Frank Buchanan Passes Away; Country Album Sales Up Through First Half of 2012; New Music Videos

• Julianne Hough isn’t planning on leaving behind her country music star aspirations any time soon.

• Country music album sales were up 5.6% through the first half of 2012.

• Jeff Hyde, the songwriter behind Eric Church’s “Springsteen,” was profiled by his hometown newspaper.

• Frank Buchanan, a member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in the 1960s, passed away at the age of 78. From the Bluegrass Today article on his passing: In addition to performing on the Grand Ole Opry, Frank Buchanan recorded 18 songs with Bill Monroe. He sang lead on “The Blue Ridge Mountain Blues” and wrote “Maggie Valley Waltz.” The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area website also reports that Buchanan performed with many bands and musicians, including Raymond Fairchild, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, and Porter Wagoner.

• The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel interviewed Sonia Leigh. An excerpt: “I grew up listening to country music — Waylon, Kris Kristofferson, the Oak Ridge Boys, everyone from Alabama to Hank. Country music has obviously changed. It’s been evolving, just like every kind of music evolves. As time rolls on, times are changing as Bob Dylan says. You have to be able to roll with that and I think country music is starting to do that with artists like Eric Church and Zac Brown Band who are getting out there and doing something a little bit differently. I’m glad to be a part of this new movement.”

• Jana Kramer will host the Glitter and Glam Benefit to benefit the animals of Middle Tennessee.

• Sugarland’s Kristian Bush is working with actress Lucy Hale on her debut country album.

• Martin Guitars will have a signature Dierks Bentley edition available this fall.

• Lee Ann Womack is in the newest Zaxby’s commercial touting their Roadhouse Zalad.

• The best Craigslist ad for a musician you’ll read this year is from a Texas band looking for “a functioning alcoholic who can hold a bass.”

• Lynyrd Skynyrd unveiled the album artwork and the 15 tracks for their 9/17 release, Last of a Dyin’ Breed.

• Sarah Darling paid tribute to Andy Griffith on the Grand Ole Opry stage last week.

• The Joey+Rory Show premiered on RFD-TV last Friday.

• Stephen Stills says that there won’t be any more Crosby, Stills and Nash albums.

• Saving Country Music on “Truck Yeah,” Tim McGraw’s new Big Machine Records single: “The country music mega-star pulls off the biggest sellout move of his career, and one of the biggest sellout moves ever seen from an established country music franchise name. Yes friends and neighbors, Tim McGraw has fallen prey to the hyper-trend of the country music laundry list truck song. ‘Truck Yeah’ is such an overt outcry for relevancy and commercial acceptance, I feel embarrassed for McGraw simply from writing about it.”

• Could Natalie Maines be working on a solo project?

• Bucky Covington and Shooter Jennings will release a duet called “The Drinking Side of Country” in August.

• New music videos from the last week or so:

Miss Willie Brown – “You’re All That Matters to Me”

Chris Cagle — “Walmart Parking Lot”

Katie Armiger – “Better in a Black Dress”

Zac Brown Band – “The Wind”

The Stellas – “Riding in the Backseat”

The McClymonts – “I Could be a Cowboy”

Harmony James – “Emmylou’s Guitar”

John Williamson – “The Big Red”

Victoria McGee and Geoff Robertson – “Don’t Leave the Leavin’”

Catherine Britt – “Always Never Enough”

Ryan Laird – “Girl Crazy”

Aaron Watson – “Raise Your Bottle”

Madonna Nash – “Dirty Little Secret”

Brandon Kirkley and the Firecrackers – “Stay”

Black Steel Lace – “Hammer Down”

Scott Carey – “Cougar”

JB and the Moonshine Band – “No Better Than This”

Luke Pilgrim – “Back Road Lullaby”

Wade Bowen – “A Battle Won” (Acoustic)

Farewell Drifters – “California Stars”