The Roys On TV This Weekend - June 2

Brother/Sister Bluegrass Duo Guests On RFD-TV's Reno's Old Time Music Festival & PBS Special, Pa's Fiddle: Charles Ingalls, American Fiddler

Nashville, TN (May 30, 2012) -- Bluegrass stars THE ROYS make two national TV appearances on Saturday, June 2, as they are guests on both RFD-TV's Reno's Old Time Music Festival and the PBS Special, Pa's Fiddle: America's Music.

Reno's Old Time Music Festival, hosted by Bluegrass legend Ronnie Reno, features THE ROYS singing five songs from their current CD, LONESOME WHISTLE (Rural Rhythm Records): the album's title track; their current single, Trailblazer; their #1 hit, Coal Minin' Man; the driving up-tempo Nothin' I Can Do About It Now, and the contemplative, I Wonder What God's Thinkin'. The program, seen by nearly 20 million viewers each week, is one of the most dynamic, acoustic music programs on television. Each episode contains stunning performances, historical footage, in-depth interviews and a deep respect for the heritage of Bluegrass music. THE ROYS' segment airs Saturday, June 2 at 6 p.m. CDT/ 7 p.m. EDT. Viewers should check www.rfdtv.com for more specific local listings.

The PBS Special, Pa's Fiddle: Charles Ingalls, American Fiddler, is the brain-child of Dr. Dale Cockrell, director of MTSU's Center for Popular Music and scholar of the songs embedded in the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE books. Lee and Elaine Roy perform songs unique to the project: Buffalo Guys and Gum Tree Canoe. In January they joined Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap and numerous other stars for the taping of the Special, which raised the rafters of the Loveless Barn outside of Nashville. The show airs Saturday, June 2, at 7 p.m. CDT/ 8 p.m. EDT; fans can learn more about this unique tribute to the music of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the program HERE. Nashville airings on WNPT- TV include Sunday, June 3 at 7 p.m. CDT/ 8 EDT and Monday, June 4 at 11 p.m. CDT/ midnight EDT.


Fans can find all the news on Lee and Elaine at www.theroysonline.com

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MEDIA CONTACT

Martha E. Moore / 615-746-3994

www.somuchMOOREmedia.com

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Rural Rhythm Artists - Busy Summer Coming

Lonesome River Band

Rudy Fest hosted by Lonesome River Band @ Carter County Fairgrounds, Grayson, KY

Brand New Strings performing at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame at the CD Release Party for LIVE AT BEAN BLOSSOM now available on Rural Rhythm Records. Photo by Anthony Ladd, Kneelindesign & AnthonySP.



Saturday, June 23, 2012

Lonesome River Band

Rudy Fest hosted by Lonesome River Band @ Carter County Fairgrounds, Grayson, KY



Brand New Strings

Greeneville Summer Music Fest, Greeneville, TN



Charlie Sizemore Band

Charlotte Bluegrass Festival, Charlotte, MI



Friday, June 29, 2012

Lonesome River Band

ROMP @ Yellow Creek Park, Owensboro, KY

 Pic: Nu-Blu performing at Silver Dollar City



Saturday, June 30, 2012



www.LonesomeRiver.Band

South Branch Valley Bluegrass Festival, Romney, WV



Blue Moon Rising

Everett Brothers Music Barn, Suwanee, GA

"Road To Surrender" - The Grascals

"My Side Of The Street" - Tommy Steele - A Single Review

I think every guy at one time or another falls in love with a gal that really is into a different lifestyle. That is what this song is about, He falls for an upper class chick who really is not into his biking ways. That is what "Why don't you come to my side of the street" means.

  This is a good sounding song with acoustic guitar and electric slide guitar in the forefront. This has the Nashville country type sound to it with an edge. It was released to radio on May 21, so maybe you ought to call your station and see if they can play it for you if you are a fan. The guy has a real nice website, You should go check out the video for this song and see what it does for you. The guy is into his music.

                www.tommysteeleband.com

                                      

Some Music News

Well, Hello Folks, hope everyone is doing well and has good health.  Just going to catch up on a couple of new music items,that I have come across recently. The first one is on my CD player right now. It is a new CD by the Group called The Boxcars. They are a form of a bluegrass supergroup with Adam Steffey and Ron Stewart who play mandolin and banjo respectively. They had been in Dan Tyminski's Band while AKUS was on sabbatical and Alison Krauss was singing with Robert Plant. They had enjoyed playing together with the others in the Band ,backing up Dan Tyminski.
   The CD is called "All In" and it has a very traditional type sound. Some great high lonesome harmonies and Bluegrass music. There are some really nice gospel songs too.

    Next up is the latest guitar effect pedal from Wampler's Pedals. He has a line of at least 15 pedals before this. His pedals are used by artists like Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Johnny Hiland and me(LOL). This pedal has created alot of interest and attention on the internet and amongst guitarists. Brian Wampler has been working on this pedal for about a year. It is made to approximate the sound of the late 50s tweed amps made by Fender.  It is called the "Tweed 57", and it does give you that vibe, but more than that, the pedal is a great overdrive pedal on it's own merit.There are several tones and drive effects that you can do using this pedal besides just giving an imitation of the Fender Tweed amp. You can get sounds from ZZ Top to Joe Walsh to some incredible blues tones. A feature that I really like is you can clean up the tone with the guitar volume knobs. You can hear many videos of the pedal on youtube, by doing a search or just going to Brian's new website www.wamplerpedals.com .  I am happy for Brian, He has been doing this for a number of years and I am happy that his pedals are catching on very well. He also does a video himself which is very interesting, because He is a very skilled guitarist, He really brings out the sweet spots on the pedal and the type of songs that it sounds well with.

