Linkin Park

Linkin Park
Although rooted in alternative metal, Linkin Park became one of the most successful acts of the 2000s by welcoming elements of hip-hop, modern rock, and atmospheric electronica into their music. The band's rise was indebted to the aggressive rap-rock movement made popular by the likes of Korn and Limp Bizkit, a movement that paired grunge's alienation with a bold, buzzing soundtrack. Linkin Park added a unique spin to that formula, however, focusing as much on the vocal interplay between singer Chester Bennington and rapper Mike Shinoda as the band's muscled instrumentation, which layered DJ effects atop heavy, processed guitars. While the group's sales never eclipsed those of its tremendously successful debut, Hybrid Theory, few alt-metal bands rivaled Linkin Park during the band's heyday.

Drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, and MC/vocalist Mike Shinoda attended high school in Southern California, where they formed the rap-rock band Xero in 1996. Bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, singer Mark Wakefield, and DJ/art student Joseph Hahn joined soon after, and the band courted various labels while playing hometown shows in Los Angeles. Few companies expressed interest in Xero's self-titled demo tape, however, prompting Wakefield to leave the lineup (he would later resurface as the manager for Taproot). Hybrid Theory became the band's temporary moniker in 1998 as replacement singer Chester Bennington climbed aboard, and the revised band soon settled on a final name: Linkin Park, a misspelled reference to Lincoln Park in Santa Monica. With Bennington and Shinoda sharing vocal duties, the musicians now wielded enough power to distinguish themselves from the wave of nu-metal outfits that had appeared during the decade's latter half. Warner Bros. vice president Jeff Blue took note and signed Linkin Park in 1999, sending the band into the studio with Don Gilmore shortly thereafter.

Linkin Park titled their debut album Hybrid Theory, a tribute to the band's past, and released the record during the fall of 2000. "Crawling" and "In the End" were massive radio hits; the latter song even topped the U.S. Modern Rock chart while peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, an example of the band's crossover appeal. Linkin Park joined the Family Values Tour and also played shows with Cypress Hill, leading the group to log over 320 shows in 2001 alone. Come January 2002, Hybrid Theory had received three Grammy nominations and sold over seven million copies. (Sales later topped ten million, earning the album "diamond status" and making Hybrid Theory one of the most successful debuts ever.) Despite their meteoric rise, however, Linkin Park spent the remainder of the year holed up in the recording studio, again working with producer Don Gilmore on a follow-up album. Meanwhile, the timely summer release of Reanimation helped appease the band's eager audience, offering remixed versions of Hybrid Theory's tracks.

A proper sophomore effort, Meteora, arrived in March 2003, featuring a heavier sound and stronger elements of rap-rock. Although the record spawned several modern rock hits, songs such as "Numb," "Somewhere I Belong," and "Breaking the Habit" furthered the band's crossover appeal by simultaneously charting on the Hot 100. Linkin Park once again supported the album with ample touring, including performances with the second annual Projekt Revolution Tour (the band's own traveling festival, which originally launched in 2002) and additional shows with the likes of Metallica and Limp Bizkit. Live in Texas was released to document the band's strength as a touring act, and the bandmates tackled various personal projects before beginning work on a second remix project.

Released in 2004, Collision Course found the band collaborating with king-of-the-mountain rapper Jay-Z, resulting in a number of mashups that sampled from both artists' catalogs. Collision Course topped the charts upon its release, the first EP to do so since Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies, and Jay-Z furthered his association with the band by asking co-founder Mike Shinoda to explore the possibility of a solo hip-hop project. He did, dubbing the project Fort Minor and releasing The Rising Tied in 2005 with Jay-Z as executive producer. Linkin Park then reconvened in 2006 to begin work on a third studio album, which saw Shinoda sharing production credits with Rick Rubin. The resulting Minutes to Midnight arrived in 2007, debuting at number one in several countries and spawning the Top Ten single "What I've Done." In 2010 the band teamed up with Rubin again to produce its fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns. The following year, Chester Bennington stated the band's desire to focus more on putting out new material rather than maintaining an exhaustive touring schedule, with the band having a goal of releasing a new album every 18 months. Linkin Park made good on that promise in 2012 with their Rick Rubin-produced fifth album, Living Things.

Eminem

Eminem
Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, 17 October 1973, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. This white rapper burst onto the US charts in 1999 with a controversial take on the horrorcore genre. Mathers endured an itinerant childhood, living with his mother in various states before eventually ending up in Detroit at the age of 12. He took up rapping in high school before dropping out in ninth grade, joining ad hoc groups Basement Productions, the New Jacks, and D12. The newly named Eminem released a raw debut album in 1997 through independent label FBT. Infinite was poorly received, however, with Eminem earning unfavourable comparisons to leading rappers such as Nas and AZ. His determination to succeed was given a boost by a prominent feature in Source's Unsigned Hype column, and he gained revenge on his former critics when he won the Wake Up Show's Freestyle Performer Of The Year award, and finished runner-up in Los Angeles' annual Rap Olympics. The following year's The Slim Shady EP, named after his sinister alter-ego, featured some vitriolic attacks on his detractors. The stand-out track, "Just Don't Give A fuck", became a highly popular underground hit, and led to guest appearances on MC Shabaam Sahddeq's "Five Star Generals" single and Kid Rock's Devil Without A Cause set. As a result, Eminem was signed to Aftermath Records by label boss Dr. Dre, who adopted the young rapper as his protege and acted as co-producer on Eminem's full-length debut. Dre's beats featured prominently on The Slim Shady LP, a provocative feast of violent, twisted lyrics, with a moral outlook partially redeemed by Eminem's claim to be only "voicing" the thoughts of the Slim Shady character. Parody or no parody, lyrics to tracks such as "97 Bonnie & Clyde" (which contained lines about killing the mother of his child) and frequent verbal outbursts about his mother were held by many, outside even the usual Christian moral majority, to be deeply irresponsible. The album was buoyed by the commercial success of the singles "My Name Is" and "Guilty Conscience" (the former helped by a striking, MTV-friendly video), and climbed to number 2 on the US album chart in March 1999.

