With a successful songwriting career firmly established, Jason Matthews took the next step and decided to release an album of songs he's written nationally.  "Hicotine" is a record full of passionate performances and solid country songs, just the type of album we haven't heard that much of lately.

Here's the very pretty "Blue Sky" from the infectious Emily West.  It's available on her digital EP.

After getting their start at Willie Nelson's "Fourth of July Picnic," The Lost Trailers have been playing around the country for over six years now. "Holler Back" is their third major label release and it features the break through title track.  With a strong songwriter and lead singer, has the band finally arrived with a smash of an album?

Shane Yellowbird is a Canadian country singer with a hit-laden debut album.  "Life Is Calling My Name" is the title track of the album.

Doc Walker is a successful Canadian country band that has, from time to time, taken on pop/rock songs and turned them into country songs.  Their latest chance is the cover of Genesis' "That's All" a big hit in the early 1980s. 

Here's Trace's performance of "Muddy Water" from his Opry performance on August 23, 2008. The song is from his upcoming album due out later this year.

After the massive success of "All I Want To Do," Sugarland has chosen to release a single that is acutely more like what they've become known for at country radio. Is "Already Gone" the best choice for the second single?

Since the release of his last album over four years ago, Jimmy Wayne has lost one record deal and saw a couple of singles not chart as expected before "Do You Believe Me Now" charted earlier this year. The single has done so well that Jimmy and his new label, The Valory Music Company, have named his sophomore album after it. While firmly a pop-based country album, the record also features deeply personal lyrics directly from Wayne's life.

Here's the third single from Bucky Covington's self-titled album from Lyric Street Records.