Wow. Lots of little updates to go over spanning all genres of music. Let's see...where to start...
Natalie Imbruglia - Back With A New Album: I trust Popjustice when they say the new Natalie Imbruglia single isn't shit. They describe it as a "slightly electronic Kate Bush kind of affair." Sounds good to me! The single is called "Want" and will be released on September 28th. This will be the lead single off of Come To Life, to be released on October 15 on Island Records. According to a press release, "the album was produced by Ben Hillier (Blur, Elbow, Depeche Mode), and features three writing collaborations with Coldplay including the first single ‘Want’, which Natalie co-wrote with Chris Martin." Very promising indeed! The release goes on to say, Come To Life charts an entirely new path for this vastly under-rated artist. The opening salvo of “My God” and two Coldplay collaborations, “Lukas” and “Fun”immediately establish the breadth of this remarkable record which combine dark, driving beats and gorgeously wistful ballads into a totally cohesive whole." Hopefully there's the perfect blend of up-tempo and mid-tempo ballads on this album. I don't want another snoozefest!
Check out Natalie Imbruglia on the web: Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Bebo//YouTube//Twitter//Vimeo
Natasha Bedingfield "Waist Deep" In Writing New Album: This is good news. I'm really thrilled that Natasha Bedingfield has seen so much success in the States. That's quite a difficult thing to accomplish for a European artist. I can proudly say that I loved Natasha BEFORE she was popular here in the U.S. and have both the UK and US versions of her debut album. In her latest blog update on her official site, Bedingfield admits that album writing is her favorite part of the process. "It's nice to put aside the promotion side of my career and really focus on what attracted me to music in the first place," Bedingfield says. She also mentions that she's been collaborating/writing with Danielle Brisebois, John Shanks, Wyclef, Estelle, Sam Sparro and Sia. All good news, indeed. Too bad we have to wait "half a year" to hear it.
I've Got A Date With Ray: I just got my tickets this morning for the Fall 2009 Ray LaMontagne tour. I'm OBVIOUSLY so excited. This Fall is looking to be a big one for live music. I'm already going to see Kylie Minogue, Girl Talk and now Ray LaMontagne. I still desperately want to see Regina Spektor when she's here, but I don't know if it's in the cards. Anyway, Ray is terrific live so see him if you can. Get your tickets here.
New Howie Day Album Due In September: I mentioned back in February that Howie Day had a new record coming out. Well, turns out that in May, he released a digital EP - "Be There." Finally, September 8th sees the release of Day's new album Sound The Alarm. This is exciting news! I am quite fond of his last album, 2003's Stop All The World Now. 6 years later, it's about time for a new Howie Day album! According to Day on his official website, "The new album very obviously echoes my own life, in all of its highs and lows,” Day says. “Some of the songs draw inspiration from people and places I’ve observed, and then bits of my own experiences find their way in. This new album represents the end of one era and the start of another, it’s about tipping your hat to the past, living in the here and now, and looking optimistically toward the future." Whatever this new album is about, I'm ready for a new Day!
Howie Day, that is.
Michelle Branch - Sooner Or Later: The first single off of the new Michelle Branch album, "Sooner or Later," isn't half bad. While it's perhaps a little more country than I might usually like, it's enjoyable. I still think I prefer her teaser single, "This Way," but I'll take all the MB I can get. it's been far too long since she put out a solo record. Everything Comes and Goes doesn't yet have an official release date but I'm guessing sometime this fall. Check out an acoustic version of her new single here and buy the album version on iTunes!
X-Factor Winner Alexandra Burke to Release Debut Album in October: I learned a couple of weeks ago via The Prophet, that X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke is close to finishing her debut album. FINALLY! It seems like it's been forever. The still as of yet untitled album is due out October 26th in the UK and features collaborations from the Freemasons, Taio Cruz, RedOne, Pharrell Williams, Stargate, Akon, and more. Wow! Quite an impressive list. Burke, who shot the video for the first single in LA, has also signed a deal to become the face of Dolce & Gabbana's youth collection. Burke will be wearing the designer's clothes in both the album artwork and subsequent music videos as part of a cross promotional campaign. Can't wait to hear what the first single will be!