LeAnn Rimes is having quite a year in music: After dropping her fabulous new set of dance floor-ready remixes with Dance Like You Don’t Give A… earlier this summer, the Grammy Award-winning country-pop darling is at it again — and in a much more angelic state of mind this time around — with her upcoming holiday themed record, One Christmas: Chapter 1, due out on October 28.
The forthcoming EP will include 6 songs, made up of both classics (and more unconventional seasonal offerings) including “Silent Night,” “Carol Of The Bells” — even “I Want A Hippopotamus ...istmas.” Check out the full tracklisting, as well as the premiere of “Silent Night” after the jump.
As you might have already gathered from the album title, One Christmas: Chapter 1 is also only the beginning of a very festive set of records to come. From LeAnn:
I made a Christmas record a long time ago, and this time, I decided I wanted to spread it out over three years so I didn’t have to stop making Christmas music. We had so much fun making this first EP. I tried to play around with it as far as things you don’t typically hear me do. A lot of the vocals sound very live, and it’s just a really cool piece of music. It’s very exclectic. It has a lot of soul, and it sounds really organic.
One Christmas: Chapter 1 1. Silent Night Holy Night 2. I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas 3. Blue Christmas 4. Someday at Christmas 5. Hard Candy Christmas 6. Carol of the Bells
Timothy YapFirst Posted: Oct 22, 2014 01:18 AM EDT
Prime Cuts: Angel, You Raised Me Up, Wish You Were Here
Susan Boyle's rise to fame is a story of grace. Born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, Boyle was unemployed and taking care of her aging mother full time. Though she has had a rich and expressive voice, no one thought she was anything more than the lady who volunteered at church. However, providence has it that she appeared in the English counterpart of "The Voice" or the "American Idol," and she wowed the crowd on "Britain's Got Talent" with her masterful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables." Her performance went viral when it was watched by over 10 million viewers and Boyle became an overnight sensation. Her audition YouTube video was watched by 2.6 million people within the first 72 hours. And by the end of that year with 120 million viewings, her clip was the most watched YouTube video of the year. Few would have thought that a middle-aged of slightly ample proportions could impress such a worldwide audience without a hint of slattern innuendoes.
As a result, Boyle was steamrolled with success. Her debut album, "I Dreamed a Dream" was released in 2009 and reached number one on both the U.S. and U.K. charts, setting a record in her homeland for first-week sales. "I Dreamed a Dream" was more than an instant success: it wound up as the second biggest seller of 2009 in the U.S. and topped charts throughout Europe. Ever since her crowning moment on "Britain's Got Talent," she has been churning out albums by the clock work each year. Every year around the last quarter, Boyle would drop an album and each project would be gregariously gallop up by her legion of fans.
"Hope" is her sixth endeavor since her 2009 debut. And like the preceding five records, the 10 tracks here are made up of well-known covers safely hand-picked so that they loosely fall under the thematic focus of "Hope." Thus, you will find her covering some nebulously "spiritual" songs that are meant to pacify the harshest critics of religion and please the strenuous devotees of the faith. In such a category, we have her take of Sarah McLaughlin's immortal "Angel." With her note perfect never taking much of a chance demeanor, Boyle nails this ballad in terms of precision. But in terms of creativity, Boyle leaves a lot to be desire. A tad better is her version of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." Giving it a more relaxed and conversational read, Boyle's version of "Wish You Were Here" has a down home immediacy that is quite refreshing.
Boyle goes back to church with her rendition of the hymn "Abide with Me." Sung as if she was in the middle of a vacant church, her cry for God's help shimmers with an earnestness as she sings: "Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide." And she is literally in church when she joins the choir Joel Osteen's church in giving a rousing Spirit-imbued version of Josh Groban's "You Raised Me Up." And she does tether into a countrified territory with "Will the Circle Get Broken" and a pseudo-Gospel with "O Happy Day." On the whole, Boyle does at least try in some small measure to broaden her style. But as a whole, if you are into music that is lush, precise and somehow predictable, you can't go wrong with "Hope."
