Weekly Register: Aaron Watson’s ‘Underdog’ Has Plenty of Bite

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aaron watson underdog_cover

Indie artist Aaron Watson isn’t an underdog this week. His latest album, The Underdog, debuted at the top of the country album chart with sales of 26K. The Texas-based singer released his 12th album through his own Big Label Records in conjunction with Thirty Tigers. Hitmaker Keith Stegall helmed production for Watson’s traditional country sound, including new lead single “That Look.” 2014 marked the third year in a row of Watson selling over 100,000 hard tickets. The CAA artist plays over 200 shows a year to between 2,000 and 6,000 fans a night.

There are a few other noteworthy country debuts, including Steve Earle and The Dukes’ Terraplane (New West), selling 11K to fly in at No. 3. BMLG had two new releases this week: The Mavericks’ Mono lands at No. 5 with 8K, and Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me (documentary soundtrack), debuted with 3K. Campbell’s “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” from the film, saw a 613 percent surges in downloads (12K this week) thanks to Tim McGraw’s performance on the Oscars, where the tune was nominated for Best Original Song.

Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” stays at No. 1 on the country tracks chart, selling 51K.

Imagine Dragons debuts at No. 1 on the Top 200 with Smoke + Mirrors attracting consumption of 195K (172K album sales).

YTD albums
Overall -.3%
Country -11.1%

YTD tracks
Overall -11.7%
Country -18.1%

Blackberry Smoke Teams with Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine

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blackberry smokeOle Smoky Tennessee Moonshine, Tennessee’s First Legal Moonshine has partnered with band Blackberry Smoke, who recently celebrated a chart-topping album debut in the country rankings. Ole Smoky has joined Blackberry Smoke on their U.S. tour, pouring out their Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine backstage and for the fans in attendance.

Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr reflects, “It’s great to be able to partner with an authentic Company like Ole Smoky Moonshine.” He continues, “It’s important for us to work with genuine brands.”

Bandmate Brit Turner adds, “It’s great to work with another American company that shows such great respect to their employees and customers. Ole Smoky Moonshine has the best product in the legal moonshine game.”

“We are thrilled to partner with one of our favorite bands, Blackberry Smoke, on their upcoming tour. Rocking out with them across the country and meeting old and new fans of Ole Smoky is an honor. We are an American brand, by the people and for the people, and can’t wait to get out on the road with the band and make some great memories,” said Ole Smoky co-founder Joe Baker.

Blackberry Smoke Winter/Spring 2015 US Tour Dates:
2.24     Lincoln, NE – The Bourbon Theater
2.26     Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
2.27     Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
2.28     Springfield, IL – Boondocka
3.5       Milwaukee, WI – Rave
3.6       Chicago, IL – Joe’s Sports Bar
3.7       Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
3.11     Green Bay, WI – Meyer Theater
3.12     Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
3.13     Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
3.14     Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
3.19     Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Cleveland
3.20     Philadelphia, PA – The Electric Factory
3.21     Munhall, PA – Carnegie Music Hall
3.22     Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
3.24     Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom
3.26     Portland, ME – State Theatre
3.27     Boston, MA – House of Blues Boston
3.28     New York, NY – Webster Hall
4.3       Nashville, TN-Ryman Auditorium
4.8       Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
4.9       Richmond, VA – The National
4.10     Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring
4.11     Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion
4.16     Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
4.17     Charlotte, NC  – The Fillmore Charlotte
4.18     Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues Myrtle Beach
4.22     Columbia, SC –  Music Farm Columbia
4.23     Charleston, SC – Music Farm
4.24     Dothan, AL – Toadlick Music Festival
4.25     Orlando, FL – House of Blues Orlando
4.30     Austin, TX – Emo’s
5.1       New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
5.2       New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
5.7       Houston, TX – House of Blues
5.8       Dallas, TX – House of Blues
5.9       San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater

Starbucks Retail Stores To Halt CD Sales

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StarbucksBeginning in late March, popular coffee chain Starbucks will halt sales of CDs, MusicRow has confirmed.

“We are always looking to evolve our offerings, based on the needs of our customers. Starbucks has curated music for more than 20 years, and music will continue to be a component of our coffeehouse experience, but we will continue to evolve in the formats that we use,” said a Starbucks representative.

The company will continue promoting digital music, as well as the curated music heard in its stores and its “Pick of the Week” program.

The chain’s foray into music sales began in 1999, after it acquired Hear Music and began stocking its more than 21,000 retail stores with physical CDs. Hear Music released albums of original songs from Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Ray Charles’ Grammy-winning final project Genius Loves Company, among many others.

Even so, Starbucks has never been a significant outlet for country music CD sales. Recent CDs that have been prominently displayed in front of registers at Starbucks counters include Taylor Swift’s pop-oriented 1989 project, the Frozen soundtrack, and the jazz compilation Blue Note Blends.

