First Impressions: Paloma's Truth & Beauty

It is too salty of an assumption that newbie Paloma Faith is being Amy Winehouse's seat filler. It is obligatory since the two women share a British background yet possess a Southern Fried vocal twang that gives them that blue-eyed soul quality. Then the similarities halt there especially after one listen to Paloma's first curtain call. Paloma is showier, quirky and is a tad more smoothed around the frayed edges than La Winehouse. Almost theater geek like but less rampant. Whatever Paloma looks, sounds or feels like, there is room to marvel over her debut, which is waiting in the wings to be one of 2009's finest recordings. Playing at a brief, yet cohesive 10 tracks, You Want The Truth, Or Something Beautiful? plays like a glorious musical soundtrack, as its chock-filled with symphonic laced suites, blaring horn workouts and soaring ballads. The burlesque dancer-turned singer, gives us an exceptional debut, that possesses compositions that blossom upon arrival and play out like poetry in motion. "Stone Cold Sober" was the singer's formal introduction to the masses, and the horn infused head bopper stomps along gloriously as it kicks off the set. The 50's soda shop standard is modernized on the earnest, "Broken Doll". Current single, "New York" sits comfortably on this set, still being the gorgeous highlight it is. The title track is a swirling epic piece that starts out like a brooding Philly Soul number that stepped out of the 60's, but turns on its head with the lush orchestral display during the instrumental bridge and its just insanely perfect. Another flawless cut is the delicate, "Stargazer", which has the most alluring chorus and climactic build-up, you have to play it twice. "Upside Down" has the potential to be a single with its rousing feet shuffling go-go groove as is the sing-song, "Romance Is Dead" which has some fun lyrical wordplay. What is truly refreshing about You Want The Truth is that it just comes out of nowhere, literally plopping down in your lap, being the sparkling musical package it is. Paloma proves with this gem of an album that she is well on her way to being a hefty contender in the soul n' pop market. Play on Paloma.

Rating: 9.8/10
Release Date: September 29, 2009

Highlights
StargazerUpside DownDo You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?

Remember The Time: Something Lush From Wham!

As I continue my George Michael kick, I decided to reach further back into the man's musical catalog...and behold the treasure that was found. Sometimes we tend to forget that before George Michael was a crooning soul man, he got his feet wet in the 80's pop juggernaut, Wham!

To me, Wham! is an endearing band. They wore day-glo shorts, sung chipper pop songs and were hella cheesy (at times), but I kind of liked that they didn't try to take themselves too seriously. They always looked like they had fun and that attitude was infectious enough for me to clap my hands, swivel my hips and sing at a ridiculous high volumes. Amid all the bounce, Wham! had some lush slow jams in the mix, and "Blue (Armed For Love)" is one of those such grooves. Its actually a B-side that got some recognition when the band released their final albums (The Final and Music From The Edge of Heaven, respectively) in 1986 and its one of my favorite cuts from the group. This clip is from when the boys performed in China for the first time and its really rich. Lots to marvel at here, especially George's hair which is just...magnificent. Just kind of ignore Andrew Ridgeley's horrific plaid outfit and mellow out to George's divine vocal display on this.

Cover Smother: Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly

Isn't this lush? Amerie looks to the sky (or the post above her...hey Wham!) on the cover of her upcoming fourth set, In Love & War. Let's cross our fingers and get in prayer circles and hope that we actually see this album in a CD store. No more "only released overseas release only" BS, mmmkay? Though not a fan of that Gothic font, this is an quite an ambitious piece of cover art. In Love & War drops in stores November 3rd.

Album Watch: Adriana Evans' 'Nomadic' To Wander No More

Get a chance to re-introduce yourself to underrated neo-soul maverick, Adriana Evans this November as the singer is re-releasing her 2004 sophomore album, Nomadic. The label, Animated Cartunes, is responsible for bringing this album back to the listening public on CD, vinyl and digital download formats, and its truly welcomed as it's been a hot minute since we've last heard anything from Miss Evans. Shame, since Adriana Evans came out in the mid-90's as one of Neo-Soul's pioneer artists, bringing her musical repertoire of fusing Afro/Cuban-beats with slick Soul along for the ride. I have been a fan of this Bay Area songstress since obtaining her excellent, 2007 album, El Camino and then reaching back and buying her 1997 self-title debut. Both albums are massive and deserve to be heard by more ears, thus the re-releasing of Nomadic (which was apparently released to import markets and is being sold for a ridiculous amount of cash online) is one re-release I would whip my pen out and co-sign for. No word on if Adriana is cooking up something new in the kitchen, but for now enjoy being transported back to Nomadic's time with the video for song, "7 Days" below. Also make sure if you missed Nomadic the first time you can grab it on November 10th.

Riddle Me List: 5 Things To Know About Mariah's 'Memoirs'

After months of grousing, steadfast disappointment over the putrid, "Obsessed", and sheer nail biting nervousness over the rumors circulating about the content of Mariah Carey's twelfth hour, it's time to open up the pages of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel with a conscious and clear mind. From this point, we can really read between the lines and understand what Mariah is trying to convey, and its a lot. In an obvious first impression, this isn't Mariah's best work, but, its a vast improvement over the clustermuck of 2008's E=MC2, and that is comforting enough to plug ahead. Memoirs shows Mariah drinking the waters from the Fountain of Youth out of a chilled champagne glass. She's cool, relaxed and reflective, and she has no worries of being on the cusp of the big 4-0 as a majority of the songs have a youthful quality to them. This is Mariah reminiscing over her old heavily worn diary, and we've been invited to the reading. So, let's dive into the pages of Mariah's Memoirs shall we?

1. It's A Wrap
There is a little gem wedged in Memoirs, and it comes in the form of "It's A Wrap". Beginning with the sound effect of a water glass being filled this snappy doo-wop number has Mariah sounding almost vulnerable yet steadfast as this song rolls along wondrously. The best cut, in my humble opinion.

2. Mid-Tempos Abound
For those who sent all those (angry) e-mails wanting Mariah to stick to her ballad roots, your persistence prevailed, as Memoirs is filled to the brim with head nodding mid-tempos. While this is a relatively bold move that recalls what 1993's Music Box's set-up was, it does become tepid after awhile. The slinky atmospheric opening cut, "Betcha Gon' Know" has some great ideas swirling about but at times it seems to never go anywhere. More effective is the instant fan favorite, "H.A.T.E.U.", as it lightly bounces on a cloud of melodic phrasing. Still the goofily titled, "Candy Bling" is sweet and wraps you up in its warm finger-snapping groove, and its hard to resist even if its quiet as a Lamb.

3. This Is a Private Party: No Rappers Allowed
Memiors is intriguing in that there aren't any impromptu "whoops n' hollers" to be heard from guest floacists. As Mariah has almost built her career with having handfuls of some of hip-hop's brightest stars on board making appearances, the album almost feels naked without them. Still, Mariah worked solely with hip-hop's go-to producers, Tricky Stewart and The Dream on this, and I'm guessing the punchy blips and rhythmic hiccups heard on such cuts like the garish ear split of "Ribbon", were to make up for the absence. It even surprises me that even in its energized march-a-thon state, there is no rapper to be heard on "Up Out My Face". And in a way, it's quite refreshing as Mariah is allowed to get gritty on her own accord.

4. Languishing (Interlude)

Remember "Petals" from Rainbow? This is its glorious older sister. Yes, it is an interlude, but it deserved to be longer.

5. The Word Girl
Blog partner in crime, MuuMuse summed up the 7 best lyrics from this album, and I have to agree that the lyrical content of Memoirs is something to gaffaw, get second-hand embarrassment over and almost marvel at in one go. Mariah is known for her snappy lyrics and large vocabulary but here she doesn't don the librarian glasses and whip out her Thesaurus. Memoirs lyrics are a little trite with pop culture references sprinkled in, yet its endearing in a way, considering that she actually took the time to think them up. Case in point, this woman rhymed "Milano", "lotto" , "tomato", "grotto" and "gelato" all in one song (the jumping jack flash of "More Than Just Friends"). Just genius.

Final Verdict: Memoirs, as a whole, is a mixed bag of goods. It isn't cohesive yet the second half (from "It's A Wrap" on) pulls the album out of a wayward uncertainty with tracks "Angels Cry" and the cooing come-on "The Impossible" being standouts. What you can hear throughout the record, is the songbird and her duo producing team trying to reach back to the sounds, vocal structures and styles of her near flawless 90's period. But somehow Mariah kind of shies away from going all out on a bulk of these tunes. In some bizarre way, Mariah sounds almost moody and distant on this record, like a wallflower at a high school dance. She's merely observing her surroundings in this record, not being the fashionably late showstopper she usually is. It's off putting and almost weird, especially since this album plays more like Mariah's first time out, rather than her 12th time in. Imperfections, we all have them, and this album has many, yet its what makes it a unique and odd little piece of work in Mariah's album catalog.

Rating: 8.4/10
Release Date: September 29, 2009

Recycle It!: Janelle Monae In A "Hangover" With Of Montreal

Something new for your Monday, as we've got a new song and new adventure in store. Clap, rejoice, do the hokey pokey! Was wondering what everyone's favorite quirk girl, Janelle Monae was up too, did the usual Google search and voila! got something quite intriguing from just a couple of keywords. Miss Monae joined Atlanta indie funk band, Of Montreal on stage at a recent show and the two music entities came together to do Diana Ross' classic, "Love Hangover". The results are fantastical. It's rawer and strips the disco cut down into the smutty gritty number it was underneath all of the glitz of the original. Definitely a interesting reworking of this track and one cover to really get your smother on with.
Also, it was mentioned that Solange is on this as well...maybe you can hear her, somewhere...

Love Hangover (Of Montreal and Janelle Monae cover)(Live)

Album Watch: So Janet Is Releasing A Two-Disc Collection Too...

Remember when I counted down 5 ways that Janet Jackson could get her career back on track after the unfortunate dismal display of the Discipline album and tour? This piece of album news is one of those things that should be added into the list because a brand new hits compilation is kind of what Janet needs. Two weeks ago, Janet released the fantastic groover, "Make Me", and most were questioning where the song matriculated from. A new album track? Tribute to late brother Michael Jackson? Or just a morsel of a gift to fans? The word is out that, "Make Me" is going to be featured on an upcoming greatest hits compilation from Miss Jackson as one of a few new tracks. A 2-disc, 30 song collection of Janet's #1 hits will be hitting shelves on November 17th of this year. Before you counteract with, "Janet doesn't have 30 #1 hits!?", this collection is a compilation of all her global #1's and will cover much more ground than what 1996's Design of a Decade displayed. And this collection will be spanning ALL the years the dance maven has been taking us on "escapades" and giving us "pleasure principles".

There is also a meaty rumor circulating about Madonna (who is also releasing a 2-disc compilation this year) joining Janet for a brand-new song on the compilation....Cue the clatter of forks to china plates. Apparently, the two got to talking after being a part of MTV's VMA tribute to Michael Jackson and a discussion of working together on a project blossomed. We'll see if this rumor morphs into truth, but overall this upcoming greatest hits project is a good look for Janet as she sets up for her next album which is rumored to be released in 2010. We must remember that, a greatest hits collection can play like a gentle yet nostalgic reminder of an artist's catalog of work, plus help make way for new things to come.

Crisp N' Fresh: Melanie Once Again 'Kills' It

Do you hear that sound? It sounds like snoring. Snoring in the sense that folks are sleeping hard on the talented Melanie Fiona. Especially, here in the States where her anticipated debut, The Bridge, has been pushed back yet again, from its original September 22nd release to the 12th of "sometime in the Fall", or whenever that is supposed to be. In the meantime to keep us on our toes, Miss Fiona keeps on keepin' with new video for her second single (and personal favorite), "It Kills Me". In a dramatic emotional vein, the video's concept somewhat takes on the song's lyrics of a crumbling romance but its visual aftermath takes on a different and unexpected twist. A classy vid for a very classy singer. And yes, I see you CSI: Miami's Adam Rodriguez, in your car speeding along, getting my girl, Melanie all up in a fuss. The Bridge is out in stores overseas, and floating around in download fashion elsewhere on the Net.