Eminem subsequently made high profile appearances on Rawkus Records' Soundbombing Volume 2 compilation and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's Da Real World. He was also in the news when his mother filed a lawsuit claiming that comments made by the rapper during interviews and on The Slim Shady LP had caused, amongst other things, emotional distress, damage to her reputation and loss of self-esteem. None of which harmed the sales of Eminem's follow-up album, The Marshall Mathers LP, which debuted at number 1 on the US album chart in May 2000 and established him as the most successful rapper since the mid-90s heyday of 2Pac and Snoop Doggy Dogg. By the end of the year, however, his troubled personal life and a serious assault charge had removed the gloss from his phenomenal commercial success. Despite criticism from gay rights groups, the rapper swept up three Grammy Awards the following February. He also reunited with his D12 colleagues to record the transatlantic chart-topping Devil's Night.

Eminem's new studio album, The Eminem Show, was premiered by single "Without Me". The track, which debuted at UK number 1 in May 2002, featured a sample from Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Girls" and was supported by a controversial video which saw the rapper dressing up as Osama Bin Laden. The album debuted at number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic. Later in the year, Eminem made his mainstream acting debut in 8 Mile. The lead single from the soundtrack, "Lose Yourself", gave the rapper his first US number 1 single in November.

Evanescence

Evanescence

Evanescence is:
Amy Lee
John Lecompt
Rocky Gray
Terry Balsamo

(and formerly)
Ben Moody, William Boyd and David Hodges.

Folks new to Evanescence fandom may be surprised to learn that Ben Moody and Amy Lee, the founding members of Evanescence, met at church camp. I interviewed Ben in 1998 and here's how he characterized the meeting:

Several years ago Amy and myself were attending a youth camp. I was playing with the praise and worship group and Amy was a camper. During some kind of break/recreation time I was sitting in the gym watching a basketball game. On the other side of the court was a stage for plays and a piano. I was just sitting there bored to tears when all of the sudden I was given a quick jolt as my ears were filled with the sound of the piano intro to Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love."

I looked over at the piano and there was this girl effortlessly displaying emmence amounts of talent. After my initial envious rage subsided I hopped to my feet and ran right through the basketball game straight to the piano and introduced myself.

She then impressed me further with songs that she had written. I thought I was in heaven. But then she sang. I nearly died. coming from this tiny little youth camp reject was one of the most powerful, beautiful voicies I'd ever heard. So I somehow convinced her to never play with anyone else again and she's been mine ever since.

Ben and Amy soon began recording songs like "Give Unto Me" and "Understanding" under the name Evanescence. With such influences as Type O Negative, Living Sacrifice (who, rumor has it, once asked Ben to join as guitarist, but he turned them down to continue focusing on Evanescence), Portishead and Sarah McLachlan they began to craft a unique sound that took in elements of metal, electronic music and (probably without intending it) goth rock.

Brad Caviness started to play "Understanding" and "Give Unto Me" on the radio show he co-hosted on KABF in Little Rock, giving Evanescence their first exposure to the world at large.

Their debut EP was released in December of 1998 at their first show (to my knowledge) at Vino's in Little Rock. The run of 100 CDRs sold out quickly that night.

At some point David Hodges joined the band on keys , but I can't give you any details on that because I don't know how that transpired. I can say that those close to the band were in shock, as Ben Moody is a notorious perfectionist who has a hard time finding anyone who he feels comfortable playing music with.

The Whisper EP was released around this time by the band with help from BigWig Enterprises on CDR (limited to 50 copies).

In time the Evanescence live show was rounded out with such members as Will Boyd (the Visitors) John Lecompt (formerly of Mindrage, currently of Kill System) and Rocky Gray (of Soul Embraced, Kill System and Living Sacrifice).

Recently David Hodges has parted ways with the band, hoping to return to his musical roots and start a new band in the Christian market. Rumor has it he and Matt Outlaw are currently writing songs for this project. John Lecompt and Rocky Gray are now considered full-fledged members of the band.

This band, once only know to us lucky few, has taken the world by storm. Their major-label debut Fallen on Wind-Up Records, home to bands such as 12 Stones and Drowning Pool has gone 5x Platinum in the US alone. The overpowering sounds of Evanescence have definently set them apart from any other band in 2003, and have won them many awards to include two grammys! However with all their success, also came lots of disappointments. With the loss of Ben Moody the question on everyone's mind is with 2/3'rds of the original band now gone will Evanescence be able to pump out an even better sophmore album? I guess only time will tell!

