Love and Theft Shoot Music Video For Hit Single, "Runaway"
Just days before the 4th of July holiday, Love And Theft’s Brian Bandas, Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles spent the day in Memphis, Tenneessee filming the music video for their debut hit single, “Runaway.” Directed by Kristin Barlowe, the video was shot at an abandoned brewery in Memphis. The “Runaway” video story line follows Love And Theft as they make a fast paced getaway from the existence that leaves them feeling trapped.
The shoot wasn’t without its challenges – Love And Theft member Stephen Barker Liles played his part despite being sick all day from a bout of food poisoning. Also, the engine in the 1971 Mustang Mach 1 featured in the video had to be rebuilt the morning of the video shoot. The car’s power steering later failed during filming with Love And Theft member Brian Bandas behind the wheel. Despite the setbacks, Love And Theft and Kristin Barlowe teamed up to make a high energy video for the band’s first single.
The video for “Runaway” can be seen on TV and online in the coming weeks in advance of the band’s CD launch on August 25th.
After opening shows for Taylor Swift in 2008, Love And Theft is currently on the road meeting country radio and promoting their debut single, “Runaway.” The band’s debut CD, World Wide Open, will release August 25th. To learn more about Love And Theft, visit www.loveandtheft.com or follow the band on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lntweet.
Carolwood Records is a part of the Disney Music Group. The Disney Music Group is the recorded music and music publishing arm of the Walt Disney Studios.
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Kenny Chesney to Headline 3rd Annual BamaJam Music & Arts Festival 2010
ENTERPRISE, AL — With the music of the 2009 festival still tapping at their toes, organizers are already making plans for Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival 2010.
Verizon and Ronnie Gilley Entertainment have announced that multi-award winning entertainer Kenny Chesney will headline the 3rd annual event, slated for Thursday, June 3 through Saturday, June 5, 2010 in Enterprise, Alabama.
The Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival has become synonymous with the best names in music entertainment. The festival boasts dozens of Grammy award-winning, platinum selling artists; all in one place, all at one jam-packed 3-day event. Past performers have included Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Brooks & Dunn, Jamey Johnson, Jason Aldean and a slate of other top artists.
The Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival has proven itself to be one of the grandest outdoor entertainment events available, with fans that’ve arrived from more than 47 states and 8 countries to enjoy the extravaganza.
For more information, visit www.bamajammusicfestival.com
ABOUT RONNIE GILLEY ENTERTAINMENT
Ronnie Gilley Entertainment, a division of Ronnie Gilley Properties, is a full service entertainment company located in Enterprise, Alabama. RGE is active in all facets of the entertainment industry, including recording/engineering, music publishing and artist management/promotion.
RGE’s music interests include Stroudavarious Records and Country Crossing Records. The company also produces the annual Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music and Arts Festival.
For more information, visit www.ronniegilleyproperties.com
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Marco Club Connection Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary
Nashville, TN — Nashville-based dance club promotion company, Marco Club Connection, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, highlighted by recent campaigns with Reba McEntire, Dierks Bentley, Jack Ingram and Blake Shelton.
A division of secondary radio promotion company, Marco Promotions, Club Connection has developed successful marketing campaigns for such high-profile artists as Toby Keith, The Zac Brown Band, Trace Adkins, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich and Joey + Rory, among others. A new, exclusive dance mix of Reba McEntire's "I Want a Cowboy" will be released through Club Connection on Tuesday. Dierks Bentley's hit single "Sideways" is currently topping the charts at No. 1, and in April the company released three different dance remixes for Gloriana's breakthrough single "Wild at Heart."
"Dance venues are an important, but often overlooked, element to an artist's success," says Club Connection Venue Marketing Specialist Bobbe Morhiser. "We have an upper hand when it comes to breaking new music, even before it gets radio airplay, because club DJs want and need the hottest new music before anyone else. It helps establish a more immediate connection with Country music consumers, and that's something every artist wants."
Club Connection's annual Top Ten Country Dance Club Hits tracks and reports the most played and most requested songs in venues and by instructors across the country. Chart-toppers from the last three years include Alan Jackson's "Good Time" (2008), Josh Turner's "Firecracker" (2007) and Steve Holy's "Brand New Girlfriend" (2006). The company currently promotes dance remixes and singles to more than 220 clubs and dance instructors across the country.
