Tag Archive for: featured-2

Working On A Wednesday

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Payton Rae on the set of "Not Your Cinderella."







Payton Rae’s latest video, “Not Your Cinderella” debuted earlier this month. The clip is the second created from her five song EP, Dare To Live. Houston-based OOA Productions produced the effort which was filmed mostly in the historic district of Galveston, TX at the Trube Castle.
“I get very excited when it comes to music videos; my mom and I are always throwing out ideas.” said Rae.  “I was on the computer one day looking for places we could use, and I came across the Trube Castle right in Galveston, and I knew that had to be it! I’m so blessed to have gotten to shoot at such an amazing place.”
Fifteen year old Payton Rae’s album was produced by Nashville veteran Brian White and features songs created by a marquis of acomplished songwriters including Steve Bogard, Brett Beavers, Stephony Smith, Shelly Fairchild and Rae.
Rae has over 62,000 Twitter followers and 2.8 million YouTube views at her dedicated channel.
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Stealing Angels and KSON/San Diego enjoy an afternoon at the Lakeside Rodeo.(L-R) Dave Collins, Jennifer Wayne, Brooks O’Brian (KSON/ San Diego), Tayla Lynn, Kevin Callahan (KSON/San Diego) and Caroline Cutbirth


 
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Nan Kelley and Margaret Durante





Margaret Durante recently visited with GAC’s Nan Kelley on the set of her Top 20 Country Countdown video show. Durante’s video, “Maybe Tonight” placed No. 1 on the countdown for two consecutive weeks, but she only discovered the news while reading the teleprompter to introduce her video.
Directed by Kristin Barlowe, the clip for “Maybe Tonight” (co-written by Durante, Blair Daly and Rachel Proctor) highlights two lovers flirting their way through the early stages of a new relationship. Fans also get to see a spontaneous side of Durante, as she leads a troupe in a dance on the streets of downtown Nashville.

Johnny Reid Leads Canadian Country Noms

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Nominees for the 2011 Canadian Country Music Awards were announced today (7/27), with Johnny Reid leading the way with six nods. The honors will be presented Sept. 12 in Hamilton, Ontario, and the show will be broadcast live on CBC Television, with an encore airing on CMT.
Driven by his album A Place Called Love, and hit single “Today I’m Gonna Try And Change The World,” Reid is up for Fans’ Choice, Single, Songwriter, CMT Video, Album and Male Artist. A Place Called Love also garnered nominations for his team in Album Design, Website, and Video Director.
Dean Brody is nominated in five categories: Fans’ Choice, Single for “Trail In Life,” Album, Songwriter and Male Artist. Additional nominations for the Brody team include Album Design and Website.
George Canyon, Gord Bamford and Deric Ruttan received four nods each. To view a complete list of nominees, go to www.ccma.org.
The Third Ballot for the 2011 Canadian Country Music Awards® is open. CCMA voting members received a email with instructions. The ballot closes at 5:00 PM EST on Wed., Aug. 17.
Brody and Paul Brandt have been added to the list of performers for the 2011 awards broadcast. They join previously announced acts George Canyon, Terri Clark, Doc Walker, Emerson Drive, Johnny Reid and Ronnie Dunn.
Country Music Week takes place September 9-12, 2011, in Hamilton, Ontario, culminating with the broadcast of The Canadian Country Music Awards.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (7/27/11)

