Adventures In 2010: Top 30 Songs [#10-1]

And it's a wrap....

A big thank you to you all, the readers, for reading the blog this year and for taking yet another adventure into the land of music with me! Can't wait to see what roads the new year will take us on :) 

Adventures In 2010: Top 30 Albums [#10-1]

All good things come to an end...

Adventures In 2010: Top 30 Songs [#20-11]

And the melody still lingers on....

Adventures In 2010: Top 30 Albums [#20-11]

Eat the music...

Adventures In 2010: Top 30 Songs [#30-21]

You know you wanna take a peek...

Adventures In 2010: Top 30 Albums [#30-21]

Well, here we are again. Another year down, and another moment of reflection. Glitter in the air. Yay. 2010 was hit n' miss for me, personally and musically. Yet, when it hit, there really were some great and original moments, a lot that truly got me through his hellish year. As I start rushing 2011's arrival, let's look back at my favorites from 2010, because---you know you want to. Starting with albums and songs #30-21 today,  for the rest of the week, I'll be counting down the remainder of my picks for 2010. So hold on to your fedoras, Adventurers, you're in for a bumpy ride!

Riddle Me List: The 8 Best Teena Marie Albums

When Teena Marie's name is uttered usually about five songs come instantly to mind. "I Need Your Lovin'", "Square Biz", "Fire & Desire" with Rick James, "Casanova Brown", and "Lovergirl". Yeah, the choruses are probably reeling in your brain right now. Whilst those are essential notations in the Ivory Queen of Soul's catalog, those barely scratch the surface of Ms. Marie's girth. Like with Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, and others who recently took place in the heavenly choir, going back through the imprints they left in the music world is one of the best moments of the tribute. In Teena Marie's case, she had an abundance of work, work that will finally be explored by those curious of what she laid down in her 30+ singing career. Her final album, 2009's Congo Square, had to have ushered in further interest along with a recent appearance on  TV One's UnSung which explained her influence to the music world better than anyone ever could. 

Still, Teena Marie can be erroneously described as a "singles artist", one who doesn't assemble albums, but manages to put out singular moments of notation. Miss Vanilla Child is not this by a long shot, and I think it's time now to really correct that false assumption considering her passing. Instead of doing a typical tribute piece, like a good little Audio Diva I decided to write-up a sort of "guide" to those who are curious to discover more Teena Marie outside of the usual hits and hits compilations. So, here are eight albums that I favor, and think could really be the first pit stops into 'getting into' Teena Marie as they embody her attention to detail and ability to bend genres a bit. Even though I encourage anyone to go further than the eight I have presented, it still doesn't hurt to get a nice little kick start, now does it?

Heavenly Choir: Teena Marie (1956-2010)

Teena Marie passed away at age 54 on December 26.

I'm truly devastated over this news as Teena Marie is one of my all-time favorite singers. May she rest in peace.

An Audio Diva Christmas: Up, Up, and Away On TLC's 'Sleigh Ride'

The holidays are always a time for nostalgia and rituals. We all have one or a few things that we have to either do, eat, see, or hear, or it just won't feel like the season. Every year, I have to listen to "Sleigh Ride" by TLC...or it just ain't Christmas. TLC is already a comforting part of my music listening, because they were the first group I actually became attached to. So imagine me at age eight in baggy one-strap overalls, an over-sized sweater, and trying to draw a broad black mark under my left eye. Not a pretty picture, but I was going hard for TLC back then, and well, I still do, just that I enjoy the music now. Still since the passing of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and the defunct of the group, hearing TLC put a spin on "Sleigh Ride" back in 1993 reminds me of the time when they were on top and when Christmas and really, life, was much simpler. 

"Sleigh Ride" was first featured on A LaFace Family Christmas. The album was a festive compilation of artists who resided on Babyface and LA Reid's R&B/Hip-Hop "dynasty" label as it also featured a pubescent Usher, pre-Stankonia OutKast, and a kiss-curled Toni Braxton, but as usual, TLC made themselves the stars of the story. The video is bringing home loads of nostalgia as well. Just look at the overalls....and the condoms on the overalls... *cough* Well, 'tis the season!

