Joseph Arthur

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Joseph Arthur

Background information
Born September 28, 1971 (1971-09-28) (age 36)
Origin Akron, Ohio, USA
Genre(s) singer-songwriter, alternative rock
Instrument(s) vocals, guitar, harmonica
Years active 1996–present
Label(s) Lonely Astronaut Records
Associated acts The Lonely Astronauts
Website www.josepharthur.com
www.lonelyastronautrecords.com

Joseph Arthur (born September 28, 1971) is a contemporary singer-songwriter from Akron, Ohio, known for his melodic compositions combined with swirling choruses. He was discovered by Peter Gabriel in the mid-'90s, and signed to Gabriel's Real World label.

Contents

[edit] Musical History

In the early '90s, Joseph Arthur was recording home demos, playing local Atlanta clubs and working at Clark Music Store.

Harvey Schwartz, Peter Gabriel's A&R associate, was presenting Gabriel new artists at his apartment in New York City, one of the demo tapes being Joseph's first EP Cut and Blind. Once Gabriel heard the lyrics to "History," he repeated the line "your history acts as your gravity" over and over, realizing the talented songwriter was a great fit for his label Real World Records. Both he and Schwartz arranged a live audition at the Fez in NYC, where Arthur flew up from Atlanta. The night was clearly a success as Gabriel had enlisted friend Lou Reed to record the show. Within a few months Arthur was signed, and recording for his debut album began at Gabriel's Real World Studios with producer Marcus Dravs (experimental Björk engineer). The debut album Big City Secrets was released worldwide in March 1997. Two years later, Joseph recorded an EP called Vacancy, which earned him a Grammy nomination for best artistic packaging.

April 2000 saw the release of Come to Where I'm From, the album that, for the first time, exposed him to a larger audience (also thanks to opening up for Ben Harper and Gomez). During the same period, a live album recorded at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas, Texas saw a promotional release. After releasing a series of 4 tour-only EPs called Junkyard Hearts, his third album, Redemption's Son, came out in May 2002 in the UK (and November 2002 in the US).

In the middle of a long and successful tour during which performances were, to a large extent, recorded and sold immediately after the last note had been played, he found time to release one more album: an alternative rock project called Holding The Void (featuring Joseph on vocals and guitar, and Rene Lopez on drums).

Summer 2003 saw him on tour with Tracy Chapman in the US. After signing a new recording contract with Vector Recordings, Arthur finished working on his fourth official full album, Our Shadows Will Remain, released October 2004. While touring the US alone and with Joan Wasser, a new EP called And the Thieves Are Gone came out in December 2004. Shortly afterwards, Arthur went on a brief tour with R.E.M. throughout Europe.

Arthur spent 2005 again on tour in both the US and Europe. Arthur staged his first art exhibition in 2006 at the Vertigo Gallery in London from February 10 to February 12. He also contributed a design to the Yellow Bird Project for the benefit of Mercy Corps. Also in 2006, Joseph and longtime professional partner Lauren Pattenaude started his own record label, Lonely Astronaut Records. He released an artbook with accompanying instrumental CD in May 2006, titled The Invisible Parade (CD) + We Almost Made It (book). He recorded and released his fifth official studio album Nuclear Daydream--the first release on his label--in September 2006, nine days before his 35th birthday.

His song "In the Sun" was covered by Michael Stipe (of R.E.M.) and Coldplay singer Chris Martin in 2006 for a Hurricane Katrina Relief program. The EP includes 6 versions of the cover, one of which has Arthur himself singing with Stipe, and another remixed by Justin Timberlake. (The song has also been covered by Peter Gabriel for Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed tribute CDs).

On March 26, 2007, 14th Floor Records (Joseph's label in the UK) released a re-recorded version of his 2002 song "Honey and the Moon" as a special single in the UK only. April 17, 2007 saw the US release of his sixth studio album, Let's Just Be, the first album recorded with his band The Lonely Astronauts. 16 of the reported 80 songs that he and the band recorded in late 2006 yielded the Let's Just Be album (though it is uncertain whether the remaining 64 songs will ever see the light of day or not). A US tour followed the album's release.

