Category: Label
First Music From Dunn’s Solo Debut
Ronnie Dunn is releasing his first post-Brooks & Dunn single. “Bleed Red,” is the lead track from his upcoming solo debut album for Sony Music Nashville. Produced by Dunn, and penned by Tommy Lee James and Andrew Dorff, “Bleed Red” is a ballad that Dunn says, “knocked me out from the first listen. I genuinely felt [...]
Sony Music Unlimited Sets Sights On U.S.
Sony has rallied support among the major labels—Warner Bros., Universal and EMI—to form [...][Subscriber-only] Login/Subscribe
Category: Featured, Label, Sales/Marketing
Role Reversal For Radio Promoters Matthew Hargis, Bobby Young
Radio promotion executives Matthew Hargis and Bobby Young have essentially traded posts. Hargis has left his role handling southeast regional promotion for Capitol Records Nashville, and joined Republic Nashville as National Director of Promotion. In turn, Young has exited his post as Republic’s National Promotion Director to fill the vacancy left by Hargis at Capitol. [...]
Skyville Records Scores Sony Distribution
Skyville Records has entered an exclusive worldwide distribution deal with Sony Music Nashville. The fall debut from Stealing Angels will be the first release via the new partnership. Under the agreement, Sony Music Nashville will offer manufacturing, sales, copyright administration and website development. Under the creative direction of producer Paul Worley, Skyville will find, develop [...]
Big Country Signs Morgan Tobias
Entrepreneur Glen Blaschke and hit songwriter Tammy Hyler announced the formation of Big Country Records and the signing of singer/songwriter Morgan Tobias during an industry launch at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum this week. (L-R) standing: Joe Brazil, attorney for Morgan Tobias and Norman Gillis, attorney for Big Country Records. Seated: Glen [...]
Skyville Adds Herring
Skyville Records managing partners Paul Worley, Glen Morgan and Wally Wilson have named Kevin Herring President of Skyville Records. “I can hardly wait to get started!” declares Herring. “Few people have made bigger or better records than Paul Worley, from Lady Antebellum and The Dixie Chicks to Martina McBride. He knows hit music and recognizes [...]
WMG Tests Dual Buy-Sell Strategy
The New York Times has reported that Warner Music Group is putting itself in play. The major music label, one of the four remaining (Universal, Sony, EMI) has hired Goldman Sachs “to seek out potential buyers for the company, a process that will play out while Warner continues to explore buying the beleaguered British music [...]
Alan Jackson/Sony Part Ways
Sony Music Nashville today announced that it and superstar Alan Jackson have ended their relationship. He was the first artist signed to the Arista roster in 1989—today under the Sony umbrella—leading to a successful partnership for more than 20 years. According to the label’s official statement, “Sony Music Nashville wishes to thank Alan Jackson for [...]
News Shorts: Big Country Records Opens
Big Country Records • CRS unemployment rate • Joseph Conner joins Lotos Nile • Americana Festival submissions • HFA/Napster >>Entrepreneur Glen Blaschke and hit songwriter Tammy Hyler (Martina McBride “I Love You,” Collin Raye “I Can Still Feel You”) launched Big Country Records and Big Country Entertainment with an industry party yesterday. Singer/songwriter Morgan Tobias [...]
Alison Krauss + Union Station Set April Release
Rounder Records has set an April 12 release date for the latest from Alison Krauss and Union Station, Paper Airplane. This will be the first new music from Krauss since her highly acclaimed 2007 collaboration with Robert Plant. It will be her first album with longtime band Union Station since 2004’s Lonely Runs Both Ways. [...]
Country Sales Brace For Roller Coaster Ride
Think of this week's Nielsen SoundScan results as a giant coaster ride. The cold steel restraint [...][Subscriber-only] Login/Subscribe
Category: Featured, Label, Sales/Marketing
Ten Years On The Lost Highway
Lost Highway Records will mark its tenth anniversary with a series of vinyl reissues and a blowout SXSW showcase. On March 18, Lost Highway will team with BMI for a SXSW concert at the new Austin City Limits studio, The Moody Theater. Set to perform are Lucinda Williams, Robert Earl Keen, Hayes Carll, and Black [...]
Finding A Way Out Of The Record Biz Maze
Hollywood entertainment blog TheWrap.com, usually content to bluster over the world of film [...][Subscriber-only] Login/Subscribe
Category: Featured, Label, Sales/Marketing
Aldean’s “Party” Goes Platinum
That’s right, it’s time for the My Kinda Party party. Less than three months since the release of Jason Aldean’s fourth album My Kinda Party, it has earned Platinum certification. This makes his third career Platinum album and brings his overall sales total to five million. “I just can’t say enough about country music fans [...]
Category: Artist, Featured, Label, Sales/Marketing
Country Strong Sales Jump
Movies aimed directly at country music and the country lifestyle are few and far between, but one of the joys of their arrival is that they often have an original soundtrack that goes with them. Country Strong, staring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw happily extends the tradition. The Country Strong soundtrack album has been released [...]
