Kenny Rogers Recruits Special Guests For Christmas Project

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Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers

When December rolls around you can count on colorful decorations, brightly-wrapped presents, sparkling Christmas trees, candy canes, and, a Kenny Rogers tour. Rogers hits the road every year around that time on his annual Christmas & Hits Tour, which is in its 34th straight year, and this holiday season he will have his first Christmas album in 17 years out to accompany it. The CD, titled Once Again It’s Christmas, will hit retailers this fall, and is Rogers’ first holiday release since 1998.

Rogers collaborates with several special guests on the new CD, including Jennifer Nettles, Alison Krauss, Home Free, Jim Brickman, and Winfield’s Locket.

“I can’t tell you how much fun it was recording a Christmas record again,” Rogers said. “I’m excited for people to hear it. I feel like this is a special group of songs—both old and new—and I was particularly lucky to be joined by many talented guest artists and musicians who each have something unique to say.”

Rogers kicks off this year’s Once Again It’s Christmas Tour featuring Linda Davis in late November. The tour will include both holiday favorites and Rogers’ hits, and will hit cities across the U.S. and Canada. A final schedule of dates will be announced soon.

Luke Bryan Kicks The Heat Up At Vanderbilt

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Luke Bryan. Photo: Steve Green/Vanderbilt .

Luke Bryan. Photo: Steve Green/Vanderbilt .

Luke Bryan is not just arbitrarily ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year. He works hard for his money and fans. If there were any unbelievers, Saturday night’s (July 11) Kick The Dust Up Tour at the Vanderbilt Stadium settled the score.

The show put Bryan’s name down among a handful of all-genre artists who have sold-out the Nashville football field, including Dave Matthews Band, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and U2.

Truss bridges spanned the length of the field for the country show—high above the standing-room pits—transporting performers to a satellite stage in front of the sold-out crowd. Fireworks kicked off Bryan’s set and reignited during various songs throughout the evening, ending in a 10-minute-plus finale. Flame throwers also torched the already sweltering stadium.

The sun didn’t completely set over the top bleacher seats until well into the evening, resulting in Nashville News 2 reporting over 300 concert goers were treated for heat-related illness. Many had tailgated before, and enjoyed beers in the liquor-less venue.

“What is with this heat?” exclaimed Bryan, who pressed on to deliver a 90-minute set. Those titles ranged from 2007 debut single “All My Friends Say” to his string of No. 1 hits after 2010, including “Rain Is A Good Thing,” “I Don’t Want This Night To End,” “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” and “Play It Again.”

Photo: Steve Green/Vanderbilt

Photo: Steve Green/Vanderbilt

The staging peeled back to spotlight each opening act as the sun dipped into the night. Dustin Lynch sported the only cowboy hat while BBR labelmate Randy Houser belted his signature vibrato during his set, featuring a cover of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me.” BMLG labelmates Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett brought the pop-country flavor. Rhett ditched his boots for some gold sneakers to show off his hip-hop dance moves, featuring his latest “Crash and Burn” and a pop cover of “Uptown Funk.”

Direct support, FGL, toured through hits from the past three years, including Big Loud Mountain EP title track It’z Just What We Do to a current string of hits including “Dirt,” “Sun Daze” and “Sippin’ On Fire.”

“Everybody on this stage moved to this town to follow a country music dream,” Bryan told the crowd as he brought all his buddies back to the stage for a shot of tequila and to cover some pop songs (theme song from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, “Style,” “Bad Blood,” “Sugar”). “This is for you making [that dream] possible.”

Bryan and his band of six proved their relevancy with additional pop incorporation with “Talk Dirty” (Jason DeRulo), “Dynamite” (Tao Cruz), “Get Lucky” (Daft Punk), and “Faithfully” (Journey). Concertgoers were thrilled.

Pictured (L-R): Randy Houser, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan and Dustin Lynch.

Pictured (L-R): Randy Houser, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan and Dustin Lynch.

And that is what makes Bryan such a stand-out. He is a 21st century sensation with an understanding of contemporary influences, and an aw-shucks, boy-next-door sex appeal.

Over the past five years, his concert experience has exponentially grown to sold-out stadium events, continuing to impress fans from multiple generations and genre affiliations. That energy and enthusiasm doesn’t seem to be cooling off anytime soon.

Bryan’s 2015 tour will continue with more stadiums throughout October. He’ll sidetrack with Farm Tour 2015 in the fall and another winter run of Crash My Playa in Mexico, in January. His fifth studio album Kill The Lights, will be in stores Friday, August 7.

More dates at lukebryan.com.

