Strong Female Musical Artists of Cherrytree/Interscope, Part 4

Robyn

If I had to retrace my steps to Robyn, it would start when I discovered Cherrytree Records. My discovery of this innovative label happened when I'd researched all things Tokio Hotel-related. If you haven't been to Cherrytreerecords.com, then run don't walk to the site and check out the line up of their artists.

One day, a posted interview and acoustic session by Robyn, not only caught my attention, but also blew my mind. I loved her attitude.  And when she sang, I not only heard the words, but felt the raw emotion. I was hooked. I spent the next few hours learning about Robin Miriam Carlsson, better known by her stage name Robyn.

The 31 year old, Swedish recording artist and singer-songwriter, has traveled an interesting and challenging path to success. Some people may have bowed under the strain, but she grew stronger and more determined to create her own path.

Robyn debuted in 1997 with her album Robyn Is Here, although she had written and performed songs as young as 12 years old. She's no slacker!

I believe that people connect for a reason and when the time is right. Robyn brought her gifts of music, singing, and intelligence at a time when I sought artists who had toughness beneath the exterior image. I wanted maturity and someone who could sing about similar experiences as a woman.

By the time I discovered my new She-ro, Robyn had parted ways with her label and created Konichiwa Records to give her the artistic freedom that she craved. How can you keep this powerfully talented woman in a box? Her lyrics are poignant, yet searing, catchy, yet empowering. You certainly don't dismiss or set her songs aside.  For example:

Her strength and focus in Curriculum Vitae (intro)

The queen of queen bees/ Lioness of Juda/Phoenix from the ashes risen/ Undefeated undisputed featherweight champion/ on all five continents/ World record holder with a high score of two gazillion in Tetris/ Two-time recipient of the Nobel prize for super foxiest female ever

Or her inner strength in With Every Heartbeat

We could keep trying/ but things will never change/ So I don't look back/ Still I'm dying with every step I take/ But I don't look back/ And it hurts with every heartbeat...

Fast forward to 2010, Robyn steps up to the stage with a three-part release of Body Talk series albums for the year. Body Talk, Pt. 1 was released in June, Pt. 2 is expected in September, and Pt. 3 in December, with one single being released per album.

Check out this supernova and walk into the light.

Strong Female Musical Artists of Cherrytree/Interscope, Part 3

Elly Jackson

Most Tokio Hotel fans devour new interviews with the fierce foursome. When Bill Kaulitz mentioned La Roux on several occasions, I was moved to look into La Roux myself. Turns out La Roux is not just one person, but a duo comprised of lead singer, keyboardist, co-writer and co-producer Eleanor Kate Jackson and keyboardist, co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid.

Elly first grabs you with her unique style and sweeping hair. The first video up for viewing was ‘Bulletproof’. This single was released in Aug. of 2009. When listening to it, you can’t help but be drawn to the great dance beat and amazing vocals. Listening to Elly brings happiness to your ears!

Strong individualism is Elly’s life theme. When interviewed by The Los Angeles Times, she says of stylists that try to change her look to something more girlie:

 "They don't think you're serious. Like, 'Seriously, you don't want these Jimmy Choos?' No, you could give me a room of them and I wouldn't care. But if you put me in a room of Gucci loafers, I'd live in there."

Her sound is considered electro-pop, though she doesn’t think much of the labels people put on music today that don’t fit a traditional mold. Her early influences were folk singers, such as Carole King and Nick Drake. But as a teenager, she was more influenced by rave music. David Bowie was one of her favorites (just like Bill!).

The androgynous style, 90’s musical influences, and relentless independence all contributed to explain why Bill admired La Roux. Elly is an artist who lives by her own rules and is true to herself.

I recently gave a listen to another of La Roux’s singles, In For The Kill. After falling in love with 2 of their songs, it was time to buy the whole album, entitled La Roux.

To find out more about La Roux and Elly Jackson, go to Cherrytreerecords.com.

Strong Female Musical Artists of Cherrytree/Interscope, Part 2

Natalia Kills

Discovering an artist is like selecting the perfect chocolate among many. The experience touches on all the senses in a memorable way.

Natalia Kills has that honor. 

She gets major cool points for being a fellow Leo. We do rock the world, if I may say so myself.

How I discovered Natalia isn't important. What I uncovered is priceless.  This woman puts the exclamation point on fierce. Born Natalia Keery-Fisher she's formerly known as Natalia Cappuccini, Verbz, Verse and Verbalicious.  Again, this fellow Leo born on August 15 (Happy belated Birthday, Natalia) also shares similar heritage as a British-born with Caribbean genes, with the additional touch of Latin roots.

