Vince Gill and Keith Urban. Photo: Donn Jones
“To know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been,” said The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry last night (4/11) at the 2012 All For The Hall benefit concert.
Which pretty succinctly sums up an excellent musical evening. It was “group night” at the annual Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum fundraiser, with duos and groups comprising the vast majority of performers. It was a multi-generational affair—hot new artists playing the same stage as beloved veterans.
But first, co-host Keith Urban and band had to warm us up. After a quick four count from the drummer, guitars strummed the opening riff to “You Gonna Fly” as the silver curtain hiding the stage dropped and we were off.
“Third time’s a charm,” said a smiling Urban as he greeted the crowd. He wasted no time before launching into “Sweet Thing,” accompanied by a cluster of waving cell phone lights from the floor. When the house lights came up, Bridgestone Arena appeared to be at capacity—a good sign for the Hall of Fame.
Keith introduced his “spiritual brother” and co-host Vince Gill during the mid-song breakdown, and the two engaged in some impressive Allman-esque dueling guitars.
“You’re gonna get to see a lot of great bands tonight,” said Vince. “Thirty-three years ago I got to be in a great band.” He elaborated by singing the Pure Prairie League classic “Amie.”
Vince also nodded at the Hall of Fame’s brand spankin’ new Bakersfield Sound exhibit by playing Buck Owens’ “Together Again,” complete with a breathtaking steel solo from Paul Franklin.
The first duo or group to take the stage was Thompson Square, fresh from a huge ACM Award win for Duo of the Year. T2 offered up “I Got You” and the No. 1 smash “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not.”
The Grand Ole Opry’s Eddie Stubbs was on deck to assist with master of ceremonies duties between performers.
“How about having Vince and Keith as the backup band?” asked Stubbs. Yeah, you could do a lot worse.
Singer/songwriters Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr, and Georgia Middleman—collectively known as Blue Sky Riders—took the stage next, and performed the uptempo road song “I’m A Rider (Finally Home)” and “Dream.” According to Stubbs, the Riders have an album and single on the way.
“We’re Blue Sky Riders and you’ve never heard of us. Admit it,” quipped Burr.
The Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley) strutted onstage to thunderous applause. The girls swayed over the swampy intro to “Hell On Hells,” their harmonies haunting on the hypnotic blues number. “Thanks to Vince and Keith for being our backup band,” said ringleader Miranda Lambert. “That’s hot!” The Annies finished with a sassy, tough-as-nails run through “Takin’ Pills.”
Pistol Annies. Photo: Donn Jones
Diamond Rio followed, tearing into “Unbelievable.” Rio singer Marty Roe told the audience about Keith Urban standing in for guitarist Jimmy Olander at an ACM Awards years back when Jimmy’s son was born. “Do you know how to play any Diamond Rio songs?” he had asked Urban. “Where do you want to start?” was the reply. The band closed up with its hit “Meet In The Middle,” with Vince, Keith and Olander trading flashy six string licks.
Keith introduced Little Big Town by saying he stole half of the group to sing on “You Gonna Fly.” The full LBT was present last night, starting off with the funky, mid-tempo Adam Hood song “Front Porch Thing.” Someone’s going to have a hit with that cut. Speaking of hits, LBT also played “Boondocks,” its intricate four-part vocal coda still impressive.
Oak Ridge Boys. Photo: Donn Jones
Four-part harmony continued with the Oak Ridge Boys, who sang the beloved hit “Elvira” right off the bat. The group then took it back to the beginning of their country radio career with “Bobby Sue.”
Attendees also got to see a video about the Hall of Fame’s partnership with Ford, the Ford Community Day and more. Featured were the Oaks, Jim “Moose” Brown, Erin Enderlin, Hunter Hayes, and Dwight Yoakam.
Lady Antebellum. Photo: Donn Jones
Lady Antebellum was the next group, and lead the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Vince. “72 years old,” joked Charles Kelley. The superstar vocal group performed its recent hit “We Owned the Night” and Need You Now smash “American Honey.”
One of only two solo performers to play the event, the Gentle Giant of country music Don Williams joined the stage. Williams’ selections included “Imagine That,” from his upcoming Sugar Hill album And So It Goes, and his classic “Tulsa Time.”
