Country Bites News snippets
May 5 – May 11, 2014
SOURCES / LINKS shown in RED
UK & IRISH
News
UK Tour dates for Darius
Rucker went on sale to O2 priority customers for Manchester Ritz,
O2 ABC Glasgow, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on Weds 14 May (General sale starts
Friday 09:00 May - Ticketmaster UK
Darius Rucker is
teaming up with Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates fame for a new installment of the
series Live from Daryl's House. The episode premieres Thursday on Palladia and
May 24 on VH1.com.
New dates added
for Julie Fowlis, John Fullbright, First Aid Kit, James House, Grand Union
Promotions and Jerry Kilgore to the Tour Dates Page. More details below.
The Haley Sisters have a charity gig at Calverley Conservative club,
Victoria Street, Leeds, LS28 5PT on Saturday 17th May. They will be sharing the
stage with middle of the road duo Bryan & Jeremy, plus blues singer Chris Smith.
Show starts 8pm. It will be FREE ENTRY. All monies raised will be going to
Wheatfields which is a Sue Ryder hospice in Leeds.
Grand Union
Promotions have announced the Grand Union Songwriters Series
which will take place this October.
Featuring the
stunning and gorgeous >> "Kickin’
and Screamin’" Garland, TX native SaraBeth (debut album Anything Is Possible, was produced by
Lonestar’s Dean Samms) who is joined by fellow Nashville artist Glen Mitchell, a British born
singer/songwriter/guitarist award-winning musician. They will be joined by
special UK Songwriters at each venue.
Saturday, 25 Oct
2014 (Culpepper Club, Basildon), Tuesday, 28 Oct 2014 (Robin 2, Wolverhampton), Thursday, 30 Oct 2014 ( Grand Old Opry,
Glasgow) and Saturday, 01 Nov 2014 (Fort San Antone, Preston). Booking on See Tickets.com
Charlie Roth, who blends Americana, Folk, Blues, Country and
Celtic music is to return for a 3rd European tour and is set to headline
the Americana Cavalcade in Scotland with his band of choice. He starts off on
Sunday 1 June 2014 (Settle Victoria Hall, Kirkgate, Settle, North Yorkshire)
and ends on Sunday 22 June at the Grimsby Folk Club (The Spider’s Web, Carr
Lane, Grimsby, N.E Lincs DN32 8LN). “Story telling of the highest order,
Charlie Roth is a name to remember” - Ralph McLean BBC Radio Ulster
First Aid Kit have announced their most ambitious UK tour
to date in September, calling at Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester, Bristol and
rounded out off with an appearance at the hallowed environs of the Royal Albert
Hall on 24 September. This follows the sold out show taking place Thursday 15
May at the Islington Assembly Hall. The band also have main stage UK festival
dates at Latitude and Green Man Festivals - Tickets available on Ticketmaster UK
The sensational
line up for the SummerTyne
Americana Festival 2014 promises a sizzling gumbo of American roots
music.
Taking to the
stage at Sage Gateshead between 18th and 20th July will be a host of Americana
legends as well as a plethora of newer breakthrough acts. The Sage announced
that headliners include The Jayhawks, Booker T. Jones, Bettye Lavette, Steven
Seagal Blues Band, Earl Thomas, Chuck Prophet and the SummerTyne Strings
Orchestra and John Fullbright. Back for 2014 will be one of the most popular
features of the SummerTyne Americana Festival, the free outdoor stage.
Audiences can sit back on the south bank of the Tyne and enjoy the best in
country, blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll.
The Shires will play Jimmy's Farm Festival (Pannington Hall
Lane, IP9 2AR Ipswich, Suffolk) on the Main Stage 5.40pm on Sunday 27th July
2014. Grammy Award winning Kacey
Musgraves and The Shires are on the line up for the Cornbury Festival 4th - 6th July
2014- Graphic
2Country Radio Presents - James
House, Gary Quinn, The Shires, Luke & Mel 21 July 2014 London at The
Troubadour Club
A Nashville style songwriter
evening with Grammy & CMA Nominee, James House, BCMA song of the year
winner, Gary Quinn and BCMA Horizon Act of the year, Luke & Mel - Details
Kelly Lee has added a few date Sunday 15th June 2014 at The Cricklade Festival
in Wiltshire.
CMR Nashville have a Revised Graphic Poster for their show in
Nashville on Sat June 7th.
The Phil Mack Show - Irish Tour in Detail All the venues and Artists
Phil Mack International Country Show have announced they are producing a NEW
Country Music Show called Keep It Country Music (Graphic) for those who like American
Country Music with all the greats. It begins its first series on Thursday 5th
June at 9pm on Sky 192 and Freesat 402. The show has its own Facebook Page. The show states "We
will be bringing you the Best country Artists in the world EVERY WEEK so let us
know who your favourites are Old & New. We are pleased to have the support
of some of the Major Record Companies on the Planet." Fans are so far
requesting Jim Reeves, Slim Whitman, Hank Snow, Don Gibson, Don Williams, Glen
Campbell, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Irish Country artists The Murphys Country
Band. Their first show will include: Kenny Chesney, Sarah Darling, Sugarland,
Johnny Cash, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Julie Roberts, Waylon Jennings, Chelsea
Bain, Little Big Town, Glen Campbell, Martina Mcbride, Sheryl Crow, Kris
Kristoffereson and Carrie Underwood.
Danni Nicholls is sort of still in shock from how wonderful her
Spring Tour turned out to be. Starting in Kirton Lindsey, Lincs in February and
ending in Aberdeen in April with so many wonderful experiences in between!
Check out the photos in her April Newsletter Performing
>> 'Between
the River and the Railway' from her album 'A Little
Redemption' at Little Rabbit Barn on Saturday 19th April 2014.
Miranda Lambert with "Automatic" was added to the BBC Radio 2 "B" playlist for the week commencing Saturday 10th May 2014. the UK country duo The Shires with “Nashville Grey Skies” were upgraded to the “A” Playlist as the single went Top 10 on UK iTunes Country Chart. The single was released by Decca on April 4th on iTunes. Please support the single in the hope it can make the Official UK Top 100 Single chart.
