Uncle Rock's Blog

I'm looking forward to hearing the songs!!!!

Uncle Rock — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:28:00 +0000

Time for another blog for Ol Uncle Rock, first off....get those vocal cords ready for Monday morning (4/28/08), we'll be starting to take calls for you to sing your songs to win that BIG OL TRIP TO NASHVILLE FOR THE CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL!!!! I would personally like to thanks Thornhill GM Superstore for making the event possible. Which leads me to the best thing since BBQ Ribs.....COUNTRY MUSIC!!!! Lady Antebellum's self-titled CD debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart this week with first-round sales of 43,384 units. Making this sunny achievement all the more remarkable is the fact that the Capitol Records trio has yet to score a Top 5 single to give its album a big airplay boost. "Love Don't Live Here," Lady Antebellum's first single, currently sits at No. 9 after 29 weeks on the chart. On the songs list, George Strait racks up another chart-topper with "I Saw God Today," which reaches the summit just 11 weeks after its release. The only other new album this period is Yonder Mountain String Band's Mountain Tracks: Volume 5. It enters at No. 67. Joe Nichols' Real Things returns to the chart at No. 70. There are five new songs to report, all of them rather low on the chart. Chuck Wicks' "All I Ever Wanted" bows at No. 50, followed by Darius Rucker's "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" (No. 51), Eric Church's "His Kind of Money (My Kind of Love)" (No. 55), Rissi Palmer's "Hold On to Me" (No. 59) and Kevin Fowler's "Best Mistake I Ever Made" (No. 60). Trailing Lady Antebellum within the Top 5 albums are Strait's Troubadour, Taylor Swift's eponymous juggernaut, James Otto's Sunset Man and Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride, in that order. Parading directly behind Strait's top song are Trace Adkins' "You're Gonna Miss This," Otto's "Just Got Started Lovin' You," Swift's "Picture to Burn" and Phil Vassar's "Love Is a Beautiful Thing." That's the buzz for now. Until next time,

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

BIG OL NEWS MONDAY MORNING ON THE BIG OL MORNING SHOW

Uncle Rock — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:22:00 +0000

Howdy Coal Country! It's time once again, for another blog from Ol Hop Along Rock. Just a couple of things before I get into the country music news...Be sure to check out the Big Ol Morning Show this Monday (4/21/08) for a huge announcement about the CMA Music Festival! I'm not at liberty to say a whole lot about it, but it's HUGE...so be sure to tune in for the big announcement! Also, I would like to thank the staff at Dollywood for being so kind to my co-host Tia last week. She went down for the tribute to Porter Wagoner, she brought back some great pictures and even a couple of things that you are going to be hearing during the Big Ol Morning Show. You will see pictured about Miss Dolly Parton and her huge......talent! Moving right along to Hillbilly Days, I have lived in Southern West Virginia all of my life but I never made the trip to Pikeville for Hillbilly Days. If you have never been, I highly recommend it. Good food, good music and PURDY women! What more can a man ask for? Now on to what makes the world go around... COUNTRY MUSIC!!! All hail, King George! George Strait's Troubadour tops both Billboard's country and all-genres album charts this week with first-week sales of more than 166,000 copies. That's quite an achievement for a guy who first began charting 27 years ago. Trade Adkins looms on the peak of the song chart for the second straight week with "You're Gonna Miss This." In so doing, he holds Strait's "I Saw God Today" at bay in the No. 2 niche. Five other albums make their first visit to the charts this period. Entering at a very impressive No. 4 is Josh Gracin's We Weren't Crazy, followed by Aaron Watson's Angels & Outlaws (No. 28), Willie Nelson's One Hell of a Ride (No. 46), Kathy Mattea's Coal (No. 64) and the various-artist assemblage, The Very Best of Outlaw Country (No. 65). Nelson, by the way, has been charting since 1962 and Mattea since 1983. Only two new songs crack this week's listing -- former Trick Pony member Heidi Newfield's "Johnny & June" (No. 46) and Lonestar's "Let Me Love You" (No. 60). After its quick on-and-off debut, Dolly Parton's "Jesus & Gravity" returns at No. 56.Among the week's remaining Top 5 albums, Taylor Swift's self-titled CD simmers at No. 2, Alan Jackson's Good Time at No. 3 and Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride at No. 5. Trailing Adkins and Strait within the Top 5 songs, in descending order, are Chris Cagle's "What Kinda Gone," James Otto's "Just Got Started Lovin' You" and Swift's "Picture to Burn." Until next time,

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

PS Don't forget about the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT Monday morning on The Tri-States Coal Country & More 965!!!

The Biggest Fans Of The Big Ol Morning Show

Uncle Rock — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:23:00 +0000

Howdy Coal Country! It's time for another blog to get you up to date on the wonderful world of country music...but first I have to fill you in on the Biggest Fans Of The Big Ol Morning Show. We had a great time at the Tug Valley Chapter of The American Red Cross Auction. Together we raised tons of money for the Red Cross and one lucky bidder even walked away with the "Man Coat"! I encourage all of you to get involved with the Red Cross. We have had so many horrible floods in our area and the Red Cross is always there when we need them the most! Pictured above you will see "The Biggest Fans Of The Big Ol Morning Show" and the new owner of the "Man Coat". Now lets get on to my favorite thing...COUNTRY MUSIC! After a debut sales surge that kept it at No. 1 for two weeks on Billboard's country albums chart, Alan Jackson's Good Time is pulled back to No. 2 this week by Taylor Swift's long-reigning self-titled CD. Talk about momentum! Swift's album continues to have plenty of steam 74 weeks after its release.Jackson, however, maintains his perch on the peak of the songs charts with "Small Town Southern Man."There are six new songs and one new album to report. The lone album is a multi-artist package jawbreakingly titled Original American Classics: Truckin' Country Classics, which bows in at a humble No. 74.First-time tunes include Kenny Chesney's "Better as a Memory" (No. 47), Gary Allan's "Learning How to Bend" (No. 51), Garth Brooks' "Midnight Sun" (No. 53), Sugarland's "Life in a Northern Town" (No. 57), Dolly Parton's "Jesus & Gravity" (No. 58) and Crystal Shawanda's "You Can Let Go" (No. 60). The Sugarland track also features Little Big Town and Jake Owen.Re-entering the albums chart are Diamond Rio's 16 Biggest Hits (No. 69), Cross Canadian Ragweed's Mission California (No. 70) and The Very Best of Tracy Lawrence (No. 74).Counting down the Top 5 albums after Swift's and Jackson's, we find Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride, Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good and Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, in that order.The remaining Top 5 songs, top to bottom, are Trace Adkins' "You're Gonna Miss This," Chris Cagle's "What Kinda Gone," George Strait's "I Saw God Today" and Underwood's "All-American Girl." In closing, I can't let the cat out of the bag yet...but be sure to tune in The Big Ol Morning Show for some HUGE news about the CMA Music Festival (formerly known as Fan Fair)....that is all I am at liberty to say right now, but trust me it's going to be HUGE!!! For more info on the CMA Music Festival you can check out cmafest.com Until next time,
Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Who's egg is prettier?

