Elliott Yamin was born in Los Angeles and soon after, his family moved to Pasadena, CA where he first discovered his vocal talent while singing with his neighbors. Yamin later moved to Richmond, VA as a youth, and soon found employment singing cover material in a local jazz group and working as a DJ on a local R&B radio station. It was here that he auditioned for American Idol and won a spot in the show’s competition during its 2006 season. Simon Cowell described him as “potentially the best male vocalist,” while guest Stevie Wonder encouraged him to pursue music full-time.
Yamin launched his recording career with his highly anticipated 2007 debut album Elliott Yamin, which debuted at Number Three on the Billboard album chart and was the highest-debuting album by an independent artist in SoundScan history. The self-titled disc achieved gold status in the U.S. and Japan (where he continues to maintain a large audience), and yielded the hit “Wait for You.”
In the wake of the first album’s release, Yamin received considerable media exposure on countless television shows, while gaining extensive performing experience by touring around the world with his live band. In late 2007, he released the Christmas-themed Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection, which would be reissued in expanded form the following year as My Kind of Holiday. Yamin’s second official album, Fight for Love, followed in 2009, spawning the successful singles “Fight for Love” and “Can’t Keep on Loving You (From a Distance).”
Yamin’s international touring activities have included several trips to far-flung locales on behalf of a variety of charities, relief groups and peace organizations. He’s also worked tirelessly as an activist and spokesman for a number of organizations promoting awareness, advocacy and aid for those living with diabetes.
Yamin’s close rapport with his fans has allowed him to road-test many of Let’s Get to What’s Real’s songs. “I’ve been fortunate to get out there and play a lot of this material before the album was released,” he reports, “Everywhere we’ve been so far, the fans have responded really positively. My fans tend to feel personally invested in what I’m doing, and it feels like they’re with me on this part of the journey too.
“Despite his success and sense of history, Mr. Paul remains an artist with his eye on the future and an interest in discovering the transformative potential in his music.”
– The New York Times
Some artists document their lives through their music. Others chronicle their times. It’s a rare artist who can do both, telling their own story through songs that also encapsulate the essence of people and places who have helped define their era overall. Woody Guthrie comes to mind, and so does Bob Dylan. Bruce Springsteen certainly as well. Yet few others, for whatever genius they may possess, can relate their own history to the history experienced by those who find that common bond, be it in a coming of age, living through the same realities or sharing similar experiences.
Ellis Paul is one of those gifted singer/songwriters. Though some may refer to him as a folksinger, he is more, for lack of a better word, a singular storyteller, a musician whose words reach out from inside and yet also express the feelings, thoughts and sensibilities that most people can relate to in one way or another, regardless of age or upbringing. The exhilaration of the open road. A celebration of heroes. The hope for redemption. Descriptions of those things that are both near and dear. The sharing of love… intimate, passionate and enduring
Originally formed late in 1969 after the demise of supergroup Blind Faith, Baker (formerly GBO & Cream) hit on the idea of reinventing the Big Band sound of his youth. After sell out debut shows in Birmingham and London’s Royal Albert Hall on 12 & 15th January 1970, many agreed in hindsight that Airforce 1 well and truly brought the African influence into the popular arena for the first time.
With a changing line up of star musicians, two albums, Airforce 1 and 2 were released in 1970, to critical acclaim that remains to this day. Now in 2015, after successfully touring with his Jazz Confusion, Ginger has decided wear his wings one more and travel in a new direction with blues, Africa, vocals, rhythm and harmony. Airforce 3, will feature previous material (including Cream & Blind Faith) and add exciting new arrangements whilst showcasing new talent and collaborating with old friends.
“I can’t go back to yesterday – because I was a different person then.”
-Lewis Caroll
Halo Circus is a critically-acclaimed bilingual alternative rock band, featuring its star singer Allison Iraheta. Crafting “anthems for introverts,” Iraheta digs deep into dark places and transforms this anguish into lush, unforgettable melodies.
Halo Circus’ debut earned instant acclaim, with LA Magazine declaring, “Allison Iraheta has moved beyond reality TV, forming a group that Duran Duran bassist John Taylor called ‘the best live band in the U.S.A.’ Think: dark, anthemic rock with a knack for soaring hooks.”
Halo Circus quickly earned a reputation for their impressive live performances, which led to a series of high profile bookings, including: The Grammys “Women Who Rock Festival At Sea” with Heart, Emmylou Harris, and other iconic female singers; a four week Friday night residency at the prestigious Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles; and “Say It Loud! A Night of Cultural Disruption” at the legendary Troubadour. Iraheta also performed on The Tonight Show, making history as the only guest vocalist to sing with the show’s band for an entire week.
