Vanessa and The O's

Vanessa and the O's formed in 2003/2004 when Parisian Vanessa Contenay-Quinones (Allez Pop) got together with Swedish musical collaborators Andreas Mattsson (Popsicle) and Niclas Frisk (Atomic Swing) later joining up with James Iha (former guitarist and co-founding member of The Smashing Pumpkins) in New York.

They recorded the album La Ballade d'O over the next 18 months. Quinones also went into the studio with Lou Reed around this time and cut an Anglo/French version of "Sunday Morning" under the name 'Vanessa St James ft Lou Reed'. The O's album was finally finished in 2005 when Pelle Gunnerfeldt (producer of The Hives) was brought in for additional production and mixes, bringing in Per Nordmark on drums and Bjorn Ytlling (of Peter Bjorn & John) for additional keyboards. The self-financed album was licensed initially to Virgin/EMI Sweden in May 2005 for Scandinavian release only.

In September 2005, the imported debut was 'Album Of The Week' in influential London record store Rough Trade who described it as "...a fantastic album of ‘European cool’ with breathy vocals over music which sounds like The Concretes, Stereolab or a modern take on the Velvet Underground…" In 2006 the band released the album on their own Rushmore Recordings label headed up by ex Warner Bros A&R executive and Deaf School founder member Steve Allen. By summer 2007 the album was available in France, Japan, Thailand, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden and digitally worldwide earning great critical acclaim with a Disque Du Mois from influential French rock mag 'Rock & Folk' saying "Incontournable!...un album estival, lumineux, en teintes blanches, jaunes et pourpres...c'est un miracle..Vanessa a la classe total!" (Nicolas Ungermuth)and rave reviews from the other leading French music writers on Les Inrockuptibles, Magic, Rolling Stone and receiving the Figaro end of year award Palm d'Or Pop. The O's played live shows in Sweden, France, Japan, Holland and the UK through 2006/2007/08/09/10.

In 2006, Vanessa was the guest vocalist on Scott Walkers album The Drift.

2007 saw The O's invited to participate in the all-star musical tribute to legendary composer Ennio Morricone alongside Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Yo Yo Ma, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Ennio Morricone. "We All Love Ennio Morricone" features Vanessa & The O's rendition of the Morricone/Françoise Hardy classic "Je Changerais d'Avis".

In 2008/9 Vanessa started her solo project 'Vanessa present Allez Pop', her first fully french language album in what would become a series of 60's influenced French pop and Yeh Yeh recordings. Original songs from the album "Pres de Toi", "C'est Magnifique". "Oddysee", "Quand Tu Me Dis", 'Pourquoi Pas' and Bon Bon Bon appearing on many international french pop and lounge compilations between 2009 to 2012. The 'Allez Pop' title 'Bon Bon Bon' featured in the soundtrack of several movies including 'Lionsgate Films' action/rom-com 'Killers' featuring Ashton Kutcher while also garnering excellent press reviews from number one french culture and music mag Les Inrocks and Rolling Stone France amongst many.

Between 2009 and 2011 Vanessa and Andreas Mattsson found time between other recording commitments to begin writing new songs and recording demo's in London and Stockholm later bringing in Robyn keyboardist/programmer Markus Jagerstedt to finalise production work on the second Vanessa & The O's album. Final mixes were again undertaken by Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Markus in Stockholm.

March 2012, EMi Music released the James Iha cover version of the Vanessa & The O's song 'Till Next Tuesday', taken from Iha's second solo album 'Look To The Sky'. The single peaked at number 8 on the Japan Billboard Hot 100.

June 2012, the second 'Vanessa & The O's' album entitled 'Stories For Watering Skies' is announced for release by Bootrock Records Japan. The 11 track album available on CD and Digital download is listed by Tower Records Tokyo with a release date of August 8th 2012.