In Pictures: Spotify Celebrates Hot Country Live Inaugural Concert

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Spotify celebrated its inaugural Hot Country Live concert on July 4 in New York City, with performances by Carrie Underwood, Dan+Shay, and Filmore.

Pictured (L-R): Artist and Label Marketing Laura Ohls, Spotify Head of Artist and Label Marketing Brittany Schaeffer, Dan Smyers; Spotify Global Head of Country John Marks, Shay Mooney and Spotify Creative Manager Paul Logan attend the Spotify’s Hot Country Live Series with Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay and Filmore at Pier 17 on July 4, 2018 in New York City. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay perform on stage at the Spotify’s Hot Country Live Series with Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay and Filmore at Pier 17 on July 4, 2018 in New York City. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify

Filmore performs on stage at the Spotify’s Hot Country Live Series with Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay and Filmore at Pier 17 on July 4, 2018 in New York City. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify

Pictured (L-R): Spotify Global Head of Country John Marks, Spotify Head of Artist and Label Marketing Brittany Schaeffer, Carrie Underwood, Spotify Creative Manager Paul Logan and Artist and Label Marketing Laura Ohls. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify

Carrie Underwood performs on stage at the Spotify’s Hot Country Live Series. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Spotify

In Pictures: ACM, Grand Ole Opry, CJ Solar

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ACM Welcomes Haley & Michaels

Pictured (L-R): Rick Stone, President of Stoney Pro Music Group; Tom Torii, ACM SVP, Finance & Operations; Shannon Haley; Ryan Michaels. Photo: Michel Bourquard/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music

The Academy of Country Music welcomed country duo Haley & Michaels to the office while they were in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Haley & Michaels performed their current single, “High Note,” and previewed other songs from their upcoming album.

 

Levon Makes Opry Debut

After Levon made their Opry performance debut, the group posed for photos backstage with management, booking and Opry VIPs. Pictured (L-R): CAA’s Blake McDaniel; Levon’s Ryan Holladay and Michael David Hall; Gina Keltner, Director of Opry Talent Scheduling & Logistics; Levon’s Jake Singleton; and Red Light Management’s Chip Dorsch. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

New country group Levon, dually signed to Sony Music’s Columbia Nashville and Epic Records, made their Grand Ole Opry debut Saturday evening. Levon is made up of friends Michael David Hall, Jake Singleton and Ryan Holladay who released their five-song self-titled debut EP last year.

 

CJ Solar Joins Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour

Pictured: CJ Solar (center w/ball cap) joins members of Lynyrd Skynyrd prior to their set at the PNC Music Pavillion. Photo: Tom Chi

CJ Solar had a dream come true recently, when he opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour in Raleigh and Charlotte.

 

DISClaimer: The Perfect Country Record?

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Is there such a thing as a perfect country record?

Thriving bluegrass darlings Darin & Brooke Aldridge might have created just such a thing. With the assistance of former Statler Brother Jimmy Fortune, they have breathed new life into The Louvin Brothers classic “Everytime You Leave.” It thrilled me so much that I played it five times in succession.

Needless to say, it is the Disc of the Day.

The rest of our DisClaimer bluegrass survey today reveals excellent works by The John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, by David Davis & The Warrior River Boys, by Balsam Range and by banjo maestro Ned Luberecki.

The DisCovery Award goes to Sideline, who have it all going on in every department.

DAVID DAVIS & THE WARRIOR RIVER BOYS/He Rambled
Writers: Will Handy; Producers: Robert Montgomery & David Davis; Publisher: PD; Rounder (track)
– The band’s latest is a tribute to the music of the legendary Charlie Poole (1892-1931). They take his old-time tunes and ably reinterpret them as bluegrass numbers. In addition to this lively romp, the set includes versions of such timeless faves as “If the River Was Whiskey,” “Sweet Sunny South,” “White House Blues” and “May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister,” but oddly not Poole’s most famous song, “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down.” Recommended.

O’CONNOR BAND/Emily’s Reel
Writers: Mark O’Connor; Producers: Mark O’Connor/Forrest O’Connor; Publishers: M.O.M.I., BMI; OMAC (track)
– Grammy winner O’Connor continues his journey with his family band with a live album. It kicks off with this triple-fiddled toe tapper. A smile and a delight.

