HitCountry.TV – Hit Country Music News, Videos & Entertainment Australia

Despite awful flooding in Nashville less than a month ago, the CMA Music Festival kicked off in Music City today with over 40,000 people filling LP Field for the first night of stadium performances.

Tim McGraw gave Australian fans in attendance a sneak peak of what's to come when he tours Australia in September while Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum (pictured above), Danny Gokey and The Oakridge Boys also performed.

Carrie Underwood completed the night with a blazing stadium set which included a performance of the classic song 'Paradise City' with Aldean.

Photo provided by the Country Music Association (USA).

Eight music artists from around the world gathered in downtown Nashville Monday night, June 7, to help kick off CMA Music Fest week at the CMA Global Artist Party.

Monday night’s showcase, held at The Stage on Broadway, featured 2010 Starmaker winner Luke Austen (Australia & pictured) who will release his debut album in Australia later this year, Jaydee Bixby (Canada), David Bradley (UK), Pop singer/songwriter  Sinead Burgess (Australia), Cameron Clayton (New Zealand), Tim McKay (UK), female country duo One More Girl (Canada) and Alex J. Robinson (Canada).  The evening’s events were hosted by Adam Gregory, who also played a set for the packed house.

Australian Artists who have previously performed at this event include Troy Cassar Daley, Jasmine Rae, Shea Fisher, Aleyce Simmonds, Travis Collins and Mike Carr.

Hit Country – Hits Of The Decade (2001 – 2010) features the best of the best! It’s a celebration of the last ten years of great country music globally.

Songs for this compilation have been selected on the basis of major chart success, music sales, industry awards and general impact on the music market.

With so many great artists recording so many great songs, the HitCountry.TV team's job of selecting the final 40 tracks was extremely tough!

We could have selected another 40 songs that could have been considered "Hits Of The Decade" but we could only fit 40 tracks on the two CDs, and the 40 on there are simply sensational! 

Country's biggest artists from the last decade from Australia and world are featured including Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Kasey Chambers, George Strait, The McClymonts, Adam Brand, Jasmine Rae, Beccy Cole, Melinda Schneider, Brad Paisley, Steve Forde, Sugarland, Brooks & Dunn and many many more.

The compilation is released on June 11, 2010.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1

1. Planet Country - Lee Kernaghan
2. Wrapped Up Good - The McClymonts
3. Born To Survive - Troy Cassar-Daley
4. You’ll Think Of Me - Keith Urban
5. Jesus Take The Wheel - Carrie Underwood
6. Like A River - Kasey Chambers
7. I Go Back - Kenny Chesney
8. Redneck Woman - Gretchen Wilson
9. Bring Me Down - Miranda Lambert
10. Believe - Brooks & Dunn
11. Beer For My Horses - Toby Keith (with Willie Nelson)
12. I’m A Road Hammer - The Road Hammers
13. Country Singer - Jasmine Rae
14. There’s No Limit - Deanna Carter
15. Alcohol – Brad Paisley
16. Best I Ever Had – Gary Allan
17. All Kinds Of Tough - McAlister Kemp
18. Moments – Emerson Drive
19. Stronger – Melinda Schneider
20. Poster Girl (Wrong Side Of The World) – Beccy Cole

Disc 2

1. Summer’s Little Angel - Steve Forde
2. Best Days Of Your Life - Kellie Pickler
3. Blame It On Eve - Adam Brand
4. In Colour - Jamey Johnson
5. What I Did Last Night - Catherine Britt
6. Beautiful Life - Doc Walker
7. What Was I Thinkin’ - Dierks Bentley
8. Austin - Blake Shelton
9. Stay - Sugarland
10. Tim McGraw - Taylor Swift
11. Fast Car - The Wilkinsons
12. I Saw God Today - George Strait
13. Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy - Big & Rich
14. Love Is A Beautiful Thing - Phil Vassar
15. I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
16. Acting Stupid - The Sunny Cowgirls
17. What You Give Away – Vince Gill (featuring Sheryl Crow)
18. Song For The Old Rake - Paul Kelly & The Stormwater Boys
19. Boondocks - Little Big Town
20. Don’t Chase Me - Shea Fisher

You can buy the two CD compilation now at  

Independent female vocalist Dianna Corcoran has released the second single from her new album Keep Breathing.

The track is titled 'Wrong Girl' and the music video was producered by Ross Wood.  

Check out the clip below...

Catherine Britt's new self-titled album is now instores and online.

In 2009 Britt declared, “To make an album that I believe truly represents me as a artist, songwriter and individual means the world to me”. That mantra has resulted in a self-titled album, the Newcastle born and raised singer songwriter’s fourth, comprised of songs that are either written or co-written by Britt that fully resonates her declaration.

One listen will prove Catherine was right to follow her instincts. Recorded in Australia Catherine Britt may prove to be her best and most consistent album yet. It is certainly her most personal, diverse and mature.

Recorded towards the end of 2009 at Melbourne’s iconic Sing Sing Studio and produced by Shane Nicholson and Bill Chambers, it is an un-compromising, heartfelt album born of love, pain, loss and sorrow that is certainly her most personal, diverse and mature to date. With Catherine either writing or co-writing all fourteen tracks on the album it is a true songwriters album and stands its ground based on the songs written & subsequently recorded. As it should be. No duets needed. No special guests required.

“Catherine came along with the strongest bunch of songs any artist could want for a new album, which made our job easy. She was really inspired to make this record. It’s a brave album in many ways, and she was completely up for the challenge. I think she is one of the top female artists in the game, in any genre.” says co-producer Shane Nicholson.

The album's first single, the upbeat and delightful 'Can't Change A Thing' is at radio and CMC now.

Check out this interview recorded earlier this week on ABC Local Radio in Melbourne with Richard Stubbs.  

It would be fair to say that rodeo girl Shea Fisher is one of country music's fittest artists. You need to be to ride bulls and horses like she does!

Shea has put together a short video with some fitness tips to share with her fans. Check it out below...

Dierks Bentley's new bluegrass album, Up On The Ridge is released next month through EMI Music. Check out this preview from Dierks below...

Australia's awards night for songwriters, the 2010 APRA Music Awards, will be held at the Sydney Convention Centre on Monday 21st June.

The nominees for all the catagories have been announced. The nominees for 'Country Work of the Year' are;

* Brooke McClymont - 'Kick It Up'  
* Adam Brand - 'Hell Of A Ride' 
* Steve Forde - 'I Ain't That Guy'  
* Troy Cassar-Daley - 'Big, Big Love'
* Brad Cole - 'Coming Home'.

Troy has also been nominated in the prestigious peer-voted 'Song of the Year' catagory for 'Big, Big Love'

Congrats to all the nominees. Click here for the full list of 2010 APRA Awards Nominees.  

Exciting new country star and HitCountry.TV channel host Jasmine Rae is currently touring with Lee Kernaghan on his Planet Country Tour throughout Australia. She's just released a special web music video for her song 'All You Really Need'.

The track is featured on the Deluxe Edition of Jasmine's debut album and ARIA nominated Look It Up, which is in stores now.

Jasmine has just returned from a writing stint in Nashville. Her second album is excpeted to be released in early 2011.

Check out 'All You Really Need' below...

US country artists Julianne Hough (pictured above) and Taylor Swift have been named in Maxim Hot 100 list for 2010. Hough came in at #45 and Swift #31. Surprisingly Carrie Underwood didn't make the list!

Pop artist Katy Perry topped this year's list.

See the full list here.