CD Review- Kellie Pickler- Kellie Pickler

Kellie Pickler gained fame as a contestant on th 5th season of the Fox reality show American Idol, eventually finishing in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to BNA Records as a recording artist, releasing her debut album Small Town Girl late that year. The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three singles on the Billboard charts: "Red High Heels" at #15, "I Wonder" at #14, and "Things That Never Cross A Man's Mind" at #16.

Her fourth single, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful", has been climbing the charts as the first single from her self-titled second album released this month and I just had the opportunity to sit down and review it.

At the ripe old age of 22, Kellie is part of the youth movement in Nashville right now. With fellow blonde bombshells Taylor Swift (her songwriting partner), Carrie Underwood, Whitney Duncan and more, this type of country is obviously more pop-oriented then most. It’s also targeted heavily towards people in her own age stratosphere and lesser so, to listeners of the fairer sex. The “Barbie” pink on the CD cover should give it away. It’s not that Kellie Pickler is a bad album, it’s just so obvious that I’m not the target audience.

The first album cut, “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” is Pickler at her best. It’s bubbly pop country, has a great chorus hook and features Kellie’s big sisterly southern-twang voice. Across the album, that’s when Pickler shines. While she has an amazing set of lungs, the songs are more personal when she uses the lower part of her register and lets her “sassy small-town-girl redneck” shine through. With the exception of the annoying “na na na’s,” Rocks Instead of Rice” is a great example of Pickler drawing you in with vocals instead of blowing you away with her range.

Pickler co-wrote “Best Days Of Your Life” with Taylor Swift and it serves as Swift’s first songwriting credit not on her own records. The song is a solid pop-rocker that revolves around a teen break-up. It’s a catchy little number that should appeal to the country pop contemporary fans. It should also tie Pickler to Swift’s audience. The bridge on this track is another great example of Pickler’s effective use of using her low-register twang to connect with the listener.

The last three tracks are my favorites. “Somebody To Love Me” has a deep emotive feeling and the stripped away production is the first time on the album that we see Pickler in her vulnerable state. “Makin’ Me Fall In Love Again” has fun lyrics that allow her spunky personality to shine through- it doesn’t show off her range, it shows off Kellie. And the last track, “Going Out In Style” features a great horns arrangement and feels believable as Pickler talks about things that relate to her like shoe shopping.

So as I try and channel my inner 20-year-old girl, not so easy for a nearly 40-year-old something guy, I’d say it’s the perfect album. But as I can’t really speak for a 20-year-old girl, or probably shouldn’t even be trying, I can only give my own perception- it’s pretty good. I’d love to see her perform all these songs live with an acoustic backing. Her great sassy personality would certainly draw me in and connect with her in a way only some of the songs on this second release have.

Randy Houser Releases First Video From Album Coming November 18th

New artist Randy Houser is receiving great response from both fans and radio programmers alike with his first single, the gripping, strikingly emotional ballad “Anything Goes"- being released off his Universal album of the same name coming out November 18th. It's hard not to make comparisons when artists first arrive on the scene, but with this first single, many are comparing his vocals and style to Ronnie Dunn- a comparison any new artist would truly think is a compliment.

Randy grew up in central Mississippi. He was born in Jackson and raised in Lake, a small town between Jackson and Meridian. Musically, it’s a region between the Blues and R&B of the Delta and the hard-core country music of the Deep South. There was always plenty of gospel music on the radio as well.

Signed by Windswept in late 2003, Randy and co-writers Jamey Johnson and Dallas Davidson were on the charts with Trace Adkins' “Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk” by early 2005. Since then, Randy’s tunes have been picked up by the likes of John Michael Montgomery (“If You Ever Went Away”) and Justin Moore (“Back That Thing Up”).

Houser's strength is the passion in his voice and this first single is a great showcase for both his songwriting skills and his venerable singing chops. Check out the video below.

Jessica Andrews Signed To Disney's Carolwood Records

Jessica Andrews, who released several albums on the now defunct DreamWorks Nashville label, is back with a new label. Andrews signed with the Lyric Street sister imprint Carolwood Records, President Randy Goodman said today.

"We're thrilled to have an artist of Jessica's caliber and track record to help us launch Carolwood," said Goodman. "The music is great, and everyone is excited about her debut single, Everything. Our goal with Carolwood was to come out of the box and take our first single all the way, and Jessica gives us that credibility and shot."

Andrews came on the country music scene at the age of 15 as her first single hit the charts and in 2000 had a chart-topping single and album of the same name, "Who I Am." In 2002, There's More to Me Than You hit 17 on the charts. Eight other songs have charted, though none made the top 20. In recent weeks Andrews has been at work in the studio with Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus, who produced her debut Carolwood Records single.