Country Music Hall of Famers Alabama eschewed the backing band for a stripped down approach that included “Feels So Right” and “She’s A Lady Down On Love.”
“There’s nothing like the sound of those voices,” commented Urban. “And there’s nothing like sibling harmony.” That was Band Perry’s cue.
The Perry clan delivered current single “Postcard From Paris” with frontwoman-extraordinaire Kimberly showing off her soulful pipes, accented by some tasty B3 organ fills. The group wrapped up with “You Lie.”
Newest Grand Ole Opry members (at least until 10 minutes later in the show) Rascal Flatts stopped by to perform “Changed,” the title track from the group’s new album. “It’s the most handsome band I’ve ever seen in my life,” joked Gary LeVox while gesturing to Vince and Keith. The group brought the crowd to its feet with a cover of the Tom Cochrane hit “Life is a Highway.”
The breaking news moment of the night happened when Vince, the Oaks, Rio, and Flatts came together to surprise Keith Urban with an invitation to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
“I’m shocked,” said a tearful Urban. “It’s a huge honor and how beautiful to have this happen tonight of all nights.” His induction ceremony is set for April 21, so mark those calendars.
Merle Haggard. Photo: Donn Jones
The other solo performer on the bill was the legendary Merle Haggard, who is playing at the Ryman tonight (4/11). The outlaw country star, apparently feeling pretty good after a health scare earlier in the year, received a standing ovation after “Today I Started Loving You Again,” “Working Man Blues,” and “Silver Wings.”
Keith gratefully thanked everyone one more time, before bringing the entire cast back to the stage for an ensemble performance of “I Saw Her Standing There.”
[Updated] New Mechanical Rates For Digital Music
/by Sarah SkatesThe 25-page proposed agreement will be submitted to the CRB for formal approval. The agreement covers 2013-2017 and establishes a royalty rate category for these new business models and rolls forward, with limited changes, all existing rates and terms for CDs and downloads.
The settlement provides for the development of new services of digital music and business models offering music to consumers by creating new rates and terms under Section 115 of the Copyright Act for these five categories:
· Mixed service bundles—for example, a locker service, limited interactive service, downloads or ringtones combined with a non-music product such as a mobile phone, consumer electronics device or Internet service; mechanical rate will be 11.35% of revenue or 21% of total content cost, whichever is greater
· Paid locker services—subscription-based locker providing on-demand streaming and downloads; 12% of revenue or 20.65% of total content cost or 17 cents per subscriber, whichever is greater
· Purchased content lockers—a free locker functionally provided to a purchaser of a permanent digital download, ringtone or CD where the music provider and locker have an agreement; 12% of revenue or 22% of the total cost of content, whichever is greater
· Limited offerings—subscription-based service offering limited genres of music or specialized playlists; 10.5% of revenue or 21% of total cost or 18 cents per subscriber, whichever is greater
· Music bundles—bundling music products such as CDs, ringtones and permanent digital downloads; 11.35% of revenue or 21% of total content cost, whichever is greater
Groups Rule at All For the Hall 2012
/by FreemanVince Gill and Keith Urban. Photo: Donn Jones
“To know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been,” said The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry last night (4/11) at the 2012 All For The Hall benefit concert.
Which pretty succinctly sums up an excellent musical evening. It was “group night” at the annual Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum fundraiser, with duos and groups comprising the vast majority of performers. It was a multi-generational affair—hot new artists playing the same stage as beloved veterans.
But first, co-host Keith Urban and band had to warm us up. After a quick four count from the drummer, guitars strummed the opening riff to “You Gonna Fly” as the silver curtain hiding the stage dropped and we were off.
“Third time’s a charm,” said a smiling Urban as he greeted the crowd. He wasted no time before launching into “Sweet Thing,” accompanied by a cluster of waving cell phone lights from the floor. When the house lights came up, Bridgestone Arena appeared to be at capacity—a good sign for the Hall of Fame.
Keith introduced his “spiritual brother” and co-host Vince Gill during the mid-song breakdown, and the two engaged in some impressive Allman-esque dueling guitars.
