Oct. 12 – 15 Nashville welcomes back a lineup of Australian roots artists for the city’s annual Americana Music Festival and Conference. Presented by Nissan, held in downtown Nashville, the 2011 lineup includes 20 different Australian acts: 3rd Wheel, Kirsty Akers, Chris Altmann, Audrey Auld, James Blundell, Ange Boxall, Catherine Britt, Lachlan Bryan, Kristy Cox, Mia Dyson, David Garnham, Gleny Rae Virus and Her Tamworth Playboys, Caitlin Harnett, Harry Hookey, The McMenamins, O’Shea, Chris Pickering, Shandell, Henry Wagons and Duke Wilde Band.
Sounds Australia is sponsoring the trip through its partnership with the Nashville-based Americana Music Association.
“The level of interest we experienced last year is a ringing endorsement by the Australian music industry of the original mission that Sounds Australia undertook to create a platform within the Americana event for our artists and business people,” said Sounds Australia Manager Dobe Newton.
Early registration is open through Oct. 10 and includes admission to all AMA panels and nighttime showcases, plus special events during the Festival and a ticket to the Americana Honors & Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium. Wristbands are $50 and give access to more than 100 artists in five Nashville venues. For more details about tickets and wristbands, please visit www.AmericanaMusic.org. Tickets for the Honors and Awards Show are also available separately for $65 at www.Ryman.com.
For the complete showcase lineup, please click here.
Shelton Stages Arena Tour
/by adminThe New York Times recently named Shelton one of the “most versatile of contemporary country singers.” His current single “God Gave Me You” is Top 10 and rising in the wake of his multi-week No. 1 “Honey Bee.” Shelton has had nine No. 1 hits and each of his singles since 2007 has peaked inside the Top Ten.
VIP packages for the tour will be available on www.blakeshelton.com with items such as premium seats and exclusive merchandise.
In other Shelton news, tune in Thurs., Oct. 6 to Entertainment Tonight when the show will premiere the full length video of “Footloose.” Shelton sings the classic song, originally recorded by Kenny Loggins for the first version of the now classic 1984 film. The soundtrack for the new version of the film which stars Dennis Quaid and Julianne Hough, will have 12-tracks and include music from Big & Rich, Cee Lo Green, Whitney Duncan and more.
Mark Cooke Releases Debut EP
/by Caitlin RantalaMark recently began his national radio tour to promote Living For The Weekend and “Anyway The Wind Blows.” The EP is available on iTunes, Amazon and other online outlets. It can also be ordered at www.MarkCooke.com.
Track Listing:
1. Anyway The Wind Blows (Marty Dodson, Jennifer Hanson, Mark Nesler)
2. Living For The Weekend (Mike McQuerry, Mark Nesler, David Reed)
3. Can’t Cheat In A Small Town (Don Goodman, Brad Wolf, Abby Boykin)
4. Stay With Me Tonight (Pete Sallis, Kris Bergsnes, Mark Carson)
5. I Love It (Philip Douglas, Ron Harbin, Jimmy Yeary)
6. I’ll Take This Town (Jim Collins, Ashley Gorley)
Men On The Move: Bryan, Bentley, Adkins, and Keith
/by Freeman• • • • •
(L-R): Jim Beavers, Dierks Bentley and Jon Randall. Photo: Eric England
Dierks Bentley recently celebrated the success of his eighth career No. 1 song, “Am I The Only One.” Industry friends joined Bentley, along with co-writers Jon Randall and Jim Beavers, at Losers in Nashville for the event. In the spirit of the song, Bentley presented personalized bottles of Patron.
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Photo: Brian Ormiston
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Toby Keith celebrated his premium mezcal Wild Shot last week by signing bottles for fans at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago. Toby was in Chicago for a standing room only stop on his Locked & Loaded Tour Presented by Ford F-Series. Keith’s “Made In America” also recently hit No. 1 on the CountryBreakout Chart.
McCreery Reveals Release Week Plans For Debut
/by Caitlin RantalaMcCreery will perform on Today Monday, Oct. 3. That night, GAC will premiere Introducing: Scotty McCreery at 9 p.m. GAC cameras have been documenting McCreery’s life since June and have captured much of what’s happened since his Season 10 American Idol win in May. The show will also feature interviews with family, friends and industry leaders who have played an important role in his personal and professional life.
Sunday, Oct. 9. is McCreery’s eighteenth birthday. To celebrate, he is inviting friends and fans to attend his Album Release and Birthday Bash Homecoming. The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m at the the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, NC.
The following week, on Oct. 11, McCreery will take the stage at The Grand Ole Opry. The performance will be televised on Opry Live on GAC at 8 p.m.
McCreery has also been chosen as the first artist to release a CD in a ‘ZinePak configuration. The ‘ZinePak features his debut album and an exclusive 72-page magazine. The mini magazine includes a Q-and-A with McCreery, lyrics, song notes, behind the scene photos and more. Less than 80,000 copies of McCreery’s ‘ZinePak edition will go on sale exclusively at Walmart, when his album releases on Oct. 4.
Darren Elrod Promoted At Provident
/by FreemanDarren Elrod
Provident Music Group Pres./CEO Terry Hemmings has announced the promotion of Darren Elrod to Sr. VP of Finance and Operations for Provident.
Elrod was most recently the label’s VP Finance & Operations. In his new role, he will report to Hemmings and continue to oversee all aspects of finance and operations with added duties in business affairs, IT and artist services, and Provident Distribution’s sales and warehouse operation.
