The Academy of Country Music announced the nominees for the April 18th ceremony. My much, much, much, much beloved Lady Antebellum is up for seven awards – the most of any nominees, thank you so very much. Lady Antebellum was followed by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood who have 6 nominations each. Taylor Swift is up for 5. I’m not sure how the Zac Brown band can’t be up for at least as many but they may just fall into the same area Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins always have – the fans love them to distraction and back, but the ACMAs aren’t entirely sure what to make of them. I’d walk across glass then go back and eat every piece to see any of them perform.
The entire list of nominees is below – I’ve colored my favorites red because… well, I can. I have a few ties that I just couldn’t decide between. Let me know in the comments who your favorites are.
The List of ACMA Nominees
Entertainer of the Year:
• Kenny Chesney • Toby Keith • Brad Paisley • George Strait • Taylor Swift • Carrie Underwood • Keith Urban •Zac Brown Band
Top Male Vocalist:
• Kenny Chesney • Brad Paisley • Darius Rucker • George Strait • Keith Urban
Top Female Vocalist:
• Miranda Lambert • Reba McEntire • Taylor Swift • Carrie Underwood • Lee Ann Womack
Top Vocal Group:
• Lady Antebellum • Little Big Town • Randy Rogers Band • Rascal Flatts • Zac Brown Band
• Luke Bryan • Jamey Johnson • Chris Young (nothing but love for Jamey too, though!)
Top New Vocal Duo:
• Bomshel • Joey + Rory • Steel Magnolia
Top new Vocal Group:
• Eli Young Band • Gloriana • The Lost Trailers
Album of the Year:
• American Saturday Night – Brad Paisley • Lady Antebellum – Lady Antebellum • Play On – Carrie Underwood • Revolution – Miranda Lambert • The Foundation – Zac Brown Band
Single Record:
• Need You Now – Lady Antebellum • People Are Crazy – Billy Currington • Red Light – David Nail • Toes – Zac Brown Band • White Liar – Miranda Lambert
Song:
• Cowboy Casanova – Carrie Underwood • Need You Now – Lady Antebellum • People Are Crazy – Billy Currington • White Liar – Miranda Lambert • You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
Video:
• Boots On – Randy Houser • Need You Now – Lady Antebellum • Welcome To The Future – Brad Paisley • White Liar – Miranda Lambert • You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
Vocal Event:
• Hillbilly Bone – Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins • Honky Tonk Stomp – Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons • I Told You So – Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis • I’m Alive – Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews • Seeing Stars – Jack Ingram featuring Patty Griffin
I seriously try to keep things positive – I have an inner Mary Poppins, you know. But, I have to just ask – how in the world did You Belong with Me find itself in the nominations? It’s not Taylor’s best and it certainly isn’t Country Music’s best. Oh, well, I don’t want to end on a negative note, so I’ll just say how proud I am of the ACMAs for recognizing Lady Antebellum, The Zac Brown Band, Miranda Lambert, and Hillbilly Bone.
I also want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to Joey + Rory! As much as I love Montgomery Gentry, I wouldn’t be upset at all if they won the category. Of course… come on…. we all know who will. Not only do the ACMAs love, love, love Brooks & Dunn, they’re more likely than ever to give them the award since they announced that they’re breaking up.
Congrats to all of the nominees – just about all of them are very well-deserved. A few categories (like to new solo vocalist for example) could, literally, go any way. It’s been an outstanding year in Country Music!
Brett Michaels was the lead singer for one of my all-time favorite bands, Poison. As a song writer, the man has as much talent as he does as a singer and performer. I think he’s just excellent in all of these areas, so I’m beyond excited to announce that he’s launching a solo career.
I’ve also got nothing but love for Miley Cyrus – she’s as talented as she is beautiful. She has way too much talent for one person… especially for one so young. I honestly will go so far as to say I think she has the best voice of any of the young singers out there right now. Yes, including the reigning queen of country music radio.
So, I guess there was no way on earth I was NOT going to love a duet featuring Brett Michaels and Miley Cyrus (a combination I never expected to type, let alone hear). When I was sent this song, I nearly fell out of my chair – the first word out of my mouth was, “Random.” I was so excited for its potential that I was half afraid to listen to the song.
Am I ever glad I overcame the jitters. The song is called “Nothing to Lose” and I couldn’t love it more. Check it out for yourself.
