Country Music Is Love

Tomorrow, Tomorrow....

2008-09-28T10:14:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to come back TOMORROW to see the NEW CMIL! We also have something else up our sleeve that you DO NOT want to miss!!!!

Brother Trouble Interview Part III

2008-09-28T06:00:00.004-04:00

Here's the 3rd and final installment of our time with Brother Trouble, Kenny Chesney's Next Big Star competition winners. This time the guys give us a tour of their bus! Check it out!!

If you missed Part I or II of the interview, watch them here!
Part I:

Part II:

New Music Coming to Radio

2008-09-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

There's a lot of new music coming our way!
According to Country Aircheck, these were the top downloaded songs to radio for last week! Exciting! We love to hear new music!

Gary Allan~ "She's So California"

Dierks Bentley~ "Feel That Fire"

Sara Evans~ "Low"

Jack Ingram~ "That's a Man"

Alan Jackson~ "Country Boy"

The Lost Trailers~ "How Bout You Don't"

Jamie O'Neal~ "Like A Woman"

Jessica Simpson~ "Remember That"

Jimmy Wayne~ "I Will"

Big Kenny on Tour

2008-09-28T06:00:00.002-04:00

Did y'all know that Big Kenny of Big & Rich is on tour? We didn't! He'll be doing a show in Boston in November as part of his "Happy People" tour in which he's singing fan favorites from Big & Rich as well as music from his upcoming solo project. This is the only date that we could find so far, but we'll keep you posted if he releases more!

If you're in the Boston area and want to go to this show, click here to purchase tickets.

Jessica Simpson to Appear on DWTS

2008-09-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

When you tune in to Dancing with the Stars to cheer on Julianne Hough on Tuesday, September 30th, you'll get the bonus of country newcomer Jessica Simpson! Jess will be the musical guest on the show that night and will perform her first country single, "Come On Over." The show will air at 9:00pm ET on your local ABC affiliate.

Be A GAC Superfan

2008-09-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Click here to become a GAC Superfan...it's pretty cool! By signing up for a free account, you'll be able to earn points just by watching GAC, playing trivia games, taking surveys, and playing a fun slot machine...you can then turn in your points for great prizes like a $50 gas card, an iPod, a digital camera, and plenty of GAC merchandise. Check it out!

Sugarland Cancels More Shows...

2008-09-27T13:39:00.005-04:00

Sugarland has cancelled a few more shows on their "Love on the Inside" tour due to illness. Tonight's show at The Big E in Springfield, MA as well as tomorrow's Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion Gilford, NH show are both cancelled. We have confirmed this with both venues. The Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion told us that the show would be rescheduled. We'll keep you updated.

Kid Rock Co-Hosting Country Countdown USA

2008-09-27T09:30:00.001-04:00

Tune in to the Country Countdown USA w/ Lon Helton this week where he'll be joined by co-host Kid Rock. Kid Rock's single "All Summer Long" is currently in the top 5 on the charts and still climbing. He'll talk about his friendship with many country stars including Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Gretchen Wilson, George Strait, and John Rich, and he'll also chat with Lon about his wedding at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge to Pamela Anderson.

You can hear audio clips of the show here.

Keep tuning in to the show - Kellie Pickler will co-host next weekend followed by Kenny Chesney the weekend after that!

2008-09-27T09:15:00.001-04:00

Here's Jessica Simpson performing on Thursday night in Canada. We still think she looks great...perhaps a little too much "out there," but hey, we bet it gave her male fans a thrill!

Taylor Swift in New York

2008-09-27T09:15:00.000-04:00

Taylor Swift never seems to slow down! Here she is in New York yesterday to help launch the new MySpace Music. She looks adorable and classy, as always!

GAC: Into the Circle

2008-09-27T06:00:00.008-04:00

Tune into GAC throughout the weekend to see Travis Tritt and James Otto on GAC's Into the Circle. The show takes you behind the scenes with up and coming artists and some of country music's hottest stars! Tune in tonight at 10pm (EST)! If you miss the first airing you can also catch Into the Circle at these times.

More Kellie Pickler!

2008-09-27T06:00:00.007-04:00

(Kellie helps celebrate Lance Smith's birthday this week on CMT's Top 20 Countdown)

With her upcoming album to be released on September 30th, you're going to be seeing a lot of Kellie Pickler in the next few weeks!

You can catch Kellie on this week's Top 20 Countdown on both GAC and CMT. You can also tune into NBC's The Today Show on Tuesday (9/30) and Wednesday (10/1) to see of Miss Pickler. Plus, Kellie will appear on Live With Regis and Kelly on Wednesday as well to do a sit down interview as well as perform her current hit, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful." After that, she'll head to Iowa where she'll join up with Sugarland on their fall "Love On The Inside" tour.

She told GAC, "I’m so thrilled to be on the Sugarland Tour. Not only are they incredible musicians and performers, but they are sweet, lovely people."

What a busy girl!!!

You can also catch Kellie on the cover of First Magazine where she dishes her three secrets to happiness and the philosophies by which she lives her life. We've got a sneak peek of the magazine for you!

Dierks Bentley & Wife Anticipating First Child

2008-09-27T06:00:00.005-04:00

Dierks Bentley is going to become a first time father any day now. He and his wife Cassidy are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first born child! Dierks told GAC Nights: Live From Nashville what the couple is doing to prepare for the baby.

"Some friends of mine threw a baby — I wouldn’t use the word ‘shower,’ ‘cause dudes don’t go to showers — but like a baby celebration-party kind of thing," he told the national radio show GAC. "But it was really cool. We weren’t really gonna ask for gifts or anything because we’ve been really blessed and can get our own stuff. But it was great, ‘cause people brought stuff, [brought] things that you wouldn’t even know you needed. My stage manager brought a big box full of random stuff I would never even think of, you know, like some device that pulls...snot out of the baby’s nose. We don’t know what we’re getting into is basically what I’m trying to say. We don’t actually have a crib yet. But we have this little thing called a Moses basket, which is pretty cool, which is gonna serve as the crib until it gets here."

We'll be sure to bring you the news of the baby Bentley's arrival as soon as we get it!!

Keith Urban on the Grand Ole Opry

2008-09-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

Keith Urban fans will want to tune into Opry Live tonight on their local GAC station. Keith will perform on the Grand Ole Opry to help celebrate Marty Stuart's 50th birthday! GAC will air the show live at 9:00pm ET and will then re-play the show throughout the weekend...you can check the air times here.

Monday, Monday...

2008-09-26T21:31:00.003-04:00

Monday is going to be a big day over here at CountryMusicIsLove...hmm, what could it be? Do we have a surprise in store for you? Do we possibly have TWO B-I-G surprises in store for you? You'll find out on Monday!

Luke Bryan's Must See LBTV!

2008-09-26T16:43:00.002-04:00

Check out Luke Bryan's latest webisode...also known as "must see LBTV." This week Luke takes you behind the scenes and on stage at the Capitol Pub Crawl (or is it Crub Pawl, Luke?!;)) Have we mentioned this man in hysterical?!

Carrie Underwood ~ #1 Video

2008-09-26T12:00:00.002-04:00

Carrie Underwood's video for "Just A Dream" reached #1 on both the CMT and GAC video countdown's this week! The song is currently in the top 10 on the Billboard charts and still climbing. Congrats to Team Carrie for putting out such a touching video...it obviously touches the fans! Here's the video in case you haven't seen it...