Take 5 Friday: Poetic Justice

1. Spreading Ledisi Love To The Parents: Good news. I have converted my father, the Audio Dad, into a Ledisi fan. I should get a Nobel Peace Prize shouldn't I? Or at least get an award from President Obama...or a cookie cake. I have to hand it to my parents for being knowledgeable in music, even well into the 2000's. I don't know about anyone else, but sharing music with my parents is just as important as sharing it with others. I dunno, maybe its just me. So what makes my parents so musically connected? Well...My mom makes a point to call me whenever she sees a music artist on TV (Her telling me about Maxwell one day was really funny..."This singer, he was named after some coffee...?"). As for my Dad, he is attached to his Zune player and plays Nelly Furtado and John Legend in his office...bless them. To celebrate my victory, take a look see at Ledisi rockin' a fierce jacket as she grooves to the swangin' "Turn Me Loose" on The Wendy Williams Show.


2. "Single Ladies", Annoying No More: First, they made Rihanna's "Take A Bow" sound like an actual song, now, the TV show, Glee has done the unimaginable, they have made me ENJOY a Beyonce song. This so plush, silly and hella camp.


3. Poetry Reading With Mariah Carey:

"If we were two Legos even the graduating class of Harvard University 2010 couldn't put us back together again"

She is a regular Raphael De La Ghetto, isn't she? This lyric is just a sneak peek at what other lyrical treasures are to come from Mariah Carey's Memoirs. Doing this review is going to be fun.

4. Prince Hypnotizes You With His Eyes and His YouTube Page: Wait, a darn pinkin' minute...when did Prince do this James Bond opening theme styled video for "Crimson and Clover"? Oh, it was back in April...but wait, he has a YouTube page now?? And the videos are embeddable?? Somehow this feels like a joke. A big sexy n' funky joke.


5. Whitney Houston's Million Dollar Worthy Looks: Yes, Whitney Houston was on Oprah last week, but its still a ravishing interview to go back to. Whitney revealed all kinds of things from instructing Oprah on how to roll up a "good" joint, how mother, Cissy Houston called ex-husband, Bobby Brown "Satan", and what she was doing all that time she was away from the music scene (FYI: She was sitting in her room, getting high and listening to Gospel music...just like everyone else on their downtime). See such amazing stuff. But the best thing about the interview was Whitney's facial expressions whenever she was answering Oprah's tidal wave of questions. I wanted to do a list of the best Whitney looks from that interview, but I'm not savvy enough to make animated .gifs and the like. Thankfully, someone took the time to do what I had hoped to create, and it's glorious...or should I say Whit-tastic!? Erm...

My favorite facial expression:

Artist Watch: Quadron Soothes The Savage Music Beast

Blog partner in crime, Darren at Soul UK introduced me to the hypnotic prog-soul of Danish duo, Quadron, and my, what a glorious sound it is. Members Coco O. and Robin Hannibal have created a sound that is edgy yet delicate, like if you spiked chamomile tea or something of that accord. With a Soul sound that mates with Jazz and House elements, Quadron's sound is easy to slip into as its music for all your moods, especially for the maxin' and relaxin' state of mind. Coco O.'s powder soft coo oozes over the spacey back-beats and jazzy tones of the groups musical makeup and its such a divine mash of sound to the ears. Quadron's self-titled effort has managed to creep its way into one of my favorite listens this year as each and every song displayed is solid and that possesses a unique spin on classic musical concepts that is engaging to a music seeker like me. The three tracks to sample below will no doubt put your mind at ease especially the dainty throb of "Buster Keaton" and the gorgeous "Day" which resembles a modern tinged Billie Holiday tune in a way. Now this is what I call class.

Buster KeatonSlippin'Day

Crisp N' Fresh: Amerie Works It On Out

Strutting her stuff once again, Amerie keeps on plugging away with promotion for her upcoming (and much delayed) concept album, In Love & War. Now we are in the graces of her video for punchy single, "Heard 'Em All". In a sort of Mad Max theme, the feisty singer dons leather, sticky makeup and gets down n' dirty with her dancing in this video directed by Anthony Mandler, who has worked on videos with The Killers and Beyonce prior. Amerie brings on the sass and the determination amidst a sour green apocalyptic backdrop, but somehow the dancing seems a wee bit off to me, like it didn't fit with the song. Still, her hitching a ride on that moving Jeep was quite enthralling and probably the best part of the visual.

On another newsie note, Amerie gave fans a small taste of what's to come on the future fourth effort by unleashing a digital EP of snippets and a couple of full tracks. From the sound of things (especially "Higher"), Amerie keeps on steppin' in the right direction, here's hoping she gets the recognition this time out.

Cover Smother: Sitting Here In Limbo

Wordshaker...hmmm...sounds like an online game that I would play to further procrastinate doing any sort of homework. But Wordshaker is actually the album title of The Saturdays sophomore album, which drops in stores, October 12th. Aside from the funky name, this cover looks fabulous.

Song Stuck In My Head: Diana Gets 'Dirty'

Dirty Looks - Diana Ross (1987)

Let me get it out of my system that I'm not that big of a Diana Ross fan. I know. I know. Ostracize me. Take away my Sista Girl card. Yes, I'm the perfect candidate to love me some Diana Ross, as I'm a fan of the divas brigade from the obscure to the mainstream, and duh! my name is the Audio Diva...but its just that I've never been that impressed with some of her later output after The Supremes, save for a couple of numbers and most of them were obscure R&B hits that seem long forgotten by now. Like Donna Summer, I prefer Diana's music in the 80's. It was a little edgier, and she worked with a variety of producers and songwriters which gave her a mosaic display of sounds and ideals. Some worked and some didn't but at least Ms. Ross liked to shake the pot a bit. I enjoyed the hell out of the first two cuts off of her 1987 album, Red Hot Rhythm & Blues , the sensual slither of "Stranger In Paradise" and the funky cool, "Dirty Looks". The lead off single "Dirty Looks" is sexy without being tart or tacky, and Diana does her signature cooing yet injects some attitude into the mix. It's a great little mid-tempo song with a thumping bassline and Fairlight synths (a weakness of mine), that makes me rethink my whole grudge of shunning La Ross.

See Diana Ross hair? That's how my hair looks when its all blow dried out and I look ridiculous, Diana on the other hand looks great....Beach scenes, so 80's...aerobic dancers, so 80's...mirrored shades, so 80's, but so cool...

News Bites: Another Sugababe Bites The Dust

Something about a musical group breaking up, no matter if you liked, worshiped or hated them, the soap opera surrounding it just kind of engages you and you want to know all the "whys" and "what's to comes". This is what can be said about British pop tarts, The Sugababes as they stirred up the Internets over the weekend with the departure of another member, Keisha Buchanan. While this seems like "so the fudge what?", this is actually the third time the Babes have experienced a group shift. And here you thought Destiny's Child and Shalamar were bad with the rotation of original and newly added members due to feuds and creative direction. Well, our bad. The Sugababes join a line of shift-shaping musical acts as the last initial member of the 1998 original line-up of the Sugababes (which consisted of Keisha, Siobhan Donaghy and Mutya Buena) Keisha announced yesterday that she was leaving the group. Keisha picked an odd time to bow out, as the group were planning to take on the US market, after signing with Jay Z's label, Roc Nation Records on the group's upcoming seventh album, Sweet 7. Yet, it has been assured by the official statement the group released that Keisha is plugging to go the route of her former Babes sisters, as she is going to be a solo artist. The group has since announced that Eurovision vet, Jade Ewan will be taking Keisha's place and that addition is surely not welcomed by pop purists. Especially, since none of the original members of the group are left over and the group is continuing with their namesake.

Former member, Mutya Buena kind of put the whole thing in perspective via Twitter and well, you can say she may be chuckling about the whole incident, considering she pack'd her bags five years ago. As a fan of the original line-up of Sugababes during the One Touch era and a semi-follower of their new brood, I feel some sympathy especially since it seemed that after Mutya's departure in 2005 that things were getting back in shape. All of this hysteria involving a girl group member's exit brought back memories of when Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice announced she was leaving The Spice Girls at the height of the group's career, and how people just flipped their wigs over the departure. It happens, cat fights occur in the spotlight, growing apart abounds and yes, things never last that long, but man...can't some pop groups just stay together to prove nay-sayers wrong? Ugh. Here's hoping the Sugababes get it together so they can properly make waves in the American market, as they have a fresh new line-up to do so.

Quote Me Baby!: Maxwell Reflects On His Absence

"So many performers sacrifice their entire life for the stage - I mean, look at Michael Jackson. I'm not in his league, but I do know the cost of fame. I lost a piece of life, normalcy. It's easy to become an android in an artificial world of flashing lights and magazine covers. Being away from it all allowed me to refocus my creative energies."

-Maxwell, on fame and why he stepped out of the spotlight for seven years.

First Impressions: Free To Be Joss Stone

Breathe a sigh of relief Joss Stone fans, as Stone's long awaited fourth effort, Colour Me Free is coming 'round the bend sooner than expected. While it has been a tedious wait as we've been hearing loads about fresh compositions here, and new endeavors there, some sprinkles of new album news and a new single have come to surface, and this time the information is well...set in "stone". Ha. Ha. *rimshot* Colour Me Free is set to be released exclusively at Target and also digitally released on iTunes October 20th. The overseas release date is penned for November 2nd. The album is produced by Stone, as well as her Mind, Body and Soul partners in producing and songwriting crime, Johnathan Shorten and Conner Reeves. Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, let's get down to digging on the first single, "Free Me" which is undeniably groovin' with a rock steady Blues meets Southern rock style. Almost Ike and Tina Turner-esque in a way, with a punchy instrumental break that spices things up towards the middle. It's solid Joss style, yet it's welcomed since its been awhile since we've heard from the British soulstress. Anticipation is already settling in for this fourth installment thanks to the brisk stride of "Free Me".

Free Me

Blog Scoping: Celebrate The Iconography Of Madonna

With the release of Madonna's greatest hits opus, Celebration, its perfectly normal to feel the need to dig back in the catalog of Madge. As the music nerd in me enjoys a little comprehensive "behind the music" overview of singles, albums and the like, it was lush finding a blog to cater to that need to revel in Madonna nostalgia. Iconography set the music nerd radar off due to it being a blog specifically designed to showcase each and every Madonna single and video ever released, up till the release date of the hits package. As the blogger of Iconography, is currently up to the True Blue age (my personal favorite Madge era), looking back at the archives for 1983's "The First Album" and 1984's Like A Virgin was a treat, as you can see the skeletal structures of a musical deity in the making with descriptions and background information of all the singles released from those prospective albums. Interesting tidbits abound (and stuff any Madge follower should know!), such as her cameo and soundtrack contribution in the film Vision Quest, as well as the factoid of Madonna's first two singles leading radio and the listening public to assume she was Black female singer. Chew on that for a moment...If you're a sucker for vintage Madonna, music trivia and just mind escaping nostalgia, then this is the type of blog viewing to soak in.

