For the
Primeval character, see Jenny Lewis (Primeval).
Jennifer Diane Lewis
(born on January 8, 1976
Lewis is a member and primary vocalist of the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, and has released two solo albums. She was a child actress.
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JENNY LEWIS TICKETS
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Acting career
Lewis made her professional debut in a
Jell-O commercial. She was featured in the short-lived 1986
Lucille Ball sitcom
Life With Lucy
, where she was cast as one of Lucy's grandchildren.
[1] She also had small roles on such TV shows as
The Twilight Zone
,
Baywatch
,
Golden Girls
,
Growing Pains
,
Just the Ten of Us
,
Roseanne
,
Mr. Belvedere
, and
Brooklyn Bridge
.
Lewis appeared in over a dozen teen-themed movies, such as
Troop Beverly Hills
, in the late 1980s and in 1989 starred in
The Wizard
. She was featured in the 1996
made-for-TV movie
Talk to Me
with
Yasmine Bleeth, as well as the films
Foxfire
,
Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even
, and
Pleasantville
.
She played the part of Evangeline "Eva" Saint Claire in the 1987 film version of
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin
.
She continued acting until 1998, although the last released (
Don's Plum
, filmed 1995-6) wasn't released until 2001.
Music
Rilo Kiley
In 1998, she and friends
Pierre De Reeder,
Blake Sennett and
Dave Rock formed the band
Rilo Kiley. (Rock was replaced by
Jason Boesel.) In an interview with
NPR's
All Songs Considered
, Lewis remarked that she wanted to name the group Love's Way (after her parents'
lounge act in Las Vegas), but Sennett "didn't go for it."
[2]
Beginning with a country sound, Rilo Kiley gravitated toward a downbeat
indie rock sound, and with its 2004 album
More Adventurous
found widespread success. Critics such as
Pitchfork Media attributed this to the "wise" decision to emphasize Lewis's voice and presence more so than in previous albums. The song "
Portions for Foxes" was a hit, and in 2005 the band was picked up by
Warner Bros. (via its own imprint, Brute/Beaute Records), putting them on a major label for the first time. The band opened for
Coldplay on its U.S. tour in 2005. Rilo Kiley's 2007 album
Under the Blacklight
was released directly by
Warner Bros.
Solo career
In 2004,
Conor Oberst of
Bright Eyes invited Lewis to record a solo record for record label
Team Love. Described by Lewis as "a kind of soul record",
Rabbit Fur Coat
(released January 24, 2006) features contributions from Oberst,
M. Ward, and
Maroon 5 guitarist
James Valentine.
Ben Gibbard of
Death Cab for Cutie (and Lewis's bandmate in The Postal Service) guests on a cover of
The Traveling Wilburys' "
Handle With Care."
The Watson Twins provide accompaniment on the album, billed as Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins. Lewis toured with the Watson Twins in support of the album three times in 2006 and appeared with her band on
The Late Show With David Letterman
,
The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson
,
Late Night With Conan O'Brien
and
Later with Jools Holland
. They also appeared on a Washington, D.C.-based children's music program called
Pancake Mountain
, performing the song "Fernando". The album received positive reviews, with
Entertainment Weekly
writing, "Consider Lewis the
Emmylou Harris of the
Silverlake set" and
Rolling Stone
commenting that "her girlishly seductive vocals are more versatile than ever".
The Onion AV Club,
Spin
, and
NPR music critic
Meredith Ochs named it among the best albums of the year.
[3] [4]
In 2008, Lewis released a second solo album, this time without the Watson Twins, titled
Acid Tongue
.
Other musical projects
In 2002, Lewis was asked to contribute vocals for
The Postal Service. Lewis performed in the video for the hit "
We Will Become Silhouettes", and toured with the band in 2003. Lewis contributed vocals to several tracks on the 2004
Cursive album
The Ugly Organ
.
In 2005, Lewis contributed to the
UNICEF benefit song "
Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?", along with Sennett and
Jimmy Tamborello.
In 2007, Jenny Lewis contributed vocals to various songs on
Johnathan Rice's album
Further North
, and she appeared in the music video for "We're All Stuck Out In The Desert (And We're Gonna Die)". She provided vocals for a track on
Dntel's
Dumb Luck
LP.
In 2008, she contributed backing vocals to several songs on the
Elvis Costello and the Imposters album
Momofuku
.
In 2008, Lewis provided the song "Barking at the Moon" to
Walt Disney Pictures's
Bolt.
[5]
In March and April 2009, Jenny did her first trip to Australia, as an act for the
V Festival, as well as a support act for
Snow Patrol and performing one solo Sydney show.
On April 18, 2009, Jenny performed at the
Coachella music festival in Indio, CA.
On May 5, 2009, Jenny performed on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.
[6]
Filmography
- Bolt
(2008) Assistant Director (voice)
- Don's Plum
(2001) (filmed 1995-96)
- Pleasantville
(1998)
- Little Boy Blue
(1997)
- Talk to Me
(1996/I) (TV)
- Foxfire
(1996)
- Sweet Temptation
(1996) (TV)
- Runaway Daughters
(1994) (TV)
- Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even
(1992)
- Daddy
(1991) (TV)
- Runaway Father
(1991) (TV)
- Brooklyn Bridge
(1991) TV Series
- Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story
(1991) (TV)
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter
(1990) (TV)
- The Wizard
(1989)
- Shannon's Deal
(1989) (TV)
- Troop Beverly Hills
(1989)
- Friendship in Vienna, A
(1988) (TV)
- Baby M
(1988) (TV)
- My Father, My Son
(1988) (TV)
- Who Gets the Friends?
(1988) (TV)
- Golden Girls
(1987) (TV)
- Trading Hearts
(1987)
- Uncle Tom's Cabin
(1987) (TV)
- Life with Lucy
(1986) TV Series
- Convicted
(1986) (TV)
Discography
Rilo Kiley
- The Initial Friend
(1999)
- Take-Offs and Landings
(2001)
- The Execution of All Things
(2002)
- More Adventurous
(2004)
- Under the Blacklight
(2007)
Solo
- Rabbit Fur Coat
(2006) (with The Watson Twins)
- Acid Tongue
(2008)
Other appearances
- Bright Eyes - Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
(2002 ยท Saddle Creek)
- Cursive - The Ugly Organ
(2003, Saddle Creek)
- The Postal Service - Give Up
(2003, Sub Pop)
- The Good Life - ''Album of the Year' (2004, Saddle Creek)
- Dntel - Dumb Luck
(2007, Sub Pop)
- Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Momofuku
(2008, Lost Highway Records)
- Whispertown 2000-"Swim" (2009)
Videography
- Rilo Kiley - "The Frug" (1999)
- Rilo Kiley - "Wires and Waves" (2002, unreleased)
- Rilo Kiley - "Portions for Foxes" (2003)
- The Postal Service - We Will Become Silhouettes
(2005, directed by Jared Hess)
- Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - "Rise Up with Fists" (2006)
- Rilo Kiley - "The Moneymaker" (2007)
- Rilo Kiley - "Silver Lining" (2007)
- Jenny Lewis - "Blacksand" (2009)
- Jenny Lewis - "See Fernando" (2009)
See also
References
- Jenny Lewis
- The Blue-Eyed Soul of Jenny Lewis
- Best Music Of 2006
- Top Ten CDs of 2006
- Pop & Hiss goes to the movies: Jenny Lewis gets a dose of Disney optimism with 'Bolt'
- Title Unavailable