Hello!

Please check out my site with my new country album on it. You can hear samples of all 9 songs.

www.brandnewcountrymusic.com

Please let me know what you think. I am always interested in what other people have to say about my music.

Thank you!

Jonny Allenwood

As the Avett Brothers pack their bags for the big time of American Recordings and Rick Rubin, they've left this six-song EP as a capstone to their five years on the indie Ramseur label. Unlike the fuller, rock-inflected country-folk productions of last year's "Emotionalism," their latest is pared back to just the brothers, their guitars and a banjo. Bassist Bob Crawford is absent, the vocals are mostly solo and the lyrics are pushed up front, with instruments providing a setting rather than active elements of the songs. The result is more like a songwriter's circle than a studio recording, leaning more heavily on the tunes than the performances. The six songs (clocking in at just under 21 minutes) are thoughtful, direct and personal, covering themes of growing up and letting go, romantic desire, brotherly considerations of family, and some philosophical wonderings. The brothers finger-picking is particularly fetching on "Bella Donna," a song of innocent teenage longing that winningly brings to mind Alex Chilton's "Thirteen." The Avett's capture a frankness, in their writing, singing, playing and production that's startling in its quiet power. [©2008 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation Launches Completely Revamped Web Site

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF) has launched its completely revamped Web site, http://nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/. Designed by Richlyn Marketing in Nashville, advances to the site include more detailed biographical information and multiple images of all of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members, an updated and more accessible news section, an area about Hall of Fame members in the news, and first-time features, including Q&A’s with Mike Reid and Bobby Braddock.

“It’s been our goal for some time to update the site to make it more interactive and user-friendly,” said Roger Murrah, Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation. “This is part of our mission to educate, celebrate and archive the contributions of these writers. Visitors to the site can now easily obtain more information on our members, the business of songwriting, and what we’re doing as an organization.”

Established in 1970, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame boasts 168 members, including songwriting luminaries such as Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, Bob Dylan, Don & Phil Everly, Flatt & Scruggs, Vince Gill, Harlan Howard, Bob McDill, Roger Miller, Bill Monroe, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Carl Perkins, Dottie Rambo, Jimmie Rodgers, Cindy Walker, Jimmy Webb, Hank Williams, Sr. and Hank Williams, Jr. It was announced in September 2007 that the future home of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will be the historic building at 34 Music Square East, former home of the Quonset Hut, Columbia Studio A, Columbia and Epic Records and Sony Music Nashville. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will become the first organization honoring songwriters to emerge from a virtual existence to a physical location.

TelluRide raises $$$ for Children's Miracle Network

Following two sold out performances at Swallow at the Hollow in Roswell, Georgia, TelluRide performed at a benefit concert for the Atlanta-area Childrens Miracle Network earlier this month. In addition, The band held a raffle for an autographed guitar, which included signatures from artists such as Trace Adkins, Chuck Wicks, and Heidi Newfield, raising $2,000 for the charity.

It was a great experience to collaborate with Walmart and the Childrens Miracle Network to raise money for deserving families in the Atlanta area, said TelluRides Cain Hall. The fans down here have been extremely supportive of us, so its nice to be able to give back to the community.

Nashville-based TelluRide is a country music group with national accolades. The band catapulted to the top eight of CMT.com's Music City Madness 2 competition last year, with the hit video for "Phone Song." TelluRide keeps a busy touring schedule and has recently opened for artists such as Gretchen Wilson, Sara Evans, and Little Big Town in cities across the country. The band will release its debut CD later this year. For more info about the group, visit www.tellurideband.com

JAMES OTTO IS ON A MISSION WITH IRON CHEF MICHAEL SYMON ON FOOD NETWORK'S "DINNER: IMPOSSIBLE"

Warner Bros. Records’ James Otto, one of country music’s rising stars, can now add sous chef to his resume. Otto will assist Iron Chef Michael Symon on the second episode of Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible” on Wednesday, August 27 at 10:00 PM EST/PST. The legendary Charlie Daniels will also make a guest appearance in the show. This popular primetime series, which tests the skills of one of the world’s most experienced and respected chefs and throws them into culinary challenges that they must complete before times runs out, chose Otto to assist Symon in this special “Opry Impossible” episode.

Chef Symon, who gets his mission from Daniels, takes the stage at the Grand Ole Opry to serve 300 fans and musicians a meal inspired by classic country tunes while under a tight deadline. Symon and Otto must get Daniels’ approval before they can serve the dishes to the audience. Will Michael, with the help of Otto and Daniels, have Music City whistling Dixie or will this be “Dinner: Impossible?”

