Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw photo courtesy of Shore Fire Media.
The wait is over! Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw have released the video for their new single, “Feel Like A Rock Star.” It’s just a taste of what you can expect from their upcoming Brothers of the Sun Tour. Watch the video below and tell us what you think! Continue Reading
Rascal Flatts' 2012 CD, Changed. Photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.
In many ways, the idea of being changed is appropriate for Rascal Flatts at this point in their career. When their longtime label Lyric Street Records shut its doors in Spring 2010, Rascal Flatts quickly partnered with current label home Big Machine Records and released the album, Nothing Like This, by that Thanksgiving. Throw in a management switch and that’s a lot to go through in a relatively short period of time. With their new project, Changed, now in stores, the group sounds refreshed and at home in their new surroundings.
Produced in partnership with Dan Huff (Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban), Changed is an 11-song collection big on tempo and classic Rascal Flatts power. The first single “Banjo,” currently Top 5 at radio, features flowing banjo surrounded by meaty, back home electric guitar riffs as lead singer Gary LeVox sings, You gotta go deep, way on back / Cross a few creeks and a couple little shacks. Gary’s strong voice and ability to reach high into his melodies comes through with almost hypnotic precision. On the piano based power ballad, “Come Wake Me Up,” his emotive singing conveys the pain as he shifts to a soaring chorus, singing, Tonight your memory burns like a fire / With every one it grows higher and higher in swaying ¾ time. Bassist Jay DeMarcus takes opportunities here in the verse to add a moody undercurrent that gives additional depth to the song.
All three members of Rascal Flatts turn in some of their finest performances on Changed. Guitarist Joe Don Rooney is allowed to run free on many songs, including the album-opening title track. A power ballad detailing redemption, Joe Don’s fluid guitar solos take the song to new heights, while Gary sings with passion, Here I am, changed. On “Hurry Home,” a mid-tempo pop-leaning ballad, tight textured harmonies from all three members in the chorus provide lush layers as Gary leads them singing, I swear that this not kissing you, missing you, has got me going crazy.
Rascal Flatts displays a renewed energy on the album, and nothing quite captures this like standout track “She’s Leaving.” A thick rhythm section, stomping guitars and intricate acoustic interplay drive the pounding song before a quick ringing chorus, Should’ve done this, should’ve done that / Should’ve seen it comin’ / Guess you don’t see nothin’ when you’re runnin’ round. The song is lean and mean, leaving nothing extraneous as they drive it home, and it pretty much has ‘hit’ written all over it with its undeniably catchy hooks.
Themes of transition rise to the surface throughout Changed. On “Let It Hurt,” a dramatic piano-based ballad, Gary implores those suffering to give their pain due time to process. Over the steady beat of “Sunrise,” Gary sings, We’re gonna change your life one sunrise at a time, when freeing a woman from a bad relationship. As evident here and in the empowering closing song “A Little Home,” dealing with the issues oftentimes leads to a better place. Just ask Rascal Flatts.
Key Tracks – “She’s Leaving,” “Sunrise,” “Come Wake Me Up,” “Great Big Love”
Pistol Annies photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.
To commemorate Record Store Day on April 21, Pistol Annies – Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley – will release the vinyl version of their album Hell On Heels. The CD and digital album were released in August of last year and has produced a gold single with the debut track, “Hell On Heels.”
“The music of the Pistol Annies is the three of us truly being ourselves—not only in our songwriting and storytelling, but also in the way we perform as a team,” Miranda said. “We wanted to make music that people talk about but might not want to admit and it’s the kind of raw and honest country music that deserves to be on vinyl.”
There is also a widget available at http://www.tweematic.com/pistolannies/ featuring an animated record player where fans can listen to the album with the ‘fuzz and crackle’ that goes along with a worn vinyl album. Fans will be automatically registered to win an autographed copy of the album and a Sony USB Stereo Turntable to play it on when they share the widget. Fans can find a list of participating independent record stores on the site as well. Continue Reading
Waylon Jennings
Ten years after his death, the final recordings of Waylon Jennings will be released with his family’s blessing on September 11. Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings of Waylon Jennings will include 12 tracks recorded by Waylon and longtime accompanist Robby Turner before Waylon’s death in 2002. The pair laid down the tracks with just Waylon’s guitar and vocals and Robby’s bass. They planned out the future instrumentation for each track, but Waylon passed before the project could be completed.
