peermusic Adds Shaun Ames to Roster

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Pictured (L-R): Attorney Scott Safford, peermusic Creative Manager Kim Wiggins, peermusic Sr. Creative Director Michael Knox, Shaun Ames and peermusic’s Kevin Lamb

peermusic has announced the signing of  Shaun Ames, founding member of the Sony/RCA recording group, Bush Hawg, to its writer roster.

Ames established the band more than 10 years ago with Alex Wilshire, and the group is currently working with producer and peermusic creative director Michael Knox, .

“Shaun and I have been working together for the past six years, I’m very excited to be working with him now as part of the peermusic family,” says Knox.

peermusic is the world’s largest global independent publishing company, operating 35 offices in 28 countries.

Montgomery Gentry Teams Up with Tim Gunn

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ABC’s The Revolution made a visit to Nashville in early April to tape an upcoming episode featuring the sights and sounds of Music City. During their visit, country music duo Montgomery Gentry played host to TV’s fashion expert Tim Gunn, taking him to some of Nashville’s hottest clothing stores.

Troy Gentry introduced Gunn to Aimee Johns at Flavour for Men (1522 Demonbreun Street, Nashville), who guided him through the latest styles of Music Row. Flavour Clothing for Men & Women carries a large number of lines from New York to Los Angeles including Hudson, AG Jeans, Theory, John Varvatos, L.A.M.B., Hale Bob, Joes Jeans and 7 for all Mankind, to name a few. Flavour is often frequented by Gentry, as well as many other country stars including such notables as Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, and Kellie Pickler among others, and additionally offers private shopping opportunities by request.

After visiting Flavour, Eddie Montgomery introduced Gunn to Morelia Ceuvas, daughter of costumer and artist, Manuel. Often referred to as the “Rhinestone Rembrandt,” Manuel (whose showroom is located at 1922 Broadway in Nashville), is known for making Johnny Cash the “man in black,” Elvis’ signature gold lamé suit, the garments Bob Dylan wore when performing for the Pope, and outfitting countless other stars including members of The Rat Pack, Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger. His work within the entertainment industry is world-renowned and has received special recognition by the Country Music Association. The shop, Manuel American Designs, also known as Manuel Exclusive Clothier or simply Manuel’s, is a staple not only of Nashville but of Americana history.

The episode will air this Thursday (4/26) on ABC.

Jana Kramer Makes Opry Debut, Plans Album Release

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Pictured (L-R): John Esposito (President & CEO - WMN), Steve Buchanan (President – Grand Ole Opry Group), Kramer, Greg Hill (Manager - McGhee), Kathryn Woodard (Manager - McGhee Entertainment), Pete Fisher (VP/GM – Grand Ole Opry)

MusicRow Feb/Mar cover girl, Jana Kramer made her Grand Ole Opry debut April 13, performing “I Hope It Rains,” and her first single “Why Ya Wanna,” which is currently climbing all the charts.

Both tracks will appear on Kramer’s upcoming self-titled album, due out June 5 via Elektra Nashville. The 11-track collection, produced by Scott Hendricks, is already available for pre-order through Kramer’s web store and includes a meet and greet pass to her album release party during CMA Music Fest. An exclusive bonus track will be featured on her digital release.

Kramer, is most famously known for her role of Alex Dupre on the CW’s One Tree Hill.

Track Listing:
1.  Good Time Coming On
2.  I Hope It Rains
3.  Why Ya Wanna
4.  Goodbye California
5.  Whiskey
6.  Over You By Now
7.  One Of The Boys
8.  What I Love About Your Love
9.  When You’re Lonely
10. King Of Apology
11. Good As You Were Bad
12. I Won’t Give Up (Exclusive Digital Bonus Track)

St. Jude Country Music Marathon Runs Through Nashville on Saturday

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The St. Jude Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon presented by Nissan takes place on Saturday, April 28 and continues the tradition of adding some country flavor to the city’s largest running event.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will join race officials and running enthusiasts to officially kick off the weekend events on Thursday (4/26) with a gathering at Union Station Hotel. The Competitor Group’s free Health and Fitness Expo 4/26-27 at the Nashville Convention Center. Participants will pick up race materials there, and the public can browse the expo for gear, nutrition, and information on running and fitness.

Rodney Atkins will headline the post-race concert at Bridgestone Arena, with special guests Gloriana and Darren Warren. Runners can use their race numbers as concert admission, and tickets are also on sale to the general public for $35. The show begins at 7 pm.

Over 30,000 runners and walkers are expected to participate in the race, which starts at 7 am from Centennial Park. New this year, the course offerings also include a 2.6 mile mini-marathon. Many streets in mid and downtown Nashville will be blocked in the morning hours, so check the Competitor website for closure information.

