Country Bites News snippets March 10, 2014 - March 16, 2014

Country Bites News snippets March 10, 2014 - March 16, 2014

SOURCES / LINKS shown in RED

UK & IRISH News

According to this Live Nation Flyer Kacey Musgraves has some forthcoming UK Dates which include: Friday 27th June (Manchester, The Ritz), Sunday 6th July (London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire) and Tuesday 8th July (Glasgow, O2 ABC Glasgow). Tickets go on sale Friday March 21st available from Ticketmaster UK.

Sheryl Crow has some UK dates in October: Mon Oct 27th (Glasgow; Royal Concert Hall; Renfrew Street, G2 3NY), Tues Oct 28th (Gateshead, Sage; Hall One £39.50/ £29.50 - Event Detail), Weds Oct 29th (Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall; Theatre Square, NG1 5ND) and Thurs Oct 30th (Manchester, Ritz; Whitworth Street West,  M1 5NQ). Tickets are available on Ticketmaster UK and went on sale Friday 14th March see gigsandtours.com (0844 811 0051)

To follow another triumphant year, C2C Country to Country is pleased to announce its return to The O2 London and The O2 Dublin on the weekend of 7th & 8th March 2015! Early Bird tickets for the London event will go on sale at 9am on Friday 21st March from the official website - c2c-countrytocountry.com

Jeannine Barry, a UK based singer-songwriter described by UKCountryRadio.com as “extremely talented”  has so far raised £590 of a £15,000 goal with just 14 days left (Indiegogo.com Project Funding duration: Jan 31, 2014 - April 01). She is looking for backing to get her and her songwriting partner/guitarist to Nashville for about 3 weeks, to record, perform and network.

Bob Harris & Brad Paisley
at C2C

 On the BBC Radio 2 Playlist for the week commencing March 15, 2014 the Zac Brown Band with “All Alright” moves from the “B” to “A” list as fellow C2C Country To Country headliner Brad Paisley leaves the “A” playlist with “Mona Lisa” after a 5-week playlist run week after it was first added to the “B” list for the week commencing Feb 8, 2014. Johnny Cash with “She Used to Love Me A Lot” and Rascal Flatts “Rewind” remain on the “C” playlist . 

Radio Alerts:

a) Bob Harris Country BBC Radio 2 (Thurs 20th March at 19:00) Highlights from the first night of C2C: Country To Country Festival with music and chat from the Dixie Chicks, the Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley and Martina McBride – See BBC Page.

The Shires with Brad Paisley
at C2C2014

b) BBC Radio 2 Thursday 20th March at 22:00 Nashville UK. Paul Sexton looks at country music in the UK with the help of some Nashville experts. As part of Radio 2's coverage of the second C2C (Country To Country) Festival at London's 02 Arena, Paul Sexton takes the pulse of country music in the U.K. with the help of Nashville stars, writers and executives who are frequent visitors to our shores.

 He also talks to some British artists who are taking country music across the Atlantic in the other direction. The show will also include an exclusive live session performance by a new British duo who have been the subject of huge label attention in recent weeks, The Shires, one of several promising artists determined to export their English country roots to their American counterparts – See BBC Page

UK CHART NEWS

Official UK Singles Top 100 (Weeks Ending March 22, 2014)

C2C headliner Brad Paisley moved up from No.154 to No.100 in his second week with “Mona Lisa” (Arista Nashville). It becomes Paisley's first UK Top 100 single after being play listed by BBC Radio 2 in February and March. 

Official UK Country Album Chart (Week Ending March 22, 2014)

Don Williams with REFLECTIONS (WELK) debuts at No.1

Sheryl Crowe with FEELS LIKE HOME (Warner Brothers) moved 3-2 on her 12th chart week.

Sara Evans with SLOW ME DOWN (RCA Nashville) made a bow at No.3

Rosanne Cash new album THE RIVER & THE THREAD slipped back 2-4 in her 5th week.

Dierks Bentley with RISER (Decca) breezes in at No.5

Eric Church with last weeks No.1 THE OUTSIDERS fell 1-6 as Country To Country headliner Brad Paisley returned to the chart in his 25th week at No.7 with his special WHEELHOUSE Tour Special 2 album bundle.

David Nail with I’M A FIRE (Humphead) made a debut at No.17.

On the Hotdisc Chart (March 16, 2014 Chart)

Irish singer Fergal Flaherty made a 2-1 climb to top the main Hotdisc Top 40 chart and enjoy a seventh week at No1 on the British & Irish Chart list with "Hey Son”. Along with the video the song has drawn growing in popularity with both DJs and music fans over recent weeks and picked up momentum. Fergal, now resident in Spain, thus became a new edition to the elite list of British acts who have also bagged a #1 position on the main Top 40 European Hotdisc ranking.

Last weeks No.1 Branch & Dean switched places with Flaherty 1-2 with "Glad She's Not An Angel“.

M Callahan the previous week’s Hotshot Debut made further progress with a 5-3 hop with “Chicken On A Chain”.

Bertie Higgins (USA) making his British comeback rose 7-4 in his second week with "Just Another Day In Paradise".

American artist Chuck Hancock with “Sometimes Me And My Conscience Disagree” entered the upper tier with a 12-8 move as did British singer-songwriter Katie Nicholas with her self written “Chemistry” which climbed 13-9 and remained No.2 on the British rankings.

Aussie duo Stuie French & Camille Te Nahu with “The First Time” (written by Fred Koller and Danny O’Keefe) made an 8 place stride from 22-14 as US artist Stevie Lee Woods with his self penned “Hey!..What Do I Know” is the biggest climber with a 12 slot jump from 30-18.

UK COUNTRY ALBUM RELEASES

(10 Mar 2014) Amelia White - Old Postcard (White-Wolf Records)

12 Tracks/ Time: 37:14 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes  - Amazon.com

(10 March 2014) Don Williams - Reflections (Caroline International US)

10 Tracks  CD - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music

(17 March 2014) Dierks Bentley - Riser (Decca)

12 Tracks/ Time: 46:09 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com

(17 March 2014) Eli Young Band - Ten Thousand Towns (Republic Nashville)

11 Tracks/ Time: 40:01 CD - MP3 - Amazon.com

CANADIAN NEWS

On Tuesday, March 18th, Brea Lawrenson will release her new single – “Bottom of the Bottle”. With every release, Brea continues to grow her fan base at radio and with listeners!  We are positive this latest release will open many more doors to

success for Brea. This is just a sample of what radio is saying about Brea: Joel Lameroux (Program Director) CKBY – Ottawa: “From the moment I first listened to Brea Lawrenson I have been a believer.  Her distinctive vocals and great writing are cutting through with our audience.”

NEWS

Snapshot Country Aircheck's Insider News: - March 14, 2014 - March 18, 2014

Taylor Swift Leads Billboard's 2014 Money Makers: In theater, a triple threat is an artist who has the chops to sing, dance and act. It's a different ballgame in the music biz, where touring and the two avenues of sales (physical and digital) reign supreme. In that regard, there's no artist more threat-ening than pop-country juggernaut Taylor Swift, who crushed it on nearly every level in the past year, and claims the top spot on Billboard's annual Money Makers rich list.

Swift proved adept at capturing revenue from every angle this year, earning a whopping $39,699,575.60. Fueled by 2012's "Red," the singer's album sales were eighth among all of Billboard's Money Makers, while on the digital front she sold nearly 10 million downloads, ranking sixth, and fifth in streaming royalties -- tops in country music. But where Swift is most potent is on the road, performing in packed arena after packed arena. Revenue from six months of touring the United States on the Red Tour tops all fellow money makers with an estimated take of $30 million, according to Billboard Boxscore. The tour also boasted lucrative sponsorships (Keds, Elizabeth Arden, Diet Coke) and a ravaged merch table, which averaged $17 per head.

