Crisp N' Fresh: Jazmine Sullivan Holds Down A House Party

File this into "house party themes" in the music video directory...Jazmine Sullivan offers up some throwback love in the visual for her sizzling single, "Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)" and takes some cues from late 80's and early 90's hip-hop influence with door knocker earrings, sky high fades, big frames and chunky gold chains galore. It's a right homage to the (great) 1990 film, House Party and Missy Elliott pops up to throw in her two cents (as well as throw around some hair). Also do a Where Is Waldo and you'll find Pepa from Salt n' Pepa, Pete Rock and Doug E. Fresh pop up for some cameos. In all it's cameo and fashion grandeur (glitter pants!!), this video still feels same-old-samey. I can take the plot line of "girl-gets-mad-over-boy-because-he's-stepping-out-with-a-new-chick-so-she-dances-and-dranks-it-up-because-life-is-still-goood" for so many times.

Side note: I'm going to need those lighting bolt earrings Jazmine is sporting right now this instant.

First Impressions: JoJo Swoops In and Surprises With 'In The Dark'

With growth comes some maturity...well for some of us, I'm 23 going on 12. For someone like JoJo, her maturity shown brightly on that fabulous song, "Wait A Minute (For Your Love)"  which leaked earlier this year. It seemed a signal for something much more from R&B/Pop kid sister.

JoJo fans know all about her label woes and the fact that she has had a bushel load of songs that have been leaked every which way around the web. Now it's great to see something official that involves a release with JoJo. Following in the same business and creative tactic as numerous artists of today, JoJo is jumping on the mixtape bandwagon and releasing her first mixtape project, Can't Take That Away From Me on September 7th. Today the first single, "(I Only Know Him) In The Dark" was released, with much delight from me, considering how much I enjoy JoJo's music.

JoJo hinted to Rap-Up that this mixtape will explore a more "mature" and "experimental" sound. So does she live up to that on "In The Dark"? She actually does. This slinky and minimalist hip-hop beat melds with experimental electronic sounds and is a hop, skip and jump from Dear Diary anthems like "Leave (Get Out)". In some ways it's sounds like Cassie's "You & Me"...but better. Immensely better. Ignore the auto-tuned parts (yeah, there are some), but in all the song possesses a great chorus and bridge that sort of sweeps you in. R&B heads will definitely take a liking to this. Take a listen after the cut to "In The Dark" and see if JoJo surprises you with her new sound.

First Impressions: Take A 'White Knuckle Ride' With Jamiroquai

Haven't you heard? Jamiroquai are back...or really it's one of those "we never went away, y'all just late" type of deals. Well, I'm late to the news that Jay Kay and the boys are back with a new album, Rock Dust Light Star (that sounds like some candy...some real good candy) and a new single, "White Knuckle Ride". Talk about greatness. It wouldn't be Jamiroquai if it wasn't all about the funky stuff and this song pretty much has it. It's that cool in the shade funk beat that is part danceable, and part max and relax, with Jay's croon and wiggling bass lines along with a surge of disco light synths (!) in the chorus. Maybe since I've been listening to Imagination (you know "Just An Illusion") lately, this sounds like something they would've done back in the day, so if you like that sound, this will please you with it's vintage appeal. Wouldn't have happened on this if it weren't for Pinboard, so props to them, and make sure you keep on your toes about the November release date of Rock Dust Light Star (say that three times fast), I know I am.

Audio Vision: Beauty & The Beat...Why You Should Watch 'My Mic Sounds Nice' Tonight

Excuse me for "feministing" over here, but females made me like hip-hop in the first place. Sure, MC Hammer's parachute pants may have sparked something, but in honesty, once I saw Salt n' Pepa get down in those lace up boots in the "Shoop" video, seven-year old me in braided and barrette pigtails was hooked on the phonics and beats of hip-hop. I may not be the most elaborately posed person to dish about hip-hop, since it's not my go-to genre (shocker), but somewhere down the line Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, the girls from S n' P and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes became my lyrical heroes, bringing messages to the music. If you've heard the music, you know it's not just noise and babble...(or so what  my mother calls it). So enough gushing, let's get to the good stuff.

Since there is a dry spell of real meaty music documentaries in a national TV scope, it's sort of a diamond in the rough that BET will be showing tonight their documentary, My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth About Women In Hip-Hop tonight. A music documentary on prime time? I'm sort of salivating at this. The show will outline women roles in hip-hop with commentary and interviews with those who have lived through it, and are still hoping to be heard. From the looks of the trailers I've seen, this documentary (which is directed by Ava DuVernay) will be not cutting any corners and seems geared to really give a full spectrum of the genre. It also seems to pose the question of what happened to women at the mic in today's hip-hop world, considering how much women flourished in it during the 90's and early 2000's...and how females being promoted in hip-hop today are few and far between. Yeah, it's BET, but swallow your pride for a night and support a show that actually takes a look at one slice of the music industry that has just as much impact as any other form. Educate thine self.

Audio Diva Workshop: Oh. I Reached A 1,000 Posts....Well, How's About That?

Well, what do you know...I've reached over a 1,000 posts! How dopey of me to even not check it! Probably happened last week, but you know...life, it gets the best of everybody.

*gets up to the podium clutches self like Halle Berry on Oscar night* 

So this is perfect for me to usher in a waterfall of thank yous thus, I wanted to take this time to thank each and every person out there who has in some way shape or form reached out to me, Twittered me, added me on the blogroll, followed my crazy arse with this blog and my Tumblr, read the words posts here, followed me through other social networks etc.....though I usually don't get to say hey, or drop a line in the comments or even visit your site that much, but I am watching, looking, thanking, appreciating and just loving being around some of the best folks of the Blogging Kingdom. You don't know how much you guys inspire and make me want to share music and commentary...and life with you all. Every comment and simple "hey" means a lot! Not lying. Before I start boo-hoo happy crying, slinging the snot and Sham-Wowing all over the place let me get to the grit.

You're probably wondering why my work on this blog and my presence on Twitter has been overtly sporadic and almost MIA these past couple of months. I have been taking the summer to gather myself (college wipes your ass out), write, get wrapped up in family drama, write, job hunt, write, job hunt, write....it's been a busy summer, and it may get busier in the next couple of months so the blog has to suffer as my free time has been compromised. But Audio Diva isn't going anywhere. I'll still try to keep you up to date on favorite tunes and artists, and also take the time to wade in nostalgia...it just won't be as constant as before. But quality will never go down...you'll always get the best from me! Just try to bear with me in this transitional period for me.

To keep popping the champagne, Audio Diva is going to be getting a sibling. Well, a new blog sibling that is. At the moment I have been starting and stopping and starting and stopping a new blog project, that will hopefully get its wings sometime this fall. I have been rambling about it on Twitter...maybe you missed, but I have been wanting to do this blog project for a little over two years now, and well, carpe diem...seizing the freaking day finally and will be debuting the site soon. Plus Audio Diva will be getting some good changes coming it's way...so keep checking back, commenting and the like and I'll keep you in the know of these blossoming details.

Once again, I know I just made it like I won a Grammy, dropped it, and had my nephew break it (side eye to Taylor Swift and John Legend), but I never knew how far this blog was going to get when I opened it back in October of 2009. So I'll save the rest of the gushing for October when the site will be celebrating 2 years (!), but I just wanted to thank all my readers, affiliates and haters for keeping things going on here and let's bring on a 1,000 more posts!

1,000 Words + Some: More Than A Woman

Nine years ago today. Remembering Aaliyah.

First Impressions: Sara Bareilles Makes Me Feel Like Shopping For Bland Pastels With "Hold My Heart"

Kaleidoscope Heart will be here in two weeks. Forgot didn't you? Well, catch up. With the target date of September 7th for the album's release, the momentum is set with a brand new leaked song, "Hold My Heart". Sara Bareilles (looking mighty Carly Simon No Secrets in this pic) is currently sitting pretty in the Top 100 with her rambunctious single, "King of Anything". "Hold My Heart" is essentially Bareilles, it's a piano-pop driven ballad feature the ebb and flow of lovely voice, but something about it just feels rather mediocre and even down right typical.

Maybe today, I'm just not in the mood for a power piano driven ballad, but in some ways, "Hold My Heart" sounds easily like it could be played over the loudspeakers in Kohl's or Bealls as it just sort of evaporates into the shopping atmosphere, not engaging, just there for background ambiance. It just has that feel. Not to overlook Bareilles, who has a killer vocal range and phrasing...a reason why I'm a fan in the first place. Yet, if she's releasing this as a single, I'm a bit disappointed as this could have easily been sung by Leona Lewis or some other Unisom sleeping pill of a singer. Ballads don't have to sound bland or cookie-cutter, but somehow in recent years ballads have been plagued with this sort of same monotonous, intro hand clapping, faux Gospel leanings that feels overused and unimaginative. For someone with strong, personal and intricate ballads like "Gravity" and "One Sweet Love", I guess I was expecting too much.

Hold My Heart

First Impressions: The Saturdays' 'Headlines' Is When Pop Goes Flat

Mini-albums, mixtapes and EP's are sort of the norm nowadays, serving as an appetizer for what ever else is coming up, and it's a pretty sneaky and sometimes profitable tactic (just ask Lady GaGa, Robyn and a gaggle of hip-hop/R&B artists), but it's nothing to really complain about...except when it's induces yawning.

The Saturdays have served up this week, Headlines, an eight song "mini-album" that is geared to be a warm-up for the group's upcoming third album. The first single, "Missing You" has been out for a good month. But you know how us Americans are...we're the last to know about our friends across the Atlantic.While "Missing You" makes your gums hurt for its sugary shower of synths, it's actually the best new song on the whole thing.

In spare moments, I try to understand (yes, I'm philosophical like that) why I like The Saturdays over any other UK girl group. Sure I like the Sugababes (well, it was never the same once Mutya Buena left), but The Saturdays seem so much more fun than their other counterparts...which is why I'm disappointed in how Headlines plays out as a mini-album. To take the "say something nice challenge", I am pleased with "Missing You" and the punchy "Karma", but that's about it.

We're supposed to get eight new songs, but we really we're duped and just get four (with two being less than stellar). The remainder are rehashes from their (mediocre) 2009 Wordshaker album ("Ego" and "Forever Is Over"). Then one of the other newly touted songs, "Died In Your Arms" is really a Kristinia DeBarge throwaway track...oh, and toss in a remix of "One Shot" from Wordshaker, and voila! you have a wimpy, wilted salad...not a money crunching appetizer. Like I mentioned about Robyn and her Body Talk mini-album approach, it is no excuse anymore for an 8-track album to be this terribly thrown together, and I'm not the only one complaining about it. Come on Satz, I like my pop with a little more zest than this.

Album Watch: The Foreign Exchange Let The Leaves Fall Where They May

Even though the spin of fans keep on roaring as the official sound of summer, this is truly a nice beckoning into the fall season with the team of The Foreign Exchange and their cover art for their upcoming Authencity project. Phonte and Nicolay (plus a gaggle of FE family such as Yazarah, Jesse Boykins III and Zo!...just to name a few) have dropped hints about their third project, citing it's their most "diverse" work as well as continuing to span "the duo's trademark brand of lush electronic soul, to stripped down acoustic pieces that recall the heyday of 70's singer-songwriter driven folk." Well, how about that now?

The first single "Maybe She'll Dream Of Me" will soon be coming to an ear drum near you, and no doubt it will be something that will be my fancy since the words "synth driven" ends up in the description.

Though I came late to the FE camp (their 2008 sophomore album, Leave It All Behind sealed the deal) you better believe I will be checking for them when Authencity drops in stores October 12th. In the meantime "ooh and ahh" at the artwork and peep the tracklisting after the cut. 2010 isn't over yet, there is still more great music to come!

Crisp N' Fresh: Cee-Lo and the Art Of Cussing

Does anyone have a favorite cuss word? Come on, don't try to act all sanctified on me. It's Friday and it's blazing hot, you know you're at the end of your rope today and you want to say a collage of four little words to release the stress...especially the word in Cee-Lo's new song. I know I sure do. After becoming enamored with his excellent Stray Bullets mixtape (which you should have by now), Cee-Lo is still delivering the goods off of his upcoming The Ladykiller project. "F**ck You" is his latest endeavor and it rides along like a demented 60's soul nursery rhyme...and yes, it's pretty f**king good, a task that's hard to do when you've got expletives running rampant in a track. With the promo video above (the real video will come out next week), Cee-Lo does what I've been trying to tell people about my cussing being an art form as he spells (and sings) it all out to you artistically. Typeography nerds rejoice at the brilliance of this (NSFW) video as you see all of Cee-Lo's transgressions spelled out to you. I think this is going to be my new theme song.

Album Watch: Restarting All Over Again With Bilal

I'm a highly impatient person, but I've been doing so good this past year with my patience. So run and tell Santa that. Let's see...I waited for Maxwell and Sade, and I'm still waiting on something in the form of an album from Esthero and Van Hunt. Now gladly I can cross Bilal off of my "Wait For It...Okay, Nevermind" list. Bilal fans know that they have been waiting for ten long years and a unreleased album (the viciously ignored Love For Sale) ago for the soul man to properly return.

I have been knowing for some time that Bilal was on the return, yet I have been massively lazy in even composing a post about Mr. Oliver...well, my arse is in gear. I owe it all to aptly hearing "Restart", the brand new (not so new) song from Bilal's upcoming, Airtight's Revenge album. And well, this energized percussion driven funk joint  is just the tip of the iceburg...I can just sense that especially since the Philly bred  singer tossed around the words:  "progressive" and "electric" in describing Airtight's Revenge, which will be out in stores this September. He says he doesn't do singles, but I'm glad he at least let us know that "Restart" is in some shape of form going to be promoted, and well, "Restart" sounds good...real good. Listen to after the cut it if you haven't gotten a whiff of it yet. And also peek after the cut to soak in a great (and funny) three-part interview where Bilal dishes about life, liberty and the pursuit of Revenge.

Album Watch: Robyn Let's Her 'Body Talk' For The Second Time

Flat out, Body Talk Pt. 1 was pretty cruddy. I know. Gasp. Shock. Awe. Save for the fantastical, "Dancing On My Own" and the freeze tag of "Fembot", the rest sort of soggily plodded along for me. Blaming it on it being only eight songs shy of a full deck is a lame excuse considering  Lady GaGa's pitch perfect shortie, The Fame Monster showed that quality versus quantity is a reality. Body Talk Pt. 1 was clearly a warm up, the first pancake that you put on the griddle and discard because it is all kinds of lopsided. It was experimental to say the least.

Considering how bleak the first half was, Body Talk Pt. 2 (which will be released in September) sounds like a masterpiece, especially when the fantastic, "In My Eyes" pounces on in. There are cheeky snarky lyrics abound that spice up the platter, plenty of infectious blips and beeps of synth work to keep your ears busy, not to mention a more cohesive flow that sounds less indulgent and more honest. Still it's not all roses, just redeemable. 

Recycle It!: So Colin Munroe Covered My Favorite Prince Song Ever...

When you cover Prince you gotta do it right. That is all I am saying. So when a favorite producer of mines, Colin Munroe takes a stab at Prince's 1984 classic, "I Would Die 4 U"...well, it sounds too good to be true. Munroe slyly dropped this around the Internets today in anticipation for bigger things to come. I'm not going to say that he should've kept this, it is actually quite decent, just that since this probably is my all-time favorite Prince song next to "Pop Life", I'm a picky customer at buying this. Munroe sort of slows the roll of the urgent shower of synths on the original, as well as molasses out the vocals. The song becomes a more poppier and less funkier execution  than what Prince did, and the finished product gives off quite a different feel.

Even though you gotta cover a Prince track right in order to not look foolish, it is still a tough task to accomplish, and there are few who get a 'raspberry beret' hat toss for victory. Chaka Khan comes immediately to mind as someone who tackled Prince with definitive ease, making "I Feel For You" truly her song and even snatched Sheena Easton of some glory with "Eternity" (a song you can only hear on Khan's 1988 CK album). Meli'sa Morgan made an influx of children be born when her version of "Do Me Baby" hit radio in 1986. Mariah Carey and Dru Hill changed the game on "The Beautiful Ones" by making it a duet, and making it one of the best songs off of Mariah's Butterfly effort. I also have to give a hat tip to Alicia Keys for doing justice to "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore" and 80's guilty pop pleasure Haywoode for splashing "I Wanna Be Your Lover" with that UK Pop sound. You can cover Prince...it's just that Prince Purists will be picky about how it is done. 

So are you a Prince Purist when it comes to Munroe's version of "I Would Die 4 U"? Take a listen after the cut, as well as view n' see the other Prince covers that I mentioned

Buzzy Wuzzy: Happy Birthday Madonna!

What better way to spruce up a Monday by giving some birthday attention to her highness, Madonna? Today the Queen of Pop is celebrating her 52nd birthday, so as good little Material Girls and True Blue Boys, you must, and I repeat must play at least one Madonna song today, strike a pose, get into the groove and cause a commotion. I don't care where you are just express yourself, Madge would want you too. I don't care if you don't like Madonna (that kind of attitude is blasphemous in my world), just be reminded that her music is more than just about justifying love and physical attractions, the message of personal empowerment is nestled in between the infectious synths and coos. Yeah, that sounds like a lot of yak, but Madonna and her music means just that to this little tan girl. Madonna hasn't exactly been doing anything musically inclined lately as she has a string of other ventures she's exploring (fashion line, charities, new movies, adoptions, boy toy browsing...etc.), but she's Madonna, she can do whatever in frackle she's pleases, and still her legacy is intact (did you see the Glee episode dedicated to her?) so why not kick back and holiday, celebrate in all that is Madonna today? 

Five of my favorite Madonna videos after the cut. Share your favorite Madonna tunes and trends, if you wish in the comments.

First Impressions: Not Seeing Eye To Eye With Kanye West, Beyonce and Charlie Wilson

Just in. Kanye West recruits Beyonce and Charlie Wilson for his brand new song, "See Me Now". 'Ye twittered about having a special surprise today, but you knew that without even taking the time to follow him.  that he was Produced by No I.D. and Lex Luger, "See Me Now" is poppier than expected, and yeah, it's weak. Of course this will be a big hit considering the names involved...still that doesn't necessarily mean it is good.

For the first listening moment, it has simple little beat and it's easy to digest due to the newness of it and with the surprise addition of Beyonce (not taking a break, I see) and Uncle Charlie (Last Name) Wilson running through their vocals. Since this was reported to have been finalized last night, thus it sounds just like it was recorded last night. Very rushed with an generic flow and feels cluttered like a middle school talent show entry. Then there is annoying "ba-ba-ba-ba" backing chorus that sounds like it was lifted from Hip-Hop Rhymes For Dummies. And dare I even say that Beyonce and Charlie Wilson aren't the problem, just that the song is very undercooked. It's a complete mess. While I liked 'Ye's current single, "Power" a lot, this one feels mighty weak in comparison. Here's hoping 'Ye can redeem himself.

See Me Now (ft. Beyonce and Charlie Wilson)

Crisp N' Fresh: Singing Etta James By Yourself In A Bar Is Essential In 'Burlesque' Training

So I'm taking it that the Bionic project is completely shafted for now?

By now you should know that Christina Aguilera is going to be in the upcoming fabulously looking trash compactor flick, Burlesque with Cher!, Alan Cummings!, Stanley Tucci!, and whole bunch of other people! (the exclamation points were necessary). It looks massively like if you blended Showgirls, Glitter and Flashdance in a sparkle, sweat and leg warmer lint concoction. The silver lining (I guess) is Christina Aguilera blessing us with her vocal poweress, as of course, she'll be sangin' some songs in the film, and you can't beat the vocals of La Aguilera. A new video of her cover of Etta James' "Something's Gotta Hold On Me"  has surfaced and it's basically Christina Aguilera by herself in a dusty looking bar dancing and singing with herself. Really going overboard, like every diva should. It's quite 90's if you wanna think about it, due to the dusty filter the video is filmed in, plus I swear that stage and bar looks like it was from Justin Timberlake's "Senorita" video. To take the say something nice challenge...play this to hear Christina Aguilera doing Etta James justice, she is on fire.

First Impressions: A Killah Cover & Song From Mark Ronson's 'Collection'

This ended up in my in-box a couple of days back and since I'm a bag of lazy bones a lot of blogs have already been on the buzz about producer and DJ Mark Ronson's upcoming collaborative Record Collection and his current leak, the Ghostface Killah assisted, "Lose It (In The End)". So better late than never, right? Plus to kill two blog posts with one keystroke, I wanted to have an excuse to talk about the album cover for Record Collection, because well, just look at it. It's pretty awesome and a great homage to vinyl records. Was particularly nerdy in focusing in on at the homage to Duran Duran's Patrick Nagel drawn Rio cover. But back to the subject at hand...

The jerky funky sprawl of "Lost It (In The End)" is a much better musical assessment than the Q-Tip collaboration of "Bang Bang Bang" and gives me a sense that Ronson isn't terribly bad at singing (that has been the current criticism of this upcoming project) and that Record Collection is shaping up to sound just as good as 2007's Version, an album I was pretty entertained with particularly for Amy Winehouse and Daniel Merriweather. With some big names on board (D'Angelo, Boy George and Duran Duran's Simon LeBon are vocal guests as well), Record Collection is shaping up rather nicely.

Lose It (In The End) (ft. Ghostface Killah) 

Wipe Off The Dust: Lookin' Sharp With Roxette

Know what a "straight throughsie" is? *pulls out the Audio Diva Dictionary* A "straight throughsie" is an album that pretty much I could leave it on and play it straight through, barely skipping any song. There are a few (okay, count maybe about 40) albums in my collection I can do that with, and Roxette's 1988 sophomore album, Look Sharp! is one of them. Shocked? Don't judge to the quick!

Recently, I re-discovered Look Sharp! from the Swedish bred band, played it and was kind of in awe at how well it held up... nostalgically. It is BIG 80's personified. BIG synths, BIG guitars, BIG ideas. It is as sleek as a pressed suit on a big wig yuppie with a corner office. In fact, this whole album plays like the backing music to an 80's movie of John Hughes proportions. Still, that is okay, because the album captures that time span where drum machines were stark, synths were brooding in the background, and sax solos wiggled their way in to mash together and make some mighty fine and infectious tunes that will be stuck in your head for days. Swedish pop tends to be like that, just look at ABBA, Ace of Base and Robyn for further proof. I'm seriously convinced that there is some mythical element that the Swedish lace their audio tapes with in order for us to be truly captivated by their pop tuneage no matter what music genre you listen to. 

Roxette are sort of that acceptable guilty pleasure, well, in America that is, because we always tend to be pop prudes. Elsewhere Roxette are sort of demi Gods to the pop-rock genre, and this assumption comes from me having a European roommate in college who worshiped at the alter of Roxette members, Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson. We may not have agreed on whose turn it was to take out the garbage, but we did agree that Roxette is a fabulous pop band.

First Impressions: It Is Nice To See U Again Tha Boogie

Think back. A loooong way back up the blog road. I did a small word spill about Raphael Saddiq's protege's Tha Boogie, and about how much I adored them because they were not your average alternative-soul artists.Well, here they (meaning members NuSchool, Korus and Lejin) are again, this time with two new joints from their upcoming (and long overdue) full length debut, Long Time Know See. The trio has been stompin' the stage, in support of their EP, Love Tha Boogie (Steal This Shit), something that bypassed me, but will no doubt find its way in my music library somehow. Long Time Know See will be seeing the light of day sometime soon (no word yet), but the band is just dropping sounds down every so often to keep us aware. The jarring alternative guitar melodic "Ok" was just released yesterday and it borders on being a track from [insert weird indie band name here] with R&B supergroup tendencies. Just listen and you'll hear it. And while you're at it, peep their Raphael Saddiq collaboration, "I See U", which features squishy funk synths and a sound that George Clinton would be definitely be proud of.

