Friday Night Hero - Faster
(Capitol East Road Records)
Friday Night Hero is
truly an international band, with individual and cultural backgrounds
including Germany, Italy, Argentina, America, Luxembourg (where they
received a Royal Invitation from the country's Grand Duke) and, of
course, England, where the group formed in Brighton in 2006.
Reflecting that diverse background, their recent EP has been recorded
in English, French and German, helping them win over new converts
throughout the European Union. Though still a relatively young band,
they're already garnering heady praise: Simon Watkins, Station
Manager for "Radio Reverb 97.2 (UK)," states, "Friday Night
Hero are one of the indie bands amongst the millions out there that
maintain the indie feel but continue to sound fresh and interesting.
Book them now, so one day you can say, like me, 'I knew them
when.'" Likewise, the Guy & Andrea Breakfast Show on Juice FM
(UK) praised their "strong songs, good melodies and a hook like
that Captain Hook bloke--Friday Night Hero have got it all," while
Surface Unsigned magazine noted their "Influences of Editors
and Snow
Patrol in a set combining strong, crisp riffs set over
flowing keys, and vocal tones that left the crowd hanging off their
every word." For tour dates, other songs and pictures of Friday
Night Hero, go to http://www.myspace.com/fridaynighthero.
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Bryn Christopher -
The Quest (Polydor)
Bryn Christopher is a
soulful young singer/songwriter who hails from the Midlands of the
UK. Influenced by old soul masters such as Otis
Redding, Sam
Cooke, Nina
Simone and Stevie
Wonder, Bryn updates the classic '60s soul sound for
a 21st Century audience. In fact, his upcoming debut
album, My World (due out in September from Polydor UK), was
produced and co-written by Jarrad Rogers and production wizards Midi
Mafia (Talib
Kweli, Nelly,
50 Cent),
the latter of whom recently secured exclusive rights to use samples
from the legendary Stax Records catalogue and have utilized some of
those seminal sounds for the first time ever on Bryn's debut. Bryn
first hopped on to the UK's musical radar screen toward the end of
2007, when he landed the coveted opening slot for fellow old school
soulster Amy
Winehouse's year-ending tour, which helped land him
representation by the famed William Morris Agency. In June of this
year Bryn offered fans a preview of the upcoming album by releasing a
single, "The Quest," which proves a perfect showcase for his
soulful, emotive vocals. The theme of the song draws on the
experiences of Bryn's brother, a solder stationed in Basra, Iraq,
and is powerful stuff. We heard a sneak peek of the album and we
absolutely love it, especially the cover of "Sour Times" by
Portishead.
You can view the video here and learn more about Bryn at
http://www.myspace.com/brynchristopher.
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Alternative Specialty Top 20 Songs For Week Beginning
8/11/2008
| TW |
Artist |
Title |
Label |
| 1 |
Ben Folds |
You Don't Know Me (w/ Regina Spektor) |
Epic |
| 2 |
Cold War Kids |
Something Is Not Right With Me |
Downtown |
| 3 |
Oasis |
The Shock Of The Lightning |
Reprise |
| 4 |
Kings Of Leon |
Sex On Fire |
RCA |
| 5 |
Jack's Mannequin |
The Resolution |
Sire |
| 6 |
Toadies |
No Deliverance |
Kirtland |
| 7 |
The Verve |
Love is Noise |
On Our Own |
| 8 |
The Urgency |
Fingertips |
SRP / Mercury |
| 9 |
The Stills |
Being Here |
Arts & Crafts |
| 10 |
Coldplay |
Viva La Vida |
Capitol |
| 11 |
Does It Offend You, Yeah? |
Dawn Of The Dead |
Almost Gold |
| 12 |
M.I.A. |
Paper Planes |
XL / Interscope |
| 13 |
Jaguar Love |
Highways Of Gold |
Matador |
| 14 |
Stereolab |
Neon Beanbag |
4AD |
| 15 |
One Day As A Lion |
Wild International |
ANTI- |
| 16 |
Beck |
Gamma Ray |
Interscope |
| 17 |
Death Cab For Cutie |
Cath... |
Atlantic |
| 18 |
The Kooks |
Do You Wanna |
Astralwerks |
| 19 |
MGMT |
Electric Feel |
Columbia |
| 20 |
The Crash |
Pony Ride |
Rykodisc |