Tracklist: 01 – Wish You Were Here 02 – I Can Only Imagine 03 – Angel 04 – Abide With Me 05 – Imagine 06 – Will The Circle Be Unbroken 07 – Bridge Over Troubled Water 08 – The Impossible Dream 09 – Oh Happy Day 10 – You Raise Me Up (Live) (Feat. Lakewood Church Choir)
Alice Russell Delivers A Fiery Cover Of Connan Mockasin’s “I’m The Man That Will Find You”
It’s been a minute since we caught up with UK soul-dynamo Alice Russell. Today we’ve got some explosive new sonics in the form of her latest single “I’m The Man That Will Find You,” a cover of Kiwi psych pop smash Connan Mockasin‘s Caramel soulful stand-out cut. Those who are familiar with Mockasin’s original will find the washed-out guitar and creepy, effected vocal ascension absent, supplanting them with her own full-bodied treatment, filling in the space with layer upon layer of her powerful vox. The result is something wholly unidentifiable, that mounts with every breath and is her’s and her’s alone.
We last heard from Russell back in June when she appeared on Quantic‘s “You Will Return”, but it appears we’ll be getting some new numbers soon enough. She’ll be dropping her single stateside on October 27th, but if you happen to be elsewhere in the world, you can cop it via Etch Shop today. Get your heart strings pulled by Alice Russell and her absolutely eruptive new single “I’m The Man That Will Find You” below.
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Grammy-Winning Group EARTH WIND & FIRE Releases Holiday Album Today
Legacy Recordings is proud to announce the release of Holiday, the first-ever holiday album from the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire today, October 21. Available for pre-order at: http://smarturl.it/EWF_HOL_amzn.
Holiday is a spirited celebration of the holiday season, bringing together brand new recordings of seasonal standards ("Winter Wonderland," "The Little Drummer Boy," "Sleigh Ride," "Jingle Bell Rock"), beloved carols ("Joy to the World," "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This?," "Away in a Manger," "The First Noel"), a traditional Japanese winter song ("Snow"), a modern day Christmas song ("Every Day Is Like Christmas") and future Earth, Wind & Fire classics: "Happy Seasons" (inspired by "Happy Feelin'), and "December" (inspired by "September") featuring original vocals from Maurice White.
Lead vocalist and Earth, Wind & Fire co-founder Philip Bailey says, "This album is the band's first and only holiday music project. We are very proud to offer it as a labor of love to all of our fans and soon to be. Enjoy and happy holidays from our families to all of yours."
"The Holiday album was a joy to record, it is a celebration of tradition, love and spirituality, some of the elements of Earth, Wind & Fire. From our families to yours, we wish you a happy holiday," said EWF's co-founder Verdine White.
Produced by Philip Bailey and Myron McKinley (the band's Musical Director), Holiday is Earth, Wind & Fire's 21st studio album and second for Legacy Recordings. Now, Then & Forever, the group's first new album for the label and first new studio material since 2005, debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200 upon its release in September 2013, marking the band's highest-charting album since Raise! hit #5 in 1981.
Earth, Wind & Fire Holiday
1. Joy to the World 2. Happy Seasons 3. Oh Come All Ye Faithful 4. Winter Wonderland 5. What Child Is This? 6. Away In a Manger 7. The Little Drummer Boy 8. Every Day Is Like Christmas 9. The First Noel 10. Sleigh Ride 11. Snow 12. Jingle Bell Rock 13. December
About Earth, Wind & Fire America's seventh top-selling musical group of all-time, Earth, Wind & Fire was born in Chicago in 1969 and is still going strong in its fifth decade, making music that crosses years and decades and now connects the 20th and 21st centuries. Inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Earth, Wind & Fire has earned eight Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards alongside numerous other accolades including the prestigious Soul Train Legend Award. EWF has sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and is consistently one of the world's top touring bands.
