Nellie McKay (born Nell Marie McKay on 13 April 1982) is a British-born American singer-songwriter, actress and former stand-up comedian, noted for her critically-acclaimed debut album Get Away from Me. Nellie Yvonne McKay (d. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... For other article subjects named Jazz see jazz (disambiguation). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Richard Pryor hits the money line A stand-up comedian or stand-up comic is someone that performs in comedy clubs, usually reciting a fast paced succession of amusing stories, short jokes and one-liners, typically called a monologue. ... Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me Get Away from Me is the two-disc debut album from singer-songwriter Nellie McKay. ...

Biography

McKay (pronounced "Mc-EYE") was born in London, England to a Scottish writer/director, Malcolm McKay, and an American actress, Robin Pappas. At the age of two, after her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to New York City, where they stayed until 1994. After one year in Olympia, Washington, the two returned back East and lived in the Poconos, where McKay spent her high-school years. London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... This article is about the country. ... Robin Pappas is an American actress whose credits include The Shining and Superman II, as well as an uncredited role in Chariots of Fire. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Coordinates: , County Incorporated January 28, 1859 Government  - Mayor Mark Foutch Area  - City 48. ... Pennsylvanias Pocono region counties The Pocono Mountains region is a mountainous region of about 2,400 square miles (6,200 km²) located in northeastern Pennsylvania. ...

In 2000, McKay started attending the Manhattan School of Music, but, bored and unsatisfied, dropped out after two years. She started performing as a stand-up comic in Manhattan clubs, and eventually Greenwich Village's gay bars. McKay was briefly associated with New York's anti-folk scene and played alongside Jason Trachtenburg and others at the Sidewalk Cafe in 2002-2003. The Manhattan School of Music is one of Americas leading music conservatories located in New York City that offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition. ... The Washington Square Arch Greenwich Village (IPA pronunciation: ), also called simply the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern) Manhattan in New York City named after Greenwich, London. ... Anti-folk (or antifolk) is a genre of music related to punk rock and American folk music that originated in the mid-1980s in New York City. ... The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players are a self-described indie-vaudeville conceptual art-rock pop band originally from Seattle, WA, and currently based out of New York, NY. The line up consists of the Trachtenburg family itself: father Jason Trachtenburg plays guitar, piano, and sings; mother Tina Piña runs...

In February of 2003 McKay opened for the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players at Tonic, on New York's Lower East Side. Jay Ruttenberg, from Time Out New York magazine, attended the show and wrote a prominent feature on McKay. Shortly afterwards, several record labels contacted her and started a bidding war. She eventually signed with Columbia/Sony and started producing her first record in the late summer of 2003. The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players describe themselves as an indie-vaudeville conceptual art-rock pop band, from the United States. ... Time-out can mean: sport time-out, a break in play that may be called by a side to formulate strategy or respond to an players injury. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ...

Her music has showcased different genres from jazz to rap and disco to funk. Her eclectic style and sharp lyrics distinguish her as an original voice. Her songs sometimes have a political tinge; she "is a proud member of PETA" (album notes), wrote a song ("Columbia Is Bleeding") dealing with the issue of Columbia University's cruelty to animals, and ("John John") about her feelings in favor of political candidate Ralph Nader as well as performing concerts as benefits for WBAI. For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... This article is about the music genre. ... For other uses, including related musical genres, see Funk (disambiguation). ... Peta can refer to: Peta (prefix), a prefix meaning times 1015 in the International System of Units People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal-rights organization People Eating Tasty Animals, a parody of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Peta, Greece, a town in the prefecture... Alma Mater Columbia University in the City of New York is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. ... Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American attorney and political activist in the areas of consumer rights, humanitarianism, environmentalism and democratic government. ... WBAI, a part of the Pacifica Radio Network, is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station, broadcasting at 99. ...

Music

Get Away from Me

Her critically acclaimed first CD, Get Away from Me, was produced by Beatles sound engineer Geoff Emerick and released by Columbia/Sony Records in February 2004. The title is a play on Norah Jones' Come Away with Me^[1]. McKay is said to be the first woman to release a double album as her first release. Originally, her contract with Columbia called for 13 songs, but McKay aggressively lobbied her label for a double album, including bottles of wine, a PowerPoint slideshow, and a mock photo of her threatening Emerick with a gun. The studio agreed, but McKay had to underwrite production costs of the five additional tracks with $25,000 of her own money. Although all the music would fit on a single disc, McKay insisted on a double disc debut to "reclaim the feeling of flipping over a record" (All Music Guide). McKay was one of the major breakout artists from the 2004 SXSW Festival and was a finalist in the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize, and Get Away from Me was on several "Best of 2004" lists. Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me Get Away from Me is the two-disc debut album from singer-songwriter Nellie McKay. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Engineer Geoff Emerick. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and occasional actress of half Indian descent. ... Come Away with Me is the debut album by pianist and singer Norah Jones, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ... A double album is an audio album of sufficient length that two units of the medium in which it is sold (especially records and compact discs) are necessary to contain the entirety of it. ... “Power point” redirects here. ... South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc. ... The Shortlist Music Prize is a music award given annually to an album released in the United States within the last year, as chosen by a panel of musicians, producers and journalists, known as the Listmakers. Albums are eligible only if they have not been certified Gold by the Recording...