Joseph quickly started working on the follow-up to Let's Just Be. In January 2008, it was announced that Joseph would be releasing 4 brand new EPs and one new full-length album throughout 2008, beginning with Could We Survive on March 18, 2008; the second EP, titled Crazy Rain, released on April 15, 2008; the third EP, titled Vagabond Skies, released on June 10, 2008; and the fourth, titled Foreign Girls, set for release on July 8, 2008.

Joseph played seven solo shows during the SXSW 2008 Festival: six in Austin and one in Dallas.[1] His seventh studio album Temporary People is set for release on September 16, 2008.

[edit] The Museum of Modern Arthur

Always one to stay prolific, the grand opening of Joseph's art gallery, The Museum of Modern Arthur, occurred in June 2007. Located at 25 Jay Street in Brooklyn's DUMBO District, MOMAR is an exhibition space for art and works created by Arthur himself. A July 2007 e-mail newsletter talks about the goals for MOMAR:

“
  • MOMAR seeks to broaden the parameters of the fine art world by fostering a multi-disciplinary interaction among innovators in painting, music, poetry, performance and the visual arts.
  • MOMAR encourages innovation and challenges convention in art, but reveres the traditional artistic values of beauty, craft, spirituality and history.
  • MOMAR rejects the notion that art can be valued or devalued on a purely commercial level.
  • MOMAR seeks to create a new approach to art patronage that includes but extends beyond the conventions of financial support and criticism, and allows for nontraditional contributions to and from the community, including volunteering, charity work and education.
  • MOMAR is founded on the principle that art has a conscience, is relevant and can foment positive social change. MOMAR believes that artists are responsible for illuminating truth.
  • MOMAR answers the eternal question "What is art?" with another question: "What isn't?"
  • MOMAR encourages interaction between artists and audience, and partners at will with like-minded organizations.
  • MOMAR is finite. It is not an ongoing concern. Its building and its organization will disappear.
  • MOMAR can, and will, party.
 ”

[edit] Live performances

Arthur's one man band live performances incorporate looping techniques and several distortion techniques. Many people have commented that his live performances, when performed in this fashion, are in fact superior to his studio recordings. However, beginning with his fall 2006 tour, Arthur has incorporated a full band, The Lonely Astronauts.

The Lonely Astronauts are:

  • Joseph Arthur - vocals, guitar
  • Kraig Jarret Johnson - guitar, keyboards, vocals
  • Jennifer "Jen" Turner - guitar, vocals
  • Sibyl Buck - bass, vocals
  • Greg "G. Wiz" Wieczorek - drums, vocals

Arthur's live performances are recorded through to the last note and then burnt to CD-R. They are sold immediately to fans after the concert.

[edit] Musical instruments

Arthur owns two guitars, his main one being an Irish guitar named Lowden. Model name is "0-12."

He makes great use of an Alesis Micron analog modeling synthethizer which boasts the same sound engine as the acclaimed Alesis Ion.

He often plays a diatonic harmonica in the key of G.

[edit] Sound processors

To incorporate his looping techniques, Arthur uses 4 rackmounted units of the Lexicon JamMan.

He plays his guitars through an impressive floor of effects pedals including a Vox Tonelab SE multi-effects, a Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler, a Moogerfooger MF-102 Ring Modulator, an MXR Phase 100, a Z. Vex Seek Wah, an Electro-Harmonix POG, a Big Muff Pi, and a DigiTech Whammy.

Vocals are processed by a TC-Helicon VoiceLive floor unit.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

[edit] EPs

[edit] Others

[edit] Singles

[edit] Promo CDs

  • "Chaos and Beauty" (Live at La Laiterie, Strasbourg, France, on November 17, 1996) - Real World Promo, 1997
  • "New Morning" (Live at New Morning, Paris, France, on February 5, 1997) - Real World Promo, 1997
  • "Rusty Water" (early version of Come To Where I'm From) - Virgin Promo, 1999
  • "The Black Sessions EP" (Live at Rockstation, Montpelier, France, on November 23, 1999) - Sargo Promo, 2000
  • "Live at the ASCAP Cafe" (Live at the Sundance Film Festival with Peter Gabriel, January 22, 2000) - Virgin Promo, 2000
  • "Live at the Gypsy Tea Room" (Dallas, Texas, June 19, 2000) - Virgin Promo, 2000
  • "I Am a Great Person Even Though I Am a Snake" - Virgin Promo, 2002

