Snapshots (8/22/12)

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Legendary producer, songwriter, guitarist, and studio owner Chips Moman took part in a special interview recently (8/18) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Moman, who helped establish Memphis’ Stax Records and later opened the city’s American Sound Studio, played a pivotal role in creating a great number of pop, soul, and country classics. Moman produced Elvis Presley’s 1969 comeback album From Elvis in Memphis as well as sessions for Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, the Highwaymen and others. He also co-wrote “Dark End of the Street,” “Do Right Woman,” “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” and other hit songs.

(L-R): (back row) Museum Editor Michael Gray, Gene Chrisman, Bobby Emmons and Weldon Myrick; (front row) Bobby Wood, Chips Moman and Reggie Young Photo by Donn Jones

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Rachele Lynae recently visited the Academy of Country Music’s office in Los Angeles to perform “Party ‘Til The Cows Come Home” and sign up for professional ACM membership. Lynae is the flagship artist on Jamie O’Neal’snewly launched label, Momentum Label Group and is currently working on her debut album to be released October 23.

(L-R): Rachele Lynae; Michelle Goble, ACM Senior Vice President, Membership & Industry Relations Photo: Michel Bourquard/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music

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Songwriter Bobby Hamrick stopped by the ASCAP offices recently (8/15) join as a writer and publisher member, before he headed over to The Basement to participate in ASCAP’s We Create Music series showcase. Hamrick is signed to EMI/OWM Music/Chuckbod Music where he works closely with Ben Strain, Chris Oglesby and Steve McEwan. Hamrick co-wrote Sarah Darling’s single, “Home To Me,” which was released August 21.

(L-R): ASCAP's Ryan Beuschel, Bobby Hamrick and ASCAP's LeAnn Phelan

10th Annual SOURCE Awards on Thursday

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(L-R): Pat Rolfe, Judy Harris, Karen Conrad, Kay Smith, Judy Wray, and Connie Bradley; Shelia Shipley Biddy is not pictured. Photo: Denise Fussell

The 10th Annual SOURCE Awards will be held this Thursday (8/23), honoring the founding members of the organization. The sold out ceremony will take place at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.

This year’s honorees include founding members Shelia Shipley Biddy, Judy Harris, Pat Rolfe, and Kay Smith. Other longtime supporting members of SOURCE being honored include Judy Wray, Connie Bradley, and Karen Conrad.

For sponsorship opportunities, email Shauna Collins.

SOURCE was founded in 1991 as a nonprofit, supporting women executives and professionals in the Nashville music industry.

Artist Updates (8/22/12)

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Need some convincing that Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” is on everyone’s summer 2012 playlist? Refer to this tribute video, featuring the renditions of the song by fellow stars. Guests include Eli Young Band, Larry Gatlin, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes, Pistol Annies, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Wynonna, Thompson Square, Sara Evans, Charlie Daniels, Kix Brooks, Jake Owen, and many others.

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Black River Entertainment’s Sarah Darling has digitally released “Home To Me,” the lead single from her upcoming Dann Huff-produced album to be released in 2013. The song was written by Caitlyn Smith and Bobby Hamrick, and the lyric video is available for viewing at Country Weekly.

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Nashville resident Josh Doyle will perfom on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, August 23, when he will debut his new single “Solarstorms.” Doyle was the winner of Guitar Center’s Singer-Songwriter competition and has been working with producer John Shanks on his debut album, due out Oct. 23. CTK Management and The Agency Group recently signed agreements to represent Doyle.

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Also on Aug. 23, Josh Turner will make appearances on CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman, as well as ABC’s The Chew. Turner will perform his single “Time is Love” on Letterman, which airs at 10:30 pm/CT. On The Chew, Turner will join co-hosts Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz, Carla Hall, Mario Batali, and Michael Symon for the South Carolina staple Frogmore stew.

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Dierks Bentley has launched an Instagram contest to search for his fans’ best Country & Cold Cans-themed photos. Fans who post to Instagram with the hashtag #ColdCans will have the chance to win one of five $250 Visa gift cards. Winners will be chosen every Friday for the next five weeks. Details here.

