WIGELIUS to debut with Reinventions in June

Posted on May 10, 2012

WIGELIUS is a sensational new AOR band from Sweden built around the talent of Anders Wigelius, a gifted young vocalist who came to the attention of producer Daniel Flores (ISSA, THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, MIND’S EYE) after he sung the popular Journey song "Don’t Stop Believin’" in a contest on the national Swedish TV:

 

A true Melodic Rock / AOR music fan, Anders grew up with music from Richard Marx, Toto, Journey and Foreigner and played AOR songs covers in a band called GAMBLERS, before going his own way with his own thing. “Since I discovered the joy in writing my own songs and I have been doing it since then” says Anders. “The music of Wigelius is powerful and big: it’s a guitar and drums driven sound, with a strong melodies on top. The arrangements are intricate with some theatrical modern parts, and there’s also a more downscaled side to it with emphasis on an acoustic feel. You can hear influences from Toto, Journey, Van Halen and Whitesnake.”.

Anders is in his early 20′s, which is an advantage when creating new ways of marketing modern AOR. He plays guitars and keyboards and also writes music for other bands and has been quite successful with that. His older brother Erik Wigelius, plays drums. This is a hit, hungry, horny and amazingly talented new band, plus they look amazingly good. “I was fortunate to meet some great guys for this band” continues Anders, “but without Daniel Flores, there wouldn’t be Wigelius. We had a blast recording the album and with his experience the songs just kept getting better and better”. The line-up is rounded up by Jake Svensson on guitars and Chris Pettersson on bass.

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PLAYER to come back with a new EP and album release on Frontiers

Posted on Apr 27, 2012

 

Best remembered for "Baby Come Back," a song which topped the US single charts in 1978, Player original line-up included Peter Beckett (guitarist, lead vocalist), J.C. Crowley (guitarist, vocalist), Ronn Moss (bassist, vocalist) and John Friesen (drummer). After extensively playing the club scene in Southern California, Player began to develop a very distinctive edgy, yet very melodic rock style, and was signed by Robert Stigwood to his legendary RSO Records, home to The BeeGees, Eric Clapton, “Saturday Night Fever”, and “Grease”.

Among several notable accolades, Player was named Billboard’s Best New Singles Artist of 1978. Eric Clapton became so impressed with Player that he invited them to be the special guest on his 1978 North American tour. They also performed with Heart, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Loggins and Gino Vannelli to name a few.

Player went on to release four albums during their active touring years until 1982. Moss left in 1981 to pursue an acting career, and has starred for the past 25 years on the daytime soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful”. JC Crowley pursued a career in country Music, while Beckett continued writing for other artists and movie soundtracks. He also did an eight year stint with Little River Band starting in 1990, while releasing an acclaimed solo cd ‘Beckett’ in 1991.

Beckett got back together with Ronn Moss in 1995, and recorded Player’s fifth album, “Lost in Reality” and toured the United States. Since then, Peter has produced, written and played on two solo CDs for Ronn Moss and composed music for “The Bold And The Beautiful”. Player restarted working on new songs and touring together in 2010. The new line-up features again original members Peter Beckett and Ronn Moss together with Rob Math (guitars), Johnny English (keyboards) and Craig Pilo (drums).

“Player has not released a cd for over 10 yrs. It’s great to actually be creating in the studio for the band once again, as opposed to our many other projects”, says Peter Beckett. “The new album will feature Player’s three part harmony very prominently and include the usual blend of rock and big melodies”.

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Diamond Dawn sign for Frontier

Posted on Mar 2, 2012

Frontiers Records is have announced the signing of the Swedish Melodic Rock newcomers DIAMOND DAWN. The band was formed in early 2011 in Gothenburg and released digitally the song "Standing As One" which caused a great buzz in the underground scene in Melodic Rock.
The sound of the group represents the best from the musical era of the 80′s with a modern approach to Melodic Hard Rock. The band sent out the following statement: "We are incredibly proud to announce that we have signed a world wide record deal with Frontiers Records. This is an important milestone in our career and we are thrilled about this cooperation which we believe will take the band to a whole new level. Working with Frontiers Records is truly a dream come true for us since they are working with many of our musical heroes".
Diamond Dawn’s debut album, scheduled to be released later this year, will be mixed by Tobias Lindell who has worked with artists such as Europe, Hardcore Superstar, Mustasch and H.e.a.t.

Christopher Cross plays London in November

Posted on Aug 3, 2011

Grammy and Oscar Award winning singer/songwriter, Christopher Cross, will perform his first and only UK concert in two years at London’s prestigious Bloomsbury Theatre on Monday 7th November 2011. Tickets go on sale Wednesday August 3rd at 10.00am. The special one-off UK show follows the recent release of Christopher’s new solo album, Doctor Faith.

