Listen To Brand New Miranda Lambert Music

The 9513 did a great review of the new Miranda Lambert single, "Dead Flowers," and has a link to be able to stream the great new song. Click HERE to listen to the sure-to-be-a-hit-tune.

Dolly Parton To Receive Honorary Doctorate On May 8

The University of Tennessee's College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony university - during which UT will grant an honorary doctorate degree to Dolly Parton - will be a ticketed event for graduates and their guests only.

In a commencement ceremony to be held Friday, May 8, in Thompson-Boling Arena. The arena "will be at full capacity" due to high interest in Parton's appearance, UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek said today in a memo to UT faculty, staff and students.

Parton will be awarded a doctorate of humane and musical letters. The UT Board of Trustees approved the degree for the entertainer, philanthropist and Sevier County native during its winter meeting in February.

"This is a historic event as it is only the second honorary degree to be granted by UT Knoxville," Cheek wrote. "As you might expect, we've received a tremendous response for the ceremony. Our first priority is to our graduates to ensure their friends and family can attend the ceremony."

Up & Coming New Nashville- The McClymonts

Our Up & Coming New Nashville has had a decidedly down-under theme this month so we continue it going with a little feature on a fantastic group of musicians and beautiful sisters- The McClymonts.

An Australian country music trio of sisters, the McClymonts first arrived on the Aussie new country scene in June 2006 with their self-titled debut EP. Within the year, sisters Brooke McClymont, Samantha McClymont, and Mollie McClymont found themselves on tour with Lee Kernaghan, hitting the Australian country singles charts with "Something That My Heart Does," hitting number one with "Baby's Gone Home," being nominated for Best New Talent at the 2007 Golden Guitar Awards, and winning the same award at the Jayco Country Music Awards in 2007. 2007 also found the sisters recording their debut album, Chaos and Bright Lights, with many of Nashville's leading producers. Both the EP and the album were released through Universal. At the 2009 Country Music Awards of Australia The McClymonts have been nominated for APRA Song of the Year, Album,Group or Duo and Single of the Year. At the Australian Country Music Awards in 2009 The McClymonts won the Best Group or Duo of the year for the third time in a row. These girls are the real deal and we’re sure to be hearing more of them in the U.S. in the very near future…

Catch three music videos that they’ve shot (email subscribers can click the headline to link into the article for the videos) and then a real quick interview they were so gracious to grant during their busy schedule…







That Nashville Sound- What brought you to country music?

The McClymonts- Our parents always were playing country music at home, so when we started singing we were drawn to country!

TNS- Describe your music- what's the mission behind the music?

M- Our music is country/pop/rock. It’s a bit of everything. We write our own music so its definitely very us. The mission is to stay true to ourselves, and enjoy every minute of it

TNS- What might people be surprised to find out about you?

M- We all play instruments on stage and write all of our own music.. also we are sisters

TNS- What kind of music are you listening to? What's in your iPod?

M- Josh Turner at the moment, he is great!

TNS- If you had a crystal ball and looked forward ten years, what do you see for yourself?

M- Being a successful band in America, as well as Australia

A Day Of Death & The Birth Of A Song- Summertime Blues

On this date in 1960, at about 11:50 p.m., while on tour in the United Kingdom, 21-year-old Eddie Cochran died in a traffic accident in a taxi (a Ford Consul, not, as widely quoted, a London Hackney carriage) traveling through Chippenham, Wiltshire, England on the A4. The taxi crashed into a lamp post on Rowden Hill, where a plaque now commemorates the event (no other car was involved). He was taken to St. Martin's Hospital, Bath, but died at 4:10 p.m. the following day.

So who was Eddie Cochran? Rockabilly artist Cochran’s most famous hit, "Summertime Blues" (co-written with Jerry Capehart), was an important influence on music in the late 1950s, both lyrically and musically. (The song, released on Liberty recording #55144, charted #8 on August 25, 1958.) Cochran's brief career included only a few more hits, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", "My Way", "Weekend","Teenage Heaven"' "Sitting in the Balcony"' "Three Stars", "Nervous Breakdown", and his posthumous UK number one hit "Three Steps to Heaven."

Then, 34 years after Cochran’s passing, a new up and coming country artist named Alan Jackson recorded the single on his 1994 album Who I Am . It reached Number One on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and would become one of the trademark Jackson songs. You can watch Jackson's video and Cochran's video here...

Hank Williams Jr's Red White & Pink Slip Blues

Hank Williams, Jr. has a brand new album called Red, White & Pink Slip Blues coming out on June 16th and the title track was just released to radio yesterday and the rest of the world on the 21st of this month (April.) On his website, he's running a contest where a lucky listener is going to win a $1000 "economic stimulus check" as well as hotel, airfare concert tickets, backstage passes, 3 CD's, an autographed guitar and a signed copy of the new single. Old Bocephus has never been one to not say what was at the forefront of his mind and the new single is no different. It should appeal to country fans across the country hard-hit by this economic malaise we find ourselves in. You can purchase the single below on Amazon for only a buck...

Zac Brown Band Sings Georgia On My Mind

Came across this great video of ZBB playing "Georgia On My Mind" from a few months back... watch it here...