"Our boss
here loves this, it’s the Shires, Nashville Grey Skies on Radio 2" Steve Wright 08/05/2014 - BBC Playlist
"Lot of talk
about that band....do we like The Shires? Chris
Evans 09/05/2014 BBC
Playlist
"This is
awesome, this is The Shires..they sound fantastic, the new song is called
Nashville Grey Skies, love it" - Richard
Allinson 10/05/2014 - BBC
Playlist
Our
new Wikipedia page created by @CRoutesNews. Crazily
accurate, thank you so much for doing this for -us! Facebook -
The Shires
Worried traditional country is dead? "If that's what the young kids are singin' there still hope" - Brendan MacFarlane, 16 years old, who hails from Perth, Scotland has become a "YouTube sensation" after taking to the stage with Vince Gill, Dawn Sears and the Time Jumpers.
The
>> performance
took place Monday (May 5) at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley, and MacFarlane
appeared calm and confident, like an old-timer. He sang Hank Williams‘ ‘I’m So
Lonesome I Could Cry’ and the Gill as well as a few of the Time Jumpers jumped
in and accompanied MacFarlane, who was playing the acoustic guitar. According
to his website he also performed it at his grandmother’s funeral in 2010. Over
the last couple of years Brendan has been playing in music venues and at
festivals around Perthshire, Scotland.
He has played to audiences ranging from 15 people in a small pub to 700 people at festivals. But, no matter the audience, he always leaves the crowd shouting for more.
He has played to audiences ranging from 15 people in a small pub to 700 people at festivals. But, no matter the audience, he always leaves the crowd shouting for more.
On May 10th PLA Media
announced in a Press Release he is now an addition to
their Award Winning Roster
Here in this
>> Facebook video he is recently seen enjoying
a Sunday in Nashville playing with the talented Jake Clayton (as seen on The
Phil Mack Show) with a sample from a song Brendan is working on called “Love
Like Mine”
At an early age
Brendan became a musical sponge, and quickly developed an affinity for many
genres, choosing to incorporate elements of country, gospel and bluegrass into
first album - Brendan
Macfarlane Shop
When he was 10, he
urged his father to let him go into the studio to record, and ultimately, to
create music videos that were subsequently posted on YouTube including >>
“I Got A Woman,” (when aged 12) “Bring It On
Home To Me” and “Lost on the River". With a current location in Nashville
on his Facebook Page (Over 46,000 Likes) he shares: “I’ve sung a lot of different styles of music but I’ve always been more
comfortable singing this rootsier stuff, the gospel and bluegrass—a very
American style which originally came from Scotland. I’m learning my way around
the keyboards, but at heart I’m a singer and guitarist and I really just love
playing my music for people”.
CONNECT with Brendan:
UK CHART NEWS
Official UK Top
100 Singles Chart (Week
Ending May 17, 2014)
Official UK Top
100 Album Chart (Week
Ending May 17, 2014)
Johnny Cash with OUT AMONG THE STARS (Columbia) fell
21-42 in its 6th week with sales around 2,200 copies and an estimated new tally
of 47,200.
Official UK
Country Album Chart (Week
Ending May 17, 2014)
Johnny Cash with OUT
AMONG THE STARS (Columbia) stays at No.1 for a sixth week
Lady Antebellum’s juggernaut NEED
YOU NOW moved 4-2 in its 128th charting week
Rosanne Cash with THE RIVER & THE THREAD held at No.3
in her 13th week.
The Secret
Sisters with PUT YOUR NEEDLE DOWN
(Decca) made a one place climb 14-13 in their second week (The album gets a
Digital release on May 26th – UK iTunes pre-order).
On the Hotdisc Chart (May 11, 2014 Chart)
With the new tracks impacting the chart from the
latest Hotdisc #185 May 2014 promo
disc (Rush Released) meant it was all change on the chart.
David Frizzell
& Shelly West with the
re-issued "You're The Reason God
Made Oklahoma" (Collins/ Pinkard) crashed in at No.1 on the Hotdisc Top 40 and according to Hotdisc CEO Stuart
Cameron it is “sounding as good today as it ever sounded when first recorded
many years ago”.
It seems that the traditionally slanted DJ’s across Europe
agree sending it spinning to the summit of the Top 40 instantly. The reason for
the re-issue is that Morello Records have just released three more double
albums - one by David Frizzell (Two
classics on 1, released March 17, 2014; The Familys Fine, But This Ones All
Mine / On My Own Again – Amazon UK), one by Shelly West (2 on 1; West By West / Red Hot – Amazon UK) and another by Frizzell and West together (titled
Carryin’ On The Family Names/ The David Frizzell & Shelly West Album (Amazon UK). All 3 sets were released on
March 17, 2014.
The "You're The Reason” duet appeared in the film
"Any Which Way You Can" which starred Clint Eastwood and was the
follow up to "Every Which Way But Loose." This is its first outing on
CD and the song still resonates with DJs who have
David Frizzell's "Where
Are You Spending Your Nights These Days" (which was also on Warner
Brothers back in the 1980s, reaching #10 in 1983 on Billboard Hot Country Songs)
gets a Hotdisc re-release too and made a bow at No.15.
Ray Scott with "Gotta Quit Drinkin'" was a
non-mover at No.2
Jamie O'Neal with the 3-week
No.1 "The Sweetest Thing"
slipped back to 1-3.
The Hayley Oliver Band with “Bright
Side Of Life” fell back 3-4 and held onto the No1 on the British and Irish Hotdisc chart listing for a fifth straight week.
The album ABINGER GROVE, from which the track was taken, has sadly seen little
in the way of retail impact and commercial success since its June 6, 2013 release
(Current Amazon UK rank #94,435 in MP3 Albums). On
the British chart George Inglis returned with the highest new entry
at No.3 (No.16 Hotdisc Top 40) with his self penned "A
Horse Called Bob" taken from this CD titled ANTHOLOGY (GI Records)
released in 2013 currently with an Amazon UK ranking of #111,472 in MP3 Albums.