Pretty Little Head

Initial release date and delay

Pretty Little Head, which features duets with k.d. lang and McKay's co-star in 'Threepenny Opera', Cyndi Lauper, was originally slated for an October 18, 2005 release. The release date was delayed; initially, the rescheduled date was December 27, 2005; it was then subsequently announced that the release date would be January 3, 2006. Pretty Little Head is the second album by singer Nellie McKay planned for an October 31st release date on Nellies own Hungry Mouse label. ... Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC (born November 2, 1961), best known by the stage name k. ... Cynthia Ann Stephanie Cyndi Lauper (born June 22, 1953) is an American Grammy Award-winning singer and Emmy Award-winning film, television and theatre actress. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

However, McKay announced on December 19, 2005, that she had left Columbia/Sony Records after a dispute over the length of the upcoming album.^[2] Just over two weeks following this announcement, a New York Times article surfaced stating McKay said she had been dropped by Columbia Records.^[3] is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ...

McKay wanted the full 65 minute, 23 track version of Pretty Little Head to be released, but Columbia was only willing to support a 16-track version that ran 48 minutes. (Columbia/Sony was so adamant about the abbreviated version that it sent copies of this version out as promotional copies to critics.) Executives at Columbia insist McKay understood the label wanted an album consisting of 15 or 16 songs. They would further claim the version that Columbia sent out was a mastered sequence that she herself submitted to the label.

McKay expressed her concern at a concert in West Hollywood, November 29, 2005, at the Troubadour, going so far as to distribute the personal e-mail address of Columbia CEO Will Botwin at the performance. As a result of this, Botwin agreed to the 23 track release but was fired by Sony.^[4] The subsequent management team dropped McKay from their artist roster. She claims it was probably 'best for everyone.' West Hollywoods logo illustrates the citys borders. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Elton John -- August 25, 1970 The Troubadour is a nightclub located in West Hollywood, California, at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard just east of Doheny Drive and the border of Beverly Hills. ...

Initial reports stated that McKay would release Pretty Little Head on the Internet sometime in January, with a conventional release as early as February; however, this did not come to pass. Her record label troubles were documented in the March 2006 issue of Wired magazine. The article also mentioned the (illegal) availability of the full-length album in MP3 format on the internet. Wired is a full-color monthly magazine and on-line periodical published in San Francisco, California since March 1993. ... For other uses, see MP3 (disambiguation). ...

Similarly, the music chain HMV Canada promoted Pretty Little Head as having a Canadian issue date of February 7, 2006, but no release occurred.^{[citation needed]} This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Resolution and new release date

After nearly nine months of ironing out the legalities between labels, Pretty Little Head was released in the United States on October 31, 2006 on McKay's own label, Hungry Mouse, and was marketed by SpinART Records.^[5] Like its predecessor, the album was divided in two discs and included a 44-page color booklet. The album included the intended 23 tracks as originally planned.^[6] Release of the album in other countries, including Canada, was delayed until November 21, 2006. Pretty Little Head is the second album by singer Nellie McKay planned for an October 31st release date on Nellies own Hungry Mouse label. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... spinART Records is a popular independent record label. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

SpinART Bankruptcy

After SpinART declared bankruptcy in 2007, Pretty Little Head was released by Sony in its original, 23-track 2-CD version, effectively bringing this album back to Columbia. Pretty Little Head is the second album by singer Nellie McKay planned for an October 31st release date on Nellies own Hungry Mouse label. ...

Obligatory Villagers

McKay's third full-length studio release debuted on September 25th, 2007^[7]. With both of her previous albums lasting over 60 minutes and spanning two discs each, Obligatory Villagers, with only nine tracks (ten if purchased from iTunes), totallying just about 30 minutes was her shortest release yet^[8]. Reviews were generally positive^[9][10], though some fans felt the album's new direction didn't have the same bite and wit that McKay's previous outings had provided.^[11]. The album was produced on Nellie's own label, Hungry Mouse, and released by Vanguard Records. September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Obligatory Villagers is the third studio album by Nellie McKay and is scheduled to be released on September 25th 2007. ... This article is about the iTunes application. ... Vanguard Records was a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. ...

Other work

Before splitting with Sony, McKay wrote and recorded several songs for the motion picture Rumor Has It.... The songs were eventually released on the iTunes Store on December 27, 2005. [1] For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... Rumor Has It. ... The iTunes Store is an online business run by Apple Inc. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On February 1, 2007 McKay joined Laurie Anderson, Joan Osborne, Suzanne Vega and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra for Four Scored, a single performance of reworked songs at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. [2][3] is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Laurie Anderson (born Laura Phillips Anderson, on June 5, 1947, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois) is an American experimental performance artist and musician. ... Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, known chiefly for her song One of Us. Originally from the Louisville suburb of Anchorage, Kentucky, she moved to New York City in the late 1980s, where Osborne formed her own record label, Womanly Hips, to release... Suzanne Vega (born Suzanne Nadine Vega, 11 July 1959, Santa Monica, California) is an American songwriter and singer known for her highly literate lyrics and eclectic folk-inspired music. ... The Brooklyn Philharmonic is an orchestra based at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). It is directed by Michael Christie. ... Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance. ...