First Impressions: Mika In Limbo Between Boyhood and Adulthood

Shrill. Perky. Fun. Annoying. Saccharine. Optimistic. Freddie Mercury enthusiast. Elton John emulator. Lots of words and descriptions, negative and positive have been used to describe British pop artist, Mika and from the sound of things, he really doesn't give a damn, as he continues in the same vein of what was so whimsical about his 2007 debut, Life In Cartoon Motion. Now on album number two, Mika is stuck in that crevasse of finding out how to departure himself from the skip-to-my-lou vibe of debut single, "Grace Kelly" (which still remains lodged in my brain, and I don't mind in the slightest) and the more serious adult musician he's becoming. Slowly he creeps in a little variance, but then dives back into old hat. Not a bad deal, just not that evolving. To those unfamiliar, Mika is the happy-go-lucky guy, the guy that smiles when the sky is gray, the guy you just want to stuff a sock in his mouth for him to hush up because he's so damn chipper. This is why Mika isn't for the pessimistic listener, as he's just gooey, icky and sticky fun. And yes, that's a compliment, because well, someone needs to be the happy camper in the music industry these days and it might as well be the curly haired piano pop sojourner. Mika once again fuels up piano peppered compositions with a theatrical geek flair on The Boy Who Knew Too Much. As he dons the Freddie Mercury canary yellow band leader jacket again, he takes it off every once in awhile to give us an inkling to something much more original. Short hand claps litter the sharp, "Blame It On The Girls" and its a much better single choice than the blistering, "We Are Golden". The spacey "Rain" is sleek as a wet rain slicker and engulfs you in electro bliss. Just a stellar cut. It was interesting to see is Mariah Carey's 1990's right-hand song man, Walter Afanasieff co-writing the blissful, "I See You" and its a highlight due to Mika actually sounding a bit more mature in the delivery and giving him something that could let him cross over into Stateside radio. Singer Imogen Heap adds her feather soft vocal touches to the lullaby of "By The Time", which is a lush track and another highlight. "Blue Eyes" rides on the crest wave of a melodic island rhythm, while Mika goes into his signature falsetto for "Touches You" and sort of gives us "Grace Kelly Pt. 2". Speaking of "Grace Kelly", The Boy sort of has that feel to it throughout, almost as if Mika hasn't quite grown out of making that song as a few tracks sound like variations of it. Not that its bad, it just doesn't show much growth. Yet, songs like "Rain" and "I See You" propel Mika into broader prospects. Mika fans will no doubt enjoy this, new fans may be off set by the sheer whimsy it contains, but as a whole its not a total slump of record. While not much has changed for Mika since he was in cartoon motion, there are still inklings here and there on The Boy, that show he's gaining momentum in the right direction.

Rating: 8.0/10
Release Date: September 22, 2009

Highlights
RainI See YouBy The Time (ft. Imogen Heap)

Audio Vision: In A 1990 Mariah Mood

Did you see Mariah Carey on Oprah last Friday? She sung that Foreigner cover, talked about her new movie, Precious, and snogged that boy she's married to...yeah, yeah,...whatever so boring. The main thing that dazzled me more so was of how Miss Carey looked. The curly brown hair, her wearing that black off the shoulder shirt...all the woman needed was some jeans and some little school children in backwards baseball caps around her and she would've stepped fresh off the set of the "Someday" video. The woman was giving off 1990 vibes so hard that it made me want to scope out some ancient Mariah videos...I'm talking about when back-up singer, Trey Lorenz had a fade and Mariah was rocking acid wash jeans as she gets giddy over performing at the Apollo Theater. Sadly, I don't own my VCR anymore (does anyone still use a VCR aside from my parents?) so I couldn't pop in my banged up First Vision tape from 1991 to get that old time feeling back...luckily, the Internets never fail as you can see before you the first interview segment from the now hard-to-find video compilation which featured Mariah casually sitting and discussing the start of her career, her musical influences and how her debut album came to be. As an added bonus, the second video is a compilation of early promos and snippets of Mariah performing and rehearsing songs such as "Vanishing" and "All In Your Mind" from when she just a star on the rise. Interesting nostalgia right here. My how time just flies...

First Impressions: Ryan Leslie Gives Mary J Something We Can Feel

After being underwhelmed by the persistent jumper, "The One", Mary J. Blige has redeemed herself in my book with newest leaked single, "Said & Done". The Ryan Leslie produced track bounces on a swelling mid-tempo beat and sounds much more like the Mary from The Breakthrough effort than anything. The arrangement of the track is its shining glory as Leslie gives Mary J a infectious yet melodic tune that has sing-ability as well as familiarity. Plus Mary gets to stretch her vocal chords to the ultimate limit, over Leslie's intricate tempo changes from a chiming hip-hop stomp into a surging electric keyboard in the background. This song is simple yet it works much better in context, as its not bogged down with unnecessary blips, beeps and yes...special vocal effects (aka auto-tune). Nicely constructed and executed. Stronger will be making its appearance in stores November 24th, so mark the calendar.

Said & Done

Audio Vision: Adele and India.Arie Are 'Queens'

Yes, the Audio Diva missed the return of Divas Live on VH1 last night, but let's just say I had other pressing matters to attend to last night. Still the curious cat that I am was intrigued of what went down last night at the Brooklyn Music Academy where the special girl-power pipes event took place, even though I was never jazzed with the line-up. What was seen was a mixed bag of goods, bads and uglies. Jennifer Hudson getting in the "spotlight" was good. Paula Abdul going through the Forever Your Girl tracklist in her dancing shoes was awesomely bad and well, Miley Cyrus just being on the roster was just plain old ugly. While there were some notable performances, one of the new batch of divas-in-training out shined the rest...and that soul is Adele.

Something about Adele's voice just wraps you up in a warm blanket of soul and emotion, and man, you just feel awash with comfort. The Grammy-winning vocalist shared the stage with the fabulous, India.Arie as the two sung along to India's song, "Because I Am Queen" and the two voices were meant for a duet. Just grand. Adele also gave a stunning performance of her hit, "Hometown Glory"...and boy, oh, boy, did I get chills. Simply breathtaking. Hopefully, once I spot an embeddable vid, it'll get posted here but in the meantime check out the clip above. Seriously, if there is one thing that Divas Live did right Thursday night was get Adele on the bill.

Artist Watch: Deborah, Tamia and Kelly To Come Together

It's beginning to look a lot like the 90's R&B movement again and boy, is it welcomed with open arms. First, the R&B world was graced with the talents of super group, LSG (Levert, Sweat & Gill), then there was a revival of sorts with TGT (Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank) but due to label scuffles it didn't take off, now it's the ladies turn to forge the ultimate musical bond. It was announced yesterday by BV Buzz, that R&B songbirds, Deborah Cox, Tamia and Kelly Price would be joining forces to form a super girl group named, TDK. The three vocalists have come together to record a compilation entitled, The Queen Project, with the song, "Queen" being tagged as the debut single from the newly formed group. Word on the music beat is that they are recording tracks with producers Shep Crawford and Warryn Crawford and something should be popping up soon from this trio of sweet soulful voices.

