Brantley Gilbert - Halfway to Heaven CD

Halfway to Heaven CD music Jason Aldean isn't a country music traditionalist -- unless one counts the pop- and rock-edged new country that emerged in the 1990s as a tradition, and since it's cruising well into a second decade as the dominant music on country radio stations, perhaps it is a tradition by now. Aldean loves electric guitars, and there's more Eagles and even AC/DC in his sound than there is George Jones, which, again, given the state of country music in the 21st century, hardly makes him a maverick. He's not a strong singer, although he gets things done well enough, and he isn't a songwriter, either, but since the commercial success of 2009's Wide Open, which yielded three hit singles ("She's Country," "Big Green Tractor," and "The Truth"), he got his pick of the best songs from Nashville's veteran writers for his new album. Produced by Michael Knox , My Kinda Party has an impressive sonic consistency, full of churning and chiming electric guitars (provided by guitarists Kurt Allison and Adam Shoenfeld -- Aldean uses his touring band in the studio) wrapped around big songs with small-town themes. At best, this formula produces energetic tracks like the wonderful opener, "Tattoos on This Town"; the small-town Saturday night anthem "My Kinda Party" (the lead single from the album); and the air-guitar epic "Days Like These," which closes this set out. Aldean even tackles a straight ballad like "The Heartache That Don't Stop Hurting" with enough sincerity and style to make it work. Again, there are layers of electric guitars everywhere, and truthfully, Aldean has found success because he finds songs that fit his voice and then lets the guitars do what they do. He does just enough, and doesn't reach for the stars -- it's a formula that should keep on working into the near future. ~ Steve Leggett Recording information: Treasure Isle Recording Studio; Westwood Studios. Editor: Brandon Epps. Photographer: James Minchin III. Personnel: Adam Shoenfeld (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Danny Rader (acoustic guitar, banjo); Kurt Allison (electric guitar); Mike Johnson (lap steel guitar); Tony Harrell (strings, piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ); Rich Redmond (drums, percussion); Shalacy Griffin, Lisa Torres, Neil Thrasher, Wes Hightower, Perry Coleman (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Peter Coleman.

Halfway to Heaven album for sale The third time around, Luke Bryan doubles down on his calling card: his inherent sweetness, the warmth he has as the country boy next door. Bryan is so genial that when he implores his country girl to "shake it for me," there's nary a trace of lasciviousness: he just wants to be sure she's having a good time. This aw-shucks generosity resonates throughout Tailgates & Tanlines, a record that capitalizes on the relaxed professionalism of 2009's Doin' My Thing. Bryan's bright setting plays as pop -- it's too clean and crisp, too bereft of grit to ever be mistaken as something hardcore -- but his foundation is pure country, songs that are sturdy and unfussy, never bothering with sugary pop hooks. This is a slight shift from Doin' My Thing, which was pop enough to have a OneRepublic cover fit within the context, but Bryan retains the shiny friendliness of his sophomore set and marries it to songs that are strictly country, whether they're a lazy Sunday stroll like "Too Damn Young," the country corn of "You Don't Know Jack," the farmtown anthem "Harvest Time," the blues stomp of "Muckalee Creek Water," or the open-road sprightliness of "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye." Much of this is modern in sensibility, anchored by subtle ties to the past, a deliberate move from Bryan both as a writer -- he had a hand in penning eight of the 13 tunes here -- and a performer, showing that he knows exactly what his strengths are: he's not flashy yet he's not boring, he's laid-back and assured, a modern guy who knows his roots but is happy to be in the present, and it's hard not to smile along with the guy as he sings. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Recording information: Blackbird Studios; House of Blues Studio, Nashville, TN; Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN; The Mix Mill, Nashville, TN. Photographer: Kristin Barlowe. Personnel: Ilya Toshinsky (acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin); John Willis (acoustic guitar); Jeff King , Kenny Greenberg, J.T. Corenflos, Adam Shoenfeld, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin , Steve Hinson (pedal steel guitar); Rob Ickes (dobro); Joe Spivey (mandolin, fiddle); Mike Rojas (piano, organ); Mark Bright (keyboards); Greg Morrow (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Ashton Shepherd, Georgia Middleman, Clare Dunn, Russell Terrell, Rachel Thibodeau (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Derek Bason.

