Monday, December 28, 2009

Top New Country Artist of 2009


Just a few more days left of 2009 and it has been a great year for new country artist! I have made another list and this one is my favorite new country artist of 2009. Some of the artist have been releasing music for longer than a year but they became popular in 2009 so that is why they are on my list. Let me know if I forgot anyone from the list...

#9 Bomshel- Bomshel became popular this year with their two singles "Fight Like a Girl" and "19 and Crazy"

#8 Justin Moore- Justin Moore blew up the charts this year with his single "Small Town USA." Justin Moore is currently on tour with Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert.

#7 Randy Houser- Randy Houser released one of my favorite songs "Anything goes" in 2008 but he gained a lot of popularity this year with "Boots On" and "Whistlin' Dixie." Randy Houser will be performing at the World's Toughest Rodeo at the Xcel Energy Center on January 29th and 30th. I got a chance to see Randy Houser live at the Cabooze earlier this year and he is an amazing performer.

#6 Gloriana- Gloriana became one of new favorite bands the moment I heard "Wild at Heart." Gloriana is still touring with Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler.

#5 Zac Brown Band- The Zac Brown Band had an HUGE year in 2009. The Zac Brown Band had a ton of success with "Chicken Fried," "Whatever It Is," "Toes" and "Highway 20 Ride." I saw Zac Brown Band when they opened for Keith Urban and they definitely have a lot of energy and are very talented musicians.

#4 Love And Theft- Love and Theft gained popularity after the release of their first single "Runaway." Love and Theft just released my new favorite song "Dancing in Circles" and I'm sure they have many more great songs to follow up those two.

#3 Steel Magnolia- Steel Magnolia were the winners of CMT's show Can You Duet. I am absolutely in love with their single "Keep On Lovin' You" and I can't wait to hear more of their music.

#2 David Nail- I saw David Nail in concert a few months ago at a really small venue because he wasn't really known then. He was a great performer and has an amazing voice. David Nail has become much more popular since the release of "Red Light." I have a feeling he will becoming even more popular in 2010.

#1 Darius Rucker- There are too many great things I can say about Darius Rucker. He seems like such a nice guy and is so thankful to all of his country fans for excepting him right away. He has such heart filled songs like "Don't Think I Don't Think About it," "Alright," "History in the Making" and "It won't be like this for Long." Darius Rucker will be around for a very long time and that makes me very happy!

"Dancing in Circle"

Well I don't understand why we
Do what we do to each other
According to His word we're
All born sisters and brothers

But we lie and we steal
Fight and we kill
Even though we know the way

Why do we go dancing in circles
When we know it never ends
We come so close to loving each other
And then, we go dancing in circles again

All through the ages we
Try to share this world together
Turning the pages, pretending
We'll live here forever

But we'll have to face
Our maker someday
And reap what we've sown all the way

Why do we go dancing in circles
When we know it never ends
We come so close to loving each other
And then, we go dancing in circles again

And we know how so
Why can't we just get it right?
And I pray someday
We'll overcome all the damage we've done
And we'll fight

Why do we go dancing in circles
When we know it never ends
We come so close to loving each other
And then, we go dancing in circles again

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Top country songs of 2009


The year is coming to an end and it has definitely been a long year! My year started out with my house burning down and then many other bad luck things followed. Luckily I have amazing friends and family that got me through this year with a smile on my face for most of 2009 because of them! The other thing that really helped was all the great country songs that were released this year. Anytime something bad happened all I had to do was turn on a country station and sing along with all my favorite country songs to make me happy again. I started a list of my favorite 2009 country songs and it ended up being very long long. After much consideration I narrowed it down to 20 songs and this is what I came up with:

#20 "Cowgirls Don't Cry"-Brooks and Dunn with Reba McEntire
#19 "Eight Second Ride"-Jake Owen
#18 "Then"-Brad Paisley who is coming to the Xcel on January 16th
#17 "Here Comes Goodbye"-Rascal Flatts
#16 "History in the Making"-Darius Rucker
#15 "Why Don't We Just Dance"-Josh Turner
#14 "Dead Flowers"-Miranda Lambert
#13 "Red Light"-David Nail
#12 "I'll Just Hold On"-Blake Shelton
#11 "Strange"-Reba McEntire
#10 "Do I"-Luke Bryan
#9 "Keep On Lovin You"-Steel Magnolia
#8 "White Horses"-Taylor Swift
#7 "Run To You"-Lady Antebellum
#6 "Sweet Thing"-Keith Urban
#5 "Consider Me Gone"-Reba McEntire
#4 "She's Country"-Jason Aldean
#3 "Need You Now"-Lady Antebellum
#2 "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes"-Dierks Bentley
#1 "Big Green Tractor"-Jason Aldean

