Jon describes himself as a “child of the ‘80s” in talking about the musical direction of OK NOW, with the very first single “Beating My Heart” the perfect example, an introspective, existential tune about nothing less than the meaning of life, with an elaborate pop-rock production that evokes Coldplay, thanks to soaring synths and a crackling backbeat.
Watch the Music Video for “Beating My Heart“:
JON McLAUGHLIN BIO
A great deal has happened to Jon McLaughlin between the release of his debut Island Records album INDIANA last year, and his new, sophomore effort, OK NOW.
When we last saw him, the 25-year-old singer/songwriter was giving a show-stopping performance of the Oscar-nominated “So Close,” the song he sang in the hit Disney movie Enchanted, on the worldwide telecast of the 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.
The appearance re-ignited INDIANA, spurring a 1,514% overnight sales increase at Amazon, sending it to the #1 spot on its Movers & Shakers chart, and creating solid momentum for his latest release. The single from INDIANA, “Beautiful Disaster” attracted over 420,000 digital fans when featured as Download of The Week.
And after getting major touring slots with Sara Bareilles, Paolo Nutini and Kelly Clarkson, along with dates with Colbie Caillat, Duffy and One Republic under his belt, Jon McLaughlin hit his stride on the road.
Flushed with that success, McLaughlin entered an L.A. recording studio last year intent on undergoing both a musical and stylistic transformation. The heartland piano player expanded his palette by working with new producer John Fields (Rooney, Jonas Brothers, Lifehouse, Switchfoot), co-writing with the likes of Jason Reeves (Colbie Callait’s “Bubbly”) as well as writer/producers Tricky and The-Dream (Rihanna’s “Umbrella”), Troy Verges (Kenny Chesney’s “You Save Me”) and Brett James (Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel”).
McLaughlin admits the experience of appearing in Enchanted and performing on the Oscar telecast was a career-defining moment.
“The whole thing has taken on a life of its own,” he says. “I wasn’t even supposed to be in the movie. I love Disney ballads, but I didn’t necessarily connect it to what I do as an artist. But that image of an old-school crooner inspired me. I was able to see myself as something different, which helped me open up to try new things on this album. I wasn’t afraid to try on some new looks, either.”
Jon describes himself as a “child of the ‘80s” in talking about the musical direction of OK NOW, with the very first single “Beating My Heart” the perfect example, an introspective, existential tune about nothing less than the meaning of life, with an elaborate pop-rock production that evokes Coldplay, thanks to soaring synths and a crackling backbeat.
With producer Fields playing bass, drums, slide guitar and a variety of other instruments, McLaughlin also enlisted the talents of ace players such as guitarists Tim Pierce and David Ryan Harris, as well as drummer Dorian Crozier in the studio.
“Smack Into You,” written and produced by Grammy winners Tricky and The-Dream, is about falling head over heels in love, a combination of the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and U2’s “With Or Without You,” melding acoustic guitar and McLaughlin’s piano to create a passionate undertow. “This song has such a great groove and is so fun to play live,” says Jon. “It creates such a special moment in the room.”
Jon describes “You Can Never Go Back,” which he co-wrote with acclaimed L.A. singer/songwriter Bleu, as his attempt to write a “late-‘70s, early-‘80s Billy Joel song,” an admonition to not dwell on the past that evokes the blue-eyed soul of the Bee Gees crossed with Hall and Oates, buttressed by Fields’ George Harrison-like slide guitar riffs.
McLaughlin’s soul/R&B croon also characterizes “Things That You Say,” a bittersweet song about “loneliness, the isolation you feel when you’re trying to connect with anybody, but end up with these shallow, going-through-the-motions relationships instead.”
Synthesizers introduce “You Are the One I Love,” a song Jon co-wrote with Jason Reeves, inspired by the tabloid reports about Amy Winehouse’s stormy relationship with her husband Blake that shows an empathy to the beleaguered pair. The multi-layered production is driven home by Peter Gabriel-like tribal drum rhythms.
“I feel for them,” McLaughlin admits. “Who’s to say any of our relationships are any less dysfunctional? I think it’s cool that they’re so madly in love.”
“The Middle” is about being able to take the Hoosier kid out of Indiana, but not being able to take Indiana out of the Hoosier. The youngster who grew up in a conservative Midwestern household admits home is where his heart still remains: “Let me tell you now where I went wrong/Hollywood is just another place/I don’t belong.”