All 12 tracks on the album, to be released on Saguaro Road Records, were chosen by Waylon and reflect his state of mind, passion and statements he wanted to make. Bringing in musicians who worked with Waylon like Reggie Young, Richie Albright and Tony Joe White, Robby returned to the studio to finish the album. “Waylon knows he’s surrounded by friends and all that hear this will feel as if they know Waylon in all his authenticity,” his widow, Jessi Colter, said.
“I remember when Waylon was revolutionizing country music and when we heard about these recordings, I knew we had to have them,” Mike Jason, Saguaro Road Records’ Senior Vice President, said. “To me, this is classic Waylon music every bit as good as his ‘70s classics but his singing bears a vulnerable and deeply personal touch. Waylon still has many fans, but with these recordings I’m confident that we’ll introduce him to a new generation in the same way that Johnny Cash’s last recordings found him an entirely new audience.”
Waylon wrote 11 of the 12 songs appearing on the new album, a testament to how personal the project was to Waylon and is to his family. The album also includes Tony Joe White’s “Goin’ Down Rockin.’” Continue Reading
Lee Brice's 2012 CD, Hard 2 Love. Photo courtesy of Curb Records.
South Carolina native Lee Brice has made a lasting impression on Nashville’s Music Row. A look at the Billboard charts over the past few years reveals that the 32-year-old singer/songwriter has quickly become one of the most recognizable names in country music. In 2010, it was his own single “Love Like Crazy” that nabbed the title of radio’s Most Played Country Song, and in 2011, it was his co-write of Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl” that received the same honor. Now, fresh off of winning the 2012 ACM Song of the Year award for “Crazy Girl” earlier this month, Lee is set to release his sophomore album for Curb Records.
Hard 2 Love, hitting stores April 24, is a 13-song collection that shows off why Lee has become one of the most in-demand artists in Music City. Mixing a touch for vivid lyrical imagery, a talent for crafting hook-filled melodies and a passionate vocal approach, Lee sets the bar high while displaying his continued growth as an artist.
“A Woman Like You,” the album’s ultra catchy first single, is a fine example of why Lee’s brand of country music has struck such a chord. There’s a certain brilliance in the way he effortlessly appeals to both male and female fans. Guided by a gentle acoustic melody, Lee warmly describes the virtues of bachelorhood, including the freedom to go fishing whenever and having all the time in the world to be a good football fan, while also conveying the message that, If I was a single man alone and out there on the loose / I’d be looking for a woman like you. On the piano-based ballad “See About A Girl,” Lee’s relatable everyman lyrics of telling old stories and stretching the truth while out at the bar with his buddies gives way to emphasizing the importance of his girlfriend and heading home when she calls. On this song, and throughout the record, Lee’s voice soulfully delivers the emotions of the song.
Though they have different tempos and overall feels, the bluesy “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” and the ringing “Life Off My Years” (co-written with Eric Church) both display Lee’s passionate vocals. While most are running from the wildfires / I can’t wait to get too close, he sings on the latter with a smoldering intensity. On title-track “Hard To Love,” an expansive bass line and textured acoustic guitars support the song’s introspective themes. I’m hard to love / No, I don’t make it easy, Lee sings before admitting, I couldn’t do it if I stood where you stood.
The successful delivery of each song’s true essence stands out on Hard 2 Love. The stellar, and somber, “I Drive Your Truck” features weighty subject matter while Lee’s voice shoulders the struggle of processing a brother’s death. Continue Reading
Kip Moore's 2012 CD, Up All Night. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.
Kip Moore seems to to be a bit of a free spirit. Raised in South Georgia, he attended college on a golf scholarship before moving to a self-described “hut” in Hawaii after graduation. And while packing not much more than a surfboard and a guitar, he wrote songs constantly and chose to follow his musical passion to Nashville.
Kip is now set to release his debut album, Up All Night, on April 24. Up All Night, produced by Brett James, is an 11-song collection that brings earthy and expansive musical landscapes together with Kip’s rugged troubadour rasp to create stories oftentimes centered on coming of age.
The tumbleweed distortion and thick low-end of album opener “Drive Me Crazy” go a long way in introducing Kip’s overall sound. While his road-worn voice hints at a more commercial country version of Ryan Bingham, Kip touches on themes of innocence lost over a sexy radio-ready chorus. Like much of the material on Up All Night, Kip maintains an accessible hook while in no way coming off as over-produced.
