Category Archives: Featured

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Kelly Clarkson Performs At 2013 Inauguration

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Watch Kelly Clarkson Performs My Country Tis of Thee at 2013 Presidential Inauguration. Vocal power house, Kelly Clarkson, was one of a select group of performers at the 2013 Presidential Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The pop/maybe-country-crossover singer performed “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee’” in super cold weather in Washington, D.C. True to form, Kelly tweeted out to fans about the experience. What an honor to be a part of history! Obama’s presence was powerful and his words unforgettable. It’s a proud day for America! — Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) January 21, 2013 Watch: Kelly Clarkson Sings “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.’”

Josh Abbott Band I’ll Sing About Mine-Video

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The Official Music Video For Josh Abbott Band’s “I’ll Sing About Mine.” Josh Abbott Band’s single, “I’ll Sing About Mine,” just hit #1 on the Texas Music Chart. The band also just released the video for the single. “I’ll Sing About Mine” comes from JAB’s latest album, Small Town Family Dream. The song basically says that there are some artists out there singing about things that they have never experienced and trying to make them sound glamorous, but really are just making them sound ridiculous. Whether you agree with the lyrics or not, it is a pretty catchy tune. “I’ll Sing About Mine” was written by Adam Hood and Brian Keane. Watch the video below and tell us what you think!

Country Music Blog Rodeo: Word Of Mouth In 2013

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How Word Of Mouth Can Impact Artists In 2013. 2013 is in full swing, and I couldn’t be happier. There are so many things that I want to do both for work and as a fully devoted country music fan. One of my big goals is to introduce people to new music. I am a fan of mainstream country, but I also really enjoy some artists, that I feel, don’t get enough attention. This is not to say that I discovered someone or was listening to someone years before they became popular. It just means that if someone is good, then I think they should get to be heard by as many people as possible. Nothing irritates me more than when somebody says, “I was listening to such and such for years and now everybody listens to them.” People say that as if it is a bad thing. Why would you want to keep something good from everyone else? If anything, I would think it would be a compliment on your taste in music. I think that word of mouth is a huge asset for musicians and artists. Without it, a lot of national acts wouldn’t be where they are today. So in 2013 I will continue to share my opinions on artists I listen to and come across, and I hope more than anything that fellow country music fans will do the same thing. Blog Rodeo Roundup: See What Everyone Else Is Saying About Country Music in 2013! CountryMusicTattleTale.com: 2013 Will Bring A New Sound to Country Music! CMchatLive.com: 2013 – Insights From Country Music Industry Experts! FocusOnThe615.com: Artist to Watch in 2013! TwangNation.com: Americana’s Influence On Country Music! UrbanCountryNews.com: Roots On The Rise – The Most Exciting Music Trend of 2013! UkCOUNTRYmusic.net: Country2Country Festival-A Potential Turning Point for US Country Music In The Uk! KeepinItCountryBlog.com: 2013 The Year of Country Crossover! CountryMusicPride.com: Country Music In 2013! ForTheCountryRecord.com: Country Music & Twitter! CountryMusicNewsBlog.com (WhiskeyChick): 2013 – The Year of Social Media In Country Music! CountryMusicNewsBlog.com (MissMolly): 2013 North of Nashville – The Ozarks Go Country! CountryMusicIsLove.com: Country Artists Passing The Torch In 2013!

Country Music Blog Rodeo: 2013-The Year of Social Media in Country Music

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For the first installment of Blog Rodeo, host CountryMusicNewsBlog asks “What are we really looking forward to in 2013?”. My answer: Country music fans truly embracing social media! Over the award show and tour seasons through 2012 we saw artists, news outlets, and record companies dabble with social media sites, trying to figure out that magic formula that pop music seems to have down to a science. We’ve seen award shows and televised performances with twitter hashtags displayed throughout the broadcast. We followed along as Jana Kramer used Instagram to build a buzz about her album release through photo challenges. We’ve gotten to know the sass and crass of artists like Blake Shelton and LeAnn Rimes thanks to their sharing (and sometimes oversharing) across the board. We’ve even seen the rise of Google+ hangouts featuring live interviews from stars as big as Taylor Swift. Heck, just last week Dierks Bentley used facebook to successfully find his lost dog Jake! To put it plainly, country stars want in on social media action and they’re trying hard to get fans to join them! The common thread among all of these things is that the artists are able to be themselves in a public space without losing control over their privacy, and this allows them to reach fans on a more personal level. Never before have fans had such open access to get a message to their favorite artist, or receive a direct response. It’s a power many pop celebrities have built their career around, but country music seems to be just a bit late to the game. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but those reasons are getting less relevant every day. While much of the online interaction between stars and fans has followed a natural growth, 2013 is the year the guys behind the scenes will learn how to take advantage of this limitless guerrilla marketing tool. We’ve had time to tinker and see what fans respond to, and how to best get the attention of the masses, and weigh the results of some not-so-popular online moments. Top Country Music Social Media Engagement Trends to Expect in 2013: So after the disorganized experimentation that our industry has done in the past, what I expect from 2013 is a real focused strategic effort at connecting fans with their favorite stars by directing marketing toward encouraging social engagement. You will see a lot more Easter Eggs, for example, Carrie Underwood’s album Blown Away featured a promotion where if you scanned the album cover with a special app on your iphone, android, or other tablet device, the artwork would “come to life” and conveniently link you to the album purchase options on iTunes. I expect to see a lot more of this Easter Egg kind of content that teaches fans how to use technology in new and innovative ways to get more out of the album-buying experience. You will also see artists making a more genuine effort to express themselves over social media Continue reading Country Music Blog Rodeo: 2013-The Year of Social Media in Country Music→

