By Geoffrey Rowlands
Bridgit Mendler has learned to live with the Miley Cyrus comparisons. A teenage actress who found fame through Disney Channel productions and whose singing in these shows paved the way to pop success.
“It’s inevitable,” smiled Bridgit, now 20. “There are a number of us who’ve followed the Disney television route to a music career. We’re all compared with Miley. I guess she’s the one everybody knows.”
Like Miley, Bridgit’s career choice was made at an early age. “Music and songwriting has been part of my life since what seems like forever. I remember coming up with melodies and doodling lyrics when I was really young but I wrote my first proper song when I was about seven. It was a Christmas song for our church.
“I was probably about 13 when I wrote my first adult song which I really intended people to hear. I’d started working with the piano by then and picked up the guitar a little later so I was actually able to recreate the sounds I was imagining in my mind.
“I was about eight when I got bitten by the acting bug. I was 11 when I did my first professional job. From then on, I’ve done commercials, TV and movies, anything that came along which I thought I’d enjoy.”
After making her name through numerous acting appearances, it was her award-winning role in the hugely popular television series, Good Luck Charlie, which propelled Bridgit to stardom.
“Being on the show has given me so many more opportunities. I’d sung in other shows and movies but my role in Good Luck Charlie led to a part in the Disney movie, Lemonade Mouth, which really promoted me as a singer.
“The Lemonade Mouth soundtrack album was a top five hit on the Billboard 200 while the singles, Somebody and Determinate, became my first two hits on the Hot 100.”
Bridgit co-wrote every song on her debut album, Hello My Name Is... Released last October, it received generally positive reviews and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200. Despite the album being nowhere near as successful in Britain, lead single, Ready or Not, has become a UK top 10 hit but reached just number 49 in America.
“I’m really pleased to have such a big hit in Britain. I can’t think why my single wasn’t quite so popular in America. Maybe my US fans will enjoy the new single, Hurricane, which was released last week. This is a really fun song for me because I get to rap.
“It wasn’t written as a rap. But the suggestion was made to try rapping in one part of the song. I haven’t done much rapping so I just went for it as a fun thing to do never really expecting my rap to be on the finished record. But the experiment worked and sounded great. I hope my fans love it as much as I do.”
IN BRIEF
Cheap Trick shows
Veteran American rockers Cheap Trick will play a special pair of shows to celebrate the concerts in Tokyo which spawned their critically acclaimed album, Cheap Trick At Budokan.
April 28 marks 35 years since the first of two concerts performed by the band at the Nippon Budokan. Recorded for a proposed release only in Japan, the live album became Cheap Trick’s biggest world-wide hit.
Sadly, the band have decided against returning to Japan for the 35th anniversary shows. Instead, they will perform their original Budokan set on April 28 at the John Varvatos Bowery boutique in New York.
The show will be webcast via Livestream.com with a start time of 8pm in New York, 3am on April 29 in Qatar. Full details are available at (no www.) new.livestream.com/CheapTrick/Budokan
Their second Budokan show will be commemorated with a concert at El Rey in Los Angeles on April 30. This will air across America on AXS TV.
Vampire Weekend live
More live music is available immediately after the Cheap Trick show. But while Cheap Trick are recreating a concert performed 35 years ago, Vampire Weekend’s performance at New York’s Roseland Ballroom will preview much of the band’s forthcoming third studio album, Modern Vampires of the City. The show begins at 9pm New York time, 4am on April 29 in Qatar. It is the first concert in year four of the American Express Unstaged series and can be seen at www.youtube.com/user/americanexpressmusic.
Details of the Vampire Weekend show are on the website now along with on demand videos of songs from previous American Express Unstaged concerts by artists such as Usher, Kenny Chesney and Coldplay. Their latest single, the double A-side Diane Young /Step, can be heard at www.vampireweekend.com.
Album from Skillet
Skillet issue their eighth studio album, Rise, on June 25. But the American rock quartet have just released lead single, Sick of It. The song can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBTntFLlh9M
More than 90 videos are available to view at www.youtube.com/skilletband. They are a mix of official song videos, live performances and behind-the-scenes podcasts.
Four of the 12 songs on their 2009 album, Awake, have been remixed and posted at www.skillet.com/album/awake-and-remixed-ep
Spiral Vanilla promising
Despite being barely into their teens, English indie rock trio Spiral Vanilla are attracting industry attention.
Liam Evans, Ed McIntyre and Ben Silver got together less than a year ago. But the quality of their musicianship and the songs they are already creating hold the promise of a spectacular future.
Three of their songs are posted at (no www.) soundcloud.com/spiralvanilla. Going Down is available for free download from the Soundcloud website. Miami Beach and Wasting My Time are offered for free download from the band’s website, www.spiralvanilla.com/music.cfm.
Two further songs, To A Stolen Kiss and Messing With You, can also be downloaded for free. These can be heard in full at the website videos section which also contains live performances of more songs.
New EP from Skid Row
Five new songs from American heavy metal quintet Skid Row have been posted on Soundcloud. Their EP, United World Rebellion Chapter One, will not be released until May but can be heard in full at (no www.) soundcloud.com/megaforcerecords/sets/skid-row-united-world
This is the first in a series of planned EP releases. It seems the band have decided the EP format is a better means through which to present their music than the traditional full-length album.
Many official song videos, live performances and records, including entire albums, are posted on YouTube. Type the band’s name in the website search box to gain access.
Unusual memento
How much would you pay to own the front door from Sir Paul McCartney’s childhood home?
An anonymous buyer believes the door to 20, Forthlin Road, Liverpool is worth at least GBP 5,000. This is the sum fetched at auction for what might reasonably be decscribed as an unusual memento of the former Beatle’s youth. The original house fittings were replaced in the late 1970s when the door was bought by singer Glen South. It was kept behind the settee in his lounge.
