12 South Benefit For Second Harvest

/by

second-harvestGuitar maker Gibson Acoustic has joined Nashville musical instrument retailer Corner Music and the 12th South District Merchants of Tennessee for the 1st Annual Benefit for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee on Saturday, June 6 beginning at 12 noon. The benefit will include a day of performances on the outdoor stage, food and special sales to benefit Second Harvest. Vendors will be set up in the parking lot of Corner Music and Forks Drum Closet located at 2705 12th Avenue South. In addition, Gibson Acoustic’s Product Specialist will be on hand throughout the day where an exhibit of the world’s greatest acoustic guitars from the Gibson Montana Custom Shop will be on display. Music enthusiasts can receive free advice and information on their guitar. The event is open to the public and attendees are asked to bring a donation of canned goods or non-perishable food items to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. Second Harvest’s mission is to feed hungry people of the community and work to solve the overall hunger issues facing many families today. For more information on the Second Harvest Food Bank click here.

Sean Hogan

/by

“Catalina Sunrise”

Lakeland Heart Records

shogan-catalinaWhen Sean Hogan debuted in 1996, his first album release immediately caught the attention of country radio programmers and listeners across Canada. Their reaction earned him the first-ever CCMA Independent Male Artist of The Year Award in 1997. Since then, Hogan has become one of the highest-profiled Canadian singer-songwriters performing his own brand of country and roots music in Canada, as well as in parts of the U.S. and Australia in recent years.

And the accolades haven’t stopped there. Hijacked, Hogan’s second album, as well as his third, Late Last Night, won two consecutive West Coast Music Awards in 2001 and 2002 for Best Country Album. In 2003, Hogan won CCMA Roots Artist of The Year, the first independent artist to win this prestigious award. Hogan’s self-released U.S. Americana debut, Ruled by Mercury, went Top 30, making it to No. 24 on the AMA Americana Chart during Hogan’s self-organized tour in Australia.

Hogan was nominated again in 2008 for the CCMA Roots Artist Of The Year Award and set his sights on making the full time career move to Nashville. He began working tirelessly on his U.S. debut album, The Southern Sessions, and is ready to bring his no holds barred brand of country music to American audiences.

His debut single, “Catalina Sunrise,” released in May 2009, is currently on the rise at country radio and can be found on CDX 474. The Southern Sessions will be available fall 2009 in stores and all digital music outlets.

http://www.seanhogan.net/

CMT and Rhapsody Team For Charity

/by

cmtoneFor the second year, CMT One Country, CMT’s pro-social initiative, will reward winners of the 2009 CMT Music Awards by making donations on their behalf to their selected charities. In addition to honoring winners, CMT One Country is partnering with Rhapsody to make donations on behalf of all nominees. From now until Sunday, June 21, the proceeds from the purchase of any nominated song from Rhapsody.com will go to benefit that artist’s specified charity. CMT One Country was launched in 2005 to inspire CMT viewers to take action and bring about important change in their communities. After the 2008 CMT Music Awards, CMT One Country donated $70,000 on behalf of winners to their selected charities. An alphabetical list of nominated artists and the charities who would receive their donation is below:
Trace Adkins: The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
Dierks Bentley: Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Brooks & Dunn: Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Kenny Chesney: PLAN!T NOW
Def Leppard: Create Now
Trey Fanjoy (Director): MusiCares
Deaton Flanigen (Directors): Victory Junction Gang Camp
Chris Hicky (Director): Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation
Julianne Hough: Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Alan Jackson: CMT ONE COUNTRY non-profit partners
Jamey Johnson: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Toby Keith: Ally’s House
Kid Rock: CMT ONE COUNTRY non-profit partners
Alison Krauss: Thistle Farms
Lady Antebellum: Mocha Club
Miranda Lambert: Humane Society of East Texas
Little Big Town: T.J. Martell Foundation
Martina McBride: Childhelp
Reba McEntire: The Smile Train
Montgomery Gentry: T.J. Martell Foundation
Jake Owen: Mardy Fish Foundation
Brad Paisley: The Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation
Kellie Pickler: Wounded Warrior Project
Robert Plant: TurtleWill
Rascal Flatts: Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Rehab: Elton John Aids Foundation
Michael Salomon (Director): American Cancer Society
Jim Shea (Director): The Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation
Shaun Silva (Director): Thistle Farms
George Strait: Jenifer Strait Memorial Fund
Sugarland: MusiCares
Taylor Swift: The Red Cross
Peter Tilden (Director): The Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation
Carrie Underwood: The Humane Society of the United States
Keith Urban: Meals on Wheels, Nashville Chapter (and the City Commission)

