Zemmy puts her own unique twist on the pop genre, writing songs filled with rich, instantly memorable melodies and smart lyrics. Influenced by artists such as Sade, Lauryn Hill, Sia, Dido and Imogen Heap, she creates intelligent pop songs which span across the wide spectrum of the genre.
Ian first hit internationally in 1973 with "Painted Ladies". With a Juno award, four SOCAN classic awards for Painted Ladies, Right Before Your Eyes, Hold On and Pilot, a UNICEF Danny Kaye Humanitarian award, Juno and Gemini nominations,15 albums and nearly as many top twenty records later, Ian has now added author to the mix with two novels, Bequest (Manor House 2006) and his latest The Lost Chord (Manor House 2008).
Ian’s lyrics have been utilized in English textbooks while his songs have found international success with many artists such as Santana, America, Manfred Man, Chicago, Bette Midler and Ann Murray. He also records and tours the country regularly with good friends Murray McLauchlan, Marc Jordan, and Cindy Church in a band called Lunch At Allen’s. From 1990 to 2000, Ian wrote &recorded four albums and toured with his band “The Boomers” who were comprised of some of the Canada’s finest musicians - Peter Cardinali, Rick Gratton and Bill Dylan. When you add twenty movies as a film composer, six seasons on the Red Green Show as character Dougie Franklin and over a thousand commercials voicing characters from Clive Firkin of Firkin Pubs to Snap the Rice Crispie, the credit list starts getting ridiculous.
2009 saw Ian touring both as a solo artist and with Lunch At Allen’s, while completing the music for the animated series The Adventures Of Bob and Doug McKenzie and scoring two Hallmark Movies, The National Tree and Fairfield Road. With the new Lunch At Allen’s CD completed and 2010 underway Ian is currently writing and recording a long awaited new solo album. To hear him live is to spend time with a master songsmith and humorist. Ian lives with his wife of nearly 40 years in the Niagara wine region of Ontario because he likes both wine and his wife.
Ty Taylor (vocals) and Nalle Colt (guitar) formed Vintage Trouble after setting up a basic home studio in Venice Beach. They invited their mutual friend Rick Barrio Dill to play bass for the band, and then recruited Richard Danielson to play drums. "We got together in 2010," Taylor told Billboard. "It was one of those experiences where everything was lined up. We had all been friends, and had known each other before the band started up. We had known each other in different arenas. I had known Nalle Colt for about fourteen years, and we had tried to play with each other for so long. We were in one right before Vintage Trouble, and things just weren't working out. So, we left, and decided we wanted to do something a little more raw and down to earth." Taylor has said that the line-up of Colt, Danielson, Barrio Dill and himself developed a good chemistry: "It just felt like we were in a family of people that were going to challenge us."
The band then began creating material in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. After just two weeks of rehearsals in early 2010, the group began playing local area shows and late night speakeasies. Aiming to emulate mid-century soul music and to use the recording techniques of that era, the band spent a three-day session recording complete takes, turning out 12 new songs for the album "The Bomb Shelter Sessions". Such singles as '"Gracefully", "Nancy Lee", "Still & Always Will" and "Blues Hand Me Down" aimed to produce a sound reminiscent of the days of vinyl records and juke joints, and the essence of the original soul movement. The album was produced by Peter McCabe and co-produced by Vintage Trouble themselves. The album was mixed by Rogers Masson.
How and where the band launched their career in earnest is an important part of their story. They initially took their music outside the USA, as part of a strategy conceived by legendary manager Doc McGhee. "If you look at the history of people like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, or James Blunt, they came [to America] first and didn't make it. Then, they went back over to England, and blew up. We just decided to go to Europe first, and when they were accepted there, we would have a story to share here. That's basically what happened." McGhee wanted to get them in front of as many people as possible, and the strategy worked. "It was pretty simple. The concept was to get all the tastemakers together, and those people spread the word. We got Brian May to give us some dates, and also some stadium shows with Bon Jovi. It's just hard work by these guys. They just get up in the morning, and go conquer," he said.[
After three shows in the UK in early 2011, the band returned in April of that year to appear on Jools Holland's late night TV show Later... with Jools Holland. The band became the 6th most trending topic of the day on Twitter, attained the #13 best selling digital album on iTunes, and had the #5 all around best selling digital album on Amazon UK, beating out both Rihanna and the current Glee (TV series) albums. Additionally, VT had the #2 best selling digital Rock album on Amazon.com UK, and the #1 best selling R&B digital album on Amazon UK. On the 24th April 2011, they appeared on The Late Show with JoAnne Good, (Sunday Night Sessions segment) on BBC London 94.9.
