Strait-Up Country News and Reviews

"Emotional Traffic" Here Jan. 24

2012-01-06T00:51:00.000-08:00

After a long wait by fans, and Tim McGraw, the "new" album will be out Jan. 24!

A court-ordered release of "Emotional Traffic" did not bring an end to the legal war between McGraw and Curb Records, but the battle over releasing the album has been won by McGraw. The new album features 12 new songs, one of which has R & B's Ne-Yo:

1. Halo
2. Right Back Actha Babe
3. One Part, Two Part
4. I Will Not Fall Down
5. The One
6. Better Than I Used To Be
7. Touchdown Jesus
8. The One That Got Away
9. Felt Good On My Lips
10. Hey Now
11. Only Human
12. Die By My Own Hand

You might recognize "Felt Good On My Lips" from 2010's "Number One Hits". (FYI: You know, this might be the first time a single appears on a 'hits' compilation before it does on the actual album.) The lead-off single, "Better Than I Used To Be", is a cover of Sammy Kershaw's version released in August 2010. Though the single failed to make a splash on most charts for Kershaw, McGraw's version is quickly making its way to #1. Combining his hit-making team from the past with new collaborations with Martina McBride and the Warren Brothers, "Emotional Traffic" is shaping up to be one of Tim McGraw's best albums - perhaps one of the best the country music industry has seen in a few years.

I'm excited! Look for the album on shelves Jan. 24. In the meantime, enjoy "Better Than I Used To Be" by clicking on the single's artwork. Enjoy!

Pre-Order New George Strait Album

2011-08-12T23:57:00.000-07:00

Click image to go to GeorgeStrait.com.

Almost twenty-five months after "Twang" was released, only about five days shy of twenty-five months in fact, the King of County music will release a brand new album. It is due to hit stores on September 6. However, I do expect copies to be sold-out rather quickly - so you may want to pre-order it to make sure you get a copy at least a few days after its initial release. PLUS, if you do pre-order it, you have three options: 1) CD and instant download of current single ($13.99); 2) CD and poster ($18.98); and 3) CD, poster, and "Here for a Good Time" t-shirt ($34.98). Yep, I'm excited.

Enjoy the music!

Tim McGraw vs. Curb Records

2011-07-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

There is a NEW Tim McGraw album out today! - Those are the words we have been waiting for since "Southern Voice" was released back in 2009. McGraw does have an album ready to hit the shelves though. The problem is his record label, Curb Records, wants to keep McGraw under their label because losing him would deal a hard blow to their pockets.

McGraw's success is . . . well, it's just hard to describe. Here is this man who in less than two decades has become one of the biggest superstars in the music industry. He has had hit after hit after hit on the country charts, but also on pop charts. He has his own signature songs like "Live Like You Were Dying" but he can also sing Kenny Rogers and George Strait. "He's too damn good." is what the record label is probably thinking and they are right. No wonder they don't want to let him go.

So right about now you might be asking, "Ok, well what's the problem?" The problem is that Curb Records has filed a lawsuit against McGraw claiming he was in breach of his contract by recording "Emotional Traffic" (presumably the name of the yet-to-be released album), thus he "owes" the record label a few more albums. McGraw of course denies the accusation and says he recorded the new album after the specified time after "Southern Voice" and delivered it on time as stated on the contract. Curb though refuses to release the album until something is figured out, in or out of court.
But with all this happening, rumor has it that Tim McGraw himself is distributing CD-R discs with new music on them at Wal-Mart located along his touring route. He is allegedly burning CD-R discs, putting them in cases, and stocking them on Wal'Mart shelves right where you would expect one of his "legit" albums to be. Click here to read the full article.

Can you imagine browsing through the country albums when all of a sudden this guy bumps into you and you realize it's Tim McGraw?!?1

Independence Day

2011-07-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!

Have an exciting and safe 4th!

Some music to go with your 4th:
1. "Have You Forgotten" by Darryl Worley
2. "Only in America" by brooks and Dunn
3. "Texas" by George Strait
4. "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood

5. "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson

6. "The Fightin' Side of Me" by Merle Haggard

7. "American Soldier" by Toby Keith
8. "Where the Stars and the Stripes and the Eagle Fly" by Aaron Tippin
9. "Okie from Muskogee" by Merle Haggard
10. "8th of November" by Big and Rich
11. "Arlington" by Trace Adkins
12. "It's America" by Rodney Atkins
13. "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" by Toby Keith
14. "Independence Day" by Martina McBride
15. "I'm Already There" by Lonestar
16. "American Child" by Phil Vasser
17. "Paradise" by Craig Morgan

Free Music on iTunes

2011-06-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most people at some point have wished they could just get a code for some free downloads on iTunes. It doesn't have to be a code for millions, thousands, or even hundreds of songs - just a few songs. Well, I think I can help with that. I will add a link to another page, on the right margin, where I will post a few legitimate sources (such as a popular magazine) that offer free codes as I come across them in my quest to provide you with free and legal methods of obtaining free music with no strings attached.

Here's a good link to get you started: People.com

Enjoy the music!

iTunes is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Return of the King of Country

2011-06-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

"Here for a Good Time" is the new single released by George Strait, marking the end of "Twang" singles and a new album. Two days ago Strait's single hit country radio and it is one of the most played and requested song in the last two days. Fans have been waiting for new music since his last single, "The Breath You Take", was released July 12 of last year to country radio nationwide. "Here for a Good Time" debuts at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on its official date of release to radio stations. It is his second highest debut since "I Saw God Today" from his "Troubadour" album back in 2008.

GeorgeStrait.com also announces that a new album is scheduled to be released sometime this fall . . . no word, though, on the title of the album. "Here for a Good Time" will be available on iTunes June 28.

Strait's latest single is a great song and I really enjoyed listening to it on the radio. The song, written by Strait, his son Bubba, and Dean Dillon, takes up the same topic of "The Breath You Take", but in a more uptempo, cheerier kind of way. I will try to create a decent video as I did for "Twang" for y'all to enjoy! In the meantime, I leave you with a quote from the reigning ACM Artist of the Decade:

"'I think this is the longest time, during my recording career, without anything new on the radio. It’s good to be back and I want to thank country radio for their continued support. Have a great summer!'" - George Strait

2011 CMT Music Awards

2011-06-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

The 2011 CMT Awards are coming up and CMT is trying to market the award show and create hype about it like never before. Honestly though, this award show, like most CMT Awards shows before, will be a bust compared to the CMA's and ACM's shows. The artists performing, or at least most of them, are the same country and "country" singers that perform at the other more prestigious award shows. That being said, the CMT Music Awards shows tend to be presented with a more pop-rock with a dash of rap type of theme rather than a country atmosphere. The CMT Awards are much like the MTV Awards - wait a minute, MTV owns CMT, hmmm.

Acts performing this Wednesday night include Sugarland, Toby Keith, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Big and Rich (the duo is back!), Lady Antebellum, and a few others. There is also supposed to be a special appearance by Shania Twain, it may be as a performer or just presenting an award. Justin Bieber will also show up as a nominee, yes he is a nominee.

If you will be tuning in to watch, then the show will air on CMT on June 8 at 8/7 central. Actually, you might want to tune in earlier because there is usually a pre-show of some sorts.
Thanks for reading and I hope the award show turns out well!

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today

Remember.

New Taylor Swift Music Videos

2011-05-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Two music videos released less than a month apart, an interesting move by country singer Taylor Swift. On May 6, 2011 the music video for her single "Mean" premiered on Country Music Television (CMT) and about 20 days later her "The Story of Us" music video premiers on her website at TaylorSwift.com. Is it just me or is Swift releasing singles and their accompanying videos way too fast? Regardless of how she and her record label choose to release singles, the music videos are out and ready for us to enjoy.

"MEAN"-

"Mean" was supposedly written in response to a critic who constantly bombarded Taylor Swift with negative comments. Swift says, "[T]here's constructive criticism, there's professional criticism, and then there's just being mean [hence the title of the song]. And there's a line that you cross when you just start to attack everything about a person." However, Swift also hopes the song will help those who are the victims of bullying by showing them that this can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime and "dealing with that is all that you can control, how you handle it"(Swift). One of the things she is criticized for is the lack of a country sound to her music, or at least not enough. So what does Swift do? She makes a song in which she throws in some hand-clapping, fiddle, and a banjo. Her voice also takes the leading role in the song, not letting the instruments overpower her voice or overtake the song. A nice balance is created between the banjo, fiddle, clapping and her voice. Like a good country-folksy song, "Mean" lends itself to be sung because of its catchy lyrics and smooth, easy melody. The video also has a nice balance with the scenes being an old country house, locker room, locomotive tracks, and a Broadway stage. The song is portrayed well through the music video and the video is simply fun to watch. To watch the video click on the "Mean" image to the left.

Summer Playlist

2011-05-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

The country summer tunes playlist is out! To view it please click on the "Summer Playlist" link under "Pages" on the sidebar. Enjoy your summer and the music!

Kenny Chesney, Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, and more!

Summertime

2011-04-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

Well, spring is coming to an end and when I step outside I can feel those rays coming down hard. What does this mean? If you love country music and summertime, it means having a blast all summer long!! Summer is a great time to go out and have lots of fun, and we all know you need some tunes to really make things roll. As summer approaches, I will compile a list of the very best summer songs that have been the center of many tailgates, parties, and unforgettable summer moments over the past few years and publish it here for you to enjoy and use as your own playlist of summer songs. Until then, enjoy the spring!

NEW Faith Hill Album

2011-03-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

6 years - that's how long it has been since we have had an all-new music Faith Hill album. It has been a long time and this new project of hers is getting much attention by country music media. She has appeared on several country music shows saying she is really excited about this new album and hopes to have it out this year. Not much more is known about the album, but it is also being said that we may have Tim and Faith touring together again. I will post updates as more information is released.

Wow a new Faith Hill album and maybe a Tim and Faith tour. =)

"Bleed Red" - New Single by Ronnie Dunn

2011-02-02T23:36:00.000-08:00

After about 6 months of going their own ways, we have Ronnie Dunn's new single as a solo artist: "Bleed Red". Needless to say, Dunn's voice and style is unique not only in country music but in music in general. I was listening to KHEY online and I noticed they posted Dunn's new song on their site. I played it. I played it. I played it. And I played it some more. This song is definitely one of my new favorite songs. Great job Ronnie Dunn!

Send your requests to your local radio stations to hear this song on the radio! I hope you enjoy it as much as I!

Tim McGraw's "Emotional Traffic Tour"

2011-01-29T22:50:00.000-08:00

McGraw's "Southern Voice Tour" was one of the best tours we have seen from not only him but other acts in the last few years. He follows up his successful tour with the new "Emotional Traffic Tour" set to kickoff on March 7, 2011 in Houston, Texas. Touring with Tim McGraw will be Luke Bryan and The Band Perry. While concert dates are only set up to May at this point, I expect them to be extended well into the summer and perhaps to the end of the year. For updates on tour dates and to buy tickets visit Tim McGraw's website.
With this new tour, I anticipate a brand new album to be announced or released soon as well, but that is just speculation and my wanting some new music from him. Meanwhile, we will have to enjoy his latest hit "Felt Good On My Lips".

I look forward to this tour and I hope to hear his southern voice in a city near me.

2011

2011-01-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and I want to thank everyone who has followed this site so far. Country music fans from so many countries follow my blog and I just want to say thanks and wish everybody a great new year! Now, let's see what great music and events 2011 has in store!

Have a great 2011!!

Holiday Music

2010-12-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

So it's that time of year again and I'm sure everyone is excited for the holiday season. If you want to go out there and listen to some holiday music let me give you some suggestions
George Strait's "Classic Christmas"
Taylor Swift's "Holiday Collection"
Alan Jackson's "Let It Be Christmas"
Kenny Chesney's "All I want For Christmas Is A Real Good Tan"
Faith Hills' "Joy to the World" (one of my favorite Christmas albums)
Joe Nichols' "A Traditional Christmas"

If you want to listen to the traditional Christmas music then I would say go with the Alan Jackson, Faith Hill, and George Strait album's. For a more unique or country sound try the other ones.

Hope you enjoy!

"Somewhere With You"-Kenny Chesney

2010-12-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

It's been out for a couple weeks and the fans seem to love his newest single called "Somewhere With You". Chesney's latest single is climbing country charts and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Why would it? It's an awesome song that is great to listen to! I think this might be his next number one. A few posts ago, i said any song off his "Hemingway's Whiskey" album could be a single and this is a prime example of that. Albums often have good songs and some not-so-great songs, but this one is full of good songs without a single bad one. I know it's a little early to be predicting his next single after "Somewhere With You" but I think it will be either "Round and Round" or "Reality". "Somewhere with You" gets a thumbs up.

"Twang" by George Strait

2010-12-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

This video is a music video for George Strait's "Twang". Just click on the picture to watch it.
Hope you enjoy!

"Definitive Hits" by Trace Adkins

2010-12-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

I recently bought this compilation of hits and needless to say it is great! Trace's hits, execpt hi most recent called "This Ain't No Love Song", is on it. In this 2-pack hits collection, trace shows why his career is as strong as his voice. From the nineties hits to this decade's, Trace's songs all have a genuine country sound and story to them from the romantic and heartbroke songs to the "twangy thing, and hillbilly thing", this has it all. I really enjoyed this package and if you are a country fan then there is a good chance you will to. Good job Trace Adkins.

"Number One Hits" by Tim McGraw

2010-10-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Tim McGraw is once again set to release yet another hits compilation. For those who do not have his other hits compilations (Greatest Hits, Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Greatest Hits Vol. 3) then i think this might be a good package for you. However, if you are one of those that has two or more of his other hits compilations, like I do, then I do not think this would be a smart purchase. There is only one new song on this new package and there are fewer songs than the other three hits cds put together. Tim is one of my favorite artists, after George Strait and Alan Jackson, but i think he needs to lay off the whole releasing a new hits compilation after every new studio album. He needs to let the fans catch up and savor the music already out there and he needs to have more hits so he can have hits compilations that get longer (like George Strait's and Alan Jackson's), instead of taking older hits off to add newer hits like Southern Voice, he should have a longer list of hits on them. Overall, this of course has great music on it from a couple years ago and some more recent material, but not enough. Maybe a 5o Number Ones like George Strait's released about five years ago would be better. Like I said I am a huge Tim MgCraw fan but he needs to add more hits and lay off the hits compilations for a few years.

Alan Jackson--New Compilation of Hits?

2010-10-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

Alan Jackson plans to release a new "34 Number Ones" cd on November 23. This compilation of hits will include hits like "Gone Country", "Here in the Real World", and "It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere". "34 Number Ones" is also supposed to include the Zac Brown Band's single "As She's Walking Away" in which he demonstrates why he is one of the best singers out there...and has been for about twenty years. I can't wait for it to come out, but when it does I will post what i think about it.

"Hemingway's Whiskey" by Kenny Chesney

2010-10-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

I pre-ordered Chesney's new album online about a week before it came out and picked it up the first day it came out. I've been listening to the album again and again and you know what? I really like it! The music is what you would expect from Kenny Chesney. This album has a good variety of songs that make you want to get a few friends and have an awesome party to the songs that make you sit down and reflect on your own life. "Hemingway's Whiskey" might just be his best album yet containing everything a Chesney fan could want. As I mentioned a post or two ago, there are two versions: regular and deluxe edition. I bought the deluxe edition and I am glad I did. It comes in a "recyclable" case that opens like a tri-fold. Inside the case there are three pockets to hold the cd, dvd, and the booklet. I like that the booklet is included separately because I can display the tri-fold case while being able to store the booklet and discs safely away. The dark case looks very cool, but don't let it fool you into thinking it only has sad or depressing songs. If you know Kenny Chesney, you know his albums always bring joy and partying to your radio while bringing a song to make you think about where you are and where you have been. I love his new album and I can't stop listening to it. If you are thinking about getting it....go get it!!!

NEW Kenny Chesney Album Out Soon

2010-09-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

"Hemingway's Whiskey" comes out in 8 Days!

If you are a Chesney fan then I bet you are excited for his upcoming album titled "Hemingway's Whiskey". I personally look forward to it, not just listening to it but actually buying it. There are two versions: the regular version and the Deluxe Edition containing bonus tracks and a dvd. I think I want the Deluxe Edition even though it costs a few bucks more, but I am hoping it's worth it. For the best price I suggest you shop around, but so far the best price I have found has been on BestBuy's website..

Country Platinum Albums

2010-09-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

USA Today published an article predicting the most likely artists to have their upcoming albums go platinum. A couple country singers are in there. Check it out! What do you think?

Remember 9/11

2010-09-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

It has been nine years. We still feel the pain. We still stand together.