Ok [Download]

I See U (ft. Raphael Saddiq)

First Impressions: I Do I Do I Do Ooo Like This New Andre 3000 Joint

So what if there isn't any concrete album news to go along with the release of a brand new Andre 3000 jam? There is a song...well, about two minutes of a song, but it's a terribly good two minutes. In fact, I'm mad because it just comes in eats all my food out of the fridge like Theo Huxtable and then leaves with the quickness and without a thank you. I felt cheated. I wanted more. For right now we can only guess this is just the beginning of something 'fresh and clean' from his 3000-ness, we just have to watch this space.

"I Do" puts a Lenny Williams sample to good use as Andre professes the desire to commit to his girl, and well, as a girl myself, I commit to the groove this is in. 

I Do

Crisp N' Fresh: Janelle Monae Gives Us Face Value & Tears For 'Cold War'

And the Janelle Monae Train just keeps on chugging with a surprise drop for the video of single, "Cold War". I have to say its about time Monae brings us a new single (because she could have a plethora of them off of The ArchAndroid), not because I'm sick of "Tightrope", but because it's time to see what else the saddled shoe salt shaker can do next in terms of visual appeal. Monae takes some cues from Erykah Badu, Phil Collins, and a tear stained Sinead O'Connor to deliver an up close and personal dialogue between viewer and self. It's a little daring to do a video of this accord, where all the emotion is coming just from facial expressions alone, but like the pro she is, Monae pulls it off beautifully. No gimmicks, no special effects, no fancy footwork, it's just Monae baring her soul for all to see to deliver a message that is poignant and crucial to the times.

Freebie Adventures: Step Into 'The Other Side' With Nina Sky

Okay, this is the fun I wanted on a Tuesday...it seriously shakes the doldrums off. Where has Nina Sky been you asked? The "Move Ya Body" sisters have been dipping and diving out of the music conscious with promises of a brand new album (The Musical has been in talks since 2007) and a comeback single...promises that seemed to dissipate. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that they are still kicking around and creating music that well...makes ya body move.

You can totally feel the beat on their recently dropped (and totally free!) EP, The Other Side, which clocks in at a tight eight songs, eight songs that expresses a glossy n' new sound the twins have been dipping in. Gone is the Reggaetone/Dancehall beats of their 2004 debut self-titled album, and we've got some slick House here, Techno squirts there and some Euro-Pop splashed about. Guest stars such as Kidz In The Hall and Melo-X also pop up to round out the cast. Really feeling this set (especially "You Ain't Got It" and the sneaky synth work of "Love Song") and like every EP, just a little miffed that it's so got damn short. Still it's a nice zinger to wet your whistle, so download away after listening to one of the slices off of it. 

Shouts to Pinboard for directing me to this goodness.

You Ain't Got It (Funk That Remix)(ft. Melo-X)


DL: Nina Sky - The Other Side EP

First Impressions: Faith Evans Drops A Quiet Storm With 'Gone Already'

I kinda hate kick starting the week off with a ballad...Tuesdays don't really deserve that. But I guess with the facts that Faith Evans is singing it, I miss ballads, and I have been waiting patiently for Faith's new album Something About Faith since...well, 2005, then all is well and good, thus I shouldn't be complaining.

So if you like strings, tinkling pianos and softly executed vocals then "Gone Already" is right up your alley. No doubt that I'm surprised she decided to ride on in softly with the first single off of her comeback set, but maybe treading water is better than splashing about? Nicely produced (thanks to Karma Productions) and laid out the ballad is, but something a little more funky would have had me a bit more 'mesmerized'. But at least things are cooking up for Faith's return...

Gone Already