Squidoo is a network of fan clubs for fans of television, movies, music and more to discuss and share photos, videos, news and opinions with fellow fans.
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Hilary Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. After gaining fame for her starring role on the television show Lizzie McGuire, she went on to have a film career, and her most commercially successful pictures include Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003), and A Cinderella Story (2004). Duff has expanded her repertoire into pop music, with three RIAA certified-platinum albums, and she launched a clothing line and an exclusive perfume with Elizabeth Arden. Her upcoming films include the 2007 political satire/ action thriller War Inc. and the animated comedy Foodfight!. Duff's new album, entitled Dignity, has just been released. Her first album was Santa Claus Lane (2002), a collection of Christmas songs which included duets with Lil' Romeo, Christina Milian, and her sister Haylie. Accompanied by the Disney Channel-only single "Tell Me a Story", it peaked well outside the top 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, but eventually received a gold certification. The album's title track was included on the soundtrack to The Santa Clause 2 and another song, "What Christmas Should Be" was used in Cheaper by the Dozen. Duff sang several tracks for the soundtrack to The Lizzie McGuire Movie, including "Why Not", which became a modest top twenty hit in Australia. Duff's second studio album, Metamorphosis (2003), included contributions by songwriter-producers such as The Matrix and reached number one on the U.S. and Canadian charts. (read more)
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AC/DC are a hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The band are considered pioneers of heavy metal, alongside bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Its members, however, have always classified their music as "rock 'n' roll". AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership remained stable until bassist Cliff Williams replaced Mark Evans in 1977. In 1979, the band recorded their highly successful album, Highway to Hell. Lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered disbanding, but soon ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was selected as Scott's replacement. Later that year, the band released their biggest-selling album, Back in Black. The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was also highly successful and was the first hard rock album to reach #1 in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon after the departure of drummer Phil Rudd in 1983. Poor record sales continued until the release of The Razors Edge in 1990. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 and contributed to the band's 1995 album Ballbreaker. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well-received by critics. A new album is expected sometime in 2008. AC/DC have sold an estimated 150 million albums worldwide, including 68 million albums in the U.S. Back in Black has sold an estimated 42 million units worldwide and 21 million in the U.S. alone, making it the 5th highest-selling album ever in the USA. AC/DC are ranked fourth on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and were ranked by MTV the 7th "Greatest Heavy Metal Band Of All Time". (read more)
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Marilyn Manson, born Brian Hugh Warner, is the lead singer of the Los Angeles based alternative rock group of the same name. Warner chose the name, a combination of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, to illustrate what he considered to be the extreme dualism of late 20th century American culture. The stage name of each band member was originally created by combining the first name of an iconic female sex symbol and the last name of an iconic mass murderer or serial killer, though this naming convention has not extended to new band members after the mid-90s. Formed in 1989 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids, the band's uniquely theatrical performances gathered a local cult following that developed over time into a worldwide fanbase. By the late 1990s the band was considered one of modern music's most widely-known and controversial acts; this was due, in large part, to Manson's then-frequent clashes with religious and political groups. Manson's lyrics often receive criticism for their anti-religious sentiment and for references to sex, drugs, and violence (albeit typically in the abstract as opposed to any specific depiction). The band's music and performances have frequently been called offensive and obscene. Protests and petitions have sometimes led to the group being banned from performing.  (read more)
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Born February 26, 1932, Johnny Cash (also known as the "Man in Black") was an influential country musician, best known in the 1950s and '60s for his hit songs I Walk the Line, Folsom Prison Blues and Ring of Fire, and he became known in his later years for his stripped down cover versions of modern popular songs, such as I Won't Back Down, Rusty Cage, One, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Desperado, and Hurt. Fueled by his own rocky personal life and spiritual path, much of Cash's music, especially that of his later career, echoed themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption. Thus, in a career that spanned almost five decades, Cash was the personification of country music to many people around the world, despite his distaste for the Nashville mainstream. Cash was particularly famous for his prison concerts, especially the historic performances in Folsom and San Quentin prisons in the late '60s. The former ended up being one of the fastest selling records of all time. Cash and June Carter Cash were married soon after Cash proposed to her during a concert in London, Ontario in 1968. The couple recorded several duets, including Jackson and It Ain't Me Babe. June Carter had co-written Ring of Fire for Cash before their marriage. In the mid-1980s he recorded and toured with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson as The Highwaymen, making two hit albums. His career was rejuvenated in the 1990s, leading to unexpected popularity and iconic status among a younger audience not traditionally interested in country music. In 1993, he sang the vocal on the track (read all)
