Category Archives: Reviews

David Nail At George’s Majestic Lounge

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David Nail Performs At George’s Majestic Lounge In Fayetteville, Ar. David Nail visited the Natural State this past Friday, September 16, where he headlined at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville. The night started out and ended with Robert Ellis as they played before and after Nail on the front stage. The crowd was very enthusiastic and anxious for Nail to take the main stage and they showed their gratitude when he did so. I’m not sure if it was the energy from the crowd or just his normal routine, but the singer and his band played a powerful show with a solid sound. He performed fan favorites including “Red Light” and “Let It Rain”, which is currently sitting in the Top 20. After being pulled back on stage for an encore, he played his hit “Turning Home.” This week Nail will keep his momentum going when he hits Jonesboro, El Paso, Albuquerque, and Amarillo all before Saturday! If you are near any those areas, I suggest you try and catch a show! With a voice like his, I am very interested to see what comes of his in the process, sophomore album! As the anticipation kills me, I guess I’ll have to wait patiently with the rest of the world. Until then, here is the video for his current single, “Let It Rain!” [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvxAiLqF7C0&ob=av2n]

George Strait Here For A Good Time Review

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George Strait Does It Again With His Newest Album Here For A Good Time! George Strait released his album Here For A Good Time last week and it is exactly what I expected it to be, fabulous! George and his son Bubba Strait worked on 7 songs together showing us that songwriting is one of many things that they do great together! Other writers were Al Anderson, Chris Stapleton, Dean Dillon, Chuck Cannon, Allen Shamblin, Gary Nicholson, Delbert McClinton, Jesse Winchester, and Bobby Boyd. In the past Strait has done iconic love songs (“I Cross My Heart“, “The Chair“, “Carrying Your Love With Me“), songs about a broken heart (“Ocean Front Property“, “You Look So Good In Love“, “Baby Blue“), songs about life (“I Saw God Today“, “Amarillo By Morning“, “I Hate Everything“), fun songs (“Fireman“, “All My Ex’s Live In Texas“, “Twang“) and everything in between (“El Rey“, “The Seashores of Old Mexico“, “How Bout Them Cowgirls“). This album is no different, we have broken hearts, love, fun, spiritual, emotional, everything! It is a great album that solidifies that he is and always will be “King George“! The first song, “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright“, is such a classic George, good-timing, love song that makes you want to grab somebody and hit the dance floor! Sometimes all you need to hear is everything thing will be alright from that special person in your life and this song does just that! The second song, “Drinkin’ Man“, is a sad song about a man who has had problems with the bottle since he was a young boy, 14 to be exact. Country music doesn’t sugar coat or hide real issues that people deal with on a day to day basis. Alcohol has kept the man in this song away from being close to his family, friends, and love. Even though it has a not so happy meaning behind it, the song is really well written! The third song, “Shame On Me“, is another (what I call) classic George song! George Strait’s voice sounds amazing, the song is fun and was written by George and Bubba. There isn’t much to say other than go listen now! The next song, “Poison“, is another one of them deeper meaning songs. It tells us there are a lot of poisons in life and they can be disguised as anything. This is one of my favorite songs on the entire album and probably one of my new favorite songs period, can’t stop singing it! The title track, “Here For A Good Time“, is such a happy, fun, sing-along type song! It’s something to live by “I’m not here for a long time, I’m here for a good time”, it was the best pick for his first single! The next song, “House Across The Bay“, is another love/sad one. It is about a man losing the one he loved too soon, it is such a bittersweet song. The seventh song, “Lone Star Blues“, is exactly what it Continue reading George Strait Here For A Good Time Review→

