Artist Bios
2AM Club
2AM Club know how to throw a party. Funk, pop, rock, blue-eyed soul, hip-hop, new wave and electro all converge to create a genre-bending sound that's completely unique, instantly relatable and practically begging to be danced to. These six twenty-somethings -- singer Marc Griffin, emcee Tyler Cordy, guitarist Matt Reagan, keyboard player Dave Dalton, drummer Ian O'Neill and bassist Matt "Sauce" Warshauer -- bring a diverse array of influences to the table (from Jay Z to the Beatles, Duran Duran to the Beastie Boys, Stevie Wonder to The Strokes), effortlessly synthesizing the very best of all that has come before them to create music that is resoundingly modern.
"Fusing together all the best elements of pop, rock, R&B and soul, 2AM Club seems destined for success"
–Playback
On the web @:
Adrian Younge and the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra
Adrian Younge is a self-taught musician, film editor, and recording engineer who has dedicated his life to the study of vintage black soul music. In 2000 Younge released Venice Dawn, a psychedelic funk score to accompany a faux vintage Italian film. Venice Dawn, and supplementary productions, were produced in Younge’s very own analog studio, one of the last fully operational analog studios in Los Angeles. In 2009, Younge composed the score for the Sundance sensation Black Dynamite. The score has generated critical acclaim for authentically capturing the cinematic soul of the 1970s. It is available on Wax Poetics Records.
“Don’t miss the 70s blaxploitation homage in Black Dynamite…the shots of Crenshaw, the Flying Fox and Maverick’s Flat made me want to crawl up into the screen, but it is Mount Washington composer Adrian Younge’s genius original score that really brings the wah-wah era to life in an emotionally authentic way.”
– Chris Nichols, Los Angeles Magazine.
AM
AM's new album Future Sons & Daughters pays homage to the Tulsa-born, New Orleans-raised musician’s diverse influences (Jorge Ben, Brian Wilson, Sergio Mendes, Curtis Mayfield) while showcasing his intelligent songwriting and psychedelic grooves. AM’s debut Troubled Times was named Top 20 Best Albums of the Year by iTunes and his songs have been used in movies and TV shows such as Big Love, Brothers and Sisters, Friday Night Lights and Ashton Kutcher’s Spread (the #1 film acquisition from Sundance 2009). AM debuts his composing talents in the upcoming Warner Bros. release ManMaid. French pop duo Air handpicked AM to open their spring 2010 North American tour.
“AM has an uncanny knack for crafting pop songs shaken and stirred with Philly R&B, Motown soul, 60s rock and folk, and Brazilian rhythms that get in your head and swirl around for a spell.”
–Creative Loafing
On the web @:
Brendan Benson
In Brendan Benson lies a genuine American voice. A co-founding member of The Raconteurs, Benson has released critically acclaimed albums throughout the past decade. On 1996’s One Mississippi, the songs came rough-hewn but charged with hooks and with wit; 2002’s Lapalco brought a perfect pop ripeness, and by The Alternative to Love in 2005, there was something quite brilliant, quite burnished about his songwriting. This year's offering, My Old, Familiar Friend, gathers all of these influences — the Americanness, Anglophile twist, the geography, the rock and the pop to create something truly exceptional.
"The kind of best-kept secret you want to share with anyone who will listen."
– Pitchfork
On the web @:
Califone
Tim Rutili is a musician, filmmaker, and visual artist. Founder of bands Red Red Meat and Califone, he serves as principal songwriter, lyricist and vocalist. Califone's lineup is rounded out by Joe Adamik, Jim Becker, and Ben Massarella. All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is Califone's sixth studio album and the accompanying film is Rutili's feature-length directorial debut. Califone's music is unlike any other, blending folk and blues with experimental sounds. It is full of layers and textures, creating a rich atmosphere that is topped by Rutli's weathered croon.
