DISClaimer Single Reviews (6/15/11)

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You can tickle my dancing feet or dazzle my brain with word play, but if you really want to get my attention, pierce my heart.
That’s what Ronnie Dunn did this week with “Cost of Livin.’” Not since Shenandoah’s “Hey Mister I Need This Job” has a country song so directly addressed the pain of our times. Give that veteran a Disc of the Day.
We have some sophomore singles this week, notably from Brett Eldredge, DJ Miller and The Dirt Drifters, but there are no disc debuts. So instead of a DisCovery honor, how about a re-DisCovery Award for Dolly Parton?
It would appear that in the wake of the CMA Music Fest, we have a star shower on our hands. In addition to Ronnie and Dolly, we suddenly have stellar product from Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes and Alan Jackson. And all of them are playing at the top of their games.
LEANN RIMES/Give
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Curb (MPE)
—Her voice has never sounded more powerful or womanly. The “golden rule” message is right on and so is the production of this majestic power ballad. In a word, gorgeous.
ALAN JACKSON/Long Way To Go
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; EMI (MPE)
—Entirely lovable. It has plenty of summertime bounce and a merry little lyric to make you smile. He’s got a bug in his margarita, a woman he’s trying to drink off his mind and a long, long way to go. Hang on for the happy mariachi trumpets at the finale.
RONNIE DUNN/Cost Of Livin’
Writer: Phillip Coleman/Ronnie Dunn; Producer: Ronnie Dunn; Publisher: Tractor Radio/Sony-ATV Tree/Showbilly, SESAC/BMI; Arista (track)
—Doing what country music does best, giving a voice to the powerless. In this case, a man who aches for a job. Understated and immensely moving.
TOBY KEITH/Made In America
Writer: Toby Keith/Bobby Pinson/Gregory Scott Reeves; Producer: Toby Keith; Publisher: Tokeco Tunes/Bobby’s Lyrics/Land and Livestock/Do Write/Sweetwater Jams/Reynsong, BMI; Show Dog Universal
—Heartland sentiments, from a man who is a master at them. The stirring, pounding production underlines every straight-from-the heart lyric. My favorite: “He won’t buy nothin’ he can’t fix/With WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench.”
COLT FORD/She Likes To Ride In Trucks
Writer: Thom Shepherd/Colt Ford/Noah Gordon; Producer: Jayson Chance; Publisher: Bourbon Street French Quarter/Words and Music/Average ZJS/New Millennium, SESAC/ASCAP; Average Joe (CDX) (615-733-9983)
—He’s losing his little girl to womanhood. The rapping is actually soft and gentle. The sung chorus is a wafting and wistful. Surprisingly effective.
DOLLY PARTON/Together You And I
Writer: Dolly Parton; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: Velvet Apple, BMI; Dolly/Warner (www.dollypartonmusic.net)
—Strikingly contemporary sounding. The surging pop production values, relentless rhythm, keening guitars and deft electronic touches are all just yummy. It goes without saying that her voice remains a thing of wonder. And talk about a positive, uptempo love song…
BRETT ELDREDGE/It Ain’t Gotta Be Love
Writer: Brett Eldredge/Ben Daniel/Wayd Battle; Producer: Byron Gallimore; Publisher: FSMGI, English Ivy/Brett Eldredge/Chrysalis One/Bug, IMRO/BMI; Atlantic/Warner
—This whole song is one big ol’ pick-up line. Everything from, “Can I bum a light?” to “Is that seat taken?” to “What’re ya drinkin?’” and “Do you wanna dance?” Also, the track seriously rocks.
THE DIRT DRIFTERS/Always A Reason
Writer: Ryan Fleener/Jeff Middleton/Justin Wilson; Producer: Justin Niebank; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Buddy Lloyd/Music of Stage Three/Jersey South/BMG Chrysalis, BMI; Warner Bros.
—You can go to the bar to dance, fight, celebrate, drown your sorrows or have a ball. As this righteous, blue-collar rocker says, “There’s always a reason to drink around here.” I like these guys.
DJ MILLER/Between Sundays
Writer: Richard A. Alves/Gary Duffy/John Colgin/Reid Brannon; Producer: Johnny Morris; Publisher: Big Hitmakers/Magic Penny/Rainy Graham/Three Bar/Christopher Scott, BMI/ASCAP; Evergreen/9 North/Spinville (615-327-3213)
—His voice isn’t very memorable here, kind of a generic honky-tonk baritone performance. But the song is a solid winner about life lessons learned at the foot of a wise mechanic.
KATIE ARMIGER /I Do, But Do I
Writer: Rhean Boyer/Greg Jones; Producer: Chad Carlson; Publisher: Major Bob/Rio Bravo/Castle Bound, ASCAP/BMI/SESAC; Cold River
—The extra “bottom” in the production competes with her curiously “dry” sounding vocal. A little echo on her high end would have pulled it together, sonically. Tune-wise, it is undeniably catchy.