It has been a crazy year but I am a lucky girl to have so much love in my life and I know great things will be coming in 2010 including more great country music!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Winter 2009 Country Songs


Us Minnesotans have been very lucky this fall/winter with nice weather! Our luck ran out last week when the cold weather finally found us. I don't mean to complain because I am born and raised Minnesotan and love the snow. But, I can never get use to the -20ish wind chills and having to freeze in my car for 10 mins until the heat kicks in! Luckily there has been many great country songs recently released or about to be released that help keep my mind off the bitter cold. Some of the newer country songs I have fallen in love with are: "Till Summer Comes Around"-Keith Urban, "Keep You"-Sugarland, "The Truth"-Jason Aldean, "Keep on Loving You"-Steel Magnolia, "Consider Me Gone"-Reba McEntire, "Need You Now"-Lady Antebellum, "Red Light"-David Nail and "Temporary Home"-Carrie Underwood. If you live in a cold state like I do I would suggest turning on any of these songs and sing along with them as loud as you can and I promise your mind will not be on how cold you are! If you know of any newer country songs I did not mention please let me know because I have a feeling it is going to be a long winter!

"Keep on Loving You"-Steel Manolia
Maybe life has got you run down
I think it's time girl that we slow down
So take a look it's almost sundown

{Chorus}
So why don't you lay right here
Let me just ease your mind
I'm givin' you all my time
And I'm gonna keep on, keep on, lovin' you

Strong and slow
The way that you want me to
Baby my whole life through
I'm gonna keep on, keep on, lovin' you

When that morning sun is dawning
Baby, both of us should call in
We got too much love to fall in

{Chorus}
So why don't you lay right here
Let me just ease your mind
I'm givin' you all my time
And I'm gonna keep on, keep on, lovin' you

Strong and slow
The way that you want me to
Baby my whole life through
I'm gonna keep on, keep on, lovin' you

So why don't you lay right here
Let me just ease your mind
I'm givin' you all my time
And I'm gonna keep on, keep on

Strong and slow
The way that you want me to
Baby my whole life through
I'm gonna keep on, keep on, lovin' you

Strong and slow
The way that you want me to
Baby my whole life through
I'm gonna keep on, keep on, keep on, lovin' you

I'm gonna keep on, keep on, lovin' you

"Temporary Home"-Carrie Underwood
Little boy, six years old
A little too used to being alone
Another new mom and dad, another school
Another house that’ll never be home

When people ask him how he likes this place
He looks up and says with a smile upon his face

This is my temporary home
It’s not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I’m passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where I’m going
I’m not afraid because I know
This is my temporary home

A young mom on her own
She needs a little help, got no where to go
She’s looking for a job, looking for a way out
‘Cause a half-way house will never be a home

At night she whispers to her baby girl
Someday we’ll find our place here in this world

This is our temporary home
It’s not where we belong
Windows and rooms that we’re passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where we’re going
I’m not afraid because I know
This is our temporary home

Old man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers, “don’t cry for me,
I’ll see you all someday”

He looks up and says,
“I can see God’s face”

This is my temporary home
It’s not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I’m passing through
This was just a stop on the way to where I’m going
I’m not afraid because I know
This was my temporary home

