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Name Description
The Boys Choir of Harlem World-renowned Boys Choir of Harlem presents an uplifting and inspiring musical presentation.
Common Common is a Chicago-based hip hop artist known for lyrics that focus on love and spirituality. His music falls under the socially conscious subgenre of hip hop. Though he has maintained a significant underground following, in recent years he has gained notable mainstream success. His major-label debut Like Water for Chocolate received critical acclaim and some commercial success, and his latest album Be, which features nine tracks produced by Kanye West, has sold 800,000 copies and was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album.
Sweet Honey In the Rock Founded in 1973 by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Sweet Honey In The Rock is a Grammy Award-winning African American female a cappella ensemble with deep musical roots in the sacred music of the black church - spirituals, hymns, gospel - as well as jazz and blues. The Sweet Honey experience is like no other. Six African American women join their powerful voices, along with hand percussion instruments, to create a blend of lyrics, movement and narrative that variously relate history, point the finger at injustice, encourage activism, and sing the praises of love. The music speaks out against oppression and exploitation of every kind. The septet, whose words are simultaneously interpreted in uniquely expressive American Sign Language, demands a just and humane world for all.
An Evening of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis Jazz great, award winning pianist, and the leader of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. An internationally known and acclaimed musician, renowned for his keyboard virtuosity, Ramsey Lewis is the recipient of nine gold records and three Grammy awards.
Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band From the steps of the White House to eight World's Fair appearances, this amazing group of performers from Trinidad play a repertoire of music that ranges from classic to rock and roll...on oil drums. This feat has astounded audiences not only because of the unbelievable fidelity and artistic accomplishments with which they render each concert...whether it be modern, classical, or their native calypso.
The Stylistics Well known R&B group of the 70's.
The Temptations Popular singing group.
Tyrese Recording artist, actor, motivational speaker and model, Tyrese is the host of the cutting edge musical program, "MTV Jams."Gibson's latest film is Waist Deep, in which he plays a man fighting to rescue his son from kidnappers; his co-stars in the film, Meagan Good and Larenz Tate, are personal friends of Gibson's in real life. Like several of his previous roles, the film is set in an urban environment, but Gibson has said that he does not view the role as a "step back", rather seeing the film as taking "another direction" due to some of its themes and action sequences. Waist Deep was released on June 23, 2006. Gibson prefers his music career to acting, but will focus on both areas. His next album will be called Alter Ego, and will feature both R&B and hip hop songs. He will use an alias, "Black Ty", for the rap tracks. His next film role will be in the big-budget action movie, Transformers, which is currently filming and is scheduled for a release in July of 2007; the film's director, Michael Bay, had Gibson in mind for the role before he was cast, and thus Gibson did not have to audition for the part. Gibson may also star in a film version of the superhero Luke Cage; the script is currently being re-formatted.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band Robert Randolph and the Family Band are ready to change your life, just as music changed that of this group's dynamic leader. Raised in a firestorm of faith and danger, dividing his time between battles in the streets and safety in the arms of his music, Robert Randolph found his way up from darkness with help from a most unusual source: the pedal steel guitar. That's right -- those same slippery strings that weep and whine behind cowboy crooners and hula dancers. But in Randolph's world, which centers on the unique "sacred steel" tradition within the House of God Church, the pedal steel is a different animal, a source of ferocious, passionate sound. And in Randolph's young hands, it's a weapon, used to slash at darkness and rip away the shades that hide sunlight from our lives. What Randolph has done isn't just about taking the spirit of the church into the wider world, though that's part of the picture. It's more than a story of beating heavy odds, of watching friends die or disappear while trying to find your own way out. Certainly it's more than an odd twist of fate how an urban New Jersey artist finding his voice through an instrument seldom seen outside of Nashville studios or Southern honky-tonks. The buzz has actually been on for a while. Randolph began winning attention some three years ago, after being invited to join in on sessions for The Word, an adventurous marriage of gospel and "downtown" traditions with John Medeski and the North Mississippi Allstars. Interest picked up as he released Live At The Wetlands on his own Dare label, perhaps the most incendiary concert album of the year, recorded on the fabled venue's closing night with the Family Band that he formed with two of his cousins and fellow House of God musicians, bassist Danyel Morgan and drummer Marcus Randolph, and noted session keyboardist John Ginty.
The Crystals/The Sensations Eternally popular rock and roll legends, The Crystals and The Sensations bring back the 60's music with their inimitable style.
The Drifters Starting with their mega-hit “Under the Boardwalk,” The Drifters have never lost their status as one of the “biggies” of Rock and Roll.
DMX Popular rapper and actor, DMX has completed his transformation from underground upstart to top dog. Now a movie star, DMX can be seen in the movie "Exit Wounds" with action hero Steven Seagal. DMX's first movie role was as a gangster in "Belly" and as a night club owner battling rival gangs in "Romeo Must Die."
Gavin DeGraw Singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw grew up playing music at home with piano studies beginning at eight and later playing in cover bands with his older brother in upstate New York. After a brief stint studying music at the prestigious Berklee School of Music, DeGraw, who had been writing his own songs since his cover band days, decided to make a go of it as a singer/songwriter in New York City. Upon his arrival in the late '90s, DeGraw made an impression with crowds, and occasionally with journalists, as his name began to pop up in columns and best-of lists. The steady buzz led to offers from major labels, but DeGraw chose to take his time, and let his craft develop and his audience grow. He eventually signed a record deal with Clive Davis and his J Records imprint (home of Santana as well as R&B mainstays Alicia Keys and Angie Stone). DeGraw's debut, Chariot, arrived in the summer of 2003 and, like his early days in New York City, it slowly built momentum and earned the young singer a small but fervent following. ~ Wade Kergan, All Music Guide
O.A.R O.A.R. (aka Of a Revolution) converted from an Ohio State frat band to Billboard chartbuster and headliner at major venues across America. First, college reps hawked the band's two demo recordings to people and servers at universities. Then, word-of-mouth news spread about the band's roots rock and reggae-inflected upbeat songs. Before long, the band got thousands of hits daily on their website at www.ofarevolution.com. O.A.R.'s third CD, Risen, was produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, Ben Folds Five) and recorded in summer 2000 at Water Music in Hoboken, NJ, and at Dumbo Studios in New York City for the group's independent label, Everfine Records. Formed in 1998 at Ohio State University, O.A.R. coalesced around lead singer/rhythm guitarist Marc Roberge, lead guitarist Richard On, saxist Jerry DePizzo, bassist Benj Gershman, and drummer Chris Culos. Roberge had known Culos since childhood in Rockville, MD, where he also became friends and played in local bands with On and Gershman. DePizzo, who hails from Youngstown, OH, met the others at Ohio State. O.A.R. first recorded The Wanderer independently as a demo in 1997. Many of the songs on O.A.R.'s debut disc were written while Roberge and Culos were living in Israel. During their stay in Israel, Roberge and Culos in 1996 and later Gershman in 1997 visited the Masada, where 900 people committed suicide rather than die at the hands of the ancient Romans.
KC and the Sunshine Band With sales of over 75 million records, nine Grammy nominations, three Grammy Awards and The American Music Award, KC and the Sunshine Band are one of the seminal forces in pop. The group pioneered an original funk style that continues to delight old fans and attract new ones into the millennium. Hits like Get Down Tonight, That’s the Way (I Like It) and Shake Your Booty established KC as a mover and shaker in the music business. Along with the Beatles, KC is the only artist to have four number one singles in the span of a year: Boogie Shoes, Get Down Tonight, That’s the Way I Like It, and Rock Your Baby.
The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are one of the very few American rock and roll groups that have been able to achieve and sustain a phenomenal level of success. It is a success that has sold more than 50 million records. This includes: 2 Grammys; 27 chart singles; 16 top 40 hits (including 2 number 1s); 11 multi platinum albums; 13 Gold albums and that most rare of distinctions, The Diamond Award, for the sale of 10 million units of a single title Best Of The Doobies Vol. 1. Combined with their consistent appeal on the road, The Doobies have earned a fanatical loyalty for their high energy shows and are truly one of Americas most loved rock and roll bands. The secret to their success is most certainly in their diversity.
Three American Tenors A truly unique evening of incredible musical entertainment. The performance includes a well-blended compendium of opera, popular and Broadway melodies meticulously performed by Bruce Reed, Thomas Comerford and J. Nelson Whittington, three of America's finest tenors. The uniqueness of the program comes with a special guest appearance of the "Three Muske Tenors". The Muske Tenors appear in traditional costume and present a novel compilation of songs about war, comradeship, women and unrequited love. This 'one-of-a-kind' musical and theatrical program will leave a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to experience it.
The Roots Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Though their album works have been inconsistent affairs, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, the Roots' live shows are among the best in the business. The Roots' focus on live music began back in 1987 when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts. Playing around school, on the sidewalk, and later at talent shows (with ?uestlove's drum kit backing Black Thought's rhymes), the pair began to earn money and hooked up with bassist Hub (Leon Hubbard) and rapper Malik B. Moving from the street to local clubs, the Roots became a highly tipped underground act around Philadelphia and New York. When they were invited to represent stateside hip-hop at a concert in Germany, the Roots recorded an album to sell at shows; the result, Organix, was released in 1993 on Remedy Records. With a music industry buzz surrounding their activities, the Roots entertained offers from several labels before signing with DGC that same year.
Los Lonely Boys Los Lonely Boys are the three Garza brothers: Henry on guitar, Jojo on bass and Ringo on drums. This trio of brothers, aged 21-25, from a tiny town in West Texas, has been making music together since they were small children. They write, sing and play music drawn from diverse sources -- Tex-Mex, country, blues and rock pioneers like Ritchie Valens, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino and such pop music giants as The Beatles. Though Henry, the oldest of the brothers, has been hailed as the inheritor of the great Texas guitar tradition epitomized by Freddie King, Johnny Winter and the Vaughan Brothers, he is also a well-known young player in the burgeoning Latino, rock-guitar style pioneered by Carlos Santana. "Our dad had five brothers and a sister, and they had a great conjunto band in the '70s and '80s," Henry says. "They did a mixture of stuff that nobody was playing back then, a mixture of conjunto with country music and Spanglish. They were really popular in South and West Texas. ... They basically just fell apart after the tragedy of one of the brothers dying, the drummer."
Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas:They've transcended their vigilant hip-hop roots and have become a global phenomenon, the likes of which the music world has rarely seen. They've earned fans worldwide with their inventive approach to hip-hop music, inspiring people with loose rhymes, and a positive spirit and funkafied vibe. On Elephunk, Black Eyed Pea's third album, that spirit seems to course through their beings even more than ever. The Black Eyed Peas - will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and newcomer Fergie - named the album Elephunk to conjure up a big, deep funk sound. Produced in its entirety by will.i.am and apl, the album boasts a mix of live instruments and traditional hip-hop samples and beats. It also mixes the group's breathless verbal acrobatics with a very conscious view of the world. Interestingly, the top song from Elephunk, "Let's get it started" originally was titled "Let's get retarded". While the song would have been a hit with either title, the change to "Let's get it started" allowed Black Eyed Peas to appeal to a much wider audience. The NBA picked up on the song, and made it the central opening to all of the playoff games in 2004.
Arrested Development ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Speaks thru music to the world. Speech one of the vocalist for this collective says, "Our people have been through so much turmoil and strife for hundreds of years now. We get on stage every night with the mission to broaden perspectives and give inspiration to rise above the stereotypes and materialism." Unsurprisingly, then, the Grammy award winning group Arrested Development has been devoted to nudging folks in the direction of freedom and spiritual evolution for over 15 years. The group describes their sound as "Life Music." A.D. respects women, and promotes family, spirituality and "male responsibility." They are about conciousness, the earth, African self - determination and love. They are opposed to the pimp/ho approach to male/female relations. They define themselves as hip-hop artists but also just artists." They are dancers, vocalists, turntablist, drummers, and everything in between. Arrested Development is and has always been a communal music community with any number of talented members on board, picture your family reunion but more musical. Speech may be the most known member of the group, being the front man, but Dionne Farris, Eshe ("Black Life"), Rasa Don (Raz), Baba Oje (the elder), Nicha and many others have contributed much to this Kalidescope of image and sound. A.D.'s debut album 3 years, 5 months and 2 days in the life of, (EMI) referred to the amount of time passed between the start of the group and the signing of their first record deal.
Rhythmic Motivation Rhythmic Motivation Immerse your students in an energizing day of drumming ecstasy with internationally acclaimed educator/performer Jim Donovan. This program is designed to help students learn more about themselves through the ancient art of group hand drumming. Help your students feel enlivened, relaxed and focused as they discover new a strategies for conscious listening, de-stressing and the value cooperative effort through rhythm. Drums are provided for up to 50 students per session. First-time drummers are warmly welcomed.
Magnolia Electric Co After retiring Songs: Ohia, Jason Molina started up Magnolia Electric Co, a new avenue to explore his country-rock. The name of the new group was taken from the title of the last Songs: Ohia record and proved to be the appropriate connection from the past to the next phase of Molina's projects. The early makeup of the four-piece band in 2003 consisted of Pete Schreiner (Panoply Academy, Coke Dares) on drums, Mike Kapinus (Okkervil River) on bass and trumpet, Jason Groth (Impossible Shapes, John Wilkes Booze, Coke Dares) on guitar, and Jason Molina providing the other guitar and vocals. Magnolia Electric Co recorded Trials & Errors live in Brussels in 2003, which Secretly Canadian released in January of 2005. With later tours, Magnolia Electric Co shifted the lineup of the band, adding Mark Rice (Impossible Shapes, John Wilkes Booze) on drums and moving Schreiner to bass and Kapinus to trumpet and keyboards, while Groth and Molina remained on guitar. Magnolia Electric Co.'s full-length studio debut appeared to glowing reviews in spring 2005 via Secretly Canadian. The band didn't slow down, touring for most of the summer and issuing the five-song EP Hard to Love a Man in October. ~ David Serra, All Music Guide
Jurassic 5 Though there's actually six of them, Jurassic 5 got everything else right on their self-titled debut EP. Part of the new rap underground of the late '90s (along with Company Flow, Mos Def, Doctor Octagon, and Sir Menelik), the sextet -- rappers Marc 7even, Chali 2na, Zaakir, and Akil, plus producers Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark -- came together in 1993 at the Los Angeles cafe/venue named the Good Life. The six members were part of two different crews, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee; after collaborating on a track, they combined into Jurassic 5 and debuted in 1995 with the "Unified Rebellion" single for TVT Records. At the tail end of 1997, the Jurassic 5 EP appeared and was hailed by critics as one of the freshest debuts of the year (if not the decade). Both Cut Chemist and Chali 2na are also part of the Latin-hop collective Ozomatli, while Chemist himself recorded several mix-tapes plus the wide-issue album Future Primitive Soundsession (with Shortkut from Invisibl Skratch Piklz). The year 2000 found the group on tour with Fiona Apple and on the Warped Festival, just in time for the release of Quality Control that summer. Live work continued during 2000-2001, and a second record (Power in Numbers) appeared by the end of 2002. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Rusted Root The multi-instrumentalist group Rusted Root integrated the Grateful Dead's jam-heavy rock with percussion influences based on the music of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The six-piece formed in Pittsburgh in 1990 with Michael Glabicki (vocals, guitar), Liz Berlin (vocals, percussion), Patrick Norman (bass, vocals), and Jim Donovan (drums, percussion) as the initial lineup, though John Buynak (percussion, winds) and Jim DiSpirito (percussion) joined later that year. Rusted Root's self-produced debut album When I Woke appeared in 1994 on Polygram. With support from college radio and a good buzz from the band's entrancing live show, When I Woke became quite successful in alternative circles during 1995-1996, especially with singles such as "Send Me On My Way" and "Ecstasy." In mid-1996, Rusted Root released the Evil Ways EP, a compilation of live tracks with the band's contributions to the movies Twister and Home for the Holidays. Rusted Root's second album, Remember, followed in October. Produced by Jerry Harrison, it reached the Top 40 in its first week of release. A self-titled LP followed in 1998. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Johnsmith Johnsmith is one performer who doesn't wear hype well. His artistry speaks for itself. In fact, the idea of 'just being real' is a prominent theme throughout his music. And yet, to simply say that Johnsmith is a great singer/ songwriter would not be enough. In addition to his incomparable musical abilities and finely tuned songwriting skills, Johnsmith possesses the even rarer gift of being able to share his soul. That gift is the foundation on which everything else about him is built, and it comes shining through in every song he sings. The following lyrics from the title cut of his new CD, Break Me Open, are a perfect example:
Boys Choir of Harlem The Boys Choir of Harlem has entertained audiences worldwide with a broad collection of music including classical, contemporary, spirituals, gospel and jazz. Combining soulful music and well-orchestrated choreography, the choir puts on 80 to 100 concerts annually, including tours through Europe and the Orient. Founded by nationally known educator and conductor Walter J. Turnbull in 1968, the organization not only provides children between the ages of eight and 18 the opportunity to realize their creative potential, but it also educates and broadens their creative perception. Its purpose is to provide – in addition to music – counseling, tutoring and recreational activities.
Branford Marsalis Quartet Billboard jazz writer Steve Graybow recently described the Branford Marsalis quartet as "a unit with telepathic intuition and unbridled adventurousness, held together by a singular creative vision." For his first quartet album in nine years, Branford has made a requiem for a heavyweight. Requiem is a tribute to pianist Kenny Kirkland, Branford's friend and colleague for nearly 20 years, whose sublime performances on the new album proved to be his last recorded work.
Dave Brubeck Quartet Pianist-composer Dave Brubeck has become a jazz legend. The public's first awareness associated him with the intricate, lightly swinging sound known as West Coast Cool. His distinctive harmonic approach and daring improvisations generated excitement with critics and fans. His group won the Critics Poll and the Readers Poll the same year in Down Beat magazine. The Dave Brubeck Quartet became the sound that identified an era. It was they who started the wave of popularity of jazz on college campuses in the 1950s. Concurrently, they were playing the leading jazz clubs and touring with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and other musicians of the bop era. The quartet won the first jazz poll conducted by a black newspaper, The Pittsburgh Courier.
B.B. King B.B. King is considered one of the greatest blues guitarists of the late 20th century. His unique style of playing integrating single string runs, bent chords and left hand vibrato has influenced countless musicians including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Buddy Guy.
The Neville Brothers Four powerfully unique personalities, The Neville Brothers thrive on an explosive fusion of diversity and unity. This collective of talented brothers is world-famous for its embodiment of the New Orleans sound. Aaron, Art, Charles, and Cyril Neville have expanded the horizons of New Orleans R&B while honoring the music's roots and traditions. Drawing on the vast resources and multiple styles of African-American music, The Neville Brothers have combined R&B, jazz, reggae and elements of rock and Zydeco with a harmony-based funk groove all their own.
THE CINTRON BROTHERS Afro Cuban Rumba Both Cristobal and Rafael showed promise at an early age and were taught and encouraged to sing by their mother Maria Teresa Lugana Santos. Rafael began singing his first harmony at the age of 8 and began playing guitar at the age of 9. Cristobal began singing at 6 years of age, singing songs of Joselito and didn't begin to play guitar until much later. Rafael was fortunate to be influenced and studied guitar with musical greats such as Maestro "Sabicas", Maestro Mario Escudero, & Emilio Prados. It is evident that they did not choose music, but music chose them! Rafael and Cristobal are two brothers who are natives of Spain. They arrived in the U.S. at an early age and have been living both here and abroad for the last thirty years. Born performers this duo exemplifies all that is exciting and romantic about "La Fiesta". Their music is expansive, they sing with the soul of gypsies, and enchant you with their rhythms. Whatever the occasion, "They are truly the spice!" The brothers are popular in the New York night life, they enhance, charm, and seduce their audience, to no end.
Guster Guster became one of the most successful bands to hit the U.S. East Coast scene in the late 1990s. Through relentless touring and humorous stage banter with the crowd, the band developed a strong grass-roots fan base which spread rapidly with a strong presence on the Internet. The Boston trio developed a unique sound with two acoustic guitars and a bongo set, successfully defying the typical industry pigeonholing. They wrote short, infectiously catchy tunes about love, suicide and absurdist rock star lifestyles. Through word of mouth alone, the band sold over 40,000 copies of independent debut Parachute and their second effort, Goldfly.
Phantom Planet The Los Angeles based indie rock band Phantom Planet came together during early adolescence at a local Pizza Hut in 1994. The band, which is comprised of Jacques Brauther (guitar), Sam Farrar (bass), Alex Greenwald (vocals/guitar), Darren Robinson (guitar), and Jason Schwartzman (drums), played around with post-grunge stylings while taking their name from the 60s sci-fi movie. Each member came from a well-educated background, therefore finding time to jam in the garage was simply something to do. Schwartzman, who is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola and the son of Talia Shire, made a name for himself starring in such films as Rushmore (1998) and Slackers (2002). Greenwald spent time modeling and became a familiar face in the chic GAP commercials during the new millennium. He also played a sociopath in the black comedy flick Donnie Darko (2001). Farrar, who's been playing since early childhood, is the son of renowned singer/songwriter producer John Farrar. The elder Farrar is most-noted for writing "You're the One That I Want" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" for the 1978 smash musical Grease, as well as other chart-toppers for Olivia Newton-John.
Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace they later recruited bassist Chris Eacrett and jazz drummer Jeremy Taggart, playing around the area. Signed to Relativity, Our Lady Peace released Naveed, which sparked the modern rock hit "Starseed," in 1995. They toured with fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette later that summer, and earned a cult following. After replacing Eacrett with bassist Duncan Coutts, Clumsy followed in 1997, and two years later Our Lady Peace returned with Happiness Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch. The new millennium brought another OLP release, 2001's Spiritual Machines, and a sold out promo tour that spring. Shortly thereafter, guitarist Mike Turner left the band due to creative differences and Steve Mazur was brought in to replace him. He and the rest of Our Lady Peace restructed the band's heavy rock sound for the simplistic Gravity, which appeared in June 2002. The band toured throughout Canada and the U.S. in support of the album, and documented the jaunt the following June with Live from Calgary and Edmonton. In addition to the CD, OLP also issued a DVD of the tour. That same month, the band took part in the historic "Concert for Toronto," held at the city's Sky Dome as a way for the city, its citizens, and the nation of Canada to show Toronto's vitality and to quell fears in the wake of the city's bout with the SARS epidemic. Healthy in Paranoid Times, the band's seventh album, was released in late August 2005. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Cross Canadian Ragweed Cross Canadian Ragweed is an alternative country band of the Red Dirt scene, formed in Yukon, Oklahoma, in 1994, comprising of frontman/guitarist Cody Canada, drummer Randy Ragsdale, rhythm guitarist Grady Cross, and bassist Jeremy Plato. The band's name comes from a combination of all four original members' names: Grady Cross, Cody Canada, Randy Ragsdale and (original bassist) Matt Wiedemann. There is a common misconception that the name is a reference to the Canadian River, which runs through Oklahoma and Texas. After forming, they moved to the college town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where acts like Mike McClure's The Great Divide and singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave had established enough of a local scene to earn Stillwater the nickname "North Austin" (or, depending on your perspective, "West Nashville"). Known as much for their never-ending tours (200+ shows per year) as their vocal support for marijuana (the song "The Boys from Oklahoma" is entirely about marijuana and is also one of the band's most famous songs, despite not being written by them.), the group had already received significant college radio airplay before it released its first album, Highway 377 and Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog, both in 2001, as well as Carney in 2002, with Underground Sounds, before switching to Smith Music Group for Live and Loud at Billy Bob's Texas. The group occasionally tours with Willie Nelson. With the release of a self-titled album also known as the Purple album due to its cover color, which is a tribute to the band's "little sister" Mandi Ragsdale who had recently died in an auto accident and that was her favorite color, the band moved into the mainstream eye. Their 2004 offering Soul Gravy debuted at #4 on The Billboard charts. The band frequently plays with country music star Dierks Bentley, "Texas Country" star Pat Green, "Texas Country" up and comer Jesse Brand and other stars of the Red Dirt music scene including Reckless Kelly, Stoney LaRue, and Robert Earl Keen. In October 2005, the band released their album Garage, which featured the single "Fightin' For." The band released a Live CD/DVD combo on October 31, 2006. Back To Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom" is the title of the CD/DVD. The bands performance of the show at Cain's Ballroom will be shown on HDNet starting on November 5, 2006.
Hinder Hinder is a rock group signed under Universal Records. Hinder leans to the pop-grunge style of Nickelback and Puddle of Mudd. The rock band formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2002, when guitarist Joe Garvey and drummer Cody Hanson discovered Austin Winkler singing for a cover band. Cody says he was "blown away" and "has the kind of charisma very few people have and that unique voice. You can't really compare him to anybody." The band was then formed as what would be Hinder. They were immediately signed to an independent label, and released their first EP, Far From Close. It sold about 5,000 copies. This EP landed into the ears of Universal Records, in which Hinder was introduced into a major record label contract. Although All Music Guide claims Extreme Behavior was one of the years worst albums, thoroughout 2005, the album was heavily anticipated, and Hinder won the monthy Launch! "Who's Next" contest for emerging bands. Their Brian Howes and Mike Fraser produced album, Extreme Behavior, was then set for release in the US. Since then, the band has toured with Theory of a Deadman as well as with Buckcherry. Recently, they have been touring with Three Days Grace, Hoobastank and Chevelle. , Hinder jumped on to the rock scene with the single, 'Get Stoned.' The band then toured in support of Extreme Behavior. The band's second single, "Lips of an Angel", became a smash hit as the song made its way up the charts and the band received nationwide attention. The band's third single from their debut album became "How Long". Rehearsals.com is showing several video performances of these singles.
