CMT Blog: 2010 March

Rodney Atkins has a new single out. It features his distinctive gravelly voice, some good banjo picking and lyrics about a little boy, a black Lab, mama in the kitchen, family traditions, Saturday shindigs, grandma's stories, grandpa's guitar and so on -- like so many of his songs about the good ol' American way of life. And then there's a chorus about how some things get better the more they get together. But let's just all breathe a huge sigh of relief that he doesn't try to rhyme anything with Velveeta shells & cheese or creamy cheese sauce & shell pasta. Because that's what this "Get Together" song is really for. I personally love the stuff about as much as I love Atkins. But sometimes these branding partnerships cross that line that separates good music from an all-out sellout. Glad that's not the case with Atkins.

Back when Carrie Underwood was singing her way through the American Idol auditions -- and into the Top 24, the Top 12, then all the way to the top, I don't remember the judges back on season four (Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul) getting into such heated disagreements like they do now. And I have a theory on that. Maybe nobody argued back then because they all just agreed that Underwood was "It."

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Letters to God is an inspiring, based-on-a-true-story film about a boy with cancer whose courage and faith change the lives of those around him. He writes letters to God on a daily basis like they're pen pals, and the letters have a way of bringing his family -- and one postman -- together. The Warren Brothers' "Dear Mr. God" takes that theme and wonders what the first letter would say. While it's a very introspective piece, the brothers will leave you with a refreshed feeling that ultimately says "thank you" and not "why me?" Check out the video that includes a sneak peek of Letters to God, out April 9.

Leave it to a violent, shoot 'em up drama about a U.S. marshal in Kentucky to help me find more cool music to love. This show, Justified on the FX Network, is based on Elmore Leonard's short story, "Fire in the Hole." It stars Timothy Olyphant (who is rarely without his cowboy hat) and is kind of a cross between a modern Western and The Shield. But what I love more than the action is the music. I've heard bits and pieces of Appalachian mountain music and steel guitar-soaked country classics in the background. Some of the tunes I've found even have names, like Audrey Auld's "I'd Leave Me Too," Justin Townes Earle's "Someday I'll Be Forgiven for This," Evan Olson's "Brass Swamp Blues," Cliff Wagner and the Old #7's "Castleneck" and Duane Carlton's "It's a Long Way Down." The show airs Tuesday nights, but you can watch clips on the FX site if you are old enough.

How long have Tim McGraw and Faith Hill been married now? Almost 14 years? And they've both been singers that whole time, right? So it seems like a full album of duets from the two of them would be a given. And McGraw is finally admitting that, yes, that could happen sooner rather than later. He told the Canadian newspaper, the Vancouver Sun, "It's just a matter of time. Once we clear the woods a little bit, we'll (record an album), for sure." Beyond the once-in-a-while duets they've recorded over the years, like "Let's Make Love," "It's Your Love" and "I Need You," they've always done a stellar job on duets when they've toured together. I've seen them sing Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" and Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way." And I've seen McGraw bring Hill onstage to help him out on his own hits like "Angry All the Time" and the super-sexy "Let Me Love You." That's almost enough songs for a full duets album right there.

Photo credit: George Pimentel/Getty Images

On Monday (March 29), I blogged about how thoroughly entertaining Martina McBride's show was on Saturday night (March 27) in Green Bay, Wis. But between the songs and the stories, McBride admitted that she was fighting a respiratory infection and was having a tough time singing. And it's not like she was up there singing a soft little song or two. She was belting out 19 heartfelt songs that were tough ones to get through, even if you were feeling 100-percent healthy. But her pipes always seem to rise to the occasion. You could hear her cough a little, but her vocals never faltered.

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Whenever I see a "making of" for a music video, I'm always a little impressed. Impressed that they can create a short film in about a day or two. But when I saw this one for Laura Bell Bundy's "Giddy On Up," I was shocked. There is so much happening in just three and a-half minutes. The girl dancers, the cowboys, the costumes, the horse and -- oh, yeah -- the singing. This one has a pretty elaborate set, too. With scenes in an old-time saloon, a bedroom and outside in a Western town. So this video is like a five-minute art appreciation class. Director Shane Drake talks on camera about what he was going for. "We were trying to match the era with some sort of a modern spice to it so that it still has a contemporary relevance to it," he says, adding that he had to capture Bundy's character, charisma and personality. After watching this video and the end result, I have to say, "Mission accomplished." The "Giddy On Up" video has been streamed nearly 1 million times in one month. Bell Bundy's first all-country album, Achin' & Shakin', will be available on April 13.

Approaching Gruene, Texas, from Austin on I-35, the lay of the land looks much like it would anywhere in America. Shopping plazas, cheap motels and fast food franchises line the corridor in never-ending repetition, but a few short miles off the freeway, a holdout of simpler times exists. Gruene has managed to retain its charm and tranquility as a historic site, and its centerpiece -- a true bucket-list item for any country music fan -- is Gruene Hall, the state's oldest dance hall. I had the good fortune to see Reckless Kelly for my first Gruene Hall experience Friday night (March 26).

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If you missed The Ellen DeGeneres Show Monday (March 29), you missed Kellie Pickler and one of the most charming interviews I've seen in a while. Even DeGeneres tells her, "I don't know why we even book anyone else on the show when you're here. Because I could listen to you for an entire hour." Pickler covers hurricanes ("Your butt will be hugging the toilet."), how much her grandpa loves the Black Eyed Peas ("He has the biggest crush on Fergie.") and how to get your driver's license out of the dryer vent with a wire clothes hanger and bubble gum. Then she talks about getting pulled over for driving 45 in a 30 mph zone. "I can't stand when people drive the speed limit. It's like, 'Oh, my God! Get out of my way!' That brings out the inner demon in me. I'm not like possessed or nothin'. But the speed limit's too slow. You can always push it and drive five over," she says.

Gary Allan called into the syndicated country radio show, Big D & Bubba, last week and talked a little bit about his music and touring. But then the conversation went in a way different direction. Like how Allan saw the whole Sandra Bullock's husband's cheatin' scandal coming. "Why's everybody shocked about the Jesse James thing? Jesse James was married to a porn star, so it seems to me like Sandra Bullock bought into the circus," he said. Then he says it again, "He was married to a porn star! I mean, so there's some kind of extra love for sex there." But that's not all they cover. The radio hosts do talk to Allan about tattoos and how crazy it is for Allan to see his name tattooed on his fans. "Every show, I see a tattoo that's my name or my bronc logo. ... That's pretty weird too seeing my tattoos on other people," he says. Note to self: Never get a tattoo of a blond lady with gigantic wings inked inside right forearm before an Allan show.