HIGHER GROUND/Ned Luberecki & Dale Ann Bradley
Writers: Kelley Luberecki/Dale Ann Bradley; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Clement Luberecki/Dale Ann Bradley, BMI; CLM (track)
– Take Five is Luberecki’s deluxe banjo album. He’s bolstered on it by such guests as Missy Raines, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, Amanda Smith, Becky Buller and, here, the splendid Kentucky bluegrass diva Dale Ann Bradley. Steve Martin and Tony Trischka provide liner notes, which should give you some idea of how classy this project is.

JOHN JORGENSON BLUEGRASS BAND/Beautiful Sound
Writers: John Jorgenson/Chris Hillman; Producer: John Jorgenson; Publishers: Jorgensongs/Bar None, BMI; Cleopatra (track)
– Jorgenson is best known to country fans via his work in The Desert Rose Band. But his talent has also led to stints with everyone from Elton John to Bob Dylan. Willie, Emmylou, Cash, Hank Jr., Seger and Bonnie Raitt have also tapped his multi-instrumental abilities. His latest project, titled From the Crows Nest sets him in a stellar bluegrass band with Herb Pedersen, Jon Randall and Mark Fain. It drops on July 13. Randall takes the lead on this tune, which sounds like a an instant anthem for the entire bluegrass industry. Indeed, the whole CD seems to be filled with songs that could become classics of the genre — “I Will Shelter You,” “Travelin’ Angels” and “Die Tryin,’” for instance.

LARRY CORDLE/I’ll Meet You In The Morning
Writers: Albert E. Brumley; Producer: Larry Cordle; Publishers: ClearBox Rights, no performance rights listed; MightyCord (track)
– A cappella gospel quartet singing done with panache. Larry’s lead vocal is backed by The Joyful Noise Quartet — Carl Jackson, Val Storey and Bradley Walker. The album is titled Give Me Jesus.

BECK BULLER/Calamity Jane
Writers: Becky Buller/Tim Stafford; Producer: Stephen Mougin; Publishers: Goodnight Sparky/Daniel House, BMI; Dark Shadow
– Fiddler-singer Buller sits at No. 1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited chart this month with this rapid-fire dazzler. That’s Rhonda Vincent singing high harmony. The female-outlaw song is on Buller’s current Crepe Paper Heart collection. In addition to Vincent, it is packed with celebs including Rob Ickes, The Fairfield Four, Claire Lynch and Sam Bush.

RALPH STANLEY II & THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS/Raining In My Heart
Writers: Ralph Edmond Stanley II/Alex Leach/Joe Rose; Producer: John Rigsby; Publishers: Two Pop S, BMI; Stanley Family
-Pleasant, easy-listening ‘grass. As a singer, he lacks his famous father’s Appalachian “edge.”

SIDELINE/Thunder Dan
Writer: Josh Manning; Producer: Tim Surrett; Publishers: Daynezanezinn, BMI; Mountain Home
– This has just entered the top-10 on the Bluegrass Unlimited chart. It has a very cool backbeat and a groovy, minor-key mode. Not to mention a murder lyric, a keening tenor lead vocal and sizzling mandolin, fiddle and banjo chops. Sign me up for the fan club.

BALSAM RANGE & THE ATLANTA POPS ORCHESTRA ENSEMBLE/Trains I Missed
Writers: none listed; Producer: Balsam Range; Publishers: none listed; Mountain Home
– “Trains I Missed” was the IBMA Song of the Year in 2011, and Balsam Range is a longtime favorite in the genre. Its current Mountain Overture project places the band’s biggest songs in an orchestral context. Needless to say, I approached this with skepticism. In general, the Atlanta Pops ensemble stays in the background, out of the way, adding washes of strings behind the band and providing evocative sighs of sound. Of course, the songs are still wonderful. So the experiment works.

DARIN & BROOKE ALDREDGE & JIMMY FORTUNE/Everytime You Leave
Writers: Charlie & Ira Louvin; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Mountain Home
– Exquisite in every way. Brooke is the reigning IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year. But Darin has always touched my heart with his Deep-Dixie vocal harmony and dexterous guitar work. They begin this in classic Louvin duet mode, which is heavenly. Then Fortune stepped in with a third harmony part and the top of my head lifted off. Absolutely essential listening. There’s a video, too.

