Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper Celebrate #1 with "Fiddlin' Joe!"

9-Time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year Featured at Imagine Awards

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper are proud to announce "Fiddlin' Joe," the first single from their Compass Records release, On Down the Line, has reached #1 on the National Bluegrass Survey's Top 30 Songs chart for March. "Fiddlin' Joe" was written specifically for the band by Mark "Brink" Brinkman, a 2014 nominee for IBMA's Songwriter of the Year award. Additionally, On Down the Line has spent six months on the Top 15 Albums chart and is #8 for March. 

 

Lauded as Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper's best album to date, On Down the Line features fourteen tracks that showcase the band's rich instrumental blend and tight, three-part vocal harmonies with tunes that span from straight-ahead bluegrass (“Fiddlin’ Joe," "Orange Blossom Special") to melodic, heart-felt songs such as "Just Call Me Crazy" and the imaginative reworking of the traditional "Jack O'Diamonds" as a solo fiddle tour de force. The album's second single, "Too Late For Goodbyes," has made its debut on the March Top 30 Songs chart at #29. 

With the success of the band, it is no surprise they have been invited to headline the Imagine Awards, an annual event produced by Rauch, Inc., a New Albany, Indiana based non-profit organization that supports people with disabilities and their families in nine area counties. Although Cleveland shies away from the notion that he is an inspiration to others, he is still humbled to be part of such a great event. "Being unable to see is my normal, I've never known anything different," states Cleveland. "Still, I realize I've been able to accomplish a lot and I am honored to bring my band to the Imagine Awards and show people with disabilities that they, too, can accomplish anything they set their mind and heart on." Cleveland is featured in this week's edition of the News And Tribune's "So In" Magazine with an interview about his involvement in the Imagine Awards.

 

The Imagine Awards will take place on Saturday, March 7th in Elizabeth, Indiana.  More information on the awards can be found at www.rauchinc.org. For more on Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, visit www.flamekeeperband.com.

Mountain Fever Records Releases First Single from Upcoming Hammertowne Album

Mountain Fever Records announces the release of new music from Hammertowne. "Broken Heart Mended" hits radio today!

 

Hammertowne is a five piece ensemble consisting of Dave Carroll on guitar and vocals; Brent Pack on banjo; Scott Tackett on guitar and vocals; Chaston Carroll on mandolin and vocals; and Bryan Russell on bass and vocals; hailing from the traditional bluegrass hotbed of Eastern Kentucky. The camaraderie among these musicians was undeniable when they gathered in a studio as session musicians on a solo project in late 2011. The energy and musical compatibility was so strong that the musicians decided they wanted to continue, eventually singing with Mountain Fever Records and releasing their first, self-titled album in 2012. From its inception, the group’s identity has been defined by a hard-driving style of bluegrass that combines unique instrumentation with a distinctive knack for weaving vocal harmonies. Hammertowne creates their hard driving sound with one foot in the traditional arena to honor those who paved the way before them, and the other in the progressive arena as reflected in their many original songs they write and perform. Band member David Carroll is highly regarded among the bluegrass community as a writing tour de force with his original songs becoming hits by prominent artists such as Lonesome River Band ("The Game Is Over"), Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out ("Old Kentucky Farmers"), Grasstowne ("My Old Guitar and Me"), and Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice ("It's Good to See The Homeplace Once Again"), among others.

 

"Broken Heart Mended" features Bryan Russell on lead vocals and is the first single from their second album for Mountain Fever Records which will be released in April. Radio programmers may download the single via AirplayDirect. For more about Hammertowne, visit www.hammertowneband.com. For more about Mountain Fever Records, visit www.mountainfever.com.

Mountain Fever Records Signs Gold Heart!

Mountain Fever Records is proud to announce they have signed Gold Heart to their label. The sister-trio's first single from their upcoming album will be released in early Spring.

 

Gold Heart, featuring the Gold sisters Tori (mandolin), Jocey (guitar), and Shelby (fiddle) have been touring world wide and astounding audiences with their fun personalities, intense harmonies and brilliant musicianship since 2005. With nearly ten years on the bluegrass scene, hundreds of live performances and now four albums under their belt, Gold Heart is elated to join Mountain Fever Records. Of the trio, Keith Lawrence of Bluegrass Notes stated, "If angels sing bluegrass, this is what it sounds like." 

