Wednesday, October 29, 2014





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Sturgill Simpson at Old Rock House
 
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015
Doors 7pm, Show 8pm
$18 Advance $20 Day of Show
All Ages
Tickets will be On-Sale Sat. 11/1 @ 10am.
http://youtu.be/_70HJMikcBo

Sturgill Simpson's authenticity stands out like an island of hope in a sea of tacky. Bonafide mountain hillbilly soul, as pure as you are going to find anywhere. All it takes is one listen to FINALLY understand.

http://instagram.com/old_rock_house_stl

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

"FOOLS GOLD," THE NEW VIDEO FROM FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS, PREMIERES TODAY

BAND PERFORMS ON "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" NOVEMBER 21

FALL TOUR INCLUDES NOVEMBER 12 SHOW AT NYC'S TERMINAL 5, TWO-NIGHT STAND AT CHICAGO'S RIVIERA THEATRE (NOVEMBER 22 & 23) AND NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION IN LONG BEACH, CA

"FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS: LIVE AT THE ARAGON BALLROOM" AIRS THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER ON PALLADIA 

 

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 27, 2014  - Fitz and The Tantrums deliver a tale of love, loss and landing on your feet in the official video for their new single, "Fools Gold." The clip, which was directed by Zak Stoltz, launched today and can be seen HERE. "Fools Gold" is the latest single from More Than Just A Dream (Elektra/Atlantic Records). "The Walker" and "Out Of My League," the two previous singles, each topped Billboard's Alternative Songs chart at # 1 and were certified RIAA Gold. The accompanying videos have more than five million views each.

The band is closing out 2014 with a bang. Fitz and The Tantrums will perform on "Good Morning America" on Friday, November 21. Their fall headline tour is underway with special guest Big Data opening on the November dates, which include a nearly sold-out show at New York City's Terminal 5 (November 12), two nights at Boston's House of Blues (November 15 & 16) and a sold-out show at First Avenue in Minneapolis (November 21). The November 22 concert at Chicago's Riviera Theatre is sold-out as well. In December, Fitz and The Tantrums will rock holiday concerts from coast to coast and end an extraordinary year with a special performance at the downtown Long Beach, CA New Year's Eve celebration. See below for itinerary.

"Fitz and The Tantrums: Live at The Aragon Ballroom," a new Palladia special, captures the band in concert at this legendary Chicago venue, whipping a 5,000-person crowd into a sweaty, fun-filled dance explosion and proving that Vogue was right to name them the hardest working band in showbiz. "Live at The Aragon Ballroom" will air on Palladia on November 4 @ 2:00 PM, November 8 @ 11:00 PM, November 13 @ 9:00 PM and November 21 @ 5:00 PM.          

The Washington Post called Fitz and The Tantrums' live show "captivatingly crazy" and Rolling Stone said, "This six-piece Los Angeles pop-soul group is all about irrepressible energy: hopped-up rhythms, shout-it-out choruses, hooted background vocals." The New York Times noted, "Their debut effort, 'Pickin' Up the Pieces' (Dangerbird), and follow-up, 'More Than Just a Dream' (Elektra/Atlantic), burst with danceable hooks." 

Fitz and The Tantrums are: Fitz (vocals), Noelle Scaggs (vocals/tambourine), James King (saxophone), Jeremy Ruzumna (keyboards), John Wicks (drums) and Joseph Karnes (bass).

PERTINENT LINKS
View "Fools Gold" video HERE


FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS - UPCOMING TOUR DATES

November
3 - Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom w/Big Data
4 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room w/Big Data
6 - Cleveland, OH @ Masonic Auditorium w/Big Data
7 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory w/Big Data
8 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/Big Data
9 - Ithaca, NY @ State Theater w/Big Data
11 - Westbury, NY @ The Space At Westbury w/Big Data
12 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5 w/Big Data
14 - Wallingford, CT @ The Dome at Oakdale Theatre w/Big Data
15 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues w/Big Data
16 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues w/Big Data
18 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit w/Big Data
19 - Columbus, OH @ The LC Indoor Pavilion w/Big Data
21 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue w/Big Data                                                                                  SOLD OUT
22 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre w/Big Data                                                                                         SOLD OUT
23 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre w/Big Data

