PLA Media Adds Publicist and Marketing Executive

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kylePLA Media, headed by Pam Lewis, has hired Kyle Frederick as Publicist and Marketing Executive, effective immediately. Frederick brings over 25 years of music business experience that includes publicity, artist management, publishing, producing, songwriting and touring, along with a background in corporate partnerships and health-related not for profit work.
“I’m thrilled to be part of Pam Lewis’ legacy and look forward to sharing the experiences and relationships I have had the pleasure to develop over the years,” said Frederick.
Frederick moved to Nashville in 1980 to pursue career as a guitarist and has since recorded and toured US, Canada, and Europe with several nationally acclaimed recording artists. In 1992, he was hired by Clay Walker as band leader. That led to the role of Walker’s tour manager, publicist and then manager. Later, during his tenure at Network Ink Public Relations, Frederick was a key part of the team that coordinated the grand opening of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Most recently and following a stint with SHeDAISY in 2005 and 2006 as manager, Frederick returned to the Clay Walker camp as director of the singer’s charity organization, Band Against MS.
“As we continue to build the PLA team we’re very happy to have Kyle and his background as part of our brain trust,” said Lewis.
Frederick can be reached at 615-327-0100 or kyle.frederick@plamedia.com.

Blake Shelton To Headline Ten Times Crazier Tour

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BS_Invitation_OnlyBlake Shelton will embark on a headlining tour of the U.S. beginning July 19 in Virginia Beach, Va. The Ten Times Crazier Tour, which features special guests Easton Corbin and Jana Kramer. The tour will cross the country this summer, including a stop in Nashville on September 28. See below for tour dates and locations.
This is Shelton’s second headlining tour, following last year’s sold out Well Lit & Amplified Tour.
Live Nation’s 2013 Country Megaticket is the first opportunity for fans to purchase tickets by visiting www.Megaticket.com and signing up to receive more information about this year’s Country Megaticket in their city. General public tickets for the tour will go on-sale in March. For more information visit www.blakeshelton.com.
“My fans, country radio, friends, family, you name it – they know I love to perform. With The Voice schedule, I was not able to go out and perform as much as I wanted last year but I plan to make up for it this year,” Shelton says. “This summer is going to be a blast. I want everyone at my shows to leave feeling like they got every penny’s worth of their ticket. I am going to give them every ounce of me on that stage because they deserve it. My fans are die hard country fans, they love to laugh and have a good time and I’m going to join them in what truly will be the Ten Times Crazier Tour.”
Blake Shelton’s upcoming tour dates include:
2013 TEN TIMES CRAZIER TOUR DATES:
7/19     Virginia Beach, Va.      Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
7/20     Bristow, Va.                  Jiffy Lube Live
7/21     Wantagh, N.Y.              Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
7/26     St. Louis                         Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/27     Noblesville, Ind.           Klipsch Music Center
7/28     Cincinnati                      Riverbend Music Center
8/1       Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio   Blossom Music Center
8/2       Burgettstown, Pa.        First Niagara Pavilion
8/3       Tinley Park, Ill.             First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/9       Raleigh, N.C.                 Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
8/10     Camden, N.J.                Susquehanna Bank Center
8/11     Bethel, N.Y.                    Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
8/29     Atlanta                           Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
8/30     Tampa, Fla.                   1-800-ASK GARY Amphitheatre
8/31     West Palm Beach, Fla.  Cruzan Amphitheatre
9/5       Holmdel, N.J.                PNC Bank Arts Center
9/6       Hartford, Conn.            Comcast Theatre
9/7       Mansfield, Mass.          Comcast Center
9/12     St. Paul, Minn.              Xcel Energy Center
9/13     Milwaukee, Wis.           Bradley Center
9/14     Auburn Hills, Mich.     The Palace of Auburn Hills
9/19     Charleston, W.V.           Charleston Civic Center
9/20     Columbus, Ohio           Nationwide Arena
9/21     Lexington, Ky.               Rupp Arena
9/26     Charlottesville, Va.       John Paul Jones Arena
9/27     Knoxville, Tenn.            Thompson-Boling Arena
9/28     Nashville, Tenn.            Bridgestone Arena
10/3     Kansas City, Mo.            Sprint Center
10/4     Tulsa, Okla.                     BOK Arena
10/5     Wichita, Kan.                  INTRUST Bank Arena

Artist News (1/17/13)

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Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood


Carrie Underwood‘s music video for “Two Black Cadillacs” will debut on Entertainment Tonight and VEVO on Wednesday, Jan. 23.
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Gary Allan

Gary Allan


Gary Allan is scheduled to perform his smash hit “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Jan. 23 and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Feb 11. The single is the lead track off the forthcoming album Set You Free, due in stores on Jan. 22.

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Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Photo: David McClister

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Photo: David McClister


Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell will embark on a series of tour dates this March with co-headliner Richard Thompson Electric Trio. Tickets go on sale starting this week. The tour will launch on March 13 at the House of Blues New Orleans and will run through April 4 in Atlanta. The outing supports Harris and Crowell’s new collaborative album, Old Yellow Moon, out Feb. 26 on Nonesuch Records.

