Jem
Photo: Getty Images

With Play, Moby made it acceptable to license songs to TV shows, movies and advertisements — and Jem thanks him for that every day.

Like the electronic-music mastermind did with his 1999 breakthrough album, she too has licensed every song from her 2004 debut, Finally Woken.

"I'm like prostituting myself," Jem joked. "No, I think it used to be a sort of dodgy thing to do, but I mean as far as I'm concerned, as long as it's done creatively ... I don't want my music on like a dodgy food ad or something, but I think that I'm really flattered and its catch is huge. I did write the album to be heard."

Back when Finally Woken was released (see "Jem Out To Make People Forget All About The Holograms"), "The O.C." was the first to use her music, eventually inviting her on to the show to sing at the wedding of two of the main characters.

Since then, songs like "They," "Just a Ride" and "Finally Woken" have appeared in "Six Feet Under," "Desperate Housewives," "Without a Trace" and "Grey's Anatomy," and the release of her second Stateside single, "24," has been tied in with the show of the same name. All the while Jem has watched her record sales slowly climb.

"Honestly, it's not even a money thing," she said. "I don't even see that; it goes straight to [recouping] the record. It's funny 'cause my brother gets publishing [checks] on some of my songs and he'll call, 'I just got blah blah blah,' and I'm like, 'You bastard!' But it's a good way with a country this big to get it out there."

In England, Jem's home country, she's been able to go the more standard promotional route, releasing a string of singles and videos, with the third, "Wish I," dropping in September. She's also been getting her name out there the old fashioned way in both countries through relentless touring.

"It's fun jumping back and forth, it kind of keeps your feet on the ground," she said. "Over there, they're like putting my head on billboards and I'm one of the top 10, but then it's nice 'cause there's something about America where it's a slow growth, but it's so real life."

Jem hopes that some of the videos she's made for her U.K. singles get released in America, but she's also ready to move on to her next record.

"I've got almost a second album ready but with the touring unfortunately the writing [time] does suffer a bit," she said. "Eminem once said if he doesn't write songs he feels like sh-- and I was like, 'Totally!' The last song I've recorded on my own in a studio was last January and it kind of cripples you a little bit."

Time will tell where Jem goes with her follow-up, but she expects it won't stray too far from Finally Woken.

"I think the next one's going to be pretty similar and maybe the one after that, but I think at some point I'm going to lose my mind — whether on purpose or not on purpose — and just go a bit crazy," she said. "But the next one I really like the mix of the upbeat stuff, 'cause especially when you're singing live it's a lot more fun, but I like every now and then to have a real soul kind of feeling song that's beautiful and acoustic."

In the meantime, Jem has "kept sane" by collaborating with Jurassic 5 DJ Cut Chemist on a track for his upcoming solo record.

"It's way sexy," she said. "We tried to tone it down, but I seem to either write pure filthy sexy songs or very sad ones. I'm like, 'What's happened to my head?' It must be being on tour. It makes you go a bit weird."

Jem recently wrapped up a U.S. tour with Josh Kelley (see "Josh Kelley Forgoes The Booze For Sophomore LP, Almost Honest") and will kickoff a run of U.K. shows this month.

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"American Idol" Season 3 finalists (file)
Photo: MTV News

The "American Idol" finale will be held at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre (home of the Oscars) rather than the Universal Amphitheater, which hosted last year. The two remaining finalists will sing May 25, and the winner will be announced the following night. ...

Talib Kweli has just released The Beautiful Mix Tape in advance of his upcoming album, The Beautiful Struggle. It features more than a dozen tracks and guest stars like Busta Rhymes, Styles of the LOX, Common, Kanye West, Fabolous, Black Thought and Jean Grae. It also features a song, "Lonely People," that samples Ray Charles' version of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." ... Kweli will also be a special guest in Xzibit's monthly Rhyme Night talent showcase on April 17 at the Key Club in Hollywood. ... Pink isn't the only one getting cozy with Bobby McGee in an upcoming Janis Joplin biopic. Actress Renée Zellweger will star and co-produce "Piece of My Heart," expected to hit the big screen next year. ...

Godsmack will film their April 9 concert in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to release as part of an upcoming DVD. The show, which also features Ill Niño and Dropbox, is part of a brief tour Godsmack booked to support their recent acoustic EP, The Other Side. Godsmack's tour opening for Metallica resumes April 20 in Uniondale, New York. ... Fans on the East Coast and in the Midwest wondering if a reunited Pixies would ever come to their town can breathe easy. The Pixies announced plans Monday for a proper North American fall tour that will begin September 4 in Bend, Oregon. Most dates and cities are still being booked, but some are already final: September 18 (Austin, Texas), October 14 (Atlanta), November 11 (Minneapolis), November 13 (Chicago) and November 24 (Toronto). ...

