Weekly Chart Report 1/12/18
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DISClaimer: Radney Foster, The DonJuans Top Americana Offerings
Radney Foster
If you’re weary of commercial country music, might I suggest an audio trip to Americana?
That genre is where you’ll find the best music being made in Nashville today. The embarrassment of riches in today’s stack of Americana platters is proof.
The multi-star extravaganzas of the Loudermilk tribute CD and the Tommy Emmanuel collection give them somewhat unfair advantages in the contest for the Disc of the Day. Setting them aside, we still have awesome new solo efforts by Billy Burnette, the late Gregg Allman, John Oates, Radney Foster and Lee Roy Parnell.
In a very tough decision, I’m giving the prize to Radney Foster. His singing and songwriting are, as usual, superlative. The icing on the cake is the production by Will Kimbrough.
There was no question about who should get the DisCovery Award. That easily belongs to The DonJuans, veteran songwriters dressed up in spiffy new audio duds.
LEE ROY PARNELL/Hours In Between
Writers: Lee Roy Parnell/Greg Barnhill; Producer: Lee Roy Parnell; Publishers: Dean-Parnell/Lillie Dale/SB21/Easyana, BMI/SESAC; Vector (track)
– Lee Roy’s first album in 11 years is Midnight Believer, the r&b CD we always knew he had in him. Its lead-off track is a swampy groover loaded with his stinging guitar work and boasting a drawled, growled vocal that is a slow burn of fevered desire for affection in the darkest hours of the night. In a word, smokin.’
JOHN OATES & THE GOOD ROAD BAND/Arkansas
Writers: Oates; Producers: Oates/David Kalmusky; Publisher: Oates Shul, BMI; PS/Thirty Tigers
– Oates enlisted the cream of Nashville’s crop for the cast of his new Arkansas CD — Sam Bush, Guthrie Trapp and Russ Pahl for starters. The record is his tribute to Delta blues, flavored with country and folk elements. This title tune thumps with soulful conviction and is steeped in deep-fried Dixie flavors. Elsewhere on the collection, you’ll find echoes of Jimmie Rodgers, Emmett Miller, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Blake and more legends. Super highly recommended.
GREGG ALLMAN/My One True Friend
Writers: Allman/Scott Sharrard; Producer: Don Was; Publishers: D-Dem/Brickyard Blues, BMI; Rounder (track)
– Nominated for two Grammy Awards, the final Gregg Allman album is a everything his Southern-rock fans might desire. Titled Southern Blood, it leads off with this bluesy, gospel-ish, end-of-life lament. The album’s cast includes The McCrary Sisters, Jasckson Browne, Greg Leisz and Buddy Miller, and its repertoire spans tunes by Tim Buckley, Bob Dylan, Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham, Lowell George, the Dead and Willie Dixon. Haunting and evocative, this is an essential purchase.
MARE WAKEFIELD & NOMAD/Breathe
Writers: Mare Makefield; Producer: Nomad Ovunc; Publishers: Maresie, BMI; MW (track)
– These under-the-radar Nashvillians are rising stars on the folk circuit. This song from the new Time to Fly CD won them slots at the Kerrville and Falcon Ridge folk festivals. It is about survival through hard times. Her luminous vocal sounds mature and lived-in, which gives the ballad its trembling, emotional foundation. Wakefield & Nomad are booked to play The Country on Jan. 17 as the album-release event.
RADNEY FOSTER/For You To See The Stars
Writers: Radney Foster/Jay Clementi/Scott David Laurent; Producer: Will Kimbrough; Publishers: Alamo Lounge/BMG/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/2121, ASCAP; Devil’s River
– Now here’s an ambitious project. Each song on Radney’s new CD corresponds to a short story in his just-published book of fictional tales. This is the title tune, a tender ode to looking up when you might be feeling down. As usual, his warm singing is a thing of wonder. The crisp production is audio perfection. I remain an enormous fan.
THE DON JUANS/Garden of the Dead
Writers: Don Henry/Jon Vezner; Producers The Don Juans; Publishers: Poppermost/Jon Vezner, SESAC; Skratched (track)
– Music City tunesmiths Don Henry and Jon Vezner are now The DonJuans. Abetted by the stellar playing of Dan Dugmore, Diane Perry and Charlie McCoy, they’ve issued a self-titled CD of their songwriting collaborations. This one is a lilting, minor-key ditty about relaxing in a graveyard. Quirky and delightful. Folk legend Tom Paxton appears elsewhere on the CD, and he will joining the pair for an Alive Hospice benefit show at the Bluebird on Jan. 26.
BOBBY BARE/I Drink
Writers: Mary Gauthier/Crit Harmon/Melanie Howard; Producers: Jimmy Ritchey & Max T. Barnes; Publishers: none listed; Hypermedia (track)
– Among the many great Mary Gauthier songs, this is one of the greatest. Bare has just issued a video for it. The song has previously been recorded by Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton, but you won’t find a more devastating, heart-tearing rendition than in this presentation. You’ll find the audio track of it on Bare’s current, and excellent, Things Change album.
BILLY BURNETTE/Crazy Like Me
Writers: Billy Burnette/Dennis Morgan/Shawn Camp; Producer: Billy Burnette; Publishers: Still Working for the Man/Burnette A Billy/Little Shop of Morgan Songs/BMG, BMI; Rock N Roll With It
– This durable rockabilly cat has a new memoir and CD, both titled “Crazy Like Me.” The title tune is a driving, relentless romp with a rump-shaking backbeat and spat-out, rapid-fire, sassy lyrics. The book includes anecdotes from his recording adventures, tenure in Fleetwood Mac and Memphis roots. The album includes his versions of his George Strait hit tune “River of Love,” his Ray Charles/Bonnnie Raitt classic “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind,” his daddy’s rockabilly standard “Tear It Up,” his “She’s Gonna Win Your Heart” popularized by Eddy Raven and his own country success “Nothing To Do (And All Night to Do It).” And more, all in one rollicking package.
EMMYLOU HARRIS, MARY ANN KENNEDY, PAM ROSE/Where Have They Gone
Writer: John D. Loudermilk; Producers: John Jorgenson & Dixie Gamble; Publishers: Sony/ATV Acuff Rose, BMI; Vector/BFD
– Dixie Gamble and John Jorgenson decided to stage a tribute concert for ailing songwriter John D. Loudermilk while he was still alive. So in March 2016 a stellar cast assembled at The Franklin Theater to sing his songs to him. What a cast — Bobby Braddock, Lee Roy Parnell, Deborah Allen, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Jimmy Hall, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Becky Hobbs, Rodney Crowell, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Rosanne Cash and more. Emmylou, Pam and Mary Ann drew the evening’s most poignant elegy, his meditation on the passing of time. Loudermilk passed away five months after the show, but it lives on in an extraordinary document of that extraordinary night, A Tribute to John D. Loudermilk. Buy it now.
TOMMY EMMANUEL & RODNEY CROWELL/Looking Forward to the Past
Writers: Rodney Crowell; Producer: Tommy Emmanuel; Publishers: BMG Gold/RC One/We Jam Writers Group, ASCAP; CGP (track)
– This guitar master issues his new Accomplice One CD next week, on Jan. 19. It includes collaborations with Jason Isbell, Mark Knopfler, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Suzy Bogguss, David Grisman and more. His track with Rodney Crowell is a standout, a snappy toe-tapper that gives the writer’s Texas drawl and the picker’s lightning fingers plenty of room to shine. It goes without saying that the song is brilliant. A terrific listening experience.
Facebook Inks Deals With SESAC, GMR, Kobalt
Facebook announced today three new music licensing deals with SESAC’s HFA/Rumblefish, Global Rights Management, and Kobalt Music Publishing.
The deal with SESAC will use Rumblefish to identify musical works, so publishers and writers can be properly compensated. Facebook’s partnership with GMR marks GMR’s first user-generated content deal.
The string of partnerships follow recently-made deals with Universal Music Group and Sony/ATV.
Scott Sellwood, Head of Commercial Music Publishing Partnerships, Facebook, said, “Facebook and SESAC’s HFA/Rumblefish are excited to offer the vibrant independent publishing community the opportunity to participate in a new licensing program with Facebook. The program will enable users to upload and share videos with music on Facebook, Instagram and Oculus and allows publishers to be compensated for the use of their music. Rumblefish will also help Facebook optimize the identification and clearance of musical works through an innovative data-sharing agreement. This partnership with HFA/Rumblefish and an opt-in for independent publishers opens as of today.”
Willard Ahdritz, Kobalt Founder & CEO, says, “In the spirit of a true partnership, Facebook will ensure songwriters are paid fairly and new revenue streams are created for user uploaded video. We look forward to working closely with Facebook throughout our partnership. And, Kobalt is committed to distributing royalties in a fully transparent way.”
“Together, Facebook and the music industry are bringing the songs you love into the way you express yourself on Facebook, Instagram, Oculus, and Messenger,” said Tamara Hrivnak, head of music business business development. “This means more ways to share, connect, find your fans and be your favorite artist’s biggest and best groupie.”
Jack White Releases Two Tracks From Upcoming New Project, ‘Boarding House Reach’
Photo credit: David James Swanson
Jack White has released a brand new single, “Connected by Love,” from his anticipated third solo album, Boarding House Reach (Third Man/Columbia), and a second track from the new album, “Respect Commander,” as well. Both tracks are available digitally worldwide now.
“Connected by Love” was produced by White and recorded at Sear Sound in New York City, Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, and Third Man Studio in Nashville – marking the first time that White has recorded an album in NY and LA. The track features White on vocals, synthesizer, and acoustic guitar, with backing by a new lineup of musicians that includes drummer Louis Cato (Beyoncé, Q-Tip, John Legend), bassist Charlotte Kemp Muhl (The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger), synthesizer player DJ Harrison, keyboardist Neal Evans (Soulive, Talib Kweli, John Scofield), percussionist Bobby Allende (David Byrne), and backing vocalists Ann & Regina McCrary of Nashville’s beloved gospel trio, The McCrary Sisters.
The 7″ vinyl is also available today via Third Man Records, and the single arrives later this week at independent record stores globally. In addition, a limited edition tri-color 7″ will be on sale for one day only, Saturday, January 13th, exclusively at Third Man Records storefronts in Nashville and Detroit, available only for as long as the line for them lasts and never to be made accessible online. Additional information about how to purchase the tri-color can be found at thirdmanrecords.com.
A thought-provoking companion video accompanies “Connected by Love” was filmed in Los Angeles and Nashville by director Pasqual Gutierrez.
White will celebrate the new album with a number of festival performances, including Shaky Knees in Atlanta (May 4th-6th), Boston Calling 2018 (May 25th-27th), and Governor’s Ball in New York (June 1st-3rd). Additional dates will be unveiled soon. Updates and ticket availability can be found at jackwhiteiii.com/tour-dates.
Ray Stevens Opens 750-Seat Dinner Theater CabaRay In Nashville West
Ray Stevens
Nashville has a new, first-rate 750-seat dinner theater showroom: CabaRay.
Located opposite the popular Nashville West shopping center exit, Ray Stevens will welcome concert goers three nights a week at start.
The 78 year old Stevens, who built the 35,000 square foot facility—complete with management offices, gift shop, soundstage and recording studio—has only performed a handful of dates in the past few years aside from his wildly successful PBS show.
In front of VIP guests Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, which was declared Ray Stevens Day by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, the two-time Grammy winner revisited 60 years of music in the 90-minute show.
Longtime Nashville musician and comedian Kevin King served as emcee for the pre-show, which included read remarks by congresswoman Marsha Blackburn.
“I’m very proud to accept these and live it up to midnight, because at midnight I turn into a side-man,” Stevens from the stage of the accolades and his venture. “I’ve worked in so many venues, I wanted to build a place that I thought was the culmination of all that I would like in a place. Right or wrong, this is it!”
Pictured (L-R): Ricky Skaggs, Ray Stevens, Kelly Lang
Also from the stage, Stevens acknowledged manager Don Williams in addition to his own inspiration behind creating the venue, which includes custom wallpaper with photos of old recording sessions with Chet Atkins, Shelby Singleton, Jerry Kennedy, Owen Bradley, Fred Foster and Billy Sherrill.
“I wanted to remind people that Nashville is Music City USA,” said Stevens of the photos on the walls in a rare serious moment during the show. “The Grand Ole Opry has been the backbone of country music. But when the recording studios decided to locate here, that to me was the crowning touch. Owen Bradley’s the Quonset Hut or Chet Atkins’ RCA A. Without the studios we wouldn’t be music city. The musicians came here to work sessions—I did. Especially with Mercury, RCA, Columbia and Decca. It was kinda dicey in the beginning in. I’ve heard stories that Texas was vying for the business from all the major record companies but Nashville won out. I just think a big thank you is due to all those producers and musicians who started it all.”
Among the titles Stevens performed with a black-tie orchestra spanned gospel’s “Turn Your Radio On” to the politically incorrect “Ahab the Arab” and sexually deviant “It’s Me Again Margaret” and “The Streak.”
Poignant masterpieces highlighted Stevens’ genius in the introductory “Nashville,” alongside “Misty” and “Everything Is Beautiful,” which received a standing ovation from the crowd, including Ralph Emery, Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White, John Berry, the Gatlin Brothers, Steve Wariner, TG Sheppard, Bill Anderson, Kelly Lang, T. Graham Brown, Don Schlitz, Johnny Lee, Lee Roy Parnell, Jeannie Seely, Mandy Barnett, Fred Foster, Harold Bradley, Bobby Goldsboro, Teea Goans, Charlie Monk, Bill Cody, and more.
