The Mavericks Announce EP Release Date; Stream Single

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The Mavericks will release a new Valory Music Co. project, a five-song EP titled Suited Up and Ready, on May 29. The release is expected to be followed by a full-length project this fall.

The band began streaming the project’s first single “Born To Be Blue” earlier this month before its official May 29 country radio add date.

Beginning this weekend, the band will support its new music with a North American tour spanning from Texas to Canada. International dates have not yet been released.

“We poured our hearts and soul into the new music and we think it’s our best work yet,” said Mavericks lead singer, Raul Malo.

Suited Up and Ready tracklist:
1. Back In Your Arms Again
2. Born To Be Blue
3. Come Unto Me
4.  Amsterdam Moon
5. That’s Not My Name

Plowboy Records Launches In Honor of Eddy Arnold

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(L-R): Plowboy Records founders Shannon Pollard, Cheetah Chrome, Don Cusic. Photo: Anna O'Connor

On what would have been Eddy Arnold’s 94th birthday, Plowboy Records has launched in Nashville to celebrate the Tennessee Plowboy’s legacy and provide a home for new American music.

The founders of Plowboy include Arnold’s grandson and musician Shannon Pollard; author, educator, and historian Don Cusic; and punk legend Cheetah Chrome (Rocket From the Tombs, The Dead Boys) in the Creative Director role.

The first release on Plowboy Records will be a new album from Bobby Bare, which is being recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville. Bare’s collaborators on the project include Buddy Miller, Randy Scruggs and other members of Robert Plant’s Band of Joy.

Also in the works is an Eddy Arnold tribute album produced by Chrome and featuring interpretations of Arnold’s songs by a mix of traditional country artists, as well as alt-country and indie rock bands. “The goal of the tribute album is to raise some eyebrows by matching up artists from multiple genres with signature Eddy Arnold songs,” notes Pollard.

Watch a video of Pollard, Cusic, and Chrome discussing Plowboy Records here.

Lucero Brings Memphis To Nashville

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It probably goes without saying, but there’s just no substitute for playing live and making fans city by city.

Memphis band Lucero understands that, having spent more than a decade touring relentlessly and expanding its country/punk/soul/rock sound. The band’s new album Women & Work (ATO Records) is its second for a major (10th overall) and already the best-selling of its career. ATO Records currently has a hot hand with other beloved touring rock bands like My Morning Jacket, Drive-By Truckers, and The Alabama Shakes.

It wasn’t exactly a packed house when Lucero played Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom last Friday (5/11) with John Henry & The Engine, but it was an incredibly loyal one. Like the kind of loyal that screams the words to every song and repeatedly shouts out requests between tunes.

Which was perfectly fine with the band. “We’ve been on tour for about two months, and I gotta tell you: it’s nice to be back in Tennessee,” said leader Ben Nichols, flanked by bandmates Brian Venable, Todd Beene, Roy Perry, Rick Steff, John C. Stubblefield and a killer horn section. Nichols writes evocative songs about forlorn brawlers who get their hearts broken, smoke too many cigarettes, medicate with booze, and wander the streets alone at night. In other words: kind of perfect for a rowdy Friday night audience trying to blow off a little steam.

The band opened with “On My Way Downtown,” a new track from Women & Work that married a danceable rock ‘n’ roll groove to the deeply soulful horns closely associated with the band’s hometown. On “Nights Like These,” weepy pedal steel (courtesy of sometime Glossary member Beene) pushed the band into tears-in-your-beer country territory. Women & Work’s title track showcased Steff’s righteous boogie woogie piano along with the horns, bringing to mind some of the great ramshackle bar bands like Faces.

Nichols was very congenial, in a tattooed tough guy kind of way. With cocktail in hand, he addressed each song request: “Yeah, we’ll definitely do that,” or “No, not a chance,” or “It’s 50-50.” Fan favorites included “Here At the Starlite,” “I Can’t Stand To Leave You,” “Bad Tattoos,” and “Tears Don’t Matter” with help from fellow Memphian Cory Branan.

The band returned for an encore with “Hearts On Fire” and “Nobody’s Darlings,” before Nichols announced that he had one more song left in him. “I know how this works–you’re not supposed to end with a new song, or a slow song,” he said. “So here’s a new, slow song.” The band closed it out with Women & Work’s gospel-inflected “Go Easy,” and the reverent audience hung around.

But hey, that’s loyalty for you.

Senate Subcommittee To Examine UMG/EMI Merger

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UMG’s proposed buyout of EMI’s recorded music division will be investigated by a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust issues. Currently, Universal has about 30 percent of the global recorded music market, and if the $1.9 billion EMI transaction goes through, the combined entity would have roughly 40 percent.

The Federal Trade Commission is also looking into the deal, as well as Sony’s planned buyout of EMI Music Publishing for $2.2 billion.

The subcommittee is chaired by Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) who fought AT&T’s proposed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile last year. That transaction was also opposed by the FTC and never closed.

According to the LA Times, Congressional hearings have no formal sway over antitrust regulators.

European regulators have already approved Sony’s purchase of EMI Music Publishing.

Jim Raley Joins CMT

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Jim Raley has joined CMT as Director of Special Events, it was announced yesterday (5/14) by Suzanne Norman, SVP of Strategy and Business Operations, CMT. Based in Nashville and reporting to Norman, Raley will be responsible for the production of non-televised events for the network.

