..:|:Little Dragon:|:..

Little Dragon is a Gothenburg-based quartet featuring Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion), Håkan Wirenstrand (vocals, keyboards), Fredrik Källgren Wallin (vocals, bass), and Erik Bodin (vocals, drums). Apparently they have been making music together informally for years, and have now rallied behind Yukimi's jazz-inflected yet non-traditionalist lead vocals and individualistic songwriting to issue this debut album. Consistent with her easy-to-digest yet unconventional vocal approach, Yukimi and company eschew Marketing 101 promotional tactics, such as releasing the album under her name, putting her photo on the cover, enlisting some of the musicians she has previously recorded with as guests, bringing in some name producer(s), and so on. To Little Dragon's credit, the music is going to be presented their way, take it or leave it, so don't let the no-frills approach imply to anyone that this isn't a major league work of substance, originality, and soulfulness. If anyone is interested in hearing an up-and-coming artist overloaded with potential now fully coming-of-age, I'd highly recommend the "take it" option.

Little Dragon - Machine Dreams [2009]

Little Dragon return with a spectacular second album offering in August, a pulsating electro pop epic that Prince would be proud of (only fronted by a beautiful Swedish lady with a sultry voice). A bold and surprising side/two step onwards from their self titled debut, released two years ago to great acclaim especially among specialist circles. Machine Dreams, with its nagging hooks and gloriously infectious tunes, should finally see the band break out into the mainstream.


1. A New
2 .Looking Glass
3. My Step
4. Feather
5. Thunder Love
6. Never Never
7. Runabout
8. Swimming
9. Blinking Pigs
10. Coming Home
11. Fortune

Little Dragon - Little Dragon [2007]

2007 debut album from Swedish outfit. The album is marvelously book ended by drifting percussion and electronic dynamics, full of subtle touches capturing emotions and Pop flourishes. 11 tracks including the lead single, 'Yukimi Nagano', which is about the vocalist in Electronica Pop act Koop.

1. Twice
2. Turn Left
3. No Love
4. Recommendation
5. Constant Surprises
6. Forever
7. After The Rain
8. Place To Belong
9. Stormy Weather
10. Test
11. Wink
12. Scribbled Paper

..:|:Little Jackie:|:..

Blend some old skool R&B with a hip-hop/pop blend and you have... Little Jackie, the creation of genre-defying singer-songwriter Imani Coppola and multi-instrumentalist Adam Pallin. With a nod to the soulful Motown rhythms of the past and a sneer at many of the social and cultural issues that consume the minds of the masses today, Coppola has crafted an album of musical sugar and spice, filled with sweet, saccharine-tinged melodies and spicy, bold commentaries.

Little Jackie - The Stoop

1. Stoop
2. World Should Revolve Around Me
3. 28 Butts
4. Guys Like When Girls Kiss
5. I Liked you Better Before
6. LOL
7. Crying For The Queen
8. Black Barbie
9. One Love
10. Kitchen
11. Go Hard Or go Home

..:|:Paul Dateh:|:..

I was introduced to Paul Dateh via a friend on Facebook, who sent me a link to his "Hip Hop Violin" video on youtube. I watched the video four times in a , fascinated by the intense hip hop flavor merged with some pretty impressive violin technique. Like most people my first exposure to hip hop violin was Miri Ben Ari, and no disrespect to Miri, but... Dateh's skill set and virtuosity is much more impressive.
This album has something for every listener. You have tracks that are hip hop, r&b, acoustic, rock, jazz, and instrumental.

Paul Dateh - Paul Dateh

1. Be More [feat. Oren Yoel]
2. Whatever I Choose
3. Control
4. Celtic Blues
5. Goes Around
6. Play That Song
7. Strong
8. Untitled #1
9. Who Knew
10. Without You Here [Song For Jessie and Jacob]



Paul Dateh and Inka One - Hip Hop Violin

..:|:India.Arie:|:..

“India.Arie is known and cherished by fans and fellow musicians as a poet, a songwriter, a daughter, a producer, a musician, a sister, a singer, an advocate, a friend and a philanthropist –– but she is possibly best known for the love in her music that has inspired and motivated people worldwide.”

India Arie fulfills all of the qualities I look for in a Soul/R&B artist. She is a skilled musician, she has a beautiful voice, and she writes truly meaningful lyrics.  Her songs reflect an understanding of human nature that can only be obtained by someone who has looked deep within, and has learned from their inner journeys.

