DISClaimer (7/17/09)

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JasonCrabb150Can I get a witness? Things were going along in a routine way during this listening session until I was stopped dead in my tracks and struck with profound awe. The record that did it was the churning, inspirational “Somebody Like Me” by Jason Crabb. Stop what you are doing right now to seek it out and listen. It just might change your life. Hands down, the Disc of the Day.

We also have a couple of major tear-jerkers with us today, and I’m always a sucker for those. “To Say Goodbye” by Joey & Rory, plus “Love Lives On” by Mallary Hope are both soaked with emotion. The latter earns a Georgia-born MCA newcomer a DisCovery Award.

Mallary Hope

Mallary Hope

JASON CRABB/Somebody Like Me
Writer: Neil Thrasher/Michael Boggs; Producer: Tommy Sims, Norro Wilson & Jason Crabb; Publisher: none listed; Spring Hill (track) (www.springhillmusic.com)
—He used to be the lead vocalist in The Crabb Family. Now he’s a solo. If you have ever heard him sing, you have never forgotten the experience, because this man is one of the greatest male voices of his generation. Searing, soulful and stunning, he can make the hairs on your arms tingle, raise goosebumps all over and compel you turn it up to “10.” The lyric will make you want to run out and do good works for everyone you meet. His performance of it will make you believe in the power of music all over again. Sing on, brother.

MALLARY HOPE/Love Lives On
Writer: Mallary Hope/Shane Stevens/Matthew West; Producer: Derek Bason; Publisher: My Good Girl Music/Major Bob Music; MCA Nashville
—It is a pretty gutsy move to kick of your country career with a ballad, but when it’s one this strong, it’s a risk worth taking. In the song, her husband has died, but she still has their daughter, and her love endures. It’s a remarkable performance that starts sweet, sad and small and builds to a fiery intensity. Strong stuff.

WILLIE STRADLIN/Chop Away
Writer: Izzy Stradlin/Rick Richards; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Willie Stradlin, BMI; Smith Music Group (www.williestradlinband.com)
—Co-writers Izzy and Rick are from Guns & Roses and The Georgia Satellites, respectively. But this is a surprisingly countryfied outing, highlighted by a rolling rhythm track, tasty harmonica work and a sincere tenor vocal.

JOEY & RORY/To Say Goodbye
Writer: Rory Feek/Joey Martin/Jamie Teachenor; Producer: Carl Jackson; Publisher: State One Songs America/A Sling and a Prayer/Rufus Guild/Sony ATV Tree/Songs for My Good Girl, ASCAP/BMI; Sugar Hill /Vanguard (track) (www.joeyandrory.com)
—Beautifully heartbreaking. If this doesn’t put a lump in your throat or a tear in your eye, you’re made of stone. Joey’s lead vocal is a shining gem. Carl Jackson’s production is poetry. Rory’s harmony work is flawless. The lyric of loss aches all over.

RACHEL WILLIAMS/You Let Me
Writer: R. Williams/S. Beck/K. Copeland; Producer: Kim Copeland & Rachel Williams; Publisher: none listed; Her (track) (www.rachelwilliamsonline.com)
—Righteously rocking, with a soaring, power-packed vocal performance. Eminently playable.

TOBY KEITH/American Ride
Writer: Joe West/Dave Pahanish; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Sony ATV Tree/Songs for My Good Girl/Totally Wrighteous/Big Loud Bucks, BMI; Show Dog Nashville
—Toby sings it with passion and fire, but the lyric makes no point whatsoever.

RICHIE ALLBRIGHT/11 Months And 29 Days
Writer: Johnny Paycheck/Billy Sherrill; Producer: Bill Green; Publisher: EMI Algee, BMI; Cactus (888-455-5504)
—Not to be confused with Waylon’s ex-drummer Richie Albright (with one “L”), this fellow is a Texas traditionalist. Alas, when you compare his version of this tune with Johnny Paycheck’s 1976 original, he comes up wa-a-a-a-y short.

DIERKS BENTLEY/I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes
Writer: Brett Beavers/Dierks Bentley; Producer: Brett Beavers & Dierks Bentley; Publisher: Home with the Armadillo/Big White Tracks, BMI/ASCAP; Capitol Nashville (track)
—Dierks gets all warm and romantic on us. After a hard day at work, he wants to fall into her arms and see where things lead. Very sexy sounding.

JIMMY BOWEN & SANTA FE/Baby’s Single Down In San Antone
Writer: Wells/Kerr; Producer: Jimmy Bowen; Publisher: Bug, BMI; Santa Fe (www.jimmybowen.com)
—I know it’s not the producer with this same name, but is this the bluegrass guy with this same name? If so, he has gone country and lost his sense of pitch.