Chris Janson Wrapping Project With Keith Stegall

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Janson and Stegall taking a break in the studio. Photo: Nick Garvin

Chris Janson is celebrating a major hit as co-writer of Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah” while finishing up his first album with Bigger Picture Group. Janson has spent the summer in the studio with producer and Bigger Picture Group Chairman Keith Stegall working on the project.

Janson credits Stegall with helping him find the motivation to stay his course in the music industry. “I had given up on the music business, and then I met Keith,” he says. “We just hit it off. He approached me about liking my music and what I was doing with it and something just clicked. He really motivated me to move forward.”

As a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, Janson has writing credits with Guns N’ Roses and others, and contributed harmonica to Lee Brice’s album Hard 2 Love. Janson released a single, “’Til A Woman Comes Along,” in 2010 on BNA Records. Having opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr., Janson continues touring and will play a showcase at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley on Mon., Aug. 27 at 5 p.m.

Swift Makes Digital Sales History

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Taylor Swift made music history today (8/22) when her single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” debuted with sales of 623k downloads (Nielsen Soundscan). This feat earned her the record for best digital sales week by a female artist. It also ranked her second in overall single-week sales, behind Flo Rida’s 2009 hit “Right Round” which moved 636k copies.

In more Swift news, she will perform at the Sept. 6 MTV VMA Awards, where she is set to debut a song from her upcoming fourth studio album Red. The show will air at 8 PM/ET.

Swift has also opened a contest allowing one college or high school to win an acoustic concert with her this fall as part of VH1’s Storytellers series. Through Sept. 23 students can vote for their school and find details at www.taylorswiftoncampus.com. Additionally, the top five schools with the most votes will each receive a $10,000 grant for their music department from Swift and Chegg’s philanthropic program, Chegg for Good, which inspires students to be a catalyst for change. VH1 Storytellers: Taylor Swift will air Sat., Nov. 11 at 6 PM/ET.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (8/22/12)

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David Nail, Taylor Swift

It’s all stars, no waiting, this week.

This sudden shower of name-brand artists has the happy coincidence of almost uniformly wonderful listening. Whether it’s an old favorite or a new one, these folks bring their best to the country-music party.

The Farm Inc.

The plethora of excellence means we must divvy up the Disc of the Day honors. Our Female winner is Taylor Swift. The Male performance belongs to David Nail who takes an Adele song jewel into a country setting. The Group prize goes to The Farm Inc. with bonus points for performing a lyric with Something to Say.

Keep ‘em coming.

DIERKS BENTLEY/Tip It On Back
Writer: Tully Kennedy/Ross Copperman/Jon Nite; Producer: Brett Beavers & Luke Wooten; Publisher: none listed; Capitol (RI)
—Times are tough, so relax, drink up and let your troubles fade away. His vocal has even more personality than usual, and the swirling echo of electric guitars surrounding him is a little bit of sonic magic. Intensely involving.

THE FARM INC./Be Grateful
Writer: R. Clawson/M. Beeson; Producer: Danny Myrick & Rick Hoffman; Publisher: WB/Erin’s Dream/Crazy Blue Egg/Big Red Toe/Big Loud Bucks/Amarillo Sky, BMI/ASCAP; All In/Elektra/Warner
—Superior work all around. All three members are taking turns singing beautifully. The production is perfect. Best of all, the song has something really, really important to say about the times we’re living through. My hat’s off to everyone involved.

TOBY KEITH/I Like Girls That Drink Beer
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Show Dog Universal (ERG)
—It’s a kiss-off with a smile to the rich gal in favor of a honey in a honky-tonk. Oh, and it rocks splendidly.

DAVID NAIL/Someone Like You
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; MCA Nashville (ERG)
—He sings like an earth angel, and Adele’s ballad of lingering, longing love is a marvelous vehicle for him. Despite our already knowing every note of this massive pop hit, David makes it his own with only a stately piano backing him. That’s the mark of a great vocalist.

TAYLOR SWIFT/We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Writer: Taylor Swift/Max Martin/Shellback; Producer: Max Martin, Shellback & Dann Huff; Publisher: MXM/Kobalt/Sony-ATV Tree/Taylor Swift, ASCAP/BMI; Big Machine
—Very catchy. Very witty. Very pop. Very, very big.

