First Impressions: Enter Into Kanye West's 'Fantasy'

Better late than never.

When the reviews came rolling in for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I pretty much had that glazed look of stupor on my face akin to Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. 5 stars here. 10 out of 10 there. Critics barely batted an eye tossing out words and phrases like "greatest", "fantastic", "game changer"...terms usually uttered by the music snobbery brigade in reserve for indie bands that are shrouded in mystery---not a mainstream hip-hop star. It seemed that there was a spell cast over every reviewer with writing comprehension...or everyone was just trying not to get on Kanye West's bad side, because we all know how he can be when provoked.... Still, there was 100 % pure love for an album that seemed overrated right when West announced the change of title from Good Ass Job to the long-winded title of West's state of being.

The intrigue had commenced.

I'm not going to spend a whole review, like many, discussing Mr. West's "enigma" or why folks love to hate him...it's thickly spread throughout this album. Yet, West has permission to puff his chest out like the Foghorn Leghorn he is all he wants for the next few months because, well, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is good and it walks all that talk that flies out of West's yap.

Late Hall Pass: Jessie J Is Doin' It...And Doin' It Well

So I'm just now getting in the groove of Jessie J and finally taking the time to devote a write-up about her awesomeness. Somehow, some way, I overlooked what the British newcomer's debut single "Do It Like A Dude" was all about. Apparently, I was missing a lot. The electrifying dance floor burner is exactly the kind of snark and punch that I like, especially for a radio friendly hip-hop influenced track. It's sort of the kid sister to what Ciara did on "Like A Boy", but with a bit more bite. Me likes a whole lot.



Okay, the music video is typical, but you get the gist of it. Jessie J is totally in it to win it. But don't be fooled by the Rihanna-esque vibe going on, the punchy beats that back her up sort of drown out that she's actually a top-notch vocalist, as YouTube gives us the evidence with her blazing through her intro "single", "Mama Knows Best". It's really like night and day from "Do It Like A Dude". Clearly, the girl has some chops, which is why she particularly sounds more appealing on her latest single, "Price Tag", which got a slight change of course with guest rapper of the moment, B.O.B doing a spot for the official single treatment. She has already pulled this song out of her arsenal, as she took the acoustic route for Later... with Jools Holland a couple of weeks back, and here you can really hear those vocals shine.



Jessie J has already been racking up cool points with folks since she put pen to paper and wrote tracks for the likes of Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake (for that invisible album he has...), Chris Brown, and of course is responsible for Miley Cyrus' "I shouldn't like this but I do" "Party In The USA". While she has been waiting in the wings for awhile, Jessie J will finally be let out of her bag to impede on everyone with her debut album, Who You Are, coming soon to a retailer near you next year. So yeah, I'm taking the late hall pass with this as she has some great tunage, a stellar voice and she's got a wicked haircut...what is really not to love about her?

First Impressions: Rahsaan Patterson Makes It Sound Oh So Easy

In my jumbled brain, there is a somewhat list of artists whom I'm anxious to hear new sounds from. It's so long it could rival those receipts you get at CVS Pharmacy. Rahsaan Patterson (aka one of my favorite male voices) is one who has been at the tippy top of my list of artists whom need to hurry up and grace us with their music. Fortunately, next year, I will be able to check Rah off of my list.

A fellow Adventurer informed me that Mr. Patterson is indeed going to follow-up 2007's Wine & Spirits and that's not just a wishful fabrication...Patterson actually has a single to prove that he is indeed back on the market. "Easier Said Than Done" is three minutes and forty seconds that you pretty much want to hear, especially if you appreciate a tight synth groove that expands as the song climbs and that is marinated with Rah's vocals. The song is coming off of his  upcoming Bleuphoria project, which shall be hitting us sometime next year. 2011, I'm ready for you. Listen to the perfect kick-start of the week after the cut.

Song Stuck In My Head: Keep On Rolling...

"Rolling In The Deep" - Adele (2010)

Hello! First, how gorgeous is that single cover? Next, how great is "Rolling In The Deep"? What?! You don't know?! I've been telling, 'yall about Adele and how she's miffed and coming back for a second album...I know I've been away and all eating turkey and sweet potatoes, but you should have heard---do I have to introduce everything around here?

Okay. "Rolling In The Deep" is nothing short of fabulous. It even gets more fabulous each time you hear it. Trust me. The first time you hear it you're enamored with the thrust of percussion (it feels so Florence + The Machine "The Drumming Song") and the impeccable call-in-response Blues wallow Adele has formulated with her vocals. Her vocals are as you expect them to be. Urgent. Precise. Funky. Then the second listen you're stomping and clapping along. By the time you're on your fifth spin, you think it's your favorite song for life. Well, not for life-life, but it's just a great little "dark bluesy gospel disco tune"  that feels just as epic as when you first digested "Chasing Pavements" back in 2008. I can confidently bet the girl is probably going to knock it out of the ballpark when 21 hits the streets next year in February.