These young artists are expert songwriters, with Jocey and Shelby contributing the majority of the band’s impressive material. At age fifteen, Jocey was one of three finalists of 983 contestants in the 2008 Chris Austin Songwriters Competition (bluegrass category) at MerleFest. The work of the sisters can be heard on their previous recordings, My Sisters and Me, Never Let Go and Journey to Heaven's Bright Shore.

 

"We've been keeping an eye on this band for a few years now and have kept the lines of communication open," stated Mark Hodges of Mountain Fever. "A couple months ago, I got a message from Ron Stewart who was producing their new record and suggested I give it a listen. Ron didn't know that I had  already heard some of the rough mixes and I had found myself captivated by their sound. These extremely talented girls have come into their own with a sound that is all their own style and fits them like a glove. It was one of those great instances where it seemed everyone was pulling in the same direction. We are thrilled to have them join our family and excited to work with a band who has the drive and determination to make it all work."

"We are ecstatic about joining forces with Mark Hodges and Mountain Fever Records," stated Tori Gold. "Mark has built a solid reputation with his label and is respected in the music industry. Our fourth project has been a long time coming and we are honored to be a part of this outstanding team. We poured our hearts into the writing and recording of each song on this album and we hope that through our music, we are able to exceed the expectations of our loyal audience and reach the hearts of new listeners as well."

Mountain Fever Records will release the band's first single in early spring, with the album, due for release later this year. For more about Gold Heart, visit www.goldheartsisters.com. For more about Mountain Fever Records, visit www.mountainfever.com.  

Full February for Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers!

Valentine's Day In Nashville!
We are so excited to spend our Valentine's Day in Nashville, Tennessee! We'll be performing on two of country music's most famous stages and hope that you'll join us! First, we'll present a FREE concert at Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadour Theatre at 3:00pm CT! The theatre is part of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop located on Music Valley Drive just across from the Opryland complex. Saturday night, we'll perform on the Grand Ole Opry beginning at 7:00pm. To purchase tickets, go to opry.com, or call the Grand Ole Opry box office at 1-800-SEE OPRY.
(Above Photo By: Lisa Jaczko Bolton)

And The Winner Is…
We launched our "Ain't Love Grand!" contest last month and are thrilled to announce that Dan Myers is the Grand Prize Winner! Dan and a guest will join us in Nashville, Tennessee this Saturday, February 14th for our performance at the Grand Ole Opry! In addition to tickets to the show, they also won backstage access to the Opry and an overnight stay in Music City! We want to thank EVERYONE for participating in the contest - we hope you all had a fun time with it!

Joe on WSM 650AM!
Joe Mullins will call in to chat with Hall of Fame DJBill Cody and his witty sidekick, Charlie Mattos on WSM 650AM, Friday, February 13th at 8:30am CT. It's always a barrel of laughs with some great country music history thrown in when these guys get to visit, so be sure to listen in at wsmonline.com or 650 AM on your radio dial!

TV Taping Coming Up!

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers will tape a performance for Song of The Mountains onSaturday, March 7th. Song of the Mountains showcases the best talents in Bluegrass, Americana and Old-time music and this particular show will also include performances by The Hogslop String Band, CharlyHorse, Annabelle Watts, and Wayfarers!

 

The show airs on PBS stations across the country and tapes at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion Virginia! Be part of the studio audience by purchasing your tickets now!

 

 SOIMF Is Next Month!

The spring Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival is just 7 weeks away and we can't wait!! Once again, we've got the best of the best with The Isaacs, Feller & Hill, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Spinney Brothers, The Grascals, Blake Williams, The Wildwood Valley Boys, Tennessee Mafia Jug Band and of course, JMRR. Check out our website atwww.somusicfest.com andgrab your tickets now!

 

March 27-28, 2015

WAMU's Bluegrass Country Airs Live Concert Featuring East Public Relations Artists

Exclusive Performances by Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, and The Spinney Brothers

WAMU's Bluegrass Country will air a four-part live concert featuring exclusive performances by Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, and The Spinney Brothers on Friday, February 13th, 7:00pm to 9:00pm ET. 

 

The performances were recorded live at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and were presented through a partnership between WAMU, Bluegrass Country, and WUNC Public Radio. Each of the four artists presented a 30-minute performance for invited guests during the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass Conference last October.