Elements Align For Sony/ATV Success

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Troy Tomlinson


Just like the weather, Sony/ATV is on a hot-streak. The publishing company has scored the top spot on Billboard’s Country Publishers Airplay Chart for four of the last five quarters. The most recent chart (issue date 5/28/11) measures country radio airplay during the first quarter of 2011, showing Sony/ATV with 15.9% market share.

Troy Tomlinson, Pres./CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville, says his office has had about 20 singles on the chart each quarter for the last several quarters. The rankings measure airplay of the top 100 songs from 197 monitored country stations, as compiled by the Harry Fox Agency.
Numerous factors have to align to achieve this kind of track record, explains Tomlinson. “No individual act can make a publisher No. 1 in airplay. In order to consistently be No. 1, or even in the top 2 or 3, it takes a combination of a quality writer roster and quality creative team. In addition to that, it takes the artists, A&R people, and producers seeking out the very best songs. Success is a culmination of all of those elements.”
Because the life of a radio single is often more than the 12 weeks in a quarter, an artist might have only have one single per quarter. Sometimes two singles from the same act will chart in the same quarter, particularly if one is past its peak and heading down, while the follow-up is starting to climb.
Tomlinson adds, “No one can set out to be publisher of the quarter, because we don’t have control of which songs get released. That is at the discretion of the record labels and the artists.”
Among the first quarter country hits that helped boost Sony/ATV to the top: “Don’t You Wanna Stay” (Jason Aldean w/ Kelly Clarkson), “I Won’t Let Go” (Rascal Flatts), “Back To December” (Taylor Swift), “Let Me Down Easy” (Billy Currington), “Hello World” (Lady Antebellum), “Heart Like Mine” (Miranda Lambert) and “Felt Good On My Lips” (Tim McGraw).

Ride For A Cure Raises $70,000 for T.J. Martell

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Little Big Town


 
Photos: Christie King
This past Sunday (6/12) over 450 riders rallied at the Roundabout Plaza in downtown Nashville for Ride For a Cure in support of the T.J. Martell Foundation. The event was a huge success, raising $70,000.
Riders were entertained throughout the day, beginning with registration at the Music Row round-about, as performers Bo Bice, Eric Paslay, Dean Alexander, Kalleigh Bannen, and Cali Rodi took the stage. At 10:30 a.m. riders headed south to Harley-Davidson of Columbia where Little Big Town hosted an afternoon jam. Storme Warren of GAC’s Headline Country, and WSIX’s Big D, co-host of syndicated radio show Big D and Bubba joined the event as emcees, and additional artists appearing included Jake Owen, David Nail, Jarrod Niemann, and Laura Bell Bundy.


The T.J. Martell Foundation is a national non-profit organization that supports innovative research for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research through eleven top research hospitals in the United States. In Nashville, the Foundation annually supports cancer research through the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The Frances Williams Preston Laboratories were established in 1993 in honor of Frances Williams Preston, past President of the T.J. Martell Foundation and former President and CEO of BMI. For more information about the T.J. Martell Foundation, log onto www.tjmartellfoundation.org

 

Jake Owen and Jarrod Niemann

Swift and Underwood Among Best Paid Celebs Under 30

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Ahh, to be young and wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.
Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are part of an elite group of young celebrities who know what that feels like, according to Forbes (“The Best Paid Celebrities Under 30”).
Swift’s earnings in the previous year totaled approximately $45 million, according to the feature. Her third album Speak Now was triple platinum mere weeks after its release and her live shows bring in $750k per engagement. Underwood collected $15 million, courtesy of a successful tour and her starring role in the big budget film Soul Surfer.
Topping the list is Lady Gaga, whose international touring success and massive record sales from May 2010 to May 2011 (prior to release of new album Born This Way) earned her an estimated $90 million. Seventeen-year-old Justin Bieber lands at No. 2 with a reported $53 million, thanks to his concert movie Never Say Never, platinum album My Life 2.0, and wildly popular touring base. NBA star LeBron James is at No. 3 with $48 million, followed by tennis champ Roger Federer at No. 4 ($47 million) and Swift at No. 5.
Other celebs on the list include Katy Perry ($44 million), soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo ($38 million), Beyonce Knowles ($35 million), and Rihanna ($29 million).

