svelte

thanks

wow, it's been such a long time...again! after troubles with my isp everything got a bit messed up but thanks to az and neo i'm back

thanks guys i like the new name

well, i haven't been here in a while. i've been busy with work, family, etc. i thought i had this place bookmarked but i didn't, then with the name/url change i couldn't find it. but now i have. hello everyone

indeed

what hits has ACLOTM had? megalomaniac? i'll give you that one, but i can't see how you think incubus is making hits or blending in with the crappy bands. they aren't fading from one genre, they've never fit into a genre. have you even heard ACLOTM? or have you not paid attention after Morning View. incubus never was really 'popular'. brandon was 'popular' during the morning view era, but that was really it. mtv paid attention because of brandon, not because incubus was talented. the way that you bring up make yourself, (I liked their second full length album heaps) makes me think that you're speaking (in terms of 'hits' and 'fading' and not being 'individual') of morning view. and that was what, 2 or 3 years ago? even with morning view, name me another 'nu-metal' band that has made songs like 'just a phase', 'the warmth' 'aqueous transmissioin' etc. you can't. there aren't any. incubus isn't nu-metal. shame on you for calling yourself an incubus fan and implying they were nu-metal. incubus always has been, still is, and always will be one of the most individual bands around. but you know what, if you liked them, and now you think they're less original and more of a 'hit' band than a real band, you can stop posting in here. what would the point be? why would you post in a thread for a band you once liked?

Discography Dry Released: March 1992 01. O My Lover 02. O Stella 03. Dress 04. Happy And Bleeding 05. Sheela-Na-Gig 06. Hair 07. Joe 08. Plants & Rags 09. Fountain 10. Water Rid of Me Released: April 1993 01. Rid Of Me 02. Missed 03. Legs 04. Rub Til' It Bleeds 05. Hook 06. Man-Size Sextet 07. Highway 61 Revisited 08. 50Ft Queenie 09. Yuri-G 10. Man-Size 11. Dry 12. Me Jane 13. Snake 14. Ecstasy 4 Tracl Demos Released: October 1993 01. Rid Of Me (Demo) 02. Legs (Demo) 03. Reeling (Demo) 04. Snake (Demo) 05. Hook (Demo) 06. 50Ft Queenie (Demo) 07. Driving (Demo) 08. Ecstasy (Demo) 09. Hardly Wait (Demo) 10. Rub Til' It Bleeds (Demo) 11. Easy (Demo) 12. M-Bike (Demo) 13. Yuri G (Demo) 14. Goodnight (Demo) To Bring You My Love Released: February 1995 01. To Bring You My Love 02. Meet Ze Monsta 03. Working For The Man 04. C'mon Billy 05. Teclo 06. Long Snake Moan 07. Down By The Water 08. I Think I'm A Mother 09. Send His Love To Me 10. The Dancer Dance Hall at Louse Point Released: September 1996 01. Girl 02. Rope Bridge Crossing 03. City Of No Sun 04. That Was My Veil 05. Urn With Dead Flowers In A Drained Pool 06. Civil War Correspondent 07. Taut 08. Un Cercle Autour Du Soleil 09. Heela 10. Is That All There Is? 11. Dance Hall At Louse Point 12. Lost Fun Zone Is This Desire? Released: September 1998 01. Angelene 02. The Sky Lit Up 03. The Wind 04. My Beautiful Leah 05. A Perfect Day Elise 06. Catherine 07. Electric Light 08. The Garden 09. Joy 10. The River 11. No Girl So Sweet 12. Is This Desire? Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea Released: October 2000 01. Big Exit 02. Good Fortune 03. A Place Called Home 04. One Line 05. Beautiful Feeling 06. The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore 07. The Mess We're In 08. You Said Something 09. Kamikaze 10. This Is Love 11. Horses In My Dreams 12. We Float 13. This Wicked Tongue Uh Huh Her Released: May 2004 01. The Life And Death Of Mr. Badmouth 02. Shame 03. Who The Fuck? 04. The Pocket Knife 05. The Letter 06. The Slow Drug 07. No Child Of Mine 08. Cat On The Wall 09. You Come Through 10. It's You 11. The End 12. The Desperate Kingdom Of Love 13. Seagulls 14. The Darker Days Of Me & Him

