Eric Church (Photo: Theo Wargo)Are you a fan of Eric Church's 2011 hit tune "Springsteen"? Well, if so, you are certainly in good company. It seems that Springsteen himself--as in Bruce--is a fan as well!

And, not only is the Boss approving of Church's song, he took the time to let him know. At Church's show in Gilford, N.H last week, Springsteen asked his road manager--who was attending the concert--to deliver a handwritten note to the country star.

Church explained to Billboard that the message was written on the back of a set list (okay, how cool is that?). "[He] wrote me a great note, filled up the whole back of the set list talking about how he was a fan of the song, how his family was a fan of the song," Church noted. "He signed it and said 'I hope we cross paths somewhere.'"

"It's a pretty incredible note," Church enthused. "I had heard he was a fan of the song, but it's the first time I officially heard. It means the world to me."

If investing in expensive real estate across the street from the Kennedy compound wasn't enough proof that Taylor Swift is serious about Conor Kennedy--here's a simpler verification. The pair were caught kissing on camera for the first time, on Friday in Massachusetts.

Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy (Robert Button/Wenn.com)

Hank Williams Jr. is certainly taking advantage of an election year in order to make his political views crystal clear. Yep, he's at it again, and targeting his usual favorite enemy--our current administration.

According to a show review in the Des Moines Register, Williams pulled no punches during his appearance at the Iowa State Fair Friday night.

"We've got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S.," Bocephus told the crowd. "And we hate him!" Reportedly, the audience responded with enthusiastic cheers to this announcement.

Hmm, guess he'll be voting for Romney, then! Ya think?

Judd and MoserIt's been a tough couple of days for Wynonna Judd, whose husband of just two months, musician Michael Scott "Cactus" Moser, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident this past weekend, resulting in amputation of his left leg. Judd was forced to put her current tour on hold in order to be by her husband's side.

"Moser's left leg was severed at the scene of the accident and doctors in Rapid City, SD amputated the leg above the knee. He has also undergone surgery to his hand," read a statement on Wynonna's official website. "Judd and Moser appreciate all of the quick medical and police responders as well as the hospital staff and well-wishes from family, friends and fans."

Moser was reportedly taking a ride on his Harley-Davidson near Hill City, South Dakota, Saturday when he drifted across the center line of the highway and hit a car going in the opposite direction. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he was reported sustaining significant but not life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the car he hit declined medical treatment at the scene, according to local police. Judd herself was riding on a separate bike ahead of the accident. She canceled that night's show at South Dakota's Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel & Casino, and has postponed next week's dates in Canada.

"The outpouring of prayer and support from friends, family and fans has been a blessing to both Cactus and I," Judd said in a statement on Sunday. "Cactus is a champion. I love him deeply and I will not leave his side."

Nick 13Just a quick disclaimer for those not familiar: The artist Nick 13 already has an extremely loyal fanbase in place due to his years in the punk scene, with his band Tiger Army. Many of you who are reading this will be here because of that very connection and devotion.

However, simply speaking as a mainstream country blogger, I happened to hear Nick's solo debut--a collection of traditional/vintage-flavored country--and was startled by how much I liked it. Having covered many artists who have crossed genres into the country world, I had a bit of initial skepticism regarding his project when I was first introduced to it. However, I'm more than happy to report it's just plain good, solid, beautiful stuff that I want to listen to over and over again...and I hope lots of country fans will as well.

That said, Nick and I share a common bond in being California-based country aficionados. Currently living in Los Angeles, he's played the West Coast's famed Stagecoach fest, and is happy to discuss the state's place in country history--from Bakersfield to the San Fernando Valley. He's been a longtime fan of "hillbilly" and midcentury country (which can be fact-checked by researching past Tiger Army interviews conducted before he even started work on a country album).

Nick's solo album came out last year, but is still gaining momentum with the release of his latest video for single "Carry My Body Down," as well as an appearance here on Ram Country doing a live version of "Nashville Winter." I've included a video of him in his role as Tiger Army frontman so you can see the flexibility of his musical talent. Enjoy!

Country & Cold Cans

There's just a couple weeks left of summer--but if you're bummed at the idea of packing away your shorts and bikinis, here's a little something to ease the pain. Dierks Bentley is putting out a party-ready EP, Country & Cold Cans, that's tailor-made for savoring the last dregs of the season. The set will be out August 21, but we have a track for you to preview exclusively before the official release.

The song's called "Grab A Beer" and Bentley explains that there's no deep meaning behind the sentiment! "It's kind of a no-brainer," he laughs, adding, "It's probably my favorite [off the EP]. I love the groove, and I love that it's really simple what it's about. There's plenty of beer-drinking songs in country music, but I like how it has a little bit of soulfulness to it. It ended up being kind of dirty and fun, and I think my fans will really enjoy it."

Bentley also notes that the entire EP was made with plain old good times in mind. "There's no real angle or slant to or marketing

All the work Scotty McCreery put into winning last year's season of American Idol seemed to teach him one valuable lesson: How to roll with the unexpected! The singer put this into practice Friday night, when he actually fell off the stage, right into his audience, at a New York outdoor performance.

McCreery, who was opening up for Brad Paisley, was deep into an energetic rendition of Travis Tritt's "T.R.O.U.B.L.E" when he accidentally missed the edge of the stage and toppled down into the crowd. Ouch!

To his credit, he achieved a remarkable "save"--without missing a beat, he rolled right back on and almost made the fall look deliberate. Watch and see for yourselves (the big moment comes at around 8:15).

The affable singer joked about the incident on Twitter later. "Dagum @BradPaisley pranked me again...he narrowed up the stage on me for my last song...#MeetTheCrowdNight #ImOk," he quipped.

Taylor Swift teased her fans for a few days with the promise of "really big news" on a scheduled live chat Monday afternoon. As most guessed, the news had to do with her upcoming fourth album--for which she revealed a title, album art, and release date.

And, as you all probably guessed, it's an album about her emotions. Swift's new set will be called Red--she explains that the title came from past "tumultuous" and "semi-toxic" relationships--and it will hit the streets on October 22.

"It was crazy because it was really simple," Swift said of her title choice. "There's nothing beige about these emotions."

Swift reveals the art for her new album

The singer--who was dressed appropriately for the occasion in a red dress, red earrings, and red lipstick--unveiled the cover art for the record to an approving roomful of fans, then took questions live from the web regarding her new project.