Cerrito
All hail the fine folks at CDX. Not only do these bi-monthly compilation discs keep us up to date on what the major labels are putting out (or aren’t, which seems to be the case lately), each one is also a smorgasbord of what the indies are offering. For me, that means the anticipation of hearing new voices. This week’s column is a sampling from that smorgasbord. Here to remind us that not everything needs to be serious is the durable
Cerrito. His novelty tune is just silly enough to win the
Disc of the Day prize. I have no idea who
North 40 is/are. But among the many unknowns I listened to today, they were my favorites. Give ‘em a
DisCovery Award.
DOUG NEWMAN & SOS RENEWAL/Gonna Give You Praise
Writers: Doug Newman; Producer: Robert Metzger; Publisher: Buddy & Billy/Sony-ATV Songs, BMI; Platinum Plus
-The track is slightly sloppy, old-time rock ‘n’ roll. The singer is righteously into it. Retro all the way.
JOE/Final Curtain Call
Writers: Gene Cash; Producer: Allen Cash; Publisher: Divison, BMI; Music Row (CDX)
-The cow is moaning in the barn. Somebody put it out to pasture.
BLACKJACK BILLY/The Booze Cruise
Writers: Noll Billings/Jeff Coplan/Chuck Jones; Producers: Jeff Coplan and Blackjack Billy; Publishers: 3rd Nineteen/Vandermont/City Angel/Ole Red Cape/Roots Three/Ole/No E No D/Big Spaces/Amplified Admin/Poppy Loppy, ASCAP/SOCAN/BMI; TTA (CDX)
-Energetic and merry, if rather melodically challenged.
KARI & BILLY/Play Me a Fiddle Song
Writers: Billy Arnold; Producers: Billy Arnold and Kari Arnold; Publisher: none listed; BMI; Applause (CDX)
-Earnest and well meaning, but thin sounding. Kari, by the way, can barely be heard. Despite the billing, this is essentially a Billy performance.
BURLY CLYDE/Living In America
Writers: Charlie Midnight/Dan Hartman; Producers; Mark Needham and Charlie Midnight; Publishers: Bay Parkway/Round Hill Works, BMI; MAN (CDX)
-That’s right: It’s the 1986 James Brown hit refashioned as a wailing country-rocker. Kinda different. Kinda cool.
CERRITO/Hot Pepper Doll
Writers: Cy Coben; Producers: Felipe De LaRosa, Bartley Pursely and Cerrito; Publisher: Delmore, ASCAP; Checo (CDX)
-This Latin bopper comes complete with staccato horn bursts as it praises the spicy culinary skills of his betrothed. They’ll be wed if his stomach can take the heat. Very cute.
NORTH 40/Hey Girl Hey
Writers: Paige Logan/Amber Rose; Producers: Leigh Reynolds and Mills Logan; Publisher: Molly Jack, BMI; Rhymetown (CDX)
-The lead singer has an attractively smokey, dramatic delivery, and she struts her way through this with moxie to spare. This is her night to rock.
JAY JOLLEY/God Save Us All From Religion
Writers: Doug Johnson, Charlie Daniels and Kim Williams; Producer: Chuck Alkazian; Publishers: Sony ATV Cross Keys/Triple Cross/Mike Curb/Sweet Radical/Wooley Swamp, BMI/ASCAP; Double J (CDX)
-“We’ve got Jews and Muslims and ten thousand flavors of Christians,” ponders the man at the bar while he watches a hypocrite preacher on TV. “We kill in God’s name.” Which leads to the title phrase.
JARED BLAKE/Countrified
Writers: Jared Blake, Skidd Mills, Carl Bell; Producer: Skidd Mills; Publishers: Hey Y’all Watch This/Skiddoo/Lucky Diamond, BMI; Skiddco (CDX)
-She’s a city sophisticate, but he’s going to change her by exposing her to honky-tonkin,’ drinking and brawling. Guess what? It works. The screaming guitar and his drawling, baritone, Southern-rock delivery must have done the trick.
LOGAN TUDEEN/Circles
Writers: Logan Tudeen/Kent Wells; Producer: Kent Wells; Publishers: Logan Tudeen/Creek Valley; BMI/ASCAP; Go Time (CDX)
-The track has a moody, bluesy tone. She has a penetrating voice, yet it sounds like she is trying a little too hard. Forceful, but not something I’d listen to again.
