Kane Brown. Photo: Matthew Berinato
Black Lives Matter say the stars in this week’s edition of DISClaimer.
Henry Particelli and Tony Stampley are singing songs of racial reconciliation. Kane Brown is on hand with Khalid and Swae Lee, as is newcomer Camo Brian, who wins the DisCovery Award.
There are plenty of other good tunes today. I especially recommend Runaway June, Eric Paslay and Chris Janson. For super songwriting excellence, the essentials are Hailey Whitter‘s “Janice at the Hotel Bar” and our Disc of the Day, “Lonely Alone” by Sheryl Crow with Willie Nelson.
RUNAWAY JUNE/We Were Rich
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Ross Copperman/Nicolle Galyon; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Combustion Engine; Producer: none listed; BBR/Wheelhouse
-Sweetly heart tugging and absolutely gorgeous sounding. I don’t know which I like better, the deliciously well written lyric or the breath-taking harmony-vocal perfection. I fell hard for this little slice of American life. With new member Natalie Stovall on board, the trio introduced this on last week’s Grand Ole Opry broadcast. Loved it then. Love it now.
CHRIS JANSON/Waitin’ On 5
Writers: Chris Janson/Craig Wiseman/Shy Carter/Tommy Cecil; Publisher: Sony/ATV/BMG Rights/Ole; Producer: none listed; Warner
-A blue-collar rouser that’s itching for the working day to end so that the party can begin. I usually don’t like gang-shouted backup vocals, but they work perfectly here.
TONY STAMPLEY/Colorblind
Writers: Tony Stampley/Bonnie Swayze; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Chris Janson, Tommy Cecil; TS
-A song for our times. It’s a plea for peace between races and for universal love. Tony’s songs have been recorded by a country who’s-who, including Hank Jr., Billy Currington, Randy, Moe, Tritt, John Anderson, George Jones, Chesnutt, Confederate Railroad and his daddy Joe Stampley. As he had done many times before, he can sing ’em just fine, himself.
ERIC PASLAY/Nice Guy
Writers: Eric Paslay/Craig Wiseman; Publisher: none listed; Producer: F. Reid Shippen/Tofer Brown; Paso Fino Records
– Very cute. He’s gonna get mean and nasty because, “It just don’t pay to be a nice guy in a bad-guy world.” The bopping track and light-hearted vocal are as delightful as the lyric. The video is a spot-the-celebrity collage of cameo appearances interspersed with Paslay in the slammer. I’ve always liked this guy.
HAILEY WHITTERS/Janice at the Hotel Bar
Writers: Hailey Whitters/Lori McKenna; Publisher: Scrambler Music, a division of Carnival Music Group, Maps and Records Music, Creative Pulse Music; Producer: Jake Gear, Hailey Whitters; Pigasus/Big Loud/Songs & Daughters
– This woman is so prodigiously talented. As if singing like a hillbilly angel wasn’t enough, she can write something so simply profound and true as this minor masterpiece. While you’re seeking this gem out (and you should), get addicted and plunge into the audio wonders of “Dream Girl,” “All the Cool Girls” and the rest of her extraordinary catalog. Her entire album The Dream is a country lover’s dream.
KANE BROWN, SWAE LEE & KHALID/Be Like That
Writers: Xplicit/Charlie Handsome/Kane Brown; Publisher: Universal/Warner Chappell; Producer: none listed; RCA
– Tuneful, jaunty and catchy, in a loopy kinda way. The mash-up of country with hip-hop is surprisingly effective in this ditty about a conflicted relationship. It works because Swae Lee’s falsetto portion and Khalid’s robust lower voice alleviate Brown’s (overly?) repetitive main refrain.