"I'm really excited to be a part of Carolwood Records and pumped to be the first artist and first new music they deliver to country radio," said Andrews, 24. "Over the last few years I've been focusing on writing and getting geared up with new music. Marcel wrote an amazing song in Everything and working with Jay (DeMarcus) has been the icing on the cake. I'm just ready to get out there and share my new music."

Everything is Andrews' first new music in over three years. The song will deliver to country radio on Nov. 4 for immediate airplay. Her new CD is expected to be out next spring.

The Top Tens- The All-Time Best Cracker Barrel Release Albums

The Cracker Barrel is a southern institution. People know Cracker Barrel for their food, huge portions, gift items and friendly service in a comfortable atmosphere. They also believe music contributes to that atmosphere as well. (As would their longtime sponsorship of the Grand Ole Opry would attest.) In keeping with their commitment to heritage and authenticity, Cracker Barrel created its Heritage Music label. These exclusive recordings are an appealing blend of heritage and authenticity. The following artists are part of that Heritage Music collection. They’ve also been Cracker Barrel fans for years, spending time in the dining rooms during their cross-country tours. Here are the top ten Cracker Barrel albums:

10) Sara Evans- Feels Like Home- It's not often that you get to sit down with someone like Sara Evans and put together a collection of personal favorites. Now CB as done that and they're happy to offer this exclusive Cracker Barrel CD full of some of Sara's favorite songs. And mine, too.

9) Aaron Tippin- He Believed- Similar to his previous #1 hit records, Aaron and his wife, Thea, wrote several of the new songs on this record, including He Believed. The song is a touching story inspired by the unexpected death of Aaron’s father in 2005. The lyrics powerfully describe the emotional connection between Aaron and his father who was also his best friend and mentor. He Believed also features six of Aaron’s top recordings including: Working Man’s PhD, Whole Lotta Love On The Line and I Got It Honest.

8) Kenny Rogers- 50 Years- His newest CD, 50 Years, is now exclusively available at all Cracker Barrel locations and includes three new songs!

7) Alabama- The Last Stand- When legendary country music group Alabama broke the news of their 2003-2004 American Farewell Tour, an entire generation of fans turned out to support the band's last stand. After more than two decades, the curtain was closing on one of the biggest-selling, most successful bands in popular music history. Cracker Barrel recorded a live collection of classic Alabama hits performed during that tour.

6) Songs Of The Year- These fan favorites, each a winner of Song of the Year from the Grammy Awards, the Country Music Association or the Academy of Country Music, have been recently re-recorded by some of country's greatest artists, as well as several of its newest stars.

5) Great Ladies of the Opry Live Classics- The Grand Ole Opry's first singing stars may have been men like Roy Acuff and Uncle Dave Macon, but by the 1960's, the show's stage doors swung wide for women as well. Comedienne Minnie Pearl and Kitty Wells had opened those doors, and ladies like Jean Shepard and Patsy Cline quickly followed. This CD features live recordings of classic hits from some of the Opry's great ladies.

4) Charlie Daniels Band- Country Stars N Stripes- This is the perfect July 4th barbeque album to play. It's a collection of all-American songs from one of the original gentlemen of country rock.

3) Johnny Cash- American Legends- The second volume in their American Music Legends collection, this Johnny Cash CD features more of his classic hits including live performances of Folsom Prison Blues and A Boy Named Sue. Plus, he's Johnny Cash so he has to be at the top of the list...

2) Josh Turner: Live At The Ryman- Josh’s music connects generations of country fans in much the same way traditions connect generations of families. It's an honor to listen to Josh’s first recorded live concert performance from the historic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

1) Alison Krauss & Union Station- Home on the Highways- Quite possibly one of my favorite albums in my collection, the CD features favorites hand-picked by Alison Krauss and Union Station- not necessarily their biggest hits, but their own personal favorites. It's a must-own.

iTunes Gives Away Crystal Shawanda's Second Single This Week

My Roots Are Showing is a rip-roaring cut from Canadian country singer Crystal Shawanda. The song is a far cry from the mannered country pop that makes headlines - this cut is a heavy rocker in the vein of Gretchen Wilson with a touch of the Charlie Daniels Band. The song is taken from Shawanda's debut, Dawn Of A New Day.

Signed to RCA Records in 2007, she released her debut single, You Can Let Go, in Canada in January 2008. It was released in the US on March 17, 2008. Shawanda's debut album, Dawn Of A New Day, was released in Canada on June 24, 2008; it was later released in the United States on August 19. The album debuted at #16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and became the highest charted album by a full-blooded Native American country artist in the SoundScan era. Shawanda is a First Nations member of the Ojibwe band. Her surname translates to "Dawn of a New Day."