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Is it hot enough for you?
There’s nothing like Nashville in July-August to wear you out. And there are no ballads in this week’s column to cool you off.
The new sounds from Bomshel, Randy Travis, Montgomery Gentry and Marlee Scott are particularly hot stuff. Justin Moore follows up his tender “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” with a scorching little attitude tune titled “Bait A Hook.” The boy is on a roll. Hand him a Disc of the Day award.
Perhaps the hottest sounding performance of the day came from some unknown Texans billed as Brad Dunn & Ellis County. They’re an Austin bar band. Their CD shines with promise. Hands down, my DisCovery Award of the week.
MARLEE SCOTT/Beautiful Maybe
Writer: Tania Hancheroff/Marcus Hummon/Tia Sellers; Producer: David Kalmusky; Publisher: Universal/MGB/Careers/Ourtrinity/Coburn/Sillers with an I Think Tank, ASCAP/BMI; CO5 (www.marleescott.com)
—Brightly optimistic and positive. Produced with clarity and class. Irresistibly rhythmic, to boot.
RANDY TRAVIS/Everything And All
Writer: Troy Jones; Producer: Kyle Lehning; Publisher: Tiltawhirl/Carnival, BMI; Warner Bros.
—His burnished baritone voice remains one of the truly great things about the country-music format. This uptempo twangfest is a delightful showcase for it. Spin it.
RYAN TURNER BAND/Sweet Time
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; RTB (www.ryanturnermusic.com)
—The track has a cool nervous energy about it. His vocal doesn’t have a huge amount of personality, but he gets the job done on this tempo celebration.
BOMSHEL/Halleluy’all
Writer: Josh Kear/Mark Irwin; Producer: Chad Carlson; Publisher: Global Dog/Big Yellow Dog/LunaLight/Green Vinyl, ASCAP; Curb
—I dig these gals. If this sizzling, frothy, beat frenzy doesn’t get folks out onto the dance floor, I can’t imagine what will. Crank it up.
KATIE QUICK/Best In Me
Writer: Katie Quick/Ben Goldsmith; Producer: Katie Quick & Chip Hardy; Publisher: Katiequickmusic, BMI; KQ (track) (www.katiequick.com)
—She wrote all 14 tunes on her Valley Between Love CD, including this hand-clapping, banjo-propelled, sunny, toe-tapper of a single. Sweet as candy.
THE BAND PERRY/All Your Life
Writer: Brian Henningsen/Clara Henningsen; Producer: Nathan Chapman; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/How Bout That Skyline/Cactus Moser, BMI; Republic Nashville (track)
—This plea for lifelong devotion goes down smoothly, thanks to the lilting mandolin work, gentle percussion and oh-so-creamy vocal harmonies. The bluesy bridge is especially cool with its melodic shift and chiming bells.
BRAD DUNN & ELLIS COUNTY/Red White And Blue
Writer: Brad Dunn & Ellis County; Producer: Kevin Szymanski, Brad Dunn & Ellis County; Publisher: none listed; BD (track) (www.reverbnation.com/bradleyddunn)
—The grinding groove makes it sound kind of like a countrified ZZ Top. The title refers to the Texas state flag, and everything about this screams Lone Star State roadhouse rawk. The song and performance are both loaded with sweaty macho attitude. I’ll bet these guys are great live. Even the ballads on the band’s Ranch Cat album seethe with personality and individuality.
JUSTIN MOORE/Bait A Hook
Writer: Rhett Akins/Justin Moore/Jeremy Stover; Producer: Jeremy Stover; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Rhettneck/Big Music Machine/Double Barrel Ace/Super 98/EMI April/Songs of Countrywood, BMI/ASCAP; Valory Music
—Her new boyfriend can’t hold his liquor, drives a Prius and eats sushi. But he can’t catch fish, skin a deer, drive a truck or belt Jack Daniels, so the redneck singer isn’t worried a bit that she’ll come running back. Highly humorous, enormously rhythmic and deeply drawled.
JOEL WARREN & JASON ALLEN/Straight Up Country
Writer: Steve Guidos/Bill Warrington/Ward Tolbert; Producer: Eric Paul; Publisher: Wynnestar/Bill Warrington/Song Brook, BMI/ASCAP; Wynnesong (track) (www.joelwarrencountry.com)
—The swingin’ honky-tonk band kicks up plenty of dust. Jason has the pipes to front the sound. Joel doesn’t.
MONTGOMERY GENTRY/Where I Come From
Writer: Rodney Clawson/Dallas Davidson; Producer: Michael Knox; Publisher: Big Red Toe/Amarillo Sky/EMI Blackwood/String Stretcher, BMI; Average Joe (CDX) (615-733-9983)
—Pretty much what you might expect from the title—a defense of the small-town, countrified lifestyle. It is better written than most songs like this, and the boys deliver it with their trademarked propulsive punch.

World of Bluegrass Attracts Genre's Biggest Names

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Alison Krauss and Union Station will perform at the World of Bluegrass.


Bluegrass music’s premier indoor festival is just around the corner, with this year’s event celebrating the 100th birthday of the Father of Bluegrass Music, the late Bill Monroe. IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Week runs Sept. 26- Oct. 2 in Nashville with confirmed artists including Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, The Grascals, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Dale Ann Bradley, J.D. Crowe & The New South, and Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers.
One highlight of the event is sure to be the International Bluegrass Music Awards, set for Thurs., Sept. 29 at the Ryman Auditorium. Award-winning artist, bandleader, songwriter and mandolin monster Sam Bush will host the 22nd annual show.
The World of Bluegrass Week also includes the Bluegrass Fan Fest, running Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 at the Nashville Convention Center.
For details on the World of Bluegrass, including tickets to the International Bluegrass Music Awards, go to www.worldofbluegrass.org or call 615-256-3222 (888-GET-IBMA). See a video preview of World of Bluegrass below.

