Singer/songwriter Eric Hutchison may owe his big break to Internet gossipmonger Perez Hilton, but don’t hold that against him. Hutchison can’t help it if original compositions like “Rock & Roll,” “Back to Where I Was” and “OK, It’s Alright With Me” are so engaging that even tabloid journalists can’t resist. A skilled keyboardist and an endearingly unpretentious vocalist, Hutchinson made his entry onto the world stage in the summer of 2007, when he issued his album Sounds Like This. One of Hutchinson’s old high school chums E-mailed a link to the singer’s MySpace page to Perez Hilton. The often-merciless Hilton enjoyed Hutchinson’s tunes so much that he recommended the singer on his popular blog. It’s a testament to Hutchinson’s artistry that his no-nonsense synthesis of old-fashioned R&B, rock & roll and post-Elvis pop should appeal to a disco/’80s rock buff like Hilton. It’s also yet another example of the power of the Internet to break artists, no matter where they are in their career.

Within weeks of Hilton’s recommendation, Hutchinson’s album rocketed to iTunes’ Top 10, trading positions with the latest releases from Dave Matthews and Kanye West. Ultimately, Hutchinson’s album peaked at #5 on the iTunes album chart, becoming the highest-charting collection by an unsigned act in iTunes history. A flurry of thumbs-up press reviews followed, including features in Billboard and the Washington Post (the latter hailed Hutchinson’s “undeniably charismatic” performances and his songs about “stormy romances and everyday struggles”). The new media buzz for Sounds Like This highlighted his solid earlier work, the full-length That Could’ve Gone Better (2003), and his Before I Sold Out EP (2006).

Hutchinson’s influences run the gamut from the Beatles, Paul Simon and Billy Joel to Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Prince and Ben Folds Five. In 2008, Hutchinson’s personal label, Let’s Break Records, signed a distribution pact with Reprise/Warner Bros. Records.

Provenance: Takoma Park, Maryland

Latest Release: Sounds Like This (2007)

© 2008 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.

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