Luke Bryan NYC Album Release

Luke Bryan ‘What Makes You Country’ NYC Album Release Week

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Luke Bryan Getty Images

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)

Luke Bryan is no stranger to success when releasing music, whether the track makes you move your body or moves your soul, his singles climb the charts and he sells out arenas.  His last album, Kill the Lights was the first in history to have six singles reach No. 1 on the Country Billboard charts and his “Huntin’, Fishin’ And  Lovin’ Every Day” tour has packed arenas all over the country this past year. His newest album, What Makes You Country, which is available everywhere today brings Bryan back to his roots.  Blending his own unique brand of country music which combines pop-country with traditional lyrics.  For his 6th studio album, Bryan gave fans more of what he knows they love, songs that will translate well in his live shows as well as radio-friendly hits.

Luke Bryan Pandora

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)

To celebrate the release of the album, Bryan took NYC by storm this past week.  First up, New York Country Swag headed to The Altman Building to catch Pandora’s Up Close With Luke Bryan presented by FedEx Wednesday night. The line of fans wrapped around the long city block, hoping that they would make the first come-first serve cut into the venue.  Once inside, fans were treated to free Luke Bryan t-shirts, a photo booth backdrop and a close spot in front of the stage. Although this was an album release party, fans were excited to hear plenty of Bryan’s hits from his ten-year career including, “That’s My Kind of Night”, “Play It Again” “Fast” and of course closing with a high octane version of “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”.

Luke Bryan Stage 17

(Photo by New York CountrySwag.com)

Thursday, Bryan stopped by NASH FM 94.7’s Stage 17 studio to perform more singles off his forthcoming album including “Hooked On It” and the title track.  The performance and interview, curated by Mike Allan, assistant program director for NASH FM 94.7 was broadcasted live across the country.  DJs Katie Neal and Jesse Addy chatted with Bryan about writing the new songs and asked him to describe what he thinks “Makes You Country?” “An overall way that you view life, the way that you approach life with humility and honor and compassion and faith and belief.” the singer explained.  A small group of audience members and winners from NASH FM were treated to stripped down, acoustic versions of the songs and the intimate setting was the perfect place for Bryan to be his goofy self, joking about his shirt being too tight and popping a button off. He ended his visit by taking pictures with his biggest fans.

Although all 15 tracks work well together to create a cohesive country record, a few highlights on the album include “Land of a Million Songs” a true testament to the struggles that Nashville songwriters go through to create your favorite music.  Another stand out is “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” which was written by Ryan Hurd, Chase McGill and Zach Crowell.  Hurd took to Instagram hours before the album was released to express his gratitude to everyone involved, especially for his fiance Maren Morris, for who he says the song was written about.

The final track on the record, “Win Life” was written by husband and wife songwriters Nicolle Gaylon and Rodney Clawson along with Ross Copperman.  It fits right into Bryan’s wheelhouse, as a dad, a country superstar, and a husband just trying to do his best with the time he is given.

Luke Bryan GMA

(Photo by New York CountrySwag.com)

For Bryan’s biggest appearance during his album release week in NYC, he took the stage at the brand new Opry City Stage in the heart of Times Square for his live performance on Good Morning America.  Joined by Robin Roberts and GMA’s leading meteorologist, Ginger Zee, Bryan performed his latest single “Light It Up”,  as well as another track off What Makes You Country, “Most People are Good” and other hits for the select few in the studio audience.  Finally, Bryan’s fans across the country were able to hear some of the songs live and head to their favorite outlet to purchase the full album.

Grab What Makes You Country on iTunes and head to our Instagram for more from the album release week.

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– Team NYCountry Swag

Arena Breaks Out in Garth Brooks Sing-A-Long After a Power Outage Affects the Show…

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Garth Brooks, Prudential Center

 

Moments into the opening set, a power outage struck New Jersey’s Prudential Center Sunday night as a crowd packed the venue for a Garth Brooks concert.

Leaving fans in the dark, the crowd quickly joined in unison for an impromptu sing-a-long of Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.” Check out the clip below….

 

 

 

 

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Swag Sessions: Featuring Brown & Gray…

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Before opening for Carly Pearce, Brett Young and LOCASH at My Country 96.1’s Secret Holiday Show, new country duo, Brown & Gray, joined us in front of the cozy fireplace at NYC’s Refinery Rooftop for some Christmas tunes and their debut single, “Top Down.”

Check out our LIVE Swag Session below, then grab Brown & Gray’s music here.

 

 

 

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Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
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Swag Sessions: Featuring Mitchell Tenpenny…

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Before opening for Dustin Lynch at NYC’s Playstation Theater, country newcomer, Mitchell Tenpenny joined us in Times Square for an afternoon of music, laughs and.. jingle bells! Check out our LIVE Swag Session here and download Mitchell’s EP on iTunes.

