new music

EPs are often like movie sequels in that they often feel like a ploy to make a few dollars instead of a chance for an artist to expand upon a theme. Much like ‘Empire Strikes Back,’ and more recently, ‘Toy Story 2′, Dierks Bentley‘s ‘Country and Cold Cans’ proves to be an exception.

Lady Antebellum is officially hard at work on their fourth studio album, the follow-up to their 2011 platinum effort ‘Own the Night.’ Leading lady Hillary Scott took to her official Twitter account on Monday (Aug. 20) to express her elation over commencing the creative process on the highly-anticipated next album.

Fan reaction to Taylor Swift‘s new single has not been tempered in the 17 hours since she played ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together‘ for viewers during a live web chat. While some are complaining that it’s not country enough, the core audience that has made Swift the most popular pop-country artist on the planet are united in a chorus of ‘OMGs’ and exclamation points.

On ‘You Go Your Way,’ Alan Jackson finds himself heartbroken… again. That’s three radio singles in a row that focus on the wrong end of love, but not all with convincing pathos.

For the past few months, Keith Urban has been making it clear to the press that his first priority is making new music. Although the country star had a blast filming ‘The Voice’ in Australia, his sights are set on his next project — a new album. In a recent interview with the Tennessean, the ‘You Gonna Fly’ hitmaker declares that he’s dismantling the way he’s made records in the past in order to p

Get those halls ready for a decking, because Blake Shelton‘s Christmas album has a release date! Appropriately titled ‘Cheers, It’s Christmas’ — presumably for the singer’s love of drinking — the holiday-themed release will be ready for your stocking pleasures on October 2.

Josh Turner fans will soon be able to get their hands on a new full-length album from their favorite deep-voiced singer. But it’s not a typical studio album that Turner will be releasing exclusively through Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores across the country. The 12-track ‘Live Across America’ album, available on Aug. 27, will be all live songs.

We may have been slightly misled when we reported that Scotty McCreery was working on a new studio album. After the ‘American Idol’ Season 10 winner and legit country star tweeted a photo of himself wearing a fuzzy red Santa hat in the studio, we’re more inclined to believe that it’s actually a Christmas album McCreery is preparing to spit out.

In just a few weeks, Dierks Bentley will raise a glass to his fans when he debuts his four-track ‘Country & Cold Cans’ EP. The disc — which was inspired by the popular title track and the wild and crazy concertgoers who supported Bentley’s 2012 tour of the same name — is slated to hit shelves in late August.

For Love and Theft, it’s addition by subtraction. The loss of a record label and a band member resulted in a project that is tighter and more accessible than anything on the group’s 2009 debut album. The best songs on ‘Love and Theft‘ are those that tell simple stories and those that rely on simple melodies. That’s most of the album.