Gwyneth Performs Music By Adele on Glee Gwyneth Paltrow, who is for the moment being considered a country music star, will be guest starring once again on Glee. Gwyneth is quickly becoming a regular on the popular musical show, and this week will performing Adele‘s “Turning Tables“. The episode airs Tuesday, April 19th 8/7c on FOX, so be sure to tune in.
CMA Fest Concert Line-up Now Available The nightly concert line-up for the CMA Music Festival June 9th-12th has been announced! It looks like fans are going to have a great time whether they go all four nights or can only make it to one! There are still four day passes on sale for $115 which allow access to all four nights. Single day passes went on sale April 16th and are still available for $35. In addition to the weekend concerts, there will be a special CMA Fest kick-off at the Grand Ole Opry Tuesday, June 7th featuring performances by Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum and others! The line-up is as follows: Thursday, June 9th Jason Aldean Easton Corbin Sara Evans Brad Paisley Zac Brown Band Friday, June 10th Sheryl Crow Lady Antebellum Martina McBride Ashton Shepherd Keith Urban Saturday, June 11th Trace Adkins Little Big Town Rascal Flatts Reba Josh Turner Chris Young Sunday, June 12th The Band Perry The Jane Deer Girls Miranda Lambert Darius Rucker Blake Shelton
Brantley Gilbert Debuts New Single. As promised earlier this year, Brantley Gilbert‘s debut single, “Country Must Be Country Wide“, will be hitting airwaves Monday, April 25th. Brantley signed with Valory Music Co. earlier this year, and the debut single is the first off what promises to be a great album due out later this year. You can catch a sneak peak of Country Must Be Country Wide by clicking here. Gilbert maintains an incredibly faithful fan base, and if you’re not a part of it…yet…you can check out the video below to see what has so many people so excited about this artist! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFhaWuR9PIQ#at=87]
Blake Shelton and Other The Voice Judges In Sneak Peak! The Voice airs on NBC Tuesday, April 26th and we’ve dug up a sneak peak featuring details about the show from the judges including Blake Shelton! This show promises to be different from other musical competition shows, and it looks like they have the goods to back up such a bold statement. Check it out now! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O5ydR9bVNY]
Red Bull Gypsy Cafe Music Event Celebrates Red Dirt Genre in Stillwater, OK. This weekend Stillwater, OK will be the place to be for Red Dirt music enthusiasts. The Red Bull Gypsy Cafe musical festival will be a gathering of some of the most talented musicians to come from the genre! The name for the event, Gypsy Cafe, comes from “the farm” where jam sessions took place over the years, and there could not be a more appropriate place for the event to be held than Stillwater, OK, the birthplace of Red Dirt music. The event takes place Friday April 15th, and acoustic performances by artists that started, grew and continue to build the Red Dirt movement will take place at four different venues! All proceeds go to create the Red Dirt Relief Fund, a non-profit operated by Red Dirt musicians in Stillwater, OK which seeks to provide aid to musicians in need. You can find out complete details for performances and ticket pricing by clicking here!
Lady Antebellum’s Interview Backstage at the 2011 ACM Awards. Lady Antebellum cleaned up at this year’s ACM Awards having won 3 awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year as both artist and producer. In all the excitement, they took the time to chat for a few minutes about the making of the album, their success, what’s next and what they would be doing if it they didn’t have music! You can check out the interview now!
Craig Morgan to Headline Debut of First Annual NRA Country Jam. Craig Morgan, whom you may know for his sassy farmer championing tune “International Harvester“, is a former service member and a continuing supporter of the U.S. Military. Thus he has been chosen as the headliner for NRA’s First Annual Country Jam at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA Friday, April 29th. Fellow Black River Entertainment Label mates Sarah Darling and Due West will be opening the show. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go the Folds of Honor Foundation, a non-profit which provides post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of U.S. military service members killed or disabled during service and has provided $9.8 million in scholarships since 2007. To find out more about the country jam click here.
David Nail’s “Let It Rain” Video Strikes A Nerve. Singer/songwriter David Nail is talented to be sure. He manages to encompass the bittersweetness of broken relationships and lost loves in an honest and relatable way that avoids being cliche through songs like “Red Light“, “Clouds” and “Missouri” featured on his first album, I’m About To Come Alive. His latest single, “Let It Rain” seems to follow the same vein. In true country form, “Let It Rain” is all about cheating. The interesting thing, though, is it is told from the sorrowful perspective of the remorse-filled cheater. The song truly feels honest, and is just as relatable as David’s earlier songs. However, the video for “Let It Rain” puts an entirely different spin on the song. Quite frankly, it robs the lyrics of their honesty creating a shady, decidedly un-country vibe. From the opening shot of “the mistress”/”mistake”/”one-night stand” showering in the hotel bathroom to the sleek, and modern style of the hotel in which the video is set, the entire setting presents an image contrary to the remorse in the lyrics and Nail’s voice. It is difficult to believe the message of the lyrics or to feel anything beyond disdain when we’re seeing the aftermath of the affair which caused a wife pain and ended a marriage. Another, startling aspect of the video is the distance between the two characters in the video. They are never seen to interact at all, which just adds to the assumption that the affair was of little meaning. This creates even less sympathy, and causes a disconnect between the listener and the song. Overall, the video on some levels ruins the song and leaves me feeling unsettled, and unsympathetic. You can watch the video now, and let me know what you think. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvxAiLqF7C0]
Country Nominees Announced for 2011 Billboard Music Awards! The 2011 Billboard Music Awards nominees have been announced, and country music is well represented in multiple categories! Check it out below! Nominees are determined by chart performance as well as social and streaming activity as compiled by Billboard between February 28, 2010 and March 1, 2011. The 2011 Billboard Music Awards will be televised on ABC on Sunday, May 22nd at 8pm ET. Top Country Artist Jason Aldean Kenny Chesney Lady Antebellum Taylor Swift Zac Brown Band Top Country Album Jason Aldean My Kinda Party Lady Antebellum Need You Now Sugarland The Incredible Machine Taylor Swift Speak Now Zac Brown Band The Foundation Top Country Song The Band Perry If I Die Young Lady Antebellum Need You Now Miranda Lambert The House That Built Me Sugarland Stuck Like Glue Taylor Swift Mine Top Artist Taylor Swift Justin Bieber Lady Gaga Eminem Rihanna Top Billboard 200 Album Taylor Swift Speak Now Lady Antebellum Need You Now Eminem Recovery Susan Boyle The Gift Justin Bieber My World 2.0 Top Duo/Group Lady Antebellum U2 Linkin Park Bon Jovi Black Eyed Peas Top Streaming Song (Audio) Lady Antebellum Need You Now Bruno Mars Just The Way You Are Nelly Just A Dream Eminem feat. Rihanna Love The Way You Lie Taio Cruz Dynamite Top Billboard 200 Artist Taylor Swift Lady Antebellum Eminem Susan Boyle Justin Bieber Top Female Artist Taylor Swift Rihanna Katy Perry Lady Gaga Ke$sha
Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson to Perform on American Idol! Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, American Idol’s Season 1 winner, will be featured as guest performers on Thursday night’s results show episode of American Idol. The two will be performing their hit song “Don’t You Wanna Stay“. Be sure to tune in to what promises to be an eventful show! The episode airs this Thursday, April 14th at 8/7c on FOX.