Pistol Annies Album Review

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Pistol Annies Come Out Guns Blazing! The Pistol Annies album Hell On Heels went on sale last week and has been sitting at the top of the iTunes charts ever since. The first time we got a glimpse of these girls performing together was on “ACM’s Girls Night Out” back in April. Luckily there wasn’t a very long wait between then and their album release. These girls have got some things on their minds and they want to make sure we hear them! I feel like this album is a good look at their attitudes towards life, basically they don’t take crap from anyone! The trio’s name alone tells you that, they are a bunch of pistols! “We ain’t ashamed of who we are, we like fast men and cheap guitars. Ain’t tryin’ to get rich, just tryin’ to get by…” “Hell On Heels” was a great first single and I love it as I’ve previously posted about, sugar daddies beware! “Bad Example” and “Takin’ Pills” are both awesome, upbeat and to me, funny stories. “Boys From The South” was perfectly written! It’s easy to sing along to and is one of those songs that take you down memory lane. By the way, who doesn’t love a southern drawl?! I can’t get enough of “Trailer For Rent“. There is no holding back in any of these 10 tracks and this song is a perfect example of that. Things happen, its life, and at least the girl in this tune is doing what she’s got to do to move on. “Lemon Drop“, “Beige“, “Housewife’s Prayer“, “The Hunter’s Wife“, and “Family Feud” follow the same pattern as the rest. These songs are most definitely not mainstream, but that is the beauty in what the Pistol Annies have created. No matter if you agree or disagree with the words they are singing, you can’t deny that these girls have some talent! To purchase the album head on over to iTunes or PistolAnnies.com. Track Listing 1. Hell On Heels 2. Lemon Drop 3. Beige 4. Bad Example 5. Housewife’s Prayer 6. Takin’ Pills 7. Boys From The South 8. The Hunter’s Wife 9. Trailer For Rent 10. Family Feud

Sunny Sweeney Album Review

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Sunny Sweeney Releases First Full Album: Concrete. East Texas nativeSunny Sweeney released her first full album, Concrete, Tuesday, August 23rd! Honestly, I find it very hard to tell my opinions about this album without being redundant. All that comes to mind is honesty and raw emotion. I saw where someone said if you are going through a divorce don’t spend the money on a therapist, just buy the Sunny Sweeney album…I’d have to say I agree! The first time I heard Sunny Sweeney on the radio was about a year ago. Her first single, “From A Table Away“, was very honest and spoke of a girl caught up in a liars game. It took quite a bit of time for her album, Concrete, to come out. To me that just says she was determined to make sure what she put out for the world to hear was something she firmly stands behind. She co-wrote 7 of the 10 tracks on this album, possibly showing us a little of the road she has traveled in her days. I’d say all but one song on this album are about a broken heart. “The Old Me” is about a bad girl gone good…for now. This track is the one that isn’t about a bad relationship (but I’m sure somewhere in there was cheating or mistreating). “Helluva Heart” is one of those songs you want to listen to with a few friends and belt! “Your talk is cheap in this town”. I LOVE IT! “Amy“, well I don’t want to ruin that surprise for anyone. But trust me, you have to hear it! Like I said before, each song has this honesty that we don’t see much of these days (it’s out there, just not in abundance). If I had one complaint to share, it would be to add a few happy songs. I love this album, but I think if I listened to it a few more times in a row I’d be sitting in my kitchen with more than a few empties and a pan of nothing in front of me. The pan of nothing would have previously been full of macaroni and cheese… But seriously, Sunny Sweeney has solidified herself as singer and songwriter in my book! I encourage you to check out this album! Concrete Track Listing 1. Drink Myself Single – Monty Holmes, Sunny Sweeney 2. From A Table Away – Bob DiPiero, Karyn Rochelle, Sunny Sweeney 3. Staying’s Worse Than Leaving – Jay Clementi, Rodney Foster, Sunny Sweeney 4. The Old Me – Lori McKenna, Mark D. Sanders 5. Amy – Brennen Leigh, Sunny Sweeney 6. Worn Out Heart – Brett Beavers, Sunny Sweeney 7. Mean As You – Brett James, Kelly Lovelace, Tim Nichols 8. It Wrecks Me – Jay Clementi, Sunny Sweeney 9. Helluva Heart – Deanna Bryant, Heather Little, Sunny Sweeney 10. Fall For Me – Lisa Carver, Jaida Dreyer, Carolyn Dawn Johnson

