Industry Ink Thursday (9/1/11)

Rachel Holder and her producer Wilbur Rimes have been visiting MusicRow CountryBreakout chart reporters all over the country to promote her single "Chocolate." Pictured (L-R): Wilbur Rimes, Rachel Holder and Colby Erickson KVWF/Wichita, KS

• Digital services company ground(ctrl) has added two employees to its Nashville team. Wyatt Thomas, most recently of Sony Music Nashville, has joined the staff, and Eddy Boer is expanding his role to full-time after overseeing marketing strategy for the last several months. Ground(ctrl) clients include Sugarland, Martina McBride, Nicki Minaj, Matchbox Twenty, Jake Owen and Backstreet Boys. The company is also planning to move to a new location near Music Row later this year. Reach them at wyatt.thomas@groundctrl.com or eddy.boer@groundctrl.com, or by calling 1.877.GND.CTRL. www.groundctrl.com

• Jay Frank—expected to reveal details about his new gig next month—is set for an Oct. 7 presentation at the Digital Music Forum West in Los Angeles. Along with BigChampagne CEO Eric Garland, he will lead a segment titled “The Label of the Future.”

• Scott Borchetta, CEO Big Machine Label Group, will be honored with the TJ Martell Foundation’s Spirit of Excellence Award at the New York Honors Gala on Nov. 3 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. In related news, Big Machine Records celebrates its sixth anniversary this week.

• SAE Institute Nashville and PCG Nashville have teamed for the Music Row Master Series of informational seminars about the country music industry. The monthly sessions include a 40-minute lecture followed by Q&A at the SAE Institute in Nashville (7 Music Circle N.). Dave Pomeroy, president of the Nashville Musicians Association (AFM Local 257), was the August speaker. The upcoming Sept. 16 session will feature John Ozier, Director Of A&R, Curb Records.

• Rhonda Vincent & The Rage will headline the R.O.P.E. Awards Show on Oct. 6 at the Al Menah’s Shriner’s Temple. For tickets, call (615) 860-9257.

• The Jägermeister Get UR Country On Club Tour rolls through Nashville tonight (9/1) at 3rd & Lindsley. Rick Monroe will be joined by Gary Ray on the 15-city trek.

• The Crook & Chase television show is expanding into more than 130 syndicated markets for the 2011-2012 broadcast season. Cable/satellite scheduling on RFD-TV brings total television coverage of Crook & Chase to more than 90 million U. S. households. Meanwhile, radio’s Crook & Chase Countdown is heard on more than 220 stations in the U. S. and Canada, and on Sirius XM, by more than one million weekly listeners.

• The Nashville Live Music app launched by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau is now available to Android users. The app has been available on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad since early June and has already been downloaded by nearly 4,000 people.

• Red Dirt Music Company has relocated its offices to 1622 16th Ave. S. Suite 100. Company head Ben Ewing has tapped Richie Owens for A&R duties, and Matt Rizor to serve as Artist Develop Manager. Red Dirt has also signed Andy Velo and Johnny Solinger to the management division. Contact dirt@reddirtmusiccompany.com.

• Art Wasem’s Foothill Entertainment Group and Artists on the Edge are hosting a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Irene tonight (9/1), 6 – 9 p.m. at Red Rooster featuring Mason Douglas, Kelly Murray, Amanda Page Cornett, Ayla Brown, Bryan Edwards, Brittany Schiavone, Bronson Bush, Brandon Maddox, Tyler Matl, Amanda Christine, and Mark Lonsway.

The Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID) kicked off the Music Row Habitat for Humanity Build recently with 32 music industry volunteers working on the new home in north Nashville.