Luke Bryan to Host Chairty Event

2008-09-26T12:00:00.001-04:00

Luke Bryan will host a songwriter's night for charity in his home state of Georgia on October 5th. The event will benefit the YMCA of Albany, GA and will be held in honor of his late brother, Chris Bryan, as well as his late sister, Kelly Bryan Cheshire. Chris passed away as the result of a car accident and Kelly passed away last year from an undetected heart defect.

Various songwriters will be in attendance, including Dallas Davidson ("Put A Girl In It" and "Honky Tonk Ba-Donk-A-Donk,") Jim McCormick ("We Rode In Trucks" and "Louisiana,") Jason Matthews ("Must Be Doin' Something Right" and "Break Down Here,") Jeff Stevens ("Carried Away" and "Back When,") and Phillip White ("I'm Movin' On" and "I'm A Survivor.")

VIP tickets for the show cost $50 and reserved tickets cost $30. For more information on purchasing tickets, call 1-800-227-7989.

Julianne Hough - A Fellow Blogger!

2008-09-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

Julianne Hough is taking to the internet to share her experience this season on Dancing with the Stars. After each show airs, Julianne will post on a blog letting fans know how the show went and her thoughts on the other contestants.

In her first post on the blog, Julianne admitted being a little bit nervous since her boyfriend, country heartthrob Chuck Wicks, was in the audience and would be watching her dance for the first time! No worries though, Julianne later said that Chuck thought she did great!!

Feel free to leave Julianne comments on her blog...she's looking for fan interaction, so she may even respond to one of your comments!

More Kenny Chesney!

2008-09-26T06:00:00.013-04:00

Well, we thought with Kenny Chesney having just ended his summer tour, he'd start to slip out of the spotlight a little bit...but lucky for his fans, he's still around!! Here's a few things that have been on Kenny's mind now that touring isn't...

Charity ~ Earlier this year Kenny became a board member for the Plan!t Now organization and in light of all of the recent hurricanes, Kenny's trying to help put the organization in the spotlight. Plan!t Now "provides people, communities, and companies in high-rish regions the information they need to protect their families, homes, businesses, resources, and documents from the effects of any disaster through public service announcements, information offerings via many forms, and also by providing direct relief through grants and scholarships to hurricane-affected persons." Speaking of the orginization and of the recent hurricanes, Kenny says "Knowledge is your best defense, and putting that knowledge into action can make all the difference. A lot of this stuff is pretty basic, yet when a hurricane hits, there's not a lot of time to get ready. So that's the point of Plan!t Now: being ready, not needing to get ready. The last few weeks of the tour, we had so many people out with us who had homes or family in the eye of these different storms, and it becomes really personal. It really brings the reality of it into focus, and knowing that if you're ready, rather than thinking it can't happen to me, there's a big difference in how you fare." Kenny is urging people to visit Plan!t Now's website for all hurricane related information.
New music ~ By now you've heard that Kenny will release his new album, "Lucky Old Sun" on October 14th, but what you might now know is that Kenny has some special duet partners included in this project. Mac MacAnally, who wrote the Chesney concert favorite "Back Where I Come From," joins Kenny on another song he penned, "Down That Road." Kenny says "This is one of those songs I've loved forever -- and that really says everything about what we fall in love with, what we value...the things that matter, especially when building a future. Mac told me he wrote it one Christmas morning, waiting for his kids to wake up and open their presents and you can tell that's the kind of heart he writes with." We think it's pretty cool that Kenny is bringing Mac in to sing on the album with him...Kenny's been fortunate enough to duet with country greats like George Jones, Reba McEntire and George Strait, and it's nice to see him pay it forward and bring Mac in on this one! You can listen to a preview of this song here. Other duet partners on this album include Willie Nelson and Dave Matthews.
His life ~ Kenny reflects back on 2008's Poets & Pirate's tour as the most fun he's had on the road in the last couple of years. Everyone gets into a personal funk from time to time, and even with all of his fame and fortune, the past couple of years Kenny had found himself in one of those funks. Kenny told GAC Nights: Live From Nashville "We're taught as kids, the more you achieve the more money you get and the more success you have, that's supposed to equal happiness, and it's not that way. I mean, if you're not in the right place in your heart or your head, it don't matter how much money you've got, you're miserable." Lucky for Kenny, and for his fans, time spent working with Willie Nelson this past winter helped snap Kenny out of that low time. Willie can be found dueting with Kenny on the title track to the upcoming album "Lucky Old Sun."
His current radio hit ~ "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven" is a song that Kenny thinks his fans can relate to since he relates so well to it in his own life. Says Chesney, "When I heard that song, I realized there was a lot for me to live for, and I was just wantin' to try to get as much of it as I could, you know? I got a great life, you know, and I've got a unique one. It's a double-edge sword sometimes, but you know, when I heard 'everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to go no,' I mean, it was just a phrase that I felt like that was very common among the people that came to see our show every summer. And the whole groove of it was, you know, like several songs on this record. I felt like it really defined what we do live."

Well it sounds like Kenny is still pretty busy even though he's not touring. Hopefully once his album drops next month, he'll be able to take some time to rest and relax!

Chart Update

2008-09-26T06:00:00.008-04:00

It's time for your weekly Billboard country singles chart update!

- Darius Rucker glides into the No. 1 spot after 23 weeks on the chart! What an accomplishment with his very first country single...we think Darius is here to stay and that he's going to do well in the country format!

- Knocking hard at the door to that No. 1 spot is Kenny Chesney who takes over the No. 2 spot this week with his current hit, "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven." The song has only been on the charts for 8 weeks and is the lead single from Kenny's forthcoming album, "Lucky Old Sun."

- Toby Keith breaks into the top 5 at No. 5 this week with his hit, "She Never Cried In Front Of Me." This song is still climbing after 13 weeks on the charts.

- Three rising country stars hold steady this week at the same spot they were last week. Luke Bryan stays at No. 12 with "Country Man," Chuck Wicks stays at No. 14 with "All I Ever Wanted," and Jason Aldean holds place at No. 15 with "Relentless."

- Taylor Swift makes a big jump this week from No. 25 to No. 18 with "Love Story," the first single off her upcoming album, "Fearless." This is only the song's second week on the charts and it's moving fast!

- Our favorite new band, the Zac Brown Band, are still climbing with their single, "Chicken Fried." They land at No. 22 this week.

- Sugarland rounds out the top 25 landing at No. 25 with their new single "Already Gone." Their last release, "All I Want To Do" is still on the charts at No. 24 after climbing all the way to No. 1 for the duo!

Lady Antebellum on Craig Ferguson TONIGHT!

2008-09-26T06:00:00.002-04:00

Tune into the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight to catch Lady Antebellum perform their new hit single, "Lookin' For A Good Time"...check your local CBS listings.

Gary Allan Loses Father

2008-09-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

Our sympathies go out to Gary Allan's entire family as they deal with the loss of Gary's father, Harley Herzberg who passed away on Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Harley Herzberg Memorial Fund, c/ Gifts Processing, VU Station B # 357727, Nashville, TN 37235. You can also click here to make a donation.

Sugarland Cancels Show

2008-09-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

If you're supposed to see Sugarland soon, you may be out of luck. The duo has canceled their show tomorrow night in Pennsylvania due to an illness. Since the show was to be held at a fair, there is no opportunity to reschedule. There's no official word yet on whether or not other shows are being affected, but we hear they've canceled / re-scheduled their upcoming shows through next week. We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear more official news.

Don't Forget

2008-09-25T21:02:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Don't forget to tune in online tomorrow morning to Froggy 99.9 at 8:40 am (EST) to hear our radio spot.