Kip co-wrote every song on the album and tracks like the wistful “Everything But You” pull directly from his own life experience. Lonely even amidst tropical paradise, Kip sings, I order up a round and pretend that you’re right here, while big guitar chords hint at classic Mellencamp. On the bluesy mid-tempo “Reckless (Growing Up),” Kip freely admits blowing money on women and beer, getting into fights and heading anywhere the wind blows all while working through youthful transgressions. Yet, with an easygoing disposition and lyrics sung with a smile, it’s hard not to root for the guy.
The sound of swampy southern blues shines through on many of the album’s best songs. Current Top 15 single “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” features dirty slide guitar and a hardcore blues progression to punch home the beer-soaked groove. Kip cleverly builds a tale of girls, sundresses and trucks before tying it all together in a cathartic chorus that releases the song’s tension. “Fly Again” is an atmospheric trip through the delta with a shotgun to take a couple potshots at the moon and a drifting chorus that deals with loss. I’m gonna say goodbye to you tonight / So long old friend, Kip sings while harmonic guitar notes ring.
Kip offers quite a bit of time to reflect on loss. “Where You Are Tonight” features start/stop rhythms and layered guitar textures while he goes through unique rhyming patterns like, Then I get that feeling, trying to stop my hands from shaking/ Staring at the ceiling and kneeling and making deals with the man above. On “Crazy One More Time,” which is reminiscent of Nebraska-era Springsteen with its pulsing bass and stark feel, Kip sounds like he’s barely hanging on as he faces the end of the line, singing, I’ll wipe a tear from my eye, but you’ll never know / ‘Cause baby I’ll smile as I wave goodbye to you.
Up All Night carries a unique sound that fits somewhere between Continue Reading
Josh Turner’s 2012 CD, Punching Bag. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.
Josh Turner will release his fifth studio album, Punching Page, on June 12. The lead single, “Time Is Love,” is currently in the Top 20 on the Country Billboard chart and rising. Josh co-wrote eight of the 11 tracks on the project, many of which he penned at his newly built cabin on his property that serves as his personal getaway and songwriter’s den.
“I spent two years building my writer’s cottage,” Josh said. “Once it was finished I was immediately in there writing songs. In total, I’ve written 27 songs in there and eight of those ended up on the record. My hero and friend, John Anderson, was sitting across the table from me one day when we were writing and said, ‘What will really be a great day is when the songs you write here end up paying for this place!’”
Watch Josh Turner’s “Time Is Love” video! >>
Josh wrote the album’s title track, “Punching Bag,” at the cabin with longtime friend and songwriter Pat McLaughlin. He was venting to his wife about a day gone awry when inspiration for the track hit him.
“The idea comes from one of those days that we all have, where everything just blows up in your face and nothing goes right,” he told The Boot. “I had just had one of those days, and I came home and was standing in the closet with my wife and I unloaded on her about my day. I told her, ‘Sometimes I feel like a punching bag, like life is just beating me up.’ When I said that, it struck me that it could be a huge song title. So I punched it into my phone and saved it. I held on to it until the right opportunity.” Continue Reading
Kip Moore photo by Stephen Shepherd, courtesy of UMG Nashville.
Kip Moore’s hit single “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck,” has sold more than 485,000 units and ranks No. 9 on Billboard’s Top-Selling Country Digital Songs for First Quarter 2012. It will become eligible for gold certification next week as the single prepares to enter the Top 10 on country radio charts. Kip will release his debut album, Up All Night, on April 24.
“There is no way to emotionally prepare for what is happening right now,” Kip said. “The whole thing is more humbling than anything else. I’ve yet to wrap my head around this movement that is happening right now, especially with all of the reviews of this album.”
Kip has been working towards this moment for a long time. Even though he kept the faith that his career would work out, he’s having a hard time coming up with something to say now that he’s got a hit song to his credit and a full length album on the way.
“I never dreamed I would have a gold single before the album comes out,” he said. “You always believe in yourself as an artist and believe that it is going to happen, but when it is actually happening, you get so used to it not happening that when it starts working, there is no way to put into words how that feels.”
Kip wrote or co-wrote every track on Up All Night which is produced by top songwriter Brett James. The album is inspired by Kip’s personal experiences growing up in a family of eight in Tifton, Georgia as well as the ups and downs of falling in and out of love. He is excited to get the album into people’s hands.
