Song Samples:

Rise Up

Underneath the Ice

Biography

City Canyons Records, an independent label based in Manhattan proudly announces the signing of a
multi-album agreement with UK rocker, David Steele. Steele, whose album UNDERNEATH THE ICE is being released early this fall under the City Canyons Records imprint, comes from a part of England--the village of Brill-- that inspired "Lord of the Rings" writer Tolkien, and Steele's lyrics are, indeed, at times darkly magical. But that's only part of the talented young Englishman's story. While his tunes can be intense and haunting, as epitomized by the aptly titled "Ghost," they can also
thrillingly soar as does, for example, "Rise Up". 

Whatever their mood, Steele's self-penned songs are firmly rooted in reality, reflecting the hopes, the despair, the yearning in all of us. And even at their darkest, Steele's music is never chilly. His voice is warm and intimate--somewhere between Sting and Bono--and wherever he takes you with his music, he's with you every step of the way. That music, featuring Steele's own superb guitar work, is distinctive, utterly his own, but if one were forced to make comparisons, one could put him somewhere between Coldplay and David Grey and be in the ballpark. Steele has been on the verge of the musical
stardom for years, having played out regularly in the Oxford area and in London, and having toured with David Essex but this album is Steele's strong attempt to break through the ice and bring him, through this City Canyons' release, the kind of attention that his musical and songwriting ability deserves.

Song Samples:

Homesick

Biography

City Canyons Records warmly welcomes to its roster Finland's finest, Valerian. Valerian is the latest, and we think the greatest, in an invasion of remarkable talent from Scandinavia and Northern Europe including the likes of Sahara Hotnights. This band is full of surprises, moving from grinding almost metallic riffs to soaring and dramatic guitar solos to a softer almost delicate lyricism, all tied to solid, heartfelt lyrics voiced with style and conviction by a brilliant lead singer. That lead singer (and sometime guitarist) is Olli Koskela and he is backed by Toni Ritonen and Matti Toivonen on guitars, Janne Jaaskelainen on bass, and Tipi Andersson on drums. Look for the release of their album "intimations of sorrow" under the City Canyons imprint.

Song Samples:

Why Can't This Be a Love Song

Biography

Sure Jen Elliott sings rock and pop with the best of them...but where did Jen get the blues? She may have picked them up off the side of the road. Nobody knows for sure.

Here are the facts. You can draw your own conclusions.

Jen Elliott was raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Her first introduction to music was church--Southern Baptist style. She began violin lessons when she was five years old, and then gave up the violin for high school 8 years later.

Throughout all this time, she sang wherever and whenever she could. Although she performed through high-school and college, after graduation she firmly decided she had to take her singing and songwriting to another level.

Starting small, she nervously began singing her original material a capella at an open mic night in Jacksonville Beach. Inspired and amazed that people seemed to really really like her music, she was driven to pursue it further, and moved to Manhattan.

Trebor Lloyd, head of the recently founded independent record label City Canyons, listened to those early live recordings and agreed to work on a three song demo project with her. At the same time, Jen began studying voice with former Canadian opera star Ruth Goodman...and, let's just say, she found her true voice...

And that voice is full of expression and emotion...and somehow, that voice has a touch of the blues. Jen Elliott seamlessly blends that raw bluesy feeling with straight up rock 'n roll, and pop, all into one lovely organic whole.

Excited by the response to her demo and by her increasingly authoritative voice, Jen and City Canyons began developing new material and performing in venues around New York City. They began to work toward completing a full debut album for Jen Elliott and her band Bluestruck--"The Secret's Out," her debut CD, was born.

The album took a year to complete--a year of serious artistic growth for Jen. As she began to collaborate with the musicians in her band, her songwriting grew more focused. She worked with New York songwriter/singer Anne Husick on an acoustic project and eventually incorporated several of those songs into the full band set backed by a brilliant set of New York musicians that became the Jen Elliott band, Bluestruck.

Well, now the secret certainly is out. To date, Jen has performed at the Global Entertainment and Media Summit 2003, A Day in the Park (opening for the band Nine Days), most of New York's top venues and has been invited to be a part of MEANY FEST 2003. She also recently recorded a benefit track for the Daintree Rainforest Project. More about that below.

Jen has received rave reviews and widespread airplay on college radio stations nationwide, her songs charting in the top 40 positions at some stations even before the formal release of her album.

Currently, Jen is focused on promoting the release of "The Secret's Out". She spends her free time studying the violin (again), continues her voice lessons, and is planning for a college tour in the spring. She is also writing and developing an acoustic project with Anne Husick and working up new material...and singing, always singing... rock, pop...and the blues.

BONUS CD INCLUDED!!! SAVE THE RAINFOREST!!!

As a special gift for her existing fans and fans to be and to all those who care for the well-being of Mother Earth, Jen has added a very special additional CD to "The Secret's Out," the haunting single "Children of the Rain". The FREE BONUS CD single is part of Jen's efforts, and the efforts of her City Canyons label, to contribute to the saving of one of great rainforests of the world. A portion of all CD sales will go directly to the Raintree Rainforest Project.