LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride and Julianne Hough will be on the cover of the July issue of Shape magazine. Inside, the bikini-clad babes tell how they get (and keep) those fab bodies. Among the topics, McBride shares her fascination with nutrition and how she encourages her husband and daughters to eat healthily. She also discusses the importance of a positive self-image in addition to physical beauty.
Darryl Worley is hosting a series of fundraisers for his namesake charitable foundation, with the second event scheduled for July 13 at the Bumpus Harley-Davidson dealership in Murfreesboro. For “Hitmakers & Harleys” Worley will be joined by Walt Aldridge (Heartland’s “I Loved Her First,” Ronnie Milsap’s “No Getting’ Over Me”), Jim “Moose” Brown (“It’s Five O’clock Somewhere,” Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffett, and co-producer of Worley’s new album) and Steve Leslie, who has at least 20 Worley cuts, as well as ones by numerous other artists.
Last month’s “Hitmakers on the Harbor” on Pickwick Lake raised over $12,000. Following Murfreesboro, the next event is scheduled at Bumpus Harley-Davidson’s Jackson, TN location on July 21. The final event will be Darryl’s Tennessee River Run on Thurs., Sept. 10.
The Darryl Worley Foundation, Inc. helps serve the needs of the people of Hardin and McNairy Counties in West Tennessee and the surrounding areas. It has supported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Ayers Children’s Medical Center, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Worley is currently touring in support of his latest single, “Sounds Like Life To Me,” from his new Stroudavarious Records album, Sounds Like Life. Details on all events can be found at www.darrylworley.com.
Sometimes the veterans can surprise you.
Just when I thought I might be “over” Brooks & Dunn, along comes a single like “Indian Summer.” They wrote it. They produced it. And it’s the freshest sounding thing they’ve put out in years. Give those vets a Disc of the Day.
Actually, there was quite a bit of refreshingly different music in today’s listening session. For those, like me, who crave the novel and the new, I recommend to your ears the efforts by Trent Tomlinson, Dean Brody, Richie Fields, Gretchen Wilson and Pat Green, in particular.
Our DisCovery Award also goes to an innovator. The songs on Courtney Dashe’s debut effort are all self penned and are all admirably individualistic.
The CMA Music Festival approaches. Are you ready, Music Row?
GRETCHEN WILSON/If I Could Do It All Again
Writer: Rivers Rutherford/George Teren; Producer: Blake Chancey & Gretchen Wilson; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP/BMI; Columbia (CDX)
-Outstanding slide guitar work and a cool, thoughtful lyric. As usual, Gretchen nails it vocally. I think this bluesy, midtempo meditation is a gem.
BROOKS & DUNN/Indian Summer
Writer: Kix Brooks/Ronnie Dunn/Bob DiPiero; Producer: Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn; Publisher: none listed, BMI; Arista (CDX)
-Produced with crisp precision and mixed perfectly, this sounds terrific. Ronnie’s voice is right out front with a passionate delivery of a wistful story of a Kansas girl gone wrong. This is their finest single in years.
PAT GREEN/What I’m For
Writer: Marc Beeson/Allen Shamblin; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP; BNA (CDX)
-A dusty troubadour’s statement of purpose, sung with drawling sincerity by a guy who always sounds like your best buddy.
DEAN BRODY/Gravity
Writer: Dean Brody; Producer: Matt Rovey; Publisher: Magic Mustang/Oven, SOCAN/BMI; Broken Bow (CDX) (www.deanbrody.com)
-I thought “Brothers” was a great single. Brody’s follow-up is a beautiful romantic ballad with a deliciously melodic chorus. Both the singer-songwriter and super tasteful producer Rovey are on the verge of great careers.
THE TERRY ALLEN BAND/Fire Down In Texas
Writer: K. Hunter; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Texas River, ASCAP; Optimus (www.terryallenband.com)
-Muddy and muffled sounding. It was probably recorded live, so everything is kinda bleeding into everything else. The band has talent, however, and the song is solid. Get thee to a real studio.
WHITNEY DUNCAN/Skinny Dippin’
Writer: Whitney Duncan/Chris Tompkins; Producer: Mark Bright; Publisher: Springfish/Dazahit/Bug/Big Loud Songs/Big Loud Bucks, ASCAP; Reprise
-Simmering sexy summer fun.