 

"This gala celebration was a joint event with WUNC, WAMU and Bluegrass Country to celebrate IBMA week in Raleigh," stated Katy Daley, Music Producer for WAMU's Bluegrass Country, "And we couldn't think of better music or musicians to present to public radio listeners than these four artists." 

 

The 2-hour concert will air in its entirety on WAMU's Bluegrass Country on Friday, February 13th beginning at 7:00pm ET. WAMU's Bluegrass Country can be heard in the Washington D.C. area on 105.5, on HD Radio 88.5 Channel 2, and worldwide at www.bluegrasscountry.org. For more information on WAMU's Bluegrass Country, visit www.bluegrasscountry.org. For more information on East Public Relations and our clients, please visit www.eastpublicrelations.com. For more on the artists presented in this concert, please visit the following websites:

 

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers - www.radioramblers.com

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper - www.flamekeeperband.com

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out - www.iiirdtymeout.com

The Spinney Brothers - www.spinneybrothers.com

Russell Moore Wins SPBGMA Male Vocalist Award!

Russell Moore has been awarded the Male Vocalist of the Year (Contemporary) Award by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) during a ceremony that took place Sunday, February 8th. Moore and his band, IIIrd Tyme Out, performed on Friday evening as part of the SPBGMA National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, but had to leave for shows in Kentucky and Ohio, keeping him from attending the awards program in person. Upon learning of the win, Moore stated, "I'm absolutely thrilled to have been named Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) for 2015!!  I have been blessed with a God-given singing voice that, through the support of our fans, friends, peers and industry associates, I'm able to share with the rest of the world and I'm so thankful for all those things!  I'm also very excited about the band's current personnel and the results we've realized after working on new material for a CD that we'll release later this year!  Special thanks to all the staff at SPBGMA and to all voters for this wonderful recognition!"

 

Here's a short video of Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out's performance at SPBGMA featuring Moore on "Farewell Party."

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out is celebrating nearly 25 years as one of the genres most awarded and influential groups in modern day bluegrass. In addition to Moore on Vocals and Guitar, IIIrd Tyme Out consists of Wayne Benson on mandolin; Justen Haynes on fiddle; Keith McKinnon on banjo; Blake Johnson on bass; and Donnie Carver as the band's sound engineer. Their latest CD, Timeless Hits From The Past Bluegrassed, sold exclusively through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, was ranked #5 on Billboard’s Top Selling Bluegrass Albums of 2013. The band continues to entertain audiences across the country with a very demanding touring schedule and will release new music later this year. For more information on Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, visit www.iiirdtymeout.com.

Spinney Brothers - February Newsletter

"My Music Comes From Bill"

We've been beyond excited at the amazing response our new project, Tried & True has received from fans and radio! The album makes it's debut this month on the National Bluegrass Survey's Top 15 Albums coming in at #13! Not only that, but our first single, "Gonna Catch A Train" is on the National Bluegrass Surveys Top 30 Songs chart this month at #19! 

The latest single, "My Music Comes From Bill" is very special to us. We fell in love with it the first time we heard it and are so fortunate that its songwriters, Bill Castle and Steve Watts allowed us to record it! The song has been a real favorite for everyone and made its debut this month at #29 on the National Bluegrass Survey's Top 30 Songs chart. And, it's #3 on Bluegrass Today's Monthly Songs chart for February as well!

If you remember, we performed "My Music Comes From Bill" at last year's IBMA Awards with special guests Michael Cleveland, Jason Carter, and Ron Stewart. We've recently learned that our performance will be included in a one-hour highlight show that will begin airing as an episode of the Music City Roots series on PBS in early April 2015 on PBS television stations across the United States. The IBMA Awards Show will air again as a stand-alone episode in the summer.

If you live within the US viewing area, be sure to check your local listings for the show. If you happen to live outside the US, take a look one more time at the video we captured during the show. 

Be sure to read the review of Tried & True in this month's Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine! 

Sail With The Spinney Brothers!

We’re sailing the high seas again in 2016 and we don’t want you to miss it!

Join us for Danny Stewart’s Bluegrass Cruise sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida to the Bahamas, January 11-15, 2016! To go cruising, simply 

PRINT and FILL OUT this FORM

or call 570-721-2760! 

