What a difference a couple of years make. In 2008, Lykke Li sweetly shied her way into being a indie pop darling with her debut, Youth Novels. The album sat frothy in an ice cream float of dream pop with single, "Little Bit" propelling the album into "she's just a girl from next door" territory winning over the most frigid of hearts. Youth Novels kept you transfixed as well as gained her black framed glasses push up the nose acceptance, it was still a lucky first shot that just showed a slice of what the Swedish vocalist had in store. Now stomping into the room is the "terrible album #2", Wounded Rhymes and it brings in an avalanche of soulful and introspective tunes that sheds away the precociousness of Novels, and brings that curiosity into darker realms.
It was the Oscars last night. Did you fall asleep on it? Are you mad that absolutely nothing scandalous happened? Well, anywhoo, to celebrate the statues being given away and for me actually getting through the whole awards (thank goodness for Twitter) without a hitch, here are 10 songs all about that "gold"...some songs are about drinks, years, boys, monetary driven women, and someone who can turn stuff to gold. Variance, this deck has it.
Well, this is a pleasant surprise for Friday. Just the other day I was plugging into Ayo's Gravity At Last album from way back in '08, enjoying every corner of it all over again. Then flash to today and Hard Candy Music has hipped me to the factoid that the Germany soul sista is going to be back with a new album this year. I should so be the Miss Cleo of psychic music listening...
Ayo is returning with her third album, Billie-Eve, and has already dropped the video for the first single, "I'm Gonna Dance". Now "dance" and "Ayo" aren't really synonymous with one another, considering Ayo has always had this great acoustic lounge vibe going on. Still, I always give credit where credit is due as she's bringing some nice edge to her sound. Who'd knew she'd channel some Shingai Shoniwa from The Noisettes with a little Janelle Monae action thrown in? In fact, this song really cooks with it's spunky rock groove and some funky feminist lyrics to boot. Fist pump and dance away your Friday to this.
Most people sneer over greatest hits collections. The complaints range from, "It's never enough" to "It's not remastered" to "I have everything so why bother?" and back to "Most of these are remixes of the originals, I want the originals like I remembered, dammit!!."
I have to say that Scritti Politti's upcoming collection of hits is one of the better compilations as it's the perfect set to get a taste of Scritti and then discover more later. Discover more you shall, as Absolute: Best Of (which hits sellers next week), covers all of the smarty pants pop-soul that the group threw out in their hey-day in the mid-80's as well as covers material less traveled (such as their collaborative efforts with Shabba Ranks and Mos Def) from later efforts. Plus, greatest hits etiquette is present, as two strangers (aka brand new songs) pop on to just make things sound more current. Whatever, it's all about the hits...and there are a handful of them on here that are fun to explore and re-discover, especially if you have a sweet tooth for 80's synth-pop.
I didn't talk much about the Grammys after the fact. That's out of character for me, considering I love ragging on the Superbowl of Music. Well, this year pretty much my stamina of giving a damn dissipated out of me and I just well...gave up. Still one of the brightest moments of the night (next to Cee-Lo's NBC peacock meets Elton John performance, and of course Esperanza Spalding's deserving win) was seeing Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae, and B.o.B take the stage as a trio and bring to mind what actual performing is all about. We'll get to see Mars and Monae joined at the hip again for their joint tour venture, "Hooligans In Wondaland" (love the poster) coming to a city near you, but in the meantime, Mars is giving a little thank you to his fans in the form of semi-new music (yay!).
Mars premiered on his site the doo-wop version of his hit, "Grenade", which he performed at the Grammys in all it's Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers recall (see the performance after the jump). It's a wee bit of a song that ends really before things really get simmering. Still I appreciate that Mars decided to take this song down a different avenue, just to keep things from being stale. Doo-wop shoo-wop.
Yes, I have been on sleep mode with Raphael Saddiq. His first single off of the upcoming Stone Rollin', "Radio" just kind of killed the magic for me, because after a few hearty listens I admit...I became bored. Then along came "Good Man" and I sort of didn't care anymore (even though the video completely changed my mind about the song). So along comes the title track and I say to myself that I'll give a go at it, considering that Saddiq had me at the line: "it never rains in Southern California" and because you guys might get suspicious of the lack of Saddiq going around these parts. He's a tried and true favorite so I have got to like this next joint off of his upcoming Stone Rollin'. In short, I'm determined to like this one.
