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The Band Perry To Release Sophomore Album on April 2nd

By on January 10, 2013 in In The Press

Lead Single, “Better Dig Two,” Lays Strong Foundation For Upcoming Project With Over 650,000 Downloads Sold

The Band PerryHot sibling trio, The Band Perry, will release their sophomore album (title TBA) on April 2. If the lead single, “Better Dig Two,” is any indication, the family band’s upcoming project on Republic Nashville is poised for success. In a mere two months, the Top 10-and-climbing tune has become their fastest-rising single to date and has already sold over 650,000 downloads.

As special guests on Rascal Flatts’ CHANGED TOUR, The Band Perry will take a break from recording this weekend and head to Green Bay, WI tonight (1/10); Moline, IL on 1/11 and Springfield, MO on 1/12 where they will unveil their new show, complete with stellar production and a sneak preview of new music from their forthcoming release.

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Where Music Meets The Outdoors, There’s A Camo-Guitar!

By on January 10, 2013 in In The Press

Hank Williams Jr. & Andy Ross Combine Forces for Your Chance to Win!

Hank Jr. GuitarIf country music and the great outdoors were to meet, the crossroad would probably result in a camouflage guitar.  Such was the thinking of famed hunter and entrepreneur, Andy Ross, star of the Sportsman Channel’s TV show “Maximum Archery.”  The custom Krossroad guitar emblazoned in the ever-popular Realtree™ camouflage is now a reality…and thanks to Country Music superstar Hank Williams Jr., Krossroad Guitars™ and Andy Ross, fans will have the opportunity to win one autographed by Hank through a contest on Facebook!!

To enter, between now and January 31, simply LIKE all three Facebook pages at the hyperlinks provided below:

1.     Andy Ross Official
2.     Krossroad Guitars
3.     Hank Williams Jr.

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Grand Ole Opry To Make Debut At CRS 2013

By on January 7, 2013 in In The Press

Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Dustin Lynch, Scotty McCreery, Vince Gill and others to perform

CRS 2013

Country Radio Seminar has announced that a performance of country music’s most famous show, the Grand Ole Opry, will kick-off CRS 2013 on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. The event will be held inside the Performance Hall at the Nashville Convention Center.

Artists confirmed to perform are Grand Ole Opry members Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Vince Gill along with Dustin Lynch and Scotty McCreery.  Additional performers will be released in the coming weeks.  The two-hour event will commence at 7 p.m., immediately following the annual CRS Artist/Attendee Welcome Reception. All CRS attendees can attend.

The Opry, radio’s longest-running program, has only rarely staged shows outside its regular program schedule and its permanent home (the Grand Ole Opry House) or its winter residence (Ryman Auditorium). Past Opry performances played outside the show’s home venues include performances staged at prestigious theaters such as New York City’s Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

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Bo Bice Is Back – And Headed To Broadway!

By on December 19, 2012 in In The Press

Bice to make Broadway debut in ‘Pump Boys & Dinettes’ March 2013

Bo BiceBo Bice, Sugar Money Records artist, signs with newly-formed Altar Agency and announces the upcoming lead role in the revival of the 1980’s Broadway musical ‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’. The production will be held at the Circle in the Square Theater with preview performances to commence March 19, 2013 with an official open April 8th.

The original production opened off-Broadway in 1981 and moved to Broadway in February 1982, completing 573 performances over 16 months.  The musical is a tribute to rural American life centered around a roadside restaurant and filling station on Highway 57 in North Carolina.  Tony winner John Doyle (for “Sweeny Todd”, Director) is also set to direct the ‘Pump Boys’ revival, where the cast ensemble doubles as the show’s band.  It received both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Musical.

Bice, a runner-up finalist to Carrie Underwood on American Idol’s fourth season, has released three studio albums. He has also recorded and performed with Carlos Santana, Ritchie Sambora, Willie Nelson, Chad Kroeger and Lynyrd Skynyrd, amongst others, and is now expanding his already eclectic repertoire to include Broadway.

