Crisp N' Fresh Vids: No-No-Notorious

Duran Duran and Beth Ditto doing "Notorious" together live on stage? Oh, this is FUN. "Notorious" has always been my favorite Duran Duran song (next to "Rio") and hearing the fabulous Beth Ditto take a swing at it is a collaboration that gets a hearty thumbs up from me. The performance for the American Express Unstaged concert series (which happen weeks ago) comes in light of their recent Mark Ronson produced album, All You Need Is Now (which I've heard some really good things about). I know Duran Duran has had other albums past their 80's hey-day, but the classics are always getting a spin from me. Someone got white-out visual happy with this video, but that editing mishap doesn't distract from the performance which is energy packed. It's pretty much 'fetch'---you know that word that Grechen Weiners wanted to happen in Mean Girls? Yeah, this is fetch

And to double the fun, check after the cut for Kelis joining the band for "The Man Who Stole A Leopard". Do I smell a Duran Duran collaborations album in the near future? I sure hope so.

Camino: PromoLift 

The Tape Deck: Fool Me Once...

On Friday it'll be April Fool's Day...so a Tape Deck that keeps the "fool" and the groove in mind.

First Impressions: Move Your Shoulders To Little Dragon's 'Stå Upp'

Even though Little Dragon has been globetrotting stages and popping up at festivals like Austin's SXSW, I've been wanting, waiting and anticipating for the Swedish act to get in the studio to follow-up the wonderful Machine Dreams. Patience is a truthfully virtue as the first entry from Ritual Union, the band's upcoming third album, comes in the form of "Stå Upp"---and it's a funky space reincarnation for sure. Filled with all the good stuff that Little Dragon is made of, from dreamy synths, urgent drumming, funky basslines, and Yukimi's coo-like vocal, this is a song to really adore and "move your shoulders" too. Just got it today, and have basically disturbed the neighbors with constant and decibel high play. From the debut of "Little Man" to this, Ritual Union is shaping up to be an album that will not disappoint.

Oh, and after you experience "Stå Upp" be get another dose of Little Dragon today by checking after the cut for the band's SXSW performance of "Little Man" as well as those PS22 Chorus kiddos from Staten Island taking a crack at the glorious "Twice". You gotta see it to believe it.

Little Dragon - Stå Upp

Recycle It!: John Legend Just Rolls Around In The Deep

In the midst of a hellish week, John Legend remains to be the savior. I know some people snicker about him thinking he's "corny", "boring" or "corny boring". Also most folks I come across despised the direction he took on his last album, Evovler (even though I was one of few who praised it's style chameleon qualities). Yeah, whatever, I could care less about the jeers, especially since Legend pulls another stunner from his sleeve. He's pretty much  'winning' in my book with this Adele cover.

"Rolling In The Deep" is sealed in stone as Adele's finest achievement, and it's probably one of richest songs to hit the mainstream in awhile. Naturally, Adele's version is the optimum choice, but on this remake, Legend strips the song down, wades it in the water and makes a sermon out of it with this acapella version. It's pretty much more the "bluesy-Gospel" that the song possessed from the get-go, but it's even more so. I just really love the risk he took on this. Considering that Adele's 21 is speaking to every bit of my life right now and I can be completely bias, but toe-to-toe this version can go with the original. It's only in my dreams that I would want a mash-up of this version and Adele's, how rich would that be?

Haven't done one of these posts in awhile, so have at it below. 

John Legend - Rolling In The Deep (Adele Cover) (Download)

Album Watch: Really Happening To Ya!! Kate Bush Re-Releasing Some Things

This quite an old bit of news, but it's about Kate Bush, and usually news about her is like seeing a unicorn in flight---so let's look at this:

Kate Bush has announced that she will be releasing Director's Cut, her first album in six years, on May 16th. The record will be comprised of rerecorded, reworked and otherwise altered versions of songs from two previous albums, 1989's The Sensual World and 1993's The Red Shoes. Details about these new tracks have not been revealed, but Bush's statement says that the Director's Cut versions keep "the best musical performances of each song."  [source]

Okay. I can sorta dig this. Most Kate-ites that I come across usually voice that 1989's The Sensual World and 1993's The Red Shoes are their least favorite albums from the Queen of Proggy-Pop. I never understood that, considering that both of those albums from the funky Shoes to the serene beauty of World feature some of my favorite songs ever ("The Sensual World", "Deeper Understanding",  "Walk Straight Down The Middle", "Moments Of Pleasure", "Top Of The City", and below "Rubberband Girl"). While, I don't see a point of trying to tamper with things that are already pristine, a new 2011 twist on these songs might be entertaining, plus tide us over for that long-awaited follow-up to 2005's Ariel that's been feverishly rumored to drop this year. From RS's write-up, it sounds like this project will be packaged nicely...vinyl, digital, CD, and also the original albums in a box set---sounds mighty generous.



