Icelandic Singer/Songwriter Jon Jonsson Releases Debut Album

So apparently not everyone from Iceland comes to awards shows dressed in a dead swan costume. Case in point, up and coming Icelandic singer/songwriter Jón Jónsson.  In listening to his new single, "When You're Around," Gavin DeGraw immediately comes to mind.  Jónsson's got a smoothness to his voice that makes you hang on every word.  "When You're Around" is definitely a singer/songwriter's equivalent to a pop anthem, in that it's definitely more on the singer/songwriter end of the "pop spectrum" but still boundlessly sun shiny and joyful like you'd expect out of a traditional Top 40 pop track.  I think it's safe to say that Jón Jónsson's got a fair shot at cracking the Adult Contemporary market here in America.  Listen to "When You're Around" BELOW.

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Ones to Watch in 2012: Pepper

Pepper is someone I've been hearing about for a few months now, however it wasn't until recently that I decided to give her a proper listen and BOY have I (and you) been missing out. This girl's a vocal powerhouse.  While she has yet to release a single, we shouldn't have to wait too much longer.  Per Pepper herself via her official Twitter, "First single out soon, album to follow later in the year."  In the meantime, Pepper's been releasing a series of acoustic tracks to keep us occupied and impressed, all of which you can hear below, starting with her latest punchy pop masterpiece, "Higher" (BELOW).

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Dutch Producer/DJ/Remixer Sander Kleinenberg Set To Release Debut Album June 14th

Back in November I spotlighted a new video from Dutch producer Sander Kleinenberg called "Remember When," and I still love this song all these months later. Whenever it pops up on my iPod I crank it up and add a little pep to my step. Now comes word that Kleinenberg is releasing an album, 5K, later this month and I can hardly wait.

5K is Kleinenberg's debut studio album, and is due out June 14th on his own label, This Is Recordings (via INgrooves). To help promote the album, Kleinenberg is in the midst of a North American 13-date tour, touching audiences and filling floors with his "energetic dance floor beats" and "airy sonic dreamscapes." The album was co-produced by Josh Gabriel and mixed by Kleinenberg and Steve "Dub" Jones (Chemical Brothers, UNKLE, Audio Bullys). Featuring a guests vocalists including Ryan Starr ("Chemically"), Neil Ormandy ("Closer") and Jamie Cullum ("Remember When"), 5K looks to be the dance album of the summer. From the sounds of it, the album features a cool mix of hard dance beats, 80s inspired club music and even a bit of bass & electro infused jazz. Hot Hot Hot!

Sander Kleinenberg first rose to prominence back in 2000 with the release of "My Lexicon," a hard hitting progressive house jam that earned him praise and recognition world wide. In 2001 Kleinenberg started releasing compilations annually, eventually forming his own label called Little Mountain Recordings. I first became familiar with Kleinenberg upon hearing his fire-starting remixing for the likes of Justin Timberlake, N.E.R.D., Annie Lennox, The Eurythmics, Sasha, Janet Jackson and more. Most recently, Kleinenberg has touched songs by Katy Perry ("Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"), Daft Punk ("Tron Legacy"), Dev ("Bass Down Low") and Innerpartysystem ("Not Getting Any Better"), turning some sure-fire hits into bonafied dance club bangers.

In addition to remixing and working on his own music, Kleinenberg has perfected the art of DVJing - other wise known as pairing live DJing with visuals and music. While Kleinenberg's tour has already started, it's not too late to get in on the action. Check out the remaining available club dates below and get on that! Fans should also get excited for 5K, which Kleinenberg describes as "a collage of AUDIO-biographical flavors." AMAZING! Download the Lifelike remix of "Remember When" on iTunes HERE. You can also pick up previous album singles "T.I.O.N.," "M.A.N.I.A.C.," and "R.Y.A.N.L." on iTunes HERE.

Tour Dates:

6/13 - Las Vegas, NV - XS
6/15 - Scottsdale, AZ - Cream
6/16 - Orange County, CA - Sutra
6/17 - San Diego, CA - Voyeur
6/18 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon

Check out Sander Kleinenberg on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Hot Video Alert: Sander Kleinenberg feat. Jamie Cullum - Remember When

Talk about a match made in heaven, the new single from Dutch remixer, DJ and producer Sander Kleinenberg features the ever amazing jazz-pop singer Jamie Cullum! Absolutely brilliant. I like EVERYTHING about this song. The single was released off of Kleinenberg's latest European album, 5K on November 12th in the Netherlands and November 14th in the UK. The digital EP features remixes from Lifelike, Tapesh and Downtown Party Network. MUST GET MY HANDS ON THIS ASAP! No word yet on a U.S. release but hopefully there will be one. The beautiful video was directed by Alex Grazioli. Check it out below. I love it when unexpected musical partnerships happen and Jamie Cullum pairing up with a Dutch DJ is definitely unexpected...in a good way!

Check out Sander Kleinenberg on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Check out Jamie Cullum on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

In My Stocking...

Let the post holiday spending begin! Last week I got myself a pair of the BOSE ear buds. So far so good. The sound quality is excellent and they are very comfortable. I think they are quieter than my iPod ear buds which is also a plus. I don't want anyone to tell me to turn my music down AND there's nothing I dislike more than hearing someone elses music on the train or bus.