Adventures In 2010: Top 10 Musical Moments Of 2010

One of my blog compadre's The Middle Eight had a great post idea to note their top 10 musical moments of the year, and well, I'm going to "post swipe" his idea, because I thought it was imaginative and that it would make another nice precursor to the upcoming Adventures In 2010 list.

Usually whenever we go "Hey! I like this song!" we  just sort of engulf  the song as a whole, but what about portions of that particular favored song? A string of notes, a lyric, a bit of instrumentation, the way the singer does something different with their vocals at one point...pieces that make a track whole. So as I'm challenging myself to come up with 10 musical moments of this year, I'm also challenging you, my Adventurer readers, to come up with some of your own.

The "rules" entail:

• The portions that you choose have to be songs from 2010.
• It can't be the full song.
• You have to talk about a portion of the song. A instrumentation, a bridge, a string of notes, a lyric...basically, pick a piece of a song that you liked.

So peep my top 10 musical moments of 2010, and you are more than welcome to submit your own in the comments! Don't be shy!

Late Hall Pass: R. Kelly's 'Love Letter' Is A Nice Reminder Of Yesteryear

A holiday miracle? A moment in The Twilight Zone? The side effects of the lunar eclipse on Tuesday? Whatever I'm going to call this situation, the result is always going to be constant: R. Kelly's newest album, Love Letter is actually really very pretty good.

Mouth-to-floor good. So I'm scooping up a late pass considering I was told by some readers, that I was missing out on R. Kelly's return to form.

We all know that R. Kelly has had a Scarlett Letter etched on him for years since that "incident". Usually incidents of that caliber, where someone of a public figure variety is pegged as a laughing stock (Thank you, David Chappelle) and/or painted as a pariah, everyone, including myself, has their opinions about it, and most are negative. Still, it's all how we as individuals look at it and if we allow redemption to come through, especially for the sake of the person's contributions to their art (see Chris Brown, El DeBarge, Michael Jackson, etc). So for me, with Love Letter, R. Kelly gets his "second chance". Why?

Adventures In 2010: What's Your Last Minute 2010 Discovery?

As I'm prepping the--drumroll please-- Adventures In 2010: Top 30 Albums & Songs series of post, I've come across the fruit at the bottom of this year's yogurt cup. It's not a big deal to many to be concerned over missed music listening opportunities, but for someone like me who writes about and loves music, you'd think I should know every single thing that hits the music scene this year. Yet, I don't.

Still, that's what the "adventure" of music is all about---finding new or rediscovering sounds of old every single day at your own speed. Music finding is not a marathon, but it is true that there are just so many albums and singles out in a year's time that it's hard to consume them Pac-Man style. So usually when the bushel of end of the year lists come rolling in I sort of do head to the desk thing and go "Oh, wow, I missed that!?". This is a chance for you, and for me, to sort of shine a little light on those last minute 2010 discoveries while we rustle up our 'Best Of' lists to close out the year. I have provided five of my own "late hall passes" of the year after the cut, and you can offer yours in the comments.

An Audio Diva Christmas: Why Kylie Minogue Made Me Like 'Let It Snow'

If you already didn't know, I'm a right sucker for Kylie Minogue...add in some Christmas cheer, some water and bake at 450 degrees, and it's a fresh out of the oven sugar cookie experience. Minogue has already charmed people over with her rendition of "Santa Baby", a song that no matter if Madonna or Eartha Kitt sing it, it still gives me the skeevy-jeebies. Maybe I need to be a guy to get it, but I feel like I need to bathe every time I hear that song. Anyways...

Minogue has been tottering around recently with her rendition of "Let It Snow". She premiered it the Rockafeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony a few of weeks ago, and she gave it a real kitchy cutesy cabaret twist. Plus, she killed a Yeti for the poncho, so everybody wins. 

"Let It Snow" used to be one of my most hated Christmas songs, because 'it never snows in Southern Texas' and I'm quite bitter about that. Well, there was this one time that everyone in my family keeps telling me about where it snowed here, but alas I wasn't even born. (Note that once I was born, it stopped snowing...sort of a reversal of what was going down in Narnia). When I happened to be sentenced live up in the northwest part of Texas, I got my first taste of a snowy Christmas where you couldn't see anything but white fluff, and it was actually quite peaceful. So now I finally get what the fuss is all about...but this song doesn't tell you about all the shoveling and the sprinkling of salt. Yech.

