{"key":"573","name":"Depeche Mode","bio":"Depeche Mode are an English synthpop band, founded in 1980, originally from the town of Basildon, Essex, United Kingdom. They are one of the most enduring and successful bands to have emerged during the 80s, and particularly from the new wave\/new romantic era. The band name is derived from a French fashion magazine, D\u00e9p\u00eache mode, which means \"fashion dispatch.\"The band have been highly influential in the electronic dance music scene, especially synthpop, techno and trance, in part due to their innovative work, recording techniques and use of sampling. Their most successful album is arguably 1990's Violator, which reached the #2 position in the UK, #7 in the US, and sold over 8 million copies worldwide. The band has released a long series of high-charting singles over their three-decades long career. Enjoy the Silence is their most recognized song and is one of the most covered songs in history. The original line-up was Dave Gahan, Martin L. Gore, Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke. In December 1981, Clarke left the band and later went on to form Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure. Alan Wilder joined the group initially in January 1982 as a live keyboardist but became an official member in December 1982. He left mid-1995 to fully concentrate on his Recoil project and the band continued as a trio. In 2010 Wilder re-joined Depeche Mode on stage after 16 years, for a performance of Somebody during a show at London's Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.Depeche Mode's origins date back to 1977, when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China, with Clarke on vocals and guitar and Fletcher on bass. In March 1980, Clarke, Gore and Fletcher formed a band called Composition of Sound, with Clarke on vocals\/guitar, Gore on keyboards and Fletcher on bass. Soon after the formation of Composition of Sound, Clarke and Fletcher switched to synthesizers. Dave Gahan joined the band in 1980 after Clarke heard him perform at a local scout hut jam session, singing to a rendition of David Bowie's \"Heroes\", and Depeche Mode were born. While playing a live gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town, the band were approached by Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records, who proposed them a verbal contract. The result was their first single Dreaming of Me, recorded in December 1980 and released in February 1981, reaching number 57 in the UK charts and followed soon by a real contract with Mute.As of 2006, it was estimated that Depeche Mode had sold over 100 million records (60 million albums \/ 40 million singles) worldwide and have had 48 songs in the UK singles chart. They are the best selling band to have never had a UK number 1 single. According to Q Magazine, Depeche Mode is \"the most popular electronic band the world has ever known.\"To date, Depeche Mode have released:13 studio albums: Speak & Spell (1981), A Broken Frame (1982), Construction Time Again (1983), Some Great Reward (1984), Black Celebration (1986), Music For the Masses (1987), Violator (1990), Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993), Ultra (1997), Exciter (2001), Playing the Angel (2005), Sounds of the Universe (2009), and Delta Machine (2013);8 compilations: People Are People (1984), The Singles 81-85 (1985), Catching Up with Depeche Mode (1985), Greatest Hits (1987), The Singles 86>98 (1998), Remixes 81-04 (2004), The Best Of Depeche Mode Volume 1 (2006), The Complete Depeche Mode (2006);4 live albums: 101 (1989), Songs of Faith and Devotion Live (1993), Recording the Angel (a series of live recordings; 2006), Recording the Universe (a series of live recordings; 2009);49 singles: including Just Can't Get Enough, Everything Counts, People Are People, Master and Servant, Shake the Disease, Stripped, A Question of Time, Strangelove, Never Let Me Down Again, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, World in My Eyes, Policy of Truth, I Feel You, Walking in My Shoes, In Your Room, Barrel of a Gun, It's No Good, Home, Dream On, Freelove, Precious and Wrong;11 video materials (VHS\/DVD\/Blu-ray): The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg (1985), Some Great Videos (1985), Strange (1988), 101 (1989), Strange Too (1990), Devotional (1993), The Videos 86>98 (1998), Some Great Videos 81>85 (1998), One Night in Paris (2002), The Videos 86>98 + (2002), Touring the Angel: Live in Milan (2006), The Best of - Volume 1 (2006), Tour of the Universe : Barcelona 20\/21.11.09 (2009)","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/573_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"200,000 - 350,000"}

{"key":"6148","name":"La Roux","bio":"La Roux is the electropop project of Elly Jackson (born 12 March 1988 in London, United Kingdom; singer and keyboardist). It started as a duo in 2008 and became a solo project in 2011, when Jackson's songwriting and producing partner Ben Langmaid left the group. Her music is largely influenced by 80s pop music including Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Heaven 17, Yazoo and Prince.The name La Roux (pronounced lah-roo) is reported to be chosen when Elly found it in a book of baby names. La Roux comes from the mix of the French masculine word for \"redhead\" and the feminine article for \"the\", referring to Jackson's distinctive hairstyle.In 2006 Jackson and Langmaid were introduced by a mutual friend. Their first project was named Automan and they wrote largely acoustic music.In 15 December 2008, La Roux released their first single \"Quicksand\" on Kitsun\u00e9 Music label, reaching just #129 on UK. This single was followed on 29 June 2009 by their debut album La Roux on Polydor label. The album peaked at #2 on UK albums chart, #158 on US charts, and it sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.La Roux' second single \"In For the Kill\" was released on 16 March 2009. This single debuted at #11 on the UK singles chart and peaked at #2. The dubstep producer Skream made two remixes of this track: \"In for the Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey remix)\" and \"In for the Kill (That Doesn't Sound Like Skream's remix)\". Lifelike also made a remix entitled \"In for the Kill (Lifelike Remix)\".