Lady G Saving The Music Video Industry One Crutch At A Time

Maybe I was a little harsh on Lady GaGa earlier this week, but you know what, when you get right down to it, the woman entertains. And by entertainment, I mean, she dons wacky outfits and even makes crutches couture in the new vid for single,"Paparazzi". Here we have Miss GaGa doing a mini-movie of sorts where she gets involved in an accident and gets her payback, all in the name of fame of course. If you've been missing the idea of a music video with a story line (i.e. Michael Jackson) in this world of short-attention spans, "Paparazzi" brings it all back. Not as polished as one would like, but at least the idea and all the glitter is there and hopefully, artists of today will take note on how you can take a mediocre single and transform it into a visual blast.

Web Salad: Two Can Make It Out Of Sight

A look-see at what's going on in other parts of the music blog-o-sphere

• Soul UK wonders what happened to the duet...The Audio Diva wonders the same
• Meet Dow Jones (aka Common), who's one bad mutha of an economics crime fighter? Head over to Soul Bounce to view the hilarity
• Let's do the time warp again...Melismatic revisits the days of TLC's "No Scrubs"
• Who's Roz Bell? Head over to Nu-Soul Mag to find out about this Canadian singer/songwriter!
• Jezebel enters the "seedy" world of young children singing suggestive songs a la Britney Spears and Lady GaGa
• Did you #unfollowdiddy this week? Good job. Global Grind let's gives us the scoop on Diddy's Twitter platinum payback
• Cigna's Sights and Views knows that Kelly Rowland is indeed filming a video for "When Love Takes Over". Hope is still on the horizon...
• The Saturdays "work it" in new video and give some other girl groups a run for their money, peep Pop Reviews Now for the visual
• A cover worth mentioning...Chrisette Michele tackles No Doubt's "Don't Speak" to incredible results, see the goods over at Pinboard
• BET Entertainment Spotlight puts the glow on Eve, who said everything we've all been feeling about Chris Brown's "I'm Not A Monster" campaign, but could never say so eloquently

Hey Everybody, Move Your Body

Hey, the Misses of Zhane...where the heckle are you? 1993 proved to be a great year for R&B especially with the inclusion of Zhane's Top Ten hit, "Hey, Mr. DJ" off of their debut, Pronounced Jah-Nay. While I was far too young to be party hoppin' and gettin' down on the weekends when this was released, I still jammed to this one when it would play on my Minnie Mouse radio/tape deck. The video is nothing but a big old neighborhood block party, complete with baseball jerseys, turntables, cowrie shell necklaces and lots of hand throwing. It's sooooo early 90's...but it's Friday, so wave your hands in the air if you just don't care!

The Gospel: Overexposure, The New Professional Suicide?

Build me up, buttercup...then you let me down. This is what's happening to me with my musical tirade with Lady Gaga. To begin, Lady Gaga is a guilty pleasure for me, and in honesty, "Just Dance" and "Pokerface" are some of the best pop songs I've heard in a LONG time. Whether you love or hate her, you can't say she has your attention. But her current state of being has rubbed me the wrong way, especially the fact that she's gotten locked in the "Too Big, Too Fast" brigade. The brigade where the 15 minutes of fame clock has already started to begin. I remember when I first blogged about the GaGa on a now defunct blog, and at the time, she was actually a breath of fresh air. She played piano and looked rather like a normal person, and not a Dale Bozzio (from Missing Persons) impersonator who considers herself "an art piece" and not a simple pop star. Now that Lady GaGa isn't my little pop secret anymore, my likeness for her waned because the music and the fact that Lady GaGa can play a damn instrument and write her own material, is kind of lost. The image has taken over and it's being shoved down our throats. This is kind of the road I went down with Beyonce Knowles, the grand dame of "overexposureness" whom managed to overbear the R&B charts and make a video for each and every song off of her 2006's B'Day album, not to mention was in movies, TV commercials and was just basically like Big Brother looming over and "watching you" for a good solid year. Blame their promotion team or Papa Knowles, or really, just blame the Internet. With social networking, video sites and blogs (like this one *wink*), Beyonce and Lady GaGa have ushered in the "new pop star"...the one where everywhere you turn, there they are, like a monkey on your back, as if you are obligated to like them because they are such a constant. Has overexposure in the media tainted the appeal of these stars? Think about it, if a talented underground artist got wildly popular and was everywhere at once, would you reassess your image of them because everyone suddenly knew who they were? Would you stop pumping their music because it became too accessible? Or would you ignore the hype and stick with it? Sometimes, maybe absence does makes the heart grow fonder.

Read A Book, Instead Of Watching This

For the record, "Paranoid" kept me locked onto Kanye West's, 808's & Heartbreak, due to the mere fact that it was the only song that didn't seem plagued with auto-tune-itis. Plus it also features one of my newbie faves, British vocalist, Mr. Hudson, and featured a hella good 80's techno back beat. After witnessing a blurry version of the song's video a couple of weeks back, I'm still disappointed to find out that this video doesn't live up to the song's caliber. Here we have Rihanna co-starring as she writhes about, looks distressed and drives in what looks like bumper car throughout the vid's three minutes and 48 seconds. Is this visual supposed to be some inside message video to Chris Brown? Or was Kanye so focused on his upcoming book, that he just kind of said, "Rihanna just do that glazed stare you do in every one of your videos and look cute. It's gonna be art, I tell ya, ART!" No. Staring at the camera does not equal art, it equals, being lazy.