30 Seconds to Mars

30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has been composed of actor Jared Leto (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Shannon Leto (drums, percussion) and Tomo Miličević (lead guitar, keyboards). Following the departure of Matt Wachter (now of Angels & Airwaves) in 2007, Tim Kelleher became the bassist for the group, performing live only with both Jared and Miličević recording bass for studio recordings, while Braxton Olita (keyboards) was added to the touring lineup in 2009. Previously, the group also featured guitarists Solon Bixler (now of Great Northern) and Kevin Drake.

In 1999, 30 Seconds to Mars signed with Immortal Records and Virgin Records, and after three years they released their debut album, “30 Seconds to Mars.” The album debuted at #107 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and at #1 on the Top Heatseekers chart. The album produced two singles, “Capricorn (A Brand New Name)” which peaked at #31 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and reached #1 on the Heatseekers Songs chart and “Edge of the Earth.”

Their second album, 2005’s “A Beautiful Lie,” was recorded on four different continents in five different countries over a three-year period. The album expanded the group's audience and was certified platinum. The album spawned four singles, “Attack,” “The Kill,” “From Yesterday,” and “A Beautiful Lie”. “The Kill” set a record for the longest-running hit in the history of the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart when it remained on the national airplay chart for more than 94 weeks, following its #3 peak in 2006. The third single, “From Yesterday,” topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart for several weeks. “From Yesterday” became the first American music video ever shot in the People’s Republic of China.

After a $30 million lawsuit by EMI concluded with a new contract, the band released their third album, “This Is War,” in 2009. The album, produced by Flood and Steve Lillywhite, peaked at #2 on the Alternative Albums and Digital Albums charts, #4 on the Rock Albums chart and #18 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Its first two singles, “Kings and Queens” and “This Is War,” peaked at #1 on the Alternative Songs chart and reached #4 on the Rock Songs chart. The third single, “Closer to the Edge,” peaked at #7 on the Alternative Songs chart.

To date, the band has sold over 3.5 million albums worldwide.

Lie,” was recorded on four different continents in five different countries over a three-year period. The album expanded the group's audience and was certified platinum. The album spawned four singles, “Attack,” “The Kill,” “From Yesterday,” and “A Beautiful Lie”. “The Kill” set a record for the longest-running hit in the history of the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart when it remained on the national airplay chart for more than 94 weeks, following its #3 peak in 2006. The third single, “From Yesterday,” topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart for several weeks. “From Yesterday” became the first American music video ever shot in the People’s Republic of China.

After a $30 million lawsuit by EMI concluded with a new contract, the band released their third album, “This Is War,” in 2009. The album, produced by Flood and Steve Lillywhite, peaked at #2 on the Alternative Albums and Digital Albums charts, #4 on the Rock Albums chart and #18 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Its first two singles, “Kings and Queens” and “This Is War,” peaked at #1 on the Alternative Songs chart and reached #4 on the Rock Songs chart. The third single, “Closer to the Edge,” peaked at #7 on the Alternative Songs chart.

To date, the band has sold over 3.5 million albums worldwide.

2Pac

2Pac

The former ballet dancer and original rock hard rapper was fast becoming a legend in his own lifetime when his drive-by-shooting death launched him into a new category of music idols. Previous casualties from rock n’roll had largely induced their own deaths from excessive alcohol and drug abuse. 2Pac was one of the first fatalities of a music rivalry that bled out of the recording studio and onto the streets.

Tupac Shakur’s mother was a Black Panther activist and she was in prison during her pregnancy. Her militancy influenced both his upbringing and later, his music. But it was acting that first attracted the young Tupac, who became a member of the 127th Street Ensemble, a Harlem-based theatre company.
As a teenager, Shakur attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he took acting and dance classes, including ballet. He later said that he would have been a completely different person if it was not for these experiences, and from that, we can take it, he would have lived the violent life, but without the music.
And it was while living in Baltimore, he discovered rap and began performing as MC New York. In the late 1980s, Shakur and his family moved to the West Coast. He joined the Oakland, California-based hip-hop group ‘Digital Underground’, which earlier had scored a hit with the song "The Humpty Dance."
In 1991, Shakur emerged as a solo artist — using the name 2Pac — with his debut album ‘2Pacalypse Now’. The track "Brenda's Got a Baby" reached as high as number three on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. His second album ‘Strictly 4 My N. I. G. G. A. Z.’ crossed over to the pop charts, with singles "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up." The album went platinum, selling more than a million copies. Around this time, Shakur also appeared in several films, including ‘Poetic Justice’ (1993) opposite Janet Jackson.
2Pac became a sensation, earning equal praise for his musical and acting talent as well as condemnation for his explicit, violent lyrics. Many of his songs told of fights, gangs, and sex. He appeared to be living up to his aggressive gangster rap persona with several arrests for violent offenses in the 1990s. In 1994, he spent several days in jail for assaulting director Allen Hughes and was later convicted of sexual assault in another case. Shakur himself fell victim to violence, getting shot five times in the lobby of a recording studio during a mugging.
The next year, after recovering from his injuries, Shakur was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in the sexual assault case. His third solo album, ‘Me Against the World’ (1995), started out in the number one spot on the album charts. Many critics praised the work, noting that tracks like "Dear Mama" showed a more genuine, reflective side to the rapper. The possibility of an early death runs through several songs on this recordings — something that many have seen as a chilling moment of foretelling.
After serving eight months in prison, Shakur returned to music with the album ‘All Eyez on Me’ (1996). He was reportedly released after Death Row Records CEO Marion "Suge" Knight paid a bond of more than $1 million as part of Shakur's parole. In his latest project, Shakur as the defiant street thug was back in full force on this recording. The song "California Love" featured a guest appearance by famed rapper-producer Dr. Dre and made a strong showing on the pop charts. "How Do You Want It" also was another smash success for Shakur. It appeared to be a golden time for Shakur. Besides his hit album, he tackled several film roles.