Be sure to tell them you heard about it from The Spinney Brothers!!

New "Tour Dates" on Facebook!

For all of our Facebook friends, we have added a new feature to our page - our Performance Calendar! While on Facebook, you can now click on the "Tour Dates" tab at the very top of our page and see complete details on where we will be next. Not only that, but you will now receive notifications in your news feed when we are in your region. And if you happen to have an iPhone or Android smartphone, be sure to download the BandsInTown app and "TRACK US." The application is free and will send a notification direct to your phone to let you know when we will be coming to an area close to you! 

Fan Photo of the Month!

This month's "Fan Photo" comes from our recent cruise. Howard Arnold and Elizabeth-Grant-Arnold sat with us at dinner each night and we so enjoyed getting to know them. They are from  Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

If you've snapped a recent photo of us, please share it on our Facebook page and it just might be chosen as the next "Fan Photo of the Month!"

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out - February Happenings!

New Video!
We were thrilled to play the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival last August, not just because it is a fantastic event for music lovers, but also because it was the first time the show had been videotaped by Pioneer Public Television for a brand new series called "Grassland Jam." The first of 13 episodes of this new TV show aired in the Minnesota area just a couple weeks ago and we are honored to be part of it. You can watch our portion online here, and catch future episodes by visiting the Grassland Jam website. 

Celebrating Uncle Dave Macon Days!
In January, my wife, Carol and I drove up from Georgia to be part of a press conference for the Uncle Dave Macon Days festival happening this summer in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I was honored to be asked to speak a bit on our band's involvement and even shared a little of the impact that Uncle Dave Macon has had on me and our music. It was a wonderful day of celebrating a great musicians, meeting new friends, and reconnecting with old ones. Mark your calendars for July 10th and come see us perform along with Dr. Ralph Stanley. Find out more on the event at www.uncledavemacondays.com

Pictured Left to Right: Kevin McNulty - Board Member, UDMD; Russell Moore; Bill Cody - WSM 650AM; Gloria Christy - President, UDMD; Ben Wilson - Director, UDMD 

Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio…

We're hitting the road again this weekend with our first stop being in Nashville, Tennessee for theSPBGMA National Convention! We'll perform on the main stage Friday, February 6th at 6:30pm CT.

 

Saturday afternoon, (2/7) we'll be in Morehead, Kentucky where we'll join Tony Pence at WMKY for an in-studio interview and performance on his Bluegrass Railroad radio show. Tony's show starts at 12noon ET and you will hear us beginning at 1pm ET. Listen in locally on 90.3 FM or online here! Saturday night, we'll be playing a new venue in Morehead -Frankie's Plaza. Tickets are on sale now so grab yours by calling (606) 783-7280. 

 

Sunday, February 8th, we'll be returning to Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio for a matinee show at 3pm ET. We love playing Stuart's and hope you'll join us! Due to our performance schedule, we're going to miss this years SPBGMA Awards on Sunday. Looks like I'm nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year! Woohoo! Y'all let me know if I win!

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper Announce New Member

Gaven Largent Makes Official Flamekeeper Debut in Nashville

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper are proud to welcome Gaven Largent as their newest member. Largent will make his official debut as a Flamekeeper member in Nashville, Tennessee when the band plays the world famous Station Inn and SPBGMA Convention this weekend.

 

A proud Virginia native, Gaven Largent was born in Winchester to a musical family: his father is a church organist and his grandfather has played in several local bluegrass gospel bands around the Shenandoah Valley. Largent was first introduced to bluegrass by his aunt and uncle who had an extensive collection of traditional bluegrass records and took him to many shows around the area. He started playing the guitar at age eight and a year later began playing resophonic guitar, his primary instrument. At age ten Largent began playing the banjo and soon started entering contests around Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. To date, Gaven has won numerous contests including: Best All Around Performer at the Galax, VA Fiddler’s Convention (2010); 1st place in the Maryland State Banjo Competition (2008); and 1st place in the Galax Dobro Competition (2008, 2010). In 2009 he was honored to be an invited guest performer with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage at the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry. Since 2012 Largent has performed in several bands including Bud’s Collective and Lonesome Highway. He plays a Gold Star banjo and endorses Schoonover Guitars.

