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

SXSW - Thursday

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:31:14 GMT

Greetings from a muggy Austin, TX. I, along with 10,000 other people have made my way to Texas for 2012's SXSW (South by Southwest) music conference. Even though I've only been here a day, I have been quickly reminded of some things I had forgotten since last year. My feet have become acutely aware of all the walking that happens up and down 6th street. When most people take an average of 3,000-5,000 steps a day, my pedometer is clocking almost 50,000! Don't worry though I've been refueling with plenty of BBQ. My favorite thing I've been reminded of, though, is I how much I love listening to live music all day long.

The goal for ABC going to SXSW is to discover new music and to connect with artist we already use on our shows. It's impossible to see all 2000+ bands performing, but I did make a little dent today. My music listening started with Lucero today around 11am. So far, my favorite has been Kimbra, who reminds me of a fierce porcelain doll. I got a chance, during my many steps, to stand still and see a few of our ABC artists, including Keane who just played Jimmy Kimmel Live and Ed Sheeran whose song "Fall" was featured in Cougar Town. My latest show was Gardens & Villa, who came to visit ABC last year and their song "Black Hills" ended up on my top songs for 2011. Up next is Sharon Van Etten, who's song "Give Out" may just be my favorite song of the year. Then I'll be finishing off the evening, or more like early morning, with Maps & Atlases at 2am. Then it's off to bed for me.

Tomorrow I'll be meeting up with Good Old War and Outsight for interviews about their songs being used on ABC, stay tuned.

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

Foster The People

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:34:38 GMT

Foster The People - click image to view artist page.

If this is any indication of how the tour scene is going to be for 2012, then it's going to be a great year. Foster The People will be touring it up this coming year with not one, not two, but three of ABC's favorites. The Kooks will open up for Foster The People from May 29th through June 10th, Tokyo Police Club will be the opening band from June 12th through June 22nd, and closing out the tour Mayer Hawthorn e & The County will be main support from June 25th until July 7th. You can get all the dates on the Foster The People artist page. Happy concert going!!

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

Yuna visits ABC Music Lounge

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:18:56 GMT

I just had the pleasure of attending a showcase performance on the ABC lot by Malaysian born Yuna. Her voice was pristine, pure, soft, yet resonant and quite simply beautiful.

Growing up Muslim in Malaysia, Yuna was first inspired by the universal appeal of acts like No Doubt, The Cranberries, and Fiona Apple. At the age of 19, while in law school , she picked up a guitar and began to fervently write. She released her self-titled EP in Malaysia in 2008. The single and my favorite song performed today "Deeper Conversation" became a massive success and went on to win the title of Best English Song at the 2009 AIM Awards, Malaysia's national music awards. Yuna swept the ceremony, garnering Best Pop Song and Song of the Year for her Malay song, "Dan Sebenarnya".

Yuna is currently living in Los Angeles, Where she spends her time writing/recording music, developing her photography skills, and managing her Malaysia-based clothing ship, I Am Jet Fuel. I highly recommend listening to her EP "Decorate" available now on iTunes.
PREVIEW OR BUY NOW

Ken Cordova - 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

New Releases

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:30:25 GMT

                Mark Broussard, click image to read bio

Marc Broussard is currently on tour promoting his self-titled album released today.

Strong currents of R&B, sanctified church and the many other flavors of his Louisiana bayou home nourish his songs, more so than ever on Marc Broussard. The exhilarating drive of its first single, "Only Everything," the old-school soul, hushed and exultant, of "Lucky," the swampy blues that haunts "Eye on the Prize" and every other track is a lesson in transplanting the seeds of American music into the spirit of today. Buy or preview the album on iTunes by clicking the album cover below and be sure to catch him on tour, see schedule below.

1.   Lucky
2.   Only Everything
3.   Cruel
4.   Yes Man
5.    Let It All Out
6.    Emily
7.    Our Big Mistake
8.    Bleeding Heart
9.    Eye On The Prize
10. Let Me Do It Over

Marc Broussard Tour Schedule

JUNE
14	Los Angeles, CA	El Rey Theatre
16	Solana Beach, CA	Belly Up Tavern
17	San Juan Capistrano, CA	Coach House
18	Visalia, CA	Visalia Fox Theatre
19	San Francisco, CA	The Independent
21	Petuluma, CA	McNear's Mystic Theatre
22	Sacramento, CA	Harlow's
24	Portland, OR	Aladdin Theater
25	Seattle, WA	Showbox At The Market
26	Vancouver, WA	Knitting Factory
29	Spokane, WA	Knitting Factory
JULY
1	Salt Lake City, UT	The State Room
2	Reno, NV	Knitting Factory
3	Las Vegas, NV	Hard Rock Cafe On The Strip
6	Austin, TX	Antone's
7	Dallas, TX	House of Blues
8	Houston, TX	House of Blues
9	New Orleans, LA	Harrah's
14	New York, NY	Bowery Ballroom

           Vetiver, click image to read bio

Also out today is Vetiver's fifth album The Errant Charm.

