Reba releases 34th album, Limited Deluxe Edition to suit -- Country Hound, 10/12

It is an astonishing feat for many musicians to remain a constant in the music industry, let alone release multiple albums. The country-music mega-superstar Reba has sold over 55 million albums worldwide and has had 13 of her previous studio albums reach Gold or Platinum status, and can now add another notch to that belt.  On Nov. 9, one of the most successful female recording artists in history will be releasing her 34^th studio album, which will also be available in a Limited Deluxe Edition.

The album will include the hit “Turn On the Radio” as well as “Somebody’s Chelsea,” which was co-written by Reba.  Also included will be Reba’s highly talked about cover of Beyonce’s “If I Were A Boy,” which became an Internet phenomenon after performed on CMT Unplugged.

The Limited Deluxe Edition of “All The Women I Am” is to include an interview and video performance of the 4-week #1 single by Reba, “Consider Me Gone,” the Top 10 single “Strange,” “Eight Crazy Hours (In The Story of Love),” and “I Want a Cowboy” from Reba’s most recent AOL Sessions.  Also included on the bonus DVD will be Reba’s performance of “If I Were A Boy.”

Along with the video performances, the Limited Deluxe Edition will also feature a dance remix of “I Want A Cowboy” and behind-the-scenes footage as well as music video of “Turn On The Radio.”

Both the Limited Deluxe Edition and regular edition of “All The Women I Am” are available for pre-sale now.  To order, visit reba.com or thevalorymusicco.com online social commerce stores powered by Moontoast.

“All The Woman I Am” will mark Reba’s first collaboration with Dann Huff, who is an award-winning producer who has previously worked with Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts.  This will also mark her second album for The Valory Music Co.

The final track list for Reba’s 34^th studio album, “All The Woman I Am,” is as follows:

1.    Turn On The Radio
2. If I Were A Boy
3. The Bridge You Burn         
4. Cry            
5. When Love Gets A Hold Of You   
6. Somebody’s Chelsea           
7. All The Women I Am            
8. The Day She Got Divorced  
9. A Little Want To  
10. When You Have A Child         

The DVD Deluxe Video content includes:

1. AOL Sessions “Consider Me Gone”

2.     AOL Sessions “Strange”

3.     AOL Sessions “Eight Crazy Hours (In The Story Of Love)”

4.     AOL Sessions “I Want A Cowboy”

5.     AOL Sessions Interview

6.     CMT Unplugged “If I Were A Boy”

7.     Behind the Scenes:  “Turn On The Radio” Music Video Shoot

8.     “Turn On The Radio”  Music Video

Tim McGraw releases Greatest Hits, again -- Country Hound, 10/12

Tim McGraw has been tearing up the charts and making himself present on the Country Music charts since the early 90s.  Nov. 30, McGraw will release a new CD entitled “Number One Hits.”

This double-album, which is to be released on Curb Records, will include 22 singles from across the years.  In addition to the originally released version of the ’94 “Indian Outlaw,” a dance mix for the song will be incorporated as well.  The new CD will also feature ‘09s “Southern Voice” and McGraw’s newest single, “Felt Good on My Lips.”

However, this is not the first time McGraw’s label has released a hits album in his career.  Several other of his greatest hits albums include “Greatest Hits” in 2000, “Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2” in 2006 and “Greatest Hits 3” in 2008.

For more information on Tim McGraw visit timmcgraw.com.

Source: http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1649746/tim-mcgraws-number-one-hits-due-nov-30.jhtml?rsspartner=rssSimplePie

Taylor Swift being sued by ex-manager -- Country Hound, 10/11

Way back when, in 2004, the nation and world hardly knew then-14-year-old Taylor Swift.  Swift, at the time, was managed by music manager Dan Dymtrow.  Dymtrow claims he played an integral role in the launch of Swift’s career before promptly being dropped in July 2005 when Swift signed with Big Machine Records. 

