Tag Archives: singer/songwriter

Eric Hutchinson Takes The Stage At PlayNetwork

Eric Hutchinson, acclaimed Singer/Songwriter will be gracing the PlayLive stage tomorrow (2/7)! Eric’s folk and jazz-inflected Pop-Rock is said to be somewhere between “Jeff Buckley and John Mayer”, and he’s been called, “one of the most talented singer-songwriters that Boston has to offer”, drawing comparisons to Jason Mraz, Stevie Wonder, Ben Folds, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, and Billy Joel; many of which Eric cites as influences.

In 2004, Eric’s debut album That Could’ve Gone Better caught the attention of Maverick Records which had previously broken artists such as Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch, but just as Eric’s major label debut was set to release, the label was shut down. Eric spent the better part of 2 years extracting himself from the contract before returning to his own label and releasing a tongue-in-cheek titled live EP Before I Sold Out, followed by his second studio album 2007’s Sounds Like This, which caught the attention of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. After a single blog post by Hilton back in 2007, Sounds Like This reached the Top Ten most downloaded albums on the year on iTunes. (AllMusic) Eric also caught the attention of Darryl Hall (of Hall and Oates fame) who invited him for a session on “Live At Darryl’s House”. Check it out here.

Since his debut release, Eric has performed on all of the major late night shows including,  Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, Jay Leno, and most recently on Light Night with Conan O’Brien. His music has also been featured on such TV shows as American Idol, and Grey’s  Anatomy; which featured Eric’s brand new single “Watching You Watch Him” on their 8th season premiere.

Tomorrow Eric will not only be performing what is sure to be a fantastic PlayLive performance, he will also be releasing his new single “Watching You Watch Him”! You can check out the video for the new track below. For more info on Eric and his upcoming full-length album Moving Up, Living Down (set to release on April 17th, 2012), you can check out his official site, as well as follow him Facebook and Twitter.

Blake Kirpes, Associate Music Supervisor
PlayNetwork

Jessie Baylin and The Watson Twins visit the PlayLive Stage This Thursday!

PlayNetwork is excited to welcome Nashville based singer/songwriter Jessie Baylin to our stage this Thursday! She will be joined by The Watson Twins, who contributed to Baylin’s new album and are currently supporting her on tour.

Jessie Baylin set out to make a record that sounded timeless and was clearly inspired her musical heroes, but with songs clearly rooted in the present. A truly committed artist, she wasn’t afraid to take the longer and harder road to achieve the best possible result. Baylin recorded her new album Little Spark on analog tape, forgoing the modern day luxuries of digital multi-tracking. Without the ability to punch in or easily make edits, this method of recording requires one perfect take from start to finish. In a recent NPR interview she admits the process “was really exhausting sometimes. But I think it makes a difference, because there’s a performance on there.”

All of us at PlayNetwork are looking forward to being treated to another performance, this time in person. Check out this video trailer featuring Jessie alongside the producers and musicians behind the album as they work through the recording process. It’s amazing to watch music being created using this classic technique.

Gaberiel Marowitz – Associate Music Supervisor
PlayNetwork

Remembering Etta James

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ms. Etta James

The Legendary Etta James

“At Last” is a song that will always remain buried in my memory as a song that not only makes me feel relaxed but also reminds me of my mother as I was growing up.  You see, before I knew who the Stones or the Beatles were, I would hear this song play on my mother’s old Crosley record player during the holidays and always knew she was baking cookies.

Miss Peaches or better known as Etta James has that effect on people. Back in 2000 Rolling Stone Magazine ranked her #62 in their list of 100 greatest artist of all time.  With her bluesy voice with a touch of gospel elements as well as her influence on so many singer/songwriters, she should be rated much better than #62.  She was loved by many and worshiped by others and her voice will live on forever.  Ms. Etta James passed away on January 20, 2012 at the tender age of 73.

Alex Espinosa – Music Coordinator
PlayNetwork