Country Added To Grammy Noms Concert, Thanksgiving Parade

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Sugarland is the latest addition to the performance line-up for The Grammy Nominations Concert Live. The show revealing select nominees airs Wed., Nov. 30 from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.

From the country camp, Jason Aldean was previously announced. Also on the docket are Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, Lady Gaga, and host LL Cool J. There will also be a surprise announcement about a historic band reunion set to take place on the GRAMMY stage on Feb. 12, 2012.

The one-hour nominations special airs on the CBS Television Network at 9 p.m. CT. Following suit of many awards shows and similar events, tickets are available to the public.

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Rodney Atkins and Scotty McCreery will perform on the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, making its way down the streets of New York City on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 9 a.m. It will air on NBC.

The 85th Anniversary celebration will have over 8,000 participants including additional performers Mary J. Blige, Cobra Starship, Neil Diamond, Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne, and Daniel Radcliff.

“The Voice” Gears Up For Season 2

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Season 2 of The Voice debuts Feb. 5 after the Super Bowl, with all four celeb coaches—Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green—returning to the famous red chairs. “We’re gonna make the Super Bowl look small,” Shelton proclaimed to media gathered last week on the show’s set in Los Angeles.

A few changes in the works for the new season of the NBC hit include more contestants per team (up from eight to 12), as well as extended show time devoted to the blind audition rounds. Christina Milian is on board as the new social media correspondent.

Executive producer Mark Burnett told the press that viewer feedback enticed producers to devote more time to the blind auditions. Compared to last year, there was also more time to produce those episodes. Burnett also talked about how the big red chairs have become another star of the show.

Season 1 provided room for the contestants and judges to figure out the dynamics and strategy of the show, so expect more savvy on all sides for the upcoming season. One new contestant even enticed judges to promise to keep him/her on the show for a few rounds if he/she joined their team.

New Valory Music Signing

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The Valory Music Co. roster is expanding with the signing announcement of newcomer Thomas Rhett.

The Georgia native is the son of singer/songwriter Rhett Akins, and may have inherited some of his father’s songwriting prowess. In 2010, while still enrolled at Nashville’s Lipscomb University, Rhett signed a publishing deal with EMI and promptly got a cut on Jason Aldean’s double-platinum My Kinda Party with “I Ain’t Ready To Quit.”

“I honestly can’t believe all of this is finally here! I am so pumped to be working with The Valory Music Company!” says Rhett. “There is no doubt in my mind that Scott Borchetta and his staff are the most caring, family-oriented, hardest working team in the business. It truly is an honor to be labelmates with Brantley, Justin and Reba.”

Rhett is currently working on his debut album and playing select dates on Brantley Gilbert’s fall headlining tour (dates included). He is managed by Virginia Davis of B.A.D. Management.

Upcoming Dates:
Nov 3 — Cincinnati, OH (Bogart’s)
Nov 4 — Indianapolis, IN (8 Second Saloon)
Nov 5 — Chicago, IL (Joe’s)
Nov 10 — Nacodoches, TX (Banita Creek Hall)
Nov 11 — Texarkana, AR (Shooters)
Nov 12 — Tyler, TX (Electric Cowboy)
Nov 18 — Goliad, TX (Schroeder Dance Hall)
Dec 1 — Lubbock, TX (Wild West)
Dec 9 — Wichita Falls, TX (Denim & Diamonds)
Dec 10 — Amarillo, TX (Midnight Rodeo)
Dec 15 — Lafayette, LA (Outlaws)
Dec 16 — Abilene, TX (Guitars & Cadilacs)
Dec 17 — Lawton, OK (CW Scooters)

Hall Of Fame Highlights Nudie Cohn

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Last Friday (10/28), The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a spotlight exhibit dedicated to legendary clothier-to-the-stars, Nudie Cohn. Silver Threads and Golden Needles: Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors incorporates costumes and relics from Cohn’s shop.