"mixing multi-instrumental sonic invention with songcraft steeped in folk, blues and languorous heartache, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is a slow-growing treasure that reveals a little more of itself with each listen" - MOJO
On the web @:
Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell was a founding member of Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian, playing cello, singing and composing several of the band’s hits. Her own band The Gentle Waves released their debut album, The Green Fields of Foreverland, on Jeepster Records, quickly followed by Swansong for You. In 2003, Campbell released Amorino, her first album under her own name. The 2006 LP Ballad of the Broken Seas, recorded in collaboration with former Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan, earned a Mercury Prize nomination. The pair returned with Sunday at Devil Dirt in 2008, an album of dust-bitten ballads and troubled wanderings that’s even darker than its predecessor.
“5 stars. A spectacular success…a ravishing and unexpected treat.”
– The Sun
On the web @:
Carney
The four young men of Carney conjure a swaggering, bluesy rock groove reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and the Yardbirds. Watch vocalist/guitarist Reeve Carney and his virtuosic axe-wielding brother Zane and comparisons to some of rock’s greatest duos don’t seem that far-fetched. Also including bassist Aiden Moore and drummer Jon Epcar, Carney will release their full-length debut, Mr. Green, in early 2010 via Interscope. Amidst a full schedule of touring and recording, Reeve has found time to pursue a successful acting career. He recently nabbed the role of Peter Parker in the upcoming Spiderman musical.
"After Carney's encore and final farewell, the crowd still isn’t ready to leave. The aisles crowd with people, but nobody moves toward the exit. Truth be told, I’m not pushing to get out either…We languish together in the calm that permeates the room. I've been converted."
– LA Weekly
On the web @:
Danielia Cotton
As with her multi-ethnic background, Danielia Cotton’s music is a compelling mix of soul, folk, blues, jazz and a whole lot of emotionally powerful, no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll. The only way to describe it is to say it’s all her. Danielia’s natural gift – raw, searing vocal chops combined with a deep, buttery tone – stops people in their tracks. She pulls, stretches and grips her lyrics with a strength that is startling, and in her songs one can indeed hear something rare: an unfettered artist singing out her life story.
“Cotton’s raspy holler atop such tightly messy hard rock is genuinely funky stuff, like a cross between Thin Lizzy and Sly Stone.”
– Chicago Tribune
On the web @:
www.myspace.com/danieliacotton | http://www.danielia.com/home
Colin Devlin
Colin Devlin’s Democracy of One is not a debut––it’s our reintroduction to an Irish songwriter who has crafted unforgettable soundscapes for over a decade. Led by Devlin and his brother Peter, The Devlins refined their cinematic rock sound via a series of internationally-acclaimed albums that generated tracks used in dozens of film and television productions. Now, singer Colin Devlin is striking out on his own with a warm, intimate album of personal reflections helmed by producer Pierre Marchand. While The Devlins’ atmospheric grooves consistently transcended both genre and era, Democracy of One takes Colin Devlin’s reputation for erudite simplicity to another level. Devlin’s new songs explore the language of a seasoned songwriter both lyrically and sonically.
“Democracy One is the sound of a songwriter, taking chances and stepping off the deep end, unencumbered by the need to please a vast fan-base or for all that matter a record label. It brims with bittersweet interludes and passages of gentle loveliness. He’s got a penchant for rocking out…enjoy what may well be the finest record of his career.”
– Metro Ireland (Album of the Week)
On the web @:
John Forté
John Forté is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer from Brooklyn, New York best known for his work with the multi-platinum group, The Fugees. In addition to producing and co-writing tracks for The Fugees' The Score, Forté released two solo albums, PolySci (Columbia; 1998) and I, John (Transparent; 2002), which featured guest appearances by Herbie Hancock, Esthero and Tricky, and included a duet with Carly Simon. Forté is currently working on his new album, Water Light Sound (due out in Spring 2010), as well as scoring, producing, touring and writing his memoir for Simon & Schuster. With regard to Sundance, Forté's work is featured in all the trailers opening each of the Festival's films, and he is the first artist to be featured on the new Redford Center website, to be launched in February. Through song and performance, Forté hopes to shed light on the issues facing at-risk youth and the environment, especially as it relates to the water crisis.