\"Bulletproof\" was released on 22 June 2009 and debuted at #1 on the UK singles chart and peaked at #8 on the US charts. This single was ranked #25 on Rolling Stone's list of The 25 Best Songs of 2009. They issued \"I'm Not Your Toy\" as fourth single on 27 September 2009, reaching #27 on the UK singles chart.La Roux gained fifth position on the BBC's Sound of 2009 poll. The Guardian featured La Roux as one of the \"Best New Acts of 2009\" in the January of that year. The debut album has been nominated for a Mercury Prize. Also they have received 2010 BRIT Award nominations in the categories of British Breakthrough Act and British Single for \"In for the Kill\".They won the NME Award for Best Dancefloor Filler with \"In For The Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey remix)\". They were also the only band to be featured 4 times on the NME 50 Best Tracks of 2009 list with \"I'm Not Your Toy\" placed at #41, \"Bulletproof\" at #24, \"In For the Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey remix)\" at #19 and \"In For The Kill\" at #8.Currently La Roux is working on a second album.Official site: http:\/\/www.laroux.co.uk","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/6148_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"8377","name":"Ladytron","bio":"Ladytron are an electronic band formed in 1999 in Liverpool, England. The band consists of Helen Marnie (also known as Marnie; lead vocals, synths), Mira Aroyo (vocals, synths), Daniel Hunt (synths, guitar) and Reuben Wu (synths). They've released five studio albums so far: 604 (2001), Light & Magic (2002), Witching Hour (2005), Velocifero (2008) and Gravity the Seducer (2011). They also issued the live album Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 (2009), the compilation album Best of 00-10 (2011), and the EPs Miss Black and Her Friends (1999), Commodore Rock (2000), Mu-Tron EP (2000), Extended Play (2006), The Harmonium Sessions (2006), Ace of Hz EP (2011). Their sound is usually described as electropop mixed with new wave and shoegaze influences. Liverpool-based producers and DJs Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu met in the 1990s. Hunt was the founder of the indie record label Invicta Hi-Fi and of a nightclub. Wu trained in Industrial Design at Sheffield Hallam University and graduated in 1997. He became an industrial designer at Team Consulting Limited until 2002.Using the moniker Ladytron, taken from the song \"Ladytron\" by Roxy Music, Hunt and Wu recorded the debut single \"He Took Her to a Movie\" with the guest vocalist Lisa Eriksson (who later formed the band Techno Squirrels). \"He Took Her to a Movie\" was released in July 1999 and gained positive reviews. In the summer of 1999, Hunt and Wu met Helen Marnie (born in 1978 in Glasgow, Scotland) and Mira Aroyo (born in 1977 in Sofia, Bulgaria). Marnie and Aroyo joined Ladytron as vocalists and keyboard players. Marnie studied music at the University of Liverpool where she received a Bachelor of Arts in pop music in 1999. Aroyo was a postgraduate research geneticist in the Oxford University's Biochemistry department.In December 1999, Ladytron issued the EP Miss Black and Her Friends in Japan only. It was followed in June 2000 by the EP Commodore Rock and in October 2000 by Mu-Tron EP. All the songs from these EPs, except \"Miss Black\" and \"Olivetti Jerk\", were later included on their debut studio album. \"He Took Her to a Movie\", Mu-Tron EP, \"The Way That I Found You\", were all selected as NME \"Single of the Week\".In 6 February 2001, Ladytron released their critically acclaimed debut album, 604 on Emperor Norton (US). The album was also released in 26 March 2001 on Labels (Germany) and in 2 April 2001 on Invicta Hi-Fi (UK). It was re-released in 20 July 2004 on Emperor Norton (US) and in 14 January 2011 (Germany)\/18 January 2011 (US)\/24 January (UK) on Nettwerk.604 has been written mostly by Daniel Hunt and co-produced by him and Lance Thomas. Three singles supported the album's promotion: \"He Took Her to a Movie\", \"Playgirl\", and \"The Way That I Found You\".Also in 2001, Ladytron covered The Human League' song \"Open Your Heart\" for the compilation album Reproductions: Songs of The Human League. Until 2004, the band wore uniforms on stage. Daniel Hunt stated in 2001 that their uniforms were inspired by the SF movie The Andromeda Strain. In an interview from 2002, Hunt also said that the meaning of 604 album title is the area code for British Columbia.In 17 September 2002, Ladytron released their sophomore album Light & Magic at Emperor Norton (US) and Telstar (UK). The album was also released in 7 April 2003 at Warner Music (Germany) and in 21 June 2003 at Victor Entertainment (Japan). It was re-released in 20 July 2004 on Emperor