MyCountrySpace.com

Check out my web page at http://www.emoleblanc.com 
I am looking for Opening Act slots. You can call me at (731) 327-4366
I book out of Nashville.  

Howdy y'all.  My name is Jason Wilder and I am the host of the new show Redneck Week, to be broadcast at www.ustream.tv starting May 5th at 9PM eastern.  Most of you probably don't remember another show I hosted in the past called Hillbilly Heaven with Jason Wild, that was a featured program at nowlive.com before they changed their site.  I have since been working on ideas to have another show, but I have taken alot of time and research into this program.  This show will have a format, as well as regular bits seen each and every week on the show, as well as a surprise or two to keep everyone coming back.  I will be posting regular blogs here and some pics to show how things are progressing.  Now I am off to see if can get this new ChromaKey software and this new "green screen" (no you potheads it does not have marijuana on it) to see how it looks.  Watch for pics to be posted soon.  Later taters.

J

With renewed love for what I do, I am coming up with ideas to make it better. I never lost my voice or the love for performing. I'd like to share it with everyone. wendy

"Success is the result of a series of difficult but necessary decisions." -Michael Mecherikoff, author of Nowhere Near Manhood

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the music life is maintaining the boundary between business and personal within individual relationships, especially within the band. Each person is here to do a job, actually several jobs, and when everyone is doing their part, the product as well as the process thrill the senses, music fills the air, and feelings of accomplishment, excitement and potential reinforce bonds between the members--and easily can obscure the line between partnerships and friendships.

When things are going great, they're just that, going great, and the dual relationships strengthen. But when business problems arise, the thin line between professional and personal adds an extra layer to the problem. Discussing the issue becomes a personal criticism, as difficult to deliver as it is to receive, when in reality it's anything but.

Thus the decision to find a new drummer was a reminder of the business/personal boundary. We'd become friends with Jon; we saw that deep within him are a fundamentally good heart and the best of intentions. From a professional perspective, on the other hand, we saw that in order to grow, the band needed something from him that he felt he didn't have to give: time.

Parting ways with Jon was bittersweet; though the business relationship has come to an end, the personal connection we created in the process keeps us friends.

And who is the band's new drummer? Check out our newsletter at www.Facebook.com/MichaelAldridgeMusic
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All the best,

Michael

I am 20 years old now. But wanted to share with you all the pain of being bullied. Mine was in the public school system. Started out in elementary, nothing too serious, being laughed at and made fun of. By junior high they believed they could physically touch me. I was assaulted on the school bus and my best friend who tried to keep me from crying, they set her on fire. By the end of junior high, the pain they were inflicting was tremendous. I took all that pain and started writing songs. The first song was called Beautiful written at age 14 for my mother. I wanted to thank her for all her help and support during the very hard times. Then the music just kept flowing. Every time they would do something to me, I would write about it. Check out my video "She's Amazing" - basically written about my life. My reason for telling you all this, is that music is so much deeper than just words and melodies. Music can take pain away, it can promote something inside a person that is deeper than most people can imagine. Take your experiences, good and bad, make them real and share them with the world. Stacie Lynn

Based out of San Bernardino, CA; not the typical place to look for country music; led by a front man who acts as the deputy sheriff on the San Bernardino Police Department; not the obvious start to a story about a rockin' country band, but this is indeed the story of new band Austin Law. Their debut album and single "Neon Halo" has been released, the album features songs written by some of Nashville's heavyweights including John Rich, Randy Houser, John Mabe, etc..., and we had the chance to catch up with front man Michael Austin and chat with him about all of this and more.

1. Can you describe the brand of country music that people are going to hear when they hit play on your debut album, “Neon Halo”?

Fun country, down-home country.

2. With so many bands playing a similar style right now, what one thing is it about Austin Law that is going to separate you from the pack?

The music on the album is all different; there’s something for everybody. You can listen to the record and go from one extreme to the next, with a rockin’ country song like “Stomp” to a “Friend of Sinners” that might have more of a Bible-belt gospel kind of sound to it.

3. You hooked up with producer Eddie Gore for the recording of the album. What input did Eddie bring into the studio that helped you ultimately shape the sound of the album?

Eddie’s a slave driver! (laughing). Eddie’s the kind of producer that isn’t gonna be satisfied until he hears out of you what he thinks the project should sound like. He’s been pretty successful finding my sound and making sure the music matches my voice and the delivery is an honest performance. If it isn’t an honest performance, he’ll either sit back and tell you that you’ve got another one in you or he’ll scrap it altogether. I have total faith in the fact that he can figure out the good from the bad.