You can hear us every Friday morning on the Mike, April, & Randy show!

Brother Trouble Interview Part II

2008-09-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here's Part II of our interview with Brother Trouble, the winners of The Next Big Star competition! This time the guys give us a lesson on what "y'all-ternative" is. Check it out!

Did you miss Part I? Click HERE to view it.

Weighing in on Jessica Simpson

2008-09-25T09:45:00.001-04:00

Hmmmm, this is a loaded topic of conversation right here! OK! Magazine has a feature in their upcoming issue about Jessica Simpson's recent weight gain and even quotes a "friend" who says that "Whether she's catching one of Tony's games, or just hanging out with him, she'll throw back a couple of beers, eat some pizza and just have fun. She is just in a different place than she used to be and her weight is a reflection of that."

This is Jessica one year ago, in September 2007 (pre - Tony Romo) :

This was Jessica just a couple of weeks ago performing on Good Morning America. Clearly Jessica is heavier, but we don't think the outfit is very flattering either...
Now here at CountryMusicIsLove we definitely have our struggles with Jessica, that's no secret...but come on, even with a little more meat on her bones, Jessica still looks great. Jessica is, after all, just a regular person like the rest of us and how mortifying it must be to be in a magazine because of your weight gain! This picture was taken at a performance just last month...honestly, she looks fabulous! We think the magazines should maybe put a little more energy into PROMOTING self-esteem, not ruining it!

Taylor Swift Planning "Fearless" Re-release Already??

2008-09-25T06:00:00.009-04:00

So, word has it that the reason Taylor Swift's upcoming album, Fearless only has 11 tracks is because she's already planning two separate re-releases of the album with two additional songs each time! We're not sure if this is legit, but that's what we heard. But now Nashville Gab posted this yesterday and it looks like Team Taylor might have thought better of that idea and quickly added 2 more songs to the original release. Hmmmm...

How do you guys feel about this? Wouldn't you rather just buy ONE CD and get all of the music??

*UPDATE* Taylor posted a blog on her MySpace confirming that Fearless will have 13 songs and that the last 2 were added recently. She also talks about how excited she is for her song "White Horse" to be featured in tonight's 2 hour season premiere of Grey's Anatomy!

Blake Shelton Video Premiere TODAY!

2008-09-25T06:00:00.008-04:00

Check out Blake Shelton's new video for "She Wouldn't Be Gone" today only!! Click HERE to check it out!

Listen UP!

2008-09-25T06:00:00.004-04:00

Well since there's lots of buzz about the upcoming CMT Tour with Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum, we thought we'd feature the show's opener, Eric Durrance for you!

Eric is a native of Tallahassee, FL and currently splits his time between there and Nashville. With strong family ties deep rooted in music, Eric feels quite at home in country music. Not only does he have the looks and the voice, Eric's talents run even deeper with his songwriting. Eric says "I'm really a songwriter first and I always put the song first." With that kind of enthusiasm about the music, we bet the fans will love his style!

Check out his website to listen to his music..."Angels Fly Away" is a GREAT, moving song and you should definitely give it a listen. If you're in the mood for something a little more comical, check out "Turn It Off"...we think the listeners will be able to see a lot of themselves in this song!

CMT Tour Preview

2008-09-25T06:00:00.003-04:00

Lucky Nashville fans got to go to the Exit/In on Tuesday night and get a sneak peek at the upcoming CMT Tour. Lady Antebellum performed 4 songs and Jason Aldean performed 6 songs, giving fans a glimpse of what they can expect when the tour kicks off on October 8th in N.C.

Are you guys planning on going to the CMT Tour? We are and we can't wait!

New Kellie Pickler

2008-09-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

Kellie Pickler recently added a few songs from her new self-titled album to her MySpace page. The album hits stores this coming Tuesday, September 30th. Check out "Rocks Instead of Rice," "Somebody To Love Me", and "Best Days of Your Life" HERE. Kellie teamed up with Taylor Swift to write "Best Days of Your Life." We could totally see this being a future single!

ALSO, we came across Kellie's CMT Loaded videos. They are a must see! Kellie is hilarious and SO BLONDE!

Click HERE for part 1, you will see parts 2 & 3 on the video prompt to the right.

New Webisode from Lady Antebellum

2008-09-24T13:38:00.001-04:00

It's Wednesday which means it's time for Lady Antebellum's "Webisode Wednesday!!"

Enjoy!

Brother Trouble Interview Part I

2008-09-24T10:45:00.005-04:00

We sat down with the winners of the Next Big Star competition, Brother Trouble while we were in Indianapolis! As the winners of the entire competition, not only did Brother Trouble have a chance to open for Kenny Chesney in Nashville on July 5th, they also opened for the LAST 3 shows of the Poets & Pirates Tour, PLUS got their own tour bus, a check for $25,000, and a chance for a record deal with BNA!!

Here's Part I of our interview with the guys from Brother Trouble!!!

Life 'Peaceful' in Nashville for the Urbans

2008-09-24T06:00:00.020-04:00

Brooks & Dunn member Ronnie Dunn tells People magazine that life is, and will continue to be, peaceful in Nashville for the Urban clan.

Ronnie said that he received a text message from Keith Urban recently telling him of the craziness that's currently surrounding them. Of the text message, Ronnie says "He said she (Sunday Rose) thinks that every time they get in a car there's a rubber hailstorm from paparazzi cameras hitting the car. I offered to fly in a redneck SWAT team!"

The Urban's are currently in London where Nicole is shooting a film, but Ronnie predicts that things will quiet down once they return home to Nashville. He says "Nashville isn't oriented [toward celebrity.] It will be more peaceful for them here." We bet they can't wait to get back to Nashville to settle down for a while!

Carrie Underwood Best Dressed

2008-09-24T06:00:00.018-04:00

Carrie Underwood made the cover of People Magazine's Best and Worst Dressed Issue. This dress helped her win the title of "Best Exotic."

This isn't the first time Carrie has been recognized for her fashion! As we previously mentioned, the blonde beauty recently won the title of Red Carpet Fashion Icon on the Teen Choice Awards!

In other Carrie news, her "Carnival Ride Tour" kicked off last night in Ohio. The tour runs through December. Click HERE for a full list of dates.

Countdown to Chesney's "Lucky Old Sun"

2008-09-24T06:00:00.017-04:00

Starting this week, fans will get a sneak peek at Kenny Chesney's new album! Kenny will release one song per week to iTunes.

This week, you can purchase, "Nowhere To Go, Nowhere To Be." Next Tuesday, "Key's in the Conch Shell" will be available, followed by "Spirit of a Storm" on October 7th. The full album, "Lucky Old Sun" is set to hit stores October 14th. This album leads Kenny back to his original love of song-writing, having written or co-written the songs "I'm Alive," "Way Down Here," "Boats," "Spirit Of A Storm," and "Nowhere To Go, Nowhere To Be."

Keep in mind, the purchase of each song on iTunes will count toward the total purchase of the entire CD by using the "complete my album" option after October 14th.

Kenny Chesney isn't the only artist releasing an album this way...Taylor Swift is also giving fans a sneak peek at her new album, Fearless, each week through November 11th.

Win a Brooks & Dunn Flyaway!

2008-09-24T06:00:00.016-04:00

Brooks & Dunn want to send you and 3 friends to Vegas!!!

Enter THIS contest for a chance to be VIP guests at a Brooks & Dunn show this December in Vegas! If you win, you'll get to meet them too!

