Roots Music Report

In an era when broadcasters, webcasters and record companies are often publicly tearing into one another about issues such as royalties and rivalries, there were some noteworthy Kumbaya moments at this year’s South by Southwest music conference. Executives from all three industries said, at the core, their fates remain closely tied together. “We cannot break artists without radio,” Glassnote Records CEO Daniel Glass said, telling the conference crowd that the label has informed all its artists they need to find ways to... Read More

That's according to a report by Amy Yong of Macquarie Capital who says terrestrial radio's dominance of in-car listening will drop from its 80 percent share today to 60 percent in three years. Yong says inroads to automobile listening are being made by companies like SiriusXM and Pandora because cars, with 4G wireless broadband technology, are expected to account for 39 percent of US vehicles shipped this fall. Yong says radio will be appeal to increasingly smaller markets and more players like Apple's Carplay and Android Auto will... Read More

Well the saga of Sony Nashville CEO Gary Overton’s comments to The Tennessean of “If you’re not on country radio, you don’t exist” uttered in late February just took another interesting turn. Gary Overton is out at one of Music Row’s very top executive spots. Announced Tuesday morning (3-17), Gary Overton is stepping down from his position as Sony Nashville’s top executive at the end of March. It is the result of a “mutual agreement” between Overton and parent... Read More

AUSTIN, TEXAS — A live-streaming app called Meerkat, calls to online activism and pedicabs with a "Game of Thrones" Iron throne seat were the top topics of conversation at South by Southwest over the weekend, as 33,000-plus members of the technology, marketing and media industries poured into Austin, Texas. "You never know what's around the corner at South By Southwest, it could be a small thing or it could be life changing," said David Rubin, Pinterest's head of brand, at the social media... Read More

1 channel is all the Mavericks need on ‘Mono’ The Mavericks “Mono” (Valory)    The Mavericks have always been a rootsy band, plying musical turf from Havana to Nashville via Miami. Here their sound is more retro than ever, recalling the era when these sorts of songs were best heard on small radios and big jukeboxes.  ”Mono” was recorded in -- you guessed it -- mono. Kids, that means everything was loaded into one channel, including horns, accordion, bouncy beats and Raul... Read More

Although it went unmentioned at Apple's big Apple Watch event on Monday, an Amazon spokesperson hinted to TechCrunch that the company is looking "to expand to other devices", suggesting an Apple Watch app could be in the works for the device's launch next month, or sometime in the future.  TechCrunch believes the app will be largely similar to the Android Wear Amazon app, letting users search using their voice, access their Wishlist, and use Amazon's 1-click check-out for shopping in a... Read More

South By South West, better known by the acronym SXSW, the annual convention that brings together throngs of music lovers, film buffs, and the techno-set, hits Austin, Texas, this weekend, where tens of thousands of people will see the latest and greatest in interactive technology, live music, and movie screenings. SXSW, which began in 1987 as a local music festival, has exploded into one of the most anticipated events of the year, with this year’s convention expecting thousands of interactive exhibitors, 2000 musical acts (SXSW 2014... Read More

As if radio wasn't already dealing with enough new competition. Now, the largest company in the world is poised to take over radio's most coveted territory...The Dash. While many gadget freaks were watching what Apple CEO Tim Cook had on his wrist yesterday broadcasters were wondering what he had in his car. Cook gave an update on the one-year old Apple product called CarPlay. CarPlay is software automakers install in the infotainment system. It allows a connected iPhone to take over the dashboard display, allowing users to interact... Read More

On behalf of the Cheatham Street Warehouse Family, it is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of Kent Finlay in the early morning Monday, March 2. Kent was surrounded by family and friends telling stories and swapping songs when he passed.  Kent was the long time owner of Cheatham Street Warehouse, the legendary San Marcos-based venue known best for the songwriter circle he hosted Wednesday nights. Kent was a dedicated songwriter, mentor to hundreds of others and perhaps most importantly a dreamer. Kent's limitless... Read More

