First Impressions: Is Robin Thicke Getting Hotter Or Colder With This Random Leak?

I love a random Robin Thicke song in the afternoon. Okay, Thicke hurt my feelings with Sex Therapy, and I'm over that. In fact, I'm over that Thicke can't always do Evolution or A Beautiful World every damn day. Still he's got a bit of making up to do with me due to Therapy. Maybe this recently leaked, "She's Cold" will soothe my wounded ears? Swizz Beats is behind the production wheel of "She's Cold", so it's gonna be okay with me...and it is. Just okay. I can get past that is a bit repetitive (which gives me the impression that this is a demo or something), because it has a slick trance-like vibe that pulls you along and peppered with some 70's era synths. Plus, I can dig the staccato percussive beats and how Thicke punctuates the lyrics with his falsetto tone. It's not making me feel the earth move under my feet or anything, but it at least lets me know that Thicke isn't out of the game just yet.

She's Cold

First Impressions: Dear Cee-Lo, Hurry Up With 'The Lady Killer' Already!

When a album is usually so close to it's due date, I tend to sort of skip over the trickle of leaked tracks that pop up because I don't want to spoil the feast of the full album. Mainly that's a guideline for me, not a rule. Guidelines are meant to be broken. You know like today. It only took three seconds, and I was hooked on the groove of Cee-Lo's latest leak, "Bright Lights, Bigger City". Huge is really the best word I can use to describe this puppy. HUGE. It's got meaty synths, a delectable orchestral middle eight...it's all-round A+ and it's everything that I like about a big party number this side of 80's synth jams. So far from The Lady Killer project, this one has got to be my favorite...and that's saying a lot since "Old Fashioned" and of course "F**k You" have been on heavy rotation as well. Cee-Lo's The Lady Killer cannot leak get here fast enough. November 9th, hurry the mess up!

Bright Lights, Bigger City

First Impressions: Getcha Some New Lykke Li Into Your System

When the words "free" and "Lykke Li" come into the same sentence, a heads up is required of me. Youth Novels, Lykke's 2008 debut, was quite a decadent little album. It's a required taste, yes, and it's for those days where my black framed glasses seem more chic than geek and I feel the need to eat Nutella. Which is why Lykke's latest "Get Some" is like a splash of frigid water to the face. It's a departure from tracks like "Little Bit" as "Get Some" rides on a frantic rockabilly type of vibe. I think I just like the exuberant drum work mostly, and the fact that Lykee sounds like she got her Jimmy Dean breakfast in especially with eyebrow raising lyrics like: "I'm your prostitute/You gon' get some". Okay.

Lucky for us, she's offering the song free o' charge, not to mention she decided to give us the b-side, the  haunting whisper of "Paris Blue", as just something extra to go along with the newness. All you have to do is fork over your e-mail to snag 'em. Not too shabby. Look out for Lykke next year as a new album is on its way.

Get Some 


Paris Blue

Crisp N' Fresh: Is Kanye West's Visual Escapade A 'Yay' Or A 'Nay'?

Putting the critical whip down for a moment about Kanye West, I have to say that his 35-minute music video opus for "Runaway" was pretty enjoyable. It's hypocritical of me, yes, but considering the doldrums of my life mixed in with that there was absolutely nothing on TV this weekend, this was the sort of artsy fartsy stuff that was needed. "Runaway", the video, is poignantly Kanye's vanity mirror look at himself, yet I have to admit that Kanye is one of few who makes hip-hop sort of enjoyable for me due to him being just ridiculously over the top. No doubt is "Runaway" a nod to rock-operas and visual vignettes like Pink Floyd's The Wall, The Who's Tommy and of course the mini-movie journeys that Michael Jackson graced us with. Yet, does Kanye have the cojones to really be mentioned in that league?  

Take 5 Friday: Nelly Furtado Is Making Me Feel Old, Fresh Prince Done The Indie-Punk Way, Whipping Hair & About That Kanye Cover...

5 things from the week that need to be reheated in the blogowave...

