Author: countryheartbeat

Staying Dry This Holiday Season

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I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical to try out this full size “dry spray” deodorant, because I will be the first to admit that I’ve always hated spray on deodorants. My parents used them when I was a child, and I remember not being able to breathe when I walked into the bathroom, even 15-20 minutes after they had sprayed their underarms. I may have been a little dramatic, coughing and gasping for air, but I truly hated the awful smell of those things. Fast forward 20 years, apparently these things have changed!

Unlike other formats, Degree MotionSense dry spray antiperspirant contains no water or alcohol, which can leave a wet feeling residue. Nor does it contain wax, which can leave a waxy residue. So, it literally does spray on DRY. Completely and totally dry! You know how sometimes your regular stick of deodorant feels chunky or sticky or even crumbly sometimes after application or mid day? Not this kind!

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6 Reasons Why Kelsea Ballerini Could Be Your New Best Friend

countryheartbeat Country Chatter , , , , , ,

Kelsea.jpg

So I got an email today letting me know that the “Summer Forever Tour” was officially on sale, and that is what prompted this post. (For those of you who don’t know, Kelsea recently announced she’d be joining Billy Currington on his tour that kicks off February 19th in Texas.)

The subject line of the email reads, “Tickets & Friendships Available Now!” Honestly, is there ANYONE that doesn’t want to be legit friends with Kelsea? She’s the most adorable, sweetest, hilarious, authentic, 22 year old girl who just happens to have had the craziest year of her life rising to fame and manages to stay humble and genuine just the same.

How many other artists do you know openly admits that they want to have real friendships with their fans? (See Kelsea talk about that in the video below!)

Here are 6 reasons why every girl wants to be Kelsea’s BFF

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Cole Swindell Rocks The Roof off the Wolf Den

countryheartbeat Concert Reviews, Making It Happen , , , , , , , , , , ,

wolf den 11-13-15 2

Opening weekend for Cole Swindell’s Down Home Tour kicked off in NYC on 11/11/15. I was lucky enough (and I don’t say that lightly…) to attend his Friday night show in Uncasville, CT in the very small and intimate Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Casino. I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard to get myself into a “first come/first seated” show with a maximum capacity of 350 people… total. For those of you who know who Cole Swindell is, you’ll know that he’s been playing sold out stadium shows with Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney to crowds of over 50 thousand. For those of you who don’t… he is the 2015 ACM New Artist of the Year and someone whom I’ve been a fan of for at least 2.5 years now if not more! He is currently being sponsored by Monster Energy on their Outbreak Tour featuring “emerging” artists. I put that in quotes, because Cole emerged in my world well over two years ago. 2015 is the first year that the Outbreak Tour has added a “country” artist, and I’m pretty sure that they have been overwhelmed with the positive response in their choice. Cole and his Down Home Crew have been making a name for themselves in both the country music world as well as the fandoms.

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An Open Letter to Meet & Greet Photographers

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Dear Meet & Greet Photographer,

I write to you as a photographer myself. Not only do I know how to take a good quality photo, but it is very important to me. Often times I find myself angry at you for being so clueless and lacking concern for the photos you are taking. Some of you clearly just don’t care… (In that case, move over, I would like your job!)

I work for a radio station and often find myself taking meet and greet photos at shows, and you know what I do? I LOOK at every single image after I take it. Why? To make sure that no ones eyes are closed, no one is looking in an odd direction, it’s clear in focus, properly lit, etc. It takes an extra second for a quick glance, and if an issue is spotted, guess what? I correct it!

What angers me the most, is that now artists are charging a lot of money for VIP experiences before their shows and fans choose to pay for this mainly because they want a nice photo souvenir. As a paying customer, especially when some of these super-fans pay $100-$200 for this experience, I would hope to hell that you at least know what you are doing behind a camera and how to use one properly. For instance, in low lighting settings, USE A FLASH. No one wants a dark, shadowy, grainy image after paying $200.

Artists, please make sure that you have someone who knows how a camera functions running these Meet & Greets. So many times I see photos posted where the fan has their eyes closed. Do you know how simple it would have been to check the photo you just took and then ask for a second one to correct the problem? Oh maybe 3 seconds of your time and it would mean the world to a fan who would be otherwise devastated because they’ve been waiting 5 years to meet their favorite artist and finally get a photo with them… only to discover their eyes are closed.

I’ve always felt passionate about this, and recently it has happened to me (as well as every other person who was photographed that day). I would like to share with you my once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity with both Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge. Do you see how I am in Thomas’ shadow? This is due to a poorly lit venue and lack of flash. Low lighting? Turn on the darn flash, people.

