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.
Amy’s new album This Is The Life hits stores August 19th
She’s humble, thoughtful, and not one for mindless chatter. She’d sooner talk about her favorite bands and songwriters, about football and films, than about herself.
But put Amy Macdonald on stage with a guitar in her hands, let loose her rich, bell-clear voice on a brace of superb original songs-and the self-effacing 20-year-old with the pale skin and wide blue eyes is revealed as a compelling performer possessed of formidable musical gifts.
Take a listen to her single “Mr. Rock & Roll”
Her Decca Universal debut album, This Is The Life, is equally impressive. On each of its eleven tracks, Amy’s own acoustic guitar patterns form the foundation for the beautifully de¬tailed arrangements created by producer Pete Wilkinson and mixed to perfection by Bob Clearmountain. The result is a seamless set of contemporary folk-flavored pop-rock with a warmly natural sound and free of hip-hop affectations. Amy’s melodies are incredibly catchy-the quality that has made “Run,” “This Is The Life,” and “Mr. Rock & Roll” into international radio favorites-but her lyrics sometimes hint at a darker, edgier under¬current.
“Footballer’s Wife” ponders the devaluation of celebrity, from James Dean and Marilyn Monroe to today’s reality-show wanna-bes; “Poison Prince” is a sharp-eyed ‘look at the high-wire act of Pete Doherty (of Libertines and Babyshambles), one of Amy’s earliest and most important musical inspirations. “Youth of Today” is a challenge to older gen¬erations, firm and clear-eyed without being self-righteous-Amy’s version of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” or “My Generation.”
This Is The Life began moving up the British chart soon after its initial release in July 2007. The album reached Number One on January 13, 2008, knocking Radiohead’s In Rainbows out of the top slot. To date, This Is The Life has sold more than 700,000 copies in the UK (double platinum) and over one million worldwide, mak¬ing Amy Macdonald the biggest-selling female British artist to emerge last year. Thus far, her album has reached Number One in the UK, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands and cracked the Top 20 in Germany, Ireland, Austria, Belgium and Greece.
Back in the USA, the excitement has proven contagious. In April 2008, Amy arrived in the States for debut club appearances in Boston and New York. Her 4/28 performance at Great Scott in Boston prompted The Boston Globe to hail Amy Macdonald as “a 20-year-old lass with a guitar, a strong will, thick eyeliner, and a voice that snaps you to attention.We give her a year before she’s headlining the Orpheum [Theater].”
Track Listing:
1. Mr. Rock & Roll
2. This Is The Life
3. Poison Prince
4. Youth Of Today
5. Run
6. Let’s Start A Band
7. Barrowland Ballroom
8. L.A.
9. A Wish For Something More
10. Footballer’s Wife
11. The Road Home
NEW YORK, NY (June 4, 2008) - Amy Macdonald is at the forefront of a new generation of British musicians on her debut ‘This is the Life’ (August 19, Decca), combining “a traditional, acoustic folk-rock sound with a youthful spirit and self-assured lyrics that veer between the observational and the confessional,” as one UK publication put it. The first single “Mr. Rock & Roll,” sung in Amy’s rich, bell-clear, gutsy vocals, tells the story of missed opportunity and broken hearts.
A native Scot and self-taught musician, Macdonald has already achieved double- platinum success in the UK for her keen ability to create simple, yet compelling stories. She has spent the past 18 months touring Europe, opening for Paul Weller, meeting her one-time hero Pete Doherty and headlining her favorite music venue Glasgow Barrowlands.
This Is The Life features Macdonald opining on everything from indulgent and self-destructive pop stars on the dark and venomous track “Poison Prince,” to their so-called celebrity counterparts on the lamenting ballad “Footballer’s Wife.” Emerging from an album laden with hits, “Run” creates a powerful sonic experience that builds from a whisper to a masterful crescendo of vocals, solidifying Macdonald’s standing as a singer experienced far beyond her 20 years of age.
To see why, watch her perform the first single “Mr. Rock & Roll” live on The Friday Night Project here:
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. Amy Macdonald would still be a nobody, instead of a somebody out of whom great songs just flood. Amy was 12 when her world wobbled on its axis. She was on a family outing to Rothesay on Scotland’s west coast. Her gran gave her some money to treat herself. Instead of buying a tenner’s worth of ice-cream she bought a CD: The Man Who by Travis. It was the first album Amy ever owned. She was blown away: simple songs (Driftwood, Why Does It Always Rain On Me?, Writing To Reach You), sung brilliantly, roaring powerfully in her ears and in her head.
Jersey Girl Lauren Ianuzzi likes to play with matches and start fires. Good news! She can take the heat. Lauren’s songwriting and unique vocal style reveal what she and most girls think about relationships and boys, but not rarely ever say. With tight clothes, flashy earrings and curls for days, Ianuzzi’s spontaneous and sexy personality match her soul and funk driven music.
Rock & roll triumphs are rare. But by nicking choice elements from the genre’s checkered past and fusing it with raw power and sexual energy, Ligion’s invigorating Maple Jam/Bellum Records debut is just that. Spitting out a vital, dexterous eleven-song cycle that runs the gamut from infectious, rock radio gems to pensive, Zippo lighter-ready epics, Ligion has the potential to gather the masses. Crafted with the help of iconic rock producer Greg Ladanyi, this Nashville-based five piece fills a void as it resets expectations of what a modern rock album can be with 2007’s fiery entry External Affairs
Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:
SONG 1: Amy Macdonald - “Mr. Rock & Roll”
SONG 2: Lauren Ianuzzi - “A Funk I Won’t Forget”
SONG 3: Ligion - “Lost My Car”
PLAY
