Archive for April, 2008
Analog Tape + Pro Tools HD + Apogee Converters = The Ultimate Nashville Recording Studio Combo! • Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
Dolly Parton releases album on own label.
• Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
By JOHN GEROME, AP Entertainment Writer Sat Mar 22, 6:53 PM ET
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Dolly Parton knows a good investment when she sees one, and these days she sees one in the mirror.
Parton, whose business portfolio includes a theme park and an entertainment production company, says she’s spending a lot of her own money trying to get back on country radio with her new CD, “Backwoods Barbie.”
“I’m looking at it like an investment,” she told The Associated Press. “I thought, ‘I’ve made enough money. I can afford to invest a little in myself.’”
She has self-released the disc on her own label, Dolly Records, and hired a seven-member promotions team.
“I purposely tailor-made this to try to get some hits,” Parton explained.
The album reached No. 2 on Billboard in its second week, her best showing in 17 years.
The first single, “Better Get to Livin’,” a country-pop song she describes as sonically similar to Keith Urban, sputtered at No. 48. But the second single, “Jesus & Gravity,” is just now arriving at radio.
At age 62, Parton remains an icon and inspiration to younger singers.
“I don’t think there’s anything that woman can’t do,” said rising country star Kellie Pickler, who calls Parton her greatest influence. “She just walks into a room and lights it up. She’s got that ‘it’ factor that money can’t buy. She’s the whole package.”
Music Row began to lose interest in Parton in the ’90s as a new crop of country stars emerged. Her last Top 5 hit, “Rockin’ Years,” was in 1991, and she hasn’t had a major label record deal in 10 years.
“When it changed I was still as serious as ever and was thinking I’m still as good as ever, if I ever was any good,” Parton said.
She has watched with interest as new technology has created opportunities without the big labels.
“Now the majors are what they used to think I was: history,” she said.
“I thought this is a good time, but I need to make an all-out effort. … Whatever it takes, you fight for it. You do what you have to do to feed your habit, and I’m a music addict.”
link to original article:
Dolly Parton releases album on own label - Yahoo! News
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Dolly Parton knows a good investment when she sees one, and these days she sees one in the mirror.
Parton, whose business portfolio includes a theme park and an entertainment production company, says she’s spending a lot of her own money trying to get back on country radio with her new CD, “Backwoods Barbie.”
“I’m looking at it like an investment,” she told The Associated Press. “I thought, ‘I’ve made enough money. I can afford to invest a little in myself.’”
She has self-released the disc on her own label, Dolly Records, and hired a seven-member promotions team.
“I purposely tailor-made this to try to get some hits,” Parton explained.
The album reached No. 2 on Billboard in its second week, her best showing in 17 years.
The first single, “Better Get to Livin’,” a country-pop song she describes as sonically similar to Keith Urban, sputtered at No. 48. But the second single, “Jesus & Gravity,” is just now arriving at radio.
At age 62, Parton remains an icon and inspiration to younger singers.
“I don’t think there’s anything that woman can’t do,” said rising country star Kellie Pickler, who calls Parton her greatest influence. “She just walks into a room and lights it up. She’s got that ‘it’ factor that money can’t buy. She’s the whole package.”
Music Row began to lose interest in Parton in the ’90s as a new crop of country stars emerged. Her last Top 5 hit, “Rockin’ Years,” was in 1991, and she hasn’t had a major label record deal in 10 years.
“When it changed I was still as serious as ever and was thinking I’m still as good as ever, if I ever was any good,” Parton said.
She has watched with interest as new technology has created opportunities without the big labels.
“Now the majors are what they used to think I was: history,” she said.
“I thought this is a good time, but I need to make an all-out effort. … Whatever it takes, you fight for it. You do what you have to do to feed your habit, and I’m a music addict.”
link to original article:
Dolly Parton releases album on own label - Yahoo! News
Music Has Lost its Soul. Will nobody dare to be different?
• Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
The music that comes out of Nashville is for the most part, spiritually muted. Everybody’s mostly so busy copying each other they never learn to be any good. There isn’t that much good stuff going on, so people don’t come to see the crap, that it has evolved into a boring non-scene. Even the best stuff around usually still leaves me wanting a lot more. The excitement, the buzz, the spirit of the real true country music seems to be at an all time low. With no one really connecting, there is no standard to compare the rest of the bozos to. You can’t cross generationalize because that’s unfair, but who do you compare Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Chesney whomever with when they’re all kind of about on the same level of boringness. How about something that really grabs you on a soul level. Something that can stand up with I Saw the Light. Something inscrutable please. I know it has a lot to do with the quality of characters the country is producing right now.
You can tell how strong a country is or isn’t, by the strength and vitality of its music. And if Music City, USA is any indicator, whew.
link to read full article:
Myspace.com Blogs - Nashville - Chris Henry MySpace Blog
You can tell how strong a country is or isn’t, by the strength and vitality of its music. And if Music City, USA is any indicator, whew.
link to read full article:
Myspace.com Blogs - Nashville - Chris Henry MySpace Blog
Sierra Hull spreads her wings: bluegrass music news
• Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
Sierra Hull, the prodigious young singer and mandolin player, who has a debut Rounder album, Secrets, set for release on May 6, has landed a part in the film about Billy Graham’s early life, currently being shot on location in middle Tennessee.