RIAA Highlights Mid-2018’s Top-Certified Songs, Albums

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The RIAA has released its 2018 mid-year highlights, which include three gold-certified country tracks. This includes the gold-certified tunes “Tequila” (Dan+Shay), “Mercy” (Brett Young), and “You Make It Easy” (Jason Aldean).

The RIAA’s top-awarded album so far this year has been Post Malone‘s Beer Bongs and Bentleys, which was certified 2x platinum. The top-awarded song was Drake‘s “God’s Plan,” which has been certified 8x platinum.

Platinum-certified albums in the first half of 2018 include Drake‘s Scorpion, Camila Cabello‘s Camila, the Black Panther soundtrack, and Migo‘s Culture II.

Justin Timberlake Drops New Single ‘Soulmate’

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Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake released a surprise single, “SoulMate,” on Tuesday (July 3). The song is his first new music since releasing his last album, Man of the Woods, back in February.

Timberlake also tweeted album art for the track, which was produced by dvsn’s Nineteen85, who produced Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” “One Dance, and “Too Good” and also features contributions from James Fauntleroy, Paul Jefferies, Brandon Casey, Brian Casey, Gary Smith, and Lechas Young, according to Complex.

Timberlake is currently on the road on his Man Of The Woods tour, and will play in the UK tonight in Glasgow at the SSE Hydro. The Shadowboxers are currently on the road with Timberlake for several dates of the tour.

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Musicians Corner Announces “Music With A Mission” Concert Series

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Alliance Partners HSP LLC and Musicians Corner have partnered to bring free, mid-day music to downtown Nashville with the ‘Music with a Mission’ Concert Series at the Nashville City Center. Held every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning July 12 through Nov. 15, Music with a Mission will be an opportunity for downtown tenants, employees and visitors to enjoy performances while giving back to local charities.

Carey Ott and Emily Earle will kick off the inaugural concert series on the plaza of Nashville City Center on Thursday, July 12. Ott has played at Nashville’s Live On The Green and receives regular spins on Lightning 100, and Earle – the niece of country legend Steve Earle and cousin of Justin Townes Earle –was a top 25 finalist on NBC’s The Voice. These performances on July 12 will benefit Room In The Inn, a local nonprofit addressing homelessness in Nashville.

On July 19, Scott Mulvahill and Baylor Wilson will perform at the downtown concert series. Mulvahill recently left his gig in Ricky Skaggs’ band, Kentucky Thunder, to focus on his solo career, and Wilson is pursuing music through his publishing deal with Station West/Sea Gayle
Music Publishing.

The July 26 installment will include music from Tony Lucca and Parker McKay.

Since its inception in 2010, Musicians Corner has showcased more than 1,000 artists in Centennial Park.

In Pictures: Queeva, Smithfield

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Queeva performs for MusicRow Magazine staffers. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

Fourteen-year-old Queeva, an Irish singer-songwriter from Chicago, recently performed for MusicRow Magazine staffers. She has worked with Jamie O’Neal to develop her songwriting. Queeva performed several tracks, including “Live Like A Song.”

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Texas duo Smithfield, which includes Jennifer Fiedler and Trey Smith, performed several tracks during a recent visit with MusicRow Magazine staffers, including the single “Hey Whiskey.” Interestingly, although the song “Hey, Whiskey” is about a woman who blames alcohol for her ex’s bad behavior, the duo earned an endorsement deal with Rebecca Creek Distillery.

 

Smithfield with MusicRow Magazine owner/publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow Magazine

 

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The Wild Feathers’ Soaring Harmonies Lead California Country Sound On Latest Album

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The Wild Feathers. Pictured (L-R): Ricky Young, Ben Dumas, Joel King, Taylor Burns

The Wild Feathers band members hail from Texas, Oklahoma and Georgia, but their shared rock, Americana and country influences brought them to Nashville. Following the release of their self-titled album in 2013, the band has spent the past five years on the road.

“Wildfire,” a track from the band’s June 29 release, Greetings From The Neon Frontier, captures the feeling of riding hundreds of miles between their music destinations.

Moving from town to town like a wildfire, nothing feels better than being free, the band’s tightly blended harmonies chime on the track, one of the many songs built from the band’s real-life experiences.