RICHIE FIELDS/When You Love Someone That Much
Writer: Martin/Linville; Producer: none listed; Publisher: VB Three/Riddle, BMI; Joint Journey (615-319-1863)
-Propulsive and energetic, with a wonderfully upbeat, positive message. His vocal rides above the rocking track with admirable force and emotion. This is Richie’s third straight winner, I am happy to report.
TRENT TOMLINSON/Henry Cartwight’s Produce Stand
Writer: Trent Tomlinson/Danny Wells/Mark Kerr; Producer: Leigh Reynolds & Trent Tomlinson; Publisher: Hope-N-Cal/Trent Tomlinson/Songs of Springfish/Songs of Dazahit/Gimme Them Gimme Them/Eleven Katz/Bug/Cal IV, BMI; Carolwood
-Well written and full of dandy visual details. Imaginatively put together. It’s different, and different is good. Hang on for the “testimony” in the finale.
COURTNEY DASHE/Paper Airplane
Writer: Courtney Dashe; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Curvebender/Skyline/ICG, BMI; Mad Dashe (track) (www.courtneydashe.com)
-This singer-songwriter makes her disc debut with a six-song EP featuring this lilting title tune. Her voice is a highly listenable, sweet soprano, and her songwriting is strikingly original. Very promising.
BRITTNEY REED/Picture This
Writer: Brittney Lou Reed; Producer: Tracy Wilson; Publisher: none listed, BMI; Brittney Reed (www.brittneyreed.com)
-Vocally piercing, sharp, in your face and somewhat irritating.
You’d think everyone else would turn tail and flee the field.
With a new Bob Dylan album in the Americana music mix, everyone else should pack it in, right? Well, Dylan may have the Disc of the Day, but the current collections by Buddy & Julie Miller, Eric Brace & Peter Cooper and Jesse Winchester are all so winning that you’ll want to hear them in your speakers repeatedly, too.
I am in total agreement with the AMA that The Belleville Outfit is a contender for Emerging Artist of the Year. The group wins this column’s DisCovery Award.
THE BELLEVILLE OUTFIT/Time To Stand
Writer: none listed; Producer: Bil Vorndick & The Belleville Outfit; Publisher: none listed; Belleville Outfit (track) (www.bellevilleoutfit.com)
-This band dazzled me when it played before the BMI banquet last fall. Now The Belleville Outfit’s blend of pop, folk, string band and jazz elements has been captured on disc. This title tune to the record is a sprightly bopper sprinkled with fiddle, piano and electric guitar notes that make you smile. These kids are the BOMB.
JESSE WINCHESTER/O What A Thrill
Writer: Jesse Winchester; Producer: Bil Vorndick & Jesse Winchester; Publisher: Bug, ASCAP; Appleseed (track) (www.jessewinchester.com)
-What took so long? Love Filling Station is Jesse’s first studio album in 10 years. Whatever the reasons for his absence, the fact is that he remains a major, major talent. From the opening notes of this first track, he captivated me anew. The tune was originally popularized by The Mavericks back in 1994. In addition to nine originals, the collection includes lovely covers of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” Freddie Hart’s “Loose Talk” (as a duet with Claire Lynch) and the gospel tune “Far Side Bank of Jordan.” Throughout the CD, Jesse is backed by a stellar Nashville crew including Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg and Andy Leftwich. If you are unfamiliar with this man’s sound, prepare to fall in love.
STEVE EARLE & JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE/Mr. Mudd And Mr. Gold
Writer: none listed; Producer: Steve Earle; Publisher: none listed; New West (track) (www.steveearle.com)
-Steve’s tribute album to his friend and mentor Townes Van Zandt is titled simply Townes. How perfect is it that his son, partly named after the late singer-songwriter, joins him to duet on this title? Tom Morello (“Lungs”) and Steve’s wife Alison Moorer (“To Live Is to Fly”) also put in appearances on this sterling, homemade folk-music collection.
JACK WESLEY ROUTH/Another Season
Writer: Jack Wesley Routh/Randy Sharp; Producer: Randy Sharp & Jack Wesley Routh; Publisher: Ten-Cal/With Any Luck; Ninnessean (track) (www.jackwesleyrouth.com)
-This laconic ballad is the title tune and lead-off track to this singer-songwriter’s new CD. Some of you might recognize Routh’s “Shores of White Sands” (as recorded by Karen Brooks) or “The Connection” (Emmylou Harris). His own dusty, stark, spare versions of those songs are here, as are a pair of things he co-wrote with his former father-in-law, Johnny Cash-“Field of Diamonds” and the previously unrecorded “When the Trains Come Back.”
