Mike Viola
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Viola is an American singer-songwriter best known as singer, songwriter and "musical architect" of a team he called the "Candy Butchers", a pop-rock band from New York City that recorded three critically acclaimed albums for Sony. A native of Stoughton, Massachusetts
, Mike began his musical career in the 1980s. No recordings of his earliest musical work, however, were known to have been officially released as of September 2009.
The success of the Candy Butchers in the 1990s led to multiple appearances on Late Night With Conan O’Brien and Last Call With Carson Daly
. It also found the group touring alongside the likes of Ron Sexsmith, They Might Be Giants
, Robyn Hitchcock
, Semisonic
, Sparklehorse
, Barenaked Ladies
, and Ivy
.
Viola simultaneously began a career in film work as the co-producer and lead singer of the Oscar-nominated title track from Tom Hanks
's That Thing You Do!
. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
, a film collaboration between Jake Kasdan
and Judd Apatow
that starred John C. Reilly
as Dewey Cox, featured nearly a dozen songs written by Viola.
Viola joined the ranks of "indie," or independent-record-label artists in 2005 when he released an album of new songs on his own label, Good Morning Monkey Records. Recorded live at Largo
in L.A., Just Before Dark
showcased Viola's abilities as a live performer. Once made available on his official website, the album, released as a long-playing vinyl album with a CD copy included, sold out in three months.
His most recent album, Lurch, employed classic pop elements, and incorporated storybook imagery, such as Viola’s fans had come to expect by this time in his career. Lurch was also released internationally, with such selections as “Maybe, Maybe Not” (the first selection on the album) and “So Much Better” (the first single Viola released from the album) receiving radio airplay in Denmark
. "So Much Better" was a Danish chart selection.
After signing a contract with EMI Music Publishing for worldwide distribution of his own material, Viola remained a songwriter and/or producer on a multitude of projects. His work could be heard on Amanda Leigh
, the most recent of Mandy Moore
's albums as of September 2009. In addition to being Moore's musical director, Viola has collaborated with Dan Wilson, Inara George
, Tim Christensen
, Dan Bern
, Steve McEwan
, Kelly Jones
, Ryan Adams
, Drake Bell
, Bleu
, Adam Schlesinger
, John C. Reilly
, Mary Wood, Sam Bisbee, The Gentlemen, John Wesley Harding
, and Ben Romans during this period.
Most recently he has taken part in a compilation album released on November 15, 2011 by Engine Room Recordings
. On the album Mike covers Round and Round
by Ratt
.
and began appearing as an acoustic duo with his long time friend Todd Foulsham. Candy Butchers were a vehicle for Mike's songwriting and went through various incarnations.
of Fountains of Wayne
, co-produced the title track
for Tom Hanks
's 1996 movie That Thing You Do!
The selection received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song
. Viola sang lead vocals on the track, and as the accepted singing voice of Johnathon Schaech
's character, "Jimmy," he also sang on the film's track Little Wild One, All My Only Dreams.
Viola was a songwriter for the 2007 Jake Kasdan
/Judd Apatow
film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
. A Life Without You (Is No Life At All), Darling, (I Hate You) Big Daddy, Dear Mr. President, Beautiful Ride, Sir Ringe The Marshmallow Elephant, Let Me Hold You Little Man. Viola toured as musical director on a promotional tour for the film in December 2007 with John C. Reilly
, acting out his fictional character of Dewey Cox.
Viola was a songwriter for Russell Brand's character Aldus Snow in the movie Get Him to the Greek
African Child, The Clap, I Am Jesus, Searching For a Father in America, Little Bird, Furry Walls.
's Andy Sturmer
, Chicago
's Jason Scheff
and the Hanson Brothers Band
, Viola collaborated with Bleu
, the leader of L.E.O.
, a team that paid tribute to the Electric Light Orchestra
. They released a single album, Alpacas Orgling
, in 2006.
, and Ducky Carlisle joined forces to form a power-pop supergroup which they called The Major Labels, self-releasing the album Aquavia in July 2008. Discussions promptly got under way for the album's release on and distribution by a major label in 2009, which was to include bonus material.
