Jack McManus. A piano man in the vein of Elton John or Billy Joel, with a chestful of choons and choruses to help you feel cheery. Jack is preparing to release his debut album ‘Either Side of Midnight’ which is out on Polydor Records on May 5th and is preceded by debut single ‘Bang On The Piano’ on April 21st. Many people are comparing Jack to a young Billie Joel or Elton John and I can see why.
Amanda Palmer meets band The Grand Theft Orchestra CD backed in Kickstarter:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amandapalmer/amanda-palmer-the-new-record-art-book-and-tour?ref=home_popular "hi folks, it's AFP. this is my first BIG, LEGIT studio album undertaking since breaking from a major label. i've spent four years writing the songs for this record, and more recently, putting together the perfect band, The Grand Theft Orchestra, comprised of genius musicians/arrangers/programmers MICHAEL MCQUILKEN, CHAD RAINES, and JHEREK BISCHOFF.
Ben Folds Five is a trio formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States in 1994, who until their breakup in 2000 were a mainstay of piano rock. Much of their work was influenced by jazz, evident in frequent improv-styled passages through bridge and/or ending. The members of the band are Ben Folds, the lead singer and pianist, who also wrote most of the songs; Robert Sledge on bass; and Darren Jessee on drums. The group enjoyed the success of the single Brick in 1997, a ballad written by Folds (with a chorus by Jessee) about his high school girlfriend getting an abortion.