Immortal Technique Felipe Coronel better known as Immortal Technique, is a hip hop MC and political activist. Most of his songs focus on social justice, covering a wide variety of topics such as urban poverty in the US and international economic inequality (especially in Latin America), protest against the imprisonment of Mumia Abu-Jamal, militarism and the military industrial complex in the U.S., U.S. complicity in the September 11, 2001 attacks, media bias in favor of conservative and corporate interests, and racism (especially in regards to the mistreatment of people of color in the U.S.). Although he has been offered a deal with at least one major music label, he has never signed to any, since disagreements over the political content of his songs could could arise. Immortal Technique has also voiced a desire to keep control over his production, and has made statements in his music that he is very aware that it is record companies, not the artists themselves, who profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He releases his music on and is also the President and A&R of Viper Records. To reach wider audiences, Immortal Technique's next projects will be distributed by Babygrande Records.
Ne-Yo Ne-Yo is an American R&B singer-songwriter. He is best known by his stage name, Ne-Yo. He is currently signed to Def Jam Records. He was previously best known for co-writing Mario's 2004 number one hit "Let Me Love You" before he began a recording career of his own in 2005. Ne-Yo's debut album, In My Own Words, was released in early 2006 and debuted at number one on The Billboard 200, selling 301,000 copies in the first week. During the same period, Ne-Yo's second single "So Sick" (produced by Stargate) became the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Ne-Yo also wrote Rihanna's Top 10 hit, "Unfaithful". Recently he was featured on Ghostface's single "Back Like That".
Ozomatli In July of the first year of the new millennium, with the summer sun hot and blazing on thousands in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, it all changed for Ozomatli. The Democratic National Convention was in town, Bill Clinton was across the street, the barricades were up, and the crowd that Ozo faced were all looking for a soundtrack to the protest that had brought them there. Ozo gave them one song, the cops pulled the plug, and the rubber bullets started to fly. It had been three years since recording their debut, and in the middle of yet another explosion direct from the LA streets, it became immediately clear that the booming multicultural block party of their new album was being born right before their eyes. Embrace the Chaos: chapter two in Ozomatli's plot to let the world know that the future of urban America is already here, already singing, and already dancing salsa to a hip hop samba. "The DNC really impacted us," says tenor sax player Ulises Bella. "When we were there, we were given a lot of energy from the people who were there to protest, how they felt about our involvement in the protests. It was really inspiring. The negative part of it was how this group of people was just shut down. There was just a hand around a throat saying "you can't say this anymore." It was right at the moment when Clinton was giving his speech about how great America was. The irony of it, the cynicism of it, all of it influenced us. That's why we called the album Embrace the Chaos, accepting the fucked up things of the world but wanting to change them." The DNC show was the last with the band's original alto sax player, only one of the personnel changes the band has gone through since releasing their debut-- an album that established this polyglot Black-Chicano-Cuban-Japanese-Jewish-Filipino crew as a band committed to social change and community-building through the party pleasures of musical collision ("Ozomatli" is Nahuatl for the Aztec god of dance).
Ludacris Ludacris is a Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. Born in Illinois, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he eventually made a name for himself, first as a Radio DJ and then as one of the most prominent Southern rappers.
T.I. T.I. is from the streets of Westside Bankhead Zone 1. His original stage name, T.I.P., stems from his childhood nickname "Tip", which he got from his grandfather. Due to his southern drawl, many fans mistook his name for "Chip", so he began spelling it out "T.I.P". During this time, T.I.P was also popularly known to be the acronym of "Ten Inch Playa," denoting Harris' generous anatomic endowment. Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip. He is also known to go by "Rubberband Man" and the self-proclaimed "King of the South" (which has created several cases of controversy between other southern rappers, such as Lil' Flip and Ludacris).T.I. has four children. Their names are Messiah "Ya'Majesty" Harris, Damani Uriah Harris, Deyjah Harris, and Clifford Joseph "King" Harris III, he also claims Tiny's daughter, Zonnique Pullins as his own.He is the leader of a rap group known as P$C (Pimp Squad Click). His debut album I'm Serious was released through Arista Records in 2001, which spawned the single of the same title which featured reggae vocalist Beenie Man. His debut album included Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes (who named him the Jay-Z of the south), Jazze Pha and Youngbloodz. However, the album did not sell very well, and he was dropped from the label. Undaunted, he formed Grand Hustle Records and released several mixtapes with the assistance of DJ Drama, which created an underground buzz. He resurfaced in the summer of 2003 on Bonecrusher's song "Neva Scared". He parlayed this attention towards the release of his second album, Trap Muzik. It was more of a success than his debut album because of the singles "24s", "Be Easy", "Rubber Band Man", and "Let's Get Away". The success of the album was followed by some controversy: while on tour, T.I. was charged with violating his probation over a 2003 drug charge, and turned himself in. He was sentenced to three years in prison. While there he was granted rights to film the music video for "Let's Get Away".
Anthem ANTHEM 2006 NACA Northern Plains Showcase Alternate 2006 NACA National Showcase 2005 NACA Central Showcase 2005 NACA Mid-Atlantic Showcase 2004 NACA Northeast Showcase Spanning decades and cultures, the six members of Anthem combine boundless energy and diverse musical influences to showcase their own brand of reggae on their debut CD on Mack Avenue Records. Anthem?s tight harmonies and solid musical sensibilities stem, in part, from the fact that three of the band?s members come from the same musical family. Their Jamaican heritage is the seed from which their reggae roots spread, but each of the various members also adds his own experience and influences to the mix. Anthem is comprised of rappers and producers, R&B singers and old-fashioned rock and rollers, making them a band all their own. Their members have been seen on everything from Puff Daddy?s ?Making the Band? on MTV to having their songs featured on B.E.T?s, ?Soul Food?. Positive and pop, roots and soulful, energetic and seductive?Are you ready for Anthem?
God Made Me Funky GOD MADE ME FUNKY 2005 COCA National Showcase God Made Me Funky (GMMF) is the Funky live collective, out of Toronto, Ontario, comprised of a diverse array of musicians ranging from classically trained Jazz artists to street schooled Hip-Hop and RnB vocalists, all of which share the common bond of moving crowds and bringing the Funk in to the next millennium. Consisting of Vocalist - Wayne Tennant (Snow, Eclectic Soul), Rapper - PHATT al (Len, Raggadeath), Keys - Neil Shankman, Bass - Calvin Beale (Jully Black, Ivanna Santilli), Guitar - Oliver Johnson (Ivanna Santilli, Glenn Lewis), Trumpet - Mark Jarvis (Big Rude Jake, Fuzzy Love), Sax - Arthur Kerekes (Monkey), and Drums - Alan Witz (Funky Hi-Life, Millhouse); GMMF has been widely recognized in the Toronto music scene for thier highly energetic and outstanding original music and live remixes of Funk, Soul, RnB, and Hip-Hop classics. Formed in 1996 GMMF started out as an instrumental Funk fusion experiment. As the bands popularity grew vocalists were added to increase the range of songs the band could cover. Influences such as: Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Sly and the Family Stone, Michael Jackson, Jamiroquai, the Roots, and D'Angelo were remixed with a 'new school' sound. Now, after sharing the stage with such notable artists as Julie McKnight, Herbie Koffman, and Divine Earth Essence; And having played at North By North East, The Beaches Jazz Festival, Canadaian Music Week, countless fundraisers, and club gigs road testing the new original material to great response, GMMF has taken it to the studio. Recording their debut album, titled "God Mad Me Funky". The disc brings the pure musical energy of a live GMMF stage show combined with the superbly funky song writing of the band and lays down original recordings in the new grand tradition of the Modern Funk Movement. The first single "Subway" is set to be released to radio in Spring 2005, with the video shot by Matt Long (Ivana Santilli) @ Action Media; And has been chosen by the Parmelat Group (of Dairy Products) to be featured in their new "Pure Filter Milk" campaign.
Orquesta Sabor Tropical SABOR TROPICAL Orquesta Sabor Tropical is both a high-energy salsa band and classic Afro-Cuban orchestra, bringing large doses of excitement, romance, feeling, and caribbean swing to their concerts. Sabor Tropical blends TROPICAL, Big-band Latin, retro-Cuban, Salsa and original jazz to create a non-stop, fully choreographed show. Sabor Tropical features the sultry voice of lead singer Maya Santamaria, the contemporary improvisational skills of singer/dancer Leo Burdier as well as the romantic, humid voice of Raffy Castillo. The orchestra also features a powerhouse 4-piece horn section, an infectious percussion section led by musical director Rey Rivera (NY) and a tight rhythm section. Sabor Tropical has been called the "Hottest Latin Orchestra" by the local salsa-dancing community because of the youthful energy and choreography the group brings to the stage. The repertoire of the orchestra features salsa, rumba, son montuno, guaracha, cumbia, bolero, cha-cha, jazz, bachata and other latin rhythms. Their first demo, "Llegó La Sabrosa," featuring Maya Santamaria, was based on the work of a number of retro-Cuban female legends such as Mercedita Valdez and Lourdes Torres from the 40s and 50s. Her new music from this CD won Maya the "Best New Artist" award from the salsaartists.com competition in October 2001 at Universal City, California. In addition, this year Sabor Tropical's lead singer Maya won La Prensa de Minnesota's "Community Artist of the Year" Award and the prestigious Sally Ordway Irwin Award for Innitiative. With a touch of American crossover mixed in, the cd is currently under negotiation with some major labels. In addition to this original repertoire, Orquesta Sabor Tropical has developed a totally power-packed repertoire designed for the dancers! Extremely versatile, this is the band for any occasion.
Mayumana Mayumana is a performance group which specializes in percussion, dance, gymnastics, singing, and musicianship. Their shows are comparable to Stomp or Blue Man Group but with uniquely Israeli qualities. They perform regularly at their home theater in Tel Aviv, Israel and have also created several tours internationally playing to more than 2 million people in Europe, 1 million in Israel and 700,000 in South America. Although Mayumana officially began in 1996, they did not grow widely popular until 1998 at the Israel Festival, the annual national showcase for the performing arts. The name Mayumana is derived loosely from the Hebrew word meaning "skill" or "proficiency". Many skills are demanded of the performers in each Mayumana theatre troupe such as coordination, sight reading , flexibility, drumming techniques, and discipline in dance and yoga.
The Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a four-time BRIT Award-winning English all-female pop group, which formed in London in 1994. The Spice Girls signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe", in 1996. The song went on to spend seven weeks at the top of the UK singles chart and helped establish the group as an "international phenomenon" who went on to release three studio albums and ten singles, selling in excess of 53 million records world wide. The group embraced merchandise and became a regular feature of the British press. Each member of the group was given an alias by Top of the Pops Magazine in 1996, aliases which were adopted by the group and media alike. According to biographer David Sinclair, "Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty were the most widely recognised group of individuals since John, Paul, George and Ringo", stating that the group was "a social phenomenon that changed the course of popular music and popular culture". They released three studio albums and went their separate ways in 2001 (a break-up was never formally announced) to focus on their solo careers; however, on June 28, 2007, they reformed and are now planning a greatest hits album, plus a tour, The Return of the Spice Girls, which will be in support of their hits compilation.
Anberlin Anberlin is an alternative rock band hailing from central Florida that was formed in 2002. The band has released three full-length albums and an EP in their five-year run.
Switchfoot Switchfoot is a Grammy-nominated alternative rock band from San Diego, California, United States. The current members are Jon Foreman (vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), and Drew Shirley (guitar). Known for their energetic live show, the three guitarists in the line-up often operate simultaneously, building on the pop sensibilities of Jon's songwriting, and, rounded out by Jerome's work on the synthesizer, bringing his industrial roots to the sound, the band works up "the Switchfoot sound" - a melodic crunch of densely layered sound featuring some electronic experimentation, and often driven by hard-charging guitar riffs, while throwing in a few softer, spacey ballads as well. Switchfoot first gained mainstream recognition after the inclusion of four of their songs in the 2002 movie A Walk to Remember. This recognition led to their major label debut, The Beautiful Letdown, which was released in 2003 and sold over 2.6 million copies as well as featuring their best-known singles, "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move". According to Jon Foreman, the name "Switchfoot" is a surfing term. "We all love to surf and have been surfing all our lives so to us, the name made sense. To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It's about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music".
Neil Bergs 100 Years of Broadway Neil Bergs 100 Years of Broadway 100 Years of Broadway is a jubilant review recreating the finest moments from the greatest musicals of the century featuring the actual stars of shows such as The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Aida, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Jekyll & Hyde.
Sum 41 Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario.The band's classic lineup is the same except with Dave Baksh on lead guitar and backing vocals. Since signing an international record deal with Island Records in 1999, the band has released five studio albums, one live album under two different titles, two live DVDs, more than fifteen singles, and sold over 10 million albums worldwide. It is reported that the band performed more than 300 times in a single year which is why they have become famous for their long and global tours, often lasting for more than a year.
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds have played over a hundred shows together since their first performance together in 1992. Both artists play acoustic guitars, though Matthews offers vocals and Reynolds dazzles the audience with complex solos. Besides playing scattered shows together, Dave and Tim (also referred to as D&T) have played extensive tours together, such as the acclaimed 1997 and 1999 tours. The duo gained attention with the release of a 1996 concert "Live at Luther College". VH1 recorded a 1999 performance to air as part of the program "Storytellers." During the Dave Matthews & Friends tours, Dave and Tim opened with an acoustic set; however, they have played midset at some more recent shows. Recently, the duo embarked on their first tour of Europe, marking their first tour outside of the States, as well as their first extended tour since the Winter 2003 tour. Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds have most recently released "Live At Radio City", a 2DVD/2CD album on August 14th, 2007 recorded in April of the same year.
Foo Fighters While he was drumming with Nirvana, Dave Grohl was recording original songs at home that never received public release. Those tapes would become the foundation of Foo Fighters, the band he formed in 1995, after the death of Kurt Cobain. Like Nirvana, Foo Fighters melded loud, heavy guitars with pretty melodies and mixed punk sensibilities with a sharp sense of pop songwriting.
Mutemath Born in the dust-laden family garage with archaic samplers, Radio Shack mics, and broken record players, Mute Math have been noisily calculating their notes for the past few years. This electro-alt rock collaboration between longtime friends Paul Meany (vocals/keys), Darren King (drums), Greg Hill (guitar), and Roy Mitchell-Cardenas (bass) has crept up on the music scene with the onslaught of a worldwide fan-base driven to their website from countless video blogs and non-stop touring. The four piece (originating from New Orleans) has scattered influences that are apparent without being obvious, and touch on everything from DJ shadow styled beats, moments of beauty and grandeur a la Bjork, and vocals that pay legitimate homage to Police-era Sting. When asked about this vast expanse of musical territory that we are asked to find them dwelling within, Meany replied, "I blame it on the past forty years of music". They act on the idea that their magic is to be found in the mixture of countless thoughts. Their live show thrives on this random energy too involving homemade instruments, live sampling, a junked-out keytar, and the kind of freak-outs that keep any given performance worth the price of admission.
Wilco Since their very beginning, Wilco have continually sought to explore fresh musical and emotional territory, relentlessly redefining themselves and their body of work. 2002s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot along with its documentary film companion, Sam Jones' I Am Trying To Break Your Heart saw the Chicago-based band reaping the greatest commercial and critical success of their nearly 10-year career. Now Wilco unveil the follow up, A ghost is born. The album, which was co produced by the band and Jim ORourke, forgoes the electronic experimentation of its celebrated predecessor in favor of a naturalistic sonic template rooted in performance and minimalist production. As ever, the band enthusiastically veers through a panoply of musical idioms, morphing genre after genre into their own inimitable, idiosyncratic sound. "I think that this is a more realized, more consistent record at least in our approach than any other record we've made," says Wilcos singer, songwriter and guitarist Jeff Tweedy. "We valued the idea of presenting ourselves and our music as humanly as possible in an artificial world, and I think we accomplished that." In November 2003, Wilco Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche, multi instrumentalist Leroy Bach, and keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen along with O'Rourke and engineer Chris Shaw (Bob Dylan, Weezer), took up residence at Sear Sound, New York City's oldest independent studio, famed for its old school vacuum tube technology and vintage microphone collection. The band's goal for the sessions additional material was also recorded at Chicago's Soma E.M.S. was to strip the recording process to its bare essentials in an effort to capture the raw power and beauty of musicians plying their craft in its most fundamental form.
Dispatch Dispatch was an American indie roots folk jam band formed at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. They were active from 1996 to 2002, and have come together twice for reunion concerts, first in 2004, and again in 2007. Dispatch experimented with a variety of genres, and as such, they are known as a very difficult band to categorize. The band was also instrumental in the creation of the non-profit organization, The Elias Fund. Dispatch consisted of Brad Corrigan (vocals, drums, guitar, percussion, and harmonica), Pete Francis Heimbold (vocals, bass and guitar), and Chad Urmston (vocals, bass, guitar, and percussion).
New Found Glory Since 1997, New Found Glory has delivered brilliant punk power pop. Angst fueled by jangly guitars. And they delivered on the only way a self-respecting punk band would: on singles and EPs. UMe is proud to present NFG’s first-ever greatest hits collection, chronicling the band’s best-loved singles, album cuts and a couple of rare gems, Constant Static (previously available as a Japanese album bonus cut) and “Situations” (not commercially available, only streamed on Warped Tour website for a one-month period).
Less Than Jake Less Than Jake are ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of third wave ska and punk rock, with added elements of modern rock and even metal. To date, the group has released seven original full-length albums and countless more singles and compilations. The current lineup comprises guitarist/vocalist Chris Demakes, bassist/vocalist Roger Manganelli, drummer/lyricist Vinnie Fiorello, trombonist Buddy Schaub, and saxophonist JR.
Goldfinger There are a lot of things the guys in Goldfinger do really well, but well name just a few of the most important ones. They consistently throw one of the most exciting live rock shows youll ever witness. They have set world records (case in point: the act holds one for performing the most shows in one year). Their frontman John Feldmann produces hit albums for numerous rock artists such The Used & Story of the Year. And, as the Southern California based foursomes extensive back catalog of a dozen years proves, they know how to write great songs!
311 311 was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska by five self-described "friends for life" singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and the bassist known only as PNut, whose common link was a passion for both music and life that eventually brought them together to make music with a positive message behind it. After gigging locally (and by all reports quickly conquering the local music scene there), the quintet moved to Los Angeles, where they signed with Capricorn Records in 1991. Since that time, 311 have released several albums, including 1992's Music, 1993's Grassroots, and 1995's 311 (aka the "Blue" album), the latter reaching number 12 on the album chart, selling three million copies worldwide, and sporting the tracks "All Mixed Up" and "Down."
Live When the four members of Live first began performing together in middle school during the summer of 1985, they gave little, if any, thought to the possibility that they would still be together 22 years later. Lead singerfrontmanguitarist Ed Kowalczyk, lead guitarist Chad Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer and drummer Chad Gracey (all of whom were in their early teens at the time) were simply four friends from working-class York, Pennsylvania who wanted to express themselves by writing and performing music. But Live has, in fact, endured—and along the way, they have built an impressive resume that includes eight full-length albums, total CD sales exceeding 20 million, a huge international fan base and extensive touring all over the world. Live has been one of the most successful and enduring alternative rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s, and despite their long list of achievements, Live are finding themselves busier than ever with a lot of songwriting, recording and big summer and fall tours.
Maroon 5 Grammy Award winning American pop rock band originating from Los Angeles, California. Maroon 5 has won several awards for its debut album Songs About Jane. Released in June 2002, the album enjoyed major chart success, going gold, platinum, and triple platinum in many countries around the world.[1] In support of Songs About Jane, Maroon 5 toured extensively throughout 2003 2005, in which a live album was released, entitled Live Friday the 13th. Original member Ryan Dusick left the band in September 2006, due to injuries sustained by the constant touring, and was replaced by Matt Flynn.
Third Eye Blind Third Eye Blind is an alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. After the massive success of their self-titled debut album in 1997, the band released one more album, 1999s Blue, before guitarist Kevin Cadogan was released under circumstances that still elicit controversy among fans. More recently, bassist Arion Salazar has not been playing with the band, and his future as part of the quartet is unclear. Leo Kremer has been filling in for Salazar during concerts, and on the bands myspace page, he is now listed as a full time band member.
3 Doors Down 3 Doors Down is an post grunge rock band. The band signed to Universal Records after the success of their song "Kryptonite". The band has since sold well over 13 million albums in the United States alone since their debut album, The Better Life, was released in 2000. They also perform more than 300 concerts a year and have performed with other well known artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Staind, Nickelback, Alter Bridge, Breaking Benjamin, Seether and Shinedown.
Tonic With a name like Tonic, Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo and Dan Lavery have always been committed "This is definitely the most personal and focused album we've ever made," admits Hart. "I took a lot of time writing the lyrics. It's a real album, and a lot deeper lyrically than a lot of music out there today." In a mere twelve words, the title track's majestic chorus sums up the album's theme: "I'm keeping my head on straight, so you can trust me again." Most of the songs, in fact, find Hart in a romantic mood, soberly confronting the personal poisons that often terminate relationships. Yet somehow, the songs always resolve on an uplifting note.
Yellowcard After more than 3 million albums sold, thousands of miles traveled around the globe and some dizzying highs and lows, an energized Yellowcard returns with their new album, Paper Walls. Yellowcard emerged from Jacksonville, Florida with a completely infectious and original blend of rock and pop that made them a sure thing to break out of the pack, but even the band could not have imagined how far. With a string of successful indie releases, a tireless touring schedule and a steamrolling fan base the band made their Capitol Records debut with 2003s Ocean Avenue. The album was a smash, spawning huge hit singles, sold-out tours in the U.S. and abroad, an MTV Video Music Award and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. 2006s gold-certified Lights and Sounds a more expansive and harder edged album was released to rave reviews, showcasing the bands diversity as songwriters.
Taking Back Sunday For Taking Back Sunday, the past year has been as non stop as the music on their latest album, Louder Now. The New York based melodic hardcore quintets album was released on April 25, 2006 and skyrocketed to Number Two on Billboards Top 200 chart a week later, scanning more than 157,000 copies. Now gold certified, Louder Now has led to multiple sold out U.S. headlining arena tours, the headlining slot on the international Taste of Chaos tour in Australia, Japan and Europe, and an MTV Video Music award nomination the MTV2 Viewers Choice award) for the albums first single, MakeDamnSure, which has received more than three million combined plays on AOL, Yahoo!, Fuse, and YouTube. The band did command performances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night With Conan OBrien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Last Call With Carson Daly, and got to play themselves in an upcoming episode of a favorite show, Degrassi: The Next Generation. Last June, the band scored their third cover of taste making music monthly Alternative Press, and received effusive reviews from People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly. Indeed Kerrang! crowned Louder Now as the critics pick for Album Of The Year! Taking Back Sunday band finished out 2006 with the December release of Louder Now: Partone a 90 minute DVD containing up close and personal band stories, behind-the-scenes footage in the studio and on the road, music videos for MakeDamnSure and the albums second single Liar It Takes One To Know One, and no holds barred clips of the bands performance at the Long Beach Arena. They also celebrated the holiday seasons spirit of giving by creating a card that raised money for various cancer charities. The band ushered in 2007 with a headlining North American tour, including their first extended visit to Canada.
Reel Big Fish Reel Big Fish is an ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out." The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid to late 1990s, during the third wave of ska. Since the band's founding in 1992 and their demo In the Good Old Days..., the only original member remaining is Aaron Barrett.
Medeski Martin & Wood Medeski Martin & Wood is an jazz trio formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar.
Moby Moby is a songwriter, musician and singer.He was born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Darien, Connecticut. After eight Top 40 techno singles in the UK in the 1990s, his biggest hit was his album Play, released in 1999, which sold 9 million copies worldwide. He continues to record and release music today.
Nine Days Named after the amount of time they had to record their first record, ninedays began in around 1994 when talented songwriters Brian Desveaux and John Hampson started writing songs together after spending years in other bands playing in and around New York. The hurried recording of their first album, 1995's Something To Listen To, then gave ninedays the impetus to follow that with an album named after their Monday night residency at a local popular club, Monday Songs, a year later. Further success followed as they were winners of WBAB's Home-grown Talent Search and WLIR's Best Unsigned band competition and with the recording of yet another album, 1998's simply titled Three, it wouldn't be long before the major labels would show their interest. ninedays then signed with Sony's 550 Music (a label also home to North Carolina's Ben Folds Five) and released their major label debut, The Madding Crowd in 2000, winning the band both critical and comercial acclaim. Due to the phenomenal success of the single Absolutely (Story of a Girl), the album went gold, making the world stand up and take notice of this band from Long Island. The album, named after Thomas Hardy's novel 'Far From The Madding Crowd' contained a range of songs that audiences could not only love but also relate to and so the focus then turned to the writing and recording of the follow-up.
