Let’s pretend this is an awards show, and give out prizes in lots of categories. Our Female Vocalist Disc of the Day honor belongs to Miranda Lambert, with special kudos for coloring outside the lines with her song choice. The Male Vocalist Disc of the Day prize goes to Chris Stapleton. No one else even comes close. The Vocal Group Disc of the Day award, I am delighted to announce, is presented to the Eli Young Band for its outstanding audio work. I can’t say enough good things about the magnificent Chris Stapleton, who is also taking home this week’s DisCovery Award. Applause, applause.
Chris Stapleton
-The “dash” is the one they place between your birth and death years. The message here is to spend that brief “dash” well, because, “There’s only so much breath you get to take….So love like you mean it, everyday.” Imaginative and emotionally valid.
CLINTON GREGORY/You Smile
Writers: Pebe Sebert/Gerald Smith; Producers: Jamie Creasy & Clinton Gregory; Publishers: Laloluka/Melody Roundup/Bluewater, BMI; Melody Roundup
-Tender and caressing. This thoughtful ode to perseverance finds its perfect voice in this fine, stone-country stylist. Songwriter Sebert, by the way, is the mother of pop star Ke$ha.
LAUREN ALAINA/Barefoot and Buckwild
Writers: Lauren Alaina/Chris DeStefano/Jon Nite; Producer: Chris DeStefano; Publishers: Lyles/EMI April/Sugar Glider/Jon Mark Nite, BMI/ASCAP; Mercury/19 (CDX)
-Just what we need, a female artist jumping onto the dirt-road-party bandwagon.
ELI YOUNG BAND/Drunk Last Night
Writers: Laura Veltz/Josh Osborne; Producers: Frank Liddell & Justin Niebank; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane/Want a Fresh One/Black River, BMI/ASCAP; Republic Nashville
-Frothing and foamy, this is one delectable slab of country-rock. Everything works here: The morning-after lyric, the frenetic tempo, the stuttering guitars, the group harmonies and the crisp production work.
TAYLOR SWIFT/Red
Writers: Taylor Swift; Producers: Dann Huff, Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift; Publishers: Sony-ATV Tree/Taylor Swift, BMI; Big Machine (Track)
-It’s Taylor in her twirling, swirling uptempo mode. Dizzy, bright and delirious.
CHRIS STAPLETON/What Are You Listening To
Writers: Chris Stapleton/Lee Thomas Miller; Producer: Tony Brown; Publishers: House of Sea Gayle/Small Fish/Writers of Sea Gayle/Itchy Baby, ASCAP/BMI; Mercury
-Sublimely soulful. If you never caught his performances in The SteelDrivers, welcome to the Next Great Vocalist in country music. Chris has written hits for Josh Turner, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Steel Magnolia and more, but Nashville insiders have always known that his powerful singing has always deserved its own spotlight. Now it has it.
Miranda Lambert
-This restrained, subtle, gracefully shaded performance is his most accomplished vocal to date. The come-on song casts him a romantic role. An attractive change of pace.
JESSE & NOAH/Driven Back
Writers: Jesse & Noah Bellamy; Producers: Jesse and Noah Bellamy; Publisher: Skunk Ape, ASCAP; Jessandnoah
-David Bellamy’s boys head in a funky, pop direction on the title tune to their latest collection. Left of center, but definitely listenable.
MIRANDA LAMBERT/All Kinds of Kinds
Writers: Phillip Coleman/Don Henry; Producers: Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay & Glenn Worf; Publishers: Gravitron/Carnival/Warner-Tamerlane, SESAC/BMI; RCA (track)
-Exquisitely produced, with rolling Dobro notes, strummed acoustic guitar, rippling mandolin and shuffling percussion. Her vocal is a crystalline wonder, and the song is a pure, off-kilter delight. In a word, brilliant.
LENNY COOPER/Rodeo
Writers: L. Cooper/J. Sciullo/J. Spilner; Producers: www.PhiveStarr.com & DjKo; Publishers: Average ZJS/DJKOPhivesarr/Riley Payton, BMI/SESAC; Backroad/Average
-This guy represents the mud-people, off-road, ATV subculture, hence his album title,
Mud Dynasty. Its single is packed with electronic effects and thumping beats. As a general rule, I hate country rapping. And this is no exception.
