Song of the Week: Little Drummer Boy by Fatih Hill

Well I haven't even finished the leftover Thanksgiving turkey and the Christmas specials have already begun! CMA broadcast their annual Christmas special last night. I loved seeing my favorite diva, Miss Piggy, turn the tables on the classic, Baby It's Cold Outside, by singing the persuader part of the song to Vince Gills gentle protests. Their was a nice moment when Scotty McCreery granted a wish to a young Make A Wish fan in the audience. Brian Setzer teamed up with Brad Paisley to add a little swing to the festivities as well. But for me, the highlight was Faith Hill's version of Little Drummer Boy. She perfomed acapello with a men's choir singing backup. Amidst all the pomp and production, Faith's song was understated and reverent. It was a nice counterbalance to some of the glitz and a gentle reminder of the real meaning of Christmas.
I wanted to embed the video for y'all, but the YouTube clip from last night doesn't have the sound working properly. Here's a link to Faith doing a similar version from a few years back. Hope this helps get you in the Christmas spirit!

CMA Roundup

by Cousin Carrie

I don't mean to say I told you so, but back in September I told you to keep an eye out for The Band Perry. I had a feeling these guys had some big days ahead. Last night's CMA Awards proved me right! The Band Perry hauled in three awards for song of the year, single of the year, and best new artist. In accepting her award for song of the year, lead singer Kimberly Perry said: "I truly believe that 'If I Die Young' would have been written with or without me. It just always felt like a song that was meant to be here. But I'll tell you this, I was so excited to have the pen and paper in hand when it was ready to come to earth." I'm glad she was there to receive both the song and the award. As I said before, I have a feeling we'll be hearing more from Kimberly and her brothers!
As for the rest of the CMA's, here's a few personal highlights:
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood cohosting - These two had great comic timing. Like Ricky and Lucy, they had me laughing throughout the show.
Brad's subtle put down of egomaniac Kayne West in the show's first minutes.
The crowd's standing ovation for Hank Williams Jr. (and his wilingness to play along with a joke at his own expense.)
Sarah Evans' beautiful performance of "A Little Bit Stronger;" complete with acrobats suspended on billowing red ribbons.
Taylor Swift toning it down a notch with an intimate solo performance
Thompson Square (another band we featured here on this blog) getting their first major tv exposure.
Miss Piggy's cameo and patented karate chop (or is that pork chop?)
Scotty McCreery's larger than life voice on "Walk In The Country" (Although I could have done without the contrived radio award segment shoehorned into the middle of his song.)
The heartfelt tribute to Glen Campbell
And of course, Reba. She didn't do much, and she only appeared at the end of the show, but she's still Reba, and that's enough!
(ALSO, there was a non-award highlight as Dolly Parton's new movie was advertised for the first time. I can't wait!)
I hope ya'll enjoyed the show. For those who missed it, you can check out video highlights here.

Tags: If I Die Young, The Band Perry, The Band Perry Videos

On the Road Again With Steel Magnolia

Our friends at The Boot have a great ongoing life-on-the-road series featuring Joshua Scott Jones of Steel Magnolias. In his latest installment Joshua talks about the perks and pitfalls of a travelling band. After a show in Kansas City, he was treated to an exclusive after show party at local honky tonk (complete with mechanical bull) PBR.
But more often than not, the road stories include the long bus rides, changing planes, checking in and out of hotel rooms, etc. No wonder there are so many wisftul country songs about being on the road. It's funny, as the youngest member of our band I haven't had that much road experience. But my cousins/bandmates have shared their horror stories with me (Including the one about being stiffed by a club owner after a show and not having enough money for a hotel that night.) It makes me understand why my partners were willing to give up touring. It also makes me wonder why bands are willing to put themselves through the gruelling realities of life on the road. Then I remember - it's all about the music!

Lady Anti-Bellum

There's a nice article on Dawn.com about Lady Antebellum and their new album, Own the Night. In the article Kelley, Hillary, and Dave discuss the hazards of overnight success (and the years it takes to build up to "overnight success")They actually brought in a conflict mediator to help them hash out some of their disagreements. Lucikily, Family Reunion is an extended family so our disagreements can be heated, but we're always willing to work them out because we know there's no escaping family. Usually when we have creative differences over a song, we'll just record it two (or more) ways and let the band and other family members vote on which one they like best. We used that democratic method for our song, YES, and a few months later it's really hard to remember what the differences were in the first place. Lady Antebellum's new song "Just a Kiss" has already raced to number one on the country charts - and that'll go a long way toward healing any disagreements!

Fun With Science

See this wierd image? It's called a QR code. Somehow, through the magic of science if you take a picture of this with your cell phone it will take you directly to this blog. Pretty cool, huh?
We've been busy lately putting the finishing touches on our first album, and I'll keep ya'll posted as we get ready for the big release. This little thingy up above is one of the cool gadgets Cousin Hollywood came up with to help us get the news out when it's ready. Stay tuned for more later!

