Shepherd Cultivates Where Country Grows Release

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Ashton Shepherd’s sophomore album Where Country Grows hit stores yesterday (7/12), and the young MCA singer/songwriter is making the media rounds to support it. The album’s title track and second single is currently going for adds at country radio.
Shepherd’s album launch week kicked off last Friday (7/8) with a high profile performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (See video here). This week she’s on the road in the South, visiting a different city every day to promote Where Country Grows.
On Monday (7/11) Shepherd traveled to her home state of Alabama, where she gave a live on-air performance at WDXB/Birmingham. She journeyed farther south on Tuesday (7/12) when she visited with WKSJ/Mobile before an in-store event at Wal-Mart. Today (7/13) Shepherd is in Atlanta, where she will visit both WKHX and WUBL, do an in-store signing, and be taped by AOL for an episode of their “On The Road” feature. Thursday (7/14), she’ll head to Knoxville for an in-store signing and a visit with WIVK. Later, she will perform with full band at Cotton Eyed Joe. Shepherd will return to Nashville Friday (7/15) for a WKDF listener luncheon performance at Whiskey Bent and a full band performance later that night at Tin Roof/Lexington, KY.
Early reviews for Where Country Grows have been very positive. Rolling Stone gave the album four stars and declared her an “Artist To Watch.” Entertainment Weekly awarded the album with an A-, and the Washington Post selected Shepherd as one of the five top new artists in all genres to watch in 2011. MusicRow’s Robert Oermann writes that he is “hopelessly in love with this artist” in today’s “DISClaimer” column.

(L to R): UMGN's Tom Lord, WKSJ/Mobile morning co-host Shelby, Shepherd, WKSJ PD Bill Black and MCA's Louie Newman

Industry Ink Wednesday (7/13)

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Reminder–Voting for the first round of balloting for the 2011 CMA Awards closes TODAY Wed., July 13, at 5:00 p.m. CDT.

"Marie Claire's" July issue features publicist Natalie Kilgore in a spread called "The Money Diaries." Kilgore recently joined GPJ’s G7 Entertainment as Sr. Publicist/ Account Manager.


Diesel Records Debuts
Founder Drew Turner has launched Diesel Records in Nashville with the Wayne Mills Band as its flagship artist. The group’s album is called Long Hard Road and the first single “She Knows the Words” impacts radio Aug. 16. The album will include guest appearances by TG Sheppard, and was produced by Grammy winner Denny Diante. Handling media relations is Heath Scott of The Scott Organization. He can be reached at 859-948-8659 or [email protected].
DDEX Community Meeting Tomorrow
DDEX (Digital Data Exchange), the worldwide organization that develops standards for the digital supply chain, is holding an open meeting in Nashville July 14 at 8:30 AM at Belmont University’s Gordon E. Inman Conference Center. The non-profit organization will introduce local music companies to the benefits of standards implementation. The meeting is free and open to anyone who owns, produces or sells music in the digital environment. Nashville music industry representatives wishing to attend should pre-register by emailing their interest to [email protected].
Copyright Forum At Belmont
Belmont University and NSAI are teaming to bring a series of events to campus focusing on intellectual property. The Copyright Forum launched last week with a press conference about the new Copyright Alert Act, and will continue July 19 with U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn presenting a briefing on the Commerce Committee’s anti-piracy efforts.
Publicity signings: Lorrie Morgan has inked with Music City Media; and Canadian country newcomer Drake Jensen has added PLA Media to his team.

Shane Drake of Taillight TV recently directed the debut music video for "American Idol" champ Scotty McCreery. The video for "I Love You This Big" was shot on location in California. Drake also directed six of the Ford/Idol spots featured this season.


• • • Trisha Walker Cunningham and Rusty Cunningham are booking talent for a new venue in Tyler, Texas. The Kiepersol Enterprises venue holds 1,000 people, and includes a recording studio, restaurant and B&B. One of the Cunningham’s first bookings is Gary Morris on July 23. Contact [email protected] for bookings.
• • • Netflix is raising subscription prices. The movie rental company gave customers a 60% price hike when it separated its streaming service/DVD rental combo into separate offerings priced at $7.99 each. The previous combined rate was $9.99
• • • Watkins College of Art, Design & Film has named Gibson Guitar Pres. David Berryman to its Board of Trustees.
• • • Deirdre Chadwick has been named Director, Classical Music Administration for Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). She will be based in BMI’s New York office.

