mixtape maestro (2.0)

Just like the rest of us, Estelle has probably grown tired of waiting around for Missy Elliott to emerge from whatever studio she’s been secluding herself in to bless us with a new crazy club banger. Here’s the difference between us and her, though: whereas we would have simply…well, just kept waiting for “Misdemeanor” to re-emerge with some heat, Estelle has gone one better and decided to simply unleash a Missy-esque track herself…and boy are we happy she did.

Rocking an immediately grabbing hook chant (“I can be a freak-every day of every week”) and a taut, B-more-styled fashion house strut (helmed by the increasingly everywhere David Guetta) that’s damn near impossible to sit still to, Estelle’s new single “Freak” finds the singer/ rapper boldly expressing her S&M-loving side while pushing the rest of the female population to embrace their inner-naughtiness as well.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be shy/ Yes, you gotta let it breathe,” she preaches, assuring the ladies that “he wanna see you handcuffed up/ he wanna see your leather gear” and using an interpolation of Soul II Soul’s deathless “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” to stress her bedroom-spicing ideas further. Repping for all men everywhere, featured guest Kardinal Offishall can only respond with a major case of the byoing-yoing-yoings (“I pitch a tent with an XL Magnum on the cover!!”).

Missy, we DEMAND you make an appearance on the inevitable remix…

Purchase the track through Estelle’s website. Expect Estelle’s third album, All of Me, later this year.

Freak BMF
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Uncategorized Bmore club, david guetta, estelle, house, kardinal offishall, sex-rap, UK soul

Even if you know nothing about the tragic reality that lingers beyond it’s script, “I’d Do It All Again”, the lead single from multi-Grammy nominee Corinne Bailey Rae’s second set The Sea, still manages to pierce your insides with it’s arresting balance of melancholy gorgeousness and lump-in-throat-conjuring honesty.

Penned following an argument with her husband (who would, sadly, end up passing only months later), “Again” starts off dripping in tear-stained wistfulness, precious acoustic guitar licks supporting Rae’s delicate crooning of “You did it all again/ You broke another skin”.

But just as you begin to settle with the idea of this being nothing more than a woeful lament to the dark lows of couple-dom, the subtle weaving in of other instrumental elements (drums, organs, strings) start to push the arrangement to a skyward swell, beautifully illustrating the bubbling forth of Rae’s personal epiphany: Yes, “someone to love is bigger than your pride’s worth”, she realizes, and in a breathtakingly climactic moment, she also reaches the conclusion that no matter how much pain it occasionally triggers, when it comes to their union, she’d “do it all again”.

Sigh. If your eyes don’t get at least a little misty after hearing this (now even more poignant) happy-sad gem for the first time, make sure you immediately check your pulse, cause odds are you have no soul.

The Sea drops January 26th.

Corinne Bailey Rae “I’d Do It All Again”

Corinne Bailey Rae | MySpace Music Videos

BONUS DL: Corinne Bailey Rae “SexyBack (Justin Timberlake Cover)” (alt)

Uncategorized corinne bailey rae, singer-songwriter, the sea, UK soul

When Sade’s sixth studio album Soldier of Love finally makes it way to release in the early weeks of next year, it’s arrival will mark ten looooong years since the release of the band’s last studio effort.

Now, we’ve come to expect long hiatuses between projects when it comes to this crew (if you recall eight years flew by before they followed up the “No Ordinary Love”-housed Love Deluxe with 2000’s Lovers Rock), but AN ENTIRE DECADE!?!…that just ain’t right.

Thankfully, Sade have opted on teasing their new release a couple of months early with today’s premiere of it’s first single/ title track, a slow-burning concoction about getting through heartbreak (“I’ve lost the use of my heart/ But I’m still alive”, Sade Adu opens, her dead-eyed tone still as piercingly chilled as we last remembered) that’s sparked by militaristic drum rolls, jagged electric guitar stabs, rousing background vox support and a “wild wild West” line that’ll surely draw smirks from those who perceive it as a shout-out to Kool Moe Dee.