Uncle Rock — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:06:00 +0000

Well its all up to you Coal Country! Be sure to leave a comment on the blog and let us know who you think has the prettiest egg.....and I'll go ahead and fill you in on whats happening in the world of county music! Alan JacksonAs Music Row has been predicting, Alan Jackson's Good Time sold enough copies this past week -- just over 119,000 units -- to top both Billboard's country and all-formats album charts. This is an especially significant achievement for Jackson since he wrote, single-handedly, all 17 songs on the new collection.For the second week, Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl" reigns as America's No. 1 country song.Jackson's surge pushes Taylor Swift's self-titled album back to second place. But that's still a pretty good position for a project that's been out 72 weeks.Jo Dee Messina's "I'm Done" is the highest-charting new song. It breaks in at No. 56. The other first-time song entries are Clint Black's cover of the 1972 Hollies hit, "Long Cool Woman" (No. 58), Luke Bryan's "Country Man" (No. 59) and Cross Canadian Ragweed's "Cry Lonely" (No. 60).Had it not been for Jackson's splash, Ashton Shepherd's widely-praised debut album, Sounds So Good, would have been this week's big news. It bounds onto the chart at an enviable No. 16. Also making its bow is Carlene Carter's potent package, Stronger, which comes on at No. 69.Albums re-entering are Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade (No. 72), Joe Nichols' Real Things (No. 74) and Jack Ingram's This Is It (No.75).Trailing in order behind Swift within the Top 5 albums list are Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, Underwood's Carnival Ride and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand.The No. 2 through No. 5 songs are Jackson's "Small Town Southern Man," Kenny Chesney and George Strait's "Shiftwork," Rodney Atkins' "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" and Trace Adkins' "You're Gonna Miss This." Until next time....

Uncle Rock

--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Welcome to March...

Uncle Rock — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:58:00 +0000

Howdy Coal Country! Welcome to another blog here on coalcountry965.com! It's been a busy week for Ol Uncle Rock...had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker at the Williamson Rotary Club meeting this past Tuesday. We discussed the webstream on coalcountry965.com as well as the 100,000 watt power increase to WXCC. Also, Thursday I was the host of the Gilbert High School pep rally! We had a blast sending those guys and gals off to the WV State Tournament in Charleston! Well enough about me and my week lets move on to the reason we are all here....COUNTRY MUSIC!!! Carrie Underwood smacks down Rodney Atkins while Taylor Swift trips up all her competition to reclaim dominion over the album chart. Bubbling up, too, are five first-time songs and three new albums.Underwood's "All-American Girl" leapfrogs from No. 5 to No. 1, shoving Atkins' "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" back to No. 2 after its two-week stay on top. Among the albums, Swift's self-titled package takes back the throne that Chris Cagle momentarily usurped last week with his newest CD, My Life's Been a Country Song. It falls to No. 9.This round's new songs are Julianne Hough's "That Song in My Head" (climbing into the ring at No. 51), Tim McGraw's "Kristofferson" (No. 53). Emily West's "Rocks in Your Shoes" (No. 54), Toby Keith's "She's a Hottie" (No. 56) and LeAnn Rimes' "Good Friend and a Glass Of Wine" (No. 59).(Now let's see: Taylor Swift records a song called "Tim McGraw" -- and then Tim McGraw has a song called "Kristofferson." All that remains is for Kris Kristofferson to write a song called "Taylor Swift" to bring all these adulatory impulses full circle.)Re-entering the song chart this week are the Lost Trailers' "Holler Back" (No. 48) and Mica Roberts and Toby Keith's "Things a Mama Don't Know" (No. 58).Albums making their first chart bow are the Blake Shelton's Collector's Edition (No. 30), Trent Willmon's Broken In (No. 33) and the SteelDrivers' self-titled collection (No. 57). Making a comeback are the Isaacs' Big Sky (No. 63), Emerson Drive's Countrified (No. 70) and Rhonda Vincent's Good Thing Going (No. 71).Following "All-American Girl" and "Cleaning This Gun" in this week's Top 5 songs list are Alan Jackson's "Small Town Southern Man," Kenny Chesney and George Strait's "Shiftwork" and Chuck Wicks' "Stealing Cinderella."Rounding out the Top 5 albums, also in descending order, are Dolly Parton's Backwoods Barbie (which vaults to No. 2 from No. 48), Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand and Underwood's Carnival Ride.It was widely predicted at the just-concluded Country Radio Seminar in Nashville that Alan Jackson's Good Time, released Tuesday (March 4), will top both Billboard's country and all-genres tabulations next week. Sounds VERY possible to me!! Until next time

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

YOU COULD OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY "THE MANCOAT"

Uncle Rock — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:52:00 +0000

Can you believe that it's almost March? Wow, where does the time go? Well I guess time has gotten away from Ol Hop Along Rock, it's been a busy month with the 100,000 watt news on Coal Country and I have moved to a new house! So it has been an eventful month for me! I want to remind you that the Tug Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross will be having their Auction on March 27th in Williamson at the Fire Department. Tia and I are going to take some fans of the "Big Ol Morning Show" to the auction and dinner as our special "VIP" guests and you have a chance to own a piece of history, "THE MANCOAT" will be up for auction and all proceeds go to the Tug Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross! Keep checking coalcountry965.com for details on how you can win! Now on to the best thing since individually wrapped cheese slices....COUNTRY MUSIC!!! Rodney Atkins' "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" finally topples Brad Paisley's "Letter to Me" from the top of Billboard's song chart this week. But tenacious Taylor Swift's self-titled CD still holds the No. 1 album slot, where it's been for eight straight weeks. The Grammy awards show on Feb. 10 has had no discernible effect on the charts, other than the fact that the one new album entry this week is Ultimate Grammy Collection: Contemporary Country, a multi-artist package. It edges in way down at No. 70. Also, just one new song breaks through. It's Montgomery Gentry's "Back When I Knew It All," which bows at No. 49. Albums coming back onto the chart are Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade (at No. 68), Lyle Lovett and His Large Band's It's Not Big It's Large (No. 74) and Jake Owen's Startin' With Me (No. 75). The lone returning song of the week is Sarah Johns' "He Hates Me," resurfacing at No. 56. Immediately following Swift's album, in order, are the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand and Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride. Swimming along in Atkins' wake are Gary Allan's "Watching Airplanes," Paisley's "Letter to Me," Kenny Chesney and George Strait's "Shiftwork" and, making its first appearance in the Top 5, Alan Jackson's "Small Town Southern Man."

