Photo Friday

Warner Bros. Records the JaneDear girls posed for a photo with Ludacris on the red carpet at the 2011 CMT Music Awards on June 8, where the duo made their award show performance debut. They sang their up-tempo single, “Shotgun Girl” on the show’s Nationwide Stage. Ludacris also performed at the awards, in a collaboration on Jason Aldean’s current Top 10, “Dirt Road Anthem.” The remix of the song is now available on iTunes for download and the performance video will be available on June 13.

the JaneDear girls with Ludacris (center)

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The AristoMedia Group held two showcase events on June 7 to help kick off CMA Music Festival week including the AristoMedia Global Show (co-sponsored by CMA) and the Aristo Summer Show. Both events were held at downtown honky tonk The Second Fiddle. Artists performing at the Aristo Summer Show included Deborah Allen, Lacy Green, Adam Gregory, Amber Hayes, Ty Herndon, Rachel Holder, DJ Miller and Margaret Phillips. Eight international Country acts participated in the AristoMedia Global Show: High Valley (Canada), Brett Kissel (Canada), Ryan Laird (Canada), Mike & Ashley (New Zealand), Craig Morrison (Australia), Six West (Canada), Springfield (Australia) and Steve & Heather (France). Australian group The McClymonts hosted the event.

L to R: Amber Hayes, Margaret Phillips, Adam Gregory, DJ Miller, Lacy Green, Deborah Allen and Rachel Holder

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The Academy of Country Music welcomed BNA recording artist The Lunabelles to the office when they were in Los Angeles last week. While at the Academy, they sang their current single “A Place to Shine.”

(L-R): Michelle Goble, ACM SVP Membership and Events, Lunabelles Olivia Arciero, Dominique Arciero, Alex Kline, and Gabby Arciero, Tiffany Moon, ACM EVP, Managing Director and Wes Vause, BNA Publicity Photo: Michel Bourquard/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music

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Australian artist Brad Cole performed at the Boundary on June 2 in a showcase with emcee Katie Cook. Cole is credited for being one of the most added and most played country music artists on Australian radio in 2009, with three consecutive hit singles.

(L-R): Brad Cole, Katie Cook


 

Weekly Chart Report (6/10/11)


Kix Brooks was recently in the Philadelphia area for WXTU’s 27th anniversary bash at Susquehanna Bank Center (in neighboring Camden, NJ), where he played a set and served as emcee for the concert. Artists performing included Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Thompson Square and the JaneDear Girls. (L-R): WXTU GM/Market Manager Natalie Conner, Kix, George Beasley of Beasley Broadcasting.


 
SPIN ZONE
It’s a close race, but Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee” edges out Justin Moore’s “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” to earn a second week in the CountryBreakout Chart’s No. 1 spot. Capitol bros Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley are neck-and-neck at No. 3 and 4, followed by Chris Young’s “Tomorrow” at No. 5. And fresh from a big performance night at the 2011 CMT Music Awards, Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” cruises on to No. 10.
Kudos to the team over at Universal Music Group, who have managed a whole boatload of impressive figures with this chart. For starters, the record-setting Scotty McCreery single “I Love You This Big” hasn’t lost its momentum, zooming to No. 35 with the week’s highest gain of 493 spins. That puts him one spot ahead of his labelmate and hero Josh Turner’s “I Wouldn’t Be A Man.” Two more important debuts came out of the UMG camp as well–George Strait’s “Here For A Good Time,” which vaulted to No. 66 despite no prior weeks reporting, and AI finalist Lauren Alaina’s “Like My Mother Does” at No. 70.
Then there’s Brad Paisley’s “Remind Me,” featuring Carrie Underwood. It still doesn’t seem to have any official status as a single, though it hardly matters–it’s already up to No. 31 with a huge gain of 368 spins. Be on the lookout for a big debut next week from Toby Keith’s “Made In America.” Its Wednesday reveal on the CMT Awards was a little too late to get it charted today, but it’s currently right outside the Top 80 and will no doubt explode in the next cycle.
Frozen Playlists: KBCR, KNCQ, KTKS, KTTI, Nashville XM 57, Sirius XM, WCMS, WKSR, WTCR, WZZS
NEW RELEASES
Craig Morgan has new music on the way through a new agreement with Black River Entertainment. Written by the “Peach Pickers” trio of Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson, and Rhett Akins, “This Ole Boy” is shipping to radio June 21. A full length album is expected in early 2012. Fans can also keep up with Morgan on the second season of his Outdoor Channel series Craig Morgan All Access Outdoors, which starts June 25.




