Bottlenose Set to Revolutionize Social Media Admin

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The wave of social media awareness is covering the music industry like the moon covers   the sun during a solar eclipse. And everyone knows that engaging fans is an integral part of the recipe for success. But with the number of social networks expanding rapidly, the bigger question is becoming how to properly balance the process. And that is what new launch Bottlenose hopes to help users accomplish by offering a healthy menu of tools to organize, categorize and streamline the process of interaction and analysis.

Check out the video above to get an idea of the raw power which this tool brings to the social media experience. It allows a variety of screens, including multi-column, single column and a sharing view that blends all your posts into one stream. Currently the system supports only Twitter and Facebook, but more choices are on the way.

Also supported is a new view/concept called “sonar.” Using something the site calls language analysis technology, written in javascript, it gives the system the ability to “understand” what you are seeing and sort it according to your designs.

According to Mashable, Bottlenose has already turned down “a big offer” to purchase this application.

Because Bottlenose is still in beta to be allowed to sign up you must either have a “Klout” score of over 40, or use the code <mashable> which is set to allow 1,000 readers to sign up. (I successfully signed up this morning 12/13/11 using the code…)

Neal Coty Inks New Publishing Deal

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Dune Grass Music has inked an exclusive songwriter deal with Neal Coty. He’s written several singles, including the title track for James Wesley’s new Broken Bow release (“Real”), as well as cuts by Craig Morgan (“Every Friday Afternoon”), Blake Shelton (“Playboys of the Southwestern World”), and Mark Chestnutt (“She Was”).

Dune Grass General Manager Paul Compton says, “His talents as a gifted lyricist and craftsman put Neal at the top of his class and will bring an added level of experience to the entire Dune Grass roster. We’re excited and fortunate to have him on the team. ”

Dune Grass Music is a Nashville based publishing company whose other writers include Don Scott Hare, Chris Harris, Red Marlow and Amber Leigh White.

Kingsley To Be Honored At Country Radio Hall of Fame Ceremony

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Bob Kingsley

Radio veteran and syndicated countdown host Bob Kingsley will be honored with the President’s Award at the Country Radio Hall of Fame Awards and Dinner Feb. 21. The event takes place at 6 pm in the Nashville Convention Center Ballroom and leads into Country Radio Seminar 2012, Feb. 22-24.

The President’s Award is presented to “an individual who has made a significant contribution to the marketing, production, growth, and development of the Country Radio Seminar and the multiple services that Country Radio Seminar provides to the country radio and music communities.”

“Without the hard work and innovation of Bob Kingsley, Country radio today would be very different,” says CRS President Mike Culotta. “Bob Kingsley has been an avid supporter of Country radio, and he has been the most consistent advocate of Country Radio Seminar throughout its history. We are excited to present Bob with this year’s CRS President’s Award.”

Additionally the ceremony will honor 2012 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees Beverlee Brannigan, Moby, Ron Rogers, Eddie Stubbs, Rusty Walker and Bill Whyte.

• • • • •

The CRS staff recently took a break from planning the 2012 Country Radio Seminar to celebrate the holiday season with its annual industry party.

(L-R): Kristen England, Creative Services Director; Sheree Latham, CRS Agenda Coordinator; Bill Mayne, Executive Director; Cheri L. Martin, Brand Marketing & Strategic Partnerships; Leah James, New Media; Chasity Crouch, Business Manager; Kristen McRary, Event Support Director; Michelle Tigard Kammerer, Brand Marketing & Strategic Partnerships; Heather Martin, Event Operations.

Artists Engage Fans With Successful Contests

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Pictured at Bentley's free concert (L-R): Derek Freeman, Pershing Center; Steve Albertsen, PD/Froggy 98; Andy Ruback, GM/Froggy 98; Dierks Bentley; Corey Smith; Stephen Linn, Sr. Director of Music Programming & Promotion, CMT; and CMT Radio Live’s Cody Alan.

Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban engaged fans with recent promotional contests.