HENRY PARTICELLI/Your Name
Writer: Particelli; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Henry Particelli; HP
-Particelli wrote this in the wake of George Floyd’s death. “I know you never wanted this kind of fame/I’m so sorry that’s how we know your name,” he sings to the innocent man who died at the hands of police officers. The video intercuts shots of everyday citizens, black and white, holding signs with slogans of affirmation with footage of him singing alone in the studio. Toward the finale, he is pictured performing the lyric in a police uniform. It is not a costume for the video. You see, he is a for-real Metro Nashville police sergeant, trying to restore cops’ reputations by emphasizing their overall wish to help the public. He has his work cut out for him: This week in a botched-address scenario, Nashville officers broke down the door of an innocent Black mother’s home with their guns drawn while she pleaded for her children’s lives.
LAUREN ALAINA & JON PARDI/Getting Over Him
Writers: Lauren Alaina/Paul DiGiovanni/Emily Weisband; Publisher: none listed; Producer: none listed; Mercury Nashville
-It’s a rocking “rebound” tune. They both exude personality and verve, but Alaina definitely has the edge over her partner.
CAMO BRIAN/Already Famous
Writers: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Producers: none listed; Average Joes
-Bear with me: His name is Camo, and he wears camo. Musically, he takes a page from the Lil Nas X/BRELAND country-trap playbook in this banger about loving his lady just the way she is. She’s a “celebrity on the red carpet/In some clothes you bought from Target.” Also: He likes her rear end, so “Go ahead and park it.” He’s an animated figure in his video wherein he name checks both “Old Town Road” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” This is his first single.
SHERYL CROW & WILLIE NELSON/Lonely Alone
Writer: Sheryl Crow, Shane McAnally; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Steve Jordan; Valory Music Co.
-Drawn from her celebrity-collabs CD Threads, which she says is her final album, Crow gets all warm and cozy in this outstanding duet with Nelson. The song of two strangers sidling up to each other in a bar is wonderfully well written. Willie’s beautifully comforting voice and guitar playing are the real stars here, plus a splendid harmonica solo from Mickey Raphael. Applause, applause, applause for a superbly executed track.
LUKE LAIRD/Music Row
Writer: Luke Laird; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Luke Laird; LL
-Laird has written 24 chart-topping hits for others and collected baskets of award trophies. This is the title tune of his debut solo album. He sings in a light, soft tenor while the lazy-day, drum-loop track burbles gently behind him. The charming lyric is packed with Nashville place names while describing the uncertain yet hopeful life of a tunesmith. Laird also hosts a new show on Apple Music called Country Replay Radio.
NSAI 21st Annual Song Contest Opens Sept. 1
/by Jessica NicholsonEach year the contest provides an opportunity for songwriters of all genres to have their song(s) and lyrics evaluated and judged by industry professionals through several phases of judging, with every entry receiving a scorecard with their judging evaluation. Up to 22 entries will place in the contest, and the live final judging phase for the Song Category will feature the Top 10 Finalists’ entries vying for the Grand Prize.
During the first round of judging, all eligible submissions received by NSAI will be judged in their respective categories by music industry professionals and scored to determine whether they move on to a second round of judging during which the top ten finalists and up to ten honorable mentions will be determined for the Song Category, the Lyric-Only winner and runner-up. In February of 2021, the top ten finalists for the Song Category will be scored during a live-streamed event where a music industry-based celebrity panel of elite music industry professionals will score each submission, with the highest total score receiving the Grand Prize.
Beginning Sept. 1 at 12:00 p.m. Central, entries can be submitted online at nsai.cmt.com or they can be mailed to the NSAI office (NSAI–ATTN: Song Contest, 1710 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203). All entries mailed in must include the submission form, entry fee, printed lyric sheet, and one audio CD (unless a Lyric-Only entry). Entry fees are $35 per song for current NSAI members and $45 per song for non-NSAI members. There is no limit to the number of songs that songwriters can submit, and all submissions must be submitted or postmarked by Nov. 3 at 4 p.m. CT.
Texas Hill To Release New Self-Titled EP Sept. 25
/by Lorie HollabaughTexas Hill, the newly-formed group comprised of Craig Wayne Boyd, Casey James and Adam Wakefield, is releasing their debut self-titled EP on Sept. 25. The band is also dropping a new single, “Easy On The Eyes” today (Aug. 28) on all streaming platforms.
