Industry Ink (6-12-13)

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A 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.

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Carolina Story

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. “

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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

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

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mr and mrsPhotographer Russ Harrington and painter Brenda Harrington will launch an exhibit showcasing their art at Nashville’s Chromatics Second Floor Gallery (625 Fogg Street). The exhibit, titled Mr. & Mrs., will run from June 13 through Aug. 16. An opening reception will be held tomorrow (June 13) from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Chromatics Second Floor Gallery.
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.
 

Americana Music Assoc. Reveals Festival Performers

americana 2013The Americana Music Association has unveiled the first round of artists scheduled to perform during the 14th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, presented by Nissan, Sept. 18 – 22, 2013 in Nashville. The early lineup features a mix of icons, innovators and up-and-comers with highlights including Rosanne Cash, The Lone Bellow and Holly Williams.

Showcase artists confirmed to perform include: Black Prairie, Billy Bragg, Rosanne Cash, The Del-Lords, The Devil Makes Three, Sam Doores, Riley Downing & the Tumbleweeds, Frank Fairfield, Field Report, John Fullbright, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Infamous Stringdusters, Kruger Brothers, Pokey LaFarge, Nikki Lane, The Lone Bellow, Luella & the Sun, JD McPherson, Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, Aoife O’Donovan, Old Man Luedecke, Lindi Ortega, Darrell Scott & Tim O’Brien, Shakey Graves, Sturgill Simpson, Sons of Fathers, Spirit Family Reunion, Steelism, The Stray Birds, Richard Thompson, Holly Williams, The White Buffalo and The Wood Brothers.
The Americana Music Festival & Conference is open to the general public and music industry professionals. Festival and Conference Registrations are now available at the reduced rate of $350 for Americana Music Association members and $450 for non-members. The week’s cornerstone event is the 12th annual Americana Honors & Awards, set for Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Ryman Auditorium. Details and registration at www.americanamusic.org.

Music City Hitmakers to Perform with Boston Symphony

MCHMThe Music City Hitmakers, comprised of hit songwriters and session musicians from Nashville, will travel to Boston, Mass. for three evening sets with the Boston Symphony Orchestra Thursday-Saturday, June 13-15.
Nashville songwriters and lead singers Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Brett James will be joined by songwriter Troy Verges; producer, violin player, Charles Dixon; arranger/piano, Charles Judge; drummer, Nick Buda; background vocals, Kelly Archer; guitar, Milan Miller; and bass, Tim Marks.
The Hitmakers will share the behind-the-scenes stories of songs written for Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and Lady Antebellum. Along with performances of “It’s America,” “Jesus Take the Wheel,” and “Mr. Know-It-All,” the weekend concerts will feature “Coming Home” from Country Strong, “There’s A Place For Us” from the Chronicles of Narnia series, and a debut of a song titled “Free,” commissioned specifically for the Boston shows written by members of the Hitmakers.
The program is part of the Bring Music City To Your City organization, founded by Dixon. For more information, click here.

Artists Sign On For iHeartRadio's "Show Your Stripes" Campaign

show your stripes111Clear Channel has launched iHeartRadio’s Show Your Stripes, a company-wide community service project to address unemployment among U.S. military veterans and to encourage businesses to hire skilled veterans. The company is set to spend more than $75 million on radio, digital and other resources to highlight skills brought back by returning servicemen and women that are valuable to employers.
To launch the campaign, artists including Elton John, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Ryan Seacrest, Mario Lopez, Trace Adkins and LL Cool J have recorded a series of PSAs that showcase stories from veterans who have successfully found jobs. Clarkson tells the story of Jeff Marshall, a 10-year member of the U.S. Air Force special operations command who is now working in online operations at Facebook.
By the year 2016, more than a million servicemen and women will end their military careers and transition back to civilian life. According to a 2012 survey by Prudential and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 60 percent of returning servicemen and women said they have faced a challenge translating the valuable skills they obtained in the military into civilian employment. 98 percent of all veterans cited at least one challenge in seeking employment.

Clear Channel Signs Performance Royalties Deal with Fleetwood Mac

clear-channelClear Channel Media & Entertainment has signed the first direct performing rights partnership deal between a radio company and an artist. Clear Channel Media & Entertainment inked a deal with Fleetwood Mac that will enable the group to receive revenue from airplay on Clear Channel’s digital and broadcast radio platforms. The group’s new EP features the first new Fleetwood Mac music since “Say You Will” was released more than a decade ago.
The agreement is the first to be negotiated directly with an artist or group, creating a milestone for Clear Channel and the industry. The independent labels who have similar agreements with Clear Channel include Big Machine Label Group, Glassnote Entertainment Group, eOne, DashGo, Robbins Entertainment, Naxos, rpm Entertainment, Wind-up Records, Fearless Records, Zojak Records and Dualtone Records.
“Fleetwood Mac has blown me away from the first time I heard them – they are the perfect group for radio,” said Bob Pittman, CEO of Clear Channel. “Reaching an agreement with them is the clearest sign yet that this kind of revenue-sharing model represents the industry’s future—it is a win-win-win, for artists, fans and the music business. We look forward to helping Fleetwood Mac get their hit songs to their fans on whatever platform or device they want to find them.”
The band, which formed in London in 1967 and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has released 17 studio albums over its career.