BOB DYLAN/Beyond Here Lies Nothin’
Writer: Bob Dylan/Robert Hunter; Producer: Jack Frost; Publisher: none listed; Columbia (track) (www.bobdylan.com)
-Yes, the songs on Dylan’s new Together Through Life are terrific. But what’s equally important is the extraordinary ensemble sound he conjures up on the disc. A dash of trumpet here, a dose of Tex-Mex accordion there and a rumbling rhythm section underscore his black-humor, lowered-down vocals. It’s a heady, addictive mash-up of sonic styles that this master artist pulls off brilliantly. Start with this track, then dive in deeper. For my money, this is by far the best of his late-career collections to date.
BUDDY & JULIE MILLER/Chalk
Writer: Julie Miller; Producer: Buddy Miller; Publisher: My Blind Driver/29 Cove, BMI; New West (track) (www.buddyandjulie.com)
-Americana’s favorite couple make mighty melody together on Written in Chalk. This track features Buddy’s hillbilly-soulful lead vocal and a heavenly harmony by guest Patty Griffin. The whole package has resulted in five nominations for the Millers for September’s Americana Music Awards-album, song (“Chalk”), duo or group, instrumentalist, and artist of the year.
ERIC BRACE & PETER COOPER/I Know A Bird
Writer: Eric Brace; Producer: Peter Cooper & Eric Brace; Publisher: Dry Digging Tunes, BMI; Red Beet (track) (www.redbeetrecords.com)
–You Don’t Have to Like Them Both is the debut collaboration by these two singer-songwriters. It’s a folk-country outing that kicks off with this tuneful, wistful ditty. Eric’s hearty baritone leads the way with Peter offering soft tenor harmony. Lloyd Green’s legendary steel-guitar prowess is used effectively throughout, and among the guest gunslingers are Richard Bennett, Tim O’Brien, Daniel Tashian, Kenny Vaughan and Tim Carroll. In addition to singing their own tunes, Peter and Eric draw from the works of David Olney, Kevin Gordon, Paul Kennerley, Jim Lauderdale, Kris Kristofferson and Todd Snider. Miss this one at your peril: These two sound great together.
Pictured (L-R): Costello, Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Louvin, and Museum Vice President of Public Programs Jay Orr. Photo: Donn Jones
Elvis Costello treated patrons at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum to a special interview on Monday (6/15). Costello discussed his ties to Music City, from his 1979 pairing with George Jones to his current album, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, which was recorded in Nashville with an all-star cast of musicians. During the 70-minute program, Costello shared his feelings for country music and artists such as Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons and Hank Williams, among others. Immediately following the program, Costello signed autographs in the Museum Store.
Todd Cassetty
Members of the music industry are film fans too, with several devoting time to the Nashville Film Festival by serving on the Board of Directors. Todd Cassetty, owner of Hi-Fi Fusion, and Julie Boos, business manager at Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy, Inc., have been named president and vice-president, respectively, of the 2009-10 Nashville Film Festival Board of Directors. Both served previously, Cassetty as vice-president; Boos as Treasurer.
The 2010 Nashville Film Festival is scheduled to take place April 15-22, 2010. The Call for Entries is currently open and runs through December 1, 2009.
Officers
President: Todd Cassetty, Owner, Hi-Fi Fusion
Vice President: Julie Boos, Business Manager Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy, Inc.
Treasurer: David Boyle, Business Manager, Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy
Secretary: Cindy Tyler, Developmental Dir., TN Dept. of Mental Health, Office of Legal Counsel
Past President: Stacy Widelitz, Composer/Songwriter
Board Members
Susan Clark, Bobo Entertainment
Kay Clary, Director of Media Relations, BMI
Yuri Cunza, Editor, La Noticia
Clarke Gallivan, President, Ruckus Film
Perry Gibson, Exec. Dir., TN Film, Music & Entertainment Commission
Curt Hahn, President, Film House, Inc.
David Haley, Sales, Fox Home Entertainment
Kerry Hansen, President, Big Entertainment, LLC
Tom Lord, VP Marketing, Universal Music Nashville
Carolyn McDonald, Freelance Producer, Executive Producer, writer
Tyler Middleton, Attorney, Baker & Kelly, LLC
Brandyn Payne, Sr. Director, Colleague Communications and Learning, Healthways, Inc.