1. Winehouse For 2011?
Can we start the campaign now? Or am I jumping the gun? I've seen a lot of rumors swirling around lately that Amy Winehouse is apparently for the gabillionth time making a comeback to music. People are fa sho wanting 2011 to be "Year of Amy". So putting Nancy Drew skills to work, I laid out what Amy has actually done for us lately: 

• She has recorded a song with Mark Ronson for a new Quincy Jones album. The song is Leslie Gore's "It's My Party". Ronson said, "She sounds great." That tells so much. It is also noted she got into a Twitter tiff with Ronson too.

• Amy took some beautiful photographs for Harper's Baazar. Bryan Adams photographed her. Yes, that Bryan Adams. Yes, the guy who sang such 80's JCPenny's loudspeaker songs like "Cuts Like A Knife". The pictures are gorgeous (see right). 

• She even took time for an interview with Bazaar. She talked about everything BUT a new album.

• She collaborated with British brand Fred Perry for a fashion line. No word on if worn ballet flats are on the menu, but the clothes are 50's and 60's centric. 

• She made a surprise random performance at a London pub playing a full set earlier this month. She played old songs and was "shy".

2. "Tick Tock Clock" By Raphael De La Ghetto
How many of you love you some Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air? I should see those hands...both hands. Dance the Carlton for The Fresh Prince Project. Instead of re-imagining the theme song over and over like countless versions you can see on YouTube, multi-instrumentalist Dr. Tweenus Gonzo upped the anty and has recorded songs recapping the first season...all 24 episodes on one album, which you can purchase at a name-your-price deal on his Bandcamp page. So if you remember the episode where Will let Ashley play the drums...you're gonna get a song all about how Ashley ditched playing the violin to having Jazz "get her on the ticket". That's just one episode, all the memorable season 1 episodes are recapped from Will trying to woo the snobby Mimi Mumford to Raphael De La Ghetto poetry. It's really pure comedy. Is the stuff catchy? Not really. It's more thrashing indie-punk than what I would like it to be, but maybe you'll get a kick out of it, like I. 

First Impressions: 5 Reasons To Smile About Izzi Dunn's Latest

"Tits & Ass" was just too brash to ignore. With its biting and assertive feminist wordage, Izzi Dunn had a captive audience with me based on a song that called out the surge of demoralizing of women in today's media obsessed world. She is woman, hear her roar. Anxiously I was awaiting for what Cries & Smiles, the British singer and cellist's sophomore effort, would bring, exclusively based on the effective nature of "Tits & Ass".  Luckily, it was brought back to my attention (thanks SoulUK!) and eagerly I gobbled it up Cookie Monster style, because well...it's good...and you know I usually talk about something if it is good. Dunn brings an impeccable classiness to Cries & Smiles, as she bridges old fashioned soul in with classical elements and an expression of funk. But I'm giving away too much...thus you need 5 reasons that Dunn will make you smile about this album to fully convince you that it's one of 2010's best.

Audio Vision: Even In Classic Understatement, Janelle Monae Vibrantly Wows On 'BaBopByeYa'

Sometimes scanning the Tube of Yous at insomniac hours has you unearth some real gems. If you were hoping that Janelle Monae would try to shine some light on the other compositions off of the sensational, The ArchAndroid, you're in for a treat. Monae, along with the Emory Symphony Orchestra, debuted "BaBopByeYa" a few days ago at Emory University's Schwartz Center in Atlanta, Georgia for a special performance, and it is a feast of sounds. Grr...nothing this exciting happened at my university. Well, I'm jealous.

The almost nine minute long opus that clearly defines the album as a whole got a rich and glowing performance from the student orchestra and of course, Miss Monae herself, as she got her Marian Anderson on. Shaky camera work aside, it is crystal clear that you can see Monae, dressed in a understated flowing black gown, and hear her as she plows through and delivers once again another top-notch vocal performance. This girl just keeps on slaying. I'm quite amazed that she took the most layered track (and one of my favorites) on Android and translated it well on stage. "BaBopByeYa" is not the most digestible of songs due to its complexity and range, but it's quite masterful if you hear the original version. Truly, you really don't need my commentary further as Monae's actions speak louder than my words ever could. If you have not gotten The ArchAndroid by now...you are just living life the wrong way.