Nashville and Tamworth, Australia Join as Sister Cities
/by Jessica NicholsonTamworth Mayor Col Murray and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean sign the treaty that officially links Nashville and Tamworth as Sister Cities. Photo Credit: Gary Layda, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Tamworth, Australia and Nashville are officially joined as sister cities. On June 7, Nashville mayor Karl Dean and Mayor Col Murray of Tamworth signed a treaty at the Hall of Fame Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum that officially joined the cities; Tamworth is the seventh sister city to Nashville.
Tamworth, known as the “Country Music Capital of Australia,” hosts the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. The signing ceremony was held to coincide with the CMA Music Festival taking place downtown.
“Our shared love and appreciation of country music make this Sister City partnership a natural fit,” Mayor Dean said. “I look forward to a rich and long-lasting relationship that gives our citizens opportunities for musical, artistic, cultural and educational exchanges.”
Ten delegates from Tamworth, including three city “councillors,” are visiting Nashville to take part in the ceremony and the CMA Music Festival. Tamworth officials have an educational booth at Fan Fair X as part of CMA activities.
“There have been many links developed between Tamworth and Nashville over the years through the affinity both cities have for country music,” Mayor Murray said. “It is fantastic that we are now formalizing our Sister Cities relationship after years in the making.”
Clare Bowen, the Australian actress/artist who portrays Scarlett O’Connor in the television show Nashville, was to attend the ceremony; Australian duo Mark and Jay O’Shea and singer Morgan Evans performed. The husband-and-wife O’Sheas have multiple No. 1 singles in Australia and live and work in Nashville.
Nashville’s other sister cities include: Belfast, Northern Ireland; Caen, France; Edmonton, Canada; Magdeburg, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; and Taiyuan, China.
Music Executive Bob Saporiti, CMA Board Member/AristoMedia CEO Jeff Walker, Country Music Hall of Fame Museum Director Kyle Young, Tamworth Mayor Col Murray, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and CMA Board Member and Entertainment Edge CEO Rob Potts join Australian performers (seated, L-R) Mark O’Shea, Clare Bowen (“Nashville”), Jay O’Shea and Morgan Evans at the official Sister Cities Signing Ceremony. Photo Credit: Gary Layda, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Members of the Tamworth Delegation at the Sister Cities Signing Ceremony. Top row (L to R): Judy Coats, Tamworth Mayor Col Murray, Councilor Helen Tickle, Councilor Tim Coats, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, GM – Tamworth Regional Council Paul Bennett, Carol Murray, Gail Bennett, Country Music Hall of Fame Museum Director Kyle Young, Tamworth Country Music Festival Coordinator Kate Baker. Bottom row (L to R): Mark O’Shea, Clare Bowen, Jay O’Shea and Morgan Evans. Not pictured: Tamworth Regional Council Director of Business/Events John Sommerlad, CEO West Entertainment Group Rod Laing. Photo Credit: Gary Layda, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
2013 ICM Convention Coming To Nashville in October
/by Michael_SmithThe 19th annual Inspirational Country Music Convention and Awards will be held at Two Rivers Fellowship at Opryland in Nashville from Oct. 20-24, 2013.
The week features several activities in honor of the artists who perform Inspirational and Christian country music, including the ICM Faith, Family and Country Talent Show, The Power Source No. 1 Party, the Media Appreciation Luncheon and more.
“I truly love Nashville and all the benefits it has to offer our attendees,” says ICM Executive Director Jason Higgins. “We are excited to be back in Nashville and have plans to expand the week in 2014!”
The first ICM Awards were held in 1993 and have since grown to include over twenty award categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Duo of the Year and Video of the Year. The awards also honor new artists, youth, radio stations, films and TV networks which have impacted Inspirational and Christian country music.
For more information on the ICM Convention and Awards, visit www.faithfamilycountry.com.
Southland Conference Connects Investors and Start-Ups
/by Sarah SkatesLaunch Tennessee (LaunchTN), a public-private partnership supporting high-growth companies in Tennessee, organized the event, which sold out weeks in advance.
Southland speakers and panelists include Slava Rubin, co-founder and CEO of Indiegogo; Dan Pelino, general manager of IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry; Ali Partovi, co-founder of Code.org; George Kliavkoff, executive vice president and deputy group head of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication; Gary Swart, CEO of oDesk; Paul Singh, partner at 500 Startups; and Sarah Lacy, founder and editor-in-chief of PandoDaily. Panels will also feature top national and regional investors.
Details at southlandse.com.
