JAMES' "BLUE JEANS" FEATURED IN HIT FILM AND ON ALBUM SOUNDTRACK OF CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC
GEARING UP FOR JESSIE JAMES' FIRST SINGLE "WANTED"
Destined to steal her way into the heart of pop and create her own legend, Jessie James rides in as a new artist signed to Mercury Records, a division of Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJ). This petite powerhouse with amazing vocal power and range will soon release "Wanted" (co-written by James and American Idol’s Kara DioGuardi). It's the first single from Jessie's debut album, which she has been recording in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville.
Jessie's song, "Blue Jeans," can be heard in the Touchstone film and Hollywood Records album soundtrack of the film Confessions of A Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher, the eagerly-awaited first film adaptation of Sophie Kinsella's popular books. The soundtrack is currently #2 on the iTunes Top Chart, and the movie debuted in the top 5 in its opening weekend. Jessie is in great company on the soundtrack, alongside Natasha Bedingfield, Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Akon, Macy Gray and others.
The traffic-stopping Georgia beauty is a true daughter of the south – although she was born in a military field hospital in Italy. A self-proclaimed ‘military brat,’ she started writing music with her plastic guitar at nine years old, and then in high school, she made weekend road trips from Atlanta to Nashville, where she worked with some of Music City’s great producers and songwriters. A song demo eventually made its way to Mercury president David Massey, who arranged a live audition at IDJ headquarters in New York with Chairman Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid. When Mr. Reid started to dance, "I knew I'd finally found my home," said Jessie. "I can't wait to get out there and sing my songs and continue on this incredible journey."
With her unique voice, disarmingly frank lyrics, melodic gifts, and exotic good looks, singer and songwriter Anjulie announces herself as a commanding new presence on the music scene. On her self-titled debut album, the Los Angeles-based songwriter comes across as a confident young woman who examines her life, loves, obsessions, and heartbreaks with fearless introspection. “I think what separates me from other artists is that I write from a really intimate place,” Anjulie says.“ This album is like me opening the door to my bedroom, literally. I come off as being pretty put-together, but my songs are the one place where I can pull the string and unravel. They’re where I can be vulnerable, insecure, jealous, silly, and childlike. It's too scary to do that in real life. You have to feel safe. I only feel safe with headphones on.”
Anjulie and Levine first met when then-17-year-old Anjulie, already a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer hustling to catch a break, was doing an internship at Metalworks recording studio in Toronto. “I was basically cleaning the studio and getting coffee for people,” she says. “Jon came in and he was in a famous band, so I knew who he was. He asked me to have some lunch, but the people who work behind the desk are not supposed to hang out with clients, so I got fired.” Despite that minor setback, the story has a happy ending. Levine was intrigued enough to accept an invitation to hear Anjulie perform at an open mic night, which led to their current creative partnership. In 2005, the pair wrote two songs for actress-singer Emma Roberts’ debut album Unfabulous and More. Anjulie’s other songwriting credits include co-writing a track on the Philosopher Kings’ album 2006 album Castles, and penning “Don’t Call Me Baby” — a Billboard Top 10 hit in Canada for EMI recording artist Kreesha Turner.
“Anjulie’s songwriting is strong and confessional, but with a real pop sensibility,” Levine says. “As an artist, she is never satisfied to dole out the same empty pleasantries that most singers do. When we were making her record, I always believed what we put down on tape. Sometimes we’d have a song completely finished and we’d both be happy with it. Then the next day, she’d come into the studio with an entirely different verse written. She wanted to make sure it truly resonated and wasn’t just hooky. It’s that kind of determination that makes an artist great.”
The confident and eclectic mix of songs on Anjulie’s debut explore a wide range of moods, a sign that she is an artist with a lot of range and versatility. The slinky opening track “Boom,” works a dark, Nancy Sinatra-esque ’60s vibe, while ”The Rain” is a sleek, flamenco-flavored urban gem. Anjulie gets steamy on the feverish “The Heat,” the obsessive “Addicted2Me,” and the provocative “Some Dumb Whore,” before entirely switching gears on the uplifting acoustic-driven “Same Damn Thing” and the lovelorn piano ballad “Crazy That Way.”
“We were very particular about creating certain colors with the sound,” Levine says. “Most of the time it was a process of building a track up and then stripping away as much as we could till we found the bare essentials, or the heart of the track. We were really into carving out a lot of space to give the music a dark, open feel.”
It’s not surprising that Anjulie’s debut is as eclectic as it is, as the singer cops to a host of musical influences, everyone from confessional singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette and the always-enigmatic Annie Lennox, to hip-hop mavericks Kanye West and Lauryn Hill. “When you listen to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, it’s so unbelievably personal,” Anjulie says. “The songs are like snapshots of her life. I’m totally blown away by it.”
That honesty is something Anjulie strives to emulate in her own music. “I think I have something to say lyrically,” she says. “My background is in songwriting, so I’m really invested in melodies, song structure, and payoff choruses, but on this record, I tried to loosen up and just express myself how I wanted to. I really write for myself. I always tell people if they want to know about me, just listen to my music because I really do put it all out there.”
While she gears up for her album to be released by Hear Music in August of 2009, Anjulie is looking forward to putting a band together and taking her music out on the road.“ Being onstage performing is definitely a high point for me,” she says. “It’s so euphoric to perform live; you can really feel the energy from the crowd. I admire people who have the whole package and can really put on a show. That’s what I strive to do.”
(New York, NY – July 28, 2009) Fueled by the continuous excitement from last week’s much-buzzed about Whitney Houston album listening events in New York and Los Angeles, Arista Records has moved the release date of I Look To You up to August 31st.
As a gift to her fans, a free download of the album's title track, powered by Yahoo! Music, is available now at www.whitneyhouston.com until July 31st. "I Look To You,” a sweeping ballad with Whitney's signature soaring vocals that fans have come to love, was written by R. Kelly.
I Look To You, Whitney’s 7th studio album, boasts a who’s who of A-List songwriters and producers.
The final track listing is as follows:
1. Million Dollar Bill 2. Nothin' But Love 3. Call You Tonight 4. I Look To You 5. Like I Never Left (feat. Akon) 6. A Song For You 7. I Didn't Know My Own Strength 8. Worth It 9. For The Lovers 10. I Got You 11. Salute
Be sure to visit www.whitneyhouston.com regularly for up-to-date album information, exclusive photos and breaking news!
Noisettes are ready for a US tour- here are the tour dates:
Wed-Jul-22 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland / Club NME 122 Sat-Jul-25 Seattle, WA Capital Hill Block Party Mon-Jul-27 Portland, OR Berbatis Pan Tue-Jul-28 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop Sat-Aug-01 Brooklyn, NY Bell House Mon-Aug-03 New York, NY Santo's Party House Wed-Aug-05 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theatre (FREE SHOW!!!) Mon-Aug-10 Boston, MA Great Scott Tue-Aug-11 Philadelphia, PA M Room Wed-Aug-12 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel Fri-Aug-14 Atlanta, GA Atlanta Opera House / Amstel Show
NOISETTES’ NEW ALBUM, WILD YOUNG HEARTS, SET FOR SEPTEMBER 22ND U.S. RELEASE ON MERCURY RECORDS – AFTER #1 iTUNES UK ALBUM CHART DEBUT
“LONDON TRIO NOISETTES HAVE DONE A STYLISTIC HANDBRAKE TURN FOR THE FOLLOW-UP, AND COME UP WITH AN INTOXICATING BLEND OF POP, SOUL AND DISCO.” Q MAGAZINE
WILD YOUNG HEARTS, the long-awaited second album by effervescent UK pop trio Noisettes, which debuted at #1 on the iTunes UK album chart – will be released in the U.S. on September 22nd via Mercury Records. The new album’s hit single, “Don’t Upset the Rhythm,” was a #2 smash on the UK national chart. The follow-up single, the ’60s-tinged soul gem “Never Forget You,” is scheduled for release on both sides of the Atlantic.
Excerpts of “Don’t Upset the Rhythm”, “Never Forget You,” and “Saturday Night” along with the album title tune, “Wild Young Hearts” and “Atticus” can be heard on Noisettes’ MySpace website, http://www.myspace.com/noisettesuk. The site also includes three tracks from the debut album by Noisettes in 2007, What’s The Time Mr. Wolf?, all in full-length versions: “Scratch Your Name,” “Don’t Give Up” (featured in the soundtrack of the 2007 film series revival St Trinian’s), and “Sister Rosetta (Capture The Spirit).” The MySpace site has logged over 2 million total plays to date.
WILD YOUNG HEARTS, produced by Jim Abbiss (Adele, Arctic Monkeys, the Rakes) shines the spotlight on versatile singer Shingai Shoniwa, joined by fellow Noisettes Dan Smith on guitar and bearded drummer Jamie Morrison. Shingai has been compared over the years to great voices ranging from Kate Bush and Deborah Harry, to Billie Holiday and Diana Ross, but Shingai – steeped in a panorama of blues, soul, jazz, disco, and funk – is totally unique.
OFF THE HEELS OF YESTERDAY’S MONUMENTAL LONDON LISTENING EVENT, WHITNEY HOUSTON UNVEILS THE COVER ART FOR HER HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM “I LOOK TO YOU” OUT SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 ON ARISTA RECORDS!
Reports out of London describe sheer pandemonium as the audience full of VIPs, press and tastemakers raved and danced in the aisle over Whitney’s new album!
The “Queen Of All Divas” was greeted by a standing ovation after Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, Clive Davis presented select tracks from the album.
Be sure to visit www.whitneyhouston.com regularly for up-to-date album information, exclusive photos and breaking news!
LEDISI RETURNS WITH ALL-STAR PRODUCERS FOR SOULFUL NEW ALBUM ‘TURN ME LOOSE’ (OUT AUG 18 VIA VERVE FORECAST)
Follow up from GRAMMY “Best New Artist” nominee and R&B phenomenon
Soul singer/songwriter Ledisi promises a to keep it “raw, spiritual, uninhibited, and aggressive, and tell it all” with her new album ‘Turn Me Loose’ (out Aug 18th on Verve Forecast). 2007 GRAMMY Best New Artist nominee Ledisi (rhymes with legacy) took the world by storm with her chart-topping Verve Forecast debut ‘Lost & Found,’ but says the new record is all about “the desire to be free and embrace change.”
Ledisi wrote and produced along with an all-star cast of producers of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Chief Xcel, Chucky Thompson, Ivan and Carvin, Lorenzo Johnson, Fyre Department, and ‘Lost & Found’ producer Rex Rideout to give her that “freedom sound” she was looking for, something she’s already known to bring to her live performances.
Though many have praised Ledisi’s sound, “a mix of contemporary urban, but her training and love of classic jazz and R&B show through, and her love of scatting has become signature,” (LA Times, 2/6/08), she says ‘Turn Me Loose’ was heavily inspired by listening to the raw soul/funk music of Buddy Miles’ ‘Them Changes’ over and over again for two months. “I cried when I first heard this album in 2008. I cried because I heard and felt the pain, the spirit in his voice it moved me. I wanted that freedom I heard in his voice. I wanted to scream and give my all without thinking,” she explains adding, “I studied Buddy's life and his music, which led me back to Mr. Jimi Hendrix, Mr. Prince, Mr. Sly, Mr. Fela Kuti and Mr. James Brown. I heard FREEDOM in their music.” Of the fourteen tracks on ‘Loose’, Ledisi wrote or co-wrote all but the cover of Buddy Miles’ “Them Changes.”
Ledisi will preview songs from ‘Turn Me Loose’ on the road this summer including July 4th at the Essence Music Festival.
Ledisi’s 2007 major label debut 'Lost & Found' garnered the Bay Area resident two GRAMMY nominations including Best New Artist. The recognition led to a series of high-profile appearances in 2008 including performances at the JVC and Monterey Jazz Festivals and the Essence Music Festival where she performed with Patti LaBelle, a role in the George Clooney film Leatherheads, a song in the Tyler Perry film Meet The Browns, a performance with Prince at Coachella and on the Tonight Show, and a BET award nomination. Her powerhouse voice and stories of everyday struggles and triumphs have made such a strong connection with fans.
INTRODUCING MERCURY RECORDS ARTIST JESSIE JAMES