On February 8, 2016, Halo Circus shocked the music industry by announcing, via Billboard, the first fully crowdsourced American tour ever to be attempted on such a large scale. Through Road Nation, the campaign reached 100% backing by fans, making music history with the first successful US crowdfunded tour to date, with 30 cities which they completed Nov 11 at The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles to a packed house and rave reviews.
The release of Halo Circus’ highly anticipated debut album, Bunny, produced by Matthew Hager and mixed by multiple Grammy Award-winner Craig Bauer (Kanye West, Smashing Pumpkins) was heralded by fans and critics alike making multiple “Best of 2016” lists and continues to gain in popularity. Iraheta explains, “our aim was high: play as much as possible, and try to develop a reputation as a great live band before releasing an album. Somehow along the way we learned how to play these songs to an audience and the band actually started to take on a life of its own.”
And this band’s effort for perfection is paying off. The first single off the album, “Desire (Lo Que Vale La Pena),” was downloaded 647,000 times in its first week of release in a promotion with BitTorrent Bundle.
Iraheta concludes, “Magic happens in this band. It happened when we were writing, when we were recording, and when we were failing. The only thing that mattered was keeping it honest and getting it right, whatever that means. We may be inconvenient, but we continue to attract believers.”
Howie Day’s emotionally resonant lyrics and inventive melodies have earned him both critical praise and a legion of devoted fans. He is known for his energetic, heartfelt shows, where he connects with audiences through the strength of his songwriting and his quirky sense of humor. Day’s warm tenor voice “soars into fluttering, high registers, but also grates with real, pleading grit,” as one critic put it. After sales of over a million albums and two Top 10 hits, Day is back on the road showcasing old favorites, as well as new material from his upcoming studio release.
A native of Bangor, Maine, Day began playing piano at age five and guitar at age 12. By 15, he was writing his own songs and performing across New England. Shortly after graduating high school, Day became a fixture at college coffeehouses across the U.S. He wrote, financed and released his first effort, Australia, which was named Best Debut Album at the 2001 Boston Music Awards. The Boston Globe called Day “gorgeously seasoned, far beyond his years” with “a brave, beautiful singing voice.” During his relentless touring schedule, Day began experimenting with effects pedals and loop-sampling techniques as he performed, layering live percussion with vocal harmonies and guitar parts to become a veritable one-man band. He went on to sell over 30,000 copies of Australia as he navigated the independent music scene and continued to hone his craft.
After signing with Epic Records, Day released his major-label debut, Stop All The World Now, and hit the road to support it. The constant promotion paid off: Stop was certified gold in the U.S. and spawned two Top 10 radio hits: “She Says” and the platinum single “Collide.” After three subsequent years of intense worldwide touring, Day moved to Los Angeles and returned to the studio. His next release, Sound the Alarm, built on the emotionally complex spirit of its predecessor and delved into Day’s journey from indie wunderkind to platinum-selling artist. It’s lead single, “Be There,” became a staple at modern AC radio.
After parting ways with Epic and relocating to New York City in 2010, Day released the Ceasefire EP on his own label, Daze. New songs began to emerge and evolve at shows across North America and Australia. Day is currently immersed in the recording process of his fourth studio album, which he is crafting with the help of longtime friend and producer Mike Denneen. “There is a sense of inherent creativity and imagination to these sessions,” Day says. “Everything seems to be in perfect balance, and I want to capture that energy as it’s happening. Nothing is over or under thought, it’s just in the moment.”
ILL NIÑO’s Latin roots run bloody and deep. Melodic vocals, bilingual lyrics, flamenco guitars, tribal drums mixed with Latin percussion, and bass lines, is what makes up the groundbreaking sound that defines ILL NIÑO.
New Jersey/New York born ILL NIÑO formed in late 1999 and became the epitome of Latin Metal in
2001 with their monster debut album, Revolution, Revolución. Strong airplay for their first single “What Comes Around”; and slots on both Ozzfest, and Jagermeister tours in 2002, helped the album sell nearly 430,000 units worldwide. ILL NIÑO returns with their sophomore release Confession in 2003, and managed to surpass their debut sales, selling over 520,000 copies worldwide. The success of Confession also spawned the top 10 single “How Can I Live” which became the featured single on the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack and film.
T
he release of their third album One Nation Underground in 2005, was #1 Most Added on the Active
Rock charts, and followed by a 15 month World tour. In 2006 ILL NINO, releases a stellar covers EP, The Under Cover Sessions in 2006, and also a fourth full length, Enigma is released in (2008). Receiving overwhelming support in the US and Europe, and returning from touring the globe, the band gets ready to ink a contract with Victory Records. One thing became increasingly obvious – Metal fans ate up what ILL NINO was dishing out.