Largent will be replacing former Flamekeeper member, Glenn Gibson, who took a break from traveling the end of 2014. "Gaven is an incredible musician who plays way beyond his years," stated Michael Cleveland. "He has his own style on both banjo and dobro and he definitely has the flash to go along with it. He knows when to play and when not to, which is sometimes most important. You can tell that he listens to everyone around him and does his best to compliment and enhance the sound of the band. I've been fortunate enough to get to play with some really incredible musicians, but I've never heard someone so advanced for his age."

 

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper will perform in Nashville at the world famous Station Inn on Friday, February 6th and the National SPBGMA Convention on Saturday, February 7th. For more information on both of these shows, please visit www.flamekeeperband.com.

Mountain Fever Records Announces Release of First Single from Upcoming Adkins & Loudermilk Album

"Backside of Losing" Available for Digital Download Today!

 

Self-titled CD Due for Release March 17th

Download "Backside of Losing" on iTunes.

Mountain Fever Records announces the release of "Backside of Losing," the first single from the highly anticipated album from duo, Adkins & Loudermilk.

 

What started out as two impressive solo careers has morphed into what is already being described as a powerhouse team of vocals and songwriting. Dave Adkins has already had a successful career fronting his former band, Republik Steel, and Edgar Loudermilk has been known as one of the most solid bass-playing vocalists in bluegrass, having toured extensively with the likes of Rhonda Vincent, Marty Raybon and IIIrd Tyme Out. But when Adkins & Loudermilk met a couple years ago and began melding their talents of singing and songwriting together, it became clear to them that forming a new duo was much more musically exciting for them than going it alone. So in 2013, the two officially launched their band and set out touring while still promoting successful solo projects on Mountain Fever Records. Adkins' Nothing To Lose album included numerous singles that dominated the bluegrass radio charts in 2014 including reaching the #1 spot on Sirius XM Bluegrass Junction’s Most Played Tracks, several #1s on Bluegrass Today’s Top 20 and the Roots Music Report Top 50 Bluegrass Albums charts. The album also appeared on the Roots Music Report’s Top 100 Bluegrass Albums of 2014. Meanwhile, Loudermilk had written all 15 songs on his October 2013 Mountain Fever Records release, My Big Chance Tomorrow, an album that appeared on numerous radio charts and also hit the Roots Music Report’s Top 100 Bluegrass Albums of 2014 chart. Of the decision to join forces, Adkins states, "We just started writing together and while it wasn’t something that was premeditated, it just unfolded due to the chemistry we had. It all just happened kind of organically and on its own from getting together.”

Since the band's formal beginning in 2013, the duo has been delighting audiences across the country and drew the attention of the Raleigh News & Observer who stated, “The powerful, George Jones-style vocals of Dave Adkins curled across City Plaza just about sundown as he and partner Edgar Loudermilk entertained a capacity crowd on Fayetteville Street… the relatively new act capably combined bluegrass and hard country.” 

 

Music lovers can download "Backside of Losing" at iTunes and radio programmers may download the single via AirplayDirect. For more about Adkins & Loudermilk, visit www.adkinsloudermilk.com. For more about Mountain Fever Records, visit www.mountainfever.com. 

Mountain Fever Records Congratulates Mountain Faith and The Churchmen on Their SPBGMA Nominations

Mountain Faith

Gospel Group of the Year (Contemporary)

Bluegrass Band of the Year (Overall)

Vocal Group of the Year

Instrumental Group of the Year

Entertaining Group of the Year

Bluegrass Album of the Year - Blue

Song of the Year - "Feelin' Blue"

Bluegrass Songwriter - Summer McMahan

Bass Fiddle Performer - Sam McMahan

Guitar Performer - Luke Dodson

Mandolin Performer - Cory Piatt

Banjo Performer - Brayden McMahan

Fiddle Performer - Summer McMahan

Female Vocalist of the Year (Contemporary) - Summer McMahan

Male Vocalist of the Year (Contemporary) - Luke Dotson

The Churchmen

Gospel Group of the Year (Contemporary)

 

The SPBGMA Awards will take place on Sunday, February 8th at 6:30pm CT at the Music City Sheraton, Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, please visit www.spbgma.com

 

For more about Mountain Fever Records and all the artists on our label, please visit www.mountainfever.com.