Crisp N' Fresh: Willow Smith Whips The Hair Fantastic

If you had asked me some years ago, that one of these days I would be blogging about Will Smith's daughter Willow Smith's new music video, I would have looked at you like you had grown a second head. The "Whip My Hair" phenomenon has caught on where even level-headed and grown individuals like myself are indeed feeling the vibe. Luckily, the video once again plays up to the hype of the new member to Jay-Z's Roc Nation family. It doesn't disappoint...there is *shocker* hair whipping. Lots of it. Willow's coif takes on numerous styles and she works it better than I ever did at that age. There's also lots of dancing, paint splattering, old ladies doing the split, babies dancing...it's a cute video, and there is lot's going on---it's like a Where's Waldo? book or something. Upon viewing this, I don't know whether to feel immensely old, or just let my hair down and whipping it like Romy did at her high school prom dressed as a Madonna Wannabe. Aw, hell... *takes hair down out of the Goody ponytail holder and whips it all about* 

First Impressions: Dance Robyn Battles Acoustic Robyn On 'Indestructible'

'Body talking' isn't over with yet so keep you grab some fresh glow sticks. Robyn is prepping the last installment in the Body Talk trilogy and she's popped up with a real goodie to kick things off. "Indestructible" is, in short, a synth paradise. There is even a nice middle portion where the synths go all Elizabethan get-down. It's not as grandiose as "Dance On My Own", "In My Eyes" or "Hang With Me", but it's once again a perfect lead off into the third installment.

If you've been following the Body Talk trifecta, Robyn usually does a acoustic version of the lead-off track, and "Indestructible" is no different. As seen on the Body Talk Pt. 2 package, "Indestructible" was first brought to our ears as a beautiful ballad. Once you take away the synths and are left with an orchestral showering of strings, the song takes on a whole 'nother life. Personally, this is Robyn's best acoustic yet, and it's even better than the synth version, in my humble opinion. You can decide for yourself if Robyn works best acoustically or as a 'dance hall queen'.

Indestructible


Indestructible (Acoustic)

Buzzy Wuzzy: Something Funky This Way Comes...Prince To Tour With Some Insanely Fabolous People

What would you say if I voiced that Prince, Janelle Monae, Sheila E., Cassandra Wilson, Maceo Parker, Mint Condition, Graham Central Station, Esperanza Spalding, and Lalah Hathaway were all going to go on tour together? You'd think I was out of my Audio Diva mind right? Well, I'm not...

The Purple One and Miss Glamorous Life are indeed reuniting, along with a plethora of others for Prince's 'Welcome 2 America' Tour. Prince made the announcement last night at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater and well, I'm glad I wasn't there because I would've acted a right fool. No dates have been scheduled for this series of shows which will begin in the Big Apple on a "purple day in December", but Prince did warn that we should anticipate to bring footspray to the show..."cause it's gonna be funky." Considering it's Prince, that's a pick-up line I can get with.

For now as I wait for tour dates and the life savings draining ticket prices, I have to live vicariously through the Sign O' The Times tour videos from 1987, especially the 'better than your whole life' performance of "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night". Below is evidence that something funky is sure to come our way in December.

Freebie Adventures: Your Ears Are Hungry For Pinboard's New Collection

Pinboard Blog is a member of my blog family circle, and when asked to post their brand-new collection, there was no hesitation, the Audio Diva is on her promo game! Plus with a line-up consisting of favorites such as Brittany Bosco, DivaGeek (Vula and Ben Jones), Jimetta Rose and Peter Hadar, there is really no need for me to be greedy and take all the fun.

Seven cuts from some of modern soul's shining stars are present on Pinboard's Feed Your Ears: Soul Edition Vol. 1, and it's a definite must have EP. You can race over to the blog's Bandcamp page for all the details...and you don't have to bust the wallet for good music as this is 100% free. So download, and head over to Pinboard and give a warm thank you to them for compiling a great collection. Also wicked cover smother alert! Anything invovling cassette tape is a Audio Diva plus. 

DL: Pinboard Blog - Feed Your Ears Soul Edition Vol. 1

Audio Diva Workshop: Oh, So Much Newness! New E-mail + URL Info

Important announcement!