TuneCore and Amazon Team For DIY Artists

/by

tunecore1On June 1, TuneCore will launch a new relationship with Amazon.com. Added to its current offering of international digital distribution via Amazon MP3, TuneCore has announced a new service that provides on-demand global physical distribution via CreateSpace; expanded marketing exclusive to TuneCore Artists; and a TuneCore-branded section of Amazon.com. With no upfront manufacturing costs, TuneCore artists can set their own sale price and distribute their physical CDs worldwide on Amazon.com. Their CDs will be manufactured on demand by CreateSpace, part of the Amazon group of companies. When a release is ordered at Amazon.com, CreateSpace manufactures the CD complete with a CD booklet, tray card and jewel box on demand. Each title is shipped and fulfilled just like any other Amazon.com order and is eligible for expedited shipping options.

Coinciding with the launch of these new features is the TuneCore Art Tool 2.0, enabling artists on the fly to rapidly and easily create customized full-album artwork from within their TuneCore account for free. For more information, click here.

Blues In Centennial Park This Weekend

/by

blandNashville’s Centennial Park will come alive with the sound of the blues on Memorial Day (5/25), with the arrival of the Blues Spring Festival. The free show will feature blues legend Bobby “Blue” Bland in the headlining slot. Bland — a member of the Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient — is indisputably one of the finest blues interpreters to ever to grace the genre. He’ll be joined by a stellar cast of blues artists including Nashville’s “Queen of Blues” Marion James, local bluesman Stacy Mitchart, James Nixon, Miranda Louise, Johnny Jones, Queen Ann Hines and Michael Holloway.

According to festival producer Carol Jenkins, “This festival will have all the makings of a great blues festival: great blues all day long, home-cooked food, and a touch of jazz. The entire Nashville community is invited to this free event.”

The blues festival is sponsored by The New Hope Foundation, an organization that provides humane and supportive services to terminally ill and HIV/AIDs persons in the Nashville area.

Steve Richard

/by

“Stomp”

srichard-stompSteve Richard’s latest single “Stomp,” written and produced by John Rich, is being shipped to country radio stations across the U.S. June 4. The song’s video was shot on May 19 in Watertown, just outside of Nashville, with Roman White (Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift). “Everything Beautiful to Me,” the first single from Richard’s self-titled debut album, was also written and produced by John Rich.

Richard’s dynamic stage presence and trademark gritty vocals reflect years of paying dues, and he brings an impressive track record as a seasoned road vet. At one point performing 100 club dates a year, Richard has also toured the Midwest and South as both a headliner and opening act for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dickey Betts, .38 Special, Junior Brown, Halfway to Hazard, Montgomery Gentry, Van Zant and ZZ Top.

In the summer of 2008, Richard hit the road with Lynyrd Skynyrd and toured/performed with Dierks Bentley and rising country band Whiskey Falls. For his self-titled debut album, Richard teamed with producer/engineer Michael Bradford (Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker, Travis Tritt) and Grammy Award winning composer Jeff Silbar (Alabama, Janie Fricke, Bette Midler).

A line dance for “Stomp,” developed by famed line dance choreographer Barry Amato (TNN’s Wildhorse Saloon Show, Club Dance), will soon be introduced to clubs. Richard is also set to attend the upcoming CMA Music Festival in Nashville, June 11-14.

www.steverichardmusic.com

 

WMG/EMI—Here Comes The Bride, again??

/by

What do Clear Channel and Terra Firma have in common? They both purchased assets that have declined greatly in value and as a result are struggling to satisfy debt loads that are difficult to support given the current business climate.

Terra Firma, which purchased EMI two years ago for $4.7 billion is under stress to help the music company meet some of its covenant debt obligations. If EMI is unable to meet those obligations, then Citigroup, which controls the $5 billion debt load could move EMI into bankruptcy.

On the other hand, Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman has just successfully managed to restructure his company’s debt through a very smoothly and successfully orchestrated bond offering which raised $1.1 billion thereby putting WMG in a more flexible position with regard to acquisitions.

