Tag Archives | Nashville

Creative And Marketing Pro Wade Hunt Launches SWADE Creative

By on August 9, 2012 in In The Press

Nashville, TN…(August 9, 2012)…After more than twenty years combined editorial, entertainment and agency experience, former Sony Music Vice-President Wade Hunt is bringing his diverse creative and artistic expertise to a new venture, SWADE Creative. The Nashville based firm will provide a unique and comprehensive offering of creative services, ranging from traditional creative direction, imaging, marketing and advertising to brand development, logo, illustration and package design.

“With the launch of SWADE Creative, I’m excited to bring my entertainment, editorial and marketing experience to provide a wide array of creative solutions for my clients,” shared company founder Wade Hunt.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Hunt started his career with Whittle Communications, a national editorial company specializing in single-sponsor editorial products. His clients included M&M/Mars, Colgate, Purina and major car manufacturers. He moved to Nashville in 1993 to join the creative department of Arista Nashville, later growing to the position of VP/Creative Services for Sony Music. In this role he oversaw creative direction for all print, video and photographic projects for the company’s four record labels (Arista, RCA, BNA and Columbia) and was integral in the growth and development of artists including Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride and Miranda Lambert.

Hunt then broadened his experience base to help start the Nashville office of CatapultRPM Marketing, whose clients include Mars Petcare (Pedigree, Cesar, Temptations, Whiskas), Nutro, Sara Lee and Chiquita. As Vice-President/Creative Director he was responsible for all creative direction and campaigns for shopper marketing and consumer product goods.

Creative Director and Company Owner, Wade Hunt, can be reached at swadecreative@me.com or 615-717-7134. Follow the company on Facebook and Twitter and view a portfolio at www.swadecreative.com

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Craig Morgan’s 6TH Annual Charity Event – This Weekend – Final Details Announced

By on August 9, 2012 in In The Press, Special Events

Nashville, TN…(August 7, 2012)…Counting down the final days leading up to Craig Morgan’s 6th annual charity weekend, the country music star and award-winning TV host is excited to announce the final list of music, motocross, and celebrity friends joining him for the weekend’s festivities.

On Saturday, August 11, motocross stars Destry Abbott, Fred Andrews, Cowboy Kenny Bartram, Randy Hawkins, Kevin Windham, and country star Bucky Covington will take part in an exhibition and trail ride in Vanleer, Tennessee. Later that night, country music star Darryl Worley and HLN “Morning Express” host and “Brand New Day” singer Robin Meade along with the evening’s emcee, GAC host and TV personality Nan Kelley, will take the stage in concert with Morgan to support the Craig Morgan Charity Fund.

On Sunday, August 12th the popular Celebrity Sporting Clay Event will take place from the Tennessee Clay Target Complex in Nashville.  This year’s event, a 12-station course, will feature an exhibition by “The Ultimate Shooter” Tim Bradley.

Proceeds from the two-day event will benefit the Craig Morgan Charity Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.  The Craig Morgan Charity Fund continues to raise funds to establish Billy’s Place, an organization that will benefit foster children in Dickson County and throughout Middle Tennessee.

Fans can take part in the event by bidding on auction items via eBay through Friday, August 10th.   Items include a Husqvarna for a day experience, allowing fans to ride in style alongside motocross stars at Saturday’s ride.   Concert attendees on Saturday night will also have the opportunity to bid on live and silent auction items including a Pre-Owned Volkswagen Passat GLS, high end MAC Tools chest, music, tv, and sports memorabilia, and more!

All events are open to the public with tickets on sale at NowPlayingNashville.com as well as all TriStar Bank locations in Dickson.

