Jill Sobule (born January 16, 1965 in
Denver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
best known for the 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl", and "Supermodel" from the
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized...
of the 1995 film
Clueless. Her folk-inflected compositions alternate between ironic, story-driven character studies and emotive ballads, a duality reminiscent of such 1970s American songwriters as
Warren ZevonZevon redirects here. For his son Jordan, see Jordan ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his strange, sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical...
,
Harry NilssonHarry Edward Nilsson III was an American songwriter, singer, pianist, and guitarist who achieved the height of his fame during the 1960s and 1970s...
,
Loudon Wainwright IIILoudon Snowden Wainwright III is an American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of folk singer Kate McGarrigle.-Early life:Wainwright was born...
,
Harry ChapinHarry Forster Chapin was an American singer and songwriter known for his folk rock songs "Taxi," "W*O*L*D," and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle" as well as his masterful folk musical based on the biblical book of John, "Cotton Patch Gospel." Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who...
, and
Randy NewmanRandall Stuart “Randy” Newman is an American singer/songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is notable for his mordant pop songs and for his many film scores....
. Autobiographical elements, including Sobule's Jewish heritage and her adolescent battles with
anorexiaAnorexia nervosa is a psychiatric illness that describes an eating disorder characterized by extremely low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight...
and
depressionMajor depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, frequently occur in Sobule's writing. An appreciable percentage of her work is also dedicated to detailed accounts of both her own fictional female creations and such troubled but celebrated women as
Joey HeathertonJoey Heatherton is an American actress, dancer and singer who reached the peak of her popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s.-Early life:...
and
Mary Kay LetourneauMary Kay Fualaau is a former schoolteacher convicted of the statutory rape of a 13-year old male...
, whose stories are usually used to make ironic comments about fame and celebrity.
History and Studio Recordings
To date Sobule has released seven studio albums of original songs, three
EPsAn extended play is a vinyl record, CD, or music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as an LP. Usually, a CD single has around 10–28 minutes of music, an EP has up to 36 minutes, and an album generally has 30–80 minutes. Mini-LPs generally contain 20–30...
, and a
greatest hitsA greatest hits album is a compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band...
compilation album. Sobule's output also includes original songs available only via the Internet, a cover of
Robert Earl KeenRobert Earl Keen, Junior is a Texan singer-songwriter. He is popular with traditional country music fans, folk music fans, the college radio crowd and alt-country fans. Keen currently resides in Kerrville, Texas and maintains a ranch in Medina, Texas.-Early life:Growing up, Keen was interested...
's Christmas novelty track "Merry Christmas from the Family," and a version of the late
Warren ZevonZevon redirects here. For his son Jordan, see Jordan ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his strange, sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical...
's "Don't Let Us Get Sick" included on both Sobule's acoustic album and on a posthumous
Zevon tribute recordEnjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon is a tribute album released in 2004 to the late Warren Zevon by many famous musicians. It includes two unreleased Zevon songs: "The Wind," sung by actor Billy Bob Thornton; and "Studebaker," sung by Warren's son Jordan Zevon.The album's title comes from...
. Though Sobule remains more of an underground artist, playing for fans across the United States in smaller, more personal settings, her albums are frequently critically acclaimed and her music industry supporters include
Todd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer.-Early career:Rundgren was born in Upper Darby, PA. He began his career in Woody's Truck Stop, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based group based on the model of Paul Butterfield Blues Band. However, he left the band to...
,
Tom MorelloThomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
,
Steve EarleStephen 'Steve' Fain Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and country music as well as his political views. He is also a published writer, a political activist and has written and directed a play...
,
Richard BaroneRichard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
, and
EaglesEagles is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California during the early 1970s. The group chose the name Eagles as a nod to The Byrds...
member
Don HenleyDonald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American rock singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful seven time Grammy Award-winning solo career. His solo hits include "The Boys of Summer", "Dirty Laundry" and "The End of the Innocence"...
.
