CMT Launches Roots Blog; Lucinda Williams to Perform at Bridge School Benefit; New Album Releases

• CMT launched a roots blog called CMT Edge.

• Give a listen to “It’s Never Alright” from Dwight Yoakam’s new album, 3 Pears. The song was co-written with Ashley Monroe, and is the first of five new Yoakam songs that will debut this week.

• The late Donna Hilley will be honored with the 2012 Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award from the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation.

• Lucinda Williams and Steve Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers are among the acts that will perform at Neil Young’s 26^th annual Bridge School Benefit, which will be held October 20-21.

• Here’s a sneak peek of Little Big Town’s Lady Gaga cover on CMT Unplugged. The rest of the show will go up on CMT’s site later today.

• Country California has the lowdown on Jamey Johnson’s Hank Cochran tribute record.

• Sunday’s Broncos-Steelers game marked the beginning of Faith Hill’s sixth season singing the Sunday Night Football intro. If you missed it, you can watch here.

• Here’s a preview of the new video for Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah.”

• NPR recently aired a feature on the book/CD Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios. American Studios is where Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis was recorded; it’s also where Merrilee Rush cut “Angel of the Morning” and BJ Thomas recorded “Hooked on a Feeling,” to just name a couple of the hits made there.

• Framed lyrics to “Independence Day,” handwritten by Gretchen Peters and signed by Martina McBride, are being auctioned off to benefit Nashville’s Agape Animal Rescue.

• Josh Turner’s “Time is Love” and The Civil Wars’ Barton Hollow have both gone gold.

• Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine’s newest Trail Mix features songs from Tift Merritt, The Grass Cats, and Eric Brace & Last Train Home. 

• Watch Randy Houser’s “How Country Feels” video.

• Taste of Country has an exclusive video of The Avett Brothers talking about their song “Down with the Shine.”

• Amazon is offering free tracks from JT Hodges, Milo Greene, and The Dunwells.

• Bluegrass Today posted video of their interview with Doyle Lawson.

• The Bellamy Brothers’ new gospel album Pray for Me, was a “labor of love.”

• This week’s album releases:

Kathy Mattea – Calling Me Home

The Time Jumpers – The Time Jumpers

Chris Knight – Little Victories

Avett Brothers – The Carpenter

The Grass Cats – The Mountains My Baby and Me

Little Big Town – Tornado

Bob Dylan – Tempest

Patterson Hood – Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance

Kix Brooks – New to This Town

Bucky Covington – Good Guys

Steve Forbert – Over with You

Jerry Jeff Walker – Live from Dixie’s Bar & Bus Stop

The Dirty River Boys – Science of Flight

Mark Houser & Bluegrass Drive – Uneven Road