Lee Brice New Album, Hard 2 Love

Lee Brice’s Sophomore Album, Hard 2 Love, Releases This Spring. Lee Brice will be releasing his sophomore album, Hard 2 Love this spring! His current single, “A Woman Like You” is featured on the upcoming release along with twelve other tracks (see the complete list below!), and it will be available April 24th. Brice had a lot of celebrity help with songwriting with Eric Church, Jerrod Niemann, Billy Montana, John Ozier, and Jon Stone all contributing to various tracks. He co-wrote eight of the songs. While your waiting for the album, watch the video for “A Woman Like You”! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbAp5nphTz4] Hard 2 Love, Complete Track Listing 1. Hard To Love 2. A Woman Like You 3. That’s When You Know It’s Over 4. Parking Lot Party 5. Don’t Believe Everything You Think 6. I Drive Your Truck 7. See About A Girl 8. Friends We Won’t Forget 9. Life Off My Years 10. Seven Days A Thousand Times 11. Beer 12. That Way Again 13. One More Day

ACM Awards 2012 Performers

2012 ACM Awards Announce First Round of Performers. It’s just under a month until the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, and the first round of performances have been announced! I don’t think country music fans will be disappointed with who is on the list so far! The performances will include Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Eric Church, Luke Bryan and Toby Keith. The ACM Awards will broadcast live out of Las Vegas on CBS at 8pm on Sunday, April 1st. Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire will host, and you can’t check out the complete set of nominations here. UPDATE 3/16/12: New Performers Announced! In addition to the round of performers listed above, it has been confirmed that the list now also includes: Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Chris Young, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts!

Jennifer Nettles Joins ABC Reality Show Duets

Jennifer Nettles Helps ABC Find Talent On New Reality Show, Duets. Jennifer Nettles will be helping find talent on new reality TV show Duets this summer on ABC. Nettles will be joining a panel of judges that includes Lionel Richie, Kelly Clarkson and Robin Thicke. This particular show is kind of a mash-up of some of the already existing shows like “Can You Duet” on CMT and “The Voice” on NBC. The first portion of the series will follow the judges as they trek across the U.S. to find hidden talent. Then each of the celebrity judges will choose two singers to perform duets with, and they will sing in front of a live studio audience. The winner at the end of the summer season will win a recording contract with Hollywood Records. Will you watch?

Rosie and Me: Country Music Around the World

Rosie and Me, Taking a Closer Look at Artists from Around the World. For obvious reasons, we spend a lot of time keeping up with the country and folk artists here in the good ole U.S. of A. But there are a lot of them out there in the lands beyond our borders too. These musicians and performers are talented and gifted, and we’d like to take the time to give them a bit of a shout-out! To kick off what will hopefully be a weekly post, I have chosen a group that will be featured at next week’s SXSW (March 13th – 18th), Rosie and Me. They’re from Brazil and include, Rosanne Machado (vocals/acoustic guitars/banjo), Ivan Camargo (acoustic guitars), Thomas Kossar (electric guitars), Guilherme Miranda (bass guitars) and Tiago Barbosa (drums/perc). They’re music is not country (definitely not in a Carrie Underwood or Jason Aldean kind of way). Their brand of music is folk, and its even kind of a pop infused folk. It has an honest, soul-touching honesty to it, and you can’t deny that Machado knows how to play that banjo! So far they’ve released a 5-track EP, Bird and Whale and full 10-track album, Arrow of My Ways. You can hear the first track of the album in the video below, and let us know what ya think. Rosie and Me, “Home(Intro)” [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d15E2VHlngU]

Lady Antebellum: What’s So Great About ‘Em?

Why Lady Antebellum Is Loved By the Industry and Fans…MissMolly’s Musings. Lady Antebellum formed in 2006 and since has risen to popularity in a pretty short amount of time. They’ve received acclaim from both the industry (with 7 Grammy Awards, 8 CMAs including Vocal Group of the Year 2009-2011, and more!) and the fans (their debut album went double platinum and their 2nd album, Need You Now, went triple platinum), and with a new album and brand new tour for 2012, it does’t look like they’re leavin’ anytime soon! Looking back at their rise to success though, got me to thinkin’. What is it about this trio that’s got the industry and the fans in such dither? I didn’t really have to think that hard to figure out a couple of reasons because to me, its pretty obvious. So, here you go, this is what I think is so great about ’em. 1. They Know How to Write a Song. There really is no denying it, Lady A is a trio of talented songwriters. At least one, if not all three wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 12 tracks on Own The Night, 8 of the 11 tracks on Need You Now, and 8 out of 11 on their debut album. Clearly, they’re talent is rooted not only in their musical and vocal skills but also their writing. All of their songs, whether they are serious and sentimental or upbeat and light, feature miniature stories and depth that is relatable for any listener. 2. They Always Deliver. Looking at the sales figures alone, its easy to realize that Lady A is good at making great albums. In the past 6 years they have released 3 albums, and each and every one of them is awesome. Each album has also produced a handful of great singles that get played over and over and over…well, you get the picture. Of course, they are setting the bar kind of high for themselves, but I’m confident that they’ll keep giving country music fans great music. 3. They’re Cross-Over Artists. Another reason why Lady A is enjoying so much success is that they really are cross-over artists, especially with singles like “Need You Now” and “Just A Kiss“. They are firmly rooted in country music, but they have somehow managed to successfully blend in musical elements from outside the country world that makes everyone love them. This is a tricky thing too, and not a lot of country artists (or the other way around, non-country artists trying to be country) can claim to have accomplished this so easily! What do you think? We obviously love Lady A, but what do you think? Are my musings on target or do you think they’re great (or not) for other reasons? Let us know!