Industry Ink Tuesday (7/26)

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• • • Pitch group Singles Only hosted its third quarterly A Night of Hits show on July 20 at Winner’s Bar & Grill. The evening featured performances of some of their writers’ best uncut material. Singles Only is made up of pluggers from eight successful independent publishing companies.

Pictured (L-R): Natalie Harker (Cal IV Entertainment), Scott Ponce (Liz Rose Music), Shane Barrett (Shane Barrett Music), Penny Everhard (Love Monkey Music/Tom-Leis Music), Denny Carr (Roots Three Music), Taylor Lindsey (BMG Chrysalis), Eric Gallimore (Red Vinyl Music), and Daniel Lee (Ten Ten Music Group)


• • • John Clore has joined Word Entertainment as Director of Brand Management. He makes the move from Sony Music Entertainment’s Provident Label Group, where he served as Associate Director, Digital Marketing & Campaigns, working with RED and Jars of Clay. His track record also includes time handling publicity at Provident Label Group, Webster & Associates PR, and PLA Media. The Illinois native is a graduate of Belmont University’s Music Business program. He can be reached at [email protected] or 615-726-7870.
• • • Capitol Records Nashville Sr. Director of New Media Dawn Gates raised $81,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and was named 2011 Woman of the Year. Her campaign in honor of young cancer patient Tanner Page included a celebrity memorabilia auction. The organization’s total campaign raised $341,000.
• • • CMT One Country’s Lucia Folk is featured in a new article in AdAge. In the interview she talks about promoting local volunteerism among CMT viewers, offering rewards and prizes, as well as making charitable donations on behalf of artists.

JP Dansereau


• • • The Fontanel Mansion & Farm has hired Jean Pierre (JP) Dansereau as General Manager. In the newly created position he will oversee business development, sales and operations for the property that includes The Fontanel Mansion, Woods Amphitheater, Farm House Restaurant, Studio Gallery and more. Dansereau previously served as Director of Travel Industry Sales for Gaylord Opryland, and as Vice President of Tourism for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. He will assume the new role Aug. 1 and can be reached at [email protected], or 615-724-1600.
 

BMI Licenses Spotify & Turntable.fm

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Spotify and turntable.fm are now licensed by BMI covering public performances of BMI’s more than 6.5 million works.

“We are pleased to confirm that we have reached agreements that guarantee fair compensation for the more than 475,000 songwriters, composers and copyright owners who entrust BMI with their public performance right,” said Richard Conlon, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy/Communications & New Media. “Both agreements represent yet another step in our long tradition of breaking new ground in licensing music for digital distribution.”

Spotify and turntable.fm join other music services in the growing roster of more than 9,000 digital properties licensed by BMI.
In an exclusive outreach to music creators, Spotify offered BMI songwriters, composers and music publishers an invitation to experience its library of over 15 million songs.
BMI tracked 1.6 billion performances on BMI-licensed websites in the last quarter and is paying more songwriters, composers and music publishers than ever before.
ASCAP previously announced an agreement with Spotify reported here.

Top 10 Idol Earners

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Forbes loves to compile Top 10 Earning lists and its latest “revelation” is a ranking of American Idols. Anyone paying attention would immediately guess (and be correct), that Carrie Underwood reigns supreme on this list  having earned over $20 million in the past year cashing in on over 80 tour dates. Lambert (season eight, No. 2) and Chris Daughtry (season five, No. 4) tied in second place with $6 million each. According to the publication Underwood “banked as much as the Top 5 artists added together.
Forty percent of the Top 10 have Nashville ties. And that doesn’t include current season celebs Scotty McCreery and Laura Alaina who may well swell Nashville’s representation in next year’s listings.
As Forbes notes it isn’t all about winning, of the top three earners only Underwood was actually a winner. Others with Nashville ties in the Top 10 include Jordin Sparks at No. 5 with $3 million; Kelly Clarkson at No. 6 with $2.5 million; and Kellie Pickler who ranks No. 8 with $1.8 million. Clarkson, managed by Nashville-based Starstruck is scheduled to have a new album next year which should elevate her rank in next year’s numbers. (Check out a photo carousel here.)

Forbes methodology statement: These numbers are based on estimated pretax income earned from May 2010 to May 2011, before subtracting agent and manager fees. The totals were compiled with the help of data from Pollstar, RIAA and others, as well as interviews with industry insiders including managers, concert promoters, publicists, agents and, in some cases, the musicians themselves.

An interesting footnote to this article is that Idol announcer Ryan Seacrest reportedly snagged of $61 million including his famed hosting spot, plus endorsements and radio revenues. Seacrest made more than the total of all ten Idol contestants.

