Country Sales: 4th Quarter Futures

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Getting Graphic About Sales
The above graph is a week-by-week tally of how the YTD Country sales units compare with the previous year.

The blue bars show YTD % (year-to-date) change for 2010 compared with 2009; and the green bars show 2011 compared with 2010. Actual quarterly sales numbers (source: Nielsen SoundScan) are below the graph. For example at the end of Q1 2011 country was down about 13%. By Q2 2011 the deficit was only about 1%.

For the week ended 10-2-11 country album sales (physical and digital) are a healthy 9% ahead of last year. (All-genre sales are up 3.4%.) However, based upon the upcoming release schedules (compared with last year) our best guess is that we will start to see the green bar shrink in coming weeks. Will it fall into negative territory? Let’s hope not…

Looked at another way, we need to add about 15 million units over the next 13 weeks or about 1.54 million units every week. (Putting the 1.54 million in perspective, country album sales this past week totaled about 660,000.)

The Current Week’s Tally
The past week’s album sales were led by Lady Antebellum’s new release (No. 1; 75k) now in its third week. Jason Aldean continues to bust out of sales bins earning a No. 2 position after 48 weeks shifting almost 21k units for the week. Brantley Gilbert, who co-wrote Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” holds the No. 3 spot in his third week with sales of about 20k.

New on the chart this week is a debut from Curb’s LeAnn Rimes at No. 7 scanning about 12k units (45% were digital).

Last week’s article about TEA (track equivalent albums) flushed out some good responses. Most of which tried to point out that track sales are not as profitable as album sales. Perhaps that is true when viewed across the traditional record label budget and sales structure. But that structure is evolving rapidly. This year country fans have already purchased 111 million country tracks with a value of about $140 million dollars which is equivalent to about 14 million albums!!!! (Any label that doesn’t care about its tracks income, please send it to me, I’ll be happy to bank it in my account and even pay the proper royalties on the label’s behalf.)

On this week’s Digital Genre Country tracks list Blake Shelton rides the roost with “God Gave Me You” churning over 57k paid downloads. The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young” remains the second best selling track moving almost 43,000 units and Rodney Atkins “Take A Back Road,” also deserves mention holding the No. 3 position with over 39k downloads.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/5/11)

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Things are definitely looking up.

I can’t remember a recent listening session with so many well-done platters. Jake Owen has the audio production to beat. Mark Willis has the week’s most striking song. Gloriana is glorious. Kenny Chesney’s bringing the star power. David Bradley has humor and good times on his side.

And then there’s the Disc of the Day. The new trio Pistol Annies is comprised of  three deluxe singer-songwriters—Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.

Their record will take your breath away.
Since those ladies are the only ones with a debut CD today, they also win the  DisCovery Award.

DAVID BRADLEY/If You Can’t Make Money
Writer: Jon Randall/Brad Paisley/Bill Anderson; Producer: Brady Seals; Publisher: Reynsong/Wha Ya Say/House of Sea Gayle/Sony-ATV Tree/Mr. Bubba, BMI/ASCAP; Gecko (track)
—Get a load of those songwriter credits. Too bad they couldn’t find anybody talented to pen this thing. It’s a chugging bopper with plenty of humor in the lyric and a party crowd shouting in the background. A good time was had by all.

JAKE OWEN/Alone With You
Writer: Catt Gravitt/J.T. Harding/Shane McAnally; Producer: Joey Moi &  Rodney Clawson; Publisher: Songs of Maxx/Tunes of R and T Direct/Razor & Tie/Songs Music/A Mighty Seven/Songs for Beans/JTX/Little Blue Egg/Crazy Water/Kobalt, SESAC/BMI/ASCAP; RCA (track)
—Wonderfully atmospheric, with a deep-twang sonic bed, a sexy mood and a swirling melody. This fevered dream of pent-up desire is nothing short of a minor masterpiece. Do you hear that noise? It’s superstardom knocking on Jake’s door.