Bentley and CMT partnered for the “Bring CMT Radio Live and Dierks Bentley to Your ‘Home’town” competition, and listeners in Lincoln, NE along with affiliate KFGE 98.1 FM/Froggy 98, won the free acoustic concert. Over 6,500 fans crowded the Pershing Center in Lincoln on Friday, Dec. 9 to see Bentley and opener Corey Smith. The event was held in conjunction with CMT Radio Live With Cody Alan On Tour, presented by Frito Lay.

Urban teamed with People.com to launch a nationwide contest to create a thirty second commercial spot for his new cologne, Phoenix. After receiving hundreds of fan-made video entries, Urban selected Eric Noffsinger of Littleton, CO as the Grand Prize Winner. Noffsinger’s commercial will air on national network television during ABC’s The View on Dec. 21. Catch a sneak peek below. Noffsinger will also receive tickets and airfare to an Urban concert in 2012 and a Phoenix gift pack. The cologne is the season’s best-selling new men’s fragrance in mass distribution.

Black Keys’ El Camino Not Licensed For Streaming Services

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Nashville-via-Akron rockers The Black Keys released their seventh full-length album El Camino (Nonesuch) last week to some seriously high expectations. Recorded in Nashville with producer Danger Mouse, El Camino follows the Keys’ 2010 breakthrough Brothers (featuring the breakout hit “Tighten Up”). It retains their typical soulful grit and mixes it in a stew of peppy raveups, glam rock stompers, and instantly familiar hooks.

But if you’re hoping to hear it on Spotify, Rdio, or Rhapsody, sorry, not happening. Digital Music News reported last week that El Camino wasn’t available on any of the streaming services, a move that echoes the release of Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto earlier in 2011. The album is however readily available for purchase through digital retailers such as iTunes and Amazon. There’s no official word if El Camino will be made available at a later date.

There’s a reasonable argument to be made for both sides, and the question seems to be how much sales will the band have generated/missed because of the strategy?

It’s hard to believe a band wouldn’t want expose its music as widely possible through all available (and legal) services. People naturally want to check stuff out before they plunk down $10.99 at iTunes, so they have some idea what they’re getting. In fairness, you can listen to a handful of the Keys’ new tracks on their website in exchange for your email address.

But on the other hand, it might be an attempt to position the album as a “classic” artistic statement that must be heard in its entirety rather than as isolated tracks. And as revenue goes, the common criticism of streaming services is that it takes hundreds of plays to equal the revenue generated by a purchased album download.

While Spotify and the like aren’t really an answer for declining sales, they can still be used as effective marketing tools to generate interest in an artist. Hopefully, that also helps bring some people out to the shows, where they buy some merchandise, join the mailing list, and start to build some brand loyalty.

The Black Keys were highly visible in the days leading up to El Camino’s release, including performance slots on Saturday Night Live and The Colbert Report. El Camino currently sits at No. 2 on the iTunes album downloads chart, and first week sales totals will be in this Wednesday (12/14/11).

Paisley Finds Special Collaborator For Benefit Song

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Brad Paisley lends his voice to a new song “Hard Life,” written by 23-year-old friend Joe Kindregan, who suffers from a terminal disease. Kindregan has A-T (ataxia-telangiectasia) which combines symptoms of cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, immune deficiencies and cancer.

All U.S. digital royalties of Kindregan’s song will benefit the special initiative, A-T Children’s Project, a nonprofit organization aimed at finding life-improving therapies and a cure for A-T.

“I’ve known Joe for several years and he is one of my favorite people,” says Paisley. “His disease is physically debilitating but creatively and mentally, Joe has such tremendous depth. It’s an honor for me to be the person to give voice to his creativity and cause.”

The two met in 2005 at a fundraiser when Joe was convinced by friend Brian Christiansen, who also had A-T, to sing with Brad onstage. When Brian lost his battle with A-T, Joe decided to share Brian’s story with a song.

Joe came to Paisley’s Nashville studio twice to be a part of laying down the tracks and to see his song being produced firsthand.

“Hard Life” is currently on sale and can be purchased here.