Thriller, Killer Night

Dance 'til your dead, indeed. The Yeah Yeahs Yeahs unleash this beast of a video for the crazy good single of "Heads Will Roll", the second single off of their fun third album, It's Blitz! You will witness a glittery attack on some unsuspecting viewers from the hands of a dancing and dapper wolfman, which oddly brings to mind the movements and mannerisms of the King Of Pop...well, in the Thriller videos of course. Hide the kiddos and indulge in a scary good ride, oh, and Karen O.'s saran wrap shoulder pads. Such spooky sophistication.

Audio Vision: 1, 2, 3...The Music Of Sesame Street

Can you count all the way to 40? 40 years, that is, of Sesame Street being on air? This year the popular children's television show is blowing out forty candles, and of course they are going to count them all while singing a song. Don't laugh. You know you enjoyed some Ernie crooning to his rubber ducky about being "the one" (and who made bath time lots of fun), and you embraced Oscar the Grouch's love for trash. Before Michael Jackson, the gang from Sesame Street were my rock stars as their songs helped me learn how to count, spell and learn about the health benefits of vegetables. Still laughing? It's been a slow news day. If I can't convince you gigglers any further, you might be interested in the fact that some sage musical favorites have made appearances on the show, singing right along side Elmo, the Cookie Monster and that schizo-piano player Prairie Dawn. Let's take a look at some of the musical moments that Sesame Street has graced us with. There are more after the cut if you feel like being nostalgic....

Grover fails at scatting...Stevie Wonder secretly laughs

Smokey Robinson teaches us that the letter "U" is a stalker

Gloria Estefan disturbs the peace with her conga

Sesame Street gets indie with Feist and 1,2,3,4

Patti LaBelle takes the kiddos and the ABC's to church

And for kicks...Madonna's "Material Girl"...made into "Cereal Girl"

First Impressions: Oceana Makes Waves

Forgive the nautical pun in the post title...it's kind of bound to happen when a name like Oceana is involved. Thanks to blog buddies Soul UK and Sexy Never Left I've got massive love for newbie Oceana and her debut album, Love Supply, which possesses some serious soul moves n' grooves. Behind the free flowing blonde 'fro is a talented singer hailing from Germany, who was mentored by a family friend, the legendary jazz musician, Maceo Parker. So it's no surprise that Love Supply follows in the lane of Parker's stylish sound, yet Oceana's witty attitude makes for a modern twist on familiar territory. Those who have become weary of Amy Winehouse's year-long shenanigans will find Love Supply a competent candidate to fill the void. Not to deter away from Oceana herself, who is a great vocalist on her own accord, but if you miss the Wine, Love Supply's soul content and cheeky quips crashes the camp grounds. The lead-off single, "Cry Cry" expertly details the changes between childhood friends over a doo-wop background. "Bad Boy" blends in a skittish percussion beat with rousing horns and you can't help but snap along to it. The jerky "Last Supply" is go-go boots ready, while the fabulously titled, "Fucked Up Situation" wallows in a mix of gritty Blues and pop. Oceana dabbles in a warm Gospel number called "U Need A Hug" and then turns around and does a Motown homage in "As Sweet As You" which is drips with sugary summer fun. Oceana expresses her love of Reggae as "Baby Hold On" rocks on that steady vibe. On the personal front, I dig "All Genetic", which has a great cohesive musical breakdown in the chorus that just booms through the speakers. It's really no secret that Oceana is destined for some sort of recognition as Love Supply is one of the best and most ambitious soul offerings you'll hear all year. It's frisky, fun and funks you out of your socks. As Oceana's MySpace indicates, this ocean is in motion.

Rating: 9.8/10
Release Date: May 26, 2009

Cry CryBad BoyAll Genetic

First Impressions: Usher Gets In The Groove With The Neptunes

What's a guy to do when he released uninspired dreck about a year ago? You enlist The Neptunes to get your groove back on track, that's what you do. Usher gets smart and goes back to basics for his new single, "What's A Guy To Do", which is produced by Pharrell Williams and Co. The track is slated to be on Ursh's new album entitled, Monster. The song is a nice mid-tempo that is truly in a Michael Jackson Off The Wall state of mind but it fits Usher like a well...glove. Let's just hope that the rest of the album's material amounts up to a name like "monster", as it sounds like with this number he's going back to what made albums like 1997's My Way and 2004's Confessions modern R&B so great. With "What's A Guy To Do", Usher stops conforming and being overtly flashy (see "Love In This Club") and brings back that classic R&B that seems to be missing from the mainstream. Now this is more like it. Monster will be unleashed this Fall.

