Nashville, TN (November 20, 2014) - Nationally-syndicated television show Texas Music Scene will air a special tribute to the late Ray Price billed as a "Backstage Pass on Ray Price's Final Album."  This special documentary-style edition will air November 21 through Sunday, November 23.  The episode includes interviews with Ray's widow, Janie, and SiriusXM personality Dallas Wayne.  The two discuss the lateCountry Music Hall of Famer's life, career and last CD, BEAUTY IS ... the final sessions, as well as share priceless memories.

Taped October 3 at Fort Worth's iconic Billy Bob's, this episode kicks off with an introduction by Ray Benson, who refers to Price as a "Texas Legend," and notes, "Ray's musical legacy will live on forever." 

Benson's prediction appears to be true:  The album debuted on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at #22, and features on Price have appeared in USA Today and numerous other major publications, including Country Weekly's 20th Anniversary "Legends of Country" Collector's Edition (on stands now).  Janie Price continues to share memories of her husband and his musicwith various media outlets, including RFD's Larry's Family Reunion, SiriusXM'sElvis Radio and Road Dog Truckingchannels, Westwood One's Country Gold With Randy Owen and many others. 

Produced by Grammy award-winning hit maker and Price's longtime friend Fred Foster, BEAUTY IS ... highlights Ray's signature string and Shuffle sounds, and features duets with Vince Gill and Martina McBride.  Released on Amerimonte Records, this iconic project is available at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations as well as Hastings, Walmart and online retailers, including Amazon. 

View show times and channels here.

To stay updated on Ray Price, simply visit www.beautyisrayprice.com.

Photo Above: Dallas Wayne, Janie Price, Tom Hoitsma (TMS Executive Producer), Tony Gates (TMS producer and Director), and Kaden Gates (TMS Production Asst.). Courtesy So Much Moore Media 

(LOS ANGELES) - Award-winning singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith fuses rock 'n' roll edge and stand-up comic wit into performances he likes to characterize as "Johnny Carson meets the Rolling Stones." And now, he's bringing his well-honed show to theaters across North America - the kinds of stages both the Stones and Carson played once upon a time, along with musical luminaries like Tom Waits, who singled out an Eaglesmith song, "Your Sister Cried," when asked to recall the last time a piece of music had moved him to tears. "It just tore me up," Waits said of the song's lyrics.

Eaglesmith, it should be noted, is equally adept at provoking laughter and tears, which speaks to his skill at conveying the complexities of human experience. Though he's a rocker as much as a singer-songwriter, don't let his playing chops fool you. He's about crafting songs - songs that get to the heart of any matter, and can resonate with both fellow songwriters and the barstool-perching legionnaires at the far-flung posts he's also taken to playing.

Eaglesmith has always been an independent explorer, seeking new ways to challenge himself and engage fans, musically and otherwise. Trundling his band from stage to stage in a vegetable-oil-powered converted school bus, he recently broke new ground with Fred Eaglesmith - Your Sister Cried his "Legions of Legions" tour of Canadian legion halls. Expanding into theaters is another new direction for this club and festival favorite.

From his mid-show pie auctions to fund Operation Smile surgeries for children to his Annual Fred Eaglesmith Charity Picnic, which has grown into a three-day, family-friendly event benefiting a different cause each year, he's certainly proven that he knows how to entertain. In fact, an entire theatrical production, "Dear Johnny Deere," was crafted from Eaglesmith's songs; the musical debuted in 2012 to critical acclaim which included a four out of four star review in the Toronto Starwhich called the production a "winner."

Eaglesmith's genre-spanning songs have been recorded by artists including Miranda Lambert, Cowboy Junkies, Todd Snider, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith (in 2003, several others contributed toThe Songs of Fred Eaglesmith: A Tribute). Tambourine and his other recent releases, 6 Volt and Cha Cha Cha, are filled with songs that also stick with listeners long after the last note, sometimes grooving and haunting simultaneously. Inspired by the era when cars had five-button AM radios and stations played Blonde on Blonde tracks next to "96 Tears," Tambourine's tremoloed guitar licks and sha-la-la harmonies evoke rock's golden age while remaining true to Eaglesmith's timeless muse - the same muse that drives him to paint, and to use those paintings to fund his albums.

