Rodney Atkins to Host Oklahoma Relief Benefit Concert

/by

rodneyRodney Atkins will host the third annual Music City Gives Back benefit concert on June 4 in Nashville. The event will accept donations and raise money on behalf of victims of the recent tornado which decimated Moore, Okla. The “Take a Back Road” singer will perform alongside Jana Kramer, Justin Moore and Josh Thompson.
“Each year I gather some of my friends together to put on this show and have fun with our fans before CMA Music Fest, but the reason we get up here is to help the community come together to give our support to those in need,” says Atkins. “With the recent disaster in Moore [Okla.], I knew that’s where we had to focus our efforts this year. I’m looking forward to the big night with Justin, Jana and Josh – we’re going to rock!”
The concert will be held on an outdoor stage on Lower Broadway at Fifth Avenue at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Fans can stream the concert live at facebook.com/WranglerWestern. For more information, visit musiccitygivesback.com

Apple Radio Service Nears Launch

/by

appleApple is working to complete licensing deals with record and publishing companies so it can launch a streaming radio service. According to numerous reports, including one in the New York Times, Apple would like to debut the offering at its annual developers conference which opens June 10 in San Francisco.
Unofficially nicknamed iRadio, the service is expected to offer free, ad supported streaming. It would be similar to Pandora, which allows users to tailor the song selection.
The Times reports that Universal has signed on for recorded music licensing, but not publishing, and that Warner Music is on board with both sets of rights.

SunTrust's 15th Annual Hot Dog Day To Be Held June 6

/by

hot dog day111SunTrust’s Music Row branch and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are hosting the 15th Annual Hot Dog Day on Thurs., June 6. Members of the music business are invited to the bank parking lot (located at 1026 17th Ave. S) from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. for free food and good music.
Live entertainment will be provided by Big Yellow Dog Music.
The fun event is typically held the week of CMA Music Festival and serves hot dogs to over 1000 members of the music industry each year.

Townsquare Media Acquires The Boot

/by

AOL Music111AOL began shutting down its AOL Music properties on April 26, but now AOL has sold hip-hop site The BoomBox, country site The Boot and metal site Noisecreep (plus Comics Alliance) to Townsquare Media Group, a Connecticut-based radio station owner.
The sites will come full circle under this deal, as it puts the properties under the ownership of Townsquare Media’s executive vice president Bill Wilson, who was formerly president of AOL Media in 2008-2009 when all four sites were created. Townsquare Media has hired some former AOL staffers and has plans for others to come aboard.
“The acquisition of these assets from AOL represents the continued rapid growth of Townsquare Media’s portfolio of owned and operated music and entertainment websites,” commented Townsquare Media Group Chairman and CEO, Steven Price. “Adding these premium brands to Townsquare Media’s comprehensive offering propels our scale beyond today’s 52 million US monthly unique visitors, allowing advertisers and agencies even greater access to this highly engaged and demographically desirable audience.”
Townsquare Media operates more than 240 stations, and runs another 250 associated websites, along with other sites like Taste of Country, Loudwire and ScreenCrush.
In related news, Beville Darden Dunkerley, co-founder of The Boot, recently signed on as a contributor for Rolling Stone.
 
 

CMT Partners with Sturgis Buffalo Chip To Launch 'CMT Bike Week'

/by

cmtThe Sturgis Buffalo Chip® and CMT® are bringing the annual motorcycle festival best known for its massive nine-day superstar concert lineup, week of jaw-dropping stunts, and competitions to television when CMT Bike Week premieres Aug. 18. CMT Bike Week was filmed at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s two-week long event in Sturgis, S.D.
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip takes place July 29 through Aug. 11. The nine days of concerts announced thus far include Queensrÿche, The Cult, Buckcherry, Pop Evil, ZZ Top, Halestorm, Kid Rock, Doobie Brothers, Toby Keith, Tesla, Rob Zombie, Mastodon, Machine Head, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brantley Gilbert, Sublime with Rome, Fuel, Lit, and Alien Ant Farm, with more to be announced soon.
“We are thrilled that CMT BIKE WEEK intends to bring the Chip to the world of CMT and document our most exciting traditions,” says Rod Woodruff, President of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. “The Buffalo Chip has always offered a unique sanctuary to bikers in search of freedom, camaraderie, and entertainment. Built by bikers for bikers, we aim to provide the most thrilling experience to the many who consider us their second home and return to the wild festivities each year.”
Festival event information is available at buffalochip.com and CMT Bike Week programming information can be found at cmt.com.
 
