Pop-rockers Honor Society debuted at #18 on the Billboard Top 200 this week, moving over 22,000 units of their debut album, Fashionably Late. The band kicked off their second headlining tour on Monday, September 21 in Minneapolis, MN and will continue a run of nearly 40 dates with shows across the United States and Canada including an appearance on The Today Show on Friday, September 25.
The release of Fashionably Late caps off a busy summer for Honor Society as they joined the Jonas Brothers on their World Tour 2009 performing to nearly 1 million fans throughout North America. Honor Society simultaneously headlined their own club tour called The Full Moon Crazy Tour where they brought their high-energy live shows to sold out venues including the Blender Theater in New York City and over 1,500 fans at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.
See below for what the press is saying about Honor Society and Fashionably Late and visit HonorSocietyMusic.com for more info and a full list of tour dates.
Rolling Stone
“Over You” (3 stars) — delivers “shiny heartbreak that splits the difference between *NSYNC and Maroon 5 – all riffing synths… and tunefulness.”
Entertainment Weekly
Honor Society are “crafty pop rock dudes” with songs that “shimmer with freeze-dried funk licks…”
People Magazine
“…fans will likely swoon over …” whose “strongest tracks include the power ballads ‘Where Are You Now’ and ‘Goodnight My Love’ both showcasing Bruno’s emotive tenor. ‘My Own Way’ is an infectious pop-rocker.”
Dallas Morning News
Honor Society are “purveyors of that frenetic catchy-crunchy pop sound of the day…”
By now, everyone knows that the Adam Lambert song that leaked last week is actually a couple of years old. It turns out that the American Idol runner up was looking for quick money back then and lent his voice to some songs to pay the bills. The singer said “Back in 2005 when I was a struggling artist, I was hired as a studio singer to lend my vocals to tracks written by someone else. I was broke at the time and this was my chance to make a few bucks, so I jumped at the opportunity to record for my first time in a professional studio. The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on. I’m thrilled to be working with some of today’s hottest songwriters and producers and can’t wait for people to hear what my music really sounds like.”
Check out Demi Lovato’s just released video for “Don’t Forget. “ The video for the heartfelt ballad was shot at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, CA and features Demi rocking out in the rain. “Don’t Forget” is the title track off of Demi’s debut album and will appear on her new Deluxe Edition due out on March 31st along with two brand new songs, behind the scenes content and making of the video footage. Head over to her newly designed MySpace page for more info.
16 Frames’ debut album Where It Ends has just exclusively premiered on Rhapsody.com. The site is streaming the album in full and has made the Matt Serletic (Matchbox 20, Santana) produced album available for purchase before its official release date. After having several songs featured on MTV’s The Hills, the Los Angeles based band is again making themselves heard on TV with their song “Close Range” in the new promos for ABC’s “Private Practice.”
Where It Ends will be available in stores and on iTunes March 24th.
On Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 16 Frames released Where It Ends, the band’s debut recording for Verve Forecast and its first on a major label. The album features 11 perfectly-crafted pop songs, all written by Steve Sulikowski, 16 Frames’ front man.
Where It Ends pairs immediately catchy rock melodies with complex, often dark, melancholy lyrics. The music resonates with fans of bands such as The Fray, U2, and Matchbox 20.
Songs from Where It Ends have already been showcased on television programs such as MTV’s The Hills and ABC’s Men In Trees, helping to establish 16 Frames as a new force in modern pop music. The band features Sulikowski on guitar and vocals with Josh Dunahoo on guitars, Dylan Wilson on bass, and Daniel James on drums.
Throughout the album, Sulikowski mines the depths of relationships between lovers and friends, parents and partners for his song lyrics. For example, his girlfriend feeling depressed one evening inspired him to write the explosive opener “Close Range,” a devastating tale of waking up to see your loved one with bags packed and headed out the door into the arms of another. The title track draws on a past relationship that came to a close since he and an ex continued to make the same mistakes over and over. Sulikowski wrote “Back Again,” the album’s gem of a first single, “at a really dark time when things couldn’t look any worse, career-wise, life-wise, just in general.”
Other songs featured on Where It Ends include the spirited “Daylight,” the hit-bound power ballad “Let’s Not Pretend,” and the touching “Coming Home.”
