DISClaimer Singles Reviews: Miranda Lambert, Brett Eldredge, Eric Church, And More

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There are so many bogus “artists” in the country format, but they are absent today.

It gives me so much pleasure in this week’s DISClaimer to review new music by such quality people as Miranda Lambert, HARDY, Eric Church, Alecia Nugent, Brett Eldredge and Chris Stapleton. They are the sort of folks who all current country artists should aspire to emulate.

In a stack of platters that is an embarrassment of riches, choosing a Disc of the Day is ridiculously hard. I’m going with Brett Eldredge, but the award could easily belong to any of the above.

The DISCovery Award goes to Matt Castillo.

LAINE HARDY/Tiny Town
Writers: Michael Tyler Spragg; Publisher: none listed; Sony-ATV/Pink Dog/Emileon/Little Louder/Songs of Kobalt/Wrucke For You/Songs of Universal, BMI; Producer: Michael Knox; LH
– As a former American Idol winner, he has an established fan base. What I like most about this is the clarity and simplicity of his delivery. It’s an acoustic-based production, so there’s plenty of room for his easy-going vocal presentation. The song is an okay, small-town salute that country listeners seem to love so well. By the way, Laine Hardy is a coronavirus survivor.

MIRANDA LAMBERT/Settling Down
Writers: Luke Dick/Miranda Lambert/Natalie Hemby; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Jay Joyce; RCA
– Congratulations to her for now being the most nominated female artist in CMA history. This spectacular little single is a total celebration of her voice, her songwriting and her personality. What a groove. This is the stuff of greatness.

MATT CASTILLO/Say It
Writers: Roger Brown/Tommy Conners/Don Rollins/Matt Castillo; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Roger Brown; MC
– It’s a toe tapper with stuttering guitar and steel. Hard to resist. Props to producer Brown and the relentless rhythm section.

LOCASH/Beers To Catch Up On
Writers: Jeremy Stover/Rhett Akins/Paul Charles Digiovanni; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/Anthem Entertainment/Universal/Ole Red Cape/Real Big Red Tunes/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/ASCAP; Producer: none listed; Wheelhouse/BBR
– Buddy-buddy, warm and brotherly. A dandy sentiment about old friends, delivered with heart.

BRETT ELDREDGE/Sunday Drive
Writers: Barry Dean/Don Mescall/Steve Robson; Publisher: none listed; Producer: none listed; Warner
– Righteous and true. “It’s the ordinary things that mean so much.” The ballad takes him from his childhood riding with his folks to driving them himself when they get old. It choked me up, big time. During this pandemic, one of the things we do to keep our mental health is to go for drives with no destination. I guess partly because I remember my Dad taking us on Sunday drives. So Amen, to this song.

CHRIS STAPLETON/Starting Over
Writers: Chris Stapleton/Mike Henderson; Publishers: I Wrote These Songs/WC/Straight Six/Wixen, ASCAP/BMI; Producers: Dave Cobb/Chris Stapleton; Mercury
– He’s down, but hopeful. No matter how dark it seems, there is always a bright tomorrow and a shiny renewal. Strummy and upbeat, but grounded in gritty reality. A pure country-music delight.

ALECIA NUGENT/They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy Anymore
Writers: Alecia Nugent/Carl Jackson; Publishers: Hillbilly Goddess/Bluewater/Colonel Rebel/BMG, ASCAP; Producer: Keith Stegall; Hillbilly Goddess
– Known for her prior work in bluegrass, Nugent’s comeback CD The Old Side of Town is a move into mainstream country. She’s been off the radar for nearly a decade, and I have sorely missed her. Nugent remains an absolutely heart-stopping, old-school country singer. This lilting, nostalgic single is not the 1974 Loretta Lynn hit with the identical title (penned by Jerry Chestnut). It is a tribute to her childhood singing partner and pop, who has passed away. Sweet, endearing and totally autobiographical.

ERIC CHURCH/Crazyland
Writers: Eric Church/Luke Laird/Michael Heeney; Publisher: none listed; Producer: none listed; EMI
– Super creative. The songwriting here is just excellent. “Crazyland” is a tavern populated by characters named “Fool,” “Sorrow,” “I Told You So,” “Regret,” “All My Fault” and “Out of His Mind.” They hang out together in misery, singing the songs of a fellow named “Blues.” The shuffling percussion, piano notes and soft echo are just a few of the highlights in the airy production. This man is as good as contemporary country music gets.

HARDY/Boyfriend
Writers: Zach Abend/HARDY/Andy Albert; Publisher: none listed; Producer: none listed; Big Loud
– Love this. Love him. It shows a softer and super romantic side of this gifted writer-artist. His approach to country music always gives me hope for the future.