It traces the tailor’s journey across America, from designing burlesque costumes in New York to opening his legendary shop in North Hollywood. Cohn created ornamented masterpieces for A-list performers including Gene Autry, Elton John, Gram Parsons, Elvis Presley, Roy Rogers, Hank Williams and many others. For decades, his rhinestone-studded, colorful western wear helped shape the images of some of country music’s biggest stars.

The exhibit will run through November 2012.

Other current spotlight exhibits focus on the Academy of Country Music Awards, Bobby Braddock, Reba McEntire, Bill Monroe, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Jean Shepard, Carrie Underwood, Porter Wagoner and Hank Williams Jr.

New Event Venue Opens In Hillsboro Village

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Ruby, Nashville’s newest event venue is open for business in Hillsboro Village. Owners Dan and Brenda Cook transformed what was once the ramshackled Blakemore Primitive Baptist Church into the vibrant new space, while maintaining as many historical elements of the building as possible.

Located at 2411 Blakemore Avenue, Ruby was designed for all manner of events, including music performances, wedding ceremonies and receptions, corporate meetings and charity events. There is also an adjacent 200-square foot room designed as a dressing room/green room.

The space can hold up to 245 people when set up theater style and 185 when designed as a reception venue. In addition, incorporating several outdoor spaces can significantly increase capacity.

The venue boasts 30-foot ceilings, exposed steel roof trusses, original hardwood floors that have been stained black, Venetian plaster walls, custom mahogany doors and expansive windows with park views.

For more information, visit www.rubynashville.com.

Pat Green Announces New Album, Label

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Pat Green has announced the release of Songs We Wish We’d Written II on Feb. 28, 2012, through his new label home Sugar Hill Records. Recorded with his road band in Texas, the album is the follow-up to Green’s 2001 Songs We Wish We’d Written collaboration with Cory Morrow.

The ten song collection (tracklist below) features a variety of writers from fellow Texas tunesmiths Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, and Walt Wilkins to Nashville’s finest such as Will Kimbrough, Jon Randall, and Liz Rose as well as popular hits like Tom Petty’s “Even The Losers” and Collective Soul’s “The World I Know.” Green’s most recent studio recording was 2009’s What I’m For, on BNA Records.

“We hope our fans enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it,” said Green. “You’ll hear a few songs you already know and may notice others that are unfamiliar; which was by design. I enjoy spreading the word about great talents and great music.”

Songs We Wish We’d Written II tracklist:
1. All Just To Get To You (Joe Ely & Will Alan Sexton)
2. Streets Of Galilee (Aaron Lee Tasjan)
3. Jesus On A Greyhound (Glen Ballard & Shelby Lynne)
4. Even The Losers (Tom Petty)
5. Austin (Jon Randall)
6. If It Weren’t For You (Liz Rose & Walt Wilkins)
7. Soulshine (Warren Haynes)
8. The World I Know (Brian Ross Childress & Ed Roland)
9. If I Had A Boat (Lyle Lovett)
10. I Am Too (Todd Snider & Will Kimbrough)

Shelton, Loggins Get “Footloose” on CMA Awards

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Reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Blake Shelton has invited legendary singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins to join him during a performance of the classic hit “Footloose” as the opening song for the sold-out CMA Awards.

Written by Loggins and Dean Pitchford for the motion picture Footloose, the title track was a No. 1 hit for Loggins for three weeks in 1984. With the remake of the movie currently in theaters, Shelton is also dancing up the charts with his version of the song.

Shelton received five CMA Awards nominations this year including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for All About Tonight; and Single and Music Video of the Year, both for “Honey Bee.”

The 45th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 9 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

For the third consecutive year, all available tickets for “Country Music’s Biggest Night” have been sold. “The Awards have sold out the past two years, but this is the first time since moving to the Bridgestone Arena in 2006 that we have sold out the venue this far in advance,” explains Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer.

Sallie Mayne Exits NaFF

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Nashville Film Festival Executive Director Sallie Mayne has announced she will be stepping down from the position she has held for the past eight years. “Today I find myself ready for a new challenge,” Mayne expressed to NaFF’s executive board. “After much soul searching I feel it’s time I end my tenure as Executive Director of the film festival. I know that I am leaving behind a healthy organization and that I have created great relationships within our community and a strong structure with processes in place that will allow someone to step into my role. It has been the most exciting, fulfilling and successful journey of my life.”