First Impressions: Get In 'Step' With Beverley Knight

The Queen is back on her throne, the Queen of UK Soul that is. Back in March, news about Beverley Knight's return to the music scene was released and now there is finally a fresh new track from the effort making its way to the surface. "Every Step" is a lite funk and pop track that has rides on a summery vibe. It feels like a warm old school number, almost like it bounced off of Beverley's 90's era. Quite like it and it's Beverley Knight, what's not to worship? Be on the lookout for Miss Knight's upcoming sixth album which will be hitting stores later this year.

Special thanks to blog bud, Woosh from Sexy Never Left for the heads up and the track!

Cover Smother: How Perfect

Reminds me of summer...the dripping ice cream cone and Minnie Riperton's oh-so-honey sweet voice. The late Miss Riperton's most popular album, 1974's Perfect Angel, which featured her biggest hit, "Lovin' You", which unfortunately gets butchered and parodied often. She was such a classy lady. Also, I cannot believe that Maya Rudolph, of Saturday Night Live fame, is her daughter.

First Impressions: Anthony + Algebra + Phonte = Um...Epicness

Shame on me. Anthony David hasn't gotten a shout out on here. And I call myself a music blogger *pfft* Well, he's here now and this time there's some great news to go along with his first post here. The soulful singer/songwriter is strapping on his guitar once again for a brand new album, which is something the fans have been waiting for since Acey Ducey from last year. Yep, us fans can't even be patient for a mere year. Mr. Acey Duecy will be dropping, As Above, So Below later this year and one of the songs to get a leak is a collaboration with fellow soul stars, Algebra Blessett and Phonte from Foreign Exchange. Talk about a trifecta of talent! Do I even need to go in depth with "4evermore" and it's musical make-up? I mean, doesn't the line-up of talent on this single track give you a inkling that this is good? Well, you prodded me..."4evermore" is a nicely layered mid-tempo soul piece that has a lovely backdrop of strings and horns. It has a classic feel to it and it sounds just heavenly. Great song to sip some lemonade too and add to your summer playlist.

All The Fixin's

Dragonette are some straight up busy-bodies. It was just a couple of weeks ago they released their new single, "Fixin' To Thrill", and now here we have the video, and a rather oddball one at that. Like Karen O. from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, front-woman Martina Sorbara is a force for Dragonette as she completely shows out here, but in a good way. She really let's her diva flag fly high in this vid, as she flaunts and prances around in a cassette tape ribbon cape. The vid's plot line rests in the "creation" of Martina, by the hands of some children. It has a Frankenstein feel to it but in fixated in a glam rock ideal. A little bizarre? Yes, but it's oh so worth the watch.

Freebie Adventures: Cover Smother-The Album

Everyone likes a good cover song, well...if it's done correctly. Sometimes it's hard to find a cover song where the artist can take a classic, well-known jam and make it into something unique or equally as grand as the original. The songs that you see (and will hear) before you are covers songs that I particularly enjoy from a variety of artists and genres. You'll hear "Sledgehammer" work as a slow moving Gospel number and"Sour Times" get a Motown injection. There are a lot of surprises (see Dannii Minogue getting soulful) and lots of "wow that was better than original" (see Maxwell), but you can be the judge of that once you download and listen. But be forwarned, you might find a new favorite rendition!

Shoutout to Woosh from the fabu, Sexy Never Left for sharing the James Morrison track with me...it's all kinds of superb! ENJOY! :)

Tracklisting:
1. Say A Little Prayer-Diana King (originally by Dionne Warwick)
2. Touch A 4 Leaf Clover-Erykah Badu (originally by Atlantic Starr)
3. Sour Times-Bryn Christopher (originally by Portishead)
4. Private Life-Grace Jones (originally by The Pretenders)
5. I Wanna Be Your Lover-Haywoode (originally by Prince)
6. This Woman’s Work-Maxwell (originally by Kate Bush)
7. One-Mary J. Blige (originally by U2)
8. All This Love-Leigh Jones (originally by DeBarge)
9. A Love Of Your Own-Millie Jackson (originally by the Average White Band)
10. Just Got Paid-NSYNC (originally by Johnny Kemp)
11. Sex On Fire-James Morrison (originally by Kings of Leon)
12. Sledgehammer-Maiysha (originally by Peter Gabriel)
13. Sweet Dreams-Bat For Lashes (originally by the Eurythmics)
14. Sealion (Sea Line Woman) –Feist (originally by Nina Simone)
15. Show You The Way To Go-Dannii Minogue (originally by the Jacksons)
16. Two Of Hearts-Annie (originally by Stacey Q)
17. Stars-Rahsaan Patterson (originally by Janis Ian)

DL: Cover Smother

Song Stuck In My Head: Since You've Been Away, I've Been Hanging Around

"What Have I Done To Deserve This?"-Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield (1987)

Everything is comin' up dusty. Dusty Springfield that is! Though I should be, I'm just not an avid Pet Shop Boys fan (I know slay me). Yet, there are a handful of singles that I particularly enjoy from the British electro-pop duo. 1986's "West End Girls" is always a popular favorite and one of the decades best, but I tend to gravitate to this song more so. Probably because it has Miss Springfield on it, but it's quite lovely how Dusty and PSB vocalist, Neil Tennant's voices blend so naturally together on this, not to mention it's got a great synth and percussion backdrop that grooves on. There is much more to this song than just its chugging soulful beat though, as the track single-handedly brought Dusty Springfield back in the spotlight, after she had been in obscurity for about several years at the time. The song, off of the duo's Actually album, reached the #2 spot back in 1987 and solidified a working musical partnership between PSB and Dusty, as later down the road the Boys produced some tracks on Dusty's 1990 comeback record, Reputation. Now this is a song that I don't mind having looping over and over in my head.

