"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
Hunter S Thompson
It’s been four years since Washington DC native Alison Carney released anything new, today marks the release of her new mixtape (or free LP – she doesn’t mind what you call it) alisonWonderland.
Featuring “borrowed” productions from Diplo, J.Dilla, Benzi and Flying Lotus (to name a few) as well as some original compositions the 12 tracks within are all embedded with Alison’s very clear, very clean, very cool vocals. I really enjoy her free-spirit inflections, in some ways she reminds me a little of Terri Walker and in others of Muhsinah (I hate making comparisons, but it’s true) but she remains very much her own character throughout.
01. Intro/Free to Be Me (prod. by Rod)
02. Shine (prod. by Nicolay)
03. A Few Words
04. Yeah (prod. by MCP)
05. Life (prod. by Nicolay)
06. Search In (prod. by Symbolic One)
07. Prelude to... (prod. by ZO!)
08. Feel My Love (prod. by ZO!)
09. Caught Up (prod. by Waajeed)
10. True Luv (prod. by Rod)
11. Tangled (prod. by Nicolay)
12. Shine (Nic's Remix) (prod. by Nicolay)
01. Busta Rhymes - It Aint Safe No More (feat. Meka)
02. Slum Village - Eyes Up
03. Chino XL - Don't Say A Word
04. Common - Soul Power
05. Slum Village - Untitled-fantastic
06. Dilated Peoples - War
07. Common - Star 69 (P.S. With Love) (feat. Bilal)
08. Slum Village - Climax (Girl Shit)
09. Busta Rhymes - Turn Me Up
10. Slum Village - I Don't Know (feat. Dj Jazzy Jeff)
11. Common - The Questions (feat. Mos Def)
12. Talib Kweli - Talk To You (Lil' Darlin') (feat. Bilal)
13. Slum Village - Jealousy
14. Royce Da 5'9'' - Let's Grow
15. Slum Village - Raise It Up
16. Common - The Light
17. Slum Village - Tell Me (feat. D'angelo)
18. Talib Kweli - Where Do We Go (feat. Res)
19. Slum Village - Fall In Love
20. Slum Village - Fall In Love (Remix)
Here is a video for the track ‘Destiny’ from the ‘Direct Soul’ EP released in October. L.A. based Eric Rico and Marc Mac (4hero) hooked up in the studio this summer, the only guideline was not to let the boundaries of tempo & style limit the creation. Marc’s Afro-Latinic frame fused with Tech-Soul forms the bedding for Eric’s unique vocal style. A real modern day fusion elusive of genre and stretching our mental perception of 'Soul'
01. Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles)
02. 10 Seconds
03. Good Enough
04. Don’t Make Me Wait
05. Love You Long Time
06. Redemption
07. Excuse Me
08. U Get On My Nerves (Duet With Ne-Yo)
09. Stuttering
10. Famous
11. Luv Back
Tracklisting01. Breathe 03:5402. Keep It Going (Feat. Raheem DeVaughn) 04:0503. Need You 05:1204. Forever (Feat. Musiq Soulchild) 05:0505. You 03:4806. Come Over (Feat. Lalah Hathaway) 03:5707. What R U Looking 4? 04:2408. What U Gonna Do? 03:5109. Go Get It 03:3510. Overtime 03:2611. Let Me 03:5412. The Stand 04:2513. Alright Then 04:33
Anyone who slept on this release when it dropped can redeem themselves below.....JimiJames is vivid. Strikingly bright. Lively. Spirited. Fresh. The gritti-pop star’s electrifying voice and empowering honesty has been winning fans across the globe since her first album The Truth independently debuted in 2006. Her undeniable talent led the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) to request submission of The Truth for GRAMMY consideration. Since then, JimiJames has shared the stage with a host of independents and industry vets, including The Roots, Seal, Erykah Badu, Corrine Bailey Rae, Doug E. Fresh, MC Lyte and others. She’s been featured on top radio shows such as KCRW 89.9 FM DJ Garth Trinidad’s Chocolate City in Southern California, DJ Barry King’s Starpoint Radio in London, and Sirius Satellite Radio’s 1 rated Hip-Hop Nation music segment, DJ Jamad’s Afromentals.
Michigan-based producer Lorenzo Ferguson a/k/a Zo! or the Musical Architect is a very talented musician, he claims the piano/keyboard as his primary instrument, but is self-taught on the bass guitar as well as the drums and most recently the guitar. All of these musical elements are molded together to form pieces that fall under no single particular genre of music. With a catalog that dates back to 2001, Zo! began to generate interest by completing and circulating five instrumental projects from 2001 through April of 2003.
2. Whatever You Say Remix (Little Brother) 3. Don’t Say Nuthin’ Remix (The Roots) 4. Resurrection Remix (Common) 5. Rocketship Remix (One.Be.Lo) 6. Sands of Time Remix (Vinia Mojica) 7. Brown Skin Remix (India.Arie)
8. Say How I Feel Remix (Rhian Benson ft. Slum Village & Dwele) 9. Glitches Remix (The Roots ft. Amel Larrieux) 10. Seein’ Is Believing Remix (Adriana Evans) 11. Hold On Remix (Dwele) 12. Shoomp Remix (De La Soul ft. Sean Paul) 13. The Way You Do Remix (Little Brother ft. Darien Brockington) 14. Selfish Remix (Slum Village ft. Kanye West & John Legend) 15. It’s Been A Minute Remix - (Zo!)
1. Reggtro 2. Go 3. We R Here (feat. Saadiq from Platinum Pied Pipers) 4. In All My Dreams 5. I Apologize 6. Grow 7. Pause 8. Blue Skies 9. Like A Dream 10. Top City Music (Interlude) 11. Hydraulic City 12. Future Music Groove 13. Prophetic Youth 14. Time 15. Keep It Movin' 16. Reggtro Out
If like me you are getting withdrawal symptoms waiting on the imminent new jill Scott album, This Jill Scott mix from the good people over at SoulBounce who have teamed up with DJ Phaze should go some way to keep the monkey off your back! Well worth a listen.