Kate Pearson, The Documentary Channel
Sharica Smallwood, Board Intern
Ana Schwager, Market Manager, Southwest Airlines,
Traci Thomas, Publicist, Thirty Tigers
Andy Van Roon, Founding President, FilmNashville
Jenna von Oy, Actress
Sandra Westerman, Borman Entertainment
Bret Wolcott, Producer, GAC
The sales gulf between country’s “haves” and “have-nots” continues to widen. For the week ended 6/14/09 the Top 10 on country’s Top 75 Current Album chart accounted for 58.5% of the week’s charted sales, a total 404,523 units. In fact, the Top 6 titles rack up 45%! This means that sales are extremely concentrated among a small number of projects and artists.
Highest sales by a single artist is Taylor Swift, with two Top 10 titles represented at 35,000 and 12,169, respectively. The Hannah Montana soundtrack, whose inclusion in the country chart still hackles some Nashville record execs, sold 46,100 remaining in the chart’s Top position.
Daryl Worley (3,187) and Tracy Lawrence (2,270) had new CD debuts this week. Debuting with less than a 1,000 units were John Anderson (965), Justin Moore (964; digital only) and Trailer Choir (952).
In the male solo artist division Kenny Chesney’s Greatest Hits (31,607), now in its fourth week fell back one position to No. 3. Jason Aldean stayed steady at No. 6 (19,140) and Keith Urban slid back two spots to No. 9 (13,920).
Overview: Most metrics are little changed. Overall industry sales are down 14% YTD and country sales are now down 4%. Digital country album sales account for 11.5% of total country album sales.
Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miley Cyrus are among the nominees for the popular Teen Choice 2009 Awards. The star laden show catering to the coveted demographic will air Aug. 10 on Fox, honoring everything from music, TV, and film, to favorite athletes, celebrity babies and celeb pets.
There isn’t a Country category, so the music nominations listed here are all-genre. Swift received four nods, including favorite Female Artist, Love Song, Tour and Female Album. Underwood’s Carnival Ride is also competing for Female Album. Cyrus is one of the leading nominees, with the chance to take home 10 surfboard trophies, including one for her Country/Pop crossover single “The Climb,” which was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe.
The most nominations, 12, went to vampire teen flick Twilight and its cast. Also up for 10 awards are High School Musical 3: Senior Year and its cast, and TV’s Gossip Girl.
Teens aged 13 to 19 will be choosing their favorites, with online voting underway now at www.teenchoiceawards.com. Teens can vote once a day if they like, with balloting continuing through Aug. 1 at 12:01 AM PT.
Jessie Farrell
George Canyon, Jessie Farrell and Aaron Pritchett will perform at this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards, to be held Sept. 13 in Vancouver, BC. This year’s CCMA Award nominees will be announced at a media conference in Toronto, ON, on Wed., July 29.
Canyon is a multiple CCMA Award winner, and two-time JUNO Award winner who will open for Alan Jackson this fall. Farrell took home three CCMA Awards in 2008, including Female Artist of the Year and Top New Female Talent of the Year. She was also nominated for New Artist of the Year at this year’s JUNO Awards. Pritchett has toured with artists including Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith. He won a CCMA for Independent Male Artist of the Year and the Songwriter of the Year Award in 2007 for his anthem, “Hold My Beer.”
The show will be broadcast nationally on CBC TV with encore airings on CMT in Canada. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
It’s a holiday weekend and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s just get on with it.
Memorial Day is the traditional kick-off of summer. It will come as no surprise to any of you that Kenny Chesney’s Disc of the Day is the season’s first soundtrack tune.
We had a lot of newcomers in this week’s stack of platters. Two of them finished in a dead heat for the DisCovery Award. They are Johnny Bulford and Tim Dugger, strong singers both.
Johnny Bulford
CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL JOHNSON/The Day We Changed The Rules
Writer: Ritchie Brown/Jarrod Lee Nieman/Paul Overstreet; Producer: Brien Fisher; Publisher: Borchetta Shafer/Rainy Graham/Unichappell/Warner-Tamerlane/Marathon Key 11, BMI; Lofton Creek (615-726-0099)
-He is somewhat sharp in the pitch department. The ballad’s track is super pristine.