The band joined Brian May (guitar player of rock band Queen) and Kerry Ellis for a tour starting in early May 2011, and in June 2011 supported rock band Bon Jovi on the UK leg of their The Circle Tour.
The band played for Paul Stanley on January 20, 2012 at his 60th Birthday Party and Paul sang "You Shook Me" by Led Zeppelin.
On April 24, 2012, "The Bomb Shelter Sessions" was released in the U.S.
They are the opening act for The Who on that band's first North American tour in four years.
They are the opening act for Dave Matthews Band at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham, AL. on April 6th, 2013.
Dan Grigor, a 12-string virtuoso, has been playing guitar for more than 45 years. This season of his life has brought a new twist to his music. Tapping out melodies on the fret board with the right hand while chording with the left is a popular electric guitar technique. When taken to the acoustic 12-string, it requires an additional level of skill and talent, but as the finger ballet unfolds, it brings about a delightfully visual listening experience.
Refreshingly smart poetry accompanies the music and touches places in our hearts, our minds and our middles. Known for his wordplay and lyrical vocabulary, Grigor creates songs that say with few words the things we all feel. Then there’s the voice, the full, rich D-below-middle-C, back-of-the-room voice of experience. A voice familiar with love and life as well as pain and loss, the poetry articulates the beating of our hearts.
If you get a chance to see a live show, do it. The funny and incredibly talented Grigor entertains us by being himself. You feel as if you’ve made a new friend, or found an old one.
A prolific singer/songwriter, Dan Grigor has recently teamed with talented percussionist Ric Tortorete and bassist Mike Mountain for a captivating blues fusion experience. They are comfortable playing acoustic to provide captivating "small stage" entertainment guaranteed to make a dining experience or reception a truly special occasion, or plugging in and cranking it up to get feet tapping. Call For Info keeps the guests smiling and the glasses clinking without clashing with the flow of the environment, whether casual and boisterous or sophisticated fine dining.
Grigor has played and recorded with rock stars and for films and documentaries. He appears on several CDs including his own "Floating," available on his website, www.dangrigor.com.
Dan prefers Larrivee guitars, John Pearse strings and is also sponsored by and endorses JHAudio, Mey Chair Systems, and G7th Capo Company.
Dan also serves as the Publisher, Senior Writer and Videographer for BareFootMusicNews.com and its sister publications
“BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson has described ‘G.I.R.L.F.R.I.E.N.D’ as “a masterclass” in how to tell[…] a story - straight and direct, person to person, heart to heart.” FolkCast describes her music as “summery, sweet-n-sour, soulful and full of sass!” Currently recording her second album, self-made woman and Oxford drop-out Heidi speaks three languages and plays several instruments. Her songs are ‘a string of pearls to the ears, nothing less!’ - Tom Robinson, 6Music
‘Based in Market Drayton, Heidi Emma Peach Brownehas been writing and gigging for ten years. Creativity and performance chops are like muscles – the more you use them, the stronger they get. People didn’t place this track in their favourite five because of its hifi production values or glossy arrangement; they loved it because the writing is sharp and direct and the vocal performance is absolutely f*cking immaculate. When most of us get up with a guitar to sing, we tend to concentrate on the playing and throw away the vocal into a nearby microphone almost as an afterthought. Whereas what the audience wants to hear is somebody telling them a story – straight and direct, person to person, heart to heart. Girlfriend is a masterclass in how to do just that – in a radiofriendly 2’39″ flat. Will we be including her on the BBC Introducing Mixtape next month? Damn straight.’ - Ruth Barnes, Amazing Radio
Mickey Carroll is a guitar player, singer and bandleader who is dedicated to giving back to the world through community activism and musical commentary.
Mickey's career started in 1956 playing clubs in Atlantic City and Philadelphia. In 1957 he and Bill Harner started the doo-wop musical duo "Billy and Mickey". Billy and Mickey was one of the first white acts to break the color barrier playing a string of black and white concerts in the 1950’s.
In the 1960's Mickey was managed by the original owner of Harlem's Cotton Club, Herman Stark and son Steve, performing in the upscale hotels of Miami Beach.
