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.

Can You Duet – The Copollas

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Sure the Coppola’s can sing… but can they sing to ME? One of the most frustrating things about watching singing competitions is the way some performers just don’t “get it”. Sadly, this seems to be the case with The Coppolas. The beautiful blond twins from Denver, CO can sing, and they can sing well, but they can’t seem to listen! Week after week they get brutal criticism from the judges on CMT’s show “Can You Duet”, especially from Naomi Judd, that visibly knocks them off their feet. Hopefully it’s shaking their pedastals a bit as well. Of course Naomi’s going to be the roughest on The Coppolas. She and her daughter battled against nearly every female stereotype to scratch and claw their way to success. They fought for fair billing, played in the smokey bars, slept in buses, beat down criticism over looks and weight and health and societal pressure, and came out on top. They didn’t bend and fold for their critics. They didn’t flash bare skin and flutter their eyes to get their way. They WORKED, and out of that work they built a legacy and a standard for female artists everywhere. What the Coppola twins can’t seem to really understand is the simple statement that you HAVE to be more than just a pretty voice and a pretty face to make fans fall in love with you. You have to open yourself up to your fans. Show them your softer side. Get up close and intimate with them through your music. Because right now all I’ve seen The Coppolas do is issue forth perfectly practiced notes and predictable but restrained spunk. They’re singing AT the audiences rather than TO us! What I’d like to see: I’d like to see Kate and Kacey find a song that makes their hearts bleed and share THAT with us. Otherwise they’ll remain “those cute twins from that singing contest” instead of having a real music career. A pretty face can get you the audience, but it’s TALENT that keeps it.Country Music Photo Gallery

Miranda Lambert Opts for the School of Rock

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Miranda Lambert says music IS her education. “My college was gettin’ on a motor home that was like a 1985 model and going around the country,” she told Dial-Global. “That was my college. People always asked me, ‘Well, what’s your back-up plan?’ A lot of older people always go, ‘You need to go to college.’ I’m like, ‘Why?’ I mean, ‘So I can fail and waste $60,000 of my parents’ money that they don’t have?’ I just knew that it wasn’t for me. I just figure now, if I keep doing this, I’ll have a retirement and my back-up plan is to go be a back-up singer for somebody or be a songwriter and get a mailbox check.” Find out how that education is getting put to good use by catching her live on Miranda Lambert’s 2008 Concert Tour.Country Music Photo Gallery

Emily Noxon Wins Performance With Rascal Flatts

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Got milk? Emily Noxon does! Orem, Utah’s Emily Noxon will sing with the ACM Award-winning group Rascal Flatts as the lucky grand-prize winner of the Milk Rocks “Be a Milk Rockstar” contest. Noxon’s debut performance with Rascal Flatts will be at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Indianapolis June 14. Emily will enjoy the treat of a personalized Gibson Guitar tour bus parked backstage staffed to help her get primped and pretty in before taking the stage. She will also record a concert webcast from the bus. Other prizes include an autographed Gibson Les Paul Studio Guitar and signed posters and CDs from the band.Noxon will also meet with a Lyric Street Records A&R representative. “I can’t believe is happening to me! I am so excited I can’t even stand it!” said Noxon, the “Be a Milk Rockstar” grand prize winner. “I’m so grateful to Milk Rocks! I can’t wait for June 14th!” For more information about the June 14th Performance with Rascal Flatts, stay tuned to the 2008 Rascal Flatts Tour schedule.Country Music Photo Gallery

Belmont University Celebrates 25th Anniversary of ICMC

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Tennessee’s Belmont University honors authors and journalists for outstanding contributions in the study of country music Tomorrow the International Country Music Conference will begin celebrating its Silver Anniversary at Belmont University, honoring authors and journalists for outstanding contributions in the study of country music. The event, which runs May 22-24, will host top historians and scholars in country music and include presentations of The Belmont Book Award, Lifetime Achievement Award and The Charlie Lamb Awards. The Belmont Book Award will be awarded to Holly George-Warren for “Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry,” published in 2007 by Oxford University Press. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to the Country Music Hall of Fame Foundation and Library. The Charlie Lamb Awards, given to outstanding country music journalists, will be awarded to Beverly Keel in the contemporary category and Barry McCloud in the lifetime category. “At this conference we’ll have historians and scholars who have collectively written over 50 books on country music,” said Don Cusic, co-chair of the event. The conference will be held in the Frist Room of the Gordon Inman Science Building at Belmont University Thursday, May 22 – Saturday, May 24. The 2008 ICMC Program Schedule can be found here: http://www.internationalcountrymusic.org/schedule.html For more information, visit: http://www.internationalcountrymusic.org/Country Music Photo Gallery

The ACM Winners are…

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The 2008 ACM Awards are done and we’ve got your winners right here! Winners of the 2008 Academy of Country Music awards got to party it up Vegas style as they celebrated another year of milestones and fan appreciation. Reba McEntire hosted the festivities and as always, the winners were gracious, and excited. “A singer is nothing without inspiration. I thank my wonderful wife, Kim, who is not here tonight. I probably ought to thank my son for the first time for inspiration. I am so honored to carry the torch another year, and thank God for all the blessings in my life.”-Brad Paisley “There are so many people who deserve to be thanked for this, but I am going to thank one. And that’s a person that used to love to go to lunch with her friends and cook dinner for her family and sleep in her bed every night. She gave that all away and left that all behind to go on the road with her 16-year-old daughter. … And then she was sleeping in rental cars and in airplanes and rental cars with her mouth wide open because she was so tired. And so Mom, thank you so much! I love you! This is for you!” – Taylor Swift “It means so much to me that you guys really relate to this song and that you accept it. Thank you so much to my partner Kristian Bush and to Gail Gelman [manager] for believing in this song before anybody did. Thank you to Luke Lewis and your whole staff at Mercury to have big ones enough, that when we came to you and said, ‘Hey, let’s put a song without drums on the radio,’ you said, ‘Sure!’” Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland Album of the Year: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Miranda Lambert Entertainer of the year: Kenny Chesney Single of the Year: “Stay,” Sugarland Song of the Year: “Stay,” Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles, composer) Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood Top Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley Top New Duo or Vocal Group: Lady Antebellum Top New Male Vocalist: Jack Ingram Top new New Female Vocalist: Taylor Swift Top Vocal Duo: Brooks & Dunn Top Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts Video of the Year: “Online,” Brad Paisley (Jason Alexander, director) Vocal Event of the Year: “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” Tracy Lawrence with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney For a full recap of all the winners presented on and offstage, visit the ACM’s official website.Country Music Photo Gallery

Brad Paisley is On the Road Again

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Brad Paisley talks about winning awards and hittin the road for “The Paisley Party” “Personally, I like winning awards — they’re extremely valuable over the course of one’s career,” Paisley tells Copley News Service interview. He added,”…Nor do I have time to dust or polish the statuettes, so my parents take care and display most of them at their house. Somehow they keep track of it all.” Brad Paisley is a four-time Academy of Country Music nominee this year, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for 5th Gear, and Video of the Year for “Online”. After the May 18 show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paisley will spend some time at his home in Tennessee before heading back out on the road. The Paisley Party, which fires up in Albuquerque, NM June 11, is a six-month national tour, and a part of the music biz that Paisley loves. “True, it can separate you for a little too long from family and friends, but I really love it on the road,” he said. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that his tour bus, nicknamed Air Force One, reportedly comes with every amenity, including a full-size kitchen and satellite television. Keep your eyes on the Brad Paisley Tour Schedule for dates and ticket information!Country Music Photo Gallery

Dwight Yoakam Breaks Records

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Jay Leno appears to be a big Dwight Yoakam fan as he welcomes Yoakam back for a record-breaking 24th visit to the show this friday! Dwight Yoakam will set a new record for the most appearances by any artist on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” this Friday May 16th. Dwight is appearing on the show this time to perform 2 songs and promote his latest album, “Dwight Sings Buck” a tribute to his gone but certainly not forgotten mentor, the legendary Buck Owens.Country Music Photo Gallery

Kenny Chesneys Tour Keeps Truckin On

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Despite foot injury, the show will go on for Kenny Chesney! The Kenny Chesney 2008 tour pushes forward as Kenny announces that he will not be altering his Poets and Pirates 2008 tour schedule after visiting with doctors to look over his injured foot and ankle. Saturday night Chesney’s boot became lodged between a hydraulic lift and the stage for nearly 40 seconds as the lift motor kept trying to push the platform up during the opening of his concert in Columbia, S.C. Chesney somehow completed the near 2-hour concert that night, but in visibly severe pain considerable pain and received two shots of morphine after leaving the stage. Initial reports indicated he crushed bones in his foot, however Chesney later consulted with the Tennessee Titans’ sports medicine and orthopedic specialist after returning to Nashville on his tour bus early Sunday morning. The diagnosis is that Chesney sustained a hematoma from the ankle down — with most of the damage in his toes. Chesney emphasized to his doctor that he wanted to avoid canceling any concerts. His doctor provided clearance for Kenny Chesney to pick up his tour at the next show date this Thursday in Austin, Texas. “He told me it’s going to hurt — though nothing could hurt worse than Saturday, I don’t think — and they can give me something to deaden the pain when I get out there,” Chesney said. “I also have to have a doctor standing by should something give, but I’m going to tape it up, and I’m going to get out there.” For Kenny Chesney tour dates, artist biographies and event details, please visit our partner site Country Music On TourCountry Music Photo Gallery

Joe Nichols Takes To The Friendly Skies

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Joe Nichols kissed the sky Thursday on a refueling mission with the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard as he helped launch the 15th annual Country Thunder music festival in Florence, AZ. The flight took up much of his day. He reported at 8:30 a.m. to be fitted for gear, including a flight suit, helmet, oxygen mask and G-suit. He then took simulator training to prepare for his trip, eventually spending an hour in the air. Joe appeared that same evening on the opening-day bill at Country Thunder, which also featured Neal McCoy. Among the other acts who played the four-day festival this weekend were Sugarland, Dierks Bentley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler, John Fogerty and Heartland.Country Music Photo Gallery

Heidi Newfield of Trick Pony Fame Releases New Single

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Former Trick Pony front-girl, Heidi Newfield offers up her unique vocals in a debut single as a solo artist. Heidi Newfield is probably best known for the knock-down, drag-out voice behind the 90’s Trick Pony hit “Pour Me” so her new solo single, “Johnny & June” is quite the surprise as she sings about wanting a love like Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash had. It’s whistfull and captures something very personal for both her and country music fans everywhere. For a taste and a bit more about the song, take a look at the interview below. [youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=IgvgYJoADbg] Country Music Photo Gallery