The First Single from their 2nd album "Pioneer" - The Band Perry - 2013
- I've been intrigued by this band of siblings with the pretty blonde lead singer for some time and have come real close to actually buying some of their music...but I just wasn't moved quite enough to get into them...until now. This song, which begins with a slow haunting banjo accompanying a female singer whom tells a story about how much she loves her husband - borders on an all-out rock song that Carrie Underwood or maybe Keith Urban could easily pull off - should be destined for history making & another number 1 hit & chart burner !! It's an amazing country song to begin with and it features a fiddle & guitar solo that is simply incredible !! (...And should have been twice as long...). I predict that this one is going to push them right on into super stardom. I can only dream that the entire album will be as awesome as this first single...& I'm really glad that a young band like this one has the gumption to come out with a great song like this one instead of the all-too familiar acts out there that have hundreds of songs like this to choose from.   - c.f.  (121712) 

  The Band Perry, an American country music group, is composed of siblings Kimberly Perry (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Reid Perry (bass guitar, background vocals), and Neil Perry (mandolin, drums, accordion, background vocals) who began singing as children. They were
all born in Mississippi. As early teens, the family moved to Alabama. Eventually, they moved to Tennessee. Kimberly was born on July 12, 1983; Reid on November 17, 1988; and Neil on July 23, 1990. Their father's name is Steve, but despite persistant rumors to the contrary, he is not the same Steve Perry that was the former lead singer of the band Journey. They've also been frequently confused as being related to actor Luke Perry and guitarist Joe Perry, though they are related to neither. In 2008, they were discovered by Garth Brooks's manager Bob Doyle, who helped them make recordings that were sent to Scott Borchetta, head of the newly established Republic Nashville label.
They signed to Republic Nashville in August 2009.
The band's self-titled debut album, released on October 12, 2010, was produced by Paul Worley and Nathan Chapman. "If I Die Young", which Kimberly wrote single-handedly, reached No. 1 on the country music chart, and No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been certified
quadruple platinum.
In mid-2012, the band began working with producer Rick Rubin on their second album "Better Dig Two" which is set to be released on April 2, 2013.

Something new from a trio of Nashville writers that I really like with an outstanding new self titled album: "Love & Theft" just released July 24th. Their current hit single from this album is getting a lot of country radio play "Angel Eyes". Check it out - These 3 guys are gonna be everywhere soon !! - c.f.

From: The Self Titled debut of pretty singer, songwriter,
and former One Tree Hill actress - Jana Cramer - 2012

From: 'Paper Airplane' - 2011 - Alison Krauss' 14th album
and the band's follow-up to 2004's triple Grammy winning
'Lonely Runs Both Ways' (Rounder). It's Krauss' first
release since her 2007 internationally acclaimed,
multi-platinum collaboration with Robert Plant,
'Raising Sand', which won six Grammys including
"Record Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year."

The Title Cut from Montgomery Gentry's Platinum
Third Album  - "My Town" -  2002

One of my Favorite Rascal Flatts songs. - c.f.
From: "Feels Like Today" - Rascal Flatts - 2004
The single was co-written by Rascal Flatts'
lead singer Gary LeVox, along with Wendell Mobley
and Neil Thrasher and became their 4th number one
hit.

When I first heard Rascal Flatts it was their first single from their first self-titled album back in 2000 "Praying For Daylight" (It peaked at No. 3 on country Billboard charts) which led me to HAVE to purchase the entire album - & I too was blown away. The vocals were amazing as were the songs !! I remember trying to get people to listen to that first album and no one really seemed all that interested. - And Now look what they've become !! - c.f.

 Rascal Flatts' founding was at Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus are second cousins from a musical family. (DeMarcus's brother-in-law, James Otto, is also a country music artist.) DeMarcus moved to Nashville in 1992, earning
his first record deal as part of a Christian group called East to West. In 1997, DeMarcus called LeVox, and convinced him to come to Nashville and provide some
harmonies on Michael English's album "Gospel", for which he was producing. They engineered the album together, and became English's back-up band.
 At the same time, DeMarcus had become the bandleader of Chely Wright's band, where he met Joe Don Rooney, the guitarist in that band. DeMarcus and LeVox were working in a Printer's Alley nightclub, and when their part-time guitarist could not make it one night, DeMarcus invited Rooney to sit in. The crowd's
reaction was a positive one, and many asked the trio what their band's name was. They told the crowd that they did not have a name, and according to Gary, a man approached them and told the trio that he had a garage band when he was younger, named Rascal Flatts. The trio liked the name, and began performing together.
 Singer Mila Mason recommended the group to record producers Mark Bright and Marty Williams, who played Lyric Street Records A&R Doug Howard a three-song demo and Howard thought they were "just incredible". After he'd heard the demos, the band went into the Lyric Street offices the next day, sat down with acoustic guitars and played a couple of songs. According to Howard in an interview with HitQuarters: "The vocals and harmonies, it was all there—I was just blown away. The lead singer has such a unique and compelling voice."
The band was signed to Lyric Street in late 1999.

