Mountain Home Music Company Congratulates Artists on Top 20

Three Artists Top the Billboard Bluegrass Album Charts (NASHVILLE, TENN) - Mountain Home Music Company, a division of Crossroads Entertainment & Marketing of Arden, NC, has developed a reputation for presenting the finest in Bluegrass and Acoustic music. For the first time, the label boasts three albums in the Top 20 on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts. Flatt Lonesome's Too landed at #5, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver's Open Carefully, Message Inside is at #10, and Balsam Range's Five at #15. The Billboard Bluegrass Charts are determined by the week's top-selling bluegrass albums, ranked by sales data as complied by Nielsen SoundScan. For more information on Mountain Home Music and their artists visit: http://crossroadsmusic.com/bluegrass   In case you missed it... Click on the album covers to access review materials for each artists' new release.  MEDIA CONTACTS Ty Gilpin Director of Marketing Crossroads/Organic Records 828.684.3066 ext. 320 ty.gilpin@crossroadsmusic.com Claire Ratliff Laughing Penguin Publicity 615.476.3200 claire@penguinpublicity.com Suggested Tweets:  .@MtnHomeMusic congratulates their artists @FlattLonesome  @DLQuicksilver  @BalsamRange for breaking #Top20 @billboard  #Bluegrass charts. Suggested Twitter Handles & Hashtags @MtnHomeMusic @FlattLonesome @DLQuicksilver @BalsamRange @Billboard #Bluegrass Copyright © 2014 Laughing Penguin Publicity & Consulting, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this message because you requested news updates and because you're a savvy member of the media who demands to be in the know!  Our mailing address is:  Laughing Penguin Publicity & Consulting PO Box 140396 Nashville, TN 37214

Balsam Range: New Album Available Today

FIVE is the latest project from IBMA Album of the Year winning band
Nashville, TN --- IBMA Album of the Year winner, Balsam Range, returns with the band’s appropriately-titled fifth album. Five is set for release today, June 17th.

Five exemplifies Balsam Range as one of the most remarkable bands in Acoustic music. If the goal was to elevate the level of songs, performance, production value, and excitement, then Five surely marks the successful achievement of that goal.

From deep in the Appalachians where the Great Smoky Mountains meet the Blue Ridge come the gifted men of Balsam Range, creatively blending Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel and Jazz into a new American acoustic music experience. Mountain Home Recording artists founded in 2007, Balsam Range is five friends with unique experiences and backgrounds blending together effortlessly to form their distinctive sound. Since bursting onto the scene, Balsam Range has made a definite mark in the Bluegrass and Acoustic music world.

The band's 2010 release TRAINS I MISSED brought in a #1 hit and Bluegrass Song of the Year award for its title track. PAPERTOWN (2012) built on that momentum with five consecutive months as the #1 album on Bluegrass radio, and won the 2013 IBMA Album of the Year award.

In the wake of PAPERTOWN’S success, expectations have been high.

"Papertown was received so well that we were a little anxious about what we could do next," said Tim Surrett, vocalist and bass player for the band. "How do we follow an Album of the Year? We finally just went in there and made the best record we could and had some fun."

The band has a consistent knack for conveying emotion with power. The result is a heartfelt delivery of tributes to working class heroes, an original Gospel a cappella song, a driving instrumental, and even a John Denver classic. The group draws from diverse influences and original sources while giving each track the Balsam Range treatment.

The band has also just announced its revamped fan benefit site, www.balsamnation.com which offers free music, discounts and exclusive merchandise to its growing population of dedicated fans. Information on Balsam Nation is available through the band web site. Additionally, Balsam Range has posted a fun video on the making of the tune, “Moon Over Memphis.”

Hi Rez Images and eReview LINK

For more on Balsam Range, visit www.balsamrange.com

The Watkins Family Inducted into Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame

The Watkins Family are inducted into Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame

The acoustic music of the Watkins Family has thrilled audiences for more than 30 years and the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame recently recognized that accomplishment.

The group from Toccoa, Ga. currently includes matriarch Judy Watkins and her two adult children - Todd and Lorie. They continue a path sharing their love of Jesus through acoustic music touring across the United States and Canada.

