VIDEO PREMIERE: dixie chicks - gaslighter

WONGIE BALLAD OF THE WEEK: noah cyrus - july

kacey musgraves - oh, what a world

WONGIE COUNTRY SONG OF THE WEEK: cam - diane

cam - diane
[UPDATED 2/9: almost 5 months from it's audio release (and making it in our fave songs of last year list) cam FINALLY puts out an official video for her infidelity anthem that still sounds just as exciting and fresh after all these months! hopefully this video release also allows for the song to be a massive hit as well!]

here's what i wrote back in october:
what i've always loved about singer/songwriter cam is that you can hear the wide variety of influences in her music that definitely allows her to straddle various genres and not JUST 'country music'. with 'diane', you can just hear her love of joyous harmonies that made fleetwood mac and indigo girls such favorite singalong bands. what a wonderful song for your weekend (even though it's about a philanderer!)

VIDEO PREMIERE: justin timberlake feat chris stapleton - say something

justin timberlake feat chris stapleton - say something
now we're onto something! the collaboration between justin & chris stapleton was always going to be a possible highlight of the 'man of the woods' and it's proven true! performed in one take (la blogotheque's arturo perez jr goes big yo!) the song kicks in once chris stapleton adds his amazing vocals into the round culminating with a full soulful choir by the end. THIS should have been the leading single JT!!!

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: maren morris & vince gill - dear hate

maren morris & vince gill - dear hate
with all proceeds going to the music city cares fund to help victims of las vegas, maren morris has released the perfect song that she wrote 3 years ago, but never felt it was the right time to release it...until now. press play, feel that love is gonna conquer all.

WONGIE COUNTRY SONG OF THE WEEK: little big town - happy people

little big town - happy people
there's something to be said about watching people smile back at you for 3 mins ;) one of my fave songs off of little big town's 'the breaker' album is also one of my fave songs of the year. it's simple it's sweet and it just brings a joy to me whenever i hear it. have a happy people weekend!!

WONGIE COUNTRY SONG OF THE WEEK: little big town - happy people

little big town - happy people
kicking off their upcoming album 'the breaker', our fave country quartet little big town bring on the songwriting talents of lori mckenna (co-writer of their award winning now classic 'girl crush') and singer/songwriter hailey whitters in this breezy upbeat number that just puts a smile on your face. it's been on repeat and you should do the same! love these guys!

AUDIO BUZZ: beyonce feat dixie chicks - daddy lessons

beyonce feat dixie chicks - daddy lessons
with a collaboration that celebrates how artists will always have music in common, the beyonce/dixie chicks union has caused some big talk on what it means to be 'country' when the collective went on the CMA awards two nights ago. making their first appearance in years after being shunted by nashville for being politically vocal, the dixie chicks not only came back in style but brought on the queen bey to add to their defiance. beyonce hopefully reminded country music fans that so much of their roots came from bluegrass/soul music therefore making her attendance totally valid. either way the re-recording of 'daddy lessons' has all the spirit of a foot stompin party which at the end of the day, isn't that what we really want to be listening to on a friday!

not sure how long this will stay up, but here is the controversial / wonderful cma awards performance that has everyone talking:

beyonce & dixie chicks - daddy lessons

NEW LITTLE BIG TOWN!: little big town - better man

little big town - better man
after releasing a special gospel tinged pharrell produced side project earlier this year, my fave country group little big town return to what they do best, catchy country music that pretty much are insta hits in the coming months. written by taylor swift, remember to stay on til midway when karen fairchild goes acapella. chills i say! chills!

WONGIE LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: justin timberlake & chris stapleton - tennessee whiskey / drink you away (live @ CMA awards)

justin timberlake & chris stapleton - tennessee whiskey / drink you away
chris stapleton is easily one of the best 'new' acts to come out this year. with his gravelly soulful voice, the man gives me goosebumps every time he opens up his mouth. for this years CMA awards the singer/songwriter walked away with 3 big awards including album AND male vocalist of the year. if you've never seen this man perform get ready to freak out with this AMAZING live performance with his special guest justin timberlake (and morgane stapleton who is always on perfect harmony with chris). these three tear the roof off and you will be so happy for pressing play!

NEW BAND PERRY: the band perry - live forever

the band perry - live forever
as a country act, the band perry have always been primed for a serious crossover moment, but now that it's actually happening, i'm not quite sure if it's working. nothing wrong with their first single working with redone, it just feels a little bit forced. but hey if the rumors that collaborations with diplo, audra mae and pharrell are true, then i'm game to hear the rest of this pop makeover!

