![]() Television singer-songwriter television series Troubadour, TX continued its celebrated run in brand new episodes of musical excellence. The Emmy nominated series premiered its first new episode September 27, 2014 across 14 million homes across mid-America. During the first three years, Troubadour, TX has introduced millions of fans to incredible artist stories following their Music, their Passion & their Journey. This year, Troubadour, TX spotlights the Music with exclusive showcase performances from a diverse and compelling array of singer/songwriters in listening rooms, concert halls and honky-tonks all across the lone Star State. Featured artists in the first three episodes include: Zane Williams, Cody Johnson, Kylie Rae Harris, Jackopierce, Andrew Ripp, Green River Ordinance, Jon Christopher Davis, Micky and the Motorcars, Kirk Thurmond & Texas Legend, Walt Wilkins, and Rodney Crowell. According to Wm. A. Landers, Co-creator & Executive Producer of TTX, “41E’s mantra is “Prepare for Places Unexpected”. These upcoming new episodes will not disappoint. We’ve found some great Texas music… and we’ve also discovered some really great music in Texas.” For more information about the series, broadcast times and stations, visit www.TroubadourTX.com Facebook and Twitter.
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![]() From CMA Up Close News Service By Bob Doerschuk © 2014 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc. Released Sept. 23 by Sugar Hill Records, Lee Ann Womack’s The Way I’m LIvin’ begins with a wounded whisper, followed by a gospel rouser that somehow begs for mercy while asserting the fervor of devotion, a heartbreaking account of one more night in a forsaken saloon, an exhilarating, string-soared plea for some way to reconcile these extremes … and so on through 13 songs that unfold like chapters in recounting a life nearly lost to turbulence and trouble. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this celebration of narrative writing and nuanced vocal interpretation is that it all came together without much design. In fact, there was only one light guiding Womack and her producer/ husband Frank Liddell as they took their first steps in preproduction. “The only agenda I had was to not think about anything except: Is this a great song or not? Is this a song that moves me or not? So when we were done, these are the songs we ended up with,” Womack explained. “Over the years, Lee Ann and I would set aside songs that we like,” said Liddell. “I’ve always brought her songs. In fact, I’ve pitched some of her bigger hits to her. We always had that connection. I always thought she was a really good song listener. She has always listened and said, ‘I really like that’ as opposed to ‘What will this do for me?’ There’s not a lot of marketing thought behind it. She either likes it or she doesn’t.” Womack’s respect and empathy for the marriage of strong melody and eloquent lyrics elevates her performance, suggests which words she will push slightly, the twists on the tune and other subtleties that mark her reach for each song’s essence, even its reason for existence. Take the opening track, “Fly.” Written by Brent Cobb and Reed Foehl, it’s given a hushed, almost reverent treatment — unusual and even risky for kicking off any album. But in the context of The Way I’m Livin’, the selection and placement are perfect. “It didn’t take long before I said, ‘Let’s just cut this one with acoustic guitar,’” Womack said. “That’s not really done at all anymore. But I just felt like stripping everything away to just a little bit of accompaniment to let this melody and lyric carry it.” For both Womack and Liddell, “Chances Are” (Hayes Carll), the third track, is a diamond among the album’s varied gems. “The melody is unbelievable,” she noted. “It’s the kind of melody I can really get around. It’s Country but it has bluesy/jazzy influences to it. It’s got big, open spaces. The lyric is so vulnerable, but the character in the song lets me access not only my technique but also my soul.” That character is a woman who has lived too long paled by neon lights and too often adrift after last call. “Oh, I’ve been there,” Womack admitted, with a laugh. “I know what the guitar sounds like coming out of a jukebox with the natural reverb of a room in a honky-tonk, with the neon glowing. That’s very familiar to me. I’m not one of those artists that act like everything is pretty and shiny all the time. That’s not what I do.” Ultimately, The Way I’m Livin’ is a statement of faith — faith that the power and pain and reality in the heart of Country Music will always be kept alive, whether by Brandy Clark, Allison Moorer, Kacey Musgraves and other young innovators or by those who have long been rooted in tradition while reaching toward new generations. “It’s always important to go back to the source, no matter if you’re writing a research paper or you’re a guitar player,” Womack insisted. “But the real, true artists don’t need me to tell them that. They’re going to seek that out because they’re going to feel it and know it in their heart. They’ll know it when they find the real deal.” Visit www.CMACloseUp.com for more on the making of The Way I’m Livin’. On the Web: www.LeeAnnWomack.com On Twitter: @LeeAnnWomack ![]() Nashville, TN – Sept. 29, 2014 – Multi-CMA nominee Dierks Bentley wrapped the first leg of his 2014 RISER TOUR with capacity crowds as the tour made its final stops across the Midwest. He capped the