RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

It's been five years since rock god, Lenny Kravitz has released new music and has returned with a single and news of an upcoming album. While the title might possibly be in reference to something in "Star Wars" or "Boogie Nights", the song, "TK421" is clearly Kravitz's call to find freedom in spirituality. This dance-rock track is the first delivery from "Blue Electric Light", the musician's twelfth studio release which will be a double album and due out early in the new year. But Kravitz surprises us even further with the music video for "TK421" which has the almost sixty-year-old artist looking ageless, revealing an impressive physique and plenty of skin. 



Here are some new songs from Australian pop artist, Troye Sivan (who makes a startling transformation in the music video); fellow Aussie, Sia; indie pop artist from Britain, PinkPantheress; the latest solo single from Alabama Shakes member, Brittany Howard and a dance track that serves as a shout-out to an Italian fashion house.

The British pop singer, Paloma Faith may be far better known in her home country and throughout Europe, but she is someone that should be paid attention to on this side of globe. "How You Leave a Man", the first single from her upcoming sixth studio album, "The Glorification of Sadness" has been released and is inspired by the end of her decade long relationship. This emotional, power ballad about the painful decision to leave an unfaithful husband behind is what the forty-two-year-old artist claims to be one of her most personal yet.

Rudolph Isley, one of the founding members of the celebrated family r&b group, the Isley Brothers, passed away on October 11th at the age of eighty-four. The trio, with his brothers, O'Kelly and Ronald, had their first hit in 1959 with the single, "Shout", the first of many songs they would go on to write. This was followed by another popular song, "Twist and Shout" and the Isley Brothers were lured to Motown Records in 1966. But they managed to only find charting success with the single, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" which was written by the label's songwriting team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. The brothers chaffed under Motown's controlling creative methods and left the label two years later. The Isleys started their own label, T-Neck Records and altered their sound from smooth soul to funkier r&b, hitting the top-five on the pop and soul charts with "It's Your Thing" in 1969. With younger brothers, Ernie and Marvin and brother-in-law, Chris Jasper joining in 1971, more hits followed for The Isley Brothers with "That Lady", "Fight the Power", "For the Love of You", "Between the Sheets" and soulful covers of rock songs, "Love the One You're With" and "Summer Breeze". O’Kelly Isley passed away from a heart attack in 1986 and Rudolph decided to retire from the group three years later. The Isley Brothers would continue on as a popular musical act but earlier this year, Rudolph sued his brother Ronald with claims that he had sought to cut him out of the trademark for the group. While Ronald was usually the lead singer, Rudolph occasionally provided leading vocals on some songs. Here are a couple of tracks:

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After her last venture into '80's synth-pop and hard rock and roll with "Plastic Hearts", Miley Cyrus is back with "Endless Summer Vacation", a new collection that falls more into contemporary dance-pop and mellow rock. Cyrus has teamed up with some of today's top hitmakers on this album, collaborating with Greg Kurstin, Justin Tranter, Tobias Jesso Jr. (who won the very first Grammy Award for Songwriter of the Year last month), Mike Will Made It, Sia and Kid Harpoon, the British musician who handled much of the album's production, crafting an album that is an ode to the city of LA with contrasting musical styles that surprisingly work well together. There are guest artists on board as well with Sia, who provides vocals on "Muddy Feet", and Brandi Carlile is featured on "Thousand Miles". Following the first hit single, "Flowers", this latest album from the thirty year old Cyrus has proven to put even more distance between her early days as a perky, Disney pop-star and effectively displays her growth and maturity as a serious musical artist.

Sparks, the art-rock band made-up of the Mael brothers, Russell on vocals and Ron on keyboards, have been making music together professionally since 1970. Their sound is a quirky blend of various pop music elements and caustic lyrics. The duo has released the title track of their upcoming twenty-sixth (!!) studio album, "The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte", due out in May with Sparks returning to a major label, Island Records. But it's the music video of this song that has drawn a lot of attention due to the star in the clip. Meeting her at France's César Awards last year, the Maels asked Cate Blanchett to appear in the video and she happily agreed, showing off her dancing skills in the process. Sparks will be hitting the road beginning this summer with an extensive world tour which includes a stop at the Hollywood Bowl in their hometown of Los Angeles.



