Artist InformationBiography
"There are some voices that stop you in your tracks and make you listen, and Alyse Black is a great example."
- Eclectic Mix Podcast -
Alyse Black lures you with a sultry whisper. She beckons you with a gripping wail. She's elegant yet primal. Call her angelic, call her wicked, but Alyse Black embodies the red-headed siren singer-songwriter. “Her songs swallow you whole, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” (San Antonio Current) Her vocal-based indie-pop is frequently compared to the ridiculously playful Regina Spektor;the anything-goes Björk; and the soft and throbbing Norah Jones.
RECENT NEWS:
- Full national tour of the US late summer through fall of 2009, including CMJ Music Festival, followed by month-long European tour (all self-booked)
- Sophomore album recorded and produced Ryan Hadlock (Foo Fighters, Blonde Redhead, Ra Ra Riot, Gossip)
- 1st Place in Billboard's Annual World Song Contest (Jazz)
- Won respected Eddie’s Attic Open Mic in Decatur, GA, and will return for Shoot Out in June 2010
- Performed on ME TV, Infinyt Hour TV, and Backline Show in Austin, TX
- Two national tours (37 shows) of the US (one focused on festivals) in 2008, as well as a 12-show Winter 2009 Tour of the Northwest US
- 1st Place in the 2008 ISSA Singer-Songwriter Song Contest (Jazz) and final nominee (Adult Contemp)
- On six first-round ballots for 2009 Grammys
- StereoFame.com's first Artist of the Month (August 2008)
- Won 1st place in OurStage.com's Jazz Channel for July 2008
- MySpace views greater than 430k and a Google search returns over 244k links related to Alyse's music
- Festivals Performed: CMJ 2009, Dfest 2008 & 2009, Monolith 2008, MidPoint 2008, Branson 2008, ChickFest 2008, Thing SWING! 2008, and more
- Selected for the "Best of" CD for MidPoint Music Festival and OKC "must see" for Dfest
- Some Notable Venues Played: The Triple Door (Seattle), Genghis Cohen (Los Angeles), Googie’s Lounge @ The Living Room & The Sidewalk Café (NYC), Cactus Café & Antones (Austin), JazzBones (Tacoma), ZOLA (Spokane), The Blue Cafe (Long Beach), Genghis Cohen (Los Angeles), The Reef (Boise), Katerina's (Chicago), The Gramaphone (St. Louis), Club Cafe (Pittsburgh), Toad's Place (Richmond), The Five Spot (Atlanta), Mansion America Theater (Branson), Gezellig (Dallas), Kirkland Performance Center (Kirkland), The SoDo ShowBox (Seattle), Luna (San Antonio)
- Selected for feature on MyCoke.com, as Singer of the Month on SingerUniverse, and for inclusion on many prestigious compilation albums and podcasts
SHORT BIO
After a childhood of musical theater and living abroad, Alyse began her career singing on the streets of Pike Place Market in Seattle. One rare sunny afternoon, the pianist for a local group wandered by, stood captivated for a moment, and then explained: he needed another singer for a show that night at a local club. It was perfect for a girl who was too passionate for her over-educated background. There was no looking back.
Alyse’ alternative-pop sophomore album, Hold Onto This, was recorded and produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Strokes, Foo Fighters, Ra Ra Riot, Blonde Redhead, The Gossip) and will hit the proverbial shelf on October 6th, 2009. Her first album, Too Much & Too Lovely won 1st place in Billboard’s Annual World Song Contest in Jazz among many other awards. In addition her US tour in 2008, Alyse performed numerous major music festivals around the States. This year, Alyse will tour the US from August through October and Europe later in the year to celebrate the release of For You.
PRESS RELEASE:
ALYSE BLACK CELEBRATES CD RELEASE WITH TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE
Seattle-native, Austin-based artist, Alyse Black, will celebrate the release of her sophomore alternative-pop album, Hold Onto This, with a four month tour of the United States and Europe. Her CD release party in Seattle will take place at The Triple Door (Mainstage) Sunday, September 13th, 2009. Alyse will be touring with friend and fellow singer-songwriter, Aly Tadros.
Hold Onto This was recorded and produced by Ryan Hadlock, who has worked with such undeniable acts as the Foo Fighters, Ra Ra Riot, Blonde Redhead, and The Gossip. The album was recorded at Bear Creek Studio in the Seattle area. Hold Onto This is due out October 6th, 2009.
Alyse Black lures you in with a sultry whisper. She beckons you with a gripping wail. She's elegant yet primal. Call her angelic, call her wicked, but Alyse Black embodies the red-headed siren singer-songwriter. “Her songs swallow you whole, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” (San Antonio Current) Her vocal-based indie-pop is frequently compared to the ridiculously playful Regina Spektor; the spacious, anything-goes Björk; and the soft and throbbing Norah Jones.
After a childhood of musical theater and living abroad, Alyse began her career singing on the streets of Pike Place Market in Seattle. One rare sunny afternoon, the pianist for a local group wandered by, stood captivated for a moment, and then explained: he needed another singer for a show that night at a local club. It was perfect for a girl who was too passionate for her over-educated background. There was no looking back.
Alyse' first album, Too Much & Too Lovely, won 1st place in Billboard’s Annual World Song Contest in Jazz among many other awards in pop, adult contemporary, and vocal genres. In addition her US tour in 2008, Alyse performed numerous major music festivals around the States.
“Fans adore her smooth, come-hither voice and cleverly spun lyrics... Like a sonic speedball, her smooth-as-butter jazz sensibility mixes with her frisky, spirited voice to produce one helluva listening high.”
San Antonio Current
“Her voice is captivating: rich and velvety in the lower, quieter sections; clean, articulate, and never shrill or nasal in the upper range and in loud passages…and always with dead-on pitch!”
103.1 KCDA in Spokane, WA – Live Review
“Alyse hits home with every track enough to mesmerize a person... The music of Alyse Black transcends all genres, demographics and more... My audience is always hinged for more!”
KRIM-FM 96.3 in Payson, Arizona
Check out Alyse Black's music, pictures and videos at
www.AlyseBlack.com
www.MySpace.com/AlyseBlack
www.ReverbNation.com/AlyseBlack
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Instrumentation
Alyse Black, vocals & keys
Juke Wyatt, electric & upright bass
Cody Rahn, drums/percussion & electro (Seattle + touring)
Kimo Muraki, acoustic & electric guitars, lap steel, trombone, bari sax, mellophone, saw, ukelele, banjo
Smitty, drums (Austin)
Hans Brehmer, piano (for full band performances only)
Jeff Miller, trumpet (for full band performances only)
Discography
"Hold Onto This," Alyse' sophomore solo album, is set to release October 6th. It is currently available for publishing and label deals.
"Too Much & Too Lovely" released in late 2007. It can be purchased at Amazon, CDBaby, iTunes, as well as a host of other sites. The album release party at The Triple Door in Seattle, WA, was played to a packed house.
Alyse has also been part of numerous compilation albums, including "Bad Girls Don't Cry" and "Mad Love Fast Love" with Amy Winehouse and Duffy.
Alyse released an EP with her Latin-jazz love-song group, Thursty Love, in early 2007.
Links
| http://www.AlyseBlack.com |
| MySpace |
| ReverbNation |
| YouTube |
| StereoFame |
| iLike.com |