TNS Video History- Kenny Rogers- "Buy Me A Rose"

Classic Film Friday- Johnny Cash's Five Minutes To Live

There's a handful of feature film movies that star country music stars that have entered the public domain over the last couple of years and we're going to post a handful on this and upcoming Fridays. You'll be able to stream the whole movie here on That Nashville Sound.

This amazing bank heist 1961 movie stars Johnny Cash, Vic Tayback, Ron Howard, and country music great, Merle Travis. Johnny Cash gives a surprising performance as a guitar playing, sadistic psycho-killer. Six year old Ron Howard is absolutely adorable and practically steals the whole show.

Lionel Richie Working On Country Music Album In Nashville

At the recent Country Music Hall of Fame guitar pull in Los Angeles with Vince Gill, Taylor Swift, Emmylou Harris & Kris Kristofferson, Lionel Richie announced that he is travelling to Nashville to work with "Nashville's best songwriters" and "special guests" on an all country music album. Check out the interview below:

The Day In The Life Of Lady Antebellum

Each Wednesday, Lady Antebellum posts a video on their website called Webisode Wednesdays. This week's video is a fascinating and exhausting look at the day in the life of Lady Antebellum on a concert day.

Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down" In New Coen Brother's Film, True Grit

Blake Shelton Readies New Greatest Hits Package For November Release

Reprise is planning the November 9th release of a Blake Shelton greatest hits package. It will be the artist’s third offering this year, following two Six Pak collections built around recent hits Hillbilly Bone and All About Tonight.

LOADED: The Best of Blake Shelton is his first greatest hits release and includes all seven of his No. 1′s as well as newest single, “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking.”

Three pre-order options are loaded with extras like autographed CDs, exclusive downloads, a concert DVD and apparel. They are priced from $16.99 to $59.99 at blakeshelton.com.

Shelton will be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry later this month and then heads into the CMA Awards where he is nominated for four awards. He already won an ACM and CMT Award in 2010, and is the only male country artist to have two No. 1 singles this year.

Track Listing for LOADED: The Best of Blake Shelton
1. Austin
2. Ol’ Red
3. The Baby
4. Playboys of The Southwestern World
5. Some Beach
6. Goodbye Time
7. Nobody But Me
8. Don’t Make Me
9. The More I Drink
10. Home
11. She Wouldn’t Be Gone
12. Hillbilly Bone (feat. Trace Adkins)
13. Kiss My Country Ass
14. All About Tonight
15. Who Are You When I’m Not Looking

New Music Video From The Doobie Brothers- "Nobody"

From the very opening of this song- with its great dobro focus- this latest release off of the Doobie Brothers album World Gone Crazy has a distinctly Nashville country flavor.

New Music Video From Carolyn Dawn Johnson- "The Whole Thing"

New Christmas Album Hits Oct 12 From Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum will release a six-song Christmas EP through Target stores later this month.

A Merry Little Christmas drops Oct. 12, according to Billboard.com. The release will have five holiday favorites, including Silver Bellsand one new song, "On This Winter's Night." Tom Douglas, who also helped write past Lady Antebellum singles "I Run to You" and "Hello World," was involved in penning the new song.

"We recorded all of this in July," Haywood told Billboard.com, "so it was a little bit peculiar being in the studio in the middle of July in Nashville, Tenn., 100 degrees outside, sweating, and doing a Christmas record. But we had a great time doing it. We had the studio all decorated...We brought everything we had from our houses and decorated and tried to get into the spirit. It was a fun experience."

On the new song, Haywood said he and band mates Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley "tried to take some of our Christmas memories, and some of the things we remember from the holiday season, and put them into a song. It was definitely a new experience for us; we'd never written a Christmas song, really, before. But it was a lot of fun trying to look at what we do and how we spend the holidays and take that feeling and put it into a song."

Johnny Mathis Releases New Country Cover Album With Duets With Alison Krauss & Lane Brody

An easy listening hit machine in the '50s, '60s and '70s, Johnny Mathis, 75, is going for the twilight years comeback with his latest, which finds the Texas singer interpreting tunes by the likes of Louis Armstrong- as well as country tunes from the likes of Glen Campbell, Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley.

For Let It Be Me: Mathis in Nashville, Johnny assembled a handpicked group of the finest musicians in Nashville to record an album that is devoid of modern studio tricks. The tracks which include "What a Wonderful World" featuring Lane Brody and "Let It Be Me" featuring Alison Krauss were recorded live in the studio over the course of a week. The approach to these country standards is sympathetic to the original arrangements, the manner in which the players musically interrelate allows for a refreshing openness and transparency that supports, but never overwhelms the vocal performance.

Up & Coming New Nashville- KURTIS

The common thread for the five guys of the Nashville-based band KURTIS is songwriting and a genuine love for creating and performing great original commercial music. Friends - in addition to business partners - Brian Curtis, Luckey, Shawn Rhem, Bill Gregory and John Rodrig all combine to create KURTIS.

Brian Curtis - (Lead Vocals / Acoustic)- originally from El Dorado Hills, CA - landed in Nashville in Nov 2005. It wasn't the shortest or most ordinary route he traveled to arrive in Music City. After earning his degree in International Business from the University of California, Irvine, Brian ventured abroad and soon found himself singing lead for a country cover band in Japan while teaching English during the days. Japan was followed by a year in Italy - it was there that Brian began consistently songwriting, and signs started pointing toward Music City as his next stop. In Nov 2005 Brian packed up and officially made the move to Nashville. Songwriting sessions and writer nights led to gigs as a demo singer, which brings him now to center stage singing lead for KURTIS. An impressive vocal range combined with a genuine organic stage presence allows viewers to feel part of each and every song he delivers. From the studio to the stage Brian delivers with confidence and emotion.

Luckey - (Electric / Acoustic / Vocals) - raised in Nashville, TN - he has been surrounded by music his entire life. Honing his songwriting craft throughout his teenage years, Luckey saw his first hold as a songwriter at 18 years old. After studying guitar at MTSU, he left Nashville with guitar in tow and spent a couple years as a hunting guide in Colorado and commercial fisherman in Alabama, only to find his way back home in 2004. A few cover bands and hundreds of shows later, he finds himself in the throes of KURTIS. Luckey's ability to write songs, sing, play guitar, hear harmony lines, all naturally add up to his role as band leader of KURTIS. He has a strong and present bass / baritone range that is an important element to the KURTIS sound. In a KURTIS live show, aside from electric and rhythm guitar, you will find him singing harmonies, hitting a dual lead (Big and Rich esque) with Brian, or grabbing center mic and keeping true to his roots with a dirty country uptempo.

Shawn Rhem - (Electric Guitar / BGV's) - from his hometown of Highpoint, NC - Shawn's first love of music is stamped by true rock 'n roll. Growing up he endlessly played guitar and after graduating high school Shawn opted to attend Atlanta's Institute of Music ( A.I.M ) to further polish his guitar skills. After his studies at A.I.M., Shawn ventured north, living and working in NYC. A DJ at by night and aspiring songwriter by day, learning and studying the song writing craft. In August of 2008, the time came when Shawn decided to move to Nashville and aggressively pursue music. Shawn can play lead and shred with the best of them while adding high harmonies to the vocal wall of KURTIS. Consider his ability as as a songwriter, and you have another strong piece of the puzzle in making up KURTIS.

Bill Gregory - (Bass) - moved to Music City in February 2008 from his hometown of Danville, IN. Music seemed to always be in the cards for Bill. Guitar lessons began as early as 8 years old, and he joined his first band at 13 playing rhythm. Throughout high school, Bill continued building his guitar skill set, moving from acoustic rhythm, to electric, then onto bass. Bill attended college at Indiana State, earning degrees in both Graphic Design and Music, with an emphasis in classical guitar. His 6'5" frame, bald shiny head, and captivating stage presence has been known to steal the show more often than the rest of the guys like to admit. You can watch Bill on stage, enjoy his complex and tasteful 5 string bass lines, and just tell he has "been there done that".

John Rodrig - (Drums) - from Houma, LA is the youngest member of KURTIS at 23 years old. Drums, drums, and more drums...at 10 years old John was given his first drum kit, and it was apparent from the start that music was in his blood. At 13 he was drumming in his first band, which naturally led to playing gigs throughout high school. At 18 he auditioned for Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and was not only accepted into the program, but also offered a partial scholarship to attend. His musical experience and knowledge is impressive and wide ranging - playing and listening to everything from punk rock, to jazz, to metal and everything in between. Now country music and KURTIS are his primary focus - be it scoping the competition on CMT and GAC or writing drum parts to the KURTIS songs.

CD Reviews- James Otto- Shake What God Gave Ya

The Background:
James Otto may be 100 percent country, but he’s also got a heart of soul. On his third album, Shake What God Gave Ya, Nashville’s breakout star puts his God-given lung power to work on a set of songs that make even more determined use of the old-school R&B grit in his powerhouse voice. “I look at my sound as somewhere between Nashville and Memphis,” says Otto, setting the new record’s compass point firmly on the map.

“With ‘Just Got Started Loving You,’ the beat and groove of that song could easily have been ‘I got sunshine on a cloudy day…’—that kind of thing,” he says. “And the fact that that went over at radio was an eye-opener for me, because it really opened the door for me to be able to do a lot more of that on this album. I never would have expected that it would have gone over the way it did. But I’m really thankful that it did. And hopefully the same people that loved that song will get a lot out of this record.”

The Review:
It’s probably symbolic that on the press release for James Otto’s third album, he’s quoted as saying he’s the he’s the “love child of Ronnie Milsap and Barry White.” It was Barry White’s deep soulful baritone that became synonymous with groovy love-making songs in R&B. And if there was ever an album that tried hard to be the backdrop soundtrack to getting your groove on with the love of your life, this is it.

That’s not to say that this country soul sound is entirely new. Artists such as Conway Twitty, the before-mentioned Ronnie Milsap and Delbert McClinton, all have pioneered that crossover sound and made very successful careers out of it.

Otto enlists his hero Milsap on the 70’s flashback in sound in groove on a great little track on “Good Things Gone Bad.” And Otto effectively uses his groovy love mojo which gets a great workout on tracks like “Sun Comes Round Again” and “Let’s Just Let Go.”

The album comes on the heels of one of Otto’s peers, Randy Houser's They Call Me Cadillac. While Houser utilizes a similar country soulful sound, he does so while telling his own autobiography in song. Otto takes a different and lighter tact throughout this album, concentrating on more universal topics of love and ladies.

The one big exception to this theme is the strong pro-military ballad, “Soldiers and Jesus.” Otto utilizes both personal heroes in thanks that “To me, they're both heroes for the path that they chose, ‘cause one fights for my life, one fights for my soul.” It’s a touching tribute to those who have laid down their lives to make ours better.

Otto’s whispery and gravel-laden voice is one of the strengths of the album and sells the sexy theme of the album well. And if you add this one to your collection, just be sure to pick up some candles, bubble bath and roses to go along with it.

Sounds Like:
Randy Houser Lite

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
Groovy Little Summer Song
Soldiers and Jesus
Good Thing’s Gone Bad (With Ronnie Milsap)
Sun Comes Round Again
Let’s Just Let Go

The Verdict:
Three & A Half Stars Out Of Five

Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott Guests On A New Holiday Duet

Erin & Lauren over at Country Music Is Love have the scoop on a brand new duet featuring Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott. Now duets for the lovely Ms. Scott aren't new, but they are when they don't feature her singing alongside fellow Lady A lead singer Charles Kelley.

Scott is featured on Nashville singer-songwriter Dave Barnes’ upcoming Christmas CD entitled Very Merry Christmas that will be coming out on November 9th. The two duet on a tracked called “Christmas Tonight.”

Dave has opened for Lady A, Taylor Swift, Dierks Bentley and has written songs for artists including Billy Currington. “Dave Barnes is one of the sweetest and most talented guys I know,” Scott said as she shared the stage with Barnes earlier this year.

Sugarland Covers The Bee Gees Hit "Staying Alive"

I'm sure when you think of the duo known as Sugarland, the first thing you think of is... the Bee Gees? Um... perhaps not. But they've just posted this wild video of them doing a cover of the Gibbs brothers' hit "Staying Alive" from a performance on their 2010 Incredible Machine Tour.

The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Video Montage

The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival turned ten years old this year. The free, three-day music festival has been put on each year in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA. The event is bankrolled by financier Warren Hellman who picks up 100% of the costs. Hardly Strictly drew roughly 800,000 people last year.

Here’s a sprinkling of assorted homemade videos shot at this year’s event to give a taste of what the festival is about…

Secret Sisters & The Punch Brothers



Buddy Miller & Patty Griffin



Jenny & Johnny & Elvis Costello



Guy Clark



Chris Thile & The Punch Brothers



Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys



T Bone Burnett

TNS Video History- Rebecca Lynn Howard- "Out Here In The Water"