Weekend Notes, Artist Updates

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Tune in to CMT’s Southern Fried Flicks With Hazel Smith at 6 pm tomorrow (8/20) for the CMT original movie, To the Mat starring Laura Bell Bundy and Ricky Schroder. (L-R): host Hazel Smith, Laura Bell Bundy


Women Rock For The Cure’s annual Pink Trash Ball takes place tomorrow (8/20) at Aerial in downtown Nashville (411 Broadway). The pink-themed night features pink cocktails, a DJ, and festive pink attire. Tickets are $10 at ticketalternative.com, and benefit Women Rock For the Cure initiatives.
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Jason Aldean will donate all proceeds from his September 30 show in Roanoke, VA to Susan G. Komen for the Cure as part of his 6th Annual Concert For the Cure. Tickets for the show at Roanoke Civic Center go on sale August 26 and can be purchased at www.hometownbanktix.com or www.livenation.com.
“Breast cancer is something that’s affected me, my family and just about everyone I know,” says Aldean. “Last year, we took the benefit on the road and raised a lot of money in Evansville, Ind. It was such an incredible night! I love looking out and seeing all the pink tshirts in the crowd…it’s amazing what we can do and how much money we can raise when we all come together for this cause.”
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Ronnie Wood with Brad Paisley





Brad Paisley has taken his tour to Europe, where he recently performed to a full house at the O2 Arena in London. During the encore Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood joined him onstage, and the pair perfomed “Let The Good Times Roll.” The show closed out with opening performer Darius Rucker joining them for Paisley’s hit “Alcohol.” Paisley’s tour rolls on through Europe this weekend with shows in Ireland and next week with shows in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Montgomery Gentry Album Arrives After Difficult Year

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Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry—award-winning duo Montgomery Gentry—will soon release the duo’s seventh studio album, Rebels on the Run. The new 11 song collection will be available from their new label home Average Joe’s Entertainment, on Oct. 4, 2011.
“In a lot of ways the past year has been has been nothing but hell,” said Eddie Montgomery, whose life was upended with the C-word and D-word late last year. He was blindsided by news of prostate cancer, which was fortunately  caught early, promptly treated it and is now in remission. A short time later, his wife filed for divorce. “Man, without T-Roy and my family, this music, our fans and the Man upstairs, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through it.”
“I don’t know if we would have made the same album if we hadn’t been through everything we’ve been through in the last year,” added Troy. “We’ve always tried to record songs about things we’ve lived or seen, but the depth of all of those experiences really comes out in this album.”
Average Joe’s instructed Eddie, Troy and producer Michael Knox, to “Go in and make some Montgomery Gentry music.” Music that harkened back to the songs that initially brought them to the dance.
“They had gotten away from the music that made people fall in love with them in the beginning,” said Tom Baldrica, President of Average Joe’s Entertainment. “Eddie and Troy know their audience better than anyone, because they are their audience. That made it easy for them figure out what kind of songs they wanted on this album. They have also developed incredible relationships with the best songwriters in the business, which in turn helped them get the absolute best songs.”
As members of the Grand Ole Opry since 2009, Montgomery Gentry will be back in Nashville to play the storied stage on September 13. They are also scheduled to headline the 28th Annual Love Ride motorcycle rally with Jay Leno outside Los Angeles on Sunday, October 23, 2011.

Buddy Killen Circle To Gain Apartment Complex

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According to the Nashville Business Journal, the long vacant site at 1515 Demonbreun St. across from the Tin Roof and the one-time location of the Barbara Mandrell Museum, is now slated to become home to a $40 milllion apartment project.
Lionstone Group, based in Houston, is said to be selling the land now a parking lot used for the shops across the street (property also owned by Lionstone) for almost $3.5 million per acre. NBJ names Lionstone principal Doug McKinnon who confirms that about half the 3-acre site will be used for the new apartments expected to hold 225-250 units plus over 10,000 sq. feet of retail space.
A few years ago an office tower was planned for the location and was in the news over a property rights dispute with Joy Ford who owned an adjacent land/building.
According to real estate professionals quoted in the article, Nashville’s rental market is much stronger than it’s condo market since renters “do not have to qualify for a mortgage, pay closing costs, or make a long term commitment.”
 

An Evening With Martina McBride

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An industry-packed crowd attended “An Evening With Martina McBride” this week at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater. Presented by Republic Nashville, the listening party offered attendees a live performance of McBride’s upcoming CD Eleven slated for an Oct 11 release.
Following a cocktail reception, BLMG President & CEO Scott Borchetta, Republic Nashville Pres. Jimmy Harnen, and producer Byron Gallimore offered introductory remarks before McBride’s performance of each song.
McBride shared “behind the scenes” stories of how each song was chosen, offered creative insights behind the writing, and then performed with the song’s writers. One of the highlights included surprise guest artist, Pat Monahan, lead singer of Train, who performed the duet “Marry Me” with McBride.
During the intimate showcase, McBride took a moment to express her concern over the industry rumor that writers must write with the artist in order to get a cut. In an emotional dismissal of that thinking, she encouraged all writers to “go and write.”
The Warren Brothers joined McBride during the closing performances and fortunately for us, their mics were on. In true Warren Brothers’ style, nothing was off limits and McBride jokingly admitted she had completely lost control of her show.
McBride also performed her powerful new single, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” written by Ben Hayslip, Sonya Isaacs, and Jimmy Yeary. The song’s writers shared the motivation behind the song and its emotional subject matter, cancer.
The song’s music video, directed by Roman White, features dozens of cancer survivors and supporters, including four well-known celebrities – Robin Roberts (anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America); Hoda Kotb (anchor for NBC’s Today Show); Grammy award-winning singer Sheryl Crow and ABC journalist Katie Couric – who each have very personal connections to the disease.

“I knew it was a song I wanted to record because of the strong message of hope that it sends,” says McBride. “I’ve heard so many stories about how music can change lives from songs I have recorded like ‘A Broken Wing,’ ‘Independence Day,’ and ‘Concrete Angel.’ I believe ‘I’m Gonna Love You Through It’ will offer hope and inspiration to so many people who are going through or have been through cancer and the people who love them through it. It takes a lot of strength and a lot of love to get through something like that. I think this song says what so many people want to express to their loved ones.”

Spotify Limits Boost Paid Users

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The U.S. music industry was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Spotify. And now that it is here, numbers and stats are flying in all directions as execs try to decipher consumer reactions. MusicAlly.com has published some new information which shows the music platform successfully added paying subscribers as a result of implementing more restrictions on free usage.
The data is taken at the end of June, shortly before the platform opened in the U.S., and outlines performance from Jan. through June 2011. Music Ally notes that the data used in this report was not provided by Spotify, but is “according to a report prepared for a rightsholder and subsequently seen by Music Ally.”
The data shows the new curbs definitely drove paid subscriptions but at a price in overall usage. The service gained 520,000 paying subscribers between March and June 2011, but lost 1.6 million free users. The new rules, announced in mid-April and begun on May 1, shrunk the number of free listening hours per month from 40 to 10. They also added a five plays-per-song limit.
The article correctly notes that while the large increase in paying customers will please copyright owners who will share larger revenues, the question remains what happened to the one million users who left the system? Where are they going for music?
Hopefully not to unlicensed services.

Will Hoge Previews New Album

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Nashville singer/songwriter Will Hoge treated industry friends and guests to a selection of new songs at The Standard on Wednesday (8/17). Hoge’s seventh studio album, Number Seven (Ryko), is due out September 27.
Hoge’s set included Number Seven’s first single, “When I Get My Wings,” a Memphis soul-styled meditation on death. Attendees were also treated to “American Dream,” a mournful take on the plight of the homeless, and domestic lament “Trying To Be A Man.”
“I’m really proud of this album,” says Hoge. “Everything I’ve been through in the last couple of years has caused me to slow down and be more thoughtful about what sort of music I’m putting out. The process of creating music has changed too.  For the first time, I feel like this album really encompasses everything about me as an artist. I’m just ready for everyone to hear it!”
Number Seven is Hoge’s followup to his acclaimed 2009 album The Wreckage, which he recorded after a near fatal traffic accident. That collection’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” has been cut by Eli Young Band for its new album Life At Best, which hit stores August 16.

(L-R): Hoge’s agent, Jay Williams of William Morris Agency; Hoge’s manager, Terry Elam of Fitzgerald Hartley; Susan Stewart of NARAS; Hoge.

Taylor Swift’s “Haunted” Featured In True Blood

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Rolling Stone is reporting that True Blood’s music supervisor, Gary Calamar, has confirmed this Sunday’s episode will feature Taylor Swift’s “Haunted.”

Calamar declined to disclose the specific scene of the Louisiana-based show featuring the song from Swift, but does describe it as “a racy, sexy scene.”

The article reveals that Swift’s camp initially refused to allow it but later agreed when the “singer came forward and said she wanted it to happen.”


 

Taylor Swift's "Haunted" Featured In True Blood

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Rolling Stone is reporting that True Blood’s music supervisor, Gary Calamar, has confirmed this Sunday’s episode will feature Taylor Swift’s “Haunted.”
Calamar declined to disclose the specific scene of the Louisiana-based show featuring the song from Swift, but does describe it as “a racy, sexy scene.”
The article reveals that Swift’s camp initially refused to allow it but later agreed when the “singer came forward and said she wanted it to happen.”

 

Quarterback Promotes Gholson to East Coast Region

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Quarterback Records has announced the promotion of Traci Gholson to East Coast Manager of Promotion. Gholson moves up from the Promotion Coordinator position, which she started in March 2011.
“She’s just the kind of person we want out there representing our artists,” says Quarterback Partner John Ettinger. “She has an amazing ethic and an even better personality. Stations will be very happy to have her calling.”
Prior to joining Quarterback, Gholson worked in sales at Nashville’s WSIX. Before that she spent six years working with Cox Media Group’s WKHK/Richmond. She studied marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.
Reach Gholson at 804-833-9692 or here.

Kentucky Headhunters Return; Deborah Allen Releases New Album

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The boys who made “Dumas Walker” famous in 1989 are back with their first studio album since 2003. The Kentucky Headhunters have just released a new single, “Great Acoustics,” from their upcoming album Dixie Lullabies on Red Dirt Records scheduled for release Oct. 18. Holly Gleason recently wrote for No Depression, “Twenty years after being the biggest thing there was, it appears the Kentucky HeadHunters are on the verge of being what they were meant to be: a slamming rock/roots band that fears no corner at any speed.”
Delta Rock Records artist and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Deborah Allen is releasing her new album, Hear Me Now, on Aug. 16 which includes her current single, “Anything Other Than Love.”
“Each song on Hear Me Now is a musical journey, and together they make one of my favorite collections of music I have ever released,” says Allen. “When you are listening to these songs, know that you are listening to a little piece of my heart!”
Accompanying Allen on Hear Me Now are some of Nashville’s finest songwriters and musicians, including Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Gary Burr (“Anything Other Than Love” co-writer), and legendary songwriter/producer Bobby Braddock, who produced three songs on the album.
The Aug. 16 release of Hear Me Now coincides with Elvis week, held in Memphis Aug. 10-16. Allen will appear at numerous events during the week, including a performance at George Klein’s Memphis Mafia Reunion on Aug. 14 and an appearance at the Elvis Candlelight Vigil on Aug. 16.