“You’re gonna get to see a lot of great bands tonight,” said Vince. “Thirty-three years ago I got to be in a great band.” He elaborated by singing the Pure Prairie League classic “Amie.”
Vince also nodded at the Hall of Fame’s brand spankin’ new Bakersfield Sound exhibit by playing Buck Owens’ “Together Again,” complete with a breathtaking steel solo from Paul Franklin.
The first duo or group to take the stage was Thompson Square, fresh from a huge ACM Award win for Duo of the Year. T2 offered up “I Got You” and the No. 1 smash “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not.”
The Grand Ole Opry’s Eddie Stubbs was on deck to assist with master of ceremonies duties between performers.
“How about having Vince and Keith as the backup band?” asked Stubbs. Yeah, you could do a lot worse.
Singer/songwriters Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr, and Georgia Middleman—collectively known as Blue Sky Riders—took the stage next, and performed the uptempo road song “I’m A Rider (Finally Home)” and “Dream.” According to Stubbs, the Riders have an album and single on the way.
“We’re Blue Sky Riders and you’ve never heard of us. Admit it,” quipped Burr.
The Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley) strutted onstage to thunderous applause. The girls swayed over the swampy intro to “Hell On Hells,” their harmonies haunting on the hypnotic blues number. “Thanks to Vince and Keith for being our backup band,” said ringleader Miranda Lambert. “That’s hot!” The Annies finished with a sassy, tough-as-nails run through “Takin’ Pills.”
Pistol Annies. Photo: Donn Jones
Diamond Rio followed, tearing into “Unbelievable.” Rio singer Marty Roe told the audience about Keith Urban standing in for guitarist Jimmy Olander at an ACM Awards years back when Jimmy’s son was born. “Do you know how to play any Diamond Rio songs?” he had asked Urban. “Where do you want to start?” was the reply. The band closed up with its hit “Meet In The Middle,” with Vince, Keith and Olander trading flashy six string licks.
Keith introduced Little Big Town by saying he stole half of the group to sing on “You Gonna Fly.” The full LBT was present last night, starting off with the funky, mid-tempo Adam Hood song “Front Porch Thing.” Someone’s going to have a hit with that cut. Speaking of hits, LBT also played “Boondocks,” its intricate four-part vocal coda still impressive.
Oak Ridge Boys. Photo: Donn Jones
Four-part harmony continued with the Oak Ridge Boys, who sang the beloved hit “Elvira” right off the bat. The group then took it back to the beginning of their country radio career with “Bobby Sue.”
Attendees also got to see a video about the Hall of Fame’s partnership with Ford, the Ford Community Day and more. Featured were the Oaks, Jim “Moose” Brown, Erin Enderlin, Hunter Hayes, and Dwight Yoakam.
Lady Antebellum. Photo: Donn Jones
Lady Antebellum was the next group, and lead the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Vince. “72 years old,” joked Charles Kelley. The superstar vocal group performed its recent hit “We Owned the Night” and Need You Now smash “American Honey.”
One of only two solo performers to play the event, the Gentle Giant of country music Don Williams joined the stage. Williams’ selections included “Imagine That,” from his upcoming Sugar Hill album And So It Goes, and his classic “Tulsa Time.”
Country Music Hall of Famers Alabama eschewed the backing band for a stripped down approach that included “Feels So Right” and “She’s A Lady Down On Love.”
“There’s nothing like the sound of those voices,” commented Urban. “And there’s nothing like sibling harmony.” That was Band Perry’s cue.
The Perry clan delivered current single “Postcard From Paris” with frontwoman-extraordinaire Kimberly showing off her soulful pipes, accented by some tasty B3 organ fills. The group wrapped up with “You Lie.”
Newest Grand Ole Opry members (at least until 10 minutes later in the show) Rascal Flatts stopped by to perform “Changed,” the title track from the group’s new album. “It’s the most handsome band I’ve ever seen in my life,” joked Gary LeVox while gesturing to Vince and Keith. The group brought the crowd to its feet with a cover of the Tom Cochrane hit “Life is a Highway.”
The breaking news moment of the night happened when Vince, the Oaks, Rio, and Flatts came together to surprise Keith Urban with an invitation to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
“I’m shocked,” said a tearful Urban. “It’s a huge honor and how beautiful to have this happen tonight of all nights.” His induction ceremony is set for April 21, so mark those calendars.
Merle Haggard. Photo: Donn Jones
The other solo performer on the bill was the legendary Merle Haggard, who is playing at the Ryman tonight (4/11). The outlaw country star, apparently feeling pretty good after a health scare earlier in the year, received a standing ovation after “Today I Started Loving You Again,” “Working Man Blues,” and “Silver Wings.”
Keith gratefully thanked everyone one more time, before bringing the entire cast back to the stage for an ensemble performance of “I Saw Her Standing There.”
Chris Tompkins Renews Publishing Agreement
/by Eric T. ParkerChris Tompkins kissing his latest catch. Photo: Rodney Clawson (co-writer of “Feel Like A Rockstar” and “Drunk On You”)
Chris Tompkins has renewed his publishing agreement with Big Loud Shirt.
Tompkins co-wrote the new Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw duet “Feel Like A Rockstar,” Luke Bryan’s current Top 20 single “Drunk On You,” and earned a Grammy Award for the Carrie Underwood hit “Before He Cheats.”
Underwood’s upcoming album will include two songs by Tompkins, including the title track, “Blown Away.”
Additionally, Tompkins has had songs cut by Scotty McCreery, Chris Young, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, Jimmy Buffett, Plain White T’s, and Daughtry as well as Nickelback’s current single, “Lullaby.”
Debbie Linn Named Exec. Director of Leadership Music
/by FreemanLinn previously worked with Sony Music in various capacities from 1994-2011, in the New York and Nashville offices. Most recently she was Sr. Director of Strategic Marketing, where she was responsible for developing branding, marketing plans, and promotions for artists including Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert and Kellie Pickler, among others. In this role, she coordinated brand partnerships like Kenny Chesney and JC Penney, Jake Owen and Lucky Jeans, Miranda Lambert and Vanity Clothing, and many others. She has also served on the St. Jude Country Cares board for 15 years.
“Leadership Music has entered into a re-branding effort over the past few months, and Debbie’s strong background in marketing, sponsorships, branding and imaging are all attributes that will serve Leadership Music well during this vital growth period,” asserted City National Bank’s Lori Badgett, president of the LM board. “She has the business background and personal skills to move Leadership Music to the next level. She has proven herself to be an excellent motivator and has the ability to not only visualize the big picture but the path we need to take to attain the goals. We couldn’t be more excited.”
Linn added, “I’m thrilled about the opportunity to work for an organization of which I have been a part for more than a decade. I believe in the mission of the organization, and I am passionate about the city of Nashville and its music.”
Weekly Register: TEA Index Holds Firm
/by bossrossThe 2011 TEA Index was 25% country and 27.7% all-genre.
The TEA Index Tango
A quick glimpse at our monthly index shows that TEA sales are settling in at about one-third of all album sales. Since the MusicRow TEA Index is new, a quick review might be in order. The Index sums physical, digital and TEA (track equivalent albums; 10 tracks=1 album) then calculates the percentage of total album sales that come from TEA. The idea is to measure the TEA effect against total album sales. (Our numbers are gathered by industry sources from Nielsen SoundScan.)
The 2011 TEA benchmarks were about 5% lower than they are for 2012 YTD. The gradual drifting downward from the beginning of the year is likely due to the use of post-holiday gift cards to purchase tracks which spiked the January results. March numbers were also rebalanced downward by 99¢ digital album offerings on front line product from Amazon and Google. (Boosting digital album sales tends to lower the TEA index.)
As shown on the grid below, track sales are up for country (23%) and all genre (8%) but so are digital albums (country 39.6%; all genre 17.3%).
The ACM Award Show
Labels look forward to receiving healthy sales bumps generated by network TV Award shows like the CMAs, Grammy’s and last week’s Academy of Country Music Awards. Unfortunately, marketers may have to retool their expectations. Let’s examine the post ACM numbers.
