Wipe Off The Dust: Female MC's Humble Mainstream Beginnings

A blast from my past! A long lost assignment I found that I did for a class (college rocks like that) with some edits (so forgive me if it's not "scholarly" enough), may your history lesson begin....

There seems to be a drought of female MC's as of now, especially in the mainstream market. Where are the Missy Elliott's? The Salt N' Pepa's? Even the Neneh Cherry's? This is all quite bizarre since females have been flowing since hip-hop was in it's baby crawling stages. Now the female rapper is lost in the shuffle with their voices muffled. Still they should remember their roots and know that females in the hip-hop movement have come a long way....The normality of rap cameos being wedged in between the choruses and bridges of pop and R&B songs has since transformed each genre in its sound and its delivery, respectively. This trend is not some new fangled thing that came out of nowhere, and believe it or not, the trend began commercially with female floacists. Well, to an extent. In one corner we have a raunchy soul singer, in another, a new wave punk babe and in the last nook, a ivory funkster. All of them females and all responsible for bringing hip-hop into mainstream American homes. So who really did it first? It's a three way tie naturally.

*Keep on wiping off the dust...more after the cut*

Soul singer, Millie Jackson is mostly known for being quite ballsy with her soul bravado as she has said things that we'd only express in the darkest caverns of our minds. If you own or at least have heard a Millie Jackson album (and it's an experience let me tell you), you'll immediately hear her soulful growl, but you will also partake in her "raps". Millie's "raps" or speeches mainly discuss the subject of the song. Call it the Stone Age era of rapping...but it is rapping nonetheless. Millie has been doing this style since the 70's, but she took it to another much more funkier level with the title track to her 1980 album, I Had To Say It. The song wasn't a huge hit, but soul fans tend to praise Millie for being the "First Queen of Rap and Soul". Flash to the new-wave scene and we have Debbie Harry, the lead singer of punk-rock group, Blondie. The band (and mainly Debbie herself) became intrigued with the underground hip-hop scene and decided to test it out. In a sort of tribute piece, the song "Rapture" was born, and it of course was a popular hit for the group and featured Debbie flowing about a car eating alien. This song, in short, brought hip-hop to the unaware rock and new wave crowd and radio lapped it up as the song shot to #1 on the charts. Just shy of a few months of "Rapture", in 1981, Teena Marie releases "Square Biz". This six minute long funk romp has the Queen of Ivory Soul rapping and educating us about her love for "hot water cornbread" and her literary favorites in "Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni"...just to name a few. The track gave budding break dancers a musical backdrop to break to, not to mention hip-hop found a permanent spot on soul-funk radio. While we can ponder on who did it first, or who did it better, there is no question that these three ladies shifted the hip-hop game to another voice entirely and made a bigger impact than anyone thought possible. So female MC's of today come out of hiding and continue to make history, you've already got the blueprint to guide you.

Cover Smother: Ms. Legs In Motion

Bought this on black wax yesterday for my collection simply because Tina Turner looks like she's having a damn good time....because it is Ike & Tina Turner. Further research tells me that 1972's Feel Good, is technically the first Tina Turner solo album...possibly because she wrote every single song on this (subtracting a Beatles cover). Not too shabby.

Freebie Adventures: Don'tcha Know 'Rare Gems' Are A Janet Junkie's Best Friend?

What way better than to kick off your week with a little Miss Jackson...well, that's only if you're nasty! Okay...I will stop with all the puns, but you knew it was coming...Looking for Janet Jackson rares and b-sides is almost like diggin' around for gold, as it took me a couple of years to gather a pretty hefty collection of those 'diamonds' in the rough. What came of my constant hunt was this compilation that you see before you. The tracks span Janet's career from Dream Street to Damita Jo and they are all great listens. Might I suggest the better than original "Diamonds" remix, the spunky "Pops Up" and the hard as nails, "You Need Me" to kick start you off? Fun shall be had with this...and remember this link will only be up for a limited time, so get it while it's blazin'!

1. Diamonds (Cool Summer Mix Edit)(ft. Herb Alpert)
2. Pops Up
3. Put Your Hands On Me
4. Accept Me
5. Start Anew
6. Skin Game
7. 70’s Love Groove
8. And On and On
9. French Blue
10. God’s Stepchild
11. Weekend
12. One More Chance
13. Rock & Roll
14. You Need Me
15. Could This Be Love
16. The Best Things In Life Are Free (K Klass 7”) (ft. Luther Vandross)
17. Whoops Now
18. Can’t Be Stopped

DL: Janet Jackson Rare Gems

Artist Watch: Gettin' On The Good Foot With Black Joe Lewis

Want to cleanse your palate of the bitter, sticky aftertaste that mainstream radio residue seems to cause? That's where Austin bred group, Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears comes in, as they are what you want to do the job right. I stumbled upon the track "Sugarfoot", and had to recheck the facts just to make sure this band wasn't some 1960's/1970's funk n' blues outfit that got lost in the shuffle. The reason for my confusion is that the band sounds like a trip back into time, with the horns blasting you backwards to the days of a whoopin' n' hollerin' James Brown in his prime. There are lots of funky stuff going on with this band as they have been wowing the Austin music listening public with their spunky flavor. The band just recently released their debut, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! and from the sound of tracks that I have heard, it's worth shelling out the buckaroos for. What you have before you are two tracks, the illustrious "Sugarfoot" and the equally engaging grit of "Gunpowder", for your listening pleasure. Since the media players are on the fritz, take a peek at the vid below, as it is sure to tickle your taste buds to sample the rest of their steamin' pot o' funk gumbo. I'm not pulling your leg...this is just fun with a capital "F".

Album Watch: The B-Funk To Return In '09

Love, love me some Beverley Knight. So I was pleased as Hawaiian Punch that my blog buddy, Sexy Never Left, gave me the heads up that Miss Knight is in the studio at the moment, working on some more greatness for a new album. The Queen of UK Soul was kind enough to post a vid on YouTube about what's she's been up too on this new effort and from the sound of things, it's going to be another winner, especially since she's working on this effort with..... *drumroll* Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Oh, so exciting! Expect the album to drop this summer and peep the video below to hear more, plus view that glorious scarf that Bev is sportin'. What? I like scarfs.

