MEET JESSIE WARE

UPDATE:  The U.S. edition of "Devotion" is finally out on April 16th. The album feature two hot new tracks: "Imagine It Was Us" and a remix of "Wildest Moments" featuring A$AP Rocky.  Check out the video for "Imagine":


The rest of the world may be familiar with Brit-soul artist, Jessie Ware but here in the U.S., most people wouldn't have a clue. I'm hopping to put a little spotlight on this talented, twenty-eight year old singer/songwriter.

It would be easy to simply lump her with all of the other English female pop vocalists buzzing around these shores but Ms Ware is offering something slightly different than her counterparts. While American soul most certainly plays a heavy influence to this artist, her music also includes subtle electro-beats that manages to bring a surprisingly ethereal quality to her sound. She may not possess the big voice like some of her peers but you can feel her deep passion in every song.

So, take a moment to check out a couple of tunes from Jessie Ware's debut, "Devotion", you'll be glad you did:




"Devotion" - Jessie Ware (2012)

"110%" - Jessie Ware (2012)

What I love most about Ms Ware is how she has taken some classic r&b tunes and twisted them to sound familiar yet feel completely new and otherworldly. Here are two songs originally done by Bobby Caldwell and Stephanie Mills that the singer puts her distinctive stamp on:

"What You Won't Do For Love" - Jessie Ware (2012)

"Never Knew Love Like This Before" - Jessie Ware (2013)

HEY MR. DJ . . .

The disc jockey or "D.J." are the people responsible for playing music, either on the radio or spinning in a club. They have become even more important these days since the rise in popularity of electronic music.

So, here's to the people who get the party started and makes sure it lasts all night long. Enjoy this selection of some of my favorite tunes that honors the tradition of the D.J:

"Hey, Mr. D.J." - Zhané  (1994)

"Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life" - Indeep (1982)

"D.J." - David Bowie (1979)

"Pon De Replay" - Rihanna (2005)

"D.J." - Amanda Blank (2009)

"Let The Music Play" - Shannon (1983)

"(Fuck Him) He's A D.J." - Ke$ha (Demo)

"Play" - Jennifer Lopez (2001)

THE 55TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

This year's Grammy awards was a dazzling evening filled with some incredible performances and imaginative musical match-ups. LL Cool J hosted once again and despite a well-intended but overly long speech about what The Grammys means to him, continued to fill the role with plenty of charm and grace.

Unlike last year where Adele swept the Grammys, no single artist dominated the awards as the wealth was spread around. There was not a single dull moment to be found on this telecast but I did have a few favorites;  Jack White tore it up with an all-female band for a slinky take of  "Love Interruption" before rocking hard with his male group during "Freedom At 21". Miguel delivered a sexy and smooth version of the Grammy-winning R&B Song of The Year, "Adorn" that made even Kelly Clarkson take notice which she announced during her accepting of the award for Best Pop Album. Later, she made her own impression with a rousing musical tribute to Life-Time Achievement honorees, the late Patti Page and Carole King. The two all-star tributes, first for reggae legend, Bob Marley that featured Sting, Bruno Mars, Rihanna and the musician's sons, Ziggy and Damian as well as a performance of The Band's "The Weight" which included Elton John, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown and Mumford & Sons to honor Levon Holm, who died last year and Justin Timberlake, using the show as a platform for his long-awaited return to music,  previewed the first single, "Suit and Tie" (which Jay-Z got out of his seat to add his contribution) and another tune, "Pusher Love Girl" from his forthcoming album as he proved that he's still got it.

While I'm not particularly crazy about the song, "Forrest Gump" but I loved the staging of Frank Ocean's set and I'm sure this was the first time on the Grammy stage where a song about same-sex love has been performed. I'm very surprised that neither Gotye or Carly Rae Jepsen didn't perform something on the show considering how many nominations that both received.. Even host, LL Cool J took to the stage to close out the show by bringing some old-school hip-hop with help from Chuck D and drummer, Travis Barker that took a moment to honor the Beastie Boys. For true music lovers, the Grammys is the only award show to watch and the one to absolutely not miss.

