1.
Songwriter
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A songwriter is an individual who writes the lyrics, melodies and chord progressions for songs, typically for a popular music genre such as rock or country music. A songwriter can also be called a composer, although the term tends to be used mainly for individuals from the classical music genre. The pressure from the industry to produce popular hits means that songwriting is often an activity for which the tasks are distributed between a number of people. For example, a songwriter who excels at writing lyrics might be paired with a songwriter with a gift for creating original melodies, pop songs may be written by group members from the band or by staff writers – songwriters directly employed by music publishers. Some songwriters serve as their own publishers, while others have outside publishers. The old-style apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by university degrees and college diplomas, a knowledge of modern music technology, songwriting elements and business skills are necessary requirements to make a songwriting career in the 2010s. Several music colleges offer songwriting diplomas and degrees with music business modules, the legal power to grant these permissions may be bought, sold or transferred. This is governed by international copyright law, song pitching can be done on a songwriters behalf by their publisher or independently using tip sheets like RowFax, the MusicRow publication and SongQuarters. Skills associated with song-writing include entrepreneurism and creativity, songwriters who sign an exclusive songwriting agreement with a publisher are called staff writers. In the Nashville country music scene, there is a staff writer culture where contracted writers work normal 9-to-5 hours at the publishing office and are paid a regular salary. This salary is in effect the writers draw, an advance on future earnings, the publisher owns the copyright of songs written during the term of the agreement for a designated period, after which the songwriter can reclaim the copyright. In an interview with HitQuarters, songwriter Dave Berg extolled the benefits of the set-up, unlike contracted writers, some staff writers operate as employees for their respective publishers. Under the terms of work for hire agreements, the compositions created are fully owned by the publisher. In Nashville, young writers are often encouraged to avoid these types of contracts. Staff writers are common across the industry, but without the more office-like working arrangements favored in Nashville. All the major publishers employ writers under contract, songwriter Allan Eshuijs described his staff writer contract at Universal Music Publishing as a starter deal. His success under the arrangement eventually allowed him to found his own publishing company, so that he could. keep as much as possible, songwriters are also often skilled musicians. In addition to selling their songs and musical concepts for other artists to sing, songwriters need to create a number of elements for a song
2.
England
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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west, the Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east, the country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain in its centre and south, and includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Wight. England became a state in the 10th century, and since the Age of Discovery. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the worlds first industrialised nation, Englands terrain mostly comprises low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there are uplands in the north and in the southwest, the capital is London, which is the largest metropolitan area in both the United Kingdom and the European Union. In 1801, Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland through another Act of Union to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922 the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the name England is derived from the Old English name Englaland, which means land of the Angles. The Angles were one of the Germanic tribes that settled in Great Britain during the Early Middle Ages, the Angles came from the Angeln peninsula in the Bay of Kiel area of the Baltic Sea. The earliest recorded use of the term, as Engla londe, is in the ninth century translation into Old English of Bedes Ecclesiastical History of the English People. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its spelling was first used in 1538. The earliest attested reference to the Angles occurs in the 1st-century work by Tacitus, Germania, the etymology of the tribal name itself is disputed by scholars, it has been suggested that it derives from the shape of the Angeln peninsula, an angular shape. An alternative name for England is Albion, the name Albion originally referred to the entire island of Great Britain. The nominally earliest record of the name appears in the Aristotelian Corpus, specifically the 4th century BC De Mundo, in it are two very large islands called Britannia, these are Albion and Ierne. But modern scholarly consensus ascribes De Mundo not to Aristotle but to Pseudo-Aristotle, the word Albion or insula Albionum has two possible origins. Albion is now applied to England in a poetic capacity. Another romantic name for England is Loegria, related to the Welsh word for England, Lloegr, the earliest known evidence of human presence in the area now known as England was that of Homo antecessor, dating to approximately 780,000 years ago. The oldest proto-human bones discovered in England date from 500,000 years ago, Modern humans are known to have inhabited the area during the Upper Paleolithic period, though permanent settlements were only established within the last 6,000 years
3.
