Posted on: December 21, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Brooklyn-based, genre-bending musician Ariel Aparicio has signed to Rock Ridge Music with plans to release his next album, “Aerials,” via digital distribution in March 2011. Says Aparicio of the forthcoming album and his label partnership: “Aerials is my most complete work to date. Every song is there for a reason, every word and every sound. It manages to bring together all my musical influences – dance, alternative, punk, new wave, Latin and classic rock into one very cohesive-sounding record. I am thrilled that Rock Ridge decided to put it out. They are an amazing group of people who totally believe in this record and have gotten behind it, 100%.”

Says label president Jason Spiewak of Aparicio: “Ariel Aparicio’s music is thoughtful and diverse, and we believe that music lovers will react strongly to his unique sound.”

A full track list and more information about Aerials will be released in January.

Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Aparicio was surrounded by the rhythms of salsa, funk, and disco. The discovery of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin in adolescence prompted him to grow out his hair and pick up the guitar, but Aparicio never segregated genres from one another. While the wider world is still discovering Aparicio’s charms, trendsetters in the LGBT community have been aware of his work for several years; as early as 2005, The Advocate named him as a rising star to watch. His version of Jim Carroll’s classic “People Who Died” was nominated for an OutMusic Award in 2010, and Aparicio was also the subject of OUTMusic’s 2009 “Freedom of Expression” campaign, an effort to end the silent discrimination against openly queer artists in the entertainment industry. Songs and videos from his previous releases, including the bEdRoom tapeS, All These Brilliant Things, Frolic & F***, and All I Wanted have made him a popular fixture on Logo’s NewNowNext and the Click List. His video for the track “Lucille” was ranked #7 for the second year in a row on Logo’s Best of 2010, while his cover of “Pretty In Pink” topped out at #3 on the same chart at Logo in 2009. Time Out New York calls him “a recording artist… who plays Gay Pride events and rock & roll clubs with equal élan.”

www.arielaparicio.com

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