(Nashville, Tenn. – November 6, 2015 Press Release) Multi-award winning artist, Travis Tritt, has topped the SoundScan Top 200 Catalog Country Albums chart for 50 consecutive weeks with 15 weeks spent at No. 1 and 33 weeks notched in a Top 5 position. Tritt’s compilation album, Very Best of Travis Tritt, which was released in 2007, saw a resurgence of sales that started in Nov. 2014. The 20-track album features some of Tritt’s biggest hits, including “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” “Here’s A Quarter,” and “Anymore.” 

More than 25 years after Travis Tritt launched his music career, the Southern-rock influenced artist continues to display strong sales activity, sell-out shows, and stay true and relevant to Country music fans across the globe. This year, Tritt has sold out shows and withheld a heavy tour schedule that took him and his band across the country to play for packed out crowds. His heavy tour schedule continues into 2016 with many dates already having been announced. For a list of forthcoming shows, please visit www.TravisTritt.com.

(Press Release) Are you a singer or songwriter? You now have the chance to record your own version of "16 Tons," the iconic tune made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford. The competition is part of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum's programming to supplement the "Tennessee Ernie Ford: A Life on Stage" special exhibit. 

The first-place winner will have the chance to perform their version of "16 Tons" at the exhibit's closing concert, co-produced by the Paramount Chamber Players, on February 13, 2016 at the Paramount Center for the Arts. There will also be prizes for second and third place winners. 

The contest deadline is Friday, December 4, 2015. 
For more information about the contest and instructions on how to enter, click here. 

Opening For Amy Grant & Vince Gill For Their Eight-Night Run At The Historic Ryman Auditorium

(Press Release) On November 13th, husband and wife duo Jon & Valerie Guerra will release their first-ever full length holiday album It's Almost Christmas via Descendent Records (The Lone Bellow, Colony House).
 
Today, Elmore Magazine premiered "It's Beginning To Feel Like Christmas" and said, "Jon and Valerie’s new song is likely to find its way into your Christmas tradition... For everyone who has skipped right on past witches and ghosts, is looking beyond the turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce and already has peppermint, tinsel and pine on the brain, Jon and Valerie Guerra will fill that happy, Christmas-ready part of your heart."
 
Stream the track here:
http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2015/11/music-news/forget-the-turkey-jon-and-valerie-guerra-will-get-you-in-the-christmas-spirit-with-their-new-track
 
In November 2011, the newlywed couple realized buying gifts for family and friends would practically be impossible due to their starving artist status. This Chicago-based couple recorded an EP that they posted online in hopes to raise funds to purchase gifts. As the EP was so well received, it became a tradition for the couple. After four years, they had collected enough songs to create It’s Almost Christmas, a lovely collection of 11 holiday songs.  
 
“Ultimately, we wanted a sense of ‘home’ to come across in the music and something for our family outside Chicago and our friends who moved away after college,” recalls singer/guitar/piano player Jon of the couple’s first ever cut, “It’s Almost Christmas, Chicago,” complete with references to the howl of passing trains, Macy’s world famous windows, and the Christkindlmarket. “We left all the idiosyncratic sound from our apartment in the recording, from creaking floors and a barking dog, and the concept kind of developed from that. I think the holidays can also be a lonely time for people, but there’s something about holiday music that is very heartwarming. If we can invite people into our living room for a song sing-a-long, then mission accomplished.” 

NASHVILLE (Press Release) - Chart-topping recording artist, accomplished producer, hit songwriter and studio owner Mac McAnally marks another note in history with a record-breaking eight consecutive wins as the Country Music Association's Musician of the Year.  The achievement, which bests his own previous number of wins record from last year, was revealed earlier today in a pre-broadcast ceremony for the 49th Annual CMA Awards.

On stage, Mac said to the room full of his peers, "I'm a lucky man to be in Music City to get to strum up and down with the guys I'm nominated with. So many great players in town, it's the best pool of musicians in the world and I'm a tadpole that's happy to be here. Thank y'all very much, thanks CMA for recognizing the musicians behind the corners sometimes. God Bless."
 
He later reflected, "Eight years in a row I've been honored by my fellow pickers and by the CMA. Unbelievable especially if you know my work. Truly humbling. Thanks all!"

McAnally was first honored with the Musician of the Year award in 2008, and has won every year since. The first person to ever receive the award was Chet Atkins, in 1988. Beyond being one of the most respected guitar players and vocalists in Nashville, he has also been nominated for a CMA Award as an artist. In 2009, he and Kenny Chesney were up for Musical Event of the Year for "Down The Road," a duet that rocketed to No. 1 two decades after Mac wrote and recorded it himself as a solo artist.
 
This year started with Mac performing on NPR's Mountain Stage with Larry Groce. With concert dates with Jimmy Buffett as part of the Coral Reefer Band as well as solo shows throughout the year, McAnally also finished his new, long awaited studio album, A.K.A. Nobody, which was released on Mailboat Records in September. Sung, performed, and produced by the much beloved session ace, all but one of its 15 songs were written by McAnally, either on his own or with illustrious co-writers including Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Sonny Landreth, Chris Stapleton, Al Anderson, and others.

A.K.A. Nobody is a rare achievement -- a rainbow of styles illuminating McAnally's singular gifts that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted as, "... no fluke for an artist who can deftly master just about any style and whose songwriting is both deeply personal, yet remarkably - and intimately - relatable."

For an artist who has been openly vocal about the length of time it takes him to write for an album, Eric Church surprised many when he released a brand new, full length record, Mr. Misunderstood, yesterday. A day prior, his fan club, the Church Choir, began receiving vinyl copies of the album they were mailed as a thank you gift (for free) and began generating a buzz. Learn more about the album here.

Mr. Misunderstood is available now: http://umgn.us/Misunderstood

Nashville-based singer/songwriter, Jacob Stiefel, has honed his skills over his last two EP’s and is proud to announce the release of his third project, “The Memphis Sessions,” taking its namesake from its historically infused recording process. Stiefel is celebrating his latest project at The Sutler onMonday, November 16th. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the show will start at 6.

Jacob worked with producer Halley Phillipsto make his vision for this project become a reality. “He’s a force,” says Halley, “one of the best combinations of the old school/new school that I’ve seen.”  Halley has been spearheading the revival of her grandfather’s historic studio, Sam Phillips Recording Service, where legends like Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Conway Twitty once recorded. Jacob and Halley added recording and mixing engineer Matt Ross-Spang(Jason Isbell, Chris Isaak, Brandy Clark) to their dynamic team. Jacob also brought in seasoned background singers Marie Lewey and Cindy Walker (Phish, Paul Thorn, Amy Grant, Percy Sledge) who have been a part of the Muscle Shoals Music recording industry for more than 40 years and are affectionately known as ‘The Shoals Sisters.’ All of these pieces come together to make “The Memphis Sessions,” a unique work that showcases Stiefel’s soulful southern sound.

Jacob’s Alabama upbringing laid the groundwork for his dynamic style. Hailing from Fort Payne, a town nestled under Lookout Mountain and the home of musical greats Randy Owens, Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry of the group Alabama, Stiefel was immersed in music from a young age. His debut performance was a rendition of Elvis Presley’sHound Dog for his fourth grade Open House Night. This lit a fire in Jacob that has been burning ever since. After devoting years to his craft, earning a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Alabama and a move to Music City, Stiefel has made his fourth grade ambition a reality. With over 200 performances a year, writing songs with Nashville legends, a fan base that spans the world and now a third project under his belt, Jacob Stiefel is just getting started.

Photos courtesy PLA Media

(NASHVILLE, TN – November 2, 2015 Press Release) – The music video for Lindsay Ell’s flirty, lemons-to-lemonade break-up anthem “By The Way” premieres exclusively across CMT platforms today.  Fans can catch the video currently playing on CMT and CMT Pure, and view it on demand at LindsayEll.CMT.com and on CMT Artists App.

Directed by Desmond Desmarais, the Stoney Creek Records guitar chanteuse shot the video while on tour, making use of beautiful, sunny landscapes that serve as the perfect juxtaposition to the saucy swan song.

The light-hearted, up-tempo number indeed puts an unconventional spin on the typical break-up song. Cleverly referring to ex-flames as “Mr. Cowboy Boots” and “Mr. Baseball Cap” Ell reminds them just how quickly her heart can rebound, even crediting them for helping her meet Mr. Right (i.e. “Mr. Pick-Up Truck”).

Ell’s new single “By the Way” has charged out of the gate in a huge way. The song debuted as the #1 Most Added Song at U.S. Country Radio and shot into the Top 10 at iTunes Countryupon its release. Buy it here: http://geni.us/bytheway

Last month, CMT’s Next Women of Country presented Ell’s 24-hour “Busking on Broadway” event which raised thousands of dollars in tips for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Ell braved torrents of rain and cold temperatures throughout the event brought to Middle Tennessee by Hurricane Joaquin. With her gear wrapped in plastic, her set list destroyed by rain and her feet engulfed in puddles, Ell performed for 24-hours straight on Nashville’s famed Lower Broadway.

