NASHVILLE |
DATE: MARCH 9, 2011
FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/TODD BRODGINSKI/ANGELA VILLANUEVA
(MSO, Los Angeles)
LYNDIE WENNER
(MSO, Nashville)
AARON LEWIS’
DEBUT SOLO CD
‘TOWN LINE’
DEBUTS AT #1 ON BILLBOARD COUNTRY ALBUMS CHART
AND
#7 ON THE TOP 200 ALBUMS CHART
The success of TOWN LINE is being fueled by the lead single and video “Country Boy,” currently a fixture on CMT’s “Top 20 Countdown” show. The singer, songwriter and musician performed “Country Boy” March 1 on ABC-TV’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in Los Angeles, after which LEWIS flew to Nashville to perform at the annual Country Radio Seminar (CRS).
TOWN LINE has drawn critical praise from a wide variety of writers, including COUNTRY WEEKLY’s Jessica Phillips who said, "The songs here are rich with imagery, coupled with soulful arrangements, and should appeal to fans of Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum (3/7/11)." PEOPLE’s Chuck Arnold noted that "He proves to be a natural on nostalgic ballads like 'The Story Never Ends,’ (3/14/11)," while ASSOCIATED PRESS’ Michael McCall wrote, “He injects a flavor of his own into a polished, commercial country sound in a way that could win over country fans who've never heard of Staind (2/28/11).” (See more critical quotes below.)
Talking about LEWIS’ warm welcome from the country world, James Stroud says: “This town appreciates great songs and great talent and Aaron certainly brings both of those to the table, but a #1 record is more than we let ourselves dream about when we were making the record. We just couldn't be more thrilled."
On “Country Boy,” LEWIS gets a little help from legends George Jones and Charlie Daniels, striking a balance between classic and modern country, as LEWIS tells his story like never before.
Ahead of the official single release, “Country Boy” generated widespread airplay, with various rock and country stations adding it to their playlists on their own. The striking video for “Country Boy”–also featuring George Jones and Charlie Daniels–debuted at #1 on the CMT.com chart and has received over 900,000 views to date. The video still regularly charts on the Top 5 of all videos on the website over three months after its debut. It has now been viewed over 2.7 million times on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQzw_Ax8Cw.
Meanwhile, critical praise for TOWN LINE is building:
–Michael McCall, ASSOCIATED PRESS, February 28, 2011
"The songs here are rich with imagery, coupled with soulful arrangements, and should appeal to fans of Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum."
–Jessica Phillips, COUNTRY WEEKLY, March 7, 2011
"He proves to be a natural on nostalgic ballads like 'The Story Never Ends.'"
“Lewis turns in convincing performances and holds steadfast next to legends George Jones and Charlie Daniels on ‘Country Boy.’ ‘Vicious Circles’ is a moody ballad with plenty of steel guitar sting.”
— Mario Tarradell, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, March 1, 2011
“…Town Line is as country as country gets…Poignant and affecting, yet also unflinching in its portrayals, Town Line is an impassioned solo debut with the kind of authenticity with which Lewis has always been associated. A country boy indeed.”
–Kevin O’Hare, SPRINGFIELD (MA) REPUBLICAN, February 27, 2011
"Aaron Lewis redefines Americana with his first solo offering, Town Line…The five-song EP sees the Staind frontman penning some of the best, brightest, and most brilliant songs of his illustrious career to date. Lewis transforms classic Americana with his gritty and direct songwriting, some touches of country, and a whole lot of heart…This is the first must-have record of 2011. It also further solidifies Lewis as one of the most talented and important songwriters of this generation and beyond."
–Rick Florino, ARTISTDIRECT.COM, February 25, 2011
Look for LEWIS to continue his tour of solo acoustic dates his freewheeling acoustic shows (which he has been performing for the past few years in tandem with his continuing role in Staind) have earned him rave reviews.
http://aaronlewismusic.com/
www.myspace.com/aaronlewismusic
For more information, please contact:
MSO: 818-380-0400
Mitch Schneider mschneider@msopr.com
Todd Brodginski toddb@msopr.com
Angela Villanueva avillanueva@msopr.com
Lyndie Wenner lwenner@msopr.com
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