MUSIC LYF: Union J

IS there room for another boyband? 900,000 Twitter followers certainly think so.

Like some of their pop counterparts, Union-J were brought together by the X-Factor. Jaymi Hensley, Josh Cuthbert, and JJ Hamblett were Triple J before the show made the brilliant decision to add George Shelley, giving us Union J. They proved to the UK whilst being on the show they have the aesthetics and attributes of a boy band – but now it’s time for them to start being one.

Since reaching X-Factor's semi-finals, it has been non-stop for the boys. Two months away from releasing their debut single, the hype for them is evident as they’ve just signed a major book deal with Penguin. But little more than a year ago, their lives were all very different.

Jamie ‘JJ’ Hamblett's lifelong ambition was always to be a jockey before his path took a different turn. He used to spend his days grooming and riding horses near his home in Newmarket before his big break. "It was a very different life,” admitted JJ. "I got up about 6.30am, went straight to the horses and out riding on the heath. I’ve always been brought up around horses and never knew anything else until now.

MUSIC LYF: Smash TV Series Soundtrack

SOUNDTRACK OF NBC HIT “SMASH” SET FOR RELEASE IN MAY

Fan-Favorite Original Tunes and Covers to Be Included

NBC and Columbia Records announced that the soundtrack from the first season of NBC’s musical hit “Smash” will be released in May 2012. The soundtrack will be released in the Philippines by Ivory Music & Video, the exclusive licensee of Sony Music. 

The highly anticipated album will feature stars Katharine McPhee (Karen), Megan Hilty (Ivy Lynn) and other cast members performing the original music created for the show’s narrative and for the musical-within-a-musical.  The freshman series already has been renewed for a second season.

Highlighted on the album will be the Broadway-caliber songs written for the series by Tony and Grammy winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The “Smash” album will also include some of the pop tunes that have been adapted for the show, such as Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” the show-stopping song that Karen sings so effectively for her audition that she is plucked, literally, from obscurity to audition for the musical’s starring role.  

MUSIC LYF: David Archuleta - Forevermore Video Premiere and Fans Day

DAVID ARCHULETA…FOREVERMORE, is a collection of all original Filipino classic love songs written in English and composed by some of the Philippines’ renowned songwriters like Ogie Alcasid, Louie Ocampo, Jay Durias, Jimmy Antiporda, Cecil Azarcon, among others.

The collection showcases some of the best love songs, the country has produced. The songs will definitely invoke feelings of love and hope in every listener. “Forevermore” and "Hold On" (both by Side A), “You Are My Song” (Martin Nievera) “I’ll Never Go" (Nexxus), "Tell Me" (Joey Albert), “Reaching Out” (Gary Valenciano), and “Rainbow" (South Border)” are some of the songs included in the album. The album pays tribute to not only OPM (Original Pilipino Music) but also to his countless fans who have been loyal throughout his career. The album is a gift and labor of love to his devoted fans. David wants his fans to know, that he loves and appreciates them wherever he may go, Forevermore.

“I wouldn’t say that I sound better than the original singers because the singers here are so amazing. But I would hope that I could pay tribute to them with this album,” David said at the press conference for the album. As an added treat to David’s fans, the album also includes “Nandito Ako”, from the TV5 mini-series of the same name, as a bonus track.

MUSIC LYF: Cher Lloyd

CHER LLOYD =  STICKS + STONES

Includes the hits “Swagger Jagger”, “With Ur Love”, “Want U Back” and more!

The first thing most people want to know about Cher Lloyd is, ‘What does the music sound like?’ Then it’s ‘What’s she really like?’ To kill the proverbial bird with the proverbial stone, it/ she is dynamic, determined, funny, outspoken, totally inimitable, incredibly astute and really very enjoyable to spend time with. Creating an album that quite brilliantly yet succinctly defines her multi-faceted personality, the as-yet-untitled debut delivers on both upbeat pop smashes and punchy urban panache. 

After coming fourth on the most talked about TV talent show of all time, Cher was soon snapped up by Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco. But rather than propel her down an obvious pop route, they encouraged Cher to follow her musical instincts. This was, after all, the girl who performed Keri Hilson’s version of Soulja Boy’s “Turn My Swag On” for her initial audition, before bringing down the house later in the series with “Stay” by Shakespeare’s Sister. Far from obvious choices. To date, Cher’s version of “Swag” has had over 30 million views on Youtube. Indeed, she already has a huge following; following X-Factor, Cher has become one of, if not the most talked about people from the show. With over 400,000 followers on Twitter, around 60 million views on Youtube, the cover of RWD magazine and features in fashion bible Wonderland, Cher is undoubtedly the poster child for alternative urban pop this summer. Balancing the fine line between commercial and credible, the genre-baiting, tempo-twisting first single, “Swagger Jagger”, with its nagging nursery rhyme motif, euphoric airhorns and playfully assertive wordplay, introduces Cher as someone who might have one eye on the charts but who is also unafraid to experiment.

