Radiate Music/BEC Recordings Signs Aaron Bucks, Releases “California”

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Aaron Bucks

Radiate Music, in partnership with BEC Recordings, has signed Nashville singer-songwriter Aaron Bucks, and today releases his debut single “California.” Produced by Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning producer-writer Ian Eskelin, “California” was penned by Bucks, Eskelin and Doug McKelvey. Bucks will release a full album later this year.

“Everyone has moments in life where we feel isolated and that no one else has experienced what we are going through,” Bucks explains. “I had a couple friends in my life who, during some tough moments, were there for me and chose to take the time to be my ‘brothers keeper.’ This song speaks deeply into that friendship and our camaraderie.”

While growing up in Vancouver, Canada, Aaron Bucks always gravitated towards music, but the pressure to pursue a conventional career kept him from taking his passion for music and songwriting seriously. Opting instead for culinary school, he spent every weekend performing at weddings and parties while also leading worship at his local church. Through encouragement from fans who’d heard him play and friends who knew his passion for music, an old acquaintance offered to help pay for him to record an album, which pushed him to reevaluate his career path and follow his music passion.

Brandon Ebel, President of BEC Recordings/Tooth & Nail Records, shares, “I’ve known and worked with Ian Eskelin for almost 20 years and I couldn’t be more excited about this partnership. Ian played me Aaron’s music and his first single grabbed my attention right away. I look forward to working with Aaron alongside Radiate Music.”

Sugarland, Amy Grant, Matthew West Celebrate Mother’s Day With Music

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Several artists have released songs in celebration of Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday (May 13).

Sugarland recently revealed a new track, aptly titled “Mother,” from their upcoming album Bigger, which releases June 8.

A mother herself, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles shares, “We wanted to celebrate what we feel is so beautiful about mothers. What we shared with our own mothers and what we see is beautiful about that relationship and that kind of unconditional open-ended love.”

As someone who has lost his mom, fellow Sugarland member Kristian Bush explained, “This song is about a lot of things, our families, our lives, our country, but mostly, it is about my mom and what she was like. Now you see why it says what it says, especially in the lyric ‘As long as she’s alive you’re not alone’.”

Meanwhile, Amy Grant released “Say It With A Kiss,” on digital and streaming platforms for the first time. A video (below) for the track was released last year.

“Delivery is everything. No matter what it is we want to communicate to those we love, how we deliver the message determines the success of its reception,” shares the six-time Grammy winner. “‘Say It With A Kiss’ is a fun reminder that love is the best language of all.”

CCM artist Matthew West released his new music video today (May 11) for “Becoming Me” as a tribute to moms this Mother’s Day. Found on West’s latest chart-topping album, All In, the heartfelt song was written to honor his wife, Emily, along with his own mother.

Justin Adams’ Sophomore EP ‘Horizon’ Released Today

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Justin Adams’ sophomore EP Horizon is out today. The eight-song EP includes tracks penned by Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, Chase McGill, Ben Hayslip, Mark Nesler, Josh Osborne, Barry Dean, and more.

Alongside the release of Horizon, Adams is celebrating his first major cut as a writer with Granger Smith’s new single “You’re In It.” Hailing from Bixby, Oklahoma, Adams is signed to Universal Music Publishing and has shared the stage with nationally touring acts Gary Allan, Josh Turner, Trace Adkins, Jon Pardi, Dustin Lynch, Dan and Shay, Eli Young Band, Craig Morgan, Chase Rice, Easton Corbin, Eric Paslay and more.

Produced by guitarist Derek Wells, Horizon is available on iTunes, Spotify and all other digital retailers today.

Horizon Track Listing
1. The Road // Chase McGill, Ben Hayslip
2. Back Then // Justin Adams, Andy Sheridan, Jared Scott
3. Fly // Justin Adams, Trent Willmon
4. Don’t Hold It Against Me // Mark Nesler, Josh Osborne, Marty Dodson
5. Good Rain or Jesus // Jonathan Singleton, Barry Dean
6. Feel That Feeling // Justin Adams, Houston Phillips
7. How It Rolls // Eric Arjes, Brad Tursi
8. Green Grass Blue Water // Justin Adams, Eric Arjes, Lance Carpenter

Sylvia Reimagines Her 80’s Hits For New CD

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Eighties hitmaker Sylvia is set to release her newest CD, Second Bloom – The Hits Re-Imagined, on Red Pony Records June 8. Second Bloom includes 10 all-new interpretations of her No. 1 and Top 10 hits from the RCA years (1979 to 1987). The project’s first single, a reprise of Sylvia’s signature Country/Pop smash, “Nobody,” has just been released to radio.