December
2 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom - WLUM Radio Big Snow Show
5 - Broomfield, CO @ 1STBANK Center - 93.3 Not So Silent Night
9 - Portland, OR @ 94.7FM A December To Remember
10 - Sacramento, CA @ Radio 94.7 Electric Christmas 2.0
18 - Buffalo, NY @ Kerfuffle Before Christmas w/Neon Trees
31 - Long Beach, CA @ Downtown Long Beach New Year's Eve Celebration 


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For more information on FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS, visit:
 

Taylor Swift's Exclusive 1989 "Town Hall" to Air Live on SiriusXM  

In-studio Q&A session with fans to air live on SiriusXM Hits 1



NEW YORK,  -- SiriusXM announced yesterday that global superstar and seven time Grammy winner Taylor Swift will sit down for an intimate Q&A session with a select group of listeners for the SiriusXM "Town Hall" series on Wednesday, October 29.
Moderated by SiriusXM Hits 1's The Morning Mash Up hosts Nicole Ryan, Stanley T, Rich Davis and Ryan Sampson, "SiriusXM's Town Hall with Taylor Swift" will air live on Wednesday, October 29 at 2:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Hits 1 and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com. For rebroadcast times, please visit www.siriusxm.com/townhall.
In the intimate setting of the SiriusXM studios, fans will have the opportunity to ask Taylor Swift questions about her career, including her critically-acclaimed fifth studio album 1989, which is available today.
"As Taylor Swift debuts her new album, which is one of the most anticipated of the year, we are very excited to have her at the SiriusXM studios to sit down with fans who will be inches away from their favorite artist; and where Taylor can have an intimate conversation with a group of very lucky and select listeners. We love giving our subscribers opportunities to meet and interact with today's biggest superstars," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM.
"SiriusXM's Town Hall with Taylor Swift" is part of SiriusXM's "Town Hall" series, featuring iconic entertainers and figures sitting down with studio audiences of SiriusXM listeners. Previous SiriusXM "Town Hall" specials have featured Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Billy Crystal, Quentin Tarantino, Carol Burnett, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, KISS, Coldplay, Ringo Starr, Hugh Jackman, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, the cast of Nashville, Jason Aldean, Roger Waters, the surviving members of Nirvana, Gregg Allman, Usher and Tony Hawk.
SiriusXM Hits 1 was the first pop station in North America to support Taylor Swift. SiriusXM Hits 1 first played Taylor Swift on June 7, 2007.
Additionally, Taylor Swift will host SiriusXM Hits 1's Weekend Countdown. The Weekend Countdown hosted by Taylor Swift will air Saturday, November 1 at 11:00 am ET, with replays all weekend.
After the broadcast, "SiriusXM's Town Hall with Taylor Swift" will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices or online at siriusxm.com. Visit www.siriusxm.com/ondemand for more info about SiriusXM On Demand.
SiriusXM Hits 1 plays everything from pop to hip-hop to rock to R&B. Listeners will hear artists like Katy Perry, One Direction, Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and P!nk.
For more information on Taylor Swift, please visit www.taylorswift.com.
For more information on SiriusXM, please visit www.siriusxm.com.

Monday, October 27, 2014

RODNEY CARRINGTON

PEABODY OPERA HOUSE
FRIDAY, MARCH 27 AT 7:00PM
 
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 AT 10AM

Tickets available at:
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT TICKETMASTER.COM, ALL TICKETMASTER OUTLETS, AT 1-800-745-3000 OR THE PEABODY OPERA HOUSE BOX OFFICE  
 
