Starting today (6/9) iTunes users can purchase tracks from Brad Paisley’s new album, American Saturday Night, prior to its June 30th release date. One new song will be made available each week for the next three weeks, beginning with “Water.” The first single from the album, “Then,” is already a radio hit. American Saturday Night is Paisley’s eighth album release.
Also new from Sony, Gretchen Wilson’s next single, “If I Could Do It All Again,” is available for digital purchase at all major outlets today. The song was written by hitmakers Rivers Rutherford and George Teren.
Valory’s Justin Moore will issue an EP today exclusively on iTunes. The five-song collection is appropriately titled The ‘You Asked For It’ EP, and includes “Small Town USA,” “Back That Thing Up,” “I Could Kick Your Ass,” “Hank It” and “How I Got To Be This Way.”
“Skinny Dippin’,” the latest from Warner Bros.’s Whitney Duncan, is at radio today (6/9) and will go on sale to all digital retailers on Tues., June 16. Soon to follow: a ringtone, and music video directed by Roman White. Duncan’s forthcoming album, Right Road Now, is due out later this year.
UMG’s Gary Allan will release his new song to radio on Friday, June 12. “Today” is the debut single from his upcoming studio album due in stores this fall.
Today Lyric Street is releasing Sarah Buxton‘s “Outside My Window.” Buxton produced the song and wrote it with Victoria Shaw, Mark Jeffrey Hudson and Gary Burr.
Country Sales Outpace Overall Industry
/by bossrossSoundScan’s inner numerics held few surprises this week as sales on Country’s Current Top 75 remained flat (-2% to be precise). For the week ended 6/7/09 country sales are down 3.3% Y/Y which continues to compare favorably with the industry overall now down 14%. Lost Highway’s Ryan Bingham debuts on the country list at No. 17, scanning 7,710 units. Dave Matthews’ debut easily captured the No. 1 position on the Top 200 chart with 424,089 units sold (31.61% digital).
Jason Aldean and Keith Urban are fighting it out sales wise. Urban debuted one week before Aldean and is currently 105,308 units ahead of the Broken Bow newcomer. However, Aldean’s CD is gaining ground on the Aussie guitar master. This week Aldean moved 18,222 units and Urban sold 14,974. (Urban’s album sales are 17.75% digital; Aldean’s are 7.35%.)
Top 10 iTunes country track sales include No. 1 Kenny Chesney “Out Last Night” (71k); No. 5 Billy Currington “People Are Crazy” (30k); and No. 10 Jason Aldean “She’s Country” (25k).
New artists with a debut album in the Country Top 30 this week include Zac Brown Band (23,178 units this week), Lady Antebellum (13,533), and Universal South artists Randy Houser (3,062) and Eli Young Band (2,606).
Early Music Fest Events: Radio Remotes, Bowling, Fishing And More
/by Sarah Skates(L-R): Julie Talbott, Exec. VP of Affiliate Marketing, Premiere Radio Networks; Reba McEntire; Tammy Genovese, Chief Executive Officer, CMA
Reba McEntire was the surprise guest at last night’s (Tuesday) orientation session for the radio stations participating in the Premiere Radio Networks’ Official CMA Music Festival Radio Remote. During CMA Music Festival, McEntire will perform on the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT™ Concert Stage at LP Field on Thurs., June 11. That afternoon she will also sign autographs in the Greased Lightning® Fan Fair Hall for the first time in 13 years.
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Photo: Alan Mayor
The fifth annual “Lonestar & Friends Strike Out For The Kids” was held Monday (6/8) at Hermitage Lanes. At the sold-out event, fans bowled alongside Country artists to raise money and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. Among the numerous celebs participating at the GAC sponsored party were Justin Moore, Bo Bice, Chris Young, Buddy Jewell and Meagan Mullins.
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(L-R): WMBA Officers: Kama Upton, Brandi Simms, Betsy Walker and Cindy Collins
The Women’s Music Business Association (WMBA) has declared today “I’m So Music Row Day.” Members and supporters of the organization will be sporting T-shirts with the slogan on the Row and throughout the CMA Music Festival Kick-off parade this afternoon.
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(L-R): Marty Smith, Bill McGuire and Eric Church
The Porter Wagoner Memorial Artists & Anglers Fishing Tournament, which pairs country music artists with professional anglers for a day of fishing, took place yesterday at Percy Priest Lake. Eric Church, ESPN NASCAR reporter Marty Smith and champion shotgun marksman Bill McGuire won the grand prize. In just its second year, the event grew from 27 to 37 boats, with other artists including Emerson Drive, Rodney Atkins, Katie Armiger, Trent Willmon, Bo Bice and Carter’s Chord.
Kellie Pickler, Gretchen Wilson Have USA Weekend Covered
/by Sarah SkatesIn the cover story, Pickler and Wilson reveal their favorite music videos, as do other artists including Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Karen Fairchild (Little Big Town), Jack Ingram, Taylor Swift and Darius Rucker.
MR Launches Twitter Chart
/by Sarah SkatesClick to view
Country music trade publication MusicRow and New Media marketing group AristoWorks have formed a chart to track Country music artists’ popularity among Twitter users. Now in beta mode, the rankings are based on the number of users “following” each artist. Currently, there are 72 chart positions. Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift occupy the No. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, with Billy Ray Cyrus, Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes, Kellie Pickler, Julianne Hough, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride and Willie Nelson rounding out the Top 10. An artist must have a minimum of 100 followers to chart.
“Today’s media landscape is becoming a highly fragmented, on-demand media world,” says MusicRow Publisher David M. Ross. “As a result, artists are using an increasingly sophisticated new tool set to reach consumers and create new fans. This Twitter chart is the first of a series of projects we are developing with AristoWorks to help our readers quantify their online efforts.”