Dale Morris' WeBlast Records Partners with Mike Kraski's Tenacity Records
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured, Front row (L-R): Dale Morris, Morris Management; Jason Mitchell; Mike Kraski, Tenacity Records. Back row (L-R): Dan Mitchell, WeBlast Records; Tim McFadden, Tenacity Records; Bradley Drake, WeBlast Records.
Dale Morris‘ WeBlast Records and Mike Kraski‘s Tenacity Records have developed a partnership. The first artist in this joint venture is Jason Mitchell, whose debut single “Stomp,” is available for airplay immediately.
“I’m looking forward to joining Mike in bringing Jason to country radio and our fans,” Morris said. “We’ve been working with Jason for a few years and we feel like it’s his time. We’re happy to be partnering with such a great team!” Industry veteran Morris has boosted the careers of artists including Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, Jake Owen and others.
“To get the opportunity to work with Dale is a dream come true,” Kraski added. “The only thing that makes this more exciting is to be working an artist the caliber of Jason Mitchell. The song is a smash and Jason is an elite talent.” Kraski spent 28 years with Sony Music, rising to Executive VP and General Manager. He later started Equity Music Group. Tenacity Management and Tenacity Records have been in business since 2008.
Court Yard Hounds Release 'Amelita'
/by Jessica Nicholson“I think we’ve approached it differently because we felt like okay, we are a band,” says Maguire. “We aren’t just two ex-Dixie Chicks anymore, we’re a band and we like our sound and we’re going to continue to do this and hopefully get better at it, and share something new this time around.”
The duo’s name was inspired by the novel within Game of Thrones creator David Benioff’s novel City of Theives.
Amelita Track Listing
Sunshine
Amelita
The World Smiles
Aimless Upward
A Guy Like You
Rock All Night
Phoebe
Divided
Gets You Down
Watch Your Step
The Road You Take
The project is available on iTunes. For more information, visit courtyardhounds.com
Universal To Open Crowd-Funded Project To Reprint Vinyl Albums
/by Jessica NicholsonAn initial list of albums for The Vinyl Project is yet to be announced and there is no official launch date for the project.
Industry Ink (7-17-13)
/by Jessica NicholsonSongwriter-artist Ryan Griffin recently stopped by the ASCAP Nashville office to join the PRO as a writer member. Griffin is managed by Clint Higham and Will Hitchcock of Higham Management and is published by Dan Hodges Music, LLC. For more information, visit ryangriffin.com.
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel, Ryan Griffin, and Dan Hodges Music LLC’s Dan Hodges and Nickie Lancaster.
• • •
Taylor Made
MusicRow Magazine Independent Artist of the Year Taylor Made has signed on with Tenacity Records, enlisting the label for radio promotions services. This first-time collaboration between Little General Records, Taylor Made’s home label, and Tenacity is one that has both parties excited.
“We are proud to be associated with Music Row’s new artist of the year and look forward to contributing to their future successes,” said Mike Kraski, president of Tenacity Records. The trio’s previously released singles include “Good Love,” “Things You Don’t Grow Out Of” and “That’s What Life Is” – all released under the Little General label name.
• • •
The cost of these luncheons is $20 through July 21 and $25 after that and at the door. The price includes a buffet luncheon. To register, visit indieconnect.com/events.
iV Launches Strategic Music Licensing Division
/by Michael_SmithSteve Keller
Audio agency iV has launched a strategic music licensing division named Creatively Driven to nurture relationships between brands and artists.
“Working with artists to create branded music assets can be an important part of an audio branding initiative,” says iV CEO/Strategist Steve Keller. “We wanted to create a way to facilitate unique, creative relationships between brands and artists. All of the artists we represent are interested not only in licensing existing material, but in creating original musical content that can be owned by the brand.”
iV Creative Facilitator Wendy Duffy will help coordinate the new division. Duffy’s background includes working with networks, studios and creative directors in several sectors of media. “Nashville is uniquely suited as a hub for this kind of creative collaboration,” says Duffy. “iV works less as a music vendor and more as an audio agency, concerned with the development of congruent, distinct, and recognizable audio identities for our clients.”
iV is an audio agency that specializes in the strategy, creation, evaluation, and management necessary to create successful audio branding initiatives. Since launching the company in 2005, the company’s clients include Vodafone, Opel, Nestea, Trojan, Olay, Burger King, Ritter Sport, Ehrmann, Jacobs, Audi, Union Investment, Commerzbank, Coca-Cola and more.
