Watch Jon Pardi Team With “truth” for Anti-Smoking Commercial

Watch Jon Pardi Team With “truth” for Anti-Smoking Commercial

Posted on January 25, 2018

CMA New Artist of the Year Jon Pardi has teamed with truth, one of the largest youth smoking prevention campaigns, for an ad that explores ways low-income communities are targeted to start smoking.

According to truth, “Big Tobacco engineers tobacco plants with two times the natural levels of nicotine and lowers the cost of cigarettes so consumers can spend less and smoke more. It hits those in low-income communities the hardest, with 72 percent of remaining smokers coming from low-income communities.”

“Just because [Big Tobacco] sees you that way, doesn’t mean you have to be that way,” says Jon in the ad spot, which also features Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons.

Watch the ad below.

NHL All-Star Game Will Include Performances From Lindsay Ell, Brett Young & Chase Rice

NHL All-Star Game Will Include Performances From Lindsay Ell, Brett Young & Chase Rice

Posted on January 25, 2018

The NHL All-Star game is going country.

Brett Young, Chase Rice and Lindsay Ell will perform as part of the NHL All-Star game on Jan. 28 in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Brett will sing the U.S. national anthem, while Canadian-born Lindsay Ell will sing her home country’s anthem. Chase will perform during player introductions. In addition, Kid Rock will perform after the second period.

Check out their performances starting at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC in the U.S., while CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports will carry the game in Canada.

 

photo of Lindsay Ell by Jason Simanek; photo of Brett Young by JPA/AFF-USA.com

Brothers Osborne Announce April 20 Release of Sophomore Album, “Port Saint Joe”

Brothers Osborne Announce April 20 Release of Sophomore Album, “Port Saint Joe”

Posted on January 24, 2018

Brothers Osborne announced they will release their highly anticipated sophomore album, Port Saint Joe, on April 20. The album’s title reflects the small town on the Florida coast where the siblings, John and TJ, recorded the album.

John and TJ co-penned every track on the 10-song offering, including lead single, “Shoot Me Straight.” Other songwriters featured on the album include Kendall Marvel, Shane McAnally, Troy Verges, Laura Veltz and more.

“Port Saint Joe is a sonic representation of who we’ve become not only as a band but as people,” says John. “Every show we’ve ever played together is on this record. Every song we’ve ever written and every mile we’ve ever ridden has led to the making of this record. Imperfections and all.”

“We shacked up for two weeks to make an unabashed record that would reflect who we are in every way, and in the process we had the most enjoyable and memorable recording experience of our lives,” says TJ.

Port Saint Joe Track Listing & Songwriters

  1. “Slow Your Roll” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Barry Dean, Troy Verges)
  2. “Shoot Me Straight” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Lee Thomas Miller)
  3. “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Shane McAnally, Matt Dragstrem)
  4. “Weed, Whiskey and Willie” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Laura Veltz)
  5. “Tequila Again” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Kendall Marvel)
  6. “A Couple Wrongs Makin’ It Alright” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Connie Harrington)
  7. “Pushing Up Daisies” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Kendall Marvel)
  8. “Drank Like Hank” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Kendall Marvel)
  9. “A Little Bit Trouble” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Dave Barnes)
  10. “While You Still Can” (John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Travis Meadows)

photo by Jason Simanek

2018 Grammy Awards: Everything a Country Music Fan Needs to Know About Sunday Night

2018 Grammy Awards: Everything a Country Music Fan Needs to Know About Sunday Night

Posted on January 24, 2018

From nominations and notes to performers and presenters, here’s everything a country music fan needs to know about the 2018 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Jan. 28.

The Notes

Date: Jan. 28
Location: Madison Square Garden
Time: 7:30 p.m ET
Channel: CBS
Live Stream: CBS All Access
Host: James Corden
Red Carpet: CBS/6:30 p.m.
Non-Televised Awards: Grammy.com at 3 p.m. ET

Country Performers

Chris Stapleton
Little Big Town
Emmylou Harris
Maren Morris
Brothers Osborne
Eric Church

Presenters

Tony Bennett, Dave Chappelle, Kelly Clarkson, Victor Cruz, Eve, Jim Gaffigan, Katie Holmes, Nick Jonas, Anna Kendrick, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Shemar Moore, Trevor Noah, Sarah Silverman, Hailee Steinfeld and Donnie Wahlberg.