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Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and poet, whose place in American and European culture in the 1960s through to the present is unique. Much of Dylan's best known work is from the 1960s, when he became an informal documentarian and reluctant figurehead of American unrest. Some of his songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'", became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements. He remains an influential and popular artist; his most recent album of new songs, 2006's Modern Times, reached #1 on the charts in the US and #3 in Britain. Dylan's early lyrics incorporated politics, social commentary, philosophy and literary influences, defying existing pop music conventions and appealing widely to the counterculture of the time. While expanding and personalizing musical styles, Dylan has shown steadfast devotion to traditions of American song, from folk and country/blues to rock and roll and rockabilly, to Gaelic balladry, even jazz, swing and Broadway. Dylan performs with the guitar, keyboard and harmonica. Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s. He has also recently performed alongside other iconic artists, such as Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty and Eric Clapton. Although his contributions as a performer and recording artist have been central to his career, his songwriting is generally held as his highest accomplishment.  (read all)
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Nightwish is a Finnish band formed in 1996 in the town of Kitee. The band's leader, keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen composes songs that are often classified as either symphonic metal or power metal; their musical style has also been described as a symphonic metal variant, called opera metal. Nevertheless, Nightwish is considered one of the main developers of the symphonic metal genre, which encompasses similar bands such as Therion, Stratovarius, Epica, Sonata Arctica and Visions of Atlantis. The band currently consists of Anette Olzon (vocals), Tuomas Holopainen (Keyboards), Jukka Nevalainen (Drums), Marco Hietala (Bass and vocals) and Emppu Vuorinen (Guitars). Although the band achieved prominence in their home country since the release of their first single, they did not achieve worldwide fame until the release of the albums Century Child (2002) and Once (2004), both which had video clips shown on the MTV channel of countries from the American continent, for example. With Once album (2004), Tuomas developed the symphonic part of Nightwish music, using orchestra, choirs an also native-american instruments. At the same time the band went away from metal roots, which can be heard in Jukka's drum playing (which is much simpler than on previous albums), as well as guitarwork. Guitars are mostly used to play simple rythmics. More advanced riffs and typical heavy metal lead guitar can be hardly heard. With the latest works with Anette Olzon they go even further away from metal style.  >>(read all)
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Paramore is a pop punk band from Franklin, Tennessee. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, lead guitarist Josh Farro, bassist Jeremy Davis and drummer Zac Farro. Paramore released their debut All We Know Is Falling in 2005, an EP entitled The Summer Tic in 2006, and their third release Riot! in 2007. The first single "Misery Business" off of Riot! is currently placed at #18 on the US Modern Rock Chart. The Franklin, Tennessee-based band Paramore was formed by members: brothers Zac and Josh Farro, Jeremy Davis and Hayley Williams, with the addition of Jason Bynum later on. At the age of 13, Williams moved from her hometown of Meridian, Mississippi to the Nashville suburb, where she met the brothers. The name Paramore had come from a friend of the band's mother's maiden name, and after finding the meaning of the word ("secret lover") the band took up the name. (read all)
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Eminem, (born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972), is one of today's most popular and controversial rappers. Eminem's first album was entitled Infinite and was highly criticized. Before releasing the album, he had a lot of underground tracks that spanned multiple mixtapes. Eminem's early work involved rapping about mostly drugs and getting bullied. He was heavy into the underground freestyle circuit, competing and winning in many competitions. In February of 1999 once he'd hit the mainstream he soon released The Slim Shady LP. The album sold 283,000 copies its first week. To date, the album has been certified 4x Platinum. In May 2000 he released The Marshall Mathers LP, and the first single released from it (The Real Slim Shady) was a huge hit. During the first week, it sold 1,760,049 copies, becoming the fastest-selling rap album in history, more than doubling the previous record held by Snoop Dogg's 1993 debut Doggystyle. Other singles from the album include The Way I Am and Stan. In 2002 he released The Eminem Show, in 2004 Encore and in 2005 Curtain Call: The Hits. Eminem also has his own record label, Shady Records (a sublabel of Aftermath Records), 50 Cent is signed to his record label on a joint venture between Dr. Dre's Aftermath and Eminem's Shady Records. Not only does he produce and write music, but he also starred in his own movie based mostly on his own experiences growing up in Detroit entitled 8 Mile. As well as this he is a member of the rap group called D12 (Dirty Dozen) consisting of himself, (read all)
