Listening Room Cafe Re-Opens Next Week

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micThe Listening Room Cafe re-opens at its new SoBro location (217 Second Avenue S., Nashville, TN 37201) on Monday, Jan. 28, offering full lunch and dinner service in a larger space. Owner Chris Blair launched the music venue five years ago, which went on to host numerous top songwriters and artists ranging from Trace Adkins to Keith Urban.
The staff includes GM Stephanie Margalis and booking coordinator Chase Armstrong. Joshua Champion is on board as Executive Chef. He most recently served in the same capacity at the award-winning 440 Main in Bowling Green, and previously worked as Sous Chef at Bluegrass Brewing Company. His menu includes Whiskey Salmon, Cajun Fish Tacos, Pecan-Crusted Chicken Fingers and Sweet + Spicy Pickles.
The Listening Room Cafe is open Monday-Thursday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and Friday-Saturday from 11:00 AM to Midnight. The restaurant is non-smoking and welcomes all ages.
The restaurant can be reached at (615) 259-3600 or www.listeningroomcafe.com.

Shelton Explains Comments About Country Music Evolution

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Blake Shelton on "GAC Backstory."

Blake Shelton on “GAC Backstory.”


Blake Shelton’s comments about the evolution of country music, which aired on GAC Backstory, spurred a backlash from some country traditionalists yesterday (Jan. 24).
During Shelton’s interview he said, “Country music has to evolve in order to survive. Nobody wants to listen to their grandpa’s music. And I don’t care how many of these old farts around Nashville going, ‘My God, that ain’t country!’ Well that’s because you don’t buy records anymore, jackass. The kids do, and they don’t want to buy the music you were buying.”
Of course, he delivered the remarks in his typical tongue-in-cheek fashion, as can be seen in this video clip.
Still, when the comments attracted negative reactions from a few fellow country singers and fans, Shelton Tweeted a follow-up explanation. It reads, in part:
“The truth is my statement was and STILL is about how we as the new generation of country artists have to keep re-inventing country music to keep it popular…I apologize to Mr. [Ray] Price and any other heroes of mine that it may offended. I meant every word I said. Country music is my life and it’s [sic] future AND past is important to me.”
See the full statements on blog.gactv.com.

Weekly Chart Report (1/25/13)

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SPIN ZONE

Josey Milner visited with Renegade Radio Nashville to promote her debut single, "Not Pretty Enough.” The young singer will be performing at a Renegade Radio showcase concert on February 8 at Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe. Pictured (L-R): Josey and Captain Jack.

Josey Milner visited with Renegade Radio Nashville to promote her debut single, “Not Pretty Enough.” The young singer will be performing at a Renegade Radio showcase concert on February 8 at Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe. Pictured (L-R): Josey and Captain Jack.


The Band Perry dug their heels in atop the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart, remaining in the No. 1 spot for a second week with “Better Dig Two.” Jason Aldean‘s “The Only Way I Know” jumps into the No. 2 position, while Gary Allan‘s “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain),” Little Big Town‘s “Tornado” and Tim McGraw‘s “One of Those Nights” round out the top five, respectively. Carrie Underwood‘s “Two Black Cadillacs” hangs steady at No. 7 for a second week, while Kacey Musgraves‘ “Merry Go Round” ups a notch from No. 9 to No. 8. New to the top ten this week is Hunter Hayes‘ “Wanted” at No. 10.
Big movers for the week include Florida Georgia Line‘s “Get You Shine On,” which leaps eight spots to 25 with 266 additional spins, Darius Rucker‘s “Wagon Wheel,” jumps from 31 to 26 (with 199 added spins), and Rascal Flatts‘ “Changed,” rises from 37 to 32 with 169 additional spins. Blake Shelton‘s “Sure Be Cool If You Did” gained an additional 357 spins this week, lifting the song from 21 to 17.
Making its debut this week, Lady Antebellum‘s “Downtown” lands at No. 61. Lonestar‘s “Maybe Someday” takes the No. 71 slot, while Ray Scott‘s “Those Jeans” debuts at No. 79.
Frozen Playlists: KBOE, KZTL, KVAY, KWWR, KYYK, WCMS
Upcoming Singles
January 28
Eric Church/Like Jesus Does/EMI
Lady Antebellum/Downtown/Capitol
Billy Ray Cyrus/Hillbilly Heart (Keeping It Country)/Blue Cadillac
Blackberry Smoke/Pretty Little Lie/Southern Ground
January 31
Kenny Chesney/Pirate Flag/Blue Chair-Columbia Nashville
February 4
Joel Crouse/If You Want Some/Show Dog–Universal
Parmalee/Carolina/Stoney Creek
Kendall Phillips/You Should Know/HMG-Stellar Vision
February 11
Jake Owen/Anywhere With You/RCA
Greg Bates/Fill In The Blank/Republic Nashville
 
