After three albums fronting alternative rock band Ours, Jimmy Gnecco has recently made the most personal and affecting album of his career. Self-produced and titled 'The Heart,' it's a watershed work which sees Jimmy drop his guard and raise the bar. The prevailing mood is one of beautiful melancholy, but 'The Heart' has dignity and integrity in spades. We all have to reckon with loss and the events that have shaped us sooner or later, and this record is Jimmy Gnecco's compelling attempt to do just that. Its elegant, elegiac songs are slow-growers that get right under the skin. It was with shape-shifting alternative rock band Ours that Jimmy first made a name for himself. A dynamic and urgent outfit that would later draw comparisons with Radiohead, they soon caught the attention of various U.S. record companies.
Jimmy signed to DreamWorks records under the Ours moniker in 1997, and his band's debut album 'Distorted Lullabies' was released in 2001.The critically acclaimed records 'Precious' and 'Mercy' (the latter handled by friend, production genius and long-term Jimmy Gnecco fan Rick Rubin) followed in 2002 and 2008, respectively. Matters beyond Jimmy's control - major label politics, for example - have sometimes slowed his output, but he has always retained his positivity, strong work ethic, and a certain blue-collar mentality, which recognises that respect has to be earned.
If you've read this far, you will understand why Jimmy Gnecco has been able to pour so much of himself into his first proper solo record, 'The Heart.' Out on Bright Antenna records Summer 2010, it's a sterling achievement; graceful, almost hymnal songs such as "Mystery" and "Take A Chance" channel a formidable talent.
http://www.jimmygnecco.com/pages/
Chris Kasper is quietly distinguishing himself from the crowd as a gifted singer/songwriter who follows neither genre nor format. He is a songsterbased in Philadelphia, PA. As part of the music community in his city, Kasper is regarded as a favorite by radio and fellow songwriters. A subtle showman, his songs, records and shows lift from the ground and surround. He has received some national critical acclaim from outlets such as iTunes, Ragged Magazine, ABC and has opened for Amos Lee, The Wood Brothers, and G. Love among others. Most recent news includes the completion of his latest recording "The First Hundred Years Are The Hardest" (2011) produced by friend and peer Andrew Lipke. This collaboration has pushed Kasper's signature sound into further corners of the singer/ songwriter label and opened new possible directions for future efforts. While "Chasing Another Sundown" (2009) proved to be a meticulous production (Jeff Hiatt) with the thread of sweeping pedal steel by Adam Davis, The "First Hundred..." is sonically more electric and stylistically more varied. Like "FlyingBoy" (2006), most of the instruments were played by Chris and Andrew with the occasional help of some key guest players including Fred Berman (Amos Lee) and Chris Giraldi (Rachel Yamagata). Check here for the most up to date info and news on all of things Chris Kasper.
http://www.chriskasper.com/fr_splash.cfm