Though it features a couple modern-ish production elements, longtime fans needn’t worry: “Soldier of Love” doesn’t try to re-write the cool Sade sound too dramatically, managing to perfectly fit side-by-side with the rest of the band’s much-adored nocturnal-soul catalogue.

Look for Soldier of Love to arrive February 8th, 2010.

Soldier Of Love

Sade  | MySpace Music Videos

Uncategorized alt-soul, grown folks R&B, sade, soldier of love, UK soul

We’re still not entirely sure it’s a good idea for Amy Winehouse to be helming a label right now (since A: we’d rather have her focusing all her energy on shaping up and recording another album, and B: well, would you want her as a boss?), but then again, what do we know. Her Lioness Records imprint is set to be launched this Fall and it’s first order of business is in releasing the debut album by her 13-year-old goddaughter Dionne Bromfield.

Somewhat un-surprisingly, the London-born Bromfield has been groomed to be a Winehouse mini-me. She may not be crowned with a ratty, on-the-verge-of-collapsing-at-all-times bee hive or look disturbingly under-fed, but she’s definitely presented as a precocious soundalike to her God-mama, down to the beyond-her-years soul pipes and penchant for remaking old R&B/ girl group material (her premiere long-player, Introducing Dionne Bromfield, is an all covers set featuring takes on “Tell Him”, “He’s So Fine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, amongst other cherished oldies).

The project’s first single is a remake of The Shirelles’ 1963 Top Ten hit “Foolish Little Girl” and, as is the case with a majority of Winehouse’s stuff, it’s impossible not to appreciate. Yeah, it makes for an odd fit as a solo performance (part of the campy charm of the original was the way it was set of as a conversation between friends, the different members of the Shirelles’ trading off leads to play both the song’s jealous ex-girlfriend main role and that character’s well-meaning pals), but that can be overlooked with Bromfield having such sturdy, self-assured vocals and the track rocking this adorable lil’ reggae-for-beginners trot we could listen to over and over for hours.

It’s a decent jump-off for the Lioness label (maybe Amy knows what she’s doing after all!!!), but we gotta admit, we’re more interested in hearing what original stuff Bromfield will be serving up for the follow-up album.

Introducing Dionne Bromfield is due October 12th in the UK.

Uncategorized 60's, amy winehouse, bubblegum, dionne bromfield, girl group, retro, the shirelles, UK soul

The past decade-and-a-half has seen so many classic pop and rock favorites sampled, interpolated or chopped up for some brand new pop, hip hop or R&B creation that we probably shouldn’t be too stirred that someone would think of messing with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. But when we heard London-born R&B tart Cherri V’s “Til The Sun Comes Up” and instantly recognized it’s utilization of both the ’90’s grunge-pop behemoth’s vocal and guitar melodies, we must admit we were floored: on one hand intrigued by such a ballsy move; on the other, ready to cry out “blasphemy” over someone actually daring to go through with the idea.

To it’s credit, “Til The Sun Comes Up” isn’t a complete nightmare: the combination of it’s “borrowed” rock “edge” and bubbly percussive jubilance generates a lively urban-pop kick that wouldn’t sound out of place supporting a manic Amerie wail or epic-sized Beyonce yowl. But thanks to flat lyrical boasts (“I’ll break you off/ You’ll never find another star shine like me”) and Cherri V’s underwhelmingly mixed vocals, which kind of simmer within the groove when they should be exploding like fireworks atop it, “Sun” lacks the over-the-top fire you would expect from a record made up of a such bold musical foundation, ultimately rendering it this anti-climactic letdown.

Surely the track’s Nirvana bite will attract some major attention Cherri V’s way (precisely the effect her and her handlers are banking on), but it’ll be interesting to see whether the response will ultimately skew positive (and make her pop’s hot new thing) or negative (and force her back to the drawing board to come up with an alternate introductory gimmick) as more and more ears catch whiff of it.

Cherri’s debut, Fast Cars, Silk Sheets and Favourite Guys, is slated for a late ‘09 release.

