DISClaimer: Summer Gets A New Soundtrack

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Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum


The soundtrack for the summer is unfolding, starting this week. Joe Nichols, the Cody Bryan Band, Grant Langston and Andy Gibson all have new singles that have sunshine in every groove. In fact, “If I’m Going Nowhere” is strong enough to reel in a DisCovery Award for the Cody Bryan Band. But country-music people love to weep as much as they love to rejoice. So I also direct your attention to the downbeat lyrics of the new singles by Love and Theft, Sawyer Brown and, most especially, Lady Antebellum, who wins the Disc of the Day with “Goodbye Town.” Heartache has never sounded lovelier.
THE ROYS/Gypsy Runaway Train
Writers: Lee Roy/Morry Trent; Producers: The Roys and Andy Leftwich; Publishers: Mandolin Man/Cinderella Man, SESAC; Rural Rhythm
-These two continue to release singles like a country act. But their sound becomes more and more mainstream bluegrass with every release. The picking on this is dazzling.
cody bryan band11GRANT LANGSTON/Trouble Knows
Writer: Grant Langston; Producer: Paul Q. Kolderie; Publisher: Grant Langston, BMI; MSG (track)
-Sprightly and infectious, this hillbilly bopper introduces a singer-songwriter of rare originality. A ditty with a built-in smile.
CODY BRYAN BAND/If I’m Going Nowhere
Writers: RAby/Chandler/Noveskey/Bryan/Delahoussaye; Producers: Matt Noveskey and Kevin Butler; Publisher: none listed; CBB (track)
-This driving country-rocker has a forward momentum that’s pretty hard to resist. The band definitely gets its licks in as the tale unfolds of an aimless drifter. “If I’m going nowhere/I’ll get there on time” is his motto.
GWEN SEBASTIAN/Suitcase
Writers: Gwen Sebastian/Nicole Witt; Producer: Louis Newman; Publishers: Music of Open Road/Words and Music/Brentwood Benson/Quick Witt, ASCAP/BMI; Flying Island
-She’s kicking the cheater out and has packed up her heartache with his belongings. As usual, Gwen sings with loads of moxie, fire and personality. As both a performer and a writer, she’s a talent to be reckoned with.
CASSADEE POPE/Wasting All These Tears
Writers: Rollie Gaalswyk/Caitlyn Smith; Producers: Dann Huff and Nathan Chapman; Publishers: Jill the Dog/Music of Stage Three/Songs of Cornman/BMG Chrysalis, BMI; Republic Nashville
-The lyric is way too word-y. The melody is awkward and ungainly. Somebody call a song editor. Also: There’s nothing particularly “country” about it.
SAWYER BROWN/Shadows of the Heartland
Writers: Bobby Pinson/Chris Bergsnes; Producer: Mark Miller; Publisher: Stage Three, no performance rights listed; Beach Street (CDX)
-This brilliantly written, multi-textured portrait of life, love, loss and death in rural America rings with truth and authenticity.
JOE NICHOLS/Sunny and 75
Writers: Michael Dulaney/Jason Sellers/Paul Jenkins; Producers: Derek George and Mickey Jack Cones; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane/Desert Treasure/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Becky’s Boy/Sony-ATV Tree, BMI/ASCAP; Red Bow
-And you thought he had a voice that was born to cry. Joe proves he can soar in joy with this marvelous tempo tune, tailor-made for summertime good times. Go ahead: Get up and twirl around the room.
LOVE AND THEFT/If You Ever Get Lonely
Writers: Kyle Cook/Lisa Drew/Michael Dulaney/Steven Dale Jones/John Waite; Producer: Josh Leo; Publishers: EMI April/Ella Bella/Grand Line/Universal Z Tunes/Jersey Girl/Sony-ATV Harmony/Lights of Denver/JB Daniel/Water Bound/John Waite, ASCAP; RCA
-He can’t stop missing the one who left him for L.A. and begs for just the tiniest bit of contact from her. Fabulously melodic and radio-ready in the extreme.
ANDY GIBSON/Best Thing
Writers: Steve Moakler/Luke Laird; Producer: James Stroud; Publishers: Nam Jam/Songs of Kobalt/Universal-Careers, BMI; Curb
-Innocent, romantic, sweet and as lightweight as the froth on a soda-fountain drink.
LADY ANTEBELLUM/Goodbye Town
Writers: Dave Haywood/Charles Kelley/Hillary Scott/Josh Kear; Producers: Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum; Publishers: Beards and Bullets/30A Getaway/Kobalt/Hobbs Hill/Global Dog/Lunalight, ASCAP/SESAC; Capitol Nashville
-Led by the heartbroken, soul-shattering voice of Charles Kelley, the trio keeps you completely in its thrall throughout this pulsing, yearning, lump-in-throat performance. Supremely well written and brilliantly produced, this is the reason these folks are the stars they are.