Known to millions of music fans around the world, his classic hits include Sailing, Ride Like The Wind (covered by Saxon and East Side Beat) and the Oscar winning Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) from the hit movie ‘Arthur’ starring Dudley Moore.

Christopher Cross was by far the biggest new star of 1980, virtually defining adult contemporary radio with a series of smoothly sophisticated ballads including the #1 hit, “Sailing.”

Christopher Cross’ 1980 self-titled debut album with the lead single Ride Like the Wind rocketed to the #2 spot; the massive success of the second single Sailing made Cross a superstar, and in the wake of two more Top 20 hits, Never Be the Same and Say You’ll Be Mine, he walked off with an unprecedented and record-setting five Grammys in 1981, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for Sailing.

He soon scored a second #1, as well as an Academy Award, with Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), which he co-wrote with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen for the smash Dudley Moore film comedy Arthur.

Christopher’s much-anticipated second album Another Page (1983), produced the hits All Right, No Time for Talk, and a Top Ten entry for Think of Laura, a song that featured prominently in the daytime drama, General Hospital. Amazingly, he charted 8 singles into the Billboard Top-40 charts between 1980 and 1983.

Four years, two albums, eight hit singles, several world tours, five Grammy’s, and one Oscar marked Christopher’s meteoric rise to the top.

To date, Christopher has released eight albums (not counting hits packages), a body of work revealing a steady, focused dedication to that oh-so-rare commodity of the latter-day popster – artistic growth. Those who have followed Cross have reaped the rewards of set after set of intelligently written and performed melodic pop.

Over the years, Cross has remained a unique artist, replete with that confounding blend of sensitivity, determination and conviction of his own artistry.

Beyond the Cross-mania years, Christopher co-wrote and sang the song that helped define the 1984 Summer Olympics, A Chance for Heaven; he co-wrote and sang the delightful Loving Strangers for the hit 1986 Tom Hanks movie, Nothing in Common; and the following year he presented I Will (Take You Forever), a lovely duet with international Les Miserables star Frances Ruffelle, which tune has graced many a wedding (and is still on radio worldwide).

Singles from most all of his albums charted in Japan and elsewhere in East; and the rollicking In the Blink of an Eye enjoyed a smashing top-ten success in Germany and surrounding territories in 1992.

Christopher Cross’ string of post-megahit albums from the mid-1980s to the present represents, in a consistent manner, a hard-travelled road of integrity, a refusal to compromise: Every Turn of the World, Christopher’s foray into a harder rocking style which delighted fans; Back of My Mind, a collection of breezy pop perfection with a foreshadowing of the deeper range to come; Rendezvous, the insightful, landmark Cross set that found him tackling thoughtful subjects; Window, a heartfelt, acoustic-pop of the era; and Walking In Avalon / Red Room, arguably the very pinnacle of sophisticated, mature, and, lest we forget, fun.

Christopher continues to record and perform, averaging about 100 live shows per year. Every few years, the world has been gifted with a new set of songs, each of the albums growing innately from the last while resolutely advancing the state of his art. And he has continued to seek out his fans worldwide by regularly hitting the concert road, never depriving those fans of the early hits (played note-perfect), as well as a broad range of his latest work – the songs where his heart (and his art) truly lies. The audience response is never less than rapturous.

That later work, much of it in collaboration with longtime cohort Rob Meurer, stands up to the best of better-known contemporary pop; some would say it stands a bit taller. It also stands as a testament to an artist who strives to deepen. Christopher Cross has many a laurel, none of which has ever been rested on.

The Tom Fuller Band kick ass and take names

Posted on Jul 5, 2011

’ASK’, the new album from the TOM FULLER BAND, will be released in the UK on Monday September 5th by Red Cap Records.

Hailing from Chicago, Fuller enlisted some of the biggest names in the rock and roll world to contribute to the album, including Abe Laboriel, Jr. and Brian Ray of the Paul McCartney Band.  ‘ASK’ is produced by Rick Chudacoff, (Alison Krauss, Smokey Robinson), and mixed by Cenzo Townsend and Dave Bascombe (U2, Bon Jovi, Kaiser Chiefs).
The first single from the album is the instantly infectious ‘LOVERS’. Listen to it here:

 Tom Fuller Band – "Lovers" by noblepr

 

"Kick ass and take names" – it’s a saying that they like to use in Chicago, the birthplace of the Tom Fuller Band, to describe how to get the job done.  Not in an Al Capone way you understand. Although Tom’s grandmother did work for the notorious gangster. But rather by enlisting some of the biggest names in the music industry to produce Fuller’s third studio album Ask.

