BMI Announces Second Annual Stage at LouFest 2014

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Screen shot 2014-07-17 at 4.07.56 PM1BMI will hold its second annual BMI Stage at the LouFest Music Festival this year. The fifth annual LouFest Music Festival, located in St. Louis, will featured nearly 40 bands performing funk, alt-country, soul, indie rock, and much more. The festival runs from Sept. 6-7, 2014.
Appearing on the BMI Stage are (in order of appearance):
• Colin Lake – Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1p.m.
• The Jane Shermans – Sept., Sept. 6 at 2:45p.m.
• Alanna Royale – Saturday, Sept. 6 at 4:30p.m.
• Roadkill Ghost Choir – Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:30p.m
• Black Pistol Fire – Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8:30p.m.
• Old Salt Union – Sunday, Sept. 7 at 1p.m.
• Dylan McDonald & The Avians – Sunday, Sept. 7 at 2:45p.m.
• Marc Scibilia – Sunday, Sept. 7 at 4:30p.m.
• AJR – Sunday, Sept. 7 at 6:30p.m.
• Kopecky Family Band– Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8:30p.m.

MusicRowPics: Native Run

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Native Run visit

Native Run visit


Show Dog-Universal duo Native Run, comprises members Rachel Beauregard and Bryan Dawley. The duo visited the MusicRow office to preview songs for the MusicRow staff.
The duo formed five years ago, after playing together in a Virginia megachurch. “We found our harmonies there, and started writing songs together and playing along the east coast,” Beauregard said. The duo blends tightly woven harmonies, a fresh sound, and Beauregard’s theatrical onstage persona into a compelling combination. Dawley is proficient on banjo, mandolin and a variety of guitars. Beauregard and Dawley began their acoustic three-song performance with “What’s Not To Love?,” penned by Beauregard, Dawley, and Blair Daly.
Native Run first met Creative Nation’s Beth Laird when she was working in writer relations for BMI’s Nashville office. They also formed a great working relationship with Chris Farren of Combustion Music. “When time came to do a publishing deal, we loved both companies, and they each offered different strengths, so we we chose to work with both,” Beauregard said. “We’re like the town bicycle for publishers,” Beauregard quipped. “Everybody gets a ride.”
They followed “What’s Not To Love?” with the clever “When I’m Taken,” penned by Beauregard, Dawley, Luke Laird, Ashley Gorley and Luke Brindley. Even a broken guitar string couldn’t diminish the cheerful, infectious performance of their current single, “Good On You,” which the duo penned with Steve Moakler.
“We were in NYC, doing a show with Billy Currington, and he played ‘Hey Girl.’ The crowd just ate it up,” Beauregard recalled. “So we wanted to write our own really sexy song–one of those that makes the girls throw their panties onstage,” she quipped.
“Yes, ’cause panties onstage is always the litmus test of a sexy song,” Dawley bantered. Instead, they wound up penning the quirky “Get A Dog,” a true-to-life tune that espouses the benefits of a loyal four-legged friend over the hassles of a romantic relationship.
Native Run’s upcoming project will be co-produced by Creative Nation’s Luke Laird.
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Industry Pics (7/17/14)

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Atlantic recording artist Brett Eldredge celebrated his gold-certified, chart-topping single “Beat of the Music” by swimming with sharks off the coast of the Bahamas yesterday.

After making it back safely to dry land, Eldredge said, “People celebrate No. 1’s and gold singles in different ways. I just happen to be lucky enough to have some of my best friends in the world come out and celebrate with me in a BIG way. I want to thank everyone at country radio, my management and promotion teams and my family, friends and fans who have supported me all of these years. Life is good. Rock the Ocean. Love life….it’s all you’ve gotta do!”

PIctured (L-R): Camille Alston (Longshot Management), Justin Luffman (VP, Brand Management, Warner Music Nashville), Eldredge, Rob Baker (Longshot Management).