, John Wesley Harding
, Marshall Crenshaw
, Jed Parrish, Jim Boggia
, The Brilliant Mistakes
, The Click Five
, Oranjuly
, Mono Puff
(They Might Be Giants
's John Flansburgh
side-project), Fountains of Wayne
, the Finn Brothers
, Tracy Bonham
, Mandy Moore
, and Tribe
's Janet LaValley.
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stoughton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,962 at the 2010 census. The town is located approximately from Boston, from Providence, and from Cape Cod.-History:...
, Mike began his musical career in the 1980s. No recordings of his earliest musical work, however, were known to have been officially released as of September 2009.
The success of the Candy Butchers in the 1990s led to multiple appearances on Late Night With Conan O’Brien and Last Call With Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
. It also found the group touring alongside the likes of Ron Sexsmith, They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, Semisonic
Semisonic
Semisonic is an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1995. The band consisted of three members: Dan Wilson , John Munson , and Jacob Slichter...
, Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band led by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous.-History:Sparklehorse's first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot featuring Bob Rupe of the Silos and Cracker, was a modest college radio success...
, Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
, and Ivy
Ivy
Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...
.
Viola simultaneously began a career in film work as the co-producer and lead singer of the Oscar-nominated title track from Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
's That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the quick rise and fall of a one-hit wonder rock band...
. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a 2007 music comedy film written and produced by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, directed by Kasdan and starring John C. Reilly...
, a film collaboration between Jake Kasdan
Jake Kasdan
Jake Kasdan is an American television and film director.Kasdan was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Meg , a writer, and writer-director Lawrence Kasdan. His younger brother, Jon Kasdan, also works in the film and television industry as an actor and writer...
and Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
that starred John C. Reilly
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
as Dewey Cox, featured nearly a dozen songs written by Viola.
Viola joined the ranks of "indie," or independent-record-label artists in 2005 when he released an album of new songs on his own label, Good Morning Monkey Records. Recorded live at Largo
Largo (nightclub)
Largo is a nightclub and cabaret in Los Angeles, CA, known informally as Café Largo or Club Largo, known for its retinue of musical and comedic performers and for the Friday night "residency" of singer-songwriter Jon Brion, which has made the club a must-visit for fans and professional...
in L.A., Just Before Dark
Just Before Dark
Just before Dark is a live album by Mike Viola released in 2005. In addition to being on CD, it has also been released on vinyl.-Track listing:# "Hair of the Dog" - 3:20# "Sandi Bright" - 3:23# "Number Crunch" - 3:00# "Sound of My Own Voice" - 2:50...
showcased Viola's abilities as a live performer. Once made available on his official website, the album, released as a long-playing vinyl album with a CD copy included, sold out in three months.
His most recent album, Lurch, employed classic pop elements, and incorporated storybook imagery, such as Viola’s fans had come to expect by this time in his career. Lurch was also released internationally, with such selections as “Maybe, Maybe Not” (the first selection on the album) and “So Much Better” (the first single Viola released from the album) receiving radio airplay in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. "So Much Better" was a Danish chart selection.
After signing a contract with EMI Music Publishing for worldwide distribution of his own material, Viola remained a songwriter and/or producer on a multitude of projects. His work could be heard on Amanda Leigh
Amanda Leigh
Amanda Leigh is the sixth studio album by American singer and songwriter Mandy Moore, released on May 26, 2009 through Storefront Recordings and RED Distribution...
, the most recent of Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
's albums as of September 2009. In addition to being Moore's musical director, Viola has collaborated with Dan Wilson, Inara George
Inara George
Inara Maryland George is a Los Angeles, California-based singer-songwriter, one half of The Bird and the Bee, a member of the band Merrick, with Bryony Atkinson, and a member of the trio The Living Sisters, with Eleni Mandell and Becky Stark...
, Tim Christensen
Tim Christensen
Tim Christensen is a Danish singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass guitar, drums, Mellotron, harmonium, keyboard, piano and organ...
, Dan Bern
Dan Bern
Dan Bern is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, novelist and painter. His music is often compared to that of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Ochs and Elvis Costello....
, Steve McEwan
Steve McEwan
Steve McEwan is a British-born hit songwriter, artist, and musician. His songs have been recorded by country music artists including Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill and Keith Urban...