Norton (US) and in 14 January 2011 (Germany)\/18 January 2011 (US)\/24 January 2011 (UK) on Nettwerk.Light & Magic was co-produced by the band and Mickey Petralia in Los Angeles. The album featured a darker sound than their debut and spawned three underground hits, \"Seventeen\", \"Evil\", and \"Blue Jeans\". They toured over a year to support this album.In 7 October 2003, they issued the mix compilation Softcore Jukebox on Emperor Norton. The compilation includes songs of other artists selected by the band and also two of their own songs: the single remix of \"Blue Jeans\" renamed \"Blue Jeans 2.0\" and the cover \"Oops Oh My\" by Tweet. In 2004, they played a series of shows in China as part of an exhibition tour set up by the British Council.In 3 October 2005, Ladytron released their third studio album Witching Hour on Island (UK). The album was also released in 4 October 2005 on Universal Music (Germany) and Rykodisc (US). It was re-released in 5 April 2007 on Major (Germany), in 5 November 2007 on So Sweet (UK), in 18 January 2011 (US)\/24 January 2011 (UK) on Nettwerk.Witching Hour was co-produced by the band and Jim Abbiss. The album featured live drums and guitars mixed with their trademark sound. This album was very well received by critics and fans. It was supported by the singles \"Sugar\" and \"Destroy Everything You Touch\". The single \"Destroy Everything You Touch\" became the band's signature song.Their third album was followed in 2006 by Extended Play, a two-disc EP CD\/DVD compilation that features exclusive unreleased remixes and UK B-sides, as well as a 35-minute bonus DVD that included a 27 minutes documentary titled Once Upon a Time in the East: Ladytron in China based on their short 2004 tour in China. In the same year Ladytron recorded The Harmonium Sessions, which contained four reworked songs from Witching Hour.Without any real label support, Ladytron toured exhaustively over the next two years, on the strength of their cult following. They played in North America, Europe, and South America. They also opened for Nine Inch Nails in early 2007 at the request of Trent Reznor.Along their career, Ladytron have produced remixes for many artists, including Dave Gahan, Goldfrapp, Placebo, Blondie, Bloc Party, Kings of Convenience, Gang of Four, She Wants Revenge, Soulwax, Nine Inch Nails, Simian, Indochine and Apoptygma Berzerk.In 2 June 2008, the group issued on Nettwerk their fourth album, Velocifero. The album was recorded in Paris, with the band handling production duties with Alessandro Cortini (Modwheelmood, Nine Inch Nails, SONOIO) and Vicarious Bliss (Justice, DJ Mehdi). Their sound evolved to an even more organic sound and harsher beats. The band states that \"velocifero\" literally means \"bringer of speed\" and is also the name of a classic retro styled scooter. The album spawned three singles, \"Ghosts\", \"Runaway\" and \"Tomorrow\".In 6 April 2009, Nettwerk issued the remix compilation Velocifero (Remixed & Rare). In the same year, the band self-released their first live album entitled Live at London Astoria 16.07.08. They also co-wrote and produced the songs \"Birds of Prey\" and \"Little Dreamer\" for Christina Aguilera. These songs featured on her 2010 album Bionic.In 2009, Ladytron toured North America with The Faint (co-headline tour), and performed two special shows with Brian Eno at the Sydney Opera House in the summer. They also announced that they will be the opening act for Depeche Mode on few concerts in Eastern Europe, but these concerts were cancelled due to Dave Gahan's illness.The soundtrack of the video game FIFA 11 featured a new Ladytron song, \"Ace of Hz\", which was released as digital single on 30 November 2010. In 11 January 2011, the band issued the digital EP Ace of Hz, which includes the album mix plus 5 remixes. In 28 March 2011, Ladytron released the compilation Best of 00-10 on Nettwerk. It featured 17 tracks on standard edition and 33 tracks on deluxe edition (plus a 80 pages booklet). They also issued the remix compilation Best of Remixes and the iTunes video compilation Best of 00-10 Videos.In 12 September 2011, they released the fifth studio album, Gravity the Seducer, on Nettwerk. The album was recorded in Kent's countryside and it was produced by the band and Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Editors). Daniel Hunt said \"Gravity the Seducer is more of a jump than the last album was, more ethereal and melodic, a touch more abstract in places than we've gone before, baroque 'n' roll\".Gravity the Seducer has been preceded by the single \"White Elephant\", issued on 17 May 2011. The band premiered the song \"Ambulances\", in 16 June 2011. It was followed by the single \"Mirage\" in 8 August 2011.On 20 December 2011, Nettwerk issued the remix compilations 604 (Remixed & Rare), Light & Magic (Remixed & Rare), Witching Hour (Remixed & Rare).Using the stage name of Marnie, Helen Marnie started in 2012 a solo career. She self-released her debut solo album Crystal World on 11 June 2013. The album was produced in 2012 in Reykjavik, Iceland by her band mate Daniel Hunt in collaboration with the Icelandic musician Bar\u00f0i J\u00f3hannsson.Touring:There have been six main Ladytron tours: 604 tour (2001), Light & Magic tour (2002\u20132004), Witching Hour tour (2005\u20132007), Velocifero tour (2008\u20132009), Best of 00-10 tour (2011), and Gravity the Seducer tour (2011). During the years, they toured in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.The band played at various music festivals