DAVE'S DIARY - 26/1/09 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 8 - SERIES 11
TOURISTS HEADLINE NU COUNTRY TV
Nashville
superstars Brooks & Dunn and fellow chart topper Dierks Bentley headline
Nu Country TV this Saturday - January 31- at 8 p m on C 31.
The duo is making its return tour of Australia in May with Arizona born
singer Dierks Bentley.
Former Canadian rodeo rider Corb Lund also performs on Nu Country on the
eve of his performance at the CMC Rocks The Snowy Festival at Thredbo
on March 6 and 7.
Expatriate Canadian Wilf Montan debuts with his insight on the Tamworth
Country Music Festival.
Explosive Texan singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert also returns with her
video clip for her hit Gunpowder & Lead.
Former Mascot accountant-singer Amber Lawrence also returns to the show
on which teenage Caboolture singer Sinead Burgess makes her debut.
Lawrence and Burgess also join the bill at the CMC Rocks The Snowy fest.
CLICK HERE for full details on
TonkGirl's Gig Guide.
BROOKS & DUNN PUT A PRESIDENT IN IT
"Sun coming up over New York City/ School bus driver in a traffic jam/ Starin' at the faces in her rear view mirror/ Looking at the promise of the Promised Land/ One kid dreams of fame and fortune/ One kid helps pay the rent/ One could end up going to prison/ One just might be president." - Only In America - Kix Brooks-Don Cook-Ronnie Rogers.
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Nashville
superstars Brooks & Dunn have God and U.S. President Senator Barack
Obama on their side on the eve of their second Australian tour in
May. Obama used Only In America, written in Brooks' barn, as the entrée for his historic Democratic National Convention speech in Denver last year. "Seems ironic that the same song Bush used at Republican Convention last election would be used by the Obama and the Democrats now," Kix Brooks quipped. "Very flattering to know our song crossed parties and potentially inspires all Americans." Brooks & Dunn appeared with George Dubya during his 2004 re-election campaign, which used Only in America. |
"Bush
wasn't the only one who used it," he said. "John Kerry used
it too. He played it at the Democratic convention in 2004 also."
The song was inspired by the writers' desire to express their appreciation
for America.
Cook said there was no partisan approach to the songwriting process.
But it's a different video for recent hit Put A Girl In It - featured
on Nu Country this week.
Brooks & Dunn are touring here in May to promote big selling 10th
album Cowboy Town that has pushed career sales beyond 30 million
in less than 20 years.
They also released their book The Adventures of Slim & Howdy in
May last year.
That was just before cancelling concerts Ronnie Dunn suffered "a
severe respiratory condition."
The duo has since made new video Cowgirls Don't Cry with Okalahoma
born singing actor and TV-Broadway star Reba McEntire who has also toured
here twice.
They topped charts together with former rodeo barrel racer Reba more than
a decade ago with their hit If You See Him/If You See Her.
They debuted their cut of Cowgirls Don't Cry live at the 42nd Annual
CMA Awards in November.
"I had just spent time writing the song on Reba's Duets record, Does
the Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma, and when he sat down with Cowgirls
Don't Cry co-writer Terry McBride," Dunn said. "I was thinking
of Reba when I wrote it and how she grew up" around cowboys and the
rodeo lifestyle."
CLICK HERE for a
Brooks & Dunn live review from The Diary on March 5, 2008
DIERKS BENTLEY - EVERY MILE A MEMORY
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Arizona
born country star Dierks Bentley, touring here with Brooks & Dunn
in May, returns to Nu Country TV this week. But so far the Phoenix born bluegrass rooted singer hasn't sent us any food rations. Bentley sent more than 2,000 boxes of Cracker Jack snack food to U.S. country radio stations to promote his latest single, Feel That Fire. |
The song's
lyrics include a line about a "toy in the Cracker Jack."
Feel That Fire is the title track of Bentley's fourth Capitol Nashville
studio album that is released on February 3.
Dierks' last
album, Long Trip Alone, picked up four Grammy nominations.
Among fellow artists who've helped on Feel That Fire are bluegrass
musician Ronnie McCoury, who did a duet with Dierks; and Patty Griffin
and Rodney Crowell, both of whom co-wrote songs with Dierks for the first
time.
"Just stepping into Rodney Crowell's house, I felt like I should
have done the criss-cross across my chest a couple times, because that's
sacred ground," Dierks said.
Bentley's wife Cassidy gave birth to their first child, daughter Evalyn
Day Bentley, on October 4 at Vanderbilt Medical Centre in Nashville.
She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces.
The couple began dating each other in high school in Arizona and wed in
December 2005 in Mexico.
Bentley, 33, performs the video for Every Mile A Memory on Nu Country
TV this week.