Biography from PJHarvey.net 'Uh Huh Her' is the seventh album from PJ Harvey and the follow-up to the hugely successful 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea' which won the 2001 Mercury Music Prize. After a summer of live dates - including appearances at the V Festival, the Eden Project and the first rock concert at Tate Modern - Harvey finished work on the new record in the autumn of 2003. The album was written, performed, recorded, mixed & produced by Harvey, who chose Head to assist in additional recording and mixing and Rob Ellis, long time collaborator, to play drums and percussion on the album. Multi-instrumentalist, Harvey, played everything else. From the outset, PJ Harvey has commanded attention. Polly Jean Harvey formed the bass / drums / guitar trio in 1991 in Dorset and by autumn had released the debut single, 'Dress', on indie label Too Pure. With a second single, 'Sheela-Na-Gig', in February 1992, Harvey had begun an impressive critical climb, which set the stage for a highly anticipated album release the following month. 'Dry' was hailed as an astonishing debut, not just in the UK but worldwide and especially in the United States, where Rolling Stone named Harvey Best Songwriter and Best New Female Singer. In 1993, PJ Harvey signed to Island Records and began work on a follow-up album. The band went into the studio with Steve Albini in Minneapolis and the resulting album, 'Rid Of Me', was released in early '93. The album was supported by a lengthy world tour, drawing increasingly wide audiences and Harvey's first Mercury Prize nomination. However, by the end of the tour, Polly made the decision to dissolve the original trio and explore working with other musicians. The album '4-Track Demos' was released in the autumn of 1993, which comprised of 14 songs, a mixture of unreleased material and Harvey's own demos for 'Rid Of Me'. 'To Bring You My Love' followed in 1995, an eclectic and starkly original album. She enlisted a variety of musicians to play on the album, including John Parish (who co-produced along with Flood and Harvey), keyboardist Eric Drew Feldman and guitarist Joe Gore. The tour which followed saw Harvey explore a theatrical edge to her live performance. She received her second nomination for the Mercury Music Prize and was nominated for two Grammies, received '1995 Artist Of The Year' awards from Rolling Stone and Spin and gained album of the year acknowledgements across the board. Recording her fifth album, 'Is This Desire?' in London and Dorset, Harvey once again co-produced the album with Flood and once again worked with Rob Ellis from the original P J Harvey line-up. It was released in September '98 and featured 12 new tracks. It attracted plaudits on both sides of the Atlantic and gained nominations for The Brits and The Grammy Awards. 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea', the much anticipated follow-up to 'Is This Desire?' was released in October 2000. The album, produced and performed by P J Harvey, Rob Ellis and Mick Harvey, picked up the Mercury Music Prize in 2001, the first album by a female artist to win the award. Described by the NME as "a magnificent, life-affirming opus" 'Stories...' was supported by a lengthy world-wide sellout tour. Extra-curricular projects include soundtrack work on 'Basquiat', 'Stella Does Tricks', 'The Cradle Will Rock' & 'Six Feet Under' and an appearance as Mary Magdalene in Hal Hartley movie 'The Book Of Life'. In 1996 she worked with John Parish on the album 'Dance Hall At Louse Point' where her words accompanied the music of John Parish for both the album and a live accompaniment to the Mark Bruce Dance Company production of the same name. She has collaborated with an extraordinary range of musicians, duetting with Nick Cave, Tricky, How Gelb of Giant Sand, Pascal Comelade, Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes and appearing on Sparklehorse album 'It's A Wonderful Life'. Most recently, she joined Queen's of the Stoneage's Josh Homme on his critically acclaimed 'Desert Sessions' project - released last year - and worked with Mark Lanegan (also of QOSTA) on his forthcoming solo album. Harvey produced the debut album by American artist Tiffany Anders and has most recently written, recorded & produced material for Marianne Faithfull's next album, due for release later this year. In addition to her musical career Harvey has exhibited sculpture in galleries across the country and has had poetry published.

Tricky - Hell is Around the Corner

from a live performance: and a bit of attitude and sass:

Seven Questions With Nikka Costa She talks about the genesis for her hit "Like a Feather" (aka "The Sweaty Tommy Hilfiger Commercial Song"), as well as her preteen recording star past, how she found her voice, and why she wrote a song about her teddy bear. Mon. June 25.2001 Nikka Costa made her first recording when she was 5, and her live debut when she was 7; she sang on the White House lawn with Frank Sinatra when she was 9. Following the death of her father, legendary producer/arranger/Sinatra right-hand man Don Costa, she retired from the business. She was 10. Wild oats sown, a dance/pop confection recorded, and years of self-discovery on multiple continents completed, Costa hooked up with celebrity DJ Mark Ronson to become the flagship artist for his Cheeba Sound imprint. The result: Everybody Got Their Something, a collection of her modern pop informed by blues, Sly & the Family Stone, and hip-hop. We asked Ms. Costa about the genesis for her hit "Like a Feather" (aka "The Sweaty Tommy Hilfiger Commercial Song"), as well as her preteen recording star past, how she found her voice, and why she wrote a song about her teddy bear. VH1: What are your earliest memories of performing? Nikka Costa: When I was 3, I would do shows for my dad's friends. I would make up songs, you know, doing stupid sh*t. Then when I was like 6 or 7 I remember being in the studio wearing headphones that were too massive for my head and having my dad on the other side of the console saying, "Sing it the way you feel it." [Performing professionally] started with my dad doing a concert in Italy and at the last minute he [introduced me], and I came on and sang this song, and the whole place went mental. I was about 7, and the next thing I know I was in the studio, picking songs and recording stuff — pretty trippy. After that it was just a big blur of planes and TV sets and crowds. I was enjoying it, definitely, but the thing is, when you're a kid, whatever situation you're in, you don't have anything to compare it to — so you don't know if you're living a weird life or not. In retrospect, it was like another life. It's very surreal, but I wouldn't trade it in. VH1: You started writing songs then, too, and one of the songs you wrote was pretty popular overseas. You wrote it with your mom? Costa: Yeah. We wrote this song about my teddy bear. I remember being in this hotel room somewhere in Europe and she had the music and she was like, "What do you want to say about your teddy bears?" and I was like, "Well..." It was kind of funny. When I was younger, I performed a lot of standards, like "Someone to Watch Over Me." A lot of Gershwin — it wasn't kiddie songs. The one song about my teddy bear was, and I think I did "Candy Man" or something like that, but this was a total different style, obviously. As you get older, you want to do other stuff. I did this record in my early teens [in 1989]. It was the '80s — a bad, bad period — and I loved Exposé and dance music - that kind of Euro stuff. VH1: Those albums sold millions of records around the world. You're still recognized, right? What's that experience like? Costa: Bizarre. I didn't think that anyone would recognize me still, but I think a lot of people have the sentimental love for this little girl that was performing with her dad. As they grew up with it, they still held it within their hearts. And I don't think I look very different from when I was little! I'm still that short. I didn't grow. [Laughs] VH1: It's hard to imagine comparing that stuff to what you're doing now. When did you start developing your sound? Costa: Definitely when I was graduating high school. I was really into Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin, all the old Motown stuff and Stax. I would just sit around and rewind their tapes and try to sing the harmonies and learn each part. I would sit in front of my stereo for hours. I wanted to get that — whatever that was. This little white girl in Beverly Hills. It took a while. But then a weird thing happened when I was 21. All of a sudden, my voice did this drop thing. I could be raspy if I wanted to be raspy, or I could belt out, and there was this certain sound. I don't know if it was just some hormonal thing or whatever, but it kind of shifted for me. I remember that day. It was actually on my birthday. VH1: And you moved to Australia, where you developed your sound some more and things kind of started turning around for you. Costa: Yeah, I was forming bands and writing, trying to figure out how to write songs and stuff like that. Living there and loving living there. It was beautiful. I was playing in Australia for about two, three years. I got a deal over there, and so I did this record [butterfly Rocket] that was a lot more rocky, more bluesy. We did a lot of gigs — screaming in smoky bars, which I love. It was a really, really good way to practice live performances, because they were really hard audiences over there, since they go to pubs all the time, see