4. Though a lot of your album has a rock based country feel to it, you chose the slower paced “Neon Halo” as the lead single. Why was this song chosen and what are you hoping for as far as mainstream attention?

The song was picked – it was one of my favorites from the first time I heard it and it almost didn’t make the record. I refer to it as “the little engine that could.” It just kept growing in popularity among the band and throughout management and the more we tested it, it was a song that everyone can identify with. Everyone has been out somewhere and seen the gal that doesn’t look like she belongs in a certain situation or you judge a book by its cover too soon and you never know what you’re gonna get. I think the song has a good message that you can’t always do that. It’s a good story song and like I said, there’s something on the record for everyone and we just thought this would be a good introduction to Austin Law.

5. Other than the single, which song from the album is your favorite and why?

“Friend of Sinners.” When we first heard the song, we were sitting over at Harlan Howard’s office, and I have a real big respect for Harlan Howard and just the knowledge that he had, the catalog that he maintained and the Number Ones that were scored out of that whole genre. Sitting with Melanie Howard in his office, you get that feeling that you’re in the presence of greatness, and Melanie actually had one of the writers of that song – Travis Meadows –play it live, and I was just so impressed with his performance that I knew it was a song that I could deliver. We came back to Nashville to set it all up and Eddie and I decided that we were gonna do that song first… We didn’t hit the song for six days! I just wasn’t successful in pulling that performance.

So, it was a Sunday morning, and we were leaving the next day and already resigned to the fact that we were gonna have to come back to finish that song, when Eddie called me and asked if I wanted to give it one more shot before I left. It was kind of a rainy morning, kind of dismal outside, and when I got to the studio Eddie had candles burning in the booth and I just walked over to the microphone, put on the headset… what you hear on the record is one solid take from start to finish, which really doesn’t happen a lot anymore with Pro Tools. “Friend of Sinners” is not fixed in any way - it’s one solid take from beginning to end, and we both looked at each other and knew we had the performance that we wanted and just left it at that – we called it our divine intervention song!

6. The songwriters on this album read like a “Who’s Who” in country music ranging from John Rich to Randy Houser to John Mabe. How did these songs find their ways to you and how did you select which ones to use?

That’s the best part about this whole thing… we always refer to Nashville as being a big family atmosphere. We want to be a part of this city and want to be a part of this industry and everything that it has to offer. So what I did was, I came back and did a little three-song demo with Eddie, and he went out to the publishers and said, ‘This is my artist, this is what he sounds like, do you have anything for him?’ I was pleased as punch to find out that they thought enough of the vocals to give it serious consideration so that by the time we came back for the pitch meetings, we were getting everybody’s top stuff. When I heard about the writers that actually pitched songs to this project I was in awe, because when you work with guys like John Rich, John Mabe and Randy Houser, who’s been a friend of mine since the day that I met him, these are guys that are at the top of their game right now and they had the faith in me to deliver the performances. Everybody calls songs their children back here (in Nashville), so we raised some pretty good kids!

7. With the album out now, what are your plans for the immediate future as far as promoting it and your music?

We lay our fate in the hands of the fans and the great people we work with and the relationships we have here in Nashville. We’ve got a great team behind the song right now, the song is charting and the fans are speaking out – they’re really letting us know that they like “Neon Halo.” Internet sales are doing really well, keeping us employed and doing what we love to do. We’d love to break out on a good spring or summer tour next year and meet everybody across the nation. You get in this business to go out and meet people and share what you have to offer with everybody, so that’s really what we’re looking forward to.

8. You have a personal history that includes being a part of the Airforce and now you are a deputy sheriff for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. How did these aspects of the real world prepare you the most for the music business?

Ohhh, man! Always watch your back!... It’s funny, if you’re walking around a corner, chasing a suspect, you’re gonna peek around the corner first. I’ve learned to peek around the corner in the music business. The unfortunate circumstance in any business is that there is some smoke and mirrors involved with what’s going on, but this time around we feel more accepted. It’s like you get a hug from this city, and all we wanna do is just hug it back! We’re not feeling in any way like the step kid, we feel like part of the family now, and that’s great for us.

9. Though you’ve worked with Nashville songwriters on your debut effort, how did playing shows around California influence you early on that if you had lived anywhere else may not have?