Doug Stone At The Grape Festival

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Doug Stone Headlines Thursday Night at the Tontitown Grape Festival. This year marked the 113th annual Tontitown Grape Festival in Tontitown, AR. The festival was 5 days long, Tuesday August 9 – Saturday August 13th, with free entertainment each day. The headliners were: Tuesday Jamie O’neal, Wednesday Chuck Wicks, Thursday Doug Stone, Friday Studio B featuring Patrick Hall, and Saturday Andy Griggs. Thursday I decided to partake in the small town’s festivities, convincing myself I couldn’t miss the legendary Doug Stone. The weather couldn’t have been better, a breezy 75 degrees with the smell of carefully prepared food filling the air! I sampled some grapes, a cup of local wine, and purchased my grandpa a leather keychain with “Thomas” imprinted on it! Focusing on what I came for, I strategically placed my lawn chair at the perfect position among the crowd gathered on the asphalt, not too close, yet not too far. Not in the middle, but not too much on the side where all I got was a view of the sound system. When I was comfy, I sat and watched the artists do their thing. Western Justice, a close to the area Oklahoma band, was first up. Even with one band member down, the guys had a great show! They never once dropped their momentum. Sammy Sadler was next to take the “Gold Medal” stage. Known by many for an awful tragedy that occurred when he was a young man in 1989, “Murder On Music Row” has only made Sadler the strong, capable, and talented artist he is today. His album, Heart Shaped Like Texas, is available now and includes “I Wanna Be Loved By You“, “I’ll Always Have Denver“, “Thank God“, “If This Ain’t Heaven“, the title track “Heart Shaped Like Texas“, plus 6 others. Sadler sang his heart out and impressed a slew of people! Unfortunately when Stone took the stage, I almost regretted my decision of coming. I had such high hopes for the man who gave us numerous top ten hits including “In A Different Light“, “Why Didn’t I Think Of That“, “I’d Be Better Off (In A Pinebox)”, “Jukebox With A Country Song“, “Fourteen Minutes Old“, and “Made For Lovin’ You“. The crowd really seemed to enjoy his performance and easy-going attitude, but I knew he could have done so much better. It was a very “comical” show, full of jokes and laughter. The members of the band were very talented and did their best to keep their front man on his toes. Stone seemed to be having a great time, so much that he forgot his own lyrics on several occasions. I believe his favorite part of the evening was pointing out random fans who decided to leave early and talking to them (once during a song). Sticking it out until he was done performing proved to be my biggest task this week (possibly this month). Tonight is the last night the festival will take place, so don’t miss your chance to Continue reading Doug Stone At The Grape Festival→

Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines Review

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Tailgates And Tanlines Exceeds Expectations! Luke Bryan‘s latest album Tailgates and Tanlines was released today, August 9. The man has the perfect smile, some awesome dance moves, an out of this world personality, and the voice to match all three! This album is a great compilation to add to his discography and I can’t wait for everyone else to hear it! The 13 tracks showcase Bryan’s voice and style that we have grown accustomed to throughout his career. Bryan co-wrote 8 of the 13 songs and the album was co-produced by Jeff Stevens and Mark Bright. His liner notes include MANY thanks to a slew of people, family, friends, band, crew, producers, fellow songwriters, country radio, Buck Commander Brothers, and many, many more! To his fans… “I can never finish my thank yous without pointing out the fans who continue to show up every time and who support my music over and over again. Not one ounce of that is taken for granted. You inspire me to stand there every night and give you all I have. I hope that every time I give you something new to take away. Nut House Fans are by far the best!!” The first single, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)“, has already had TREMENDOUS amounts of success! It has become the summer dance anthem for all the “Country Girls” to move to. I can only imagine the singles soon to come from this album will also be at the top of the charts. I truly enjoyed every song on this album, more than a few hit close to home, which again proves why I love country music and a good songwriter so much! If I had to pick my top 5 they would be “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye“, “I Know You’re Gonna Be There“, “Been There, Done That“, “I Don’t Want This Night To End“, and “Muckalee Creek Water” (in no particular order). Each song has this built in motion that makes you want to sway to and such descriptive lyrics that put you in that moment, I have to say one of the best albums of 2011! Track Listing – Writers 1. Country Girl (Shake It For Me) – Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson 2. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye – Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally 3. Drunk On You – Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear 4. Too Damn Young – Arlis Albritton, Casey Kessel 5. I Don’t Want This Night To End – Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 6. You Don’t Know Jack – Erin Enderlin, Shane McAnally 7. Harvest Time – Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson 8. I Know You’re Gonna Be There – Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley 9. Muckalee Creek Water – Luke Bryan, Patrick Jason Matthews 10. Tailgate Blues – Brent Cobb, Neil Medley 11. Been There, Done That – Luke Bryan, Rachel Thibodeau 12. Faded Away – Luke Bryan, Michael Carter 13. I Knew You That Way – Jay Clementi, Radney Foster