Singer, songwriter, MC, actress, and director had an early start in British television from 1995 when she appeared in her first TV series.  Thankfully, she followed her musical muse and through an evolution emerged in 2008 when she collaborated with the creative genius of will.i.am and went on to sign to Interscope/Cherrytree Records.

Natalia isn't one to be described as "sounds like...," or "looks like..."  There are enough cookie cutter acts out there. Natalia will take those infamous heels and kick the doors down and stomp all over stereotypes of what she should be. 

September 2010 marks the release of her debut album, Perfectionist (released by Cherrytree Records).   Natalia has also produced and co-directed a mini-series, Love Kills xx, and a film "The Exhibitionist" which has been made concurrently with the album as the soundtrack to the film.  Harkens back to Prince's Purple Rain.

One of Natalia's quotes resonates: “I don’t want to be famous; I want to be interesting."

No doubt, she will be interesting AND famous.  Can't wait to hear the entire album.

NataliaKills.com
Cherrytree Records

Strong Female Musical Artists of Cherrytree/Interscope

Tamar Kaprelian

As the Label for Tokio Hotel, Cherrytree Records is synonymous with independent artists and music. This is true for their strong female artists as well. Cherrytree supports several artists from their parent label, Interscope Geffen A&M Records. Two such artists performed at the Cherrytree All Hearts Tour launch party at El Adobe in July – Tamar Kaprelian and Kelis.

Tamar sang Raining In Paradise that day. Her voice struck me as so clear and honest. Nothing hidden, you knew exactly what she was feeling as she sang this moving ballad. My daughter, who is notoriously picky about music, loved her sound and in particular that song.

When the opportunity came to see her perform again, we both decided to make the trek in to L.A. to see her perform at French Connection at Bloomingdale’s in Santa Monica.

She began with Delicate Soul (beautiful!), and then treated us to a new song – Eye Of The Storm. The chorus was so haunting and sweet at the same time.

After this, Tamar sang New Day, a song featured on The Hills TV show. We heard this again after her break, and Eileen and I decided we both LOVE it!

Tamar has a lighter side, as well. Her next song, in which her guitarist participated, came from the Aladdin film, A Whole New World. While we were all really laughing about the song choice, she did a perfect rendition of this Disney classic. Only someone with a clear voice full of emotion can really pull this off.

And a final treat before her break was the title song from her upcoming album, Sinner Or A Saint.

Her second set included all the songs mentioned above plus Raining In Paradise and a cover of Free Falling. This set ended with a fan request to sing A Whole New World. Tamar makes a very convincing Jasmine!

When asked what influenced her music, Tamar credits the singers of the 70’s, such as Billy Joel and Sir Elton John. She sees her music as appealing to all age groups, from pre-teens on up. No barriers!

Mekela Lumbard, the West Coast Visual Coordinator for French Connection USA, was on hand for Tamar’s performance. Mekela commented that FC clothing has been around since the 70’s and knows no age barriers. We can see why Tamar and FC are a perfect fit. Tamar was sporting one of the brand’s little black skirts, and she looked exquisite!

Tamar grew up in Arizona and currently resides in California. She writes lyrics and plays the piano/keyboard. She finds inspiration for her songs in her life experiences, music she hears, and books she reads.

Her big break came when she entered a contest and won with a cover of Apologize. She first met Martin Kierszenbaum, President of Cherrytree Records, through Interscope’s A&R division which Martin also heads. Cherrytree and Interscope both support her artistry.

Her debut album, Sinner Or A Saint, arrives on August 24th. It includes 10 songs and one hidden track and can be found through iTunes, Wallmart, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.com (just to name a few).

So, contest time! Want to win a free copy of Tamar’s new album? How about an autographed picture as well, hmmm??? Comments left to this post will be entered to win a copy of Sinner Or A Saint and an autographed picture! Woot!

Wearing Different Hats & Loving It

As Michelle Monkou, I wear different hats: Wife, mom, writer, TH fan girl, and whatever else is out there that strikes my fancy. For one year, I am wearing the hat of president of Romance Writers of America (RWA). I've been a member for over 10 years, authored over 15 books, and accumulated a vast wealth of information and friends. Here's a sneak peak into this world.