The second highest new entry on the British standings
came from CMA Festival bound Sam Hollyman with “One Minute More” co-written with Justin Johnson, at No.5 (No.26
Hotdisc top 40). The track comes from his 10 track 2014 album titled THE RED REEL SESSIONS (KEMC).
Other higher entries on the main Hotdsc Top 40:
Bertie Higgins with his countrified "Key Largo" (co-written with Sonny
Limbo) made a debut at No.9.
Other USA acts included Allan Craig Miller with "Cornfields" Rodney Dale Clawson/
Billy Montana/ Chris Tompkins) at #10, Danny Griego with “The Coast Is Clear” (writers Scotty Emerick / Red Lane) at
#12, Leah Seawright’s “Country Girl 101”
(co-written with Frank Green) at #13 and Nashville singer-songwriter Shantell Ogden
with her excellent softly ballad “Love
Shouldn’t Hurt” landed at #19.
Just outside the top 20 tier was James House with “Every Time It Rains” (co-written with
Michael Bradford) from his album BROKEN GLASS TWISTED STEEL which was
released March 27, 2014 which he will be promoting on his UK tour.
UK COUNTRY
ALBUM RELEASES
One that got away (20 Jan 2014) Baskery - Little Wild Life (Mother Tarantula) 11 Tracks / Time: 41:54
One that got away (20 Jan 2014) Baskery - Little Wild Life (Mother Tarantula) 11 Tracks / Time: 41:54
Little Wild Life was recorded in an old dance studio
in Berlin, Germany. During the ten days of recording the three sisters of
Baskery worked with Long Beach based producer Matt Wignall (Mando Diao, Cold
War Kids, J.Roddy) to create an album laced in analogue atmosphere, backed up
by big room vibes and accompanied by their common musical heroes, spontaneity
and a never-fading love for groove.
(12 May 2014) Nashville:
On The Record - Nashville Cast
(12 May 2014) Mindy
Miller - Let It Burn (Margdon Records Inc.)
10 Tracks/ Time: 35:38 UK iTunes - Amazon.com - Cover Art
(13 May 2014) Radney
Foster - Everything I Should Have Said (Devil's River Records)
12 Tracks/ Time: 45:12 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com
(13 May 2014) Rascal
Flatts - Rewind (Big Machine Records)
CD
- UK iTunes (May 19) - Smart Choice Music (Deluxe) Amazon.com -
(13 May 2014) Dolly
Parton – Blue Smoke (IMPORT)
CD -
Smart Choice Music - (Deluxe Edition) Amazon.com
(13 May 2014) Carrie
Elkin & Danny Schmidt – For Keeps (Red House)
10 Tracks / Time: 36:56 MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
(28 Feb 2014) Artie
Rodriguez - I’ll Give You Something to Drink About
Genre: Country: Honky Tonk 14 Tracks/ Time: 51:49 CD - MP3 - CD BABY - Amazon.com
Current Rank #133,313 Paid in Amazon/com MP3 Albums #60,942
in MP3 Albums Amazon UK. >>Listen to "I'll Take Texas" that says it all (and a nice shot
of the CMP cover too).
Check out the title cut, this is the music Country
Music People are hoping they can can turn you onto:
Artie recently performed on the Shotgun Red Show in
Nashville, Tennessee at the Texas Troubadour Theater. His performance was
televised to over 2 million viewers on RFD-TV.
(6 May 2014) Nikki
Lane - All Or Nothin (New West Records) [Import] Alternative Rock/Country
12 Tracks/ Time:
42:35 CD - Amazon.com >> "Man Up" Nikki Lane Live in Nashville -
"Nikki Lane breaks stereotypes on her Dan
Auerbach-produced second album All Or Nothin'" - Rolling Stone
Nikki Lane is a Nashville-based South Carolina-bred
songstress that as Garden and Gun exclaims "turns the vulnerable
singer-songwriter stereotype on its ears." (5 RATE) - Twang Nation.com
BLUEGRASS NEWS
Trinity River Band will kick off the Missouri leg of their
busy 2014 tour this Wednesday, May 14 at 3:00 pm on the popular K Kountry95
Radio’s “Redbone Show” (KAMS 95.1) reaching a large audience in the areas of
Thayer, MO, Mammoth Springs, AR, plus streaming online for listeners
worldwide....Read More
AUSSIE NEWS
- Adam Eckersley has proved that he's not just a local
favourite but also a global star, after winning the country category of
the International
Songwriting Competition for his song >> 'Give Her The World'. The International
Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual song contest that gives artists
across the world to have their music internationally recognized and heard.
Eckersley co-wrote the song with Nashville-based songwriters Jason Reeves
and Danelle Joy Leverett. Past Aussie ISC winners include Gotye, Kasey
Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, and The Living End.
- Martin Erdman, renowned Australian record producer
has died
at the age of 77. Martin started his career in Sydney in the
mid 1950s in his parents record store in Rose Bay. He built his first
studio at the back of the shop. He is best known as in-house producer for
Festival Records from the 1970s. He produced the first Australian single
to sell a million copies in the US with Sister Janet Mead's (a Roman Catholic
nun) "rocked-up" The Lord's Prayer. The surprise hit reached #3
on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) in 1974 and #4 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in that same year.
- On the Country
Tracks Top 30 (Australia's leading chart) May 17th saw Roo Arcus with "Out On The
Farm" moved 4-1 to top the chart. Last weeks #1 Christie Lamb with
"All She Wrote" (2-weeks No1) slipped 1-2. Zac Brown Band's “Sweet Annie” moved 5-3. The McClymonts with Going Under (Didn't Have To) made a 10-6
hop as Kristy Cox's "One Heartbreak Away" reached
a new peak with a 9-7 jump.