P!nk has always been the punk rock version of a pop star, but the connection to Dallas Green (City and Colour, Alexisonfire) through her husband, Carey Hart, seemed surprising. The two toured together previously, which may have worked and may not have (Bon Iver and Christina Aguilera, anyone? No? Moving on…), but they felt a connection and, in a single week, wrote 8 of the 10 tracks found on their new album as You + Me. The surprise isn’t that the combination of a good singer-songwriter and a good songwriter/pop star leads to good music, but that the whole output feels like two people who have been writing together for a long time.
Rather than churn out some pop tunes, it falls more in line with City and Colour with a second vocalist; virtually every song is stripped down to two voices and, at most, two instruments. It feels like two friends gathered in a living room and performed songs they wrote together in high school. P!nk and Green don’t stick to merely trading vocal leads mid-verse or harmonizing — there are songs where one seems to take over and particularly shine. Album closer “No Ordinary Love”, in particular, features Green at his most bare; while P!nk sings one verse, her delivery is tame compared to Green’s soft yet gut-wrenching calls.
“Love Gone Wrong” best displays their ability to share the stage. Each chorus has shared harmonies, while the verses trade lead duties. It’s a simple soul ballad, just piano, guitar, and the two voices, and while the lyrics verge on being too simple (“Baby, I’m gone/ I’m gone, gone, gone, gone/ I’m gone for good”), the haunting harmonies of the bridge and the inescapable power to their words still shine through the basic nature of their poetry. The delicate fingerpicking on “You and Me” provides the foundation for a spine-tingling performance where they sing together throughout the song as an almost male-and-female Simon and Garfunkel.
Their chemistry together is so strong that this album feels more like a third or fourth album than a debut. The biggest fault on Rose Ave. is its lack of signature moments, almost as though they’re aware neither has anything to prove, that this passion project is just for them. There are no ground-shaking, world-changing moments here, but there isn’t a single song that doesn’t feel enjoyable. If the idea of P!nk and Dallas Green playing songs together in their living rooms intrigues you, there is beauty here waiting for you.
You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
Kellie Pickler fans are sure looking forward to her fourth studio album. By an overwhelming margin, readers of The Boot have voted ‘The Woman I Am’ our Album of the Month for November 2013.
‘The Woman I Am’ is a pivotal album for Pickler. She departed Sony last year after battling with the label over her third album, the critically acclaimed ’100 Proof,’ which was a return to her traditional country roots after two albums of slicker material. Sony didn’t even release a single, but Pickler was vindicated when critics everywhere hailed the album as the best work of her career.
She has adhered to that musical ethic for ‘The Woman I Am,’ working once again with producers Frank Liddell and Luke Wooten. “I’ve made records where I’m trying to make everybody else happy and say what other people want me to say. That was miserable,” Pickler said in July. “If you go in and you’re honest, people will either like you or not. You can’t please them all, so you might as well be happy with it yourself. It’s your face on the cover. You can’t change who you are to please other people.”
Fans have already heard two songs from the project. The first single was the touching ballad ‘Someone Somewhere Tonight,’ while the album’s second single, ‘Little Bit Gypsy,’ has a country-rock flavor. Other songs include ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ ‘Ain’t No Cure for Crazy’ and ‘Selma Drye,’ a song about Pickler’s great-grandmother. “I Forgive You’ touches on the singer’s difficult past, with a father who was in and out of prison and a mother who abandoned her.
‘The Woman I Am’ is due on Nov. 11. It is available for pre-order at Amazon and iTunes.
