Nashville, TN - (December 2, 2015) – Earlier today, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Nashville Predators and CMA Award winning duo Maddie & Tae launched “Shine Bright,” a letter-writing campaign within Middle Tennessee. Now through the end of January, booths will be set up at various events and locations in the community, where people may write “Words That Shine,” to encourage Children’s Hospital patients, their families and the hospital’s staff. The initiative serves to engage the local community, show support to caregivers and brighten a patient’s day.
 
“It’s a great pleasure to partner with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on such an important campaign,” said Nashville Predators President and COO Sean Henry. “Words have the power to be transformative, and the collective voices of our community toward the patients and those who care for them will be a strong reminder that they have an entire community behind them.”
 
Maddie & Tae, the CMA award winning duo, serve as artist ambassadors for the “Shine Bright” program. “Fly,” their empowering second hit, is featured throughout the campaign to encourage patients and their families.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Black Lillies’ new album Hard to Please (Attack Monkey/Thirty Tigers) has been racking up the accolades since its October release. Rolling Stone Country hailed it as “country music with a soul-rock infusion, supported by smart songwriting and tight musicianship” while American Songwriter praised the “soulful mix of upbeat Americana and tender ballads that makes the album a rejuvenating fourth release.” 

Given the raves, it is hard to believe that the album was born from adversity. As the Black Lillies were gearing up to record at Nashville’s historicHouse of Blues Studio D with their first outside producer, Grammy Award-winner Ryan Hewitt(Avett Brothers, Johnny Cash, The Red Hot Chili Peppers), they encountered some bumps in the road. The group realized they were short on songs that were ready to record; then they became short on musicians after two band members suddenly quit.

Instead of taking the easy way out and calling the whole thing off, the remaining Black Lillies — frontman Cruz Contreras, guitarist/vocalist Trisha Gene Brady and drummer Bowman Townsenddemonstrated the same resilient determination that made them such a grassroots success. Armed with some freshly written Contreras tunes, they entered the studio with the help of talented guests: bassist Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses), pedal steel player Matt Smith (Amy Ray, Shannon Whitworth, The Honeycutters) and the young Nashville guitar whiz Daniel Donato.

AUSTIN, Texas (Press Release) — Austin-based singer-songwriterBill Carter’s list of bona fides is so long, it’s hard to decide which credits to note first. We could start with his first big songwriting score, “Why Get Up?,” heard on the Fabulous Thunderbirds’ breakout album,Tuff Enuff. There’s a breakfast cereal commercial that earned the about-to-be-evicted Carter and his co-writer wife, Ruth Ellsworth, a then-huge $25,000 payday. Then there’s “Crossfire,” the No. 1 hit they wrote with Chris Layton, Tommy Shannonand Reese Wynans — a.k.a. Double Trouble, the band who backed T-bird Jimmie Vaughan’s little brother, Stevie Ray. Or there’s “Anything Made of Paper,” penned for the West Memphis 3’s Damien Echols, which Carter recorded with pal Johnny Depp and performed on the Late Show With David Letterman. Featured in the West of Memphis documentary and on the accompanying soundtrack, it’s also an award-winning animated video.

Carter’s songs have been covered by scores of major artists, from John Mayall and Ruth Brown toRobert Palmer and Waylon Jennings; among his accolades is a BMI Million Air award for more than three million “Crossfire” spins. But Carter has also released several albums of his own, the latest of which, Innocent Victims and Evil Companions, bows February 26, 2016, on Forty Below Records.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (December 2, 2015 Press Release) – Sixth Beat Production’s flagship artistAllie Louise will celebrate the formal release of her new recording project.  The self-titled EP (ALLIE LOUISE*) highlights her first radio single (“It’s Gettin’ Old”), four self-penned originals and showcases the work of renowned Nashville music producer Eddie Gore (Steve Cropper/Aaron Goodvin/Joanne Janzen/
Keb Mo/Jonathan Singleton/ Sara Petite).

