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Hey Music Lovers
I was just checking over at Bootleg Betty, the unofficial source for all things Divine, meaning Bette Midler, the Divine Miss M naturally, and found that sadly her forthcoming album Jackpot: The Best Bette is going to have a delayed release. The album, admittedly a compilation as opposed to a new album of original material, was originally going to be released on April 29, but has now been delayed for four months until August 26.
Jackpot - Delayed Until August 26...
I do have all the songs on the album on all of Bette's other studio CDs to date, except for Something Your Heart Has Been Telling Me, a rarity which Bette herself co-wrote, which is a previously unreleased song.
However, I still wanted it and I'm sure there are other Betteheads out there who are disappointed. I'm not sure why the album is delayed, but that's the news from Bette's head office according to Mr D, the webmaster of Bootleg Betty.
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From Mr D - official confirmation of delay...
****It is true that Bette’s CD is being delayed till August. I received a confirmation from Bette’s office. Sorry guys and gals, I don’t know why. I do ask, but... ****
This was an earlier message from Mr D back when the delay was just a rumour...
****I just received a notice that Bette’s “Jackpot” release will be delayed until August ‘08. There was no reason given. It’s strange since you can purchase it at The Caesar’s Store…unless they have been pulled. Some of us have already purchased it from there.
Another odd thing….on Amazon there is also another “Jackpot” by Bette priced at 32.99. I’m trying to find something out.
If anybody has information, please email me. Mr.Rhino Records are you out there??????
Love, Mister D****
I guess for now you can only buy it from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, where Bette is currently performing a two year gig. I guess I'll have to wait until August after all.
Cheers, Michael
Hello Music Lovers
I discovered a fascinating and insightful article about my good buddy Jon Peter Lewis over at Pop Culture Madness website.
*It is important to stress that I DID NOT write the article in question, but I do have some comments to make at the end of it which is why I am including the article with my own thoughts and views - don't worry, they're positive!
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****Jon Peter Lewis called for "a little less conversation, a little more action," on his star-making 2004 American Idol turn, and today, he's heeding that advice.
Jon Peter Lewis is primed for a major pop breakthrough courtesy of sophomore album Break the Silence. The first single set to release digitally on all major digital service providers, is the title track, an assured, infectious mid-tempo cut that recalls equal parts Ben Folds, Duncan Sheik and vintage Beatles.
Emotionally charged and overflowing with brainy pop hooks, "Break The Silence" finds Lewis offering the offbeat wit and inviting persona that made him an Idol cult favorite. Produced by Chris Garcia (Santana, Michelle Branch) and featuring the talents of drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Indigo Girls) and guitarist Nick Lashley (Alanis Morissette, Natasha Bedingfield), Break The Silence is the sound of a talented young artist on the rise.
"I played a show recently and there were probably 150 girls in the audience and 10 guys," he recalls with a chuckle. "I was reflecting on that and I'm thinking, 'and that is why I'm doing a record on relationships.' I don't want to say [the album is] mellow, though, 'cause there's a lot of fun on it." Indeed, while there's no shortage of addictive someday-singles on Silence, Lewis considers writing more involved, personal "album tracks" his forte. Hinging on a delicate, forlorn piano melody, "No Fire" is his favorite, a bittersweet remembrance of an ex-flame that finds the vocalist lamenting, "No spark, no warmth, no fire." And yet, the record offers almost a polar opposite in "Winning Streak," an upbeat, "cautiously optimistic" testament to happiness in love. The title track likewise brims with confidence, blending influences from Ben Folds to the Beatles. ("I couldn't get enough," Lewis says of his first time with the Fab Four. "I was so moved by what I was hearing. It was a life-changing experience.")
While JPL was once part of what he dubs an "all-star chorus" on the American Idols Live Tour-his acclaimed, left-field cover of OutKast's "Hey Ya" was backed by both Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia ("an Oscar winner and a Grammy winner," he beams)-today, he's directing the ensemble. Just a few of the talented helping hands on Silence are producer Chris Garcia (Santana, Michelle Branch), executive producer Don Grierson (Heart, Cheap Trick, Duran Duran) drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Indigo Girls), guitarist Nick Lashley (Alanis Morissette), and even Lewis' cousin Blake Mills, providing urbane "indie-style" guitar work.
"I love to write music," Lewis explains, "but if somebody is writing songs that are just as good, if not better, for me as a singer, I'm not gonna refuse. If you surround yourself with good people, it's important to listen to those people." It's an appropriately democratic approach from a young man who grew up in a military family. ("There's an athleticism I admire that I got from that masculine lifestyle," he theorizes, "my propensity to be really competitive; kind of this sense of honor and integrity.") Lewis's father had his own taste of fame tickling the ivories in '60s surf heroes the Marketts, who were immortalized on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. And while Jon continues to devote his life to music, his Plan B is pretty damn impressive." I was getting ready for medical school, getting all my microbiology out of the way, all my physics," he reveals. "I still have this dream of taking the MCAT and doing really well on it. Lewis might want to hold off on that a few years. Today, and for the foreseeable future, he's part of the conversation and the action.****
Jon Peter Lewis Is Love
Thumbs Up For Jon Peter Lewis
*Here is where I am submitting my own thoughts in my own words below:
The reason I brought the above article to people's attention is because there are issues brought to light in the article which lead me to believe Jon's new album has the potential to not only be a huge success musically, but could also prove to be hugely influential and groundbreaking in the sense that it could make a positive impact in changing the world for the better.
It's interesting what Jon says about how few guys there were in the audience, I could be wrong but it's just my personal interpretation, but I think he's making a comment about how most guys view the topic of "relationships" as not very masculine for whatever ridiculous reason. I don't mean that last remark as an insult to Jon's thoughts or anything, but it's more of a very critical viewpoint of mine in regard to society's antiquated ideology that guys aren't supposed to show emotion and affection, you know, the stereotypical *GASP THE HORROR OF IT ALL* type of reaction people automatically attribute to guys being in the least bit enthusiastic and affectionate. This attitude of society in general is something that really bugs me, and has bugged me for a long time.
Although Jon is making light of it in his usual good-natured, happy-go-lucky way, I am glad he brought the issue up, because it is a serious social issue.
This is why Break The Silence is going to be such a groundbreaking and inspirational album from Jon - because I believe he says it's perfectly OK for guys to show their sensitive side, and he's even encouraging it. Jon's making a very positive step toward "breaking the silence" regarding "how people are supposed to be" according to society, and how they really are and should be viewed - as thinking, feeling, sensitive human beings.
This is what I feel and the message I gain from listening to Jon's music. Different people gain different insights and viewpoints, and we can't all agree, but whatever we feel about Jon's music, it's important that we DO feel something, and strive to be passionate about it.
Cheers, Michael
Hello Music Lovers
*I just wanted to let people know I am resubmitting this article based on incorrect information about the band line-up I had added in my earlier article. I am deeply sorry for any misinformation, and I will definitely check sources and facts before writing anymore music news, as I do wish to be taken seriously as a music reviewer/journalist. Please understand this is not a mistake I normally make as I am deeply passionate about what I do and the artists I am helping to promote. Abby Travis herself has been very understanding and gracious over the matter, true to her lovely nature.*
Hello, I'm Michael Holloway, a South Australian postgraduate student writing a thesis about inspirational women in music, and the general theme of music as a magical power. Once I'm finished, I'm eager to find a career in music reviewing and writing articles about music for newspapers/magazines/online publications.
Besides posting news about forthcoming albums from my favourite artists, I will also be posting reviews of albums that may have been released for quite a while now, but they are still quite fresh and relevant to discuss - especially when you're trying to promote a favourite artist to any potential new fans. I would like to take a nostalgic look back at Glitter Mouth, the third album by Abby Travis, which was released in 2006.
Here are Abby's official website and MySpace:
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First, a little background information on Abby and how I came to be a fan. I have been a huge fan of The Bangles for a good many years and was ecstatic when back in 2005 I heard they were coming to Australia for a concert (which they did in November of that year).
A few months earlier, however, one of the four founding members left the band and is now considered "retired". The departed party was Michael Steele, the original Bangles bass guitarist and one quarter of the vocal contingent - remember The Bangles never actually had a "lead singer", all four band members performed lead vocals on various songs. Between Michael's leaving and the concert (which was my first ever concert experience, and needless to say I LOVED every moment of it), the other three Bangles hired a talented bass guitarist/songwriter/vocalist named Abby Travis as a part-time Bangle originally, but over time, fans have now come to accept Abby as Michael's "replacement" for the interim.
Abby already had somewhat of a following, performing in nightclubs and lounges, and thus had a wide fanbase. With her distinctive sultry voice and "Golden Age Of Hollywood" looks, indeed Abby has been said to look like a classic screen siren akin to Hedy Lamarr and to sound like Marlene Dietrich mixed with a little Peggy Lee. Abby has a unique quality and at the same time as she looks and sounds like she belongs in a 1940s MGM musical, she has enough of her own distinctiveness to be quite unlike anyone else really.
2005 was a busy year for Abby as she not only toured with The Bangles and still works with them on occasion, but she also worked with Kathy Valentine (of The Go-Go's and The Delphines) on Kathy's solo music endeavours, including her brilliant debut solo album Light Years.
However, even before that, Abby had already released two solo albums, The Abby Travis Foundation (1997) and Cut Throat Standards And Black Pop (2000).
Eventually, I plan to review those as well.
"The Abby Travis Foundation
"Cut Throat Standards And Black Pop
However, I was overwhelmed with the beauty and power of Abby's latest release, Glitter Mouth from 2006, so here for your reading pleasure is my review of Abby's latest album (and certainly - hopefully - not her last).
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"Glitter Mouth
Abby Travis' new album Glitter Mouth is a beautiful and intriguing collection of mostly original songs by an artist who effortlessly combines new wave rock with the classic sensibilities of a Classical Hollywood chanteuse.
Even with a cover of The Shangri-La's Past, Present, and Future, and an updated version of Abby's own So Far Away from her previous album Cut Throat Standards And Black Pop, Abby serves up a delectable blend of spicy yet sweet, bold but breathtaking, and does it all with her uniquely haunting vocals.
Abby seems to channel the sultry and evocative Marlene Dietrich, but does so in her own inimitable style. Abby has the uncanny ability to turn even the most complicated sounding lyric into a seamless and fluid vocalisation.
For example, "I'm not condoning such whining and moaning, but still you gotta wonder sometimes when solitude's your only friend..." from the album's first track Now Was might just tongue-tie a less skillful vocalist, but Abby performs the line brilliantly and infuses the song with such poignancy and heartfelt honesty, and avoids sounding self-piteous because of the supreme intelligence of the lyrics.
Grace combines a serene main vocal with a more upbeat backing vocal which blends perfectly with the song, but Blythe is the most sparkling diamond on an album laden with gems.
"Yet my love for you will never fade, like these past couple of months and the memories of mistakes we made, and my love for you will never fade, you took me somewhere where I wouldn't have dared, you saved me babe..." is a soaring refrain which would give even the stoniest heart a much needed jolt.
It's impossible to listen to Abby Travis without feeling some emotion. Hunger is a sultry song to start with, but turns into a fantastic rocker with the main chorus taking on a life all it's own. The guitars and bass lines make the surging energy of the song with its "insatiable thrust of the driest lusts' gale..." truly scorching.
Shoot For The Stars is a delightful "oom-pa-pa" flavoured song which will have you dancing or at least moving somehow - it's impossible to listen to this song and stay still. The groove just takes you on a Red Shoes inspired dance (for those of you familiar with the famous ballet) that will leave you wanting more.
La Petite Mort is another gem that sustains you with its love and a stunningly new wave musical composition that would work alone as a fantastic instrumental piece, but is thankfully blessed with Abby's divine vocal. Chase Me and Roberto are also beautiful ballads, but there is something special about La Petite Mort that makes it truly sublime.
Past, Present, And Future is a lovely and poetic spoken verse song that, if I hadn't already known it was a Shangri-La's song, I would have sworn it had come from Abby's own soul as she gives it a personal resonance that you don't often hear in covers, no matter how good they are.
However, when Abby achingly says to a former love "just don't try and touch me, because that will never happen again..." you can feel the pain and longing of a relationship now over, wanting more, but knowing that it is time to move on.
While I admittedly prefer Abby's So Far Away as it appeared on her previous album, the new version is quite compelling too, even with the uptempo sound and sound effects that might not give the newer version an instantly emotional appeal as the earlier version, but it's still pleasing.
For anyone who loves beautiful music with an edge, Abby Travis' Glitter Mouth will leave you with a desire for more, and a spirit lifted into the realms of the ethereal. Just try listening to the album and not feeling cleansed by its beauty, it isn't possible.
*It's also important to note that not only is Abby Travis talented and beautiful, but she is also very generous and friendly with fans, which I discovered to my delight in a recent chat session which Abby conducted on her website.
*Also, check out Abby's brand new single available to buy online as a download. Lies also features rhythm guitarist Susanna Hoffs, lead guitarist Vicki Peterson, and drummer Debbi Peterson from The Bangles performing backing vocals. Abby wrote "Lies", plays bass and performs lead vocals. Abby's own keyboard player Kristian Hoffman also hops on board for the new single.
Here are the correct credits for the instrumentals:
Abby Travis: Lead vocals, bass, back up vocals
Dave Bongiovanni: Guitar
Kristian Hoffman: Keyboards
Rey Washam : Drums
Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Debbi Peterson: Additional vocals
Lies deals with the frustration regarding the current US government's gross mishandling of many important recent events, and the continuing deceit and corruption in the Bush administration.
According to TheBangles.com website...
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****All of the artist's proceeds from the 'Lies' download will be donated to The New Orleans Musician's Relief Fund, Inc. The Fund was started by displaced musicians post-Katrina, and grant recipients are spread throughout the country. After the levee break, thousands of musicians lost instruments, gear, home studios, merchandise and their homes, and the grass roots charity provides them with direct financial assistance. Along with grants, NOMRF has offered housing, furniture, instruments and transportation. ****
Cheers, Michael
Hello Music Lovers
I just thought I would let you all know not only have I recently been able to hear Jon Peter Lewis' new single Break The Silence, but I have reasons why I feel it is so important for everyone to listen to this song. Of course, through my promotions and sending the song around to people before I even got a chance to hear it myself, I'm sure (or I hope) many of you already realise this, but not only is Jon's new song beautiful, but I feel it is a very important song as far as self-healing and potentially saving lives is concerned
[ Click here to read more ]
Hello Music Lovers
I just want to draw everyone's attention to something I found not only to be personally beautiful in a soul-stirring way, but also something that could potentially benefit the whole world. I first found the Peace Mala Organisation through links found in the liner notes of Beth Nielsen Chapman's latest CD Prism: The Human Family Songbook
[ Click here to read more ]
Hey Guys
I just thought I would let you know my musician friend, Jon Peter Lewis, has posted a new music video for his new single Break The Silence on his MySpace page
[ Click here to read more ]
Hello Music Lovers
Hello, I'm Michael Holloway, a South Australian postgraduate student writing a thesis about inspirational women in music, and the general theme of music as a magical power. Once I'm finished, I'm eager to find a career in music reviewing and writing articles about music for newspapers/magazines/online publications
[ Click here to read more ]
Hello Music Lovers
I'm Michael Holloway, a South Australian postgraduate student writing a thesis about inspirational women in music, and the general theme of music as a magical power. Once I'm finished, I'm eager to find a career in music reviewing and writing articles about music for newspapers/magazines/online publications
[ Click here to read more ]
Hello Music Lovers
I'm Michael Holloway, a South Australian postgraduate student writing a thesis about inspirational women in music, and the general theme of music as a magical power. Once I'm finished, I'm eager to find a career in music reviewing and writing articles about music for newspapers/magazines/online publications
[ Click here to read more ]
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Comment by Michael Holloway
on Val Kilmer Original Compositions For Charity
Lovely to see you here! The more Val fans the merrier! We should all get together someday and have a party in Val's honour - we'll invite him too of course!
I love Val's music and poetry, and I love being able to help Val with his charities. I love how Val gives people a chance to help out with things they might not ordinarily have the resources or opportunity to.
Cheers, Michael