I mentioned in the "blog anniversary" post about Audio Diva that this blog has finally become 2 legit 2 quit. If you missed it, here is a reminder that Audio Diva now can be reached at:

www.audiodivablog.com 

Please please please please UPDATE your links, bookmarks, your brain...whatever to this. Blogger is nice enough to redirect if you use the old address, but it's truly much more convenient update the link to this.

Also I mentioned that this blog will be getting some new e-mails. These e-mails will make it easier for you to reach me, and for me to respond. I do enjoy getting mail and I am nice, so please do not hesitate to e-mail! 

jennifer@audiodivablog.com  - This is MY contact. If you need to get a hold of me whether a technical/commenting issue on the blog, need to ask a question, send a comment, chat with me about music...anything blog related, then use this e-mail. If you would like to affiliate with this blog, use this e-mail. If you are a blogger/writer who wants to collaborate or guest post, then use this e-mail. Record labels and PR... if you send a music or interview submission here...it will be ignored.

submit@audiodivablog.com - This is where all the music submissions (new artist, new albums, interview opportunities, etc.) will be going. I will forewarn, on the last e-mail address for this site I receive tons of "Hey, look at MY mixtape!!" etc. , I will not get to all of them. So don't take it personal. I am one person, and I cannot get to all of the submissions. Even though I'm always looking for something new to post here, I cannot get to everything. Also please do NOT spam, once is enough. If you spam my in-box, I will further ignore and block you.

Oh! It took some of my high school web design 101 savvy as well as tireless nights to figure out how in blazes to get a nice flash player on here for the audio "adventures" (I was so sick of utilizing the YouTube videos). So from here on out, posts dealing in album/single reviews or Wipe Off The Dust posts will have this player:

If you are experiencing any problems with the flash players, please let me know, I'll be pissed, but let me know so that they can be fixed. I want everyone to experience the sounds on here which is why I upgraded the players on here.

Okay, I hate sounding like a mother with a laundry list of news, but please update your links and e-mails to the changes that have happened here at Audio Diva so it can be a smooth transition for us all! Thanks!

Remember The Time: Getting Some 'Vengeance'

This week has been a big ball of suck for me, thus, I want some vengeance. Carly Simon "Vengeance" that is. Have I ever admitted on here that I'm a Carly Simon fan? Okay, well, cat is out of the bag, cause I am. Not a big one, but "Boys In The Trees" got me through some thangs in high school, and since then I have been a fan. One of my favorite Carly albums is 1979's Spy, even though it's a little hodge-podge and experimental, it has some gems on it.  "Vengeance" went really nowhere when it was released, but this performance of Carly on the defunct show Midnight Special should have made people jump on it's bandwagon because it is a killer rock meets funk tune. You must watch the whole thing, particularly towards the middle, when Carly puts her hands on her hips and then whips out a guitar solo. It's fantastical. Interesting enough this was one of the many videos that debuted on MTV's launch day back in 1981...my how times have changed.

First Impressions: There Is 'Something' Missing From Faith Evans' Latest

Imagine this review is not two weeks late....Faith Evans has had a fan in me since her debut Faith dropped back in 1995...so we've had some time together. Which is why I felt my excitement chip away with each passing release from Something About Faith, the singer's fifth album in over six years. It is true that I liked the Raekwon  assisted "Everyday Struggle" and "The Way You Move", but by the time "Already Gone" with its "mime manifesto" was released, the oddly shopped album cover, and then glancing at some mixed early album reviews, I was sort of getting worried. I felt these feelings because I put 2005's The First Lady on a towering pedestal, and because I feel that Faith Evans contracted the same sort of symptoms that Mary J. Blige and other 90's R&B chanteuses contracted that give the diagnosis of  "radio conformity". All of this is premature, so of course I listened with open ears...

Song Stuck In My Head: There Is Lots To 'Love' About The Mark Ronson and Boy George Collab

 "Somebody To Love Me" - Mark Ronson & The Business Intl (feat. Boy George and Andrew Wyatt) (2010)

Producer whiz kid, Mark Ronson is usually hit and miss for me, and his latest, Record Collection, continues on that trail, even with appearances from D'Angelo, Simon Le Bon and Q-Tip. It's in the okey-doke box for me. Yet, I have plucked a cherry from the pile and it is the collaboration with Boy George and Miike Snow's Andrew Wyatt, "Somebody To Love Me".

