ADELE
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/adele/id262836961
When the U.K. press began dubbing Adele “the next Amy Winehouse” in late 2007, the hype didn’t touch upon the heavy singer/songwriter influence found in the Londoner’s music. Influenced by Suzanne Vega as much as Jill Scott, Adele first made an impression in 2006 when she toured as an opening act for Jack Penate. She had graduated to headlining status by the end of 2007, thanks to BBC Radio 1 playing her single “Daydreamer;” another song, “Hometown Glory,” was also released as a single on Jamie T.’s label, Pacemaker. An appearance alongside Paul McCartney and Björk on the BBC 2 television show Later with Jools Holland came next, and a recording contract with XL Recordings was finalized soon after. Early 2008 brought similar luck as Adele found herself atop the BBC’s new music talent list, which was compiled from the votes of 150 music critics. That same January, XL issued a new single, “Chasing Pavements,” along with her debut album, 19. The title reflected Adele’s age at the time of the album’s release, and its popularity resulted in the release of several bonus editions throughout the year. Also in 2009, Adele won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her sophomore album, 21 featuring the gospel and disco infused single “Rolling in the Deep” is set for release in February of 2011.
TIMMY CURRAN
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/timmy-curran/id95871555
Already well established internationally as a celebrated professional surfer, Timmy Curran embarked on a recording career as a singer/songwriter during the mid-2000s. Born on August 14, 1977, the Californian released the six-track EP Citsuca (2006) before making his full-length album debut with Word of Mouth (2007). In 2008 Curran was signed to the Los Angeles indie label Adeline Records, which re-released Word of Mouth.
INGRID MICHAELSON
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ingrid-michaelson/id157692029
With her piano-fueled songwriting, witty wordplay, and slight vocal vibrato, Ingrid Michaelson carries the tradition of the female singer/songwriter into the 21st century. Befitting a musician of the digital age, Michaelson first gained wide exposure through spots on TV soundtracks, including Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill. Born and raised on New York’s Staten Island to an artist mother and classical composer father, she began exploring music through piano lessons at the age of four. After college, she toured with a national theater troupe and spent her free time writing songs, later compiling them into an online-distributed recording entitled Slow the Rain.
Michaelson blazed her own trail by independently issuing her proper debut, the engaging Girls and Boys, in 2006; following the inclusion of her music in several episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, she then released a remastered version of the album on her own Cabin 24 Records in January 2007. Three months later, she won a national songwriting contest sponsored by Mountain Stage, a radio program produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed worldwide. “The Way I Am” was then picked up by Old Navy, who used it to soundtrack one of their clothing commercials, and Michaelson began making headlines as one of the country’s most promising independent artists. A benefit project comprised of live recordings, new songs, and rarities, Be OK was released in 2008. Michaelson joined the Hotel Cafe Tour that fall in support of the album, whose proceeds went toward cancer research, and later toured Europe alongside Jason Mraz.
For her “proper” follow-up to Girls and Boys, Ingrid Michaelson retreated to a Manhattan studio alongside producer Dan Romer. 40 newly composed songs were whittled down to a total of 12, with more emphasis being paid to the songwriter’s peppier material. Featuring a string section on several songs, 2009′s Everybody proved to be Michaelson’s most expansive, confident effort to date, and she followed its release with another cross-country fall tour. ~ Katherine Fulton & Andrew Leahey, Rovi
YAEL NAIM
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/yael-naim/id262077539
A singer/songwriter born to Jewish and Tunisian parents, Yael Naïm first hit the pop-music scene in 2001, but her debut was not what she had hoped for, and it wasn’t until 2007 that her follow-up appeared.
Born in Paris in 1978, Naim first got a taste for pop music when she discovered the Beatles. Adding Aretha Franklin and Joni Mitchell to her list of influences, Naïm soon found herself playing shows with Winton Marsalis’ backing musicians in Tel Aviv (where she had moved at the age of four). During her obligatory military service for Israel, Naïm started her first band, the Anti-Collision, and her appearance at a charity concert in 2000 scored her a record deal with EMI. After an appearance as Miriam in a French production of The Ten Commandments, she recorded her debut album on both coasts of the United States. The album, In a Man’s Womb, was a sobering affair for Yael, who considered the album a personal failure. She kept on singing to make a living, but it wasn’t until she met up with David Donatien, a West Indian percussionist, in 2004 that she regained her desire to write and perform. Working as a group, Donatien and Naim came together to record Naim’s second album, Yael Naïm. Released in October of 2007, the album contained songs in French, English, and Hebrew, and included a surprising cover in Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” Critical acclaim and chart success followed — the album hit number 11 in France and broke the top forty in Switzerland — and in 2008, Naim’s song “New Soul” was used in a commercial for Apple’s new MacBook Air computer.
THIRD EYE BLIND
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/third-eye-blind/id733629
Although often lumped into the post-grunge category, Third Eye Blind sported a brighter sound than many of their late-’90s peers, taking as much influence from classic pop/rock traditions as the angst-ridden music that dominated the decade. The group scored its first hit in 1997, when the debut single “Semi-Charmed Life” cracked the Top 10. Third Eye Blind built upon that success throughout the following three years, releasing a number of singles (three of which cracked the Top 10) while touring with the likes of U2 and Oasis. After taking a break during the early 2000s, the band returned in 2009 with its fourth studio album, Ursa Major.
