DISClaimer (reviews) 4/28/10

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Did somebody suddenly crank up the quality on Music Row?

I can’t remember the last time that so many singles vied for the top slot in one week. And in such a dazzling diversity of styles. There’s Jack Ingram’s sneering “Barbie Doll,” The Warren Brothers inspirational “Dear Mr. God,” Dierks Bentley’s minor-key mountaineer “Up on the Ridge,” Chelsea Field’s rocking “Things I Should’ve Said,” John Arthur Martinez’s haunting “Can’t Outdrink the Truth” and Marty Raybon’s sexy “The Heat Is On.” Any one of them is good enough to be a Disc of the Day.

In the end, I had to go with the gutsiest platter maker. That would be Dierks Bentley stepping out of his comfort zone with his boldly creative venture. Besides, he’s on the Jack Ingram single, too.

Weep not for Chelsea Field. She edges out fellow newcomers Frankie Ballard and Woody Bradshaw and wins this column’s DisCovery Award.

CHRIS HEERS/Happy Thought
Writer: Chris Heers; Producer: Pat McGrath & Chris Heers; Publisher: Saddlefarm, ASCAP; Saddlefarm (www.chrisheers.com)
—Chris goes two for two. I loved his “Dirt Rich” single, and this one is even catchier. Over an acoustic track and a steady tempo, he lends his sturdy, soulful voice to a lyric about facing hard times by gazing at the family who loves him. Very tender and winning.

FRANKIE BALLARD/Tell Me You Get Lonely
Writer: Marty Dodson/Dallas Davidson; Producer: Michael Knox; Publisher: Back to Back/Songs That Sell/EMI Blackwood/String Stretcher, BMI; Reprise
—I like the little rasp in his voice and the oomphy, chunky production. Promising, to say the least.

SHAWN JENNINGS/My Desire
Writer: Shawn Jennings; Producer: Shawn Jennings & Steve Carr; Publisher: none listed, BMI; SRB (www.southernrootsband.com)
—Thin sounding. The track is little more than a steel guitar and a rhythm section. The vocal lacks passion. The melody is dull.

DIERKS BENTLEY/Up On The Ridge
Writer: Angelo/Dierks Bentley; Producer: Jon Randall Stewart; Publisher: none listed; Capitol Nashville (track)
—The title tune to Mr. Bentley’s upcoming acoustic project is a moody, bluesy outing with loads of sonic atmosphere. The minor-key melody is enlivened by a jittery tempo, jazzy-captivating mandolin and ghostly backup vocals. A sound to get lost in.

CHELSEA FIELD/Things I Should’ve Said
Writer: Kelly Archer/Blair Daly/Troy Verges; Producer: Trey Bruce; Publisher: Ole, no performance rights listed; Moxy (www.chelseafieldofficial.com)
—She definitely has the vocal firepower to pull off this searing, sizzling rocker. Go, baby. You are coming in loud and clear.

THE WARREN BROTHERS/Dear Mr. God
Writer: Brad Warren/Brett Warren; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Style Sonic, no performance rights listed; Bonded (track)
—Drawn from the soundtrack of Letters to God, this moving meditation perfectly captures the touching texture of the film, itself. Nicely done, boys.

WOODY BRADSHAW/The Last Thing You Do
Writer: none listed; Producer: Jeff Nystrom; Publisher: none listed; W (track) (www.woodybradshaw.com)
—“Would you be okay with the way they remember you/If the last thing you did was the last thing you do?” In other words, tell her you love her every day. Alrighty, then.

MARTY RAYBON/The Heat Is On
Writer: Marty Raybon/John Fountain/Tommy Wright; Producer: Maarty Raybon & Paul Carrol Binkley; Publisher: none listed; GrandVista (www.martyraybon.com)
—He’s working in the scorching sun, but daydreaming about an even hotter time he’ll have when he gets home. The track is appropriately steaming and sexy, and it goes without saying that his performance is perfect.

JOHN ARTHUR MARTINEZ/Can’t Outdrink The Truth
Writer: Walt Wilkins/Liz Rose; Producer: Lew Curatolo; Publisher: none listed; Apache Ranch (track) (www.apacheranchrecords.com)
—What a cool song. The deep percussion thump and swirling steel underscore a downbeat lyric of lost love. The smoky vocal has a hushed, haunted vibe that really draws you in. Radio ready.

JACK INGRAM & DIERKS BENTLEY/Barbie Doll
Writer: Jack Ingram/Todd Snider; Producer: Jeremy Stover; Publisher: Beat Up Ford/Bug/Nobody’s Collecting on These Songs, BMI; Big Machine (track)
—I am amazed that this hasn’t been a single before now. It has been a big fan favorite at Jack’s concerts for years. With its snarky, hooky chorus it practically commands you to sing along. And do they ever. Can you say, “hit?” I thought you could.

New Label, New Single For Adkins

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Trace Adkins is getting ready to release his debut single for his new label, Show Dog-Universal Music. “This Ain’t No Love Song,” written by Tony Lane , Marcel and David Lee, will be released on Monday, May 17.