This skittish quasi-ballad charmer sits so well with me mainly because of Boy George, who's vocals I have always thought were embarrassingly underrated. It's no "Time (Clock Of The Heart)" (which is one of my all-time favorite Culture Club songs next to "Changing Everyday"), and while it would be even better if he really got a chance to lay it on thicker over the plucky bass-lines of the track, the song is still just the right amount of old school mashing with the new that it fits Boy George like a glove. My wishful thinking wants Boy and Ronson to get together for a full album...I mean if they can make some magic like this, who knows what else can be pulled from the hat?

My music listening must be in sync with video release schedules as just yesterday the music video for this impeccable track was released. As you can witness from the VHS rewind theme and the appearance from a female acting as Boy George in a bowler hat, dreds and all, it perfectly matches with the overall theme of the track. Looking back on glory days and trying to move forward is a bittersweet ordeal.

Crisp N' Fresh: La Roux Goes 'In For The Kill'...Again

Since my Mom knows who La Roux is, it's time for them to be famous Stateside. So what better than to re-release "In For The Kill" off of their engulfing 2009 debut album with a new spiffed video? Instead of sprinting around like Knight Rider with neon lights splashing in the background, Elly is strutting and dancing the Carlton Banks now in a seedy brothel...because Americans can't watch anything unless their is something sexy wexy about it. Yeah. Concept aside, Elly Jackson looks hella cool in this. She is rocking that gold jacket and plays up her Annie Lennox/Grace Jones androgynous look exceptionally well.

La Roux are continuing being one of the best things to pop out of 2009 as they will be one of the many featured on Kanye West's My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy. As a mouthful of twee as that album title is...La Roux and Kanye on a track may redeem the red suit wearing rapper for me. West is apparently going to be on the remix to "In For The Kill", a step that should no doubt get them even more attention. I have to say that "In For The Kill" is not as grand as previous hits, "Quicksand" or "Bulletproof", but it is still a highlight off of their debut, which I still highly recommend you pick up if you love you some synthesized ecstasy, because it has tons of it.

Crisp N' Fresh: Bilal's Beautiful Nightmare Exposed In 'Restart'

I have been loving life n' limb out of Bilal's Airtight's Revenge so of course it's apt that I'm busting that he has finally released a video for single, "Restart". With Bilal you're never going to get a typical video experience, and once you press play on this, you'll see what I mean. Amid a swirl of colors and jerky camera effects, Bilal wanders aimlessly through his dreamscape as he's being chased, haunted, and dragged down by masked beings...there is a metaphor here, but it's Friday and I'm too lazy to even get into it, but in all of its 'twisted dark fantasy' it is visually appealing as well as makes me feel that my nightmares aren't this exciting. Or should I be thankful? Sweet (or demented) dreams are made of this.

If you haven't gotten a chance to pick up Airtight's Revenge, stop being stalling, dig through the cushions of your couch to find some coins and then go and grab yourself a copy.

First Impressions: 'Well, Well, Well', If It Isn't Duffy....

I'm such a great daughter. I usually try and make my Dad a mix CD every so often, so he can stay "current" and be awesome at life. So since he liked Duffy's "Mercy" so much, I had to put it on a mix for him. Just the other day, he was playing it in the car and he asked me, "What happened to this Duffy person? Does she have a new song?" Even my self-appointed music know-it-all self had no answer to those questions. I pretty much figured that Duffy was destined to be yet another one-hit-wonder, considering how people loved/loathed "Mercy" and didn't listen to anything else from Rockferry (which was pretty darn exceptional). Till now.

Duffy is back with "Well, Well, Well", which is off of her upcoming sophomore album, Endlessly, hitting stores this November 29th. Wait? What? I did not know this... The Roots back up Duffy on this hip swiveling track, that has already caused a stir with fans because well...well...well...it plays on the same gimmick that "Mercy" did, it sort of annoys you to like it. I'm not saying the song is all bad, the blasting of horns and the fast pace beat aren't hard to ignore, but there is something rather lackluster about it. Maybe this will have to grow on me, but it just feels too close to the comfort of her debut single, as there is no stretch of her talents. Maybe you can give your verdict after taking a listen below and see if Duffy has it in the bag, or has it all wrong.