, Kelly Jones
Kelly Jones
Kelly Jones is a Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist and the lead singer of the band Stereophonics. Influenced by classic rock bands such as The Who, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and the Sex Pistols, Jones is noted for his strong, gravelly voice, which has been described as "whisky" vocals...
, Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
, Drake Bell
Drake Bell
Jared Drake Bell , better known as Drake Bell, is an American actor, comedian, guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer, and occasional television director. After beginning his career as a child star in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared on The Amanda Show and became well-known among young...
, Bleu
Bleu (musician)
William James McAuley III , best known by his performing name, Bleu, is an American pop artist , professional songwriter and producer currently living in Los Angeles. Bleu graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts...
, Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger is an American songwriter, composer and record producer. He has been nominated for Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy , and Golden Globe Awards. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Pop Music Award....
, John C. Reilly
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
, Mary Wood, Sam Bisbee, The Gentlemen, John Wesley Harding
John Wesley Harding (singer)
Wesley Stace is a folk/pop singer-songwriter and author who goes by the stage name John Wesley Harding. He has called his style of music folk noir and gangsta folk...
, and Ben Romans during this period.
Most recently he has taken part in a compilation album released on November 15, 2011 by Engine Room Recordings
Engine Room Recordings
Engine Room Recordings is an independent record label with a roster of Indie rock and Alternative rock musicians. Beyond marketing and distribution for its artists, the label does booking and artist management....
. On the album Mike covers Round and Round
Round and Round (Ratt song)
"Round and Round" is a song by American glam metal band Ratt which proved to be the biggest hit of their career, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It appears as the third track of their album Out of the Cellar...
by Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
.
Candy Butchers
Candy Butchers (aka "Mike Viola and the Candy Butchers") was formed in the 1990s in Boston, Massachusetts by Viola. Viola moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began appearing as an acoustic duo with his long time friend Todd Foulsham. Candy Butchers were a vehicle for Mike's songwriting and went through various incarnations.
Soundtrack work
Viola, along with friend Adam SchlesingerAdam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger is an American songwriter, composer and record producer. He has been nominated for Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy , and Golden Globe Awards. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Pop Music Award....
of Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
, co-produced the title track
That Thing You Do (song)
"That Thing You Do" is a 1996 song that appears in the film That Thing You Do!. The song is performed by the fictional 1960s band The Wonders, who are the focus of the film.-In the film:...
for Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
's 1996 movie That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the quick rise and fall of a one-hit wonder rock band...
The selection received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
. Viola sang lead vocals on the track, and as the accepted singing voice of Johnathon Schaech
Johnathon Schaech
Johnathon Schaech is an American actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Schaech was born in Edgewood, Maryland to Joseph, a Baltimore City law enforcement officer, and Joanne Schaech, a human resources executive. He is of German and Italian descent, and was raised Roman Catholic...
's character, "Jimmy," he also sang on the film's track Little Wild One, All My Only Dreams.
Viola was a songwriter for the 2007 Jake Kasdan
Jake Kasdan
Jake Kasdan is an American television and film director.Kasdan was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Meg , a writer, and writer-director Lawrence Kasdan. His younger brother, Jon Kasdan, also works in the film and television industry as an actor and writer...
/Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a 2007 music comedy film written and produced by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, directed by Kasdan and starring John C. Reilly...
. A Life Without You (Is No Life At All), Darling, (I Hate You) Big Daddy, Dear Mr. President, Beautiful Ride, Sir Ringe The Marshmallow Elephant, Let Me Hold You Little Man. Viola toured as musical director on a promotional tour for the film in December 2007 with John C. Reilly
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
, acting out his fictional character of Dewey Cox.
Viola was a songwriter for Russell Brand's character Aldus Snow in the movie Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, reuniting director...
African Child, The Clap, I Am Jesus, Searching For a Father in America, Little Bird, Furry Walls.
Discography
- Live at La BonbonniereLive at La BonBonniereLive at La Bonbonniere is an EP by Candy Butchers released in 1996 in anticipation of the Candy Butchers upcoming self-titled album.-Track listing:# "Bells on a Leper" - 3:42# "California Girl" - 3:18# "Cupid Complained to Venus" - 3:14...
