MusicRowPics: The Cadillac Black Artist Visit

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Before heading out to play a show with Florida Georgia Line at the Exit/In, The Cadillac Black stopped by MusicRow headquarters yesterday (11/15) to warm up. The trio is made up of three Nashville natives Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray, who released their self-titled debut album earlier this year.

The Cadillac Black played a stripped down acoustic set including album tracks “I’m Southern” and “Turn It On.” They concluded by introducing their new single “Get Your Buzz On.”

Johnston also co-wrote Keith Urban’s No. 1 hit “You Gonna Fly,” which earned him a nomination for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year at the 2012 MusicRow Awards this summer.

The band’s next show is today (11/16) in Little Rock, AR. For more information about The Cadillac Black and their tour dates, visit thecadillacblack.com.

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Weekly Chart Report (11/16/2012)

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For the third year, B100 teamed up with Martin's Supermarket selling Pink Light Bulbs in an effort to raise $6,800 for Susan G Komen for the Cure of Northern Indiana. Pictured (L-R): Deb Miles (B100 morning co-host), Barb LeVan (Martin's Supermarket), Madeline Catanzarite (B100 Sales Rep), and Sheri Miller Story (Northern, IN Susan G Komen Executive Director)

SPIN ZONE
Republic Nashville keeps the No. 1 spot this week on the MusicRow Chart with Greg Bates‘ “Did It For The Girl” succeeding last week’s chart-topper Florida Georgia Line‘s “Cruise,” now at No. 3. Written by Bates, Lynn Hutton and Rodney Clawson, “Did It For The Girl” is Bates first single from his debut self-titled album and first No. 1. The chart’s top 10 didn’t allow any new entries this week; however, Rascal Flatts‘ “Come Wake Me Up” climbed up to the No. 2 spot. Likewise, Dierks Bentley‘s “Tip It On Back” also gained a spot to No. 4 and Kip Moore‘s “Beer Money” rounds out the top 5.

Big movers this week include Jason Aldean‘s “The Only Way I Know” jumping from No. 36 to No. 21 with 577 new spins. Leaping from No. 51 to No. 32 is Tim McGraw‘s “One Of Those Nights” gaining an additional 484 spins. Moving up from No. 28 to No. 20 with 426 new spins in its 3rd week on the chart is The Band Perry‘s “Better Dig Two.” Toby Keith‘s “Hope On The Rocks” adds another 394 spins climbing 18 spots to No. 40.

Making its debut this week, Kelly Clarkson‘s (with Vince Gill) “Don’t Rush” landed at No. 68. Other debuts include Vince Hatfield‘s “Sometimes You Gotta Get Away” (No. 78), Jana Kramer‘s “Whiskey” (No. 79) and Steve Holy‘s “Hauled Off And Kissed Me” (No. 80).

Frozen Playlists: KGKL, KMKS, KGMN, KXBZ, KYKX

Upcoming Singles
November 19
Dustin Lynch/She Cranks My Tractor/Broken Bow Records

November 26
Carrie Underwood/Two Black Cadillacs/Sony Nashville

December 3
Lee Brice/I Drive Your Truck/Curb
Jillian Kohr/What You’ve Done

Holiday Singles
Lorrie Morgan/Wrapped Up In Love/Octabrook Records
Craig Morrison/Santa Claus Boogie/Lucky 53s-GMV Nashville
Clinton Gregory/Peace On Earth Again/Melody Roundup Records
Kyle Park/Winter Wonderland

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Kelly Clarkson w/ Vince Gill/Don’t Rush/19 Recordings-RCA Nashville – 68
Vince Hatfield/Sometimes You Gotta Get Away/Blue Moon – 78
Jana Kramer/Whiskey/WMN – 79
Steve Holy/Hauled Off And Kissed Me/Curb – 80

Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Tim McGraw/One Of Those Nights/Big Machine – 30
Toby Keith/Hope On The Rocks/Show Dog-Universal – 29
Jason Aldean/The Only Way I Know/Broken Bow – 22
Kelly Clarkson w/ Vince Gill/Don’t Rush/19 Recordings-RCA Nashville – 20
Carrie Underwood/Two Black Cadillacs/19-Arista Nashville – 16
George Strait/Give It All We Got/MCA – 15
Brantley Gilbert/More Than Miles/Valory – 14
Thompson Square/If I Didn’t Have You/Stoney Creek – 13
The Band Perry/Better Dig Two/Republic Nashville – 13

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Jason Aldean/The Only Way I Know/Broken Bow – 577
Tim McGraw/One Of Those Nights/Big Machine – 484
The Band Perry/Better Dig Two/Republic Nashville – 426
Toby Keith/Hope On The Rocks/Show Dog-Universal – 394
Zac Brown Band/Goodbye In Her Eyes/Southern Ground-Atlantic – 247

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Lizzie Sider/Butterfly/Blue Steel – 203
Michael Dean Church/Still Not Over You/MDC – 196
Hillbilly Vegas/Little Miss Rough And Tumble/Red Dirt Music Company – 193
Luke Pilgrim/Back Road Lullaby/MMG – 193
Brinn Black/That Should Have Been Us/SMG – 163

California native, Heidi Newfield, paid a visit to San Jose’s Rodeo Club for KRTY-FM. Pictured (L-R): Roger Fregoso (Sidewalk Records), Tina Ferguson (KRTY), Heidi Newfield, and Nate Deaton (KRTY GM/MD)

Kenny Chesney celebrated his CMA win for Musical Event of the Year with Tim McGraw with friends, as his new single “El Cerrito Place” climbs the charts. Pictured (L-R): Sheila Jeffries, Chesney and Jan Jeffries (Cumulus SVP Corporate/Programming)

Charlie Worsham visited with WZZK/Birmingham during the Southwest leg of his first radio tour. Pictured (L-R): Paul Orr, Summer Orr, Charlie Worsham, Jamie Boyd

Top Digital Companies Form Strategic Partnership

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Five digital music leaders have combined forces to become a sort of music biz Voltron, which established artists can take into battle every day. The strategic partnership, involving Topspin, Artist Growth, Firebrand, Ingrooves Fontana, and Pledgemusic, was announced by Topspin CEO Ian Rogers yesterday (11/15) at Billboard’s FutureSound conference in San Francisco.

“Increasingly, artists and managers need an end-to-end solution to fund their projects, then market and distribute them, then hit the road,” said Rogers. “The Internet has given artists the ability to connect directly with fans, bundle their rights to create new value, and keep a daily eye on their business — without licensing their rights. But artists still need to work with experts who add real value to make the most of this Internet-created opportunity.”

By combining tools for funding, distribution, and marketing, the new partnership will allow users to combine rights for recorded music and merchandise, raise funds, build fanbases, and make money without having to surrender ownership. The relationship between the companies is non-exclusive. Artists looking for a one-stop solution are encouraged to contact any of the partners and mention the integrated marketing partnership for more info.

Charlie Cook On Air: The CD

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One of my fondest memories as a kid was jumping around an album—those were big round plastic things that mysteriously held music captive until you dropped a needle on the album and sound was created from the collision of the two entities—and listening to my favorites from that particular artist. I am not even going to admit to playing 45 rpms as a VERY young kid. That would put me mere years after Edison’s invention of the phonograph and I am not going there.

This “playing disc-jockey” continued with CDs as I would jump around the disc passing up songs that I didn’t particularly like to get to one that would stop me in my tracks (excuse the pun). There was an anticipation of knowing the song that I was going to hear and then actually experiencing it.

Stop for a second and think of your favorite song. Then hear it in your mind. Even that is an incredibly enjoyable experience. Even that makes you feel good. Actually add the sound of the song and the next 4 minutes is great.

I can remember the first time I heard “Roundabout” from the album Fragile by Yes. First of all, it is about 8 and one half minutes. And it takes you through about 10 emotions. I sat on the floor and just played it over and over all night. And no, I was not high. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t. Even today I will stop whatever I am doing and just listen to the song if I run across it.