I never thought that I would be a writer, as a professional career choice. I wrote my stories through high school. Wrote my literary criticisms during college. Then came back to writing stories when I landed my first job and my co-worker also happened to be an avid romance reader and strived to be an author.  We joined Washington Romance Writers (WRW) in the DC area and that hobby turned into a passion, which turned into my career goal.  Happily after all these years, I am now writing fulltime.

Through a variety of circumstances, I decided to run for the Region 1 Board of Directors. I won and joined 16 women at the Board table of RWA. The experience has been uplifting, challenging, rewarding and memorable.  Now that I'm coming to the end of my term as president, I look forward to refocusing my time on my writing career.

Recently, we celebrated the organization's 30th anniversary at the Annual Conference in Orlando.  Over 2,100 attendees descended onto Disney's property. We were thankful for this location since we had to change venue from Nashville due to their flooding catastrophe a few months ago.

The conference keynote speaker was Nora Roberts and the luncheon speaker was Jayne Anne Krentz.  No one could possibly leave the conference without being inspired by these women's advice and shared experiences in the "trenches" of the business.

Tons of workshop offerings were available for the unpublished to the published and for the newbie to the veteran. Local and national media arrived to interview attendees and the stars of the romance industry.  Other industry professionals, such as publisher executives, editors, agents, librarians and booksellers joined in the celebration.

I'm proud of this organization. I'm proud that I have contributed to its legacy and continued growth.

Now back to writing.  Back to being a Tokio Hotel fan girl LOL

From Portugal With Love -- Tokio Hotel America

The NTO's have the pleasure of interviewing the top echelon of the Official Tokio Hotel America (THA) fan site and forum. Today Stern, the third administrator, shares her outlook about THA, the band, and a sneak peek into her world. We love the fact that although this fan site says America, the administrators are from Sweden, Portugual and the U.S. The fan base is also global.  Thanks to THA for taking down the walls that separate or hold us behind because of gender, class, race and other constraints.

NTO: How were you introduced to TH or an individual member of the band (video, THTV episode, concert, someone's recommendation). Can you remember that initial feeling? How was that initial reaction matured into your present feelings about the band?

Stern: I first heard of Tokio Hotel through MTV Portugal in September 2007. I had my TV on, but wasn’t really paying any attention to it.  All of a sudden, I hear a bit of “Schrei” followed by a bit of “Scream”, looked at the TV, and caught a glimpse of the two videos. It was a TV spot announcing Tokio Hotel as September Artist of the Month, which meant there would be specials about them for the whole month. They caught my attention just with that tidbit. I was intrigued, at first. I really liked the sound of the songs I heard, but I couldn’t understand why the song was in German and English or if they were children or teenagers. I remember making a mental note to watch those specials, but I never got to do it caught with work.  It was only in the beginning of October that I suddenly remembered I had yet to check Tokio Hotel out and so I did. Starting on YouTube and going to fan blogs and later on forums, I searched everything.  My initial feelings were of wonder and curiosity to knowing more, hearing more, watching more. This initial feeling soon evolved from just wonder and curiosity to love and respect. I love Tokio Hotel’s music. I love the happiness they bring to my life. And above all, I have a great respect for their work, because I think it’s impressive how professional they are and how much they have achieved at such a young age.

NTO: How did you connect to Schnee (creator of THA)? What motivated you to become a volunteer/admin of the forum?
Stern: I found THA in November 2007, but only registered in February 2008. In late 2007 when I first found Tokio Hotel, many forums and fan blogs really lacked facts.  It was hard to find real information with correct sources. THA is excellent in that way, I love the amount of information and organization I find there.

Then it is the people. We have fans from every age and everywhere in the world and the connection and sharing are amazing. For example, to be able to follow and feel the excitement of a TH live show when it is happening all across the world as if I was there, it’s just incredible!

When I believe in something I always try to give my all to it and I believe THA is a great place to be and TH is a great band that totally deserves my dedication. So when THA opened applications to busybees, I decided to apply and to my great surprise and honor I got selected. I started as a busybee at THA staff, was later promoted to Moderator, then become a Super Moderator and am now an administrator. To be part of THA staff allows me to support Tokio Hotel in a more active way and also to give back as much as I get from THA.

I am extremely grateful for having found THA, it is now my home in TH fandom and my first home in this internet world.

NTO: Let's say you had a rough day. Nothing is going your way. You're angry or sad. From the Humanoid City Album, which song would you select to bring you out of your mood? Why? Any other songs (from any album) that you'd like to mention?

Stern: All of Humanoid City Album is full of powerful songs so it’s really hard to choose one, but I’ll say Pain of Love, Hey You and Dogs Unleashed! The energy I get from these songs always manages to bring my mood up. To me they have a feeling of hope, of carrying on no matter what’s wrong and they have such a strong sound that it’s impossible not to cheer up listening to them.