“We are so pumped to have Trace join our roster, and equally as excited that he has given us such a fantastic album,” says Mark Wright, President, Show Dog-Universal Music. “The first single is a great example of how Trace can take a lyric and put the listener right in the middle of the story line. This is a perfect match of a brilliant communicator delivering an incredible piece of music.”

“Toby has said this new music has a smile on it and maybe that’s just a reflection of where I’m at right now,” says Adkins. “I have this new sense of invigoration and making this record was a lot of fun.”

Adkins will debut the new single at the 59th Annual Miss USA Pageant that airs live on NBC, Sunday, May 16 at 6:00 CT from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Adkins’ new album, Cowboy’s Back in Town hits stores nationwide August 24.

For more information, visit www.traceadkins.com.

Joe Nichols Partners With Roper

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Roper Apparel and Footwear have announced that Show Dog-Universal Music artist Joe Nichols will become the face of the brand, which, among other things, includes an extensive advertising and marketing campaign.

The advertising campaign will kick off in May with a series of magazine ads, leading up to the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Additionally the artist will be featured on Point-of-Purchase marketing materials in 1,100 retail stores nationwide.

“Joe embodies the traits of tradition, hard work and family; three things we feel define the Roper brand,” says Roper Marketing Director Kerry Vastine. “We hope that this is just the beginning of a long and lasting relationship between Joe and Roper.”

“I am very excited about my relationship with Roper and like the fact that this partnership developed naturally,” Nichols says. “There are quite a few similarities in our attitudes toward our respective businesses, and I appreciate that. This partnership feels good, and I am happy to be a part of it.”

In addition, Nichols will also participate in a number of autograph signings and in-store appearances at Roper Retailers, beginning with the Roper booth at CMA Music Festival. The company also plans to offer several contest opportunities throughout the year.

Jewel Release Date, Benefit At Bluebird

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Jewel welcomed radio guests to the Valory suite at the MGM in Las Vegas recently to preview her new album "Sweet And Wild" during a Sunday morning brunch. Pictured above is Jewel with members of her Valory team (L-R): John Zarling, George Briner, Jon Loba and Chris Loss.

Jewel’s second release on Valory Music Co., Sweet And Wild, will be in stores June 8. She is taking a unique approach with the project, offering fans two different versions of the songs on the album—the full studio version, and the alternate acoustic track which showcases the songs in their original state. The acoustic set will be called Sweet And Mild.

“These are the tracks I cut at my home studio by myself,” she explains. “And these are the tracks I took to Nashville that Nathan [Chapman] and I created the album around. Here they exist in their most pure state, as they were written. They are blank canvases that can still go any which way…Sometimes we really changed the song when we dressed them up, [while] others stayed very similar to what was already there.”

Jewel will perform acoustic concerts tomorrow night (4/28) at The Bluebird Café, with shows at 6 PM and 9 PM to benefit her non-profit organization Project Clean Water. There are three tiers of seating/ticket pricing: $50, $100 and $250. The $250 tier includes a meet and greet before the show. A portion of all ticket sales is tax deductible. www.bluebirdcafe.com.

Power To The Creators

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[Nashville Post by Mark Wheeler] To Tim Smith, confusion is costly — especially when it comes to copyright management in the entertainment sector.

Smith’s MyWerx, which was founded in late 2008, applies aspects of social networking and wiki platforms to allow content creators from the music, video and film worlds to manage the copyright information of their life’s work in real time. MyWerx’s patent-pending technology organizes works by date of creation, location, inspiration, percentage splits and more.

“There are a lot of things in the industry that don’t work for the benefit of the writers. Having an industry that is very transparent in its accounting behooves everyone,” he said.

Smith has enlisted a big-name list of Music Row veterans to help MyWerx grow. Among them are Tim DuBois, who in February was tapped to lead ASCAP’s Nashville office, as well as former echomusic chief Mark Montgomery and Barry Coburn of Ten Ten Music Group.

“Ownership information changes with new deals, splits, deaths, divorces, all on one song or item,” said Smith, who helped run Copyright Management Inc., one of the first copyright administration systems, for much of the 1980s and launched Copyright.net about a decade ago. “So the big problem is, the ownership information is constantly changing. If you had to have an organization full of data-entry clerks keeping up with that information, it would cost an arm and a leg. We leverage the power of community to do the data entry.”

Read the full story…

Wynonna, Taylor Swift, Colt Ford Partner With Big Brands

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Wynonna Judd is releasing a new album through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® to support the Wounded Warrior Project. The Curb Records artist will release Love Heals, a collection of hit singles and three other previously unavailable tracks. The new CD is available for pre-order and will arrive in all Cracker Barrel locations on May 24th.

Cracker Barrel will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every Love Heals CD to the Wounded Warrior Project which assists wounded service men and women and their families.

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Sony Electronics has teamed up with Taylor Swift to promote its latest Cyber-shot® digital cameras in an integrated marketing campaign. The ads with Swift focus on the camera’s sleek style and iSweep Panorama feature that captures shots in an easy “press and sweep” motion.