Until next time....

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Valentines Day Pictures & Country Music News

Uncle Rock — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:33:00 +0000

Hey Coal Country, I hope that you all had a great Valentines Day! I can honestly say that this was the best Valentines Day ever for Ol Uncle Rock...I had the great pleasure of having a Valentine lunch with a beautiful young lady named Jessica (all thanks go to Tia) and Tia loved her FLARES!!!! There are pictures above of my beautiful date and myself, as well as Tia and her Flares! We have had such a busy month on the Big Ol Morning Show! We have given away so many prizes and it has been a blast. Well, I guess I need to get you up to speed on my favorite thing since sliced bread.....COUNTRY MUSIC! Welcome again to The Brad and Taylor Show. Those crazy kids just won't let up. For the third straight week, the hot-wired Mr. Paisley boasts Billboard's No. 1 country song, "Letter to Me," while the relentlessly self-examining Ms. Swift sees her self-titled debut CD spend its sixth uninterrupted week atop the albums chart.Willie Nelson's Moment of Forever, the project Kenny Chesney and Buddy Cannon co-produced, is the week's highest-charting new album. It comes on at No. 8. Also making first-time bows are Billy Ray Cyrus' Love Songs, a second harvest from his earlier recordings for Mercury Records, which arrives at No. 63, and the multi-artist collection, Best of Country, splashing in at No. 72.Keith Anderson claims the top new song, "I Still Miss You" (No. 44). The three other newcomers are Mica Roberts and Toby Keith's "Things a Mama Don't Know" (No. 57), Jason Michael Carroll's "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" (No. 59) and Sarah Johns' "He Hates Me" (No. 60).Songs re-entering the chart are Clay Walker's "She Likes It in the Morning" (No. 53) and the Eli Young Band's "When It Rains" (No. 56).Four songs have taken sizable leaps to land in the Top 10: Alan Jackson's "Small Town Southern Man" (from No. 11 to No. 7), Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl" (No. 12 to No. 8), Chuck Wicks' "Stealing Cinderella" (No. 13 to No. 9) and Craig Morgan's "International Harvester" (No. 15 to No. 10).The other Top 5 songs of the week, bunched up in order directly behind Paisley's, are Rascal Flatts' "Winner at a Losing Game," Gary Allan's "Watching Airplanes," Rodney Atkins' "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" and the Kenny Chesney-George Strait duet, "Shiftwork."Completing the Top 5 albums, also in descending rank, are Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, Sugarland's Enjoy the Ride, the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden and Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good. Keep listening to the Big Ol Morning Show for your chance to win all kinds of great prizes! Until next time,

Uncle Rock

--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Super Bowl Aftermath

Uncle Rock — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:49:00 +0000

I am still tring to recover from the Super Bowl last night! It was a great game and in my opinion, the biggest upset of all time. We had a get together at a friends house and we ate and ate and ate then, you guessed it, we ate some more! Lets get down to what we are all here for.....COUNTRY MUSIC!!! Make it five straight weeks at No. 1 now for Taylor Swift's skyrocketing debut album. The self-titled collection is nearing sales of 2.5 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and it just keeps going, fueled by Swift's heavy touring, a Grammy nomination for best new artist and incessant media appearances. A lot of the country music's hope for widening its audience rides on her shoulders.Across the way, Swift's recent tourmate, Brad Paisley, commands the Billboard songs chart for the second week with "Letter to Me." There are two new titles among the Top 5 tunes this time around. Gary Allan's "Watching Airplanes" leapfrogs from No. 7 to No. 3, and Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus' "Ready, Set, Don't Go" glides from No. 8 to No. 4. Rascal Flatts' "Winner at a Losing Game" keeps its niche at No. 2, while Montgomery Gentry's "What Do Ya Think About That" slips from No. 3 to No. 5. The albums chart is more sluggish as a couple of last week's Top 5 titles merely shift spots. Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits holds steady at No. 2. Sugarland's Enjoy the Ride advances from No. 4 to No. 3. The Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden winds from No. 3 to No. 4. And Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand bobs in place at No. 5. RCA artist Chuck Wicks makes the biggest splash on this week's albums chart. His debut album, Starting Now, hits solidly at No. 7 while the song that launched it, "Stealing Cinderella," climbs to No. 13. (The prognosis is good for "Stealing Cinderella" since country fans seem to love the dad-daughter-boyfriend triad. Heartland's "I Loved Her First," which exploited the same theme, went No. 1 in 2006.) The only other new album to break through in this edition of the charts is the multi-artist anthology, Ultimate Grammy Collection: Classic Country. It bows in at No. 72. Gretchen Wilson's One of the Boys re-enters at No. 74.This week's new songs are the Eagles' "Busy Being Fabulous" (Love that title! No. 48), Randy Owen's "Braid My Hair" (No. 54), Phil Stacey's "If You Didn't Love Me" (No. 55) and Blake Shelton's cover of Michael Bublé's "Home" (No. 60). Be sure to tune in to the Big Ol Morning Show every day this month for you chance at winning 100 free lottery tickets from the WV Lottery. How can you win? Well, lets just put it like this, pay attention when we tell you about the featured artist of the day! Until next time,
Uncle Rock

--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

MAN COAT!!!!