Kellie Pickler, ‘The Woman I Am’ Track Listing:
1. ‘Little Bit Gypsy’ 2. ‘Ring For Sale’ 3. ‘Buzzin’’ 4. ‘The Woman I Am’ 5. ‘Closer To Nowhere’ 6. ‘Selma Drye’ 7. ‘I Forgive You’ 8. ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ 9. ‘Where Did Your Love Go’ 10. ‘No Cure for Crazy 11. ‘Tough All Over’ 12. ‘Someone Somewhere Tonight’
In 2008, at the height of her Gossip Girl fame, Leighton Meester signed a major-label recording contract with Universal Republic Records, and began work on club-friendly pop tracks, collaborating with the likes of Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke and Clinton Sparks. “At every turn I wasn’t one-hundred percent convinced that I was happy doing that,” she now says looking back. Those recording sessions? They resulted in a handful of singles, no album and and, eventually, an amicable split with her label. “That music is fun for certain times," Meester says, "but It didn’t feel right to me." Despite the lack of return, the experience, for Meester, makes the fact that she's now about to release the album she always envisioned that much sweeter. “It feels so personal and so real for me,” the 28-year-old says proudly of Heartstrings, her debut album, that with its blend of folk, Americana and singer-songwriter vibes closely resembles her singing work on the 2010 film Country Strong.
Recording for the album, which you can exclusively stream in full below and is set to be released next week via her own Hotly Wanting Records, got underway early last year when Meester linked up with its producer, Jeff Trot. All of the tracks were recorded with a live band, and the whole vibe of the album, Meester says, felt positive from the outset.
“It really represents me,” she explains of Heartstrings. "It’s sensitive, it’s sort of guarded but also open and vulnerable and triumphant.” Working on the album amid several high-profile acting gigs—most notably a Broadway stage adaptation of Of Mice and Men opposite James Franco this year—proved challenging albeit rewarding for Meester: “You have a life outside of work—barely, but it’s there for me—so there’s plenty of material and inspiration [for my music]. Family, friends, loved ones, relationships, and everything that is happening in real life is a good source of inspiration for anybody who is writing music.”
Having just left rehearsal when she rang up ELLE, Meester is primarily occupied at the moment with getting her live chops down before her album-release gig next Tuesday at LA’s famed Troubadour, a venue where she previously performed in 2011. To that end, there's been no time, she says, to predict how people might react to the idea of someone best known for her acting making a serious go at the world of music. Frankly, she just wants to invite everyone along for the ride.
“Anybody who has any clue who I am or my name or what I’ve done I’m so happy to bring them over to this and get them to listen to this record,” she says, her voice rising with excitement. “And for people who don’t have any clue about me, that’s great too. Welcome!”
Tracklist: 01 – Heartstrings 02 – Run Away 03 – Good For One Thing 04 – Sweet 05 – On My Side 06 – LA 07 – Dreaming 08 – Blue Afternoon 09 – Entitled
Neil Young's Storytone to be released in two versions
Neil Young is releasing his forthcoming Storytone album in two different versions, according to a new listing on iTunes.
One edition features 10 tracks, recorded mainly with a 92-piece orchestra and choir, while the other, presumably deluxe edition, also includes versions of the tracks recorded solo alongside the orchestral versions. Both editions are released on November 4.
The deluxe version features the following tracks – the 10-track edition only features the second half:
"Plastic Flowers" (Solo) "Who's Gonna Stand Up?" (Solo) "I Want To Drive My Car" (Solo) "Glimmer" (Solo) "Say Hello To Chicago" (Solo) "Tumbleweed" (Solo) "Like You Used To Do" (Solo) "I'm Glad I Found You" (Solo) "When I Watch You Sleeping" (Solo) "All Those Dreams" (Solo) "Plastic Flowers" (Orchestral) "Who's Gonna Stand Up?" (Orchestral) "I Want To Drive My Car" (Band) "Say Hello To Chicago" (Big Band) "Tumbleweed" (Orchestral) "Like You Used To Do" (Band) "I'm Glad I Found You" (Orchestral) "When I Watch You Sleeping" (Orchestral) "All Those Dreams" (Orchestral)
Young performed for a second night in Boston yesterday (October 6), at the Wang Theatre, playing a set similar to the one he played the night before. He ended with "Thrasher", however, instead of recent regular closer, "Who's Gonna Stand Up?".
Young played:
"From Hank To Hendrix" "On The Way Home" "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" "I'm Glad I Found You" "Mellow My Mind" "Reason To Believe" "Someday" "If You Could Read My Mind" "Harvest" "Old Man" "Pocahontas" "Heart Of Gold" "Plastic Flowers" "A Man Needs A Maid" "Ohio" "Southern Man" "Who's Gonna Stand Up?" "Mother Earth" "Trace My Tears" "Harvest Moon" "After The Gold Rush" "Thrasher"
Visit our dedicated features section, with plenty of our best long pieces archived there. You can find it here.
Uncut is now available as a digital edition! Download here on your iPad/iPhone and here on your Kindle Fire or Nook.
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Stream: Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens’ new album Tell ‘Em I’m Gone
On October 27th, Yusuf Islam, aka Cat Stevens, will release his first new album in five years, Tell ‘Em I’m Gone. In anticipation, the album is streaming in full at NPR.org.
The 10-track effort contains an even mixture of original compositions and covers. The album was co-produced by Rick Rubin and also features contributions from Richard Thompson, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Tinariwen, Matt Sweeney, and Charlie Musselwhite.
According to a press release, “Each track on Tell ‘Em I’m Gone revives the age-old themes of freedom and peace that have prevailed through more than four decades of Yusuf’s musical career. On this album, Yusuf returns to the roots of his teenage musical inspiration: American blues and R&B, using these genres to explore humanity’s climb to freedom with songs that recall the spirit of his earliest days as a nascent singer-songwriter in London.”
Tell ‘Em I’m Gone marks Islam’s debut release with Legacy Recordings. The partnership will also see the eventual release “treasure trove of audio and video from Yusuf/Cat Steven’s personal archives,” according to a press release.
Tell ‘Em I’m Gone Tracklist: 01. I Was Raised in Babylon 02. Big Boss Man 03. Dying to Live 04. You Are My Sunshine 05. Editing Floor Blues 06. Cat and the Dog Trap 07. Gold Digger 08. The Devil Came From Kansas 09. Tell ‘Em I’m Gone 10. Doors
Tristan and her husband on their wedding day in Kruger National Park in South Africa. Photo by: Lauren Ross
Tristan Prettyman (now Maris) is a singer-songwriter and former Roxy model. She was born and raised in the town of Del Mar located in San Diego County, California.
Taking advantage of the town’s proximity to the ocean, she began surfing at the age of 12. She competed in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) High School Division and earned fifth place in the state title while still in middle school.
At 15, she was given a cassette of Ani DiFranco‘s 1993 Puddle Dive by her brother’s friend. She played the album constantly and it still has great sentimental value to her. It serves as a reminder of when her musical ambitions started to blossom.
She began playing in front of friends at their homes and they encouraged her to begin writing her own material. One night, while performing for some friends, an employee of the production company The Moonshine Conspiracy, run by surf filmmaker Taylor Steele and professional surfer Chris Malloy, heard her and asked Tristan to appear in the film the company was working on at the time entitled Shelter. Tristan’s song, “Anything at All,” was chosen to be on the soundtrack.
Read more about Tristan in All Access Music writer, Nicole DeRosa‘s exclusive interview with her fresh back from her honeymoon in Bora Bora and just a few days before she releases her new EP, Back To Home and hits the road for her City & Sand Tour!
So, Mrs. Newlywed , first things first…word on the street is that you and your love got hitched just a few weeks ago and you’re just coming back from your honeymoon in Bora Bora. Congrats to you both! You guys got married in Kruger National Park in South Africa. That sounds amazing and that is totally something I would do! What made you decide on that location of all places? And if you would, please tell our readers a bit about Bora Bora (and please try to keep it clean! haha)
Last year, my then boyfriend, Bill and I went to Greece, and then were headed to Hawaii to meet my parents, but we had about 10 days in between.
