DISClaimer Reviews (5/26/10)

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There is plenty of activity on the Row this week.

Legal Aid reached out to the music community with a get-to-know-us breakfast at Sunset Grill yesterday. It was a real who’s-who gathering.

Later that day and across the street at Cabana, we celebrated the launch of the big Country Throwdown tour featuring Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Little Big Town, The Eli Young Band, Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham, Emily West, Jonathan Singleton, Heidi Newfield and more than 10 other attractions.

Then there was Sunday’s music-heaven Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Billy Sherrill and Ferlin Husky. What an amazing gig that was.

Somehow in the midst of all of this, I carved out a listening session. All right, I got up at the crack of dawn today to get this column done.

Give a Disc of the Day to the always impressive Gloriana. I remain an enormous fan.

For a DisCovery Award, you can’t do much better than Winfield’s Locket. I don’t know whether their project is actually available or not. But if or when it is, get it.

JENA WALKER & RODNEY WHATLEY/Stay With Me
Writer: Jena Walker/Rodney Whatley; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Jena Walker, BMI; JW (www.jenawalker.com)
—They are well matched, vocally. Both have a slightly tentative quality, as though they are new to singing. The track is very sweet, with a lilting, acoustic basis and a steady, true pacing. The song wanders around a bit, and sometimes doesn’t care to find a rhyme. But all in all, this is softly enjoyable.

BILLY CURRINGTON/Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer
Writer: none listed; Producer: Blake Mevis & Lane Caudell**; Publisher: none listed; Mercury Nashville
—He’s not much good for any kind of work. His best skill is stated in the title. Simple and relaxed sounding.

JAMIE TATE/I’ll Give My All
Writer: Renee Griffith/Jamie Tate/Lane Caudell/Blake Mevis/Bob Crumley; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Bodell/Carolina Sweet T/Blake Mevis, BMI/ASCAP; Bodell (www.jamietatemusic.com)
—She is backed by the 16-voice “82nd Airborne All-American Chorus” at the finale. They are not mixed terribly well, but there’s enough flag-waving, sis-boom-bah here for Lee Greenwood to be looking over his shoulder.

RECKLESS KELLY/The Ballad Of Elano De Leone
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Yep Roc (www.yeproc.com)
—Brightly country rocking in a Byrds-y kinda way, despite the downbeat lyric. It seems that young Elano rode his bike to work in the fields, but never came home and is feared dead.

WINFIELD’S LOCKET/Worth The Drive
Writer: none listed; Producer: Ilya Toshinskiy, Winfield’s Locket & Jason Henke; Publisher: none listed; Winfield’s Locket (track) (615-497-6791)
—The track is echoey and enchanting. Their vocals are fierce and fine. The Middle-Tennessee local traffic directions are ultra cool: “I’m a little bit hard to find…but I’m worth the drive.”

BILL ANDERSON/Thanks To You
Writer: Brad Crisler/Bill Anderson; Producer: Rex Paul Schnelle & Bill Anderson; Publisher: FSMGI/Have a Brad Day/State One Songs America/Sony ATV Tree/Mr. Bubba, IMRO/ASCAP/BMI; TWI (Track) (www.billanderson.com)
—The man is a walking legend. Fifty-two years after penning his first hit, he’s still in there slugging. Songwriter, his new CD, contains 12 brand-new compositions. And they are all jaw-droppingly good. Collaborators include such young pups as Tim Nichols, Jon Randall, Rivers Rutherford, Jamie Johnson, Brad Paisley, John Wiggins and Billy Montana. This lovely, string-soaked ballad will be his new video/single. The gist of it is he won’t ever know how it feels to score a touchdown, hit a homerun, fly a jet or climb so many other mountains. But he does know how it feels to be loved. Amen, brother.

MJ2 & CELEBRITY FRIENDS/You Can’t Say Love Enough
Writer: Don Goodman/Bill Nash/Sam Mizell; Producer: Dennis Money; Publisher: Big Hitmakers/Circle South/My Partners/Universal/MGB, BMI/ASCAP; Sweetsong Nashville
—How many gimmicks can you fit on one single? The act consists of two sets of twins—a mom, her twin daughters and her twin sister. Each set has one twin named Mollie and one named Jackie. Wait, there’s more. Guests on the disc include Dolly Parton, Andy Griggs, Wayne Newton, Buddy Jewell, Burns & Poe, Bill Anderson, Cowboy Troy (who announces his own name, just in case you don’t recognize him), Heartland, Larry & Rudy Gatlin, Heidi Newfield, T.G. Sheppard, Mark Collie, Moe Bandy, Rio Grand, Steve Wariner and Lee Greenwood. Plus, the single benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It’s a “We Are the World” style anthem.