Uncle Rock — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:07:00 +0000

Howdy Coal Country, just a quick blog to get your opinion on my "Man Coat"......Tia and I have been disagreeing about my coat being for a male or a female, so we put the picture on the blog and you can be the judge! Be sure to tune in today at 1pm for the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT that we have all been waiting for!!!! Until next time,

Uncle Rock

--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Big Changes for Coal Country

Uncle Rock — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Welcome in to another blog here on coalcountry965.com! Well we have been talking about "BIG CHANGES" here at WXCC...the big day is not far away! We will be making an announcement on Jan 30th and I think all of our faithful listeners will be pleasently suprised. I hope that you have enjoyed the all new "Big Ol Morning Show", I think the addition of Tia to the program was a great move. She is so cheery and happy that it makes up for me being a little sleepy at 6 a.m. How about I give you a run down of whats happening with the country music charts this week. OK, Taylor. We get the message. You want it all -- and you want to keep it. The talented Miss Swift isn't budging from her solid perches at the top of Billboard's country albums and songs charts, where she sits with Taylor Swift and "Our Song," respectively. To make life even sweeter, Swift also has this week's highest vaulting new single, "Picture to Burn," which bows at No. 52. The only other first-time songs are Dierks Bentley's "Trying to Stop Your Leaving" (No. 57), Carter's Chord's "Young Love" (No. 59) and Lila McCann's "That's What Angels Do" (No. 60). Rhonda Vincent's Good Thing Going is the week's top-charting new album, coming on at an impressive -- especially for bluegrass -- No. 35. Also making its initial entry on the albums list is The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show: 1969-1971. It checks in at No. 47. Two songs return to the charts after brief absences: the Eli Young Band's "When It Rains" (No. 54) and Brooks & Dunn's "Cowboy Town" (No. 58). The soundtrack to Toby Keith's film, Broken Bridges, stages a comeback at No. 49. Other albums returning to the charts are Alan Jackson's Like Red on a Rose (No. 70), Joe Nichols' Real Things (No. 72), the Alan Jackson-George Strait-Jimmy Buffett collection, Live at Texas Stadium (No. 73) and Ronnie Milsap's 16 Biggest Hits (No. 74). Trooping directly behind Swift's self-titled album within the Top 5 are the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, Sugarland's Enjoy the Ride and Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride. Following Swift's "Our Song," the No. 2 through No. 5 entries, in that order, are Sugarland's "Stay," Rascal Flatts' "Winner at a Losing Game," Montgomery Gentry's "What Do Ya Think About That" and Brad Paisley's "Letter to Me." Kenny Chesney's "Shiftwork" is coming on strong, bounding this week from No. 14 to No. 9. So that gets you up to speed on the country music charts this week. Be sure to keep your radio dial locked on 96.5 for further details about the "Big Changes"! Until next time

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Big Ol News..for the Big Ol Morning Show!!!

Uncle Rock — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:10:00 +0000

Howdy Coal Country! I hope that you folks have enjoyed The Big Ol Morning Show because I'm having a blast! To be totally honest, I am not a morning person. I am starting to get adjusted to waking up at the time I normally went to bed, but anyone who knows me can tell you that it doesn't matter what time of day it is...just gimme a mic and turn me loose! Also, there's some big ol news with The Big Ol Morning Show, starting Monday I will have a new co-host! Tia will be joining me on The Big Ol Morning Show and I think it is going to be great! So be sure to check us out this Monday morning at 6 am. Now lets talk country music for this week...Goodbye, Santa. Hello, normalcy. With all the Christmas music now gone, new songs have popped up on the charts, and lots of the albums that the seasonal fare had squeezed out are back. And, oh yes, the unsinkable Taylor Swift tops both the songs and albums charts this week. Coming in highest among the first-time songs is Joe Nichols' "It Ain't No Crime," bowing at No. 45. Following it are Jypsi's "I Don't Love You Like That" (No. 46), Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder & Lead" (No. 51), Star De Azlan's "She's Pretty" (No. 52), Rocky Lynne's "I Can't Believe It's Me" (No. 54), Josh Turner and Trisha Yearwood's "Another Try" (No. 57), Yearwood's "This Is Me You're Talking To" (No. 58) and the Road Hammers' "I Don't Know When to Quit" (No. 60). Songs re-entering the charts are Big & Rich's "Loud" (No. 48), Cole Deggs & the Lonesome's "Girl Next Door" (No. 49), Tracy Lawrence's "Til I Was a Daddy Too" (No. 50), Gretchen Wilson's "You Don't Have to Go Home" (No. 53), Dolly Parton's "Better Get to Livin'" (No. 55), Crossin Dixon's "Make You Mine" (No. 56) and Trace Adkins' "I Got My Game On" (No. 59). Following Swift's "Our Song" in the Top 5 are Sugarland's "Stay," Montgomery Gentry's "What Do Ya Think About That," Rascal Flatts' "Winner at a Losing Game" and Keith Urban's "Everybody." There are no new albums on this week's chart. The returning titles are Emerson Drive's Countrified (No. 52), the various artists collection Three Wooden Crosses (No. 58), Alabama's 16 Biggest Hits (No. 60), The Very Best of Travis Tritt (No. 61), Cross Canadian Ragweed's Mission California (No. 64), Jake Owen's Startin' With Me (No. 65) and The Very Best of Tracy Lawrence (No. 66). Also, Gram Parson and the Flying Burrito Brothers' Gram Parsons Archive Volume One: Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969 (No. 67), The Very Best of Reba McEntire: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection (No. 68), the multi-artist Forever Country (No. 70), Merle Haggard's The Bluegrass Sessions (No. 71), the various artists anthology Original American Classics: Country Greats (No. 72), Tritt's The Storm (No. 73) and Wilson's One of the Boys (No. 75). Trooping in descending order after Taylor Swift in the Top 5 albums are Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride and Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good. So now that you have had your country music fix, I'll call it a blog! Be sure to tune in this Monday for the "All New Big Ol Morning Show with Rocky and Tia", it is going to be THE GREATEST MORNING SHOW KNOWN TO MAN....and woman! Until then

