DISClaimer Singles Reviews: Kelsea Ballerini, Shania Twain, Logan Mize, Clare Dunn, And More

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Welcome to a country-music, all-duets edition of DisClaimer.

Let’s cut right to the chase. Logan Mize and Clare Dunn have the Disc of the Day with Jonathan Tyler and Nikki Lane snapping at their heels and picking up a DisCovery Award as a consolation prize for Tyler.

But the previously reviewed “Rebels and Angels” by Terry McBride and Patty Loveless is still my 2020 favorite in this sub-genre.

LOGAN MIZE & CLARE DUNN /”Get ‘Em Together”
Writers: Dallas Davidson/Mark Holman/Ben Hayslip/Justin Wilson; Publisher:Big Yellow Dog; Producer: Daniel Agee; Label: Big Yellow Dog
-I love male-female country duets, and this one is a sensation. It’s got tempo, smiles, thump, crunch and guitar. Not to mention two personality-packed vocal performances for the price of one. Spin, spin, spin this baby.

HONEY COUNTY/ “Cry Wolf”
Writers: Danielle Rosner/Devon Eisenbarger/Katelyn Clampett/Katie Stump/Maks Gabriel; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Maks Gabriel/Katelyn Clampett; Label: Orchard
-The vocals by this female duo are mixed beautifully—so right up close and intimate you can almost hear them breathing into the microphone. The production shifts from soft and airy to rocking, swirling and exciting. I dig this little toe tapper.

LARKIN POE/”Take What You Want”
Writers: Andrew Wotman /Austin Richard Post/Billy Walsh/Jacques Webster/John Osbourne/Louis Russell Bell; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Larkin Poe; Label: LP
-The latest collection by these two sisters (Megan & Rebecca Lovell) is a covers-only effort titled Kindred Spirits. On it, they reinterpret songs by The Moody Blues, Elvis, Lenny Kravitz, Phil Collins, Elton John and others. This track is their rootsy/acoustic version of the Post Malone number. It’s pretty dang ear opening. If you aren’t hip to these two multi-instrumental wonders, get with the program…..

PRESLEY & TAYLOR/”Everybody Sees It”
Writers: Tenille Arts/Aaron Goodvin/Adam Wheeler; Publisher: none listed; Producer: James Stroud; Label: White Mustang
-These two sisters exude confidence and elan on this goose-bumpy, close-harmony performance. A steady, throbbing beat and tasty guitar licks underscore the silky vocals. One more thing: it is as catchy as can be.

SHENANDOAH & ASHLEY McBRYDE/”If Only “
Writers: Lori McKenna/Phil Barton/Jaron Boyer; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Buddy Cannon; Label: Foundry
-The Shenandoah comeback album of celebrity duets is loaded with delights. Not the least of them is this charming collaboration with McBryde. It’s a sweetly nostalgic, gentle, lilting song that wafts along with wishes of love, hope and decency.

THE SWON BROTHERS & LEWIS BRICE/”Southern Draw”
Writers: Zach Swon/Colton Swon/Lewis Brice; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Zach Swon/Colton Swan; Label: SB
–Nashlahoma is the title of the new Swon Brothers album. This lively, highly likeable track kicks up a lot of dust with its furious drumming, stinging guitar licks and party atmosphere. And no, that’s not a typo. It’s not “drawl.” It’s “draw.” They’re inviting you to the festivities by saying, “Let that Southern draw you in.”

LENA PAIGE & TANYA TUCKER/”Joan of Arkansas “
Writers: Robert Walton Jenkins/Selena Lynn Van Wyk; Publishers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Label: LP
-Paige has a languid delivery that’s not particularly compelling. Tucker, on the other, hand, is vocal charisma on the hoof. The lyric they share is interesting, but the melody just lays there.

ORVILLE PECK & SHANIA TWAIN/”Legends Never Die”
Writers: Orville Peck/Duncan Hay Jennings; Publisher: Sony-ATV, no performance rights listed; Producer: Orville Peck; Label: Columbia
-Colorful, mask-wearing Orville and snazzy dresser Shania might seem to be a good duet idea. Alas, neither of them sings well here, and evidently neither one is capable of vocal harmonizing. Also: The song is a dud.

KELSEA BALLERINI & SHANIA TWAIN/ “Hole in the Bottle “
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Hillary Lindsey/Jesse Frasure/Kelsea Ballerini/Steph Jones; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Ballerini/Frasure; Label: Black River
-The remix of Kelsea’s current single is pointlessly busy with competing drum tracks, overlapping vocals and trainwreck mixing. Shania’s vocals add little. It’s still a very cool song, so I’m sticking with Kelsea’s solo rendition.

