WE PLUG G.O.O.D MUSIC

2012-01-29T22:26:00.001Z

We plug to you: The Arcadian Kicks

The Arcadian Kicks - a Brummy indie-pop outfit - have been making music together for around five years, with some recognition at a local level for their sounds.

But having taken a six-month hiatus period to write new material and discover a new sound for their band, The Arcadian Kicks have come back with a deep and dark alternative sound.

The five-piece band are signed to One Beat Records, a small independent Midlands label run by The Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes - who has managed to break the band onto some big stages including several sets with BBC Introducing and numerous festival appearances at everywhere from Isle of Wight Festival to T In The Park.

With a sound inspired by the likes of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and The Naked and Famous topped with driving lyrics from the female lead singer, they recently attracted the ears of Blondie's ex-producer Mike Chapman, who has since produced their new material.

2012 could be a proving year for the band, with their latest release, I Wanna Take You Home, gaining some major radio airplay.

It's echoing tone and screaming vocals shows the rawest edge of indie music, and the memorable hook, 'I wanna take you home…' still makes the track accessible to the commercial mainstream.

The video which accompanies the new track barely features the five-piece, but it's made up for in alcohol-abuse and the dark and dangerous storyline.

The Best NEW & EMERGING Music - Week 3, 2012

2012-01-23T20:01:00.000Z

And just like that boys and girls, the first month of the "new" year is on its last legs. 2012 is going full steam ahead at this point with the third week of the year having whizzed quickly by without warning BUT thankfully NOT before it blessed us with some pretty AMAZING new and emerging music to carry us through the week. Here are our TOP FIVE BEST New & Emerging Music of the THIRD week of 2012 (16/01/12 - 22/01/12) after the jump, make sure you Listen + Comment + Share...

BJ THE CHICAGO KID + KENDRICK LAMAR - "HIS PAIN"

"His Pain" from Emerging R&B/Soul Singer and Songwriter BJ THE CHICAGO KID and West Coast rap "saviour" Kendrick Lamar is hands down my favorite piece of music to be released anywhere between 16/01/12 and 22/01/12. There's just something about this Sounwave-produced song that tugs and tugs and tugs at your heart strings - from the Jazzy keyboard strings and lingering horn arrangements to the hoarse, cracking and almost lost voice with which Lamar painstakingly render his rap verses to BJ's amazingly soulful, authentic and almost ethereal vocals - and the emotion and pain that's bursting at the seams of this record is rather undeniable. BJ The Chicago Kid's mixtape Pineapple Now-Laters drops on February 14 and if "His Pain" is any indication of what to expect then...

BJ The Chicago Kid + Kendrick Lamar - "His Pain":

JERMAINE RILEY - "NOBODY ELSE"

Ex-Fundamental (FDM) frontman JERMAINE RILEY released his official debut solo effort titled Hello Earth this last week, after a series of audio and visual teasers that have built up over the last half of 2010 up until this point. The 11-track debut album includes features from two of the UK's finest emerging "urban" talents - Lioness and Cherri V - as well as production from the likes of Maleek Berry (Port Mayfair) and veteran producer Dready and is a really great listen. However the track that stands out for us - heads and shoulders above the rest - is the Dready-produced "Nobody Else".

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jermaineriley.bandcamp.com/track/nobody-else"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Nobody Else by Jermaine Riley&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

AZAD RIGHT - "BETTER DAYS"

Fresh on our radars is 23-year old rapper, songwriter, musician and producer AZAD RIGHT from Santa Monica, California. Having released his debut EP A Piece Of Mine about twelve months ago and the buzz-worthy mixtape The Time Is Right back in September, 2011, Azad begins 2012 as he means to go on with this Jonathan Marquez-produced opus titled "Better Days". Sampling "In The Rain" by The Dramatics, Azad Right and frequent collaborator Marquez create an absolute gem of a Hip-Hop record that speaks directly and very poignantly to the believer and optimist in all of us.

Azad Right - "Better Days":

CRIS CAB - "PUT IN WORK"

"Put In Work" represents the second offering we get to hear from the forthcoming Billionaire Boys Club-presented mixtape titled Echo Boom from young and fast-rising Miami-based singer, songwriter and musician CRIS CAB. It also represents the second Cris Cab appearance on our Best New & Emerging Music series of 2012 after the Pharrell Williams-produced "One Thing" which was released two weeks ago made it unto our Week One's list. "Put In Work" is produced by the legendary Wyclef Jean and Sedeck and in as much as we didn't wanna feature Cab again so soon after highlighting the amazing "One Thing", this song below simply CANNOT be denied.

MAY D - "ILE IJO"

After disappearing from this series during Week 2, the ever burgeoning sounds of Afrobeats makes a stellar and well-deserved return to the proceedings by way of this absolutel BANGER titled "Ile Ijo" from fast-rising singer/songwriter MAY D. The first signed artist to Square Records - the record label owned by veteran Nigerian Pop/R&B duo P-Square - May D has shone on numerous features with P-Square, Kel and Show Dem Camp among others and is now ready to explode unto the Afrobeats scene as a leading man. "Ile Ijo" is the first official offering of 2012 from May D and by all accounts, it is set to be a staple fixture on radio and in the clubs throughout the year.

So there you have it for this week. Everything from Pop to Soul to Hip-Hop to Afrobeats and the above five are our absolute best PICKS of the just concluded week. We'll be back in about seven days to run through the new and emerging music that will be released in this new week and of course to pick out only the VERY BEST for your listening pleasure! In case you missed the previous weeks in our Best New & Emerging Music series, check them out below...

Week TWO (2012) // Week ONE (2012) // 2011

Until the Next Time...

The Best NEW & EMERGING Music - Week 2, 2012

2012-01-16T14:34:00.001Z

Here we go ladies and gentlemen! Week TWO of 2012 is officially OVER and just like that, the "new" year is already fifteen days deep and what a couple of weeks its been already. This second week has seen Jay-Z and Beyonce bring forth their first child to the world, Common take hard bodied shots at Drake on wax, the UK's Ed Sheeran sweep this year's BRIT Awards nominations and well of course - the reason why we all are here - a mad flurry of NEW and EMERGING music...

You can check out our picks from Week 1 HERE in case you missed it BUT here are some of - our TOP FIVE to be exact - BEST New & Emerging Music of the second week of 2012 (08/01/12 - 15/01/12)...

MIKILL PANE - "I LIKE YOU"

Fast-rising London rapper MIKILL PANE is gearing up to release his forthcoming Morris Dancer EP which is due out on February 13 via Invader Music and the EP's lead single "I Like You" was unveiled this week. Witty lyrics about "falling in like", a superbly catchy hook and seriously glorious drum kicks are the highlights of this three odd minutes of Electro Hip-Hop goodness produced by Alex Morris.

PARTY SUPPLIES - "GUY FRIENDS"

Fool's Gold signee and frequent Action Bronson collaborator PARTY SUPPLIES - aka Queens, NYC-born singer and producer Justin Neal - comes with this beautifully lush and upbeat 90s-styled Disco/Pop tune titled "Guy Friends" to pick you right up and place you in your happy place. Surprisingly "Guy Friends" is really about heartbreak and a cheating spouse BUT that's only if you pay attention to the words. Our advise is to blast this one LOUD and please do NOT forget your happy dancing shoes!

CLOUD BUSEY - "UP TO YOU (IF YOU LOVE ME)"

Now for some Deep House/Quiet Storm goodness all the way from Osaka, Japan by the way of Japanese (?) producer CLOUD BUSEY with this massive 7-minute gem titled "Up To You (If You Love Me)" and although I cannot for the life of me figure out what vocal sample Mr. Busey uses on the hook, it is quite genius and the song as a whole is pretty impressive and captivating. It's been on constant repeat ever since the good folks at Mahogany Blog shared it on their blog. Nothing really is known about our mystery producer other than where he resides and his affiliation with Japanese Indie Pop duo Ice Cream Shout so I'd implore you to simply press play below and vibe to this...

MR FOGG - "STAY OUT OF THE SUN"

We're slightly cheating with this one because "Stay Out Of The Sun" was actually released in the first week of 2012 and the culprit behind it, British Electronic musician MR. FOGG already released his debut album back in 2010 BUT in our defense, this "Stay Out Of The Sun" opus only just got on our radars this week and his 2010's Moving Parts wasn't technically a major release but more importantly, this song is a pretty amazing record so we thought we'd make this one exception and share the GOODness with you...

ADD-2 - "COTTON FIELDS"

Last but certainly NOT least, our final pick of the Best New & Emerging Music of the week (Week 2, 2012) is by none other than Chicago underground Hip-Hop artist and one of the finest emcees around (signed or unsigned) ADD-2. This deep, poignant and soulful opus "Cotton Fields" - with production from D-Man - is off of his forthcoming and long overdue album Save.Our.Souls. Listen carefully to the words and I hope you can relate to this one on some level.

And there you have it folks! Another week of some pretty amazing NEW and EMERGING music! Highlighting everything from Deep House to Hip-Hop to Pop to Indie to Electronica and from London to Japan to Chicago to New York, we hope you enjoy our pick for week TWO! See you next week for another bout of the very BEST New and Emerging Music for your listening pleasure and if we're missing something or someone, drop us a head-up in the comments section!

Until the Next Time.

We Plug To You... SOMI

2012-01-13T17:58:00.003Z

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2012. We hope to keep the trend of plugging G.O.O.D music to you as always. Therefore in a bid to start of the year with some much needed freshness, I bring to you music that smells like the sweetness of rain... We plug to you music from a Chicago-born East African lady of Rwandan/Ugandan parentage, who spent her early childhood in Zambia and is currently resident in New York. We plug to you SOMI.

I had always heard of Somi and came across some of her YouTube videos sometime ago but after an announcement that her 2011 Live album is being PRE-nominated for a "Best Jazz vocal" GRAMMY award, I decided to check her out some more and I was not surprised about the well-deserved pre-nomination plus she fits in just about right in that category of my preferred genres of music. Somi - an Afro-Soul Jazz Singer/Songwriter - is as multicultural and eclectic as they come. She sings in English and four East African languages and delivers her soft and airy melodies with ease. She calls her music a fusion of African and Jazz and refers to it as “New African Jazz”. I call it music for the mature and open soul.

Somi’s music is already gaining international attention because of her vocal originality and flair with plaudits from the likes of Vogue Magazine, NPR and Billboard.com just to mention a few. Her signature clicks and African vocalisms are reminiscent of Mother Africa-Miriam Makeba and her Jazziness, of Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone.Somi recorded her first live album in March 2011 at the legendary Jazz Standard in New York City and this record - Live at Jazz Standard - was released in the Summer of 2011. The music we will be plugging to you by Somi are from this live album and her previous (3rd) studio album If The Rains Come First which was released under independent label ObliqSound in 2009 and landed at number two on Billboard's World Music charts. She has also collaborated with Paul Simon, John Legend, Mos Def, Idan Raichel and Cassandra Wilson among many others in a career that spans over seven years.

Let’s kick off with a listen to her last studio album's title song "If The Rains Come First”. Somi attributes the inspiration of this song to one of her mother’s rather poignant sayings, "rain is unpredictable, and could be a challenge or a blessing depending on the onset of its timing". The song portrays a smooth jazziness in Somi's vocals with a soulful musical backdrop led by African drum arrangements (significant in most of her songs) and smooth guitar chords. She also delivers some spoken word in her East African dialects in between the milieu that adds to the enchantment of the song. It’s a melodic meditation of the expression of the heart, a reflection of where to be, even if the rain comes first - Home.

"Home is where you know, you can always touch your feet to the floor….There’s an open path behind an open door."