like La Route du Rock 2001, Reading Festival 2001, Festival Internacional de Benic\u00e0ssim 2001 and 2005, Coachella Festival 2003 and 2006, Hultsfred Festival 2003, Arvikafestivalen 2003 and 2006, Lowlands Festival 2003, Dot-to-Dot Festival 2005, Pukkelpop 2005, Exit Festival 2005, Creamfields 2007, Electric Picnic 2007, Bonnaroo Festival 2008, Ruisrock Festival 2009, Traffic Festival 2009, Standon Calling Festival 2009, Electrosonic Festival 2009, Ping Gu Valley Festival 2011, Donaufestival 2011, Selector Festival 2011, Hegyalja Festival 2011, Decibel Festival 2011, DeLuna Fest 2011, Zouk Festival 2011.Since Light & Magic tour, Ladytron started to tour extensively and to add touring members to play live bass and drums. Previous touring members include Pop Levi (bass during Light & Magic tour), Andrea Goldsworthy (bass during Witching Hour tour), and Keith York (drums during Light & Magic tour and Witching Hour tour).Bands to open for Ladytron on their tours include Simian, The Presets, Client, Phaser, CSS, Asobi Seksu, Mount Sims, Crocodiles, Franz Ferdinand, SONOIO, VHS or Beta and Geographer.Ladytron have opened for other artists like Soulwax on their UK tour in 2001, Bj\u00f6rk in 2003, and Goldfrapp in 2006. In early 2007, they opened for Nine Inch Nails on their European tour, at the invitation of Trent Reznor. In 2009, Ladytron and The Faint co-headlined a North American tour.Official site: www.ladytron.com","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/8377_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"577","name":"Pet Shop Boys","bio":"Pet Shop Boys are a British synthpop\/dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. They formed in London, UK in 1982. \"Super\", their thirteenth studio album, was released on April 1st 2016.Three-time Brit Award winners and six-time Grammy nominees, they have achieved 42 Top 30 singles and 22 Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart, including four number ones: \"West End Girls\", \"It's a Sin\", \"Always on My Mind\" and \"Heart\". Other songs include \"Being Boring\", \"Home and Dry\", \"Rent\", \"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)\", \"What Have I Done to Deserve This?\" in a duet with Dusty Springfield and \"Thursday (feat. Example)\". Pet Shop Boys are one of the most commercially and critically acclaimed British music artists ever. They have achieved eight platinum, two gold and four silver albums in the UK alone. They have sold 50 million records worldwide and are listed as the most successful duo in UK music history by The Guinness Book of Records. At the 2009 BRIT Awards, Pet Shop Boys received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.http:\/\/petshopboys.co.uk","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/577_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"8398","name":"IAMX","bio":"IAMX is the solo musical project of Chris Corner (of Sneaker Pimps). Corner has repeatedly said that IAMX is very different to his actual, real-life personality and is a kind of quasi \u201cact\u201d. Whether an act or not, IAMX\u2019s music is primarily concerned with subjects such as outlandish sex, death, narcotic intoxication, bisexuality, obsession, alienation and vague allusions to politics.With the European marketplace going crazy for his blend of dramatic synth-rock, darkness-infused pop, and intricately-constructed indie dance, IAMX, originally from the Middlesbrough, United Kingdom but currently based in Berlin, has been headlining festivals in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine etc. and sharing the stage with Placebo, Franz Ferdinand, and The Cardigans among others.Like an 80s electro glam soundtrack to a Jan \u0160vankmajer film or an almost unfathomable hybrid between the sexy swagger of Prince and the cool and collected respectability of Roxy Music, IAMX mixes Chris\u2019 erotically-charged vocals with music that is, at once, frantic yet controlled.With such strikingly cinematic songs as the waltzy drama of \"President\" to the percussive sexual predatory dirtiness of \"The Negative Sex\" to the indelibly infectious synthpop of the sweeping \"Spit It Out\", The Alternative is exactly just that - the alternative to the cookie-cutter music scene that dominates the airwaves. Considering the rabid reception he receives from his performances, it seems it's time for the masses to grasp The Alternative.The beginning of 2011 have witnessed the newest IAMX effort, Volatile Times. The sound quality being on par with virtually no fillers, the album draws on cabaret style (Bernadette is an example), another highlights include a fragile and haunting hymn of I Salute You, Christopher, wooshing and energetically charged Into the Asylum with probably the most outspoken hysteria feel ever seen on Corner's songs, as well a sonic masterpiece Commanded by Voices with its waving and rippling yet mellow intro chords.. The first single from Volatile Times, Ghosts of Utopia, was released in Feb. 2011 and the video premiered in a short span of time. What would be the next Corners' artistic step is remaining to be seen.