(1996) - Candy Butchers aka "The Blue Thumb Album" (1996)
- Falling into PlaceFalling into Place (Candy Butchers album)Falling into Place is a studio album by Mike Viola & the Candy Butchers released in 1999.-Track listing:# "Falling into Place" - 2:58# "Killing Floor" - 4:05# "All I Have" - 2:17# "Too Much Going on" - 3:36# "Let It Ride" - 2:49...
(1999) - Let's Get Serious (1999)
- Let's Get Christmas EP (1999)
- Temple of StaticTemple of StaticTemple of Static is a studio album by Mike Viola recorded in the winter of 2001. It was released in March 2006 on Viola's own label in extremely limited quantity - only 1000 copies were released.-Track listing:# "Cut and Dry" - 3:44...
(2001) - Play with Your HeadPlay with Your Head-Track listing:# "Worry My Dome" - 2:44# "My Monkey Made a Man Out of Me" - 2:37# "You Belong to Me Now" - 3:10# "Ruby's Got a Big Idea" - 3:15# "Tough Hang" - 3:41# "Baby, It's a Long Way Down" - 3:53# "It's a Line" - 3:43# "I Let Her Get Away" - 3:03...
(2002) - Hang On MikeHang On Mike-Track listing:# "What to Do with Michael" - 3:48# "Nice to Know You" - 3:08# "Unexpected Traffic" - 3:11# "Kiss Alive II" - 3:37# "Hang On Mike" - 3:48# "Painkillers" - 3:54# "Superkid" - 4:12# "Not So Bad At All" - 2:38# "Let's Have a Baby" - 2:43...
(2004) - Just Before DarkJust Before DarkJust before Dark is a live album by Mike Viola released in 2005. In addition to being on CD, it has also been released on vinyl.-Track listing:# "Hair of the Dog" - 3:20# "Sandi Bright" - 3:23# "Number Crunch" - 3:00# "Sound of My Own Voice" - 2:50...
(2005) - Making Up Time Candy Butchers Rarities (2006)
- Lurch (2007)
- Melon EP (2010)
- Electro De Perfecto (2011)
Soundtracks
- That Thing You Do!That Thing You Do!That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the quick rise and fall of a one-hit wonder rock band...
(1996) - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox StoryWalk Hard: The Dewey Cox StoryWalk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a 2007 music comedy film written and produced by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, directed by Kasdan and starring John C. Reilly...
(2007) - Get Him To The GreekGet Him to the GreekGet Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, reuniting director...
(2010)
Compilations
- Round and RoundRound and Round (Ratt song)"Round and Round" is a song by American glam metal band Ratt which proved to be the biggest hit of their career, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It appears as the third track of their album Out of the Cellar...
(RattRattRatt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
cover) from Guilt by Association Vol. 3Guilt by Association Vol. 3Guilt by Association Vol. 3 is a compilation album released November 15, 2011 by Engine Room Recordings. Like its previous installments, Guilt by Association Vol. 1 and Guilt by Association Vol. 2, Guilt By Association Vol...
(2011).
Artists produced by Mike Viola
- Mandy Moore "Amanda Leigh"
- Rachael Yamagata
- Justin Gaston "Pineville"
- Ned Brower "Great To Say Hello"
- Kelly Jones "SheBang"
- Peter Block "Snow People"
- Marissa Levy "63 Songs About Joe"
L.E.O.
Alongside JellyfishJellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
's Andy Sturmer
Andy Sturmer
Marvin Andrew Sturmer is an American musical artist, writer and producer. He was one of the founding members of the band Beatnik Beatch, which led to the formation of Jellyfish.- Jellyfish :...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Jason Scheff
Jason Scheff
Jason Randolph Scheff is an American bassist, singer and songwriter. Since 1985 he has been the bassist and singer for the veteran pop-rock band Chicago. He is the oldest son of well-known session bassist Jerry Scheff, who toured for several years with Elvis Presley...
and the Hanson Brothers Band
Hanson (band)
Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
, Viola collaborated with Bleu
Bleu (musician)
William James McAuley III , best known by his performing name, Bleu, is an American pop artist , professional songwriter and producer currently living in Los Angeles. Bleu graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts...
