Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Lauren Alaina: Wildflower

(picture courtesy of Mercury Nashville)

Because the top few finishing place idols always score record deals, exactly what place
a contestant finishes in no longer seems to be the overall goal. Creating a memorable cd
that won’t get them tossed from the record label a few months down the road is the real
challenge. For the top two finishers this past idol season, the pressure is palpable as the
show’s dazzle seems to be fizzling and winners past have had less than fifteen seconds of
fame. It’s my opinion that both Scotty and Lauren have delivered relatively memorable
albums that will pave the road for a career that will carry them beyond their teens.

My absolute biggest praise for Scotty was that he chose songs that were age appropriate
and a good representation of his character. The same goes for Lauren. The fact that both
albums weren’t chock full of country contradictions is refreshing and revitalizing to a
genre of the industry that loves Jesus one minute and loves getting sloppy drunk in Vegas
with a last name you don’t know the very next. (I’m not judging. I’m just saying. It gets
confusing.)

Like Scotty, Lauren sings about family and faith and young love and even old love that
stand the test of time. Her lead single, “Like My Mother Does,” hadn’t stuck with me
over the summer, but she earned it a new level of appreciation when I listened to this
album. I stopped seeing it as someone else’s song first (I can’t even remember who did
this song already), and loved it for what it is; a great homage to the women in our lives
who loves us so much we learn to love ourselves and who serve as great examples in
everything that we want to be more so as to not let them down. While J-Lo was wrong
and this didn’t get Lauren the win on the show, something more priceless is gained with
choosing this song…fans, of every age.

I also appreciated the song “Eighteen Inches.” While I won’t spoil the story for you or
what exactly eighteen inches is the measurement of, I will say that it tells a great story
as a country song should, and I looked forward to hearing it every time I listened to the
album from beginning to end. While it doesn’t condone bad decisions that are made, the
song celebrates that all things can be made good.

What I absolutely love best, though, about this album is that on the faster tempo songs,
Lauren’s personality shines through. A little bit spunky, maybe a little sassy, she’s young
and vibrant and commands your attention. I love the nuances and inflections of her
voice; the way she sings “c’mon” in “I’m Not One of Them” where she maintains her
independence and refuses to fall for the cheap lines other girls fall over themselves for.
She has enough twang to be country but enough personality to make it endearing and not
annoying. The best line of the album also appears on this song; “I won’t be a notch on
your facebook wall.”

Standouts for me besides the songs already mentioned are “Funny Thing About Love”
where two people just can’t seem to have the right timing and “Georgia Peaches” where
Alaina pays respect to where she is from and who she is. “Wildflower” is incredibly
catchy and “Growing Her Wings” tells the story of a girl who feels like she is stifled in
a small town and in a strict family, but through it all, she’s becoming a better person that
will be eventually released.

Like Scotty again, Lauren also ended her album with a song about her faith. In “Dirt
Road Prayer,” Lauren sings about praying, no matter how much time has passed. I
sincerely hope that she takes this song to heart and doesn’t lose this focus later on in her
career when it might be tempting to please the music industry executives who challenge
her to embrace those country song clichés.

Please visit www.laurenalainaofficial.com for more information and be sure to download
from a digital store of your choice.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Scotty McCreery: Clear As Day

(picture courtesy of www.scottymccreer-official.com)

Scotty, at 17, is the youngest American Idol Winner so far. But what I appreciate most
about him is that he has a stronger sense of self and who he is than most people twice his
age. While I may have had a few concerns for what the industry might try to push on him
for his first album, they were obliterated with the very first listen. Clear As Day has an
equal amount of ballads and fun loving country songs that reflect a very centered singer
with an impressive amount of talent. He chose songs written by great song writers,
including Keith Urban, that not only showcase his vocal abilities but who Scotty is.