'Kenny Chesney Presents: No Shoes Nation' To Air June 19

kchesneyKenny Chesney Presents: No Shoes Nation, a 60-minute documentary produced by long-time collaborator and acclaimed music video director Shaun Silva, premieres Wednesday, June 19, 10 p.m./EST on Great American Country. The special goes into Chesney’s world, his touring reality and beyond, providing the most comprehensive picture of the four-time consecutive Academy of Country Music and four-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year.
“When we were finishing Life On A Rock, which was a collection of songs that were never meant to be part of an actual album, it occurred to me how thin the line between the music, me and my fans really is,” says Chesney. “I realized not only were those songs my fans’ lives, too; but that my fans like their lives with every bit as much heart, as much passion as I do — I wanted a special that showed them how they look to me, too.”
The documentary was filmed in Ft. Lauderdale, Key West, Tampa, Jacksonville, St. John and Barbados during rehearsals, in the islands, at club gigs, stadiums shows, etc.

Artist Updates (6-11-13)

Jake Owen

Jake Owen


After Jake Owen’s concert set was cut short at the 2013 CMA Music Festival due to weather, The Bobby Bones Show offered the country star a way to make it up to fans. Fans can tune in tomorrow, June 12, at 8 a.m. CT to hear Owen perform his entire concert set live on air from The Bobby Bones Show studio in Nashville.
The special fan concert was set up via a quick Twitter exchange between Owen and Bones:
@jakeowen: Sorry to all my fans that paid good money for #CMAFEST2013 tix. Due to the weather coming in, I was told to only play one song. I ❤ you guys
@mrBobbyBones: Hey @jakeowen, you are formally invited to finish your set from last night on our show.
 @jakeowen: Say when…

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craigmorgan2013Country music star and Army veteran Craig Morgan put his EMT training to use on Sunday (June 9) when he helped emergency responders attend to a bad accident on Interstate 40 eastbound near Lobelville, Tenn., just 30 miles outside his hometown of Dickson. Morgan was returning from a recent concert date when, at approximately 11:15am central time Sunday morning, two semis and a tanker collided 1/4 mile in front of their tour bus.
Morgan and two members of his crew, Jerry Hines and Joey Greer, ran to the scene to help extinguish flames and care for the drivers.
“Anytime there’s a situation like this, I think it’s important to do what we can to help others,” shared Morgan this morning in an exclusive interview with Fox News.

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grand_ole_opry_logo_20051The Grand Ole Opry is about to get its own ice cream flavor. The “Graham Ole Opry” ice cream flavor won best in show at Sunday’s 28th annual Miss Martha’s Ice Cream Crankin’ fundraiser. Purity will begin producing the Graham Ole Opry flavor, which is made with chopped peanuts, caramel swirls and chocolate-covered graham chunks.
The flavor inventor, Amanda Allen, 22, is a recent college graduate. “I recently returned to Nashville from college, so I think I was feeling a lot of city pride in being here again. My midlife crisis plan is to open up an ice cream shop somewhere, so it’s nice to know that I am creating flavors that people think are worth eating,” said Allen.
 
 
 
 
 

CMA Music Festival Fun: Chevrolet Riverfront Stage

ASCAP hosted an exclusive backstage VIP tent at the CMA Music Festival’s Chevrolet Riverfront Stage during all four days of this year’s event (June 6th – 9th), while many ASCAP artists performed on the Riverfront stage.

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Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, David Nail and “Whatever She’s Got” co-writer Jimmy Robbins. Photo: Alison Toczylowski.


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Pictured (L-R): Fitzgerald Hartley’s Steve Emley, Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton, Jerrod Niemann, Arista Nashville’s John Sigler and ASCAP’s Robert Filhart.  Photo: Alison Toczylowski.


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Eric Paslay performs on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage


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Dierks Bentley joins The Grascals in a performance on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage

RaeLynn Signs With Big Enterprises

Pictured from L-R: Jaime Heller/KTR Law Group, RaeLynn, Kerry Hansen, Jenn Witherell

Pictured (L-R): Jaime Heller of KTR Law Group, RaeLynn, Kerry Hansen, Jenn Witherell


Kerry Hansen and Jenn Witherell of Big Enterprises have announced the signing of The Valory Music Co./Republic Records artist RaeLynn. She joins the management company which is home to Wynonna and Elenowen.
“RaeLynn is an extremely talented, driven and uniquely positioned young artist,” said Hansen. “Her experience on NBC’s The Voice may have launched the start of her career but her strong songwriting and unique vocals will make her a star. We are thrilled to be partnering with her and the BMLG family.”
RaeLynn, age 19, inked with Republic Nashville in June 2011 following an appearance on season 2 of NBC’s The Voice.
She is the first artist signed to a music publishing joint venture between Nashville based Big Machine Music Publishing and Los Angeles based Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald’s Prescription Songs.
The Baytown, TX native is currently writing music for her upcoming debut Country album.

MusicRowRecess: Nashville Is Great, But Stay Away

Nashville111The Hollywood Reporter is the latest in a long line of media outlets shouting Music City’s praises…and it’s making some Nashvillians wish they could close the city’s borders. Stories rolled in from The New York Times about the food scene in east Nashville; the Times later named Nashville as an “It” cityConde Nast Traveler listed Nashville as one of the best places in the world to visit in 2013. Bon Appetit and The Wall Street Journal both promoted Music City. Of course, the television show Nashville brought ample coverage and interest to its namesake city.
In an article titled Music City Confidential: Where A-Listers Eat, Sleep and Stay in Music City, the Hollywood Reporter shone the spotlight again on restaurants including Etch, The Catbird Seat, Tavern and The Southern Steak and Oyster, along with other establishments that heavy-hitters including William Morris Endeavor’s Greg Oswald and artists Jack White and Luke Bryan frequent.
Perhaps the real story is the imaginative responses from readers hoping to preserve the city from an onslaught of tourists and visitors. Now that the public reception of Nashville is turning away from decades of stereotypes involving hay bales and overalls, some commenters were happy to drum them up again in a humorous attempt to deflect visitors from coming to town.
What do you think–should Nashville leave the welcome mat rolled out?
A sampling of the comments are below. For more, click here.

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