Decades: 1999–present Jason Thomas Mraz (pronounced /məˈræz/; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter, born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Mraz's stylistic influences include reggae, pop, rock, folk, jazz, bossa nova and hip hop.
Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, Mr. A-Z that Mraz achieved commercial success. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of many international charts.
Mraz's international breakthrough came with the release of the first single from the album, "I'm Yours". The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single. The song was on the Hot 100 for 76 weeks, beating the previous record of 69 weeks held by LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". The song was a huge commercial success in the US, receiving a 5x platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over five million. The song was successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts.
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts, United States Decades: 2005–present Boys Like Girls is an American four-piece pop rock band from Massachusetts. Formed in 2005, the band gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album. Boys Like Girls were the co-headliner with Good Charlotte for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour 2008 that toured across the United States. The group's second studio album Love Drunk, was released on September 8, 2009.
Chicago-based BIRDY’s founding members, Bianca Wesolowski Bevard and Sharon Brunot Speziale, met at church in the early 1990’s when a youth retreat found them sitting on a beach one spring evening in Saugatuck, Michigan. Sharon took out her guitar,singing began, and beautiful harmonies came a-tumblin' out.
After traveling different paths for about 10 years, the two reconnected in late 2007 at Bevard’s suggestion, and formed BIRDY. Since then, they've performed at private events, books stores, pubs, coffee shops, libraries, community centers, ice cream socials, outdoor markets and festivals, and folk music venues.
In 2009, BIRDY welcomed Chicago-based percussionist Meg Thomas who brings a wonderful driving dimension to BIRDY's already established sound. The three birds have an awfully good time together…more laughing is done than rehearsing, but we're guessing that's what makes it all work.
BIRDY performs a variety of music in beautiful two-part harmony with guitar and percussion. When you attend one of their shows, you can expect to hear Birdy originals, traditional folk tunes, Celtic selections, contemporary music in a stripped down earthy BIRDY style, a random Beatles tune, and a few other things thrown in for good measure. Some of their influences include Nanci Griffith, Joni Mitchell, home town folk favorite Mark Dvorak, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, The Wailin' Jennys, lullabies, the Appalachian Mountains, the tradition of folk music, and, of course, music they sang at church while they were growin' up. In October 2009, the trio released their debut CD, Journey Home.