 

 

 

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Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
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– Team NYCountry Swag

 

MyCountry 96.1 Secret Show

Long Island Packs Stereo Garden For Secret Holiday Show

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Brown and Gray

Each year MyCountry 96.1, a country radio station out on Long Island puts on a secret show.  The artists remain a secret until they hit the stage which is an exciting way to attract their listeners and fans.  The opening act, Brown and Gray took the stage as the venue filled up.  They played their latest Christmas song, “It’s Not Christmas (’til you come around)” along with their debut single “Top Down” which has been spinning on the radio station for the past few months.  For more about the duo check out our Live Swag Sessions.

Carly Pearce

A quiet hush came over the crowd as MYCountry’s DJ’s Phathead and Jay Letterman took the stage to announce the next secret act to take the stage. Already having an incredible year, adding another accomplishment on Monday, having her single “Hide the Wine” go most added to radio, Carly Pearce was announced.  Pearce sang songs off of her debut album, Every Little Thing including “Color”, “Careless” and of course her first single which hit the top of the charts “Every Little Thing”.

Brett Young Secret

As the DJ’s took the stage again, the surprise was a little anti-climatic when high pitched screamed interrupted their introduction because one of country’s biggest rising stars, Brett Young walked onto the stage.  Young who’s voice is smooth and unique in this genre performed songs off his debut album including his number one hit “In Case You Didn’t Know” and his debut single “Sleep Without You”.  He also sang a haunting version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.  He spent time thanking country radio, specifically MyCountry 96.1 for not only playing his music but for helping him achieve so many accolades over the past year.

LoCash Secret Show

The final act to play the secret holiday show was LoCash, the duo who enjoyed their first number one single “I Know Somebody” earlier this year.  They sang their radio hits as well as a cover of a song they wrote that Keith Urban cut “You’re Gonna Fly” and a venue-wide sing-a-long of Garth Brooks’ classic “Friends in Low Places”.

Listeners of the station stayed well into the weeknight to dance and sing to their favorite artists all thanks to MyCountry 96.1.  For more on the radio station click here.

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Dustin Lynch Plays for Sold Out Crowd at Playstation Theater

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Dustin Lynch Playstation

Broken Bow recording artist Dustin Lynch brought his Ride or Die Tour to NYC this weekend with opening acts Mitchell Tenpenny and Ryan Hurd. Fans who waited on line to enter the venue rushed the stage once the doors were open and filled the space from the first song till the last.

Mitchell Tenpenny Playstation

Warming up the crowd, Mitchell Tenpenny sang songs off of his debut EP, Linden Ave including “Bitches” and “Truck I Drove in High School”.  You can catch an exclusive performance of those songs from our Swag Sessions with the rising singer-songwriter here.

Next up was Ryan Hurd, who sang “City Girl”, “Love in a Bar” and even his own version of a song he wrote for Lady Antebellum, “You Look Good”.

Lynch, who recently released his third full-length album, Current Mood, took the stage combined old hits and new ones, opening with “Here We Come” and going right into “Hell of a Night”.  His 75-minute set gave his die-hard fans every one of his radio singles as well as album cuts and an energetic live show that they will be talking about for a while.  “Thank you all for this,” he said. “All that matters in life right now is the present moment. Tonight’s about singing and dancing. Can we do that New York City?” and the crowd which was filled with a mix of young and old and men and women responded by giving the artist exactly what he asked for.

Dustin Lynch Playstation

Lynch proving his staying power in this genre, flawlessly transitioned from his first single, the tender “Cowboys and Angels” into his brand new single “I’d Be Jealous Too” and the audience sang along to every word.

A highlight of the night was when he paid homage to the huge country acts who gave him a chance to open for them in the past.  He did a medley of Brad Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires”, Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You”, Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again” and Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y”.

He closed out the night with his most recent number one smash, “Seein’ Red”. Check out the remaining tour dates below.

Dec. 7 — Stockton, Calif. @ Bob Hope Theatre
Dec. 8 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Novo
Dec. 10 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Cosmopolitan
Dec. 17 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ 20 Monroe Live

Dustin Lynch with NYCountry Swag

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

DBradbery Cover

NYCS First Impression: Danielle Bradbery ‘I Don’t Believe We’ve Met’

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Danielle Bradbery NYCS

From first listen, Danielle Bradbery’s latest album is a remarkable testament to the artist who is finally choosing her own path. “I didn’t know myself as a person back then,” Bradbery says of her teenage years. “I didn’t know my sound yet. Now I want to talk about real things. I want to be honest.” the singer says of evolving after her stint on the singing competition The Voice.  As a 16-year-old, Bradbery took the reality competition by storm with her strong vocal ability and sweet nature.  Now, 21, she understands the importance of being honest with yourself and making the music that you feel represents you.