Brett Michaels Tour Dates
Sun 03.07.10 Hidalgo, TX State Farm Arena Fri 03.12.10 Fargo, ND The Venue @ The Hub Sat 03.13.10 Clear Lake, IA The Surf Ballroom Mon 03.15.10 Dubuque, IA Mississippi Moon Bar Wed 03.17.10 Chicago, IL Joe’s Thu 03.18.10 Hayward, WI LCO Casino Fri 03.19.10 Red Lake, MN Seven Clans Casino Sat 03.20.10 Clive, IA 7 Flags Event Center Tue 03.23.10 Flint, MI The Machine Shop Thu 03.25.10 St. Louis, MO Ameristar Casino Fri 03.26.10 Kansas City, MO Ameristar Casino Sat 03.27.10 Primm, NV Primm Valley Casino Resort Mon 03.29.10 Green Bay, WI Oneida Casino Tue 03.30.10 Milwaukee, WI Potawatomi Bingo Casino Wed 03.31.10 Milwaukee, WI Potawatomi Bingo Casino Thu 04.01.10 Prestonsburg, KY Mountain Arts Center Fri 04.02.10 Nashville, TN Wild Horse Saloon Sat 04.03.10 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center Fri 04.09.10 Ardmore, OK Heritage Hall Sat 04.10.10 Ft. Worth, TX Billy Bob’s Texas Sun 04.11.10 San Antonio, TX Nautilus Amphitheater Sat 04.24.10 Florence, IN Belterra Resort & Casino Wed 05.05.10 Denver, CO Grizzly Rose Thu 05.06.10 Colorado Springs, CO Cowboys Sat 05.08.10 Rio Puerco, NM Route 66 Casino Wed 05.12.10 Verona, NY Turning Stone Resort & Casino Thu 05.13.10 Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury Fri 05.14.10 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Fri 05.28.10 Biloxi, MS Hard Rock Casino Sat 06.05.10 Fort Yates, ND Prairie Knights Casino & Resort Fri 07.23.10 Sioux Falls, SD Dakota Rock Fest Fri 08.06.10 Clearfield, PA Clearfield County Fair Fri 09.03.10 Indianapolis, IN Military Park
When I first read the following this morning, I thought, “Has Solange completely lost her mind? Rihanna doesn’t need to rip off anyone or anything – she’s Rihanna for crying out loud.” Here’s what Solange tweeted after seeing Rihanna’s Rude Boy video:
“It’s flattering and frustrating when somebody does things u dif before way later. Well….. It’s actually kind of funny. Over and over. I think there’s emotion behind it because if you have been considered, “weird, kooky,” ect. scince u were a lil kid, & made fun of terribly and then u see folk who hopped on the “weird train” now that it’s pop culture to be “different”…it’s innnteeerrreesttting!”
Then. I. Watched. The. Video. In. Question.
There’s no denying that whoever was in charge of making the video used similar effects. I mean, when you put the videos side by side and play them (going back and forth between the two) it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Rihanna’s body, of course, serves as a pretty good compass – but other than that….
With gazillions of videos made a year, similar effects are going to show up. It’d kind of be like the first country star to wear a cowboy hat and drive a pick up truck in a video pointing his finger and laughing at the other stars who do it today. It’d be like, if they have more success with it now than you did… maybe they’re doing it better.
I don’t have anything against Solange – she’s a lovely, talented girl and I’m really surprised that she’s not a huge star in her own right – but, in all fairness to Rihanna, I doubt seriously she creates her own videos and if she did, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t say, “I want this to be a hot one – let’s see what Solange has done in the past.”
I mean, I had to search out the video to even see what it was!
Great song, but I think I love the video even more. Who couldn’t appreciate the Chris Brown look alike and the whole in your face attitude? It’s like she flies the finger at him with her entire body. And what a body – good Lord, this girl is ridiculous.
Matt Kemp, Rihanna’s rumored lover, has gone on record as saying that they’re “just good friends.”
Rihanna was first linked to the baseball player at the end of last year, and rumors of a budding romance hit an all-time high when they were spotted vacationing in Mexico. They were also spotted watching a basketball game together in Los Angeles, fueling reports they are dating.
Rihanna recently dispelled the rumors by saying she’s “not dating anyone — I’m single,” and now Los Angeles Dodgers star Kemp has spoken out, too, by saying their relationship is purely platonic.