On first listen you can’t help but be decadently seduced by the voodoo drums of the opening track Lovers, hooked on the impossibly contagious title track Ask and carried away by the closing magical escapism of Garden Dreaming Days. Ask is an album that continually manages to surprise, challenge, captivate and inspire.

Tom Fuller is a maverick and a troubadour. He’s also the same guy who, as a kid buying his first Paul McCartney album, never imagined that he would wind up recording the new album with two of his band members, Abe Laboriel, Jr. and Brian Ray.

Produced by the studio maestro Rick Chudacoff, (Alison Krauss, Smokey Robinson), and mixed by Cenzo Townsend and Dave Bascombe (U2, Bon Jovi, Kaiser Chiefs), the widescreen cinematic vision of Fuller’s music continues to flourish, as was evident on his 2005 debut album Chasing An Illusion and 2009′s subsequent sophomore album Abstract Man.

After trailblazing a path across America, the addition of new band members, and recording in both LA and Chicago, comes this life affirming album that is at once emotional and engaging. "It’s been one hell of a journey," says Fuller. "The new album’s like a songbook that’s accompanied me all along the trail. Every track means so much to me. I think it’s my strongest collection of songs to date."

Hailing from the Windy City, the Tom Fuller Band embodies the soul and creative energy of the city’s rich musical heritage – from Chicago’’s finest rhythm and blues, through Cheap Trick to late period Wilco. The songs embrace Fuller’s distinctive blend of innovative melodies and chord structures, alongside lyrics that engage, uplift and resonate with passion and truth.

 

Eleanor McEvoy tours “Alone”

Posted on Jul 4, 2011

One of Ireland’s most accomplished singer songwriters, Eleanor McEvoy, has embarked on an extensive UK tour. Her warm, lyrical songs are an open invite to get involved in what should be a breakthrough tour for her in Britain, for although her worldwide hit single “A woman’s heart” may be familiar, she has yet to make the household name list on these shores. You can hear a sample of her music here.

Coinciding with the tour is the release of her new album “Alone” a twelve track journey through the art, emotions and mind of this luxuriantly talented artist. If you think there’s a better song than “You’ll hear better songs (than this)” (;-)) released this year, then you have cloth ears. Her vocals, with that distinctive Dublin burr of hers, are heart-breakingly inspiring, and a counterpoint to the simplicity and accessibility of songs. The combination is an outstandingly listenable mixture that is both instantaneously likeable and insistent enough to be memorable. Liking McEvoy’s work is easy, because it’s beautiful.    

Exposed to music at a very early age, Dublin born Eleanor McEvoy grew up in a strict Catholic household in the grey north-side suburb of Cabra. After a musical upbringing playing the piano, violin and performing on stage with her older siblings, Eleanor graduated in music from Trinity in Dublin and set out to pay her way through life as a jobbing musician. Already writing her own songs, she was waiting for the opportunity to branch out on her own. To initially pay her way, Eleanor spent 4 years in Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), she recorded studio sessions as a singer, fiddle and keyboard player and joined Irish diva Mary Black’s touring band. She then decided to cash in her savings and go for it; spending the cash on better song demos, home recording gear and a decent guitar.

Out of the blue, two chances came along at once. Mary and her record company manager/husband decided Eleanor’s song "A Woman’s Heart" would be a fitting title and lead song for the compilation they were putting together of contemporary Irish female performers. Simultaneously the legendary Tom Zutaut of Geffen Records (who signed the likes of Guns N Roses and Motley Crue), on a scouting mission to Dublin, heard Eleanor in a pub, bought her demo cassette and on the spot decided he wanted to sign her to Geffen.

Everything changed and Eleanor was off to tour the world, while at the same time A Woman’s Heart went into the Irish charts and still remains the biggest Irish selling record in the home market.

Zutaut’s departure from Geffen led to Eleanor re-signing to Columbia Records in New York. By this time she had a band and she cut the album "What’s Following Me?"  Columbia reinvested, but Eleanor let the band go and went in to a French Chateau with producer Rupert Hine (Rush, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner) and engineer Ruadhri Cushnan (George Michael, Mumford and Sons and the Maccabees). Events now took a lurch side-ways, as Eleanor was attacked walking home from the studio in London. Traumatised and with a damaged hand, Eleanor had to recruit a new band to tour the album. Sadly the album was not what Columbia had in mind, and after the briefest airing of "Snapshots", they let her go. (Bizarrely "Sophie", a song from the album has become a focus of hope and comfort for anorexics world wide on you-tube with videos made with the song as the soundtrack).

Having recovered and not about to give up, Eleanor moved to Wexford and recorded "Yola" a far more tranquil and thoughtful album, which remains to this day a talisman in the worldwide Hi-Fi community.