ANTHONY SMITH/Bringin’ Back The Sunshine
Writer: Anthony Smith/Jess Leary; Producer: Anthony Smith & James Stroud; Publisher: Krankit/Leary’s Irish Stew, BMI/ASCAP; Stroudavarious
—Formerly on Mercury, Anthony has always had a rock edge in his voice. He applies it effectively in this summer-sounding pop-country bopper.

Songwriters This Weekend: Matraca, Bluebird on Mtn.

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matracaHit songwriter Matraca Berg will take a seat at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum on Saturday, July 18, as the latest subject of the quarterly programming series Poets and Prophets: Legendary Country Songwriters. The 1:30 p.m. program, which will be held in the Museum’s Ford Theater, is included with Museum admission and free to Museum members.

Museum Editor Michael Gray will conduct an in-depth, one-on-one interview with Berg, illustrated with audiovisual elements from the Museum’s collection, including recordings, photos and film clips. Berg will perform briefly during the program, and immediately following she will sign autographs in the Museum Store (visit the Museum’s Web site for signing details).

Matraca Berg’s stirring, powerful songs have helped her remain one of Music City’s most successful songwriters for more than two decades. Berg’s Billboard #1 hits include “Wild Angels” (Martina McBride), “You Can Feel Bad” (Patty Loveless), “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)” (Trisha Yearwood), “The Last One to Know” (Reba McEntire) and “Strawberry Wine” (Deana Carter), among others. Other artists who have cut her songs include the Dixie Chicks, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Ray Price, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson.  As a recording artist, Berg charted a handful of singles herself in the 1990s.

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Jude Johnstone, Danny Flowers and James House will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 18, in the third concert of the 2009 Bluebird on the Mountain series. Held on the scenic grounds of Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory, Bluebird on the Mountain showcases artists from the Bluebird Cafe. Season tickets are sold out for this year’s series, but advance tickets for the remaining single shows are available through Ticketmaster, which will add a handling fee. Tickets are $95 for a carload.

The series was created in collaboration with Amy Kurland, who founded the Bluebird Cafe in 1982 and built the club into one of Nashville’s premier performance venues for songwriters before selling it to the Nashville Songwriters Association International in late 2007.

Photos: Joey+Rory, O’Shea, and Emma Jacob

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joey-rory

Click to view the commercial.

Overstock.com spokespersons Joey+Rory appear in the third installment of their “At Home with the O” ad campaign. The spot hits the air this week and features the country duo’s favorite hound Rufus. They are  on the road supporting their debut album The Life of a Song. The newest single, “To Say Goodbye,” is at radio and a special promotion connected to it will be announced soon. In the meantime, fans can tune into CMT on July 25th to see Joey + Rory’s return to Can You Duet.

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Up and coming, country duo O’Shea stopped by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) to visit with the staff and play in the Music Mill lounge. The husband and wife team – Mark and Jay O’Shea – recently made their reality TV debut as one of the Top 5 duos on CMT’s Can You Duet. They are strong contenders moving into the next round of the competition. Tune in to CMT on Sat., July 18 to see them take the stage before celebrity judges, Naomi Judd, Big Kenny and Scott Borchetta.

Photo: (Pictured L-R) Back Row- Erin Burr (NSAI Communications Director); Bart Herbison (NSAI Executive Director); Sheree Spoltore (NSAI Membership Director); Dave Petrelli (NSAI Events Director) Front Row- Mark and Jay O'Shea

Pictured (L-R) Back Row: Erin Burr (NSAI Communications Director); Bart Herbison (NSAI Executive Director); Sheree Spoltore (NSAI Membership Director); Dave Petrelli (NSAI Events Director) Front Row: Mark and Jay O'Shea

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Pictured l to r standing: Producer Lex Lipsitz, Emma Jacob Seated: Jimmy Nichols, producer/president Black River Music Group

Pictured L-R back: Producer Lex Lipsitz, Emma Jacob; front: Jimmy Nichols, producer/BRMG Pres.

Emma Jacob‘s debut single for Black River Music Group ships to radio July 20. “Julianna,” written by Tanya Leah, Stephanie Lewis and Alidia Clagett, is about a young woman who sacrifices her own beliefs for acceptance from others.

Holly Williams, David Nail, Jeff Cook, and The Oaks

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hollyNewcomer Holly Williams is profiled in this week’s People magazine, dated July 27th and on stands today (7/17). The story of her music and life has also garnered the interest of National Public Radio, which will feature her Sunday, July 19 on “Weekend Edition.” The show airs in Nashville on WPLN from 7-9 AM/CT. And making her fifth national television debut this year, Williams will perform on CBS’ The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson Wed., Aug. 12.
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David Nail‘s brand new video for his single, “Red Light,” premiered on CMT.com this week and will go to all outlets next week. Shot in Nashville, the video features his new bride, Catherine. Nail has also been featured on MLB.com. Last weekend, leading into the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, he served as a St. Louis tour guide for the MLB.com audience, talking about growing up in Missouri and his favorite St. Louis hangouts.

