SINGLE REVIEW: "WHEN I'M GONE" - CRAIG MORGAN

SINGLE: "When I'm Gone"
ARTIST: Craig Morgan
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Craig Morgan is definitely a one of a kind guy. There is truly no one else out there quite like him. He’s been in the military, became an EMT and was also a sheriff’s deputy, just to name a few things. He is also an incredible outdoorsman and family man. He quoted on his website “music is like a center for all of those things.  It' It's the outlet for me to express everything I am. When I'm riding my dirt bike, you may not know about my music, and when I'm in a military environment, it's not the center point. But my music career allows me to talk about and be a part of all of those other energies in my life. When I'm on stage, I get to express all of it.” Because of this, there isn’t a song of his out there that someone can’t relate to. His most recent single “When I’m Gone” is the perfect song for Morgan. In the song he sings about how he wants to be remembered as the guy who lived live to the fullest. In the chorus he sings about laughing more than crying, staring down all of his fears and living ever moment so that his memory lives on after hes gone. It is truly an amazing song that you won't want to miss!

SINGLE REVIEW: "MIND READER" - DUSTIN LYNCH

SINGLE: "Mind Reader"
ARTIST: Dustin Lynch
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

In late 2011, Dustin Lynch signed a record deal with Broken Bow Records. Since then, he has released quite a few singles such as “Cowboys and Angels,” “She Cranks my Tractor,” which became his first top 20 hit, and “Wild in Your Smile.” He released his fourth single “Where It’s At” in early 2014 which went on to become his first number one and really put Lynch on the map. Since then he has released “Hell of a Night,” which became his second consecutive number one and now he's released his newest single “Mind Reader.” The new single shows a bit of Lynch’s R&B side while still maintaining his country sound. It was written by Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip, two out of the three Peach Pickers. In the first few lines Lynch sings "How'd you know to wear your hair like that/ How'd you know to turn up that song/ How'd you know them little tore up jeans was gonna tear me up and turn me on" and it sets the tone for the rest of the song.

There is no doubt Dustin is going to keep this hot streak going and have this become his third consecutive #1. Listen for “Mind Reader” which was just sent to radio on September 28 and don’t forget to check him out on his head line tour. It's going to be a great show!

SINGLE REVIEW: "SMOKE BREAK" - CARRIE UNDERWOOD

SINGLE: "Smoke Break"

ARTIST: Carrie Underwood

REVIEWER: Maria Talamo

Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Carrie Underwood has been making all kinds of headlines since she became the fourth winner of American Idol in 2005, and for good reason. She has won numerous awards and has had many number one singles off of her four previous albums. She has now released her newest single “Smoke Break” off of her upcoming fifth studio album “Storyteller.”

Underwood sings about the everyday hard working people who bust their butts all day long who simply just need to escape their duties for a few minutes to forget the world and re-group. It revolves around two different people, one, a small-town, hard-working wife and mother of four who works three jobs just to make ends meet and the other, a big-city, hard-working man who is trying to make his family proud by becoming the first in his family to go to college.

Underwood who co-wrote “Smoke Break” with Chris DeStefano and Hillary Lindsay (both of which also helped write “Something in the Water” and “Little Toy Guns”) released the song on August 20th and it has already broken through the top 10 on the Mediabase Country Radio Charts while showing no signs of slowing down.

SINGLE REVIEW: "UNTIL THEY DON'T LOVE YOU" - REBA

SINGLE: "Until They Don't Love You"
ARTIST: Reba
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Is there anything Reba can’t do!? I mean seriously, she can act, she can sell out Vegas residencies, she has her own beauty line and the ever obvious…she can sing! She recently announced that her second single off of “Love Somebody” is going to be the fast paced “Until They Don’t Love You.” There is so much energy in this song.  Reba co-produced the song with Tony Brown and was written by Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna and Josh Osborne. The key line of the song is “Sometimes you don’t love somebody until they don’t love you” which goes along the lines of the whole you never know what you have until its gone idiom. In the song shes realizing how much she loved someone once they decided to leave and in a last ditch effort to try to keep him from leaving, gets down on her knees and begs him to stay.  It’s another reminder that we should never take things for granted and that sometimes the grass isn’t greener on the other side. I highly suggest listening to this song if you haven’t done so already!