Primetime advertising spots featuring Swift discovering that she can capture the breadth of her audience with the camera are airing on NBC, FOX and CW, accompanied by digital and print ads carried out through June.

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Average Joes Entertainment and Zaxby’s have partnered to offer Colt Ford fans the opportunity to get a free Zax Meal Deal when they purchase a copy of Ford’s latest album, Chicken And Biscuits.

The first 50,000 copies of the album shipped to retail included an offer of a free Zaxby’s Meal Deal upon joining the chicken establishment’s email club.

Katie Armiger In GAC Web Documentary

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Cameras followed rising country singer Katie Armiger for a year, capturing her journey. The result is d’tour to Nashville, a web documentary which is available now exclusively on GAC.com.

Produced by Julie Dove, the movie includes Armiger’s headlining national mall tour last summer, interviews with industry professionals, and lots of behind-the-scenes footage.

Armiger has partnered with GAC several times in recent years. In 2008 the network offered her six-week webseries Kapturing Katie, it also sponsored her mall tour, and paired with her on the 2009 promotion “Kapturing A Love Song with Katie Armiger.”

Armiger’s current single “Kiss Me Now,” from her forthcoming third album on Cold River Records, is in the Top 40 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart, making it her highest charting single to date.

Urban/Mayer Crossroads; Bentley On Leno Tonight

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John Mayer and Keith Urban on "CMT Crossroads."

Grammy winning guitar gods John Mayer and Keith Urban are the latest pairing for CMT Crossroads. The episode, premiering Friday, June 18, was taped before an invitation-only audience in Nashville. Their set includes Urban hits “If Ever Could I Love,” “’Til Summer Comes Around” and “Sweet Thing,” and Mayer favorites such as “Perfectly Lonely” and “Gravity.” They wrap the show with a cover of George Michael’s pop-rock classic “Faith.”

The collaboration of Mayer and Urban marks the first time artists have returned to the CMT Crossroads stage since the series launched in January 2002. Urban and John Fogerty were featured in a 2005 edition, and Mayer paired with Brad Paisley for an episode that premiered in 2004.

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Dierks Bentley will debut the lead and title track from his forthcoming bluegrass-influenced album Up On The Ridge tonight (4/27) on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The song, written by Bentley and Angelo Petraglia, features Petraglia on acoustic guitar, Sam Bush on mandolin and background vocals by Alison Krauss.

Early reviews of the album due June 8 are stellar. MusicRow’s Robert Oermann called it “the first masterpiece country album of 2010.” Get a short video preview of the project here.

Bentley kicked off his Up On The Ridge tour of 24 shows in 30 days this past weekend with sold out crowds in Portland, OR; Boulder, CO; Colorado Springs, CO; and Austin, TX. The run continues through May 22 with a final show at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.

Mobile Spawns Location-Based Search

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Gowalla

Social networks that revolve around following a user’s geographic location, such as Foursquare and Gowalla may soon become irrelevant, according to a recent Ad Age article (3/22/10 by Kunur Patel) which predicts that location-based marketing will become an integral part of all web sites and critical for advertisers.

Imagine if advertisers knew your location at all given moments, plus had detailed data concerning your likes, dislikes and purchasing decisions. It would only be a matter of time before mobile search could give you local answers and suggestions that matched some of your favorites and might even pop up with suggestions based upon your age, size and style tastes.

Kip Cassino, VP-research at Borrell Associates tells Ad Age, “What used to be called point-of-purchase is now called mobile advertising. Mobile can be an extension of a retailer’s storefront.” Once you begin tracking where consumers are, the barriers between advertising and promotion start fading away.

Mobile ad group product manager for Google, Paul Feng explains, “We think of location as a hugely important signal. Foursquare is really innovating for small businesses and that’s fantastic. But ultimately that’s just one piece of the opportunity.” Feng notes that about one-third of all mobile searches have local intent. With that in mind Google has recently allowed advertisers to add phone numbers to mobile ads so consumers can click to call.

Cassino predicts, “The demand for stationary computers is going to dry up on a consumer level. One quarter of Facebook’s 400 million users access its network from mobile devices and they tend to be almost twice as active as the non-mobile crowd. The article also suggests Facebook will introduce location-based features during April.

Lady A Goes Double Platinum

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The success story continues. Lady Antebellum racked up five trophies at the ACM Awards earlier this month and now comes the news that the band’s latest Need You Now has reached double Platinum certification for shipments of 2 million units. Lady A’s sophomore album is spending its 12th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Country albums chart. Meanwhile, the title track was simultaneously certified triple Platinum.

“We’ve dreamed about these types of milestones, but when it starts to become a reality, it takes a while for it to really settle in,” says Dave Haywood. “We are just trying to take it all in and enjoy the moment and hopefully make our incredible fans really proud.”

The Capitol Records Nashville trio hit another milestone last week, selling out its first headlining show in New York City, set for May 10 at the Nokia Theatre.

Look for the band on Fox’s American Idol on Wed., April 28.