New Music From Craig Morgan

2008-09-24T06:00:00.015-04:00

The newest invitee to the Grand Ole Opry has some new music coming out! Craig Morgan will release his first new music in almost two years when he releases "That's Why" through BNA Records on October 21st.

The first single from the album, "Love Remembers," is currently sitting at No. 20 on the Billboard charts and it's still climbing! Here's the rest of the songs on the CD...

1. Love Remembers
2. Lookin' Back With You
3. That's Why
4. Sticks
5. God Must Really Love Me
6. Summer Sundown
7. Every Red Light
8. It Took a Woman
9. Planet Her
10. Ordinary Angels

Country Cruise

2008-09-24T06:00:00.014-04:00

If you need a nice getaway this Winter, head on down to Miami, FL and catch the Carnival Valor for a country cruise from February 22 - March 1. The annual "Ultimate Country Music Vacation" will feature non-stop music with performances by headliner Mark Chesnutt, Dale Watson, John Carter, Daniel Lee Martin, Rustie Blue, Rick Henry, and Lisa Weyerhaeuser...and not only will you get to hear and see the performers, but you'll get to mingle with them too!

Click here for more information...it sounds like a GREAT time!

A Country Christmas

2008-09-24T06:00:00.008-04:00

Julianne Hough is teaming up with Target to release a Christmas album on October 12th. The disc is part of a series through NBC called, Sounds of the Season.

Faith Hill's "Joy to the World" debuts next Tuesday, but you can listen to the entire album online HERE!!

George Strait's "Classic Christmas" will hit stores October 7th.

Our friend over at Nashville Gab reported that Randy Travis is releasing Christmas on the Pecos, a holiday DVD, November 4th.

Sony BMG is releasing "Elvis Presley: Christmas Duets" on October 14th.

Brooks & Dunn will be hosting a radio event called "An American Country Christmas." (Dates and times aren't available yet, but we'll keep you posted!)

Rodney Atikins, Montgomery Gentry, Heidi Newfield, Charlie Daniels, and Phil Vassar are all taking part in Christmas for Kids at the Ryman in Nashville. Click HERE for more information. Tickets are already on sale!

New Site Coming SOON

2008-09-23T18:16:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! We wanted to take a few moments to fill you in on what's going on with CMIL! We are getting ready to launch a BRAND NEW site very soon!!! The new site will have more features to help you stay up to date on everything country music!

We just wanted to let you know that some major changes are on the way and we're really excited to bring them to you! Thank you for all of the e-mails, comments, and support! We really appreciate it!

Love & Country Music Always,
Erin & Lauren

Chuck Wicks Supports Julianne Hough

2008-09-23T06:00:00.017-04:00

New country couple Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough are busy people right now. Chuck is busy touring to promote his music and Julianne is out in L.A. for her stint on Dancing With The Stars...but even though they can't be together constantly, it seems like they're never far from each others minds!

Before a recent tour stop in FL, Chuck spoke to the Palm Beach Post about Julianne, saying "She's wonderful. She's so beautiful in so many ways and she's a great talent. I'm so glad I met her. She puts a big old smile on my face. I think a lot of people are going to find out what a sweetheart she is the more they get to know her and I think people are going to fall in love with her even more."

Chuck also says that he'll be out in L.A. supporting Julianne a lot while the show is going on. So will we ever get to see Chuck out on the dance floor of Dancing With The Stars? Probably not. Of his dancing abilities, Chuck says "No, I can't really dance too well. If she was my teacher, I would learn real quick, I'm sure! She's taught me a few things and I pick up on them, but I laugh the whole time I'm doing it just because it's so funny to me. If I were to dance with anybody it would be her."

So cute...it sounds like Julianne has Chuck's full support! Did anyone catch the season premiere of DWTS last night? We weren't able to watch it. How did Julianne do? Was Chuck in the audience?

Hear Taylor Swift On Grey's Anatomy

2008-09-23T06:00:00.016-04:00

Remember how we told you that Taylor Swift LOVES Grey's Anatomy and that her dream is to co-star in an episode? Well now Taylor's getting her chance to be on Grey's...sort of! One of Taylor's new songs from her upcoming album will be featured in the Grey's season premiere this Thursday, September 25th on ABC. While Taylor is keeping quiet on which song it will be, she says "It's one of the songs that I am really proud of on the record because it's so sparse -- it's guitar, piano and cello. It talks about falling in love and the fairy tales that you are going to have with this person, and then there is that moment where you realize that it is not going to happen. That moment is the most earth-shattering moment."

Hmmmm...Taylor's comments make us REALLY curious as to what's going to happen on the season opener! Tune in Thursday to find out and to hear Taylor's debut on Grey's Anatomy!

Kenny Chesney Reflects on Farm Aid

2008-09-23T06:00:00.015-04:00

With his tour just ending ending and his Caribbean vacation just beginning, it may have seen like an inconvenient time for Kenny Chesney to head up to New England to perform at Farm Aid this past weekend. But for Kenny, it was a natural answer of "yes" when his good friend, Willie Nelson, approached him about participating in the annual event. Kenny told Dial-Global "I think that anything that we can do to help our own country and the people that help make our country what it is, is a good thing. The great thing about doin' this particular show is that it's kind of genre-less. It's people that love music. It's where everything is universal. There's no genre that day -- it's just all singer-songwriters and people that are there because they really want to be and really want to help the American farmer. And it's a good thing to do."

We dug up a few more pictures from the show...enjoy!

Win A Trip to Dancing With The Stars!

2008-09-23T06:00:00.014-04:00

Julianne Hough wants YOU in the studio audience when Dancing With The Stars has it's final show of the season in November! Click here for your chance to win airfare, hotel, and tickets to this season's finale in Hollywood!!

Stars For Second Harvest

2008-09-23T06:00:00.012-04:00

Song-writer Craig Wiseman is holding the "Stars For Second Harvest" benefit show tonight at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Wiseman, who has written such hits as "Live Like You Were Dying" (Tim McGraw,) "The Good Stuff" (Kenny Chesney,) "Something's Gotta Give" (LeAnn Rimes,) and "Hillbilly Deluxe" (Brooks & Dunn,) will be joined tonight with performances by Dierks Bentley, John Rich, Tony Mullins and Billy Dean.

If you're in the Nashville area, you can get tickets through Ticketmaster for $35...proceeds will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Everyone Loves Kellie Pickler!

2008-09-22T12:09:00.002-04:00

You already know that we love us some Kellie Pickler...well apparently Hazel Smith over at CMT does too! We love Hazel and we look forward to Hot Dish posts every week, so we were delighted to find her page filled with Kellie today! Click here to read about Hazel's phone conversation with Ms. Pickler!

Jessica Simpson Shows Her Support!

2008-09-22T12:04:00.005-04:00

Jessica Simpson showed her support for her man (Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo) yesterday while wearing a jersey with his #9 on it while departing from LAX. Maybe her support was good luck...the Cowboys won yesterday on the road against the Green Bay Packers, 27-16! And so much for the "curse" that many Dallas fans thought that Jessica brought to the team...the Cowboys have opened up the season with 3 straight wins!

Ashton Shepherd

2008-09-22T06:00:00.005-04:00

Country newcomer Ashton Shepherd is hitting the road with Sugarland this fall. The 22 year old wrote 7 of the 11 songs on her debut album, Sounds So Good, which is in stores now. To be honest, we weren't big fans of her first single, "Takin' Off This Pain," we thought it sounded a lot like a bad version of Gretchen Wilson and well, we just didn't dig it, but we like her new single, "Sounds So Good." You can check out her current video here at CMT.com.

