This is Anjulie. Born to immigrant parents from Guyana and raised in Toronto, this singer-songwriter has been crafting her songs since she was a young girl. With influences ranging from modern and 60’s pop, hip-hop, and caribbean vibes, she is creating a sultry and captivating sound falling somewhere between a bluesier Nelly Furtado, and a world-music influenced Corrinne Bailey-Rae. If you watch MTV’s The Hills, you’ve undoubtedly heard her music before, as her tunes have been featured in three different episdoes, and might have caught your attention. Anjulie her recently released a digital only 3-song EP, Boom (available at Amazon and Itunes) and is preparing a forthcoming self-titled debut album for Starbuck’s Hear Music slated for early 2009.
Familiarize yourself with her music on her Myspage page, or Giant Step’s Digital Jukebox, and after the jump, check out two music videos for her hot song The Heat, and Love Song.
Tear this condom widget open to make whoopee with the music of Star Trak’s latest signing, the futuristic power-pop duo Chester French. Consisting of friends and former Harvard students, D.A. Wallach and Max Drummey, Chester French seeks to prove that pop music can be at once challenging and accessible. Their music is a whirlwind of audible treats, from pop to rock, swing to hip-hop bling, and a touch of outer space-like you’ve been sucked into a wormhole - these guys have stepped into the scene in a big way, first by attracting a bidding war between Kanye West, Jermaine Dupri, and Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine, and then lauded by the press with features in Spin’sWho’s Next ‘08 and Rolling Stone’sArtists To Watch.
Get a free Mp3 download of their track She Loves Everybodyhere, and after the jump, check out an introductory video on the group, as well some streaming audio of She Loves Everybody, remixed by Steve Aoki, and the Neptunes, and The Jimmy Choos, remixed by Definitive Jux kingpin El-P.
I don’t know anybody who didn’t love love love Nikka Costa’s funky clap-happy jam ‘Like A Feather’ when it dropped back in 2001. Fans of her soul, blues, funk & pop infused music should be happy to hear that on October 14th, Nikka will be making a triumphant return onto the scene this Fall, with her new album Pebble To A Pearl. You can start getting your Nik fix by checking out her webisode, and latest music video the album’s first single Stuck To You, below
Another video and tour dates after the jump! (more…)
Bay Area Now is a triennial exhibit that the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hosts featuring up and coming Bay Area artists. The exhibits are phenomenal and the opening party always draws huge crowds. This year should be no exception. The theme of the exhibit is life in the Bay and how artists are inspired by their lives in and out of the Bay Area. The opening night party will feature Campari cocktails and Bay Area talent including Port O’Brien, Softhug (Official Tourist), Bronze, T.I.T.S., Eugene International!
Opening Party - Saturday, July 19th, 8 pm–midnight
Grand Lobby, Galleries, Screening Room, Forum & Sculpture Court
$12 in advance, $15 at the door
FREE for YBCA Members and a guest
Back in 1997 by way of MTV2, I was introduced to a spunky new artist on Columbia Records named Imani Coppola. Her song “Legend Of A Cowgirl” instantly made my ears prick up with it’s use of a Donovan sample, and kicky pop-rap lyrics. I found her album Chupacabra which was produced by her long-time collaborator Michael Mangini (Digable Planets) to be very enjoyable, and unique and have spent the past 11 years thinking I was just about the only Imani Coppola fan on this fine planet. She’s been kicking around, performing, and quietly releasing albums over the years, and she has recently teamed up with producer Adam Pallin to create a new duo, Little Jackie - whose album The Stoop will be released July 8th on S-Curve Records. Little Jackie’s sound is a delicious blend of the old school Motown sounds that are oh-so-hot right now, but punctuated with more modern pop and rap flavors. Keeping true to herself, Imani’s lyrics are all at once sweet-n-spicy, sarcastic, melodic, and fresh, and the beats? Well….they bump.
Download a sample track of Little Jackie’s “Crying for the Queen” here (right-click save that joint!)
Check the myspace to hear more tracks, and peep the hilarious and celebutard-skewering socially conscious video for “Black Barbie” below and after the jump, some behind the scenes outer space action for their video “The World Should Revolve Around Me.” Little Jackie in Zero Gravity!
Here at M.I.S.S. Crew, we make it a priority to give our fellow ladies shine but once in a while we come across a well-deserving boy or two to highlight.
Enter MGMT.
Formerly known as The Management, MGMT consists of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. On their debut album, Oracular Spectacular, the duo bring nothing but next level shit straight out of Brooklyn! Their sound is a mix of psychedelic dance tunes and electro-rock—reminiscent to the sounds brought to us by Prince and Malcom McLaren in the ’80s. I can’t think of anything more to say than DON’T SLEEP ON MGMT!
Today marks the US release of English newcomer Duffy’sRockferry. I don’t know what’s going on in the UK right now - maybe something in the water - but they are churning out talented ladies left, right and center. Duffy’s raspy voice takes me back to the hey-day of Motown. I’m sure tons of comparisons will be made with La Winehouse but rest assured, Duffy has a sound that is all her own. Her debut CD, Rockferry drops today and if you’re in NYC it’s your lucky day because she’s doing an acoustic in-store performance at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square. Check here for details on attending the show. Also be sure to befriend her on myspace.
Duffy’s official video for Mercy:
Duffy in the studio:
Check out some of today’s other releases:
Bad Manners, Walking In The Sunshine: The Best of Bad Manners (ska)
Aphex Twin, Classics (electronica)
Motörhead, The Early Years: Bio + Songs + Photo Gallery (rock)
Foxy Brown, Brooklyn’s Don Diva (rap)
Herbie Hancock, Late Night Jazz Favorites (jazz)
Indigo Girls, Rites of Passage (rock)
Iron Maiden, Somewhere Back In Time: The Best of 1980-1989 (rock)
A few weeks back we reported that Santogold was releasing her debut self-titled CD. I finally got a chance to grab a copy this weekend and I’ve been listening to it non-stop since I got it. I love it when I get a CD that I can listen to all the way without skipping over less-likeable tracks and there is definitely NO skipping here. Each track is amazing and can stand on it’s own. When heard together, it’s genius. Santogold is a bit of an enigma so please don’t try pigeon-holing this lovely songstress into one category because it’s impossible - she defies categorization and has a sound that is uniquely her own. Her voice is different on each track: Seductive, demure, powerful and ready to kick your ass. The music is really catchy and has hints of many different genres including punk, trip hop, rock, electronica, ska, and new wave to name a few. Santogold is a refreshing change to the generic pop princesses that do re-mixes of popular songs and shake their asses (ahem, Fergie and crew). Santi White not only sings but she writes all of her music. She is even listed in some of the credits for production, mixing, instruments and engineering. She truly is an artist and an inspiration. If you love music, you will love Santogold. She will leave you wanting more. I give her 5 hearts out of 5.
Are you guys watching Ms. Rap Supreme on VH1? Whether you’re digging it or not, I’m sure it’s got you all nostalgic for some hot tracks by the femcees of yesteryear. Well, thanks to Ego Trippin’ former XXL Editor-In-Chief Elliot Wilson, and a handful of bloggers, every Monday brings us a Hardbody Female Spit compilation of the best, hardest, most celebrated and slept on tracks from the days of yore. Refamiliarize yourself with tracks from your celebrated faves like Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Trina, Jean Grae, Bahamadia and MC Lyte, and in addition open your ears to Amil (can I get a what what??) Roz (Redman had a sister that rhymed? Sign me up!), Heather B (remember her from The Real World?), Sweet Tee, and the rest of the bunch that you may have never heard of.