Pictured (L-R): Camille Alston (Longshot Management), Justin Luffman (VP, Brand Management, Warner Music Nashville), Eldredge, Rob Baker (Longshot Management).

 • • •

Native Run played a five-song set for friends and industry in Nashville, hosted by Creative Nation, Combustion Music, and Fusion Music. The Show Dog-Universal duo showcased new music, including their debut single, “Good On You.”

Front Row (L-R): Chris Farren (Fusion Music), Julie Boos (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Beth Laird (Creative Nation), Bryan Dawley, Rachel Beauregard, Kelsey Granda (Creative Nation), Kenley Flynn (Combustion Music), Chris Van Belkom (Combustion Music). Back Row from (L-R): Zach Sutton (Fusion Music), Daniel Miller (Fusion Music), Cliff Audretch III (Show Dog- Universal Music), Chris Farren (Combustion Music), Jeff Skaggs (Creative Nation), Luke Laird (Songwriter/Producer). Photo: Kristina Pellegrino.

Front Row (L-R): Chris Farren (Fusion Music), Julie Boos (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Beth Laird (Creative Nation), Bryan Dawley, Rachel Beauregard, Kelsey Granda (Creative Nation), Kenley Flynn (Combustion Music), Chris Van Belkom (Combustion Music). Back Row from (L-R): Zach Sutton (Fusion Music), Daniel Miller (Fusion Music), Cliff Audretch III (Show Dog- Universal Music), Chris Farren (Combustion Music), Jeff Skaggs (Creative Nation), Luke Laird (Songwriter/Producer).
Photo: Kristina Pellegrino.

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ASCAP hosted the July edition of its monthly songwriters-in-the-round at the Bluebird Cafe on Wednesday, July 9. The showcase featured Keith Walker (a member of the ASCAP GPS Project Class of 2014), BMG songwriter Hannah Dasher, Warner/Chappell songwriter Aaron Goodvin, and Catch This Publishing songwriter Christopher Roberts.

Pictured (L-R): Keith Walker, Hannah Dasher, ASCAP's Michael Martin, Aaron Goodvin, ASCAP's LeAnn Phelan, and Christopher Roberts.​ ​

Pictured (L-R): Keith Walker, Hannah Dasher, ASCAP’s Michael Martin, Aaron Goodvin, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, and Christopher Roberts.​
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35 Music Square East Project To Be Completed September 2015

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Screen shot 2014-07-17 at 11.37.02 AM1

MSE, the reportedly $20 million building that will soon house SESAC’s Nashville corporate headquarters, is expected to be completed in September 2015. The space will be located at 35, 37, 39 and 41 Music Sq. E.

SESAC is expected to use approximately 35,000 square feet of space and the remainder will be available for lease. The building includes 95,000 total square feet, including 50,000 contiguous square feet currently available. The building will feature structured parking and on-site security. Bank/retail space will be available in the lobby.

MSE will represent the first new multi-tenant office building in the Music Row area in more than a decade. Panattoni Development will develop the project.

SESAC is currently in two buildings at 55 Music Sq. E and 66 Music Square W.

Mountain Dew, CMT Team For Summer Concert Series

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Kip Moore performs for the CMT Summer Concert series.

Kip Moore performs for the Mountain Dew CMT Summer Concert series.


CMT and Mountain Dew have teamed for the first Mountain Dew CMT Summer Concert Series, featuring Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore, David Nail and Chris Young. The four-part series will launch Saturday, July 19 on CMT Hot 20 Countdown at 11 a.m. ET, with CMT On Tour headliner Kip Moore.
Each summer concert series installment will feature a different artist, and will include interview segments with CMT’s Cody Alan, Alecia Davis, and Katie Cook, in addition to performances from the Mountain Dew stage. After each performance’s Hot 20 Countdown debut, the performance will air as a video during scheduled CMT music hours.
Later this month, Nail will perform on the summer concert series on July 26, followed by Young on Aug. 9. Bentley concludes the series on Sept. 6, when the CMT Hot 20 Countdown joins him for a performance at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bentley will make special appearances in all four of the summer concert series episodes, bringing fans exclusive videos and a behind-the-scenes look at his national headlining Riser Tour, sponsored by Mountain Dew.
CMT HOT 20 COUNTDOWN is executive produced by Quinn Brown.

