With the release of his sophomore album, 'Roadhouse Sun,' on June 2, gritty-voiced singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham may be sticking to his southern roots, but he's not just trying to be the next big country star.

"In some ways, I'd gotten burned out on the straight-ahead country scene," the 28-year-old Bingham says. "Because I wear a cowboy hat, people assume we're just this honky-tonk band, and we're not."

Bingham's last album, 2007's 'Mescalito,' was highly acclaimed for its union of country, folk, rock and blues, with a tone that sounds like he's been through it all. The CD's success garnered him appearances on the 'Tonight Show with Jay Leno', 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' and 'Austin City Limits.'

'June,' is the title of one of the songs on 'Written in Chalk,' the new album by married songwriting couple Buddy and Julie Miller. And, yes, it's a song about the late June Carter Cash, written in 2003 by Julie Miller in the moments after her husband broke the news to her that June had passed away. The Millers certainly were not the only ones who expected that June would outlive her husband of 35 years (Johnny Cash died four months later), but it was a loss that resonated so deeply with both of them, in part because as a married couple who often write and record together, which they've been doing since the late 1970s, they felt a kinship with Johnny and June on a level to which few others can relate.

The Americana Music Association has announced the nominees for their 2009 Honors and Awards ceremony. Buddy Miller, who will once again act as band leader for the awards show, received a total of five nominations.

It's been an eventful year for Buddy. The singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer toured with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin, and was featured in Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' touring band. In February, while on tour, he suffered a heart attack. Buddy and his wife Julie Miller are nominated in the Album of the Year category for 'Written in Chalk.'

Artist: The Lovell Sisters

Hometown: Calhoun, Ga.

Current Single: 'Time to Grow'
Listen to 'Time to Grow':


Why They're the Next Big Thing: Citing Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss as their biggest influences, the Lovell Sisters -- Rebecca, Jessica and Megan -- combine angelic harmonies with impressive guitar, mandolin, fiddle and dobro playing. The sisters are also accomplished songwriters, receiving the grand prize at the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for their song, 'Distance.' Their current single and title track to their new album, 'Time to Grow,' was a finalist in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition.

Singer-songwriter Steve Earle is about to release what he says "may be the best record I've ever done." The difficult part in admitting that to himself is that he didn't write any of the songs on the album.

'Townes,' due out May 12 on New West Records, is Earle's tribute to his friend and mentor, singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, who died in 1997, following years of drug and alcohol abuse. Steve was a teenager living in Texas when he first met Townes, whose iconic song catalog includes 'Pancho and Lefty,' a No. 1 hit in 1983 for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and 'If I Needed You,' a 1981 duet by Don Williams and Emmylou Harris. In addition to befriending Townes, Steve's circle of songwriting pals included Guy Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker.

The pairing of bluegrass icon Alison Krauss and rock icon Robert Plant has proved to be a match made in music heaven. Such a great match, in fact, that they're following their 'Raising Sand' duets album with another joint project.

"We've got a whole bunch of songs, and we're just going, 'Does that work, and does that work?'" Plant tells the UK's Absolute Radio. "So we're trying it out again."

Working on new music, the two know they have a tough act to follow. 'Raising Sand' has landed five Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year. Their tour supporting the album sold out in cities across the country, and sales of the CD have topped one million.

For those who have pegged Billy Bob Thornton an actor turned singer, you've got it all wrong. The Arkansas native was a musician long before he hit the big screen, playing music all of his young life and falling into acting by default -- to hear him tell it -- when the music just didn't pan out.

Thornton released four solo albums -- 'Private Radio,' 'Edge of the World,' 'Hobo' and 'Beautiful Door' -- before joining country-rockers, The Boxmasters. The Boot was invited into his Beverly Hills home to talk about new music from the band's second release, 'Christmas Cheer.' Thornton also tells us about a near death experience, the surprising start to his Hollywood career, and the hilariously heartwarming story of his musical beginnings.

What initially attracted you to playing music?

That's all I ever did. Acting snuck up on me. I wanted to be in the Beatles, like all of us. I listened to country music, particularly Ray Price and Jim Reeves, when I was a little kid, because my folks did. My uncle was a country musician, and I played drums in his band. My upbringing was on that, mainly, and on Sun Records like Jerry Lee Lewis, [Johnny] Cash, Charlie Rich and Elvis. But when my brother and I saw the Beatles on 'Ed Sullivan,' I was nine years old and that was the end of it right there – I was either going to be in a band or I'd jump off a building.