Showing posts with label Theme Week Artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theme Week Artists. Show all posts
Florence + The Machine, a Precious Gem
12 February, 2010 4:17 PM
Florence + the Machine is the recording name of Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide backing music for her voice. Musically Florence and the Machine's sound is generally referred to as soul-inspired indie rock.Florence was born 28 August 1986 in London. As a teenager she was the frontwoman for Toxic Cockroaches and Ashok. Feeling she was in "the wrong band" she got out of a contract with Ashok by resigning.
According to Welch "The name Florence and the Machine started off as a private joke that got out of hand. I made music with my friend, who we called Isabella Machine to which I was Florence Robot. When I was about an hour away from my first gig, I still didn't have a name, so I thought "Okay, I'll be Florence Robot is a Machine", before realizing that name was so long it'd drive me mad". In 2006 Welch's performances in small London venues as "Florence Robot is a Machine" began to attract notice.
She released her debut album, Lungs, in the United Kingdom on 6 July, 2009. The album has peaked at the #1 position in the UK and the #13 position in Europe. As of 6 August the album had sold over 100,000 copies in the UK and by 10 August it had been at the #2 position for five straight weeks. The album was released physically in the U.S. on 20 October by Island Records.Florence and the Machine is up for 2010 Brit Awards in the categories of British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, and British Album. And I'm sure she will win one at least. She is exotic, Florence isn't as the normal singers, she's in another level. Her uniqueness is so big that it can't be ranked. A truly precious gem.
Discography
Lungs
Videos
Music Videos
La Roux, the Duo that Looks Like a Solo
11 February, 2010 8:48 PM
La Roux are an English electropop and synthpop duo made up of singer Eleanor Jackson (born March 8, 1988), and synthesizer player, co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. Jackson describes their respective roles as "very much a half and half sharing situation... not like a singer producer outfit", but also recognizing that it often can "look like a solo act".
The band's name originates from Jackson's red hair; she has said: "To me, it means "red-haired one" – and it does, vaguely. It's just a male version of "red-haired one", which I think is even cooler, because I'm well androgynous anyway. So it kind of makes sense."
La Roux's debut single, "Quicksand", was released by French independent record label Kitsuné Music in December 2008. They then signed to Polydor Records in order to release their debut album.
The eponymus album was released on June 29,2009. In order to promote La Roux, the band were the supporting act on Lily Allen's UK tour of March 2009.
They have received 2010 BRIT Award nominations in the categories of British Breakthrough Act and British Single for "In for the Kill".
La Roux is already having a great impact on electronic music and I might say it's the new sensation. Really good!
Discography
La Roux
Videos
Music Videos
Clicking on the album cover will take you to the iTunes Store. Remember to keep voting for nexts monh theme week and to follow me on your favourite site.
VV Brown, Retro Revival
4:33 PM
Vanessa Brown (born October 24, 1983), known as VV Brown, is a British recording artist, songwriter and producer signed to Universal's Island Records in the United Kingdom and to EMI's Capitol Records in the United States.
Vanessa was born in Northampton. She is the eldest of six siblings and is of Caribbean parentage, her mother being Jamaican and father being Puerto Rican. She attended Overstone Park School near Northampton, which her parents own and work at.
Under the moniker "VV Brown", she released her debut album, Travelling Like the Light, in July 13, 2009 by Universal Records. The album is inspired by 1950s and electronic music as well as sounds emitted from Game Boy and Nintendo.
On 5 December 2008, she was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2009 award, alongside acts including Little Boots and Lady GaGa.
Vanessa is a really good singer. She has a powerful voice and her music makes us remember some of the greatest female vocalists. The lyrics are often about love and affairs, but that doesn't mean her music isn't good. My favourite song of her is "Shark in the Water" , it's such a deep song, try hearing to it first, figure out the meaning and then watch the music video. Conclusion: Worth every penny!
Travelling Like the Light
Videos
Music Videos
Clicking the album cover will take you to the iTunes Store. Remember to keep voting for next months theme week and to follow me on yout favourite site.
Bat for Lashes, a One of a Kind
10 February, 2010 11:06 PM
Natasha Khan (born 25 October, 1979) also known by her stage name "Bat for Lashes" (no idea what that means). She was born in London and raised in Wembley.
During her teens Khan was also a victim of racism. Speaking about her time in after-school clubs she claimed “the kids there totally ripped me to shreds.” This rejection led Khan to rebel, making the decision to “bunk off” school and stay at home listening to music. “My mum would take me to the train station and I pretended to get the train; she'd drive to work and I would go home and play a tape of Nirvana all day”. With the completion of her GCSEs and A-Levels she decided to embark on a road trip through America with her boyfriend at the time, using the money earned from her part time job at a local card-making factory. After spending three months touring through the US and Mexico Khan returned to Britain and settled down in Brighton to study a degree in music and visual arts at the University of Brighton.
Her debut album, "Fur and Gold", was released on September 11, 2006, peaking #48 on the UK Album Charts and going on to be nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2007. In the following year, she also picked up two BRIT nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Female, leading to growing media attention.Khan’s second album, "Two Suns", was released on April 6, 2009. It reached #5 on the UK Album Charts and #17 on the Irish Album Charts. The first single released off the album, "Daniel", charted within the top 40. The second single, "Pearl's Dream", was released on 22 June 2009. It has also been nominated for a Mercury Prize.
Her latest nomination is for Best Female Solo Artist at 2010's Brit Awards, along with Florence and the Machine, Leona Lewis, Lily Allen and Pixie Lott.
She is an excelent artist and a star in the making. Natasha has that dark/gothic girl vibe, and I must say I love it. I'm sure we'll hear from her in the near future.
Her latest nomination is for Best Female Solo Artist at 2010's Brit Awards, along with Florence and the Machine, Leona Lewis, Lily Allen and Pixie Lott.
She is an excelent artist and a star in the making. Natasha has that dark/gothic girl vibe, and I must say I love it. I'm sure we'll hear from her in the near future.
Discography
Fur And Gold
Two Suns
Videos
Music Videos
Live
Clicking on the album covers will take you to the iTunes Store. Keep voting for next's month theme week.
Beth Rowley, the Peruvian Lady
09 February, 2010 7:44 PM
Beth Rowley is a peruvian born english singer. She was born in October, 1981 to British parents who later returned from Peru in 1982 to live in Bristol when Beth was two.
At 16, Beth formed The Apogee, a 5 piece funk/soul/acid jazz group. At 17 she was spotted at an open night in the popular London entertainment club, Ginglik, in Shepherd's Bush. Beth studied music and art at Weston-super-Mare College and in 2003 went on to the Brighton Institute of Modern Music.
Her debut album entitled "Little Dreamer" was released in the UK on May 19, 2008 and went straight into the UK album charts at number 6. On January 20, 2009 she was nominated for a Brit Award in the category for Best British Female Solo Artist along with Adele,M.I.A., Estelle and Duffy, who won the award.
Living in Peru had a significant influence in her life (despite being a baby). That's the reason why her music is so unique, she is a soul singer with latinamerican beats. She is a powerful singer and her debut is exquisite. And I must say I love her curls.
Discography
Little Dreamer
Videos
Music Video
So Sublime
Oh My Life
Live
Clicking the album cover will take you to the iTunes Store. I couldn't embed the music videos so clicking in the tape will take you to YouTube. Remember to keep voting for next month theme week and to follow me to get the latest news!
Katie Melua, the Underwater Singer
31 January, 2010 11:55 PM
Ketevan "Katie" Melua was born on September 16, 1984 in Georgia, but later moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then relocated to England at the age of 14.
Because of her upbringing in politically unstable Georgia and troubled Belfast, Melua initially planned to become either a historian or a politician. Imagine that! We would have lost her amazing music. This changed in 2000 (fortunately), at the age of 15, when Melua took part in a talent competition on British television channel ITV called "Stars Up Their Noses" (a spoof of Stars in Their Eyes) as part of the children's programme Mad for It!. Melua won the contest by singing Badfinger's "Without You". The prize was £350 worth of MFI vouchers, with which she bought a chair for her father.
It was when performing at a Brit School showcase that Melua caught the eye of Mike Batt, an English songwriter and producer who was originally looking for an acid-rock band, bass player and a singer capable of singing "jazz and blues in an interesting way". After hearing Melua sing "Faraway Voice" (a song she wrote about the death of her idol Eva Cassidy) Batt signed the 18 year-old Melua to his small Dramatico recording and management company and sent her into the studio. She made her musical debut in 2003. By 2006, she was the United Kingdom's biggest-selling female artist and Europe's highest selling European female artist.
World Record
On 2 October 2006, Melua entered the Guinness Book of Records for playing the deepest underwater concert 303 metres below sea level on the Norwegian Statoil's Troll A platform in the North Sea. Melua and her band underwent extensive medical tests and survival training in Norway before flying by helicopter to the rig. Melua later described achieving the record as "the most surreal gig I have ever done". Melua's concert is commemorated in the DVD release, Concert Under the Sea, released in June 2007.
And yes, she was the girl in the picture of the theme week, you see it now, don't you?. It wasn't so hard at the end.
Discography
CALL OFF THE SEARCH
$ong Choice
PIECE BY PIECE
$ong Choice
PICTURES
$ong Choice
Clicking the album covers will take you to the iTunes Store.
Melody Gardot, the Woman who had an Accident
11:05 PM
Melody was born on February 2, 1985 in New Jersey. The talented singer suffered an accident in 2003. While cycling in Philadelphia in November, she was hit by a Jeep Cherokee whose driver had ignored a red traffic light. In the accident she suffered serious head and spinal injuries and her pelvis was shattered in two places. Because of these severe injuries she was confined to her hospital bed for a year and had to remain lying on her back. As a further consequence of her injuries she had to re-learn simple tasks such as brushing her teeth and walking. The most noticeable effect of the neural injuries she suffered is that she was left hyper-sensitive to both light and sound, therefore requiring her to wear dark sunglasses at nearly all times to shield her eyes. The accident also resulted in both long and short term memory problems and difficulty with her sense of time. Melody has described coping with this as like "climbing Mount Everest every day" as she often wakes with no memory of what she has to do that day.
So after her accident she began writing music and since then often speaks and advocates in favour of using music for therapy. Music involving listening and making a verbal attempt to sing or hum is thought to help the brain form new pathways. At first, Melody learned to hum and was eventually able to sing into a tape recorder. She made good progress and was eventually able to write original songs that sometimes referred to her rehabilitation.
Gardot started music lessons at the age of nine and began playing piano in Philadelphia bars at the age of sixteen on Fridays and Saturdays for four hours a night. Her first full-length album was entitled Worrisome Heart. After meeting her in New York City in 2008, producer Larry Klein began working with Gardot and they released her second album, My One and Only Thrill, on April 28, 2009.
Melody is a woman who suffered a lot but the accident helped her becoming a better person and singer. Her music is so good that it very difficult to describe. She seems to have Latin influences as in many songs there are Latin beats.
Selected Discography
WORRISOME HEART
$ong Choice
MY ONE AND ONLY THRILL
$ong Choice
Clicking the album covers will take you to the iTunes Store.
White Hinterland, the Genere Mixer
10:39 PM
Born on January 4, 2008, White Hinterland is really the name of Casey Dienel (born March 10, 1985) an artist who got bored of her name?.
White, is a real mixer, blending cabaret, pop, folk and jazz. That seems a difficult task for a young lady, doesn't it?
Casey Dienel spent the bulk of her young life living in Scituate, Massachusetts. Her first piano lessons were at 4, and at 14 she began writing her own songs. While attending Scituate High School, Dienel formed a short-lived band named Helen Keller.
After high school, Dienel moved to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory of Music, having turned down an offer of acceptance from Sarah Lawrence College. After one semester of studying classical vocals, she opted to switch her major to classical composition. During her two years at the conservatory, Dienel studied with many notable musicians, including jazz vocalist Dominique Eade and composer Lee Hyla, before taking an indefinite leave of absence to pursue her own music career. While living in Boston during her Conservatory years, Dienel met Dylan Metrano of the band Tiger Saw, and was an occasional member of the band's rotating lineup.
Her debut album, Wind-Up Canary, was released in 2006 on Hush Records. Dienel presently performs and records as White Hinterland, whose first album, titled Phylactery Factory, was released on March 4, 2008, by the independent record label Dead Oceans.
White might not have the best voice, but she has such an uique style that she is worth mentioning. Her music is so pure and peaceful that it works perfect for some relaxing time.
White might not have the best voice, but she has such an uique style that she is worth mentioning. Her music is so pure and peaceful that it works perfect for some relaxing time.
Discography
WIND-UP CANDY
$ong Choice
PHYLACTERY FACTORY
$ong Choice
Clicking the album covers will take you to the Amazon Store.
Stacey Kent, the Woman with the Sweet Voice
10:27 PM
Born March 27, 1968 in South Orange, New Jersey, Stacey never planed a carrer on music. She is actually a Sarah Lawrence College graduate with a degree in comparative literature. So what has literature to do with music? Well, they both have letters, right?.
After graduating from college, she moved to London and decided to took up singing and she never looked back. Kent became acquainted with several musicians at Oxford in 1991 and through them she found herself participating in a jazz course at the famed Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In 1996, Kent inked a deal with Candid Records and a year later, the critically acclaimed debut, Close Your Eyes, was released. The Boy Next Door achieved Gold album status in France in September, 2006. Breakfast On The Morning Tram achieved Gold album status in France in November, 2007 and Gold album status in Germany in February, 2008 and was nominated for Best Vocal Jazz Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards. On 31 March 2009 Kent received the National Order of Arts and Letters, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a government decoration, in recognition of her contribution to the arts, from French Culture Minister Christine Albanel.
Stacey is the classical jazz singer, not in the bad way, she has that soft and sweet voice which is so appreciated in the genere.
Selected Discography
CLOSE YOUR EYES
THE BOY NEXT DOOR
$ong Choice
BREAKFAST ON THE MORNING TRAM
$ong Choice
Clicking the album covers will take you to the Amazon store.
Michael Bublé, the New Jazz King
30 January, 2010 8:44 PM
Doing a Jazz Week without including Michael Bublé would be like a strawberry cake without strawberrys. The Canadian singer born 9 September, 1975 in Burnaby has won several awards, including Grammys and multiple Juno Awards. One of the biggest sellers of all time with more than 20 million albums worldwide. Her latest record, Crazy Love, (released October 9, 2009) opened atop the Billboard 200 chart with 132,000 copies, giving the singer his second No. 1 album, it has sold 3,338,000 copies so far. It has since spent 12 weeks in the top 10 and is certified 3× platinum.
The son of a salmon fisherman and the grandson of a plumber, it's not a surprise he has a good voice. You know, the good singers are always the one you less expect. His first singing engagements were in nightclubs at the age of 16 and by the age of 18 he was already a talent show master. He later acted in some movies no worth mentioning.
In 2000, Bublé's career breakthrough came from a surprising chain of events. Michael McSweeney saw Bublé's performance at a business party and received a copy of Bublé’s self-financed independent album . McSweeney, an aide to former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, showed the album to Mulroney and his wife. Subsequently, Bublé was invited to sing at the wedding of Mulroney's daughter Caroline, where he sang Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife". At the wedding, Bublé was introduced to David Foster, a multi-Grammy Award winning producer and record executive. Initially, Foster was reluctant to sign Bublé to his 143 Records label because he “didn’t know how to market this kind of music.” Bublé moved to Los Angeles for a brief period, with his agent, to convince Foster to sign him. Eventually, Foster agreed to produce an album for him if he raised $500,000 to cover the costs of the production, which Bublé did. Foster ended up covering the costs of production in the end under his label, with no assurances of support from Warner Brothers, and after Bublé received the personal stamp of approval and support of Foster's friend Paul Anka. After David Foster agreed to produce Bublé’s debut album, Bruce Allen, who Bublé had pursued for years to be his manager, also signed Bublé.
And Michael proved wrong Foster's initial thought. He is one of the most loved jazz singers and he continues to impress us with his amazing vocals.
In 2000, Bublé's career breakthrough came from a surprising chain of events. Michael McSweeney saw Bublé's performance at a business party and received a copy of Bublé’s self-financed independent album . McSweeney, an aide to former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, showed the album to Mulroney and his wife. Subsequently, Bublé was invited to sing at the wedding of Mulroney's daughter Caroline, where he sang Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife". At the wedding, Bublé was introduced to David Foster, a multi-Grammy Award winning producer and record executive. Initially, Foster was reluctant to sign Bublé to his 143 Records label because he “didn’t know how to market this kind of music.” Bublé moved to Los Angeles for a brief period, with his agent, to convince Foster to sign him. Eventually, Foster agreed to produce an album for him if he raised $500,000 to cover the costs of the production, which Bublé did. Foster ended up covering the costs of production in the end under his label, with no assurances of support from Warner Brothers, and after Bublé received the personal stamp of approval and support of Foster's friend Paul Anka. After David Foster agreed to produce Bublé’s debut album, Bruce Allen, who Bublé had pursued for years to be his manager, also signed Bublé.And Michael proved wrong Foster's initial thought. He is one of the most loved jazz singers and he continues to impress us with his amazing vocals.
Discography
MICHAEL BUBLE
$ong Choice
IT'S TIME
$ong Choice
CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE
$ong Choice
CRAZY LOVE
$ong Choice
Clicking the album covers will take you to the iTunes Store. Remember to vote for next weeks theme,
MUSIC VIDEOS
Alice Russell, the White Chaka Khan?
29 January, 2010 4:17 PM
A British singer born in 1975. Daughter of an organist, she grew up in Framlingham, Suffolk where she sang in choirs before starting studies in art and music in Brighton in 1994.Alice became increasingly known throughout the early 2000s with her contributions to recordings from Bah Samba, Quantic, TM Juke, and Nostalgia 77. Her latest release Pot of Gold, maybe her most popular record, was released on November 4, 2008.
Stylistically speaking, she is a soul singer. But I decided to include her in the Jazz Week because she blends so many styles in one that it's almost unclassifiable. And she does have a jazzy voice! Her powerful voice resembles the very popular Chaka Khan, also known as The Queen of Funk Soul. I never imagined a white girl with such a deep voice, she is a white with a black voice, and that's amazing.
I don't know why, maybe it's because her name and that she is blond, but I can't see her without Alice in Wonderland coming to my mind. It might be the reason for me to love her (I really like Alice character). You know, she is one of that artists that I instantly fell in love with, and you may fall in love with her too!
I don't know why, maybe it's because her name and that she is blond, but I can't see her without Alice in Wonderland coming to my mind. It might be the reason for me to love her (I really like Alice character). You know, she is one of that artists that I instantly fell in love with, and you may fall in love with her too!
Selected Discography
UNDER THE MUNKA MOON
Her debut EP, released on August 31, 2004.
$ong Choice
Mean To Me
The opening track, I think this is the song were her jazzy voice stands out more. It's soft (an acoustic version) and her voice really shows.
MY FAVOURITE LETTERS
Alice's second album released on September 27, 2005.
$ong Choice
Munkaroo
A great song which combines jazz and funk.
POT OF GOLD
Her fourth and most recent album released by Six Deegres Records.
$ong Choice
Got the Hunger?
She shows her vocal ability with this song, hitting very high notes.
Let Us Be Loving Video
The first single of the album official video.
Clicking the albums covers will take you to the iTunes Store. Remember to vote for next week theme.
Lisa Ekdahl, the Woman with the Childlike Voice
27 January, 2010 10:58 PM
Lisa Ekdahl seems to be an inoccent 20 year old girl. In fact, you will swear she is in her twenties unless you know she was actually born in July 29, 1971 in Mariefred, Sweden. Yes, she is 38!. In 1990, she started singing jazz with the trio of pianist Peter Nordahl. The swedish singer has so far published 10 albums, most of them in the Swedish language but some entirely in English. Her debut album, the eponymous Lisa Ekdahl, was released in 1994 and she has been recording since then. Lisa's latest album, "Give That Slow Knowing Smile", was released on March 24, 2009.
While her Swedish albums are considered to be pop, her english albums are jazz. She is best known probably for her single "Vem Vet" (which is Swedish for "Who Knows") who made her a superstar in Scandinavia at the age of 23. The singer's first English album, "When Did You Leave Heaven", was also her first jazz album and the first Ekdahl album to come out in the U.S. "When Did You Leave Heaven" was a big seller in Sweden, but the album (which came out on RCA Victor in the U.S.) received its share of negative reviews from American jazz critics, who felt that Ekdahl's thin, very girlish voice was wrong for standards and straightahead jazz and argued that she should stick to pop. What were they thinking? Although Lisa's voice may be considered too thin, she has TALENT, Lisa is an amazing singer, who cares if her voice doesen't fits "STANDARS".
Selected Discography
LISA EKDAHL
Lisa's debut album released in 1994. The album lifted Lisa to stardom and she became a well known singer in Scandinavian countrys. Ekdahl became famous overnight in Sweden with the #1 hit single "Vem Vet (Who Knows)". The record sold almost 800,000 copies and she was awarded three Swedish music prizes, one of them as the nation's best artist of the year. She repeated the success in Denmark and Norway as well.
$ong Choice
Vem Vet
She was signed with EMI Records, but later recorded two pop albums with RCA/BMG: "Med Kroppen Mot Jorden" and "Bortom Det Blå" in 1996 and 97.
MED KROPPEN MOT JORDEN
BORTOM DET BLA
Lisa Ekdahl's sixth album, "Lisa Ekdahl sings Salvadore Poe" released in 2000, signaled a new direction and critical esteem. As the new album's title indicates, Ekdahl exclusively sings songs written by her husband, primarily in the bossa nova style. Their album was a smash in France and Scandinavia, where it sold over 120,000 copies by early 2001.
LISA EKDAHL SINGS SALVADORE POE
$ong Choice
Color of You
In this album Lisa sang songs exclusively written by her husband. The album is considered to be bossa nova.
HEAVEN EARTH AND BEYOND
$ong Choice
Rivers Of Love
A song that had appered first in the previous album, the uptempo song opens with a naive laught by Lisa, which is the beginning of a rythmical song.
OLYCKSSYSTER
PARLOR AV GLAS
GIVE ME THAT SLOW KNOWING SMILE
$ong Choice
Give Me That Slow Knowing Smile
The song that gives name to the album. I consider it a masterpiece, from the soft whistles to the excelent vocals, it's one of Lisa's best songs.
Clicking on the album covers will take you to the Amazon store, so you could by her album if you liked her. Sorry I didn't posted yesterday but I have a terrible headache. Remember to vote for next week's theme and to follow me. Still wondering who is the girl in the picture? Wait till Sunday to know it!
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