a lot of bands. You really have to work to get them into it. VH1: You wrote all the lyrics on your album. What would you say is the theme of Everybody Got Their Something? Costa: Being true to your dreams; being true to yourself; when there's a lot of doubt thrown at you, to not buy into it; and love. Pretty universal themes. The title track is about how everybody does have something that's their thing that they can just run with and use to inspire other people. Which is cool, because everybody does have something they can offer. "Like a Feather," that's about surrender. If a feather is life, and you grab for it, the feather runs away from you. But if you just put your hand out, it will just fall to you. So if you just chill and let it come in its own time, it will. VH1: What would your father think of your new album? Costa: I think he was definitely instrumental in hooking us all up, watching over the project. I always think that he's my angel, and I think he would dig it.

Nikka Costa Going For 'Rawer' On Next LP, Hopes To Nab Lenny Kravitz Singer said to expect the as-yet-untitled album next summer. Fri. November 08.2002 Nikka Costa is working on the follow-up to her acclaimed major-label debut and is reaching out to a fellow retro rocker for assistance. "I might do something with Lenny [Kravitz]," Costa said at the recent release party for Justin Timberlake's Justified. "I'm trying to reel him in, but you never know." A few people Costa will definitely be working with are her husband, Justin Stanley, and Mark Ronson, together known as the Soundhustlers. Aside from working together on Costa's Everybody Got Their Something, which was nominated for last year's Shortlist Music Prize, the trio have also worked together on Ronson's upcoming album. "At the moment it's looking like it's going to be a lot rawer, you know, the real rock chick," Costa explained. "It's coming along really good. [There's] going to be some different colors on this one." Costa said to expect the as-yet-untitled album next summer.

Nikka Costa: Something For Everyone She's Janis Joplin-meets-Lenny Kravitz. She's a petite, redheaded songstress who belts out an ear-catching blend of funk-drenched rock 'n' soul. The phrase "hellcat" comes to mind when describing her performances. Her name? Nikka Costa. Heads started fiendin' for Nikka's sound last summer, thanks to a Tommy Hilfiger television commercial that featured her track "Like A Feather." That song is now the opening cut on her highly anticipated new CD Everybody Got Their Something (Cheeba Sound/Virgin Records). The album took two years to complete, "from writing to mixing," says the 28-year-old singer via phone from New York, where she's in the middle of a busy promotional tour. "We kind of locked ourselves away for the majority of songs, trying to find a way to combine rock, hip-hop, and soul. Lots of experimenting. We laid down tracks in New York and L.A., in my bedroom, in the hallway..." The Los Angeles native is credited with either writing or co-writing all 10 tracks on Everybody Got Their Something, which she also co-produced with Justin Stanley and Mark Ronson. She plays acoustic guitar and piano on some songs as well. Solquarian's Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, Pino Paladino, and James Poyser--a trio that's created hits for Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo--also lent their platinum touch to the project. Appearances to the contrary, Nikka's no overnight success story--she's been performing since she was 5 years old. Her father was the legendary Don Costa, an arranger, producer, and composer for such legends as Frank Sinatra, Dinah Washington, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, and Barbra Streisand; heir apparent to her father's talent, Nikka snagged her first record deal and was opening for the Police in Chile in front of 300,000 people by the time she was 8. But then her father died when she was 10, and it was four years before she released another album. After that, she lived life, moved Down Under, and, in the mid-'90s, released Butterfly Rocket, a record that garnered her the best new artist Australian Recording Industry Award (ARIA), the Aussie equivalent of the Grammy. Even though she's enjoyed an exciting career and has fans in many countries, Nikka still considers herself "a new artist everywhere." But she admits that having had that experience, "It's easier to deal with the work of it. I know what to expect as well what I have to put in to it. I'm comfortable with being in the studio, even though I'm still growing and learning." Nikka says her previous stint in the biz has taught her a very important lesson: "To be very truthful to what I feel and my gut instinct, and to be true to the music that I want to do and not be led by what people think I should be doing." Apparently, she learned her lesson well: Everybody Got Their Something is a refreshing breath of fresh talent that's sure to have something for everyone.