Artist Watch: Mara Hruby Is 'Just One Of The Guys'

To interrupt all the jingle bells and festive synth strokes that are closing the end of the year, let's mellow things out with some good old fashion hot buttered soul...

One of my followers on Tumblr posted about a brand new talent from the Bay Area named, Mara Hruby and I had to take notice considering  A) I love a new voice, B) she did an EP of cover songs, and C) all the songs she covered on the EP were done first by males. Sort of what Tori Amos did on Strange Little Girls back in 2001. Still, I'm always intrigued when the sexes change on cover songs, it just adds a little zing to the listening experience. Gazing at the tracklisting of her debut EP, From Her Eyes there was instant impress for the talent that she chose to cover. All 7 tracks are dedicated to covers from The Roots, Van Hunt, Bob Marley, Jamiroquai, Mos Def, D'Angelo and Andre 3000. All favorites of mine, and also favorites of Mara since she chose these particular tracks to reflect a specific moment in her life. With a kindred musical ear, I of course hopped on over to her Bandcamp page and took a listen. With only hearing mere minutes of her take on Van Hunt's "Character", there were no doubts, the download link was clicked. There was an instant love for her low-key soulful execution to the covers along with her rich vocal delivery. Plus, the fact that anyone who can tackle Mos Def's "The Panties" with a lo-fi jazz scat slant is a winner in my book. For those who are looking for a new alternative soul voice to worship, Hruby is your girl and hopefully we'll be hearing more from this up n' comer. So lend your ears to hear what I mean below and then scoot yourself over to the download link (it's free!) for the full EP experience.

The Panties (Mos Def cover) 


Take Off Your Cool (Andre 3000 cover)

An Audio Diva Christmas: 'X-Mas Time' For The 'Grown & Sexy' People

There have been many new Christmas songs that have sort of grazed on past me leaving little impression on me. Yet, the collaboration between DJ Jazzy Jeff and Ayah was one slice of Christmas newness that caught my attention and held it. Combing back in the archives, you might have come across a rave about the duo's upcoming collaboration by way of their sampler, This Way, when it dropped this past Spring. While we won't be seeing the fruits of their musical collaboration labor till next year, they have managed to tide us over again with something of the holiday persuasion.

For those who tire of the traditional jubilant of sugar coated carols, Ayah and Jeff have the remedy in track, "X-Mas Time". Released for funsies, the duo along with co-producer and Roots member, James Poyser (who also lent a pen to Mariah Carey's holiday album this year) heat up a cup of soul fit for those who like a 'grown & sexy' Christmas. And just because we are in the season of giving, they are giving away the track for free. That is clearly better than a Red Rider BB Gun (remember, it will shoot your eye out).

Soul Bounce hipped me this collaboration, and I'm glad they did, considering that this will probably find a place on a new holiday playlist of mines very soon.

X-Mas Time

Crisp N' Fresh: Go Into The Trippy 'Light'

It's no secret that Scissor Sisters' "Invisible Light" interrupts your life in the best way possible. It's massively over the top, influenced on a heavy dose of 80's epic dance numbers, still you wouldn't really have a Scissor Sisters song any other way. As Night Work really pushed all the right buttons with me, "Invisible Light" remains the highlight of the whole album, closing it off quite epically. But enough about that. "Trippy" and "disturbing" are really keywords to describe the video to "Invisible Light", which finally was released this week. It's quite hard for me to even formulate words about what exactly is going on in this video, sort of like the twisted artsy fartsy fresh hell a la  Kanye West's "Runaway". Oh, and so I won't get you into trouble, the video has gotten a NSFW tag--which now means you're highly interested and are dying to press play.

Song Stuck In My Head: Now I Know It Will Be, A Hundred Percent Certainty...

"100%" - Moloko (Statues, 2002) 

I have a bad habit of rushing things, and I can hear that sage advice of "good things come to those who wait" reeling in my head in my late-Granny's voice, but I'm sorry, 2011 can't come fast enough for me. One partial reason is that maybe, by stroke of chance Roisin Murphy is going to drop something new. Yeah, yeah, she's had a baby last year, and she tied us over with songs like "Oral Fixation" and "Momma's Place". That's fine and dandy. Just a physical full-length album is more my greedy speed. While I wait for that "good thing", going back to Roisin's time in Moloko is whetting my appetite at the moment.