During his career, Shakur had become embroiled in a feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers and was known to insult his enemies on his tracks. On a trip to Las Vegas to attend a Mike Tyson boxing match, Shakur, on September 7, 1996, spotted and attacked a member of the Southside Crips (an LA gang)
Shakur and his entourage then set off for a night-club with Knight driving but he was shot en route.
He died six days later on September 13 from his injuries. His killer has never been caught. (One of the chief suspects said to be behind the killing, the rapper Biggie, was shot dead himself less than two years later.)
Since his death, a vast reserve of previously unpublished Tupac work has been found and regardless of quality, has been released. His status is such that in death, he sells as much as he did in life.
A more fitting legacy has been ensured by his mother who has set up a Foundation to ensure that other African-Americans are exposed to the same artistic influences that helped propell her son out of the ghetto mindset.

Green Day

Green Day

Part of the northern Californian underground punk rock scene, Green Day was formed by childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (lead guitar, lead vocals) and Mike Dirnt (bass guitar, backing vocals). They built a cult following during the early 1990s and are credited, along with bands The Offspring and Rancid, for reviving mainstream interest in the punk rock scene.

Green Day's original drummer, John Kiffmeyer, had joined in 1989 but he left in late 1990 in order to attend college in California, soon after the band's first nationwide tour. He was replaced by Tre Cool (drums, backing vocals).

Determined to remain loyal to independent label Lookout! Records, who had released the band's first three albums, Green Day refused an offer to sign with I.R.S. Records. '1,000 Hours' (1990) was their first EP album and later that year they recorded two albums, 'Slappy' (1990) and 'Sweet Children' (1990). The following year, indie label Skene! Records released a combination of these two albums, called '1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours' (1991).

'Kerplunk!' (1992), the first album featuring Tre Cool on drums, sparked the interest of a number of major record labels. The band toured for most of 1992 and 1993 and they eventually left Lookout! Records, on friendly terms.

Green Day then signed with Reprise Records, who released the band's first major-label album, 'Dookie' (1994), which they had recorded in a mere three weeks. The album received much critical acclaim and sold over 15 million copies worldwide, winning the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Album.

The videos for the singles 'Longview' and 'Basket Case' were nominated for numerous awards at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. Rolling Stone Magazine placed 'Dookie' at number 193 in their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, beating Black Sabbath's eponymous album and Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'.

The band's next album, 'Insomniac' (1995), was much darker than the more melodic 'Dookie' and won them award nominations for Favourite Artist, Favourite Hard Rock Artist and Favourite Alternative Artist at the 1996 American Music Awards. The video for the single 'Walking Contradiction' received a Grammy nomination for Best Video, Short Film and an MTV nomination for Best Special Effects.

Green Day then cancelled their European tour, claiming they were exhausted, and took a break from making music.

Following their break, they released the experimental album 'Nimrod' (1997), which was a break from their usual music and more in the style of laid-back surfer rock, silly ska, upbeat pop/punk and acoustic ballads. The surprise hit from this album 'Good Riddance (Time of your Life)' once again won them an MTV Award for Best Alternative Video.

The band took another break, this time for two years, deciding to spend time with their new families.

Jason White (guitar, backing vocals) became the fourth band member in 1999. Taking the style of 'Nimrod' (1997) a little further, Green Day released 'Warning' (2000), proud that it was their strongest work together. The album's definitive sound reflected the fact that the band members had not only stopped smoking marijuana as much as they previously did, but they had also matured somewhat in the interim.

The album received mixed reactions, with some fans believing the band was losing its relevance, despite the album producing the number one hit 'Minority'. The album sales were not as successful as previous albums and Green Day's popularity declined somewhat.

At the 2001 California Music Awards, Green Day did however win all eight of the awards for which they were nominated: Outstanding Album (Warning), Outstanding Punk Rock/Ska Album (Warning), Outstanding Group, Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Bassist, Outstanding Drummer, Outstanding Songwriter and Outstanding Artist.

Releasing a greatest hits compilation, 'International Superhits!' (2001), followed by a collection of B-sides called 'Shenanigans' (2002), gave impetus to the theory that Green Day's superstar days were over. The band then co-headlined The Pop Disaster Tour, with Blink-182, in an effort to restore some of their popularity. Once more, following the tour, Green Day took some time off to spend with their families.

A new album, with the working title of 'Cigarettes and Valentines', was meant for release in 2002 but after 20 tracks had been recorded, the master tapes were stolen from the studios. The band was devastated and decided not to try and recreate the album but do something better instead.

The resulting album, 'American Idiot' (2004), proved their biggest hit to date, with some referring to it as "punk rock opera". It sold 1.5 million units in its first week and went straight to number one in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan, following the single of the same name, which entered the UK singles charts at number three.

The band was nominated for six Grammy Awards in 2004, with 'American Idiot' winning a Grammy for Best Rock Album. The band had also changed their image. They stopped dyeing their hair pink and green, and began wearing eyeliner and black clothes with red ties onstage.