Weekly Register: Country Sales Slip To Negative Territory
/by Sarah SkatesYear-to-date Country album sales slipped into negative territory this week. With a lack of new superstar product, the industry is down -1.8 percent compared to the same week last year. Total country album sales are at 20.740 million YTD. Overall album sales are down -6.3 percent with sales of 151.652 million YTD.
It’s doubtful the Nashville slump will turn around until next month when the release schedule picks up with new music from Luke Bryan (Aug. 13). The list continues in September with albums by Keith Urban (Sept. 10), followed a week later by Billy Currington, Chris Young and Justin Moore, all on Sept. 17.
Sheryl Crow’s first country label effort, Feels Like Home, will be released by Warner Bros. Sept. 10. Lead single “Easy” is already a hit, but it remains to be seen if country fans will be receptive of the crossover star when it comes time to open wallets at the register.
Florida Georgia Line hangs at No. 1 on the country albums chart, moving 31k this week, while the duo’s monster hit “Cruise” zooms past the 5 million downloads mark.
Country tracks are up 10 percent YTD with sales of 99 million. Overall tracks are down -2.6 percent.
With temps in the 90s, it’s hard to believe the first round of CMA Awards voting is already open for the November trophy fest. The deadline to submit nomination ballots is Mon., July 22 at 5:00 PM/CT. The second ballot will be emailed to CMA members Tues., Aug. 20.
MusicRowRecess: Music Row Companies Get Flocked!
/by Jessica NicholsonMusic Row Ladies Golf Tournament is raising money and awareness for charity by adding some colorful flamingos all over Music Row.The tournament, sponsored by ASCAP, City National Bank, Tim McGraw and McGhee Entertainment, benefits United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee.
Each company that gets “flocked” pays a small fee for “flamingo removal,” and passes the pink lawn ornaments onto another music industry company.
See what companies around the row have been “flocked” so far!
MusicRow Magazine
Kobalt Music
Sea Gayle Music Publishing
BMG Chrysalis
Warner Music Nashville
Black River Entertainment
Carnival Music
BMI Nashville office
ASCAP Nashville office
SESAC Nashville office
Sony Music Publishing
Sony Music Nashville
Warner/Chappell Music
Taylor Swift Grabs MTV VMA Nominations
/by Jessica NicholsonTaylor Swift
Taylor Swift is among the artists up for trophies at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, to be held Aug. 25 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Swift’s clip for “I Knew You Were Trouble” garnered the 23-year-old singer nominations in the Video of the Year and the Best Female Video categories. In 2009, Swift won in the Best Female Video category for “You Belong With Me.”
Justin Timberlake, along with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, tie for most nominations this year with six nods apiece.
'Celebrity Motor Homes' Premieres July 17 on GAC
/by Jessica NicholsonThe premiere episode on July 17 features Jake Owen, Dallas Cowboys and Brad Pitt. The first stop is in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. for a tour of Owen’s 52-foot mobile home, with barn floors, a leather couch, beer tap, vintage red refrigerator, master bath and a custom bunk for his daughter Pearl. The episode will also visit Arlington, Texas to tour the Dallas Cowboys bus that features nine televisions, an executive meeting room and memorabilia. Finally, they travel to Burbank, Calif. to look inside a movie trailer used by Pitt.
Future episodes are listed below:
July 24 – Simon Cowell, Gretchen Wilson, Eli Young Band
July 31 – Heidi Klum, pro golfer Steve Elkington, Craig Morgan
Aug. 7 – Montgomery Gentry, comedian Jeff Dunham, Rodney Atkins
Aug. 14 – Florida Georgia Line, Brian Deegan, Jana Kramer
Aug. 21 – NASCAR’s Johanna Long, Kix Brooks, Justin Moore
DisClaimer: What The Indies Are Offering
/by Robert K OermannCerrito
All hail the fine folks at CDX. Not only do these bi-monthly compilation discs keep us up to date on what the major labels are putting out (or aren’t, which seems to be the case lately), each one is also a smorgasbord of what the indies are offering. For me, that means the anticipation of hearing new voices. This week’s column is a sampling from that smorgasbord. Here to remind us that not everything needs to be serious is the durable Cerrito. His novelty tune is just silly enough to win the Disc of the Day prize. I have no idea who North 40 is/are. But among the many unknowns I listened to today, they were my favorites. Give ‘em a DisCovery Award.