- A new
video for Jasmine Rae with
special guest Kellie Pickler will be published soon for >> 'Bad Boys Get Me Good' (Preview)
- The McClymonts are back. Brooke, Sam and Mollie
return with their fourth album HERE’S TO YOU & I due out July 4th (Product Detail). Once again, it’s
filled with heartfelt stories, irresistible tunes and that unmistakable
honesty. The lead single, “Going Under (Didn’t Have To)” reached #1 on
both the Country Music Channel & The Music Network Official Country
Airplay Chart. It’s the first album they have recorded in Australia, and
they worked with Australian producer Lindsay Rimes, who has produced
albums for Tina Arena, Lee Kernaghan and Stan Walker - Artwork
CANADIAN NEWS
The Road Hammers the JUNO and CCMA Award-winning Canadian
Country group, will release their first studio album in over five years on June
3rd, via Open Road Recordings / Universal Music Canada. WHEELS, the highly anticipated
third album, marks the trio's return to the Country radio airwaves and includes
the hit singles 'Get On Down The Road' and >> “Mud”
Co-produced by Scott Baggett (Alison Krauss, Buddy
Guy, Bonnie Raitt) and vocalist Jason McCoy, Wheels is a tribute to the band's
love of the road. Through a mix of blazing originals and unique covers, this
theme is reflected through all 11 selected tracks - including, most notably,
Steve Earle's 'Hillbilly Highway' (featuring Colt Ford) and Geoff Mack's classic
'I've Been Everywhere.'…Read More +
Tracklisting
Terri Clark's new single, "Some Songs" (Universal Canada)
will release the song on May 26th, with a
new album to follow, produced by Michael Knox, in the Autumn - Cover Art
Brea Lawrenson is a Canadian country singer/songwriter
whose collection of songs reflects her own personal experiences and
aspirations. Her musical career has taken her across Canada, to the US and to
London, UK. She frequently travels to Nashville, TN to write and record. She is
currently working on her first full length album being produced and recorded in
Nashville at Beaird Studios and she was recently chosen as one of the Top 8
Finalists for the Emerging Artist Showcase presented by SiriusXM Canada at this
year’s Boots & Hearts Music Festival.
Listen to her latest single >> "Bottom Of The Bottle" available on UK iTunes, iTunes Canada and CD BABY
Top Albums in Canada for week May 4, 2014 (Population 2014
estimate 35.3 million)
#11 Luke Bryan - Crash My Party Sales 1,876 (Total Sales 122,538)
#24 Florida Georgia Line - Here's To The Good Times Sales 1,228
(Total Sales 104,315)
#31 Johnny Cash - Out Among The Stars Sales 1,053 (Total Sales 21,349)
#42 Eric Church - Outsiders Sales 874 (Total
Sales 36,236; 17,589 (debut)
#81 Blake Shelton - Based On A True Story Sales 490 (Total Sales 70,280)
#95 Luke Bryan - Spring Break 6 Sales 444 (Total Sales 16,451)
#120 Dan + Shay - Where It All Began Sales 344 (Total
Sales 3,692)
#121 Cole Swindell - Cole Swindell Sales 341 (Total
Sales 9,001)
#136 Dierks Bentley – Riser Sales 306 (Total Sales 9,229)
#168 Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park
Sales 254 (Total Sales 25,451)
#169 Nashville Cast - Nashville: On The Record Sales 252 (Total Sales 974 – 2 weeks)
#171 Dallas Smith - Tippin Point Sales 251 (Total Sales 6,308)
#182 Jason Aldean - Night Train Sales 236 (Total Sales
81,023)
#197 Jerrod Niemann - High Noon Sales 214 (Total Sales
2,578)
Note: Taylor Swift’s RED has sold 310,984 copies in Canda.
NEWS
Snapshot Country Aircheck's Insider Artist News - May 9, 2014 - May 13, 2014
Bigger Picture
Group (founded by Keith
Stegall), the label home of Craig Campbell, has officially closed their doors.
The record label is closing while Campbell continues to climb the charts with
his current single. Bigger Picture’s artist roster also includes: Ryan Kinder,
Blackjack Billy, Rachel Bradshaw, Smithfield, Chelsea Bain and Chris Janson.
Actress turned singer Lucy Hale was also signed to the label but in a joint
venture that also included DMG Nashville. The label got its start when they
began promoting the Zac Brown Band in 2008. The band and Bigger Picture have
since split ways.
Police in Raleigh, N.C. made an arrest in connection with the home
invasion robbery of Scotty McCreery
and several friends.
Mikkail Jamal Shaw of Raleigh turned himself in to
police on Tuesday night May 6th and police charged him with robbery with a
dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon on
Wednesday morning. WRAL-TV reports his bond was set at $375,000. Authorities
continue to search for the other two suspects. The stolen goods included over
$1,600 worth of electronics and cash, like McCreery’s iPhone and a $1,200
laptop belonging to a friend.
According to The Village Voice who publicised the bus' sale, the tourer is "an eco-friendly seven miles per gallon when the generator is running. It's got crushed velvet curtains, and just a guess here, a few dozen places to hide your weed." It's one of a pair of custom-made vehicles used by Willie and is being sold by a man who bought it a few years back and sold again over the weekend for at least US$65,000.
Natalie Stovall and The Drive made their Grand Ole Opry debut
on Tuesday, May 6th. The dream come true for the band has the rare distinction
of making a debut both as a solo artist and a band as Natalie graced the stage
for the first time in the Spring of 1995 at the age of 12. The critically
acclaimed band’s debut album, produced by GRAMMY winner Paul Worley (The Band
Perry, Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum), is expected this fall on HitShop
Records.
In January of 2013, Taylor Swift signed on to be the “Brand Ambassador” of the
Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s Diet Coke brand—the type of endorsement you see
from many big-level country and pop stars. Shortly thereafter the starlet
started appearing in ads for the cola, most notably a recent television
commercial tied to the marketing slogan “You’re On”. The commercial culminated
in a shot of Taylor Swift in her dressing room right before going on stage
drinking a Diet Coke. But unfortunately for both Taylor Swift and Diet Coke,
when they tried to translate their “You’re On” slogan to the print world, many
people began to draw parallels between Coke, and the cola’s cocaine-laced past.
According to the New York Times, the “You’re On” ad campaign has received
so much flack, was mocked in social media, it is being pulled and replaced by a
“Just for the taste of it” alternative—the same ad slogan that helped launch
the Diet Coke brand in 1983.
