Upcoming Film Features New Keith Urban Song

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Keith Urban has recorded a song specifically for a Navy SEAL action-thriller titled Act of Valor, in theaters Feb. 24. “For You” was written with Monty Powell and will be featured during the film’s end credits.

“I loved the challenge of writing for a film,” said Urban. “I’ve never done that before. After seeing Act Of Valor, Monty and I wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us. ‘Valor‘ shows us what they are willing to give their all for, which made me wonder, ‘what am I willing to give my life for?’”

“For You” was co-produced by Dan Huff and Urban, engineered by Mark Dobson and Todd Tidwell and was recorded at Starstruck Studios. The film’s soundtrack, which includes “For You” and other original material from to-be-announced country artists, is available at digital and physical retailers Feb. 21.

Produced and directed by former Baja 1000 champion Mike “Mouse” McCoy and former stuntman Scott Waugh, the Bandito Brothers’ Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs and tells a story of contemporary global anti-terrorism.

McCreery’s Debut Album Goes Platinum

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Scotty McCreery’s debut album, Clear As Day, has been certified platinum in just three months after its Oct. 4, 2011 release.

McCreery says the platinum certification marks a major milestone in his career, “It means the world to me,” he explains. “It’s one of the highest honors you can get with your album and it’s a huge testament to the loyalty of country music fans and how great they have been to me this year. 2011 was absolutely an incredible, life-changing year for me. I want to say a huge thanks to the fans for this.”

Clear As Day debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making McCreery the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It has also claimed the highest sales to date of any solo country album released in 2011.

The album’s first single, “I Love You This Big,” has been certified gold. His current single, “The Trouble With Girls,” is approaching gold status as well.

On Thursday (1/12), the singer begins his first country music tour when he joins Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality Tour 2012 presented by Chevrolet.  The tour, which also features The Band Perry, kicks off in Grand Rapids, MI.

McCreery is well aware of Paisley’s reputation as a great prankster. “The band and I were talking about pranks yesterday in rehearsals. It has to be good pranks, but know-your-place pranks, so we are figuring out what we’ll have in store for Brad. But he has to get us first. We’ll wait!”

DISClaimer Single Reviews (1/11/12)

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Clay Walker, Ira Dean, Josh Turner and Shooter Jennings are the men of the hour.

The Disc of the Day belongs to Josh Turner, but don’t count those other guys out, by any means. All three are playing at the top of their game this week.

And there’s a challenger waiting in the wings. If some major picks up “Ghost” by Tim Culpepper, watch the fur fly. Not since Joe Nichols and Chris Young have I heard a new country vocalist so thoroughly in command of his instrument.

Tim Culpepper

Here’s what I know about him so far. He’s from Montgomery, AL, where his father was/is a country singer in area clubs. He was discovered on Lower Broadway. I looked at his video online. Tim isn’t a clone. He has his own look with long sideburns, blue eyes, a handlebar mustache and an athlete’s physique. Also: the clip includes line-dancing zombies.

”Ghost” is Tim Culpepper’s debut single, and based on it, I can’t WAIT to hear the rest of his CD. Send one, and sign me up for the fan club. Needless to say, he is this week’s DisCovery Award winner.

JOSH TURNER/Time Is Love
Writer: Tom Shapiro/Tony Martin/Mark Nesler; Producer: Frank Rogers; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Little Dooey/Sony-ATV/Casa Jaco/Little Lola Mae, BMI; MCA Nashville(CDX)
—Airy, breezy, atmospheric, wafting and completely charming. An ultra-romantic outing with a built-in smile. In addition to the glowing warmth of his vocal, another plus is the shimmering instrumental work throughout.

IRA DEAN/Somethin’ ‘Bout a Sunday
Writer: Ira Dean/Josh Thompson; Producer: Ira Dean; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Hillbilly Rich, BMI; Average Joes (CDX) (www.averagejoesent.com)
—He wakes up cigarette-stained, hung over, bone tired and ashamed of himself. But somewhere inside is an ember of wanting to change and start over. The powerfully written lyric is as real as dirt, and the melody is uplifting and inspiring. This deserves massive airplay.

KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS/Great Acoustics
Writer: Kentucky Headhunters; Producer: Kentucky Headhunters; Publisher: Them Young Boys/Mr. Eric/I.B. Headed, ASCAP/BMI; Red Dirt (CDX) (615-347-9686)
—Surprisingly pop-ish for a group that usually sounds much more edgy.

SHOOTER JENNINGS/The Deed and the Dollar
Writer: Shooter Jennings; Producer: Shooter Jennings ; Publisher: Wolf’s Tale, ASCAP; Black Country Rock (CDX) (615-861-4232)
—He can still just barely sing, but there is nevertheless something utterly appealing about this love ode with a steady beat. Play it.

JANIE FRICKE/Goodbye Broken Heart
Writer: J. Fricke; Producer: Bill Vorndick; Publisher: Janie Marie Fricke, BMI; New Music Deals (track) (www.newmusicdeals.com)
—Janie’s new Country Side of Bluegrass CD consists mainly of acoustic reinterpretations of her classic hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Never previously noted as a songwriter, she provides the collection’s one new tune. It’s a jaunty bopper sung with a smile and featuring dandy fiddle and acoustic-guitar breaks.

TYLER FARR/Hot Mess
Writer: Rhett Akins/Dallas Davidson/Ben Hayslip; Producer: Jim Catino & Julian King; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Rhettneck/String Stretcher/WB/Melissa’s Money/Get a Load of This, BMI/ASCAP; BNA
—Cluttered sounding.

CLAY WALKER/Like We Never Said Goodbye
Writer: Tiffany Goss/Cory Batten; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: Curb Congregation/I Want to Hold Your Songs/Words & Music, SESAC/BMI; Curb (track)
—He runs into his ex unexpectedly, and they tumble head over heels all over again. The song is somewhat word-y, but the production is sterling, and Walker’s vocal performance is super believable.

TIM CULPEPPER /Ghost
Writer: Elbert/M. Baker/G. Jarrell/K. Jarrell; Producer: Elbert West; Publisher: none listed; Honkytone (615-452-9844)
—I dig this. He is a hardcore honky-tonk vocalist with cool dips, slides and moans that recall such masters as Gosdin and Whitley. The song is a rumbling barroom lament about a man haunted by a past love. Play this over and over again, you’ll get no complaints from me.

MARLEE SCOTT/Train Wreck
Writer: Marcus Hummon/Jedd Hughes/Sarah Buxton; Producer: David Kalmusky; Publisher: Sony-TV Tree/Pula Pula, BMI; Brigade (www.marleescottl.com)
—She sings with plenty of moxie. Next time, give her a song with a melody.

DAVE ROBERTS/Lindsy Mae
Writer: Dave Roberts; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; DR (www.daverobertscountry.com)
—He has a earnest, easy-going vocal delivery and shows definite promise as a songwriter. Listenable.

Dunn’s Smokin’ Hot Show at Franklin Theatre

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Ronnie Dunn with his Arista Nashville promotion team. Pictured L-R: Andy Elliott (Midwest Regional), Lesly Tyson (VP Arista Nashville Promotion), Dunn, John Sigler (National Promotion), Tyler Waugh (SE Regional), Lauren Thomas (West Coast Regional), Rusty Sherrill (Promotion Coordinator), Ryan Dokke (Northeast Regional).

Ronnie Dunn’s benefit concert at the Franklin Theatre Saturday night (1/7) was interrupted by a blaring fire alarm and a visit from the fire department.

In the midst of his Brooks & Dunn classic “Ain’t Nothin’ ‘Bout You” the smoke machine set off the smoke detector. Dunn and his band finished the song and left the stage, but the sold-out theatre of fans barely budged. Firemen came to investigate and determined the venue was safe.