The group first tested the Texas Hill concept with a series of co-headlining shows in late 2019. In June, they officially announced the new trio, all former reality show contestants: Boyd and Wakefield placed 1st and 2nd on separate seasons of NBC’s The Voice, while James placed 3rd on ABC’s American Idol.
“Easy On The Eyes” is one of five tracks on the upcoming EP, along with previously released singles “Four Roses” and “Darkest Sky.”
Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett To Announce CMA Awards Nominees On Sept. 1
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (clockwise from top left): Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress
Nominees for The 54th Annual CMA Awards will be revealed Tuesday, Sept. 1, with select categories announced by Luke Combs and Carly Pearce on ABC’s Good Morning America broadcast live during the 8:30 a.m. local time half-hour block from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
Immediately following, Ingrid Andress and Gabby Barrett will reveal the remaining CMA Awards categories in addition to the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists on CMA’s YouTube and Facebook, which can be viewed worldwide. The stream will also be available on GoodMorningAmerica.com and GMA’s Facebook.
The 54th Annual CMA Awards is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Alan Carter is the Director and David Wild is the Head Writer.
Cooper Alan’s "New Normal" Reaches Heights On iTunes, TikTok
/by Lorie HollabaughCooper Alan’s latest single, “New Normal,” was an instant hit from the moment it was released, landing at No. 1 on the iTunes country chart, and reaching No. 6 on the all genres chart. The song was also streamed over 114,000 times on Spotify the first day of release, and has struck a chord with many fans on TikTok, who are using the song as background to their own videos and sharing their ‘new normal’ with their family and friends.
“New Normal” was written by Cooper Alan, Seth Mosley and Victoria Shaw, with Shaw and Mosley producing. The song came out of a zoom conversation between Cooper Alan and his co-writers.
“While the pandemic has caused a lot of struggle and hardship, we all found that we have experienced little blessings along the way,” said Alan. “That’s what this song is about. It immediately struck a nerve with my friends on TikTok from the first day that I started posting little teasers of the song. My TikTok now has over 3 million likes so it was a no brainer to release it as soon as I could. As an independent artist it has been really amazing how people keep finding my music and joining me on this journey.”
Alan has achieved another milestone as well: with his “covid-caroling,” imitations of popular singers singing “Savage,” and all-around fun content, the 24-year-old has gone viral on TikTok – hitting 3.1 million likes, with over 417,000 followers.
Granger Smith Cherishes The ‘Country Things’ On Latest Album
/by Lorie HollabaughGranger Smith is releasing a new two-part studio album, Country Things, Vol. 1 on Sept. 25. The eight-song volume is available for pre-order with three instant grat tracks out now, “That’s Why I Love Dirt Roads,” “Hate You Like I Love You,” and the title track “Country Things.” Granger, his wife Amber, and their children revealed the news on their YouTube series “The Smiths.”
This new batch of music initially started back in early 2019, when Granger was writing, creating and prepping for his 10th studio album. The unexpected passing of his son River happened though and all of those plans abruptly came to a halt. In the months that followed, mourning River changed the way Smith heard the music, and songs like “That’s Why I Love Dirt Roads” took on new meaning.
“My life is just…different now. Or maybe a better way to put it is, I see life differently now,” says Smith. “This collection focuses on the things that money and politics and status can’t buy. The things that you can center on and I want to live my life for. The things you want to raise your kids with and find joy in. The country things.”
Key West Songwriters Festival Announces 2021 Dates
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“Back in April we had to reschedule the event for October 2020, hoping COVID-19 would be a distant memory by then but clearly we’re not where we all had hoped we’d be,” said Charlie Bauer, KWSWF founder. “At this time, we’re seeing the same challenges of safely gathering people in big groups, so while it’s not an easy or quick decision, it’s the right decision. We are focused on playing our part in getting through these difficult times and we look forward to the 25th installment of the Key West Songwriters Festival in May of 2021. Bringing the music, fans, industry, and business back to Key West will be a major factor on the road to recovery. Our festival has not only become a benchmark for songwriters but also an important part of the local economy.”