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/8398_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"8589","name":"CHVRCHES","bio":"CHVRCHES (pronounced as \"churches\") are a Scottish electronic band from Glasgow, formed in 2011. The group consists of Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals, occasionally synths and samplers), Iain Cook (synths, guitar, bass, vocals) and Martin Doherty (synths, samplers, vocals). The group's debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, was released on 20 September 2013.Previously, Mayberry was a member of the bands Boyfriend\/Girlfriend and Blue Sky Archives. Mayberry is a trained drummer and also did a four-year law degree, followed by a Masters in journalism. Cook was a member of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours and also wrote music for film and TV. Doherty was a live member of The Twilight Sad. According to Mayberry, \"Iain and Martin went to university together so they've known each other for quite a long time\".The band started in October 2011 as a studio project between the long time friends Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. Cook already knew Lauren Mayberry from working with Blue Sky Archives and suggested her as a potential vocalist for the project.CHVRCHES were influenced by acts such as Prince, Tubeway Army, Robyn, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Laurie Anderson. The band write, record, mix and master everything in a basement studio in Glasgow.In May 2012, they released the song \"Lies\". In the same year, CHVRCHES toured with Passion Pit, as the opening band for their concerts and also toured on their own. \"Lies\" ranked at number 28 on NME's Best Tracks of 2012. CHVRCHES also came fifth on the BBC's Sound of 2013 list.On 25 March 2013, they released Recover EP. They performed at SXSW and won the Inaugural Grulke Prize (for Developing Non-US Act). The band also supported Depeche Mode on four shows in July during their The Delta Machine Tour 2013.On 20 September 2013, CHVRCHES released their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe. The album is supported by the singles \"The Mother We Share\", \"Recover\" and \"Gun\".Links: official site at chvrch.es | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Tumblr | Vimeo","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/8589_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"50,000 - 100,000"}

{"key":"10430","name":"Duran Duran","bio":"Duran Duran (named after a character in Roger Vadim's sci-fi classic, Barbarella) is an electronic pop rock band that was part of the New Wave movement of the 80s and 90s. Created by Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (bass) in Birmingham, England in 1978, it later add took in Roger Taylor (drums), Andy Taylor (guitar), and Simon Le Bon (lead vocals). The band has sold more than 70 million records over their more than 35 years of existence, making them one of the best-selling groups in history.Their songs are often vivid, hook-laden pieces dance pop that have fared well on the radio, but what many remember best about Duran Duran is their iconic music videos. Though many of the videos were tongue-in-cheek, the band has never quite escaped the glamorous and decadent 'jet set' image that their early videos projected. Their flashy outfits and strident, art rock influenced music showed an immense debt to 70s English glam artists such as David Bowie and Roxy Music, yet the band grasped a sense of their own identity and became one of the keystones of the new romantic movement.Their first singer and one of their original founding members was Stephen Duffy, and their original bassist was Simon Colley. Several drummers and guitarists were subsequently tried, as well as a handful of vocalists, after Duffy left Duran Duran early in 1979. The band felt that they had something special with vocalist Simon Le Bon, and the group smashed into the pop scene shortly afterwards when \"Planet Earth\", their debut single, was released on 2 February 1981.\"Planet Earth\" became an immediate hit in the band's native U.K., reaching #12 on the U.K. Singles Chart on 21 February, and it did even better in Australia, hitting #8 there. Being Duran Duran's first Top 10 hit anywhere in the world, the song showed the group's interest in international stardom. The band's eponymous debut album came out promptly afterwards in June 1981. 'Duran Duran' hit #3 on the album charts and remained in the U.K. Top 100 for 117 weeks, achieving platinum status by December 1982. The initial United States release failed to generate much interest at first, but the group was a British sensation due to their strident mix of pop rock and electronic music.Music videos for hit singles \"Planet Earth\" and \"Careless Memories\" were filmed in December 1980. As they also experienced considerable success with \"Girls on Film\", which hit #5 on the UK Singles Chart and #11 on the Australian Singles Chart, the group firmly grasped the opportunity to make a name for themselves in musical television. As their fame grew, some fans worried that Duran Duran could have peaked too early. They headed into AIR Studios in London in early 1982 anxious to somehow top themselves.Band member John Taylor came up with the new album's title, 'Rio', as a product of his fascination with the flaunting sexuality and diverse atmosphere of Brazil. He later said, \"Rio, to me, was shorthand for the truly foreign, the exotic, a cornucopia of earthly delights, a party that would never stop.