Billy Ray Cyrus, John Waite, Phil Vassar & Jeffrey Steele Working Together As 'Brother Clyde'

Though no official word has been announced, singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele has told Dial-Global that he and Billy Ray Cyrus are working on a new band, tentatively called Brother Clyde, with Phil Vassar and pop singer John Waite (pictured). The four musicians are going to begin rehearsals soon, Steele added. Steele worked with Cyrus on the set of last summer's edition of "Nashville Star," on which they served as judge and host, respectively. While the supergroup sounds like a great idea, fans should temper their expectations for now. A spokesperson for Vassar has said that they talked about joining up for a songwriting session, but discussions didn't go much farther than that. Steele wrote such songs as "What Hurts The Most" and "Love Is A Beautiful Thing," and has also earned a Golden Globe nomination for the song, "I Thought I Lost You," a song he wrote with Miley Cyrus.

Story Of A Song- Kristofferson & Cash- Sunday Morning Coming Down

Doug Davis over at CountryMusicClassics.com has a fun series where he shares the story behind the song a couple times a week. This week's story was particularly enjoyable...

Songs have been delivered to singers in several different ways, but Kris Kristofferson scored a first with his delivery of “Sunday Morning Coming Down” to Johnny Cash.

According to Kristofferson, he wrote the song while living in a dilapidated apartment following a divorce. He had met Cash while working at Columbia Studios but he had been told that he would be fired if he tried to pitch his songs to artists while working.

According to Cash, “One Sunday afternoon, I was taking a nap and Kris landed in my yard in a helicopter. (Kristofferson was working as a helicopter pilot at the time.) He got out of the helicopter and handed me the tape and said he had a song for me. So I figured if he went to that much trouble, I oughta hear it so I invited him inside and we played the tape and I loved the song and told him I would record it.”

Cash’s version of “Sunday Morning Coming Down” made the country music charts September 5th 1970 and was in the top slot the week of October 10th where it stuck for two weeks.

It was his 71st charted song and his 11th number one. It was on the charts for 15 weeks.

Free Jessica Harp Music Video On iTunes This Week

New Warner Bros. artist Jessica Harp, formerly known as the blond half of chart-topping duo The Wreckers, has gone brunette and set out on a solo career with new single, “Boy Like Me.” This week, the Scott Spear-directed video for “Boy Like Me” is featured on iTunes as “Music Video Of The Week,” and is available for free download. The song is the leadoff track from Harp’s upcoming solo debut, A Woman Needs, which is scheduled for a summer release. You can get the complete video for free by clicking here.

Charlie Robison Returns With His First Album In Five Years

Charlie Robison’s new album, Beautiful Day, will come out June 23rd on Dualtone Records

Throughout his career, Charlie Robison has forged his own path within the country music world. His dynamic and hard-charging performing style has made him a Lone State favorite as well as an extordinary popular national country-rock attraction. Robison’s last album and label debut for Dualtone Records, Good Times, solidified his position in country music as one of Texas’ finest songwriters. Good Times racked up the best sales of his career, and the video for the single "El Cerrito Place" was a Top 10 Hit on the CMT Network. It’s been a long wait for his fans, but Robison will finally return on June 23rd with a new album titled Beautiful Day. The ten-track release includes “Reconsider,” “Down Again,” “Nothin Better To Do,” and the title track. In what now may seem rather ironic, Robison’s last album found him celebrating wedded and domestic contentment as a husband to Emily of The Dixie Chicks and father of son Gus and twins Juliana and Henry. Now, five years later Robison’s new album explores his divorce from Emily, which was finalized in August of last year. It’s only natural to label this is his “divorce album,” which is not altogether untrue. Beautiful Day is a musical and emotional journey that travels through a vivid landscape of feelings and moods from certain places to other ones new and wholly different. Like such certified classics as Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks and Willie Nelson’s Phases & Stages, its narrative center is the end of Robison’s marriage. While their divorce was amicable, the experience still wasn’t an easy one for him, as the end of any profound love is bound to be. “When I was writing this record, I was going through the quintessential divorce thing of living in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown San Antonio across from the bus station,” Robison recalls. “When it’s over, it’s over.”

Lady Antebellum Releases New Music Video For 'I Run To You'

Check out the beautiful "pay it forward" themed music video just released by Lady Antebellum here...

Happy Birthday To The Coal Miner's Daughter Today

Birthday girl Loretta Lynn was one of the leading country vocalists and songwriters during the 1960s and 1970s and is revered today as a country icon- racking up over 70 hits as a solo artist and a duet partner and an amazing 16 number 1 hits.

That Nashville Sound would like to wish the esteemed Queen of Country Music a very happy and healthy 74th birthday.

In 2004, Lynn made a comeback with the highly successful album Van Lear Rose, the second album on which Lynn either wrote or co-wrote every song. The album was produced by her "friend forever" Jack White of The White Stripes, and featured guitar work and backup vocals by White. You can celebrate her big day by watching that official music video here…

Steve Martin's New Album For $5

Martin had help from Vince Gill, Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Mary Black, Tony Trischka, Tim O'Brien and Pete Wrenick on this largely instrumental album called The Crow. It was produced by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's John McEuen, a high school friend of Martin's. You can get this as a $5 download this week from Amazon, but you will miss out on the 24 page book by Martin about the recording, the ensemble and his long relationship with the 5-string banjo.