Does Neil Tennant ever smile? He always looks so serious...Dusty looks like a Golden Girl in this, but aside from that, she is once again rocking it, can't deny that stellar voice...

Web Salad: We Come 2gether

A look-see at what else is going on in the music blog-o-sphere!

• Pop Trash Addicts is back and is introducing us to the Pop Panel, where fellow pop bloggers rip Mariah Carey's "Love Story" video and Paula Abdul's comeback single to shreds. Class awaits you.
• Can't hold on another moment for Maxwell's Black Summer's Night? Pinboard has heard the album and has a review.
• Soul UK let's us get to know about a talented and soulful lady by the name of Sharlene Hector.
• Is Esmee Denters the next big thing? Pop Reviews Now let's us know.
• It was Notorious B.I.G's birthday this week, celebrate with My Mood Is Music.
• Nu-Soul Mag once again serves up a delightful interview, this time it's with Miss #1 album, Chrisette Michele

The Gospel: Who Is Really The "New" Anything?

Poor Kanye West. Poor misguided and jaded Kanye West. He truly believes that:

"JUSTIN IS THE NEW MIKE, BEYONCE'S THE NEW TINA TURNER, GAGA'S MADONNA, JAY IS SINATRA... WAYNE IS HENDRIX, THOM YORKE IS ROGER WATERS, THESE ARE THE CHAMPIONS".

First off, Kanye needs to stop Glenn Beck-ing his caps locks button, and second, he needs to breathe fresh air and not that glue bag he's been sniffing like Spike Lee did in Crooklyn. While Kanye is probably talking out of the side of his neck once again, he may be the poster child for something that we are all guilty of doing: comparing. Comparisons are about as annoying as hangnails because they just keep coming back. I will admit, that on this blog I will try to compare an artist to give my readers an ideal of how one such artists sound is akin to others, but I myself kind of don't like doing it. Comparing newer artists to established ones seem like we're rushing the musical process. It reminds me of when everyone was touting Jazmine Sullivan as the new Jennifer Hudson, when poor JHud hadn't even released her debut album. It's almost like we're not letting the meat marinate in the bowl so that the flavors get sealed in.

Or, maybe it is high time we consider "replacements" as Michael Jackson is prepping his swan song tour (and canceling/pushing back dates), Jimi Hendrix and Frank Sinatra are both deceased, and Madonna hasn't been on her A-game lately, but do we really need to compare these people to these legends who made the blueprint that these artists needlessly copy inch by inch? What happened to being a trendsetter of your own accord? Or is this just "a little bit history repeatin'"? To me, it's a little daunting (or premature) to be thinking of some of these artists as the next anything because frankly, none of above mentioned (yes, even Radiohead's Thom Yorke) have reached the point of "legend" status. Maybe time will tell if the above mentioned artists will take over the thrones, but for now, it's just too soon to call. Nice to call attention to it, Mr. West, but for the record, last I heard picking up a guitar and making a "rock themed" album just because you "feel like it" does NOT make you the next Jimi Hendrix. Originality, get some folks.

Cover Smother: Maxwell Rising

The reign of Maxwell has begin...let's go forth.

Your American Idol Of 2009 Is...Kris Allen

Yes, I'm shocked too, Kris.

Oh, where to begin about last night's festivities? A mini snark run-down of the best bits:

• Cyndi Lauper was there, with the best performance of "Time After Time". It was monumental.
  
• Rod Stewart looked a little under the influence of some brew, possibly not knowing where he was.
• AI Judge Kara Dioguardi proved that she is a massive attention whore.
• Norman Gentle popped up being the fabulous being he is.
• Black Eyed Peas and Fergie had the censors all over them as they performed the awful, "Boom Boom Pow" and Fergie sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" for the 7,737,789th time.
• Lionel Ritchie managed to make "All Night Long" boring. I blame contestant, Adam Gokey, who was at his side being obnoxious.
  
• Someone got "escorted" off the stage by security, mid-broadcast.
• AI Judge, Randy Jackson, out tackied finalist, Adam Lambert in that Dr. Dolittle outfit.
• Queen and KISS were there...but no Aerosmith.
• Oh, and finally the two best moments...Contestant Matt Guiard's scrunched up ~serious~ singing face during the performance of "Smooth"....and contestant, Anoop Desai being the only believable person singing, "Do You Think I'm Sexy?"

