Jack Ingram will release his second Big Machine studio project Big Dreams & High Hopes on Tues., Aug. 25. The lead single “Barefoot and Crazy” is already at No. 8 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart. Ingram’s list of top-notch co-writers, producers and collaborators for the new project includes Americana songstress Patty Griffin on the Ingram-penned “Seeing Stars,” and mainstream chart-topper Dierks Bentley on the honky-tonk party anthem “Barbie Doll.” Elsewhere, Little Big Town, Randy Houser, James Otto and The Lost Trailers (also known as The Little Big Lost Beat-Up Ford Funky Times Freedom Choir) contribute gang vocals. Jay Joyce, Jeremy Stover, Doug Lancio and Radney Foster all get production credits on the 11-track effort, and Ingram’s stellar cast of co-writers includes Jeffrey Steele, Darrell Brown, Dallas Davidson, Gary Burr and Tom Shapiro.
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Mac McAnally’s latest album, Down By The River, will be out Aug. 4. The 11-song collection of new original material is his 11th release as a solo artist and his debut for Show Dog Nashville. The self-produced album showcases the acclaimed musician/songwriter on guitar, piano, harmonica, ukulele and percussion. Proceeds from “You First,” the lead single, will benefit the Wounded Warriors Project, whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors.
McAnally received his first No. 1 single as an artist and sixth as a writer on his recent collaboration with Kenny Chesney, “Down The Road.” He was named 2008 Musician of the Year by the Country Music Association, and is also a 2007 inductee to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Starting as a Muscle Shoals session musician, then signing as Geffen Records’ first artist at the age of 16, McAnally went on to become a respected guitar player and singer, working with artists including Roy Orbison, Hank Williams Jr., Jimmy Buffett, Travis Tritt, and Dolly Parton. As a producer, he’s helmed successful projects by Sawyer Brown, and Chris LeDoux.
Trace’s Superhero, Julianne’s Emmy Nod, Kershaw’s TV Track
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Julianne Hough and her brother Derek are nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography. Their “Great Balls Of Fire” routine on Dancing With The Stars earned the nod. The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sun., Sept. 20 at 7 PM/CT on CBS.
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Sammy Kershaw’s “Louisiana Hot Sauce” was featured prominently in a recent Sunday night episode of HBO’s hit series True Blood. The song, written by Kershaw and Keith Stegall, appeared on his Maybe Not Tonight record that was released by Mercury in 1999. By Monday morning the track was one of the top downloaded tracks on iTunes.
Jack Ingram, Mac McAnally Set Release Dates
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McAnally received his first No. 1 single as an artist and sixth as a writer on his recent collaboration with Kenny Chesney, “Down The Road.” He was named 2008 Musician of the Year by the Country Music Association, and is also a 2007 inductee to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Starting as a Muscle Shoals session musician, then signing as Geffen Records’ first artist at the age of 16, McAnally went on to become a respected guitar player and singer, working with artists including Roy Orbison, Hank Williams Jr., Jimmy Buffett, Travis Tritt, and Dolly Parton. As a producer, he’s helmed successful projects by Sawyer Brown, and Chris LeDoux.
News From The Road: Flatts, Chesney
/by Sarah SkatesRascal Flatts became the first country act to perform a concert in historic Wrigley Field in Chicago this past Saturday night. The group entertained a sold-out crowd of 37,000 fans for one of only four concerts ever played in the Chicago Cubs home stadium. Vince Gill and Darius Rucker opened. The Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour hits its second stadium of the summer in Columbus, Ohio on Aug. 9.
Kenny Chesney’s Sun City Carnival sailed into San Francisco over the weekend, selling even more tickets (over 36,000) than it did at the same stadium last year. The Corona Extra sponsored tour has already had sold out NFL stadium stops at Chicago’s Soldier Field, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field and Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field. Unfortunately Sugarland had to cancel their performance that night because Jennifer Nettles is on vocal rest, but Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum rocked the crowd.
Country At The White House: Charley Pride Added, Watch Online
/by Sarah SkatesW.O. Smith School students and their families celebrate Sunday, July 19, as the group departs for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Washington, D.C., and a special concert series and educational workshop at the White House.
Charley Pride has been added to the list of artists performing at the White House tomorrow (7/21) as part of its educational workshop about Country music. Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss and Union Station were previously announced.
The event in the historic East Room will be livestreamed on whitehouse.gov/live starting at 6:25 PM/CT with President Obama’s opening remarks. First Lady Michelle Obama, White House staff and Members of Congress will be in attendance. The White House Music Series is hosted by the First Lady and its goal is to celebrate the arts and the importance of arts education.
The Country Music Association and Country Music Hall of Fame are participating in the program by sending local students to the workshop. The CMA is underwriting all travel costs for 40 students from the W.O. Smith Music School, using funds from the CMA Music Festival and the “Keep the Music Playing” program, which supports music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools. The Museum was asked to provide an educational component at the event and will be sending one of the students who participated in its Words & Music educational program during 2008-09, rising 5th grader Sal La Rosa and Gary Michael Smith, the professional songwriter who added a melody to Sal’s lyrics, to the workshop to perform their composition.
