:: arjanwrites music blog ::

All About the Pop! A Few Words About Last Night's Superfraiche Pop Night

There's nothing more rewarding to me than sharing great, new music. And that was what Superfraiche Pop Night was all about last night - introducing people to exciting new pop acts who are both sweet & crunchy. Artists that have an edge and bring compelling new pop to the table.

Last night's Superfraiche (see a write up in OUT) was everything I hoped it would it be. I want to thanks Brad Walsh, Reni Lane, DJ Josh Madden, Sam Taylor, Menya and Dangerous Muse for coming out to play in support of War Child. 

DJ Josh Madden spun a sweet & crunchy set of pop and electro to warm up the crowd prior to the first performance and in between sets. Loved his selection. Very cool guy and great to meet.

Dangerous Muse opened the show with a blazing set that included "Everyday Is Halloween" and a reworked version of "The Rejection." Mike Furey and Tom Napack ring their music to a whole new level of hotness when playing live. Lots of sexy, lots of theatrics, lots to look at.

Newcomer Reni Lane blew the crowd away with her magnetic stage presence and pitch-perfect vocals. Incredibly impressive. During her performance of "Place For Us" she jumped off stage (photo) and strutted around the room through the audience. Super fun! I love this woman.

I was excited to introduce the super sweet Sam Taylor to his very first American performance. This X-Factor dancer and West End star enchanted the crowd with his gorgeous ballads and flawless delivery. Seeing is believing. This guy is going places. Star quality.

Brad Walsh (photo above) brought heaps of coolness with his very first performance of songs from his new album "Human Nature." He had two dancer and some very sleek projections to create a impressive multi-media experience. Loved every second of it. I always say that this guy has so many things on his sleeves and he proved that once again. His boyfriend Christian Siriano was in the audience as well who had never seen Brad perform live.

Fun, funky and fantastic NYU trio Menya closed the show with a stomping set. Wow. These kids know how to energize a crowd and bring an incredibly fun party atmosphere. They're the coolest kids on the block right now. Don't be suprised to hear a lot more from them very, very soon.

I want to give special thanks to Leo and the handsome crowd of Big Machine for helping me with the techniks of the show. I could not have done this without you. Also, a big thanks to Heater and Brian for manning the War Child booth and encouraging people to give to an important cause. Also, thanks to the 7Digital for giving away free MP3s in support of War Child.

I will be posting more photos soon as soon as they come in.

SUPERFRAICHE POP NIGHT is Tomorrow! Win FREE Tickets!

My SUPERFRAICHE POP NIGHT is tomorrow! Very exciting. Just wanted to write a quick post to bring you up to date about all of the poppy goodness that will go down at Santos tomorrow night.

Doors will open at 7PM with a DJ set by Josh Madden

Dangerous Muse will open the show at 8PM on the dot.

Win a pair of tickets by tweeting about the event! Click here to tweet and have a chance to win. I will randomly pick a winner at 2PM tomorrow.

Due to the interest from students, there will be a $12 discounted door price for students

All proceeds of the event will benefit War Child.

Every ticket holder will receive a free album MP3 download courtesy of 7Digital.com. 

Hope to see you there!

Josh Madden to DJ at SUPERFRAICHE on Thursday

Woohoo. This is major. New York City hip and happening hot man Josh Madden will be spinning at my SUPERFRAICHE POP NIGHT on Thursday. I'm so honored and excited. Josh will bring a whole lot of coolness and mad pop chops to my night. He will open the show at 7PM and play in between sets. Amazing! Say hello to Josh at Twitter when you have a change.

War Child Announces "War Child 10" Charity Album

All proceeds of Thursday's SUPERFRAICHE POP NIGHT will benefit War Child, a worldwide organization that provides humanitarian assistance to kids in war-torn areas around the word. More specifically, my pop night will support the music programs of Artists United for Children and Youth Development (AUCAYD) in Sierra Leone that is aided by War Child.

Now that peace has returned to the small African nation after years of war and destruction, this group of young people use music, drama and dance to spread important social messages to thousands of youth who have experienced the devastation of violence and war. Their work also focuses on HIV prevention and peace-building.