Hirings and Promotions: Goldenvoice, New Heartland Group

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image001Goldenvoice, producers of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Music Festival, have promoted Stacy Vee to Festival Talent Buyer, where she will oversee all booking and talent buying for both Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, Calif., and Big Barrel Country Music Festival in Dover, Del.

“It is exciting to see this happen for Stacy,” said Paul Tollett, President and CEO of Goldenvoice. “Her appreciation for all the different types of country music, combined with the relationships she’s established in Nashville, made this role a natural fit for her.”

Vee will continue to support Tollett on day-to-day activities related to booking all other festival talent buying opportunities and managing the experience of agents, managers and musicians that do business with Goldenvoice.

• • •

New Heartland Group logoNew Heartland Group, a branding agency in Brentwood, Tenn., has added Jordan Harrison as Account Executive, and Kelly Dean as Account Coordinator.

Harrison joins from Girlilla Marketing, where Jordan was a Sr. Account Manager. Dean joins New Heartland Group as a recent graduate of Lipscomb University.

New Heartland Group’s recent branded entertainment partnerships include Blake Shelton with Pizza Hut, and Dierks Bentley with Mountain Dew.

Weekly Register: Blackberry Smoke Debuts At No. 1

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Blackberry Smoke

Blackberry Smoke

Blackberry Smoke grabbed the No. 1 spot on the country album chart selling 19K of Holding All The Roses. This is the band’s fourth studio album and its first for Rounder.

Other country album debuts include Robert Earl Keen (6.7K) and Love & Theft (2.9K).

Miranda Lambert’s “Little Red Wagon” rode in to the No. 2 country tracks spot, snagging a 105 percent bump thanks in part to her performance of the song on the Grammy Awards.

Drake surprised fans with a digital-only release, which debuted at No. 1 overall with total consumption of 535K (495K album sales). The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack came in at No. 2, with total consumption of 258K (210K albums).

Top 5 Country Albums this week
Blackberry Smoke, 19K
Sam Hunt, 17K
Jason Aldean, 14K
Florida Georgia Line, 11K
Miranda Lambert, 11K

Top 5 Country Tracks this week
Sam Hunt “Take Your Time” 52K
Miranda Lambert “Little Red Wagon” 31K
Thomas Rhett “Make Me Wanna” 28K
Blake Shelton ft. Ashley Monroe “Lonely Tonight” 27K
Zac Brown Band “Homegrown” 26K

YTD Albums
Overall +.2%
Country -8.5%

YTD Tracks
Overall -11.6%
Country -18.1%

 

Willie Nelson To Release Memoir ‘It’s A Long Story: My Life’

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willie nelsonWillie Nelson’s memoir It’s A Long Story: My Life will be available on May 5, 2015.  It was written by Nelson with four-time Gleason Music Book winner, David Ritz.

Nelson has more than six decades in the music industry, released over 100 albums, has been awarded 10 Grammys, was esteemed by the Kennedy Center Honors, and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He has written some of the most popular songs of all time, including “On the Road Again,” “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” “Crazy,” “Night Life,” and “Funny How Time Slips Away,” and recorded classics like “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” “Bring Me Sunshine,” and “Always on My Mind.”

In the book, Nelson shares stories about Nashville in the 60’s, where he failed to fit the mold of the Nashville sound. He also tells stories of close friends and collaborators Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Ray Price and Waylon Jennings.

At nearly 82 years old, he still tours the country and headlines music festivals.

Coke and Lady A Partner for ‘Freestyle’ Meet-and-Greet

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Lady-A-Coke-FreestyleCoca-Cola drinkers will have the opportunity to meet Capitol Nashville trio Lady Antebellum backstage on their Wheels Up 2015 Tour.

Since the band’s latest single is titled “Freestyle,” the promotion provides fans who use Coca-Cola Freestyle–a fountain dispenser that blends specific recipes–a code to enter for the grand prize trip for two to a 2015 Lady A concert of the winner’s choice. Other prizes include Lady A 747 Deluxe CDs, autographed pictures and single downloads.

“Coca Cola Freestyle encourages individuality and customization by offering unprecedented choices,” said Joel Bishop, VP/GM, Coca Cola Freestyle, Coca Cola North America. “In that spirit, we invited Hillary, Charles and Dave of Lady Antebellum to express their personal style and taste by creating their own beverage mixes for their fans to enjoy.”

The trio’s Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood each created a personal mix available only with the Freestyle beverage dispenser. Fans can look for the Lady A promo button on over 600 participating machines to choose from the three mixes, including Charles’ Smooth Rollin’ Mix, a sweet blend of Vanilla Coke and Barq’s. Dave’s Rock ‘n’ Bold Mix blends Sprite Vanilla and Seagram’s Ginger Ale. Hillary’s Southern Cherry Mix combines Coke Zero Cherry and Coke Zero Raspberry.

