Grascals and The Roys – MDA Telethon
THE GRASCALS & THE ROYS SET TO BRING BLUEGRASS MUSIC TO THE JERRY LEWIS MDA TELETHON
Award-winning bluegrass group The Grascals along with new bluegrass duo The Roys will be joining the legendary entertainer and MDA National Chairman
Jerry Lewis on the star-studded television program that’s expected to be watched by some 40 million Read more…
Peter Rowan’s New Release
Since his tenure some 45 years ago with Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass, roots music icon Peter Rowan has blazed trails across an unsurpassed range of musical territory. Now, with producer Alison Brown at the helm of his Compass Records debut, Legacy, he revisits the style that launched his career for the first time in more than a dozen years.Dare To Be Different To Benefit IBMM
Grammy nominee and three-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award winner Valerie Smith along with Buckledown Productions is pleased to announce the fourth annual Dare To Be Different Showcase to be held Sunday, September 26, Read more…
James King Update
James King was released from the hospital and is now resting at home after being admitted for blood clots in his lungs and leg. He plans on returning to the stage soon.
Jody Adams – New Release
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Jody Adams, is set to release his latest album, ‘Voices of Home,’ on September 14.
Adams, a native of Asher, Oklahoma who has called Colorado home for many years, returns to the “roots of his raising” with a potent mix of Folk Gospel, Bluegrass and Acoustic music on the 16-song collection.
For the past few years, Adams has been part of the critically-acclaimed acoustic-string group, Palmer’s Divide. With ‘Voices of Home,’ Adams puts his focus back on a personal level with songs that recall the memories and places of his youth. With family, faith and redemption as themes, the album is sure to draw new fans for the multi-talented Adams.
“I had no idea the roots of my musical raisin’ would still be in such demand today,” Adams states proudly. “It is truly a blessing to share and I am grateful for every supporter and fan I’ve met along the way. Secondarily to Almighty God and my family….I can’t really ‘not’ do this music thing….it’s what drives me on a daily basis.”
Adams has built an amazing resume of accomplishments in his musical career including the release of seven acoustic/folk CDs. His music has been featured on Bill Bennett’s Morning in America (theme song), Sirius-XM Radio’s “Bluegrass Junction,” MTV’s Real World, Access Hollywood, CMT: Johnny Cash, Raw and Uncut, A&E’s Biography: Brooks and Dunn, ESPN, FOX, ABC, and countless other national and International outlets.
‘Voices of Home’ is available at www.jodyadams.com, www.CDBaby.com , www.amazon.com, www.eMusic.com and www.iTunes.com
James King Hospitalized
Bluegrass artist James King has been admitted to the hospital with blood clots in his lungs and leg. Read more…
Jesse McReynolds’ Tribute to Jerry Garcia
Jesse McReynolds & Friends: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter ~ Songs of the Grateful Dead
Radio Stations Propose Paying To Play Music
Radio Stations Propose Paying to Play Music
By JOSEPH PLAMBECK
Published: August 23, 2010 *
For more than 70 years, over-the-air radio stations have played music without paying the performers who recorded the songs.
That could be changing.
This month, the National Association of Broadcasters released what it described as a framework of a deal in which stations would pay a total of about $100 million a year in performance fees.
“It’s a crack in the dam,” said David Kaut, a regulatory analyst for the research firm Stifel Nicolaus.
The association’s outline suggests that the largest stations pay a performance fee of 1 percent of net revenue, and smaller stations a lower rate or none at all. While labels and musicians have long sought performance fees, broadcasters have argued that the stations provide important promotion for artists, and that a fee might put small stations out of business.
Even if a final compromise is reached, it would still need Congressional approval.
Monday, the broadcasting group will hold an online discussion to answer questions from its members.
“I think some people inside the industry think we should fight and fight and fight,” said Peter Smyth, a board member of the radio group and chief executive of Greater Media, which owns 23 stations. “But at the end of the day, we have to make good deals that help us move forward.”