Craig Morgan Charity Weekend
Dirt Bike Ride/Trail Ride
Date: August 11, 2012
Location: Paul Allen Farm 1286 Bell Hollow Rd., Vanleer, TN
Registration Opens: 8:00 AM
Ride and Exhibition Start Time: 10:00 AM
Tickets: $40 pre-registration; $45 day-of registration; $15 spectator. All ticket prices incl. lunch
Motocross stars Destry Abbot, Fred Andrews, Cowboy Kenny Bartram, Randy Hawkins and Kevin Windham plus country star Bucky Covington will take part in an exhibition and group trail ride with Craig Morgan

Craig Morgan Concert
Date: August 11, 2012
Location: Dickson Middle School 401 East College St., Dickson, TN
Doors Open: 6:00 PM
Concert Start Time: 7:30 PM
Tickets: $25 adult; $10 children 12 and under
Darryl Worley and Robin Meade will join Craig Morgan in concert, hosted by GAC’s Nan Kelley

Sporting Clay Event
Date: August 12, 2012
Location: Tennessee Clay Target Complex 1100 County Hospital Rd., Nashville, TN
First Flight:  9:00 am Registration; 10:00 am Shoot
Second Flight: Noon Registration; 1:00 pm Shoot
Tickets: $100 per competitor with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place competitors
Includes lunch and 12:30pm exhibition with “The Ultimate Shooter” Tim Bradley

ABOUT CRAIG MORGAN: One of country music’s best-loved artists, Craig Morgan has made a name for himself with massive radio airplay of his signature hits:  “Bonfire,” “Almost Home,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” “International Harvester” and his latest hit, the title track to his new record This Ole Boy. The new album, his first release on Black River Entertainment, boasted a Top 5 debut on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart when it released on February 28, 2012. Craig received one of country music’s highest honors when he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2008. Prior to becoming a country music and TV sensation, Craig Morgan spent over 10 years of active duty in the Army and an additional nine years in the Army Reserves.  He is an avid supporter of America’s military personnel and a recipient of the 2006 USO Merit Award. In addition to a prolific country music career, he hosts the award-winning show “Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors” on The Outdoor Channel with season 3 set to debut July 1. For more information on Craig Morgan, please visit www.craigmorgan.com or follow him on Twitter @CMorganmusic.

ABOUT BILLY’S PLACE: The idea for Billy’s Place was born while Craig Morgan was serving as an Assistant Sheriff’s Deputy in Dickson, TN and named for his wife Karen’s father. The organization will support foster children in Dickson County and throughout Middle Tennessee. Craig’s continuing charitable mission is to eventually build and maintain a home called Billy’s Place for temporarily displaced children in Dickson County Tennessee and to provide lasting funding for the home. His long term goal is to start additional Billy’s Place homes around the country. The annual Craig Morgan Charity Weekend, encompassing a motocross ride, concert and sporting clays shoot, raised more than $95,000 last year in support of Billy’s Place and other children’s welfare organizations.

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE:  The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 840 charitable funds, providing customized philanthropic solutions with flexibility for donors, nonprofit organizations and the community. In the past 20 years, The Community Foundation has distributed more than $596 million to community programs and institutions. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400, Nashville, Tennessee 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.

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Curb Records Celebrating 50 years Of Great Music

By on August 8, 2012 in In The Press

NASHVILLE, TN (August 7, 2012) – Amid a sea of industry change that has seen major creative empires and labels rise and fall, the strength of Curb Records, which was founded in 1963 by Mike Curb while attending California State University as a student, remains intact.

Curb 50 on iTunesOn the eve of a half-century of success and in the midst of a field of gold standard milestones, Curb Records is a rare and enduring independent force of influence in the land of giants.

As Curb Records celebrates its 50th anniversary in the business of making and selling music, the success of the label and its founder are inseparable.

At the half-century mark as a creative brand, Curb’s presence eclipses history as the longest operating record label with the same ownership.  Accumulated accolades include:

     432 #1 Records

  • 323 singles
  • 109 albums

     1,514 Top Ten Records

  • 1,102 singles
  • 412 albums

     4,518 Charted Records

  • 3,231 singles
  • 1,287 albums

Today, Mike Curb is one of the most prominent figures in the music/entertainment world and presides over his own independent record label that is recognized as one of the most successful in music industry history.