Sony Taps RoyaltyShare

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According to a report by Billboard’s Ed Christman, Sony Music Entertainment has retained San Diego-based Royalty Share to process mechanical and artist royalties. Involved in the agreement is the hiring by RoyaltyShare of 70 Sony employees who will continue to be based in Sony’s Lyndhurst, N.J. offices. The agreement also includes a gradual transition and shift form Sony’s processing techniques to using RoyaltyShare’s specialized software.
According to the RoyaltyShare web site, the company is able to manage sales data from all music services in one location, “From the newest online marketplace to established industry distribution channels, we support the companies you do business with. Digital sales management on our Digital Advantage platform allows you to match transactions contained in these files to individual tracks within your catalog. The result is a consolidated, aggregated sales output file that makes it easier to integrate digital data with any existing internal systems and legacy royalties software.”

Bob Kohn


The company also has a royalty management division to “deal with complex digital transacitons as well as support all forms of physical distribution…” The RS software offers U.S.  and Canadian support and is compatible with Harry Fox Agency and CMRRA reporting standards.
“Just as record labels outsource their payroll accounting to experts who monitor the latest tax laws and spread the costs over thousands of clients,” says RoyaltyShare Chairman/CEO Bob Kohn, “so too will record labels outsource their royalty accounting. The cost of building and maintaining a modern royalty accounting system from the ground up would require an investment that is not feasible for one record label, even a major. No. Now more than ever, record labels need to focus on their core competencies: marketing and A& R, not building information systems.”
 

Flamingos Flock To MusicRow

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MusicRow staffers were greeted this morning by a flock of pink flamingos on the front lawn. As reported on Monday (7/11), organizers of the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament, which benefits United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee, are promoting the fundraising event by placing pink flamingos in front of local businesses.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (7/13/11)

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“After years of being nothing, they’re all looking right at you.”
That’s what it says in our Music Row anthem, “16th Avenue.” And that’s exactly what is happening to Blake Shelton right now. All at once, everything is going this man’s way. Male Vocalist award. Superstar wife. National TV stardom. Hit after hit. He deserves them all. As well as a Disc of the Day award for “God Gave Me You.”
Our DisCovery Award goes to a Canadian singer-songwriter who has a completely captivating album called Little Red Boots. If you buy one platter from today’s stack of sounds, by all means make it hers. Remember this name: Lindi Ortega.
BADHORSE/It’s All Good
Writer: Adam Grant/Robert E. Walden II/Charlie Gilbert; Producer: Larry Blackmon & Badhorse; Publisher: none listed; Global Maximus (www.badhorsemusic.com)
—More cowbell! The first thing you hear is the snap of a beer tab, then the stomping and romping begins. And, yes, the steady rhythm is punctuated by a cowbell. These guys sound like a built-in party.
MARTINA McBRIDE/I’m Gonna Love You Through It
Writer: Ben Hayslip/Sonya Isaacs/Jimmy Yeary; Producer: Martina McBride & Byron Gallimore; Publisher: WB/Melissa’s Money/Get a Load of This/Nashvistaville/Sonya Isaacs/Black to Black, ASCAP/BMI; Universal Republic
—A wife and mother faces cancer with a strong and steady husband by her side. This kind of ballad performance is what made this lady a star. Heart tugging, to say the least.
DAVID WOOD/Ride The Wild West
Writer: Lore Orion/Robert E. Byrd; Producer: Ronnie Guilbeau, David Wood & Billy Graham; Publisher: Shy Ann/Finest, BMI; Dew Note (track) (www.davidwoodcountry.com)
—Monotonic. I’ve heard more complicated nursery rhymes.
BLAKE SHELTON/God Gave Me You
Writer: Dave Barnes; Producer: Scott Hendricks; Publisher: No Gang/Razor & Tie, ASCAP; Warner Bros.
—I worshipped writer Dave Barnes’s version of this when I reviewed it last year. Blake sure knows a dynamite song when he hears it, too. Producer Hendricks surrounds his emotional reading with chiming guitars, sighing steel and thumping percussion. A shining, glittering gem of a disc.
LINDI ORTEGA/Angels
Writer: Lindi Ortega; Producer: Ron Lopata; Publisher: ShadowBox, SOCAN; Last Gang (Canada)(track) (www.lindiortega.ca)
—Enchanting. She has one of those sweet/tart vocal instruments that manages to sound both fragile and tough within the same song. This starts out softly, but builds into a smart shuffle with terrific, suppressed, undertow energy. This gal is definitely worth your attention.
ASHTON SHEPHERD/Where Country Grows
Writer: Ashton Shepherd/Bobby Pinson; Producer: Buddy Cannon; Publisher: EMI BlackwoodGin Road/Music of Stage Three/Bobby’s Song and Salvage/BMG, BMI; MCA Nashville (track)
—The title tune to Ashton’s sophomore CD is a soaring statement of purpose. Her voice on this is a resonant, ringing, victory bell of authenticity. I am hopelessly in love with this artist.
DANE ESTOK/Semiautomatic Kind Of Love
Writer: Dane Estok; Producer: The Zods; Publisher: Sounds from Space, ASCAP; DaneEstok (track) (www.daneestok.com)
—This Nashvillian is described as “pop-country.” I’d say he leans strongly toward the “pop” end of that spectrum. Whatever the genre, this twirling and utterly engaging wisp of romance was featured on TV’s Keeping Up the Kardashians soundtrack. Somebody at the E! network definitely has ears.
RONNIE MILSAP/If You Don’t Want Me To
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Bigger Picture (track)
—This bouncy ditty evidently accompanies a dance called The Freeze. The retro, repetitive ‘80s keyboard riff is bound to jog a few memories and tap a few toes, at any rate. Jaunty and smiley, despite the somewhat downbeat lyric.
CHRISTIAN KANE/Let Me Go
Writer: C. Beathard/T. Shapiro; Producer: Bob Ezrin & Jimmie Lee Sloas; Publisher: Sony-ATV Acuff-Rose/EMI Blackwood/Piano Wire, BMI; Bigger Picture (track) (www.christiankane.com)
—This Leverage TNT-TV star sings well, with admirable expressiveness and personality. So this sounds best when he’s allowed to shine through with a minimum of production adornment. Unfortunately, during many passages, the producers just can’t leave well enough alone. Still, it’s a highly melodic improvement over his overly rocked-up debut single.
DAN SIMONIS & THE WEST TEXAS MILLIONAIRES/Heart On Fire
Writer: Dan Simonis; Producer: Greg Schumacher; Publisher: Croaking Toad, BMI; 45 Caliber (track) (www.westtexasmillionaires.com)
—File this under “arty troubadour,” if there is such a category. Actually, make that “pitch-y, arty troubadour.”

Hall of Fame Preps Chet Atkins Exhibit

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The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will pay tribute to one of country music’s most versatile and visionary artists, Chet Atkins with a new exhibit opening Friday, Aug. 12. Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player will run for 10 months and is made possible by the Gretsch Company with additional support by GAC.
Highlights of the opening weekend festivities include a talk by a Museum curator, and a panel discussion featuring Ray Stevens, Steve Wariner and Billy Edd Wheeler. The exhibit will be accompanied by a companion book, also titled Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player.
Included in the exhibit will be Chet’s first guitar, a Sears Silvertone he acquired at age 11 and upon which he taught himself to play; Chet’s 1938 Gibson L-10 designed for original owner Les Paul; and a 1946 recording contract with Bullet Recording Co. There is also a meticulous re-construction of the work-bench and shelves in Chet’s basement home studio, including tools, meters and personal effects. The exhibit employs a wealth of instruments, vintage photos, personal possessions and correspondence, as well as career-spanning audio and video.
More at Countrymusichalloffame.org.

Bluegrass Musician Kenny Baker Passes

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Acclaimed bluegrass fiddler Kenny Baker died Friday, July 8, 2011 at age 85. The Kentucky native, best known as one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, influenced future generations of fiddle players with his “long-bow” style. His four-decade career included about 20 years on-and-off with Monroe, who introduced him onstage as “the greatest fiddler in bluegrass music.” Baker is an inductee of the IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment For The Arts. At the time of his death, he was residing outside Nashville in Cottontown, Tenn.
Kenneth Baker was born June 26, 1926 in Burdine, Ky. During World War II he joined the U.S. Navy, and eventually returned home to marry Audrey Sizemore in 1946. Born into a family of fiddle players, Baker fostered his musical career while touring the South Pacific with the USO. In 1953, Don Gibson gave Baker his first break. By 1956, he had teamed with Monroe on a journey that would last intermittently until 1985. Baker helped bring Del McCoury and banjo player Bill Keith into the Blue Grass Boys.
After leaving Monroe’s band, Baker went on to play with Josh Graves, Eddie Adcock, and Jesse McReynolds.
Not surprisingly, Baker’s most popular solo album is Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe.
He is survived by wife Audrey, sons Kenneth Jr. (Holly) and Johnny Lee (Debbie), several siblings, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Services were held today July 12, 2011 at the Burdine Freewill Baptist Church in Burdine, Ky. Arrangements by Carty, Polly & Craft Funeral Home, (606) 832-2191

Likes? Follows? Why Bother?

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Looking for an afternoon info break? Some cranial nourishment? Good. Then let’s re-visit the reasons that influence a customer to follow a brand and how it affects their engagement with that brand..
The attached graphic spells out the story, but here are some of the big picture overview ideas…
One of the key drivers mentioned by both Twitter and Facebook respondents that causes someone to follow or like a brand is “special offers/deals.” The No. 2 reason is because a person is a current customer.
Most people, according to this research culled from reports by Razorfish.com, econsultancy.com and socialmedia.com, “like” 2-5 brands on FB (53.47%). About 21.2% of respondents “like” 5-10 brands on FB.
Is attracting likes and followers worth it? Does it add to a company’s bottom line? The results say definitely. In fact “an overwhelming majority are influenced by their online experience.” Of those who follow or like a brand, 70% have participated in a brand-sponsored contest and 24% have produced content to participate in a contest.
The Top five brands on Facebook and Twitter according to the information are Facebook, YouTube, CocaCola, Disney and Starbucks.
(Find this graphic here.)

 

Randy Goodman Co-chairs Nashville Music Council

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Mayor Karl Dean announced today that Music Row veteran Randy Goodman will serve as co-chairman of the Nashville Music Council. Goodman most recently served as president of Lyric Street Records in Nashville. Goodman is a member of the Country Music Association board of directors and served as president and chairman of the board in 2008 and 2009. He is also a trustee for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

“Randy is the right person to promote our Music City brand and to help Nashville continue to attract and retain musicians and other creative people,” said Mayor Dean, who also serves as co-chairman of the Nashville Music Council. “He will help us continue to improve music education in Nashville,” Mayor Dean said. “He is the right guy to convince companies that Nashville is the place to be if they want to do business in the music industry. And, like me, he believes you can never have too much live music happening in our city.”

The Nashville Music Council was launched in 2009 as a partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau to capitalize on Nashville’s identity as Music City.

“Mayor Dean has been the strongest advocate, friend and supporter of the music industry of all the elected officials I have worked with in my 30 years in the business,” Goodman said. “To get the chance to serve as a co-chair is an honor and an exciting opportunity for me. I am eager to give back and to help Mayor Dean help the entertainment industry thrive as a business in a city that attracts musicians from all genres.”

Over the past year, the Nashville Music Council has also established a partnership with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center to help incubate startups in digital media and entertainment.  Additionally, it created an education plan for 2012 and helped develop plans for Nashville’s first artists’ residence, The Ryman Lofts.
For more information, visit www.nashvillemusiccouncil.com.
 

Fox-Metoyer Promoted

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Kerri Fox-Metoyer has been named vice president of Sony United, effective July 18. In this new role, she will partner with Sony sister companies to distribute and market products and services across the Sony brand. She will continue to be based in Nashville, but outside the Sony Music office.
“Kerri has been a valued member of the Sony Music team and we are happy that her talents as a sales and marketing executive will now benefit the entire Sony family in this important new role,” says Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. “We look forward to working with her in the future to drive Sony United initiatives across our various retail partnerships.”
Fox-Metoyer was most recently VP Sales for Sony Music Nashville, where she oversaw sales and retail marketing initiatives for the label’s roster. A 20-year industry veteran, she joined the company in 2009 after previously serving as VP Sales for Walt Disney Records. Her background also includes tenures with Liquid Audio and EMI Christian Music Group.