“I am pleased to announce the promotion of Darren Elrod to Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations,” says Hemmings. “Darren’s experience and countenance are well suited for this role and he has become a trusted ally to me as we navigate the path ahead for our organization.”
Elrod began his career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen LLP, and was the Controller and VP of Finance at Provident from 1999-2006. He left the label in 2006 to become Controller and Treasurer of the National Federation of Independent Business, before returning to Provident in 2009.
Jaron Lowenstein Joins Cordovas, Releases New Album
/by Caitlin RantalaThe band has made the album available for sale at live shows, digitally worldwide on iTunes and for free download at their website, TheCordovas.com. Their decision to allow it to be downloaded for free stems from their belief that art should be made available to everyone with no barrier of entry.
“Superfans will immediately buy the record, some may download and then buy it for a friend or some may enjoy it and never pay for it,” Jaron said. “How they get the album isn’t our concern. That they get the album is.”
Track Listing:
1. All I Found (3:05)
2. Southern Rain (6:14)
3. Maria (4:41)
4. Step-back Red (4:20)
5. Storms (3:41)
6. Old Dog (3:29)
7. Salome (3:56)
8. Tell Me You’re Not Telling The Truth (3:36)
9. Standin’ On The Porch (4:05)
10. Louisiana Hurricane (4:47)
11. Feel Good To Be Free (5:38)
Cordovas is a six-piece band fronted by lead singers Jaron Lowenstein, Joe Firstman and Jon Loyd. Lowenstein is best known for his country single “Pray For You,” as well as his early 2000s single “Crazy For This Girl,” from Evan and Jaron.
Karen Kane Joins Sony Music Nashville
/by FreemanKaren Kane
Karen Kane has joined Sony Music Group as Director, Artist Development/Marketing, it was announced by Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP Marketing Paul Barnabee. Kane will report to Barnabee in this role, providing leadership in the development and execution of strategic marketing campaigns for her assigned artists.
“Spanning label, management, and third-party sponsorships, Karen has built a rich and diverse background in the music industry, and I’m excited to welcome her as an amazing new addition to our marketing team,” says Barnabee.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to work with Gary [Overton] and Paul and the team at Sony,” adds Kane. “It’s a wonderful opportunity when you get to work with smart and talented colleagues as well as an amazing roster of artists.”
Kane most recently served as Director of Music Business for Murray State University, where she managed the Music Business degree program and taught courses in Music Marketing, Artist Development, Live Performance, and Copyright. Prior to that she was president of Kane Entertainment, a management and marketing company.
She’s officially on the job now, and can be reached here.
Australian Artists Return For Americana Music Festival
/by Caitlin RantalaSounds Australia is sponsoring the trip through its partnership with the Nashville-based Americana Music Association.
“The level of interest we experienced last year is a ringing endorsement by the Australian music industry of the original mission that Sounds Australia undertook to create a platform within the Americana event for our artists and business people,” said Sounds Australia Manager Dobe Newton.
Early registration is open through Oct. 10 and includes admission to all AMA panels and nighttime showcases, plus special events during the Festival and a ticket to the Americana Honors & Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium. Wristbands are $50 and give access to more than 100 artists in five Nashville venues. For more details about tickets and wristbands, please visit www.AmericanaMusic.org. Tickets for the Honors and Awards Show are also available separately for $65 at www.Ryman.com.
For the complete showcase lineup, please click here.
Burns & Poe Support Postal Workers; Launch Internship Contest
/by Caitlin RantalaThe postal service is currently contemplating the close of thousands of post offices, which would leave more than 100,000 workers without jobs. Tuesday (9/27) postal workers across the country rallied at various locations to send a message that cutting jobs isn’t the answer to solving the budget crisis. A group of postal workers gathered on Church Street in Nashville were surprised when Keith Burns showed up to support their efforts.
Burns & Poe’s current single, “I Need A Job,” comes at a crucial time for many. Wanting to offer more than words of encouragement, the duo launched the “I Need A Job” Contest. Contestants are given the creative license to create a lyric video for “I Need A Job” using photos, graphics or video footage. Each video can be posted to any public webpage or social site, such as YouTube or Facebook. The creator of the video that tallies the most views will win a job as a temporary intern and member of the Burns & Poe Team.
Employment will be for a one-week period (Monday through Friday). The chosen intern will divide his or her time and responsibilities between the booking agency, the label, the road crew, and the publicity and management company. The intern will receive compensation in the amount of $500 for their time and service. The start-date will be mutually decided upon by the winning contestant and an official member of the Burns & Poe Team. One winner will be selected (based on posts/hits) and announced on the Burns & Poe web page on Friday, October 28, 2011.
For more details, please click here.
Hayes Prepares For Album Release; Headlines Tour
/by Caitlin RantalaHis Atlantic Records self-titled debut album, which he co-produced with Dann Huff, is slated for release on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Hayes played every instrument and wrote/co-wrote all eleven tracks on the album, including his single, “Storm Warning.”
Hayes has also co-written songs for Rascal Flatts and Montgomery Gentry. In addition to Taylor Swift, Hayes has shared the stage with Trace Adkins, Lady Antebellum, Hank Williams, Jr., Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.
Hayes is currently on his first headlining tour, Most Wanted, which will stop at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA on Dec. 1. For a chance to win tickets and airfare for two to see Hayes’ show, and get the VIP treatment, please visit http://www.hunterhayes.com/mostwanted.