Damon Albarn
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Damon Albarn, OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is best known as the singer of the British rock band Blur as well as co-founder, vocalist, instrumentalist. After spending long periods of time touring the US, Albarns songwriting became influenced by British bands from the 1960s. The result of these came in the form of Modern Life Is Rubbish, Parklife. All three albums received critical acclaim while Blur gained mass popularity in the UK, aided by a Britpop rivalry with Oasis, subsequent albums such as Blur,13, Think Tank and The Magic Whip contained influences from lo-fi, electronic and hip hop music. Along with Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett, Albarn formed the virtual band Gorillaz in 1998, drawing influences from alternative rock, trip hop, hip hop, electronica, dub, reggae and pop music, the band released their self-titled debut album in 2001 to worldwide success. Although Albarn is the only permanent musical contributor, the albums feature collaborations from a range of artists. Gorillaz are cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band and he has also ventured into the world of opera with Dr Dee and Monkey, Journey to the West. In 2008 The Daily Telegraph ranked Albarn number 18 in their list of the 100 most powerful people in British culture, in a 2010 UK poll for Q magazine Albarn was voted the fourth-greatest frontman of all time. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to music, Albarn was born on 23 March 1968, is the eldest child of artist Keith Albarn and his wife Hazel, née Dring. Their daughter Jessica, born in 1971, also went on to become an artist, Keith Albarn, originally from Nottinghamshire, was briefly the manager of Soft Machine and once a guest on BBCs Late Night Line-Up. He was head of The School of Art and Design at Colchester Institute, damons paternal grandfather Edward, an architect, had been a conscientious objector during the Second World War and was involved in a farming community in Lincolnshire, becoming a peace activist. In 2002 Edward Albarn died, Damon stated in an interview that Edward did not want to any longer. The Apollo Cumfycraft and The Tailendcharlie produced by his fathers company Keith Albarn & Partners Ltd under the trade-name of Playlearn, when Damon and Jessica were growing up, their family moved to Leytonstone, East London. The household was described as bohemian and their upbringing as liberal, Albarn agreed with his parents views, later claiming, I always thought my parents were absolutely dead right. I went against the grain in a weird way – by continually following them and his parents primarily listened to blues, Indian ragas and African music. The population of the area was predominantly white as opposed to the ethnically mixed part of London which he had used to. He described himself as not really fitting in with the politics of the place, Albarn was interested in music from an early age, attending an Osmonds concert at the age of six
4.
Mike Alexander (musician)
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Michael Mike Alexander was a Jamaican-British musician who served as the bassist of English thrash metal group Evile. On 5 October 2009, Alexander died while on tour in Luleå, Sweden, due to a pulmonary embolism, Evile unveiled a memorial site to Alexander on 25 October 2009. Alexander was born in London, England, in 2000, after Matt Drake and Ben Carter formed a Metallica cover band, Alexander saw an advertisement in a local guitar store for a metal bassist. After calling Drake and rehearsing with the group, the band asked Alexander to join and they recorded an EP All Hallows Eve in 2004 and a demo Hell Demo in 2006. Soon after, the band signed to Earache Records, and released their Flemming Rasmussen produced debut album, Enter the Grave and their second album, Infected Nations, was released in 2009. Alexander performed with BC Rich bass guitars and he also endorsed Kustom and Hartke amplifiers and cabinets and Dunlop bass strings. Evile released a statement on 6 October 2009 through the bands label Earache and he died in Luleå, Sweden on 5 October 2009, during a European tour in support of their new album, from a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot on the lungs. He was replaced two months later by former Rise to Addiction bassist Joel Graham, on Eviles third album, Five Serpents Teeth, the song In Memoriam pays tribute to the late bassist, using a bass riff Alexander used to play during sound checks. He also was given credit for co-writing Long Live New Flesh, Alexander stated his favourite bassists were Jason Newsted and Sean Yseult. All Hallows Eve EP2004 Hell Demo 2006 Enter the Grave 2007 Infected Nations 2009 Songwriting credit on Five Serpents Teeth 2011 - on In Memoriam and Long Live New Flesh. BC Rich Warbeast bass BC Rich Warlock bass Silvertone Paul Stanley V Bass Hartke Cabinets Hartke Amp heads Kustom Cabinets Kustom Amp Heads Mike Alexander on Myspace
5.