Yeah, some people might just try to relax between their 200 gigs a year, or at least let somebody else do the bus driving and repair work. Not Fred Eaglesmith, whose creativity and dedication refuse to go on vacation. But one thing's sure; he'll never die of boredom. And neither will his fans.

For tour dates and more, visit here

CMA Award winner Joe Nichols will round out the week with a headlining performance of his latest hit “Hard To Be Cool” as part of the premiere of CMT HOT 20 COUNTDOWN at Murray State University, airing this Saturday, Nov. 22 at 11 am ET/PT and repeating on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 11 am ET/PT. The first of its kind, the CMT HOT 20 COUNTDOWN at Murray State University celebrates the college's majority win in CMT’s “Hot Country College Town” sweepstakes, battling schools across the U.S. to prove it had the biggest country music fans.

In addition to Nichols, the exclusive lineup will feature rising star Chase Bryant and Big & Rich, with each act providing a rocking performance for the boisterous student body of Murray State University as HOT 20 hosts Cody Alan and Katie Cook emcee the special night.

For more information on CMT HOT 20 COUNTDOWN and to catch the performance online post-show, please visit:http://www.cmt.com/show/hot_20_countdown/

“Hard To Be Cool” is featured on Joe’s latest album, CRICKETS, available for purchase on iTunes at:http://smarturl.it/GetCrickets

For information on Joe Nichols and a list of upcoming tour dates, please visit: http://www.joenichols.com

Wade Bowen – and his many fans - are heading into the holiday season with a lot to be thankful for.  His latest album, a spirited self-titled independent release is not only making waves with the press, but also making Wade new fans. Released on October 28th,WADE BOWEN reached as high as #4 on the overall iTunes chart and an astounding #2 on the iTunes Country charts.  The collection’s first single, "When I Woke Up Today" is #1 3 weeks in a row now on the Texas Music Chart and Texas Regional Radio Report.  This record is easily Wade’s biggest independent record, enjoying success on par with his major label offering. Earlier this week the video for When I Woke Up Today premiered on The Wall Street Journal (HERE). In other exciting news, Wade will make his national television debut at the top of the year on Conan.

Well-known in his native Texas, Wade’s appeal is deservedly being discovered nationwide. NPR’s Ann Powers says, in reference to the song Long Enough to be a Memory, "Bowen's calm delivery is perfectly reflective, framed by gentle guitar lines in a sideways motion, like rain on a moving windshield. The self-titled album that contains this song is his seventh. He has honed his singer-songwriterly sound so that it reflects both urbane Nashville and independent-minded Texas..."

PopMatters, upon streaming the album early said  "Any fan of true country music from Bakersfield to Nashville will find plenty to like amongst the twelve tunes of Bowen's new record." Chuck Dauphin, writing in Billboard notes, “The disc contains some of Bowen's most potent lyrical work to date, such as the moving "When I Woke Up Today." Rolling Stone Country announced the album and noted, "The new album, while broad in its relatability, is also one of Bowen's more personal.”

A staple of the Texas Music charts, and a notorious road warrior, Bowen has sold over half a million album in his short career, sung duets with the likes of Will Hoge ("Another Song Nobody Will Hear") and Brandy Clark, (the duet of "Love in the First Degree" on the successful compilation "High Cotton: A Tribute to Alabama"), and been featured on compilations alongside the likes of Charlie Daniels, Old Crow Medicine Show, Eli Young Band and The Blind Boys from Alabama. His Wade Bowen Classic golf tournament has raised over 1 million dollars to benefit children's charities across central Texas.

So if you haven’t heard of WADE BOWEN for one, - and to paraphrase Mr. Lyle Lovett, - that’s right you’re not from Texas and secondly – you’re about to.  Every story has a next chapter and for Wade Bowen, this new self-titled album, is it.

Good news for American Aquarium fans! New music from the band will be released on February 3rd, 2015. Wolves, the Pledge funded project, will be available on iTunes and the band's official website which will launch in a few weeks. 

In more good news, they have readied music videos for “Wolves” and “Man I’m Supposed To Be” that will be released over the next few months.

Head on over to their current website for more information on the band and to hear some tunes.

