The Cottars Appear on CBC Special “The Chieftains in Canada”
On September 26th tune into CBC Television to catch The Cottars guest appearance on “The Chieftains in Canada” special. The show, airing between 7:00pm and 8:00pm, was taped in Nova Scotia and features some of Canada’s finest talent. One of Ireland’s most treasured groups, The Chieftains, host the special, which also includes guest appearances by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keeler of Blue Rodeo, Jann Arden and Quebec’s Le Veut Du Nord.
The four young musicians who make up Cape Breton’s The Cottars range in age from 14-17 and have toured internationally in support of their Made In Cape Breton album. They won the Best New Artist award at last year’s East Coast Music Award’s (ECMA) show, where they performed a stunning version of Tom Wait’s song ”The Briar and the Rose.” The Cottars new album, On Fire, was released on June 8th in Canada to rave reviews and they are about to embark on several North American tour dates and a second tour of Japan.
Malibu Storm Drops "Long Way To Fall," New Single From Band¹s Debut CD
With fall around the corner, acclaimed California-based country band Malibu Storm has just released "Long Way To Fall," the second hit track from their self-titled Rounder Records debut cd. Shipped to country radio this week, the single will go for adds October 4.
The new single follows in the wake of "Photograph" the trio¹s debut track, which hit #3 on Billboard¹s Country Single Sales chart. The music video went straight into rotation on CMT and GAC. In other news, Malibu Storm recently performed at the NARM convention and made its Grand Ol¹ Opry debut on September 17 and 18 in Nashville.
Comprised of twin sisters Dana and Lauren and brother Michael, Malibu Storm began performing at prestigious music festivals and honing their award winning musicianship while the three were still in their early-teens. Their new self-titled country-music Rounder CD was produced by Mark Bright (Rascal Flatts, Jo Dee Messina).
Jeff Bates Celebrates Birthday With Dallas Cowboys
RCA's deep-voiced singer and songwriter Jeff Bates got quite a gift for his birthday on Sunday when he performed The Star Spangled Banner at the Dallas Cowboys season opener against the Cleveland Browns at Texas Stadium. A hole left in his schedule, when Tim McGraw's Swampstock Softball Game and Benefit Concert was postponed due to Hurricane Ivan, left Bates available to sing the anthem when Dallas came calling, and he could not have had a better birthday party than singing for 60,000 of his closest friends and fellow Dallas fans to help kick off their 2004 season. More...
Bluegrass Legend Ricky Skaggs Releases New Studio Album
Fans who think they’ve got Ricky Skaggs pegged as a purveyor of bluegrass chestnuts better prepare themselves for a surprise when the Grammy-winning musician’s new disc, Brand New Strings, hits the streets on September 28.
Fulfilling a promise made when he released his epic “return to bluegrass” CD, Bluegrass Rules! in 1997 – “I want to do new songs…to keep moving on,” he told No Depression back then – the mandolin-wielding singer/bandleader has laid down a collection that catapults him into the front ranks of modern bluegrass interpreters. He won’t be abandoning evergreens from Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and other first generation greats at personal appearances, but when it comes to recording, Ricky Skaggs is breaking new ground with a set that features the best of today’s songwriters. More...
Airplay, Sales, Award Nominations and More Keep Brad Paisley's Mud on the Tires in the Fast Lane
Award-winning Arista Nashville hitmaker Brad Paisley scores a #1 video this week, as "Whiskey Lullaby" - his acclaimed duet with Alison Krauss - lands atop CMT's fan-voted Top 20 Countdown, while the video continues its run on CMT.com as the #1 streaming current video for the 11th consecutive week. The success of the video and smash single continue to underscore the strength of Paisley's most recent collection, Mud on the Tires, which recently earned a CMA nomination for Album of the Year.
Already certified Platinum, Mud on the Tires continues to be a formidable presence on the country sales chart. Now in its 60th week of release, the disc is currently the oldest charting album among Billboard's Top Country Albums Top 10, perched at #6 this week. More...