MusicRowPics: Kelleigh Bannen Artist Visit

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EMI Records Nashville’s new artist Kelleigh Bannen visited MusicRow headquarters yesterday (8/9). The singer/songwriter shared four songs, including her single “Sorry on the Rocks.” The Nashville, TN native also played “Rose Colored Glasses,” “Oh My My,” and “Why Now Why,” all of which Bannen co-wrote.

Bannen, who just wrapped up a radio tour, is currently working with producers Paul Worley and Jerry Smith. “He’s always teaching,” she said of Worley. “He makes sure we have the right musicians in the room to get the best sound.”

“Sorry on the Rocks” is expected to be available on iTunes early in Sept, while her album is tentatively slated for release at the beginning of next year.

For more information on Bannen, visit kelleighbannen.com.

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Chris Knight To Release New Album

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Chris Knight is scheduled to release Little Victories on September 11 via Drifter’s Church Records and distributed by Thirty Tigers/RED. Produced by five-time Grammy winner Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams), the album marks Knight’s first collection of new material in over four years, following seven critically acclaimed albums.

Special guests on the album include Buddy Miller, who lends his vocals to the album’s lead single, “In The Mean Time,” as well as “Missing You.” The album also features John Prine, who with Knight on the title track.

Knight, who wrote, or co-wrote each of the songs on the album presents a blunt picture of the socio-economic climate of his hometown of Slaughters, Kentucky (population 200), where he currently resides  with his family.

Lead single “In The Mean Time” is currently available to download for free on Knight’s Facebook page.

Weekly Chart Report (8/10/12)

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Carrie Underwood visited with KCYY/San Antonio APD Jeff Roper while on the road to promote “Blown Away,” which lands at No. 17 on the CountryBreakout Chart this week.

SPIN ZONE
There are still plenty of good summer days left, and Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” recognizes that by staying anchored in the CountryBreakout Chart’s No. 1 spot for a second consecutive week. But Love and Theft might soon be ready to steal the title away, as the duo’s “Angel Eyes” ascends to No. 2 with a total of 3286 spins. Zac Brown Band’s “The Wind” blows right in to the No. 3 spot, followed by Lady Antebellum’s “Wanted You More” at No. 4.

As always, there are a handful of the format’s heavy hitters moving quickly up the chart. But like Love and Theft, there are also an impressive number of new artists making inroads. Jana Kramer’s “Why Ya Wanna” has been charting nearly 30 weeks, and just jumped to No. 7 with a gain of almost 150 spins. Kramer’s WMN labelmate Hunter Hayes is on his second single with “Wanted,” and he rises to No. 14 with a big gain. Just behind Hayes at No. 15 and 16 are Republic Nashville’s Greg Bates with “Did It For the Girl” and Broken Bow’s Dustin Lynch with “Cowboys and Angels,” respectively.

Most of these newcomers are male solo or duo acts, like Jon Pardi (No. 23), Florida Georgia Line (No. 25), or Kip Moore (No. 33). But like Jana Kramer, a few solo female or female-fronted acts are getting some traction. RCA Nashville’s Joanna Smith is performing well at No. 21 with “We Can’t Be Friends” after 21 weeks charting. Big Machine’s Edens Edge is also moving quickly at No. 25 with second single “Too Good To Be True,” and Gwen Sebastian’s “Met Him in a Motel Room” is at No. 41. On the way are new offerings from Miss Willie Brown (No. 56) and Kelleigh Bannen (No. 59).

Frozen Playlists: KCJC, KVAY, KVOM, KVVP, KWEY, KXBZ, KYEZ, KYYK, WBKR, WGGC, WMEV, WOWF

Upcoming Singles
August 13
One Night Rodeo/Real Good/Fox Hill
Bucky Covington with Shooter Jennings/Drinking Side of Country/eOne
Tim Dugger/Tennessee/Curb

August 20
Flynnville Train/The One You Love/Whiskey Bent-Flying Island
Dierks Bentley/Tip It On Back/Capitol

• • • • •

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Dierks Bentley/Tip It On Back/Capitol – 69
John Maison/Love Is A Trip/Big High Five – 76
Lucas Hoge/Do What Makes You Feel Good/Animal House Music Group – 77
Tim Culpepper/Pourin’ Whiskey On Pain – 78

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Luke Bryan/Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye/Capitol – 461
Toby Keith/I Like Girls That Drink Beer/Show Dog-Universal – 405
Jason Aldean/Take A Little Ride/Broken Bow – 367
Eric Church/Creepin’/EMI Nashville – 320
Brantley Gilbert/Kick It In The Sticks/Valory – 281

Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Luke Bryan/Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye/Capitol – 32
Dierks Bentley/Tip It On Back/Capitol – 26
Toby Keith/I Like Girls That Drink Beer/Show Dog–Universal – 23
Brantley Gilbert/Kick It In The Sticks/Valory – 18
Parmalee/Musta Had A Good Time/Stoney Creek – 13

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Maggie Rose/I Ain’t Your Mama/RPM Entertainment – 181
Lauren Alaina/Eighteen Inches/Mercury-19 Records – 178
Chris Weaver Band/Standing In Line/American Roots Records – 177
Aaron Watson/Raise Your Bottle/HTK Records – 174
Katie Armiger/Better In A Black Dress/Cold River – 174

Jason Michael Carroll (center) recently stopped to visit with Renegade Radio Nashville's' Captain Jack (L) and Laura Lynn (R) and talk about his latest album “Numbers.”

