Month: December 2023

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Go Country 105

Midland pays homage to home state in “Up in Texas”

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Midland is paying tribute to their beloved home state in “Up in Texas.”

Out now, the new track, which the group’s Jess Carson and Cameron Duddy penned with Josh Osborne and Bryan Simpson, proudly chronicles what life in the Lone Star state is like.

“You ain’t been awake/ ‘Til you wake up in Texas/ You ain’t felt heartbreak/ ‘Til you break up in Texas/ The best songs, the best bars/ And you ain’t seen stars/ ‘Til you look up in Texas/ Now out of ten, it’s eleven/ I bet even in Heav?n/ They say ‘up in Texas,'” Midland harmonizes in the breezy ode.

“‘Up in Texas’ might be an ode to the place where we formed as a band, but it is meant to be blasted from a dusty old jukebox anywhere on the planet,” says Jess.

“It’s a Lone Star anthem honoring the people, places and personas that have made the state a lil' bigger than the rest,” Mark adds.

Coming up, Midland will kick off their Up In Texas Tour in San Antonio, Texas, on February 9. For tickets and a full list of dates, head to midlandofficial.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

Suspect charged with murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll

Detroit police car in front of Comerica Park

Prosecutors in Detroit say that a man being held in connection with the fatal stabbing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll, and has been charged with her murder. The suspect, Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, of Detroit, was taken into custody Sunday as part of the investigation into Woll’s death outside her home in October. Jackson-Bolanos has pleaded not guilty, and was returned to jail without bond.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy shared that there are “no facts to suggest” that the suspect knew Woll, or that her killing was motivated by antisemitism, adding at a news conference: ‘there’s not a shred of evidence to suggest this was a hate crime.’  The suspect faces additional charges of breaking and entering without permission and lying to a peace officer.  Detroit Police Chief James White said the suspects was being investigated for larcenies in the area of Woll’s home, but had been released, adding that ‘once he was released, we kept an eye on him until we had enough to ultimately make an arrest.’

Woll had served as board president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit and worked in Democratic politics in Michigan. Her family thanked Detroit police’s homicide task force through their attorney, saying: “through their dedication and tireless efforts we firmly believe that they have successfully solved this senseless crime. We cannot thank them enough.”

The 40-year-old Woll was a high-profile member of the city’s Jewish community and her slaying came amid heightened tensions and growing antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in the U.S. following the conflict in the Gaza Strip, however investigators reiterate there was no information suggesting her death was a hate crime.

Editorial credit: Jay Fog / Shuttestock.com

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News Daypop

Search underway for suspect in abduction attempts of 3 women near University of Arizona

entrance to The University of Arizona located in Tucson^ Arizona

Police are searching for a man suspected of trying to abduct three different women near the University of Arizona campus in Tucson this past week. The Tucson Police Department said in a news release that the abduction attempts happened on three different days and in three different off-campus locations, adding that they have identified at least two of the victims as students at the university, both of whom were assaulted in the incidents. The third woman is a student at University of Arizona, as well.

Officers with the University of Arizona Police Department received a call from a student on Sunday, reporting that a man approached her from behind, put his arm around her waist and assaulted her. The student was not injured, police said, and after she screamed, the suspect ran off.  Another victim reported to Tucson Police’s sexual assault unit that she had been followed by a driver matching the suspect’s description on Wednesday morning, Dec. 6, and also shared an updated description of the suspect and his vehicle.

Tuscan Police have described the suspect as a man with a dark complexion, possibly Hispanic, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall, with a medium to heavyset build and “close buzz cut hair.” The suspect was seen driving a “dark purplish four-door hatchback or crossover vehicle with a dented front bumper, tinted windows, and no front license plate”.  According to police, the vehicle is either a dark blue 2000s Toyota Camry or Toyota Corolla.

Chris Dennison, the assistant police chief in Tucson, asked members of the surrounding community to help by joining the police department’s open camera registry, which “allows residents and business owners to voluntarily register their surveillance cameras with the police department.”   In addition, he said both the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service have also joined their search for the suspect.

Editorial credit: Katherine Welles / Shuttestock.com

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Go Country 105

Maddie & Tae are ready for Christmas with their little ones

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There’s something special about celebrating Christmas with your kids. Just ask first-time moms Maddie & Tae.

“First Christmas with Leighton, she was definitely still too young to know everything that was going on. So this will probably feel like her first Christmas,” Tae says of her soon-to-be 2-year-old. “She has just been so excited. I collect snow globes and so we have them all lit up, and she thinks they’re, like, the coolest thing ever.”

Maddie shares the same excitement as she readies to celebrate her first Christmas as a mom.

“Forrest [will] be 3 months [on] Christmas, so he’s still a little tiny tot,” Maddie tells ABC Audio. But between her niece, nephew and Leighton, “It’s just more magical with kids, you know?” 

Maddie & Tae’s nine-track holiday project, We Need Christmas (Extended Version), is out now wherever you enjoy music.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Brad Paisley and wife Kimberly open free toy store for families in need during the holidays

Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Brad Paisley at Radion City Music Hall; 2019

Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley have opened a free toy store in the Nashville area, affording low-income families the opportunity to shop for holiday gifts. The Paisleys welcomed 400 families into their toy store last week, with gifts ranging from video games to clothes, stuffed animals and more.