Dee Jay Silver Joins Red Light Management, WME

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Dee Jay Silver

Dee Jay Silver

RCA Nashville’s DJ/remixer/producer Dee Jay Silver has joined Red Light Management and will be represented by day-to-day manager Nina Ruckteschler, under the direction of Shawn McSpadden.

“Red Light Management is thrilled to be working with Dee Jay Silver,” McSpadden and Ruckteschler said in a joint statement. “We’ve followed his career for some time now, and are very excited to see what this partnership brings! He is a great talent, and we can’t wait to watch his career grow in the years to come.”

Silver has also signed with William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME) for representation. As the first DJ signed to a Nashville record label, he was brought over by veteran agent Kevin Neal, who recently joined WME. In addition to representing Silver, Neal will continue working with Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Colt Ford, and Parmalee.

“Dee Jay Silver is the preeminent DJ in Country music,” says Neal. “When I put him on the road with Jason Aldean in 2011, some people thought it was a risk, but the crowds loved Silver and the energy he brought from the first show. He broke the ground for all the other DJs in Country music today.”

2014 CCMA Awards Nominees Revealed

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Brett Kissel

Brett Kissel leads the CCMA awards nominations with eight nods.


Singer-songwriter Brett Kissel leads the nominations for the 2014 Canadian Country Music Association Awards, which will be held Sept. 7 in Edmonton. Kissel is up for eight awards, including Single of the Year for “Started With A Song” (penned by Kissel and Craig Wiseman).
Dean Brody earned six nominations, while last year’s big winner Gord Bamford earned five nominations.
Rick Mercer and Jann Arden will host the 2014 Canadian Country Music Awards, slated to air on CBC Television beginning at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland in Labrador).
Additional notable nominations include Dallas Smith, who is nominated for Album of the Year for Tippin’ Point EP, as well as Single of the Year for “Tippin’ Point.” He also earned a nod for Male Artist of the Year.
Meanwhile, Smith’s Tippin’ Point EP producer Joey Moi notched a nomination in the Record Producers of the Year category. Additional nominees in the category include Gord Bamford/Byron Hill (for Bamford’s Country Junkie), Jason Blaine/Scott Cooke (for Blaine’s Everything I Love), Ted Hewitt/Brett Kissel/Bart McKay/Ben Phillips (for Kissel’s Started With A Song), and Deric Ruttan/Luke Wooten (for Ruttan’s Take The Week Off).
Dean Brody earned six nominations at the 2014 CCMA Awards

Dean Brody has earned six nominations at the 2014 CCMA Awards


Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington and Deric Ruttan are up for Songwriters of the Year, for penning “Mine Would Be You,” recorded by Blake Shelton.
Stoney Creek Records singer, songwriter and guitarist Lindsay Ell earned a Rising Star nomination.
Terri Clark and HitShop Records’ Kira Isabella are both nominated for Female Artist of the Year.
Small Town Pistols earned a nomination for Group or Duo of the Year.
Booking Agency nominees for 2014 include The Agency Group, The Feldman Agency, Invictus Entertainment Group, Paquin Entertainment, and Sakamoto Entertainment.
Music Publishing Company of the Year nominees include CCS Rights Management, ole, Royalty Music Publishing Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada, and Warner/Chappell Music Canada.
For a full list of nominations, visit ccma.org.