In 2005, Green Day went on a world tour to promote their new album. It was the longest tour of their career and lasted 150 dates, including shows in England, Australia, Japan and South America. Recording the two shows at England's Milton Keanes National Bowl, Green Day released this as a DVD called 'Bullet in a Bible' (2005), including behind the scenes footage of the band which was voted 'Best Show on Earth' by Kerrang! magazine. At the 2005 MTV Awards, they won a total of seven of the eight awards for which they were nominated.

In 2006, they won another Grammy Award for Record of the Year in recognition of their success with 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' from the 'American Idiot' (2004) album. The single spent 16 weeks at number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks.

The band engaged in a number of small projects, including releasing an album under the name 'FoxBoro Hot Tubs' entitled 'Stop, Drop and Roll' in 2008. They also went on a mini tour under this name to promote the record.

From January 2006, Green Day had been working on new material and had written 45 songs by October 2007. As the band had to choose and record the tracks for the album, '21st Century Breakdown' was not released until 15 May 2009 - the longest ever gap between albums for the band.

It received positive reviews from critics and reached number one in 14 countries, becoming gold or platinum in each one. It spawned hits 'Know Your Enemy' and 'Song of the Century'.

Between July 2009 and early 2010 they toured once again. They also had discussions with award-winning director Michael Mayer and the cast of 'Spring Awakening' about creating a Green Day musical.

'American Idiot: The Musical' opened on Broadway on 20 April 2010 and Green Day recorded the soundtrack 'When's It Time'. The musical is an expanded story of the album 'American Idiot' and includes hits from the record.

On 13 April 2011, a film version of the musical was confirmed, with Michael Mayer directing and Green Day producing the movie.

They also revealed that they are currently working on a ninth album, performing 15 new songs at a secret show in California on 11 August 2011. Green Day dedicated a new song called 'Amy' to Amy Winehouse, who had died several weeks before the show.

One Republic

One Republic

Ryan Tedder (lead vocals, guitar, piano)
Zach Filkins (guitar, backing vocals)
Drew Brown (guitar)
Brent Kutzle (bass, cello)
Eddie Fisher (drums)

"The toughest thing to do is write a hit song and the easiest thing to do is act like a rock band," says OneRepublic singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder. "But we had a hit song before we had an album and we can't pull off the 'rock god' thing. We do everything backwards.

OneRepublic's hit "Apologize" was not even the song's original version, but a remix heard on Timbaland Presents: Shock Value. The original appears on Dreaming Out Loud, the band's debut album, released November 20, 2007, on Timbaland's Mosley Music Group imprint via Interscope Records. That's right, OneRepublic is a full-on rock band executive-produced and on a label headed by a super-producer best known for hip-hop (Missy Elliott, Jay-Z) and who has branched out into pop (Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado).

"It sounds insane," says Tedder, who produced a couple of songs on the album, largely produced by Greg Wells (Deftones, Mika, Pink). "But Timbaland is the single most musical guy I've ever met, no matter the genre. That's why we said, 'Let's do it.' If you do things for the right reason, good things happen."

A few years ago, Tedder had another choice - either go down the road of writing and performing "pop" tunes as a solo artist or try to strike out in his own direction making music he felt could connect on a more personal level. He chose the latter.

He had performed on a singer/songwriter show on MTV and was given a recording contract at the epicenter of all things pop during the era of boy bands and pinup princesses. "But how could I ever take myself seriously," he says, "if I was embarrassed by what I was singing? There are a lot of artists who want to make you shake your ass on the dance floor, but only a handful that connect on a deeper level. I wanted more than just a catchy tune. There's nothing like a good pop song, but there's a fine line between accessibility and credibility, and that's the line I want to walk."

Fortunately, Timbaland saw him perform on the MTV show and called to say he wanted Tedder to work with him. For a 21-year-old who quit his job at a Pottery Barn warehouse in Nashville, vowed to never take another non-music gig, and sold his car so he could buy recording equipment, being taken under Timbaland's wing was a dream come true for Tedder. He calls the next two years in studios from New York to Los Angeles to Miami "Producer 101" because it was like going to college for production.

Tedder's father had been a singer/songwriter in the 70's for acts like gospel star Sandi Patty. Tulsa-born Tedder took up piano at age three and singing when he was seven.

Studying the art of songwriting by deconstructing hits chord by chord, he became enamored with songwriters as diverse as Diane Warren and Bono. Yet he also had a desire to be center stage. "It's the typical lead singer insecurity--I wanted the spotlight but not all of the responsibility. I was finding my own voice, but I knew that for the songs I wanted to do, the vehicle had to be a band."

Thus, in 2003, after his MTV experience and subsequent tenure with Timbaland, he returned to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he had spent his senior year in high school, and recruited classmate and guitarist Zach Filkins. The Iowa-born Filkins had spent his formative years, from 7 to 15, in Barcelona, Spain, where he intensely studied classical guitar. Back in the States for a couple of years in Illinois, he then relocated to Colorado Springs, where he met Ryan on the soccer team. Though they went their separate ways after graduation-- they kept in touch.

When they reunited, they moved to L.A., and promptly fell on hard times. "I'm not proud of it," Tedder admits, "but to buy groceries I had to write bad checks."

