Sarah VonderHaar is a young and blossoming singer/songwriter, who despite her age has already accomplished more than many of her peers. She has been a contestant on “America’s Next Top Model,” photographed her first Forbes magazine spread (as the shooter, not the subject) when she was 20, acted in a film and, at 21, has just completed her debut album, Are You Listening Now? She’s about to release its first single, “I Got Sunshine,” co-written by fellow Chicagoan Alice Peacock and VonderHaar’s producer, Marshall Altman. VonderHaar feels this song expresses her own sunny attitude. The song, she says, “describes how to deal with the troubled world we live in by staying optimistic and reminding yourself of all the wonderful things we have in our lives.”
Streaming Sarah VonderHaar single “I Got Sunshine”:
http://sarahvonderhaar.com
Optimism is a trait that glimmers like a beacon from this go-getter. She started playing guitar at 12, but truly began to immerse herself in the craft of songwriting when she discovered the connection between her favorite poets, and the lyrics of many of her core musical influences. When Sarah’s father died after his long battle with drug addiction, she bounced back from her devastation by channeling it into her music and one of the results was the album’s incredibly inspired title song.
“It’s definitely the most personal song I’ve ever written,” she says. “It took me four years to build up the courage to write it, but it’s probably the song I am most proud of.”
forgive me for my anger/I forgave you for the pain, she sings. … Goodbye to you my father/see you again someday.
Alternating between emotional ballads and upbeat pop-rockers, Are You Listening Now reflects a multitude of experiences in her young life, from love lost and found to the simplicity of childhood to the wisdom and strength of her guiding light, her poetry-loving mother, an English teacher – the woman who built her confidence by singing to her a song with the lyric, “Who’s the most beautiful girl in the world?”
That sentiment surely helped her when she embarked on her modeling career. VonderHaar, who’s 5 feet, 9½ inches tall and weighs 110 pounds, didn’t even try to get on “America’s Next Top Model.” They found her – at a post-casting call party she attended by using a fake ID. She was there as a photographer, not a model, but when show reps noticed her, they said, “Are you here to audition?”
“I said, ‘No, I’m doing photography and I’m already a model.’ I didn’t think I could audition. And they’re like, ‘No! Yes, you can, blah, blah, blah.’” So she decided to try out, hoping to boost her musical profile.
She didn’t get cast on the first round, but they called her back for the next “cycle” – No. 8, which aired last year. She made it about halfway through before being eliminated.
People do recognize her from the show, and when it happens, she tells them, “I’m doing music now.”
“It really has helped get my name out there,” she says. “MySpace is so saturated with musicians that anything that sets you apart from everybody else is good.”
Lots of traits set VonderHaar apart – in addition to her physical beauty and vocal skills, there’s her energy and spirited, rockin’ attitude.
“I’m super energetic; I’ve always been,” she explains. “I was the child that never stopped talking and never stopped running around. I think that reflects onstage. I love getting onstage and just having a blast.”
Though she was a punk-rock lover early on – a favorite memory is crowd-surfing for the first time at a Pennywise concert – her first concert experience was the Spice Girls and her musical influences include Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Carly Simon, the Beatles, Sheryl Crow, Sara Barielles and Christina Aguilera, as well as Pink and Green Day.
Now she’s an upbeat indie pop-rocker, with a message, a plan and a purpose – a girl with a goal. She’d be happy to grab a stint on a TV show or a film, especially if she was able to play her own songs as a musician character.
“I’m along for the ride right now, wherever the wind takes me with my music,” says VonderHaar. One gets the impression that, with her determination and talent, she’s going to ride gusts from the Windy City right to the top – and stay there for quite some time.