Today, Ashley Monroe shared the official music video for her single "Bombshell." The video was premiered via Vulture, who said, "On her third solo album, The Blade, Monroe goes toe-to-toe with any of this year’s biggest country heavy-hitters, thanks to her immense knack for storytelling across both kick-up-your-heels tracks and emotionally wrenching cuts." Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GnKL69PDvc
  
Acclaim for The Blade:

“The Blade aims to do more than start conversations; it’s here to win hearts en route to cementing Monroe’s status as a superstar.” - NPR

“Digging in its past, she still finds sneaky ways to point towards country’s future.”
- Pitchfork

“Her confident, assured turn on The Blade not only provides a crucial reminder that country’s women are often the ones pushing the genre forward but offers a prime soundtrack for open-road adventures and whiskey-filled nights.”  -TIME
 
US Tour Dates:
 
Nov 14 - Chicago, IL - SPACE **Sold Out**
Nov 18 - Decatur, GA - Eddie’s Attic **Sold Out**
Nov 19 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic **Sold Out**
Nov 20 - Nashville, TN - City Winery **Sold Out**
Dec 4 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel

Songwriters Jaida Dreyer, Shelly Fairchild, Bridgette Tatum, Trick Pony And The Likely Culprits (Featuring Melonie Cannon) Join Line-up That Includes Matraca Berg, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Kalisa Ewing and Erin Enderlin

Nashville, TN (Press Release, November 2, 2015) - Event sponsors are thrilled to announce that Alison Krauss will appear as a special guest of The Pen Fund: Inspired By Hank Cochran Presents Songwriters 4 Songwriters: Ladies' Night show on Tuesday, November 10 at 3rd & Lindsley. Tickets are $20 online and $25 day of show; doors open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m.  "Hank always said that Alison was his favorite singer," recalls Booth Calder Cochran, co-founder of The Pen Fund."To have her join us in this fund-raising endeavor is absolutely humbling."  For those who cannot attend the show, donations can be made directly to The Pen Fund at www.thepenfund.org or by logging on to your PayPal Account.  


Newly-announced additions to the in-the-round portion of the event include Jaida Dreyer, who has written seven acclaimed tunes for the hit ABC-TV series NASHVILLE with two songs featured on The Music of NASHVILLE Original Soundtrack Season 2, Volume 1.  Her song "Salt/Sugar" was also featured in A&E's THE RETURNED.  Jaida is riding high with "Home Alone Tonight," a cut on Luke Bryan's Billboard chart-topping CD, KILL THE LIGHTS.   Dreyer is also one of Nashville's most sought after co-writes, and her eclectic writing style has led to her penning songs with talents ranging from the legendary Guy Clark to the top writers on the L.A. pop scene.  A respected performer, she's shared the stage with superstars Merle Haggard, Eric Church, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, and she has played The Grand Ole Opry on numerous occasions.  Her debut album, I AM JAIDA DREYER, was produced by Grammy award-winner Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sugarland); Dreyer wrote or co-wrote all 10 tracks on the album.

Bloomington, Ill. (Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, Press Release) "Freestyle Fridays" featuring Drake White and The Big Fire have shown a different side of the Dot Records recording artist with stripped versions of often never-before-heard cuts from the artist Rolling Stone called "Bonnie Raitt's secret twin brother." The weekly performances have debuted directly to the fans on his Facebook page, @DrakeWhite. But on Friday, October 30, he took "stripping it down" to a new level after performing at Us Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Illinois on his last stop of an 11-show run with Little Big Town on the Painkiller Tour. During the group's hit, "Pontoon," White and band literally stripped down into swimming trunks despite the thermometer reading in the 40s outside and danced along the back of the stage much to Little Big Town's surprise. 
 
"We all take music and performing for the fans seriously, but it's also important to have fun and inspire spontaneity," White says after, laughing. "Some of the best ideas for songs or craziest stories we tell started with, 'what if we...,' and this idea had a similar origin."
 
Although their run with Little Big Town has come to an end, Drake White and The Big Fire rejoin Zac Brown Band on Friday, Nov. 6 in Dallas, Texas for another 10 shows before the end of the year brining his tally to over 100 shows in 2015.

Photo: Drake White Performing At Bloomington, Il.'s Us Cellular Coliseum on Friday Oct. 3