Nikka Costa: She's Got Her Something Nikka Costa combines funk and rock, heart and soul Nikka Costa entered the business as soon as she was born…it wasn't a choice, her family was pretty much running things. Although you can't choose your family, you can choose your career and Nikka chose music almost as much as music chose her. Nikka is currently tearing up the ears and eyes of music listeners with her new album, vibrant look and down-home personality. She spits out the names of rock legends, current and past, with a nonchalance and respect that not many have. She had written a killer rock song and opened for the Police in Chile by the time she was seven. "I did always know I wanted to do music, but it's kinda weird, because I fell into it as a career earlier on, as a kid, so it wasn't a decision that I made," Nikka said from her Los Angeles home, while eating lunch and politely asking her new puppy Bella, to please not eat the couch. Her father, Don Costa was a legendary arranger and producer who worked with Paul Anka, Dinah Washington, Quincy Jones, Sly Stone, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett…and was good enough friends with Frank Sinatra to have him become Nikka's godfather. He was around to get Nikka initiated into the business; her first show was at age five, opening for Don Ho. But her father passed away when Nikka was 10 and the loss of a parent encouraged her to stop performing…at least until she was 14 and moved to Australia, restarting her career. But nepotism wasn't a problem for Nikka, "The industry was like, 'Oh yeah, her dad was Don Costa, he was really talented," she said. "But at the end of the day, they're just like, 'Let's hear the music.' Luckily people were like, 'Well, she's good' and left it at that." Her strong upbringing never let her get egotistical about her position in the world or the fact that Ol' Blue Eyes was a close personal friend. "My dad was working with all those people and they were always around, but it's not like I understood who they were or how famous, or how talented or anything," she said. "They were people my dad was working with, so I was pretty nonchalant about it really, because I was so young. I think the only way it affected my career was that by being around musicians and being around music, it was a possibility, it wasn't some weird idea that I had. It made sense because of my environment." Breaking ground with Everyone's Got Their Something in America is a whole new experience for Nikka, who has already released several albums in Europe, Israel, Central and South America and Australia, where her longstanding career has been established. Most of her albums in those parts of the world went platinum. In the States, she first caught the public's eye with a Tommy Hilfiger commercial where her throaty voice and soulstress attitude captured the attention of many. Especially Virgin Records…they signed her because of the commercial and the song she sang, "Like a Feather." But the cross-continental effect of her music doesn't bother her. She said, "Here [in the US], I'm totally new to everybody and they just take it on this record. In other countries, they think [Everyone's Got Their Something] is a lot different than before. They're looking for a big comeback or something." Nikka said that being a star already in other parts of the world is no added pressure. "Either way there are going to be people who like your music and people who don't, it doesn't matter how many records you put out. It's up to them whether they're feeling it." And "feeling" Nikka's music isn't that hard if you are ready for something new and different. She blends rock stylings of the '70s with soul of the '60s and a little added funk for flavor. Her serrated sexy voice, funky jams and introspectively honest lyrics make her something that is not initially mainstream sounding or feeling, but that doesn't worry her. "I don't think [my music] is mainstream because of what's mainstream right now, but I don't think that it couldn't be. That's just a matter of radio embracing different stuff and I don't think they do that. It's a matter of getting out there in different ways, like touring and stuff," Nikka said. "I don't think there's a huge hole for my type of music, but it's cool because I think a lot of people are sick of the candy pop stuff and they want something to relate to. There's a few artists out there that are doing different stuff, it just takes a little longer because it's not obvious." And it's the fact that her music isn't that obvious that makes it stand out and shine like it does. It's Nikka's own personal touches, blending her history and current state of mind. "I knew I wanted to mix rock and funk and soul, because I love those types of music. I didn't want to limit myself, 'Well, I should decide, am I a soul singer or a rock singer?' I didn't feel like that was necessary. I'm just going to do what I like and what I think sounds good and let it stay there." And what she thinks sounds good really does in many people's opinions. She's starting up her first headlining tour of the States and members of Coldplay ("I have such a crush on him [Chris Martin, lead singer]"), Jill Scott ("the coolest, coolest lady") and Beck ("He's really fun and crazy") claim to be fans. And part of what makes people fans is Nikka's down and dirty, blunt and brutal honesty. "I think records are like little maps of where you were at the time you were making them," Nikka said. "I didn't make up stories or pick a theme, it just seems to be that I write about a human kind of issue, like love and accepting yourself, and doing your shit and that kind of stuff. I sing my ass off."