 

Nashville's Red River Entertainment Launches with Big Releases

/by

Pictured (L-R): Red River Entertainment’s Chuck Rhodes, Michael Martin Murphey, and Murphey’s producer, Ryan Murphey.

Pictured (L-R): Red River Entertainment’s Chuck Rhodes, Michael Martin Murphey, and Murphey’s producer, Ryan Murphey.


Nashville’s Red River Entertainment, distributed by RED Distribution, launched this week with several releases on the docket. The label’s first releases include WSM “Live From the Archives,” Michael Martin Murphey’s Red River Drifter and Dos Divas, a collaboration by Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis.
The label will release Dos Divas on July 2, which will feature hit songs like “I Know What You Did” and “I Am Woman.” Red River Drifter will be released July 9.
Music industry veteran Chuck Rhodes will head Nashville operations for the label. “It’s fantastic to be reunited with co-founder Bob Frank and to be working with the Red River Entertainment team in New York and Sony RED,” says Rhodes. “I am overwhelmed by the legendary artists and projects that have chosen to grace our roster here in Nashville and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with them.”
The label plans to announce more projects in coming weeks. Rhodes can be contacted at oedad@comcast.net or at 615-594-7684
 
 

'MusicRow' No. 1 Song

/by


The Band Perry give the performance of the night. Photo: ACM

The Band Perry give the performance of the night. Photo: ACM


The Band Perry has rightfully performed its way to the top of this week’s MusicRow Chart, to land at No. 1 with the single “Done.”
Written by brothers Neil and Reid Perry with Jacob Bryant and John Davidson, “Done” took flight after performances by the Perry trio on the 2013 ACM Awards, the ACM special Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night and on American Idol.
The Dann Huff-produced single has been the group’s second hit from its album Pioneer.
Catch the sibling trio on the road this summer as special guests on Rascal Flatts‘ Live and Loud tour.

Industry Ink (5-31-13)

/by

nashville hutton hotel111Carey Watermark Investors, Inc. (CWI) has acquired the Hutton Hotel in Nashville. The 247-room luxury hotel opened in 2009. CWI purchased the property for $73.6 million.
The Hutton Hotel is located at 1808 West End Avenue.

                  • • •

billboard music awards 2013The 2013 Billboard Music Awards contributed to significant sales gains in the first full week after the May 19 show. In the week ending May 26, the 19 songs performed during the broadcast sold a total of 973,000 downloads, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Among the major sales jumps are Taylor Swift‘s Red, which jumped 17 percent and Kacey Musgraves‘ Same Trailer, Different Park, which was up 11 percent from the previous week.

 • • •

twain smitty111Shania Twain was announced as the winner of the SMItty Award for Most Innovative Use of Scent Marketing. It is awarded to a brand owner who has implemented an outstanding use of scent in a way that is new and unexpected.
In her Las Vegas Show, Shania: Still The One, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the air is infused throughout the show with various specialized scents. Twain’s own fragrances, Still The One Day and Still The One Night, are wafted throughout the audience and slowly transitions into a saloon scent (leathery and vintage) and then into the smell of a campfire. Scent machines are strategically placed throughout The Colosseum for audience members to experience the show from all senses.