Halfway to Heaven buy CD music Contemporary country singer and songwriter Eric Church has been on a roll since 2006. He's had a slew of charting singles and albums, won Top New Solo Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards for 2010, and in early 2011, both the Caldwell County EP and "Homeboy" -- the pre-release single for Chief -- hit number 13 on the chart. That said, he hasn't reached the commercial heights -- yet -- that peers such as Jason Aldean and Justin Moore have. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, because Church is having it both ways: he scores consistently enough to keep his label interested, but also maintains his independence to a degree, which turns on his fans. Church co-wrote 10 of the 11 songs on Chief. Once more teamed with producer/guitarist/bandleader Jay Joyce, he delivers a collection that, on the one hand, stays close to his outlaw pose -- in the new contemporary country sense of the term -- while being firmly entrenched in the music's mainstream. "Homeboy" offers a taste of the kinds of streetwise characters Church seems to prefer to write and sing about (even if they are him at times), though the production is atypical of the rest of the set. "I'm Gettin' Stoned" commences with a National Steel guitar and a thumping tom-tom before winding its way into neo-blues-rock before pulling in the reins; his lyrics bemoan the fact that an ex is getting married while he's left to get wasted alone. It's a new kind of "cryin' in your beer" song. "Drink in My Hand," with its ringing, open '70s rock guitars (why does everyone these days ape the opening of Little Feat's "Easy to Slip?"), and sharp crackling snare, defiantly state that no matter how oppressive his boss is, he cannot ruin the experience of his own cold beer once the work day is done. "Springsteen" isn't so much about the Boss as it is a nostalgic ode to an early love and the memory of the legendary songwriter's music as an accompanying soundtrack to it. It's a clever, if somewhat cloying, tune, but it gets the feeling across in spades. "Country Music Jesus" is a paean and a prayer, a rockist wish for a "long haired hippie prophet who preaches from the book of Johnny Cash" to save what's left of the tradition, and then evokes the spirit of Charlie Daniels to underscore it. Chief is defiant, well-conceived, and more carefully executed than it sounds, with some excellent songs. While it doesn't break any new ground and remains firmly entrenched in contemporary country's geography, it evokes the riled-up, bluesy hard country rock sound of Hank Jr. enough that it separates Church from the genre's other practitioners who are attempting the same thing. ~ Thom Jurek Recording information: Tragedy/Tragedy Studios, Nashville, TN. Photographer: John Peets. Personnel: Eric Church (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro); Jay Joyce (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, dobro, synthesizer); Pat McLaughlin (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Jedd Hughes, Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin); Jeff Hyde (acoustic guitar, banjo, background vocals); Luke Laird (acoustic guitar); Charlie Worsham (electric guitar, mandolin); J.T. Corenflos (electric guitar); Steve Fishell (lap steel guitar); Giles Reaves (vibraphone); Craig Wright (drums, percussion); Stephanie Chapman, Alfreda McCrary Lee, Jason Hall , Ryan Tyndell, Jaime King, Beverly Ann McCrary, Shelly Fairchild, Regina McCrary, Joanna Cotten, Jonathan Singleton (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Jay Joyce.

Halfway to Heaven songs Shedding some of the big-booted affectations and sticky sentimentalism of his 2009 debut while sharpening his musical attack, Justin Moore takes a leap forward on his second album, 2011's Outlaws Like Me. Which isn't to say Moore can't resist succumbing some small-town pandering -- he fetishizes pickup truck and bait, offers the NRA a potential anthem in "Guns" ("as long as I'm alive and breathing/you won't take my guns") -- nor has his voice suddenly gained muscle or grit but, contrary to its title, Outlaws Like Me doesn't rely heavily on macho boasts, so he's able to deliver these songs easily with his clean tenor twang. Much of the echoing, arena-ready stomp of his debut has been sanded away, leaving a leaner country-rock that can convincingly dip its toe in hardcore country à la David Allan Coe ("If You Don't Like My Twang"). These tougher numbers -- the ones written in the outlaw tradition Moore claims to be heir apparent -- are the best moments here because the music packs a punch that carries through on the promise of Moore's braggadocio, a situation that rarely happened on his debut, but happens enough here to make this a much better record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Recording information: The Padded Room, Nashville, TN; The Rukkus Room, Nashville, TN. Photographers: Kristin Barlowe; Stephanie Diggs. Personnel: Curt Ryle, Steven Sheehan (acoustic guitar); Troy Lancaster (electric guitar); Mike Johnson , Russ Pahl (steel guitar); Larry Franklin (fiddle); Michael Rojas, Jim "Moose" Brown (keyboards); Tommy Harden (drums); Jason Kyle Saetveit, Russell Terrell, Perry Coleman (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Jamie Tate.

Halfway to Heaven album for sale Perhaps the most anticipated country record of 2012, Jason Aldean's fifth album, Night Train, is once again produced by his longtime partner, Michael Knox, but that doesn't mean there are no surprises. Far from it. Aldean and his backing band play fast and loose as much as they keep it hardcore country. They bring in Eric Church and Luke Bryan to sing on "The Only Way I Know," and turn up the tempo on the first single, "Take a Little Ride." Recording information: Treasuer Isle Recording Studio, Nashville, TN; Westwood Studios, Nashville, TN. Photographer: James Minchin III. Personnel: Danny Rader (acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, banjo, mandolin); Adam Shoenfeld (electric guitar, E-bow); Kurt Allison, Rob McNelley (electric guitar); Mike Johnson (lap steel guitar); Tony Harrell (strings, piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ); Charlie Judge (piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Rich Redmond (drums, percussion); Luke Laird (drum programming); Shalacy Griffin, Neil Thrasher, Wes Hightower, Perry Coleman (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Peter Coleman.

Halfway to Heaven CD music Brantley Gilbert fits into the neo-outlaw, Steve Earle side of country, and he probably has more in common with heartland rockers like Tom Petty and John Mellencamp than he does, say, Randy Travis. Born outside of Athens, Georgia, he grew up with a soundtrack of R.E.M., Lynyrd Skynyrd, deep south soul, and plenty of George Strait and company, all of which tumbles into Gilbert's Red Dirt-like style. This set, which was originally released by Average Joe's Records in 2009, was Gilbert's debut album, and it featured strong songs like the opener, "Freshman Year," the striking "What's Left of a Small Town," and the good-natured "My Kinda Party" (a number one hit when covered by Jason Aldean in 2010, and also the title of Aldean's album from the same year). Average Joe's also released a follow-up album, Halfway to Heaven, in 2010, after which Gilbert signed with Big Machine's Valory Music imprint in 2011. Valory promptly reissued Modern Day Prodigal Son that same year. ~ Steve Leggett Photographer: Scott Greene.