GLORIANA/The World Is Ours Tonight
Writer: Matt Serletic, Lindy Robbins, Jess Cates; Producer: Matt Serletic; Publisher: Melusic, administered by Primary Wave/Emblem (ASCAP), Hey Kiddo Music, administered by Kobalt Music Pubilshing (ASCAP) and Right Bank Music obo itself and Lily Makes Music (ASCAP); Emblem/Bigger Picture/Atlantic (ERG)
—I love this band. As before, they revel in vocal harmony, ultra-rich melody and a rhythm-happy track. A celestial sound for the young and the young at heart.

JAKE McVEY/Red Line And Wasted
Writer: Bryan Fogle; Producer: J. Gary Smith; Publisher: Bryan Fogle, ASCAP; Purple Cow (CDX) (www.jakemcvey.com)
—This has an “outlaw” vibe. He’s out there on the road, trapped in his own wanderlust. With a sound somewhere between Southern rock and gospel, this is pretty hard to resist.

CASEY JOHNSON/Simple Girl
Writer: Casey Johnson; Producer: Larry Beaird; Publisher: none listed, BMI; Plumb Music (CDX) (918-689-0380)
—He has a solid, rube delivery. Like its title suggests, the song is direct and plain spoken. The track is a little busy, but his insistent vocal wins in the end.

Joey + Rory Prep Annual “Bib & Buckle Fest”

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Vanguard/Sugar Hill Records artist Joey + Rory are readying the 2nd Annual Bib & Buckle Fest, which has been dubbed the Unofficial CMT Can You Duet Season I Reunion. On Saturday, June 5 in Pottsville (45 minutes south of Nashville), the duo will be joined by Can You Duet cast members Caitlin & Will and Kate & Kacey as well as other cast members and musical acts for their annual community event with family, friends and fans. The event is put on in partnership with their family-owned restaurant, Marcy Jo’s Mealhouse, and is sponsored by Lyons-Chevrolet, Buick and GMC in Lewisburg, TN and workwear retailer Carhartt.

“We had been doing this for a few years before it got it’s official name,” says Rory. “It was originally created as a homecoming concert and a day of family fun, food and music for all of our neighbors. When people actually started coming in from as far as Michigan, Florida and even Washington State, we decided it needed to be a special yearly event.”

“When you travel all over the country singing for people like we do, it’s so neat to be able to have them come to us and to share our own community with them.” Joey says. “The name Bib & Buckle fest? Well, it’s kind of obvious I guess. I’ve always worn a belt buckle with my jeans and Rory loves his Carhartt bib overalls.”

The music begins at 3:00 PM and the eating at 5:00 PM. Live music will continue into the evening with the hosts’ headlining performance beginning at 7:00 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or quilts for seating to fully enjoy a fun family evening outside in the grass and under the stars.

“This year, for fun, we decided to make it a Can You Duet Season 1 reunion and invite some of the other artists that were on the TV show with us in 2008”, says Rory. “They are all so talented and honestly, we never get to see each other any more. This is a chance for us to all reconnect, and even more…for our fans to connect with the other artists they loved on the show also.”

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under (ticket price includes meal, dessert, drinks and entertainment.) To purchase tickets, visit www.joeyandrory.com or call Marcy Jo’s at 931-380-0968. Rain date is scheduled for Sunday, June 6, 2010.

Joey+ Rory's Annual Bib & Buckle Fest

Big Kenny Joins “Rock Band”

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Country music’s Big Kenny is partnering with the gaming phenomenon Rock Band to bring relief and donations to Nashville’s flood victims.

Kenny is one of the many artists joining Rock Band Relief, an organization that helps artists convert their music into playable songs for the Rock Band video game series. These tracks can be purchased from the Rock Band Network online store and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross to help with the recent disaster. Any part of the sales commission the artist receives and wishes to donate to Red Cross will be matched by RockBandRelief.org.

“Big Kenny is a natural uplifter of people and has the ability to inspire hope in those around him,” says John Griffin, Executive Director of the Rock Band Relief project. “He is extremely well-respected in the music community, especially in Nashville where people are really in need of some hope right now. We’re so proud to be partnering with him and we hope this project will serve as a natural extension of his mission to make the world a better place through music.”