"The story of a man who’s been devastated by his punishment but has emerged stronger… Forté details his unlikely path to inspiration under the most harrowing of circumstances."
– NPR’s Song of the Day, August 2009
On the web @:
The Fray
Forming in 2002, Denver-based The Fray is composed of Isaac Slade (vocals, piano), Joe King (guitar, vocals), Ben Wysocki (drums) and Dave Welsh (guitar). The band has struck a huge chord with audiences, selling over four million albums and 12 million singles worldwide, including multi-platinum hits "You Found Me," "How to Save A Life" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)." The Fray recently released a deluxe edition of their self-titled sophomore album, which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart. First single "You Found Me" hit double platinum, while second single "Never Say Never" is certified gold. Following two recent Grammy nominations, the band is preparing to release its third single, "Syndicate,” in 2010.
"The Denver four-piece is, refreshingly, a...shtick-free rock band...The band has slowly but steadily made inroads into our fragmented music landscape the old-fashioned way."
– Boston Globe
On the web @:
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
This fall has been a busy one for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, who have been splitting their time between recording sessions for their third album for Ragged Company/Hollywood Records and introducing the band’s new five-piece configuration on a string of tour dates, including five incredible performances at this year’s Bonnaroo festival. Catherine Popper (Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Norah Jones) is the band’s new bass player, while fellow Vermonter Benny Yurco makes the Nocturnals a two-guitar band. Matt Burr continues to anchor GPN on drums. The group has been enjoying “that new-band buzz,” as Grace puts it, since Popper and Yurco came on board.
"Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have come of age, and they are without a doubt one of the very best American touring acts today."
–Jambase.com, live review, November 30, 2009
On the web @:
www.myspace.com/gracepotterandthenocturnals | www.gracepotter.com
Joey+Rory
Husband and wife duo Joey+Rory first performed together as finalists on CMT’s hit series Can You Duet. The pair subsequently signed to Vanguard/Sugar Hill Records and released the 2008 debut album The Life of a Song, which lodged on the Billboard Country Album Chart for 50 weeks. The duo notched a Billboard Top 40 country hit with “Cheater Cheater,” and was nominated as ACM Top Vocal Duo and CMA Vocal Duo of the Year in 2009. That year Rory won ASCAP awards for the singles “I Will” for Jimmy Wayne and “You Can Let Go Now” for Crystal Shawanda. Joey+Rory’s second album is due in Spring 2010.
"The songs they play are simple, unadorned, carried by their heartfelt lyrics and undeniable melodies."
–Las Vegas Weekly
On the web @:
Sass Jordan
Billboard Award-winning artist Sass Jordan has sold over one million albums worldwide during the course of her 30-year journey. Her latest record, From Dusk ‘til Dawn, features songs and sounds that reflect the atmosphere of the late 70s Southern California scene. Says Jordan of the album: “The title of the CD comes from writing about that time of day when things are in a state of potential…right before the night manifests, with all its accompanying fear, passion, madness, loneliness, dread, and romantic dreams.”
“Sass Jordan is just about the coolest rock star ever…through music, she is able to make genuine connections with her audience. And that’s what makes her a real rock star… Her vocal prowess, energy and ability to engage a crowd set her apart from other singers.”
–Joshua Maloni, Niagara Frontier Publications
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Richard Marx
In his more than 20 years in the music business, Richard Marx sold over 30 million albums and written and produced mega-hits for Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, NSYNC, Natalie Cole and many more. Among Marx’s 13 #1 singles are three recorded by himself: "Hold On to the Nights," "Satisfied," and "Right Here Waiting.” His collaboration with Luther Vandross, "Dance With My Father,” garnered a Song of the Year Grammy. In early 2008, the Keith Urban co-write "Everybody" made the Country Singles Top 5. Later that year he released Duo with Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon. Recently, Marx released two new solo albums.