Hunter Hayes set the Guinness World Record for the most shows in multiple cities in a day
during Friday's 24-Hour Road Race to End Childhood Hunger (5/9). Hayes opened
on ABC's Good Morning America in Times Square, then began a series of nine more
stops that ended in >> Philadelphia.
Rollingstone Magazine rode along for the 9 show ride.
Glen Campbell’s Alzheimer’s disease has advanced to a
point that it prevents him from being able to tune a guitar, much less perform,
says his wife, Kim Woolen, 55. Woolen spoke to People magazine at the Open
Hearts Foundation’s 4th Annual Gala in Malibu on Saturday and said she didn’t
think the “Rhinestone Cowboy” singer would ever be able to play for an audience
again. Campbell now lives in a memory-care facility near the family’s
home in Nashville....Read More
TOURS
Miranda Lambert will launch her PLATINUM TOUR July 10 in Ft.
Loramie, OH in support of her new album, also titled Platinum, due out June 3.
COUNTRY AWARDS
Americana Honors
& Awards 2014 Nominees
Announced: Nominations-wise, it was a big
day for two younger stars of the format -- Robert
Ellis and Jason Isbell (formerly
of the Drive-By Truckers) -- as well as for veteran performer Rosanne Cash. Each received a trio of
nods on the afternoon, with all three vying for Album Of The Year and Artist Of
The Year. The final nominee in the latter category is Rodney Crowell, who was
Cash’s husband from 1979-1992.
The Americana Honors & Awards, presented by
Nissan, return to the historically cool Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN on
September 17, 2014 (as part of the Americana Music Festival - September 17-21,
2014 at venues throughout Music City).
Read the Press Release for a full list on the 2014
Nominees
TV
"Nashies" can breathe a sigh of relief. ABC's
"Nashville" has been renewed. The news was announced by Ben Sherwood, co-president
of Disney ABC Television Group, at 11:36 p.m. CT.
"American Idol" to Air Only One Night a Week
Next Year: It's no secret that American Idol isn't the ratings juggernaut it
once was, which is why next season, FOX is reportedly cutting back the number
of hours it devotes to the show.According to the Hollywood Reporter, FOX
Broadcasting chairman Kevin Reilly announced that next season, American Idol
will only air for 37 hours total, compared to the 50-plus hours it has aired in
the past. As for the show's judges, sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that
the current lineup of Harry Connick Jr., Keith
Urban and Jennifer Lopez is likely to return for American Idol season 14.
The show’s annual tour has downsized this year, opting
for theaters instead of arenas in several markets. No Nashville stop is on the
tour schedule. Last week, American Idol‘s ratings hit an all-time low of 7
million viewers. The reality music competition will again hold auditions in
Nashville for its 14th season. This year, auditions will take place at
Nashville Municipal Auditorium on July 30th.
BABY NEWS
Zac Brown Band frontman Zac Brown and his his wife Shelly
are parents for the fifth time after the arrival of their first son,
Alexander Frost Brown. The baby made his entrance into the world on Monday (May
5) and he certainly was a big boy. He weighed a whopping 11 pounds, 7 ounces. Brown explained that the couple’s planned
homebirth had to be transferred to a medical center for precautionary reasons.
Alexander was welcomed by his four sisters, Justice (7), Lucy (6), Georgia (4)
and Joni (3). However, he will definitely be the only boy; Brown, who is one of
twelve siblings, admits that he’s done having kids and is more than ready to go
under the knife. “I’m ready, I’ll go under the knife whenever the time will
allow now,” he testifies.
Zac & Shelly Brown are pleased to announce the arrival of Alexander Frost Brown! Born May 5, 2014. pic.twitter.com/dCIl4dKuRg
— Zac Brown Band (@zacbrownband) May 8, 2014
MUSIC NEWS
Metal band Metallica
has been confirmed as the final headliners (Pyramid Stage) of music festival Glastonbury,
ending months of speculation. It will be the first time the veteran US band has
ever played at Glastonbury and the first time a heavy metal band has ever
headlined the event. Other confirmed acts include Dolly Parton, Elbow, Lily Allen, Ed Sheeran, The Black Keys,
Massive Attack and Bryan Ferry. An estimated 135,000 people are expected at the
event in Somerset on 27-29 June.
What Would Daddy Say! - Miley
Cyrus rejected claims she
took a drug overdose, as her UK tour got off to a provocative and
controversial start.
The Wrecking Ball singer boasted about her fine
physical health after a sinus infection and an allergic reaction to an
antibiotic forced her to cancel shows in the US. At an energetic press
conference before the first show at The
O2 in London, the 21-year-old said she was "the poster child for good
health" and promised to "f*** this place up". Cyrus set the tone
for her show when she arrived on stage by descending down a long, pink slide
resembling her tongue Image, which was protruding from a giant
image of her face. Hello, mother f*****s! I'm not going down without a mother
f*****g fight!" she yelled, wearing a silver one-piece with a stick-on
pair of lips. Cyrus, who went sightseeing before the concert, then launched
into the tour's opening song, SMS (Bangerz), accompanied by a pantomime horse,
a dwarf and a troupe of dancers.
Many in the predominantly young crowd mouthed along to
her songs but some parents were left unimpressed with Cyrus' antics.
She slapped herself in an intimate area (image - Image - Image), simulated foreplay on a bed with a
dancer and showered fans in the first few rows with gargled water.
Cyrus also reportedly discussed drugs during the show.
A father who went with his 15-year-old son said: "It would be different if
it was a good show. But it's not even a good show." "She's lost the
plot," another said.
Last weekend in London, Miley Cyrus (fully recovered
from the “severe allergic reaction to antibiotics”) rode (among other things) a
giant inflatable penis onstage at the nightclub Heaven’s G-A-Y Image There to celebrate a friend’s
birthday. According to MTV News, as part of a toast she spouted
this into the mic: “Everyone’s a little bit gay. Some of us just a little bit
more than others.” She also insinuated that if your intended partner doesn’t
want to get down — gay or otherwise — to “sprinkle something in their drink”.
