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The small ski town of Telluride, Colorado represents hard work, excitement, and passion, just as Nashville, Tennessee represents a breeding ground of determined, talented musicians of all genres. A new group from Nashville, TelluRide, is taking all of those ingredients to create a new brand of country music, rooted in harmonies, musicianship, and high-energy stage shows. The four young men who make up the band accomplished more before their Four Square Miles debut album release than most groups on their second or third album.

Four Square Miles is currently available from online retailers as a digital download. Rex Schnelle, who produced 11 of the 12 songs on the album, aptly recreated the energy from TelluRide's live shows and infused that energy into the project. The album not only showcases the band's vocal harmonies, but also the skilled musicianship of each member. The members of TelluRide are formally trained musicians and each plays on the entire album.

The band's debut single, "Pencil Marks," tells the story of a young boy growing up through the pencil marks on the wall. The touching song is striking a chord with country music fans across the country from radio stations in Seattle and Sacramento to Nashville and North Carolina. Written by TelluRide's lead singer Adam Craig, along with Dillon Dixon and Michael Howard, "Pencil Marks" has been listed as one of Play MPE's Top 5 downloads.

"This is a very personal song that I feel everyone can relate to," said Craig. "I'll never forget leaving my parents' house when I moved to Nashville and seeing the pencil marks on the walls of me growing up. I knew it was a song I had to write, and I'm excited about the response we're getting at radio."

TelluRide formed in 2006 when Washington state-natives Adam Craig, who also plays lead and rhythm guitar, his cousin/keyboard player Ryan Jones and drummer Brian Smith hooked up in Nashville with South Carolina-native, bassist Jimi Hendrix (his real name.) The band's name came not from the picturesque Colorado ski town, but from a Tim McGraw song of the same name.

"The song 'Telluride' is about a poor kid moving up to the mountains and working ski lodges," said Craig. "We really identified with the song growing up in the mountains in Washington."
Their strong work ethic, tight harmonies and stellar musicianship lead to opening gigs with the likes of LeAnn Rimes, Billy Ray Cyrus, Little Big Town, Lonestar, and others. The band has even opened for such legendary rock groups as Foreigner and REO Speedwagon. The band has developed a large and loyal following through constant touring and an active internet presence.

The group's infectious sound also caught the attention of thousands of fans, which helped launch the popularity of the band's "Phone Song." The video was accepted into the CMT.com Music City Madness 2 competition in the fall of 2007 and was voted into the top 8 out of 64 video's by the band's active and rapidly growing fan base.

In 2008, TelluRide appeared in Country Weekly magazine, performed the national anthem for NASCAR at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox, and the Country Music Association listed them as "the group to watch."

In addition, the band was invited to perform at a fundraiser for the Riley Children's Foundation, which supports the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The Foundation was so impressed by the band's talent and caring attitude that they asked the group to write a song to be used for the Foundation's fund raising campaign for the hospital. Within days, "Hope Happens Here" was written and recorded, and the guys found themselves back in Indianapolis, performing the song for the Foundation's supporters, including Mayor Greg Ballard, Governor Mitch Daniels, and the owners of the Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts. The powerful video is on the homepage of www.rileykids.org.

Ultimately, TelluRide knows that hard work and dedication to making and performing great music brings success. They've earned their successes one show and one song at a time. They love to play, they love to write, and they love to perform for fans. Most importantly, they love to be a part of a very new and unique brand of country music. Their infectious harmonies, catchy lyrics and driving grooves already have country music fans singing out loud.

Source: www.myspace.com/tellurideband

Photo credit: myspace.com/tellurideband

New country group TellURide

Note: TellURide will perform at the Downtown Hoedown on Sunday, May 16, 2010.

Raised by his mother in Lake, Miss., Randy Houser learned about taking responsibility long before he neared adulthood. He and his sister picked up other lessons during summer visits to their dad, including how important music can be in negotiating the hurdles of life.

From age 13 through his years of study - and playing honky-tonk gigs - at East Central Community College, Houser nurtured strong skills as a singer and songwriter. Inevitably, his ambitions led him to Nashville, where he scored by co-writing the Trace Adkins smash "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" with Jamey Johnson. Signed to Universal Records South, Houser debuts with Anything Goes, produced by Mark Wright and Cliff Audretch III.