 

JillianKohr


 
 
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Lady Antebellum/Downtown/Capitol – 61
Lonestar/Maybe Someday / – 71
Ray Scott/Those Jeans/Jethropolitan – 79
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Lady Antebellum/Downtown/Capitol – 26
Eric Church/Like Jesus Does/EMI Nashville – 16
Jake Owen/Anywhere With You/RCA – 15
Florida Georgia Line/Get Your Shine On/Republic Nashville – 10
Easton Corbin/All Over The Road/Mercury – 10
Lonestar/Maybe Someday – 10
The Henningsens/American Beautiful/Arista – 10
Darius Rucker/Wagon Wheel/Capitol – 7
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Lady Antebellum/Downtown/Capitol – 367
Blake Shelton/Sure Be Cool If You Did/Warner Bros. – 357
Eric Church/Like Jesus Does/EMI Nashville – 275
Florida Georgia Line/Get Your Shine On/Republic Nashville – 266
Lee Brice/I Drive Your Truck/Curb – 235
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Samantha Landrum/Hometown/Reviver-RED-BDG – 154
Hannah McNeil/I Gotta Leave You For Me / – 138
Charlie Worsham/Could It Be/WMN – 135
Phoenix Stone/100 Proof Moonshine/Stonehall – 134
Lathan Moore/Forever Man/Render Records – 117

Chris Janson recently passed through Grand Rapids, MI, to visit with WBCT in promotion of his January 22 single release, titled "Better I Don't." The lead single, preceeds his forthcoming debut album produced by Keith Stegall. Pictured (L-R): Bigger Picture Group's Chris DeCarlo, WBCT's PD Dave Taft, Chris Janson, WBCT's OMDoug Montgomery, Bigger Picture Group's Michael Powers

Chris Janson recently passed through Grand Rapids, MI, to visit with WBCT in promotion of his January 22 single release, titled “Better I Don’t.” The lead single, preceeds his forthcoming debut album produced by Keith Stegall. Pictured (L-R): Bigger Picture Group’s Chris DeCarlo, WBCT’s PD Dave Taft, Chris Janson, WBCT’s OMDoug Montgomery, Bigger Picture Group’s Michael Powers


Randy Houser has been making the media rounds this week for Jan. 22 debut release from Stoney Creek, titled How Country Feels. Pictured here in New York City with CBS’ Live From The Couch, Houser was the first artist played on NYC's new Nash FM 94.7. Pictured (L-R): Lisa Kerney, Randy Houser, Carolina Bermudez and John Elliot.

Randy Houser has been making the media rounds this week for Jan. 22 debut release from Stoney Creek, titled How Country Feels. Pictured here in New York City with CBS’ Live From The Couch, Houser was the first artist played on NYC’s new Nash FM 94.7. Pictured (L-R): Lisa Kerney, Randy Houser, Carolina Bermudez and John Elliot.

Charlie Cook On Air: Subway's 11 Inches

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CCook-onair-sm111So the Subway Footlong sandwich is only 11 inches. So Lance Armstrong was not living strong when he won 7 Tour de Frances. So Manti Te’o may or may not have “thought” he had a girlfriend. (Which reminds me of one of my favorite lines. “My girlfriend thinks that I am stalking her. Well, she is not actually my girlfriend yet.”) The funny thing about all of this is it is perfect for Facebook, Twitter, etc. In fact, a sports show host from Tampa was suspended for a couple of days this week for an exchange he had with Erin Andrews via Twitter about Te’o. He was taken off the air, not for what he said on the air, but what he said on Twitter. I was thinking about what other lies are out there and how we live with them every day.
WYYY plays the most music on the radio.
KXXX plays the best music on the radio.
(Fill in the blank) is the most exciting act on tour this summer.
Are they NEVER EVER getting back together again?
The real truth is that the day after Manti was jilted (or is that jolted?) my life was not different. I don’t care that Lance is a liar. I hardly ever even get on my bike anymore. I do kind of care about Subway. You’ve gotta wonder if the veggies are fresh as they claim. What is important when it comes to marketing yourself to the American Public? The truth apparently is not. How many millions has Subway spent convincing consumers that 11 inches is a foot? How many millions did Lance Armstrong raise for cancer research based on cheating? Was Manti Te’o second in Heismann voting because he is a great linebacker or because voters thought he was incredible for playing through turmoil? Can Taylor possibly date that many guys? Heck she has had tens of hits? I looked up the word marketing. It really is quite simple. The act of buying or selling in a market. That of course is a noun. Making it a verb is what I am talking about here. So if exaggeration is acceptable when marketing a product or a person, I thought I would take liberties with marketing slogans. Let’s see how these work.
Pandora: “Enjoy a wealth of music while we go broke.”
iHeart Radio: “More live radio stations from cities you can’t find on a map.”
This one could fit any of these three stations. KKGO/LCA WUSN/Chicago or NASH 94.7/NY. They all use a variation. “Listened to by over a billion Americans every day.”
BMI: “Where one good idea will last 70 years…after you die”
Sony Records: “We know that you couldn’t care less what label Kenny Chesney is on but we need to make a living too.”
Any publishing company: “We carried these losers for years, now we’re getting paid back.”
A particular writer for Music Row On the Air: “You try doing this every week without insulting someone along the way.”
It’s harder than it looks.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow.)