Here is a spotlight on some new songs that I like from Usher (which is giving a Prince vibe), Róisín Murphy, Mae Stephens and the rally calls of the pretty people from Big Boss Vette and Soulja Boy Tell'em:

And finally, I would like to pay tribute to Bobby Caldwell, the r&b musician who passed away on March 14th at the age of seventy-one. He is best remembered for the 1978 ballad, "What You Won't Do for Love" which has gone on to become an enduring classic. But what was not popularly known at the time, largely because it was never actually publicized and Caldwell was not prominently featured on his first album cover, is that the singer behind this soulful song was actually White. Born in New York but raised in Miami, Caldwell was exposed to a variety of soul and Carribean music which would greatly influence his style when he would turn to becoming a professional musician. His first break came playing rhythm guitar on tour for Little Richard in the early '70's. Caldwell later went on to pursue a solo career, eventually signing with TK Records. As they were a r&b label, his self-titled debut was released with an artist rendering that didn't reveal his face, hoping not to alienate their African-American audience. But they had nothing to worry about as the song (which Caldwell co-wrote with Alfons Kettner) was warmly embraced, reaching number six on the r&b chart and cracking the top-ten on the pop chart. "What You Won't Do" went on to be covered and sampled by many artists over the following years, increasing the popularity of the original version. This would be Caldwell's only significant hit as an artist but would go on to write songs for other musicians, most notably "The Next Time I Fall", a hit for Peter Cetera and Amy Grant in 1986.

SONGS FOR THE ISOLATED

As the world has been, most likely, irreparably changed due to this ongoing pandemic, it is no surprise that artists have are inspired by what is happening around them and have been creating. Staying at home, trapped with your thoughts on overdrive days on end, will certainly stir-up ideas. And these musicians are expressing the emotions that many, many people are definitely feeling right now. Some of these songs (including the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's latest song, "Stallion" with Beyoncé and Sia's moving ballad, "Saved My Life", co-written with Dua Lipa) have the proceeds going to COVID-19 relief funds which is incredibly important right now and will be needed long after the world has gone back to "normal". So here are a collection of songs and videos that have been created, modified or just simply released during this pandemic:

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM. . .

It seems to be that you if you are a professional musician with any significant popularity, your career is not complete without a Christmas album. So here are three of the latest who have added to the endless glut of music for the holidays:

SIA

The one pop singer I thought would be the absolutely last to ever record a Christmas album would be Sia. Yet, here it is but "Everyday Is Christmas" is hardly a conventional holiday offering. First, the entire album features all original songs co-written and produced with her longtime collaborator Greg Kurstin. And the songs are not what would be anywhere near traditional yet they are fun, quirky and sometimes moving holiday-themed pop songs. Here is the lyric video for the single, "Santa's Coming For Us" which features a few familiar faces:



FANTASIA

With her album, "Christmas After Midnight", Fantasia has made a record for grown-folks during the holidays. This collection features some of the r&b vocalist's favorite Christmas songs and done is her very distinctive style. Some of the highlights include "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)", a moving version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and a duet with CeeLo Green on their take of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Have a listen to her sassy cover of James Brown's "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto":


GWEN STEFANI

For her first holiday album, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas", Gwen Stefani has six original songs on her collection which she also has co-written. The title track is a duet with her country musician beau, Blake Shelton and just like their relationship, the song merges their respective musical genres. The rest of the album features her versions of familiar Christmas classics including "Santa Baby"," White Christmas" and WHAM'!s "Last Christmas". Enjoy the lyric video of Gwen and Blake's Christmas duet:

NEW SOUNDS

CAMILA CABELLO

After leaving one of the hottest girl-groups out right now, Fifth Harmony last December, Camila Cabello has wasted no time getting her solo career in order. The twenty year-old singer has already hit the top-twenty this year by providing vocals on Shawn Mendes' "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and Machine Gun Kelly's "Bad Things". And now she has dropped her first single as a solo artist. "Crying In The Club", using an island-flavored beat and a sample of Christina Aguilara's "Genie In a Bottle", is about the power of music helping to make it through heartbreak. This mid-tempo ballad is hardly groundbreaking and if it makes you think of a Sia track, that's because the singer co-wrote the song with Cabello along with current hit-makers, Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat and Happy Perez. Let's see what else will come as Cabello's debut album, "The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving." is due out this fall.