Song Stuck In My Head: Boys, Boys, Wrapped Around Her Finger

"Kisses On The Wind"-Neneh Cherry (1988)

It always happens. Whenever Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance" gets a spin on the old Windows Media Player, I have to play "Kisses On The Wind" right after it. Something about that Latin n' funk backbeat simmering in the background of Neneh's vocals, gets me groovin' every time. Even though the song hit #8 on the Hot 100 back in 1989, this song is a lesser known gem that seems to get lost in the pudding that is "Buffalo Stance". In fact, alot of singles on Neneh's 1988 debut, Raw Like Sushi become MIA when it comes to that beast of a song. Still "Kisses On The Wind" is a song that I tend to like the most because it's got a great beat, the lyrics tell a story(about a young girl who's hit the puberty jackpot much too soon), and it's just a fun song to sing along to. Sometimes the simplest of songs tend to be the ones that stick in the membrane and have a longer lasting effect, and this is one those songs.

Tee hee hee at the dancing in this vid, still at least they are dancing unlike today...the Spanish monologues are funny in this...I spot door knocker earrings!

Cover Smother: Will The Real 'Epiphany' Cover Please Stand Up?

There are two covers for Chrisette Michele's upcoming sophomore effort, Epiphany (which drops in stores May 19th), that are floating around on the Internet. Too lazy to figure out which one was the real deal, so I will smother you with both of them. Still I'm thinking one of these has got to be the "deluxe-extended-monster-even-more-songs re-issue" album cover. But which one is better? Hmm...the top one has that teddy bear necklace (which I'm mesmerized by) but that last one...Chrisette's hair looks like it's got a life of its own in that pic...choices.

Adventures In Irrelevancy: Pharrell Dances For A Filet-O-Fish

It's been a looong and stressful day...so what's a good way to release the tension? Seeing Pharrell Williams transform into a dancing fool at a McDonald's in Paris. Oh, what a creative force he is! Especially his rap about McDonald's munchies which made me realize that there are a cornucopia of choices at the fast food restaurant, and yet none are appetizing. Okay, I admit I'm weak for their apple pie and fries....just a bit. Still I'm in peels of laughter over the chicks behind the counter who are so unamused by the performance. Shoot, that was a free performance from the illustrious Pharrell, you should be applauding like crazy!

First Impressions: Leela Gives Her Spin On The Classics

Miss Leela James, we have missed you. The Los Angeles native, returns with Let's Do It Again, which in her case, is a expression that rings true as it's been awhile since we've heard her fiery soulful growl. If Leela's name sparks a memory, you might recall her debut album, 2005's A Change Is Gonna Come and it's hit lead-off single, "Music". The ode to "missing the good ole days" of music long gone, gained the singer some much needed attention.

Now after a short-term absence and a new record label, Leela is back, and this time she's bringing out the heavy artillery. On album number two, Leela digs deep into soul, funk and rock vinyl crates and unearths a searing collection of classics Unlike Seal's watered-down covers collection, Soul from last year, Leela keeps in mind that soul music should crackle and sizzle in the frying pan, not just sit there and be stagnant. Leela takes on the likes of James Brown, Phyllis Hyman, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack and even Foreigner, and she does them all justice. Leela is right on time with Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman" and even though the man vs. woman banter on Womack & Womack's read of "Baby, I'm Scared Of You" is missed, Leela still makes the song fun. While it's a tough tackle, the Godfather of Soul's "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" gets a spin from Leela, who effortlessly slides into it. Frankly, I'm impressed that she chose to cover some lesser covered jams, such as Angela Bofill's "I Try", which has always been a favorite of mines and Leela's version is just a moving as Angie's 1979 classic. While we could give praises to all the classics that reside on this disc, the real standing ovation goes to Leela's vocal chops which are bold, gritty, crisp and exciting, not to mention that they breathe new life into the jams featured on here. Sure cover albums are risky business, considering that they don't always necessarily recapture the magic of the originals, but it takes a singer like Leela James that can take the song, tweak it and interpret it to fit her own personal style. Miss James, you have certainly "done it again".

Rating: 9.5/10

Release Date: March 24, 2009

Quote Me Baby!: Explains So Much...

It's not that I don't like pants, I just choose not to wear them some
days."

-Lady GaGa on why her pants are usually MIA.

Eh, Eh, nothing else I can say...

Cover Smother: If I Could Only Get My Hair Like That...

Before Annie, Amy, Adele, Alice, Joss and Duffy...there was Dusty. Dusty Springfield. 1969's Dusty In Memphis is the meat and potatoes of what soul music is all about...it fills you up and never disappoints. All the goods are on here, such as my favorite, "The Windmills Of Your Mind" and her rendition of "Son Of A Preacher Man". Oh, and dig on that beehive hair 'do...so perfectly coiffed. Now this my children is how a beehive is supposed to look...

Begin Your Week With "Love, Sex and Magic"

Color me impressed. When Ciara licked Justin Timberlake's ear in this little visual display here, I didn't know whether to cringe at the "trying too hard to be sexy" moment or get all hot n' bothered...well, since I'm wanting more sexiness in my life after viewing that Eric Benet display from last week...this will have to do for now, as I was entertained for a good four minutes. Ciara finally has a winner in the trashtastical funk number, "Love Sex and Magic", and the video does in fact compliment the song wondrously. No doubt that the mainstream will eat this up as it has all the elements of what videos pertain to be nowadays...lots of dry humping, pretty swirling colors, lots of aerobic stretches, intense sexy glares, tight leather outfits, Justin Timberlake in a chair...and oh, yeah mutli-colored afros. While this will probably go down as a moment in blog history where the Audio Diva feels the need to praise a Ciara video that looks like five Kylie Minogue and Beyonce videos jammed together...I can't help but root for Ciara, who is heading in the right direction this time.