CLICK HERE for
a Bentley feature in the Diary on September 17, 2005.
CORB LUND IN THE CAVALRY
 |
Former
Canadian rodeo rider Corb Lund returns to Australia as one of many
major artists at the CMC Rocks The Snowy festival at Thredbo on March
6 & 7. Lund and his band The Hurtin' Albertans are touring to promote fifth album Horse Soldier. Corb and The Hurtin' Albertans appeared in Hollywood horror movie Slither. James Gunn directs the movie, starring Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Elizabeth Banks, Rheagan Wallace, Brenda James, Don Thompson, Haig Sutherland, Lloyd Kaufman and Jennifer Copping. "It's every songwriter's dream to be in a horror movie," Lund told Nu Country after shooting a bar scene in a Vancouver honky tonk in Slither. Lund, 44, lives in Edmunton but was raised on the family ranch at Taber, Alberta, by his parents - a fourth generation rodeo family whose ancestral roots were in Montana and Utah. |
The singer,
making his fifth Australian tour, performs the video for I Want To
Be In The Cavalry, on Nu Country.
Lund will mix pleasure with work when he returns to Jan Juc on Victoria's
famous Surf Coast in March to play the rustic Rose Café near the
homes of several Geelong footballers including captain Tom Harley and
the legendary Gary Ablett Jr.
CLICK HERE for a 2008
Lund concert review by Peter O'Keefe at Jan Juc in our concerts section
on March 23, 2008.
CLICK HERE for another O'Keefe
review of Corb at the Cornish Arms, Brunswick, on January 31, 2004.
CLICK HERE for a feature
on Lund from the DIARY on March 9, 2006.
MIRANDA LAMBERT EXPLODES
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Texan fireball
Miranda Lambert is well qualified to earn Hero Of The Year title
from the U.S. Field And Stream magazine.
Lambert was cited as a hunter who shares her love of hunting in music
and donating game meat to Hunters for the Hungry
So it's fitting she performs a live version of her explosive hit Gunpowder
& Lead on Nu Country this week.
The song is from Lambert's award winning third album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
We also have the new video for More Like Her that she performed
at the 42nd CMA Awards on November 12 in Nashville on the ABC Television
Network.
Lambert been writing for her fourth album at home in Lindale, Texas, at
boyfriend Blake Shelton's Oklahoma farm and on their joint tour.
"I've been writing for it a lot lately and I'm going into the studio
in the wintertime a little bit and finish the record," Lambert recently
revealed.
"I'm real excited, but I do feel a little pressure because Crazy
Ex-Girlfriend won ACM Album of the Year and got critical acclaim.
I try not to think about it, but you can't really help it at some point.
I'm not really sure what the next record's going to be like, but so far,
it's along the same vein as the other two, which, I guess, is working
so far, so I'll stick with it."
Lambert has also received acclaim for dynamic love renditions of her original
songs and her recent tour with Shelton.
The singer, just 24, is fiercely proud of her songwriting.
"Songwriting isn't for everybody, I guess, but it comes first and
foremost for me," she says.
"It's just always been like that. My dad taught me to play guitar
and write songs when I was a teenager, and I do think songwriting is an
art."
Miranda cites veteran singer-songwriter-former convict Merle Haggard as
her biggest inspiration.
"There are so many talented songwriters in Nashville, and country
music in general, so with each record, I try to reach the next level,"
she said.
"When I hear songs from some of my heroes, like Merle Haggard, I'm
still blown away."
Shelton released his fifth CD Startin' Fires on November 18.
The 32-year-old singer/songwriter soared charts last year with a cover
of Michael Buble hit Home that features backing vocals from Lambert.
Blake and Miranda also duetted on Bare Skin Rug - a song they recorded
at the farm of producer Scott Hendricks.
"He put a couple microphones in front of us at his farm, lit a campfire,
and there were crickets. We just played it one time and recorded it,"
Shelton revealed.
CLICK HERE for a Miranda
Lambert feature from the Diary on May 5, 2007.
AMBER LAWRENCE - THE MILE
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Mascot
accountant Amber Lawrence returns to Nu Country this week with the
video of a song inspired by the tragic death three years ago of
jockey Sam McCrae at just 16 in a race accident. Lawrence returned to Randwick Race Course and performed the national anthem on Melbourne Cup day in November. |
The singer
has also toured with Chic Frontier - featuring Dianna Corcoran, Kirsty
Lee Akers and Aleyce Simmonds.
More info on Amber and the story
behind The Mile at www.amberlawrence.com.au
SINEAD BURGESS - CABOOLTURE EXPORT 2
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Sinead Burgess
has several memorable claims to fame.
She is the second major export from Queensland coastal town Caboolture
- launch pad of expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban.
