Plush

Plush (from French peluche) is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was extended to describe luxury accommodation, or something rich and full.

Originally the pile of plush consisted of mohair or worsted yarn, but now silk by itself or with a cotton backing is used for plush, the distinction from velvet being found in the longer and less dense pile of plush. The soft material is largely used for upholstery and furniture purposes, and is also much employed in dress and millinery.

Modern plush are commonly manufactured from synthetic fibres such as polyester. One of the largest uses of this fabric is in the production of stuffed toys, with small plush toys made from plush fabric, such as teddy bears. Plush is also one of the main materials for the construction of designer toys.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Liam Hayes

Liam Hayes, professionally known as Plush since 1992 is an American songwriter and performer, originally from Chicago, Illinois, United States.

His discography includes three critically acclaimed records: More You Becomes You (1998), Fed (2002), and Bright Penny (2009). In 2000, Hayes appeared as himself performing "Soaring and Boring" in the film High Fidelity.

Early recording years, More You Becomes You (1994-1998)

Between 1994 and 1998 Liam Hayes recorded and released two singles, 1994's debut single "Found A Little Baby", and 1997's "No Education". 1998 saw the release of Hayes' debut solo album, More You Becomes You.

Fed (1999-2002)

After the release of More You Becomes You, Hayes began writing and collecting songs for his second studio album. The album combined rock arrangements with big band instrumentation and full string sections. The end result was Fed, which was released in 2002.

Bright Penny (2005-2009)

Around 2005, Hayes began to work on his third proper studio album. The sessions were spread between L.A., New York, Michigan, and Chicago and involved numerous musicians including Brian Wilson's rhythm section and legendary Chicago Blues and Jazz drummer Morris Jennings. Almost a year to the day of the belated UK release of Plush’s Fed, Broken Horse Records announced the release of its follow up album, Bright Penny.

Plush (song)

"Plush" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It is one of the band's biggest hits, and was released as the second single from the 1992 band's debut studio album, Core.

Composition and inspiration

The song's chord structure was inspired by Robert DeLeo's love of ragtime music, and its lyrics were loosely based on a newspaper article Scott Weiland had read about a girl who had been found dead in an area outside of San Diego. Weiland had also said that the song's lyrics are a metaphor for a failed relationship.

Reception

The song was released in 1992 as Core's second single and became a major rock radio hit in the U.S., peaking at #1 on the Album Rock Tracks and #9 on the Modern Rock Tracks. The song was also one of the first alternative rock songs to reach the #1 spot on the Album Rock Tracks chart during height of the alternative rock/grunge scene. "Plush" won in the category of "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 1994 Grammy Awards. The music video also earned the band an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist in 1994. "Plush" remains one of the biggest rock hits of the 1990s, and is still commonly heard on radio stations today. The song also was voted #12 on the Australian annual music poll Triple J Hottest 100 in 1993. In 2004, this song was featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack on Radio X. The song also appeared as a playable song in the music video games Rock Band 3 and Power Gig: Rise of the SixString in addition to the VH1 series Hindsight.