Albums
Top 75 Current Country sales jumped 22.5% from 473k to 582k an increase of 109k units. However, Rascal Flatts’ debut Changed generated about 130k this week. If we discount the Rascal Flatts debut then sales actually went backwards. To be generous, the show surely boosted the Flatts’ sales, some. Inside the chart there were percentage ups and downs with artists like Miranda (No.8; 19k) getting a 107% boost, The Band Perry (No. 9; 16k) 92% and Taylor Swift (No. 11; 13k) 80%. But those three sales jumps added together total only about 24k units, not much ROI when you consider the logistical costs involved in placing three artists and bands on the show.
The Tracks
Did the ACMs translate to love on the other side of the tracks?
I’d say some smooching for sure. Four tracks were downloaded over 90k times. The Top 100 digital country songs increased W/W by 18.8%; and country tracks overall grew by 12%.
Eric Church’s “Springsteen” (performed on the show) took the top spot, jumping 39% to almost 102k downloads. Luke Bryan “Drunk On You” (No. 2; 96k), Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw “Feel Like A Rock Star” (No. 3; 93k) and Taylor Swift “Eyes Open” (No. 4; 93k) filled out the over 90k country crowd.
(Upcoming albums click here.)
MusicRow Chats With Country Legend Dolly Parton (Part 1)
/by Sherod RobertsonDoll
y Parton just released her two-disc DVD/CD collection An Evening With…Dolly exclusively to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations, and it features performances from Dolly’s sold-out O2 Arena concert in London. The two-disc DVD and CD set also includes personal stories and backstage footage showing the inner workings of her show. Included are performances of her hits including “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5,” “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again,” and “I Will Always Love You,” along with live bonus tracks “Shattered Image” and “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”
The iconic country performer also has several upcoming media appearances to promote the release. Today (4/11), Dolly will appear on the syndicated mid-day program The Better Show. This Saturday (4/14), she will appear on CMT Insider as well as Fox News Channel’s Huckabee. Both shows re-air Sunday (4/15).
Next week, Dolly will join GAC’s On The Streets on Tuesday (4/17). She will also spend time with ABC’s The Revolution with Tim Gunn for a two-part piece scheduled to air 4/26 and 4/27. Other upcoming appearances include The Dr. Steve Show and The Balancing Act.
MusicRow recently sat down with Dolly to discuss An Evening with… Dolly, how Whitney Houston affected her life, the new Water and Snow Park venture in Nashville, her future plans and more. Part one of the chat appears below.
It’s not an easy job. You just figure out what you think they’ll enjoy the most and what you can entertain them with the most, what your best stories would be about this song, or how that song came to be. You have to leave out so much stuff, it breaks your heart! I think this album has something for everybody, all the hits with stories about them. People like to hear me talk and I never know when to hush! I think the eleven songs and the two bonus tracks are a good showing. Plus, what was great about this DVD, is that we did a lot of behind the scenes footage. People like that too.
How are your fans different in the United States compared to Europe?
We have wonderful fans and I appreciate them all. But here, they know they can see you the next time you perform. You’re not out of reach. Since I don’t get there that often, when I go overseas, they’re glad to get to see you. And they want to be over excited because they want you to come back. Sometimes they get a little rowdier, only because they’re excited and they want you to know they love you so.
How did your partnership with Cracker Barrel come about?
Cracker Barrel’s a country store; I’m a country girl. We worked with them before on “Backwoods Barbie.” They do great selling gospel, bluegrass, and country. We’re a perfect team. For me to sit on the front porch and rock is nothing unusual for me! The fact that we did the show overseas is kind of a plus ‘cause it’s like country people getting to go on a trip.
On the DVD, you talk about a song you wrote in New York, called “Only Dreamin’.” I love the unique arrangement. Could you comment on what influenced that particular arrangement?
That song influenced that arrangement. I was in New York and we were doing rehearsals for the Broadway musical 9 to 5. It was my birthday. I usually try to write something on my birthday every year. So I was just riding in the limousine looking out at the skyline and thinking, “Lord, here I am in New York City all the way from the Smoky Mountains.” And I was just singing in the back of the car, “Oh, I know I’m only dreaming…” just to take myself back home. I thought, “Wow! This is kinda an usual feeling being in the big city writing something that mountain-ish!” I got out of the car and was writing it on the back of my 9 to 5 script because I didn’t have paper. A woman said, “Do you need anything?” I said, “No, I am writing a song and I need to get somewhere I can…” She said, “Do you need a piano?” I said, “No, you don’t have a dulcimer, do you?” After I got back from New York, I went into the studio with Kent Wells and said, “Kent, I wrote a song that I really think is good but I didn’t put it down with any music. So I was standing in the studio and I just starting singing the whole song a cappella. Kent said, “God, I love that!” So he just started putting instruments on it. He started adding what he felt was that old-timey sound and tuned his guitar down into that old mountain sound. So it was all based on my original emotion singing it a cappella. And that’s one of my favorites too, by the way. I love to sing it cause I love those honking, pitiful sounds.
• • • •
Visit here for Part 2 of MusicRow’s chat with Dolly Parton.
NARM to Honor Lionel Richie With Chairman’s Award
/by Freeman“Lionel Richie has been a force in the music business for more than four decades and is still going strong today, a remarkable feat that grows increasingly rare each year,” said Jim Donio, President of NARM. “Like the music industry itself, he has shown remarkable resilience in the face of countless challenges, and has maintained his artistic integrity and relevance through it all. We are thrilled to present him with the Music Biz 2012 Chairman’s Award.”
NARM will also be honoring Katy Perry, who is receiving the Artist of the Year Award. Music Biz 2012 runs May 7-10 in Los Angeles. More info on the conference here.
On Friday, April 13, CBS will air ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends — In Concert featuring duets from Tuskegee and solo performances. Guests include Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and more.
Hats Across The Row Taking Over Next Tuesday
/by Sarah SkatesAt 3 p.m. on April 17 watch the parade on Music Row featuring Kerry Collins and his motorcycle gang, marching bands, antique Mini Coopers, and an array of stilt walkers, hula hoopers and Minnie Pearl look-a-likes. At 4 p.m. come to the after party at Major Bob Music (1111 17th Ave. S.).
Want your own sign for the yard? Click here.
DISClaimer Single Reviews (4/11/12)
/by Robert K OermannSo much so that I’m giving out Disc of the Day prizes in the Male, Female and Duo/Group categories. Our male performance unquestionably belongs to Jake Owen. This man is inches away from superstardom. Kelly Clarkson’s fiery voice nails down the female award. And everybody already knows that the dynamic duo of Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw has the release to beat this week.
The DisCovery Award goes to Josh Grider. Send more sounds.
JOSH ABBOTT BAND/Touch
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Lonestar Music (track)
—This group’s Small Town Family Dream CD drops on April 24. In the meantime, we have a teaser single/video that suggests we’re in for a treat. This haunting, minor-key and compelling slab of sound has an undertow rhythm pattern, a fevered performance and a sexy lyric. Absolutely a winner. More credits about who is responsible for this gem, please.
MONTGOMERY GENTRY/So Called Life
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Average Joe’s (track) (www.montgomerygentry.com)
—Raucous and romping, this rocks the working-man’s blues.
MELANIE ROSE DYER/Too Fast for Traffic
Writer: Melanie R. Dyer/Marc A. Rossi; Producer: Melanie R. Dyer & Daniel Cooper; Publisher: Fanetta/Marc My Words, ASCAP; Sugarplum (track) (www.melaniedyer.com)
—The track kicks up some dust, but her so-so vocal is almost buried in the mix. Also, her smoky style isn’t well suited to uptempo material.
KENNY CHESNEY & TIM McGRAW/Feel Like a Rock Star
Writer: Chris Tompkins/Rodney Clawson; Producer: Buddy Cannon & Kenny Chesney; Publisher: Big Loud Songs/Angel River/Big Red Toe/Amarillo Sky/Big Loud Bucks, ASCAP/BMI; BNA
—The Brothers of the Sun sound like they’re having a ball on this energetic, electrified stomper. I like the rapid-fire lyric on the chorus finales.