Audio Vision: Cee-Lo Is An Old Soul On 'Later....'

Double the pleasure, and double the fun as Cee-Lo took the stage on  Later... with Jools Holland last night with his all-girl band to perform two tracks from his upcoming Lady Killer project. One you know, the immortal "F**k You"--excuse my French--- "Forget You", and the other you don't, and it's the brand new simmering soul stew of, "Old Fashioned Love." The censoring of "Forget You" is sort of ridiculous, because I know C wanted to let those zesty little words slip out, but still it's a great run through from C and his "Pink Ladies". Mr. Lady Killer embodies the spirits of Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett for "Old Fashioned Love", and it's so fantastical that my words really can't even begin to describe it. Sort of the jaw-drop of the day. Press play now.

November 9th, Lady Killer's official drop date, needs to hurry the funkle up because I need this album. Like now.



Shouts to Pinboard for the giving the heads up on this.

Recycle It!: Compare Goapele 2 Sinead, The Family...and Even Kanye

Is this a first?  A cover over another cover to make a super cover? Or is this a finely skilled mash-up? Whatever this is then I must congratulate Goapele for doing the real out-of-the-box-deal and combining the lyrics of Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" with the backing track of Kanye West's recent single, "Runaway". See this is the kind of genius stuff that happens when you eat your Shredded Wheat and drink some green tea in the morning, Goapele knows that breakfast is for champions and she's playing to win with this.

While we wait for that follow-up to Change It All, the Bay Area singer is tiding us over yet again with something that puts her crisp yet velvety voice to great use. Personally, I think this is great. Even though "Nothing Compares 2 U" has been the Prince composition to be covered multiple times, with O'Connor's being the definitive version and The Family being the one who started it all, Goapele switches the vibe up and makes it sound fresh out of the oven. Plus, it's sort of nice to hear those eerie piano plinks from "Runaway" and not picture ballerinas and a red suit with gold chains. Ah, bliss. Oh, and Goapele is giving away the track for free on her Bandcamp page...you just gotta love that.

First Impressions: Pink Implores You To 'Raise Your Glass' To Celebrate Her Greatest Hits

Ten years ago, a neon pink coif popped up on the TV screen scowling about some guy "looking pitiful". It was 2000, and Pink arrived on the scene as the R&B chick from around the way with her debut, Can't Take Me Home and man, was she fun. After an image overhaul, bleached locks, sound change, record label switch, five albums, and a trapeze act later, it's really no surprise that Pink is releasing her greatest hits album later this year. Pink has done a lot in the last ten years. For some reason, I never put into account how many hits Pink actually had, but when picking the brain...she has had a lot, and not just "Get The Party Started".

It wouldn't be a greatest hits album without a brand new song tacked onto it's hit-filled contents, and Pink is prepping two for the release. The first, "Raise Your Glass", premiered last night and will be the lead single for Greatest Hits....So Far!!! (note the exclamation points...she's dag gum serious about this). Actually, I kind of like this. It's purely Pink and thanks to production by Max Martin, it feels like the effortless pop of 2001 all over again. It's feisty in all the right places with chants galore that infectiously coax you to join in. Playing as an ode to all the "freaks" out there, a flag that Pink has been proudly raising since her arrival onto the scene, this song should have no trouble catching on. So if you dig you some Pink (I know you do, don't kid yourself) then peep after the cut for "Raise Your Glass"...consider it your Wednesday Hump Day treat.

First Impressions: Bruno Mars Shows Tons Of Promise With His 'Doo-Wops'

Bruno Mars. That name sounds so familiar doesn't it? Mars just popped out of nowhere this year as being the token "don't bore us, get to the chorus" guy. His stints of guest starring on Travie McCoy's "Millionaire" and B.o.B's summer smash, "Nothin' On You" were quite lucrative. Yet, Mars was just on the warm-up exercises. He released, "Just The Way You Are", his first solo single, and even took time to write and produce another, the brilliant linguistics venom, "F**k You" for Cee-Lo. All this was done without a debut album (well, until today). He has racked up two #1 singles, a number of guest spots...and even got in some mugshot time. He's serious about this becoming a "star" stuff, isn't he? He hadn't even had an album out yet...well, until today. Mars' debut,  Doo-Wops & Hooligans drops in store today, and after Mars being a hit-making stunner most people are wondering if he is all hype and can't deliver as a solo artist...
 