Raley joins at a critical time as CMT preps for its annual CMT Music Awards on June 6 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Working closely with Viacom Media Network’s special events team, Raley’s team will oversee such aspects as ticketing, audience fulfillment, and pre and post-party events. He will serve as the primary point of contact for hospitality vendors.

Raley has relocated to Nashville from Atlanta, GA, where he has served in a variety of hospitality, entertainment and project management positions worldwide over the last 17 years.  His career includes time at Princess Cruises based in Santa Clarita, Calif., Entertainment Design Group in Atlanta, Ga., and Delta Airlines.

Congratulate Raley at [email protected].

John Rich & Friends Play For St. Jude

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John Rich, Kellie Pickler, Darius Rucker, Jeff Foxworthy and Big & Rich will perform at the St. Jude Presents John Rich & Friends concert on June 5 at the Cannon Center in Memphis, Tenn. The event will serve as the first-ever concert kick off for the 2012 FedEx St. Jude Classic. Proceeds will benefit St. Jude and help the hospital continue its work to treat children with cancer and other deadly diseases.

“St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital holds a very special place in my heart, that’s why I’m excited to kick off the FedEx St. Jude Classic with the John Rich & Friends concert,” said Rich. “I don’t know how you could spend your time any better on this earth than to support something like St. Jude. It’s truly God’s work – taking care of them babies.”

“The John Rich & Friends concert is an incredible way for us to kick off this year’s FedEx St. Jude Classic and celebrate the 50th anniversary of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “This year’s tournament is about so much more than golf. We’ve planned a full week of events for our supporters to enjoy while also helping St. Jude continue its mission of finding cures and saving children.”

PRNewsFoto/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

EJ Bernas Joins Bigger Picture Group

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EJ Bernas

Michael Powers, President of Bigger Picture Group Artist Ventures, today announced the hiring of EJ Bernas as Director of National Promotion. In the new role he will oversee radio promotion efforts for Bigger Picture artists Craig Campbell, Chris Cagle, D. Vincent Williams, Rachel Bradshaw, Ryan Kinder and Chris Janson, and assist in promoting Atlantic Records artist Zac Brown Band.

“We didn’t know whether to sign EJ to our artist roster or our executive staff, we only knew that we had to have him and we could figure the rest out later,” said Powers. “Either way, our Twitter numbers are on the rise.”

With more than 10 years of experience in country radio promotion, Bernas has been involved in hits by George Strait, Gary Allan, Lee Ann Womack, Josh Turner, David Nail and Ashton Shepherd. He was most recently VP of Music and Entertainment for the Tin Roof Corporation. Prior to that he spent eight years at Universal Music Group as Senior Director of Southwest Promotion for MCA.

Vice President of Promotion Matt Corbin added, “I’m very excited that my first hire as VP of Promotion is EJ Bernas. He’s a great leader and motivator that will help this company move forward.”

“I wasn’t sure I was going to have this opportunity,” said Bernas. “I was lucky to have been able to take some time away from promotion and explore another side of the business; to take a step back to reflect and refresh. The passion for music has always been there for me, and this is the moment I have been waiting for. To be a part of this team and to work with the people who are leading the company, to be a piece of this puzzle, it’s amazing.”

EJ can be contacted at [email protected].

MusicRowPics: Stephanie Grace

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Stephanie Grace took a break from her radio tour to stop by MusicRow headquarters last week (5/8). The Pennsylvania native shared her current single “If You Asked Me.” She also gave us a sneak peak of her upcoming EP with the songs “Hey There,” “Loser” and “Wish I Knew.”

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Nine North Taps Jane O’Malia To Lead Northeast Promo

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Turnpike Music President Larry Pareigis and VP Tom Moran announced the hiring of Jane O’Malia as Director of Promotion Northeast for Nine North starting next Monday (5/21).

O’Malia has worked with WDSY and other stations at CBS Radio Pittsburgh as Promotion Director for the past 11 years where she created signature station promotions including the Y108 Freedom Fest, Tiki Town, and Send Me Backstage.

A graduate of Youngstown State University, O’Malia got her start in radio at Rubber City Radio, which includes WQMX and WONE in Akron, OH. For two years she was on the air at WQMX, then became Promotions Director of WONE for two years.

“This is exactly the forward-looking kind of person that we need in a company like this; she’s a very intelligent, funny and relatable rule-breaker with a world of experience,” Pareigis says.

Reach her here: [email protected].

[Updated] ABC Picks Up “Nashville,” Reba’s “Malibu Country”

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Cast of "Malibu Country."

After seeing pilot episodes of Nashville and Malibu Country, ABC will proceed with the new series according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Nashville is an hour-long family soap set in Music City. As previously reported here and here, Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere will star. Also appearing will be Eric Close, Powers Boothe, Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, Robert Wisdom and Charles Esten. Producers include ABC Studios, Lionsgate and Gaylord Entertainment.

Connie Britton

Malibu Country is a new comedy staring Reba McEntire as a mom who leaves her cheating rock star husband and moves from Nashville to Malibu. She relocates with her mother (Lily Tomlin) and three kids in hopes of relaunching her singing career.

Other actors on Malibu Country include Sara Rue, Julietta Angelo, Justin Prentice, Jai Rodriguez and Owen Teague, with Jeffrey Nordling guest-starring in the pilot with the option to recur. Kevin Abbott penned the pilot. Exec producers include McEntire, Narvel Blackstock, Mindy Schultheis, Michael Hanel, Pam Williams, and Dave Stewart. The show will premier November 2 on the network.

See Nashville and the Malibu Country trailers below.