“My desire was to bring my music from the ’80s into alignment with the music I’m creating today,” said Sylvia.  “I wanted to breathe new life into the songs as if I was recording them for the first time while still honoring their musical identity. I believe the spirit of the music is just as relevant today as it was when these songs first bloomed.”

Fans who order digitally will receive “Like Nothing Ever Happened” as an instant grat track. Those who prefer a disc, will have their album autographed by Sylvia and receive an email containing instructions on how to obtain their grat track download.

The album includes songs like “Sweet Yesterday,” “Cry Just A Little Bit,” and “Fallin’ In Love,” along with one track that was not previously released as a single, “You Can’t Go Back Home.”

 Second Bloom Track Listing:
1) Drifter  (Archie Jordan, Don Pfrimmer)
2) Nobody  (Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan)
3) Tumbleweed  (Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan)
4) Fallin’ In Love  (Randy Goodrum, Brent Maher)
5) Cry Just A Little Bit  (Bob Heatlie)
6) Sweet Yesterday  (Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan)
7) Like Nothing Ever Happened  (Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan)
8) Snapshot  (Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan)
9) I Love You By Heart  (Jerry Gillespie, Stan Webb)
10) You Can’t Go Back Home  (Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan)

Roland White To Release Legacy Project On Mountain Home Label

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Pictured (Front row, L-R): Roland White, sound engineer Scott Barnett. (Back row, L-R): producer Ty Gilpin, producer Jon Weisberger

Roland White is recording a legacy album on the Mountain Home label. The project pairs some of the most-talented rising acoustic players with White as well as some of the best veteran players in the business. Produced by Ty Gilpin and Jon Weisberger, the album release is slated for early Fall 2018.

The player list includes: David Grier, Kristin Scott Benson, Jon Stickley, Brooke Aldridge, Darin Aldridge, Lindsay Lou, Kimber Ludiker, Aaron Bibelhauser, Gina Clowes, Jon Weisberger, Drew Matulich, Josh Haddix, Lyndsay Pruett, Jeremy Darrow, Nick Dauphinais, Darren Nicholson, and many more of today’s talented young musicians.

“Among the annals of Bluegrass legends, Roland White is in a class of his own,” said Jon Stickley. “As a pioneer of California Bluegrass, turned Bluegrass Boy turned Grammy-winning contemporary Bluegrass artist, he is a living link between old and new. At 80, his playing is still fun, fresh and youthful. Working with him on this project is one of the highlights of my career to date!”

Mountain Home is is a premiere bluegrass label with global distribution, representing such artists as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Balsam Range, The Grascals, Lonesome River Band, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, NewTown, Donna Ulisse, Gina Clowes, Kristin Scott Benson, The Cleverlys, Adam Steffey, Danny Roberts, Lawson and Williams, Sideline, The Snyder Family Band, John Bowman and Unspoken Tradition.

Weekly Chart Report (5/11/18)

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Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Music Modernization Act Introduced In Senate

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Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the Music Modernization Act in the Senate today (May 10). The Senate bill (S.2823) is nearly identical to HR 5477, which the House of Representatives passed in a unanimous vote (415-0) on April 25.  The bill combines three unique segments of legislation, including the Music Modernization Act of 2018, the CLASSICS Act, and the AMP Act.

A hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee has bee scheduled for Tuesday (May 15).

“The introduction of the Music Modernization Act package in the Senate is a massive step forward for songwriters,” said NMPA’s David Israelite. “Senators Orrin Hatch, Chuck Grassley, Sheldon Whitehouse, Lamar Alexander, Roy Blunt, Chris Coons, John Kennedy, Kamala Harris, Bob Corker, Dick Durbin, Johnny Isakson, Patrick Leahy, Mike Crapo, Doug Jones, Thom Tillis, Bill Nelson, Shelley Moore Capito and David Perdue have done music creators a great service by sponsoring a music licensing package which will help not only songwriters and composers but also producers and legacy artists. The bill improves both how and how much songwriters are paid while increasing transparency and enabling digital music platforms to thrive. The MMA represents unprecedented consensus around necessary updates to how music creators are valued, and we look forward to seeing it become law.”

“On behalf of the 150,000+ music creators represented by SoundExchange, we are grateful to Senator Hatch for building this consensus legislative package that will benefit the entire music ecosystem,” said SoundExchange President/CEO Michael Huppe. “Taken together, the elements of this legislation will strengthen and protect the rights and interests of creators — the artists, songwriters and producers whose music enriches our lives – and it will improve engagement between the creative community and the digital services whose businesses rely on their work. We look forward to working with the sponsors and the entire community of stakeholders that built accord on this package to make it law.