Have you been sitting at that computer all day? You're overdue for a break. The new Vetiver album, The Errant Charm, is a superb soundtrack for an afternoon idyll. Take a moment to load the record on your mp3 player. Hell, if you still have a Walkman, the whole thing fits neatly on one side of a C-90 cassette tape. Select your favorite pair of headphones, and go for a stroll. According to Vetiver bandleader Andy Cabic this album was made for walking! For a breakdown on why click their image above to read the band's bio!

For a limited time you can get their single "Can't You Tell" for free as part of iTunes Indie Spotlight. To preview or buy the full album click the album cover below.

1.    It's Beyond Me
2.    Worse For Wear
3.    Can't You Tell
4.    Hard To Break
5.    Fog Emotion
6.    Right Away
7.    Wonder Why
8.    Ride Ride Ride
9.    Faint Praise
10. Soft Glass
11. Lumiére (Bonus Track)

The Go-Go's Ladies Gone Wild Tour

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:23:51 GMT

The Go-Go's Click Image to Read Bio

The Go-Go's rocked the stage this morning in a free concert at New York's Central Park as part of Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series. These original ladies of Summer are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their album "Beauty and the Beat" by kicking off a Summer tour that started at Mandalay Bay's beach and will run through August 28th in Austin Texas. It's hard to imagine that 30 years have gone by when you see these ladies on stage. Members Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine all look as beautiful and youthfull as ever on stage.

The Go-Go's have been featured on Grey's Anatomy's "Time Warp episode and this season's Dancing with the Stars.Their music is tuned for Summer fun! See below for the tour schedule and get a feel of their fun beatnik rock and roll style by watching performances from GMA and Dancing with the Stars.

DWTS PERFORMANCE - "We Got The Beat"
GMA PERFORMANCE - "Vacation"

Good Morning America Summer Concert Series Schedule - SEE WHO's NEXT

LADIES GONE WILD TOUR

05/27/11	Las Vegas, NV	Mandalay Bay – The Beach
05/29/11	Hershey, PA	Hershey Theater
05/31/11	Northampton, MA	Calvin Theater
06/01/11	Morristown, NJ	May Center
06/03/11	New York, NY	Irving Plaza
06/04/11	Atlantic City, NJ	House of Blues
06/05/11	Mashantucket, CT	Foxwoods
06/07/11	Westbury, NY	Wesbury Music Fair
06/09/11	Boston, MA	Bank of America Pavilion
06/10/11	Vienna, VA	Wolf Trap
06/11/11	Orlando, FL	Universal Studios
06/14/11	Apple Valley, MN	Minnesota Zoo
06/16/11	Clarkson, MI	DTE Energy Music Theater
06/17/11	Highland Park, IL	Ravinia Pavilion
06/18/11	Kettering, OH	Fraze Pavilion
08/12/11	Vancouver, BC	Commodore Ballroom
08/13/11	Portland, OR	Oregon Zoo Amphitheater
08/14/11	Seattle, WA	Woodland Park Zoo
08/16/11	San Francisco, CA	The Fillmore
08/17/11	Los Angeles, CA	The Greek
08/20/11	Temecula, CA	Pechanga Theater
08/23/11	Aspen, CO	Belly Up
08/24/11	Denver, CO	Ogden Theater
08/26/11	Dallas, TX	House of Blues
08/27/11	Houston, TX	House of Blues
08/28/11	Austin, TX	Paramount Theater

Ken Cordova - Producer ABC Music Lounge

Foster The People - On GMA's "Your Three Words"

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:35:11 GMT

Foster The People - click image to read bio

Los Angeles based trio (Mark Foster, Cubbie Fink and Mark Pontius), Foster The People, will celebrate the release of Torches with a top 10 chart debut this week. The band, whose single “Pumped Up Kicks” is currently # 2 on the alternative charts, will mark the success of their full-length, debut with over 33,000 albums sold in it’s first week. On May 23rd the band made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in support of Torches, which critics are calling the “album of the summer.” The episode will re-air Monday June 6th at Midnight.

Click below to see today's GMA "Your Three Words" video featuring "Pumped Up Kicks".

To submit your own "Your Three Words" video click below.
YOUR THREE WORDS

With a sold-out summer tour underway, Foster The People are proud to announce they will be back this fall with another round of headlining dates. Kicking off with a performance at Austin City Limits, trailing across North America and back, the band will hit some new cities including Orlando, Indianapolis, Fargo and more.

See what the press is saying about Torches:

“Like the best dance parties, there are several opportunities to shake, sweat, and hug your neighbor.” - Entertainment Weekly

“Their debut full-length proves that viral hit wasn't a fluke, as locomotive live beats and star-crossed guitars spar with perpetually pulsating synths.” – Spin Magazine

"..the album is consistently catchy from start to finish." - Filter

“Accessible yet challenging, gleaming yet gritty, pop yet petrifying: Foster The People are a fresh evolution of modern music” - NME

“L.A. rock band that threw chum in the water with its single ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ moves in for the kill with debut album." - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Torches the ideal summer album." - The Daily Californian

"With songs as strong as the ones on Torches, Foster can rest assured that his audiences will be quite astounded. They’ll not only marvel at the fact that Foster has more up his sleeve than “Pumped Up Kicks,” but that Foster The People are just getting started." - XPN

Foster The People on tour this fall:

9/13	Scottsdale, AZ	The Venue
9/15	Dallas, TX	House of Blues
9/16	Austin, TX	Austin City Limits
9/17	Houston, TX	House of Blues
9/19	New Orleans, LA	House of Blues
9/20	Orlando, FL	The Beacham Theatre
9/21	Atlanta, GA	Masquerade (Heaven Stage)
9/23	Richmond, VA	The National
9/26	Washington, DC	9:30 Club
10/1	Toronto, ON	Sound Academy
10/2	Columbus, OH	Newport Music Hall
10/4	Indianapolis, IN	The Vogue
10/6	Minneapolis, MN	First Avenue
10/7	Fargo, ND	The Aquarium
10/9	Seattle, WA	Showbox at the Market
10/10	Vancouver, BC	Commodore
10/12	Portland, OR	Roseland Theater

Melyssa Hardwick - Producer ABC Music Lounge

Win Tickets to SADE LIVE!

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:32:19 GMT

SADE is preparing to land Stateside with John Legend!

SADE kicks-off the US portion of the tour on June16th in Baltimore, MD at the1st Mariner Arena. The US tour runs through September 3rd where it will wrap-up at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada.

The reviews in Europe have been extremely positive:

"Whether Sade is delivering romantic melodrama or affectionate dub, her power derives from subtlety and easy intimacy"
Metro Herald, Wednesday 25th May

"Musically it was as slick as you’d expect. The British-Nigerian singer’s voice is as seductive as ever…"
Irish Examiner, Saturday 28th May

"Nobody expresses adult sorrow and melancholy with such graceful pain"
Evening Standard, Wednesday 1st June

"The Smooth Operator and her spectacular eight-piece band didn't disappoint either, with a set full of near-flawless, laid-back soul grooves"
The Sun, Thursday 2nd June

"Centre-stage, Sade herself – angular and incredibly youthful at 52 – sings with a luxuriant lack of haste"
The Guardian, Thursday 2nd June

Here is your chance to see the concert for free! Create your own SADE music playlist on Facebook, share it with your friends and you may win tickets to the concert, a $200 gift card and a copy of THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION. Good luck!
CREATE YOUR PLAYLIST NOW!

	If you just can't wait, purchase SADE THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION on iTunes by clicking the CD!

To see the full tour schedule, buy tickets, view images from the European tour, see THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION track list and to stay updated on tour information visit the SADE TOUR page on ABC Music Lounge.
GO NOW

Ken Cordova - Producer ABC Music Lounge

Billboard Music Awards

Fri, 20 May 2011 20:45:38 GMT

This Sunday at 8pm EST/PST ABC will broadcast the Billboard Music Awards. The show will be hosted by "The Hangover Part II" star Ken Jeong. And judging from this list of stellar performers it is going to be one great show!

Scheduled to perform:
Cee Lo Green
Nicki Minaj
Pitbull
Keith Urban
The Black Eyed Peas
Lady Antebellum
Taio Cruz

BREAKING NEWS: BEYONCE's PERFORMANCE JUST ADDED

Below are all the artists previously featured on ABC that have been nominated for a Billboard Music Award. To see what they were nominated for and the full list of nominees click below:
See The Full List of Nominees

Nominees featured on ABC:
Alicia Keys
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Keys
B.o.B.
Eminem
Far*East Movement
Florence + The Machine
Justin Bieber
Katy Perry
Ke$ha
Kings of Leon,
Lady Antebellum
Lady Gaga
Linkin Park
Michael Buble
Miranda Lambert
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Neon Trees
Pitbull
Rihanna
Sade
Shakira
Sugarland
Susan Boyle
Taio Cruz
Taylor Swift,
Train
U2
Zac Brown Band

Watch live at 8pm EST/PST it's going to be a great show!