McKay has been performing some new material at her recent concerts. One of these songs is called "the In Crowd" [4]

Theatrical role

In 2006 McKay made her Broadway debut as Polly Peachum in the Roundabout Theatre Company's limited run production of The Threepenny Opera, co-starring with Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper. The role earned her a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... The Roundabout Theatre Company is a non-profit, subscription based theatre company, based in New York City. ... Die Dreigroschenoper, original German poster from Berlin, 1928. ... Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a Scottish actor best known for his film roles of Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United and on the stage with his Tony Award-winning performance as the Emcee in the highly successful revival of Cabaret. ... Cynthia Ann Stephanie Cyndi Lauper (born June 22, 1953) is an American Grammy Award-winning singer and Emmy Award-winning film, television and theatre actress. ... The Theatre World Award is an American honor given annually to an actor or an actress in recognition of an outstanding breakout performance in their New York City stage debut. ...

Debate over McKay's age

McKay's real age has been a matter of some debate.

At the time of Get Away from Me's release, most publicity and Internet sources indicated that she was 19 years of age. As late as 2004 McKay's website reported her age as 19^[12], but all references to her age were later removed. Her father has, however, stated that she was actually born on April 13, 1982 ^[13], which would have made her 21 at the time of the album's early 2004 release. McKay graduated from high school and began college in 2000, which would be appropriate for someone born in 1982 before the November 30 New York state birthday cutoff. is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...

Additionally, The New Republic reported that McKay's British birth certificate reportedly gives the April 13, 1982 date.^[14] An article from the Pocono Record, dated September 14, 1998, gives McKay's age as 16, which is consistent with a 1982 birthdate.^[15] Also, the England and Wales 1837-1983 birth index shows that the birth of Nell Marie McKay, born to a mother with the surname Pappas, was registered in the spring of 1982.^[16] For other uses, see New Republic. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

Nellie eventually talked about the issue with her age in an interview with Time Out New York saying: "You should always lie during interviews. I don’t know why more people don’t lie about their age, considering what an ageist society we live in. When I told Sony I was about to turn 19, they said, “Oh, we don’t have to tell anyone.” People pay more attention to you when you have a teen attached to your name."^[17] The distinctive Time Out logo, seen on all its publications Time Out is a publishing company based in London, England. ...

Discography

• 2004 – Get Away from Me
• 2005 - Rumor Has It soundtrack (iTunes Exclusive)
• 2006 – Pretty Little Head
• 2007 - Obligatory Villagers

Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me Get Away from Me is the two-disc debut album from singer-songwriter Nellie McKay. ... Rumor Has It. ... The iTunes Store is an online business run by Apple Inc. ... Pretty Little Head is the second album by singer Nellie McKay planned for an October 31st release date on Nellies own Hungry Mouse label. ... Obligatory Villagers is the third studio album by Nellie McKay and is scheduled to be released on September 25th 2007. ...

References

1. ^ New York Times, January 3, 2006 Songwriter Says Columbia Dropped Her in Fight Over Album
2. ^ http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-fi-mckay20dec20,1,7784158.story?coll=la-headlines-business-enter
3. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/arts/music/03nell.html
4. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20061209/ai_n16899558
5. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/arts/06arts.html?ref=arts
6. ^ http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=musicNews&storyID=2006-09-26T040218Z_01_N25297554_RTRIDST_0_MUSIC-MCKAY-DC.XML&archived=False
7. ^ http://www.nelliemckay.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1431
8. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/16432326/review/16521943/obligatory_villagers
9. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3i5bf6a751bdf67ff51be1089e24cdf434
10. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/16432326/review/16521943/obligatory_villagers
11. ^ http://www.nelliemckay.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1414
12. ^ Biography. nelliemckay.com (2004-04-15). Retrieved on 2006-11-05. Via the Internet Archive.
13. ^ Whoa, Nellie! All we want is the truth. Buffalo News (2004-09-21). Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
14. ^ David Yaffe (2004-09-28). Independent Label: The Young Singer Who Has Besotted All the Critics. The New Republic. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.
15. ^ Carol Yoka. "High school students add some youth to festival", Pocono Record, September 14, 1998. Retrieved on 2006-11-05. 
16. ^ England and Wales 1837-1983 birth index. Ancestry.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.
17. ^ http://www.timeout.com/newyork/article/22563/mouth-wide-shut

is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The logo of Internet Archive The Internet Archive (IA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line library and archive of Web and multimedia resources. ... The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo, New York metropolitan area and its surrounding suburbs. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see New Republic. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pocono Record is a daily newspaper published in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ancestry. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Official website
• Nellie McKay at the Internet Movie Database