AMY DALLEY/Coming Out Of The Pain
Writer: Dalley/Sizemore; Producer: New Voice Entertainment; Publisher: Bro N Sis/Madjacksongs, BMI; AmyDalley (track) (www.amydalley.com)
—The title tune to Dalley’s new CD comes on like gangbusters with its gunshot percussion and grinding guitars. It’s a driving, female-empowerment song of survival.

SCOTTY McCREERY/The Trouble With Girls
Writer: Phillip White/Chris Tompkins; Producer: Mark Bright; Publisher: Songs of Universal/Jorjax/Big Loud Songs/Angel River/Big Loud Bucks, BMI/ASCAP; Mercury/19 (track)
—Scotty’s sophomore single is a softly drawled ballad of romantic confusion. His vocal performance sounds like the teen he is, but Bright’s production is a model of sophistication.

MATT GARY/Beautiful Life
Writer: Frank J. Myers/Gary Baker/Nicky Chinn; Producer: Frank Myers; Publisher: Sixteen Stars/Frank Myers/HoriPro/WB/On the Bluff/Ten Ten/Nicky Chinn, BMI/ASCAP; 17/Quarterback (www.mattgarymusic.com)
—There’s hard times all around, but when you have love, nothing else matters. This soaring, propulsive rocker practically begs you to turn it up.

KENNY CHESNEY/Reality
Writer: Kenny Chesney/Brett James; Producer: Buddy Cannon & Kenny Chesney; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP; BNA (track)
—The track behind him is boiling hot, perhaps a little too much so. The song and his vocal performance are both totally classy.

NEAL McCOY/A-OK
Writer: Barry Dean/Luke Laird/Brett Eldredge; Producer: Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton & Brent Rowan; Publisher: none listed; Blaster (www.nealmccoy.com)
—The whistling and finger-snap opening correctly predict that you’re in for a breezy, good-times tune. Lightweight, but harmless.

GLORIANA/(Kissed You) Good Night
Writer: Tom Gossin/Josh Kear; Producer: Matt Serletic; Publisher: Gossin/Global Dog/Lunalight, ASCAP; Emblem/Warner Bros.
—I remain a fan. Young love has seldom sounded so tuneful, harmonious and downright delicious. Everything about this audio confection pleases me. Play it again.

PISTOL ANNIES/Hell On Heels
Writer: Miranda Lambert/Ashley Monroe/Angaleena Presley; Producer: Frank Liddell & Mike Wrucke; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Pink Dog/Reynsong/Ayden/Ten Ten, BMI/ASCAP; Columbia (track)
—The Pistol Annies CD leads off with this bluesy, moody title tune that grabs you by the ears and doesn’t let go. This thing hisses like a rattlesnake ready to strike. All three of these gals have smokey, sensuous vocal chops with attitude to spare.

MARK WILLS/Crazy Being Home
Writer: Chris Lindsey/Brad Warren/Brett Warren/Robin Lindsey; Producer: Chris Lindsey; Publisher: none listed; Gracie/Starlight (track)
—This is what is so great about country music. No other genre tells stories this powerfully. And what other style would even think to write a song about a soldier’s post traumatic stress disorder? Strong stuff. Wills walks it like he talks it: He has gone to Afghanistan seven times to sing for the troops.

Black River Taps Industry Vet For VP Post

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Doug Johnson

Black River Entertainment COO Gordon S. Kerr and General Manager Greg McCarn announced today that 30-year music industry professional Doug Johnson has joined Nashville-based Black River Entertainment as the label’s Vice President, A&R, effective today (10/4).

“I am so pleased to have Doug join our Black River staff. His outstanding background and proven success in the music industry is a tribute to his hard work and commitment to musical excellence,” shares Kerr. “I look forward to Doug’s contribution to the Black River family!”

Johnson’s diverse talents include success as a recording engineer, mixer, musician, songwriter (“Three Wooden Crosses,” “Love Like Crazy,”) producer and record company executive, most recently with Curb Music. In his new role with Black River, Johnson will oversee creative direction for the label’s roster including Craig Morgan, Sarah Darling, Glen Templeton, Due West and Jeff Bates.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Black River Entertainment family. I love this business, the music, the people who make it and those of us crazy enough to dream we can make the world a better place with it,” adds Johnson. “I am honored that Gordon and Greg are trusting me to be an asset in regards to the Black River roster, staff and future. I appreciate the opportunities Mike Curb has given me over the past nine years and wish Mike, the Curb staff and roster continued success.”

