Author Archives: Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena

About Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena

Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena is a freelance writer for both Country Music News and Country Music On Tour. Want to collab on some content? Email me. Want my rates for commercial promo work? Get them right here.

Garth Brooks Movie – Unanswered Prayers

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A Garth Brooks song inspires a Lifetime Network movie – Unanswered Prayers. The Garth Brooks song “Unanswered Prayers” is the base plotline and title of a new movie from Lifetime TV. The movie will tell the story of two former high school sweethearts facing the reality of unresolved wishes. The movie was co-produced by Garth Brooks himself, as well as Lisa Sanderson. It stars Eric Close (Without a Trace), Samantha Mathis (Grey’s Anatomy) and Madchen Amick (Damages). Expect to see it in early November.

CMNB Joins Country Music Association!

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Country Music News Blog becomes the first web-only publication to be added to the Country Music Association! Country Music News Blog is now a proud organizational member of the Country Music Association! To our knowledge, we are the only web-based news source in the association and we are more than honored to carry that torch. As country music moves forward in the digital world, it is more important than ever that the industry’s online resources aim for integrity, quality, and a community-minded approach to whatever we do. You can always trust CMNB to follow those guidelines as we provide fans with honest opinions, breaking news, and a fun, entertaining source of all things country music. Thank you to all our faithful readers, subscribers, and even casual visitors for 6 years of growing success!

Weekend Malware Worries

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Apologies to all weekend visitors. Good morning everybody! It would seem that our ad server was the victim of a malicious viral attack over the weekend, causing CMNB and our sister site CountryMusicOnTour.com to go down. This issue has been taken care of, and once again, we are more than ever grateful for our readers and fans who continue to visit, comment, and subscribe. Thank you SO MUCH for making this site so successful. ~WC~Country Music Photo Gallery

Drive By Truckers Fall 2010 Tour

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Drive By Truckers announce their Fall 2010 Tour! Drive By Truckers is bringing their signature dirty, hearty, DIY sound to a venue near you this fall as they hit the road for the last time in 2010. Don’t forget, there’s a little more time before the deadline to enter the NUCI’S SPACE / DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS HALLOWEEN ROCK’N RAFFLE. The Winner will get all inclusive trip for two to see DBT in our beloved Richmond VA at The National (one of the greatest venues in America) on Halloween Weekend. Our dear artist Wes Freed (who does all DBT artwork) lives there and we’ll be going all out celebrating Halloween that Saturday Night. Prizes include airfare, VIP tickets for two (including Meet and Greet w/ band), hotel accommodations and spending cash. It’s a $2000.00 valued prize and entering is only $5 plus you’re supporting a great cause. Go to www.rocknraffle.com for more details. We’ve been wanting to play a Halloween Show in Richmond for years and are finally getting to do it (at least on the 29th and 30th). Richmond is a beautiful and somewhat haunted town that has inspired Edgar Allen Poe, Wes Freed and certainly us. The National is an amazing venue and Bobby Bare Jr is opening, playing songs off of his stellar new album “A Storm – A Tree – My Mother’s Head” which will be on my year end list. Drive By Truckers Tour Dates: Fri Sep 17 Memphis TN MINGLEWOOD MUSIC HALL Sat Sep 18 Bristol TN BRISTOL RHYTHM & ROOTS REUNION Sun Sep 19 Raleigh NC LINCOLN THEATER – OUTDOORS Wed Sep 22 Mobile AL SOUL KITCHEN Thu Sep 23 Houston TX HOUSE OF BLUES HOUSTON Fri Sep 24 Austin TX STUBBS OUTDOORS Sat Sep 25 Dallas TX HOUSE OF BLUES DALLAS Sun Sep 26 Kansas City MO CROSSROADS Tue Sep 28 Madison WI MAJESTIC THEATER Wed Sep 29 Iowa City IA ENGLERT THEATRE Thu Sep 30 Minneapolis MN FIRST AVENUE Fri Oct 01 Milwaukee WI PABST THEATER Sat Oct 02 St Louis MO THE PAGEANT Sun Oct 03 Indianapolis IN THE VOGUE Tue Oct 05 Akron OH MUSICA Wed Oct 06 Columbus OH NEWPORT MUSIC HALL Thu Oct 07 Morgantown WV WVU – MOUNTAINLAIR BALLROOM Fri Oct 08 Louisville KY BROWN THEATER Sat Oct 09 Atlanta GA BUCKHEAD THEATER Thu Oct 28 Boone NC LEGENDS @ ASU Fri Oct 29 Richmond VA THE NATIONAL Sat Oct 30 Richmond VA THE NATIONAL Sun Oct 31 Charlotte NC THE FILLMORE CHARLOTTE Wed Nov 10 Glasgow, Scotland ABC-GLASGOW Fri Nov 12 Manchester UK ACADEMY 2 Sat Nov 13 Birmingham UK ACADEMY 2 Sun Nov 14 London UK SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE Mon Nov 15 Brighton UK CONCORD 2 Wed Nov 17 Amsterdam, Holland PARADISO Thu Nov 18 Groningen, Holland VERA Fri Nov 19 Berlin, Germany LIDO Sat Nov 20 Munich, Germany CLUB 59:1 Sun Nov 21 Milan, Italy SALUMERIA DELLA MUSICA Tue Nov 23 Barcelona, Spain RAZZMATAZZ 2 Wed Nov 24 Madrid, Spain SALA HEINEKEN Thu Nov 25 Continue reading Drive By Truckers Fall 2010 Tour→

Zac Brown Band LiveStream from The Red Rocks

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Tune in Sunday night to watch Zac Brown Band LIVE from the Red Rock Amphitheater! Zac Brown Band, and Ustream.tv are excited to let you in on a brand new livestreaming experience! This Sunday night, September 19th, Zac Brown Band will be performing live at the famous Red Rock Amphitheater, and Ustream will be broadcasting the show on their new multiview platform. This means you will see the show as if you were right there, with up to five camera angles so you don’t miss a single moment! Can you tell I’m excited? Having just watched ZBB live in Oklahoma City last night, I can tell you this is one broadcast you won’t want to miss. Their playing is thunderous! Their harmonies steal your breath away. And their fans make the experience something you will remember for a lifetime. Every show gets bigger and better, and we’ve been working hard to create an experience that’s unlike any other,” says Zac Brown. “When people come to our show, we want to blow them away every time. So for us, this is no different. Except that for the first time we’re coming to the fans that can’t make it out to see us. Tune in at ustream.tv/zacbrownbandCountry Music Photo Gallery

Introducing Austin Boggs

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Introducing Austin Boggs, new to Nashville, and new to CMNB! With a smooth voice, wise lyrics, and a strong backing band, it’s hard to believe that Austin Boggs is only 21 years old, and still unsigned! Take a listen to his music, and a look at his story and tell us what you think. For 21 year-old rising star, Austin Boggs, country music has been a part of his life from a very young age. Growing up in a small southwestern Virginia town, he quickly found that writing and singing came easy because of the tradition and heritage of the small town life. His older brother Josh took him to a Ralph Stanley festival at the age of 14; from that moment on Austin knew he wanted to be a performer. Josh recalls Austin’s reaction to this live performance, “I’ll be up there next year.” Less than a year later he began playing on WNVA 106.3 FM during the Local Talent Show, beginning his journey. Marion Levy, founder of Rounder Records, describes him as a young Tony Rice. Austin formed a bluegrass band called the Midnight Ramblers. The name was chosen because it was the only time the guys could get together and practice because they were all still in high school. The Ramblers soon found out that maybe this was going to be more than just earning a little extra money on the weekends as they found themselves playing in every state on the East coast and two International tours. After releasing three bluegrass albums as founder and lead singer for The Midnight Ramblers Austin decided to take the advice of those in the bluegrass music industry and pursue a career in the country music field. In February 2010 he felt the need to be where country music was, so he moved to Nashville. He spent the next few months meeting with songwriters and with producer Sean Gasaway to select songs that represented him as a musician. In August 2010 a seven-song demo will be released. From the first time that I walked into the Ryman at the age of 18 and chills ran down my spine, I knew this is where I belonged and I would sing there some day. This isn’t just a dream of mine but a goal and I will not give up until I succeed. Country Music Photo Gallery

Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

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It’s Country Music week on the hit CMT trivia show, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader! Josh Turner, Laura Bell Bundy, Craig Morgan, Joe Nichols, and Trailer Choir match their wits against the toughest opponents around… fifth graders! CMT’s favorite quiz show is back for a second season, and starting Monday September 20th it’s all about stumping Music Row as some of Nashville’s finest find themselves in the hot seat. Tune into CMT next week to see who wins this battle! Country Music Photo Gallery

Country Strong Official Site

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The movie Country Strong, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw, takes to the web. Gwyneth Paltrow and country sensation Tim McGraw are set to release Country Strong to theaters January 7th, but for fans who can’t wait that long, hop over to CountrySongTheMovie.com for advanced trailers and movie details today. The movie itself follows a fictitious country starlet who gets into trouble, into rehab, into love and back on top. Sounds to me like the plot fits the title just perfect!

Coal Miners Daughter – Listen Here!

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Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert, and Sheryl Crow team up for this re-release of the hit song Coal Miner’s Daughter. How the time does fly! Forty years since Loretta Lynn’s career-defining song “Coal Miner’s Daughter” released, she shakes things up in country music by inviting Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert to perform on her own tribute album. Take a listen, courtesy of Billboard.com “Coal Miner’s Daughter” by Loretta Lynn by billboard The new version of “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” which will be available as a digital single on Sept. 28, is the centerpiece of the upcoming Nov. 9 Columbia album, “Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn”

Alan Jackson Announces 2010 Fall Tour

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Alan Jackson has announced that he will be touring this fall with The Band Perry and Chris Young. Alan Jackson will be bringing along pals Chris Young, and The Band Perry on a nationwide tour this fall. The tour launches November 4th and is scheduled as follows: Alan Jackson Tour Dates: 09.23.2010 Springfield, MO JQH Arena 09.24.2010 Rockford, IL MetroCentre 09.25.2010 Hinckley, MN Grand Casino Hinckley 09.28.2010 Minot, ND Norsk Hostfest (7 p.m. show) 09.29.2010 Minot, ND Norsk Hostfest (1 p.m. show) 09.30.2010 Sioux City, IA Tyson Event Center 10.05.2010 Nashville, TN All for the Hall/Bridgestone Arena 11.04.2010 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena 11.05.2010 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theater 11.06.2010 Las Vegas, NV Thomas & Mack Center 11.11.2010 Hidalgo, TX State Farm Center 11.12.2010 Cedar Park, TX Cedar Park Center 11.13.2010 Kinder, LA The Pavillion at Coushatta 11.18.2010 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum 11.19.2010 Winston-Salem, NC LJV Memorial Coliseum 11.20.2010 Cincinnati, OH US Bank Arena Alan Jackson Tour Tickets.