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Worst Country Hits of 2010

Calling some of these songs country is a stretch, but that's not why they're on the list. They're here because, in my humble opinion, they're bad in any genre and didn't deserve the unending airplay they received in 2010. Guess that's why my radio has lots of buttons!

10. "Stuck Like Glue" Sugarland

As catchy as a cold and just as annoying. It won't kill you but you sure don't want it in your head.

9. "Turn on the Radio" Reba McEntire

I love Reba, but this song stinks. The lyrics try too hard to be hip and clever, the music sounds like a reality TV show intro, and the singing ... well,, it's Reba, so the singing is just fine. But it's not enough to make me want to hear this song.

(And a side note: Why are Reba and Jeniffer Nettles torturing men in their videos? It's kind of sick, ladies.)

8. "Southern Voice" Tim McGraw

He's so much better than this silly little list of Southern-ism. Where's the passion, heart, soul and swagger of the old Tim? Oh, right -- he saves it for the movies now. (Loved you in The Blind Side!)
Update: I love "Felt Good on My Lips" so I guess he's not saving it all for the big screen!

7. "Anything Like Me" Brad Paisley

This song is just a re-write of the earlier hit "Letter to Me." The original was better.

6. Changed my mind and deleted this one!

5. "Bonfire" Craig Morgan

This song in indistinguishable from a dozen other country hits about the joy of stomping in the hillbilly backwood boondocks, except for maybe being the second worst use of a great country voice in 2010. (See No. 3 below for the worst use.)

4. "Hip To My Heart" The Band Perry

Instead of "More cowbell," I think someone said "More fiddle" and tried to make this a country song instead of a mediocre bubble-gum pop tune that even Katy Perry couldn't pull off. Cowbell might have worked better. And the lyrics were the second stupidest to ooze out of country radio in 2010.

Honorable Mention: The stupidest lyrics award for 2010 goes to "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking?" Rhyming lookin', bookends, cookin' and, well, lookin' again? Geez, buy a thesaurus or something! But the actual song is NOT on my worst list because Blake Shelton sings it so beautifully and I like the music (and video) so much. That, and because I adore Blake.

3. "Undo It" Carrie Underwood

The voice of an angel and she screams "uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh" and "na-na-na-na-na-na" or some other unintelligible gibberish? What a waste. Let's hope she's gotten whatever "It" was out of her system. (Her dancing in this video does look a bit like she's having an exorcism, so hopefully that took care of "It.")

2. "Keep On Lovin' You" Steel Magnolia

I really don't get the appeal of this song but I know a lot of people just love it. To me, it sounds like a rejected American Idol performance ("Simon, listen to my range!!!!) -- but without the humor. I'd rather hear "Pants on the Ground" or Snookie sing a Journey medley than listen to Meghan Linsey scream/sing/moan scales again.

1. "If I Die Young Young" The Band Perry

It's not the tween-pandering emo lyrics (I can still channel my inner Bella and go all moony if needed); or the catchy, sappy music that make me change the station every time this song comes on. It's Kimberley Perry's attempts to hit notes so far out of her range that I literally cringe in pain when I hear/feel them. When she sings, "The sharp knife, of a short liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife," it feels like a sharp knife in my ear. If not for that painful pitch, I'd probably download this one.

So there's my list. Maybe it's just me!

Side Stage Acts Whet Your Appetite on Brad Paisley’s H20 Tour

Brad Paisley launched his 2010 H20 Tour this weekend with stops in Virginia Beach and Bristow, Virginia, and it was a wet and wild show. The music started at 5 p.m. and only stopped for quick set changes and a move to the main stage at 7:30, then kept on going until after 11, giving fans 6 bands and 6 hours of music for the price of admission – a great deal!

And of course it was also a great show. The rain drizzled, fell and often poured throughout the Bristow show (just outside Washington, DC), which did make many of the water-themed “Water World” attractions less appealing. But who needs to cool off in a rain tent or waterslide when you’re already soaking wet from the ongoing downpours? The crowd didn’t care – we were there for the music, and a little water and mud was just part of the deal. (Want proof? Watch the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAUwmxsjLQM )

The Water World Plaza Stage acts did a great job putting the crowd in the mood. Steel Magnolia opened the show with their catchy, pop-flavored tunes and really impressed with their top-10 single “Keep On Lovin’ You” and their version of the Tom Petty/Stevie Nick duo “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.”

