Donna De Lory:
Donna contributes her beautiful song, "Glow" to Dialogue.
Purchase this wonderful album and learn more about Donna's work

Donna De Lory has been around the big top of American pop music for most of her life. Raised in a musical home, her grandfather played cello and upright bass for the Warner Bros. Studios orchestra, her mother was a singer and dancer, and her father, keyboardist and producer Al De Lory, made records with Phil Spector's Wrecking Crew and even played on the Beach Boys' landmark Pet Sounds album.

Donna made her own professional debut at age 8 singing a Recipe dog food commercial. And by the time she hit junior high, she had been immortalized as the voice warbling the theme song for Disneyland's "It's A Small World" ride; she also sang vocals on albums by Barry Manilow, Kim Carnes and Santana.

De Lory's vocal on a demo tape led to her landing her breakthrough gig as one of Madonna's two singing/dancing stage companions. She performed on all of Madonna's biggest tours - from "Who's That Girl?" to "The Drowned World Tour," and took part in the bold and brassy "Truth or Dare" documentary.

During that time, she released a self-titled debut album on MCA Records that produced a No.1 single in Japan and a top 10 dance hit in the U.S. The touring for that CD also introduced Donna to a world of music she hadn't heard before: "At one point, I went to places like Brazil and Israel to promote my solo record," explains De Lory. "And I was getting influenced by a lot of world music. I started studying Asian dance prior to making my first video and that put me on a whole new path musically as well."

After parting ways with MCA in the mid-90s, Donna really began to hone her own sound, collaborating on a new album with cellist, Cameron Stone. Her pop experience and emerging interest in world sounds combined with his classical training to form a beautiful musical hybrid. The resulting CD, "Bliss," led Donna to new fans in surprising places, including yoga centers. "It felt really free," she says. "When you play a place like that, the people are so into the music. They want to be taken away. They're closing their eyes. They're breathing deep. They're dancing. They're really listening."

The Bittersweets:
The Bittersweets contribute "Long Day," "Adam," and "Prison" to Dialogue.
Purchase this wonderful album and learn more about The Bittersweet's work

It is not every day that a band has airplay on one of the nation's most influential AAA radio stations before they have even played a live show [San Francisco¹s KFOG]. Equally rare is being asked to open for a Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band at a legendary venue before even releasing a full-length debut [Train at The Fillmore on]. Having a former member of another multi-platinum band [Counting Crows] jump on board after hearing some demos is pretty much unheard of.

The band? Try the acclaimed five-piece outfit from San Francisco called The Bittersweets, who are now poised to release their stunning full-length debut, The Life You Always Wanted. The album was mixed by David Henry (REM, Josh Rouse, Guster, Vienna Teng).

The Bittersweets lineup consists of Hannah Prater on vocals and guitar; Chris Meyers on vocals, guitar, and piano; Steve Bowman (Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind) on drums; Daniel Schacht (Jolie Holland) on bass; and Jerry Becker on piano and guitar. All eleven songs were written by Meyers and the album was produced by Meyers, Schacht, & Becker.

Meyers, the band¹s songwriter, stumbled upon country music, of all places, in his sociological studies at college in rural Ohio. "Some people go to college and discover Marx or Chaucer. I found Jimmie Rogers," he says. Meyers spent his senior year writing his thesis on the Carter family, booking a national tour out of his dorm room, and opening up for several national artists. After graduating and moving to San Francisco, he eventually met Prater and the two hit it off immediately. Prater was a seasoned musician herself, having already toured Europe as a jazz vocalist. Within weeks of starting jam sessions in a barn behind her house, neighbors were pulling lawn chairs into their backyards and rehearsals became impromptu concerts. Dubbing themselves The Bittersweets, Meyers commented, "I'd hope that our music points towards some truth or reality about life, and I think that for many people, life is a mix of sadness and hope."

Meghann Robinson:
Meghann Robinson contributes "Drive" and "NY" to Dialogue.
Purchase this wonderful album and learn more about Meghann's work

How does one go from donating plasma weekly for cash to being a full-time touring artist with her own record label? An element of serendipity has contributed to the success of singer/songwriter Meghann Robinson, and it shows in her music. Imagine: three months after learning her first guitar chord and with only two original songs in her arsenal, Meghann found herself performing for hundreds at Penn State University, just after being given personal words of encouragement from her longtime musical idol Antigone Rising. Since then, Meghann has toured the country and performed for Rock the Vote, the Bear Mountain Music Festival, been selected to host and perform in showcases for both Indiegrrl and GoGirls Music at South By Southwest in Austin, TX, and placed her songs in multiple films and documentaries.

This, usually barefoot, modern troubadour has been singing and playing guitar for captive audiences on both coasts since she packed up her sparse possessions and moved from the great outdoors of Colorado to a tiny apartment in a Manhattan crack house, complete with coroner¹s sticker on the door. She was living her dream in NYC. For extra recording cash, Meghann even took a cleaning job at the offices of a major music company; anonymously scrubbing toilets for rock stars and their entourages. Once settled in the City, Meghann began playing steady gigs to a loyal fan base at legendary clubs like the Bitter End, CBGB¹s, C-Note, Pianos and the Knitting Factory.

When listening to Meghann¹s music, as one fan says, you¹ll find yourself wondering if it¹s the girl next door or the girl from the other side of the tracks that you¹ve just fallen in love with. Drive is her latest EP that features full-band arrangements of four of Meghann¹s most personal - and most popular songs. One of those serendipitous moments with a co-worker led Meghann to the studio of producer Dan Coutant. The two played every instrument on the CD and created a sound that¹s radio-ready, while staying true to the intimacy of Meghann¹s live shows.