Big & Rich Host “Christmas In The Black Hills” Tonight On GAC

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Big & Rich

Tonight (12/12) on GAC Big & Rich host a holiday music special, Christmas in the Black Hills. Taped in the national historic landmark of Black Hills in Deadwood, SD, the show premieres at 8 p.m./ET.

Joining Big & Rich on the special are performers The Farm, Thompson Square, Bradley Gaskin, Tracy Lawrence and Andy Gibson. Big & Rich will offer “Blue Christmas” and “Drunk on Christmas” (an original song by Jimmy Fallon). A clip of the duo singing the Fallon tune can be viewed here.

GAC’S Christmas in the Black Hills airdates:
12/12/2011 08:00 PM
12/13/2011 12:00 AM
12/13/2011 07:00 PM
12/13/2011 10:00 AM
12/21/2011 08:00 PM
12/22/2011 12:00 AM
12/22/2011 11:00 AM
12/23/2011 07:00 PM
12/24/2011 11:00 PM
12/24/2011 04:00 PM
12/25/2011 03:00 AM

New Sony Music Nashville Signing

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Sony Music Nashville has signed family trio The Henningsens to a recording deal. Comprised of Brian, Clara, and Aaron Henningsen, the group is working on its debut album with Paul Worley and will be assigned a label imprint soon. The trio is also the songwriting team behind The Band Perry’s hit single “You Lie.”

(L-R): Lisa Ramsey-Perkins (Senior Director, A&R, Sony Music Nashville), The Henningsens (Brian, Clara & Aaron Henningsen), Gary Overton (Chairman and CEO, Sony Music Nashville), Paul Worley (Producer)

Greg Travis’ Father Passes; Wade Hayes Fights Cancer

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Wade Hayes

MusicRow sends condolences to Greg Travis, and well-wishes to Wade Hayes.

• Joe Travis, father of Travis Television Owner/President Greg Travis, passed away on Friday, Dec. 9 in Cleveland, Tenn. Raymond Joe Travis, 83, was an avid golfer, fisherman and bowler. Survivors include wife Emma Lee Travis; and son and daughter-in-law Greg and Sara Travis. Funeral services were held Sunday, Dec. 11. Arrangements by Coulter Garrison Funeral Home in Dayton, TN 37321.

• Singer Wade Hayes is recovering from a successful operation for colon cancer. He will undergo follow-up treatment. The 42-year-old first hit the country charts in 1994 with “Old Enough to Know Better.”

Americana Episode of “Austin City Limits” Hits Right Chord

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The Civil Wars perform at The Americana Music Festival

ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival hit the right chord with PBS viewers, reaching over two million households during its Nov. 19-21 airing, making it the third highest-rated episode of Austin City Limits this year.

It is currently the most viewed ACL episode on PBS.org, see it here.

Hosted by Jim Lauderdale, the program featured an all-star band led by Buddy Miller and performances by Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Gregg Allman, Alison Krauss, Justin Townes Earle, Amos Lee, The Avett Brothers, Candi Staton, Lucinda Williams, Elizabeth Cook, The Civil Wars, Jessica Lea Mayfield, as well as Miller and Lauderdale. Sponsored by Nissan, the show was filmed live at the Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 13, 2011 during the sold-out 10th Annual Americana Music Association’s Honors and Awards show.

“We’re thrilled that the music we treasure is also loved and appreciated by the public,” said Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association. “We could not have better partners than Nashville Public Television president and CEO Beth Curley for our Middle Tennessee premiere, and Austin City Limits executive producer Terry Lickona to take this to a national audience.”

Performance Rundown:
Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller, Jerry Douglas and Don Was / “I’ll Fly Away,” O’ Brother Tribute Performance
The Avett Brothers / “The Once And Future Carpenter”
Lucinda Williams / “Blessed”
Amos Lee / “Cup of Sorrow”
Elizabeth Cook / “El Camino”
The Civil Wars / “Barton Hollow”
Justin Townes Earle / “Harlem River Blues”
Jessica Lea Mayfield / “For Today”
Buddy Miller / “Gasoline And Matches”
Candi Staton / “Heart On A String”
Jim Lauderdale / “Life By Numbers”
Robert Plant / “Monkey”
Gregg Allman / “Melissa