Teaming with NPR, Whole Foods Market, and Vanguard Records, Inspire will be distributing Jesca Hoop’s groundbreaking album, Hunting My Dress across stores nationwide. James Schoensiegel, Music Supervisor for Inspire, leveraged a cross-promotion between NPR First Listen, KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic, and Whole Foods Market’s website, blog, and newsletter to maximize publicity and enhance album sales.

Here’s our President, Jimmy Dunne, on Jesca Hoop:

When I think of the albums that have withstood the test of time— that continue to impress themselves on new generations of listeners— they tend to share a few common elements: a sense of “location,” a narrative thru-line, an authentic sensibility, a rooted trademark “sound.” And they’re always risky. Kind of Blue. OK Computer. Sgt. Pepper. London Calling. Jesca Hoop’s Hunting My Dress boasts all of the promising elements of a timeless album, and it’s already garnered the affection of critics worldwide. Through our Artist Discovery Series, we’re joining the cause of launching her inventive artistry to center stage. You can find Jesca Hoop’s new album, released by Vanguard Records, in your local Whole Foods Market starting August 6.

Hunting My Dress traverses a broad range of acoustic and electric textures, but it never loses direction; each track further investigates the rich and mysterious layers enveloping Jesca Hoop’s eerily antiquated voice and her bent for storytelling. There is a constant tension as centuries collide, between 19th century hymnal/traditional ballads, 20th century blues and roots rock, and contemporary avant-rock and electronic. “Tulip,” Jesca Hoop’s take on traditional murder ballads, juxtaposes folk instrumentation with contemporary elements of synth-infused dub. “Four Dreams” is a “hoedown” with hints of Robert Johnson in the bridge, but it diverges there with its surrealist imagery and bubbly Bjork-esque vocals.

But it’s not just the merging of multiple influences to a contemporary sound that makes Jesca Hoop so interesting; other recently celebrated emerging acts with female artists, like The Dirty Projectors and St. Vincent, are already harkening to affiliations with the likes of Bjork, David Byrne, and Beck, for their ability to draw from the past. It’s the emotional gravitas of Jesca Hoop’s lyricism and expression that earned her the ongoing support of Tom Waits, and her selection for the Artist Discovery Series. Beyond the sonic experience of her music, her songwriting is captivating. A noteworthy example is “Angel Mom,” a heart-wrenching conversation from a girl to the ghost of her mother, which beautifully navigates between the rage of her loss and the liberating joy of remembering a loved one.

For all of these reasons, and many more, we are proud to promote Jesca’s music in Whole Foods Market. Look for Jesca as she performs in Lilith Fair with our most recent Artist Discovery selection, Nneka!

http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/07/jesca-hoop/

Read the article from Inspire President Jimmy Dunne at http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/07/change-your-fuel-change-your-world/

This month, we’re celebrating the groundbreaking achievements of multi-Grammy-winning jazz legend, Herbie Hancock. His brilliant new collaborative album, The Imagine Project, can be found at Whole Foods Market stores across the nation.

The Imagine Project embodies the unifying power of music— Herbie Hancock travelled around the world to record with the best musicians on the planet, seeking out a central musical “language” that connects us all. He immersed himself in the sounds, tastes, colors and spirit of the native lands of many of the Imagine Project musicians — recording in places like Mumbai, Paris, London and Sao Paulo.

Need I mention that The Imagine Project boasts an all-star cast? With the significant purpose of this album, it’s no surprise that we hear the voices of Dave Matthews, John Legend, Seal, Pink, The Chieftains, Wayne Shorter, James Morrison, Lisa Hannigan, Juanes, K’ Naan, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Ceu, Los Lobos, Anoushka Shankar, K.S. Chitra and many more. However, what’s more impressive is Herbie Hancock’s vision— a message of hope, celebrating diversity.

His interpretation is profound: Herbie Hancock translates the diverse sounds of his collaborators into one fluid, communicative work, interweaving sounds from around the world both within single tracks and spanning across the 10-track album.  The aptly-selected title track, John Lennon’s “Imagine,” leaps from a studio in Paris with Pink and Seal into the heart of the Congo with the percussive traditional group, Konono N°1, collides with the complex textures of legendary guitarist Jeff Beck, and soars with the brilliant voices of R&B singer India Arie and Oumou Sangare.  Heralding in John Lennon’s audacious vision, The Imagine Project journeys through jazz, fusion, latin, celtic, folk, funk, soul, afro-pop, eastern and swampy southern gospel-infused rock, intermingling genres over the mostly classic songs — like “Don’t Give Up” and “A Change Is Gonna Come”— as if to tell us that the song is the medium for us all to come together.  He says it best: “My hope is that the music will serve as a metaphor for the actions taken by the inhabitants of this wonderful planet, as a call for world harmony on all levels.”

May we all realize the unifying, inspiring power of music — a force that extends beyond generations and cultures, connecting us all.  As the final track on The Imagine Project boldly states, “The Song Goes On, Beautiful.”

Herbie Hancock turns 70 this year.  We applaud his visionary artistry and his bright, peacemaking spirit.  Join the celebration!

Incentivizing sales with concert ticket giveaways and an autographed guitar sweepstakes, Inspire landed the hit CD on the front counters of retail stores across the country, resulting in extraordinary sales and another testament to the value of selling the biggest hits at the points of purchase.

Inspire is proud to support the X PRIZE Foundation in creating a clear vision to “create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity.”

Partnering with Inspire, Whole Foods Market introduced Nneka to hundreds of thousands of customers nationwide, as a recent feature of their “Artist Discovery Series.” The Nigerian hip-hop artist’s groundbreaking US Debut album, Concrete Jungle, was sold on the front counters of stores nationwide with an endorsement from Whole Foods Market and Inspire.

Since then, Nneka has been heating up the charts. Now, Whole Foods Market is selling a CD that features Nneka—the “Lilith Fair Compilation,” and Nneka has had appearances on David Letterman, Rolling Stone, and garnered placement on the official 2010 World Cup Album. “It’s such an honor to partner with a company that celebrates talented new artists of the world,” says Jimmy Dunne, CEO of Inspire. “Nneka’s passion to make the world a better place wonderfully aligns with Whole Foods Market.”

James Schoensiegel, Music Supervisor for Inspire, recommended Nneka to Whole Foods after he saw her perform at the Hotel Café in Hollywood. “There was a sense of awe and magic that filled the room when she took the stage. Nneka is the voice of a generation that desires peace— She deserves to be heard.” Inspire wishes all the best to Nneka as her promising career continues to develop…

Inspire coordinated a partnership with the world-renowned micro-financing charity, Whole Planet Foundation, who will receive all in-store profits from sales of Beth’s new album, Back To Love. The Whole Planet Foundation ushers communities out of extreme poverty by providing micro-credit loan programs that foster job opportunities and empower individuals to discover their creative abilities.

A perfect partnership for Beth, an artist whose songs speak to the strength of the human spirit; and Inspire, a branding company that prides itself in the extraordinary power of music and creativity to uplift individuals and positively impact the world.

Following a feature on the Whole Foods Market front page and blog, along with cross-promotions by Whole Planet Foundation and Inspire, Beth Nielsen Chapman has had tremendous sales at Whole Foods Market, and she recently hit the Billboard Heatseakers Charts at #15.

 Check out the Whole Foods blog on this story @ http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/06/beth-nielsen-chapman-supports-whole-planet-foundation/

In an integrated campaign addressing visual, textual, and storytelling aspects of the Amwal brand, Inspire Creative will harness the power of Amwal’s elite reputation to help Amwal resonate with American culture. 

Inspire Creative has provided strategic branding and writing services for a number of international companies and important global dignitaries (such as Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus); along with speechwriting for presentations at international forums including the United Nations, and major corporations including the NFL, and national political campaigns.