Tim McGraw Emotional Traffic In OKC

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Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, And Edens Edge At The Zoo Amphitheater In OKC. This Tuesday (August 2) I took on the extreme heat to watch some of country music’s finest in Oklahoma City. Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic Tour included a couple Amen’s, some well executed dance moves, and a broken foot…it was awesome! Edens Edge were the first to take the stage at the Zoo Amphitheater and did a great job of getting the crowd pumped up. They sang their latest single “Amen” and also a mixture of all their favorite summer songs including Miley Cyrus’ “Party In The USA“. Once they were finished there was about a 45 minute wait for the next artist. Luke Bryan took the stage and the fans took notice! He had an excellent show with an abundance of energy that was very nicely exuded to the crowd. Noting that it was a Tuesday night and that the majority of the audience had to work the next morning, Bryan gave everyone some sound advice. “You need to take four Advil, not two, you’re gonna need four, a bunch of water, and eat two pieces of white bread.” With this mental note stored away for safe keeping, the partying fans tried their best to keep up with the country boy from Georgia, as he shook “it” up and down the stage. He sang “Country Man“, “Someone Else Calling You Baby“, “Drinkin’ Beer And Wastin’ Bullets“, “If You Ain’t Here To Party“, “Drunk On You“, “We Rode In Trucks“, “Do I“, “Rain Is A Good Thing”, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)“, and “All My Friends Say”. He thanked everyone again for braving the heat, then sadly disappeared back stage. Tim McGraw was the main event of the night and let me tell you, he was well worth the wait! Even with a broken foot, this veteran of the industry did his thing and proved he was the real deal! With each song he sang, I realized how much I’ve truly grown up on his music. McGraw took me down memory lane with “Something Like That“, “Where The Green Grass Grows“, “Down On The Farm“, “Last Dollar (Fly Away)“, “Just To See You Smile“, “Please Remember Me“, “For A Little While“, “Red Ragtop“, “Unbroken“, “Do You Want Fries With That“, “Back When” (where Luke Bryan joined him and added a special surprise to a few lyrics), “Better Than I Use To Be” (a new song), “The Cowboy In Me“, “Southern Voice“, “Felt Good On My Lips“, “Real Good Man“, “Live Like You Were Dying“, “Indian Outlaw“, and “I Like It, I Love It“. Like I said, the temperature was very high, but with a couple of (over-priced) drinks and two of country music’s best looking men on the stage in front of me, it ended up being one of the best nights of the summer! I’m putting it out there, find a show near you and get tickets, even if you have to eat Ramen for two Continue reading Tim McGraw Emotional Traffic In OKC→

Kenny Chesney Goin’ Coastal 2011

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Goin’ Coastal 2011 Tour Featuring Uncle Kracker, Billy Currington, Zac Brown Band, and Kenny Chesney! I was very fortunate to be in the audience during the Goin’ Coastal 2011 Tour this past Saturday in Kansas City, Mo at the Arrowhead Stadium. My main reason for my 5 1/2 hour drive was to review Billy Currington’s show, but due to a miscommunication with a publicist I was unable catch his performance (along with the other artists excluding Chesney). After a short melt-down and pouting session, I decided to make the best of it and enjoy what was left of the show. I have always liked Kenny Chesney’s songs, but never thought of myself as a diehard fan. I have to say after walking out of that stadium that night I was a Chesney fan. He had non-stop energy, sang his heart out, and had a huge smile on his face the entire time. There was great interaction between the artist and his loyal fans. What impressed me the most, and has impressed me by all artists I have seen this summer, is their commitment through the scorching heat! During his sweaty performance he sang “Summertime“, “When The Sun Goes Down“, “I Go Back“, “Big Star“, “Don’t Happen Twice“, “There Goes My Life“, “Somewhere With You“, “No Shoes No Shirt No Problems“, “Boys Of Fall“, “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven“, “We Went Out Last Night“, “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy“, his latest single “You And Tequila“, plus many, many more! That night happened to be Zac Brown’s birthday and turned out to be a special treat for us. Just when the crowd thought Kenny was done for the night, he came back out and not alone. He presented Zac with a proper sized birthday drink and led the thousands of fans in a Happy Birthday tune. The two, along with both their bands proceeded to entertain us for another thirty minutes. They sang a couple Alabama songs which included an out of this world performance by the two fiddle players (obviously my favorite part of the entire evening), “Knee Deep“, and “The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band. It was a fantastic show that I only wish I could have seen more of. Billy Currington was truly missed by me and more of Zac Brown Band would have been a cherry on top of the phenomenal show! The tour still has plenty of stops to go, so get your tickets now!