Nashville Songwriters Festival Coming in June

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The Nashville Songwriters Festival on Music Row is set for Friday—Sunday, June 1-3. More than 400 emerging songwriters will take the stage at establishments on Demonbreun including Dan McGuinness, Red Rooster, Tin Roof, Otter’s Chicken & Brew, and First Citizen’s Bank. Music runs noon-midnight all three days.

The Best Western Music Row will host music industry booths and training sessions from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Attendees can receive advice on songwriting, recording, publishing, song plugging, contracts, video production, management and publicity.

Festival registration is $150 for three days, $110 for two days, and $60 for one day. A $20 armband allows admission to the concerts. Details and registration at songwritersfestival.org. For further assistance, email [email protected] or call (615) 424-1491.

Brad Paisley Appears on South Park Tonight

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Brad Paisley was invited to the South Park Studios in California this past weekend to be a part of an upcoming episode of the infamous animated series. He collaborated with the show’s developers and will appear twice in the episode, which airs tonight (4/25) at 9 pm CT on Comedy Central.

In his first scene Paisley, who plays a cartoon version of himself, is introduced and sings the national anthem as a lead-in to a Denver Nuggets basketball game. Later in the show his character duets with Cartman, one of the show’s main characters.

Paisley documented his visit on twitter @BradPaisley.

Zac Brown Announces New Album, Introduces New Member

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The Zac Brown Band has returned to the studio to work on its forthcoming album Uncaged, which is set for release on July 10 on Atlantic Records/Southern Ground Artists. The album will also mark the official debut of ZBB’s newest member, percussionist Daniel de los Reyes.

Influenced by guest performer Trombone Shorty and past appearances with Kings of Leon, Zac Brown tells AP that the line-up “creates a new kind of pulse within the band…” and the music is “really about making people dance.”

The band is currently nominated for Billboard Music Awards’ Top Country Artist and for two CMT Awards, Collaborative Video Of The Year (“Knee Deep” f/ Jimmy Buffet) and Best Group Video (“Keep Me In Mind”).

Toby Keith Celebrates a Decade of USO Tours

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Toby Keith signs autographs for US troops overseas

Toby Keith is celebrating 10 years of working with the USO and touring the world to support US troops and their families. The superstar country artist is currently in the middle of a 14 day journey through the Middle East, including entertaining and visiting military personnel in Bahrain and aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“I can’t believe it has already been a decade, it feels like just yesterday when I first started working with the USO,” said Keith. “I’ve met so many great, brave service men and women over the years and had so many wonderful experiences, that I can barely remember them all. One thing is for sure, I enjoy working with the USO, I love our nation’s troops, and I won’t ever stop doing my part to extend my thanks.”

Since his first USO tour in 2002, Keith’s travels have taken him to over 14 countries including Afghanistan, Belgium, Bosnia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia and more. He has performed over 211 USO shows and meet & greets to date, in front of a total of 182,600 service men and women.

2012 “Best Lawyers” List Released

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The 2012 edition of Best Lawyers In America includes many Nashville entertainment attorneys who were selected based on peer review.

Attorney Derek Crownover is Nashville’s newest addition to the book for 2012, in the field of Entertainment Law—Music. Crownover is the most recent past president and current legal counsel for the Nashville chapter of the TJ Martell Foundation.

Additionally, many other local lawyers have been included for a decade or longer. Attorneys who appear in the book are listed below in alphabetical order. This is a partial list based on information available on BestLawyers.com. The complete list is available in the print edition. Nationwide, only 96 entertainment lawyers were included.

Orville Almon, Jr., Almon Law, PLLC
Karl Braun, Hall Booth Smith & Slover, PC
John C. Beiter, Shackelford, Zumwalt & Hayes
Derek Crownover, Crownover Blevins PC
Linda Edell Howard, Adams and Reese LLP
Robin Mitchell Joyce
Joel A. Katz and three attorneys from Atlanta based Greenberg Traurig LLP
D. Page Kelley, Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC
Philip M. Kirkpatrick, Dickinson Wright PLLC
Samuel D. Lipshie, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
W. Michael Milom, Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC
Denise M. Stevens, Loeb & Loeb LLP

If you are an attorney and your name should be included above, please email [email protected].

DISClaimer Single Reviews (4/25/12)

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This is the time to shine for Lee Brice.

As a singer, songwriter and record maker, he is firing on all eight cylinders. As a singer, he had Billboard’s most-played country single of 2010 with “Love Like Crazy.” As a songwriter, he had Billboard’s most-played country single of 2011 with The Eli Young Band’s rendition of his “Crazy Girl.” That same song earned him the 2012 ACM award for Song of the Year. You will recall that in 2007, he was the cowriter of “More Than a Memory” by Garth Brooks, the only song to debut at No. 1 on the charts. Yesterday, his Hard 2 Love CD hit the stores with a bang. Its leadoff single, “A Woman Like You” rules the hit parade at No. 1. In addition, this week, Lee Brice lands his first Disc of the Day award from “DisClaimer” with the album’s title tune.