Jimmy Eat World In the midst of mid 90s grunge, four childhood friends formed a band that would eventually impact modern rock of the new millennium. Jimmy Eat World formed in 1994 with kindergarten pals Jim Adkins (vocals/guitar) and Zach Lind (drums), Tom Linton (guitar/vocals), and Mitch Porter (bass). The foursome derived the band's moniker from Linton's younger brothers, Ed and Jimmy. The two had a fight one day and Ed resorted to drawing a picture of his cherubic older brother eating the world with "Jimmy Eat World" printed beneath. The band thought it was a perfect fit. Soon, they tinkered around with heavy punk rock sounds, playing small shows around their native Mesa, AZ. Influences ranged from Rocket From the Crypt, early Def Leppard, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Fugazi, and the Velvet Underground, leaving Jimmy Eat World as a work in progress. Over the course of 1994 and early 1995, Jimmy Eat World issued several EPs and singles on the Tempe, AZ, imprint, Wooden Blue Records. Limited-edition pressings of "One, Two, Three, Four," "Back From the Dead Mother Fucker," and split EPs with Christie Front Drive, Emery, and Blueprint would later run out of print. During this time, the band gained a following. Capitol Records took notice and signed Jimmy Eat World in mid-1995. Porter soon exited the group; Linton's best mate since seventh grade, bassist Rick Burch, was added to Jimmy Eat World and a dynamic was officially in place. Static Prevails marked their major debut later that year. In 1998, the band found itself under the emo billing thanks to the intricately hard-edged yet sensitive second album Clarity. It was a basic rock record and not exactly emo; Adkins' songwriting was at its finest. First single "Lucky Denver Mint" was an instant hit among college radio. It scored a spot on the Drew Barrymore love comedy Never Been Kissed in 1999, allowing Jimmy Eat World to be exposed to a larger audience. Their fan base only continued to soar; however, their relationship with Capitol was beginning to sour. They recorded a third LP for the label by 1999, but it was shelved. The decided to leave the label, and Capitol was happy to oblige. Split releases with Sense Field and Jebediah soon followed. Jimmy Eat World's powerful rock sound was attracting those overseas; Clarity was popular on the German charts in 2000. That same year, the band funded and self-promoted their first ever tour of Europe. Singles appeared on Big Wheel Recreation later that year. During this jaunt, Jimmy Eat World redesigned their focus in music. DreamWorks opted to take a chance on the band, and Jimmy Eat World went back to work. They hooked up with Clarity's famed producer, Mark Trombino (blink-182, Midtown, Drive Like Jehu), for a follow-up. Bleed American, which would later be retitled as Jimmy Eat World after the horrific events of September 11th, was released in July 2001. "Bleed American" did moderately well, but the second single, the catchy cool "The Middle," landed Jimmy Eat World on the pop/rock map. Spots on MTV's TRL and VH1, and tours with Weezer and Tenacious D proved golden. A year after its release, Jimmy Eat World was still burning up the charts and modern rock radio. A third single entitled "Sweetness" was released in summer 2002, allowing Jimmy Eat World to eventually sell 1.3 million copies in the U.S.
Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band Poncho and his men are undisputed kings of a vibrant hybrid that has become one of the most dynamic and enduringly popular styles of the century. For almost two decades, as leader of one of the worlds most celebrated Latin jazz bands, Concord Picante recording artist Poncho Sanchez has been an unswervingly passionate exponent of the bedrock style of Afro-Cuban Latin jazz pioneered half a century ago by such legendary musicians as Machito, Tito Puente and Dizzy Gillespie. The bearded, jovial conguero and the members of his veteran octet are virtual living symbols of the best of the modern jazz and tropical Latin traditions today.
The Bravery The Bravery are a rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott, John Conway, Anthony Burulcich, Michael Zakarin, and Mike Hindert. Their music is a synthesis of indie rock and electronica. Their music has reached the top ten in the United States and the top five in the United Kingdom.
Eve 6 Eve 6 is a rock band from Southern California who was most well known for their hit "Inside Out" and graduation anthem "Here's to the Night". They disbanded in 2004 and reunited with two of the three original members in October, 2007.
Hot Hot Heat Hot Hot Heat is a rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The band is currently comprised of Steve Bays (vocals and keyboards), Paul Hawley (drums), Dustin Hawthorne (bass) and Luke Paquin (guitar).Hawthorne and Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one else knew how. Hawley took over the drums from Bays and Hawthorne played bass. Matthew Marnik, who was a friend of the band, sang vocals. The band's original sound can be considered synthpunk.
Quietdrive Quietdrive is a pop punk band from Minneapolis, Minnesota formed at Saint Johns University in 2002. Quietdrive released their debut album When All That's Left Is You. Quietdrive members Justin Bonhiver and Droo Hastings were best friends growing up together. In 9th grade, Brandon Lanier started telling Hastings that he was a great drummer, and that they should start a band with him. At the time, Droo Hastings was the lead singer of the trio, and Brandon was the bass player.
We Shot the Moon We Shot the Moon, formerly known as The Honor Roll, is a band from San Diego, California featuring Jonathan Jones the singer of Waking Ashland, in addition to Dan Koch, and Joe Greenetz both from the band Sherwood.
The Fray The Fray is a four piece piano rock American band from Denver, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King, the band released their debut album How to Save a Life in 2005. The band is best known for the song "How to Save a Life", which charted in the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 and was also a top 5 single in Canada, Australia, Ireland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The Fray also found national success with the song "Over My Head (Cable Car), which became a top ten hit in the United States and Canada. How to Save a Life was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and was also certified platinum in Australia and New Zealand.
The Game Jayceon Taylor better known by his stage name The Game, is an American rapper signed to Geffen Records. He rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, and his two Grammy nominations. Since then, he is considered to be a driving force in bringing back the West Coast hip hop scene and competing with many of his East Coast counterparts.The Game is the only West Coast solo artist to release a multi-platinum album (The Documentary) since Dr. Dre's 1999 album, 2001 (however, Snoop Doggs Tha Last Meal album sold two million copies but was only certified platinum). Aside from releasing two albums that debuted at number one on the United World Chart and the Billboard 200, The Game has gained notoriety for the hip hop feuds he has taken part in. His music falls under the subgenre known as West Coast rap, a style of hip hop popularized in his hometown of Compton, California.
Mae Mae is a rock band that formed in Norfolk Virginia in 2001. The bands name is an acronym for Multi sensory Aesthetic Experience, based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University.
Straylight Run Straylight Run are an indie band based in Baldwin, Nassau County, Long Island, New York. Their latest release is the full-length album entitled The Needles The Space.The band is to tour in support of Bayside in February and early March, 2008. The band will tour in support of The Used on the inaugural Get a Life Tour from March 31 thru May 11, 2008.
Matt Pond PA Matt Pond PA is an indie band formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1998 by singer/songwriter Matt Pond, along with guitarist/bassist Josh Kramer, violinist Rosie McNamara-Jones, cellist Jim Hostetter, and drummer Sean Byrne (previously of Lenola and The Twin Atlas). Matt Pond is the only remaining original member because the band had to reform when Pond moved to New York City. Their debut Deer Apartments gained them recognition in CDNow's Unheard? competition for unsigned artists that same year. Matt Pond PA has performed with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Nickel Creek, Youth Group, Mae, Keane, Guster, Dios Malos, Neko Case, Straylight Run, and Liz Phair. The band's music has been included in the soundtrack for the FOX television program The O.C., specifically cover versions of Oasis' "Champagne Supernova" and Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea." As of late 2007, the lineup consists of Matt Pond on vocals and guitar, Dan Crowell on drums, Steve Jewett on guitar, Matthew Daniel Siskin on bass, and Chris Hansen on keyboards, guitar, and vocals.
Matisyahu Matisyahu, born Matthew Paul Miller, is an American reggae musician. Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae and rock sounds, Matisyahu is most recognizable for previously being a member of Chabad-Lubavitch and started with the jewish band Pey Dalid, a chassidic group of Judaism. As such, Matisyahu stands out for wearing the traditional clothing of Hasidic Jews and not performing on the Sabbath. Since 2004, he has released two studio albums (Shake off the Dust Arise and Youth) as well as one live album, two remix CDs and one DVD featuring a live concert, and a number of interviews. The music, developed partly with his backing band Roots Tonic has a unique sound, mixing reggae, traditional rap, and guitar solos typical of rock music. Through his short career, Matisyahu has teamed up with some of the biggest names in reggae production including Bill Laswell and duo Sly & Robbie. Since his debut, Matisyahu has received positive reviews from both rock and reggae outlets including Top Reggae Artist of 2006 by Billboard and was named the most intriguing reggae artist in the world by Esquire . His latest album, Youth, became the number one digital album on Billboards website upon its release in 2006. Currently, Matisyahu has begun writing new songs for his next album that should be released in early 2008.
The Calling The Callings first album was recorded and released in 2001. As the band advanced, Sean Woolstenhulme (guitars), Billy Mohler (bass) and Nate Wood (drums) were added as extra musicians/touring musicians, and a few of the songs were re-recorded. The Calling's first album was issued in July 2001, Camino Palmero became a hit, due to the strength of its single, Wherever You Will Go, first featured prominently at the end of the second episode in the first season of the television series, Smallville, Metamorphosis. Band and Kamin (without Wood, Woolstenhulme, and Mohler) returned in June 2004 with Two. In June 2005, the band took a break. Alex Band just finished recording his debut solo album entittled Weve All Been There and is slated for a 2nd quarter 2008 release.
Clipse Clipse is a Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed by brothers Malice (born Gene Thornton in 1972, in The Bronx, New York) and Pusha-T (born Terrence Thornton in 1977, in The Bronx, New York) in 1992, the group is affiliated with multi-platinum production team The Neptunes.
Yamato Ten Yamato performers dance, run, yell, and flip as they beat on traditional Japanese Taiko drums. Their performance, "Thunder," incorporates over 40 drums ranging from the 800-pound, 6-foot-long Odyko drum made from a 400-year-old tree, to the smaller Shimidaiko drums.
VHS or Beta VHS or Beta is a band from Louisville, Kentucky, that combines elements of rock, French house and dance-punk. Their self-released debut Le Funk found some success on the charts, but the band became better known in the wake of their 2004 release Night on Fire. In early 2007, after two and half years of touring, the band made the trek to remote Asheville, NC to record 2007's Bring on the Comets. Released in August of 2007 Bring On The Comets marked a slight change in direction towards a more straightforward pop sound; all this was achieved without sacrificing the band's trademark dance sensibility.
REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon Kevin Cronin (lead vocals, guitar). Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums) - are ready to roll into 2007 full throttla with their brand new album FIND YOUR WAY HOME, their first studio collection of new material in more than a decade.The roots of the new album go back to the spring of 2000, when the band joined forces with fellow Medwest rockers Styx for a national, sold-out, co-headlining tour. The tour proved to be such a commercial success that it was recorded live and released on both CD and DVD, jokingly entitled "Arch Allies". The bands appeared together on the Today show, VH1, and on numerous syndicated radio shows, including The Howard Stern Show.
Foreigner While quite a few arena rock acts of the 70s found the transformation into the '80s quite difficult, several acts continued to flourish and enjoyed some of their biggest commercial success: Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, and especially Foreigner. Foreigner's leader from the beginning has been British guitarist Mick Jones, who first broke into the music biz as a "hired gun" of sorts, appearing on recordings by George Harrison and Peter Frampton, and as part of a later day version of hard rockers Spooky Tooth. By the mid-'70s, Jones had relocated to New York City, where he was a brief member of the Leslie West Band and served as an A&R man for a record company. But it wasnt long before Jones felt the urge to be part of another rock outfit as he sought to put together a band that would be able to combine elements of rock, progressive, R&B, and pop into a single, cohesive style.
Goo Goo Dolls Americas best known unknown band, The Goo Goo Dolls, up the alternative music ante with thirteen new songs that defy convention, the odds and your preconceptions. Produced by Lou Giordano (whos worked with everyone from Pere Ubu and Husker Du to Sugar and the Smithereens), and featuring the Goos new single and video, Only One, A Boy Named Goo puts The Goo Goo Dolls front and center in the back-to-basics revolution that began with the Ramones and continues unabated with this rabidly original Buffalo band. The groups third Warner Bros. Records release, A Boy Named Goo is also a full bore follow up to their critically acclaimed 1993 release, Superstar Car Wash, bringing to the bands hook ladened hardcore pop a whole new dark edged luster. This is who we really are, asserts guitarist-vocalist Johnny Rzeznik. This is what we sound like to ourselves.
Augustana Augustana are a heartland equivalent to Coldplay or Keane, with a little bit of mid 90s adult alternative throwback (think Counting Crows or the Wallflowers) as well. The band formed in Greenville, IL, in 2002, while singer and keyboardist Dan Layus and guitarist Josiah Rosen were attending a small evangelical college there. The original lineup of the band was completed by bassist Simeon Lohrmann, second keyboardist David Lamoureaux, and drummer Kyle Baker. This lineup released a pair of self distributed CDs, the full length Midwest Skies and Sleepless Mondays and the EP Mayfield, both in 2003. Choosing music over academia, Layus and Rosen left Greenville for Los Angeles in 2004, jettisoning the rest of the band and re forming with a new lineup that included keyboardist John Vincent, bassist Jared Palomar, and drummer Justin South. The reformulated Augustana signed with Epic Records in 2005 and released their major-label debut, All the Stars and Boulevards, in September of that year. A slow starter, the album eventually gained attention when the single "Boston" started receiving radio (and later VH1) airplay. A limited-edition reissue of the album, with extra songs and video content, was released in September 2006. Josiah Rosen left the band for a solo career in early 2006, replaced by guitarist and mandolin player Chris Sachtleben.
Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest is one of Hip Hops most legendary, beloved and revered groups of all time and for good reason. Easily recognized for their unique approach to rap music by employing jazz infused soundscapes to Afro centric rhymes, sans the jaded and often nihilistic aggressive posturing associated with hip-hop, A Tribe Called Quest was largely responsible for the popularity of a new genre that dominated the East Coast sound of the early 1990s. Queens, New York natives Q-Tip , Phife Dawg , and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of Brooklyn, formed ATCQ in 1985. Jarobi, the honorary member of ATCQ, though not always heard, was a fixture of the group in heart and in friendship. QUEST, the original name of the group, was later given the prefix A Tribe Called by their high school buddies, The Jungle Brothers, while recording Black Is Black for their album Straight Out The Jungle. ATCQ, along with the Jungle Brothers and De La Soul, formed a unit called The Native Tongues. With a building buzz around The Native Tongues and Tribes energetic live performances, ATCQ landed a major recording contract with Jive Records in 1989. Sonically, ATCQ was a decisive and welcomed tangent of jazz, bass-heavy rhythmic vibes and eclectic sampling when compared to the mundane recycling of soul loops, breaks and vocals of their contemporaries. Lyrically, emcees Q-Tip and Phife Dawg addressed social issues relevant to young blacks such as use of the n word and its relevance, date rape and other interpersonal relationships, industry politics and consumerism with infectious energy and fun and having a good time while still promoting positivity. ATCQ composed a number of successful singles and albums with their creative approach to rap music. In 1990, the group released Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, scoring several memorable songs including Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It and I Left my Wallet in El Segundo. It was their sophomore effort, The Low End Theory, considered one of the greatest follow-ups in hip-hop history, that would solidify them as legends. Released in late 1991, the freedom expressed in the creation and feel of this record - along with its successor Midnight Marauders - influenced many future artists and producers such as Common, The Roots, Jill Scott, Kanye West and The Neptunes. These artists are a part of ATCQs legacy and are evidence of ATCQs impact for years to come. Classics like Award Tour, Electric Relaxation, Check The Rhyme and Scenario defined ATCQs sound during this period.
Nas Nas is heralded as one of New York's leading rap voices. Whether proclaiming himself as "Nasty Nas" or "Nas Escobar" or "Nastradamus" or "God's Son," Nas evolved from a young street disciple to a vain all-knowing sage to a humbled godly teacher. Such growth made every album release an event and thus prolonged the rapper's increasingly storied career to epic proportions. Born Nasir Jones, son of jazz musician, Olu Dara, Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade, trading classrooms for the streets of the rough Queensbridge projects. Despite dropping out of school, Nas developed a high degree of literacy and street smarts that would later characterize his rhymes. Columbia Records eventually signed Nas. DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Pete Rock, some of the city's finest producers, ultimately joined the young rapper and began work on Illmatic. When Columbia finally released the highly anticipated album in April 1994, Illmatic sold very well, spawned multiple hits, and earned unanimous acclaim, followed soon after by classic status. The two years leading up to Nas' follow-up, It Was Written, thus brought another wave of enormous anticipation. Unlike the straightforward Illmatic, It Was Written made numerous concessions to the pop crossover market, most notably on the two hit singles, "Street Dreams" and "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)," broadening Nas' appeal greatly and awarded him the MTV-sanctioned crossover success he sought. In addition to his endless stream of hits by the industry's most successful producers such as Trackmasters, Puff Daddy, and Timbaland, among others, he popularly co-starred in the Hype Williams-directed film Belly alongside DMX and contributed to the soundtrack. Furthermore, he led a short-lived supergroup of New York rappers known as the Firm (also comprised of rappers Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature and also producers Dr. Dre and the Trackmasters) and assembled a broad coalition of fellow Queensbridge rappers for the QB Finest compilation. For every crossover fan Nas won with his dramatic endlessly MTV-aired videos, he lost support in the streets, where many initial supporters felt he had sold out and abandoned hip-hop ideals in favor of commercial success. 2001 marked a key turning point for Nas' declining career. The rapper's personal life became increasingly conflicted, as his mother began suffering from cancer. To make matters worse, longtime rival Jay-Z pointedly dissed Nas on "Takeover," the much-discussed lead song from his universally acclaimed Blueprint album. Jay-Z called out Nas for not having put out a "hot" album since Illmatic, and also made demeaning comments about Nas' girlfriend cheating on him. Nas responded strikingly in December 2001 with Stillmatic, the title a reference to his one undeniable masterpiece, Illmatic. Amid all of the drama, Nas managed to salvage his esteemed reputation and reclaim his lofty status atop the New York scene. Stillmatic earned immediate wide acclaim from fans and critics alike and sold impressively.
Redman New Jersey rapper Redman made his initial impact with Whut? Thee Album in 1992. He blended reggae and funk influences with topical commentary and displayed a terse, though fluid rap style that was sometimes satirical, sometimes tough, and sometimes silly. Redman returned in 1994 with his second album, Dare Iz a Darkside, which was a harder album than his debut. Muddy Waters, Redman's third album, followed in 1996; he returned two years later with Docs Da Name.
The Procussions Watching The Procussions career is a lot like watching a movie where the underdog beats all obstacles and comes out twice as strong; proving that it's all about passion and integrity. Hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado, is it any wonder why The Procussions show leaves crowds completely blown away by their heart pounding performances and the smell of sweaty t-shirts as newly-won-over fans flood their merchandise booth? Of course not, The Procussions got something to prove! With their message of unconditional love, their undying hunger to knock down musical stereotypes, and their obvious conviction to be 100% themselves, the listener can clearly see as well as hear where The Procussions priorities lie. Now living in Los Angeles and frequently traveling the world, Mr. J Medeiros, Rez, and Stro have made it a point to remain close to who they were when they started in 1998. They are a group from a small town with a big voice and an even bigger heart. This is conveyed seamlessly in their unique sound and intense focus on the "drum". Staying close to their name, The Procussions believe that the "percussion" is the heart of Hip Hop; its defining quality and driving force. There is no question after hearing and watching these three very different people come together with the same passion, that Hip Hop history is being made. The future for the "genre" is wide-open as groups like The Procussions re-write the rules.
The SLIP Contemporary avant-rock trio The SLIP formed when bassist Marc Friedman and brothers Andrew and Brad Barr (drums and guitar/vox, respectively) moved to Boston together after graduating from high school, where they had met and first began playing music as a group. In 1996, the trio of recent Berklee dropouts put out their first studio album as a self-release and began establishing a dedicated fan-base through relentless touring in and around the northeast. A late-nineties blend of extended roots pop compositions and experimental rhythmic approaches, the band developed and found their sound through an extremely supportive local scene of artists, musicians, and actors - coupled with a rigorous, and soon national, tour schedule. An eclectic new brand of exploratory roots psych-rock emerged; Van Morrison meets Coltrane meets Talking Heads. By 2001, the bands tour schedule had brought them to sold-out headlining shows at NYCs Bowery Ballroom, successful tours in Japan, and a record deal with Rykodisc. While the bands line up remained consistent throughout the next few years on the road, their sound developed considerably and the instrumentation expanded radically. The SLIP grew from young, earthy avant gardes to strong, dynamic rock composers, creating a new sonic landscape that drew equally from CAN, U2, and new interests like Built to Spill, Flaming Lips, and Wilco. By 2003, the trios non-stop touring produced Alivelectric and Aliveacoustic, a companion live set that also represented the inaugural release of their own independent record label, 216 records. Aliveacoustic presents a rustic and intimate, voyeuristic snapshot of the band unplugged, on a rainy night at Club Helsinki in the Berkshire Mountains. Equal parts Let it Bleed, King Oliver, and 11 Golden Country Hits-era Ween, the album contains a tender honesty that carries through from tent-revival stomps to humble and dusty lyrical psalms.
SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS Sharon Jones was born Sheron Lafaye Jones in Augusta, Georgia on May 4th 1956. Her mother moved to Brooklyn soon thereafter, however Jones was sent down south for a few months every year to stay with her family. As a child, she and her brothers would imitate the songs and dances of James Brown, who shared their hometown. Like many rhythm and blues entertainers, she began performing in church at a very young age where her voice would find a lifelong home and inspiration. As a teenager in the early nineteen seventies, she began singing outside of the church in talent shows and with local funk groups. Later she would make her living with a combination of sporadic session work as a mostly anonymous voice on various dance records (sometimes credited as Lafaye Jones), singing with wedding bands, and a handful of day jobs which included stints as both a prison guard at New Yors notorious Rikers Island, and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank. In 1996 she was called in to sing back up at a Desco Records studio session for 70 s soul legend Lee Fields. Desco was a small independent specializing in traditional funk and soul pressed exclusively to wax. Co owners and producers Phillip Lehman and Bosco Bass Mann had called Jones in on a tip from a sax player who was seeing her at the time. As the other two girls never showed up for the session, Jones cut all the background parts for the session herself, and proceeded to cut the impromptu prison rap over Switchblade, which had originally been intended for a man. Ironically, that rant (slowed down to make it sound like a man) would be her first outing as a featured artist on a record. Though she was at first skeptical of the 21 year old jewish kid egging her on from the other side of the glass, a common love and respect for Soul music soon created a trust and friendship between Jones and Mann which would lead them both to a fruitful career.
Spoon Hailing from Austin, TX, Spoon originated in 1994 as a collaboration between Britt Daniel (vocals/guitar) and Jim Eno (drums) and a rotating cast of supporting players. Their hybrid of indie and punk resulted in a number of Sonic Youth and Pixies comparisons after their 1996 debut album, Telephono. Spoon toured with the likes of Pavement, Guided by Voices, Silkworm, and Archers of Loaf before their Soft Effects EP was released in 1997. Following an ill-fated move to Elektra Records, which found them being dropped from the label following the issue of their third album, A Series of Sneaks, in 1998, Spoon went the indie route with a handfull of 7 singles and the The Agony of Laffitte EP in 1999. In fall 2000, the Love Ways EP was released on Merge, paving the way for spring 2001s full length Girls Can Tell. The album was a critical success, ending up at or near the top of many best of 2001 lists. Spoon released the more musically adventurous follow up, Kill the Moonlight, in August 2002. The band opted for a bigger, darker sound on 2005s Gimme Fiction. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga which was named after the melody of one of the albums songs, The Ghost of You Lingers mixed unusual instrumentation and nods to Motown and soul, and was released in summer 2007.
