DISClaimer Single Reviews (9/7/11)

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This edition of DisClaimer has exactly the right mixture of superstars, mid-levels and unknowns.

In the first column, we have Vince Gill, Jason Aldean and Zac Brown Band, the last-named of whom wins our Disc of the Day award.

Strong second-tier acts with winners in this stack of platters include Kevin Fowler, Lantana, Coldwater Jane and Ashley Gearing. All are worth your spins.

The three unknowns vying for this week’s DisCovery Award are Roy Solis, Jessica Caylyn and Tim Foust. I’m going with rumble-tonsiled Tim, whoever he is.

ROY SOLIS/Tailgate Party
Writer: Roy Solis/Johnny Garcia/Troy Powers; Producer: Johnny Garcia; Publisher: Avenue 1/Busy at Play/Mia’s Pub, BMI/ASCAP; RSM (www.roysolismusic.com)
—Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: It’s about parking the four-wheel drive pick-up out in the country with beer and friends and girls. The electric guitar work rocks righteously. Maybe that’s because producer Garcia is a top-notch guitarist, noted for his longtime work with Trisha Yearwood.

ZAC BROWN BAND/Keep Me In Mind
Writer: Zac Brown/Wyatt Durrette/Nic Cowan; Producer: Keith Stegall & Zac Brown; Publisher: Weimerhound/Lil’ Dub/Angelika/Souhern Ground, BMI; Atlantic (track)
—Their trademark group harmonies are right up front-and-center. And they get to the hook almost instantly, in a matter of seconds. It has a delightfully funky little back beat that bops infectiously up to a strikingly languid bridge, then returns brighter than ever. The whole thing, including the closing guitar solo, is dazzling.

LANTANA/A Few Little Things
Writer: Aimee Mayo/Tommy Lee James; Producer: Beau Bedford; Publisher: Universal Careers/Silverkiss/Still Working for the Man/Ballad Boy/BMG Chrysalis, BMI; Millijewel  (www.lantanamusic.com)
—This female Texas trio harmonizes brightly on this chugging toe tapper with a lyric of love lessons. Pleasant, if not exactly life changing.

VINCE GILL/Threaten Me With Heaven
Writer: Vince Gill/Amy Grant/Will Owlsley/Dillon O’Brian; Producer: Vince Gill, John Hobbs & Justin Niebank; Publisher: Vinny Mae/Grant Girls/The Loving Company/Willie-O/Dillon O’Brian, BMI; MCA Nashville (CDX)
—Deeply soulful. Gooebump inducing. I reviewed this last spring, but now is its time. To recap: This gorgeous meditation would be heart melting even acoustic and unadorned. As it happens, the production swells with inspiring choral backing, celestial guitar work and echoey ambiance. If it doesn’t produce a lump in your throat, you are made of stone.

TIM FOUST/You’re So Yesterday
Writer: Tim Foust/Joe Bilotta/Biran Pothier; Producer: Brian Pothier; Publisher: Soaring Swans, BMI/ASCAP; Flying Pig (CDX) (www.flyingpigproductions.com)
—He has one of those Josh Turner low-dipping vocal registers. The track thumps in all the right places, and as you might guess from the title, the lyric is a clever one. Recommended.

COLDWATER JANE/Marionette
Writer: none listed; Producer: Kevin Kadish & Wayne Kirkpatrick; Publisher: none listed; Mercury (track)
—I was quite fond of this act’s debut single, “Bring on the Love.” The follow-up sophomore effort has a little less crunch but a lot more breeze. Their vocals are enchanting, and the production sails along over the audio waves with marvelous clarity and energy. I remain a fan.

ASHLEY GEARING/Me, My Heart And I
Writer: Brian Davis/Ashley Gearing/Kyle Jacobs; Producer: The Fringe; Publisher: Mike Curb/Melrose Nashville/Curb Songs/Jacobsong, BMI/ASCAP; Curb
—So long, buster: She’s hitting the road, and rocking righteously while she’s at it.