Ticket holders for the 2020 festival can expect to receive an automatic and full refund within 7-10 days. More information about the lineup, scheduled events and other info can be found at keywestsongwritersfestival.com.
Over the years, the festival has become a proving ground for breaking new talent and is one of the most sought-after invites within the Nashville songwriting community. Notable Key West Songwriters Festival alumni include Kacey Musgraves, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Cole Swindell and many more.
Weekly Radio Report (8/28/20)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Radio Report.
Tanya Tucker Sets Tour Dates For 2021
/by Jessica NicholsonLike most artists, Tanya Tucker may not be touring at the moment due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but she is making plans to hit the road in 2021. She has announced rescheduled shows that will be part of the CMT Next Women of Country: Bring My Flowers Now Tour, as well as several new tour dates.
The tour dates will launch July 11 in Canada, and include two September dates at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, alongside Brandi Carlile.
Carlile co-produced Tucker’s recent Grammy-winning album, While I’m Livin’, alongside Shooter Jennings. Tucker earned two Grammy awards earlier this year, for Best Country Album (While I’m Livin’) and Best Country Song (“Bring My Flowers Now”).
TANYA TUCKER 2021 TOUR DATES:
July 11 Club Regent Casino – Event Centre – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
July 13 Door Community Auditorium – Fish Creek, Wis.
July 31 Sugar Creek Casino – Hinton, Okla.
Aug. 6 Knuckleheads – Kansas City, Mo.^^
Aug. 10 Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, Mich.^^
Aug. 12 Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, Ont.^^
Aug. 13 The Egg – Center for Performing Arts – Albany, N.Y.^^
Aug. 14 Foxwoods Casino – The Fox Theater – Mashantucket, Conn.^^
Aug. 17 The Wilbur – Boston, Mass.^^
Aug. 25 The National – Richmond, Va.^^
Aug. 26 Jefferson Center – Roanoke, Va.^^
Aug. 27 Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center – Cherokee, N.C.
Sept. 10 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion – Bristol, Tenn.
Sept. 11 Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, Colo.**
Sept. 12 Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, Colo.**
Sept. 14 Ent. Center for the Arts at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, Colo.^^
Sept. 17 The Kessler Theater – Dallas, Texas^^
Sept. 18 Women Who Wander Outdoor Retreat – Concan, Texas
Sept. 19 The Heights Theater – Houston, Texas^^
Sept. 29 Deadwood Mountain Grand Event Center – Deadwood, S.D.
Oct. 1 Bluebird Theater – Denver, Colo.^^
Oct. 5 Knitting Factory – Boise, Idaho^^
Oct. 6 The Bing Crosby Theater – Spokane, Wash.^^
Oct. 8 Showbox Theatre – Seattle, Wash.^^
Oct. 9 Crystal Ballroom – Portland, Ore.^^
Oct. 10 Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, B.C., Canada^^
Oct. 12 State Theatre For The Arts – Red Bluff, Calif.^^
Oct. 17 Fox Theatre – Bakersfield, Calif.^^
Oct. 18 Fremont Theater – San Luis Obispo, Calif.^^
Oct. 20 Crest Theatre – Sacramento, Calif.^^
Oct. 21 Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, Calif.^^
Nov. 02 Royal Concert Hall – Glasgow, U.K.
Nov. 05 Royal Festival Hall – London, U.K.
Nov. 08 DR Koncerhuset (Studio 2) – Copenhagen, Denmark
Nov. 09 Sentrum Scene – Oslo, Norway
^^CMT Next Women of Country: Bring My Flowers Now Tour
**with Brandi Carlile
DISClaimer: Kane Brown, Camo Brian, Sheryl Crow, And More
/by Robert K OermannKane Brown. Photo: Matthew Berinato
Black Lives Matter say the stars in this week’s edition of DISClaimer.
Henry Particelli and Tony Stampley are singing songs of racial reconciliation. Kane Brown is on hand with Khalid and Swae Lee, as is newcomer Camo Brian, who wins the DisCovery Award.