Breathe easy, because this is the best single so far. It's nothing you haven't heard before, but it's a bucket o' more interesting than what "Radio" is with it's lo-fi dirty dishwater Blues rock that squeaks in some dusty harmonica playing and of course feels like the rhinestones around Sly Stone's cap. I'd like to see what else Saddiq has up his sleeve because this is more like it.
It's been a spell since I've heard anything from Erik Hassle. He just kind of *poof* wasn't there anymore after his 2009 debut, Pieces failed to ruffle any waves in the music fabric of the UK and US, even though the hype single, "Hurtful" was quite a strong single entry. Personally, I loved his debut (when it was released as Hassle), and him adding MPHO to the equation on "Don't Bring Me Flowers" was one of my favorite moments from '09. Yet, nobody caught on to what he was serving up. Maybe with "Are You Leaving" coming bubbling up on the blogs, people will get the message that Hassle is a bright talent worth delving into.
Since Swedes know their pop music (see Robyn, Roxette, Lykke Li...uh, duh, ABBA), it's not jarring that Hassle has upped the electronics and has opted to give a "guilty feet have got no rhythm" pulsating power ballad on his hands. I can just imagine that in the next couple of months, this song will be getting the remix treatment due to it's dimensional sound. Hopefully any re-imagingings won't distract from the overall crackle n' pop gloss that is splashed over this, as everything right down to the chorus of this song is quite perfect just the way it is. Since snagging it the other day, it's been on heavy rotation with me. Some are already comparing the tune to Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" from last year. Yeah, if you squint, you can hear the two tunes have a similar structure, but that opinion shouldn't distract you from what "Are You Leaving" has in store, because it's pop done the "grown folks" way.
Hassle is releasing his second album (yay!), Mariefried Sessions, this Spring (March 23rd to be accurate), and hopefully Hassle continues in this direction of sweeping sophisticated disco ballads, because the look looks mighty good on him.
You know the feeling when you've read a book and then you go out and see the movie based on the book, and the movie really blows? Well, this is what happened with the video for "All Of The Lights" by Kanye West. The song is great. In fact, I played it just as much as "Lost In The World" and "Devil In A New Dress" off of the still fab, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.Yet, when I sat down with the accompanying visual (which was directed by Hype Williams and stars Miss Model, Rihanna and Kid Cudi) on Saturday night, I regretted that loaded raspberry margarita I had that night. Epileptic moments commenced as I was taken into flickering typography, fluttering heads of Mr. West, flashes of Rihanna, and snatches of color panels. There were probably also subliminal messages woven into the typography bit that told me to kill my potted ivy plant Chester with chili grease...but maybe that was the margarita talking. Let's just say I was not impressed with this visual at all, as it was just a weak effort from all parties involved.
It's just so funny that there is more flashing lights in this video than in West's video for his 2008 single "Flashing Lights", my all-time favorite Kanye West song from Graduation. What gives?
He sang it in a canoe while in Cambodia (literally) and now to kick start the week we have the studio version of Jamie Woon's "Lady Luck", and yes, it is just as good all spiffed up with backing instrumentation. Personally, I love every bit of it right down to it's finger popping rhythm. Maybe I'm off, but "Lady Luck" reminds me what Usherwas doing in the late 90's mixed in with the early songwriting of Robin Thicke. Not trying to compare the multi-instrumentalist in any way, but when the chorus kicks in it has a real punchy beat that is funky and poppy all in one step that is the warm familiar. It just has that real seamless spunk and authenticity that is missing from a lot of R&B music right now, just real upbeat and solid soulful honesty. It screams to get mainstream attention due to it being highly infectious, but it's too refined to tampered, really.
I don't know about you, but I'm right excited for whatever Woon is going to cook up for his debut album, Mirrorwriting (due to pop up April 4th). This, along with other revealed tracks like the stunning serenity of, "Night Air" and "Blue Truth", just keep accentuating that positive. Listen below.
And the Madonna homages just keep coming in like popcorn from the popper...You know I have nothing against a good homage, rendition or whatever, but it just seems that some singers today can't really be themselves without trying to be someone else. How can you build a legacy for yourself when you're biting off someone else's? Still if you're gonna bite off The Madge, then do it with some finesse and don't try to act like you're doing it for the pristine time. This is why I don't feel that Beth Ditto pulled a fast one (i.e. Lady GaGa's "Born The Way") or came off uninspired (Christina Aguliera's "I'm Not Myself Tonight") with her "Justify My Love"-esque video to her flipping fantastic single, "I Wrote The Book". In fact, this is quite a classy and raucous flattery to the original source, considering it fits into the whole 90's dance revival sound that Ditto has thematically done on her self-titled EP. Plus, Ditto looked like she had a fun time (she's working those dresses), and how can I blame a fun time?
Oh, and I'm still shouting from the mountain tops how much I love Beth Ditto's EP. From the cover art to the pulsating gathering of tunes ("Open Heart Surgery" and "Book" are my two faves)...it's just a real blast to listen to. Snag it if you already haven't.
I know I haven't been around the blog as much as I would like as I've been uber busy in other places in my life and Audio Diva has been last on the list of things I'm supposed to do. As a perfectionist, it kills me to even type that as I try give all my undivided and precise attention to all of my "projects". So, I apologize for the bareness for this week/month, and hopefully, next week and into March, the blog world will be filled with more Audio Diva goodness. :)
To redeem my absence (somewhat)... Adele and 21 have not shaken themselves from my listening tree, and yesterday I stumbled across Adele giving a stunning (and recent) live performance of my constant favorite off of 21, "Turning Tables". I won't go into wordy detail about the performance, because you pretty much know that positive words will worm its way in my response. Just press play and experience it for yourself. Oh, and she did a performance of "Rolling In The Deep" as well, so if you still can't get enough of that song, then have at it after the cut.
From first listen, Cee-Lo's "Bodies" was instantly a favorite off of The Lady Killer, and like many I was dying for a single release. Wish has been granted.
To match the seedy shivers of the 70's cop movie soundtrack elements the song possesses, the six-minute visual for "Bodies" follows in that same sinister plot line vein. Directed by Mikael Colombu (who gets monster brownie points for thinking outside of the box on this), we have Mr. Green portraying (literally) a "lady killer" who is on the hunt for high-heeled women to feed his fancy, and who keeps their heels as trophies to his crimes. When he decides to make a target for Janelle Monae (who makes an appearance), what he doesn't expect is that Monae is on his trail and has a plot all of her own. In true mystery fashion we are left at a cliff hanger with Monae's "Locked Inside" playing, leading one to believe that the two tracks are conjoined for a further collective purpose. Kerry Washington, Karl Largerfield (well...his "shoulder"), Raphael Saddiq, Common, and a "locked inside" Bilal, make appearances in this artistically driven music video pleasure.
I sort of don't want to give all the details embedded in this video away as their are tongue n' cheek antidotes galore that you would have more fun unwrapping them yourself. Plus, I swear by a Nancy Drewdisim oath (made that up) that I would never do such a thing. Not since Erykah Badu's "Honey" video from back in '08 have I've been from start-to-finish entertained for a music video and actually watched again for a second, third time. For that, I have to say "Bodies" is one of the best ones I've seen since the year kicked off. Hooray for progress!
Yes, it is Valentine's Day today (gnaws on a caramel chocolate chew) and well, there was a thought of doing a "romance" themed tape deck today, but I threw the idea out and considered that you should be 'loving' the sounds of Esperanza Spalding today instead. Reason for the switch is to celebrate that Spalding received the Best New Artist Grammy last night at the Grammy ceremony. It's a very deserving win for the Portland, Oregon born bassist, and something that makes me believe that someone on the Grammy committee has their ears unwaxed and can hear real music at play. Even though there were tons of immature sore losers trying to dampen the mood, Spalding still comes out classy and as a fan, she had one of the best moments of the evening. To sweeten the win, Spalding also made some Grammy history for being the first Jazz artist to get the coveted award. Shawiing.
