Category Archives: New Music

Kenny’s LIVE IN NO SHOES NATION Dominates First Week Sales

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Kenny Chesney on Country Music News

Kenny Chesney Live in No Shoes Nation is #1 219,000 in first-week sales makes 8th #1 Billboard 200 Bow, 15th Country Album – Biggest Live Country Album Debut of This Century Somewhere in No Shoes Nation — When Kenny Chesney started listening to show tapes from the last decade, it was just to relive some special moments from a life lived largely on the road. But the more he listened, the more he was struck by what he heard coming back from the other side of the footlights. It was the fans – known as the No Shoes Nation – who knocked him out track after track, summer after summer. And with that knowledge Live in No Shoes Nation came to life. “It’s such a rush to hear No Shoes Nation in full force,” Chesney says. “As fast as the nights go down, I didn’t even realize how good they sound – and the energy, the heart and the voices are awesome in the moment – so I wanted to make sure they got to hear what I was hearing during my year off.” To heighten that connection between the live experience and these recordings, Chesney opted to make the physical recordings available to anyone purchasing a ticket to next summer’s Trip Around the Sun 2018 stadium shows. As the only country artist on Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years, in spite of only becoming a true headliner in 2002, Chesney has been called “The King of the Road” by The Wall Street Journal and “The People’s Superstar” by Los Angeles Times for his ability to connect at the stadium level for the last dozen years. “It is about the connection,” he says. “Before the people ever get close, I’m sitting at the farthest point from the stage feeling how far it is from where I’ll be standing. Whether it’s somewhere intimate like Stone Pony in Asbury Park or AT&T Stadium, I want to know how far to reach – so everyone is brought into these songs and this moment.” Evidently, it was a moment to hold onto. With stadium tickets on-sale, pre-orders and physical album sales, Chesney’s Live in No Shoes Nation comes in with total sales of 219,000. Beyond the sheer number, Live in No Shoes Nation becomes Chesney’s eighth No. 1 Billboard 200 debut, as well as his fifteenth No. 1 Top Country Albums bow. Live in No Shoes Nation is the biggest country live debut this century. Beyond seminal concert recordings Frampton Comes Alive, Bruce Springsteen’s Live 1975-1985, and the Allman Brothers’ Live at the Filmore East, Live in No Shoes Nation is the biggest double live country release since Garth Brooks’ 1998 Double Live. With this week’s sales, Chesney has hit Gold long before the 30 days needed for certification. “So much has happened over the last 10 years,” Chesney marvels. “But the one thing that remained consistent, that’s been there no matter what are the people of No Shoes Nation. Continue reading Kenny’s LIVE IN NO SHOES NATION Dominates First Week Sales→

Chris Stapleton’s “Scarecrow In The Garden” out today

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Chris Stapleton News

CHRIS STAPLETON’S “SCARECROW IN THE GARDEN” OUT TODAY SECOND SONG UNVEILED FROM NEW ALBUM FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2 OUT DECEMBER 1 NOMINATED FOR ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AT THE 51ST ANNUAL CMA AWARDS Chris Stapleton’s “Scarecrow In The Garden” is available today (listen HERE, purchase HERE). Written by Stapleton, Brice Long and Matt Fleener, the song is the second new material unveiled from Stapleton’s anticipated new album, From A Room: Volume 2, which will be released December 1 on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available to pre-order digitally and with exclusive limited-edition bundles. Listen to the first song, “Millionaire,” HERE. The forthcoming album takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (the capital “A” in “From A Room”) where it was recorded over the last year with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb. Along with Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums. In addition to “Millionaire,” the album features seven songs co-written by Stapleton as well as the Homer Banks/Lester Snell-penned song made famous by Pops Staples, “Friendship” See below for complete track list. Volume 2 follows the release of From A Room: Volume 1, which debuted earlier this year at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and, with its RIAA Gold certification, remains the #1 best-selling country album of 2017. Stapleton’s 2015 double-platinum solo debut, Traveller, is currently the #2 best-selling country album of the year. The critically acclaimed album, which Rolling Stone awarded four stars declaring, “From A Room is strikingly focused, sonically and thematically,” was recently nominated for Album of the Year at the 51st annual CMA Awards. Stapleton is also nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year and will perform on the live awards telecast—airing Wednesday, November 8 at 8/7c on ABC. Stapleton will soon wrap-up his extensive and widely praised “All-American Road Show” tour, which includes upcoming shows in Columbus, Grand Rapids, Tampa, Jacksonville, Little Rock, Oklahoma City and Omaha. Special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb will join for the final leg of the tour. See below for details. Live Nation is the national tour promoter for “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show.” Many of the shows on “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show” have already sold out, with limited tickets remaining for others. Check ChrisStapleton.com/tour for tickets and more information. In addition to the “All-American Road Show” dates, Stapleton will perform as part of the “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert” on October 25 and will join fellow country performers for the “COUNTRY RISING” benefit concert on November 12. Stapleton will also make his debut on PBS’ legendary “Austin City Limits” program later this month. The taping will be streamed live via ACL’s YouTube channel on Monday, October 23 at 8pm CT/9pm ET with the broadcast version airing on PBS early next Continue reading Chris Stapleton’s “Scarecrow In The Garden” out today→