Joining Taylor in the Top 10 the Money Makers rich list were Kenny Chesney ($32,956,240.70) at #2 and Luke Bryan ($22,142,235.98) at #8

Taylor Swift and her publicist of nearly seven years are parting ways, Billboard has learned. Paula Erickson, whose Nashville-based Erickson Public Relations has handled the singer's press since 2007, informed the Swift management team that she is resigning come mid-March. According to a source, Swift has her sights set on bringing all PR efforts in-house to the management company. Erickson started handling Swift, 24, as the country star's debut album in 2006 was about to cross the million-sales mark and continued on through 2012's Red, which sold 1.2 million in its first week (according to Nielsen SoundScan). A new Swift album is expected in late 2014.

Mary Chapin Carpenter will perform with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA on August 1, 2014.

The show will be conducted by Mary Chapin’s collaborator, six-time Grammy Award winner Vince Mendoza, and will feature special guest Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Joni Mitchell) on drums - Image

Jamie Lynn Spears the 22-year-old actress and “How Could I Want More” country singer and her fiancé James Watson who have been engaged for a year, tied the knot March 14th at a park in New Orleans, according to E! News. Jamie's sister Britney and her boyfriend David Lucado flew from Los Angeles to Louisiana on Thursday (13.03.14) so they could witness the happy pair become husband and wife.

BABY NEWS

• Kelly Lee one half of the hot UK duo Travellin Rose had a baby boy on March 12th. His name is Billy Ray and he was 7lb 1oz.
• Jessie James (Instagram Image) the 25-year-old ‘Wanted’ and ‘Military Man’ songstress country singer and New York Jets famer Erick Decker are officially the proud parents of a baby girl. The first-timers welcomed their new baby, Vivianne Rose Decker, on Tuesday (March 18) at 5:36AM after the singer went into the hospital Monday at 3:30PM, ready to meet her daughter. Vivianne weighed 8 lbs., 2 oz. and measured 20 inches long at birth — and, she came sporting a full head of hair! According to a rep, “Both mom and daughter are doing well,” E! News reports.
• Our Special Gift From Above (written by Rory Feek episode 412 of The Joey+Rory Show)
  
  On Fathers day last June, after eleven years of marriage, my wife Joey and I found out that we were going to have a baby.  We were elated (and nervous, and hopeful, all at the same time).  Soon after, Joey watched a documentary about home-birth and midwives, and was even more excited about the idea of having our baby at home, here in the farmhouse where we live and dream and share our lives….. Read the full article at thislifeilive.com and watch the touching video

MUSIC NEWS

Cheryl Cole is returning to the judges’ table for "The X Factor" U.K.’s 11th season, confirmed Simon Cowell via Twitter on Monday. “It’s official! Cheryl is back,” he tweeted. “Be careful what you wish for.”

The Girls Aloud star was a judge on the U.K. show through 2010 before briefly serving as a judge on the now-canceled U.S. version. Cowell said her return will be an asset in the show’s quest to find a global superstar. “Most importantly, she is a brilliant judge of talent,” he said. Cowell recently announced his return to the show after a three-year absence. The last time Cowell was a judge on the U.K. version, the final episode drew 17.2 million viewers. The most recent season finale reached only 9.11 million viewers. Without Cowell, the ITV show has typically drawn smaller audiences than BBC rival "Strictly Come Dancing," whose U.S. version is "Dancing With the Stars."

SINGLE / ALBUM NEWS

• Terri Clark's PledgeMusic campaign to fund her next studio album with fan contributions surpassed its goal in less than a month (730 pledgers raised 111% of the goal)
• Mary Gauthier the acclaimed singer-songwriter will release Trouble & Love, her first studio album in four years, on June 10th.  Not for the faint of heart, Gauthier’s songs paint a picture of gritty truth, demanding attention and compelling empathy from the listener. On Trouble & Love, Gauthier reflects on the wisdom of human experience, heartbreak, pain, survival and transformation.
• Country/folk duo The Secret Sisters (Laura and Lydia Rogers) released their acclaimed self-titled debut album four years ago. Now the sisters and their fans are ready for new music. Their second album, Put Your Needle Down will be released on April 15th via Republic Records. It was produced by T Bone Burnett, who also helmed their first album, and contains the new single “Rattle My Bones.”..Read More Track listing at American Songwriter
• The Academy of Country Music will release the Official 2014 ACM Awards Zinepak again this year exclusively through Walmart. The collection includes a 120-page magazine featuring this year's nominees along with a 31-song CD sampler including songs from Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and Taylor Swift.
• On Miranda Lambert's forthcoming album ‘Platinum’ in addition to a Carrie Underwood duet there will be a western swing collaboration with the Time Jumpers.
• Rachele Lynae will release her self-titled debut album (produced by Jamie O’Neal) April 22 on the Momentum Label Group.