Uncle Rock
"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Uncle Rock — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Welcome to the first blog of 2008! Wow, I can't believe that it's already a new year! There has been some big news for the first week of the new year. The Saturday Night Saloon Year In Review show from 12/29/07 was the final Saturday Night Saloon. Don't worry Coal Country, if you enjoyed the Saloon show you can now tune in Monday thru Friday from 6am-9am for "The Big Ol Morning Show" on WXCC. I am now hosting the morning show on Coal Country and all of the energy of the Saturday Night Saloon is still there. It's a great way to start your day, I'll keep you updated on local events, weather, sports and more fun and games than you can possibly imagine! As always, I'll fill you in daily on everything happening in the world of country music, it will wake you up more than coffee (unless you are Third Shift Gary...he loves his coffee). Also, we are now streaming world wide on our website coalcountry965.com, so even if you are heading out of state or the country for that matter, you can take Coal Country along with you everywhere you go! Well, lets talk about my favorite thing...COUNTRY MUSIC!! Billboard's country album and songs charts come to a virtual standstill this week, a typical occurrence at the close of each year. There are no changes at the top -- where the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden and Taylor Swift's "Our Song" still reign -- and are only sluggish stirrings within the Top 5. New songs this week are Sugarland's "Nuttin' for Christmas" (No. 51), Toby Keith's "Little Drummer Boy" (No. 58) and Sara Evans' "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (No. 59). Debuting on this week's albums list is Patsy Cline's self-titled collection (No. 73). Three albums return -- the multi-artist Forever Country (No. 69), Alan Jackson's Like Red on Rose (No. 74) and Trisha Yearwood's Greatest Hits (No. 75). Kenny Chesney's "Shiftwork" and Carrie Underwood's "All American Girl" each take a high leap this time around, vaulting from No. 25 to No. 17 and from No. 28 to No. 22, respectively. Rounding out the Top 5 songs, in descending order, are Sugarland's "Stay," Montgomery Gentry's "What Do Ya Think About That," Josh Turner's "Firecracker" and Rascal Flatts' "Winner at a Losing Game." Parading directly behind the Eagles in the Top 5 albums are Underwood's Carnival Ride, the eponymous Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits and Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good. Be sure to check out the "Big Ol Morning Show" weekdays from 6am until 9am on Coal Country 96.5 FM or on the web at coalcountry965.com. Until next time

Uncle Rock

--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Merry Christmas 2007

Uncle Rock — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 01:55:00 +0000

Merry Christmas Coal Country! I hope you all had a great holiday season, I know I did! We had the Saturday Night Saloon Christmas Present Wrapping Party last Saturday with all Christmas music. We gave away lots of CDs and our Sports Director Andrew Joyce gave away 4 tickets to see the Marshall Thundering Herd Basketball game this week! You may notice the picture above of Uncle Rock and the "executive producer" of the Saloon Christmas Present Wrapping Party my lovely daughter Lexus. Following the show I made a trip to Nashville TN to see my Tennessee Titans play their final home game of the season against the NY Jets...by the way, we won 10-6!!!! The other picture above is the greatest Christmas gift ever TITAN CHEERLEADERS!!!! Well since we didn't have our normal countdown this week, I'll give you a run down of the albums and singles this weeks. Taylor Swift is the darling of the Billboard country charts this last reporting period before Christmas. Her single, "Our Song," holds at No. 1 for the second week, her self-titled album moves back to the No. 2 spot in its 60th week out and four selections from her Christmas album, Sounds of the Season, are twinkling on the lower branches of the song chart. The week's highest charting new song is the Garth Brooks-Huey Lewis romp, "Workin' for a Livin'," which enters at No. 50. That's a worthy leap but pale in comparison to Brooks' "More Than a Memory," the first single from his current album, which debuted at No. 1. The Eagles continue their long run at the summit of the albums chart with Long Road Out of Eden. According to the latest Nielsen Soundscan measurement, that collection has sold more than 2.2 million copies in just seven weeks. There are no new albums this week, but three former chart dwellers have returned to the list: Rodney Carrington's King of the Mountain (No. 70), Larry the Cable Guy's Morning Constitutions (No. 71) and the multi-artist Original American Classics: Country Greats (No. 74). In addition to the Brooks-Lewis duet, there are two new songs: Sugarland's "Winter Wonderland" (No. 58) and Swift's "White Christmas" (No. 59). Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride, Brooks' The Ultimate Hits and Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good round out the Top 5 albums in that order. The remaining Top 5 songs, also in descending order, are Josh Turner's "Firecracker," George Strait's "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls," Montgomery Gentry's "What Do Ya Think About That" and Sugarland's "Stay." Kenny Chesney's hard-charging "Shiftwork" barrels from No. 34 to No. 25. Be sure to tune in the Saturday Night Saloon 2007 Year In Review show this Saturday from 7pm-10pm on Coal Country 965! We'll be reviewing the best and worst of 2007, also giving you a sneak peak into the world of country music in 2008! Until then

Uncle Rock

--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Saloon Review for 12/8/07

Uncle Rock — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:49:00 +0000

Howdy Coal Country! I hope that you got a chance to tune in to the Saturday Night Saloon this past Saturday. We have been off the air for the past couple of weeks due to Marshall Thundering Herd Basketball, but we returned to the airwaves last week with a whole lotta show! Before we get into the music I want to congratulate the Belfry Pirates on an outstanding football season. They came up short in the state championship game but they had a memorable year and I'm fairly sure that they will be back at "The Pizza Box" next year. Now back to the matter at hand.....COUNTRY MUSIC! After falling back to second place for two weeks, the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden has again sprung to the top of Billboard's country albums chart, swapping positions with Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits. Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood's "So Small" tops the songs chart for the third week in a row. There are only two albums surfacing this week as Music Row surrenders to the seasonal doldrums. They are the multi-artist CD, Original American Classics: Country Greats, which comes aboard at No. 73, and the Hit Crew's DJ's Choice: Blue Collar Christmas, edging on at No. 75. The new songs are Toby Keith's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (No. 51), Taylor Swift's "Christmases When You Were Mine" (No. 56) and Underwood's "All American Girl" (No. 58). Cole Deggs & the Lonesome's "Girl Next Door" returns at No. 60. Trooping behind the Eagles and Brooks, in order, are Underwood's Carnival Ride, Swift's self-titled debut and Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good. Rounding out the Top 5 songs, also in descending sequence, are Brooks' "More Than a Memory," Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink," Josh Turner's "Firecracker" and George Strait's "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls." My album pick of the week is Toby Keith's "A Classic Christmas". A two CD set of 20 true, Christmas Classics from Toby Keith. A Classic Christmas is Toby's first holiday release in 12 years. The songs are divided by disc into both contemporary and spiritual based holiday standards. The instrumentation and production is acoustic based and allows the simplicity of the music to shine. These are the songs you want to hear during the holidays, performed by the biggest artist in country music. Toby Keith, a Christmas Classic indeed! Be sure to tune in on Dec 22 at 7 PM for the Saturday Night Saloon Christmas Spectacular!!! It will be all Christmas tunes on the Saloon that night along with some special surprises, and then we can all settle down for a long winters nap. Until then