Photographs

Discography I left out quite a few of her earlier records, and included these most recent records. Butterfly Rocket[cover photo] Release date: 01.01.96 01. Get Off My Sunshine 02. Flowers 03. Come Clean 04. Master Blaster 05. In this Life 06. Treat Her Right 07. Meltdown 08. I Do Believe 09. Black Seed 10. Grab Hold 11. Who's Loving You Everybody Got Their Something[cover photo] Label: Virgin Released: 05.22.01 01. Like a Feather 02. So Have I for You 03. Tug of War 04. Everybody Got Their Something 05. Nothing 06. Nikka What? 07. Hope It Felt Good 08. Some Kind of Beautiful 09. Nikka Who? 10. Just Because 11. Push & Pull 12. Corners of My Mind Can'tneverdidnothin' No further information available at this time.

Biography from VH1.com Nikka Costa (born: June 4, 1972) is no stranger to the music business. Having been raised inside some of the most influential social circles during her childhood, Costa was molded for perfection in her own right. She's the daughter of famed arranger/producer Don Costa (Paul Anka, Dinah Washington, Tony Bennett), not to mention the goddaughter of Frank Sinatra. Her first musical gig was at age five, opening for Don Ho. Two years later she wowed 300,000 Police fans in Chile. Nikka Costa was a natural. Costa went back and forth between Los Angeles and Europe, maintaining a sharp childhood sense while molding a sophisticated music career. By age seven, she sang "On My Own" with the Don Costa Orchestra in Milan. From there, her sassy persona was captured on record. She released several albums throughout Europe, Israel, Central and South America, most of them going platinum. Whirlwind success, however, was not overwhelming. Costa's early days spent in her father's recording studio, meeting Quincy Jones, Sly Stone, and Sammy Davis Jr., perfected this inspiring singer/songwriter into the humble individual she's turned out to be. Her late teens were spent on the top of the German charts and by the time she reached her mid-twenties, she called Australia home. She became a favorite among the Outback, landing a deal with Mushroom Records and issuing Butterfly Rocket in the mid-'90s. It garnered a nomination for "Best New Artist" at the annual Australian Recording Industry Awards. The new millennium sparked a new scene for Costa. Now a mature woman with a fiery spark of determination and passion, this red-headed siren's songwriting expanded into an alluring art. Her urban vocalic stylings sashayed with a raw sexiness, yet with class. She signed with the Aussie label Cheeba Sound, home to soon-to-be labelmate D'Angelo. The sultry single "Like a Feather" marked Costa's almost ignored debut in fall 2000 when the cut was used in a Tommy Hilfiger advert. Virgin Records took notice though, properly introducing Nikka Costa to the world in spring 2001 with the full-length release of Everybody Got Their Something.

the inside of the booklet from her happenstance cd

Rachael Yamagata stopped a recent L.A. performance to announce that she'd written herself a personal ad. "Short, Japanese-German-Italian romantic seeks life-form devoid of emotional baggage, girlfriend, and hang-ups," she read aloud. "Interested parties should see me after the show." She wasn't kidding. Yamagata's first full-length album, the new Happenstance, produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews), explains what it's like to get dumped, cheated on, and passed over. The songs are so personal-think Norah Jones tiptoeing over Fiona Apple-esque piano stomps-that Yamagata, 26, has been known to cry during concerts (her self-deprecating jokes keep things from getting mushy). She happily makes exes weep too. "One guy heard a song about himself and ended up running to the bathroom in tears," she says. "My friends thought it was horrible, but I though, Wow, that's kind of amazing."

RACHAEL YAMAGATA Loneliness and homelessness drove this balladeer to cigarettes. Awww! By Nick Duerden FOR THE PAST eight months, singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata has been without a home. "Where do I live?" she asks. "I have no idea! Back of a van, I guess. Maybe I'll end up in L.A. eventually, but right now I'm always on tour." Consequently, the stress has hit her lungs the hardest. "I've recently taken up smoking, and that's bad. But I need it to take the edge off." She smiles sheepishly. "I'm going to have to find me another vice, aren't I?" Male companionship, however, doesn't seem to fit the bill. "A boyfriend?" she sighs. "Wouldn't that be fun? But it's impossible to maintain a relationship. You have brief encounters with people, and that can be the greatest high, but then you're back on the road, and it's the greatest low." A lock of hair falls across her left eye. She looks beautifully forlorn. "Pretty sad, huh?" Yamagata was born 26 years ago in Washington, D.C. Her father was a Japanese lawyer; her mother, a German-Italian school principal. Her initial ambitions of becoming an actress soon gave way to music, and at age 19, she moved to Chicago to join local electro-funk band Bumpus. For the next five years, she sang and played tambourine and dated the band's guitarist, James Johnston. Ultimately, she quite the band, the boy and the funk, and took to the piano to go solo. The happy result is Happenstancep, a sophisticated, jazzy affair delivered in a voice as oak-smoked as Fiona Apple's, and heavily influenced by her hero, Carole King. It also sounds terribly sad. "In person, I'm pretty happy-go-lucky," she says smiling, "but my song-writing tends to reflect my occasional deep bouts of loneliness. I guess that's just part of who I am." [bLENDER] All About Me BIRTHDATE - September 23, 1977 OBSESSIONS - "Love, relationships, travel, cats, astrology." FAVORITE SONG RIGHT NOW - "You Cut Her Hair," by Tom McRae LYRIC I'M MOST PROUD OF WRITING - "I understand the price, the cost of craving dark instead of light." ("Ode To...") IDEAL ACTIVITY PERFORMED WHILE LISTENING - "Driving, walking city streets or at the beach - alone!" WORST SUMMER JOB I'VE EVER HAD - "Working at a dry cleaner's."