Lily's Country Fried Video

Well, yee haw! Sorry, that Texas girl attitude just kinda came out. It does that from time to time, especially when I go to Rudy's Barbecue, pop a squat on a bench and get a jalapeno sausage n' brisket sandwich...what we have here is Lily Allen's new vid for single, "Not Fair". From the first listen of this track, the first thought that trailed in my mind was..."if she releases this, the video must have some sort of western theme...complete with poofy Dolly Parton hair and a random cow chewing cud in the background." Someone got my memo and made this Grand Ole Opry meets The Mandrell Sisters inspired visual spectacular. While it's not as exciting as one would want, Lily's back-up band's bored facial expressions does indeed bring the giggles...not to mention Lily prancing around in white platforms being as sarcastic and fun as ever.

Wipe Off The Dust: Expressing Itself 20 Years Later

Interrupting your Saturday morning with yet another Queen Maddie post...It literally fascinates my face that that Madonna's fourth studio album, Like A Prayer, turns 20 today. For those of you who remember picking up the jewel case disc on this day 20 years ago, congratulations, you are officially old. Just joking! No, you are awesome, because you witnessed history in the making. Back in 1989, Madonna finally made an album that was quite refined and a collective force in music. Packed with honest human emotion, Like A Prayer was structured to be Madonna's own personal confessional as each song exposed and gradually ripped off that Band-Aid of truth inch-by-inch. It's truly her most personal album, as songs such as the beautiful "Promise To Try" and haunting orchestral, "Oh Father", give us a glimpse into Madonna's childhood, and how it came back to haunt her at this particular time. Even when Madonna is being serious, she still manages to have fun and tell a message as "Express Yourself" and the funky, "Keep It Together" are about independence and the support of family ties, respectively. Like A Prayer was a step in the right direction for Madonna to finally be taken seriously as an artist, as prior to this, she was written off as just a flash in the pop skillet.

*Read more about 'Like A Prayer' and view some videos after the jump*

Once the title track made the rounds, with its controversial video in tow, Madonna had handed the memo to her doubters that she was sticking around, and she was going to make music that would stick long after their so-called proposed expiration date. There is a lot to uncover from this record, more so than Madonna's other efforts, as this album just keeps getting better with each listen.

When I first purchased this album (some ten years ago), I was a little naive to it's small pop brilliance and it remained untouched by me for years. During a rough patch in my high school years, this album oddly resurfaced in my listening shuffle, and it grew to be, probably, my favorite Madonna creation. Maybe it was the more mature production, or the fact that "'Til Death Do Us Part" is one of Madonna's best kept songs, or that this album is a straight shot with no skips (okay, maybe that Prince collaboration is kinda crap)...but this album just doesn't get stale to me. Like A Prayer is where substance and style meet, and ages quite gracefully.

Since the release of this album, nothing has really changed about Madonna, as she still shocks us from time to time with every move she makes. But somewhere caught up in the image is the music, which is something that shouldn't be forgotten.

Take 5 Friday: Stumbling Along Fabulously

1. Backstage Dramas: VH1's Behind The Music is coming back yall after a two year absence. The channel is planning to air ten new episodes in the near future, with Lil' Wayne and Scott Weiland already signed on to have their lives exposed. While I could give two figs in Haiti about them, it's got me wondering about the other eight musicians who could be covered, as a ton have been covered from the show's 1997-2006 run. So who should get exposed in '09 you say? My suggestions:

• Sly and The Family Stone: Has this not been done? This band was a beautiful and funky mess! The orgies, the feuds, arrests, Sly's wacky behavior, drugs...oh, yeah and the iconic influential music...c'mon VH1!
• Rufus and Chaka Khan: From what I've heard, Chaka was apparently a REAL diva, hence the revolving members. She was also dubbed by friends the "U.N. of Men" due to the numerous affairs she had.
• Mariah Carey: Has this been done? I feel it has, but if so, they can update it with, The 3 M's...marriages, meltdown and oh, yeah, MUSIC
• Dru Hill: Oh, the DRAMA that can come out of that...
• Amy Winehouse: Is it too soon...whatever, we need to chronicle this bish's wackiness and talent
• New Jack: The music, the fades and of course Teddy Riley...

2. "You're Tacky and I Hate You": Is it wrong that I have dreams of wanting to be a pop star so I can wear ridiculously obnoxious outfits on stage? It all started with Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour on VHS (!!!). She dressed up as a jester and donned a Zoot suit, thus I was hooked. Then came Kylie Minogue's Showgirl Tour, where the gay boy that lives inside of me lept out and just wanted to wear all those sequins, rhinestones and feather headdresses. Yes, I still vie to one day have a world tour where I can make all those costume dreams come true. But for now, The DailyNews knows what I'm talking about as they have a mosaic of photos ranging from Andre 3000 to Katy Perry whom have defied the odds of concert garb. My personal favorite? Look to the right, as Pink looks like a cross between a harlequin, Queen's Freddie Mercury and Skipper from Gillian's Island. Fierce.
3. Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat Strikes Back:

Tee hee.

4. Tori Amos Goes Back To The Pink: While Tori Amos is in Austin SXSW-ing it up, this little ditty from her upcoming album, Abnormally Attracted To Sin called, "Welcome To England" was leaked. The track is kind of what I wanted from the hit-n-miss American Doll Posse. Tori vocals slink over a escalating mid-tempo that is sprinkled nicely with piano and scratchy percussion. Like it for its simple elegance that recalls early Tori a la 1994's Under The Pink. Take a listen...

5. Maybe Jimmy Fallon Should Just Host A Music Show...: Screw his horrific opening monologues, Jimmy Fallon should switch the formula of Late Night (okay, besides bringing Conan O' Brien back) and just introduce cool bands and artists all night long. Now that's something I'd watch, especially since we don't have a centralized talk show about music (though I'm working on it...just let me get out of college first). Jimmy (or his league of writers) is bringing out the beast with guest musicians...Santigold, Vampire Weekend, The Ting Tings...oh, and the creme de la creme, Public Enemy. I swear, the pairing of PE with The Roots was just genius. View the results below...