Someone new I've recently discovered...
Beautiful music & a beautiful voice.
A fine compliment to my favorite bluegrass music:
Alison Krauss & Union Station...
From: "Follow Me Down" - Sarah Jarosz - 2011

From: "Tornado" - Little Big Town - 2012
- As you may know...I took a few weeks off, this last summer, from Curt's List (2012) and spent some time on the Florida Coast... everywhere I went - the whole time I was there - "Pontoon" was constantly playing! I only wish I had immediately added it to this music page as planned...as it may be Little Big Town's biggest career hit - ever !!  - c.f.
 "Pontoon" is the title of a song recorded by American
country music group Little Big Town. It was released in
April 2012 as the first single from their fifth studio album, Tornado. The song – written by Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird and Barry Dean – became the group's first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of September 15, 2012. The song has been nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Laird said that the idea for "Pontoon" came about when a publisher asked about a song that he and Hemby wrote for Miranda Lambert called "Fine Tune", but the publisher thought that it was called "Pontoon". After Hemby corrected him, the two thought that they should write a song called "Pontoon".

 Didja' think Country Radio's new addition - "Storm Warning" - was a new Rascal Flatts Song ??
On 20 yr. old Hunter Haye's self-titled Atlantic Records debut, he wrote/co-wrote every song, co-produced with veteran producer Dann Huff and played every instrument on the album.
The Breaux Bridge, Louisiana multi-instrumentalist (acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, electric guitar, ganjo, mandolin, keys and more) is making some noise as he continues to draw attention from thousands
of fans. He has co-written songs for renowned artist such as Rascal Flatts and Montgomery Gentry and has shared the stage with Trace Adkins, Lady Antebellum, LeAnn Rimes, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, to name a few.

A great new country song that I really like by singer/songwriter Dustin Lynch. The Title Cut from his debut album - 2012
Co-written by Dustin with Josh Leo & Tim Nichols.

From: "Revolution" - Miranda Lambert - 2009

Another great Brad Paisley song that I actually like & the
Title Cut from his 9th Studio Album - 2011
Brad's a great country artist but to me...most of his songs tend to be either completely goofy or just lack that "hit" ingredient.
He also seems to have a nack of massively overdoing that awesome Guitar playing in almost every song. I'm especially pleased that he took it easy on this song.
This joins "Waiting On A Woman" & Whiskey Lullaby" as another of my favorite Brad Paisley songs. - C.F.

From The Eric Clapton of Country Music: Vince Gill
Guitar Slinger - Deluxe Edition - 2011
(Deluxe edition released with three bonus tracks)
All Original Songs Written &/or Co-written by Vince.

- The Oklahoma singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist has recorded more than 17 studio albums, sold more than 26 million copies and won 20 Grammys and 18 CMA Awards. The two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year is the only man to ever win five consecutive CMA Male Vocalist of the Year awards and the only songwriter to win Song of the Year four times.

From: "Carolina" - Eric Church - 2009
 I just like the sound of this song...acoustic guitars with some kind of vibrato effect is a sound I had never heard - quite like this - before ! Awesome ! - c.f.
 Kenneth Eric Church is an American country music singer-songwriter. Signed to Capitol Records in 2006, his debut album "Sinners Like Me" produced four singles on the Billboard country chart, including the Top 20 hits "How 'Bout You," "Two Pink Lines," and "Guys Like Me." His second album, 2009's "Carolina", produced three more singles: "Smoke a Little Smoke" and his first Top 10 hits, "Love Your Love the Most" and "Hell on the Heart." 2011's "Chief", his first No. 1 album, includes the singles "Homeboy," "Drink in My Hand," which became his first No. 1 single in January 2012, and "Springsteen," which became his second No. 1 single in June 2012.

 Eric Church was born and raised in Granite Falls, North Carolina. At 13, he bought a guitar and began writing songs of his own. By his senior year of high school, he had found a gig at a local bar, which occupied most of his time. He played many Jimmy Buffett cover songs and
a few of his own original songs in some dive bars but after a little while he was playing all over North Carolina.

From: "Play On" - Okie; Carrie Underwood - 2009
One of my favorite songs from Miss Underwood...
co-written by her along with Kara DioGuardi,
Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird...
Simply Beautiful - c.f.

From: "What Goes Around Comes Around" - Waylon Jennings - 1979. "I Ain't Living Long Like This" was recorded in 1978 by Emmylou Harris for her album, "Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town" and in 1979 by Waylon Jennings for his album "What Goes Around Comes Around". Written by Rodney Crowell & The Title Track of his very first Album (1978)

From: The First Self-Titled Solo Album by Ronnie Dunn
since leaving Brooks & Dunn - "Ronnie Dunn" - 2011

From: "Speak Now" - Taylor Swift - 2010
One of Taylor's songs that I really like...especially for
her use of the banjo which she strums like a guitar...plus the fact that this song has a somewhat hidden message about overcoming domestic violence with a little pay-back. - c.f.
Winner of multiple awards including (2) 2011 Grammy awards for Best Country Song & Best Country Solo Performance...writtem by Taylor.

From: "Sharp Dressed Man" ZZ Top Tribute w/ Asst'd Country Artists 2002 / This is my Favorite cut off that album... Dwight Yoakam's spin on this ZZ Top Classic.

I really dig the extended jammin' guitar riffs
at the end...   - c.f.