Biography What this young, talented and immensely creative singer-songwriter is referring to is her amazing music journey, one that culminates on October 7 with the release of her debut EP appropriately entitled EP (Private Music / Arista Associated Labels). Rachael Yamagata's remarkable odyssey would be difficult to summarize in any other way. How else to explain singing opera, fronting a funk-soul-hip-hop band, playing Madison Square Garden, opening for David Gray, or getting radio airplay before even releasing an album? EP was produced by Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith) at New York's Kingston Studios. “Collide” was produced by Dough McBride in Chicago (Gravity Studios). The record reflects Rachael's lifelong love for the music of the 1970s (Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, Carol King, et. al.) as well as her admiration for contemporary songbirds (Fiona Apple, Norah Jones) and musical innovators (Bjork, Beth Orton). Rachael Yamagata was born in Arlington, VA inheriting her exotic beauty from her father of Japanese descent and mother of German and Italian ancestry. When she was just two years old her parents divorced and she spent the next dozen years moving between upstate New York and the Washington, D.C. area. "It was really good practice," Rachael says. "I've moved every year since being away from home, so I'm really comfortable with being uprooted and traveling." Throughout her U-Haul-filled years her parents indoctrinated her into the world of the musically fertile 1970s. "I grew up listening to stuff most kids my age probably weren't even aware of," she explains. "Stevie Wonder, Carole King, James Taylor, Roberta Flack, Cat Stevens, and Simon & Garfunkel were always on around the house. I think I get some of my story telling skills from these artists." But Rachael may have also been genetically predisposed towards becoming a musician: "My uncle is a freelance French horn player and has played with everyone from Madonna to Mariah Carey to the New York City Ballet. I also have a cousin who is the bassist in The Colby Prior band, an aunt who is trained in opera, and another uncle who is a classical pianist." Musical genome map notwithstanding, Rachael is largely self-taught. "I studied piano for a year in the seventh grade," she says, "but I hated practicing and learning music theory. My piano teacher would tell me to stop moving around but I always move when I play. She would say things like, `sit up straight, don't move, and let it come out through your fingers.' I got restless and quit, but I still loved playing piano." At fourteen she began composing songs. "I wrote songs mostly about boys I had crushes on," she says. "My first song was about this boy who gave me my first kiss -- a stage kiss in a play." Perhaps that explains why Rachael continued acting in plays, including "Anything Goes," "South Pacific," and "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." Rachael attended Vassar and later Northwestern where she majored in theatre and spent a year studying opera. I love languages and singing in Italian and French," she says, "and I think opera helped with my range and things like jumping to falsetto, but the operatic influences on my music are mostly unconscious. What really opened my voice was live experience in a band.” In her junior year Rachael went to see Bumpus, a band that forever changed her life. "They're this Chicago funk-soul groove-oriented band with really well-crafted songs,” Rachael explains. “We were completely mesmerized by them and talked about auditioning. Before then it had never really occurred to me to be in a band. But I left on a trip the next day and when I returned my friend had joined the band. I was so depressed! I felt like I missed my chance." Luckily, Rachael's story doesn't end there. She befriended the band and attended all their shows and rehearsals until James Johnston, the band's frontman, heard one of Rachael's homemade tapes and asked her to sing backup in Bumpus. "Of course I said yes," she says. "James was a huge influence on me. He saw something in what I was doing and pushed me to keep writing long before anyone else." Rachael sang backup and played keyboards and flute with Bumpus two to three gigs a week while attending school and holding down a series of random jobs including, secretary, sushi waitress, bartender, and dry cleaners clerk. After returning from a month-long trip, Rachael was asked to take over female lead vocals. "My first gig on lead vocals was at our first big show at the Metro in Chicago." Talk about trial by fire. Rachael was a huge success as a vocalist and went on to record two albums with Bumpus and tour extensively with them. "I have so many crazy stories from that time," she recalls, "like running out of gas and skidding off highways. Once I inadvertently sang Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" at a college that turned out to be affiliated with the Catholic church. I started singing the chorus—'I want to fuck you like an animal'—and literally you could see jaws dropping around the room." After playing with Bumpus four-and-a-half years and feeling like she was unable to find self-expression, Rachael decided to go solo. "I learned a lot with them," she explains. "I got a ton of live experience, learned how to work a crowd and structure a set, but the songs I wanted to write just weren't right for the band." Rachael recorded a 5-song demo with Doug McBride and Joe Wolmouth at Chicago's Gravity Studios. And in another fatal decision, brought her demo to a CD-duplication company run by Craig Winkler. "Craig is constantly around bands," she explains. "A&R people looking at new bands call him because they respect his opinions." But when Rachael picked-up her demo she wrongly believed Craig hated it. "He was like, `that first track is kind of cool,' and I thought he meant he hated the rest. But then he came to my first solo gig at the Elbow Room and I was surprised." Shortly after, Craig became Rachael's manager. Rachael’s second solo gig ever was held in November of 2001 at L.A.'s famed Viper Room. A hot performance at Chicago's MOBfest followed in 2002 and led to her signing on Private Music, part of the Arista Associated Labels, by Executive VP/General Manager David Weyner and a team that included AAL Senior VP, Worldwide Marketing Jeb Hart and renowned A&R man Steve Ralbovsky (RCA). "When I met with David, Jeb and Steve I could tell by the way they talked about my music that they wanted to protect it – I felt really good about them." In January of this year Rachael had the performance experience of a lifetime. "My booking agent was joking with my manager about opening for David Gray and how it would be like 'throwing lambs to the wolves,'" Rachael explains. Soon after a call came from the booking agent asking if she wanted to perform with Gray at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. But rather than a lamb, she played like a lion and was invited back for two more shows including the next show at the "World's Most Famous Arena." "I played my first show in New York City at the Living Room and my second at Madison Square Garden -- solo," Rachael says laughing. "It was such a fantastic audience: They listened when I played and roared when the show was over. My family was there – it was the first time they’d seen me play really. It was a beautiful night. Every now and then I'll be in the shower and I'll be like, `Holy shit, I played Madison Square Garden!" At the beginning of 2003, Rachael went into Malcolm Burns' Kingston Studios to record EP with help from leading lights Kevin Salem (Yo La Tengo), Matt Walker (Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage), Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) and Jane Scarpantoni (everybody from Bruce Springsteen to Adam Green). "Malcolm produced Emmylou Harris' Red Dirt Girl, a gorgeous album," she says. "He is just so earthy, real, and raw and a lot of that came out on this EP." Indeed, witness Rachael's mellifluous vocals riding atop "Collide’s” stunning string swells and organic beats or the melodically-infectious "Wore Me Down" buoyed by a guitar that sounds like it was recorded underwater or the raw power of her exposed pathos-fueled vocals on "These Girls" (Hidden track). But how does the young piano-playing thrush answer lazy critics who will inevitably compare her to latest crop of flash-in-the pan female singer-songwriters? "I just try to be the best writer/performer that I can be for myself," she says. "I have over 200 songs I've written. It’s easy for me to see the distinctions between the present female artists in the market. I have a lot of respect for them. However, my repertoire was developing long before the current wave of singer/piano-playing/dark hair gals came out." In fact, Rachael is already working on her debut full-length follow-up to EP with John Alagia (Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, John Mayer) as well as planning a nationwide tour for later this fall. In September she will be playing with one of her favorite new artists, Damien Rice. When asked to put into words what the last couple of years have been like, Rachael pauses for a second and replies, "If I think about it too much it freaks me out. Throughout this whole process I've been incredibly lucky. If I had been too conscious of what was going on I would have freaked out." Now, with the release of her stunning EP you too will soon be fully conscious of Rachael Yamagata whose prodigious singing and songwriting talents, if anything, are certainly "freak-out" worthy.

