"Meet Alex Clare, the voice behind 'Too Close"' (Internet Explorer 9 Song)

(Via USA Today)

"Close" to success: British singer/songwriter Alex Clare's faltering career was revitalized by an unlikely source —Internet Explorer. Clare is the voice of Microsoft's advertising campaign for Internet Explorer 9, which features his hit single Too Close, a melancholy ballad that fuses Clare's soul-tinged vocals with clattering percussion and a dubstep drop. Since the commercial's premiere in March, fans have flooded the Web searching for the mysterious singer behind the "Microsoft dubstep commercial."

...A "commercial" breakthrough: Clare's luck took a dramatic turn with one e-mail. "Last February, I got an e-mail from someone at Microsoft asking permission to use (the song). I said yes, not thinking much more of it. And then it turned into an international hit." In the weeks after the ad's premiere, Too Close sold more than 100,000 digital downloads and made its debut at No. 68 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. "I was sitting in a cinema and the commercial came on during the trailers," he says. "That's when I realized — wow, everyone's going to hear this song." Soon after, Universal Republic signed Clare to a distribution deal that brought Lateness to American audiences in May."

Read more

Alex Clare - Too Close (Live Unplugged)


Instrumental (Dub Step)

True Blood Season 5, Episode 11 Song: Little Stevie Wonder "Sunset"

Sunset (Single Version - Mono)

So there I was watching the "Sunset" episode of True Blood as Russell Edgington was on his way to fairy-land, when the ending credits song boomed onto my speakers.

The wail of the singer was so soulful, I though it was sung by woman today singing like she was from the 1960's.

However, when I used my handy Shazam app to find out what this great new song was, I found out three things:

1.) The person singing wasn't woman singing. 2) It was really from the 1960's 3.) The singer was Stevie Wonder when he was a kid!!!!

Back in 1962, Stevie Wonder co-wrote "Sunset" on his tribute album Uncle Ray"(Charles).

As great as Stevie Wonder is, I sometimes forget how great he was before puberty hit!