"Summertime, and the livin' is easy" -- so goes the old American standard. Since then, those words have been emulated by enough country stars to fill up a theme park. From songs about popular modes of transportation and the right thing to wear (or not wear), to one's frosty beverage of choice, The Boot dips our toes into this cool countdown of country music's essential sounds of summer.

10. 'Sweet Summer Lovin',' Dolly Parton

Sun-soaked lyric: "By a stream in the country, running barefoot and feeling free"

Rather than spend time at the beach or a barbecue, Dolly and the object of her affection are getting busy among the dandelions. We're not sure what candy wine is, but it sounds like just the thing to serve with a PG-rated summer fling.

Add another award to the bursting trophy case belonging to Rascal Flatts. The superstar trio are the winners of CMT's Group Video of the Year. Nominated for two songs in that category, they walked away with the award for 'Every Day'.

"First of all, we want to thank the fans," Jay DeMarcus said, taking the mic first. "Country music has the greatest fans on the planet."

"Thank you to God for keeping us safe," lead singer Gary LeVox echoed. "Thank you to the fans, our families, everybody, thank you so much. The fans the fans the fans, and the fans!"

How'd you like to have Rascal Flatts for breakfast? The trio has teamed up with Denny's restaurant chain to create the Unstoppable Breakfast -- named after their latest album, of course.

For $6.50, your 'Unstoppable' breakfast includes a biscuit with country-fried steak, egg, cheese and country gravy, with a side of bacon and hash browns. It's all part of Denny's All-Night Rockstar menu, which also includes meals named after Good Charlotte (Good Charlotte's Band of Burritos), Gym Class Heroes (After School Special) and Sum 41 (the Sumwich).

What's in a name? When it's a band name, well, chances are just about anything could be in there. From geographical locations to vehicular mishaps, The Boot reveals the origins of the most unique band names in country music.

Before making it big, Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney played regularly at a bar in Nashville's Printer's Alley. Their first choice for a name, Deuces Wild, was taken by several bands, so a piano-player friend told them he had the perfect name, saying that Rascal Flatts was his high school garage band. "Gary couldn't stand the 'rascal' part of it," Rooney said later. "He goes, 'Everybody is going to be calling us Spanky and Alfalfa and Buckwheat.'"
Download Rascal Flatts Songs

After 'American Idol' season six finalist Chris Sligh was voted off the show in March 2007, he headed for Nashville. And when the curly-haired, bespectacled singer-songwriter is in Music City, you can often find him hanging with other ex-Idols like Phil Stacey and Bo Bice, who've also made Nashville their home. But mostly, Sligh keeps himself busy touring, and writing and recording music for the contemporary Christian market. He's even up for a Dove Award this week, nominated as Best New Artist.

But Sligh has also, somewhat unexpectedly, found a measure of success in country music, thanks to Rascal Flatts. The group's latest single, 'Here Comes Goodbye,' which Sligh wrote with his friend Clint Lagerberg, just reached No. 1. It's also featured on the trio's chart-topping 'Unstoppable' album. Sligh is still finding himself trying to determine the significance of it all.

It seems Jessica Simpson's country days are over. The pop-turned-country songbird has parted ways with Sony/BMG Nashville. Many are speculating that Simpson was dropped by the label, due to lackluster sales and a rough winter tour opening for Rascal Flatts, during which many of her shows were plagued with flubbed lyrics. But Simpson's camp insists she was never a permanent part of Sony's Music City family.

"She was on loan to Sony Nashville for her country album," a Simpson rep tells Us magazine, adding that the singer "is and has always been an Epic artist. She continues to be on Epic's label."

What a week it's been already for Rascal Flatts! The superstar trio made history Sunday when they took home the ACM Vocal Group of the Year trophy, their seventh consecutive win in that category. That beats Alabama's record of six straight ACM Vocal Group wins. Today, Gary, Jay and Joe Don continue the celebration with the release of their highly-anticipated sixth studio CD, 'Unstoppable.'

"I think we have 11 singles," lead singer Gary LeVox says of the 'Unstoppable' tracklist, in an interview with Nashville's Tennessean newspaper. "These, lyrically, are the best stuff we've ever done. The song quality is on another level. With every project, as an artist you try and push yourself and not be complacent, always trying to take it to the next level. I think we accomplished that on this one."