Julie Roberts Whiskey and You Video

Check Out New Video from Julie Roberts, “Whiskey and You”. Julie Roberts‘ single “Whiskey and You” really is a classic country kind of song complete with a long-suffering tale, plenty of twang and well-written lyrics. Not to mention, Roberts’ soulful, alto voice carries a weight you wouldn’t expect from such a fresh, young lookin’ gal. There’s definitely more there than meets the eye, and its a great song with a good video to match (watch it below!). This single comes off of Julie’s 2011 release, Alive, which is currently available on iTunes. Be sure to look it up, if you haven’t already. Watch Julie Roberts, “Whiskey and You”. Whiskey and You – Julie Roberts – Julie Roberts Videos

Dierks Bentley Home Album Review

After Listening To Dierks Bentley’s Home, I Want To Go Exactly There! Dierks Bentley’s previous album, Up On The Ridge, was such a breath of fresh air! I really enjoyed the bluegrass compilation and loved the fact that Bentley did what HE wanted to do. But…the first time I heard “Am I The Only One,” I was immediately rushed to years back when I first discovered the curly headed guy on my TV singing “How Am I Doin’?” At that moment I knew we were going to get an awesome album from him very soon. I was right! The second single and title track, “Home,” was released and was on the opposite side of the tracks from “Am I The Only One,” but they were both going in the same direction! The best way I can describe this album as a whole is probably something like this…I see myself with a few of my favorite people, on a cool afternoon, sitting around a fire, with a cup in my hand, not talking, but having the best time ever. It just makes me happy! I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t have to be jumping up and down raging to a song just because it is fast paced. Don’t get me wrong, I do that too, but it is also nice to sit back, listen, appreciate and smile! It is hard for me to pick a favorite song from this album…number one because they are all pretty great and number two because I like them all for different reasons. “Gonna Die Young” is fun and makes me want to do something crazy, it kind of has the same effect “What Was I Thinkin’” had on me. “Tip It On Back” is very easy going and I can’t help but sing along. “The Woods” has a great beat to it, it is very descriptive and it takes me back. Everyone has that place that is almost sacred to them, it holds a lot of memories and no matter what happens you can always go back there! “When You Gonna Come Around,” featuring Karen Fairchild, is the type of song you wish was written about you (don’t lie, you have all thought it a time or two). “Thinking Of You” is just so sweet! I encourage you to listen to the entire song from start to finish. Yes, it is seven minutes, but I promise the end will have you grinning from ear to ear. So there, I told you what I thought…it’s GOLD! I’d love to know what y’all think, so everyone should listen as soon as you get the chance! Home Track Listing 1. Am I The Only One 2. Gonna Die Young 3. Tip It On Back 4. Home 5. Diamonds Make Babies 6. In My Head 7. Breathe You In 8. The Woods 9. When You Gonna Come Around (featuring Karen Fairchild) 10. 5-1-5-0 11. Heart Of A Lonely Girl 12. Thinking Of You

Brad Paisley Adds Dates To Virtual Reality World Tour 2012

Additional Dates Have Been Added To The Brad Paisley Virtual Reality World Tour 2012! After wrapping the first leg of the highly successful Virtual Reality Tour this past weekend, an additional 43 dates were announced! Continuing on the tour with Brad Paisley will be The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery! Mercury Records recording artist, Easton Corbin, will join the tour on select dates! Los Angeles, Dallas, Lake Tahoe, Washington D.C., Little Rock, Phoenix, Boston and Chicago are just a few of the big cities the tour will be hitting! Look below to find a show near you!

Trisha Yearwood’s Food Network Show

Food Network Added Trisha’s Southern Kitchen To Their List Of Shows! Country music’s own Trisha Yearwood has taken her cooking to the next level! Yearwood has two best-selling cookbooks, “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen” and “Cooking For Family and Friends,” and now she will star in her own show on the Food Network. Trisha’s Southern Kitchen will begin this spring, with the premier on Saturday, April 14 at 10:30am ET/PT. The six-episode, daytime series will invite viewers into the kitchen for Trisha’s favorite meals, nostalgic stories and visits from family and friends. “For me, cooking is very connected to my family and friends. Every recipe on the show carries wonderful memories with my loved ones and I can’t wait to share my meals, stories and family photos with Food Network viewers.” -Yearwood Themed shows range from preparing traditional dishes from her childhood to planning a baby shower and a family reunion barbeque. Yearwood will also give tips on lightening up standard Southern recipes. Shot in Nashville, the series will show how-to tips and techniques for down-home dishes like Daddy’s Barbequed Chicken, Uncle Wilson’s Famous Baked Onions, Chick-less Pot Pie and Sweet and Saltines. “Trisha’s best known as a musical legend, but her talents don’t stop there. She’s a passionate and talented cook, whose down-to-earth style, winning recipes and southern hospitality will charm and inspire viewers.” -Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network

Randy Houser Becomes A Father

Congratulations To Randy Houser On Becoming A Father! Randy Houser and wife, Jessa Lee Houser, welcomed their baby boy to this world, yesterday, March 6! The two couldn’t be happier! Houser tweeted, “He’s super handsome, sweet, I think he’s a singer, I’ve never loved like this.” West Yantz Houser weighed 6 lbs, 11 oz and measured 19 inches long! Congratulations to the whole Houser family! Here is Houser’s video for “God’s Time!”