REK is releasing a new record, a bluegrass album, on February 10th, but you can pre-order your copy now. Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, will be available on cd and limited edition 2XLP 180gram gold vinyl that comes with five extra songs not found on the cd. All pre-orders include a download of the first single "Hot Corn, Cold Corn." 

Why a Bluegrass record? “I've had a lifelong love of bluegrass,” says Keen. “I've always had an affinity for music that I felt like you'd listen to in your living room. Music that felt real. My mom liked the old hillbilly music, and as a kid, I used to fall asleep listening to an 8-track tape of Jimmie Rodgers' greatest hits. When I was in 9th grade, one of my first dates was taking a girl to a bluegrass festival. That sounds crazy for someone in Texas. But I was fascinated with that music, even though it wasn't part of the gulf coast at all. When I started playing, my first guitar hero was Norman Blake. In college, I had a bluegrass band called the Front Porch Boys, went to fiddle contests, learned a jillion fiddle and old-timey songs. My whole education in music started with bluegrass.

“And that's partly where the album title comes from,” he continues. “I've been listening to it forever, I love it, and so I feel like I'm something of a happy prisoner of bluegrass."

Vinyl Track List:

Side A:

1. Hot Corn, Cold Corn
2. 52 Vincent Black Lightning
3. Footprints in the Snow
4. 99 Years For One Dark Day (feat. Peter Rowan)
5. East Virginia Blues

Side B:

1. Poor Ellen Smith
2. Long Black Veil
3. This World Is Not My Home
4. T For Texas (feat. Lyle Lovett)

Side C:

1. Peter Rowan Intro
2. Walls Of Time
3. White Dove
4. Old Home Place
5. Twisted Laurel
6. Wayfaring Stranger (feat. Natalie Maines)

Happy Prisoner on vinyl includes 5 extra songs not available on the CD!

Side D:

1.  Little Log Cabin Home On The Hill
2.  Dark As A Dungeon
3.  I'm Troubled, I'm Troubled
4.  14 Carat Mind
5.  Steam Powered Aeroplane

For more information and to pre-order visit here

Randy Montana released his EP, Put Me In A Box, on November 18th. The project includes five new songs Randy co-wrote and produced. He spent much of 2014 focusing on the project and has said that Put Me In A Box speaks from a wiser, more mature place.

Put Me In A Box EP Track Listing

1. “Put Me In A Box” R. Montana & E. Dylan
2. “Young In This Town” R. Montana, T. Reeve, & J. Hoge
3. “Practice Swing” R. Montana & B. Chaffin
4. “Train Wreck” R. Montana & C. Wilson
5. “Creepin’ Up On Me” R. Montana & B. Chaffin

You can listen to clips of the songs on randymontana.com and be sure to check his tour schedule for the month of November as he hits the road to promote the Put Me In A Box EP.  

The EP is available on iTunes.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Tue. Nov. 18) -- Truth & Salvage Co. is set to release a new single called “Black Ribbon Highway” on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. Co-written by guitarist/vocalist Scott Kinnebrew and his father Michael Kinnebrew last year, the song was inspired by the elder Kinnebrew’s adventures as a youth splitting time between oil prospecting with his “wildcatter” father across East Texas and being “schooled on the hard-working ranch of a crusty, homesteading, cowboy uncle,” as he describes it, on the plains of eastern New Mexico. 

Watch a preview of the new song here: http://bit.ly/TSCo_BlackRibbonHighway_TeaserVid.

This will be T&SCo’s first release after parting ways with the record label and management they’d been with since their 2008 inception. “It was great working with Pete [Angelus, of Angelus Entertainment],” says Scott Kinnebrew, “he introduced us to the Black Crowes and to Megaforce Records and we had a wild and fun ride with them.” However, after two albums and an EP (including their self-titled debut produced by the Crowes’ Chris Robinson) and five years of steady road work with the Crowes, the Avett Brothers and many others, the band needed to hit the reset button and take a breather. 

