NashvilleGab - Country music news and Nashville celebrity gossip

Jennifer Nettles finally shows off her son

Awwww!!!!

Five months after giving birth to son Magnus Hamilton, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles has finally shared a picture of her little man.

Jennifer tweeted the photo along with:

So much love and joy on my first Mother's Day! A very Happy Mother's Day to all the Mamas! #MothersDay twitter.com/JenniferNettle…

— Jennifer Nettles (@JenniferNettles) May 12, 2013

"I’m so excited!” Jennifer tells People in an upcoming interview. “He’s super, super sweet. We made a deal before he was born. I said, ‘Look, you can cook as long as you want, as long as you come out and latch like it’s your job and have a sweet demeanor.’ He kept his part of the bargain!”

People Magazine will feature more photos and a full article of Jennifer sharing how she's coping being a new mom in an upcoming article in their magazine out this Friday.

{Photo credit: Jennifer Nettles Twitter/Valarie Allyn Bienes/Sugar Cookie}

Be afraid because Taylor Swift might possibly be a time traveling Satanist

Oooh! Oooh! We now know how Taylor Swift has gained such fame, power, and money in such a short amount of time ... she's been praying to the Dark Lord!

I kid. I kid.

But seriously, not since the now infamous Civil War vampire Nicolas Cage photo made the rounds last year have we seen such an eerie likeness between two people separated by so much time as that of Miss Zeena LaVey, above, and Taylor Swift.

The crazy picture above is a screen shot taken from a video of an old Sally Jessy Raphael episode (probably from Halloween of '89) whose visiting Satanist (Satanista?) bears a striking resemblance to today's pop country princess.

Here's a bit of info on Zeena (formerly LaVey and now Schreck) from Wikipedia:

Zeena Schreck, is an American artist, musician, author, animal rights activist, Tantric Buddhist, and the spiritual leader of the Sethian Liberation Movement, which she founded in 2002.

FYI. I will from now on refrain from saying anything about Taylor Swift that can be interpreted as worthy of any sort of hex or curse, sacrifice at any sort of alter, or anything that might cause someone to want to send a demon to maim or kill me. You know, just to be on the safe side.

(Via BuzzFeed)

Pistol Annies "Annie Up" Album Review (Guest Post)

As if Miranda Lambert didn’t have enough going on with her red-hot solo career and her marriage to Blake Shelton, somehow she finds time for cool little side projects, like her group, the Pistol Annies. The trio is comprised of Miranda Lambert (Lone Star Annie), Ashley Monroe (Hippie Annie) and Angaleena Presley (Holler Annie). Their 2011 “Hell on Heels” was a critically acclaimed (although not embraced by radio) debut. Perhaps the folks at those big awards shows (CMAs, ACMs, Grammys) were confused by the Annies and their alter egos. Maybe they thought the gals made the album as a farce? I can’t think of any other explanation as to why they weren’t nominated for Best Album, Best New Artist or Best Group. Yeah, the record was THAT good, and if you, as a country music fan, don’t own it, your collection is incomplete.

That having been said, I had high expectations for their sophomore CD, “Annie Up.” The twelve tracks were all co-written by Lambert, Monroe and Presley. Here’s my track-by-track review.

I Feel a Sin Comin’ On, the opening track, is a bluesy sultry number. that starts out acapella, with finger snaps. “You can see it all over my face, sweet temptation all over the place, give me tall, dark and handsome, mix it up with something strong. I feel a sin comin’ on.”

Exclusive: Canadian singer Amy Rose dishes on CMA Fest, strange fan requests, upcoming album and her fear of flying

Amy Rose is a force to be reckoned with.

Channeling such singers as Trisha Yearwood, Pam Tillis and Dolly Parton, Amy is setting the Canadian music scene on fire. The singer's Music Row debut single "I Just Want You to Know" peaked at No. 85 last month on the tally, and her new US single "Party Like a Redneck" was shipped to radio last week, already gaining its first radio add with WKBQ in Covington, Tenn.

