A Girl Called Eddy

Not playing into her androgynous-sounding performing name, A Girl Called Eddy matches the grace of Karen Carpenter and the brutal honesty of Aimee Mann and Beth Orton. She emerged in the thicket of pop radio queens (Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne) during summer 2004 and introduced a sophisticated reflection of songs on her self-titled debut. A Girl Called Eddy never really had a plan to do it this way, however. Having already gone through a divorce and worked various mediocre jobs, A Girl Called Eddy wasn't satisfied living the American life. Music had been a magical part of her life. A healthy dose of Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey from her parents provided A Girl Called Eddy, born Erin Moran, an escape from growing up on the Jersey shore. Once her mother had passed away in the late '90s, A Girl Called Eddy's adulthood came to a halt. Music was her therapy and again a positive outlet for her to be herself comfortably. She soon began singing backing vocals and playing keyboards for singer/songwriter Francis Dunnery and got the chance to tour Great Britain. It was right around this time that A Girl Called Eddy acquired her gender-bending nickname. In 2001, she issued her debut EP, Tears All Over Town on Le Grand Magistery. Several independent labels soon wooed her with record deals, but once more A Girl Called Eddy found herself in England. A chance meeting with Richard Hawley (Pulp, Longpigs) led her to set up shop in his Sheffield abode for what would become her proper first album. A Girl Called Eddy appeared on Anti in August 2004. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

A Flock of Seagulls

As well-known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as their hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)," A Flock of Seagulls were one of the infamous one-hit wonders of the new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement, A Flock of Seagulls were a little too robotic and arrived a little too late to be true new romantics, but their sleek dance-pop was forever indebted to the short-lived movement. The group benefitted considerably from MTV's heavy rotation of the "I Ran" video in the summer of 1982, but they were unable to capitalize on their sudden success and disappeared nearly as quickly as they rocketed up the charts.

Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A Flock of Seagulls with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later. The group released its debut EP on Cocteau Records early in 1981, and while the record failed to chart, its lead track, "Telecommunication," became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. "I Ran (So Far Away)" was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the U.K., "I Ran" didn't make the Top 40, but "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" reached number ten later that year; in America, that single became a Top 40 hit in 1983, after "Space Age Love Song" peaked at number 30. "Wishing" was taken from the group's second album, Listen (1983), which was moderately successful.

However, the band's fortunes crashed shortly after the release of Listen as 1984's The Story of a Young Heart failed to produce any hit singles. Reynolds left after the album and was replaced by Gary Steadnin; the band also added keyboardist Chris Chryssaphis. The new lineup was showcased on 1986's Dream Come True, which failed to chart. Shortly after its release, the band broke up. Mike Score assembled a new lineup of A Flock of Seagulls in 1989, releasing the single "Magic" and touring the U.S.A. The band failed to make any impact and most of the members left by the end of the year. The band continued to tour worldwide, although with major changes to its members, and in 1996 released a new album, The Light at the End of the World. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

A Fine Frenzy

Though she was born in Seattle, Alison Sudol spent most of her life in Los Angeles, moving there with her mother when she was five. Despite the fact she was always interested in music, it wasn't until she was in her late teens, inspired by bands like Coldplay and Keane, that she began playing an instrument, the piano being her weapon of choice. After she had composed a few pieces, she sent out a short demo, receiving immediate response from Capitol Record's Jason Flom, who came to Sudol's house to hear her play and soon signed the young singer/songwriter. After a SXSW appearance in March 2007 (opening for the Stooges, strangely enough), Sudol, who chose to go by the name A Fine Frenzy as an artist (taken from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream), she released her full-length debut, One Cell in the Sea, in July, accompanied by an opening spot on Rufus Wainwright's tour that summer. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

A Cursive Memory

Southern California-based quartet A Cursive Memory is comprised of teenage rockers Mark Borston-Smith (bass, keyboards, vocals), Shaun Profeta (drums, percussion, vocals), Colin Baylen (guitar), and Brian Bolen (guitar and vocals). Their music combines subtle piano leads, churning guitars, twisting 80's-style keyboards and huge, anthemic choruses for a sound that recalls influences as varied as All-American Rejects, The Killers and The Beach Boys.

ACM's infectious sound caught the ears of M-Music, the new music management division of Bunim/Murray Productions (producers of such shows as MTV's The Real World, The Simple Life), and the group has become M-Music's very first signing. Since then, they've been heard on MTV's The Real World and The Challenge, as well as a TV ad campaign for Motorola's ROKR iTunes-equipped mobile phone. The schoolboy act recently recorded the theme song for "Jackass" alum Steve-O's new Bunim/Murray-produced MTV show.

Alexisonfire

When a band names themselves after the world's only lactating contortionist, you know you are in for something different; and as with the original act, you know that some people are going to be fascinated, some will be in awe, and some will consider the whole lot to be a complete and utter waste of time. This is a band of extremes: screaming and pleading, ugly and beautiful, poetic and obscene, obvious and sublime. You can think of them however you want. Alexisonfire rose up out of the Southern Ontario underground in late 2001 like some monstrous car-accident-in-progress. Hitting the ground with an immediate full head of steam, Dallas, Wade, George, Jesse and Chris have not only impressed the critics with their sour/sweet approach to performance and writing, but are recognized for their stellar musicianship, and the palpably pent-up tightness of the band live. Alexisonfire knows that their fans aren't stupid. The fans know the real deal when they see it, and in the case of AOF, they seem to have told 2 friends, who told 2 friends, and so on. During the year that followed the release of their self-titled 2002 debut album, the band has shot into the mainstream media like a streaker at an All-Star game: 3 videos reach the top 5 on MuchMusic (the first "hardcore" artist to ever chart at #1), a US deal with Equal Vision Records (cred-worthy home of Coheed & Cambria), a sponsorship with Blink-182's clothing startup Atticus, an MMVA nomination for the "Pulmonary Archery" video, a Best Video Award for "Pulmonary Archery" at The Indies (Canadian Independent Music Awards) , and the everlasting status as the posterboys for hardcore crossover appeal. This may all sound like SOP for an up-and-coming rock ensemble, but wait a minute; this is hardcore music -- often described by members of the band as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight". This hasn't happened before. Nobody is more aware of this fact than the boys in Alexisonfire. Taking it all in stride, they remain guileless, affable, and capable of equal amounts of sarcasm and self-deprecation. They rock the MuchOnDemand studios like it's a sweaty all-age venue in St. Catherines, which in turn is rocked like they did when AOF germinated in the basements and rec-rooms of their now-proud but baffled parents not so long ago. Their songs scream of intellectual fury basted with ladlefuls of vocal pop melody; it's a bipolar magnet, and if you stop and listen or see a live show, it'll all oddly start to make sense. Their long-awaited sophomore album, Watch Out!, is loaded with everything the kids love about them: power, emotion and humor. Resistance is futile.