There are plenty of other good tunes today. I especially recommend Runaway June, Eric Paslay and Chris Janson. For super songwriting excellence, the essentials are Hailey Whitter‘s “Janice at the Hotel Bar” and our Disc of the Day, “Lonely Alone” by Sheryl Crow with Willie Nelson.
RUNAWAY JUNE/We Were Rich
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Ross Copperman/Nicolle Galyon; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Combustion Engine; Producer: none listed; BBR/Wheelhouse
-Sweetly heart tugging and absolutely gorgeous sounding. I don’t know which I like better, the deliciously well written lyric or the breath-taking harmony-vocal perfection. I fell hard for this little slice of American life. With new member Natalie Stovall on board, the trio introduced this on last week’s Grand Ole Opry broadcast. Loved it then. Love it now.
CHRIS JANSON/Waitin’ On 5
Writers: Chris Janson/Craig Wiseman/Shy Carter/Tommy Cecil; Publisher: Sony/ATV/BMG Rights/Ole; Producer: none listed; Warner
-A blue-collar rouser that’s itching for the working day to end so that the party can begin. I usually don’t like gang-shouted backup vocals, but they work perfectly here.
TONY STAMPLEY/Colorblind
Writers: Tony Stampley/Bonnie Swayze; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Chris Janson, Tommy Cecil; TS
-A song for our times. It’s a plea for peace between races and for universal love. Tony’s songs have been recorded by a country who’s-who, including Hank Jr., Billy Currington, Randy, Moe, Tritt, John Anderson, George Jones, Chesnutt, Confederate Railroad and his daddy Joe Stampley. As he had done many times before, he can sing ’em just fine, himself.
ERIC PASLAY/Nice Guy
Writers: Eric Paslay/Craig Wiseman; Publisher: none listed; Producer: F. Reid Shippen/Tofer Brown; Paso Fino Records
– Very cute. He’s gonna get mean and nasty because, “It just don’t pay to be a nice guy in a bad-guy world.” The bopping track and light-hearted vocal are as delightful as the lyric. The video is a spot-the-celebrity collage of cameo appearances interspersed with Paslay in the slammer. I’ve always liked this guy.
HAILEY WHITTERS/Janice at the Hotel Bar
Writers: Hailey Whitters/Lori McKenna; Publisher: Scrambler Music, a division of Carnival Music Group, Maps and Records Music, Creative Pulse Music; Producer: Jake Gear, Hailey Whitters; Pigasus/Big Loud/Songs & Daughters
– This woman is so prodigiously talented. As if singing like a hillbilly angel wasn’t enough, she can write something so simply profound and true as this minor masterpiece. While you’re seeking this gem out (and you should), get addicted and plunge into the audio wonders of “Dream Girl,” “All the Cool Girls” and the rest of her extraordinary catalog. Her entire album The Dream is a country lover’s dream.
KANE BROWN, SWAE LEE & KHALID/Be Like That
Writers: Xplicit/Charlie Handsome/Kane Brown; Publisher: Universal/Warner Chappell; Producer: none listed; RCA
– Tuneful, jaunty and catchy, in a loopy kinda way. The mash-up of country with hip-hop is surprisingly effective in this ditty about a conflicted relationship. It works because Swae Lee’s falsetto portion and Khalid’s robust lower voice alleviate Brown’s (overly?) repetitive main refrain.
HENRY PARTICELLI/Your Name
Writer: Particelli; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Henry Particelli; HP
-Particelli wrote this in the wake of George Floyd’s death. “I know you never wanted this kind of fame/I’m so sorry that’s how we know your name,” he sings to the innocent man who died at the hands of police officers. The video intercuts shots of everyday citizens, black and white, holding signs with slogans of affirmation with footage of him singing alone in the studio. Toward the finale, he is pictured performing the lyric in a police uniform. It is not a costume for the video. You see, he is a for-real Metro Nashville police sergeant, trying to restore cops’ reputations by emphasizing their overall wish to help the public. He has his work cut out for him: This week in a botched-address scenario, Nashville officers broke down the door of an innocent Black mother’s home with their guns drawn while she pleaded for her children’s lives.