"A great singer, and he has a knack for the sort of raucous melodies mainstream rockers adore."
–Rolling Stone
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Holly Palmer
With four solo albums and collaborations with David Bowie, Dr. Dre, Gnarls Barkley and Michael Bublé, Holly Palmer is one of the world’s most famous “unfamous” singers. She can be heard on TV’s The L-Word, Private Practice and Drop Dead Diva and the big screen's Down with Love, Into The Blue, Forces Of Nature, The Women and The Express. Palmer’s next work: an album of classic Brenda Lee songs, coming in Spring 2010. Catch Holly's big-screen acting debut in My One and Only, starring Renée Zellweger and Kevin Bacon.
"(Holly Palmer) has a sultry voice that recalls Edith Piaf and Billie Holiday, with Eminem's hip-hop beats mixed in."
–Los Angeles Confidential
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Mike Posner
Southfield, Michigan-bred producer/singer/songwriter Mike Posner, 21, hasn’t let college life get in the way of his music career. Currently a senior at Duke University and one of J Records' latest signings, Posner has played to sold-out crowds around the country every weekend of the fall semester, entertaining over 50,000 people while going to class during the week and maintaining a 3.6 GPA.
"…at once a study in postmodern pop and lyrical universalism."
–URB Magazine
On the web @:
The Rescues
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. No band in recent history illustrates that notion better than The Rescues. What started as a lark at a Hollywood Hills party has turned into a burgeoning force. Composed of four successful solo singer-songwriters, Kyler England (vocals, acoustic guitar, ukulele, bass), Gabriel Mann (vocals, Wurlitzer, piano, celeste), Adrianne (vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, bass) and Rob Giles (vocals, acoustic guitars, bass, drums), The Rescues have solo albums, dozens of songwriting awards and thousands of miles on the road between them.
“…a four-person band showcasing beautiful, tight and unique vocal harmonies…Many bands are labeled alternative, but the Rescues actually are. Their sound is incomparable. It’s not often you find four equally-talented musicians in one band, let alone four lead singers. They each play numerous instruments, sing and write music.”
–Moira McLaughlin, Washington Post, August 27, 2009
On the web @:
k.s. Rhoads
"We work ourselves wretched for one old wood coffin / If life doesn't get you, love will finish you off" sings k.s. Rhoads on his stunning debut album Dead Language, which American Songwriter Magazine declares "an exhibition in style, grace, and limitless possibilities." His music has been called "a masterful marriage of indie-pop, orchestral, and American folk." His lush string arrangements recall Danny Elfman, and his lyrics recall F. Scott Fitzgerald. He is busy working on his next album, which he says "...is like a group of Russian composers drinking at a bar in Louisiana."
“k.s. Rhoads is one of those gems, glittering in the neglected Nashville pop scene. Dead Language is an exhibition in style, grace and limitless possibilities. Rhoads is a brooding, tireless producer… with a soft side. He brings it with a rapturous stage performance. Audiences are wrapped around his finger and knocked on their asses at the same time. You’ve got to see him play for yourself.”
–American Songwriter
On the web @:
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes has sold more than 37 million albums, won two Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards and 12 Billboard Music Awards. Rimes is the youngest recipient of a Grammy and was the first country singer to win the Best New Artist category. She has scored numerous hit singles, including "Can't Fight the Moonlight," which went #1 in 11 countries, and "How Do I Live," which is the second longest-charting song ever on the Billboard Hot 100. Rimes is also an accomplished author and actress and a longtime philanthropist.
“LeAnn Rimes has always been known as a ‘singer's singer,’ whose powerful pipes took the music industry by storm as a young teen, but [her newest songs] reveal the artist to also be a songwriter of depth and maturity.”