Google+ Hangout Feature Powers Virtual Concert

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Singer songwriter Daria Musk recently used the new Hangout technology on Google plus to promote a 6.5 hour virtual concert around the globe. The entrepreneurial artist ultimately reached thousands of viewers from Norway to Argentina to Australia.
According to Google, each Hangout can have a maximum of 10 participants so Musk urged her fans to stay for a few songs and then make room for others to jump in. Google Director of Engineering, Chee Chew, attended the Hangout and provided technical assistance throughout the concert.
“For us on hangouts, it’s about really connecting small groups together face to face, bringing people together from around the world in a new way,” says Chew. “We all have a human need to connect and communicate.”
“Google’s new Hangout technology is a real game-changer for the music industry,” said Sean Wolfington, owner of Tier 10 Marketing, whose digital marketing and public relations agency represents Musk. “Traditionally the record labels dictated which artists get exposure; however, this cutting edge technology introduces a whole new platform that talented artists like Daria can leverage to take control of their exposure.”
The story has already been picked up by CNN and Reuters. A second concert named “Gl+bal G+thering of G+niuses” has been set for July 23 at 7 pm ET. To accommodate Daria’s ever-increasing global audience, members of the Google+ fan community created www.HangoutParty.com, which will stream Saturday’s concert to an unlimited number of fans around the globe. As a result, Daria’s performance and interaction with those in the “Hangout” will remain intimate, while thousands in the overflow crowd watch the broadcast live.
 

Reconciling The RIAA Certs plus June Awards

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The RIAA has announced its June 2011 certifications and Nashville artists are well represented in both album and digital download categories.
CMA Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley, saw his latest album, This Is Country Music, cruise into Gold territory after only one month or so on the charts. According to SoundScan, Paisley has scanned about 363k units through the week ended 7/17/11 definitely short of the Gold sales mark of 500k. However, because RIAA certifications measure shipments and SoundScan measures point of sale purchases using the two systems gives one an idea of how many units have been shifted into consumer hands, and how optimistic merchants are about continuing to sell the album. In Paisley’s case one could surmise that there are about 130,000 units remaining in the supply chain. Given that the album is selling about 20k (per SoundScan) per week that equates to a six week supply.

Click image to download report


Also earning a Gold award this month is Ke$ha for her Cannibal album, (SoundScan total 141k.)
Country music fans are starting to get active in downloading digital tracks as evidenced by the four Gold digital awards earned this month by Jason Aldean (“Dirt Road Anthem”), Luke Bryan (“Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”), Kenny Chesney (“Beer In Mexico”) and Rascal Flatts (“I Won’t Let Go”). (All these digital titles are above the 500,000 mark in actual sales, too.)
Moving higher up the ladder, above the country men, was Sara Evans who got a shiny Platinum trophy for selling one million downloads of “A Little Bit Stronger.” (In fact the track has sold 1.05 million copies according to SoundScan through 7/17/11.)
Reconciling The Stats
Balancing the RIAA criteria between physical sales and digital sales is confusing. It appears that digital singles must actually reach the Gold or Platinum levels of 500k and 1,000,000 respectively. However, albums are based upon shipments. Below is some “enlightenment” from the RIAA web site…note that in No. 5 it says certifications are based upon product “Shipped.” However, how does one tally shipments of digital singles?

1. Along with minimum sales figures, a number of other criteria accompany each title for certification. The list and table below describe what titles and types of sales can be considered for the awards.
2. Each company that requests RIAA® certification must be a firm or corporation that has headquarters in the United States and is engaged in the legitimate production and sale of sound recordings.
3. Recordings become eligible for certification 30 days after initial street date. Audio and music video titles may be requested for award certification starting 30 days after product is commercially available to consumers.
4. Only domestic sales and sales to U.S. military post exchanges may be included. The requesting company must separate PX sales from other accounts on sales sheets. Export sales outside the United States are not included in certification.
5. Club sales and club free goods may be included towards certification. Product shipped to retail, mail order, record clubs, TV marketing and other ancillary markets are combined toward certified sales. All shipments to these accounts must be verified by the label.
6. Promotional radio and press copies, cut-outs, inventory sell-offs and surplus sales are not included toward certification.
7. Catalog product, specifically pre-1972 album releases, are eligible for certification by meeting either the unit shipment or manufacturer’s dollar requirement for each award level.

 
RIAA offers an interesting retrospective on the American Music Business that can be downloaded HERE.
 