Scotty’s deep voice makes him sound much older than he is. In fact, he’s just now
turning 18. He needed songs on this album to represent that, and he delivers. The album
begins with “Out of Summertime,” the only up-tempo track out of the first four. A fun
song about a relationship beginning and ending in one season; “She could have been
mine/But we ran out of summertime.” “Better Than That” lists several firsts that he has
experienced-seeing the ocean, driving his first Chevy, but he tells a girl that her love is
better than any of them. “You Make That Look Good” follows that same sensibility,
listing several circumstances where a girl doesn’t exactly look glamorous, but he thinks
she looks beautiful anyway. And although the song is more mid-tempo than the faster
ones I just listed, “Trouble With Girls” explains that, well, he is a guy, and he notices
girls, and he has a problem with that, apparently.

“Water Tower Town,” was one of my favorite songs because Scotty sings about small
towns found all over America with such honesty, it made me smile. “”You can see
who loves who from miles around.” “Walk in the Country,” also upbeat, shows his
appreciation for where he came from.

The slower tracks reveal Scotty’s foundation; not only the slower, old-school country
that he grew up listening but also respect for his family and a firm faith in God. “Dirty
Dishes” is an interesting spin on prayer, one that his mom says at dinner. It’s a good
song about optimism and finding the silver lining in circumstances of life that are usually
daily annoyances. “Back on the Ground” reveals what it is that truly grounds him; he
sings about growing up with an eagerness to get out and away from home, but he has
found in the bustle of success, what he wants to do most is sit down and listen to his
mom. “That Old King James” tells about the life of a Bible, the experiences of those who
have held it close, before it is handed off to him with the advice, “Read it when you’re
feeling down.”

“Clear As Day,” the title track, is a song about remembering a girl who promised she
would call the next day but didn’t because her life ended unexpectedly. While many
struggle to remember every detail of those who pass on, in this song Scotty sings about
just the opposite; the vivid memories he doesn’t forget.

I love that Scotty is such a whatyouseeiswhatyouget type of guy and that he doesn’t seem
to be bending to fit anyone else’s expectations. This album focuses on enjoying life,
especially the simple everyday things, and loving his family. It’s difficult not enjoy it.

Please be sure to download from a digital retailer of your choice and visit
www.scottymccreery-official.com for more information.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Ashley Brooke Toussant: Sweetheart

Aptly named Sweetheart, Ashley’s voice is sweet and angelic. She reminded me of Jewel
sometimes; they often share that similar sound, and that lingering, sometimes haunting
quality that plays on in your mind once the music is over. Ashley can best be described
as country mixed with soothing folk, but really, her influences stem from bygone eras.

“The songs reflect on life here, the hopes and fears, coming back home and love. The
feel is more acceptance than any kind of gloom-the acceptance of realizing quirks and
flaws.”

Ashley describes her songs best. Just as her sound reflects a different time, so, too, does
her attitude and how she reveals her feelings. “Sweetheart,” the opening track, describes
a relationship with such simplicity and openness, it is completely endearing. “Together
as a pair/Together we will share/As sugar and honey/Which neither of taken lightly.”
Ashley also features a Henry Mancini cover titled “The Sweetheart Tree” that fits in so
well with Ashley’s own writing style, it seems to be a continuation of her own song about
love and creates an envelope that holds in the other tracks.

I really couldn’t decide which I liked more; her voice or her perspective represented
in her writing. Both have a purity that few singers today share. My favorite song
was probably “Little Boy Blue” because it stood out to me from the other songs, but I
couldn’t put my finger on as to why. But I also loved her memories and longing in “Edie
Ann” and the interpretation of “And it’s Yours,” based on Leo Marks’ poem “The Life
That I Have.” It’s not just her voice or the words to this song that makes it so magical;
the military sounding drum and the emptiness of the music makes this achingly beautiful.
I enjoyed “Welcome Back Too,” a song about coming home again.

Her uncomplicated view of the world and love makes Sweetheart refreshing and light.
It’s really the little set backs and annoyances that make life so heavy, and for this album,
the burden is gone. Love is all that remains. She sings it best in “The World.” “What
does it all mean to you and me/It means the world/It means the world/To you and me.”

Please visit http://ashleybrooketoussant.com/ for more information and be sure to follow
her facebook links. And, as always, download from iTunes.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Kip Moore: Mary Was the Marrying Kind

(photo courtesy of MCA Nashville)

Kip’s debut single has enjoyed the honor of being the fourth most-added single to country
music in the middle of March, following Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, and Toby Keith.

