Phil Lee
What a bunch of crap. There was precious little pleasant listening during this session, since nearly half the discs were dogs. The bright spots included Joel Crouse, John Damian and Chris Wall. The critically acclaimed and criminally unrewarded
Phil Lee has the
Disc of the Day. All country lovers should shower him with their love and money. The brightest spot of all was the
DisCovery Award winner.
Tyler Farr grabbed ahold of my ears and didn’t let go for a second.
JOHN DAMIAN/Gingerbread Man
Writer: Vernon Rust; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Reptile
—The chiming, driving track has plenty of catchy, sitar-ish guitar work and his vocal on this well-written, hooky country rocker is packed with passion. Nicely done.
EASTON CORBIN/All Over the Road
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Mercury Nashville (ERG)
—Bland. In one ear and out the other.
JORDAN ANDERSON/Toxic
Writer: Anderson/Robbins/Wilson; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: none listed; GTR (www.jordanandersoncountry.com)
—It’s a wild, super-energetic rocker laced with fiddle. Her vocal is ever so slightly flat.
Tyler Farr
—She has a tattoo on her butt, wears a ponytail and drives a junk car. Naturally, he’s completely smitten. I’m not. Pass.
CHRIS WALL/Six Shiny Strings
Writer: Chris Wall; Producer: Chris Wall, Lloyd Maines & Merel Bregante; Publisher: Shallow Pockets, BMI; Cold Spring (track)
—This Texas favorite recorded his new
El Western Motel CD in Austin with the gifted Lloyd Maines providing instrumental support. This acoustic, folk-country lead-off track is the tale of a boy who falls under the spell of music making. It’s like listening to a good buddy tell you a story. A sound of warmth and charm.
TYLER FARR/Redneck Crazy
Writer: Josh Kear/Mark Irwin/Chris Tompkins; Producer: Jim Catino & Julian King; Publisher: Global Dog/Big Yellow Dog/Lunalight/Words & Music/Green Vinyl/Big Loud Songs/Angel River/Big Loud Bucks, ASCAP; Columbia
—I listened to him introduce this song on the Opry on Saturday night. It sounded good to me then, and it sounds good to me now. It’s a gripping little record. He sings with fevered, raspy emotion, and the creepy, quasi-stalking lyric is kinda scary in its obsessiveness. Well worth your spins.
DALE WATSON/Daughter’s Wedding Song
Writer: Dale Watson; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Dale Watson/Bug, BMI; Red House (track)
—I just can’t get over the fact that this guy is not a gigantic country superstar. He sings like a lost son of Merle Haggard, writes songs with the best of them and looks cool to boot. This sweet, slow waltz appears on his new
El Rancho Azul collection. It is a mite repetitive, but daddies everywhere will melt for its sentiment.
JOEL CROUSE/If You Want Some
Writer: Joel Crouse/Jamie Houston/Luke Laird; Producer: Jamie Houston; Publisher: Joel Crouse/Happy Cake/Songs of Universal/Creative Nation/Twangin’ and Slangin,’ BMI/ASCAP; Show Dog Universal
—Happy and youthful, it’s an invitation to a party that is just about irresistible. Love his drawl and his phrasing. The track chugs right along.
PHIL LEE/She Don’t Let Love Get in the Way
Writer: Phil Lee; Producer: Richard Bennett; Publisher: Grim Reminder, BMI; Palookaville (track) (www.philleeone.com)
—Lee is the greatest honky-tonk singer in the modern history of Lower Broadway in Music City. His new CD is called
The Fall & Further Decline of the Mighty King of Love. This track blends blues, country and calypso with just a touch of Mexicali while he intones like a young Dylan. I remain an enormous fan.
COUNTRY YOUTH ASSOCIATION/Trailer Trash
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; WSR
—Completely incompetent, from vocal performance to instrumental noise to studio sonics. Easily the worst record I have heard in decades. Must be heard to be believed.
DISClaimer Single Reviews (1/23/13)
/by Robert K OermannPhil Lee
What a bunch of crap. There was precious little pleasant listening during this session, since nearly half the discs were dogs. The bright spots included Joel Crouse, John Damian and Chris Wall. The critically acclaimed and criminally unrewarded Phil Lee has the Disc of the Day. All country lovers should shower him with their love and money. The brightest spot of all was the DisCovery Award winner. Tyler Farr grabbed ahold of my ears and didn’t let go for a second.
JOHN DAMIAN/Gingerbread Man
Writer: Vernon Rust; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Reptile
—The chiming, driving track has plenty of catchy, sitar-ish guitar work and his vocal on this well-written, hooky country rocker is packed with passion. Nicely done.
EASTON CORBIN/All Over the Road
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Mercury Nashville (ERG)
—Bland. In one ear and out the other.