**FOR MATURE AUDIENCES**
 
Rodney Carrington has been making audiences laugh for almost twenty years with his unique brand of stand-up comedy. The country singer-songwriter has recorded eight major label comedy albums which have sold more than two million copies … two of which have been certified Gold.
Rodney Carrington recently started his own record label “Laughter’s Good” and is releasing two albums under the new label in October 2014. Rodney plans to re-release “C’Mon Laugh You Bastards” which will feature 3 new songs, as well as an album of all new material called “Laughter’s Good.”
In addition to starting his own record label, Rodney is starting a new YouTube series in October 2014 called “Bit By Bit.” In the series, he will be releasing new material one piece at a time on a weekly basis.
On November 1, 2014 Sirius XM is doing a “Rodney Carrington Takeover Special” on their Blue Collar Comedy Channel. Carrington can also be heard every Sunday on ESPN2 on the intro of “Colin’s Football Show” with Colin Cowherd. He wrote and performed the intro song for the show, and stars in the video before each show, which airs every Sunday prior to NFL games during the 2014 season.
Originally from Longview, TX, Carrington has three sons and resides in Tulsa, OK.
Rodney Carrington kicks off his “Here Comes the Truth” tour in 2015.

RODNEYCARRINGTON.COM  |  OUTBACKCONCERTS.COM
TAYLOR SWIFT’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM
1989 IS OUT TODAY

 
⋆⋆⋆⋆ ROLLING STONE
⋆⋆⋆⋆ NEW YORK TIMES
 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ BILLBOARD
⋆⋆⋆⋆ THE GUARDIAN

“Shake It Off” Remains No. 1 On Hot AC For The Fifth Straight Week
And No. 1 On Top 40 Charts

 

Cover Art Courtesy of Big Machine Records

 
New York, NY (October 27, 2014) – TAYLOR SWIFT, seven-time GRAMMY Award winner and Billboard Magazine’s recently named Woman of the Year (the only artist to have been awarded this honor twice), releases 1989 today, the most anticipated album to rave reviews.
 
“On this new stage, Ms. Swift is thriving. And crucially, she is more or less alone, not part of any pop movement of the day. She has set herself apart and, implicitly, above…Ms. Swift is aiming somewhere even higher, a mode of timelessness that few true pop stars — even bother aspiring to. Everyone else striving to sound like now will have to shift gears once the now sound changes. But not Ms. Swift, who’s waging, and winning, a new war, one she’d never admit to fighting.”
 – Jon Caramanica, NEW YORK TIMES

 
“Deeply weird, feverishly emotional, wildly enthusiastic, 1989 sounds exactly like Taylor Swift, even when it sounds like nothing she’s ever tried before. And yes, she takes it to extremes. Are you surprised? This is Taylor Swift, remember? Extremes are where she starts out.”
– Rob Sheffield, ROLLING STONE

 
“The expertly crafted sound of 1989 that marks her most impressive sleight of hand yet—shifting the focus away from her past and onto her music, which is as smart and confident as it’s ever been. Who are these songs about? When they sound this good, who cares?”
– Sam Lanksy, TIME MAGAZINE

 
“On 1989, she matches deceptively simple, irresistibly catchy melodies with lyrics that can seem by turns confessional and elusive, playful and aching.”
– Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY

 
“Swift's best work -- a sophisticated pop tour de force that deserves to be as popular commercially as with Robyn-worshipping blog--gers; an album that finds Swift meeting Katy and Miley and Pink on their home turf and staring them down.”
– Jem Aswad, BILLBOARD
 
“The really striking thing about 1989 is how completely Taylor Swift dominates the album: Martin, Kurstin et al make umpteen highly polished pop records every year, but they’re seldom as clever or as sharp or as perfectly attuned as this, which suggests those qualities were brought to the project by the woman whose name is on the cover."
– Alexis Petridis, THE GUARDIAN
 