Michael Algar
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Michael Olga Algar is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who fronts the band The Toy Dolls. Mainly a lead/rhythm guitarist, Olga is also a songwriter and record producer, Algar lived in the City of Sunderland during most of his life before moving to Tokyo, Japan, in 2000. He then moved to central London in 2002 where he has lived since, michael Algar, Olga, began playing music around the age of 11 after seeing Mud, Sweet, Slade and Suzi Quatro on Top of the Pops, a UK pop TV show. He had started songwriting/composing by the age of 17 and he played in various local bands including Straw Dogs and The Showbiz Kids before forming The Toy Dolls in October 1979. Over their 35-year existence The Toy Dolls have toured the world extensively and released numerous albums, Olga has written all the bands albums which include such titles as Absurd-Ditties, Fat Bobs Feet, Idle Gossip and Anniversary Anthems. Following the debut album Dig That Groove Baby, the band had a top 10 single in the UK in 1984, Nellie the Elephant and this was followed by the album A Far Out Disc reaching number 71 in the UK Album charts.18. In 2010 he was engineer on the album Crash & Burn by North East UK punk band Crashed Out. The latest production from Olga is The album after the last one by The Toy Dolls, Olga has written the music for various TV Commercials, including Ready Brek, Badoit mineral water and Crazy Grape Pepsi Cola. His music has also used on the soundtracks of Hollywood movies, including Haggard, The Movie, Free Jimmy. Olga also wrote the theme and incidental music for the TV Rock/Pop show Razzamatazz, prior to playing guitar, Olga first learned Bass guitar and also plays Kazoo. Olga plays a yellow Fender Telecaster with a Seymour Duncan bridge pick up, the All Music Guide describes Olga as being capable of jaw-droppingly fast guitar picking. He also played bass on various US shows with The Adicts and he made a guest appearance at the birthday show of Ginger from the Wildhearts at the Garage, London 17 December 2009. Olga also appeared on vocals alongside Brian Johnson from and John Miles, on the Geordie Aid single Try Giving Everything in 1985. Another charity record that Olga appeared on was the album Guitarists 4 the Kids released in 2006, Olga finds inspiration from everyday life, girlfriends, next door neighbours and things, rather than music, for his songwriting. His early musical influences include Dr. Feelgood, Chuck Berry, Sweet, Slade, Mud, SLF, Sham 69, The Jam, The Skids, among punk rock music in general
6.
Emma Anderson
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Emma Anderson is an English musician. She is best known for being a songwriter, guitarist and singer in the shoegazing/Britpop band, as keen music fans, they wrote a fanzine called Alphabet Soup. Her first band, which she joined in 1986, was The Rover Girls as a bass player, in 1987 she formed Lush with fellow songwriter Berenyi. On 6 March 1988, Lush played their very first performance at the Camden Falcon in London and they went on to reasonable success, having a number of Top 40 hits over an eight-year career. Anderson told Everett True in Melody Maker, I remember when I couldnt play, I wasnt in a band, didnt know anyone else who could play, I sometimes find it impossible to come to terms with whats happening. Anderson and Berenyi were the women to take part in the 1992 Lollapalooza tour of the United States. Both Anderson and Berenyi became major music press celebrities as part of The Scene That Celebrates Itself, music magazines the NME and Melody Maker gleefully reported their social activities on a regular basis, which could be said to overshadow their increasingly strong songwriting. As drummer Chris Acland states, people seem to want to talk about Lushs relationship to the more than they want to talk about Lush. Of the sound of Lush, Emma says, We were kind of rock in one way. We did think Well, if they can do it, why the fuck cant we, basically, our idea was to have extremely loud guitars with much weaker vocals. And, really the vocals were weaker due to nervousness – wed always be going Turn them down, after their biggest hits, the Top 30 Single Girl, Ladykillers and 500 and Top 10 album, Lovelife, the bands drummer Chris Acland took his own life in 1996. The members were devastated and they split in 1996, Lush officially announced their breakup on 23 February 1998. While a member of Lush, Anderson also worked with Drum Club contributing vocals and guitar on Spaced Out Locked In on their 1993 album Everything Is Now, in 1997 Anderson formed a new band with vocalist Lisa ONeill, Sing-Sing. Emma talks about how it started, I just started writing songs not really knowing what was going to happen though I kind of knew I didnt want to form another 4-piece indie band, I demoed those songs for 4AD with myself singing but was dropped but I wasnt fazed. I then met Lisa ONeill via a guy I was going out with at the time and she had worked with Mark Van Hoen whom funnily enough, someone I knew said, was looking for collaborators so it kind of all fell into place and Sing-Sing was born. They released two albums – The Joy of Sing-Sing in 2001 and Sing-Sing and I in 2005, before disbanding on New Years Day 2008. Anderson joined in reforming Lush in 2015, releasing a new single Out of Control in early 2016, scar – October 1989 Gala – December 1990 Spooky – January 1992 Split – June 1994 Lovelife – March 1996 Ciao. The Best of Lush –2001 Blind Spot – April 2016 The Joy of Sing-Sing –2001 Sing-Sing and I –2005 Andersons MySpace 4AD Lush Page
7.