\" The band had their own plans and ambitions for promotion and reunited with director Russell Mulcahy (who was behind the video for \"Planet Earth\") to plan out the release of a full length 'video album'\u2014 eleven videos in total. Totally dedicated to on-site filming, guitarist Andy Taylor even contracted a tropical virus and ended up hospitalized, thankfully getting better relatively quickly.'Rio' was, simply, a commercial juggernaut. The band's second studio album, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982, reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia. Massively popular in the U.S., it earned a gold disc on 1 March 1983 and went platinum on 26 April 1983, eventually reaching double-platinum status. As songs such as \"Hungry Like the Wolf\" and \"Rio\" received considerable airplay, critical acclaim also grew for the release. With MTV heavily playing the band's music videos, the album is still held as one of the best new wave albums ever. In April 2013, 'Rio' was even voted #3 in BBC Radio 2's 'Top 100 Favourite Albums of all time' list.In 1985, Duran Duran performed \"A View To A Kill\" for the the James Bond film of the same name. The song appeared in the movie's title sequence and was also a best-selling single in its own right. In 1987, \"Out Of My Mind\" was featured at the end credits of the drama film 'The Saint' as well.Like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran was among the earliest bands to work on their own remixes. From the very beginning, the band had a keen sense of style, and worked with stylist Perry Haines and fashion designers such as Kahn & Bell and Antony Price to build a sharp and elegant image, soon growing beyond the ruffles and sashes of the pirate-flavoured New Romantic look.Although the group never disbanded, it went through several line-up changes over the years - American guitarist Warren Cuccurullo (formerly of Missing Persons) was also a member of the band from 1989 to 2001, and drummer Sterling Campbell was a member from 1989 to 1991. John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor all returned in 2001 and created a stir among music media and the band's fans. Duran Duran released the first album from the reunited line-up, Astronaut, in 2004, which was in turn followed up by many sold out shows in England, most notably Wembley Arena, where a live DVD of the tour was filmed in 2004\/2005.In October of 2006, it was announced on Duran Duran's website that Andy Taylor had left the band. The band's latest album, 'Red Carpet Massacre' was released in November 2007. They performed the album live in New York City on Broadway at the Barrymore Theater, for what was originally scheduled as an unprecedented 10-night run. A stage hand union strike shortened the run by a few nights, but Duran Duran were able to re-schedule the shows elsewhere. They went on to tour the world, ending their successful run in December of 2008. 2008 also saw the release of a new DVD that documents the making of their now-classic \"Rio\" album (called \"Classic Albums: Rio (Collector's Edition)\"), and a book called \"Would Someone Please Explain?\"- a compilation of questions from the \"Ask Katy\" area of their popular website. Duran Duran returned at the end of 2010 with their 13th album, the digital and self-released album All You Need Is Now which debuted at number one on the iTunes charts in many countries (including the USA). The physical version of the album will be released with bonus tracks in February 2011. The album was produced by Mark Ronson. 2015 saw the band return with the album Paper Gods, which was led by the single \"Pressure Off\" featuring Janelle Monae and Nile Rodgers. The album was the band's first top 10 chart success in the U.S. in over 20 years, and also reached number 5 in the U.K.Official Websites:http:\/\/www.duranduran.comhttp:\/\/twitter.com\/duranduranhttp:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Duran-Duranhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/DuranDuranhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/07duranduranhttp:\/\/www.myspace.com\/duranduran","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/10430_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"10434","name":"a-ha","bio":"a-ha is a Norwegian new wave band. The trio, composed of lead vocalist Morten Harket, guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, formed in 1982 and left Oslo, Norway for London in order to make a career in the music business. The origin of the name a-ha comes from the lyric of an early song. After checking dictionaries in several languages, they found out that 'a-ha' was an international way of expressing recognition, with positive connotations. It was short, a-ha was easy to say and somewhat unusual.The first song to break through into the mainstream culture was Take On Me, which was featured on the album Hunting High And Low; a main reason for its popularity was the music video that came some time later after the song's release.\"Take on Me\" was the first song Morten Harket heard Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy play. At that time the song was called \"Lesson One.\" After multiple re-recordings and two failed releases, \"Take on Me\" became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1985. Although their first release of the song in 1984 was not a major success, it was remixed by producer Alan Tarney a year later, and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide in one week. Eventually the single \"Take on Me\" is estimated to have sold 7-9 million copies worldwide; it peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number two in the UK Singles Chart. Sales were aided in the U.S. by a music video on MTV that mimicked the truck chase from Terry Gilliam's movie Brazil and the climactic scene from the Ken Russell film Altered States. The video used a sketchy animation \/ live action combination called \"Rotoscoping\" that tells a fantasy thriller story to the song. At the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards \"Take on Me\" won in six categories. It was also nominated for Best Video of the Year at 1986 American Music Awards.The follow-up single to \"Take on Me\" was \"The Sun Always Shines on T.V.