While continuing to traverse the U.S. with Hoobastank and ImaRobot on the Campus Invasion Tour, the Lostprophets are in the process of setting up their first Stateside headlining tour in May. Dates have yet to be confirmed. Campus Invasion wraps up April 24 in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Jem, who released her debut LP, Finally Woken, last month, will sing a cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" during a wedding reception on the season finale of "The O.C." The episode airs May 5. ... Great White have scheduled two more shows to benefit the victims and survivors of the Station club fire in Warwick, Rhode Island. Dates are April 22 in Ventura, California, and April 25 in Whittier, California. Proceeds will go the Station Family Fund. ...

Ghostface Killah will be hawking an autographed, limited-edition 20x30 painting of himself for $119 inside copies of his upcoming The Pretty Tony Album, due April 20. The canvas portrait was created by the art team Terryphunk (www.terryphunk.com). ... On his Web site, Rush Limbaugh blasted John Kerry and the MTV Choose or Loose half-hour special he appeared on. Specifically, Limbaugh accused Kerry of pandering when he claimed to have listened to hip-hop. "Can't you just see old J.F. Kerry and Teresa Heinz riding around in the Range Rover at one of their mansions with hip-hop playing? You really think Eminem is their CD player right now?" ... A Static Lullaby have hired former Death by Stereo drummer Jarod Alexander to replace Ben Newsham, who left the band in December. The band's upcoming tour starts April 18 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and runs through May 11 in Los Angeles. ...

04.05.2004

The Black Eyed Peas have re-recorded "Let's Get Retarded" as "Let's Get It Started" for use in promotional spots for the NBA playoffs. Four different commercials will air new verses of the song pertaining to basketball. ... Xzibit will play fictitious rapper 10-Large in an upcoming episode of "CSI: Miami." The episode, titled "Rap Sheet," was taped at the end of March and is scheduled for broadcast May 10. ...

Nickelback won Group of the Year and Fan Choice Award at Sunday's Juno Awards, Canada's version of the Grammys, but it was newcomer Sam Roberts who was the big winner, taking home trophies for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Rock Recording of the Year. 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' won International Album of the Year. ... Nelly Furtado, who won Single of the Year for "Powerless (Say What You Want)," has set dates for a U.S. tour beginning April 30 in Chicago and ending May 19 in Los Angeles. She's then heading to Europe for more touring. ...

The Roots are shooting the first video from their upcoming album, The Tipping Point, Monday (April 5) and Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York. Directed by the Saline Project, "Don't Say Nothin' " follows Black Thought through several characters to represent the various styles on the album. The Tipping Point, due June 29, includes a cover of Sly Stone's "Everybody Is a Star," a version of which will also appear on the upcoming tribute album Sly2K. ... Grey Album DJ Danger Mouse is among a crop of artists just added to the annual Bonnaroo Festival, set for June 11-13 in Manchester, Tennessee. Other new artists rounding out the lineup include Nellie McKay, the X-ecutioners, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Rachael Yamagata. ...

Ozzy Osbourne filed a complaint last month with the Medical Board of California against his former physician, whom he alleges over-prescribed addictive drugs in 2002 that affected his behavior on "The Osbournes." Other patients of Dr. Kipper have filed similar complaints. ... Let's Rock, a one-hour documentary on the life of the Clash's Joe Strummer will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on May 7. The film, which traces Strummer from his early days with the Clash to the three albums he made with the Mescaleros before he died in 2002, was directed by his longtime friend Dick Rude. ... Sonic Youth, My Morning Jacket, On the Speakers and Jesse Malin are among the artists slated to play the Great Bamboozle, a three-day festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, June 4-6. ...

Alien Ant Farm have started work on their still-untitled follow-up to truANT and are scheduled to begin recording this summer with an eye on releasing the disc early next year. When finished, they hope to hit the road to preview some of the new material. ... Ashanti and Eve have joined Jessica Simpson, Joss Stone, Patti LaBelle, Deborah Harry and Cyndi Lauper on the lineup for the seventh annual VH1 Divas concert. The concert, broadcast live April 18 from Las Vegas' MGM Grand, will feature appearances by Usher, Mischa Barton, Tyra Banks and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. ...

Spike TV will follow eight contestants who will work for Sugar Ray on the band's spring tour for a reality series called "On the Road." The winner will get a record-company job for one year. The outing, which also features Lola Ray (whose Tuesday debut is the first release on Good Charlotte's D.C. Flag Records label), kicks off April 3 in Tempe, Arizona, and wraps up May 6 in Hollywood. ... "Thunderstruck," an Australian film that revolves around AC/DC's 1991 tour, has been selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie is about five fans who decide that if any one of them dies before age 40, the survivors will have him buried next to the grave of late AC/DC singer Bonn Scott. ...