JASON ALDEAN/Tattoos On This Town
Writer: Neil Thrasher/Wendell Mobley/Michael Dulaney; Producer: Michael Knox; Publisher: Warner Tamerlane/Boatwright Baby/Desert Treasure/Feet in the Creek/BMG Gold, BMI/ASCAP; Borken Bow (track)
—The follow-up to the mega crossover hit “Dirt Road Anthem” is a power ballad with a mighty audio undertow. His drawled vocal is mixed hot, the better to deliver the nostalgic message, yet the guitars are screaming and the rhythm is pounding right behind him. Strong stuff. Completely undeniable.

KEVIN FOWLER/That Girl
Writer: Kevin Fowler/Trent Willmon/Clint Ingersol; Producer: David Lee Murphy; Publisher: Kevin Fowler/Mayes County/Happy Cattle, BMI/ASCAP; Average Joes (track) (www.kevinfowler.com)
—I dig this guy’s voice with its slight touch of grit. The song is super solid. But the real star here is a frothing, lathered-up, ferocious, whiplash-rocker production. This thing will pin your ears back, for sure.

JESSICA CAYLYN/Just Can’t Help Myself
Writer: Emily Shackelton/Jessica Caylyn/Boh Cooper/Steffon Hamulak; Producer: Steffon Hamulak; Publisher: Liz Rose/Kobalt/Oceanwaveheart/Little Boh/Mousam River/Sea the Desert, BMI/ASCAP; JC (track) (www.jessicacaylyn.com)
—She tackles the melody and stays atop the crashing track like a pro. It’s not an especially memorable voice, but this is still a promising debut.

Discovering BossRoss Web Read

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Imagine BossRoss Web Read as being your own personal information curator quietly selecting articles of interest  from varied sources around the internet. Topics include all facets of the music world plus technology, social networking, business, touring and more. It’s all linked so you can glance down the headlines and travel fast to investigate. A good short cut is to click first on the View All link at the bottom —you’ll see why.

As this article is written, Amazon’s new website design test is at the top of the list, followed by the news that Groupon, after turning down Google’s $6.5 billion offer a few months ago (completely crazy) are finding the IPO market more complex than they imagined. In fact Groupon’s IPO has now been postponed due to “market volatility.”

Also on the list are fascinating reads from Wired magazine and Vulture about the recent Starz-Netflix divorce and what the future may hold for Netflix’s streaming business. If you’ve been following the WebRead then you already know about the recent content renewal negotiations breaking down.

“It’s not about age, it’s about how you present yourself,” says an article from FINS.com titled, Age Proofing Your Job Application. Good advice if you are on the hunt for a new chair, and worth a quick read…

How Do I Find BossRoss Web Read?
You’ve probably already found it, but if not, a sample is pasted below. You can also find it about half way down the right side “widget” column on MusicRow.com…

If there are additional topics you’d like to see included or general comments, please leave ‘em below… Thanks


Dude, Where’s My CMA Nomination?

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Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean both earned their first CMA Award nominations for Entertainer of the Year.

Nominations for the 45th Annual CMA Awards are here, and there are a few discussion-worthy items, including new entries in Entertainer of the Year, the lengthening time of artist development, and the omission of Miranda Lambert from two expected categories.

First let’s examine the Entertainer of the Year Category.

It’s obviously a big year for Jason Aldean, who scored five total nominations. The Entertainer of the Year nod (his first) might seem surprising, but Aldean has been on this trajectory for some time. His Album of the Year-nominated My Kinda Party was the No. 1 selling country album for the first half of 2011 and No. 4 in all genres, and the My Kinda Party tour has sold out major markets nationwide. Yet his only nominations to date have been the Horizon Award in 2007 and 2008. Today’s results, particularly the Entertainer of the Year acknowledgment, affirm his status as one of country music’s brightest new stars.

Also getting his first Entertainer of the Year nomination is reigning Male Vocalist of the Year Blake Shelton, who also earned five nominations. While Shelton’s sales and touring statistics may not match all the other Entertainer contenders, his judging role on NBC’s The Voice has made him a highly visible personality and might signal that CMA voters are starting to place more weight on media celebrity in addition to the usual criteria.

But Aldean, Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban will all face some heavy-duty competition from reigning Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley. Also with five nominations this year, Paisley maintains his status as the third most nominated artist in CMA Awards history. He’s been nominated every year since 2000, making 57 total. Only George Strait and Alan Jackson have more.

Curiously absent from the Entertainer category is Kenny Chesney, whose recent spate of hits (“Somewhere With You,” “Live A Little,” “You and Tequila”) and gigantic Goin’ Coastal stadium tour are compelling arguments in his favor.

The New Artist of the Year category (formerly the Horizon Award) also presents an interesting discussion on artist development.

Nominees Luke Bryan and Chris Young previously received New Artist nominations in 2010 but they, along with 2011 nominee Eric Church, are all currently supporting their third albums. While they technically don’t meet the definition of a “new” artist, all three are beginning to experience widespread commercial success for the first time. Does this indicate  the development period for new artists is increasing?

Filling out the New Artist category are Thompson Square, whose breakout success with “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” makes their inclusion a no-brainer, and The Band Perry, who were strangely omitted from the ballot in 2010. The New Artist criteria states that an artist can only be included in the category twice, so win or lose this will the last year for Bryan and Young.

Finally, there’s Miranda Lambert.

She had major CMA wins in 2010, including Album of the Year (Revolution) and Female Vocalist, and a nomination for Entertainer of the Year. This year she’s only up for two awards: Musical Event for “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and Female Vocalist of the Year. All well deserved, but her success has only continued upward in 2011. She had yet another No. 1 with “Heart Like Mine,” which could have been a Single of the Year hopeful, and mounted her first headlining tour. Additionally, the Video of the Year category seems incomplete without the clever clip for “Only Prettier” which placed Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Hillary Scott and Laura Bell Bundy in dual good girl/bad girl roles. Then again, Revolution was over a year old at the 2010 awards and “Heart Like Mine” was its 5th single, which may explain her reduced visibility.

The show goes on November 9, live from the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville.  No doubt, we’re in for a night full of surprises…

BMI Names SVP/General Counsel

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Stuart Rosen

BMI has promoted Stuart Rosen to Senior Vice President and General Counsel, overseeing global operations of the BMI legal department, directing the organization’s legal affairs and positions, as well as all attorneys working within the company. He was previously Vice President, Legal at the performing rights organization and is based in the New York office.

Rosen will report directly to BMI President & CEO Del Bryant. In making today’s announcement, Bryant said, “Stuart has been a key member of the legal department since joining BMI in 1996. He has played an instrumental role in a wide range of activities, representing BMI in rate court litigation, leading the litigation team in key infringement actions, advising our information services group and human resources areas, and representing the legal department in a variety of company-wide initiatives.”

Rosen joined BMI in 1996 as Associate Attorney, and has steadily risen through the ranks. Since 2004, he has also served the board of directors and the company in his capacity as corporate secretary. Prior to BMI, Rosen was in private practice. He received his undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College in 1981, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1984.

SESAC Promotes Connell to VP Post

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J.D. Connell

SESAC today announced the promotion of J.D. Connell to Vice President and Counsel, New Media Licensing. Formerly Director, New Media, he will be responsible for negotiating and executing license agreements, with special focus in the area of new media.

Based in the organization’s Nashville office, Connell will also work with SESAC’s senior management in creating and implementing licensing strategies.

“J.D. has proven himself to be an effective and forward-thinking executive, particularly in the digital licensing space,” said Bill Lee, SESAC’s Senior Vice President, Licensing Operations. “He has been an integral part of SESAC’s success in the evolving realm of digital music licensing and I am excited for him to play an even bigger role in SESAC’s continuing growth.”

When Connell first joined SESAC in 2005, he was charged with negotiating and drafting musical composition public performance licenses.

Connell received a Bachelor of Science degree from Union University before obtaining his Juris Doctorate from Mississippi School of Law where he co-founded the Mississippi College Sports and Entertainment Law Section.

Headquartered in Nashville, SESAC also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and London.

Songwriter Owen Davis Passes

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Nashville singer-songwriter Owen Davis has died of cancer at age 64.

He is perhaps best known for the song “The Other Side of Nashville.” It was the title tune of an acclaimed 1983 documentary film in which he appeared alongside such luminaries as Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris and Hank Williams Jr.

Among his other notable compositions are “Border of the Quarter,” recorded by Leon Redbone, and “Play Me or Trade Me,” which became a minor 1982 hit duet by Mel Tillis and Nancy Sinatra.