Oh...and as a funsie kicker to this little write-up...my '40 Great Kate Bush songs' list over at RYM.

Crisp N' Fresh Vids: Adorable Dancing Child Alert...Oh, It's In A New Aloe Blacc Video

What you'll experience in the video for Aloe Blacc's "Loving You Is Killing Me":

• A great old school inspired groove
• The "busting of moves"
• An extremely adorable child dancing. His name is Baby Boogaloo. Just how presh is that?

This is an Aloe Blacc video, right? I mean, you sort of forget he's there because this little precious dancing nugget steals the show. Cute video that I just had to post, even though it's a few days old. 

Artist Watch: She's No 'Ragamuffin'

Selah Sue is a name that has been bouncing around in my consciousnesses, but she got pushed in the back of my mind, being saved for a rainy day. While it hasn't rain here (let drought season commence), I happened on her self-titled debut album the other day and had to not let this week go by without mentioning how much I enjoyed it. A lot.

Knowing that Selah had made an appearance on Cee-Lo's The Lady Killer (she popped up on "Please")  and seeing that she had him featured on here, I did a "why not?" shrug and was pleasantly surprised at how much of a straight through pleasure her first full effort is. As a debut, that is sort of a hard feat to accomplish.

On Selah Sue, Selah takes on a hearty helping of Reggae, in a similar light a la The Police (well, their first two albums). Not convinced? Look her up on YouTube and "White Girl Rhymes Like A Jamaican" is the first video to greet you. While color doesn't matter with me, sound does. There are some good old (and obvious) Bob Marley influences here and there, but present as well is some simmering soul stirred into a nice indie pop mix. No wonder she had worked with the likes of some of my favorites like Jamie Liddell, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Prince, her range is something to be lauded for. 

One of her previous EP's Raggamuffin has been rolling around for some time, and some of those songs are refurbished and returned on this debut set. Personally, her best are on the debut, such as the gritty brass backing of "Black Part Love" (which I find to be her best song) and the luscious "Summertime". So consume below for a little taste of what Selah Sue has to offer, and if you haven't done so already, keep her on your watch list, because I have a feeling she won't be a stranger for too long.  

Black Part Love


Summertime

The Tape Deck: Luck Of The Draw

Specially made Tape Deck for St. Patrick's Day (which is tomorrow). Sorry, no songs about leprechauns on this Deck. Enjoy these tunes with a McDonald's Shamrock Shake...or not, because that drink is kind of nasty. Beer is better. Lots of beer. Just remember you have work in the morning...

Album Watch: Teena Marie's Early Motown Recordings Resurface On New Compilation

You know I love me some Lady Tee and that I am still quite upset over her recent passing---it's just not the same now that the Ivory Queen of Soul isn't around. Usually posthumous releases leave a sour taste in mouth, which is one of the reasons why I have avoided like the plague the notorious Michael Jackson collection MICHAEL. Even though Motown is no doubt cashing some checks (and kicking themselves in the rear for treating Teena Marie the way they did when she was on the label back in the early 80's) with this First Class: Rare Tee collection, knowing that Teena recorded these during her magic Motown days and that we're getting to hear these songs for the first time--I can't fault being a sucker for this. 

Featuring 12 tracks of early recordings (with Irons In The Fire's "First Class Love" wedged in for whatever bizarre reason), First Class: Rare Tee popped up on online sellers such as iTunes and Amazon a week ago. This release was meant as a special 'birthday preview', as Teena Marie would have celebrated her 55th birthday this March 5th. A full 26-track album of rares will be released in June, along with remastered releases of classic recordings Lady T and Irons In The Fire, just to sweeten the pot.

From looking at the tracklisting, I recognized two tracks, "Co-Pilot To Pilot" and "Why Can't I Get Next To You" that were tacked onto the Lady T release that I own, and if the rest of the tunes are as great as those two, then well, this is a must-have collection for Teena Marie junkies and of course new fans who want more of that sophisticated funk Tee put out. Take a taste of the two Lady T "rares", if you haven't heard 'em (they are both excellente, even though I'm partial to "Co-Pilot To Pilot"), and great ready to dig in those crates for misbegotten Teena gems later this year. 

Why Can't I Get Next To You


Co-Pilot To Pilot


Camino: SoulfulDetroit

Artist Watch: Love Is King

Call me a joiner, but these three ladies from LA who call themselves King, have made me jump on the bandwagon that is currently going around blog land about them.

Twitter continues to be a powerful social networking tool, as in just a few short hours King went from being soul music underground listeners little secret to gathering a backing from none other than ?uestlove and Phonte from The Foreign Exchange and Little Brother as the two musicians took to their 140 character space last week to voice their utmost love for the group. Only a short time later a flourish of listeners became hooked into their groove. Once again Twitter does it's job of being the 21st Century's best PR tool.