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Jimi Hendrix (November 27 1942 - September 18 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Hendrix is considered one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in rock music history. After initial success in England, he achieved worldwide fame following his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Later, Hendrix headlined the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival. Jimi Hendrix helped pioneer the technique of guitar feedback with overdriven amplifiers, incorporating into his music what was previously an undesirable sound. He built upon the innovations and influences of blues stylists such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Albert King, and T-Bone Walker, and derived style from rhythm and blues and soul guitarists Curtis Mayfield, Steve Cropper, and Cornell Dupree, as well as from traditional jazz. Part of Hendrix's flamboyant stage persona may have been inspired by rock pioneer Little Richard, with whom he toured as part of Richard's back-up band, "The Upsetters." Hendrix is also widely thought to be influenced by Pete Townshend of The Who, who performed in London when Hendrix started his career there in 1966. Hendrix strove to combine what he called "earth", a blues, jazz, or funk driven rhythm accompaniment, with "space", the high-pitched psychedelic sounds created by his guitar improvisations. As a record producer, Hendrix also broke new ground in using the recording studio as an extension of his musical ideas; he was one of the first to experiment with stereophonic and phasing effects during recording. Hendrix was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (at 6627 Hollywood Blvd.) was dedicated in 1994. In 2006, his debut album, Are You Experienced, was inducted into the United States National Recording Preservation Board's National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone named Hendrix number 1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003. read the rest of the Wikipedia article
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In Flames was founded in 1990 as a side project of Jesper Strömblad who was at the time in a death metal band called Ceremonial Oath. Jesper formed In Flames with the purpose of writing songs with a more melodic and progressive musical direction, something which he was not allowed to do in Ceremonial Oath. In 1993, Jesper decided to quit Ceremonial Oath due to musical differences and began focusing more on In Flames. That same year, Jesper (guitar, drums, keyboards) recruited Glenn Ljungström (guitar), and Johan Larsson (bass) to form the first official In Flames line-up. The trio recorded a three song demo and sent it to Wrong Again Records In order to increase their chances of being offered a record deal, the trio lied to the owner of the record label by telling him that they already had 13 songs done. The owner of Wrong Again Records, seeing promise in the band, offered In Flames a record deal over the phone. During 1993, In Flames wrote, recorded, and self-produced their debut studio album, Lunar Strain, in Studio Fredman. Since In Flames did not have a vocalist yet, Jesper asked Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity to provide session vocals. In 1994, Lunar Strain was released. (read more)
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Leslie Feist (born Friday, February 13, 1976 in Amherst, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She performs as a solo artist under the name Feist, and as a member of Broken Social Scene. Raised in Regina and Calgary, Feist got her start in music as the lead vocalist for a punk band called Placebo. After five years of touring, Feist was forced to take time off from music to recover from voice damage. She moved from Calgary to Toronto in 1998 and took up guitar; by 1999, she was the guitarist for By Divine Right. She also released her debut solo album, Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down), that year. Feist recorded her second solo album, Let It Die, in Paris in 2002 and 2003. That album, a combination of jazz, bossa nova and indie rock, was hailed as one of the best Canadian pop albums of 2004, and got her two Juno Awards (The Canadian equivalent of the Grammys). This album also helped her to gain a significant international audience. Her third album The Reminder was released on April, 23rd 2007 in Europe, and May, 1st in the rest of the world and is composed of thirteen tracks. Pitchfork rated the album an 8.8. She also sang the soundtrack for Paris, je t'aime: La Même Histoire Visit her website : http://www.listentofeist.com/
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a New York City-based alternative rock band made up of singer Karen O, drummer Brian Chase and guitarist Nick Zinner. Their music is a mix of retro styles with heavy rock and punk guitars, synthetic sounds, and screaming, erotic, bluesy vocals, and extremely sexual and creative costumes designed by Christian Joy. They were formed in the late summer of 2000. They have recorded four studio albums, "Fever to Tell", their sophomore album "Show Your Bones", the "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" (or "Master" EP), and the "Is Is" EP, which features songs written during the "Fever to Tell" era which were not recorded until 2007. Nick Zinner also plays in Head Wound City, a thrash metal supergroup with members of the Blood Brothers and The Locust, and has toured with Bright Eyes for their album, Digital Ash In A Digital Urn, also Brian Chase has an active side project in his improvisational band, The Seconds. In the summer 2006 Imaad Wasif joined the band for touring purposes as Nick Zinner couldn't play two guitar parts as he could in the studio, and also to play keyboards. (read more)
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Interpol is a rock band based in New York City and currently signed to Capitol Records/EMI. Its members are Paul Banks (vocals and guitar), Carlos Dengler (bass and keyboards), Sam Fogarino (drums), and Daniel Kessler (guitar and background vocals). Interpol's sound is characterized by a dark mix of bass throb and choppy, sparse guitar. They have been compared to Joy Division, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Chameleons for their similarly stark, sombre sound and obtuse lyrics. Though Interpol's debut album, Turn on the Bright Lights, is spare and tentative, Antics suggests a band confident to expand to a fuller sound. Both Antics and Turn on the Bright Lights were recorded at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The band formed when Daniel Kessler met drummer Greg Drudy, now a member of post-hardcore/screamo band Hot Cross, on the New York University campus. Kessler later added Carlos D. on the bass after meeting him in a history class. The line-up was complete after Kessler ran into Paul Banks, a friend whom he had met in Paris. In 2000, Sam Fogarino, whom the band knew through his job at a local record store, replaced Drudy. The band released a new song, 'Direction', on the soundtrack of the television program 'Six Feet Under' on June 28, 2005. Shortly thereafter they left Matador for a major label. >>(read all)
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Jimmy Eat World formed in Mesa, Arizona in 1993. They are associated with an array of genres, including alternative rock, indie rock and pop punk. Singer/guitarist Jim Adkins and drummer Zach Lind, who had been friends since kindergarten, joined forces with guitarist Tom Linton and bass player Mitch Porter to try their hand at music. In its early years, the band emulated the style of their punk rock influences, eventually recording and releasing three singles and a full-length on local label Wooden Blue Records. In 1995, the band signed to Capitol Records. Around this time, bass player Mitch parted ways with the band and was replaced by Linton's friend Rick Burch. After a brief scouting for producers, the band joined up with Drive Like Jehu drummer Mark Trombino to record their debut album Static Prevails.  (read all)
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Pink Floyd (formed 1965 in Cambridge, United Kingdom) is a British band noted for psychedelic rock music, philosophical lyrics, avant-garde compositions, sonic experimentation, innovative cover art and elaborate live shows. One of rock music's most successful and influential acts, the group have sold an estimated 73.5 million albums in the U.S., and over 300 million albums worldwide. Pink Floyd enjoyed modest success in the late-1960s as a psychedelic band led by Syd Barrett. Barrett's increasingly erratic behaviour eventually caused his colleagues to replace him after The Piper at the Gates Of Dawn with guitarist David Gilmour. (Syd Barrett died on July 7, 2006 of complications arising from diabetes.) The band went on to record several elaborate concept albums; achieving worldwide success with 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon (The second best-selling album of all time), 1975's Wish You Were Here, 1977's Animals, and 1979's The Wall, among the best-selling, most critically acclaimed, and enduringly popular albums in rock music history. In 1985, singer and bassist Roger Waters declared Pink Floyd defunct. >>(read more)
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Jack Johnson (born May 18, 1975) is a Hawaii-born singer-songwriter, accomplished professional surfer, and filmmaker who has achieved commercial success and a dedicated following since he first appeared on G. Love & Special Sauce's album Philadelphonic. The release of his 2001 debut album, Brushfire Fairytales further cemented his popularity. He has written, recorded, and released the albums On and On (2003), and In Between Dreams (2005). His newest album is entitled Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies For The Film Curious George (2006), he has also been on 3 soundtracks "September Sessions" from the film The September Sessions, "Thicker Than Water" from the film Thicker Than Water, "Sprout", "A Broke Down Melody" Ep and "Some Live Songs EP". Several of his songs are also featured in the movie "Out Cold".  (read more)
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Muse is a three-piece band from Teignmouth, Devon in England. The band consists of Matthew Bellamy on lead vocals, piano, keyboard and guitar, Chris Wolstenholme on backing vocals and bass guitar, and Dominic Howard on drums and percussion. They have been friends since their formation in early 1990 and changed band names a number of times (such as Gothic Plague, Fixed Penalty, and Rocket Baby Dolls) before adopting the name Muse. Since the release of their fourth album, Morgan Nicholls has also appeared with the band at live performances to provide keyboards, samples/synth, and backing vocals. Their sound is a blend of alternative rock, classical music, electronica, heavy metal, spanish guitars, and progressive rock. Usually they use the bass line as the driving force, often with the guitar providing only an extra layer to the song rather than carrying the melody, the bass has distortion and other effects applied to it to achieve a greater weight, allowing the guitar to digress from the main tune and play higher notes. (read more)