"Prayer to the Saint of the Brokenhearted" is another really great song on the If The Rains Come First album. It’s a little more upbeat than the other songs from Somi but if Somi's slow songs seem to suit you better, then you can check out the live version on her Live at Jazz Standard album.This song (the original) is laden with quick African percussion drums, lush rhythmic melodies and Jazz-tinged guitar licks to make for a very danceable and moving track. Somi sings delicately yet evocatively and also breaks into her ethnic language as the electric guitars have their day with fills right after while the Afro-Samba drum beats keep the song alive.

"Come down and sleep over my bed, sweet saint of the broken hearted…so I might be still."

This next song - "Enganjyani" featuring Hugh Masekela - is one of my favorites on this album. Composed by Somi herself, David Gilmore and Michele Locatelli, the song seemingly tells the story of a discovery of a lover’s mistress who is "Enganjyani"? This song reminds me of a rusty scene - a song in the mind of a woman standing over a balcony of a dusty old fashioned building with the wind blowing in her hair (for some reason). Ushered in by Masekela's signature trumpet sounds, Somi comes in soft and whispery after the background vocal calls of "Enganjyani" and the song continues on with the trumpet backing Somi's delicate vocals skillfully at the right places - effortless singing and a beautiful arrangement overall.

"The grass is green where the sidewalk cracks…I know it’s you and Enganjyani it was always you and Enganjyani."

Lastly is a single from Somi's recently released 10-track live album, Live at Jazz Standard which by the way, also included live renditions of the three previous songs we've already featured on here. This song is rightfully titled "Wallflower Blues" and it's a very Jazzy and botanical number (botanical in the sense that it is bright and rightfully so, flowery). Picture a botanical garden and every plant in the garden is musical melody from Somi’s vocal chords. She sings in poetic terms and the harmonies are 100% on point. There’s a well done piano interlude and an understated big band support. Pure Jazz.

“They say that silence is golden, but she knows it can be blue // These are the memories of the wallflower, she waits for you...”

Somi is a very intriguing and compelling artist to say the very least and this East African chanteuse is even more commanding live - one of the reasons why you’d want to lay your hands on her latest album Live at Jazz Standard. Not only does she offer you brilliant live renditions of what might be your favorite Somi songs, the album also includes covers of legendary musicians like Bob Marley and Abbey Lincoln with “Waiting In Vain” and “Should’ve Been”. The album also captures the talents of her supporting band in various ways, good music all the way. Add these albums to your collection so you can be on the front row of a Somi show and feel the passion and grace from every sound of her music.

Purchase: Somi - Live at Jazz Standard (Amazon)

Purchase: Somi - If The Rains Come First (Amazon)

Keep tabs on Somi: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Tosinger

The Best NEW & EMERGING Music - Week 1, 2012

2012-01-07T19:09:00.000Z

Welcome - once again - to 2012 and welcome to a brand new weekly feature right here on We Plug GOOD Music. In pretty much the same vein as our Best New & Emerging Music of 2011 list, this weekly feature will aim to showcase and highlight only the very best new and emerging music to have graced our ears each and every week in 2012. The criteria is pretty simple for who and what gets considered - as long as an artist is yet to release a full length major album release, they'll be considered for this feature so without further adieu...

Here are our top FIVE picks of the BEST NEW and EMERGING music that we've had the privilege of coming across in this first week of 2012 (01/01/12 - 07/01/12). If you feel we've left someone or something out, let us know in the comments section.

MEEK MILL - "LEAN WIT IT"

Maybach Music Group's very own MEEK MILL unveiled the Cardiak-produced "Lean Wit It" earlier in the week - on Day 3 of the new year - as the lead single for his forthcoming Dreamchasers 2 mixtape and it is one hell of a BANGER! While not quite "Ima Boss", this new single led by infectious and hammering drum patterns, "Lean Wit It" has all the potential to be a massive record as the year proceeds and if this song is any indication of what to expect from Meek Mill on his follow-up to the critically acclaimed Dreamchasers mixtape then 2012 is gonna be an even BIGGER year for Meek Mill - what with his debut album A Hustler's Dream, A Hater's Nightmare coming later in the year.

DELILAH - "NEVER BE ANOTHER"

Only two days into the new year and fast-rising British singer/songwriter DELILAH and the "industry's (not-so-secret) best kept secret" let go of this brand new record via Mistajam's show on BBC 1 Xtra. Channeling her inner Aaliyah on this Balistiq-produced electronica gem titled "Never Be Another", the Atlantic Records signee shines bright on what is her third single after the successes of "Go" and the recent "Love You So" and solidifies our assertion that Delilah is definitely one to closely watch for 2012. Her debut album From The Roots Up should be with us in March.

LUCY ROSE - "RED FACE"

Speaking of third singles, one of our favorite artists of 2011 (she graced our Best New & Emerging of 2011), LUCY ROSE also unveiled her third single in this first week of 2012. Titled "Red Face" and produced by Charlie Hugall, this new record sees Lucy Rose in very new and different elements from what we heard on her previous two singles. Backed by fuller band arrangements and lush instrumentation on this new song, Lucy carries it beautifully and effortlessly showing off her delicate and intimate vocals and amazing songwriting dexterity as always.

CRIS CAB - "ONE THING"

We first featured 18-year old Miami-based Reggae/Pop singer and songwriter CRIS CAB on here back in August of last year when he reviewed his glorious Foreword EP. In that review, we mentioned that the young Cuban was working with Grammy Award-winner Pharrell Williams. Fast forward a few months into the first week of 2012 and we've now been blessed with the first fruit of that partnership by way of Cab's marvellous brand new single - the Pharrell-produced "One Thing" - which will feature on Cab's new mixtape Echo Boom presented by Billionare Boy's Club due out on January 31.

INSPIRED AND THE SLEEP - "RUNNING"

San Diego Psychedelic Pop/Indie band INSPIRED AND THE SLEEP unveiled the second single off of their forthcoming Teenager album titled "Running" earlier this week and this follow-up to the band's 2010 single "While We're Young" - the debut single off of Teenager - is filled with lush lo-fi goodness that is led by percussion drums, ukulele arrangements and a subtle bongo solo as well as those infectious vocal melodies that ultimately capture your listening ears and hearts.

And there you have it - our BEST New & Emerging Music for the first week of 2012. As always, the C-section is all yours if you feel we missed a trick or even two, do let us know. See you next week!

#BestNewAndEmergingMusic

THE BEST NEW & EMERGING MUSIC OF 2011

2012-01-01T12:31:00.000Z

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012 but before we go steaming ahead, let's look back at the Best New and Emerging Music that graced our ears in 2011...

Where do we even begin? 2011 has been an exciting year for music but more specifically, for new and emerging music from all around the world. This article is simply to specially highlight and showcase our best of the best out of the influx of new and emerging music that we've been blessed with this year.

We realize that in writing this piece - as with many end of year music round-ups, articles or lists - there will be people that do not agree with our selection. The comments section is very much available for you to air your grievances and we very much await them.

As far as the criteria for being mentioned here or criteria for what "New & Emerging Music" is to us, well that is also simple - if an artist has yet to release a full length album, then they are for all intents and purposes New & Emerging so Maverick Sabre gets considered, Ed Sheeran doesn't. Michael Kiwanuka gets considered, Ben Howard doesn't. So without further adieu, here is our "list" of Best New & Emerging Music of 2011 (in NO particular order)... ENJOY!

AKS + KADIJA KAMARA - "TRUTH BE TOLD (I, I, I)"

Taken off of what has to be said to be one of the best releases of the year in UK Hip-Hop - The Bus Stop EP - this AKS and Kadija Kamara collaboration was/is hands down our favorite song on that EP and by far one of this year's best songs. With rich production from P.Y of Our Music, lush vocal harmonies from Ms. Kamara and lyrical dexterity as well as ample content from AKS, "Truth Be Told (I, I, I)" captures the true essence or artistic integrity and so much more.

YUNA - "DECORATE"

24-year old Malaysian Singer/Songwriter Yuna Zarai - on the back of signing with the FADER label - released her US debut EP titled Decorate back in March to rave reviews and much critical acclaim. The 5-track EP was simply breathtaking but we've come to find out that "breathtaking" is a simple walk in the park for Yuna as her Malaysian fans had come to expect from her two previous releases in her home country. The criminally short "Decorate" was the first song from Yuna that captured our ears, hearts and minds and we couldn't stop playing it for a good few months.

AZEKEL - "NEW-ISH"

Nigerian born (East London raised) alternative Pop/Soul singer, songwriter and producer Azekel came with a fresh and different sound at the top of the year with his massive underground smash of a debut single titled "New-Ish". It got the UK underground and emerging music scene in the mad frenzy with it's exciting and imaginative musical backdrop and while the "New-Ish" visuals - which has now disappeared from the internet - only added to the well-deserved hype, we patiently await Azekel's follow-up to this undeniable goodness.

DAUGHTER - "YOUTH"

From her Demo EP to her The Wild Heart EP and the His Young Heart EP sprinkled in between, London-based singer/songwriter and musician Daughter (Elena Tonra) has released some pretty amazing music in 2011 that it proves pretty much impossible to pick one single track to highlight because there were quite a few outstanding songs from Daughter this year and that's not even an exaggeration. We could easily have gone with "Your Kisses" - the reason we first fell in love with Daughter - or "Landfill" or "Candles" from His Young Heart but we're gonna go with "Youth" from The Wild Heart EP.

MAVERICK SABRE - "I NEED"

Arguably one of the BEST songs to grace the UK Top 40 Singles Chart this year - entering the charts at #18 - was Maverick Sabre's "I Need". Off of his forthcoming debut album Lonely Are The Brave, "I Need" is simply one of my favorite songs of 2011. What else can you really say about this track really - compelling lyrics + the lush laid-back musical milieu + Mav's undeniable vocals? Priceless is what I say.

KATE & MAX - "23RD OF JUNE"

Kate & Max are a "Down Tempo Skunk-Funk" duo from Brisbane, Australia and the amazing "23rd of June" is one of the standout songs from their debut EP, The Great Unseen which was released in August via Bedlam Records. "23rd of June" is a playful feel-good Pop/Jazz number that works on any and every level - from the enjoyable yet engaging vocals to the lush acoustic guitar strums to the harmonica solo arrangements. This song was on constant repeat for a good chunk of the year and it knew how to pick me right up anytime I needed it.

MICHAEL KIWANUKA - "I'M GETTING READY"

Fast-rising London Soul singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka was one of the rare finds of 2011. We first got wind of him back in April on his Soulful Afrobeat-infused debut single "Tell Me A Tale". He followed up that debut single and EP with the even better "I'm Getting Ready" and the rest - as they say - is history. Now signed to Polydor Records and gearing to releasing his debut album in March 2012, Kiwanuka is the true epitome of GOOD MUSIC and if ever you were in doubt about this man then "I'm Getting Ready" was the point at which you were completely and 100% sold.

BRIDGET KELLY/FRANK OCEAN - "THINKING ABOUT FOREVER"

The debate about who sang this song better - Bridget Kelly, the singer or Frank Ocean, the songwriter - rages on and will continue to do so but what is without question and rather unarguable is how massive, beautifully crafted and amazing this song is. Frank Ocean's songwriting skills are on excellent show here and the singing - on both his and Bridget Kelly's version - is on point to the last tee even though I'm slightly biased towards Mr. Ocean's version.

Frank Ocean - "Thinking About You":

SHAKKA - "TAKE OUR TIME"

"Take Our Time" was at the apex of emerging UK R&B and Hip-Hop music in 2011 in my eyes and it wasn't because this song was so popular on the scene - even though it slowly but surely crept into the consciousness of a lot of people as the year progressed - it was because this song is just pure CLASS. Taken off of his critically acclaimed debut mixtape The Shakka Crown Affair and sampling J.Dilla's "So Far To Go", Shakka's "Take Our Time" is simply THAT TUNE!