Country Music Blog Rodeo: 2013 North of Nashville – The Ozarks Go Country

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2013 North of Nashville – The Ozarks Go Country with New Festivals, More Concerts and Local Talent On The Rise! To answer the question of what will be big for country music in 2013, I decided to look close to home, Fayetteville, AR that is, and the closely surrounding area, the Ozarks, River Valley, etc. With so much already happening this year from big album releases to even bigger tours to country stars new and seasoned shining brighter than ever, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t think the next few months are going to be huge for country music. What has me excited though, is the potential for our area up here, north of Nashville, to become a go to spot for for all things country music! Local Festivals: Thunder On The Mountain. If there is one thing we’re excited about in Northwest Arkansas for 2013, it’s the upcoming and brand new country music festival, Thunder On The Mountain! Nestled into the beautiful Mulberry Mountain, this fest will encapsulate the best of the area: beautiful views, a wonderful landscape and live country music! The festival claims a really impressive line-up that includes Toby Keith, Luke Bryan, JT Hodges, Big & Rich, Montgomery Gentry, Justin Moore, Gretchen Wilson, Easton Corbin and so many, many more. Taking place June 6th – 8th, this festival is going to be one of the major events for the surrounding states of the summer! We’re proud to welcome them to our backyard, and can’t wait to experience the new country fest front and center. Local Venues: The Amp & Georges Majestic Lounge. Truth be told, there are a lot of amazing venues in “our area” (which we broadly claim to be anywhere between the Ozarks, Northwest Arkansas, OKC, Tulsa and everything in between!) from the newly opened Longhorn Saloon in Ft. Smith, AR to the historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tusa, OK, on any given weekend there is going to be a country concert to attend. Today, though, I want to highlight two specific venues, mere miles from our HQ in Fayetteville, The Amp (Arkansas Music Pavilion) and Georges Majestic Lounge. Last year, The Amp hopped locations moving from a concrete spot to greener pastures, and it’s clear they are on the verge of unleashing something big. This something “big” has a whole lot to do with a whole lot more country acts coming to this area. In 2012 they quietly unveiled the 1st ever Taste of Country Festival bringing such popular folks as Miranda Lambert along with the Pistol Annies, Randy Houser, noteworthy songwriter Chris Knight and on the rise Adam Hood. Outside of this one night shindig, they also brought other big names to the area like Hank Williams Jr. and Luke Bryan. Their new concert season will kick off in the spring, and they already have Little Big Town scheduled as the first country act to perform on the new grounds in 2013. If last year is any indication, Continue reading Country Music Blog Rodeo: 2013 North of Nashville – The Ozarks Go Country→

Randy Houser First #1 Single

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Randy Houser Gets First #1 Single With “How Country Feels.” The CMNB team would like to give a huge congratulations to Randy Houser! He reached the top for the first time with his current single “How Country Feels.” Houser tweeted earlier today, “Thank all of u for congratulating me on my 1st number 1!!! I’m so thrilled and blessed. Thank u Country Radio and listeners for ur support.” The song is a favorite in our office and the honor of a #1 slot is well deserved. To top it off, Houser releases his brand new album at midnight! Get your copy of How Country Feels and enjoy all 15 tracks on it!

Brantley Gilbert And Jana Kramer Engaged

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Brantley Gilbert Asked The Big Question On His Birthday. It’s official, Brantley Gilbertand Jana Kramer are engaged to be married. On his 28th birthday, this past Sunday, Gilbert asked Kramer for her hand in marriage. The couple has been dating for sometime, but are shy of it being a year. The two are both nominated for a new vocalist award at the ACM Awards. Voting for that show opened today and will end February 4.