The International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has named Taylor Swift as the world’s most popular music artist last year.   The IFPI citation is based on statistics including physical record sales, music downloads, and number of streaming instances. Taylor Swift topped all statistics even without her music on Spotify, notes BBC. Taylor Swift removed her entire back catalogue in November last year from Spotify, a music-streaming service, and said that she does not want to contribute her life’s work to an... Read More

Bitcoin will take center stage at the 22nd SXSW Interactive Festival, March 13 to 17 in Austin, Texas, an annual showcase and brainstorming conference for emerging technology. Bitcoin at SXSW 2015 will present a full day of bitcoin-related content on March 16 as part of Startup Village and as an official SXSW event. Bitcoin at SXSW 2015 will use one of the world’s most exciting technology conferences to connect bitcoin innovators with a large, mainstream tech crowd. The 2015 event features five days of presentations and panels... Read More

Steve Earle & the Dukes TERRAPLANE This is a major blues event. It's always exciting when an internationally-acclaimed artist who is usually associated with another genre of music expresses a deep connection to the blues. And few have done so as eloquently or powerfully as multi-Grammy Award-winning musician, singer, songwriter, novelist, poet and actor Steve Earle. From the official press release: As its title suggests, TERRAPLANE is very much a blues record, a... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas — New places and sounds can be so rewarding. A refreshing case in point is MilkDrive’s third studio release, Places You’ve Not Been.    Set for release March 31, 2015, by Bismeaux Records, Places is a treat from start to finish. Self-produced, this super-tight album consists largely of original material expressive of the band’s wide influences and maturing talents.    A power team of award-winning multi-instrumentalists, MilkDrive has become a fixture in Austin’s... Read More

NU-BLU HITS NEW HEIGHTS IN 2015 WITH LATEST TRACK "THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE BLUEGRASS BLUE Bluegrass Favorites & Soul Man Sam Moore Featured on "Ronnie Reno Show"     Nashville, Tenn. (February 11, 2105) -- Nu-Blu, the bluegrass band who has been sweeping the nation, kicked off 2015 on a high note, playing several major cities and performing at the 113th edition of The NAMM SHOW, the annual music products convention staged by the National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, Calif. Keeping... Read More

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BIG & RICH MAKES VALENTINE'S DAY MORE ROMANTIC WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE "GRAVITY QUADRILOGY," PREMIERING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 ON CMT Country Superstar Tim McGraw Makes Special Guest Appearance in Video NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 11, 2014) – Just in time for the most romantic day of the year, The Gravity Quadrilogy, a special 15-minute video featuring four Big & Rich songs from their latest album, will make its world premiere on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 6 a.m. ET/PT on CMT. ... Read More

AUSTIN – The 57th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, broadcast on Sunday evening, featured 11 recording artists, born-or-based in Texas, receiving 13 GRAMMY awards. In addition to receiving awards, Texans Beyoncé and Miranda Lambert were among the 23 live performers on the show.  “I extend my sincere congratulations to these talented artists who have been recognized at the recording industry’s highest level,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas’ rich tradition of producing and nurturing exceptional... Read More

Saints Eleven have just released their new very cool Roots/Americanan Country single to radio. Saints Eleven’s music is a mixture of Country, Blues, Bluegrass and Rock. Just a big ole melting pot of different style's. Where we're from, to keep it simple, we just call it Texas Country. “We have a lot of fun on stage....we play every show likes it's our last one”, says founder and lead singer, Jeff Grossman. “We work hard to try and put out good music, so far it's paid off.” The single... Read More

The latest info posted via http://www.americanamediapro.com/index.php/promotion-tools/ama-airplay-chart-reporters   1 ACOUSTIC CAFE  Rob Reinhart  Send  734.761.2043  P.O. Box 7730  Ann Arbor, MI  48104-7730 acafe.com  2 ALTVILLE  Vicki Pepper  Send    P.O. Box 820  Riverside, CA  92502-0820 altville.com  3 COUNTRYBEAR.COM  Stan... Read More

50th Annual ACM Awards Nominees: RCA's Miranda Lambert leads nominees for the 50th Annual ACM Awards with eight, followed by seven for Capitol's Dierks Bentley, five for Republic Nashville's Florida Georgia Line and four each for Capitol's Luke Bryan, Blue Chair/Columbia's Kenny Chesney and EMI Nashville's Eric Church. The nominees: Entertainer: Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line. Male Vocalist: Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brad Paisley,... Read More

