Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Music of Josh Duffy

One of my music guilty pleasures and something that always gets my blood flowing, my body rocking, and puts me in a great mood is the music of Josh Duffy.  Club music and electronica is usually something that I have to be in the mood for, but Josh’s music is just fun to listen to.
image Singer-Songwriter JOSH DUFFY is a Pop/Dance artist from New Orleans. His debut solo album ARTIFICIAL (released 2007) garnered him national exposure on Satellite radio.
Voted as the 1 GLBT artist for three consecutive months on OutVoice.net, Josh is one of the few indie artists to have had multiple Top-20 hits on Sirius OutQ's countdown - pretty impressive for a freshman effort!
Josh's appearances at several major Pride festivals across the country have helped establish a devoted fan base that is limitless to age and sexual orientation. Josh has been very fortunate to receive rave reviews in news publications, with several calling him an artist to watch in 2010.
So what's next for Josh? The long awaited music video for “I Will Love You” is set to premiere on Logo’s New Now Next. He is recording material for his next album planned for a Winter 2010 release. Also, after his lead feature in the Louisiana Lottery "Wild 10s" commercial, he picked up featured roles in the films National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie and the Dylan Dog comic Dead Of Night!
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/joshduffyonline#ixzz0ynGvaFZI
Josh Duffy knew his shiny, happy brand of pop wasn't going to be an easy sell in Houston. Rock, country and hip-hop rule the local scene.
image "Everywhere you go, there is a certain demand for a particular style of music," Duffy, 23, says. "Yes, Houston has less of a pop-dance scene, but ... that's actually helped get my name out there."
He also decided to push his debut disc, Artificial, where it would best be appreciated. Duffy took to performing late-night sets at clubs and at outdoor pride festivals throughout Texas and his home state of Louisiana. (He moved to Houston in 2004 after majoring in music performance at Louisiana State University.)
There was also aggressive promotion on satellite radio, which resulted in three top 20 hits on the Sirius charts. Duffy says he "screamed and jumped" when buoyant single Call Back topped the OutQ Hot 20 list over the summer.
"That song really means a lot to me. That was a big, big thing," he says. "Now, if I could get my hands on a Grammy."
image A lofty goal, but Duffy isn't being cocky. In person, he's sincere and enthusiastic — qualities that also make Artificial a winning collection. It's frothy but not forgettable, grounded by solid arrangements and easy, relatable lyrics.
The disc was produced by Alan Lett, a local whiz known for his work with duo Jason & deMarco (who collaborate with Duffy on the uplifting tune What If).
"My initial goals were to just record all these ideas and tunes that were in my head," Duffy says.
"I really just wanted everyone to know that I had something to say lyrically — and something to sing."
The cheeky title track is one example. It makes a pointed, rock-fueled statement on the endless obsession with plastic surgery.
"Pearl-white smile, collagen lips," Duffy sings. "Bleach-blonde, clear-blue contact lens."
image He also sparkles during slower moments, particularly the gentle Ever Be and Pretend, which ride an airy, Euro-flavored groove.
Duffy is about to begin shooting a video for Truth, the next single from Artificial. He's angling for — and has a good shot at — national play on Logo Channel's "Click List" countdown.
And he's already working with Lett on a new record, due for release next year under Duffy's own J America Music banner. He promises an even "younger and fresher" pop sound, likely inspired by a spate of recent influences: Unwritten singer Natasha Bedingfield, piano pixie Regina Spektor and electro-pop singer Darren Hayes (ex-Savage Garden vocalist).
It's a promising pop path that Duffy traces back to his teenage days as a wannabe superstar.
"When I was 15, my friend Jessica and I would get together and sing, write and record our vocals to a karaoke machine," he says. "We were so proud of our songs that we would play them for our friends and family.
"I think at that moment, not only did I know that music was my passion, I knew that it was something I could make a career out of."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

very intresting sorry it took me so long to read love been busy keep up the good reporting and very nice song Love<~peter~>

Joe said...

I'm glad you liked the song, Peter. He is one of those true gay artists, who is unabashedly out of the closet.