When she's not touring, Ashton is spending time with her 3 year old son and husband in their hometown that's about 5 1/2 hours from Nashville. When asked if she'd ever move to Nashville, Ashton said, "It's just not me. I just can't. When I get back home and then I go to a big place, I just don't know how people stand the noise and the busyness. I like being out of the way. I have to drive 5½ hours home every time from Nashville...That's sort of like my little sanctuary." Even if she doesn't move to Nashville, we're sure she'll be spending a lot of time there!

Want to see more? You can also watch Ashton Shepherd on CMT's Unplugged at Studio 330 HERE.

Add This!!!

2008-09-22T06:00:00.003-04:00

Do you LOVE CountryMusicIsLove? Do you have a MySpace, website, or blog?
If you would like to add a link to our website from yours, just copy the code provided below. The clickable image will show up on your page and directly link people straight to CountryMusicIsLove.

Want to Meet Martina McBride?

2008-09-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

Martina McBride is surprising her fans with meet and greet passes during her fall tour. Fans who purchase Martina's Official Tour Book at merchandise stands during her shows will have a chance to meet her! Two sets of passes will be given randomly out per show. If you are planning on attending a show, this is a great way to have a chance to meet her!

Fan Story: Missy & Chuck Wicks

2008-09-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

We just ran across Missy's pictures from her Chuck Wicks experience on Saturday night and decided we HAD to share her awesome story with you!

Missy hit up the Paisley Party Tour stop in West Palm Beach, FL. This was her first time seeing Chuck and she said it would NOT be her last (of course after this awesome story)! She had spent hours making a shirt for him that included a few titles of his songs. Naturally, she staked out her spot under Chucks mic as soon as she got there.

A few songs of Chucks set went by and Missy was having a blast. To her surprise, during "She's Gonna Hurt Somebody," Chuck walked over to her and PULLED her up on stage. The funny thing is, the front of her shirt said, "She's Gonna Hurt Somebody," so it was perfect timing. Chuck and Missy danced and sang together on stage. Missy said she was in "HEAVEN" while she was up there- What a lucky girl! Chuck Wicks is super cute- any girl would love to be up there with him!

Congrats Missy- that's a night you will never forget!

Kenny Chesney Farm Aid Pictures

2008-09-21T10:37:00.009-04:00

Here are a few pics (courtesy of our friend Sue - she was at the show and said it was Awesome!) of Kenny Chesney performing his acoustic set at yesterday's Farm Aid event in Mansfield, MA. Willie Nelson joined Kenny on stage when Kenny sang "10 With A 2" from Kenny's upcoming "Lucky Old Sun" album as well as "Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning"...both of those songs were written by Willie.

Zac Brown Band Review

2008-09-21T06:00:00.007-04:00

Hey everyone, it's Lauren! Although I was extremely exhausted from the past 3 weekends' adventures (Kenny Chesney in Tampa and Jacksonville, Luke Bryan in Tampa, and Kenny in Indy) I couldn't pass up a chance to see the Zac Brown Band live. They played a small club in downtown Orlando on Friday night. I have been listening to their album, "The Foundation", non stop, so naturally, I was excited to hear them live.
They rocked! I really don't know what it is or how to describe it, but they are just so original, and I can't get enough! They played a lot of the songs I like from their album including "Chicken Fried" (which is at country radio now,) "Toes," and "Whatever It Is," but they also played a few songs I had never heard before and I enjoyed them as well. Oh, and their cover of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" was AMAZING! Those guys are VERY talented!
I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout at the venue too! I had no idea that people in Orlando liked this type of music- the club was the most packed I have ever seen it! Sad to say, but people who live here aren't the most country lovin' people I've ever met...anyway, everyone seemed to have a great time- I know I did!
"Chicken Fried" currently sits at #24 on the R&R Country Chart. If you like it, request it, if you haven't heard it- listen NOW! It's great!!! AND if you have a chance to see ZBB, take it up! You won't regret it!

New! Chuck Wicks Webisodes

2008-09-21T06:00:00.005-04:00

Chuck Wicks and his team recently launched ChuckTV. It seems like a lot of artists are starting to post weekly webisodes to help keep their fans in the know!

Here's the most recent episode of ChuckTV!

Craig Morgan Invited Into The Grand Ole Opry

2008-09-21T06:00:00.004-04:00

It seems like it's a good week for tear jerking videos around here! First it was Jake Owen melting our hearts and then Montgomery Gentry...this time it's Craig Morgan as he was invited to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. He, of course, accepted the invitation and will join the Opry family on October 25th. Congrats Craig, this obviously means the world to you!

Country Weekly Features the DB Congress

2008-09-21T06:00:00.003-04:00

One of our good concert buddies, Ronna and her friends in the Dierks Bentley Congress are featured in the current issue of Country Weekly! How cool is that?!

Pick up the October 6th issue and turn to page 62 to read more about their experience with soon to be father, Dierks Bentley!

Don't forget to keep requesting his new single, "Feel That Fire!"

PS: That is one HOT picture of Dierks!! Don't you think?!

Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You

2008-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

The beautiful and talented Faith Hill is celebrating her 41st Birthday today! Happy Birthday Mrs. McGraw!!

Watch Farm Aid - LIVE!

2008-09-20T17:19:00.003-04:00

Click HERE to watch Farm Aid LIVE - Kenny Chesney is set to take the stage in just a few minutes!

***Sorry everyone! Kenny is singing live right now, but they must have decided not to air his portion of the set!***

Listen to Farm Aid Live!

2008-09-20T13:39:00.007-04:00

Tune in NOW (2pm EST) for exclusive interviews and behind the scenes information LIVE from Farm Aid 2008 in Mansfield, Mass. where Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews Band, Jamey Johnson, John Mellancamp, and Kenny Chesney will soon hit the stage! Starting at 6pm you can hear the actual concert broadcast! Click HERE to tune in.

New Luke Bryan Webisode

2008-09-20T08:39:00.002-04:00

Here's another Must See LBTV for you! This week, Luke Bryan recaps his experiences on Kenny Chesney's Poet & Pirates Tour!

Carolyn Dawn Johnson's New Arrival

2008-09-20T06:00:00.006-04:00

Country singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson and her husband, Matt Fisher, welcomed their first child, a daughter, on Tuesday, September 16th. Abigail Grace was born at 3:02am and Mom & baby are doing great! Carolyn says of the new arrival "we are in love!" Congrats to the happy family!

Jimmy Wayne In His Underwear & Handcuffs!!

2008-09-20T06:00:00.005-04:00

Jimmy Wayne had quite the experience on Thursday on his way home from a California radio show! Read Jimmy's own commentary of the chain of events when he kept setting off the metal detector...

"I kept trying to get through and it would go off...finally the TSA officer said something to the effect of, 'Remove your shorts,' and I thought to myself, 'Now that sounds a little weird, but I guess it's okay – I mean they show guys in boxers in the Sunday paper ads, right? I guess maybe between not having enough sleep and not understanding him ... I don't know. I did it! He flipped! I ran back to the belt – I thought I could grab my shorts real fast – but the belt sucked the shorts up in the X-ray into the other side. So now I'm stuck in my boxers and everyone's staring."

The incident didn't end here...they actually called for police backup and Jimmy was questioned (and handcuffed!) for 25 minutes before they let him go...in HIS UNDERWEAR!!!

Lol, at least it's publicity and any publicity is good publicity, right?!

Montgomery Gentry & Chantz!

