Other bands that have Lead vocals ...
| On Project Opus since: | March 7, 2006 |
| Last seen: | never |
| Biography: | Spygirl plays lush, melodic, elegant, and dark pop/rock. If Spygirl were a martini, they’d be equal parts sonic assault, naked duets and lush harmonies with a dash of drum & bass, and garnished with a twist of Canadiana - shaken vigorously, of course. If Spygirl were an outfit, you’d look geek-slick, full in all the right places and your ass would look hot. Spygirl recently completed their second full-length album, pieces of evidence, slated for national release March 2008. Spygirl was overjoyed to work once again with favourite musical wizard Tom Rothrock, who mixed a few songs on their 2000 self-titled debut. This time he came on board as Producer in full. Mr. Rothrock (who has also created records with some of popular music’s great recent innovators such as Beck, Elliott Smith, Elbow, Sloan, Badly Drawn Boy and James Blunt) helped the band create a spontaneous, relaxed and raw recording, due in part to his laid back mix of confidence, spontaneity, knowledge and love of music, and in part to recording much of the album live off the floor. The result is a group of songs that belong together, sharing a landscape that is lush, melodic, elegant and dark. This is the band’s 12th year. The Vancouver-based 6 piece group was born out of a musical bond between founders Koralee Tonack (lead vocals, guitar) and Jane Gowan (trumpet, keyboards). The two initially formed Time Waits - the acoustically charming mother of today’s luscious pop child. The group included Jon Roper (guitar), performing mostly original songs written by Gowan. Several recordings were released on cassette. Now those are hidden away in boxes...somewhere. Eventually James Ong (keyboards) and Eduardo Ottoni (drums) joined, and with a fuller sound developing, the band released their debut CD entitled This Thin Disguise. A collective desire to streamline the sound resulted in a less acoustic, more pop/rock sound. The viola da gamba and accordion, previously played by Ong and Gowan respectively, were abandoned in favour of keyboards, fender rhodes and trumpet. By this time other band members had begun contributing to the songwriting, creating excitement and freshness. As the direction of the music changed, so did the name, and the band’s self-titled debut (informally known as The Yellow Album) was recorded just as the transformation to Spygirl took place. The disc was nominated for a West Coast Music Award and also gained much positive media attention. In 2005 Al MacInnes (bass) joined the band to add substance to the style. Now with a full line-up to carry the tunes, Spygirl released a 5-song EP as a precursor to the full-length album in August, 2005. The songs on this disc are homages to the band’s constant quest for the perfect pop epic. All the tracks from this disc were re-recorded on pieces of evidence. Spygirl has toured in Canada and the UK, and plans to be out on the road again in early 2008 to support the new album. |
| Albums: | The Yellow Album,Pieces of Evidence,5 New Songs |
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| On Project Opus since: | December 28, 2006 |
| Last seen: | 9 weeks 3 days ago |
| Biography: | SHERY: "LOVE IS A GHOST" Shery is a new, passionate singer/songwriter, gifted with a voice that will forever steal your heart. She writes and performs inspired, unique songs that transcend the barriers of language. Through her very own brand of melodic pop and pop/rock, Shery creates a true world of FEELING, celebrating the shadows, the agonies of love. Shery was born in Guatemala, the country of Ricardo Arjona, the morning of an August 18, under the sign of Leo. Her first album, "El Amor es un Fantasma" ("Love is a Ghost"), is expected for Spring 2007. The album takes name from her first single, a delicious song that remained for 26 straight weeks in the Guatemalan Top 40, then climbing #1 as the most requested pop song nationwide -- the first time ever for a local female artist. You download the song for FREE at www.shery.net or www.myspace.com/shery1 Without real promotion, no record label, and no money, her debut concert (Guatemala, June 2005), was an absolute sellout. What was intended to be an intimate night just for a small circle of close friends, became a totally crowded venue, enchanted with the passion of a young soul, brave enough to climb on stage and sing her heart out, performing in public for the first time songs she had written not for the public, but "to exorcize my own shadows", as she remarked later. When after the show almost one out of every two people walked out with Shery's first single on hand (a quality home-made CD commissioned at the very last minute), it was obvious something unique had taken life that evening. During her first 18 months of career, Shery has been a finalist in both