If you saw my Twitter, I kind of gave a mini-live blogging account and boy oh, boy was it fun to snark along to one of the most campiest finales in the history of American Idol. Seriously, who cared that Kris Allen won? He cannot compare to fellow contestant (and the shoe-in winner), Adam Lambert's Grace Jones-esque spacesuit contraption or the fact that Steve Martin's banjo playing is oodles better than contestant, Megahn Joy's howling singing. Oh, yes, American Idol served up the cheese platter with Cheez-Whiz on top this year. There was so much glitter, spandex (looking at you Queen Latifah and Lil' Rounds), microphone hogging and dry ice machinery going on that it felt like a disjointed musical on stage. If you missed the show, don't worry, clips of it are probably all over YouTube and on American Idol's official site, and if you need literature on what went down, there is a full on-the-minute recap here, especially if my spill didn't do it justice. Let's hear it for Idol for bringing the entertainment this season and hope that next year they serve up more priceless moments.

*Discuss the American Idol finale from Kris's win to Adam's outfits to what were the most laughable moments of the evening in comments!*


~Norman Gentle welcomes you into the comments...(yes, I cannot stop with the .gifs this week, help me)~

Album Watch: The Lioness Is Ready To Roar In August

Let's all take a big sigh of relief. Ready...1, 2, ahhhhh...the reason for the exhale is that R&B singing chanteuse, Teedra Moses is finally coming out with her sophomore effort, The Young Lioness, this SUMMER. Yep, you are reading this correctly, this August we will be treated to the sounds of Miss Moses. After Teedra's record label, TVT Records went bankrupt, it seemed that the idea of Teedra releasing an album was just lingering in the air. Now some odd mixtape drops and whispering rumors later, The Young Lioness is to be seeing the light of day, and from Teedra's words, the wait has been worth it. We will be seeing Teedra collaborate with the great Raphael Saddiq as well as appearances by modern soul man, Raheem DeVaughn and rapper, The Game. Sounds like this little collection is not going to disappoint! Hopefully I won't judge it too harshly on it's arrival, as Teedra's debut, 2004's Complex Simplicity is one of my all-time favorite albums...The Young Lioness has got some big shoes to fill! Check out Teedra giving more scoop on her musical whereabouts and what to expect from the new effort as she dishes it out with Soul Culture.com below.

Riddle Me List: Top 7 Guilty Pleasures...Let The Cringing Begin

First off, I'm being cliche. There is no such thing as a "guilty pleasure". There is such a thing as liking what you like no matter what people think is good or awful. Music is supposed to be a independent thing...but since we are in the day in age where we have music snobs that roam with noses held high, we have to conform. As well as feel ashamed that amid our avant-garde "hip" tunes, we have dirty little musical secrets. Secrets that we have to dust off and play when no one is looking. The seven albums you see below are my personal vices, albums that I'm sure would tarnish a bit of my cred...or so I like to believe. Share in my embarrassment.

1. Tiffany-New Inside: Yes, this album BOMBED, and yes, Tiffany doing her best Pebbles impression was a little cringing, but this album is by all means that sensation you get when you chew on a pristine piece of bubblegum. It's sugary sweet and delish. Maybe I need mental help, but I seriously found this album downright entertaining especially towards the end where tracks like "Life Affair" and "Our Love" reside. They aren't so jarring as the title track (where Donny Wahlberg, of all people, does a "rap"). Screw Tiffany's 80's stuff, she was so boring singing those schmaltzy ballads...when she decides to get all urban, she was much more fun.

2. Samantha Fox-Greatest Hits: I don't actually tell people I know the words to "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)"....wait, I did just now. Crap. Well, I dig Samantha Fox and I think one of these days I'll get to writing a thesis on why she's not as awful as she has been perceived. Okay, she is not the greatest singer and the topless model back story makes you not want to take her seriously at all, but pop tarts today wish they could be Ms. Fox. Lady GaGa is the only pop star at the moment who amounts to the guilty pleasure trash compactor that Sam Fox was. Her mega-hit, "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)" is well...awful, but I prefer her better when she hooked up with production teams like Full Force and Stock, Aiken and Waterman, that's when the magic happened. "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" are the epitome of pop delights and my personal favorite, "Another Woman (Too Many People)" should get an award for being just plain ridiculous.



3. Ciara-The Evolution: Want to know why I sometimes give Ciara the benefit of the doubt on this blog? It's all because of this little firecracker right here. This album sort of took me by surprise back in 2006 as I wasn't even close to being a Ciara fan. I despised what "Goodies" was (talk about screechy), so I proceeded to not lend my ears to anymore Ciara creations. That was until "Get Up" was released and I found myself getting caught up in her energy. From there, The Evolution found its way into my heavy rotations. Though the single choices were handled poorly, there are some great dance joints on this like "I Proceed", "C.R.U.S.H." and the hilariously silly, "Get In Fit It". While I usually don't go for cheap plastic R&B mixed with hip-hop at times, Ciara got it right with this. And no, I did not listen to Fantasy Ride...it kinda of doesn't exist in my world after this.