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

12/03/07

Uncle Rock — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:37:00 +0000

Well another week has gone by and since we had no Saturday Night Saloon this week I still want to keep you filled in on whats happening in country music this week...and there's no better way to do that than on Uncle Rock's Blog! Rack up another week at No. 1 for Garth Brooks' album, The Ultimate Hits, and Carrie Underwood's single, "So Small." And while we're at, it let's celebrate new CDs from Keith Urban and Taylor Swift and freshly minted Christmas tunes from Swift, Underwood and Kellie Pickler. Urban's Greatest Hits is this week's highest-charting new album, landing at No. 4. Scooting in at No. 18 is Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection. Returning are Kenny Rogers' self-titled package (No. 72); the multi-artist assemblage, Forever Country (No. 73) and Dolly Parton's The Biggest Hits (No. 75). Tim McGraw's Greatest Hits Vol. 2: Reflected makes a giant leap from No. 34 to No. 11 in its 87th week on the charts, while the various-artists CD Hear Something Country: Christmas bounces from No. 43 to No. 28 its sixth week out. Completing the list of Top 5 albums, in descending order, are the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, Underwood's Carnival Ride and Swift's self-titled bundle. Swift also enjoys the top-ranking new song, "Last Christmas," which enters at No. 48. Pickler's "Santa Baby" follows directly behind at No. 49. And Underwood's "Do You Hear What I Hear" logs in at No. 53. Whiskey Falls makes its bow on the songs chart with "Falling Into You" at No. 57, and McGraw re-enters with "Suspicions" (a cover of the 1979 Eddie Rabbitt hit) at No. 51. Trailing Underwood in the songs lineup are Brooks' "More Than a Memory" (No. 2); Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink" (No. 3); George Strait's "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls" (No. 4); and, snapping back from No. 7 to No. 5, Josh Turner's "Firecracker." Go ahead and set your Tivo or DVR to record, The Academy of Country Music Awards will take place on May 18, the first time the show has been held on a Sunday night. The ceremony will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS. In addition, the ACM will sponsor live country music concerts on Fremont Street, a celebrity motorcycle event and a post-awards concert. Breaking away from the music I would like to wish the Belfry Pirates the best of luck, on and off the field, as they travel to "The Pizza Box" for the Ky State Football Championship! Until next time,

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!!"

11/24/07

Uncle Rock — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 01:11:00 +0000

Oklahoma sends two of its most melodious offspring to command the Billboard country charts this week. Yukon's Garth Brooks moves into the No. 1 album spot with The Ultimate Hits while Checotah's Carrie Underwood boasts the top song, "So Small."Brooks' debuted last week at No. 2, just behind the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden. It took "So Small" 16 weeks to reach the summit.New to the albums chart this week are George Strait's 22 More Hits (which pops in at No. 4) and Trisha Yearwood's Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love (No. 10). There are also two new songs: Big & Rich's "Loud" (No. 56) and Terri Clark's "In My Next Life" (No. 60).The ponderously titled The Very Best of Reba McEntire: 20th Century Masters, The Millennium Collection makes a comeback visit at No. 66, followed directly by the returning multi-artist holiday package, Today's Country Christmas. On the songs listing, Kenny Chesney and Strait's duet, "Shiftwork," bounces back into the fray at No. 59. Trailing Brooks within the Top 5 are the Eagles' album (No. 2), Underwood's Carnival Ride (No. 3) and Taylor Swift's self-titled CD (No. 5).The other reigning songs, in descending order after "So Small," are Chesney's "Don't Blink," Brooks' "More Than a Memory," Dierks Bentley's "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" and Strait's "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls." Josh Turner's "Firecracker" slips from its former high point of No. 5 to No. 7.

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Saloon Review for 11/03/07

Uncle Rock — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:00:00 +0000

As we make our way into the month of November, its a great time to be a country music fan! There are lot of great new albums on the sales racks and the 41st Anuual CMA Awards are coming up this Wednesday. I gave my picks on the Saloon show Saturday but in case you weren't tuned in I'll give you a rundown of my picks. Video of the Year-"Online" Brad Paisley, Musical Event of the Year-"Find Out Who Your Frineds Are" Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, Song of the Year-"Lost in This Moment" Big & Rich, Album of the Year-"5th Gear"Brad Paisley on Arista Nashville, Single of the Year-"Lost In This Moment" Big & Rich, Vocal Duo of the Year-Big & Rich, Horizon Award-Taylor Swift, Male Vocalist of the Year-Josh Turner, Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood, and last but certainly not least....drumroll please.....Entertainer of the Year-George Strait. Now with all that being said, those are my "picks" not my predictions, meaning if I am giving out the awards that is who I would give the award to.

As expected, Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride dominates the Billboard charts this week. With sales of more than 500,000 copies, as tallied by Nielsen SoundScan, the CD tops both the country and all-genre listings. In addition, it zooms to No. 1 on the top digital albums ranking with first-week sales of nearly 45,000 units. Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink" continues as the reigning country song for the third consecutive week. There are two other new country albums in this week's Top 5: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand at No. 2 and Gary Allan's Living Hard at No. 3. They are followed, in order, by Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good and Reba McEntire's Reba Duets. Making their debut farther down on the album chart are Dwight Yoakam's Dwight Sings Buck (No. 11), Shooter Jennings' The Wolf (No. 12), Rissi Palmer's self-titled collection (No. 56) and Slidawg and the Redneck Ramblers' A Blue Collar Christmas (No. 71). The multi-artist albums Hear Something Country: Christmas and Three Wooden Crosses return at No. 72 and No. 74, respectively. Debuting on the song chart are Whiskey Falls' "Load Up the Bases (The Baseball Song)" (No. 55), Brooks & Dunn's "God Must Be Busy" (No. 57) and Crossin Dixon's "Make You Mine" (No. 60). James Otto's "Just Got Started Lovin' You," which dropped off after only one week on the chart, has bounced back at No. 54.Garth Brooks' record-setting "More Than a Memory" has slugged its way back into the spotlight, moving up from No. 6 to No. 4. The remaining Top 5 songs are Dierks Bentley's "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" (No. 2), Underwood's "So Small" (No. 3) and Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This" (No. 5). Predictably, Underwood's new album also bumped up the sales of her first CD, Some Hearts. Last week -- its 101st week out -- it sold 9,772 copies. This week, sales soared to 13,449.

Even though Carrie Underwood is tearing up the charts with her new album, the album pick this week is Josh Turners "Everything Is Fine". The album is unapologetically country, so for a true country music fan it is an album that you will thoroughly enjoy! Also the new album from The Eagles "Long Road Out Of Eden" would be a nice add to your music collection.

Be sure to tune in Saturday night to the Saloon on WXCC, we will be having a special CMA Review program this Saturday and you can find out how wrong I am with my picks. Until then

Uncle Rock

--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Saloon Review for 10/20/07

Uncle Rock — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:27:00 +0000

What a Saturday Night Saloon this past Saturday! Our featured artist...The Man In Black J.R. Cash! Kenny Chesney takes over the No. 1 spot with the single "Don't Blink" In album sales this week LeAnn Rimes' Family is this week's highest entry on Billboard's country albums chart, but it lacks the sales muscle to knock Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good out of the No. 1 spot it has occupied for three consecutive weeks. Thus, Family has to settle for a not-too-shabby No. 2 slot. After an eight-week climb, Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink" takes over the country singles chart, elbowing Toby Keith's "Love Me If You Can" back to No. 2. Kid Rock, who delves into his country influences from time to time, sold 170,000 copies of his new Rock N Roll Jesus album to rack up his first No. 1 on the all-genre Bllboard 200 chart. He is not categorized as a country artist by Billboard. However, making first appearances on this week's country albums rankings are Sara Evans' Greatest Hits (No. 4), Van Zant's My Kind of Country (No. 10), Deana Carter's The Chain (No. 60) and the Charlie Daniels Band's Deuces (No. 67).Debuting songs are Rascal Flatts' "Winner at a Losing Game" (No. 41) and Brad Paisley's "Letter to Me" (No. 60). The re-entries are Heartland's "Once a Woman Gets a Hold of Your Heart" (No. 56), Bon Jovi and LeAnn Rimes' "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore" (No. 57) and Bomshel's "The Power of One" (No. 59).Billy Ray Cyrus enjoys a boost on both charts. His CD, Home at Last, rebounds from No. 37 to No. 22 in its 12th week out, and his current song, "Ready, Set, Don't Go," snaps from No. 48 to No. 33, also after 12 weeks. The other Top 5 albums are Reba McEntire's Reba Duets (No. 3) and Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (No. 5). Kenny Rogers' 21 Number Ones re-enters at No. 73. Two songs break into the Top 5: Dierks Bentley's "Free and Easy Down the Road I Go," vagabonding from No. 7 to No. 4, and Carrie Underwood's "So Small," inching from No. 8 to No. 5. Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This" advances to No. 3. New albums being released Tuesday are Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride", Dwight Yoakam's "Dwight Sings Buck" and Shooter Jennings "The Wolf". My album pick this week is "The Wolf" from Shooter Jennings, but keep in mind....Uncle Rock likes the rockin' country!

Folks take a moment out of your day and say a little prayer for a country music legend. Grand Ole Opry member Porter Wagoner, 80, has been diagnosed with lung cancer, an Opry spokesperson confirmed Sunday afternoon (Oct. 21). Although the nature of his illness had not been previously disclosed, Wagoner has been listed in serious condition since being admitted to a Nashville-area hospital on Monday (Oct. 15). In May, he celebrated his 50th anniversary as an Opry member during a special segment of the show hosted by Marty Stuart and featuring guest appearances by Patty Loveless and Wagoner's longtime duet partner, Dolly Parton. Wagoner was inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Until next week country music fans,
Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Saool Review for 10/13/07

Uncle Rock — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:48:00 +0000

Hey Coal Country fans! No Saturday Night Saloon last week due to Marshall Thundering Herd football, but we will be back bigger and better than ever this Saturday Night from 7 until 10pm. I'll give you a quick rundown of what happened in the world of country music last week. Six new albums enter the Billboard country albums chart this week, but none with enough sales to dislodge Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good. On the country singles chart, however, Toby Keith's "Love Me If You Can" finally claims the summit after an 18 week climb, nudging out Brad Paisley's "Online". The big surprise is that neither Faith Hill nor Brooks & Dunn, both of whom are usually chart powerhouses, moved enough albums to debut at No. 1. Hill's Greatest Hits comes aboard at No. 3. Brooks & Dunn's Cowboy Town opens at No. 4. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the company that monitors retail CD purchases, Rascal Flatts sold 167,900 copies of Still Feels Good its third week out while Hill and Brooks & Dunn rang up first-week sales of 69,266 and 68,897, respectively, a virtual tie. The remaining CD newcomers are: Cross Canadian Ragweed's Mission California (No. 6); Songs 4 Worship, a multi-artist project (No. 33); Merle Haggard's The Bluegrass Sessions (No. 43); and Hear Something Country: Christmas, another multi-artist project (No. 58). Rounding out the Top 5 albums are Reba McEntire's Reba Duets, holding at No. 2 for the second week, and Kenny Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, sliding to No. 5 from No. 3. On the singles chart, newcomer Ashton Shepherd racks up the highest-charting debut -- "Takin' Off This Pain" -- which bows at No. 51. Trailing close behind are Lady Antebellum's "Love Don't Live Here" (No. 53), Brooks & Dunn's "Cowboy Town" (No. 56), Lee Brice's "Happy Endings" (No. 57), James Otto's "Just Got Started Lovin' You" (No. 58) and Gretchen Wilson's "You Don't Have to Go Home" (No. 60). Chesney's "Don't Blink" hops from No. 5 to No. 2 on the singles chart, followed by Paisley's "Online" (No. 3) and Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This" (No. 4). Rascal Flatts' "Take Me There," which drops to No. 5 from No. 2. My album pick of the week is definately the new release from Cross Canadian Ragweed "Mission California", it's a rockin' country sound, but I love the rockin' country. Well Halloween is right around the corner and I would like your input for my costume this year! Send me an e-mail with your idea of a halloween costume and if I use your idea I'll hook you up with a prize! We'll be talking about all of this...and a whole lot more this Saturday during the Saloon 7 until 10pm on WXCC! Until then,

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Uncle Rock Invades Nashville

Uncle Rock — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:53:00 +0000

Howdy Coal Country! What a week for Ol' Uncle Rock! I had the great pleasure of attending the Tennessee Titans game this past Sunday at LP Field in Nashville TN. I would like to take a moment to thank Chris Sammons, Steve Ray, Virgil Ray and family for their hospitality. They made this country boy feel right at home in Guitar Town. I am glad to tell you that the Titans narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-13, also I had the chance to see former Marshall QB, Byron Leftwich in his first game as an Atlanta Falcon. It was a great weekend and I'll give you a run down on the pictures there are three pics from LP Field, one with the 2 Titan Cheerleaders (WOOHOO!!), one with Steve Ray or Steve-O as I called him and one of Ol Hop Along Rock. Last but not least the beautiful young lady is Jewels Hanson, you may remember her from the Nashville Star program on the USA Network (keep your eyes and ears open for this chick, I think she has a bright future in country music). Now to the matter at hand, COUNTRY MUSIC!!! Rascal Flatts blows up the charts this week with the new album "Still Feels Good". Still Feels Good, strides into the top spot on both Billboard's country and all-genre charts. You may recall the album charting at an anemic No. 75 after a few record stores jumped the gun and began selling the album before its street date. In its first week of official availability, Nielsen SoundScan reports that Still Feels Good, sold some 547,000 copies. That's a lot to still feel good about. Brad Paisley must be smiling, too. After a 15-week climb, his "Online" now tops the Billboard's country singles chart, having nudged Rascal Flatts' tenacious "Take Me There" into second place. Four new titles have popped up on the country chart, led by Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade at No. 10. Bobbing in his wake are Kevin Fowler's Bring It On (No. 14) and Whiskey Falls' self-titled CD (No. 25). Ricky Skaggs and the Whites' Salt of the Earth arrives at No. 45. Returning to the list are Martina McBride's Timeless, back at No. 52, and Dolly Parton's 16 Biggest Hits, resurfacing at No. 61. Making their first-time bow on the song chart are Rascal Flatts' "Still Feels Good" (No. 56), Andy Griggs' "What If It's Me" (No. 59) and Heartland's "Once a Woman Gets a Hold of Your Heart" (No. 60). Re-entering tunes are Parton's "Better Get to Livin'" (No. 52) and Kenny Chesney and George Strait's "Shiftwork" (No. 57). The remaining Top 5 albums, in descending order, are Reba McEntire's Reba Duets, Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, Taylor Swift's self-titled debut and Rascal Flatts' Me and My Gang. Rounding out the Top 5 songs in the same sequence are Toby Keith's "Love Me If You Can," Brooks & Dunn's "Proud of the House We Built" and Chesney's "Don't Blink." My album pick of the week is a tie between Kid Rocks Rock N Roll Jesus and Van Zants newest release My Kind of Country, depending on your taste I'm sure that you will enjoy the albums of the week. The Saturday Night Saloon will be cut this week due to Marshall Thundering Herd football Saturday night at 7pm on WXCC, so keep checking Uncle Rocks Blog for more updates on country music news.

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Saloon Review for 9/29/07

Uncle Rock — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:18:00 +0000

It's another great week to be a country music fan! Rascal Flatts holds on another week at #1 on the country singles charts, the latest album release from the trio is "Still Feels Good". Rascal Flatts has a lot to live up to with this new album, their 2006 release "Me & My Gang" was the top selling country album of 06. Can Rascal Flatts hold on to #1 for three weeks in a row? Be sure to tune in Saturday night from 7-10pm for an all new countdown on the Saturday Night Saloon.
I am very excited about the new album from Brooks & Dunn "Cowboy Town"! Ronnie Dunn describes the album as "cowboys meet the Rolling Stones" and thats a great description. Despite the title, it doesn't feel that western — it's a slick, swaggering set of rock & roll, designed for sports bars, not honky tonks. So it goes without saying, my album pick this week is Cowboy Town from Brooks and Dunn.
As you heard on the Saloon last week, I am taking a trip back to Guitar Town, Hitsville, Music City, Nashville Tennessee this weekend! I am a HUGE Tennessee Titans fan. I've been to Nashville more times than I can count, but I've never had the chance to see the Titans play live....until this weekend. Its a noon kickoff for the Falcons and the Titans, I'll be posting some pictures from the trip on next weeks blog and I have to say a big THANKS to Chris Sammons for helping me out with the tickets. Well while I am enjoying Titan football this weekend there is plenty for the Mingo-Pike area to enjoy right here in our back yard. It's now time for the Hatfield-McCoy event nationally known as National Trail Fest 2007, which is scheduled Oct. 4, through 8 in Gilbert WV. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the best and is referred to as the "can’t miss" event of the year on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails website, www.trailsheaven.com. Locals will once again get a chance to meet people from all over the world, who travel great distances to ride the trail. Last year’s riders hailed from Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Kentucky, New York and even Canada. Trail Fest 2007 scheduled events include the mud pit, casino night, scavenger hunt, drag racing, the chili cook-off and the popular ATV parade. Hatfield-McCoy will try again this year to finally break the ATV parade record, which currently stands at 1,200. Also for all of you hunters out there, a hunter's education class will be held at the WV National Guard Armory on Oct 6 & 7 from noon until 5pm both days (for more info 475-2328). Be sure to tune in the Saturday Night Saloon this week from 7-10pm on WXCC!!!!

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

First Blog For Coal Country 96.5

Uncle Rock — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:20:00 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Country Music Lovers of all Ages....Welcome to the Greatest Blog Known to Man!!! I am Uncle Rock, your faithful host of the Saturday Night Saloon on WXCC Coal Country 96.5 FM. I would like to personally invite you to tune in every Saturday Night from 7pm until 10pm on Coal Country! Each and every Saturday we have the greatest country countdown know to man, along with a featured artist of the week, your requests and dedications and a review of everything country. If it is happening on Music Row then you will be the first to know about it during the Saturday Night Saloon! I will be posting a weekly review of the Saloon, RIGHT HERE! Be sure to keep checking the blog for updates on this weeks #1 country single, upcoming featured artists and a whole lot more!

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...YOU GOTTA LIVE IT!!!"