Cole Swindell’s Debut Album Certified Platinum By RIAA

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Cole Swindell onstage after performing "You Should Be Here" on Saturday, March 26. ©2016 Grand Ole Opry / Photo: Chris Hollo

Cole Swindell onstage after performing “You Should Be Here” on Saturday, March 26. ©2016 Grand Ole Opry / Photo: Chris Hollo

Cole Swindell‘s self-titled debut album has earned platinum certification from the RIAA. The project includes four No. 1 songs, including gold-certified “Let Me See Ya Girl,” as well as platinum-certified “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey,” and “Chillin’ It.”

“Wow, I just got the news about my album going platinum, and I am so taken aback,” said Swindell. “That is one of those things you hope you can achieve but can never really prepare yourself for it actually happening. Being a part of the country music family is something I take seriously, and I am truly honored.”

In March, Swindell’s “You Should Be Here” topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, accounts for streaming, radio airplay and digital sales. The song marks Swindell’s fifth consecutive No. 1 single, and eighth overall as a songwriter. He performed the tune onstage at the Grand Ole Opry on March 26. His forthcoming album, You Should Be Here, is due May 6 via Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville.

Additionally, Swindell has been announced as a performer at the ACM Awards on Sun., April 3.

The Lumineers Confirmed For Americana Fest Kickoff Event

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The Lumineers

The Lumineers

The Lumineers will perform at Ascend Amphitheater in downtown Nashville on Tues., Sept. 20, on the first day of the Americana Music Festival and Conference.

Admission to The Lumineers show will be a separate ticketed event, co-produced by AEG Live. The Americana Music Association will be sending a presale opportunity to members and early registrants. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Fri., April 8 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.

“We’re very excited to have the Americana Music Association presenting our show at Ascend Amphitheater. Nashville is a very special place for us, aside from our love of the amazing music scene and history, both our label Dualtone and agent are based there, and it’s where we mixed the new album,” said band member Wesley Schultz.

The Lumineers released their self-titled debut album, featuring the breakout hit “Ho Hey,” in 2012.

The Lumineers Fan Club members will have a special presale opportunity starting on Tues., April 5. All new fan club members must sign up at the band’s website before Mon., April 4, in order to be eligible.

Houston Developer Purchases Music Row Site For Luxury Apartments

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Screen Shot 2016-04-01 at 3.15.27 PMHouston-based real estate developer The Dinerstein Cos. has purchased 1.38 acres of land at 70 Music Sq. W. for $11.59 million, with plans for a midsize luxury apartment community, MusicRow has confirmed. The apartment community will be 230 units, average 750 sq. ft. and mostly one-bedrooms. There will be a retail component as well.

The luxury apartments will also include a bike shop and storage area, dog wash, mail room, music jam room, pool, clubhouse, fitness center, business center, courtyard, and rooftop lounge.

“This is the perfect spot for millennials in a convenient walkable location,” The Dinerstein Companies said in a statement to MusicRow. “The Dinerstein Companies has had eyes on Nashville for the last three years for its great job growth, vitality and this project in particular is in the best area of town. We look forward to doing more business in Nashville.”

The property, which includes parcels of 54, 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64 Music Square West, is the site of a former SESAC office, among other buildings. The land was purchased by Texas-based Forestar Group over two years ago for $6.25 million and all buildings on the site were razed. Forestar had planned to make the property home to a 230-unit apartment building Music Square Flats, which would have included retail. The apartments had been expected to open in 2017.

Forestar abandoned those plans and put the the property up for sale last month.

The Dinerstein Cos. intends to update the former building plans set by Forestar. New renderings from Dinerstein Cos. are not available at this time.

The Dinerstein Cos. develops multi-family and student housing properties across the nation, and has developed more than 52,000 apartment units, including Millennium Greenway in Houston.