Given such dire straits, a couple of early band members exited and were replaced by guitarist Drew Brown and drummer Eddie Fisher. Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Brown saw his first concert as a 10-year-old in 1994. "My dad took me to see Weezer and Teenage Fanclub. He threw me in the mosh pit so I could get the full experience."

When his former band's drummer went to L.A. and joined OneRepublic, Brown followed. "I told my parents, 'I'm not coming home. Send more money.' I'm just not cut out for anything more responsible than being in a rock band. Only recently my dad stopped regretting taking me to that concert."

The Oregon- and California-raised Fisher had a similar inspiration. A kid who was always beating out a rhythm tapping pencils on desks, he didn't become serious about the drums until he was in 7th grade and saw a U2 concert at Tempe Stadium in Arizona. It happened to be the 1987 performance recorded for the Rattle and Hum album and film. "It moved me so much that I sacrificed everything to be in music," he says.

What followed for OneRepublic was a short-lived deal with Columbia, and upon the deal's termination, the band was contemplating whether or not to continue, when, out of nowhere, OneRepublic became one of the most popular bands on MySpace. "Maybe the music climate changed," says Tedder. "All of a sudden we were getting e-mails from kids saying that because of one of our songs they didn't commit suicide or they got through their parents' divorce. We finally connected with the audience. We said to ourselves, 'We can't quit now.'" When Timbaland launched his Mosley Music Group label with Interscope, he was quick to sign OneRepublic as his first rock act.

Meanwhile, Tedder has continued with his production work on pop and hip hop under the pseudonym "Alias." Even now, some industry insiders do not realize that Tedder and Alias are one and the same.

His credits include writing, and singing on, three tracks for Paul Oakenfold's Grammy nominated A Lively Mind, penning and producing "Do It Well" for Jennifer Lopez, "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis and "He Said, She Said" for Ashley Tisdale, and co-producing and co-writing "Love Like This" for Natasha Bedingfield with The Runaways. He's also worked on tracks for Baby Bash, 2Pac, Chris Cornell, Bubba Sparxxx, Blake Lewis, YouTube phenomenon Esmee Denters, and produced and wrote songs for the acclaimed 2006 indie film Step Up. "I've written and produced from the poppiest of pop to rock to heavy hip-hop to electro," Tedder says. "That's my job, but OneRepublic is the big picture."

That picture gained a new sound with the band's most recent addition. Orange County-native Brent Kutzle has played bass in hardcore and pop punk bands, but has also played the cello since the fourth grade. " I made myself a promise to never join a band where I wasn't able to play both instruments. I could never give up celloÉI really love playing it." Using effects such as delay, reverb and looping, Kutzle has transformed the sound of the cello for a rock band.

Clearly, OneRepublic is an unusual rock band. "One difference (from) other groups is that we're always rotating instruments," Kutzle points out. "I might play keyboards, and Ryan bass, or I play cello, Ryan piano, and Drew, bass. Sometimes we forget who plays what on a song." For OneRepublic, it's all about the song.

Says Tedder: "If I'm not getting goosebumps when I write the chorus, then others aren't going to either. I want that 'hair standing on end' feeling. They may have simple melodies but our songs are about real life. It's complexity wearing the mask of simplicity."

Songs on Dreaming Out Loud are about what you want versus what you have, why you're not where you want to be, and how to get where you want to go. That the band members have reached where they have wanted to go seems weird even to them.

"We figured we would do what we love and not make any money," says Brown. "But we've blown past wherever we thought we'd get. We are now able to perform music that is getting heard by a pretty broad audience. This is bigger than us." Tedder agrees: "This is about affecting people in a positive way. This is about trying to make a difference in people's lives and hearts the way so many bands and songs did for us."

Maybe OneRepublic doesn't do everything backwards after all. Perhaps this is one band that has it exactly right.

Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne
When singer, songwriter, and musician Avril Lavigne first burst upon the music scene at age 17, she was known as a young, pop-punk tomboy who refused to resort to skin-baring come-ons, preferring to entice the record-buying public with her powerhouse voice, high-spirited melodies, and straight-talking lyrics. Staying steadfastly true to herself and putting music before image paid off both critically and commercially for the Canadian-born artist. In 2002, Lavigne shot to global pop stardom with the 6x-platinum Let Go, followed by 2004’s 3x-platinum Under My Skin, and 2007’s platinum The Best Damn Thing. Over the course of her three albums, Lavigne scored a string of international hit singles: “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi,” “I’m With You,” “Losing Grip,” “Don’t Tell Me,” “My Happy Ending,” “Nobody’s Home,” “Keep Holding On,” “Girlfriend,” “When You’re Gone,” “Hot,” and “The Best Damn Thing.” She earned eight Grammy Award nominations, won seven Canadian Juno Awards, and sold more than 30 million albums and nearly 20 million tracks worldwide over the past eight years.
Lavigne also launched a second career as an entrepreneur by creating a well-received fashion and lifestyle brand (Abbey Dawn), two fragrances (Black Star and Forbidden Rose), branched out into film work (Over the Hedge, Fast Food Nation), and further committed herself to the philanthropic activities she’s participated in over the years by establishing The Avril Lavigne Foundation, which works in partnership with leading charitable organizations to design and deliver programs, raise awareness, and mobilize support for children and youth living with serious illnesses or disabilities.
With her multiple creative endeavors and impressive musical success, it’s worth pointing out that Avril Lavigne is all of 26. She may be young by veteran performer standards, but she has evolved as a person and as an artist since releasing The Best Damn Thing. Lavigne brings the maturity and insight she’s gained from her experiences to her next labor of love, her fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby, which will be released by RCA Records in March 2011.
“I pushed myself and didn’t hold back,” Lavigne says of Goodbye Lullaby for which she wrote or co-wrote every song, and wrote and produced two — “4 Real” and “Goodbye” — entirely on her own. “I allowed myself to be vulnerable. I think it’s during the real moments that people can relate the most. Those who have heard the album have had very strong emotional reactions to the songs, so I realized that when something is so real, it will probably touch somebody. The beauty of music is that it’s open to interpretation.”
Written at various stages over the past few years, Goodbye Lullaby is filled with appealingly relatable, heartfelt songs that convey a variety of emotions and reflect a bittersweet mood not generally associated with Lavigne’s best-known tunes. Except for the anthemic first single, the irresistibly feisty “What The Hell” and “Smile,” which create a perfect bridge from her previous work, the remainder of Goodbye Lullaby finds Lavigne exploring what it means to push through the tough times and emerge stronger for it — a theme apparent on songs like “Everybody Hurts,” “Push,” “Remember When,” and “Wish You Were Here.”
“Overall, the album is about how we all go through difficult experiences, whether it’s ending a relationship, losing a job, or just missing someone,” Lavigne says. “We get through it and we grow.” Nowhere is this feeling better expressed than on “Goodbye,” a delicate piano-and-string ballad that closes out the album. “’Goodbye’ is the most raw and vulnerable track I’ve ever written and recorded in my career,” Lavigne says. “It’s a very special song because I wrote and produced it myself. It’s so real and truthful. You can’t fake that.”
Goodbye Lullaby’s intensity is balanced out by its instrumentation: bright, rich textures of acoustic guitar and piano, as well as an orchestra on “Darlin’,” “Remember When,” and “Goodbye.” Through it all, from the upbeat pop tracks to the mellower ballads, Lavigne’s voice is front and center, summoning up and soaring easily through the emotion that her lyrics require.
“This album is all about me being a singer, a songwriter, and a musician,” Lavigne says. “Typically the lead vocal gets buried in the track and you can’t always hear the quality, character, or emotion after a certain point. I wanted my voice to be the main instrument. It forced me to really throw myself out there. I still love rocking out, but I wanted this record to show a different side. That’s why I produced some of the songs myself, which I never thought I’d do.”
For the rest of the album’s tracks, Lavigne turned to her longtime friends and collaborators Evan Taubenfeld and Butch Walker, as well as Max Martin. Another important influence was Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley, who lends his production skills to several tracks, including “Darlin’,” — a song Lavigne wrote at the age of 14. “Whenever I hear ‘Darlin,’ I think of the family room I wrote it in and playing it for my mom,” she says. “So it’s really special for me to have it on the album.”
A small-town girl from Napanee, Ontario, Lavigne had already been writing, singing, and performing for a few years before releasing her breakthrough album, Let Go, which featured the smash singles “Complicated” and “Sk8r Boi” and sold more than 16 million units worldwide. Her second album, 2004’s Under My Skin, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, and sold more than eight million copies worldwide fueled by the hit singles “Don’t Tell Me” and “My Happy Ending.” Four years later came The Best Damn Thing, which featured the No. 1 single “Girlfriend.” Lavigne’s biggest record to date, “Girlfriend” was the top digital track of 2007, selling more than 7.3 million downloads in eight languages. The Best Damn Thing included the epic ballad “Keep Holding On,” which Lavigne wrote at the request of 20th Century Fox for the studio’s fantasy/adventure film Eragon. Lavigne’s songs have also graced the soundtracks of such feature films as Sweet Home Alabama, Bruce Almighty, Legally Blonde 2, The Princess Diaries 2, and The House Bunny.
In 2010, Lavigne wrote “Alice” for Tim Burton’s film fantasy Alice in Wonderland, which was included on the compilation album Almost Alice, released in March. The video for “Alice,” directed by David Meyers, depicts Lavigne’s own adventure down the rabbit hole. She also brought her fashion brand into the mix, designing “Alice in Wonderland” pieces for Abbey Dawn that were sold in stores in connection with the film’s release.
It’s been a whirlwind journey for Lavigne, who says the thing she’s looking forward to most about releasing Goodbye Lullaby is getting the opportunity to hit the road and perform for her fans around the world. “My fans are hardcore,” Lavigne says. “They are very dedicated and really supportive — the kind of fans who stick around. It’s been an amazing experience meeting them after shows and reading their letters, because the things they’ll say to me are very special. People have come up and started crying, saying, ‘You have no idea what your music has done for me.’” That’s all I need to hear. If I can give even one person strength through my music, that’s pretty frickin’ special.”

Skillet

Skillet
Skillet is an American Christian rock band originally formed in Memphis, Tennessee. The band consists of John Cooper (lead vocalist, bassist), his wife Korey Cooper (rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist), Ben Kasica (lead guitarist), and Jen Ledger (drummer, vocalist). Skillet has released eight albums, two receiving Grammy nominations: "Collide" and "Comatose."

Over the past 15 years, Skillet has spanned many different genres, including hard rock, industrial rock, and symphonic rock. As of March 2010 they have sold 1.6 million albums worldwide. Skillet was only together for a month when they received interest from major Christian record label ForeFront Records.