Happy Birthday To The Audio Diva

Yes, today is special. It's my 23rd birthday today. Whoot!

Wipe Off The Dust: Kylie Minogue's Soul Venture

"Kylie Minogue" and "Soul" usually don't jump into the same sentence together. Especially since Miss Minogue started her career by chewing long and hard on that Stock, Aiken and Waterman bubblegum. But by 1991, that gum went stale and Kylie was tired of chewing the wad as she shifted into a more "urban" sound with the release of 1991's Let's Get To It which was laced with House and R&B notes. While it was critically panned, I find the album to be the best from her SAW years with tracks such as "Finer Feelings" and "Word Is Out" taking on a sleek and sexier edge that let Kylie grow out of her frilly red skirt of "Locomotion" and "I Should Be So Lucky" years. In 1993, Kylie Minogue signed with the DeConstruction record label and went into an image overhaul, and it began first with the music as the pop diva recruited Brothers In Rhythm, Jimmy Harry and the Pet Shop Boys to help in the production of her fifth album release. Kylie's eponymous release saw the light of day in September of 1994, and with it fans were introduced the next phase of Kylie's ever evolving musical career. Decked out in a sleek pants suit, bespectacled and donning a slight smirk, Kylie Minogue exuded her change of pace on the album cover and inside the jewel case were tunes that have withstood as some of Kylie's best. Personally, this is my favorite Kylie Minogue album, as each song is unique and stellar in its own way. For those who don't believe that Kylie can go beyond sugary pop pips n' squeaks will be pleasantly surprised, thus I love bringing this album up as an example to those doubters. Kylie can be all about the soul n' funk and she proves it here. To explore further...

Confide In Me: Brooding and a complete 180 for Kylie when it was the first single dropped from the album. Truly a massive production that just leaps and bounds into boldness. Rich strings meld with a skittish hip-hop beat, and Kylie, in a stoic drawl, sucks you into its bizarre nature. One track that you have to hear to believe.


Where Is The Feeling?: Kylie's third single proved to be one song that could be bended and shaped in many ways and still sound amazingly good. The album's version possessed a richer funk n' brass quality, one that recalled back the funk-disco era. On the remixes, deep House and techno set in to create a more sinister and sexy number. The Brothers In Rhythm Dolphin Mix, which is used for the video version, just seems to swell all around you.


Put Yourself In My Place: My favorite song of the bunch, and possibly my favorite Kylie track that she has ever recorded. The phrasing is perfect in this, not to mention its got a bit of an R&B edge to it without being too overly obvious. Kylie may not have the best voice, but she knows how to really charm her way through a smooth mid-tempo ballad like this. Live versions of this are exceptional, but the original remains the best version...and for my Audio guys out there, this video is quite the peek-a-boo-I-see-you fest.


Dangerous Game: In a bold turn, Kylie takes on a powerhouse ballad complete with orchestral elements and diva-esque vocal patterns. While Kylie is never touted as a powerhouse vocal diva a la Whitney, Mariah, Celine et al, most will be surprised at her turn in this track, which is admirable especially since she does belt it out grandly. In a way, this song almost seems movie theme ready, yet, the gorgeousness of the track make it one of the shining rarities in Kylie's music box. Below is a live cut of the track and yes, its still engaging.


Automatic Love: Moody and sensual, "Automatic Love" is a fan favorite of sorts and one song that probably should have gotten a single release (yet for some odd reason, this album stopped at three singles, even though this album is brimming with single opportunities!). What is special about this how this song grows as it progresses, and how the mix of guitars, shuffling beats, thumps and detached piano bring out the best of its structure. Sorely overlooked.

Artist Watch: Soul The Serrata Way

My inbox is a tawdry mess and it is in need of AudioMom's sense of cleanliness. What resides there are the usual lottery scams n' spams, the Facebook reminders that I constantly ignore, and then there are the handful of "New Artist! New Sound! New Everything!" messages. Some I skim, and others just seem to get lost in the shuffle. Thankfully, the e-mail concerning artist, Amy Serrata didn't get lost in the mash of my digital junk drawer, because if I had skipped this soul chanteuse, I might just be kicking myself at the thought of missing out on yet another talent. Serrata is what a real soul music head craves, as her buttery smooth soprano spreads grandly over the jazz, soul and hip-hop compositions she has crafted. In a way, she sounds like a blend between what Erykah Badu, Nelly Furtado and even Jill Scott were to sound like in one person, yet, comparisons don't do Serrata justice. A disciple of Willie Norwood (singer Brandy's father) and a once member of Stanford University's Gospel Choir, Serrata released her self-titled debut album last year to a small simmer of critical acknowledgment, yet she won't be a unknown for long. With The Roots drummer extraordinaire, ?uestlove in her corner and a unique neo-soul meets vintage jazz sound, Serrata is clear on her way to being unknown no more. Below are two tracks that give you a sample of how Serrata plays the soul game. "Rooted" features punchy gut guitars but glides into a hypnotic harmonious swirl while "Love Another" shuffles along on its hip-hop beat and sweet honey soul ways. Both get the thumbs up from me, and both are sure to get you in the mood to check out Serrata further.

RootedLove Another

Crisp N' Fresh: Whitney Looks Like A 'Million' Bucks

Oh, isn't it great to see Whitney Houston back shimming her shoulders, doing funky hand motions and stepping up to a microphone in a music video again? Yes, the Audio Diva missed her doing those things and I'm glad to see all of Whitney's signature video moves here in the new visual for her single, "Million Dollar Bill" from comeback album, I Look To You. Of course, Whitney is rockin' some slick dresses and some sharp hair 'do's, as she simply stands on stage and grooves with her backing band in a smoky underground club filled with Gen Y-ers. Interesting video as it blends in modern day soul culture with a little bit of the old school with Whitney finding homage in both areas. Even though its not the most grandiose of videos, Whitney does look rather smashing throughout the whole thing.

First Impressions: Alicia Keys Gets Angelic On 'Anything'

Light as a feather, yet strong as steel, Alicia Keys softly croons in the opening bars of the soaring new single, "Doesn't Mean Anything", and we then know that Ms. Keys is back to crafting something special for the ears. The piano patriarch is prepping for a new album and has been quietly keeping details of the new as-yet-untitled effort under wraps, now it seems more details have been emerging especially with this new cut. Most will cite "Doesn't Mean Anything" as a sort of clone of the singer's 2007 single, "No One", from her last album, As I Am, and it's technically true. In contrast, this new entry has less bite and more restraint of Alicia's vocals as akin to its predecessor. The song drives on like a quiet march, with the snappy percussion keeping it in line, till the bridge chimes in and the sweetest tempo change occurs. "Doesn't Mean Anything" possibly doesn't make the biggest splash, nor does it shake up the formula for Alicia, but there is something lovely residing there that needs to be given a second listen.

Doesn't Mean Anything

First Impressions: What An Album By A 'Music Fan' Sounds Like

Confession. I'm pickier when it comes to listening to male artists. Don't ask me why, but I just am. Maybe its because some of the male artists today just like taking their shirts off more than actually singing or they "whine n' dine" sing (aka the male vocalist who "whines" about his love for a woman). Also I'm not a big fan of those male vocalist who do all that "I wanna getcha home and give you birthday sex cause you is sho' is fine" mess. In a wrap-up: I don't like my male music with more frills and tacky glue than Hobby Lobby's fabric section. That type of music seriously makes me feel like I'm at a club and being fed corny lines by a boy that just won't quit. I like my men's music with some grit, some funk, some growth, some creativity...some depth. I don't mind vulnerability, but please don't beg on your knees, cause you'll end up with your knees skinned....and there is nothing pretty about that. So where does Eric Roberson fit into this ramble of sorts? He fits in because here is a male vocalist who doesn't need all the gimmicks of male R&B-dom, who exudes something that shows quality and commitment and who has released an album that is clearly for the music fan, and he didn't even have to do all the mainstream tactics to accomplish that. In hindsight, Roberson has been overlooked on my radar, possibly because it's the natural habit of a music blogger...there is just so much you can listen to in well...a day. Fortunately, playing catch-up is always fun, and spinning Roberson's latest, the independently produced Music Fan First, it was easy to get involved in Erro's world from the first second of the opening track.

It is said you have to be a fan to fully engage in artistry, where you take what inspires you and spin it into something that works for you. Roberson has done this effortlessly on his fourth album from the beginning to end, as each and every track was carefully crafted to be unique and special in its own way. Opening the set is the swell of "The Newness" which sets up the album in an electro swirl of synths, hypnotizing you into its sweet exterior. The buttery vocal tones of Lalah Hathaway adds more texture to the simmering duet of "Dealing", and it dares to recalls what made Lalah's late father, Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack's 70's duets so special and passionate. Stark brass and bubbling bass back up the methodical soul cool-down of, "The Power That Kisses Hold" while the sultry lullaby, "She" is just divine. The head bobbing, "Bad For Me" is another scorcher as is track, "The Hunger" which persistent hip-hop slickness meets up with 70's R&B harmonies for a stellar meld. Funky good times happen on the bouncy, "Wanna Believe It Again" which peppers in some brass work and proves to be a highlight track, especially with Wayna's sweet vocals cooing in the background.
At the moment Eric Roberson is soul music's best kept secret, and possibly with a bit more exposure, he may not be so secret anymore, as his music is worth sharing with all the music fans in your life.

Rating: 9.6/10
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Highlights
Dealing (ft. Lalah Hathaway)Wanna Believe It Again (ft. Wayna)The Power That Kisses Hold

First Impressions: Two For Toni

Toni Braxton is back...no really, she is this time, it's not a false alarm or a slow growing rumor. New album and everything. We must dust the cobwebs off our memory that leaks have been popping up left and right since early this year (remember "Melt" and "Not Another Chance"?), possibly in an attempt to generate anticipation for the sultry soul alto's return to the music charts after 2005's failed but underrated Libra effort. Now this past week, two new tracks have leaked from Toni's camp, and one has been confirmed to be the official first single off of the upcoming Pulse project. Sad to say, both of them aren't club/dance your pants off bangers, or even smooth criminal like mid-tempos (think "You're Makin' Me High"), we're getting stuck with two new ballads.... First up is the guitar and piano driven, "I Hate Love" which almost sounds quite Kelly Clarkson-ish, not bad, but we know what Toni is capable of and this is quite small potatoes for her. Speaking of Kelly Clarkson, we get the same taste of what the pop-rock spunk's been concocting with One Republic's Ryan Tedder on the next Toni track up for inspection. Tedder must love peddling the same bombastic percussive beat on all of his ballads because here is that sound yet again but this time in the shape of first single, "Yesterday". While its a good comeback for Toni to get some chart action with, listeners can smartly tell that this is plainly the second cousin to Beyonce's "Halo", Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" and Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone", thus making it mediocre and played out like a wilted basketball. Not to say that both songs are total drags, its just that compared to Toni's prior output and the fact that she's one of the last of the 90's divas to have her voice intact, you'd think she'd at least go beyond what everyone else is doing and release something with a bit of pizazz. Pulse is to drop (or rise?) in stores in February of 2010.