“Four Years” is another Billy Joel-style, tongue-in-cheek take on a ‘50s rocker about high school peer pressure that advises freshmen not to worry about the dictates of fashion.
“You just spend so much time worrying about stupid stuff that just doesn’t matter,” says McLaughlin, who insists his own high school years were pretty good. “I wish I could get back all the money I spent on Abercrombie and Fitch back then. If I heard this song when I was still in high school, I still don’t think it would change anything. You can’t change high school kids’ minds about these things…but I’m still going to try.”
“We All Need Saving,” a song about the importance of friendship, starts with a stack of Beach Boys-styled street corner doo-wop oooh-oooh harmonies McLaughlin recorded late one night on Garageband.com, which gives the song its sacred feel, while “Throw My Love Around” counsels that, with only one life left to live, it’s preferable to take risks then end up having regrets.
That same spirit of taking chances informed the making of OK NOW.
“My philosophy has changed,” nods McLaughlin. “Now I believe you should get crazy in the studio, explore different sounds, and I love the challenge of recreating the songs in the live setting –that’s the best part.”
OK NOW is OK to go.
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WatchMojo NewsletterHip-hop super-group, The Mighty Underdogs, comprised of members of Blackalicious, Quannum Projects, and Crown City Rockers, are proud to release their first record on Definitive Jux…. Droppin’ Science Fiction. The collaboration also features contributions from such luminaries as DJ Shadow, Mr. Lif, Damian “JR Gong” Marley, and MF Doom, among others. Droppin’..’s other-worldly atmosphere is one in which monsters have gun fights in old western towns, identities are kept secret as a principle, and not all super heroes’ intentions are what they seem. The release date is October 14, 2008, and they have a tour supporting friends DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist in July. See below for dates.
Download The Mighty Underdogs “The Anthem” from Droppin’ Science Fiction (Definitive Jux)
The Hard Sell tour (opening for DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist):
07/16 09:30 Club - Washington DC
07/17 McCarren Park Pool - Brooklyn NY
07/18 HOB - Atlantic City NJ
07/25 Roseland Theatre - Portland OR
07/26 Showbox SoDo Lounge - Seattle WA
08/07 Richard’s - Vancouver BC
08/09 Shambula Music Festival - Salmo BC
additional upcoming tour dates:
08/16 Rock the Bells Festival - Mountain View, CA w/ BLACKALICIOUS
08/19 Trocadero Theater - Philadelphia, PA w/ AESOP ROCK
08/20 9:30 Club - $500 - Washington, DC w/ AESOP ROCK
08/22 McMenamin’s Edgefield - Troutdale, OR w/ BLACKALICIOUS & STS9
08/23 Marymoor Amphitheatre Seattle, WA w/ BLACKALICIOUS & STS9
09/12 Glasshouse - Pomona, CA w/ AESOP ROCK
09/13 Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA w/ AESOP ROCK
09/14 Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA w/ AESOP ROCK
09/15 Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA w/ AESOP ROCK
09/17 Belly Up - San Diego, CA w/ AESOP ROCK
09/18 The Exit - Fresno, CA w/ AESOP ROCK
09/19 The Brewery - San Luis Obispo, CA w/ AESOP ROCK
http://www.myspace.com/themightyunderdogs
Specialty Records presents the CD release of The Very Best of Little Richard available on July 29th!
“Tutti Frutti” Audio Streams:
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/qtl/Little_Richard_Tutti_Frutti.qtl
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/Little_Richard_Tutti_Frutti.asx
When Little Richard recorded “Tutti Frutti” in 1955 at Cosimo’s Studio in New Orleans with A&R man Bumps Blackwell, rock ’n’ roll was taken to a thrilling new level. The pounding piano, the high voice and trills, and the sexually suggestive lyrics catapulted the former Richard Penniman to the top of the charts and to legendary status.
On July 29, Specialty Records (now owned by Concord Music Group) will issue The Very Best of Little Richard, a comprehensive 25-track compilation, and the first in 20 years to showcase all the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer’s Specialty hits. The collection features an original pre-rock ‘n’ roll demo, 1955’s “Baby,” plus a rousing live medley of “Ain’t That a Shame/I Got a Woman”/”Tutti Frutti” recorded in Paris in 1964, and a rehearsal take of “Hound Dog” (1956). Billy Vera, himself a rock ‘n’ roll and R&B veteran, wrote the liner notes.