CMT Names 'Next Women of Country'

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Jana Kramer

Jana Kramer


While the country charts have been dominated by male artists in the past few years, CMT will highlight several of country music’s best up-and-coming female performers (both signed and unsigned) with its year-long ‘Next Women of Country’ initiative.
The campaign launched Wednesday (Jan. 16) and named 10 female powerhouse vocalists and performers who will be promoted across CMT platforms and at Nextwomen.cmt.com. The 10 high-profile ladies include Ashley Monroe, Holly Williams, Jana Kramer, Kacey Musgraves, Brandy Clark, Lauren Alaina, Sarah Darling, Rose Falcon, Rachel Farley and Kelleigh Bannen.
Coverage will include video premieres, performances and more across CMT, CMT.com, CMTEdge.com, CMT Pure, CMT Radio Networks and more than 4 million followers on social media. Videos premiering this month include Kramer’s “Whiskey” and Williams’ “The Highway.”
“Women are the cornerstone of country music,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT. “We want to recognize, support and expose the next wave of authentic female artists, signed or independent, who are writing, recording and making it happen on their own in a crowded, male-dominated format.”
 

Sony/ATV Negotiates Higher Royalty Rate From Pandora

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indexSony/ATV has negotiated a 25 percent increase in the royalty rate it receives from Pandora, according to the New York Post. The deal will last 12 months. This is a coup for songwriters and publishers who have been paid nominal fees for song performances on non-interactive streaming services, such as Pandora.
It has been widely reported that as of 2013, Sony/ATV is no longer using ASCAP and BMI to collect digital performance royalties. This change allows the publishing giant to negotiate rates directly with Pandora and similar services.
Payments to songwriters and publishers for online performances have been a hot topic in recent months. In November 2012, NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison and songwriter/NSAI President Lee Miller explained the situation to MusicRow. Giving a specific example of the low payments received by songwriters, Miller explained that five hit songs collectively received 33 million spins on internet radio during the third quarter of 2012, and the songwriters were collectively paid $500 in royalties.
Herbison said, “[Songwriters and publishers] get paid from a share of the ad revenue that is on the free part of Pandora [and there aren’t many ads].”
According to Pandora’s 2012 annual report, it paid 49.7% of its revenue in royalties to SoundExchange, which pays labels and artists, and 4.1% of its revenue in royalties to the US PROs, which in turn pay songwriters and publishers.

Bentley Gives Sneak Peek of Arena Tour

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home2After 10 days holed up at Nashville’s Steel Mill rehearsal space, Dierks Bentley invited members of the media to preview his upcoming tour yesterday (Jan. 15). His 2013 Locked & Reloaded Tour with Miranda Lambert opens tomorrow in Columbia, S.C.
A major highlight of the arena run will be Bentley’s use of video and lighting effects for the first time. Yesterday, his brief set included “Tip It On Back,” during which the room swam with icy blue lights sure to be impactful in a large space. Bentley said he and his team strove to keep the “raw” feel of his show while mixing in video. “If this was the last tour we were ever going to do, what would we do?” Bentley and company mused while coming up with ideas. One result was a giant new stage he enthusiastically called a “jungle gym for adults.”
Band members huddled close together to perform “Up On The Ridge,” creating a sense of intimacy among the musicians that will translate to the arena audience. On the video screen behind them, a campfire danced under a full moon. Bentley also added personal elements to the videos, with one montage including a photograph of his father.
“’Home’ is one of my favorite songs to sing onstage every night,” he continued. “This song has so many different meanings for me.” He also referenced members of the military and their families in conjunction with the song that will vie for a Grammy at the Feb. 10 awards.
dierks2This week, the song’s meaning includes the homecoming of his beloved companion, Jake. The white dog happily wandered among rehearsal visitors as Bentley recounted the story of Jake’s escape and return, and the “overwhelming” outreach from friends and fans during the ordeal.
The father of two misses his family when he’s away from home, but said the sacrifice pushes him, his band and crew to make every show completely worthwhile.
After a hectic 2012 on the road, which included legs in the U.S., Canada and Australia—and notching the one millionth mile on his faithful tour bus “Goldie”—Bentley admitted he is looking forward to the consistency of an arena outing.
It’s not the first time Lambert and Bentley have hit the road together. She was one of his supporting acts on the 2006-2007 Locked and Loaded Tour. In upcoming shows, he said, they will team onstage for “some things fans expect, but will also throw in some things they might not expect.” Overall, he summed, he’s just plain excited.
Bentley has dates scheduled through July.

Americana Music Association Appoints Exec. Committee

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Americana_Music_Association_logo1The Americana Music Association has announced its executive committee for 2013, and added to the Board of Directors.
Holly Lowman, artist manager from Ramseur Records has been named President, independent consultant Brad Paul will remain on the Board as Past-President, producer Mark Moffatt will serve as President-Elect and the Grammy Museum’s Lynne Sheridan will serve as Secretary.
The three At-Large Executive Committee members are Amanda Hale (New West Records), John Ingrassia (Vector Management) and Jessie Scott (Music Fog and Hill Country). Kirt Vitolo will continue in his role as Treasurer and his firm, KV Associates, will act as the association’s accounting firm.
These positions are held for one-year terms.
The Board of Directors includes 21 industry representatives elected by the Americana Music Association membership or appointed by the Board. The 2013 Board brings new directors Shauna De Cartier (Six Shooter Records), Ingrassia, Paradigm’s Johnathan Levine and Sheridan. The incoming directors join Ashley Capps (AC Entertainment), Rodney Crowell, SESAC’s Tim Fink, Mary Gauthier, Hale, Nashville attorney Wayne Halper, Voice of America’s Joan Kornblith, Austin City Limits’ Terry Lickona, Buddy Miller, Moffatt, Al Moss, Paul, Scott, Vitolo and Emilee Warner from Crash Avenue.
 

Artist News (1/16/13)

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leann rimes1LeAnn Rimes has scheduled appearances on Entertainment Tonight (on Wednesday, Jan. 16) and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (on Jan. 22) to talk up her album Spitfire, which will release April 30.
 

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katie armiger1Katie Armiger released her fourth studio album, Fall Into Me, on Cold River Records on Tuesday (Jan. 15). Armiger had a hand in writing all 14 tracks on the album.
 

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kellie pickler1Kellie Pickler will host the charity event Unleashed: Dinner with your Dog Presented by Pedigree® Brand” on Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hutton Hotel. The event will feature a dog fashion show, a silent auction, giveaways, a cocktail hour and a dinner for guests and their canine companions. To purchase tickets, visit Nashvillehumane.org.
 
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parmalee1Stoney Creek Records’ Parmalee will headline the 2013 Country Gone Wild Tour, with supporting act Bush Hawg. The eight-city club tour will kick off in Ladson, S.C. on Feb. 15 and will include stops in Columbus, Ohio, Rootstown, Ohio, Kernersville, N.C., Lynchburg, Va., Pittsburgh, Chicago and Milwaukee, among

Weekly Register: Post Holiday Slowdown

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ckWeek two of the new year offered few surprises for Music City sales and no debuts on Nielsen SoundScan’s Top Current Country list. Red (49k) continued to dominate and was the only title to reach over the 20k bar. Labelmates Florida Georgia Line (FGL) stepped up to No. 2 adding 18k scans and TV soundtrack Music of Nashville took the No. 4 position with 16k in sales giving BMLG three out of the week’s Top 4 country albums. Capitol/UMG filled the remaining Top 5 spots with Luke Bryan (No. 3; 16k); and Little Big Town (No. 5; 16k).
The holiday sales bandwagon has subsided as country album sales fell 21% W/W and Top 75 sales barely reached the low water mark of 260k. A quick glance at the Weekly Grid shows the slowdown in graphic terms—YTD country album sales were up 4.8% last week but one week later are mostly flat (+.8%).
weeklygrid1-13-13The start of the year is traditionally slow for music sales since fans are are facing the reality of paying down holiday credit card bills. Still, there were non-country debuts from Chris Tomlin (No. 1; 73k) and Undead Hollywood (No. 2; 53k) that topped the all genre list and kept overall album sales in positive Y/Y territory (+4.1%).
If you are looking for something new from Nashville, you can find it on the Digital Genre Country tracks list. Blake Shelton’s “Sure Be Cool If You Did” debuts at No. 1 with almost 98k downloads. Taylor Swift also debuts a new track, “The Moment I Knew” that took the No. 2 position with sales of 79k. Getting No. 3 honorable mention is FGL with “Cruise” adding another 72k units for an RTD of 1.81 million!!!
weeklygrid1-6-13
Consider This
Watch and see if/how Facebook’s newly introduced Graph Search functionality plays out for the music industry. The beta version of the service, introduced 1/15 by FB CEO Mark Zuckerburg will focus on four main areas—people, photos, places and interests. In many ways the new search system reveals the power of the hive, that is makes it easier to discover likes and dislikes of friends and friends of friends. Will this become a new tool for music discovery? Will artists and labels find ways to “game” the system and make new music more likely to appear? Will Facebook offer these promo serivces for a fee?
With one billion active members, 240 billion photos and trillions of connections, Graph Search could have a profound impact.

Tomlin's 'Burning Lights' Is Fourth Christian Project To Debut Atop Billboard 200

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Chris Tomlin

Chris Tomlin


burning lights1Christian singer-songwriter Chris Tomlin‘s latest album, Burning Lights, has landed at No. 1 on Billboard 200 charts, making it only the fourth Christian project to ever debut in the top spot on the Billboard 200.
TobyMac‘s Eye On It topped the Billboard 200 album chart upon its release in 2012. Prior to that, the only other Christian projects to debut at the summit were LeAnn Rimes‘ You Light Up My Life–Inspirational Songs and Bob Carlisle‘s Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace).
Grammy-winner Tomlin is best known for his numerous worship songs, including “How Great Is Our God,” “Holy Is The Lord” and “Jesus Messiah.” The 12-track project Burning Lights was produced by Jason Ingram, Ed Cash and Dan Muckala and includes Tomlin’s current single “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies).”
Tomlin will launch his 34-date Burning Lights tour on Feb. 19 in Charleston, W.V.