South Africa's Bala Brothers To Release Self-Titled CD/DVD on Warner Classics in March 2015 Three Brothers Battled Apartheid To Become First Black Members of World-Famous Drakensburg Choir Major PBS Pledge Performance Special Begins Airing February/March; US Tour Planned May 2015   The Bala Brothers – Loyiso, Zwai and Phelo – are a household name in South Africa, thrilling audiences with their fusion of operatically-trained... Read More

Here's your chance to recognize Austin music industry professions! Dear Music Industry Professional, The Austin Music Industry Awards is a new addition to the Austin Music Awards that celebrates the outstanding achievements of people working in the Austin music industry. Winners will be honored at a special Austin Music Industry Awards Show on Monday, March 9th, 2015. We want to know what music insiders like you think when it comes to these more industry-specific categories. To cast your vote in the Austin Music Industry... Read More

Blind Pig Records has announced the signing of Victor Wainwright, recognized as one of the most dynamic and exciting keyboard performers on the roots music scene. Following the signing, Victor said, "After putting a tremendous amount of time, effort and passion into this project, we’re extremely proud of the final recording. I’m excited that we are teaming up with renowned Roots and Blues label Blind Pig Records, to deliver what we feel is our best album yet!”   ... Read More

Songwriter Dixie Hall Dead at 80 By Sterling Whitaker January 17, 2015 2:45 PM   Dixie Hall — a notable Nashville songwriter and the wife of Country Music Hall of Famer Tom T. Hall — has passed away. According to Nashville’s Tennessean newspaper, Hall died Friday (Jan. 16) after a long illness. She was 80 years old. Born Iris Violet May Lawrence, Hall was raised in the West Midlands in England. She got her first taste of public life at age 10, when she won a BBC poetry... Read More

The Roots Music Express Show will be presenting the Top 5 most airplayed Blues, Folk, Americana Country, Roots Rock and Bluegrass albums of 2015. As reported by radio stations around the globe for the year 2014.  This Thursday 1/22/15 at 2pm MST on KZMU FM.  www.kzmu.org will stream the... Read More

HOW A HIT SONG GETS MADE FROM INCEPTION TO NUMBER-ONE HIT, WE CONSULTED THE EXPERTS TO DISCOVER HOW THE CHOSEN FEW MAKE IT TO THE TOP. Written By:  Kristin Luna For those of you not in the music biz, the process taking a tune from inception to number-one hit can be mind-boggling—especially considering that more than 99 percent of songs sit in a catalog and are never heard. We consulted Natalie Harker at Liz Rose Music, who helped give us a simplified version of how the chosen few make it from idea... Read More

 Nashville Musicians Association President Dave Pomeroy swears in the new Local 257 Executive Board (L-R) Jimmy Capps, Jim Brown, Tom Wild, Beth Gottlieb, Jonathan Yudkin, Laura Ross and Andy Reiss. Congrats to... Read More

Abbott Won't Keep Longtime Texas Music Office Director by Reeve Hamilton Casey Monahan of the Texas Music Office Since the Texas Music Office was established in 1990, the division housed in the Texas governor's office has been run by Casey Monahan, a former music writer. After a quarter century, that's about to change. In a phone interview, Monahan said that he was recently informed by a member of Gov.-elect Greg Abbott's transition team that he would not be kept in the $75,000-a-year post.... Read More

U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Final Rule Regarding Air Travel with Musical Instruments WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today issued a final rule to implement section 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which requires that U.S. airlines accept musical instruments as carry-on or checked baggage on commercial passenger flights, provided that certain conditions are met.     “At DOT, we know how important instruments are to musicians and are committed to doing... Read More

Miller Williams, the father of singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, has died.  The prolific writer and teacher has died Thursday night (Jan. 1) at a hospital in Fayetteville of complications from Alzheimer's disease. Williams was a longtime professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He helped found the university's publishing arm, the University of Arkansas Press, in 1980, and directed it for almost 20 years. He has written, translated or edited more than 30 books, including a dozen poetry... Read More