2008-09-20T06:00:00.004-04:00

Are you a Montgomery Gentry fan? If you are, then awesome, they're great guys...if you're not, well just watch this video and we're sure that you'll turn into one! Oh, and have a tissue handy...this is SUCH a heart-warming video. Kudos to MG for taking the time to remember what it's all about!

Toby Keith's Beer For My Horses

2008-09-20T06:00:00.003-04:00

Toby Keith's Beer For My Horses is hitting more theaters this weekend. Here is a list of where you can catch the flick.

Has anyone seen it yet? What did you think?

In other Toby news, he was recently recognized by the U.S. Congress for his continued service to the troops. To date, Toby has made a total of SIX USO trips, one of which was actually interrupted by fire.

After hearing the news, Toby said, "The real glory belongs to those men and women I’ve met who leave their families and put it on the line for the rest of us." He added, "Getting to visit with them once a year is the biggest honor for me, and I will encourage other artists and performers to make that USO trip."

GAC: Into the Circle

2008-09-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

GAC has a new series called Into the Circle and it sounds pretty interesting!

The show will take you behind the scenes with up and coming artists who hope to follow in the footsteps of some of the industry's hottest stars. The first episode airs tonight at 10 pm (EST) and features Kellie Pickler and Trace Adkins. Feature episodes will include artists such as James Otto, Travis Tritt, and Vince Gill. Click HERE for a full listing of showtimes.

Behind the Scenes with Julianne Hough

2008-09-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

CMT Insider takes you behind the scenes of Julianne Hough's new video, "My Hallelujah Song."
Click HERE to check it out!

Also, don't forget to vote for Julianne each week on ABC's Dancing with the Stars!

Capitol Pub Crawl

2008-09-19T15:28:00.006-04:00

The Capitol Pub Crawl was held last night in Nashville! Trace Adkins, Darius Rucker, Emily West, and Luke Bryan entertained over 9,000 fans for FREE! They are pictured above with Capitol CEO Mike Dungan.

Did you go? We wish we could have been there!!!

Kenny Chesney ~ Swimming With Sharks?!

2008-09-19T10:42:00.004-04:00

Now that his summer tour has come to an end for 2008, Kenny Chesney is looking for other ways to get his adrenaline flowing. Kenny tells GAC Nights Live From Nashville that he’d like to swim with sharks! Kenny says “That’d be great. I was watching this thing on TV the other day about how these people would go and get in these cages and swim with sharks. It was like ‘Wow!’ That’d be a rush. You know, I saw that move [The Bucket List]. I don’t want to jump out of an airplane. I don’t like heights. I don’t want to bungee jump, you know? There are other things that’d make you feel alive…So, yeah, one day I’d love to do that. I’d love to swim with sharks. It’d be a big rush for me. To be that close to a great white, it’d be really, really awesome.”

In other Kenny news, you can catch him on the November cover of Caribbean Travel & Life. Noting that the island life has no doubt changed his own pace, Kenny says “The way people live is just different down there. The pace is slower, the vibe is easier. I know why people go down there on vacation and never go home…and the people at Caribbean Travel & Life get that. And they seem to know how to get people who are maybe only visiting – or just sitting in a chair in their office somewhere – to that place in which you can feel the island.”

Even though he’s done with touring for the year, Kenny hasn’t slipped completely out of sight yet. He’ll release his next album, “Lucky Old Sun” on October 14th and appear as the artist with the most nominations at the CMA Awards on November 12th.

Luke Bryan Honors Legend

2008-09-19T06:00:00.011-04:00

Wednesday night during the ACM Honors at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Luke Bryan had the chance to pay tribute to one of his all-time favorite artists, Conway Twitty. Of the legend, Luke says "I don't remember a time in my life that I was not a die hard Conway Twitty fan." Luke entertained the crowd with his version of Conway's "Hello Darlin" as Conway was honored with a Pioneer Award.
This picture was taken just this past weekend...check out Luke's t-shirt...he was sporting the image of none other than Conway Twitty!

Luke also often pays tribute to the legend during his own live shows with his cover of "Lay You Down." Here's a clip...

Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You...

2008-09-19T06:00:00.009-04:00

Country powerhouse Trisha Yearwood (also known as Mrs. Garth Brooks!) is celebrating her birthday today...Happy Birthday Trisha!

Jake Owen & Partner!

2008-09-19T06:00:00.008-04:00

Country Weekly has this posted on their website and it is TOO CUTE not to share with you! An 8 year old's dream came true when Jake Owen pulled him on stage to duet with him during fan favorite, "Eight Second Ride." You can read the whole story here...this kid is a natural!

Darius Rucker's Star-Studded CD

2008-09-19T06:00:00.006-04:00

By now you've heard that Hootie and the Blowfish front man, Darius Rucker, released his first country album this week...but have you heard that there's some serious star power on the album? Darius enlisted the help of country giants Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, and Brad Paisley for his first country project! Darius told The Memphis Commercial Appeal "Having Alison Krauss, Vince Gill and Brad Paisley on your record adds credibility for sure. All the performers were so great, and so great at what they do. These people are at the top of their genre, and for them to take their time and come down to sing and play was awesome...Everybody delivers when they show up. Listening to Brad Paisley play guitar on my song was a day I'll never forget."

Darius is staying busy during the release week of his CD...he will once again take the stage of the Grand Ole Opry this weekend as he performs there on Saturday night. You can catch the performance live on GAC...check your local listings for that.

Darius seems so genuine, humble and excited about his future in country music...we think he's one crossover that's here to stay!

Chart Update

2008-09-19T06:00:00.005-04:00

An interesting week as far as the No. 1 spot on the charts this week! Also a lot of slow and steady climbers, and finally some female action in the top 10!

- After reaching the top of the charts with "Do You Believe Me Now," Jimmy Wayne slipped back to the No. 2 spot last week. Well apparently he wasn't content with that spot, since he once again regains the No. 1 with his current hit!

- It seems like plenty of folks are hanging onto summer as long as they can with Kid Rock's hit "All Summer Long." That one moves into the top 5 this week landing at No. 5 from No. 6 last week.

- Carrie Underwood finally brings the female edge to the top 10 with "Just A Dream." That single moves up to No. 8 from No. 11 last week.

- Chuck Wicks makes a good jump from No. 18 to No. 14 with his current single "All I Ever Wanted."

- Lady Antebellum is still climbing with good momentum as they move up from No. 24 to No. 19 with their feel good song "Lookin' For A Good Time."

- Taylor Swift bursts onto the chart with "Love Story" which is the first release from her upcoming album, "Fearless." "Love Story" lands at No. 25 in it's very first week on the charts!

Smell Like Tim McGraw

2008-09-19T06:00:00.002-04:00

Tim McGraw's fragrance, MCGRAW, is hitting stores soon. The cologne's ad campaign was recently released and Tim is ready to see where it takes him.

"Creating my own fragrance is an exciting new endeavor for me," McGraw said. "Coty has a great creative and marketing team, one of the best in the industry, and I'm looking forward to working with them."

Coty is the world's largest fragrance company. The company also manages fragrances for Shania Twain, Celine Dion, and Jennifer Lopez.

Alan Jackson Wants Your Help

2008-09-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

Alan Jackson needs your help creating his next video! Check it out!

Don't Forget

2008-09-18T21:15:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Don't forget to tune in online tomorrow morning to Froggy 99.9 at 8:40 am (EST) to hear our radio spot.

Every Friday morning you can hear us on the Mike, April, & Randy show!

CMA Award Promo

2008-09-18T17:34:00.000-04:00

This was just posted to You Tube! Check it out!!!

