Aston Shepherd

Found this in my inbox just now and wanted to share for any Ashton Shepherd fans out there:

Pistol Annies: Hell On Heels, but Easy on the Ears

Been promising a review of The Pistol Annies Hell on Heels for a bit now, so here ya go... When I first heard about this project, I was really excited. Miranda is one of my favorites in Country right now and I was always disappointed that Ashley Monroe didn't get more success with her single "I Don't Want To".  After listening to the whole thing, I am glad to say that they did a great job. Their vocals fit well together and their writing and sound is an homage to old country and all the things that makes the genre great. Below is a rundown of my favorite tracks from the album.

LeAnn Rimes "Give"

So, LeAnn has debuted her new video for her single "Give". The song is off her album Lady and Gentlemen, which will be coming out this month on the 27th. It's going to be the second alum she's release of cover songs. Her first, LeAnn Rimes, was released back in the late 90s and was great so I'm looking forward to this new one. The difference with this disc is all the songs were originally done by men except for "Give", "Crazy Women" and the remake of "Blue".

Tags: Give, LeAnn Rimes, LeAnn Rimes Videos

Anyway... back to the single. The song is the type of song I could see Martina McBride doing no problem. It's a slow, inspirational type song that talks about needing to give kindness and forgiveness before you can get it yourself. I do like the music and melody of the song, even if some of the lyrics are a bit cliche. I also enjoyed how LeAnn's vocals were very simple and restrained in this song. Even in the parts you'd expect the huge glory note to come out, she holds back and I think it adds something to the song.

While the video isn't the most creative, it does work with the song and I thought the bit at the end with LeAnn and the others singing live was cute. It also shows why I am still a fan after over a decade and all the tabloid drama... the girl can sing! She sounds just as good in that live acapella clip as she did in the rest of the song. So what do y'all think? Do you like it? Hate it? Don't care? Comment back and let me know!

CMA Award Nominees.... Rundown and My Wishlist

So the nominees for the CMA Awards were announced today and here is the list. I am so glad to see that there is a great field this year. Add that to another Brad/Carrie hosting appearance and I will definitely be tuning on on November 9th.

So, let's go down the categories, starting wth Entertainer of the Year. I would really love to see either Brad Paisley or Blake Shelton take this one. They both are great and Blake in particular has really been providing a lot of entertainment this year and not just on stage or on The Voice. Check out his tweet about his nominations:

Randomness Ensues: 30 Day Song Challenge, Trace Adkins and Boyz2Men

Another day, another entry in the 30 Day Song Challenge! This time, the topic is "A Song You Associate with High School". I have also added my answer to my 30 Day Challenge YouTube playlist. Enjoy and comment back with your own answers...

I also have a couple of links for you. The first one is a little blast from the past. Shawn Stockman discussed a little bit of the band's early days in a yahoonews article. The group was the soundtrack of my teenage years. Loved the vocals, the music, everything. Glad to know they've stayed active over the years.

The second (and last one) is about Trace Adkins and his new release, Proud to Be Here. He's not only a great artist, but also seems like a guy with his priorities straight. I can't help but be a fan and am looking forward to hearing that duet with Shelton. Here is one of my favorites of his:

New Music Alert: Pistol Annies!

This is going to be a very good music month for me so far! First, Alexz Johnson announces the release of The Basement Recordings and now this...

Hell on Heels - Pistol Annies - Pistol Annies Videos

The first single from the Pistol Annies is now out and available for purchase with an album to follow on the 23rd. Can't wait! I'm a big fan of both Miranda and Ashley so it's cool to see them working together. Never heard of the other Annie until now, but she sounds good! So what do you all think? Are you excited for this release or is there something else you're waiting for? Comment back and let me know. Til next time...

Challenges and Channel Surfing (Plus a couple new songs....)

Hey guys! Another day, another song down! Check out my FB Page to see what I picked for today. The category was "Your Sports Entrance Song". I immediately thought of Queens "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" but I decided that was too obvious a choice. So, I went with plan B.

Remember when I said that I had entered a covers contest with Sound Underground? Well they have picked a winner and it's Heather Traska. Check the link to her channel out- she's amazing. The video editing is great, too. I really need to learn how to edit.

Finally... I got a couple videos through the grapvine I wanted to go ahead and share with you. The first is by Amy Lavere and it's a bit... different. I think it's pretty cool, though. It's got a very rough sound to it that is unlike most of what's out there so that definitely got my attention:



The second one is by Amy Hayes and it's called "Wait". If you like pop/country you're probably going to like this.

Tags: Wait, Amber Hayes, Amber Hayes Videos

Well, that's about it for now. Take care and see ya next time...

30 Day Song Challenge, Day 5 and MTV Turns 30....

Hey guys! I have just posted my answer to the 30 Day Song Challenge (Day 5). Check it out in the notes section of my Facebook Page. I also have made a playlist on my youtube account for it. Here it is...



In other news, at midnight tonight, MTV turns 30. VH1 Classic has been playing all kinds of old shows and specials this weekend to celebrate. At midnight, they are going to air the very first hour broadcast on MTV. Here is a cool write up about the famous logo, the changes it went through with some old promos thrown in.

Another Challenge: Miranda Lambert

Hey, guys.... posted a new 30 Day song challenge answer on my facebook page. If you haven't "liked" the page yet, please do... and pass along your page as well!

Today's was asking what your political campaign song would be. I think there was only one answer I could give given our current political climate on both sides. What do you think? Comment back and let me know...

