Radio Country: BIG FROG 104'S HOT NEWZ FROM NASHVILLE

September 21, 2010

» For The Record(s):

We're gonna need a bigger iPod. The number of big album releases from big-name country artists is officially, uh, big. And when we say big, we mean exploding. And when we say exploding, we mean supernova. Today (9/21) is proof positive, with Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington and Randy Houser all dropping new studio albums. ZBB's Coy Bowles recently blogged regarding You Get What You Give: "The entire band put a lot of blood, sweat, tears and chicken grease into this new album. We are extremely proud of it and excited for you guys to give it a listen." Currington's Enjoy Yourself was tracked over two weeks in Nashville and Key West. "This album was really a rush job," Currington says. "I had plans to take six months to make this album ... But two weeks was all I could do [because] the song 'Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer' went up [the charts] really fast ... Enjoy Yourself is what I want you to feel when you hear the album. I want you to be happy and have fun. Hopefully this music makes you dance, laugh and sing along."

With They Call Me Cadillac, Houser got back to his Mississippi southern rock roots. "People like me who grew up the way I did don't really have much to listen to," he says. "Those guys are still listening to the same Waylon Jennings and Lynyrd Skynyrd albums for the past 20 years because they haven't really been fed their comfort zone ... I don't know if this record is the most commercially viable record there is, but I think it may be a growth record." Read more about these albums and more below. And don't forget to look for upcoming albums from Kenny Chesney (9/28), Toby Keith (10/5), Trace Adkins and Darius Rucker (10/12), Sugarland (10/19), Taylor Swift (10/25), Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley (11/2), Reba (11/9), Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban (11/16) and, whew, Alan Jackson (11/23). Did we say "big"?

» A Dingo Ate My Baby!

The Tim McGraw family is Down Under and halfway through dad's first Australian tour. Wild dogs and aggressive kangaroos don't seem to be an issue, if his appearances on Aussie TV shows Today and Sunrise are any indication. "I've always wanted to come [to Australia]; there have been opportunities to come since my career kicked off," McGraw tells Today. "But then I got married. Then having kids, it got to a point to where they're old enough [now] to sort of take off of school for awhile, so this was just perfect timing for us ... Scheduling is everything, and when the scheduling is right then it clicks like clockwork." Adventure still awaits, however, as a flyover of the Outback and a Great Barrier Reef shark dive are on the itinerary. "I have a plane reserved, so I'm going to fly around and check out things from the air a little bit, which is what I've been looking forward to doing." McGraw's first date back in the States is Oct. 16 in Indio, CA. Complete schedule here.

» Extreme Temporary Home: LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban will appear in an upcoming episode of ABC-TV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show was in Nashville last week to help rebuild a local school heavily damaged by May's flood. The Ty Pennington-led crew, which included interior designer Leigh Anne Tuohy of The Blind Side fame, spent a week in Music City for the build. The episode is tentatively scheduled to air Nov. 7 leading up to the Nov. 10 44th Annual CMA Awards. Read more here and learn more about the Nashville build here.

» UN Belong With Me: Taylor Swift is staging a global takeover! Okay, maybe it's just her second MTV Networks takeover, but it's happening at the United Nations in New York City. New York City! Swift will be ringing in her new album Speak Now Oct. 25 from UN headquarters on all of MTV's various platforms: CMT and MTV online outlets will stream the event, which includes a performance, live at 5pm ET. She staged a similar event to introduce her latest video "Mine" a few weeks ago. Anyway, an online contest to attend the celebration and go on a cross-country flight to Los Angeles with Taylor after the show is already underway here. And considering the venue, surely Taylor will be spreading a message of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Well, men who don't break her heart.

» Life Note:

The Big Kenny Alphin household just got larger with the adoption of Dakota Jefferson Holiday Alphin. Big Kenny and wife Chrisiev adopted the baby boy in July. "When they put Dakota in our arms, he has the most beautiful smile, and the moment Kenny started talking to him, Dakota lunged toward him," Christiev told People. "We both looked at each other and it was like, 'Of course he is our son.'" Dakota joins four-year-old brother Lincoln William. Read the full article here.

»Birthdays

Faith Hill (9/21)

On TV

Tuesday (9/21): Merle Haggard, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (re-air) (NBC); Randy Houser, Good Morning America (ABC).

Wednesday (9/22): Laura Bell Bundy, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (re-air) (CMT).

Thursday (9/23): Joe Nichols, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (re-air) (CMT).

Friday (9/24): Willie Nelson, Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (CBS).

In Stores Tuesday (9/21)

Zac Brown Band You Get What You Give
In addition to guests Jimmy Buffett ("Knee Deep") and Alan Jackson ("As She's Walking Away"), the group's 14-track sophomore release also includes the James Otto co-written song called "No Hurry." Brown co-produced the record, which is also being issued as a Deluxe Edition featuring bonus tracks "Oh My Sweet Carolina," "Every Little Bit," "Nothing" and "Smoke Rise."

Billy Currington Enjoy Yourself
Currington split time between Nashville and Key West at Shrimpboat Sound studios (where George Strait and Jimmy Buffett have recorded) to capture his fourth studio album. He co-wrote "Bad Day Of Fishin'" and co-produced the 10-song collection. "People Are Crazy" co-writer Troy Jones wrote the lead single "Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer," while newcomer Frankie Ballard co-wrote the opener "All Day Long."

Walker Hayes Walker Hayes EP
Hayes' four-song EP includes the lead single "Pants," as well as tracks "Kitchen Table," "Cherry Stem" and "Naked."

Randy Houser They Call Me Cadillac
Houser wrote or co-wrote all 11 tracks on his sophomore release, which features the lead single "Whistlin' Dixie" and upcoming single "A Man Like Me." Lee Ann Womack guests on the ballad "Addicted." Additional tracks "Beach To The Sand" and "Big And Strong" are included on the Deluxe edition.

Mel Tillis You Ain't Gonna Believe This
Songs "Huntin' Buddies," "Who's Gonna Wear The Dress" and closer "Slowing Down" are featured among 20 live comedy routines about forgetfulness, birthdays, perspiring in church and other topics.