Chris Andrews (singer)
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Christopher Frederick Chris Andrews is an English singer-songwriter, whose musical career started in the late 1950s. Andrews was born in Romford, Essex, England, and by his mid teens had formed his own group, Chris Ravel, on 14 March 1959, he made his British television debut, performing on the Oh, Boy. show. He would later return in April to perform a cover of Cliff Richards, for Adam Faith, Andrews wrote The First Time and We Are in Love, and then a string of hits for Sandie Shaw. They included Girl Dont Come, Ill Stop at Nothing, Message Understood, the latter remained a chart topper in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks. Girl Dont Come was covered by Cher on her debut album, as well as obtaining a high placing in the UK chart with Yesterday Man, it also climbed to No.1 in Ireland and Germany. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc, later releases were not as successful, but his own hits are seen as early examples of bluebeat influenced white pop music. In South Africa, his single releases proved particularly popular, with Pretty Belinda, Carol OK. Yo Yo reached No.7 at the end of 1970, Andrews remains active in his career as a singer-songwriter, working primarily in continental Europe and in the United Kingdom. He lives with his second wife Alexandra, who is also his manager, in Germany and Spain. net chris-andrews. de Chris Andrews discography, forum, and marketplace at Discogs
8.
Anohni
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Anohni is an English-born singer, composer, and visual artist who resides in the United States. She is best known as Antony, the singer of the band Antony. Anohni was born in Chichester, England and her family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1981. In 1990, she moved to Manhattan, New York to study at New York University and she started her musical career performing with an ensemble of NYC musicians as Antony and the Johnsons. Their first album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released in 2000 on David Tibets label Durtro and their second album, I Am a Bird Now, was a commercial and critical success, earning her the Mercury Music Prize. Her debut solo album, Hopelessness, was released in May 2016 to wide acclaim, including another nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. Anohni was born in 1971 in Chichester, West Sussex, England, in 1977, her family moved to Amsterdam for a year, and then, in 1981, they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area of California where she grew up. In 1990, Anohni moved to Manhattan to attend the Experimental Theatre Wing of New York University and she spent the next several years singing in after-hours bars and clubs using pre-recorded cassettes as self-accompaniment as well as writing and directing late night theatre productions. The ensemble performed for the first time as Antony and the Johnsons at The Kitchen as part of William Basinskis installation Life on Mars in 1997, in 1999, the group began to perform more frequently at venues such as Joes Pub and The Knitting Factory in New York City. British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard the recording and offered to release it through his Durtro record label, the album, Antony. Antony and the Johnsons 2005 album I Am a Bird Now featured guest performances by Lou Reed, Boy George, Rufus Wainwright, the album was released in North America by Secretly Canadian Records and in Europe by Rough Trade. It received considerable praise and won the UKs prestigious Mercury Prize and was named Album of the Year by Mojo magazine, the band toured North America, Europe, Australia and parts of South America for a year and a half in support of I am a Bird Now. The song Bird Gerhl was featured in the soundtrack for the movie V for Vendetta, Antony and the Johnsons collaborated with experimental film maker Charles Atlas and presented TURNING in Nov 2006 in Rome, London, Paris, Madrid, and Braga, Portugal. The concert featured live video portraits of some of New York Citys most enigmatic women, the Guardian called the piece fragile, life affirming, and truly wonderful Le Monde in Paris hailed TURNING as Concert-manifeste transsexuel. Antony and the Johnsons 5-song Another World EP was released on 7 October 2008, Antony and the Johnsons third album, The Crying Light, was released on 19 January 2009. The album peaked at number 1 on the European Billboard charts, Anohni has described the theme of the album as being about landscape and the future. The album was mixed by Bryce Goggin and includes arrangements by Nico Muhly, as music, its simply exquisite – more controlled and considered than anything Antony and the Johnsons have done and sure to linger in the minds of listeners. The concert hall was transformed into a cave filled with laser effects created by installation artist Chris Levine