JONATHAN TYLER & NIKKI LANE /”Old Friend”
Writers: Jonathan Tyler; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Jonathan Tyler; Label: JT
-Funky, warm and friendly, this rhythm-happy toe-tapper is loaded with cool little acoustic touches from mandolin, harmonica, shaker, fiddle and more. Lane’s sweet soprano harmony sounds lovely up against Tyler’s folkie vocal rasp. Sweet, jaunty and utterly endearing.

BeBe Winans To Serve As BMI Consultant

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Bebe Winans

Longtime BMI-affiliated songwriter and Gospel music legend BeBe Winans will serve as a consultant and personal advisor to BMI President/CEO Mike O’Neill. According to a statement from BMI, Winans will “lend his guidance and perspective to help the company navigate these changing times and continue BMI’s efforts to be a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.”

Winans has earned success both for his musical work with his sister CeCe Winans, and as a solo artist. He has earned six Grammys, 10 Dove Awards, six Stellar Awards, four NAACP Awards and more. He has served as an executive producer for the OWN series Greenleaf, hosted his own radio show on SiriusXM, and has been an actor and author. He shared his life story in the musical Born For This, and released an autobiography by the same name last year. Most recently, Winans released the single “Black Lives Matter,” offering a look at the Black Lives Matter movement and lending his voice to a call for understanding and empathy.

Winans said, “I’m proud to be a partner and guide for BMI and Mike O’Neill as President and CEO at this pivotal moment in our country and our industry. I know BMI is committed to doing the hard work that’s needed and has already taken important steps to drive change, and I’m excited to take this on to advance their progress. I also know Mike as a business leader, and more importantly, I know him as a friend, and I very much look forward to being a partner to him on this moving forward.”

O’Neill added, “I’m very grateful to BeBe for his support, and I know he will be integral in helping BMI continue our efforts to be more diverse and inclusive as a company. Not only is he one of the most inspirational, influential and dynamic songwriter/artists of our time, but importantly, BeBe also brings a wealth of experience and perspective. His wise counsel will be essential to us as BMI continues charting our course forward. I appreciate that BeBe believes in BMI, the mission of our company, and the core foundation of who we are. I will rely on him tremendously as an invaluable resource.”

BMI is also in the process of hiring a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Responsibility Officer to examine the company’s hiring, recruiting and training practices. The company has also developed an internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force as well as Affinity Resource groups, and has established a paid time-off volunteer policy where team members can volunteer at a local, community-based organization promoting diversity, championing social and racial justice, serving underserved communities, and protecting voting rights.

Billy Strings To Offer Encore Presentation Of Red Rocks Livestream Concert

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Billy Strings will release an encore presentation of his Red Rocks Amphitheatre livestream concert on Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. CT via Nugs.net. The concert was originally recorded in September.

Tickets for the event are on-sale now with a variety of purchase options including a special bundle with an MP3 download of the full, three-set performance. A portion of all proceeds will benefit Musically Fed, an organization that works with artists and venues across the country to help in the fight against hunger. For all ticket options, visit 2nu.gs/BillyStrings.

Next week’s broadcast is just the latest in a series of unique livestream and socially distanced concerts Strings has performed throughout 2020. Additional recent events include “The Streaming Strings Tour,” where he performed livestream shows from several of Nashville’s most beloved venues, as well as his “Meet Me At The Drive-In Tour,” a series of socially distanced, drive-in concerts.

Grand Ole Opry To Celebrate 75th Anniversary Of Bluegrass With Del McCoury And Ricky Skaggs

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Del McCoury Band at Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo

Ricky Skaggs and Del McCoury will help the Grand Ole Opry celebrate the 75th anniversary of Bluegrass music in a special show on Saturday, Dec. 5. Opry member McCoury is also a member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and Skaggs is a member of both the Country Music and Bluegrass Halls of Fame. The two will be joined by group Sister Sadie, the first female group to ever be named as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year.

After years in its development, bluegrass as we know it today was born on the Opry stage at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Dec. 8, 1945. On that night that Earl Scruggs made his Opry debut with Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys that included Lester Flatt, and just three months later, the historic lineup that would serve as the prototype for the bluegrass sound was complete: Monroe on mandolin, Scruggs on banjo, Flatt on guitar, Chubby Wise on fiddle, and Howard Watts on bass.