the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (among 15,000 entries from all over the world) and the Unisong International Songwriting Competition. She has won a medal in the World Championship of the Performing Arts, in Los Angeles, California. Shery has been a featured artist in all major T.V. shows in Guatemala, including Nuestro Mundo Joven, Alo Que Tal America, Con Buena Onda, Nuestro Mundo por la Mañana, Telediario, Cuestion de Minutos, Viva la Mañana and El Bingoton Millonario, and has received intense coverage from magazines and newspapers such as Siglo XXI, Prensa Libre, Nuestro Diario, Al Dia and Gee Magazine. Azteca America described her as the "New voice from Guatemala to sweeten the world". She has been interviewed by the leading national and local radio stations, such as Radio Mia, Exa FM, Red Deportiva, Doble Via, Radio Punto, Radio 10, Infinita, Yosi Sideral, Tropicalida, Extrema, Alfa 97.3, Galaxia, TGW La Voz de Guatemala, and was the first-ever pop artist to be interviewed by Radio Faro Cultural, the country's leading classical station. In September 2005 Shery did her first US appearance in Washington D.C., invited by the Guatemalan Embassy. She has performed in numerous venues, alone and with other artists, including some of the most important scenarios in her country, such as La Gala de la Cancion, Teleton, Escenarios, Mundo Navideño, Feria Nacional, and Radioteleton. Shery has shared stage with Latin superstars the likes of Christian Castro and Manuel Mijares, as well as with local legends such as Malacates Trebol Shop, Viento en Contra, Aurum, and Radio Viejo. Her second single, an irresistible ballad titled "Me Converti en Roca" ("I Becane a Rock"), premiered in February 2006 by Radio Mia 93.7, and has since then received intense airplay in radio stations across the country. In August 2006 the song climbed to #1 position nationwide, while successfully making the leap from Contemporary Hit Radio to other formats (on its original version, not remixed), such as Tropical and other upbeat genres. In September 2006 "Me Converti en Roca" was voted by the users of GarageBand.com (the largest independent band portal on the Internet) as the "#1 Best Love Song, overall, all time". The site also gave Shery awards such as "#1 Best Female Vocals in Latin, all-time", "Best Melody", "Most Original Song" and "Best Production". Directed and produced by Daniel Rene (former member of the legendary Latin Pop band Menudo/MDO), the video of "Me Converti en Roca" was filmed in Miami, Florida, and will start to air in January 2007. When she is not on stage singing, Shery is writing, producing or recording. She dreams on a world in peace, where no children has to grow-up in hunger, and where human kind has finally learned to live in harmony with nature. If you like Shery, spread the world, requests her music to your favorite radio stations, and buy her music at www.cdbaby.com/shery or from the iTunes Store. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Renato del Valle,
Web: www.shery.net P.O. Box 02-5289 S. 1333 |
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| On Project Opus since: | April 13, 2006 |
| Last seen: | never |
| Biography: | Music has always been at the heart and soul of award-winning musician Gary Bennett, whose first solo outing, Human Condition, was released February 21, 2006, on Landslide Records. Produced by the notable R.S. Field (Billy Joe Shaver, Allison Moorer, Webb Wilder), the album showcases a strong combination of original songs performed by a superb cast of Nashville luminaries. Gary Bennett co-fronted and was a founding member of the critically acclaimed country music band BR549, who recorded five well-received albums (four with Arista and one with Sony), received three Grammy nominations and was hailed by music industry trade magazine Billboard as having single-handedly revived the soul of country music in Nashville. During Gary's tenure, the band sold over 500,000 albums and toured the world, headlining shows as well as opening for such artists as Bob Dylan, George Jones, Merle Haggard, the Black Crowes and Brian Setzer. BR549 was also voted "Best Country Group" in 1996 by Rolling Stone magazine. Bennett was born October 9, 1964 in Las Vegas, Nevada to country music loving parents. After living in Conroe, Texas for the first 5 years of his life, and a year more in southern California, the family settled in In 1993, he loaded his pickup truck and headed for Nashville. Unfortunately, he arrived at a time when "real country music" had been all but forgotten. After attending many fruitless songwriter nights, Gary began hanging out in the honky-tonks of the historic "Lower Broadway" area of downtown Nashville. "I felt that though it was a destitute scene, it was also The two formed the group, which after various personnel changes, became BR549. Less than six months after arriving in Nashville, they were on their way