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Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame following the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. 50 Cent achieved multi-platinum success with both albums, selling over twenty-one million records worldwide. Born in South Jamaica, Queens in New York, 50 Cent began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s' crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot nine times in 2000. After releasing his mixtape Guess Who's Back? in 2002, 50 Cent was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre—who produced his first major commercial successes—he became one of the highest selling rap artists in the world. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. 50 Cent has engaged in numerous feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, The Game, and Fat Joe. 50 Cent has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005 and the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006. (read more)
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Maroon 5 is a Grammy Award winning pop rock band, drawing influences from funk and jazz, from Los Angeles, California. Their original line-up is: Adam Levine (Vocals & Guitar), James Valentine (Guitar), Jesse Carmichael (Keyboards), Mickey Madden (Bass) and Ryan Dusick (Drums). Matt Flynn replaced Ryan Dusick on drums permanently in early September 2006. M5's debut album, Songs About Jane proved a multi-award winner. Released in June 2002, the album enjoyed major chart success, going gold, platinum, and triple platinum in many countries around the world. Even their follow-up acoustic album 1.22.03.Acoustic, which features live, unplugged versions of Songs about Jane, has reached platinum status. The group won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2005. They also performed for George Lucas' lifetime achievement award. In the fall of 2005 they released a live record called "Live, Friday the 13th" which was recorded on May 13, 2005 in Santa Barbara, California and earned them another Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 2006. They released their latest album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, on May 22 of 2007. The first single of this album, Makes Me Wonder, was released in late March and has achieved massive airplay to date and has topped the charts on American Top 40. (read more)
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The Smiths were an English rock band active from 1982 to 1987. The group was based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr, and were signed to the independent record label Rough Trade Records. Considered by some critics to be the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British indie scene of the 1980s, the Smiths have had a major influence on subsequent alternative music, including the Britpop movement and bands such as The Stone Roses, Gene, Radiohead, Blur, Suede, Oasis, The Libertines, The Verve and Doves. At the time, the group was notable in particular for two things: Morrissey's unusual, witty, ambiguous, and sometimes controversial lyrics, and Marr's complex, dense music, which helped return guitar-based music to popularity after it had fallen somewhat out of favour in the UK charts. The group released a total of four studio albums and several compilations in fewer than five years, as well as numerous singles. Although not commercially successful outside the UK while they were still together, and never releasing a single that charted higher than number 10 within their home country, The Smiths won a growing following both at home and overseas in the closing years of the twentieth century, and they remain cult and commercial favourites to this day. read the rest of the Wikipedia article
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The Postal Service is an indie electro-pop band, which started life as a side project for singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel, Headset and Figurine. Several songs on their first LP, Give Up, feature guest vocals from Jenny Lewis, the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, a band which was once on the same label as Death Cab (Barsuk Records) and vocals from Jen Wood, an indie rock solo artist. Chris Walla recorded some of the songs and played the piano on Nothing Better. The way in which the group combines electronic backing tracks with poppy hooks is somewhat reminiscent of 1980s new wave music. The group formed after Gibbard contributed vocals for a song on Dntel's album Life Is Full of Possibilities called (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan. This song sparked an EP of remixes by other artists, such as Lali Puna, The Flaming Lips, Safety Scissors, Barbara Morgenstern and Superpitcher and was so well received that the two artists decided that further collaboration was in order. (read all)
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Mika (born Michael Holbrook Penniman in 1983) is a Beirut-born, Paris and London-raised, London-based singer who has a contract with Island Records and used to attend Westminster School. He first appeared on BBC Radio 1 in September 2006. He has a background in classical songwriting. His long awaited first album Life In Cartoon Motion was commercially released on 5th February 2007. It has a coming of age theme, and deals with the transition from childhood to his current position in life. His debut single was Relax, Take It Easy (2006) though the second single Grace Kelly seemed to garner more media attention. It was penned after producers tried to make him change his image to become a celebrity. He has called it his "fuck you" song. In January 2007 he took the UK charts by storm; his second single Grace Kelly charted at Nº3 with downloads alone, and climbed to Nº1 on January 21, 2007. In December 2006, more than 130 UK-based music critics and broadcasters took part in the BBC's prestigious Sound of 2007 music poll and MIKA was named the best new talent for 2007. (read more)