Mayne will remain as a consult through the end of 2011 and Film Festival Managing Director Ted Crockett will act as interim Executive Director.

Mayne joined the Nashville Film Festival as Executive Director in 2004, bringing over 30 years of experience in advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations and event coordination. Under her leadership, attendance at NaFF’s signature eight-day spring festival more than doubled to 26,000 in 2011 and sponsorship dollars increased by 200%. Mayne was instrumental in bringing more than 90 community partners together for the festival, and securing a half million dollars in in-kind sponsorships. In 2011, she secured Nissan’s role as the presenting sponsor for the annual festival.

Nashville Film Festival is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and receives funding from the NEA, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, The Brooks Fund, The Frist Foundation and The Memorial Foundation.  In 2012, the festival will mark its 43rd year. It is hosted at the Regal Green Hills Stadium 16 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Rascal Flatts To Release First Live Album

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Rascal Flatts is slated to release their first live album, The Best of Rascal Flatts Live, next Tuesday, Nov. 8. The album will be released on former label home Lyric Street Records/Hollywood Records. The 10-track collection features some of the group’s most popular songs, including “Bless The Broken Road” and “What Hurts The Most.” It is already available for pre-order here.

Full Track Listing/Sequence:
1.     “Bob That Head”
2.     “Bless The Broken Road”
3.     “Still Feels Good”
4.     “Here’s To You”
5.     Medley: “I’m Movin’ On,” “Skin (Sarabeth),” “Feels Like Today”
6.     “Stand”
7.     “These Days”
8.     “What Hurts The Most”
9.     “Life Is A Highway”
10.  Encore: “Foreplay/Long Time,” “Free Ride”

Sales Report: Blame It On Taylor And Sugarland

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Whooooa! Are you feeling dizzy from the slide this week? 

As a quick look at our graph shows, country YTD sales tumbled from 9.3% ahead last week to a more modest 5.6% now. Why?

It’s all Taylor Swift’s fault. And Sugarland.  🙂

If Taylor hadn’t sold over a million albums during the same week last year, and Sugarland almost 90k (debuted the week before) then country sales wouldn’t have had a such a high bar to be measured against today. (Although, last year we all cheered because Taylor’s incredible debut was such a country sales game changer.)

So here’s how it all came down. This week we had Top 10 debuts from Toby Keith (No. 1; 69k), Vince Gill (No. 4; 21k+) and the Casey Donahew Band (No. 10; 11k+; 64% digital).

Shifting > 15k units was Scotty McCreery (No. 2; 42k), Lady Antebellum (No. 3; 31k), Jason Aldean (No. 5; 18k), Lauren Alaina (No. 6; 16k+) and Luke Bryan (No. 7; 15k+). Total country album sales for the week were, according to Nielsen SoundScan, about 742k. Last year’s total sales for the week ended 10/31/10 were 1.72 million!!!

It’s not that hard to figure out what just happened. More complex is trying to calculate what will happen between now and the end of the year. To end the year flat, we must sell 11.8 million additional albums over the remaining nine weeks. That equates to an average of 1.311 million albums per week. Powerhouse releases yet to arrive include Miranda Lambert next week, a Rascal Flatts Live edition and a Taylor Swift live edition. Added sales momentum will be felt from CMA and ACA Awards exposure, plus the holiday lift, but it’s going to be pretty hard to match that 1.3 million per week number. So I’m saying it now, in print, I predict country will end up flat or lower for 2011.

Tracking
The brief tracks story shows country downloading 120 million tracks YTD and about 2.16 million this past week. Congratulations to Toby the Keith who vanquished all other tracks on the country list this week, matching his No. 1 album performance. His track “Red Solo Cup” downloaded about 61k copies. The next two closest tracks were Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You” (46k) and Luke Bryan’s “I Don’t Want This Night To End” (41k).

Check back next week, same channel, same station…