   Very happy to report that Carrie Hassler has made the Billboard Bluegrass Chart with the song "The Distance" from her latest CD. Well, hope to have some more for you soon. I do have a new CD just in.

                               Brian Wampler

"Wild Together" - Carter's Chord - A Review

  Carter's Chord is a group of three sisters,Johanna, Emily and Becky Robertson. Music was always a big part of their lives, as their parents were both members of  Waylon Jenning's backup band. They moved from California to Nashville as youngsters they became friends with Waylon, Jessi and Shooter, also hanging around and learning more about music.

  This six song EP was produced by Toby Keith and Mark Wright. It is a very heavily, full produced Nashville sounding recording. The recording is high quality, and it has some of Nashville's best musician's on it. The songs are all written by the girls, sometimes with the help of others. I like every song on here, they are songs that express alot of feeling and they harmonize so well together. The songs are well written and have very good hooks and melodies inside of them. They sound like a group that has been together for quite awhile and they have. 

  My two favorites are the title track "Wild Together" and a mid tempo song "A Little Less Comfortable." The song "Wild Together" is their tribute to the Jennings family, and it is an upbeat song that makes you want to get up and move. "A Little Less Comfortable" is a song that has this groove that just grabs me and I like the lyrics alot. Another song that I like alot is the last track "Love A Little Bigger". This song was written by Emily after they had been on a trip to Guatemala doing some charity work. It is a real tender ballad.

   All in all, If they stick with it, these girls have the goods. They are better than a lot of country acts on the Billboard charts in my opinion, time will tell, they really look like they enjoy their singing and that can make the difference.

                           www.carterschord.com
                                       

"Second Season" - Kristin Scott Benson - A review

                  
Kristen Scott Benson was making CDs before she joined the Grascals. This is her second recording, it is with Pinecastle Records. She produces it and has a lot of help on the disc with singing, instrument playing ,and inspiration. It is definitely traditional Bluegrass,  with the help of artists like Wayne Benson, Larry Cordle, Mickey Harris, Sally Jones, Cody Kilby (one of my favorite bluegrass flat pickers), Larry Stephenson, Jim Van Cleve , (fiddle player with Mountain Heart) and last,but not least , Josh Williams (previously with Rhonda Vincent's Rage.)

   Kristen  writes some of this material, some is other's songs and some is public domain. It is a very high quality recording and some tight versions of some great bluegrass music, You would not think it was a banjo players CD, she really does not put herself in the spotlight more than anyone else. I like that she writes a  little blurb about each song recorded. Lots of mandolin and fiddle on the CD and Cody Kilby plays his own style of bluegrass guitar. They do an Instrumental by Bill Emerson called "No Steering, No Brakes", which I like a lot, it is mellow, but upbeat and just a great Bluegrass song.


   "No Southern Comfort" - This is a sad ballad song, sung by Josh Williams. Very good delivery and plenty of bluegrass licks,and nice high lonesome harmonies.  "Far Enough Away" is a slow paced instrumental written by Kristen. It shows the quiet side of banjo playing which you do not really hear very much. Some nice licks by Cody Kilby too, love his guitar playing.  Jim Van Cleve plays some very musical fiddle. She has an incredible mix of musicians here.


   Well, I would like to leave some to your imagination, but if you like bluegrass music, I don't see how you you couldn't like this. When Kristen becomes a Grascal she turns it up a notch and her banjo playing is more treble sounding, like a bluegrass banjo usually sounds. She does a lot more Scruggs type pickin with The Grascals. This is very good though.



--
God Is Good
www.countryreviews.blogspot.com

Oak Ridge Boys To Play At CMA Music Festival

The Oak Ridge Boys among Star-Studded Lineup
 CMA Music Festival at LP Field
 
Jam Packed Week Also Includes Riverfront Show,
 Country Music Hall of Fame Event & Fan Fair Hall Signing

Nashville, TN (May 7, 2012) -- Grammy Award winning group, The Oak Ridge Boys, will deliver the National Anthem as part of the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during the CMA Music Festival on Friday, June 8, 2012 at 7:45 p.m.  Prominently known as "Singers of the Anthem," the country legends were proclaimed the official National Anthem Singers by the National Association of Music Educators National Anthem Project from 2005-2010.
“It is an honor to be invited by the CMA Music Festival to sing the National Anthem at LP Field.  The Boys are very active in the Festival this year, and have been part of every Festival and Fan Fair since the very first one,” says lead singer Duane Allen.
Oak Ridge Boys member Joe Bonsall adds, “The CMA Music Festival has not only become Nashville's biggest yearly event, but country music is now bigger and stronger than it has ever been. We feel like we have placed some stones on the mountain, but the artists of today have reached higher than ever before to take country music to amazing heights of artistry and performance. We are all thrilled to stand with them at CMA Music Fest once again.”
This year’s 4-day event will take place on Thursday, June 7th through Sunday, June 10th in Downtown Nashville. The powerhouse group will be featured at various performances, host a special signing at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and appear at Fan Fair Hall in celebration of the CMA Music Festival and the group’s current CD, It’s Only Natural, released through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®.  These events follow the Opry members’ recent performance at the grand opening celebration of the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City which generated global headlines.
The Oak Ridge Boys are touring across the U.S. this year, including headlining additional casino shows in Las Vegas.  Fans should also be on the lookout for new CD releases such as the highly anticipated country/gospel album Back Home Again scheduled to launch on May 22nd as well as a Christmas project.
For more information on concerts and CMA Music Festival events featuring the Oaks, please visit: www.oakridgeboys.com       (Courtesy Of WebsterPR)