WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR ENTERTAINMENT SIGNS MCKENZIES MILL

McKenzies Mill, the North Carolina reared and southern-fried rock n' roll duo, signs with William Morris Endeavor Entertainment for exclusive representation. Jonathan Insogna will be serving as the Responsible Agent.

“McKenzies Mill has been on our radar for a while, but over the years we’ve really enjoyed watching their career build,” says Jonathan. “We’re excited to be a part of their team and look forward to 2014 with the release of their debut single “Kickin’ It.’”

A double shot of wins created a series of opportunities for the duo. Justin and Ryan joined Brad Paisley, The All American Rejects and the Far East Movement on the line up at the Bud Light Port Paradise Music Festival after taking the grand prize in a fan voted contest sponsored by Bud Light, Facebook and Sonicbids.

The duo also entered a battle of the bands sponsored by MGM Grand, Country Jam, Crown Royal, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill and Roper Apparel. Fighting through three rounds of hopefuls, the duo traveled to Minneapolis and Dallas for the competition. ”We were kind of behind the eight ball in Minneapolis with an early time slot, but thankfully we were able to overcome that and advance to the finals,” recalls Ryan. The grand prize win in Dallas secured the duo performances at the NFR Rodeo Finals in Vegas. Located at the luxurious MGM Grand, McKenzies Mill performed at an event featuring hit makers like Chris Young, Rodney Atkins andDavid Nail. In addition to the Vegas performances, they played the main stage at Country Jam in both WI and CO and received a $10,000 shopping spree courtesy of Roper Apparel. “It’s definitely been a roller coaster ride for us,” says Justin. “We look forward to seeing our fans and making new ones on the road.”

Born and raised in central North Carolina, their sibling Tar Heel harmonies and relentless energy fueled their rapidly growing fan base. McKenzies Mill's gravel slinging attitude and truly heartfelt songwriting have been featured at NASCAR's Speed Street Festival in Charlotte, NC, the esteemed BayFest in Mobile, AL, Bud Light's Port Paradise Music Festival in Nassau, Bahamas, and both Country Jam USA festivals in Eau Claire, WI and Grand Junction, CO.

To stay updated on McKenzies Mill, visit www.mckenziesmill.com or follow them online at Facebook: McKenziesMillFan or Twitter: @McKenziesMill.

CD REVIEW: "GUITAR SLINGER" - VINCE GILL

CD: Guitar Slinger
Artist: Vince Gill
Label: MCA Nashville
Release Date: 10/24/11




I could make this extremely short and to the point by just saying, "it's Vince freakin' Gill y'all, it's awesome, the guitar gods are smiling right now" but I won't. The reason I won't is because this cd is so good, it deserves thought and detail, description and acknowledgement. But, come on, it IS Vince freakin' Gill y'all, do you expect any less from a music legend with 18 Grammys, 4 ACM's, 11 CMA's, and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry?

"Guitar Slinger" is Vince Gill at his finest. You won't hear anything on this cd other than stellar, smooth, flawless vocals and pure instrumental brilliance. This cd shows a deeper side of Vince Gill, the center of his emotion and that emotion will extend beyond the melody. It explores the soul of the lyrics and the communication of each melodic story as only Vince can deliver. It's like the doors of musical Heaven have opened and Vince's voice is the trumpet that welcomes you inside.