CLINTON GREGORY/She Did
Writer: Craig Martin; Producer: Jamie Creasy & Clinton Gregory; Publisher: Melody Roundup/Bluewater, BMI; Melody Roundup (track) (www,melodyroundupmusic.com)
—This hit maker from the ‘90s (”If It Weren’t For Country Music I’d Go Crazy”) returns with a CD titled Too Much Ain’t Enough. It’s lead-off single is a sublimely countrified ballad that’s the heartache song you’ve been missing so much lately. Hillbilly heaven.

J.T. HODGES/Sleepy Little Town
Writer: Lee Thomas Miller/Chris Stapleton; Producer: Mark Wright, Don Cook & Mark Collie; Publisher: Writers of Sea Gayle/Emma’s Garden/House of Sea Gayle/New Son of a Miner, BMI/ASCAP; Show Dog Universal (track)
—I dig this guy. I thought “Goodbyes Made You Mine” should have been massive. Now comes this throbbing cautionary tale of what goes on behind closed doors in Small Town U.S.A. As before, he performs with admirable passion and intensity.

STEVE HOLY/Hauled Off and Kissed Me
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Curb (ERG)
—Rocking, rollicking merriment. It’s impossible not to like this goofy fun.

JASON ALDEAN/Take a Little Ride
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Broken Bow (ERG)
—How many more pick-up truck rides with beer on back roads do we have to take? I think I’m getting a little queasy.

RADNEY FOSTER/Me and John R.
Writer: Radney Foster/Darden Smith/Jon Randall Stewart; Producer: Radney Foster & Justin Tocket; Publisher: none listed; Devil’s River (track) (www.radneyfoster.com)
—Now here’s an interesting concept. Radney’s brilliant 1993 CD Del Rio Texas 1959 is out of print. Fans keep asking him for a copy. So he has re-recorded its songs in an unplugged, acoustic setting. All your favorites are here — “Just Call Me Lonesome,” “Nobody Wins,” “Closing Time,” “Hammer and Nails” and so on — plus, you also get this new, evocative, wafting ode to driving lonesome with the accompaniment of Johnny Cash oldies on the radio. Mighty fine.

No. 1 Party: Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”

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Front Row (L-R): Eli Young Band’s Jon Jones and James Young, co-writers Will Hoge and Eric Paslay, Eli Young Band’s Mike Eli and Chris Thompson; Back Row (L-R): Triple 8 Management’s George Couri, BMI’s Jody Williams, Big Machine Label Group’s Jimmy Harnen, Cal IV Publishing’s Daniel Hill, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad.

Republic Nashville’s Eli Young Band, comprised of members Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones, Chris Thompson, and songwriters Will Hoge and Eric Paslay gathered yesterday (8/20) to celebrate their recent No. 1 song, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” The track made it to the top of all three charts, Billboard, MusicRow, and Country Aircheck. Held at the CMA offices, the party was standing room only for the crowd of industry enthusiasts, friends and family.

The song is the second single from EYB’s current album Life at Best, produced by Mike Wrucke.

CMA’s Steve Moore welcomed the attendees followed by presentations from BMI’s Jody Williams, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Cal IV Entertainment’s Daniel Hill, Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta and Jimmy Harnen, Avenue Bank’s Ron Cox, CMA’s Brandi Simms and CRS’s Bill Mayne.

CMA unveiled a new medallion for the artists and writers behind Country’s chart-topping songs, which replaces the former CMA No. 1 plaque. Resembling the medals awarded at the Olympic games, both the recipients and attendees seemed very pleased with the change.

“Well, here it is Monday. Must be time for another Scott Borchetta celebration,” quipped Jody Williams, getting big laughs from the crowd, before extending his heartfelt appreciation for the success and impact the Big Machine Label Group has had on our industry. Borchetta quickly added, “It never gets old, this community we have. This is exclusive to us and doesn’t happen anywhere else.” Borchetta then extended his own congratulations to the artists, writers and team behind the chart-topping success.

“Thank you for believing in us and believing in this song,” said Mike Eli. “We fell in love with the song not because we saw, or had any foresight, or thought it was a No. 1. We just loved this song.”

Celebrating his third No. 1 song in eleven months, Eric Paslay greeted the crowd admitting, “It’s been a wild year.” Will Hoge added about the song, “It was so personal for Eric and I, we thought it would never connect because it was so personal. Eli Young took it and truly made it an anthem.” Originally released three years ago on his own album, the song is Hoge’s first No. 1 as a songwriter.