Sarah VonderHaar official site:http://sarahvonderhaar.com
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WatchMojo NewsletterHOLLYWOOD RECORDS TO RELEASE ATREYU’S
LEAD SAILS PAPER ANCHOR AS 2.0 BONUS-LADEN CDVU+ ON APRIL 22
DISC JAM-PACKED WITH SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDING TEN VIDEOS, THREE NEW SONGS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND DIGITAL BOOKLET
Atreyu fans will be celebrating Christmas in springtime with the April 22 release of LEAD SAILS PAPER ANCHOR 2.0 in the CDVU+ format. The CDVU+ replaces the traditional CD booklet/jewel case with eco-friendly packaging (100% recyclable, 35% post-consumer) while offering an unprecedented amount of content, which is accessed through a weblink that’s triggered when fans put the disc in their computers. Atreyu is the first hard rock band to release a disc in the CDVU+ format.
The CDVU+ version of LEAD SAILS PAPER ANCHOR 2.0 features the full album, including the new top 10 hit single “Falling Down,” a new track recorded exclusively for this release titled “The Squeeze,” and blistering covers of Faith No More’s “Epic” and The Descendents’ “Clean Sheets.” Also included are ten exclusive videos (three live performances, five individual band profile pieces and two behind-the-scenes life on the road clips and a guitar lesson from Atreyu six-stringer Dan Jacobs). The CDVU+ version also features a 50 page, fully printable, digital booklet that includes more than 50 exclusive photos and song lyrics.
The video clips offer Atreyu fans an intimate look at their favorite band, following lead vocalist Alex Varkatzas as he travels to Thailand to learn Brazilian ju-jitsu; drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller talks about the new toy company he’s launching; guitarist Dan Jacobs discusses his new Rokk clothing line; guitarist Travis Miguel reveals his strange ritual involving McDonald’s cheeseburgers and bassist Marc McKnight takes the camera to his favorite comic store to discuss his favorite books, films and graphic design work. In addition, there’s a plethora of electrifying live footage and eye-popping photos.
The band, who are currently co-headlining the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour with Avenged Sevenfold (see dates below), recently shot a video for “Falling Down” with Sean Stiegemeier that’s loosely inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film, The Outsiders. “It’s a different video for Atreyu because it is very narrative-driven,” says Stiegemeier. “The song has a fun and upbeat tempo and we thought replicating the greasers of that time period would suit the band quite well.” Recalling the shoot, the director says, “The energy on the set was amazing. The band’s friends and their producer, John Feldmann, came down and acted in the video. We staged fight scenes in the middle of the night and everyone had fun pretending to beat each other in the mud”. The video will premiere on www.monsterenergy.com Wednesday, March 26.
Atreyu are also the subject of a special online “Falling Down” video game created by Jason Oda (creator of “Drop Kick The Faint”). About the game, Oda says, “The Atreyu game is a mix between old school arcade game play and modern polished graphics. The inspiration for the game partially comes from the arcade game for the band Journey.” Fans can go to www.atreyugame.com to play the game.
In other news, Atreyu will see their song “Honor” featured in Never Back Down, a soon-to-be-released mixed martial arts film, and sports manufacturer Easton recently paid homage to the band by making a limited-edition Easton Atreyu hockey stick.
Atreyu are touring in support of LEAD SAILS PAPER ANCHOR, which debuted at No. 8 on Billboard’s Top 200, making it both the highest debut and highest-charting album of the band s career. It follows 2006’s A Death-Grip On Yesterday, which entered the chart at No. 9. The album, which was produced by John Feldmann (The Used, Good Charlotte) and mixed by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Slipknot, Linkin Park), drew rave reviews from media outlets around the world, including Metal Hammer, who declared it to be “a truly landmark album.” Kerrang! gave the record 4 K’s and Blender gave it 3 = stars and called it “metal that takes you to a magical bygone era.” Revolver awarded the album 4 stars and praised it for flowing “beautifully through the speakers” and for being “a coffin-tight collection of singles.” Since the album’s release, the band shared stages alongside Korn and Evanescence on the Family Values Tour and blazed a headlining run of their own.
Don’t miss Atreyu on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour.
Trina recently shot her video for “I Gotta Thang For You” Featuring Keyshia Cole. The video also features New York Jets Running Back Thomas Jones. Video Coming Soon!!!