If Curb has a magic formula for success, it might be captured in the portrait of its artistic family. Throughout the early years, Curb scored success with artists as diverse as the Stone Poneys (featuring Linda Ronstadt), Eric Burdon & War, Sammy Davis Jr., the Osmond Family, (including Donny & Marie), Lou Rawls, Exile, the Righteous Brothers, Solomon Burke, Gloria Gaynor, the Hondells, the Arrows (featuring Davie Allan), Debby Boone, Shaun Cassidy, Roy Orbison, the Electric Flag (featuring Buddy Miles and Mike Bloomfield), the Sylvers and the Four Seasons.

In 1969, Curb merged his young label with MGM Records and became the President of MGM.  Under his reign, he boosted MGM’s war chests with a litany of hits, some of which he produced.  His signings brought a new emphasis on Nashville based artists including Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, Hank Williams Jr., Don Gibson, Mel Tillis, Ray Stevens, and Eddy Arnold. Curb also served as president of Verve Records, the historic jazz label, and scored a coup by signing superstar Tony Bennett.  During the same period, Mike Curb went on to receive the Billboard Overall Producer of the Year Award, and he acquired the highly coveted BMI Award for writing Hank Williams Jr’s first #1 single, “All For The Love Of Sunshine”.  He also won the BMI Award for composing the theme song to Clint Eastwood’s motion picture, Kelly’s Heroes – “Burning Bridges” which was a worldwide hit by the Mike Curb Congregation.

In the 80’s, Curb Records signed such emerging artists as Lyle Lovett, The Judds, Don & Phil Everly, Sawyer Brown, Chris Hillman’s Desert Rose Band, Jeffrey Steele’s band Boy Howdy, The Bellamy Brothers, Ronnie McDowell, Hal Ketchum and The Righteous Brothers who delivered the triple platinum selling album and single “Unchained Melody.”

Throughout the 90’s, Curb Records continued to establish ground as an independent force to be reckoned with.  The label surprised many with the meteoric launch of superstar Tim McGraw, whose album Not A Moment Too Soon went on to become one of McGraw’s top selling albums to date.  All told, Curb Records has sold over 40 million units and produced over ninety seven billion impressions at radio with Tim McGraw’s music.  By 1997, Curb was Billboard’s #1 country label in four major categories for albums and singles and recognized as the overall #1 country label in the industry according to Nielsen SoundScan.  Additional milestones for Curb in the 90’s included the signing of teenage superstar LeAnn Rimes whose single “Blue,” became an industry phenomenon who crossed multiple genres.  Rimes’ “How Do I Live,’ co-produced by Mike Curb and written by Diane Warren, earned the label a Billboard Award for the longest running record of the 20th Century on Billboard’s Top Hot 100 chart.  Curb also co-produced LeAnn Rimes’ “You Light Up My Life” which became the first album to debut #1 on Billboard’s pop, country, and contemporary Christian charts.  Co-published by Curb’s publishing division, “You Light Up My Life” won both an Academy Award and a Grammy.  This credit brought further honors to the Curb Publishing division—a side of the indie giant too often overlooked.  Curb’s publishing interests have scored more than 100 ASCAP, BMI and SESAC award winning songs including the first record in Billboard history to debut at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart – Garth Brooks “More Than A Memory”.  History was in the making when Curb published and released Lee Brice’s record, “Love Like Crazy” which was Billboard’s #1 record of the year in 2010 and the longest running song in the history of the Billboard chart.  Curb recently co-published “Crazy Girl” by The Eli Young band which was the 2012 ACM Song Of The Year and Billboard’s most played song of 2011.

At the launch of the 21st century Curb Records had established one of the strongest country rosters in Nashville.  Superstar artists such as Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Jo Dee Messina, Hank Williams Jr., Wynonna, Lyle Lovett, Clay Walker, Trick Pony, and Rodney Atkins were consistently pushing out hit product.  In 2001, and for the first time in the history of music business, Curb Records became the first independent label to be named Billboard’s Country Music Label of the Year.