G. Love and Special Sauce style G. Love and Special Sauce style, ice cool and always refreshing. On their second release for Brushfire Records, the Philly boys offer up Lemonade, a series of soul drenched tracks pouring out their blues infused hip hop, which people have been trying to label for years. The best advice dont try to tame it or claim it; its simply their sonic trademark, instantly recognizable and addictively delicious. The whole thing about lemonade for me was when I first set out from Philly to make it in the music world I went up to Boston, and I would just sit on the front porch of my place after playing the streets or practicing and make myself a big pitcher of lemonade. It just symbolized old time porch loungin for thats where I did a lot of my shedding and writing. It was so simple and great, I said, if I ever get a record deal Im going to get Lemonade tattooed on my arm. Is there all right, and seven albums, thirteen years, and over a million worldwide units later, Lemonade is the most cohesive and rewarding album Garrett Dutton a.k.a. G. Love (guitar, vocals, harmonica, sweat and tears) has ever delivered. Produced and engineered in the womb of Philadelphonic Studios by Chris DiBeneditto (Electric Mile & Philadelphonic) and faithfully anchored by the Sauce, Jimi JazzPrescott (acoustic bass), and Jeffrey Thunderhouse Clemens (drums, percussion), G. pairs up with some of the best players in the game including Ben Harper, Donovan Frankenreiter, Jasper, Dave Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Blackalicious, Marc Broussard, Tristan Prettyman and Jack Johnson on a fourteen song celebration of his iconic career.
The Shins The Shins is a United States indie rock group comprising singer, songwriter and guitarist James Russell Mercer, keyboardist/guitarist/bassist Martin Crandall, bassist/guitarist Dave Hernandez, drummer Jesse Sandoval, and Eric Johnson of the Fruit Bats. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative, alternative country, and folk. The Shins are based in Portland, Oregon.
Decemberists Colin Meloy leads the Decemberists, a five-piece outfit whose pop sound has been compared to the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel and Belle & Sebastian. Meloy, who hails from Missoula, MT, is the main songwriter for the group. Rounding out the lineup are Ezra Holbrook on drums, Nate Query on upright bass, Jenny Conlee on accordion, and Chris Funk on theremin and pedal steel guitar. Frontman Meloy previously devoted some time to an alternative country group before breaking off to pursue his craft as a singer/songwriter in the city of Portland, a period that eventually led to the Decemberists' formation. He also holds a degree in creative writing. In addition to her duties on the accordion, Conlee plays piano. Funk is the band's newest member. Before Hush Records released the Decemberists' first album in 2002, the group put out an EP of five tracks. Their full-length debut, Castaways and Cutouts was re-released that same year on the Kill Rock Stars label, and the band began to accumulate a serious fan base. 2003 saw the release of Her Majesty, another fine collection of theatrical indie pop with British folk sensibilities that further cemented their growing reputation as a band to watch. The following year they released the five-part epic EP, The Tain, based on the eighth century Irish poem of the same name, followed by their third full-length, Picaresque, in 2005. The group made the move to the majors (Capitol Records) for 2006's The Crane Wife.
Cake Cake is an alternative rock band from Sacramento, California which has had several hits throughout the 1990s and 2000s from six albums.
N*E*R*D In 2005, N.E.R.D ended their contract with Virgin Records. After becoming "hooked" on the energy from their fans, the band began recording their third studio album, spending their own money. Williams and Hugo later established Star Trak Entertainment, a subsidiary of Interscope Records. In March 2008, the band performed at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. While there they filmed a PSA for Rock the Vote saying why they thought voting was important and the issues they cared about that election year. From April to June 2008, the band toured with Kanye West as an opening act along with Rihanna and Lupe Fiasco as part of the Glow in the Dark Tour. On June 13, they gave an energetic performance at the Isle of Wight festival on the small island of the same name off the coast of England. They almost missed their scheduled show because they didn't know where the island was. On June 25, they performed in front of 40,000 people at the Isle of MTV 2008 at the Floriana granaries, Malta with free admission. On August 9, 2008, the band played at the Way Out West music festival held in the city park of Gothenburg, Sweden. On September 2, 2008, N.E.R.D. performed to a sold out crowd at the House of Blues in Chicago, and brought special guest Bad Brains onstage.
Krs-One KRS-One was the leader of Boogie Down Productions, one of the most influential hardcore hip-hop outfits of the '80s. At the height of his career, roughly 1987-1990, KRS-One was known for his furiously political and socially conscious raps, which is the source of his nickname, "the Teacher." Around the time of 1990's Edutainment, BDP's audience began to slip as many fans thought his raps were becoming preachy. As a reaction, KRS-One began to re-establish his street credibility with harder, sparer beats and raps. 1992's Sex and Violence was the first sign that he was taking a harder approach, one that wasn't nearly as concerned with teaching. KRS-One's first solo album, 1993's Return of the Boom Bap, was an extension of the more direct approach of Sex and Violence, yet it didn't halt his commercial decline. Still, he forged on with a high-quality self-titled 1995 effort and 1996's Battle for Rap Supremacy, a joint effort with his old rival, MC Shan. After 1997's I Got Next, he put his solo career on hiatus for several years, finally returning in early 2001 with The Sneak Attack. The following year brought two full releases: the gospel effort Spiritual Minded and The Mix Tape, the latter including a single ("Ova Here") that stood as a response to Nelly, only the latest hip-hop figure to feud with the Blastmaster. In 2003 KRS-One released two albums, Kristyles and D.I.G.I.T.A.L., while the next year brought only one, Keep Right. In 2006 Life came out on the small, California-based Antagonist Records. The following year KRS-One reunited with Marley Marl to create Hip Hop Lives, a lackluster attempt to preserve the golden age of hip-hop
Feist Leslie Feist is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. She performs as a solo artist under the name Feist and as a member of the indie rock group Broken Social Scene. At the 2008 Juno Awards in Calgary, she was the top winner with five awards, including Songwriter of the Year, Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year, Album of the Year and Single of the Year. On 20 October 2008, she told the Canadian press that, following the success of her last album, The Reminder, she felt she needed to step away from the pressures of the music industry to consider her next career move and "rest for a minute".
RZA RZA is the Wu-Tang Clans chief producer. Also known as the Abbott, Prince Rakeem, Rzarector, Bobby Steels, and Bobby Digital, he was born as Robert Diggs. RZA first surfaced in the rap game during the early 90s as a member of the rap group All in Together Now, which also contained fellow Wu-Tang members such as GZA/Genius and Ol Dirty Bastard. Following All in Together Now, he signed to the famous rap label Tommy Boy under the name Prince Rakeem. He issued his first EP Ooh We Love You Rakeem in 1991 and made a video for the song Ooh We Love You Rakeem. After his deal with Tommy Boy, he formed the Wu-Tang Clan together with his fellow members. After a huge underground buzz surrounding the hit Protect Ya Neck, he was able to sign the group to Steve Rifkinds Loud Records. As a producer, RZA has been responsible for many hip-hop classics such as the groups 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers, which is considered to be one of the most influential albums in its genre. Since that album, he has created countless solo albums for the group, plus three more group albums. The Wu-Tang Clan is currently working on their newest album, The 8 Diagrams. Outside of the Wu-Tang Clan family, RZA is a highly sought-after producer. He has created wonderful songs for legends such as the late Notorious B.I.G. and Big Pun. In 1995, RZA became the Rzarector, forming the group named Gravediggaz together with Prince Paul, Frukwan , and the late Poetic. Their debut album 6 Feet Deep was received as a classic. RZA has never released a true RZA album; however he does have two albums out but under his alter ego named Bobby Digital, he released In Stereo, creating a whole new sound in hip-hop and Digital Bullet that spawned the hit La Rhumba. RZA created the soundtrack for Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai that contained stunning verses by the Wu-Tang family and friends over vintage RZA beats. Since then, he has gone on to closely work with Quentin Tarantino, of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction fame, on his movie, Kill Bill.
50 Cent In many ways the ideal East Coast hardcore rapper, 50 Cent endured substantial obstacles throughout his young yet remarkably dramatic life before becoming in early 2003 the most-discussed figure in rap, if not pop music in general. The product of a broken home in the rough Jamaica neighborhood of Queens and, in turn, the storied hood's hustling streets themselves, 50 Cent lived everything most rappers write rhymes about but never actually experience: drugs, crimes, imprisonments, stabbings, and, most infamously of all, shootings; all of this before he even released his debut album. Of course, such experiences became 50 Cent's rhetorical stock-in-trade. Born Curtis Jackson and raised in Southside Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent grew up in a broken home. His hustler mother passed away when he was only eight, and his father departed soon after, leaving his grandmother to parent him. As a teen, he followed the lead of his mother and began hustling. The crack trade proved lucrative for 50 Cent; until he eventually encountered the law, that is, and began making visits to prison. It's around this point in the mid-'90s that he turned toward rap and away from crime. His break came in 1996 when he met Run-D.M.C.'s Jam Master Jay, who gave him a tape of beats and asked him to rap over it. Despite a bidding war, Eminem got his man, signing 50 Cent to a joint deal with Shady/Aftermath; the former label Em's, the latter Dr. Dre's. On February 28th as the Game/50 Cent collaboration "How We Do" was climbing the charts, 50 Cent announced the Game was out of G-Unit on New York's Hot 97 radio station. After the revelation, members of 50 Cent's entourage clashed with members of the Game's entourage outside the radio station. Shots rang out and one of the Game's crew took a bullet in the leg. As this was all taking place, leaked copies of Get Rich's follow-up were flying across the Internet, forcing Interscope to push the album's release up by five days.
N.E.R.D. The acronym N.E.R.D. stands for "No One Ever Really Dies," but childhood friends Chad Hugo, Click here to find out more! Pharrell Williams, and Shay most certainly used the group to proudly emphasize the nerdier aspects of their musical personalities. Before this side project took shape, Hugo and Williams -- as the Neptunes -- had established themselves as giants in the field of pop production, whether they were working with hardcore rappers, smooth crooners, or teen pop groups. Although their faces were known to many due to this prominence, N.E.R.D. allowed the duo to take center stage, as rock stars, even if a new alias was being used. The trio recorded its first album, In Search Of..., and released it in Europe in late 2001. Not entirely happy with the results, they reshaped the album using live instrumentation -- with significant assistance from the funk-rock band Spymob, to further differentiate the material from Neptunes productions -- before issuing it in the U.S. in March of 2002. Singles "Lapdance" and "Rock Star" made minor indentations on the singles charts; despite this, the album didn't come close to achieving the kind of commercial success won by the average Neptunes production. In March of 2004, after another endless influx of hitmaking Neptunes work, they resurfaced with Fly or Die. This time out, Hugo and Williams handled more of the instrumentation. Unrelenting in their knack for the absurd, lead single "She Wants to Move" was promoted with a video that depicted the three members performing in the rear "compartment" of a female-shaped space vessel -- a very literal interpretation of the line "Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride." The trio's third album, Seeing Sounds, followed four years later.
Jay T. Hairston He can facilitate a 3 to 5 day workshop that incorporates original material, classes on vocal techniques, history of gospel music and more, all designed to give hands-on experience for those who participate. He is a gifted songwriter, singer, musician, teacher and producer who believes in sharing the ministry and message of gospel music. Jay T. believes that "gospel music is not just something to listen to, it is an experience. Once you've experienced good, anointed gospel music, you will never be the same again!"
Andrew W.K. Not just a party animal but a party guerrilla, Andrew W.K. burst onto the scene with a hybrid of metal, pop, and dance that parodied and paid tribute to the cheesiest, sleaziest aspects of all three styles. The California-born, Michigan-bred W.K. -- the initials stand for everything from "White Killer" to "Women Kum" to "Wilkes-Krier," the surnames of his mom and dad -- began classical piano lessons at age four and moved on to playing in Detroit punk and metal bands, including the Pterodactyls. By age 17, W.K. was recording his own material. After moving to New York City a year later, his friends passed his demos on to various labels, including Bulb, who released W.K.'s debut EP Girls Own Juice in early 2000 and that fall's Party Til You Puke EP. The buzz around W.K.'s hedonistic, so-dumb-it's-smart rawk resulted in a gig opening for the Foo Fighters as well as deals with Island/Def Jam in the U.S. and Mercury in the U.K.; his first major-label release was 2001's anthemic Party Hard EP. In particular, the U.K. fell in love with W.K.'s ironic trailer-trash look and sound, inspiring critical raves from NME and Kerrang! as well as hysteria at his live shows; he was hospitalized after a fan head-butted him as he crowd-surfed at his London debut at the Highbury Garage. The full-length I Get Wet arrived in late 2001 in the U.K. and in spring 2002 in the U.S., where his "It's Time to Party" was used in a TV commercial for the travel website expedia.com. Andrew W.K. also gigged extensively that spring, both on his own and as part of an MTV 2 package tour. Andrew is an incredibly intelligent and thoughtful person, and his recent lecture series "The Joy Trilogy" enjoyed sold-out perfrmances in NYC
Ryan Adams Mixing the heartfelt angst of a singer/songwriter with the cocky brashness of a garage rocker, Ryan Adams is at once one of the few artists to emerge from the alt-country scene to achieve mainstream commercial success and the one who most strongly refused to be defined by the genre, leaping from one spot to another stylistically as he follows his increasingly prolific muse. Adams was born in Jacksonville, NC, in 1974. While country music was a major part of his family's musical diet when he was young (he's cited Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash as particular favorites), in his early teens Adams developed a taste for punk rock and he began playing electric guitar. At 15, Adams started writing songs, and a year later he formed a band called the Patty Duke Syndrome; Adams once described PDS as "an arty noise punk band," frequently cited as a key influence and reference point. The Patty Duke Syndrome developed a following in Jacksonville, and when Adams was 19 the band relocated to the larger town of Raleigh, NC, in hopes of expanding its following. However, Adams became eager to do something more melodic that would give him a platform for his country and pop influences. In 1994, Adams left the Patty Duke Syndrome and formed Whiskeytown with guitarist Phil Wandscher and violinist Caitlin Cary. With bassist Steve Grothman and drummer Eric "Skillet" Gilmore completing the lineup, Whiskeytown (the name came from regional slang for getting drunk) released their first album, Faithless Street, on the local Mood Food label. The album won reams of critical praise in the music press, and more than one writer suggested that Whiskeytown could do for the alt-country or No Depression scene what Nirvana had done for grunge. But by the time the band signed to a major label -- the Geffen-distributed imprint Outpost Records -- the band had undergone the first in a series of major personal shakeups; and in the summer of 1997, when Whiskeytown's Outpost debut, Stranger's Almanac, was ready for release, Adams and Wandscher were the only official members of the band left. Cary soon returned, but Wandscher left shortly afterward, and Whiskeytown had a revolving-door lineup for much of the next two years, with the band's live shows become increasingly erratic, as solid performances were often followed by noisy, audience-baiting disasters. Consequently, as strong as Stranger's Almanac was, Whiskeytown never fulfilled the commercial expectations created for them by others. In 1999, the band -- which was down to Adams, Cary, and a handful of session musicians -- recorded its third and final album, Pneumonia, but when Geffen was absorbed in a merger between PolyGram and Universal, Outpost was phased out, and the album was shelved; shortly afterward, Whiskeytown quietly called it quits. Following Whiskeytown's collapse, Adams wasted no time launching a career apart from the band, and after a few solo acoustic tours, Adams went into a Nashville studio with songwriters Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and cut his first album under his own name, Heartbreaker, which was released by pioneering "insurgent country" label Bloodshot Records in 2000. The album received critical raves, respectable sales, and a high-profile endorsement from Elton John, and Adams was signed by Universal's new Americana imprint, Lost Highway Records. Lost Highway gave Whiskeytown's Pneumonia a belated release in early 2001, and later that same year, they released his second solo set, Gold, which displayed less of a country influence in favor of classic pop and rock styles of the 1970s. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the album's opening track, "New York, New York," was embraced by radio as an anthem of resilience (though it actually concerned a busted romance), and Adams once again found himself touted as the "next big thing." Always a prolific songwriter, in a bit more than a year following Gold's release, Adams had written and recorded enough material for four albums. Adams opted to whittle the 60 tunes down to a 13-song collection called Demolition, which was released in 2002 as he went into the studio to record his official follow-up to Gold. A year later, Adams' concept album Rock N Roll was released alongside the double-EP collection Love Is Hell. Tours around the globe kept Adams busy into the next year as he maintained momentum writing songs and keeping his ever-changing presence in the music press. In May 2005, Adams released his first of three albums for Lost Highway, the melancholic double-disc Cold Roses. Jacksonville City Nights, a more classic-sounding honky tonk effort, followed in September, and 29 appeared in late December. Always prolific, in the interim period before his next album was released, Adams posted a large selection of tracks -- including hip-hop ones -- on his website, but fans were greeted with more straightforward material on 2007's Easy Tiger.
Step Afrika Step Afrika! is a powerful collaborative project between young artists from the United States and the South Africa based Soweto Dance Theatre. The project highlights the African American fraternity and sorority art form of steping and it's link to traditonal South African dance. Recently performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., reviewers describe Step Afrika!'s perfromance as " a dance genre considered by some to be one of the most exciting created by Americans in the 21st century." Step Afrika! displays the roots of stepping in South Africa's gumboot dance and declares it's relationship with tap dance and hoofing
Harry Allen Hip-Hop Visions looks at the way media and advertising affect our understanding of gender, race, identity, and power. It's a compact, economical program that deeply involves both young and adult audiences by utilizing the music and imagery of rap -- the compelling sound of today's youth culture -- to drive thought and inspire. Harry Allen, hip-hop activist and media assassin, writes about race, politics, and hip-hop for Vibe, Spin, The Source, The Village Voice, Billboard, Essence, Newsday, and XXL, among other publications. Widely hailed as one of hip-hop culture's most original minds, he has been quoted as an expert in The Wall Street Journal, on National Public Radio, and on CNN. Well known for his association with the seminal band Public Enemy, Allen also founded the world's first not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization for hip-hop culture, the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame & RhythmCultural Center, Inc. (d.b.a. RCI: The RhythmCultural Institute) in 1994. He further satisfies both his musical and political interests through service on the advisory board of the Archives of African-American Music & Culture at Indiana University, in Bloomington IN, and as a segment producer at the Pacifica Radio Foundation's WBAI-NY/99.5 FM, where he covers film, media, art, science, literature, and other subjects. Allen is currently developing a book on architecture, researching a documentary on hip-hop, and building the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. He lives in Harlem.
Trey Anastasio Since co-founding the seminal improv rock outfit Phish in 1983, guitarist, composer, and songwriter Trey Anastasio has explored a wide variety of musical pathways ranging from atonal fugues and elaborate charts with Phish to adventurous free jazz on his first solo project, Surrender to the Air (1996), to collaborations with the likes of Tom Marshall, Les Claypool, Philip Glass, Stewart Copeland, and others. After Phish went on long-term hiatus in late 2000, Anastasio focused on a myriad of projects, including Oysterhead and his eight-piece solo band. Born Ernest Joseph Anastasio III in 1964, Anastasio attended Princeton Day School in Princeton, NJ, where he met future songwriting partner Tom Marshall. As a teenager, he helped his mother, Dina, write songs for children's records. At the University of Vermont, he teamed up with bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and guitarist Jeff Holdsworth to form Phish. After being suspended from the university for a semester for a prank gone awry, Anastasio transferred to the highly experimental Goddard College outside of Burlington, where he studied intensely with composer Ernie Stires while writing and rehearsing Phish's complicated early material. Soon after, Holdsworth was replaced by keyboardist Page McConnell.
Lance Bass Lance Bass Singer (*NSYNC), Producer, Writer, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist Program Title: In Sync With Lance Bass At sixteen, Lance Bass received a phone call from Justin Timberlake that would change his life forever. Soon after, he left his small-town in Clinton, Mississippi to join an emerging musical group called *NSYNC. Two years later *NSYNC was inspiring Beatles-esque mania around the world, becoming the new face of the MTV generation. And now this inspiring entertainer is taking on a new role for a very special limited time only: Guest Speaker. Lance speaks candidly about his childhood, his astonishing experiences growing up in one of the biggest bands in the world, his shock and frustration at the band's eventual dissolution, and his subsequent career, including his four months in Russia, training to become a cosmonaut. Lance frankly discusses life as a gay man --his struggle keeping his sexuality hidden from fans in case it jeopardized *NSYNC's success, and the true circumstances that led to his decision to publicly come out. Lance's program is full of fascinating behind-the-scenes lore and revealing insights that makes for an evening not to be missed! Lance Bass is the ultimate multi-hyphenate: Singer-Actor-Producer-Writer-Entrepreneur- Philanthropist who has sold some 25 million records worldwide as a member of *NSYNC. The group holds the all time record for most album sales in a single day (over 1 million) and in a single week (2.4 million) for its 2000 album No Strings Attached, which ultimately became a rare “Diamond†album, with over 10 million records sold. In addition, the albums *NSYNC, Celebrity, and Home for Christmas all went multi-platinum. As a member of *NSYNC, Lance has won a number of awards, including People’s Choice, American Music Awards, MTV Video Awards, Kid’s Choice, and a host of Grammy nominations. The groups’ several worldwide tours have been among the highest grossing and most well attended in history and have played well on HBO and IMAX screens. Aside from *NSYNC, Lance Bass also made a name for himself in a variety of other endeavors. He executive produced and starred in the Miramax film On the Line that received the coveted Movieguide® award for excellence in family-oriented programming. Lance Bass also received the Golden Apple Award® as Male Film Discovery of 2001. In addition, Lance has made guest appearances in the film Zoolander and the television shows 7th Heaven, The Simpsons, Star Search, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire, NBC’s hit series America's Most Talented Kid, co-host for the American Music Award’s Red Carpet Party.
Harry Belafonte The consummate entertainer, Belafonte is a world-renowned recording artist ,Broadway, movie and TV star and globally respected human rights activist. The winner of countless awards for his work as an artist and humanitarian, he continues to fight against injustice throughout the world.
Nicola Benedetti Nicola Benedetti has been performing on the violin since age five. She recorded her debut album in 2005, which received critical acclaim and debuted at Number 1 on the British Broadcasting Company Music charts. She has since captivated audiences worldwide with her performances.
Dierks Bentley Dierks Bentley is an country music singer songwriter. After years of playing various local venues, Dierks was discovered and signed to Capitol Records in 2003. That year, he debuted with the single What Was I Thinkin, which reached Number One on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. The single was included on his self-titled debut album, also released in 2003; both it and its follow up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, were certified platinum in the United States. Counting What Was I Thinkin, Dierks has charted ten singles to date on the U.S. country singles charts, of which five have reached Number One. He has also recorded four studio albums to date one early, independent work, as well as his three studio albums on Capitol Records. Bentley's most recent album, Long Trip Alone, was released in late 2006 and has been certified gold.
Andrew Bird Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird picked up his first violin at the age of 4. Actually, it was a Cracker Jack box with a ruler taped to it, and the first of his many Suzuki music lessons involved simply bowing to the teacher and going home. He spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire completely by ear, so when it came time for a restless teen-ager to make the jump to Hungarian Gypsy music, early jazz, country blues, south Indian etc., it wasn't such a giant leap. It's fitting that now, though classically trained, he has instead opted to play his violin in a most unconventional manner, accompanying himself on glockenspiel and guitar, adding singing and whistling to the equation, and becoming a pop songwriter in the process. Since beginning his recording career, Andrew has released nine albums: six studio albums, both solo and with his former group the Bowl of Fire, and three live albums. 2007’s Armchair Apocrypha brings the tally to ten. It is an album that sums up where Andrew's career has taken him, yet is very much of his artistic present. Though Andrew's voice has been compared to such eminent company as Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke, and Rufus Wainwright, like those performers, it has a quality all its own. He also adds to the mix his unnatural whistling ability, rendering him capable of adding organically generated yet otherworldly, Theremin-like sounds to the mix. The live setting is where he becomes one with his songs. At first, it is a curious attraction - one man, generating the wealth of sound normally produced by an orchestra. Each night, song parts are constructed on violin, guitar, and glockenspiel, layered, then looped over themselves in a tangled and textured layer cake of sonics. Each night, songs shape shift within their loops - Andrew rarely replicates a song's perfect structure as it lives on the album, but rather lends an improvisatory aspect to the performance. More recently, the scope and range of the live show has been expanded to incorporate songs from Armchair Apocrypha, with Andrew's main live collaborator Martin Dosh also joined by multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Ylvisaker. His first band, Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire, recorded three albums for Rykodisc from 1997 to 2001: Thrills revisited early 20th century jazz and folk forms and made them fierce again; Oh! The Grandeur pulsed with dark undertones and gypsy balladry; and The Swimming Hour fused rock and soul predilections into a mixture that drew comparisons to such diverse predecessors as the Beatles, Talking Heads, obscure European folk, and country blues (The Onion).
Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band. Formed in 1961, they gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of surfing, girls and cars. Brian Wilson's growing creative ambitions later transformed them into a more artistically innovative group that earned critical praise and influenced many later musicians. The group initially comprised singer musician composer Brian Wilson, his brothers, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. This core quintet, along with early member David Marks and later bandmate Bruce Johnston, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The Beach Boys have often been called "America's Band"[2] and have had thirty-six U.S. Top 40 hits the most of any U.S. rock band) and 56 Hot 100 hits, including four number one singles.
Smothers Brothers Time has been an essential ingredient in the Smothers Brothers' success. They have been considered ahead of their time, masters of timing and practitioners of timeless comedy. Now as they mark over 46years in show business, the Smothers Brothers are being saluted as time-honored legends whose lengthy career has surpassed all other comedy teams in history. With their singular blend of comedic and musical talents, the irrepressible brothers have made a sweeping impact on diverse generations of fans. Such lasting power is a testimonial to their intuitive humor, natural warmth, superlative showmanship and the pure unadulterated joythey bring to audiences of all ages.The Smothers Brothers' first professional appearance was at The Purple Onion in San Francisco in 1959 and their first national television appearance was on the Jack Paar show on January 28, 1961.