SINGLE REVIEW: "KIDS WITH CARS" - DALLAS SMITH

SINGLE: "Kids With Cars"
ARTIST: Dallas Smith
REVIEW: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Dallas Smith is no stranger to the music industry. He was best known for being the lead singer of the band Default which became a popular name in the United States after releasing their hit single “Wasting My Time.” In May of 2012 Smith released his debut country album “Jumped Right In” as a solo artist. Since then, Dallas has been nominated for quite a few Canadian country music awards, and rightfully so. This guy is great! It was only a matter of time that an American record label would show interest in him. Last week he signed a U.S. record deal with Blaster Records through their recent partnership with Big Loud Mountain. “Kids With Cars” is the first look at what’s possibly to come from his new record deal. It was written by Jesse Frasure, Ryan Hurd and Brad Tursi. He sings “Kids with cars/ back when who you are/ was all about having a ride on a Friday night/ and how many friends you can pack inside…” It brings you back to the carefree days when you finally get the freedom of having a car, with all your friends, doing whatever you want.

“Kids with Cars” is set to hit radio September 14.

SINGLE REVIEW: "STONE COLD SOBER" - BRANTLEY GILBERT

SINGLE: "Stone Cold Sober"
ARTIST: Brantley Gilbert
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Georgia native Brantley Gilbert somehow manages to get better with every single he comes out with and his newest one “Stone Cold Sober” is no exception to that. Artists are always talking about how they like to write songs about things that they have gone through or experienced in their lives and that is something Brantley has definitely perfected. For those who don’t know, Gilbert was in a near fatal car accident when he was nineteen after drinking and driving. The accident led him to pursue his dreams in music, but, the more popular he became the more he would drink.  He decided to get help in December of 2011 and has been “Stone Cold Sober” ever since. The inspiration behind this song came from a drunk dial he made to his now-wife Amber. During the chorus he sings “I let the whiskey talk/ and baby it said too much/ I got the feeling now/ It didn’t say enough…” Throughout the song you can hear the raw emotion and his realization that what he said actually ended up being true.

If you haven’t heard this song yet then I’m not sure what you’re waiting for! “Stone Cold Sober” hits radio August 31 and it's one you won’t want to miss.

SINGLE REVIEW: "SOUTHERN BELLE" - SCOTTY MCCREERY

SINGLE: "Southern Belle"

ARTIST: Scotty McCreery

REVIEWER: Maria Talamo

Follow Maria on Twittter at @Maria_Talamo

Season ten American Idol winner Scotty McCreery is back again and breaking all expectations with his new single “Southern Belle.” It shows an unusual side of Scotty that we haven’t really seen with the song being on the verge of country rock. McCreery has cut five songs so far for his third studio album with “Southern Belle” being the one he has started playing at live shows. The first single from the upcoming album has a lot of energy to it. The pre-chorus “You can go around the block, ‘round the town, ‘round the world, but there’s nothing like a down home girl,” basically stating there’s not a girl in the world that could compare to a southern belle. It was penned by Jason Saenz and Sean McCormick and I guarantee it’ll be a huge hit. Unfortunately the radio release has been pushed back until September but I promise you it’ll be worth the wait.

SINGLE REVIEW: "BLUE BANDANA" - JERROD NIEMANN

SINGLE: "Blue Bandana"
ARTIST: Jerrod Niemann
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Purchase "Blue Bandana" on iTunes here

Jerrod Neimann is back with his impressive new single “Blue Bandana.” It is the first single off of his forthcoming studio album set to be released in 2016.

The Harper, KS native recently said “The first two albums I tried to cover all the music I enjoy. This time, we mashed it all together and that’s what you do when you’re really attempting to create your own sound…” After hearing this song it’s definitely safe to say Neimann has successfully created his own sound. “Blue Bandana” is a song about a free spirited girl with a love of music that has her traveling all over the place to attend music festivals such as Bonaroo, Coachella, Woodstock and Lollapalooza, just to name a few. It leaves the listener wanting more of what’s to come from his new album.

Listen for “Blue Bandana” hitting radio July 27th.

SINGLE REVIEW: "GIRLFRIEND" - BROOKE HOGAN

SINGLE: "Girlfriend"
ARTIST: Brooke Hogan
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Brooke Hogan is back and has decided to go country!

Hogan is the daughter of pro wrestler Hulk Hogan and is most commonly known for her reality TV show “Brooke Knows Best” as well as her pop music. Her most recent single “Girlfriend,” although country, still has that pop influence within the up-tempo beat. It’s a song about a girl who has a crush on a guy and is begging him to make her his girlfriend rather than being just friends. The up-tempo beat is accompanied by great vocals from Hogan. I give Brooke so much credit for staying true to herself and following her heart by going country.