Album Watch: Essentially Madonna

Greatest hits compilations are a crapshoot. You either get all the goods and then some (Cameo's Anthology) or you get a ton of uninspired remixes and a sprinkle of real hits (Whitney Houston's weak The Greatest Hits). Hopefully, Madonna will get my memo about not clogging up a hits comp with unnecessary semi-hits, new tracks and remixes as she preps to release a new greatest hits compilation. Aside from the fact that Madonna is recording new material for it and it will be her last record on the Warner Brothers label, this new hits package is being hyped up to be "essential". Any Madonna-holic knows that just purchasing the Material Girl's 26 year output is essential in itself, but considering the fact that we haven't had a really complete greatest hits package, makes me wonder what is really "essential" Maddie? This is the same question Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary has been stewing on, as he's been a busy bee over on Twitter recently asking fans what songs they think truly deserve the spot on the album. So to save Madonna from greatest hits album embarrassment, I say, combine what was good about Madonna's Immaculate Collection (1990) and GHV2 (2001) and also don't chop up all the songs so we can get the original and remastered version of the classics we love like "Holiday" and "Express Yourself" in all their complete glory. A few B-sides and rare tracks wouldn't hurt either...but I'm probably being greedy and if I had my way, this would be a box-set with a "Boy Toy" belt buckle as a complimentary collector's item. As for the new songs...we'll just leave that up to the imagination.

Quote Me Baby!: Yet Another Reason Why I Love Ms. Monae

If I could make a wish come true, it would be to redefine the stereotype of
young African American females, the type of music we write, how we wear our hair
and dress. We digging into a world that's very unique...We're making music for
the future. This is just the beginning."

-Janelle Monae discusses how she hopes to influence with her style to Spin magazine

As a sista myself, how true...how can you not love this bish?

First Impressions: Glitter On The Wet Streets

It's not titled It's Blitz for show. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a band shrouded in mystery as they cater to a universally diverse crowd, but they maintain to be indie rock's best kept secret. However they do it, they do it well, and even when the Yeahs take a dive into the mainstream, they still manage to be true to themselves. This is the case with the New York trio's third installment, It's Blitz, as the band tries on a new pair of shoes...but you won't hear any heel blisters or any pinching, this new pair fits beautifully. The Yeahs have managed to improve upon the formula of their last album, 2006's Show Your Bones, and submerge it into shimmery synths and pulsating techno throbs, and all driven to the production beats of TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek and Nick Lunay. At first listen, it might throw you for a loop, but It's Blitz manages still captivate, making you think the Yeahs have been doing this all along. The blaze of opener, and first single, "Zero" grabs you by the collar and pulls you into its fuss while "Soft Shock" is a plush and hypnotizing number. Lead vocalist, Karen O. doesn't falter vocal wise as she drapes her voice over each piece and on cuts like personal fave, "Heads Will Roll", she takes her husky mezzo-soprano and has a good time. Things really simmer on "Dull Life", which is not the least bit dull with its gang of guitars and "Dragon Queen" is an shuffling 80's funk piece, just with a shadier approach. "Skeletons" feels like an Kate Bush ballad with its kooky drum march, and it's arguably one of the better tracks. While it may sound like the Yeahs are "selling out"or being a little bit too "artsy", they manage to make an album that even when you don't want to listen, you do and find yourself pulled into a bluesy-rock vortex that is sprinkled in glitter and sweat.

Rating: 9.1/10

Release Date: March 10, 2009

Album Watch: 'Crazy New Sound' For Robin In '09

Talk about some quickness. Robin Thicke has been burning the midnight oil recently as he's in the process of crafting a new album to follow up last year's Something Else...and we could be seeing this album by the end of this year. Billboard is reporting that the soul man has been cooking up some new tunes with Pharrell Williams, Jeffery Bahsker (whom has worked with Kanye West) and newcomer producing team, the Surf Krew. Robin said that he's got about 15 new songs already completed and that his music this time around is a "crazy new sound"...So you know what that means...Robin's has taken a swig of Red Bull and is adding more synthesizers to the mix a la John Legend's Evovler. Electro-charged soul is coming to our ears very soon, my children. As a Robin Thicke fangirl, I can't help but be a little jazzed, but seriously, I'm still playing the heckle out of Something Else (me and about four other people) and don't need a new album now...but what the hell, Robin was probably pissed they snubbed him at the Grammy's this past year and he's just getting on the ball this year. Nothing makes better music than a little angst, synths and some new producers...so bring it on Robin!

Cover Smother: Some Lady Day Love

It doesn't get more elegant than Billie Holiday...bowing down.

Freebie Adventures: SuchADirtyKrushGroovin'Maniac

Rejoice! It's Spring Break! Well, for me at least...so of course I'm feeling a bit more peppier than usual, as I'm able to get some much needed sleep. Due to my newfound week long freedom, I have decided to test the waters with a new post idea. From time to time, I'll post a compilation of varying musical themes, all crafted by me and that is free for all my adventurers (readers) to download. How's about that?!

This one is quite special, because if you couldn't tell, I'm an 80's nut. Not only for the music but for the cinematic output as well, because I still live by the creed that is The Breakfast Club. So for your listening enjoyment, I have complied together some choice cuts from various 80's soundtracks. Some tracks you may recognize, others you will be totally unaware they existed. But that's the fun in a mixed up compilation, there is always something new to discover. So take a gander cause you might find something to groove to on this. And note that this compilation will be up for a limited time, so get it while it's blazing hot!