Where am I going with this?

The CD is dead. The album is long dead.

That experience is dying.

Today music listeners will get “in the ballpark” of that experience. I know that if want to hear “Roundabout” I had better be listening to a Classic Rock station. WUSN is not going to play it. And even then my chance is about 1 in 4000.

Yeah, I can program Pandora for a Yes Channel and “Roundabout” is going to come up at some point.

Yeah, I can go on Spotify and “ask” for “Roundabout.”

Yeah, I can go to my iPod and play “Roundabout.”

Why does none of that feel the same?

Last week The NPD Group, a consumer research firm, published a study showing that Internet and on-demand services (Pandora, Spotify and YouTube) are pushing the CD off the shelves in America.

Our friends on Music Row can vouch for this.

So far these services are far behind radio but they are going in different directions and The NPD Group found radio listening down 4% year to year. Even digital downloads were reported down 2%

From an article I read (online) from the San Francisco Chronicle, NPD SVP Russ Crupnick said, “Although AM/FM radio remains America’s favorite music-listening choice, the basket of Internet Radio and Streaming services that are available today have, on a whole, replaced the CD for second place.”

With even digital downloads losing some ground music listeners have decided that owning the music is not important. Having access to the music is more important.

The thing about all of these services it that the revenue model is still shaky. I have Pandora. I have Spotify. I use YouTube. I have the free version of all of these channels.

I do not want the artist to be compromised by my not paying for the service but it seems like the artist payment is so far down the road on some of these services that me putting up with a commercial every 15 minutes or so is not going to impact them.

Artists reportedly get about 1/3 of a penny per stream on iTunes Match, but that is for playing a song you have already purchased once.

Want to make a dollar from Spotify? Hope that your song streams hundreds of times.

I like broadcast radio. I like the streaming services but both should be sources for introducing music to the consumer who then goes out and BUYS the music so that they can sit on the floor and play their favorites over and over and over.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow)

People’s Choice Awards Nominees

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Jason Aldean helped announce the PCA nominees.

Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton received all-genre nominations for the People’s Choice Awards 2013. Jason Aldean, who is nominated for Favorite Country Artist, joined other celebrities to reveal the news.

Fans cast more than 93 million votes to pick new categories and determine the slate. Justin Bieber, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, Channing Tatum, Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence are among the top nominees.

Fans can vote for winners without leaving their favorite social media outlets, including Facebook, which has a custom app, and Twitter, through the use of specific hashtags. This is a significant step forward for fan-voted shows, which in the past have relied mainly on website voting.

• Website – PeoplesChoice.com continues to be the main voting platform
• Facebook – Facebook.com/PeoplesChoice features a custom application where fans can personalize their voting experience and share their votes with friends.
• Twitter – Fans can cast official votes by tweeting a specific series of hashtags based on the nominee’s name and category. Details at PeoplesChoice.com/pca/vote.
• Mobile – Fans can vote in all categories on the People’s Choice Awards mobile site, and via the official voting application for Android and iOS devices.

Voting will end on Dec. 14, 2012. Winners will be revealed during the live broadcast from the Nokia Theater L.A. Live on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) on CBS.

Favorite Male Artist
Blake Shelton
Chris Brown
Jason Mraz
Justin Bieber
Usher

Favorite Female Artist
Adele
Carrie Underwood
Katy Perry
P!nk
Taylor Swift

Favorite Country Artist
Blake Shelton
Carrie Underwood
Jason Aldean
Taylor Swift
Tim McGraw

Favorite Song
“Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen
“One More Night,” Maroon 5
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift
“We Are Young,” Fun. ft. Janelle Monae
“What Makes You Beautiful,” One Direction

Favorite Album
Believe, Justin Bieber
Blown Away, Carrie Underwood
Overexposed, Maroon 5
Some Nights, Fun.
Up All Night, One Direction

Tickets to the awards show are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.