Weekly Chart Update (7/22/11)

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Davison


RADIO NEWS
John Davison has been named the new PD at Citadel’s WHWK/Binghamton, NY and is on the job now. He fills the spot vacated by Don Brake, who left the station in May to join WFRE/Frederick, MD. Reach Davison here.
SPIN ZONE
It’s a tight configuration at the top of the CountryBreakout Chart, with just over a hundred spins separating positions 1, 2, and 3. Lady Antebellum’s “Just A Kiss” emerges victorious for a second consecutive week, holding off Zac Brown Band’s “Knee Deep.” Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” drops to No. 3, followed by Trace Adkins’ “Just Fishin’” at No. 4 and Kenny Chesney’s duet with Grace Potter “You And Tequila” at No. 5.

Toolpusher recording artist Jason Sturgeon (R) recently fulfilled a longtime dream when he opened a show for his idol Gary Allan (L) at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana. Sturgeon’s latest single “The Cover” is impacting radio now and its video was shot in his hometown of Petersburg, Indiana.


It’s also a relatively young chart, judging by the fact that “Just A Kiss” climbed to No. 1 in only 11 weeks, and there is only one title inside the Top 20 over 20 weeks old still gaining spins. On the other hand, there are five titles in the Top 20 younger than 10 weeks. The nine-week-old Paisley/Underwood collab “Remind Me” leads the pack at No. 7, followed by Toby Keith’s six-weeks-on “Made In America” at No. 8. At No. 12, George Strait’s “Here For A Good Time” has only ticked seven weeks, while Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer” (No. 15) has been around for even less at five weeks.
Soon to be joining the crowd are Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You” and Taylor Swift’s “Sparks Fly,” both of which are in their second week charting. Shelton’s latest debuted at No. 52 in the previous chart, and flew up to No. 32 with a boatload of new adds. Swift’s new single originally debuted at No. 48 and zoomed to No. 33 with a gain of 339 spins.
Frozen Playlists: KITX, KTTI, KWWR, KXOX, Nashville XM 11, WDHR, WEZJ, WYVY



Upcoming Singles
July 25
Montgomery Gentry/Where I Come From/Average Joe’s
Blake Shelton/God Gave Me You/Warner Bros./WMN
Martina McBride/I’m Gonna Love You Through It/Republic Nashville
Sonia Leigh/My Name Is Money/Southern Ground/BPG
Eric Paslay/Never Really Wanted/EMI Records Nashville
Keith Bryant/Can’t Tell Somebody Who To Love/Jordash
August 1
Justin Moore/Bait A Hook/Valory
Amber Hayes/Wait/Flying Island
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New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Martina McBride/I’m Gonna Love You Through It/Republic Nashville — 57
Montgomery Gentry/Where I Come From/Average Joe’s — 63
Deborah Allen/Anything Other Than Love/Delta Rock — 77
Katie Armiger/I Do But Do I/Cold River — 78
Tracy Lawrence/The Singer/Lawrence Music Group — 80
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Blake Shelton/God Gave Me You/Warner Bros./WMN — 413
Taylor Swift/Sparks Fly/Big Machine — 339
Martina McBride/I’m Gonna Love You Through It/Republic Nashville — 306
Keith Urban/Long Hot Summer / Capitol — 290
Toby Keith/Made In America/Show Dog — Universal — 237
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Blake Shelton/God Gave Me You/Warner Bros./WMN — 23
Martina McBride/I’m Gonna Love You Through It/Republic Nashville — 22
Taylor Swift/Sparks Fly/Big Machine — 19
Montgomery Gentry/Where I Come From/Average Joe’s — 14
Tracy Lawrence/The Singer/Lawrence Music Group — 13
Justin Moore/Bait a Hook/Valory — 11
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
The McClymonts/Wrapped Up Good/BSM — 202
Kevin Fowler/Hell Yeah, I Like Beer/Average Joe’s Ent. — 190
Mark Wills / Crazy Bein’ Home / Tenacity — 176
Brad Wolfe/Love Ought To Be Perfect/Evergreen — 175
Teea Goans/Letters From God/Crosswind — 160

Brad Paisley’s H2O Wetter & Wilder Tour made a stop in Boston this past Saturday for WKLB's CountryFest. (L-R): WKLB's Ginny Rogers and Mike Brophey, Paisley, Sony Music Nashville’s Skip Bishop, and Arista Nashville’s Lesly Tyson, John Sigler, Ryan Dokke.


Gloriana was recently in Oklahoma City, and hung out with KJKE 93.3 JakeFM staff members. The Emblem Records group’s single “Wanna Take You Home” is currently climbing the charts:(L-R): Gloriana’s Tom Gossin, KJKE’s Crash Poteet, Gloriana’s Mike Gossin and Rachel Reiners, KJKE’s Kevin Christopher