Building on the success of country, Curb expanded throughout the new millennium to play a major role in the contemporary Christian genre with artists such as multi-award winning “Female Artist of the Year” Natalie Grant, multi-Dove winning group Selah, Plumb, MIKESCHAIR, Michael English, and Nicol Sponberg all producing hits. Curb’s own personal involvement in contemporary Christian music began with the early signings of groundbreaking artists such as Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, DeGarmo & Key, Debby Boone, and continued into the 80’s & 90’s to include Stryper, Whiteheart, Patti Cabrera, Jonathan Pierce, and Fernando Ortega.  Curb also continues to serve as Chairman and Partner in Word Records, the oldest gospel record company in history.

In 2012, this their 50th Anniversary, label success on the scoreboard already includes:

Breaking Lee Brice as one of the most exciting new artists in country music in recent memory. His Hard 2 Love album debuted with a trifecta as the #1 Digital Country Album, #2 Billboard Country Album and Billboard’s #5 best selling album on the Top 200 Chart across all genres.  The album has already scored a #1 single and a platinum certification for its lead single, “A Woman Like You”.

Rodney Atkins’ has produced his 7th number one record with the title track to his current album, Take A Back Road.

Curb’s January 2012 release of Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic, debuted as Billboard’s #1 Country album and the single “Better Than I Used To Be” became McGraw’s historic 100th Top 5 record on the Billboard charts.

Curb Records has achieved over 300 number one records on the Billboard chart and Mike Curb recently received a star on both the Music City Walk of Fame and the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In April of this year, Natalie Grant was named Female Vocalist Of The Year in the annual Dove Awards – her 5th win in the category. Curb again took home honors with Grant’s “Your Great Name” having won Worship Song Of The Year.  Curb’s Christian Division was again honored with dual wins by Selah for Inspirational Album Of The Year and Inspirational Song Of The Year (“Hope Of The Broken World”).

New projects still ahead in the coming year include new releases from LeAnn Rimes, Andy Gibson, Wynonna, Plumb, Rachel Holder, Michael English and more. Also in 2012, Curb revitalized subsidiary imprint Sidewalk Records which plans new music from Heidi Newfield, Clay Walker, Morgan Frazier, Dylan Scott, and a new duet between Tyler Dean and Ashley Gearing.

Mike Curb exclaims, “We’ve been successful in large part to our employees, our artist roster, radio and a huge passion for music that inspires people across the globe.  We are forever up to the challenges of the next half century and look forward to expanding upon our success.”

Born with American ingenuity, Curb Records’ independent spirit lives on.  In celebration, Curb Records is announcing its 50 albums over 50 years feature on iTunes today.  To view, click here: http://bit.ly/Curb50

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Renegade Radio Nashville: Nashville’s Most Recent Music Row Edition

By on August 5, 2012 in In The Press

Nashville, Tenn. (July 31, 2012) – The broadcast market is one saturated with country radio stations. Nonetheless, Nashville’s most recent Music Row edition, Renegade Radio Nashville, has certainly found its niche. As a strong advocate for new artists, the station – just over a year old – is on a mission to change the public’s opinion of Internet radio and broaden the possibility of what radio has to offer an artist.

The station – established by country radio host ‘Captain Jack’ Aponte – has seen significant growth since its first broadcast on June 7th, 2011. With a listenership of 3.5 million each month spanning 143 different countries, Renegade Radio has found its place as one of the most prominent country Internet stations. This growth has not gone unnoticed: in December of 2011, after just a few months broadcasting, it became the first ever Internet radio station to be given reporting status by Music Row Magazine.

Renegade Radio’s success comes as a direct result of a traditional broadcast approach combined with a refreshingly unconventional business plan. “We’re not an Internet radio station,” explains Bradley Drake, marketing and A&R director for the station. “We’re a radio station that just happens to broadcast on the Internet.”

“Listeners love a traditional radio station – but then they love to hear the latest sound coming from Nashville,” adds Captain Jack. “We broadcast a bit of both. In that way, we pride ourselves in offering the past, present, and future in country music to our listeners. It gives new artists a chance for some exposure and our listeners an opportunity to hear the latest in country music first.” 