He tells People, “I can’t get distracted by that. When it’s time to play baseball, that’s my job. No distractions. (Rihanna is) just a friend, a good friend of mine.”
Internationally rising star Agnes was the youngest winner of Sweden’s American Idol at 17 years old, and now only four years later her eyes on are on the USA. The rising star is currently featured on Access Hollywood’s “On The Download” where she is called an artist to watch in 2010. Agnes has made a huge splash in the dance/club scene with her single “Release Me” and is ready for the mainstream as the song crosses over to pop radio.
“My music is pop, dance and a little bit disco,” says Agnes. “The songs on this album – it’s a lot of up-tempo songs – but the most important thing is just having good songs and good melodies. I like to debut my songs just singing to guitar accompaniment, so that people can hear the melodies.”
Read the rest of the interview here to find out about Agnes’ love for music, role models and forthcoming album release.
When I first saw pictures, I couldn’t help thinking how much Agnes reminds me somehow of a beautiful mixture of a couple of my favorite artists, Leona Lewis and Shakira. Then, I heard her amazing voice, and she kind of reminds me of them vocally as well. Given the fact that I am completely obsessed with Shakira and Leona Lewis, it’s high praise from me indeed.
I can’t even tell you how much faith I have in this impending girl’s rise to the top. To give you somewhat of an idea, I’ve already given her her own Category heading. – - – - — – - – - ->
Watch for future Agnes pictures, updates, videos, and audio. It’ll be fun watching her star shoot through the air.
Release Me by Agnes Video:
Release Me by Agnes Audio:
Agnes Bio:
Growing up in the small town of V’nersborg, Sweden, music was always an integral part of Agnes Carlsson’s life. Her career took off at the tender age of 17 as the youngest-ever Pop Idol winner (Sweden’s American Idol counterpart), triggering a string of chart successes in Sweden. As she grew up, her style evolved. She was introduced to songwriter and producer Anders Hansson in 2008 and the creative sparks began to fly as Hansson’s dance-flavored production allowed Agnes to express her drive, energy and attitude, and of course, let loose with her incredible vocals. Release Me is the result of this studio alchemy and announces the arrival of a major new talent.
Release Me was released earlier this summer, and became a pan-European smash before spreading to airwaves around the world, from South Africa to Israel to Australia. The video for Release Me has already hit well over 5 million views on YouTube.
The album Dance Love Pop is soon to be released internationally and contains smashes like On And On and Love Love Love, both already proven hits in Sweden. Through beats and ballads, the album showcases Agnes at her best.
With her infectious enthusiasm, sparkling energy and stunning vocal ability, Agnes is on the way to becoming one of music’s biggest new names.
Our music blog LOVES to hear exciting, fresh new musical artists and Paper Tongues is about as fresh as it gets. These guys have a huge shot at making it to the big time and I guarantee you that, a year from now, everyone will know who they are. Go ahead, write it down. I’ll wait.
In a recent interview with MTV, music industry icon Randy Jackson reveals how the eclectic North Carolina-based group Paper Tongues got their big break. According to Jackson, Paper Tongues singer Aswan North approached the American Idol judge while he was eating lunch at an LA restaurant, knowing he was also a musician and would appreciate the band’s unique sound. You can learn more about Paper Tongues by visiting their official website.
Paper Tongues’ blend of rock, rap, funk and soul is quickly making its mark on the music scene. The music video for their single “Ride to California” has just been added into rotation on MTV2’s Rock the Deuce and MTVU, with their debut album scheduled to hit stores on March 30th. The band is currently part of the Hello Hurricane tour with Switchfoot. For more information on the band and on upcoming tour dates, visit Paper Tongues’ official MySpace page.
Tour Dates w/ Crash Kings
Feb 11 Cain’s Ballroom 2nd Stage Tulsa, Oklahoma
Feb 13 Midland Theatre – KRBZ’s Afentra’s Valentines Party Kansas City, Missouri
Feb 14 The Rave – FM 102.1 Kramp & Adler Missed Connections Mixer Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Feb 17 The Waiting Room – KIWR 89.7 The River Presents Paper Tongues Omaha, Nebraska
Feb 19 McGuffy’s House of Rock – WXEG Presents Paper Tongues Dayton, Ohio
Hello Hurricane Tour w/Switchfoot
Feb 22 Cains Ballroom – Hello Hurricane Tour with Switchfoot Tulsa, Oklahoma
Feb 25 The Black Sheep – Hello Hurricane Tour with Switchfoot Colorado Springs, Colorado
Feb 26 Ogden Theater – Hello Hurricane Tour with Switchfoot Denver, Colorado
May 1 The Bamboozle- Meadowlands Sports Complex East Rutherford, New Jersey
Click each of the Paper Tongue pictures below for a larger version – just perfect for setting as the wallpaper on your computer.