Earlier this month, the Opry resumed Friday night performances and expanded both Friday and Saturday night shows to two hours. In-venue audiences continue in compliance with operating plans developed in collaboration with the Nashville Public Health Department that include socially distanced seating, mandatory masks for all guests and staff, as well as enhanced cleaning practices.

Upcoming performers on the Opry include Opry members Bill Anderson, Trace Adkins, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, Jeannie Seely, and Chris Young plus special guests Russell Dickerson, Lady A, Keb’ Mo’, Ashley McBryde, Michael Ray, Chris Tomlin, Brett Young and more.

Brandi Carlile Details Journey From Poverty To Grammy Stage In Upcoming New Memoir

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Brandi Carlile is opening up about the life lessons that shaped her as an artist in a candid new memoir, Broken Horses, due out April 6.

The five-time Grammy award–winning singer, songwriter, performer, and producer examines a life shaped by music in this heartfelt and intimate story that will be published in both hardcover and digital formats by Crown, along with an audio edition of the book, read by the author, simultaneously released by Penguin Random House Audio.

In Broken Horses, Carlile takes readers through the events of her life from her impoverished childhood in a dysfunctional but loving family, to her first break opening for Dave Matthews Band, to many sleepless tours over 15 years and six studio albums with long-time collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth — all while raising two children with her wife, Catherine Carlile, along the way.

Kelsea Ballerini Piles Up RIAA Accolades

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Kelsea Ballerini

Kelsea Ballerini recently added more RIAA hardware to her collection, with her debut album The First Time earning Platinum status, and her three of her singles earning Platinum or better. “Miss Me More” is now 2x multi-Platinum, while “homecoming queen?” and “Yeah Boy” are both now Platinum.

The Black River Entertainment artist’s current single, “hole in the bottle,” the third from her album kelsea, is currently at No. 12 on Mediabase and No. 14 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. The track has earned more than 60 million streams, and recently got a star-studded update when Ballerini debuted a new version of the track featuring Shania Twain.

‘Willie Nelson American Outlaw’ CD And DVD To Release Dec. 11

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Blackbird Presents is releasing the CD and DVD of Willie Nelson American Outlaw, the once-in-a-lifetime concert event taping at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena celebrating the songs of icon Willie Nelson, on Dec. 11.

The concert film and CD features performances by Nelson, The Avett Brothers, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, George Strait, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Jimmy Buffett, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lukas Nelson, Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Sheryl Crow, and many more.

Performance highlights include “Willie Got Me Stoned” (Performed by Jack Johnson) and Nelson classics such as “Whiskey River”(Performed by Chris Stapleton), “Me and Paul” (Performed by Eric Church), “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” (Performed by Vince Gill), along with duets “The Harder They Come” (with Jimmy Buffett), “Crazy” (with Dave Matthews), “You Were Always On My Mind” (with Chris Stapleton and Derek Trucks), “After The Fire Is Gone” (with Sheryl Crow), and an All-Star performance of “On The Road Again.” In addition to these star-studded performances, music history was made when Nelson and George Strait performed together for the very first time on “Sing One With Willie” and “Good Hearted Woman.”

“Willie and his songs mean everything to music artists and fans alike. Like Willie, they have inspired us to remain true to ourselves in every possible way. This incredible lineup of artists on this show is a testament to that,” says Blackbird Presents CEO Keith Wortman.

Blackbird Presents/Caroline Records will release the full-length concert film in all audio and video formats including CD/DVD combo, now available for immediate preorder at willieoutlaw.com.

Ryan Beaver, Tiera, Dillon Carmichael Among AIMP Nashville’s Songwriter Series Class of 2020

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The Association of Independent Music Publishers’ Nashville Chapter has announced the Songwriter Series Class of 2020, which highlights several of the most promising songwriters in Nashville’s independent publishing community.

This year’s honorees include Ryan Beaver, Dillon Carmichael, Ian Christian, Colin Elmore, Jeff Garrison, LJ, and Tiera. They will perform together in a live songwriters’ round to be held in 2021.

Previous AIMP Nashville Songwriter Series performers have gone on to earn chart-topping hits both as performers and as writers for artists including Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Morgan Wallen, Jimmie Allen, and Matt Stell; win Grammy, CMA, and CMT Awards; and reach No. 1 on the Music Row Top Songwriter Chart, among other accomplishments. Past classes have featured Luke Dick, Jameson Rodgers, Hailey Whitters, Ash Bowers, Hannah Ellis, Ross Ellis, HARDY, Ashley McBryde, Kassi Ashton, Nicolette Hayford, Kylie Morgan, Ben Goldsmith, and more.

“At AIMP Nashville, we pride ourselves on identifying talent before anyone else,” said John Ozier, President of the AIMP Nashville Chapter. “As independent publishers, we are able to see, identify, and work with songwriters and artists before the rest of the industry. If you look at the success our previous classes of writers have gone on to have, it’s remarkable. The Class of 2020 is, yet again, going to be the future of country music, and we’re proud to give them the recognition they deserve before anyone else.”

All members of the AIMP Nashville Songwriter Series Class of 2020 were selected by a special committee made up of music industry professionals, based on submissions from current AIMP Nashville members. Each writer must not have had a song charting higher than a Top 20 on the Billboard or Mediabase charts.

This Year’s Nashville Christmas Parade Goes Virtual, Adds Lauren Alaina, Jimmie Allen, Louis York, for King & Country And More

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Lauren Alaina. Photo Credit: Katie Kauss

The 93rd annual Nashville Christmas Parade is going virtual this year due to the pandemic and will be aired on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 9 a.m. on News Channel 2.

CeCe Winans, Danielle Bradbery, for KING & COUNTRY, Jimmie Allen, Louis York and The Shindellas, Oak Ridge Boys, Lauren Alaina, Melinda Doolittle, Mitchell Tenpenny, the Nashville Children’s Theatre, Sandi Patty, Shy Carter, Benita Washington and Runaway June, who will be introduced by Radio Disney Country special correspondent Lindsay Ell, will all perform during the one-hour virtual program. Dolly Parton will also offer a special holiday greeting during the parade program.

In addition to these star-studded appearances, viewers will enjoy historic highlights from previous parades and touching patient stories from the children of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, including that of this year’s Child Ambassador Grace Hamilton, a 12-year-old cancer survivor who battled high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was just 5 years old. There will also be memorable moments from local marching bands and a virtual marching band performance from the Golden Rams Marching Band from West Chester University in Pennsylvania.

“We are so glad that we were able to discover a safe way to continue the tradition of the Nashville Christmas Parade this year,” said Julie Carell Stadler, parade co-producer and daughter of the late Monroe J. Carell Jr. and Ann Scott Carell. The parade has brought joy to children and their families for decades and touches even more lives by benefiting Children’s Hospital. It really is the kickoff to the holiday season for locals and visitors to Nashville, and I think people will be really pleased with how we are making it happen this year.”

The Nashville Christmas Parade debuted in 1927 and has been an annual tradition every year, except during the war years. The parade is produced annually in support of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony/ATV Nashville Acquires River House Artists Catalogue, Signs Joint Venture

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Pictured (L-R): Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Jon Platt, River House Artists Founder Lynn Oliver-Cline, Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston.

Sony/ATV Nashville has acquired the River House Artists’ catalogue of top-charting country songs, which includes Luke Combs’ No. 1 hits “Forever After All,” “Beautiful Crazy,” “When It Rains It Pours,” and “Lovin’ On You.” The company also signed a joint venture with River House Artists to provide creative services to its talent.

Indie record label and publishing company River House Artists launched in 2016 under the leadership of veteran industry executive Lynn Oliver-Cline, and is home to some of today’s top country hitmakers, including Combs’ long-time friend and collaborator Ray Fulcher, well known for co-writing beloved songs such as  “Does To Me,” “Even Though I’m Leaving” and “When It Rains It Pours” by Combs.

River House Artists also represents Drew Parker, rising artist-songwriter and Sirius XM’s latest Highway Find who has co-written hits including Combs’ “1,2 Many” and “Nothing Like You,” as well as No. 1 single “Homemade” by Jake Owen.

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Lynn’s intuition for identifying singer-songwriters who speak right to the heart of country music is second to none, and she knows how to turn their dreams into reality. We’re proud to partner with Lynn and the River House team as we build a long and successful future together.”

River House Artists Founder Lynn Oliver-Cline said, “When I moved to Nashville in 2013, I wanted to be Rusty Gaston! So being able to ink a deal with him and Sony/ATV, who are already my family, is a dream come true. I can’t think of our writers and artists being in better hands. Rusty’s passion for songs, songwriters and his team is inspiring on every level. I can’t thank Jon, Rusty and Cam [Caldwell] enough for making this happen!”

River House Artists’ roster also includes powerhouse songwriters such as Driver Williams, who has crafted popular hits such as “Smoke A Little Smoke” by Eric Church and “Call Me Country” by Jon Pardi; Nicolette Hayford, best known for co-writing certified gold singles “Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega” and “One Night Standards” by Ashley McBryde; and Jordan Rowe, known for his latest single “Good For Nothin.”