There’s the usual look at the ups and down of the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and there’s a brand new Number One today.

I’ll be playing a track from an artist who celebrates their birthday today and taking a look at which Stateside artists are playing gigs right here in the UK.

Our Album of the Week is the latest offering from Carrie Underwood who plays the Albert Hall next month, and our Number One Take You Back Track takes us back to 1983 with a song that was inspired by a dog.

There’s also music from Claudia Lee, DJ Miller, Alan Jackson, Sara Evans, EmmyLou Harris, Dan Seals, Eva Cassidy and a whole host more.

Just Click the Button (arrow) below to take a listen…it’ll be good to know you’re there.

Cheers

Brian C

Absentia is one of the most talked about horror films of recent years with reviews relating to the fact that it is a ‘must see’ horror movie.

On the 9th July it makes its debut as a DVD in the UK courtesy of Second Sight.

If you’re spooked by underground walkways and subways then perhaps it’s not one to have in your collection if you ever want to walk through another one without looking behind you, or stopping to take a listen to the ambience that surrounds you.

Starring Doug Jones, Courtney Bell and Katie Parker it tells the tale of ‘Tricia’s’ husband ‘Daniel’ who has been missing without trace for seven years and when she finally finds the strength to declare that he is dead ‘in absentia’ (latin for in the absence) strange events occur.

Her troubled sister ‘Callie’ arrives to help her with the birth of her forthcoming baby (the father of whom is the detective who has been helping resolve her husband’s disappearance) things take an extra turn for the worse when she encounter various happenings in an underpass tunnel near their home.

It is revealed that other strange events have happened around the tunnel and other people, and animals have all disappeared in the same area.

Is there something in the dark shadows within the walls, does it hold the key to resolving Daniels’ disappearance or could it be something far worse than death?

Written and directed by Mike Flanagan the mood of foreboding events is captured brilliantly with camera angles, effects and pull focus shots which all add to the uncertainty of what happens next.

The music is atmospheric throughout albeit that I found some of the droning sounds overshadowed the actual speech track at times.

It’s a good scary movie that could from time to time make you jump off your seat.

When the final credits roll you could be left with disturbing thoughts as to whether to take the long route around your estate rather than walk through the more convenient underpass tunnel.

Absentia  (DVD)                       Second Sight            Catalogue Number 2NDVD3232

Not so however in the States where their talent shows produce more vocal winners than anything else.

One such winner from their 2005 American Idol competition was Carrie Underwood whose debut album went seven times platinum and made her the new American Sweetheart.

Now seven years down the line she releases her fourth album entitled ‘Blown Away’ and having already garnered fourteen million album sales from previous offerings this one is no doubt going to add more credibility to her status.

Although her previous albums have been available here in Britain through import shops this new album will be the first ever to be released officially, which will also coincide with her first ever visit to Britain.

This new CD is to be released on June 18th, and three days later (June 21st) she presents her first British show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

If you’re a hard and fast traditional country fan then it may not be to your taste as it is a diverse collection of songs targeting a wider field of appreciators.

Containing eighteen tracks this special UK edition features fourteen new tracks complimented by four of her Number Ones taken from previously released CD’s.

She says,”We worked really hard making this album and the end result is a wonderful collection of diverse material. The album sounds bigger and more epic, expanding even more than my previous albums..I’m influenced by so many types of music I think you can hear that in the songs. I wanted a stronger and more fierce feel than what we’ve done in the past to take things to a new level”.

Having taken a preview listen I can concur that the horizons have widened and to my mind many of the songs could place her in the essential British Hits Charts.

Tickets are on sale for her Albert Hall performance on June 21st priced from £22.50 to £45.00 and available by calling the Hotline number 0844 811 0051.

For a taster of her new album join me from Saturday on the American Connection right here on euVue when I’ll be featuring three tracks in our Album Of The Week slot.

Carrie Underwood                 Blown Away          Sony Music

The Nice Swan Theatre Company are to present a one off Gala show in support of The Evening Chronicle’s Sunshine fund where £3 from each ticket price is donotated to the fund.

Roll up…. roll up…it’s time for fun and drama, music and dance at The Peoples Theatre on the last Sunday in May (27th )commencing at 7.30pm.

This is a feel good evening for a feel good cause.

Every one is guaranteed to be a winner!!

In an extravaganza of song and dance routines from West End  shows the Peoples Theatre are letting their hair down in what promises to be a show case for the wealth of performing talent that is theatre here in the North East .

For one night only capture the magic of the West End here in the North East.

Comedy and music. Spectacle and joy.

All the world will be your stage on the 27^th of May for the once in a lifetime price of only £10

Released a couple of weeks ago, The Piglet Files starring Nicholas Lyndhurst and Clive Francis returns in DVD format.

This series starring Nicholas Lyndhurst of “Only Fools and Horses” fame is the second part release of LWT (Granada Television) early nineties series of what happens when an intelligence service runs out of enemies to spy on!

Set in the period between the fall of The Berlin Wall and the collapse of The Soviet Union MI5 has a loss of identity and a collapse in competence and moral when the Evil Empire implodes and certainties disappear.

Our hero “recruited” from low-level academia believes in the old certainties despite the reality of the “work on the ground”.

Matters are not helped with the agents singular incapacity to carry out their work competently and remember to take back to base their equipment!

Light hearted and served up in 30 minute chunks neither it nor we the audience are invited to take any of it very seriously.

Where confusion reigns humour is harvested and this second instalment of this three part series is light, entertaining and an amusing diversion now that the football season has finished and it is too early to go to the pub!

The acting is not much of a stretch for leads Lyndhurst and Francis but they remain as ever amusing.

Something of a guilty pleasure.

Go on …purchase….press play…. and enjoy.

Priced at £12.99 it runs approximately 175 minutes.

It’s impressed me so much that I’ll be playing four tracks instead of the normal three, and you have the chance of winning a copy of it.

I’ll be taking a look at the ups and downs of the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and playing the top three best selling singles.

Our Number One Take You Back Track takes us back to 1987 although the original version was a chart hit in 1958.

There’s a few country birthdays to celebrate and there’s a fairly healthy look at who’s where and when.

There’s also great music from George Strait, Clint Black, Lisa Hartman, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and I’ll be introducing you to some new names including the Kentucky Linemen, Rachael Holder, The Farm, David Bradley and a whole host more.

It’ll be great to have the pleasure of your company.

Cheers

Brian C

Click on the button (arrow) below to take a listen

This is the eighth studio album release by alternative Country Rock band “The Jayhawks” who have been producing quality self penned music and notable covers since the early eighties.

Big in Americana music circles across the pond they have still to make much an impact over here.

That said this handsome collection just might do it for them.

It features a return to the band after many years of former main man and songwriting talent Mark Olson.

Masters of harmony and talented in melody and memorable lyrics I am reminded of laid back Neil Young in their music’s plaintiveness’ and quiet harmony.

I was particularly taken with strong songs ‘Pouring Rain at Dawn’, and ‘Cinnamon Love’ as well as the stand out title track.

Well played and sung this is one of those albums to put on and chill with a generous libation to hand.

Quirky and memorable in a some what left field way, The Jayhawks are fun band with something to say.

So sit back and enjoy the joy of tracks

‘Tiny Arrows’ and ‘Her Mr Man’.

Listening to this outing has given me a taste for catching them live.

So roll on a tour on this side of the pond.

I anticipate being in experienced hands and enjoying the mood.

I call it the ‘tingle’ factor.

We’ve all probably experienced it at one time or another, it’s that moment when the world stops, the sun shines, and the hairs on the back of your neck reach for the sky in celebration of something.

It happened the first time I heard the music of Randy Travis and then with Suzy Bogguss and I’ve just experienced it again.

Until a couple of weeks ago I have to confess that I had not heard of an artist called Heather McCready nor had I heard any of her music until she kindly sent me some CD’s.

‘Give It A Day’ has tingle factor written right through it from the opening catchy ‘Sunshiny Day’ through to the fading notes of ‘Maybe’.

Of the ten tracks on the release Heather has written seven and co-written three and each individual track from me has the ‘hit’ hallmark.

Musically it is brilliant, production excellent and the vocals supberb.

Her voice is clean and believable, sympathetic and thoughtful with a gentle smokey, soft husky edge to it.

Her delivery impeccable.

Hailing from Arlington in Texas she would be the first to admit that things have not always been a bed of roses as shortly after having her children she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

However after treatment she has survived the anxious times to be able to continue her music and naturally bring awareness of the subject to encourage those who still suffer from it and educate those who don’t.

‘Give It A Day’ is her fourth album release and for me one of the best releases I have heard this year.

It is sheer musical and vocal magic and I would whole heartedly recommend it to any lover of music no matter what genre of it you appreciate.

Join me from Saturday on The American Connection on www.euvue.co.uk when I’ll be playing three tracks on the show as it takes up the Album Of The Week slot.

Join me and ‘Tingle’ with a True Texas Treasure…

Further information regarding her other albums can be found by logging on to her website at www.HeatherMcCready.com.

Heather McCready             Give It A Day        Travelling Girl Productions

Well known over the North East as a columnist for the Hartlepool Mail and broadcaster for the BBC he has entertained throughout the region with his wicked sense of humour and professionalism.

When Durham County’s Cricket Ground was built on the Riverside at Chester-le-Street Alan became Chief Executive and was instrumental in putting it on the map and helping  advance it to the status it now holds as an International English Test Match Cricket Ground.

Although now running his own business,his connection with cricket continues through Lord’s Taverners

A new book written by Alan and entitled ‘Wright Here’ contains a compilation of many of his observations on life first seen in his newspaper columns.

When it comes to introductions TV presenter Chris Tarrant writes of Alan…

“He is quietly but completely barking! We met in no less prestigious a setting than the Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground. It was a balloon debate on behalf of the Lord’s Taverners, with some of the best after dinner speakers in the land going head to head in a brutal verbal knock out competition. The anecdotes flowed, the wine flowed and, by a massive consensus, quietly but inarguably at the end of the whole gruelling side-splitting affair, Alan won”.

Much of the  zaniness is captured throughout the book with tales of ‘Odd shaped Balls’ and rolling on the rugby pitch, ‘Transporter of Delight’ which tells the hilarious story of Alan’s father’s friend Jack, a bike and the Transporter Bridge.

The Red Arrows,The Bachelors and Ricky Tomlinson feature in ‘Ukeleles and Red Arrows’ and ‘Duck Attack’ emphasises how ‘Quackers’ he can be and explains what a Pooly Dut is to those not aware of its existance.

In his forecast of the news for the following year he relates ‘The year ends with a Hartlepool resident being banned for life from B & Q. He explained:“As I was walking in, this bloke asked if I wanted decking, so I got my punch in first.”

These days his love of words, silly stories, people and live observations take him all over the UK including guest speaking on Cruise Ships.

For me the tongue in check humour is brilliant and the tales put a natural smile on your face. He is  a great humourist and it shows throughout the book which is one of those items that you ‘can’t put down’.

Not only is it available direct from Alan at www.wright-here.com but also on Amazon Kindle.

Our Take You Back Number One takes us back to 1989 from one of the best selling duo’s in country music history.

Album Of The Week comes from Jack Ingram and I’ll be taking the usual look at the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and playing todays top selling singles in Nashville.

There’s songs from Nanci Griffith, Ronnie Milsap, Don Williams and new artists Pistol Annies, Claudia Lee, Blue County and Kristen Kelly.

It’ll be good if you can join me for a trip in the country.

Cheers
Brian C

Click the button (arrow) below to take a listen