New Hank Williams CD

For those of you who became country music fans through the songs of Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, and any of the current generation of stars, it may surprise you to learn that country music has been around longer than ten years. Although no one can say with any certainty when the first, sweet strains of country music floated down from the Appalachains; most of us can agree on the first country music star: Hank Williams. This new, 3 CD set called "The Legend Begins" is not another greatest hits collection (Although if you don't have one already - go get one!) It is instead a collection of lost treasures from his earliest days as a performer, some going back to when he was just fifteen years old. To new fans of country music (and fans of new country music) this may sound like a different style of music entirely. But this is where it all began. Just released today, I haven't had a chance to listen yet; but I will soon. I hope some of my fellow artists will take a listen as well!

Song of the Week: Wanna Make You Love Me by Andy Gobson

With a sweet, smooth, and emotionally compelling voice Andy Gibson sings the words that every woman wants to hear. In his song, Wanna Make You Love Me, Andy pledges that his lover makes him want to be a better man. But listening to this song (and watching him perform it in the video) tells me that's going to be one tough feat as Andy seems like a pretty good man (dare I say, a hard man?) already. I love the tone and feel of this song. I love the Tom Petty reference. But most of all I love the words. When I hear a song like this, it makes me imagine that perfect Hollywood moment when my soul mate rides up on horeseback and sweeps me away.

Keith Urban Likes Freedom (and tattoos)

Closing out this week of remembrance and patriotism, I thought it would be nice to end on a light note. Above, Keith Urban shares his thoughts behind his first tattoo (an American Eagle.) Funny that someone from Australia can appreciate the freedoms that this country has to offer when so many of our own people seem to take it for granted. Please don't forget that the 9/11 attacks were committed by Muslim extremists who wanted to stifle our freedom to think and act differently from them. So I thank God for our brave men and women in uniform who are willing to fight to protect our freedoms. If you see any military, police, or firemen this weekend, let them know how much you appreciate the proctections they offer. Enjoy your freedoms and allow others to enjoy theirs. And if you freely choose to get a tattoo this weekend, send me a pic if you care to share!

Jason Aldean shares back to school memories

CMT online has a short article with Jason Aldean sharing some of his back to school memories. He talks about wearing boots to school and talking to friends about the hit country songs of summer. He goes on to say that he doesn't write songs to change the world, but songs to capture a feeling - like the feeling of being a teen and going back to school in the fall. My bandmate, Cousin JD, has a back to school memory that he carries with him to this day. Although he tells people his nickname stands for Jack Daniels, it really comes from when he was too young to drink. On his first day of school in Jr. high he showed up with a John Deere hat. Before the day was over, no one knew his real name, but everybody called him John Deere. By October, it was shortened to just JD, and the name's been with him ever since. For those of you going back to school today (or have kids going back) I wish you all a day full of wonderful memories and a happy and healthy new school year. If you have any favorite school memories, please feel free to email me or just shar them below.

Yes, I'm a top 40 artist!

For the second time, Family Reunion has cracked the top 40...in Italy! The latest country music top 40 chart currently has our song, YES, listed at #38 on the charts. So raise a glass of chianti and toast our friends overseass who apparently have great taste in music. Ciao baby! (Stay tuned for more updates on our upcoming album release!)

Phil Vassar helps bassist get "In a Real Love"

Phil Vassar helped his bassist, Steve Cook, propose at their recent show in Louisville, KY. During a dramatic pause in the song, "Last Day of My Life," Steve's girlfriend carried a glass of wine onstage to Phil, thinking it was part of the show. Moments later, she became the show as Steve got down on one knee, pulled a ring from his pocket and popped the question. Check out the video below to see how the "Last Day of My Life" became the first day of OUR life for Steve andhis new fiancee!

Song of the Week: If I Die Young by The Band Perry

This is kind of a depressing song for such a young band. But the lyrics do show a sense of maturity beyond their years, and the music is beautifully arranged. Nice touches of fiddle and the banjo is added in a subtle, supporting role instead of stealing the show as it often does. It seems like these three siblings from Mobile, AL came out of nowhere, but I have a feeling you'll be hearing more from them. Even though they're young, their music has an authenticity to it, as you can hear in this song. Lead singer Kimberly explains the roots or that authenticity by saying, "Daddy rocked us to sleep with the Rolling Stones; Mama woke us up with Loretta Lynn. So we get it honest." I think they've got it all right. I'm just glad they're sharing it with the rest of us

Zac Brown sings Jack Daniels if you please!

Jack Daniels is teaming up with the Zac Brown Band to sponsor their upcoming tour (apparently the medical marijuana people were unavailable.) Zac Brown is the first act that the legendary Jack Daniels brand has sponsored since Goerge Strait ten years ago. You have to give Jack Daniels credit for their good taste (literally!)
"There is a natural affinity between Jack Daniel's friends and Zac Brown Band fans," said Jeff Arnett, Jack Daniel's Master Distiller. "They are folks who embrace authentic values, love great music and the spirit of friendship. We couldn't be happier to partner with ZBB."
I suspect Zac and band mates have partnered with Jack Daniels a time or two before this official announcement. I predict a new cocktail name before the tour is over: Zac and Jack Black!