WONGIE COUNTRY FOLK SONG OF THE WEEK: cam - burning house

cam - burning house
oh the clarity of country singer/songwriter cam's voice (plus you can hear influences in both folk and country in the way she writes her songs)! the end result is something pretty sparse and spectacular that is not only different from what's popular at the moment but also gaining deserved word of mouth traction. with only an EP called 'welcome to cam country' under her belt i can't wait to hear more from this exciting talent!

like what you hear? check out cam singing "burning house" live at the grand ole opry

cam - burning house (live @ grand ole opry)

wanna know more about cam? check out this video intro by cam herself:

welcome to cam country

WONGIE COUNTRY SONG OF THE WEEK: kacey musgraves - biscuits

kacey musgraves - biscuits
pretty much a sequel to her smash hit 'follow your arrow', country singer/songwriter kacey musgraves once again gives her fans something catchy and cheeky to sing about. throw in a kooky colorful old skool hee haw of a video and you got our fave country song this week!

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL LIVE: chris stapleton - tennessee whiskey (live @ the view)

chris stapleton - tennessee whiskey (live @ the view)
with 15 years worth of songs under his belt for some of the biggest names in country (and one adele), singer songwriter chris stapleton is finally ready to take the center stage with his amazing raspy soulful voice and sensitive silent man stance.

ironically it was a cover of the george jones classic hit 'tennessee whiskey' (on THE VIEW no less!) that made me sit up and take notice of this talented 'new' artist. this performance is so perfect (chris even has his wife morgane on stage with him) that i may have gotten teary from the surprise of what i was watching! the new album 'traveller' just came out and you can listen to it in full on spotify now.


if you can't watch the video, check out the bluesy studio version below:

chris stapleton - tenneesee whiskey

NEW DELTA RAE!: delta rae - scared

delta rae - scared
my fave vocal roots folk rock band return after touring for two years promoting their amazing last album 'carry the fire'. and it sounds like the road has made them a highly confident band, cause their new sound is larger than life! the first single is just the tip of the iceberg as you get an idea of the large production wrapped around their amazing vocals. there will be lots more postings for this album in the coming months... you have been warned!

just to prove how amazing they are as a vocal band, check out the group as they do an acoustic cover of an alanis morissette fan favorite:

delta rae - forgive me (alanis morissette cover)

BALLAD MONDAY: carrie underwood - something in the water

carrie underwood - something in the water
showing off her new baby bump, carrie underwood gathers the wonderful shaping sound dance troupe (and a few so you think you can dance alums) for her inspirational new video. released as the official single off of her 'greatest hits: decade #1' collection, press play and watch this fun 'wet' video!

GOODBYE: the civil wars - you are my sunshine

the civil wars - you are my sunshine
though they've been on indefinite hiatus since 2012, the amazing vocal duo of the civil wars officially broke up today. it's a shame that singer joy williams and john paul white weren't able to reconcile their issues, so as a parting gift, they're sharing a free mp3 download of a rare vinyl cover of 'you are my sunshine' to their fans. here's what they had to say of the decision:

Joy Williams
“I am saddened and disappointed by the ending of this duo, to say the very least. JP is a tremendous musician, and I will always be grateful for the music we were able to create together. I sincerely hope that ‘You Are My Sunshine’ will be accepted as a token of my gratitude for every single person that has supported our duo throughout the years. I’m so thankful and my heart is full. Looking ahead, I’m excited to share the music that I am writing and recording in the midst of this difficult transition. I’ve loved being back in the studio, and have missed performing live. I look forward to seeing you soon.”

John Paul
“I would like to express sincere thanks to all who were a part of the arc of The Civil Wars—from the beginning, to the end, and all points in between. My deep appreciation goes out to all who supported, disseminated, and enjoyed the music. Whatever shape or form the next chapter takes, thanks for being a large part of this one.”

WONGIE COUNTRY SONG OF THE WEEK: miranda lambert & carrie underwood - somethin' bad

miranda lambert & carrie underwood - somethin' bad
bringing together two powerhouses of the female country music world wasn't so immediate, according to miranda, carrie took a few days to 'live' with the song before saying yes. thank god the stars aligned cause this is a killer country duet if i've ever heard one. bring on the thelma and louise country style!

NEW LITTLE BIG TOWN!: little big town - day drinking

little big town - day drinking
my fave country foursome return with the first single off their upcoming new album 'painkiller' and it's a catchy singalong jam that you'll literally be whistling along to in no time!