Is Country Crushing Nashville’s Creativity?
/by bossrossAn article in the Sunday Tennessean (by Naomi Synder) asks “Could Nashville’s country and Christian music industry be crushing innovation? It sounds like a ridiculous question, were it not for the musicians who think it might be true.”
The feature length article confuses quality, diversity and professionalism in a swirling discussion which fails to distinguish and/or benchmark any kind of serious criteria with which to explain or build its premise. Read it here.
String Theory Media’s Craig Havighurst has fashioned an interesting response to the allegations in which he looks candidly at the reality of today’s music marketplace and how it effects the artists, writers and musicians that live and work in Music City. Read it here.
Tech Tracks: Kazaa, Rock Band, Twitter
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The Rock Band Network is a ground-breaking initiative that gives musicians and record labels the ability to author their own original recordings into gameplay files and sell their music as playable Rock Band video game tracks through the newly-created Rock Band Network Music Store. From Harmonix Music Systems and MTV Games, The Rock Band Network will launch as an open beta in late August 2009 in the U.S. and provide a sophisticated toolset, with detailed documentation on how bands can begin the process of authoring songs into Rock Band gameplay files.
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Wonder what the most popular subject matter is on Twitter? Find out what’s trending and why at whatthetrend.com. You can also see the latest tweets, Flickr photos and news stories
AMA To Honor Sam Bush
/by Sarah SkatesS
am Bush will receive the Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist award at the 8th Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony, presented by the Gibson Foundation, on Thurs., Sept. 17 at the historic Ryman Auditorium. As co-founder and leader of the seminal progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival for 18 years, Bush was among the first purveyors of newgrass–the wild bluegrass stepchild that features rock ‘n’ roll grooves and extended virtuosic jams–and he continues to burn as one of the genre’s most brilliant lights, both as a sideman and the leader of the Sam Bush Band.
Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association, praised Bush’s standing as one of the greatest mandolin players ever. “Sam has created his own genre and has become such an integral part of the Americana community,” Hilly said. “It’s such a privilege to honor him this year.”
The past 20 years have found Bush performing as a sideman with Emmylou Harris; special guest artist with the likes of Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck & The Flecktones; spearheading boundary-stretching collaborations with Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor and David Grisman; and driving nearly every “bluegrass supergroup” imaginable with his mandolin playing. Bush’s newest album, Circles Around Me, will be released Oct. 20 on Sugar Hill Records.
The Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist is one of several career honors that will be handed out during the awards ceremony on Sept. 17, to be hosted by Jim Lauderdale with Buddy Miller leading his all star band. Running Sept. 16-19, the 10th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference will offer seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center by day, and bring a stellar lineup of musical showcases each evening. Conference registrations currently at the early bird discount rate of $350 for members and $450 for non-members are available here.
Wiles, Evans Announce Do Write Music
/by Sarah SkatesEvans serves as Managing Director for Do Write Music, which was originally formed in February 2008 to provide ‘in-house’ music publishing services for Smith Wiles clients. Now it has expanded to include outside entities. In its first year of business, Do-Write Music represented various music publishing catalogs, including four major hits: “Johnny and June,” “In Color,” “One In Every Crowd” and “Shuttin’ Detroit Down.”
Evans was Head of Rights and Clearances for PolyGram and Universal Home Entertainment until 2001 when she moved to Nashville. Since then she has been an independent media consultant, and served as administrator for several independent publishers and songwriters, clearing music for film, TV and video projects, as well as licensing audio and audio visual projects for independent record companies and artists.
Do Write Music is under the umbrella of services provided by business management/tax accounting firm Smith Wiles & Co., and its affiliate, Copyright Exchange, which provides marketing and brokerage services for sellers and buyers of music copyrights. All three entities are located at 900 Division Street, Nashville, TN 37203. Do Write Music can be reached at Dowritemusic.com, 615-620-0522, or marghie@dowritemusic.com.
Publishing Notes: Sony/ATV, Green Hills Music
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Amie Sistad, Woody Bomar, and Tony Darren
Indie publisher Green Hills Music Group, headed by Woody Bomar, has scored numerous cuts and singles lately. It’s current singles are Bomshel’s “Fight Like A Girl,” and Jimmy Wayne’s “I’ll Be That.” The publisher, which represents music by Bonnie Baker, Rick Giles, J Fred Knobloch, Georgia Middleman, Paul Nelson, Bob Regan, and Steve Williams, also has two cuts on the upcoming George Strait album. Since opening two and a half years ago, Green Hills has secured 62 cuts by artists such as Jake Owen (2), Bomshel (5), Mark Chesnutt (2), Nashville rockers American Bang, and Luke Bryan.