One of the fastest rising stars of country music today, Otto’s debut album on Warner Bros. Records, Sunset Man, was released on April 8, 2008 and debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Billboard Chart. The album continued to stay in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Country Albums charts for six weeks after its release. The first single off the album, “Just Got Started Lovin’ You,” produced by John Rich, spent two weeks in the No. 1 position on the Billboard, Mediabase and R&R top country singles charts, and is Country Radio’s most played song of 2008 to date, according to mediabase. Otto’s second single, “For You,” is produced by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts and is currently climbing the charts. Otto goes on tour with Alan Jackson and Trace Adkins in Fall 2008.

CMA 50th Anniversary: The Middle Years 1979-1988
By Deborah Evans Price

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Throughout its first two decades, the Country Music Association developed formidable skills in promoting Country Music to gatekeepers in the business community, politicians on Capitol Hill and a fan base that was growing throughout the world. Partly as a result, the number of Country radio stations increased dramatically, album sales soared, the CMA Awards added new categories and Fan Fair attendance exploded.

As the 1970s drew to a close, the Country Music industry had plenty to celebrate. Roy Clark, The Oak Ridge Boys and Don Williams performed at “Country Comes to Monaco,” the first Country Music concert held in Monte Carlo, staged to benefit Princess Caroline’s “Year of the Child” charity fund. Willie Nelson and Charley Pride presented President Jimmy Carter with CMA’s first Special Award to honor his support of Country Music.

Corporate America extended its embrace of Country Music in 1979 with “Kool Country on Tour,” a 15-city tour sponsored by Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Fan Fair drew a record number of 14,000 attendees in June; the Talent Buyers Seminar set a record as well, with 360 registrants in October. And 280 new Country radio stations opened for business in 1978-’79.

“It was the beginning of the Alabamas of the world,” said Joe Galante, Chairman, Sony BMG Nashville, and a CMA Board member from 1978 through 1990 and again from 1996 to the present, as well as its President in 1983 and Chairman in 1986. “Ronnie Milsap and Dolly [Parton] were having hits. People were seeing success with these Country crossover records and beginning to get into the format. A lot of guys said ‘I like the format. I like the sound of the music.’ They converted over, and CMA was good to enlist them immediately as part of the membership.”

To keep step with the needs of its constituency, CMA underwent a restructuring in 1979. “We engaged a firm out of Washington, D.C., to come and study the situation,” said Jo Walker-Meador, longtime Executive Director of CMA, who had been looking to hire someone to serve as associate executive director — a move that the Washington firm supported.

The Road Hammers take their latest collection, Canadian originated and otherwise, to the streets in style with Blood, Sweat, and Steel. A collage on Montage Music, this is the group's first United States-based release, though in Canada they've already nailed down loads of credits, including Canadian Country Music Awards such as the 2006 Group of the Year (with six 2005 nominations), a Juno, - had four singles rev into Top Ten territory, video successes, and platinum status to their name(s) (ten of these 13 tracks made the merge from that certified CD). And those names behind the band wheel are: Jason McCoy (lead vocals/guitar), Clayton Bellamy (vocals/guitar), Chris Byrne (vocals/bass) and Corbett Frasz on drums.

Lead-off track "I'm a Road Hammer," which jump starts the atmosphere of the album through fast-driving diction like "I'm building a rolling empire of blood sweat and steel," is what lends a line to the CD's title. "Hammer" first peels out with a creative CB announcement of the ride listeners find themselves in.

Bound and determined, the foursome follows a few different paths thematically, (thankfully) not particularly knowing many boundaries. Glancing in the rearview reveals a couple of covers – the runaway classic "East Bound and Down" (driving force of film Smokey and the Bandit) is in fine form, rolling it up and trucking into a rocking Reed rendition. The Jerry Reed romp isn't alone now, with rising current single "Girl on the Billboard," first a successful sign for Del Reeves, also planting itself into the musical mix. As for who new is leading the lyrical trip, much acclaimed writers/artists in their own right such as Chris Knight, Dean Miller (son of the legendary Roger Miller), Paul Thorn, and John Rich, among others, share co-writing credits. McCoy also lends in a pen, as do fellow members Byrne and Bellamy (no known relation to the Brothers, by the way).

As for how they change things up, the sweetly stated "I Don't Know When to Quit," followed by "I've Got the Scars to Prove It," "Nashville Bound," and "Keep on Truckin" are some prime examples. "Truckin'" shows off some Gary Allan-esqueness by replaying a main riff throughout that is reminiscent of trademark chords in Allan’s “Man of Me,” and McCoy actually shared billing with Allan when they dueted on “Doin’ Time in Bakersfield.” Appropriate, since McCoy hails from it and Allan is oft classified as carrying down that very town's sound. In "Nashville Bound;" however, they find themselves in Music City – where they "tried to do the right thing, but busted [my] left hand."

Speak of the devil, of prime note is the Hammers' Great American Country reality TV show on about the inner workings of the music industry. The documentary of their travels is produced by none other than Jason Priestley.

