February ‘Inside Track on Music Row’ ready to read now
Just in time for Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2019, the February issue of Nashville Music Guide is now available with a special print edition in addition to the online version.
Click here, then click on the picture of the February cover. You can then read the entire magazine on any device. My column, ‘Inside Track on Music Row,’ appears on pages 25 through 35, with plenty of full-color photos.
You can also pick up a print copy at Nashville music venues and at CRS, taking place at the Omni Hotel, Nashville, February 13 through 15.
Meanwhile here are just a few of the items in my February column. Read the full column at NMG!
- Randy Houser’s new album ‘Magnolia’ marks new era
- Bluebird Café’s 37th year as Nashville icon
- Marshall Tucker Band: no sign of slowing down
- Marty Brown signs with Plowboy Records
- TG Sheppard: “I Wanna Live Like Elvis”
Scroll down to read these brief excerpts, then check out the entire column at Nashville Music Guide.
ALBUM NEWS
Randy Houser’s highly anticipated new album, ‘Magnolia’, is now available to stream in its entirety via NPR Music’s First Listen. Houser performed his favorite song from the album, “No Stone Unturned” on Good Morning America in January, and has been making appearances in Nashville, Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, Houston, New York City (again) and Baltimore in support of the new album including performances on Sirius XM Play, iHeart Radio Theater and NASH FM.
This album marks a new era for Randy. Feeling impassionate, Houser opted to slow things down and set up camp in his good buddy and co-producer Gattis’ studio in East Nashville to recalibrate and rediscover his passion for creating music. He spent nearly two years fully invested in his songwriting which resulted in ‘Magnolia’ and a new sound that is un-polished yet authentically Houser.
“Magnolia has been my beacon of light and restored my spirit and my truth,” said Houser. “It’s also the most daring and honest piece of work I’ve made in my life.” Houser’s fingerprints can be found on every inch of the project, having co-written every song on the album (and playing lead guitar on many of the songs). Music and more at www.randyhouser.com
BLUEBIRD CAFÉ NEWS
Originally started as a restaurant in 1982 by founder Amy Kurland, the Bluebird Café had evolved into a 90-seat listening room by 1984, holding regular Writers’ Nights. In March 1985, three songwriters, J. Fred Knobloch, Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet, performed the first ‘In The Round’ show, in which the three writers sat in the center of the room and took turns playing songs and telling the stories behind the songs, while audiences listened quietly and attentively.
The ‘In The Round’ concept was an immediate success and was soon adopted by other venues, but The Bluebird is recognized as the place where it really all started and continues to this day. After 37 years, the Bluebird Café is as popular as ever. It is still the place where songwriters really want to be seen and heard. Just take a look at the list of upcoming shows at their website. Click on ‘shows’ and check out the astonishing list of hit writers scheduled to appear. While you’re at their site, it’s a good idea to click on ‘Reservations’ too. That’s where you’ll see the Bluebird’s policy about booking seats. Info at www.bluebirdcafe.com.
CONCERT NEWS
Legendary southern rock group The Marshall Tucker Band has revealed the first leg of live concert dates for its newly announced Through Hell & High Water… And Back Tour 2019. The first round of dates includes stops in Las Vegas, NV, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Verona, NY, Scottsdale, AZ, Glenside, PA, Mobile, AL, Charleston, SC, and the 2019 Southern Rock Cruise.
Entering their 48th year on the road with nearly 30 live concerts already on the books, the iconic band shows no signs of slowing down. “When we started the band in the early 70s, we did it for beer money on the weekends,” reminisces Marshall Tucker Band lead singer Doug Gray. “Never in a million years would I have believed that we’d still be out here jammin’ for as long as we have. What a journey… onward we ride!” More dates will be announced soon at marshalltucker.com.
LABEL NEWS
(Plowboy Records) Marty Brown, the country legend and awarded songwriter, has joined the Plowboy Records roster. He is putting the finishing touches on his album which is due out this spring. Look for first radio single in February.
Marty is a fellow Kentuckian and a long-time bud of mine. One of the first talent shows I judged in the 90s was the KY State Country Showdown. At the time it was being held at ‘The Yellow Rose’ in Owensboro, KY. Guess who I judged and who won?? Yes, Marty! Many fans remember his unique appearances on season eight of America’s Got Talent, where he advanced to the semi-final round. Publicity for the upcoming album will be handled by Martha Moore of so much MOORE media. More info and tour dates for Marty’s upcoming Country Boy Tour at http://www.martybrownmusic.com
- Marty will be appearing at the Omni Hotel, Nashville, during CRS 2019
SINGLE NEWS
Country music legend TG Sheppard honors his close friend Elvis Presley by releasing his first single in more than two decades, appropriately titled, “I Wanna Live Like Elvis.” The single comes on the heels of January 8, what would have been Elvis’ 84th birthday. Sheppard — one of Billboard’s Top 100 Country Artists of All Time — explains, “I was compelled to record ‘I Wanna Live Like Elvis’ in honor of my long-time friendship with him, and because the writers were able to capture so much of his life story in just four minutes in a clever and comical way that hasn’t been done before.”
The upbeat, funky track hits on the extraordinary life and career of the one-and-only Elvis Presley, featuring witty lyrics such as “I wanna learn karate, make a movie in Hawaii” and “I wanna love my momma, lay around with ‘Cilla in silk pajamas.” “I Wanna Live Like Elvis” is the first single to be released from Sheppard’s upcoming full-length album, his first country solo album in more than two decades. Details at www.tgsheppard.com
Read the full column, and all of the February edition of Nashville Music Guide, here.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com