Moloko, the collective Murphy was in with producer Mark Brydon, was the launching pad of what Roisin Murphy's solo career became, and it was a great ride. As many albums as they have put out since 1995, I have to say their 2002 swan song, Statues, is my favorite. One of the main reasons is for "100%" which is a fantastic foray of Moloko going full force in a more live instrumental sound. A sound that they had been building up to at this point. The brass arrangement is the main attraction of this song, and I immensely love the climax of this song as it builds into a Latin-tinged frenzy. "100%"  was, sadly, never released as a single and usually gets passed over for other standout Statues tracks like "Forever More" and "Cannot Contain This". Still it's really mesmerizing in a live setting (as you can see below) and if you can allow your ears to hear the album version...you'll be hooked. 

Wipe Off The Dust: "We Were Dreamers...For Awhile", Say The Belle Stars

Artists with one and only one album intrigue me to no end. So many questions swim around...what happened? Who pissed someone off? Did they get writer's block? Did someone forget to pay the check? What is the deal? The Belle Stars are one of the bevy of "one album wonder" artists that I have in my collection and with an album that feels like uncorking a party in a bottle, it's a slight side-eye as to why they didn't stick around in the spotlight for awhile.

The Belle Stars feel right off the bat as the British answer to The Go-Go's, with the added quirkness unison vocal stylings of Bananarama. I also feel they're more like a female Madness specifically with the strong Ska backbone that they possess. Well, enough of the comparisons, you get the gist. The Belle Stars are what the British New Wave movement of the early 80's to mid-80's was all about---sterile soul, with thumping basslines, pop undertones, and snarky word play. So if you feel for that movement as I do, then the Belles are right up your alley.

Audio Vision: Like A Rhinestone Mrs. Claus, Mariah Carey's Christmas Special Was Very Merry

What is Christmas in my head? Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas To You special on ABC, that's what. It has all the rhinestones, cheeseball kitsch, and "diva" qualities to prove it. What? You missed it? Well, you missed an explosion of holiday divine. Well, not a lot, but there were some grand highlights, such as Mariah whipping out the Yultide standards from both of her Christmas collections, sharing the stage with her mother, Patrica Carey, a tear jerking segment about Mariah recognizing a little girl in need, rocking some rhinestone pumps, and of course, encoring with everyone's favorite, "All I Want For Christmas Is You". Sure, there was some "controversy" over the film being stretched to knock off natural preggy weight, but all in all, it's a Mariah Carey special that is filled with glittering cheer.

I especially cared for her dragging out the 1994 rendition of  "O Holy Night", which still gives me religion, and also doing "Charlie Brown Christmas", which should be heard off of her Merry Christmas II You collection. You can check those performances, separate, after the cut.

Well, if you don't care about the new stuff, hit the 39 minute mark, and hear "All I Want For Christmas Is You" complete with a dancing snowman---because that was really the sole reason for you reading through this post, admit it. 

First Impressions: Melanie Fiona's Ready For 2011 With New Song, Album

Throw some glitter in the air, Melanie Fiona is releasing a new album next year! Oh, joy, she's also got a new song to go along with that new album!  It's a ballad called "Gone & Never Coming Back", but no sweat considering that Ms. Fiona is one who can churn out a ballad without batting an eye. Remember "It Kills Me"? Erm, sorry, I guess I got that song stuck in your head now.

Cleanse your brain and come back to now with "Gone & Never Coming Back", as it's the rumored first single from Fiona's 2011 sophomore set, The MF Life. It's a staggering and fist-to-the-wall Gospel cry that really shoots for the stars and features Fiona's great range as she  , you know typical power ballad subjects. Even though, I like my ballads a little on the darker side, the arrangement on this is something I can appreciate as it doesn't feel like a cut n' paste ballad, it gives Fiona lots of room to wiggle her voice in, and she makes the most of the space given. The track does get better after multiple listens and you can't deny those pipes from one of Canada's golden voices. Listen below and get even more excited for the new year when we get to see more of what Melanie has in store.