There was No word on who the “particularly one” comment was directed at later
in a >> rant,
when Miley singles out one particular suitor who “broke [her] heart.”
The 2014 Radio
Academy Awards Ceremony
was held on Monday 12th May at London's Grosvenor House and hosted by Chris
Evans. The Winners recognising the best of the best in the UK Radio Industry
and celebrating outstanding achievement. Read the press
release for a full listing of nominees and winners. To see a
full list of all this year's WINNERS, Click
Here
The Winners 2014 > Best Specialist Music Programme
Station of the Year (Under 1 Million) was BBC Tees, Station of the Year (1 Million plus)
was BBC Radio Ulster and UK Station of
the Year was BBC Radio 2.
What the Judges
said: "Radio 2 is a station which is setting the standard in terms of
growth and creative excellence. From breakfast to overnight, from daytime to
specialist, it has an editorial range and depth which is remarkable, and a
reach which is unsurpassed. In short, this is a national radio station which
is, quite simply, at the top of its game."
SINGLE / ALBUM
NEWS
(PRNewswire) SONY/Legacy Recordings is proud to
announce the release of BAND OF BROTHERS, the new Willie Nelson studio album premiering 14 performances including
nine brand-new songs composed by America’s quintessential pop/country
songwriter. Willie Nelson’s Band of
Brothers will be available Tuesday, June 17. Band of Brothers is the artist’s
first album of predominately new original material in nearly two decades,
debuting the master tunesmith’s first major batch of newly-penned songs since
his Spirit album in 1996. ”I got on kind of a writing kick,” Willie Nelson said
recently, ”it’s good to be writing again.”
All 14 tracks on Band of Brothers are new recordings
and none of the songs have been previously recorded by Willie Nelson - Read More + Tracklisting + Watch Willie
Nelson's Career-Spanning 'The Wall' Video - Premiere on Rollingstone. The 81-year-old
singer apologizes for lashing out at friends and "taking things" to
deal with stress in new song
Meghan Linsey, the former Steel Magnolia member is
recording a new EP and YES YOU'VE GUESSED IT, she is looking to fans to help
fund it! 11% of the Goal reached with 55 days left on her Pledge Music Campaign.
JLS releases an EP: That's Jamie Lynn Spears who is ready to get this dang show on the road
with the announcement of her debut EP, THE JOURNEY which boasts five tracks all co-written
by Spears, and includes her current single "How Could I Want More”. The EP
is set to release May 27th. The EP, produced by Corey Crowder, features some of
country music's best songwriters including Liz Rose (Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw,
Eli Young Band), Chris Tompkins (Florida Georgia Line, Martina McBride, Carrie
Underwood), Tyler Hayes (Gloriana), Rivers Rutherford (Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill,
Brad Paisley) and Lisa Carver (Reba McEntire, Sugarland). See more at: nashvillegab
Demun Jones the Georgia
native and former member of the chart-topping duo, Rehab, is set to release his first solo album
entitled "JONES
COUNTY" on June 10, 2014. Released by Average Joes
Entertainment, the album is now available for pre-order on US iTunes. Pre-order the album and
instantly receive his new single, "Tannerite," the video for which is
set to be released soon, along with two other tracks, "Country Fried"
and "White Trashed & Redneck'ed."
"Jones County," named after the Georgia
county from which Jones hails, not only illustrates his evolution as an artist
by infusing his country inspired lyrics with hip-hop grooves, but reveals a bit
of his personal growth, as well.
Listen to single >> "Country Fried" (Track 2) Watch the
official video (191,679 views) for >> "The
Muddy Muddy" (Track 5) which appeared on Mud Digger 4 (Average
Joes Entertainment ) compilation which dropped July 2, 2013.
There’s hip hop, and then there’s ‘hick hop.’ Country
artist Big Smo is a master at the
latter, and he will showcase his talents in his KUNTRY LIVIN (Warner Music
Nashville) album, which will be available to fans come early summer. The
country rapper — also known as Hick Ross and Boss of the Stix — will release ‘Kuntry Livin” on June 3,
2014, the same week as the 2014 CMA Music Festival. Watch the lead off track
"Workin'"
feat Alexander King. Reality TV show Kuntry Livin' airs every Wednesday on Smomotiontv Pre-order Kuntry Livin' on US iTunes / Amazon.com to get "Workin'" and
three other new tracks instantly:
Lady Antebellum, the seven-time GRAMMY award winning trio dropped the lead single “Bartender”
off their upcoming fifth studio album today.
The swampy, sultry breakup anthem
is available at Country Radio now and will be available for purchase at digital
retailers on May 20. Written by Lady A’s Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary
Scott and co-writer Rodney Clawson, the trio enlisted Nathan Chapman to
co-produce the new single featuring Scott’s lead vocal and the trio’s signature
harmonies.
 |
| Single Cover Art Click to ENLARGE |
“For this new stuff, we wanted keep the core of Lady
A, while also experimenting with new sounds and ideas,” said Kelley. “Nathan
was really instrumental in pushing us to try different harmonies and new songs
that were a little out of the box for us. There’s a lot of energy that comes
with those changes and Bartender’ is just of taste of what we’ve been working
on.”
Rather than the late night drunk-dial approach of the
band’s international smash hit “Need You Now,” these lyrics are poised to
become a female anthem centered around washing an ex’s memory away with whiskey
on a wild girls’ night out.
The group's Dave Haywood is preparing for another big delivery later
this year. His wife, Kelli, is pregnant with their first child, and the reality
of impending fatherhood is starting to set in for Dave.
RaeLynn (Valory) has been working on her radio
tour, and BMLG is prepared to release her first official country radio single
>> "God
Made Girls" sometime next month. Soz...It'a A MISS!
PRESS RELEASES
- Chase Rice Rolls Into Top 30 with New Single
'Ready Set Roll' -
- Trent Tomlinson, celebrates his return to the country
music spotlight with the world premiere release of his new single,
“Come Back To Bed.” ** The amorous tune is anticipated to play exclusively
on the SiriusXM radio channel over the course of the next few weeks before
segueing to major terrestrial radio. Click To Preview >> "Come Back To Bed" available on US iTunes
- Jordan Anderson the Loveland, Colorado-native,
21-year-old country recording-artist country newcomer performs to Preserve History.