All this week, you can download her new single FREE on iTunes here!

Happy Birthday to Dwight Yoakam

Dwight David Yoakam turns 52 today. Known as a pioneer of the modern Bakersfield Honky Tonk sound, he is a singer, songwriter and actor (with credits of more than a dozen movies.) Active since the early 1980s, he has recorded more than twenty albums and compilations, and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard charts. He’s also who Johnny Cash named as his favorite modern-day country singer.

To help celebrate Yoakam’s birthday today, watch him to my favorite tune of his live- off his 2005 "Blame The Vain" album- Intentional Heartache.

Tim McGraw Releases Children's Book

Tim McGraw the singer, the actor and now... the author? That's right. McGraw, father of three girls, has released a children's book entitled My Little Girl. The story, about “a ‘better than chocolate ice cream with sprinkles’ kind of day with dad has a moral that ordinary days are magical when spent with those you love.

Dad and his little girl, along with their very large bloodhound, set off on an ordinary day and turn it into a wonderful adventure. From dancing by a duck pond to swinging on a tire swing, lots of laughs and love are shared in time spent together. The day ends with a sweet "Goodnight, I love you" from Dad. And a whisper, "I love you more" from his little girl.

This book is a delightful reminder that spending time together really matters. Simple moments, laughter and knowing you are loved builds lasting relationships.

CD Review- Lee Ann Womack- Call Me Crazy

Second chances... While they make great fodder for country songs, they also make for a good tagline for the latest Lee Ann Womack album- Call Me Crazy.

Lee Ann Womack's 2005 disc, There's More Where That Came From, was the most celebrated album of her career. It won her three CMA awards, including album and single of the year, and was praised by critics across all country genres. But when Womack began recording the follow-up album the next year, something was missing. Something didn’t feel right.

In an interview with the Washington Post, she says, “I wasn’t sure if my heart and my mind and everything were all in the right place. I changed my mind a lot and was overthinking things. We put a single out and it wasn’t performing that well, and I was frustrated and tired.” As a result, the project was shelved. Three years later, Call Me Crazy hits the shelves (it actually arrives in stores today) and for that we should all be grateful. It’s a phenomenal album filled with classic Womack-type songs and even a few surprises thrown in.

Lee Ann Womack lives in polar opposites with many of her songs. Like Martina McBride, she can inspire us with great uplifting songs. Womack’s mega-smash I Hope You Dance has a karmic match in the new album’s Story Of My Life. But on the flip side, she can sing the darkest of songs like Kathy Mattea. Her previously released A Little Past Little Rock can share its mental anguish with the new album’s first release to radio, Last Call. Interestingly, the ends of the spectrum are where Womack does her very best work. Her music isn’t about huge power ballads, it’s all about emotive lyrics that draw you into each song. She sings to us, she doesn’t holler. To clarify that, it’s not about the range of her voice or the high notes that she can hit. It not that her voice isn’t beautiful, it’s that she uses it in an understated way to convey the most meaning. Instead of layering her voice over and over in production, her back-up is a trailing steel guitar. It creates an intimate album that’s both lonely and inspiring at the exact same time.

Each of the albums songs are unique in their own way. On Solitary Thinking, producer Tony Brown employs a New York nightclub type of sound with a unique percussion beat. My favorite song on the album, New Again, has beautiful lyrics about finding a new start in love that’s polished with incredible fiddle and acoustic guitar play behind her vocals. Another great tune, The Bees, utilizes a synthesizer accordion as she and guest vocalist Keith Urban sing about an orphan finding a family of her own. I Think I Know is traditional honkytonk country and shows Womack’s respect of those that came before her with references to Keith Whitley and Hank Williams in the lyrics. Everything But Quits is a piano-based Texas slow dance duet with King George Strait- complete with a happy ending.

It’s the last song on the album called Story Of My Life, however, that reveals the most about Womack’s soul between the release of her last album and Call Me Crazy. It shows the reason for the postponed album. In the lyrics she sings:

“From now on this is how I want to write
The story of my life
I want to turn the pages of the past
And take what I’ve learned
And then never look back
But I still I never wanna get too far ahead
Or worry about how the story ends
Choose every word carefully
Color it with love
And fill it up with meaning”

That’s what makes this album so special. Every note, every syllable and every sound is believable and draws you in and makes you want to listen. Lee Ann Womack conveys and breathes it in a way that make heartbeats and heartaches collide into one album. Call Me Crazy is beautiful and one that I recommend very very highly.

