Royal Wood
Singer-songwriter Royal Wood has spent years perfecting his craft of balladry and pop music. His new album, The Waiting, appropriately begins with a song entitled "You Can't Go Back." And why would he, when with each new release Royal Wood delivers another collection of heartrending and honest tales of love, loss and life more impressive than the last. It now seems more than ever that Wood has found his voice. "This record is about the duality of life and how at times, I seemingly waited for the mirrored experience to return," says Wood. "I went through so many severe shifts personally and all of that turbulence led to serious thought and reflection. That is why these songs were born and why they are my most personal and introspective to date."
"Wood is on his way to establishing himself alongside the Canadian royalty of artists such as Sexsmith and Wainwright." – EXCLAIM MAGAZINE
Royal Wood's voice, songwriting and musical prowess caught the ear of Pierre Marchand and led to Wood's decision to let others into his creative universe. On previous albums (A Good Enough Day, Tall Tales, and The Milkweed EP), Wood self-produced, arranged and played the vast majority of the instruments. Pierre Marchand, a heavy hitter best known for his work with Sarah McLachlan and Rufus Wainwright, produced three of The Waiting's tracks. "I wanted someone who was going to push me artistically, get me out of my comfort zone and who I could inevitably learn something from," says Wood. "That was Pierre."
Royal Wood's career trajectory is building one fan at a time through word of mouth, critical acclaim and impressive musical achievements. He was named iTunes' Songwriter of the Year, supported national tours with David Gray, Serena Ryder and Sarah Slean and landed song placements in TV shows like Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. With the release of The Waiting, his most inspired record to date, an upcoming national theatre tour and more in the works, now more than ever Royal Wood is an artist on the rise.
Keshia Chanté
With her third album Night & Day slated for a 2011 release, 22 year-old singer, songwriter, actress, model and fashionista, Keshia Chanté is considered a seasoned veteran in Canada’s entertainment industry. This third album is a double CD featuring high-energy, club tracks on the Night disc, and emotional, acoustic mid-tempos on the Day disc. Her new singles "Table Dancer" and "Test Drive" have already been nominated for 2011 Juno Awards.
Since age 16, Chanté has released two albums through SONY Music, including her Gold, self-titled debut CD, and has received numerous accolades, including a Juno Award for “R&B/Soul Recording of the Year”, eight Top 10 radio singles (Shook-The Answer, Unpredictable, Bad Boy, Does He Love Me, Let the Music Take You, Ring Da Alarm, Been Gone, and 2U), and six Canadian Urban Music Awards, to name just a few. Although these achievements alone are impressive, Chanté’s resume doesn’t stop there. She was recently named the Youth Ambassador for the Canadian Association for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and will be travelling to Kenya in May with CANFAR to help build an orphanage. She was also the face of Sony’s Cybershot Digital Camera, Ontario Tourism’s “Yours To Discover” Campaign and Ecko Red clothing. Chanté expanded her acting portfolio as the lead character in the 2009 Vision TV series "Soul" and guest starred in Global TV’s “Da Kink In My Hair.” She’s currently considering a few other roles.
In recent months, Chanté has stretched her time between New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and Toronto working with high-profile producers and songwriters on her new record. When asked about the new CD, Chanté replies, “It’s the most honest, creative, and personal body of work I’ve ever created. I honed my songwriting skills and poured the intimacy of my diary into this album.” “I feel like I’ve graduated from being a singer to an artist,” she adds. Even more exciting times are ahead for this multi-talented, young star, who hopes to add “entrepreneur” to her many titles with the launch of her own clothing and perfume lines sometime in the near future.
Shawn Desman
With an accomplished career including a platinum debut album, a sophomore Juno Award winning album for Best R&B/Soul Recording, chart-topping singles and videos, movie performances and numerous accolades under his belt, singer, dancer, actor, songwriter and producer Shawn Desman is launching his highly anticipated new album. And it’s undeniable that Desman’s third highly anticipated album “Fresh” represents a tremendous progression of his career.