Bo Burnham Bo Burnham is a teenager and comedian. In 2006, Bo Burnham wrote songs, posted them online, and lots of people saw them. Then, Bo Burnham started playing live shows. Bo Burnham played at colleges, clubs and theaters. People came. In August of 2008, four days after his eighteenth birthday, Bo Burnham became the youngest person to record a comedy central special. Bo Burnham released a CD in March 2009. Some people think Bo Burnham is funny.
Kimberly Caldwell You May Have Seen Her On...: Kimberly is probably most known for her appearance on American Idol 2, as well as being an entertainment correspondent and host for the TV Guide Channel. Kimberly has appeared as a live red carpet correspondent at several Hollywood award events including the the Grammy's, the Academy Awards, the People's Choice Awards, the Emmy's, and the Golden Globes. Kimberly has also been seen on:On American Idol 2: Kimberly was an instant fan favorite, finishing among the top finalists competing for the 'American Idol' title. Magazines Appeared In: Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Maxim, People Extra, and Cosmopolitan, to name a few. Other Notable Print Media: Featured in the "Sexiest Women of Reality TV" 2005 calendar. Performed Live At: Besides on the American Idol 2 stage, other notable live performances include singing the national anthem at the NASCAR Coca Cola 600 race, the Idols Live! tour, which traveled to 44 cities across the U.S. and parts of Canada, the "National Anthem" and "God Bless America" at the Democracy Celebration in Washington, D.C., and numbers at various other personal appearances across the United States. Currently, Kim is: an on camera personality for the TV Guide Channel. She currently co-hosts two weekly talk shows on the TV Guide Channel: "Reality Chat" & "Idol Tonight," the exclusive pre-show to American Idol on Tuesday nights. Kimberly is also in the process of recording a country/rock album in association with Randy Jackson and Diane Warren. She is recording original music with an independent producer, as well.
Good Charlotte Good Charlotte, the world-famous East Coast post-grunge/pop-punk band who've sold over nine million albums brings their vibrant, adventurous and impassioned sound to Queens College. With blistering rock anthems like Break Her Heart ,The River and Something Else, tender, melodic ballads like Where Would We Be, or the genre-defying Keep Your Hands Off My Girl, Good Charlotte is sure to thrill their fans and rock the house
Dr. Benjamin Chavis When Russell Simmons established the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) to empower the Hip-Hop community to utilize their commanding cultural influence for freedom, justice and equality, he needed someone with a strong mind and commitment to youth, national civil rights experience, political skills, vast spiritual knowledge and an adept human touch to head up the organization. That man was Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, also known as Minister Benjamin Muhammad, who had already proved his mettle by organizing the historic New York Hip-Hop Summit in 2001. That two-day event an unprecedented meeting, according to the Los Angeles Times found Chavis and Simmons guiding industry hip-hop leaders, artists, and civil rights and political organizations towards an agreement on a series of initiatives and commitments that will affect the artistic and social landscape of American society and the global community, as a whole. One month later, the HSAN was born and Dr. Chavis was named President and CEO. Chavis comes to the HSAN with a professional history of solid principles, demonstrated courage and immense diversity. A native of Oxford, North Carolina, he holds a number of prestigious degrees: He received a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from University of North Carolina; a Master of Divinity, M.Div., magna cum laude, from Duke University; a Doctor of Ministry, D.Min., from Howard University; and completed course requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, from Union Theological Seminary.
Harlem Gospel Choir The world famous Harlem Gospel Choir is one of the pre-eminent gospel choirs in the world and travels the globe, sharing the joy of faith through its music, and raising funds for childrens charities wherever possible. The Choir was founded in 1986 by Allen Bailey, who got the idea for the Choir while attending a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the renowned Cotton Club in Harlem. The Choir has some of the finest singers and musicians from the many Black Churches in Harlem.
Second City Taking its name from the title of A.J. Liebling s derisive profile of Chicago in The New Yorker, The Second City opened on December 16, 1959. Success was almost instantaneous. Before the startled actors knew it, they were inundated with praise from the press, including Time Magazine, which called it "a temple of satire." The concept that is The Second City has always been translated by six or seven actors who enliven an empty stage with topical comedy sketches. Using few props and costumes, punctuating scenes with original music, the ensemble creates a slice-of-life environment, lampooning our modern lives - political, social and cultural. The Second City develops all of its material in a performance situation, improvising on ideas suggested by the audience during improvisational sets held nightly after the regular show. Then by refining, culling, and amplifying the ideas during rehearsals, the finished pieces become the next revue. The Second City's National Touring Company For over 35 years, The Second City National Touring Company has been delighting audiences all over the world with The Best of Second City, a compilation of sketches, songs and improvised scenes. Choosing material from the early sixties to the present day, The National Touring Company compiles the best material from the best revues to make The Best of Second City. The Second City s National Touring company has always been something of a comedic "boot camp" for Second City' resident stages in Chicago and Toronto. Performers such as Bill Murray, Betty Thomas, James Belushi, Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have all, at one time or another, completed a "tour of duty" with the Second City's National Touring Company. Providing a unique theatrical experience for audiences of all ages and backgrounds, The Second City's National Touring Company has also become a first-rate training ground for some of North America's best and brightest comedic performers.
Rosa Clemente Rosa Clemente Hip-Hop Activist Hip Hop journalist, activist. As a Black Puerto Rican she is dedicated to scholar-activism. It was her experiences at the University of Albany and Cornell University that led her to become a leading progressive voice for her generation. Rosa’s academic work has been dedicated to researching national liberation struggles inside the United States, with a specific focus on the Young Lords Party and the Black Liberation Army. Rosa has written for Clamor Magazine, The Ave. magazine, The Black World Today, The Final Call and numerous websites. She has been the subject of articles in the Village Voice, The New York Times, Urban Latino, and The Source magazines. She has appeared on CNN, C-Span, Democracy Now and Street Soldiers. In 2001 she was a youth representative at the United Nations World Conference against Xenophobia, Racism and Related Intolerance in South Africa and in 2002 was named by Red Eye Magazine as one of the top 50 Hip Hop Activists to look out for. In 2003 Rosa helped formed and coordinate of the National Hip Hop Political Convention that drew over 3000 activists brought together to create a national political agenda for the Hip Hop generation. Currently she is a radio host and producer with WBAI’s (99.5 FM/NYC), an organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, a Malcolm X Fellow with the Institute of the Black World, coordinator of the State of the Black world forums and the national spokesperson for the R.E.A.C.H. Hip Hop Coalition. She is a board member for the NYC based Brecht forum and is committees In 1995 she developed Know Thy Self Media Messengers, seeing a need for young people, particularly young people of color to be heard and taken seriously she began presenting workshops and lectures at colleges, universities, high schools, and prisons. In the past ten years she has presented at over 200 colleges, conferences and community centers on topics such as; African-American and Latino/a Intercultural Relations, Hip-Hop Activism, The History of the Young Lords Party, and Women, Feminism and Hip Hop. KTSP now includes an expanded college speakers bureau which has produced three major Hip Hop activism tours, Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win with M1 of dead prez and Fred Hampton Jr.; The ACLU College Freedom Tour with dead prez, DJ Kuttin Kandi, Mystic and comedian Dave Chapelle; and the Speak Truth to Power Tour a collaborative tour of award winning youth activists. Beginning August 14th 2006, she will become a contributor to Air Americas, On The Real, hosted by Chuck D and Gia Gareal.Currently she is a producer with WBAI’s (99.5 FM/NYC), an organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, spokesperson for the National Hip Hop Assembly.
Judy Collins Legendary singer Judy Collins, known for her stunning interpretations of “Both Sides Now,” “Send in the Clowns” and “Amazing Grace,” has provided fans around the world with more than 40 years of music recording with 37 albums, top 10 hits, Grammy nominations, and gold and platinum status.
David Cook American Idol Season 7 contestant Cook was born in Houston, grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri, and currently lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Graced with a rocking voice, spiky hair and a gift for one-liners ("I don't have to get a job now"), David has been a member of two bands and played the guitar during Idol's Hollywood week. He's been singing since second grade.
Elvis Costello Elvis Costello has followed his musical curiosity in a career spanning more than 25 years. He is perhaps best known for his performances with The Attractions, The Imposters and for recent concert appearances with pianist, Steve Nieve. His recordings include This Year's Model, Imperial Bedroom, King of America, Blood and Chocolate, Spike, All This Useless Beauty and When I Was Cruel. However, he has also entered into acclaimed collaborations with Burt Bacharach, The Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney, Swedish mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie Von Otter, guitarist, Bill Frisell, composer Roy Nathanson, The Charles Mingus Orchestra and record producer and songwriter, T Bone Burnett. Costello's songs have been recorded by a great number of artistes. The list of performers reflects his interest in a wide range of musical styles: George Jones, Chet Baker, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield, Charles Brown, No Doubt, Solomon Burke, June Tabor, Howard Tate, the gospel vocal group, The Fairfield Four and the viol consort, Fretwork with the counter tenor, Michael Chance. In 2003 he began a songwriting partnership with his wife, the jazz pianist and singer, Diana Krall, resulting in six songs included in her Spring 2004 release, The Girl In The Other Room.
Simon Cowell From 16-year-old high-school dropout and EMI mailboy to world-famous record producer and notorious TV personality, Simon Cowells success is the fruit of decades of hard work, an uncanny knack for spotting musical talent, and a gift for the hilariously snarky soundbite. From the podium he recounts his years as a musical impresario and shaper of popular culture, dishes the latest juicy gossip on American Idol, offers up his critiques of todays hottest acts, and reveals to young singers the secrets to artistic and business success. Best known as the acid-tongued judge on Foxs American Idol, Simon became a keen appraiser of pop music talent during his years as an A&R executive for several record labels, including EMI and BMG, beginning in the 1970s. Among the hit acts he created or helped develop are the wildly successful operatic pop group Il Divo, the record-setting British boy band Westlife, and the U.K. pop duo Robson and Jerome. In all he has produced 34 number one singles and over 100 Top Thirty records, and sold more than ninety million albums worldwide. Simons opinionated insights into popular culture never fail to entertain and enlighten, making him one of the most in-demand speakers in the music world today.
Billy Currington Although success has carried country singer/songwriter Billy Currington far away from his beloved hometown of Rincon, Georgia, he remains the same simple man who was indelibly shaped by his upbringing in this small Southern town with a population of 4,376. Currington burst onto the music scene in 2003 with his eponymous debut CD, which contained the powerful Top 10 hit “Walk a Little Straighter” and the fun Top 5 smash “I Got a Feelin’,” which was accompanied by the memorable video co-starring Baywatch beauty Gena Lee Nolin. When superstar Shania Twain heard Currington’s soulful Southern voice, she knew she had found the perfect partner for the country duet “Party for Two,” so Currington excitedly boarded a plane for Europe to work in the studio with Twain and legendary producer Robert “Mutt” Lange. Currington and Twain performed the song live on the 2004 Country Music Association Awards and a special Good Morning America show from Nashville. His musical success brought national media attention, including People magazine and USA Today, which named Currington an “On the Verge” artist. Soon the media began celebrating the bachelor’s other attributes as well: Playgirl magazine featured a (clothed) Currington on its March 2005 cover and Nashville Lifestyles magazine named him one of its “25 Most Beautiful People.”
Pey Dalid Pey Dalid performs a unique blend of musical styles, incorporating rock, reggae and many other popular genres with traditional Jewish sound and content. Their well-known and catchy melodies are sung both in Hebrew and English. The band's live shows are high-energy and intense, bringing audiences to their feet singing and dancing. Formed by three brothers, Mordechai (rhythm guitar/vocals), Shlomo (lead guitar/vocals), and Pesach Walker (drums/percussion/vocals), Pey Dalid has influenced and inspired thousands of people in its 6 years in the Jewish music field. They have traveled the world, performing throughout America, Canada and England. In Israel they have performed extensively, playing at the Klezmer Music Festival in Tsfat, Am Yisroel Chai Festival in Jerusalem and the World Jazz Festival in Eilat. Pey Dalid has appeared on television in America, Israel and Europe including the Chabad Telethon and MTV Europe. Their music has been played on the radio and Internet worldwide and their interviews have been heard across the globe. Performing at many clubs, theatres, as well as outdoor shows and festivals, Pey Dalid has played for crowds ranging from 50 to 2500, appealing to audiences of all ages and religious backgrounds. Pey Dalid has performed at hundreds of weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and has played for numerous Jewish organizations including, Hillel, NCSY, UJA, Aish HaTorah and Chabad. Pey Dalid has shared the stage with diverse musicians such as Matisyahu, Reva L'sheva, Moshav Band, SoulFarm, Blue Fringe, Chaim Dovid, Simply Tsfat, Shlomo Katz and Ruby Harris. Performing original songs, Pey Dalids influences include: Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach ztl, Safam and many other personalities in music including Bob Marley, Dave Mathews Band and everything in between. To Purchase "Garden of Eden" visit, http//www.mostlymusic.com/brothers-dalid-garden-eden-p-2717.html
Chris Daughtry Chris Daughtry was born in North Carolina. At the age of 16, Daughtry started taking singing seriously. He performed with rock bands at Fluvanna County High School, where he graduated in 1998. as a professional musician and became a popular performer with other rock bands during his time in high school. He graduated in 1998 at Fluvanna County High School in Palmyra, Virginia. In 2005, Daughtry auditioned for the CBS singing contest, Rock Star: INXS. He didn't survive the first cut, never even making it on screen. Bet those producers feel silly now! As for his shorne skull, Chris isn't ashamed. In a segment on the 2006 season of American Idol, Daughtry revealed that he's balding and changed his look accordingly. Just like Andre Agassi.
Howard Day Howard Day is an singer songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in concert use of samplers and effects pedals in order to accompany himself. He self financed and self released his first album, Australia, in 2000. Day signed to the major label Epic Records in 2002 and has since re released his debut as well as producing a follow up, Stop All The World Now. Despite initially sluggish sales, Stop All The World Now was certified gold in early 2005 and has produced a number of singles, including "Collide", Day's most successful to date, and the hit "She Says". Day has received significant negative attention over two high profile arrests. In 2004, Day was arrested and charged over an incident in which he was accused of locking a fan in the bathroom of his tour bus and destroying the cellular phone of another, for which he was fined. In December 2005, Day was arrested in Boston after reportedly verbally abusing the flight crew while under the influence of alcohol and sleeping pills. He was sentenced to one year's probation on April 26, 2006.
Mos Def Mos Def began his music career with the short-lived group Urban Thermo Dynamics with his younger brother DCQ, and his younger sister Ces. Despite being signed to Payday Records, the group only released two singles and the group's debut album, Manifest Destiny, did not see the light of day until 2004 (see 2004 in music) when it was released through Illson Media. In 1996, he emerged as a solo artist working with De La Soul and da Bush Babees, before releasing his own first single, Universal Magnetic, which was a huge underground hit. After signing with Rawkus Records, Mos Def and Talib Kweli formed the group Black Star, and released a full length album under the name, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, the album was released in 1998, and featured Hi-Tek producing most of the tracks. Mos Def released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides, in 1999 (see 1999 in music). Def was also featured on Rawkus influential The Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing series compilations. After the collapse of Rawkus, he and Kweli signed on to Interscope/Geffen Records, which released his second solo album, The New Danger, in 2004. Mos Def has drawn some criticism from his fan base about "keeping it real" since he appeared in a commercial that endorsed the GMC Denali sport utility vehicle. [1] Mos Def is projected to release his last solo album on Geffen Records, The Undeniable Free Flaco, in early 2006.
Kyler England Listening to any Kyler England song, it’s easy to believe you’re hearing a classic in the making: gorgeous, organic pop music that speaks to your heart like a close friend. Her soulful voice draws you in with its fragile strength, then leaves you breathless when it soars to brilliant heights. She sings like you’d always wished you could, with all the raw honesty of your most painful moments and all the beauty of your fiercest hopes. There is something universal going on here, something magical. Comparisons to Sarah McLachlan and Patty Griffin are mere approximations; Kyler has a style and charisma all her own. But it’s not only her voice. There’s a good reason why Kyler England has won numerous songwriting awards, and garnered such acclaim for her recent album “A Flower Grows In Stone,” including Best Alternative Rock Album of 2004 in the Indie Acoustic Project Awards. With a natural instinct for melody and lyrics, honed during a stint at the renowned Berklee School of Music, she crafts songs that are not only addictively catchy but full of depth. The simplicity of her words, which matches her crystal-clear, elegant sound, nonetheless conveys a deep well of emotion and wisdom–for even in her darkest material, there is always the glimmer of optimism. Kyler’s strengths are front and center on her new EP “The Green Room Sessions”, masterfully produced by longtime collaborator Richard Oliver Furch. In “No More Sad Songs,” she muses “Why is it always me/seeing question marks in places/where the answers used to be,” before making a plaintive but reaffirming statement:
Gloria Estefan Grammy-winning music sensation Long before Ricky Martin or Jennifer Lopez topped the charts, Estefan was infusing Latin American rhythms into pop music with over 50 platinum-selling albums and the support of worldwide fans. After her career was jeopardized by a tragic bus accident, she exhibited irrepressible energy and endurance as she returned to music with the double-platinum album, Into the Light. In an industry increasingly dominated by disposable artists and short-term careers, Gloria Estefan continues to thrive and firmly command the ardent praise of fans worldwide. With the release of Greatest Hits, Volume 2, she ascends to a rarified plateau that affirms her status as one of pop music's true and enduring originals. In addition to providing diehard fans with a nicely woven collection of Estefan's best-loved English-language hits from the past nine years, Greatest Hits, Volume 2 also effectively illuminates the most creatively plush period of the artist's career to date. It also leaves the listener appropriately enthusiastic about the next phase of Gloria's musical career, thanks to the inclusion of the three sterling new tunes: You Can't Walk Away From Love, Out Of Nowhere, and I Got No Love.
Michael Feinstein Grammy-nominated pop vocalist, composer & arranger No contemporary artist captures the essence of popular music like Michael Feinstein--"America's Ambassador of Song." A pop vocalist, composer and arranger, the Grammy-nominated Feinstein has released 20 albums, sold out shows worldwide and played for three Presidents at the White House, as well as England's Queen Mother. Feinstein understands music so well because he studies it, lives it and collects it. He has had the unique experience of starting out his career as Ira Gershwin's assistant for six years. While Feinstein was immersed in the life of one of the legends of American popular music, he was granted access to numerous unpublished Gershwin songs, which he has since recorded and performed. Gershwin's influence provided a solid base upon which Feinstein has not only built himself into a captivating performer, composer and arranger of his own original music, but he has also become an unparalleled interpreter of music legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Duke Ellington and Harry Warren.
Lupe Fiasco Hip-hop music, once a platform for creative expression and friendly competition, has, sadly, become a popularity contest. With record sales down and ringtone dollars up, rookies searching for that "one big hit" seem solely concerned with being deemed "cool." Lyrics have side-stepped, giving way to dance-instructing "rappers" more concerned with sparking the new "Macarena" than being hailed as an MC. On the outside looking in at such followers is Lupe Fiasco. Rather than conform to music industry standards, Fiasco (born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco) has trail-blazed his own path to critical acclaim. Possessing head-spinning wordplay and a topical range more akin to the underground than the mainstream, the 25-year-old lyricist has proven that talent can still make waves in the rap gam e. Born and raised in the seedy, confrontational West side of Chicago, Illinois, Fiasco grew up like the regular urban survivor. What wasn't common, however, was the means by which he carried himself. Comic books and literature of all genres cluttered his bedroom floor, and a skateboard replaced your typical drop-top Cadillac. Influenced by the Californian gangsta rap of artists such as Spice 1 and Ice Cube, Fiasco gradually grew leery of such negative messages, gravitating toward the dazzling lyricism of the likes of Nas and Jay-Z. In 2004, Fiasco signed with Atlantic Records - even launching his own company, 1st & 15th Entertainment - and began recording his debut, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. Fiasco's first major look came on fellow Chi-town native Kanye West's hit single, "Touch The Sky," where Fiasco delivered a show-stopping verse. The buzz gained from that song transitioned the gumshoe rapper into his first official solo single, the skateboard-meets-rap gem "Kick Push." Inspired by his own quirky hobby, Fiasco delivered a metaphorical tale of uplift through the eyes of a thrashing, four-small-wheel riding skater boy.
Ben Folds Ben Folds Five put on a high-energy, blistering live show. The band was signed to the independent Caroline Records shortly afterward, resulting in their self-titled debut one year later. Due to airings of their humorous anthem, "Underground" (which poked fun at the politics of the punk/alternative scene) on MTV's 120 Minutes) and constant touring, quite a buzz was stirring for the band by the time of their second album. Released in 1997, Whatever and Ever Amen was pure pop perfection -- easily one of the year's best releases, and perhaps the best power pop release of the '90s. The band's songwriting and sound had improved even further, as evidenced by such gems as "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces," "Fair," "Kate," and "Battle of Who Could Care Less," plus their whimsical tribute to breakups, "Song for the Dumped." But it was the ballad "Brick" that broke the band commercially -- unlike the majority of their material that was upbeat, the song contained melancholic music and vocals, as the lyrics told the story of a teenaged couple who decides to get an abortion (it has been speculated that the tale was autobiographical for Folds). The single didn't hit until several months after the album was released, which meant that the band stayed on the road for well over a year, playing with such notables as Dave Matthews, Beck, and as part of the H.O.R.D.E. 1997 festival -- earning Whatever platinum status. While 1998 didn't see a new studio album by the band, BF5's former label issued a 16-track rarities collection (Naked Baby Photos), as Folds released his first solo album, Volume 1, under the pseudonym Fear of Pop. Although the album went largely unnoticed, it included the song "In Love," which included overly dramatic vocals from none other than Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner (comparable in approach to Shatner's must-hear 1968 album, The Transformed Man) -- which was performed on The Conan O'Brien show shortly after the album's release. Ben Folds Five regrouped with 1999' s The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, which was a more mature work than its predecessors, although the energetic lead-off single, "Army," showed that Folds' humorous approach hadn't dulled at all. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
Jamie Foxx Despite being in the entertainment business for only a short time, Jamie Foxx has already proven himself an accomplished performer in film, television and music. Music was Jamie's first love, so he nurtured his natural talent by singing in a church choir and studying classical piano in his hometown of Terrell, Texas. He majored in music at a small liberal arts college in San Diego before a fateful visit to Los Angeles on his 21st birthday literally changed his life. While visiting a local comedy club, Jamie took a dare from a friend to go on stage and perform. He brought the house down with his impromptu routine. Realizing his comedic talent could be his ticket to Hollywood, he auditioned for the television show "In Living Color." Foxx was chosen from an open casting call of 300 for the coveted role of a series regular. His popularity on the hit show led to his own one-hour HBO comedy special, "Straight from the Foxxhole." In the special, he showcased his musical talents with a medley of songs that led to the 1995 release of his debut album, "Peep This." With all 12 songs written, produced and performed by Foxx, the album climbed to the #12 spot on Billboard's R&B chart. His other television credits include a recurring role on the critically acclaimed comedy series "Roc." Foxx also has made a name for himself in feature films. His credits include starring with Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo in "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" and "The Great White Hype" with Samuel L. Jackson and Damon Wayans. He will also star in the upcoming comedy "Good to Go" in which he was reunited with former "In Living Color" castmate Tommy Davidson.
Pete Francis Pete Francis, an experienced musician, honed his skills and technique as a key member (vocals, guitar, bass) of the band Dispatch, which in the 1990s grew from northeast college phenomenon to national grassroots attraction, touring widely and selling out shows from New York Citys Roseland Ballroom to San Franciscos Filmore West. An adventurer and searcher, this singer songwriter / guitarist / vocalist covers considerable ground in his narratives from the year he spent studying the great poets in Ireland (Burning the River) of the album Untold. I was interested in making an actual album with songs that relate to each other and have fluidity from track to track, he says. In that spirit, Burning the River is a song about Franciss own process of discovery, inspired by his journey to Galway, Ireland. After a rocky first day with his hosts wife deciding she didnt want a houseguest after all Francis managed to stay on to study poetry and absorb the Irish way of life. There was great a bookstore there, with a room full of poetry, he says. And at night Id hang out in pubs where people were speaking Gaelic. Theyd close the doors after hours and play music squeezebox, fiddle and guitar. Everyone would sit in a circle and people would start dancing. Then they d pass the fiddle into the crowd and someone else would start playing. It was amazing.
Dominic Gaudious A new sound for the new millennium Dynamic, Intense and Passionate are just some of the words used to describe the innovative work of instrumental guitarist and composer, Dominic Gaudious. After successfully releasing two albums and touring with an eclectic rock band in the 1980's, Dominic found his passion in the contemplative world of Classical/World Beat music. Working mainly with six & twelve-string acoustic guitars and incorporating exotic instruments such as the Australian Didgeridoo, Dominic expanded on the theme and created a uniquely intricate playing style which blends the sounds of Classical, Jazz, Flamenco, Rock, and World Beat. He has performed at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, the Australian Embassy, Montreux Music Festival, National Geographic, opened for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Pat Benatar, Kip Winger, appeared with the well-respected jazz ensemble Acoustic Alchemy, The Rippingtons, and world-renowned guitarists such as Pierre Bensusan, Adrian Legg and Eric Johnson. He also performed at the after show party for John Petrucci, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Often compared to Michael Hedges, Eddie Van Halen and Al DiMeola, Dominic's appealing sound has become widely sought after for festivals, benefits and concerts such as the Race Unity Festival, Greenpeace, Sound Support for Autism and Citizens for a Better Environment. Dominic’s music has been featured on Echoes, Hearts of Space, National Public Radio and many local and syndicated stations throughout the world. Most recently Dominic was a finalist on FOX TV’s “30 Seconds to Fame,” a finalist and Honor Award Winner in the Great American Song Contest for his song " Far East Fusion," nominated 2003 Best Instrumental Artist by campus awards.com and nominated by SSA as National Radio Recording Artist of the Year.
Robin Gibb Best known for his unsurpassed catalog of hits and over 180 Million records sold with the Bee Gees, Robin and his group deliver a cross section of the biggest hits from that bands long career such as: Stayin’ Alive, Jive Talkin’, Night Fever, You Should Be Dancing, Nights on Broadway How Deep Is Your Love, More Than A Woman Emotion, Tragedy, To Love Somebody I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You, Words, I Started A Joke How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, Holiday and many more. Robin performs a spectacular, instantly recognizable hits driven show perfect for higher end corporate and private event dates.
Three Days Grace The members of Three Days Grace began bashing punk chords when they were in their teens, carving a derivative yet energetic sound that fueled their live performances. Three Days Grace was formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada, in 1997 by Adam Gontier (vocals, guitar), Brad Walst (bass), and Neil Sanderson (drums). The group was originally called Groundswell, a five-piece that lasted from 1992 until transforming to a trio five years later. Gontier and Walst were raised in Norwood, and many of their songs were inspired by living in a place with a population of around 1,500. The bandmembers were still in high school when they had their first gig, and they performed anywhere that would accept them -- including opening for a movie.
Josh Gracin Josh Gracins life overflows with extraordinary, character-building stories. But, first and foremost, hes well-known because hes an undeniably talented singer and entertainer. So, here are the facts that matter most: Hes one of only two new country artists in recent times to release a debut album with three Top 5 country hits including the No. 1 hit Nothinto Lose). Hes also one of only two new male country singers to be introduced in the last two years to earn a gold album, and Gracins self-titled debut is quickly edging in on platinum status. Its been an amazing couple of years, says the broad-shouldered former Marine with the dark eyes and bright smile. Country music fans have been really receptive and encouraging. I feel like, for a first step, we did really well. But it was just a first step. For his next step, Gracin wanted to make a bigger, bolder stride. His sophomore album does just that. Its a clear, powerful move forward that emphasizes all the energy, humor, outspokenness and depth that makes Gracin one of the great musical discoveries of his generation. This album is more me, says the Michigan native with strong blue-collar roots and a make-it-his-way attitude. I was able to focus on making the album I wanted to make. For the first album, I was still in the service, so I had to fly in and out to record when I could. It had my undivided attention. And it shows. The young star known for his energetic stage performances made sure his new work focused on his strengths: live-wire, rocking country that blends wit and wholesome fun; inspiring story songs about being true to yourself; moral tales rich with Middle-American values and a strong spiritual core; and songs that celebrate the down-to-earth lifestyle that Gracin pursues and personifies. I wanted this album to reflect my energy and my values, he says. Theres nothing I love more than getting a crowd on its feet and getting them to sing along and rock with me to a great song. I also wanted songs of substance that really explain who I am and what I stand for. And thats what I hope that weve accomplished. The album includes such high-speed, fun-filled romps as the first single, Favorite State of Mind, which opens with an explosive drum roll and a rowdy blast of down-home rock while paying tribute to the notion that sometimes the greatest vacation is time alone with the one you love.
Amy Grant At 16, Amy Grant made her self-titled debut album of Christian contemporary music for the Myrrh imprint. Two years later, she married singer-songwriter Gary Chapman and has recording several more popular albums. In 1982, she became a star when her record, "Age to Age," became the first platinum-selling Christian pop album and won the Grammy for Best Female Gospel Performance. The following year, her Christmas Album became another smash hit. In 1985, the album, "Unguarded," spawned the top-20 crossover hit, "Find a Way," and won another Grammy, leading to a deal with A&M. Following her 1989 hit "Lead Me On," Amy toned down her religious message and shifted toward standard, sexy pop music for 1991's "Heart in Motion," which became an adult contemporary and pop success, spawned the number-one hit "Baby Baby" and eventually went quadruple platinum. Other albums include the seasonal "Home for Christmas" in 1993 and the big-selling mainstream pop record, "House of Love," in 1994. Her "Behind the Eyes" release immediately went to number eight on the pop charts in September 1997.
Ben Harper Combining shuddering, groove-laden funky soul and folky, handcrafted acoustics, singer/songwriter Ben Harper cultivated a cult following during the course of the '90s that gained full fruition toward the end of the decade. Harper combined elements of classic singer/songwriters, blues revivalists, Jimi Hendrix, and '90s jam bands like Blues Traveler, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Phish, which meant that he was embraced by critics and college kids alike. Though he never had a hit album, his body of work sold consistently and he toured constantly, building a solid, dedicated fan base. A native of California, Harper grew up listening to blues, folk, soul, R&B, and reggae. As a child, he started playing guitar, and began to perform regularly as a preteen. During his adolescence, he began playing acoustic slide guitar, which would eventually become his signature instrument. After steady gigging in the Los Angeles area, Harper scored a deal with Virgin Records in 1992. He released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World, two years later to positive reviews. Released in 1995, the politically-heavy Fight for Your Mind made for a strong sophomore effort, an obvious growth in musical experimentation and individual declamation. Harper's third album, 1997's The Will to Live, pushed his blues-oriented alternative folk into the middle mainstream, becoming a mainstay at college radio and making inroads at adult alternative radio. Recorded over two years of touring in support of Fight for Your Mind, The Will to Live introduced the Innocent Criminals, Harper's supporting band. The Innocent Criminals -- who are bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Dean Butterworth, and percussionist David Leach -- solidified Harper's musical rhythms and emotional diversity. Aside from working on his own material, Ben Harper has built a strong rapport with other artists, playing guest spots on records by Beth Orton, John Lee Hooker, and Government Mule. He played 1997's and 1999's Tibetan Freedom Concerts, and opened for R.E.M., Radiohead, Metallica, Pearl Jam, and the Fugees. Harper's career gained momentum throughout 1998-1999. His most successful album thus far, 1999's Burn to Shine blended Harper's fondness of '20s jazz compositions and urban beatboxing, resulting in a clever and passionate collection of songs. "Steal My Kisses" and "Suzie Blue" were radio favorites, landing him two headlining world tours and an opening spot on the Dave Matthews Band's summer trek of 2000. In spring 2001, Harper issued Live from Mars, a double disc of live electric and acoustic material spanning the previous year's tour and including covers of material by Led Zeppelin, the Verve, and Marvin Gaye. When it came to recording his fifth studio effort, Harper went back to his drawing board of life's pleasure and pain. He'd circled the world countless times and naturally, he brashly sang about it on the worldbeat-inspired Diamonds On the Inside, which appeared in March 2003. After a European tour withthe Blind Boys of Alabama in 2004, the two acts entered the studio together and laid down ten tracks in two different sessions at Capitol Records basement stuidios. The resulting collaborative album issued under both names, There WIl Be a Light, was released in September of 2004.
Michael Hirschorn Journalist Michael Hirschorn is the senior VP of news and production at VH1. He is the former Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Inside.com, which reports on entertainment/industry news, encompassing the world of books, music and television. Hirschorn is also the former editor-in-chief of Spin magazine, executive editor of New York and associate editor of Esquire. His experience is substantial in the fields of print and online journalism. Journalist Michael Hirschorn is the senior VP of news and production at the cable network VH1. The move to cable television has caused Hirschorn to really branch out, since he has spent his career in print and online journalism. At VH1, he is responsible for overseeing the development and creation of VH1 News specials and documentaries, as well as the channel's daily newsgathering operations. He is also in charge of the network's video hours and a portion of the network's regular nonfiction programming. In addition, Hirschorn works closely with VH1.com to create a convergent news and programming strategy for the brand.
My Morning Jacket In a perfect world, bios would be unnecessary. Instead of those often peculiar, occasionally vaguely helpful written pieces purporting to tell a band's story, a clear sense of the way things actually happened, which often doesn't fit into neat story-size chunks, might emerge. My Morning Jacket, for example, lost in their line-up a while back their life-long friends Johnny Quaid and Danny Cash. The two original members just decided they didn't want to spend their time working in a band heavily on the road. The remaining members -- singer-guitarist and songwriter Jim James, bassist Two-Tone Tommy, and drummer Patrick Hallahan -- didn't really know which direction to proceed: to go on as a three-piece, to look for new members, or to stop altogether...but some force kept urging them on, so they started looking around for new members. They found keyboardist Bo Koster, and guitarist Carl Broemel. My Morning Jacket talked to some other people, but the band kept coming back to Koster and Broemel, the first two musicians they met with. Things really flowed there. "We loved them immediately," says James. "It was like the band was its own force, wanting itself to go on, even down to finding these two people." For the new My Morning Jacket line-up, dreaming and changing up their music proved tonic; they worked, in a collaboration that turned out to be wholly positive, with the veteran English producer John Leckie. "We wanted to make a record that grooved and swung," James says, "but wasn't trying to imitate classic soul. We wanted to keep an aspect of what we'd always done, but also make something you could dance to or listen to while driving home. Hip-hop and soul music are unifying people right now. I wanted to incorporate that into our music; to make this really sad, mysterious kind of dance music, something that really got into your butt, but also really got into your head and made you think." My Morning Jacket hail from the city of Louisville, Kentucky, an odd metro-suburban mix of stark industry and fine thoroughbreds and rock and roll fevers. "It's a place with no labels," James says. "It's not the South, it's not Chicago, and you don't think of it as you think of New York or LA. It has some Southern romanticism to it, but also a Northern progressivism, this weird urban island in the middle of the state of Kentucky that has always provided a fertile, often dark, bed. For us, Louisville and the surrounding areas are the center of massive creativity and massive weirdness. The place has its flaws: You move away, but you're always going to come back." For their 'Z' sessions, My Morning Jacket did indeed, for the first time, move away. Instead of making music as was their custom in the country outside Louisville, they traveled to upstate New York's Allaire Studios. "We find our bearings more in a rural, removed setting," Hallahan says. "Allaire was the perfect answer to that, being isolated on a Catskills mountain." And so everything started to click with regard to the unique Louisville soul music that began to flow through the band. "Before, we had some unexpressed anger and frustration," says Two-Tone Tommy. "Now we had figured out it doesn't always have to be that way. Now we could celebrate that things were changing."
Randy Jackson Randy Jackson is a former record company executive who joins Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul on the panel of judges for the television talent contest American Idol. Jackson is a music industry insider who has been in the business since the early 1980s, as a performer, producer and businessman. He was a temporary bass player for Journey in 1983 and 1986, and he spent many years as an executive with Columbia Records and MCA Records. Since 2002 Jackson has been on American Idol, where he is famous for peppering his pronouncements with the slang term "dawg." In 2003 he had gastric bypass surgery, and by the beginning of the show's 2004 season he had lost more than 100 pounds. In 2003 Jackson published the how-to guide What's Up Dawg?: How to Become a Superstar in the Music Business
Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band For almost two decades as leader of one of the world’s most celebrated Latin jazz bands, Concord Picante recording artist Poncho Sanchez has been an unswervingly passionate exponent of the bedrock style of Afro-Cuban Latin jazz pioneered half a century ago by such legendary musicians as Machito, Tito Puente and Dizzy Gillespie. The bearded, jovial conguero and the members of his veteran octet are virtual living symbols of the best of the modern jazz and tropical Latin traditions today. As they confidently demonstrate on their latest album, Poncho and his men are undisputed kings of a vibrant hybrid that has become one of the most dynamic and enduringly popular styles of the century.
Lyfe Jennings Lyfe Jennings is an Platinum African American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, bass, and piano which he integrates into his music.
Mason Jennings Mason Jennings is a Minnesota-based pop-folk singer-songwriter. He is well known for his simple yet catchy melodies, intimate lyrics, literary and historical themes, and deep tenor's voice. His music has appeared in the surf film Shelter and he has toured extensively. Jennings is married to Amy Turany Jennings and has a son, August, born in January 2003.Jennings produced his self-titled debut album in 1997 on an analog four-track in the basement of a rented home, manning all instruments himself. In October 1998, after bringing drummer Chris Stock and bassist Robert Skoro on board, he began a weekly gig at Minneapolis' 400 Bar as the Mason Jennings Band. Garnering local praise and a wide fan base, Mason began touring nationally. During this time Mason began expanding the depth of his sound inviting saxophonist Chris Thompson to play with them occasionally and replacing Stock with jazz drummer Edgar Olivera Birds Flying Away (2000) revealed Jennings' political activism and penchant for singing first-person narratives of imaginary rustic characters. Following the release of this album, Noah Levy took over drumming duties from Olivera.In 2002, Jennings releases a studio album, Century Spring, and a "fans only" collection of acoustic rarities, Simple Life. An EP supporting Century Spring was also released, featuring the album's opening track, "Living In The Moment," two live tracks, and the previously-unreleased "Emperor Ashoka." Jennings released all three discs -- and re-released his earlier albums -- on his homebrew record label, Architect Records.In 2003, Skoro and Levy left the band (the former to pursue a solo career), and were replaced by bassist Chris Morrissey (Bill Mike Band) and drummer Brian Mcleod.On February 10 2004, Jennings released Use Your Voice, which notably included the songs "Keepin' It Real," a foot-stomper ostensibly written at the request of Shrek 2 producers (but not used in the film), and "The Ballad of Paul and Sheila," an acoustic dirge for late Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone. On 30 September of that year, the band released a DVD entitled Use Your Van, which chronicled the recording of Use Your Voice and part of the promotional tour. The DVD was filmed by Andy Grund.On June 17, 2005, news broke that Jennings had finally signed with a major label: Glacial Pace, a subsidiary of Sony's Epic Records headed by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock.
Jack Johnson Before Jack Johnson perfected his rock star ways, he was a champion surfer on the professional route, with a sponsorship with Quiksilver. It was a life that was second nature for the Hawaiian native, for he began chasing waves as a toddler, and by the time he was 17, he was an outstanding athlete on the pipeline. However, Johnson was also testing his other creative outlets -- one being film and the other being music. It was during his college years as a film student at University of California at Santa Barbara when Johnson began writing songs. He and old mates Chris Malloy and Emmett Malloy produced a surf cinema documentary entitled Thicker Than Water, in turn spotlighting Johnson as a talented cinematographer as well as a burgeoning singer/songwriter. His peers in and around the surf circuit praised his work, and Thicker Than Water received props in Surfer magazine for Video of the Year during 2000. The follow-up surf flick The September Sessions also earned the Adobe Highlight Award at the ESPN Film Festival that same year. Still, Johnson steered away from a blossoming pro sports career and stuck with music -- something that would soon earn him additional honors. G. Love & Special Sauce quickly took notice to Johnson's lazy blues stylings, which also molded folk and hip-hop for a modern rock twist, and included Johnson on "Rodeo Clowns" from G. Love's 1999 release Philadelphonic. Johnson's four-track demo also caught the ears of Ben Harper's right-hand man, J.P. Plunier. This was surely mind-blowing for Johnson, for Harper's college rock mainstay Fight for Your Mind was one of his favorites and remained an inspiration. Aside from Plunier's production work, Harper also added his lap steel guitar work on Johnson's sultry debut, Brushfire Fairytales (Enjoy Records), in winter 2001. Two co-headlining tours followed throughout spring and summer 2002; Johnson's sophomore effort, On and On, appeared in May 2003. Stateside dates with Harper followed in June and July. A third album, In Between Dreams arrived in March 2005, narrowly missing the top of the Billboard album chart in the process. Johnson earned two Brit Awards for In Between Dreams: International Male Solo Artist and International Breakthrough Act. In February, Johnson issued the soundtrack Curious George. Nielsen SoundScan sales topped at 163,000 copies in its first week of release, earning Johnson his first-ever number one album on Billboard's Top 200 and Rock Albums charts. His sixth album, Sleep Through the Static, was released in February 2008.
Naomi Judd Naomi Judd has always dared to do the impossible. A former nurse and single mother, she turned a musical pairing with daughter Wynonna into a six-time Grammy Award-winning country music phenomenon. She is the best-selling author of Love Can Build a Bridge, a moving story of the human spirit. Although she would modestly insist otherwise, there has never been anything simple or commonplace about Naomi Judd - not her vision, her life, her faith, nor the music she and her daughter, Wynonna, created as The Judds. She dreamed bigger, worked harder, took greater risks and triumphed more resoundingly than most people ever will. From the beginning of The Judds' meteoric rise, her "china doll" looks and magnetic personality paralleled the duo's music for the public's attention and appreciation. As their songs became #1 hits, their RCA albums went platinum and their concerts became sellouts. Their popularity kept them undefeated for eight consecutive years at all three major country award shows. They received six Grammys and a vast array of other awards and honors. Bringing values and insistence on integrity to every aspect of her public and personal life, Judd helped The Judds set new standards of excellence and ushered in the resurgence of country music's popularity. America fell in love with the self-proclaimed country girl from Ashland, Kentucky. From small town humble beginnings, this daughter of a gas station owner father and riverboat cook mother became a hope seller to the duo's legions of fans. The music industry labeled her the "Cinderella" of country music because of her real life rags-to-riches story. During the Judds' eight-year reign as superstars, she became infinitely more to the public than a singer, songwriter and engaging performer. She came to represent every woman. Having been an R.N., a secretary, waitress and clerk, the divorced, working mother stood for the modern American family, with all its defects and glories.
Cary Judd The music of Cary Judd will punch you in the gut and rip your heart out. Whether you see his live performance or enjoy his new CD, entitled "Looking Back From Space", you will be intrigued by the contradictions he explores. His songs - vulnerable, clever, explosive, and beautiful-appeal to virtually all listeners because of their raw connection with human fear, hope, and triumph. With Cary, it's not about wearing his heart on his sleeve, it's about wearing your heart on his sleeve. Cary's live show is deceptively understated-just a man and a guitar. But what you see is not what you get. He starts by playing a riff or progression that finds itself embellished in a swirl of drum and guitar loops that he masterfully creates with a series of electronic pedals at his feet. His stage demeanor will make you feel like you're having a conversation and a good laugh with an old familiar friend. Cary impressively redefines the one-man-show.
Mat Kearney While on summer break during his junior year in college, Mat Kearneys friend Robert Marvin asked Mat if he wanted to help him move to Nashville. Kearney was looking for a change of scenery from college life at Chico State University, so he decided to go along for the ride. "I helped him pack up his trailer and we put a mattress on the back of his truck. We basically drove cross-country and slept in the back. When we pulled into Nashville we slept in a school parking lot for three days until we finally rented this apartment where the roof was caving in and mice crawling all over." And that's where Kearney and Marvin found the perfect setting to record the demos that would eventually land him a record deal. "By the end of the summer, we had three or four songs and I realized this is what I wanted to do. It just clicked," he says. "So, I called home to my parents in Oregon and said, 'I'm not coming back,' and I never left Nashville." This journey east is referenced in the 27-year-old's major label debut Nothing Left To Lose. Specifically, the title track from the album deals with his move to Nashville and his decision to try his hand at a career in music.
Jordan Knight Jordan Knight is an singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of the boy band, New Kids on the Block (NKOTB), which rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s. He is best known for his distinctive falsetto style of singing, influenced by The Stylistics.In September 2006, Knight's latest album Love Songs was released by Transcontinental Records. The first single was "Say Goodbye", a duet with Deborah Gibson, that peaked at #24 on Billboards Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
Talib Kweli Ever since emerging as a member of Black Star in the late 1990s, Talib Kweli is one of the few artists making commercially viable music that matters. The Brooklyn bred rapper's hard-hitting music has been able to educate and entertain simultaneously. So it is no wonder that at the peak of their fame, both Jay-Z and 50 Cent named Talib Kweli as one of their favorite rappers. With Ear Drum, his first album released on his own Blacksmith Music and his sixth album overall, Kweli has delivered his career-defining work, a polished collection showcasing his advanced lyricism and his penchant for picking music that resonates long after the song ends. "The image of the ear and of the drum are powerful enough by themselves, but when you put them together, it's an instrument that's in your body that helps you hear," he explains. "They're also two very simple, yet powerful words. I wanted to focus on finding a sound that makes you move, and that's where the word 'Ear Drum' popped in my head." Throughout Ear Drum, Kweli delivers powerful music that sparks your intellect and makes your body move. He teams with Reflection Eternal partner Hi-Tek on "More Or Less." Over pounding drums and a minimalistic groove, Kweli makes brash declarations on how to improve music specifically and American society in general. "A statement like, we need 'more rap songs that stress purpose/With less misogyny and less curses/Let's put more depth in our verses,' I haven't made bold, blatant statements since that like 'Manifesto.' There are fans of mine that really appreciate those statements because there are times when those statements need to be made." An equally bold Ear Drum moment comes on "Country Cousins," which features Kweli trading verses with UGK and Raheem DeVaughn. Over a soulful beat accented by brassy horns, Kweli, Bun B and Pimp C talk about the reality of their experiences growing up in New York and Texas, respectively. "People have the perception of what an East Coast artist sounds like, who he's supposed to be listening to and what he likes, and what a Down South artist sounds like," Kweli explains. "There's preconceived notions and that's really what the song with Bun and Pimp C is about, the preconceived notions between East Coast artists and Down South artists." Throughout Ear Drum, Kweli makes a point to explore new topics, collaborate with a variety of artists and rap over distinctively innovative production. It is part of Kweli's growth as an artist and as a person. "We need to challenge our audience but we also need to challenge ourselves to know that whatever our new experiences are, we can write about them, be creative and bring that to an audience without them feeling alienated," he says. Long-time Talib Kweli followers will say the same thing about him. Since his stellar debut with Mos Def as Black Star, Kweli has been one of rap's most exceptional and consistent artists. Released in 2000, Reflection Eternal, the RIAA-certified gold album with Hi-Tek, was one of the most acclaimed albums of the year. In 2002, smash single "Get By," the biting political commentary "The Proud" and the insightful examination of America's gun culture on "Gun Music" made Quality a landmark recording and Kweli's second gold album. Subsequent recordings in 2004 (The Beautiful Struggle) and 2005 (Right About Now) solidified his status as one of rap's most talented and important voices.
Talib Kweli If skills sold, Talib Kweli would have been one of the most commercially successful rappers of his time. As it was, however, the especially earnest MC became one of the most critically successful rappers of his time, which dawned in the late '90s when he rapped alongside Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek as part of the group Black Star. This trio of up-and-comers and their widely acclaimed self-titled 1998 album debut helped make Rawkus Records one of the premier hip-hop outposts of the late '90s. In the process, they ushered in a short-lived "hip-hop" revival that took the music back to its roots, and thus away from the increasingly extreme and widespread gangsta motifs of the time. Black Star and their label, Rawkus, provided a clear alternative not only to gangsta rap but also to the watered-down and overly calculated pop-rap of Puff Daddy and his ilk. In 2000, Kweli and Hi-Tek then followed up this wide-ranging critical notice with a second acclaimed release for Rawkus: their Reflection Eternal album, which firmly established them apart from Mos Def, who enjoyed plenty of his own acclaim. For a moment there, Kweli and his Rawkus peers seemed like a full-fledged movement -- a return to the sort of hip-hop associated with the so-called golden age. However, it wasn't to be. Rawkus somehow lost its momentum, and its roster sadly dispersed, leaving Kweli on his own to carry the torch. He steadily continued his output, beginning with Quality in 2002, and though he didn't rack up towering sales numbers, he remained a critical favorite. In fact, he just may have been the most admired and respected rapper on the major-label circuit during the mid-2000s, best evidenced by Jay-Z's famous Black Album rhyme: "If skills sold, truth be told/I'd probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli."
John Legend Neo-soul singer and pianist John Legend combined the raw fervor of contemporaries Cody ChesnuTT and the burning precision of D'Angelo. Born John Stephens, Legend was a child prodigy who grew up in Ohio, where he began singing gospel and playing piano at the tender age of five. Legend left Ohio at 16 to go to college in Philadelphia, and it was there that he first found a larger audience. Not yet out of his teens, Legend was tapped to play piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything" in 1998. After completing college, he moved to New York, where he began to build a loyal following playing in nightclubs and releasing CDs that he would sell at shows. He also became an in-demand session musician, playing and occasionally writing for a wide array of artists, including Alicia Keys, Twista, Janet Jackson, and Kanye West. It wasn't until West signed the young talent to his new label that he adopted the Legend name with 2004's Solo Sessions Vol. 1: Live at the Knitting Factory. Get Lifted, his first studio album, was released later in the year.
Liverpool Legends Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album, the Liverpool Legends return to the Harper stage, performing tunes from their Ed Sullivan days through the late 60s and solo years. Hand-picked and managed by Louise Harrison, sister of the late Beatle George Harrison, these talented musicians bring the Fab Four alive during their Ultimate Beatles Tribute Show with costume changes, vintage instruments and special effects.
Flaming Lips Even within the eclectic world of alternative rock, few bands were so brave, so frequently brilliant, and so deliciously weird as the Flaming Lips. From their beginnings as Oklahoma weirdos to their pop culture breakthrough in the mid-'90s to their status as one of the most respected groups of the 2000s, the Lips have ridden one of the more surreal and haphazard career trajectories in pop music. An acid-bubblegum band with as much affinity for sweet melodies as blistering noise assaults, their off-kilter sound, uncommon emotional depth, and bizarre history (packed with tales of self-immolating fans and the like) firmly established them as true originals. The Flaming Lips formed in Oklahoma City in 1983, when founder and guitarist Wayne Coyne allegedly stole a collection of musical instruments from an area church hall and enlisted his vocalist brother Mark and bassist Michael Ivins to start a band. Giving themselves the nonsensical name the Flaming Lips (its origin variously attributed to a porn film, an obscure drug reference, or a dream in which a fiery Virgin Mary plants a kiss on Wayne in the backseat of his car), the band made its live debut at a local transvestite club. After progressing through an endless string of drummers, they recruited percussionist Richard English prior to recording their self-titled debut, issued on green vinyl on their own Lovely Sorts of Death label in 1985. When Mark Coyne soon departed to get married, Wayne assumed full control of the group; in addition to remaining its lead guitarist, he also became the primary singer and songwriter. Continuing on as a trio, the Lips released 1986's Hear It Is, followed a year later by Oh My Gawd!!!...The Flaming Lips. While touring in support of the Butthole Surfers, they played Buffalo, NY, where they were befriended by concert promoter Jonathan Donahue; after a jam session with Donahue's nascent band Mercury Rev, he and Coyne became close friends, and Donahue eventually signed on as the group's sound technician. After recording 1988's difficult Telepathic Surgery, English exited, reducing the Lips to the core duo of Coyne and Ivins; after adding drummer Nathan Roberts, Donahue adopted the name Dingus and became a full-time member in time to cut 1990's stellar In a Priest Driven Ambulance while simultaneously recording the brilliant Mercury Rev debut, Yerself Is Steam. Following a series of hopeful phone calls to Warner Bros., the company signed the band in 1991, and in 1992 their oft-delayed major-label debut, Hit to Death in the Future Head, appeared to little commercial notice; Donahue soon exited to focus his full energies on Mercury Rev, followed by the departure of Roberts. With new guitarist Ronald Jones and drummer Steven Drozd, they cut 1993's sublime Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, which they supported by playing the second stage at Lollapalooza and touring the nation in a Ryder truck. Initially, the album stiffed; however, nearly a year after its initial release, the single "She Don't Use Jelly" became a grassroots hit, and against all odds the Flaming Lips found themselves on the Top 40 charts. They took full advantage of their requisite 15 minutes of fame, appearing everywhere from MTV's annual Spring Break broadcast to an arena tour in support of Candlebox to a memorably surreal lip-synched performance on the teen soap opera Beverly Hills 90210, where supporting character Steve Sanders (portrayed by actor Ian Ziering) uttered the immortal words, "You know, I've never been a big fan of alternative music, but these guys rocked the house!" After the 1994 release of a limited-edition sampler of odds-and-ends titled Providing Needles for Your Balloons, the Lips returned in 1995 with Clouds Taste Metallic, a strikingly mature and diverse collection highlighted by the singles "Bad Days" (also heard in the film Batman Forever), "This Here Giraffe," and "Brainville." Despite the inclusion of the remarkably melodic "Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus with Needles," "Christmas at the Zoo" (rumored to be under consideration for inclusion on an upcoming John Tesh holiday record), and the epic "Guy Who Got a Headache and Accidentally Saves the World," the album nonetheless failed to live up to the commercial success of Transmissions, and the band was once again relegated to cult status. In 1996, the Lips' world went haywire; first, Jones disappeared to undertake a spiritual odyssey from which he did not return, then Drozd's hand was almost needlessly amputated after he was bitten by a spider. At about the same time, Ivins was the victim of a bizarre hit-and-run accident after a wheel came off of another vehicle and slammed into his car, trapping him inside. Ironically, Coyne was having car problems of his own when rumors of his latest sonic foray -- conducting an orchestra of 40 automobiles, all with their tape decks playing specially composed music at the same time -- prompted fan discussion of his possible psychological collapse. "I would try to tell people what I was doing and found that I couldn't explain it very well," Coyne later remarked about the project, dubbed the Parking Lot Experiment. "Plus, I had a sore on the side of my tongue for a week and it made me talk kind of weird. I'm sure they thought I was retarded."
Maestro Keith Lockhart Maestro Keith Lockhart is only the third conductor to lead the Boston Pops since 1930. He succeeded John Williams with style. He has been a featured speaker at the National Press Club, broadcast live on National Public Radio. Lockhart is a warm and engaging personality who speaks passionately about his craft. He fascinates and entertains audiences with an up-close and personal time-line of our country's distinct musical style. Lockhart's presentation is "A Musical Slice of America," featuring the Beacon Brass Quintet. In February 1995 Keith Lockhart was named twentieth Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra since it's founding in 1885. Entering his eighth season as Pops Conductor, Lockhart has conducted more than 500 concerts; made more than forty-four television shows; appeared twice with the Boston Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, most recently in April 2000; and led fourteen national tours with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, as well as three overseas tours to Japan and Korea. Since 1996 Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra have released multiple albums under an exclusive contract with RCA Victor. Their seventh recording, The Latin Album, released in September 2000, was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. Lockhart's first six RCA Victor albums with the Boston Pops Orchestra-Runnin' Wild, The Boston Pops Play Glenn Miller, American Visions, the Grammy-nominated The Celtic Album, Holiday Pops and A Splash of Pops-- all received critical and popular acclaim. A compilation album entitled Encore! features tracks from those recordings. The orchestra's latest recording, My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration was released in April 2002, in conjunction with the worldwide celebration of that composer's birth. Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1959, Lockhart holds degrees from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He held positions in Pittsburgh and Akron before becoming a Conducting Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute in 1989. The following year he moved to Cincinnati as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, later serving as Associate Conductor of both the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops orchestras, while also becoming Music Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, a title he held through the 1998-99 season. Beginning his fourth year as Music Director of the Utah Symphony in Salt Lake City, Mr. Lockhart succeeded Maurice Abravanel and Joseph Silverstein in that post. He studied piano with John Noel Roberts, Gwendolyn Stevens, and Maria-Regina Seidlhofer of the Vienna Hochschule. His training as a conductor includes study with Istvan Jaray, Otto-Werner Mueller, Harold Farberman and Werner Torkanowsky. As a guest artist, Lockhart has conducted the major symphony orchestras of Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Singapore, Toronto and Vancouver. In addition, he has led the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Center Orchestra of Ottawa, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. In 1997 he led his first major opera production, Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe, with the Washington (D.C.) Opera. In addition to his ongoing work with the Utah Symphony, recent activities include debuts with the New York Chamber Symphony, the Houston Symphony, and the New Japan Philharmonic, and re-engagements with the Vancouver Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, and the Colorado Symphony. Lockhart holds both the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor's Chair and the Germeshausen Family Boston Symphony Youth Concerts Conductor's Chair. In addition, he serves as a "godparent" for the John D. Philbrick Elementary School in Roslindale as part of the Boston Music Education Collaborative. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from the Boston Conservatory, Northeastern University, and his alma mater, Furman University.
Patty Loveless Country and western singing star.
Steven Lutvak Steven Lutvak had a remarkable 2006. In one week of April alone, Steven and his principal collaborator, Robert Freedman, won the Kleban Award, the premiere prize for lyric writing in Musical Theater; their musical KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS was presented as part of the Breaking Ground Series at the Huntington Theater in Boston; KIND HEARTS was invited to be the only musical developed at the Sundance Theater Lab; and Steven received a rave review in the New York Times for his cabaret act of his own songs. In January, their musical, CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY, won the California Musical Theater Competition from the Beverly Hills Theater Guild. MAD HOT BALLROOM, the film for which Steven wrote the title song, became the 9th most successful documentary of all time. July marked the debut of Shoulder to Shoulder, a new song commissioned for the opening ceremonies of the Gay Games in Chicago, which was sung by Billy Porter, and a 250-voice choir. In November, Steven and Robert won the Second Annual Fred Ebb Award for Songwriting for the Theater. And with the release of CLASSIC AMERICAN POPULAR SONG, a follow-up to Alec Wilder’s classic book, AMERICAN POPULAR SONG, by David Jenness and Don Velsey (Taylor & Francis, publishers, 2006), where several of his songs are discussed at some length, Steven Lutvak’s place in the American Popular Songbook is even more firmly planted.
Stephen Lynch Whether he's singing an ode to an ailing grandfather (and the inheritance that his death will bring), breaking up with a girlfriend because of her racial make-up (she's just "too white"), or opening the door to his mind to let the voices inside his head sing out, Lynch is a self-proclaimed "musician trapped in the body of a comedian." His unique blend of musical based comedy has earned him fiercely loyal fans around the world who live to experience his sold-out live shows, three best-selling CDs and DVDs, and his top-rated Comedy Central Specials. Raised in Saginaw, Michigan, Stephen is the son of a former nun and priest. He admits to actively entertaining friends and family since he was a child. True to form, Stephen graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.A. in Drama, and found his talent as a comedic songwriter. Stephen moved to New York in 1996, with the goal of becoming a performer. While temping during the day, Stephen wrote songs and performed at clubs and underground music venues around Manhattan at night. He quickly developed a devoted fan base and became a regular on the wildly popular "Opie & Anthony" radio show. The radio exposure, matched with Stephen's live shows and rabid following, turned the heads of the Comedy Central Network, which invited Stephen to record his 1st special in 2000. That special became one of their highest rated performances, almost unheard of for an unknown.
MC Lyte Renowned hip-hop artist and actress MC Lyte is a legendary rap artist. MC Lyte is the first rap artist ever to perform at Carnegie Hall and the first female rapper to ever receive a gold single, which sold over 500 thousand copies. MC Lyte's inspiring 1993 anthem, the classic Ruffneck was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Single, making MC Lyte the first female solo rapper ever nominated for a Grammy. Her newest project Undaground Heat vol.1, Hosted by Jamie Foxx, has garnered this rap legend her 2nd Career Grammy nomination, 10 years later, for Best Solo Female Rap Performance, for her single "Ride Wit Me", produced by MAAD PHUNK!, on her own label SGI/CMM/BMG. Lyte was also a familiar face in film and television. Her film career included roles in the recent Playa's Ball and in a Trimark/Lions Gate feature release Civil Brand. Lyte has also landed roles in feature films including Extreme Pictures' Train Ride, Cinergi Pictures' Burn Hollywood Burn, Warner Brothers' Fly By Night, and the independent features, Luv Tails and Short Handed.
Method Man Method Man was the first and biggest solo star to emerge from the groundbreaking Wu-Tang Clan. His mush-mouthed, sandpaper-rough bellow (at times recalling EPMD's Erick Sermon) and imaginative rhymes easily made him one of the most recognizable, unpredictable MCs in the group, yet his flow was more deliberate and laid-back than the Wu's resident loose cannon, Ol' Dirty Bastard. On his solo records, Method Man developed a persona that swung from offhand, understated menace to raucous stoner humor. Toward the end of the '90s, his frequent team-ups with Redman produced not only a terrific musical chemistry, but an eventual big-screen comedy team as well. Method Man was born Clifford Smith on April 1, 1971, in Hempsted, Long Island; he split his childhood between his father's Long Island residence and his mother's Staten Island home. It was the latter locale where he met his future Wu-Tang cohorts RZA, Genius/GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard; when they set about forming a hip-hop collective in the early '90s, Method Man was one of the first to sign on. Meth was heavily featured on the group's classic late-1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), even getting his own showcase track with "Method Man," which certainly put him out front in terms of name recognition. Thanks to the Wu's innovative contract -- which allowed individual members to sign solo deals with whatever label they chose -- Method Man inked a contract with Def Jam, and in 1994, approximately one year after Enter the Wu-Tang's release, he became the first Wu member to release a solo album with Tical. Highly anticipated, the album entered the charts at number four and quickly went platinum, while singles like "Bring the Pain" (which just missed the pop Top 40) and "Release Yo' Delf" made him an even bigger name in the hip-hop community. He began making numerous guest appearances on other artists' records and in the summer of 1995, his one-off single with Mary J. Blige, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," soared into the pop Top Five, giving Meth his first major mainstream exposure. Shortly thereafter, another duet -- this time with Def Jam labelmate Redman -- on the compilation track "How High" climbed into the pop Top 20. Wu-Tang Clan reconvened in 1997 for the double-album Wu-Tang Forever, and about a year later, another round of solo projects commenced. Method Man issued his sophomore effort, Tical 2000: Judgement Day (ironically), in late 1998 and took a more expansive approach this time out, filling the album with between-song skits and a variety of guest rappers and producers.
Damian Marley Damian Marley was only two when his father died, but the youngest of the Marley sons must have learned something. At the age of 13, he formed his first band, the Shepherds, which also included the son of Third World's Cat Coore and the daughter of Freddie McGregor; the group even opened up the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash festival. By 1994, Damian was working on his own solo project, and with the help of his father's label, Tuff Gong, he recorded Mr. Marley. Also lending a familial air to the sessions was the presence of Stephen Marley, who produced and co-wrote several songs for the LP. Halfway Tree from 2001 earned a Grammy nomination, but the public generally overlooked the ambitious album. Not so for the reggae-meets-hip-hop single "Welcome to Jamrock," which became an urban phenomenon soon after its summer 2005 release. Street-level mixtapes began featuring it, urban radio couldn't get enough of it, and remixes -- both legal and not so legal -- began appearing at a fast pace. The well-rounded album Welcome to Jamrock delivered on the promise of the single that same year, reaching the Top Ten
Andy McKee Trio A self-trained fingerstyle guitarist and composer, McKee posted homemade videos of his tunes on YouTube last year, a move that has launched a staggeringly successful career. Since then, he has had over 20 million hits on YouTube.com, a packed touring schedule that takes him around the world, and he's made 29,000 MySpace friends. Knocking the late, great Johnny Cash out of the top spot as the highest-rated music video on the site, McKee has appeared by invitation on "Last Call with Carson Daly," is in the Top 10 on the iTunes Folk page, and is currently featured on Josh Groban's new album, Noel, on the track "Little Drummer Boy."
Jon McLaughlin American heartland singer-songwriter and pianist, Jon McLaughlin, enters another leg of his nationwide tour in Columbia, SC at the University of South Carolina on November 1st. His upcoming first album for Island Records, INDIANA, is due out early next year. Jon has been quietly building a strong grass-roots following over the last two years, criss-crossing North America on tour legs with O.A.R., Live, Dave Barnes, Matt Wertz, and (most recently this past summer) Sister Hazel, Cowboy Mouth, Susan Tedeschi, and fellow Island artist Marc Broussard. In addition to venues of every size and description, Jon has appeared before tens of thousands at such major outdoor festivals as Feeling Better Than Everfine (Cleveland), Ann Arbor [Michigan] Summerfest, Waterfest (Oshkosh, WI), Milwaukee Summerfest, Music In The Zoo (Apple Valley, MN), Northwest State College Fest (Archbold, OH), and (two weeks ago) the prestigious Lollapalooza get-together at Grant Park in Chicago. INDIANA will pay tribute to Jon's hometown of Anderson, Indiana, in its title tune. Due early next year, the new album finds Jon writing with the Matrix, Jamie Houston, Grammy award winner Marcus Hummon, Matthew Gerard, and Kevin Griffin (from Better Than Ezra). The album was produced by Jamie Houston (credits: Santana, Jessica Simpson, Josh Kelley, Macy Gray, The Calling) and Greg Wells (Natasha Bedingfield, Veronicas, OTEP, Rufus Wainwright). The record was mixed by Chris Lord Alge. Soon after the album's release, Jon will make his silver screen debut in Enchanted, the new Disney animated-and-live comedy starring Idina Menzel, Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams scheduled to open in the summer 2007. Jon will be singing (onscreen) a song written for the movie soundtrack by Ric Wake. A pianist and songwriter since childhood, influenced by Billy Joel, Elton John and Ben Folds, Jon's passion was sidelined when both wrists were shattered in an accident. He finally rediscovered his muse at the end of high school, and concentrated on honing his skills at Anderson University School of Music. His self-titled 10-song debut album was released in 2004, on the university's record label, Orangehaus – and Jon has been touring throughout the country ever since. Last year he released an 8-song EP titled Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded which has also sold well, holding the #1 spot on awarestore.com.
Raul Midon Raul Midon brings a vibrant sound steeped in classic soul to the pop arena, because pop is where a singer and a song can have the biggest and most widespread impact. When an envelope-pushing song becomes a pop hit, it shifts the entire musical landscape, forcing out the shopworn and clich?d while opening the windows of change to let in fresh ideas. The notion of shifting the landscape is this artist's passion; the wide-ranging skill sets he brings to bear on his mission provide him with the tools to pull it off. The New Mexico-born, New York-based writer/vocalist/guitarist burst onto the scene in 2005 with his audaciously original debut album, State of Mind, and he's followed it up with an even more memorable song cycle, one that substantiates the depth of his talent and the degree of his dedication. A World Within a World, the title of the new album (Manhattan Records, Sept. 25), might refer to the status of pop music within the culture as a whole; it could also describe the expansive interior realm that this single-minded artist, blind from birth, has created with his imagination.Midon is bringing currency to a rich tradition of pop inventiveness, combining the beguiling soulfulness of Stevie Wonder, the inventive appropriation of non-indigenous musical elements pioneered by Paul Simon and the trend-defying individuality of Bill Withers. "These are mainstream artists who were on the charts and making art," Midon notes. "There isn't that much originality in pop these days, because everybody is trying to sound like what they think might fit into the narrow formats on radio. But the best pop is as important as much as any music. I mean, I love Paul Simon or James Taylor or Prince as much as I love Miles." With A World Within a World, Midon aims to do his part to replant the pop wilderness. In the pop field, says Midon, with what turns out to be characteristic outspokenness, "You have to think about your audience, and at the same time make music that's interesting to you as an artist. If something you hate becomes successful, you still have to play it every night, and that's no way to live. Because my first record was successful enough to satisfy the label, and because of the quality of the people I'm working with, we made the second album exactly the way we wanted to make it, which is pretty extraordinary in this day and age. There was no interference, no 'Where's the single?' We didn't go through any of that."
Melba Moore Award winning singer, actress and philanthropist, Melba Moore's enduring talent has earned her a rewarding career in theater, television, music and film. She started the Melba Moore Foundation for children because she is devoted to the prevention of child abuse, neglect and illiteracy. Ms. Moore is a positive role model for all people and is a firm believer that through faith all things are possible. Her dynamic lecture is entitled, "Great Inspirations." Tony Award-winning singer and actress Melba Moore returns to her roots with this biographical and beautifully moving one woman, two act musical. Moore captivates the audience with her singing and stories of her life in this poignant and thrilling show.
Jason Mraz Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz hails from Mechanicsville, VA, where he grew up as a fan of the Dave Matthews Band and local roots musicians the Agents of Good Roots. But it was Mraz's interest and participation in musical theater that was his first introduction to music. Mraz moved to New York following high school to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy but dropped out a year later when he took up the guitar and began to focus on songwriting. Nonetheless, Mraz's training as a vocalist would show itself on his debut album which is marked by the pure clarity and range of his vocals. After busking around New York, Mraz eventually returned to Virginia; but, in 1999, he ultimately made his way West, settling in San Diego, CA, known for its coffeehouse scene and support of singer/songwriters, most notably Jewel. Mraz began playing local shops and landed a weekly slot at local hot-spot Java Joe's. At the same time, Mraz met drummer Toca Rivera and the two began performing together -- Mraz on acoustic guitar, Rivera on djembe -- honing a live show that featured as much comedic banter between the two as music.
Willie Nelson Singer, songwriter, and guitarist, actor, activist, and now author of "The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart), Willie Nelson has transformed over the decades from respected songwriter and musician's musician to late-blooming superstar performer to full-blown American icon.
Carrie Newcomer Newcomers new Rounder release, The Geography of Light, is about navigating and exploring the appearance of light and shadow in our lives. It is a layered work. On one level, the listener experiences these types of connections through Newcomers lyrics, which explore life with a progressive spiritual sensibility. In a world that encourages us to move faster and think bigger, Newcomer invites the listener to slow down and reflect on the small things that make life worthwhile. As Rolling Stone wrote, Newcomer asks all the right questions and refuses to settle for easy answers. On another level, the listener hears a skillfully arranged and performed collection of folk roots tracks, with Appalachian and classical influences. Newcomers style is straightforward and accessible. Overall, she is not afraid to take on serious subjects, and does so with a healthy measure of good humor and self awareness. For her, songwriting is not about being clever, flashy or fancy it is about telling a compelling story in language and music with elegance and clarity. The result is a resonant soundtrack for a world that is both sacred and ordinary. Recorded and produced by Newcomer and David Weber at Airtime Studios, The Geography of Light is Newcomers eleventh release on Rounder, with prior albums including The Age of Possibility, The Gathering of Spirits, the Bettys Diner collection and her last album Regulars & Refugees. As her most intimate and lush work yet, The Geography of Light results from working closely with a core of exceptional musicians, including Gary Walters on piano, Chris Wagoner on violin, mandolin, dobro and ukulele, Mary Gaines on cello, Jeff Hedback on bass, Jim Brock on percussion, Keith Skooglund on guitar and Krista Detor on background vocals. At the center is Newcomers adept guitar work and resonant voice, the Austin Statesman called as rich as Godiva chocolate. From the haunting fiddle hook of There is a Tree to the string quartet accompaniment of Lazarus to the deep acoustic groove of Where You Been, this album is both timeless and contemporary. Also contributing to the project is Hugh Syme, whose artwork was designed with a sense of magical realism reinforcing the idea of expecting miracles in common places.
Sinead O'connor Sinead OConnor is a Grammy Award winning Irish singer and songwriter.
Widespread Panic One of the many neo-hippie jam bands inheriting the road-warrior mantle left behind by the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic established a devout grassroots following on the strength of constant touring and a loose, rootsy brand of Southern rock informed by jazz and blues textures. The group's origins dated to 1982, when vocalist John Bell and guitarist Mike Houser first began playing together while attending college in Athens, GA; when bassist Dave Schools left academia to join the duo the next year, Widespread Panic was officially born. The band recorded their debut single, "Coconut Image," in 1986; drummer Todd Nance joined soon after, followed by the addition of percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz and finally keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann. Widespread Panic released their energetic debut LP, Space Wrangler, in 1988 on the tiny Landslide label; after several years of relentless touring, they signed to major label Capricorn, which issued the group's eponymously titled sophomore effort in 1991. Appearances on the 1992 and 1993 H.O.R.D.E. tours greatly expanded their fan base prior to 1993's Everyday, while 1994's Ain't Life Grand spawned the AOR hits "Airplane" and "Can't Get High." After teaming with fellow Georgian Vic Chesnutt to record 1995's Nine High a Pallet under the name Brute, Widespread Panic reconvened for the album Bombs and Butterflies, released in 1997. In the spring of 1998, the band released Light Fuse, Get Away. Til the Medicine Takes followed a year later. Another Joyous Occasion (2000) and Don't Tell the Band (2001) marked the band's first albums of the new millennium. In June 2002, Widespread Panic returned to the road for their annual summer tour of the States, but within a month, founding member and lead guitarist Michael Houser had to bow out. Houser was battling cancer and returned home to Athens, GA, to rest while guitarist George McConnell stepped in to finish the tour. On August 10, 2002, Houser succumbed to complications from pancreatic cancer at the age of 40. Houser's wish was that the band would carry on after his passing, and with McConnell becoming a permanent replacement, Widespread Panic did just that. Their next full-length album, Ball was released in April of 2003. Night of Joy and Über Cobra, both of which appeared in late March 2004, featured live selections from two of the band's shows at The House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC, while they toured in support of Ball. It marked Widespread Panic's second and third live efforts, follow-ups up to 2000's Another Joyous Occasion. They returned to the studio later that year for the Halloween-themed covers record Jackassolantern and again in 2006 for Earth to America.