OneRepublic have been gaining momentum quickly in 2010 with the recent release of their sophomore album Waking Up and current single “All The Right Moves.” The track is making its way up the Top 40 chart and continues to increase digital downloads each week. Next month, the Denver quintet is slated to perform the song at the NBA All Star Game and at the Winter Olympics.
Check out a brand new acoustic performance of “All The Right Moves” that the band recorded for MySpace’s Down The Front sessions. The intimate performance features Ryan Tedder’s stripped down vocals accompanied by a beautiful cello and xylophone.
Visit OneRepublic.net for more information and be sure to grab “All The Right Moves” on iTunes.
The Los Angeles Times proclaims, “Kick-start rockers like the gleeful kiss-off ‘Gives You Hell’” is “Relentlessly hooky” and “Time immortal.”
“’Gives You Hell’ is the first single off When the World Comes Down, the band’s third full-length, and it’s just as snotty as pop-punk needs to be with anthemic major-key riffs, angst-laden lyrics and a driving 4/4 beat.” –Artist Direct
“’Gives You Hell’ is filled with a cleverly snarky attitude. The attitude of “Dirty Little Secret” is here in full force, and you will likely find yourself singing along. If the chorus wasn’t catchy enough, the band accents the point with a crowd singalong to close out the track.” –Absolute Punk.net
“Gives You Hell,” the lead single off of The All-American Rejects’ current album, When the World Comes Down, has officially been named the #1 Most Played Song of 2009 on Billboard’s Top 40 Chart, edging out the competition that included Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, Flo Rida and Taylor Swift.
“We are thrilled that we have been played relentlessly over the past year, hopefully people aren’t too sick of us by now,” said Rejects front man Tyson Ritter. “But truly, we have the best fans in the world. It’s because of them that this band is where we are. They are the ones who kept our song on the charts and on the radio for so long and we thank them.”
“Gives You Hell” spent four weeks at #1 on the Top 40 charts making it the group’s first #1 song on Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 Tracks charts. The song was also their first to break into the top five on Billboard’s Hot 100 and stayed in the Billboard top 10 for over 13 weeks. With over 3.3 million copies in digital sales alone, these stats make “Gives You Hell” the band’s most successful single to date.
The successes of 2009 have paved the way for an exciting 2010 with The All-American Rejects. The band has locked in major appearances such as performing at this year’s Winter Olympics at the Whistler Medals Plaza, a high profile performance for Direct TV at Super Bowl XLIV and a Direct TV special set to air in February, with more exciting news and details to be announced.
The multi-platinum rockers first scored commercial success with the single, “Swing Swing” from their self-titled long play debut,The All-American Rejects. The album went on to sell over one million records and was certified platinum. They toured tirelessly and in July 2005, presented their fans with, Move Along. The second album produced the smash hits, “Dirty Little Secret,” “It Ends Tonight,” and the LP’s inspiring anthemic title track. “Dirty Little Secret,” “Move Along” and “It Ends Tonight” all reached top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and went double platinum as did the overall album.
The band is currently on a whirlwind tour promoting their third studio album. For more information and current tour dates please visit their website- www.allamericanrejects.com
EDIT: As if there aren’t more serious evils to fight in the world, someone has removed this particular video from YouTube. Petty, much. Anyway, it’s a cool video. My only problem is the guns – since when are guns anywhere near sexy or glamorous. Guns kill. Not sexy.
Good Lord, Beyonce – why you wanna go and look like that?!?! My day’s off to a rotten start – I’m sitting at the computer, minding my own business – throwing chocolate candy in my mouth and thinking all’s right with the world. Then, with a piece of candy halfway to my mouth, I begin to watch the video below. I’m now hauling my butt to the floor to do, like, I dunno 75,000,000,000 crunches…. 45,000,000,000 lunges…. After burying the candy in the yard.
Inspiration courtesy of B and the Lady.
You’re going to love this official music video for Beyonce’s Video Phone featuring Lady Gaga. Just don’t consume any calories before watching these girls. You’ll flat hate yourself.
