2013 ACM Awards Fan Jam Concert Performers

Brad Paisley and More to Perform 2013 ACM Awards Fan Jam Concert! The 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards are just a couple weeks away, and the ACM Experience will ensure that country fans have an unforgettable week when “Vegas Goes Country.” The week leading up to the Sunday night awards show will feature a number of special events including the 2013 ACM Awards Fan Jam concert which will be headlined by Brad Paisley. Other performers include Dierks Bentley, Hunter Hayes, Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer, and Florida Georgia Line. GAC’s Storme Warren will serve as emcee. The ACM Awards broadcast live from Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7th at 8pm on CBS, and will be co-hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan! Check out the complete list of nominees and the performers!

Jana Kramer Whiskey Video Review

Jana Kramer Releases Official Video for Whiskey: Worth the Wait? Jana Kramer’s second official single from her self-titled debut album, “Whiskey” has been heard over the airwaves for quite some time without any real video. There was a video posted a couple of months ago to her channel, called ‘Kickin’ It With @Kramergirl’, and many websites and blogs assumed THAT was the video for ‘Whiskey’. And, while it’s a nice video, it is rather simple (in fact it’s just one camera shot with nothing much going on in the scene), so I’m glad Jana has released this video too, to let us get to know the song on a deeper level. And that has happened, I think. I was a little surprised by the nature of the video – I just expected it to be about your slightly runaway small-town heart breaker, but instead the video shows scenes of something entirely different. From Jana meeting the guy in a bar, their eyes doing that “I want to sleep with you” thing, and then the guy being ‘called’ (ha, clever play on the lyrics) by another man, only to start punching this other man and getting into a brawl, the rowdy and passionate nature of the relationship is clear. Jana obviously looks shocked at first, but as soon as her love interest returns to her after his brawl, back comes the flirty smile and they go off together. Err, huh? Just an interjection, but I don’t care how cute a guy is, if he starts fights I’m not going to go home with him. Seems like sound advice, as the video ends with said lover being arrested in the middle of the night from the trailer where he and Jana are sleeping. Jana looks betrayed and slams the trailer door as her lover gets put into the police car. Finally, she gets it. Between this start and end scenes we get a lot of Jana looking gorgeous, yet sad and dramatic in various scenes, lying down in her trailer, sitting in the woods with a shawl wrapped round her, it’s standard music video stuff, and I wouldn’t have expected anything less from someone who is also partly selling her sex appeal alongside her music (we have to admit it’s a marketing tactic for many). There are some very obvious interpretations of the lyrics, such as the lover drinking copious amounts of Jack Daniels straight from the bottle, in front of a campfire, symbolizing the fire of the relationship. Something interesting to note about this video is the amount of time it focuses on the passionate kiss between Jana and her on-screen lover. Country music is still a rather traditional medium, so to have this and a brief showing of them taking each others’ clothes off, is quite risqué, especially considering the criticism Shania Twain received in the nineties for showing her midriff. You could say country music has moved on, but there’s still a lack of openly sexual visuals in country Continue reading Jana Kramer Whiskey Video Review

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.

Blake Shelton Announces 2013 Ten Times Crazier Tour

Blake Shelton To Kick Off 2013 Ten Times Crazier Tour in July! Thankfully Blake Shelton has not given all his time over to his new gig, mentoring on The Voice, as the country singer has just announced his brand new 2013 Ten Times Crazier Tour! Kicking off on July 19th in Virginia Beach the tour will hit stops all over the U.S. through October (so far)! I guess since Miranda is hittin’ the road with Dierks, Shelton needed to do something with his free time!! Blake will be joined by the talented Easton Corbin and Jana Kramer throughout the tour! Stick with us for more details as they’re announced by following us on Twitter and Facebook! Ticket info is below!