The first of its kind charting system, developed by AristoWorks, utilizes the Active Programming Interface (API) offered by Twitter and gathers data to update the chart daily.
“This system really stems from a simple idea, but gives labels, managers and new media marketers a unique benchmark for where their brands stack up against others,” says AristoWorks New Media Director Jon Walker. “Although the Twitter chart is currently operating in beta mode, the immediate response from artists, labels and managers has been impressive.”
Additional chart features, including user trending statistics, will be implemented in the official release.
SOURCE Reveals 2009 Foundation Award Winners
/by Sarah SkatesSOURCE has announced the recipients of its 2009 Foundation Awards, honoring the pioneering women of the music industry. The select list comprises Joyce Jackson (Jim Reeves Enterprises, Floyd Cramer, Dottie West, Mae Axton, Ernest Tubb Record Shop, Writer); Peggy Lamb (Music City News, Hickory Records, Inc., Acuff Rose, Opryland Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing); Pat McCoy (American Federation of Musicians, Local 257, Television Production Assistant, Charlie McCoy Enterprises); Sandy Neese (Charlie Daniels Band/Sound Seventy Productions, The Tennessean, WMAK, MTM Records, PolyGram/Mercury Records); Margaret Parker (WSM, Gaylord Entertainment); and Marion Keisker MacInnes, posthumously, (WREC Radio, WHER Radio, Memphis Recording Services, SUN Records, Captain in United States Army). They will be recognized at the seventh annual awards dinner on Thurs., July 30 at the Musician’s Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN.
SOURCE, founded in 1991, is a non-profit organization of executive women in all facets of the Nashville music industry. Sponsorship opportunities for the awards event are available by contacting Sarah Brosmer at sarah@lytlemgmt.com.
Republic Nashville Hires Bobby Young
/by Sarah SkatesCelebs Set For Softball Challenge
/by Sarah SkatesThe Opry team will take on longtime rivals, the After MidNite with Blair Garner team, at the June 10th event at 7 PM at Nashville’s Greer Stadium. Playing for After MidNite are Titan Cortland Finnigan, Darius Rucker, Dean Brody, Jake Owen, Jason Michael Carroll, Jimmy Wayne, Joe Nichols, Julianne Hough, Keith Anderson, Mark Wills, Marty Roe, Titan Michael Roos, Randy Houser and Trent Tomlinson. All the good-natured competition is for a good cause—ticket proceeds will be donated to City of Hope, a leading research, education and treatment center for cancer and other life threatening diseases. Tickets are $18 at www.ticketmaster.com. Fans can also support City of Hope by visiting www.auctionsforhope.com after the game and bidding on unique items from celebs.
Wy Joins Beatles Themed Benefit For Music School
/by Sarah SkatesWynonna will appear with The WannaBeatles, former Apple Records executive Ken Mansfield, contemporary Christian artist Phil Keaggy, country singer David Ball, guitarist Jonny Lang and other celebs tonight (6/9) to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album. The “With a Little Help From My Friends benefit” will include performances and storytelling at the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School from 7-9 PM. Proceeds from the event will be used to help W.O. Smith continue to provide instruments and music instruction to hundreds of children from low-income families. Admission is $20 per person. To order tickets, call (615) 255-8355.
New Music Update: Paisley, Gretchen, Gary and More
/by Sarah SkatesAlso new from Sony, Gretchen Wilson’s next single, “If I Could Do It All Again,” is available for digital purchase at all major outlets today. The song was written by hitmakers Rivers Rutherford and George Teren.
Valory’s Justin Moore will issue an EP today exclusively on iTunes. The five-song collection is appropriately titled The ‘You Asked For It’ EP, and includes “Small Town USA,” “Back That Thing Up,” “I Could Kick Your Ass,” “Hank It” and “How I Got To Be This Way.”
“Skinny Dippin’,” the latest from Warner Bros.’s Whitney Duncan, is at radio today (6/9) and will go on sale to all digital retailers on Tues., June 16. Soon to follow: a ringtone, and music video directed by Roman White. Duncan’s forthcoming album, Right Road Now, is due out later this year.
UMG’s Gary Allan will release his new song to radio on Friday, June 12. “Today” is the debut single from his upcoming studio album due in stores this fall.
Today Lyric Street is releasing Sarah Buxton‘s “Outside My Window.” Buxton produced the song and wrote it with Victoria Shaw, Mark Jeffrey Hudson and Gary Burr.
Black River Announces New Staffers
/by Sarah SkatesBlack River Music Group has added former echomusic staffers Shay Boone and John Gusty to its team. They will be spearheading comprehensive new media efforts for the Nashville-based music group with a heavy focus on fan engagement, community building, data-capture and overall monetization of all BRMG initiatives.
Additionally, Boone and Gusty will be launching Black River Community Management under the BRMG umbrella. Black River Community Management will offer service packages designed to engage, grow and monetize fan communities for entertainment brands. BRMG’s roster is home to Jeff Bates, Sarah Darling and Emma Jacob.
Previously Boone and Gusty were key department heads of echomusic’s Marketing Services division. Boone launched echo’s Street Marketing Department in 2006 where she successfully managed and lead grass-roots and viral promotions for some of the industry’s biggest names such as Jonas Brothers, Keith Urban and Bon Jovi. Gusty was a founding member of echo’s original Marketing Department and was in charge of all advertising coordination and data-capture, as well as moving echo into the mobile realm in 2008 via a strategic relationship with mobile pioneers Mozes Inc.