Victory Records, enthusiastically releases Dead New World in October, 2010, which landed ILL NINO on the main stage at Soundwave Festival 2011, playing for an endless sea of headbanging fans. In response to the flood of support, even ESPN enlisted the guys to write a custom track “Latinos Unidos” to play during their NFL Latin coverage.
Fast forward to October 22nd, 2012 with the release of their studio album Epidemia. Staying relevant and heavy as ever, critics and fans alike welcomed Epidemia with open arms. Both longtime and new fans agreed, that ILL NINO had cemented themselves as major players in the metal scene.
Back and better than ever, ILL NINO releases their latest album, Till Death, La Familia, on July, 2014. In support of the album, the band performs as one of the headliners, on the Victory Records Stage, on the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, garnering thousands of new fans each day. And called “refreshingly melodic and undeniably brutal” by Revolver Magazine.
Since 2014, the sextet’s relentless International touring in the U.S., Europe, Australia, South America, Mexico, Russia, Philippines, China, and Japan. And sharing stages around the globe with the likes of Linkin Park, Disturbed, Guns N Roses, Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack, Korn, and Sevendust, has established ILL NIÑO as one of the most lethal live bands of the decade. ILL NINO, are and will always be the undisputed kings of Latin metal.
“Javier Colon is an accomplished musician who channels the essence of pop, soul and rock with every note he shares. His sweet guitar strums draw listeners in, but his enchanting vocals are what truly touch the soul. As the winner of season one of ‘The Voice,’ Colon has reached his widest audience yet, and fans of his iconic sound will want to pick-up a copy of his upcoming album, Gravity, due to drop on April 15.”
– AXS/Examiner
“I wanted to make an album where I could be free to be myself, with no walls or boundaries,” Javier Colon says of his new album Gravity. “I wanted the freedom to be myself musically, and I was surrounded by people who encouraged me to do that.”
Blessed with a stunningly soulful voice, an uncanny songwriting talent, a charismatic personality and a commanding stage presence, Javier Colon has already won the attention of an international fan base that’s embraced his personally-charged, acoustic-textured blend of pop, rock and R&B, an effortlessly distinctive style that he’s dubbed “acoustic soul.”
Having been introduced millions of TV viewers as the winner on the inaugural season of NBC’s The Voice, singer-songwriter-guitarist Colon is set to take his recording career to the next level with Gravity, his fourth album and his first for Concord Records.
Indeed, the 13-song Gravity, on which Colon wrote or co-wrote all but three songs, marks a creative milestone for the artist. Such musically compelling, emotionally resonant tunes as “For A Reason,” “Clear the Air,” “Walking Blind” and the memorable title track demonstrate the breadth of his talents, matching his distinctly expressive voice with irresistible melodies, insightful lyrics and Colon’s own distinctive acoustic guitar work, which sets the tone for the album’s spacious instrumental arrangements.
Recorded in Brooklyn, Nashville, Los Angeles and Utah as well as the artist’s home state of Connecticut, Gravity marks a turning point in an eventful musical journey that’s taken Javier Colon to a lot of interesting places. The son of a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother, Colon emerged as a musical prodigy early in life. His gifts took him to the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music, where he founded an a cappella R&B quintet that performed at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater. Soon after graduating from Hartt with a degree in Music Education, he became lead singer of the neo-funk group EmCQ.
When EmCQ opened for funk-jazz luminaries Soulive, Javier’s talents drew the attention of Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno, whose recommendation led to him becoming lead singer of the Derek Trucks Band. Colon spent two years touring with Trucks’ group, with the band’s eclectic rock/soul/blues/jazz brew providing an impressive vehicle for his talent and versatility. After striking out on his own and signing a solo deal with Capitol Records, Javier released two well-regarded albums in urban-R&B mode, before making the audacious move of casting off that commercial direction in order to pursue a more personal approach to music-making.
After releasing the acoustic EP The Truth on his own label, Javier’s career took an unexpected but propitious turn in 2011, when he became the winner on The Voice’s first season, receiving a recording contract with Universal Republic Records. The new deal yielded the well-received album Come Through for You as well as the holiday-themed EP A Very Acoustic Christmas. But disagreements over creative direction caused the artist to once again make the decision to seek out a label situation better suited to his musical goals.
“I’m grateful to The Voice for allowing me to be myself in front of tens of millions of people,” Javier notes. “It was the greatest thing that could have happened to me, and the experience gave me the confidence to fight to be my real self musically. I was happy with the album that I made for Universal, for the most part, but it was kind of an arranged marriage and it didn’t work out. But that’s OK, I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. Now I’m in situation with Concord where I can make the music that I’ve always wanted to make.
The new label association yields substantial creative results throughout Gravity, which finds Javier Colon delivering some of his most accomplished songwriting and most inspired performances to date.
“It’s always been my goal as a songwriter,” he says, “to write songs that people can relate to their own experiences, or to get people to step out of their own shoes for a few minutes and see what somebody else’s life might be like.”
Colon set the stage for Gravity’s release with some recent overseas successes, including a run of shows in Japan with renowned jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, and a series of concerts in Mexico and South America with Maroon 5 (whose frontman Adam Levine was Javier’s coach on The Voice).
“Those were two of the most amazing experiences of my life,” says Colon. “On the Maroon 5 shows, I was just the opener, but the audiences were so affectionate and appreciative that there were times on stage that I was moved to tears. I sang a song or two in Spanish, and the reaction was so incredible that I’m planning on recording some songs in Spanish for my fan base in Latin America.”
Those experiences helped to ignite Colon’s excitement about getting back on the road and bringing Gravity to his loyal and growing fan base.
“I get emails and messages from fans, saying that my music has moved them or touched them, or helped them when they were in a dark place,” he says. “That’s something that I take very seriously. Knowing that other people are listening on that level makes me feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
“Music is powerful,” Colon continues. “It can make you cry, it can make you laugh, it can make you dance, and it can make you feel like you’re not alone. It can allow you to confront your life, or it can make you forget about life for awhile. My songs have always come from the heart, and from a place of wanting to move people or make people feel something inside.
“I’m glad to be in a position now where I can put music out there that reflects who I am as an artist and a person,” he concludes. “As an artist, you live and die by the songs that you sing, and if you sing a song that you’re not fully invested in, or a song that you don’t really feel, then you’re not doing your job as an artist. With Gravity, I got to make an album that I really love from start to finish, and I’m willing to fight for that and live with the consequences.”
Countless musicians of far lesser accomplishment have probably made similar statements regarding their own personal creative process, but when the confession comes from John Waite – whose been successfully writing, recording and performing some of the most listenable, enduring and appreciated popular music for more than 35 years – one cannot help but both recognize and marvel at the shimmering legacy of this British born rock star.
The ride began when Waite was tapped as bassist and lead vocalist for the Babys who rocketed to Top 20 chart positions with a pair of infections hits, “Isn’t it Time” from the band’s sophomore LP, Broken Heart in 1977 and the monster ballad, “Every Time I Think of You” off 1978’s Head First. But it was the album’s rhythmically aggressive and seductive title track where fans got their first glimpse of the authentic John Waite, a no-holds-barred rock n’ roll performer devoted heart and soul to live performance and making sure every fan in the audience left the concert hall just as elated and exhausted as the band they’d paid to see.
After John Lennon’s assassination, December 9, 1980, a bizarre thing happened during one of those furious Baby’s performances when John was pulled from the stage by an overzealous fan during an encore. The freak event seriously injured his knee and the group disbanded shortly thereafter. From the ashes of the Baby’s, however, rose an abundant and prodigious solo career, ignited by the well-received release, Ignition, that featured the single, “Change,” which rode the AOR charts for weeks in 1982, the year a new cable channel that would alter the course of popular media culture called MTV launched. At the forefront of its early play list was the video for the Holly Knight-penned track that in 1985, was included on the platinum-selling Vision Quest soundtrack.
John’s next solo effort, 1984’s No Brakes, did exactly what the title inferred, barreling at runaway train speed to international acclaim and U.S. platinum success thanks to the smash hit, “Missing You,” which did not stop until it reached Number 1 on the Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles, Album Rock Tracks and Adult Contemporary charts. The following up single, “Tears” was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.
Continuing to evolve as both a songwriter and formidable stage presence, Mask of Smiles was released in 1985, possessing a pair of muscular hit melodies, ”Every Step of the Way,” and “If Anybody Had a Heart,” which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1986 motion picture, About Last Night starring Demi Moore. John’s fourth solo LP, Rover’s Return, highlighted by the superlative, “These Times Are Hard for Lovers.” The same season that Bon Jovi was urging two lovers to live on a prayer, John delivered an aortal anthem of timeless resonance. “Baby we can make it ‘cause our love will pull us through/ these times are hard for lovers its down to me and you/Nothing’s gonna break us if we hang on to what’s true, these times are hard for lovers, I believe I you.”
“I don’t have a plan and most of the songwriting is a knee jerk reaction of being alive. I try to speak from an honest place where the listener can both hear and feel where I’m coming from; the job is mine, to help them understand me. There’s a real need as an artist to express who you are and where you’re coming from.”
A long and prodigious career often combines composition and interpretation, like in 1990 when John recorded the Martin Page and Bernie Taupin-penned track, “Deal for Life” for the Days of Thunder soundtrack. But two years prior to that cinematic adventure, superbly performing another songwriter’s work led to one of the biggest hits on John Waite’s illustrious resume. In 1988, a reunion with former Baby’s band mates, Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips –along with uber-guitarist Neal Schon from Journey and drummer Deen Castronovo –resulted in the John Waite fronted supergroup, Bad English. And in 1989, the group’s ballad, “When I See You Smile,” – penned by Grammy-winning songwriter, Diane Warren – went to Number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was certified Gold. The album reached Top Five and sold more than two million units in the U.S. alone. Bad English released two albums before breaking up in 1992.
Since returning to the recording studio and concert trek as a solo artist in 1995, John has produced a string of solid, existentially eccentric, courageously eclectic and blisteringly electric rock n’ roll records, including 1995’s Temple Bar, 1997’s When You Were Mine, 2001’s Figure in a Landscape, 2004’s The Hard Way, 2006’s Downtown: Journey of a Heart and 2010’s In Real Time –an extraordinary live recording that featured burning in-concert realizations of the Baby’s “Change”, “Back on My Feet Again” and “Head First”, not to mention Bad English’s “Best of What I’ve Got” as well as a mind-blowing cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” It was this lifelong passion for original Country that inspired John’s sensational 2006 duet with bluegrass legend, Allison Krauss, where the two combined honeysweet vocal forces to remake his international hit, “Missing You.” On February 5, 2007, they performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
John teamed up with Matchbox 20 lead guitarist and songwriter, Kyle Cook in 2011 and their creative chemistry birthed the exhilarating Rough & Tumble, a long form exercise in raucous riffs and bloody truths highlighted by “Further the Sky,” “Shadows of Love” and the Classic Radio chart topping title track, a remarkable feat for any musician to reach number one airplay after three and a half decades in the music business trenches.
All-Access Live hit the streets in 2012 and delivered on all stages of John’s career–solo, The Babys and Bad English. Bearing a dynamic, stripped down sound which shows off his talented three-piece band, Waite demonstrates why he’s considered one of the great rock and roll singers, imbuing the timeless material with saber toothed vitality and kinetic power.
In 2014, Waite is back with Best. Navigating raucous rock, gut bucket blues and country, Waite’s new greatest hits album is a thrilling snapshot representing the inspired artistic breadth of this legendary artist’s entire career tallying more than 40 years on the rock and roll highway. From re-recorded versions of signature classics, “Back on My Feet Again,” “Isn’t It Time” and “Missing You,” hard-hitting live renditions of “Head First,” “Saturday Night” and “Change” to the more introspective fare of “Suicide Life,” “Downtown” and “Bluebird Cafe”, Best goes a long way in proving there’s many miles left of unexplored road for this rock and roll wunderkind.
The story is far from over for the Lancaster, England-born rock star/balladeer/storyteller who was inspired onto his musical path by childhood blues-based heroes like Free, the Small Faces and Humble Pie, along with a deep connection to the Celtic folk music of his homeland. The legacy of John Waite is a beautiful monster of sound and vision, the chronicle of an authentic artist, a superstar, a seeker of truth and a soother of hearts. He walks and rocks among us.
Joey Belladonna, lead singer of the legendary group Anthrax who along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer are credited with originating the genre of Thrash metal, has been featured on over 10 albums that have sold over 8 million units worldwide. Belladonna has shared the stage with Iron Maiden, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, Dio, Public Enemy, Living Color, Primus, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Dio, Whitesnake, Testament, Overkill, Exodus, Helloween, and many others. Joey has also sung the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden and the Metro Dome in Minnesota for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. In 1988 he also starred in the underground cult classic film, “Pledge Night”.
With Joey as the lead singer of Anthrax in the 80′s to early 90′s the band was nominated for three Grammy awards, appeared on the Fox sitcom Married with Children, and Joey was voted the #1 metal singer two years in a row by Metal Forces Magazine.
Since rejoining Anthrax in 2004, Joey has toured with Judas Priest, Rob Zombie and has played in front of millions of fans across the globe. 2010 has found Joey with Anthrax sharing the stage with the pioneers of Thrash Metal Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, all collectively known as “The Big Four” playing to sold out audiences across Europe for the Sonisphere festivals.
In the mid to late ’90s, Belladonna released his first two solo albums with great press and reviews from around the world.
