The best of hip hop and hardcore collide with the release of Danny Diablo's new album, International Hardcore Superstar, due out on Hellcat Records on Sept 15. Part singer, part actor, part entrepreneur, Diablo, AKA Lord Ezec, is an underground virtuoso with one foot in the New York hardcore scene and the other in thugcore hip hop. Not for the timid or weak, International Hardcore Superstar brings the heat with a blending of thick body rocking beats, heavy guitar riffs and confrontational in-your-face rhymes that'll leave you moshing, shaking your ass or both
Hailing from Queens, Diablo embraced the street mentality at an early age, becoming infamous within the underground under the assumed moniker of Lord Ezec. Having access to the booming New York hardcore scene in Jackson Heights, his ultra rebellious attitude was a natural fit with the aggressive scene, and, in the early nineties, Diablo became a roadie for bands Sick of it All and Biohazard.
Always one to do his own thing, Diablo eventually formed the much respected underground band Crown of Thornz. In 1995 Diablo found his notorious "thugcore" side when he created the aggressive side-project Skarhead with members of Madball and Subzero. He'd go on to release and EP and full-length with the band and tour with Hatebreed and Gwar among others.
One of the first New York hardcore people to move into the hip-hop world, Diablo began blending the lines between hardcore and hip-hop, working with artists like Danny Boy (House of Pain) and bands like Transplants. He released his first solo album Thugcore 4 Life in 2008, which included production by Tim Armstrong (Rancid) and guest appearances from Daddy X (Kottonmouth Kings), DJ Lethal, Skinhead Rob (Transplants).
On Sept 15, Diablo returns with his follow-up, International Hardcore Superstar, a collection of fifteen down and dirty songs covering the gambit from brutal to sexy. Racy and pulse pounding, the album's first single "Don't You Want Me," a Human League mash up, is an instant hit with Diablo's unforgettable vocals over the song's catchy beats with seductive guest vocals from the sultry Natasha Nicholson.
The record opens with "Sex and Violence," a hard-hitting hip hop/dance take on The Exploited's classic Oi song featuring vocals by Everlast and Tim Armstrong, and it doesn't slow down with tracks like the rapcore riff-rhyming of "Working Class," the thugcore crowd pleaser "Kill Em Dead," the infectuous "Give Me A Chance" and street life ballad "2 Hip." Diablo shows his versatile style and skills on the mic on hardcore rap anthems like the album's title track and the shout out to his borough "Queens Killaz."
"I been a lot of places in my life," states Diablo. "Places within this world and places within myself. This record is reflection of that crazy I lived and I made sure there is a song for everyone on it. So sit back let the music play and enjoy. In life you have to take the good and the bad and make the best out it. It has been 2 and half years of highs and lows while making this record. Now people can hear some examples of how hardcore my life has been. "
International Hardcore Superstar cements Diablo not only as the king of the "thugcore" scene, but also establishes him as one of the most innovative and creative up-and-coming forces in mainstream hip hop.
International Hardcore Superstar Tracklisting:
1. Sex And Violence
2. Kill Em Dead
3. International Hardcore Superstar
4. Working Class
5. Massive (Beer)
6. Give Me A Chance
7. Blood Money
8. Don't You Want Me
9. Shot Gun Blast
10. PS I Love You
11. The Chosen Few
12. 2 Hip
13. Hands Up
14. Queens Killaz
15. Goodbye Farewell
For More Information:
www.myspace.com/dannydiablo
www.hell-cat.com
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Ruiner to tour in support of new album
As Ruiner gears up to release their upcoming full-length, Hell Is Empty, on September 22nd, they are proud to announce their teaser EP – the Dead Weight EP. Featuring the track “Dead Weight” off of Hell Is Empty and two exclusives, “Constrictor” and “Ruiner” (Nine Inch Nails cover), the Dead Weight EP will be available on September 8th and was recorded with J. Robbins during the Hell Is Empty sessions.
Vocalist Rob Sullivan said, “the song ‘Dead Weight’ is about my distaste for where I work and the neighborhood in which I live and how sometimes, regardless of your ability to breathe, you are already dead.”
And regarding the Nine Inch Nails cover, “Ruiner”, Rob commented, “NIN is one band who I have loved since I was in middle school, and I still listen to them on the regular. It is where we got our name from and we knew one day we would try to pull off recording the song ‘Ruiner’. Hopefully we did it justice.”
Interesting fact: J. Robbins actually plays the odd synth guitar part that is done with a keyboard on the original version of the song.
Following the release of Ruiner’s upcoming EP and full-length, the band will canvas the U.S. on the first ever Bridge Nine Tour alongside labelmates Strike Anywhere, Polar Bear Club, and Crime In Stereo.
Sullivan commented, “We are very excited about the upcoming tour and to be on the road with our friends and labelmates – it should be an awesome time.”
Tour dates are below – be sure to check out a show near you!
RUINER on the Bridge Nine Tour w/ Strike Anywhere, Polar Bear Club, Crime In Stereo:
10/02 @ The Black Cat- Washington DC
10/03 @ Gramercy Theatre- NYC NY
10/04 @ First Unitarian Church- Sanctuary- Philadelphia PA
10/05 @ Harpers Ferry- Allston MA
10/06 @ Asbury Lanes- Asbury Park, NJ
10/07 @ Altar Bar- Pittsburgh PA
10/08 @ Grog Shop- Cleveland Heights- OH
10/09 @ Smalls- Hamtramck IL
10/10 @ Beat Kitchen- Chicago IL – RIOT FEST matinee
10/11 @ Triple Rock Social Club- Minneapolis MN
10/12 @ Sokol Underground- Omaha NE
10/13 @ Marquis Theatre- Denver CO
10/14 @ Club Sound- Salt Lake City UT
10/15 @ The Venue- Boise ID
10/16 @ Hawthorne Theater- Portland OR
10/18 @ Chop Suey- Seattle WA
10/20 @ Bottom Of The Hill- San Francisco- CA
10/21 @ Chain Reaction- Anaheim CA
10/22 @ Knitting Factory- Los Angeles CA
10/23 @ Che Cafe- San Diego CA
10/24 @ The Sets- Tempe AZ
10/26 @ Emo's - Austin TX
10/27 @ Walter's On Washington- Houston TX
10/28 @ Sluggo's- Pensacola FL
10/29 @ The Social- Orlando FL
10/30 @ The Venue- Gainsville FL
10/31 @ New Brookland Tavern- West Columbia SC
11/01 @ The Peppermint Beach Club- Virginia Beach VA
Vocalist Rob Sullivan said, “the song ‘Dead Weight’ is about my distaste for where I work and the neighborhood in which I live and how sometimes, regardless of your ability to breathe, you are already dead.”
And regarding the Nine Inch Nails cover, “Ruiner”, Rob commented, “NIN is one band who I have loved since I was in middle school, and I still listen to them on the regular. It is where we got our name from and we knew one day we would try to pull off recording the song ‘Ruiner’. Hopefully we did it justice.”
Interesting fact: J. Robbins actually plays the odd synth guitar part that is done with a keyboard on the original version of the song.
Following the release of Ruiner’s upcoming EP and full-length, the band will canvas the U.S. on the first ever Bridge Nine Tour alongside labelmates Strike Anywhere, Polar Bear Club, and Crime In Stereo.
Sullivan commented, “We are very excited about the upcoming tour and to be on the road with our friends and labelmates – it should be an awesome time.”
Tour dates are below – be sure to check out a show near you!
RUINER on the Bridge Nine Tour w/ Strike Anywhere, Polar Bear Club, Crime In Stereo:
10/02 @ The Black Cat- Washington DC
10/03 @ Gramercy Theatre- NYC NY
10/04 @ First Unitarian Church- Sanctuary- Philadelphia PA
10/05 @ Harpers Ferry- Allston MA
10/06 @ Asbury Lanes- Asbury Park, NJ
10/07 @ Altar Bar- Pittsburgh PA
10/08 @ Grog Shop- Cleveland Heights- OH
10/09 @ Smalls- Hamtramck IL
10/10 @ Beat Kitchen- Chicago IL – RIOT FEST matinee
10/11 @ Triple Rock Social Club- Minneapolis MN
10/12 @ Sokol Underground- Omaha NE
10/13 @ Marquis Theatre- Denver CO
10/14 @ Club Sound- Salt Lake City UT
10/15 @ The Venue- Boise ID
10/16 @ Hawthorne Theater- Portland OR
10/18 @ Chop Suey- Seattle WA
10/20 @ Bottom Of The Hill- San Francisco- CA
10/21 @ Chain Reaction- Anaheim CA
10/22 @ Knitting Factory- Los Angeles CA
10/23 @ Che Cafe- San Diego CA
10/24 @ The Sets- Tempe AZ
10/26 @ Emo's - Austin TX
10/27 @ Walter's On Washington- Houston TX
10/28 @ Sluggo's- Pensacola FL
10/29 @ The Social- Orlando FL
10/30 @ The Venue- Gainsville FL
10/31 @ New Brookland Tavern- West Columbia SC
11/01 @ The Peppermint Beach Club- Virginia Beach VA
Banco de Gaia in L.A. August 14
For the last 20 years, UK's ambient dub legend BANCO DE GAIA has been fusing modern trance and downtempo techno beats with huge dollops of Tibetan, Eastern and Arabic and other transcontinental rhythms.
Led by mastermind Toby Marks, its continually evolving, globally-inspired electronica has been propelling the masses to dance all over the world. And on September 22, 2009, Banco de Gaia will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with the release of the double-disc set, Memories Dreams Reflections on Disco Gecko Recordings (distributed in the U.S. by Super D). Two West Coast dates have been announced and a full U.S. tour is currently being planned.
Banco de Gaia's music crosses genres, sometimes layering rock, reggae, and trance textures on top of exotic and indigenous melodies, creating an aural tapestry that is both mesmerizingly hypnotic and instantly accessible.
Disc One of the two disc set consists of cover versions of Pink Floyd ("Echoes"), Hawkwind ("Spirit of the Age") and King Crimson ("Starless"), and reworkings of early songs, while the second CD contains live tracks recorded over the last two decades. Memories Dreams Reflection is a retrospective of sorts that doesn't quite look back at its history as it looks through its legacy.
From the airy reggae rhythms of 1992's "Tempra" ("Always one of my favourite early tunes"), to the expansive atmospherics of 1992's "Terra Om" ("I always rather liked the obvious Pink Floyd influence in the synth playing."), to the ready for the midnight dance floor beat of "Soufie (Now That's What I Call 2009)" ("The original was very ambient/downtempo so this version... goes for a very cheesy euro-trance style for a bit of fun."), the originals from the first disc are a diverse sampling of the epic tracks for which Banco de Gaia is known.
The live tracks of disc two are culled from its legendary performances, including "China", "Celestine" and its big dance hit "Last Train to Lhasa".
Well-known and celebrated for its dynamic and hypnotic live shows, Banco de Gaia will be embarking across the Atlantic for a pair of dates on the West Coast:
August 14
Social Hollywood
Los Angeles, CA
August 15
Beloved Festival
Tidewater, OR
Led by mastermind Toby Marks, its continually evolving, globally-inspired electronica has been propelling the masses to dance all over the world. And on September 22, 2009, Banco de Gaia will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with the release of the double-disc set, Memories Dreams Reflections on Disco Gecko Recordings (distributed in the U.S. by Super D). Two West Coast dates have been announced and a full U.S. tour is currently being planned.
Banco de Gaia's music crosses genres, sometimes layering rock, reggae, and trance textures on top of exotic and indigenous melodies, creating an aural tapestry that is both mesmerizingly hypnotic and instantly accessible.
Disc One of the two disc set consists of cover versions of Pink Floyd ("Echoes"), Hawkwind ("Spirit of the Age") and King Crimson ("Starless"), and reworkings of early songs, while the second CD contains live tracks recorded over the last two decades. Memories Dreams Reflection is a retrospective of sorts that doesn't quite look back at its history as it looks through its legacy.
From the airy reggae rhythms of 1992's "Tempra" ("Always one of my favourite early tunes"), to the expansive atmospherics of 1992's "Terra Om" ("I always rather liked the obvious Pink Floyd influence in the synth playing."), to the ready for the midnight dance floor beat of "Soufie (Now That's What I Call 2009)" ("The original was very ambient/downtempo so this version... goes for a very cheesy euro-trance style for a bit of fun."), the originals from the first disc are a diverse sampling of the epic tracks for which Banco de Gaia is known.
The live tracks of disc two are culled from its legendary performances, including "China", "Celestine" and its big dance hit "Last Train to Lhasa".
Well-known and celebrated for its dynamic and hypnotic live shows, Banco de Gaia will be embarking across the Atlantic for a pair of dates on the West Coast:
August 14
Social Hollywood
Los Angeles, CA
August 15
Beloved Festival
Tidewater, OR
Tantric releases new alubm and on tour
TANTRIC’s fourth album, MIND CONTROL, was released today on the Silent Majority Group label (through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group). Produced by Brett Hestla (Creed, Framing Hanley, Dark New Day), it’s the follow-up to 2008’s THE END BEGINS, which produced the Top Five Rock hit, “Down and Out.”
The album’s first single, “Mind Control,” is currently #34 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart, garnering spins on over 50 radio stations nationwide including, WRIF/Detroit, WRAT/New Jersey, WIIL/Chicago, WCCC/Hartford, WIYY/Baltimore, and Sirius XM’s “Octane” channel. The Mason Dixon-directed video for the track also makes its world premiere today, all day, as part of MTV2’s “UNLEASHED” program.
As praised in a recent album review in Guitar Edge magazine: “…on this new album, the quintet offers some tantalizing nuggets such as guitarist’s Joe Pessia’s acoustic riffing on ‘The Past Is the Past’ and ‘What Are You Waiting For,’ at least one of which is almost certain to be a huge radio smash; the hyper-aggressive chorus vocal of ‘Coming Undone’; and the Rob Zombie meets Alice in Chains with an E-Bow ‘Let’s Start.’ Four stars.”
Meanwhile, the band--Hugo Ferreira (lead vocals, keyboards), Joe Pessia (guitars), Erik Leonhardt (bass and vocals), Marcus Ratzenboeck (violin) and Richie Monica (drums)—recently started their U.S. tour along with special guests Aranda and Vayden, which includes various radio station festivals along the route.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
w/Aranda and Vayden (except for the radio shows indicated):
Tue 8/4 Boston, MA Middle East (downstairs)
Thu 8/6 Poughkeepsie, NY The ChanceFri 8/7 Baltimore, MD The Quarter
Sat 8/8 Laurel, DE The House Sports Bar & Grill
Sun 8/9 Rochester, NY WZNE show/Riverside Festival Site *
Tue 8/11 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar
Wed 8/12 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre
Fri 8/14 Louisville, KY Phoenix Hill Tavern
Sat 8/15 Flint, MI The Machine Shop
Sun 8/16 South Bend, IN Big 10 Rock Fest/St. Patrick’s Park *
Sat 8/22 Maplewood, MN The Rock
Sun 8/23 Algona, IA Rock Gone Wild Festival/Freedom Park *
Fri 8/28 Dallas, TX Trees
Sat 8/29 Houston, TX Scout Bar'
Sun 8/30 Beaumont, TX Scout Bar
Wed 9/2 San Antonio, TX Scout Bar
Thu 9/3 Abilene, TX Midnite Rodeo
Fri 9/4 Lubbock, TX Tequila Jungle
Sat 9/5 Odessa, TX Dos Amigos Cantina
Sun 9/6 Sunland Park, NM KLAQ BBQ/Western Playland *
Sat 9/12 Huntington, WV XFest 2009/Harris Riverfront Park *
Wed 9/16 York, PA York Fair *
* Indicates radio show
MySpace: www.myspace.com/tantric
The album’s first single, “Mind Control,” is currently #34 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart, garnering spins on over 50 radio stations nationwide including, WRIF/Detroit, WRAT/New Jersey, WIIL/Chicago, WCCC/Hartford, WIYY/Baltimore, and Sirius XM’s “Octane” channel. The Mason Dixon-directed video for the track also makes its world premiere today, all day, as part of MTV2’s “UNLEASHED” program.
As praised in a recent album review in Guitar Edge magazine: “…on this new album, the quintet offers some tantalizing nuggets such as guitarist’s Joe Pessia’s acoustic riffing on ‘The Past Is the Past’ and ‘What Are You Waiting For,’ at least one of which is almost certain to be a huge radio smash; the hyper-aggressive chorus vocal of ‘Coming Undone’; and the Rob Zombie meets Alice in Chains with an E-Bow ‘Let’s Start.’ Four stars.”
Meanwhile, the band--Hugo Ferreira (lead vocals, keyboards), Joe Pessia (guitars), Erik Leonhardt (bass and vocals), Marcus Ratzenboeck (violin) and Richie Monica (drums)—recently started their U.S. tour along with special guests Aranda and Vayden, which includes various radio station festivals along the route.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
w/Aranda and Vayden (except for the radio shows indicated):
Tue 8/4 Boston, MA Middle East (downstairs)
Thu 8/6 Poughkeepsie, NY The ChanceFri 8/7 Baltimore, MD The Quarter
Sat 8/8 Laurel, DE The House Sports Bar & Grill
Sun 8/9 Rochester, NY WZNE show/Riverside Festival Site *
Tue 8/11 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar
Wed 8/12 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre
Fri 8/14 Louisville, KY Phoenix Hill Tavern
Sat 8/15 Flint, MI The Machine Shop
Sun 8/16 South Bend, IN Big 10 Rock Fest/St. Patrick’s Park *
Sat 8/22 Maplewood, MN The Rock
Sun 8/23 Algona, IA Rock Gone Wild Festival/Freedom Park *
Fri 8/28 Dallas, TX Trees
Sat 8/29 Houston, TX Scout Bar'
Sun 8/30 Beaumont, TX Scout Bar
Wed 9/2 San Antonio, TX Scout Bar
Thu 9/3 Abilene, TX Midnite Rodeo
Fri 9/4 Lubbock, TX Tequila Jungle
Sat 9/5 Odessa, TX Dos Amigos Cantina
Sun 9/6 Sunland Park, NM KLAQ BBQ/Western Playland *
Sat 9/12 Huntington, WV XFest 2009/Harris Riverfront Park *
Wed 9/16 York, PA York Fair *
* Indicates radio show
MySpace: www.myspace.com/tantric
Afro Funke Thursdays at Zanzibar
Afro Funké
WEEKLY FUNK INVOCATION
------------------:~0~:---------------------
Afrobeat, Brazilian, Dub, Reggae, Cumbia, Samba Disco, Batucada, Afro-Latin House, Indian Beats, Makossa & other deep-rooted Funk music from around the world
---------------------:~0~:---------------------
AUGUST 6 , 2009
SHIVA REATRANCE DANCE
Shiva Rea, M.A. is a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist, global adventurer and leading innovator in the evolution of prana flow yoga, transformational vinyasa flow integrating the tantric bhakti roots of yoga, Krishnamacharya's teachings and a universal, quantum approach to the body. Shiva is known for bringing the roots of yoga alive for modern practitioners in creative, dynamic and life-transforming ways and for offering the synthesis form of prana flow out in the world.
Shiva is the creator of Prana Flow Yoga, Yogadventure Retreats, Yoga Trance Dance for Life, Moving Activism for 1,008,000 Trees, the worldwide Global Mala Project, Yogini Conferences and E2: The Evolutionary Edge Tour. She writes for Yoga Journal, Yoga Plus Joyful Living, is the author of award-winning CD’s and DVD’s, and contributor to many publications and features.
www.shivarea.com
featuring:
DJ DREZ
www.djdrez.com
+
MC YOGI
www.mcyogi.com
&
special live guests & yoginis!
resident deejay:
JEREMY SOLE
www.kcrw.com/jeremysole
www.myspace.com/musaics
www.twitter.com/jeremysole
www.blip.fm/jeremysole
resident deejay:
GLENN RED
www.myspace.com/glenn_red
hosted by:
ROCKY DAWUNI
www.myspace.com/rockydawunimusic
www.rockydawuni.com
afro funke' booking, photography & production:
CARY SULLIVAN
afrofunke@yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/carysullivan
---------------------:~0~:--------------------
Afro Funke' Thursdays
Zanzibar
1301 5th Street @ Arizona
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.451.2221 / 21+ (EVERYONE must have ID)
9pm - 2am / $10
www.zanzibarlive.com
www.myspace.com/afrofunke
www.afrofunke.com
*AFRO FUNKE' is now on Twitter! Please join us!!
www.twitter.com/afrofunke
---------------------:~0~:--------------------
UPCOMING:
AUGUST 13, 2009
AFRO FUNKE' LIVE PRESENTS
THE LATIN PROJECT
www.thelatinproject.com
+
DJ MANDO FEVER
www.myspace.com/djmandofever
---------------------:~0~:---------------------
For additional Afro Funke' information please contact:
afrofunke@yahoo.com
WEEKLY FUNK INVOCATION
------------------:~0~:---------------------
Afrobeat, Brazilian, Dub, Reggae, Cumbia, Samba Disco, Batucada, Afro-Latin House, Indian Beats, Makossa & other deep-rooted Funk music from around the world
---------------------:~0~:---------------------
AUGUST 6 , 2009
SHIVA REATRANCE DANCE
Shiva Rea, M.A. is a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist, global adventurer and leading innovator in the evolution of prana flow yoga, transformational vinyasa flow integrating the tantric bhakti roots of yoga, Krishnamacharya's teachings and a universal, quantum approach to the body. Shiva is known for bringing the roots of yoga alive for modern practitioners in creative, dynamic and life-transforming ways and for offering the synthesis form of prana flow out in the world.
Shiva is the creator of Prana Flow Yoga, Yogadventure Retreats, Yoga Trance Dance for Life, Moving Activism for 1,008,000 Trees, the worldwide Global Mala Project, Yogini Conferences and E2: The Evolutionary Edge Tour. She writes for Yoga Journal, Yoga Plus Joyful Living, is the author of award-winning CD’s and DVD’s, and contributor to many publications and features.
www.shivarea.com
featuring:
DJ DREZ
www.djdrez.com
+
MC YOGI
www.mcyogi.com
&
special live guests & yoginis!
resident deejay:
JEREMY SOLE
www.kcrw.com/jeremysole
www.myspace.com/musaics
www.twitter.com/jeremysole
www.blip.fm/jeremysole
resident deejay:
GLENN RED
www.myspace.com/glenn_red
hosted by:
ROCKY DAWUNI
www.myspace.com/rockydawunimusic
www.rockydawuni.com
afro funke' booking, photography & production:
CARY SULLIVAN
afrofunke@yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/carysullivan
---------------------:~0~:--------------------
Afro Funke' Thursdays
Zanzibar
1301 5th Street @ Arizona
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.451.2221 / 21+ (EVERYONE must have ID)
9pm - 2am / $10
www.zanzibarlive.com
www.myspace.com/afrofunke
www.afrofunke.com
*AFRO FUNKE' is now on Twitter! Please join us!!
www.twitter.com/afrofunke
---------------------:~0~:--------------------
UPCOMING:
AUGUST 13, 2009
AFRO FUNKE' LIVE PRESENTS
THE LATIN PROJECT
www.thelatinproject.com
+
DJ MANDO FEVER
www.myspace.com/djmandofever
---------------------:~0~:---------------------
For additional Afro Funke' information please contact:
afrofunke@yahoo.com
Season finale of "Can You Duet" Saturday
Thousands of hopefuls auditioned, but only two performing duos, JB Rocket and Steel Magnolia, remain to compete for the title of country music’s next great duo on this week’s finale of CAN YOU DUET, the music competition series created by “American Idol” producers FremantleMedia North America. After weeks of rigorous auditions and weekly performances in front of a live audience, the winning duo will be announced on Saturday, August 8 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CMT.
Hosted by CMT’s Lance Smith, CAN YOU DUET’s panel of celebrity and expert judge/mentors, including country superstar Naomi Judd, Big Kenny from the duo Big & Rich, and Big Machine Records’ President Scott Borchetta, took on the challenge of finding country music’s next dynamic musical duo. In the finale, its JB Rocket, who were paired by the judges, versus established duo Steel Magnolia, battling it out onstage with performances of their original songs. The winning duo will record an album to be released by Big Machine Records.
“Can You Duet” is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Jeff Boggs (Nashville Star, Spy TV) is executive producer. Bob Kusbit, John Hamlin and Melanie Moreau serve as executive producers for CMT.
Hosted by CMT’s Lance Smith, CAN YOU DUET’s panel of celebrity and expert judge/mentors, including country superstar Naomi Judd, Big Kenny from the duo Big & Rich, and Big Machine Records’ President Scott Borchetta, took on the challenge of finding country music’s next dynamic musical duo. In the finale, its JB Rocket, who were paired by the judges, versus established duo Steel Magnolia, battling it out onstage with performances of their original songs. The winning duo will record an album to be released by Big Machine Records.
“Can You Duet” is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Jeff Boggs (Nashville Star, Spy TV) is executive producer. Bob Kusbit, John Hamlin and Melanie Moreau serve as executive producers for CMT.
Chris Ayer wins John Lennon Songwriting Contest award
It’s not every day that a relatively unknown artist is recognized by the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. In 2006, the Lennon award was given to the Brooklyn, NY-based Chris Ayer in the folk category.
The impression left by this achievement has opened many doors for the singer/songwriter whose song “Evaporate” from his self-released full-length, This Is The Place (2006), was given that particular honor. Yet to pigeonhole this talented musician as a folkie would be way off base. Elements of pop, rock, country and even jazz permeate Chris Ayer’s sound.
As he gears up for the August release of his sophomore album Don’t Go Back To Sleep, Ayer is hitting the road early to share his knack for great songwriting, where weighty topics take on a light touch, both drawing in and uplifting the listener. The new album, like its predecessor, was produced by Nashville-based Jason Gantt (The Chieftains, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill).
Ayer grew up in McLean, Virginia, and got his start singing along to old cassette tapes of Elvis and Paul Simon on car rides. When his dad got him his first guitar as a teen, he started writing songs that same day. After moving to northern California, he started sharing his songs locally, while studying philosophy and music at Stanford University.
Though his songwriting started as a hobby, it quickly became his main focus. Ayer packed up and relocated himself to the New York area to challenge himself as a person and an artist, booking his own tours and performing constantly. His first full length album was lauded by Performing Songwriter Magazine which asserted that "This is the Place has it all: tight arrangements, excellent musicality and imaginative lyrics. If you're looking for great music, this is the place indeed."
When asked about his latest album, Don't Go Back To Sleep, Ayer sees it first as a call to action for himself. "This group of songs has really become a collective note-to-self on how I want to live. They were all born out of moments where I was going along in my day-to-day life, and something shook me out of the autopilot rhythm, and reminded me that I better open up and dig in right this second."
Don’t miss your opportunity to catch this compelling artist live:
08/01/09 Why Sound Logan, UT0
8/02/09 Park City Arts Festival - Miner's Park Concert Series Park City, UT
08/14/09 Rock N Soul Café Boulder, CO
08/15/09 1228 Parkway Art Space Santa Fe, NM
08/17/09 Opening Bell Coffee - Southside location Dallas, TX
08/18/09 Bohemeos Houston, TX
08/26/09 Beat Kitchen Chicago, IL
09/02/09 The Mint Los Angeles, CA
09/03/09 Lestat’s San Diego, CA
09/11/09 Lestat’s San Diego, CA
09/17/09 House of Blues (Acoustic Strip) Las Vegas, NV
09/18/09 Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay San Diego, CA**opening for LeAnn Rimes
09/19/09 Steynberg Gallery San Luis Obispo, CA
09/25/09 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, OR
09/28/09 Jewel Box Theatre Seattle, WA
09/30/09 Bombs Away Café Corvallis, OR
10/03/09 Mamma Llama Coffeehouse Weaverville, CA
10/04/09 Blue Wing Saloon Upper Lake, CA
10/06/09 Hotel Utah San Francisco, CA
10/15/09 House of Blues (Acoustic Strip) Las Vegas, NV
10/28/09 World Café Live Philadelphia, PA
10/30/09 Cellar Stage (opening for The Kennedys) Baltimore, MD
The impression left by this achievement has opened many doors for the singer/songwriter whose song “Evaporate” from his self-released full-length, This Is The Place (2006), was given that particular honor. Yet to pigeonhole this talented musician as a folkie would be way off base. Elements of pop, rock, country and even jazz permeate Chris Ayer’s sound.
As he gears up for the August release of his sophomore album Don’t Go Back To Sleep, Ayer is hitting the road early to share his knack for great songwriting, where weighty topics take on a light touch, both drawing in and uplifting the listener. The new album, like its predecessor, was produced by Nashville-based Jason Gantt (The Chieftains, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill).
Ayer grew up in McLean, Virginia, and got his start singing along to old cassette tapes of Elvis and Paul Simon on car rides. When his dad got him his first guitar as a teen, he started writing songs that same day. After moving to northern California, he started sharing his songs locally, while studying philosophy and music at Stanford University.
Though his songwriting started as a hobby, it quickly became his main focus. Ayer packed up and relocated himself to the New York area to challenge himself as a person and an artist, booking his own tours and performing constantly. His first full length album was lauded by Performing Songwriter Magazine which asserted that "This is the Place has it all: tight arrangements, excellent musicality and imaginative lyrics. If you're looking for great music, this is the place indeed."
When asked about his latest album, Don't Go Back To Sleep, Ayer sees it first as a call to action for himself. "This group of songs has really become a collective note-to-self on how I want to live. They were all born out of moments where I was going along in my day-to-day life, and something shook me out of the autopilot rhythm, and reminded me that I better open up and dig in right this second."
Don’t miss your opportunity to catch this compelling artist live:
08/01/09 Why Sound Logan, UT0
8/02/09 Park City Arts Festival - Miner's Park Concert Series Park City, UT
08/14/09 Rock N Soul Café Boulder, CO
08/15/09 1228 Parkway Art Space Santa Fe, NM
08/17/09 Opening Bell Coffee - Southside location Dallas, TX
08/18/09 Bohemeos Houston, TX
08/26/09 Beat Kitchen Chicago, IL
09/02/09 The Mint Los Angeles, CA
09/03/09 Lestat’s San Diego, CA
09/11/09 Lestat’s San Diego, CA
09/17/09 House of Blues (Acoustic Strip) Las Vegas, NV
09/18/09 Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay San Diego, CA**opening for LeAnn Rimes
09/19/09 Steynberg Gallery San Luis Obispo, CA
09/25/09 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, OR
09/28/09 Jewel Box Theatre Seattle, WA
09/30/09 Bombs Away Café Corvallis, OR
10/03/09 Mamma Llama Coffeehouse Weaverville, CA
10/04/09 Blue Wing Saloon Upper Lake, CA
10/06/09 Hotel Utah San Francisco, CA
10/15/09 House of Blues (Acoustic Strip) Las Vegas, NV
10/28/09 World Café Live Philadelphia, PA
10/30/09 Cellar Stage (opening for The Kennedys) Baltimore, MD
The Moody Blues' hit slated for upcoming Rob Zombie film soundtrack
THE MOODY BLUES' legendary hit single "Nights In White Satin will be featured in the upcoming feature film and soundtrack of HALLOWEEN II, directed by Rob Zombie.
HALLOWEEN II, hitting theatres nationwide on August 28, 2009 from Dimension Films, continues the enormously popular horror movie series as writer-producer-director Rob Zombie, once again puts his own twisted twist on the soundtrack.
Halloween II – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Hip-O/UMe), to be released August 25, 2009, and co-produced by Zombie, manages to bring together dialogue from the film as well as music from The Moody Blues, Motorhead, Scream , Rod Stewart, the MC5 and Foghat, alongside new psychobilly band Captain Clegg and the Night Creature.
Following the success of Rob Zombie’s initial reinvention of John Carpenter’s smash cult horror film HALLOWEEN which premiered #1 at the box office breaking all Labor Day Weekend 2007 records, comes the sequel.
The Moody Blues, currently on a national and Canadian summer tour through September 5 in St. Louis, Missouri, also just released Eagle Rock Entertainment's THE MOODY BLUES: LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL 1970 on DVD for the first time. The much talked-about 79 minute, 11 song performance by Justin Hayward (guitarist/vocalist), John Lodge (bassist/vocalist), Ray Thomas (flutist/vocalist), Graeme Edge (drummer) and Mike Pinder (keyboardist/vocalist) became a historic event performing in front of half a million fans off the coast of England. Also this year, the band's “Tuesday Afternoon” was featured on a nationwide commercial campaign for VISA.
The Moody Blues, whose legacy spans four decades of recording and touring, has sold in excess of 70 million albums worldwide and has been awarded an astonishing 14 platinum and gold discs. Their roster of hits include: “Nights In White Satin,” “Ride My See Saw,” “The Story In Your Eyes,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Question,” “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band),” “Your Wildest Dreams,” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” to name a few. The Moody Blues’ No. 1, Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, Top 40, Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold albums and singles, have generated sold-old tours on a consistent basis over the course of several decades, making them one of the top-grossing album and touring bands in existence.
Below is the HALLOWEEN II Tracklisting:
01 CAST - "HE’S F****** DEAD"
02 THE MOODY BLUES – “NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN”
03 CAST- "HALLOWEEN IS COMING"
04 10cc- “THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE”
05 CAST - "WHO’S LEE MARVIN?"
06 SCREAM – “AMERAROCKERS”
07 CAST - "JAM & JELLY"
08 Mc5 – “KICK OUT THE JAMS”
09 CAST - "ASS GOOD"
10 ROD STEWART - (I KNOW) I’’M LOSING YOU
11 CAST - "D-E-A-D"
12 MOTORHEAD – “THE CHASE IS BETTER THAN THE CATCH”
13 CAST - "I’M ANGEL MYERS"
14 JOHN 5 – “LAURIE’S THEME”
15 CAST - "I WANT TO PARTY"
16 CAPTAIN CLEGG AND THE NIGHT CREATURES – “TRANSYLVANIA TERROR TRAIN “
17 CAST - "JACK-O-LANTERN AND A BLONDE"
18 CAPTAIN CLEGG AND THE NIGHT CREATURES – “HONKY TONK HALLOWEEN “
19 CAST - "BRING YOUR BABY BACK HOME"
20 FOGHAT – “I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU”
21 CAST - "SNAPPED ON BY WEIRD AL"
22 VOID – “TIME TO DIE”
23 CAST - "I LOVE YOU MOMMY"
24 NAN VERNON – “LOVE HURTS”
25 TYLER BATES – “NURSE KILLA”
HALLOWEEN II links:
Official Movie Site - http://www.halloween2-movie.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/H2_TheMovie
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/HalloweenII
HALLOWEEN II, hitting theatres nationwide on August 28, 2009 from Dimension Films, continues the enormously popular horror movie series as writer-producer-director Rob Zombie, once again puts his own twisted twist on the soundtrack.
Halloween II – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Hip-O/UMe), to be released August 25, 2009, and co-produced by Zombie, manages to bring together dialogue from the film as well as music from The Moody Blues, Motorhead, Scream , Rod Stewart, the MC5 and Foghat, alongside new psychobilly band Captain Clegg and the Night Creature.
Following the success of Rob Zombie’s initial reinvention of John Carpenter’s smash cult horror film HALLOWEEN which premiered #1 at the box office breaking all Labor Day Weekend 2007 records, comes the sequel.
The Moody Blues, currently on a national and Canadian summer tour through September 5 in St. Louis, Missouri, also just released Eagle Rock Entertainment's THE MOODY BLUES: LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL 1970 on DVD for the first time. The much talked-about 79 minute, 11 song performance by Justin Hayward (guitarist/vocalist), John Lodge (bassist/vocalist), Ray Thomas (flutist/vocalist), Graeme Edge (drummer) and Mike Pinder (keyboardist/vocalist) became a historic event performing in front of half a million fans off the coast of England. Also this year, the band's “Tuesday Afternoon” was featured on a nationwide commercial campaign for VISA.
The Moody Blues, whose legacy spans four decades of recording and touring, has sold in excess of 70 million albums worldwide and has been awarded an astonishing 14 platinum and gold discs. Their roster of hits include: “Nights In White Satin,” “Ride My See Saw,” “The Story In Your Eyes,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Question,” “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band),” “Your Wildest Dreams,” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” to name a few. The Moody Blues’ No. 1, Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, Top 40, Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold albums and singles, have generated sold-old tours on a consistent basis over the course of several decades, making them one of the top-grossing album and touring bands in existence.
Below is the HALLOWEEN II Tracklisting:
01 CAST - "HE’S F****** DEAD"
02 THE MOODY BLUES – “NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN”
03 CAST- "HALLOWEEN IS COMING"
04 10cc- “THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE”
05 CAST - "WHO’S LEE MARVIN?"
06 SCREAM – “AMERAROCKERS”
07 CAST - "JAM & JELLY"
08 Mc5 – “KICK OUT THE JAMS”
09 CAST - "ASS GOOD"
10 ROD STEWART - (I KNOW) I’’M LOSING YOU
11 CAST - "D-E-A-D"
12 MOTORHEAD – “THE CHASE IS BETTER THAN THE CATCH”
13 CAST - "I’M ANGEL MYERS"
14 JOHN 5 – “LAURIE’S THEME”
15 CAST - "I WANT TO PARTY"
16 CAPTAIN CLEGG AND THE NIGHT CREATURES – “TRANSYLVANIA TERROR TRAIN “
17 CAST - "JACK-O-LANTERN AND A BLONDE"
18 CAPTAIN CLEGG AND THE NIGHT CREATURES – “HONKY TONK HALLOWEEN “
19 CAST - "BRING YOUR BABY BACK HOME"
20 FOGHAT – “I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU”
21 CAST - "SNAPPED ON BY WEIRD AL"
22 VOID – “TIME TO DIE”
23 CAST - "I LOVE YOU MOMMY"
24 NAN VERNON – “LOVE HURTS”
25 TYLER BATES – “NURSE KILLA”
HALLOWEEN II links:
Official Movie Site - http://www.halloween2-movie.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/H2_TheMovie
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/HalloweenII
Imelda May to tour in support of debut album
Irish rockabilly-jazz-boogie-woogie blues belter IMELDA MAY
announces her first ever US tour in September
Verve Forecast debut “Love Tattoo ” out on August 11th
Tour dates:
Sept 9 – Chicago / Martyr’s
Sept 11 – LA / The Mint
Sept 12 – NYC / BB Kings w/Chuck Berry
Sept 13 – NYC / Nokia Theater w/Rusted Root
Sept 15 – NYC / Piano’s
Get to Know Imelda May....
Jools Holland is excitable by nature, but when he spots a new artist who has what he considers “it,” his enthusiasm goes off the scale. To go by his reaction to Imelda May, she has “it” in spades. “I’ve got to have you on the show,” he told her after seeing her play live – and so, a couple of months ago, she duly found herself on “Later With Jools Holland,” wowing an audience who included Jeff Beck, Elbow and Roots Manuva. Beck, in fact, made a point of telling Holland that he was only there to see Imelda.
National TV exposure, a clutch of musician fans – not bad for an Irish newbie. But with respect to Jools and crew, it works both ways: Imelda got that “Later” boost, but “Later” can claim the kudos of discovering a talent who doesn’t sound like anyone else.
Having fallen in love with rockabilly and the blues as a nine-year-old in Dublin – the only kid in her class who wasn’t into a-Ha and Wet Wet Wet – she’s turned them into a cool, swinging fusion that’s both classic and oddly modern. That’s not just PR fluff: though her musical heart lies in early rock’n’roll (she’s partial to the clothes, too - her wardrobe is stuffed with leopard-print cardigans and tight bad-girl jeans), she puts a 21st century spin on things.
Her debut album, “Love Tattoo,” is lusciously retro, but as fresh as 2009. And her live gigs, where she sings and plays bodhran, are fierce.
“It’s all gone mental lately,” she says, in an accent that 10 years of living in London has failed to shift. “Elbow want me to do a track on their next album, as a result of ‘Later,’ and Dave Gilmour [another ‘Later’ guest] said to me, ‘You’re very sexy in a trashy way, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.’ So I said, ‘You look like a pimp, and I mean that in the nicest possible way’.”
She looks very pleased at this. She was the youngest of five kids, and because the family lived in a two-bedroom house, there was no avoiding the music her older siblings listened to. There was folk (one of her sisters was in a folk group connected with their church in Dublin’s Liberties area), and the usual chart pop, but there was also Elvis.
“My brother was a mad Elvis fan, and I found a tape in his room with Elvis, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. I thought the music was fantastic.”
She had already discovered, aged four, that she had a voice by harmonising with her sister’s folk band; so, when she stumbled across rock’n’roll, it was natural that she’d sing along. Her tastes developed, along with her fashion sense (“I bought my first leopard-print coat at 15, and the gangs on the corner would be staring”), and she got into Elmore James.
“Then I heard Billie Holiday, and that blew my mind. My brother took me to HMV and I bought my first Billie album, and I listened to it back to front.”
After a year of art college, Imelda realised she’d rather sing for a living. At that point, her professional experience was confined to having sung on an ad for Findus Fish Fingers at 14.
“A girl in The Liberties was in the music business, and she got me this ad, where I sang, ‘Betcha never put your finger on a crunchier crumb!’ I got £40 for it.”
She gigged at Dublin’s Bruxelles club, where she was occasionally barred from her own shows for being underage.
“I was getting tips from the best musicians in Dublin. One of them said, ‘Your voice is great, but it needs to roughen’.”
Around the same time, she also received advice from her father. Upset over a relationship, she found herself crying in front of him.
“He asked if I was heartbroken, and I said, ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Good. You’ll be able to sing the blues better’.”
They were both right. Helped along by heartbreak, her voice developed into something sultry and rich, and when she decided to try her luck in London in 1998, she quickly got work with renowned rock ‘n’ roller Mike Sanchez and swing troupe Blue Harlem.
“We did a lot of corporate things where I had to look 1940s, with a red satin dress and a flower in my hair, but I really learned to scrub up and get my act together.”
She also had a giddy spell of singing in burlesque clubs: “I’d sing while the girls were onstage. One of them used to take an angle grinder to her crotch and would produce a shower of sparks. One day a spark flew down my throat when I was singing.”
Talk about a gig to remember. She shared stages with everyone from Van Morrison to the Scissor Sisters, and provided vocals for a character in the forthcoming American gangster movie “Dark Streets”, but by 2006 she was itching to go solo, and formed her own band.
“We started out jazzy, but it needed balls and roughing up which it got’.
Her shows got a reputation for being impassioned, all-or-nothing events. “Love Tattoo,” which is almost entirely self-written, has the same unbridled feel, whether she’s getting her teeth into a massive rockabilly party track or a sleazy after-midnight torch number. Her own favorites are the delicate “Falling in Love with You Again,” which was inspired by her husband (and guitarist in her band) Darrel Higham (“It’s about how you can fall in love with the same person many times”), the bluesy, sultry “Knock 123” – you’d never know it was about a ghost who doesn’t let being dead stop her from loving the boy she left behind, an idea Imelda got from watching Derek Acorah on TV one night – and “Johnny Got a Boom-Boom,” a big, bawdy stomper.
“My A&R asked me if ‘boom-boom’ was rude, and I said, ‘Tom, you’ve got a dirty mind’.”
The prestigious Irish World Newspaper Awards crowned Imelda 2008’s Best Female Newcomer.
It’s not much of a stretch to see more acclaim ahead in 2009.
www.imeldamay.com
www.verveforecast.com
announces her first ever US tour in September
Verve Forecast debut “Love Tattoo ” out on August 11th
Tour dates:
Sept 9 – Chicago / Martyr’s
Sept 11 – LA / The Mint
Sept 12 – NYC / BB Kings w/Chuck Berry
Sept 13 – NYC / Nokia Theater w/Rusted Root
Sept 15 – NYC / Piano’s
Get to Know Imelda May....
Jools Holland is excitable by nature, but when he spots a new artist who has what he considers “it,” his enthusiasm goes off the scale. To go by his reaction to Imelda May, she has “it” in spades. “I’ve got to have you on the show,” he told her after seeing her play live – and so, a couple of months ago, she duly found herself on “Later With Jools Holland,” wowing an audience who included Jeff Beck, Elbow and Roots Manuva. Beck, in fact, made a point of telling Holland that he was only there to see Imelda.
National TV exposure, a clutch of musician fans – not bad for an Irish newbie. But with respect to Jools and crew, it works both ways: Imelda got that “Later” boost, but “Later” can claim the kudos of discovering a talent who doesn’t sound like anyone else.
Having fallen in love with rockabilly and the blues as a nine-year-old in Dublin – the only kid in her class who wasn’t into a-Ha and Wet Wet Wet – she’s turned them into a cool, swinging fusion that’s both classic and oddly modern. That’s not just PR fluff: though her musical heart lies in early rock’n’roll (she’s partial to the clothes, too - her wardrobe is stuffed with leopard-print cardigans and tight bad-girl jeans), she puts a 21st century spin on things.
Her debut album, “Love Tattoo,” is lusciously retro, but as fresh as 2009. And her live gigs, where she sings and plays bodhran, are fierce.
“It’s all gone mental lately,” she says, in an accent that 10 years of living in London has failed to shift. “Elbow want me to do a track on their next album, as a result of ‘Later,’ and Dave Gilmour [another ‘Later’ guest] said to me, ‘You’re very sexy in a trashy way, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.’ So I said, ‘You look like a pimp, and I mean that in the nicest possible way’.”
She looks very pleased at this. She was the youngest of five kids, and because the family lived in a two-bedroom house, there was no avoiding the music her older siblings listened to. There was folk (one of her sisters was in a folk group connected with their church in Dublin’s Liberties area), and the usual chart pop, but there was also Elvis.
“My brother was a mad Elvis fan, and I found a tape in his room with Elvis, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. I thought the music was fantastic.”
She had already discovered, aged four, that she had a voice by harmonising with her sister’s folk band; so, when she stumbled across rock’n’roll, it was natural that she’d sing along. Her tastes developed, along with her fashion sense (“I bought my first leopard-print coat at 15, and the gangs on the corner would be staring”), and she got into Elmore James.
“Then I heard Billie Holiday, and that blew my mind. My brother took me to HMV and I bought my first Billie album, and I listened to it back to front.”
After a year of art college, Imelda realised she’d rather sing for a living. At that point, her professional experience was confined to having sung on an ad for Findus Fish Fingers at 14.
“A girl in The Liberties was in the music business, and she got me this ad, where I sang, ‘Betcha never put your finger on a crunchier crumb!’ I got £40 for it.”
She gigged at Dublin’s Bruxelles club, where she was occasionally barred from her own shows for being underage.
“I was getting tips from the best musicians in Dublin. One of them said, ‘Your voice is great, but it needs to roughen’.”
Around the same time, she also received advice from her father. Upset over a relationship, she found herself crying in front of him.
“He asked if I was heartbroken, and I said, ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Good. You’ll be able to sing the blues better’.”
They were both right. Helped along by heartbreak, her voice developed into something sultry and rich, and when she decided to try her luck in London in 1998, she quickly got work with renowned rock ‘n’ roller Mike Sanchez and swing troupe Blue Harlem.
“We did a lot of corporate things where I had to look 1940s, with a red satin dress and a flower in my hair, but I really learned to scrub up and get my act together.”
She also had a giddy spell of singing in burlesque clubs: “I’d sing while the girls were onstage. One of them used to take an angle grinder to her crotch and would produce a shower of sparks. One day a spark flew down my throat when I was singing.”
Talk about a gig to remember. She shared stages with everyone from Van Morrison to the Scissor Sisters, and provided vocals for a character in the forthcoming American gangster movie “Dark Streets”, but by 2006 she was itching to go solo, and formed her own band.
“We started out jazzy, but it needed balls and roughing up which it got’.
Her shows got a reputation for being impassioned, all-or-nothing events. “Love Tattoo,” which is almost entirely self-written, has the same unbridled feel, whether she’s getting her teeth into a massive rockabilly party track or a sleazy after-midnight torch number. Her own favorites are the delicate “Falling in Love with You Again,” which was inspired by her husband (and guitarist in her band) Darrel Higham (“It’s about how you can fall in love with the same person many times”), the bluesy, sultry “Knock 123” – you’d never know it was about a ghost who doesn’t let being dead stop her from loving the boy she left behind, an idea Imelda got from watching Derek Acorah on TV one night – and “Johnny Got a Boom-Boom,” a big, bawdy stomper.
“My A&R asked me if ‘boom-boom’ was rude, and I said, ‘Tom, you’ve got a dirty mind’.”
The prestigious Irish World Newspaper Awards crowned Imelda 2008’s Best Female Newcomer.
It’s not much of a stretch to see more acclaim ahead in 2009.
www.imeldamay.com
www.verveforecast.com
Ultra Nate and Unruly collaborating on new album
A dynamic, up-tempo sound has been echoing from the clubs of Baltimore since the early 90’s. In recent years, it has crossed into the mainstream with high profile artists tapping in to the heavy bass, kick ass drum beat, and raw, sped-up Hip-Hop grooves. Now, two of Baltimore’s legendary institutions are joining forces to create a Bmore Club album that is sure to break down walls within the club world. Dance music icon Ultra Naté is pleased to announce the release of her upcoming album in collaboration with Unruly, Things Happen At Night, on October 6th via BluFire/Unruly Records.
“This project with Unruly is exciting because we grew up together. We were a part of different crews, but from the same party experience and influences,” says Ultra. “We're bringing the best of what we're known for.”
The first single off of the album, the hook-laden “Faster Faster Pussycat (Let’s Go!)” featuring DJ King Tutt, can currently be heard on MySpace - www.myspace.com/ultranatemusic.
Also available for stream from Things Happen... is the Scottie B dancefloor re-working of Ultra's timeless classic, "Scandal.”Ultra has been making an impact in the dance music scene enjoying success with multiple #1's in the Billboard Club Play Charts and international mainstream Top 40 over the years. As a highly sought after artist and DJ, dotting the globe from Russia to Brazil, Ultra Naté always heads back home and refreshes her resources by working with talented newcomers and veterans alike.
Unruly’s recent collaborations have included works with Kanye West, M.I.A., Lil John and Blaqstarr. Several revered DJ’s and producers have made their home at Unruly, including: “The Club Queen” K-Swift, DJ Quicksilva, DJ Jay Claxton, King-Tutt, Say-Wut, DJ Class ("I'm The ish") and Chavy Boys of London.The Ultra Naté / Unruly partnership goes even further as Ultra holds the monthly Deep Sugar parties at the Paradox in Baltimore with herself and Deep Sugar resident DJ’s spinning deep house in the main room with Unruly jocks spinning Baltimore Club in "The Chamber" till the early morning hours.
Things Happen At Night track listing:
Faster Faster Pussycat (Let’s Go!) (featuring DJ King Tutt)
Hey DJ (featuring DJ Class)
Scandal (featuring Scottie B.)
Superstar (featuring DJ King Tutt)
Hero (featuring DJ Class & Jocelyn Brown)
Never Felt Quite Right (featuring DJ Class)
Produced by Ultra Naté, DJ Class, Chris Willis, DJ King Tutt, Brinsley Evans and Scottie B.
“This project with Unruly is exciting because we grew up together. We were a part of different crews, but from the same party experience and influences,” says Ultra. “We're bringing the best of what we're known for.”
The first single off of the album, the hook-laden “Faster Faster Pussycat (Let’s Go!)” featuring DJ King Tutt, can currently be heard on MySpace - www.myspace.com/ultranatemusic.
Also available for stream from Things Happen... is the Scottie B dancefloor re-working of Ultra's timeless classic, "Scandal.”Ultra has been making an impact in the dance music scene enjoying success with multiple #1's in the Billboard Club Play Charts and international mainstream Top 40 over the years. As a highly sought after artist and DJ, dotting the globe from Russia to Brazil, Ultra Naté always heads back home and refreshes her resources by working with talented newcomers and veterans alike.
Unruly’s recent collaborations have included works with Kanye West, M.I.A., Lil John and Blaqstarr. Several revered DJ’s and producers have made their home at Unruly, including: “The Club Queen” K-Swift, DJ Quicksilva, DJ Jay Claxton, King-Tutt, Say-Wut, DJ Class ("I'm The ish") and Chavy Boys of London.The Ultra Naté / Unruly partnership goes even further as Ultra holds the monthly Deep Sugar parties at the Paradox in Baltimore with herself and Deep Sugar resident DJ’s spinning deep house in the main room with Unruly jocks spinning Baltimore Club in "The Chamber" till the early morning hours.
Things Happen At Night track listing:
Faster Faster Pussycat (Let’s Go!) (featuring DJ King Tutt)
Hey DJ (featuring DJ Class)
Scandal (featuring Scottie B.)
Superstar (featuring DJ King Tutt)
Hero (featuring DJ Class & Jocelyn Brown)
Never Felt Quite Right (featuring DJ Class)
Produced by Ultra Naté, DJ Class, Chris Willis, DJ King Tutt, Brinsley Evans and Scottie B.
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