You only have to hear this song once to understand why.

The song, co-written by Kip, is inspired by a girl he did indeed know. With a rock
country beat and easily as good as Keith Urban voice, Kip tells about various girls he’s
dated and the obvious reasons why they were all wrong for him

And then there is Mary. The sweet girl. The nice one. The girl no one paid attention
to. Until she grows comfortable in her own skin and all the boys take notice that she’s
different.

“It’s the story of what every man in this world goes through at some point,” Kip says.
“It’s the story of the one that got away that you should have paid attention to. Every
town, every city, everybody knows one. Every girl believes they are Mary.”

Yes, we do. And I believe that’s a whole lot better than wanting to be the poor examples
he lists in this song. It’s such a good song, I ignore the one mild misuse of God’s name
and minor profanity, keep hitting repeat, and recommend to you that you look him up on
iItunes.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Stacie Collins, relatemag.com

(photo courtesy of http.staciecollins.com)

After watching the CMA’s in November, I read an article in the following days about
Toby Keith boycotting what he considers the “music industry politics of Nashville.”
Because he doesn’t play that way, he doesn’t get nominated. I mention this at the
beginning of a review of Stacie Collin’s third album because when I visit her myspace
page, I see that she is considered “unsigned,” and it baffles me. If it truly is who you
know and not what you know in the music industry, it’s not only the artists themselves
who are being cheated but the listeners as well. I consider it a great privilege when these
artists are sent to me and I can pass on their information to you.

Sometimes Ya Gotta is done Stacie’s way because it’s about nothing but her and her
music. Sassier and more energetic than Miranda Lambert at her angriest, Stacie is
country and rock in rare form. She blazes her own trail with an enviable confidence.
In “Hey Mister,” the opening track, Stacie addresses those politics and instead of being
jealous of the latest newcomer, she seems comfortable in the place she’s in. Maybe it’s
because Stacie releases these albums and tours the world for the sake of the music and
what she loves, not for the sake of being famous.

“Give it Up,” “I Won’t Do Ya Like That,” “Little Things,” and “It Hurts to Breathe,” are
the other stand out tracks on the album. Even when she slows the music down a little like
in “Little Things,” Stacie still commands attention.

On her website and in the liner notes of her cd, Stacie quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson.
She indeed has the courage to go where there is no path and leave a trail. Look her up at
www.staciecollins.com or on iTunes and enjoy the music she’s sharing as you walk your
own journey.

Written by: Jill Sheets

America Ferrera

Picture source: www.abc.com

At some point, most girls think about their dream wedding. What kind of dress they will ware? Will they have a dance? Will they get married in the church that they grew up in or on the beach in Hawaii? What type of guy will they marry? For two celebrities, the wait is almost over, and they can now start to plan the wedding of their dreams.

Publicist Carrie Byalick has confirmed that “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera is engaged to her long time boyfriend, Ryan Piers Williams. The Emmy Award winning actress met her fiancé at the University of Southern California. He cast America in his student film.

Not only did America star in her future husband’s student film, she will be staring in the up and coming independent drama “The Dry Land,” which was written and directed by her fiancé. The movie is also staring “That 70s Show,” Wilmer Valderrama, Ryan O’Nan and Jason Ritter. The movie is set to be released on July 30, 2010.

Kellie Pickler

Picture source: www.amazon.com

America is not the only person that recently got engaged. Country singer and American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler is engaged to her boyfriend of two and a half years, songwriter Kyle Jacobs. The couple met through friends. Kellie herself confirmed the engagement on her twitter account. The happy couple got engaged on June 15th on a beach in Florida, which was on her late grandmother’s Birthday.

Kelly told People Magazine, “It turned out to be the most amazing day of my life. My whole world changed. We both feel like we got my grandmother’s blessing.”

At this moment, there are no dates set for either America or Kellie’s wedding.

Relate Magazine would like to congratulate both America and Kellie on their engagement and up and coming weddings.