THE B-52S + DEVO: COSMIC DE-EVOLUTION TOUR

I think the music of the 1980's was the greatest of all time. Okay, perhaps I'm being a bit hyperbolic. But this was the era of my formative years as a teen moving into adulthood with this exhilarating music helping by providing a soundtrack to my budding life. This is why I was looking forward to the B-52s and Devo coming together as part of the Cosmic De-Evolution tour with a two night stop at the Hollywood Bowl which I caught on October 19th. I had never seen either of these bands before and excited to see them. Yet I must admit I was also somewhat apprehensive since it's been about forty years since these bands had made regular appearances on the music charts. But I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed for a single moment during their performances. While they may be moving a little bit slower now, Devo and The B-52s were giving their all and ready to party hardy.

The B-52s came out first, launching into the title track of their fifth album, "Cosmic Thing". Formed in Athens, GA in 1976, the band embraced it's queerness from the beginning with their delightfully oddball songs and kitschy fashion sense. Now down to the three original members: Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson who all provide vocals and percussion (Keith Strickland, who played drums, guitar and keyboards, retired from touring in 2012 and Cindy's brother, Ricky died of AIDS-related illness in 1985), the band was still in great form with their sound filled out by Tracy Wormworth on bass, Ken Maiuri and John Andrews on guitars and drummer, Sterling Campbell.

The band covered their quirky songs that didn't really rise up the pop charts but helped create a rabid cult following like "Party Out of Bounds", "Dance This Mess Around", "Private Idaho" and "Rock Lobster". The B-52s did achieve commercial fame with their "Cosmic Thing" album in 1989 where "Love Shack" reached number three on the US pop chart. Another top-ten hit from the album was "Roam" which is highlighted by the soaring harmonies of Wilson and Pierson, a nice contrast to the shout/sing style of Schneider. Still in dynamic vocal form, the women had another opportunity to show off their melodic skills with "52 Girls" from their debut album.

Devo was early to embrace music videos (years before MTV arrived) to enhance their songs, using visual images to express their social worldview with surrealist humor, and the group projected outlandish imagery on screens behind them throughout their performance. This new wave band from Akron, OH, taking their name from from the concept of "de-evolution" which involves the idea that mankind reverts back instead of moving forward, first came together with two sets of brothers: Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald and Bob Casale and Alan Myers (who passed away in 2013). Devo had disbanded in 1991 but came back together five years later with the Mothersbaugh brothers and Gerald Casale still together on the road performing (Bob died in 2014). On stage, Devo went through many of their best known songs: "Peek-A-Boo!", "That's Good", "Jocko Homo", "Freedom of Choice" with adept precision while placing their biggest pop hit, "Whip It" unceremoniously in the middle of the set.

Lene Lovitch, a prominent figure in the early new wave scene, was the special guest who kicked off the concert, bringing her unique brand of art-rock to the stage. Although born in the Motor City, she moved to London as a teen, soaking up the early punk movement that would influence her explosive musical sound and eccentric style when she began her career. Never gaining more than a cult following in her home country, Lovitch reached the top three on the UK Singles Chart with "Lucky Number" in 1979. The now seventy-six year old performer remains a magnetic presence, delivering a massive dose of wild, quirky energy to her opening set.

The Cosmic De-Evolution tour was certainly a fun, nostalgic musical trip back in time with the crowd made up of the expected fans who were around during the height of each of these band's fame. Yet I was pleasantly surprised to see that the audience also had plenty of Gen Z and younger filling the seats at the Bowl, fully apreciating and enjoying music that was made long before they were born.

NEW SOUNDS

Here is a collection of new sounds that I want to highlight:

Following her venture into hard rock, Demi Lovato has returned to music with an upcoming dance-pop collection, "It's Not That Deep" which is due out on October 24th. The latest single is "Kiss", a fun, throbbing techno-pop track.



The British art-pop stylist and actress, FKA Twigs had released her well-received third album, "Eusexua" earlier this year. On the horizon is a sequel to this collection entitled, "Eusexua Afterglow" which originally was going to be a deluxe edition of the previous album but will now be a follow-up of new music. The first single, "Cheap Motel" which is accompanied by a seven minute music video that is much like a short film.



Born in Ethiopia and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the alt-r&b artist, Alemeda has been creating music since 2020. She began with a hyper-hip-hop sound before moving towards soulful indie rock,. The twenty-five year old performer (born Rahema Alameda) is preparing to release another EP, "But What The Hell Do I Know" with the first single, "Beat A B!tch Up" features an appearance by her label-mate, Doechii.



The popular, Chicago-based DJ, Honey Dijon has moved further in creating her own music and has released a new song. "The Nightlife" is an expected sultry club-banger but features r&b vocalist, Chlöe Bailey performing on the track with her first major venture to the dance floor.



Haim has just released a deluxe edition to their most recent album, "I Quit" that features three new songs. One of those songs, "Tie You Down" is a collaboration with indie rocker, Bon Iver.

D'ANGELO (1974 - 2025)

D'Angelo, one of the pioneers of the neo-soul movement during the 1990's, has sadly passed away on October 14 at the age of fifty-one. His family announced that he had been privately battling pancreatic cancer. 

Inspired by classic soul, rock, gospel and Prince, D'Angelo took these influences and filtered them through to masterfully create a bold new sound; familiar yet fresh and progressive. Along with Maxwell, Erykah Badu, Angie Stone and Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo helped expand the possibilities of soul music with his assured vision and commanding artistry.

He was born Michael Eugene Archer in South Richmond, Virginia on February 11, 1974. He began displaying his musical abilities at a very early age, teaching himself how to play the piano. He performed with a variety of different singing groups throughout his teenage years. With his band, Michael Archer and Precise, they went to New York City for the chance to perform during Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. To their surprise, they won three consecutive times which came with a cash prize. After returning to Richmond, Archer dropped out of school and went back to New York alone to start his career in music.

Once he arrived, he took on the stage name "D'Angelo" (which in Italian means "of the angel") and began writing and producing. He worked with the r&b super-group, Black Men United (that featured vocalists, Brian McKnight, Usher, Boyz II Men and Raphael Saadiq) and co-created the song, "U Will Know" with his brother, Luther for the soundtrack of the film, "Jason's Lyric" in 1993. This hit single, which reached number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, lead to D'Angelo being signed to EMI Records as a solo artist. His debut, "Brown Sugar" was released in 1995 and became a certified platinum album in a year thanks to the hit singles, "Lady", a cover of Smokey Robinson's 1979 hit, "Cruisin" and the title track.

After touring to support the album, D'Angelo had wanted to begin work on his next project but was suffering from writer's block. During this time, he worked on covers for soundtrack albums and was featured on "Nothing Even Matters", a duet with Lauryn Hill from her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill".

D'Angelo eventually managed to overcome the block and his next album, "Voodoo" was released in 2000. The long-awaited record was well-received, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, and critically acclaimed with the singles, "Devil's Pie", a cover of Roberta Flack's, "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" which was highlighted by the sensuous music video that featured just the singer chiseled and nude.

Following the tour for this album, D'Angelo began to suffer from some personal demons and became more uncomfortable with his fame that he withdrew from public life. He would enter rehab a few years later following a car accident and an arrest for drug possession. There were rumors for some time that he was working on new music (with some new songs performed live when he had went on tour) but it would be almost fifteen years before his third studio album, "Black Messiah" would be released. This recording was met with wide critical praise and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. D'Angelo went on the road for a world tour to promote the album with plans for "a companion piece album" to "Black Messiah" to be out soon. Yet sadly, nothing materialized with D'Angelo's last recording was "I Want You Forever" with Jay-Z for the soundtrack of the 2024 film, "The Book of Clarence".

TAKE TWO: RUN DMC

Run DMC became the first rap artists to achieve notable fame and commercial success during the 1980's and have remained one of the most influential performers in hip-hop. The New York based trio, made up of Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell, became a momentous force by combining heavy rock with rap and experimenting with the use of sampling from records by other artists to innovate hip-hop with a bold, progressive sound. They were also responsible for popularizing the characteristic street style of rap that included Kangol hats, thick gold chains, and unlaced Adidas shoes.

Simmons and McDaniels had grown up together in Hollis, Queens since they were children. Simmons' older brother, Russell was the manager of Kurtis Blow who had made a name for himself by becoming one of the first rappers signed by a major label and to have the first commercially successful rap singles, "The Breaks". The younger Simmons, going by "DJ Run", was able to get some stage time with Blow. He would convince his friend to begin rapping and McDaniels took on the name, "Easy D". They met Mizell, then known as "Jazzy Jase", hanging out at Two-Fifths Park in Hollis. After becoming friends, they went on to pursue music together.

The older Simmons was approached to record them. He eventually relented, helping to produce a single, land the trio a record deal and gave them the name, "Run-D.M.C". The single, "It's Like That" was released in 1983 and reached number fifteen on the r&b chart. A self-titled debut album followed the next year which was well was received and included the groundbreaking hit, "Rock Box" which merged rap and hard rock. The music video for the song would become the first ever hip-hop clip to be broadcast on MTV and received heavy rotation.

Achieving enormous success quickly, Run DMC performed at the Live Aid benefit concert and were featured in the 1985 hip-hop movie, "Krush Groove" which told the fictionalized story of Russell Simmons' rise in hip-hop as a music entrepreneur.

For their third album, "Raising Hell", the group approached Rick Rubin to produce who had just worked on LL Cool J's debut album, "Radio". He came up with the idea to record a version of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". Originally, the thought was for Run DMC to rap over the original 1975 rock record but Rubin wanted to push the idea even further by having Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith perform on the actual cover recording. This single became a global smash in 1986, reaching number four in the US (even charting higher than Aerosmith's original) which helped make Run DMC become internationally known and would revitalize Aerosmith's career.

Run DMC would release "Tougher Than Leather" in 1988 which abandoned rap-rock for more sample-heavy sounds. The album did not sell as well and an ill-advised movie which they starred named after the record and directed by Rubin did not help matters. By 1990, the sounds of hip-hop was evolving once again and their next album, "Back From Hell" felt unfortunately dated, failing to generate much interest. During this time, each of the men had begun to suffer from personal and legal matters. They would all turn to the church for healing and guidance. Three years later, a reinvigorated Run DMC was back with a new album, "Down With the King", a well-received hip-hop collection that offered some subtle religious references.

Over the next years, the members began to have different ideas of how to continue, leading to creative tensions and personal conflicts. One more album was made together, the long delayed, "Crown Royal" in 2001. The following year, Mizell was murdered in his recording studio in Jamaica, Queens. Shortly after this tragic event, Simmons and McDaniels would announce that Run DMC would officially be disbanded and they created a fund to financially assist Mizell's family.

Run DMC helped pave the way for hip-hop to shift from an underground sound to become part of popular culture. Their classic beats still continues to inspire and has been recognized as an important part of music history. Run DMC has gone on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009; honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and their album, "Raising Hell" was placed into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2018.

NEW SOUNDS

OLIVIA DEAN

Olivia Dean, the British neo-soul singer, is back with the follow-up to her 2023 acclaimed debut, "Messy". She began to seriously pursue music at sixteen, teaching herself how to play the guitar, piano and writing songs. Dean went on to release two EPs which brought her attention and now her latest album, "The Art of Loving" is now out. This collection of alt-r&b offers her perspective on different forms of love and intimacy, revealing the now twenty-six year old performer's growth as an artist. The guitar-driven first single, "Nice To Each Other", which has recently reached the top-ten on the Billboard Global chart, simply asks the question "What if we were just nice to each other?" in a relationship. Now the latest single, "Man I Need" has become another world-wide hit. Dean will open for Sabrina Carpenter on some dates as well as her own The Art of Loving Live tour which will begin next year.





RAYE

The British singer, Raye has been using her big, soulful voice to reinvigorate pop music. Born Rachel Keen and raised in South London, Raye had been interested in pursing music since she was a child. After briefly attending the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology and dropping out due to feeling creatively stifled, she went off on her own to make it into music. At seventeen, Raye received notice for her self-released EP in 2014 and kept on recording and making connections in the industry. Her big breakthrough came in 2022 with "Escapism", a trip-hop styled pop song that clicked across the globe including the US. Now Raye is preparing to release her second album. The first single, "Where Is My Husband!" captures a retro girl group sound merged with hip-hop beats. Raye had also teamed with producer/musician, Mark Ronson last summer for the original song, "Suzanne" that was part of the APxMusic programme to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Swiss watchmaker, Audemars Piguet.





KHALID

The pop-soul vocalist, Khalid has been making music professionally since he was teenager with his single, "Location" becoming a top twenty hit back in 2016. More hits followed for the El Paso, TX native with "Young Dumb & Broke", "Love Lies" (with Normani), "Eastside", "Better" and "Talk". But last year Khalid came out as gay after being outed. This has not changed anything for the singer except that now he no longer feels a need not to be completely honest as an artist. He has just released a new single, "Out of Body" from his upcoming fourth album, "After the Sun Goes Down". For the music video for this dance song, Khalid moves seductively with his male dancers, feeling much freer to generate a smoldering sensuality that he's not been able to reveal before. 

BUCKINGHAM NICKS

When Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks released their musical collaboration, "Buckingham Nicks" back in 1973, their debut album didn't really receive much attention. They had first met while attending high school in Northern California, both aspiring to become musicians. They began working together after school when Buckingham asked Nicks to join his band, Fitz. During this time, Nicks and Buckingham drifted into a romantic relationship. Fitz achieved some moderate success yet soon disbanded.

Buckingham and Nicks continued on as a duo, attracting the attention of producer, Keith Olsen who worked with them to record some demos. This lead to them getting signed with Polydor Records in 1972.

The album, "Buckingham Nicks" showcased the emerging talents of both of these young musicians, giving them their first taste of professional recording sessions and working with some great musicians. The duo hit the road to promote the album, generating some interest from audiences, but their label failed to give their record much of a promotional push. The couple would have to find other means of financial support following the album's lackluster performance and being let go by their management company.

But their fortunes changed after Mick Fleetwood happened to hear some of their songs while visiting Olsen at the recording studio. Bob Welch had just left his band, Fleetwood Mac and he was intrigued by the sounds of Buckingham and Nicks. Fleetwood invited the couple to meet the other members of his band, Christine and John McVie for dinner and they all seemed to click. And a new band was born that evening. With Olsen on board as co-producer, the self-titled album from this newly formed rock group was released in 1975, reaching number one on the US Billboard Album chart the following year thanks to the hit singles, "Over My Head", "Rhiannon", and "Say You Love Me".

Now over fifty years later, after not being available to hear in any format, "Buckingham Nicks" has just been reissued and remastered on CD, vinyl and streaming. This ten song collection will certainly be more appreciated now as the album reveals their burgeoning artistry and clear indications of what they would go on to contribute to Fleetwood Mac.

RANDOM SIGHT + SOUNDS

Tyler, The Creator has brought an eccentric vision and innovative sound to hip-hop since his debut solo album back in 2009. Now with his ninth studio album, "Don't Tap The Glass", The Creator (born Tyler Okonma) has continued to push the sonic boundaries of what is considered hip-hop. Recorded during his Chromakopia: The World Tour that began earlier this year and the shortest album (at twenty-eight minutes) of his career, Tyler has delivered an unpredictable collection that boldly fuses house, techno and funk in exciting and colorful ways. Two singles have been dropped to support the album: "Sugar On My Tongue" is an electro-beat driven tune describing how tasty his lady is to him. While "Ring Ring Ring" is a blast of techno-funk that has him calling his lover who he misses, desperately hoping she'll answer.





Here is a round-up of new songs that is on my playlist: Sabrina Carpenter's follow-up album, "Man's Best Friend" is out now and the latest single, "Tears" is a disco-pop track with the video featuring actor, Colman Domingo in drag; After co-writing several songs for Gracie Abrams, Audrey Hobert has just released her debut single, "Sue Me"; Former American Idol contestant, Johnny Keyser, who now goes by John K, has continued his career in music with his recent third studio album, "Salt + Light" and the single, "Never Been in Love"; singer/actress, Reneé Rapp has delivered a soulful kiss-off with a live version of  "I Think I like You Better When You're Gone" from her second studio album, "Bite Me"; r&b vocalist, Kehlani has a new single, "Folded" which asks a lover to reconsider after they're hasty break-up and Doja Cat has returned with an '80's inspired dance track, "Jealous Type" which is co-written and produced by Y2K and Jack Antonoff.

And a new single from Lady Gaga, "The Dead Dance" has been released. This pulsing synth-pop song is part of the soundtrack for the second season of "Wednesday" with the singer making an appearance on the supernatural comedy show based on the character in "The Addams Family". Tim Burton directs the black & white music video for "The Dead Dance" which features Gaga, in an eerie gothic setting, as a cracked porcelain doll that comes to life.