Chris Young’s Neon Review

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Chris Young‘s newest album, Neon, is on sale now! There have already been tons of positive reviews and here are a few… American Songwriter said, “…it’s apparent that Young…is acutely aware that now is the perfect time to up the musical ante, and it appears he’s done just that. This time out, Young co-wrote seven of the albums ten tracks with some of the best tunesmiths Nashville currently has to offer, making this his best and most ambitious album yet.” Associated Press said, “…An expressive baritone voice; a tall, handsome, stature; and a friendly, approachable personality. What makes “Neon” his best album yet are the songs about relationships, from the sweet come-on of “Lost” to the stage of “Old Love Feels New”. Throughout, Young comes across as a guy whose heart is as strong as his libido. The album’s initial hit “Tomorrow” may end up as one his career-defining cuts.” I, HaleighT, am here to say buy it! It’s a great album with some really heartfelt, relationship songs. “You“, “Don’t Leave Her (If You Can’t Let Her Go)”, and “Tomorrow” are my top 3 (for now). If you feel like downloading it immediately after you read this then you get a surprise! The iTunes deluxe version has two bonus tracks and a photo gallery just for you!

Blake Shelton Red River Blue Review

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My Thoughts On Blake Shelton’s New Album Red River Blue! The wait is over, Red River Blue is here! I have my copy and I couldn’t be happier! First off, congratulations to Mr. Blake Shelton for another album, his success as a judge on NBC’s The Voice, and most of all, being a newlywed! The highly anticipated album hit stores yesterday, July 12th, where it flew off shelves! There were 20 songwriters total that worked on making 11 successful tracks. Well, they accomplished their goal! Not one song made me want to hit skip on my CD player. Here are my thoughts on the creation that is Red River Blue… The first track, “Honey Bee“, was written by Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins. This was the first single and it set the tone for things to come. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song! I really could care less what others might say, it was written perfectly. Little Loretta and Conway Twitty…yep, that’s what I call country music gold! Number 2 was “Ready To Roll“, written by Chris Stapleton, Jim Beavers, and Jonathan Singleton. This one was upbeat with some creative play on words! It’s all about hanging out at home, having a couple drinks, and listening to some “laid-back country tunes on the radio”, sounds like a good night to me! The first ballad is the third track, “God Gave Me You“, written by Dave Barnes. It is a sweet song about a man and his abundance of gratitude for the blessing in his life, his love. He repeatedly (in a good way) brings up how he couldn’t and wouldn’t be the man he is without her. Next was “Get Some“, written by Craig Wiseman, Chris Tompkins, and Zac Maloy. I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but I love a sing along! In a way, the flow of this song is reminiscent of Shelton’s previous hit “Some Beach”. I really enjoyed the piano, fiddle, and guitar strong points throughout! Number 5, “Drink On It“, written by Jon Randall, Jessi Alexander, and Rodney Clawson is possibly my favorite of the entire album. I love how, in my opinion, Shelton’s voice is showcased in the first few lines. “Hey girl, Hey where you goin’, Come back and sit back down. You look to good to be headin’ home so early now, You say you gotta work tomorrow gotta lot on your mind”. It was like cold butter on a hot baked potato, melted my heart! I also had a little chuckle to the lines, “We can talk rocket science, Jesus or politics. How your boyfriend cheated on you, man he sounds like such a prick.” It’s a great song, that’s very easy to listen to! The next song, “Good Ole Boys“, was written by Dallas Davidson. This one asks the question, “Where did all the good ole boys go?” Well, I’d like to know that same thing! On another note, I couldn’t help but think Jamey Johnson every time I heard Continue reading Blake Shelton Red River Blue Review→