weekend with his 9th Annual Miles & Music For Kids event raising $335,479 for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, notching the event’s biggest donation to date. "I’m still coming down from the high of such an unbelievable last run of shows on the summer leg of this tour,” said Bentley. "The fans in Cincy, Cleveland and Indianapolis were ready to close out their summer in a big way. Then we got back to Nashville, and I was totally blown away by the outpouring of support we got for this year's 'Miles & Music.' This little event we started nine years ago has taken on a life of its own. I feel like I'm just a small part of this thing. It has really become about country music fans and bikers coming together to help our community and those kids. It's incredible." Critics echoed fan enthusiasm, claiming “crowds from coast to coast now know Bentley's strengths as a headliner” (Indianapolis Star) and noting Bentley was “captivating, leaving the 20,000 fans eagerly awaiting more” (The Plain Dealer). The Platinum selling singer/songwriter will kick off the second leg of the 2014 RISER TOUR with new openers Randy Houser and Eric Paslay this week in arenas across the west coast. With five nominations, Bentley recently received the most nods of any male artist forthe upcoming 48th Annual CMA Awards including "Male Vocalist of the Year," "Album of the Year" for RISER, "Song of the Year” for “I Hold On" and "Single of the Year" and "Music Video of the Year” for his most recent chart-topper and Platinum certified “Drunk On A Plane.” For more information and a full list of tour dates, please visit www.dierks.com ![]() Nashville, TN - September 29, 2014 - Country singer-songwriter Sandra Lynn recently released a lyric video for her popular track, "Hangin' Witchu". Following the success of Sandra's country music debut with the inspirational tune, "You Belong", the country songstress gives fans a fun lyric video for "Hangin' Witchu". The song, produced by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, is the second lyric video from Sandra's self-titled EP released in April 2014. Directed by the talented, J. Bryan Dill the lyric video tells a sweet story through polaroid pictures that fans are sure to love! Sandra felt so moved by the song that she created the treatment for the video, sharing, "To me, it’s that perfect combination of a little bit playful, charming, and goofy. So when we talked about making the lyric video for this tune, I wanted to try to emulate those characteristics in my own way by showing fans a bit of my personality as well as our rendition on what the song is about, with the support of the song's lyrics. By doing so, I took a pencil and paper, and started drawing out storyboards by hand, frame by frame, to come up with the silly and playful things myself, and the actor I’m working with, do in this video. From there, video director and editors, J. Bryan Dill and Hunter Dice brought it to life in a really creative Polaroid, snapshot-of-life type manner". You can watch the lyric video "Hangin' Witchu" HERE. Sandra Lynn on Twitter Sandra Lynn on Facebook (September 29, 2014) It’s been a red-hot summer for Chris Young! The RCA Records singer spent the weekend closing out the first leg of Dierks Bentley’s RISER Tour, joining to play to packed houses in sixteen major markets over five months. In addition to performing for capacity crowds on the RISER Tour, Young has amassed eighteen of his own sold-out headlining dates during that same span.
The country’s critics are noticing Young’s star power, with rave reviews for his live show: “With a headline-worthy hit-filled repertoire, Young controls the stage with confidence…sustained, deafening standing ovation, the likes of which usually only erupt for megastars.” – UT San Diego “Young was commanding and confident throughout his set, which relied heavily on his biggest asset: his vocals.” – Houston Chronicle “…his ability to command the stage…separated him…” – Cleveland.com “…proved that he could be a headliner in his own right.” – Times Leader Next up for Young are shows in Selma, NC (10/4), Nacogdoches, TX (10/9) and Biloxi, MS (10/10). Chris Young’s latest album A.M. has already yielded the Gold certified, sixth chart-topper “Who I Am With You” and Top 5 hit and Gold certified single “Aw Naw.” His latest hit, “Lonely Eyes,” is quickly climbing the charts. Join the conversation with Chris Young’s more than 2.1 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and get tickets to catch him on tour at www.chrisyoungcountry.com. ![]() NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Sept. 29, 2014) - - It’s almost time! Athena® bottled water will hold their private “Eat. Drink. Party Pink!” event in Nashville tomorrow, Sept. 30, hosted by Ashley Eicher of AXS-TV. The invitation-only festivities will kick off Breast Cancer Awareness month and feature performances from Athena® Warriors Amy Grant and Kellie Pickler. To continue the fight against breast cancer, Athena will donate $5 (up to a total of $25,000) to the American Cancer Society for everyone that tweets or re-tweets the following message between Sept. 29 and Oct. 3 at http://athenawater.com/tweet: “1 mention of #PARTYPINK = $5 donation to @AmericanCancer! RT to join me & @AthenaWater in supporting the cause.” Tomorrow morning (Sept. 30), Grant will appear on NBC-TV’s “Today,” where she will debut her new song “Welcome Yourself.” After a quick flight home to Nashville, she will then perform