Vote Lee Brice for 2013 ACM Award Newcomer

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YOU Can vote for Lee Brice for an 2013 ACM Award for New Artist of the Year! You can help Lee Brice win an ACM Award for New Artist of the Year! Last week the Academy of Country Music announced the nominees for three fan voted newcomer categories! These feature groups for male vocalist, female vocalist and group or duo. The individuals in these 3 categories will be narrowed down via fan votes, and the remaining folks with the most votes will be in the running for the New Artist of the Year category! Guess what? The talented CMNB favorite, Lee Brice needs your help! He is currently in the running in the newcomer category for male vocalist and you can help him be one of the New Artist finalist! Voting opened today, and you can weigh in here. The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 7th, 2013 at 8:00 PM ET/delayed PT on the CBS. Current Lee Brice Tour Dates and Tickets!

Dustin Lynch: Live Show Review

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Dustin Lynch Proves He’s The Real Deal with Live Performance at George’s Majestic Lounge In Fayetteville, AR. When I first heard Dustin Lynch‘s debut album, I knew I just had to see him live. I was primarily curious to see if he would be as good live as he is on his record. After seeing his recent performance in front of a packed crowd at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, AR, I can honestly tell you that Lynch is even better in person! This talented young man has charisma coming out of his ears, and he really knows how to work a crowd. The audience that night came for a good time, and boy did they get it! Well-Rounded Set of Great Music! Of course it really doesn’t hurt that straight out of the gate, Dustin has an album of fourteen tracks that are sure to please a crowd. Playing upbeat tunes like his current feisty single, “She Cranks My Tractor,” and the sassy “Wild In Your Smile,” and then slowing it down with songs like the bittersweet “Hurricane” and the subtly sexy “Sittin’ Pretty,” Lynch had a song for everybody. Besides playing his own music though, he had a few covers to offer up like a great rendition Garth Brooks’ classic “Friends In Low Places.” He kept the energy in the high straight through the end, and finished things up with his hit “Cowboys and Angels” that had everyone singing along, and all the young women in the room swooning (though to be fair, they were pretty smitten during the entire concert!). Concert Had a Great Energy! Besides having a well rounded set though, Lynch didn’t hold back on interacting with audience members which added to the energy of the show. Whether he was handing out cold beer from the stage or pulling guys and gals from the audience on stage for an impromptu dance contest of sorts, Dustin made sure the whole concert felt like a party! From beginning to end, things never lagged and it was a night that fans were sure to remember. As a matter of fact, I was in line at George’s just this past weekend for another show, and folks were still talking about Lynch’s show. I’d say he left some kind of a good impression! All Signs Point to a Great Guy! Besides all that, even after the concert had finished up Dustin was still willing to give his time to his fans. Guys and girls lined up to take pictures and greet their new favorite country artist, and he took the time to meet each and everyone of them. I’m talking over an hour of taking photos and shaking hands after giving such an energetic show, and this country newbie was just as warm and friendly to the last as he was to the first. I can’t promise that fans will get similar chances after every show, but it’s clear the Lynch cares about his fans and is willing to repay Continue reading Dustin Lynch: Live Show Review→

Parmalee Headline 2013 Country Gone Wild Tour

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Country Rockers Parmalee Headline 2013 Country Gone Wild Tour. New on the scene country rockers, Parmalee have been tapped to headline the 2013 Country Gone Wild Tour which will kick off February 15th in Ladson, SC! The family group, Matt and Scott Thomas (Lead Vocals/Guitar and Drums, respectively), cousin Barry Knox (Bass) and life-long best friend Josh McSwain (Guitar), has been together since 2001, but just began gaining traction with the recent single, “Musta Had a Good Time.” They’ll be joined on the road by Bush Hawg. Find more on Parmalee here. Get tour dates below! Watch: Parmalee “Musta Had A Good Time” Official Music Video. 2013 Country Gone Wild Tour Dates: Feb. 15 Ocean Restaurant & Events/Ladson, SC Feb. 16 Bucked Up Super Saloon/Kernersville, NC Feb. 21 The Altar Bar/Pittsburgh, PA Feb. 22 The Bluestone/Columbus, OH Feb. 23 Dusty Armadillo/Rootstown, OH Mar. 2 Phase 2/Lynchburg, VA Mar. 15 Joe’s on Weed St./ Chicago, IL Mar. 16 The Rave/Milwaukee, WI