Video Of The Day- Alison Krauss Sings Molly Ban

Alison Krauss could sing the alphabet and it just could be the most beautiful song in the world. Here she is singing the famous Irish folk song, Molly Ban. Catch the video here...

Songwriter Showcase- Dustin James & "America"

That Nashville Sound receives lots of CD's and emails from new songwriters and singers scratching and clawing their way up Music City's ladder of success. Every once and awhile, a song grabs us by the collar and doesn't let go- making sure that we are paying attention. We got one of those this morning from a new songwriter named Dustin James. He has a new song he's written that's performed by another up and comer named Brittini Black (pictured)- it's simply called "America."

He opens up about the story behind the song "My wife and I had the opportunity to tour the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Museum during a visit to NYC in December 2008. The experience was incredible and among the most moving in recent memory. Millions of people, most having nothing, risking everything for a shot at a better life for themselves and their children. Seeing the weary faces and reading the individual stories of hardship and triumph was a great personal reminder of just how special my country really is. I flew back to Nashville feeling deeply inspired and holding a renewed sense of gratefulness for my country and my freedom. After writing “America” and having it demo’d, it occurred to me that hearing it might provide others with the same feelings of hope, pride and gratitude I’d experienced during my visit to Liberty and Ellis. I created this page to share “America” with all of you. This song contains no hidden political agenda. It does not scold the way we are or lament the way we were. It is but a simple tribute to a remarkable country by one deeply grateful citizen.God Bless America."

Enjoy this new little treasure here...

Listen To Entire New Billy Ray Cyrus Album Here

Pushing deeper into his rock and country music roots, Billy Ray Cyrus has just released Back to Tennessee, his newest CD for Walt Disney Records/Lyric Street Records. The album features 12 new tracks, including "Butterfly Fly Away" a moving duet between Billy Ray and his daughter, Miley Cyrus, from the upcoming film "Hannah Montana The Movie," which opened April 10. Back to Tennessee arrived in stores April 7.

Produced by Mark Bright (Rascal Flatts), the new album celebrates love of home, family and good old fashioned fun. "This album is everything I am at this second," says Cyrus. "It's everything that I've been through and every step along the way to this point. Ironically, sometimes looking back -- in my case, ‘Back to Tennessee' – is the best way to move forward."

Listen to the entire album here: http://www.imeem.com/billyraycyrus/playlist/wJrO7SUy/back-to-tennessee-music-playlist/

Back To Tennessee

House Of Cash II Gets Some Life

Kudos go to State Senator Stephen Bryles of Blytheville, Arkansas. In a previous session he’d tapped General Improvement Fund money to build a roadside monument in northeastern Arkansas to blues legend B.B. King’s guitar, named Lucille. This time he has steered GIF money to planning a Johnny Cash heritage museum in Dyess. The small town of 515 doesn’t offer much in the way of Johnny Cash landmarks or memorabilia. However, If things go to plan, Mayor Larry Sims hopes to open an $800,000 museum that would be devoted to Johnny Cash and the town of Dyess. The museum’s only aim isn’t to simply pay tribute to the legendary musician. Dyess officials also hope that the museum could help resuscitate their dwindling economy. The town, which once boasted a population of over 2,500 in it’s hey day, now only supports one-fifth as many residents. By creating a Johnny Cash museum, Mayor Sims hopes that the project “would put Dyess back on the map. It would help everything.”

To date, the town has raised $90,000 to put towards the museum. Half of the money came from a grant and the other from Cash’s former manager, Gene Williams. There’s still a long way to go to make the project a reality, but I hope that the folks in Dyess can pull it off.

The original Johnny Cash museum called the House of Cash in Henderson, TN was closed in 1985.

The Surprise Of A Song- Marc Cohn & Jackson Browne

Music is a very cool thing. It's kinda like semipermeable Flubber. It holds no shape and can take any form at any time. And best of all, it holds surprises and hidden gems around every corner. Music played the mysterious mistress today when I stumbled across a duet from way back in 1992 with one of my very favorite artists, Marc Cohn, and Jackson Browne, singing one of my favorite songs, Crazy Love. It doesn't exist on any album- and the music sirens had kept it hidden from me. It's a great track- perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Enjoy...

Listen to the Mp3 here or watch the video below...

Happy Birthday From That Nashville Sound To Legend Vince Gill

Birthday boy Vince Gill has recorded more than twenty studio albums, charted over forty singles on the U.S. Billboard charts as Hot Country Songs, and has sold more than 22 million albums. He has been honored by the Country Music Association with 18 CMA Awards, including two Entertainer of the Year awards and five Male Vocalist Awards. Gill has also earned 19 Grammy Awards, more than any other male Country music artist. In 2007, Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. All that, and he’s ONLY 52 years old today. Amazing career. Celebrate his big day by watching him play Slippin Away live at the Ryman Auditorium here…