I don’t know if this is from my experience, but what I’ve always heard is that California is a tough market for country music. But I’ve found that it’s thriving just like the Midwest and everywhere else. You just have to find it. And once you find it, you start playing your music and getting a feel for what everybody likes. It’s a good gauge, I guess, for what the rest of the world is thinking about where Country is going. I enjoy the California audiences, just like I enjoy every audience that we play in front of. I do know that they’re a little more harsh if you do something they don’t like and they’ll let you know, but fortunately we haven’t had too many of those!

10. What piece of advice can you offer to someone that is looking to break into the music industry right now?

Well, the old cliché is that if you want it bad enough you’ll keep chasing your dream, but my advice is to learn from everybody else. Talk to people that are in the industry – from people that are just breaking in, to somebody that’s been there, if you can get a minute of their time. The music business is a constant learning experience for everybody involved in it, a constant growing pattern - where the music’s going, how the fans are reacting… Get with people that have been around a little while, learn the dos and don’ts. And the most important thing is to be humble. You’ve got to be humble enough to not only say, “Am I good enough to be here?” but to admit that you’ve still got work to do. And you’ve gotta put in that work if you want it.

Austin Law didn't waste anytime Sunday as the band started right into their set to the still, somewhat empty Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium.

And part of not wasting any time includes rocking the crowd from the get go.

It wasn't until the end of the second song that lead singer Michael Austin started talking to the crowd directly.

He thanked everyone for waking up early to watch them perform, telling the crowd that he actually got up at 10a.m., which he hasn't done "in a long time."

This is the band's second appearance at Wagon Wheel.

Singer Jordan Taylor has just joined the band on stage for a song.

As the crowd keeps trickling in, the wind is picking up a bit forcing vendors racing to lock down their booths and tents.

Celebrities set to take a “swing in the name of charity” benefiting Christmas 4 Kids

Hermitage, TN – Since its debut to the Nashville area, the Waddell & Reed Charity Golf Tournament has had the whole community buzzing with anticipation for its next turn of events.  This one day, April 7^th, golf extravaganza will feature many stars of the music and sports world competing for a great cause – Christmas 4 Kids – all co-hosted by country hit-maker Andy Griggs and Tennessee Titan Cortland Finnegan.
 
The beautiful Hermitage Golf Course will host the golf tournament for some fun competition ending the day with a memorable evening of non-stop entertainment by the musical golfers.
 
The Waddell & Reed Charity Golf Tournament will raise funds for Christmas 4 Kids, Inc.  Christmas 4 Kids is a not-for-profit organization that has been in existence for over 25 years providing many children, each year, with their very own shopping spree. The funds generated by the golf tournament, annual concert, and the Tour Bus Show/Artist Meet and Greet event are used to give children from 30 different schools, a total of more than 400 children, a day-long shopping excursion. 
 
EVENT DETAILS:
April 7^th / Hermitage Golf Course / 1 pm Shotgun Start
Entry Fee: $125 per golfer / $500 per team
For more information visit: www.Christmas4Kids.org

Riders In The Sky performed "Woody's Roundup" from the "Toy Story 2" soundtrack, which was played as the wakeup music for the STS-133 crew last Saturday morning while in space.

Nashville, TN - Grammy Award-winning artists Riders In The Sky are scheduled to perform immediately following the STS-133 Crew Return Ceremony at Ellington Airport's Hangar 276 in Houston on Thursday, March 10, 2011.  Saddle Pals of all ages are invited to come out and welcome home the "Space Cowboys," and enjoy the best in Comedy & Western by "America's Favorite Cowboys," Riders In The Sky!  Gates open at 3:30pm to the public.

This was the Space Shuttle Discovery's 39th and final flight and the 133rd flight of the Space Shuttle program. During the STS-133 mission, the shuttle and its crew of six Americans docked with the International Space Station, delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, the Express Logistics Carrier 4, a humanoid robot called "Robonaut," and provided critical spare components for the station.

About Riders In The Sky 
For thirty years Riders In The Sky have been keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing the genre. And while remaining true to the integrity of Western music, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding the genre with their own legendary wacky humor and way-out Western wit, and all along encouraging buckaroos and buckarettes to live life "The Cowboy Way!" Riders In The Sky are exceptional not just in the sense that their music is of superlative standards (they are the ONLY exclusively Western artist to have won a Grammy, and Riders have won two), but by the fact that their accomplishments are an exception to the rule as well.

For more information on Riders In The Sky please visit: www.ridersinthesky.com.