to becoming the darlings of Music City. BR549 graced After five major album releases and years of constant world wide touring, Gary felt as though the musical freedom BR549 once enjoyed had become stagnant due to the "retro" pin tagged to them. Wanting to make original & more progressive music, Bennett made a decision in to step away from the group and let his head clear. Gary Bennett left BR549 in 2002 and retreated from music for a short while, only to return to writing and performing. "Getting back in touch with real people in the real world gave me the inspiration to start writing again," he says. A series of personal tragedies in 2004 helped reinforce that desire. "I know that music was given to us to smooth the rough, bumpy road of life," he states. "I believe that whether I'm walking down the sidewalk or on a stage, my purpose is to try to help people. Songwriting is what I have been given to achieve that." After considerable wood shedding and a plethora of club gigs in and around Nashville, Gary succeeded in re-defining the music that's true to his heart. He's back and sounding better than ever on Human Condition. This is sincere music being made by one of country music's most distinctive voices. Bennett first became aware of producer R.S. Field after hearing his production work on an R.B. Morris album about 10 years ago. "As I listened to the album," remembers Bennett, "it was obvious that the songs were the focus and the musicians just loved playing them. Right then, I thought that if I ever do a solo album, he's the producer I'd want." Human Condition presents 12 new songs, most of which were written by Bennett, including one co-written with Todd Snider ("Better Than This"). "That song began - as most of mine do - as an instrumental that we used to call 'The Swamp Song' because of its feel," says Bennett. "Several years ago, I happened to catch a Todd Snider performance on TV and liked his rhythmic wording and stream of consciousness approach to writing. Shortly thereafter, we got the chance to write together and I played him this song. 'Better Than This' is about finding out what's over the next hill. When I started to write the lyrics, I was reminded of the little town that I grew up in Washington that was next to a mountain. At night, it revealed the glow of lights in the distance, which was the city of Portland, Oregon. As it turned out, Todd was growing up in Portland at the same time I was in Washington, so he could relate to what I was seeing." Gary's studio band features some of Nashville's finest musicians, including Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart) on guitar, Jimmy Lester (Webb Wilder, Los Straitjackets) on drums and Mark Winchester (Emmylou Harris, Brian Setzer Orchestra) on bass. Special guests include Marty Stuart, who plays mandolin on several tracks as well as rhythm guitar on the song, "Just Wanna Be With You," legendary pedal steel guitar player Lloyd Green, and producer R.S. Field on several instruments. As Gary begins his career as a solo artist, the opportunities - and the challenges - do not escape him. " It feels strange and exciting at the same time," he says. "When I began performing, I thought my musical strengths were as a songwriter and harmony singer. Then, with BR549, I got a chance to step out front and develop as a front man. Now, with the variety of songs I have on this album, I think I've shown maturity in both those areas. I don't agree with the saying 'it's all been done before'. I mean, lyrically, and through music, good songs will always be able to convey new thoughts or fresh opinions to people. Recording this album has been totally liberating." |
| Albums: | Human Condition |
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| On Project Opus since: | January 30, 2006 |
| Last seen: | never |
| Biography: | With hook heavy songs, stuck-in-your-head melodies, and strong female vocals, Tripping West is what great Canadian indie rock is all about. The members of this West Coast band hail from Montreal (Alex and Orlando), Vancouver ( Tricia), and St. John's (Blair), and their appeal seems to be as widespread as their geographic beginnings. In their almost three year history they've gained rave reviews from around the globe, and a dedicated following. They've drawn comparisons to such bands as Blondie, the Cranberries, and the Pretenders, yet they've also clearly created their own unique sound and style. September 2006 marked the release of Tripping West’s first full length CD entitled "Scenes From Our Lives." This rich and surprising debut album has already gained great reviews from both the local and cyber music scenes. In fact, the only thing more compelling than their new CD is the fun, high energy performance of their live shows, if you're lucky enough to catch them... |
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| On Project Opus since: | February 3, 2008 |
