Owl City
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| Owl City | |
|---|---|
 Owl City in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Owatonna, Minnesota, United States |
| Genres | Synthpop New Wave Emo Contemporary Christian |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | Universal Republic |
| Associated acts | Sky Sailing, Swimming With Dolphins, Breanne Duren, Relient K, Port Blue, Armin van Buuren, Matt Thiessen |
| Website | owlcitymusic.com |
| Members | |
| Adam Young | |
Young claims that his influences are disco and European electronic music. His music has also been compared to The Postal Service. After two independent albums, Owl City gained mainstream popularity with the 2009 major label debut album Ocean Eyes, which spawned the hit single "Fireflies".
Contents[hide] |
[edit] History
[edit] Early years (2007–08)
Suffering from insomnia while working loading trucks for UPS in his hometown, Owatonna, MN, Young turned to composing music.[1][2][3] He began receiving attention for songs he had uploaded to MySpace, the "viral popularity" of which would later result in his signing to a major label.[3][4] In 2007, Owl City released an EP titled Of June, followed by the 2008 release of the album Maybe I'm Dreaming. Of June reached #20 on the Billboard Electronic Albums chart, and Maybe I'm Dreaming peaked on the same chart at #16.[5][edit] Ocean Eyes (2009-2010)
Owl City's third album, Ocean Eyes, was released on iTunes on July 14, 2009, with the physical release following on July 28, 2009. The album debuted at #27 on the Billboard 200. Owl City has released three official singles: "Umbrella Beach", "Vanilla Twilight",and "Fireflies".[6] "Fireflies" topped the US and Canadian charts and became the most-downloaded song on iTunes in the US. Ocean Eyes reached the top ten on the US album charts and topped the US electronic charts and also reached Amazon MP3's top 10 most downloaded album list. By December 2009, it was certified Gold in the United States. On January 24, 2010, Owl City reached the number 1 spot in the UK Top 40 Singles chart with "Fireflies". The song "Tidal Wave" also received significant airplay on Christian music radio stations.[citation needed]Young is joined by Breanne Düren on several tracks; the most noted being "The Saltwater Room". Owl City's live band consists of Breanne Duren (background vocals/keyboards), Matthew Decker (drums), Laura Musten (violin), and Hannah Schroeder (cello).
Relient K vocalist Matt Thiessen has toured and collaborated with Owl City on several tracks, including "Fireflies", where Matt can be heard providing the backup vocals. Young also produced Relient K's song "Terminals". Thiessen stated that it is very likely that he and Young will produce a side project called "Goodbye Dubai" in the future.[7]
"Fireflies" was released as a free download on the iPod/iPhone game Tap Tap Revenge 3 by Tapulous. Prior to the July 14, 2009 internet release of Ocean Eyes, and the "Fireflies" single, Steve Hoover was hired as a director for a music video for "Fireflies". The video was to have had an exclusive premiere on MySpace,[8] but had been leaked onto YouTube and Dailymotion hours earlier. "Fireflies" became a big sleeper hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States for the week ending November 7, 2009.[9]
Owl City is featured on Soundtrack 90210 with a song titled "Sunburn", which was released on October 13, 2009.[10] Owl City has toured with The Scene Aesthetic and Brooke Waggoner. He was also guest featured in the soundtrack to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland with a song that had already been featured in his debut album, "The Technicolor Phase".[11]
[edit] All Things Bright and Beautiful (2010–present)
Young has revealed a new musical project known as Sky Sailing, moving away from his usual electronica genre of music and introducing acoustic guitar and piano accompaniments into his work. The unrefined tracks were recorded in the summer of 2007 before he began making music as Owl City.[12] His first album under this new project is entitled An Airplane Carried Me to Bed, and was released July 13, 2010 via iTunes.[13]He also recently announced via Twitter that more music will soon be released under his main project, Owl City.[14]
In May, 2010, Adam Young collaborated with high-profile British electronic composer, producer, musician, and songwriter Nick Bracegirdle. Under his Chicane alias, Bracegirdle released the single "Middledistancerunner" on 1 August 2010 featuring Adam Young on vocals. This will be the first single from the upcoming fourth Chicane album Giants.