750 Heat Sufferers • Jones House For Sale • Facebook Growth Slowing?

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>>>The Tennessean reports that 750 people were treated for the heat at this year’s CMA MusicFest, according to a spokesperson from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At last year’s festival 400 were treated. The record breaking heat wave that accompanied MusicFest this year was named as the obvious cause for the huge increase.
>>>George Jones’ home is officially on the market for sale reports Nashville Post. The 9,700 sq. ft. property sits on 78 acres and includes four bedrooms, six full bathrooms, stables and lots more. You can see photos here, or check out the real estate website. Asking price is $15 million.
>>>According to various news reports sources are claiming that Facebook traffic in the U.S. has started to fall off and stopped growing. For the inside story we suggest reading this post on Inside Facebook by Eric Eldon. Loaded with graphs and details, Eldon concludes, “There do appear to be some overriding trends here. Canada, the United Kingdom and a few other early adopting countries have alternately shown gains and losses starting in 2010. Up until then, growth had generally been much steadier. There’s an especially odd mix of data about the US. Most third parties showed Facebook with fewer monthly active users in January and February, but Facebook’s own data didn’t reflect that. Meanwhile, for May, the only third party to report numbers so far is showing growth, in contrast to the loss that Facebook is showing.”

CMA Fest By The Numbers

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The Country Music Association released its preliminary statistics on its 40th annual fan festival on Monday, and the results are impressive.
There is no official estimate on how much economic impact this year’s festival had on downtown, but it is a safe bet that it surpassed last year’s $24 million. Here is what we do know.

  • 65,000 was the average daily attendance. For the second year in a row, every night was a sell-out at LP Field.
  • 25,000 attended the concerts at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage on Saturday, setting a new record.
  • 16,000 jammed Lower Broadway for the CMA Music Festival Parade last Wednesday, setting a new record.
  • 14,000 was the average daily attendance at the Fan Fair booths in the Convention Center.
  • More than 770 media credentials were issued, representing more than 210 domestic and international media.
  • 30,000 unique fans texted comments to the Jumbotrons in LP Field.
  • 30,000 downloads of the CMA app for Android and iPhone took place during the festival, a 566% increase over 2010.
  • 27 nations sent fans to the fest. In addition to the U.S., these were Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. All 50 states were also represented.
  • 80% of the four-day ticket holders were from outside of Tennessee.
  • More than 45 different brands participated, including Chevrolet, Gildan, Jack Daniels, Bud Light, Blue Bell, Ocean Spray, American Airlines, Roper, Waggin’ Train and Field & Stream.
  • More than 400 people volunteered to help run the various festival activities.
  • 51 Nashville music teachers volunteered to drive the press vans. For every Chevy test drive, the company donated $25 to the “Keep the Music Playing” music-education charity. To date, the fest has donated $4.7 million to this fund.
  • 43 artists performed at LP Field. An additional 35 acts played 26 hours of shows on the Lay’s Stage at Bridgestone Arena; 45 acts performed 31 hours of concerts at the Riverfront stage; 46 artists played 20 hours of music at the Durango Acoustic Corner. In addition, 443 artists and celebrities appeared at the Exhibit Hall in the Convention Center.
  • Fans camped out on the street to get into the Hall starting at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, in anticipation of the building opening at 10:00 a.m. the following day. This set a record.
  • More than 70 artists participated in radio remotes, reaching 13.5 million listeners.
  • $154,000 in bids was raised at the YWCA Celebrity Auction, an increase of 50% over last year. In addition, the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund guitars auction raised $23,000.
  • The CMA’s 2011 survey indicated that the average fan age was 38.6, that 69% of the fans are college educated, and 85% are active on Facebook. The average travel party size was 3.2.
  • 94% of the respondents said they plan to return next year.

Fans watch Daily Concerts at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage during the 2011 CMA Music Festival in Downtown Nashville. Photo: Donn Jones/CMA

Festival Fundraisers: Celeb Softball, Music City Gives Back

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Vince Gill and a City of Hope patient at the baseball game.


Saturday’s (6/11) Celebrity Softball Challenge raised big bucks for City of Hope, which fights cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses. Among those going to bat at Nashville’s Greer Stadium were Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, David Nail, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Brett Eldredge, Chuck Wicks, Jake Owen, James Wesley, Jaron and the Long Road to Love, Kerry Collins, LoCash Cowboys, Robin Meade, Denise Jones (Point of Grace) and players from the Nashville Predators.
The stars played for longtime rival teams Grand Ole Opry and After MidNite with Blair Garner.

Jake Owen and contest winner.


 
 
 
 
• • • •
The First annual Music City Gives Back concert, hosted by Rodney Atkins, helped raise money and donations for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Held Tuesday, June 7 on Lower Broadway in Nashville, over $90,000 in gifts, donations and sponsorship dollars was received.
Josh Thompson, Thompson Square, Patrick Davis and Mallory Hope joined Atkins to perform for the crowd of 6000-plus fans.

Rodney Atkins onstage at Music City Gives Back.

