Todd Alsup

Artist Information

Biography

Recent Highlights:

* "Let's Have a Party" featured on MTV's "The Real World New Orleans" - July 2010

* "It's Always Monday" featured on PBS' "Roadtrip Nation"

* Billboard Underground Artist featured in magazine and online

* Yamaha Endorsement Artist

* Currently performing in and around New York City and up and down the east coast at colleges and universities.

* NACA Mid-Atlantic Showcase Artist Fall 2009 & Spring 2010

* NACA Northeast 2008 Showcase Artist - booked a successful Spring 2009 Tour of colleges throughout the NE and Mid-Atlantic.

* Cover Feature in Fall 2009 Issue of Provincetown Magazine

* Regular volunteer artist with LIFEBEAT - The Music Industry Fights AIDS

* Performed at various Pride Festivals throughout the Northeast in Summer 2009

* Regular appearances on Sirius OutQ with Larry Flick and Frank DeCaro

BIOGRAPHY

Smart. Fresh. Colorful. Classic. These are just a few words that have been used to describe downtown-NYC pop/soul sensation Todd Alsup. With a potent, powerful voice, virtuosic keyboard skills and a songbook chock full of potential hits, Alsup is poised to make himself a household name. He is a singer/songwriter who weaves good old-fashioned pop songs and delivers them from the gut, rejecting gimmicks in favor of craft and authenticity. His new self-titled studio album is a bright, shiny collection of lovingly-crafted hook-driven songs that seamlessly blend pop, soul, Motown and rock.

Alsup first made a name for himself with the release of his 2008 debut EP “Facts and Figures.” The EP garnered steady radio rotation, rave reviews, a coveted Yamaha endorsement, and the attention of Billboard Magazine, where Alsup was featured as an up-and-coming artist to watch. Riding high on the momentum of his first outing, Alsup enlisted New York producers Steve Greenwell (Joss Stone, Diane Birch) and James Walsh and Jeremy Sklarksy (Freelance Whales) of Major Who Media to assemble his first full-length record. "A conscious decision was made to create something timeless that would pay homage to the artists and styles of music I grew up listening to. As I wrote the material for the record, I took great inspiration from artists like Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, The Supremes, Elton John, and Marvin Gaye.”

The result is a truly remarkable debut that sparkles with elegant piano lines, quirky synths, doo-wop harmonies, lush strings, bright horns and, at the forefront, Alsup’s impressive vocals. Lead single “Let’s Have a Party” is a celebratory shout-out - a deliciously funky track with an old-school Stevie Wonder vibe. It features reggae-infused piano, Wonder-esque Moog synths, and brass-lines for days. “You Are” is a classic piano love ballad in the style of Elton John and Billy Joel and features an intimate, romantic and heartfelt lyric. There are nods to Motown (the joyous, horn-soaked “Funniest Thing”), disco (the infectiously funky “The Only Thing”), blues (heart-wrencher “How I’m Made”), epic classic rock (a politically-charged “Something Worth Believing”) and traditional piano-man balladry (“The Way It Goes” and “Getting Gone”). It’s an album that tips its hat to the landscape of classic American pop, without being bound to any genre or era. It is, simply, a collection of solid songs recorded by top-notch musicians. This is a playlist you will want to put on repeat.

Alsup grew up in Pontiac, MI, a suburb of Detroit, the eldest of two boys born to public school teachers. “From as young as I can remember I had a desire - a compulsion actually - to sing and make music." When his parents bought a piano for the house when he was eleven, things just got louder. Alsup felt an innate desire to put on a show and it was not uncommon to see him rounding up kids from the block for the latest Todd Alsup production – a parade through the neighborhood, a circus in the backyard, a music video in the basement. “I wanted to be the ringleader. I just really liked entertaining people.”

Alsup has called Manhattan his home since graduating high school. These days, Todd regularly thrills faithful crowds at popular downtown NYC clubs, and maintains a steady touring schedule. An out and proud artist, he’s also an active member of his community. He is a strong advocate for marriage equality, a volunteer artist for Lifebeat – The Music Industry Fights AIDS, and regularly contributes his time and talents to worthy organizations like GLAAD and various Pride groups.

So how does Todd Alsup view his place in the music industry? “I’d like to think I’m bringing a bit of classicism and authenticity back to pop. I was drawn to pop music because I don’t know any other art form that can excite or affect people the way a three-and-a-half minute song can. You’re given a short pocket of time to tell a memorable story and make people feel something. It’s about distilling an emotion and the challenge of doing that effectively is epic. No movie or novel ever made me feel as joyous as ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ or as cathartic as ‘Let It Be.’ Pop music gets a bad rap an awful lot, but it can be elegant and serious shit.”

