Bleu makes the rollercoaster ride of the music business look easy.
He's written worldwide megahits for The Jonas Brothers and Selena Gomez. He birthed a few records of his own, including the recent critical darling A Watched Pot, only to watch the label huff and spit and sputter around its release.
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He's toured the globe and shared a stage with Rooney, John Mayer, The Posies, John Doe and a host of others. And, maybe most impressive of all, he's built a following loyal enough to pledge upwards of $40,000 to the recording and release of his brand new album, Four.
With little more than a profile on the DIY fundraising site Kickstarter, Bleu has amassed, penny by penny, a warchest to deploy in support of the epic, elastic pop of his new album.
Watch video - "In Love With My Lover" from 'Four', directed by Todd Stanton:
So it's only fitting that Four works as a love letter to his adoring fans, a refreshing breather from the "brass ring" of the pop mainstream and a song cycle geared toward making each one of his supporters happy.
As such, there's a little something for everyone, from the rousing, sax-led opener "Singin' In Tongues," or the upbeat home-town shoutout "B.O.S.T.O.N," to the shimmering "In Love With My Lover" or the languid, string-bolstered "When The Shit Hits The Fan." But Bleu's uncanny ability to juxtapose the weighty and serious with the buoyant and unstoppably poppy make Four a treat for fans and the uninitiated alike.
This month, he gives both groups a chance to enjoy his brand of crowd-pleasing pop, as he hits the road in support of Four alongside fellow troubadour Jim Bianco.
Bleu 2010 tour dates:
(Dates and information subject to change.)
November 2010
11/09 Boston, MA - TT The Bear's
11/10 NYC, NY - Rockwood Music Hall
11/11 Easton, MD - Nightcat
11/12 Philly, PA - Tin Angel - late show
11/13 Silver Sping, MD - House Concert
11/16 Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley, 7pm
11/17 Atlanta, GA - Smith's Olde Bar/Atlanta Room, 7pm
11/19 Indianapolis, IN - House Concert
11/20 Rock Island, IL - Daytrotter Session
11/21 Chicago, IL - Mayne Stage
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Bleu Official Website