Black River Entertainment also operates the newly renovated Sound Stage recording studios, Ronnie’s Place recording studio, Black River Publishing, and Black River Management.

Johnson can be reached at doug@blackriverent.com.

Apple Offering Falls Short of Expectations

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Apple’s first major new product announcement without the venerable Steve Jobs on the podium stumbled badly today. “This is my first product launch since being named CEO—I’m sure you didn’t know that,” Mr. Tim Cook joked at the event’s start.

The company announced a 4S model with faster processor, better camera and voice command software (Siri), but missing was the iPhone 5, a bigger screen and 4G download speeds. Tech journalists seemed disappointed with the new offering and the company stock at mid afternoon had tumbled almost 5% to about $355 a share.

A 4S 16 gigabyte version will sell for $199 with a 2-year contract, and a 32 gigabyte model for $299. Earlier models will be discounted.

Also mentioned at the Apple event was updated versions of the iPod Nano and Touch music players plus the launch of the iCloud and IOS 5 software coming Oct. 12.

 

McBride To Turn Empire State Building Pink

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Martina McBride will turn the lights of the Empire State Building pink on Oct. 14 to help the fight against breast cancer. The pink carpet event and concert will be the culmination of her upcoming release week promoting Eleven, which streets Oct. 11 via Republic Nashville. This will be the first time in history that an artist has performed a private concert from the landmark building.

Martina McBride: Light Up The Sky, in partnership with Stanford Women’s Cancer Center, will be showcased exclusively on Clear Channel Radio’s websites.

Much of the promotion for McBride’s new album includes pink ribbon events to raise breast cancer awareness. She will take an Amtrak train from Los Angeles to New York City, making 11 stops along the way to meet with fans and survivors and perform three mini concerts.

The lead single, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” addresses cancer and the music video features survivors and their supporters including celebrities Robin Roberts, Hoda Kotb, Sheryl Crow and Katie Couric.

Also on the schedule, McBride’s new installment of CMT’s Invitation Only premieres Mon., Oct. 17 at 10:00 – 11:00 p.m., ET/PT. See clip below.

 

Lehning Joins Adams and Reese

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Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law attorney Ryan M. Lehning has joined the Adams and Reese Nashville Music Row office as Special Counsel and a member of the Special Business Services Practice Group.

Lehning, who has been practicing law since 2002, previously served as Senior Counsel for SoundExchange in Washington, DC, the collective designated by the United States Copyright Office to collect and distribute royalties for digital audio sound recording performances to performing artists and record labels. Prior to that, he served as Counsel for Sony BMG Music Entertainment in New York, where he worked with the record company’s law department handling copyright, trademark, e-commerce, new media and other intellectual property matters. Lehning received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2002, and earned his Bachelor of Arts in English and French from Belmont University, in 1997.

Lehning’s practice focuses on domestic and international IP matters, both with new media and the new and old copyright laws. Ryan has worked for a broad scope of clients in the music, film, television, software and book publishing industries. He has experience providing counsel to major copyright owning trade associations and companies with respect to emerging technology issues primarily associated with secondary liability, copyright licensing, digital distribution and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He is the former co-chair of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Copyright Society of the United States of America, and he is a former board member of the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC).

“The Lehning name is legendary in the music industry, and we are delighted to bring the last Lehning to Music Row to join his family and ours, where his talents belong,” said Linda Edell Howard, Adams and Reese Entertainment and New Media Team Leader and a Partner in the Music Row office.

 

Bentley Joins “Wounded Warrior Project” With Tour Launch

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Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley has joined forces with country radio and Believe in Heroes™, a Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) initiative, for his 2011 Country & Cold Cans Tour. Bentley will host pre-show parties with fans across the nation at select tour dates leading up to Veterans Day November 11, 2011. The tour begins Thursday, October 6 in  Lacrosse, WI.