SiriusXM Launches Y2Kountry Channel

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siriusFans of Rascal Flatts‘ “Bless The Broken Road,” Tim McGraw‘s “Live Like You Were Dying,” and Kenny Chesney‘s “I Go Back” now have a new station that will air all of their favorite Country songs from the 2000s–SirusXM’s latest Country music channel, Y2Kountry on Channel 57.
“Prime Country tried to handle the early bits of 2000, The Highway tried to handle the later bits, but there were too many hits from country artists to get played,” said Y2Kountry channel program director Joey Black.
To celebrate the launch, Y2Kountry will feature guest DJ launch parties from Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Rascal Flatts, and Clay Walker, who will each select personal favorite songs and talk about their selections. Walker’s party launched Thursday morning (July 17); the singer-songwriter debuted two new songs during his radio slot, “Rock the Radio” and “Long Live the Cowboy,” which he recently recorded for an upcoming project.
“We’re looking for Y2Kountry to inspire nostalgia,” said Black. “All of [the artists we play] are still living and breathing and thriving today. This is a place for these artists to be heard. Who else is still playing Blake Shelton’s ‘Austin’? That was a huge hit. And nobody’s playing it. That’s a huge part of 2000s country history.”
“Sonically, we’ll dip into some later ’90s, and some 2011-2012,” Black continues. “But it’ll be all about sonics. There was a clear distinction when Gretchen Wilson and Big and Rich came on the scene that the direction of country music was changing in the early 2000s. For a while, country music was real serious. But starting in the ’00s, country artists brought a little bit more beer cooler and tailgate back into it. There were still serious subjects, but every other song injected a little more fun.”

Live Nation Launches New Country Festival in Las Vegas

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route 91 harvestLive Nation and MGM Resorts International are launching a new Country music festival this fall in Las Vegas. The Route 91 Harvest festival will be Oct. 3-5 at The Lot across from Luxor Hotel & Casino. Set to perform are Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Tyler Farr, Dwight Yoakam, Randy Houser, Dustin Lynch, Neal McCoy, Dan + Shay, Josh Thompson, Sam Hunt, Ashley Monroe, Lindsay Ell, Dee Jay Silver and Nashville stars Charles Esten and Clare Bowen.
Live Nation, creators of premier country music festivals Watershed and Faster Horses, will offer plenty of VIP upgrade options for Route 91 Harvest, including exclusive bar access, elevated stage views, lounge seating and massage services.
“Las Vegas and country music are synonymous with over the top events, and we know that Route 91 Harvest will deliver the latest, greatest experience for fans from all over the world,” said Brian O’Connell, Live Nation President of Country Touring. “After launching Watershed and Faster Horses, this festival is the next step in the evolution of Live Nation’s fan and artist friendly festival family. We’re thrilled to have it land in MGM Resorts International’s newest venue, The Lot.”
Chris Baldizan, senior vice president of entertainment for MGM Resorts International, said, “It’s exciting to see the Route 91 Harvest Festival come to fruition. With an amazing line-up of talent over three days, our guests will experience country music at a unique, one-of-a-kind venue right on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. It’s great to have a partner like Live Nation who shares our passion and vision for entertainment.”
The festival takes its name from the iconic Las Vegas Boulevard.
Three-day passes start at $169 and go on sale Friday, Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. PST. Details at www.rt91harvest.com.

Lucinda Williams To Release Double Studio Album in September

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spirit meets the bone111Lucinda Williams will release her first double studio album, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone, on Sept. 30. The project will we available on Williams’ new independent label Highway Records, via Thirty Tigers.
Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone will offer 20 new songs, with 18 written solely by Williams. The album’s opening track, “Compassion,” was originally a poem written by her father, poet Miller Williams. Lucinda wrote the music and additional lyrics for the song.
Guests on the project include guitarists Bill Frisell and Tony Joe White, Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, Elvis Costello’s rhythm section of Pete Thomas (drums) and Davey Faragaher (bass) and Wallflowers guitarist Stuart Mathis.
Jakob Dylan adds harmony vocals on “It’s Gonna Rain,” while Williams’ longtime rhythm section of Butch Norton (drums) and David Sutton (bass) make significant contributions.
Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone was produced by Williams, Tom Overby and Greg Leisz.