\". In the U.S., the song peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number seventeen on Radio & Records airplay chart. In addition, the music video for the song won in two categories at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. a-ha's American success culminated in their 1986 Grammy nomination in a coveted Best New Artist category which was eventually won by Sade.\"The Sun Always Shines on TV\" turned out to be A-ha's last Billboard Top 40 single, and to this day in the United States a-ha is mostly remembered by the general public only because of the singularly huge success of \"Take on Me\". Hunting High and Low (1985), which contained \"The Sun Always Shines on TV\" and \"Take on Me,\" was a worldwide bestseller. In the U.S., it sold more than a million copies and acquired platinum certification by RIAA. As of 2005, Hunting High and Low has sold 8 million copies worldwide.a-ha's second album was Scoundrel Days (1986) and represented a move towards alternative rock as synthpop began to fall out of style. In 1987, they provided the title song for the James Bond film The Living Daylights. Stay on These Roads (1988) received more mixed reviews than the previous albums. In spite of a drastic decline in sales in the next few years, a-ha continued to record two more albums, East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990) and Memorial Beach (1993). East of the Sun, West of the Moon featured a cover version of The Everly Brothers 1963 single, \"Crying in the Rain\".Because of apparent internal conflicts between the band members and conflict with the record label at the time, A-ha split in 1994 and their members started focusing on solo activities, but came together in 1994 to perform for the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. This performance included their song composed for the Winter Paralympics, \"Shapes That Go Together\".After a very well-received performance of \"The Sun Always Shines on TV\" and a new song, \"Summer Moved On\", at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 1998, the band returned to the studio and recorded 2000's Minor Earth Major Sky, which resulted in a new tour, and a videocast performance of a-ha (with Briskeby) opening the new Vallhall stadium in Oslo. Sales of this album and 2002's Lifelines showed that their fanbase was still there, and also that they were able to attract new audiences, especially in Central Europe and Scandinavia, where the albums sold extremely well. They appeared again at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in 2001. a-ha's music video for the song, \"I Wish I Cared\" was the first fully web-based animated flash music video to be made available.A live album (from their 2002 tour) with the title How Can I Sleep With Your Voice in My Head? was released in March of 2003, preceded by a live single of the 1986 classic \"The Sun Always Shines on TV\".In 2004, an in-depth book entitled \"The Swing Of Things\" was published, also featuring a CD of early demo material. In 2004, a-ha celebrated their twentieth anniversary with the release of a new singles collection: The Definitive Singles Collection 1984-2004. This compilation brought them back into the UK Top 20 Album Charts, where they reached number thirteen. Over their career, a-ha have officially released 32 singles. 13 of these became top ten singles in the UK, and 14 singles have been number one on the radio lists over the world. The compilation included some of the highlights from a-ha\u2019s last 20 years.In September, a-ha returned to the U.S. (at Irving Plaza in New York City) for the band's first concert on American soil since 1986. A short impromptu performance of \"Take on Me\" occurred on September 11 in Times Square. On August 27, 2005, the band played a concert for 120,000 people in Frognerparken in Oslo, the largest concert ever in Norway.On November 4, 2005, the band released its new studio album, Analogue. The first single \"Celice\" was released on October 4 in mainland Europe. Later that same month, a tour followed, with concerts in Brussels, France, Germany and the UK. The release of the track, \"Analogue (All I Want)\" followed in the UK in January 2006, giving a-ha its first top ten hit in the UK since 1988. The third single in Europe (second in the UK) from the album was the Magne Furuholmen penned \"Cosy Prisons\", already a live-staple in the band's set.On the 30 October 2006 in London a-ha received the prestigious Q Inspiration Award for its long contribution to music and for inspiring many of their younger colleagues in the business.In 2007 a-ha recorded a cover of John Lennon's \"#9 Dream\" for Amnesty International.A ninth studio album, Foot Of The Mountain, was released in the summer of 2009. This more synth oriented album got a number five position in the UK in August 2009, and was No. 11 on the European album charts.\"Norway's most successful band through the years is splitting up for good!After 9 studio albums with over 35 million albums sold, it`s over for the band.\"A-ha had a press conference in Cologne 26.10.09, the day before their last world tour kick-off in Lanxess Arena. The last concert was in Oslo Norway. The concert ion 4 December 2010 at the Oslo Spektrum. On March 21, 2015, it was confirmed in national Norwegian newspapers that a-ha has reunited for a two-year period and are currently writing new material. a-ha's tenth studio album, Cast in Steel, is scheduled to be released on September 4, 2015.Photo galleries and additional information can be viewed at the official site, www.a-ha.com.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/10434_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"40,000 - 75,000"}