Americana Music Association Presents AmericanaFest NYC

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Lincoln Center Out of DoorsNew York will get a taste of Americana once again this year when the AmericanaFest NYC festival takes place Aug. 7-9. Part of the Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors series, the event is presented by the Americana Music Association and will feature three days of performances capped off by a concert by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band.

The Fairfield Four and The McCrary Sisters bring their soulful sounds to the Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park Bandshell stage Aug. 7 along with Junior Mambazo, and the Saturday two-stage lineup will include performances by Sam Outlaw, the Quebe Sisters, Kasey Chambers, Justin Townes Earle, the Watkins Family Hour, Fiona Apple, Don Heffington, and Sebastian Steinburg. An eclectic tribute to Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited album is also planned, featuring Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, and Pokey LaFarge, with the Watkins Family Hour backing as the house band.

Sunday will include a special late afternoon show by Iris DeMent, followed by closer Lyle Lovett, who will round out the weekend’s performances.

All shows are free and require no tickets, and a full calendar of events can be found at www.americanamusic.org.

Brad Paisley Unveils Signature Santa Cruz Guitar

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Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley introduced his brand new signature model Santa Cruz Guitar to a small group of guitar enthusiasts and musicians last night (July 12) at an event at Artisan Guitar shop in Franklin, Tenn. The guitar made its debut at NAMM’s Summer show in Nashville last week.

Paisley was presented his guitar for the first time at the event by Richard Hoover, CEO and founder of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, and was thrilled at the turnout of the specialized instrument bearing his name.

Paisley worked closely with Hoover to design a personalized dreadnought based on Santa Cruz’s Pre-war Dreadnought model. Paisley’s model, made out of East Indian Rosewood and Bear Claw Sitka Spruce, honors his dedication to the sustainability of treasured tone woods, and is built with his preferred customizations for playability, tone and look.

He purposely selected the small company that creates only 600 guitars a year to assure the quality of the handmade guitars.

“I’ve never picked up a Santa Cruz that wasn’t magical,” Paisley commented on the new model. “This is the type of guitar you build up to and the idea of one of my fans or contemporaries using it would make me proud. I know if someone gets one of these they are getting exactly what I want them to have.”

Digital Distribution Company ONErpm Opening Nashville Office

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oneRPM_logo (1)

Emmanuel_Zunz

Emmanuel Zunz

ONErpm, a full-service, digital music distributor and YouTube Multi-Channel Network (MCN), is opening a Nashville office headed by CEO & founder Emmanuel Zunz.

The company already has offices in New York, Brazil, and Mexico.

Zunz and VP of Strategy and Development Jarrod Cooper will be based in the new location at 632 Fogg Street.

ONErpm is a digital music distribution and marketing company offering artists and creators a variety of distribution solutions, and direct-to-fan tools, combined with personalized, strategic marketing support.

As one of YouTube’s fastest growing MCNs, ONErpm has 1,300 YouTube channels generating more than 700 million views monthly.

The company works with over 22,000 artists and labels worldwide, ranging from up-and-coming artists to established talent across all genres.

“We are inspired to be in Nashville, a place that truly deserves to be called Music City. It’s amazing to me that everywhere you go you are surrounded by music, songwriters, and musicians—this is where ONErpm feels at home,” said Zunz.

He launched the company in 2010 in Latin America to better serve musicians internationally.

ONErpm invites members of the industry to celebrate with them at Acme Feed & Seed rooftop on Wednesday, July 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. RSVP to [email protected].

Music Videos Could Be Coming To Facebook

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facebookFacebook is in talks with the major labels to begin inserting music videos into Facebook users’ news feeds, according to numerous media outlets.

The New York Times reports, “Facebook has proposed adding a limited number of music videos, all of which would be chosen by the labels, to the feeds…. Facebook would share advertising revenue with the labels according to terms that have not yet been set.”

The article goes on to state that the social network is emphasizing plans to be vigilant in fighting unauthorized content.

Music videos could appear in the news feed with months.

Additionally, Facebook has stated that it has no plans to enter the music streaming business.

Jerrod Niemann Debuts Single From Upcoming Album

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JN_BB_RGB_600-1Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville’s Jerrod Niemann is back on airwaves with new single, “Blue Bandana,” which impacts radio July 27.

Produced by Jimmie Lee Sloas and Niemann, it is the lead track from the artist’s forthcoming album due out in early 2016.

Niemann recalls the first time he heard the demo of “Blue Bandana,” co-penned by Ben Goldsmith, C.J. Solar and Andrew Scott Wills. “This song made me smile and reflect back on concerts I either performed at or attended. The writers did an amazing job working so many cool music festivals into the song. The melody captures an open-air feeling, very liberating and refreshing.”

For a first look at Niemann’s “Blue Bandana” lyric video, click here.

ole Inks Deal With Josh Thompson

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josh thompson

Pictured: (L-R) Emily Mueller (ole, Creative Manager), Ben Strain (ole, Creative Director), Julianne Drenon (Creekhouse Entertainment), Josh Thompson, John Ozier (ole, GM Creative), and Shellien Kinsey (ole, Creative Coordinator).

ole’s digital division has signed a deal with Josh Thompson for digital distribution and video admin rights to new master and live recordings. The masters will be compiled into two EPs, Change: The Lost Record, Volumes 1 and 2, which will be released by ole. ole will also retain publishing rights to Thompson’s catalog through their acquisition of the Better Angels Music Publishing Group. Thompson has previously released five singles on the Billboard chart including “Way Out Here,” “Beer on the Table,” and “Won’t Be Lonely Long.” 

“Josh is a truly gifted songwriter and performer who has taken Nashville by storm,” said John Ozier, ole General Manager Creative/Nashville. “These new recordings are some of his best work by far, and we’re excited to bring them under the ole banner.”

“ole is one of the biggest names on Music Row, but more importantly, they’re dedicated to music above all else,” said Thompson. “I know that they will do everything in their power to find my songs the audience they deserve, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”

Industry Ink: Record Setting ‘Girl Crush,’ Capitol CMG Publishing, Drummers To Be Honored

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Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” has the best one week sales for a country track

A Monster Crush

Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” is at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for the eleventh consecutive week. This is the longest run by a group (of at least three members) in the chart’s history, ousting the previous record set by The Browns with “The Three Bells” in 1959.

“Crush” additionally logs its third consecutive week and eleventh week overall as the No. 1 country download on the Nielsen SoundScan Digital Country Songs Chart. It is the most downloaded song in country music for 2015 with sales totaling nearly 1.4 million.

“Girl Crush” reached the top of MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart on June 11 and received the MusicRow Award for Song of the Year.

Lindsay Gum

Lindsay Gum

Capitol CMG Publishing Adds Lindsay Gum

Capitol CMG Publishing has hired Lindsay Gum as Creative Manager. While she will have a distinct focus on the country market, she will also bring creative support to the Christian market. She will report to Capitol CMG Publishing’s VP of Creative, Jimi Williams.

She most recently worked at the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and, prior to that, Blacktop Music. She has seven years of experience working with songwriters, catalog development, music companies, and events. Gum is a music business graduate of MTSU.

WFD-logoDrummers To Be Celebrated

Drummers D.J. Fontana (drummer for Elvis Presley), WS Holland (drummer for Johnny Cash) and Richie Albright (drummer for Waylon Jennings) will be honored tomorrow (July 11) in Nashville at the World’s Fastest Drummer Church’s Chicken Legends Series Award. Radio and TV celebrity host Charlie Chase will do the honors.

The 2015 World’s Fastest Drummer (WFD) World Finals, an extreme sport drumming competition, will take place July 9-11, 2015 at the Music City Center as part of the Summer National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show.

Michael Ray Sets Release Date For Self-Titled Debut

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Pictured (L-R): Tony Conway (Ontourage Management), Justin Luffman (VP Brand Management), Michael Ray, Pete Fisher (VP & GM, Grand Ole Opry), Jeff Bates

Michael Ray played the Opry recently. Pictured (L-R): Tony Conway (Ontourage Management), Justin Luffman (VP Brand Management), Michael Ray, Pete Fisher (VP & GM, Grand Ole Opry), Jeff Bates

Michael Ray is gearing up for the Aug. 7 release of his self-titled debut CD by offering up a pre-order option to fans beginning July 17 at MichaelRayMusic.com. The project will of course include Ray’s Top 10-and-climbing hit “Kiss You In The Morning.”

The Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville album was produced by hitmaker Scott Hendricks.

A video for the single features the Florida native in his element among his hometown family and friends racing cars, driving airboats and generally loving life. Ray developed much of his profound love for country’s old school sounds thanks to his grandfather, who passed away earlier this year. He dedicated his first performance on the Grand Ole Opry to him, playing one of his guitars on stage, and performed on the hallowed stage earlier this week in celebration of the release of his new CD.

“2015 has been one of the best years professionally of my life,” said Ray. “Coming from the kid that grew up in Eustis, FL in a double wide trailer on ten acres of land to releasing my debut album worldwide is such a surreal and ‘I can’t believe it’s happening’ feeling. Many people have put a lot of hard work into making this a reality and I hope everyone enjoys the record.”