| Last seen: | never |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: United States of America (Press Release) February 8, 2008 -- MICHAEL STOLLAIRE PREPARES TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM, "HOLY AVENGER!" February 8, 2008 (Los Angeles, California, USA) CD Release Date: February 14, 2008. JetSpeed Records. JetSpeed Records, the leading independent source for high quality music audio and audio/visual music programming, is proud to announce the release of the debut full-length album of Michael Stollaire via JetSpeed Records. Recorded in Winter 2007, "HOLY AVENGER" captures the essence of the free-form poetry that Michael Stollaire is famous for, and its transformation into lyrical music that penetrates the listener's heart and soul. Recorded in DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, "HOLY AVENGER" features a genre-spanning set list that includes the first single "Little Princess," the powerful ballad "I Can't Let You Go," the undeniable force of "Watch Her Walk," the pounding resonance of "Just Like Yesterday," the experimental hard-core rock of "Quest 4 Power," the face-melting guitar instrumental, "MGO," and others. "Trinity" and "Holy Avenger" are available via iTunes and CDBABY.com here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mstollaire http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=261573972&s=143441 Artist Information, Sample Tracks, and EPKs here: http://www.sonicbids.com/MichaelStollaire http://www.MySpace.com/theankhproject http://blog.myspace.com/theankhproject http://www.michaelstollaire.com Bonus tracks on the CD/DVD will include exclusive interviews with Michael Stollaire, along with live performances and promotional video footage, making this a must-have release for both fans and music enthusiasts alike. Stollaire's "TRINTY" EP was released by JetSpeed earlier in November 2007. See Michael Stollaire and The Ankh Project on tour in 2008! http://www.jetspeedrecords.net/michael_stollaire/index.htm For additional information please visit www.jetspeedrecords.com or contact Joey Little at JetSpeed Records directly. For more information: JetSpeed Records Enterprises (310) 487 - 9395 "Trinity" and "Holy Avenger" are available via CDBABY.com here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mstollaire For further information, including booking, interviews, etc., contact Michael Stollaire's management at: 1.818.31.ANGEL (1.818.312.6435) ### Michael has been singing lead vocals, and playing lead guitar/keyboards in rock bands since the tender age of twelve, playing music ranging from 1950s rock and roll to full-bore thrash metal, and everything in-between. He picked up playing the guitar when he was fourteen and has been amazing audiences with his talents ever since. He began writing and recording in the mid-1990s, and has been a non-stop blur until the current day! His songs and style are inspired by artists like Nickelback, Creed, Good Charlotte, Green Day, Evanescence, Maroon 5, Nightwish, Van Halen, Asia, Boston, Def Leppard, Dream Theatre, Edenbridge, ELP, Judas Priest, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Yes, and ZZ Top. Michael was fatally infected with FM radio that was playing constantly throughout his childhood, in the house and in the car, along with a scattering of Beach Boys 45s that he inherited from his Mother. He began playing guitar and writing songs around 14 years of age. Magazines, posters, CDs, cassettes and records were constantly scattered throughout his room, and a dream is born. Picture him sitting alone in a room playing and singing into a cassette recorder. Then, he was involved in a seemingly endless string of bands, where he cut his teeth and his unique style was germinated. Then, he moved to California in the mid-90s, following his heart and career. Over the next 15 years or so, he played and recorded with a chain of club rock bands, as well as many solo performances and recordings. Currently writing a book of poetry, based on existentialism and romantic meanderings, with a working title of “Better Late than Never.” "Trinity" will be pre-released at the first stadium concert of the 2007 "Holy Avenger" tour on August 25th , 2007 at the "Summerfaire '07 World Peace Concert" at The Orange Show Stadium in San Bernardino, California, along with a half dozen Midwest dates in mid August! “Trinity’s” official release will be in November 2007. The full-length CD, "Holy Avenger" will see its official release on Valentine’s Day 2008, where it will be available at iTunes, eMusic, CD Baby and select retail stores around the world, along with every date and venue associated with the world tour to support this ground-breaking release! CONTACT: Michael Stollaire http://www.myspace.com/theankhproject
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| Albums: | Holy Avenger |
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