Signature slapstick vocal wailings were featured on “Along Came Jones,” “Guitarzan,” Sergeant Preston of the Yukon” and “Jeremiah Peabody’s Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving…Green & Purple Pills.”
After four faux, comedic encores, and the obligatory “Mississippi Squirrel Revival,” Stevens indulged himself in one last cover title, “Goodnight Irene,” wrapping an entertaining and worthwhile endeavor among the Nashville music scene.
Ed Sheeran Throws Tim McGraw And Faith Hill’s “The Rest Of Our Life” In Infringement Lawsuit
The second single and title track from Tim McGraw and Faith Hill‘s duet album, The Rest Of Our Life, is at the center of a copyright infringement lawsuit.
Penned by pop singer Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac, “The Rest Of Our Life” is alleged to be a “willful copyright infringement” on the Sean Carey, Beau Golden and Jasmine Rae [Eldridge] song “When I Found You,” released in Australia by Rae in 2014 on ABC Records.
Filed on Wednesday (Jan. 10) in New York federal court, Carey and Golden will be represented by Nashville-based lawyer Richard Busch, noted for the “Blurred Lines” win, representing the family of Marvin Gaye.
Also named as defendants alongside the writers in the case are McGraw and Hill, record labels Sony Music and McGraw Music, in addition to publishers Sony/ATV, Kobalt, Universal Polygram, WB Music, and individual publishing interests of the writers.
The filing alleges the defendants have profited well in excess of $5 million from the Infringing Song and Sound Recording.
The filing goes in great detail and bases much of the impetus to pursue action on Rae’s boyfriend, Tim Holland, who is a marketing employee by Sony Music on the other end of the world in Sydney, Australia. Nevertheless, filing alleges access came from Holland, in addition to Sheeran’s touring schedule, which routed through Australia “when ‘When I Found You’ was enjoying its biggest success on the Australian airwaves.”
The filing says Rae—allegedly not in her own words to protect her boyfriend—chose to abstain from participating in any legal action against “the song’s recording artists … the owner of the recorded track master … or their record company, Sony Music Entertainment,” although she would be willing to make a claim and pursuing actions against the publishers and writers for a portion of the writer’s royalties.”
Alabama, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Sara Evans And Travis Tritt Join Volunteer Jam XX Lineup
ALABAMA, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Sara Evans and Travis Tritt have been added to the lineup for this year’s Volunteer Jam XX, set for March 7 at Bridgestone Arena. The concert event and tribute to its founder, Charlie Daniels, will also include Alison Krauss, Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, Bobby Bare, Chris Janson, Chuck Leavell, Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Justin Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Skaggs, and a performance from Daniels himself. More special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
“This year we get back to basics, back to the free form rocking traditions the Volunteer Jam was known for,” says Daniels of the upcoming show. “I’m planning a jam at the last part of the show that will blow the roof off Bridgestone. And we’ve got the pickers coming this year that can make that happen big time.”
Don Was will serve as music director for the show, presiding over a house band that includes Chuck Leavell and Kenny Aronoff. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster locations, and the Bridgestone Arena box office. A portion of the proceeds from 2018’s Volunteer Jam will be donated to The Journey Home Project, a non-profit co-founded by Daniels and manager David Corlew to help Veterans.
Three Hounds Music Signs Sarah Beth Terry
Pictured (L-R): Tyler Bell – GM Three Hounds Music, Sarah Beth Terry, Tom Harrison – CEO/Founder Three Hounds Music.
Three Hounds Music has entered into an exclusive publishing agreement with singer/songwriter Sarah Beth Terry.
Born and raised in Eastern Kentucky, Terry began writing poems and lyrics at a very early age. She credits songwriter, musician, & producer Bobby Terry (no relation) and artist/songwriter Anthony Smith with teaching her to formulate songs. She is reverential about Smith’s album, If That Ain’t Country (produced and engineered by Bobby Terry) and claims that it was an important turning point for her as a songwriter. Ironically, in addition to signing an exclusive agreement with Bobby’s publishing company, Three Hounds Music, Sarah Beth’s first cut is a Craig Morgan song she wrote with Anthony: “I Hate the Taste of Whiskey.” She also has a cut on the new Gaither Vocal Band album.
I’m thrilled to be part of the Three Hounds Music family,” says Sarah Beth. “It’s a good fit and I’m finally on the playing field!”
Three Hounds Music’s roster also includes songwriters Bobby Terry (Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, Gretchen Wilson), David Tolliver (Tim McGraw, Jerrod Neiman, Brantley Gilbert), Kevin Brandt (Montgomery Gentry, Travis Tritt, Randy Travis), and Americana duo FLEENER.
South By Southwest 2018 Adds To Lineup
The 2018 South By Southwest Festival will have over 570 artists performing at this year’s 32nd annual event, and the festival just released some new additions to the lineup.
In addition to the already announced artists, the festival will host the North American debut of composer Max Richter’s 8-hour masterpiece SLEEP, as well as performances by A Place to Bury Strangers (Brooklyn NY), Aleman (Cabo San Lucas MEXICO), Crush (Seoul SOUTH KOREA), Cuco (Hawthorne CA), Cut Chemist (Los Angeles CA), Duckwrth (Los Angeles CA), Ezra Furman (Chicago IL), Flasher (Washington DC), Goat Girl (London UK-ENGLAND), Grupo Fantasma (Austin TX), Hinds (Madrid SPAIN), Jade Bird (Smallfield UK-ENGLAND), Lali Puna (Munich GERMANY), Lo Moon (Los Angeles CA), Lola Marsh (Tel Aviv ISRAEL), Low (Duluth MN), The Marias (Los Angeles CA), Ought (Montreal CANADA), Smokepurpp (Miami, FL), Son Little (Philadelphia PA), Sunflower Bean (New York NY), Superorganism (London UK-ENGLAND), U.S. Girls (Toronto CANADA), Wifisfuneral (Palm Beach FL), XXX (Seoul SOUTH KOREA), and YFN Lucci (Summerhill GA).
Among the Nashville invitees are Becca Mancari, Brother Sundance, Morgxn, The Cunning, Shell of a Shell, Soccer Mommy, Skyway Man, The Grahams, Harpooner, Tristen, Jonathan Tyler, Third Man Records’ Joshua Hedley, Welles and We Were The States.
SXSW 2018 takes place on stages around Austin from March 12 -18, 2018. Artists performing at SXSW 2018 can be heard by tuning into sxsw.com/fm on your mobile or desktop, or on demand any time at mixcloud.com/sxswfm. To register for the event, go to sxsw.com/attend.
In Pictures: Ray Stevens, Jenny Tolman, John Rich, TobyMac
Mayor Megan Barry Proclaims January 10 Ray Stevens Day
Pictured: Ray Stevens receives his proclamation declaring January 10 Ray Stevens Day.
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry officially declared Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, as Ray Stevens Day in honor of the country and comedy music legend’s numerous accomplishments and contributions to Music City, USA. Recognized as a Nashville music business icon, Stevens is set to open a new art music venue, CabaRay, on Jan. 18.
SESAC’s Jenny Tolman Kicks Off New Year with New Single
Pictured (L-R): SESAC Manager of Creative Services Lydia Schultz, Singer/Songwriter Jenny Tolman and VP of Creative Services Shannan Hatch.
Friends, family and industry colleagues showed up at The Sutler in Nashville on Tuesday night (Jan. 9) for Jenny Tolman’s single release party, to celebrate the release of “Something to Complain About.”
John Rich Celebrates Birthday and Launch of Redneck Riviera Whiskey
Pictured: John Rich celebrates his birthday and the launch of Redneck Riviera Whiskey in Nashville on January 6, 2018. Photo: Joe Hardwick
Media, industry and friends gathered at John Rich‘s Nashville home on Saturday (Jan. 6) to celebrate his birthday as well as the launch of his latest business venture, Redneck Riviera Whiskey. Rich launched the Redneck Riviera lifestyle brand in 2014 that has grown into a multi-faceted franchise with apparel, food and honky tonks.
Pictured (L-R): Gretchen Wilson and John Rich at the Redneck Riviera Whiskey Launch Party on January 6, 2018. Photo: Joe Hardwick
Pictured (L-R): Fox and Friends’ Brian Kilmeade, John Rich and Ronnie Barrett. Photo: Joe Hardwick
TobyMac Celebrates Release of New Single
Pictured: TobyMac celebrates the release of his latest single with a meet and greet for fans.
CCM artist TobyMac provided fans an early glimpse of his latest song with a single release party at Citizen in Downtown Franklin last week. Fans celebrated the release of TobyMac‘s first new single in two plus years, “I Just Need U.,” and were treated to an exclusive meet & greet along with a limited edition vinyl 45 of the single.