ARLO McKINLEY/Die Midwestern
Writer: Arlo McKinley; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Matt Ross Spang; Oh Boy
– A weaving honky-tonk band with a slippery fiddle are the loosey-goosey accompaniment to this love-hate ode to dead-end Ohio. It’s kinda like a mashup of The Band, John Prine and Austin country. He’s a Cincinnati native, and the video tours you through that city’s urban neighborhoods.

MITCHELL TENPENNY/Broken Up
Writers: Devin Dawson/Mitchell Tenpenny/Kyle Fishman/Ernest K. Smith; Publishers: Audium/Sony-ATV/Universal/Warner-Chappell; Producer: Jordan Schmidt; Riser House/Columbia
– A break-up song that’s also a solid banger. The “echo” answering vocals, rippling electronics and beats make this as much a jam as it is a lament. Recommended.

Meet Music Row Virtual Auction Offers Time Slots With Industry Execs

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Meet Music Row, a virtual silent auction offering valuable time with some of the music industry’s top executives, kicks off this Saturday (Sept. 5), with 100% of the proceeds going to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. The auction runs through Sept. 13.

Created by songwriter Barbara Cloyd and hosted by country duo Hasting & Co., bidders can win a 30-minute virtual meeting with some of the music industry’s key career-makers. This year’s auction features time slots with producer Dan Huff, CMT Senior V.P. of Music Strategy and Talent Leslie Fram, Make Wake Artists’ Chris Kappy (Luke Combs), Green Hills Music Publishing’s Woody Bomar, songwriter and publisher Liz Rose, Curb’s VP of Artist Development and A&R Laurel Kittleson, and more.

“I did an auction like this after the 2010 flood with a great result,” said Cloyd. “When the tornado and coronavirus gave Nashville a one-two punch, I knew it was time to do it again. My heart told me to give the money to Second Harvest because no matter what problems you are facing, you can’t deal with them if you don’t have food to eat.”

In addition to the auction, donations will be taken through the website, and t-shirts are available for purchase as well benefiting Second Harvest. To learn more about this year’s Meet Music Row silent auction, or to donate, bid, or purchase a t-shirt, visit meetmusicrow.com.

Alicia Jones Joins River House Artists

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Alicia Jones

River House Artists Nashville has expanded its staff, with Alicia Jones joining the company as Artist Manager to oversee management for the duo Southerland, a recent River House Artists signee.

“I am so thankful for the recent introduction to Alicia” said Lynn Oliver-Cline, River House Artists Founder/Owner. “She has a great point of view and a vast knowledge of all things country music and artist development. I am excited to have her bring her talents and expertise to the River House Artists team.”

Jones, a native of North Carolina, got her start in the Nashville entertainment industry in 2001 with stops including Hi-Fi Fusion, Mike Robertson Management, Iconic Entertainment and almost 10 years at Dennis Entertainment. She has worked with artists including Patty Loveless, Wade Hayes, Billy Currington, Montgomery Gentry, and Kelsea Ballerini.

“I am beyond thrilled to have joined the River House Artists team,” said Jones. “I knew on my first call with Lynn that I had found a home. Her instincts are incredible, her passion was contagious and her love of the music is absolutely refreshing.”

River House Artists’ management roster include Luke Combs, Chrissy Metz, Niko Moon, Jordan Rowe and Southerland.

Jones can be reached at alicia@riverhouseartists.com.

Metro Approves $2 Million Aid For Nashville’s Independent Music Venues

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On Tuesday evening (Sept. 1), Nashville’s Metro Council approved a recommendation to give $2 million in emergency support grants from CARES Act funding to Nashville independent music venues that have annual revenues of $5 million or less. The funds for music venues will be administered through Pathway Lending.

Each grant will provide a maximum of two months of current operating expenses, excluding payroll and not to exceed a grant of $100,000 per recipient.

“Live music is the heart and soul of Nashville as well as a huge driver of our local economy,” Metro Council member Courtney Johnston said in introducing the recommendation. “Annually, live music venues account for 5,600 concerts significantly impacting tourism, $5m in compensation to 46,000 musicians, hundreds of jobs, over $2m in state and local taxes, and over $1.1m in rent payments to local property owners.”

Johnston also noted a recent piece from Tennessee Lookout that stated an average of less than six weeks remain until many small, independent Nashville music venues are forced to close their doors, adding that less than 13 weeks from now, all but one would be permanently closed, unless they receive assistance.
“We risk losing the irreplaceable foundation of Nashville’s entire live music ecosystem, the loss of which would be culturally unfathomable and devastating economically,” Johnston said.