Anderson's new single "American Dream" released to country
radio April 28, 2014. Her previous single "Please Don't" hit top
30 on the Music Row chart, landing at #28 after just 13 weeks. Her debut
single Toxic peaked at #50 on the Music Row chart. Follow-up You Ain’t
Ready For Me – co-written by Anderson, Wells and Preston Brust – reached
#38 on Music Row and spent over six months on the Billboard Indicator
chart. In 2008, her talent and passion for songwriting and performance
caught the attention of Kent Wells, who produced her debut album Key To My
Heart.
- Rodney Atkins is to Host Fourth Annual "Music
City Gives Back" Concert Tuesday, June 3. Country hitmaker to be
joined by star-studded lineup including Lee
Brice, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, Josh Thompson and more
- The Americana Music
Association is excited to announce that Buddy Miller will return to lead
the Americana All-Star house band for the upcoming 2014 honors and awards
ceremony, which is set to take place on September 17, 2014 at the historic
Ryman Auditorium in Nashville
- Jill and Kate announce UK Tour! June 2 - 5, 2014 Hello
from across the pond! We had soooo
much fun playing the C2C Festival at the O2 Arena in March that we've decided to come back!
- Rural Rhythm Records is proud to announce that its Civil War
themed “GOD
DIDN’T CHOOSE SIDES” album project, released February 2013,
will receive major TV exposure with a special “Reno’s Old Time Music”
episode dedicated to music from the album on May 17th.
- Lindsay Lawler Official Tour US schedule announced for Highway Angel Truck Stop tour
- Dolly Parton, is set to launch her 42nd album BLUE SMOKE on May 13th in a partnership between Dolly
Records and Sony Masterworks. She has scheduled a plethora of media
appearances. Blue Smoke revisits her musical roots - “It goes from the
mountain, old-timey sounds to bluegrass to gospel,” Dolly tells Country Weekly in this week’s cover story. “I
wanted to have all the colors of me in this CD.” Dolly on the Nashvile Lifestyles Cover
ARTICLES
People Magazine by Eileen Finan: Hey,
Country Radio! Here Are Six Women Whose Music You Should Be Playing…
Spend any time at all listening to country radio these
days and the gender gap becomes clear. With the occasional exception of Miranda
or Carrie, you'll be hard pressed to find a female voice on the air – or a song
about something other than drinking on a dirt road/in a field/on the beach/in a
truck. And that gap on country airwaves seemed all the more vast after
listening in at Keith Urban's All 4 the Hall benefit for the Country Music Hall
of Fame and Museum last week. From hard-rocking Brantley Gilbert to Reba
McEntire's traditional twang; from Urban's pop stylings to Mary Chapin
Carpenter's Americana vibe; from Underwood's pipes to Kacey Musgraves's
storytelling, the lineup was a reminder of how big a tent country music can be.
In that spirit, here's our call to country radio's
gatekeepers: Keep that tent open wide! It's not just about getting more women's
voices out there (though we should), it's about remembering how good the genre
can be when it tells the many, nuanced stories of our lives rather than
reducing everything to the bottom of a Dixie cup......read More
REVIEWS
No Depression Rosanne Cash
– The Barbican (London, U.K. – April 30th 2014) .. “That was bloody marvelous
Rosanne,” shouted a fan from the rear of the auditorium after she’d performed a
spine-tingling cover of "Ode to Billie Joe". That compliment was a
perfect summation of the whole evening. Cash and her finely tuned five-piece
band, led by musical director (and husband) John Leventhal, took a brave but
extremely well-received decision to play the whole of the new album The River
and the Thread in sequence, for the first set of the show. She said that she’d
always wanted to do this ever since seeing Lou Reed play an album’s tracks in
succession at Radio City Music Hall....So, with the first set taking us on a
trip to the South and the second on a trip to the past, Cash - on her 19th
wedding anniversary - had judged it perfectly. The London audience were as one
in their appreciation, rising again to their feet in a rapturous standing
ovation…..
BOOKS
“The
Average Joes” Full Color Comic Book Coming July 1. “The Average Joes,” a
full-color 64-page comic book featuring Colt Ford and Friends as superheroes selflessly
saving the world and fighting crime in the name of justice. The premiere issue
of “The Average Joes,” will be sold online, at limited retail outlets
nationwide and at available at live concerts. An exclusive deluxe package
available only at Wal-Mart July 1, 2014, will include both Colt Ford’s new album,
“Thanks for Listening,” as well as the comic book. Brought to life in volume
one are label artists Colt Ford, The LACS, Lenny Cooper and Sarah Ross, each
touting a distinct superpower poised and ready to maintain the peace at a
moment's notice.
MAGAZINES
MUSIC NEWS Scotland, Gigs from May 6th onwards -
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?
Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives – The Gospel
Music Of Marty Stuart (Live) – First released April 15,
2014: 12 tracks
Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds In Country Music - May 13, 2014
release, 10 tracks
Bryan Sutton – Into My Own - 12 tracks,
released April 29, 2014
Rachele Lynae – Rachele Lynae - 12 Tracks,
released April 22
Leah Turner – Leah Turner - EP - Released May
6, 2014 5 Tracks
Spotify Killing Music Sales?
Want instant music, wherever you are? Here is the
newest company to offer the service. Then sign up to a Vodafone Red 4G plan. As well as
unlimited minutes and UK texts, you’ll get loads of data and Spotify Premium
included.
The Vodafone 4G thier >> ad features a number of highly enthused
people lost in the moment. Quote: 'Power for music lovers' ? BS. Do people who
love music actually buy music anymore or are they instead freeloading idiots.
Spotify offers FREE mobile service to >> Android and iOS - There's a new way to
stream music for FREE on your phone: No longer do you have to pay $10 / month
to stream music with an iOS or Android tablet or smartphone
For only $4.99 per month, students can enjoy the benefits of Spotify Premium: Play over 20
million songs with no ads
Access Spotify online, via mobile, on a tablet, or
through a home entertainment system Download favorite playlists and listen
offline.