Blogging Break

I'm taking a brief hiatus from the blog for a few weeks to recharge, take care of some business at home, and to get some other writings done. I'll be back in a few weeks, but will be back in time for Yuletide cheer (You know I gotta do a write-up about the new Mariah Carey Christmas album....because no one else cares, but me) and for the obligatory end-of-the-year, Adventures In 2010 special...you know my Top 30 album and top 30 songs of the year?! It's so big that I have to recharge for it---eh, not really, but I have to build the suspense up for you guys ;) 

So what to do in the meantime?

• I will be on Twitter...and Last.fm....and you can always e-mail me. 
• Check out my other affiliates to keep you on your musical toes. 
• I was a guest panelist for blog compadre Pop Reviews Now's The KPop Panel (it will be up soon!). Yes, I know nothing about Korean Pop music, so watch me step out of my Soul suede shoes and give my comments on some of Asia's hottest and newest acts.
• Oh, and if you follow me on Tumblr (which you should be doing right now this minute), in addition to the normal randomness I post on there, I'm taking a part of the 30 Day Album Tumblr Challenge. For a good month, I'll be talking about some of my favorite albums. So if you aren't already following me...no excuse, follow!  

Take care, have a Happy Thanksgiving, and see you guys back next month! :)

First Impressions: No Need To Ask...Cee-Lo Is A Smooth Operator On 'Lady Killer'

He's really no stranger in these parts, but everyone seems to be getting re-introduced to Cee-Lo Green all over again. Cee-Lo's acclaim has been attached mainly to groups like the Goodie Mob and the experimental duo of Gnarls Barkley, but as a solo artist, most of his material has fallen on deaf ears. With the release of the battle cry known as "F**k You!", some people are hearing Cee-Lo for the first time flying solo, so first impressions are everything. 

An impression Cee-Lo makes with The Lady Killer, his third record, and probably the most mainstream accessible collection he has put forth. It's hot buttered soul with a suave touch that is sure to get most jumping out their seats due to it's throwback appeals. Yet, if you were over the moon for Cee-Lo's "mixtape that desperately wants to be an album" Stray Bullets, The Lady Killer might come as a slight disappointment.

Song Stuck In My Head: Can't Get Enough Of That Funky Stuff

 "Funky Stuff" - Lizzy Mercier Descloux (1980)

My eclectic palette has been in overdrive and unfortunately I haven't been keeping up with the times, more like doing the time warp again. I stumbled upon the late French singer, Lizzy Mercier Descloux by looking up another No Wave artist, Cristina. Apparently, if you like Cristina (which I do when I'm the mood to listen to frantic, crazy music like her track, "Ticket To The Tropics") and other "mutant disco" acts, then you must like the Ms. Descloux. So why not? I'm not employed. I got time. Her version of Kool & The Gang's "Funky Stuff" just sort of blew me sideways. It's the bassline in this song that grabbed me, as it was thicker than the original and has that slapping driving force mixed in with the forceful chants...it's my kind of brash. The Gang' is slicker, less cluttered and essential, no doubt, but Lizzie's is erratic and off-kilt for all the good reasons.

Descloux had a penchant for disjointed Reggae/African beats mixed in with funk elements, and was a silent trooper for the No Wave movement, a movement that the Talking Heads took to mainstream and critical acclaimed heights. Descloux's sophomore effort Mambo Nassau (where "Funky Stuff" is featured) is pretty much in this same vein, and is highly enjoyable once you really sink into it. You do have to get over her jerky approach to music as she'll spit out in French and English as well as shout crazily in odd places. Yes, her version of "Funky Stuff" might come off as "noise" for some people, but somehow in my crazy little brain, I found a groove that's quite hard to shake.

Album Watch: Adele Rolls With The Punches and Turns '21'

There is nothing like anger to motivate oneself. You may not always act rationally, but sometimes a little fire under the bum is the way to get the creative juices flowing. I'm one of those people who writes best under a flurry of pressure and angst, and apparently Adele is the same. Adele is prepping to release 21, the follow-up to her stunning 2008 debut, 19 and as she noted to Spinner, that she was pretty steamed over a recent relationship gone wrong that it made perfect material for her sophmore album. Sounds like Adele's going to get her Jagged Little Pill on.

21, which is being heavily produced by Rick Rubin, is slated for a early 2011 release, with the States seeing the album as early as February. The first single, "Rolling In Deep" isn't even out yet, but is already being described as a "dark bluesy gospel disco tune."

Say that three times fast:
Dark blusey gospel disco tune.
Dark bluesy gospel disco tune.
Dark bluesy gospel disco tune.

Music journalism at it's finest. Whatever a "dark bluesy gospel disco" tune is, I'm all ears considering that it will no doubt be all about Adele and that fantastic set of vocal pipes she possess.

Audio Vision: All You Need Is 'Four Women'

Out of the blue last night, I took to watching BET's Black Girls Rock! special and was immensely surprised and pleased as Hawaiian Punch that for once BET was broadcasting a show that oozed positivity and empowerment. While I was checking my cable guide to make sure my TV was in fact tuned to BET, I had to pause and enjoy some of the ladies that took to the stage for the show, like Keyshia Cole, Monica and VV Brown. Still they were shot down by the four powerhouses of Marsha Ambrosius, Ledisi, Kelly Price and Jill Scott as they gave a chilling and spot-on slaying of Nina Simone's "Four Women".