Schwarz and Hilf Mir Fliegen are also my all time favorite songs, they soothe my soul and I always relax listening to them, no matter what.

NTO: Are there any quotes or paraphrasing an idea from the band or individual members that matches your philosophy on life? Do you have a real life example of living the quote.
Stern: I can relate with the general attitude of the band of believing in their dreams and fighting for them.  That’s how I live my life. I always go for it, if I think it’s worth it! Being a teacher in Portugal you will find many obstacles in your way through your career, the first being constantly moving around, but I love teaching and so every day I fight to do what I love to do, no matter what comes my way.

Also I always had a rebellious attitude toward what's socially correct and what’s expected of you. Like the twins, I grew up in a village where most people are very close-minded and it wasn’t easy but I always remained true to myself. I act and live my life the way I find correct [for me] and not how others want me to.

NTO: I'm going to present two scenarios and you tell me which TH band members you would select for the scenarios. It can be the same person. Please tell us why?

a) Your car broke down on a long stretch of highway. Next town is at least an hour away. Which TH member would you like to drive up and whisk you away? (BTW, what's your personality before the help arrives?)
Stern: BILL!!! But just because I think he must be the best driver from the band. ;) I am a really focused and calm person even under stress, so I know I’d be calm and collected, just waiting for help to come.

b) You are the substitute teacher for a class with unruly high schoolers. You're at your wit's end (or maybe not, how are you with rude, unruly young ones LOL), which TH member would you call on. BTW, we didn't know you were a teacher, so cosmic coincidence for this example LOL.
Stern: I would call Gustav. I think he must be very collect and cool. You need to be strict but at the same time be able to understand the kids’ problems and I think he'd be able to deal with them just fine.

But I would also love to see Bill and Tom as teachers. They always complain about them and so I would like to see them on this side. Not disregarding any of their facts of feelings toward school and teachers, but in general students always complain about us and they hardly ever stop to think how it is to be on the other side of the table.

 * * *

Stern, thank you very much.  Hey, if TH ever comes to substitute at your school, send a quick email. We'll be on the next flight LOL.  You have our respect and appreciation for your hard work.  For those who missed the other administrators' interviews, click on Coolbreezegirl or Schnee to learn more about this dream team.

Glamnation

Going to Italy and attending the Welcome To Humanoid City Tour was the first time I had been to a concert since taking my daughter to see NSync. It was such a different experience, and I was so glad I had decided to get past my fears and go with my gut!

We did a lot of voting for Adam Lambert when he competed on American Idol, and I love that he is a fan of Bill Kaulitz, frontman for Tokio Hotel. When the tickets for his ‘Glamnation’ tour were announced, I decided my kids and I were going to the next concert together. Since the youngest is only 5 years old, he stayed home with my husband.

Our tickets included free admission to the Orange County Fair, so we arrived at 5pm for the 7:30pm show. I opted for VIP parking, and we were parked right next to the Tour buses!

At the fair, Nicholas tried out Morse Code, and the kids all spent quite a bit of time at an Anime Booth they’re big Anime fans!

After some very disgusting fair food (thank God they didn’t want to try deep fried Twinkies!), we head to the Pacific Amphitheater.

We have fairly good seats in the Orchestra, Section 1. Allison Iraheta is up first, and Orianthi joins her for one of her songs! She’s full of energy and has that cool rocker voice I remember from when she was on American Idol.

Next up is Orianthi. Can I just say she smokes any guitar player I’ve ever seen?! Of course, she sang her hit ‘According To You’. But when she starts playing Prince’s ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ I realize this girl will take on the difficult and make it look like a walk in the park!

Then we have a break waiting for Adam, not too long though.

He starts with what looks like a more stylized version of the ‘Mad Hatter’s’ outfit from the Alice movie. Everyone is on their feet, and my son is standing on the seat next to me because he can’t see over the crowd. Then it’s off with the coat and on to the next song.

When ‘Ring Of Fire’ starts we’re all screaming and clapping.

‘What Do You Want From Me’ is amazing, Adam has such a soaring voice!

Then comes the best moment of the whole concert. Adam starts ‘If I Had You’ with its driving beat. My fist is in the air and I’m rocking out, and my son grabs my fist and we rock out together! I don’t know how to explain how special it is to share this music with my family.

We had the BEST time together, and they’ll remember this experience for a long time to come.