“Her all-pop effort is impossibly irresistible”
– Ian Drew, US WEEKLY
 
Taylor Swift, who writes all of her own songs, is a global superstar, seven-time GRAMMY winner and the youngest winner in history of the music industry's highest honor, the GRAMMY Award for Album of the Year. She is the first artist since the Beatles (and the only female artist in history) to log six or more weeks at #1 in the U.S. with three consecutive studio albums. Taylor has an album on Rolling Stone's prestigious The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time (by women) list, Time magazine has named her one the of the 100 Most Influential People in the world, and she is Billboard's youngest-ever Woman of the Year and the only artist to have been awarded this honor twice. Taylor has career record sales in excess of 30 million albums and almost 80 million song downloads worldwide, and has had singles top both the pop and country radio charts around the globe. Taylor's album RED, released almost two years ago on Big Machine Records, has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide to date, including more than 1.2 million copies in the U.S. in its first week, scoring the highest first-week sales debut of any album in over a decade. Taylor is the only female artist in music history (and just the fourth artist ever) to twice have an album (2010's Speak Now and 2012's RED) hit the 1 million plus first-week sales figure. ”Shake It Off” is the first single off her fifth studio album 1989 (Big Machine Records), which will be released on October 27, 2014. The single has topped Billboard’s Pop, HotAC and Hot 100 charts and has earned double Platinum-status by the RIAA for exceeding sales of two million downloads in the U.S., and has peaked at No. 1 in 64 countries on iTunes.  

For more information please visit TaylorSwift.com or follow her on Facebook, Google +, Instagram, LINE, Tumblr and Twitter.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie Team Up on December Day: Willie's Stash Vol. 1, a New Collection of Studio Recordings, Coming December 2  

First Release in Willie's Stash Archival Series Showcases 18 Unreleased Selections from the Willie Nelson Family Songbook

 



NEW YORK,-- Legacy Recordings will release Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie's December Day, the first installment of the Willie's Stash archival recordings series, on Tuesday, December 2.
An eclectic album collaboration from outlaw country legend Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie Nelson, December Day debuts intimate new recordings of the siblings performing 18 songs they love.
As brother and sister growing up in Abbott, Texas, Willie and Bobbie Nelson learned to read music and play instruments as pre-teens under the tutelage of their grandparents, who raised them.  They played together in Texas bands early in their careers and Bobbie has been an essential member of Willie's Family Band since its official formation in 1973.  Willie and Bobbie's deeply intuitive musical bond, formed and developed through of decades of practice and spontaneity, can be felt throughout December Day.
With songs personally selected by Willie and Bobbie, December Day includes new versions of gems from Willie's extensive songwriting catalog ("Permanently Lonely," "My Old Peculiar Way") alongside some surprising cover tunes (Al Jolson's "The Anniversary Song," Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "What'll I Do" and "Always").
The album's sound is augmented by contributions from other Family Band members, including harmonica player Mickey Raphael and the late Bee Spears on bass on "What'll I Do," recorded during his poignant last session with Willie.
In his first-hand observer liner notes for December Day, Family Band member Mickey Raphael provides fascinating details of the album's performances and insights into the artists' creative process.
"As long as I can remember, Willie and Bobbie, who ride together on Willie's bus, spend some of their traveling time jamming on their favorite songs," Raphael writes.  "Bobbie has a travel size keyboard on the bus and Willie's guitar, Trigger is always by his side. This is where the idea for December Day was born. 'Why not record our favorite songs like we play them for ourselves?' Bobbie asked...
"...When it comes to a brother-sister collaboration with the longevity of Willie and Bobbie, there is beauty in keeping things simple. 'Less is more' is the underlying theme. We've heard these songs before but not like this. The spontaneity born out of familiarity is what this record, December Day, is all about.
"It's not rocket science, it's alchemy."
The Willie's Stash series will present a variety of releases, personally curated by Willie Nelson, culled from decades of recording and touring, a singular career that's established Willie Nelson as an American musical icon.
December Day is Willie's fifth release since signing to Legacy Recordings in 2012. His last Legacy release, Band Of Brothers, was released in June 2014 and hit No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart.
December Day is produced by Buddy Cannon and recorded by Steve Chadie at Pedernales Recordings Studio in Austin, Texas.
Musicians on the album include Willie Nelson (Trigger) and Bobbie Nelson (piano, B-3 organ) with Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Kevin Smith (bass), Bee Spears (bass), Billy English (drums, percussion) and David Zettner (acoustic guitar).