At her album release party in NYC on Wednesday night, Bradbery explained to us before taking the stage  “This album is a huge growing up process, for this album, 16 to now 21 is a huge gap that you have to figure out and that is exactly what I did.”

The Texas native co-wrote 7 of the 10 tracks on I Don’t Believe We’ve Met, making each lyric personal to her story. The most intimate song, “Human Diary” is an intimate look at a breakup and all of the things you lose, feeling exposed and raw.  The lead single “Sway” is a perfect groove, introducing the new sound from The Voice alum.

“What Are We Doing” could easily find itself on any pop music chart sitting next to Justin Beiber, highlighting the back and forth of a modern-day relationship. Bradbery’s vocal chops bring new life to the simplest lyric including the female empowering, “Worth It”, her favorite on the album.  Fans of all ages can relate to the message Bradbery is singing about.  Sonically, the project fits in perfectly with the pop-country vibes that have catapulted young female artists to the country charts including Lauren Alaina and Carly Pearce. Be on the look out for more great things from this emerging country artist and grab I Don’t Believe We’ve Met on iTunes.

 

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Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Top 10 Country Christmas Songs

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NYCS Country Christmas

It is officially the holiday season. While you drive to the mall or while online shopping for your friends and family check out our favorite holiday tunes by country music superstars.

    1. “Glow” – Brett Eldredge
    2. “Under the Weather” – Chris Young
    3. “Mele Kalikimaka” – Kacey Musgraves
    4.  “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” – Little Big Town
    5. “The Christmas Song” – Reba McEntire
    6.  “Deck the Halls” – Rascal Flatts
    7. “Oh Holy Night” – Lauren Alaina
    8. “What Are You Doing New Years Eve” – Lee Ann Womack
    9.  “Little Drummer Boy” – Jennifer Nettles
    10.  “My Favorite Things” – Kelsea Ballerini

For more of our favorites follow our NYCS Country Christmas Spotify Playlist.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

 

NYCS First Impression: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill ‘The Rest of Our Life’

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Faith Hill Tim McGraw

It has been a long time coming but it is finally here, a full album of duets between country royalty Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Their marriage, 21 years and three beautiful daughters is a testament to love and that is expressed in The Rest of Our Life.  

Each song on the project allows the power couple to shine separately as well as together embracing heartbreak, respect and a lifelong love story. The record is dripping with romance which is only heightened by the duos epic harmonies especially on the title track,  “The Bed We Made”, and “Cowboy Lullaby”.

The first single “Speak to a Girl” which happens to be extremely relevant in current times is about respecting women the way that women and girls should expect to be treated.  The record showcases different phases in a relationship, especially highlighting a more mature, marriage which is a missing niche in country radio today.  Each of the songs lends well to the duos live Soul2Soul show where Hill takes the lead and is supported by her husband and vice versa.

McGraw and Hill extended their Soul2Soul tour throughout 2018 and they return to NYC on June 14th.  For tickets and more info check out soul2soultour.com/tour and grab The Rest of Our Life on iTunes.

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

 

NYCS First Impression: Chase Rice ‘Lambs & Lions’

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Chase Rice

Chase Rice released his third studio album today, Lambs & Lions, on Broken Bow Records.  After three years, Rice is excited to finally release a full-length album filled with music he is proud of, for his fans. “I was fed up with trying, whether that was trying to be something I’m not, trying to make music that people said I should make or trying to make music I felt people wanted to hear. Instead, I decided I’m going to make music that I needed to hear,” He says in a recent press release.  Co-writing 7 of the songs, Rice has put his personal stamp on the LP.

The 10-track Lambs & Lions is a culmination of a maturing artist, creating music with a new label who supports his vision.  “Saved Me” and “Eyes on You”  are standouts, giving an ode to love, faith and small towns.  The first single, released earlier this year “Three Chords & the Truth” is currently sitting in the top 40 on the Country Airplay charts.

“I see you blinking through your blue eyes / How a song can turn back time / You can almost feel the sand on your feet / From the passenger seat / Singing “Anything But Mine”  / And don’t you know we were raised on the radio”

Rodney Clawson and Jamie Moore, writers on “Amen”, spin a beautiful image and testament to faith.  A gospel choir backs Rice’s delicate delivery, filling even the non-believer with conviction.  To close out the album Rice does an impressive, modern day cover of Chris LaDoux’s classic “This Cowboy’s Hat” which even features Chris’ son Ned. The Carolina native does have one party song on the record, “Jack Daniels Showed Up”, a high energy drinkin’ song that will be a great tune for his live set.  Grab Lambs & Lions on iTunes and grab tickets to his show at Terminal 5 on January 18th here.

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag