Godzilla: King of the Monsters Original Motion Picture Soundtrack! Featuring music by Emmy® and BAFTA Award winning composer Bear McCreary (10 Cloverfield Lane, TV’s The Walking Dead), in two special deluxe triple LP vinyl configurations. Written and Directed by Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat, Krampus) and starring Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), Kyle Chandler (Super 8), and Ken Watanabe (Isle of Dogs, Inception), Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the highly anticipated next chapter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse - an epic action adventure that pits Godzilla against some of the most popular monsters in pop culture history.
Composer Bear McCreary’s (10 Cloverfield Lane, Happy Death Day, and TV’s The Walking Dead) music is a two-year-long labor of love dubbed a “Monster Opera” by director Michael Dougherty, and a crucial element to the film. Each “kaiju” is given a voice in this epic opera - Godzilla is presented with heroic, guttural vocalizations. King Ghidorah presented with dark, hypnotic chanting. Mothra by way of an ethereal female choir. Rodan’s voice is achieved by orchestral French horns pushed to their very limit to “scream” ripping roars.
Incorporated and adapted are both the legendary Godzilla theme by Akira Ifukube, and the immortal “Mothra’s Song” by Yuji Koseki. Also included is the McCreary-adapted eternal classic “Godzilla” by Blue Öyster Cult, featuring Serj Tankian (System Of A Down) on lead vocals, and musicians Brendon Small, Bryan Beller, and Gene Hoglan who form the Dethklok rhythm section of from TV’s Metalocalypse.
Clocking in at 98 minutes of music, Waxwork is proud to present Godzilla: King of the Monsters as a deluxe triple LP set. Housed in a unique, rarely manufactured heavyweight triple-fold LP ‘monster’ pack, and featuring 180 “Kaiju” colored vinyl, liner notes by director Michael Dougherty and composer Bear McCreary, and artwork by Christopher Shy.
Kaiju Variant:
The Complete Film Music by Bear McCreary
Triple LP, 180 Gram “Kaiju” Colored Vinyl
Disc 1 “King Ghidorah” - Gold and Yellow Swirl
Disc 2 “Rodan” - Oxblood and Fire Orange Swirl
Disc 3 “Mothra” - Cyan and Baby Blue Swirl
Liner Notes by Bear McCreary and Michael Dougherty
Heavyweight Triple-Fold LP “Monster” Packaging
Artwork by Christopher Shy
Godzilla Variant:
The Complete Film Music by Bear McCreary
Triple LP, 180 Gram “Godzilla” Colored Vinyl
Discs 1, 2, and 3 - Electric Blue, Black, and Gray Swirl
Liner Notes by Bear McCreary and Michael Dougherty
Heavyweight Triple-Fold LP “Monster” Packaging
Artwork by Christopher Shy
Track Listing:
Side A
01. Memories of San Francisco
02. The Larva
03. Welcome to Monarch
04. Outpost 32
Side B
05. Ice Breaker
06. Rise of Ghidorah
07. Old Rivals
08. The First Gods
Side C
09. Rodan
10. A Mass Awakening
11. The One Who is Many
Side D
12. Queen of the Monsters
13. For Andrew
14. Stealing the Orca
15. The Hollow Earth
16. The Key to Coexistence
17. Goodbye Old Friend
Side E
18. Rebirth
19. Fog Over Fenway
20. Battle in Boston
21. Redemption
Side F
22. King of the Monsters
23. Godzilla (feat. Serj Tankian)
24. Mothra's Song
25. Ghidorah Theme
26. Godzilla Main Title
This item is available for pre-order with an expected ship date of July 2019. As mentioned, two variants are available for purchase and both are priced at $50.00, plus the cost of shipping. If you’re interested in picking this item up, head on over to the order page at Waxwork Records today!
The story takes place five years after Godzilla saved Earth. A group of militants attack Monarch, a special organization that monitors kaiju, and seize a machine under development...
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” has a sense of wonder. After I left the screening late at night and emerged onto a dark city street at nearly one a.m., I wanted to look up rather than straight ahead, just in case Ghidorah the three-headed dragon or Rodan the giant pterodactyl came screaming down from the clouds. That's not the same thing as saying this is a perfect movie...
This is a poster graphic print featuring an image of Godzilla as he goes on a rampage in the new movie that will be released May 31st. The print looks amazing matted to 8 x 10 to 20 x 30 and framed and will make a great addition to your movie memorabilia collection. A must for all Godzilla fans!
The Story:
“Possibly the last of an ancient species of giant amphibious creatures that evolved at a time when the surface of the Earth was over ten times more radioactive that it is today. Godzilla can convert his radiation stores into a violent, focused exhalation of atomic ray. Rarely seen, but spoken of in ancient Pacific Island myths, “Gojira” was last spotted in 1954...
Michael Dougherty, director of the anticipated kaiju monster fest Godzilla: King of the Monsters, is already thinking sequel, and has two kaiju in mind for the "Big Bads." Dougherty told CinemaToday JP he would like to use Biollante and Gigan ...
Dynamite is thrilled to announce a new comic book series featuring the hottest band in the land, KISS! Writer Bryan Edward Hill (Detective Comics, Postal) and artist Rodney Buchemi (Death of Hawkman) crank the volume high as they bring you the KISS series we have all been waiting for this October!
In KISS: Blood and Stardust, an immortal cabal is taking the lives of innocents and the only ones who can stop them are KISS! The only problem…they are dead. And now they have to make a deal with a demon to save their souls and return to Earth to fight evil!
"KISS was the soundtrack of a time in my life where I had tons of ambition and few rules. Endless nights in dive bars in New York City, watching sunrises on the rooftops of Brooklyn. I might have discovered them in the aughts, but I was filled with the spirit of the 70's,” remarked author Bryan Hill. “The 1970's was a special decade, a decade of fame and magic where guitar riffs and drum solos were your co-pilots and the devil MAY have cared, but he couldn't stop your shine.
“As one of rock's most celebrated bands, KISS continues to be a staple in the comic book industry,” said Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “Bryan Hill has really built a name for himself, so we’re thrilled to have him penning KISS: Blood and Stardust as part of our fall lineup.”
The origins of KISS comic books date almost as far back as the inception as the band itself, having been an integral part of comics culture since their 1977 appearance in Howard the Duck #12 and 1978's Marvel Comics Super Special: KISS. Today, nearly 40 years later, Dynamite Entertainment is the proud home to the comic book series KISS, KISS: The Demon, KISS/Vampirella, KISS/Army of Darkness and now KISS: Blood and Stardust.
“Fans can expect to relive that magic, terror, and power in these pages. They should prepare to see the mystical occult power that weaved itself into pop culture, characters in league with it, celebrity-filled with it, and a story of the innocent lives caught in the balance. I've always wanted to tell a story about a band that saved the world. Now I have my chance," added Hill.
The debut issue of KISS: Blood and Stardust features a wide selection of cover variants, providing fans and retailers a chance to collect the whole set! The cover artwork features the talents of Stuart Sayger (The Walking Dead), Rodney Buchemi (Legenderry Red Sonja), Maria Sanapo (DC Bombshells), and a classic KISS photo cover, respectively. Two Atlas Editions will also be available for fans wishing to have their issue signed by writer Bryan Hill or signed by rock legend Gene Simmons!
As America's #1 Gold Record Award-winning group of all time (in every category), KISS is easily one of rock's most iconic and influential bands. The Rock N Roll Hall of Famers have released 44 albums and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.
KISS: Blood and Stardust #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' August 2018 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in October 2018. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of KISS: Blood and Stardust #1 with their local comic book retailers. KISS: Blood and Stardust #1 will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, Madefire, and Dark Horse Digital.
Dynamite Entertainment is bringing a Deluxe-Premiere trading card set to specialty retailers this fall, featuring a select group of KISS’s fan-favorite photos and artists portraying the world-renown rock band in all their glory, plus Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley signed cards!
“KISS trading cards are some of the most collectible memorabilia out there, they’ve been around since the early days of the band,” said KISS co-founder Gene Simmons. “These new cards add to the tradition and the lore of KISS and I can’t wait for fans to get their hands on them.”
In 1978, Donruss released the first set of KISS trading cards and Dynamite Entertainment continues the tradition 40 years later with the KISS Deluxe Ultra-Premium Trading Card Set from America's #1 Gold Record Award-winning group of all time.
“KISS continues to be one of the greatest bands of the century, their logo, makeup and songs are instantly recognizable and after 40 years, fans are collecting their memorabilia more than ever,” said Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “We’ve been publishing KISS comics, but the fans wanted more so now we give you the hottest trading card set on shelves this fall!”
Dynamite’s KISS Deluxe Ultra-Premium Trading Card Set includes an 18-card base set, plus Dynamite chase cards that include: 6 autographed cards, 3 B&W art cards, 9-card puzzle cards, 2-box-topper special cards, and hand-drawn original art signed sketch cards. Every autographed card featuring a color ink or ultra-rare, gold ink signature!
Every individual foil pack includes 2 Base Cards, 2 Sketch Cards, 1 B&W Art Card, 1 Puzzle Card, and 1 Autographed Card. Additionally, every specially designed, 4-color box includes 12 foil packs.
The KISS Deluxe Ultra-Premium Trading Card Set will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' August 2018 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in October 2018.
This week's classic rock artist is Heart. Over the past week I have been listening to the Wilson sisters a lot, especially their 1987 album "Bad Animals" and "Dreamboat Annie" From 1976.
Heart got their start in 1963 in Seattle, Washington formed by bassist Steve Fossen and brothers Roger Fisher (guitar/mandolin) and Mike Fisher (producer and sound engineer). The group went by the names Army and White Heart before settling on just Heart in the early 1970s. Ann Wilson joined the group in 1970. Romance sprang up between her and Mike, and she came along when they moved to Vancouver to avoid the Vietnam draft some years later.
Soon after the move, Ann's sister Nancy Wilson joined the group. She became romantically involved with Mike's brother, Roger. The band gained a following in Canada and was signed to the small Canadian label Mushroom, which issued their debut album, "Dreamboat Annie", in 1976. "Dreamboat Annie" was recorded with new members guitarist/keyboardist Howard Leese, and drummer Michael Derosier. The album included Heart's first U.S. chart entry, "Crazy on You," which peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Magic Man," the second single from the album reached #9 on the charts and "Dreamboat Annie," the third single rose to #42.
In 1977, Heart moved to CBS affiliate Portrait. This decision didn't go over well with Mushroom owner Shelly Siegel, and a legal battle ensued. After the smoke cleared, Heart's second album "Little Queen" was released on Portrait in 1977. It was a substantial hit, but wasn't the enormous hit their debut album was. Only one single, "Barracuda," from the album made the Top 40 this time around. Curiously, the single, "Heartless," from the unfinished LP "Magazine" released by Mushroom charted higher than Little Queen's other two singles.
Heart's third official album, "Dog and Butterfly", came out the next year. It only managed to reach #17 on the Billboard 200, and showed that Heart's success was declining (at least for the time being). The Fisher/Wilson romances came to an end following the album, and Roger left the group.
In 1980, Bebe Le Strange was released. In 1982, after releasing their 6th album "Private Audition", Fossen and Derosier left the group, and were replaced by ex-Spirit and Firefall bassist Mark Andes and former Gamma drummer Denny Carmassi.
After releasing "Passionworks" in 1983 and switching to Capitol Records, Heart broke in to the pop scene with a self-titled album in 1985 that would be their biggest, resulting in four Top Ten singles, "What About Love?," "Never," "These Dreams," and "Nothin' at All." This album marked a significant turning point for the band as this was the first album the band employed outside songwriters for (only 3 of the songs, and none of the hits, were written by band members) and they went for a much more synthesizer-heavy commercial radio friendly sound. As well as establishing their mainstream success, the album also established the style that would take Heart through the '80s and into the early 90's, a mix of power ballads and pop rock. Further albums in this vein followed in the form of Bad Animals (which netted the band three more Top Ten singles including their second number one record "Alone") and Brigade.
Condition: Near Mint
CGC / PGX: Modern Age
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Main Character: KISS
Price: $29.99
Plus $4.00 Standard Shipping
Comics Ship Within 24 Hours
Estimated Delivery: 3-5 Days Domestic
3-7 Days International
KISS #1, Signed Midtown Exclusive Jim Balent Variant Cover - Dynamite Comics
Exclusive Cover By Jim Balent!
Signed by writer Amy Chu and cover artist Jim Balent!
Comes with a Midtown Comics Certificate of Authenticity!
Written by Amy Chu. Art by Kewber Baal. Cover by Jim Balent.
KISS is back! Back to the FUTURE in this dark sci-fi adventure. In a world without sun and a world without heroes, four young friends embark on a dangerous mission - to uncover the truth about the mysterious Council of Elders and their underground home, the city of Blackwell. But first they need some help from the past… 'What is the power of KISS? 32 pages, full color. Rated T+
1st printing.
This comic book is in new condition. Comic is complete with cover and all pages attached. This comic has very few flaws that warrant a Near Mint grade.
Comic Book will be shipped bagged and boarded!
View Obscura Comics features hundreds of items including comic books, sci-fi toys, books, magazines, posters, and movie memorabilia plus a selection of store exclusives. At this point our store has more than two thousand items for sale with more being added daily. Over the past decade in a half I have paid very close attention to the types of items sci-fi, horror and fans of every genre of pop culture have been searching for and I can say that we have taken great pride in stocking our store with items that we believe will bring great joy to our customers. Shipping Policy: Returns & exchanges: I gladly accept returns and exchanges Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery I don’t accept cancellations But please contact me if you have any problems with your order. The following items can’t be returned or exchanged Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can’t accept returns for: Custom or personalized orders Digital downloads Conditions of return: Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value. Privacy policy: I will only use your shipping and billing address, and contact information To communicate with you about your order To fulfill your order
"Kraftwerk's "Trans Europe Express" is the most important pop album of the last 40 years, though it may not be obvious.
The first high-art electronic pop record, "Trans Europe Express" set the tone for the coming revolution, became one of the central texts of hip-hop, pop and electronic dance music. Recorded in the same few months of mid-1976 when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated Apple Computers in Cupertino, "Trans Europe Express" and its predecessors, "Radio-Activity" and "Autobahn," sparked a similarly massive upheaval with sound.
The sound is now apparent throughout culture: synthetic bleeps, dotted out in melody while Plasticine rhythms locked into a groove through mathematics rather than human intuition. It's in the relentless thump of a million EDM tracks, weaves through the work of Jay Z, Timbaland and Pharrell. The ways in which they vanished beneath their robotic personas no doubt influenced Daft Punk's android aesthetic." - Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic
"Trans-Europe Express" was released as a single in 1977, and charted in the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 67. Trans-Europe Express as a single did not chart in the UK although reached number one in France.
Allmusic described the musical elements of the suite as having a haunting theme with "deadpan chanting of the title phrase" which is "slowly layered over that rhythmic base in much the same way that the earlier "Autobahn" was constructed". The song's lyrics reference the album Station to Station and meeting with musicians Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Hütter and Schneider had previously met up with Bowie in Germany and were flattered with the attention they received from him. Ralf Hütter was interested in Bowie's work as he had been working with Iggy Pop, who was the former lead singer of the Stooges; one of Hütter's favorite groups.
Rubber Soul was the Beatles sixth studio album.. It was recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market, and was released on 3 December 1965. It was produced by George Martin. Unlike the five albums that preceded it, Rubber Soul was recorded during a continuous period, whereas the group had previously recorded albums during breaks in between tour dates or other projects. After this, Beatles albums would be made without the burden of other commitments, except for the production of short promotional films.
Rubber Soul incorporates R&B, pop, soul, folk rock, and psychedelic music styles. The album is regarded by musicologists as a major artistic achievement that continued the Beatles' artistic maturation while attaining widespread critical and commercial success. The album's name comes from the term plastic soul, which popular African American soul musicians coined to describe Mick Jagger, a white musician singing soul music. It was the second Beatles album – after the British version of A Hard Day's Night – to contain only original material; the Beatles would record no more cover songs for their records until 1969, with the "Maggie Mae" excerpt appearing on Let It Be.
Rubber Soul is regarded by fans and critics alike as one of the greatest albums in popular music history. In 2012, Rubber Soul was ranked number five on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2013, after the British Phonographic Industry changed their sales award rules, the album was declared as having gone platinum.
Virtually all of the album's songs were composed immediately after the Beatles' return to London following their North American tour. The Beatles expanded their sound on the album, with influences drawn from wide-ranging sources, such as African American soul music, the contemporary folk-rock of Bob Dylan and The Byrds, and the vocal harmony pop of The Beach Boys. The album also saw the Beatles expanding rock and roll's instrumental resources, most notably on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" through George Harrison's use of the Indian sitar. He had been introduced to it via the instrumental score for their 1965 film Help!. Although The Kinks had incorporated droning guitars to mimic the sitar after a visit to India on "See My Friends", "Norwegian Wood" is generally credited as sparking off a musical craze for the sound of the novel instrument in the mid-1960s – a trend which would later branch out into the raga rock and Indian rock genres. The song is now acknowledged as one of the cornerstones of what is now usually called "world music" and it was a major landmark in the trend towards incorporating non-Western musical influences into Western popular music. Harrison's interest was fuelled by fellow Indian music fans Roger McGuinn David Crosby of the Byrds, whom Harrison met and befriended in August 1965. Harrison would eventually be transfixed by all things Indian, taking sitar lessons from renowned Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar.
French-like guitar lines on "Michelle" and Greek-influenced ones on "Girl", fuzz bass on "Think for Yourself," and a piano made to sound like a baroque harpsichord on the instrumental bridge of "In My Life" added to the exotic brushstrokes on the album. Ringo Starr had frequently augmented Beatles tracks with non-standard percussion instruments such as maracas or tambourine, but on the track "I'm Looking Through You" unusually used taps on a box of matches, perhaps influenced by a similar trick as done by Gene Krupa in the 1941 film Ball of Fire.
Rubber Soul was the group's first release not to feature their name on the cover, an uncommon tactic in 1965. The 'stretched' effect of the cover photo came about after photographer Bob Freeman had taken some pictures of the group wearing suede leather jackets at Lennon's house. Freeman showed the photos by projecting them onto an album-sized piece of cardboard to simulate how they would appear on an album cover. The unusual Rubber Soul album cover came to be when the slide card fell slightly backwards, elongating the projected image of the photograph and stretching it. Excited by the effect, they shouted, "Ah! Can we have that? Can you do it like that?", to which Freeman said he could. The distinctive lettering was created by Charles Front (father of actress Rebecca Front), and the original artwork was later auctioned at Bonhams, accompanied by an authenticating letter from Robert Freeman.
Rubber Soul was commercially successful, beginning a 42-week run in the British charts on 12 December 1965. The following week it replaced The Sound of Music soundtrack at the top of the charts, and held the top spot eight weeks. On 9 May 1987, Rubber Soul returned to the album charts for three weeks, and ten years later made another comeback to the charts. - Source
Led Zeppelin: In Through The Out Door
In Through the Out Door is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, and their final album of entirely new material. It was recorded over a three-week period in November and December 1978 at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and released by Swan Song Records on 15 August 1979. In Through the Out Door was the band's eighth and final studio release to reach the top of the charts in America, and was the last released by the band before the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980.
The album is a reflection of the personal turmoil that the band members had been going through before and during its recording. For example, frontman Robert Plant and his wife had gone through a serious car accident, and their young son, Karac Plant, died from a stomach illness. All four band members also felt weary of dealing with record companies and other associates. Despite this, the release wound up being a huge commercial success, particularly in the United States (sitting at the #1 slot on Billboard's chart in just its second week on the chart).
The album was named by the group to describe its recent struggles amidst the death of Robert Plant's son Karac in 1977, and the taxation exile the band took from the UK. The exile resulted in the band being unable to tour on British soil for over two years, and trying to get back into the public mind was therefore like "trying to get in through the 'out' door."
In contrast to previous Led Zeppelin albums, In Through the Out Door features much greater influence on the part of bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones and vocalist Robert Plant, and relatively less from drummer John Bonham and guitarist Jimmy Page. Two songs from the album—"South Bound Saurez" and "All My Love"—were the only two original Led Zeppelin songs that Jimmy Page had no part in writing. With the exception of "Darlene," a boogie-woogie based song credited to all band members (which was eventually released on the 1982 album, Coda), Bonham did not receive writing credits for any of the songs recorded at Polar Studios. This diminished input by Page and Bonham is attributed to the two band members often not showing up on time at the recording studio, with Bonham struggling with alcoholism and Page battling heroin addiction. As Jones said, "there were two distinct camps by then, and we [Plant and I] were in the relatively clean one."
Many of the songs were consequently put together by Plant and Jones during the day, with Page and Bonham adding their parts late at night. According to Jones, this was
“... mainly because I had a new toy. I had this big new keyboard. And Robert and I just got to rehearsals early, basically. With Zeppelin writing, if you came up with good things, and everybody agreed that they were good things, they got used. There was no formula for writing. So Robert and I, by the time everybody turned up for rehearsals, we’d written three or four songs. So we started rehearsing those immediately, because they were something to be getting on with.”
Following the recording sessions at Polar Studios, the album was mixed at Page's personal studio at his home in Plumpton. "Wearing and Tearing", "Ozone Baby" and "Darlene" were recorded during sessions for this album, but were dropped because of space constraints. All later appeared on Coda.
The album was intended to be released before the band's twin concerts at Knebworth in 1979, but production delays meant that it was released shortly after their performances at this event. Plant jokingly referred to the delays at times during the performance on 4 August.
Despite receiving poor reviews, the album went to No. 1 on Billboard's chart in its second week on the chart. - Source
The Rolling Stones: Tattoo You
Tattoo You is the 16th British and 18th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1981. The follow-up to Emotional Rescue (1980), the album is mostly composed of studio outtakes recorded during the 1970s, and contains one of the band's most well-known songs, "Start Me Up", which hit second place on the United States's Billboard singles charts.
The album proved to be both a critical and commercial success upon release, reaching the top of the Billboard charts, and selling more than four million copies in the United States alone. It was also the final Rolling Stones album to reach the top position of the US charts, thus concluding the band's string of number-one albums there, dating back to 1971's Sticky Fingers. It is considered by many fans and critics to be the Rolling Stones' last great album.
Tattoo You is an album primarily composed of outtakes from previous recording sessions, some dating back a decade, with new vocals and overdubs. Along with two new songs, the Rolling Stones put together this collection to have a new album to promote for their worldwide American Tour 1981/European Tour 1982 beginning that September. Guitarist Keith Richards commented in 1993:
"The thing with Tattoo You wasn't that we'd stopped writing new stuff, it was a question of time. We'd agreed we were going to go out on the road and we wanted to tour behind a record. There was no time to make a whole new album and make the start of the tour."
The album's associate producer, Chris Kimsey, who'd been associated with The Stones dating back to Sticky Fingers (1971) said Tattoo You "...came about because Mick [Jagger] and Keith were going through a period of not getting on. There was a need to have an album out, and I told everyone I could make an album from what I knew was still there." He began sifting through the band's vaults: "I spent three months going through (the recording tapes from) like the last four, five albums finding stuff that had been either forgotten about or at the time rejected. And then I presented it to the band and I said, 'Hey, look guys, you've got all this great stuff sitting in the can and it's great material, do something with it."
Many of the songs consisted at this point of instrumental backing tracks for which vocals had not been recorded. Jagger said in a 1995 interview, "It wasn't all outtakes; some of it was old songs... I had to write lyrics and melodies. A lot of them didn't have anything, which is why they weren't used at the time – because they weren't complete. They were just bits, or they were from early takes". Despite the eclectic nature of the album, the Rolling Stones were able to divide Tattoo You into two distinct halves: a rock and roll side backed with one focusing on ballads.
The earliest songs used for Tattoo You are "Tops" and "Waiting on a Friend". The backing tracks for both songs were cut in late 1972 during the Goats Head Soup (1973) sessions and feature Mick Taylor, not Ronnie Wood, on guitar. Taylor, who was not credited, later demanded and received a share of the album's royalties.
"Start Me Up" was released in August 1981, just a week before Tattoo You, to a very strong response, reaching the top 10 in both the United States and UK, and number 1 in Australia. Widely considered one of the Stones' most infectious songs, it was enough to carry Tattoo You to No. 1 for nine weeks in the United States, while reaching No. 2 in the UK with solid sales. It's been certified 4x platinum in the United States alone. The critical reaction was positive, many feeling that Tattoo You was an improvement over Emotional Rescue and a high-quality release. "Waiting on a Friend" and "Hang Fire" became Top 20 US hits as well.
"Start Me Up" would prove to be The Rolling Stones' last single to reach as high as No. 2 in the US, while Tattoo You is their last American No. 1 album to date. - Source
This internationally popular British pop/funk quartet, fronted by Mark King and Mike Lindup, is best known for the hits “Lessons in Love”, “Something About You”, “The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)”, “Love Games”, and “Hot Water”. The genre-blending group started out on the Isle of Wight. Though their membership has fluctuated throughout the years, the original and perhaps best-known lineup of Level 42 consisted of Mark King aka “Thunderthumbs” (vocals & bass), Mike Lindup (vocals & keyboards), and brothers Boon Gould (guitar) and Phil Gould (drums).
Their first album, ‘Level 42’, came out in July 1981. Their first single, “Love Games”, became a hit, reaching #38 on the U.K. single charts, and has since been a fan-favorite. While the band didn’t quite break into the mainstream completely, this album and its follow-ups featured a spirited new wave sound that drew influence from jazz, funk, and rock.
After the success of the 1987 ‘Running in the Family’ album, the Gould brothers left the band, citing musical differences and nervous exhaustion. Said release, the seventh album from Level 42, included perhaps the group’s most popular and iconic single: “Lessons in Love”. ‘Running in the Family’ and their previous album, 1985’s ‘World Machine’, both brought them international stardom and critical acclaim, with ‘World Machine’ peaking at #3 on the U.K. album charts and staying on that chart for 72 weeks.
King and Lindup continued on after the brother’s departure, picking up replacement artists in Gary Husband on drums and former Go West and Kate Bush guitarist Alan Murphy. Murphy sadly passed away after suffering from an AIDS related illness in October 1989. The band released their then swansong album, ‘Forever Now’, in 1994.
At the end of the 80s, Mark King was recognized as one of the best bass players in the world, having partly pioneered the ‘slap and pull’ technique (treating the bass as a percussion instrument). His style and virtuosity still are hugely influential, considering he also sang while he played very difficult basslines. As time went on, the group’s singles continued to recieve major airplay, particularly the two international mega-hits “Lessons in Love” and “Something About You” - Source
Eurythmics: 1984 (For The Love of Big Brother)
1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) is a soundtrack album by Eurythmics, their fourth studio album overall, containing music recorded by the duo for director Michael Radford's 1984 film Nineteen Eighty-Four, based on George Orwell's dystopian novel of the same name. Virgin Films produced the film for release in its namesake year, and commissioned Eurythmics to write a soundtrack.
Lennox and Stewart worked as a duo for these recordings, with no contribution from other musicians. The music, while containing many electronic elements, was far from being "synth pop"; Stewart described some tracks as being like "Kraftwerk meets African tribal meets Booker T and the MGs."
Unknown to the group, Radford had commissioned his own orchestral score, and was not fond of Eurythmics' work. Two versions of the film were released, one featuring Eurythmics' music, and the "director's cut", which replaced most of Eurythmics' music by the orchestral score. When accepting an award for the film, Radford publicly complained of having Eurythmics' music "foisted" on him. Eurythmics issued a statement saying that they had accepted Virgin's commission in good faith, and would never have done so if they had known that it was not being done with the director's approval.
Most of the tracks are instrumental, with song titles and lyrics of two songs on the album being derived from Orwell's text. For instance, "I Did It Just The Same" is taken from a passage in the book where the protagonist, Winston Smith, relates how he committed "sexcrime" with a prostitute—initially deceived by her makeup, when he got close to her, he realised she was "about fifty – but I did it just the same". "Julia" was the name of Winston's lover. "Sexcrime" and "Doubleplusgood" are examples of Newspeak, the revised version of the English language spoken in Orwell's story. The track "Doubleplusgood" features a female announcer—the voice of the omnipresent Telescreen in the movie—reading out various memos which Winston had received at his job in the Ministry of Truth, where his role was to amend past and present newspaper articles so that they conformed to current Party dogma. The "Ministry of Love" was the government police and torture department, and included "Room 101", a room which contained "the worst thing in the world"—i.e. where each torture victim would be confronted with their own worst nightmare. - Source
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Liverpool
Frankie Goes to Hollywood (FGTH), formed in 1980, were a Liverpool based band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson (vocals), with Paul Rutherford (vocals, keyboards), Peter Gill (drums, percussion), Mark O'Toole (bass guitar), and Brian Nash (guitar).
The group's 1983 debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and subsequently topped the UK singles chart for five consecutive weeks, going on to enjoy prolonged chart success throughout that year and ultimately becoming the seventh best-selling UK single of all time. It also won the 1985 Brit Award for Best British Single. After the follow-up success of "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love," the group became only the second act in the history of the UK charts to reach number one with their first three singles; the first being fellow Liverpudlians Gerry &; the Pacemakers. This record remained unbeaten until the Spice Girls achieved a six-single streak in 1996-1997. In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood won the Brit Award for Best British Newcomer, and the band also received Grammy Award and MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best New Artist.
Liverpool was their second and last studio album, released in October 1986 (see 1986 in music). It would be the band's final album of all-new material, and lead singer Holly Johnson would leave the band following the corresponding world tour, followed by a flurry of lawsuits from ZTT. The album's production was handled by Trevor Horn's engineer Stephen Lipson, who urged the band to play their own instruments on this album (Horn having replaced the band's performances and arrangements with his session musicians or his own performances on Welcome to the Pleasuredome.) Liverpool therefore features a heavier rock sound than its predecessor.
The album was a commercial disappointment compared to the band's previous effort, though it charted generally high at #5 in the United Kingdom, #7 on the Austrian and Swiss music charts and #8 in Norway. The cover photo was different depending on what format was purchased (LP, cassette, or compact disc). - Source
Berlin was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by John Crawford (bass guitar). Band members included Crawford, Terri Nunn (vocals), David Diamond (keyboards), Ric Olsen (guitar), Matt Reid (keyboards) and Rod Learned (drums). Learned left during the first EU tour and was replaced by Rob Brill (drums).[citation needed] The band gained mainstream-commercial success in the early 1980s with singles including "The Metro", "Sex (I'm A...)", "No More Words" and then in the mid '80s with the chart-topping single "Take My Breath Away" from the 1986 film Top Gun.
Pleasure Victim was recorded in 1982 and released that year by independent label Enigma Records. After considerable attention received by the second single, "Sex (I'm A...)", the album was re-released worldwide by Geffen Records on January 26, 1983. The album marked the return of lead singer Terri Nunn to the group. To date, it is Berlin's best-selling album and was certified gold by the RIAA in September 1984 and platinum in February 1993. It is the only one of Berlin's albums to be certified platinum and the first that reached gold; two subsequent studio albums and a greatest hits compilation were also certified gold.
After "Sex (I'm A...)", two subsequent singles followed: "The Metro" (April 1983), considered a "masterpiece" of '80s new wave, and "Masquerade" (September 1983). These three singles all charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album's original release on Enigma Records sold 25,000 copies, an exceptionally high amount for an independent release.
In a joint review of Pleasure Victim's 1983 reissue and Soft Cell's The Art of Falling Apart, Michael Goldberg of Record panned the album, saying that Berlin's use of sex to sell their music (particularly noting the track "Sex (I'm a...)" and the inner sleeve photo of Terri Nunn wearing nothing but a mink stole) is unintentionally humorous, and that the instrumentation is riddled with synthpop cliches. He concluded "Like bad pornography, comic books and a Top 40 hit like 'Rosanna', one can wallow in the sheer trashiness of Pleasure Victim, though you wouldn't really want to call this stuff 'music.'"
Originally including seven tracks on both vinyl and cassette, Pleasure Victim is sometimes listed as being an EP album. Subsequent cassette and CD versions of Pleasure Victim added an eighth track, an extended version of "Sex (I'm A ...)." According to John Crawford, the album's reissue on Geffen Records is identical to the original Enigma Records release aside from "a little remixing". - Source
The Human League: Fascination! (1983)
The Human League are an English electronic new wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Dare (1981), the band's most popular album, yielded the single "Don't You Want Me", a No. 1 hit in the pop charts of UK, US and many other countries. After its UK success, their first single, "Being Boiled", was reissued and became a top ten hit at the beginning of 1982. They received the Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough act in 1982. The success of "Don't You Want Me" is seen as the beginning of the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US. Other international hits include: "Love Action", "Open Your Heart", "Mirror Man", "Fascination", "The Lebanon", "Human" (a US No. 1) and "Tell Me When".
The only constant band member since 1977 is vocalist and songwriter Philip Oakey. Originally an avant-garde all-male synthesizer-based group, The Human League evolved into a commercially successful synthpop band under Oakey's leadership. Since 1987, the band has essentially been a trio of Oakey and long-serving female vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley (both of whom joined the ensemble in 1980), with various sidemen.
Since 1978, The Human League have released nine studio albums, four EPs, 30 singles and several compilation albums. They have had five albums and eight singles in the UK Top 10 and have sold more than 20 million records.
Fascination! was issued by Virgin Records in North America (though made available in Europe as an import) as a stop-gap release in between the albums Dare (1981) and Hysteria (1984).
The original vinyl release of Fascination! contained six tracks, including two versions of their single "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" as well as "Mirror Man", both of which were hits in the UK and the U.S.
Also included is "Hard Times", which was originally the B-side of their 1981 hit "Love Action" and also appears on the band's 1982 remix album Love and Dancing.
The featured version of "I Love You Too Much" is an earlier version of the song that would later be released on the band's Hysteria album in 1984.
The album was released as a digital download in 2008 with a bonus track, a dub version of "I Love You Too Much".
A CD version was released as part of the "deluxe edition" release of Dare in 2012, minus Hard Times, but with other extra tracks.
In November 2015 a Limited Edition Single-CD is released (only in Japan), same Tracklist as the Dare "deluxe edition". - Source
Wang Chung: Points on the Curve (1983)
Wang Chung are an English new wave musical group formed in 1980. The name Wang Chung means "yellow bell" in Chinese (黃鐘, pinyin: huáng zhōng; Wade–Giles: huang chung), and is the first note in the Chinese classical music scale.
The group found their greatest success in the United States, with five Top 40 hits in the US, all charting between 1983 and 1987, including "Dance Hall Days" (No. 16 in the summer of 1984), "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" (No. 2 in 1986) and "Let's Go!" (No. 9 in 1987).
In late 1982, Huang Chung returned to the studio to start work on their second album for Arista Records. However, their manager David Massey convinced Arista to close their contract with Huang Chung, and instead placed the band with American label Geffen Records, making the group the second UK-based act to be signed to Geffen worldwide after Asia (not counting then-New York-based John Lennon in 1980).
At this juncture, and at Geffen's suggestion, the band changed their name to Wang Chung, allegedly to make pronunciation easier for English-speakers. (This explanation of the group's name change is consistent with the claim by VH1's Pop Up Video that they changed it because people kept calling them "Hung Chung".) At the same time, Nick Feldman and Darren Costin opted to be billed under their real names; only Jack Hues would keep his pseudonym. The band spent most of 1983 recording their second album, Points on the Curve. Released in January 1984, the album yielded two moderately successful hits, "Don't Let Go" (No. 38 US) and "Dance Hall Days" (No. 16 US, No. 21 UK).
Points on the Curve is Wang Chung's first album since changing their name from Huang Chung and switching from Arista to the Geffen record label. It reached #30 on the Billboard 200 album charts on 14 July 1984 and features the #1 dance single "Dance Hall Days" and includes the hit singles: "Don't Let Go", "Don't Be My Enemy" and "Wait". - Source
David Bowie has died after a battle with cancer, his representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
“David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief,” read a statement posted on the artist’s official social media accounts.
The influential singer-songwriter and producer dabbled in glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career.
Bowie’s artistic breakthrough came with 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, an album that fostered the notion of rock star as space alien. Fusing British mod with Japanese kabuki styles and rock with theater, Bowie created the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust.
Three years later, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the No. 1 single “Fame” off the top 10 album Young Americans, then followed with the 1976 avant-garde art rock LP Station to Station, which made it to No. 3 on the charts and featured top 10 hit “Golden Years.”
David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie (/ˈboʊ.i/), was an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, painter, and actor. Bowie was a figure in popular music for over four decades, and was known as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His androgynous appearance was an iconic element of his image, principally in the 1970s and 1980s.
Born and raised in South London, Bowie developed an early interest in music although his attempts to succeed as a pop star during much of the 1960s were frustrated. Bowie's first hit song, "Space Oddity", reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a three-year period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, spearheaded by the hit single "Starman" and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie's impact at that time, as described by biographer David Buckley, "challenged the core belief of the rock music of its day" and "created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture". The relatively short-lived Ziggy persona proved to be one facet of a career marked by reinvention, musical innovation and visual presentation.
In 1975, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the hit album Young Americans, which the singer characterised as "plastic soul". The sound constituted a radical shift in style that initially alienated many of his UK devotees. He then confounded the expectations of both his record label and his American audiences by recording the electronic-inflected album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno. Low (1977), "Heroes" (1977), and Lodger (1979)—the so-called "Berlin Trilogy" albums—all reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its parent album Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure", a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached a new commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance, which yielded several hit singles. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including blue-eyed soul, industrial, adult contemporary, and jungle. He stopped touring after his 2003–04 Reality Tour, and last performed live at a charity event in 2006. Bowie released the studio album Blackstar on 8 January 2016, his 69th birthday, just two days before his death from liver cancer.
Bowie also had a successful, but sporadic film career. His acting roles include the eponymous character in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Jareth, the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. - Source
Bowie met dancer Lindsay Kemp in 1967 and enrolled in his dance class at the London Dance Centre. He commented in 1972 that meeting Kemp was when his interest in image "really blossomed". "He lived on his emotions, he was a wonderful influence. His day-to-day life was the most theatrical thing I had ever seen, ever. It was everything I thought Bohemia probably was. I joined the circus." Studying the dramatic arts under Kemp, from avant-garde theatre and mime to commedia dell'arte, Bowie became immersed in the creation of personae to present to the world. Satirising life in a British prison, meanwhile, the Bowie-penned "Over the Wall We Go" became a 1967 single for Oscar; another Bowie composition, "Silly Boy Blue", was released by Billy Fury the following year. In January 1968 Kemp choreographed a dance scene for a BBC play The Pistol Shot in the Theatre 625 series, and used Bowie with a dancer, Hermione Farthingale; the pair began dating, and moved into a London flat together. Playing acoustic guitar, Farthingale formed a group with Bowie and bassist John Hutchinson; between September 1968 and early 1969 the trio gave a small number of concerts combining folk, Merseybeat, poetry and mime. Bowie and Farthingale broke up in early 1969 when she went to Norway to take part in a film, Song of Norway; this had an impact on him, and several songs, such as "Letter to Hermione" and "Life on Mars?" reference her, and for the video accompanying "Where Are We Now?" he wore a T-shirt with the words "Song for Norway". They were last together in January 1969 for the filming of Love You till Tuesday, a 30-minute film, not released until 1984, intended as a vehicle to promote him, featuring performances from Bowie's repertoire, including an as yet unreleased "Space Oddity".
After the breakup with Farthingale, Bowie moved in with Mary Finnigan as her lodger. During this period he appeared in a Lyons Maid ice cream commercial, but was rejected for another by Kit Kat. In February and March 1969, he undertook a short tour with Marc Bolan's duo Tyrannosaurus Rex, as third on the bill, performing a mime act. On 11 July 1969, "Space Oddity" was released five days ahead of the Apollo 11 launch, to become a UK top five hit. Continuing the divergence from rock and roll and blues begun by his work with Farthingale, Bowie joined forces with Finnigan, Christina Ostrom and Barrie Jackson to run a folk club on Sunday nights at the Three Tuns pub in Beckenham High Street. Influenced by the Arts Lab Movement, this developed into the Beckenham Arts Lab, and became extremely popular. The Arts Lab hosted a free festival in a local park, the subject of his song "Memory of a Free Festival". Bowie's second album followed in November; originally issued in the UK as David Bowie, it caused some confusion with its predecessor of the same name, and the early US release was instead titled Man of Words/Man of Music; it was re-released internationally in 1972 by RCA as Space Oddity. Featuring philosophical post-hippie lyrics on peace, love and morality, its acoustic folk rock occasionally fortified by harder rock, the album was not a commercial success at the time of its release. - READ MORE
Grace Potter is a member of The Nocturnals (Grace Potter & The Nocturnals) with Scott Tournet (guitar/slide guitar), Matthew Burr (drums/percussion), and Bryan Dondero (upright/electric bass). Potter's dynamic vocal ability has drawn comparisons to legends Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Her unique style behind the Hammond B-3 and piano is also gaining widespread recognition.
9. New Order: Music Complete
New Order are an alternative rock/electronic dance band which formed in 1980 in Salford, England, United Kingdom by the three remaining members of Joy Division. The band's classic lineup consists of Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Peter Hook (bass, electronic percussion), Gillian Gilbert (keyboards, guitar) and Stephen Morris (drums, keyboards). The group effectively disbanded in 1993 but reformed in 1998. Gilbert left in 2001 to look after her and Morris' children and was replaced by guitarist/keyboardist Phil Cunningham. Hook left acrimoniously in 2007 and declared the band to be defunct. Initially, Sumner, Cunningham and Morris denied the band had split up, but in 2009, following the release of the trio's Bad Lieutenant album, they admitted that that they could not continue on without Hook and officially disbanded. However, the band reformed in 2011 for a pair of charity dates without Hook, with Gilbert returning to the fold and Tom Chapman replacing Hook on bass.
Pioneers of dance music in the 1980s and one of the first bands to effectively and popularly synthesize keyboard- and guitar-based music, New Order's members hailed from Salford and Macclesfield, England out of the ashes of Joy Division, are noted as being one of the first bands to bridge the gap between Post-Punk and Dancefloor. They were Factory Records' highest selling artist. They also funded Factory's famous Manchester club, The Haçienda. The band partnered with Quincy Jones's American label Qwest, recorded with legendary hip-hop producer Arthur Baker (on 1983's single "Confusion" and 1984's "Thieves Like Us"), and they embraced Ibizan club culture on the album, Technique.
8. Butterfly Boucher: Happy Birthday Flutterby
Butterfly Boucher (pronounced 'bow-cher' with a hard "ch" sound, unlike the French pronunciation) is an Adelaide, Australian singer/songwriter.
Boucher, born June 2, 1979, is the middle child of seven daughters. The name "Butterfly" was a suggestion from a friend of the family. Her mother didn't initially like the name but kept seeing butterflies in pictures, on clothing, etc. before the birth. In later years, Butterfly's sister had a band, The Mercy Bell, in which Butterfly played bass guitar. In 2004 and 2005, Boucher toured the U.S. and Canada, opening for Sarah McLachlan and Barenaked Ladies.
Butterfly currently resides in the United States. She released her first track of the album, "I Can't Make Me," in the UK first. It did poorly. However, when she released that track along with "Another White Dash," her U.S. success was assured.
7. The Bamboos: Fever in the Road
The Bamboos are masters of super-heavy, raw and upfront drum-break driven grooves. Led by Guitarist Lance Ferguson (Equatorial Records/Lanu/No Comply), other members include Ben Grayson (Hammond Organ), Danny Farrugia (Drums), Yuri Pavlinov (Bass), Anton Delecca (Sax/Flute) and Ross Irwin (Trumpet). The Bamboos formed in 2001 and released the 7” single ‘Eel Oil/Blackfoot’, earning them international acclaim from the likes of Snowboy, Mr Scruff, Jazzanova, Patrick Forge and Russ Dewbury. Their next release ‘Tighten Up/Voodoo Doll’ was picked up by Kenny Dope (Masters At Work) and Keb Darge (Legendary Deep Funk) for their U.S-based imprint Kay-Dee Records. Making their home at Tru Thoughts records (home to Quantic and Alice Russell) in 2005, The Bamboos debut album ‘Step it Up’ looks set to bolster their reputation as heavy players in the global Funk scene. In 2004 and 2005 The Bamboos toured Australia and New Zealand alongside Quantic and Alice Russell to universal acclaim. The Bamboos live shows have evolved into non-stop mixtape-style throwdowns that draw the links between Hip Hop, Funk and old-school Breaks. The Bamboos have supported international artists including: Keb Darge (UK) Moloko (UK) Mathew Herbert (UK) Dynamo productions (UK) Derrick Carter (USA) Patrick Forge (UK) Snowboy (UK) Jazzanova (GERM) Chris Lum (UK) Alice Russell (UK) Quantic (UK) Nextmen (UK) Russ Dewbury (UK) Steinski (USA) Guru (USA)
6. She & Him: Classics
She & Him is an American indie folk band consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, keyboards) and M. Ward (guitar, production). The pair first met in 2006 for a movie soundtrack project for the film 'The Go-Getter' in which they recorded a version of Richard and Linda Thompson’s "When I Get To The Border”. Their first studio album, Volume One, was released in March of 2008 on Merge Records. Their second studio album, Volume Two, was released March 23, 2010, just over two years since the release of Volume One. Their third studio album, Volume 3, was released May 7, 2013.
According to Merge, at their initial studio session the two “were immediately struck by one another’s talents and found an instant rapport". During a conversation about their shared love of old records, Zooey let slip that she wrote her own songs, which she recorded alone at home on her computer. Somewhat shy about sharing these musical morsels, she was eventually persuaded to send them to M. Ward. He was instantly impressed, and they soon reconvened at his studio in Portland to begin work. Recorded over a period of several months, between acting work (She) and touring commitments (Him), the pair found time to bring Zooey’s fledgling songs to gorgeous fruition.
5. Houndmouth: Little Neon Limelight
Houndmouth is a collaborative folk rock four-member band, formed in 2011 from the lowland plains and farmlands of Indiana, USA. The band's lyrics emphasize their foolhardiness, and their soulful harmonies carry far. Houndmouth consists of Matt Myers (guitar, vocals), Katie Toupin (keyboard, vocals), Zak Appleby (bass, vocals) and Shane Cody(drums, vocals). Folk duo Katie Toupin and Matt Myers (formerly of the Saint James Hotel) joined up with Shane Cody (Riffraff Revival) and Zak Appleby to create a colossal electric sound with bouncy half-time beats, punchy guitar riffs, and a bit of facial hair. They performed at SXSW in 2012 to promote their self-titled EP, and then were signed up by Rough Trade Records. The band have appeared on several major television shows, including Letterman and Conan.
First Album - From the Hills Below the City (2013) - Houndmouth's first studio album "From the Hills Below the City" was release on June 3, 2013.
Second Album - Little Neon Limelight (2015) - The band's second studio album, "Little Neon Limelight" was released on March 17, 2015
4. Diane Birch: Speak a Little Louder
Diane Birch (born January 24, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Her debut album "Bible Belt" was released in 2009 to positive reviews by critics.
With a childhood spent on the move, as the daughter of a preacher, living between Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia, before her parents finally settled in Portland, Oregon when she was in her early teens, Diane Birch absorbed a unique and very cosmopolitan perspective on life that shines through her music and makes a simple categorization of it impossible.
Trained as a classical pianist using Suzuki methodology (playing by ear at a young age following Suzuki's theory of language acquisition, where a child learns to speak before learning to read), Diane rapidly moved away from any confines of tradition, cultivating a very individual style and composing her own material. With an obvious abundance of talent and a passion for performing, it wasn't long before she realized that if she wanted to pursue a career in music she would probably be better served in Los Angeles, where both the film and record industries could be explored.
3. Marina and the Diamonds: Froot
Marina Lambrini Diamandis (Greek: Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη; born 10 October, 1985) is a Greek-Welsh singer, who performs under the stage name of Marina and the Diamonds, which is based on the English translation of her surname.
Marina was born on the 10th October 1985 in Abergavenny, Wales. She began creating and producing her own music in 2005. In 2007, she released her debut EP, Mermaid vs. Sailor. She released her first single (a double A-side, Obsessions/Mowgli's Road) through Neon Gold Records on the 14th February 2009, closely followed by The Crown Jewels EP in June 2009. Now signed to 679 Recordings, her first single with the label was "Mowgli's Road", released in November 2009. In January 2010 she reached number two on the BBC Sound of 2010 poll list. This was followed by the release of her debut full-length studio album, The Family Jewels on the 22nd February 2010, and her debut American release, The American Jewels EP on the 25th May 2010.
Diamandis' musical style ranges from keyboard-based ballads to more up-tempo new wave-style songs with full band backing. She has cited a wide range of influences such as Daniel Johnston, Blondie, Patti Smith, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Elliott Smith, Dolly Parton, Britney Spears and Madonna.
2. Madi Diaz: Phantom
With a staggering voice and a gift for poignant melodies and innovative arrangements, Madi Diaz is folding her roots, pop and indie influences into her own paper airplane.
Diaz was raised and home-schooled in Pennsylvania's rural Lancaster county, the daughter of a musician (her father Eric Svalgard plays keyboards in the noted Frank Zappa cover band Project/Object) and a schoolteacher, Nancy Diaz. Encouraged by her parents, Madi began commuting to Philadelphia in 2002 to attend The Paul Green School of Rock Music, where her father would also volunteer (today Eric runs the Wilmington, DE branch of the school, where Madi's brother Max is also an instructor).
Her somewhat contentious relationship with Green himself would be captured for audiences to see in the 2005 documentary film Rock School. Even at that young age, Madi had forceful ideas about her music, an instinct that has served her well in avoiding lazy categorization.
1. Striking Matches: Nothing But Silence
Made up of Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis, Striking Matches came to Nashville simply to play music. Sarah, a Philadelphia native and Justin, from Atlanta, met when a professor at Belmont University paired them at random to play for a classroom full of guitar majors. The pair has been writing and performing ever since. Their influences range from Jerry Reed to the Beatles, John Mayer to Patsy Cline, and back again.
It becomes more obvious every day that they were born to play music together. Striking Matches’ debut self-titled EP was produced by Luke Wooten (Dierks Bentley, Dustin Lynch) with all four tracks co-written by the band. The EP released October 2012 was named among iTunes “Best of 2012″ and enabled the duo to score features with NPR and The Wall Street Journal. In December 2012, Striking Matches made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry where they have subsequently played more than twenty times.
Striking Matches has shared the stage with John Hiatt, Vince Gill, Hunter Hayes, Martina McBride, Matt Nathanson, The Fray, Billy Currington, Kip Moore, Ashley Monroe and many more. They were named a CMT Listen Up artist in September 2013 and became the first artist signed to the newly launched I.R.S. Records Nashville.