Monday, December 14, 2009

Country Music and Minnesota Vikings Jared Allen



As I have mentioned many times before every morning on my way to work I turn on K102 so I can have a great start to my day. I love hearing my favorite country songs and listening to the funny things the DJ's come up with. One of my favorite things is when the K102 crew have Minnesota Vikings Jared Allen on the show. I love the vikings and I love country music and I love that I get to start some of my mornings out with the combination of them. Jared Allen is a HUGE country fan and is very hilarious when he talks about different country artist. I got the chance to see Jared Allen on stage with Jason Aldean this summer and Jason Aldean was even wearing Jared Allen's #69 jersey during the end of the concert. The K102 spend a few minutes talking to Jared Allen about Viking ticket sales and Viking games and they spend the rest of the show goofing around and talking about everything country. Every Thursday night K102 does a show from Baja Sol in Eden Prairie called Jared Allen Live! Anyone is able to go to Baja Sol and see Jared Allen and Muss put on the show live. I have never been there during the Jared Allen Live show but would like to know what it is like. If anyone has been there please let me know what you thought of it!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Brooks and Dunn The Last Rodeo & Jason Aldean Concert in Minnesota



I completely fell in love with Jason Aldean when I saw him perform at the Minnesota State fair this summer. I check his website every once in a while to see if he is coming back to Minnesota and up until today I have not seen another concert date for Minnesota. But, I was extremely excited when I read today that Jason Aldean will be coming to the Xcel Energy Center on May 14th!!! I was even more excited to find out that Jason Aldean will be at the Xcel because he is opening for Brooks and Dunn's final Tour together. I can already predict that this will be one of the top 3 concerts that I will ever see in my life time! Not only will I get to hear all of my favorite Jason Aldean songs like "Why," "She's Country," "Big Green Tractor," "The Truth," "Hicktown," and "Amarillo Sky" live again but I will also get to hear the legendary Brooks and Dunn songs. Some of my favorite Brooks and Dunn songs are "Cowgirls Don't Cry," "Play Something Country," "Hillbilly Deluxe," "I Believe," "Ain't Nothing About You," "Red Dirt Road," and many others. Brooks and Dunn & Jason Aldean tickets for the Xcel Energy Center have not been released yet but once I hear when they will be going on sale I will let everyone know! Brooks & Dunn tickets are now available to purchase!!!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Larry the Cable Guy Minnesota Tickets


I was so excited to hear today that Larry the Cable Guy will be at the State Theatre in Minnesota on January 15th and 16th. I own many of his DVD's and The Blue Collar Comedy tour DVD and have always wanted to see him live and now I finally get the chance too! Even if you don't know Larry the Cable Guy I'm sure you have heard the line "Get er Done" a few times in your life. One of my favorite things he does during his show is when he makes fun of his family or rednecks and then says "I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there" after every line. I am almost 100% sure that if you are a fan of country music then you would be a huge fan of Larry the Cable Guy. Larry the Cable Guy tickets are selling fast because he doesn't come to Minnesota often and there are many "country at heart" people like me that would love to see him perform live. I'm happy that I "Got er Done" and got my tickets right away.

- This a Song I wrote about my girlfriend. She cheated on me with
another man. It's called "I Can't Get Over You til You Get Out
From Under Him."

- My sister was getting married, and she's a big ol' sum.
Her friends were about as fat as she is and she bought them all
matching brown dresses. They looked like a bunch of UPS trucks
parked in the middle of the parking lot.

- (If NASCAR had sponsorships from feminine products) "How'd you
get tickets to the Tampon 200?" "Well, we pulled some strings."

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

World's Toughest Rodeo and Randy Houser



Its almost that time of year again when the World's Toughest Rodeo will be back in town!!! The World's Toughest Rodeo will be at The Xcel Energy Center on January 29th and January 30th at 7:30pm. I have been to the World's Toughest Rodeo a couple times and it is so much fun! It is so exciting watching all the cowboys ride cause you never know what is going to happen and all the cowboys are so great at what they do! I also love watching the little monkey ride around on the dog cause it is so cute. To give you an idea of how much fun it is, one year I went I had a temp of 104 the entire time and didn't even realize it until I left cause I was having so much fun cheering on all the cowboys. This is a small slice of heaven for any country boy or girl. It will be even better this year because Randy Houser will be playing after the rodeo. I saw Randy Houser about a year ago at The Cabooze and he is an amazing entertainer. I can't wait to hear his song "Boots On" and "Anything Goes" live again. I also like that you only have to pay one price for both World's Toughest Rodeo tickets and Randy Houser tickets instead of having to pay for them separately. If you love cowboys and country music you definitely don't want to miss out on this red neck event.