Imogen Heap - I Megaphone

Charismatic and compelling singer-songwriter Imogen Heap--recently nominated for two Grammy awards--has gained the ear of America in recent years with her electro/alt songs on cult-fave movies and television shows as well as her 2005 sophomore album Speak for Yourself. Yet i Megaphone, her 1998 debut, has been out of print in the U.S. for seven years. Now, that album has received a much-deserved reissue. i Megaphone revisits the songs that marked Heap as the next great iconoclastic female artist, a lineage that includes Patti Smith, Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Bjork, and Liz Phair. After her live debut performing between sets by the Who and Eric Clapton at the 1996 Prince's Trust Concert in London's Hyde Park, the classically trained Heap, from rural Essex, England, signed to Almo Sounds when she was just 17 years old. i Megaphone (an anagram for "Imogen Heap"), produced by David Kahne, Dave Stewart (of the Eurythmics), and Guy Sigsworth, and featuring the engaging singles "Come Here Boy," "Shine," and "Getting Scared," earned wide critical acclaim. Unfortunately, Almo Sounds, formed by A&M founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, was winding down and Heap soon found herself adrift. In 2002, she and Sigsworth released a duo album, Details, under the moniker Frou Frou and it too was critically acclaimed. The following year they covered the Bonnie Tyler classic "Holding Out for a Hero" for the Shrek 2 soundtrack. Though by then defunct, Frou Frou enjoyed an unexpected resurgence in popularity in 2004 when "Let Go" was featured in Garden State. Heap's second solo album, Speak for Yourself, emerged the following year. Its "Hide and Seek" was heard in the powerful closing scenes of the Season Two finale of The O.C. and sparked a frenzy. The series' third season ended with her haunting rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." "Hide and Seek" was also featured in the movie The Last Kiss, the reality series So You Think You Can Dance, and as the ending song in the premiere episode of this year's new drama Smith. In addition, she penned "Can't Take It In" for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But it is because of i Megaphone that America first heard Imogen Heap. Album Description

Darling, Delightful & Delicious

Of the three collections,"I Megaphone," "Details," and "Speak for Yourself," I prefer the latter two. However, for Immi, that's like comparing three Van Gogh's, and quibbling. For this music enthusiast, Imogen Heap adds significant delight to my life whenever I listen to anything she's done.

Very significantly, when you become an Immi fan, not only do you get the great music, but you also get a fantastic collection of "V-Blogs" which can be found on her website or on Tube. She has a wonderful web site, and she has recently joined "twitter," allowing her to post spontaneous text messages. Clearly, she has made a personal commitment to her fans all over the world, allowing them access to the darling person behind the music, what's going on in her life, and the creative process a la Immi.

It turns out, in this celebrity world filled with artists who bounce back and forth between rehab, bad relationships, and other cutting edge (self-destructive?) behavior, we have the rebel Imogen, who's absolutely positive, creative and sharing personality permeates everthing she does. We also have alot of artists, who really aren't much more than their promotion, publicists, and plastic surgeons. Immi's musical talent is the real thing - watch her lay out a complicated, multi-track song playing solo, on stage, in front of thousands of people. Its amazing.

Feeling down? Treat yourself to a cup of warm Immi. She is delicious!

Thanks Immi, for everything you do for us. June 18, 2008

Editorial Missing Part

How can you write an Editorial about Imogen Heap- EsPECially I Megaphone without a nod to Tori Amos? They could be sisters.
..And~ Love them both. I just personally tend toward Imogen's, like Tori's, more Melodic pieces from other cds.
But~ everyone's got their own taste. Great Artist, though, always. May 9, 2008

Good Music

It's good to hear where this gal came from. She is one of the greats....she is innovative and talented. It's no wonder she got nominated for a Grammy...she should have gotten it. February 8, 2008

You're life isn't complete until you hear this artist.

What can I say about this artist that is stronger then the title?
I have no clue, but I will explain why I believe she is a must try.
Imogen has a style like no other yet she can cover every genre with
excellence. (Or at least this ones she has tried) Giving it a twist
and/or a refreshing feel. Now that's talking about the genre's that might
sound familiar, because 75% of her music sound like something completely
new as if she created a genre herself for herself. Bold, risking, beautiful, painful, experienced, graceful and uplifting are words and feelings that can best describe her music. For this to be her first album I am totally blown away!
Give this a listen you will be hooked! October 9, 2007

Great Album - Early Tori Amos Fans Enjoy

There have been tons of reviews written about this album and they are all good so I'll make this short and sweet.

If you liked Tori Amos album Boys for Pele then you will love this album.

Great stuff Frou Frou. September 12, 2007

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