Rodney Atkins' 2011 CD, Take A Back Road. Photo courtesy of Curb Records.

Rodney Atkins’ fourth album, Take A Back Road, set for release on October 4, hits stores immediately on the heels of the record’s lead single reaching the top spot on the country charts in late September. The No. 1 single, title track “Take A Back Road,” is a laid back, groove-heavy sing-along that gets a little nostalgic over shady groves and wide-open fields. It’s also the fastest-rising single of Rodney’s career, begging the question, is the 42-year-old singer from Knoxville hitting his stride?

Co-produced by Rodney and Ted Hewitt, Take A Back Road is a crisp collection of twelve songs concentrating on themes that have been central through Rodney’s career and on past hits like “These Are My People” and “Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy).” On Take A Back Road, Rodney focuses his attention on relationships, love and the importance of family.

Songs like the pulsing “She’s A Girl Ain’t She,” with thick percussion and deep bass, celebrate wives and daughters while touching on a few intricate complexities. Did you think beautiful would drive you so crazy?, Rodney knowingly sings over sweet acoustic guitar lines. On the playful “She’d Rather Fight,” a traditional-leaning number and one of the album’s standouts, Rodney sings with a wink, Had reservations at that Japanese steakhouse/ Don’t need to go where they’re throwing knives around, when the object of his affection would rather fight than do anything else. Though the approach here is simple, the lyrical twists offer an interesting and thoughtful perspective on navigating the bumps in the road.

Rodney’s vocal delivery is strong throughout the record. Tracks like the hard country “He’s Mine” emphasize his southern drawl and ability to Continue Reading

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Keith Urban is essentially a rock star in the country music genre. With millions of screaming fans, more than 10 million albums sold and some of the best guitar-playing skills in the industry, there is no denying that music is a big part of who Keith is. But Keith tells PEOPLE that his family – wife Nicole Kidman and two daughters, Sunday Rose, 2, and Faith Margaret, 3 months – is his main focus.

“We just have a normal life, we do normal things,” Keith said in the new edition of PEOPLE Country. “Family is definitely a priority for us.” Keith was named as this year’s PEOPLE Country’s Hottest Guy thanks not only to his looks, but also his dedication to his family. Before he married Nicole though, he was smooching girls on the playground in first grade. Continue Reading

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LeAnn Rimes photo courtesy of Curb Nashville.

Ryan Bingham earned a lot of attention for country music when he picked up an Oscar award for the theme from Crazy Heart this weekend, but he’s hardly alone among country recording artists participating in current film projects.

LeAnn Rimes, Dwight Yoakam and Miley Cyrus all have roles in titles that are on the way. Tim McGraw just finished working on another film, and Taylor Swift has racked up more sales for her work on a recent soundtrack.

Here’s a rundown on country’s current ties to Hollywood:

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