But the soaked and shivering crowd really got going when Josh Thompson took the stage. Everyone seemed to know every word to the working man’s anthem’s “Beer on the Table” and “Way Out Here,” singing along on the top of their lungs.

Josh’s stage confidence is really growing. While he was a bit subdued when I saw him earlier this year opening for Eric Church, he now seems at ease, having fun and even a touch cocky just a few month later. I haven't seen a performer flirt the girls/women in audience this much since I saw a male stripper at a girlfriend’s bachelorette party! Not that there's anything wrong with that. The “ladies” he called to 20 or 30 times throughout his 30-minute set sure loved it (including me).

Easton Corbin finished the side stage performances with his laid-back tunes, including the crowd-pleasing No. 1 hit “I’m a Little More Country Than That” and the new single Easton wrote for George Strait, “Gotta Get to You.” Easton didn’t have Josh Thompson’s stage presence or anthems, and the crowd was a bit quieter during his set, but it could have just been hypothermia setting in after two hours in the rain.

Definitely get to the H20 Tour early enough to catch the side stage acts. While I thought Josh Thompson was by far the best of the three, both Steel Magnolia and Easton Corbin did not disappoint and definitely made some new fans with their performances.

The main stage and lawn areas opened up at 6:30 and the crowd quickly moved on, happy with the musical appetizer but more than ready to feast on the main course of Justin Moore, Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley. And what a meal it was!

Opening acts Justin Moore and Darius Rucker started the main stage show off with their own great performances. Justin’s “Small Town USA” and “Backwoods” were sing-alongs, and his redneck and proud attitude was sincere and endearing.

And of course who doesn’t just love Darius? He may not be a showman, but his nice-guy persona and that brilliant, amazing voice singing those songs we all know and love always makes for an enjoyable set.

But the real star, of course, was Brad.

See also "Brad Paisley Sure Knows How to Throw a Pool Party!}

Vicky Dobbin is a writer, blogger and country music lover in Falls Church, Virginia. Follow her at www.Twitter.com/LMyCountryMusic and read her blog at www.LoveMyCountryMusic.com

Brad Paisley Sure Knows How to Throw a Pool Party!

It’s hard not to think about the recent Nashville flood when you see the Water World set-up at Brad Paisley’s H20 Tour, but when you see him rising from the water as he opens his show, it’s not sadness or mourning, but joy and the spirit of that community rising above that takes over.

With the exception of a few missing video screens and a little microphone trouble during the opening  song (both of which could have been the result of something non-flood related), you would have never known the entire set was under water less than three weeks ago.

Brad credits his team to getting everything cleaned-up and ready for the tour, which started this past weekend with stops in Virginia Beach and Bristow, Virginia (just outside Washington, DC). He tweeted his thanks to the crew before the Virginia Beach show: “These are the people that made this happen tonight. I broke down trying to thank them today. They are the best.” (See the photo at http://twitpic.com/1ptw8c)

Night two of the tour in Bristow show took the water theme a bit too seriously and was soaked from open to close, but the fans weren’t bothered at all, singing in the rain and dancing in the mud. Why? Because Brad Paisley sure knows how to throw a pool party!

First, invite the coolest people – in this case, Justin Moore and Darius Rucker for your main stage openers; and Steel Magnolia, Josh Thompson and Easton Corbin for the side stage. Next, add some great music, provided by his friends and himself, of course. Then add lots of water and you have the H20 Tour. I highly recommend you dive in.

Even if you saw Brad on last summer’s American Saturday Night Tour, you’ll enjoy this new version. He performs the hits and lots of material from his current CD,  but the songs just don’t get old. Whether the humorous “Online” and “I’m Still a Guy”; the romantic “Waiting on a Woman” and “Then”; or the feel-good anthem “Welcome to the Future,” Brad knows how to deliver a great song.

He does pull our few songs missed on the last tour, including the tear-jerker “Whiskey Lullaby,” which he sings with Allison Krause despite her not actually being there – I think. (You have to see it to understand my confusion.)

You know all the songs by heart and sing along. Add Brad’s fun stage presence, friendly banter and some hysterical home movies, and you really feel like you’re a welcomed guest at his party. (If only the beer and hot dogs were free, it would be a perfect evening!)

Like any good host, Brad made sure everyone was having a good time. So guitar in hand, he went through the audience in the covered pavilion, then kept going, to get close to the loyal and rain-soaked fans on the amphitheater’s lawn. (See http://twitpic.com/1q7b97)

He performed the so-appropriate “Mud on the Tires” and two other songs on a small platform at the back edge of the pavilion, to the delight of fans who expected the best view they’d get of him was on the theater’s giant video screens. I’ve been going to shows at this venue for more than a decade and have never seen any artist do that before. Way to go, Brad!

By the time he finishes off the evening with an encore performance of “Alcohol,” you can’t wait to tell your friends about the great party you went to.

Brad takes his H20 Tour to Kansas City and St. Louis next weekend, May 28 and 29, with more shows across the country throughout the summer. If you get a chance, take a swim!

Brad Paisley’s H20 Tour is raising money the for Water=Hope Campaign. Text H2O to 25383 to give $10 from your mobile phone.

See also "Side Stage Acts Whet Your Appetite on Brad Paisley’s H20 Tour"

Vicky Dobbin is a writer, blogger and country music lover in Falls Church, Virginia. Follow her at www.Twitter.com/LMyCountryMusic and read her blog at www.LoveMyCountryMusic.com

Solos are the Standouts on Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”

Lady Antebellum’s Number 1 single “Need You Now” is pure country-pop awesomeness from the opening and closing piano, rousing guitar solo and all those haunting vocals in between. It’s just the right track to open the new CD, also called “Need You Now,” itself a tasty blend of country and pop, duets and solos, that is sure to satisfy new and old Lady A fans.

Alternating verses between Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley – a Lady A trademark – work perfectly on the single “Need You Now,” but on the rest of the CD, I think the best songs are those where one or the other takes lead vocals.

For example, on “American Honey,” the latest single, Hillary Scott’s voice is as sweet as the song’s title. It’s also the most traditional country-sounding song on the CD, featuring a lovely mandolin and fiddle combination, great bass and a touch of pedal steel guitar. It nicely balances the first single’s pop sound. “Ready to Love Again,” another Hillary lead, reminds me of something Reba might have recorded back when she had that big hair in the early ’90s, perhaps with Linda Davis (who just happens to be Hillary’s mother).

Charles Kelley gets his chance to take center stage on “If I Knew Then.” His voice is so full of regret and pain, it’s almost heartbreaking to hear, but in a good way, of course. And “Hello World,” my personal favorite, is a sweet song about counting your blessings that avoids clichés and ends with a big finish that gives me chills every time I listen. When he sings “All the empty disappears. I remember why I’m here. Just surrender and believe. I fall down on my knees. Hello world,” the grace and sincerity he conveys with that amazing voice takes my breath away. Musically and vocally, it’s just beautiful.

Another standout is “Something ‘Bout a Woman,” another Charles lead vocal highlighted by great piano and a Memphis blues feel that I just loved.

Of the CD’s other duets, “When You Got a Good Thing” is the best, although a bit odd. It’s surprisingly morose for a song about be finding the right person. I just don’t quite understand why they sound so sad when they’re singing about being happy!

The rest of the CD is fine but it’s easy to skip over to get to the better tracks. “Perfect Day” is a toe-tapper but has way too many country music clichés (musically and lyrically). “Stars Tonight” has a Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights” feel that will be a hit on this summer’s tour but is unsubstantial. “Love This Pain” isn’t quite pop, isn’t quite country, and doesn’t quite work for me. And “Our Kind of Love” is just not memorable.

But when a CD with this many great songs, you can certainly excuse a little filler.

“Need You Now” will be released Tuesday. Expect to see it at the top of the country charts the next week, and probably on the top of the pop charts as well. It has plenty to satisfy both audiences.

Jonathan Singleton is Happy in Two His Worlds: Performer and Songwriter

As he watches Josh Turner’s “Why Don’t We Just Dance” — a song he co-wrote — race up the charts, singer/songwriter Jonathan Singleton says he can’t help but feel a little pressure to focus more on the songwriter part of his career than the singer part.

“Every time I get a new cut I’m like, ‘What am I doing? Why am I killing myself and staying up late and getting up early?’” Jonathan said during an interview before a St. Jude’s fundraiser in Virginia. “Especially when it’s not going as good as you think it should be …”

The songwriting is going great. In addition to the top-10 (and climbing) hit for Josh Turner, he wrote the top-10 hits “Red Light” for David Nail and “Don’t” for Billy Currington. His first songwriting success came with Gary Allan’s “Watching Airplanes,” which went to number 2 on the Billboard Country Chart.

Jonathan remembers hearing that song on the radio for the first time. “One day me and a co-writer got in my car and ‘Watching Airplanes’ was on the radio real loud, and I still thought it was me singing. It took a minute. It came on and I thought, ‘Oh, turn me off.’ But no, it was Gary Allen. Turn it back up!’”

He says hearing another artist perform his music is interesting but odd. “It’s a totally different thing than hearing our stuff on the radio, which we hear a lot less than we hear the first,” he says with a chuckle. “And we’re working on that,” he adds, never getting to far away from the performer half of his double life.

“My end game is to write songs and keep writing songs. I love it so much that I want to do it forever,” he explains. But don’t worry, Jonathan Singleton and the Grove fans – he’s not even close to hanging up his guitar and microphone to settle down on 16th Avenue, Nashville’s songwriters’ row.

“There’s a short window to do the artist thing. I’m focused in on that right now,” he explains. “But I’m still taking as much time as I can to write,” he adds, always trying keep his two loves – performing and songwriting – as close to balanced as possible.

He’s also having too much fun with the band of brothers who make up the Grove, some of whom he’s known and played with for 10, even 15 years. Their current single, “Look Who’s Back in Love,” is in the top-50 and they have a three-song EP on iTunes. A new CD should be released this spring on the new Show Dog-Universal South label, headed by Toby Keith.

And Jonathan Singleton and the Grove are gearing up for one of this summer’s hottest tours: Country Throwdown, a gig they got in a rather unusual manner. He was at a party at a friend’s house and their new neighbors happened to be the people organizing the tour. “I met them in a parking lot in Nashville drinking beers,” he says with a laugh. They were invited to join the tour a few weeks later, one of the first acts signed up.

Jonathan doesn’t even try to hide his excitement over Country Throwdown. “I can’t wait for it,” he says, quickly listing several of the bands he’ll be playing with: Montgomery Gentry, Little Big Town, Jamey Johnson, Eric Church, Jack Ingram – all artists he admires and respects. “I think it’s going to be awesome.”

Jonathan says right now he’s content with being able to combine his love of songwriting with the joy he gets from performing with the Grove, although he admits he does something wonder “when it’s going to finally stop. I hope maybe it won’t? Who knows?”

Learn more about Jonathan Singleton and the Grove and get a free download of their new single “Look Who’s Back in Love” at www.jonathansingletonandthegrove.com.

Watch Jonathan Singleton and the Grove sing “Red Light” with David Nail at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5BCvpqB99E.

If It’s Matt Kennon, You’ll Want to Take “The Call”

I’m a sucker for a good story song. Cut my teeth on Kenny Rogers’s “The Gambler,” “Coward of the County” and, of course, “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town.” That one can still make me cry.

So it should be no surprise how much I love Matt Kennon’s “The Call.” While most songs need a video to tell their story fully, “The Call” paints a vivid picture using just words, music and that interesting voice. Deep and raspy, it sounds wise beyond its years and demands attention. You just know it’s going to share something you really need to hear. And you’d be right.

“The Call” tells two stories about reaching out and making a difference in someone’s life. “What you say may seem so small but who knows, they might be glad you called…” Kennon sings while the music swells. Gives me chills.

A great story, great piano and pedal steel guitar, and happy endings all around. This is the country music I grew up listening to (expect for maybe that happy ending part!) and still love. I’m glad to take “The Call.”

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Josh Thompson’s Honest Tales of Work, Love and Beer Strike a Chord With Fans

“If I got a ‘don’t care’ attitude and long hair and mean every damn word I’m saying, I blame it on Waylon,” Josh Thompson sings in his new video “Blame It On Waylon,” and the lyrics are truth for the singer/songwriter and the increasingly large crowds coming out to see him and sing every word.

Those sing-alongs are particularly loud when he plays “Beer on the Table,” a hit on country radio and top country video. “It’s almost to the point where I don’t have to sing it,” Josh says with a chuckle. “As a songwriter and an artist, that’s the biggest payoff you can get is watching people sing your lyrics back at you. And it’s apparent that it’s striking a chord.”

“It’s about working hard and playing harder,” Josh explains, chatting with TodaysCountryMusicVideos.com as he was driving to his latest show. He wrote the song about working on a concrete crew in his native Wisconsin, and his fans – be they construction workers, high school students, insurance agents or even soccer moms – connect with the simple but honest lyrics and catchy tune.

That honesty also comes through as Josh talks about being able to do what he loves for a living. “I am very proud to play country music,” Josh says. “I grew up on it. I love it. That’s what I write. I don’t think I could sell anything else, really.”

Like many songwriters, Josh easily shares even his most personal thoughts and pain with his fans. The song “Sinner,” for example, “That’s pretty much about me walking that line between good and bad, like I think everyone does,” he explains. “It’s a confessional, really.”

“Sinner” is one of the highlights of Josh’s new CD "Way Out Here," which will be released on February 23. You can listen to “Sinner,” the hit “Beer on the Table” as well as “Blame it on Waylon” and “Won’t Be Lonely Long” at JoshThompsonOfficial.com.

Josh will launch the CD with a release party February 22 in Milwaukee in his home state of Wisconsin. It’s a day off from his new gig opening for Eric Church on the Jagermeister Country Tour, which has more than 3o dates and runs well into the spring.

Life on the road is old hat for Josh and his band. They’re been out playing “Beer on the Table” since fall 2007, playing all across the country in a passenger van they’ve named Van-A-White. You can take a hilarious tour of Van-A-White and meet the slightly creepy little Van Wilder mascot at JoshThompsonOfficial.com.

Being a hot country artist on the road has its perks, of course. Josh says he loves the crowds, which are growing with every show, and he’s been able to play with great country artists, including Eric Church, Randy Houser, Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson and the legendary Hank Jr. He’s also had some interesting fan encounters, including requests to sign body parts -- “but only the good ones,” he laughs.

Listen to Josh talk about touring, what he misses while out on the road, connecting with fans through Twitter, and whether he’d rather play a show with Miranda Lambert or go hunting with Blake Shelton.

Watch “Blame it on Waylon” online at CMT.com.

Visit the Josh Thompson website at JoshThompsonOfficial.com

Jake Owen Mixes Twang and Heartbreak With New Single “Tell Me”

After releasing the bluesy “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You” and rockin’ “Eight Second Ride,” Jake Owen is showing us more of his country side with the twangy and pedal steel guitar-filled “Tell Me.” The song is the third single from his 2009 CD “Easy Does It.”

A dark, haunting tale of a man who just can’t let go of a cheating lover despite his broken heart, “Tell Me” features one of Jake’s strongest vocal performances and a nice touch of twang.

Jake says “Tell Me” is one of his favorites and calls it his “Bonanza song.”

“The intro to it really sets the mood,” he explains. “It’s got this dark, mysterious kind of sound to it. It starts out with kind of the John Wayne riding in on the open range, then you’ve got like the Bonanza thing in there.”

The song is already getting requests on country radio and has received positive feedback as Seattle radio station KMPS’s test track. You can listen to the track and vote at http://goo.gl/fb/TmVn

Jake headlined the Eagle Winter Blast in Hampton, Virginia, with Steel Magnolia, Love and Theft, Mallary Hope, Danny Gokey and Easton Corbin. This spring with he’ll open several shows for Jason Aldean and then Sugarland, as well as at least one date with Miranda Lambert.

“Tell Me” is the third single from Jake’s second CD, “Easy Does It.” The first single, “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” went to #2 on the Billboard Top Country Chart. The last single, “8 Second Ride,” was a top-10 hit and spend 32 weeks on the Billboard chart.

Josh Thompson's New Video Paints a Portrait of the Weary But Proud 'Way Out Here'

Josh Thompson gives a heartfelt and beautiful acoustic performance of his new single in the video "Way Out Here." The stripped version of the song meshes perfectly with the video's haunting images of a small American town that's been bent but not quite broken by the ravages of time and natural disaster.

Thompson wrote the song with Casey Beathard ("Find out Who Your Friends Are") and David Lee Murphy ("Big Green Tractor"), and the melancholy music and vocals give us insight into a weary but proud hometown.

Veteran director Wes Edwards (Jason Aldean song "Amarillo Sky" and "She's Country"; Danny Gokey's "My Best Days") uses scenes shot in stark black and white or almost colorless color, hues of gray and brown, bits of hazy blue sky and a glimpse of the red, white and blue to paint a portrait of what could almost be a contemporary ghost town. It's lovely in its simplicity.