“We encourage our members – thousands of whom have already reached out to lawmakers and expressed their support for reform – to ask their senators to back this comprehensive legislative package that protects our legacy artists, gives music creators the right to fair market value for their work, guarantees efficient payment to producers, and creates efficiencies in the mechanical licensing process for songwriters and publishers.”

ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews added, “After a unanimous vote to pass the MMA in the House, we are thrilled to see such ardent, bipartisan support for music creators in the Senate. This legislation is critical to ensuring songwriters have a pathway to fair compensation so they can sustain their livelihoods and create the next great songs. We applaud the leadership of fellow songwriter Senator Hatch, along with Senators Alexander and Whitehouse, for spearheading this effort in the Senate and to Chairman Grassley and all other co-sponsors for being champions of American songwriters. We look forward to the Senate’s vote and eventual passage of the MMA.”

“BMI applauds the introduction today, by Senators Hatch and Grassley, of the Music Modernization Act,” said BMI President/CEO Mike O’Neill. “This legislation represents an unprecedented collaboration among music creators and users, and represents an historic opportunity to make meaningful music licensing reform which will benefit America’s creative communities.”

National Museum Of African American Music Adds Senior Curator

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Dr. Dina M. Bennett

The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), which will open in Nashville in 2019, has hired ethnomusicologist Dr. Dina M. Bennett as senior curator. Bennett has over 30 years of experience in the music field and specializes in African American music and culture.

Bennett previously served as the associate director of the Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, director of education at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Mississippi, and the manager of collections and exhibitions at the American Jazz Museum (AJM) in Kansas City, Missouri. During her AJM tenure, she oversaw the museum’s temporary and permanent collection exhibitions, and also served as the co-curator and consulting ethnomusicologist for the museum’s John H. Baker Jazz Film Collection Exhibition (2009), the first addition to the jazz museum’s permanent exhibition since its opening in 1997.

“It is an honor that Dr. Bennett has joined our team,” said NMAAM President and CEO Henry Beecher Hicks, III. “Her expertise is unmatched, and I’m positive that her work with NMAAM will result in an exceptional experience for our museum guests.”

Originally from Topeka, Kansas, Bennett earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from Washburn University, a master’s degree in college student personnel from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology with a minor in African American and African diaspora studies from Indiana University.

Bennett is an accomplished pianist and serves on the advisory team of scholars for “A History of African American Music,” an interactive timeline produced as a resource for Carnegie Hall’s 2009 festival “Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy,” curated by internationally renowned soprano Jessye Norman.

YouTube Updates Music Charts, Reveals New Trending Chart

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YouTube revealed its newly improved music charts today (May 10), which showcase the most popular artists, songs and music videos for 44 global destinations including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and more.

The YouTube charts now include new Trending charts for each destination, which are updated multiple times per day to provide a real time view of the top new music fans are enjoying. The new Trending charts represent YouTube’s first dedicated external signal of the most-viewed new music on the platform.

The charts for Top Songs, Top Artists, and Top Music Videos are each updated weekly, on Sundays at 12 p.m. PST.

The Top Songs chart is calculated by combining all official versions of a song (including official music video, official song used in user-generated content, and lyric videos). The Top Artists chart is calculated based on the total views of an artist’s entire discography, including official music videos, official song user-generated content, official live performances, remixes, lyric videos, album tracks and collaborations.

The Top Music Videos chart highlights the most-viewed official music videos on the YouTube platform.

YouTube boasts 1.8 billion global monthly users.

 

Innovation In Music Awards To Honor Red Light Management’s Coran Capshaw

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Coran Capshaw

The Innovation in Music Awards has announced Coran Capshaw, founder and CEO of Red Light Management, as 2018’s Innovator of the Year. The IMAs shine the national spotlight on some of the music industry’s brightest risk takers and creative thinkers. Capshaw and his fellow honorees will be presented their awards at the Second Annual Innovation in Music Awards gala on Sunday, June 3 at the Westin Hotel in Nashville.

The event will be hosted by media executive Bill Werde, who is the Director of the Bandier Music Industry Program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.

The IMAs were created to recognize achievements in the advancement of music through inspiration and ingenuity. A blue-ribbon committee of music professionals determines the honorees.

“Coran Capshaw is not this successful by simply following old-school industry protocol,” said Pete O’Heeron, Chairman of the Innovation in Music Awards. “Coran inspires innovation in all he touches, building Red Light through twists on everything from the festival experience to the whole process of artist management.”

Honorees in remaining categories will be announced next week. For a complete list of 2018 nominees and more information about the Innovation in Music Awards, visit innovationinmusic.net.