The show continued with a mix of Brooks & Dunn hits (“My Maria,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” “I Believe”) and tracks from Dunn’s solo album, including his new single “Let The Cowboy Rock.”

Proceeds benefited the historic venue.

Franklin Firefighter David Hickel, and Dunn. Photo: Josepha Cheong

Galante Shares Experience With Rising Entrepreneurs

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Joe Galante

Joe Galante is taking on a new role as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Nashville’s Entrepreneur Center. He will maintain a desk and hours at the center to help Entertainment and Digital Media startup companies. In fact, he’s already supporting new companies such as Artist Growth and Populr.me, where he’s an investor. “I’m excited to work with the entrepreneurs that are creating the next evolution of this sector and keeping Nashville competitive locally, nationally and globally,” he explains.

“As we’ve been getting the Center up and running, one of my strongest calls-to-action has been for Nashville’s industry leaders to work through the Center to share their incredible depth of knowledge with Nashville’s entrepreneurs,” said Michael Burcham, President and CEO of the Entrepreneur Center. “The value that mentors like Joe add to the startup process cannot be overstated and we’re incredibly excited that he is joining us as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence.”

In April 2010, Galante stepped down as Chairman of Sony Music Nashville after 39 successful years with the same label family.

The Entrepreneur Center opened its doors in August 2010 after recommendations from the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. Resources to help Middle Tennessee’s entrepreneur community include incubation space, training, networking, educational materials, and mentoring.

Pickler to Host Nashville Humane Association’s “Unleashed”

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The Nashville Humane Association is hosting the 2nd annual “Unleashed: Dinner with Your Dog” on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 6:30pm at the Hutton Hotel (1808 West End Ave). Hosted by Kellie Pickler, the event includes dinner with your dog, a canine couture fashion show, live auction items, cocktail hour, doggie valet, demonstrations and giveaways.

The Nashville Humane Association will have dogs of all shapes and sizes up for adoption, strutting their stuff on the runway with celebrity walkers including Jimmy Wayne, Julie Roberts, Allison Demarcus, Sarah Darling, Karla Lawson, Shane Tallent, Heather Byrd, Mike Smith, Margaret Ellis, Jeffrey Garner, Dean Miller, Russell Hitchcock and more. The runway will feature the work of local fashion designers, jewelry designers and interior decorators who have created custom “canine couture” pieces for the show. The pieces will be auctioned live to the highest bidder to benefit Nashville Humane Association.

Tickets to Unleashed are $80 for general admission ($50 is tax-deductible and includes wine/beer during cocktail hour only and dinner), $150 for Catwalk admission ($120 is tax-deductible and includes wine/beer, special reserved seating, dinner and a gift). Catwalk and General tables can also be purchased for groups of 10. To purchase tickets, go to www.nashvillehumane.org.

For more info, please contact Lisa Reeves, Event and Public Relations Manager at 615-354-6342 or lisa@nashvillehumane.org or Darcy Lashinsky at darcy.lashinsky@hotmail.com.

Curb Releases Advance McGraw Single

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In advance of the January 24 release of Tim McGraw’s Curb Records album Emotional Traffic, the label has made “The One That Got Away” available for digital download on iTunes today (January 10).

“The One That Got Away” is one of two planned advance single releases from Emotional Traffic, and the second is expected soon. The 12 track album features production from Darran Smith and a guest appearance by R&B star Ne-Yo.

Previously released tracks from the album include McGraw’s current single “Better Than I Used To Be,” as well as No.1 hit “Felt Good On My Lips” and “Right Back Atcha Babe” which was released digitally on Dec. 20.

Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley Score Gold Singles

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Luke Bryan Goes Gold

Luke Bryan’s current single, “I Don’t Want This Night To End” scored RIAA gold certification this week, following suit of his Tailgates & Tanlines album.

The single, which experienced the highest weekly digital track sales of Bryan’s career with 128,000 downloads, is currently No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart

Bryan will be joining Jason Aldean on the 2012 leg of his My Kinda Party Tour, kicking off in Greenville, SC on Jan. 20.