LUCY ROSE - "SCAR"

Not a single foot was put wrong in by Warwickshire-born singer/songwriter Lucy Rose in 2011. Releasing two superb singles this year - "Middle Of The Bed" and "Scar" - with the latter excellently building on the success of the former, Ms. Rose went on to tour with Bombay Bicycle Club - also appearing on their Top 10 UK Album A Different Kind of Fox via the amazing "Shuffle" - and Ben Howard in 2011 while gaining plaudits from everyone from NME to The Independent to The Sunday Times and more. I believe that 2012 is the year that Lucy Rose comes of age and explodes all over the UK mainstream and "Scar" gives us the strongest indication of this inevitability.

DAVIDO - "DAMI DURO"

While the global profile of Afrobeats music was significantly raised in 2011 with the signing of D'Banj and Don Jazzy to Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music label, the BET Nigerian Hip-Hop Cypher and BBC 1Xtra's Tim Westwood putting many artists on via his daytime radio show among other landmark moments, the one name that stands out for us in terms of new and emerging African artists in 2011 is 19-year old Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Davido. Making a splash on the scene early in the year with the Naeto C-featured "Back When", his follow-up single "Dami Duro" is tearing it UP right now that it was near enough impossible to omit it from this list.

RUBY - "OKAY"

One of the biggest Hip-Hop artists in Africa, M.I resurrected his record label Loopy Music this year and the first taste of music from that label was this absolutely breathtaking ballad titled "Okay" from Soul/R&B singer Ruby - who possesses one of the most soulful and compelling voices to come out of Nigeria in recent times. "Okay" is miles ahead of anything that is in Nigerian mainstream music, it is beautifully written and it is sung perfectly. I simply cannot wait to hear what this woman comes with in 2012.

T H E S L O W D O W N - "Sex"

Emerging and rather elusive Manchester Indie band T H E S L O W D O W N - formerly known as B I G S L E E P - have been steadily building up their fanbase with gigs up and down the country after their re-introduction with the new name. Their "introductory" single titled "Sex" is an anthemic feel-good record that is sure to get you moving regardless of whether or not you listen to Indie music and while we await their Sex EP (coming soon, they said back in July), "Sex" stays on constant repeat around here.

ALEX WINSTON - "SISTER WIFE"

The Guardian premiered this gem of a Pop song titled "Sister Wife" in the first month of 2011 by fast-rising Detroit Indie/Pop singer-songwriter Alex Winston - now signed to Island Records - and it's been a staple in our music players all through the year - helped along nicely by the Star Slinger remix of the already massive tune. Granted you hardly hear women singing about Polygamy in this way but with "Sister Wife", Alex Winston provided the 2011 anthem for all the Polygamous people out there and in outstanding fashion too.

Honorable Mentions

KOF - "Looking At Me"

Kelly Erez - "Letters"

Keaton Henson - "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are"

Sneakbo - "The Wave"

Kelow + Irie Li - "To The Heart"
Nina Smith - "I Won't Forget You"

Rather Obvious Mentions We Thought To Leave Out
Frank Ocean - "Novacane"
The Weeknd - "The Morning"
Lana Del Rey - "Video Games"
A$AP Rocky - "Peso"
Azealia Banks - "212"

And there you have it. See you in 2012 with more of the Very Best New & Emerging Music from all around the world!

#Peace.Love.BestNewMusicOf2011

We Plug To You... NOSA

2011-12-03T12:01:00.001Z

When a song sticks to you and won’t let go, it just will NOT let go - it keeps playing in your head, in your mind and in your sleep - in a good way. That’s how I describe NOSA’s (full name Nosa Omoregie) songs - it’s like a hug you don’t want to let go off. I don’t know if it’s his voice or his lyrics, his depth or the soothingness of his sound or maybe it’s all of the above; he is such an effortless and natural singer/songwriter and it is with great pleasure that we plug to you this refreshing and unique Nigerian inspirational neo-soul singer/songwriter - NOSA.

Born and raised in Benin city, Edo State in Nigeria, Nosa Shadrax Omoregie started out singing in the children's choir in church and is majorly influenced by Gospel singers like Fred Hammond, he also credits his R&B influences to the legendary group, Boyz II men. He later grew to love Jazz and Soul music but his primary musical influential roots however remain Gospel and Afro-Highlife.

Nosa is an independent artist who has branded himself with the use of the Pidgin language in his music and he is making the pidgin language really "hip". Lyrically with his songs, Nosa aims to first and foremost, inspire and encourage the listener to an epiphany of God whereas musically, he ventures to create a bridge between music genres and develop a unique merger of sorts without losing the inspirational touch. He also intends to place Nigerian music in a different and unique light as he incorporates 'Pidgin' English and gives it an avenue to gain as much notoriety as Patois.

With some of his songs, he has creatively super-imposed a soul tune on a Highlife production, a Highlife verse with R&B flavored verses while maintain a refreshing and soothing slant. It’s just all a potpourri of musical goodness. A favorite among a lot of African music blogs, Nosa has been likened several times to John Legend in style, sound and feel while comparisons with Asa will surely not go amiss.

First song up for review is "Always Pray for You", the beautiful single that paved the way for him in 2009 with rave reviews from critics and a buzz that spread like wild fire. It got the attention of both Gospel and mainstream radio in Nigeria and even became the song of the week on Rhythm 93.7 Benin City, it also topped radio charts and became a fan favorite at other stations across the country. The message of "Always Pray For You" is exactly as the title suggests and on this song, he sings in first person about a loved one he would always pray for as they part ways - this song greatly encourages forgiveness and moving beyond differences. Nosa’s vocals are smooth and velvety on "Always Pray For You" as well-timed drum patterns keep the flow going and light piano drops play around and carry the melody of the song sweetly as well. Nosa creates a background harmony curtain with his vocals nicely. He climbs up an effortless falsetto at 1.40 seconds and climbs down and back up again throughout the song - Talent! He chants a prayer at 2.38, giving the song a creative break and bounces right back in with a lovely ending. Click play and don’t resist the urge to put it on repeat.

Always Pray For You by Nosa

“….even I far from you, you go always dey my heart, this na true, I jus wan let you know say, whatever I do, I go always pray for you...”

The lyrics, the production, sound arrangement, and the vocals are all perfect in a soulful rendition that renders itself addictive to its listeners in this next song rightly titled "A Star". One of the two of his recently released singles from the soon to be launched project titled Open Doors, "A Star" is a song that encourages the listener to explore their God-given talent and be the best they can be and on the song, Nosa sings that every individual has been endowed with a gift and everyone is a star in their own right, only if they walk in their potential. "A Star" opens with Nosa’s hums and a "la la la" vocalization, he then jumps right into his pidgin rendition as fluid as can be. This song is very Soulful in sound and the musical backdrop again features the signature overlay of his harmonized vocals and piano chords. He stylishly drops some vibrato at the end of his lines, while he vocalizes his scatting neatly - this song is a star anyday!

A STAR by Nosa

“I know that God has made you a star… better believe say you be star...”

Last but not the least, is the patriotic and positive "God Bless Nigeria". A song that talks about the great and remarkable aspects of Nigeria as a country. This is a song that would surely make Nigerians in the diaspora get that nostalgic feeling over and over again. "God Bless Nigeria" is a positive song, a song that speaks good things, promotes unity, a vision of optimism about the nation. Catchy and up-tempo anthem-style drum rhythms introduce the song with Nosa ushering in as usual, his signature scats. His harmonies are strategically placed here and they are just simply mind-blowing. No exaggerations. Take a listen and be a witness.

God Bless Nigeria By NOSA

These three songs we've perused are just a tip of the iceberg for Nosa. Nosa is an artist you should keep firmly on your radar and his forthcoming album, Open Doors is an album you should look forward to getting a copy of when it is officially released. It is evident that it’s that kind of album where the songs on it are like snowflakes, no two are the same. Nosa has come to stay for real, his music is a breath of fresh air from Nigeria - something different from the usual Hip-Hop-Afro-Pop - and even more so the gospel scene. Nosa is pure talent and his music really and truly markets itself. Open Doors is set to be released in early 2012.

Keep tabs on Nosa: Facebook // Reverbnation // Twitter

Tosinger

We Plug to You... Keaton Henson - Dear...

2011-11-23T13:04:00.000Z

OK, I’m sorry but I just can’t seem to start this article in any of the conventional ways I know. I mean, right now I’m listening to a song by our featured artist and I just feel so compelled to talk about it right now! I just can’t wait to introduce this artist to you and we’ll get to that in a minute but first we just have to talk about this masterpiece of a song - which by the way is not on the album I'm featuring/reviewing (heaven knows why) but is none the less still worth PLUGGING!

"The Drowning" is the name of the very first song I am plugging to you from this artist, and not to sound too morbid or anything but if I was going to commit suicide or "drown" myself, it would have to be to this beautifully depressing song! I literally pressed play and that was it - I was utterly captured in his description of his shipwreck of emotions. He describes the love he shares with this person as an old weary boat, and how the water is gushing in and he’s more likely to drown but for her love, it’s worth it!!! If the film Titanic was cool instead of corny, it would have had this as its soundtrack. "The Drowning" - backed only by acoustic guitar strings - is so honest and deep, that it physically hurts to listen to but you just can’t bring yourself to press the stop button. The stillness in your mind it creates is just something out of this world and it’s almost like you would be quite happy to just sit on this boat he sings of while it loses its battle against the waves and just happily drown! I could really go on and on with my not so comprehensive descriptions of "The Drowning" but it might still never quite hit home so you literally have to press play below, perhaps more than once!

Keaton Henson - The Drowning

Phew! Now that I’ve successfully gotten that off my chest, we can now return to our regular scheduled programming. The artist we will be plugging to you today is the talented and dare I say it, awkward Keaton Henson! The 23 year old singer, songwriter, musician, poet and designer is really special for all the right and not so right reasons. First of all, he has performance phobia! Yes, he suffers from severe stage fright and has a problem with everyone staring at him - weird I know - so you probably will never see him performing live and according to his website, he "spends his time alone writing songs and sometimes drawing, he doesn't like to talk about himself" plus can I just mention that Henson has gotten all this attention and buzz around him and his records without any professional management or promotion! He has his close friends - who believed in him and leaked some of his songs - to thank for his growing success and he is now currently signed under management to ATC who are also responsible for the management of Radiohead, Dido and Kate Nash amongst others - he can only really go up from here!

Keaton Henson vaguely reminds me of the kid on the playground that would sit with his back to everyone and had this maddening love for a girl that knew nothing about his existence. Actually, his awkwardness reminds me a lot of Simon from the first season of Misfits but without the eagerness to be liked by others and his music style is strictly acoustic and very similar to Damien Rice but without the keys of a piano. I am especially glad to be plugging Keaton Henson - albeit slightly biased in his favor - because to be honest, music like his is what I meditate on! There’s just something about how honest and unashamed his music and lyrics are and in his defense - not like he needs one - he stated in a recent interview that the reason why he was able to write so openly was because he never thought the people who the songs were about would ever hear them. Well that’s fair enough because its working wonders for him and his listeners.

Dear... is his debut album - due to be officially re-released early 2012 after he self-released the project late last year - and was self-produced mostly from Henson's bedroom after a recent tragic breakup. You don’t have to be a genius to know that the inspiration for this album is deeply rooted in the woes and defeat of love, every song is heavily streaked with the depth of his on-going pain which you also get a feel from with the texture of his voice. His vocals aren’t perfect but they are pain stricken and interpret the emotion behind every song really well. It’s the kind of voice that cracks and fades at all the right places and still manages to soothe and calm your soul. There’s a certain way he approaches a song that makes his sadness seem universal, almost like at that certain point in time what he’s going through is the most important thing in the world. Right, without further ado, let’s get stuck into a few of my favourite tracks from this album!

The first record I will be bringing to your attention to from this album is titled "Charon". This song speaks so quietly resounding of the hardships of his break-up and how nothing makes sense anymore - we've all been here and that’s one of the reason why this song is so easy to get into and again his honest lyrics don’t hurt either. Personally, what really gets me into the song is what he does with the chords of his guitar from start to finish of this song. It feels like the gentle tugging of your heart that keeps you locked into the song while creating this beautiful melody which keeps the song alive through out its three minutes and fifty seconds! #PS I love how he blatantly tells us he’s no "Hercules" at the end just to remind us that he feels everything and he isn’t strong, the honesty though! Have a listen for yourself!

Keaton Henson - Charon

This second song I’m plugging to you titled "You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are" is Henson's lead single - which is out NOW - from the album. On this record, he speaks so painfully but yet beautifully about the all the things he knows about his lover (ex-lover) that no one else does, least especially the new person she is with now. His ultimate question to her is, “does his love make your head spin?” and obviously this is the test of any true love - your head must spin! What ultimately gets you about this track is his openness - he talks about her quirky likes and dislikes plus the fact that she doesn't like to talk about her dad… Henson knows so much about this girl and shows it excellently that you can’t help but feel the loss he feels - she is supposed to be with him and nobody else. "Small Hands" and "Sarah Minor" also on Dear... are very similar to this track lyrically, in that he speaks about the things that he knows and misses about this girl. It’s all these intricate details he sings about that give you a bit of understanding on just how much he loved this girl and how painful this void he now bears is. Plus, it also got me thinking on whether my own lover makes my head spin… hmmm???

Keaton Henson - You Don't Know How Lucky You Are

The last track we will be selecting from Henson's Dear... is "Flesh and Bones", which in my opinion is a must listen! "Flesh and Bones" is a soulful song with so much pain and depth that it’s hard to take it all in, in just one listen. Thankfully, his acoustic style of music lets you really take in his beautifully written lyrics. "Flesh and Bones" speaks about his need for this other human being and how weary his body has grown from trying to make it on its own. He rips himself apart in the lyrics and I think it makes it that bit easier for the listener to share in his sorrow. He is totally consumed by this other individual, so much gloom and dread moves around him but all he can bring himself to truly worry about is the welfare of this other person that is no longer with him. His vocals on this track are untouchable, it’s so real! It’s almost like he’s so choked on emotions that he voice physically cracks at some parts but it somehow complements the story his lyrics tell. This is the sort of song you hear and automatically stop whatever it is you’re doing just so you can really listen. For me, "Flesh and Bones" is the heart of this album and really sums up what it’s all about. Hit the play button and partake in this addictive sorrow.

Keaton Henson - Flesh and Bone

Two other songs that I think are worth checking out from this album are "Small Hands" and "Party Song"; Small hands is another song that I truly love, not for the song itself but for the beautiful lyrics in this song, he share with us again all the intricate details he knows about this girl but also how he wishes her to forget about him completely as he attempts to move on. It is your typical break up song but with great lyrics! If you get a chance, pull up the lyrics while you listen - it helps you get into it more. "Party Song" is a very errr... honest song. Lets just say if he killed his exes' lover and the authorities heard this, he would be convicted instantly! But honestly, it is a very dark song that speaks of the sickness we all get in our tummies when we see our exes with someone new, Henson hits the nail right on the head with every lyric and ironically there is nothing party-ish about this song!

Keaton Henson is not an artist that goes in the like or dislike column, you either relate to it or you don't; his music is deeply personal, opened and unashamed. He doesn’t strive to get fans or jump into a certain genre; he makes music about pain familiar to him and the things and people he knows about, it just so happens that his music is 100% genuine and heartfelt that the listener cannot help but be enthralled and captivated by it and can certainly relate to it. Sometimes listening to his music and lyrics makes it seem as though we’re reading his personal diary and it’s very intense the things he writes about, but what’s so attractive about it is the fact that we all sometimes feel this bitterness and sadness but will never openly speak about it or let be known; and now to stumble across music like this that boldly speaks about things we feel but won’t say is absolutely divine! And for me, it’s one reason why I can’t just get enough of Keaton Henson. You listen to his songs and the lyrics stay on with you long after the music has stopped.

Keep Tabs on Keaton Henson: Facebook // Website // Vimeo

Jade O.

We Plug To You... Childish Gambino - CAMP

2011-11-14T00:09:00.000Z

I’m disappointed I hadn’t heard of Donald Glover prior to receiving the link to his latest album CAMP and if you’ve heard of the rapper who goes by the stage name Childish Gambino, you’re one up on me.

Born September 25, 1983, Donald Glover is an actor, a comedian, a writer and - adding to his list of talents - a rapper and a producer. He has attended the Dekalb School of the Arts in Atlanta, Georgia and also graduated from NYU with a degree in Dramatic Writing in 2006. No surprises there as Donald was a writer for Tina Fey's NBC series 30 Rock for two years and won the Writer's Guild of America Award for his work on the show's third season. He also starred in the popular US TV show Community as Troy Barnes as well as writing for Jon Stewart's The Daily Show amongst other roles in TV and Film. With music, Donald started out in college dropping a few mixtapes here and there, and by few I mean many. His most famous project till date - the album Culdesac - was released last year and now we feature his brand new album titled CAMP. To be precise, CAMP is his fourth album but first commercial release which is scheduled for release on November 15 under Glassnote Records. Lest I forget, Donald also DJs under the moniker mcDJ and has released a number of mixes under this name. I ask is there anything this man can’t do? Let's get into some of the amazing music to expect on CAMP, shall we?

We’ll start off with "Fire Fly" a track that sounds like it fits right in with the throwback rap music of the 90's. Excellently placed as the album’s second track in its sequencing, "Fire Fly" is the perfect song to begin our review because it reflects perfectly where Donald is in his life right now and on this record, he draws major attention to how people doubted him in the past but now recognize and appreciate not only his music, but also Glover as an artist and musician - a celebratory number highlighting Glover's hard work and perseverance. Lyrically, Donald shows major versatility with his witty lyrics and even occasionally cleverly taking jabs at himself. The vibrant musical backdrop - produced by Glover himself and his longtime collaborator, TV composer Ludwig Göransson is classic cruising music backed by grand "synth-y" keyboards, lush drum and horn arrangements and makes for a very well-rounded track.

"Fire Fly":

“But everybody thought it was jokes though, they’re half right the joke is I got flow so”

Next up is one of my favorite songs off of the album and a projected future hit titled "Heartbeat". The intro starts off with a pattern of piano chords and a kick bass drum, later joined by looping vocals from Donald rightfully building up anticipation for something the listener hardly expects. At the 0:49 minute mark, the composition completely expands - almost transforming - into heavy techno-driven instrumentals that prompt an instant head bopping motion from the listener. With such a sublime and very different production from Glover and Göransson, "Heartbeat" is easily one of the standout tracks on CAMP and sure to be a favorite for every listener. I really enjoy the way the song switches tempos while reflecting on relationships he has had with girls in his past in an almost Kanye-esque manner.

"Heartbeat":

“I was wrong, but would you have listened to you”

Let's take a little intermission shall we... "Letter Home" - which stands as the shortest track on CAMP or rather an interlude - reminds me of a track you would hear from Drake. Regardless on this, Donald seems so sincere and personal in his delivery that it stands out on the album and I feel it is worthy of several mentions. The resounding arrangement of violin strings accompanying Glover's lyrics and vocals seals off the track rather beautifully that I can only hope that the lucky girl for which "Letter Home" is for, gets to hear this.

"Letter Home":

“You’re the only girl that I have ever wanted, every other is trying to be you”

Choosing the last song to plug to you from this album was a long struggle but I finally settled on "Hold You Down". The saying, "write about your experiences" holds true for Glover and I'm amazed as to how he can keep talking - so openly - about his life while still consistently making good music and never compromising on its quality. On "Hold You Down", he refers so poignantly to the struggles and stereotypes he faced while growing up as a Black kid that you really need to listen carefully to this one. The piano chords heard throughout along with those well-placed hand claps and subtle drum patterns as well as the orchestrated violin arrangements that carry the chorus and round up the track at the end are the musical pieces that bring this song together and give it that dark serious tone while Glover's wordplay, delivery and sharp wit are sure not lacking on this song either.

"Hold You Down":

“You’re not NOT racist because The Wire is in your Netflix queue”

The 13-track CAMP LP is clearly all types of dope with standout tracks that are worthy of mention bursting at the seams on this album including the album's first single "Bonfire" - boasting of limitless puns and a great beat, "Sunrise" with its choir-filled chorus and church-like effects, "L.E.S" with its melancholy instrumentals, "You See Me" and "Kids (Keep Up)" just to mention a few. CAMP - produced by duo Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson - is definitely a solid album with clever, witty and personal lyrics created to match the album's sounds and instrumentation effortlessly. It comes in late in the year but it just might be one of the best Hip-Hop albums you will hear in 2011 and hopefully, Glover ranks music atop his list of things to do as we sure can’t wait to hear more from this artist. Make sure you cop the album once it drops - via the links below. CAMP gets an A+ and a standing ovation from We Plug GOOD Music.

Purchase: Childish Gambino - CAMP (iTunes)

Keep Tabs on Childish Gambino: Facebook // Twitter // Website

TemiY.

We Plug To You... Martyna Baker - The Demo's

2011-11-09T11:31:00.001Z

I first heard and saw Martyna Baker back in the Autumn of 2009 - it was a showcase for BBC Sound of 2011 nominee Daley, she was one of the two supporting acts to open for him - and despite the annoyingly noisy crowd and reception at the otherwise intimate Ruby Lo venue in London, Martyna Baker, along with her guitar, delivered a beautiful selection of acoustic songs that simply just blew me away. Unfortunately or otherwise, in the two years that have proceeded after that performance, I haven't seen or heard much of Martyna or her music except for news of an odd gig here or there but fast forward to this week and all that seems rather irrelevant because Ms. Martyna Baker has - out of nowhere - gone and released a short but sweet "introduction" if you will of her music to her wider audience by way of a 5-track EP simply titled Martyna Baker - The Demo's and can I just say right off the bat that it's an AMAZING debut EP from the London-based singer, songwriter and musician - without question!

As you know, this would usually be the point where I tell you a bit more about Ms. Martyna Baker but whether by design or simple coincidence, there is not one single biography anywhere online about Martyna - not on her Facebook page, not on her Tumblr, not anywhere - and on some level, I guess you could say that is a good thing because we can simply just focus on the music and infer from the music about the artist or person which is a much more delightful if not a much more insightful proposition PLUS it helps that the music that Martyna has chosen to put out into the world is nothing short of exceptional.

Martyna grabs your attention and doesn't let go of it from the very first song on this EP - the stunningly well-written "Love Fast" which is produced by one Dan Radclyffe aka Utters - which Martyna describes as her "baby" and rightly so because it is one gem of a record. "Love Fast" is led by lush slow building keyboard patterns and commanding drum patterns which are woven in and out of each other rather brilliantly by Utters and are all brought together beautifully by Martyna's beautiful and compelling vocals. Listen below to "Love Fast"

From the first track on the EP - "Love Fast" - we're gonna jump right into the final song on Martyna Baker - The Demo's titled "Don't Stop" which has to be my favorite song on this 5-track EP. Production on this one is also courtesy of Utters who does an incredible job of providing just the right musical milieu on not just this song and "Love Fast" but also on the entire EP for Martyna to beautifully express her lyrics and showcase her vocals. "Don't Stop" starts off quite dark and melancholic especially with the texture that Martyna's vocals take on this one and the somewhat eerily spacey musical backdrop - it's nothing short of captivating and you cannot help but hold on to every single word Martyna's uttering on this record - but it ventures into uplifting territories at each chorus with the final hook giving the song it's final victorious declaration - "Don't Stop".

I've now got one more song to share with you - as part of this feature - which is always the difficult disposition when you've got a record as good as Martyna's. I've gone for the song titled "Don't Take My Eyes" which sits comfortably in the middle of this EP but in reality, I could have gone for any of the songs on either side of it on the EP and would've still been happy with my final pick - all these songs from Martyna Baker are that good and it's that simple! "Don't Take My Eyes" is once again superbly produced by Utters and is backed by what sounds like xylophones as well as soft percussions and guitar strings upon which Martyna sings so effortlessly and so brilliantly.

What can I say in concluding that the music you've listened to so far has not already told you? Not very much, I can assure you and although not even featured on this feature, the other two songs that complete Martyna Baker - The Demo's - "Daydreams" and the Sam Dixon-co-written "Hold Hearts" - are very good pieces of work in their own right and are certainly worth every mention. It seems that Martyna and Radclyffe (Utters) are unto something here, the chemistry between these two simply oozes out of every record and you cnanot help but continue listening. I can only hope that now that we've been blessed with this "introduction" to Martyna and in many ways, to Utters (or at least in my own special case) who has served up a delicious musical milieu on this EP, that we will continue to be blessed with music from these two, whether individually or working together - it seems only fair to the world! Make sure you download the EP via the link below, it's absolutely FREE and you already know that music this good shouldn't be for free so get your DOWNLOAD on before Martyna changes her mind!

Download: Martyna Baker - Martyna Baker - The Demo's (Free Download)

Keep Tabs on Martyna Baker: Facebook // Tumblr // Youtube

Until the Next Time...

We Plug To You... Lucy Rose

2011-11-02T09:44:00.000Z

22-year old singer, song writer and musician Lucy Rose grew up in the country side and spent her early teenage years learning how to play the saxophone, piano, guitar and drums in the basement of the family house. By the age of 19, she made a run for London and started off singing in little rooms above pubs to a highly inebriated audience night after night. It wasn't long before her unique voice and songwriting abilities captured the ears of true fans which subsequently increased her gigging and put her on the radar. She’s been on the scene properly since the start of last year, is under the management of Black Book Management - who also manage Razorlight and Ghost Cat - and is currently supporting Ben Howard on his UK-wide tour. Lucy’s voice alone is capturing but coupled with her heart felt lyrics and beautiful melodies, her songs are just magical. She sings Acoustic/Folk/Pop in a way that keeps you captivated no matter what genre of music you are into. Here are a few tracks that made me an instant fan of Lucy Rose!

The first track I will draw your attention to is “Scar” - Lucy Rose's latest and newest single. For me, this track is a "just getting into a car and taking the most random road trip along the country side just because you can" kinda track! It is just so smooth and the way Lucy's voice gently goes over the musical milieu - excellently produced by Charlie Hugall - is so soothing and calming. She has a voice that you truly just enjoy listening to no matter what she’s singing - it enthralls you from start to finish. "Scar" is the sort of track that makes it difficult to pick your favourite bits, there are just so many! The arrangement of the melody alone is so interesting and different but not too much that it takes away from the overall ethos and flow of the song. And for this reason, "Scar" is my favourite track from Lucy. To be honest, I could listen to this track even if it were just the instrumentals - the melody is just so easy breezy - but what Lucy does on this song is beyond amazing + listen out for the guest vocals from Bombay Bicycle Club's Jack Steadman if you can! It’s like you can’t help but have a good day after you listen to this song...

Lucy Rose - Scar

“Middle of the Bed” is Lucy's first official single - released in August this year - and I think it’s a great choice for her first single as this track is upbeat, catchy and a good mix between Folk and Pop music. Apart from the gentle effective lyrics, this track has so many little quirky things happening in it that keep it fun and fresh every time you hear it. The lyrics are so simple but so beautifully written; it’s like a break up song when you’re still in a relationship- “I sleep in the middle of the bed, you don’t know if it’s ok to hold my hand…” At some point in the song, you do feel slightly sorry for the chap who hasn’t got a clue what to do or how to approach this closed off individual. I think this song captures the "are we together or not?" stage that every relationship goes through really well. There are bits of this song that sound more Electro or Synth-Pop than Folk but then the acoustic guitar arrangements come in and then you really just don’t know anymore but you still love it! If you heard the start and end of the song separately, you would be convinced they were two different songs, but you hear it all together and it just flows in really well and keeps your attention for the whole time. The instrumentals on every of these track really just do it for me - "Middle of the Bed" is yet another masterpiece from Charlie Hugall - and this is another one, I’ll quite happily listen to with just the instrumentals alone but why would I do that when I can have Lucy's unique vocals to guide me and add to the experience!

Lucy Rose - Middle Of The Bed

“Don’t You Worry” is another track from Lucy that really struck me. The beginning of this track doesn’t really grab your attention, to be honest it sounds like any other Folk/Pop song that eventually becomes catchy after repeated plays but the minute the hook on this comes in and the way her voice carries it is just… Let’s just say that if bliss had a sound, it would probably sound like this hook! And the fact that her lyrics reassure you that she isn’t leaving just makes you fall more in love with this track! I think everyone would love to have someone close to their hearts sing or dedicate this song to them. Just when you think the hook is what really makes the song, the bridge then comes in with amazing drums in the background that really just gives the song that added momentum! Her voice is so soft on the ears that even when she goes up a few notes, she takes you with her effortlessly. It’s like her voice pads the inside of your ears with cotton wool… forgive all my random descriptions but I’m literally telling you what it feels like. Have a listen and tell me if I’m crazy!

Lucy Rose - Don't You Worry (Live)

There’s something about Lucy Rose that reminds me of Ellie Goulding but with less drums. They have similar vocal ranges but Lucy’s voice is slightly softer than Ellie’s and there’s the live and organic feeling you get from listening to Lucy's songs (bearing in mind that most of her songs are indeed recorded live). Her voice and style of music is also quite similar to Yuna’s - their lyrics are heart felt but simple and their voices compliment every melody they sing on. The one thing I love about Lucy is that none of her tracks sound the same, she does something mildly different on each track that just works! Other tracks that I would recommend you listen to are "Place", "Gamble Like I Used to" and her duet with Bombay Bicycle Club called "Flaws" which is rather flawless - no pun intended - this particular track actually massages your brain! The melodies of both her and Steadman's voices - as evident on "Scar" - are so compatible, you can’t help but sit back and enjoy the track. Lucy Rose is definitely a relevant addition to this new generation and growing resurgence of Acoustic/Folk music which has been getting loads of attention this year and we predict many great things for Ms. Lucy Rose in the coming year!

You can download two amazing and amazingly FREE Lucy Rose tracks - "Night Bus" and "First" - if you click HERE NOW!

Purchase: Lucy Rose - "Scar" (iTunes) // "Middle of the Bed" (iTunes)

Keep Tabs on Lucy Rose: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Jade O

We Plug To You... Bridget Kelly - Every Girl

2011-10-27T10:36:00.002+01:00

I know nothing about music. That’s the conclusion I came to after I listened to Bridget Kelly for the first time today. I mean, how do I call myself a music connoisseur of high caliber and not ever have heard of Bridget Kelly. I’m just saying that if you would like to revoke my card right now, I would be totally OK with that. However, better late than never right? Exactly, right and just in case you are like me and you had never heard of Bridget Kelly - in all likelihood, you probably have but maybe not the music - until you came through here, let me introduce you to the sultry 23-year old singer, who quite frankly is probably one of the freshest voices I have heard in the R&B scene, all year long!

Bridget Kelly was born and raised in the neighborhood of Chelsea in New York City and began singing quite early, she recalls and was further determined to make music her career path during her education at the prestigious LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts in New York City. She met her management team in 2008 - who later that year had a once in lifetime meeting with Roc Nation’s A & R Team -- who went on to sign BK as she is fondly called her to a recording and publishing deal... The rest, as they say, is history!

A lot of you will recognize BK as the fill-in for Alicia Keys when Jay-Z has performed “Empire State of Mind” everywhere from MTV Europe Music Awards to Saturday Night Live to the Yankee Stadium. Now she’s stepping out from behind Jay-Z’s shadow and doing her SOLO thing with the release of her debut EP titled Every Girl and its highly rated on here. The EP is quite cohesive and Bridget Kelly is edgy, soulful, fresh, fun and all that makes for a great debut. But I reckon I'll let you be the judge on this, so let’s get to it right?

Seek and Destroy - Bridget Kelly

What you just heard is called "Seek and Destroy". Hands down, my favorite song on Every Girl without question and the best song on the entire EP really. The song - written by Terius Nash popularly known as The Dream - reveals that edginess in BK which I mentioned earlier. I love that the Shea Taylor-produced track is not as heavy as one might possibly expect with the lyrics - what with all the cursing and all - he brilliantly employs light drum patterns and guitar strings as the underpinning musical milieu for the song. The song was not intended to be angry, just assertive and it comes across so flawlessly, with BK’s voice still sounding as smooth as a baby’s skin. You already know this is about to be women’s anthem across the globe, right? I have imagined playing it for the next guy myself, just so we are clear and play our positions right.

“Let me tell you in your ear baby, you better not this fuck up or imma fuck you up”

Thinking About Forever - Bridget Kelly

I bet most of you recognize this track already. The story goes as follows... Odd Future's R&B leading man Frank Ocean wrote "Thinking about Forever" in particular for her and his recording of the song which was leaked was just a reference track - but you already knew that I'm sure. The problem with that is her version will continually be compared to his but I don't see it as an entirely bad thing because I think her version is so much better than his frankly. I know most of you might disagree, but give it a chance. There is something about her voice that perfectly connects the song, which is simply just beautiful to my heart that I have to close my eyes and just listen to the song.

"I’ve been thinking about you, do you think about me still? Do you?"

Every Girl - Bridget Kelly

This one here titled "Every Girl" - the song that inspired the EP title - is another song that excellently shows BK’s confidence and shows off her voice quite well. The James Fauntelroy II-written track tells us about a girl trying to fight for her man’s love by locating every other girl who has ever loved him and hurt them and while I am not sure how that helps her get her man, it definitely does make for a brilliant song. I would have sworn that these were words of a woman who was hurting and did not want to lose her man, so I find it interesting that, this and all the songs on this EP were written by men, and yet they connect to women’s thoughts so well. Maybe men really do understand women better than we think. The production - laced with catchy drum patterns and synth keyboard patterns - by Reginal "Sycience" Perry is quiet excellent and lush.

“The only reason that they’re all still alive, is cos I don’t know where to put em”

In the Morning - Bridget Kelly

What you just heard is called "In the Morning" and I have to first say that Shea Taylor who produces this track and also produces the first two tracks we plugged on this feature definitely deserves a mention - the bass-heavy drum patterns provide quite the dramatic and fitting backdrop upon which BK delivers beautifully. Secondly, no one had to tell me Neyo wrote this song - you can tell immediately - plus you can hear his voice in there, if you listen carefully. Lastly, I love this song, I really do. I can definitely relate and not like I will ever drunk dial anyone, but I definitely have been tempted to and I understand how my pride won’t let me say what I really feel. Its kind of like a cleaner version of Drake’s “Marvins room” you know (the late night drunk calling), evidence that sharing feelings while drunk is not gender specific.

"I love him, but I can only say it when I'm drunk and I'll deny it in the morning"

I'm afraid that’s all we've got time for today ladies and gents so what do you think of Bridget Kelly's Every Girl EP so far? I really like this EP, it's very cohesive and a really strong debut effort by Miss Bridget Kelly. Personally, I would have loved to see that she wrote these songs but getting the likes of The Dream and Neyo to pen some really decent tunes for you on your debut offering is pretty dope in itself - you can't be mad really - PLUS the fact that she did not write these songs and is still able to deliver them, not just musically but also emotionally as well, is actually kind of awesome. The Roc Nation signed recording artist definitely shines through in her extended play introduction and we at WE PLUG cannot wait for her debut album because if it's anything like what we've just heard - which it will be - then it will be an amazing debut from the NYC native. We will be following and supporting her career every step of the way and wish her all the best.