"Girlfriend” which was produced by Blake Bollinger and Drew Davis is scheduled to hit radio August 13, 2015 and I highly recommend keeping an ear out for it.

You can purchase "Girlfriend" on iTunes here

SINGLE REVIEW: "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT" - STEPHANIE QUAYLE

SINGLE: "That's What I'm Talking About"
ARTIST: Stephanie Quayle
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Purchase "That's What I'm Talking About" on iTunes

Connect with Stephanie online:

Website - www.stephaniequayle.com

Twitter - @Stephanie Quayle

Facebook - StephanieQuayle
Instagram - @StephanieQuayle

Growing up on a farm in Bozeman, Montana, Stephanie Quayle spent much of her time taking care of horses in a barn. She would listen to an AM radio station while in the barn that guided her love for country music. In 2011 she decided it was time to move to Nashville to pursue her country music career. “When I finally got to Nashville, I focused 100 percent on becoming a better songwriter and musician, and just tried to absorb the energy of this town that’s literally built on a song,” Quayle said and there is no doubt in my mind that that has helped her pave the way to becoming a successful artist. She recently released her most recent single “That’s what I’m Talking about.” This is a great and fun song from the first note all the way through to the last and definitely has the potential to make her a more known artist. It has a very upbeat melody that goes perfectly with the lyrics. With lyrics like “We got the moonlight, sippin’ on a good time, we’re going all night ... that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” You know this is going to be a feel good song that’s going to help get the party started. So if you’re still questioning yourself on whether or not you should listen to this single, then say no more because it’s a must listen to song.

SINGLE REVIEW: "SHINE A LITTLE LOVE" - BRIAN COLLINS

SINGLE: "Shine a Little Love"
ARTIST: Brian Collins
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Purchase "Shine a Little Love" on iTunes

Connect with Brian online:

Website - www.briancollinsmusic.com

Twitter - @Official BCB

Facebook - OfficialBrianCollinsBand

Instagram - @OfficialBCB

Brian Collins was born in West Georgia and is the honest definition of a true southern soul. He is cited as being one of the top singer/songwriters in the business and on top of that is also a producer, engineer and graphic designer. In 2005 he launched his own label “Blue Light Entertainment” where he not only personally designed all of the recording rooms but, also produced/ engineered tracks and albums for some pretty big named artists such as Skid Row and rapper T.I. In October 2014, Collins released highly anticipated album “Healing Highway” which features his most recent single “Shine a Little Light.

With all of the negativity we see going on in the world, this is the type of song that is a must listen to in order to prove that there is still good left. It’s definitely a great pick me up song for anyone going through any kind of tough time. In his lyrics he talks about how everyone at some point in their lives go through hard times but that their not alone and in the end everything will turn out ok.

This is definitely one of best inspirational songs that I have heard in a long time and I definitely suggest checking it out if you haven’t done so already.

SINGLE REVIEW: "WHY GOD MADE SUMMERTIME" - BLACKJACK BILLY

SINGLE: "Why God Made Summertime"
ARTIST: Blackjack Billy
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Purchase "Why God Made Summertime" on iTunes

Connect with Blackjack Billy Online:

Website: www.blackjackbilly.com

Twitter - @Blackjack_Billy

Facebook - BlackjackBilly

Instagram - @BlackjackBilly 

Ever wonder what happens when three amazing songwriters who have a knack for entertaining get together with a spectacular drummer? The marvelous foursome that is now known as Blackjack Billy. Noll Billings, Rob Blackledge and Jeff Coplan each come from a different part of the country bringing their own backgrounds and influences to Nashville, while drummer Brad Cummings was born and raised Nashville. They first made their mark in country music with the release of their debut single “The Booze Cruise” which became the biggest selling song on iTunes by an unsigned artist. They have released a few more singles since then but, “Why God Made Summertime” has to be one of their best. This will be the song blasting through your speakers all summer long! It reminds us of what summertime was like when we were on summer break from school with no worries in the world. When you match a catchy melody with an infectious chorus like “Got the gang out back sprinkler in the grass/ T-bones grillin, cold Corona chillin/ Get your lazy on all day long/ Let the sun shine that's why god made summertime” you will have a song that will literally be stuck in your head all summer long.

Do yourself a favor and go download this song! I promise you won’t regret it one bit!