The band’s name comes from the world of filmmaking: it takes 16 frames for movement on film to progress from choppy to fluid. The cinematic imagery also details Sulikowski’s journey in creating the music. “My manager would tell me making a record is a lot like making movies: you have rewrites, you have dailies, and I started to look at the whole songwriting and creative process unfolding in a way like a movie. Sixteen frames is that moment when things become focused, become clear.”
16 Frames premiered the video for their single, “Back Again,” last week on mtvU where they are now spotlighted on this week’s installment of The Freshmen. Check out the video here and head over to mtvU.com to start voting.
Hana Pestle is a self-proclaimed Twilight fanatic. The nineteen year old singer/songwriter from Billings, Montana believes she has the perfect song for the next movie and has started a movement to get “Need” in the forthcoming New Moon. The hauntingly beautiful track was one of her first compositions written at only fifteen years old in 2004. It was produced /co-written for her album by Ben Moody (co-founder of Evanescence) and Michael “Fish” Herring with string arrangements by David Campbell and piano performance by David Hodges (Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry). Check out the “Need for New Moon” page to learn more about the mission and watch a personal video message from Hana.
Hana’s E.P. is available now and her debut, full-length album is due out in July.
Hinder just released their new album, Take it to the Limit. Produced by Brian Howes (Puddle of Mudd, Chris Cornell), the eleven song collection is packed with the kind of arena-ready guitar anthems that have the band constantly compared to bands like Def Leppard and Mtley Cre. The band recently released Without You as a single and the power-ballad picks up where their 2006 breakthrough hit “Lips of an Angel” left off. The bands debut album Extreme Behavior has gone on to sell over 3 million copies so anticipation is high for this one.
Take it to the Limit is streaming in its entirety over at the bands MySpace page: myspace.com/hindermusic
Oklahoma hard-rockers Hinder are releasing their album, Take it to the Limit, next Tuesday, November 4th. Hinders debut album, Extreme Behavior has sold over 3 million copies so anticipation is high for this one! The band has hit the road on the Jagermeister tour featuring Hinder, Trapt, and Rev Theory. Check out dates for a show near you.
Hinder will also be performing on the Jimmy Kimmel Show next Thursday, November 6th.
Tynisha has just released a new song on her MySpace and I now have streams available for posting. The song is called “Its Over”. Get ready to see a lot of great stuff from Tynisha including a possible surprise collaboration on an upcoming release from one of the biggest names in R&B today. More on that later!
Also, Here is a new video from Tynisha as she prepared for her photo shoot with Dr. Jays.com. Tynisha is currently being featured on Dr. Jays as part of their summer sensations promotions where some of the best new talent in the country is being showcased in the hottest gear for this summer.
ABOUT:
The adorable Tynisha Keli shot her part of DrJays.com?s current Summer Sensations campaign separately in our San Diego studio (we gathered the other artists in New York).
Check her YouTube video account of the day and while you?re at it, make sure you drop past her bio page here in the blog featuring her music, videos and more!
Tynisha?s debut album, The Chronicles of TK, drops sometime later this year through Warner Bros Records.
Hilary McRae?s debut album, Through These Walls, is available now! Released by Hear Music, this record showcases McRae?s soulful smoky voice along with her piano skills and seasoned songwriting abilities. She?s backed by a powerful set of horns that were arranged by Charlie Calello, who has arranged music for legends such as Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen. At 21 years old, McRae shines wise beyond her years as she draws upon past relationships and heartbreak to help craft many the messages behind the twelve songs on the record. With upbeat tracks like the lead single ?Every Day (When Will You Be Mine)? to the smooth and sultry ?Let?s Stop,? Through These Walls is a record with something for everyone to enjoy.
Hilary McRae will celebrate the release of her ?impressive debut? (Performing Songwriter) ?Through These Walls? (Hear Music) with shows in her native Florida. She recently opened for Huey Lewis & The News at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, and she will be opening for Todd Rundgren at Miami?s Jackie Gleason Theatre on April 15. McRae will also perform at NYC?s The Living Room on April 10 and April 21, extending her successful residency at the venue.
In other tour news, Hilary was hand-picked to perform at Florida?s SunFest in May, where she will warm up the stage for Fergie. In June Hilary heads to Milwaukee, WI for the PrideFest where she will open for Natasha Bedingfield. More shows to be confirmed in the coming weeks, stay tuned for details.