Listen to Kevin Costner's First Country Single Here

A few weeks back, we broke the story about Kevin Costner and Modern West's first country album being imminent. The album, Untold Truths, is releasing via Universal South on Nov 11th.

Here's a link to listen to the first single off the album, Long Hot Nights:

Long Hot Nights By Kevin Costner & Modern West

What struck me at first listen was the AMAZING resemblence to Chris LeDoux. Costner's somewhat gravelly everyman's voice is almost spot-on Chris LeDoux. Even the song's uptempo guitar-driven theme is consistent with the music the rodeo champion put out. And, THAT just happens to be a good thing.

Though best known for his acting career, Costner is no stranger to the art of making music and songwriting. The band’s history goes back some 20 years when Kevin first met band mate John Coinman in Los Angeles during an acting workshop. The two began playing and writing music together and soon after started a band called “Roving Boy.” As Kevin’s star began to rise, he was unable to devote much time to the band. However, he and some of the band members continued behind-the-scenes playing, writing, and recording anytime they could throughout the years.

A few years back the itch became stronger for Costner to start performing on a more regular basis. Costner recalls a performance back in August 2005 and remarks, “I remember looking out into the crowd, thinking ‘this just feels right’.” And with that, his passion continued to grow with the end product of that passion being the debut album, Untold Truths.

Radio programmer, Scott Lindy was one of the first people to hear the new album and had this to say, “I know what you’re thinking about when you hear Kevin’s gonna put out an album of country music. I thought it too. But then I heard it, and I got it. He’s not chasing fame here (do you really think he needs to?), he’s following a passion. I couldn’t keep this music off of the air.”

The album is comprised of 12 original tracks all written or co-written by Kevin Costner & Modern West (Modern West is John Coinman, Blair Forward, Teddy Morgan, Larry Cobb and Park Chisolm). See below for album’s complete track listing. The band will tour later this year and into early 2009 in support of the release.

Untold Truths is produced by Teddy Morgan and John Coinman
Track listing:

1. Long Hot Night (Coinman/Morgan)
2. 90 Miles An Hour (Chisolm/Costner/Morgan)
3. Hey Man What About You? (Coinman)
4. Superman 14 (Coinman/Morgan)
5. Don’t Lock’em Away (Coinman/Costner/Morgan)
6. Down in Nogales (Coinman)
7. Every Intention (Coinman/Rigby)
8. 5 Minutes From America (Coinman/Costner/Morgan)
9. The Sun Will Rise Again (Chisolm/Coinman/Costner/Morgan)
10. Backyard (Coinman/Costner/Morgan)
11. Leland Iowa (Coinman)
12. Gotta Get Away (Coinman/Costner/Morgan)

The #1 Billboard Song On The Day You Were Born

While not directly country music, there is a fun little link that will tell you the Billboard #1 chart-topping song on the day you were born. A guy by the name of Josh Hoshler spent two months of unemployement putting together the list back in 2004 and has faithfully kept it updated ever since.

Says Hosler, "Since I was 12 years old, the charts have filled the role of sports in my life. I miss the days when Casey Kasem was counting down the top 40 songs "straight from the official Billboard chart." I'd like to get people as excited as I am about finding out how my favorite songs stack up against their competitors in the pop music arena."

There are some country crossover acts on the list including Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, The Eagles and Faith Hill. The artist with the #1 on the day I was born? The cool Mr. Al Green. What is yours?

Click here to go straight to Flashback Charts.

Great Commercial Features Concert Tour Roadies

While I was busy watching my Detroit Lions get dismantled by the Houston Texans today (sigh), I did see a great commercial from Sprint. It asks, "What if roadies ran the world?" It doesn't matter what kind of music genre your concert is, it seems like the guys in the video are always the prototypical stage guys. My favorite part is the runway when the plane takes off at the end. Very creative and funny stuff. See it here or just down below:

Listen to Jason Michael Carroll's First Single Off His Sophmore Album

“Where I’m From” is the new single from Jason Michael Carroll and the first to be released from his 2009 sophomore Arista album. It is released to radio the first week of November, but you can hear it first here. It's a another song featuring his deep baritone and heartstring lyrics- similar to what made his a hit the first go-around.

Carroll is currently putting the finishing touches off the upcoming unnamed album. JMC was Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2007 and has scored hits with “Livin’ Our Love Song,” “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead” and “Alyssa Lies” which set a record during its first week of availability. I had the opportunity to host JMC live at an event in Sacramento back in May and, boy oh boy, do the women have a crush on him. (There's only a hint of jealousy in this copy.) Here's some That Nashville Sound exclusive pics of Mr. Carroll from that event.