Trina
Slip-N-Slide Records
“Still Da Baddest” In-Stores April 1st
http://www.myspace.com/Trinarockstarr
http://www.myspace.com/Trina
Trina feat. Keyshia Cole - I Gotta Thing For You
http://www.divshare.com/download/3993200-198
Trina Bio
Miami native Katrina Taylor better known as Trina debuted in 1998 on Slip-N-Slide label mate Trick Daddy’s “Nann,” and quickly became a household name in Hip-Hop. With female rappers from the South not making much noise back then, Trina earned national attention. Adding a Southern twist to the explicit style that rappers like Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown had blown up off; Trina easily became the queen of the South. But her first two albums, Platinum selling debut album “Da Baddest B***h” (2000) and Gold album “Diamond Princess” (2002) focused on the raw and raunchy style that made her famous, followed by another Gold album entitled “Glamorous Life” in 2005, now the world patiently awaits the release of her fourth solo album entitled “Still Da Baddest”.
Trina lived most of her life between Liberty City and later, in the upscale community of Pembroke Isle, FL. Despite her surroundings in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, Trina managed to do positive things with her life, and became a real estate agent. At that point of her life she did not expect to pursue a career in music, but slowly, everything changed around. A local Miami rapper named Trick Daddy was establishing his career in 1997 and saw the talent in her. When it was time to work on his new album, he gave Trina a chance to be featured on a track. In 1998, that track, “Nann N*gga”, ended up being the first single of his “www.thug.com” album. The single became a hit reaching No. 3 on the Rap Charts. Thanks to the success of the single, Trina gained popularity and got a deal with Slip-N-Side/ Atlantic Records.
In March of 2000, Trina’s debut album “Da Baddest B***H” was released. The album entered the Billboard Chart at No. 10. The album’s lead single, also titled “Da Baddest B***h”, put Trina on the map, claiming her spot as an up-and-coming rapper in the industry. The following single, “Pull Over”, became an even bigger success, the song brought attention to Trina’s voluptuous body, which got her plenty of recognition as a sex symbol. Trina had now become a household name and got a taste of success with her album selling more than 700,000 copies in the US.
Affectionately known across the entire global market as the “Diamond Princess”, “The Baddest B***h” and any other name that pronounces and represents riches and royalty, Trina is most definitely a mark of distinction that is always looking for innovative creative ways to set her musical talent apart from other traditional female lyricist. ” I value inserting real life issues, into my music, my style represents real women’s struggles, and pleasures in relationships, break up’s and just the whole essence of being a women on a day- to day basis” states Trina.
Trina has been a prominent feature on numerous remixes and has released three solo albums and two mix tapes. When she first stepped on the scene, she caught the attention of the public by being provocative and vulgar. But like any human being, Trina’s music and personal life have been a constant evolution. Her last album, “Glamorest Life” which went Gold, included the Billboard top charting #3 single “Here We Go Again”, Ft. Kelly Rowland from the Grammy Award winning group Destiny’s Child. “I would say the beginning of my career was like a trial and error trying to find myself. I was speaking from the streets and life in general from people that I was around, she says. I always tried to let people know that, even from the first album, that what I say on record isn’t all me. It’s really a form of expression and life in general and just talking about what’s going on in the world that I have seen growing up in the inner city”.
Though she likes to “keep private life private” during interviews, Trina is comfortable talking about how her own personal experiences have inspired her writing. “I was in a relationship, and it was a good relationship, but something was just not right. No matter how much you put into it, no mater how much love you give, something can always go wrong. And that’s how the “Here We Go” Ft. Kelly Rowland came about. It’s from a real-life experience” states Trina.
Revealing her vulnerable side on songs like “Here We Go” Ft. Kelly Rowland helps Trina’s persona resonate with other females. As one of hip-hop’s most noticeable leading ladies, she’s determined to keep sisterhood amongst the women a priority. “There are only a handful of female artists, and there’s not really enough love and connection between us. We need to be supportive of each other: Guys can rap and promote gangbanging and violence and shooting up somebody’s mama, but if a girl says anything out of content, she is criticized. I just think women need to stick together a little more to be able to become just as successful as the guys in the industry.”