Free Music Tonight In Nashville!

2008-09-18T12:00:00.002-04:00

If you're in the Nashville area, head on down to the Capitol Pub Crawl tonight! You'll get entertained with free music by Trace Adkins, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, and Emily West! The event will kick-off at 6pm on Demonbreun Street near the Tin Roof and Dan McGuinness...get there a little early to play the new Sing Star Country game on PlayStation2! If you're the best one at the game, you'll win Meet & Greet passes for Trace Adkins as well as a brand new PS2 along with the Sing Star Country game!! If you can make it, HAVE FUN - we SO wish we could be there for this event...it's going to be a great night!!

A Busy Time For Kellie Pickler

2008-09-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

Kellie Pickler is gearing up to kick-off a very busy fall and winter! On September 30th, Kellie will release her new album, "Kellie Pickler," by appearing on NBC's The Today Show. She'll then hit the road to promote her new album by touring with superstar group, Sugarland. Kellie will follow that by ringing in the new year by co-hosting Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's along with her American Idol pal, Ryan Seacrest.

Kellie's current hit is the first single of off her new album, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful." The album will also feature songs co-written by Kellie including "Best Days Of Your Life" (which she wrote with Taylor Swift!,) "I Just Want Somebody To Love Me," and "One Last Time."

What do you guys think? Are you looking forward to the new album by Kellie? We definitely are...we love Kellie!

If you're a big Kellie fan and you want to help promote her, grab one of these banners and add them to your MySpace, Facebook, or website!

New Music From Toby Keith

2008-09-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

Toby Keith has a new CD coming out next month, and never to be one that forms to the norm, this CD will be a bit different for Toby. "Missing Me Some You" is a song that was inspired by one of Toby's trips to Iraq and features a blues feel to the music. "Cry Of The Creole Woman" is more of a southern rock song telling of a man who goes into a Louisianna bar, gets taken up to a girls room, and as Toby puts it, "she puts the mojo on him and curses him." The album will also feature a couple of steamy love songs from Toby - HOT! Here's the track listing for the album...

That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy
Creole Woman
God Love Her
Lost You Anyway
Missing Me Some You
Hurt A Lot Worse When You Go
Time That It Would Take
You Already Love Me
She Never Cried In Front Of Me (currently in the top 10 on the charts!)
Cabo San Lucas
I Got It For You Girl

Our Guide To The CMA Music Festival

2008-09-18T06:00:00.025-04:00

At this time last year, we were busy planning our June adventure to Nashville for the annual CMA Music Festival. We had never been before and there was LOTS of information out there that sometimes became confusing and a bit overwhelming. If you're thinking of heading to the CMA Fest next year, here's our tips that will hopefully help you in your planning!

GO ~ You're a country music fan and you've heard about the festival and what a fun time it is...but can it really be all that it's cracked up to be? Can it really be such a great deal for your money? The answer is YES! If you still haven't made up your mind, just do it...bite the bullet and decide to go! Every country music fan should experience this festival at least once...and the sooner the better! Once you go, we have a feeling you'll want to go back year after year.

Go early, stay late ~ The festival is officially held beginning on Thursday, June 11 and goes through Sunday, June 14...but there are many other activities in and around town on the surrounding days, such as fan club parties of your favorite artists and the City of Hope celebrity softball game. If you can swing it, we recommend getting there a day (or two!) early to enjoy some other activities that Nashville has to offer because once the festival begins, you won't have time to do much else!

Admission ~ The main events that are held during the CMA Fest are the big nightly concerts at LP Field, the daily shows at the Riverfront Stages, and Meet & Greets with the stars. The admission ticket that you purchase will range from $120 - $300 (unless you buy an inclusive package - then it will be included in that cost) and that ticket is your admission to all of those events. You will receive a lanyard with your ticket attached...you will wear that throughout the 4 days and that will get you in to all things festival related.

Stay downtown ~ Sure, you can find cheaper accommodations on the outskirts of Nashville, but it is definitely worth the little bit of extra money to be right in the heart of the action. If you stay outside of town, by the time that you use gas to drive in town and pay to park, you'll end up paying the same that you would if you had stayed downtown. And besides, with so much going on, it's just so convenient to walk steps from your hotel and be in the heart of the action.

Buy a package ~ Since it was our first time going last year, we opted to buy one of the all-inclusive packages instead of purchasing each bit separately. We would definitely recommend this!! Doing this took so much work and confusion out of the process for us. Now that we've been, we feel confident that we could do things on our own if it proved to be cheaper, but buying it in a package really was the best way to go.

Pack accordingly ~ It's hot and you'll be doing a lot of walking and very little sleeping so you definitely want to worry about comfort instead of fashion. If you can pull off both, then great (and please let us in on the secret!,) but definitely make comfort your priority.

Travel with whatever works ~ We enjoyed the festival with some friends and had a great time! Our group was so laid back, go with the flow, and we were all able to customize our trip the way we wanted. If someone wanted to go in one direction while the others went a different, that was fine...we really just rolled with the flow and that worked for us. But, if you don't have any friends that you think would enjoy the festival, don't be afraid to go alone! You are NEVER alone at the CMA Fest...you're surrounded by thousands and thousands of people with the same interests as you. We met so many new friends that week and it's also very surprising how small the country music concert scene is. We were constantly bumping into people that we had seen along the way at a previous show or seen in an artists fan club. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly, so if the only way for you to go is to go alone, don't hesitate!

Those are the major points that we can think of right now, but if you have any questions, post them here in the comments section or send us an e-mail at contactus@countrymusicislove.com. We're happy to answer any questions that we can. We know that money is tight for everyone now, so if you're looking to get the most out of your money, then the CMA Fest is the way to go! We're in no way experts about the festival, and our recommendations are just that - recommendations!...but we know how confusing it can be at first so we're glad to help you through the process!

P.S. ~ These girls had a few mishaps on the way, but they didn't let that ruin their enthusiasm!

Listen UP!

2008-09-18T06:00:00.024-04:00

This week's Listen UP is about the LoCash Cowboys...we've heard of them before (through the grapevine), but when one of their fans recently contacted us about them, we decided to check them out.

We've heard that their shows are very high energy and from listening to their music, we can see why-It rocks! Check them out here on their MySpace. You should listen to "You Got Me." They actually have a song called "Hot Little Cutie Pie Sexy Thang," it's pretty funny. We think they actually make "Hot Little Cutie Pie Sexy Thang" all one word!

What do you think of the LoCash Cowboys?

Country's Sexiest Man!

2008-09-18T06:00:00.018-04:00

Well the votes are in and America has voted Trace Adkins as Country Weekly's sexiest man in country music! Here's the list of the top 10...

1. Trace Adkins
2. Gary Allan
3. Toby Keith
4. Chris Young
5. Jack Ingram
6. Keith Urban
7. Jeff Bates
8. Keith Anderson
9. Blake Shelton
10. Tim McGraw

We know the list has to be limited at 10, but we think there are some serious hotties that were left out...

Jessica Simpson Debuts At #1

2008-09-18T06:00:00.008-04:00

Well the numbers have been tallied and Jessica Simpson's debut country album, "Do You Know," debuts at No. 1 this week on the country album charts. The CD sold 65,000 copies in it's first week and we're not really sure how that measures up. Obviously it's good enough for No. 1 for this week, but that could just be because it was the only big country album that debuted this week...OR, that could be great for a first time country CD. We're interested to see how another pop crossover, Darius Rucker, does next week when the sales are figured for his release of "Learn To Live."