Oh, and as an added bonus, check after the cut to see Melanie perform Bruno Mars' great single, "Grenade", it's mighty satisfying!

Gone & Never Coming Back

An Audio Diva Christmas: Don't Be Cheap, Show The Love With Some Alexander O'Neal

There is a "fact" that most relationships severe ties around the holidays. Why? The lame excuse that gets shoveled around is because people are penny pinching and/or are too lazy to shell out money for a gift, so breaking up is the cheapest option. How Scroogey. Maybe those poor unfortunate souls need to let Alexander O'Neal teach them a thing or two about keeping the romance going during the holidays.

My Gift To You, O'Neal's 1988 lone Yuletide feature, is a superbly produced (thanks to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) holiday album that plays the soulful way. So don't be fooled by that "hide yo kids, hide yo wife, I got a present for ya" look that O'Neal has plastered on his face on the cover, its all about the romantic side of Christmas on this.

When you hear original number "Our First Christmas" and his renditions of "This Christmas", "The Christmas Song", and "Winter Wonderland", your heart goes out of Grinch remission and you want to find a snuggle buddy. This all sounds like a Lifetime holiday movie, the ones with people falling in love under mistletoe and fake snow, but who says you can't have guilty pleasures and dream a little? I couldn't pick just one track to feature, thus here are two of my favorites, from My Gift To You. So listen and mind what Uncle Alex tell you: Keep the love thang going this holiday.

Our First Christmas


Winter Wonderland

First Impressions: Kid Sister Wants Your Extra Time and Your 'Kiss Kiss Kiss'

Subconsciously, I've been on Kid Sister watch for sometime and it's a little funny how I don't really talk about her on this blog. Mostly because whenever I do bring her up, most people I know go "Isn't she a bit childish?" Embarrassment flush. Well, she's a female MC not named Minaj and the Kanye West assisted, "Pro Nails" was real fun, so I give the sister some credit. So what has she been doing since her fearlessly fun debut, Ultraviolet dropped last year?

She's prepping to drop a mixtape next year. (Like everybody else and their mama...).

Pretty Much Amazing posted this wicked little track called, "Kiss Kiss Kiss" which is incidentally the name of Kid Sister's upcoming mixtape. Produced by Afrojack and prompted by the folks behind the Duck Sauce track, "Barbara Streisand", "Kiss Kiss Kiss" follows in the same vein of being a jumping bean of electro-hip-hop. Love how this song bounces on a funky catch-n-grab danchehall beat, it's really really catchy. Listen to two minutes that can really put a pep in your Monday step below and head on over to PMA who has the MP3 free to download.

Kiss Kiss Kiss

First Impressions: It's A Familliar Feeling With Natasha Bedingfield's Newest

cover art via Coverlandia

So you're probably thinking: Natasha Bedingfield has a new album?!? Rub the sleep from your eyes, please. It's called Strip Me, and it's her third set (fourth if you count the 2007 overseas release, N.B.)--so she pretty much knows what she's doing by now. While Strip Me is barely catching attention at the moment and has dropped during the "Dead December" release season, it's contents cannot be contained in a whisper.

Ever since 2005, I have been hooked on Bedingfield's style. Of all the other basic pop singers that seem to scream the loudest just to be heard, Bedingfield has always stuck to her pop guns and didn't try to buckle to trends. Sure she's mostly known for being the wholesome motivational coach in your head with (overplayed) hits like, "Pocketful of Sunshine" and "Unwritten", but I always tell people, there is more to Bedingfield than those signature tracks if you just read between the tracklist lines, as she's known for having filler that actually surpasses her hits. While most of Bedingfield's peers have slipped into trying to compete with the crowd, yet, like P!nk and Monica, Bedingfield knows her niche, and she knows that garnishing herself with trickery would cheapen what she's selling. Strip Me has Bedingfield testing electro-pop flavor additives, but she doesn't try to distract from her down-home soulful undertone, one that made her 2005 debut, Unwritten, such a delight. 

An Audio Diva Christmas: Rudolph and Roxanne Have One Thing In Common...

Consider this a make-up for yesterday...