4. 5 Star-Greatest Hits: There are 18 songs on this thing. Serious. I don't even think 5 Star knew they had 18 hits, but they apparently do, and you know what, I know every lyric to each of those songs. I take pride in that. The Pearson siblings were, in a way, replicas of the Jacksons, but they were so got damn HAPPY doing those synchronized dances in those sequined outfits, that it's severely hard not to resist them. 5 Star's music is best described as perky adrenalin shots of 80's synth-R&B. It's highly danceable and oozing with saccharine sweetness, and the songs stick in your head for days. "If I Say Yes" was their biggest Stateside hit and possibly their best track next to "Find The Time" and the finger snapping diss of "Stay Out Of My Life". Lead vocalist is Deniece Pearson is the real star of the show though...she has sported a blonde weave long before Beyonce and she even once engaged to Eddie Murphy...she's kind of bad ass.


*Not too embarrassed to progress on? Check after the cut for more guilty pleasures, and share your faves in comments!*

5. Dannii Minogue-Neon Nights: Or rather, anything by Dannii Minogue is a sinful pleasure. I have mentioned that there is a gay boy who lives inside of me...he comes out when I pop in 2003's Neon Nights, which is drenched in perfectly crafted pop fare. Everything on the album sparkles, so it's usually hard for me to pick what songs are the best. Where can I begin? There's "I Begin To Wonder" (vid below), "For The Record", "Mighty Fine", "On The Loop", "A Piece Of Time", "Who Do You Love Now?"....there's even "Vibe On" and ode to that little ~pleasure mechanism~. Ah, there is so much glorious trash to feast your ears on!

6. Bobby Brown-Don't Be Cruel: As an advocate for Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown is of ignorant proportions. He has single-handily ruined Ms. Houston's career and for that, I cannot forgive him...but when I do listen to 1988's Don't Be Cruel, I pretend a lot of that trifling stuff between the two of them never happened. The album is that good. I blame the producer, you know, Babyface, for making me feel this way. He made sure that Bobby Brown had a fantastic album in his catalog, to make up for all of his later short-comings...it was almost as if he predicted it. New Jack was never so sharp or accessible to the pop market, and *sigh* Bobby Brown can croon a tune. He's no Johnny Gill, but he does have talent, just that he abused it later in his career. All the classics are here such as "Every Little Step", the title track and yeah, "My Prerogative". And for the record if a guy calls me a "Tenderoni", I'll probably date him for three days. It's semi-endearing.

7. Stevie B-Greatest Hits: Where there's freestyle, there's Stevie B and during the 80's into the early 90's he was king of that movement. Whenever I hear a Stevie B. song, preferably "Party Your Body", it's almost like a voodoo curse. I have to get up and dance and do insane hand gestures. I once heard "Party Your Body" in a clothing store...I embarrassed my mom fully. His music just has that effect on me. Songs like "I Wanna Be The One" and "Spring Love" remind me of skating rink parties where the mix tapes were freestyle, Spice Girls and Chumbawamba. Good times. Stevie's #1 hit, "The Postman Song" is on my list of songs to sing at a karaoke bar before I die. The song is perfect to unleash on an unsuspecting audience, as it's just filled with epic vocal runs. It's quite a shame no one on American Idol has attempted this song...then again, they couldn't do it justice.

Audio Vision: Gleeful for 'Glee'

Oh, joyous rapture! Finally a TV show that circles around music that isn't reality based or features a little blonde chick who's name ends in a US state. So what's this show I speak of? Why it's FOX's new comedy, the appropriately titled, Glee. The show revolves a group of high school students who are involved in their school's "uncool" Glee Club...and all the jazz hands and drama that ensues as their teacher proceeds to take them to a big national competition. Glee wouldn't be a high school showcase without the underlying clashing of cliques, you know the cheerleaders, jocks, nerds etc....think if The Breakfast Club was somehow perkier and circled around musical competitions. The show clearly is promising and is a guilty pleasure morsel of comedy goodness. Plus it is giving me old flashbacks of my theatre days. It's practically torturous that we have to wait till the Fall television season for us to see the rest of the season, but the pilot episode just wet the whistle and gives us something to look forward to recording to our DVR's. Now what about the music you ask? Well, Glee donned its campy pop shorts, as songs such as Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", Grease's "You're The One I Want" and even Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" were spotlighted in fun theatrical fare. Clearly, it was quite nice to see something cheerful and downright syrupy in the beginning of the week. Let's just hope that FOX doesn't catch 'ABC Cancellation Syndrome' and cancels it after a couple of episodes, as it seems that every oddball comedy show that ever pops up gets the plug pulled. So FOX, don't stop believing in this show! Oh, and if you loved the songs featured on last night's episode, iTunes has you covered.

Adventures In Irrelevancy: The Diva Drive-Thru

To begin Wednesday aka "Hump Day" off right, a .gif that will leave you in a fit of giggles. Oh, I love all the divas in this one, but you gotta admit this is HILARIOUS.