Download the 8-track Every Girl EP already >> its FREE // Alternative Link

Keep Tabs on Bridget Kelly: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Until the Next Time...

Neefemi

We Plug To You... Timi Dakolo - Beautiful Noise

2011-10-17T12:07:00.002+01:00

The date - May 26, 2007... The event - Season One of West Africa Idols... The Place - Planet One, Lagos, Nigeria. Suspense fills the air as the announcer starts off with "Now Africa, your votes has been counted... May I have the envelopes, please?", as a male and a female sway on stage and the crowd screams as the words that follow are, "the winner of Idols West Africa, 2007 is...". The winner of the first season of that reality talent show - the West African version of the popular Pop Idol TV series which debuted on British television in 2001 - is who we're plugging to you today! We Plug to You... Timi Dakolo.

One of three children born to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother who passed away when Timi was just 13 years old. Now thirty years old, the talented singer and songwriter credits his vocal prowess to his late grandmother who raised him in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He decided to audition for the West Africa Idols reality show in 2006 and became a fan favorite making the first top 24 shortlist - he would continue to make the shortlist till the very end and finally emerged the premiere winner of the show a year later.

Although the album with Sony BMG which was promised on West Africa Idols never materialised, now signed to Lone Records and managed by Now Muzik, Timi Dakolo released his 12-track debut album titled Beautiful Noise a few weeks ago (September 2011) after a four year wait. Beautiful Noise is produced by renowned Nigerian producers, Cobhams Asuquo and Wole Oni and it is quite obvious - considering the period between his win and the release of his debut album - that his fans have been in anticipation of his long awaited project for some time but was it worth the wait?

Musically, Timi Dakolo’s husky voice texture reminds me so much of the popular American Soft Rock/Easy Listening Singer/Songwriter who achieved great success in the late 80s and early 90s - Michael Bolton. The raspiness of his voice and his range is very comparable to Michael Bolton’s in every way and it is no wonder, Dakolo enlists Michael Bolton as one of his great inspirations

The Beautiful Noise album opens with a 25-second rendition of just Timi singing in his native Bayelsa language which is a really nice touch but we start our review on a solemn note with the penultimate song on the album - "There’s A Cry" is a song dedicated to the plight of the Niger Delta people of Nigeria who have been stripped of their natural essence and been made to live through violence. Timi’s singing on this is poignant and one can not help but feel the pain of the experience he sings about. According to Timi, “There is A Cry” is about the ills and deprivation of the Niger/Delta. "Port Harcourt was a very peaceful place when I was growing up and I miss those days”, the singer/songwriter recalls.

The song begins with the sound of children, the snapping of gun shots and cries of a woman before flowing into a beautiful piano introduction which maintains its softness and depth as it plays throughout the song to form it's musical backdrop joined by soft and deft drum patterns. Orchestral in musical delivery, Timi picks his lyrics meaningfully and coveys the spirit of the song beautifully. At 4.05, there’s a piano interlude that builds up and the wave comes down where Timi comes in with his vocals again and delivers the lyrics that questions the emotions some more. Warning: your eyes may just well up when you take a listen.

"There's A Cry":

“There’s a cry from a river, that has no where to flow // And the part of the river was lost so long ago...”

Next song up to plug from Beautiful Noise is “I Love You (Remix)”, a pre-released single that I’d come across sometime ago. It is quite interesting to see that the album contains about 7 love songs and this is one of the headliner ones. Upbeat pop licks and claps come in at the intro to this one with Nigerian rapper/producer Jesse Jagz flowing in a few bars later, with his signature rap lines on the first verse and also later in the third verse. Timi is a lover boy in this song and renders a lot of pickup lines to get his choice girl albeit soulfully. I particularly like the play around with staccato on the line, "I I I I I love you" in the chorus which kind of sounded like he was stuttering his lines because of his overwhelming feelings for the object of his attraction - quite creative I must say.

"I Love You (Remix)":

“Let It Shine” - which is the first proper song on the album after a short acapella introduction - is a well crafted and touching "grass to grace" story song from Dakolo. A song simply laid with guitar strings and relaxed drum kicks, it is an adaptation of the familiar gospel children’s song, sometimes regarded as a Negro spiritual, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine”, which Timi gives his own unique spin. It beautifully tells the story of him growing up as a child and encouraging himself to be the best he can be and is accompanied by great backing choral vocals and harmonies that complement Dakolo's leading vocals and the simplistic musical backdrop upon which the song is laid. This song portrays his Neo-Soul musical side akin to Anthony Hamilton - very American and new soul generation in sound and definitely worth a good few listens.

"Let It Shine":

"Heaven Please" which features prolific Nigerian rapper M.I is another of my favorite songs on the album. This - the fifth track on Beautiful Noise - starts with M I’s signature vocalisms and soft rock sounds - lush electric guitar and bass guitar arrangements - with audience effects and applauses, M.I’s rap verse blends in with the electric guitar twangs that accompany it and at about 1.03 minutes, Timi starts to sing effortlessly over the adept combination of drum patterns and guitar strings - begging heaven to get the attention of the subject of his attraction - and the outcome is just on point! This song is most reminiscent of Michael Bolton with the soft rock feel and all.

"Heaven Please":

Other tracks worth checking out on Beautiful Noise are “So Beautiful” - an Afrobeat-influenced duet with Elvis Larry where Timi sings in Yoruba - it’s a nice sing-along, feel good, and dance rhythm love song. “Raise The Roof” featuring Cobhams Asuquo is a catchy and body-moving Club/Dance song that Timi adds to the mix to give Beautiful Noise a genre balance appeal of sorts. It is a high energy upbeat song that starts off with a Pop and Lock water drop sound effect (my favorite part) with Cobhams singing along with some rap lines. This will certainly have all the party people raising their hands and moving to the hook line - “la la la la”. “Is It Over” on the other hand - a duet with Joan Ekpai - is a beautiful touching, and soulful rendition about an ending relationship that is 100% worth visiting.

Timi Dakolo has surely not disappointed his fans with this release. His signature sound continues to give credibility to his West Africa Idol win and if he continues to make good music like this, he will surely be around for a long time and leave his mark in the sands of the good music scene in Nigeria and beyond. The album Beautiful Noise definitely shows that he has put a lot of planning and organization to the project, a time well worth it. The songs are poignant; the vocals, fresh; the collaborations are well chosen, the production, tight and the mix, impressive. If you need a decent number of love songs to simply bask in or to express yourself with, then Beautiful Noise is a worthy recommendation but much more than that, it gets my stamp for great music, undoubtedly.

Purchase: Timi Dakolo - Beautiful Noise (iTunes)

Until the Next Time

Tosinger

We Plug To You... Ben Howard - Every Kingdom

2011-10-10T11:53:00.002+01:00

Last week (October 3, 2011), one of my favorite artists so far this year and - in my opinion - one of the best new artists of 2011 released his debut album via Island Records. Born and raised in Devon (United Kingdom) and with a certain penchant for classic 60s and 70s singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens which he picked up from his very musical parents, this 24-year old British "acoustic troubadour" and "keen surfer" dropped out of a Journalism course at Falmouth College (six months before graduation) in 2008 to pursue music full-time.

The outcome - three years down the line - is a recording contract with the label home of the likes of legends such as Nick Drake and John Martyn, a BBC Radio 1 playlisted single in the very excellent "Keep Your Head Up" which we will explore much later, an army of devoted followers that have led to numerous sold-out headline gigs in not only the UK but also in France, Germany and Holland and a fifty minutes long 10-track debut LP that is one of the BEST ALBUMS OF 2011... His name is Ben Howard and the album is called Every Kingdom.

Recorded in a converted barn in his hometown Devon with Howard's cellist and vocalist India Bourne and producer Chris Bond who is also on bass and drums, Every Kingdom boasts of perfectly crafted Acoustic/Folk songs with amazing melodies, compelling songwriting from Howard and beautiful musical arrangements from the trio (Howard, India and Chris) - who have been playing, recording and gigging for a long time that their chemistry and awareness oozes out of every song on this album - from the album's opener and lead single "Old Pine" which is backed by lush guitar solo arrangements and Howard's rootsy and tender vocals to the final track "Promise" which frustratingly bubbles under for about fifty seconds before Howard and India's vocals intertwining with the gentle guitar strings and India's delicate cello arrangements prove to be all the more worthwhile making for a more that fitting album closer.

One of my early favorites from Every Kingdom is the album's third and current single which was released back in August and playlisted on BBC Radio 1 - the sublime and exquisite "Keep Your Head Up". Uplifting and empowering both in lyrical content and musical arrangement, this song is the closest Ben Howard comes to "Radio friendly" but while that term may ordinarily conjure up not so pleasant conceptions, "Keep Your Head Up" lands very very far from that sentiment - on the opposite side on the spectrum even. This song - kicking off with lush guitar strums to gel well with Howard's husky and rich vocals, ascending cello and drum arrangements that crescendo brilliantly and an instantly sing-along hook - will draw you in completely and hold you captive to the "Feel Good" - not like it would ever be against your will.

"Keep Your Head Up":

"Diamonds" - the second track off of Every Kingdom after the opener, "Old Pine" - is another early favorite of mine which not only shows Howard's excellent songwriting abilities that do amazingly to convey an entirety in little over four minutes and his certain knack for melodies that stick with you long after you've stopped listening but also perfectly displays his intricate guitar playing technique and the glowing synergy between him, India and Chris in bringing a record to life - India's backing vocals on carefully selected sections of Howard's verses and on the chorus only add to the enchantment of "Diamonds" along with the choral harmonies at 3:13 minutes that are deserving of every mention while Chris' drum arrangements are nothing short of impeccable.

"Diamonds":

Speaking of impeccable, impeccable or rather impeccably is how Ben Howard manages to convey the warning and very profound message on "The Fear" over the most rapturous of musical backdrops. Where the lyrics of "The Fear" speak of worrying of losing the ones we hold dear, of living our lives "in the confines of fear" and of becoming what we deserve, the music of "The Fear" is a joyous blend of lush guitar strings, minimal and then soaring drum patterns and blissful harmonies and the combination of the two will leave you confused as to whether to dance uncontrollably around a camp fire or whether to call your mother and tell her that you love her - in the end, you just have to do both because Howard is so compelling in lyrics and in music.

"The Fear":

It is no wonder at all that Ben Howard's Every Kingdom debuted at at an impressive number 7 on the UK Album Charts announced yesterday (October 9). Records this excellent should automatically come with commercial success even though that is not always the case so we are more than glad for Mr. Howard but more pertinently, we are glad for Good Music. However back to Every Kingdom, asides the three songs we've carefully selected above to plug to you from this record and with the strong risk of now mentioning every other song on the album as worth checking out or immersing yourself in, we must at the very least mention the exceptionally written and sung "Everything" with it's gentle guitar play, adept minimalism, lush vocal texture and a wisdom in content that should be well beyond Howard's relatively young mind. Where "Everything" takes the minimalist route to talk brilliantly about the inevitability of change, another of our favorite songs and last week's iTunes Single of the Week, "Only Love" seems to be bursting through the seams with unreserved passion and emotion - from the raw and ascending guitar strings to the commanding backing vocals - about love! "Black Flies" - essentially a break-up song but told with such apt and grace and "Gracious" are excellent songs too.