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and Ustream Announce 2013 Webcast Lineup
/by Jessica NicholsonAdditionally, Bonnaroo will webcast a live SuperJam for the first time ever. This year’s SuperJam features RZA, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Schoolboy Q, Earl Sweatshirt, Solange, Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes), Lettuce and special guests.
Bonnaroo will take place this weekend, June 13 – 16, in Manchester, Tenn. This year’s Bonnaroo webcast will be available for viewing on two channels (available below).
2013 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Webcast Lineup Via Ustream:
Tentative Schedule
FRIDAY, JUNE 14
CHANNEL 1
4:00pm-5:00pm — Local Natives
5:00pm-6:15pm — Of Monsters and Men
6:30pm-8:00pm — Wilco
8:00pm-9:00pm — Passion Pit
9:00pm-10:00pm — Paul McCartney (first hour)
10:00pm-11:30pm — Jim James
12:00pm-2:00am — Superjam with RZA, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Schoolboy Q, Earl Sweatshirt, Solange, and Chad Hugo featuring Lettuce plus special guests
CHANNEL 2
4:00pm-4:30pm — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
4:30pm-5:30pm — Calexico (partial set)
5:30pm-6:45pm — Grizzly Bear
6:45pm-7:30pm — Glen Hansard (partial set)
7:30pm-9:00pm — Wu-Tang Clan
9:00pm-10:15pm — Foals
10:30pm-11:30pm — The Vaccines
11:30pm-12:45am — The xx
12:45am-2:00am — Conspirator
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
CHANNEL 1
3:45pm-4:45pm — Lord Huron
4:45pm-6:15pm — Nas
6:15pm-7:15pm — Four Tet
7:15pm-8:15pm — Matt & Kim
8:15pm-9:30pm —The Lumineers
9:30pm – 11:30pm — TBD
CHANNEL 2
4:00pm-5:15pm — Portugal. The Man
5:15pm-6:30pm — Dirty Projectors
6:30pm-7:00pm — Solange (partial set)
7:00pm-8:30pm — Beach House
8:30pm-10:00pm — Gov’t Mule
10:00pm-11:30pm — A-Trak
11:30pm-12:30am — Japandroids
12:30pm-1:30am — ALO with Special Guests
SUNDAY, JUNE 16
CHANNEL 1
2:30pm-3:30pm — Delta Rae
3:30pm-4:30pm — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
4:30pm-5:30pm — Kendrick Lamar
5:30pm-6:30pm — Allen Stone
6:30pm-8:00pm — The National
9:30pm-10:45pm — Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
CHANNEL 2
2:45pm-3:45pm — Father John Misty
3:45pm-4:45pm — Big K.R.I.T.
5:00pm-6:30pm — Swans
6:30pm-7:45pm — Tame Impala
7:45pm-9:00pm — A$AP Rocky
9:00pm-10:00pm — Divine Fits
Video streaming by Ustream
Video streaming by Ustream
Blake Shelton Brings Stars For 'Boys 'Round Here' Celebrity Mix
/by Jessica NicholsonThe song features Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Ronnie Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Reba, Josh Turner, Keith Urban and Hank Williams, Jr., along with the Pistol Annies singing harmonies.
Hear the audio below:
CMA Music Festival Sets New Attendance Record
/by Jessica Nicholson“This event has a global reputation as the destination for any Country Music fan,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “The support we receive from our industry and the dedication of our fans is unduplicated. Each year we strive to improve and enhance the event for our attendees and the artists – and this is undeniably our best CMA Music Festival ever!”
Attendance figures for 2013 include four-day ticket packages and promotional tickets, attendance in Fan Fair X, and free areas downtown. More than 450 artists and celebrities participated, giving 200 hours of concerts on 11 different stages.
Grand Ole Opry Adds Wednesday Night Shows To Summer Schedule
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Band Perry performs on the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo
Nashville will get an additional night of Opry performances each week this summer. The Grand Ole Opry® presented by Humana® is adding eight weeks of Wednesday night shows to its schedule, running June 19 – Aug. 7. The Wednesday evening performances will join the Opry’s Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday weekly scheduled lineup on the Opry’s show calendar.
Alison Krauss will celebrate her 20th anniversary as an Opry member on Wednesday, July 3, and The Band Perry will visit the Opry the following Wednesday, July 10, playing an extended 30-minute segment.
Additional performers scheduled for Wednesday evenings include American Idol finalist Janelle Arthur (who will make her Opry debut), Larry Gatlin, Kristen Kelly, Dustin Lynch and Restless Heart (June 19); and Aaron Tippin (June 26).
