TNS Video History- Nickel Creek’s “The Lighthouse’s Tale”

One of the more haunting songs and videos- bluegrass or other- by Nickel Creek called “The Lighthouse’s Tale”…

A Very Merry Phil Vassar Acoustic Christmas EP Giveaway

As a Christmas gift to his fans, Phil Vassar is offering his new Christmas album Acoustic Christmas as a FREE download!

After you fill out the short information form HERE, an email will be sent to your provided email address. This email will have your personalized link and password to download your free Phil Vassar Christmas EP.

Track Listing

•Silent Night
•O Little Town Of Bethlehem
•O Holy Night
•What Child Is This
•Away In A Manger (feat Haley Vassar)

Kenny Rogers Penned Movie Airs Tomorrow- Billy Ray Cyrus Stars

Country-music legend, versatile actor and respected author Kenny Rogers brings his 2002 tale of an unlikely friendship and holiday redemption to television, as the Hallmark Channel premieres the original film Christmas in Canaan on Saturday, December 12, at 8/7c.

With a screenplay written by Rogers’ co-author Donald Davenport, Christmas in Canaan tells the story of two young boys—one black, one white—who overcome their racial animosity while caring for an injured dog. Country star and actor Billy Ray Cyrus (Doc, Hannah Montana) turns in a sterling performance as Daniel Burton, the single father of DJ, a hot-headed boy who gets into a scuffle with classmate Rodney on the school bus. Burton devises an unconventional plan to help the boys learn mutual respect: DJ and Rodney will each take turns living at the other’s home.

Set against the backdrop of Civil Rights Era Texas, Christmas in Canaan is just the latest television project for Grammy Award winner Rogers. He famously starred in the 1980 TV-movie The Gambler, along with its subsequent sequels, and recently appeared on the CBS hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

An Interview With Phil Vassar Over At The 9513

Phil Vassar's resume boasts six number one hits for country artists including Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, and Collin Raye, and three more as an artist in his own right. He’s been named the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year twice and has taken top honors from the Academy of Country Music, Billboard and MusicRow. Now releasing his sixth album, Traveling Circus, Phil approaches his uniquely piano-based, rhythm and blues-infused, infectiously buoyant brand of country music from the back-to-basics school of thought.

I had a chance to do an interview with the great songwriter over at The 9513 to talk about the new project and what lies in store for himin the future- including a new Broadway show. Read a snippet of the interview below but then head over HERE to read the entire interview.

"I went with my band for one. The guys never get to go into the studio to do records, which is kind of silly. I kind of get sick of working with studio guys because they’re working on your album at ten and then on McGraw’s record at one and then so-and-so’s at six. And I think it’s all between the lines too much. Everything to me starts to sound alike. The production is the same. I wanted to do it different. I think you can really tell. It sounds like me more live. I think that’s what I really wanted to capture. It’s more organic. And the way we set up in the studio was a little different this time. I used this little funky studio that I used to cut demos in that my engineer used to help me with instead of these $20,000 per week fancy studios. Or per day. Whatever. Anyways, it’s a whole different deal. It’s a lot more me for sure."

Dwight Yoakam & Kris Kristofferson Finish Up 2010 Release of New Movie- Watch The Trailer Here

Calgary’s Nomadic Pictures will co-produce The Last Rites of Ransom Pride, a violent western about a woman trying to bring her lover a murdered outlaw home for burial. There's an eclectic cast that includes Dwight Yoakam along with Kris Kristofferson, the Station Agent’s Peter Dinklage, Jason Priestley, Deadwood’s W. Earl Brown and NCIS’s Cote de Pablo.

Last Rites of Ransom Pride is a good old fashioned cutthroat shoot em up Western film set in 1910, starring Yoakam as “Reverend Pride,” and also features Kristofferson among others (see full cast here). Here’s a blurb about the film:

“Lizzy Caplan plays a young woman who brings Ransom Pride (Scott Speedman) back to Glory, Texas, for a burial. Along the way, she is menaced by Yoakam’s murderous reverend, Kristofferson’s “savage outlaw,” and bounty hunters played by W. Earl Brown (Deadwood) and Jason Priestley. Peter Dinklage plays a shotgun-wielding dwarf who protects the woman alongside Ransom’s younger brother (played by Jon Foster of Door in the Floor.) Most of the action is meant to take place on the Texas-Mexican border.”

The screenplay was written by the outlaw Ray Wylie Hubbard. You can watch a trailer featuring Yoakam below.

Dolly Parton & Carrie Underwood’s Holiday Special Duet

In case you missed the Carrie Underwood holiday special on Fox this Monday, here’s a great duet performance from Dolly Parton and Underwood of “I Will Always Love You.”

An Interview With Joe Diffie Over At The 9513

Joe Diffie is known for his great ballads and fun novelty songs like "3rd Rock From The Sun" and "John Deere Green." Starting with Diffie's debut single "Home", he has charted seventeen Top 10 hits (five of which, counting "Home", reached Number One) on the Billboard Hot Country charts. He has also recorded nine studio albums (two of which have been certified platinum), in addition to a Greatest Hits package, a Christmas album, and a now... a brand new live album called Joe Diffie: Live At Billy Bob’s Texas

I had a chance to do an interview with the great songwriter over at The 9513 to talk about the new project and what lies in store for Diffie in the future. Read a snippet of the interview below but then head over HERE to read the entire interview.

"It’s something I’m very excited about, I’ve never done a live album before. It’s kind of a cool deal–a nerve-wracking deal. The folks at Billy Bob’s had done a series of these things over the years and asked if we’d like to participate in it. I said, “Sure!” We went down there and had a blast doing it. Like I said, though, it was pretty nerve-wracking. Just thinking anything I said or do was going to be recorded and listened to forever was hard. We had a good time doing it. The crowd was just great. And it’s always great performing at Billy Bob's."

That Nashville Sound’s Top 50 Songs Of 2009

Okay, here’s the rules. It had to be released off an album that was released in 2009 or is off a to-be-released album. If the album came out in 2008 or before, it couldn’t be included. And without further ado, here is That Nashville Sound’s Top 50 Songs of 2009.


1. Dean Brody- Cattleman's Gun
2. Jason Eady- Promises In Pieces
3. Eric Church- Whole Lotta Boot Left To Fill
4. Guy Clark- The Guitar
5. Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel- Hesitation Blues
6. Jack Ingram ft. Patty Griffin - Seeing Stars
7. Wade Hayes- What's A Broken Heart For You
8. Jason Eady- Cry Pretty
9. Bryan White- Dustbowl Dreams
10. David Nail- Mississippi
11. Donna Ullisse- Levi Stone
12. Jamey Johnson - My Way to You
13. Miranda Lambert- Only Prettier
14. Brandi Carlile ft. Elton John- Caroline
15. Lynyrd Skynyrd- Floyd
16. Tim McGraw- Good Girls
17. Reba McEntire- Maggie Creek Road
18. Miranda Lambert - Time to Get a Gun
19. Oak Ridge Boys- Mama's Table
20. Sarah Buxton- Outside My Window
21. Adam Steffey & Alison Krauss- Warm Kentucky Sunshine
22. Holly Williams- Without Jesus Here With Me
23. Chris Young ft. Willie Nelson- Rose In Paradise
24. Brad Paisley- Welcome To The Future
25. George Strait - Arkansas Dave
26. Big Kenny- Long After I'm Gone
27. Lady Antebellum- Need You Now
28. Holly Williams- Keep The Change
29. Miranda Lambert - White Liar
30. Bryan White ft. Steve Wariner- Hands Of Time
31. Steeldrivers- Blue Side Of The Mountain
32. LeeAnn Womack- Last Call
33. Taylor Swift- Fifteen
34. Whitney Duncan- Skinny Dippin'
35. Carrie Underwood- Temporary Home
36. Chris Young- Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)
37. Sarah Darling- Blue Guitar
38. Tracy Lawrence- Somebody Who Would Die For You
39. Brad Paisley - Anything Like Me
40. Chris Young- It Takes A Man
41. Holly Williams - Three Days in Bed
42. David Nail- Red Light
43. Jason Eady- Cane River Blues
44. Gary Allan- Today
45. Daryle Singletary- Love You With The Lights On
46. Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night
47. Jack Ingram- Big Dreams and High Hopes
48. Megan Mullins- Long Past Gone
49. Wade Hayes - Every Time I Give the Devil a Ride
50. Holly Williams- Let Her Go

Up & Coming New Nashville- Susan Hickman (With Exclusive Interview)

Susan Hickman is working at developing her niche in a blend of rocking, uplifting country that hints at a range of influences from Janis Joplin to Carrie Underwood. With her new CD, Susan is not only sharing her love of music - she's hoping to connect with a global audience. "I really identify with the songs on this project," Susan says from her home in Atascocita, Texas. "And I think that a lot of other folks will, too." Produced by Doug Deforest (Todd Fritsch, Doug Spartz, Jonathan Edwards), the disc is the perfect showcase for Susans vibrant vocals. Highlights abound and include songs by top-notch Nashville tunesmiths Brett James, Mila Mason, Bobby Pinson and others. "Red" is a dark tale of jealousy and rage, while the two-steppin' fun-loving, "Wrapped Up In Me" offers a light-hearted change of pace. The contemporary ballad "Hell Still Ain't Frozen Over" works well with Susan's favorite, the poignant "One Of Those Who Make It Up There." Closing the disc is Hickman's soulful take on Gregg Allman's classic southern rocker, "Whipping Post."