JOSH GRIDER/Slow
Writer: Josh Grider/Ben Stennis; Producer: Josh Grider; Publisher: G-Ride/Pickin’/Songs of Kicking Bird/Bug/Songs of Windswept Pacific, ASCAP/BMI; Smith Music Group (track) (www.smithmusic.com)
—Most of Grider’s new double CD was recorded live at Billy Bob’s Texas. The exception is this studio track and single release, which was cut west of Music City at Brave Studios in Pegram. It’s a blue-collar ballad about romantic relaxing on the weekends. His singing is immensely warm, welcoming and expressive. Plus, he shows real talent as a tunesmith. If he doesn’t have a hit with this hooky number, someone sure should.
JAKE OWEN/The One That Got Away
Writer: Dallas Davidson/Jake Owen/Jimmy Ritchey; Producer: Joey Moi & Rodney Clawson; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/String Stretcher/Universal Careers/Shiitoke Moki/Vibe Room/Jimbalaya/BPJ, BMI; RCA (track)
—Jake is hot, hot, hot. He is coming off two consecutive chart toppers, is in the current Entertainment Weekly music issue as one of “The 30 Greatest Artists Right Now” and is now engaged to wed. This new single bristles with energy. His vocal on it has brawny, chesty confidence, soaring above furious electric-guitar pyrotechnics and heart-pumping drumming. In short, this has as much heat as his career does.
MICHELLE TURLEY/Orange Blossoms in Phoenix
Writer: M. Turley/C. Turley; Producer: C.F. Turley; Publisher: none listed; Victorio (track)
—The track is in a lilting, acoustic-folkie style, which suits her wafting, breathy soprano. Pleasant sounding.
KELLY CLARKSON/Mr. Know It All
Writer: Brian Seals/Ester Dean/Brett James/Dante Jones; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: B-Uneek/Universal/Dat Damn Dean/Songs of Universal/WB/External Combustion/Brett James/All for Melodie, ASCAP/BMI; RCA/19
—The country version of Clarkson’s big pop hit features steel guitar but retains the song’s tremendous energy and super hooks. Her vocal delivery is simply electrifying. Essential listening. Kelly Clarkson is also featured on the same Entertainment Weekly list that Jake Owen is on. In fact, more than a third of the top-20 are Nashvillians. Besides Owen (#19) and Clarkson (#18), they include The Black Keys (#7), Taylor Swift (#2), Jack White (#6), The Civil Wars (#15) and Carrie Underwood (#4). Toss in London-based Americana faves Mumford & Sons (#9) and it’s a real community kudo.
AARON EINHOUSE/Good to Be Home
Writer: Aaron Einhouse; Producer: Walt Wilkins; Publisher: none listed, BMI; AE (www.aaroneinhoue.com)
—His vocal is recorded on the “dry” side, and the spare, simple band sounds live. It probably isn’t “produced” enough for most programmers, but there’s undeniable Texas verve here.
BILL GENTRY/That Kind of Life
Writer: Matthew T. Ramsey/Trevor Rosen/Josh Osborne; Producer: Chad Carlson; Publisher: Praley/Unfair Entertainment/Songs of BIMS/Tunes of Bigger Picture/Intunes, ASCAP; Tenacity (www.BillGentryNation.com)
—Very well written, with nicely crafted verses about growing up and an extremely catchy chorus. The production has plenty of crunch and bite, and his vocal performance is perfectly feisty and charming. Play it again.
Urban Invited To Join The Grand Ole Opry
/by Sarah SkatesPhoto: Chris Hollo
Keith Urban was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry during last night’s (4/10) We’re All For The Hall concert at Bridgestone Arena. Opry members Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, Diamond Rio and Oak Ridge Boys extended the invitation at the end of Urban’s multi-artist fundraiser for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Gill and Rascal Flatts surprised Urban with the news by presenting him with a gift—a large black duffel bag containing the Opry’s signature microphone stand.
New Zealand-born and Australian-raised Urban will be the first artist from outside North America to become an Opry member. He will be formally inducted Sat., April 21 on the live premiere of Noteworthy at the Opry on GAC at 8 p.m. CT. The 16-episode series will feature musical performances and personal stories from the top acts in country music plus interviews with other celebrities about the artists and music featured in each episode.