Sobule's debut album
Things Here Are DifferentThings Here Are Different is the first album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 1990. . It contained the singles "Living Color" and "Too Cool to Fall in Love."-Track listing:#"Living Color" – 4:04...
was released in 1990. Though produced by pop legend
Todd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer.-Early career:Rundgren was born in Upper Darby, PA. He began his career in Woody's Truck Stop, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based group based on the model of Paul Butterfield Blues Band. However, he left the band to...
, the album failed to sell. During this period a follow-up record was produced by British New Wave rocker
Joe JacksonJoe Jackson is an English musician and singer–songwriter, now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
(for whom she opened during 1991) but Sobule was dropped from her label and the second record was never released. It was five years before Sobule landed another recording contract.
Her 1995 album
Jill SobuleJill Sobule is the second album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 1995. . The disc contained the singles "Good Person Inside", "Supermodel", and "I Kissed a Girl."-Track listing:...
established Sobule as part of a short-lived but fruitful mid-90s movement of female singer-songwriters that included such artists as
Lisa LoebLisa Anne Loeb is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She launched her career in 1994 with the song, "Stay ". She was the first artist to have a number one single while not signed to a recording contract....
,
Juliana HatfieldJuliana Hatfield , is an American guitarist/singer-songwriter and author from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock bands Blake Babies and Some Girls. She currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
and
Alanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She has won 12 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards. Morissette began her career in Canada, and as a teenager recorded two dance-pop albums, Alanis and Now Is the Time, under MCA Records...
. The album contains Sobule's best-known composition "I Kissed a Girl", a story-song about a lesbian flirtation between two suburban girlfriends which became an unlikely radio success thanks in part to a comedic
music videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
featuring beefcake male model Fabio. "Supermodel" (sample lyric: "I didn't eat yesterday... and I'm not gonna eat today... and I'm not gonna eat tomorrow... 'Cause I'm gonna be a supermodel") managed to both send up and celebrate American teenage lifestyles, and became well-known after its inclusion in 1995's hit teen comedy film
Clueless.
The
Jill Sobule album seemed to establish Sobule's commercial prospects, but her third album slowed that momentum while setting what has so far been the musical and production patterns for the rest of her career. 1997's
Happy Town featured Sobule's most elaborate pop productions to date and contains songs about an eclectic range of topics including reactionary Christianity ("Soldiers of Christ"), the negative impact of anti-depressant medication on the libido ("Happy Town") and what is either the only track ever recorded that uses Anne Frank's enforced Nazi-era hibernation as the metaphor for a love song or the only song about Anne Frank that couches her life and death in the terms of a tussle over loyalty between two lovers ("Attic"). Though embraced by record reviewers from publications as diverse as
the AdvocateThe Advocate is an American lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender monthly newsmagazine. Established in 1967, it is the oldest continuing LGBT publication in the United States....
and
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture. Unlike celebrity-focused publications US Weekly, People, and In Touch Weekly, EWs primary concentration is on entertainment...
,
Happy Town sold poorly, simultaneously solidifying Sobule's critical reputation while stalling her commercial momentum.
The 2000 record
Pink PearlPink Pearl is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2000. .The record, whose name is both a model of pencil eraser by Eberhard Faber and a slang term for the clitoris, contains the singles "One of These Days" and "Rainy Day Parade".The album includes the satricial...
may be Sobule's most characteristic set. Anchored by the female character studies "Lucy at the Gym" (about an anorexic exercise addict), "Claire" (about an aging lesbian aviator succumbing to
Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease , also called Alzheimer disease, Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia. This incurable, degenerative, and terminal disease was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was...
) and "Mary Kay" about
Mary Kay LetourneauMary Kay Fualaau is a former schoolteacher convicted of the statutory rape of a 13-year old male...
, the notorious real-life schoolteacher who became impregnated, imprisoned (because of an affair with a 13-year-old male student), and then marrying him.