Broadcast exposure isn’t the only way the station promotes new artists: the station recently launched a series of comprehensive artist marketing plans for those looking for more than just airplay.

To listen to a live broadcast, download Renegade Radio’s free app from iTunes or visit www.renegaderadionashville.com.

About ‘Captain Jack’ Aponte:
Deemed ‘The Boss of the Beach’ and ‘The Host of The Coast’, radio DJ Jack Aponte’s deep voice and sense of humor have made him one of the most recognized radio voices on the east coast for over 25 years. Though his passion lies with country music and the Nashville music scene, his flexibility within formats has given him the unique ability to create a new and exciting radio experience for listeners. This was demonstrated in his development of Thunder 106, which quickly changed frequencies, exceeded its parent company’s expectations, and now has one of the largest listenerships in the country radio industry. Aponte has also developed the Thunder Road Concert Series to give his listeners an up-close and personal look at the latest music and artists coming out of Nashville. With a heart for exposing new country artists and their music, his multiple projects leave him little time for much else. Nonetheless, Aponte makes time to help those in need and has received numerous awards for his community service. For more information on Captain Jack, visit www.renegaderadionashville.com/captain_jack_aponte.htm.

 

About Laura Lynn:
Country recording artist, television host, and actress Laura Lynn has found success in all aspects of the entertainment industry. As an actress, she’s made guest appearances on Married With Children, Rosanne, The Young and the Restless, Renegade, and Wings, to name a few. As a host she’s interviewed celebrities from all industries, including Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Mel Gibson and the casts of Friends and Entourage. Living in Los Angeles, she was the voice and producer of the radio show Laura & Gretchen UNCUT for talk radio station KLSX. Despite all of these accomplishments, Laura Lynn’s true love is country music. Having written or co-written multiple cuts (she co-wrote Medal of Honor, the official theme song of Wrangler National Patriot, as well as the theme song to Animal Planet’s show Last Chance Highway) and producing her own self-titled album, she was awarded Los Angeles Music Awards Female Country Artist of the Year in 2006. Laura Lynn’s music career has also allowed her several performance opportunities, including sharing the stage with Poison’s Bret Michaels at the 2005 KZLA Country Bash. She is married to country star Lucas Hoge. The two reside in Nashville, where they spend free time fostering dogs and cats for Nashville Cat Rescue. For more information on Laura Lynn, visit http://lauralynn.net/.About David Bradley:
Hailing from Sunderland in Northern England, country recording artist David Bradley’s English charm and soulful sound have made him a stand-out in the country music scene. His father, an oil engineer, exposed Bradley at a young age to the musical stylings of Kenny Rogers, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson – all of whoms’ music he’d brought home from business trips to Singapore, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Bradley has had much opportunity to hone his own musical talents. A regular in writers’ rounds, he released album Movin’ On in 2010, which was produced by singer/songwriter/producer Brady Seals (Little Texas, Hot Apple Pie). His first single from the album, Soak It Up, put Bradley on the map as an artist and saw significant chart success. His second single, Hard Time Movin’ On (Rivers Rutherford, Gordie Sampson) did better yet, with the music video for the single (directed by Steven Goldmann) airing on CMT, GAC, and numerous other music video outlets. If You Can’t Make Money, Bradley’s latest single, was written by Brad Paisley, Bill Anderson, and Jon Randall. Despite his success, he still finds time to host a radio show every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 1-2pm with Renegade Radio Nashville. For more information on David Bradley, visit www.davidbradleymusic.com.

About Lindsay Lawler:
Born and raised in Texas, Lindsay Lawler spent several years performing in Los Angeles before making her way to Nashville, Tennessee in 2007. After performing at the 2010 Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, Texas, she formed a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association and has since been named the official spokeswoman of their Highway Angels program. Her single, Highway Angel, has given her exposure as an artist and become an anthem for truck drivers everywhere. She also wrote and recorded The Long Haul, a salute to female truck drivers. Lawler continues to support the truck driving community through her performances around the country and her radio show, On The Road To Nashville. For more information on Lindsay Lawler, visit www.lindsaylawler.com.