Country Nominations

Best Country Solo Performance 

  • “Body Like A Back Road”—Sam Hunt
  • “Losing You”—Alison Krauss
  • “Tin Man”—Miranda Lambert
  • “I Could Use A Love Song”—Maren Morris
  • “Either Way”—Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance 

  • “It Ain’t My Fault”—Brothers Osborne
  • “My Old Man”—Zac Brown Band
  • “You Look Good”—Lady Antebellum
  • “Better Man”—Little Big Town
  • “Drinkin’ Problem”—Midland

Best Country Song (awarded to songwriters)

  • “Better Man”—Taylor Swift (Little Big Town)
  • “Body Like A Back Road”—Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne (Sam Hunt)
  • “Broken Halos”—Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton)
  • “Drinkin’ Problem”—Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & Mark Wystrach (Midland)
  • “Tin Man”—Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall (Miranda Lambert)

Best Country Album

  • Cosmic Hallelujah—Kenny Chesney
  • Heart Break—Lady Antebellum
  • The Breaker—Little Big Town
  • Life Changes—Thomas Rhett
  • From A Room: Volume 1—Chris Stapleton

Best Roots Gospel Album

  • The Best Of The Collingsworth Family – Volume 1—The Collingsworth Family
  • Give Me Jesus—Larry Cordle
  • Resurrection—Joseph Habedank
  • Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope—Reba McEntire
  • Hope For All Nations—Karen Peck & New River

Best American Roots Performance

  • “Killer Diller Blues”—Alabama Shakes
  • “Let My Mother Live”—Blind Boys Of Alabama
  • “Arkansas Farmboy”—Glen Campbell
  • “Steer Your Way”—Leonard Cohen
  • “I Never Cared For You”—Alison Krauss

Best American Roots Song (awarded to songwriters)

  • “Cumberland Gap”—David Rawlings & Gillian Welch (David Rawlings)
  • “I Wish You Well”—Raul Malo & Alan Miller (The Mavericks)
  • “If We Were Vampires”—Jason Isbell (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)
  • “It Ain’t Over Yet”—Rodney Crowell (Rodney Crowell Featuring Rosanne Cash & John Paul White)
  • “My Only True Friend”—Gregg Allman & Scott Sharrard (Gregg Allman)

Best Americana Album

  • Southern Blood—Gregg Allman
  • Shine On Rainy Day—Brent Cobb
  • Beast Epic—Iron & Wine
  • The Nashville Sound—Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
  • Brand New Day—The Mavericks

Best Bluegrass Album

  • Fiddler’s Dream—Michael Cleveland
  • Laws Of Gravity—The Infamous Stringdusters
  • Original—Bobby Osborne
  • Universal Favorite—Noam Pikelny
  • All The Rage: In Concert Volume One [Live]—Rhonda Vincent And The Rage

While country artists were absent in the four all-genre categories (Record, Album, Song and Best New Artist of the Year), a handful of country artists secured multiple nominations.

Chris Stapleton picked up three nominations for Best Country Solo Performance (“Either Way”), Best Country Song (“Broken Halos”) and Best Country Album (From A Room: Vol. 1).

Miranda Lambert earned two nods for Best Country Solo Performance (“Tin Man”) and Best Country Song (“Tin Man”), while Sam Hunt scored two nominations for Best Country Solo Performance (“Body Like A Back Road”) and Best Country Song (“Body Like A Back Road”).

Midland’s “Drinkin’ Problem” picked up two nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song. Little Big Town copped two nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Better Man”) and Best Country Album (The Breaker), while Lady Antebellum netted two nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“You Look Good”) and Best Country Album (Heart Break).

Reba McEntire’s Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope earned a nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album. Glen Campbell’s “Arkansas Farmboy” was nominated for Best American Roots Performance.