I have read many reviews of her music and none of them do it justice, so do yourself a favor and listen for yourself.

India represents the quiet in a world of chaos. Her music has meaning, her lyrics have depth. This album will get you to look not just at yourself and your own 4 walls, but also on the world around you. India has maintained her integrity and self respect by once again refusing to give into the world's system oversexed marginal talent. The album is soulful, deep, theraputic, beautiful and sensual at the same time. It's great from beginning to end, so you can play it all the way through without skipping one song.

India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 2, Love and Politics

1. Intro: Grains

2. Therapy

3. Ghetto

4. Chocolate High

5. He Heals Me

6. Interlude: Grains

7. Pearls

8. River Rise

9. Yellow

10. Better Way

11. Interlude: Grains

12. Long Goodbye

13. Psalms 23

14. The Cure

15. Outro: Grains

16. A Beautiful Day

India has really done an astonishing job with this album!! It contains everything that the mature music fan could desire in an album!! Thoughtfulness,originality and mellow,relaxing melodies...All of the songs deal with isues that everyone can readily relate to.

India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life and Relationship

1. Intro: Loving

2. These Eyes

3. Heart Of The Matter

4. Good Mourning

5. Private Party

6. There's Hope

7. Living [Interkude]

8. India's Song

9. Wings Of forgiveness

10. Summer [feat. Victor Wooten]

11. I Am Not My Hair

12. Great Grandmother

13. Better People

14. Outro: Learning

15. I Choose

16. This Too Shall Pass

India Arie seems comfortable in her own body. She told us as much on both "Video" and "Brown Skin" from her stunning debut album, Acoustic Soul, which celebrated the diversity of feminine beauty, self-acceptance, and spirituality. She addresses similar themes on her second outing.


India.Arie - Voyage To India

1. Growth

2. Little Things

3. Talk To Her

4. Slow down

5. The Truth

6. Beautiful Surprise

7. Healing

8. Get It Together

9. Headed In The Right Direction

10. Can I Walk With You

11. The One

12. Complicated Melody

13. Gratitude

14. Good Man

15. God Is Real

India.Arie debuted in '01 with a fresh musical approach, incorporating soul, folk and blues. Her Acoustic Soul, led by the single Video, debuted in the top 10. It quickly sold two million albums, and the following year was nominated for the most GRAMMY® Awards by any artist. This Special Edition adds rare cuts from U.K.-only 12-inch vinyl and CD single releases, plus an extra track previously available only on a promo disc.

India.Arie - Acoustic Soul [Special Edition]

[*Tracklist in comments]

..:|:Bah Samba:|:..

Do you like albums that cross musical genres? Do you like beautiful vocals and lyrics that actually have content? If so then Bah Samba will definitely satisfy your desire for good music. There is enough variety on this double CD set to even hold the attention of someone like me who quickly becomes bored listening to the same sound over long periods of time. If that wasn't enough... it also features one of my favorite vocalists, Alice Russell.

Bah Samba - 4


CD1
1. Portuguese Love
2. Soul king
3. Everybody get Up
4. Let Your Drums Speak
5. Have You Got Your Bootz On
6. Doober
7. You! You! You!
8. Portuguese Love [Phil Asher's Restless Soul Mix]


CD 2
1. Inner Soul
2. Calma
3. Don't Let Them Get You Down
4. Just Want To love You
5. So Many People
6. Coming Home
7. Far Away
8. Morris

..:|:Alice Russell:|:..

There has been a recent flood of female singers from the UK, I don't know how Alice Russell has not received the exposure in the U.S. that some of the others have. Alice's demand as a vocalist has gained an enviable reputation as one of the UK's hottest singers, recording with the likes of MASSIVE ATTACK, THE NEXTMEN, THE ROOTS, THE QUANTIC SOUL ORCHESTRA, MR SCRUFF, ROY AYRES, LONNIE LISTON SMITH, DE LA SOUL and BAMBOOS. Blessed with a lavishly soulful voice, Alice's sound is modern, but firmly rooted in the past. Although her style is predominantly bluesy and soul lament it also encompasses everything from funk to gospel to jazz and beyond.

