Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox to Release New Album THE ESSENTIALS II

In the two years since the release of its best-selling compilation album The Essentials, Postmodern Jukebox has grown from a viral sensation to a worldwide phenomenon. Founder and mastermind Scott Bradlee has taken his offbeat vision of gramophone music for a smartphone world and transformed it into a throwback empire, with celebrity guests alongside world class vocal talent, ambitiously eccentric surprises alongside meticulously crafted arrangements, and a touring show that has thrilled music lovers of all generations across six continents.

The Essentials II, set for release on November 2, 2018 via Concord Records and Postmodern Jukebox Records, charts the astounding growth and time-warping sensibilities of PMJ, collecting 18 more favorites from the group's era-colliding mash-ups. There's a heavy metal anthem twisted into Motor City soul, a '90s boy-band earworm refitted with angelic doo-wop harmonies, the Biebs and Britney turned black and white, even a sad clown turning a party-girl anthem into a melancholy ballad.

"If you're looking for a starting point for PMJ, the two Essentials collections catch you up to speed on everything you need to know about what we do," Bradlee says. "This album brings together a diverse sampling of songs that have been big in the PMJ universe: fan favorites, viral hits, recent successes and early tracks that were influential on our journey."

That journey has been a remarkable one. Postmodern Jukebox started as a lark, a way for a struggling musician in a cramped apartment in Queens to reimagine the music of the day in the bygone styles that he loved: vintage jazz, golden age rock and roll, classic soul and early blues. The idea caught on, with a vaudevillian distressing of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop" and a '50s doo-wop romp on of Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" garnering millions of views and creating demand for more.

Bradlee recounts that extraordinary story in his recent memoir, Outside the Jukebox, but the astonishing saga of PMJ is revealed in spectacular fashion through the 18 tracks on The Essentials II. No longer just a fun get-together for a group of gifted friends, PMJ here invites actor-comedian Wayne Brady into the fold, channeling Cab Calloway on a Halloween rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Saxophone giant Dave Koz swings into the studio on a '50s prom-inspired take on Ed Sheeran's "Perfect," with a cappella crooner Mario Jose and The Voice semifinalist India Carney. Even wider exposure came via Bradlee's heartfelt salute to the late rock icon David Bowie, the stunning "Heroes" with Nicole Atkins, which took on a life of its own via its use in a Heineken PSA featuring Formula One legend Sir Jackie Stewart.

"It's so amazing to look back and see all of the amazing, talented people that I've gotten to work with," Bradlee says. "I love what I get to do: I'm able to dream big and make these things come to life."

The scale of Bradlee's dreams becomes immediately apparent as The Essentials II opens with swooning strings, ushering in a lush, cinematic makeover of Soundgarden's brooding grunge classic "Black Hole Sun" featuring American Idol alum Haley Reinhart, a frequent PMJ collaborator. After the stirring "Heroes," singer-songwriter Kenton Chen (who has shared the stage with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Sara Bareilles and Stevie Wonder) steps into the spotlight for a peppy '50s-style gloss on the Chainsmokers' "Closer," then harmonizes with Jose and two other singers for a doo-wop "MMMbop."

Saturday Night Live made Haddaway's "What Is Love?" into a head-bobbing punchline, but Casey Abrams' soul-stirring voice gives the song new life - with a frat-party spirit equal parts Isley Brothers and Animal House. Abrams returns alongside vocal wunderkind Hannah Gill for a stark, disturbing rendition of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" that takes the title literally, transporting it from the dance floor to the loony bin.

One of PMJ's oldest friends, pin-up chanteuse Robyn Adele Anderson has been on board since the project's meager beginnings, fronting their earliest viral hits. Anderson returns with a trio of doo-wop backing singers for an infectious, finger-snapping stroll through the Pitbull hit "Timber." Casting beyond these shores, Dutch sensation Jennie Lena climbs aboard for a Motown-style retooling of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," while Swedish one-woman-band Gunhild Carling tackles '80s hair-metal classic "The Final Countdown" with Billie Holiday-esque vocals and brassy tombone.

Finding new depths in familiar hits, the powerhouse Maiya Sykes gives the Notorious B.I.G. a vintage jazz sheen on "Juicy" and the expressive Sara Niemetz goes Roaring Twenties for Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself." Broadway star Morgan James wrings every ounce of emotion from an orchestral soul spin on Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Melinda Doolittle smolders doing Britney Spears' "Toxic" as a 30s-era torch song.