Pink PearlPink Pearl is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2000. .The record, whose name is both a model of pencil eraser by Eberhard Faber and a slang term for the clitoris, contains the singles "One of These Days" and "Rainy Day Parade".The album includes the satricial...
also contains some of Sobule's most directly confessional songwriting, especially the atheist's prayer "Somewhere in New Mexico" and the insomniac's lullaby "Rock Me To Sleep". Henley contributed a promotional quotation to the ad campaign for the album and selected Sobule to open for him during his solo tour that year.
In 2004, Sobule self-released an independent album of demo-quality acoustic tracks entitled
The Folk Years 2003-2003The Folk Years 2003-2003 is the fifth album by Jill Sobule, released independently in 2004. The CD contains four covers: "Survivor" , "Que Sera, Sera " , "Sunrise, Sunset" , and "Don't Let Us Get Sick"...
. In addition to some of her rarer compositions and several tracks that would later receive fuller arrangements on Sobule's next major-label release, Sobule performed offbeat cover versions of such standards as the old Doris Day theme song "Que Sera Sera" and "Sunrise/Sunset" from the Broadway musical
Fiddler on the RoofFiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters and other tales by Sholem Aleichem...
.
2004's more elaborately recorded
Underdog VictoriousUnderdog Victorious is the sixth studio album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2004. . Her first record in four years contains the single "Cinnamon Park" .The CD contains a hidden track, "I Saw a Cop.""Nothing Natural" appeared on an episode of the...
was one of the last albums distributed by legendary personal manager and media entrepreneur
Danny GoldbergDanny Goldberg is the President of Gold Village Entertainment . He has worked in the music business as a personal manager, record company president, public relations man and journalist since the late 1960s....
's now-defunct
Artemis RecordsArtemis Records was a New York-based independent record label, founded in July 1999 by former chairman/CEO Danny Goldberg and closed in April 2006....
. The album is a representative selection that alternates between self-portraiture and ironic story songs. Here Sobule comments on her own unconventional show business career (the bittersweet "Freshman") as well as the tragicomic arc of
go-go dancingGo-Go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at a discotheque. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s when women at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City began to get up on tables and dance the twist...
60s icon
Joey HeathertonJoey Heatherton is an American actress, dancer and singer who reached the peak of her popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s.-Early life:...
("Joey") alongside whimsical autobiographical songs ("Cinnamon Park" and "Strawberry Gloss") and more politicized tracks dealing with issues related to adolescent homosexuality ("Underdog Victorious" and the humorous "Under the Disco Ball") and even sexual slavery ("Tel Aviv," sung in the voice of a girl forced into prostitution after going overseas for a waitressing job "in the Promised Land"). Sobule's niche as one of the more empathetic satirists working in popular song is encapsulated by her "tribute" to Heatherton, which gets a lot of comedic mileage out of the garish shallowness of Heatherton's story but with a chorus that finds Sobule singing "All she ever wanted was your love and affection/Isn't that the same thing that we all want?" before ending with the words "You can sleep at my house if you want to, Joey."
The liquidation of Artemis Records led Sobule to extend her experiments with online music distribution and to relocate from
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
, where she has continued to write and perform prolifically and to compose original music for television, including for the popular
NickelodeonNickelodeon is an American cable television channel owned by Viacom. Since the mid-1990s and early 2000s Nickelodoen as a brand has expanded into other territories including Europe, the Middle-East, Russia and Asia.It is often referred to by its shortened name, Nick, a practice that dates back to...
series
UnfabulousUnfabulous is an American children's television series on Nickelodeon in TEENick about an "unfabulous" junior high school student, played by Emma Roberts...
.
In mid-January 2008, Sobule launched a website,
jillsnextrecord.com, which sought to raise $75,000 through fan donations in order to produce, manufacture, distribute and promote an upcoming studio album. In exchange for their donations, Sobule offered her patrons an assortment of gifts with values commensurate with the amount of the donation. These gifts range from a free download of the album when its released ($10) to the opportunity to attend a recording session and sing on the record ($10,000). On March 8, 2008, 53 days after the public launch of the site, Sobule reached her target through donations from over 500 people in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and eleven foreign countries. The subsequent album,
California YearsCalifornia Years is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, released on April 14, 2009 on Sobule's own label, Pinko Records...