In 1974 Mickey was signed by Soul Train legend Don Cornelius and Dick Griffy to Solar Records. By 1975 Mickey was recording the first album recorded at sea. Don and Dick moved the famous Record Plant Studio in Sausalito, California aboard a 110 foot ship! Helmed by the legendary Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan, Elvis, Johnny Cash) the album was recorded with an all-star roster of musicians including hit songwriter Jimmy Webb, Leon Pendarvis - NBC's Saturday Night Live music director, Chuck Leavell of the Rolling Stones and Willie Hall of the Blues Brothers band.
In 1978, Mickey’s album "Love Life" was nominated for a Grammy award. Engineered by Grammy-winner Eric Schilling, "Love Life" still sounds fresh today and is currently released around the world by Vision Records and Banderia Music Company.
By 1980 Mickey had decided to take a new direction with his music. Partnering with Rod Glaubman (founder of PACE, the largest non-profit performing arts organization in America), Mickey and Rod created concert events for those with disabilities, veterans and senior citizens. In 1983 Mickey was featured on NBC’s Today Show (see link at left).
In 1984 Mickey was awarded a gold record for his song, "Love Is Where You Find It". It went to number one on Billboard's R&B chart, recorded by "The Whispers" on Solar Records.
From 2000 to 2010 Mickey ran Mother J Productions, a 501c non-profit he founded to fund arts education through concert performances and community events. Mother J contributed over $100,000 to arts education and world community disaster relief funds.
2011 finds Mickey still hard at work writing new songs, recording, and releasing socially conscious music. Produced by Howard Albert (Bee Gees, Eagles, Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers) and released around the world by Vision records (US and Europe) and Banderia music (Asia) Mickey has long relationships with the best musicians, producers and engineers in the business. Let Mickey put together a show for your next fundraiser, convention, or event.
Johnny Duhan started his career as a fifteen year old front man with Granny’s Intentions, the most popular beat group in Ireland in the 60s. After rousing Dublin with their soul touch, they moved to London, were signed to the prestigious Deram label, enjoyed considerable success and disbanded before Johnny was twenty one. Johnny started writing folk songs, poetry and prose at this stage. In a career spanning 40 years, his greatest achievement is a quartet of epic albums - Just Another Town, To The Light, The Voyage and Flame - which correspond to the four chapters of his lyrical autobiography, TO THE LIGHT. Johnny’s songs are sung worldwide in a variety of languages, thanks to the focus put on them by Christy Moore, The Dubliners, Mary Black and hosts of other Irish and international singers. His song The Voyage has become a modern classic. Christy Moore has termed Johnny “One of our greatest songwriters.” And the late Ronnie Drew described him as “one of my favourite songwriters.” A new album, The Burning Word, has just been released.
Johnny’s journey is set out in a series of albums that portray his life - his Limerick boyhood in JUST ANOTHER TOWN; his tilt for fame and the girl in TO THE LIGHT; his reflections on family life in THE VOYAGE; and his spiritual quest in FLAME. Johnny lives in Barna, Galway.
On the L train heading East in New York City, Ari Hest is surrounded by business people, kids heading home from school, and foreigners looking at subway maps. Ari has his phone up to his mouth and he's singing jibberish into the receiver. After a few seconds he stops, puts the phone down, and says, "Sorry, needed to get that outta my system."
And I believe him. Hest doesn't so much play music as it flows through him. He explains, "No matter what I'm doing, aside from sleeping, there's a soundtrack to it. It's a blessing and a curse, as it drives some people in my life nuts occasionally, but it's how I've been and always will be."
Music is Hest's unparalleled passion, one that's seen him create at an astounding pace since he began writing songs in his late teens. Aside from the hundreds of melody snippets swimming around in his iPhone recorder, Ari has hundreds more on his home computer. And then there's the six albums, three EPs, and "52" in 2008, an innovative project whereby he wrote, recorded and released a new song every Monday for a full year. There's also educational music he's written for kids and as he puts it, "songs I write with others in mind to sing them."
And now, Ari is ready to release his seventh full length, The Fire Plays. Never has he put forth an album as cohesive and rife with personality. From producer Gerry Leonard's hypnotic, ambient guitar on the gripping album starter, "Untitled Part 2" to the final strum of the heartbreaking finale, "Something To Look Forward To," you are taken on a journey of self-exploration. And like Ari, by the end of it, you are spent. He explains, "When Gerry and I chose the songs for the album, we focused on how they were going to both musically and lyrically connect. I wanted people to hear it and feel like they opened a window into someone's thought process. Someone is drawn to something, a person or an idea of some kind, and there's this ride of emotions that follow - optimism, gratitude, self-sabotage, and eventually a desire to keep it simple and not think so damn much.
Drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical influences, the songs of The Fire Plays fuse the sounds of 70's pop era music akin to Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor with the sprawling electric guitar soundscapes you'd hear from artist/producers like Ry Cooder and Daniel Lanois. At the forefront is Ari's rugged yet subdued voice which one-time Hest producer Alex Wong described as, "a bear eating honey." Throughout the album, Ari's command of how each song should be sung is striking. He can sound vulnerable, formidable, angry and hopeful, all with an honesty and passion you simply don't hear from most singers these days.
Lyrically speaking, Hest has never been a stranger to revealing the personal, and The Fire Plays is no exception. But unlike some previous efforts, lyrics on The Fire Plays are more easily relatable, perhaps a consequence of Ari's steadfast commitment to improving his songwriting. Hest explores raw emotion the way an archeologist digs for clues to life - with unrestrained excitement. They range from the more abstract, "And as I let them go, water cries for my soul, stripping me down to the bone," from the remorseful "Set In Stone" to the more straightforward but equally powerful refrain, "I play with fire, and the fire plays with me," from the title track.
Though often melancholic, the album also reveals an optimism, as we hear on the fragile-sounding and nostalgic "Concrete Sky": "Someday, I'm gonna cut through to you, and you won't put up a fight," and the playful "Winter of Yes": "And my face is so cold that I tear, but I won't let this be like any old year." Whether light-hearted or dark and intense, Ari's practical lyrics mold seamlessly with his grainy voice and quiet confidence to create an earnest, engaging delivery.
Hest's music has been featured on numerous television shows including Private Practice, Army Wives, and One Tree Hill. He's also scored a film called Dreamriders, which won several independent film awards. And throughout his career, he has toured worldwide relentlessly to support his records, most recently in Israel as well as several European countries, and built the kind of loyal fan base any musician would envy.
While The Fire Plays is an excellent indication of what Hest is capable of, his live show will leave even more of an impression. Watching him play, one can't help but be thrust into his world, hanging on every word like a child listening to a ghost story. Some people smile, some people cry, but everyone at the least stops in their tracks to pay attention.
With The Fire Plays due out November 13, 2012, Ari will again tour to support the album, making stops throughout North America and Europe, as well as Israel and other new territories.
Born 12th September 1983.. Yougest child of seven. Always a music lover and loved to sing as a kid.. Father and sister both played guitar. Influenced by all types of music and have many favourites suchas Oasis, Kasabian, The Strokes, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, the beatles, Stereophics, Christy Moore, Damien Rice, Jack Johnson, Paulo Nutini among hundreds of others.. I write about all and everything, Love, life, death, hopes, fears, and any other life situation i experience or think of.. hope you enjoy the music.. Either way I enjoy doing it ! 'Its better to burn out than fade away'.. Ciaran
The Black Cadillacs are a 6-piece rock and roll band, featuring 2 guitar players, bass, drums, keyboards and organ, and a stand-alone frontman. The Black Cadillacs have a diverse array of influences from classic bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Pink Floyd to more modern bands like My Morning Jacket, The Black Keys, and Jack White. Over the last 3 years they have been working hard honing their sound and live performance, and have made a name for themselves in the region. Their second album, “Run”, was released under Young Giant Records on June 5th, 2012.
Band Members:
Will Horton - Vocals
Matthew Hyrka - Lead Guitar Philip Anderson - Bass John Phillips – Rhythm Guitar Adam Bonomo - Drums Kevin Hyfantis - Keyboards
Hi there, We are a new group from South Wales in the UK, half way through our first album.We try to be funky, dancy and retro!
So far, we've released four tunes on the 'net, with one of our songs, "Sexy Boy", surprising us by becoming a hit on college radio in the US. Our latest track is a ballad, "A Heart Beat Away": hope you like it. We're writing new tunes as we speak, so stay tuned. Stay Cool, Stay Safe, Luv Becks & Shazoot xx
Band Members:
Becky (vocals)
David Layton (guitars) Ric Lawton (sax) Dave Lewis (drums & keyboards) Glyn Havard (bass