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Jeff Cook, of Country Music Hall of Famers Alabama, will make a musical appearance on the nationally syndicated television show The Daily Buzz this weekend. Cook, now with his Allstar Goodtime Band, will be in Orlando, FL today (7/17) to perform his current single and the title track from his latest solo-release, “Ashes Won’t Burn.”
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The Oak Ridge Boys, promoting their new Spring Hill Records album The Boys Are Back, appeared on the Game Show Network during Game Show Live yesterday (7/16).  The Oaks joined the show via Skype.  Today (7/17) they performed as part of the Fox & Friends Summer Concert Series, and tomorrow will visit the CBS Early Show, before heading to a concert appearance in New Jersey later that night. The following week on July 23rd, The Oak Ridge Boys will appear on the nationally syndicated mid-day show Better TV.  Other appearances include SiriusXM, FoxNews.com, Fox Entertainment Feed, and United Stations radio.

Stroudavarious Debuts Imprint, Beefs Up Promo Staff

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blackberry-smoke

Blackberry Smoke is comprised of brothers, Richard (bass/vocals) and Brit Turner (drums), with Paul Jackson and Charlie Starr on guitar and vocals.

Stroudavarious Records has launched a new imprint called BamaJam Records, with Atlanta band Blackberry Smoke as the flagship artist. The first release will be the sophomore album from the southern rockers called Little Piece of Dixie. The project was produced by Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts) and engineer Justin Niebank.

“This is best live band in the South,” says James Stroud, CEO of Stroudavarious Records. “Their show is beyond belief; just awesome.” The band has shared the stage with ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shooter Jennings, Cross Canadian Ragweed and others.

As the label expands, so does the staff at Stroudavarious, which also includes the  Country Crossing imprint. President Bill Catino and VP of Promotion Bill Macky recently added Eric Beggs (Dir./Southeast-Midwest), Jon Conlon (Dir./West Coast) and R.J. Jordan (Dir./Northeast). The label group is home to Darryl Worley, Anthony Smith, LoCash Cowboys, Richie McDonald, Shea Fisher and others.

Palming Off a Bug Fix, CMA Voting, Songwriters Team With Studdard

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iphoneApple has just released an iTunes update (8.2.1) and among the “issues and improvements” it addresses is the music program’s ability to sync music with the Palm Pre phone. One of the new Palm smartphone’s selling points was that ability to seamlessly move music between iTunes and the phone, but obviously, Apple preferred that only official Apple products be endowed with that ability. Palm responded saying, “Palm’s media sync works with iTunes 8.2. If Apple chooses to disable media sync in iTunes, it will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience. However, people will have options. They can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre, they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we can consider.”

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Polls for the Nominating Round of balloting for the 2009 CMA Awards will close at 5:00 PM CDT today (7/16). To vote you must be a current CMA member, and have your Member Number and PIN number ready. Click here.

The remaining CMA Awards ballot schedule is:
Aug. 11– Second Ballot sent

Aug. 24–Deadline for Second Ballot

Oct. 16–Final Ballot sent

Nov. 3–Deadline for Final Ballot

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Several Nashville songwriters have cuts on the new Ruben Studdard album, Love Is. The R&B/American Idol star came to Music City to write for the project. With Bob DiPiero and Tom Shapiro, he wrote “Love Is My Rock,” and he teamed with Bill Luther and Barry Dean for “That’s Enough.”

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The Refuge Center for Counseling, a local nonprofit that offers a variety of counseling services to those in need regardless of income level, along with corporate sponsor Wells Fargo/Wachovia Wealth Management will host a Songwriters Night at Boxwood Bistro tonight Thurs., July 16, from 6 to 10 p.m. Headlining the event will be Doug Johnson (“Three Wooden Crosses”), along with Rob Crosby, Chip Davis and Mark Steven Jones. Tickets are limited and can be purchased in advance for $75 at www.therefugecenter.org. Tickets are also available by contacting Virginia Fontanella at (615) 969-0064 or by e-mail at songwritersnight@aol.com. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door.

Promo News: A Tale of Two Thomases, And A Wagner

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LT Thomas

LT Thomas

Lauren “L.T.” Thomas has been hired as Associate Director of Promotion for Golden Music Nashville, the new label launching flagship act Williams Riley. She comes from KMLE-FM in Phoenix where she began as a Promotions Assistant in 2002 before being bumped up to Promotions Manager in 2007. L.T. works at the Golden Music Nashville offices at 54 Music Square East, and can be reached at LT@goldenmusic.biz or (615) 891-4283.