The title track, written by Brice Long and John Wayne Wiggins and the album's first single, makes one thing immediately clear: Houser knows how to convey the emotion of a song. Backed by churchy piano as the first verse begins, he interprets the lyric with unusual intensity and subtlety, so that by the time the chorus hits, the listener feels the full force of Houser's heartbreak and defiance.

And that's just the beginning. He captures the weariness of a long week's work as well as the promise of the weekend throughout "Boots On," projects his fury over a world that's lost its way on "Back to God" and ambles wryly through the humorous self-deprecation of "Lie." Every track on Anything Goes introduces Houser as a remarkably expressive artist. No doubt about it, he was born to perform.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"Elvis."

INFLUENCES
"My dad Randy Houser, Elvis, Conway Twitty, Hank Jr., Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton and AC/DC."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
"Yacht . or the beaming thingy from 'Star Trek.'"

CD ON YOUR STEREO
"Hank Jr."

PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER
"What am I saying and why can't I shut up?"

FIRST GIG
"Taking out the trash for Mrs. Meadows. It sucked, but hey, it was 16 cents more than I had."

WHAT WOULD YOU TITLE YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"My Life: A short lesson in Good Times, Bad Choices."

ITEMS IN YOUR PERSONAL TIME CAPSULE
"Music by Robert Johnson and Jimmie Rodgers - at least rock 'n' roll and Country would be born again."

On the Web: www.randyhouser.com

The world already knows that Julianne Hough can dance. That secret was let out in her teens, when she became the youngest and only American to win both the International Latin Youth and Junior Blackpool World Latin Dance championships. After that she served as assistant choreographer on Gwen Stefani's "Wind It Up" video, a dancer on ABC-TV's "Show Me the Money" and two-time grand prize winner on ABC-TV's "Dancing with the Stars." Her future, it seemed, was in her feet.

Yet Hough describes singing as her "truest passion." She learned to do harmony parts as one of five singing siblings back home in Utah. From the five years of dance study she pursued in the United Kingdom to her national "DWTS" tours, Hough nurtured her dreams for a vocal career until a meeting with producer David Malloy steered her to Nashville and into the studio, where they laid the tracks for her self-titled Mercury Nashville debut album.

It was worth the wait. Hough has picked 11 songs that perfectly suit her confident, down-home-girl delivery. Her upbeat personality comes through on her first single, "That Song in My Head," penned by Jim Collins, Wendell Mobley and Tony Martin, "Hello" and the other up-tempo tracks. And when she caresses the soulful, slow-dance "Jimmy Ray McGee," the heartbreak ballad "Help Me, Help You" and the dreamily romantic "I'd Just Be with You," her deft and even playful touch keeps the emotion from growing too dark. Clearly, Hough can dance with a lyric as well as with the stars.

IN HER OWN WORDS

MUSICAL HERO

"Faith Hill."

DREAM DUET PARTNER

"John Mayer."

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN

"'Mississippi Girl' - that's how I feel."

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER

"My vocal warm-ups."

PET PEEVE

"Guys that wear their pants too low."

CD IN YOUR STEREO

"Colbie Caillat's Coco."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND

"The Bible."

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU PREFER

"Walking."

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC ABOUT YOUR LIFE

"Dakota Fanning or Scarlett Johansson."

MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE TO RELIVE IF YOU COULD

"Now. I would want to relive this over and over again."

WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS, WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU

"That I was always true to who I am."

On the Web: www.juliannehough.com

Family tradition and true-to-life stories have been at the heart of great Country Music, and with his self-titled debut album, Stephen Cochran brings them together in 13 Country songs that seamlessly blend the old and the new.

Born in Pikeville, Ky., and raised in the heart of Nashville's creative community, Cochran watched his Dad, Steve Cochran, wrestle with Music Row's starmaking machinery as a struggling songwriter and artist.

"That was my school, coming home and watching Dad practice and play and write," Cochran said. "There's a song on the album called 'Old School' that says, 'I remember what Daddy told me, you've got to play it how it feels and just always keep it real.'"

Cochran had just commited himself to the music business when history postponed his fledgling career on Sept. 11, 2001. He joined the Marines light armored reconnaissance division and served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, losing a dear friend to enemy fire and breaking his back in the process.

Dedicating his recovery time to his deferred music dreams, Cochran soon ammassed the catalog of songs that would attract the attention of Aria/Quarterback Records Nashville, who will release the singer/songwriter's self-titled debut album, featuring three Cochran originals, on Aug. 28. The leadoff single "Friday Night Fireside" was written by Butter, Scott Harris, Vencent Hickerson and Isaac Rich (brother of Big & Rich's John Rich).

