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Tim McGraw – “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You”
Songwriters: Chad Kroeger and Brett James
After wringing no fewer than seven singles from McGraw’s 2007 set Let It Go, Curb is finally releasing the lead single from the long-delayed follow-up, Southern Voice. “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You” feels like a bit of a throwback, thanks in part to the punny inversion that serves [...]Continue reading "Tim McGraw – “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You”"
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Jason Jones – “Unlikely Angel”
New Warner artist Jason Jones debuts with “Unlikely Angel,” a song about the redemptive power of a selfless and strong-loving woman. Jones’ voice is the highlight here, pristine and crisp and underscored by a subtle twang that quivers just slightly in all the right places.
In presentation and character, Jones sounds like a somewhat more [...] -
Charlie Robison – “Reconsider”
Leo Tolstoy’s famous beginning of Anna Karenina, “Happy families are all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” can certainly be applied to country music, a genre known for—among other things—its extensive library of songs about various depressing things. Often it’s these unhappy songs that fascinate listeners the most. After all, [...]
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Gretchen Wilson – “If I Could Do It All Again”
Songwriters: Rivers Rutherford, George Teren
Gretchen Wilson’s new single is all about second chances: What she would do if she could do it all again. It seems prescient, if only because Wilson’s own career could use a few do-overs. Her rugged tomboy persona was fresh and promising on 2004’s “Redneck Woman,” which sounded like a [...]Continue reading "Gretchen Wilson – “If I Could Do It All Again”"
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Sarah Buxton – “Outside My Window”
Songwriters: Sarah Buxton, Victoria Shaw, Mark Jeffrey Hudson and Gary Burr
In a page straight out of the Martina McBride handbook, Sarah Buxton keeps on the sunny side of life with her latest stab at country radio with a little help from rainbows, warm baths and, of course, all the little things that money can’t [...] -
Jamie O’Neal – “Soldier Coming Home”
When I was assigned Jamie O’Neal’s newest single “Soldier Comin’ Home” I mentally groaned. Another piece of crap written by a bunch of cliché monkeys filling in the blanks on their Patriotic Country Song Mad Lib. It seems that quality soldier songs like “Dress Blues” or “‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired” are few and [...]
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Eli Young Band – “Radio Waves”
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Jason Aldean – “Big Green Tractor”
Songwriters: James Collins Jr. and David Lee Murphy
Jason Aldean’s latest single finds the countrified, hick-ified “outlaw” of a singer in an unusual position: For once, he doesn’t sound like he’s trying too hard.
“Big Green Tractor” is a lazily seductive love song with interesting phrasing that, happily, complements Aldean’s voice instead of drowning it in [...] -
Craig Morgan – “Bonfire”
Listening to Craig Morgan’s latest album, That’s Why, how many of you think to yourselves, “This album would be perfect if it just had a song about drinking with your friends at a party outside of town?” Me neither. But apparently Morgan and producer Phil O’Donnell did, and they’ve decided to re-release the album and [...]
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Jake Owen – “Eight Second Ride”
Jake Owen’s upcoming single, “Eight Second Ride,” busts out of the gate like an angry bull with a rocket strapped to its ass. And then it flops around abrasively and awkwardly, somewhat like a milk cow trying to shake a drunken teenager off its back. Despite a pyrotechnic-worthy electric guitar opening, and Owen’s perfectly [...]
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As much as we love girl singers, we love songs about girl singers even more. Here's just a few of the many tribute songs out there.
Step away from the river and up to a jukebox, because heartbreak is only temporary, but a good song about drowning yourself—like a diamond—lasts forever.
Who sings like dead flowers? Find out the answer to that question and many more in June's mailbag.
What do you think about music labels "testing the waters" with a single before providing access to an artist's entire album? 
What country artist, young or old, would you recommend as a must-listen artist to a newcomer on his/her journey through country music, and what would your essential song picks be?
Miranda Lambert - "Dead Flowers" "Dead Flowers" marks the maturation of a phenomenally talented but still budding songwriter into a full-fledged artistic powerhouse.
Taylor Hicks - "Seven Mile Breakdown" Hicks has soul, but this record doesn't. It's a disappointing entry from one of American Idol's least disappointing attempt-a-crossover artists.
For episode four, we feature a couple of acts who have been helped along the way by winning talent competitions. Darryl Lee Rush was the inaugural victor of the Shiner Rising Star Contest and Caitlin & Will were victorious on last summer's Can You Duet from CMT. Current Discussion
- Hubba: I have to say, I like it... (I can't believe I just said that)
- Lucas: I changed my mind again... it really is a masterpiece. Playfully cheesy in a lot of country songs is on purpose ...
- madonna: I'm not a huge fan of Nickelback and Chad Kroeger but I really like this song a lot. The lyrics ...
- Stormy: But there's still no excuse to leave off Blame Canada.
- Stormy: Dear Teenage fanbots: Things you do not want to mention in your post because they will send you elder readers into ...
- beth: well here's my ten cents, not that anyone actually cares. i'm a gloriana fan, but i'm happy to admit that ...
- Lucas: I may have exaggerated a tad, but how much I love this song can't be explained with my heart - ...
- Megan: Yall totally suck! This songs rocks harder than Picture to burn bc most girls that I know TEAR a pic ...
- Timmy: Wouldn't say it was a lyrical masterpiece, but its a fun song to listen to. Its catchy and funny, something ...
- Juli: "Lumberjack" and the RCKY would have been included, but alas, Eric Idle isn't Canadian and I'm not quite sure of ...