, was released on April 14, 2009 on Sobule's own label, Pinko Records.
Music
Sobule uses both satire and personal experience to sing about a range of issues, including sexuality, depression, war, abandonment, and greed. According to her website bio, a central preoccupation of her work is the classic one: "Love found, love lost, love wished for and love taken away." Many of her songs incorporate humor into their narrative. She often creates detailed character sketches, especially of women.
Generally, her songs are unconventionally
folkAmerican folk music, also known as roots music, is a broad category of music including Bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Cajun and Native American music...
-like, using
loungeMusic is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
music percussion flourishes and retro horn charts not usually found in tracks recorded by mainstream artists. Occasionally her arrangements intentionally mimic works by other performers, most noticeably on "Rainy Day Parade" from 2000's
Pink PearlPink Pearl is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2000. .The record, whose name is both a model of pencil eraser by Eberhard Faber and a slang term for the clitoris, contains the singles "One of These Days" and "Rainy Day Parade".The album includes the satricial...
, which quotes TV's
The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 to March 19, 1977...
theme to lend ironic triumphalism to a song about a woman going back on anti-depressant medication, and "Cinnamon Park" from the 2004 album
Underdog VictoriousUnderdog Victorious is the sixth studio album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2004. . Her first record in four years contains the single "Cinnamon Park" .The CD contains a hidden track, "I Saw a Cop.""Nothing Natural" appeared on an episode of the...
, which paraphrases portions of the 1972 single "
Saturday in the Park"Saturday in the Park" is a song written by Robert Lamm and recorded by the group Chicago for their 1972 album Chicago V, with Lamm on piano and lead vocals...
" by the band
ChicagoChicago is an American pop rock/jazz fusion band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The band began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had a steady stream of hits...
. Her rhythmic sensibility at times recalls cocktail music deity
EsquivelJuan García Esquivel often simply known as Esquivel!, was a Mexican band leader, pianist, and composer for television and films. He is recognized today as one of the foremost exponents of a sophisticated style of largely instrumental music that combines elements of lounge music and jazz with Latin...
, and her harmony parts can resemble
the BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
on some of her more elaborate album tracks -- possibly a partial legacy of her early recording efforts with Nazz founder and avowed Beatlemaniac
Todd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer.-Early career:Rundgren was born in Upper Darby, PA. He began his career in Woody's Truck Stop, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based group based on the model of Paul Butterfield Blues Band. However, he left the band to...
.
Collaborations
Sobule is a prolific collaborator, writing and performing both with other musicians and with artists from nonmusical disciplines, including blogger Ariana Huffington, television producer Sue Rose and comedienne
Julia SweeneyJulia Anne Sweeney is an American actress, comedian and author best known for her Saturday Night Live career and autobiographical solo shows.-Personal life:...
.
In the late 90s, Sobule toured with
Richard BaroneRichard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
as "The Richard & Jill Show." Together they wrote "Bitter" from
Happy Town, "Rock Me To Sleep" from
Pink Pearl, "Big Shoes" from
I Never Learned To Swim, and "Waiting For The Train" from
Barone'sRichard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
Clouds Over Eden album. They also appeared together in the underground film
Next Year In Jerusalem, which features another of their compositions, "Everybody's Queer." The pair continue to collaborate, including on a new song, "Odd Girl Out" for
Barone'sRichard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
forthcoming album.
Their songs have been used on
The West Wing.
FelicityFelicity was an American primetime television drama produced by Touchstone Television and Imagine Television for The WB network. The series revolved around the fictional college experiences of the title character, Felicity Porter , as she attended the "University of New York", based on New York...
,
Dawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American primetime television drama which initially aired from January 20, 1998, to May 14, 2003, on The WB Television Network. The lead production company was Sony Pictures Television. The show was set in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts and in Boston,...