I came to love Esperanza about a year after her second album, Esperanza (2008) was released, and fell in love with tracks like "I Know You Know" and "I Adore You". As a casual Jazz fan who grew up with a Jazz loving father in the house, I appreciated her approach to bridging popular soul elements with classic echos of the Jazz craft. And to get music nerdy, I love how when she gets into a Brazilian Jazz place she takes some cues from one of my favorite singers, Flora Purim (YouTube/Google for your music history lesson). In addition to her talent, you gotta love Esperanza's hair! She's just winning from all sides...So for those of you who went "Who??!" when Spalding's name was called and for those who would like to get further acquainted, here are eight of my favorite performances and tracks from Ms. Spalding to get you in the mood to check out more.
So the wait is now over. Lady GaGa's "Born This Way", the song, has arrived. You can exhale now.
For months, "Born This Way" has been rattled off by many critics and insiders summarily as GaGa's biggest (and even greatest) achievement. As usual, that sort of hype tampers the actual listening experience. I'm actually quite disappointed with this as the track doesn't have that court n' spark like "Bad Romance" did when it invaded my ear drums, and when the last notes fizzled out I wasn't easing down the road like Dorothy and the Scarecrow, to say the least. Well, excuse me, I've been a bad mood all week, because the track isn't overly awful.
In the wake of the 'It's Get's Better' campaign and recent songs and videos from artists like P!nk ("Raise Your Glass", "F*ckin' Perfect") and Marsha Ambrosius ("Far Away") that touch on embracing differences and evoking self-esteem GaGa's "Born" does remotely the same. In all of it's camp, spark, and preach, it does keep that belief in thought, which is applauding. Another high point for me was surprisingly GaGa's voice. When the chorus kicks in she sounds raw and matured. She even takes her vocal to a funkier domain, especially when she blares out in the best bit "ooo baby, there ain't no other way, I was born this way!" It's all kind of 90's House saucy in a way.
Though muddied up with overbearing synths and effects, the real downfall of the song is that it looms in the technical shadow of Madonna's "Express Yourself". Since it's leak this morning, flourishes of responses have popped up to state it's too close comparison to Madge's 1989 hit. Can't say I blame them, as that was my exact thought when I first heard it. Still my opinion won't matter much as the song is geared to be Billboard's thousandth #1 hit and rabid fans of GaGa will no doubt gobble this up and defend it. Just that I'll be the casual fan who'll wait for the next single to see if I'm really going to be excited about GaGa's junior venture.
Just the other day I was tuning into Res' massively underrated 2001 debut, How I Do ("Golden Boys" is my everything on that record), and was wondering if she was going to grace us with another mixtape/long-lost album like she did when she unleashed the hound that wasBlack.Girls.Rock! in '09. An album that was divine from all sides and didn't deserve to be shelved.
Well, it's like I psychically in-tune with my listening patterns, as Res is indeed releasing another mixtape (A Box of Chocolates it is to be called) and she's even giving us a sample of that in the form of song, "Comfort of a Stranger". It's less than 3 minutes long, but you get a sweet and melodic head bobber with lots of "ba da ba da da's" and a delicately streamlined synth in the background. Consider the 'Like' button pushed on this one.
I wanted to also mention that Res has some other loose tracks rumbling around as she's covered a cornucopia of vintage hits recently such as: Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen", Three Dog Night's "One", Berlin's "The Metro", and Donna Summer's "On The Radio" (my favorite rendition of the bunch). Plus, a whole mess of tunes reside all over her SoundCloud page and some on her official web spot. My little tidbit is just for those who want more Res in their life, because she is another artist who consistently puts out small little music gifts every once in awhile and it's usually always a treat. To not gab any further, explore the goods over at SoundCloud, take a listen to "Comfort of a Stranger", and get anxious for the impending mixtape. It surely sounds like it's going to be worth the wait...