Carrie Underwood To Release Concert DVD in August

/by

blownawayCarrie Underwood is set to bring her The Blown Away Tour to DVD with The Blown Away Tour: LIVE on Aug. 13
Filmed in concert this past March in Ontario, Calif., the DVD features more than 20 songs, including performances of 12 of Underwood’s hit singles, including “Before He Cheats,” “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” and the album title track that inspired her tour name, “Blown Away.”
The DVD offers nearly 100 minutes of performance footage, along with exclusive bonus clips offering a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the tour. Viewers will see interviews with Underwood and Raj Kapoor, the tour director responsible for the large production and the visual elements of her tour. The project will also feature several music videos from the entertainer’s Blown Away album.
The Blown Away Tour launched in spring 2012, making 112 stops in 110 cities, six countries and three continents. Underwood performed for more than 1 million fans.
By the numbers, the stage production for the outing included 575,424 individual LED lights in 3,000 square feet of video walls and 23,063 feet of cable to generate the 172 different colors used in the show’s lighting. As part of each show, Carrie and her band flew 150 feet above the audience on a secondary stage that weighed 5,890 pounds, while a total of 450 CO2 tanks and 222 nitrogen tanks were used during the life of the tour to create the “Blown Away” tornado effect at each performance.
DVD audio for The Blown Away Tour: LIVE will be in Dolby® 5.1 and stereo. The Blown Away Tour: LIVE is available for pre-order at amazon.com.
 
 
 

Weekly Chart Report (5/31/13)

/by


SPIN ZONE

Chris Stapleton has been on the road promoting his upcoming Universal Nashville release. Pictured (L-R): Jill Brunett, Chris Stapleton, Travis Moon (PD of KAJA/San Antonio); Bree Wagner (MD of KAJA).

Chris Stapleton has been on the road promoting his upcoming Universal Nashville release. Pictured (L-R): Jill Brunett, Chris Stapleton, Travis Moon (PD of KAJA/San Antonio); Bree Wagner (MD of KAJA).


The Band Perry‘s “Done” made a swift ascent to the pinnacle of the MusicRow charts this week, reaching the penthouse after 14 weeks on the chart. Blake Shelton‘s “Boys Round Here” is close behind at No. 2 after only 10 weeks on the chart. Meanwhile, Luke Bryan‘s “Crash My Party” seems to be crashing everyone else’s party as it sails upward, reaching No. 3 in only eight weeks. The Henningsens‘ “American Beautiful” keeps its stubborn hold in the Top 10, jumping from No. 6 to No. 4. Zac Brown Band‘s “Jump Right In” lands at No. 5. Rounding out the Top 10 this week is Jake Owen‘s former No. 1 single “Anywhere With You,” which lands at No. 6, Carrie Underwood‘s “See You Again” at No. 7, Kip Moore‘s “Hey Pretty Girl” at No. 8, Justin Moore‘s “Point At You” at No. 9 and Randy Houser‘s “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” at No. 10.
The greatest gainer this week is Keith Urban‘s “Little Bit of Everything,” which earned 474 added spins this week, jumping from No. 27 to No. 20. Florida Georgia Line‘s “Round Here” gained 404 spins, enough to land at No. 44. Lady Antebellum‘s “Goodbye Town” accumulated 349 additional spins, rising from No. 20 to No. 18 this week. Dierks Bentley‘s new single, “Bourbon in Kentucky” (featuring Kacey Musgraves on background vocals), gained 290 additional spins this week, debuting at No. 69. Meanwhile, Chris Young‘s “Aw Naw” earned 248 added spins, rising from No. 31 to No. 28.
Florida Georgia Line‘s “Round Here” is this week’s highest debut, landing at No. 32, followed by Kellie Pickler‘s “Someone, Somewhere Tonight” at No. 60, Dierks Bentley‘s “Bourbon In Kentucky” at No. 69, Thompson Square‘s “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” at No. 70 and The Sins Country‘s “Romeo and Juliet Sparks” at No. 72.
Frozen Playlists: KVAY, KMOK, KBXB, KZTL, WAAG, WBKR, WLJE, KXKZ
Upcoming Singles
June 3
Love and Theft/If You Ever Get Lonely/RCA Nashville
B.J. Thomas (feat. Vince Gill)/I Just Can’t Help Believing/Wrinkled
Florida Georgia Line/Round Here/Republic Nashville
Lauren Alaina/Barefoot and Buckwild/19-Interscope-Mercury
Tyler Barham/17 & Young/YN
Lydia Hollis/All For You/HMG
Chelsea Bane/James Dean/Jobe
Steve Richard/Keep On Rollin’/Force MP
June 10
Thompson Square/Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking/Stoney Creek
Kenny Chesney/When I See This Bar/Blue Chair-Columbia Nashville
Dierks Bentley/Bourbon In Kentucky/Capitol Nashville
Cassadee Pope/Wasting All These Tears/Republic Nashville
Andy Ross/Cold Dead Hand/Buck Shot Collective
Elizabeth Lyons/Everything Tonight/Roar Records
Sawyer Brown/Shadows of the Heartland/Beach Street Records
Greg Susoreny/Gently Breathe/Aqua Blue
Denae Gardner/Sound Of A Woman Sayin’ Goodbye/4D Records
June 17
Travis Tritt (feat. Tyler Reese)/Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough
Andy Gibson/Best Thing/Curb
Wynn Varble/Freak Show/Steele Mansion Records
July 8
Downday/Back In The Day/Render

