DISClaimer: Hooked on ‘Nashville’

Hayden Panettiere

If you’re not hooked on ABC-TV’s Nashville, you’re not watching.

On top of the addictively dishy, soapy plotlines, the music on the show is consistently excellent. Which is the perfect preamble to saying that Nashville co-star Hayden Panettiere has the Disc of the Day. Don’t forget to tune in tonight (11/28).

Galloping in out of nowhere (well, Oklahoma City) is the group Drankmore. It’s “You Got to Me” is splendid on every level. It wins those boys a DisCovery Award.

CLEDUS T. JUDD/Honeymoon
Writer: Barry Dean/Natalie Hemby/Luke Laird/Cledus T. Judd/Chris Clark; Producer: Cledus T. Judd & Rex Paul Schnelle; Publisher: Barrytones/Universal Careers/EMI Blackwood/Wruckestrike; Warner Bros./Loud Mouth (CDX)
—It’s a parody of “Pontoon.” The just-married couple decides to go to Dollywood, taking their respective children along on their honeymoon. The wacky rhymes are the best parts.

Drankmore

JONMARK STONE/Another Sad Song
Writer: Jonmark Stone; Producer: Jonmark Stone, Vic Clay & Toni Clay; Publisher: Movieville, BMI; IGO (CDX) 
—“God I feel so old today,” he sings. He sounds it, too, on this dreary ballad.

GEORGE STRAIT/Give It All We Got Tonight
Writer: Tim James/Phil O’Donnell/Mark Bright; Producer: Tony Brown & George Strait; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/T-Bird’s/Sixteen Stars/Rooster Pecked/HoriPro/Delbert’s Boy, BMI/ASCAP; MCA Nashville (CDX)
—Dreamy and romantic, this ballad finds Strait’s voice floating on a cushion of piano notes, steel slides and background vocals. Very pretty.

TED RUSSELL KAMP/Right Down to the Wire
Writer: Ted Russell Kamp/Logan Mize; Producer: Ted Russell Kamp; Publisher: Terys the Silver/Cal IV/Even the Losers, ASCAP; PoMo (track)
—I have always liked this guy’s work. His new Night Owl collection was recorded at studios in Santa Monica, L.A. and Echo Park, CA, as well as Claremore, OK and Nashville. This emphasis track features his wistful, raspy vocal over an easy-going, brushed-snare rhythm and lilting, high-pitched guitar work. In the engaging lyric, he follows his heart, whether it leads him to joy or sadness. Recommended listening.

HAYDEN PANETTIERE/Telescope
Writer: Cary Barlowe/Hillary Lindsay; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: Castle Bound/We Be Partying/Raylene/BMG Rights Management, SESAC/ASCAP; Big Machine (track) 
—The vixen from the TV series Nashville has her first single, and it’s a dandy. The double-time, rocking track is a perfect showcase for her sassy-purring delivery. Watch out: This is a kitten with claws.

THE COLEMAN BROTHERS/Ghost Town
Writer: David Erik/Jay Cooper; Producer: Greg Cole; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP; Fishing Hole (track)
—These three siblings harmonize tentatively on the choruses of this lost-love ballad. It’s a more-than-okay effort, but everyone sounds a little timid.

BOBBY BARE/Farewell Angelina
Writer: Bob Dylan; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Plowboy (track) 
—Bare’s new CD, Darker Than Light, is a collection of nicely produced folk songs. And what would a folk album be without a Dylan composition? The singer gives this goodbye song a world-weary performance while a top-notch sonic track rings and weaves around him. It’s a great sound. The whole project is.

AARON WATSON/Lips
Writer: Aaron Watson; Producer: Sam Seiffert & Wes Hightower; Publisher: Sonnet/Aaron Watson, BMI; HTK (CDX)
—A country boy falls head over heels in love and tumbles along merrily. A single with a built-in smile.

CHANTAL KUEGLE/Never Alone
Writer: Chantal Kuegle/Ben Cooper; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: Chantal Kuegle/Box of Strings, SOCAN/BMI; GTR (CDX) (615-327-0100)
—It is well produced, and she can sing. The song does nothing for me.

DRANKMORE/You Got to Me
Writer: Cody Hanson/Marshal Dutton/David Fanning/Kurt Alison/Rich Redmond; Producer: Marshal Dutton & Cody Fanning; Publisher: Firecrotch/Marshal Dutton/David Fanning/Magic Mustang, BMI; Back Lounge (CDX) (615-269-7071)
—Love the band name. And guess what? It’s a snappy little disc. The lead vocalist is a righteous “heart” singer, the rhythm section is cooking and the guitar playing is catchy and cool. Whoever this is, I’m diggin’ ‘em. Okay, I looked them up on Facebook, and they’re from Oklahoma City, a group fronted by Marshal Dutton and Jarrod Denton. There.

Jerrod Niemann To Livestream Chicago Concert

Jerrod Niemann fans around the world will be able to view his Chicago Joe’s Bar concert over the web via laplive.tv this Thursday (11/29) at 9 p.m. CT.

“The concept of my new album is celebrating where country music has been and where it is headed,” said Niemann. “So we’re using the internet to bring fans worldwide all together to one room.”

Access to view the HD stream will be $4.99 in advance, $6.99 day-of-show­ with twenty-five cents per ticket donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The night of the show, Niemann is asking fans to tweet their location using the hashtag #jrodlive and handle @jrodfromoz to find out the most bizarre, outlandish places where fans are watching.

To purchase tickets, visit https://laplive.tv/watch/jerrodniemann.

Shelton Spreads Christmas Spirit With “25 Days of B.S.”

Blake Shelton is in the Christmas spirit. He’s sharing messages, giveaways and more at 25DaysOfBS.com until December 21.

He’s busy promoting his first holiday album, Cheers, It’s Christmas, and will perform and interview with Jay Leno Wednesday (11/28) on The Tonight Show, followed by a Thursday night (11/29) visit to Chelsea Lately on E!.

Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas television special on NBC airs Monday, December 3 after The Voice at 10 pm EST/PST.

The Christmas album includes duets with Michael Bublé, Reba, his mother Dorothy Shackleford, wife Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, The Voice semi-finalist Xenia and The Pistol Annies. Many of the same guests also joined him for the television special.

CMT Invitation Only: Blake Shelton will be released to DVD December 18 exclusively at Target. He’ll also perform an acoustic concert December 8 in Los Angeles as part of the jcpenney Holiday Giving Tour.

Country Songs Going to Grammy Hall of Fame

Several Country and Nashville-related songs and albums are among the 2013 inductees to the Grammy Hall Of Fame:

“Act Naturally”
Buck Owens
Johnny Russell, Voni Morrison
Capitol (1963)
Country (Single)

Foggy Mountain Banjo
Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs And The Foggy Mountain Boys
Columbia (1961)
Country (Album)

“Bonaparte’s Retreat”
W.H. Stepp
(Traditional arr. Stepp)
Library of Congress (1937)
Country (Single)

“The Titanic”
Ernest V. “Pop” Stoneman
(Ernest V. “Pop” Stoneman)
Okeh (1924)
Country (Single)

“Near You” *
Francis Craig And His Orchestra
(Francis Craig & Kermit Goell)
Bullet (1947)
Pop (Single)

Representing a variety of tracks and albums, the 2013 Grammy Hall Of Fame inductees range from AC/DC’s Back In Black album to Frank Sinatra’s recording of “Theme from ‘New York, New York.'” Also added to the highly regarded list are Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” Paul McCartney & Wings’ album Band On The Run, Ray Charles’ “Hit The Road Jack,” the Drifters’ “On Broadway,” and self-titled albums from Elton John and Whitney Houston.

To be eligible, singles and album recordings must exhibit qualitative or historical significance. Recordings are reviewed annually by a special member committee comprised of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, with final approval by The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees. The list currently totals 933 and is on display at the Grammy Museum at L.A. LIVE.

“Near You” was written and recorded in Nashville. The Frances Craig Orchestra was the house band at the Hermitage Hotel. In 1947, it was released on Nashville’s Bullet Records, the first major hit to come from an independent label. It still holds the record for the longest continuous stay at No. 1 on the pop charts: 17 weeks. The label was unable to keep pace with the record’s runaway success, which led to the construction of Nashville’s first record-pressing plant. Next, “Near You” became Milton Berle’s theme song on television. Later it was revived as a country duet by George Jones & Tammy Wynette and became a No. 1 country hit in 1978.—RKO

Berklee Studies U.S. Music Industry Salaries

Berklee College of Music’s Career Development Center has released an updated version of Music Careers in Dollars and Cents, outlining salary ranges for U.S. music positions including performance, business, audio technology, education, and music therapy.

The study shows salaries trending upwards for certain positions (Orchestral Musician, Assistant Professor, Public Relations Specialist), while others are seeing a decline (Commercial Jingle Composer, A&R Representative, Music Education Administrator). Here are some of the findings:

Songpluggers: $20,000 – $64,590
Publishing Admin: $20,000 – $60,000
Label A&R: $27,000 – $85,000+
Label Digital Marketing: $24,000 – $55,000
Road Manager: $25,000 – $125,000+
FOH Engineer: $60,000 – $120,000+
Studio Engineer: $25,000 – $150,000+

“There is downward pressure on many music performance salaries right now due to the slowing global economic recovery, changing perceptions of music’s value, and hyper competition,” said Peter Spellman, Director of Berklee’s Career Development Center.

New features for the publication include emerging career paths, current positions expected to experience growth (Mobile Music App Developer, Content Acquisition, Audio Advertising Producer), in addition to salary range and job title reports for Music Supervisors, and Composers. A flowchart is also provided to aid in the negotiation of job offers.

First released by the college in 2010, the 2012 updated study can be viewed in its entirety here.

Songwriters Lead Benefits (11/27/2012)

The Bluebird Café will host a performance by husband and wife team Monty Powell and Anna Wilson tonight (11/27). The show will benefit NSAI’s legislative efforts on behalf of songwriters in Washington DC. Although the event is sold out, a limited number of seats will be available at the door beginning at 8:30pm. The evening will be taped for a live CD, available in the new year.

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JT Hodges will host his second annual Holiday Howler charity event at the Gibson Showroom (1121 Church Street) at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 with additional performers Chris Stapleton, Jonathan Singleton and Whitney Duncan.

Benefitting the Brown Dog Foundation, the evening will feature door prizes, a silent auction, free drinks and doggie bags for furry friends. Tickets can be purchased at www.browndogfoundation.org or for a $5 donation at the door.

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Tickets are going fast for the 6th annual Jeffrey Steele & Friends benefit concert on March 12 at the Franklin Theatre with Billy Ray Cyrus, Chris Janson, LoCash Cowboys and The Shuggah Pies.

To be hosted by Storme Warren, the event will benefit the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund and the Brentwood YMCA with a live auction and a separate VIP package including a wine, food, and live music reception, hosted by Carrabba’s. Additional artists are expected to be announced leading up to the event.

Tickets are currently available here. For sponsorship and VIP seating packages, click here or email rememberalex.com@gmail.com.

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YEP and Musicians On Call’s Young Professional Committee will team up for an open mic night delivering the “30 greatest karaoke songs of all time” onstage at Exit/In tomorrow (11/28) at 8 p.m. Tickets are currently available for the Musicians On Call benefit at a discounted $5 here.

Artist Snapshots (11/27/12)

Scotty McCreery donated $5,000 from ticket sales to World Vision’s Hurricane Sandy Relief during his show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on November 23. After seeing the devastation that struck areas in and surrounding New York City, McCreery made the decision to turn the tour date into a benefit concert, and partnered with World Vision. McCreery also invited his friend and American Idol fan favorite Pia Toscano to join him for the performance.

(L-R): World Vision representative Abbie Parker, Toscano, and McCreery

• • •

Grand Ole Opry member and music legend Charlie Daniels was joined by Rodney Atkins, Phil Vassar, Thompson Square and Caroline Kole for the 11th anniversary of The Charlie Daniels Band & Friends Concert on November 19 at the Ryman Auditorium. The sold-out show raised money for Christmas 4 Kids.

Left photo: Phil Vassar and Charlie Daniels

• • •

rpmentertainment’s Maggie Rose spent much of her Thanksgiving Day visiting with wounded warriors and their families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Joining her was Lieutenant General Patricia Horoho, the Surgeon General of the United States Army. Rose’s breakout single, “I Ain’t Your Mama,” is nearing the Top 30 on the radio charts.

Maggie Rose bedside with wounded warrior Kevin Gatson and family.

• • •

Brantley Gilbert spent Veterans Day visiting at Nashville’s VA Hospital through Musicians On Call. Gilbert took time from his Hell On Wheels Tour to spend the holiday sharing his music and honoring some of the men and women who’ve served. The Southern rocker said, “It was an honor to be able to spend time with them and hopefully brighten their day a little. I know it has certainly changed my life.”

Industry Pics (11/27/12)

Artist/songwriter James Otto recently joined SESAC for representation and stopped by the organization’s Nashville headquarters to visit with executives. Otto, who topped the charts with “Just Got Started Lovin’ You,” has been busy in the recording studio working on his next album.

Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, James Otto and SESAC’s Tim Fink. Photo: Ed Rode

• • • • •

SOLID hosted its annual Songwriters Round at the Bluebird recently. Participating hitmakers included Lance Miller, Jon Stone, Jerrod Neimann, Rob Hatch and Tony Arata. All proceeds will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Front row (L-R): SOLID Community Outreach members Eric Wright, Lauren White, Heather Dicus, Writers Tony Arata and Rob Hatch. Back row: Community Outreach member Erik Blumenfeld, Community Outreach Co-chair Meredith Herberg-Waldron, writers Jerrod Neimann, Jon Stone, Community Outreach Chair Matt Rizor and writer Lance Miller.

• • • • •

The Academy of Country Music welcomed Jewel for a visit while she was in Los Angeles. She performed several hits, which will be included on an upcoming greatest his album, and signed up for professional ACM membership. Jewel recently spent time in Atlanta filming a new movie, The June Carter Cash Story, which will premiere in early 2013 on the Lifetime Movie Network.

(L-R): Jonathan Koch, President, Asylum Entertainment; Jewel; Bob Romeo, Academy of Country Music CEO

 

Steve Barnett To Lead Capitol Music Group

Steve Barnett

Universal Music Group has appointed Steve Barnett Chairman & CEO of its Capitol Music Group. He most recently served as Co-Chairman & COO of Columbia Records. Barnett will report to Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO of UMG.

Based at the iconic Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles, Barnett will be responsible for the overall management of the company which includes Capitol Records, Virgin Records, Blue Note, Astralwerks, Harvest, Capitol Christian Music Group, Caroline and the Capitol Studios. This does not include UMG Nashville’s Capitol imprint.

According to UMG, this appointment is among the first of many steps that will be taken to expand EMI’s creative ranks, reinvest in new talent, and enhance innovation.

“As we begin to invest in and revitalize EMI globally, the Capitol Music Group, including Virgin, will play a central role in our creative and commercial initiatives. And there is no one better to spearhead this than Steve,” said Grainge.

“Throughout my career in music, I’ve always been keenly aware of EMI’s impact on the world’s culture, so I could not be more excited and grateful for the opportunity Lucian has given me to build the Capitol Music Group into an exceptional record company,” added Barnett. “I greatly appreciate his confidence in me, and I will work tirelessly to create a welcoming and supportive home for great artists while carefully tending the hugely important catalogue that defines the Capitol legacy.”

Country Songwriter Frank Dycus Passes

Pictured at the video shoot for "I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair," which included a cameo by George Foreman. (L-R): writer Billy Yates, George Foreman, Nancy and George Jones, and Frank Dycus. Photo by Alan Mayor

Country songwriting great Frank Dycus has died at age 72. The writer of hits for George Strait, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Porter Wagoner and others passed away on Friday, November 23, following years of failing health.

One of Music Row’s best raconteurs, Marion Franklin Dycus was born in Hardmoney, Kentucky and was one of 13 children. He was fronting a country band by the time he was in his teens. He hitchhiked to California at age 15, then returned to Kentucky and joined the Air Force for a seven-year stint.

He spent time in Kansas working at Boeing and hosting a radio show before moving to Nashville in 1967. Dycus first tasted songwriting success in 1970, when George Morgan had a hit with his co-written “Lilacs and Fire.” Porter Wagoner took the Dycus song “Charley’s Picture” to No. 15 in 1971.

The songwriter’s first top-10 hit was with the 1974 Jerry Lee Lewis single “He Can’t Fill My Shoes.” The Wagoner and Dolly Parton 1976 top-10 hit duet “Is Forever Longer Than Always” was also from the Dycus catalog.

Dycus is perhaps best known for the trio of hits he co-wrote for George Strait, 1981’s “Unwound” and “Down and Out,” plus 1982’s “Marina Del Ray.” George Jones won a 1992 CMA Award for “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair,” which Dycus also co-wrote.

The songwriter hit No. 1 with “Gonna Get a Life,” sung by Mark Chesnutt in 1995, which helped Dycus earn SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year honors.

Dycus also wrote charted singles for Johnny Bush, Red Sovine, Johnny Paycheck, Joe Sun, Stella Parton, David Ball, Doug Supernaw, Gary Allan, Ronny Robbins. The Rovers, Southern Reign, Gary Stewart and his frequent song collaborator, Dean Dillon.

Other Frank Dycus co-writers have included Jim Lauderdale, Larry Kingston, Porter Wagoner, Billy Yates and Kerry Kurt Phillips.

Frank Dycus is survived by his wife, Mary Johnson; by children Sheila Dycus, Shannon Foxen, Shawn Bilbrey and Robert Dycus; by siblings Don Dycus, Jerry Dycus and Dana Forbes; by stepchildren Jamie Scott, Donna Stevenson, Dean Birkheimer and Glen Birkheimer and by grandchildren Vinnie Johnson and Samantha Bilbrey.

Jones-Stewart Funeral Home in Lyons, Georgia is handling the funeral arrangements. Dycus wished to have his ashes scattered off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia. Donations in his name can be made to Vanderbilt Children’s Cancer Center in Nashville.