Weekly Chart Report (4/1/16)

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Click here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

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Mark Your Calendar — April 2016

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Single Add Dates

Cyndi LauperApril 4
Keith Urban/Wasted Time/Capitol Nashville
Shelby Kimble/Missing You Like This/Phoenix Records
Casey Donahew/Feels This Right/Almost Country Entertainment
Cyndi Lauper/Funnel of Love/Sire Records
Rudy Parris/Party Out Back/Warrior Records
Cherie Darling/Sittin’ On A Step/Orchard
Tyler Hammond/Drunk Over A Girl/TLB
Josh Goodlett/I Don’t Usually Do This/Good Entertainment

April 11
Brett Young/Sleep Without You/Republic Nashville
Craig Campbell/Outskirts Of Heaven/Red Bow
Lonestar/Never Enders//Shanachie Entertainment
Trailer Choir/Ice Cold Summer/Star Farm Nashville
Hillbilly Vegas/Shake It Like A Hillbilly/SMG-Nashville
Blackjack Billy/The Booze Cruise/Reviver

April 18
Jessie G/Drop A Line/Hook & Line
Aaron Watson/Bluebonnets/Big Label Records
Matt Cline w/Andy Griggs, Buddy Jewell, Ray Stevens, Steve Cropper/If You Want My Vote/Spin Doctors
Dani Dease/Mojo Back/Stanley Music Group

April 25
Alexandra Demetree/You Still Think I’m Beautiful/SSM Nashville

Album Release Dates

martinamcbriderecklessApril 1
Levi Hummon/Levi Hummon [EP]/The Valory Music Co.

April 8
Maggie Rose/The Variety Show. Vol.1/The Orchard
Hayes Carll/Lovers and Leavers/Thirty Tigers
Charlie Farley/All I’ve Been Through/Backroad Records-Average Joes

April 15
Del McCoury/Del and Woody/McCoury Music
Sturgill Simpson/A Sailor’s Guide To Earth/Atlantic Records
Dixie Chicks/Wide Open Spaces, Fly, Home, Taking The Long Way [12″ vinyl reissues]/Columbia-Legacy
James Robert Webb/Pictures/Bison Creek Records
Mark Collie/ICON/MCA Nashville-UMe
Don Williams/Don Williams In Ireland: The Gentle Giant In Concert [DVD and CD]/Red River Entertainment-BFD-RED

April 16
Brandy Clark/Girl Next Door [RSD 7″ vinyl single with “Homecoming Queen”]/Warner Bros. Records

April 29
Martina McBride/Reckless/Nash Icon

Industry Events

RWOTRApril 1-3
4th ACM Party For A Cause Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds

April 2
ACM Radio Winners Reception, to be held in Las Vegas

April 3

  • 51st Academy of Country Music Awards from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena on CBS at 8 PM ET/delayed PT
  • iHeartRadio Music Awards on TBS, TNT and truTV at 8 p.m. ET

April 5-9
24th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival

April 8
MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row event at the Omni Nashville Hotel

April 12
All For The Hall benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville

April 14-23
2016 Nashville Film Festival at Regal Cinema Green Hills

April 18
Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville Awards, presented by Spotify, at the Ryman Auditorium at 6 p.m.

April 26
11th Annual Symphony Fashion Show at Schermerhorn Symphony Center

April 28-30
11th Annual ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO at Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles

April 30
St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

Jason Aldean Releases Lead Single From Upcoming Album

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Jason Aldean. Photo: Jim Wright

Jason Aldean. Photo: Jim Wright

Jason Aldean has released “Lights Come On” as the lead single from his upcoming seventh album, due this summer on Broken Bow Records. Aldean will perform the song on Sunday (April 3) on the ACM Awards in Las Vegas. He is nominated this year in the Entertainer and Male Vocalist categories.

The song’s writers are Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Jordan Schmidt, Jimmy Robbins, Brad Warren and Brett Warren.

“Being on stage is why I do what I do, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” said Aldean. “This song is all about that rush you can only get from stepping on stage and listening to fans sing along to every word. It’s about throwing the biggest party from the floor to the top of the rafters for all those people who spent their paycheck to come see us. We’re bringing it to Vegas this weekend and I can’t think of a better place to kick it off than at the ACM’s.”

Aldean released his previous album, Old Boots, New Dirt, in October 2014. Its four singles were “Burnin’ It Down,” “Just Gettin’ Started,” “Tonight Looks Good on You,” and “Gonna Know We Were Here.”

Aldean has also released a lyric video to coincide with the release of the new single.

YouTube video

Shawn Pennington Launches Artist Development, Management Company

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Shawn Pennington

Shawn Pennington

Music executive Shawn Pennington has formed Pennington Entertainment, a full-service artist development and management company.

Formerly Sr. VP Artist Management at BBR Management, he begins his new venture with over 20 years of experience in touring, management, production and promotion. Pennington Entertainment’s initial clients include Parmalee and Thompson Square. BBR Management assistant Cara Kozulak will be joining Pennington Entertainment, with additional staff to be announced soon.

He joined BBR Management in 2009, and previously worked at Dale Morris & Associates, where he helped develop the careers and brands of Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, John Rich, Cowboy Troy, The MuzikMafia, and others.

Though music is his primary focus, Pennington has produced programming for major television networks including NBC, CMT, USA, GAC, and DIRECTV. The former board member of the ACM and The Charley Foundation, in partnership with Thompson Square, has aided in efforts that have raised nearly $500,000 for ChildFund International.

Pennington Entertainment will be based at 2451 Atrium Way, Ste. 1200, Nashville, TN 37214.

Pennington can be reached at (615) 651-6200 and at shawn@penningtonentertainment.com. Kozulak can be reached at cara@penningtonentertainment.com

Thirty Tigers Announces Three New Hires, One Promotion

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thirty-tigers_570Thirty Tigers has expanded their Nashville office with three additions to the staff, as well as a promotion.

Brandon Chamberlain joins Thirty Tigers as Director of Marketing. Chamberlain previously held publicity and marketing positions at Universal Music Group Distribution and Capitol Records in Los Angeles.

Jennifer Boise joins Thirty Tigers as a Project Manager specializing in country and Texas music. Other career stops for Boise include Sony Music Nashville, Provident, Verity, and Warner Bros. Nashville.

Morgan Perry has been promoted to the position of Manager of Production. Meanwhile, John Moser steps into Perry’s former role of Indie Retail Coordinator. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Moser transitioned from full-time tour management into his new role. Both positions report to Bob Goldstone, VP, Sales.

Thirty Tigers notched a No. 1 debut on the Billboard comedy chart with a project by Wheeler Walker, Jr. in February. This spring will see releases from, among others: Santana (original lineup), Hayes Carll, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Jayhawks, and John Doe.

Thirty Tigers is a music marketing, management, distribution, publishing and film company based in Nashville. Thirty Tigers Distribution has served as a label infrastructure for a vast client base including The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chase Rice, Lucinda Williams, Ryan Bingham, Patty Griffin, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Trampled By Turtles, and many others in their 14 years of working with Sony/RED Distribution.

Taylor Swift Will Accept iHeartRadio Music Award For Best Tour

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Taylor Swift will receive the iHeartRadio Music Awards’ first-ever Best Tour award, recognizing The 1989 World Tour, on Sunday, April 3. The Big Machine Records artist will accept the award live and is also nominated for seven other categories including Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

Bobby Bones and Brad Paisley are also scheduled to make appearances, along with performances by ZAYN, Chris Brown, DNCE, Fetty Wap, Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Iggy Azalea, G-Eazy, Bebe Rexha and host Jason Derulo.

The event will air live on TBS, TNT and truTV at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Forum in Los Angeles. An encore presentation will immediately follow on those networks. The iHeartRadio Music Awards will broadcast simultaneously on iHeartMedia stations nationwide and across the iHeartRadio digital music platform.

Charles Kelley Selects Single Written By Chris Stapleton And Jesse Frasure

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Charles Kelley

Charles Kelley

Charles Kelley has released “Lonely Girl,” written by Chris Stapleton and Jesse Frasure, as the latest single from his new solo album, The Driver. Kelley will perform the song on the ACM Awards on Sun., April 3.

“I’ve been wanting to cut this song since I heard it about three years ago,” Kelley said. “At the time, it wasn’t the right fit for Lady A, so when we started digging into my solo project, I knew it would be a big part of the record. It’s not easy to follow Stapleton’s demo, I mean he’s the best singer in our genre, but I put my own little spin on it and it’s turned out to be a favorite live.”

Frasure and Stapleton also co-wrote the ACM-nominated “Hangover Tonight” with Gary Allan and Cary Barlowe. Allan’s recording of that song, with guest vocals by Stapleton, is nominated in the category of Vocal Event of the Year. Thomas Rhett’s No. 1 single, “Crash and Burn,” was written by Frasure and Stapleton as well.

Kelley released The Driver on Feb. 5 on Capitol Records Nashville and received a Grammy nomination for the title track. He will launch a solo tour with special guest (and brother) Josh Kelley on April 9 in Washington, D.C.