Tracklisting:

1. Breakin...There's No Stopping Us- Ollie and Jerry (from Breakin')

2. Girls Night Out- Tony Basil (from Modern Girls)

3. Maniac- Michael Sembello (from Flashdance)

4. Dancing In The Sheets- Shalamar (from Footloose)

5. Eyes Of A Stranger- The Payolas (from Valley Girl)

6. I'm Falling- Comstat Angels (from Real Genius)

7. When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going- Billy Ocean (from Jewel of the Nile)

8. Lead Me On- Teena Marie (from Top Gun)

9. Straight and Nappy- Jiggaboos & Wannabes (from School Daze)

10. Don't You Forget About Me- Simple Minds (from The Breakfast Club)

11. If I Ruled The World- Kurtis Blow (from Krush Groove)

12. I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)- Kenny Loggins (from Footloose)

13. Girls Got Something, Boys Ain't Got- Midnight Star (from Just One Of The Guys)

14. No Promises- Icehouse (from Modern Girls)

15. All Night- Randy Hall (from Can't Buy Me Love)

16. I've Had The Time of My Life- Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (from Dirty Dancing)

DL: 80's Movie Soundtrack Vol. 1

First Impressions: Daniel and Adele Will Break Your Heart

My short-term prayers have been answered. For the past couple of days, I have been consumed with bleeps and static shocks of pop and techno...while it's too my liking, I was still craving a bit o' soul magic. A song that could wrap me in its searing grandeur and warm me up from the frigid synths that have been blistering my ears. The duet between Aussie vocalist, Daniel Merriweather and the divine Adele, is the song that became the soulful blanket I craved. While the track, "Water and a Flame" is a heartbreaking number, it's oh so riveting and rekindles that feeling of an honest old school soul duet. Daniel and Adele's vocals blend together wonderfully over the haunting strings and dragging drums. The two manage to hit a nerve as the song rises to it's thundering climax, and it's quite a moment. The track, which is featured on Daniel's upcoming, Love and War, is sure to get folks reminiscing about the days when a break-up tune actually felt like a stab in the heart.

Water and a Flame

Reheating Leftovers: Pinch Me....I'm Not Wearing Green Today

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Drink up!

*Hold On (Funky Divas Are Back): This is a leftover that resided in the musical fridge for too long...but what the heck, En Vogue are BACK! Or so Jet magazine is proclaiming as the original fierce foursome (yes, Dawn is there!) grace the cover of their latest issue. To my knowledge, the group has been back at it for awhile, as they have been performing at various venues and events (my BFF Guyna saw them at a Black Enterprises convention, and she admitted she screamed louder than anyone there). Possibly the 'funky divas' are prepping for a new album which has been long over due. Here's hoping that they can still throw it down like they did on that episode of A Different World. Now here's to paging Jade, After 7 and SWV to travel down that comeback trail...just sayin'.

*Product Placement Never Sounded So Edgy: How many hipsters can you cram into one song? Try five. Coca-Cola, everyone's favorite carbonated beverage, is launching a new campaign and it involves some familiar faces. Gym Class Heroes', Travis McCoy, Panic at the Disco's Brendon Urie, Gnarls Barkley's Cee-L0, Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump and Janelle Monae are all featured on the campaign's theme song, "Open Happiness". The track, which you can hear on the campaign's MySpace, was written by Butch Walker and Cee-Lo, and produced by Powlow Da Don and it is quite a perky guitar driven track. At times a track with too many vocalists seems crammed and a little pretentious, but this one isn't, actually I quite enjoyed it. The song is to be released on iTunes and a music video will debut sometime in May, just in time for you to get into your happy zone!

*She's A Record Label Eater: Wonder what Nelly Furtado's been doing since her 'maneating' and 'promiscuous' days? She's been a busy bee behind the scenes as she has just recently launched a independent record label. You have read correctly, Miss Furtado has created NelStar and she already has her first act signed...two former back-up dancers who call themselves Fritz Helder and The Phantoms. Interesting. While Nelly keeps assuring us that that she's not going to be totally involved in how the band's sound will be a la Diddy and Timbaland, but she still will be overseeing things. Nice...but when is your new album coming out Nelly?...I'm so inconsiderate of singer's other passions....

The Gospel: Some Say That Knowledge Is Something That Sat In Your Lap

Feeling stupid? Maybe it's the music you're listening to. A study was done by a PhD student at Cal Tech (so you know it's legit...) to see what types of music affected how college students performed on tests and school work in general. How he came up with the results was a statistical process. He got a random sampling of college students at various schools and looked at their Facebook pages on what there favorite music was. Then he compared them to the average of SAT and ACT scores from CollegeBoard.com. From there he had a basic idea of what kinds of music makes an individual, respectively "dumb" or "smart". The results are not that surprising considering if you listen to Lil' Wayne you have the brain the size of a dried up raisin and if you are a Beethoven consumer, you are of Einstein proportions. Although the results can vary and according the student who crafted the study, the experiment in itself is meant for "hilarity"...it does make you wonder about if our music choices and book smarts go hand in hand. Some artists that are on the "dumb" side include: Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Aerosmith, Fall Out Boy and Carrie Underwood. While Gospel, Soca and Reggaton are the genres that supposedly drop your IQ points. On the other hand, acts like U2, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Radiohead and Bob Dylan are the music choices of college "smarty pants". Hmm...not to get all femmy, I'm noticing a lack of female musicians in the "smart" categories, is that supposed to tell us something? I hope not. Anyways, interesting to say the least, because it now explains why my last roommate was as dumb as a brick....she constantly listened to Lil' Wayne. *whistles*

Song Stuck In My Head: Craving Affection...Using Protection

"She Loves Everybody"-Chester French (2008)

*slaps hand* Shame that I haven't mentioned Chester French on this blog, even though I've been diggin' them for quite sometime. So it's convenient that I have their debut single "She Loves Everybody" embedded in my brain at this moment. What I adore about this song is the arrangement. From the subtle soul harmonies in the verses to the punchy 60's rock grind during the chorus, the song is textured gloriously. And the theme circulating around a girl who craves affection thus she sleeps around is kinda deep and dirty in a Prince's "Little Red Corvette" kind of fashion. The Massachusetts bred duo are slated to release their debut, Love The Future this April 21st on Pharrell Williams' label, and it's sure to be one quirky n' funky ride as it's coming from two guys who started their music career in the basement of their Harvard dorm. College life never ceases to be dull...