TR and BE BangorThankfully, as a photographer, I am also savvy at editing and was able to make it look a LITTLE bit better, but there is really no excuse for this. Here are a few other examples…

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I’m the Dreamer, Soaking Up Every Line…

countryheartbeat Country Chatter, Music Monday , , , , , , , ,

NEW MUSIC MONDAY!

opaque new music mon

I’m the dreamer, soaking up every line
Searching for truth all the time
The believer, that music can save a soul
The one who’s at every show, in the front row,
Singin’… 

Trying my best to not be a “basic white girl” right now, but… I can’t even. I can’t even get over the goosebumps that I felt hearing this song for the first time today, I can’t even describe to you how much joy my heart felt and how much that I could relate to every note and every lyric. I was literally blown away when I heard Charles Kelley’s new song, “The Driver” on WPOR this morning. Upon returning home and immediately looking up the lyrics/video and downloading it from iTunes, I discovered that Eric Paslay and Dierks Bentley also collaborate on what is SURE to be the 2016 ACM Vocal Event of the Year… if not DECADE. This song is going to soar to the top of the charts and win many, many awards. This masterpiece was beautifully written by Charles Kelley, Eric Paslay and Abe Stoklasa. It’s the story of the road… these artists on tour that pour their hearts and souls into every show. Me? I’m one of those dreamers, a believer, a singer… at every show, in the front row. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Please take a look and listen! You won’t be disappointed!

If you’d like to purchase this song from iTunes, click here!

Please let me know what you think below in the comments. I would love to hear from you. 🙂

 

 

 

Country Heartbeat’s Anniversary Giveaway!

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registered 2 years ago

Today when I logged into my WordPress account, I was notified of the above “achievement”. Two years ago today, I began the first steps of my journey into the country music industry. Seeing how far I’ve come and where I’m at today, THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!

In honor of opening my account two years ago, I would like to provide a download code for a FREE COPY of Kip Moore’s highly anticipated sophomore album, Wild Ones, that was released on August 21st! Since I purchased a pair of tickets to one of his upcoming tour stops, I was given 2 codes, and would like to share one with you guys, my loyal followers and readers!
wild ones giveaway

Here’s what you’ve got to do if you would like to be entered into the contest!

First, FOLLOW my blog with either your WordPress account or by email address. (Right hand column under the photo there should be two buttons, one for following if you have an account and one for following via email.)

Second, LIKE our Facebook page.

Third, leave a comment on this post letting me know why you would love to win! Please leave your first name and last initial so that I can check the new likes on facebook to make sure that you match up! 🙂

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 4TH, 2015. WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED AROUND 11/5/15-11/6/15.

Please feel free to share this post with your friends! 🙂

New Music Monday!

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September 28th, 2015

These songs have been on repeat for me lately, and I would like to introduce you guys to some of my favorite songs that aren’t on the radio… yet!

Kip Moore, “Running For You”

“If the light starts fading / Baby don’t move / Just say my name, stay right there / I’ll come running for you.” 

If you haven’t gotten Kip’s sophomore album, Wild Ones, yet… you are seriously missing out on some quality music. This album is so raw and full of so much passion that nearly every song gives me goosebumps. I’ve been a fan of Kip since 2011, before most people had any idea of who he was. Albeit the entire CD is on point, the song that I have to play twice every time that the album cycles through is track #12, Running For You. Written with Blair Daly and Troy Verges, Kip explains, “The melody came to me I was with Troy Verges and Blair Daly, and I said, ‘I got this thing.’ We just kinda wrote a song about when you really care about somebody, you wanna see ’em shine and you wanna see ’em go grab what they’re after.”  Kip… I hope one day some man sings (or plays) me this song when I pack up and head to Nashville after my own dreams…

Old Dominion, “Snapback”

“Those stars need to be wished on / Your skin needs to be kissed on”

I was literally hooked on this song from the first verse… it’s not your ordinary “Top 40” country song… and that freshness and new sound is what is going to take it to the top. No doubt this song from their upcoming Meat and Candy album is going to reach #1. The upbeat and fun tempo and killer lyrics drew me in right away! My favorite line from the song? “We got the beat, let’s drop it.”… just the way Matt sings it! This song makes me SMILE SO BIG! I just love a song that makes me break out in a huge grin! Snapback was written by Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi, who are actually 3 of the 5 members of the band.

Kelsea Ballerini, “Secondhand Smoke”

“Am I the product of a problem that I couldn’t change?/Got his eyes, got her hair, so do I get their mistakes?”

This is the most powerful song on Kelsea’s debut album, The First Time. I have been passionate about this song since I first got the CD in June. Secondhand Smoke is a deeply personal song for Kelsea, as it tells the story of her parents divorce. You can hear the raw emotion in every verse. She penned this tune with Josh Kerr and Jordyn Shellhart and they actually came up with the title for the song before the lyrics were written! “Immediately, I thought it could be a story of being in a household that’s broken and that’s all you know, but you decide that you’re not going to feel like that,” Kelsea tells Rolling Stone. Kelsea hopes she can be a voice of comfort for kids who are going through a similar divorce situation like she did as a preteen.