According to the New York Post, this important change in WMG’s balance sheet could mean that a merger with EMI, a long talked about marriage—yet to be consumated, might actually have stronger than ever odds of success. “An EMI-WMG merger has always made sense, and with WMG’s newly strengthened balance sheet and the lights dimming on EMI, the stage may finally be set for a merger,” Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield commented yesterday (5/21).

Warner/Chappell Signs James Otto

/by

Warner/Chappell Music, the global publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has announced a worldwide publishing agreement with Warner Bros. Records artist James Otto, Song of the Year winner at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards and a two-time 2008 Grammy Award nominee. Under the agreement, Warner/Chappell Music will co-publish and administer the majority of Otto’s catalog of work including songs from his breakthrough sophomore album, Sunset Man, as well as his future compositions.

Otto won the Academy of Country Music’s Song of the Year award for “In Color,” which also earned him a second Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. In addition, the singer/songwriter earned a 2008 Grammy Award nomination for “Best Male Country Vocal Performance” for “Just Started Lovin’ You,” his first No. 1. Otto also just earned three MusicRow Award nominations for Breakthrough Songwriter, Breakthrough Artist and Song of the Year (for “In Color”).

“James is a tremendously talented artist with a unique voice to complement his stellar songwriting skills and exciting performances,” said Tracy Gershon, Senior Vice President and Head of A&R, Nashville, Warner/Chappell Music. “With his artistic vision and Warner/Chappell’s support and expertise, I’m confident that this is only the beginning for James and that he will be a staple songwriter and artist in the country music world for years to come.”

otto

(l-r) Tracy Gershon, Sr. VP/Head of A&R, Warner/Chappell Nashville; James Otto with wife Amy; and Scott Francis, President, Chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell U.S.

Post Holiday Sales Drag Totals

/by

Let’s view our SoundScan update this week from 10,000 feet and then drill down into a few areas for a closer look. The addition of the Hannah Montana soundtrack to the country albums chart, plus recent releases from Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean and Keith Urban worked wonders to prop what earlier in the year was a soggy Y/Y sales comparison. For the week ended 5/17/09, country album sales are down a mere 3.9%. This compares quite favorably with the overall music business which is down 13%. (The controversial addition of the Disney star’s CD, which now accounts for 5.6% of 2009 country album sales, greatly helped improve country’s tally.)

Just released impact titles in the marketplace include a Greatest Hits outing from Kenny Chesney and a hip-hop offering from Eminem both hoping to take advantage of the long holiday weekend’s extra shopping time. Predictions based upon first day sales, according to insiders place Chesney in the mid-80s range and the gangsta at a whopping 600k+.

Counting Country
Not unexpectedly, post Mother’s Day country sales dropped off, about 18% wk/wk despite a debut from Steve Earle which scanned 17,839 units.

Digital consumer behavior is fast becoming a key observation area. Despite recent CMA research which finds that about 50% of the rabid countryphile core do not have Internet at home, country digital CD sales have grown Y/Y by a significant 62% hitting about 1.85 million units YTD. Last year, fans purchased 6.9% of the total country albums sold in digital format. This year that percentage has mushroomed to 11.6%.

In the digital track department leading country downloads included—Miley Cyrus “Climb” (73,754 units); Taylor Swift “You Belong…” (36,213); Miley Cyrus “HoeDown Throwdown” (34,724); Zac Brown Band “Whatever It Is” (34,423); and Brad Paisley “Then” 30,257.

Key: Y/Y—year over year; wk./wk.—week over week; YTD—year-to-date.

Wariner Picks for Atkins Education Fund

/by

warinerGrammy-winning artist Steve Wariner will perform a benefit concert for the Chet Atkins Music Education Fund on Tuesday, July 7, at 7:00 PM/CT at the Loveless Barn at the Loveless Cafe. The concert will feature songs from Wariner’s forthcoming CD, Steve Wariner, c.g.p., My Tribute to Chet Atkins, as well as some of his greatest hits. All proceeds from the concert and auction will benefit the Chet Atkins Music Education Fund, which Atkins established in 1997 to ensure that there are always funds available to encourage promising students as they pursue musical training. The fund supports programs that provide the earliest music education for young people in Middle Tennessee and added enrichment for those wishing to pursue music as a career to support youth music education in the Nashville area. For more information click here.