SINGLE REVIEW: "WITHDRAWALS" - TYLER FARR

SINGLE: "Withdrawals"
ARTIST: Tyler Farr
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Ever since Tyler Farr released his third single “Redneck Crazy”, he has been making a huge impact in the country music industry and quite a name for himself. He has continued to do so with his most current released single “Withdrawals.”

“Withdrawals” is Tyler’s second single from his sophomore album “Suffer in Peace.” It has to be one of my favorite singles that he has released to date.  He pushes himself vocally, which is going to help sky rocket his career into success. He has said before that people look to him to write songs about real live situations, which is exactly what he has done with this song. Everyone goes through that one heartbreak at some point in their life where they wish there was some sort of rehab for heartbreak. Unfortunately that doesn’t exist but, lucky for us there are artists out there like Farr who are willing to put those feelings into songs for the rest of us. As the song begins the music in the background starts out more on the softer side, allowing Farr’s vocals to really stand out, however as the song proceeds the music becomes more intense, kind of like the feelings in the song. It’s a song about a guy who is having a really hard time getting over a heartbreak and letting go of the past. He keeps reminiscing on the highlights of their relationship and comparing them to addictions such as being the whiskey running through his veins.

Listen out for Farr and “Withdrawals”, which is set to be released to country radio June 15, 2015.

SINGLE REVIEW: "21" - HUNTER HAYES

SINGLE: "21"
ARTIST: Hunter Hayes
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Breaux Bridge, Louisiana native Hunter Hayes is back at it again, and possibly better than ever with his newest single “21.” The song, which is his first single off of his much anticipated third studio album, is without a doubt going to be a chart topper. It’s the type of song that grabs you from the beginning with a catchy beat and lyrics that everyone at some point in their lives has felt. There’s no doubt that this is going to be another carefree party song, but it is something that hasn’t been heard too much from Hunter. There’s something about it that makes it stand out from every other party song out there. It’s almost like the writers of this song tapped into the minds of just about everyone and wrote a song about what they saw. Every now and then, for absolutely no reason at all (or maybe because it’s your birthday) you need to just let loose, go crazy, and have the best night of your life, kind of like on the day you turned 21. When Hunter sings “We go big or we go back home/ People looking at us like were losing it, losing/ But, baby, we ain't doing nothing wrong,” you feel an instant connection to the song. Although Storyline, his sophomore album, was very well received by his fans and critics, it didn’t receive as much radio recognition as you would have thought. If the rest of his upcoming album is anything like this song, something tells me were going to be hearing a lot more of Hunter playing on our radios.

SINGLE REVIEW: "THAT DON'T SOUND LIKE YOU" - LEE BRICE

SINGLE: "That Don't Sound Like You"
ARTIST: Lee Brice
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @maria_talamo

If there is anyone that can make a recurring theme in today's country songs sound so different from the rest it's Lee Brice. He has proven that with his most recent single "That Don't Sound Like You."

The song is about an ex-love who was completely changed by her new man, from the way she talked to cutting her pretty brown hair off. She decides to call him up one night and she almost sounds unrecognizable to him. Here is such a strong engaging rhythm that instantly grabs your attention and holds it all the way through to the very last second. You can not only hear but also feel the raw emotion in his voice. Brice has super consistent vocal quality throughout all of the different pitches in this song, something he has excelled at throughout his career so far.

I highly suggest checking it out if you haven't already.

SINGLE REVIEW: "BREAK IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT" - TODD TYLER

SINGLE: "Break It Like You Mean It"
ARTIST: Todd Tyler
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @maria_talamo

7 words..... That is all that it took for me to turn Todd Tyler's "Break It Like You Mean It" all the way up on my radio. It is one of four songs off of Tyler's EP "Run" which was written entirely by Tyler himself. Although the EP itself pushes the boundaries of country music, "Break It Like You Mean It" is country music to the core. It tells a story about a guy pleading to a girl who is about to break his heart to break it like she means it instead of playing games and trying to save him the heartbreak. They are truly emotional country lyrics. This song reached the semi-finals in the International Songwriting Competition and found itself in the top 10% of over 18,000 submitted songs.

I highly suggest keeping an ear out for this song because there is no doubt in my mind that it will catch like fire.

EP REVIEW: "LOCKS ON DOORS" - JT HODGES

EP: "Locks on Doors"
ARTIST: JT Hodges
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @maria_talamo

Click here to purchase on iTunes

Please remember to leave a review!