First Impressions: Izibor Is Soul...and So Much More

If the name Laura Izibor doesn't ring any bells, don't worry, she's just as new to me as she is to you. This Dublin, Ireland native churns out the soul like no other, and within the first few bars of the opening track, "Shine", you'll wonder where she has been all your life, and also where else you've heard her velvety soul growl. Izibor, also a pianist, has had her music featured in various movies and TV shows from The Nanny Diaries, Why Did I Get Married? and Grey's Anatomy. Now, it's Laura's time to really 'shine' as she has released her debut album, Let The Truth Be Told this year. What you will hear is a vocalist wise beyond her years (she's only 21, folks!) and an album that is chock-filled with perfectly crafted modern soul offerings. Izibor and her piano go forth through a mosaic of tunes that deal with heartbreak, make-ups and being true to oneself. Songs such "Don't Stay" has touches of Gospel mixed into its interior, while "If Tonight Is My Last" beautifully showcases Laura's impressive range. "From My Heart To Yours" is seriously ready radio with it's plucky piano intro and its sing-along summer groove. The eruption of orchestral strings and brass ensembles adds a certain charm to the album, as songs like "Perfect World" and "Yes (I'll Be Your Baby)" feel like old friends that you are revisiting again, as the soul sounds are practically lifted from a 1960's Stax songbook. The soaring final number, "Mmm..." is simplistic yet packs such an emotional punch that its resonates long after it's execution. Izibor is match, set, and game for a promising career ahead of her and it's evident that Let The Truth Be Told, will be one of the better soul offerings you'll hear this year. Even though this is only just the first stepping stone for Izibor, the album as a whole predicts that we'll be seeing and hearing more from her in the years to come.

Rating: 9.8/10
Release Date: June 16, 2009 (US)

Shine If Tonight Is My LastFrom My Heart To Yours

Reheating Leftovers: Take It Away, Keyboard Cat

One semester down. 1.5 semesters left...or so I hope. While I was drowning in finals, here's what I missed in the land of all things musical. Sad to report, but none of this covers publicity stunts known as ~leaked~ nude pics (looking at you Rihanna) and pointless blog post fights between Eminem and Nick Cannon over Mariah Carey (how Rainbow era!).


1.Keyboard Cat: I'm literally obsessed...this cat is mad soulful and he is right on time when he plays failing folks off. Oh, see the .gif above? It plays right along side the piano intro of Babyface's "Tender Lover". It's maddening.


2. Amerie's Returns and asks "why?": Just the other day, I was reminiscing with BFF Guyna about 90's R&B and how we wish it kind of came back. Well, Amerie must have been eavesdropping on our conversation because she has released her new song, "Why R U?" and it recalls those days of hats 2 da back and Mary J. Blige talking about "Real Love". "Why R U?" is a wonderful return for the singer who is prepping to release her fourth album, In Love & War. It's got a slip n' slide crackling hip-hop back beat but it eases into a infectious soulful state of mind. Me loves. Let's just hope that this gets some attention so Amerie can squash those R&B diva wannabes like bugs this year. Take a listen below:

3. Who is MPHO?: An acronym for a person who is a Mega Pancake Horder Oddball? No, MPHO is a new music sensation from the UK that is melding what we love about pop, rock and hip-hop and making it into her own tartly irresistible creation. Think if you threw Santigold, Debbie Harry and Cyndi Lauper into a skillet and scrambled things about. The singer-songwriter-producer, is about to unleash her debut album, Pop Art, come this Fall, and from the sound of first single, "Box n' Locks", it's going to be torturous wait. "Box n' Locks" sounds like a long lost 80's gem as it is laced with a guitar sample from the new wave song, "Echo Beach" by Martha & The Muffins. The song has all the elements of what to expect from a dazzling pop-rock gem. Check it out here and put MPHO on your watch list this instant.

4. Mr. Hudson and Mr. West Conquer The 'Supernova': BFF's Kanye West and Mr. Hudson have finally unveiled their current collaborative concoction and it's the bombastic, "Supernova" off of Hudson's upcoming, Straight No Chaser. First listen verdict: I smell a hit. Let's just see if my senses are not wacked out, listen below:


5. Coko's Nail Art Is Retrospected: My life is seriously complete. I have been waiting for someone to point out the obvious artistry of SWV's lead singer, Coko's nails and lo and behold, the always on point FourFour has done so brilliantly. Feast your eyes on those talons! As I am a nail polish nut, this is something I cannot begin to do. The colors, yes, but the length, hell no, I'll scratch my own eye out! How did she survive the 90's with those nails? How? And if I was the other sisters with voices, I would've been mad jealous at all the attention the nails got...not to mention antsy at being close to her. Coko could cut a bitch with those.

6. Mika's Returns...In A Somber State Of Mind: Oh, wasn't "Grace Kelly" a great song? Yeah, it was kind of too chipper for its own good and it's a wee bit pretentious, but damn, it was good. So is Mika going to grace us with more teeth-achingly catchy pop music? Erm...not quite. The British pop singer is stripping himself of the Freddie Mercury persona and getting a little bit well, ~serious~. Mika is releasing the Songs For Sorrow EP on May 25th and it's to feature four new tracks and a 68-high quality booklet of artwork done by some of Mika's fave artists. The song, "Lonely Alcoholic" has been leaked and its a bit more bare bones than what we're used to. Take a listen of the track here.