Alice Russell - Pot Of Gold [2008]

1. Turn And Run

2. Two Steps

3. Living The Life Of A Dreamer

4. Let Us Be Love

5. Got The Hunger?

6. Lights Went Out

7. Crazy

8. Hesitate

9. Universe

10. Hurry On Now

11. All Alone

Alice Russell - Under The Munka Moon II [2006]

1.I Love You More Than you'll Ever Know [One Take Version]

2. I'm Just Here [Wyndham Earl Remix]

3. to Know this [Live]

4. Hurry On Now [Boub Remix]

5. Don't You Worry [feat. Unforscene]

6. Seven Nation Army [feat. Nostalgia 77]

7. I Don't Need This trouble [feat. Natural-Self]

8. Fly In Hand [DJ Vadim Mix]

9. Do It [feat. Unforscene]

10 Mirror Mirror On The Wolf - 'Tell The Story Right' [Bonobo Mix]

11. Mean To Me [Acoustic Version]

12. Could Heaven Ever Be Like This [Bugz In The Attic Mix]

13. To Know this [Nu: Tone Mix]

Alice Russell - My Favorite Letter [2005]

1. All Else Can Wait

2. What We Want!

3. Humankind

4. Mean to Me

5. A Fly In Hand

6. To Know This

7. I'm Just There

8. Munkaroo

9. All Over Now

10. High up On The Hook

11. Mirror Mirror On The Wolf - Tell The Story Right

12. Remember To Forget

Alice Russell - Under The Munka moon [2004]


1. Hurry On now [feat. TM Juke]
2. Someday
3. Hard Times
4. Sweet Is The Air [feat. Natureboy]
5. Tired Little One
6. Peace Resides
7. Taking Hold
8. Something That's Real
9. Search The Heavens
10. Take your Time, Change Your Mind
11. Sweet Calling
12. Somebody's Gonna Love You
13. Get Ready In The Morning [Song In The Bath]

..:|:Whitney Houston:|:..

If your looking for twenty-something Whitney this album is not going to impress you, but if your looking for an album with vocals that are still a step above the average R&B being played on the radio Whitney will not disappoint you. The music production [in my opinion] is a little formulaic and cookie-cutter, but Whitney can still put style into a song that most of the women in R&B can't even fathom.

Whitney Houston - I Look To You


1. Million Dollar Bill
2. Nothin’ But Love
3. Call You Tonight
4. I Look To You
5. Like I Never Left (feat. Akon)
6. A Song For You
7. I Didn’t Know My Own Strength
8. Worth It
9. For The Lovers
10. I Got You
11. Salute

..:|:Brittany Bosco:|:..

I was introduced to Brittany Bosco four days ago while visiting Blak's Lair [hands down my favorite music blog and a major inspiration for starting my own blog] in one of my never-ending searches for good music. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a music fiend. My Creative Zen is my American Express card, I never leave home without it. After listening to Brittany Bosco's album she became an instant resident in it's memory. I can only think of one word to define what I hear listening to her... "FUNKY". To understand what I mean you have to get past what commercial music classifies as funk and think of funk in the terms expressed by the original Funkmeister himself George Clinton, during an interview with William C. Leikam;

"Well, funk is anything you need it to be at any given time. It's something that saves your life, or it's an attitude, or it's that attitude that helps save your life when you feel like it's not worth it anymore. You get to a place where you just want to jump out the window. Funk is that comical voice that come to you and says, "Why brother, ain't anybody gonna miss you." It's an attitude. It's whatever it needs to be at any given time. That's the way I look at it. Funk is really all music. It's the attitude that helps people to change and do new music even though my bag might have been something else. It can be anything with that beat."

Her music embodies that definition, her voice is as comfortable singing the blues as it is wrapping itself around a jazz riff and gifting your eardrums. I started this network to help wean individuals off of the "formula", the cookie-cutter pablum that pervades the commercial radio stations, that they are calling music. I could not pick a better album to start off with, here is some real "soul food" for those with discriminating musical palates to digest. She is my new... Funk Queen Supreme, and it is my pleasure to invite you into her sound.

ENJOY

Brittany Bosco - Spectrum 2.0: The Re-Release [with previously unreleased tracks and new features]

1. Welcome to Funkyolon
2. Black Keys
3. 8-Track
4. Glitch
5. City of Nowhere
6. Blues for Blue
7. Billie's Song
8. It Was You
9. Black & White
10. Lovethang
11. It Was You Live (feat. Brandon Thomas)
12. Black&White Remix (feat. KidSyc)

Brittany Bosco - "Blues For Blue" and "Black and White"

..:|:Welcome To Totally Eargasmic:|:..

This is just a brief post to tell you why I'm doing this... cuz I LOVE music! and I want to share the love!!!

Let's Get Started!!!!!