• • •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Florida Georgia Line/Round Here/Republic Nashville – 44
Kellie Pickler/Someone, Somewhere Tonight/Black River – 60
Dierks Bentley/Bourbon In Kentucky/Capitol Nashville – 69
Thompson Square/Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About/Stoney Creek – 70
The Sins Country/Romeo and Juliet Sparks/GTR – 72
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Florida Georgia Line/Round Here/Republic Nashville – 32
Dierks Bentley/Bourbon In Kentucky/Capitol Nashville – 24
Keith Urban/Little Bit Of Everything/Capitol-UMG Nashville – 15
Kellie Pickler/Someone, Somewhere Tonight/Black River – 14
Chris Young/Aw Naw/RCA Nashville – 11
Thompson Square/Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About/Stoney Creek – 10
Taylor Made/That’s How I Roll/LG Records – 9
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Keith Urban/Little Bit Of Everything/Capitol-UMG Nashville – 474
Florida Georgia Line/Round Here/Republic Nashville – 404
Lady Antebellum/Goodbye Town/Capitol-UMG Nashville – 349
Dierks Bentley/Bourbon In Kentucky/Capitol Nashville – 290
Chris Young/Aw Naw/RCA Nashville – 248
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
David Nail/Whatever She’s Got/MCA Nashville – 186
Parmalee/Carolina/Stoney Creek Records – 185
Randy Rogers Band/Fuzzy/UMG Nashville – 184
Erica Nicole/Better Beer/Heaven-Nine North-Turnpike – 182
Dustin Lynch/Wild In Your Smile/Broken Bow Records – 181
 

Kenny Chesney met with radio prior to his ‘No Shoes Nation’ tour at Fed Ex Field on May 25. Pictured (L-R): David Friedman (Columbia Nashville); Charlie Cook (‘MusicRow’ Columnist and West Virginia Broadcasting VP/Programming); Meg Stevens (Clear Channel Washington-Baltimore OM); Chesney; Don Brake (WFRE Frederick PD); Jon Zellner (SVP/Programming); Paul Donovan (WMZQ Washington DC APD/MD); Scot Michaels (Morris Management Promo Rep.)

Kenny Chesney met with radio prior to his ‘No Shoes Nation’ tour at Fed Ex Field on May 25. Pictured (L-R): David Friedman (Columbia Nashville); Charlie Cook (‘MusicRow’ Columnist and West Virginia Broadcasting VP/Programming); Meg Stevens (Clear Channel Washington-Baltimore OM); Chesney; Don Brake (WFRE Frederick PD); Jon Zellner (SVP/Programming); Paul Donovan (WMZQ Washington DC APD/MD); Scot Michaels (Morris Management Promo Rep.)


Kellie Pickler stopped by SiriusXM’s Nashville studio after her successful run on Dancing With The Stars to promote her latest single, "Someone Somewhere Tonight." Pictured (L-R): Gordon Kerr (Black River); John Marks (SiriusXM); Kellie Pickler; Storme Warren (SiriusXM); and Black River's Greg McCarn, Brian Rhoades and Bill Macky.

Kellie Pickler stopped by SiriusXM’s Nashville studio after her successful run on Dancing With The Stars to promote her latest single, “Someone Somewhere Tonight.” Pictured (L-R): Gordon Kerr (Black River); John Marks (SiriusXM); Kellie Pickler; Storme Warren (SiriusXM); and Black River’s Greg McCarn, Brian Rhoades and Bill Macky.