The goal of the store was to help those in need, and give parents ‘dignity of choice’ during the holiday season, utilizing the same concept Brad and Kimberly have done with their free grocery store, ‘The Store’. The Store received approximately 2,000 donated items and raised $20,000.

Brad explained: “The emotional aspect of being able to give your child something your child wanted versus just something to sort of get you through the holidays, that’s such a load off the minds of somebody who maybe didn’t think they were going to be able to do that.”

Brad and Kimberly strive to help even more families in need in the Nashville area, with Kimberly saying: “There’s so much we want to do… And really like the toy store has shown us that we can keep going and we can keep expanding and growing.”

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Maren Morris breaks silence on ‘ongoing’ divorce proceedings from ex, Ryan Hurd

Maren Morris at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 20^ 2018 in Las Vegas

Maren Morris is breaking her silence regarding her ‘ongoing’ divorce from estranged husband Ryan Hurd, two months after filing to end the marriage.

After Morris was asked about her new look during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, she joked that she “cut all the trauma out of my hair” when she got her short bob: “I think this year has — for a lot of people, not just me — a lot of people that are close to me have gone through it. I’ve known so many people that have gone through breakups or divorces.” When Stern noted that Morris, 33, herself “went through a divorce this year,” she replied, “It’s ongoing. … I would like this to sort of wrap up.” Morris later said that she wasn’t thinking about dating again, adding, “I don’t have the headspace for that yet. But I’m writing so much right now. That’s kind of been my way of dating, is just through song.”

Morris filed for divorce on October 2, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.  The former couple tied the knot in 2018, and welcomed son Hayes Andrew Hurd on March 23, 2020, just a day before their second wedding anniversary.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Sabrina Carpenter shares new video off her festive holiday EP, ‘fruitcake’

Sabrina Carpenter at the Variety Power of Young Hollywood Event at the NeueHouse on August 10^ 2023 in Los Angeles^ CA

Sabrina Carpenter dropped her debut holiday EP, ‘fruitcake’ featuring six-tracks including original seasonal songs, including the previously released, ‘A Nonsense Christmas’ (which is a seasonal twist on Sabrina’s smash hit, ‘Nonsense’).

‘fruitcake’, produced by John Ryan and Julian Bunetta, arrived shortly after Sabrina finished her stint as support for Taylor Swift on the South American leg of her The Era’s Tour.  Carpenter will continue her ‘Eras’ Tour’ supporting run in Australia and Singapore at the beginning of 2024.

Sabrina also shared the video for one of the tracks off ‘fruitcake,’ titled ‘santa doesn’t know you like i do’. Take a look at the video – here.

To stream ‘fruitcake’ – head here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Stray Kids’ ‘ROCK-STAR’ marks second No. 1 on Billboard 200 in 2023

South Korean boy band Stray Kids mini Album Box set

K-pop band Stray Kids topped the Billboard 200 for the second time this year with their latest mini-album, ‘ROCK-STAR’, released on November 10.

‘ROCK-STAR’ is Stray Kids’ fourth consecutive Billboard 200 chart-topper and second of 2023, following ‘5-Star’ in June. ‘ROCK-STAR’ topped the chart with 224,000 equivalent album units earned in the US, with the majority of those coming from traditional album sales.

Stray Kids’ first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 was their March 2022 mini-album ‘Oddinary’, which featured the hit single ‘Maniac’. They topped the chart again in October 2022 with ‘Maxident’.

Editorial credit: JuliaDorian / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Nashville notes: Jon Pardi on 'Today' + Bryce Leatherwood's “The Finger”

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Jon Pardi brought the festive spirit to NBC’s Today on Thursday, December 14, with a performance of “400 Horsepower Sleigh.” The track can be found on Jon’s debut holiday album, Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi, which is out now. 

The Voice season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood has dropped a performance music video for “The Finger.” “I've had a blast playing The Finger' live all summer long and I'm excited for fans who haven't had the opportunity to see one of my shows in person to experience what my show is all about through this music video,” shares Bryce. “The Finger” is Bryce’s debut release on Republic Records/Universal Music Group Nashville.

Lainey Wilson recently performed her new single, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! In case you missed it, you can watch it now on YouTube.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Get your hands on Luke Combs' new tumbler

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Luke Combs has dropped a new 14-ounce tumbler in his merch store.

Priced at $20, the product arrives after Luke found out via WFLA News Channel 8‘s report about a $250,000 copyright fine Nicol Harness, an avid fan, was court-ordered to pay for selling homemade Luke-inspired tumblers.

“It's very stressful. I don't have money to pay my bills. I just want this resolved,” said the Florida native, who has congestive heart failure and made $380 from her tumbler sales. “I didn’t mean any harm to Luke Combs.”

“So, we do have a company that goes after folks only, supposedly, large corporations operating internationally that make millions and millions of dollars making counterfeit T-shirts and things of that nature, running illegal business,” Luke explained in a video shared on social media.

“Apparently this woman, Nicol, has somehow gotten wrapped into that and that makes me absolutely sick to my stomach,” he added.

Net proceeds from Luke’s new tumbler will be donated to Nicol and her family.

You can preorder your tumbler now at shop.lukecombs.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.