KATY PERRY

Katy Perry has just released a third song from her upcoming fifth studio album, "Witness". But what makes this tune, "Swish Swish" most notable is that it may be a swipe at fellow pop princess, Taylor Swift who apparently penned a thinly-veiled attack on Perry with her 2015 song, "Bad Blood". Just like Swift, Perry does not confirm nor deny this claim but will say it's about anti-bullying with a '90's inspired dance beat. She was the musical guest on the season finale of "Saturday Night Live" and here is a live performance of the song:



IGGY AZALEA

The Aussie rapper, Iggy Azalea is back trying reignite her music career with a new track. Her latest single, "Switch", that features Brazilian pop star, Anitta delivering the hook, is certainly catchy but I don't know if it's enough to get her back on the pop chart. Time will tell but have a listen to judge for yourself:

"Switch" - Iggy Azalea featuring Anitta (2017) mp3

SELENA GOMEZ

Finally, we have my favorite out of this batch of new songs. Selena Gomez has returned with "Bad Liar", a slinky, beat-driven ballad from the team of Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter who brought us the singer's hits, "Good For You" and "Hands To Myself".  Using the bassline from Talking Heads' 1977 song, "Psycho Killer" as inspiration, the song has Gomez singing about unconvincingly denying her feelings for a new love interest.

STARGATE PRESENTS "WATERFALL"

You may not know who Stargate is by name but you are very familiar with their music. What do Beyoncé‘s "Irreplaceable", Ne-Yo's "So Sick", Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music", Katy Perry's "Firework", Selena Gomez's "Come & Get It", Fifth Harmony's "Worth It", Wiz Khalifa‘s "Black and Yellow" and Coldplay's "Hymn for the Weekend" all have in common?

These are just a very small number of songs that the Norwegian production team of Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen have been creating that have found their way on the international pop charts since 2001. Now after years of writing and producing for other artists, Stargate has decided to release some new music under their own name.

And for the official first single under their recording contract with RCA Records, the duo have brought together two of the hottest singers in pop music right now; Sia and P!nk. On "Waterfall", these two vocal powerhouses do not disappoint with them trading verses in this slinky love jam of yearning for another touch from a lover. I certainly think that Stargate has another hit on their hands. Have a listen:

QUEEN OF THE SOUNDTRACKS

2016 has been very good to the camera-shy Sia with her album, "This Is Acting" and the single, "Cheap Thrills" becoming major hits. But she has also been lending her talents to cinema throughout the year by providing some interesting songs for the soundtracks. She has either sang covers like "Unforgettable", the Nat "King" Cole classic for the animated sequel, "Finding Dory" or performed original material she co-wrote which were heard in films like the dark psychological horror flick, "The Neon Demon" and the documentary, "The Eagle Huntress". In addition to writing songs for film and television that others singers performed (like "Sledgehammer" which Rihanna delivered on for this summer's "Star Trek Beyond" as just one example) and making an appearance on "The Hamilton Mixtape", a pop music reworking of the songs from the smash Broadway musical "Hamilton" (and new number one album in the country), this seems to make Sia the unofficial "Queen of the Soundtracks". Enjoy a small sampling of some of the music this gifted and very busy artist has created:

NEW SOUNDS

SIA

"This Is Acting", the seventh studio album by the hesitant pop star, Sia, has a very clever concept. The record is made-up of songs the Australian songwriter wrote with other pop artists in mind but were rejected. The idea to use material that superstars like Rihanna, Beyoncé and Adele passed on doesn't seem encouraging yet Sia appears inspired and brings these songs to life with her own unique style. Produced with fellow hitmakers, Greg Kurstin and Jesse Shatkin, the songs feel less glossy than if those other vocalists had performed them but are no less potent.