7. Miss Bextor's Digital Get-Down:


Oooh, pretty flashing colors. The Bextor once again makes you believe in the beat.

Spin Me Right 'Round: Rahsaan Vibes On 'After Hours'

Sometimes its hard for me to imagine that Rahsaan Patterson used to be The Kid on the TV show, Kids Incorporated back in the day. But you grow up and you get right, and Rahsaan obviously has done that. Since his 1997 self-titled debut, the Bronx native has been showing us the musical meaning of "grown n' sexy". As he has literally picked up where Prince left off in the 80's (think if "Adore" was extended into an album) and also has taken a page out of Stevie Wonder's 'talking book', Rahsaan added his own flavor to the old-school soul pot and has carved a stylish career out for himself. In 2004, Rahsaan dropped his third record, After Hours, and sealed his position atop the neo-soul totem pole. With the helping producing hand of soul man Van Hunt, After Hours perfectly fits into the mood of a easy-going summer night. Relaxing and stylish to the bone, Rahsaan's third entry is effortlessly accomplished as elements of classic funk are updated for the 21st century on a bulk of the tracks. Such is the case for "So Hot", which is a swirling early 80's funk n' horns triumph that doesn't seem overtly glossy, it's in a word: perfect. The slinky, "Burnin'" wraps you in silky charm while "You Make Life So Good" rides on a lovely warm vibe. The stunning closer "April's Kiss" has a great jazz back beat that richly glows with honesty. It's obvious to the ears, that Rahsaan's vocals drive this record into excellence, but with the addition of diverse production and poignant lyrical content, you'll be in good company with After Hours.

Rating: 9.5/10

Cover Smother: Ginuwine Gives Us Face Time

My thoughts: Mmmhmm...this is looking mighty good on a Monday morn. Especially that "come hither" stare...oh.my.yes.

Ginuwine keeps on keepin' as his new album, A Man's Thoughts drops in stores this June 2nd. The birdies are tweeting that Brandy and Keyshia Cole are making guest appearances and that Ginuwine has upped his game and is going strictly soulful on this...let's hope he can recapture that magic from his 90's hey-day.

What We Are...A Love Bizarre

Four things you must know about this video before viewing:

1. This is EPIC.
2. This is EPIC.
3. This is EPIC.
4. This is EPIC.

To reiterate, this is EPIC. I feel like I do too many Prince related posts on this blog already and I swore I was going to take a break after the cosmic drop of the Protege's list. But I can't keep my hand out of the jar of 'starfish n' coffee'. This is one of my favorite videos as it features a rousing duet performance of "A Love Bizarre" with Sheila E. in tow from one of her tours back in 1986. There is so much going on in this vid, from Prince's London Fog jacket, to Sheila E.'s hair flapping around, to all the hyper dancing from everyone on stage. Talk about a performance. Oh, and I see you Wendy Melvoin, strumming on that guitar all in the background....

Finals Hang-Ups

<----I seriously feel like this. Highly uncomfortable. Why? Because it's the dreaded finals week here in Audio Diva Land. So you know what that means....my free time is being held captive by the "evil" college machine. Since I need some studying time, I will be away from the blog for the remainder of the week, but I shall return next week with more musical musing fare. So to all those who are wallowing in finals misery, I feel your pain and good luck to you! Oh, and also congrats to all the grads who will be removing that ball and chain once they get their diplomas!

My lovely Adventurers, I will see you in a week! :)

And to not make you too sad about my absence, here is a "Mother's Day ode", in case you missed it. It's totally skeevy but hilarious nonetheless.

Melanie Steps Into a Soulful Night Life

Melanie Fiona is one to watch for. Can't stress this enough. Need proof? Press play above and become awash in what is her first single, "Give It To Me Right". This song just pops and sizzles like bacon doesn't it? Sorry, I'm a bit hungry...for food and for some real true blue R&B singers, and right now Melanie is hitting the spot with her throwback soulful vibe. The video is a little "meh", considering that there is alot of posing and hair flips from the singer, but my guy Adventurers will no doubt dig this visual treat and really you'll be more engaged by the song than anything else. Take notes Cassie...this is how you attract attention...with talent and class.

First Impressions: Dragonette Brings On The Thrills

Canada's glossiest (and best named) electro-pop band, Dragonette, are set to wow us all again with their pop smarts. After the success of their 2007 debut, the glorious Galore, the group are releasing a new album, and fans don't have to grow weary of the wait, as it will be getting a release this August. Oh, how fantastic! The first single, "Fixin' To Thrill" has gotten a web leak today, and it's got that faultless jolt of power to help me study for these darn finals. The song literally sends shock waves with it's collision of rock guitars and funky pop synths. Talk about the perfect song to kick-start your weekend off with!