Hilary McRae Spring Dates:
April 10 ? The Living Room ? New York, NY
April 15 ? Jackie Gleason Theatre w/ Todd Rundgren ? Miami, FL
April 21 ? The Living Room ? New York, NY
May 2 ? SunFest ? West Palm Beach, FL
June 7 ? Pride Fest ? Milwaukee, WI
Hilary is the first developing artist signed to Hear Music, the label launched by Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Music Group, after high profile releases by Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor last year.
Tokio Hotel is returning to the States! Bill, Tom, Gustav & Georg have decided to come back to tour the US sooner than expected. Last time around, the international superstars instantly sold out shows in NYC and LA, playing to packed houses of screaming fans. They are about to make their highly anticipated TRL debut, cementing their place in the American pop music scene. The band has just added 5 new US tour dates, so check them out below. Stay tuned for Tokio Hotel?s debut full-length English album, Scream, due out 4/29.
TOUR DATES:
Thu Apr 17 – Detroit concert ? State Theater
Fri Apr 18 – Chicago concert ? House of Blues
Sun Apr 20 – Cleveland concert ? House of Blues
Wed Apr 30 – Boston concert ? Lowell Memorial Auditorium
Scarlett Johansson is currently on a promo tour for her movie ?The Other Boleyn Girl? but sooner or later, she?s going to have to go on a promo tour for her album ?Anywhere I Lay My Head? since the album is set to drop in stores on May 20. The actress turned singer actually unveiled her debut album for media last Tuesday. Her album includes 10 Tom Waits covers ? ?Fawn?, ?Town with No Cheer?, ?Falling Down?, ?Anywhere I Lay My Head?, ?Fannin? Street?, ?Green Grass?, ?I Wish I was in New Orleans?, ?I Don?t Want to Grow Up?, ?No One Knows I?m Gone? and ?Who Are You?? as well as one original song called ?Song for Jo?.
A look at Evanescence on paper reveals a band that should be in its glory. Following a best new artist Grammy Award for 2003 debut studio album “Fallen,” a Billboard 200 No. 1 debut for 2006 follow-up “The Open Door” and the top 10 launch single “Call Me When You’re Sober,” the group toured the world for nearly a year. So what happened? Single follow-ups “Lithium” and “Sweet Sacrifice” never even charted in the States. The fourth single from “The Open Door,” piano-driven rock ballad “Good Enough,” is as intense and affecting as anything before it?and this time, Lee’s lyric steps from the dark side, reveling in the relief of positivity: “It’s been a long time coming, but I feel good enough.” It’s a make-or-break moment for a band that seemed to own the world one year ago.
Get ready all you OneRepublic fans. Their album ?Dreaming Out Loud? will be hitting stores November 20.
Their current single ?Apologize? has been saturating the radio stations all across America. The band can thank Timbaland for the great remix he did with the single. ?It gave me goose bumps the first time I heard it,? the 28-year-old artist says.
Timbaland, who apparently saw Tedder, one of the band members, at an MTV contest, offered him a deal. He then spend the next two years hoping he’d record and release a solo album, but Timbaland kept telling him that he’s a producer and not an artist. ?Apologize? was written in 2003, but wasn’t touched until 2007.
I guess it takes awhile for a great song to hit the radio. And this song truly does give me the goose bumps.
Blake Lewis is the popular runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. Born in Redmond, Washington, Lewis started singing at age five and competed in statewide talent contests while in high school. He became a beat-boxer at 17, inspired by the then Seattle-based a cappella group M-Pact. Lewis was a member of the Pacific Northwest a cappella group Kickshaw for four years. He also recorded several music videos and wrote a number of original songs.
After “American Idol,” Lewis signed to 19 Recordings / ARISTA Records and started working on his debut album with a stellar line-up of producers and songwriters. Among the producers were Jonathan “JR” Rotem, who has worked with Rihanna (on her No. 1 single “SOS”) and Sean Kingston; Ryan “Alias” Tedder, who has worked with Timbaland; and S*A*M & Sluggo, who have worked with two of the year’s biggest new artists, Gym Class Heroes and Boys Like Girls.
Lewis’ debut album, Audio Day Dream (A.D.D), will be released on December 4. “Break Anotha” is the first single off the album.
Leona Lewis has a ton of great songs on her upcoming debut album ?Spirit?. She already has a great single in ?Bleeding Love? and ?Angel? is shaping up to be another great one.
The ?X Factor? winner is already on the course to having the fastest selling single of the year in the UK. Her current single ?Bleeding Love? has already sold over 250,000 copies.