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Alternative Specialty Top 20 Releases For Week Beginning
8/11/2008
| TW |
Artist |
Title |
Label |
| 1 |
Ben Folds |
Way To Normal |
Epic |
| 2 |
Cold War Kids |
Loyalty To Loyalty |
Downtown |
| 3 |
Coldplay |
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends |
Capitol |
| 4 |
Ra Ra Riot |
The Rhumb Line |
Barsuk |
| 5 |
Oasis |
Dig Out Your Soul |
Reprise |
| 6 |
Kings Of Leon |
Only By The Night |
RCA |
| 7 |
Beck |
Modern Guilt |
Interscope |
| 8 |
Death Cab For Cutie |
Narrow Stairs |
Atlantic |
| 9 |
Stereolab |
Chemical Chords |
4AD |
| 10 |
The Faint |
Fasciinatiion |
blank.wav |
| 11 |
The Ting Tings |
We Started Nothing |
Columbia |
| 12 |
Jack's Mannequin |
The Glass Passenger |
Sire |
| 13 |
The Stills |
Oceans Will Rise |
Arts & Crafts |
| 14 |
Toadies |
No Deliverance |
Kirtland |
| 15 |
The Verve |
Four |
On Our Own |
| 16 |
Darker My Love |
2 |
Dangerbird |
| 17 |
The Urgency |
Fingertips [Single] |
SRP / Mercury |
| 18 |
Dr. Dog |
Fate |
Park The Van |
| 19 |
Does It Offend You, Yeah? |
You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into |
Almost Gold |
| 20 |
MGMT |
Oracular Spectacular |
Columbia |
Chart based on electronically monitored airplay of radio stations
listed here
To report a problem or issue with this chart, email us.
In order to make your music eligible for the charts, please see the
Submit Music page.
If you have questions about the charts, please see the FAQs section or send us an
email.
To see Top 50 or Top 100 chart information, or other airplay reports, please send an email with your Name, Company Name and Questions/Comments to music@mediaguide.com.
*chart history being defined as a chart entry at or above the chart limit © 2008 Mediaguide. All rights reserved.
BACK-TO-BACK BEN:
Ivory tickler supreme Ben Folds repeats last week's feat and once
again soars above all others on both the Mediaguide Alternative
Specialty Song and Album charts. On the Song side, "You Don't
Know Me," featuring the dulcet tones of guest vocalist Regina
Spektor, enjoys its second consecutive week atop the heap, as does
full-length Way to Normal (Epic) on the Album end. Once again
settling for the silver are Cold War Kids, whose "Something Is Not
Right with Me" remains at No.2 on the Song chart for the third
straight week. Likewise, full-length Loyalty to Loyalty
(Downtown) also enjoys a second consecutive week at No.2 on the Album
index. Top debut honors on the Song side this week go to the
Gallagher brothers and Oasis, who bow at No.3 with new number "The
Shock of the Lightning," a hard-rockin', guitar-driven tune that
represents a fine return to form and propels forthcoming full-length
Dig Out Your Soul (Reprise, out September 30) to a No.5 debut
on the Album side. Also enjoying a strong debut week are Nashville
rockers Kings of Leon, who make an initial appearance on the Song
chart at No.4 with the provocatively titled "Sex on Fire,"
assisting full disc Only By the Night (RCA, hitting streets
September 23) to a No.6 showing on the Album end. The Followills will
launch a tour in support of the disc in early October at The Joint in
Lost Wages…erm, Las Vegas; full dates can be found at
www.myspace.com/kingsofleon.
Finally, also enjoying a Top 5 debut on the Song side this week was
Jack's Mannequin with "The Resolution," helping The Glass
Passenger (Sire, September 30) to a No.12 slot on the Album
chart. The side project from Something Corporate vocalist/pianist
Andrew McMahon will be sharing stages with Paramore at the end of
August. Hit www.myspace.com/jacksmannequin
to see if they'll be hitting your neck of the woods.
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Scott Perry, Marina V, Erika Lee, Thorsten Harm, Urs Middelhauve, Rob Bouhuis, Josh Binder, Lucy Freeman, Dave Philpot, Dylan Von Wagner, Peter Robinson, Amos Newman, Jon Mcildowie, Sandi Maver, Josie Cliff, Kimberley Lain, Lily Steiner, David Burrier
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