Here is the partial list of this year's Grammy winners presented on the telecast:

Album of the Year: "Babel" - Mumford & Sons
Record of the Year: "Somebody That I Used to Know" - Gotye featuring Kimbra
Song of the Year: "We Are Young," -  fun. 
Best New Artist: fun.
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Set Fire to the Rain (Live)" -  Adele
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Stronger" -  Kelly Clarkson
Best Rock Performance: "Lonely Boy" - The Black Keys
Best Urban Contemporary Album: "Channel Orange" -  Frank Ocean 
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: "No Church in the Wild," - Jay-Z, Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean, The-Dream. 
Best Country Solo Performance: "Blown Away" -  Carrie Underwood
Best Country Album: "Uncaged" -  Zac Brown Band

For the complete list, please go to:
Grammy.com

TAKE TWO:TEARS FOR FEARS

Tears For Fears achieved great international fame in the mid-eighties with their second album, "Songs From The Big Chair" but like many musical groups who find sudden success, their partnership was strained and crushed due to the pressures and the duo broke-up after their third album, "The Seeds Of Love" in 1990.

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith first met as teenagers in Bath, England. They performed with several bands before starting their own group, History of Headaches while later renaming themselves, Tears For Fears. After signing with Phonogram Records, they released two singles before finding chart success with "Mad World" in 1982 where it peaked at number three in the U.K. Tears For Fears released their debut album, "The Hurting" the following year where it made it to number one on the British album chart.

Their follow-up album, "Songs From The Big Chair" became a world-wide smash with the record reaching the top of the U.S. album chart for five weeks. The four hit singles, "Mothers Talk", "Head Over Heels", "Shout" and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" contributed to the album's major success with the latter two songs reaching number one in America.

After the duo separated, Orzabal kept the band's name and released another album, "Elemental" in 1993 while Smith recorded a solo project, "Soul On Board" that same year. The Tears For Fears album found only minor success in Europe while another album, "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" (released in 1995) was even less successful.

In 2000, Orzabal and Smith worked out their differences and began recording a new album. The appropriately titled, "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending" was released in 2004 which had their first song hit the British top forty in ten years. Tears For Fears has not recorded any new music to date but they still continue to tour together with their last major tour was in 2010 with another re-grouped '80's British new-wave band, Spandau Ballet.

Have a listen to two of my favorites:

"Mothers Talk" - Tears For Fears (1984)

"Head Over Heels" - Tears For Fears (1985)

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:

NEW SOUNDS

Three artists, who have been silent for a long period of time, have recently resurfaced with some new music:

DAVID BOWIE

(By the way, this will be the actual cover of the album)

The veteran rocker has quietly announced that he is releasing his first album in ten years, "The New Day" which is scheduled to come out in March. According to Tony Visconti, David Bowie's long time producer, they have been secretly working on this project for the last two years and the songs will be a pretty eclectic mix but will most certainly satisfy fans.

The first single, "Where Are We Now?" may be a melancholy ballad but Visconti promises that Bowie rocks out on the rest of this album. The only bad news out of all of this is that Bowie swears he will not tour but Visconti indicates that he might possibly consent to a single show, depending on his mood.

"Where Are We Now?" - David Bowie

DESTINY'S CHILD

With Beyonce being named the half-time act at this year's Super Bowl, I guess it seemed like the perfect time for her former band, Destiny's Child to re-group. "Nuclear" is the new single for the group which will be a part of a compilation album, "Love Songs" that will out on January 29th. The collection will feature some of Destiny Child's classic romantic songs from their previous albums with the new song (produced by Pharrell Williams) perfectly taking us back to the classic sound of their glory days in the 1990's. Rumor has it that the trio will make their first appearance together since 2004 at the game as well.

It seems odd that Miss B would do this now as she has her own forthcoming solo material on the way later this year. You would think it would be unnecessary competition but perhaps it may also be a way to help keep her name out there throughout 2013.




JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

The biggest surprise is this new song by Justin Timberlake as he had just recently indicated that he was in no hurry to return to music as he wanted to focus on his film career. It has been since 2006 that his last solo venture, "Future Sex/Love Sounds" was released and now it appears he's been secretly working on new material with Timbaland, the producer of that album

The interesting single, "Suit & Tie" is a funky mish-mash of sounds that brings to mind 70's soul and disco but the contribution of Jay Z brings the song up to date. This will most certainly whet the appetite of his music fans before the release of his upcoming album, "The 20/20 Experience" later this year.

"Suit & Tie" - Justin Timberlake featuring Jay Z

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

"GIRL ON FIRE" - ALICIA KEYS

Alicia Keys has recently become a wife and mother, which has unavoidably changed the musician and that is reflected on her fifth studio album, "Girl On Fire". She's ready to explore new sounds as she's taken the classic soul structure that is her claim to fame and mixed in experimental textures that fits in to the alt-r&b movement currently in the works.

While many have responded favorably to this latest recording by Ms Keys but unfortunately I am not one. Although I've warmed up slightly to the title track but otherwise, I'm not really feeling this album and I'm very disappointed to say that as I am a big fan. The singer has once again written songs that are deeply personal and thoughtful but musically, this ballad heavy set fails to - well, catch fire.

This track, "Fire We Make" features Maxwell and while it's fine but when these two powerhouses came together, I expected something with more fireworks:

"Fire We Make" - Alicia Keys Featuring Maxwell

In the video for the title track, Alicia looks absolutely amazing and the more I hear "Girl On Fire", the more I enjoy it:


"UNORTHODOX  JUKEBOX" - BRUNO MARS

First, let me say that I think Bruno Mars is a truly gifted talent and he has a long future ahead of him. Now, having said that, I have to admit that I haven't really gotten in to much of his music. That opinion may have changed as the twenty-seven year old Hawaii native has just released his sophomore effort, "Unorthodox Jukebox" and all of the songs (which he co-wrote) on the record certainly reflect that.

The album is an eclectic collection that features touches of all of the different musical styles that the artist likes. The first single, "Locked Out Of Heaven" brings to mind the early songs of The Police while "Treasure" has some nice tasty funk, and "Show Me" features some pretty convincing reggae. I have a feeling we will be hearing plenty of Bruno Mars in 2013.

"Treasure" - Bruno Mars

I love this music video for "Locked Out Of Heaven":




"UNAPOLOGETIC" - RIHANNA

You can probably call pop superstar, Rihanna many things but one thing you can't say is that she's lazy. The singer from Barbados has released a new album every year in November for the past four years with her recent seventh, "Unapologetic", surprisingly, has become the first to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.

The lead single, "Diamonds" is a smash-hit (that went to number one in fifteen countries) but the rest of the new material while adventurous, feels slightly scattered and unfocused. The usual suspects are on board: David Guetta, Stargate, The Dream along with Australian pop artist, Sia (who co-wrote, "Diamonds") and Chris Brown shows up on a duet so the two can flaunt their "true love" to the world.

After her 777 Tour, where she flew on a Boeing 777 with her hardcore fans and journalists from around the globe to perform in seven different cities, in seven different countries in seven days to promote the album, look for Rihanna on the road next year for her Diamonds World Tour.

This track spells out what Rihanna and Chris Brown wants the world to know about their relationship:

"Nobody's Business" - Rihanna featuring Chris Brown

"KALEIDOSCOPE DREAM" - MIGUEL

Miquel is one of the current artists out there pushing the boundaries of soul music by offering unexpected beats and sounds which he has done on his second studio album, "Kaleidoscope Dream".  This confident collection, written and produced by the twenty-seven year old Southern Californian native, has incorporated thoughtful ideas of love and sexuality combined with slinky rhythms of funk, rock, electronica and dub-step.

Just like another member of the alt-r&b movement, Frank Ocean, Miguel has received critical praise and Grammy love by garnering four nominations this year including the prestigious Song Of The Year category for, "Adorn".

Have a listen to the title track:

"Kaleidoscope Dream" - Miguel

"WARRIOR' - KE$HA

When Ke$ha first came on the scene in 2009 with her international smash, "Tik Tok", her rap-pop sound combined with her wild-child, party girl antics was highly entertaining. Now, a few years in and she's (more or less) still doing the same shtick and it has grown a little tiresome.

"Warrior" is her second studio album, following a couple of EPs , and features the same producers (Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Shellback and Benny Blanco) that she has used previously as well as every other current pop star out right now. However, the singer has attempted to freshen her sound by adding some rock elements which has her teaming-up with punk legend, Iggy Pop on the tune, "Dirty Love" as well as contributions from rock bands, The Flaming Lips and The Strokes with the results being semi-successful. She's even covers a track, "Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You", which was a number one country hit for Dolly Parton and co-written by her mother, Pebe Sebert. The song is on another EP, "Deconstructed" that features acoustic versions of Ke$ha's songs and only available on her website.

Here is the title track:

"Warrior" - Ke$ha"

After a less than stellar appearance as a judge on the U.S. version of "The X Factor", Britney Spears has returned to music and back to the top of the charts. She provides backing vocals to will i.am's latest tune, "Scream & Shout" and shows up in the music video: