Bryan, Perry host "Country's Night to Rock"
Friday, June 1, 2012 – Luke Bryan and The Band Perry's Kimberly Perry will team up to host "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" on Monday, Sept. 17, a look at the festival, being held June 7-10.
"We have so much fun playing at CMA Music Festival," said Bryan. "The entire town of Nashville turns into one big party and performing at LP Field becomes one of the best shows we play all year."
"CMA Music Fest is special to The Band Perry because we love spending time with our fans," said Perry. "We are excited to be a part of ABC's coverage of the four-day event, co-hosting the television special."
This is the eighth time ABC will broadcast this special. Artists appearing in the television special have not yet been announced.
Artists performing as part of the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during 2012 CMA Music Festival include Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Bill Anderson, The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Glen Campbell, Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Randy Houser, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Love and Theft, The Mavericks, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Ronnie Milsap, Kip Moore, David Nail, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Gwen Sebastian, Blake Shelton, Steel Magnolia, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band.
More news for Luke Bryan
CD reviews for Luke Bryan
Spring Break 4: Suntan City - EP
Luke Bryan's annual spring break EPs are innocuous distractions in a fairly decent discography. The Leesburg, Ga. Native's fourth and latest, is no exception. The songwriting is an exercise in vapidity with clichéd themes like partying and teenage breakups. The timing couldn't be more ironic.
This four-song bubble gum pop tribute to the young and overserved was put out shortly after his latest full length release, "tailgates & tanlines," garnered some critical »»»
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tailgates & tanlines
By now Luke Bryan has established his defining sound, and he chooses comfort over exploration on his third CD, "tailgates & tanlines." The only major change is his songwriting contributions. Bryan co-wrote most of the songs on his first two albums, but stepped back here with his name on 8 or the 13 songs. To be fair, this doesn't really have any effect on the overall sound.
The disc starts off with what may have been the worst song of 2011, Country Girl (Shake It for Me). »»»
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Doin' My Thing
"Do I turn you on and on when I kiss you baby? Does the sight of me wanting you drive you crazy?" Luke Bryan's debut single off his sophomore album, Do I is narrated from a point of insecurity, but it comes from a voice that's potentially watching a relationship collapse before his very eyes. It's the stage where one doesn't want to admit that the fire and passion are gone, so just the fact that he's asking all of these questions should tell us that it's over. »»»
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Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: Steve Earle doesn't rest (on laurels) –
If you didn't realize Steve Earle had a new disc out, "The Low Highway," it would have been no problem realizing that quite and quickly.
That was because Earle started the two-hour show with three straight tracks from "The Low Highway," and he would not be done for the night. The title track of was a midtempo effort... »»»
Concert Review: The Howlin' Brothers leave the radar behind –
The Howlin' Brothers - this trio, in reality, contains no brothers - are about eight years into their career and on their fifth album. To say they've been under the radar screen may be an understatement. You couldn't even say they've been flying under that screen because they have stuck very close to their Nashville environs.... »»»
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Some folks listening to Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison's new duet album, "Cheaters Game," may well exclaim, 'Well, it's about time!' after finally hearing these two talented country singer/songwriters recording music as a pair for the first time. Willis has built quite a following for her independently-minded feminine perspective, while Robison has written hits for the Dixie Chicks ( Travelin' Soldier) and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill ( Angry All the Time), as well as penning the ultimate Willie Nelson tribute, What Would Willie Do? and recording it as a solo act.
... »»»

Last fall, singer/songwriter Steve Forbert dropped the 14th studio album of his 35-year career, the impeccable "Over With You." Critics recognized the album as a return to the form Forbert displayed on his earliest works - 1978's stripped back and personal "Alive on Arrival" and 1979's more lushly produced and commercially accessible "Jackrabbit Slim" - but the fact is that Forbert has never strayed far from their basic folk/rock tenets.... »»»

Over the course of the past 20 years or so, Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller have both experienced a certain rise in their respective rootsy country profiles. Miller has become one of Nashville's hottest speed dial numbers, as an artist, a guitarist-for-hire (a role he has performed for Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Robert Plant, among others) and an intuitive producer (he's currently working with Executive Music Producer T Bone Burnett to provide the soundtrack for ABC's "Nashville" television series).... »»»

Wilderness
"Wilderness" is another twisted menagerie of The Handsome Family songs. Once again, husband Brett Sparks sings their songs, sometimes in a bellowing gravedigger voice, after adding music to wife Rennie's lyrics. This time out, each and every tune is named after an animal, insect or other such nature creature. However, Rennie studies animals the way Flannery O'Connor wrote about humans, which is with the weirdness and character flaws in primary focus. »»»
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Love Is Everything
George Strait may have reached his seventh decade, but he shows zero signs of slowing down. In fact, Strait seems to be getting even more consistent as he gets older. Strait doesn't stray all that far from the formula that has resulted in superstar status. First and foremost, that means his sonorous voice is mixed far above the music, a very good thing. »»»
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Dark Dirty Mile
Jason Boland and the Stragglers have released a new country album that sounds old. This isn't to imply that the sound is aged in a negative way; they have a classic country maturity that isn't heard too much these days with the exception of Jamey Johnson. For those not familiar with the music of Boland, the first track is a great way to decide whether this is your kind of country music. The title track is a mid tempo country song reminiscent of the late Waylon Jennings. »»»
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