The BBC are encouraging us to
PLAYLIST not Buy with the BBC Playlister
"Spotify is like a brilliant record shop in the
comfort of your own home." - Jools
Holland's new column and playlist is here:
WATCH
The Band Perry "Chainsaw" . The clip features the Perry siblings
yelling "timber" as they cut down the trees where their heartbroken
clients have carved their initials with their exes. "Chainsaw" was
filmed in Oregon and also includes dynamic live footage from TBP.
Kelly Lee - "Karma", the UK artiste performing with
her band and some extra help from Harry - aged 3 and a half (It was recorded on
a photo camera with record function)
The McClymonts new video "Here's To You &
I" - http://vevo.ly/z1uTMt
Watch the Dutch contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest 2014: The Common Linnets, a Folk, country folk, bluegrass duo, comprise Waylon & Ilse de Lange, "Calm after the Storm" (written by Ilse DeLange, JB Meijers, Rob Crosby, Matthew Crosby, Jake Etheridge). It sailed through in the semi final and has seen its odds cut from 100/1 outsiders to 7/1 overnight. A week ago, the song was written off as a 250/1 rank outsider. The song (UK iTunes) is perhaps the most simple ever seen at the Eurovision Song Contest. After having taken the first place in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen on 6 May 2014, the song reached the second place (238 points) in the final on 10 May 2014, after the winning song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst from Austria. This was the highest position for the Netherlands since it last won in 1975.
Read moore about them at Eurovision TV Page
We are blown away by the wonderful heartwarming response to our performance yesterday..the iTunes charts all over Europe give us chills!
— The Common Linnets (@CommonLinnets) May 11, 2014
COUNTRY FASHION
- Sebastion
Fashion: Gwen Sebastion is in
the issue of Country Weekly!
- Teen
Vogue Style features director Andrew Bevan hosted the Taylor Swift for Keds style icons event with the country
singer on Thursday (May 8) in Glendale, California. Taylor kept her love
affair for all things Oscar de la Renta going by wearing a navy
and white 50s style trompe l’œil shirt dress which coincidentally matched
her Keds. A striking red lip and wavy side swept bangs completed her look
- Fashion Pic Fashion Pic
- Shelley Minson (Andrew Pearson Photography, Tamworth)
: Hair styling by: Caroline Morgan from Ego Hair & Beauty Dress:
Pigtails & Pirates; Hair flower: LADY ROWE;
Jewellery: Lucy Luxxe - Image
COUNTRY GOSSIP
The Tybee Island, Ga. boat captain who pressed criminal charges against Billy Currington in 2013 is now suing
the singer. Charles Harvey Ferrelle III says Currington mocked, derided and
libelled him before the plea deal was reached. The Savannah Morning News
reports a lawsuit
was filed on Tuesday in Chatham County State Court. Ferrelle is
seeking damages to be determined by a jury for “significant and ongoing anxiety
and fear” every time his charter boat approaches Currington’s property.
61-year-old Jett
Williams, country singer and daughter of the late Hank Williams, Sr., was arrested
on May 9 for allegedly driving under the influence in Lebanon, Tenn.
This is her second DUI arrest. Williams, whose real name is Jett Williams
Adkinson, was arrested on Friday evening a little before 11PM local time in
Wilson County, Tenn. She was arrested and sent to jail for both the DUI and
violation of implied consent, according to the Tennessean. This is the second
time in three months that she has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the
influence. Adkinson never actually met her father, the legendary singer. She
was born in Alabama just five days after his death on Jan. 1, 1953. Adkinson’s
mother, Bobbie Jett, did have a relationship with Williams but never actually
married him
Brian Kelley from Florida
Georgia Line married Brittney Marie Cole in December, and the country star
said being on tour with his wife couldn't be any better. "It feels
perfect, man, I can't think of one thing that's missing or lacking in our
life," he told ABC News. “So, no real kids, just a couple sugar
gliders and a dog, for now."
Ever since Taylor
Swift moved to New York City, she's been spotted out on the street sporting one
stylish outfit after another, and every one of her fashion choices
have been relentlessly documented and breathlessly reported on by numerous
style blogs and websites. But it turns
out that Taylor doesn't give much thought to her fashion choices at all, and
thinks it's hilarious that people believe that she does. Speaking to E! at an event to promote her
partnership with Keds, Taylor was asked about whether she feels pressure to
look great every time she leaves her house, because she's considered to be a
"style icon." "Oh
yeah," she joked, "It takes me
months to plan outfits. I put them on a
chart, I dress them on mannequins, and I have, actually, an entire wing of my house that's dedicated to the planning and
the plotting of me wearing different outfits. As a style
icon, you have to take
yourself very seriously."
PHOTO
- Baseball
wives: Ashley Monroe posts I
these ones. @briannesale @britt_beckham @lynnzielindstrom & Rachel
Dunn. #chicagonights Image
- Brantley Gilbert “Throwdown” - Graphic
- The Common Linnets GOLD album already! - Image
- Shelley Minson, the Aussie Pin Up rockabilly Singer/
Songwriter, she fullfilled a childhood dream to have a pic taken with a
Pink Cadillac at her Andrew Pearson Photoshoot in Tamworth. Hair styling
by: Caroline Morgan from Ego Hair & Beauty; Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing
from Ms Katt's Kustom House and Jewellery by Lucy Luxxe. Image - Image
BIRTHDAYS
May 12: Billy Swan
(1942), The late Stu Page (1954), Kix Brooks (1955)
May 13: Ray Kennedy
(1954), Ilse DeLange (1977), Lari White (1965), Darius Rucker (1966)
May 15: K T Oslin
(1941)
May 16: Brooke
McClymont (McClymonts) (1981)
May 17: The late Jesse
Winchester (1940; died April
11, 2014)
May 18: George Strait
(1952), David Nail (1979)
R.I.P
Bob Powel, Former Editor at Country Music People
Magazine has died.
the legends of country music from Tex Ritter to Tom T.
Hall and dozens more. Read more at alancackett.com
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