But what's most appealing about the video is Josh's performance. He's not lip-synching the CD-version of song, but instead the music is as stripped and raw as what we see as we follow him through the deserted town. Just him and his guitar, the performance provides a strong sense of realism to the video and is quite affecting. It's also an outstanding vocal performance in its own right.

"I think I would describe my sound as my life put to music… It’s simple and it’s honest," Josh tells Walmart Soundcheck Risers. (He's a featured artist this month on the site at http://soundcheck.walmart.com/risers/josh-thompson) Simple and honest also describes the "Way Out Here" video. It's a very nice change of pace from big production numbers featured in many of country music videos in heavy rotation right now.

See more of Wes Edwards' videos at www.wesedwards.com

Purchase Josh Thompson's new CD Way Out Here from Amazon.com.

Songwriting Women of Nashville Top the Charts

What do Jason Aldean’s “The Truth” and Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar” have in common? Of course they’re both number 1 songs this week (“The Truth” sits on top of the Billboard Hot Country Chart and “White Liar” is on top of the USAToday/MediaBase Chart) but they share something else: Female songwriters.

“White Liar” was penned by Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby; “The Truth” by Brett James and Ashley Monroe.

Miranda Lambert, who is celebrating her first chart topper, regularly writes or co-writes most of songs and is well-respected for her work as both a singer and a songwriting.

Jason Aldean is celebrating his third number 1 from his “Wide Open” CD, which includes “She’s Country,” co-written by Bridgette Tatum. He’s also had success with songs written by another woman, Vicky Lynn McGehee, who co-wrote “Why,” “Hicktown,” and “Johnny Cash.”

With Carrie Underwood’s “Temporary Home,” which she co-wrote, destined to move up to the top-10, there may be four female songwriters ruling the country charts as soon as next week.

And of course Taylor Swift is another female singer/songwriter burning up the charts, as is Hillary Scott, who co-writes with her Lady Antebellum band mates and had a number 1 smash with "Need You Now." Both women have songs moving up the charts.

This impressive showing may or may not be unprecedented, but at the very least it is noteworthy. Congratulations to the songwriting women of Nashville!

Fans From Far and Near Welcome Jake Owen Home to Florida

Almost three dozen Jake Owen Fan Club members traveled from near (Orlando, Palm Beach) and far (Washington, Oregon and Virginia) to Vero Beach, Florida, last weekend to welcome Jake Owen back to his home town before his annual charity event, Mardy’s Tennis & Jake’s Music Fest.

The unofficial fan gathering was organized by fans for fans through the forum and chat room on Jake’s website, www.JakeOwen.net and the “fan tweet” Twitter account http://twitter.com/JakeOwenFans. I coordinated the successful event.

Fans toured the beautiful beach community, picked up Jake Owen sheet music at the Melody Music store where Jake bought his first guitar, and gathered for a pre-concert happy hour at the Riverside Cafe, the site of many of Jake’s early performances. Happy hour included a signed CD giveaway sponsored by Live at the Longhorn, and a photo exchange where fans swapped their favorite Jake pictures. Wanting to give back to the community that gave them Jake, fans also collected $150 for a local food bank.

The concert-goers at Vero Beach High School were an interesting mix of rabid fans who wanted to dance in their seats and locals who kept telling us to sit down and be quiet. It was an uneasy peace but fans were respectful of the older audience members’ wishes, at least until the last 20 minutes of the show, when many of us went to the front of the stage and refused to be moved. We just couldn’t keep still one moment longer!

Jake put on an amazing performance of old, new and cover songs, and despite having his friends and family sitting in the front row, didn’t turn down the sexy one bit. “Eight Second Ride,” “The Long Way Home” and “Whatever Turns You On” got the crowd going, and his version of “Slow Hand” had even some of the retirees in the audience swooning.

Hearing Jake’s autobiographical songs “Starting With Me” and “Somewhere in the Middle” had a special poignancy performed on the stage of the high school he graduated from in 2000, and as he chatted and joked with friends and fans from the stage, the event couldn’t have been more personal. It was definitely the best Jake Owen performance I’ve seen, and that’s saying a lot because I’ve never seen Jake put on anything less than an great show.

 The highlight for many that evening was meeting Jake after the show, where he Jake gave out autographs and hugs. Fans also chatted with band members and staffers, who were all so appreciative of the fans’ loyalty and enthusiasm.

The actual concert raised thousands of dollars for the Mardy Fish and Jake Owen Foundation, which sponsors after school activities at four local elementary schools. A pre-concert auction raised $15,100, and I seriously considered mortgaging my house to bid on the best item of the evening – the chance to go on tour with Jake, including all access passes, travel on his tour bus and the opportunity to watch a show from anywhere in the house – “except Jake’s lap,” the auctioneers joked.  

The fan trip to Vero Beach, dubbed the unofficial “First Annual Jake Owen Fan Club Fly-In,” was a great success and shows that fans don’t have to wait for labels or fan clubs to arrange events for them – we’re doing it ourselves now via the internet. See everyone next year!

Vicky Dobbin is a country music lover in Falls Church, VA. Read her country music blog at www.lovemycountrymusic.com and follow her at http://twitter.com/vdobbin.

A Strong, Warm Voice Gets Blake Wise a Well-Deserved Shot

Don’t let Blake Wise’s Wrangler model good looks (yes, he modeled for Wrangler) fool you—he ain’t just another country pretty boy. One listen to his song “The Stayin’ Kind” is enough to prove that this boy can sing.

The song is a great showcase for his strong, warm voice, particularly the up-tempo chorus and slow, sexy bridge. I could definitely hear “The Stayin’ Kind” on country radio.

Another standout on Wise’s self-titled, independent release is “My Own Questionnaire,” which, lyrically, could be a prequel to that other Blake’s “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.” Wise’s delivery really brings out the clever tale of a man’s realization that he’s not the husband he ought to be.

The fun “I Got No Regrets” could be a Kenny Chesney song with its island feel and bouncy vibe; and the not so fun “Tell Me I’m Right,” an almost stalker-like ballad that conveys paranoia, anger and sadness, is chilling. Together they show that Wise can really handle a diverse set of songs.

Wise’s voice could still use a little seasoning and maybe a great producer to smooth things out, particularly on the tracks “Destination Highway,” a fun road song that is a bit too high and whiny; and “They Don’t Know You,” which sounds like someone trying to sound like Tim McGraw. It’s not a bad impression, but it doesn’t sound genuine.

But overall, listening to the songs at www.blakewise.com, it’s clear that Blake Wise has a great future ahead of him in Nashville and on country radio. And Nashville obviously agrees. Just this week he was signed to a record and publishing deal on Broken Bow Records (home of Jason Aldean and Dean Brody) and Magic Mustang Music.

"World Wide Open" Doesn't Live Up to Love & Theft's Potential

"Runaway" is one of my favorite songs of Summer 2009 (tied with Jake Owen's "8 Second Ride") and I was so looking forward to Love and Theft's full CD "World Wide Open" that on the day it was released, I made the trek to Target so I could get an autographed copy.

Don't you just hate it when you buy a CD based on one song and then discover that rest sound nothing at all like the single? Yep. If you're looking for another up-tempo, fun, tight, turn-it-up track, you won't find it here.

Sigh. I had such high hopes.

But when I got over that initial let down and gave the CD a few more listens, I started to like (but not love) it for what it is: an amusing mix of boy band music with not quite enough country flair for my tastes.

The opening (and title) track "World Wide Open" features nice harmonies and of course "Runaway" is just a killer cut. It's great lead vocals highlighted with great harmonies, clever lyrics and country-rock guitar and drums make me turn it up every time I hear it.

"Can't Go Back" is pretty great, too. A perfect mix of harmonies with a bluegrass soul, it's probably the most "country" song on the CD. "You to Miss" is a pretty -- almost heart-breaking -- ballad that will make the little girls (and this big girl) swoon -- even if singer/songwriter Brian Bandas does seems to be trying to channel Donnie Wahlberg by the end of the song.

An even better ballad is "Me Without You," which I just can't get enough of lately. More subdued than "You to Miss" and without the dramatic vocals, the songs has really gotten stuck in my head. Love it more every time I hear it.

Love and Theft members say their influences include The Eagles, and I really hear that on "Runaway." But all I hear when I listen to "Slow Down" is a darker version of "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. And "Dancing in Circles" is another pseudo-spiritual or maybe contemporary Christian lite track. I have nothing against spirituality in music. Craig Morgan's "God Must Really Love Me" and Josh Turner's "Long Black Train" are examples of how songs about God can also be great country music. But "Dancing in Circles" sounds like something you'd heard sung by a kids' Sunday school choir.