Additional Little Richard Audio Streams :
“Jenny Jenny”
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/qtl/Little_Richard_Jenny_Jenny.qtl
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/Little_Richard_Jenny_Jenny.asx
“The Girl That Can’t Help It”
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/qtl/Little_Richard_The_Girl_Can’t_Help_It.qtl
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/Little_Richard_The_Girl_Can’t_Help_It.asx
The Very Best of Little Richard Retail Link:
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/SPCD-30748/
Preferred Homepage:
http://concordmusicgroup.com
and YouTube page:
http://youtube.com/concordrecords
Many bands make an entrance into a particular scene, make a statement, and are suddenly yesterday’s has-beens after an album or two. But after a dozen years, half a dozen albums, scores of countries, countless miles, a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for their blistering cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman and immeasurable faces rocked, it’s not entirely surprising that Orange County-based rock act Zebrahead have been able to not only maintain a distinct relevancy to the core fan base that grew up with the act, it’s also been able to consistently break new ground and appeal to newer generations of audiences.
So, what’s the big secret to such great fortune? Credit the quintet’s truly innovative and ingenious meld of punk, hip-hop and alternative rock, which crosses over musical bounds, not to mention songwriting that’s infallibly infectious.
After completing over a year-and-a-half of constant touring on its previous release, 2006’s Broadcast to the World, the act settled down in its Orange County rehearsal studio to begin writing sessions. Zebrahead eventually constructed Phoenix over the course of a few months, the latest and most focused example of Zebrahead’s genre-bending sound. It’s the band’s most comprehensive album to date, sporting 16 tracks, and, according to Zebrahead vocalist Ali Tabatabaee is also the band’s most well rounded collection and second release on Icon Music.
ZEBRAHEAD - “Mental Health” (right click, save as)
With the imminent release of Phoenix, Tabatabaee is able to reflect on the longevity of his band and its continued relevancy to audiences young and old. “Kids are appreciating the fact that we’re sticking to our roots and really just trying to make good music. We’d like to thank the fans for allowing us to have such a long career. If it wasn’t for them, we’d be flipping burgers somewhere. Fortunately, we get paid to do what we love, so we want to thank them a lot for that.”
And as for Phoenix, Tabatabaee adds, “We can’t wait for the rest of the world to listen to it and see what they think. It’ll have something for everyone. And hopefully people will have open minds and will be able to accept it and appreciate it for what it is. We just didn’t want to make the same album again, you know?”
Staind have just unveiled the official video for their new single, “Believe.” The Christopher Sims (Saosin, Bleeding Through) directed clip is the first off the hard rock band’s upcoming Johnny K. (Disturbed, Black Tide) produced album, The Illusion of Progress. Staind are currently out on tour with 3 Doors Down and Hinder.
The Illusion of Progress is out on August 19th
Tour Dates:
7.29.08 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium
7.30.08 Clarkson, MI DTE Energy Music Theater
8.1.08 Kearney, NE Firstier Arena
8.2.08 Council Bluffs, IA Westfair Amphitheatre
8.3.08 Duluth, MN Bayfront Park
8.5.08 Casper, WY Casper Event Center
8.7.08 Sioux, SD Sioux Empire Fair Expo Hall
8.8.08 Sturgis, SD Buffalo Chip Campground
8.10.08 Lubbock, TX Lone Star Arena
8.12.08 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Amphitheater
8.13.08 Belton, TX Belton County Expo Center
8.15.08 New Orleans, LA Lakefront Arena
8.16.08 Tupelo, MS Bancorp South Center
8.21.08 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair
8.23.08 Calgary, AB The Pengrowth Saddledome
8.24.08 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
8.26.08 Vancover, BC General Motors Place
8.27.08 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater
8.30.08 Kelseyville, CA Konocti Field Amphitheatre
9.8.08 Cologne, Germany Cologne Arena
9.9.08 Stuttgart, Germany Schleyerhalle
9.12.08 Belfast, Ireland Odyssey Arena
9.13.08 Dublin, Ireland RDS Simmonscourt
9.15.08 Manchester, UK MEN Arena
9.16.08 Sheffield, UK Sheffield Arena
9.18.08 Birmingham, UK The NEC
9.19.08 London, UK o2 Arena
9.21.08 London, UK Wembley Arena
Lauren Ianuzzi ain’t just a pint-sized Jersey girl with thick brown curls, a pearly-white smile and sparkling enthusiasm. She ain’t girlie girl vanilla either. The Bergen County-bred songstress boasts a hustler-like spirit with the vocal chops to match, and there’s no mistaking her tenacity as she madly croons, “I will turn up the heat” in the sultry funk flavors of “Sweat,” one of the many self-penned tunes by the twenty-two-year-old Ianuzzi. She’s been tellin’ it like it is for a long time now. It’s now the world’s turn to catch up and turn an ear.