Becky Bishop:
Becky Bishop contributes "Bigger Than Us" to Dialogue.
Purchase this wonderful album and learn more about Becky's work

Born in Orange County, Southern California and raised in Medford, Oregon and in Palm Springs, California, this west coast gal came of age in a music era where anything goes. Becky got her first guitar at age eleven and was performing in school and in small town events by the time she was thirteen. She never dreamed of a career in music until after she left school at Brigham Young University where she was a special education major and came to Los Angeles in search of a more exciting life.

She was discovered by fashion photographer Michael McCans, got an agent and immediately started working as a fashion model. The fashion world soon became boring and Becky was not content to merely stand in front of a camera posing. She gave up her brief modeling career and started to get serious about playing music. Soon after she hooked up with some local musicians and started playing the joints around L.A. and occasional out-of-town gigs. During this time she has developed her songwriting into a fine craft, sharpened up her musicianship and singing skills and has spent many an hour in recording studios over the years.

Long time L.A. club scene artist Becky Bishop emerges from the studio with her first ever self-produced album "Shapeshifting". Truly a labor of love, this album has been a long time in the making and features many of LA's A-list musicians as well as the tasty co-production work of Carlos Calvo and Irvin "Magic" Kramer. Over the years Bishop has re-invented her musical style a number of times, but has now come full circle with a stunning collection of original songs with a roots-rock edge covering everything from folk to rock and blues.

Shapeshifting is Bishop's journey of American Music drawing from influences of her personal music heroes such as Fleetwood Mac, The Pretenders, Rockpile and Emmylou Harris. Her versatile rich alto voice covers a wide range of feelings from vulnerable sensitivity to earthy and sassy drawing similar comparisons to Marianne Faithful, Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin and Sheryl Crow.

Bishop has taken the long way around and has gone in through the back door covering many a musical detour from a folkie and country rock earth mama to cow punker, hard rock diva and even Celtic traditionalist, but always with strong pop sensibilities. Shapeshifting is an album of clever and moving songwriting, remarkable vocals and musicianship sure to please a very broad market.

Whispertrip:
Whispertrip contributes "Happiest" to Dialogue.
Purchase this wonderful album and learn more about Whispertrip's work

Whispertrip is dedicated to the creation of emotional intensity in music. the sound is melodic, textural, and always beautiful. they have recently released their debut ep no shore, recorded at Santa Barbara's Orange Whip Studios.

No Shore begins with "happiest", a downtempo track with a melancholy, musicbox feel, followed by the electronic "one little bit". "refrain" is a sinister and sweet warning while "out to sea", the inspiration for the title, is a beautifully bitter song of romance adrift. no shore closes with "next one", a sparse acoustic piano ballad of modern-day desperation.

Al Start:
Al Start contributes "Tongue Tied" and "Waiting for Life" to Dialogue.
Purchase this wonderful album and learn more about Al's work

Bursting onto the acoustic music scene - you can¹t fail to notice Al Start. Her music is as striking as she looks! Firmly rooted in the acoustic singer/songwriter genre; (and boy, can she play that guitar!) her writing sets her apart from the rest. With smooth vocals that have been compared to Tracey Thorn mixed with kd lang, the sum total is a breath of fresh air!

Al¹s melodies are sweet, soulful and incredibly catchy; her strong guitar style provides the perfect balance. These are beautifully crafted songs with themes we can all identify with, yet with refreshingly different subject matter. Delivered with personality, humour and passion; certainly not your average love songs!

Jordan Carp:
Jordan Carp contributes "In My Dreams" to Dialogue.
Purchase this wonderful album and learn more about Jordan's work

The title of Jordan Carp¹s third studio album can certainly be deemed appropriate given the nature of his songwriting and instrumentation. Like a master craftsman, Carp uses swirling piano to provide the blueprint, electric guitar to lay the foundation, and his husky tenor breathes life into delicate images. "Snowflakes fall like ghosts tonight / the city sleeps under the distorted light," he sings in "Simple Pleasures." Harmonies spin around the guitars while bass, drums and Mellotron hold down the rhythm.

The polished helping hand of producer JP Bowersock (Ryan Adams, the Strokes) is evident in tracks like "Giant in a Tiny Universe" (an ode to the one who helps him "see the child inside,") and "Spaceman" (a dark, offbeat offering-think "Space Oddity" meets "Dark Side of the Moon"). "JP had an insight into the songs I was attracted to," says Carp. "I was excited every time we talked, and I really connected with his vision."

On this latest release, Carp has masterfully constructed his own exquisite, albeit dimly-lit, world. "The content of the songs and the harmonies are dark," he concedes. "But I hope that it makes people feel good. Dark is what makes me feel good. This is the music that I want to hear. I love cold, rainy days and David Lynch films. This is mood music, and it has its place."

"A homegorwn source of inspiration with the low growl of Peter Gabriel and the guitar chops of Susan Vega and we don't hand out such compliments lightly" - Boston Globe


"While he is reminiscent, vocally, of Peter Gabriel and Dave Matthews in some hybrid form, Jordan Carps vocal inflections and symbiotic guitar work paint a detailed canvas of harmony, offering a subtle freshness to the world of music" Shaun McNamara -Metronome Magazine

"Carp makes full use of rich, harmonic textures, contrapuntal melodies, and jazz pop progressions to weave a most distinct sonic tapestry. All 11 songs on this album utilize some sort of tool to take the listener to a place that they just could not go with their everyday CD collection. Grade: A." Wes Soriano - The Aquarian Weekly