Embarking on full time song-writing during this period, she’s co-written with Rodney Crowell, Lloyd Cole, Henry (The Christians) Priestman and Johnny Rivers. Her most recent and longest writing companion has been Dave Rotheray of the Beautiful South. This culminated in the recording and performance of Dave’s "Life Of Birds" album.  Eleanor co-wrote five of the songs, sang and played on several of the tracks and was a special guest on the album’s tour earlier this year.

MOSCODISC has announced the September 12th UK release for Eleanor McEvoy’s 9th studio album Alone; a beautiful collection of 12 stripped-down solo tracks, including the new single You’ll Hear Better Songs (Than This), A Woman’s Heart and a unique take on P.F. Sloan’s Eve Of Destruction.

Says Eleanor, "There was a time when I was stranded in a long gap between tour dates and, with time to kill, I headed for the peace of The Grange; a small studio tucked away in the Norfolk countryside. In the converted barn, alone except for Dave the engineer, I stepped up to the microphone and sang my songs. My state of mind wasn’t the brightest, but there was a certain something about being in the studio with no agenda, no deadline, no pressure, it just came out."

The product of those tranquil sessions is an album of incredibly haunting performances, up close, personal, and timeless. This is Eleanor McEvoy in her most intimate setting, running through the journey of her writing and singing career.

One of Ireland’s most accomplished singer/songwriters, McEvoy’s life as a musician began at the age of four. To date, she has released albums on the Geffen and Columbia record labels and continues to tour the world over to her ever increasing legion of fans.

Eleanor wrote and recorded the worldwide hit single A Woman’s Heart which was the title track on the album Only A Woman’s Heart; the best-selling Irish album in Irish chart history.

To coincide with the September 12th release of Alone, McEvoy will embark on a 16 date tour of the UK, which kicks off on September 21st in Birmingham.

Tour dates:

Wednesday 21st September
BIRMINGHAM GLEE
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 0871 472 0400
www.glee.co.uk
The Arcadian, Birmingham, B5 4TD

Thursday 22nd September
HAMMERSMITH IRISH CENTRE
Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 0208 563 8232
www.irishculturalcentre.co.uk
3 Black’s Road, Hammersmith, W6 9DT

Friday 23rd September
WINCHESTER DISCOVERY
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 01962 873603
Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB

Saturday 24th September
NOTTINGHAM GLEE
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 0871 472 0400
www.glee.co.uk
British Waterways Building, Castle Wharf, Canal Street, NG1 7EH

Sunday 25th September
BRIGHTON KOMEDIA
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 0845 293 8480
www.komedia.co.uk/brighton
44 – 47 Gardner Street, Brighton, BN1 1UN

Monday 26th September
PORTSMOUTH CELLARS
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 0845 293 8480
www.thecellars.co.uk
56 Cromwell Road, Southsea,
Hampshire, PO4 9PN

Tuesday 27th September
STRATFORD UPON AVON COX’S YARD
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 01789 404600
www.coxsyard.co.uk
Bridgefoot, Stratford on Avon, CV37 6YY

Wednesday 28th September
HEBDEN BRIDGE TRADES CLUB
Tickets: £11 / Box Office: 01422 845265
www.thetradesclub.com
Holme Street, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8EE

Thursday 29th September
KENDAL BOOTLEGGERS
Tickets: £6 / Box Office: 01539 723824
www.bootleggersbar.com
24 Finkle Street, Kendal, LA9 4AB

Saturday 1st October
BELLSHILL CULTURAL CENTRE
Tickets: £10 / 01698 403120
www.intimate-gigs.com
John Street, Bellshill, ML4 1RJ

Sunday 2nd October
GLASGOW SOUND IN THE SUBURBS
Tickets: £10 / 08444 155221
http://tinyurl.com/64frp6u
30 Chamberlain Road, Glasgow, G13 1QG

Monday 3rd October
EDINBURGH MALONES
Tickets: £8 / 0131 226 5954
www.wegottickets.com/event/124375
14 Forrest Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2QN

Wednesday 5th October
ESSEX HIGH BARN
Tickets: £10 / 01371 811 291
www.high-barn.com
28 The Bardfield Centre,
Great Bardfield, CM7 4SL

Thursday 6th October
OSWESTRY IRONWORKS
Tickets: £10 / 01691 679123
www.the-ironworks.co.uk
Church Street, Oswestry, SY11 2SP

Friday 7th October
BURY MET
Tickets: £10 / 0161 761 2216
www.themet.biz
Market Street, Bury, BL9 0BW

Saturday 8th October
COATBRIDGE BERRETS
Tickets: £8 / 01463 233 651
www.intimate-gigs.com
67 Church Street, Inverness, IV1 1ES