The recommendation passed Tuesday evening, with 36 members voting in favor of the bill, while two abstained and one was absent. Additionally, another $2 million was approved for small businesses, though it was noted that venues that receive grants are not also eligible for additional grant dollars through the small and micro businesses grant.

Eligible grant recipients must be live music venues that are independent, Nashville-owned, and primarily used for live music entertainment. Eligible venues must require concert tickets, admissions and/or other cover charges for entry at least 50% of the time the facility is open to the public. The funds are geared toward music venues where ticket sales are required and alcohol and food sales are ancillary to the performance revenues. Eligible venues’ annual receipts for the 12-month period ending Feb. 29, 2020 also cannot exceed five million dollars.

Eligible venues that have been convicted of a citation, warrant or administrative penalty for violation of a Metro emergency COVID-19 public health order can be determined by the committee to be ineligible to receive funds.

A metro council member says following application and approval, venues could expect to receive funds within days. Music venues should reach out to Pathway Lending as they work to prepare applications for eligible music venues.

Nashville Buildings Go Red To Support Live Events Industry

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Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Ryman Auditorium/Instagram

Venues and companies across Nashville turned red on Tuesday evening (Sept. 1), as part of the #WeMakeEvents #RedAlertRESTART campaign, to raise awareness and support for the 77% of live events workers who have lost 100% of their incomes during the COVID-19 pandemic (including 97% of 1099 workers), according to wemakeevents.org.

More than 1,800 venues and companies across the nation took part in the event. Among the Nashville companies that pledged to take part were the Country Music Association, Red Light Management, 4 Wall- Nashville, Bandit Lites, Bradfield Stage Lighting, Brantley Sound Associates, Center Stage Events, Chris Lisle Lighting Design, Fireplay, Gallagher Staging, GO Live Productions,, Mo TV/Steelmill, Morris Light & Sound, PRG-Nashville, Pulse Lighting, Pyrotek Special Effects, Room 1 at SIR Nashville, Soundcheck/Crew 1, Thunder Audio, Ascend Amphitheater, Bridgestone Arena, Marathon Music Works, Nissan Stadium, Ole Red, Grand Ole Opry House, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Ryman Auditorium and more.

Nashville was just one of several cities that took part on Sept. 1, with others including Washington D.C., Huntsville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Baltimore, Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Boulder, Fayetteville, Lexington, Louisville, and Canadian neighbors including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Nissan Stadium. Photo: Daniel Rehbein

The event implores the U.S. Congress to pass the RESTART Act as soon as possible, to offer economic relief to the live events industry, and potentially expand pandemic unemployment benefits.

According to wemakeevents.org, the live events industry employs more than 12 million people, and contributes more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy. 95% of live events have been canceled due to COVID-19, with 96% of companies cutting staff and/or wages.

The live events industry was among the first to shut down and will be among the last to reopen. Live events powerhouse Live Nation recently reported its revenues dropped by a staggering 98% in the second quarter of 2020.

The U.S. #RedAlertRESTART event on Sept. 1 followed a similar event on Aug. 11, the #WeMakeEvents Red Alert Day of Action, when over 700 buildings were lit red across the U.K., calling attention to the same plight affecting the live events industry there.

Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Bridgestone Arena/Instagram

Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Grand Ole Opry/Instagram

The Steel Mill. Photo: The Steel Mill/Facebook

Country Music Association. Photo: Collin Nixon/Morris Light & Sound

‘Hidden History Of Music Row’ Revealed In New Book

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Hidden History of Music Row, a new book from Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, features the hidden secrets and little known gems about Nashville’s Music Row. The book was written by Elizabeth Elkins and Vanessa Olivarez, (aka the alt-country singer-songwriter duo Granville Automatic,) along with historian/museum consultant/writer Brian Allison.

The book sets out to tell the full, unadulterated story of the heart of Music City, and digs into the dreamers, doers, architects, madmen, ghosts, and hitmakers that made these avenues and alleys world-famous.

Between its covers, readers will find never-before-seen photos of Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Kris Kristofferson, and Shel Silverstein and interviews with multi-Platinum writers and performers, all painting a picture of Music Row’s beautifully gritty boom.

“Getting the opportunity to write a book was a real surprise for us as a band,” co-author Elkins explains. “An editor at the History Press found us through an article in The Bitter Southerner about our last album Radio Hymns. That record was all about Nashville’s lost history and he felt it would be interesting for two songwriters with a love of history to team up with a historian and tell the stories of this extraordinarily complicated, mysterious, and mythical place, warts and all.”

Hidden History of Music Row is now available for purchase here.