One of the highlights is "One Million Bullets", an original song that was never offered to anyone else. Sia delivers her reliably fiery passion that makes this track all her own:

"One Million Bullets" - Sia (2016) mp3

RIHANNA

With her eighth album, "Anti", Rihanna has made a radical departure from the dance-powered pop that first brought her fame. With no apparent concern for musical trends, the new music reflects a much more personal side than what we're used to hearing from the performer. She has collaborated with some rising production talent like Boi-1da, Hit-boy and DJ Mustard to help guide her in a new direction with more of an emphasis on edgier alt-soul and dancehall. Not all of the songs are successful and there aren't many obvious pop singles to be found here but Rihanna is attempting to grow as an artist, making a creatively adventurous work that should definitely be heard.

For the first single, "Work" (that features Drake), there are two different music videos for the track. One is set at a Jamaican dance hall party with the young crowd enjoying weed and jerk chicken, The other is just Rihanna and Drake, in a tacky living room, bumping and grinding on each other. Here are both videos together so you can watch them and decide which one you like best:



BLOC PARTY

After taking a hiatus in 2013 which resulted with two members ultimately leaving the band, the British alt-rock group, Bloc Party has returned with their fifth album, "Hymns". New band-mates, Justin Harris on bass and drummer, Louise Bartle join Russell Lissack on guitar and lead vocalist/guitarist, Kele Okereke on music that moves closer towards dance and electronic sounds. Okereke explains that he was inspired by religious hymns and symbolism which resulted with an abstract spirituality moving throughout the record.

Take a look at the fun video for the first single, "The Love Within":

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

First, here is some classic '70's soul to get you up on your feet:

"Band of Gold" - Freda Payne (1970) mp3

"Mr. Big Stuff" - Jean Knight (1971) mp3

"Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" - The Dramatics (1971) mp3

"Treat Her Like a Lady" - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose (1971) mp3

"I Love Music" - The O'Jays (1975) mp3

Sia contributes a haunting version of "California Dreamin'" for the soundtrack of "San Andreas", the upcoming Dwayne Johnson action flick about "the big one" finally hitting L.A. The singer really brings her signature drama to this melancholy song that makes it truly memorable.

"California Dreamin'" - Sia (2015) mp3

I can't believe the music of the '90's is considered "old-school" but here we are. Kat Graham uses a sample of TLC's "What About Your Friends" and pays tribute with her new single, "1991". The video takes us back to the time of house parties and the cabbage patch:



Country-music sweetheart, Taylor Swift continues to build on her reign as a pop star with a glossy, star-studded, rap-assisted music video for her latest single, "Bad Blood". Directed by Joseph Kahn and featuring Kendrick Lamar, Swift plays a member of a band of tough, sexy agents training for some kind of mission. See how many of the famous faces in the clip you recognize.:



Finally, here's a flashback with Culture Club. The song is "Mistake Number Three" and was off their 1984 album, "Waking Up With The House On Fire". Although it didn't burn up the charts, I liked this single. But what I really love is the music video. Boy George was in full glam mode in this wild, over-the-top spectacle that has to be seen to be believed:

NEW SOUNDS

ADAM LAMBERT

After recently completing a very successful international tour with Queen, Adam Lambert is ready to release some of his own music. Now on a new record label, "The Original High" is the title of the "American Idol" runner-up's third studio album. With Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback back on board (they produced tracks on his debut), Lambert is downplaying some of the theatrics of the past and offering some dance-influenced power pop. The first single, "Ghost Town" is a solid track that starts slowly before building to a pulsating beat, perfectly displaying his amazing voice. The album is due out on June 16th in the U.S. so in the meantime, take a look at the great video directed by Hype Williams where Lambert is serving a retro George Michael feel:



GIORGIO MORODER

Excitement is building for the first collection of new music by electronic dance pioneer, Giorgio Moroder in over thirty years. We had already gotten a very tasty taste of the album (now called "Déjà Vu" and due out June 12th) with the Kylie Minogue assisted single but now here comes another scorching track; the title song featuring the publicity-shy, vocal dynamo, Sia. Other artists confirmed to be lending their voices to the project are Kelis, Charli XCX, Mikky Ekko and the one and only Britney Spears. The Spears track is particularly interesting as it's an unlikely cover of the Suzanne Vega classic, "Tom's Diner". The duo give this song a fresh spin and it really works. Listen to the two songs below:

"Déjà Vu" - Giorgio Moroder featuring Sia (2015) mp3

"Tom's Diner" - Giorgio Moroder featuring Britney Spears (2015) mp3

"No Place In Heaven", the fourth album from Euro-pop star Mika won't arrive until June but we have an excellent video for his latest single "Talk About You" to enjoy in the meantime. Looking handsome and quite dapper, we see Mika playfully going through a colorful cardboard cut-out world filled with back-up dancers. It's quite charming and a lot of fun:



You might think this music video is simply the latest by Sia for "Fire Meet Gasoline", a track off her successful album, "1000 Forms of Fear" but you would be wrong. This is actually an ad for Heidi Klum's new line of lingerie and features the super model and actor, Pedro Pascal from "Game of Thrones". It's beautifully strange and sensual, just like you would expect from a commercial but also works to promote the music:




Finally, here is Todrick Hall covering Beyonce's entire musical career in just four minutes. Nothing more to say as this amusing clip impressively speaks for itself:

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

FKA TWIGS - "LP1"

Tahliah Barnett began her professional career as a teenage back-up dancer who appeared in several music videos which earned her the nickname, "Twigs". Now the twenty-six year old Brit has decided to move in front of the mic using the moniker, FKA Twigs which stands for "Formerly Known As". After writing, producing and self-releasing an EP ("EP1") in 2012, Twigs signed with Young Turks Records and released another EP ("EP2") the following year.

Now her full-length debut album, "LP1" is out and creating some serious buzz. Taking elements of classic soul and merging with trip-hop and electronica, the music of FKA Twigs has an ethereal quality despite the hard-hitting beats and quirky rhythms. While she may be too "out there" for the average American listener but I think FKA Twigs brings a much needed freshness to the music scene. See what you think of one of my favorite tracks:

"Give Up" - FKA Twigs (2014)

In the video for the first single, "Two Weeks", FKA Twigs makes me think that she's channeling Aaliyah in the movie, "Queen of The Damned":



ED SHEERAN - 'X"

Ed Sheeran burst on to the scene in 2011 with the acoustic ballad, "The A Team" that reached the top-ten in several countries and earned him a Grammy nomination for "Song of The Year". For his follow-up release, "x" (pronounced "multiply"), the British artist called on top producers, Rick Rubin, Benny Blanco and Pharrell Williams to help expand his sound while still allowing him to keep his guitar in hand. The album is off to a great start with the Williams produced, Justin Timberlake inspired single, "Sing" which has become a world-wide smash, reaching number one in seven countries.

While "x" is a solid production but there's still a whiff of calculation that I find troubling. Sheeran has added current musical trends to some of the songs that seems too much like catering to capture the attention of a pop audience. The problem is that it's doesn't always feel authentic or necessarily a good fit for the talented singer. Anyway, I ain't mad at him because overall, I really like the album. In fact, here is one of the songs that I really like:

"Thinking Out Loud" - Ed Sheeran (2014)

SINEAD O'CONNOR - "I'M NOT BOSSY, I'M THE BOSS"

The one thing you can say about the troubled and controversial artist, Sinéad O'Connor is that she's unafraid to voice her opinion regardless of the outcome. At the height of her fame, she infamously tore up the photo of Pope John Paul II to protest child abuse in the church after a performance on "SNL" in 1992. That act essentially put the brakes on O'Connor's career and never really fully recovered. O'Connor continued to create some interesting music over the years but has garnered little attention from an unforgiving public.