After fans pour their beverage, they will text the code that appears on the screen. From March 23-April 30 fans can also download the Coca-Cola Freestyle app to receive an offer to add all three Lady A mixes to their favorites. When they visit any Coca-Cola Freestyle, they can use the QR code within the app to pour any of the exclusive mixes. Push notifications within the app will allow fans to enter the sweepstakes.

For full details as well as the list of participating retailers, visit coca-colafreestyle.com and cocacola.promo.eprize.com.

Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman To Release First Cookbook

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kimberly schlapman little big townKimberly Schlapman of the Grammy-Winning group Little Big Town will release her first cookbook on April 14, 2015.

In Oh Gussie! Cooking and Visiting in Kimberly’s Southern Kitchen, Schlapman shares recipes and stories from her roots in the Appalachian foothills of north Georgia, her travels on tour with the band, and from the life she loves back home in Nashville.

The book was written with James Beard and Award-winner author Martha Foose, and will be published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. William Morrow has acquired world rights to the book. Cassie Jones, VP & Editorial Director of William Morrow Cookbooks, negotiated the deal with CAA.

“I’ve been so excited about this that I could hardly stand the wait!” says Schlapman. “When I’m not on stage with Little Big Town, you can probably find me in my kitchen.  As long as I’ve been singing, I’ve been cooking.  I have poured my heart and soul into this book, and I hope these recipes and stories will inspire you and bring you closer to the ones you love as you fill up their bellies—and their hearts.”

Weekly Register: Early Grammys Sales Bump

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Miranda Lambert performs "Little Red Wagon" during the 57th annual Grammy Awards. Photo: Grammy.com

Miranda Lambert performs “Little Red Wagon” during the 57th annual Grammy Awards. Photo: Grammy.com

Soundscan’s sales week closed at midnight on Sunday (Feb. 8) following the Grammy Awards, but in that short window a few artists who performed on the show experienced sales bumps. Country queen Miranda Lambert offered her feisty “Little Red Wagon,” which rode in with a 100% gain, selling 15K tracks and pulling in a 65% album increase (6.1K). Fellow performers seeing album boosts include Eric Church (up 55% with 6.8K) and Brandy Clark (275% with 1.6K). A bigger impact is expected in next week’s numbers.

On the country charts, Sam Hunt is still dominating at No. 1 on the tracks list with “Take Your Time” (47K), and No. 1 on the albums list (15K TW to cross the 300K mark).

Taylor Swift, who did not perform on the Grammys telecast, remains in the No. 1 spot on the Top 200 this week.

Nashville indie turned Warner Bros. signee Sturgill Simpson took his turtles all the way down—or should we say up—to swim over the 100K album threshold this week.

Top 5 Country Albums TW
Sam Hunt, 15K
Jason Aldean, 10K
Carrie Underwood, 8.6K
Florida Georgia Line, 7.8K
Eric Church, 6.8K

Thomas Rhett’s “When I Was Your Man” is the top country track debut, coming in at No. 2 with 28K downloads, and securing T. Rhett’s second single in the top 5.

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars are still funking it up with the No. 1 overall track, as their “Uptown Funk” moved 319K TW and 3.5 million RTD.

Top 5 Country Tracks TW
Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time” 47K
Thomas Rhett, “When I Was Your Man” 28K
Blake Shelton ft. Ashley Monroe, “Lonely Tonight” 28K
Thomas Rhett, “Make Me Wanna” 26K
Luke Bryan, “I See You” 24K

Year To Date
Country digital album sales are up +10.7% YTD, while total country album sales are flat at 0%. YTD all-genre album sales are down -1.7% and overall digital albums are down -1.5%.

YTD overall track sales are down -12.1% and country tracks are down -18.9%.

Are Country Radio Listeners “Morning People”?

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edison-logo-hEdison Research will once again present findings of an extensive research study at Country Radio Seminar 2015, scheduled for Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. at the Nashville Convention Center in downtown Nashville, Tenn. Edison’s Larry Rosin and Megan Lazovick will present the study, which is a look at country radio listeners’ needs, habits, and media usage.

One key finding from the Edison Research study is that country music listeners more likely than the overall population to describe themselves as “morning people.” Country fans also say they are in a consistently better‐than‐average mood throughout the morning. The presentation on Feb. 26 will focus on how to appeal to these active country fans, and will be broken out into half-hour increments.

The new study is the latest in a series of Edison/CRS research presentations. Edison surveyed more than 1,500 listeners about their morning habits and media usage, as well as conducting dozens of one‐on‐one interviews in three different markets.

The 2015 CRS research presentation delves into major issues, such as in‐car usage, radio ownership, the need for service elements, and favorite morning show topics and
features, but also into the small details of listeners’ morning routines. Broadcasters have always asked their morning talent to focus on the “typical” listener’s lifestyle; this study will give them more information to do just that.