Monday, August 23, 2010

Country Music Pride

Country Music Pride

Snag a copy of Trace Adkins’ new album

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 06:58 PM PDT

Trace Adkins, country music’s American badass, released his new album, Cowboy’s Back in Town, last week. He’s no stranger to charting No. 1 hits like “Ladies Love Country Boys” and “You’re Gonna Miss This,” so don’t pass up an opportunity to score a free copy of his latest endeavor.

Be the first to e-mail us at contests@countrymusicpride.com and you could be one of three lucky winners!

Little Big Town releases new album, The Reason Why

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 12:15 PM PDT

There are few albums that conjure up the image of fields of sharp green grass wafting in a summer breeze, high on a hill with a little white church in half-shadow, children playing beyond a ring of women in simple dresses, singing hymns while setting out Sunday lunch.
Little Big Town's latest effort The— Reason Why, which releases to the public Aug. 24 — is one of them.
This band, founded in 1998, has had the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet. LBT is strong in one area that also conjures up a sweet image for me: harmony.
The quartet relies heavily on its harmony, with each singer taking turns at the lead, in a style reminiscent of the 1960s group the Mamas and the Papas. This works for Little Big Town – especially on The Reason Why, which harkens back to a simpler time: a gospel, bluegrass, country time. And a fun time.
The first single, "Little White Church," was released in March and is a rocking hillbilly good time lauding the benefits of holding onto your milk until the cow is bought. Fairchild's lead vocal is sexy and cocky, inviting with a streak of attitude – and there's nothing wrong with a little clapping and rocking guitar.
"You Can't Have Everything" is the best ballad on the album, starting out slow with an ole-timey feel, as does "All the Way Down." A woman having a hushed conversation with her environment and lot in life while lying in bed is how I envision "Shut Up Train," a personal and haunting example of the intimacy of a well-written and produced song.
Strong production and harmonies are apparent in the title track, "The Reason Why," although this tune is lyrically weak: the "hey heys" become cloying and insistent and detract from the group's harmonic hum. The same can be said for "Life Rolls On," which "la la las" until I'm forced to click to the next song.
While LBT still has that pitch-perfect and pleasing harmony, The Reason Why feels a bit forced and flat at the same time. With such cult hits at "Boondocks," "A Little More You" and "Bring It on Home" under their belt, this album should have been more like a choir building to the crescendo of a small-town revival on Saturday night, instead of a steady hum that recedes into the gloaming. But there are hymns to pick out and follow on The Reason Why – and the collection is worth the search.

Blake Shelton seizes both the albums and songs summits

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 07:01 AM PDT

For only the second time this year, Lady Antebellum have surrendered the top bunk on Billboard’s country album chart. The victor is Blake Shelton’s new EP, All About Tonight, which bumps Lady A’s usually triumphant Need You Now down to the No. 2 berth.

Equally cool for Shelton, his current single, also titled “All About Tonight,” barrels into No. 1 on Billboard’s country songs chart, shoving last week’s chart-topper, the Zac Brown Band’s “Free,” back to No. 3. 

Shelton’s first-week sales for All About Tonight amount to 32,607 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, compared to Need You Now’s 29th week total sale of 23,779 units. The latter album has sold 2.5 million copies since it charted at the start of this year.

The only other new album to note is the Charlie Daniels Band’s Land That I Love, which bows in at No. 68. Mark Chesnutt’s Outlaw re-enters the album list at No. 75.

This week’s highest debuting new song is “As She’s Walking Away” by the Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson. It arrives at No. 32. The other first-timers are Laura Bell Bundy’s “Drop On By” (No. 58) and Blaine Larsen’s “Leavin’” (No. 59). Sarah Marince’s “In the Meantime” makes a comeback at No. 60.

Albums No. 3 through No. 5, in that order, are the Zac Brown Band’s The Foundation, Miranda Lambert’s Revolution and Jerrod Niemann’s Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury (which temporarily toppled Need You Now two weeks ago).

Rounding out the Top 5 songs cluster are Keith Urban’s “I’m Here” (No. 2), Billy Currington’s “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer” (No. 4) and Lee Brice’s “Love Like Crazy” (No. 5).

Kenny Chesney’s “The Boys of Fall,” now in its fifth week out, resumes its steady advance by striding from No. 11 to No. 9. Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue” is also eager to breathe that mountaintop air. In its fourth week on the charts, it climbs from No. 17 to No. 16.

Courtesy of CMT.com
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