We don't do ratings here but if we did, Every Kingdom would sit very uncomfortably on 4.5/5 because of the real need for it to be rated higher than that - it is that good and that much more, the only reason it wouldn't get a straight 5/5 is purely because I have a tiny issue with the extra minute or so that was added to the album version of "The Wolves" (nothing against this version and the addition per se but it was fine as it was I reckon) but by God, does Every Kingdom not just ooze of all kinds of goodness. These songs feel so familiar to you and form a bond with you even after only a couple listens that you just see yourself listening to them again and again and again in the foreseeable or unforeseeable future.

The truth of the matter is this - Ben Howard's debut album Every Kingdom is an amazing body of work and at ten songs that span only 50 minutes, it never feels too long or unnecessary protracted but with each song at four minutes or over (two songs lead to over six minutes), it doesn't too short either and each song let you marinate in it properly - it's message, it's story, it's feeling, it's emotion! It is a beautiful album!

Ben Howard is on a SOLD OUT UK-wide tour this month and has just announced a Winter tour that will be kicking off in December and lasting all the way through to February and I implore you to please try and catch this young man and his band at one of those dates - make sure you buy the album right now not only so you can sing along when his tour comes to your city but also because it is as I said in the beginning, one of THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2011 - it will be WELL worth it!

Purchase: Ben Howard - Every Kingdom (iTunes) // Amazon

Until the Next Time...

Peace, Love and Good Music

We Plug To You... Show Dem Camp - The Dreamer Project

2011-10-01T12:50:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone, it's the start of the best month ever. What, you didn't know October was special? Well it is, because it's my birth month and I'm awesome even if I do say so myself. But this is not why you are here and that's fair. The good news is that you are about to be introduced to another dope act from Nigeria. We seem to be churning great acts en mass out of the motherland and I must say I am really impressed as is obvious by the fact that my last couple reviews have been Nigerian Acts and the international recognition that a few of our artists have gotten in recent months only goes to show. Its definitely a good look and that is why I am proud and dare I say honored to introduce to you the duo Olumide 'Ghost' Ayeni and Wale 'Tec' Davis that make up the group Show Dem Camp (SDC) with the release of their debut album The Dreamer Project.

Show Dem Camp burst into the scene in 2009 with a few hot singles, commanding immediate attention and were appropriately coined "The Best Hip-Hop Duo in Africa" shortly after. They had brought a fresh look to the rap scene that Nigerians and Africans at large had been waiting for since M.I came out years prior. A year later, they released the 13-track deep mixtape The Clone Wars which garnered them even more respect. Together with the release of some poignant music videos for songs such as "So Appalled" and "Mind Control" that dealt with issues that affected the country, they made clear why they chose the name "Show Dem" - showing how to use one's art to bring about conscious awareness, change and still have some fun and make people happy.

A year later and now we have a full album from SDC and it is definitely worth the $6.99 its being sold for. I had it on repeat for the first couple days I had it, and by the time I share some of the songs from The Dreamer Project with you on here, I expect that you will be bringing out your cards to cop your own copy. Ghost and Tec really deliver on this one and the features of renowned names like Nneka, TuFace and MI alongside relatively new acts like May D, Eva and Lucci do not disappoint as well. You see what I did there? I just wrote an epistle without having you listen to the music for yourself. My bad guys, lets get right into the music then.

Gettin You - SDC

I had to start with my favorite song on the album and what you just heard is titled "Getting You" which features Benny P with production from Jusa Dementor. This one is a Straight Club Banger - I so love that term I'm about to have it trademarked (you saw it here first though). This Jusa Dementor production - backed largely by lush drum patterns - is so on point, the drummer kills it entirely and you can never go wrong with a reggae flow on a track. That's what I love about this album, they incorporate many different genres of music, yet remaining true to their craft. I also love the fun side of SDC that you can hear on this here song.

"I'm getting you DJ"

Talk About It - SDC

I already mentioned how socially conscious the duo are and this song here is one in which they channel their socially conscious side yet again to speak the truth to their listeners. The Show N Prove-produced "Talk about It" which features legendary singer/songwriter Tuface is a song that talks about Africans needing to stand up, speak up for themselves and speak the truth as well as the need to do more than just that but also to take action. I love how real this song is and how powerful and influential it can be. I dare you to put Tuface - who has to be the most prominent act of our generation - on a record and have it turn out to be trash, its damn near impossible and his flow on here gives this track the legitimacy it needed.

"Can i change the country with a song? I feel a bit naive for even asking. I know everybody has their flaws, but really whats required is some passion"

Wetin I Go Do - SDC

You already know I had to plug in the love song right? We don't want you leaving here thinking SDC had nothing for the females on here. What you just heard is called "Wetin I Go Do" and ladies, they simply ask what they have to do for your love. If they promised to sing to me every day, I would be so down for them, wouldn't you? Its a very chilled and laid-back song musically with catchy keyboard patterns and drum arrangements and I love it - the overall production on this record courtesy of IKON is actually quite dope. Ghost totally kills it on his verse by the way, I like his cool and calm approach to talking to a girl.

"What happened to love? That's the million naira question. Everybody's searching for love. Me, myself i've found love you know, lost love. But, through it all i realized love is a beautiful thing. Everybody needs love."

Na So We See Am - SDC

I could not figure out what the last song to share with you should be. The album is 18 tracks deep and it really is an awesome debut record which is receiving it's all well deserved hype. I thought I had to plug this one right here called "Na So We See Am" just so you can hear the duo's craft 100% unadulterated. Tec delivered something beautiful on the first verse that it deserved a special mention. Together though, this song is straight fire on all levels - they both laid their verses heavy and the production on here from Kurt is complementary heavy as well - and the outcome is simply a great hip-hop track. 100% Hip-Hop!

"Of course, you claim to be a boss too, but we never see you, the streets do not endorse you"

Bonus track I hear you screaming? Ok, alright why not. Here's "Keep Your Eyes On Me" which features Soul singer/songwriter Nneka and one of my favorite upcoming artists May D who also features on "Farabale" (another hot joint off this album). The Farhot-produced "Keep Your Eyes On Me" is a beautiful Soulful Hip-Hop laced with poignant verses from Ghost and Tec, compelling vocal and lyrical showings from Nneka and May D as well as lush synths and drum patterns from Farhot, listen below...

Eyes On Me - SDC

Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. You really ought to have bought this album by the time you reached the end of this post as you certainly will NOT be disappointed with it. Show Dem Camp are the truth and their debut album The Dreamer Project is all kinds of GOOD Music - we shared with you (not even three songs as we usually do) five really dope songs just so you know. I bet the recognition that will follow from the success of this album will be my "I told you so". We at WPGM certify them GOOD MUSIC and wish them all the best...

Purchase: Show Dem Camp - The Dreamer Project

Till Then,

Peace, Love and Good Music

Neefemi

We Plug To You... WAYLAYERS

2011-09-29T10:46:00.002+01:00

Not the biggest Indie or Electro pop fan but I do appreciate good music when I hear it and Waylayers make good music! The three piece London based band came into existence mid-2009 and since then have steadily gained the attention of fans everywhere. Their Electro pop sound or as they like to call it - "Atmospheric Pop" - keeps them current and relevant in today's music landscape but also goes a long way to widen their existing fan base plus it does help that they pull off their sound remarkably well. With tracks that echo in your head long after the song is over and gloriously catchy hooks, this band is set to grab the attention of a lot more ears at an alarming rate! Although formed in the way most amateur bands are, the sounds of the Waylayers goes past their early beginnings with the great level or artistry and professionalism that is put into every track.

I cannot say that their sound is different because it isn’t but it definitely is fresh sounding when you look back on the sounds that we have been bombarded with over the last two years. The sound of Waylayers feels like a cross between the electric sound of The Killers, Keane, and the Kasier Chiefs with the vocals of Chris Martin, but you listen closer and it sounds a bit like Moxie Black too (or maybe it’s just me). They’ve got all the underpinnings of a good Indie band while drawing on bits and pieces of Britrock which has led to some pretty top tracks. They stay true to their genre and keep our feet tapping and head bobbing.

Every track that I've heard from Waylayers kicks off nicely but for me, the songs that get your feet tapping the most and really grab your attention are "Hear No Lies", "Weightless" and "Farsighted". I’ve heard 9 tracks from this band and while they are all really good, I’d like to point out these three tracks in particular that stood for me and got my feet tapping to the melody the most!

"Hear No Lies" is their first official single from their EP Weightless and rightly so! This track goes in from the get go with brilliant Synth & Electronica sounds from start to finish. You really get a feel of the Electro Pop vibe in this song and the catchy and very true hook definitely make this track memorable! This is one track I had on a constant loop from the first hearing! The upbeat drum kicks keep you bopping your head for the duration of the track while the vocals are so on point and create an amazing build up at different parts of the song all together keeping it very lively. The interesting melody of the track leaves you wanting more which will explain me having it on constant repeat after my first listen; let’s see if I’m alone on this!

Waylayers - Hear No Lies

This second track, "Weightless" is another captivating song that gets you into it from the get go - with the excellent use of synth keys, lush drum patterns and guitar strings all gelling together beautifully. The simple catchy hook doesn’t hurt either but adds to the overall flow of the track and keeps you tuned in right to the last beat. What stands out from this track is the clean fast paced melody that takes you through the track. The production on every song is so professionally done that it’s hard to believe that is a band that originated from the bedroom of one of the band members.

I do have to admit it sounds a lot like a Coldplay song and the lead vocalist’s vocals don't help either with trying to create a clear distinction. However that’s the thing about it - three boys that started out of a bedroom a year and a half ago can create a track that can be compared to the likes of Coldplay and sound amazing definitely says something! That is what gets me about this band… their music goes past their recent beginnings. Their sound isn't exactly different but it’s refreshing, relevant and done right. Every single track is tight and very well (and professionally) produced and crafted.

Waylayers - Weightless

"Farsighted..." is the third song that stuck out for me from this London-based trio. It’s hard to describe the sounds you get from this track but it just sorta picks you up. The thing about Waylayer's music - and Electro Pop in a wider picture - is the fusion of so many odd sounds in a way that creates a melody that’s hard to take apart but pleasant to listen to and for me that’s what this track does. I also enjoy the change in tempo as the hook comes in; it catches you unaware and zones you back into the song. All the little quirky sounds on this track really come well together to give this track something hard to describe but interesting to listen to.

Waylayers - Far Sighted

Like I said earlier, there isn't anything remarkably different about the sound of this band and it isn't anything you haven't heard before and that is not a bad thing but what is remarkable is just how right they get it! It is music that is just good and truly enjoyable! Waylayers are definitely a band to watch out for, there has been little talk of them releasing an official album yet, but if these few tracks are anything to go by then you can expect nothing but Good music from them! PLUS if these three tracks aren't enough proof that this band is totally awesome and heading in the right direction then please check out these other tracks from the band which also stood out for me - "Big Machines" and "Sinking In" which are both from the Weightless EP, and "Like We Used to" which is from week four of their Facebook Pledge.

You should check out their Facebook Page for their Facebook Pledge which involves them writing and releasing a new song every week for the foreseeable future - their latest and sixth song to be released via the Facebook Pledge is the brilliant Pop/Dance song "S.O.S (Leave Alone)". They'll also be playing two London gigs in October at Notting Hill Arts Club (11/10/11) and at The Borderline (15/10/11) with a 4-city tour planned for Germany at the end of the year so definitely keep your ears peeled for Waylayers.