,
South of NowhereSouth of Nowhere was an American television series created by Thomas W. Lynch. Aimed primarily at teenagers, it first aired on November 4, 2005 and was one of six original series on The N. The second half of the third and final season aired October 10, 2008 and the final episode aired on December...
and other television shows.
In 2000, Sobule joined
Lloyd ColeLloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
's short-lived band The Negatives.
In 2004, she played one of the five leads in the film
Mind The GapMind The Gap is a multi-story 2004 film written & directed by Eric Schaeffer.The film moves back and forth between five separate stories that touch on each other by the end of the film....
with six of her songs featured on the soundtrack.
In 2005, Sobule contributed music to
UnfabulousUnfabulous is an American children's television series on Nickelodeon in TEENick about an "unfabulous" junior high school student, played by Emma Roberts...
, a popular
NickelodeonNickelodeon is an American cable television channel owned by Viacom. Since the mid-1990s and early 2000s Nickelodoen as a brand has expanded into other territories including Europe, the Middle-East, Russia and Asia.It is often referred to by its shortened name, Nick, a practice that dates back to...
TV series about a 13-year-old aspiring songwriter, including a title song performed by Sobule under the program's opening credits. Four Sobule compositions or co-compositions appear on the series star's debut album,
Unfabulous and More: Emma RobertsUnfabulous and More is the soundtrack for the TV series Unfabulous. It also serves as Emma Roberts's debut album, released on September 27, 2005 by Columbia Records and Nick Records....
: a Roberts cover version of "Mexican Wrestler" from Sobule's album
Pink Pearl; "Punch Rocker" and "94 Weeks (Metal Mouth Freak)," both written by Sobule for Roberts' character to "compose" on the program; and "New Shoes," a track co-written by Sobule with
Unfabulous series creator Sue Rose.
In 2006, Sobule met
Julia SweeneyJulia Anne Sweeney is an American actress, comedian and author best known for her Saturday Night Live career and autobiographical solo shows.-Personal life:...
, the actress, writer and comedienne, and started performing the "Jill and Julia Show", a compilation of songs and stories. They performed at the
James Randi Educational FoundationThe James Randi Educational Foundation is a Fort Lauderdale, Florida non-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi...
meeting in
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
on January 19, 2007, as well as at regular showings for the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles.
Also in 2006, Sobule created a theme song for blogger Ariana Huffington's self-help book
On Becoming Fearless. The tune was briefly featured on Huffington's popular aggregated weblog
The Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American liberal news website and aggregated blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer and Jonah Peretti, featuring various news sources and columnists...
in a music video featuring vocals by both Sobule and Huffington.
In 2007, Sobule teamed up with
John DoeJohn Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player who was the founder of the L.A. punk band X. His musical compositions and performances also include country and folk music. Doe performs with the country-folk-punk band The Knitters...
to produce and record a cover of
Neil YoungNeil Percival Young, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and also as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997....
's "Down By The River" for the
American Laundromat RecordsAmerican Laundromat Records was founded in April 2004 in Huntington Village, NY by Joe Spadaro with a small tax-refund check which was used to produce a 16-song compilation called "Transistor" featuring eight indie bands each contributing two original songs...
benefit CD
Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity. Other contributing artists included Lori McKenna, Tanya Donelly, Josie Cotton, Kristin Hersh, Britta Phillips, and The Watsons Twins.
Also in 2007, Sobule's song
San Francisco became the first single released by producer
Don WasDon Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
as part of his
Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music, an advertiser-sponsored means for the recording and distribution of new music, part of the multimedia website
mydamnchannel.com. The pair also collaborated on a 16 minute concert video entitled "Jill Sobule's Dance Party," distributed for free in two parts on both mydamnchannel.com and
YouTubeYouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google...
.