Weekly Register: Tickets n' Touring Bar Goes Up; Rimes and Pope Debut
/by bossrossCMA Music Festival 2013 presented a revealing window through which to view and grade onstage wow! as country’s major acts graced the LP Field Stage in short 30-minute time slots. Being chosen to perform in that venue is a testimonial in itself, and as expected, all of the acts presented well. But some came ready to show they intend to dominate—while others seemed to feel that pretty darn good was good enough.
This writer did not see every act over the four days, so please don’t consider the following examples to be a comprehensive list. Two acts that turned the stage into a high energy audio-visual battleground were Florida Georgia Line and The Band Perry, both on the same label.
And now to this week’s results…
Weekly Register
LeAnn Rimes was this week’s sole Top 10 country debut coming in with Spitfire at No. 9 and almost 11k units (54% digital). Last week’s CMT Awards didn’t seem to pump Country album sales much. Overall they climbed 1% W/W while the Current Country tally was slightly down. The fast facts are contained on the grids which show country’s Y/Y lead edging down while all genre sales also lag.
Blake Shelton enjoys a second consecutive week at No. 1 with over 36k units on his Gold-headed-for-Platinum Based On A True Story. Darius Rucker spins his “Wagon Wheel” single which keeps his album True Believers No. 2 again although sales fell about 18% w/w to 33k. The next three titles are Florida Georgia Line (No. 3; 28k), George Strait (No. 4; 21k) and Lady Antebellum (No. 5; 20k).
At the end of Q2 we’ll study the TEA effect more closely, but through this week, Taylor Swift’s Red leads the country pack in YTD Albums w/TEA showing over 1 million combined units. Blake Shelton’s True Story (almost 900k) and FGL’s Good Times (almost 800k) follow.
Cassadee Pope
Keeping Track
This week’s track listings reinforce the industry adage, “don’t diss TV cred.” Echoing the wisdom of that advice is The Voice’s Cassadee Pope with her new single “Wasting All These Tears.” Pope impressed the trade press with her recent meet/greet/perform visits. During last year’s show she sold enough tracks to make most any new artist green with envy and this week she storms onto the chart at No. 2 with a robust 125k units. But for now, nothing can touch FGL who remain in No. 1 with 225k units. The duo’s track “Cruise” has now passed an RTD of over 4 million.
This year’s new The Voice star-in-the-making, Danielle Bradbery, continues her reign of chart terror with the Sara Evans hit “A Little Bit Stronger” which debuts at No. 13 with almost 36k units. Not Bradbery’s best showing, but clear evidence she has developed a solid fan base.
Stay tuned…
DISClaimer: Awards Show Edition
/by Robert K OermannLet’s pretend this is an awards show, and give out prizes in lots of categories. Our Female Vocalist Disc of the Day honor belongs to Miranda Lambert, with special kudos for coloring outside the lines with her song choice. The Male Vocalist Disc of the Day prize goes to Chris Stapleton. No one else even comes close. The Vocal Group Disc of the Day award, I am delighted to announce, is presented to the Eli Young Band for its outstanding audio work. I can’t say enough good things about the magnificent Chris Stapleton, who is also taking home this week’s DisCovery Award. Applause, applause.
Chris Stapleton
BRANCH & DEAN/The Dash
Writers: Marlon Dean/Michael Huffman; Producers: Michael Huffman, Marlon Dean Scallan & Jeff Silvey; Publishers: Shootin Straight/Huff Stuff, BMI/ASCAP; SSM Nashville
-The “dash” is the one they place between your birth and death years. The message here is to spend that brief “dash” well, because, “There’s only so much breath you get to take….So love like you mean it, everyday.” Imaginative and emotionally valid.
CLINTON GREGORY/You Smile
Writers: Pebe Sebert/Gerald Smith; Producers: Jamie Creasy & Clinton Gregory; Publishers: Laloluka/Melody Roundup/Bluewater, BMI; Melody Roundup
-Tender and caressing. This thoughtful ode to perseverance finds its perfect voice in this fine, stone-country stylist. Songwriter Sebert, by the way, is the mother of pop star Ke$ha.
LAUREN ALAINA/Barefoot and Buckwild
Writers: Lauren Alaina/Chris DeStefano/Jon Nite; Producer: Chris DeStefano; Publishers: Lyles/EMI April/Sugar Glider/Jon Mark Nite, BMI/ASCAP; Mercury/19 (CDX)
-Just what we need, a female artist jumping onto the dirt-road-party bandwagon.