Devils & Angels - video, .wmv

Interview: Toby Lightman TeenSpot.com had the chance to interview aspiring new singer/songwriter Toby Lightman. Toby has her debut CD out on Lava Records, titled, 'Little Things' which is scheduled for release on March 30th. The album's first single "Devils & Angels" is already off to an astounding start and rising on the charts. TeenSpot.com: Tell us a little bit about yourself; how did you get your start? Toby Lightman: Like musically? TS: Yes. TL: I just kind of played in a lot of bands and worked on my style with a few people (and myself). I formed together and captured what I was trying to do. Vented out. Got a manager, got a producer, and got my record deal! TS: For someone who hasn't heard your music before, how would you explain your unique sound? TL: I would describe it as Rock R&B because it is not one thing or the other. It has elements of rock music, but also urban. You know, I like hip-hop, R&B. I like old soul-type music. TS: Which song do you feel is your best work? TL: I would say "Everyday." TS: Is that also your favorite song? TL: Well, I like them all, but I really like that song now. TS: What are some major influences to your music? TL: I would say like Stevie Wonder--I don't necessarily sound like this people, but I like to listen to them, their writing--Black Crows; I just like everything. I like a lot of different hex music. Not all of the things are the same that I listen to. TS: Have you ever toured before? TL: I have. I toured with a band from L.A. for a month and Howie Day for a month. TS: What is life like on the road? TL: It's interesting. I mean, it's not easy. I like to be home. That is the kind of person that I am, but you know, you gotta do what you gotta and as long as there is an end in sight, it's not so bad. TS: What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you while you were touring? TL: I haven't had that many crazy things happen. I think for the most part it's been pretty amazing to see people's reactions. People will come over to me and tell me how much they like it. People like making me t-shirts and stuff like that. I think that is pretty crazy. TS: Do you ever get nervous before stepping on stage? TL: Yeah, every time! TS: Every time? TL: Mmmmhmmm! I can't really talk to anybody before I play. TS: Are you one of those people who just has to be alone before a performance? TL: I just need to be sitting there, relaxing, and not talking to anyone. Just hanging out and not doing anything. TS: Even before your CD is even out, your single "Devils and Angels" is getting a lot of buzz. That's gotta be pretty exciting. TL: Yeah! I personally haven't heard it on the radio yet, but that's what I hear! TS: You have your debut CD out March 30th, titled "Little Things." What can we expect from this CD? TL: You can just expect, you know, a bunch of music! It's just kind of what I write. If you like the ideas that I have, it should be something that you enjoy! TS: I've read you actually write your own lyrics, which is nice to see in this day of pop-stardom. Lyrically, do the songs on your CD have a general theme or idea? TL: No, I think that it's really dependant on the music. When I come up with something to play, it puts me in a mood to talk about a specific thing or have a song be about something or another. It's hard not to write songs about relations. I like to write about a lot of different things. I don't like to write about the same thing. TS: Are you currently in a relationship? TL: Mmmmmmm, I don't want to answer that! TS: Do you have any words of advice for aspiring young singers? TL: To just get out there and keep doing it. You know, it will happen if it is supposed to happen. TS: When did you first know that music was your thing? TL: I don't remember the original day, but I think that it's just like certain things that I've done that made me realize that I wanted to do this. I sang at my high school graduation and I think that was probably the first time I started to think about it seriously, but I didn't really pursue it until I graduated from college. TS: What is your favorite website on the Internet? TL: UGO, I don't know! TS: UGO?! TL: Haha, I don't really have a favorite website. I'm not really on the web that much. I just check my email and then I'm done! TS: What are your views on internet music file sharing? TL: It's modern times, it's technology. I don't really mind people sharing files as long as they can still go out and buy it. I personally like buying my music. That's just me though. TS: Yeah, that iTunes thing is pretty cool. TL: Yeah! I haven't done it, but I think that is a cool concept, definitely. TS: Is there anything else you'd like to say to the teenagers reading this interview? TL: My main thing was to finish school and then pursue things that I wanted to pursue. That is what I think everyone should do.

Links Toby Lightman's Website Toby Lightman's Forum Toby Lightman's Fan Site Photos @ MTV.com Albums Debut: Little Things Release: 03/30/2004 Label: Lava Records Tracklisting 01. Leave It Inside 02. Devils And Angels 03. Coming Back In 04. Frightened 05. River, The 06. Voices 07. Little Thing 08. Front Row 09. Everyday 10. Is This Right 11. Don't Wanna Know 12. Running Away Biography There’s a world of difference between pop stars who sing other people’s songs, and female singer/songwriters who truly touch your soul. With a voice that’s powerful, passionate, endlessly expressive, and full of contagious energy, Toby Lightman is just that type of artist—one who will undoubtedly surprise and captivate those who listen to her Lava Records debut, Little Things. Toby’s deeply soulful rock groove, which can best be described as blending elements of Sheryl Crow and Lauryn Hill, has earned her favorable comparisons from popular breakthrough artists like Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige to classic singer/songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt. Toby’s unique vocal style seamlessly incorporates a broad range of influences. “Besides my rock and soul influences, I’m into a lot of jazz singers like Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald,” Toby offers. “I loved the way these singers could scat, or riff, and I found myself trying to do that with my own voice. That may be why some people think my songs have an R&B element in them.” ...Throughout college at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, I got into a lot of hip-hop and R&B like Mary J. Blige, Fugees and The Roots, and became curious to see how I could combine the soulful, classic rock and hip-hop that I loved into in my own style.” Toby actually discovered her singing voice by accident. “In high school, a friend of mine suggested we enroll in a vocal workshop class so we could just fool around, sing and hang out,” she recalls. “What ended up happening, however, was that the teacher noticed I had some talent and kept encouraging me to audition for more advanced choral groups. I kept getting accepted and that’s when I realized, ‘Okay, maybe I can sing.’” Inspired by her all time favorite singer/songwriter, Stevie Wonder, Toby began writing her own songs in college. “He had these songs just pouring out of him and I loved the texture of his voice. I hadn’t attempted to write my own material up to that point, because I wasn’t sure I could do it, and I had a very low tolerance for sitting still and trying to write. The more I got into Stevie Wonder, the more inspired I felt to write songs and let my own inner thoughts come out.”

Related Artists (according to VH1) Lori Carson, Beth Gibbons/Rustin Man, Stina Nordenstam Related Artists (according to triphop-music.com) Bows, Björk, Lamb, Gry, Andrea Parker Websites Anja's official site Anja @ triphop-music.com Anja's lyrics Anja @ VH1.com