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Celebrate the Life and Career of Elvis Presley at Nashville’s Elvis Week

By on August 2, 2012 in In The Press

From August 10-18, rock-and-roll fans from all over the country will flock to Nashville to pay homage to Elvis Presley and honor the 35th anniversary of his death.

Elvis, who is widely referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll,” is one of the most iconic figures of 20th century pop culture. Beginning with his rapid rise to stardom in the mid-1950s, Elvis ushered in a new era of music, launching the rock-and-roll revolution in America with his unique voice, sound and style.

Elvis shares a rich history with the city of Nashville, starting with the recording of his very first hit song, “Heartbreak Hotel,” at RCA Victor in 1956 and lasting throughout his entire legendary musical career. He recorded a total of 262 songs in the Music City, including nine #1 hits.

During Elvis Week, you’ll get an extended, in-depth look at the life of the King that you can’t get with any documentary or DIRECT TV special.

See where Elvis performed in Nashville, including the Ryman Auditorium, where he made his only performance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1954. Embark on a tour of RCA Studio B, where Elvis – over a period of 13 years – recorded more than 200 songs, including “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and “How Great Thou Art.” You can even sit at the piano where Elvis perfected his craft for countless hours inside one of the world’s most famous recording studios. And in perhaps the main attraction of the week, John Beardsley will perform more than 30 songs in five different costumes as plays three decades of music from Elvis’ career.

If you’re an Elvis fan or just a music fan in general, you won’t want to miss out on Elvis Week 2012.

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Musicians Corner Announces Its Fall Season

By on August 1, 2012 in In The Press, Special Events

Musicians Corner Nashville

Musicians Corner, Nashville’s free weekly lawn party in Centennial Park, will kick off the first of nine fall music events on Saturday, September 1. The Musicians Corner fall season takes place on Saturday afternoons from 3-6 PM in Centennial Park from September 1 to October 27. View the complete fall season schedule here!

“Musicians Corner is one of the best gathering places for the Nashville community and our visitors to spend an afternoon enjoying free music in a beautiful metro park setting,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “Musicians Corner events continue to serve as a fine showcase for why we are Music City.”

HEAR OVER 60 ARTISTS FOR FREE

Musicians Corner Nashville

Matthew Perryman Jones

The fall season of Musicians Corner will feature over 60 free multi-genre musical performances including The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sam Bush, a Nashville Symphony quartet, Karen Elson, Regi Wooten & Friends, Ashley Cleveland, Matthew Perryman Jones, Phil Keaggy, Jeremy Lister, The Farewell Drifters, Shannon Whitworth, Yarn, The SteelDrivers, Shannon Sanders, and The Vespers. Lightning 100 Acoustic Stage performers were selected through an open submission process in partnership with AmericanSongspace.com.

EXPERIENCE A FABULOUS KICK OFF EVENT

Through a grant from South Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts, The Blind Boys of Alabama will headline Musicians Corner’s September 1 Fall Kick Off event, which also features main stage performances by a Nashville Symphony quartet, Karen Elson and Jeremy Lister. The Blind Boys of Alabama will also take part in a symposium titled “The Influence of Music on The Civil Rights Movement” earlier that day, presented in partnership with Fisk University and made possible through South Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts.

ENJOY TWO MORE VERY SPECIAL EVENTS

Musicians Corner Nashville

Hoots and Hellmouth

This fall, Musicians Corner will also present several special events in partnership with local music organizations. Saturday, September 15th will feature an Americana Music Festival event with Sam Bush, Hoots and Hellmouth, Charlie Faye, and more.

“We had a very successful partnership with Musicians Corner during last year’s festival and are looking forward to another wonderful afternoon of Americana music in Centennial Park,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association.