In May 2008, Sobule released a CD of music from
Prozak and the Platypus, a multi-media collaboration of Sobule, playwright Elise Thoron, and graphic artist
KellyAnne Hanrahan. The play, written by Thoron (book, lyrics) and Sobule (music) and illustrated in a graphic novella by Hanrahan, tells the story of a fierce young woman, Sara (a musician) and her father Arvin, a neuroscientist, who relocates his family from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australia to study REM sleep in the
platypusThe Platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
, a unique species native to Australia. Shattered by her mother's recent suicide and unhappy with the side-effects of her own treatment for depression, Sara renames herself "Prozak," rages through her songwriting, and rebels. Meanwhile, in her father's lab, Sara finds an unexpected confidant in her father's current lab subject, a jaunty platypus who speaks to her and calls himself "Frankie." In the piece, according to its
website, "Music club and science lab become testing grounds in which angry teen and scientist father pit aboriginal mythology against modern neuroscience research. The dreams of a platypus prove to be the link between the two."
Sobule has been a frequent guest on
National Public RadioNational Public Radio is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to 797 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, signed into law...
's The Bryant Park Project. Her contributions have largely been musical essays offering commentary on contemporary issues, including record-financing in the music industry, the 2007 Writers Guild strike, and the popularity of tarty, uncreative Halloween costumes.
Sobule toured twice with the late
Warren ZevonZevon redirects here. For his son Jordan, see Jordan ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his strange, sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical...
, with whom she has shared a penchant for sardonic storytelling. The two artists frequently accompanied one another during each other's sets, and Zevon was known on multiple occasions to take the lead vocal on Sobule's "I Kissed a Girl". Sobule has said that part of their bond came from the fact that she, like Zevon, was best known for a single fluke hit (Zevon's being "
Werewolves of London"Werewolves of London" is a song composed by LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, and Warren Zevon and performed by Zevon. Included on Zevon's 1978 album Excitable Boy, it featured accompaniment by bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. The song is memorable for its humorous and...
").
In recent public appearances, Sobule has expressed interest in compiling a live album, in addition to releasing her new studio disc.
Studio albums
- Things Here Are Different
Things Here Are Different is the first album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 1990. . It contained the singles "Living Color" and "Too Cool to Fall in Love."-Track listing:#"Living Color" – 4:04...
(1990This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:
*January 21 - MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical pie, Squeeze...
)
- Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule is the second album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 1995. . The disc contained the singles "Good Person Inside", "Supermodel", and "I Kissed a Girl."-Track listing:...
(1995This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- Events :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
)
- Happy Town (1997
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed,...
)
- Pink Pearl
Pink Pearl is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2000. .The record, whose name is both a model of pencil eraser by Eberhard Faber and a slang term for the clitoris, contains the singles "One of These Days" and "Rainy Day Parade".The album includes the satricial...
(2000See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January - Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
)
- The Folk Years 2003-2003
The Folk Years 2003-2003 is the fifth album by Jill Sobule, released independently in 2004. The CD contains four covers: "Survivor" , "Que Sera, Sera " , "Sunrise, Sunset" , and "Don't Let Us Get Sick"...
(2004See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-Events:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
) (Independent Release)
- Underdog Victorious
Underdog Victorious is the sixth studio album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2004. . Her first record in four years contains the single "Cinnamon Park" .The CD contains a hidden track, "I Saw a Cop.""Nothing Natural" appeared on an episode of the...
(2004See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-Events:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
)
- Jill Sobule Sings Prozak and the Platypus (2008
-January:*29 January**Face to Face announce that they will reunite for select shows in the US and internationally.**Rage Against the Machine headline the Big Day Out festivals in Australia and New Zealand, their first shows outside the United States since reforming, and their first Australian shows...
)
- California Years
California Years is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, released on April 14, 2009 on Sobule's own label, Pinko Records...
(2009The following is a list of notable events and releases that have occurred or are expected to happen in 2009 in music.-January:*"Single Ladies " begins the year of 2009 at number one as Beyoncé's 5th solo number one hit and her ninth in total.*January 8 - Lady Gaga's debut single "Just Dance" hit...