She throws a mean punch...oh, the fake blood....I dig on her hat at the beginning...lots of hand clapping in this and looky a TAMBOURINE!

Don't Wake Me...I'm Dreaminnnn

Get yo fade on...it's Christopher Williams in 1991 on The Aresnio Hall Show performing his hit, "I'm Dreamin'"...some things to note:

• This song was featured on the New Jack City motion picture soundtrack...a soundtrack that still rocks my face
• He does a lot of shoulder movements in this vid
• There's too much wavy pretty hair going on in this performance
• Christopher's jacket is all kinds of primary color interesting
• Is there a smoke machine...it looks kinda smoky on stage
• The background singers hold there own, impressed. Sometimes the singer outsings them, but not these fierce ladies
• While watching this, I sung along out loud, knowing every word and thinking to myself, "This song does NOT get old!"
• Did you know that Christopher Williams had a son with actress, Stacey Dash (she played Dionne in Clueless and is famous now for being 43 and looking like a 19 year old)...You learn something new everyday

Quote Me Baby!: Stevie On The 'Edge' Of Internet Hate

"The Internet has destroyed it. I miss buying an album and lying on the
floor for three days and going over it with a magnifying glass"

---Stevie Nicks on the current status of the recording industry, as told to Rolling Stone.

I see her point...but I feel this here blog is my personal "magnifying glass".

Take 5 Friday: That's How I Roll...

1. CORN NUTS!: These days it seems that ANYTHING can be turned into a musical...case in point, it was announced that there is indeed a musical in the works based on the 1989 cult classic, Heathers. Wha What?!? All the production staff is intact, including the masterminds behind such musicals like Reefer Madness and Legally Blonde...so this should be good right? Hmm...For those unfamiliar, Heathers, the movie (which starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater), is a film that was the precursor for bitchy girl cliques screen gems like 2004's Mean Girls. I highly recommend it if you live in a sarcastic bubble and don't mind laughing in the face of unfortunate circumstances...well, to those who actually deserve to be punished. Personally, I have a hard time seeing how they are going to turn the infamous blue drain cleaner poisoning scene into some funky dance number. On the other hand, having songs incorporating favorite quotes from the flick, ("I love my dead gay son" and "fuck me gently with a chain saw" being obvious choices) might warrant a listen or two. Let's just hope that that they keep the rawness of the flick and not make this some sugar coated High School Musical carcass...Well, lick it up baby!

2. You Like Me, You Really Like Me: Blog pal Mel, from the glorious blog Melismatic, has given me an award (see pic at left) for blog excellence, yay! So many thanks to Mel, and since I have received the award, I have to spread the wealth to five other bloggers and their blogs on their blog fabolousness. So I have chosen *drumroll*...MuuMuse, Pop Trash Addicts, Sexy Never Left, Cignas Sights and Views and Fabtastic! Music for all of their blog goodness and the talented bloggers behind them! So to all the bloggers that I gave awards to, pick your five fave blogs, let them know you chose them in their comments and then post the award on your blog. Spread the love!

3. When My Mom Met Lady GaGa: Okay...she didn't meet her, but when La GaGa was on The View this past Tuesday (channelling a Judy Jetson look...and STILL wearing no pants), my lovely momma got to witness the glorious nature that is the new pop star, as she is a religious View watcher. To note, my mom knows what a music whore I am, so she always tells me of music goings on (she's pretty good, she knows who Kanye West is) and of course she told me about her "meeting" with Lady GaGa. She had this to say to me over the phone, and I quote: "Her name is Lady something...she needs to ditch that wig, and that outfit makes her look like a snowman...but she sang pretty well." Gotta love my mom! Still I'm kind of embarrassed my mom heard that condom comment...

4. My Opinion Matters...According To Little Jackie!: This is what happens when you Google yourself at 2:00 am in the morning.... You get freaked the freaked out that R&B duo, Little Jackie knows you exist...blissful insanity!

5. Poplockin' Into Spring Break: I admit. I wish I could spin like a friggin' dreidel on a flatten cardboard box in some sweats and Addias sneaks. But since I can't recreate that kind of dance magic, I live vicariously through breakdancing movies...like 1984's Breakin'. But maybe since I do have a week off, I'll try to bust a move in my living room, with this song playing in the background...you know, to keep me motivated. You'll be seeing this song again...but in the meantime, witness the poplocking spectacles in the vid for the Breakin' theme song, "There's No Stopping Us". Fun is to be had.

Chrisette Reprises Her 'Epiphany'

Maybe Rihanna should listen to this song and take Chrisette Michele's advice...*cringes* that was sooo mean of me...On a less bitchier note, here is the vid for Chrisette's newest single, "Epiphany" which got all the praises from me back in January. The vid, which features rapper Drake as the dumped loser boyfriend, isn't anything to get jazzed about as we've seen the "dumping boyfriend to be free" scenario before. While Chrisette doesn't rip up his clothes or set her boyfriend's stuff on fire a la Waiting To Exhale, she's still a class act, as this video shows.

Twittering It Up

Well...I caved into the Twitter craze *sighs* See this is what happens when you live in the age of the World Wide Web, you become victim of cyber peer pressure...haha. So if you care about knowing what I'm doing or what's going on with the blog, then stalk follow me! I will be having updates about the 'Adventures' blog for those who want to know them right away and sometimes I might give hints to upcoming posts *wink* So if you're on Twitter, follow the Audio Diva into the abyss of Internet life here:

http://twitter.com/theaudiodiva

Hope to see ya!