JORDAN ANDERSON/Toxic
Writer: Anderson/Robbins/Wilson; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: none listed; GTR (www.jordanandersoncountry.com)
—It’s a wild, super-energetic rocker laced with fiddle. Her vocal is ever so slightly flat.
Tyler Farr
EMERSON DRIVE/She’s My Kind of Crazy
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; TTA Quarterback (ERG)
—She has a tattoo on her butt, wears a ponytail and drives a junk car. Naturally, he’s completely smitten. I’m not. Pass.
CHRIS WALL/Six Shiny Strings
Writer: Chris Wall; Producer: Chris Wall, Lloyd Maines & Merel Bregante; Publisher: Shallow Pockets, BMI; Cold Spring (track)
—This Texas favorite recorded his new El Western Motel CD in Austin with the gifted Lloyd Maines providing instrumental support. This acoustic, folk-country lead-off track is the tale of a boy who falls under the spell of music making. It’s like listening to a good buddy tell you a story. A sound of warmth and charm.
TYLER FARR/Redneck Crazy
Writer: Josh Kear/Mark Irwin/Chris Tompkins; Producer: Jim Catino & Julian King; Publisher: Global Dog/Big Yellow Dog/Lunalight/Words & Music/Green Vinyl/Big Loud Songs/Angel River/Big Loud Bucks, ASCAP; Columbia
—I listened to him introduce this song on the Opry on Saturday night. It sounded good to me then, and it sounds good to me now. It’s a gripping little record. He sings with fevered, raspy emotion, and the creepy, quasi-stalking lyric is kinda scary in its obsessiveness. Well worth your spins.
DALE WATSON/Daughter’s Wedding Song
Writer: Dale Watson; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Dale Watson/Bug, BMI; Red House (track)
—I just can’t get over the fact that this guy is not a gigantic country superstar. He sings like a lost son of Merle Haggard, writes songs with the best of them and looks cool to boot. This sweet, slow waltz appears on his new El Rancho Azul collection. It is a mite repetitive, but daddies everywhere will melt for its sentiment.
JOEL CROUSE/If You Want Some
Writer: Joel Crouse/Jamie Houston/Luke Laird; Producer: Jamie Houston; Publisher: Joel Crouse/Happy Cake/Songs of Universal/Creative Nation/Twangin’ and Slangin,’ BMI/ASCAP; Show Dog Universal
—Happy and youthful, it’s an invitation to a party that is just about irresistible. Love his drawl and his phrasing. The track chugs right along.
PHIL LEE/She Don’t Let Love Get in the Way
Writer: Phil Lee; Producer: Richard Bennett; Publisher: Grim Reminder, BMI; Palookaville (track) (www.philleeone.com)
—Lee is the greatest honky-tonk singer in the modern history of Lower Broadway in Music City. His new CD is called The Fall & Further Decline of the Mighty King of Love. This track blends blues, country and calypso with just a touch of Mexicali while he intones like a young Dylan. I remain an enormous fan.
COUNTRY YOUTH ASSOCIATION/Trailer Trash
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; WSR
—Completely incompetent, from vocal performance to instrumental noise to studio sonics. Easily the worst record I have heard in decades. Must be heard to be believed.
Nashville Artist Management Companies Merge
/by Jessica NicholsonThe blended staff of each of the companies are working under one roof as Triple 8 Management. With 18 full-time employees, the company will focus on radio promotion, marketing, new media, merchandising and tour marketing.
“Since forming Triple 8 Management back on 08/08/08, we have been building and structuring the way we do business a specific way, and once Bruce and I began talking it became immediately clear that he had been doing it the very same way on his own,” says Couri. “So its very exciting to join two similarly-built teams together and get even more done for our clients.”
“I couldn’t be more excited about joining forces with a group of people as motivated, skilled and talented as George and his team,” says Kalmick. “Together, we will continue to do what we both do best; break new ground for our clients on all levels.”
The combined roster includes Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville), Josh Abbott Band (WMN/Atlantic), Joe Nichols (Red Bow/Broken Bow) and The Cadillac Black.
Tin Pan South Dates Announced
/by Jessica NicholsonProduced by NSAI, Tin Pan South is the world’s largest all-songwriter festival. In 2012, nearly 350 talented songwriters performed 92 shows at ten of Nashville’s top music venues. Over 9,000 music fans attend the event annually to hear songwriters tell stories behind hit songs they have written and perform the songs as they’re were originally composed.
For the sixth consecutive year, students from Watkins College of Art, Design & Film competed to design the artwork for all Tin Pan South marketing pieces, passes, posters and banners. This year’s winning artwork was designed by Kelsey Goessman. The southern Illinois native is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design.