Gerald “Owen” Davis was a native of Kansas City, MO and a Navy veteran who came to Nashville in the 1970s. In addition to his entertainment activities, he also worked in the tourism industry and for Stage Hand Productions.

He passed away on August 19. He is survived by his wife Deborah, daughter Shaela Wolken and brother Jack. The family requests donations to the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation in his memory.

 

Aware Records/A-Squared Management Open Nashville Digs

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Aware Records/A-Squared Management is opening a satellite office in Nashville later this month (9/26) headed by manager Josh Terry. The Chicago-based company was created by CEO Gregg Latterman in 1993 and enjoyed early success launching careers for John Mayer, Five For Fighting and Train.

Aware Records has a joint venture with Universal Republic & currently represents Mat Kearney and Guster. In 1999, Aware also started an artist management company, A-Squared Management, which today represents the careers of A Rocket To The Moon, Brandi Carlile, Jack’s Mannequin, This Providence, Mayday Parade, Motion City Soundtrack, Mat Kearney, Anya Marina, Cary Brothers, Five For Fighting, Jason Lehning, Matthew Mayfield, Rachel Platten, and Vedera.

The new offices will be located at 124 12th Ave. S. Ste. 410. Terry can be reached at [email protected].

 

CMA Tickets On-Sale Info

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Tickets for The 45th Annual CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas will go on sale to the public Saturday, Sept. 24 (10:00 AM/CT). Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster outlets; by calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office.

Eligible CMA members can purchase tickets through an exclusive pre-sale via Ticketmaster through Friday, Sept 16.

The CMA Awards will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. CMA Country Christmas will tape the following day, Thursday, Nov. 10, also at the Bridgestone Arena, for an ABC Television Network special.

Ticket prices for the CMA Awards start at $110 for Upper Level seating. Tickets for CMA Country Christmas are $25 for general admission Upper Level seating. These prices do not include service fees.

Dierks Taps Fellow Stars For Miles & Music Benefit

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Dierks Bentley's annual fundraiser for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital cruises to Nashville on Oct. 16.

Dierks Bentley’s sixth annual “Miles & Music for Kids” celebrity motorcycle ride and benefit concert will be held Oct. 16 in Nashville. The hour-long motorcycle ride will once again kick off at the Harley-Davidson of Columbia, Tenn., and end at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville with a concert featuring Bentley and special guests Eli Young Band, Colt Ford and Josh Thompson. More big artist announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the family-friendly Nashville event go on sale on Fri., Sept. 9 through Ticketmaster. Tickets for the ride, concert and commemorative T-shirt are $50, or those looking to attend the concert only can purchase tickets for $20. Special VIP packages are also available. Sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, all proceeds from the Nashville event will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

Bentley is also hosting a Miles & Music for Kids fundraiser in Chicago, IL on Oct. 9. In 2009, the star joined forces with Nationwide Insurance, CMT One Country and the Children’s Miracle Network to take the successful “Miles & Music for Kids” benefit on the road, and has since expanded to visit six cities in addition to his annual Nashville event. Over the event’s six-year history, it has raised an impressive $1.6 million for children’s hospitals in Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Seattle, and Columbus.

For the latest news and ongoing artist announcements, visit www.dierks.com.

CMT Sets Aggressive Fall Lineup

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CMT will aggressively continue its development of original content the fall with the launch of four new series and the return of two. According to Jayson Dinsmore, Executive VP, Development and Programming CMT the network is also planning to premiere its second Original Movie and new episodes of music series CMT Crossroads and Invitation Only.

“This is an exciting time here at CMT, with more original programming in development and production than ever before,” says Dinsmore. “These new series, along with our original movies and music franchises, and the additional night of primetime original programming to our schedule, represent our aggressive growth strategy for this season and beyond.  We’re looking forward to elevating the CMT viewer experience with even more compelling stories, intriguing characters and family-friendly entertainment.”

Here’s a brief description of the shows and time schedules.

Top Secret Recipe
Premieres Friday, October 7 at 9:00 p.m., ET/PT
In each one-hour episode of this eight-episode series, food hacker host Todd Wilbur investigates an iconic American recipe and attempts to recreate it better than the original. TOP SECRET RECIPE is produced by 51 Minds Entertainment. Cris Abrego, Rabih Gholam, Todd Wilbur, Perry Rogers, Scott Teti and Melanie Moreau (CMT) serve as executive producers.