Jay Thomas, a Sirius XM host, has also taken on the role of Southeast promotion rep for Treehouse Records. After three years at the satcaster, he plans to remain on-air. At Treehouse, he reports to VP Tony Benken. Contact him jay@treehouserecords.us

Larry Pareigis has added former Montage Southeast rep Ted Wagner to his Nine North team, handling the Southeast and Southwest regions. Wagner, who worked with Pareigis at Sony, replaces Eric Beggs (who moved to Stroudavarious) and can be reached at (615) 613-3292 or ted@ninenorthmail.com.

Aldean Wrangles Hits, Jean Deal, Conan

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aldean1Jason Aldean‘s “Big Green Tractor,” is plowing its way toward the Top 10 of MusicRow‘s Country Breakout chart; currently No. 16 and the fastest rising single of the Georgia-native’s career. The song has fueled over 40,000 digital downloads a week, helping his already Gold certified third album Wide Open move an average of 22,000 units per week. Aldean is in the Top Five of SoundScan’s Country Albums Chart.

Aldean has also been tapped by iconic American denim maker Wrangler Western Wear to back its contemporary new jean line, The Wrangler Retro Line, which will hit stores in August. As the exclusive spokesperson for the new Wrangler Retro collection and the face of the robust marketing campaign—including national television, print, radio and online advertising along with integrated in-store marketing support—Aldean joins the King of Country Music George Strait in the Wrangler family.

Fans can catch Aldean headlining his Wide Open arena tour and opening dates for Keith Urban in the coming weeks. He will also perform on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien on Thurs., July 23 and tape an episode of E!’s highly rated late night talk show Chelsea Lately on Tues., July 28.

Crook & Chase, Chesney, Clark, and Harry Potter

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The Crook & Chase show on RFD-TV is hitting all the hot spots in Music City this summer. On Thursday, July 16, Lorianne and Charlie will be giving viewers a tour of the popular Willie Nelson and Friends General Store and Museum located in Music Valley near the Grand Ole Opry. This year marks a special milestone for the Willie Nelson and Friends General Store and Museum. The attraction is celebrating its 30th Anniversary.

The "Crook & Chase" show on RFD-TV is hitting all the hot spots in Music City this summer. Tomorrow (7/16) Lorianne and Charlie will give viewers a tour of the Willie Nelson and Friends General Store and Museum, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary.

When Kenny Chesney’s Sun City Carnival hits Seattle’s Qwest Field on July 31, he will give a special sand bar performance for a select number of fans the night before. The lucky ticket holders—available through his Web site, local radio stations and other outlets will enjoy an hour-long set.

“We wanna get in there and really blow it up…because the Seattle fans are incredible,” he says. “So, we figured rather than just coming in and me and the guys doing a soundcheck, we could warm-up with something a little bit more—and start what is normally an all-day experience the night before.” The tour is currently in the Top 10 of Pollstar‘s Midyear Tour Rankings.
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Proof that all the consumer entertainment dollars haven’t run dry… Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opened at midnight, bringing in $22.2 million at the box office. This is an all-time record for a midnight showing, beating the previous winner—The Dark Knight which scored $18 million. (Both are Warner Bros. pictures.) The previous HP, Harry Potter And The Order of the Phoenix debuted in 2007 with $12 million in midnight receipts and went on to gross $139.7 mil. over its first 5 days. Some predictions estimate that this HP6 could haul in as much as $200 mil. in the first 5 days.
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Terri Clark has released a live recording called Road Rage, culled from a series of performances over the past few years. It includes the hits, new songs, her take on the blues chestnut “Love Me Like A Man” and the Black Crowes‘ “Hard To Handle.”

NSAI/Frost Specialty Offering Group Infringement Insurance

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nsai-logoThe Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Frost Specialty today (7/15) announced the creation of the first-of-its-kind Group Copyright Infringement Insurance Policy for songwriters. This unique group insurance plan will dramatically reduce the cost of infringement-insurance premiums while establishing lower available coverage limits.

“Until now, this kind of coverage was cost prohibitive or unavailable to most songwriters,” said NSAI President, Grammy-nominated songwriter Steve Bogard. “Typically a songwriter or composer had to purchase a minimum of $1,000,000 in infringement coverage when in fact, the majority of infringement claims are resolved for less than $100,000,” Bogard continued. “We addressed that problem and the overall cost of such insurance.”

The NSAI/Frost Group Copyright Infringement Policy will offer coverage amounts beginning at $100,000 for less than $1,600 annually. Coverage at this low level was generally unavailable prior to creation of this group plan. More coverage is available for those who require it.

Contact Robert Frost at 615.322.9171 for more information.