AUCAYD has helped young struggling kids with programs to cope with the effects of war and the group gives them the opportunity to play, dream and plan a future. One of those kids is Sy'rai who fled Sierra Leone in 2002 and settled in Canada. Sy'rai recently travelled back to his home country to record a "Let It Rain" together with AUCAYD for "War Child 10," a brand-new charity album that is sponsored by Universal Music. Check out the video for "Let It Rain" and look for "War Child 10" on December 1 in a digital download store near you.

Video: Arjan Chats with Brad Walsh

Brad Walsh is one of the most exciting new electro-pop artists you should know about. He recently released his new album "Human Nature" that is a potent mash of '80s inspired electro and synth pop that includes collaborations with Amanda Tannen (Stellastar), Emm Grynner and American Next Top Model winner Caridee English.

Brad will be performing songs for his album for the first time at my SUPERFRAICHE POP NIGHT this upcoming Thursday at Santos in New York. Very exciting. Make sure to get your tickets today. Also performing are Menya, Dangerous Muse, Reni Lane and Sam Taylor. All proceeds of the night will benefit the music programs of War Child.

In this casual video chat, Brad talks about his new album, his inspirations and much more. We also talk about his boyfriend (and Project Runway winner) Christian Siriano. The two are currently taping a new BRAVO TV reality show that will be airing sometime soon. Can't wait to see that. Will be fierce! (Watch Christian making a few cameos in the video while packing up for their big Halloween bash last week. See the photos of the couple.)

Also, make sure to check out a remix of Brad Walsh's "I Don't Want U 2 Go" that was produced by David Pattillo and Josh Madden (aka True Blue) that has been ruling the Hype Machine chart for the past week.

Fraiche MP3 Download: Reni Lane "Place For Us" (Glitter & Blitz Remix)

 
Reni Lane's "Place For Us" is one of my favorite songs right now. It is such a captivating and liberating song - both lyrically and musically. I love how Reni's storytelling can apply to so many different situations and to so many different people - whether you just fell in love or are looking for your own place in this big, wide, mad world.

With lyrics like, "Searching through the dark you know it's time to let the light in (. . . )  there's an open embrace for us," the song provides hope and perspective. Just what a good pop song needs to do. The song can give you a little lift when you need it

Check out a totally guilt-free download of the Glitter & Blitz remix of "Place For Us." The original track is taken from Reni's Custard/Universal-Motown debut that hits stores early next year. Reni Lane (Linda Perry protege) is a fraiche new talent to keep your eye on. Combining catchy pop sensibilities with a friendly rock edge, this red-haired gal is going places. Up the charts for starters.

Make sure to catch Reni Lane showcase her music next week Thursday at my SUPERFRAICHE POP NIGHT at Santos in New York. The SUPERFRAICHE night will the town's epicenter of hot new pop, so make sure to be there! Get your tickets today.( Proceeds of the event will benefit music programs of War Child. 7Digital will be giving away free music downloads.)

Reni Lane "Place For Us" (Glitter & Blitz Remix)

Video: Arjan chats with Sam Taylor

Sam Taylor is one of the most exciting new pop talents to look out for in 2010. The British crooner started out as a West End performer when he was only 9 years old and he's now gearing up to become a full-blown pop star - writing songs and performing gigs.

His rise to pop fame was accelerated when Taylor was discovered in a London coffee shop by William Baker, fashion designer and close friend of Kylie Minogue. Baker even introduced Taylor to Minogue who gave him some important tips over a dinner date.

I've met and interviewed many singers over the years, but I can honestly say that Sam Taylor is something special. He is an exquisite pop balladeer, belting out gorgeous and gut-wrenching tunes. His delivery is one of a kind that has both boys and girls enchanted.

Check out a quick little web chat I had with Sam this past weekend to introduce him. He talks about how he got started in the music business, his candid dinner chat with Kylie Minogue, writing pop songs and his upcoming performance at SUPERFRAICHE POP NIGHT.

Sam Taylor will be making his U.S. debut at SUPERFRAICHE next week Thursday. Make sure to see him as one of the first! Click here to get your tickets today!