Willie Nelson and Sister BobbieDecember Day(Willie's Stash, Vol. 1)
1. Alexander's Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin)
2. Permanently Lonely (Willie Nelson)
3. What'll I Do (Irving Berlin)
4. Summer of Roses / December Day (Willie Nelson)
5. Nuages (Django Reinhardt)
6. Mona Lisa (Ray Evans & Jay Livingston)
7. I Don't Know Where I Am Today (Willie Nelson)
8. Amnesia (Willie Nelson)
9. Who'll Buy My Memories (Willie Nelson)
10. The Anniversary Song (Al Jolson & Saul Chaplin)
11. Laws of Nature (Willie Nelson)
12. Walkin' (Willie Nelson)
13. Always (Irving Berlin)
14. I Let My Mind Wander (Willie Nelson)
15. Is the Better Part Over (Willie Nelson)
16. My Own Peculiar Way (Willie Nelson)
17. Sad Songs and Waltzes (Willie Nelson)
18. Ou-es tu, mon amour  (Emile Stern & Henri LeMarchand) / I Never Cared for You (Willie Nelson)
willienelson.com
legacyrecordings.com
GARTH BROOKS BREAKS HIS OWN RECORD OF 58,729 SET OCTOBER 10-12, 1996 AT THE KIEL CENTER
AND IS STILL SELLING!

GARTH BROOKS

WORLD TOUR
With
Trisha Yearwood
Thursday, December 4 7:30PM
Friday, December 5 7:00PM
Saturday, December 6 7:00PM
Sunday, December 7 7:00PM
 
Scottrade Center

St Louis, MO

                                                                                                                                                      
 
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! *
       

8 ticket limit!!

 

Buy ONLY at the following:

www.ticketmaster.com or www.ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks  

Or

 
1-800-745-3000 or Ticketmaster Express 1-866-448-7849
 
*No sales at the venue box office or Ticketmaster outlets October 24th.
 
Special Note: Select seats protected with paperless delivery.    
 ALL SEATS SOLD BEST AVAILABLE
 
 
 

TICKET PRICES:

 

$57.15 plus $4.85 tax plus $3.00 facility fee plus $6.00 service charge = $71.00.