What do you guys think? Is 65,000 a good number for Jessica for her 1st week sales? Either way, we bet Jessica is finally glad to get the music out there to her fans...this album has been highly anticipated, so we're sure it's a relief for her to just have it out there and be done with all of the hype!

Aaron Tippin ~ "Drill Here, Drill Now"

2008-09-18T06:00:00.006-04:00

Aaron Tippin has recorded a song to encourage our government to start drilling oil here on American soil. No matter what your political beliefs are, it's nice to see a country artist standing up for what they feel with benefit the American people! If you'd like to download the song, just click here. Here's the lyrics...

Hello…..Is anybody out there listenin’ in Washington D.C.
This is the suffering voice of America crying out for relief
Now I don’t know what a gallon of gas costs up on Capitol Hill
But we sure know what it costs down here in Realityville
And the damage already done has been a mighty heavy toll
And if we’re gonna fix it we gotta start right here at home

CHORUS:
Drill here, drill now
How ‘bout some oil from our own soil that belongs to us anyhow
No more debatin’ we’re tired of waitin’ everybody shout out loud
Drill here, drill now

Every time a foreign tanker pulls up to our shore
They got us over a barrel while they bleed us a little more
And think how much it costs just to bring it all that way
And how many American jobs that’d make if we were drillin’ in the USA
Oh and God forbid if our oily friends should decide to cut us off
We’d be standin’ around with our britches down now listen to me ya’ll

REPEAT CHORUS

Well the winds of change are blowin’
Yes and we recognize that need
But tractors, trucks, cars and planes can’t run on tomorrow’s dreams
So while we’re workin’ on the future we can’t ignore today
Cuz who knows how much time the alternative might take
Somethin’s gotta be done right now cuz friends it won’t be long
Before this great big country comes grinding to a halt

New Webisode Wednesday!

2008-09-17T21:36:00.003-04:00

Lady Antebellum rocks! Here's this week's Webisode Wednesday...Awesome performers, great people!

Canadian Country Music Awards

2008-09-17T06:00:00.007-04:00

The Canadian Country Music Awards were held last week in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The evening was hosted by Terri Clark with performances by Dierks Bentley, Kellie Pickler, Emerson Drive and Crystal Shawanda. Jimmy Wayne and Bill Anderson presented trophies to the following winners...

Fans Choice Award ~ Doc Walker
Single Of The Year ~ "Beautiful Life" by Doc Walker
Album Of The Year ~ "Beautiful Life" by Doc Walker
Female Artist Of The Year ~ Jessie Farrell
Male Artist Of The Year ~ Johnny Reid
Group or Duo Of The Year ~ Doc Walker
Rising Star ~ Jessie Farrell
Video Of The Year ~ "Beautiful Life" by Doc Walker

Looks like Doc Walker cleaned up!!

ACM Honors Being Held Tonight

2008-09-17T06:00:00.005-04:00

As we told you, the first ever ACM Honors is being held tonight at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The event, which will be hosted by Martina McBride, will recognize special award winners including Bill Anderson, Dick Clark, The Oak Ridge Boys, Brenda Lee, and posthumously, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, and Fred Rose. Performers at tonight's event include Luke Bryan, Josh Turner, LeAnn Rimes, and Joe Nichols.

Chuck Wicks Thanks Brad Paisley...For The Food!

2008-09-17T06:00:00.003-04:00

What's Chuck Wicks' favorite part of being on Brad Paisley's "The Paisley Party Tour"...THE FOOD! Chuck says "The best thing about touring and being out on tour with Brad Paisley is the catering out there is just amazing. So I'm not lacking in the food department at all, which helps me get by, as well."

And while Chuck was kidding about the catering being the BEST part of the tour, it's an aspect that Brad is pretty excited about himself! Brad recalls "We now have our own catering, which is a big deal because, boy, was it...it was not edible for a long time because we were just...it was pot luck per city. It was like, you know, you'd go into a building, and the civic arena would have its own caterer, and all of them think...they all thought they were original with chicken and ravioli. It's like, every day, geez, how much more can we eat of that? And bad chicken and ravioli...it wasn't even good!"

Well the next time we're at a Brad Paisley show, we know where we're going for dinner!

Win Tickets To 20 Country Concerts!

2008-09-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

Click here to enter for your chance to win tickets to 20 different country concerts! If you win, you'll get tickets to a concert of every artist featured on the "Now That's What I Call Country" album including Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Chris Cagle, Trace Adkins, Gary Allan, Sara Evans and MANY more!

Reba McEntire To Promote Breast Cancer Awareness

2008-09-17T06:00:00.001-04:00

Reba McEntire will star in print ads and TV public service announcements to support the breast cancer fundraiser, 15th Annual FFANY Shoes On Sale. The event will take place on QVC on October 15th from 7-10pm and will feature some of Reba's footwear from her footwear line. Reba says "Knowing the effects breast cancer has on all who are touched by it, I am proud to step in to support such a worthy cause. This event not only raises much-needed funds for education and research, but also helps to promote awareness of this deadly disease."

Country Music Senior Living

2008-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

Soon retirees, and more specifically, retirees of the country music industry, will have their own upscale community. The Crescendo at Westhaven is set to begin construction in 2011 with it's first occupants taking residency in 2013. The community will feature 180 units for people 62 and older and will also feature a recording studio and several performance venues. The establishment will be located in Franklin, TN and will cost $95 million to create.

Kristy Lee Cook ~ Why Wait

2008-09-16T11:42:00.004-04:00

Kristy Lee Cook is another one that has her debut country album in stores today! Kristy has been busy since her exit from American Idol...she's been making this country album, "Why Wait," in addition to playing nationwide as part of the "American Idol Tour." You can preview all of the songs on Kristy's new album here before you buy it!

Blake Shelton Helps Give Back

2008-09-16T08:50:00.002-04:00

Blake Shelton performed as part of a benefit concert in Providence, RI which helped raise $14,000 for Autism Speaks. What a great accomplishment for a great cause!

Taylor Swift ~ Music Release Schedule

2008-09-16T08:41:00.003-04:00

As you know, Taylor Swift has a new album coming out on November 11th, but what you may not know is that you'll be able to purchase some of the songs ahead of the release date on iTunes. The album's title track, "Fearless," will be release on October 14th, "Hey Stephen" will be released on October 23rd, followed by "You Belong To Me" on November 4th. Taylor's current radio release, "Love Story," is available for purchase now. After November 11th, you can go back to iTunes and complete the CD at a discounted price by clicking the "Complete My Album" option...that way you're not buying the same songs twice. We bet Taylor fans are excited to get some of the new tunes early!

On The Tube

2008-09-16T06:00:00.006-04:00

~Jessica Simpson is appearing on the CBS Early Show this morning.

~Phil Vassar will make an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS tonight.

Jessica Simpson has been everywhere lately!!

Darius Rucker Album Debut

2008-09-16T06:00:00.005-04:00

Darius Rucker's highly anticipated county crossover album hits stores today. The former Hootie and the Blowfish member's first country single,"Don't Think I Don't Think About It," is at #3 on the Billboard Charts! We're excited for his album "Learn To Live" and we promise to report back with a full review ASAP.

In the meantime you can check out Darius Rucker's cd at the AOL Listening party.
Thoughts?

New Billy Currington Video

2008-09-16T06:00:00.004-04:00

We haven't seen or heard much from Billy Currington lately- we were starting to wonder what he's been doing. No more guessing now- he's back with a new single! Billy goes to some great lengths to get the girl in this video! Here it is... Billy Currington's "Don't."