Primetime ‘Nashville’: Episode 106

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Juliette and Sean sneak away to Miami.

Episode 106: “You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave)”
First aired: November 14, 2012

Nashville finally picked up the pace last night, with interesting new characters and storylines. As usual, the music made a phenomenal centerpiece, with new songs by characters Avery and Rayna.

Characters hitting the Music City scene were squeaky-clean NFL rookie Sean Butler, new-to-town hit rock producer Liam McGuinnis, and artist manager Marilyn Rhodes, a cougar on the prowl for (un)suspecting young singers.

Liam (played by Treme’s Michiel Huison) initially dismissed Rayna as a “moms and SUVs” singer, but he was intrigued after she convinced him to listen to the new song she wrote “Buried Under” (actually by Natalie Hemby and Chris DeStefano). A whiskey fueled recording session helped him see her as a true artist and helped her tap into her reason for singing in the first place. The result was an edgy sound that pleased labelhead Marshall Evans, until he found out who produced it. The subplot shares a lot of parallels with Black Keys singer Dan Auerbach, who has a studio here and produced Rayna’s version of the Lucinda Williams song “Bitter Memory” for an upcoming episode.

Juliette agreed to a date with Sean as a strategic PR move, but things got interesting when they ditched the café and hopped a jet to Miami. Sean wasn’t as boring as she thought when he grabbed a guitar and started strumming her song “Black Mascara Tears.” Later, he fought off the paparazzi outside a nightclub, and she returned the favor by paying the photog $25K not to sell the photos.


Elsewhere, potentially damaging photos of Peggy (Kimberly Williams Paisley) and Rayna’s doormat husband Teddy landed in the hands of his mayoral race rival Coleman. He’s considering leaking the pics after his campaign was damaged by Lamar (to whom avid watcher David Ross refers as the Belle Meade Monster). During a traffic stop Lamar orchestrated, police found a bottle of Oxycontin in Coleman’s car. Ironically, he was pulled over on his way to the “clean campaign” event. In a no-good-deed-goes-unpunished scenario, Coleman had possession of the pills because his addiction recovery sponsoree, Deacon, surrendered them.

At The 5 Spot Avery’s (Jonathan Jackson) howling vocals shined on groovy, cool new song “Kiss” (written by Sean McConnell) and caught the attention of manager Marilyn. Avery and Scarlett called it quits after she suspected him of cheating on her with Marilyn—or at least wanting to.

Actors Clare Bowen (Scarlett) and Sam Palladio (Gunnar) are set to make their Grand Ole Opry debut this Saturday (11/17) at the Ryman Auditorium.

The episode also included a performance of “The Day You Die” by Lindi Ortega at The 5 Spot. It’s available for free download here.

Big Machine Records will release the Nashville soundtrack on Dec. 11, featuring music performed by cast members Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Clare Bowen, and Sam Palladio. A full track listing is here.

Nashville needs extras on Tues., Nov. 20, at Bridgestone Arena. Details at nashvilleextras.com.

Actor Charles Esten (Deacon) made his Grand Ole Opry debut Sat., Nov. 10 at the Ryman Auditorium. He sang “Back Home,” a song he has performed on the show, and Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally.”

Christmas Tree Lightings

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Christmas in Rockefeller Center

Trace Adkins, Mariah Carey, CeeLo Green, Rod Stewart, Billy Crystal and Bette Midler are among the guests appearing on NBC’s 15th Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center to air at 8 pm/ET, Wednesday, Nov. 28.

Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie will co-host the celebration, featuring an 80 ft. Norway Spruce estimated to be about 80 years old.

• • • •

CMHoF Celebrates Lighting 

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will officially kick off its winter celebrations with a Christmas tree lighting featuring Craig Morgan on Friday, Nov. 23.

Morgan is also scheduled to perform and sign copies of his latest CD during the free event, which begins at 4 pm. The festivities begin a season of holiday programs at the museum. Further details are available here.