Joan Jett and Little Kids Rock Say "I Love Rock N' Roll" for Music Education  

Sixth Annual Little Kid Rock Benefit Raises Approximately $1.5 Million



NEW YORK,  -- Thursday night, non-profit organization, Little Kids Rock, hosted its sixth annual benefit at Hammerstein Ballroom at The Manhattan Center, which generated approximately $1.5 million in donations to help support students and music teachers in public schools with donated instruments, curricular resources and training. The benefit also honored Joan Jett as "Rocker of the Year" for the impact that her career, influence, and music has had on the charity's 'Modern Band' music program, which helps facilitate the teaching of popular musical styles that kids know and love, like rock, hip hop, country, blues and funk.
"For twelve years, Little Kids Rock has supported over 320,000 teachers and students realize the true impact of music – inside and outside the classroom," said David Wish, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Little Kids Rock. "Thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters, we're able to continue to bring this gift to thousands of kids each year, long after the benefit has ended."
To begin, guests enjoyed a performance by Sharkapella, an after school a cappella vocal group made of current and former students ages 13-16. Maureen Van Zandt then formally welcomed the audience to the evening's festivities. Van Zandt is an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock alongside her husband, Steven Van Zandt, who also served as the producer of this year's musical production and oversees his own Rock and Roll Forever Foundation.
Following her introduction, The Sopranos' Vincent Pastore and radio host, Rich Russo, took to the stage to serve as hosts for the night, bringing David Wish front and center to honor Guitar Center's Mike Pratt for his and Guitar Center's support and partnership with the charity. Guitar Center also served as the title sponsor.
Wish went on to speak to the crowd about the charity's mission and, most importantly, the students and teachers it supports – teachers like John Flora, who joined a number of student performers on stage to captivate the crowd with hits like "Counting Stars."
"Not only do our students receive the gift of music education for free, but they also know they're welcome in a classroom where everyone speaks the only universal language the world has ever known- music," said Mr. Flora during his address to the audience. 
Don Reo, who co-wrote the book Big Man with Clarence Clemons, then came to the stage to present the "Big Man of the Year" award to the late performer's nephew, Jake Clemons. The students joined him in two entertaining performances, "You're a Friend of Mine" and "Valentine Song."
Ten-year-old Ashley Nunez, a student from PS 98 Shorac Kappock elementary school in Manhattan who performed an original song featuring Jake Clemons, summed up the night best, saying "Little Kids Rock gave me the chance to learn to play music, and now they are giving me the chance to play a song that we wrote in school in front of all of these people. This has been such an awesome experience, and a night I'll never forget."
The night then turned its attention to Little Kids Rock "Rocker of the Year" Joan Jett, her legacy and the role she's played in advancing music education. Members of rock royalty paid homage, including Alice Cooper, Billie Joe Armstrong, Cheap Trick, Tommy James, Darlene Love, Gary U.S. Bonds, Kathleen Hanna with Ad-Rock, Mike Ness, Jesse Malin, Brody Dalle, Jake Clemons and Little Kids Rock students from local schools. Guests enjoyed a variety of covers and original music, such as:
  • Cheap Trick, "I Hate Myself For Loving You"
  • Gary US Bonds and Jake Clemons, "Eye to Eye"
  • Brody Dalle, "Victim of Circumstance"
  • Jesse Malin, "Bad Reputation"
  • Darlene Love, "Little Liar"
  • Mike Ness, "Love Is Pain"
  • Tommy James and Joan Jett, "Crimson and Clover"
  • Kathleen Hannah with Ad-Rock, "Fake Friends"
  • Billie Joe Armstrong and Joan Jett, "Don't Abuse Me"
  • Alice Cooper and Joan Jett, "Be My Lover"
The night ended, fittingly, with an epic finale of Joan's classic "I Love Rock N Roll."
Kristian Bush and the band perform LIVE on the Today Show THIS MONDAY!
 

Hello, friends! It's been way too long. How are you? Hope you are enjoying sweater weather and getting ready for Halloween!

Coming at you with two BIG pieces of news about "Trailer Hitch" -- have you heard it? do you love it? did you get yours on iTunes yet?? -- that we are thrilled to share!

THIS MONDAY MORNING, October 27, Kristian and the band will be performing LIVE on the Today Show! Tune in during the 10 a.m. hour to hang with us (and the amazing Kathie Lee and Hoda) and catch the national TV debut of KB's first solo single!

He will also be making a very special announcement about how you can #giveitaway and change lives... don't miss it.

The official "Trailer Hitch" video is OUT NOW!

If you haven't seen the official video for "Trailer Hitch" yet, what are you waiting for?

We teamed up with director Blake Judd and legendary Hollywood creature creator Robert Kurtzman -- along with some great guest stars, like Canaan Smith, pictured drooling to the right -- to create the world's happiest zombie apocalypse. Can Kristian save the world with his guitar?

WATCH IT HERE to find out!!

Go behind the scenes for a killer look at all the zombie action:
Watch the making of the "Trailer Hitch" video here!
Learn about how the zombies came to non-life here!

Remember: You can't take it with you when you go...

Aaron Lewis singing National Anthem at tonight's World Series game 5 
 
 
SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (October 26, 2014) – Major League Baseball has chosen Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum Dot Records recording artist Aaron Lewis to sing the National Anthem before Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday, Oct. 26. Lewis will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the pregame ceremony at AT&T Park in San Francisco before the San Francisco Giants take on the Kansas City Royals. Coverage begins at 7:30pm ET on FOX.

“I grew up watching the World Series,” said Lewis. “It’s a privilege and honor to be asked to be a part of such an important night.”

After wrapping up a stint on the second leg of Brantley Gilbert’s Let It Ride Tour on Saturday, Oct. 25, Aaron Lewis will continue to crisscross the country playing solo shows. For more info on Aaron Lewis and to see a complete list of upcoming tour dates, visit: aaronlewismusic.com.

About Aaron Lewis:
Aaron Lewis' 2011 first solo release, Town Line, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Country Album Chart.  The first single from that release, "Country Boy," featured the late George Jones and Charlie Daniels and has been certified Gold.  It earned Lewis multiple CMA, ACM and CMT Music Award nominations, while the accompanying video has been streamed over eighteen million times to date. Lewis completed a run of dates as the headlining act on the Jägermeister Country Tour, performing a majority of the songs from The Road.  The album was released by Blaster Records via Warner Music Nashville in late 2012. As the front man for the multi-platinum selling band Staind, Lewis is the songwriter and voice behind the most-played rock song of the past decade, "It's Been Awhile," in addition to three other #1 hits and eight Top-Ten singles.
 
# # #

Monday, October 20, 2014

TAYLOR SWIFT UNVEILS "WELCOME TO NEW YORK" FROM 1989 EXCLUSIVELY ON ITUNES TOMORROW (10/21)
 “Welcome To New York” Is the Third Song Unlocked From 1989, the Most Highly Anticipated Album This Year, Available Everywhere Next Monday (10/27)


Cover Art Courtesy of Big Machine Records
New York, NY (October 20, 2014) – TAYLOR SWIFT, seven-time GRAMMY Award winner and Billboard Magazine’s recently named Woman of the Year (the only artist to have been awarded this honor twice), will exclusively unlock "Welcome To New York" on iTunes on Tuesday, October 21, giving her fans a new track and a peek at what is to come from the most highly anticipated album this year, 1989 (Big Machine Records). "Welcome To New York" is written by Taylor Swift and Ryan Tedder (One Republic) and produced by Ryan Tedder, Noel Zancanella and Taylor Swift. This is the third song revealed from 1989, Taylor’s forthcoming fifth studio album, while the current single, “Shake It Off,” remains atop the charts across the globe.

“I started the album with “Welcome To New York” because New York has been an important landscape and location for the story of my life in the last couple of years,” said Taylor. “It’s like an electric city, and I approached moving there with such wide-eyed optimism. I saw New York as a place of endless potential and possibilities and you can hear that reflected in this music and in this song.”

Taylor Swift, who writes all of her own songs, is a global superstar, seven-time GRAMMY winner and the youngest winner in history of the music industry's highest honor, the GRAMMY Award for Album of the Year. She is the first artist since the Beatles (and the only female artist in history) to log six or more weeks at #1 in the U.S. with three consecutive studio albums. Taylor has an album on Rolling Stone's prestigious The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time (by women) list, Time magazine has named her one the of the 100 Most Influential People in the world, and she is Billboard's youngest-ever Woman of the Year and the only artist to have been awarded this honor twice. Taylor has career record sales in excess of 30 million albums and almost 80 million song downloads worldwide, and has had singles top both the pop and country radio charts around the globe. Taylor's album RED, released almost two years ago on Big Machine Records, has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide to date, including more than 1.2 million copies in the U.S. in its first week, scoring the highest first-week sales debut of any album in over a decade. Taylor is the only female artist in music history (and just the fourth artist ever) to twice have an album (2010's Speak Now and 2012's RED) hit the 1 million plus first-week sales figure. ”Shake It Off” is the first single off her fifth studio album 1989 (Big Machine Records), which will be released on October 27. The single has topped Billboard’s Pop, HotAC and Hot 100 charts and has earned double Platinum-status by the RIAA for exceeding sales of two million downloads in the U.S., and has peaked at #1 in 64 countries on iTunes.

For more information please visit TaylorSwift.com or follow her on Facebook, Google +, Instagram, LINE, Tumblr and Twitter.
 # # #
Kentucky Headhunters Celebrate 25 Years of Pickin' On Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ) – It was the album that Nashville – or the music industry as a whole – didn't quite know what to do with. But, the fans quickly figured it out. On October 17, 1989 – twenty-five years ago today - Mercury Records released the album Pickin' On Nashville, the debut disc from The Kentucky Headhunters.

The band originated in 1968 and was comprised of Richard and Fred Young, along with cousins Greg Martin and Anthony Kenney. They didn’t look or sound like any other groups in the business, they were more comfortable in t-shirts and jeans than your typical stage attire – and their sound was a hybrid of Country, Southern Rock, and Blues.

Growing up in Edmonton, KY on a family farm, the band had played together for over twenty years prior to their big break. That time period included a couple of brushes with the spotlight. Under the name Itchy Brother (Richard Young recalls the name came from a scraggly lion from the cartoon Bongo Congo), the group were groomed by Capricorn Records in the 1970s, and almost signed with Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song Records in the early 1980s. However, the third crack at the big time proved to be the charm.

With a lineup that now included bass player and vocalist Doug Phelps, and his brother, Ricky Lee, the die was firmly cast for stardom. Having created a buzz with their live appearances in the Southern Kentucky area, as well as “The Chitlin’ Show,” their popular radio show at WLOC in Munfordville, by 1988, the Headhunters were ready to take their sound nationwide. Encouraged by their fans and friends like Tom Long, Larry Shell, and manager (and former Swan Song exec) Mitchell Fox, the boys agreed to roll the dice and take their music to Nashville.

Richard Young remembers their showcase in Nashville. "As soon as I hit those first chords of ‘Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine,’ it looked like someone yelled "’There’s a bomb in here!’ With the exception of the bartender, waitress and a few friends, we cleared Douglas Corner. One man was left standing, Harold Shedd, then president of Mercury Records. He came up, took one of our homemade albums and left. The next day he called and said, ‘Boys, we may be cooking hamburgers next year, but I gotta try this.”

Shedd’s gamble proved to be right on the money. “Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine,” the Bill Monroe classic was released as the first single, hitting the Billboard Country Singles chart on September 30, 1989. Radio didn’t know what hit them, as the group watched the single move up the charts.  Though the single only made it to No. 25 on the charts, Stan Hitchcock at CMT was paying attention, and the video spread the music of the Kentucky Headhunters around the nation like wildfire.

Pickin’ On Nashville included three more singles, “Dumas Walker,” “Rock and Roll Angel,” and their top-ten cover of Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me.” When the dust settled, the disc sold well over two million copies, and was named as the 1990 Album of the Year by the Country Music Association – not bad, when considering the group recorded the album in three days for only $4500 – an unheard of amount of time and money then and now. The success of the album also led to back-to-back wins for Vocal Group of the Year from the CMA in 1990 and 1991. They also won the Academy of Country Music trophy for Vocal Group of the Year, an American Music Award, and the most coveted award in all of music – a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the album. Their fan base would also include some of the biggest artists of all time, such as ZZ Top. Young recalls a conversation he once had with the architects of Rock & Roll, Carl Perkins.  “You know Carl, I was beginning to think we would never get an album out,” he told the man behind “Blue Suede Shoes.”  To which Perkins replied, "Yeah buddy, but when ya'll came out, you came out sideways!” Truer words were never spoken.

All of these years later, the success keeps coming for the Kentucky Headhunters. Never one to be pigeon-holed in any one specific genre, the group continues to tour and record to this day. All in all, they have released thirteen albums, including their self-titled disc this year. They also continue to play to packed houses both here in the United States and abroad.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pickin’ On Nashville, the Headhunters will be featured in a special article on Billboard.com this weekend where The 615’s Chuck Dauphin ventured from Nashville to the group’s “Practice House” in the Edmonton, KY to recall the impact that the record made – and continues to make. Also, the Kentucky Headhunters will be featured in special programming on SiriusXM this weekend, sharing their reflections and memories of the music. Richard Young sums up his feelings on the group’s success, saying simply “We are lucky boys, who have lived a charmed life.”
 
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