Up and coming country artist JT Hodges is back at it again with his latest EP "Locks on Doors" which follows his 2012 self titled album which spawned the hits "Sleepy Little Town", "Hunt You Down" and "Goodbyes Made You Mine.". The six track EP is without a doubt going to launch Hodges into the next phase of his career.

The EP begins with the title track "Locks on Doors" where Hodges sings about slipping away from the crowd with a girl, locking the doors and ignoring the rest of the world for a bit. The second track and newest single "Ray Bans" is sure to be the perfect summer song. From the catchy background music to the infectious lyrics, this song will be stuck in your head for days. It tells the story of the girl that got away, but she still has his Ray bans to remember him by. The single is making big waves with fans and with Sirius XM's The Highway where it's been featured as a #HighwayFind, so be sure to let them know you want to hear it! The EP also includes the catchy tracks "Gonna Need a Guitar," "Girls Like It," "Wrong Side of the Bed," and "She's Alive," all of which are sure to find their way onto your everyday playlists.

Hodges' father has always told him "it's all about being true to who you are" and I think it's pretty safe to assume that his father is proud of him for staying true to himself. He has such a unique country sound that will without a doubt payoff in the very near future.

SINGLE REVIEW: "MAKIN' LOVE IN THE MOONLIGHT" - CODY WAYNE AND WESTBOUND 21

SINGLE: "Makin' Love in the Moonlight"
ARTIST: Cody Wayne and Westbound 21
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Cody Wayne and Westbound 21 is an up and coming country band hailing from East Texas. They describe themselves as being the band you would get if Lynyrd Skynyrd and Zac Brown Band merged together into one band. If the sound of such a band excites you then Cody Wayne and Westbound 21 is the band for you. They have won some pretty exciting awards such as Best Country Band in East Texas, 2012 Country Band of the Year, 2014 Male Vocalist of the year and vocal group of the year. Their single “Makin’ Love in the Moonlight” shows exactly why they are worthy of such awards and are quickly becoming superstars in the Lonestar state. The song is about a guy at a party that’s kind of a drag and all he can think about is getting the girl by his side, hitting the trails where there’s not another soul in sight and making love in the moonlight.

You can tell just by listening to their songs that going to a Cody Wayne and Westbound 21 show is going to be jam packed with energy. I highly suggest going to one of their shows if you live in Texas.

SINGLE REVIEW: "LET ME SEE YA GIRL" - COLE SWINDELL

SINGLE: "Let Me See Ya Girl"
ARTIST: Cole Swindell
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @Maria_Talamo

Cole first broke out into the spotlight in 2013 when he independently released his debut single “Chillin It” which helped him land his first major record deal with Warner Bros. Nashville Records.  Cole has been quite busy since then, writing quite a few songs for some of country music’s biggest stars such as Craig Campbell, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line. He has also released four more singles including 'Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” and his newest single “Let Me See Ya Girl.”

“Let Me See Ya Girl” is a mid-tempo song off of his debut album that will without a doubt be stuck in your head for days. The first time I ever heard this song I began praying for it to become a single for the simple fact that it was just that good.  The song starts out at some sort of crowded club where a hot girl has “every guy spinning around spilling their beer” from staring at her. He then goes on to say how he wants to see her shine away from the club where he can get to know her without anyone else around. It won’t be long until this song makes its way not only to the top of the charts but onto everyone’s weekend party playlist.

SINGLE REVIEW: "JAYTON AND JILL" - ZANE WILLIAMS

SINGLE: "Jayton and Jill"
ARTIST: Zane Williams
REVIEWER: Maria Talamo
Follow Maria on Twitter at @maria_talamo

Zane Williams is the perfect up and coming artist for all those people out there who always say “country music is dead” or “today’s country isn’t country at all.”  He is the definition of traditional country in today’s country world and has also been considered a “modern day throwback.”

Williams was born in Abilene, Texas and is a true Texan at heart. His fifth studio album “Texas Like That” is set to be released sometime this month (April 2015) which will have ten new songs including his newest singing Jayton and Jill. Williams does this thing every Monday on facebook called music Monday where fans submit words and he picks the top 10 words and writes a song about them. Jayton and Jill happened to be two of the ten words that were picked one Monday and the song happened to turn out to be something that people really liked. Zane has quoted the song being about “two lost souls who have found a connection.” If you ask me, anyone who is able to select 10 random words and throw them into a song which turns into a single is a songwriting genius. 

If you’re a fan of old school traditional country, Zane Williams is definitely the guy for you.