the song for the first time in a concert setting at the “Eat. Drink. Party Pink!” Event. The song will be available for sale on iTunes beginning tomorrow, with seventy-seven (77) cents from each download (through December 31, 2014) going to support the American Cancer Society’s fight to end breast cancer. “Amy’s song speaks to so many women who are busy caring for others and do not welcome themselves to the moment,” says Donna Staton, Vice President Marketing, Athena. “The funds raised from this song will support education and research programs and will make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.” Athena bottled water supports the American Cancer Society in the fight to end breast cancer. The company’s donation will benefit the Society’s groundbreaking cancer research, help those diagnosed with cancer, and ensure access to screenings and treatment. For breast cancer information or support, contact your American Cancer Society 24 hours a day at 800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org. ![]() (NASHVILLE, Tenn.) Dallas native and rising country singer Jenna Jentry's mixture of big city country and small town charm has led to opening slots with The Band Perry, Scotty McCreery, Travis Tritt and others. More significantly, it caught the attention of country star and "redneck woman" Gretchen Wilson, who produced Jentry's self-titled EP. Due Oct. 14 through powerhouse independent distributor Sony/RED, Jenna Jentry is led by single "Wise Advice," on which the newcomer has solo writing credit. Tracks also include "When It Wanders," "Scared" and "Only By The Grace Of God." Among her co-writers are Kevin DeClue (Hilary Duff) and Bruce Wallace (Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Katie Armiger). "Jenna has a very unique voice and writing technique that stands apart from other females in the industry," says Wilson, who knows a thing or two about multi-platinum success. "It was a pleasure working with her in the studio!" Born in Dallas and raised outside of the city, Jentry began writing poetry at the age of five and eventually fused her love of meter and verse with a deep appreciation for music. Commuting between Dallas and Nashville after college led her to make the commitment to Music City full-time. Associations with Sony/RED and Wilson soon followed. "I've spent the past two years completely submersed in Nashville writing and growing as an artist," she says. "I was lucky enough to be surrounded by talented and influential people in the industry, like Gretchen Wilson, and I absorbed all the knowledge I possible could from them. Im really proud of the four songs that made the EP, some brand new and some re-produced, and I think my fans that have grown with me along this journey will really connect with them as well." For more on Jenna, visit www.jennajentry.com ![]() Minneapolis based band American Scarecrows is honoring their late dear friend Johnny Nyquist with a free download of their single "Johnny Took A Jetpack." Nyquist fought an incredibly rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, Angiosarcoma, that took his life in December 2013 at the young age of 29. The band is offering the song for free on its website, along with a link to make donations to Angiosarcoma Awareness in Nyquist’s memory. Seth Davin from the band says, "My hope in releasing this song for free is to raise awareness and funding for research on angiosarcoma in our friend's name. Continue John's noble fight against this cancer. We invite you to share the song, share the page and continue being excellent to each other. In Johnny's words 'You guys go enjoy.'" Yesteryear, the band's album which was released this past June, was dedicated to their dear friend. Read the full story, download "Johnny Took A Jetpack" and donate here. (Nashville, Tenn. - Sept. 24, 2014) –Online social network and country lifestyle portal Digital Rodeo held their second successful installment of the DRX Monthly Showcase Series on Sept. 23 at 3rd and Lindsley, with live streaming numbers and industry representative attendance tripling since last month’s event.
The DRX monthly showcases highlight some of the platform’s most promising Country artists and help to promote some of the website’s featured unsigned acts. The September DRX showcase featured acts Chad Pfeifer, J. Michael Harter, Maddie Deneault, Stephanie Quayle, and Craig Morrison, and was hosted by Bryan White. To learn more about the artists, please visit their artist profiles on www.DigitalRodeo.com. Each act performed two songs, fronted by Digital Rodeo's house band, which includes members Tim Horsley (drums), Robbie Emerson (bass, vocals), Erik Halbig (guitar), Mike Webb (keys), and Scotty Huff (guitar, vocals, music director). Each DRX monthly showcase is held at 3rd and Lindsley and is free and open to the public. DRX Artist Showcases are streamed live and can be viewed on the DRX Live! Channel here ![]() Stoney LaRue will make his debut performance at the Ryman Auditorium on November 15th for both the 7:00 pm and the 9:30 pm shows at the Grand Ole Opry! Tickets are on sale on the Opry.com website. You will not want to miss this performance! Click here to get your tickets! It's also only a month away from the release of Stoney's new album "Aviator," which features the hit songs "First One To Know" and "Golden Shackles!" Get your pre-orders by clicking here, including a special release on vinyl! |
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