–Billboard
On the web @:
www.myspace.com/leannrimes | www.leannrimesworld.com/site.php
Sam & Ruby
Nashville-based duo Sam & Ruby present their debut album, The Here and the Now, out 8/11/09 on Ryko. It encapsulates various moods, from heartache (“More”) to hopefulness (“Ain’t Love Something”) to a kind of clear-eyed romanticism (“The Here and the Now”). The group’s arrangements are beautifully understated, relying on acoustic and electric guitars, brushes of percussion, the occasional string section and, above all, those two intertwining voices. Sam & Ruby’s “Heaven’s My Home” was featured in the Dakota Fanning-starring film, The Secret Life of Bees.
“Sam & Ruby’s musical connection is as unlikely as it is fortuitous.”
–Associated Press
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Matt Scannell
Matt Scannell is the songwriter, lead vocalist, guitarist and producer of the band Vertical Horizon, who rose to fame with Everything You Want. The album sold two million copies and the title song became the most played single of 2000, hitting #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Top 40 charts. In addition to releasing Vertical Horizon’s current album, Burning the Days, Scannell has been collaborating with Richard Marx on their Duo project, and writing with many other artists.
“Vertical Horizon’s new album, Burning the Days, is strong from beginning to end, making it their best and most complex album to date…Matt Scannell’s lyrics resonate with fans because he is not only in tune with himself but with them, and depicts that honestly in his songs.”
–starpolish.com
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Sonos
Emerging in 2009 from the college a cappella scene with the aim of turning the genre on its head, Sonos boldly reinterprets 21st century classics. On their Verve debut SonoSings, the vocal group reinvents Radiohead, Bon Iver & Fleet Foxes and dazzles with unique twists on the mainstream, for example a dark, trip-hop Jackson 5 cover. Recent appearances include live radio sessions on KCRW, BBC Americana, NPR, Sirius/XM and a collaboration with novelist Margaret Atwood at UCLA’s Royce Hall. 2010 finds Sonos embracing musical challenges in dance, theater and film.
“Innovative vocal arrangements, inspired repertoire, supremely delivered.”
–Chris Douridas, KCRW
On the web @:
Vedera
Vedera, who hail from Kansas City, MO, are composed of Kristen May (vocals, guitars, keyboard), Brian Little (guitars), Jason Douglas (bass) and Drew Little (drums). The band, fronted by May and her soaring vocals, has toured incessantly, honing its sound and building a considerable fanbase the grassroots way. Vedera have toured with The Fray, The Wallflowers, Jason Mraz and Mat Kearney. Following a performance on MTV’s hit show The Hills this fall, Vedera digitally released their Epic Records debut album, Stages, which immediately landed in the Top 15 at iTunes. Be sure to catch Vedera on tour this winter with Jack’s Mannequin.
“Their style is full of soul and their set was nothing less than that. They didn’t just play the songs - they delivered them. Closing the show with their piano driven ‘We Sing,’ Vedera put on a set that was full of energy and fervor.”
– The Denver Examiner live review, October 27, 2009
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Youth Speaks
Brave New Voices Speak Green is an annual contest for young spoken word artists. Launched in 2005 by the Redford Center and Youth Speaks, it aims to invite new voices into the environmental dialogue and inspire change through the poetry and courage of America's youth. The program includes a live competition and traveling show. Participants represent 21st century American youth—artists of different ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations, from urban centers, rural locations, and Native American lands. The five artists performing are part of the Brave New Voices Speak Green 2008/2009 Green Team, traveling throughout the country to speak about how pollution, environmental injustice and non-green communities affect us all.
“Words are just words without action. But I think what we're seeing here today with these poets is the beginning of action.”
–Robert Redford on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, July 16, 2008
Simone Crew (poet, age 18), Carvens Lissaint (poet, age 19), Denise Wallace (poet, age 22), Lauren Whitehead (poet, age 25), George Yamazawa (poet, age 19)