Taylor Swift Releases Video for “Mean”! Taylor Swift has released her video for her most recent single “Mean“. It’s an empowering song of sticking with it even when others try to get you down, and the video uses Taylor’s usual witty humor to drive the message home. The video debuted yesterday and you can watch it here! Check it out here! Mean – Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift Videos
Eric Church’s New Video for Single “Homeboy”. Well, I mentioned in my recent post about Eric Church that he would be releasing a new video for “Homeboy“, and here it is! It’s a 2011 rendition of the Prodigal Son parable, and while not necessarily a groundbreaking message, it is at times visually striking which certainly adds depth. Also, the lyrics do feature some clever word play with the double meaning of “homeboy”(the cultural term) and “home boy”(as in, come home boy). I do really wonder what has happened in Church’s life as he seems to have a continuing theme of this cautionary tale of getting involved with city life and crime, seen also in his other songs like “Lightening“. Whatever the reason is, Eric certainly seems to have a much sharper edge than your average country singer, and that definitely comes through in this video. Check out the video here. Homeboy – Eric Church – Eric Church Videos
Dierks Bentley Gives the Low-Down on His Pre-show Rituals. Dierks Bentley is featured in an episode of “Jager TV”, letting fans know all about the little things he does before every show to make sure it all goes smoothly. We recently posted about Dierks most recent song, “Am I the Only One” off his sixth studio project which hit radios March 21st and will no doubt be the anthem to many a party all summer long! This quick video just gives fans a little insight into how Dierks works, and showcases his love for his fans and putting on a good show! You can check out the video now! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7jIBbTswiA]
Wynonna Judd Releases New Single “Love It Out Loud”. Wynonna Judd has released a new single “Love It Out Loud“, and it is now available on iTunes just in time for Mother’s Day. She co-wrote the song with boyfriend Cactus Moser as a tribute to mother, Naomi, and all the love and affection she has for her. The single was a surprise, and Wynonna performed it for Naomi at the final show of their tour in Phoenix, AZ. You can catch this performance on the season finale of “The Judds” which airs Sunday 10pm ET/PT, May 8th on OWN and highlights the end of their tour and how they cope with it. An added bonus for fans, Wynonna and Naomi will be joining the live chat at 10/9c for the first time. They will be sharing behind the scenes info and commentary. So, be sure to tune in! For more info on the show click here.
Taylor Swift Invites Fans to Special Rehearsal to Benefit Tornado Victims. Taylor Swift has announced she will be opening the doors for the first time ever to the last dress rehearsal of her Speak Now Tour as a fundraiser to benefit victims of last week’s tornadoes. This event will allow 13,000 fans to get a sneak peak a whole week earlier than the first tour date of Taylor’s North American leg of the Speak Now tour which kicks off in Omaha, Nebraska May 27th. “I was watching the coverage of the tornadoes backstage at rehearsals, and I wanted to do something for the families affected by the damage. I’ve never opened a rehearsal to the public before, but I felt that inviting my fans to the last rehearsal for the Speak Now Tour would be a great way to raise money. We’ll probably still be doing some fine-tuning to the show that night, since this will be a true rehearsal, but I feel like it is so important for me and my fans to help if we can.” -Taylor Swift Taylor is calling this special concert “Speak Now…Help Now!” and it will take place May 21st at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Ticket information and event details will be available and update by Monday, May 9th, you can check it out by clicking here. All of the money raised from tickets sales will go to the victims dealing with the aftermath of the storms. Bravo to Taylor, and all the other members of the country music community (Reba, Blake, Hank Williams Jr and others) who have taken that extra step to help those in their time of need. Well, done.
Eric Church Announces Release Date for Upcoming Album. Eric Church has announced his new album, Chief, will be released July 26th. Already receiving critical praise, this marks Eric’s third studio album, and it will be available nationwide on this date. Eric took a little time off from the world (a whole month at a cabin in North Carolina!), and really slowed down to get into the creative mode to produce this album which he later recorded in Nashville. With Chief, Eric was really trying to stretch his creative boundaries and at the same time remain relevant. “I have a theory that all of us [artists] only get a small window of time to make records when people will really listen and care. It’s up to us to move the needle. People like Waylon and Cash or Garth and Strait,– they all took the format and said, ‘We’re going over here,’ and they each changed the direction of the music a little bit– helping to make it what it is today.” -Eric Church Keep an eye out for the album, but while you’re waiting you can check out Eric’s new video for “Homeboy” which will be available Monday, May 9th!
CMT Hosts All-Star Disaster Relief Concert to Raise Funds for Victims CMT will be hosting a disaster relief concert next Thursday, May 12th in an effort to raise funds for the victims of the recent storms, floods and tornadoes impacting the U.S. All money raised will go to the American Red Cross. Hank Williams Jr. who initiated the concert last weekend seeking CMT for help will be involved in the concert and other notable guests include Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum, Ronnie Dunn, Alabama, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. “I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing on TV. Alabama is home — I am really pumped about helping. I want to raise lot of money, and thanks to my good friends, we are going to be able to make a difference.” -Hank Williams Jr. The concert will air live out of Nashville at 9pm ET/PT on CMT and will also be streaming on cmt.com, so you can check it out and get involved with these relief efforts! CMT One Country, the network’s pro-social initiative, encourages viewers to support those affected by the storms, flooding and tornadoes. Viewers can get involved by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to support the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts.
Dierks Bentley Set to Perform at 2011 CMA Fest Concert! The 2011 CMA Music Festival already has an amazing line-up for all four of its nightly concerts at LP Field June 9th-13th, but it’s getting even better! Dierks Bentley has been added to the Friday, June 10th concert line-up. The night is already jam packed with amazing performances by Lady Antebellum, Reba, Ashton Shepherd, Sugarland, and Keith Urban. Dierks is replacing Sheryl Crow who was previously slated to perform but had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. Tickets are still available, click here for more info!
Ashton Shepherd Shares Special Mother’s Day Video. Ashton Shepherd is offering a special acoustic version of “I’m Just A Woman” to honor Mother’s Day. It is clearly a song for women, taking a perspective on the challenges in life that are particularly unique to them. Ashton especially has insight into this perspective as she is a mother herself with a 5-year old son and her second child due in September! (Congrats, Ashton!). “I wrote that one by myself. I opened my diary, and I got to an entry where I was writing about feeling kind of bad, empty and sad. Right after that, I’d written, ‘Well, I guess I’m just being a woman.’ When I read that, I underlined it…The song doesn’t bash the man. It’s kind of saying, ‘Buddy, I understand you pretty much 99 percent of the time. I need you to understand me, too, sometimes because I know I can be hard to deal with…I think it gives women a lot of credit. I think about our mommas…I feel like I’ve written an anthem for them.” -Ashton Shepherd “I’m Just A Woman” is featured on Ashton’s upcoming album, Where Country Grows, set to release July 12th. You can check out this special video here. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPrbv8RCyfk]
First Batch of 2011 CMT Music Awards Performances Have Been Announced! The 2011 CMT Music Awards is shaping up to be an awesome show, as there will be several fan favorite performances! So far, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Kieth Urban, Rascal Flatts and Sugarland are all set to perform. All the nominees have been announced, as of last week, and fan voting will remain open until June 7th. Click here to check out a complete list of the nominees. The CMT Awards will air live on Wednesday, June 8th at 8pm ET/PT. You can catch the show on either CMT or cmt.com.