)
Compilations
- I Never Learned To Swim: Jill Sobule 1990-2000
I Never Learned To Swim: Jill Sobule 1990-2000 is a Greatest Hits record released in 2001 by Jill Sobule. The compilation featured a cover of the Laura Nyro song "Stoned Soul Picnic" and two other new tracks: "Big Shoes" and "Smoke Dreams." This record differs from traditional greatest hits...
(2001See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 - Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
) (Best of Compilation)
EPs
- It's the Thought That Counts
It's the Thought That Counts is an EP by Jill Sobule, released independently in 2001 and reissued in 2005.-Track listing :# "Christmas Time Is Here" # "Merry Christmas from the Family"...
[EP] (2000See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January - Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
) (Independent Release)
- Be Mine... Please
Be Mine... Please is an independent EP by Jill Sobule, released in 2000.-Track listing:#"October in Paris"#"Good Night My Love, Good Night"#"Smoke Dreams"#"Lucky in Love"#"Don't Fuck with Me"#"Que Sera, Sera "...
[EP] (2001See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 - Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
) (Independent Release)
- It's the Thought That Counts (Re-issue) [EP] (2005
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996....
) (Independent Release)
Singles
- 1990: "Too Cool to Fall in Love"
- 1990: "Living Color"
- 1995: "I Kissed a Girl"
- 1996: "Good Person Inside" (Radio Version)
- 1996: "Supermodel" (Radio Remix)
- 1997: "Bitter" (PG-13 Edit)
- 1997: "When My Ship Comes In" (Edit)
- 2000: "One of These Days" (Radio Version)
- 2000: "Rainy Day Parade"
- 2001: "Stoned Soul Picnic"
- 2004: "Cinnamon Park" (PG Edit)
- 2007: "San Francisco"
Soundtrack appearances
- 1995: "Supermodel" from Clueless
- 1996: "Where Do I Begin" from The Truth About Cats & Dogs
The Truth About Cats & Dogs is a 1996 American romantic comedy film, starring Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin, and Jamie Foxx. It was directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Audrey Wells...
- 1996: "Truth Is You Lied" from Grace of My Heart
Grace of My Heart is a 1996 film written and directed by Allison Anders, set in the pop music world of the 1960s. The plot, which follows the personal life and career trajectory of its protagonist, Denise Waverly , may strongly parallel those of singer-songwriter Carole King with some touches of...
- 1996: "The Secretive Life" from Harriet the Spy
Harriet the Spy is a 1996 comedy-drama and mystery film adaptation of the 1964 novel of the same name, drawn and written by Louise Fitzhugh, and starring Michelle Trachtenberg as the title character....
- 1999: "Rainy Day Parade" from Mystery Men
Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It starred William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who need to...
- 2003: "Tel Aviv," "Nothing Natural," "Bitter," "Somewhere in New Mexico," "Freshman," and "Vrbana Bridge" from Mind the Gap
Mind The Gap is a multi-story 2004 film written & directed by Eric Schaeffer.The film moves back and forth between five separate stories that touch on each other by the end of the film....
- 2005: "Love Is Never Equal" from Jenny McCarthy's Dirty Love
Dirty Love is a 2005 comedy film, written by and starring Jenny McCarthy and directed by John Mallory Asher. At the time of filming the couple were married but have since filed for divorce. The film heavily plays off McCarthy's reputation for scatological comedy...
Various artist compilations
- 1992: "Too Cool to Fall in Love" from An Elpee's Worth of Productions
- 1995: "The Jig Is Up" from Grooves: Volume 8
- 1995: "Good Person Inside" and "The Man in the Boat" from Spew
- 1995: "Merry Christmas from the Family" from You Sleigh Me
- 1997: "Stoned Soul Picnic" from Time and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was an American composer, lyricist, singer, and pianist. Her style was a hybrid of Brill Building-style New York pop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, show tunes and rock....