To say she has her work cut out for her as a female on radio would be an understatement. However, she says she's not discouraged by the ratio of males verses females currently on the airwaves. "It used to be a man's game," she told Examiner a few months back. "I think the females are taking it by storm, honestly. Every person you hear on the radio is a new up and coming artist. There's a lot of great males, but, you know, there's a lot more females."

In fact, it simply fuels her drive even more. Nashville Gab recently caught up with the mother of three about her growing success, her upcoming performance at CMA Fest, stange fan interactions and her fear of flying, and more.

Hey, there's a country singer that's actually willing to collaborate with Chris Brown

A couple of weeks back, girlfriend-beating Chris Brown said he might want to make a country album...someday.

I put Toby Keith's daughter, Krystal Keith in a hypothetical situation with Chris Brown to see what she'd do.  Here's what she said...

"I think it depends on the music.  I think if it was a song I believed in and wanted to do, then I'd be open to bringing in another artist from another genre.  And I think country music, depending on the song, would accept it."

I wonder how Toby would feel about this?

Click Here to listen to my entire conversation with Krystal

Kacey Musgraves ‘Blowin’ Smoke’ Video Review

The video for ‘Blowin’ Smoke’, which is only Kacey’s second, is one that I was very much looking forward to. I hoped that Kacey would treat it with the same level of understated dry wit that she treats her music and this song in particular with, and luckily my wishes came true. The desaturation and vintage crackling film lines that we saw in the video for ‘Merry Go Round’ reappear here, flicking between color and black-and-white, with the characteristic clinks of glasses and plates that can be heard in the song elongated and emphasized. As the song tells a vivid story in itself there was not much need to deviate from that, and certainly Kacey merely builds on what she has already written.

Exclusive: Lady Antebellum performs intimate concert at the iHeartRadio Theatre [PHOTOS]

Reporting and story by Marissa Santomaso

The reviews are in!

It is safe to say that Lady Antebellum is most definitely Golden. On Wednesday evening, the multi Grammy award winning band kicked off their album release tour with a bang in the Big Apple. Lady A performed for an intimate group of fans in New York City at the iHeartRadio Theater presented by P.C. Richard & Son. The small concert was in celebration of their latest album release, Golden.

Lauren Alaina, "Barefoot and Buckwild" - Single Review

Lauren Alaina is all grown up.

She's no longer that precocious 15-year-old that auditioned for American Idol in front of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez and stole our hearts with her child-like charm and youthful glow.

No, that Lauren is gone. The 18-year-old performer that took the Idol stage on Thursday (May 9) is a grown woman with ambition, drive and passion for making music. As evidenced by her new-found performance skills, she's confidently poised with enough sass to set the local barn on fire.

With her new single "Barefoot and Buckwild," she's out to score her first radio hit, channeling her contemporaries Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Instead of clutching onto the past and trying to make her old image work (as found on her 2011 debut Wildflower), Lauren has evolved into a mature and worthy contender for the next generation of female vocalists.

Spotlight: Andrew Chastain

There is a small town nestled deep in western North Carolina that holds a secret, 25-year-old Andrew Chastain. Andrew is from Murphy, NC and spends his free time focusing on music. After seeing a youtube video he uploaded, I knew I had to dig deeper.

What music did you listen to growing up?

I can remember being about 4 years old and hearing my babysitter's son blasting Garth Brooks "The Thunder Rolls" from his bedroom and I think that sealed the deal right there. Living in the middle of nowhere with only a couple radio stations to choose from , I listened to whatever they played on country radio. My grandpa Ray Wilson along with his brother Jerry (The Wilson Brothers) were always playing gospel bluegrass since long before my time. Every holiday or family get together was filled with bluegrass pickin' and singin' in somebody's living room, which got me interested in playing guitar when I was about 10 years old.

Do you consider yourself country?

Of course I do. I think that to try and be something your not is just a lie that you tell yourself. Keep lying to yourself about who you are and where you come from and eventually it'll start eating away on the inside. Embrace it, be proud of it. I am what I am and this is how I grew up.