DOUG NEWMAN & SOS RENEWAL/Gonna Give You Praise
Writers: Doug Newman; Producer: Robert Metzger; Publisher: Buddy & Billy/Sony-ATV Songs, BMI; Platinum Plus
-The track is slightly sloppy, old-time rock ‘n’ roll. The singer is righteously into it. Retro all the way.
JOE/Final Curtain Call
Writers: Gene Cash; Producer: Allen Cash; Publisher: Divison, BMI; Music Row (CDX)
-The cow is moaning in the barn. Somebody put it out to pasture.
BLACKJACK BILLY/The Booze Cruise
Writers: Noll Billings/Jeff Coplan/Chuck Jones; Producers: Jeff Coplan and Blackjack Billy; Publishers: 3rd Nineteen/Vandermont/City Angel/Ole Red Cape/Roots Three/Ole/No E No D/Big Spaces/Amplified Admin/Poppy Loppy, ASCAP/SOCAN/BMI; TTA (CDX)
-Energetic and merry, if rather melodically challenged.
KARI & BILLY/Play Me a Fiddle Song
Writers: Billy Arnold; Producers: Billy Arnold and Kari Arnold; Publisher: none listed; BMI; Applause (CDX)
-Earnest and well meaning, but thin sounding. Kari, by the way, can barely be heard. Despite the billing, this is essentially a Billy performance.
BURLY CLYDE/Living In America
Writers: Charlie Midnight/Dan Hartman; Producers; Mark Needham and Charlie Midnight; Publishers: Bay Parkway/Round Hill Works, BMI; MAN (CDX)
-That’s right: It’s the 1986 James Brown hit refashioned as a wailing country-rocker. Kinda different. Kinda cool.
CERRITO/Hot Pepper Doll
Writers: Cy Coben; Producers: Felipe De LaRosa, Bartley Pursely and Cerrito; Publisher: Delmore, ASCAP; Checo (CDX)
-This Latin bopper comes complete with staccato horn bursts as it praises the spicy culinary skills of his betrothed. They’ll be wed if his stomach can take the heat. Very cute.
Writers: Paige Logan/Amber Rose; Producers: Leigh Reynolds and Mills Logan; Publisher: Molly Jack, BMI; Rhymetown (CDX)
-The lead singer has an attractively smokey, dramatic delivery, and she struts her way through this with moxie to spare. This is her night to rock.
JAY JOLLEY/God Save Us All From Religion
Writers: Doug Johnson, Charlie Daniels and Kim Williams; Producer: Chuck Alkazian; Publishers: Sony ATV Cross Keys/Triple Cross/Mike Curb/Sweet Radical/Wooley Swamp, BMI/ASCAP; Double J (CDX)
-“We’ve got Jews and Muslims and ten thousand flavors of Christians,” ponders the man at the bar while he watches a hypocrite preacher on TV. “We kill in God’s name.” Which leads to the title phrase.
JARED BLAKE/Countrified
Writers: Jared Blake, Skidd Mills, Carl Bell; Producer: Skidd Mills; Publishers: Hey Y’all Watch This/Skiddoo/Lucky Diamond, BMI; Skiddco (CDX)
-She’s a city sophisticate, but he’s going to change her by exposing her to honky-tonkin,’ drinking and brawling. Guess what? It works. The screaming guitar and his drawling, baritone, Southern-rock delivery must have done the trick.
LOGAN TUDEEN/Circles
Writers: Logan Tudeen/Kent Wells; Producer: Kent Wells; Publishers: Logan Tudeen/Creek Valley; BMI/ASCAP; Go Time (CDX)
-The track has a moody, bluesy tone. She has a penetrating voice, yet it sounds like she is trying a little too hard. Forceful, but not something I’d listen to again.