Artist Pushead, who designed artwork for numerous Metallica albums, including St. Anger, has created a line of miniature statues of his works. Currently, the online Metallica store and other retailers are selling the "Damage Inc." and "Damaged Pirate" statues, and in August models will be available for "Sad But True" and "Eye See Your Skull." ... Beatallica, a band that crosses the music of Metallica with that of the Beatles, have released a self-titled eight-song EP on their Web site, www.beatallica.com. Song titles include "Blackened in the USSR," "Got to Get You Trapped Under Ice" and "Leper Madonna." Before you cry "Danger Mouse copycat!," keep in mind that Beatallica write original riffs and lyrics in addition to ripping off their heroes, and they've been doing so since 2001, when they released the spoof A Garage Day's Night, also available for free download. ...

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Jem (file)
Photo: ATO Records

SANTA MONICA, California — Mention the name Jem to music fans in their 20s and images of glam-rock cartoon heroes Jem and the Holograms instantly come to mind.

Well, Welsh singer Jemma "Jem" Griffiths is out to claim the name as her own, and she's just as truly, truly, truly outrageous.

Jem wrote her first song when she was 13, and although it's taken 15 years and the assistance of a few superstars, her debut full-length album finally arrives Tuesday.

"I knew then one day I'd be doing this, but I didn't ever want to be a star," Jem said while taking a break from apartment hunting on a recent sunlit afternoon. "So I just went on with my life. I went to college. Actually, I did a law degree, which is really funny."

While at Sussex University, sort of — "I hardly went, to be honest," she admitted — Jem started DJing and promoting clubs and turntablists, including Fatboy Slim. She eventually launched the breakbeat label Marine Parade with DJ Adam Freeland.

After graduating, however, she decided to shine the spotlight on her own singing career.

"All my friends were like, 'What?,' " Jem recalled. "I knew it'd be fine, but a lot of people were quite concerned, 'cause it's not normal to suddenly run off and be a singer. But then I did this demo around that time and I played it to them and they were like, 'Sh--, this actually might work,' which is quite funny because they were like, 'We were really worried it was going to be rubbish.' "

That demo landed a recording session with longtime Björk producer Guy Sigsworth. On their second day together, she finished a song he had been writing, which the producer later submitted to another artist. Titled "Nothing Fails," it became the third single on Madonna's American Life.

"When I actually heard it I was so shocked, 'cause it was the first time I believed it was actually going to happen," Jem said. "And to hear Madonna singing it was like, oh my gosh, so bizarre. My mom keeps calling me whenever it's on. She'll go to shops in the U.K. and hold the phone up to the thing and I'm like, 'They're going to arrest you.' "

From there, Jem moved to New York and recorded more demos with hip-hop producer Ge-Ology (Mos Def, Talib Kweli).

"The funny thing was that we started doing this song called 'Come on Closer,' which is actually the only one kinda sexy song," she recalled. "And I didn't know him at all and literally within 10 minutes I'm writing this porn song. And I'm thinking, 'What does this guy think of me?' "

Months later, Jem went to visit friends in Los Angeles. While home alone one afternoon, she decided to scrub the dishes and turned on KCRW-FM's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," the radio show that launched Coldplay and Norah Jones.

"I was just, like, doing this housework, thinking, 'This is amazing,' " Jem said. "I have to take my CD there. And my friend came home from work and I just said, 'Take me to this radio station now, we have to go!' "

Host Nic Harcourt was actually broadcasting live from South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, but she left her demo in his mailbox. The next week he played it on air.

"I immediately responded to the music because it just sounded fresh and it sounded different," Harcourt said. "When we started playing 'Finally Woken,' which is the first song that she gave me, our listeners were calling in and asking, 'What is this? Can I get this?' "

One of those callers was A&R veteran Bruce Flohr, who runs ATO Records with Dave Matthews. He tracked her down and requested more music. Jem took her time, but once she passed along her latest material, Flohr introduced her to Matthews. Jem didn't recognize him at first.

"She's English, so that's her first excuse," Matthews joked. "Nobody in England really knows me from a bar of soap."

Still, the two hit it off and ATO signed her.

"There's that quality to her music, it's got a celebration to it," Matthews said. "Leave-your-worries-behind kind of thing."

Jem then returned to London and hit the studio with Yoad Nevo (Ronan Keating, Dandy Warhols). She wrote new material and touched up some older tracks, including the infectious first single, "They," a showcase of both Jem's singer/songwriter and dance-music influences. She's about to shoot a video for the song, and she's putting together a band and planning a tour. And as it turns out, that law degree wasn't entirely a waste.

"I tell you what, by the end of my contract, I was sitting there, my manager was on the floor, my lawyer was literally lying on the floor, everyone was so bored, and I was the only one sitting there going, 'C'mon we have to get through it,' " Jem said. "I've definitely been through every page of all contracts."

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