 

"O Brother," Where Has The Time Gone?

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The tenth anniversary of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack will be marked with the release of a new two-disc set. With more than nine million units sold, the original album is among the top-10 bestselling soundtracks of all time.
On August 16, UMe will release the expanded Deluxe Edition, including a 17-track bonus disc. Thirteen of these songs were recorded during original sessions for the film, and will be available for the first time. Renowned producer T Bone Burnett oversaw the new and original releases.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Deluxe Edition Track Listing:
Disc One: The Original O’Brother Where Art Thou
1.  “Po’ Lazarus” – James Carter and prisoners
2.  “Big Rock Candy Mountain” – Harry McClintock
3.  “You Are My Sunshine” – Norman Blake
4.  “Down To The River To Pray” – Alison Krauss
5.  “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow”  – The Soggy Bottom Boys
6.  “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” – Chris Thomas King
7.  “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow” – Norman Blake
8.  “Keep On The Sunny Side” – The Whites
9.  “I’ll Fly Away” – Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
10. “Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby” – Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
11. “In The Highways” – Sarah, Hannah, and Leah Peasall
12. “I Am Weary, Let Me Rest” – The Cox Family
13. “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow” – John Hartford
14. “O Death” – Ralph Stanley
15. “In The Jailhouse Now” – The Soggy Bottom Boys
16. “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow” – The Soggy Bottom Boys
17. “Indian War Whoop”- John Hartford
18. “Lonesome Valley” – Fairfield Four
19. “Angel Band” – The Stanley Brothers
Disc Two: Bonus Disc
1. “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” – Colin Linden
2. “You Are My Sunshine” – Alan O’Bryant
3. “Tishamingo County Blues” – John Hartford
4. “Mood Indigo” – Duke Ellington
5. “Cow Road” – T Bone Burnett
6. “I’ll Fly Away” – The Kossoy Sisters
7. ‘Big Rock Candy Mountain” – Van Dyke Parks
8. “Admiration” – Duke Ellington
9. “Tom Devil” – Ed Lewis and the Prisoners
10. “Keep On The Sunny Side” – The Cox Family
11. “Angel Band” – Sarah, Hannah, and Leah Peasall
12. “Big Rock Candy Mountain” – Norman Blake
13. “Little Sadie” – Norman Blake
14. “In The Highways” – The Cox Family
15. “That Hog’s Foot Further In The Bed” – John Hartford
16. “The Lord Will Make A Way” – Fairfield Four
17. “In The Jailhouse Now” – Harley Allen

Notable Nashville Gospel Personality Passes

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J. Harold Lane


Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame member J. Harold Lane died last week in Nashville at age 82.
His funeral was held Monday (6/13), and he was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Lane initially rose to prominence as a founder of the Gospel Harmony Boys. He is best known as a performer for his 22 years as the tenor vocalist in The Speer Family.
He wrote more than 50 songs, including the popular “I’m Standing on the Solid Rock” and “Touring That City.” He arranged songs for such prominent gospel stars as The Florida Boys, The Singing Rambos, Jake Hess, The LeFevres and Bill Gaither.
Lane also arranged and edited six books of orchestral accompaniment to congregational singing. He taught music at such gospel institutions as The Stamps-Baxter School of Music and the Ben Speer School of Music.
J. Harold Lane died on June 6. He is survived by his children Jerry Harold Lane, Rebecca Faye Linder and Judith Lane Huff, as well as by grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family would appreciate contributions in his name to the Ben Speer/Stamps-Baxter School of Music Scholarship Fund.

BMI Promotes Jeff Burrow

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Jeff Burrow


Jeff Burrow has been promoted to Senior Director, Business Affairs, Licensing, for Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). In his new capacity, Burrow will have greater responsibility for BMI’s infringement matters in its General Licensing area, as well as handle BMI’s negotiations with its customers and markets in the General Licensing area. He will continue to provide on-site legal advice to the Licensing team in Nashville.
He was most recently Director, Legal and Business Affairs for the company. Burrow will continue to report to Pamela Williams, Assistant Vice President, Business Affairs, Licensing, and be based in Nashville.
“Jeff is a tremendous asset to BMI and has provided invaluable counsel and guidance to our Licensing staffs in Nashville and beyond,” said Williams. “He is an integral part of the Licensing teams’ sales and customer service processes and has played an important role in BMI’s infringement process. He has worked closely with our Performing Rights department on our approved title database, and oversees BMI’s employees at the Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. Jeff is a valued member of our Business Affairs team, and we are thrilled to  announce his well deserved promotion.”
Burrow joined BMI in 2007. Prior to BMI, he worked as an attorney at the law firm of Hall, Booth, Smith and Slover, PC in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his B.A. from Western Kentucky University and his J.D. from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis.