That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes - Record Store Day & Steve Azar's New Radio Show

Everybody stay safe, hunker down at home if you can, say a little prayer for our front line of first responders and medical personnel and use this music we love as a diversion.

~ Roots & American Music Society (RAMS), a not-for-profit record label based in Memphis, Tennessee, has teamed with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) to orchestrate and create a meaningful recording project titled Love Lives On. The combined creative endeavor aligned TAPS military families, who have endured the loss of a loved one, with some of the music industry’s most gifted and renowned songwriters to pen the family members’ intimate and personal stories in music and song. Featuring special guest vocal performances by award-winning recording artists Vince Gill, Billy Ray Cyrus, John Rich, Paul Overstreet, Andy Griggs, Pam Tillis, Lee Roy Parnell, Lonestar, Gatlin Brothers and more, complemented by A-list studio and touring musicians. The album will be out on May 22, 2020. You can listen to the title track by Lonestar, Vince Gill & friends HERE. 

~ Steve Azar's The I Don’t Have To Be Me (‘Til Monday) Radio Show is coming to country radio coast to coast this July. During this 4-hour weekend show, Azar will be sharing the stories and talents of his peers in country music, their greatest hits, past and current, as well as hosting some candid conversations with them and other pals from TV, film and sports. Azar says, "As you know my song, "I Don’t Have To Be Me (‘Til Monday)" has always been about escapism. Just getting away from the hustle and bustle of routines. I introduced and shared it with you through the power of radio 20 years ago and to this day it’s still rocking. I’m thankful for that!"  You watch/hear a preview of what to expect HERE.

~ We announced last week that Record Store Day was pushed back from April to June 20th this year. What we didn't announce was the list of country(ish) vinyl that will be available as special releases only for this unique day.  You can see the entire list HERE.

   An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band: First Set - The Allman Brothers Band
   A Rooster Says - Brandi Carlile
   Classic Cash: Hall Of Fame Series - Early Mixes (1987) - Johnny Cash
   Pearl Cadillac (Feat. Andra Day) - Gary Clark Jr
   "The Unraveling" b/w "Sarah's Flame" - Drive-By Truckers
   "Times Like These / It's About Blood" - Steve Earle
   Live at the Austin Outhouse - Blaze Foley
   The Man With No Shadow - John Wesley Harding
   Live at Nick’s Fat City, 1995. - Hootie And The Blowfish
   Shooter Live at Bonnaroo - Shooter Jennings
   Angel With A Lariat - K.D. Lang & The Reclines
   Drag - K.D. Lang
   Cover Your Tracks EP - Corb Lund
   Live From The Palomino - Midland
   The Atlantic Albums - John Prine
   The Kentucky Sessions - John Prine/Kelsey Waldon
   Live At The Orange Peel - Son Volt
   Hillbillies in Hell: Volume X - Various Artists
   March of Dimes - Hank Williams

~ And if you didn't see them, a couple of country artists did their favorite Kenny Rogers songs as tributes to the legend who passed away yesterday.

   Jake Owen - "She Believes In Me"
   Jason Eady - "Ruby (Don't Take Your Love To Town)"

Pam Tillis To Release New Album Looking For A Feeling On April 24

Artist: Pam Tillis
Album: Looking For A Feeling
Label: Stellar Cat
Release date: April 24, 2020

Pam Tillis still loves country music. It's evident every time she opens her mouth on stage and that love still drives her to keep touring, sometimes teaming with country stars Terri Clark and Suzy Bogguss for a concert series “Chicks With Hits” and her frequent collaborator Lorrie Morgan.

It's also help with driving her new studio album entitled Looking For A Feeling that will be out April 24 on Stellar Cat Records. She's going a little bit old school on the upcoming project, her 11th studio album. The project has been reportedly recorded on analog tape with guitarist Pat Buchanan, keyboard man Jim Moose Brown, steel legend Dan Dugmore, and Mark Knopfler alum Glenn Whorf.  Hit songwriter and producer Jimmy Ritchey is also involved in on the project. Tillis finished the project with producer Joe Pisapia (Guster, Ben Folds Five, Drew Holcomb and kd lang).

The daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis, Pam was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1981 and would go on to record 21 charted Top 30 singles including her number one smash hit on the on 1995's "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)." 12 other singles made Top 10 on that chart. Her albums Homeward Looking Angel (1992), Sweetheart's Dance (1994) and Greatest Hits (1997) are all certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while Put Yourself in My Place and 1995's All of This Love are certified gold.

She has won two major awards: a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1999 for the multi-artist collaboration "Same Old Train", and the 1994 Country Music Association award for Female Vocalist of the Year followed by the CMA President's Award in 1998. Tillis has also received two Recorded Event of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Tillis has also earned one of country music's crowning achievements, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, when she was inducted in 2000.

k.d. lang, Neko Case and Laura Veirs Collaborate On Upcoming June Release Album

Artist: k.d. lang, Neko Case & Laura Veirs
Album: case/lang/veirs
Label: ANTI
Release date: June 17, 2016

With more than 30 studio albums among them, Neko Case, Laura Veirs and k.d. lang understand how to build a song. Now they'll be doing it together with a brand new self-titled trio project that will drop in June.

Several years ago k.d. sent an email to the amazing Neko Case and acclaimed folk-country artist Laura Veirs saying simply, “I think we should make a record together.” The three musicians were admittedly very different and, at the time, barely more than acquaintances--but they did admire one another, and it instantly felt right. “She lit the flare,” says Case. “She shot it into the air and we said, ‘Let's do this.’ Laura and I both responded immediately. There was no question.”

But now there is an answer. case/lang/veirs, a new album by three phenomenal, self-driven artists will be released June 17 on ANTI- Records with an extensive tour to follow.  case/lang/veirs features fourteen original songs written by the artists over a period of two-and-a-half years. It was recorded in Portland, OR where lang and Veirs both live, and produced by Tucker Martine with the group. Sessions commenced in lang’s loft with a view of Mount St. Helens, and in Veirs’ dining room and backyard studio.

Tracklist:
1. “Atomic Number”
2. “Honey And Smoke”
3. “Song For Judee”
4. “Blue Fires”
5. “Delirium”
6. “Greens Of June”
7. “Behind The Armory”
8. “Best Kept Secret”
9. “1,000 Miles Away”
10. “Supermoon”
11. “I Want To Be Here”
12. “Down I-5″
13. “Why Do We Fight”
14. “Georgia Stars”