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All Music Guide:
Born in Las Vegas in early 1977, singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis is one of indie rock's most popular ingénues, known for her work as the primary vocalist of Rilo Kiley as well as her solo albums, guest appearances, and duo with boyfriend Johnathan Rice. A former child actress, she helped launch Rilo Kiley in 1998 with fellow musicians Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock (who was later replaced by Jason Boesel in 2001). Lewis steadily developed her own vocal style, drawing from the sly country twang of Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Patsy Cline while remaining indebted to pop music. Collaborations with the Good Life, Cursive, and the Postal Service helped expand her audience, and Lewis began working on her debut solo effort in the midst of Rilo Kiley's third full-length release, More Adventurous.
Rabbit Fur Coat, Lewis' first solo record, was released in 2006, featuring background vocals by the Kentucky-born Watson Twins and additional contributions from M. Ward, Ben Gibbard, Jason Boesel, and Conor Oberst (who released the record on his own Team Love label). Jenny Lewis then made the jump to Warner Bros. for the release of Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight, which gave the band an unprecedented amount of chart success in the U.S. and overseas. Following a tour in support of that album, Lewis announced that her sophomore solo effort, Acid Tongue, would be released in September 2008. The record arrived on schedule, featuring collaborations with Elvis Costello, She & Him, Chris Robinson, and Lewis' own family members. Boyfriend Johnathan Rice also worked on the album as Lewis' producer, and the two continued working together in Jenny and Johnny, a lighthearted pop duo whose debut album appeared in 2010.
Wikipedia:
Jennifer Diane "Jenny" Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter musician and actress. She was the primary vocalist of the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, and has released two solo albums. She currently performs as part of the duo Jenny & Johnny with boyfriend Johnathan Rice. She was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Personal life
Lewis was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her mother, Linda, was a professional singer, and her father, Eddie, was a member of the Harmonica Gang. Lewis is Jewish.
Acting career
Lewis made her professional debut in a Jell-O commercial. She was featured in the short-lived 1986 Lucille Ball sitcom Life With Lucy, where she was cast as one of Lucy's grandchildren. She also had small roles on TV shows, such as The New Twilight Zone, Baywatch, Golden Girls, Growing Pains, Just the Ten of Us, Roseanne, Mr. Belvedere, and Brooklyn Bridge.
Lewis appeared in over a dozen teen-themed movies, such as Troop Beverly Hills, and in 1989 starred in The Wizard. She was featured in the 1996 made-for-TV movie Talk to Me with Yasmine Bleeth, as well as the films Foxfire, Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even, and Pleasantville. She played the part of Evangeline "Eva" Saint Claire in the 1987 film version of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. She played Beverly D'Angelo's daughter in the 1996 made-for-tv film, Sweet Temptation. She continued acting until 1998, although the last released film – Don's Plum, filmed 1995–6 – was not released until 2001.
Music
Rilo Kiley
In 1998, Lewis and friends Pierre De Reeder, Dave Rock and then-boyfriend Blake Sennett formed the band Rilo Kiley. (Rock was eventually replaced by Jason Boesel.) In an interview with NPR's All Songs Considered, Lewis remarked that she wanted to name the group Love's Way (after her parents' lounge act in Las Vegas), but Sennett "didn't go for it."
Beginning with a country sound, Rilo Kiley gravitated toward a downbeat indie rock sound, gaining the attention of Warner Bros., who signed the band for the release (via its own imprint, Brute/Beaute Records) of their 2004 album More Adventurous, which gained the band some success. Critics such as Pitchfork attributed this to the "wise" decision to emphasize Lewis's voice and presence more so than in previous albums. The song "Portions for Foxes" was a hit. The band opened for Coldplay on its U.S. tour in 2005. Rilo Kiley's 2007 album Under the Blacklight was released directly by Warner Bros.
It was announced on July 14, 2011 that Rilo Kiley had officially split up, with guitarist Blake Sennett attributing "deception, greed and betrayal" as the factors behind the end of the band, while others speculate the loss of Jason Boesel to Bright Eyes and Jenny Lewis' other projects meant the band just fell apart.
Solo career
In 2004, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes invited Lewis to record a solo record for record label Team Love. Described by Lewis as "a kind of soul record", Rabbit Fur Coat (released January 24, 2006) features contributions from Oberst, M. Ward, and Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine. Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie guests on a cover of The Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care." The Watson Twins provide accompaniment on the album, billed as Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins. Lewis toured with the Watson Twins in support of the album three times in 2006 and appeared with her band on The Late Show With David Letterman, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, Late Night With Conan O'Brien and Later with Jools Holland. They also appeared on a Washington, D.C.-based children's music program called Pancake Mountain, performing the song "Fernando". The album received positive reviews, with Entertainment Weekly writing, "Consider Lewis the Emmylou Harris of the Silverlake set" and Rolling Stone commenting that "her girlishly seductive vocals are more versatile than ever". The Onion AV Club, Spin, and NPR music critic Meredith Ochs named it among the best albums of the year.
In 2008, Lewis released a second solo album, this time without the Watson Twins, titled Acid Tongue.
Jenny and Johnny
In 2010, Lewis released the song "Scissor Runner" with her boyfriend Johnathan Rice under the moniker Jenny and Johnny. The song was made available for free download from the duo's official website, and is taken from their first studio album I'm Having Fun Now.
Other musical projects
In 2002, Lewis was asked to contribute vocals for The Postal Service. Lewis performed in the video for the hit "We Will Become Silhouettes", and toured with the band in 2003. Lewis contributed vocals to several tracks on the 2004 Cursive album The Ugly Organ.
In 2005, Lewis contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?", along with Sennett and Jimmy Tamborello.
In 2006, Lewis made a cameo in Episode 25, Season 1 of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour, and six of her songs (three with the Watson Twins and three with Rilo Kiley) were featured in various episodes of the show.
In 2007, Lewis contributed vocals to various songs on Johnathan Rice's album Further North, and she appeared in the music video for "We're All Stuck Out In The Desert (And We're Gonna Die)". She provided vocals for a track on Dntel's Dumb Luck LP.
In 2008, Lewis contributed backing vocals to several songs on the Elvis Costello and the Imposters album Momofuku.
In 2008, Lewis voiced the role of the Assistant Director for Walt Disney Pictures Bolt and provided the song "Barking at the Moon."
In March and April 2009, Lewis traveled to Australia for the first time, as an act for the V Festival, as well as a supporting act for Snow Patrol and performing one solo Sydney show.
On April 18, 2009, Lewis performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.
On May 5, 2009, Lewis performed on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.
Lewis makes an appearance on the track "Hard Enough", taken from the 2010 album Flamingo by fellow Las Vegas resident Brandon Flowers.