So Bill was like, “ Why don’t you spin a globe and just point..and that’s where we will go.” So I did, and my finger landed on the Africa. I said, “I have never been on a Safari, have you?” So we picked South Africa, and we went, and it was magical. It changed my life.
I have been around the globe a zillion times, but this was just unlike anything i had ever experienced. When we returned home, we were trying to explain the trip to our friends and family but having the hardest time. When we started planning our wedding, it was a no brainer. 25 of our closest friends and family, in South Africa.
“I’m pretty sure it was there, that I knew I was going to marry this guy. Seriously, have you ever traveled with someone? It can be a complete NIGHTMARE…with Bill it was so easy. I just knew then, he was it.”
We choose Bora Bora for our honeymoon spot, cause when ever else are you going to go there? It’s a total honeymooners paradise! It was great, but we both agreed, it’s really hard to top Africa. I just released the wedding video and its on my blog if you want to check it outhere.
Photo by: Cary Mosier
You began your career playing locally in clubs and bars throughout California’s San Diego County. How do you think your SoCal location and roots influenced you?
I grew up in San Diego, born and raised, Southern California is in my roots. It will always be. I started surfing when I was 11, I was practically raised at the beach. My parents are totally laid back hippies, they grew up in the mountains, hiking and riding horses. We spent a lot of time in nature as a family. I guess its the reason for my laziness??? I can get pretty lazy when I am home. I just space out. I guess its made me not take anything too serious. I mean I still am totally hard on myself as an artist, when I am in the studio, or when I see live performances, but i would say the thing it mostly influences is to let things live in the moment. Try not to over analyze and pick things apart, life goes on, you get constant second chances to re-invent yourself, do better, try harder, choose a new path, etc.. I think thats how So Cal has influenced me: Don’t take yourself too seriously. And, there is always tomorrow.
Your first album, Twentythree, was released back in August, 2005 when you were a mere 23 years old! The album peaked at number 24 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart. That is pretty darn impressive! What was that whole process like for you with the writing and release of the album?
I love that you just pulled those stats out of nowhere! That makes me feel so much better! Honestly I never remember stats or how albums did. I think i imagine things to be worse then they were or really are. Ha. So that is comforting. I have made 4 records and I am currently in the studio making a new EP in LA as we speak.
As far as the process goes, all the records have been so different. It really is bizarre to think about them all. Some I have been super in Love, or twenty-three’s case: in the stages of a new relationship, others I have been pissed off and heartbroken, I made Hello…x in London and was pretty much drinking pints of beer, rolling cigarettes and partying the whole time..and I am not even a partier or a smoker.
“I think I just like to try on different versions of myself and see what happens. I never know what to expect, I don’t like to hype myself up, or get to in my head about it.”
Is there anything you did differently or learned from the recording of your other albums that you applied to this album?
One thing I do now, is I start working with a vocal coach before any tour or recording. I guess it goes back to my So Cal ways, I just get lazy, If I don’t schedule in those kinds of things. This EP I am recording right now is the first record in 10 years without any sort of management or record label, so its really liberating. I get to just do what I want, follow my gut, sing the songs how I want to sing em, and just put em out and hope people like it. I’m really excited. It feels good to be able to follow my gut 100%.
Photo by: Lauren Ross
Besides your age at the time, why does the number 23 resonant so much with you?
It was a thing my brother pointed out to me, and my brother is full of all sorts of weird, random, fantastic facts. He was living in Santa Cruz, and had befriended this author Robert Anton Wilson. He told me about the 23 phenomenon and it just sort of went from there. You can read about ithere . I was born May 23rd, I got signed and made my first album at 23.
I named my first album after the whole thing. 23 became a good omen for me. I would see it, and it would be staring back at me like, “You’re right where you are supposed to be…wink.” It appears everywhere. Like I am literally in room 1223 in the hotel right now. Things like that. Its my good luck charm. When it shows up, Its like a little voice from the universe saying: Everything in its right place.
