ABC Music Lounge

Julia Stone visits ABC

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:00:34 GMT

Julia Stone - click image to view artist page.

One of my favorite things about being a part of the music department at ABC is the relationships we develop with the artists we use on our shows. I met Angus & Julia Stone a few years ago when I brought them in for a showcase. Since then, we’ve used their music in several of our shows including Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Revenge. I’m sure all of you Revenge fans remember their songs “For You” and “Hold On” as they were the quintessential sound for the pilot. Julia Stone is set to release her first solo album on May 29th and wanted to come over to play a few songs for us while she’s in town. Right now, we are in pilot season at ABC which means double the work load and no time to have artists in to perform. Julia is the first artist we’ve brought in since March and I’m completely convinced it was the best decision we’ve made all. It was so refreshing to take the time to sit down, catch up, talk about the commitment that comes with having bangs and to listen Julia perform her new tunes (including a cover of one of my favorite songs “Bloodbuzz Ohio” by The National). I’ve been listening to the new album “By The Horns” all day and thinking how great it is to be a part of this crazy, awesome world of TV music. Thank you, Julia, for the reminder.

You can pre-order Julia’s new album “By The Horns” here.

Happy listening

-Melyssa

Allen Stone on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:26:49 GMT

Allen Stone - click image to view artist page.

There are some journeys with ABC that are short and then there are others that last for the long run. I met Allen Stone a while back when our director of music, Tony Von Pervieux, brought him in for a showcase. We’ve always loved him over her at ABC and he’s really part of our music family (he even came over just to play at our holiday party one year). It wasn’t until a trip to Seattle last year when I realized how much everyone else loved him too. I was at a friend’s house and looked down on their coffee table, there was Allen staring right back at me on the cover of a magazine. I was like “hey, that’s my friend, I know him!”. I felt so proud in that moment, but today I feel even prouder as Mr. Stone makes his late night debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live. You can also see some videos we shot with Allen last year during one of his ABC drive-bys. Enjoy! Oh and did I mention today is Allen Stone’s birthday? Happy birthday Allen from your ABC Music Family!

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

Sugar & The Hi-Low’s - ABC Music Lounge Visit

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:39:34 GMT

Sugar & The Hi-Low's

So far January has been a fun month so far. My first show of the year was M83, I’ve been listening to The Shins’ new album non-stop and yesterday two of our favorites stopped by to perform a few tunes for us. If anybody represents the sound of ABC, it’s Trent Dabbs & Amy Stroup. Separately, they have been featured numerous times and both have written songs specifically used for ABC shows (Amy wrote a song for Revenge called “Not What You Were Thinking” and Trent wrote “Head On” featured in Body of Proof). However, yesterday, they came in combining powers with their project Sugar & The Hi-Low’s. We had a great time listening to them perform “Two Day High”, “I’ve Got You Covered” and “Skip The Line” off their new self-titled set to be released on February 14th (can you say Valentine’s day prez).

You can get the single "See It For Yourself" now, but until then check out Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup’s other tunes.

Enjoy!

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

ABC Artist of the Week - Rascal Flatts

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:33:18 GMT

Rascal Flatts - Click image to read bio

It’s countdown time for the CMA Music Festival to air this Sunday @ 8/7c on ABC.

I wanted to choose an artist this week that would embrace the festival, but with so many incredible county artist performing, this was a tough task. When it finally came down to it, I had to choose someone who was close to the Disney/ABC family and who will be forever immortalized in film history by doing the theme for CARS. You got it, I choose the Rascal Flatts gentlemen.

I could go on and on about their accomplishments, but there’s one thing that stands out to me about them. After the successes of 11 #1 singles, 8 full length albums and awards so numerous to keep track of, when I asked them to write something up for ABC Music Lounge, the excitedly said yes. This to me was so telling and showed that even with great success, they are still great men who love what they do and are never too busy for their fans, which is truly the greatest success someone in music can achieve. A big thanks to Rascal Flatts for being such an example in the music industry. Below see what the guys have to say about being a part of the CMA Music Festival and what artist made their playlist. Enjoy.

"We look forward to CMA Music Fest every year. It's an amazing time to get face to face with country music fans from all over the country... There's nothing else in the world quite like it, it's always electric."

