Randy Houser First #1 Single

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

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

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

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

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

Rose Falcon Releases New EP

Rose Falcon Releases New EP This Month, Watch Sneak Peek! NYC born and Nashville raised Rose Falcon will release a new EP, 19th Avenue Vol. 2, January 29th, and you can get a sneak peek at her creative process below! Just hearing the way Rose talks about music, her writing process and why she has a drive to create, it’s easy to understand that she has the potential to go a long way in the country music industry. She has some real talent and a strong drive, and we can’t wait to hear more from her! Watch the video to get to know Rose just a little bit better, and stay tuned for reviews and more on Falcon! Meet Rose Falcon!

Thompson Square New Album Just Feels Good Details

Thompson Square Announce New Album Just Feels Good Release Date and Track Listing! This weekend, country duo Thompson Square, took to multiple media outlets to make announcements about their upcoming album release, Just Feels Good! They gave fans a sneak peek of their new album cover via their appearance on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown Saturday morning, and unveiled the track listing in a Sunday morning featured in USA Today. Just Feels Good is the husband/wife duo’s sophmore album, follow up to their well received debut which featured the hugely popular “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not.” The lead single from the new album, “If I Didn’t Have You,” is already performing well, and continues Kiefer and Shawna’s trend of producing romantic clearly autobiographical ballads. Keifer suggests too, that most of the songs on this album reflect their journey together as a musical duo. “There are a lot of fun, upbeat songs on this new album. It’s very diverse and kind of all over the map. The songs on the album are autobiographical and tell the story of our journey over the last few years – an incredible journey that I am still trying to wrap my head around.” -Keifer Thompson Shawna also reflects on their journey that we’ll hear in these songs, sharing that the two were blessed to come so far and work with other talented folks in the industry. “Only a few years ago we were playing to 5 people a night down on Lower Broadway in Nashville. Over the last couple of years we’ve been blessed to play to crowds of 30,000 people touring with Jason Aldean, Lady A and Luke Bryan. So many of our dreams have come true and it’s so much sweeter because I’ve gotten to share them with not only my husband but my best friend.” -Shawna Thompson The new album features 13 total tracks, 5 of which Thompson Square co-wrote. Find the complete track listing below, and mark your calendars for the March 26th release date! Thompson Square Just Feels Good Complete Track Listing. 1. Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About (Keifer Thompson, Shawna Thompson, David Lee Murphy, Brett James) 2. Here We Go Again (Keifer Thompson, Shawna Thompson, Vicky McGehee, David Fanning) 3. You Don’t Get Lucky (David Lee Murphy, Bob DiPiero, Tom Shapiro) 4. That’s So Me And You (Keifer Thompson, Vicky McGehee, Kyle Jacobs) 5. I Can’t Outrun You (Kyle Jacobs, Joe Leathers, Ben Glover) 6. Testing The Water (Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Hillary Lindsey) 7. For The Life Of Me (Keifer Thompson, Shawna Thompson, David Lee Murphy, Brett James) 8. If I Didn’t Have You (Keifer Thompson, Shawna Thompson, Jason Sellers, Paul Jenkins) 9. Here’s To Being Here (Keifer Thompson, Shawna Thompson, David Lee Murphy, Brett James) 10. Just Feels Good (Bobby Pinson, Brett Warren, Brad Warren) 11. Maybe It’s You (Kyle Jacobs, Vicky McGehee, Kyle Sackley) 12. Run (Ross Copperman, Michael Davey) 13. Home Is You (Jon Nite, Jimmy Robbins)

Tim McGraw Two Lanes of Freedom Sweepstakes

Two Lanes of Freedom Sweepstakes: You Could Win A Trip To See Tim McGraw Perform Live! As we announced earlier this week, Tim McGraw is launching his brand new 2013 Two Lanes of Freedom tour in May! The tour sponsor, Penzoil, is teaming up with McGraw to offer fans the chance to win a really awesome prize. Fans could win a trip to see Tim perform live on the historical USS Midway Aircraft Carrier in San Diego, CA on Tuesday February 5th, the day of his album release (also titled Two Lanes of Freedom)! The prize will also include two passes to meet the country star! Get full details below! Tim McGraw Two Lanes of Freedom Sweepstakes Details. Enter by going here! Trip Dates: 2/04-2/06/2013 Trip includes round-trip coach airfare, two-night double-occupancy accommodations in San Diego, ground transportation to/from hotel/airport and to/from USS Midway event Winner must be at least 18 Once winner name is submitted to Big Machine Records, trip is non-transferable Online contest ends 11:59pm (EST) on Sunday, January 21st

George Strait’s Cowboy Rides Away Tour Begins

HaleighT Gets Ready To Make The Trip To OKC For The Concert To Be At! Tomorrow, January 19, I will be seeing one of my all-time favorite singers, George Strait. The show is the second of his Cowboy Rides Away tour and will be in Oklahoma City. If you aren’t a George Strait fan, then it is hard for me to describe the kind of ridiculous appreciation I have for him. On the other hand, if you are a true fan, then you get it. He is King George. He is Wranglers. He is Amarillo By Morning. He is Texas. He is the man tapping his foot behind his guitar. He is George and there is no one else like him. I have grown up listening to him my entire life. I have also grown up hearing every female in my family say that he is their husband…and I don’t even think it’s a strange thing to say! He is handsome, has a great voice, has tons of charisma and seems to be one of the most humble men that is in the music industry. His shows are simple with no flashing lights, yet he will sell out an arena in minutes. Not many can do that in music at all and even fewer can do it in country. I’m sure that tomorrow he won’t come even close to singing all of his over 70 #1 hits (we’d have to be there for days). But the good thing about it, is that everyone in that crowd will get to hear at LEAST 8 of their favorites and I’d say those are pretty good odds… So until Monday, when I tell you all how the show went, wish me well travels to the big city! Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight in anticipation! Did I mention it is my birthday weekend? Oh…this is going to be a good time!

Shot of Country: Gary Allan

This Week We Salute Gary Allan, Get Your Shot of Country! Next week Gary Allan releases his brand new album, Set You Free, and so, we decided to salute Gary and his current hit single “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” with this week’s Shot of Country. Now, we like to think of Gary Allan as a straight shooter. So, we kept things reaaaal simple this week. No fancy recipes. No chasers. Get your shot of country below! Shot of Country: Gary Allan. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdlggaH2jWs] Enter to win a SIGNED copy of Gary Allan’s new album!