Weekly Register: Rucker Makes Fans 'True Believers'

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True Believers Cover - Jim WrightCountry fans believe in Darius Rucker. His new album True Believers debuted at No. 1 on Soundscan’s Top Current Country Album chart today (May 29) with sales of 83k units, including 28 percent digital. He landed at No. 2 on the all-genre chart. Rucker’s previous effort launched with sales of 101k. The Capitol Records Nashville release was produced by Frank Rogers.
Elsewhere on the album chart, George Strait’s latest slipped 65 percent in its second week, sliding into No. 2 with 43k. Lady A notched 34k to land at No. 3, followed by Blake Shelton at No. 4 (25k) and Florida Georgia Line with 22k. On the chart for nine weeks, Shelton’s Based on a True Story has release-to-date totals of 546k.
Country album sales were down 10 percent week-to-week, moving 795k units.
Cruising the Tracks Chart:
Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” has downloads of more than 3.6 million tracks and holds steady at No. 1 Country and No. 9 overall, adding 129k this week.
At No. 2, Shelton and Pistol Annies’ “Boys ‘Round Here” sold 108k, for a RTD total of 828k. At No. 3, Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” sold 103k this week and has moved 1.29 million RTD.
The Voice contestant Danielle Bradberry continues to woo country fans. Her version of the Jo Dee Messina hit “Heads Carolina, Tails California” sold 48K downloads after she sang it on the show this week. This follows her cover of “Maybe It Was Memphis” which has been downloaded 69k times since hitting the chart three weeks ago. Chris Young’s “Aw Naw” debuted with 27k clicks.
Year-to-date:
• Country digital tracks are up 8.8 percent YTD, while overall tracks are down 2.7 percent.
• Album sales: Including TEA (track equivalent albums), Country is up 4.9 percent YTD, compared to a negative 4.2 percent all-genre slide. Without TEA, Country is up 3.5 percent (16.2 million units sold YTD) and all-genre is down 5 percent.

Sheryl Crow To Release 'Feels Like Home' in September

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sheryl crow11Sheryl Crow will release her debut country project, Feels Like Home, on Sept. 10 on Warner Bros. Records. Crow co-wrote each song on the 12-track album, including a song co-written with Brad Paisley.
“It wasn’t until I moved here that I realized what an amazing community it is,” says Crow of working on Feels Like Home in Nashville. “It’s the thing I’ve been missing my whole career, the feeling of being able to sit around with a guitar and have people know each other’s songs and know songs from people who’ve influenced all of us. When I moved here pretty early on Vince Gill started calling me to do guitar pulls, and I thought, gosh, this is just like heaven on earth down here.”
Feels Like Home Track Listing
1. Shotgun
2. Easy
3. Give It To Me
4. Drinking
5. Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely
6. Waterproof Mascara
7. Crazy Ain’t Original
8. Nobody’s Business
9. Homesick
10. Homecoming Queen
11. Best Of Times
12. Stay At Home Mother