Third Eye Blind hails from San Francisco, where singer Stephan Jenkins made his name as a solo musician after earning an English degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Jenkins soon decided to piece a band together. After several lineups failed to gel, former Fungo Mungo bassist Arion Salazar joined the group, which Jenkins had named Third Eye Blind (in reference to the metaphysical concept of a mind’s eye). At one of the band’s early shows, guitarist Kevin Cadogan — a former student of Joe Satriani who later became involved in the northern California ska and punk scenes — introduced himself to Jenkins. Cadogan subsequently joined Third Eye Blind in late 1995, bringing along former Counting Crows drummer Brad Hargreaves, as well.
As Third Eye Blind worked on cementing its sound, Jenkins began earning major-label attention through his production of the Braids’ cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which became an international hit. He signed a publishing deal shortly afterward, reported to be the largest such deal ever presented to an unreleased artist. Meanwhile, Third Eye Blind cultivated a dedicated fan base by playing the Bay Area frequently, and the group’s original 14-song demo attracted attention from major labels. The buzz was continuing to build when the musicians finagled their way into a prized opening slot for Oasis’ April 1996 concert at the Civic Auditorium. The group was still unsigned at the time, but following their well-received performance (which included an encore — a rare opportunity for an opening band), Third Eye Blind became the subject of a bidding war.
The band eventually signed with Elektra/Asylum, a label that afforded them a considerable degree of artistic freedom. Jenkins was tapped as the band’s producer and received a production deal to help develop new groups, but his top priority remained with Third Eye Blind. With Jenkins handling production studies, the band recorded their eponymous debut in San Francisco with the assistance of Eric Valentine, an engineer who had also worked on their early demos. The self-titled Third Eye Blind was released in the spring of 1997; by that summer, the introductory single “Semi-Charmed Life” had become a chart-topping modern rock hit. Spawning several more successful singles (including “How’s It Going to Be” and “Jumper”), the album broke into the Billboard Top 200 and remained there for over a year, establishing Third Eye Blind as one of the most popular bands of the late ’90s.
Blue followed in 1999 and sold 150,000 copies within a month of its release. Although fans heralded it as the band’s strongest album, only one song — the sprightly “Never Let You Go” — matched the success of the band’s past singles. Tours across the globe followed throughout 2000, but by the time 2001 rolled around, the band had lost a crucial member (guitarist Cadogan, who co-wrote much of the band’s material before exiting the lineup) and opted for some time off. Tony Fredianelli soon climbed aboard as the band’s replacement guitarist, and Third Eye Blind turned its attention to several charity events. They played shows in support of the Tiger Woods Foundation and helped organize Breathe, a performance that promoted breast cancer awareness.
By 2003, Third Eye Blind resumed their schedule with the release of Out of the Vein. The record suffered from poor marketing, due in part to Elektra’s merger with Atlantic, and Out of the Vein ultimately failed to ignite the same commercial sparks as its predecessor. Nonetheless, the band returned to the drawing board that same year, although Jenkins’ lengthy battle with writer’s block prolonged the release of a new album for six years. In the interim, a best-of compilation entitled A Collection appeared in 2006, and the band continued to tour in support of their past releases. Third Eye Blind’s long-awaited fourth album, Ursa Major, was issued in 2009, preceded one year earlier by the digital EP Red Star.
PAOLO NUTINI
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/paolo-nutini/id156669286
In much the same way that José González hails from Sweden and not Spain, Paolo Nutini is not a smooth Italian pop star, but rather a soul-influenced adult alternative songwriter from Paisley, Scotland. Raised in a music-loving family, he grew up listening to a range of folk, opera, jazz, and his father’s R&B favorites. Shortly after discovering homegrown folkies like John Martyn, the teenaged Nutini left school to focus on his own musical development, eventually moving from Paisley to London at age 16 and garnering attention via local gigs. He inked a deal with the British arm of Atlantic Records two years later, just several weeks after his 18th birthday.
Working with Coldplay and Badly Drawn Boy producer Ken Nelson, Nutini generated an impressive amount of buzz before his first single, “Last Request,” was released in the early summer of 2006. He appeared at special Atlantic Records showcases at Carnegie Hall and the Montreux Jazz Festival, as well as showcase sets opening for the Rolling Stones and Paul Weller. Nutini’s debut album, These Streets, was ultimately released in July 2006 alongside his second single, “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty.” The album fared quite well in the U.K., where it climbed to double-platinum status and sent four singles into the Top 40. Accordingly, an American release followed in January 2007.
For Paolo Nutini’s second album, the songwriter took a more active role in the production, partnering with Ethan Johns but helming much of the material himself. The resulting record, Sunny Side Up, appeared in June 2009, featuring increased contributions from Nutini’s backing band and a bright, sprightly disposition.