Album Watch: Tori To Become 'Abnormally Attracted' In 2009

A tumble of new Tori Amos news just plopped into my lap and it's just a little bit too much for me to marinate properly in my mind at this point in time. Here are the facts...Come later this year, the piano poet will be gracing us with her tenth album, the gloriously titled, Abnormally Attracted To Sin (a reference from the classic musical Guys and Dolls). As Tori is no stranger to the theme scheme on albums (see Boys For Pele and Scarlet's Walk), this upcoming release will be no different as Tori has recently become obsessed with Broadway soundtracks. Possibly because at the present she is working on her first musical, The Light Princess. Interesting....Abnormally will also be a visual event in itself, as each and every track will have a companion 'visualette' that consists of Tori-esque footage recorded from last year. And if that wasn't enough to get me salivating, Tori will be making a special concert appearance in Austin, Texas on March 19th for SXSW (so appropriate...) where she will be debuting some of her new tunes. What's more hard to digest is that she will be co-headling SXSW with Lil' John. Yes, that Lil' John.... A Broadway styled album, a musical, visualettes and being in close proximity to "Yeah!!!"-ster, Lil' John?? Wow, 2009 is getting much more fabulously bizarre by the months...

First Impressions: Kelly Gets What She Wants And Then Some

It almost seems like a distant memory that Kelly Clarkson was the first contestant to win on the reality show monster, American Idol. Three albums and a handful of hits later, the Texas native has placed herself at the zenith point of pop. Kelly has even overcome the christening point of every pop star before her: Being able to hold the reigns and guide their own career on their terms. In 2006, Kelly was infamously involved in a debacle between music Svengali, Clive Davis over creative direction with her third album, My December. The album proved to be a Goliath step into something to cast Kelly in a different and a much more mature light than her pop peers. Now on All I Ever Wanted, Kelly is still as feisty and as searing as ever, as the album rocks and reels with Kelly coming off quite Pat Benetar-ish. While there are some great moments, there are a couple of rough patches. The album starts off kind of generic, as still "My Life Would Suck Without You" fails to capture any originality for me. Same for "I Do Not Hook Up" which is no doubt guitar-pop catchy, but it sounds like it popped out of the Disney pop manufacturing oven ready made for any tween to put their holler voice to. Fortunately, Kelly stops pretending to be 16 years old and becomes herself as things begin to pick up with the title track. "All I Ever Wanted" is a dizzy punch of pop-rock that is engaging, while "If I Can't Have You" drives on electro juices and is destined to be single material. The ballad of choice is the soaring, "Save You" which has a nice musical texture to it. Kelly gets quite Joan Jett on the mouthful, "Whyyawannabringmedown" where she takes her hair down and spews out a fun as hell two minutes and forty four seconds of sparkling rock. The gurgling bounce of "Ready" is delicate while the closer, "If No One Will Listen" is proof as to why Kelly won Idol almost eight years ago. All I Ever Wanted isn't even close to what Breakaway is...which I'm thankful for. A few songs sound similar to those on Top 40 today (case in point the Ryan Tedder produced "Already Gone" which easily sounds like a cousin to Beyonce's "Halo") and really don't show any growth on Kelly's part. Still Kelly is in the driver's seat with her foot planted firmly on the gas pedal and heading in the right direction. All we have to do is fasten our seat belts and enjoy the ride.

Rating: 8.7/10

Release Date: March 10, 2009

Oh So Classy...But Kleenex Is Necessary

Can you guess what video this is?...

...okay, it's the video for Jazmine Sullivan's single "In Love With Another Man", as the screen cap blares so obviously. If you weren't entirely impressed with the Philly songstress's recent output, this song might just change your mind as it's truly a captivating composition. Emotions will ensue from this black n' white mini-movie where one woman has to decide between two men (oh, poor her...) but I guess if you've been in this debacle, it's quite a tear-jerker and one that has you in knots. But in all honesty, if you can't decide, just make a pros and cons list and if he doesn't clean his socks...RUN! Still this video, directed by Matthew Cherry, is entertaining and even though Jazmine is minimally featured throughout the vid, it's her voice and the track that make this vid a diamond piece.

Audio Vision: Santigold 'Shove's It'

While the verdict is still out on Jimmy Fallon's new role as host of Late Night (he's either really nervous or just plain awful), he's got two things going for me...The Roots as his house band (which I doubted before) and having Santogold, erm...Santigold, on as a performer during the first week. As I'm stalling working on this Third World Politics mid-term paper *slaps hand*, let's have a look at Santigold's performance from Tuesday, which is crack-a-lackin' great. Santi's got the Cher thing going on with the hair, and dare I say she looks rather nice with it, as she performs new single, "Shove It". She also even brings her Ray-Ban clad backup twinsies and rapper Spank Rock along for the performance. Is it just me or when Jimmy Fallon says her name it's almost like he's saying it with a Spanish accent? Weird. Still an entertaining performance of a great song!

Song Stuck In My Head: No Time To Play Love Games

"Real Love"-Jody Watley (1989)

It's going to be a brutal week...as I have two mid-terms, a Spanish paper and an Excel assignment due all in one week (kill me softly). So I figure its time to pull out the heavy artillery. It's time to pull out my Jody Watley collection. Nestled in my stash is her killer 1989 sophomore effort, Larger Than Life, which includes the fierce fire of lead off single, "Real Love". This is a song that I often feel is neglected from 80's best of lists as it has all the ingredients of a classic dance jam. It's got a great solid groove, feisty lyrics and it just makes you want to strut around like a damn proud peacock. Or is it just me? Whatevs...Jody is one of my favorite pop n' R&B divas as her material from the 80's and 90's was top notch and geared to kick start any party. Plus I always thought she did much better solo than in Shalamar during the 1970's...So today, I'm donning my big as my head hoop earrings in honor of one wicked sista whose tunes are gonna get me through this week.

This is the extended version of this music video, oooh special!.....I love some of the shots in this vid, very artsy...If I wore a guy's suit, I'd look dumb, but Jody looks fab...loving that feathered church hat, and yes, I'd look stupid if I wore that hat too...

Cover Smother: Chica-Cherry Cola...