On Saturday, September 22, Musicians Corner and Music City Roots will present a Square Dance event featuring Carolyn Martin, folk trio The Stray Birds, and more artists to be announced.

Visit www.musicianscornernashville.com for more information!

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Album Review: Nobody Is Ok By This Is She

By on August 1, 2012 in Album & Song Reviews

Well, this is a little change of pace from the music we primarily focus on at FOCUS on the 615, which is usually country.  However, good music is just good music and if it’s coming out of Nashville, we will let you know about it if it catches our ears!

This Is She is a rock/pop/electronic/dance band based out of Los Angeles, California with a Nashville connection in lead singer, Alana Grace.  I’ve written about Alana as a solo artist, then when she was part of the group: TOY, now part of This Is She that is made up of 3 of the 4 members from TOY.  Ok, confused already? Don’t be! Just a name change, but same type music if you enjoyed TOY.

This Is She was introduced to a large Nashville audience most recently during the 4th of July celebration at Riverfront Park last month where they were met with rave reviews.  Their music can best be described as a mix of darkly-influenced melodies & lyrics blended with pop, rock, electronic, and dance influences.  You’ll even hear a little dubstep in the mix from time to time.  Led by Alana Grace whose vocals are most reminiscent of Amy Lee from Evanescence.  She is joined by lead guitarist, Christian Paul Meadows, and Ryan Folden on drums, who were both formerly of the band, After Midnight Project.

Check out their video below that was recently featured on the MTV Buzzworthy site:

With their debut EP release entitled Nobody Is Ok, you’ll find a mix of hauntingly-beautiful clear vocals mixed with the darkly-rooted melodies & lyrical themes intertwined with the pulsating constant rhythms, electronic additions/textures, and ambitious guitar licks.  This is not your bubblegum pop, but something that is more refined and geared towards an audience that wants a little more than just a simply good dance beat and simple lyrics that seem to dominate so much of the pop charts lately.  For example, they would not appeal to the same audience that enjoys “Call Me Maybe”.  I would say that a college crowd would be more attuned and appreciative of their music.

My favorite off the album is “Disobey”.  It’s dark, edgy, uptempo with a constant driving rhythm. This one has me hitting the repeat button often.

Check This Is She out at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thisisshemusic and you can buy their music on iTunes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

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Billboard and Pepsi Summer Beats Concert Series – Interview with Gloriana

By on July 31, 2012 in Special Events

Check out our interview with Gloriana from Billboard and Pepsi’s Summer Beats Concert Series in Nashville!

We also threw in a behind-the-scenes look at the media area… just so you know what we go through to bring these stories to you!

Read the full article of the event here!

Also, if you missed the event, you can watch Gloriana’s performance at pepsi.com!

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Billboard and Pepsi’s Summer Beats Concert Series Gets Country

By on July 31, 2012 in Special Events

The Live-Streamed Event Showcases New Music And Rising Stars

Summer Beats Nashville

Gloriana performing (Kissed You) Goodnight
Photo Credit: Sara Kauss/Getty Images North America

Last night, Billboard and Pepsi’s Summer Beats Concert Series rolled into Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom with a performance from Gloriana streamed live over the interwebs. The night also featured performances from Jana Kramer, Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann and Easton Corbin.

Although throughout the night we were under the impression that everyone would be streamed live, Gloriana still put on a great show as only the harmonizing trio can. The performance came on the eve of their sophomore album release, A Thousand Miles Left Behind, available NOW!

The highlight of the show was how the band utilized their social media presence to obtain some on-stage assistance: After asking if any fans were attending the show who were on a first date, one lucky new couple got to accompany the guys on stage during – you guessed it – (Kissed You) Goodnight. Naturally, the first-daters were asked to kiss at the climax of the song… and they did… a lot (left).

Watch it below!

 

 

The band was excited to perform some new material, although they had been awake since 3 a.m. EST to do Good Morning America! We had an on-air interview with the band. Watch that here!

We also caught up with Jana, Jerrod and Easton off-camera to discuss the Summer Beats Series and all the artists’ respective new music.