"Fool For You" is one of my favorite slices off of Cee-Lo's excellente The Lady Killer. To repeat myself, this track had a great Earth, Wind, & Fire feel to it, not just because EWF vocalist Phillip Bailey was on board, but because the arrangement and the flow of the piece was just riding in that same taunt horn injected groove that made the 70's band such a unique and tight collective.
Well, "Fool For You" has gotten a makeover (as if it needed it) as it has added Melanie Fiona to the mix to give the track a little touch of femme call n' response. Fiona, in the process, redeems herself from that weird, try-hard performance she gave for Chaka Khan's UNCF Evening Of Stars tribute concert with this, as the song is still as funky and as great as ever with her as an addition. Even though I still think the song was fine the way it was, this revamp will make a great chart/radio entry. There's the silver lining, I guess.
Get past Mr. Hightower's (aka Steve "The Advice Stain" Harvey) vocals at tail end to enjoy this radio rip straight from Ms. Fiona's SoundCloud page and form your own opinion about it.
I think I have played Adele's 21 so much in the last couple of weeks, every time I warm up my computer it gives off a little sigh of it's engine in response that it's getting tired of my predictability. Well, sorry Toppy (the name of my laptop...what you don't name your computer?) Adele is going to be on heavy rotation for a good long while considering the British songstress is stepping onto American soil in support of her latest effort. Yep, Adele is crusing into the US of A come this summer and she's bringing that wonderful voice with her to perform in some intimate settings. From viewing the venue list, it looks like I need to dig through the couch to find some loose coins, call up some friends, and plan a road trip this summer.
Tickets begin to go on sale this Friday, and will go on pre-sale this Wednesday. Hop over the jump to view the dates and venues where Adele will be stopping by and view Adele's official web spot for further updates.
I always got time for Teedra Moses. Whether she's releasing a mixtape, a random loose single, or just popping up on my Twitter feed, it's always a drop everything occasion, and that time is usually always well spent. Yes, I've given up on that dream that she's going to follow-up Complex Simplicity any time soon. Shoot, I'm not watching the water boil, cause nothing comes from that...but at least Ms. Moses is releasing things here and there to keep me occupied, especially her uncorking this new song to coincide with a special occasion.
Over on her blog, Teedra is celebrating the impending candy coated holiday called Valentine's Day by making it all about the music as she counts down Valentine's Day memories that were submitted by fans and accompanying them with a special track from her music catalog, almost like a chocolate sampler box of goodies. This blog challenge of sorts is leading up to the video premiere of "R U 4Real" from last year's mixtape, Royal Patience on V-Day.
A couple of days ago, Teedra gave away a free download of a new song, the mellow "I Adore U" and it's a rather sultry slow jam all about making up and getting back to well...back to that love thang. It's decked out in typical Teedra Moses fashion, and it is enjoyable for what its worth. So if you're in the mood to get a head start on your Valentine's Day and aren't overly crabby yet, then listen and download away, and then be sure to keep an eye out over at Teedra's blog for more musical goodness. Who knows if she'll pop up with another brand new nugget for all? Suspense!
Songs about jumping, because songs about jumping are just fun. Jumping, in general, is fun. I do it all the time. It's great exercise and it's a real attitude booster, especially if you jump up and down on your bed/sofa/trampoline/whatever and scream: "Wheee!". Releases that tension greatly, but just don't go hurting yourself on my advice. Instead, listen to this energetic deck of 8 songs that talk about jumping for love, jumping into lives, and even one song is about a dog jumping. Get elevated.
So I can learn about a new artist AND hear Esthero on something recent? Sounds like a deal, let's John Hancock that. Instantly, I loved Spree Wilson's "Don't Pass Me By". With it's acoustic charms, slight dream-pop/soul arrangement, the song is a real sizzler, even warming up this winter apocalypse happening right now. Wilson's a new voice to me, but he's already gotten on my good side as he has Esthero producing and vocalizing on this track, a track that is soon to be placed on the singer-guitarist upcoming debut album, The Never Ending Now.