Jason Isbell was nominated for Best American Roots Song (“If We Were Vampires”) and Best American Roots Album (The Nashville Sound), while Alison Krauss was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance (“Losing You”) and Best American Roots Performance (“I Never Cared For You”).

photos by Jason Simanek

Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris and More Added as Performers to Grammy Lineup

Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris and More Added as Performers to Grammy Lineup

Posted on January 24, 2018

Grammy-winning country stars Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris have been added to the lineup for the Grammy Awards on Jan. 28.

Chris, who has won two Grammys, and Emmylou, who has won 13 Grammys, join previously announced country performers Brothers Osbourne, Eric Church, Maren Morris and Little Big Town.

Other performers include Alessia Cara, Cardi B, Childish Gambino, Gary Clark JrMiley Cyrus, Daddy Yankee, DJ Khaled, Jon Batiste, Luis Fonsi, Elton John, Kesha, Khalid, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Logic, Patti LuPone, Bruno Mars, P!nk, Ben Platt, Rihanna, Sam Smith, Sting, SZA, Bryson Tiller, U2 and Zuleyka Rivera.

Hosted by James Corden, the Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Jan. 28, 7:30–11 p.m. ET, on CBS.

photo by Jim Casey

Watch Midland Perform “Make a Little” on “The Late Show”

Watch Midland Perform “Make a Little” on “The Late Show”

Posted on January 24, 2018

In the lead-up to the Grammy Awards on Jan. 28, the boys from Midland—Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy and Mark Wystrach—dropped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Jan. 23 to perform their single, “Make a Little.”

Co-penned by the trio with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, “Make a Little” is currently No. 17 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after 18 weeks.

Midland is nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song. Tune in to CBS on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET to watch the show.

Watch Midland perform “Make a Little” from The Late Show With Stephen Colbert below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIYDrgCeWMI

photo by Jason Simanek

Vols Defeat Vanderbilt 67-62 to Complete Season Sweep

Vols Defeat Vanderbilt 67-62 to Complete Season Sweep

Posted on January 23, 2018
Vols G Jordan Bowden / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Despite a strong second half by Vanderbilt, No. 22 Tennessee held on to complete the regular-season sweep over its in-state rival, defeating the Commodores, 67-62, in Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night.

The Commodores (7-13, 2-6 SEC) would fight back in the second half after facing a 17-point halftime deficit, using a run with eight consecutive made fields goals to pull within four points at 51-47. During the stretch, Vanderbilt senior Riley LaChance connected on four treys and had 15 straight points.

Vanderbilt stayed within striking distance of the Vols (14-5, 5-3 SEC) but could never capture the lead because of 2-of-8 shooting during the final minutes of the game. Tennessee countered Vandy’s 47 second-half points by converting on 14 of its 20 free throws in the period.

Tuesday’s contest was a low-scoring affair out of the gates, as the Vols totaled just four points over the first six and a half minutes of play in the game. The Big Orange turned its scoring around, though, shooting 42 percent (10-of-24) from the floor in the frame.

The Volunteers used a 14-2 run to take a 32-15 lead into halftime behind 11 points from Jordan Bowden. Vanderbilt’s 15 points at the break marked the fewest points Tennessee has allowed in a half during SEC play this season.

UT was lead by Bowden, who finished with a team-high 19 points and tied a career-high five 3-pointers, while Grant Williams posted his 17th game with double-figure scoring with 18 points. Williams was 12-for-14 from the charity stripe.

Vanderbilt was led by LaChance and Jeff Roberson who both scored in double figures. LaChance finished with a game-high 25 points, and Roberson added 21 for the Commodores, who shot 40.4 percent from the floor on 23-of-57 shooting.

UP NEXT: The Vols head to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Tennessee will then return home to face LSU on Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the game televised on the SEC Network.

1ST HALF DOMINANCE: For the third time this season, Tennessee held an opponent to 15 points or fewer in the first half. Vanderbilt scored just 15 in the first half a season-low.

-UT Athletics

 

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