Aimee Allen

Born and raised in the eclectic music scene of Missoula, Montana, Aimee developed her appreciation for many types of music, singing in clubs, from Punk to Hip Hop. At first glance, Aimee Allen piques curiosity with a face resembling a perfect blend of Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears, but performs pounding Hip Hop beats, crushing guitars, and Ani-like lyrics delivered with the raw emotion of Kurt Cobain and the raspy wail of Janis Joplin. Aimee’s cancelled Elektra release in 2002, "I’d Start a Revolution, if I Could Get Up in the Morning," featured Spider as co-writer of five songs and producer of four. Other producers include Mark Ronson and Don Gilmore. Aimee released a duet album, "Sitting in a Tree", with ex-boyfriend Scott Russo Of Unwritten Law in 2007. Aimee has a song called "Cooties" on the Hairspray soundtrack. She is the only artist on the soundtrack that isn't in the movie (the song did play during the credits though). Aimee's latest album "A Little Happiness" was released on July 21, 2009. Anybody can have their "rock," "punk" or "folk" phase—real artists transcend boundaries and genres so gracefully that their fans hardly blink an eye. Aimee Allen is that type of songwriter. The explosive, outspoken voice behind modern rock monsters "Revolution" and "If It Feels Right" (not to mention contributions to the Grammy-nominated Hairspray soundtrack and multiple best-selling, critically-acclaimed artists) unveils a more serene side of her personality on A Little Happiness. Despite her decision to record the album in the depths of a desolate Indiana winter, Happiness radiates her sense of home in the California sunshine—its 11 introspective, largely acoustic tracks conjure the simple bliss of a drive down to the Pacific. After separating with boyfriend and collaborator Scott Russo of Unwritten Law (Scott & Aimee collaborated on "Sitting in a Tree" in 2007), Allen’s quest to embark on her solo project was interrupted by a random gang assault outside of an L.A. recording studio last summer. “I never thought I would be able to sing again,” she remarks. “I have some memory loss, too, which is great. Turns out getting nearly beaten to death was probably the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” Allen did recuperate, recovering just in time to perform her songs for punk-rock Presidential candidate Ron Paul before a sold-out arena in Minneapolis. Still, the lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder altered her outlook on music. “Anything that was distorted, loud or angry overloaded my senses,” she says. Reggae always makes me happy, so this record has a lot of that sprinkled in, and I’m excited that I made a record where I can smile and dance onstage, instead of scream at people every night.” Allen’s strongest collection of songs to date honors the painful journey she took to create them. "I've made a lot of lyrically shocking and dark music in the past. But once you have a brush with death, things change. I'm just stoked I've made a record that shines a little light, ya know?" http://www.aimeeallen.com For info on the French singer Aimée Allen, check her last.fm artist page. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.