I want to be Kenny Chesney's Roadie

Country music performers always toss around the word "family" when they appear on award shows and do radio interviews. And from what I've seen in this business, there's a lot of truth in that. But Kenney Chesney really takes the family concept to heart, at least with his crew. At the end of each year's tour Kenney takes his crew and support team (all 150 of them) on a tropical vacation to the Virgin Islands. As if that wasn't enough, Kenney occasionally holds lotteries for his crew, with the prize being one night's receipts from merchandise sales. When asked what the biggest amount he had to pay out was, Kenny said, "Probably the biggest check was three hundred grand. But do you know what those guys did? This is why I think this kind of thing works: They waited until the end of the year and I wrote one big check to the crew and they divided it up 13 ways." Hey Kenny, if you ever need a new roadie who can sing backup just email me! (and of course, my cousins too!)

Shania Twain says "Walk a mile in my shoes"

You many recall that Shania took an unexpected tumble at last June's CMA awards on her way to present the award for male video of the year. After the event, Shania laughed off the spill, but said "I never want to see those shoes again." Now she's making good on that threat by auctioning off the (now autographed) offending footwear. Her size 6, strappy BCBG satin three inch heels are now available on Ebay for just north of $6,000. That's $1,000 per shoe size! Of course that price is liable to go up between now and August 22nd when the online auction ends. Of course Shania is putting the money to a good cause. All proceeds go to the Shania Kids Can, a Canadian non profit that helps underpriveleged kids in her home country. So if your shoe closet is in need of a six thousand dollar upgrade, or if you just want to walk in Shania's shoes (except for the glamor, and success, and fame of course) put in your bid for this piece of history. And if you can't afford the shoes, you can still afford to walk in Shania's shoes by donating to her charity.

Taylor Swift gives new meaning to Entertainer of the Year

Apparently Taylor Swift was really selling the song, "You Belong With Me," last Saturday in St. Louis. Before she even reached the chorus, a misplaced (strategically placed?) wind machine blew up Taylor's dress in a Marilyn Monroe moment. Fans didn't seem to mind as Taylor handled the snafu with grace and professionalism, not missing a beat.

CMT's 20 Greatest Men puts Alan Jackson at top of the list

I always love watching these countdown type shows. Usually I like to argue over who gets in and who gets left out (I'll get to that later.) But CMT's 20 Greatest Men of the Last 20 Years was a wonderful stroll down memory lane. I loved hearing all the great songs from high school and remembering all those first kiss songs, and the songs that got me through the breakups and the just having a good time songs. It was also nice to hear some of today's country stars give their memories of these great singers and their songs. It was interesting to me that they just focused on the last 20 years of country music. This is the phase where more elements of pop and rock were introduced by the likes of Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, and Rascal Flatts. Not surprisingly, all three were ranked high on the CMT list. I was glad to see though, that the top two spots went to traditionalists George Strait and Alan Jackson (although I would have put George ahead of Alan.)
Now for the griping. ANY list that includes Johnny Cash should have Johnny Cash at number 1. That's just the way it is. Period. Also I missed a few of my faves from the list. I would have like to have seen Lyle Lovett (he's got that beautiful voice and quirky sense of humor), Josh Turner (Is there a sexier voice in country music?), and Dwight Yokam (listen to 1,000 Miles From Nowhere and tell me how he didn't make the list!)
Let me know who you think should have made the cut!

Song of the Week

I always knew Miranda Lambert was a she-devil. Her put-men-in-their-place attitude helped inspire my song, "A Hard Man (Is Good to Find)." Her songs empower women and put a little fear of God in the strongest of men. Now Miranda has recrutied friends Ashley Monroe and Angeleena Presley to join her in her side project, Pistol Annies; and they've continued her ways with both barrels smokin' in their first single, Hell on Heels.

Song of the Week

Kelly Pickler is still tough. The first time I saw Kelly perform live, it was on an outdoor fairground stage. The weather was horrible and the wind nearly blew poor Kelly offstage. But she kept belting out songs with the same heart and energy as if she were playing the Grand Ole Opry. She proved to me how tough she was then. She's proving it again with the release of her new single, Tough.

Colt Ford Rides to the Rescue

There are two reasons why I love country music. The first one is obviously the music. But second reason is the people. I am constantly amazed by the kindness and generosity of country artists. Colt Ford is the latest example. When he heard that two police officers in his hometown of Athens, GA were gunned down in the line of duty he set out to raise funds for the families of the officers. His benefit concert, which includes Jason Aldean, Edwin McCain and several other musical guests will take place on August 16th at the Georgia Theater. If your in the neighborhood and want to support a very worthy cause, please pick up tickets at the Georgia Theater website.