Artist News (1/22/13)
/by Eric T. ParkerKacey Musgraves
Mercury Records singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves is scheduled to release a debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, March 19. In addition to maintaining writing credits on all of the album’s tracks including her current single “Merry Go ‘Round,” Musgraves shares co-producing credits with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird. Musgraves is scheduled to appear on Little Big Town’s Tornado Tour starting January 31, and Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Nation stadium tour this summer. The 24-year-old previous Nashville Star contestant is also up for her first award, an ACM New Female Vocalist nomination. Fans can vote here.
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Lady Antebellum has revealed its latest single, “Downtown,” as the lead single from its fourth forthcoming studio album. The band will debut the track next week (Jan. 28) on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, then a second performance the following week (Feb. 6) on CBS’s The Talk. For a preview of “Downtown,” click here. The track is available now for radio via Play MPE.
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Entertainment Evolution Promotes Mullins, Adds Porisch
/by Jessica NicholsonShelly Mullins
Entertainment marketing, management and consulting company Entertainment Evolution announces the promotion of Shelly Mullins to the role of Vice President and adds Johann Porisch as Account Executive.
Entertainment Evolution handles the newly created music program at Buffets, Inc., which includes restaurants Ryans, Country Buffet, Fire Mountain, Old Country Buffet, Hometown Buffet and Granny’s Buffet. They also manage Janie Fricke and The Roys.
Mullins has over 25 years experience in entertainment, including stints at Cumulus Radio, High Five Entertainment, William Morris, Creative Workshops/Southern Writers Group and Shop at Home.
Johann Porisch
Porisch graduated from Baylor University in December of 2012 where he majored in Music and Entertainment Marketing. At Baylor, Porisch served as a Producer for All-University SING, one of the largest non-professional, off-Broadway productions in the world, and founded Uproar Concert Promotions with the aim of bringing quality entertainment to campus. Porisch will report directly to Mullins.
Mullins can be reached at shelly@entertainmentevolution.net. Porisch can be reached at johann@entertainmentevolution.com.
Rascal Flatts and Journey Pair for CMT Super Bowl Crossroads
/by Eric T. ParkerJourney & Rascal Flatts at 2012 CMT Awards. Photo: Rick Diamond
Rascal Flatts and Journey are scheduled to pair for CMT’s Super Bowl Crossroads concert, airing at 11 p.m. ET on Feb. 2, the evening before Super Bowl XLVII.
This year’s event will mark the second collaboration between the two bands, who closed the CMT Music Awards together in 2012 with a performance of Journey’s signature, “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
Rascal Flatts has delivered 14 No. 1 singles and recently celebrated over 7 million concert tickets sold since debuting in 2000. Formed in 1973, Journey has delivered 19 Top 40 singles with the band’s Greatest Hits album having been certified 15 times platinum.
The event will be taped the night of the airing (Feb. 2) with an hour delay from the New Orleans Sugar Mill, in Louisiana. Fans can register to be a part of CMT Crossroads as NFL Insiders at www.1iota.com.
Industry Ink (1/22/13)
/by Jessica Nicholson• • •
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Rare Hank Williams Sr. Live Recordings Become Available
/by Jessica Nicholson“After years of litigation and tribulation, we can now make these recordings available directly from the Hank Williams Estate, as well as make a decision in a heartbeat,” adds Keith Adkinson, lawyer for the Hank Williams Estate. “This will only allow for a little more Hank out in the entertainment world.”
“I am honored to join my brother Hank Williams, Jr. in making available these original recordings of our dad for multi-media use,” says Jett Williams. “Many experts have said they are better than the MGM masters. You decide–but we can carry on the legacy of my dad with pride.”
“Daddy’s music has lasted decades and is being discovered by a new generation of fans. Not only did he influence country artists, but he also crossed over to influence rock artists,” says Hank Williams Jr. “Today, the Williams legacy continues to endure with the release of these recordings for movies, commercials, documentaries, among others things.”
143 songs from the 1951 radio shows by “Mother’s Best Flour Company” are available, along with 49 other songs, including:
Crownover, Blevins Moves to Music Row
/by Michelle“Bryan Switzer and Kix Brooks were nice enough to let us move in early, while they wait on their new studio to be built on 2nd Avenue. So we’ll share some space with them for a few months and then occupy the entire space in March of 2013,” said Derek Crownover, the firm’s founding partner.
The phone numbers and e-mails for the lawyers, paralegals and staff will remain the same; however, the physical and mailing address will change immediately to: 54 Music Square East, Suite 250, Nashville, TN 37203.
For more information about Crownover, Blevins, visit: www.dcablaw.com
Artist News 1/22/13
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): Jen Joe (Stoney Creek), Houser, and Kerry Wolfe (WMIL)
Randy Houser celebrated his first No. 1, “How Country Feels,” after playing WMIL’s Class of 2013 Show in Milwaukee. The song is the lead single from Houser’s Stoney Creek debut CD, which was released to stores today (Jan. 22) and can be seen in iTunes, here.
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