With a keen disposition on walking through the music industry making a historical name for herself, Trina has realized what an impact she has on young girls across the country, she always realized that a silent epidemic was plaguing their lives. “I travel a lot and I meet so many young girls and everyday life for them is a struggle. Everyday life for them is a different day of facing some sort of obstacle that they feel that can’t endure”. She has always been about empowering young females, so it was a no brainer that starting a non-profit organization to give back to the community was the next step for her career. And so the Diamond Doll Foundation was created in 2006 to fill the void that a lot of young girls have in their life. Trina feels that many young girls grow up without supporting parents and sometimes make life changing decisions that may not have been made if there was a proper support system in place. When asked about the overall theme and tone set for her newly developed foundation Trina states that, “Like a diamond, each female on this earth is precious and has a rare story to tell, but some don’t get the opportunity to shine, I want to help provide that opportunity”.
Throughout the past decade Trina has had the pleasure of gracing the covers of some of the top publications in the country, including three cover stories in KING Magazine, The Source, Smooth, XXL, Sister 2 Sister and most recently Ocean Drive just to name a few, helping her to build her name and her brand. For Trina, business is a priority. Aside from her music, she has other business ventures and is intent on building an empire to grow her brand. “I’m trying to make myself more of a business person this time around,” she says speaking more in-depth about her, Diamond Princess & new Diamond Doll fragrance, Pink Diamond Couture Clothing, and her future acting career.
But first, Trina is going to make sure that her music is right, which is why she is in such high demand as a featured guest artist. In between working on her fourth album entitled “Still Da Baddest”, she has kept herself busy by appearing on hit records. “I’m honored to do those guest appearances,” she says. “I’m a chick in the game who is working, and people will respect that. ” I came in the game as the “Baddest Chick” and I have “NO” intentions on resigning from my critically acclaimed title or handing down my crown.”
from PitchforkMedia.com:
It’s been well over a year since we last found cause to mention Coldplay in these pages, and whatever your feelings for the soft-rock Goliath, here we are again with our annual (not really) Coldplay roundup.
Coldplay have named the follow-up to 2005’s X&Y, and according to the band’s website it is called…wait for it…Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. WTF? To be fair, Chris Martin revealed the Frida Kahlo-inspired title to RollingStone.com recently as just Viva la Vida, and I’m sure the people marketing this thing will make sure that’s the name that sticks.
The RollingStone.com report cites June 17 as the release date for Viva. As previously reported, Brian Eno helmed the producer’s chair for
Livin’ laViva la Vida. Joining him: Markus Dravs, who has worked with Björk and the Arcade Fire, among others.The Coldplay boys claim they’re finalizing the album tracklist right now, but they have revealed a bunch of track titles in various website dispatches, including “Lovers in Japan”, “Strawberry Swing”, “Famous Old Painters”, “Glass of Water”, “Lost!”, “Cemeteries of London”, “Violet Hill”, “Poppy Fields”, “42″, “Yes!”, “Leftrightleftrightleft”, “Rainy Day”, and “Prospekt’s March”. That said, Martin and the gang have also expressed a desire to keep their new album to nine tracks (and 42 minutes’ length), so perhaps a bunch of these will wind up B-sides.
So, what can we look forward to musically? Offered the band on its website: “As you’d expect with Brian Eno, there’s experimentation and exploration. But the music still has integrity. It’s real and honest. There’s no posturing or bombast.”
Also: “The sights, sounds and flavours of Latin America and Spain have definitely been infused into this album…No maracas or castanets, but a vibrancy and colourfulness that owes much to the atmospheres of Buenos Aires and Barcelona. The effect is subtle but important.”
Many a live show will no doubt follow, but for now Coldplay have just three: a spot at the inaugural Pemberton Festival in Canada and two appearances at Japan’s Summer Sonic shindig.
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