Jay DeMarcus' Playlist - (bass, guitar, piano and vocals)

ARTIST	SONG	ALBUM
Shennendoah	Ghost In The House	Super Hits
George Jones	Good Year For The Roses	Superstar Sessions
Austins Bridge	There Is A God	Times Like This
Merle Haggard	Misery And Gin	Back To Barrooms
Ronnie Mislap	How The Story Ends	Greatest Hits - Ronnie Mislap
Lady Antebellum	Just A Kiss	Just A Kiss (Single)
Vince Gill	The Key To Life	The Key
Keith Whitley	Ten Feet Away	Keith Whitley: Greatest Hits
Jason Aldean	Dirt Road Anthem	My Kinda Party
Carrie Underwood	Wasted	Some Hearts
Braid Paisley (feat. Allison Kraus)	Whiskey Lullaby	Mud On The Tires

Joe Don Rooney's Playlist - (lead guitar, vocals)

ARTIST	SONG	ALBUM
Carrie Underwood	Wasted	Some Hearts
Maroon 5	Moves Like Jagger	Hands All Over
George Strait	I Saw God Today	Troubadour
Foo Fighters	Walk	Wasting Light
John Mayer	Heartbreak Warefare	Battle Studies
Eric Clapton	Wonderful Tonight	Slowhand
Stevie Ray Vaughan	The House Is Rockin'	Stevie Ray Vaughan: Greatist Hits
Bill Currington	That's How Country Boys Roll	Little Bit Of Everything
Luke Bryan	Country Girl (Shake It For Me)	Tailgates And Tanlines
Lady Antebellum	Need You Now	Need You Now
Vince Gill	I Still Believe In You	I Still Believe In You

Gary LeVox's Playlist - lead vocals

ARTIST	SONG	ALBUM
Earl Thomas Conley	What She Is	The Essential Earl Thomas Conley
Adele	Rolling In The Deep	21
Vicki Yohe	Because Of Who You Are	I Just Want You
Ray Charles	I Got A Woman	Ray Charles
Cece Winans	Alabaster Box	Alabaster Box
Joe Diffie	Ships That Don't Come In	Regular Joe
Keith Whitley	Brotherly Love	Keith Whitley: Greatest Hits
Keith Whitley	Ten Feet Away	Keith Whitley: Greatest Hits
Shanandoah	Moon Over Georgia	Now And Then

Melyssa Hardwick - ABC Music Lounge

Artist of The Week - Mat Kearney

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:29:26 GMT

Mat Kearney - Click image to read bio

Today you can finally purchase Mat Kearney's new album Young Love. Mat Kearney didn't set out to write just another collection of songs for Young Love, his third full-length album and first for Universal Republic Records.Instead, he penned a pastiche of honest, heartfelt, and hypnotic stories that'll make you move your feet and put a smile on your face. Kearney gives a piece of himself on every tune, while building timeless tales for listeners to follow as they dance and sing along.

As a fan of hip-hop since childhood, Kearney actually turned to the genre for a little inspiration. "I approached Young Love like a singer-songwriter would approach a hip-hop record," he says. "We would start with beats or grooves that your body already responds to. It was a fun and fulfilling experiment."

We asked Mat what artists and songs are at the top his playlist, here they are:

ARTIST	SONG	ALBUM
Tribe Called Quest	Check The Rhime	The Anthology
Emmylou Harris	Where Will I Be	Wrecking Ball
Empire Of The Sun	Walking On A Dream	Walking On A Dream
The Sonics	Shot Down	Greenburg (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Bruce Springsteen	Glory Days	Born in the U.S.A.
Common	The Light	Like Water For Chocolate
Tom Waits	Hold On	Mule Variations
U2	Stuck In The Moment You Can't Get Out Of	All That You Can't Leave Behind
Bob Dylan	Most Of The Time	Oh Mercy
Coldplay	Lost!	Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
The Verve	Sonnet	Urban Hymns
Tom Waits	Take It With Me	Mule Variations
Bob Marley	Waiting In Vein	Exodus
Ray LaMontagne	Shelter	Trouble
Paul Simon	Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes	Graceland