Big Kenny has contributed the songs “One More Time” and “Happy People” from his album The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy. These songs are currently undergoing the Rock Band conversion process and should be available to gamers in about 2 months. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from all downloads of the MP3 versions of Kenny’s songs via the Amazon links on the Rock Band Relief website will also be donated to the Red Cross.

CMT Awards Lines Up Celeb Presenters


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Celebrities from all facets of the entertainment industry have lined up to present at the 2010 CMT Music Awards, including celebrity cook Paula Deen, American Idol’s Kara Dioguardi, the NFL’s Terrell Owens, actress Hayden Panettiere, NASCAR legend Richard Petty and Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson.

In addition, country superstars Trisha Yearwood and Zac Brown Band are scheduled to present at the ninth-annual awards show, which will air live on Wednesday, June 9 at 7:00 PM/CT on CMT.

Hosted by Kid Rock, the 2010 CMT Music Awards will feature performances from country music’s biggest stars, including Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band, with more to be announced.

Fans can vote online at vote.CMT.com through June 8 to determine the winners. The final nominees for Video of the Year will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can then vote at CMT.com and via text message throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

Reading, Writing & Rhythm For Second Harvest

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The 10th Annual Reading, Writing and Rhythm benefit concert has just added country group SHeDAISY to the star-studded lineup. The concert, set for June 8 at TPAC’s James Polk Theater in Nashville at 8:00 PM, will also have drop boxes for fans to donate non-perishable food items for Nashville’s Second Harvest Food Bank which suffered greatly in the recent floods. The person who brings the largest delivery of non-perishable food goods to the Second Harvest bins will win two VIP passes backstage to meet the participating artists and two seats for the concert. They will also visit in the VIP area before the show, receive an autographed event poster, and an eco-friendly gift bag.

SHeDAISY joins a long list of top artists performing including Rodney Crowell, Jamey Johnson, Bucky Covington, Justin Moore, Buxton Hughes, Jann Arden, and Reading, Writing & Rhythm’s Founder, Chely Wright. In addition to collecting food donations for Second Harvest, all proceeds will benefit Tennessee schools devastated by the flood. Tickets are on sale now and are available for purchase here.

“We have seen a wonderful response from the community, and we are blessed to have such great support through events like Reading, Writing and Rhythm,”  says Jaynee Day, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

The evening is guaranteed to be filled with surprise guest appearances; live on-stage auction items and a silent auction all benefitting Nashville area schools devastated by the recent flooding.   For more information on Reading, Writing and Rhythm click here.

http://www.rwandr.org/

Lady A Steps Up For Flood Relief 

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ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum and their fans are joining together to help out Nashville flood recovery efforts. The trio announced today that all proceeds from their sold out fan club event on June 10 will benefit Nashville flood relief. In addition, a live stream of the intimate concert will be available on their web site for a minimum $5 donation. The live stream of the show will be hosted on www.ladyantebellum.com and www.livestream.com. After participating in GAC’s Music City Keep on Playin’ benefit at the Ryman, the trio is eager to keep the Nashville flood in the spotlight.

“It was great to be a part of the benefit at the Ryman…to see how everyone is coming together for Nashville and the surrounding areas is really inspiring,” says Dave Haywood.  “We want to keep doing our part because it isn’t over yet…Music City has a long way to go. Streaming the event online is a cool way for us to include more of our fans in this event, and all the money goes to a great cause.”

To order tickets for the live stream concert please visit www.ladyantebellum.com/live.

Gibson Unveils Flood Relief Donation Banks

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Gibson Guitar and the Gibson Foundation have announced the list of Nashville venues and businesses where Music City Flood Relief Donation Banks have been placed to help aid the victims of the recent Nashville floods. Gibson Guitar donation banks created from actual Gibson guitar cases have been placed throughout the city for visiting patrons to make a donation. 100% of all proceeds will benefit the flood victims in Nashville and surrounding affected areas. Businesses and venues where donation banks can be found are:

Business Locations:
Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitor’s Center
Located in the Bridgestone Arena
501 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203

Diana’s Sweet Shoppe
318 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37201

Gibson Café
Located in the Nashville International Airport
Nashville, TN 37214

Embassy Suites Hotel at Vanderbilt
1811 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

Hotel Indigo
301 Union Street
Nashville, TN 37201

Venues:
Hard Rock Café
100 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37201

Ryman Auditorium
116 5th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37219

Mercy Lounge
1 Cannery Row
Nashville, TN 37203

Cannery Ballroom
1 Cannery Row
Nashville, TN 37203

12th and Porter
114 12th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203

3rd and Lindsley
816 3rd Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37210

The 5 Spot
1006 Forrest Avenue
Nashville, TN 37206
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Dan McGuiness
1538 Demonbreun Street
Nashville, TN 37203

The Gibson guitar case banks will be placed in area establishments in Nashville through June 18, 2010, when the initiative will culminate in a final push to raise funds through a sponsored event titled Night Out for Nashville – An Evening for Music City Flood Relief. All participating businesses and venues with donation banks will rally this day and night to host simultaneous final encouragements for donations to be made to the guitar banks. Music events and special incentives will encompass the close of this evening with all donations made to the guitar case banks going directly to the Gibson Foundation Flood Relief Programs. Night Out for Nashville is supported by Gibson Foundation, Nashville CVB, Next BIG Nashville, American Songwriter, and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.

For more information on Night Out for Nashville and for updated lists as to where Gibson Guitar case donation banks have been placed go to www.gibson.com/nightoutfornashville.

Zac Brown and Dodge Request “Letters For Lyrics”

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More than 70,000 people have shown their appreciation to U.S. soldiers stationed across the world by submitting letters at their local Ram Truck dealership or Zac Brown Band’s recent concerts. However, for the Ram Truck Brand and Zac Brown Band that is simply not enough. The Ram Truck Brand and Zac Brown Band partnered for Letters for Lyrics, a national letter-writing campaign aimed at U.S. soldiers deployed around the world. Together, they want to send 1 million letters of appreciation to U.S. soldiers and they will not stop until they reach that goal.

In exchange for writing a letter to a U.S. soldier, participants receive a special compilation CD titled, Breaking Southern Ground. This exclusive CD features three new songs from Zac Brown Band, as well as music from artists signed to Zac Brown’s label, Southern Ground Artists – Sonia Leigh, Nic Cowan and Levi Lowrey.

“The Ram Truck Brand has been moved by the kindness and gratitude that has been expressed so far to our men and women in the military,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand. “As we head into Memorial Day – a holiday that remembers those who dedicated their lives for our freedom – I encourage everyone to take a few moments this week to visit their local Ram Truck dealership to write a letter of support to our military men and women who show commitment and valor to this great country.”

“We’re so proud of the immediate response we’ve received for ‘Letters for Lyrics’ over the past two weeks,” said Zac Brown. “The support our fans have shown and the stories they’ve shared with us about how the campaign has moved them to show their appreciation is truly inspirational. This Monday, as we observe Memorial Day, we’ll show our respect for the U.S. men and women who have given their lives in the military service and send our thoughts to those out there protecting our country and way of life. We ask that everyone help us show your appreciation for their heroic efforts.”

Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit organization, will deliver the letters on behalf of the Ram Truck Brand and Zac Brown Band. Soldiers’ Angels is a volunteer-led organization with over 225,000 members providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, along with veterans and their families.

“We are proud of the way America stands wingtip-to-wingtip in support of our American service members and encourage everyone to head to their local Dodge Ram Trucks dealership or Zac Brown concert and participate in one of the greatest collaborative troop support outreach projects in the history of the global war on terror,” said Patti Patton-Bader, Soldiers’ Angels Founder.

As part of the “Letters for Lyrics” campaign, RamTrucks.com also debuts the video installment of For Those Who Serve, a documentary of Zac Brown Band’s visit to U.S. soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf. This exclusive behind-the-scenes video is directed by Darren Doane, the CMT-nominated director of Zac Brown Band’s live Pass the Jar DVD (Southern Ground/Atlantic) and their music video for the No. 1 hit “Toes.” Doane traveled with the band to the Persian Gulf to document the moving experience, capturing footage of the band performing for the troops and meeting with the men and women in uniform. Chapters from Doane’s documentary will debut on RamTrucks.com throughout the campaign.

Big Kenny Signs With RPM Management

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Country star and humanitarian Big Kenny announced today (5/25) that he and his Glotown entertainment company have partnered with Scott Siman of RPM Management for personal management and strategic oversight of his entertainment and humanitarian endeavors. Big Kenny embarked on a solo career last fall and in April launched Big Kenny’s Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show to share the healing power of music and to promote his philosophy of music without prejudice.

Big Kenny has written hits for himself (“Long After I’m Gone”), Jason Aldean (“Amarillo Sky”), Gretchen Wilson (“Here for the Party”) and Tim McGraw (“Last Dollar”), as well as being the “Big” of Big & Rich. He is known for his charitable endeavors across America and internationally. The singer recently performed a concert in support of efforts to stop mountaintop mining and completed two trips to Haiti where he helped search for survivors, aided rebuilding efforts and performed 13 shows for US troops and international aid workers.

“I am jazzed to be representing the talent and humanitarian interests of Big Kenny,” said Siman. “Just as Kenny does things differently musically, we are going to match him with a new business model and unique marketing approach for his artistry and humanitarian efforts. It’s easy for the industry to put someone like Kenny through the same types of things that have always been done but I want to build a system and a support team tailored to the way Kenny creates his music and art. And he knows how to write smash hits!”

“I have known Scott since I toured with Tim McGraw and we worked together on the single ‘Last Dollar’,” said Big Kenny. “His track record as an attorney, label executive and manager is unparalleled. I appreciate his perspective on the changing entertainment industry. He has proven that he is not afraid of trying new and different ways of marketing and promoting music and art. And he is a fine golfer!”

Big Kenny has established his Love Everybody Foundation to further his charitable works. The foundation is affiliated with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. As an active humanitarian, Big Kenny is helping spearhead a major historical preservation development in Deadwood, SD, and helping rebuild Haiti and Nashville after the recent natural disasters.

Digital Summit and Next Big Nashville Join Forces

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Nashville’s two most progressive music events, Next BIG Nashville (NBN) and Leadership Music Digital Summit (LMDS) have united to create the best of both within a week-long conference and festival. The combined events will take place September 28-October 2 in Nashville. Both NBN and LMDS have had major impacts on the cultural landscape of Music City over the last five years, bringing music and creative minds to Nashville as well as giving a platform for the city’s best and brightest.

“This move made so much sense for us,” says NBN co-founder Jason Moon Wilkins. “The quality and credibility Leadership Music’s speakers, alumni and attendees bring to the new combined event is invaluable. The performing NBN bands will be exposed to more industry insiders and digital innovators. The potential for new creative collaborations increases and this really furthers our mission of telling the full story of Music City and the countless crossroads, musical and business, that run through it.”

Karen Oertley, Executive Director, Leadership Music, adds, “By combining Leadership Music’s Digital Summit and Next BIG Nashville, we are able to offer the best of the best in one event. Attendees will learn from a stellar lineup of speakers and panelists by day and hear incredible music by night. This promises to be a ‘must attend’ event for everyone with an interest in the future of music and entertainment.”

For five years Next BIG Nashville has showcased the future of music by featuring artists from the world of rock, pop, hip hop, indie, roots, and more performing throughout the city, accompanied by informative industry panels and speakers. During the same five years, the Leadership Music Digital Summit has been on the cutting edge of music and digital media by hosting panels, discussions and demonstrations featuring key players and innovators dedicated to the creative, business and legal aspects of digital music in the new millennium. With the combined success, knowledge and experience of NBN and LMDS, the united events will prove to be one of the most important and valuable music industry events taking place today.

The announcement of the newly merged event has drawn praise from both civic and industry leaders.

“The Chamber believes that supporting the evolution and growth of the music industry is one of the most important economic development objectives that we can have as a city,” says Janet Miller, Chief Economic Development Officer, Nashville Chamber of Commerce. “The alignment of the Digital Summit with Next BIG Nashville is a huge step forward in creating the sort of focal point that we as a city need to be perceived as a thought-leader in the industry and to further cement our place as the best music city in the world.” Butch Spyridon, President, Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau says, “Outstanding work by all involved! This is a brilliant collaboration, at an extremely opportune time. The dividends will pay off for both organizations for years to come.”

The union of Next BIG Nashville & Leadership Music Digital Summit will provide opportunities for independent artists, established artists, application developers, digital graphics designers and music industry employees of any capacity. Attendees can listen to and discuss topics with managers, labels, ISPs, songwriters, mobile operators, consumer product developers, digital music services, retailers, publishers and content aggregators during the day.  At night, see 150+ emerging and established artists in 15+ venues in one of the most important cities in music history. More details and earlybird tickets coming in early June.