The season that keeps on giving! Someone (that would be mojochronic) was genius enough to combine two of my loves, The Police and those 1960's stop motion animation Christmas cartoons and make a mash-up dubbed, "Rudolph (You Don't Have To Turn On The Red Light)" Yes, it's The Police's 1979 hit "Roxanne" mixed in with scenes from "Rudolph, The Red-Nose Reindeer". If you're not a fan of mash-ups, The Police, or the stop-motion animations of the holiday season, then bah humbug to you to. If you are, then press play and be in for a neat treat, which you can snag a download of here.


The Daily What is responsible for leading me to this joyous cup of egg nog spiked with Smirnoff.

Crisp N' Fresh: ....And 'Rolling' Again With Adele

Just when I got this song unstuck from my brain, here it comes rushing in like the waterfall of bluesy-funk it is. Adele is testing my patience by just dangling the carrot of what to expect on her upcoming album, 21. You know how the song goes and you know that it posseses every cranny of your ever loving soul. So what about the visual? Is it just as haunting as the track? It is...if you like the minimalist approach. There is some sort of profound meaning behind the music video, this I know, because Adele is in an empty house with a drummer---there is an instant feeling that there is a deep philosophical message there. Or it's just Adele reenacting what "A House Is Not A Home" is all about.

I made some deep observations of my own:

• Adele sits in a chair. She's in "love timeout". 
• I like Adele's headband.
• Those rooms are in need of some Oxy Clean.
• There's a dancing ninja. He's got to be a part of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party. 
• The dancing ninja is dancing in a white substance. Relax...it's probably powdered sugar.
• A paper city burns up, it represents....a paper city burning up.
• Those broken dishes represent the hooligan activities I did yesterday when Tumblr was down. 
• Someone should be paid a holiday bonus for filling up all those water glasses.

Song Stuck In My Head: 'Glamour' vs. Fierce

"Glamour Boys" - Living Colour (1988)

Sometimes I can never find the right song for a particular mood. Like yesterday, I needed something bouncy, but it had to be with a grinding guitar that didn't sound pop, but more hard rock. Then I got "the lightbulb moment". Living Colour. Duh. Somehow I forget all about Living Colour, which is a big shame on me. How can I really? I've known about them for a spell, even own some tunes...it's just that sometimes you stupidly forget. 

Black groups seeped in hard rock are quite hard to come by, and Living Colour along with Fishbone and Mother's Finest are possibly an essential trifecta if you're in the need for something that's not Funkadelic or Prince, but not far from the apple tree. Snark and guitar licks is what I love about Living Colour, and my favorite, "Glamour Boys" is filled with that. It's a little bouncier than what comes off of their great 1988 debut, Vivid, and to me, it feels like a precursor to what Terence Trent D'Arby accomplished on a full album (1993's Symphony or Damn) due to the jangling guitar work. It has a real snide side-eye type of punch that calls out on all the "Ken Dolls" out there. You know who they are, they just call them "hipsters" now. Be fierce and listen in...

Crisp N' Fresh: Walking In The Woods, Feeling The 'Night Air'

It's quite cold and ominous today, so Jamie Woon walking around in some woods that look straight out of The Village is right up this morning's alley. While I was (sleeping) on blog holiday last month, Woon released the visual for his quite buzzed about single, "Night Air", a stunning song that is no doubt one of my favorite surprises of 2010. Really it's not about the video, mainly it's about the evolving matter of the track, which you get to experience in an haunting swoop, as Woon descents into wooded territory. It starts off just bubbling with anticipation and then off it goes...look up "brooding" in the dictionary and this song is there as an example. Blog compadre, Pinboard is all aboard the Woon train and they haven't stopped yet, as they have spotlighted him in their fabulous Rehearsal Rooms feature, a feature you should check out right now before a house drops on you. Woon is truly going to be a 'one to watch' for 2011.

First Impressions: More Pop Sparkle, Less Soul From Duffy On 'Endlessly'

There is immediacy to have "Mercy" loop in your head upon hearing Duffy's name. You probably did it just now from reading the opening sentence...word association is a killer isn't it? It's a leftover hazard from 2008 as at that time it was hard to go anywhere without hearing the annoyingly infectious go-go boot stomp of "Mercy". In a twist, for Duffy, that song is probably hard for her to shake too. Coming out at the wave of the British Soul revival in the late 2000's, Duffy became an instant success with her debut, Rockferry. It contained all the classic makings of  a well-constructed debut album, with a bevy of potential hit singles, one runaway smash, and killer filler that introduce a vocalist who sounds as if she decided to go solo after doing some time with a 1960's trio of beehive sporting girl group.