Brantley Gilbert, Miranda Lambert, Chris Young To Headline Citadel Country Spirit Fest

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Philadelphia country music festival Citadel Country Spirit USA has revealed the Aug. 27-29, 2021 GMC Sierra Stage lineup and schedule. The 2020 festival was postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus.

Brantley Gilbert will headline on Aug. 27, 2021, while Miranda Lambert will headline on Aug. 28, 2021 and Chris  Young will headline on Aug. 29, 2021.

The three-day festival will also include performances from Justin Moore, Rodney Atkins, RaeLynn, Niko Moon, Brett Young, Carly Pearce, Jon Langston, Muscadine Bloodline, Josh Turner, Scotty McCreery and Lindsay Ell.

Hosted by Chester County’s Brandywine Valley, the festival is held at Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Grounds, located in the countryside of Philadelphia just minutes from the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Downingtown West Chester exit.

Previously purchased three-day passes, single-day tickets and parking upgrades will be honored for the 2021 dates. Ticket exchanges and refunds are available Sept. 2 through Sept. 9, 2020. Tickets for the 2021 festival, starting from $89 plus fees, are on sale now.

Recording Academy Forms Black Music Collective With John Legend, Quincy Jones

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The Recording Academy has formed a new Black Music Collective of prominent Black music creators and professionals who share the common goal of amplifying Black voices within the Academy and the music community. Jeffrey Harleston, Jimmy Jam, Quincy Jones, Debra Lee, John Legend, and Sylvia Rhone will serve as honorary chairs of the new Recording Academy BMC.

A leadership committee will be confirmed in the coming weeks and will work with the honorary chairs to propel the collective’s mission. Recording Academy Trustee Riggs Morales and Washington, D.C. Chapter Executive Director Jeriel Johnson will lead the initiative internally.

As a part of the Recording Academy’s commitment to evolving hand-in-hand with its membership, the collective will serve as a space for members to speak openly about new and emerging opportunities in Black music across all genres and identify ways to drive more representation.

“The Black Music Collective is necessary to help drive the Recording Academy into a new era. Creating an open space for Black music creators can only benefit our membership as a whole,” said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “Through the past few months, I’ve been personally invested in propelling this collective along with Chapter leadership within the Academy. Together, we will elevate Black music creators within our organization and the industry at large.”

“As Black music continues to drive culture, it is essential we grow and maintain representation within the Academy and the music industry,” said Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of the Recording Academy. “We’re thrilled to help develop the leaders of tomorrow with impactful educational and experiential programs that we will announce in coming weeks.”

In July 2020, the Academy announced a partnership with the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, Color of Change, and set forth to create a Black music advisory group. The Black Music Collective fulfills this promise and is bringing together creators and business leaders to create a pipeline of future industry trailblazers. Leaders will meet regularly and initiate programs that will encourage participation and accelerate Black membership in the Recording Academy.

BREAKING: "The Git Up" Hitmaker Blanco Brown Hospitalized Following Head-On Collision

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“The Git Up” hitmaker Blanco Brown was involved in a head-on collision on Monday evening (Aug. 31) near his home in Atlanta, Georgia, according to a statement from his label BBR Music Group.

According to the statement, Brown suffered significant injuries and was transported to a local hospital where he underwent a 12-hour surgery to address those traumas. He is currently in ICU and additional required surgeries are expected. No other details were available at press time.

Brown earned a 3x multi-Platinum certification from the RIAA for his smash hit “The Git Up,” which stayed atop Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart for 12 weeks. The song went viral after a social video of Blanco performing a dance to the song became popular and earned nearly three billion views and millions of user-generated videos using #TheGitUpChallenge.

54th Annual CMA Awards Will Not Have An In-House Audience

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This year’s Country Music Association Awards, set for Nov. 11, won’t have a live in-house audience of wall-to-wall fans and music industry members packing Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, as it has in years past.

In a recent letter to CMA members, CMA CEO Sarah Trahern noted that venue capacity for the upcoming 54th annual CMA Awards will be limited to essential personnel only. No tickets will be sold for this year’s CMA Awards, which will air on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 11.

Sony Music Nashville artist Miranda Lambert topped this year’s nominees with seven nominations, and making CMA Awards history in the process, as the first female artist to earn a record-breaking 55 total career nominations, breaking Reba McEntire’s record (McEntire earned her 51st career nomination this year). Lambert’s nominations include Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“Bluebird”), Album of the Year (Wildcard), Song of the Year (“Bluebird”), Musical Event of the Year (“Fooled Around And Fell In Love”), and Music Video of the Year (“Bluebird”).

Two more Sony Nashville artists, Luke Combs and Maren Morris also top this year’s nominations, with Combs earning six nominations (including his first for Entertainer of the Year) and Morris earning five nominations, adding to her previous 16 nominations and two wins.