Despite my mixed feeling about the CD, I have every intention of seeing Love and Theft the first chance I get. I think these guys have great potential and I bet they're great live. Would love to hear them cover some Eagles tunes. And hopefully a live show will help me get the image I have of them wearing matching clothes and dancing in unison like a bad New Kids on the Block video out of my head.

Vicky Dobbin is a country music lover in Falls Church, VA. Read her country music blog at www.lovemycountrymusic.com and follow her at twitter.com/vdobbin

Blake Shelton: Startin' Fires

A Mixed Bag But Worth Buying for Outstanding Vocals

Blake Shelton has one of the best voices in country music today, bringing pure emotion and an amazing depth to (almost) everything he sings. I just wish the material on "Startin' Fires" did a better job highlighting that beautiful talent.

By far the strongest songs are those lamenting love lost or unattainable. Looking for forgiveness and hoping for redemption (not unique themes in country music, of course) are just perfectly matched to Shelton's warm, sexy and versatile voice, and his Oklahoma drawl -- almost hidden in his early hits like the still awesome "Austin" -- is on full display here, and it really works on the country ballads.

The Number One single "She Wouldn't Be Gone" is the album's stand-out, emotionally and vocally. The pain of realizing that a simple gesture or kind word was all the was needed to keep love alive comes through so convincingly, his vocals going from thoughtfulness and insight to loss and desperation to deep, deep sadness with such intensity, you can almost literally feel his pain. A great, great single and the best song on the album. (Good video, too.)

The gentle "100 Miles" is of a similar theme, and is another standout, Shelton's Oklahoma drawl seems to come through even more than usual, which works especially well here, bringing to mind empty roads and a long trip home to the girl he shouldn't have left behind. (One note: Every time I hear the song, I think it really needs to repeat the chorus just one more time at the end. Probably done to keep it country radio-friendly, sure, but there's no reason to cut it short on the album version. It bugs me every time.)

I also really like "I'll Just Hold On" -- the current single -- although I think it's an odd choice for a single. Shelton's vocals are effective and smooth (but maybe a teensy bit whiny by the end of the song). And the lyrics are so wussy -- the guy's basically a slave to the whims of his uncommitted, promiscuous lover. Not your typical macho country song -- give him credit for that -- but I just don't see this climbing the charts. "100 Miles" might have been a better choice for a single. Time will tell. Let's hope the video is a good complement.

"Here I Am" is a ridiculously romantic tale of unexpectedly finding a new love and the whole happily ever after thing -- kind of a 3-minute-long romance novel that is surprisingly affecting thanks to Shelton's Prince Charming-quality presentation. The sweet "I Don't Care," -- another country "story song" is worth a listen. However, it will certainly sound familiar to any Shelton fan -- it's also on his last album, the amazing "Pure B.S." whereas "Home," a number one country single, isn't on "Startin' Fires" -- it's on the re-issue of "Pure B.S." (I have the original release so don't have it.) I'm sure there's some legal or logistical reason -- and I already own "Home" via download so it's safely added to the B.S. playlist on my mp3 player -- but it's still a little annoying because I can't hear it in my car (where I still listen to old-fashioned CDs).

Most of the other songs are fine but not noteworthy -- expect that Shelton does sing them very, very well. "This Is Gonna Take All Night" is a cutesy but not terribly sexy song about giving the wife a little well-deserved attention in the bedroom (for a much, MUCH sexier take listen to "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" on the new Dierks Bentley CD "Feel that Fire"-- now THAT'S the call any wife would love to hear!)."Green" is too trendy (and has been done to death) to be worthy of opening the CD and certainly doesn't come close to the kick-ass country rocker "This Can't Be Good" that opens "Pure B.S."

I hate to say it, but there are some just bad songs on the CD as well. "Bearskin Rug" is supposed to be a fun hillbilly tale but I just find it kind of silly, hard on the ears and even a bit creepy. Can't stand listening to it, to be honest. And "Country Strong" is another one that didn't make the transfer from the CD to my mp3 player. Listening to Shelton wax poetic about a buff country boy's bod ("can't get them muscles at the YMCA!") strikes me as just so damned odd. Maybe it would it sound better sung by a woman? I just don't quite know how to handle it coming from one of People Magazine's Sexist Men Alive.

"Startin' Fires" continues to grow on me -- Shelton sure can sing! -- but I don't see it replacing "Pure B.S." as my favorite B.S. CD.