PREVIEW OR BUY NOW

Artist of the Week - The Daylights

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:18:32 GMT

The Daylights - Click image to read bio

With The Daylights being on the “Castle Season 3 Best Music Moments” list and their song being featured in Rookie Blue on Thursday, they are truly the ABC artist of the week. We had the guys in earlier this year to perform for us here at ABC and they are just as nice as they are dreamy. I asked them what songs inspire them and also what it’s like to hear their songs on our shows. Here’s what they had to say:

"We keep getting calls and texts from our friends hearing our stuff on ABC. One in particular, without fail, puts the phone to the TV and says, "That's you, right?! Right?!" Then I pretend I couldn't hear it, and it drives him crazy. (I hope he's not reading this, so that trend continues.)

Personally, it's always fascinating to see how a scene and a song can really interact. Whether it's a drama or comedy or a bunch of vampires and wolves, it can be really powerful or magical when you put them together. Plus, more importantly, I get to call my mother and be like, "Don't watch American Idol tonight. Watch our episode!"

Here is what The Daylights are currently listening to:

ARTIST	SONG	ALBUM
The Zombies	Beechwood Park	Odessey and Oracle
Tame Impala	Lucidity	InnerSpeaker
Wild Nothing	Vultures Like Lovers	Golden Haze EP
Others Live	For 12	Tamer Animals
The Bitter Branches	Spine Or Thunder
James Blake	Limit To Your Love	James Blake
M83	Kim & Jesse	Saturdays = Youth
The Kills	U.R.A. Fever	Midnight Boom
Deerhunter	Helicopter	Halcyon Digest
Gidon Kremer & Keith Jarrett	Fratres (I)	Arvo Pärt: Tabula Rasa
Polyphony & Stephen Layton	Lux Aurumque	Whitacre: Cloudburst
The Lost Get Loud	War Stories
Sarah Jaffe	Clementine	Suburban Nature
Dawes	God Rest My Soul	North Hills
Astrud Gilberto	Lux Aurumque	Astrud Gilberto Album

Melyssa Hardwick - Music Lounge Producer

New Releases/Artist of the Week

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 05:52:09 GMT

311 - Click image to read bio & see tour schedule

It’s hard to believe 311 have been around for 23 years (the band was formed in 1988). Today marks the release of their 10th full length album “Universal Pulse”. I remember being introduced to 311 in high school. I was always trying to memorize the lyrics to “All Mixed Up” and then would very poorly repeat them back at Nick Hexum’s ridiculously rapid pace. It never quite worked out for me, but I’m still very much looking forward to reliving the experience when they come to Los Angeles in late August. Click their image above to see their tour schedule and their Jimmy Kimmel Live performance of “Sunset In July”. Last but definitely not least, I asked Nick Hexum what they were listening to on the road, here’s his personal playlist. Enjoy!!

From Nick Hexum, 311:

1 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing
2 Death Cab for Cutie - You are a Tourist
3 The Avett Brothers - The Ballad of Love and Hate
4 Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
5 Mutemath - Odds
6 Ryan Adams - Amy
7 Vampire Weekend - White Sky
8 Madeleine Peyroux - Between the Bars
9 Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
10 Sam Cooke - I'll Come Running Back to You
11 Morrissey - First of the Gang to Die
12 Nickel Creek - Jealous of the Moon

Click the album art below to preview or puchase "Universal Pulse" on iTunes. See more great albums released this week below.

Click album to preview or buy on iTunes

1.   Time Bomb
2.   Wild Nights
3.   Sunset In July
4.   Trouble
5.   Count Me In
6.   Rock On
7.   Weightless
8.   And A Ways To Go

More great music released this week:

     Click album to preview or buy on iTunes

Streaming now on ABC Music Lounge!
01. Katzenjammer
02. Getaways
03. Under Water
04. The Next One Living
05. Replica
06. No Whiskey
07. Girl At Sunrise
08. A Fine Time To Need Me
09. White Dove
10. Living In Pictures
11. Hunting Season
12. Big Eye