PRESS RELEASES

• Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, the most awarded band in bluegrass music history, will be hitting the road in the newly wrapped Martha White Bluegrass Express tour bus.  Rhonda, who has served as spokeswoman for the legendary flour company for 13 years, continues her partnership into 2014.
• Jake Owen got members of the music industry community beachin’ with an exclusive sneak peek at his second major headline tour – DAYS OF GOLD TOUR 2014.
• Florida Georgia Line will turn up the heat with their headline run - THIS IS HOW WE ROLL SUMMER SERIES 2014.
• Dolly Parton’s new album Blue Smoke is set to release on May 13, 2014 on Sony Music Masterworks and Dolly Records. Rollingstone.com debut the brand new lyric video for the title track, “Blue Smoke.” View it here.
• Angel Mary lead vocalist and guitarist of country rock trio Angel Mary and the Tennessee Werewolves is the new face of Redneck Riviera, the popular clothing line created by fellow artist John Rich of Big & Rich - Image

ARTICLES

• The Guardian Detwanging country music: how Nashville took the UK Thanks to Taylor Swift, TV show Nashville and Radio 2, country music has never been more popular in Britain. Ahead of this weekend's festival, we don our stetsons for the hoedown....
• GQ Magazine Brown in town: country stars set to storm the O2 …A bona fide country music behemoth arrives in London this week: Zac Brown Band headline the O2 Arena. To check out what British audiences can expect, GQ headed out to Brown's own Southern Ground Festival in Nashville...
• musicradar.com : Brad Paisley talks Telecasters, recording, George Harrison and playing the UK
• CMA Close Up: New Artist Spotlight: North 40
• Billboard: Tracy Lawrence Talks Running a Label, Films Steamy Video for 'Lie' Single
• Music Week.com - Smart phones top device for UK country fans….UK country fans are mainly using smart phones to access music from the genre because of a lack of homegrown radio stations playing it. Research undertaken by the Country Music Association found 77% of followers listened to the music in that way, while 62% did so via a laptop and 57% via radio. Some 400 country fans were questioned for the study, which was presented on Monday (March 17) at the CMA’s International Marketing Summit at the British Music Experience within the O2 in London. Around one-third (32%) had purchased a country CD in the last year, 31% had downloaded music, 18% attended a concert and 35% viewed videos....... There was also evidence of UK fans accessing country music stations in the US to hear the music. This appears to reflect little support for country music on the main UK stations, outside BBC Radio 2, which regularly playlists country acts and has a weekly specialist show hosted by Bob Harris.
• The Daily Beast Music Criticism Has Gone to Hell…But something comparable is happening in the field of music journalism. One can read through a stack of music magazines and never find any in-depth discussion of music. Technical knowledge of the art form has disappeared from its discourse. In short, music criticism has turned into lifestyle reporting….

REVIEWS

For The Country Record Sara Evans - Slow Me Down (Album Review)....it didn’t stop me from being ultimately surprised when I listened to ‘Slow Me Down’ in its entirety and felt the full force of her pop sound; I guess I just simply wasn’t aware that she was so far across the crossover spectrum these days.....If you thought Sara belonged in country pop, well you were wrong. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter how commercial you push your sound, if you’re country, you’re country, and that’ll never go away. Although pop isn’t really my thing, lots of these songs are growers, and once I got over the fact that much of it wasn’t trying to be country in any way, I began to like it a lot more. Sara is of course at home in her country roots and I desperately wish she would return to those more often… Read More

Alan Cackett Review Don Williams - Reflections (4 STARS)

Alan Cackett Carlene Carter - Carter Girl (4.5 STARS)