Music Events at Nashville Screenwriters Conference

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screenThe Nashville Screenwriters Conference returns to the Union Station Hotel this weekend, running May 31 to June 2, 2013. The successful, open-to-the-public conference brings Hollywood’s top writers, producers, directors, actors and studio executives together with aspiring screenwriters, songwriters and those interested in film, TV and music the opportunity to network and learn.
Anastasia Brown’s popular Music In the Movies Luncheon and Panel is part of the conference, and is scheduled for Saturday, June 1, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Separate registration is required. Brown, of Format Entertainment, has worked on films including It’s Complicated, Footloose, August Rush and Taken. The panel will feature top music supervisors Manish Raval, Julia Michels, Alicen Schneider, Madonna Wade-Reed, Dawn Soler and Amy Dunning offering advice for songwriters, composers, artists and publishers hoping to tap into the world of song placement in television and film.
Carnival Music is sponsoring the Silverscreen Event, which also requires a separate ticket. The all-star songwriter concert is set for Saturday, 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. at The Bridge Building on the Cumberland River pedestrian bridge.
Actress and writer Doris Roberts (best known as “Marie” from Everybody Loves Raymond) will help kick off the conference. She and actor/writer Fred Willard will be doing a special panel called, “The Four “Cs” of Comedy: Creativity, Communication, Compassion, and Champagne. When All Else Fails, Use the Last One.”
Other highlights of this year’s conference will include the “Nuts & Bolts” writing panel with the creator of the show Weeds.
For more information, the full schedule, or to purchase tickets visit www.nashscreen.com.

Grand Ole Opry to Honor Cancer Survivors

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Photo: Chris Hollo

Photo: Chris Hollo


The National Women’s Survivors Convention will be held at the Opryland Hotel on Aug. 22-24, 2013. The event will host nearly 1,000 attendees and will feature several celebrity guests. The Grand Ole Opry will welcome several members from the convention on Aug. 24, where all concert-goers will have the opportunity to view the showcase while the Opry is turned purple in honor of the survivors.
“We’re delighted to be a part of these survivors’ visits to Nashville,” says Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “We are going to have a lot of fun while also helping them take great steps toward creating awareness and a real movement about survivorship.”
Martina McBride will perform for attendees on the final night of the convention. In 2011, McBride released her single “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” an inspirational song about a woman fighting breast cancer. Other noteworthy guests will include Olympian Shannon Miller and Bravo TV’s Tabatha Coffey.
For more information on the event, visit survivorsconvention.com
 
 

Belmont Hosts International Country Music Conference

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Show at the International Country Music Conference are, left to right, James Akenson, co-Chair of the Conference, presenter Caroline Gnagy, Nelle Poe of the Poe Girls who were members of the Grand Ole Opry during the 1940s; Diane Diekman, winner of the Belmont Book Award for the Best Book on Country Music; and Don Cusic, Chair of the Belmont Book Award committee and co-Chair of the conference

Pictured at the International Country Music Conference (L-R): James Akenson, co-Chair of the Conference; presenter Caroline Gnagy; Nelle Poe of the Poe Sisters; Diane Diekman, winner of the Belmont Book Award for the Best Book on Country Music; and Don Cusic, Chair of the Belmont Book Award committee and co-Chair of the conference


The 30th Annual International Country Music Conference was held May 23-25 at Belmont University in Nashville. Co-Chairs Don Cusic and James Akenson oversaw a program that featured presenters from Japan, France, Germany and Canada as well as from a number of academic institutions throughout the United States.
The sessions covered a variety of topics, ranging from Hank Williams to country music on TV. The Williams panel explored the 60th anniversary of his death and 90th anniversary of his birth. Other segments focused on the 50th anniversary of Patsy Cline’s death, the 100th anniversary of the Georgia Old Time Fiddlers Convention, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, Ralph Stanley, Johnny Cash and Ralph Peer. Nelle Poe of 1940s Grand Ole Opry act the Poe Sisters attended the Friday sessions about her singing group.
Highlights of the conference included the presentation of the annual Belmont Book Award for the Best Book on Country Music, awarded to Diane Diekman for Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins, and the publication of the first International Country Music Journal, edited by Don Cusic.

Joey+Rory Partners With Crosley Radio

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joey+roryJoey+Rory has recently partnered with Crosley Radio. The company will be the presenting sponsor of the duo’s new radio show which will debut on Saturday, July 6 on 650 AM WSM. The Joey+Rory Show will be a weekly lead-in to the live radio broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry and will feature old-time radio show clips pulled from 80 years of archives, along with select performances and moments from Joey+Rory’s weekly television show, live acoustic performances, and much more.
The partnership will also include Crosley Radio being the presenting sponsor for the third season of the couple’s weekly television program The Joey+Rory Show (which airs on RFD-TV). The new television season will begin Friday, July 5. Additionally, Crosley is a sponsor of the duo’s “5th Annual Bib & Buckle Fest,” which takes place June 1 in Pottsville, Tenn.
“We are tickled to death to be part of Joey+Rory’s radio show and tv show,” said Bo LeMastus, CEO, Crosley Radio. “Everything they do is just so sincere and genuine, and their music is so inspiring. The partnership was so easy to put together because from the very initial meeting with them there was just a trust there. Their brand and what they represent is exactly what our brand is all about. The minute they brought up the idea of Crosley being a sponsor we said ‘YES!”