Wes Felton and Sy Smith pair up for "Tell A Vision," the first single from Wes' highly anticipated new project, Land Of Sheep, Ran By Pigs, Ruled By Wolves.
“Authenticity” is the 3rd full-length from indie-soul duo The Foreign Exchange.
Picking up where their 2008 Grammy-nominated “Leave It All Behind” set left off, “Authenticity” is the group’s most diverse work to date, with a tight, 11-track song cycle spanning the duo’s trademark brand of lush electronic soul, to stripped down acoustic pieces that recall the heyday of 70′s singer-songwriter driven folk.
Lead single “Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me” is a playful, synth-driven hip-hop groove featuring a rapped verse from Phonte that evokes the band’s “Connected” era, while the epic opener “The Last Fall” finds some of the band’s most cynical lyrics to date (“Love is at worst an excuse/at best it’s a truce…”) over a frenzied Nicolay production jammed with layers of strings, guitars, and dense choral harmonies.
“I think every band reaches that point when they come into their own and find a sound that is distinctively theirs,” says Phonte in reference to the album’s title. “The title refers to me and Nic’s journey to find our own unique space within this vast musical landscape. The biggest challenge as a musician is to find that ‘thing’ that makes you who you are. But I think we’re getting there, and we’re finding our way more and more with each record.”
Featuring guest appearances from longtime contributors YahZarah, Darien Brockington, Zo! and Median, and also relative newcomers Chantae Cann and Jesse Boykins III.
1. The Last Fall 2. Authenticity 3. Eyes To The Sky 4. All Roads 5. Fight For Love 6. Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me 7. Don’t Wait feat. Darien Brockington 8. Make Me A Fool feat. Jesse Boykins III & Median 9. Everything Must Go 10. Laughing At Your Plans feat. Chantae Cann 11. This City Ain’t The Same Without You feat. YahZarah
Ayah is a 22-year-old multi-talented, self-taught R&B singer and composer from Toronto, by way of Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Seattle. As you might expect from someone so well-traveled, Ayah's music showcases her enchanting voice against a unique and diverse musical backdrop -- an eclectic infusion of classic soul and rock, R&B, hip hop and Arabic influences. She is currently finishing work on her second album, a collaboration with legendary hip-hop producer DJ Jazzy Jeff Spinner recently spoke to Ayah as she finished a rehearsal in preparation for her SXSW showcase at the Crucial Club.http://rapidshare.com/files/414313487/This_Way_Album_Sampler.zip.html
Describe your sound in your own words.
I think my sound is a subtle mixture of everything that I've been exposed to, throughout my travels and my life. They're not obvious sounds, per se -- it's not just Arabic music, it's soul from here, a beat from there, certain riffs that I may do in an Arabic style. Living in Toronto, there's a lot of hip-hop and a lot of multiculturalism. I think my sound is reminiscent of the past and hopeful for the future, and I just want it to stay true to whatever feels natural to me. I think it's soulful.
How did your band form?
Well, lately I've been using the same musicians, but it's not Ayah the band, it's Ayah the artist, you know? Also, I do play piano, but with all that goes on with my live show, I'm not comfortable enough to play live yet, I'd rather just sing. It's easier to focus. For SXSW, I'm debating, maybe an acoustic set, just to keep it intimate, or maybe using a full band, I'm not sure yet.
What are your musical influences?
My musical influences stem all the way from Marvin Gaye to Cheb Khaled, who's this great Algerian singer. I had my little time a while ago where I started a rock band. So I was really into Nirvana and Guns 'n' Roses and people like that. It's really just a mix of stuff from different eras and phases of my life, what I've seen and heard and learned.
How did you come up with your name? Or did your parents?
My real name is Myrna, and that's kind of an old-school name. That doesn't really fit for me. I was thinking I needed a name that is Arabic and means something. I remember meeting a couple of Ayahs in my life, and I really liked that name. I looked it up, and "Ayah" means "miracle" or "sign," and I thought that was really cool.
What's your biggest vice?
Cigarettes. No, actually, music. I'm still listening to a bunch of older stuff, lots of local artists like my friends here in Toronto, and also I'm also listening to Erykah Badu, 'Mama's Gun,' I always listen to that, it's one of my favorite albums. I'll always listen to Andre 3000. There's some people that come out, you know, you listen to them for a while, but after the hype is over, you go back to what you grew up on. At least I do.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
No one, never, no way. I don't do celebrity crushes!
What's your musical guilty pleasure?
Miley Cyrus? No, not really. Let's see... that country chick, the young one, what's her name. Taylor Swift! I like her stuff.
Beatles or Stones?
"Beatles. They're both obviously dope, classic bands, but since my dad grew up in England around that time, at University and such, from going through his record collection I mostly listened to the Beatles. Plus, I learned a lot of their stuff when I learned piano, and I really enjoyed their music on a songwriting level.
What's the craziest thing you've encountered while on tour?
People knowing the words to my songs, that's weird to me. I'm sure that's not the answer you're expecting. People probably say something about underwear or whatever, but no, people crying or knowing the words to my songs is it for me.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - My World (Just A Girl) 03:16
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Catch Me 04:46
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Forgive Me Love 04:17
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - He Don't Want It 04:37
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Be Allright 03:30
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Back For More 01:30
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - You're Here (LAdam) 01:22
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Might Not Be 01:20
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Last Night 02:10
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - You Only 01:46
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Wonder 01:24
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah - Notorious 00:22
Tracklist