He also worked with famed Dutch producer Armin van Buuren, appearing on a track called 'Youtopia' from the forthcoming van Buuren album Mirage on September 10, 2010.
On August 2, 2010, it was announced that Owl City would not open for Maroon 5 on the first three concerts of the American Leg of their tour due to a kidney stone.[15]
He also stated on his Twitter, that he will release a song for the upcoming film, Legend of the Guardians, titled "To the Sky"[16][17] which hit the Internet on September 1.
On September 1, 2010, Adam Young opened Owl City University as an interactive fan site with projects and homework including the integration with Facebook and Twitter. It is an area where other fans can join groups and communicate. It contains "projects" to complete to get credits. It includes messages directly from Adam Young as video blogs.
On September 21, 2010 "To the Sky" was officially released via iTunes on the soundtrack for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole.
Young released a cover version of the praise and worship song "In Christ Alone" as a streaming mp3 on his website, [1], on October 25, 2010.[18]
Concertgoers at Adam's halloween homecoming show were treated to a new song "Halloween in Owatonna", played by Matt Thiessen. Matt also announced that he is working with Adam on a song titled "Plant Life" for Owl City's upcoming album, confirmed by Adam Young and the Owatonna People's Press to be on track for a Spring 2011 release. [19][20]
On November 13, 2010, a new album was also released for one of his other musical projects, "Windsor Airlift", called "Flight" on iTunes.[21]
In the November 15, 2010 issue of Rolling Stone, Owl City announced the title of his third studio album, "All Things Bright & Beautiful". He also stated to "expect more guitar," and revealed the names of 3 tracks, "Deer in the Headlights," "The Honey and the Bee," and "Astronauts." The song "Deer in the Headlights" is expected to have "power chord blasts." The album is due to be released in March 2011.
On November 23, 2010, a new Christmas single called "Peppermint Winter" was released. A preview had been released the previous week on Facebook.
On January 18, 2011, Young confirmed via his Twitter account that the next album released under the Owl City name will be titled "All Things Bright and Beautiful."[22] He also revealed on his blog that there would be 15 tracks on this album and that it is due to be released in late Spring or early Summer.
On January 20, 2011 it was announced on the website that he has finished recording the album.
[edit] Musical styles and influences
Owl City has been stated to play within the musical genres of indietronica and alternative.[23] Young has stated that he is inspired by disco and European electronic music.[24]Owl City also has been compared to The Postal Service, with a number of publications going as far as accusing Owl City of "ripping off" The Postal Service.[25][26]
Ben Gibbard, lead singer/writer of both The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie has not stated anything about the musical resemblance in public. However, Chris Walla, the guitarist from Death Cab For Cutie, has stated that "Owl City should really consider buying Ben a pony."[27]
Adam Young suggested in a 2009 interview with The New York Times that Owl City is perhaps the "next chapter" after The Postal Service:
[The Postal Service] released a record in 2003, and that was it. There was really nothing to compare it to until some one else came along and wrote the next chapter. Maybe that's this record. Maybe that's this band.—Adam Young, The New York Times, "From Mom’s Basement to the Top of the Chart"[28]
[edit] Other projects
Main article: Adam Young
Young also produces music under a wide variety of other projects, some of which contain only a single song.[29] These projects include Port Blue, Windsor Airlift, Dolphin Park, Insect Airport, Keehar, Seagull Orchestra, Sky Sailing and Swimming With Dolphins, among others.Most of these projects were started before Owl City propelled Young to fame. Some are current side projects Adam is involved in. Some were formed alongside Adam's college friends as musical projects for a music course Young was studying at the time.