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Warner Music Nashville/Word Entertainment Christmas Memories

By on December 18, 2012 in In The Press

Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton

Christmas at the Shelton/Lambert Household:
Christmas in the Shelton/Lambert household is probably like a lot of y’all’s Christmases out there. It’s chaos and we don’t have any kids, so we’re the ones that travel to everyone else’s houses. So we start down in Lindale, TX on Christmas Eve with Miranda’s family, and we always wake up there on Christmas morning and open presents – that’s where Santa comes – then we put everything in the car and drive all the way back to Oklahoma. Then we have Christmas day with my family. Normally on either side of that Miranda and I will try to have our Christmas just she and I together. It’s normally a wrapping night where we wrap everybody’s presents… or actually I stand there and mix her drinks and watch her wrap everybody’s presents, cuz I can’t warp worth crap. But I like it; I like how we do our thing and I think she does too.

Special Christmas Drink:
I don’t think I really have a special Christmas drink. I mean we always – all of us, Miranda’s family, my family – we always have a few drinks during Christmas. While we were making the album, though, I was actually drinking a little bit of wine, believe it or not, just to kinda kick back and try to get in that laid back state of mind that you’d picture Dean Martin or one of those guys doing when they get in the studio.

Favorite Christmas Memory:
My favorite Christmas memory probably just happened last year. You always have all the different things that happen, whether it’s a gift or whatever, but the last Christmas I spent with my dad was actually in a hospital room. Everybody had all their Christmases going on and for whatever reason everybody had been in the hospital room with my dad all day; then people went on to go do their Christmases at their homes and I decided, ‘I’m just gonna stay here with my dad.’ And me and my dad sat in that hospital room together and laughed all night. We watched a marathon of Dumbest Stuff on Wheels together on Christmas Eve and man, I wouldn’t trade that time with him for anything. That’s something I’ll never forget.
http://www.blakeshelton.com

 More below from Faith Hill, Hunter Hayes, Jana Kramer, Brett Eldredge, Big & Rich, The Farm, and others! Continue Reading →

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VIDDY Makes Official Debut On Android Handheld Devices

By on December 18, 2012 in In The Press

Billboard Reports: Viddy Comes to 757 Android-Based Smartphones and Tablets, 16 Languages via Google Play

Connecting people through mobile video sharing, VIDDY today announced availability of its native Android mobile video app.

Using Viddy, consumers can use their iPhones, iPads, iPods or Android-based phones and tablets such as LG’s Nexus 4, Samsung’s Nexus 10 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 to easily create, beautify and share mobile videos.

“It’s still early days for mobile video,” said Viddy CEO Brett O’Brien in an interview with Billboard.biz. “The technology is just now making it possible for us to reach a mainstream audience, and Android will help us continue to grow.”

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Lee Brice Celebrates Fastest Rising Single Of His Career With “I Drive Your Truck”

By on December 18, 2012 in In The Press

“Hard 2 Love” Makes “Best Of 2012” New York Times And Itunes Lists

Lee BriceAward-winning singer/songwriter Lee Brice celebrates the fastest rising single of his career this week as “I Drive Your Truck” continues to be the most added country single over the past three weeks, barreling into Billboard’s Top 30 after only two weeks of airplay. The new single follows Brice’s No. one hit “Hard To Love,” which receives platinum certification today by the RIAA for one million single sales.

“I can’t think of a better way to end the year than this,” said Brice. “I’m floored by the support of my friends at country radio and my fans who continue to believe in me…can’t wait for 2013!”

Brice’s moving new single follows two consecutive PLATINUM certified No. one hits off his sophomore release HARD 2 LOVE on Curb Records, which was named one of The New York Time’s Top 10 Albums of 2012 alongside artists including Frank Ocean, Kesha and Taylor Swift. iTunes also handpicked the album as part of their Best of 2012 feature as the Top Breakthrough Country Album of the Year.

The former college football player will wrap 2012 as the halftime entertainment at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX on New Year’s Eve. For a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.leebrice.com.