2013 ACM Awards Newcomer Nominations

2013 Academy of Country Music Awards Announce Nominations for Newcomer Categories! The Academy of Country Music announced the first round of nominations for the 2013 ACM Awards earlier this week. The categories announced so far showcase country music “newcomers,” and for the fifth consecutive year fans will be able to vote for their favorite artists in these specific categories. Voting will open on Monday, January 21st, and you can vote on ACM’s official page or at GAC.com. Individual trophies will be awarded to winners in each of the categories below, and the three winners will compete for the final New Artist of the Year Award the night of the broadcast. I’m a little surprised that Thompson Square and Lee Brice haven’t graduated out of the new artist/newcomer groups yet, but all those nominated are great artists! Good luck to all of them! 2013 ACM Awards Newcomer Categories/Nominations: New Female Vocalist Jana Kramer Kacey Musgraves Sunny Sweeney New Male Vocalist Lee Brice Brantley Gilbert Hunter Hayes New Vocal Group or Duo Florida Georgia Line Love and Theft Thompson Square 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.

Country Music Grits N’ Pieces: Brad Paisley, Jana Kramer, Brantley Gilbert and More

Country Music Grits N’ Pieces: Brad Paisley Sings for Honey Boo Boo, Brantley Gilbert and Jana Kramer Living Together, Carrie Underwood Sells a House and More! Around here at CMNB we mainly just cover the facts, news and our own opinions, but we know we all need our fluff fix every now and again. To keep things nice and simple for you, we’re putting all of the country music gossipy tidbits (think who broke up with who, who wore what, etc.), plus other odds and ends that might be of interest, in one spot with the this weekly post of “country music grits n’ pieces” (cute, huh?). So, grab a cup of coffee, and settle in for a quick break! Here are this weeks hottest tidbits: Brad Paisley sings the “Ballad for Honey Boo Boo” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Brace yourself. For awesomeness. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Uq3iGESYM] Country couple, Jana Kramer and Brantley Gilbert are living together in Kramer’s Tennessee house. Too cute. [CMT] Carrie Underwood sold her old house back in August for less than she wanted. [countryweekly] Sad but true Taylor Swift has moved on from UK youngin’ Harry Styles. Moving on! [HuffPo] Miranda Lambert likes shiny things! [CMT] Taylor, Carrie, and Jana all made Men’s Health list of hottest women in 2013. Although, the year just started. So, the list might be a bit premature. [Men’s Health] Here are the Top 10 Dance Songs country fans shook their groove to in 2012! [MusicRow] Darius Rucker is featured in Southern Living, talks his ideal day! It’s very heartwarming. [AllAccess] Oh Randy Travis. What are we to do with you? [The Tennessean]

Top 20 Country Songs of 2012

Top 20 Country Music Songs for 2012 via Billboard. As someone who spends a majority of their day listening to, reading about, discussing and writing about country music, I always get a kick out of reading through the year charts. This year I am both surprised and not surprised by the artists that made it into the Top 20. There are a lot of country music up and comers, like Jana Kramer, Hunter Hayes, Kip Moore and Dustin Lynch, but also, some of our favorite well established country stars like Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney! I have to say I’m pretty pleased about the number one spot! Not only because Josh Turner is one of my favorites singers, but also “Time Is Love” is such a great song with a great message! All in all there’s no denying, it was a pretty good year for country music. Top 20 Country Songs for 2012! 1. “Time Is Love“ Josh Turner 2. “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do“ Brantley Gilbert 3. “Why Ya Wanna“ Jana Kramer 4.  “Cowboys and Angels“ Dustin Lynch 5.  “(Kissed You) Good Night“ Gloriana 6. “Better Than I Used To Be“ Tim McGraw 7. “Even If It Breaks Your Heart“ Eli Young Band 8. “Lovin’ You Is Fun“ Easton Corbin 9.  “Springsteen“ Eric Church 10.  “Drunk On You“ Luke Bryan 11.  “You“ Chris Young 12.  “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck“ Kip Moore 13. “Reality“ Kenny Chesney 14. “Alone With You“ Jake Owen 15.  “Over You“ Miranda Lambert 16. “Home“ Dierks Bentley 17. “I Don’t Want This Night To End“ Luke Bryan 18. “Hard To Love“ Lee Brice 19.  “Dancin’ Away With My Heart“ Lady Antebellum 20. “Wanted“ Hunter Hayes See the rest of the Billboard Top 100 for Country for 2012!