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.

Thompson Square and EttaIf you've been following Keifer and Shawna Thompson of Thompson Square, you probably know that the couple are now proud parents. Okay, hold up--there's no baby on the way (that we know of)! The Thompsons are another kind of parents; ones that a lot of fans will relate to.

That would be dog parents! The Thompsons' adorable "Schnorkie" (that's part Schnauzer and part Yorkie) pup, Etta, has been poking her furry little mug into the hitmaking duo's daily rounds...even accompanying them on the road. Don't ask if the puppy is housebroken, because, as Keifer notes, "She doesn't live in a house, she lives on a bus!"

The addition of the little pup, who arrived in the family at a very sad time for the Thompsons--Shawna had recently lost her father, and the pair had to put down their elderly dog the same week--has brought a lot of light back to their lives.

The news is barely out there that Taylor Swift is dating Conor Kennedy--of the iconic Kennedy clan--but the blond superstar seems to be already "wonderstruck" by the relationship. According to various reports this week, she's gone ahead and purchased a Cape Cod mansion which is across the street from Conor's grandmother Ethel Kennedy.

Courtesy: Zillow

Courtesy: Zillow

Courtesy: Zillow

Swift paid around $4.9 million for the property, which overlooks Nantucket Sound and features a luxurious seven bedrooms and five bathrooms. Housing blog Zillow confirmed the listing and posted a slate of breathtaking photos of the traditionally styled home. According to People, a local realtor claimed Swift even got a fair deal on the place.

The waterfront area of Swift's new pad houses the historic Kennedy Compound, which served as a base for John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign more than 50 years ago.

Tim & Faith on stage at the VenetianSuperstar couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill met the press in Las Vegas this morning, announcing the details of their long-rumored Las Vegas residency. Core message: If you liked their joint Soul2Soul tours (the last of which ended in 2007), you're going to love it in a room that's about one-tenth the size, and without all that extraneous solo stuff.

Over the course of a half-hour press conference, exact details about the content of the show were nebulous, partly because the run doesn't start till December and is still in the planning stages. But when I finally asked whether each of them would be disappearing from the stage for a good portion of the show while the other sings his or her individual hits, McGraw couldn't have been clearer: "I would say that the chances of us not being on stage together for any length of time, maybe other than a song or two, are small," he emphasized.

We're still not getting a duets album any time soon, but a full-on duets show may be the next best thing...