Creative promotions are an important element to the company's success. In 2007, Club Connection paired with female duo Bomshel to give away a custom-built Wicked Women Choppers motorcycle, and in 2008 the company developed a line dance contest and autographed guitar giveaway for the John Michael Montgomery song "Mad Cow Disease."
"We knew that was a single that might not work at radio, but one fans would love and respond to given the chance to hear it," says Shelia Shipley Biddy, President of Stringtown Records. "Club Connection developed a dance contest in the clubs that resulted in immediate downloads on the song. It continues to be the No. 2 most downloaded track from John Michael's Time Flies CD, which I can directly attribute to that promotion. Club Connection provided us with a way to reach his fans directly, and the fans responded."
Club Connection also held its first-ever dance club tour in 2008. Every weekend for nearly two months, Morhiser visited venues along the East coast and throughout the South, hosting meet and greets with club patrons and introducing artists to venue DJs.
About Marco Club Connection:
Marco Club Connection specializes in dance club promotion in nightclubs and dance venues across the country, maintaining a national database of more than 220 venues and world-renowned dance instructor contacts. Club Connection reaches more than 200,000 club patrons each weekend, and extensive 12-week marketing blitzes directly market music to more than 2 million club goers. Ranging from product distribution to full marketing and promotion initiatives, Club Connection provides full-service dance club promotion campaigns in a powerful niche market. For more information, visit: www.MarcoClubConnection.com.
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Tanya Tucker Hits The "Big Apple" To Promote New Album
New York, NY — Tanya Tucker, a Grammy, Country Music Association, CMT and Academy of Country Music Award winning artist arrives in New York City on July 9th to promote her just released Saguaro Road Records (Time Life) CD, MY TURN. Appearances will include NBC’s BETTER TV, several programs on Fox News and Fox Business Channel, a special appearance on GSN - the Game Show Network, as well as Associated Press Television.
NYC Profiles also plans to interview Tucker, whom Chuck Arnold of People Magazine recently dubbed “the Taylor Swift of her day.”
The legendary Tucker, has had a long illustrious career. In 1976, at the tender age 15, she had her first greatest hits collection, a Grammy nomination and a Rolling Stone cover with the headline, “I'm Tanya Tucker, I'm 15, You're Gonna Hear From Me." She was also the youngest woman in pop or country history to have had a boxed set of her music.
Career Highlights include: 50 singles in the country chart's top 40, 23 albums in the country Top 40, 10 #1 country singles, 33 Top 5 country singles, 41 Top 10 country singles.
MY TURN was released June 30th on Saguaro Road Records (the frontline roots label operated by Time Life).
Check out Tanya’s new iPhone APP at:
About Saguaro Road Records and Direct Holdings:
Saguaro Road is the new imprint recently launched by Direct Holdings Americas Inc, the company that markets and sells audio and video entertainment products under the Time Life brand, using it under license from Time Warner Inc. The label focuses on artists that have a uniquely American, roots oriented sound and has recently released albums from Patty Loveless, Joan Osborne, Dion, Edwin McCain and Rebecca Lynn Howard.
Time Life and the Time Life logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies, used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc. Headquartered in Fairfax VA, Direct Holdings Americas Inc.'s history began in 1961 as a direct marketing division of Time Incorporated specializing in music and books. The business has been operated as a separate company since the mid-1970s when it relocated to Virginia, and has since grown to become one of the world’s largest direct marketers of audio and video products throughout North America, Europe and Australia. The Company has set the standard in the direct response industry by pioneering direct marketing techniques and building one of the most trusted and recognized brands in commerce. The Company now also sells its products through major traditional and non-traditional retailers around the world as well as via the Internet. The Company was sold in 2003 to private investors. Saguaro Road Records is a trademark of Direct Holdings Americas Inc.
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Brad Paisley's New Album, "American Saturday Night," Debuts at #1!
Nashville, TN — Superstar Brad Paisley released his new album, American Saturday Night, on June 30, and fans were clearly ready for the weekend – or Saturday, at least – with first-week sales of more than 129,000 copies propelling the release to a #1 debut on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Already home to “Then” – his record-setting 10th consecutive #1 single – American Saturday Night continues Paisley’s #1 streak in another way, becoming his fifth consecutive non-seasonal album to debut as the nation’s country best-seller.