[edit] Concert tours
Main article: Owl City concert tours
[edit] Discography
Main article: Owl City discography
- Studio albums
- Maybe I'm Dreaming (2008)
- Ocean Eyes (2009)
- 'All Things Bright & Beautiful (2011)
[edit] References
- ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (2009-02-17). "Whooo's Owl City?". Star Tribune (Minneapolis). http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/39522412.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1PciUoaEYY_4PcUU. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (November 20, 2009). "Adam Young, aka Owl City, Finds Pop Success". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/arts/music/21owl.html?_r=1. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
- ^ a b Frenette, Brad (2009-07-28). "Band of the Day: Owl City". The National Post. Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. http://www.webcitation.org/5mkpXTB2d. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
- ^ Leahey, Andrew. "Owl City — Biography". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. http://www.webcitation.org/5mkq9PKF7. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
- ^ "Owl City > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p1050183. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
- ^ "Free Download Owl City's new track: "Hot Air Balloon"". http://universalrepublic.com/community/artist/news_entry.aspx?mid=339657&mjid=6854&cmnt=1.
- ^ "Interviews | Relient K". Indie Vision Music. http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2009/09/29/relient-k-4/. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
- ^ "Info On MySpace premier of Fireflies Music Video off of an Owl City Fan Website". http://owlcity.org/2009/07/fireflies-music-video-to-premiere-tomorrow/.
- ^ Pietroluongo, Sylvio (2009-10-29). "Owl City's "Fireflies" Lands at No. 1 on Hot 100". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/news/owl-city-s-fireflies-lands-at-no-1-on-hot-1004031758.story. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ "Sunburn". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B002RDA9NG. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
- ^ "Almost Alice: Various Artists: Music". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00342VGSG. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/news/owl-city-s-adam-young-releases-a-new-old-1004102073.story
- ^ "Sky Sailing". Myspace.com. 2010-05-13. http://www.myspace.com/skysailing. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
- ^ "Twitter / Owl City: Pajamas! Studio! Sneaky ne". Twitter.com. http://twitter.com/owlcity/status/14717806165. Retrieved 2010-05-28.[dead link]
- ^ "Owl City cancels select appearences with Maroon 5". http://www.owlcitymusic.com/news_d.aspx?nid=7624. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
- ^ http://legendoftheguardians.warnerbros.com
- ^ http://twitter.com/owlcity
- ^ "My Hope Is Found « Owl City Blog". http://owlcityblog.com/2010/10/25/my-hope-is-found/.
- ^ "Peppermint Winter « Owl City on Facebook". http://www.facebook.com/owlcity#!/notes/owl-city/peppermint-winter/169686106386036.
- ^ "Owl City brings fame to OHS « Owatonna's People Press". http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=122055.
- ^ "Windsor Airlift - Flight". itunes.apple.com. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/flight/id404360833.
- ^ "Twitter / @Owl City". http://twitter.com/#!/owlcity/status/27441578997972992.
- ^ Leahey, Andrew. "Owl City > Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p1050183. Retrieved 2009-11-05. "He eventually combined those diversions into a blend of electronica and emo-pop, ..."
- ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (2008-06-01). "Hot New Band: Owl City But GOD is his amin influnce". Spin. http://www.spin.com/articles/hot-new-band-owl-city. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
- ^ Westhoff, Ben (2009-10-28). "Owl City: The Latest In A Long Line Of Rip-Offs". Dallas Observer. http://www.dallasobserver.com/2009-10-29/music/owl-city-the-latest-in-a-long-line-of-rip-offs/. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ Cohen, Ian (2009-11-05). "Track Reviews: Owl City - "Fireflies"". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11613-fireflies/. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (2010-02-04). "Echo Chamber: Death Cab's Chris Walla". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/news/37806-echo-chamber-death-cabs-chris-walla/. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (2009-11-21). "From Mom's Basement to the Top of the Chart". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/arts/music/21owl.html?_r=1. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
- ^ "Adam Young - Full Discography". Toaosw.tumblr.com. http://www.handwrittenheart.com/adamyoung. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
[edit] External links
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