On the cover of her tenth studio album. "I'm Not Bossy, I'm The Boss" (I love that title), O'Connor appears dolled up like her idea of a modern, young pop star. She is back to form with some well-crafted songs about sex and love that are far more insightful and clever than anything from Miley Cyrus. Listen to the first single:

"Take Me To Church" - Sinéad O'Connor (2014)

SIA - "1000 FORMS OF FEAR"

After putting her own career on hold and becoming a very successful songwriter-for-hire for the last few years, Sia has finally decided to record her own music once again. She saved some interesting material for herself but it's far darker than your standard pop tune. Using that full-bodied drawl of a voice, Sia gives these songs an extra edge. "1000 Forms of Fear" is the Aussie singer's sixth studio recording and her first to reach the top of the U.S. Billboard album chart. The moody first single, "Chandelier" has made it to the top ten across most of the globe.

While Sia may have resumed her singing, she has no desire to promote her music in the conventional fashion. No picture of Sia is on the album, she will not appear in any videos and has gone as far as performing live with her back to the audience. This may come across as a bit extreme but it does put the focus back on the music where it actually belongs.

"Big Girls Cry" - Sia (2014)

Nicki Minaj has received plenty of attention for the second single, "Anaconda" from her next release, "The Pinkprint" but it's been more for the cover art than for the actual song. Minaj has left little to the imagination, as she displays the inspiration for the tune and I say, "If you got it, flaunt it".

Sampling the 1992 Sir Mix-A-Lot track, "Baby Got Back", the song is classic Nicki Minaj and burning up the charts:



Kimbra is back with a new song, "90's music" from the soon-to-drop second CD, "The Golden Echo". The video is wild and colorful ode to that decade which includes some of the clothes and dance moves:



Finally, this is my current favorite music video. I don't know anything about this artist, Kiesza but this slick vid for the song, "Hideaway" is a seemingly non-stop dance routine that covers pretty much every dance move that has ever been created:

THE RELUCTANT POP STAR

New York Times Magazine profiled the woman who is the secret weapon behind many of the songs topping the pop charts these days. Most people would be basking in the glory but not Sia Furler.  The Australian singer/songwriter began in music seeking her own career but after getting a little taste of success, it made Furler uncomfortable and backed away. She began working behind the scenes and wrote songs for some of the biggest female names in music such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue, Celine Dion and Shakira. Sia has even made it to the U.S. top-ten on her own by providing vocals for songs by Flo Rida ("The Wild Ones") and David Guetta ("Titanium").

Click below to read the article:

Sia - The Socially Phobic Pop Star

Sia has reluctantly return to making her own music and has her sixth solo album, "1000 Forms of Fear" due out in June. Have a listen to the first single, "Chandelier":

"Chandelier" - Sia (2014)

MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN MUSIC OF 2012

Another year has come and gone but what we have left is the music; songs that inspired and some that were just plain. dumb fun.

I have already shared some of my personal favorites throughout the year, so here are the rest of the best:

Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe" from "Kiss"

Goyte featuring Kimbra - "Somebody That I Used To Know" from "Making Mirrors"

Chris Brown - "Turn Up The Music" from "Fortune"

Chris Brown - "Don't Wake Me Up" from "Fortune"

Marina & The Diamonds - "How To Be A Heartbreaker" from "Electra Heart"



Lana Del Rey - "Ride" from "Paradise" EP

Icona Pop - "I Love It" from "Iconic" EP

Alex Clare - "Too Close" from "The Lateness Of The Hour"

Scissor Sisters - "Let's Have A Kiki" from "Magic Hour"



Sky Ferreira - "Everything Is Embarrassing" from "Ghost" EP

Angie Stone - "Backup Plan" from "Rich Girl"

Diplo Featuring Nicky Da B - "Express Yourself" from "ExpressYourself" EP



Jessie Ware - "Sweet Talk" from "Devotion"

Miguel - "Adorn" from "Kaleidoscope Dream"

David Guetta featuring Sia - "Titanium" from "Nothing But The Beat"

Finally, I know this is old but I'm always late to the game. Enjoy Duck Sauce's "aNYway" that perfectly spoofs "The Midnight Special' and the soul groups of the 70's. I just love this song and video: