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Message For Albert
''Message for Albert'' is the debut studio album by American singer Five for Fighting, released on March 11, 1997 by Nettwerk and EMI. Background John Ondrasik had signed with EMI Records in 1995 and adopted Five for Fighting as his "band name" despite being a solo act. EMI executives believed that the male singer songwriter persona was no longer viable, so Ondrasik selected Five for Fighting as a stage name. Lyrics and Composition Ondrasik wrote or co-wrote all of the album's songs. Mark Hermann co-wrote "Happy," "Wise Man," and "2 Frogs." ''Message'' is unique among Five for Fighting albums in that several of its songs focus on named characters (rather than being strictly first-person ballads). "Bella's Birthday Cake" tells of an older woman who tries to seduce the narrator. The Garden's lyrics focus on a religious seeker named Johnny. "Happy" is about a character named Daddy (or Big Daddy, as he appears in the CD jacket). "2 Frogs" is told from the perspective of an ant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Five For Fighting
Vladimir John Ondrasik III (born January 7, 1965), also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known for his piano-based soft rock, such as the top 40 hits " Superman (It's Not Easy)" (2001), "100 Years" (2003), and " The Riddle" (2006). He also had a string of moderate hits on the adult contemporary charts in the late 2000s and into the 2010s, including "World" (2006) and " Chances" (2009). Ondrasik has recorded six studio albums, one EP, and several live albums as Five for Fighting. Ondrasik's song "Superman" was nominated for a Grammy in 2002. The singer has had songs featured in 350 films, TV shows and advertisements. Early years Ondrasik was born in Los Angeles, California, a child of a musical family. He is of Slovak descent. His mother was a piano teacher who taught at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, where he graduated. He learned the piano as a child. In his teens, he learned to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rock Music
Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in rock and roll, a style that drew from the black musical genres of blues and rhythm and blues, as well as from country music. Rock also drew strongly from genres such as electric blues and folk music, folk, and incorporated influences from jazz and other styles. Rock is typically centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar, drum kit, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music with a Time signature, time signature and using a verse–chorus form; however, the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political. Rock was the most p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pop Rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, early pop rock was influenced by the Beat (music), beat, arrangements, and original style of rock and roll (and sometimes doo-wop). It may be viewed as a distinct genre field rather than music that overlaps with Pop music, pop and rock. The detractors of pop rock often deride it as a slick, commercial product and less Authenticity in art#Authenticity of performance, authentic than rock music. Characteristics and etymology Much pop and rock music has been very similar in sound, instrumentation and even lyrical content. The terms "pop rock" and "power pop" have been used to describe more commercially successful music that uses elements from, or the form of, roc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nettwerk
Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Canada and internationally. Initially specializing in electronic music including alternative dance and industrial, the label expanded its roster to include pop, rock and numerous singer-songwriters in the late 1980s and 1990s. Early artists included Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan, and Barenaked Ladies. In 2023, Nettwerk recapitalized to invest in catalog acquisitions and artist investments. The label was named in Billboard’s Indie Power Players list in 2024. History In 1984, Terry McBride and his friend Mark Jowett attended — and both dropped out of — the University of British Columbia. McBride had studied civil engineering while Jowett took classes in creative writing, theater and English. The two met at a house party where Jowett ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
America Town
''America Town'' is the second studio album by American pop rock artist Five for Fighting. It was released by Aware Records, a Columbia Records subsidiary, in 2000. It contains two of his most well-known songs, " Easy Tonight" and the Grammy-nominated " Superman (It's Not Easy)". The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 1, 2001, and Platinum on October 22, 2004. The album has sold over 966,000 copies in the United States as of November 2009. Background and composition John Ondrasik had been active in the Los Angeles music scene since the 1980s, but did not adopt "Five for Fighting" as his stage name until he signed with EMI Records in 1995. His first album, '' Message for Albert'', came out through EMI in 1997 but EMI's American division closed shortly after ''Message'' came out. After EMI's collapse, Ondrasik briefly signed with Island Records, but then "PolyGram, Island's parent company, merged with Universal and he was lost in the shuffle". Ondrasik then signed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Musical ensemble, bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All-Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar, and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as compact discs (CDs) replaced LP record, LPs and cassette (format), cassettes as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it, he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melodic (magazine)
''Melodic'' is an international daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on independent music. However, the range of musical genres covered extends to rock, pop, folk, jazz, heavy metal, electronic, and experimental music. The site, which was established in 1999, concentrates on new music, but ''Melodic'' journalists also review reissued albums and box sets. The site also publishes "best-of" lists as annual features detailing the best albums of each year. History The website was created in Skogås, Sweden in 1999 with the name of Midwestern Skies. It was founded by the music industrialist Pär Winberg, which had been an A&R executive and had worked for EMI Music Sweden and Lionheart Music Group. He also worked with several artists, including The Real Group and Robert Wells. ''Melodic'' publishes content from contributors located around the globe, based in different continents and countries. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note in the United States in 1942 by Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva, and Wallichs Music City, Glenn E. Wallichs. Capitol was acquired by British music conglomerate EMI as its North American subsidiary in 1955. EMI was acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012, and was merged with the company a year later, making Capitol and the Capitol Music Group both distributed by UMG. The label's Capitol Records Building, circular headquarters building is a recognized landmark of Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. History Founding Songwriter Johnny Mercer founded Capitol Records in 1942 with financial help from songwriter and film producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, owner of Wallichs Music City. Mercer r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. They grew to be a worldwide success over time, with the success of platinum performers Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Devo, Tangerine Dream, Genesis (band), Genesis, Phil Collins, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, OMD, the Human League, Culture Club, Simple Minds, the Spice Girls, Lenny Kravitz, the Sex Pistols, and Mike Oldfield among others, meaning that by the time it was sold, it was regarded as a major label, alongside other large international independents such as A&M Records, A&M and Island Records. Virgin Records was sold to Thorn EMI in 1992. EMI would later be acquired by Universal Music Group (UMG) in 2012 with UMG creating the Virgin EMI Records division. The Virgin Records name continues to be used by UMG in certain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has had a successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released 12 studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Joel is one of the world's List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists and is the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States. His 1985 compilation album, ''Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II'', is one of the List of best-selling albums in the United States, best-selling albums in the United States. Joel was born in the Bronx in New York City and grew up in Hicksville, New York, Hicksville on Long Island, where he began taking piano lessons at his mothe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After playing in several small independent bands throughout the late 80s and into the early 90s, Folds came to prominence as the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock trio Ben Folds Five from 1993 to 2000, and again during their reunion from 2011 to 2013. He has recorded a number of solo albums, most recently '' Sleigher'' (2024). He has also collaborated with musicians such as Regina Spektor, "Weird Al" Yankovic and yMusic, and undertaken experimental songwriting projects with actor William Shatner and authors such as Nick Hornby and Neil Gaiman. He was the artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. from 2019 until 2025. Folds has frequently performed arrangements of his music with uncommon instrumentation for rock and pop music, including symphony orchestras and a cappella groups. In addition to contributin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen chose to stop performing live by the end of 1974 and continued Steely Dan as a studio-only duo, utilizing a revolving cast of session musicians. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine named them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the seventies". Becker and Fagen played together in a variety of bands from their time together studying at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson. They later moved to Los Angeles, gathered a band of musicians and began recording music. Their debut album, '' Can't Buy a Thrill'' (1972), established a template for their career, blending elements of rock, jazz, Latin music, R&B, and bluesAllMusic Steely Dan: Biography with sophisticated studio production and cryptic, irony-infused lyrics. The band enjoyed critical and commerci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