Way Out West Nashville recording artist LiveWire recently caught up with friends from KKOW/Pittsburg, KS at the Labette County Fair. (L-R): LiveWire's Bobby Degonia, Cory Shultz, KKOW's Bobby in the Morning, LiveWire's Adam Hagerman, Andy Eutsler, Danny Bell, and Landon Rolfe.

Blake Shelton sat down with syndicated host Whitney Allen and team while out promoting his latest single "Over.” (L-R): producer Mike McNamee, Shelton, Whitney Allen, and 'Big Time With Whitney Allen' PD Steve Ringgold.

 

Songwriter Odie Blackmon Teaching Fall Course at Vanderbilt

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Odie Blackmon

Songwriter Odie Blackmon will return to academia with his Vanderbilt course, Nashville Number System for Songwriters/Performers, which is being offered for the Fall 2012 semester. Blackmon has scored No. 1 hits by George Strait (“She’ll Leave You with a Smile”), Lee Ann Womack (“I May Hate Myself In The Morning”) and Gary Allan (“Nothing On But The Radio”).

Dean of the Blair School of Music, Mark Wait, and Blackmon developed the curriculum, which was initially offered to students in January 2012. The class teaches the shorthand musical notation system used by session musicians in Nashville to illustrate the conception of a song through the recording process.

“Most semesters I’m able to arrange for the class to come in the studio as I demo a new song and watch the real pros lay it down,” said Blackmon. “I love seeing that light switching on in my student’s eyes when they see it all coming together.”

The class studies classic songs, demonstrating what Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” shares in common with the Tone Löc’s novelty hit “Wild Thing,” and paying particular attention to the songs of the Beatles.

For enrollment information, click here.

Blackmon has also released an instructional DVD, The Craft of Writing Hit Songs, and has frequently led workshops on the topic for NSAI.

Charlie Cook On Air: Technology

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Would I have been against the Gutenberg printing press? Do I consider “Wings” the last good movie ever made? Should I finally sell my stock in the Wolverine Horse and Buggy company?

I don’t think of myself as a Luddite. I was carrying a Kaypro Computer before most people knew what a “Portable” computer was. Not exactly portable by the way: the size of a small suitcase barely fitting in the overhead of airplanes and the darn thing did almost nothing.

I was early with a Smartphone and a Smart TV.

I have pretty much been an early adopter when it came to technology in the past. I am less so today as I realized that newer does not always mean better. It often means more expensive though.

Anyway, I was thinking earlier this week about how the business I have been in since I was 19 years old has undergone changes in the intervening years since. There are forces that have put broadcast radio under attack in the last 5 years or so. It comes not just from the technological side but from the soft side. The delivery side and the supplier side.

The dashboard in automobiles is changing rapidly and that could be the real shifter in this fight for heart, head and ears.

My hometown automaker, Ford is leading the charge. They redesigned the dashboard first and have been the most aggressive about marketing it. As an aside, I think that I might kick Mike Rowe in the shins if I ever see him.

Their Sync system seems to have everything except AM/FM. I know that it’s in there somewhere but you might have to search long and hard to find it. I know that you can play with the MP3 integration, hook your phone (or a computer) via Bluetooth for audio streaming. Some of the systems have an SD card slot so that you can load more music or video. Some have dual video screens and Internet connectivity. You can even have your own Wi-Fi hot spot.

Where the heck is 540-1610? Where is 88-108?

GM was actually the first to hook us up to a cell signal with On-Star. Apparently GM had other things on its mind, like staying solvent, so Ford got a jump in the entertainment part of the race.

GM, with the backing of the taxpayer, is back in the contest. The new Cadillac challenges a 767 with the CUE System.

I started this by saying I am not against technological advances and I am not. But I am struck that Broadcast radio is still the first choice of consumers in discovering new music and being entertained in the car and at work.

Broadcast radio still has a huge lead today but is this only because we are at the beginning of the Dashboard Revolution?

Clear Channel is dragging the Broadcast industry into the digital age with iHeartRadio and this is finding its place on the dashboard, which may ultimately be the way to stay in the contest. iHeartRadio may end up being the one button in the Sync or Cue system that gets the listener out to up to 10,000 “broadcast” radio stations.

I guess that if/when that happens broadcasters will have to work harder to be entertaining. That is the one thing that broadcasters have over the other buttons on the dash.

If my screen comes up and I see Pandora, iHeartRadio, MP3, Sirius, SD Card I do not see equal access. All of those buttons say music to me. Only one has KIIS-FM and Ryan Seacrest, WJR and Paul W. Smith, or WAMZ and Coyote Calhoun.

My friends in the record business are excited about the additional opportunities to get their music in front of the consumer. They should be. They should not be excited about trying to make an end run around Broadcast radio though. I believe that it is in this environment that more music can be sold and introduced.

We know, from a recent Country Music Association research project, that the addition of the passion and knowledge of the disc jockey can complement the music and make it more appealing to the listener.

If technology was the only issue I would be worried about Broadcast radio’s future. Because the industry is filled with smart and entertaining people I am encouraged about what is ahead.

Now, if I could just afford a new car with all that dashboard stuff.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow.)

MusicRowPics: Bart Crow Artist Visit

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Bart Crow stopped by MusicRow headquarters yesterday (8/8). The Texas native and veteran of the Red Dirt scene played three songs off his upcoming album Dandelion, including his current single “Little Bit of Luck.” He followed it up with “Didn’t Mean to Break Your Heart” and “Thank You,” the former being about an ex-girlfriend and the latter one about his wife.

Dandelion, Crow’s fourth studio album, will be released on Sept. 18. Of the 14 tracks, Crow wrote or co-wrote 12 of them. He also noted there will be a special bonus track available on iTunes when the album drops.

Meanwhile, Crow has been touring in mid-west extensively. He credits his supportive fan base for much of his success and makes a point to meet those who come to his shows.

“I want to know who’s coming to the shows. I want to know my audience,” he said.

For more information on Crow’s tour dates and his album, visit bartcrowmusic.com.

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Miranda Lambert Launches Interactive Digital Campaign

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Miranda Lambert has teamed with technology companies Interlude, Sonic Notify, Mobile Roadie and Halo Media to create a mobile app and an interactive experience for her latest video, “Fastest Girl In Town.”

Lambert’s new Apple and Android mobile App features news, music, videos, exclusive photos and more. While running the app, fans can play the “Fastest Girl In Town” video on VEVO for a first of its kind second-screen experience from Sony Music. The video experience allows fans to switch between multiple camera angles, discover bonus content hidden throughout, and unlock contest opportunities to win items featured in the video.

A visual wall on Lambert’s Official Website will aggregate fan art, Tweets, and Instagram images containing the hashtag #fastestgirlintown. Each day, Miranda’s Facebook Page will feature a “picture of the day.”

Christian Music Summit Headed to Nashville

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The annual Christian Music Summit is headed to Nashville for the first time on October 4-6, bringing educational workshops and performances by CCM and Country music favorites.

The events take place at Grace Chapel in Leiper’s Fork, in partnership with Kingdom Bound Ministries. A set of one-day bootcamps is scheduled for October 4, and October 5-6 will feature sessions, workshops and performances. Participating artists include Ashley Cleveland, Phil Keaggy, Ron Block, Allen Shamblin, Brenton Brown & The Worship Republic, Steve Taylor, Tom Hemby, Cindy Morgan, Zoro the drummer, and many others.

“I’m especially excited about the Nashville conference because this summit brings together top songwriters from two musical genres — CCM and country,” says Bruce Adolph, co-founder of the Christian Music Summit conferences and president of the Adolph Agency, Inc. “Participants will have the unique opportunity to learn from songwriters who write for the mainstream market from a Christian worldview.”

More info on Christian Music Summit here.

Luke Sheets Inks New Publishing Deal

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Pictured (L-R): Curb Publishing’s Colt Cameron, SESAC’s John Mullins, Bigger Picture’s Nick Garvin, Sheets, SESAC's Tim Fink, Bigger Picture’s Alan Kates, Curb Publishing’s Drew Alexander and Bigger Picture’s Jeff Carlton. Photo: Ed Rode

Singer/songwriter Luke Sheets has entered in an exclusive agreement with Curb Publishing/Bigger Picture Group for representation.

Sheets recently stopped by SESAC’s Nashville headquarters with executives from Curb Publishing and Bigger Picture Group for a celebratory visit.

Former Sony Music VP Wade Hunt Launches New Venture

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Former Sony Music VP Wade Hunt has opened SWADE Creative, a comprehensive creative services company with services ranging from traditional creative direction, imaging, marketing and advertising to brand development, logo, illustration and package design.

Hunt brings his diverse creative and artistic expertise with over twenty years experience to his new venture.

“With the launch of SWADE Creative, I’m excited to bring my entertainment, editorial and marketing experience to provide a wide array of creative solutions for my clients,” says Hunt.

He joined the creative department of Arista Nashville in 1993 eventually becoming VP/Creative Services for Sony Music. In this role he oversaw creative direction for all print, video and photographic projects for the company’s four record labels (Arista, RCA, BNA and Columbia) and was integral in the growth and development of artists including Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride and Miranda Lambert.

Most recently, Hunt served as VP Creative Director of CatapultRPM Marketing, whose clients include Mars Petcare (Pedigree, Cesar, Temptations, Whiskas), Nutro, Sara Lee and Chiquita.

Hunt can be reached at [email protected] or 615-717-7134.