courtesy of Two Dog Media.

I want all God’s children to live in harmony, Phil Madeira sings in earnest on the bluesy title track of his non-denominational gospel project, Mercyland: Hymns for the Rest of Us. Due in stores Tuesday, April 24, Mercylandbrings together leading Americana and folk artists with a message of unity and the idea that God is love – no matter to which church you belong.

Madeira, who is part of Emmylou Harris’ band The Red Dirt Boys, conceived and produced the record that includes selections from diverse artists like The Civil Wars, Buddy Miller and Shawn Mullins. Madeira co-wrote the majority of the project’s 10 original songs with the album’s guests and sits in with them as part of the band on most tracks. These collaborations, which also feature many of the lineup guesting on each other’s songs, is what makes Mercyland so unique and creative in delivering its message of unity.

From the opening acoustic notes of The Civil Wars’ “From the Valley,” which features Emmylou Harris on backing vocals, it’s evident that Mercyland favors a raw, live sound over control room tricks. The starkly produced, Appalachian-influenced song hinges on the electric harmonies of TCW’s Joy Williams and John Paul White. On the swamp blues “Give God the Blues,” Shawn Mullins sings universally, God ain’t no Republican / He ain’t no Democrat / He ain’t even Independent / God’s above all that, over Madeira’s steel fiber slide guitar and an assist from Buddy Miller and The Carolina Chocolate Drops on backing vocals.

The songs on Mercyland take on different points of view in their praise, but oftentimes focus in on descriptive realism to give witness. Mat Kearney’s relaxed and rolling “Walking Over the Water” sees God’s plan in joy and pain, singing, I raise my fist toward heaven from that dark, forsaken road / Blue lights flashed on broken glass and a siren left me cold, after first celebrating a daughter’s life. On the glory-bound road song “Light of Your Love,” Dan Tyminski sings, In the warmth of your embrace / I feel the weightlessness of grace, over modern blues rhythms. “If I Was Jesus,” performed by delta blues group The North Mississippi Allstars, candidly jokes with lines like, I’d be the guy at the party turning water to wine, before offering the weightier, I’d lay my life down for you . . . and forgive you and adore you, with introspective warmth.

Diversity in musical styles and the unity of working together continually emerge as part of the album’s overall theme. Continue Reading

ShareThis