Coming Soon: David Lee Murphy – “Alright” feat. Kenny Chesney

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David Lee Murphy Arrives at Radio with “Alright” Lead Track from No Zip Code Teams w Friend Kenny Chesney NASHVILLE, Tenn. —  When David Lee Murphy decided to go into the studio with his pal Kenny Chesney, he thought it would be fun to cut some tracks and drill down on a sound he created that was long on roadhouse, big on fun and built on solid songwriting. A few tracks led to a few more, and the good friends – along with co-producer Buddy Cannon — realized they had a really good album on their hands. Today, people can get their first taste of No Zip Code, an album two years and a couple upgrades in the making. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” is a song for the times, stretched too thin, worried more than is healthy and ultimately realizing and embracing life’s inevitable leveling. With a shuffling groove, an attenuated pre-chorus and just enough reggae lift on the chorus, “Alright” may be a hymn for finding the balance to get through whatever is in front of you. “You watch the news, and look around… it’s a tough world,” the man known for No. 1 “Dust on the Bottle” and popular song “Party Crowd” says of the song. “You know, you can lean into all of that, or you can step back and trust life. When you do that, it makes it easier to take a deep breath and roll with everything that’s going on around you.” “I knew when I heard the song how good it was,” Chesney marvels. “And I knew David Lee had to cut it. I’m just lucky he let me sing on it.” Chesney is – and always has been — a big fan of Murphy. As he says, “David Lee is the original hillbilly rock star. He can dig in, drill down and turn a song inside out. Back when he was solely an artist, he understood what a guy like me was thinking, feeling and getting into… Now you put him on a mic, and he sings even better than he did back then. And the songs, like that wine ole Creole Williams makes in ‘Dust on the Bottle,’ have just gotten better and better. So genuine, so real, he’s just awesome.” Murphy has written No. 1s for Kenny Chesney, Gary Allan, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean and others. “Living in Fast Forward,” “The Only Way I Know,” “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” “The More I Drink,” “Big Green Tractor,” “Anywhere With You,” “A Feelin’ Like That” and “Pirate Flag” have gone on to become the soundtrack of the last many years: all capturing the rush of being alive, the hardcore work ethic of country fans and desire that quickens the pulse. “When I was growing up in my early ‘20s, I was listening to Waylon, Willie, Haggard and Jones,” Murphy says. “I was out on a back road, drinking beer, hearing those songs, knowing those guys lived that stuff. That’s kinda the Continue reading Coming Soon: David Lee Murphy – “Alright” feat. Kenny Chesney→

Kris Kristofferson in ‘The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson’

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CMT & BLACKBIRD PRESENTS CELEBRATE MUSIC & CULTURAL ICON KRIS KRISTOFFERSON IN NEW STAR-STUDDED CONCERT FILM AND RECORDING ‘THE LIFE & SONGS OF KRIS KRISTOFFERSON’ PREMIERING TONIGHT AT 10PM ET/PT FULL LENGTH CONCERT FILM AND AUDIO RECORDINGS ARE AVAILABLE NOW VIA BLACKBIRD PRESENTS RECORDS Blackbird Presents Records and CMT are proud to announce the broadcast premiere and CD/DVD release of The Life & Songs Of Kris Kristofferson. The broadcast, concert film and music release features a collection of legendary singers, songwriters, and rising superstars who came together for a once-in-a-lifetime concert event taping in Nashville, Tennessee at the Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the songs of music icon Kris Kristofferson. CMT will premiere the 90-minute broadcast tonight, October 27 at 10 PM ET/PT, and Blackbird Presents Records will release the full-length concert film as a CD/DVD combo, which is available now at songsofkristofferson.com and pledgemusic.com/projects/songsofkristofferson. The Life & Songs Of Kris Kristofferson features captivating performances, in-depth interviews, and compelling behind-the-scenes footage with Kris Kristofferson, Jessi Alexander, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Ryan Bingham, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Jessi Colter, Rodney Crowell, Larry Gatlin, Emmylou Harris, Jack Ingram, Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, The Travelin’ McCourys, Reba McEntire, Buddy Miller, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Jon Randall, Darius Rucker, Hank Williams Jr. and Lee Ann Womack. Performances include a range of Kristofferson classics, such as “Me And Bobby McGee” (performed by Reba McEntire), “Help Me Make It Through The Night” (Performed by Lady Antebellum), “To Beat The Devil” (Performed by Eric Church), a very special performance of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” (performed by Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson), and an all-star grand finale performance of “Why Me”, premiering today at Rolling Stone County rollingstone.com/country and available at all digital outlets. In addition to the CD/DVD release fans can get exclusive merchandise from PledgeMusic (pledgemusic.com/projects/songsofkristofferson) including a limited edition framed gig poster from the night of the show, color photo, and an Epiphone Ltd. Ed. 1963 J-45 guitar, all signed by Kris Kristofferson. Merchandise bundles which include the official concert t-shirt, hat and CD/DVD are available via Blackbird Presents at songsofkristofferson.com. Kristofferson, a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, is considered a true poet who helped modernize the genre with songs such as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Lovin’ Her Was Easier.” These are the songs of heartbreak and despair, of love and loss, of yearning and hope. These are the songs so honest that we adopted them as our own. They are the songs of a life led unlike any other: An All-American athlete, Golden Gloves boxer, Army Ranger, helicopter pilot, singer-songwriter, social activist, humanitarian and movie star. Keith Wortman is creator and executive producer of the show. GRAMMY® Award-winner Don Was served as music director alongside country music legend Buddy Cannon. An all-star band that included featured artist and GRAMMY® Award-winner Buddy Miller backed the performers at this incomparable concert event taping. “Few musicians have had as profound an Continue reading Kris Kristofferson in ‘The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson’→

Listen Now: Cam’s New Single “Diane”

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Cam News on Country Music News Blog

Available for Download and Streaming,  “Diane” Was Written and Produced by the Team Behind Cam’s Platinum-Selling #1 Smash, “Burning House,” The Most-Downloaded Song by a Female Country Artist Released Since 2015 Nashville, TN (October 27, 2017) – Acclaimed, multi-award-nominated songstress Cam is sure to delight fans anxious for new music as she previews her 2018 Arista Nashville/RCA Records sophomore album with the release of “Diane,” the forthcoming collection’s debut single, available now HERE. Inspired by the storyline of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene,” the driving, tempo-rich track delivers a sonically refreshing tale of love and regret and commiseration.  The song was co-written by Cam, Jeff Bhasker, and Tyler Johnson, the team behind the most-downloaded song by a female country artist released since 2015-Cam’s Platinum-certified #1 smash, “Burning House”-which propelled Cam to her first GRAMMY®, ACM, CMA, CMT, and American Music Awards nominations. About the song, Cam shares, “‘Diane’ is my response to Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene.’  It’s the apology so many spouses deserve, but never get.  The other woman is coming forward to break the news to the wife about an affair, respecting her enough to have that hard conversation, once she realized he was married.  Because everyone should be able to decide their own path in life, based on the truth.  Women especially should do this for each other, since our self-worth can still be so wrapped up in our partners.  And in true country fashion, I’ve set the whole raw story to upbeat music, so you can dance while you process it all.” A GRAMMY® winner as Producer of the Year, Jeff Bhasker (Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars) and multiple-GRAMMY® nominee Tyler Johnson (Harry Styles, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran) produced “Diane,” in addition to co-writing the song with Cam.  Bhasker and Johnson also produced Cam’s widely acclaimed 2015 major-label debut, Untamed. As part of the excitement surrounding the single release, Cam will perform “Diane” and other songs as part of a 30-minute Facebook Livestream event at 11 AM, CT, on October 31, with the performance originating from an intimate music space in Sony Music Nashville’s office in the Gulch area of downtown Nashville, near Music Row. Stream Cam’s performance HERE. Among other appearances in support of “Diane,” California-native Cam is looking ahead to the launch of her Best Coast Tour, headlining nine West Coast dates beginning November 28.  Having recently opened selected shows on Tim McGraw & Faith Hill’s blockbuster Soul2Soul Tour and for international star Harry Styles at his sold out Ryman Auditorium show in Nashville, Cam is also set to wrap her opening slot on George Strait’s 2017 residency tour at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with shows December 8 and 9. For complete tour dates, please visit www.camcountry.com. Along with working on her upcoming album, Cam’s busy 2017 included co-writing the song “Palace” with Sam Smith and Tyler Johnson on Sam Smith’s forthcoming album, The Thrill of It All, releasing November 3.  She also contributed background vocals and electric guitar to the track. About Cam California-born singer/songwriter Cam emerged as Continue reading Listen Now: Cam’s New Single “Diane”→