Dymtrow is now claiming that his deals with Swift and parents outlined that he be paid between five and ten percent commission.  Allegedly, after Dymtrow introduced the Swifts to high rollers in the entertainment industry, such as Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta, Dymtrow asserts he was exploited by the Swifts and then timely fired in order to avoid being paid.

"They delayed and delayed [the deal] and got rid of my client and subsequently signed the deal and kept his commissions for themselves," Dymtrow’s attorney Fernando Pinguelo said.

In reply to Dymtrow’s claim, the Swifts stated that Taylor, who was then a minor, legally renounced the deal in 2005.  Dymtrow was let go upon the knowledge of his failure to obtain the required court approval of his management contract.  This all occurred several months before the Swifts signed with Big Machine and a complete year before the debut release of Taylor Swift’s single, “Tim McGraw.”

"For him to claim that her success and her major contracts were procured by him is ludicrous," said Swift's lawyer, Paul LiCalsi of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp.

The Dymtrow versus Swift battle has been going on quietly since 2007.  Then, Dymtrow sued the Swifts claiming they had breached a management contract by paying only $10,000 for the initiation of Taylor’s career.  U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan shot down six of Dymtrow’s claims in March against the Swifts and Big Machine.

On October 6, both sides presented a joint letter to the court seeking documents in hopes of verifying their cases once and for all.  In the letter, Pinguelo says that Dymtrow was a victim of conspiracy between Mr. Swift and Borchetta to fire him.  To prove this, Pinguelo references an e-mail from Aug. 2006 from Mr. Swift to Borchetta implying how the two agreed to let Dymtrow go: “Enough with the Dymtrow,” Swift supposedly wrote.  “You asked me to break both his legs, wrap him in chains and throw him in the lake.  I did.”

Dymtrow also argues that the e-mail proposes Taylor Swift’s termination of her contract to avoid paying him for the work he had done and relationships he initiated that would not have occurred without his assistance.  He is also wanting access to documents he claims will show that his connection to Swift’s world-wide success and multiplatinum record sales.

"Mr. Dymtrow seeks to prove that key deal points that were being discussed during his tenure were, in sum and substance, consistent with the points that were further negotiated and signed after his term as a manager," the letter said.

Another claim of Dymtrow’s is that he introduced Swift to agents at Creative Artists Agency, and these people ended up representing her and booking concerts.  Thus, Dymtrow believes he is entitled to commissions from that relationship.  LiCalsi, however, refuted that charge.

“"To say that is worth millions is just the height of overreaching," LiCalsi said.

A date is yet to be set for the trial.

Source: http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/stopthepresses/307863/exclusive-taylor-swifts-ex-manager-sues-for-millions/

Urban reveals artwork and tracklist for new album -- Country Hound, 10/11

Keith Urban has recently announced the new fan-voted artwork for his new “Get Closer” album cover.  The two choices for fans to vote via The Boot, Facebook and Twitter where between Urban wrapped in a woman’s arms (Wifey Nicole Kidman, perhaps?) or Urban sitting on a bed with his guitar in the background.  The winter, in a close 51% to 49% race, was Urban sitting on the bed.

To see the two images, visit http://www.theboot.com/2010/09/29/keith-urban-get-closer-album-cover/

"It's [the album title] connected to intimacy," Keith said. "To whatever it is that I'm trying to achieve, I've got to 'get closer,' whether that be to love or any of my goals or dreams ... That's what we all need to do. It's a big, open-ended meaning. Ultimately, [the fans] will all find [their] own connection to what this title means.”

Along with the artwork for Urban’s eighth studio album, a track list has also been released.  However, only eight songs are currently listed and there is no statement indicating if bonus tracks will be added before the Nov. 12 release.

The first single from the album, “Put You in a Song,” was co-written between Urban, Jedd Hughes and Sarah Buxton.  Urban previously wrote with these songwriters for the Grammy-award winning song, “Stupid Boy.”

