NashvilleHype!

I’ve probably had no better friend to me in this industry than Aaron Tippin. He’s just a great guy, an awesome artist, and a terrific songwriter. That’s why I was happy for Aaron when I received this press release.

CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE® ADDS AARON TIPPIN TO EXCLUSIVE MUSIC COLLECTION

Exclusive CD release honors fatherhood and the impact Aaron’s father had in his life

LEBANON, TENN. (April 24, 2008) – Building on its reputation as a welcome home for country music artists, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. will be the exclusive home of Aaron Tippin’s newest CD entitled He Believed. On sale at all Cracker Barrel locations beginning May 6, He Believed features six classic tracks and six recently recorded songs, including the title song which is Aaron’s incredibly moving tribute to his father.

“Although this CD is dedicated to my Dad, I hope it speaks to everyone who has had a mentor like he was to me,” says Tippin. “I am grateful to Cracker Barrel for believing in me and this music. I am honored to partner up with Cracker Barrel on this project that is so dear to my heart.”

Similar to his previous #1 hit records, Aaron and his wife, Thea, wrote several of the recently recorded songs on this record, including He Believed. The song is a touching story inspired by the unexpected death of Aaron’s father in 2005. The lyrics powerfully describe the emotional connection between Aaron and his father who was also his best friend and mentor. He Believed also features six of Aaron’s top recordings including: Working Man’s PHD, Whole Lotta Love On The Line and I Got It Honest.

“Cracker Barrel is pleased to work with an artist who shares our opinion that integrity and being of service to others is important,” says Peter Keiser, Cracker Barrel’s Vice President of Marketing. “This approach is summed up in the title of his hit song, ‘You’ve Got To Stand For Something,’ and working with Aaron on this very special CD project has been an honor and a pleasure.”

Available May 6 at all Cracker Barrel locations and online at crackerbarrel.com, He Believed is a powerful addition to Cracker Barrel’s growing collection of authentic country music. In the last year, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive recordings by Alabama, Lonestar, Josh Turner and Merle Haggard.

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Like I said, Aaron is a great guy and a true friend —  and we congratulate him on this new album.  It’s a fantastic turn of events!  Get over to the Cracker Barrel and get you a copy of this cd!   Aaron never disappoints.

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Please welcome David J. Reed as a contributing writer to NashvilleHype!.  David is a great friend of mine going on 20+ years.  We’ve often worked together, roomed together, written songs together, partied together, and had a blast together.  He’s got a great ear for singers and songs - he knows who has real potential and who’s a pretender.  He’s fair and honest in his opinions.  If I had a complaint about David, it would be that he got all the pretty girls (though I wouldn’t say they were altogether stable).

Many of you who attended the Supercell Benefit might remember David as he was the one taking care of our guest artists and trying to keep them comfortable, hydrated, and happy.  He’s a great guy and he’s going to make a great addition to myself and Cathryn here on NashvilleHype!.

One reason I am bringing David on at this time is I will be leaving the site for about the next 6 weeks or more.  I have a contract where I have to travel throughout the country for a little while.  But in my absense NashvilleHype! will continue to bring you the best Nashville has to offer - albeit at a much slower pace. 

Once again as always, I appreciate you reading NashvilleHype! and making us the premier weblog concerning emerging artists in Nashville. 

Nashville can be a real struggle. You can have great mountain tops, and great valleys - and they can all happen in one day. This video is but a part of the Emily West story - but it’s brilliantly put together and shows who Emily really is - which is an absolute joy to watch.

Now, I had come across Emily a long long time ago - and who knows why I didn’t have her on site till now, just the way things work sometimes. But I was surfing around last night and came back across her myspace and I read one of her blogs, which, I hope she doesn’t mind, I’m posting here for your enjoyment (*watch that video first!!):

After two long days of hydrating myself, and resting up after the CMT awards, on Monday, my pontiac still sits lonely over at my friend’s house, but I am, now, ready to tell you how my first experience with walking the ‘purple carpet’ was for me….being it was my first time EVER. (Being a ’star’)….that makes me laugh, just saying it.

Star: HA!

Em West

I placed the 4 years of waiting in bold myself - because, if you watched the video, you know something the others don’t.

My friends Lady Antebellum started in mid 2006, was signed to Capitol in 2007, have a song on the radio and release out already. Emily, on the other hand…

This town is difficult. It’s a long, long road sometimes. And even when you think you’re there, turns out, you may be no where close. But Emily offers a pretty good example of what you must do - which is, in your public profile, keep your head up. She even has her next event listed as the Grammy’s - Oct 8th, 2009. Now that’s cool.

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My favorite Christian band, who of late has a TON of interest from various labels around town, and who absolutely ROCKED the Supercell Benefit - Cloudchase - are the special guest of honor at an upcoming Battle of the Bands that will take place at the Exit/IN on Apr 27 at 4pm.

Cloudchase have been keeping up a pretty busy schedule playing shows, and I’m told they are in the studio as well working on a full length album.  So be on the lookout for new material sometime soon - not that you can get tierd of the old material!  It’s excellent!