What do you do for a living?

I currently work with my dad at his CarQuest Auto Parts store located in Andrews, NC.  I've been working with him since I was in highschool. I like fixing cars and selling parts but it's not what I want to be doing down the road, music is my dream.

What do you like to do for fun?

This questions always bring about an epiphany that I need more fun in my life (laughs.) There's alot of things I like to do for fun, any kind of hunting(turkey and deer are my favorite!), fishing, hitting the lake and hanging with my friends. No matter if we are at a house, a bar or just on someone's back porch playing music, we always have a good time.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

If I'm still around in five years I hope to be making music in some form or fashion. Obviously if I'm being compensated for my work and playing for a more broader audience then that would be awesome. If it's out in a field somewhere, sitting on a dropped tailgate with a campfire going..well that sounds pretty good too. I try and remember that God always has a plan and the best is yet to come.

Check out Andrew's video below and let us know what you think.

 

For more country music news & gossip you can follow me on twitter @brittwv

Chart Roundup – Week of May 18th, 2013

Hey guys, my chart roundup is back after a month out! I hope you missed me.

Hot Country Songs remains oddly static at the top, with Florida Georgia Line continuing their successful run at #1 with ‘Cruise’, which also holds onto #1 on Country Digital Songs. What’s more, their most recent single ‘Get Your Shine On’, has the top spot on Country Airplay, #7 on Country Digital Songs and #5 on Hot Country Songs. Is there any chart this duo can’t dominate? Turns out that chart is Top Country Albums, as Kenny Chesney’s ‘Life On A Rock’ debuts at #1, while ‘Here’s To The Good Times’ trails at #5. The lead single from Kenny’s new record, ‘Pirate Flag’, is at #8 on Hot Country Songs and #4 on Country Airplay, nearing the top ten with #12 on Country Digital Songs.

Darius Rucker is also doing well, his hit ‘Wagon Wheel’ remaining at #2 on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, and #3 on Country Airplay. The same goes for Blake Shelton, hot on his heels with ‘Boys Round Here’ (featuring Pistol Annies and friends) at #3 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs. He moves up to #9 on Country Airplay at a steady rise, while his album ‘Based On A True Story…’ drops to #2 this week. His wife, Miranda Lambert, sees ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ retain its position at #4 on Hot Country Songs, #5 on Country Digital Songs, and move up to the anticipation-filled #2 spot on Country Airplay. Will she top the chart next week?

Tim McGraw is also a key player on the charts, as his collaboration with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, ‘Highway Don’t Care’, holds onto #6 on Hot Country Songs, while it sits at #4 on Country Digital Songs and #6 on Country Airplay. ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’, Tim’s latest album, is at #14. Luke Bryan is also rising up the charts with ‘Crash My Party’, at #6 on Country Digital Songs, moving up to #9 on Hot Country Songs, and #17 on Country Airplay. In addition, Hunter Hayes’ ‘I Want Crazy’ is right behind him, reaching #10 on Hot Country Songs, #8 on Country Digital Songs and #21 on Country Airplay. Also of note, Lady Antebellum’s ‘Downtown’ is hanging on in there in the top ten, at #7 on Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs, and dropping down to #10 on Country Digital Songs. Their fourth album, ‘Golden’, has just been released this week and will impact the chart from next week. Also to impact next week include the Pistol Annies with ‘Annie Up’, and ABC’s ‘Nashville’ soundtrack, volume 2.

New releases include ‘Hey Girl’ from Billy Currington, at #9 on Country Digital Songs, as well as ‘Trouble’ the new album from Randy Rogers Band at #3, and ‘Rose Queen’ by William Clark Green, #34 on Top Country Albums. After George Jones’ passing, his album ‘The Great LOST Hits’ jumps 16 places to #35. There is a re-entry from Carrie Underwood’s new single ‘See You Again’, which being so new is struggling to match the chart power of her previous singles.

Honorable mentions go to Thompson Square, George Strait, Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift.

Come by next Thursday for another instalment of my Billboard chart roundup.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.