Adam Pascal Adam Pascal The performer, singer, and songwriter, best known for the hit Broadway musical "Rent" as well as the movie.
Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlmans superstar status as a classical musician is due not only to his virtuosity as a violinist, but also to his performance as a conductor for several leading orchestras. Mr. Perlman is also the recipient of such honors as the "Medal of Liberty" and the "National Medal of Arts."
Forever Plaid A musical comedy which has received rave reviews from New York to Japan. Forever Plaid is the story of four unlikely heroes whose dreams of musical glory come true. It concerns the miraculous return to earth of the Four Plaids. This endearing harmony group was snuffed out in a collision with a school bus. Now through a hole in the ozone layer these nerdy crooners with angelic voices come back to do the show they never got to do in life.
Simply Red Simply Red are an English pop band. Their style draws influences from pop, rock, jazz, lovers rock, and blue-eyed soul. Over time, the name "Simply Red" has come to refer less to a specific group of musicians, and is widely regarded as a name for Mick Hucknalls recordings
Busta Rhymes The most idiosyncratic personality in rap and possessor of its most recognizable delivery, a halting, ragga-inspired style with incredible complexity, inventiveness, and humor, Busta Rhymes formed Leaders of the New School in 1990 and released two albums with the group before breaking out with a 1996 solo hit single, "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check." Born in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, in 1972 of Jamaican heritage (a definite influence on his rapping style), Busta moved to Long Island in 1983 and, at Uniondale High School, met up with MCs Charlie Brown, Dinco D., and Cut Monitor Milo. Inspired by fellow Long Islanders Public Enemy and Eric B. & Rakim, the foursome united as Leaders of the New School and signed a deal with Elektra Records right out of the gate, when Busta was only 17 years old. Much respected in the hip-hop underground for their Afrocentric philosophy and tough rapping styles, Leaders of the New School debuted in 1991 with Future Without a Past but released only one more album, 1993's T.I.M.E., before breaking up the following year. Out on his own for the first time, Busta called on some friends, appearing on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario," the incredible remix of Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear" (also featuring Notorious B.I.G. and LL Cool J), as well as other projects with Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, and TLC. He also appeared in the 1995 John Singleton film Higher Learning and earned a solo contract with Elektra. Busta's first album, The Coming, proved a huge hit; the single "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" hit the Top Ten and pushed the album into gold-record territory. His second album, When Disaster Strikes, debuted at number three in September 1997. Extinction Level Event followed a year later, and in mid-2000, Busta released Anarchy while appearing on the silver screen in a remake of the blaxploitation classic Shaft. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Jim Donovan...... Rhythmic Motivation with Jim Donovan of Rusted Root Jim Donovan the primitive howl he heard in that coffee can was evolving into a divine whisper, one that sent him into the University?s classical music program and into the waiting arms of those with whom he would create Rusted Root. Over the past fifteen years Rusted Root has made millions of people all over the globe dance, smile and sweat. They have sold in excess of three million recordings, made countless trips around North America where they were blessed to share the stage with such Rock and Roll legends as Santana, Page and Plant, Sting, Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead and many others. They have appeared on numerous national TV shows, including MTV, FX, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien VH-1?s Hard Rock Live and the CBS Morning Show. Their music has been featured on numerous television shows as well as major motion films such as Ice Age, Mathilda, Twister and the PBS Web of Life Documentary. On his own Donovan has released 3 solo CDs as well as 4 instructional drumming CDs. he has also recorded with with Triloka recording artist Krishna Das on his highly acclaimed CD ?Live on Earth?. Donovan's most recent CD Revelation #9 was nominated for 2004 Electronica Album of the Year by Just Plain Folks Songwriters organization. Fulfilling his desire to share the power of rhythm first hand to people, Donovan has built a series of educational drumming workshop programs that he teaches across the US at universities, festivals, schools, corporations and specialty venues. He is an adjunct professor at Saint Francis University and is the current director of drumming at the New York Institute of Dance and Education. He is a featured columnist in Drum! Magazine, the worlds number one drumming magazine. He was nominated for ?Best Rock Pop Percussionist? in the 2004 Drum! Magazine Readers poll. 2005 and 2006 finds Donovan expanding his musical world into two new performance projects: the highly acclaimed Drum the Ecstatic International Tour and The Drummer and the Dancer International Tour. Donovan's two new live performance shows continue to break new ground as they combine world class musicians from all over the globe, astonishing choreographed dance and multimedia. Donovan's current media projects In process due out in 2006 are his first Instructional djembe DVD titled Rhythmic Foundation, Drum the Ecstatic Live CD and The Rhythmic Mantra Drum and Chant Meditation CD.
Cosy Sheridan Sheridan is one of the pre-eminent songwriters on the folk scene documenting the lives of modern women. She places the fast-paced culture of 21st century America into a mythic context with insightful, energetic and at times comic effect. Sheridan first appeared on the national folk scene in 1992 when she won the songwriter contests at the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and released her critically acclaimed CD 'Quietly Led' on Waterbug Records. Folk Music Quarterly wrote "When she's accepting her Grammy, we can say we knew her when." Since then she has recorded 5 more CDs on the Waterbug and Wind River/Folk Era labels. In 2003 she created a one-woman show 'The Pomegranate Seed - An Exploration of Appetite, Body Image and Myth in Modern Culture' and released an accompanying CD of the music. The Salt Lake City Tribune described it as "a bold unflinching look at issues affecting womens' lives." New Mexico's arts magazine 'Alibi' called 'The Pomegranate Seed'"Sheridan's soul bled directly to disc." Is Cosy Sheridan "one of the best new singer-songwriters in the United States?" "A Buddhist monk in a 12-step program trapped in the body of a singer-songwriter?" "A very funny and enormously amiable entertainer, with a keen and wicked eye for the excesses of our fast-food, TV-happy and noisome culture?"
Sister Souljah Rapper, organizer, activist, lecturer, and creator of the epic album, "360 Degrees of Power," Sister Souljah has lectured all over the world. In the United States, she has stirred audiences from Harvard to Howard to UCLA. She is the author of No Disrespect.
Henry Rollins... Spoken Word For almost two decades, Henry Rollins has been doing talking/stand-up shows internationally. He tours with his hard-rock group, Rollins Band, and is a Grammy Award-winner for Best Spoken Word Performance. The former frontman of legendary Californian band Black Flag, he is the author of Smile You're Traveling (Black Coffee Blues Part 3). Rollins has written articles for Spin and Details; published numerous books under his own imprint, 2-13-61 Publications; and done EPKs for Black Sabbath, Wayne Kramer and Jerry Lee Lewis. Singer, songwriter, MTV darling, actor, monologist and writer, Henry Rollins has been making edgy, humorous observations on a variety of topics for almost two decades at his international talking/stand-up shows. He also tours with his hard-rock group, Rollins Band, whose albums include Weight (which went Gold and featured the hit single "Liar") and Get Some Go Again. A Grammy Award-winner for Best Spoken Word Performance for his album Get in the Van, he is the former frontman of legendary Californian band Black Flag and has written articles for Spin and Details. A real Renaissance man, he has done EPKs for Black Sabbath, Wayne Kramer and Jerry Lee Lewis; is the host of the Fox TV suspense series Night Visions, which features stars such as Bridget Fonda and Brian Dennehy; played at Woodstock '94; and has hosted VH1's The List. A culture icon in all facets of media, he acted in the movies Heat with Al Pacino, Frost with Michael Keaton, Lost Highway, The Chase with Charlie Sheen and Johnny Mnemonic with Keanu Reeves. Rollins has appeared in ads for Macintosh, General Motors, Partnership for a Drug Free America, The Gap and anti-gun promotional spots. He has also been a guest on Dennis Miller, The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien and Politically Incorrect. Rollins has published numerous books under his own imprint, 2-13-61 Publications, and is the author of Smile, You're Traveling (Black Coffee Blues Part 3), Eye Scream, Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag and The Portable Henry Rollins. The king of the spoken word show, he relishes going on stage and talking to college students. His observations never fail to touch a nerve with audiences. He has said, "Those 20 kids that stick around after a show- that is my family, That's why I'm never nervous before I go on stage. That's why I talk for three hours. I wanna take 'em all home. They're the only people I need."
Taylor Swift Taylor Swift is a country music singer songwriter. Signed to the independent Big Machine Records label in 2006, Taylor made her debut on the U.S. Billboard country charts with the release of her debut single Tim McGraw. Her self titled debut album was released in late 2006, and has since been certified double platinum by the RIAA in the United States. To date, it has produced four Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs, including the Number One single Our Song; three of her singles have also reached Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was re-issued in late 2007 with a set of bonus tracks.
Raven Symone Talented and precocious, child star Raven Symone has been in the spotlight for almost as long as she has been alive.Symone auditioned for a part in Ghost Dad, starring Bill Cosby, and though too young for the part, Symone impressed the casting director, who then introduced her to the movies star. Cosby was also impressed, both with her personality and her ability to remember lines, and wanted her to be on his show, The Cosby Show.Symone made her television debut on Cosbs show in 1989 as Olivia Kendall, thus starting an impressive showbiz career. Next Symone got her own show on The Disney Channel, Thats So Raven 2002, where she played an eccentric teenager with a gift for seeing into the future. That series proved enormously popular with its young audience, adding further heat to Symone's career, resulting in further big screen roles including playing Asana, the musically gifted friend of Princess Mia (Anen Hathaway) in the popular sequel "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" (2004), a role that allowed her to sing the rousing "Your Crowning Glory" opposite screen musical legend Julie Andrews
Billy Taylor Celebrated jazz musician, Billy Talor appears regularly on CBS' "Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood." Mr. Taylor, a jazz historian as well as a performer, is available for a lecture, a lecture/demonstration or a concert.
Immortal Technique Immortal Technique (Felipe Coronel)was born February 19, 1978 in a military hospital in South America, Immortal Technique was brought to the United States in the early 80's while a civil war was breaking out in his native Peru. The US supported puppet democracy and Guerilla factions were locked in a bitter struggle which ended like most do in Latin America, with the military and economic aid of the State Dept. through channels like the CIA. Although he had escaped the belligerent poverty and social turmoil of life in the 3rd world, he was now residing in Harlem which had its own share of drama. Growing up on the streets of New York, the young man became enamored with Hip Hop culture, writing graffiti and starting to rhyme at an early age. Although he frequently cut school and ended up being arrested time and time again for his wild behavior, the kid still managed to finish high school and got accepted to a state university. Unfortunately the survivalist and aggressive attitude that was the norm in New York City caused him to be involved in more violent altercations at school, whether it was with other brothers, false flaggers or the relentlessly racist population of an uncultured Middle America.
Phil Varone Phil Varone is an accomplished drummer, music producer and songwriter best known for his work with the bands Saigon Kick and Skid Row. Varone was born on Long Island, New York and began his fascination with the entertainment business at a very young age. Phil began playing percussion in grade school at the age of 7 and continued into the beginning years of junior high. As a teen, he learned how to play drums. Self taught, he credits listening to his favorite bands and drummers to develop his skills. Although music was an important part of his life, it was just one of his childhood dreams which included acting and stand up comedy. Listening to music, comedy records and watching movies became Phil's favorite past time. After moving to Fort Lauderdale in 1980, he began playing in various local bands. In 1988, he joined together with some of his friends and formed Saigon Kick. The band signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in just two short years. They earned a Gold Record for the album, “The Lizard” as well as a Billboard top 10 single for the song, “Love is On the Way”. In 1996, Saigon Kick disbanded and Varone stayed busy producing and doing studio work for a variety of artists. In 2000, Varone joined multi-platinum recording artists Skid Row. Together they toured the world with Kiss, Poison, Def Leppard and Tesla and along the way recorded a new record, “Thick Skin”. Additionally, the band produced “Under the Skin: The Making of Thick Skin” which was internationally distributed on DVD. In 2004, Phil left Skid Row and the music business to pursue acting and stand up comedy. After moving to Los Angeles, he spent the first two years producing and starring In the feature length documentary, “Waking Up Dead ” which was released on DVD June, 2007. Currently he is writing and developing tv shows around his passion for cooking, comedy and music. Phil’s other passion for acting and has lead to roles on Californication (showtime), a commercial for Nokia Cellular and an appearance on NBC's Identity, E TV and various short films. Phil also lectures in colleges throughout the United States and is the creator and host of the popular "Sex Stand Up And Rock And Roll Show".
Black Violin To most people, jazz, hip-hop, funk, and classical are musical genres. But to revolutionary music group Black Violin, theyre nothing but ingredients. Combining a daunting array of musical styles and influences to produce a signature sound that is not quite maestro, not quite emcee, this group of two classically trained violinists and their DJ is redefining the music world-one string at a time. With influences ranging from Shostakovich and Bach to Nas and Jay-Z, Black Violin breaks all the rules, blending the classical with the modern to create something rare-a sound that nobody has ever heard, but that everybody wants to feel. When the members of Black Violin first learned to play their signature instruments-Wil B at the viola 14 years old and Kev Marcus the violin at the tender age of 9-neither could have foreseen that it would become their livelihood, though it was already becoming their passion. The two Florida natives first met while attending the Dillard High School of Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, a school whose exceptional music programs served to nurture their already budding talents. But it was not until the two were exposed to the work of legendary violinist Stuff Smith that the seeds that would one day become Black Violin were truly planted. Smith, born in Portsmouth, Ohio in 1909, was one of preeminent jazz violinists of the swing era, who went onto perform with names like Alphonse Trent, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Sun Ra throughout a long and storied career. His final album and most soulful, entitled "Black Violin," so inspired and influenced the young Kev Marcus and Wil B that they would eventually name their band in honor of the man who had shown them that there were no limits to what the violin could do. After graduating from high school, both Wil and Kev were granted full music scholarships to college, Florida State and Florida International University respectively. It was at FIU that Kev first encountered the group's future manager, Sam G, with whom he and Wil soon formed a production company: DKNEX. Now they had a platform for their dream, and the talent and inspiration to back it up. Black Violin was born. Once formed, the group wasted no time in making a name for itself, starting with the rigorous touring that would become a trademark of the group. Black Violin was making ripples in the music industry, but it wasn't long before these ripples became waves. In 2004, the group joined superstar Alicia Keys on stage at the Billboard Music awards, delivering a performance that made the tastemakers and music enthusiasts of America sit up and take notice. Not long after, in 2005, the group was awarded the coveted title of Apollo Legend by the esteemed Apollo theatre in Harlem, effectively confirming what many were beginning to suspect-Black Violin was on its way to the top. The next step in BV's journey came in the form of Mike Shinoda, lead singer of legendary rock act Linkin Park, who had had his eye on the two virtuosos for a while. Impressed by their imaginative composition and finely tuned musicianship, he invited them along on a world tour with his hip-hop side project, Fort Minor. Finally granted the worldwide platform their talents deserved, the members of Black Violin now introduced their own brand of genius to audiences across the globe. In addition to Shinoda, BV has worked with musicians as diverse as P.Diddy, Kanye West, Fifty Cent, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, Aretha Franklin and the Eagles-among many others. But Black Violin is only getting started. The group recently released its eponymous debut album-a record whose top notch production and musical cohesion make it feel like the work of seasoned veterans rather than industry upstarts, as many patrons of the iTunes store and Amazon.com are discovering for themselves. The group continues to tour far and wide, opening for hip hop mainstays like Fat Joe, Akon, and the Wu-Tang Clan in locations as diverse, as Prague, Dubai, and South Africa. The group's rising fame has also made it a highly desired act for celebrity events-Black Violin just recently provided the music at both Minister Lois Farrakhan's 75th birthday and at NFL star Santana Moss's wedding. But beyond all the glitz and glamour, the members of Black Violin just want to give children the same opportunities that they had. With school music programs being culled all across the country, Kev and Wil are concerned that urban youth will not have the benefit of music as a positive alternative to other, more destructive pursuits. With this in mind, they have embarked upon a campaign of social change-using youth orchestras and reinvigorated music programs to show children and teens that they are capable of expressing themselves in ways they have never dreamed. In an age where music is coming to be more and more defined by the labels given to it, Black Violin shows that music does not exist within a box, but rather exists in another space-one as open and unrestrained as the minds that produce it.
Anna Vogelzang Like all good teenagers, Anna started writing a notebook full of songs when she turned fifteen on her super-glued-together guitar, most of which sounded like Jewel. Anna knew about five chords. A year or two later she joined a funk band, put some growl into her voice, and started writing with three boys, which made sure that nothing sounded like Jewel. When the time came she decided that she should do the only thing she knew how & attend Carnegie Mellon University for vocal performance. After exploring very different facets of music and creating her own major in college, Anna wrote & produced her first studio album, Some Kind of Parade in 2005, publishing it with the help of a village of classical, jazz, and non-musician friends. With it she mish-mashed all of the music that had influenced her into a sound which still waits to fit one particular genre, thus far being accurately described as, "unavoidably soulful". While expanding her own work and collaborating with others, Anna began spending summers in different cities and sharing bills with the talented friends she made there. She also got to perform as a vocalist with some friends from home, The Dresden Dolls, all around the country, notably at Lollapalooza 2006 & on NPR"s World Cafe with David Dye. In 2007, she wrote and produced her sophomore album, The Things That Airplanes Do, mastered at Capitol Records by Ron McMaster (Diana Krall, The Beach Boys, Gwen Stefani) and had it printed up like a real person. The album served as a capstone for her majors requirements and with it Anna earned a BFA in Creative Music Production in May, 2007. Currently, she's "living the dream" in Chicago, looking for bandmates & writing sad (but sometimes happy) songs in her bedroom - pretty much back at where it all started. Unfortunately, every time she uses the word ironic she still gets the Alanis Morissette song stuck in her head.
Rufus Wainwright Affectionately referred to by Elton John as the greatest songwriter on the planet and praised by The New York Times for his "genuine originality", Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation by carving out his own singular sound. Born to folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright grew up entrenched in iconic music making. He began to play the piano at six, was touring with his mother and Aunt Anna as the McGarrigle Sisters and Family by thirteen, and had a Juno nomination for his performance of I'm Running in the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller by the time he was 16. Throughout his adolescent years, Wainwright found solace in opera. He also loved performers such as Edith Piaf, Al Jolson and Judy Garland. After spending time on the club circuit, Wainwright cut a series of demos, one of which found itself in the hands of Lenny Waronker at the newly formed DreamWorks. So taken with the demos, DreamWorks made Wainwright their first signed artist. His self-titled debut album was released in 1998 to critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone Magazine anointing the work as one of the best albums of the year. Wainwright's subsequent releases, Poses (2001), Want One (2004) and Want Two (2005) continued to build his reputation as a critically established artist. His most recent album, Release The Stars (2007), is his first self-produced effort and has just gone Gold in the UK. It has been described by the New York Times as simultaneously forthright and evasive, urgent as well as coy, and has been characterized by USA Today as being always compelling and People as being something special. Wainwright will continue to tour internationally after the Hollywood Bowl show. Wainwrights next album will be a live recording from his Carnegie Hall concert, to be released in December. At that time a live DVD of the London Palladium concert will also be released. Beyond recording, Wainwright is a noted actor, having starred in Martin Scorseses The Aviator and Merchant Ivorys Heights. He was featured in the Leonard Cohen documentary I'm Your Man and will be seen in the forthcoming Denys Arcand film L'Age Des Tenebres. Wainwright has also recently completed an original piece of music for the Stephen Petronio Dance Company.
Max Weinberg Max Weinberg is one of the most famous drummers in contemporary music. Weinberg is a member of Bruce Springsteen's legendary E-Street Band. He is the music director and band leader of Max Weinberg 7 on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien. From his days as an original member of Bruce Springsteen's legendary E Street Band to his popular role as music director and band leader for NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Max Weinberg has become one of the most renowned drummers in contemporary music. Called " . . . the rhythmic backbone of the E Street Band" by the New York Times, Weinberg was a key figure in the group that supported Springsteen for nearly twenty years-and through sales of more than 50 million records. Today, his creative musical cues and hilarious on-air performances as head of Max Weinberg 7 have helped Late Night with Conan O'Brien become one of the hippest shows on late night TV and the number-one show on college campuses across America.
Kanye West In a short span of time, Kanye West went from hitmaking producer to just plain hitmaker, as his stellar production work earned him a solo record deal and soon his beats were accompanied by his own witty raps on a number of critically and commercially successful releases. His flamboyant personality also made a mark. West showcased a dapper fashion sense that set him apart from most of his rap peers, and his confidence often came across as boastful or even egotistic, albeit amusingly. This flamboyance, of course, made for good press, something West enjoyed plenty of during his sudden rise to celebrity status. He was a media darling, appearing and performing at practically every major awards show (and winning at them, too), delivering theatrical videos to MTV that were events in themselves, and mouthing off about whatever happened to cross his mind. For instance, he once spoke out against the rampant homophobia evident in much rap music, and he also posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ. He seemed to court controversy. West's steady presence in the celebrity limelight, on the other hand, could sometimes eclipse his considerable musical talent. His production ability seemed boundless during his initial surge of activity, as he not only racked up impressive hits for himself like "Jesus Walks" and "Gold Digger," but also graced such fellow rap stars as Jay-Z and Ludacris with smashes. In addition to these many accomplishments, it's worth noting how West shattered certain stereotypes about rappers. Whether it was his appearance or his rhetoric, or even just his music, this young man became a superstar on his own terms, and his singularity no doubt is part of his appeal to a great many people, especially those who don't generally consider themselves rap listeners.
Saul Williams By 1995 he had become a talented open mic poet and in 1996 he won the title of Nuyorican Poets Cafe's Grand Slam Champion. Fame on the spoken-word circuit led him to the lead role in the 1998 feature film, Slam, which won both the Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize and the Cannes Camera D'Or, introducing Williams to international audiences. Williams was at this time breaking into music. He had performed with such artists as renowned hip-hop artists The Fugees, Blackalicious, Erykah Badu, KRS-One, De La Soul, DJ Krust, as well as legendary poets Allen Ginsberg and Sonia Sanchez. After releasing a string of EPs, in 2001 he released the much-hyped Amethyst Rock Star with producer Rick Rubin and in September 2004 his self-titled album to much acclaim. He played several shows supporting Nine Inch Nails on their European tour in summer 2005, and has also supported The Mars Volta. Williams was also invited to the Lollapalooza music festival in Summer 2005. The Chicago stage allowed Williams to attract a wider audience. He also supported NIN on their 2006 North American tour, during which he announced that Trent Reznor would co-produce his next album. [2] As a writer, Williams has been published in The New York Times, Esquire, Bomb Magazine and African Voices, as well as having released four collections of poetry. He has toured and lectured across the world, appearing at many universities and colleges. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams is one half of the production duo The Neptunes (with Chad Hugo) with whom he produces primarily hip-hop music. He is also the lead singer and drummer in the funk-rock group N*E*R*D with Hugo and Shae Haley. More recently he has also done solo work as a singer and rapper, releasing his debut single "Frontin'" in 2003, and album In My Mind in 2006. He is sometimes seen with fight promoter Frank Azzalina, also of Virginia Beach, Virginia.Since 2004 (first in the song "Drop It Like It's Hot") he has referred to his rapping persona as Skateboard P. As a part of The Neptunes Pharrell has produced numerous hit singles for various music megastars. He plays the drums, keyboard, and guitar.
Benjamin Zander World-renowned conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Benjamin Zander has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) since its formation twenty years ago. Mr. Zander, who was born and educated in England, began to compose at the age of nine. Since 1966, Mr. Zander has been on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music, where he teaches graduate courses in interpretation and chamber music, conducts the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and regularly conducts the Conservatory's Symphony Orchestra. He is also the artistic director of the music program at Walnut Hill, a boarding school for the training of highly accomplished young performing artists. In his twenty-eight years as conductor of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, he has led the orchestra on twelve international tours, including a tour to Cuba and Mexico in 1999, Brazil in 1997, and to Argentina and Chile in 1995. A two-hour documentary of their 1995 tour, entitled A New World of Music, has won several prizes in prestigious film festivals, and was recently nominated for an Emmy Award. A recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 5, performed by the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra on its tour of Brazil, was released last year.
Strauss Zelnick Media and Entertainment Executive As one of the only executives to have run every type of major media company including music, technology, film and television, Strauss Zelnick is a leading expert in all facets of the media industry. Under Zelnick's leadership, BMG Entertainment's success in North America included the remarkable ongoing performance of Arista Records, one of the world's leading record labels, and the establishment of RCA Records as one of the industry's hottest creative homes with acts like Christina Aguilera and the Dave Mathews Band. Before moving on to music and gaming, Zelnick began his media career in film. He was President of Vestron Inc. in 1987 when the company produced Dirty Dancing, the most successful independent film of the time. He went on to become President of 20th Century Fox, where he was involved with the hits Home Alone, War of the Roses and Sleeping with the Enemy. In his newest venture, ZelnickMedia, Zelnick is capitalizing on his varied breadth of experience to create a dynamic and diverse media company. ZelnickMedia is seeking out companies with strong operations and opportunities and helping them to succeed by infusing them with capital, management expertise and strategic direction.