She’s previously co-written songs with songwriters such as Jeff Franzel (*NSYNC, Taylor Dayne), Martin Briley (Celine Dion), and Elisa Korenne (Super Sweet Sixteen), while also having recorded with producers such as Adrian Gurvitz (Sheryl Crow, CeCe Winans), Jim Beanz and Charlie Brown (Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado), the Noize Trip team (Fergie, The Roots), and Visionary Music Group (Destiny’s Child, Elton John). In January 2008, Ianuzzi opened for Train frontman Pat Monahan and Grammy-nominated songwriter Emily King at the Sundance Film Festival. She also performed at the 25th anniversary gala for the Operation Smile charity in Virginia Beach, VA, where she opened for the Beach Boys with her original song, “Show Me That Smile.” Ianuzzi is currently putting the finishing touches on her first EP.
Shake up a little of Nikka Costa’s sexy brashness with the smooth soul of Prince and Jill Scott, and add a dash of Carole King — Lauren Ianuzzi will sate you.
You ready to meet this Jersey Girl?
If you like it when the buzz about a performer ends up being all true – stay tuned to Lori Michaels. Her full-length CD debut, “Living My Life Out Loud,” (Reform Records) couldn’t be more aptly titled, period – and is available now.
She’s been singing and dancing since she could talk and walk. But Michaels’ career launched into new orbit in 2006, following her official “Coming Out” party at the House of Blues’ Club Worship in Atlantic City. It was a House of Blues first, and a turning point for Michaels in her evolution to in-demand solo artist and nationwide headliner with her head-turning Me & The Girls shows. By the summer of 2007, she was signing on to record with a new label –- and the songs haven’t stopped coming to her ever since.
In a time when coming out has evolved from something equated with fear to something much more about freedom, Michaels has freed her artistic soul to deliver “Living My Life Out Loud.” It is a testament to, above all else, her love of the song – whether that means writing, arranging and performing the vocals (lead and backgrounds), showcasing her talents on the piano/keys, or overseeing production with the best in the business to leave listeners breathless.
Amy Macdonald will tell you that it’s all Pete Doherty’s fault. No, it’s down to Red Hot Chili Peppers. Or do we finger Fran Healy of Travis? Nah, sod it, let’s blame Ewan McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal. They’re movie stars, proper ones. They’re used to shouldering serious responsibility.
If it weren’t for these artists, Amy Macdonald wouldn’t be the teen-sensation singer-songwriter she is now. She’d still be kicking round Glasgow, an undergraduate at university, studying social sciences with an emphasis on geography. The highlight of her year would continue to be her annual pilgrimage to T In The Park, whereat she and her mates would party under canvas for 48 hours, forget their own names, and maybe see some bands.
Last year, with Wilkinson producing in Soho and rock legend Bob Clearmountain mixing in Los Angeles, Amy Macdonald recorded her debut album. It’s brimming with great tunes. As well as This Is The Life there’s Mr Rock & Roll, sung in Amy’s rich, bell-clear, gutsy vocal and possessing a compelling rhythmic punch and a chorus surely set to wow those T In The Park masses. Barrowland Ballroom Ð studded with honky-tonk piano and blaring brass is her fast-paced, skiffling tribute to the iconic Glasgow venue and memories of many a great gig (Razorlight, Babyshambles again, Travis again…).
Footballer’s Wife takes ominous strings, thunderous drums and a haunting vocal and uses them to wallop a pop culture that encourages silly young women (Chantelle, Colleen) to write their autobiographies. ‘They’re only 19, 20 years old or something Ð I don’t know how anybody could write their lifestory at this age. It’s pathetic.’ Ever the patriot, Amy has recorded a version of a modern Scottish folk classic, Caledonia. She’s heard that Paolo Nuttini has sung the song live, but Amy doesn’t care. The song moves her. And that’s all she wants from songs, whether other people’s or ones she’s written herself.
PLAY