I guess everyone agrees that she does have the x factor to succeed in the fickle
business known as the music industry. No one can deny the amount of talent that she has and it shows with the numbers that are coming in for her.
Black Eyed Peas leader will.i.am says he’s “really excited and nervous at the same time” about becoming a solo artist with the September 25 release of “Songs About Girls.”
“I was like, ‘How and why should I put out a solo project?’ I could just do another Black Eyed Peas record,” he tells Billboard.com. The hook, he says, was making “Songs About Girls” a semi-autobiographical conceptual piece “where all the songs could tell a story of falling in love, falling out of love, trying to get back in love, destructing love and destroying love and then starting a new situation. That journey is what makes this unique.”
The album features only one guest star, Snoop Dogg, on the electroclash-styled track “Donque.”
Besides the album’s 12 songs, will.i.am shot videos for eight of the tracks and stitched them together into “a movie about making a movie” that will accompany the CD.
will.i.am plans to perform some of the “Songs About Girls” material live when Black Eyed Peas hit the road for a two-month international tour on September 4 in Israel. The group will play in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and Mexico but not in North America. “There’s no Black Eyed Peas record out,” he explains, “and America’s weird like that. If you ain’t got nothing in the marketplace, (the fans) ain’t showing up.”
Jordin Sparks doesn’t have a name for her debut album yet, but she’s got a release date set in stone: November 20. In anticipation of the 19 Recordings/ Jive disc, the “American Idol” champ drew back the curtains on her first single on Friday (August 24), debuting “Tattoo”. she’s a bit nervous to be following in the wake of Clarkson and Carrie Underwood’s success. “They’ve risen the bar so high and I’m like, ‘I hope I can reach it,’ ” she said. “Hopefully [my LP will] sell well and people will like it.” …Firstly just stop trying to imitate the past winners, try being someone whose got some of her to talent that she wants to showcase or if she cannot do that then it will be easier becoming a mimckery artist and earn money copying others. And if she wants to make a name for herself then listen dear dare to be different and aim for the stars, and if you start daring then the star will fall at your feer. Yeah don?t start dreaming so fast and get to dizzy heights there a long away to go before you achieve the dizzy heights.
Fans who’ve followed Lori McKenna since she was performing in small cafes, selling self-released CDs after a show, may have been a little nervous when the mainstream country establishment scooped her up.
In mere months, McKenna went from a critically acclaimed but under-the-radar singer-songwriter to a protege of country superduo Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. After McKenna penned Hill’s hit “Stealing Kisses,” she signed a record deal on McGraw’s label, opened for the pair on their huge nationwide tour and even sat next to Hill on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as Winfrey gushed about McKenna’s talents.
But don’t worry about McKenna trying to Faith Hill-ify her music and sacrifice her intensely personal, emotional songwriting. With “Unglamorous,” released this month, the 38-year-old makes such a seamless transition even she jokes it has been too good to be true.
“I keep telling my kids, these things normally don’t happen … it’s usually not this easy,” laughs McKenna.
But McKenna’s path to Nashville hasn’t followed the typical major-label debut trajectory. First off, she’s 38 years old and not trying to hide it. She’s also the married mother of five children, ages 18 to 3.
And she still lives the life of a typical juggling mom, living outside of Boston and writing songs in between school dropoffs and cleaning up after kid mishaps.
McKenna wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m just one of those people, I’ve been so blessed to do what I do, and be able to have my focus still be on the things that I love, which are my kids, and my family and my husband and my songwriting.”
McKenna has maintained this artful balance since 1998, when she put out her first album, “Paper Wings & Halo.” Though McKenna, the youngest of six kids, had been playing guitar since she was a teen and always had a passion for music, she didn’t start her career until after she became a mom. When “Paper Wings” was released, she had to borrow money from family and friends to get it released.
“Music was always one of those things that I sort of did on the side. I remember at first it was considered like, ‘Oh, it’s like a hobby for mom,’ because it’s something that would take me away from home, and I wouldn’t really make money on it,” says McKenna, whose husband is a plumber. “Then the next year, it was like, ‘Well, she’s making a little money, she helps with the grocery bills.’”
Soon, it was her second job, after being a stay-at-home mom. McKenna would load up her minivan and play gigs across the Northeast, often making it back home before the kids got up for school the next morning.
Her stature grew, especially regarding her songwriting, which is filled with strong characters, rich storytelling and haunting melodies.