Sometimes hype kind of leads me to believe something is amiss, but considering that they are of the soul/funk variety and comprised of two twin sisters and a friend who compose and perform all their own works, thus my interest in this trio was piqued. These ladies have got to be great considering all the praise. So hopping over to their SoundCloud page to engage in the sounds, I took a full listen to their 3-track EP, The Story, and I have to say I am impressed with the outcome.



While three songs on an EP just sort of wets the whistle and makes me wanna be like Olivier Twist ("please sir, I want some more..."), but with the engulfing synth work of the title track and an equally adorable video (see above) there is magic here that will sure be sticking around for some time. You can hear all that magic in abundance when you purchase The Story either over at the trusty iTunes or Amazon.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with my favorite from the set, the divine "Supernatural", which bubbles along on some Stevie Wonder-esque finesse.

The Tape Deck: Sow Into Roisin

If I was an album...I'd be an Roisin Murphy album, especially Ruby Blue---that is if we're talking specifics. To be fun, sexy, eclectic, unpredictable, funky, and a little loopy on a daily listen---now that's something to achieve. Listening to Murphy is not a boring affair and usually sometimes I always hear something new when I listen to one of her songs, even if I've heard the song numerous times and know it by heart.

May the powers of The Tape Deck poke Ms. Murphy to release a brand new album this year. *crosses fingers, wishes on stars* In the meantime, here are eight + 1 shots of Roisin Murphy energy to begin the week with. You'll thank me later for this funky pick-me-up.

First Impressions: Sex N' Soul The Marsha Ambrosius Way

Marsha Ambrosius had me at "Say Yes". It was sex with the dinner and a movie and a walk on the beach attached to it. Since then, I have been a fan, and it;s safe to say that her official solo debut, Late Nights & Early Mornings follows in this same proposition---it's an album that you want to wine and dine, based strictly on Ambrosius' tender touch to putting the rhythm back into the blues. Since being 1/2 of UK duo Floetry, Ambrosius has been getting to this moment. A moment where she could let her production smarts, her butter alto vocals, and her words  shine as a singular. All sides of the Floetry story have turned out well (just see The Floacist and Amanda Diva for examples), yet Ambrosius has been the most anticipatory when it came to her debut release, considering the outpouring of collaborations she has attended too. After releasing mixtapes by the pound and being in the background vocally and with pen in hand, Ambrosius' solo offering has been years in the making and the wait has been worth it.

First Impressions: Patrick Stump Has Got A Nice Solo Thing Going On

Remember Fall Out Boy's "Dance, Dance"? What's with the side-eye? That song was/is still a lot of fun, and there wasn't a party that I didn't go to my freshman year in college that didn't feature that song sometime during the evening. Since "Dance, Dance" and other random FOB tracks, I've quite liked lead singer, Patrick Stump's voice. It almost seemed too good for whatever FOB were doing that it just stuck out like a sore and melodic thumb.

The other day I stumbled across Stump doing a pretty spot on rendition of one of my favorite John Legend songs, "Green Light". I thought people had forgotten about that song, even though I loved it to bits, and Stump did a mighty fine and rambunctious rendition of it. Stump isn't just content on doing covers, he's got some of his own compositions in the works with his current EP, Truant Wave, out now, and his upcoming debut solo album, Soul Punk coming to light soon.

One of Wave's tracks, "Cute Girls" got a debut over at Spin.com, and it's a buffet of Prince here, a little Michael Jackson there, and a dollop of what Justin Timberlake was doing (think FutureSexLoveSounds). Even though the song suffers from 'too much of a good thing syndrome', still it's not a bad attempt and it shows that Stump is testing new waters outside of FOB punk-pop sound for his solo venture. I'm more impressed with "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)", which has a nice piano-pop thing going on. Peep the song and it's newly minted video after the cut if you're curious to hear how Stump sounds on his own.

Album Watch: Nikko Gray Is Decked Out In Yellow

Finding out about Nikko Gray is what makes music blogging such the necessary piece of my life. Discovering a new artist and then sharing that discovery with others. Even in the sometimes muck of this hobby of mine, finding out about and keeping up with the artists I love is the best part, even when words fail me, the music is still there. Okay, enough of the gushing jabber...you wanna know why Nikko Gray looks absolutely gorjeeeous on this album cover and what the hell this post is all about anyway, right?

Over on Nikko's Bandcamp page she premiered a couple of weeks ago (yes, I'm late) a collaboration with artist, Imani Waddy in the form of 5-song EP, Love Letters From Yellow. Since I'm usually transfixed on anything Gray has put out since Love.Seen (it made my favorite top releases last year), getting into this project was easy as pie.


Out of the five, you must hear "Press Play", which features Chris Young, I just love that atmospheric synth sound that she just envelopes you in...it's just really lush and soothing. Good news is that you can stream the EP below, and then if you like what you hear, support by purchasing--it's only $5 buckaroos for the digital format, and really that won't make your wallet scream.