Momentum Label Group Partners with New Revolution Entertainment

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logoMomentum Label Group has announced that they are partnering with New Revolution Entertainment, a full-service radio promotion and artist development company. Formed in 2006 by Rob Dalton and Jeff Solima, the New Revolution Entertainment team will assist Momentum with their national promotion efforts for flagship artist Rachele Lynae on her upcoming new single, “Fishin’ for Something.”
New Revolution’s current and previous clients include The Farm, Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Lee Brice, Gloriana, Randy Owen, Steve Holy, Emerson Drive, Colt Ford, Jerrod Niemann, Bucky Covington, Darryl Worley and many others.
“It’s very exciting and a privilege for me to work with Rob, Jeff and the entire New Revolution team,” says Momentum Label Group’s Jimmy Murphy. “I have the highest regard for their skill and dedication. All of us at Momentum can’t wait to work together getting Rachele’s new music to the ears of the industry and fans.”
“Rachele’s new single, “Fishin’ for Something” couldn’t be a more appropriate, hooky and relatable song for country radio right now,” says Dalton. “She’s such a talented artist and we’re excited to be working with her, as well as everyone on the Momentum team.”
For more information on Momentum Label Group visit www.momentumlabelgroup.com.

CMT Hires Sr. VP of Program Planning and Scheduling

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Katie Buchanan

Katie Buchanan


CMT has hired Katie Buchanan as Sr. VP of Program Planning and Scheduling. Buchanan will begin Jan. 28.
Buchanan is a 10-year veteran of The Style Network, where she was most recently Sr. VP of Programming and Acquisitions. Prior to that, she worked with VH1’s West Coast original movies and series group.
She will relocate from Los Angeles to Nashville. In her new role, Buchanan will control program scheduling and acquisitions and will be responsible for their distribution across CMT’s various media platforms. She will report directly to CMT president Brian Philips.
“Katie is a top strategist and fast-rising star. She joins CMT as our slate of originals grows exponentially,” said Philips. “True to character, Katie will jump in head-first, as our representative at NATPE! Then she will immediately relocate to Nashville, where she will lead the programming strategy team. We proudly welcome Katie back to the Viacom family.”

Artist News (1-24-13)

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chelywright1Chely Wright and wife Lauren Blitzer-Wright are expecting two new members to their family this June. The couple announced that Wright is carrying identical twins on Howard Bragman’s YouTube show, “Gwissues.”
“When gay couples have babies, it’s logistically a little different than when straight people have babies, as we all know,” Wright said. “It’s been an [amazing] experience.”

• • •

 

soundFloridaGeorgiaLineFlorida Georgia Line traveled to Cancun this week to shoot the video for their current single, “Get Your Shine On.”

 

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patgreenPat Green is now part-owner of the Rustic, a bar and restaurant slated to open this spring in Dallas, according to Dallas Morning News. The restaurant’s menu will center around barbecue, and it will have ample seating to allow for concerts of up to 500-600 at an inside performance or up to 2,000 for an outdoor event.

 

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stealingangelsTwo members of the group Stealing Angels—Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle–will compete on the CBS reality series The Amazing Race. The reality show pits 10 teams against each other as they travel to exotic locales (including New Zealand, Bora Bora, Botswana and Switzerland) as part of the competition.