Now, having toured extensively behind last year’s well-received, self-produced album, Pick Me Up, the band members find themselves “experiencing an enjoyable diaspora,” says Kinnebrew, with drummer/vocalist Bill “Smitty” Smith taking time off in Lafayette, Louisiana, pianist/vocalist Walker Young living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, organist and keys player Adam Grace living in Tupelo, Mississippi, guitarist/vocalist Tim Jones and bassist Dean Moore holding down base camp in Nashville, and Kinnebrew hanging tough in the underbelly of Hollywood, where the band spent their initial phase. 

Plans to write, record and resume touring are set for the spring of 2015. In the meantime, the release of “Black Ribbon Highway” is meant to “keep the fire burning with our fans while we’re off the road,” Kinnebrew says, and in a small way to welcome to the world T&SCo’s first “band baby,” Smitty’s daughter with his wife Monti, Charlie Marie.
Says Kinnebrew, “The circumstances of this song are so unique and tied to family that the band felt we’d best serve the song by offering it as a single now, during the holidays, rather than holding the song until another record was ready.”

“Black Ribbon Highway” -- The Backstory
Michael Kinnebrew’s summer months as a pre-teen in the Fifties were spent with his uncle at the Reversed LK Bar ranch in eastern New Mexico. In the non-summer months he’d drive with his dad all around the mammoth state of Texas prospecting for oil. Michael’s father was a “wildcatter,” a “total rambler” who would take young Michael on never-ending backcountry pursuits of land leases that might or might not produce oil. Most often not.
Which meant that those summers at his uncle’s ranch made up Michael’s favorite memories; he could spend his days playing, being a kid and riding horses instead of driving with his dad all around Texas sniffing out oil. The highway sung about in the song is Texas Highway 84, once a trail that made up an early part of the storied Route 66. It was the road Michael rode every summer to get to the Reversed LK. He writes in the lyrics to “Black Ribbon Highway,” “You’re the trail that carried this boy through his life.”

For more information and to stay up to date with Truth & Salvage Co., please visit www.truthandsalvageco.com, www.facebook.com/truthandsalvageco, www.twitter.com/truthandsalvage, and www.youtube.com/user/truthandsalvageco.  

Country hit songwriting & recording trio, The Henningsens, are releasing Our Family Christmas in time for the holiday season!

Here to warm up your spirits on these chilly fall days, The Henningsens’ Our Family Christmas is now available digitally, featuring 8 holiday classics including breathtaking renditions of "O Holy Night" and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" as well as two Henningsens originals. Smile along with the fun of "Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, Baby Jesus", inspired by Aaron Henningsen's young son, Wesley, and cozy-up to country star Jerrod Niemann and Clara Henningsen musically sparking on "Christmas Kissin'", giving fans a taste of Niemann's crooning vocals on a track reminiscent of "Baby It's Cold Outside". 

While it may seem a little early for Christmas music, this album is sure to change your mind and get you in the spirit! Our Family Christmas is available HERE. 

Follow The Henningsens on Twitter 
Like The Henningsens on Facebook 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tuesday, Nov. 18 – Country music darlings The Rankin Twins have announced plans to release a six-song EP entitled Good Vibes on December 2. A follow-up to their critically acclaimed full-length debut Moonshine & Maybes, Ken Tondre produced the album, which is their most ambitious project to date. Click HERE to listen to the EP.

Recorded at The Compound in Austin TX, the EP’s indulgent feel-good lead single and title track released in August to ‘New + Noteworthy’ acclaim from iTunes. The EP goes on to seamlessly deliver a compilation of powerful, well-blended hits that are locked and loaded ready for both radio airwaves and live stages. From album standouts “Never Yours To Break” (featuring fellow Texan Kimberly Kelly) and “Gimme That Love” each track was written or co-written by Amy and April and showcases their fresh vocal chops and unmatched harmonies. 

The duo has released a music video each month leading up to the release of the EP. The Boot exclusively premiered the music video for “Never Yours To Break” last month. Check it out HERE. 

The Rankin Twins also have plans to continue to tour throughout the year in support of their brand new project. For more updates, information on Good Vibes presales and to keep up with The Rankin Twins please visit:
 
www.therankintwins.com
www.facebook.com/rankintwins
@therankintwins
   
Good Vibes track listing:
1) Good Vibes
2) Never Yours To Break 
3) See Me Cryin
4) Over You Train
5) Don’t Leave It
6) Gimmie That Love