Do You Know What Today Is? ....It's Audio Diva's 2nd Anniversary!

Guess what?! Adventures of an Audio Diva turns two years old today!

Two years of blogging, snarking, stanning, gushing, obsessing, jamming out, standing on the soapbox, album watches, being lazy posting, talking to myself, reading comments, social networking with other music bloggers...just two years of fun. What first started out as something to help me procrastinate in college has turned into a blog project that has helped me emerge as a writer, and since its turning the "terrible two" today, this marks the first online endevour that I have stuck with the longest. Whoo!

This blog wouldn't be going on strong if I didn't have, you guys and divas---the readers, my blogging family, and those who I've made friends with just from this blog. I'd like to thank each and every one of you who sends me e-mails, reads the blog, comments on the blog, messages me, tweets me, links me back, follows me, shares music, talked with me online, just made yourselves known, etc. You know who you are, and I thank you all for your words, your readership, opinions, laughs and sharing, blogging wouldn't be fun if it wasn't for you all, and I thank you with my glittery heart for making it a joy to open up my web browser every day.

To continue on the celebrating train, I have some pretty GREAT news....

First Impressions: The Rhymes & Soul Continue On Amanda Diva's 'Manchild'

Now this is buttery smoothness that you can spread all over...If you thought Amanda Diva couldn't out do her 2008 EP, Spandex, Rhymes & Soul, then pull out a bowl and be prepared to be eating a bowl of crow flakes, because Miss Diva is back with more freebies and more goodness.

On Twitter yesterday, the Nickelodeon My Brother & Me alumni raptress issued out a new song entitled, "Manchild" from her upcoming free EP, Technicolor Lover, which features new-to-my-ears, vocalist Terri Walker and production by Ski Beatz. The two women switch off in brooding soulful crawl that goes off into Aretha Franklin territory by song's end, and the results are really really good. Walker's vocals breeze by like a cool lazy wind, while Amanda dips in to spit her game, they are just a real nice match for each other. The best part of all of this is that thanks to Amanda, the song is up for grabs. So get to grabbing!


DL: Manchild (ft. Terri Walker)

Take 5 Friday: Hip-Hop 101, Bob Marley Covers...and If 'Bring It On' Did A Christmas Song

 5 leftover thoughts & things of the week gone by...

1. Is This Love, Is This Love That You're Feeling (Twice): Bilal and Corinne Bailey Rae must be on the same brain wave length (great minds think alike!) because in just a few short weeks these two have released their cover versions of Bob Marley's classic, "Is This Love?" Personally, it's my favorite Marley cut next to "Three Little Birds", and I'm always welcomed to hear remakes galore. I missed out on Bilal's live performance of this, but making up for lost time by listening to it back-to-back with Corinne's latest cover, where she totally makes it sound very afternoon delight-ish and gorgeous. So who wins? I have to give it to Corinne. Trust me, listen to it, she gives me all kinds of happy feelings with it. Still I would adore someone making a mash-up for both versions, just cause it would be awesome. Same goes for a mash-up concerning Maxwell and Kate Bush doing "This Woman's Work". Someone make these things happen! You can download Corinne's version for free (!) here, courtesy of the good folks over at Giant Step.

2. Sade Is Having The Best Week Ever: Sade is touring. The band and the singer. Yep. It has been a decade since the band has toured (the last being the Lovers' Rock tour) and they are making up for lost time, as they are globetrotting to promote their latest, Solider Of Love effort. All the tour info is at their website, and more dates will be added. And if you thought the Sade Train stopped there, Sade popped up on stage with a very very pregnant, Alicia Keys to collaborate on "Love Is Stronger Than Pride" at the Keep A Child Alive Ball last night. A real treat and honor for Alicia consider that Ms. Adu and the band don't really collaborate with anyone else. Aside from the grainy video (which you can view here), the audio is pristine enough to hear that the the two women complimented each other, and sounded quite marvelous. I would like a studio version of this, please and thank you.