Sony/ATV Promotes Knoepfle To Sr. VP Role

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knoefle1

Jennifer Knoepfle


Sony/ATV Music Publishing has promoted Jennifer Knoepfle to the role of Sr. VP, Creative. Knoepfle is based in the company’s Los Angeles office. She will be responsible for all Sony/ATV’s West Coast A&R activities, including signings, and development of new and established songwriters on the roster. She will jointly run the L.A. office with Jonas Kant, Sr. VP of Business and Legal Affairs. She will report to Martin Bandier, Chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV.
Knoepfle joined Sony/ATV in May 2009 as Sr. Director of Creative, and has signed acts including Jack Antonoff, Andrews Dost of the band fun., Foster the People, and others.
Prior to joining Sony/ATV Knoepfle spent four years as Senior Director of Membership at ASCAP, where she brought in a number of songwriters to the organization, including The Killers, Lana Del Rey and Greg Kurstin.
Also at the publisher, Amanda Berman took the role of VP, Creative last year having previously been Sr. Director, West Coast Creative. This was a title she carried over from EMI Music Publishing following its merger with Sony/ATV. She joined EMI in February 2005 having previously worked at Warner Bros. Records.
Sam Taylor assumes the new title of VP, Creative having joined Sony/ATV in 2012 as Sr. Director, Creative following the merger with EMI Music Publishing. He started at EMI Publishing at the beginning of 2010 as Director, A&R.

Bamford Earns Top Honors at Canadian Country Music Awards

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Gord Bamford

Gord Bamford


Gord Bamford was a top winner at Sunday evening’s (Sept. 7) Canadian Country Music Awards, held at Rexall Place in Edmonton. He was honored as Male Artist of the Year, and earned Single of the Year honors for the track, “When Your Lips Are So Close.” He also earned the Country Music Association’s Global Artist of the Year honor.
Having conquered the Canadian Country music scene, Bamford revealed he is now aiming for success in the American market, announcing Sunday evening that he has signed a deal with Sony Music’s American arm.
The Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year honor went to Johnny Reid, for A Christmas Gift To You. Reid also took home the Fans’ Choice Award.
Jess Moskaluke earned the Female Artist of the Year title, while Dean Brody took home Album of the Year, for Crop Circles.
Lindi Ortega and Brett Kissel both won their first CCMA Awards last night. Kissel earned the title for CMT Video of the Year and Interactive Artist, while Ortega took home Roots Artist or Group of the Year.
Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Deric Ruttan won the CCMA honor for Songwriter(s) of the Year, for “Mine Would Be You,” recorded by Blake Shelton. Florida Georgia Line‘s Here’s To The Good Times was named the Top Selling Album of the Year.
Following the CCMA Gala Dinner & Awards, additional honors were presented during the CCMA All Star Band Awards, which celebrates musicians from the Canadian Country music industry.
The CCMA show, hosted by Jann Arden and Rick Mercer, celebrated eight CCMA Award categories during a televised ceremony on CBC-TV and CMT (Canada).
CCMA Awards and CCMA All Star Band Awards winners list:
Fans’ Choice Award
Johnny Reid
Single of the Year
“When Your Lips Are So Close” – Gord Bamford
Album of the Year
Crop Circles – Dean Brody
CMT Video of the Year
“3-2-1” – Brett Kissel
Female Artist of the Year
Jess Moskaluke
Male Artist of the Year
Gord Bamford
Group or Duo of the Year
Small Town Pistols
Rising Star
Tim Hicks
2014 Slaight Music Humanitarian Award
Beverley Mahood
Hank Smith Award of Excellence
Deane Cameron
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Artist Inductee
Wendell Ferguson
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Stan Klees Builder Award – Builder Inductee Ron Sakamoto
2014 Discovery Program Award
The Lovelocks
2014 CCMA Award winners announced at Gala Dinner
Songwriter(s) of the Year
“Mine Would Be You” (Written By: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Deric Ruttan; Performed By: Blake Shelton)
Roots Artist or Group of the Year
Lindi Ortega
Interactive Artist of the Year
Brett Kissel
Top Selling Album of the Year
Here’s to the Good Times by Florida Georgia Line
Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year
A Christmas Gift to You by Johnny Reid
Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year
Jim Cressman – Invictus Entertainment Group
Music Publishing Company of the Year
ole
Record Company of the Year
Open Road Recordings Inc.
Record Company Person of the Year
Mike Denney – MDM Recordings Inc.
Radio Station of the Year – Major Market
CKRY FM – Country 105; Calgary, AB
Radio Station of the Year – Secondary Market
CJXX FM – Big Country 93.1; Grand Prairie, AB
2014 CCMA Award winners announced at the All Star Band Awards
Bass
Travis Switzer
Drums
Chad Melchert
Fiddle
Shane Guse
Guitar
Darren Savard
Keyboards
Bart McKay
Special Instrument
Tyler Vollrath (Mandolin)
Steel Guitar
Ed (Peewee Charles) Ringwald

Twitter Adds In-App Buying Power

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twitter buy nowTwitter users can now make purchases without ever leaving the social network. As part of the program, some Tweets from test partners including Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Dan+Shay and Hunter Hayes, will feature a “Buy” button, letting fans buy directly from the Tweet.
Users will get access to offers and merchandise they can’t get anywhere else and can act on them in the Twitter apps for Android and iOS. As of now, the service is mostly being used to sell merch, not music downloads.
After tapping the “Buy” button, users enter their shipping and payment information, which is then sent to the merchant for delivery. The user’s info is stored after the first transaction, so they can buy on Twitter in the future without having to re-enter it.
To build the technology, Twitter partnered with Fancy, Gumroad, Musictoday and Stripe as platforms for the initial test, with more partners to follow soon.
A wide variety of brands and artists are on board for the test, ranging from fashion (Burberry), to charities (The Nature Conservancy), to pop stars (Pharrell).

Katie Armiger Announces European Headlining Tour

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Country star Katie Armiger has announced her first-ever European headlining tour, “U.S. Girls With Guitars,” set to kick off Nov. 16 in Glascow. The tour will also feature guest Holly May.
Armiger is touring in support of her latest album, Fall Into Me, which was produced by Grammy winner Chad Carlson (Taylor Swift) and features Armiger’s collaborations with Nashville songwriters, including Blair Daly (Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw), Joe West (Toby Keith) and Bruce Wallace (Dierks Bentley, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry), among others.
“I’m so excited about taking my music overseas,” says Armiger. “It’s been a dream of mine for years!”
U.S. and international tour dates are as follows:
Sept. 6 – CountryStock Music Fest – Rainier, Ore.
Sept. 11 – First Responders Salute – Fayetteville, N.C.
Sept. 19 – Toby Keith’s Bar & Grill – St. Louis Park, Minn.
Sept. 24 – Rumba Cafe – Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 25 – Toby Keith’s Bar & Grill – Auburn Hills, Mich.
Sept. 26 – Musica – Akron, Ohio
Oct. 10 – Emens Auditorium – Muncie, Ind. (with Easton Corbin)
Nov. 8 – Indian River Firefighters Chili & Salsa Cook-Off -Vero Beach, Fla.
Nov. 16 – Oran Mor – Glasgow
Nov. 17 – Islington Assembly Hall – London
Nov. 18 – Birmingham Glee Club – Birmingham
Nov. 19 – Cluny 2 – Newcastle
Nov. 20 – Cambridge Junction – Cambridge
Nov. 24 – Loft Arts Centre – Liverpool

My Country Nation Premieres 2014 Series Programming

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my country nation11Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, YouTube stars Megan and Liz, Vine star Josh Clark, and prankster Tom Mabe have signed on for My Country Nation’s first round of Fall 2014 programming. New programming series including Young In The Nation, Made In The USA, and This Week in the Nation, began Sept. 2.
The network, which was launched earlier this month by Brad Paisley, Taillight, ARC Entertainment, and WME, unveiled the new shows on mycountrynation.com.
Young In The Nation follows Josh Clark, who has 1.4 million Vine followers), his girlfriend and their best friends on an 800-mile road trip to see as many Country shows as possible and meet as many stars as possible. Lambert, Aldean, Lady Antebellum and others make guest appearances.
Made In The USA will feature prankster Tom Mabe (seen on CMT, Comedy Central, and NBC) debuting 10 exclusive pranks pulled off by Mabe and a cast of guest collaborators.
This Week In The Nation, hosted by Megan & Liz, is a twice-weekly variety of country-centric content, including pop culture, news, viral videos, comedy, and behind-the-scenes footage with Country artists.

Buddy Lee Attractions Signs Brooke Hogan

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Brooke Hogan joined by BLA staff, and manager Drew Davis/McGee Entertainment (far right)


Buddy Lee Attractions has signed Brooke Hogan to its roster. Hogan was a regular on Brooke Knows Best and Hogan Knows Best (both on VH1). She made her first foray into the music scene with the help of pop music manager Lou Pearlman (Backstreet Boys, N’Sync), who recorded her first pop-country album.  She released her debut album Undiscovered in 2006, followed by The Redemption in 2009.
BLA also represents Gwen Sebastian, Jason Michael Carrol, The Lacs, Bucky Covington, The Roys, and Outshyne.

ole Digital Inks Online Publishing Deal With Moraine Music Group

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ole digital1111ole Digital has signed a deal with Moraine Music Group, which owns the rights to songs from Canadian Country entertainer and 2014 CCMA Award nominee Johnny Reid. Under the new agreements, ole Digital will collect online music publishing royalties on behalf of Moraine.
ole Digital manages and collects online revenues for ole clients via direct deals with YouTube and other services.
“Our research has shown that many artists and other rights-holders often aren’t paid all the royalties they are owed from online music services, but ole Digital changes that by applying our extensive publishing expertise to the digital world,” said Robert Ott, Chairman and CEO of ole. “We’re happy to welcome the Moraine Music Group to ole Digital and look forward to working with them to guarantee that their artists are paid fairly.”

Studio A Building: 'No Longer Economically Viable'

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Bravo Development has shared with the media reports from engineers and building inspectors regarding the property at 30 Music Sq. W. which it recently purchased for more than $4 milllion from a group that includes members of the Bradley family, who established the property’s first recording studio.
30 Music Sq. W. currently houses Ben Folds’ Grand Victor Sound studio (formerly known as RCA Studio A), as well as other offices.
While the new documents, including an open letter from Bravo’s Tim Reynolds, do not explicitly state that the building will be demolished, it is likely that a wrecking ball is headed for the site. The letter states: “the building is no longer economically viable ‘as it is.'” According to the other reports, the property does not meet building codes, has numerous HVAC and electrical problems, water damage, is structurally unsound, and doesn’t meet requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Bravo has approached various cultural institutions about their interest in helping salvage the few elements of Studio A that are under its ownership.
Folds fought to preserve the space on the grounds that it was home to numerous landmark recordings, and rallied many supporters for the cause. Following the sale, the musician and his studio are vacating the space.
Previously, Reynolds told MusicRow that he would withdraw from the project if saving the studio was not an option.
Ultimately, the debate brought to the forefront the important question of how to best balance the rights of property owners while protecting property with historical significance.
Click below to view the reports.

field report 30 music sq w

Field inspection report


Bravo open letter

Open letter from Tim Reynolds


engineering report

Engineering report

Garth Brooks Stages First Comeback Show in Chicago

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Pictured (L-R): The RCA Nashville promo team’s Larry Santiago, David Berry, Elizabeth Sledge, and Keith Gale; Brooks; RCA’s Josh Easler; Yearwood; Overton; and RCA’s Dan Nelson, Matt Galvin, and Parker Fowler. Photo courtesy of RCA Nashville.

Pictured (L-R): The RCA Nashville promo team’s Larry Santiago, David Berry, Elizabeth Sledge, and Keith Gale; Brooks; RCA’s Josh Easler; Yearwood; Overton; and RCA’s Dan Nelson, Matt Galvin, and Parker Fowler. Photo courtesy of RCA Nashville.


Garth Brooks launched a triumphant musical comeback during the first show of his world tour last night (Sept. 4). Brooks performed to a packed house of nearly 20,000 fans at Rosemont, Ill.’s Allstate Arena (near Chicago). He offered a mix that relied heavily on his lengthy list of signature ’90s hits including “The Dance,” “Friends In Low Places,” “The River,” “Ain’t Going Down ‘Til The Sun Comes Up,” “Calling Baton Rouge,” as well as a few newer songs, including “Man Against Machine,” and his current single, “People Loving People.”
Also on the bill was Brooks’ wife and superb vocalist Trisha Yearwood, who emerged halfway through the show for a duet of “In Another’s Eyes,” followed by “XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl),” “How Do I Live,” “Wrong Side of Memphis,” and her latest single, “PrizeFighter.”
Singer-songwriter Karyn Rochelle opened the show. Rochelle penned songs including Kellie Pickler‘s “I Wonder,” “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Red High Heels” and Yearwood’s “Georgia Rain” (from 2005’s Jasper County), as well as “Let The Wind Chase You,” “This Is Me You’re Talking To,” and “Cowboys Are My Weakness,” (all from 2007’s Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love). Rochelle’s self-titled album released Sept. 2 on iTunes.
All photos courtesy of Bev Moser/Moments By Moser.





Dustin Lynch Preps for Superstardom with Sophomore Album

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Dustin-LynchListen up everybody: Dustin Lynch has all the essentials to be Country’s next superstar. He’s got youthful energy, good looks adorned by a cowboy hat, great songs and a signature row of pearly whites.
As part of the promotion of his sophomore album launch, the Broken Bow recording artist took to the Nashville stage at 3rd and Lindsley last night (Sept. 4) to perform a sampling of new music, covers and his own hits.
Free launch parties have been sporadically announced in major cities across the country leading up to the Sept. 9 release of Where It’s At. The 15-track record, produced by Brett Beavers, Luke Wooten and Mickey Jack Cones, includes previewed titles “Sing It To Me,” “After Party,” “Mind Reader” and “All Night.”
Parking overflowed to accommodate the completely packed house, full of fans and media professionals alike. A front-heavy setlist was ruffled with tunes from his self-titled debut, including “Cowboys and Angels” and “She Cranks My Tractor.” Lynch tipped his hat to Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks, writers and performers that influenced the Tullahoma, Tenn., native, in his own “She Wants A Cowboy.” A Brooks cover seems to be a mainstay for Lynch’s set—last night’s was “Rodeo.” Of course, the show ended with the increasingly popular “Where It’s At (Yep, Yep).” Everyone was pleased.
Coming up, the Lipscomb University graduate will be the official spokesperson for CMT’s Empowering Education initiative, encouraging Americans in economically-depressed areas to go back to school. Pledging a commitment to education on social media using Thunderclap by Sept. 18, fans will be entered in the grand prize package for a VIP trip to the 2015 CMT Music Awards in Nashville.
Lynch will be in NYC next week performing a free show outside the FOX News Plaza on album release day. The first 100 fans will receive an autographed CD.