In 1996 they released a self-titled debut "Skillet." Skillet recorded their follow-up album throughout 1997, titled "Hey You, I Love Your Soul," which was released in April 1998. Their second effort was a change in style from the band's first release. With this release, Skillet would abandon their post-grunge approach for a lighter alternative rock and a style.

Shortly before the band began recording for their third album, "Invincible," Steorts left the band to be with his family, and Kevin Haaland joined the band as their new guitarist. Korey Cooper joined the band permanently and played keyboards for the recording of "Invincible." Because of this change, the musical style on "Invincible" changed to a more electronic sound.

Soon after the release of "Invincible" in early 2000, Trey McClurkin parted ways with Skillet, and Lori Peters filled the drummer's position. "Invincible" would be Skillet's best selling record to date.

The band released their first worship album, and fourth album overall, "Ardent Worship" in Fall 2000. The band kept much of their sound from "Invincible" on their next album "Alien Youth." Before the release of "Alien Youth," Haaland left the band, and Ben Kasica took over on guitar. In 2003, "Collide" was released by Ardent Records. On May 25, 2004, "Collide" was re-released under Lava Records, with an added track, "Open Wounds."

Skillet's album "Comatose" was released on October 3, 2006. It features the singles "Rebirthing," "Whispers in the Dark," "Comatose," "The Older I Get," "Those Nights," and "The Last Night". The album debuted at #55 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the US Top Christian Albums chart. In January 2008, Skillet announced that their drummer, Lori Peters, was retiring from the band. She took the time to train Skillet's next drummer, Jen Ledger.

Skillet's most recent studio album is "Awake." The album contains twelve songs and was released on August 25, 2009. It charted at #2 on the Billboard top 200 selling around 68,000 units in its first week.

Paramore

Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band that was formed in Franklin, Tennessee, United States in 2003. The band consists of Hayley Williams (lead vocals/keyboard), Josh Farro (lead guitar/backing vocals), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar), Taylor York (rhythm guitar), and Zac Farro (drums). The band have released three studio albums in total; All We Know Is Falling (2005), RIOT! (2007) and Brand New Eyes (2009).

In 2002, at the age of 13, vocalist Hayley Williams moved to Franklin, Tennessee, where she met brothers Josh and Zac Farro while attending private school. Prior to forming Paramore, Williams and bassist Jeremy Davis took part in a funk cover band called The Factory, while the Farro brothers had practiced together after school. Paramore was officially formed in 2003. The band's first song written together was Conspiracy, which was later used on their debut album.

John Janick, CEO and co-founder of the music label Fueled By Ramen, got a hold of Paramore's demos and went to a Taste of Chaos performance in Orlando, Florida to see the band perform live. After a smaller private performance at a warehouse, the band was signed to the label in April 2005.

Paramore traveled back to Orlando to record their debut album All We Know Is Falling, which took three weeks to record. The album was released on July 26, 2005, which reached #19 on the Billboard Top Pop Catalog and #30 on the Billboard's Heatseekers Chart. It was certified Gold in Austrailia, the UK and the USA. Pressure was released as their debut single on July 26th, the same day as the album, which failed to reach the main chart, but reached #62 on the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs. The second song from the album, Emergency, was released on October 16th 2005. The third and final single from All We Know Is Falling was All We Know and it was released February 21st 2006.

Paramore began recording their second album RIOT! in January 2007. Releasing the album on June 12, 2007, it entered the Billboard 200 at #20, peaking at #15, and sold 44,000 its first week in the United States. The album entered and peaked in the UK album chart at #24. It was certified Gold in Austrailia, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Mexico & New Zealand and Platinum in the UK and the USA. The first single from the album, released on June 21, 2007, was Misery Business. The song entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at #99, peaking at #26. It also peaked at #17 on the UK singles chart, making it their first charting single in the UK. The second single from the album, Hallelujah, was released on September 18th 2007 and peaked on the UK singles chart at #139. crushcrushcrush was the third track from RIOT!. It was released on November 21st 2007 in the US and late January '08 in the UK. It peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks, #4 in the Finnish charts, #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #61 on the UK singles chart. The fourth and final single from the album, That's What You Get, was released on March 24th 2008. It peaked at #35 in New Zealand, #55 on the UK singles chart, #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #92 in Canada.

Paramore wrote two songs for the first movie in the Twilight series. The lead song from Twilight, Decode, was released by Paramore in mid-November in the US and mid-December in the UK. It peaked at #9 in Finland and #15 in New Zealand, their highest charting single there so far, #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #52 on the UK singles chart. The other song written for Twilight was called I Caught Myself.

Paramore's third studio album, Brand New Eyes, was released on September 28th 2009. It has peaked at #1 in Austrailia, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. It has also reached #2 in Brazil and the USA, making it their most successful album to date. It was so far been certified Gold in Austrailia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. The first single, titled Ignorance, was released on July 7th 2009 for digital download and on September 14th 2009 in the UK. It has peaked at #1 on the UK Rock Chart, #14 in the UK singles chart, #35 in Austrailia, #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #96 in Canada. Brick by Boring Brick was the second single from the album, released November 23rd, 2009, and peaked at #2 on the UK Rock chart, #28 on the US Billboard Rock Songs, #29 in New Zealand and #85 in Austrailia. The third single is scheduled for release on April 19, 2010 and is titled The Only Exception.