Aiming to support and honor wounded veterans who have sacrificed, each pre-show party will be a chance for fans to give back to veterans and win prizes from Bentley including ticket upgrades, merchandise and autographed limited edition handwritten lyrics of the new single “Home.”

“I meet so many service men and women at our shows, so I love being able to support the Wounded Warriors Project and honoring the heroes who have served our country,” says Bentley. “This program fits perfectly with the message of ‘Home,’ so we are going to do what we can between now and Veterans Day to really honor these people.  I hope fans will plan to get there early and be part of it!”

The 2011 Country & Cold Cans Tour, with special guests Jerrod Niemann and Eli Young Band, continues through Nov. 19 in Denver, Colorado. For a full list of tour dates and more info on upcoming “Believe in Heroes” events, visit: www.dierks.com or www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

 

Industry Ink Tuesday

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• • • Toby Keith is heading into the Oct. 24 release of Clancy’s Tavern with a No. 1 hit. The album’s lead single “Made In America” is his 29th charttopper and recently went to No. 1 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart. He penned the track with frequent co-writer Bobby Pinson. A Deluxe Edition of Clancy’s Tavern includes four extra songs that are covers recorded live at Keith’s 2010 Incognito Bandito club show at The Fillmore in New York City.

• • • Over 250 members of the industry gathered for the annual End of the Row Party to raise money and awareness for the TJ Martell Foundation on Sept. 22. The event was hosted for the second year by law firm Crownover, Blevins behind their offices and sponsored by Merrill Lynch’s Raj Patnik and Zach Richards. The night netted over $5500 for the Foundation and featured performances by hit songwriters Barry Dean, Brett James, Luke Laird and Shane McAnally. Laura Bell Bundy was the host and emcee. Other up-and-coming writers who performed were Liz Moriondo, Jeremy Parsons, James Hunter, Julie Foresterand Jen Foster.

• • • Last week Belmont University welcomed Grand Ole Opry GM and VP Pete Fisher as guest speaker for the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business seminar series. Fisher also serves on the Curb College advisory board.

(L-R): Rush Hicks, Belmont Music Business program chair; Wesley Bulla, Curb College Dean; Pete Fisher, Grand Ole Opry; Sarita Stewart, Entertainment Industry Studies

• • • Grammy winning artist and songwriter Peter Frampton will join the Music City Walk of Fame, presented by founding sponsor Gibson Guitar. Frampton will be recognized officially with the unveiling of a commemorative sidewalk marker on Sat., Oct. 22 at 1:00 p.m. in Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville. The induction ceremony sponsored by GAC, is free and open to the public. Frampton lived in Nashville for seven years, and many of his band and crew live here. He continues to write, record and rehearse in the city regularly.

• • • Gene Watson’s tour bus was in a wreck over the weekend. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. He was eight miles from his show in Sandstone, MN when the bus lurched off the road and nearly flipped over. He is now back in Nashville where he will join Randy Travis on the Grand Ole Opry tonight to sing “Didn’t We Shine,” which was recorded for Travis’s 25th Anniversary Celebration album.

• • • APA’s David Plyler was the top fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s “Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30” initiative. He was honored at a party Sat., Sept. 24 on the 21st floor of The Pinnacle at Symphony Center. The event had raised more than $55,000 for cystic fibrosis research.

David Plyler of Agency for the Performing Arts is recognized by (L-R): Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30 co-chairmen Tim Bewley and Fiona Haulter, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Middle Tennessee Director of Development Lesley McMahan

Pictured following the Women's Half-Marathon in Nashville. (L-R): Caitlin King Rossman (Associated Press), Cindy Heath (Monarch Publicity), Lori Christian (Capitol Records)

 

Good Works: The Roys, NSAI, Big & Rich, and Flatts

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The Roys

Sibling duo The Roys have been tapped to headline the Musicians On Call benefit tonight (10/4) at the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Nashville. Doors open at 7 pm, with the music starting at 8 pm. Also on the bill are Kimberly Wolff, Hannah Anders and Jason Gregory. Roys members Lee and Elaine Roy are the reigning two-time Inspirational Country Music Duo of the Year, and have performed at country and bluegrass festivals all over the country.

