James Levy

{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}

{{for|the American historian|James P. Levy}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = James Levy

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = James Levy

| alias =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Vermont, U.S.

| instrument = Vocals

| genre = Indie rock

| occupation = {{flatlist|

• Singer-songwriter
• producer
• musician}}

| years_active = 2005–present

| label = {{flatlist|

• Cult
• Innit
• Heavenly
• One Little Indian
• Polydor}}

| associated_acts = {{flatlist| Charles Bradley

• Reputante
• Lolawolf
• James Levy and the Blood Red Rose
• LEVY
• The Pierces}}

| website = [http://www.facebook.com/Reputante Reputante]

}}

James Levy is an American, New York-based singer, songwriter, and producer.

Levy co-wrote and produced Charles Bradley's posthumous 2019 release Lonely as You Are, which Rolling Stone magazine called a "devastating masterclass."{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charles-bradley-new-song-lonely-as-you-are-827348|title = Charles Bradley's Posthumous Song 'Lonely as You Are' is a Devastating Masterclass| magazine=Rolling Stone |date = April 26, 2019}} Another Charles Bradley single, Lucifer, is scheduled for release in May 2019. Levy was formerly the lead singer for the band Reputante, whose debut EP Oceanside was released in November 2013 on Cult Records.{{Cite web |title=Cult Records |url=http://www.cultrecords.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528170314/http://www.cultrecords.com/ |archive-date=May 28, 2013 |access-date=July 27, 2013}} The record was produced by Tim Wheeler of the band Ash. The album reached A music video for the song "Deep Set Eyes" premiered in December 2013 in The Huffington Post.{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/conversations-with-the-mo_b_4423074.html |title=Conversations with The Moody Blues' Justin Hayward and Boston's Tom Scholz, Plus Exclusives from Molina Davina, The Blues & Greys, Reputante and Radio Raheem | Mike Ragogna |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=2013-12-11 |accessdate=2014-07-17}} In early 2013, Reputante toured the US with UK band The Maccabees.{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2012/12/the_maccabees_a_2.html |title=The Maccabees announce 2013 North American tour (dates) |publisher=Brooklynvegan.com |date=December 10, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}} and prior to that toured with Ash.

Levy is also a former member of the band Lolawolf along with Zoë Kravitz, Jimmy Giannopoulos, and Raviv Ullman.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/16051-lolawolf-drive/ |title=Lolawolf: "Drive" | Tracks |publisher=Pitchfork |date=2013-09-17 |accessdate=2014-07-17}}

In 2012, James put out a record under the band name James Levy and The Blood Red Rose, which features Allison Pierce of The Pierces. Their album, Pray to Be Free, was released by Heavenly Recordings (2012) and received critical acclaim, including being included in the list of the top 100 albums of 2012 by French publication Les Inrocks.{{cite web|url=http://www.lesinrocks.com/2012/12/26/musique/nos-100-meilleurs-albums-de-2012-11331579/ |title=Nos 100 meilleurs albums de 2012: le top complet |publisher=Les Inrocks |date=December 26, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web|url=http://heavenlyrecordings.com/artists/ |title=| Artists // Heavenly Recordings |publisher=Heavenlyrecordings.com |date=May 29, 2013 |accessdate=2013-08-25}} The album, produced by Coldplay bass player Guy Berryman, received four star reviews in MOJO, Q and Uncut magazines and was praised by the BBC, The Independent and The Sunday Times of London.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xv3q |title=Music – Review of James Levy and The Blood Red Rose – Pray to Be Free |publisher=BBC |date=February 6, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite news|author=Simmy Richman |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-james-levy--the-blood-red-rose-pray-to-be-free-heavenly-6378463.html |title=Album: James Levy & the Blood Red Rose, Pray to Be Free (Heavenly) – Reviews – Music |work=The Independent |date=February 5, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/4125/James-Levy-and-The-Blood-Red-Rose-Pray-To-Be-Free.aspx |title=Pray To Be Free by James Levy and The Blood Red Rose reviews |publisher=Any Decent Music |date=February 14, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-29}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/pray-to-be-free/james-levy-the-blood-red-rose |title=Pray To Be Free Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web |author=Slender Fungus |url=http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=908 |title=News – James Levy & The Blood Red Rose album out today |publisher=Coldplay |date=February 6, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25 |archive-date=September 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928071931/http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=908 |url-status=dead }} US music magazine Popdose and UK publication indieLondon included the record on their top ten lists for 2012.{{cite web|url=http://popdose.com/best-pop-rock-cds-of-2012/ |title=2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Best Pop And Rock Albums • 10 FREE MP3s |publisher=Popdose |date=November 17, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web|url=http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Music-Review/the-best-albums-of-2012 |title=The best albums of 2012 – Your London Reviews |publisher=IndieLondon |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25}}

A single, Sneak into My Room, spent several weeks in rotation and on the playlist of BBC Radio 6 Music and was featured as Q Magazine's "Track of the Day."{{cite web|url=http://news.qthemusic.com/2011/11/james_levy_and_the_blood_red_r.html |title=James Levy and the Blood Red Rose - Sneak into My Room - Track of the Day - QTheMusic.com |publisher=News.qthemusic.com |accessdate=2013-08-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031000158/http://news.qthemusic.com/2011/11/james_levy_and_the_blood_red_r.html |archivedate=October 31, 2013 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bqt5v |title=BBC Radio 6 Music – Radcliffe and Maconie, Monday – Mary Epworth |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=February 6, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-29}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bpmqm |title=BBC Radio 6 Music – Cerys on 6, BBC 6 Music celebrates Kraftwerk |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=February 5, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}} A music video for "Hung To Dry," directed by Steve Birnbaum, was named one of the top 50 indie music videos of 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Vs5hXFzSc |title=James Levy and The Blood Red Rose – Hung To Dry |publisher=YouTube |date= May 14, 2012|accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web|url=http://indiepopfolkrock2.blogspot.com/2012/12/top-50-2012.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130829190204/http://indiepopfolkrock2.blogspot.com/2012/12/top-50-2012.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-08-29 |title=INDIE VIDEOS: TOP 50 – 2012 |publisher=Indiepopfolkrock2.blogspot.com |accessdate=2013-08-25 }} The band made other music videos featuring Brooklyn singers Aerial East ("Give Me Happiness") and Turner Cody ("Positively East Broadway").

James Levy and The Blood Red Rose performed live in session on several national radio shows in the UK, including sessions on BBC Radio 2 with both Jo Whiley and Dermot O'Leary and a session on BBC 6 Music with Lauren Laverne.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vk40d |title=BBC Radio 2 – Dermot O'Leary, 30/06/2012, James Levy and The Blood Red Rose – Live Session |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=June 30, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pnd3f |title=BBC Radio 2 – Jo Whiley, Jo has James Levy & The Blood Red Rose in Session, James Levy & The Blood Red Rose – Interview with Jo Whiley |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=March 1, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pl49v |title=BBC Radio 6 Music – Lauren Laverne, 29/02/2012, James Levy and The Blood Red Rose – Live session |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=February 29, 2012 |accessdate=2013-08-25}} The performance with Dermot O'Leary featured a cover of the Oasis track "Don't Look Back in Anger."{{Cite web |title=Cloudmix.it |url=http://cloudmix.it/#/track/52265354/dont-look-back-in-anger-james-levy-and-the-blood-red-rose/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605075322/http://cloudmix.it/ |archive-date=June 5, 2013 |access-date=July 27, 2013}}

Earlier in his career, Levy was the lead singer of the band LEVY, which released two albums on UK independent label One Little Indian.{{cite web |url=http://www.indian.co.uk/site/artists/levy |title=One Little Indian | Artists |publisher=Indian.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25 |archive-date=June 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624125545/http://www.indian.co.uk/site/artists/levy |url-status=dead }} The band's debut album, Rotten Love, was included in a list by NME of "The 100 Greatest Albums You've Never Heard."{{cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4275307 |title=Tomorrow's Nme The 100 Greatest Albums You've Never Heard... / Music Forum // Drowned in Sound |publisher=Drownedinsound.com |date=December 28, 2010 |accessdate=2013-08-25 |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415040308/http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4275307 |url-status=dead }} A video for the song "Rotten Love" was featured on NME.com.{{cite web|author=|url=https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/ovyNVQXBZoY |title=Levy-Rotten Love | Video Youtube – NMETV Latest Music Videos and Clips |publisher=Nme.Com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25}}

The title track of LEVY's second record, Glorious, was covered by The Pierces and released as a single on their 2011 Polydor UK gold-certified album You & I.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/glorious-mt0040649354/lyrics |title=Glorious – The Pierces | Song Lyrics |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |title=Certified Awards |publisher=Bpi.co.uk |accessdate=2013-08-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124005813/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |archivedate=January 24, 2013 }} It received top ten airplay in the UK and was A-listed on BBC National Radio.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/You-I-Pierces/dp/B0074LIK1O |title=You & I: Music |website=Amazon |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25}} The single peaked at No. 176 on the UK Singles Charts.{{cite web|url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/110521cluk.txt |title=Chart Log UK : New Entries Update : Chart Date : 21.05.2011 |publisher=Zobbel.de |accessdate=2014-07-16}}

Levy has also released solo material under the names Promising Young Talent and YVEL; additionally, he released the album Blood Red Rose in 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=james+levy+promising+young+talent |title=james levy promising young talent: Music |website=Amazon |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Red-Rose-James-Levy/dp/B0032FOAPQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1374889342&sr=1-3&keywords=james+levy+blood+red+rose |title=Blood Red Rose: Music |website=Amazon |date= |accessdate=2013-08-25}}