“Then,” which spent three weeks at #1 on the country airplay charts, helped fuel the excitement surrounding American Saturday Night, as has Paisley’s current tour and the array of media and critical praise that have accompanied the album’s release.
Among the accolades, the Los Angeles Times heralded Paisley’s American Saturday Night as “a collection that constitutes an important step forward for him, and for country music itself,” with the Washington Post calling American Saturday Night “superb,” declaring Paisley “as versatile an artist as Nashville has produced in years.”
Entertainment Weekly cheered, “Paisley discs usually include instrumentals, comedy sketches, and gospel. Here, he drops that lovable detritus, going for constant home runs,” while The Boston Globe lauded, “It’s hard to remember the last time a Top 40 country album was so relaxed and shuffling yet still powerfully resonant and intimate.”
The New York Times took special note of Paisley’s deft way with a lyric, praising, “The great pleasure in his songs is hearing them the first time: the titles tell you what the assignments are, and you’re not quite sure how he’s going to pull them off,” while the Chicago Sun-Times proclaimed the three-time GRAMMY winner “the most important act in mainstream country music.”
On Friday, Paisley performed on ABC’s Good Morning America summer concert series and the syndicated Live with Regis and Kelly, and fans can be on the lookout for Brad all over, including cover stories in Reader’s Digest, Southwest Spirit, and Cowboys & Indians magazines.
American Saturday Night marks the eighth album from the reigning three-time ACM and two-time CMA Male Vocalist winner. In all, Paisley’s albums have launched 14 #1 singles – and the last 10 in a row – with album sales in excess of 10 million units, including his 2x-Platinum 2005 ACM and CMA Album of the Year, Time Well Wasted.
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Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" Filled with Platinum and Gold Digital Singles
NASHVILLE, TN — In addition to the exciting news announced earlier this week that four-time GRAMMY winner Carrie Underwood will release a new album on November 3, more great news follows with the announcement of new digital certifications from her Carnival Ride album. With the recent platinum digital certification of “All-American Girl” and gold digital certification of “Just A Dream,” all 5 of Underwood’s singles from the nearly triple-platinum Carnival Ride have been certified gold or platinum for digital downloads.
Earlier this year, Underwood became the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner to achieve 10 #1 singles from their first two albums. She is currently in the studio working on her new album with producer Mark Bright.
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Waterlogged Frogs, Fans, and Festival Froggyfest 2009 Drenched By Mother Nature
NASHVILLE, TN — The Froggyfest 2009 concert took a water-pounding from Mother Nature, Saturday, July 4 at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, KY, as River County, the second of six acts on the lineup, completed it’s set. The torrential rain, high winds, and resulting waterlogged stage area put the remainder of the concert and fireworks spectacular in jeopardy and forced event producer HOLLEY•GUIDRY Events and radio station Froggy 103.7 (WFGS) to shift their efforts indoors. Several artists jumped in to help evacuate the handicapped section, hand out towels, and even dipped into their own merchandise (t-shirts) to provide dry clothing for several who were soaked. Three acts, Bomshel, the Carter Twins, and Jason Meadows worked with producers to quickly assemble an impromptu acoustic set on the concessions concourse, where fans had been taken during evacuation and stood waiting to hear whether the concert would continue once the storm passed.
The Fourth of July, “Six For Six” holiday spectacular was to feature six acts including Rick Huckaby, River County, Bomshel, the Carter Twins, Jason Meadows, and David Lee Murphy. Huckaby and River County were the only two acts to complete their sets before Mother Nature took over. As River County performed the last song of its set, Randy Guidry, Partner, HOLLEY•GUIDRY Events, and Scott Swalls, GM of the Murray radio station cluster Forever Communications, were briefed on the impending weather, tornado warnings sounded and law enforcement officials began evacuating the stadium. There were no tornado touchdowns, but heavy winds and a wall of rain drenched the event forcing producers to cancel the remainder of the outdoor stadium show and the scheduled fireworks spectacular.
“We had to shift our focus from putting on a great show with a strong lineup to taking care of basic shelter needs,” says Guidry. “Once attendees were safe, Zach Carter and Bomshel’s Kristy O. approached me about doing an acoustic performances and visiting with fans on the concessions concourse where an elbow-to-elbow crowd stood awaiting weather safety clearance. It was an opportunity to make lemonade out of the lemons we’d been handed and really give the overflowing crowd packing the concourse something special for hanging in there with us. We had access to a very basic P.A. system, and we rigged up a stage made of soda pop delivery flats to get the artists a little higher than the crowd. Jason Meadows joined the concourse lineup and it all worked out very well. The artists performed about 35-40 minutes each to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic crowd. The fans absolutely loved it. It was really awesome for them to experience such a rare, up-close-and-personal show, and it carried on the tradition of great music, great fun, food and souvenirs at Froggyfest. Certainly, it is one Froggyfest that attendees will never forget.” These artists are true professionals.”
“We had an outstanding day unfolding until the storm hit,” notes Swalls. “Our radio station is completely invested in our community and we had the Carters riding in the Freedom Fest parade, Bomshel and Rick Huckaby doing a meet and greet at our last ticket stop, and Jason Meadows signing over at the Briggs and Stratton picnic, all events leading up to the big concert. 2009 marked our 13th year for Froggyfest. This year we wanted to shake things up and offer a carefully and specially selected lineup with a little bit of everything for our Froggyland listeners. We did everything in our power to make the best of a bad weather situation, and fortunately we were able to quickly pick up the pieces and create a memorable evening in spite of the weather. The calls the station has received from folks who stayed for the acoustic show have been incredible. Froggyland listeners were truly treated to a very special show up on the concourse with Boshel, the Carter Twins, and Jason Meadows.” The fireworks display was rescheduled for Sunday evening, July 5 at Roy Stewart Stadium.
“Froggyfest” is one of Kentucky’s most well-known festivals and certainly the largest event of Murray’s annual multi-day Freedom Fest celebration, which includes a parade, a farmer’s market, a 10k run, a street fair, a barbecue contest and the signature fireworks extravaganza. The Froggyfest concert is a family-oriented event that has grown to draw regional vacationers in addition to loyal Froggy 103.7 listeners.
Froggy 103.7 (WFGS) is a 100,000-watt FM radio station located in Murray, Kentucky. The station is owned and operated by media conglomerate Forever Communications, an umbrella corporation of 17 radio stations in Kentucky and Tennessee. Six of those radio stations are country format stations located in four markets including Bowling Green, Kentucky; Frankfort, Kentucky; Murray, Kentucky; and Jackson, Tennessee. The stations in this conglomerate reach widely across the region and cover an expansive listener audience.
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DigitalRodeo.com Introduces New Online Store, Merchandise Line
Nashville, TN — Country music lifestyle site and social network, DigitalRodeo.com, has launched its first online store and debut line of Digital Rodeo branded merchandise.
"As Digital Rodeo continues to expand into the Country lifestyle market, we recognize that fashion is a big part of this industry," says Digital Rodeo Director of Industry Relations Robert Reynolds. "We're excited about this new venture and the opportunity to expand our offering over the coming months to include hip and trendy Country couture to Country music fans everywhere."
The Digital Rodeo Store is the latest feature added to the popular website in its efforts to spotlight the Country music lifestyle and market to its consumers. In recent months, the company has put together a number of successful events for Country music fans, including the 40th Anniversary Jam at Country Radio Seminar® and the Celebrity Poker Tournament at the CMA Music Festival.
Items currently available for sale in the store include T-shirts, hats and belt buckles designed by Digital Rodeo designer and web developer Jostin Darlington. Additional items and apparel will continue to be added in the coming months.
To purchase official DR merchandise, visit www.DigitalRodeoStore.com.
About DigitalRodeo.com:
DigitalRodeo.com is the premier country news, music and lifestyle portal for country music fans everywhere. Community membership is free and offers fans and artists alike the opportunity to connect with each other, upload and download audio and video, watch exclusive DigitalRodeo.com content and stay updated on what's happening in the world of country music. For more information, visit www.DigitalRodeo.com.
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Cherryholmes Kick Off Summer Tour Following Bonnaroo/CMAs Blowout
"These musicians could sound deeply traditional, or not at all, with each item in a setlist." - The New York Times
Cherryholmes, 4-time Grammy nominees and former IBMA Entertainers of the Year, proved again recently why they're one of bluegrass' most in-demand artists. Within a week, the family band played to huge crowds at both the Country Music Awards weekend and the annual rock festival Bonnaroo. While the events are located relatively close together in Tennessee, culturally, they couldn't be further apart.
One of only two bands to play both festivals, Cherryholmes can appeal to a rock and country crowd without even changing their set. Their live shows are full of furious instrumentation, heartfelt traditional songs, and even the odd Beatles cover or outbreak of clog dancing. The band is always fiercely original, from their look to their sound, no matter where they are or who they're playing to. It's an attitude anyone can respect, and it leads them to make music everyone from a dreadlocked Bonnaroo camper to a cowboy-hatted CMA Weekend attended can, and does, enjoy.
The band will be touring throughout the U.S. and Canada for the remainder of the summer. Full list of dates below.
Tour Dates
July 04, 2009 - Morganton, NC - Red, White, and Bluegrass Festival
July 18, 2009 - Cleveland, TN - Tri-State Exhibition Center
August 01, 2009 - Long Pond, PA - Pocono Raceway
August 07, 2009 - Edmonton, AB, Canada - Gallagher Park
August 08, 2009 - Edmonton, AB, Canada - Gallagher Park
August 11, 2009 - New Martinsville, WV - Wetzel County 4-H Campgrounds
August 14, 2009 - Steamboat Springs, CO - Strings in the Mountains
August 21, 2009 - Gettysburg, PA - Granite Hill Camping Resort
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The Red River Mudcats Release New Single Featuring Jason Boland
Nashville, TN — The Red River Mudcats, one of the most promising new bands to come out of the Texas-Oklahoma “Red Dirt” music scene, releases their latest Cimsound Records single, “Texas Eagle,” featuring the guest vocals of Red Dirt star, Jason Boland.
“Texas Eagle” was written by the late Bob Childers, who is considered by many to be the Godfather of the Stillwater, Oklahoma Red Dirt movement. The song is from the group’s forthcoming self-titled CD.
The Red River Mudcats are comprised of Texas singer/songwriter Liz Calendar, teamed with hot Okie players - including guitarist/songwriter/producer Jeffrey Parker; drummer Dixie Weathers, and bassist Bobby Ryan Lester, who collectively deliver Americana Roots-Rock with flavors of Southern-fried Country Rock, Red Dirt, and fiery Texas Blues Rock.
Parker, considered by many to be one of the top guitarists in the business, has a long and deep connection to the Oklahoma Red Dirt music scene. In the ‘90s, he owned and operated Cimarron Sound Lab in Stillwater. During this period, Parker played on, engineered and/or produced seminal records by many of the singer/songwriters who were at the forefront of the Red Dirt movement, including Bob Childers, Bill Erickson, Mike McClure and Tom Skinner among others. And he played a key role in the development of some of the biggest stars in the genre, including co-producing and producing the first Cross Canadian Ragweed albums, Carney and Live And Loud.
Parker was involved with Jason Boland’s early career and fondly recalls, “Jason took guitar lessons from me when I worked at Daddy O’s Music. Later on, I co-engineered the Bob Childer’s track “Change In The Weather” for his ‘Pearl Snaps’ album that Lloyd Maines produced. So, it is really cool to get to work with him again on another Childer’s song – all these years later! Both of us feel truly blessed to have known and worked with him.
JULY 8 / 9, 2009 (click on link below for full release)
Love and Theft Shoot Music Video For Hit Single, "Runaway"
Kenny Chesney to Headline 3rd Annual BamaJam Music & Arts Festival 2010
Marco Club Connection Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary
Tanya Tucker Hits The "Big Apple" To Promote New Album
Brad Paisley's New Album, "American Saturday Night," Debuts at #1!
Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" Filled with Platinum and Gold Digital Singles
Waterlogged Frogs, Fans, and Festival Froggyfest 2009 Drenched By Mother Nature
DigitalRodeo.com Introduces New Online Store, Merchandise Line
Cherryholmes Kick Off Summer Tour Following Bonnaroo/CMAs Blowout
The Red River Mudcats Release New Single Featuring Jason Boland
