NASHVILLE – Country music entertainer Taylor Swift announces new album, single during live web chat. Release date for Swift’s third studio album titled, “Speak Now”, is set for October 25. New single, “Mine”, to debut mid-August.

“It’s been a three year process creating this new album,” said Swift during the webcast. “I’m really excited for October 25.”

The 20-year-old entertainer revealed that she solely wrote the entire album. “Speak Now” is Swift’s follow-up to her sophomore release, “Fearless”, which garnered the country singer a Grammy Award for “Album of the Year” and was certified 6-times platinum by the recording industry.

Swift spent most of the webcast answering fan submitted questions regarding her music, tour, new home in Nashville and questions regarding her recent film shoot in Portland, Maine. While pushing off certain personal questions, Swift cited that while she doesn’t talk about her personal life in interviews, she definitely writes and sings about it.

When asked when the next time Swift will pay in Chicago, the entertainer said her next tour will likely begin after the release of her album.

According to Ustream.com, Swift’s live video feed reached approximately 59,000 streams.

Achin’ and Shakin’
By: Laura Bell Bundy

Release Date: April 13, 2010

Grew up in a little town… moved to Nashville with a big dream… These are the words that seem to adorn almost every new artist’s bio in country music. For Laura Bell Bundy, while she does come from a small town, her road to the Music City plays quite a different tune. Bundy, a Kentucky native, moved to New York City to pursue her career in music but along the way found her first home on New York’s Broadway.

“People can look at it and go, ‘You went from Broadway to doing country,” Bundy said. “I actually went from the country to Broadway. I’m from Kentucky and I always listened to country music. When I started writing songs, it all came out country.

Now, after several major leading roles on Broadway and some television stints, Bundy is about to accomplish what she set out to do. On Tuesday, Mercury Records will release Bundy’s Nashville debut, “Achin’ and Shakin”. The album, over 12 tracks, is split into what Bundy says resemble her two personalities. The first six tracks are labeled, Achin’, because they resemble collection of slow and sultry country songs. The remaining are labeled as, Shakin’, for their natural sassiness and humor.

“I have two different sides of my personality,” she explains. “I have a crazy, wild, humorous, outspoken personality, and then I have a depth that only opens up when I am alone or with one other person, and that is captured with this album. I really couldn’t do one without the other.”

Pre-Order “Achin’ and Shakin” on iTunes:
Purchase Laura Bell Bundy’s music on Amazon

1. Drop On By
2. Curse the Bed
3. Cigarette
4. Please
5. Homecoming Queen
6. When It All Goes South
7. Giddy On Up – HOT
8. I’m No Good (For Ya Baby)
9. Rebound
10. Boyfriend
11. If You Wan’t My Love
12. Everybody

Music Videos:

• Giddy On Up |

Artist Apps:

• Laura Bell Bundy |
  

On the web: laurabellbundy.com

I Got Your Country Right Here
By: Gretchen Wilson

Release Date: March 30, 2010

Gretchen Wilson’s country career started with a bang in 2004 with her debut release, “Here For The Party”. Since then, we’ve seen the Illinois native manage to overcome some major feats while dodging a few bullets. Today, Wilson chugs along with newly launched record label, “Redneck Records” and four albums under her belt buckle. “I Got Your Country Right Here”, the premiere release of her label upstart, was entirely produced/co-produced by Wilson.

Download “I Got Your Country Right Here” on iTunes:
Purchase Gretchen Wilson’s music on Amazon

Track Listing:

1. I Got Your Country Right Here
2. Work Hard Play Harder – HOT
3. I’m Only Human
4. Earrings Song
5. Trucker Man
6. Blue Collar Done Turn Red
7. Outlaws and Renegades
8. Walk on Water
9. Love on the Line
10. As Far As You Know
11. I’d Love To Be Your Last

Related Artists:

• John Rich |
• Big & Rich |
• Cowboy Troy |

On the web: gretchenwilson.com

Freight Train
By: Alan Jackson

Release Date: March 30, 2010

For a man with 13 studio albums under his belt, Alan Jackson’s 14th album “Freight Train” shows nothing less than his respectable talent as a singer/songwriter. The driving force behind it all, his life, makes for those winsome hit singles. In nearly all of his songs, Jackson takes listeners on a lyrical journey through his past and present. His music commonly stars his family, including the recollection of his daughters’ youth in “After 17” and soft, eloquent memories about his wife in “Every Now and Then.” Jackson also keeps things fresh with a combination of honky-tonk sounds and downtempo beats alternating throughout the album.

When Jackson’s not singing about his wife and children, he croons about the moments in life that shape his happiness. “That’s Where I Belong” radiates freedom and weightlessness while the lead track declares a humble man’s indulgence in making a career with a “Hard Hat And A Hammer.”

Jackson rekindles those first-crush butterflies with “Lovin’ Thing” and addresses a love that slipped through the spaces between your fingers in “Tail Lights Blue”, a song that is guaranteed to help relate to that achin’ heart.

Download Alan Jackson’s music on iTunes:
Purchase “Freight Train” on Amazon: Freight Train

Catch Alan Jackson at the Allstate Arena on May 1 - ticketmaster

Track Listing:

1. Hard Hat And A Hammer
2. Every Now And Then
3. After 17
4. It’s Just That Way  – HOT
5. Freight Train
6. Taillights Blue
7. I Could Get Used To This Lovin’ Thing
8. Till The End (with Lee Ann Womack)
9. That’s Where I Belong
10. Big Green Eyes
11. True Love Is A Golden Ring
12. The Best Keeps Getting Better

You Make Like:

• Lee Ann Womack  |
• George Strait |
• Easton Corbin |

On the Web: alanjackson.com

Get Off On The Pain
By: Gary Allan

Release Date: March 9, 2010

Looking back on Gary Allan career, it’s easy to remember the days when Allan’s approach was a little more traditional. Today, and eight albums later, Allan hits the shelves with “Get Off On The Pain”, a collection that continues his growth into the country-rocker style. While Allan can be considered a pioneer in this less twang, more rock style, he’s not the alone soldier anymore. With his success, Nashville has a lot more patience for artists that resemble Allan style.

Download Gary Allan’s music on iTunes:
Purchase “Get Off On The Pain” on Amazon: Get Off on the Pain

Track Listing (Deluxe Edition):

1. Get Off On The Pain
2. I Think I Had Enough
3. Today – HOT
4. That Ain’t Gonna Fly
5. Kiss Me When I’m Down
6. We Fly By Night
7. When You Give Yourself Away
8. Along The Way
9. She Gets Me
10. No Regrets
11. Long Summer Days
12. Right Where I Need To Be*
13. Best I Ever Had*
14. Watching Airplanes*

*Recorded live from the House of Blues, Chicago on Oct. 14, 2009.

On the web: garyallan.com

The Country Music Association, in conjunction with iTunes, released a free 5-pack new country music sampler.  Available now, the sampler includes some of country music’s hottest up-and-comers including the Trailer Choir and Ash Bowers.  iTunes users have till May 1, 2010, to download the free tunes.

Visit http://www.cmafest.com/itunes/promo for more information.

Release Date: February 23, 2010

Josh Thompson, a Milwaukee native, debuted on country radio with “Beer On The Table”, appropriate considering the his hometown is the beer capitol of the world. In Thompson’s debut album, “Way Out Here”, his working-class roots and honky-tonk approach are definitely prevalent. For Thompson, this is something he relates with.

“I love the blue collar honky-tonk crowd,” Thompson said in a press statement, “The men and women that, like it says in ‘Beer On the Table,’ pretty much work their butts off all week and like to have a good time Friday night, because that’s who I am–a working guy that got lucky enough to get a recording contract.”

Definitely expect to her more from this Nashville newcomer. Well equipped in the song writing category, Thompson next radio release is the title track to his album. “Way Out Here” continues his spokesman approach for the hard-working, fun-loving citizens that keep America running. Welcome back country music!

Download Josh Thompson’s music on iTunes:
Purchase “Way Out Here” on Amazon.

Track Listing:

1. Beer On The Table – HOT
2. Blame It On Waylon – Editor’s Pick
3. Sinner
4. Won’t be Lonely Long
5. Always Been Me
6. A Name In This Town
7. Way Out Here
8. You Ain’t Seen Country Yet
9. Back Around
10. I Won’t Go Crazy

Reminds Me Of:

• Eric Church |
• Dierks Bentley |
• Craig Morgan |

On the web: joshthompsonofficial.com

Sarah Buxton
By: Sarah Buxton

Release Date: February 23, 2010

Sarah Buxton’s full-album was in the works for several years as she was carefully crafting her career as an artist and songwriter. In the past, Buxton’s music has worked its way on to the song charts, this marks her first time competing in the album category. Though it seems hard to believe it’s her debut, Buxton’s self-titled entrance features some of her best works including my personal favorite, “Innocence”, and her recent music video breakout “Outside My Window”. Listeners will recognize “Stupid Boy”, a song Buxton co-wrote, as Keith Urban recorded it which ultimately helped the two receive a Country Music Association nomination in 2007 for Song of the Year.

Download “Sarah Buxton” on iTunes:
Purchase Sarah Buxton on Amazon.

Track Listing:

1. American Daughters
2. Outside My Window – HOT
3. Radio Love (Featuring Jedd Hughes)
4. For Real
5. Wings (Featuring Jedd Hughes)
6. Love Like Heaven
7. Space
8. Innocence – Editor’s Pick
9. That Kind Of Day
10. Stupid Boy - HOT
11. Big Blue Sky (Featuring Jedd Hughes)

Related Artists:

• Keith Urban |
• Cowboy Troy |

On the web: sarahbuxton.com