 

• • • •

Annual National Christmas Tree Lighting

James Taylor, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Colbie Caillat and Phillip Phillips are among the performers announced for the 90th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 6 at the Ellipse at President’s Park in Washington, D.C.

The 2012 ceremony will air on public television throughout the December, and can also be viewed live online, with a pre-show beginning at 4:30 pm/ET.

The Lighting Ceremony is the first in a four-week holiday series presented at President’s Park by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation from President Calvin Coolidge’s 1923 tradition.

Additional guests are forthcoming.

Lambert Loads the ‘Pink Pistol’ for Grand Opening

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CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert will turn her adopted home town of Tishomingo, OK pink on Friday, Nov. 23 with the grand opening of the Pink Pistol, her lifestyle/general merchandise store. Located at 214 W. Main Street in downtown Tishomingo, the Pink Pistol is a store “For The Wild at Heart.”

“We’re having the Grand Opening the day after Thanksgiving, on Black Friday, only we’re calling it Pink Friday,” said Lambert. “We’re going to make it a tradition to turn the block pink every year at that time. Pink Friday will be country fun with some glitz. Tishomingo is the epitome of a great, small American town, and I am excited to dress it in my favorite color ‘pink.’”

The store will carry a variety of merchandise selected by Lambert including handmade boots and belts from Corral, Farm Boy & Farm Girl with their fashionable line of clothing and home goods, items from Junk Gypsy including clothing, jewelry and other accessories plus much more. “It’s antiques, gifts, boots, jeans and pretty much everything you can imagine,” said Lambert.

In addition to the grand opening, other activities planned for the day include a Pink-aoke area for everyone to sing their favorite song, marching bands and, the 1st Annual Pink Pistol Princess Pageant. The contestants, who have already been selected, will be judged on the creativity of their pink costumes, their spunkiness and their sass.

CMA Adds New Team Members

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(L-R): Nicole James, Michelle Jacobs. Photo: Christian Bottorff/CMA

The Country Music Association has announced the addition of Nicole James as Senior Manager of Market Research and Michelle Jacobs as Strategic Partnerships Coordinator.

In her new role, James will report to Senior Director of Market Research Karen Stump and manage research initiatives related to CMA events and the consumer-based CMA Insiders panel. James previously served as Senior Project Manager for Market Decisions Corporation in Portland, Oregon and has held marketing and management roles with Victoria’s Secret and Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier. She is a graduate of Belmont University and earned her MBA at Pepperdine University.

“Nicole brings a unique combination of research skills and knowledge that allow her to quickly step into the role and make a positive impact on our research programs here at CMA,” said Stump.

Strategic Partnerships Coordinator Michelle Jacobs will report to Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships Angela Mendenhall, and will be responsible for execution of partner programs within CMA Events, as well as development and partnership fulfillment. Jacobs previously served as Sales and Marketing Coordinator with Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe, developing partnerships for special events and overseeing the venue’s digital presence. She graduated from Illinois State University in Recreation Management.

“We are privileged to have Michelle join our team,” said Mendenhall. “Her unique experience and vast relationships are the perfect complement to our partnership building efforts.”

Music Organizations and Retailers Launch Digital Music Guide

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The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and NARM, along with its digital initiative digitalmusic.org, have launched the “Why Music Matters” website in the US in hopes of educating fans on available digital music services to fit their music needs.

Visitors to whymusicmatters.com can browse through a grid of companies offering a variety of different music services, including mp3 downloads, streaming sites, mobile music, digital radio, retail and more. The site also includes videos about the value of music featuring Jay-Z, Louis Armstrong, Kate Bush, and more.

“The music community has transformed how it does business, and the launch of the Why Music Matters site is another great milestone in that evolution,” said RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman.

Whymusicmatters.com is based on a similar website created by the British Phonographic Industry in the United Kingdom in 2010, which was then expanded to Australia and New Zealand. The services listed on the website all have an agreement with at least one of the three major record companies and offers a significant catalog of music, or have signed up for the statutory license intended for online radio services.