David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is a Grammy Award-nominated American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams left the band to pursue a solo career, releasing Heartbreaker in 2000. A longtime resident of New York City, Adams is probably best known for his song "New York, New York" from his critically acclaimed sophomore effort Gold. He has since released six more solo albums and three albums with backing band The Cardinals.
Adams has also produced albums by Jesse Malin and Willie Nelson and contributed to the albums of various artists including Counting Crows, Norah Jones, America, Minnie Driver, Cowboy Junkies, Leona Naess, Toots & the Maytals, Beth Orton and Krista Polvere. He appeared on CMT Crossroadswith friend Elton John in 2002.
In early 2009, Adams left The Cardinals and announced that he was taking an indefinite hiatus from music.[1] However, Adams has since returned to performing and released a new metal-influenced album, Orion, on his own label PAX AM on May 18, 2010.[2]
Adams has written two books of short stories and poems, entitled Infinity Blues and Hello Sunshine
Adams married singer and actress Mandy Moore on March 10, 2009, in Savannah, Georgia.[3]
Malin began his music career, at the age of 13, as the front-man for the seminal New York City hardcore band Heart Attack. Following the demise of that band in 1983, Jesse worked on several other projects, including the band Hope, before joining glam punk band D Generation for which he was the lead singer for eight years.
Early on with D Generation, critics quickly dismissed them as "Johnny Thunders copycats", but after releasing albums they were warmed to. As one of New York City's most noted bands of 1990s, the band released three albums, including No Lunch before eventually disbanding in April 1999.
Malin didn't stop writing music and went on to form two other projects, PCP Highway (with former D Generation bandmates Howie Pyro and Joe Rizzo) and Bellvue (also named Tsing-Tsing for a brief time); the latter band released one album, To Be Somebody on Goldenseal Records. The album included versions of songs that would later be reworked for Malin's first two solo albums, including Solitaire, Basement Home, Brooklyn and Downliner.
[edit] Solo career
Being a fan of Neil Young, Tom Waits and Steve Earle affected his work; he spent the next two years working on a fresh sound. Former Whiskeytownfront-man Ryan Adams, who'd been a friend of Malin since the D Generation days, was impressed with Malin's new material. Adams offered to produce Malin's debut album despite the fact that he'd never produced a record before. The two headed into Loho Studios in New York in January 2001 and made an album in just six days. A deal with Artemis Records soon followed. The Fine Art of Self Destruction appeared in the United Kingdom in October 2002; lead off first single, "Queen of the Underworld" was a moderate hit and the British press quickly hailed Malin's debut as one of the year's best.
Stateside fans were eventually able to purchase the album "The Fine Art of Self-Destruction' in January 2003. Tour dates followed, both in America and the United Kingdom. Malin contributed to two cover albums, first he covered "Hungry Heart" for Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen, and then he recorded a cover of The Clash's "Death Or Glory" on the tribute White Riot Vol. 2: A Tribute to The Clash. He also picked up a nomination for the Shortlist Music Prize.
By November 2003 he was back in the studio recording tracks his second album, The Heat, which was released in June 2004, accompanied by a string of tour dates on both sides of the Atlantic.
Malin has also collaborated with Ryan Adams & Johnny T to form the band The Finger (the pair adopted the pseudonyms "Irving Plaza" and "Warren Peace" respectively) who released two EPs which were later collected into the album We Are Fuck You.
Malin's newest album of original material, Glitter in the Gutter was released on March 20, 2007. It also featured a cover of The Replacements' "Bastards of Young" and a duet with Bruce Springsteen on "Broken Radio." A music video was also made to accompany "Broken Radio."
Malin released a covers album on 7 April 2008 entitled On Your Sleeve, containing covers of songs by, among others, The Ramones, Sam Cooke, Neil Young and The Hold Steady, as well as a studio recording of a long-time live favourite, Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'."
Malin currently owns two bars in New York's East Village - Niagara and Bowery Electric. He also serves pizza.
Malin will also be a judge for the 9th annual Independent Music Award