And he’s not the only one with a happening track today. The Lionel Richie & Billy Currington duet, Sawyer Brown, Bucky Covington and Due West all gave Lee a run for his money.

Our DisCovery Award goes to Herrick. The four-piece band enlisted Michael Bonagura of Baillie & The Boys to produce 10 tracks of its album, plus four “bonus” tunes produced by Buddy Cannon. Not too shabby, eh? The group’s debut full-length CD is titled New Dance. It will pin your ears back.

LOCASH COWBOYS/C.O.U.N.T.R.Y.
Writer: Chris Lucas/Preston Brust/Jeffrey Steele; Producer: Jeffrey Steele; Publisher: Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Sony-ATV Tree/Jeffrey Steele/BPJ, ASCAP/BMI; R&J
—This is not the same song that Joe Diffie had with this title in 1996. No indeedy. This one is an amped-up, super-electrified rocker that has next to nothing to do with actual country music. I’ll take Diffie’s tune any day.

CRAIG MORRISON/Fences
Writer: none listed; Producer: Mark Moffatt; Publisher: none listed; CMM (track) (www.craigmorrisonmusic.com)
—This Aussie cracks the U.S. country marketplace with a gently rolling social statement about the nature of barricades in our lives. Well written and expertly produced, it’s a mighty promising debut.

BUCKY COVINGTON/I Wanna Be That Feeling
Writer: Jimmy Yeary/Ben Hayslip; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Black to Black/Get a Load of This/Warner Chappell, BMI/ASCAP; Entertainment One (www.buckycovington.com)
—Hearty and engaging, this comeback single has plenty of melodic oomph and production excitement. With pile-driving punch a-plenty, it’s exceedingly radio friendly. A real contender.

DUE WEST/Things You Can’t Do in a Car
Writer: Brad Hull; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Hull to Pay/Offer You Can’t Refuse, BMI; Black River
—In praise of pickup trucks, this jaunty little number bubbles and bounces in all the right places.

SAWYER BROWN/Ain’t Goin’ Out That Way
Writer: Robert Ellis Orall/Stephen Barker Liles/Brad Douglas Warren/Brett Daniel Warren; Producer: Mark Miller; Publisher: Orall Fixation/It’s a Birthday Party/Rockapop/Stylsonic/EMI Blackwood, ASCAP/BMI; Beach Street (CDX)
—The country-rock arrangement is sunny and bright, yet the gritty, poor-boy lyric is a downbeat contrast. I dig the dogged, determined message as well as the insanely catchy track.

PAT GREEN/All Just to Get to You
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Sugar Hill (ERG)
—The song is terrific, as is his vocal delivery. He should have been surrounded with a more lustrous or muscular production instead of this somewhat spare one. But the performance and composition are so strong that they carry the day nevertheless.

MARK WAYNE GLASMIRE/I Like You
Writer: Mark Wayne Glasmire; Producer: John Albani & John Wayne Glasmire; Publisher: Traceway, ASCAP; Traceway (track) (www.markwayneglasmire.com)
—I have consistently enjoyed this artist’s releases. But this faux-beach, pseudo-Buffett style of country music is among my least favorites. Pass.

LEE BRICE/Hard to Love
Writer: Billy Montana/John Ozier/Ben Glover; Producer: Kyle Jacobs & Matt McClure; Publisher: Mike Curb/Dandon Ranch/Over the Bar/91 One/Arose/EMICMG, BMI/ASCAP; Curb (track)
—Lee is coming off a chart topper (”A Woman Like You”) and remains a strong up-and-comer, so this release is crucial to his forward momentum. I think it will do the trick just fine. The insistent tune, steady rhythm, earnest vocal and true-to-life lyric are all ear tickling. Up, up, up it goes.

HERRICK/Cry Memphis
Writer: Donna Herrick/Kerry Herrick/David Walker; Producer: Buddy Cannon; Publisher: none listed; BreakAway (track) (www.herricklive.com)
—I like it, I like it. The song has a cool, moody, minor-key tune and a dramatic, girl-gone-wrong lyric. Donna’s lead vocal is supported by the band’s ultra-haunting harmonies. Captivating.

LIONEL RICHIE & BILLY CURRINGTON/Just for You
Writer: Lionel Richie/Paul Barry/Mark Taylor; Producer: Tony Brown & Lionel Richie; Publisher: none listed; Mercury Nashville (track) ()
—The songs on Richie’s new Tuskegee CD of country duets are his familiar classics. Except for this one. Evidently, it was a hit in Europe, but it only got to No. 92 on the U.S. pop charts (in 1994). Leave it to song-magnet Currington to wind up with this deliciously melodic, hypnotically rhythmic jewel as his selection on the disc. No one, but no one, writes songs this perfectly pristine as Lionel Richie does. Music to make your heart sing.