“Get Closer” Track List:

1.'Put You in a Song'
2. 'You Gonna Fly'
3. 'All for You'
4. 'Long Hot Summer'
5. 'Without You'
6. 'Georgia Woods'
7. 'Right on Back to You'
8. 'Shut Out the Lights'

To pre-order Keith Urban’s newest studio album “Get Closer”, visit http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004259BMM?ie=UTF8&tag=a0382e-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B004259BMM

Source: http://www.theboot.com/2010/10/11/keith-urban-get-closer-album-cover-track-list/

Cage The Elephant, reworked -- Vision, 10/11

Aside from being known as another middle of nowhere town, Bowling Green, KY has few claims to fame.  Several of these claims include Fruit of the Loom, Corvettes, and the alternative rock band Cage the Elephant.  Cage the Elephant has accomplished the feat of a debut album featuring three number one singles, the upcoming release of a second album, and has played various shows and festivals across the states and the United Kingdom.  They were recently also one of the headlining acts at the music festival ‘Starry Nights,’ which took place in their hometown Sept 30-Oct 2.

The “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” band received their first big break in 2007 after their performance at South by Southwest.  They were signed to a label in the United Kingdom and moved to London, where they toured for two years almost nonstop. The question is, how did a group of guys from Bowling Green set out to establish their band in order to get to where they are today.  Fortunately, Cage the Elephant guitarist Brad Schultz was able to sit down and answer this question, along with many others.

“Starting in Bowling Green, KY you really don’t have a ‘scene’ to cater to.  Bowling Green has a music scene, but not like New York or Nashville.  There’s so many different pockets and groups of people,” Schultz said, “It’s not like any musicians try to cater to any certain sound [in Bowling Green].  Musicians group together and support each other.”  This support made them curious as to how their music would handle outside of Bowling Green and on a much larger scale.

 “It was pretty weird and unexpected the way things happened,” Schultz said, when thinking of then and now.  “Everything happens for a reason… We definitely feel very blessed to be where we are now.  Coming from Bowling Green, it’s a little cliché, our eyes weren’t opened as far as we thought they were,” Schultz said.

Since they have been touring almost nonstop over the past four years, upon the release of their self-titled debut CD, Cage the Elephant is eager to release their new album, which is “all over the place,” Schultz said.  “We just didn’t really cater to any certain thing.  We just wrote songs, we put everything on the table in the studio.  If it turned out and we loved it then we put it on the album.  If we all were really honest with ourselves and we didn’t like it then it didn’t go on the album.  It’s all about that honesty.”  The new album is set to release January 2011.

In the mean time, Cage the Elephant could not have been more excited about the Starry Nights Music Festival on their home turf.  Not only will they be one of the headliners, along with Ghostland Observatory, Daniel Johnston, and Keller Williams, but they also worked very closely in coordinating the festival as a whole.

 “It’s really strange that something like that is going on in a city the size of Bowling Green.  We wanted to help that along in any way,” Schultz said. Upon being asked, they immediately began brainstorming about ways to make the festival the best it could possibly be.

One way they aided in the production of the festival was adding their friend’s bands, which helped book the national touring acts.  Upon becoming involved by adding acts, they focused on support. It was “an incredible festival,” Schultz said.  It already had “great vibes there, and just needed that little push.  I think it’s going to be a festival that is really going to grow,” Schultz said.

What sets the Starry Nights Music festival apart from other festivals is that it has its own “very pure, honest vibe,” Schultz said,  “We’re just trying to be a supporter of the community of musicians than thinking of money. It’s more about community and bringing people together and trying to incubate that.”

For upcoming opportunities to see Cage the Elephant, they will be participating in the Voodoo festival in New Orleans on Oct. 30.  They also anticipate more Nashville shows in the next coming months, though nothing is confirmed.  The Nashville show “will be when we debut our new stuff give people a sneak peak of new album… We’re excited to play Nashville next time we do,” Schultz said.  From Bowling Green, to the UK, and across the charts, Cage the Elephant promises to be a name you will not forget.