The part came about following an article in The Tennessean newspaper and the submission of Ms. Hull’s name by Claire Armbruster of Nashville’s Keith Case & Associates, the firm responsible for booking Sierra’s personal appearances.
From the article…
“I sent it in without (Sierra) knowing. When I read what Anastasia [Brown] said about needing an 11- or 12-year-old that sounded like Alison Krauss, I thought of Sierra, even though she’s 16, because she’s so petite. They do miracles in the movies.”
The newspaper reports, on Thursday (March 27), Sierra recorded Just As I Am and I’ll Fly Away with producer John Carter Cash at his famed log cabin studio in Hendersonville. Participating in the session were top-notch musicians Randy Scruggs, Harry Stinson, John Cowan, Ronnie McCoury, Ronnie Bowman, Sarah Peasall and John Wesley Ryles.
“Just As I Am was being sung when Billy had his conversion and walked the sawdust trail to the altar”, Anastasia says. “Her voice will be extremely highlighted during this climax of the film.”
Sierra had this to say about how the part came about, what her reaction was to learning of her role and of her early involvement in work for the film …..
“I’m really excited to be a part of the upcoming Billy Graham film. It should be a really wonderful experience and I’m excited to see how the movie will all come together in the end. I first received a call from Claire Armbruster at Keith Case and Associates (the folks who do my booking) one day after school informing me that she had sent my new record, ‘Secrets’, to Beverly Keel - a columnist for the Tennessean - who then passed it along to Anastasia Brown. She just wanted to let me know that she had sent them the CD, but wasn’t sure if they’d respond or not. A few days later Claire got a call from Anastasia letting her know that they would like me to be part of the project. I was told that I’d be singing Just As I Am for a scene in the movie. However, it wasn’t until about a week ago that I realized that I would actually be playing the role of Catherine Graham.
I’m so thrilled to have the chance to do something like this. This past Thursday was spent recording the music for the film at John Carter Cash’s studio in Hendersonville. What an honor it was to get to sing with some of my favorite singers like Ronnie Bowman and John Cowan. I’m anxious to hear how it all ends up sounding. Acting in this movie will be quite a new experience for me, but one I’m really looking forward to. My first couple days on set will be in Mid-April and then again sometime in May.
I feel so blessed to be a part of this, and I think it will be a really wonderful movie that will hopefully touch the lives of many people no matter whether you are a Christian or not.”
Beverly Keel’s full story can be read at The Tennessean website.
link to original article:
The Bluegrass Blog » Sierra Hull spreads her wings: bluegrass music news
The part came about following an article in The Tennessean newspaper and the submission of Ms. Hull’s name by Claire Armbruster of Nashville’s Keith Case & Associates, the firm responsible for booking Sierra’s personal appearances.
From the article…
“I sent it in without (Sierra) knowing. When I read what Anastasia [Brown] said about needing an 11- or 12-year-old that sounded like Alison Krauss, I thought of Sierra, even though she’s 16, because she’s so petite. They do miracles in the movies.”
The newspaper reports, on Thursday (March 27), Sierra recorded Just As I Am and I’ll Fly Away with producer John Carter Cash at his famed log cabin studio in Hendersonville. Participating in the session were top-notch musicians Randy Scruggs, Harry Stinson, John Cowan, Ronnie McCoury, Ronnie Bowman, Sarah Peasall and John Wesley Ryles.
“Just As I Am was being sung when Billy had his conversion and walked the sawdust trail to the altar”, Anastasia says. “Her voice will be extremely highlighted during this climax of the film.”
Sierra had this to say about how the part came about, what her reaction was to learning of her role and of her early involvement in work for the film …..
“I’m really excited to be a part of the upcoming Billy Graham film. It should be a really wonderful experience and I’m excited to see how the movie will all come together in the end. I first received a call from Claire Armbruster at Keith Case and Associates (the folks who do my booking) one day after school informing me that she had sent my new record, ‘Secrets’, to Beverly Keel - a columnist for the Tennessean - who then passed it along to Anastasia Brown. She just wanted to let me know that she had sent them the CD, but wasn’t sure if they’d respond or not. A few days later Claire got a call from Anastasia letting her know that they would like me to be part of the project. I was told that I’d be singing Just As I Am for a scene in the movie. However, it wasn’t until about a week ago that I realized that I would actually be playing the role of Catherine Graham.
I’m so thrilled to have the chance to do something like this. This past Thursday was spent recording the music for the film at John Carter Cash’s studio in Hendersonville. What an honor it was to get to sing with some of my favorite singers like Ronnie Bowman and John Cowan. I’m anxious to hear how it all ends up sounding. Acting in this movie will be quite a new experience for me, but one I’m really looking forward to. My first couple days on set will be in Mid-April and then again sometime in May.
I feel so blessed to be a part of this, and I think it will be a really wonderful movie that will hopefully touch the lives of many people no matter whether you are a Christian or not.”
Beverly Keel’s full story can be read at The Tennessean website.
link to original article:
The Bluegrass Blog » Sierra Hull spreads her wings: bluegrass music news