“I am ready to see people react to the body of work in this project,” he said. “It’s going to be a deeper record than people might be expecting. I’m anxious to see the responses that people have and what they like the best, which songs they are connecting to and are emotionally invested in.” Continue Reading
Marty Stuart's 2012 CD, Nashville Volume 1: Tear The Woodpile Down.
The honky tonk gods of Nashville’s famed Lower Broadway have long guided Marty Stuart’s way. Throughout his career, which in 2012 finds the singer/songwriter celebrating 40 years in Nashville, Marty has stood firm with a blend of traditional country and rockabilly that echoes the heartache pouring out of Music City’s world famous strip. On Marty’s new record, Nashville Vol. 1: Tear The Woodpile Down due in stores April 24, the 53-year-old Grand Ole Opry member shuns modern trends for a soul-bearing collection that is as true and honest as the lonesome realities faced by Lower Broad’s hillbilly forefathers.
The overall sound of Nashville Vol. 1 can be described as retro in that twang-heavy guitars, gunfire percussion and thumping bass unapologetically chug along while a steel guitar cries out. Marty’s longtime touring band, The Fabulous Superlatives, back up the singer here with an energy and familiarity that only a seasoned group of players can provide. While the scorched fretboards of the instrumental jam “Hollywood Boogie” show off Marty & Co.’s musical prowess, it’s the album’s powerful and vivid lyrical imagery that remains long after the songs end.
On the stomping ¾ time “Sundown In Nashville,” music and voice are locked together as Marty addresses the ‘dark side of fame.’ Pulling no punches, he sings, Each evening at sundown in Nashville, they sweep broken dreams off the street, when discussing the good with the bad of going for broke. On the steady “Going, Going, Gone,” a chorus of layered harmonies opens the track before a slight tempo shift cues Marty’s deeply personal voice admitting discontent directly related to his own choices. There’s just one thing that I know about tomorrow, Marty sings through the chorus, When it’s all said and done I’ll be alone. There’s no sugarcoating here. It’s classic country filled with brutal realism.
Throughout the record, guests such as Nashville musicians Buck Trent, Kenny Lovelace and Robbie Turner join Marty to add their talents. The project closes with a pair of songs featuring the bloodline of country music royalty. Lorrie Carter Bennett of The Carter Family adds bittersweet harmonies on the tender “A Song of Sadness” while Hank Williams III duets on “Picture from Life’s Other Side.” The latter is a country classic originally written and recorded by the late Hank Sr. that Marty and Hank III have performed live together previously. In ways a tribute to Hank Sr., the gritty acoustic song is an impressive reminder of the power of words through its unflinching everyday truths.
Marty wrote the majority of material himself and also serves as the project’s producer. This level of control, along with the support of an indie label, allows for freedom in regards to such decisions as opening the record with, and titling it after, a song with political undertones. On “Tear The Woodpile Down,” Marty sings aggressively, Taxpayer dollar ain’t worth a dime / Government’s got us in a bind/ Think I’ll run for President / And I won’t have to pay no rent. Though this is the only time Marty gets political, and even here it’s subtle in relation to the entire song, it’s yet another example of Marty’s unwavering approach to his art. Nashville Vol. 1 is a strong and authentic collection of country music dealing directly with blue collar values and leaves only one question after it’s done – when do we get to hear ‘Volume 2’?
Key tracks – “Sundown In Nashville.” “Picture from Life’s Other Side,” “Going, Going, Gone,” “The Lonely Kind”
Alan Jackson's 2012 CD, Thirty Miles West. Photo courtesy of ACR/EMI Records Nashville.
Alan Jackson will release his highly anticipated new album, Thirty Miles West, on June 5. It will be his debut project for ACR (Alan’s Country Records)/EMI Records Nashville and is produced by long-time producer and friend Keith Stegall. The unique album name references where he grew up.
“There’s this highway that’s been in existence for forever now – it’s called the Dixie Highway and it runs from north of Michigan all the way down to South Florida,” he said. “I wrote a song about it that’s on the album. I grew up on Highway 34 outside of Newnan, Georgia, and that’s where we came up with Thirty Miles West. I think we were about thirty miles west of the official part of the Dixie Highway that runs through Georgia.” Continue Reading
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