Tour Bus Hang with Lee Brice

countryheartbeat Making It Happen, Songwriting Secrets, Throwback Thursdays , , , , , , , , , , ,

THROWBACK THURSDAY!

Lee Brice letting us preview some unreleased songs!

May 16th, 2015

Today was the day that I realized that my dreams were starting to come true. Today marked a very important day in the history of my future career in the country music industry. I was able to obtain an official photo pass (aka special access to the stage for the first 3 full songs) to photograph Lee Brice at his show on the Maine State Pier in Portland. I’ve always photographed every concert that I’ve ever been to, but point and shoot camera photos do NOT compare to a SLR with a long zoom lens! Photography has always been a passion of mine, and combining that with country music basically makes me one of the happiest girls alive.

Official Photo Pass!
Official Photo Pass!

The radio station that I work for, WPOR 101.9, gave two lucky listeners the opportunity to “hang” with Lee Brice on his tour bus before the show. Obviously a photographer needed to be there to cover the event 😉 and that was ME! This amazing opportunity left me basically speechless. (No, really, I didn’t say more than two words on his bus… I think I said “Thank You” after taking a photo with him and that was about it!) You couldn’t wipe the smile from my face if you tried!

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“MADE” It Happen!

countryheartbeat Making It Happen , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
made it happen entry
Living out my DREAMS!

This blog has taken a backseat in my life for a few very good reasons that I have been wanting to share with you guys for a couple of months now! I’ve honestly been so crazy busy that I haven’t gotten the chance!

At the end of March I interviewed for a position on the Street Team at my favorite country radio station, WPOR 101.9. Out of over 150 applicants, I managed to score one the coveted spots on the small Street Team representing WPOR and all of it’s sister stations. I worked a couple of events in April, but May was the big month for me when I realized that all of my hard work and dreams were turning into reality. (You can check out the Throwback Thursday post “Tour Bus Hang with Lee Brice” for more on that day!)

new job post

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New Music Monday

countryheartbeat Music Monday , , , , , , , ,

opaque new music mon

Songs you should be listening to (and downloading!) right now:

Kelsea Ballerini, “Dibs”

Kelsea’s debut album, titled The First Time, came out last week… and I really hope that you all bought a copy! Kelsea is definitely the next big thing in the female country genre… you might know her from her first Top 10 Single, Love Me Like You Mean It. While her whole CD is amazing (even Taylor Swift thinks so!), I’m really liking this one right now. It screams girl power and confidence, knowing exactly what you want and going out to get it. I don’t see how anyone could not love Kelsea, she’s just so sweet and talented!

Michael Ray, “Run Away With You”

This song will always be special to me, because I got to hear the demo version back in October of 2013, way before it was released. I was at a bar in Nashville, hanging with some of Michael Ray’s band mates, and he let us listen to this song. My first thought was, “that’s totally going to be a big hit!” While Big & Rich cut it for their album, Gravity, you’ve got to hear Michael Ray’s original version, which I will always be partial to! (John Rich and Michael Ray wrote the song together.) Michael Ray’s version can be found on his EP which is ONLY available at Walmart! Get your copy here!

Drake White, “It Feels Good”

Just like the title suggests, this is really a “feel-good” song that perks you right up and makes you want to dance and/or stomp your boots! White combines some blues with his natural twang, and it’s nothing like all the other songs that you hear on the radio! This song has a very unique style and is sure to be a hit with both new-country and old-style country lovers! This is totally a fun-loving country summer jam! View the lyric video on YouTube!

Luke Bryan, “Kick The Dust Up”

I’ll always be partial to Luke, despite all of the cr@p he gets for his bro-country-hip-hop style. This song automatically had me bopping my head a long to the beat. Lyrically, it’s much like all of his other songs about partying in the middle of nowhere, moonshine, trucks burning up a back road, boots on, etc. Despite this, Luke knows what the radio stations want and he continues to deliver. It’s sure to be a summer hit! It’s definitely not my favorite Luke song, but I do love the guitar/banjo picking beat!

Outshyne, “Moonlight Crush”

This song is a bit older, being first released to Sirus/XM Radio in August of 2013. I’ve liked it since day one, but I’ve been really getting into it more lately with summer on it’s way. Boy meets girl, boy develops crush on girl. You know how you tend to love songs that you can relate to the lyrics? This song is magic to me for that reason. Everyone loves a good summer romance, right? 😉  Check out the music video!

 

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