Track one, the title cut, is 100% guitar blazing Vince. Slapped up tempo combined with great balls of fire piano playing makes you want to grab whoever's within reach and sling 'em around a dance floor so hard that you almost pull their arm right out of the socket. It almost reminds me of his 1989 duet with Reba, The Oklahoma Swing. I swear I can see Jerry Lee Lewis kicking his shoes all over that keyboard like a mad man. The next song, "Tell Me Fool" again takes me back a few years when Vince was all over radio, he was THE MAN. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing his music and that was alright with any fan of country music. I love the way he's stirring up reminders of the very reason that anyone who appreciates truly good music loves Vince Gill. He doesn't add the fluff and extra fillers that some artists who are currently trying to resurrect their careers are doing, he's keeping it pure, keeping it country and keeping it Vince. His current single and one that I absolutely LOVE, "Threaten Me With Heaven" is a lesson in not taking this life for granted. I watched Vince perform this on GAC the other night and he told the story about how one of the songwriters, Will Owsley, committed suicide after the song was written. Knowing this, it adds a poignant and real meaning to the song. Now, we all know that the guitar slinger is married to Amy Grant and yes, she does make a vocal appearance on the cd in "True Love" (imagine that!) and also as a co-writer in "When Lonely Comes Around". Spreaking of ... hey, isn't that the sequel to his earlier hit, "When Love Comes Around"? Ok, you knew I was going there. LOL!

"Guitar Slinger" is a virtual storybook full of various tales including the homeless and Jesus ("Bread and Water"), he hits up his inner Delta bluesy-soul side with "Lady Sings the Blues" and he even tells a tale of murder-suicide with "Billy Paul". I love it! It's like books on tape! Well, on iPod anyway. LOL! Best of all, Vince reaches for the heartstrings with his love ballads, they're his staple, his best known songs and he doesn't leave those out on this cd. It may be called Guitar Slinger, but trust me, it's also silently called "Tear Jerker" if you listen to "Who Wouldn't Fall in Love With You" which also happens to be a question I ask myself in the mirror every other day. Vince just knows how to reach me and to obviously reach millions through his music.

Guitar Slinger is the first release in a few years for Vince and I am so happy he's back. I missed him and welcome him back with open arms. I'd throw in a big ole sloppy wet kiss but that "Christian singer chick" might not like that. Ha ha! Welcome back Vince, we missed you and you couldn't have come back at a better time for country music.

You can purchase Guitar Slinger on iTunes, Amazon, Best Buy and most other major music retailers. You can also purchase on Vince's official website, www.vincegill.com.

Vince Gill Releases Much Anticipated "Guitar Slinger" and Hits the Road

Will Showcase First New Album In Five Years on National TV

NASHVILLE – October 20, 2011 -- A guitar slinger’s gotta’ ramble.

Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill will make a series of national television and high-profile concert appearances over the next few weeks to perform selections from Guitar Slinger, his first new studio album in five years. The album—in both its standard and deluxe editions—was released today, Monday, Oct. 24.

In conjunction with the Guitar Slinger rollout, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean declared it to be “Vince Gill Week” on October 13 and celebrated the occasion with a party at the city’s Bridgestone Arena.

Gill’s last album, the 4-CD These Days set, debuted in 2005 and went on to win a best country album Grammy.

Here is the immediate Guitar Slinger itinerary:

Oct. 26 (Wednesday)—NBC's The Today Show

Oct. 27 (Thursday)—Fox Business channel’s Imus In The Morning

Oct. 27 (Thursday evening)—Show at The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in New York City (Details at http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/live-from-home-with-vince-gill.) All ticket sales benefit the Housing Works' mission of fighting to end AIDS and homelessness.

Oct. 29 (Saturday)—CBS-TV’s The Early Show

Nov. 9 (Wednesday) —45th Annual Country Music Association Awards on ABC

Nov. 10 (Thursday) – Taping the CMA Country Christmas on ABC (airdate TBA)

Nov. 16 (Wednesday) – NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Nov. 16 (Wednesday evening)—Show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. This marks Gill’s return to the venue where he first gained prominence as an artist. (Details at http://www.troubadour.com/event/71311.)

Nov. 17 (Thursday) – ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Nov. 25 (Friday)—CMT’s Crossroads featuring Vince Gill and Sting (See local listings for times).

Nov. (airdate TBA) – GAC will premier Backstory: Vince Gill

Dec. 3 (Saturday)—Gill rides as Grand Marshall in Nashville’s 59th annual Christmas parade.

“Threaten Me With Heaven,” the first single from Guitar Slinger, is currently climbing the charts.