Artist Events Inc. Nashville Adds Two New Staffers

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Tim Gray

Tim Gray


Artist Events Inc. Nashville has added industry professional Tim “TJ” Gray as Booking Agent and Trent Houghton as New Agent Assistant/Office Manager.
Gray is the founder and former President of Concert Gorilla LLC., an entertainment company focusing on promotion, talent buying and booking based in Virginia Beach, Va. Gray was most recently working in the day-to-day management activities at Big Show Music Co., including artists Joe Diffie, Mickie James and Jeff Jenkins. He also handled all in-house artist bookings for the company. Gray will be working primarily with Artist Events expanding the emerging talent side of the roster and handling the North American club bookings. Gray’s diverse skill set includes video production, artist management and artist photography.
Houghton is a graduate of Belmont University and most recently interned at Outback Concerts.
Gary Kirves, Tim Gray and Trent Houghton can be reached at 615-309-0458 or Tim@artisteventsnashville.com

Primetime 'Nashville': 'You Win Again'

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Rayna and Juliette at the No. 1 party.

Rayna and Juliette at the No. 1 party.


Episode No. 111: “You Win Again”
Nashville debuted two songs on last night’s (Jan. 23) fast-paced episode. Scarlett and Gunnar offered “One Works Better,” written by Kate York, Tofer Brown, Natalie Hemby and Rosi Golan. During an outdoor concert festival at Belmont, Avery Barkley performed “Keep Asking Why” written by York and Erin McCarley.

Most of the action happened at the swanky soiree saluting Rayna and Juliette’s No. 1 duet “Wrong Song.” The affair was definitely a step up from the more informal No. 1 parties held on real-life Music Row. Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert and BMI’s Jody Williams exchanged pleasantries with Rayna during the scene. Elsewhere, radio personality Blair Garner played fan blogger Adam Wergeles and ruffled Juliette’s feathers by asking what it was like to write with a legend like Rayna Jaymes.
Juliette’s mom Jolene had a daylong reprieve from rehab so Juliette reluctantly let her tag along to the party. Jolene was out on the town because she had a court hearing, where Juliette gave an unconvincing and unsympathetic testimony on her mom’s behalf. But by the end of the episode, they reconciled and bonded.
The chemistry between producer Liam and Rayna was red-hot, in private and when he filled in onstage as her guitar player. But that relationship went up in flames at the No. 1 party when she found out that he had been manipulative and deceitful. Calista, the powerhouse head of Countless Records, was trying to woo Rayna away from longtime home Edgehill Republic, and Liam was encouraging the move. But at the party, Edgehill boss Marshall notified Rayna of a key piece of information Liam was withholding: Liam would get his own imprint at Countless if he brought Rayna on board with him. By the end of the episode, Rayna decided to stay with Edgehill, if she gets her own imprint.

Liam is a button pusher, whether it’s ticking off Juliette or questioning Rayna’s happiness with husband Teddy. Nashville’s new mayor Teddy seems to genuinely want to repair his marriage, but Rayna isn’t sure.
And Liam’s not the only guitar player in Rayna’s life giving her a hard time about her marriage. Deacon is at it again, during a scene in his front yard where he is putting out a For Sale sign.
After leaving the Revel Kings tour, Deacon is sinking low. Juliette wants to help him and convinces him to come on her tour as guitar player—much to the surprise of Rayna and Teddy who find out about this at the airport as they leave for the next round of concert dates.
Curious about the characters’ musical influences? Check out their playlists. 
 

Disney, Keds Tap Swift For Campaigns

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Swift's Disney Parks ad will appear in national publications.

Swift’s Disney Parks ad will appear in national publications.


Taylor Swift will be featured in marketing campaigns by Disney and Keds.
For Disney Parks’ ongoing Disney Dream Portrait series, she stars as Rapunzel in an image by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz. The advertisement can be seen in upcoming issues of Vanity Fair, InStyle and People. 
Additionally, Keds is deepening its relationship with Swift, who will be the face of a new girl-power marketing campaign by the shoe company. The “Bravehearts” initiative encourages young females to be courageous, independent, confident, optimistic and unique. A dedicated website will debut soon at bravehearts.com. According to the New York Times, the campaign’s budget is estimated at $20 million.
Swift first partnered with Keds in October around the launch of her album Red, and the company released a special pair of red sneakers.
Digging further into Swift’s appeal as an endorser, the NYT reports her unusually high Q score, which ranks celebrity appeal. Swift scores a 24, compared with 17 for the average celebrity and 16 for the average female singer. For younger demographics, her Q score increases. It is 26 for females ages 13 to 24, and 45 for children ages 6 to 12.
Keds campaign