“This is such an honor for our family to receive,” Lorie said. “To be recognized in such a manner for the many years of hard work and service in music is very humbling.”

The late Don Watkins and Judy began their ministry in the 1970s and added their children Todd, Lorie and Shanon as each took an interest in participating.

“There are so many to thank, our family, friends, church family, and most importantly the Lord Jesus Christ - our Savior,” Lorie said. “This ministry was the vision of our dad, Donald H. Watkins, and mom many years ago. We are just so thankful to be able to continue the work that our parents started and hope to continue for many, many years to come.”

Lorie and Todd performed at the event as part of the All-Star Band and Judy joined in to perform “Pass Me Not.”

The Watkins Family’s latest project is “Heaven's Worth Waiting For”yielded three songs landing on various charts in the Top 10 for southern, bluegrass or country gospel – “She's Working On Her Testimony,””Sometime's You Gotta Rock The Boat,”and “What A Wonderful Name.”

The CD produced by Grammy winner Mark Fain, Grammy nominated Karen Peck Gooch, and Danny Jones followed their acclaimed project “Darkness Wept” which brought the popular radio singles “He's Still God,” a number 1 song, “Love Stood Alone” and “Round The Last Turn.”

The Watkins Family and its members have received multiple nominations for the Front Porch Fellowship Bluegrass Gospel Music Awards.

Members of the Watkins Family have appeared as part of the National Quartet Convention All-Star Band on numerous occasions.

The group has shared concert stages performing for thousands beside acts such a Randy Travis and Diamond Rio. They have appeared at major industry events including the National Quartet Convention in Kentucky and the SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Convention in Nashville, Tenn. as well as large ministerial crusades.

The family has performed on television broadcasts for INSP, Inspirational Network and dozens of stations around the U.S. And Canada.

The group broke new ground in becoming the first bluegrass gospel act to perform on Capitol Hill in the Capitol Complex in Washington D.C. attended by dignitaries from around the world.

The Watkins Family has received nominations as Best Contemporary and Traditional Bluegrass Gospel Group by the Society for the Preservation of BlueGrass Music in America and was also nominated as Best Bluegrass Act at the Coca-Cola Music Awards previously hosted in Atlanta.

"We just thank the Lord for all He’s done for us and our work in music," Judy said. "Awards, honors and amazing opportunities are blessings but there is no greater blessing than working each day sharing His story of salvation.

"Don would be so proud right now,” she said. "I know he’s somewhere in Heaven smiling."

For more information, visit www.watkinsfamilymusic.com.

Premier of AcousticMusicPinboard.com

All the acoustic music that's fit to pin premieres on new website: AcousticMusicPinboard.com

(PORTLAND, OR -- Nov 30, 2012) -- A new website has been launched that features news and events in the acoustic music arena. John Hart, founder of NewFolkRadio.com, launched the site October 27, 2012 at www.AcousticMusicPinboard.com.

The news site is designed to allow anyone connected with acoustic music in some fashion to become an author and post images and text. New authors must first register then log-in and post at will. Instructions on how to post are on the site. Understanding that folks in the acoustic music business are busy and may not have time to post, the information can be sent directly to newfolkradio@gmail.com, and the editor will post it.

Artist, labels, festival managers, pr folks, radio stations, and anyone else connected with acoustic music, such as folk, old-timey, and bluegrass, are invited to register and post news, events, reviews, etc. "In this age of discovery by searching, it makes sense to have more than one search result for any given news story or press release you may have, in order to reach a broader audience" Mr. Hart said. "Post on your own blog or website, then add it to AcousticMusicPinboard. Each post is picked up by the major search engines, giving more exposure to the story."

In addition to free posting by those folks in the acoustic music business, the site will solicit articles from established freelance writers familiar with the acoustic scene.

AcousticMusicPinboard.com has been designed in the style of the popular site, Pinterest.com. Images and summary text appear on the main page. A single click on any headline reveals the full story.

AcousticMusicPinboard is a sister site of NewFolkRadio.com, an organizational member of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and a signatory to ASCAP and BMI.

CONTACT:
John Hart
AcousticMusicPinboard.com
NewFolkRadio.com
503-946-8890 (PT)
Email: newfolkradio@gmail.com
Facebook: NewFolkRadio
Twitter: #newfolkradio