Uncategorized '90's, cherri v, grunge, london, nirvana, UK, uk pop, UK soul

The Noisettes so nail the 60’s girl group/ Phil Spector sound on the divine “Never Forget You”, that more than once, one is forced to remind themselves that this isn’t some cover of some four decade old song. Hell, if it weren’t so crispily produced and given a modern zing by the occasional guitar-charged underlining, you could almost mistake it for actually being a recently-unearthed-from-the-vaults old vinyl gem.

Like previous single “Wild Young Hearts”, “Never Forget You” meshes the band’s well-educated grasping of yesteryear pop with a light dollop of Broadway glee, conjuring up a carefree effervescence that could put an instant halt to the most sourest of moods. Even better, it puts a different spin on the fluffy puppy love scenario these things typically produce lyrics-wise, instead of scripting one’s giddiness while immersed in the delightful throes of young romance, nicely using it as a past-tense point of reference during a long-broken-up couple’s reunion at the local pub.

“What you drinkin’/…Rum or whiskey?” singer Shingai Shinowa opens, armed with apologies based on her late arrival and inability to return her ex’ phone calls. And almost instantly, the duo realize that their at-once great chemistry hasn’t at all been lost in the passing of time, as shared giggles over her retained lack of promptness lead the way to fond recollections of their dating heyday (“We were mischievous/ You were always wearing black…”) and teary-eyed assurances (“We just got swallowed up/ You know I didn’t forget you”).

Bathed in an expert use of twinkling slow moments, dramatic orchestra swells, and backing vox chirps of “Always remember me” that seem to be birthed from the clouds-perched angels above, to not be left a bit verklempt by “Never Forget You”’s fade-out would mean that you have no soul.

From the excellent album, Wild Young Hearts.

DL: “Never Forget You” (alt)

Uncategorized 60's, girl group, noisettes, retro, UK, UK soul

After being inexplicably snubbed in most of the R&B categories, things weren’t looking too promising for Estelle at this year’s Grammy’s. But alas, it seems the world can sometimes be fair; not only did the singer (and sometimes rapper) leave the event a winner (for Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration), she also managed to snatch up some memorable stage time, giving “American Boy” a fitting cap-off to a year in which the R&B goodie continually kept us all warm inside.

“Star”, Estelle’s first new release under the tag “Grammy-winner”, might not be as perfectly delicious as “American Boy” but the track, released in conjunction with Crystal Light’s uPumpItUp campaign, is good enough to keep us satisfied until that next album drops.

An upbeat swirl of faux-strings and electro-dance bottom-bump, “Star” sees Estelle having a post-No More Drama Mary J Blige moment, boosting the mood of the depressed by relating her own “they told me I wouldn’t make it, but look at me now!” life journey. “I know you’re tired of working but stay up on your stuff/ Push on through all the hurtin’/ Even though it gets tough,” she inspires to the song’s workout-ready soundtrack.

Our only beef? No rapping. This song’s begging for a positive-minded rap interlude, and would of provided a nice reminder that Estelle knows how to spit a rhyme or two.

Download: “Star” (alt)

Uncategorized '09 grammy's, electro-pop, electro-R&B, estelle, UK soul

An award-winning, yet modest R&B/ Pop success in his native Australia before achieving major UK fame last year thanks to guest vocalist duties on Wiley’s “Cash In My Pocket” and Mark Ronson’s universally-lauded remake of The Smiths’ “Stop Me”, blue-eyed soul-ster Daniel Merriweather is now ready to make a return trip to his original headlining role, his long-predicted superstar-to-be future teetering on the edge of fruition.

Perhaps aware that high pop chart placement and heavy radio saturation is likely a given no matter what he drops (especially with Mark on board), Merriweather has chosen to avoid the “easy hit” love ditty for his certain first solo smash, alternately deciding that he’d rather make his listeners think than swoon with social commentary-infused single “Change”.

But for all it’s message-carrying ambition, “Change”’s lyrics barely register with importance here, too overshadowed by the sublime magical recipe that is Daniel’s faultless soul tenor against Ronson’s horn-y Motown bounce-meets-Rawkus Records’ boom-bap score (with featured rapper Wale as the bonus dessert) to ever matter.

These two could theme a song around the horrors of head lice and it would still probably emerge a retro-glazed, soul-pop must-have.

Merriweather’s Love & War is due this Spring.

Daniel Merriweather feat . Wale ‘Change’

Uncategorized australia, blue-eyed soul, daniel merriweather, love & war, mark ronson, motown, retro, UK rap, UK soul, wale

Remember The Fugees’ cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly”, and the mystifying hold it had over you with it’s odd blend of Lauryn Hill’s chocolate-y soul wail against that sparse “Bonita Applebaum” drum loop (itself a sampling of Little Feat’s “Fool Yourself”)? Well, the Mick Boogie team tap somewhere close to that spirit in their latest mash-up project, Adele: 1988, which fixes nine cuts from the Grammy golden girl’s acclaimed debut opus 19 to the familiar beat skeletons of hip hop’s late ’80’s heyday.

For the soaring heartache ballad “Melt My Heart To Stone”, one of those songs that many turned to in ‘08 while whimpering into a half-swallowed vodka bottle late at night, Adele’s self-berating of being “the only one in love” floats o’er worming guitar and the light drum tickle of Al Green’s oft-referenced “I’m Glad You’re Mine” (borrowed on MC Lyte’s ‘88 fave “Paper Thin” amongst so many other rap titles). Trading in some of the original’s depressing weight for a toe-tapping midtempo lilt (and including a brief mid-song verse from Little Brother’s Big Pooh), this Kickdrums Remix should have you falling in love with the “Chasing Pavements” songstress all over again.

DL: “Melt My Heart To Stone (Kickdrums Remix)” (alt)

Snatch up the nVMe remix of Maestro 19 favorite, “Right As Rain” (now backed by the classic instrumental to LL’s “Goin Back To Cali”!!!), below:

DL: “Right As Rain (nVMe Remix)” (alt)

Pick up the rest of Adele: 1988 via Press Play Fashion Forward.

Uncategorized '09 grammy's, 80's, adele, blue-eyed soul, mash-up, mick boogie, old-school hip hop, UK soul

Like a sort of UK version of Pink, the multi-tattooed, multi-hair-dyed Mutya Buena is a “rebel” who claimed to be trapped in pre-packaged teen-pop dressing, but after being freed felt just as cliched anyway. After the product she helped create, the mega-successful girl group Sugababes, proved too stifling and cookie-cutter, Buena abandoned her baby for motherhood and a shot at a less suffocating solo career. Now, supposedly fully in control of her image and sound, Buena steps out on her own with “Real Girl” in which she reiterates what we’ve suspected all along: “I never pretend to be something I’m not/ You get what you see/ When you see what I’ve got”. The problem is, she’s offering nothing different than what a Sugababe would.

There’s nothing more annoying than a singer or rapper trying to convince us as to how “real” they are. A: Artists rarely use an interesting angle when delving into this topic, instead employing an “I am what I am” rambling that we’re supposed to accept at face value. And B: We don’t know these people personally, so we could really care less how real or fake they are. Buena seems to aim for understanding but her wordy, Meredith Grey-styled soliloquy falls bland in generic prose (“I’ll just keep on going/ The way I’ve gone so far/ And maybe I’ll end up/ Tryin’ to catch a falling star”).

The sad part is Buena wastes a great backing track on such a lame topic. Hacking the orchestral throwback soul of Lenny Kravitz’ “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over” and throwing in subtle wah-wah guitars and a light trip-hop ambiance, the production of “Real Girl” is an otherwise pretty listen, and Buena’s vocals remain just as pure and effective as ever, even when she aligns herself with what feels like chapter-sized verses and choruses that are hardly catchy. With her marionette strings clipped, something a bit more fitting to the space age diva persona that urged men to “Push The Button” and adopted Adina Howard’s “Freak Like Me” would’ve been a more enticing jump off point. In an era of Winehouse, Lily and Stefani, female pop stars have grown more colorful than ever, Buena should strive more harder to be in this pack.

Uncategorized '90's, blue-eyed soul, diva pop, lenny kravitz, mutya buena, sugababes, UK soul