Johnny Cash Museum To Hold Grand Opening May 30

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Johnny Cash Museum

Johnny Cash Museum


Nashville’s Johnny Cash Museum will celebrate its Grand Opening on Thursday, May 30, with a day filled with prizes and giveaways (including CDs, limited edition Hatch Show Print posters and more) to fans and patrons.
The museum, which includes historical documents, letters, awards, costumes and instruments, also includes interactive technology provided by Griffin Technologies. The collection features the earliest known Johnny Cash letters and documents as well as the handwritten manuscript to the last song ever written by Cash, just days before his passing. Visitors also will be given an extensive look into Cash’s childhood and early adulthood, and his service in the United States Air Force.
“It’s indescribable,” says Tommy Cash, the entertainer’s younger brother. “There’s so much to comprehend. I knew all of the memorabilia was somewhere, but to see it all in one building is an awesome experience. I could spend a week in here and probably not see every single thing. It’s something that people that come to Nashville from all over the world will want to see.”
Museum founder Bill Miller says the museum is the culmination of a lifelong dream. “I became a Johnny Cash fan of at the age of nine in 1969. I collected everything relating to him I could get my hands on. As time went on, I met Johnny many times and we became close friends. Over the years, he and many of his friends and associates contributed to the collection and I scoured the world for important pieces. This museum is our tribute to the greatest man I’ve ever known.”
The museum will be open to the public each day from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. General admission is $14 with discounts for students, members of the military, etc. On Grand Opening day (May 30), hours will be from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
The Johnny Cash Museum is located at 119 Third Ave. South.
 

Songwriters Team For Moore, Okla. Benefit Concert

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okies and friends111Songwriters and artists Zac Maloy, Jaren Johnston, David Cook, Marcus Hummon, Brett James, Matt Ramsey, Tyler Bryant, Andy Skib, Michael Hobby, Clint Lagerberg, Chase Rice, Tennessee Jet and others will join together for the Okies and Friends benefit concert on May 29. The event will take place at Nashville’s Tin Roof (1516 Demonbreun St.) beginning at 6 p.m. and tickets are $10 at the door.
Organizers Zac Maloy (Warner/Chappell) and Travis Carter (Love Monkey Music/Tom Leis Music) are both from Tulsa, Okla. and the event will raise funds (via the Red Cross) to help tornado victims of Moore Okla.
 
 

United Way Seeks Entries for 2013 United Live Song Contest

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United-WayThe United Way has begun its search for songs with a positive message for use in its Stuff the Bus campaign.
The 2013 Live United Song Contest will accept entries through June 12, to be judged by an industry panel for lyrics, melody, production and relevancy to United Way’s mission to advance the common good.
Judges include Randy Brown (Artist Manager at Borman Entertainment), Bradley Collins (Sr. Director of Writer-Publisher Relations at BMI), Stevie Erickson (Song Plugger at Patrick Joseph Music Publishing), Randy Goodman (Co-chair of the Music City Music Council) and Marty Slayton Jordan (George Strait backup vocalist).
Top ten finalists will be selected to perform at The Listening Room Café during United Way’s Stuff the Bus Launch Concert on Thursday, June 20 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. A winner will be chosen at the event for inclusion in an upcoming United Way Day of Action video, which will be featured on unitedwaynashville.org and emailed to partners across the city.
Each song requires an entry fee of $10, which will benefit United Way’s Stuff the Bus school supply drive to benefit at-risk Nashville students. All finalists must be available to attend and perform at the June 20 event.
To submit an entry for the contest, click here.
For more information or to volunteer at one of the Stuff the Bus Days of Action, click here.