• • • • •

Tomorrow (10/5) at 9 pm the Bluebird Cafe will host a benefit show for Faith Family Medical Clinic, featuring songwriters Steve Bogard, Brett James, Wayland Holyfield and Monty Powell. Faith Family is a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides affordable health care to uninsured Nashville-area songwriters and musicians. As part of a new partnership with NSAI, songwriter members can now present their NSAI cards to be established as patients. “Many songwriters don’t have health insurance and don’t receive needed health care services because they simply do not know that clinics like Faith Family Medical exist,” says NSAI’s Susan Myers, director of sponsorships. “This affiliation will save local songwriters and musicians tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.”

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Big & Rich will also pick up the hospital fundraising torch, when the duo is featured at the Baptist Hospital Foundation’s Rock The Cradle event October 25 at the Loveless Cafe Barn. The dinner and cocktail reception begins at 6:30 pm, and includes a silent auction with exclusive travel packages. Proceeds will support babies born at Baptist and the Beaman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Table sponsorships, as well as a limited amount of individual tickets, are available for purchase at www.rockthecradlenashville.com. “This is a causal, fun event that offers the chance to listen to some of Nashville’s best country artists in an intimate setting and we’re extremely excited to have Big & Rich involved this year,” says Bernie Sherry, president and CEO of Baptist Hospital. In 2010, Rock the Cradle featured Martina McBride and Faith Hill performing together for the first time and raised over $225,000.

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Rascal Flatts is offering fans a unique opportunity to see them at a private fundraiser for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. One hundred tickets will be made available to Flatts fans on a first-come, first-serve basis for the November 2 event. Over the last five years, Rascal Flatts has been hosting concerts for Children’s Hospital in a secluded Nashville location, in conjunction with Bridgestone Arena concerts also benefiting the hospital. Attendees will also have the chance to bid on a full travel package for two for a 2012 Flatts concert date, two tickets and meet & greet passes to see the group at a 2012 Opry appearance, or two tickets to the 2012 ACM Awards with passes for Rascal Flatts show rehearsal. Fans can order tickets here.

Tuesday News Roundup

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CMA ONLINE SOCIAL AUDIENCE IS NO. 1: The cumulative CMA online social audience is ranked No. 1 among all awards shows for biggest social network audience, topping the Grammys and the Oscars! As of 9/27/2011:

 

The Entrepreneur Center has received confirmation of its $2.5 million EDA grant application. The money will be used to renovate and buildout the Center’s new permanent facility at Trolley Barn No. 1, Rolling Mill Hill. “In the wake of Nashville’s disaster, the EDA funding represents an investment in the future of our city,” said Michael Burcham, who runs the EC. “The Center that we build will help entrepreneurs turn ideas into reality, support innovation, and drive economic growth and job creation for thousands and tens of thousands of Tennesseans.”

Trolley Barn #1 at Rolling Mill Hill is a 22,000 square foot space that will house 72 incubation space. Since it’s launch in 2010, the center has helped launch 19 companies and helped them raise over $5.2 million in seed stage and venture funding.  While the EDA grant will partly cover the construction buildout of the center, as a non-profit 501c3 organization, public and private funding and corporate sponsorships are needed to support the center’s operations.

“Nashville is a city full of creative, smart, hard-working people, and the Entrepreneur Center is harnessing this resource, cultivating ideas and incubating inventive businesses to help continue moving the city forward and create jobs in the process,” Mayor Karl Dean said.

 

Scotty McCreery, Season 10 winner of American Idol is scheduled to perform the National anthem prior to Game One of the World Series, Oct. 19. “This is absolutely incredible for me,” said McCreery. “I have two loves in life—music and baseball.” McCreery’s debut album launches October 4 on Mercury Nashville/19 Recordings/Interscope Records.