30 Day Song Challenge, Take 2!

You might remember awhile back when I was doing the 30 Day Song Challenge (Most of it is on my personal FB). Well, I'm doing it again! I found a new one thanks to Metro Lyrics that I will be doing in the notes of my FB Page. I will also be doing some video blogs for this challenge as well. Check it out and play along! :)

Speaking of videos and favorite songs... I have also been busy adding playlists to my youtube account so check those out as well and let me know what you think. What would you add/delete? I also have my latest video blog up talking about the Adele/Gaga fans situation.

In other news... I have started working on a new short story for a book called Duets with my husband, CP Bialois. It's theme is "haunted" and is based on a writing prompt. Can't tell more than that at the moment, but I hope you'll enjoy when it's done.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. Take care and I'll see you next time!

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood "Remind Me"

So the video for Brad and Carrie's duet was released earlier. For those who haven't heard it/seen it, here it is:

Tags: Remind Me, Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood Videos

I think this review/discussion pretty much sums up my thoughts on the song really well. I would add that they sounded great together and I want more duets from them. I think my favorite part would have to be this bit right here:

[Carrie] Do you remember the way it felt?
[Brad] You mean back when we couldn't control ourselves
[Carrie] Remind me, remind me
[Brad] Yeah remind me
[Carrie] All those things that you used to do
That made me fall in love with you
Remind me. Oh Baby Remind Me

So what do you all think? Hit or Miss? Comment below and let's chat about it...

First Video Blog: Intro, Gloriana, Damages....

Enjoy and feel free to post your comments about anything talked about here or on youtube! :)

YouTube

Well, I have made myself a youtube channel and have already posted several favorites. I hope y'all will subscribe to it. I'll be using it to share video blogs, covers as I can, favorite songs, playlists... all that kind of thing.

Hope you enjoy!

Phil Vasser Gets it Together...

Just got this info through the grapevine and wanted to pass it along to y'all. I'm looking forward to Phil's new music coming out.... how about you? What is your favorite album of his? Comment and post your thoughts so wwe can chat about it!

Phil Vassar Writes Anthem for Arizona Rattlers!

Nashville, TN (June 27, 2010) Rodeowave recording artist, Phil Vassar, is "getting together" with the Arizona Rattlers arena football team and has customized a version of his latest hit single, "Let's Get Together," as the team's new fight song. The catchy “Rattler Hum” anthem has become very popular among the Rattler players and Coach Kevin Guy, Arizona’s Head Coach. Guy became friends with Phil after attending one of his concerts earlier this year.

“For an artist like Phil Vassar to take the time to write something for us is a pretty neat deal,” said Guy. “The guys will be bouncing around here fighting and stuff, and all of a sudden you’ll hear somebody singing the song out of the blue, so it’s kind of stuck with these guys a little bit, ” says Guy.

"Ron Shurts, one of the owners of the Rattlers is a friend of mine and he brought Coach Guy and some of the Rattlers players to one of my shows and we just clicked. Tony Mullens and I decided to write a little 'spin off' of 'Let's Get Together' for them to play at their home games," says Vassar.

Vassar’s current single, “Let’s Get Together,” which "Rattler Hum" is fashioned after, is climbing up the country radio charts and his full length project on Rodeowave Entertainment is expected later this year

Coverage

As you probably know from my earlier post, I was busy browsing the country news site The Boot today. I was pleasently surprised to come across this post. It's Little Big Town doing a cover of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep". As you might have seen, I am a huge fan of Adele and the song, and I think they did it justice. Enjoy and please feel free to share your own thoughts about the song!

By the way... if you look just below the video, you will see they have done quite a few other cover videos including a Lady Gaga one and a Bruno Mars cover. I just love when genres collide... :)

Tour and New Releases: Charlie Daniels/Rachel Holder

Got a couple new things to tell you about. If you love watching live dvds and Charlie Daniels you'll love this: He's released a DVD called "Charlie Daniels- Live from the BJCC". It's available now in a couple of different formats. Check out some more information about the release...

The Voice

So, I have a new TV obsession, The Voice. For those who have not seen it yet, here's a run down. There are four judges (Cee Lo Green, Adam Levin of Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton. The judges sit in huge chairs with their backs to the contestants so they can not see who is singing... they're just focusing on their voice. When a judge decides they really like a person, they press a button that allows them to turn around and see the singer.

Look Who's Back....

Phil Vasser has released a new single to radio today called "Let's Get Together" through rodeo wave entertainment. I can't wait to hear it, cause I've always been a fan of his music. To celebrate, here is one of my favorites from a few years back...



Also... still processing my thoughts on Voodoo Reloaded and will have a post soon. Til then... take care :)

Girl's Night Out and Looking Ahead.....

So, apparently whatever is possessing my TV decided to cut me a break. I got to see the Girl's Night Out special on CBS the other night and what a show it was! They honored Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Martina McBride and more.

Each person had a short video played about them and then one of their songs was played by another artist. After that, the honoree got to sing as well. My favorite performance was Carrie's "How Great Thou Art". Other highlights included Little Big Town's version of "Independence Day" and Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley singing "Hell on Heels". Rascal Flatts also did a good job with Reba's "Why Haven't I Heard From You". Here are a few videos from the special... Enjoy! And check your local listings for any potential repeats... especially on GAC or CMT if you missed it the first time around.







Check back in a couple of days when I will have a special post out about the book Across the Galaxy along with a Q&A with the author!

Sugarland Takes Over....

According to my friends at The Country Music Tattletale and other sources, Sugarland now has its own radio station! Check out all the details in this article.

I have to say I really need to try and check this out- it sounds great! Who's with me? Have you checked it out yet? If so I would love to hear your thoughts on it.... feel free to post em below!