    Click album to preview or buy on iTunes

1.   Last Name London
2.   Love is Real (feat. Holly Miranda)
3.   Wine and Chocolates
4.   All Around The World
5.   She's Great (Interlude)
6.   Why Even Try (feat. Sara Quin)
7.   Stop It
8.   Girls Girls $
9.   One Last Time
10. Lighthouse
11. I Stand Alone

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

New Releases/Artist of the Week

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:34:57 GMT

Sublime with Rome - Click image to read bio & see tour schedule

I have to say, this is a pretty exciting week for the teenage girl side of me. Beyond 311 being on Jimmy Kimmel Live (see video) and Incubus coming out with “If Not Now, When?” one of my all time favorite bands from High School, Sublime, is releasing Sublime w/ Rome’s “Yours Truly”. I think anyone growing up in the later part of the Nineties would agree that Sublime played a huge part in their summer playlist. I asked the guys to send me some photos and a list of what they were listening to this summer on their tour bus.

See ABC Artist of the Week's playlist and photos in our Sublime with Rome gallery.
VIEW NOW

Click the album art below to preview or puchase "Yours Truly" on iTunes. See more great albums released this week below, including Colbie Callait's new album "All of You" which captured the #1 spot on iTunes within 24 hours!

1.   Panic
2.   Only
3.   Lovers Rock
4.   Murdera
5.   My World
6.   Paper Cuts
7.   PCH
8.   Same Old Situation
9.   Take It or Leave It
10. You Better Listen
11. Can You Feel It (feat. Wiz Khalfia)

More great music released this week:

1.   Brighter Than The Sun
2.   I Do
3.   Before I Let You Go
4.   Favorite Song ( feat. Common)
5.   What If
6.   Shadow
7.   Think Good Thoughts
8.   Like Yesterday
9.   All of You
10. Dream Life, Life
11. What Means the Most
12. Make It Rain
13. Stereo

1.   If Not Now, When?
2.   Promises, Promises
3.   Friends and Lovers
4.   Thieves
5.   Isadore
6.   The Original
7.   Defiance
8.   In the Company of Wolves
9.   Switchblade
10. Adolescents
11. Tomorrow's Food

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

Artist of the Week - Gardens & Villa

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:38:53 GMT

Gardens & Villa - click image to read bio

Happy record release day everyone. I’m really excited about today’s release and this week’s Artist Of The Week. Back in the beginning of the year I received an email saying “here’s something I think you’d like”, the band was Gardens & Villa. I downloaded the album and started the first song “Black Hills”. As soon as the synth-esque dream started I was hooked. I emailed back and said “I’m only a minute in and I’m in love”. I’ve now listened to the song over a hundred times and the original sentiment still rings true. As of now it’s track #1 on my playlist for the year. Gardens & Villa’s self-titled album is officially out today. I asked the band to talk a little bit about the process of making their first full-length album. Below is what they had to say. Enjoy!

"The sun would creep over the fence line around 8:30 each morning in our producer, Richard Swift's, backyard. Our band had set up camp for two weeks in his Central Oregonian compound to record our first full length record last June, 2010. Shane [bass] would wake up roughly fifteen minutes after our singer Chris, who set up his tent in direct view of the first morning sun. Levi [drums/third tent] and Adam [keys, studio floor] would follow thereafter. After stretching around a bit, it was standard to walk the five blocks to the small downtown area to eat at our favorite breakfast spot, where we'd fall through the heavy swinging door like post officers to lunch room during a heatwave. This went on for two weeks during June/July of 2010 as we tracked the self titled Gardens and Villa. The songs had been incubating in our minds and our hands for months (some, years) and their sounds and forms evolved alongside the various twists and turns of our lives during that period. Recorded live in a dark, incense-filled room to an 80s 8-track tape machine, the songs took on a life of their own, are were captured by recording master, Swift. Whenever inspiration ran low, a late night DJ set from Richard's extensive record collection would return us to vibe centre.