New Music: Kelly Clarkson Releases “Meaning Of Life”

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Kelly Clarkson New Music on Country Music News Blog

GRAMMY® WINNING SUPERSTAR KELLY CLARKSON CELEBRATES TODAY’S RELEASE OF HUGELY ANTICIPATED ATLANTIC RECORDS DEBUT ALBUM   LIVE TV PERFORMANCES INCLUDE TODAY’S EPISODE OF THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, FOLLOWED NEXT WEEK BY NBC’S TODAY AND THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON FANS PURCHASING “MEANING OF LIFE” FROM STORE.KELLYCLARKSON.COM TO RECEIVE EARLY ACCESS TO TICKETS FOR UPCOMING US TOUR “MEANING OF LIFE” AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE NOW

Jessie James Decker, Southern Girl City Lights, Debuts At #1

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Jesse James Decker News on Country Music News Blog

Jessie James Decker’s new record, Southern Girl City Lights, is the #1 country music album in America! It bows at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart, moving over 20,000 units first-week. Upon release, it immediately clinched #1 on iTunes Top Country Albums Chart, and it’s held a spot in in the Top 10 ever since. This marks her first #1 debut on the Billboard Chart. Get it HERE. Southern Girl City Lights sees the Gold-selling fan favorite country pop singer, songwriter, television star, fashion designer, beauty influencer, and entrepreneur deliver 12 stunning, soulful, and show-stopping numbers, striking an elegant balance between Nashville twang and stadium-size pop. Already, “Almost Over You” [feat. Randy Houser] has amassed over 904K Spotify streams and counting, while “Southern Girl City Lights” surpassed 667K. It also includes the gorgeous and swinging “Pretty Girl,” robust and raucous “All Filled Up,” and more. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuz6jWnFMK8[/embedyt] It’s shaping up to be one of the biggest and brightest country releases of the fall as a true milestone for this Southern Girl! Jessie James Decker remains one of country music’s “realest” stars. The singer’s intimate and inimitable immediately captivated listeners everywhere on her 2009 self-titled debut, which yielded the gold-certified single “Wanted.” Most recently, 2016’s Gold soared to #1 on iTunes Top Country Albums chart and took #5 on the Billboard Current Country Albums Chart. Hitting the road, she sold out every date of her tour. In 2017, her powerful live Blackbird Sessions EP clinched #2 on iTunes Top Country Albums Chart and #6 on the Overall Top Albums Chart. She was also tapped to host the Red Carpet at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in addition to landing features from the Los Angeles Times, DU Jour, People, Rolling Stone, Pop Sugar, E!, Access Hollywood, US Weekly, and more. Now, she keeps it real once again on her most personal offering yet, Southern Girl City Lights. TRACKLISTING Southern Girl City Lights Fall In Love Hold a Candle Almost Over You [feat. Randy Houser] All Filled Up Open All Night Another Dumb Love Song Do You Hungry Pretty Girl Use Your Words Girl Like Me