For Todd, the journey is all about making a lasting connection with listeners. "I would love to bring back that era of well-crafted songs that tell meaningful and powerful stories about life and love. I think that's a lost art, and if I can make a living sharing that passion with an audience, then I'm happy."


WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:

"Alsup's buoyant attitude and bright, high-energy music could hit a home run with new, young fans. With a style on par with Gavin DeGraw and OneRepublic, Alsup's music could find a place on the radio with any number of pop-oriented stations." - Billboard

"Comparisons with (Billy) Joel are not out of line. His affinity for songwriters and performers of the past is obvious, particularly in terms of melody and his approach to the material. But more than anything, Alsup's gorgeous voice (with notable shades of Stevie Wonder) grabs hold of you and keeps you with him, from the first note." -- Provincetown Magazine (Fall/Winter 2009)

"The combination of giddy piano pop, old-school soul and free-spirited songs finds Alsup treading an earnest if unlikely divide between Ben Folds and John Legend. However, he's too talented to be gauged by comparisons." - Performing Songwriter (June 2008)

"The best pop/r&b hybrid I've heard in more than a year! Merging Stevie Wonder with John Legend and the pop smarts of Jon McLaughlin. Ear-bending hooks that will control you for days."- Stereo Subversion (1/21/08)

"Todd Alsup proves that some pop can still transcend the suspect platitudes most listeners have come to expect... by balancing his serious musicianship with a hint of gentle playfulness... His songs shimmer with warmth. As his career keeps galloping forward, be sure to check out its vital velocity." - Jezebel Music (3/30/09)

MANAGEMENT:
MajorWho Media – James Walsh: 212.842.8007 | jameswalsh@majorwho.com

Instrumentation

Available for Solo, Acoustic and Full-Band Performances!

Discography

2010 - "Todd Alsup" (LP)
2008 - "Facts and Figures" (EP)
2005 - "How I'm Made" (EP)

"The Good Fight" 2008 - College Radio, Q104.3 in NYC, and Sirius Satellite Radio

College Performances including:
Eastern Connecticut, SUNY Orange, Vermont,
FIT, St. Joseph, Roger Williams, Catholic University,
UConn, Penn College of Technology, and NYU

"With amazing ENERGY and SOUL, Todd Alsup is one of the best up and coming music performers to hit the college scene in years! Everyone here at SUNY Orange LOVED his performance and we look forward to seeing him again in the near future!"

Edmund Lugo, Assistant Director of Student Activities SUNY Orange

Official Website

http://www.myspace.com/toddalsup

Links

• Official Website
• MySpace
• Facebook

Audio

• Let's Have a Party
  Listen  
• I Feel
  Listen  
• THE WAY IT GOES
  Listen  
• The Only Thing
  Listen  
• FUNNIEST THING
  Listen  
• YOU ARE
  Listen  
• ITS ALWAYS MONDAY
  Listen  
• HOW I'M MADE
  Listen  
• Something Worth Believing
  Listen  
• Something Worth Believing
  Listen  

Lyrics

• ITS ALWAYS MONDAY
• THE GOOD FIGHT
• DOWN THIS WAY
• STATUS QUO
• THEORY
• ONE OF A KIND
• ALREADY

Video

Your Body Is a Wonderland

Photo Gallery

Press

• Provincetown Magazine Cover Story - Fall/Winter 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  I remember the first album I ever bought - it was Billy Joel's Glass Houses. I'd heard Billy Joel o...I remember the first album I ever bought - it was Billy Joel's Glass Houses. I'd heard Billy Joel on the radio, and like a lot of people, was drawn into his [songs] by the stories they told, the characters in them, and their memorable melodies. I wasn't conscious of it then, at about 9 or 10 years old, but Joel was just one of a number of pop singer/songwriters of the late 70's and 80's who approached music in this way. Great melodies, lyrics you could hear and relate to, and solid musicianship without much packaging on the outside.
  
  Todd Alsup may have come up nearly a decade after me, but comparisons with Joel are not out of line. His affinity for songwriters and performers of the past is obvious, particularly in terms of melody and his approach to the material. But more than anything, Alsup's gorgeous voice (with notable shades of Stevie Wonder) grabs hold of you and keeps you with him, from the first note.
  
  "I popped out of the womb instantly making noise all over the house," Alsup says in a telephone call from his New York City home. "From as early as I could remember, I kind of grew up obsessed with any form of music."
  
  Alsup, who will be performing November 27th and 28th at the Crown & Anchor, grew up in Detroit into a family of athletes and teachers. "I don't come from a terribly musical family, but they all had an appreciation for music." More importantly, he says, they were extremely supportive of him and gave him every opportunity to hone his craft, despite the typical worries about his future security, as someone going into a creative field.
  
  Growing up in the heart of Motown had a strong impact on the young singer. In fact, it was the record collection his parents had from their teenage years that provided most of the inspiration. The Beatles, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, and Billy Joel were at the top of the list.
  
  But all of his life experiences contributed in some way to his work, as they do for all of us. Alsup says he always writes his lyrics first because "I need to know what I'm writing about first." But other than that, he says, the process varies.
  
  "I think the most important thing is that I keep a little notebook where I jot down little phrases or ideas...Probably about 50 percent of my songs come from a very personal place. But songwriting for me is like play-time, making up stories (rather than telling true ones)...Melody and rhythmic ideas come to me when I'm in motion, so when I want to create a melody, I just go for a walk in the city."
  
  These days, Alsup is working on his own album - his very first, although he did release an EP entitled Facts & Figures last year. "We're really excited," he says. "I'm lucky to be working with a company called MajorWho Media, which is basically a production house in the city, but they do artist development as well."
  
  Alsup says he first began his relationship with MajorWho when he was just looking for a place to record his EP - something he knew he wanted to do about three years ago. What began as just "a production relationship" turned into something more once the EP was finished. MajorWho asked Alsup if they could manage him and the match was made. But the music industry in the 21st century is a whole different animal than it was in the days of Motown. The classic pop and R&B singers Alsup evokes reached the masses at a time when the name of the game was mass appeal, rather than the more contemporary niche-marketing model.
  
  "On the Internet, especially in New York, there are a lot of hip, savvy music blogs. If you're writing hip stuff and these guys take a liking to you, they will write about you. But I'm doing very old school, throwback mainstream pop," he concedes.
  
  The dilemma is an interesting one, but one which others have overcome with great success. Alsup cites Ingrid Michaelson as one example to follow. "We're just now starting to talk about what the best way to distribute it may be...[Michaelson] is a great artist, and she had a big break by having her tracks on Grey's Anatomy. Now she's released three albums on her own, she's touring constantly. So that's one avenue to take. It's really about reaching out and making sure you can connect with your audience."
  
  While bands that have been around longer may have noticed a drop off in attendance at live shows, Alsup is really pleased with the growth of his audiences. He was invited to play in Provincetown for Bear Week when he met Rick Murray, owner of the Crown & Anchor, last spring in New York. The shows went really well and Alsup is looking forward to returning. In fact, he confesses this year was his first time in Provincetown, and after the Bear Week show, he and his partner of seven years, Matt, actually came back for a vacation here as well.
  
  Alsup is also a big supporter of marriage equality, something he has a personal stake in, living in a state still considering whether or not to allow gay marriages. His song, "You Are," a romantic ballad he wrote about Matt, is a song he hopes can be used to somehow help the movement. In any case, the song is bound to be a popular request for couples, with its romantic chorus: "You are the center of my soul/ The half that makes me whole/ The healer of my heart/ Might not say this nearly enough/ But all I've ever loved/ Is everything you are," sung by the soulful voice of Todd Alsup.
  

• Billboard Magazine (November 2008) [+ Show ]
  

  "Alsup's buoyant attitude and bright, high-energy music could hit a home run with new, young fans. ..."Alsup's buoyant attitude and bright, high-energy music could hit a home run with new, young fans. With a style on par with Gavin DeGraw and OneRepublic, Alsup's music could find a place on the radio with any number of pop-oriented stations." - Katie Hasty
  
  Todd was featured as a Billboard Underground Artist and a video interview and performance of "The Good Fight" is currently featured on www.Billboard.com/toddalsup.

• Performing Songwriter (June 2008) [+ Show ]
  

  "This combination of giddy piano pop, old-school soul and free-spirited songs finds Alsup treading...
  "This combination of giddy piano pop, old-school soul and free-spirited songs finds Alsup treading an earnest if unlikely divide between Ben Folds and John Legend. However, he's too talented to be gauged by comparisons, as 'Facts & Figures' makes abundantly clear."

• Jezebel Music - Local Spotlight NYC (March 2009) [+ Show ]
  

  "It's always a pleasure to discover new pop music that excites – because, so often, at best it suc..."It's always a pleasure to discover new pop music that excites – because, so often, at best it succeeds at being merely pleasant and chummy. Fortunately, singer-songwriter/pianist Todd Alsup proves that some pop can still transcend the suspect platitudes most listeners have come to expect. Alsup accomplishes this by balancing his serious musicianship – his piano chops have merited a sponsorship by Yamaha – with a hint of gentle playfulness. Consequently, his talent never feels forced upon the listener. Rather, his songs shimmer with warmth, allowing them to be pensive and personal without ever teetering on standoffish and insular. He admixes into this recipe his significant vocal range. He hits the notes right, with an integrity equal to that displayed by his piano playing. In addition to venues outside of the city, Alsup frequently performs around town at places such as Rockwood Music Hall. As his career keeps galloping forward, be sure to check out its vital velocity." - Alicia Dreilinger

• Stereo Subversion New Artist Spotlight (January 2008) [+ Show ]
  

  "Status Quo" is the best pop/r&b hybrid I've heard in more than a year! Merging Stevie Wonder with ..."Status Quo" is the best pop/r&b hybrid I've heard in more than a year! Merging Stevie Wonder with John Legend and the pop smarts of Jon McLaughlin, this New Yorker has one of the biggest hits of 2008 hidden on his MySpace page just waiting to be given a shot at greatness. His song "Theory" is a worthy follow-up -- both songs have extremely competent playing and ear-bending hooks that will control you for days. He's got a firm grip on his influences and has created several tracks that are worthy of bigger things. If the rest of his album is this good, you'll be hearing more about him in SSV soon. (1/21/08)

• Sirius Satellite Radio - "Feel the Spin"
  

  "Boy oh boy oh boy is he talented!" (1/26/08)

• Review of Facts & Figures [+ Show ]
  

  "Todd Alsup is an admirable pop lyricist, and he showcases his talent wonderfully on the Facts & Fig..."Todd Alsup is an admirable pop lyricist, and he showcases his talent wonderfully on the Facts & Figures EP. 'The Good Fight' is piano rock at its finest and Todd has a great, strong voice. On 'Down This Way,' he demonstrates a good mainstream pop feel, and you can hear his musical inventiveness coming through. The soulful 'Status Quo' has a smooth Marvin Gaye influence, and Todd pulls it off beautifully. 'Theory' is a lovely rock ballad with Elton John-like piano, and 'One of a Kind' is blues rock with a taste of Billy Joel. Facts & Figures is a must-have for anyone who loves piano pop rock!" (4/15/08)

• Review of Detroit CD Release Party [+ Show ]
  

  “Independent pop rock artist Todd Alsup confidently delivers passionate and heartfelt lyrics. Not...
  “Independent pop rock artist Todd Alsup confidently delivers passionate and heartfelt lyrics. Not surprisingly, the talented singer comes from Detroit area, and he hasn’t forgotten his roots to the city. Alsup was recently in Pontiac for a private album release party in the Crofoot’s Pike Room, where he charmed us all with a performance of songs from ‘Facts & Figures.” The charming continued off stage, as Alsup made sure to spend a significant amount of time covering the room, while making sure to create and maintain a comfortable, fun atmosphere for each of his guests. He is now continuing to share his music with New York, but I encourage a watch for his return. Until then, grab yourself a copy of ‘Facts & Figures.’” (3/11/08)

• Melodic.net - Review of "Facts & Figures" [+ Show ]
  

  "A brilliant singer and artist” with “huge talents.” “I was completely blown away by The Good Fight..."A brilliant singer and artist” with “huge talents.” “I was completely blown away by The Good Fight,” which is “a song that Gavin DeGraw would have been proud of and that he would have had a huge hit with.” Down This Way is “a mighty fine moment” that “adds a flirt of pop a la Danny Wilde [of the Rembrandts].” Theory is “a beautiful piano-based semi-ballad," and One of a Kind is “a beautiful groovy little piano-based pearl.” (1/28/08)

• Now Hear This -- Todd Alsup's Facts & Figures [+ Show ]
  

  Currently listening to and loving the new album by singer/songwriter Todd Alsup. He's getting rav...
  Currently listening to and loving the new album by singer/songwriter Todd Alsup. He's getting raves on the New York music scene and air time on Sirius with his debut CD, Facts and Figures. Accurately described as "old school soul with piano-man sensibilities," Alsup has happily found a home on our most played ipod list. Not to be missed and soon to be everywhere. (1/24/08)

Setlist

1. The Good Fight
2. How I'm Made
3. Down This Way
4. Already
5. Status Quo
6. Getting Gone
7. I Feel
8. Theory
9. The Funniest Thing
10. You Are
11. It's Always Monday
12. Legacy
13. I Love Music
14. One of a Kind

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