- 1997: "I Will Survive" from In Their Own Words and from Hard Rock Live
- 1998: "Saddest Day of the Year" from A Christmas to Remember
- 1999: "Just a Little Lovin'" from Forever Dusty
- 1999: "Sunrise, Sunset" from Knitting on the Roof
- 2000: "Rainy Day Parade" from New Talent Spotlight Volume 2
- 2000: "I Kissed a Girl" from K-TEL Pop Alternative
- 2004: "Don't Let Us Get Sick" from Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon
Zevon redirects here. For his son Jordan, see Jordan ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his strange, sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical...
- 2007: "Down by the River
"Down by the River" is a song composed by Neil Young. It was first released on his 1969 album with Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere...
" with John DoeJohn Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player who was the founder of the L.A. punk band X. His musical compositions and performances also include country and folk music. Doe performs with the country-folk-punk band The Knitters...
from Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil YoungNeil Percival Young, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and also as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997....
For Charity
B-sides
- 1995: Queen of Spades (from the Supermodel single)
- 1997: Loveless Motel (from the Bitter single, later included on album Pink Pearl
Pink Pearl is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2000. .The record, whose name is both a model of pencil eraser by Eberhard Faber and a slang term for the clitoris, contains the singles "One of These Days" and "Rainy Day Parade".The album includes the satricial...
)
- 2000: Lucy at the Gym (from the When My Ship Comes In single, later included on album Pink Pearl
Pink Pearl is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2000. .The record, whose name is both a model of pencil eraser by Eberhard Faber and a slang term for the clitoris, contains the singles "One of These Days" and "Rainy Day Parade".The album includes the satricial...
)
- 2004: Almost Fell (Bonus track on the Borders edition of Underdog Victorious
Underdog Victorious is the sixth studio album by American singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, released in 2004. . Her first record in four years contains the single "Cinnamon Park" .The CD contains a hidden track, "I Saw a Cop.""Nothing Natural" appeared on an episode of the...
)
Unreleased
- 2000: "Youthful Indiscretions"
- 2003: "Nothing I Can Do" (from the off-Broadway production Prozak and the Platypus)
- 2004: "Perry St." (from the Underdog Victorious sessions)
- 2004: "Let's Get Back Together" (from the Underdog Victorious sessions)
- 2004: "Mickey and Me" (from the Underdog Victorious sessions)
- 2004: "Western Skies"
- 2004: "Blue America"
- 2006: "Manhattan in January"
- 2006: "The End of Love"
- 2007: "Odd Girl Out" (with Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
)
- 2007: "Letting Go of God" (from the Julia Sweeney stage show Letting Go of God)
- 2007: "Slutty Halloween"
- 2007: "We Are the Writers" (on the 2007 Writers Strike)
- ????: "Billy's Thing"
- ????: "Small Things"
- ????: "Mom"
- ????: "My Life Uncovered"
- ????: "The Rapture"
- ????: "Red Purse"
- ????: "Texas"
- ????: "Money Shot"
- ????: "Everybody's Queer" (with Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
)
- ????: "Don't Fuck with Me"
- ????: "The Most Miserable Girl in the World"
- ????: "Ritalin Kid"
- ????: "Agony Cafe"
- ????: "Hearts and Minds"
Other
- Clouds Over Eden (1994) -- Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
- The Negatives (2000) - Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
and The Negatives
- Unfabulous -- TV show soundtrack
- So Jill -- Tribute song written & performed by Jane Wiedlin
Jane Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female multi-platinum New Wave band The Go-Go's in the 1980s...
, Lloyd ColeLloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
& Charlotte CaffeyCharlotte Irene Caffey is an American rock and roll guitarist and songwriter, best known for her work in the Go-Go's in the 1980s, including writing "We Got the Beat"....
External links
- Official Site
- Jill's Next Record (website soliciting fan donations to fund production, release and promotion of Sobule's 2009 album)
- Jill Sobule's Blog on The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American liberal news website and aggregated blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer and Jonah Peretti, featuring various news sources and columnists...
- Jill Sobule's Blog on Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
- Video Interview with Jill with theDigitalLifestyle.tv
- March 2008 Interview
- Prozak and the Platypus site