Bryan’s previous single, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” joined his 2009 single “Do I” and received RIAA platinum certification.

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Dierks Bentley Goes Gold

“Am I The Only One,” the lead single off Dierks Bentley‘s upcoming album Home, has been officially certified gold by the RIAA. It became his eighth No. 1 as an artist and writer when it charted last fall.

Bentley’s sixth studio album is scheduled for release on Feb. 7 with its current single and title track “Home” is currently No. 6 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.

Bentley will hold an album release show at the Ryman on Feb. 2 before the second leg of the Country & Cold Cans tour resumes Feb. 15 with dates in Canada and Australia.

Peermusic Adds Hit Songwriter To Roster

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(L-R): Kevin Lamb (VP, Nashville), Kathy Spanberger (President and COO), Michael Knox (Sr. Creative Director), Neil Thrasher, Kim Wiggins (Creative Manager) and Chip Petree (Copyright Exchange / Petree Law)

peermusic is beefing up its roster with the signing of award-winning songwriter Neil Thrasher as a staff writer. With numerous hits to his credit, Thrasher’s latest success is Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos On This Town,” and the upcoming Rascal Flatts single, “Banjo.”

Thrasher’s 20-year career includes writing or co-writing hits including “There Goes My Life” and “I Lost It” for Kenny Chesney, “Fast Cars and Freedom” and “Take Me There” for Rascal Flatts, and “What Do You Say” for Reba McEntire. He was honored as the 2004 ASCAP Songwriter of the Year, and as writer of the 2010 Gospel Music Association Country Song of the Year “Somebody Like Me” (Jason Crabb). “I am very excited about my new partnership with peermusic,” explains Thraher. “Everyone has made me feel at home and I’m looking forward to our future together.”

“When Michael Knox joined the company he and I developed a game plan as to how we would move forward,” says Kevin Lamb, Vice President, peermusic Nashville. As was the case with Vicky McGehee, Neil was at the top of our list of writers we wanted to work with. Neil rounds out that core, and comes to us with not only talent and respect, but a lot of energy. It’s a great way to start the year.”

“I am very excited to finally be working with Neil,” adds Knox, Producer/Creative Dir. “We’ve known each other for over 10 years and I’ve always been a huge fan. There’s nothing better than working with someone you respect so much and on top of that, be able to call them a friend.”

A Birmingham native, Thrasher grew up surrounded by music. His father was a member of the gospel group the Thrasher Brothers, who were later inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He soon followed in his father’s footsteps, moving to Nashville and pursuing his own music career. In 1996 he signed to Atlantic Records as part of the duo Thrasher Shiver and began landing cuts for other artists like Diamond Rio and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Gene Watson Prepares “Best of the Best”

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To celebrate his 50 years of making country music, Gene Watson will release Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits on his Fourteen Carat Music label on February 14. Watson began his lengthy musical career by recording his first single in 1962.

“My first recording ever was on a little ole independent label that was started up just for this recording session, Sun Valley Records,” says Watson. “Maybe I thought I could sell them at my shows or something. I wrote the record, ‘If It Was That Easy.’ It was not any good, but, boy, I thought that was something. I had my own record.”

Best of the Best features re-recorded versions of Watson’s classics like “Fourteen Carat Mind,” “Love In The Hot Afternoon,” “Farewell Party,” “Memories To Burn,” and more. Steel legend Sonny Garish was brought in to reprise his parts from the originals and the rest of the session players worked to faithfully recreate the arrangements.

Since his first recording in 1962, Watson’s career has boasted two dozen Top 10 hits beginning with “Love In The Hot Afternoon.” In 2002, he was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.

“It’s unbelievable to me that it’s been 50 years,” says Watson. “For most of those years, it seemed like it took everything I could do to keep working as steady as I needed to. Now that I’m older, it seems like everything comes to me without trying. I’m working more shows than I was 15 years ago.”