Long-time friend of FOCUS Jana Kramer is currently on tour with superstar Brad Paisley. When asked about the tour she stated:

“It’s going amazing! [Brad] is the most genuine, authentic, real, charismatic entertainer ever. He is an amazing person to learn from, and he’s just super gracious.”

Her single is approaching the top 10 with a bullet, and should get there next week! I asked what her next single is going to be, and although she is apparently sworn to secrecy, she did state that “One Tree Hill fans will be very happy.” (I’m going to SPECULATE it’s What I Love About Your Love… again, that’s unconfirmed, but if it proves true, just say you heard it here first.)

Summer Beats Nashville

Jerrod Niemann and Randy Houser arrive at Summer Beats

Jerrod Niemann’s highly anticipated sophomore album is dropping October 2nd, on the heels of his well-received new single Shinin’ On Me. Get excited about this album, because Jerrod is reinventing himself while staying true to his country music’s roots:

“We’ve departed from the straight-up digital recording. This is an analog/digital hybrid with a new technology called “clasp” that allows you to actually dump your analog recording into digital real time… the thing you get is that fat analog sound… I wanted to use instruments that cater to that… and I wanted to honor all areas of country music going back to the 20’s, but do our own interpretation.”

Easton Corbin – who was sporting an awesome Pabst Blue Ribbon belt buckle – has a new single out with Lovin’ You Is Fun, and a new album coming out September 18th, and he promises with this record, “the best is yet to come.”

“I think [this new album] shows a little growth as a new artist,” said Easton. “But that being said, it’s still right there doing that country thing…. I’m just really excited about it.”

Every artist expressed the same sentiment with regards to playing the Cannery Ballroom: it’s great to play in the 615!

“It’s just fun to be playing in Nashville!” said Jana. And Easton concurred, stating: “We actually never get to play in Nashville… I’m glad to be home!”

Did you miss the live stream last night? Don’t worry! Gloriana’s entire performance is available at pepsi.com!

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The Charlie Daniels Band & Friends Celebrate The 11th Annual Christmas 4 Kids Concert At The Ryman Auditorium

By on July 29, 2012 in In The Press

Nashville, Tenn. (July 25, 2012) – Grand Ole Opry member and music legend, Charlie Daniels announces the 11th Anniversary of The Charlie Daniels Band & Friends Concert to benefit Christmas 4 Kids (a division of Christmas For Kids, Inc.) will take place on Monday, November 19, 2012, at the historic Ryman Auditorium and will feature Phil Vassar and Thompson Square.  More acts will be announced in the coming weeks.  Fan club pre-sale tickets are available starting September 15 and all other tickets will be available starting September 29 on the Christmas 4 Kids website, with best seating priced at $60 and tier 2 seating priced at $32.50. Visit www.christmas4kids.org for more line-up announcements or to purchase tickets.

Christmas 4 Kids is a not-for-profit organization that has been in existence for over 25 years providing many children, each year, with their very own shopping spree. The funds generated by the concert, and the Tour Bus Show/Artist Meet and Greet event, are used to give over 400 children from 29 different schools a day-long shopping excursion. The special day consists of a chauffeured trip from their school aboard an entertainer’s luxury tour bus, lunch and a party hosted by Santa and Mrs. Claus. To wrap up the day, the tour buses journey to the Hendersonville, Tenn., Walmart, where the kids receive a brand new winter coat and $150.00 to spend on anything they want!

About Christmas 4 Kids:
For over twenty-five years, Christmas 4 Kids has been providing children in the Middle Tennessee area with this unique opportunity to experience Christmas in a new way. Last year, Christmas 4 Kids was able to give 450 children in the Middle Tennessee area a ride on a celebrity tour bus, a party with Santa and Mrs. Claus and the chance to buy presents for their friends and family at a local Wal-Mart. Proceeds from the 2012 Celebrity Golf Tournament, Christmas 4 Kids Concert and other events throughout the year will go to make this reality again in December 2012.

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