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From the NashvilleHype Forum:

Chattanooga born, Nashville raised, and current Los Angeles Underground Hip Hop artist Pow Shadowz returns to Nashville May 10th 2008 at The Rutledge at 9pm to promote his upcoming album titled “A Reality Show Called Life”

For more information visit http://www.myspace.com/powshadowz

Pow Shadowz is one of Nashville’s best-kept Hip Hop secrets. He likes to describe his music as Hip Hop Progressive with mainstream appeal and maintaining that raw, underground edge. Having been a victim of police brutality, he is very politically aware and this comes across in his music. Even through that kind of adversity, Pow Shadowz has been able to maintain a positive outlook on life and his music proves the diversity and definitely has mass appeal. His love for real, classic Hip Hop comes out in his music.

Pow Shadowz went to Tennessee State University in 1994 where he graduated with a BS degree in Africana Studies and became a school favorite known throughout Nashville for his lyrical talents. While in Nashville, he opened up for rappers such as Common, KRS-One and Jay-Z, and even toured with Reggae band Osadolos, based out of Lagos, Nigeria.

Pow Shadowz relocated to Southern California in 2006 to further his Hip Hop career and “spread the word of Progressive Hip Hop”. Since moving he has teamed up with Los Angeles resident DJ Leviathan and Jeanine “JiJi” Strong hosting the weekly Urban Underground shows. Urban Underground is a weekly invasion of urban music and art featuring a open mic session and a combination of unsigned, independent, and major artists all performing under one roof in both the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. He also has teamed up with longtime Los Angeles area artists, The Metamorphs and formed The Extended Fam. Together they have performed at the popular Coachella Music Festival and with world-renowned groups such as Cypress Hill, PerceeP and many others. Those that live in the Los Angeles area can see Pow Shadowz Thursday nights at The Static Lounge in San Diego, CA for San Diego’s weekly Urban Underground show, and every Friday night in downtown Los Angeles, CA. for Los Angeles’ Urban Underground show.

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I would rather read a screenplay than watch a movie.  I don’t know what it is about reading a screenplay that makes them more interesting, but there seems to be a little more imagination involved.  You can read page by page and see what you want to, as well as what you’ve been told to.

If you enjoy reading screenplays, or are just a big fan of ‘buddy movies’ you’re going to enjoy The Adventured of Slim & Howdy, a new novel from Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn (with help from Bill Fitzhugh).  It’s essentially a screenplay for a new movie that’s yet to be shot (it may never make it to the big screen, but I’m betting it will).

Please ignore the horrible cover of the book.  This cover is actually the worst thing about the book itself - as it doesn’t tell you anything that the book is about and doesn’t interest you to buy it in the first place.  The book on the other hand is really good.

It’s based around two guys, Slim and Howdy, who as presented, are a couple of life’s losers in the monetary fashion and each looking for something.  You would think they’re a couple of dilweeds, floating through life without much of a clue - but you soon find out they have a knack for not only summing up a situation pretty quick, they also can’t do anything wrong.  Well, they can’t do anything right that doesn’t turn out wrong, but then, they always seem to get out of the situations they put themselves in.

Soon after they meet they are knee deep in trouble.  It’s the kind of ‘good cop/bad cop’ buddy movie trouble that’s fun to read and keeps the action moving along pretty quickly. 

From mean guys to loose women, and bar ballads to bar fights, Slim and Howdy seem to have the time of their life - even if they’re always being hunted and in real trouble.  In between they work towards their ultimate goal of singing and writing songs, and you’ll recognize several of the songs they sing - after all, some of those big songs are based on Slim and Howdy themselves.

This is the kind of novel that’s easy and fun to read and should be a really big hit.  And this is one story that can have numerous sequels.  It’s going to be fun to watch as their lives together progress.  Where do they go from here?  I’m already waiting on the next installment to find out.  

A long time ago (2003) I started a technology focused blog and well, I just forgot about it because it’s on another service that I don’t use (blogger). Well, just now, by chance, I happened upon it again and it kindof took me by surprise what I had written then. I thought maybe I should post what I wrote there - here. Seems to be part of the same topic I’ve been questioned about a lot lately. Keep in mind, I had NO IDEA I had written this - I literally had forgotten all about it - as what happens when I type out in stream and never go back to check — so here it is:

“Sunday, January 07, 2007
VC’s + Record Labels = Failure
It’s astounding to me that VC’s are set up just like record labels are - To fail “most of the time”. What kind of business does that? Build themselves in a way that it’s expected you will fail 90% of the time? People with money, as I’ve said before, crack me up because they set the rules. You show up with a business plan and a 90% chance of failure and see how far you get.

By offsetting publishing, I can make money for any record label with enough money to invest properly. Hey, that gives me an idea… but then, it just might be successful (and we couldn’t have that!)
posted by Paul at 3:32 PM 0 Comments Links to this post “

If that isn’t something - I don’t know what is!

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