"Keith has been one of my biggest influences," confessed Sinead
who also performs at the CMC Rocks The Snowy Festival at Thredbo on March
6 and 7.
And, at 17, she was the national support act last year for equally famous
U.S. singer-songwriter Don McLean.
Burgess performs the video for debut single You Get Me from an
album produced by Garth Porter.
When Sinead graduated from Year 12 at Tullawong High in Caboolture she
had to be briefed about Don by her parents, although she knew his signature
hit American Pie.
"When I found out I was supporting Don I got the low-down from my
mum and dad about him," Sinead said.
"I can name about three of his songs.
"I was learning a little while ago how to play Vincent (Starry,
Starry Night) instrumentally."
Sinead, who also plays guitar and piano, won a record deal with ABC Music
after being discovered at the 2007 Telstra Road to Tamworth quest.
Burgess has since scored support gigs with fellow Queensland stars James
Blundell and Graeme Connors.
Further info - www.myspace.com/sineadburgess
WILF MONTAN - FROM ROCKIES TO TAMWORTH
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Expatriate
Canadian Wilf Montan was so impressed with the Tamworth Country music
festival he wrote a song about his experience. He also made a video clip for Tamworth Country Music. Wilf, 68, hails from the Canadian Rockies and is promoting his album Trails Of Tradition on Stardust Nashville. Other releases include Who Took The Country Out Of Country, Aloha Waikiki, Miss Runaway Girl and Mt Isa Round-Up in 2008. Montan previously released a video for The Land Down Under. Further info - http://countrymusic-online.com |
WIN
NEW CDS BY BEING A NU COUNTRY MEMBER
TAYLOR SWIFT, JASMINE RAE & STEVE FORDE
Nu Country
TV celebrates its 11th series with a brace of prizes to celebrate the
CMC Rocks The Snowy festival and the national tours by superstars Brooks
& Dunn, Dierks Bentley and Taylor Swift.
We have the following CDS for viewers who email our web page and pledge
their $22 membership at music@nucountry.com.au
Taylor Swift - huge selling second album Fearless.
Jasmine Rae - debut CD Look It Up by the Telstra Road To Tamworth
winner and touring partner of Brooks & Dunn and Bentley.
Steve Forde - fifth album Guns & Guitars by the tour mate of
Brooks & Dunn and chart topper Gary Allan.
KACEY JONES CD, DVD, POSTER AND TEE SHIRT PRIZES
Internationally
renowned country comedienne, singer-songwriter and producer Kacey Jones
has given us a box of autographed merchandise for viewers and members
who renew their membership.
A highlight is her acclaimed tribute disc Kacey Jones Sings Mickey
Newbury that is scheduled for Australian release in July.
We have autographed collectors' copies of the CD for viewers who want
to become members of Nu Country TV.
She also autographed tee shirts and posters for Nu Country members.
For your $22 membership and postage you can take your pick of Kacey memorabilia.
We have limited supplies so please email us at music@nucountry.com.au
first.
WILLIE NELSON EXCLUSIVE BOOK
We also celebrate
Shotgun Willie Nelson's 75th birthday on April 30 with a special giveaway
of his collectors' book.
We have limited stock of Willie Nelson - The Collected Writings Of
A Living Legend - The Facts Of Life And Other Dirty Jokes.
The book, featuring yarns, jokes and Willie Nelson song lyrics, is the
latest addition to out prize treasure trove.
It's available for viewers wanting to become members or current members
wishing to renew their membership.
Please email us at music@nucountry.com.au
for a chance to win a copy of this book with your membership.
MIKE BRADY MUSIC FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Internationally
acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Brady volunteered to become a VIP guest
host of Nu Country TV during our eighth series.
Brady hosted an episode that also featured an exclusive interview about
recording the album in Nashville with expatriate Australian producer Mark
Moffatt.
Mike has also donated autographed copies of his brand new CD Country
To Country to viewers who become members or current members who renew
their membership.
The generous singer donated his autographed CDS to attract your membership
to ensure our survival.
So for your $22 membership including postage you can win Mike's CD Country
To Country.
We have limited supplies so please email us first at music@nucountry.com.au
so we can allocate your reward.
TANIA KERNAGHAN AUTOGRAPHED CDS
Tania Kernaghan
has offered autographed copies of her fourth album Higher Ground to
viewers who either become new members or renew their membership.
The album was produced in Santa Monica, Franklin, Nashville and the Gold
Coast with Daniel Kresco.
Tania recorded 11 songs written by younger sister Fiona and producer Kresco
on the acclaimed disc.
If you wish to be rewarded for your membership with Tania's new CD please
email us at music@nucountry.com.au.
We also have other CDS in our library as rewards for your valued membership
- we rely on membership for our survival.