Lucky track 13, "Flat tires," closes out the convoy with behind-the-scenes bloopers and such. This says something of their incredibly engaging live shows, which work to further fuel enjoyment of these recorded moments. The on-stage charisma and antics are certainly a sight to see (and hear). Included in those special times are when the men feature one another's feminine sides – background vocals take center stage as take over from the not-present women. Jason McCoy, Michael Knox and Scott Baggett produced this project, and that latter contribution was no small step. Baggett co-produced the (Canadian) original and due to budget disputes, he almost wasn't back for this one. That would've been a very bad thing, considering liner notes thank him for "extra-marital musical counseling, consultation, life coach, and sonic-mid-wifery."

Even those typically wary of four-wheelers on real-life roads shouldn't tire of these songs. So, here's hoping we get to be in the passenger seat for more music and aren't left in the goodbye dust from these high-performance boys.

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL’S FIRST SIX ALBUMS REISSUED IN EXPANDED EDITIONS ON FANTASY RECORDS ON 40th ANNIVERSARY

Digitally remastered reissues will include rare and previously unreleased bonus material with liners by noted music journalists

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The first six albums by Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees Creedence Clearwater Revival will be reissued by Fantasy Records (a unit of Concord Music Group) on September 30, 2008 as six individual expanded-edition CDs. The albums — Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bayou Country, Green River, Willy & the Poor Boys, Cosmo’s Factory and Pendulum, all originally released from 1968-70 —have been digitally remastered and contain an array of rarities: B-sides, unreleased studio and live material, even a summit between the band and Booker T & the MGs. The reissues will be presented in Digi-Paks that faithfully recreate each original album package in meticulous detail. All feature liner notes by world-class rock music journalists such as Robert Christgau, Ben Fong-Torres, Dave Marsh, Joel Selvin and Ed Ward.

These albums feature the original band from El Cerrito, California: John Fogerty (chief songwriter, vocalist and guitarist), Tom Fogerty (guitar), Stu Cook (bass) and Doug Clifford (drums). The four cut their teeth as a Tommy Fogerty & the Blue Velvets and later as the Golliwogs. Then, in 1967, after John’s stint in the military, they reunited as Creedence Clearwater Revival and found their own groove, inspired by the music of their youth. “Although they sounded like no other band,” Fong-Torres notes, “They redefined rock and roll. They showed, in the most entertaining way possible, how the music could embrace — and was, in fact, founded on — elements of R&B and the blues, country, folk, and jazz, as well as a world of other musical forms. Creedence were pioneers in the fusion of rock and country. They were roots before ‘roots’ took hold as a music genre.”

Fan Fest 2008 to Feature Top Bluegrass Acts Plus Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea & Michael Martin Murphey

Bluegrass music’s premier indoor festival is just around the corner! Industry reps and bluegrass fans alike will want to reserve their tickets as soon as possible for IBMA’s Bluegrass Fan Fest, scheduled for October 3-5, 2008, at the Nashville Convention Center. The star-studded event that wraps up World of Bluegrass Week (Sept. 28-Oct. 5) will present the talents of more than 60 acts on four stages, including the Main Stage, the Roots & Branches Stage, the Masters Workshop Stage and the Grand Master Fiddler Championship.

In addition to the fabulous music and exciting opportunities to interact with artists face-to-face after they perform, attendees will enjoy visiting a bluegrass music-themed Exhibit Hall with more than 100 booths, and jam sessions for musicians of all ages and levels of expertise will be going on everywhere!

Multi-award winning Vince Gill has hosted the International Bluegrass Music Awards before, but October 4 will mark his first appearance at Fan Fest. With a name synonymous with excellence in singing, songwriting and playing, Gill has won over legions of fans since his early career days on the bluegrass circuit. His platinum-selling, multi-format boxed set, These Days, earned him his 19th Grammy® Award for Best Country Album this year. In August he will embark on a concert tour billed as "A Special Acoustic Evening with Vince Gill."

Mixed Martial Arts – A Growing Sport in Alabama
From TheBama.com

Mixed Martial Arts or MMA is the fastest growing professional sport in the world, and it’s finding a home here in Alabama. On August 8, 2008 that home will be the Von Braun Center Area in Huntsville where Extreme Combat will host its fifteenth competition featuring a Light Weight Title defense and twelve other matches.

MMA combines all the major fighting styles: boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu jitsu and more, allowing fighters to stand and strike it out; or take their opponent to the mat to attempt to make them submit. The sport of MMA can currently be seen on Showtime, CBS Saturday Night Fights and HDNet bringing it to a much larger audience than ever before.

Extreme Combat 15 is your chance to catch this exciting sport live and up close. VIP tickets are just under $100, but great seats are available for as little as $23. Come on out and watch some of the best athletes in the area compete in REAL physical competitions designed to test their bodies and minds!

For tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/200040E2CDFB0D64

More Information: http://www.extremecombat.org

TheBama will be there, sitting ringside; and we hope to be able to bring you great photos and a review of all the action shortly after the fights end!