Musicians Corner Gears up for Fall

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Musicians Corner will kick off its fall season on September 1 with free music from 3-6 pm with main stage performances by The Blind Boys of Alabama, Karen Elson, a Nashville Symphony quartet, Jeremy Lister and acoustic stage performances by Anthony Snape, Chelsea Gill, and The Carmonas.

Over 20 food trucks will participate in the 1st Annual Nashville Street Food Awards presented by the Nashville Food Truck Association, which will be judged by a panel. A portion of the proceeds to benefit Musicians Corner and Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee.

“Musicians Corner was among the first to support food trucks in Nashville,” said B.J. Lofback, President of the Nashville Food Truck Association. “As we’ve grown in number we’re thrilled to support them back.”

The regular Saturday gathering will take place through October 27 with a Beer & Wine Garden featuring local brands Yazoo, Hap and Harry’s, and Arrington Vineyards. Weekly Dog of the Day Awards will be handed out and free craft activities are available for children. The season includes over 60 multi-genre musical performers including Sam Bush, Kenny Vaughan, Sixpence None The Richer, The Black Lillies, Hoots and Hellmouth, Regi Wooten & Friends, Ashley Cleveland, Matthew Perryman Jones, Phil Keaggy, The Farewell Drifters, Shannon Whitworth, Yarn, The SteelDrivers, Shannon Sanders, Andrew Combs, VITEK, and The Vespers.

A complete fall season schedule can be viewed here.

Preceding his Musicians Corner appearance, founding member of the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jimmy Carter, will be featured in a free Civil Rights symposium at Vanderbilt’s First Amendment Center, August 31 from 5:30 – 7 pm.

UMPG Nashville Announces Creative Appointments

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Kent Earls, Executive VP/GM of Universal Music Publishing Group, Nashville announced key appointments in the company’s Nashville office. Cyndi Forman has been promoted to VP, Creative; Missy Wilson has joined the team as Senior Creative Director; Freeman Wizer has been promoted to Creative Director, and Travis Gordon has been appointed Creative Manager.

“These appointments represent UMPG Nashville’s creative investment and commitment to the Nashville songwriter community,” said Kent Earls. “Cyndi, Missy, Freeman, and Travis, along with the entire Creative team at UMPG Nashville, are dedicated to delivering the very best in client services to our songwriters.”

Cyndi Forman will lead the Nashville creative team, reporting to Earls. Forman has secured cuts including Kenny Chesney’s “You & Tequila” and developed newcomer Hunter Hayes, as well as working with Mark Nesler, Rivers Rutherford, and Shane McAnally. Missy Wilson was most recently with EMI Music Publishing and delivered cuts for Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, and many others. Freeman Wizer’s songplugging credits include cuts for Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw and more. He most recently signed up-and-coming writer Ryan Hurd. Travis Gordon will be focused on writer development, plugging, and pitching. He was most recently with William Morris Endeavor.

Colt Ford Announces Benefit For St. Jude

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Country artist and former PGA golfer Colt Ford has announced the Colt Ford & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled for September 24 at Chateau Elan outside Atlanta, Ga. Proceeds from the event will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“I could not think of a better way to raise money than playing golf with a group of my good buddies,” says Ford. “I really wanted to help contribute to the efforts of the amazing doctors, researches and staff at St. Jude. I am thankful for the opportunity to give back to such an outstanding organization.”

Joining Ford for the benefit will be Darius Rucker, Jake Owen, Justin Moore, Jamey Johnson, John Anderson, John Michael Montgomery, Jason Michael Carol, Edwin McCain, Laura Bell Bundy, Wanya Morris and Nate Morris from Boyz II Men, Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, plus professional golfers Tommy Gainy, Brian Gay, Heath Slocum, Harris English, Brendan Todd, Hudson Swofford, Brian Harmon, Kyle Thomson, William McGirt, Tommy Biershenk, Ken Duke, Scott Brown, Boo Weekley, Matt Bettincourt, Josh Broadaway, Kris Blanks, Sean Cain and celebrities Corey Miller and Jeff Foxworthy.

Ford’s latest album Declaration of Independence (Average Joes) hit stores August 7, and it landed in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart–the highest album debut of his career.