Mitch Bainwol, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/recording_industry_association_of_america/index.html?inline=nyt-org>, a trade group that represents record labels, said that the plan released by the broadcasters “signals a new day where two very significant sectors that should be partners ride off together in a productive way.”
Last year, after the both the House and Senate judiciary committees approved bills that would require performance fees for broadcast radio, lawmakers asked the two sides to work out a deal themselves. The groups have regularly discussed the issue since February.
Laws passed in the 1990s require fees to be paid for online radio. Last year, SoundExchange, the organization that collects performance fees, brought in more than $180 million. The money is generally split between the copyright holder, often a record label, and the artist. Under the new plan, fees for online radio would be reduced.
The record industry would welcome any additional income, as revenue from recorded music has been cut almost in half over the last 10 years.
“It took me a really long time to come to the conclusion that I would pay performance royalties,” said Mr. Smyth. “Eight months ago, I’d say it’s nuts.”
Mr. Smyth said his feelings changed when he realized the risk involved in trying to oppose the bill. Stations fear that Congress could eventually require higher fees than they are proposing.
Although the two sides appear closer than ever before to a deal, serious hurdles remain.
The framework released by the broadcasters calls for a federal mandate that every cellphone sold in the United States include a chip to allow FM radio reception — a “critically important” part of the plan, said Dennis Wharton, the group’s spokesman. Having radio available in all cellphones could help broadcasters compete with online streaming services like Pandora, which are popular on mobile devices. Mr. Wharton said the chip would help provide a public service, as information during a local emergency could be heard on a phone.
The record companies are in favor of the chip requirement, but the cellphone industry has expressed serious concerns, saying that it could make phones bulkier and shorten battery life. “We are completely, inalterably opposed to this,” said Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Electronics Association, which represents some wireless companies.
Mr. Bainwol said that in the last year many potential deal-breakers had arisen, but that the two sides had so far found ways to work around them. The chip question, he said, just happens to be the “issue du jour.”
The music labels would like to put something in front of lawmakers shortly after Labor Day<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/l/labor_day/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier>, in hopes that something could be passed before the end of the current Congress. Whatever the timing, Marty Machowsky, a spokesman for the MusicFirst Coalition, which represents labels and musicians, said that the outline distributed by the broadcasters’ association was an important development.
“There’s really a sense,” he said, “that this has the potential to be a significant breakthrough.”
A version of this article appeared in print on August 23, 2010, on page B2 of the New York edition.
Rural Rhythm New Releases
Rural Rhythm Records is very proud to announce two new album releases: Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford, “DOGWOOD WINTER” and The Bartley Brother’s “HIT THE ROAD.”
“DOGWOOD WINTER” by Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford is surely one of the most anticipated new album releases of 2010. This is the first collaborative album by this award-winning songwriting team. Fans will enjoy hearing Steve and Tim in some different musical settings which they would not normally hear with their respective bands, GRASSTOWNE and BLUE HIGHWAY.
The album is a singer-songwriter album in every sense of the word. Steve and Tim hand picked 14 of their best new original songs they felt would be a good cross-section of their fine work together including the first single, the barn burner, “Just Along for the Ride.” Since most of their songs are bluegrass, they asked some of their dear friends to help on the album. It just so happens their friends are some of the finest musicians in the bluegrass music today – Adam Steffey, Ron Stewart and Justin Moses.
“DOGWOOD WINTER” is available at Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, f.y.e. entertainment, Ernest Tubbs, CountySales, Music Shed and other fine outlets.
“HIT THE ROAD,” by Kentucky bluegrass music veterans The Bartley Brothers, is also another exciting bluegrass release featuring Rick and Shayne Bartley, Jayd Raines, and Josh Hymer. The first single release is the title track that truly showcases The Bartley Brothers traditional sound featuring their beautifully blended brother harmonies. Combine that with Rick and Shayne’s top notch songwriting talents and you have a truly winning formula on their debut album.
These powerful elements are the reason why so much attention is being drawn to this emerging new group of respected veteran bluegrass musicians – The Bartley Brothers.
“HIT THE ROAD” is available at Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Ernest Tubbs, County Sales, Music Shed and other fine outlets.