I'll take what I can take when it comes to Esthero (who needs to release this third album before it's time for me to apply for an AARP membership) and this song is something to latch onto if you've either been salivating for anything fresh from her and/or just want to hear two people just vocally blend well together and make a great song out of it. I'll be definitely scoping Spree Wilson out further as I'm digging the scene he has crafted with the few smattering of songs I found of his on the net. This Is Real Music has "Don't Pass Me By" up for the freebies, so there is really no excuse why you should skip out on this lovely adventure. Need a convince before the download? Just listen below...if you already haven't.
Great name, serious pop artist. Oh Land sounds like a frontier mountain call a la Oregon Trail, but it's really the stage name of Danish singer, Nanna Øland Fabricius, and she's on her way to winning you over with the feisty and posh electro-pop she has in her arsenal.
I happened on Oh Land track, "White Nights" the other day, and was enamored with the delightful bubble pop electric sound it had, not to mention had a chorus that was seeped in the kind of synthesized flair I enjoy---not too much, and not too little, just right in the shimmering middle.
A few minutes later, Oh Land's self-titled EP from last year, landed onto my computer and each song got me riled up for more (there are only four in total on the set). Influenced by Bjork and being lauded by Pharrell Williams, Oh Land is releasing her sophomore set (she released in 2008 her debut, Fauna to little fanfare) this March, and with the warm buzz surrounding her (single, "Sun Of A Gun" is taking off at the moment), she's sure going to be someone you're going to be hearing more from as the year chugs on.
To make an annoying comparison she is somewhat a less dreary version of Florence & The Machine, with a starchy Paloma Faith vibe, still, like most, she has her own way of doing thangs. At the moment, four songs just isn't enough as I've worn out "White Nights" and am now loving how "Rainbow" is handled, so I'm quite anxious to hear how she's going to do with a full-length set to play around on. Till then, hear what I'm hearing with "White Nights" (above---the video doesn't do the song justice, IMO) and another favorite, "Wolf & I" from the EP project (which is out now), and get into the sophisticate pop stylings of Oh Land.
I don't know about you, but I love me some George Michael. He can really do no wrong for me. I have a slim group of male singers that I particularity care for in abundance and I have to say that George is in that lofty club of favorite male voices that when they sing---I perpetually lend an ear.
Which is why I'm spending time talking about his 1987 solo effort, Faith, which was re-released this week in an extensive (and expensive) collector's box set to just remind everyone how utterly awesome it was and still is today. The set includes just about everything (except a vial of George Michael's blood---that was just too freaky), and the best part is that the album has been remastered. The album has been lengthened to two discs, including b-sides and extended remixes. There is also some literature in there (a 60-page booklet discussing the album ) and a DVD of music videos and interviews from that era...plus gobs of other collectible memorabilia. *music nerd fist pump* Pretty much a nice spread of things for the Faith/George Michael obsessed, as Stereogum details the full set here if you need more clarification what you're getting for your buck. And if you are visual person, this photo explains more than my words can describe. Yeah, it's a bit ostentatious, but it's an album that deserves this kind of treatment.
If you've ever heard Faith, you know it's the "state of independence" album that George released after breaking away from Wham! and that it harbored an copious amount of chart toppers (7 out of 10 tracks were hits). It is quite the perfect merge of pop and R&B, with a bit of plastic funk, torchy jazz, and some rockabilly flair bubbling up, a variant style that really made George Michael bigger than those tight britches he was shaking his rump in. To me, Faith is just deliciously cohesive, and I love everything about it (especially "Father Figure" and "Kissing A Fool") right down to the last refrain. Even though future albums like 1990's Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 and 1996's Older are just as carefully crafted and enjoyable, and Faith was an image George likened to shed like snake skin when the 90's came 'round, I still love popping it in from time to time to be engulfed in how effortless the delivery was.
This whole extensive set sort of brings back to mind what an album really means, especially in this fast food music world. Where not just two or three songs are hits, but where each track is tightly produced with even the filler shining (in Faith's case outshines, I actually liked "Hand To Mouth" better than the hit title track) and each hit having longevity long after they drop from the charts. It's an album to pop in and just consume and spend time with, not get out of the way. So getcha some Faith if you haven't already.