Debuting her first national release, 16-year-old singer/songwriter Allie Louise presents an impressive collection of songs gushing with sass, confidence and emotion. ALLIE LOUISE is a marked expression of the Michigan artist’s old soul, youthful spunk and classic style.  The six-song collection spotlights the starlet’s extraordinary artistry and vocal capabilities, and is loaded with spirited confidence. The EP bursts with “girl power” and is laced with poignant lyrics (revealed in tracks such as “Stilettos” and “Diamond Ring”).

Yesterday, singer-songwriter William Clark Green announced exciting news: the recording of his first live album. The recording will take place at Gruene Hall over two nights, January 29th and 30th. Green's latest album is this year's quite stellar, Ringling Road which yieled two #1 singles.

Red Shahan and John David Kent open Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Tickets are on sale now. I know if I lived in Texas, that's where I would be.
‪#‎RinglingRoad‬ ‪#‎RoseQueen‬ ‪#‎Misunderstood‬ ‪#‎DangerousMan‬

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Paul Burch, a pioneer in fusing an unmistakably modern voice to American roots music, celebrates his 10th release, Meridian Rising, on Plowboy Records on February 26, 2016. Meridian Rising is a first-of-its-kind concept album based on the life of Jimmie Rodgers — the genre-breaking superstar of the late 1920s whose blend of pop, folk, and blues anticipated rock ’n’ roll.

The February 26, 2015 release also includes the issue of a limited-edition 10-inch EP of vinyl-only tracks featuring Billy Bragg, plus two songs recorded direct to the King Records cutting lathe atThird Man Records. The vinyl 10-inch includes a full download of Meridian Rising along with a poster by Country Music Hall of Fame artist-in-residence Jon Langford.

For more than two decades, Burch has combined an indie rock ethos with a personal vision of roots music that has attracted a mix of equally ineffable collaborators including Lambchop, Mark Knopfler, Vic Chesnutt, Candi Staton, the Waco Brothers, and Ralph Stanley. “At the risk of being impeached by the bluegrass purists,” wrote legendary music critic Chet Flippo in 2006, “I think Burch is the best duet partner Ralph Stanley has found since his brother, Carter Stanley, died in 1966.”

On January 29th, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Miranda Lee Richards will release a new album Echoes Of The Dreamtime on Invisible Hands Music. The collection of eight psychedelic folk songs was recorded in her home with production from Rick Parker who has worked with the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Lord Huron.
 
In preparation for the new release, Miranda is hitting the road with the Dandy Warhols, making stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland. For a full list of tour dates please visit www.mirandaleerichards.com/live.

Recently, Stereogum premiered "7th Ray," the first single to be released from the album. Stream "7th Ray" via Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/missingpiecegroup/01-7th-ray/s-gLriS

(Nashville, Tenn. – Press Release) – Country Radio Seminar officials have announced the CRS 2016 New Faces of Country Music Show performers. The five acts to appear are Brothers Osborne (EMI Nashville), Kelsea Ballerini (Black River Entertainment), Cam (Arista Nashville), Old Dominion (RCA Nashville), and Chris Janson (Warner Music Nashville). 

Co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the annual new artist showcase event officially closes out the seminar and remains one of the most anticipated events each year at CRS.  Performances will be powered by Live Nation and will take place in the CRS Performance Hall.  The 2016 New Faces of Country Music Show will be held Feb. 10, 2016 during Country Radio Seminar at the downtown Omni Nashville. 

Dinner tickets for the 2016 New Faces show are sold out, however, New Faces of Country Music Show viewing parties are being planned to accommodate overflow attendees. 

About Country Radio Seminar: Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the Country music industry, with specific emphasis on issues relevant to Country radio. Country Radio Seminar 2016 is set for Feb. 8-10, 2016 at the Omni Hotel.The $529 regular registration rate is now available at http://www.CountryRadioSeminar.com. The on-site rate will be announced closer to CRS. Like CRS on Facebook and follow CRS on Twitter (Hashtag #CRS2016).

Photos Courtesy Aristo PR