Upcoming Singles
June 13
Kellie Pickler/Tough/BNA
Lisa Matassa/Me Time/It Is What It Is/Nine North
June 20
Sara Evans/My Heart Can’t Tell You No/RCA
JT Hodges/Hunt You Down/Show Dog-Universal
• • • •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
George Strait/Here For A Good Time/MCA — 66
Lauren Alaina/Like My Mother Does/19 Ent./Mercury — 70
Hunter Hayes/Storm Warning/Atlantic/WMN — 74
David St. Romain/Twenty Years Late/Aria/Turnpike — 79
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Scotty McCreery/I Love You This Big/19 Ent./Mercury — 493
George Strait/Here For A Good Time/MCA — 415
Brad Paisley feat. Carrie Underwood/Remind Me/Arista — 368
Darius Rucker/I Got Nothin’/Capitol — 359
Thompson Square/I Got You/Stoney Creek — 299
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Toby Keith/Made In America/Show Dog – Universal — 200
Shawna Russell/Get Right or Get Left/Way Out West Records — 190
Susan Hickman/Just Missed This Train/4 L Clover Entertainment — 188
Sara Evans/My Heart Can’t Tell You No/RCA — 181
Jody Booth/Golddigger/Vigilante Music — 181
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
George Strait/Here For A Good Time/MCA — 29
Scotty McCreery/I Love You This Big/19 Ent./Mercury — 27
Brad Paisley feat. Carrie Underwood/Remind Me/Arista — 19
Toby Keith/Made In America/Show Dog-Universal — 15
LoCash Cowboys/You Got Me/R&J Records — 12
Darius Rucker/I Got Nothin’/Capitol — 12
Lauren Alaina/Like My Mother Does/19 Ent./Mercury — 11
Corey Smith/Twenty One/Average Joe’s — 10
Joe Nichols/Take It Off/Show Dog-Universal — 10

Ty Stone (Top Dog/Atlantic/New Revolution) stopped at WMIL/Milwaukee on his radio tour in support of his debut single “American Style.” (L-R): New Revolution’s Andy Elliott, WMIL MD Mitch Morgan, Ty Stone, WMIL PD Kerry Wolfe


Valory Music Co. Artist Brantley Gilbert recently visited with his friends at WCTO/Allentown-Bethleham. (L-R): Jerry Padden (WCTO), Jesse Franklin (BG Guitar player), Brantley Gilbert, George King (WCTO)


Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent stopped by “The Music Row Show” at Clear Channel Nashville to promote their new all duets album “Your Money And My Good Looks” and performed an acoustic version of the classic “Til The End.” (L-R): Scott Southworth (show co-host), Gene Watson, Rhonda Vincent, Heino (show co-host)

New Beginnings


LeAnn Bennett



 
>>>LeAnn Bennett has announced the formation of Bennett Entertainment Group, a full-service project development company specializing in entertainment media from conception to delivery. BEG will oversee creation and coordination of both physical and digital media including CDs, DVDs, books, film/TV, merchandising and more which can include the negotiation of rates and usage, licensing, clearances, compilation of label copy, creative services, manufacturing and delivery. Bennett recently served as Director of Special Projects at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where she was responsible for the complete management of and licensing for CMF Records, CMF Video, CMF Press, JCM, and Hatch Show Print. Contact BEG at www.bennettentgroup.com or leann@bennettentgroup.com
>>>The Board of Directors of Vanderbilt Student Communications and the Board of Directors of Nashville Public Radio have transferred the license of WRVU 91.1FM to Nashville Public Radio. The new station’s call letters will be WFCL, and its mission will be to showcase classical music and the arts and promote local performances and events. The change in format is effective June 8. WRVU’s eclectic programming format continues without interruption as an online service and will resume over-the-air broadcast service on WPLN’s HD3 channel beginning in the fall of 2011. The agreement calls for a payment of $3,350,000 from Nashville Public Radio to Vanderbilt Student Communications, gives WRVU the use of WPLN HD3 and guarantees internship opportunities for Vanderbilt students in Nashville Public Radio’s award-winning news department.

Stephanie Taylor


>>>Entertainment and Music Industry attorney Stephanie Taylor has joined the law firm of Bone McAllester Norton PLLCand will oversee the firm’s Entertainment Law Group. Prior to joining Bone McAllester Norton, she owned Stephanie Taylor Law. Ms. Taylor also has been a professor of music business at Middle Tennessee State University and directed MTSU’s Recording Industry Exchange program with Russia.
>>>The Country Network has named former KWNR/Las Vegas PD Cary Rolfe, Exec. VP. In his new role, Rolfe will be based in Nashville and responsible for the company’s artist relations, programming and promotions initiatives. Rolfe has over 30 years experience in the industry, including time with Citadel/Spokane and Giant Records. “To be able to step in and contribute to a revolutionary venture like The Country Network is very exciting,” says Rolfe. “My career has always been about the music and this opportunity offers the perfect venue to fully engage all avenues of this passion.”

CMT Awards Ratings Up 19%

According to CMT, its Wed. June 8, two and a half hour Awards presentation earned a 1.35 rating among P18-49, averaging 2.9 million viewers. Combined two-play performance ratings (the show was repeated immediately after the first run) produced the best in the history of the franchise, up 19% from last year with a total of 4.1 million viewers. CMT was also the most watched network among women 18-49, and the No. 1 rated cable program of the day for W18-49.
Compared with past years, the 2011 show was the third highest-rated over the award’s 10 year history and the fourth most-watched telecast in channel history. Ratings were the highest in franchise history in the demos of teens, females 12-17 and P12-24.
In the digital arena, CMT.com received 265,000 unique visitors for the day, up 40% from last year. Social media drove 38% of that traffic. The Twitter hashtag #cmtAwards received more than 325 mentions per minute and about 30,000 total.
Performers Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band and Luke Bryan gained four of the top 5 selling country downloads with songs included on the show in the hour after the telecast.
 

Gill Gets Chills From Duane Allman Guitar

“I have chills running down my spine,” Vince Gill told the crowd. “This was the guitar that Duane Allman played with the Allman Brothers.” Gill got the chance to play the guitar, while in Macon, Georgia, home of the Allman Brothers Band, on May 5 to do a benefit concert for the Alzheimer’s Association of Georgia.
The 1957 Les Paul Gold Top Standard is the instrument on which Allman actually recorded the rock classic “Layla” with Eric Clapton on the Derek And The Dominoes’ immortal set, 1970’s ­Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Allman also played this guitar on the first two Allman Brothers Band albums.
Allman traded the guitar a mere week later, obviously with no inkling of the importance the instrument would have in the history of rock music.  He died in a motorcycle wreck the following year. The guitar had been played in public at the band’s annual March Beacon Theater run in NYC—by band members Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks—but this is the first time it was played in Macon, GA since Allman’s death.
Watch Gill play some extended guitar solos at the concert on “Pretty Little Adrianna” below.

New Kids In Town: Idols and MP MusicHouse

American Idol winner Scotty McCreery and runner up Lauren Alaina thank some of the Mercury Nashville staff for getting their new singles played on country radio. Scotty’s song is “I Love You This Big” and Lauren’s is “Like My Mother Does.” They began work on their albums today.

(L-R) Chris Fabiani, promotion coordinator UMG Nashville; Katie Dean, vice president of Radio Marketing, UMG Nashville; Damon Moberly, Vice President -Promotion, Mercury; Scotty McCreery; Lauren Alaina; Bruce Shindler, Vice President-Southeast Promotion, Mercury; and Royce Risser, Senior Vice President - Promotion, UMG Nashville. Photo: Alan Mayor


 
 
New York songwriters and entrepreneurs, Dan Marshall and Tom Petrone have opened a Nashville office for their publishing company, MP Musichouse.  The office is located at 30 Music Square West, Suite 201.
Pictured here are: (L-R) Chris Keaton, MP Musichouse Director of Marketing Brenna Mader, Dan Marshall and Tom Petrone.

Reba Announces North American Tour

Reba has announced plans for her upcoming fall tour, which will hit 31 cities in the U.S. and Canada. Fellow Big Machine Label Group artists The Band Perry, Edens Edge, and Steel Magnolia have been tapped to open select U.S. dates starting in October.
“I am very excited about the fall tour. We are designing new production and staging. I’m looking forward to touring with The Band Perry, Steel Magnolia and Eden’s Edge. It will be a night of great music and I’m planning on having a blast,” says Reba.
The full tour schedule and ticketing information have not been announced yet, but will be available on reba.com at a later date. Reba is also scheduled to play LP Field during CMA Music Festival tomorrow night (6/10), where audience members will be treated to some of the musical selections she’ll play on the road.

Urban Partners With AT&T, Samsung

Keith Urban has secured an endorsement agreement with AT&T and Samsung Mobile, who will be the presenting sponsors of his Get Closer 2011 World Tour. The superstar will also endorse the new Samsung Infuse 4G smartphone, available exclusively through AT&T.
Launching June 16 in Biloxi, Miss., the tour’s North American leg includes more than 50 concert dates. The outing completed an Australian run in April.
From the road, Urban will record vignettes of his life on his Samsung Infuse 4G and post them to www.keithurban.net. At concerts fans will have the opportunity to appear in a video and photo with Urban via green screen technology and share their experience with friends instantly via email, Facebook or Twitter. Additionally, brand ambassadors will be at concerts capturing fan photos on the Infuse smartphone, and sending them instantly to the fans so that they can share the pics with friends and post to their social media sites.

Digital Licensing Changes To Impact PROs And Publishers

Roger Faxon


Technologists and music industry futurists have noted the need to refine and simplify digital licensing for quite some time. But despite a mantra of innovation, the music industry often moves slowly, especially with regard to revenue streams and licensing. However, the wheels may have begun turning— at last.
Last May, EMI Music Publishing announced that it was planning to bundle online mechanical and performance licenses (for EMI April) and offer them directly to online services. Previously these functions were handled by ASCAP. EMI Music Chairman/CEO Roger Faxon says in an open opinion letter published in Billboard (6/11) that publishers have to find ways to make it easier for digital services to license music.
“The simple fact is that as the representatives of the greatest songwriting and recording talent in the world, we as an industry have a duty to encourage digital platforms and services to come to a market for the benefit of creators and consumers alike. Yet…[we] cling to an existing licensing framework that does little to advance the cause of creators.”
In a companion article in the same publication writer Ed Christman notes three “competitive challenges” that could affect the way performing rights organizations in the U.S. (ASCAP, BMI and SESAC) do business, and the amount of money they are able to collect. EMI’s decision to direct license a bundle of mechanical and performance digital rights for example is quite likely to spread amongst other top level publishers and divert money away from PROs. “It’s a move other leading music publishers are expected to make,” says Christman.
Two other important factors likely to be felt by performing rights collectors are efforts to create pan-European licensing and a central/global database of repertoire information.
ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento tells Billboard, “We see the efficiency of licensing in bundles and feel strongly it will…result in a new business model over the next few years.” Both BMI’s Sr. VP Corporate Strategy Richard Conlon and SESAC’s President/COO Pat Collins also see change coming, but are optimistic about its impact as technology also creates efficiencies and new opportunities.
With respect to databases, LoFrumento says he would welcome the PROs consolidating their backroom functions. “The idea of multiple back offices with multiple personnel doesn’t bode well for us,” he says.
“Services don’t care what specific rights are called or which part of the value chain those rights sit within,” says Faxon. “They just want to get the permission to do what they want to do in a timely and efficient manner. Rather than forcing services to adapt to our processes it is incumbent on us to adapt to their needs. Only by doing so will we speed digital development. The existing licensing framework was not designed for a world in which music is omnipresent—its overhaul is essential.”

2011 © www.musicreports.com

Much Ado About Bonnaroo

Arcade Fire (L) and Eminem (R) are among the headliners at Bonnaroo 2011.


While a good portion of Nashville’s music industry will spend this weekend downtown for the CMA Music Festival, it’s a safe bet that another group will make the hour drive out to Manchester for Bonnaroo 2011.
The massive outdoor, multi-stage summer festival is now in its 10th year of existence and continues to grow more eclectic with every iteration. The 4-day lineup represents the farthest corners of musical diversity and is guaranteed to please crowds.
Headliners include Eminem, Arcade Fire, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, Buffalo Springfield (feat. Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Rick Rosas, and Joe Vitale), My Morning Jacket, Lil Wayne, Robert Plant & Band of Joy, Mumford & Sons, The Strokes, The Decemberists, Ray Lamontagne, Iron & Wine, Girl Talk, Dr. John with the Original Meters and Allen Toussaint, Alison Krauss & Union Station feat. Jerry Douglas and many, many more.
To help provide a little guidance for newbies, the nice folks over at emusic.com have put together a list of 40 must-see artists at Bonnaroo 2011. Check it out and play clips from the artists here. Similarly, Spin has a mixtape of 20 Bonnaroo artists for download from its Facebook page. Get it here and read about Spin’s 25 must-hear Bonnaroo artists here.