The 24-year old beauty is not without credentials; over the past few years she has shared the stage with high-profile acts like Tracy Byrd, Jo Dee Messina, Kevin Fowler, Steve Holy, The Lost Trailers and Phil Vassar, to name a few. Her live shows are energetic, and she’s developed quite a following in her home state. Music has always been a part of the feisty blondes life story; she started taking piano lessons when she was just five years old and added the violin in her teens. Just four years ago she began to teach herself guitar. "Yes, I'm blessed to come from a very musical family," she laughs. "We were always singing and playing; our family reunions are just awesome."

Susan grew up singing in the church choir, listening to her parents favorite classic rock songs, and hearing her mom sing opera around the house. Her mother often made up songs to get her two daughters motivated. “There was literally a song for everything,” Susan recalls. “Gonna clean house today? Yep, she had just the song to put you in the mood.”

That musical backdrop helped drive the Texan’s love of song, and according to her parents, the exposure began when Susan was still in the cradle. Family legend tells us that Hickman was actually singing before she started talking. "Crazy, right?" Susan laughs. "Well, some things never change."



We had a chance to get Susan’s take on her musical past and present with a few interview questions:

That Nashville Sound- What brought you to music in the first place?

Susan Hickman- Music is something I grew up with. as far back as I can remember I was always singing. My mom was always singing to me and my sister so it was just a natural thing to do. Mom used to put me in my sister Sadie's crib starting when I was about 3 years old to entertain her while she did chores, I had a little tape recorder with a microphone that I would make up songs and sing them to her... so I guess you could say I wrote my first song when I was 3. (Laughter) But as far as a certain event that brought me to want to do music as a career, I think I may have been 11 years old when I first saw LeAnn Rimes sing. It was at an awards show and she sang Unchained Melody, I remember thinking she is just a little bit older than me and she's doing this-- why can't I?

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

SH- My music is a reflection of who I am, the upbeat songs are witty and funny, the slower/ballad songs are deep and meaningful. I want to touch people with the songs I sing. I want them to hear a message that might help them in whatever they are going through at the time--- whether it's a funny kiss-off like Sunday Paper or a real heart hurting song like Hell Still Ain't Frozen Over.

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

SH- When I was much younger I used to sing in my closet with the door shut so no one would hear me practice. I guess you could call me a "closet singer"

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

SH- I have a very wide assortment of music on my ipod, but the artists that I listen to on a regular basis are Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, KT Tunstall, Heart, Evanessence.

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

SH- Well I can barely keep up with what I am doing today, but as far as goals go, it would be awesome to say I made it to the Grammys in at least one of the categories I am nominated in. I want to have toured the United States and Europe. I want to have sold at least 100,000 records, and my ‘57 ford truck would be drivable.

TNS- Nickname for your guitar or other instruments?

SH- I don't really have nicknames for my instruments, but I guess you could call my guitar my “writing partner.” I don't write without it.

Carrie Underwood Christmas Special On TV Tonight

The Fox Network is wishing you, the home television viewer, a very Carrie Christmas. And they're gift-wrapping two hours of entertainment in a special package titled Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special that will air tonight, December 7 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT).

Guest stars include Paisley, Dolly Parton, fellow American Idol champion David Cook and for comedic relief, Kristin Chenoweth and Christina Applegate.

Underwood was thrilled to say "Hello Dolly" for the first time. "I never met her before this so I was so excited to get to talk to her and obviously get to sing with her. It was a dream come true," Underwood said "... When Dolly's there, you kind of step out of the spotlight, and let her do her thing because no matter how hard you try, she's going to steal the spotlight. She's great; that's the way it should be."

TNS Video History- Grand Ole Opry Show From April 1956

An entire Grand Ole Opry show from April 1956. What a cool treasure. It features Buddy Ebsen, Chet Atkins, Collins Kids, The Jordanaires, June Carter, Flatt and Scruggs, Minnie Pearl and more.