There seems to be no limit to superstar Kenny Chesney's list of "extracurricular" projects. In addition to keeping himself busy as one of country music's biggest superstars, he's already tackled the worlds of documentary filmmaking, internet radio, and clothing design over the past few years.

So, what's the latest project to hit his plate? Well, as you might expect from a guy who lives on a Caribbean island--he's releasing his debut line of sunglasses.

Chesney announced Tuesday that he's partnered with shademakers Costa to design a limited-edition collection of five different styles, all of which feature hand-drawn artwork etched inside the arms that reflects Chesney's life and favorite things. One style called "Hammerhead," for example, sports the time-tested lyric "No Shoes. No Shirt. No Problems!"

You can check out all of his designs at the Costa site, but here's the "Hammerhead" to give you a feel for the vibe.

Meanwhile, how do you think Chesney looks in his new shades?

Back in December, we announced the fun news that Ram Trucks would be hosting its first-ever "Battle of the Bands" event--a competition designed to discover the next big thing in country music.

Hundreds of amateur country artists took on the challenge and entered the contest, uploading their music videos to Ram's Facebook page for folks to view and vote on. By mid-February, the top 10 vote-getters were identified, and these lucky musicians then went on to Round Two, where a panel of Ram judges selected the very best two vids out of the bunch.

I'm happy to introduce the fab finalists to all of you--they are Justine Blazer and the Natalie Turgeon Band. They'll be playing live at the Rodeo Austin this Sunday, March 20, before yet another panel of judges, who will determine the ultimate winner. (Oh, did I mention--I'm actually one of those judges? Well, hey, I am!)

I thought you'd like to get to know these talented finalists a little better, so I had them answer a few questions about

Back in December, we announced the fun news that Ram Trucks would be hosting its first-ever "Battle of the Bands" event--a competition designed to discover the next big thing in country music.

Hundreds of amateur country artists took on the challenge and entered the contest, uploading their music videos to Ram's Facebook page for folks to view and vote on. By mid-February, the top 10 vote-getters were identified, and these lucky musicians then went on to Round Two, where a panel of Ram judges selected the very best two vids out of the bunch.

I'm happy to introduce the fab finalists to all of you--they are Justine Blazer and the Natalie Turgeon Band. They'll be playing live at the Rodeo Austin this Sunday, March 20, before yet another panel of judges, who will determine the ultimate winner. (Oh, did I mention--I'm actually one of those judges? Well, hey, I am!)

I thought you'd like to get to know these talented finalists a little better, so I had them answer a few questions about

Talk about something you really don't ever want to experience firsthand: On Wednesday afternoon, Randy Houser and his crew were in South Carolina prepping for their show that evening, when all of a sudden they noticed flames coming from the rear suite of their bus.

The bus rapidly filled up with black smoke, but thankfully everyone got out safely. As for their belongings...well, that was another story.

"Lost all my clothes," texted Houser to his manager. "I'm pretty sad, but so thankful we all got off safely. That fire burned all through our home on wheels."

Later, Houser did discover that at least his footwear was intact. "Boots did survive!" he tweeted, posting a shot to prove it.

However: "Gonna have to do some shopping," he admitted. "This really sucks." To say the least!

All of the band's gear (save Houser's guitar) was destroyed in the fire. Regardless, Houser insisted that the evening's gig--a benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital--would not be canceled.

And it

Here's a quick recipe for musical success: Put out a country album. Even if you aren't known as a country artist. In fact, especially if you aren't.

Does that equation seem just a bit too simple? Well, yes--I am being facetious, of course. However, it certainly seems to be as good a bet as any these days.

According to Yahoo! Music's own Chart Watch, in the past five years, seven artists from non-country backgrounds have landed at No. 1 on the top country albums chart. (The artists? Jewel, Jessica Simpson, Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana, Jimmy Buffett, the Eagles, and Darius Rucker. And, also, Julianne Hough, who has no prior musical affiliation but came from the world of TV.)

And now that number's jumped to eight. The latest to top the country albums chart this week--as well as land at a very respectable No. 7 on the all-genre albums chart--is yet another artist making a complete brand-new start in the Nashville ranks.

I'm talking about Aaron Lewis, who already has a quite

It's been about half a year since top-selling country duo Brooks & Dunn played their last show and officially called it quits, and Kix Brooks apparently has seemed happy to shelve music in favor of an acting career. He shot a role in an independent film last November, and recently signed on for another movie, which will start production in May.

However, as it turns out, Brooks isn't going to let former partner Ronnie Dunn--who released his first solo single last month--have all the music-making fun. It appears that Brooks is also working on a solo project of his own.

"I'm probably halfway done with it," Brooks explained in an interview with the Associated Press. "I'm writing a lot of songs. I want it to be as good as I want it to be and I'm not in a hurry and I'm not saying when it's going to come out because when it's done and I'm proud of it, it will come out."

Brooks's album (as well as Dunn's) will be released by Brooks & Dunn's label home, Sony. He says the label seems to be

Some people think she's an amazing singer; some folks say she should stick to her (already very successful) day job. However, like or hate her as a musician--it appears as if Gwyneth Paltrow is now professionally in the game. Several sources are reporting the Oscar-winning actress has just signed a deal with Atlantic Records to put out her first solo album later this year.

The agreement is reportedly in the $900k range, and the genre she'll be concentrating on is "country-pop."

Paltrow, who has dabbled in singing in her past (notably, a pop single with Huey Lewis for the movie Duets), surprised many fans last year when she was cast to portray a troubled Nashville star in the film Country Strong. Further interest was garnered when she accepted the task of doing her own singing for the role.

The results were largely successful. Despite some negative public opinion, she went on to chart a single on country radio, perform at the 2010 Country Music Association Awards and this year's

When it comes to up-and-coming country, the bloom is on the rose. Or, actually, the magnolia—Steel Magnolia, that is, the duo that represents one of the genre's more refreshing recent success stories. Their rousing set at the New Faces show helped bring down the curtain on the 25th annual Country Radio Seminar, and you can only hope the hundreds of radio programmers and disc jockeys on hand were inspired to say "Ooh La La" (to quote one of the couple's song titles) and renew their support.

"Country radio is the gateway to the fans," said Joshua Scott Jones, back on their bus after the performance, "and it's like you're part of the club when you're on this show. That means they've accepted you—as long as you don't go out there and really mess up," he laughed. "There's a lot of nerves going on before the show, but you've got to turn all that off and think of it as another show for the fans. Because in a sense, radio has become your fans, even though it's a partnership."  

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