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

Who is your musical hero?
"Elvis Presley."

Which song would you secretly like to cover?
"Tracy Lawrence's 'Find Out Who Your Friends Are.' I love that song."

What CD is on your stereo?
"Waylon Jennings with Willie Nelson, If I Can Find a Clean Shirt."

What do you sing in the shower?
"'Lonesome Dove' by Garth Brooks."

What moment in your life would you relive if you could?
"May 7, 2004, the night that my friend, Ron Payne, was killed in enemy
fire in Afghanistan."

Which mode of transportation do you prefer - planes, trains or automobiles?
"Planes, only because I tend to be impatient."

On the Web: www.stephencochran.com

Win a Pair of Tickets to see JoCaine with Swampside on May 22 at Boomers Roadhouse in Waterford

AmericaJR.com has teamed up with Boomers Roadhouse to give you the chance to win a pair of tickets to see JoCaine with special guests Swampside. The concert begins at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 22. JoCaine has been filling A-rooms all over metro Detroit, upstaging national acts and have managed to land his redneck, white trash, blue collar rock on more than one Hollywood motion picture soundtrack (Lonestar State of Mind, Laurel Canyon, The Last Run) and a popular TV series (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation). JoCaine's original intentions were not to pursue a music career. As a 6' 4", 245 lb. All-American tight end in college, Joe Binki had plans to go pro. An absolute hurricane with a football in his hands, his teammates christened him "JoCaine".

Win a VIP Meet-and-Greet Pass with Country Star Josh Gracin at "A Taste of Home" on May 15 in St. Clair Shores

AmericaJR.com has teamed up with the city of St. Clair Shores to give you the chance to win a pair of VIP meet-and-greet passes with country star Josh Gracin. Gracin will perform at "A Taste of Home" on Saturday, May 15 at 5:00 p.m. The meet-and-greet will take place either before or after his performance. Bring out your red, white and blue and show your true colors to support our active duty military. The city of St. Clair Shores is raising money to send care packages over to the troops serving overseas. There is a $5 recommended donation to get into the event. There will be shuttle locations from Lakeview High School on 11 Mile Road and Little Mack to take people to the event.

Win a copy of Uncle Kracker's new album "Happy Hour," courtesy of Atlantic Records

AmericaJR.com has teamed up with Atlantic Records to give you the chance to win a copy of Uncle Kracker's new album "Happy Hour." Produced by multiple Grammy-Award winner Rob Cavallo, "Happy Hour" is a breezy blend of country-flavored pop and rock and roll that showcases not only the Detroit native's natural appeal as a likeable Everyman, but also his considerable gifts as a songwriter. Uncle Kracker has had impressive success as a songwriter, racking up co-writing credits on Kid Rock's blockbuster hits 'Bawitdaba,' 'Cowboy,' 'Forever,' 'Only God Knows Why,' and 2008's No. 1 'All Summer Long,' as well as his own Adult Top 40 No. 1 'Follow Me' (from his 2000 double-platinum debut Double Wide).

Win a copy of the new Rascal Flatts album "Unstoppable," courtesy of Lyric Street Records

AmericaJR.com has teamed up with Lyric Street Records to give you the chance to win a copy of "Unstoppable," the new album by country group Rascal Flatts. Rascal Flatts released the first single "Here Comes Goodbye" from their album, Unstoppable, to radio on January 20, and the album was released on April 7, 2009. The song was co-written by American Idol season 6 finalist Chris Sligh. The second single, "Summer Nights", co-written by Gary LeVox, was released in early May 2009 debuting at #57 and topped out at #2 on the country charts.The third single off the album, "Why", peaked at #18 on the country charts. The band released their fourth single, "Unstoppable", in January 2010.

Win Tickets to see Colt Ford with Flynnville Train on May 13 at The Machine Shop in Flint

AmericaJR.com has teamed up with The Machine Shop to give you the chance to win a pair of tickets to see Colt Ford with special guests Flynnville Train. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 13. Colt Ford has released one album, Ride Through the Country, in December 2008 via his own Average Joe's Entertainment label and has charted three singles on the Hot Country Songs charts. Ford has also written a theme song for Professional Bull Riders, and has worked with John Michael Montgomery, Montgomery Gentry, and Cledus T. Judd, among others. Flynnville Train is an American country rock music band. Their self-titled debut album was released on September 11, 2007, and it produced two singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.