Country Music Pride

Review: Jamey Johnson’s new album, “The Guitar Song”

James Mowery — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:33:58 +0000

With his latest album, The Guitar Song, Jamey Johnson once again proves that honest, authentic country music is still alive and well. The double album is a breath of fresh air in the sea of slick, corporate “country” acts currently dominating the airwaves. The Guitar Song harks back to the classic outlaw era, back when soul, passion and an independent spirit were a must.

The double disc is divided into two sets — the Black Album is dark and moody, while the White Album lets the sunshine in with a batch of positive, redemptive tunes. Johnson injects his trademark honesty and passion into the album’s many different tones.

“Heartache” is a classic tale of a lover done wrong, but Johnson doesn’t wallow in self pity —the song strikes back at the cheating girl with a fierceness rarely seen this side of the 1970s. Elsewhere, “Playing the Part” lampoons the hollow L.A. lifestyle with razor-sharp precision and Johnson’s wry wit. And “Even the Skies Are Blue” is a hauntingly dark confessional that recalls Willie Nelson.

On the more uplifting side, “Macon” is an epic southern rock song with a gospel chorus. And “Baby Don’t Cry” is a tender, heartfelt lullaby Johnson wrote for his young daughter. And “That’s Why I Write Songs” is an honest and intimate ballad recorded in the wee hours of the morning in the historic Ryman Auditorium. You can almost hear the ghost of Hank Williams nodding in approval.

In the end, The Guitar Song is more than just the latest album from one of country’s most promising artists. It’s a bona fide pledge of allegiance to honesty and integrity from the last man standing in the fight for country music’s very soul. And that’s a fight Jamey Johnson sounds as if he plans to win.

CMA nominations announced

CMP — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:24:09 +0000

Today, on “Good Morning America,” country music stars Dierks Bently and Miranda Lambert announced the star-studded lineup of country artists nominated for the coveted Country Music Association Awards.

Lambert led the crowd with nine nominations. Lady Antebellum — who recently wowed the “GMA” audience with the latest country hits — has been nominated for five.

And the nominees are …

Entertainer of the Year: Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band

Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year:

Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, George Strait and Keith Urban

Album of the Year: “Need You Now,” by Lady Antebellum; “Play On,” by Carrie Underwood; “Revolution,” by Miranda Lambert; “Twang,” by George Strait; and “Up On the Ridge,” by Dierks Bentley

Single of the Year:

(award goes to artist and producer)

“A Little More Country Than That,” performed by Easton Corbin

“Hillbilly Bone,” performed by Blake Shelton

“Need You Now,” performed by Lady Antebellum

“The House That Built Me,” performed by Miranda Lambert

“White Liar,” performed by Miranda Lambert

Musical Event of the Year:

“Bad Angel,” Dierks Bentley, featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson

“Can’t You See,” Zac Brown Band, featuring Kid Rock

“Hillbilly Bone,” Blake Shelton, featuring Trace Adkins

“I’m Alive,” Kenny Chesney, with Dave Matthews

“Till The End,” Alan Jackson, with Lee Ann Womack

New Artist of the Year: Luke Bryan, Easton Corbin, Jerrod Niemann, Chris Young and Zac Brown Band

Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, the Band Perry and Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year: Brooks & Dunn, Joey + Rory, Montgomery Gentry, Steel Magnolia, and Sugarland

Song of the Year: (Award goes to Songwriters)

“A Little More Country Than That,” by Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress and Wynn Varble

“Need You Now,” by Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Josh Kear

“The House That Built Me,” by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin

“Toes,” Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, John Driskell Hopkinsand Shawn Mullins

“White Liar,” by Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby.

Music Video of the Year: (Award goes to Artist and Director)

“Hillbilly Bone,” Blake Shelton, featuring Trace Adkins directed by Roman White

“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum, directed by David McClister

“The House That Built Me,” Miranda Lambert, directed by Trey Fanjoy

“Water,” Brad Paisley, directed by Jim Shea

“White Liar,” Miranda Lambert, directed by Chris Hickey

Musician of the Year:

Paul Frankin – Steel Guitar

Dann Huff – Guitar

Brent Mason – Guitar

Mac McAnally – Guitar

Randy Scruggs – Guitar

Tune into The 44th Annual CMA Awards hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood Wednesday, Nov. 10, on ABC at 8 p.m. E.

Courtesy of ABCnews

Don’t miss Merle Haggard on Letterman

Meghan D. Shapiro — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:06:57 +0000

Legendary country artist and outlaw conspirator Merle Haggard will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday, Aug. 31, at 11:30 p.m. Known for writing anthems like “Okie From Muskogee,” “The Fightin’ Side of Me” and “Mama Tried,” Haggard released his latest album, I Am What I Am, in April.

Frank Ortega releases new single, ‘My Old Man’

CMP — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:25:49 +0000

Villa One/Quarterback Records artist Frank Ortega prepares to release his new single, “My Old Man,” followed by heavy radio touring and a new video to be filmed in mid-September. Written and produced by two hit songwriters — Phil O’Donnell and Gary Hannan — “My Old Man” pays homage to the complex relationship between a man and his father — and Ortega’s energy and raw emotion provide a perfect vehicle for the compelling lyrics.

“This song is a powerful anthem for millions of people — men in particular — about their daddies,” Ortega said in a release. “My own dad has not been in the best of health over the past few years and recently had to undergo emergency quadruple bypass heart surgery; we thought we were going to lose him. I feel very close to this song: he served his country; I literally ‘held that drop light steady when it got dark or I heard about it all night long’ just like the song says; he also bought me my first guitar. This song found me, I didn’t find it.”

Ortega’s most known for his indie hit, “Hot Women, Cold Beer.” His new single will be released on his debut album due out next year.

Contest Giveaway: Signed Copies of Marty Stuart’s Ghost Train

Jim Simpson — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:20:08 +0000

That’s right, we’re giving away TWO copies of Marty Stuart’s critically acclaimed Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions which just hit the streets Aug. 24. (Three sample tracks are included at the bottom of the page.)

Oh, and they’re both signed by Marty Stuart himself.

Drop us a line at Contests[AT]CountryMusicPride.com or leave a comment here. Tell us your favorite Marty Stuart song, album, or moment from the man’s stellar career thus far. Include your email address so we can notify you if you’re one of the two lucky winners. We’ll announce that very soon, so enter now!

Snag a copy of Trace Adkins’ new album

Meghan D. Shapiro — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:58:17 +0000

Trace Adkins, country music’s American badass, released his new album, Cowboy’s Back in Town, last week. He’s no stranger to charting No. 1 hits like “Ladies Love Country Boys” and “You’re Gonna Miss This,” so don’t pass up an opportunity to score a free copy of his latest endeavor.

Be the first to e-mail us at contests@countrymusicpride.com and you could be one of three lucky winners!

Little Big Town releases new album, The Reason Why

Tomi L. Wiley — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:15:28 +0000

There are few albums that conjure up the image of fields of sharp green grass wafting in a summer breeze, high on a hill with a little white church in half-shadow, children playing beyond a ring of women in simple dresses, singing hymns while setting out Sunday lunch.
Little Big Town’s latest effort The— Reason Why, which releases to the public Aug. 24 — is one of them.
This band, founded in 1998, has had the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet. LBT is strong in one area that also conjures up a sweet image for me: harmony.
The quartet relies heavily on its harmony, with each singer taking turns at the lead, in a style reminiscent of the 1960s group the Mamas and the Papas. This works for Little Big Town – especially on The Reason Why, which harkens back to a simpler time: a gospel, bluegrass, country time. And a fun time.
The first single, “Little White Church,” was released in March and is a rocking hillbilly good time lauding the benefits of holding onto your milk until the cow is bought. Fairchild’s lead vocal is sexy and cocky, inviting with a streak of attitude – and there’s nothing wrong with a little clapping and rocking guitar.
“You Can’t Have Everything” is the best ballad on the album, starting out slow with an ole-timey feel, as does “All the Way Down.” A woman having a hushed conversation with her environment and lot in life while lying in bed is how I envision “Shut Up Train,” a personal and haunting example of the intimacy of a well-written and produced song.
Strong production and harmonies are apparent in the title track, “The Reason Why,” although this tune is lyrically weak: the “hey heys” become cloying and insistent and detract from the group’s harmonic hum. The same can be said for “Life Rolls On,” which “la la las” until I’m forced to click to the next song.
While LBT still has that pitch-perfect and pleasing harmony, The Reason Why feels a bit forced and flat at the same time. With such cult hits at “Boondocks,” “A Little More You” and “Bring It on Home” under their belt, this album should have been more like a choir building to the crescendo of a small-town revival on Saturday night, instead of a steady hum that recedes into the gloaming. But there are hymns to pick out and follow on The Reason Why – and the collection is worth the search.

Blake Shelton seizes both the albums and songs summits

Meghan D. Shapiro — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:01:21 +0000

For only the second time this year, Lady Antebellum have surrendered the top bunk on Billboard’s country album chart. The victor is Blake Shelton’s new EP, All About Tonight, which bumps Lady A’s usually triumphant Need You Now down to the No. 2 berth.

Equally cool for Shelton, his current single, also titled “All About Tonight,” barrels into No. 1 on Billboard’s country songs chart, shoving last week’s chart-topper, the Zac Brown Band’s “Free,” back to No. 3.

Shelton’s first-week sales for All About Tonight amount to 32,607 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, compared to Need You Now’s 29th week total sale of 23,779 units. The latter album has sold 2.5 million copies since it charted at the start of this year.

The only other new album to note is the Charlie Daniels Band’s Land That I Love, which bows in at No. 68. Mark Chesnutt’s Outlaw re-enters the album list at No. 75.

This week’s highest debuting new song is “As She’s Walking Away” by the Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson. It arrives at No. 32. The other first-timers are Laura Bell Bundy’s “Drop On By” (No. 58) and Blaine Larsen’s “Leavin’” (No. 59). Sarah Marince’s “In the Meantime” makes a comeback at No. 60.

Albums No. 3 through No. 5, in that order, are the Zac Brown Band’s The Foundation, Miranda Lambert’s Revolution and Jerrod Niemann’s Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury (which temporarily toppled Need You Now two weeks ago).

Rounding out the Top 5 songs cluster are Keith Urban’s “I’m Here” (No. 2), Billy Currington’s “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer” (No. 4) and Lee Brice’s “Love Like Crazy” (No. 5).

Kenny Chesney’s “The Boys of Fall,” now in its fifth week out, resumes its steady advance by striding from No. 11 to No. 9. Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue” is also eager to breathe that mountaintop air. In its fourth week on the charts, it climbs from No. 17 to No. 16.

Courtesy of CMT.com

Contest Giveaway: Pete Seeger’s new CD

Jim Simpson — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:27:58 +0000

The great Satchel Paige famously said, “Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

This definitely holds true for the indomitable Pete Seeger. He’s seen it all and done so much for so many people. Always a champion of the working class, of civil rights, of the environment, Mr. Seeger is still going strong at age 91.

Contest Giveaway: Signed copy of Rosanne Cash memoir, Composed

Jim Simpson — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:10:20 +0000

We were fortunate enough to meet up with Rosanne Cash backstage at a recent performance/reading at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and she was gracious enough to sign a couple of copies of her book for us despite our incoherent and fawning blather. One book will go into our archives and the other will go to one lucky reader.