INTERVIEWS

The Daily Beast The Inside Story of Johnny Cash’s Legendary Lost LP, ‘Out Among the Stars’…..Out Among the Stars isn’t a bottom-of-the-barrel hodgepodge assembled by Cash’s heirs to keep the family coffers full—it’s an ‘endeavor of the heart’ by Cash’s son. Most “new” albums released after a musician’s death aren’t really new at all. Instead they tend to be leftovers—the live tracks, B-sides, and outtakes that the artist didn’t see fit to release in his or her lifetime. But the new Johnny Cash album, Out Among the Stars, is different……

Ward Thomas

Ward Thomas exclusive interview...Twins from Hampshire with their heads firmly planted in Nashville, Ward Thomas are a duo like no other who are hoping to take the world by storm with their country twang. 

Recently touring the UK, they're soon to be heading to America to garner a whole host of new fans, but they managed to take some time out to speak to Female First about working together as siblings, what it is about the country genre that they love, and a whole lot more.

On March 13th duo Ward Thomas spoke with Andy Vale (photo)on the Local Showcase on Eagle 3 (96.4 Eagle Radio is Surrey & Hampshire's most listened to Commercial Radio Station based at Dolphin House, North Street, Guildford) a programme which showcases the best in local, unsigned talent. Listen back from 40 minutes mixcloud.com

CMC Interview: Morgan Evans....If you survey the current Australian country music scene there are only a handful of acts that truly have the potential to be the next Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert or Lady A. Morgan Evans is one of them.

LISTEN

First Listen: Don Williams’ New Album, “Reflections” - Country Weekly

Exclusive First Listen: Jo Dee Messina’s New Album, “Me” Country Weekly

SPOTIFY COUNTRY

For users of this online music streaming service here are some of the more recent additions and recommendations.

When it’s free and easy on Spotify who needs music piracy?

Sara Evans – Slow Me Down - Released March 11, 2014

Hannah & Maggie – In the Company of Strangers - 13 tracks, out Feb 25

Don Williams – Reflections - 10 tracks out March 11, 2014

Kevin Fowler – How Country Are Ya? - 15 tracks out March 4, 2014

Chris Janson – Take It to the Bank (EP) - 5 Tracks EP out Feb 25th

Dallas Smith – Tippin' Point - 6 Track EP out March 4th

Stephanie Manns – Sweethearts and Angels – EP debut

FREE DOWNLOADS

Sony Nashville UK Sampler 11 Free track Sampler (260kbps - 280kbps MP3's) play Chris Young, Love and Theft, Pistol Annies, The Henningsens, Jake Owen, Leah Turner, Sara Evans etc "in the cloud" or Download to your PC - Amazon UK

WATCH

For those who missed the exclusive Johnny Cash play of the video >> She Used To Love Me A Lot on Saturday 15th March at the C2C Festival in London's O2 Arena the brand new video taken from the upcoming lost album from has arrived.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker John Hillcoat, the four minute video provides an undaunted look at the themes which inspired Cash throughout his career and brings the haunting lyrics of the song to life. Out Among The Stars is released later this month on 31st March and is available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk and UK iTunes now. Can’t wait? Stream the WHOLE album on Amazon.com

In Ashton Lane’s Tuesday Kitchen Sessions:

a) They covered The Ballad Of Ruby Bridges, a song by a their good friend Ian White. The track available on Amazon UK from the album Move That Foot first released 22nd Jun 2006.

b) They cover Ellie Goulding's >> "How Long Will I Love You". It was the official song for BBC Children In Need 2013 appeal and reached #3 on the Official UK Top 40 Chart for the week November 23, 2013.

>> Trailer Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, featuring Edie Brickell, will release their first ever live concert CD/DVD package capturing their extraordinary performance at the historic Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside California last fall  (2-Disc set) Live in 2014. A first class night of comedy & music recorded by PBS on CD & DVD [NTSC Format] Amazon UK

PHOTO

Reba McEntire - The plane crash March 16, 1991 took the lives of my friends. They will never be forgotten - Image

BIRTHDAYS

March 17: Paul Overstreet (1955)

March 18: Charley Pride (1938), Phillip Sweet (Little Big Town) (1974)

March 21: James House (1955)
March 23:  George Fox (1960), Louise Morrissey (1961)