So where does Endlessly, the follow-up, fit in two years later? And actually did you even know that Duffy was releasing a brand-new album? Well, here comes the teeter-tottering second album, where it either gets it right and expands from the debut, or fails to really move a mountain. From the sound of things, Duffy doesn't seem worried as this time she's working with well-known producers and writers, Albert Hammond and Stuart Price as well as has The Roots as a back-up band. So something might be good here....

An Audio Diva Christmas: Kate Bush Comes To Sparkle The Dark Up

This weekend marks the time where me and my family roll up our sleeves and go HGTV by putting up our Christmas tree and decorating our house. It's a real mood swing experience. There will be disagreements about where my Grandma's vintage ornaments are to placed on the tree. Laughs over how "serious" my Dad takes his tree light decorating skills and how I will break something valuable. While it's sometimes a hassle to pull all the stuff out and arguments will ensue, it's the moment where I know the holiday season has officially begun, and that's the magic part of it all. But Kate Bush can explain it so much better than I can.

I have been in a Kate Bush mood all week, so naturally my attention would focus to her 1980 holiday appreciation track, "December Will Be Magic Again"---and what a beautiful song it is. It's like a warm cup of cinnamon peppered hot chocolate as it bobs and weaves in the whimsical art rock-pop style that only Bush can do. If there is a Christmas song that feels magical and haunting in the same go as well as express those childhood yearnings for the season, this one is it.

There are two live versions of this floating around. One is the original "music video" that is very fireside chatty and the other is a delicious rendition for a Christmas special she did back in 1979, a year before the song was officially released. Personally, as you can see below, I like the delicious piano version the best. Bush is quite an acquired taste, which is why this track doesn't get dusted off enough to play, but once you do take the chance to discover it you'll wonder why you spent so many Christmases without it!

First Impressions: Pop Sensibility Erupts On Robyn's 'Body Talk'

Pop music usually gets a lot of flack for being "passive". That so-called embarrassment you only play when you're alone in the dark. That genre that has been finger pointed at plaguing and altering other more well-respected genres. Don't shake your head, it's true. Someone even told me that pop "raped" hip-hop and soul because turn on the radio and the evidence is all there. Still, they obviously haven't heard of Robyn. The Swedish pop delight has always been consistent and true to the form of creating pop tunes that are accessible and wildly addicting--the essential ingredients to a pop tune. She has been doing this for awhile, since 1997 to be correct. Robyn has come a long way since her 1997 debut, Robyn Is Here, where she played the R&B/Pop cards of the 90's nicely with hits like "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know What It Takes". She has since altered her sound and really brought the term "sophisticated pop" back to into usage. 

It shows on how she crafted the Body Talk album series. Releasing Body Talk into three increments over the course of this year proved be a cool alternative the album listening experience. Yet, in the end, it became tedious and disrupt it's flow. Nice try and all, but Body Talk has to be heard in it's entirety.

So let's hear the body talk...for a third time.

Crisp N' Fresh: It's Like Opening A Crayola Big Box With Cee-Lo's "It's OK" Video

Fresh off of snagging some well-deserved Grammy nominations, Cee-Lo has released the video to his single, "It's OK". You know, just to keep the momentum up. Whilst it's not my favorite track off of the exceptional The Lady Killer, but it's a marvelous visual sight as we get a lesson in color association with Cee-Lo as we meet each of his primary colored ladies and all their varying personalities. Yellow is fun-loving and perky, Blue is serene and classy and Red is a femme fatale...it's like high school Art Appreciation all over again....or is this a slight nod to the recent craze/hate for the Tyler Perry directed For Colored Girls...? Hmm... Also added to the mix is that typography that we love so much from the Lady Killer, and it's more vibrant than ever. From having some video disappointments this week, Cee-Lo's video plays like a breath of fresh, and wholesome, air.