[edit] Contributions

[edit] Books of Poetry

  • Notes from the Road, Volume 1 (plus Live at La Cigale, Paris, France on November 11, 2000 CD)
  • Notes from the Road, Volume 2 (plus Live at the Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, Texas on June 19, 2000 CD - the complete show)

[edit] Unreleased songs

Joseph Arthur has an ever-expanding, vast catalog of songs that have yet to see the light of day on an official release (rumor has it there's over 200 songs recorded to date in this back-catalog of unreleased songs). Below is a partial list of unreleased songs from the fan website lonelyastronauts.com link. These songs have either been only played live, or were recorded and put up on either his website, MySpace page, or his recent Tumblr blog page "Bag Is Hot" link:

  • "All the Old Heroes"
  • "Reborn"
  • "Call"
  • "Lonely Astronaut" (Tumblr Version)
  • "Sideways"
  • "Magic Chances Us All"
  • "Fading"
  • "Still Life Honey Rose"
  • "Burning Wheel"
  • "Father's Eyes"
  • "If Yer Afraid"
  • "My Eyes Follow You"
  • "Blast Off!"
  • "Lovely Cost"
  • "Dark Forces"
  • "Foreign Girls"
  • "One by One"
  • "Turn You On"
  • "Acid Mother"
  • "Say Goodbye"
  • "Winter Blades"
  • "A Good Friend of Mine"
  • "Sunrise Doll"
  • "Faith"
  • "Temporary People"
  • "Rembrandt's Empty Frame"
  • "Come With Love or Don't Come at All"
  • "Slave"
  • "I Need Your Love"
  • "Take It Away"
  • "Dead Savior"
  • "Only You Can Drive"
  • "No Way"
  • "Two Eyes"
  • "Change What You Say"
  • "Hard to See"
  • "Juliette"
  • "Just a Friend"
  • "Turn Around"
  • "I'll Wait for Grace"
  • "Cat Burglar's Revenge"
  • "Find What You Need"
  • "Had to Go"
  • "People Were Dying"
  • "I Am the Witness"
  • "Into Your Heart"
  • "I Don't Wanna Wait My Time"
  • "Evil Will"
  • "Slow Down"
  • "Playing Now in My Mind"
  • "Bel Canto"
  • "Need a Friend"
  • "You Tell Me Now"
  • "Straw Dogs"
  • "Products of Your Love and Your Hate"
  • "Angels Hold You"
  • "She Speaks to Ghosts"
  • "Chief Lone Wolf and Star"
  • "Lady Lovelace"
  • "Wait and See"
  • "Pretend to Be Free"
  • "So Far Away"
  • "I'm in Your Life"
  • "Underneath an Open Sky"
  • "Almost New"
  • "Without a Home"
  • "Mystery"
  • "Forgive Your Heart"
  • "Is Your Dream Alive?"
  • "Poison Flowers"
  • "Secret Ghost"
  • "Blood Brothers"
  • "California"
  • "In the Distance"
  • "Freeze You Out"
  • "Afraid to Feel"
  • "Cinderella Under Glass"
  • "Morning Star"
  • "Cracking Heart"
  • "Youthanasia"
  • "Outside Your Window"
  • "Rita"
  • "Betrayed by the Light"
  • "Pictures of Life"
  • "Lost Gypsy Weapon"
  • "Downtown"
  • "Not Saying You're Wrong"
  • "Someone to Love"
  • "40 Days and Nights"
  • "Victory Blvd."

[edit] Cover songs

Below is a list of covers that Joseph has performed (taken from the fan website lonelyastronauts.com) link:

[edit] Song appearances in television and film

Joseph Arthur soundtracked the 1998 film Hell's Kitchen. He also makes a cameo appearance in the film. His songs have made other television and film appearances.

  • "Electrical Storm"

[edit] References

  1. ^ south by southwest festivals + conferences

[edit] External links