{"key":"10415","name":"VNV Nation","bio":"VNV Nation is an electronic music group formed in London in 1990, now based in Hamburg, Germany, that combines elements of trance, synthpop and electronic body music (EBM) into what they call Futurepop. VNV Nation began as a one man project from Ronan Harris. In 1995 Mark Jackson joined the band permanently as a live drummer.VNV Nation's inspiration was originally the clash of the modern and classical European cultures, where mythology and technology live in an uneasy fusion, but this has since broadened to encompass a world view. The music ranges from electronic dance music to ballads and classically inspired music. Inspirations are taken from a wide range of styles including contemporary underground club culture, industrial, trance and classical music. The lyrics draw on philosophy, religion, literature, art, politics and different forms of symbolism, although VNV Nation does not advocate any ideology. It is a metaphor for expression. The letters VNV stand for \"Victory Not Vengeance\". The meaning behind this stylised motto is that one should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret.VNV Nation's first releases were in 1990 with two self produced vinyl releases, \"Body Pulse\" and \"Strength of Youth\" (which are now long deleted with Ronan Harris himself not having a copy). After working on some VNV Nation tracks and supporting Nitzer Ebb on tour whilst living in Toronto, Canada, Ronan returned to London and released some tracks on sampler CDs. This caught the interest of German label Discordia and in July 1995, \"Advance and Follow\" was released. At around about the same time, Mark Jackson joined the band.In January 1998, VNV Nation signed with the German label, Off Beat Records, releasing their second album \"Praise the Fallen\" in June 1998 and the EP \"Solitary EP\" in September 1998. With VNV Nation increasing in popularity, they began their first headline tour in Germany in September 1998.In 1999, the Off Beat label collapsed, leading to VNV Nation (along with other artists such as Covenant, Suicide Commando and Velvet Acid Christ) collaborating with Stefan Herwig (a former A&R manager with Off Beat) to create Dependent Records. In late 1999, the album \"Empires\" was released, staying at number 1 in the German Alternative Chart (DAC) for seven weeks, and winning the award for DAC Album of the Year.From \"Empires\" two singles were released \"Darkangel\", which tops the DAC for 5 weeks in mid 1999 and \"Standing\", which stays at no.1 in the DAC for 8 weeks in early 2000 (the maximum a single can remain in the DAC) winning a German Alternative Music Award for most successful single of 2000 and sharing the place for most successful single in the DAC's history with the Chemical Brothers. A limited edition of the \"Standing\" single was also released entitled \"Standing \/ Burning Empires\" which contained alternate versions and remixes by VNV Nation of tracks from \"Empires\". This remains one of the most sought after VNV rarities, fetching large sums on auction sites, although it has recently been released on iTunes to allow casual listeners to purchase it.In March 2001, \"Advance and Follow v2\" was released as a limited edition, which was a remastered and partially re-recorded version of the original 1995 album \"Advance and Follow\". The band were never particularly happy with the first album due to it being recorded in less than a week, so the release was seen by the band as a way to put that right. In October 2001, VNV Nation embarked on their \"Futureperfect\" tour of Europe and North America, promoting the album \"Futureperfect\" which was released in January 2002. It reached number 25 in the full German Album Charts, with the single \"Beloved\" reaching number 60 in the full German Singles Chart. Following the release of \"Beloved\", VNV Nation part ways with Dependant and create their own label \"Anachron Records\".In June 2003, the Honour 2003 EP is released, promoting the \"Pastperfect\" live DVD, which following many delays and problems was finally released in May 2004. Following this the rest of 2004 and beginning of 2005 was spent producing the album \"Matter and Form\", which was released in April 2005. Preceeding the album release, one of the tracks \"Chrome\" was sold in March 2005 as a download on the VNV Nation website, as well as iTunes.In April 2007, the album \"Judgement\" was released, and an extensive world tour in support of the album followed. In January 2009, VNV Nation published their plans for 2009 on their website, indicating that the long delayed \"Reformation\" EP would be available, but now as a full \"CD Pack\". Also due for release in 2009 is the new album entitled \"Of Faith, Power and Glory\".To read more about Ronan Harris and his motivations behind the band and 2009's \"Of Faith, Power and Glory,\" please visit http:\/\/www.dieselpunks.org\/profiles\/blogs\/interview-ronan-harris-of-vnv","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/10415_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}