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From Monsters and Critics.com Music Features Judith Owen has relentlessly followed her muse, independently releasing recordings that have captivated fans, Hollywood music supervisors, fellow artists and the most discerning critics. With the same determination she has applied to finding her voice, she has also found her audience, in spite of the widespread downturn of the music industry. And in the very years in which that decline is at its most intense, Owen has not just withstood the circumstances, but reached the peak of her creativity and become one of the most acclaimed artists in her field. She culminates this extraordinary rise with ‘Mopping Up Karma,’ which Courgette Records releases June 3. The seeds of ‘Mopping Up Karma’ lie in a set of recordings that were going to be Owen’s major label debut when she was signed to Capitol ten years ago and nearly left to languish as the company’s presidency changed hands. She is substantially transforming the songs—newly recording vocals, re-mixing tracks, and more—for the forthcoming album. It is a particularly timely triumph that Owen is completing and will release these songs now that she has garnered such immense acclaim on her own. She was inspired to bring the material to fruition for ‘Mopping Up Karma’ when she recently listened to the songs the first time in years and was struck by how good they were. She had begun them in 1998 for an album she was making with Glen Ballard, whose discovery of Owen performing in the Hollywood club Luna Park led to her signing by the Capitol boutique label Java Records. Setting out to make her first album for the label, Owen began writing and recording with Clifton Magness (Avril Lavigne) and Ballard, both of whom co-wrote, engineered, produced and played on various tracks. Owen wrote the lyrics and the bulk of the music, and supplied all of the vocals, piano and keyboard parts (organ/strings). The original recordings also featured contributions from such eminent musicians as Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers), who played Hammond organ, and David Campbell (Alanis Morissette, The Goo Goo Dolls), who provided orchestrations. ‘Mopping Up Karma’ is the follow-up to Owen’s ‘Happy This Way,’ which has earned rave reviews and profiles from the likes of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, MORE and The Boston Globe, among many others. USA Today calls it “a gem.” In connection with the album, Owen was recently featured “Live in Studio 4A” on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, as well on PRI’s “The World” and in two consecutive appearances on the KTLA Morning Show, among other radio and television appearances nationwide. Owen’s previous album, Here, led to her discovery by NBC’s “Today Show.” Owen has been especially praised for her live performances. Stephen Holden's review in The New York Times said she, “showed how much color and sonic depth can be extracted out of a single keyboard.” She garnered tremendous praise on a U.S. tour she just completed with her frequent collaborator, Richard Thompson, singing in his 1,000 Years of Popular Music show. The Washington Post called Owen’s performance “amazing,” and The Boston Herald said she “nearly stole the show.” The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called Owen “as wildly versatile a singer as Thompson is a guitarist.” Owen will tour the U.S. this spring and summer, including several dates supporting The Strawbs. Her performances will feature material from the new album in addition to favorites from her celebrated body of work. What follows is an itinerary of upcoming engagements; others will be announced soon. Judith Owen Tour Dates include: May 11, 2008 Monterey, CA Monterey Live © Copyright 2007 by monstersandcritics.com. This notice cannot be removed without permission. |