Soapboxing: Grammy Whammy! Nominations & Snubs

The 53rd Grammy nominations were revealed last night, and well, I missed it. Never fear though, because I have caught up and decided to give you some of my thoughts on the whole nomination matter. A bushel of my favorites were chosen which means that maybe come 2011 I won't be screaming at my TV saying, "I'mma let you finish...!" or something asinine like that. Decorum I will have when the awards take place February 13, 2011.  

You can see the full list of nominees here and click after the cut for me yapping about who I think should win/not win in some choice categories as well as highlight those who got the snub treatment. Agree or disagree with my thoughts, or have something totally different to say? The comments are open for the discussion!

An Audio Diva Christmas: All Little Jackie Wants For Christmas Is For You To Lighten Up

It's December! So...every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday till the 25th, we'll look at Yultide themed tracks. Okay? Got it? Alright!

Imani Coppola and I could totally be pals. She'd probably be that friend who always got me into trouble that led to a switch to my rump, but boy, what fun trouble we'd get into. That's the impression I get every time I listen to one of her albums...the solo ones I mean (especially her 2007 The Black & White Album which is experimental and hilarious). Imani is sort of my snark goddess, saying things that I pretty much was thinking all along, so of course being sarcastic on a Christmas track is right up my alley.

In association with her group, Little Jackie, "All I Want For Christmas"  has Imani spitting out word gems about how all she wants for Christmas is a sense of humor because well...Christmas can sometimes suck, especially if your wallet is screaming from the recession and you and those around you feel more Ebenezer than anything. I share this same sentiment with Imani, because that's sort of what I want from Christmas...aside from The Facts of Life Season 5 on DVD and a shopping spree at Sephora---but that is beside the point. Any song that talks about just wanting Christmas to be as simple and magical as it was when we were kids is an instant winner for me. Peep the Christmas jeer after the jump.

First Impressions: Jazmine Sullivan Is Still 'Fearless' On 'Love Me Back'

There were two songs on Jazmine Sullivan's 2008 debut, Fearless, that made me really root for her. Those two songs were "Lion, Tigers, and Bears" and "In Love With Another Man". The former became an R&B darling that sort of got sideswiped by the more prolific battle cry of "Bust Your Windows". The latter closed out Fearless with an impeccable emotional rollercoaster of bare bones vocals. There was something about Fearless and its singles that marked Sullivan as one of the R&B dames that was worth giving a damn about. So here we are at album #2, Love Me Back, and Jazmine has won most over yet again with it's first two singles, "Holdin' You Down (Going In Circles)" and "10 Seconds". Yet, Sullivan faces getting over that "dreaded" second album, as her debut is still pretty much fresh on everyone's mind.

Soapboxing: Humpin' Around For "Art & Music" Sake

I'm sort of twitching like Ashley Banks trying to ward off bullies about this...

Okay. We know that sex sells. We also know that there is a fine line between being "sensual" and being just flat-out "slutty putty". In addition, we know that the music industry is built on sexual themes and that if done in the right hands it can be an iconic experience. Madonna built a career on sexual liberation, Prince has songs for days that are metaphors for "sky rockets in flight", and those Janet Jackson moans and groans on her records are not because she stubbed her toe while recording. Let's not be blind and deaf about this. Yet, every time some sort of controversy from the media blossoms up that involves music and its sexualized elements, we all have an opinion about being in-between the two extremes of  "sex" and "art", and what they both construe as.

In today's ring, in one corner we have Keri Hilson. In the next Raheem DeVaughn.

Crisp N' Fresh: Sia Gets Her Window Seat

If you're in a jovial mood today, prepare for it to be squashed by Sia, as her new video for single, "I'm In Here" has her flying in the unfriendly skies alone and just putting a real Debbie Downer damper on the holiday season. Maybe this video is an undertone for the new TSA airport regulations? Or maybe Sia just wanted to use her frequent flyer miles? Whatever the case in the visual, "I'm In Here", which is off of this year's massively overlooked We Are Born, plays like a sequel to her fantastic signature song, "Breathe Me".

Though the track was surrounded by little quirky love notes like "You've Changed" and "Clap Your Hands", "I'm In Here" really stood out as being one of the many reasons why I love Sia...she is just always impeccable with a ballad. Especially if it is a depressing one that makes you want to build a stick house like Eeyore and just crawl into your own private misery. Can I get a window seat please?