"The first day we walked into the studio with Swift… none of us were quite sure what we were getting into. All we had at that point were some rough demos that were loosely structured. We had sent them to Swift about a month earlier, hoping that we'd be on the same page when we arrived. I think we imagined that the first day we'd listen to the demos with Swift, talk about the songs, get a vision and then maybe start laying down some tracks. Instead, we ended up diving right in, little to zero conversation about our music transpired. Swift walked in the room, set the mood with some Captain Beefheart, asked us what song we wanted to start with and began routing microphones. We kind of unconsciously chose Black Hills… not sure exactly why. Maybe it was stuck in our heads or one of us had played the melody earlier in the day. We hadn't even completely finished writing it when we began recording. Less than an hour later the song was tracked (save vocals). It was a moment of realization that we were in the right place and that the vibe was strong. That same first day, we moved on to track Chem Trails and Orange Blossom. It taught us a lot of what we were capable of, not only as a band but as individual musicians working in the house of Swift.

The days went by in a magical haze… We had no shower and no kitchen and the weather was heating up. A few of the days we drove out to a pristine swimming hole to wash ourselves. In between takes we would wander out into the bright sun and stare at Swift's chickens as if we were in a trance; the melodies of our record on repeat in our minds. Inevitably, we fell in love with Swift. After laying down a jam or two, nights sometimes carried on late into the eve.

We also fell in love with the Swift family and their tight-nit community in Cottage Grove. After getting to spend July 4th with them, we felt like we wanted to move to Oregon. Hah. It rubbed off in the music. Even one of the songs on the record, "Thorn Castles," was written and recorded one day after we had been completely inspired by a super rad kid (who later starred in our music video for Black Hills). The record is definitely Calif-orgonian in nature.

"Days and nights became uniquely fused together during that time. The occasional journey outside was often accompanied by the realization that it was noon, or sunrise, or three in the morning. The cat's name was Bowie; the studio smelled of vinyl and well worn instruments. It was an extended waking dream." -Adam

It's hard to believe it was just two weeks. Our lives changed after that. We started playing a lot of shows and we met the righteous dudes at Secretly Canadian..

We've been waiting a long time to release this album and we're incredibly excited to get it out to people! We're in the middle of a long summer tour and we are looking forward to the next few months.. Hope to see you along the way!"

PREVIEW OR BUY ALBUM ON iTUNES

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

New Album Releases

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:25:52 GMT

Beyoncè - Click image to read bio

After the amazing I Am World Tour Beyoncè vowed to take a year off to live life, travel the world, absorb new influences, spend time with family and for once sleep in her own bed and not in a hotel.

All of us Beyoncè fans will be thankful that this rest period started to slowly transform into her new record, "4". You will hear influences of Mozambique dance troupes, Earth Wind & Fire, and 90's R&B. Prince's "Purple Rain" is an influence on the heart-rending opening ballad "1&1" and echoes of Michael Jackson can be heard on the booty-shaking "Love on Top". You probably already familiar with the first single "Run the World (Girls)" which she performed at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards on May 27th on ABC. The performance was show-stopping, backed by a huge video screen that interacted with Beyoncè's signature dance moves—the crowd went wild as an army of female dancers joined her on stage.

Beyoncè on "4": "It's bolder than the previous music and the previous albums because I feel like I'm bolder," she notes. "I feel like the more mature I become the more life experiences I have to talk about. I really focused on songs being classics. I focused on songs that I can sing when I'm 40, when I'm 60. I feel like it's important I start shaping my legacy. Doing things that have a little more substance. I really want people to think when they listen to my music. I want them to feel more than 'OK, I'm at a party, I'm dancing'. I want it to be a conversation. I wanted to help them through their painful memories and their most happy moments."

On "4" Beyoncè continued to work with long-time co-writer Terius "The Dream" Nash and includes collaborations with Kanye West, Diane Warren, Andre 2000, Babyface and Frank Ocean. While the album has only one high-energy dance song like her smash hits "Crazy In Love" or "Single Ladies", I think you'll be pleased with the maturity this album expresses as this mega-star prepares to turn 30.
Buy or Preview "4"

ABC Music Lounge is proud to name Beyoncè as our Artist of the Week! If you are in New York city on Friday don't miss her GMA concert in Central park (Learn More). If you can't be there live, tune-in to Good Morning America from 7-9am. I’m also looking forward to what Beyoncè will present this year when she returns to ABC for her annual Thanksgiving special.

More great music available today:

Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital

Selena Gomez & The Scene - When The Sun Goes Down

Ken Cordova - Producer ABC Music Lounge