The "Sad Clown with the Golden Voice," Puddles Pity Party has become a PMJ favorite with performances like his morose essaying of Sia's "Chandelier," while then 15-year-old showstopper Caroline Baran became a sensation belting out Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters." Finally, the cast of the 2015 European tour join together for "All About That Bass," giving fans a taste of PMJ's dazzling and star-studded live shows.

The staggering variety of genres and talents represented on The Essentials II offers just a taste of Bradlee's prodigious imagination. Postmodern Jukebox posted a brand-new video each and every week for more than five years before taking a summer-long hiatus to gear up for what Bradlee is calling "Season 2," an even more ambitious relaunch planned for the fall.

"The Essentials II gives a hint of things to come," he says. "When PMJ started, we were known for viral hits and being timely. Over time I've begun to think of PMJ differently, as an amazing platform where we don't need to do things just for attention anymore, we can just put out great music. I take more chances on the arrangements and the casting, and we've covered bigger or more interesting songs. We're still uncovering aspects of Postmodern Jukebox. You learn as you go; that's just part of being an artist."

TRACK LISTING:

1. Black Hole Sun starring Haley Reinhart (4:31)

2. Heroes starring Nicole Atkins (4:08)

3. Closer starring Kenton Chen (4:15)

4. What Is Love starring Casey Abrams (4:29)

5. Perfect starring Mario Jose, India Carney & Dave Koz (4:37)

6. Timber starring Robyn Adele Anderson & The Tee Tones (3:39)

7. Crazy Train starring Jennie Lena (4:51)

8. Dream On starring Morgan James (4:58)

9. Juicy starring Maiya Sykes (4:01)

10. Love Yourself starring Sara Niemietz (4:19)

11. All About That Bass (Cast Version) starring Haley Reinhart, Morgan James & Ariana Savalas (4:01)

12. Thriller starring Wayne Brady (3:56)

13. Chandelier starring Puddles Pity Party (3:18)

14. Crazy starring Casey Abrams & Hannah Gill (4:28)

15. The Final Countdown starring Gunhild Carling (3:49)

16. Toxic starring Melinda Doolittle (4:47)

17. MMMBop starring Kenton Chen, Mario Jose, Luke Edgemon and Matt Bloyd (3:39)

18. Nothing Else Matters starring Caroline Baran (4:51)

POSTMODERN JUKEBOX TOUR DATES:

10/15/2018	Cedar Rapids	IA		Paramount Theatre
10/16/2018	Mason City	IA		North Iowa Community Auditorium
10/18/2018	Carmel	IN		The Palladium- The Center for the Performing Arts
10/19/2018	Waukegan	IL		Genesee Theatre
10/20/2018	Terre Haute	IN		Hatfield Hall Theater
10/21/2018	Evansville	IN		Victory Theatre
10/23/2018	Cincinnati	OH		Taft Theater
10/24/2018	Akron	OH		EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall
10/25/2018	Williamsport	PA		Community Arts Center
10/26/2018	Burlington	VT		Flynn Theatre
10/27/2018	Concord	NH		Capitol Center for the Arts
10/31/2018	Portland	ME		The State Theatre
11/1/2018	Lexington	MA		Cary Hall
11/2/2018	Great Barrington	MA		The Mahaiwe Theatre
11/2/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/3/2018	New Bedford	MA		Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
11/3/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/4/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/5/2018	North Bethesda	MD		Music Center at Strathmore
11/5/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/6/2018	Richmond	VA		The National
11/7/2018	Norfolk	VA		Chysler Hall Theatre
11/8/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/9/2018	Storrs	CT		Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
11/9/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/9/2018	Reykjavik		ICELAND	Harpa-Eldborg
11/10/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/10/2018	Bethelhem	PA		Zoellner Arts Center
11/11/2018	Newton	NJ		Newton Theatre
11/11/2018	Las Vegas	NV		Terry Fator Theatre
11/12/2018	Braga		PORTUGAL	Grande Auditorio-Forum Braga
11/13/2018	Madrid		SPAIN	La Riviera
11/13/2018	Rocky Mountain	VA		Harvester Performance Center
11/14/2018	Barcelona		SPAIN	Razzmatazz
11/15/2018	New Orleans	LA		The Joy Theatre
11/16/2018	Memphis	TN		The Orpheum Theatre
11/17/2018	Oklahoma City	OK		Tower Theatre
11/18/2018	Liege		BELGIUM	Le Forum
11/20/2018	Warrington		UK	Parr Hall
11/21/2018	Guildford		UK	G Live
11/21/2018	Tucson	AZ		Rialto Theater
11/22/2018	Warwick		UK	Arts Centre
11/23/2018	Thousand Oaks	CA		Kavli Theatre
11/24/2018	Long Beach	CA		Terrace Theatre
11/24/2018	Warford		UK	Colosseum
11/25/2018	Lancaster	CA		Lancaster Performing Arts Center
11/25/2018	Reading		UK	Hexagon
11/26/2018	Leicester		UK	De Montfort Hall
11/27/2018	Eureka	CA		Arkley Center for the Arts
11/27/2018	Bexhill On Sea		UK	De La Warr Pavillion
11/28/2018	Southampton		UK	O2 Guildhall
11/29/2018	Bellingham	WA		Mount Baker Theatre
11/29/2018	Tilburg		NETHERLANDS	Poppodium 013
11/30/2018	Portland	OR		Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
12/1/2018	Vancouver	BC		The Vogue Theatre
12/2/2018	Seattle	WA		Paramount Theatre
12/2/2018	Utrecht		NETHERLANDS	Tivoli Vredenburg
12/3/2018	Paris		FRANCE	Salle Pleyel
12/4/2018	Lyon		FRANCE	Bourse Du Travail
12/5/2018	Redding	CA		The Cascade Theatre
12/6/2018	Grenoble		FRANCE	La Belle Electrique
12/6/2018	San Francisco	CA		Warfield
12/8/2018	Palm Desert	CA		McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts
12/8/2018	Nice		FRANCE	Theatre Lino Ventura
12/9/2018	Varese		ITALY	Teatro Apollonio
12/10/2018	Trieste		ITALY	Politeama Rossetti
12/11/2018	Zagreb		CROATIA	Tvornica Kulture
12/12/2018	Belgrade		SERBIA	Stark Arena
12/14/2018	Skopje		MACEDONIA	Macedonion Philharmonic
12/16/2018	Tel Aviv		ISRAEL	Hanger 11
1/22/2019	Greensboro	NC		Caroline's Theatre of Greensboro
1/23/2019	Atlanta	GA		Cobb Energy Center
1/24/2019	Raleigh	NC		Duke Energy Center at Maymandi Concert Hall
1/25/2019	Charleson	SC		Charleston Music Hall
1/26/2019	Augusta	GA		Miller Theatre
1/29/2019	Erie	PA		Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center
1/30/2019	Youngstown	OH		Stambaugh Auditorium
1/31/2019	New Philadelphia	OH		Kent State University of Tuscarawas
2/1/2019	Detroit	MI		The Fillmore
2/2/2019	Notre Dame	IN		University of Notre Dame
2/6/2019	Minneapolis	MN		State Theatre
2/8/2019	Effingham	IL		Effingham Performance Center
2/9/2019	Kohler	WI		Kohler Memorial Theater
2/10/2019	Joliet	IL		Rialto Square Theatre
2/12/2019	Dubuque	IA		Five Flags Center
2/13/2019	Omaha	NE		Holland Performing Arts Center
2/14/2019	Manhattan	KS		McCain Auditorium
2/15/2019	Wichita	KS		Orpheum Theatre
2/16/2019	Pittsburg	KS		Bicknell Family Center for the Arts
2/19/2019	Buffalo	NY		Riviera Theatre
2/20/2019	Geneva	NY		The Smith
2/21/2019	New York	NY		Beacon Theatre
2/22/2019	Troy	NY		Troy Music Hall
2/23/2019	Atlantic City	NJ		Borgata
2/24/2019	Philadelphia	PA		The Met
2/27/2019	Ottawa	ONT	CANADA	Centre Point Theatre
2/28/2019	Toronto	ONT	CANADA	Roy Thomson Hall
3/1/2019	Montreal	QC	CANADA	Mtelus
3/2/2019	Birmingham		UK	O2 Academy Birmhingham
3/5/2019	Winnipeg	MB	CANADA	Burton Cummings
3/7/2019	Saskatoon	SK	CANADA	TCU Place
3/8/2019	Calgary	AB	CANADA	Jack Singer Concert Hall of the Arts
3/10/2019	Edmonton	AB	CANADA	Winspear Centre
3/12/2019	Vancouver	BC	CANADA	The Vogue Theatre
3/13/2019	Bremerton	WA		Admiral Theatre
3/14/2019	Spokane	WA		The Fox Theatre
3/17/2019	Mesa	AZ		Mesa Arts Theatre
4/5/2019	Ft. Collins	CO		Lincoln Center
4/6/2019	Parker	CO		Parker's Arts

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