1997 was when Savage Garden came into my life and it wasn't because the sappy teeth ache hurt of "Truly Madly Deeply"...it was because of "I Want You" aka the "Chica-Cherry Cola Song". Plus I was always entranced by the starkness of the front cover of their self-titled debut. And the fact that lead singer, Darren Hayes is giving some sort of wonky side-eye...or eye roll...possibly thinking he can't believe that people skipped over gems like "To The Moon and Back", "Violet" and "Tears Of Pearls" for "Truly Madly Deeply". That was a crime indeed.

Artist Watch: Skye's The Limit

Scrolling through my in-box (yes, I check my e-mail, no matter how bare it is *hint, hint*) I came across this gem of a track by new artist, Skye Taylor. The New York native has been making the blog rounds as of late, but with the voice that she possesses, she needs to be wider known. Skye's promo track, "Blessed" is what you would want from an R&B songstress. It's a skittish hip-hop mating with a gospel-esque chorus and the track will hit home with scorned lovers. So rejoice as Skye has a song for you! No word on when an album will be hitting the store shelves, but with a track like this, it won't be a moment to soon before we'll be hearing much more from this rising starlet. Peep, Skye's MySpace here and take a listen at "Blessed" below and get Skye on your radar....

Take 5 Friday: In Like A Lion...Never Out Like A Lamb

New adventure, yay! Think of it as Oprah's Favorite Things but less vain, more affordable and all Audio Diva! So freak out like a middle-aged housewife who gets a free Whirlpool washer because here are 5 Things that rocked my face this week in music.

1. Let Fall Out Boy Die Of Dysentery on the "Oregon Trail": If you were a kiddo of the 80's and 90's with Apple Macs at your school...the mere mention of Oregon Trail, recalls memories of a computer game, and not the actual historical occurrence. This game was probably one of the main reasons I went to school. Seriously, at my elementary people fought to get on the computers in the library to play this and Kid Pix. Punk-Pop band, Fall Out Boy have designed their own version of the prehistoric computer game and surprisingly it's just as fun as the original. Vitamin Water and Chicken McNuggets are the survival foods of choice, while laser guns are used to hunt flying sheep (get it?). You also get to play "gigs" (Dance Dance Revolution/Tap Tap Revenge-esque) in between traveling the trail with the band. I'm really loving this revisit from my past, even though I've made Pete Wentz and Co. die of starvation, multiple times, but hey it's fun...check it out here if you wanna ride the trail. Oh, and as a double treat, found this site called Virtual Apple 4.0 that let's you play the original Orgeon Trail on your computer...the Internet never fails to amaze me.

2. Blitzin' It Up: Shame on me. It escaped my mind to do a post about The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and all that material from their upcoming album, It's Blitz that weaseled it's way on the World Wide Web these past couple of weeks. On the catch up circuit...let me just say that I think I've found my favorite song of 2009 so far and it resides in the dance swirl of "Heads Will Roll". While this is a stark departure for Karen O. and the Yeah Boys still it all fits...and it gets better with other leaked tracks like the cracklin' "Soft Shock" and the first single, "Zero". In other fab Yeah^3 news, It's Blitz's release date has been bumped up to this coming Tuesday, due to the positive response that the album received upon it's early leakage.

3. Kid Creole and the Coconuts: An oldie but a goodie and oh-so obscure. There shall be many more Kid Creole and the Coconuts themed posts in the near 'Adventures' future, as I find their brand of tropical swing meets funk style quite intriguing not to mention that their sense of humor is right up my alley. Kid Creole have been on my ever evolving "artists I need to listen to now" list since I heard their 1985 track, "Endicott" on some random Internet radio station a few years ago. Well, I can finally check them off that list. At the present time, their 1982 album, Tropical Gangsters is on heavy rotation with, "Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" being the top song of choice. The song features possibly the best put down line ever in a song: "If I was in your blood then you wouldn't be so ugly". Snaps.

4. Upright Bass Never Sounded So Sexy: Neo-Soul/Jazz artist Esperanza Spalding (who has become my new favorite person) covers Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" during a special tribute concert to Mr. "Superstition" himself. The event was thrown by President Barack Obama this past weekend. Just simply divine.

5. Get A Masters In The Beatles: Maybe I should switch majors...journalism is overrated anyways. Just joking....A university in Liverpool is making it possible for you to have a degree in all things Paul, John, George and Ringo. Serious...this is like a Beatles's fanatic (paging BFF's Brittany and Lindsay) dream come true as you learn the dynamics of Beatles songs and their career in four 12-week courses. Don't think that the reading will be light...as the Beatles have had over 8,000 books published about them. Yikes! Still it'd be all kinds of awesome just to tell people that you have a Master's in The Beatles and actually have a diploma to prove it.

Artist Watch: VaVa...VV Brown

As one of my goals this week is to finally pass a Statistics exam (wish me luck on Thursday!), another personal goal is to find a new artist everyday....I've been going on a rampage finding new tunes and artists to worship. Call it boredom with the mainstream or just something to pass the time so I won't have my days filled with percentiles and scatter plot graphs. So on this adventure, I'm introducing you to VV Brown, a wild pop child who has recently captivated the ears of many pop-electro fanatics in blogdom. And she has definitely captivated my eardrums as well. Brown, whom helms from the good old UK, first released a song last year called, "Crying Blood" last year. Since then, she has performed with the always fun, Lady GaGa and is touring with Ladyhawke and The Ting Tings *eeee!!* And if that's not enough cool beans, she is set to release her debut, Traveling Like The Light on May 11th of this year. VV Brown's style is best described as 60's go-go with a rock n' soul twist. While the lazy comparison would be the British version of Janelle Monae...but she quite reminds me of 90's raptress Betty Boo during her GRR! It's Betty Boo days, just with a better singing voice :) Just recently, VV dropped, "Quick Fix" which title explains so much, as it is a short n' sweet sound byte that will getcha arse grooving in no time. Check out "Quick Fix" below, get your free download of it here and keep a watchful eye out for what Ms. Brown has in store for us in '09 as it sounds like it's going to be one big thrill ride!