In addition, I did a little shopping on CDWow.com. They were having a post-holiday 40% - 80% off sale for CDs, DVDs and other things, running till New Years Eve. With their free shipping and large selection of imports, I thought I'd stock up. Here's the rundown on what I got:

CHERYL COLE - 3 WORDS

I've been listening to Cheryl Cole's album non-stop since it leaked. It's really a quality pop album, if you ask me. While there is a little bit too much of will.I.Am for my liking, the tracks are all solid. I'm absolutely loving the second single, "3 Words," featuring Mr. will.I.Am. The video for that single is absolutely stunning. I also dig the forthcoming 3rd single which has been announced as "Parachute." Check out Cheryl on the cover of UK music magazine, Q, on newsstands now. Hot Tracks: "3 Words," "Parachute," "Fight For This Love," "Rain On Me," "Heaven"

ALICIA KEYS - ELEMENT OF FREEDOM

I haven't purchased an Alicia Keys album since her debut. I'm honestly not too sure why I purchased this, her fourth album. Keys is undoubtedly talented but lately her genre of music as a whole just hasn't impressed me that much. I think that given my state of mind of late, more mellow sounds are calming and relaxing to me, rather than the driving dance/electro beats that I've craved up until now. I'm always on the lookout for that next emotional ballad to unlock the waterworks in my eyes. With Keys' knack for writing emotive and passionate songs, combined with her crazy piano and vocal skills - it's pretty safe to assume that there are some cry-worthy songs on this album. Hot Tracks: "Doesn't Mean Anything," "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart," "Wait Til You See Me Smile," "Love Is My Disease," "Put It In A Love Song," "Through It All," "Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down," "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"

LEONA LEWIS - ECHO

Leona Lewis' second album has been growing on me in the months since my initial review. The more I listen to Echo, the more easily I am able to connect to it. My initial complaint was that there weren't enough up-tempo numbers, with Lewis instead resorting to her standard brand of "boring" ballads. Perhaps that was unfair. There's definitely a place for big ballads. Not every artist needs to sing up-tempo Gaga-esque dance tracks. At this time in my life, I need all of the big, beautiful sad ballads I can get my hands on. I guess you can say that this purchase was an emotional one. Leona releases "I Got You" next in the States and rumor has it that "Outta My Head" will serve as the next international single. Both are stand outs in my opinion. Hot Tracks: "I Got You," "Love Letter," "Fly Here Now," "Brave," "Alive," "Outta My Head," "Broken"

WILL YOUNG - THE HITS

Will Young is one of my biggest celebrity crushes. The handsome singer/actor has struck me ever since I first heard of him back when his career was just taking off in the UK. Not only is Young a talented singer, but he's also a role model, coming out as a gay man. He also had brilliant role in Mrs. Henderson Presents..., a beautiful little British film. It's hard to believe that this young talent (only 30 years old) has had four albums out since winning Pop Idol back in 2002. His greatest hits album (titled The Hits) features 12 songs taken from his first four albums, plus two new tracks - single "Hopes & Fears," and "If It Hadn't Been For Love." Young has a reportedly brilliant collaboration with Groove Armada and is rumored to be working on a more dance/electro album for his next project. Well...we know how well that turned out for Robbie Williams (see Rudebox) but I love Will and think a dance album will really suit his voice. Hot Tracks: "Leave Right Now," "Your Game," "Friday's Child," "Switch It On," "All Time Love," "Who Am I," "Changes," "Hopes & Fears"

ALEXANDRA BURKE - OVERCOME

I think Alexandra Burke's debut album was what I was looking for in Leona Lewis' second album. There are ballads but there are also plenty of up-tempo club friendly tracks. That being said, I think there's room for both artists. As I mentioned above, I've really become attached to Leona's Echo. Alexandra's album is definitely suited for the U.S. Top 40 market and may even get some play on U.S. R&B radio stations. Leona's album is definitely more suited for adult contemporary radio stations, though it seems to be getting some play on mainstream radio as well. Regardless, I have space on my iPod for both X-Factor winners. They both do their own thing and do it well. Burke will reportedly be re-tooling her debut album for U.S. markets, but will be releasing the same videos that have already seen a UK release. U.S. audiences can expect Burke's new album to drop sometime in 2010. Hot Tracks: "Bad Boys," "Broken Heels," "Nothing But The Girl," "You Broke My Heart," "Overcome," "It's Over"

In addition, I snagged these albums:

WHITNEY HOUSTON - I LOOK TO YOU

JOSS STONE - COLOUR ME FREE

THE SATURDAYS - WORDSHAKER

THE SATURDAYS - CHASING LIGHTS

ANNIE - DON'T STOP

JAMIE CULLUM - THE PURSUIT

DAVID GUETTA - ONE LOVE

Next week (January 5th) I'll likely be picking up brand new albums by Katharine McPhee (Unbroken) and the debut album, Animal by Ke$ha. Oh and January 26th sees the release of the much anticipated album The Sea by Corinne Bailey Rae. Lots of good music coming in the New Year.