Simone's classic track has been resurfacing lately due to it being the theme song for the Tyler Perry directed flick, For Colored Girls (in theaters now), and frankly, I'm glad that it's getting reheated again, especially by these soulful ovens. All four women are the focal point, but I have to say that Ledisi brought out the beast with her entry and gave it that spine tingle that Simone's version always gives whenever I listen to it. You may have already seen it, if so...watch it again. If you haven't gotten a whiff of this, then stop what you are doing right now and press play. For a night that was all about inspiring the minds and moving the spirit, this was the performance that brought the show's message full circle.

Album Watch: Natasha Bedingfield Rolls Around In Paint, Strives For No Gimmicks

Goodness do I love Natasha Bedingfield and her "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands" songs. She's like those encouraging  A+ glitter stickers you got atop your papers in grade school. Now don't think from the sound of a album and song title like "Strip Me", that Natasha's getting all kinky on us. She's still mightily wholesome and uplifting on her new single. A new single/album I had no idea about till today. Natasha's been kind of messing with us for awhile since she released the song "Touch" earlier this year with little news of a new album. Recently, Natasha did an interview with Billboard to confirm that she isn't letting 2010 slip by without a new record as she's releasing Strip Me this December (someone went design happy in that cover art). She explained the mis-leading title:

"It's called 'Strip Me' because it's just about getting back to the basics -- stripping away all the veneers and gimmicks we usually see in pop music."

Oh, snap. She's calling out somebody...

Particularly like this track. It has those trumpeting synths that are littering pop song backgrounds nowadays (what about those gimmicks, Nat?), but it has that hot chocolate comforting message that I like a lot about her music and it is a catchy little number. The video, like the song, oozes with entertaining optimism, that is if you feel positive about being yourself rolling around in mud and paint. Gimmicks, Natasha, gimmicks.

Crisp N' Fresh: Chrisette Michele In The Glamorous Life

It's all about the glitz and glamorous side of star life with Chrisette Michele in her new video for single, "I'm A Star". The soulstress is getting ready to release her third effort, Let Freedom Ring, towards the end of this month, and she's not wasting time by building the hype with this classy video. The visual is immensely vanity riddled with no real definite plot, it's Chrisette mainly just striking poses in leopard print garb and big framed shades that hint the style of the dress-to-impress 1940's. Yet, I ain't mad, she looks stunning, and I guess if you've had hit songs and been nominated for awards you're entitled to do the Zoolander sexy model faces every video or so. Let Freedom Ring hits stores this November 30th.

First Impressions: You Won't 'Cry' At Amy Winehouse's 'Party'

Everyone who has ever heard snatches of Back To Black or Frank can all fully agree on one thing: that we want Amy Winehouse to release another got damn album---with a lopsided beehive, smeared cat eye liner, and all. Well, today we have to just settle for her rendition of Leslie Gore's "It's My Party", the long chatted about collaboration with Mark Ronson that is appearing on Quincy Jones' upcoming collaboration project, Soul Bossa Nostra. And if this is settling...then gimmie frackin' more. Amy blazes through this two-and-a-half minute swinger as she peppers her gravely sly voice into the mix of brass and piano keys. She does what we expect her to do---truly revamp a song that has a little dust on it, and wipe off the dust she does. This is the Amy Winehouse we've been all itching to hear, so go stop reading my yap, and press play now.

It's My Party (ft. Mark Ronson)

Recycle It!: John Legend & P!nk 'Don't Give Up'

Oh, the recession. Making my college degree obsolete one day at a time. I should co-sign with the 'rent is too damn high' party and bury my pen along with dreams of writing professionally and slap on a red nose and join the circus. Or I could listen to some mood lifting music and keep hope alive. If there is a song that is partially depressing and partially uplifting it's Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush's "Don't Give Up". Actually it's not thoroughly depressing, but considering that the subject revolves around the tale of a man contemplating taking his own life after losing his job and financial situations go awry, it's a little down in the dumps. Well, until a voice of reason steps in to save him. 

When Gabriel and Bush collaborated on this back in 1986 it was a golden opportunity for some out-of-bounds quirkiness, yet they unleashed the unexpected: a tame and lush ballad complete with a hug-a-lots music video. Personally, "Don't Give Up" is one of my favorite songs, and any cover of this is welcomed with me. Lady GaGa put her stamp on an electronic version a year ago, and now we have John Legend and P!nk taking over, and it isn't a run-of-the-mill rehash. Recorded for Herbie Hancock's Imagine Project, Legend and P!nk put their best feet forward and come up with a deliciously beautiful take. I often say that we don't give P!nk much vocal credit considering she gets more attention for her "party songs", but here she takes over Kate's consoling coo with a tinge of roughness and carries it well throughout. With Legend at her side, they compliment each other so well on a song that is just as poignant as it was some 24 years ago.We are living in hard times right now, but it's good to know that we have friends and music to guide us through those rough patches. Check after the cut for both versions to compare and contrast.

Shouts to XO Middle Eight for the heads up.