First Impressions: Jazmine Sullivan Is Rough N' Ready For Return

How's about something to brighten your mid-week up? Something new from Jazmine Sullivan? You got it.  While we crawl to the weekend (4th of July holiday weekend can't get here fast enough...), Jazmine Sullivan is "going in circles" in her latest, "Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)" a track that is rumored/confirmed/whatever for her follow-up to 2008's wonderfully engaging, Fearless. Missy Elliott provides the production which swirls together Mary J. Blige's classic "Be Happy" and a number of recognizable samples (am I hearing Mya's "Best Of Me"?) to make a honest to goodness hip-hop and soul mash-up that highlights Jazmine's robust vocals immensely. Is it just me or is she even more raw and mature sounding on this than before? Aside from the fact that some parts of the song feel a little over busy due to all the sampling and Missy's whoops and hollers, Jazmine still manages to vocally breaks through and give a solid performance. Don't know if this is first single worthy, and it does seem rough around the edges, but when it comes to Jazmine, she never does anything "nice n' easy", and would we have it any other way?

Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)

Crisp N' Fresh: Corrine Bailey Rae Provokes Us To Get 'Closer'

Can I just say...it's about time for Corrine Bailey Rae to release "Closer" as a single and video? It feels like I have been campaigning this song forever. Whilst Corinne's latest effort, The Sea has sort of fallen off of my play list, I have surely picked "Closer" as the winning number off of it that can be plucked from the brisk winter into the comforting glow of summer due to it's instrumental makeup and Corrine's cooing pleas. It's slinky without being too overt, and its got the right amount of spice and brass that it livened up the somber introverted nature of The Sea. Taking on an almost Diana Ross-Love Hangover vibe to the video, "Closer" features Corinne in all the glam "diva" touches of the 70's (disco balls, gilded silver gowns, roller skates...you name it) and the satiny environment matches with the lush funk of the song. She's just emitting gorgeous left and right, isn't she? This is the touch of class that videos need nowadays. [N2: ESS]

Buzzy Wuzzy: The Quiet Storm That Is Lauryn Hill

June must be the month of incognito savvy artists to come to light as just last week D'Angelo broke his silence about the 'culinary' turn he's taking making new music, now Lauryn Hill has emerged and with her are some flowery words of wisdom on her absence, music and life in the present. NPR as part of their, 50 Great Voices series, wrote a really insightful piece about Hill and her current whereabouts in music and in life. She was part poetic, sincere, and of course vague. Yet, would we have it any other way?

Audio Vision: El DeBarge Is On The Comeback...And I Like It

There were more comebacks at last night's BET Awards than just Kanye West, Chris Brown and T.I. I have to sort of give a slow clap to BET for silently bringing El DeBarge out and letting him command the stage with a medley of DeBarge's classic 80's grooves ("All This Love"! "I Like It"! "Time Will Reveal"! "Rhythm of the Night"!). It was a thoroughly pleasant surprise considering that El didn't miss a beat and sounded as if it was 1984 (and how would I know considering my age...but work with me). He was slaying it. In fact so much, that I wanted him to do all of DeBarge's classics right down to "Who's Johnny"  and yelled at my TV screen when it was all over and went to commercial.

Apparently, El DeBarge has been on the comeback trail, in the fruition that he has a brand new album coming out, the aptly titled, Second Chance and it's too be his first in over 15 years. If you haven't kept up with the times, DeBarge was just released in November from prison following domestic charges, and ever since his release he has been bubbling up on the radar (he was recently seen on The Brian McKnight Show), ready to caress us with his smooth vocal abilities. He of course proved that he is ready for a proper comeback as his impeccable falsetto had me snapping my fingers and singing along, totally stopping my Twitter roasting tirade of the award show. The power of DeBarge compelled me.

I will have some more on DeBarge in later posts, as after seeing El do his thang, I had to pull out the DeBarge hits and soak in the awesome sauce. At the moment, enjoy what was one of the highlights from last night and prep for El's comeback.

Soapboxing: Is Chris Brown Vindicated? Not Quite.

I am a bit annoyed. Annoyed because while I would be so obliged as to join in the flowers-and-cotton candy love circle for Chris Brown after viewing his Michael Jackson tribute performance at the BET Awards last night, I cannot engage.

Ever since Michael Jackson's passing, left and right people were clamoring to have Chris Brown take over tribute duties considering that he has long been using moves from the King of Pop's dance steps handbook...and he was doing them well. Yet during that time, Brown was simmering in hot water still over the February 2009 domestic abuse debacle between him and ex-girlfriend, Rihanna, so him giving Michael Jackson a tribute during his time while on the "vindication" circuit wasn't such a grandiose idea. Flash to now, it seemed appropriate for Chris Brown to finally have his moment to pay tribute to Jackson, and yet, even though all the flash, slickness, and introduction from Jermaine Jackson, this truly didn't make me like Chris Brown any more so.

Crisp N' Fresh: 'Oh No!' Look Out For Marina!

Every time I listen to Marina & Diamonds' The Family Jewels, I find something new to like about it. It's just a solid pop record that should already have invaded your ears by now. If need a little more persuasion, then peep the video for Marina's latest single, "Oh No!". Talk about ripping opening packets of Kool-Aid and spreading out the crystal sugars of Pixie Stixs, the "Oh No!" video is a punch of color power and cartoon kitsch where Marina bops around, dances, is her ever endearing self. It's pretty much what you want from a pop video, and since "Oh No!" is such a slice of brilliant bubble pop electric, every visual and costume change works. It's sort of the quirky psychedelica of  Dee-Lite, mixed with Betty Boo Jetsons' and go-go boots homages in a way and it is highly watchable, especially for the hand jive dance Marina displays...note to self to do that every time I hear the song.

Audio Vision: When You Tribute Prince You MUST Scream, Shout & Carry On

You bet your diamonds and pearls that I tuned into the BET Awards just to see them honor Prince with a much deserved Lifetime Achievement Award (okay, and to also see Kanye West comeback and guffaw over the expected cornucopia of shenanigans) and well, it was worth waiting in utter vain for it to begin (two excruciating hours later). Yet, I have to give it to all the ladies, Patti LaBelle, Alicia Keys, Janelle Monae and Esperanza Spalding for doing the Purple One justice. Would I have liked for Prince to join them on stage...of course, but this was all about him sitting back and enjoying the show. And enjoy the show he did as you could tell from the plethora of facial expressions he made to show how much he was loving (Alicia Keys scrambling up on that piano with her pregnant self), appreciative (when Janelle Monae brought the energy during "Let's Go Crazy") or was annoyed and insulted (when Trey Songz decided to throw a haphazard warble of "Purple Rain" into his set of "Yo Side Of The Bed"). You should know that when Prince gives a disdainful look he does some ESP method (like from The Shining) and he is inaudibly embarrassing you and banishs you from his kingdom....

See? So relax everyone, Trey Songz won't be showing up on a Prince album any time in the near future.

If you didn't know by now, but Prince is magic and he collects souls and embeds his spirit into people of his liking, especially when they are performing his songs, and proof was in last night's performances as Prince's well-known energy and spirit was vibrant in all the tribute givers....

Riddle Me List: 10 Things That Made Michael Jackson Great That You Know Of Already But It Never Hurts To Be Reminded

So it has been a year. A year since the passing of Michael Jackson. We know what happened today a year ago. We know the details, we put the music and visuals on a loop to come to grips, we know what occurred in the ugly aftermath and we know that the artistry of Michael still lives on, so there is really no need to rehash all of that. In a year's time, we saw Michael Jackson's legacy played out in rapid speed with the plethora of accolades and vintage recollections that dotted airwaves, spun at nightclubs, made it to the big screens, and flashed on TV sets. Michael Jackson has a body of work that is to be admired and it proved to be timeless and utterly flawless, and we got to see it all over again with fresh new eyes and ears. Billboard touched on the aspect of how much Michael Jackson has become even more prolific after death, and they couldn't be more apt.Yet, during his time spinning and singing on stage alive and kicking, Michael was prolific, just that now we are seeing the impact of his labor much more prevelant than before.

In a more lighthearted  gesture, instead of giving you a long-winded tribute filled with pretensions words and phrases that point and scream at you to say, "Read my blog post because I'm freaking insightful!!!", I decided to do the frugal thing and compose a list (with pics n' .gifs!) of what made Michael Jackson such a figure of our time. Some of the things I picked are a little silly, mostly obvious, and where everyone can either agree to disagree with, but in all, it's just a look back once again. We know he sang great, was a on-point songwriter, dancer and a generous person, so why not highlight that and more? So if you want to share what you like about Michael, then feel free to invade the comments :)

First Impressions: What In Nikka Costa Funk Is 'Ching Ching Ching'?

Bless my instincts as in a moment of randomly plugging the ears to the Nikka Costa tunes that occupies my music library, I wondered "What in funk is Nikka doing now?" Seek and you shall find. Apparently she's been busy, as she has been touring Europe and even has released a song for the overseas crowd. All of this is for prep for an upcoming brand new album. Nikka What?

Out of the blue sky way back in May, Nikka released a new song for her European fans, entitled, "Ching Ching Ching". The track is thoroughly not the squishy funk that we are used to from Costa....

Crisp N' Fresh: N*E*R*D and Nelly Furtado Cruise Us Into Summer

Living in the South, Summer began in mid-March. Once the clouds dissipated and Mr. Sunshine (or whatever you want to call it) came seeping through Spring was skipped and summer began. So when N*E*R*D released the groovin' bassline back of "Hot n' Fun" back in April, it seemed fitting because I was ready for summer, even though the calendar hadn't caught up yet. So to all my Northern friends and foes who are finally getting summer, the new official video (the other version seemed to just warm things up) for "Hot n' Fun" is here and it's got enough bikinis, bonfires and dry desert to make you feel like summer has officially arrived. I especially feel the heat from the guys of N*E*R*D as they seem more clothed than what you'd expect if you were cruising and frolicking in the summer heat, especially since Pharrell's fur cap is making me itch and sweat. Nelly Furtado pops up to sing her bit (even though she looks like she did her part through a green screen) to make the visual complete and well, it's nothing short of a good time had by all.

Wipe Off The Dust: Going Beyond "Turn The Beat Around"

Sometimes a signature song isn't all its cracked up to be. Sure, there comes some fame, fortune, and years later you could be collecting royalties for its usage as background music in this burger commercial or that Swiffer Sweeper commercial. Still, you may have wanted listeners to delve beyond that one hit single. This is how I felt after digging in the back catalog of Vicki Sue Robinson. That we shook her hand, liked her and then went onto the next, not exploring more of what she had to offer...and there was loads more.

The late Miss Robinson is mostly known for "Turn The Beat Around", the 1976 disco classic that was one of the first of popular tracks to incorporate Spanish styled rhythms and instruments. Gloria Estefan later covered it in 1994 bringing back interest in the disco movement, and now Megan Mullally (aka Karen from Will & Grace) tragically dances down the dairy aisle with a tub of butter in her hands to it. It's sort of a shame, since Vicki Sue Robinson had even better songs, in fact, she had a range of styles that extended beyond the Latin back beats of her signature cut, that even myself, was surprised at her offerings. So one day, I decided to listen to more Vicki Sue Robinson, and well, it was worth the hunt...

Buzzy Wuzzy: How Does It Feel To Keep Having D'Angelo Give Us Promises? Well, It Sucks.

Promises, promises. D'Angelo keeps giving us sound bytes of teasing context...but with no product. The Urban Daily has broken D'Angelo's silence by giving him a proper interview , his first in nine years, which lures one to believe that he is dishing about his current musical standpoint. Is he releasing a new album? A new song? Is he in the process of making a cologne called 'Untitled (How Do You Smell)'? Is he finding solace in a celestial being? No. He's just jerking us around again, as he doesn't dish much, except that he is "in the kitchen" and"cookin' up something real nice." As a cooking enthusiast, I do agree that in the process of baking and cooking my signature meatloaf, peanut butter cookies and salmon cakes, that I do take meticulous care in the creation...but if I left them in the oven or on the stove top for too long, they will burn and nobody wants to eat charred salmon cakes. So in D'Angelo's case, he needs to serve what he's cooking before nobody cares anymore. You've probably already read the piece, considering it's been making the rounds on the blogs. But I'm like my girl, ill Mami over at Soul Bounce...wake me whenever a brand new song (not a lost B-side from 2001) makes it's way online for me to get ecstatic over D's return.

First Impressions: I Like Kelis' 'Flesh Tone'. There I Said It.

And you know I'm going to tell you why. I secretly wanted to hate this because Kelis went all rouge (or Minogue...how ever you want to look at it) and decided she was tired of catering to the hip-hop crowd (thanks Nas) and wanted to shake up the plain yogurt. But with one listen, hate I cannot, I had to break the glowsticks and dim all the lights sweet darling because I seriously danced the night away (in my room) with Kelis' and her latest offering, the electro-pop savvy, Flesh Tone. Though the album won't be in stores (on US shores) till about July, there is no time like the present to divulge in it's contents and what a fun and sound shifting package it is.

First Impressions: Maroon 5 Wallow In Some (Happy) Misery

Since summer has officially begun, you know that it's time to compile your own official summer soundtrack to blast whether you're by the beach, grazing the grass in the park, or (like me) sitting in your home with the air conditioning blowing in your face. Whatever songs deserve a spot on your playlist, be sure to let Maroon 5's "Misery" be added to the tracklist because it has "Summer Jam!!" splashed all over it's sunny exterior. The Grammy-winning fivesome are gearing up to release their long awaited third album, Hands All Over, this September, and after a three year long wait they have returned to appease fans with the first single. Titles can be deceiving as the track is more cheery than downtrodden, and it's pretty much what you'd want from a Maroon 5 cut, which includes jangly guitars, upbeat pop riffs and Adam Levine's voice singing expressively. In short, it's pop heaven. So you know that this is a good deal right on off. So kick start your summer by taking a listen, and be sure to also head on over to iTunes where the track was official released today.  

Misery

Song Stuck In My Head: No Fly Guy, I'll Take A Shy Guy

"Shy Guy" - Diana King (1995)

I just adore Diana King. You can't make me budge in thought that she should have been massively huge, especially with her 1997 sophomore album, Think Like A Girl, which is one of my favorite albums ever...but more on that at a later calendar date. In 1995 (fifteen years ago!!), King entered the scene with "Shy Guy", a delicious jolt of what happens when you vibrantly mix Reggae, Hip-Hop and R&B that had King's massive vocal power splattered all over it.

To me, it's an essential 90's jam as it shows that during that time the style was changing with New Jack dying out and hip-hop becoming more so a force. It's just a hell of a lot of fun to sing (especially that chorus...) and do the Carlton to...which I know you did back then. "Shy Guy" clamored to fame when it was featured on the buddy-cop action-comedy, Bad Boys, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The track literally kick started King's career by reaching #13 on the Billboard charts and made the Bad Boys soundtrack one of the last of its kind.

It seems that nowadays the art of the movie soundtrack is kind of dead, where multiple songs off of it find chart action or where we find the next big singing superstar from movie soundtracks anymore. Now whenever an artist does a song for a soundtrack, it's an afterthought, or some sort of chore to discuss. So whenever I listen to "Shy Guy", I think back to when songs like this existed, and where we get music videos with film montages and those cheesy intros and cameos from the film stars (see below). Yeah, I kind of miss this.

Recycle It!: Shanice Puts The Brakes On Lady GaGa's "Alejandro"

Was sorely disappointed with a capital "D" at Lady GaGa's La Isla Bonita/Express Yourself tribute video for "Alejandro". Guess I expected too much, but alas this audio vision makes up for it. Songbird Shanice has been doing the YouTube "singing at home in front of camera" game for some time, executing covers ranging from Michael Jackson's "She's Out Of My Life" to Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" on her YouTube page, and it seems that by now she should probably consider lassoing all those tracks up and releasing a proper album of covers tracks, because let's face fact, the woman can SANG. Shatter glass, blow fish out of the water...SANG. She's been sangin' since her teen years back in the late 80's and early 90's, when she scored a hit in 1991 with, "I Love Your Smile" and she continues to do so (which I'm glad of).

Here she takes "Alejandro" to church on this video take and really brings it on the vocals, transforming the song into sort of a lullaby. I think she enjoyed singing and rolling the "r's" in the name "Alejandro", because she gets into it a lot in one bit, but hell, the song is fun to sing no matter what tempo. Sure Shanice slows the roll of the song, but this is the tempo the song should have been if latched onto that winter misery march of a video La GaGa was projecting. Most might not care for this take due the original being all spicy, but you have to sit and give a hand to Shanice for attempting to take a song and make it sound completely different.

First Impressions: Zo! and Sy Smith Gives Us A Taste With 'Greatest Weapon'

To say that I enjoyed Zo!'s ...Just Visting Too EP last year is sort of an understatement. I extremely, absolutely, massively and vastly enjoyed it, is more like it. And now the the producer is back to make me happy with SunStorm, with a scorching title as such you know you have to bring the goods, and the goods are brought with it's latest musical appetite wetter. On "Greatest Weapon of All Time", Zo! latches back up again with the lush vocal abilities of Sy Smith, a songstress that appeared on ...Just Visiting Too (as well as has a few albums under her belt and sings backup vocals for American Idol---yes, she sings back-up. It's a cruel world, ain't it?). The song is nothing short of a low-key exercise of breezy soul, funk fusion and jazz. Sy's soothing vocals drip all over this making it a comforting slice of musicianship. Definitely hope to hear more of this on SunStorm as this is my kind of laid-back adventure.

If you like what you hear, then by all means take the freebie download and watch for the 'storm' brewing our way when SunStorm touches down this July 27th.

Greatest Weapon Of All Time (ft. Sy Smith)

DL: Greatest Weapon Of All Time

Crisp N' Fresh: Kelis Let's The Sparks Fly In Her Own Private '4th of July'

It seems a bit early to be celebrating the 4th of July, but Kelis doesn't think so. 4th of July for me, usually, is my Mom making a strawberry/blueberry flag shaped cake that she has been shilling since 1996 when she saw the recipe in Family Circle magazine, and she makes it specifically for my Dad since he celebrates his birthday on Independence Day. For Kelis, her "4th of July (Fireworks)" is less home spun, and more of what I'd like to do...you know gyrating in a desert in an a gold lame dress with an Indian headdress perched atop my head and spalshing around like a sea urchin in some water. Fun 'let independence ring' stuff. Not the most groundbreaking of videos and kind of yawns on arrival as it screams "look at me!!" Yeah, we see you Kelis rolling around, mugging for the camera and dancing with sparklers. But at least Kelis featured some fireworks (which obviously looks like a .gif she snagged from PhotoBucket or something) because that would've been a real rip-off considering the song title.

Flesh Tone is currently out to our neighbors overseas, but for those of us Stateside have to wait till July 6th for it's arrival. Review of Flesh Tone from yours truly is pending and waiting to be unleashed soon...

The Tape Deck: GeorgiaGrapevyneShowAgainElasticHeels

Six songs that I'm feeling this week...share your six songs of the moment in the comments, if you so choose too.

1. Georgia - Cee-Lo
Stray Bullets is awesome. It really is. So we can take it a step further. It took a little time but I fell in love with "Georgia", the first single off of Cee-Lo's upcoming Lady Killer project. It isn't called "Georgia" for kicks n' giggles as this feels very homegrown from the soil of the South. A wailin' good time it is.

2. Grapevyne - Brownstone
There is a thing called SANGIN', not singing...SANGIN'. This song is evidence of what I'm talking about because Brownstone clearly sang the mess out of this 90's classic. To this day it's one of my favorite songs from the "golden era of R&B", and though Brownstone didn't achieve as big of a splash as similar groups like En Vogue and SWV, their 1994 debut album, From The Bottom Up, was solid and should be in every R&B music connoisseurs collection. Also "the if you didn't know and now you know" fact: Michael Jackson produced this song. Oh yes.

3. Show Me - The Cover Girls
Speaking of girl groups....Freestyle music always reminds me of home, since it was played with a constant pound on my hometown's radio stations. Now that I'm back home in old SA of Tejas (or Texas for all you English folks), I'm feeling the need to unearth my small, but fair Freestyle collection, for the sake of nostalgia and that I can't get enough of those Latin tinged pop beats. Once you get past the high wine of the vocals, there is an crackling little dance number here from the Cover Girls. The trio weren't a favorite Freestyle act (that honor goes to Expose with a nod to Stevie B), but they were an act that did do some pretty decent stuff (their Rose Royce cover of "Wishing On A Star" doesn't sound bad even if on paper it does) and I'd take them back to replenish the drought of girl groups we are in now.

First Impressions: Oh! Delight! Rapture! Faith Evans Is Back!

It's been a beat. A beat, skip, and a memoir later since we've seen Faith Evans and she left us wanting more from her musically after her impeccable (and personal favorite) 2005 effort, The First Lady. Now she's on the comeback grind with a brand new album called, Something About Faith, and pleasantly out of nowhere today a brand new track from the effort, "Way You Move" pops up. Snoop Dogg guests the lush and breezin' "Way You Move", which infectiously bops along on a easy-does-it vintage Soul groove. It literally takes off where The First Lady left us last, and it's a lovely return. I have been waiting anxiously for Faith to return, even though her guest spots with Robin Thicke and Teena Marie did tie me over, it's time to move onto the next and deliver new ish. There will definitely be something to talk about when Something About Faith drops in stores, September 14th of this year. I cannot contain the excitement so let me do this: *jumps up and down elated and claps for joy* ...and then you listen below and catch the feeling I'm feeling.

Way You Move (ft. Snoop Dogg)

First Impressions: Things That You Want To Sound Like The Killers, But Isn't; Brandon Flowers Debuts Solo Single

Usually when a lead singer of a popular group goes solo it's expected, but it can go one of two ways...really really good or it can go really really bad. So when The Killers' Brandon Flowers announced he was leaving for a spell to go solo, I was intrigued like Nancy Drew wearing pastels and seeing a clue through her magnifying glass. Then it was announced that his debut solo album was to be named, Flamingo, and then I became a tad put-off. It all sounded very "crusie-ship"-esque and since The Killers last album, Day & Age had a real "havana candy-tropical rock" thing to it, I was expecting the same. Boy, was I quick to judge. The first jump, "Crossfire", debuted on a US radio station this morning, isn't half-bad, in fact it's rather good. It mixes rock and even some country elements with an underlying electronic flair plugged in, all done rather cautiously, but effective. The song shows off Brandon's versatile pipes (dig the falsetto) wonderfully, because really his voice is the main reason why I like The Killers so much. Instantly, we want this to sound like The Killers, but to me, there is just a trace. From the sound of things, Flowers is playing to win with this solo effort, and I think he has won me over already.

Like penny-pinchers, his label is being stingy so they've been removing links (will post stream when coast is clear), but you can stream the track at Brandon Flowers' official site for the time being or listen here, and keep it tuned there as he'll be dropping solo tracks periodically until the album releases in November of this year.

Wipe Off The Dust: Get Reacquainted To The Other Lisa Stansfield

Okay, comparisons are never fair, but during the early 90's the UK was pumping out the soulful talent left and right...Lisa Stansfield, Omar, Brand New Heavies, Soul II Soul, Mica Paris...so whenever someone tried to come into that bracket, they were automatically going to get compared. This is the case with Harriet.

Harriet is one of those mystics of the music scene. The ones who released an album, had a great minor hit, and then just vanished before they could even be a one-hit wonder. Like Lisa Fischer, Harriet released a debut album (1990's Woman To Man) that featured some powerhouse vocals, a stunning handful of singles, not to mention just a cohesive set of tracks that deserved more acclaimed. And also like Fischer, Harriet came out at the wrong time, where she had to battle the vocal machines known by last names such as Houston, Carey, Stansfield and soon Dion. Yet, Harriet proves that there is always room for another soulful White girl hailing from UK shores, and it's all in "Temple of Love" the single that got her attention in the first place.

Freebie Adventures: Cee-Lo Is A Real Straight Shooter On 'Stray Bullets'

Cee-Lo doesn't need to release The Lady Killer, his upcoming solo effort. Stray Bullets is proof of that. The mixtape that plays like an album is jammed packed with a collage of sounds that eclectically combines what Cee-Lo conceived sound wise during tenures in groups The Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley, as well as production from mainly The Grey Area and Cee-Lo's ever flowing mind of ideas.

After getting around to the first single off of the expecting, The Lady Killer, "Georgia" (which I will talk about sometime later), the goods kept flowing with Stray Bullets. Some songs feel like theme songs to 1970's sitcoms, while others moody 80's New Wave homages, and then back into modern hip-hop and neo-soul territory. You'll expect to hear The B-52's make an appearance on this on the fast n' furious, "Cho Cho The Cat" and Esthero fans will get a surprise with "ChamPain" which continues that brilliant slice of musicianship in Esthero's interlude, "Flipher Overture" from her 1997 debut, Breath From Another. Let's just say that you won't be bored with this. Get your freebie on, and check after the cut for the tracklisting. Consider this a brilliant warm-up for what Cee-Lo is to be bringing on The Lady Killer. Can't wait.

DL: Stray Bullets Mixtape

Recycle It!: The Roots & Ice Cube Give "Straight Outta Compton" Another Spin

There are so many places on the World Wide Internets to find music that it's sort of ridiculous. Whenever someone whines to me about there not being any "good music anymore" I sort of have to roll my eyes and just pity the fool Mr. T style. If you haven't tried or set up a Tumblr (like me!), I recommend, because the folks I follow always drop some sort of music gold each day on my dashboard, and this is one of those moments that I had to share here.

Courtesy of a heads up from one of my Tumblr haunts, The Daily What, found an upload from ?uestlove's Twit Vid collection of The Roots and Ice Cube rehearsing a insanely tight number of N.W.A's 1988 classic, "Straight Outta Compton" during a audience rehearsal for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Don't know if people even say the slang "tight" anymore, but I'm going to be corny and say that this is "tight", tight like me squeezing myself into some skinny jeans after eating an ice cream creation from Marble Slab Creamery. Tight. The video is grainy, but the audio is superb enough for you to hear Black Thought and former N.W.A member, Ice Cube just swiftly blaze through the rhymes, with the instrumentation of the Roots band soldiering on in the background turning the hip-hop anthem in a funky tailspin. A recycle done right.

Album Watch: Opening My Eyes To Nikko Gray's 'Love Seen'

One of the things that cripples a music junkie is that you're constantly collecting to the point where you end up possessing so much music that you never know what you've got (much less know what to play first!). Nikko Gray is one of those voices that got a little buried in the music treasure trove known as my computer hard drive.

Gray came to my conscious through a sparkling little track called, "Moonlight Delight" which was left for later listening, and got to my ears not too long ago. It seemed that I revisited Nikko's grooves just in time as the London-born, Los Angeles musically bred vocalist has released her first full length affair in the form of Love Seen, an album that showcases her attractive honey soaked husk vocals (think of if Yukimi Nagano from Little Dragon and Kelis got in a voice mashing machine) and musicabiltiy (made that term up) to soothe the savage beast with the salad of House, jazz and alternative R&B. It's quite exquisite if you ask me.

First Impressions: Big Boi and Andre 3000 Reunite...If Only For A Moment

It has been too long. Okay, not that long, but when the last time, to my knowledge, the guys of OutKast were officially together on a song, I was a sophomore in high school...and well, time has really flown since then. So of course hearing that Big Boi was going to be exhibiting his Sir Luscious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty album soon, it was almost assuring that partner in musical crime, Andre 3000 would pop up in the process in some sort of fashion. And he has done so, but not without a little trouble first as Jive Records has been trying their darnedest to put a stop to releasing Sir Lucious Leftfoot  over some contract disputes and gobbly gook concerning the Georgia team. But like that is going to stop anyone from getting their hands on the supposed plethora of collaborations the two have done together for the upcoming project. "Lookin' 4 Ya" is one of the proposed album tracks and it's a keeper, especially since everyone's been dying for the two to get back together. As I have been under the weather lately, this song got me out of a funk instantly...so you know this is one to groove too.

Lookin' 4 Ya

Buzzy Wuzzy: Prince Covers Ebony Mag, Looks At Me As If We Did The Naughty Last Night

Prince turned 52 years old yesterday. Serious. You wouldn't have guessed it from that baby bottom smooth skin, perfectly relaxed hair (he is definitely not using the boxed straight goop of Dr. Miracle) and the youthful glint in his eye, but his Purple Highness blew 52nd candles out on a raspberry beret shaped cake and yes, we should celebrate. Why? He's Prince, and the look he is giving us on cover the upcoming July issue of Ebony commands that we celebrate. Ebony is about to get candid with Prince in a lengthy interview, which is to feature talks about the usual topics asked musicians: their music, their relationships, their religious views etc., but there are to be some never-before-seen photos to sweeten the pot.

While Prince hasn't exactly been the chart monster he was once, or released an album that changed the musical landscape, he is an artist who has iconic status so whenever he emerges, we have to take notice and wonder about if the next big musical step is next...but you knew all of this so why waste the words to say.

Prince did celebrate his birthday by giving his fans a present in the form of a brand new track, "Hot Summer", which is nothing short of what we expect out of him, fun, fast and funky. So since people love to stretch out a birthday, do so with Prince by jamming to the newness, jam to the classics, visit the Tumblr (FuckYeahPrince!) and find yourself getting hypnotized and taking your clothes off unwillingly to the Ebony cover. Prince would want you too. 

Crisp N' Fresh: Experience "I Think I've Seen This Before" Syndrome With Lady GaGa's 'Alejandro'

Homage or copy cat-ism? That is up for debate as you view the eight minute highly anticipated visual for Lady GaGa's "Alejandro" which clearly looks fashionably, choreographically and photogenically like a mash-up of all of Madonna's very best video moments. Hate to sound a bit nit-picky, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...it's a duck. Daffy. Howard. Duckie from Pretty in Pink. Duck.

The erotic military workout that cross references into ideals of Catholicism and resisting temptation does bite the bill off of some of Madonna's most iconic videos such as "Express Yourself", "Vogue", "Erotica" and "American Life". It's almost to the point where things like the men in fishnets and coned machine gun bra, stick out and you're playing in a game show called: Name That Madonna Video! Not that I don't admire the effort and captivating powers that Lady GaGa has put forth in the video for the highly glossed and stylized visual (because let's face it, nobody is making highly budgeted videos that make you drop everything to view), just that GaGa has embellished on ideas already put forth and it just feels like déjà vu, not anything remotely inspired. On the plus side, "Alejandro" remains to catch me into singing the chorus, so GaGa still has me there.

First Impressions: Is Christina Aguilera's 'Bionic' Supasonic? 2 Bloggers Investigate

You've been anticipating. You've groused. You've gotten excited. You've given her a break. You've trashed talk. You've rolled your eyes...or you've probably been quizzical at what Christina Aguilera has done for us lately. Whatever your emotions, you've witnessed in some form, the pop diva becoming the punching bag of critics, fans, stans and haters for awhile, and it's all because of this album right here. Bionic.

It has been over four years since Aguilera went 'back to basics' with her misunderstood 2006 double third album, and this time she has donned a new mindset---she is a machine of vocal poweress with the ability to emote glamor and confidence.Yep, Bionic has Aguilera taking the mechanical mainstream approach with a little help from some friends  (Polow da Don, Linda Perry, Sia, M.I.A., Le Tigre, Peaches, Nicki Minaj...and many more) and with pulsating pop beats in-between. So what is the result of all this?

In a twist of review change, I invited blogging compadre, Mel from Melismatic blog, who is also a big Christina fan, to join me at the critiquing table to dissect the album song-by-song. Being the level-minded bloggers that we are, we didn't hold back and wanted to give a fair and just account of the album. We chit and chatted, threw out opinions and erased the biases. You can check out what we had to say (which was a lot!) after the cut.

First Impressions: Having Lazy Daze With J*Davey

 Even though it's Monday, you can still bring the weekend to your ears with a new one from J*Davey, everyone's favorite indie-Soul-always-giving-free-goodies-and-sounds-duo. The sound of "Lazy Daze" is perfect to just kick back, dream of that vacation somewhere by a beach and work for the weekend. The song oddly popped up out of nowhere, and its being attached to the name of a new mixtape, Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mistapes. A guess is that the LA twosome are prepping for another mixtape collection and wanted to get us in motion for it.

"Lazy Daze" is sure to get us interested. It's a bubbling number that rhythmically bops along, playing on the dreamy 80's synths that occupy it. It sprawls out on six minutes of sonic sound, dissipating in the end to a relaxing vibe, showing off how the duo's quirk factor can flip on a dime. Since I've listened to it for about five times, that is an indicator that this is some good stuff. What's even better than just hearing the track is that it's free to download for continuous listening pleasure. A win-win for us all.

First Impressions: The Roots Keep Doin' The Do (Again)

Two minutes and twenty three seconds. This is all the timespace The Roots need to deliver a tightly produced track, and well, why should we be surprised, as the troupe from Philly are professionals after all and have been in the game for little over 15 years. Getting on the late foot with the newest leak off of their upcoming, How I Got Over, but I had to say something about how much I love this song and how it's perking my attention up for their upcoming ninth record. Even in all of it's quickness and with John Legend's "Again" getting interwined and sample throughout this, it's effortlessly good. Great even.

Dig on that single cover, something that I don't usually post in favor of the artist's mug, but it had to get some focus. How I Got Over to drop in stores June 22nd, which perfectly slips my summer music plans. 

Doin' It Again (ft. John Legend)

Soapboxing: Janelle Monáe Is Fabulous...But Why So Little Feedback?

It's no secret that I have been bouncing about the walls recently about Janelle Monáe and her fantastic effort The ArchAndroid. In the process, I've gotten a lot of "who?" and long winded "oh's" from friends and family who have inquired about the sounds coming out of my speakers for the past few weeks. Yes, my friends and family are little out of the loop concerning Madame Monáe, and they aren't the only ones as it seems that Monáe, even with all the gushing on blogging circuits and recent television appearances, there is still little talk about the tux-and-saddle shoe clad girl from Kansas City.

Jezebel posed the question on Janelle and her quiet praise after noticing that The ArchAndroid debuted at #17 on the charts, they asked: Why do people pay more attention to Ke$ha and others like her and not Janelle Monáe? Race, the lack of skin being shown and Janelle being on the poisonous Bad Boy label are truthful bullets to bite, but we can dig a little deeper and skip Obvious Street.

Crisp N' Fresh: Quadron's 'Buster Keaton' Takes Minimalistic Style To Odd Thrills

At a lost of words for what exactly is occurring in Quadron's visual for "Buster Keaton", and that is usually unlike me, a writer/blogger/chatterbox who thrives on the written word. Still believe me, you'll be mystified and perplexed like I when viewing this stark art house video from the Danish duo that descriptions will be lost. The two aren't featured in this video, still if you like seeing pretty colors, strange performance ballets, colored hula-hoops and stylish clothing done in a minimalistic way, you'll get a kick out of what the video entails. I will go on to gush that amidst all the artsty fartsy and visually stunning imagery you'll witness, the main focus clearly is the frigid and spooky chime of the track itself, which is nothing short of my favorite off of Quadron's debut effort. An album that if you haven't gotten by now, you should slap yourself silly and purchase immediately for the sake of not looking foolish when someone digs around in your music library.

Crisp N' Fresh: Kylie Minogue Gets Touchy Feely, I Say Pass The Purell Sanitizer

While I'm still not totally sold on "All The Lovers"  and it's euphoric musical context like some of my blog compadres, there is something about it that is so...so...so...Kylie, that I'm forced to like it. Just like the visual display for the track, it just screams Kylie Minogue. It's a little narcissistic as the Aussie Queen of Pop is being hoisted up by a mountain of un-clothed individuals that caress her like a mystic idol (hence where the album title Aphrodite comes into play). It's also features cameos from some of nature's most beloved creatures (a horse! a dove! an inflatable elephant!). And there is lots of rubbing, touching, kissing, gasping, wiggling...a whole bunch of things other than dancing, which Kylie instructs everyone to do in the beginning of the song, but if's probably hard to dance being contained in a mound of flesh. In short, it's a VERY Kylie music video, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Still, call me a germaphobe, but I wouldn't be rubbing up on all those strangers like that. Okay, maybe I'd get grabby on Kylie to slip off and steal those killer shoes she's sporting. But for all the other lovers in this...pass the Purell hand sanitizer, please.

First Impressions: Kanye West's 'Power' Pounds Onward

Back to regularly scheduled blogging earlier than expected (cheers, applause, tears of joy)...Just my luck that I'd be wading in bubble wrap, packing boxes and driving the open Texas trails back home for the summer and Kanye West would crawl out of his den and straight shoot a smoking first bullet from his upcoming Good Ass Job project. Figures. Still catching up is worthwhile as the newbie track, "Power" lives up to it's name and sneeringly delivers. Good Ass Job's first take, which features Dwele and co-production by Symbolyc One, is peppered with Kanye's usual cockiness and a thumping tribal pound that gives us a pretty good guesstimate that Kanye has woken up out of his 808's emo-fueled funk, and that he's back to brash tricks. Thank goodness. Sure Kanye can be a bit of a salt ass in attitude, but there is no denying that he can give us somethin' we can feel each and every time he puts out a fresh track to make us forget all about his fussy spells. Take a listen if you missed it while soaking in Memorial Day weekend and if you like what you hear, it'll be up on iTunes on June 8th for downloading pleasure.

Power