The Wild Feathers perform. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow Magazine

The band’s previous album, Lonely Is A Lifetime, which relished in harder rhythms and more electric guitar work, while Greetings leans more toward the country side of the band’s many influences.

The band returned to work on the new album with veteran producer Jay Joyce, who also produced the band’s previous two projects with Warner Bros. Records, including their 2016 album Lonely Is A Lifetime.

“He’s almost like part of the band now. He chain-smokes cigarettes all day and just grunts,” member Ricky Young says jokingly during a recent visit to the MusicRow offices.

The album’s 10 tracks of spacious, free-wheeling acoustics offers a fitting contrast to the signature harmonies from Young, Taylor Burns, and Joel King. Drummer Ben Dumas rounds out the band.

Pictured (L-R): Drew Bennett (Manager, Q Prime); Jamie Younger (Senior Director Artist Development, WMN); Ben Kline (SVP Global Revenue & Touring, WMN); Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns; Ben Dumas; Shane Tarleton (SVP Artist Development, WMN); Tim Foisset (VP Streaming, WMN)

Over the past few years, The Wild Feathers underwent a series of label shifts, ultimately releasing Greetings with Warner Music Nashville, an easy transition from their Warner Bros. Records days in Los Angeles.

“We were getting interest from Interscope. Then Jeff Sosnow went from Interscope to Warner Burbank, and he took us under his wing there,” King says.

While still working with Interscope, they decamped to Los Angeles for three or four months at a time. “We felt like we lived in like Hollywood and Vine. You would see like Spiderman smoking a cigarette with his mask off,” says Young.

The Wild Feathers with MusicRow Magazine owner/publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow Magazine

“It’s been a natural progression,” Young continues. “This feels good because Warner Nashville was right here in our backyard.”

Making music and recording on the West Coast was a welcomed location for The Wild Feathers, whose distinct harmonies on tracks including “Wildfire” have drawn comparisons to The Eagles.

“We always loved California country, like Gram Parsons and The Byrds,” says King. “We lived out there and would go to Joshua Tree all the time and that kind of stuff, so it made a lot of sense. There is a lot of West Coast influence.”

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LeAnn Rimes To Perform At PEDIGREE Foundation Anniversary “Pawty”

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LeAnn Rimes and the PEDIGREE Foundation will commemorate its 10-year anniversary with a special event celebration to honor a decade of giving back to shelters and rescues in the U.S. with the PEDIGREE Foundation Pawty: BBQ, Boots, & Bling. The celebration will be held on October 11th at Marathon Music Works and hosted by SiriusXM’s The Highway host, Storme Warren.

The event will raise funds to benefit PEDIGREE Foundation grants program that supports organizations that help dogs in need find loving homes, and will feature a cocktail reception, BBQ buffet, and a silent and LIVE auction featuring fabulous trips and autographed celebrity memorabilia. Tickets to the Pawty event will go on sale to the public later this summer.

“I’m a huge animal lover and I am proud to be a part of PEDIGREE Foundation fundraising event,” said Rimes. “I always enjoy performing in Nashville and I look forward to being able to raise much-needed funds to help rescue dogs across the country through this amazing non-profit.”

Rimes just released her new Re-Imagined EP on June 20 and will be seen in a new Hallmark Original movie, “It’s Christmas, Eve” this holiday season.

Craig Morgan Recognized By Army With Outstanding Civilian Service Medal

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Pictured (L-R): GEN (Ret) Carter Ham; Morgan; Pete Seitz; Lieutenant General Bruce Crawford, Army Chief Information Officer, G-6. Photo: Louis Katz

Craig Morgan was awarded the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal last weekend in honor of his dedication to entertaining troops and their families around the world. The presentation took place during the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of the United States Army annual Army Ball on Saturday, June 23 in Huntington Beach, California.

Morgan, who served in the Army for nearly two decades, has done 15 overseas tours for the troops and performed for more than 37,000 service members and their families in all four corners of the world. He just returned to the U.S. after completing his 10th USO Tour to entertain U.S. military members stationed overseas. The eight-day tour, his third with the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited seven countries and included stops in western Tokyo, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq and Spain as well as the Korean Peninsula where the U.S. Army veteran was once stationed.

The Outstanding Civilian Service Medal is one of the highest awards that the Department of the Army can bestow upon a civilian.