You have toured with some pretty awesome bands and musicians like, The Script, Anya Marina, Chris Isaak, G. Love & Special Sauce, Charlie Mars, Joshua Radin, Ray Lamontagne, Cary Brothers, Ben Taylor, etc. What musicians or bands would you love to tour with in the future?
I am really excited to be touring this Fall with Eric Hutchinson. I haven’t really been on the road in almost a year and a half. I love playing shows right before the holidays. Its all hectic, the weather gets colder, the music is like the glue that brings us all together.
I would love to tour with the Avett Brothers, Ed Sheeran, One Republic, Sam Smith, John Legend, Butch Walker. Those would be dream tours for sure. I feel really lucky cause I feel like I always get to tour with artists or bands that I am a big fan of.
Your song, “Say Anything” from Cedar + Gold was featured in the film adaptation and accompanying soundtrack Nicholas Sparks’s novel “Safe Haven ” (the movie stars Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel). Are you a fan of Nicholas Sparks and did you read the book before getting the offer? What do you think of it’s placement in the film?
Of course I weeped my way through The Notebook with the rest of the world! I remember when we got the call for Safe Haven, I couldn’t believe it. If I am being honest, I feel like we get a lot of requests for music in things, but only 75% of the time do they work out. I think I have sort of trained myself to not get to psyched until I see it with my own eyes, so for this… I think we were in the middle of touring and it was completely off my radar. When I did see the movie, I was totally floored. It was the opening song of the movie. I wasn’t expecting that.
I didn’t want to be selfish and hog all questions to you from me, so I opened it up to some fans of yours. Carly in OZ, asks: “I loved your cover of Iggy Azalea’s song, “Fancy”. Is there a track of yours that you’d love to see covered by a particular artist?
Oh wow. I mean, I get excited just seeing fans cover my songs!
What was the first song you fell in love with growing up and why?
What was it about that song that resonated with you? Ani Difranco – Out Of Habit. My brother’s friend gave me a mixed tape of her when I was 15. It was life changing. I mean the opening of the song is about watching the butter melt. I just loved her honesty, the story telling, it was just real, it like a rant in real time, a conversation…its brilliant.
I grew up on mainstream radio, pop music… which I totally love also, but Ani is just in a category of her own. She will forever be my number 1. Im listening to that song now. I still get chills. She’s such a bad ass.
Who is in your current playlist?
I am totally loving this band that my booking agent just signed: Banta. I love Charlie Mars new album: The Money. Sam Smith is insane. I just saw him at the Greek Theatre here in LA, he was flawless.
Speaking of flawless, I love Beyonce. I also love Ed Sheeran. There is so much good music out right now.
If you had the opportunity to work with any musician or artist from the past, present or future, who would it be and why? If you could spend the day with them, where would you go and what would you do?
I would love to hang out in the studio with Beyonce, or Pharrell. Fuck yeah. I love hip hop so much. Rhythm, movement, and groove. I would love to work with some hip hop people. When it comes to other musicians, the studio is the only place I really feel comfortable. I feel like its the quickest way to get real, bond, and get on the same page.
“Like I was on the elliptical machine at the hotel gym a couple days ago and I looked over and its Paul McCartney. Paul. Fricking. McCartney. What do you say? Where do you go with that? Of course you want to talk to him. He asked to borrow the exercise ball, to which I said, “Sure!” It’s not everyday Sir Paul asks to borrow the exercise ball…Lame…In the studio I would have been like, I love the way the tape bounces on “Let Em In” (From the Wings album). Lets jam a track like that.”
What’s on tap next for you, Tristan? What are you most excited about for this year?
I’m really excited to go on tour this fall and release this new EP, Back To Home. It was supposed to be 5 songs, and it turned into 7. I love the songs so much. All of them are so different. I don’t even know if they are “good” or not, but they sound good to me. Some of them make me dance in my seat, others give me goosebumps. In a way its very full circle for me, because the first kind of album I made when I was starting out was a 7 song EP, called The Love EP.