, the leader of L.E.O.
L.E.O.
L.E.O. is an Electric Light Orchestra-style music project of a number of musicians. Spawned by an on-stage cover of ELO's "Telephone Line" by lead singer-songwriter Bleu and Mike Viola, it quickly produced an entire album of original songs similar in style to 1970s AM radio pop music.The project...
, a team that paid tribute to the Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
. They released a single album, Alpacas Orgling
Alpacas Orgling
Alpacas Orgling is an album by pop band L.E.O.. Released in October 2006 on Cheap Lullaby Records, it was mostly written and performed by Bleu, but also features performances by Hanson, Mike Viola, Jason Scheff of Chicago, Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish, Paula Kelley, and Matt Mahaffey of Self.A hidden...
, in 2006.
The Major Labels
Viola, BleuBleu (musician)
William James McAuley III , best known by his performing name, Bleu, is an American pop artist , professional songwriter and producer currently living in Los Angeles. Bleu graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts...
, and Ducky Carlisle joined forces to form a power-pop supergroup which they called The Major Labels, self-releasing the album Aquavia in July 2008. Discussions promptly got under way for the album's release on and distribution by a major label in 2009, which was to include bonus material.
His known guests on stage
As of September 2009, Viola was known to host, and/or make guest appearances in, concerts given by a number of independent pop-rock musicians, all of whom he also considered his friends. These included BleuBleu (musician)
William James McAuley III , best known by his performing name, Bleu, is an American pop artist , professional songwriter and producer currently living in Los Angeles. Bleu graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts...
, John Wesley Harding
John Wesley Harding (singer)
Wesley Stace is a folk/pop singer-songwriter and author who goes by the stage name John Wesley Harding. He has called his style of music folk noir and gangsta folk...
, Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
, Jed Parrish, Jim Boggia
Jim Boggia
Jim Boggia is a pop singer-songwriter based in Philadelphia where he has become a fixture in the local music scene. In 1998, he co-wrote the song "Glory" which reached # 1 on the Billboard charts.-Early life:...
, The Brilliant Mistakes
The Brilliant Mistakes
The Brilliant Mistakes is an American rock band based in New York City known for their eclectic mix of pop, rock, folk and soul styles. The critically acclaimed group was formed in 1994 by singer-songwriters Alan Walker, a New Yorker, and Erik Philbrook, a transplant from Bangor, Maine, who met...
, The Click Five
The Click Five
The Click Five is an American power pop band from Boston, Massachusetts. The original members, most of them students at Berklee College of Music, started on January 1, 2003 and played in various local venues. They then quickly got the attention of talent scout Wayne Sharp...
, Oranjuly
Oranjuly
- Oranjuly :Oranjuly is an American alternative rock band based in Boston, Massachusetts founded in 2008 by American songwriter Brian E. King . Their sound has been described by music journalists as a mix of Weezer and The Beach Boys because of their catchy songwriting, intricate arrangements and...
, Mono Puff
Mono Puff
Mono Puff is a New York City band and a side project of John Flansburgh, one of the Johns from They Might Be Giants.The main band consisted of Flansburgh, the vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter; bassist Hal Cragin; and drummer Steve Calhoon of Skeleton Key, Enon and Pretendo...
(They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
's John Flansburgh
John Flansburgh
John Conant Flansburgh is an American musician. He is half of the longstanding Brooklyn, New York-based alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants, for which he writes, sings and plays rhythm guitar...
side-project), Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
, the Finn Brothers
Finn Brothers
The Finn Brothers is a New Zealand Rock musical duo consisting of brothers Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were awarded the OBE for their contribution to music....
, Tracy Bonham
Tracy Bonham
Tracy Bonham is an American alternative rock musician best known for her 1996 single "Mother Mother".Raised in Eugene, Oregon, Bonham is a classically-trained violinist and pianist...
, Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
, and Tribe
Tribe (band)
Tribe was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts which was active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They released three albums, two on Slash Records/Warner Bros...
's Janet LaValley.