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The French band Air is a duo consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel. They studied at Versailles (Lycée Jules Ferry) before forming the band in 1995. Their critically acclaimed first album Premiers symptômes was followed by the release of Moon Safari, The Virgin Suicides (soundtrack), 10,000hz Legend, and Talkie Walkie. In 2007, Air released the album Pocket Symphony. Although Air's music is often referred to as electronica or trip-hop and is often found in such bins in record stores, their form of electronic music actually owes more to the synthesizer sounds of the 1970s such as Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis. Other influences that are more readily apparent than house and techno are psychedelic rock pioneers Pink Floyd and krautrockers Tangerine Dream (although there are some echoes of dance music styles in the production). Another influence is French crooner Serge Gainsbourg. Air's music also has jazz inflections at times, and their ability to improvise is more clearly highlighted in the live arena. Before they founded Air, JB and Nicolas played together in the band Orange, with others such as Alex Gopher, Xavier Jamaux and Etienne de Crécy names which have recently reappeared in connection with Air's remixes. Air uses many of their studio instruments (like Moog synthesizers, the Korg MS20, Wurlitzer and Vocoder) live on stage. The band performs the well-known tracks from the albums live as extended or altered versions. (read all)
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Belle & Sebastian are an indie-pop band from Glasgow — Led by guitarist/vocalist Stuart Murdoch, the seven-piece band has an intimate, majestic sound that is equal parts folk-rock and '60s pop. Murdoch has a gift for not only whimsy and surrealism, but also for odd, unsettling lyrical detail which keeps the songs grounded in a tangible reality. Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Belle & Sebastian released their first two albums in 1996 at the peak of the chamber pop movement. At first, some critics in Britain's music weeklies tied the band into the subgenre, yet the group was too pretty, too delicate, to bear that label. Through their first two years of public existence, the band shielded their personalities, submitting publicity photos featuring a girl that wasn't in the band and reluctantly posing for photo shoots. Furthermore, they performed in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafes, but also homes, church halls, and libraries. The idiosyncratic approach to building their career isn't surprising given Murdoch's approach toward beginning a band. A longtime fan of Felt, Murdoch left Glasgow for London in the early '90s in hopes of finding the group's leader, Lawrence Hayward, but he never found his idol. Upon his return to Glasgow he enrolled in university and he began writing songs and short stories. While at school, he took a music business course where he decided to form a band and release a record for his final project (he had tried to form a band before to no success). For the project, he assembled the seven-piece Belle & Sebastian, featuring himself on guitar and vocals, choosing and recruiting members by instinct in a local all-night cafe in late 1995. (read all)
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The Pixies are a highly influential American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985. The band disbanded in 1993 in acrimonious circumstances but reunited in 2004. Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and Dave Lovering have been the band's continual members. Pixies found only modest success in their home country, but were significantly more successful in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, although never achieving mainstream success with their studio albums. Pixies' music was heavily influenced by punk and surf rock, and while highly melodic, was capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Francis was the band's primary songwriter and singer and had a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. He typically wrote cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as UFOs and surrealism. References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, physical injury, and incest feature in many of the band's songs. The group is frequently posited as the immediate forebearer of the alternative rock boom of the early 1990s, though they disbanded before reaping any of the benefits this might have brought them.(read more)
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Sufjan Stevens  (born July 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Petoskey, Michigan. Sufjan's music is lyrically focused and instrumentally rich. Lyrically it often relates to faith and family. Stevens has enjoyed wide critical success in the United States. He is considered part of the folk revival in indie pop, but his influences are very broad. His music has been likened to electronica and the minimalism of Steve Reich. Stevens originally announced plans to make a concept album for each of the 50 U.S. states, having begun the series with Michigan (2003) and Illinois (2005), but has since retracted this statement. read the rest of the Wikipedia article
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