I’m pretty proud of myself, I didn’t sit around and wait for someone else more important to make a decision for me. I booked the studio time, moved to LA and just dove in. I’m looking at this little EP as a stepping stone for whats to come. The possibilities and direction are endless. I think being dropped by my record label, might have been the best thing to ever happen to me. I was getting comfortable, ya know? I’m an artist. We don’t do well being “comfortable”. My husband is always telling me what a rockstar I am, I don’t know if he is right… But its fun pretending like I am!
To learn more about Tristan Prettyman, including upcoming tour dates,
Faith Evans Unveils ‘Incomparable’ Album Cover & Tracklisting
Posted on October 29th, 2014 by ThisIsRnB in NEWS |
Faith Evans is back to the music, and prepping for the release of her new album Incomparable. The R&B veteran’s sixth studio album is set to be released on November 24 via Prolific Music Group, it has currently spawned the first single “I Deserve It” featuring Missy Elliot & Sharaya J.
Ready to give fans a look at what they can expect from the LP, Faith has now unveiled the album cover and track listing. The project boasts 16 tracks, with additional features from rapper Problem (“Good Time” and “Forever”), her pal Keke Wyatt (“Make Love”) and B. Slade & Karen Clark-Sheard (“Paradise”).
New Single
The new album follows 2010’s Something About Faith, which featured the single “Gone Already,” that lead her to be nominated for ‘Best Female R&B Vocal Performance’ at the 2011 Grammy Awards.
‘Incomparable‘ is currently available for pre-order on iTunes. Check out the full track listing below:
Faith Evans Incomparable Tracklist:
01. Prelude/Thank You Good Night 02. Extraordinary 03. I Deserve It feat. Missy Elliott & Sharaya J 04. Really Wanna Do 05. Take You Time (Interlude) 06. Fragile 07. Incomparable 08. Ride the Beat (Interlude) 09. Make Love feat. Keke Wyatt 10. Good Time feat. Problem 11. Forever feat. Problem 12. Ever Go Away 13. He Is 14. Paradise feat. B. Slade & Karen Clark-Sheard 15. Thank You’s (Outro) 16. Maybe
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Behind the Video: Ariana Grande feat. The Weeknd – Love Me Harder
Ariana Grande and The Weeknd are in full promo mode as they continue to preview the upcoming video for their soon-to-be hit collaboration, “Love Me Harder,” and the fans are ready and willing to receive.
Already teasing us with some still shots and then the lyric video, the two talents have now released the official behind-the-scenes footage of the soon to be released visual. Addressing the fact that her lying down in every video is all coincidental, the adorable singer is seen being carried through shots, joking around with her brother Frankie, and taking direction from choreographer Casper Smart.
Showing a sexier side of the former teen actress, the clip tells a little of the story behind the thought process of the Hannah Lux Davis directed video.
Before we can lay our eyes on the official video, check out the making of it below!
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Video: Teyana Taylor – Request (Teaser)
Posted on October 28th, 2014 by Ni'Kesia in VIDEOS |
With only a week left until the release of Teyana Taylor‘s debut album VII, the G.O.O.D. Music songstress comes at us once again with another video teaser.
Supplying us with the partial visual to the song “Request,” Teyana dons her blonde wig and red lip once again. While the teaser doesn’t tell us much about the visual, we’re sure that it’s going to be as sensual as its lyrics.
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![News Added Oct 25, 2014 Tristan Prettyman (now Maris) is an American singer-songwriter and former Roxy model. She was born and raised in the town of Del Mar located in San Diego County, California. She was signed to Virgin Records and released her first major label album Twentythree on August 2, 2005, followed by her […]](http://hasitleaked.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/891520_391884684297294_827376911_n-320x320.jpg "Tristan Prettyman : Back To Home")