From the moment he released his self titled debut platinum-selling album in the fall of 2002, Shawn Desman has enjoyed phenomenal success in the music industry. His album spent an incredible 49 weeks on the SoundScan Top 200 sales chart and produced two Top 10 singles and two number one videos. He instantly proved he was about to become a superstar entertainer worthy of all the critical acclaim and destined to be at the forefront of the global music stage.
Desman’s visibility then soared to even greater heights after the subsequent release of his sophomore gold-selling album “Back for More” which produced a #1 hit single, three Top 10 hit singles, and also garnered him a Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording. Desman’s hit single “Spread My Wings” was featured in the film “Kangaroo Jack” and appeared on the soundtrack. Desman has also worked with acclaimed producers Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Destiny’s Child, and Whitney Houston) and Tricky Stewart (Beyonce, Rihanna, and Mary J Blige)
His high-energy, infectious single, “Let’s Go,” exploded onto the Top 40 radio chart after just 1 week, peaking at #1. His extensive tour schedules, both in Canada and abroad, showcased him as a dynamic and energetic performer and received extensive praise from international fans.
Despite the frenetic pace of his own career, Desman, has collaborated with other artists and producers to continue to explore the possibilities of music. He has co-written and co-produced 3 consecutive Juno Award winning albums in the Best R&B/Soul category. His passion for music continues to have him write and produce for artists and labels around the world.
Platinum Blonde
The band originally consisted of Mark Holmes from Manchester, England on vocals and bass, Sergio Galli on guitar and Chris Steffler on drums. Scottish musician Kenny MacLean later joined the group. The name of the band was inspired by the 1931 Jean Harlow movie Platinum Blonde. They were known also for their stylish glam rock-like appearance dressing in pastel colour outfits and their music videos. Platinum Blonde was inducted into the Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame on March 12, 2010.
Platinum Blonde originated in early 1983. Later that year, with the successful release of the CBS (Sony) Platinum Blonde's Six Track Attack album they recorded a full length album titled Standing in the Dark, the band's popularity on the airwaves was thanks to a triple platinum album, featuring four hits including two Juno Award nominations: "Standing in the Dark" and "It Doesn't Really Matter". Their music videos were placed into high rotation on the newly created Much Music, Canada's national music video network. Within months Platinum Blonde were considered one of the decade's top bands. In 1985, the band released a second album called Alien Shores, featuring the addition of a fourth member, Kenny MacLean. "Alien Shores" went five times platinum. Hits from the second album included "Situation Critical", "Crying Over You", "Somebody Somewhere", and "Hungry Eyes". In 1988 the band's next album, Contact, was a hit going double platinum. The title track "Contact" charted well, and the video for "Fire" grabbed attention with a funkier twist.
On December 6, 2010, an EP containing a cover of the song "Not in Love" was released by the Canadian electronic band Crystal Castles featuring the vocals of Robert Smith (The Cure) on the Fiction Records label. The track has since become an international top 10 success spawning numerous electronic remixes of Platinum Blonde songs by world famous Djs.
On March 10, 2010, Platinum Blonde played their first reunion show at The Mod Club Theatre in Toronto, Ontario. The original line up of Mark Holmes, Sergio Galli & Chris Steffler were inducted into the Radio Television Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and Mark Holmes announced that a reunion is in the works with a new recording and show dates.
Platinum Blonde EP (1983) #1
Standing in the Dark (1984) #1
Alien Shores (1985) #1
Contact (1988) #6
Yeah Yeah Yeah #34 (1991)
Best of Live (1994) #97
Seven Year Itch: 1982-1989 (1999)
"It Doesn't Really Matter" (1984) #1
"Standing In The Dark" (1984) #4
"Sad Sad Rain" (1984) #14
"Not In Love" (1984) #1
"Crying Over You" (1985) #1
"Situation Critical" (1985) #1
"Somebody Somewhere" (1986) #2
"Hungry Eyes" (1986) #22
"Contact" (1987) #4
"Connect Me" (1988) #4
"Fire" (1988) #14
"If You Go This Time" (1989) #24