LAUREN ALAINA & JON PARDI/Getting Over Him
Writers: Lauren Alaina/Paul DiGiovanni/Emily Weisband; Publisher: none listed; Producer: none listed; Mercury Nashville
-It’s a rocking “rebound” tune. They both exude personality and verve, but Alaina definitely has the edge over her partner.
CAMO BRIAN/Already Famous
Writers: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Producers: none listed; Average Joes
-Bear with me: His name is Camo, and he wears camo. Musically, he takes a page from the Lil Nas X/BRELAND country-trap playbook in this banger about loving his lady just the way she is. She’s a “celebrity on the red carpet/In some clothes you bought from Target.” Also: He likes her rear end, so “Go ahead and park it.” He’s an animated figure in his video wherein he name checks both “Old Town Road” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” This is his first single.
SHERYL CROW & WILLIE NELSON/Lonely Alone
Writer: Sheryl Crow, Shane McAnally; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Steve Jordan; Valory Music Co.
-Drawn from her celebrity-collabs CD Threads, which she says is her final album, Crow gets all warm and cozy in this outstanding duet with Nelson. The song of two strangers sidling up to each other in a bar is wonderfully well written. Willie’s beautifully comforting voice and guitar playing are the real stars here, plus a splendid harmonica solo from Mickey Raphael. Applause, applause, applause for a superbly executed track.
LUKE LAIRD/Music Row
Writer: Luke Laird; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Luke Laird; LL
-Laird has written 24 chart-topping hits for others and collected baskets of award trophies. This is the title tune of his debut solo album. He sings in a light, soft tenor while the lazy-day, drum-loop track burbles gently behind him. The charming lyric is packed with Nashville place names while describing the uncertain yet hopeful life of a tunesmith. Laird also hosts a new show on Apple Music called Country Replay Radio.
Margo Price, The Milk Carton Kids, Lucinda Williams Join Americana Music’s Thriving Roots Conference
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Milk Carton Kids will speak with Williams and perform together during a special edition of their “Sad Songs Comedy Hour” residency. Elsewhere, “Price Points: Talking Artistic Values With Margo Price” finds the outspoken singer-songwriter opening up about channeling her values and voice into songs, statements and other aspects of the public sphere during a discussion with music critic/NPR Music Contributor Jewly Hight.
National Independent Venue Association Board Members Chris Cobb, Dayna Frank and Sarah Mertz will join National Independent Talent Organization founding member Frank Riley for “Fighting for the Survival of Independent Music,” an examination of the groups’ advocacy work for U.S. government aid and how the entire independent music community is working together toward a future of live venue reopenings in the wake of COVID-19.
Carrie Colliton (Record Store Day) rounds up a team of seasoned brick-and-mortar owners and managers including Terry Currier (Music Millennium, Portland, OR), Doyle Davis (Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, Nashville, TN), John Kunz (Waterloo Records & Video, Austin, TX) and Andy Nelson (Easy Street Records, Seattle, WA) for “The Brick and the Mortar,” shining a light on the new business opportunities and revenue streams that have arisen in the face of adversity.
Additional new programming includes “Indie Labels in the Time of Consolidation: Surviving or Thriving?,” an inside look at how a handful of independent labels are navigating the choppy waters of retail and marketing, as well as their strategies on artist signings. Moderated by David Hirshland (BMG), this discussion will include John Allen (New West Records), Jim Olsen (Signature Sounds), Paul Roper (Dualtone Music Group) and John Strohm (Rounder Records).
In between panels and after business hours, attendees can also enjoy special events and music breaks. ANTI- Records will spotlight Ben Harper, Jeremy Ivey and Wynonna for show-stopping performances, while Thirty Tigers will treat audiences to numbers by Brent Cobb, Charley Crockett, Lori McKenna and more. During Mono Mundo’s “The Mavericks & Friends En Español,” catch the band celebrating their Cuban and Mexican roots with performances from their home in Nashville.