MUSIC LYF: David Archuleta - Forevermore

DAVID ARCHULETA FOREVERMORE

Ivory Music & Video is proud to release David Archuleta’s last album before his intended 2-year break from the business to embark on an important spiritual mission.

DAVID ARCHULETA…FOREVERMORE, is a collection of all original Filipino classic love songs written in English and composed by some of the Philippines’ renowned songwriters like Ogie Alcasid, Louie Ocampo, Jay Durias, Jimmy Antiporda, Cecil Azarcon, among others.  The collection showcases some of the best love songs, the country has produced. The songs will definitely invoke feelings of love and hope in every listener.

“Forevermore” and "Hold On" (both by Side A), “You Are My Song” (Martin Nievera) “I’ll Never Go" (Nexxus), "Tell Me" (Joey Albert), “Reaching Out” (Gary Valenciano), and “Rainbow" (South Border)” are some of the songs included in the album.  The album pays tribute to not only OPM (Original Pilipinio Music) but also to his countless fans who have been loyal throughout his career. The album is a gift and labor of love to his devoted fans. David wants his fans to know, that he loves and appreciates them wherever he may go, Forevermore.

MUSIC LYF: The Fray - Scars & Stories

Critically acclaimed Denver-based foursome The Fray are back with their third album, Scars & Stories. The album was recorded at the legendary Blackbird Studios in Nashville. 

The Fray was able to hone their sound with the help of producer Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Neil Young). On the new recording, the band transforms their real life experiences into a collection of songs that are reflective, but still maintain a pop sensibility. The making of Scars and Stories fostered the most evolution the band has ever experienced, both lyrically and musically. "On our first record, we didn't quite trust ourselves yet," says lead-singer Isaac Slade. "We loosened up on the second album, but there was still some element of restraint. But on this one, we just stepped up to plate and swung as hard as we could."

Scars & Stories leads with first single "Heartbeat," of which Slade notes, "That song came out of a period of my life when I was trying hard to be open to whatever came my way. I traveled through South Africa and Rwanda with a buddy, and at first it was really hard to stay open in the face of so much pain and heartache. But then I ended up meeting so many cool and inspiring people, and all these ideas for lyrics and melodies just started rushing in." The inspiration specifically came from a chance meeting with an expatriate woman. Speaking of the miracle of the capital city overcoming such remarkable odds, the two held hands and Slade reveals "I felt so connected to her. I couldn’t tell if it was her pulse or mine."

MUSIC LYF: Lea Salonga - The Journey So Far

An intimate LIVE recording from Tony Award® winner Lea Salonga - Absolutely the next best thing to being there!

"The Journey So Far," the new live CD from veteran Broadway and Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga, is released by Ivory Music & Video. Salonga, the Filipina singer and actress who is best known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon (and for which she won the Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk Outer Critics and Theatre World Awards), will accompany the release of the CD with a worldwide tour throughout 2012.

Says Salonga, "We wanted to make this recording something very personal, touching on my life as well as my career. There are songs from my homeland, musical theater, film, and the jazz and pop worlds...this is more than just a recording; it's a memento, a lasting souvenir of this very special time in my life."

MUSIC LYF: The Essential Series

The Essential Series offers the greatest hits of the biggest and best artists in the world. 2CDs for the price of one, this series is available in music stores, nationwide. Fresh artwork, updated track listings and new artists included, there is something for everyone in this well established series. The Essential Series is released by Ivory Music & Video, the exclusive licensee of Sony Music in the Philippines.

The Essential Series has something for everyone, from the King of Pop to Grammy-winning pop divas, From grunge rockers to funky disco hit-makers, from cool jazz cats to folk-rock heroes, The Essential Series covers the whole spectrum of music. 

Complete your collection with The Essential Series. For more info visit http://www.facebook.com/ivorymusicandvideophilippines

EVENTOLOGY: AstroVision Bloggers Blowout!

Orange magzine tv and Astrovision held its Bloggers' Blowout last September 3, 2011 at Greenbelt 5 the event is divided into three parts: music, movies, and tech. We were part of the music group and we were presented with the music groups like warner music, sony music (ivory records), MCA music, and  star music group (star records) and presented to us the featured artists under their labels. And as an added bonus LG Electronics Philippines let us experience their 3D TV! Woohoo!

They featured current record labels and upcoming music and videos and concerts. The record label that caught my attention is Warner music which feautures many artists who I love to listen to like Adele, Bruno Mars, Red hot chili peppers, Rumer,  and of course LINKIN PARK!  And they will be featuring local acts like Ebe Dancel former member of the band sugarfree now with debut album Dalawang Mukha ng Pag-ibig. Also lets not forget our pride, Charice with a new album!