I Hate Love

Yesterday

First Impressions: 100% Bev Love

Some odd years ago, Beverley Knight attracted my ears drums with her soul repertoire and effortless style. To me, Beverley Knight, is just real. No plastic soul here, as Miss Knight keeps on serving up nothing but honest to good soul food for thought. While in America she's a blip on the soul radar, in her native UK, Knight is a massive R&B force who has fourteen years in the career bag and has seven albums on the shelve all of varying range that show why she is the reigning Queen of the UK Soul scene. On album number seven, Knight has boldly labeled it 100%, which means that you're not going to be hearing any half steppin'. On 100% the merge of power pop and earthy soul collide to make for one delightful listen and a handful of solid tracks that make this one of her most cohesive efforts. Current hit single, "Beautiful Night" (which was co-written by Amanda Ghost, who heads Epic Records at present) opens the album with a lush air, while the churning "Breakout" sparkles with dance fervor. The Guy Chambers produced title track has a modern doo-wop and Big Band sound melding together to make for one unique cut. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis give Beverley production on the modern swinging soul of "Every Step", and it fits in nicely with the more boisterous dance tracks. "In Your Shoes" charms with a dust your disco shoes off mindset, but with a pop bite that makes it quite the catchy number. Beverley turns to her usual mid-tempo formula on "Square Peg", but there's a tinge of Gospel notes mixed in that make it quite the showpiece for Beverley's rich vocal tone. The biggest highlight of the album rests in "Soul Survivor" which pairs Beverley with the legendary Chaka Khan and this infectious rock n' soul number fits these two women to a T. Just superb.
100% showcases a hybrid of sounds and ideals, ones that Beverley Knight fans will be pleased to hear again. The shifts in sounds keeps the album from being a straight laced affair, and put the spotlight on Beverley going independent with her own record label, Hurricane Records, was a terrific and successful fit for her. Independence never sounded so sweet.

Rating: 9.1/10
Release Date: September 7, 2009

Highlights
Breakout
100%
Soul Survivor (ft. Chaka Khan)

First Impressions: Why You Should Get Excited About Janet's New Album Now

You know, all summer long I was hoping for a song that got my juices a-going. John Legend's "Green Light" did that for me last summer when it was leaked in the early parts of June and it tied me over all the way into the frosty winter months of 2009. This summer, though didn't provide that one song that just had me jumping out of my seat, sweating out my perm and just all around brought that instant groove. Probably because it hadn't been created yet, and that this summer's banger had to come a little later than usual, and that it had to come from Miss Janet Jackson, a performer who knows how to slam a jam without even batting an eye. In the wee hours of the morning, Janet unleashed a beast of a dance track on her website as a gift to her fans. Janet seriously needs to do Secret Santa with me this year as she gives some FANTASTIC gifts. The track "Make Me" cooks a mean groove, with its pulsating funk meets disco range, infectious lyrical play and just razor sharp production. Recalls notes of her late brother's 1979 hit, "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" and even her early (and somewhat forgotten) 1982 hits, "Say You Do" and "Young Love", but with an modern edge. At post time, no word on who produced this (Jam & Lewis for $10 bucks) and if this is actually going to be on that rumored new Janet release, but be damn, this is EXACTLY what Janet fans and stans alike have been waiting for. Just perfection.

Make Me

Adventures In Irrelevancy: MTV VMA's Graces Us With Janet, Jerks and Just Unnecessary Behavior

Common knowledge would let you know that the MTV Video Music Awards is quite the joke now, considering that MTV has really no stance on what is construed as music anymore as they barely show music videos. Beat dead horse, turn around bright eyes and beat dead horse some more. We know this...so what was the main reason for tuning into the awards last night? Seeing MTV shoot spitballs at BET's weak attempt at honoring the late, Michael Jackson by having his sister, Janet Jackson grace her presence on the stage for a spitfire performance of "Scream", a duet vocal and dance performance that she shared with her late brother back in 1995. Not to mention adding in a legion of dancers (I see you Tina Landon and Chris Judd) as they paid homage by being decked out in MJ fashion wear and rockin' to the King's signature moves. Even though this was the highlight of the evening, and possibly the core reason for everyone dropping everything on a Sunday evening to see, the VMA's always manage to have some sort of controversy/nontroversy or flat out over the top musical performances that will no doubt be water cooler talk the following morning. That's where the awards shine...with the straight up foolishness and the artists who bring it. Oh, yeah, and some good music too. And least we forget, some Moonman were given out. But nobody really cares about those things anyways? Some highlights (and lowlights) of the evening from the Audio Diva perspective...

Complete List Of Winners (for those who care)

The Only Performance You Needed To See:
Okay, Pink Doing Acrobatic Work Was Awesome Too:

Let's Play A Game:
Which one is it? Hint: It's someone with Lil' in their name...

Kanye West Steps On A Kitten, World Cries: Now we know what kind of drunk Mr. West is. In a ignorant asshole move, the rapper interrupted country singer, Taylor Swift during her speech for winning Best Female Video, by citing that Beyonce had the best female video of this year. He has since apologized (in all Caps, naturally) on his blog for his actions, possibly in limbo of sobriety and drunkdom. Still boo koo kachoo to you Kanye for stealing shine from teenagers....especially teenage girls.

Sorry To Upset Your Breakfast....:Lady GaGa stay ridiculous (and awesome)

What Your Face Looked Like During the Awards & Possibly Lady GaGa's Performance & Her Mosaic of Outfits:

Why I Wanted To Step In Ongoing Traffic Last Night: Beyonce showed class and what being a true performer is all about, by letting Taylor Swift give her speech during the R&B songstress moment for when she won Video Of The Year. Yes, Beyonce got some brownie points from the Audio Diva. Document this day.

Madonna Talked About A Sexy Shades Removal From Michael: The Queen of Pop gave a touching reflection on her times with, the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson, as she opened the show. It was a little lengthy but touching nonetheless, especially her talking about Michael whipping his shades off so she could see his eyes. Was I the only one who was kind aroused by that slick move courtesy of Michael? Why are we finding out these amazing things about this man after he's passed?

Biggest Question Of The Night: Where was the security? On potty break? Weed break? Sure they escorted Kanye's wasted arse out of the building following his tirade but how in heckle did Lil' Mama also bum-rush the stage? The rapper saddled her ignorant self up next to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys during their performance of "Empire State Of Mind", possibly in an attempt to make herself relevant, and the world scratched their heads in confusion. We need to do better people...on all fronts.

Final Thought: MTV VMA's stay classy.