ELI YOUNG BAND/Drunk Last Night
Writers: Laura Veltz/Josh Osborne; Producers: Frank Liddell & Justin Niebank; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane/Want a Fresh One/Black River, BMI/ASCAP; Republic Nashville
-Frothing and foamy, this is one delectable slab of country-rock. Everything works here: The morning-after lyric, the frenetic tempo, the stuttering guitars, the group harmonies and the crisp production work.
TAYLOR SWIFT/Red
Writers: Taylor Swift; Producers: Dann Huff, Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift; Publishers: Sony-ATV Tree/Taylor Swift, BMI; Big Machine (Track)
-It’s Taylor in her twirling, swirling uptempo mode. Dizzy, bright and delirious.
CHRIS STAPLETON/What Are You Listening To
Writers: Chris Stapleton/Lee Thomas Miller; Producer: Tony Brown; Publishers: House of Sea Gayle/Small Fish/Writers of Sea Gayle/Itchy Baby, ASCAP/BMI; Mercury
-Sublimely soulful. If you never caught his performances in The SteelDrivers, welcome to the Next Great Vocalist in country music. Chris has written hits for Josh Turner, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Steel Magnolia and more, but Nashville insiders have always known that his powerful singing has always deserved its own spotlight. Now it has it.
Miranda Lambert
JASON ALDEAN/Night Train
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Broken Bow (track)
-This restrained, subtle, gracefully shaded performance is his most accomplished vocal to date. The come-on song casts him a romantic role. An attractive change of pace.
JESSE & NOAH/Driven Back
Writers: Jesse & Noah Bellamy; Producers: Jesse and Noah Bellamy; Publisher: Skunk Ape, ASCAP; Jessandnoah
-David Bellamy’s boys head in a funky, pop direction on the title tune to their latest collection. Left of center, but definitely listenable.
MIRANDA LAMBERT/All Kinds of Kinds
Writers: Phillip Coleman/Don Henry; Producers: Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay & Glenn Worf; Publishers: Gravitron/Carnival/Warner-Tamerlane, SESAC/BMI; RCA (track)
-Exquisitely produced, with rolling Dobro notes, strummed acoustic guitar, rippling mandolin and shuffling percussion. Her vocal is a crystalline wonder, and the song is a pure, off-kilter delight. In a word, brilliant.
LENNY COOPER/Rodeo
Writers: L. Cooper/J. Sciullo/J. Spilner; Producers: www.PhiveStarr.com & DjKo; Publishers: Average ZJS/DJKOPhivesarr/Riley Payton, BMI/SESAC; Backroad/Average
-This guy represents the mud-people, off-road, ATV subculture, hence his album title, Mud Dynasty. Its single is packed with electronic effects and thumping beats. As a general rule, I hate country rapping. And this is no exception.
Industry Ink (6-12-13)
/by Jessica NicholsonA derisive advertisement against CAA.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) was the object of a derisive advertising campaign on Tuesday (June 11) in Los Angeles. The campaign is reportedly the work of CAA’s rival agency William Morris Endeavor (WME). According to the LA Times, ads installed at the Westfield Century City mall featured the word “CAAN’T,” in CAA’s signature red-and-white color scheme. The ads referenced a recent New York Post Page Six column that claimed a CAA client was unhappy with his or her representation.
• • •
Carolina Story
Americana music duo Carolina Story has signed with the Texas-based Lee Crosby Agency. “We are proud to announce that Carolina Story has come on board with us,” Trey Newman, founder of the Lee Crosby Agency, said. “With their upcoming album release, we are excited to represent their touring in the upcoming year. “
• • •
SESAC songwriter Allen Salmon has signed with Razor & Tie Publishing for representation.
The Nashville-based singer/songwriter/producer stopped by SESAC’s Nashville headquarters with Razor & Tie Publishing executives to celebrate the deal.
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s John Mullins, Razor & Tie’s Ross Asher, Salmon, Razor & Tie’s Craig Balsam, Sharon Tapper and Lisa Johnson & SESAC’s Tim Fink. Photo: Ed Rode
• • •
Russ Harrington has photographed album and publicity artwork for Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Reba, Kellie Pickler, Miranda Lambert, Sara Evans, Loretta Lynn, Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Nikki Taylor, Melinda Doolittle, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Alan Jackson, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Darius Rucker, Brooks & Dunn, Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Kirk Franklin, Faith Hill and many others.