BULLS GAP/It Doesn’t Get Any Countrier Than This
Writer: Jerry Vandiver/Randy Archer; Producer: Steve Pope & Bulls Gap; Publisher: Peermusic III/Malaco/Universal Polygram International, BMI/ASCAP; Hoot (www.bullsgapmusic.com)
Tim Dugger
-Rowdy, raucous and more than a little racy. “She cranks my tractor…likes to roll in the hay…out behind the barn…” you get the idea.
JOHNNY LEE & CHARLIE DANIELS/We’re American Not American’t
Writer: David Chamberlain/Trey Matthews; Producer: David Chamberlain & Trey Matthews; Publisher: Questar/Sony-ATV/Batter’s Box, SESAC; David Chamberlain (615-364-8395)
-It’s a beefy anthem about our economic woes. Despite the cheesy “U.S.A.!” chants and the instrumental quotes from the national anthem, it’s actually better than you might expect.
TIM DUGGER/Gettin’ There
Writer: Billy Aerts/Tim Dugger; Producer: Kelly Schoenfeld & Dave Fowler; Publisher: none listed; TD (track) (www.timdugger.com)
-The title tune to this kid’s CD is groove-soaked delight that will make you want to put the top down, put pedal to the metal and drive, drive, drive. The backing band is made of A-list players and sounds it. The song has “hit” written all over it. Way beyond promising. Go get ’em, son.
KENNY CHESNEY/Out Last Night
Writer: Kenny Chesney/Brett James; Producer: Buddy Cannon & Kenny Chesney; Publisher: none listed; BNA (track)
-Already steaming its way into the top-10, this party-boy bopper is the only previously unreleased track on Kenny’s Greatest Hits II collection. THE sound of summer, 2009.
AARON PRITCHETT/Hell Bent For Buffalo
Writer: Aaron Pritchett/Deric Ruttan/Sean Patrick McGraw; Producer: The Franchise; Publisher: OPM/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Seananigan, SOCAN/ASCAP; OPM/Universal (track) (www.aaronpritchett.com)
-This ol’ boy is a big deal in Canada and was nominated for a Juno Award for “Thankful,” the title of his current CD. Its new single is a wide-open-spaces rocker with a solid guitar riff, a beat that doesn’t quit and a yearning lyric that he totally nails vocally. Check him out.
CRAIG BICKHARDT/Brother To The Wind
Writer: Craig Bickhardt/F.C. Collins; Producer: John Mock & Craig Bickhardt; Publisher: none listed; Stone Barn (track) (www.craigbickhardt.com)
-Formerly a country hit maker in Schuyler-Knobloch-Bickhardt, Craig has moved from Music City to the Philadelphia, PA area. But he returned to Nashville to record this acoustic, folkie gem of a disc. Its title tune features harmony vocals by the great Darrell Scott and sterling mandolin work by Andy Leftwich. Other guests on other tracks include Tim O’Brien, Beth Neilsen Chapman, Janis Ian, Rusty Young, Lloyd Maines and Maura O’Connell. A simply splendid listening experience.
JOHNNY BULFORD/Livin’ It Up
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed, BMI; JB (track) (www.johnnybulford.com)
-This 2009 Colgate Country Showdown winner sings with a ringing Southern accent. The tune is a fiddle-laced bopper with an ultra-hooky chorus about good weekend times. He definitely has the goods.
BILL COOLEY/The Return Journey
Writer: Bill Cooley; Producer: Mick Conley & Bill Cooley; Publisher: Nancy Lee/Carol Vincent, ASCAP; NLM (track) (www.billcooleymusic.com)
-In what is surely one of the longest and musically richest partnerships in Nashville, Bill Cooley has been playing guitar in Kathy Mattea’s band for 20 years. His acoustic instrumentals on his new, third collection are consistently dazzling. This title tune is full of melodic twists and turns and boasts superb bass work by Dave Roe. The guitarist composed all the songs, with exception of the set-closing Elton John gem “Madman Across the Water,” to which Mattea lends her voice.
TEMPLETON THOMPSON/Girls & Horses
Writer: none listed; Producer: Sam Gay; Publisher: Connected at the Hit, ASCAP; Reve (track) (www,templetonthompson.com)
-Templeton’s songs have been recorded by Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina and Little Texas, and she has sung demos for many of her fellow tunesmiths. The title tune to her current CD reveals the songwriter’s other passion, horses. The catches and breaks in her soprano are as ear-catching as the lilting melody. Her other current project is a multi-artist CD called On Horses’ Wings, which is a benefit for the Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in the Pacific Northwest.