Trick My What?
Premieres Friday, October 7 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT
From the producers of the hit CMT series “Trick My Truck,” comes this new one-hour, nine-episode series hosted by John Schneider that gives blue-collar workers the opportunity to trick out anything with an engine that helps put food on the table for their family. TRICK MY WHAT? is produced by Varuna Entertainment with Jason Morgan and Melanie Moreau (CMT) serving as executive producers.

Sweet Home Alabama 2
Premieres Thursday, October 20 at 9:00 p.m., ET/PT
Tribble Reese, runner-up on season one of SWEET HOME ALABAMA, has decided to give love another chance, signing on to be the new bachelor on the second season of the hit CMT series. This time, he will be faced with the tough decision of city versus country in the search for his Ms. Right, choosing between girls from all across the country who are heading to Alabama to help mend his broken heart. SWEET HOME ALABAMA, is produced by Glassman Media with executive producers Andrew Glassman, Grant Julian and Carrie Franklin. Claire McCabe and Jayson Dinsmore are executive producers for CMT.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team 6
Premieres Thursday, October 20 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT
America’s most-loved cheerleading squad is back. This season, the competition is as fierce as ever as cameras capture hundreds of hopefuls auditioning and training for a spot on the team. Back to whip the new recruits and seasoned veterans into top performance shape are Kelli Finglass, director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders; Judy Trammell, the team choreographer; and Jay Johnson, the no-nonsense fitness trainer. Finglass, Trammell and Johnson test the rookies for the tough physical and mental stamina required to represent the organization. The show is produced by Triage Entertainment with executive producers Stu Schreiberg, Stephen Kroopnick, Eugene Pack, Jeff Cvengros and Kelli McGonagill Finglass.  Melanie Moreau and Jayson Dinsmore are executive producers for CMT.

Bayou Billionaires
Premieres this Winter
The Dowdens are a typical, hardworking and close-knit family of modest means living in Shreveport, La.  After discovering their home sits on the fourth largest deposit of natural gas in the U.S., the Dowdens struck it rich and are now ready to experience the finer things that life has to offer.  Led by patriarch, Gerald, and matriarch, Kitten, the 30-minute, 10-episode series follows the family as they experience the perks of belonging to a new tax bracket – from joining country clubs and hiring personal trainers, to traveling to places they never imagined they’d go. BAYOU BILLIONAIRES is produced by Magilla Entertainment.  Brian Flanagan, Matt Ostrom, Laura Palumbo Johnson and Brad Johnson serve as executive producers.

Summer Rental
Premieres this Winter
This one-hour, 10-episode series follows a real-life, naturally-entertaining family, born and raised in the South, as they embark on a “fish out of water” experience by visiting a fancy beach rental in the Hamptons for the summer, indulging in the high-end lifestyle of the Upper East Coast and bringing their southern flare to any situation. SUMMER RENTAL is produced by Pink Sneakers.  Kimberly Belcher Cowin, John Ehrhard, Brad Johnson and Lewis Bogach (CMT) serve as executive producers.

CMT Original Movies
Reel Love
Premieres November 2011
In CMT’s second CMT Original Movie, LeAnn Rimes stars alongside Burt Reynolds in REEL LOVE. Written by Sharon Weil Aaron and directed by Brian K. Roberts (“Eveybody Loves Raymond”).  REEL LOVE is an Entertainment One Television production filmed in Toronto, Ontario.

Music Series
CMT Crossroads: Sting and Vince Gill
Premieres November 2011
Together they have earned over 35 Grammys, sold over 125 million albums, and performed in front of as many, if not more, music lovers all over the world.  Now world-renowned musician Sting and country legend Vince Gill will be making music history in the newest episode of CMT CROSSROADS: STING AND VINCE GILL, premiering in November on CMT.

Invitation Only
New Episodes this Fall
A departure from the typical concert special, INVITATION ONLY features country music’s biggest stars performing before a small studio audience in Nashville, taking questions from fans and delivering revealing and candid answers. INVITATION ONLY: TRACE ADKINS premieres Sunday, September 25 at 11:00 p.m., ET/PT.   New episodes featuring Martina McBride and Blake Shelton premiere later this Fall.