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Little Big Town Wraps Up 2012 With Performance On The Season Finale Of The X Factor

By on December 18, 2012 in In The Press

Little Big TownCountry foursome Little Big Town will wrap up 2012 with a performance of their #1 hit single “Pontoon” on the live part 1 season finale of The X Factor tomorrow at 8/7 C on FOX.

They will be performing with finalist Tate Stevens.

The band has had a banner year with the release of their critically-acclaimed fifth studio album Tornado, which was recently certified gold by the RIAA, and features the CMA “Single of the Year – Pontoon” as well as current single “Tornado.” Little Big Town also walked away with the CMA “Vocal Group of the Year” trophy and most recently the ACA for “Music Video of the Year: Group or Collaboration-Pontoon.” The group will vie for “Best Country Duo/Group Performance-Pontoon” at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards this February.

Little Big Town will launch The Tornado Tour January 31, 2012 in Murray, KY and will hit over 25 cities nationwide with special guests Kacey Musgraves and David Nail.

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It’s A Wonderful Time Of The Year For Kellie Pickler

By on December 18, 2012 in In The Press

Rolling Stone, Washington Post, Rhapsody, AOL’s The Boot and More Name Pickler’s 100 Proof “Best Of 2012”

Kellie PicklerSpearheaded by the release of her critically-acclaimed album 100 Proof in early January and rounded out with the signing of a new record deal with Black River Entertainment in October, the year 2012 has meant tons of excitement and career momentum for country music songstress Kellie Pickler. Now, as the nation’s top music critics reflect on what a year it’s been with their “Best Of 2012” album nods, Pickler celebrates the merriment of the season with coveted placement at the top of Rolling Stone’s “Best Country Albums of 2012” list, No. 7 on Washington Post’s “Best Music of 2012” list, No. 2 on Rhapsody’s “Top 30 Country Albums for 2012,” and No. 6 on AOL’s The Boot “Best Country Albums of 2012.” Fans can expect 2013 to also be an exciting year for Pickler as she gears up to release a new single from her forthcoming new album.

Alongside their top rating, Rolling Stone wrote, “100 Proof may be the best traditionalist album of the year. Pickler wraps her big lustrous voice around old-fashioned honky tonk, rollicking road stories and big ballads, all produced with a perfect balance of throwback twang and contemporary sheen.” Critic Chris Richards from the Washington Post added, “Pickler uses that big voice to sing big songs about no-good men, absentee parents, the ghost of Tammy Wynette and her own backbone, which suddenly sounds as if it were made of aerospace-grade titanium.” Lastly, AOL’s The Boot says, “Kellie included what are perhaps the most personal songs of her career, ‘Mother’s Day,’ and ‘The Letter (To Daddy)’, on the project, wearing her heart on her musical sleeve.”

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Country Duo Kingston Nominated for Ryan Seacrest’s Featured Artist of the Year

By on December 18, 2012 in In The Press

KingstonAmong the rising stars chosen for RyanSeacrest.com’s Favorite Featured Artist of 2012 is country music’s own Kingston! The fresh faces took 2012 by storm with their cover songs and original content thanks to the use of social media. The nominees are the top 10 artists of 2012 that were featured on RyanSeacrest.com.

“Kingston doubles the fun, doubles the talent and doubles the eye candy as the country twin shows us what raw talent is really about!” said RyanSeacrest.com.

Vote in the poll below for Round 1 of the top featured artist of 2012. Voting ends on Wednesday, December 19.
http://ryanseacrest.com/2012/12/13/vote-for-your-favorite-ryanseacrest-com-featured-artist-of-the-year-round-1/

Signed to Parallel Entertainment’s management roster, Kingston (previously known as The Carter Twins) have written with some of the top writers in town and have been lucky enough to share the stage with acts such as Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean and Phil Vassar. The country duo was introduced to the Nashville music scene in 2009 with their debut EP The Carter Twins which featured the CMT award-nominated track “Heart Like Memphis.” 

And next year, you can see Kingston performing live at the Music in Motion on the Ocean benefit!

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