Purchase: Waylayer - Hear No Lies (iTunes Single)

Keep Tabs on Waylayers: Facebook // Twitter // Youtube

Jade Oyatz

We Plug To You... Alyxx Dione - September

2011-09-25T15:56:00.000+01:00

Singer/Songwriter Alyxx Dione’s new album titled September dropped in my inbox on the first day of the month and being a September baby, I was very eager to listen. Known popularly for her YouTube uploaded covers to chart topping hits such as "Best I Ever Had" (Drake), "Russian Roulette" (Rihanna), "Run The World" (Beyonce) and "Do It Like a Dude" (Jessie J) to name a few, Alyxx has managed to gain quite a fan base for herself. Even more recently, after covering one of this year’s most re-made tracks - Drake's "Marvin’s Room" - her recognition grew even bigger. Her version ranks as one of the best I’ve heard, overshadowing top artists who also attempted the song. This newly found spotlight couldn’t have been a better time for Alyxx to drop her free debut album September.

New York native, Alyxx currently resides in Los Angeles, California where she's pursuing a musical path instead of a career in fashion designer which was the earlier plan/dream and she lists notable female artists such as Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, Mary Mary and Destiny’s Child as her musical influences and inspiration. She began writing and producing all on her own at the age of 11 so it’s really no surprise that all the tracks on the album September were written and mixed by Alyxx herself plus she also designs the artwork for her album September. This album serves as a medium for Alyxx to connect with her fans as the 9 songs featured on September all tell their own story of series of events that have happened in Alyxx's young life. Her soft angelic vocals resonate well on this debut album and the sky’s the limit for this young artist.

The first track I plug to you is one of the Pop-Dance tracks on the album. "Fall Down" starts off with a solo beat pattern accompanied by Alyxx’s powerful voice leading us into the track and soon after, synths and futuristic instrumentals come in to blend beautifully with her vocals. If I was caught off guard without a view at the artist name, I’d say this could easily be a track from Diddy’s now defunct girl group Danity Kane. I liked how Alyxx sang in different ranges; from using a deeper tone on the verses to using a higher pitch on the chorus. The different instrumental arrangements also give a good balance to the upbeat track plus this song has an instant moving appeal and huge potential in becoming a huge girl-power anthem as it talks about letting go and not falling for someone who’s done you wrong - listen below.

Fall Down:

This next track "Dysfunctional" kind of crept up on me and I found myself hitting replay every time this one came on. The simplicity to the song draws you in first as it is backed majorly by an acoustic guitar. Hints of a violin can also be heard in the backdrop lingering perfectly as these stringed instruments put together in harmony back the story of a dysfunctional love. Again, a true narrative draws up the emotion that Alyxx’s fans can relate to as she sings, “we can break up and come back to each other our dysfunctional love”. I think it’s funny that so many girls would be able to relate to this track, but remember dysfunctional isn’t always good - listen below to the beautifully crafted and beautifully sung acoustic ballad.

Dysfunctional:

The third and final track I plug is the album's title-track "September" and the song continues on the theme from previous track you just heard, "Dysfunctional". This to me is the most aptly put together song on the whole album as the lyrics of reminiscing back to a time when life was good with a significant other is accompanied by lush soft drum kicks and ample guitar plucks. The track lives somewhere between the Pop and R&B genres and the laid back recording works for good listening fit for any time of the day, week or month. Her vocals exude sincerity and the instrumentals are of world-class production. I’ll let this one sell itself, check out the awesome track below.

September:

The album's 9 tracks flow beautifully in a personal story-like form as Alyxx mentioned it narrates her life’s events. Asides the tracks we've plugged to you above, the album opener "Girlfriend" and "Easy" are also top songs to check out, while the chirpy track "Pursuit of Happiness" with its slight upbeat tempo and message serves as an ideal way to end the album. I loved the album for its open sincerity, meaningfulness and that it’s filled with emotion. September has great likeable appeal and Alyxx’s take on Pop music is one that fits her vocal style very well. I also can’t help but wonder if it features only 9 tracks as its aptly titled after the 9th month. Whichever way, do your ears a favor by downloading the easy-listening album below. According to Alyxx Dione, “Music is my passion and one of the many ways I express myself”. We say go right ahead Ms. Dione, we’re 100% listening.

Download: Alyxx Dione - September (Album)

Keep Tabs on Alyxx Dione: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Temi Y

We Plug to You... A.V.I.D (A Voice I Deserve)

2011-09-21T10:14:00.000+01:00

Blog surfing a few months ago, I stumbled across A.V.I.D while one of his tracks was set to auto play on the ‘said blog’. With Neo-Soul being one of my favorite genres, I listened to the song playing and a few other tracks featured and was immediately drawn to this Tanzanian native.

Born Tinashe Bgoya, A.V.I.D - which stands for A Voice I Deserve - hails from one of Tanzania’s largest cities – Dar es Salaam. He certainly is not new to music and boasts of a burgeoning catalogue of beautiful R&B and Soul tracks. Like most artists, A.V.I.D recognized his talents early on and by the age of 7 to be precise, he started taking music lessons to develop his skills and I must applaud A.V.I.D for in a time where most would have given up as a result of not having the right resources to record having been thrust into boarding school, he instead turned to writing and based on the quality of songs he has on offer, he has shown that he is just as good a writer as he is a vocalist. A.V.I.D - apart from his solo work - is also one half of the band named Sy-Meez which he’s currently working on a project with. With no solo album to his credit yet, 3/4 available tracks on his Reverbnation page will be reviewed here giving you an introduction to his music...

The first song I plug should be quite familiar to most of you. It’s a piano cover of a song titled "Marry Me" originally performed by the band Train off of their 2010 album Save Me, San Francisco. The real beauty with this song lies in the simplicity of the instrumentals, which let the meaningful lyrics resonate through leaving you emotional on every listen. A.V.I.D - on his version - uses the songs original lyrics while adding his almost flawless vocals singing to this timeless original backed solely by soft piano notes. I’m happy I got reacquainted with this song again as I would be recommending this version to a dear friend pretty soon. And if it’s still not obvious why I would easily classify this song as simplicity beautified, join the million fans that have digitally downloaded the original version by clicking play below.

"Marry Me (Train Cover)":

Jumping ship to the Neo-Soul genre, we hear A.V.I.D lay his silky vocals on the track titled "One Woman Man". On this song, he reminisces about his past, sending the message he’s finally found someone who he’s much willing and ready to settle down with by letting go of his "player-type" days to start a better life - talk about growing up. Easily, this track ranks atop with songs from the Bilals' and Jill Scotts' of the Neo-Soul domain. I especially also like his addition of the classic throwback adlibs, "freak freak y’all and we don’t stop", which AVID raps at the end of each chorus and before the start of the next verse. The line as you may already know was made popular on tracks such as "Love of My Life" by Common and Erykah Badu and "Freak Y’all" by Black Sheep. Showcasing his dynamic voice, A.V.I.D sings the heartfelt lyrics over a simple beat rhythm backed by infectious drum and bass guitar patterns and infused with smooth and lush melodies and vocal harmonies.

"One Woman Man":

On this last plug, A.V.I.D switches up to his R&B side as heard on the track "Think of Me Too". The song embodies the classic R&B style including a nice drum and baseline rhythm with a medley of stringed instruments led by lush keyboard patterns. Unfortunately, the title gives much off already about the song but it talks about a love interest he can’t seem to stop thinking about. Lyrically, the chorus can be labeled elementary but the words are sung perfectly to generate the raw emotion he was going for on the song. With A.V.I.D singing “I just hope that you are thinking of me too” as a hopeless romantic, this is easily one of my favorite songs from him.

"Think of Me Too":

I purposely featured tracks performed by A.V.I.D that cut across different genres just to highlight his ability to vocally adapt and basically beast on versatile music styles. That itself made debating what three tracks to plug from him quite a challenge, but I hope you like the ones I did share. His songwriting abilities really impress me and his love for music can be felt through his songs and I’m appreciative of the few singles A.V.I.D has made up for free downloads online because you definitely want to check out tracks like "I Need 2 Know" and "Let Me" which are not featured in this post. Music this refreshing can only mean one thing, a diverse album that’s sure to keep you wanting more - when he releases one of course!

Keep tabs on A.V.I.D: Facebook // Reverbnation // Twitter

Download: A.V.I.D (Reverbnation)

TemiY

We Plug to You... Ozzy B - Diaries of a Loner

2011-09-13T11:22:00.000+01:00

It’s not so often that I offer to review a mixtape/album before I hear the finished product. That’s exactly what happened though, when my friend sent me some unfinished tracks by the artist I am about to introduce to you. So I hit my friend back to ask who this was? I had never heard of him before and I was pleasantly surprised. His voice, his delivery, and the lyrics come absolutely correct and I’m glad that with the full mixtape now out, he did not disappoint me. I have to apologize for the late review, as the mixtape came out in July, but this is a great way to start the new month I promise. Without further ado then, meet the Nigerian rapper/singer and songwriter, Ozzy B - who brings to us a fresh sounding vibe on his debut into the music industry in Diaries of a Loner.

This 18-year old (is it just me or are artists coming out younger and younger each year? I digress) has masterfully keyed in to what has been a prevailing trend in Hip-Hop music in recent years - story telling, especially as it relates to the female species + no heavy punch-lines, but enough to make you smile at the ingenuity or sometimes, the lack of + great beats. Drake comes to mind as an easy example of this, Ozzy B mentions him and Kanye West as two of his influences and its quite evident that he means that literally as he emulates his mentors a lot on this mixtape (especially Drake) while still staying unique to where he comes from - let's listen to some music, shall we?

Anime And Video Games (Prod. Bankyondbeatz)

What you just listened to is a BankyondaBeatz-produced track titled "Anime and Video Games" - very interesting title, I might add. This is probably my favorite track on Diaries of a Loner, probably because what would have been my favorite track is way too short to share on here (by the way, Ozzy B imma need you to make "Love Stains" a full song, thank you very much). I love his delivery on this song, which is backed largely by Old School-styled drum machine patterns courtesy of BankyondaBeatz, and I like that it has that ‘freestyle’ feel to it - it’s just him doing his thing and you can hear the raw talent he possesses. What do you guys think about this?

All Over Me (Prod. By GMK)

What you just listened to is called "All Over Me" or as I like to call it - "It's Time To Dance". I love the up-tempo dance musical backdrop on this one - backed largely by loud trumpets, synths and drum kicks - upon which Ozzy B flows effortlessly - switching his style from a laid-back flow on the opening verse to Pidgin English on the hook to an (unflattering) attempt at "Jamaican Patios" on the second verse. Shout out to GMK on the production because he does a fine job on this song as with all the other songs he produces on Diaries of a Loner with "Holla" being another one definitely worth a mention.

Cool Kid

Fire. Straight Fire. What you just heard is titled "Cool Kid". The production on here is heavy - there’s that Afrobeat element to it emphasized by the lush horn patterns and some futuristic thing going on as well - and this is the kind of song I would love to hear performed live. Ozzy B is not too overshadowed by the large production of the track, he holds his own and has me even questioning if he is really Nigerian as he channels Lil Wayne heavily on this song? I do love how he is able to switch it up between different flows and styles on Diaries of a Loner and I think he is a very talented artist - he is neither trying to force it nor fake it and you can tell that he is having fun with his music but at the same time, hungry enough to show that he is not to be taken lightly.

Rock With You (Prod. By G.M.K)

As a bonus track, I thought to end with this song because... Well it samples the greatest that ever did it, the late Michael Jackson. A very bold move from the emerging artist and if this song had turned out bad, it would have nullified the good work he had put in on the entire mixtape (in my opinion). "Go big or go home" is what I usually say and Ozzy B handles this one rather smoothly I think, lacing his verses appropriately and here for the first time we hear his potential to sing. What do you guys think about this one?

I could go on and on about this mixtape and with 21 songs to pick from, I was not lacking of choices for this review so let me be the first to tell you that you cannot really appreciate Ozzy B’s talent without downloading the mixtape down below. Musically on Diaries of a Loner, producers G.M.K and Bankyondabeatz both deserve a huge mention for crafting out a sonically-appealing body of work - I especially love Bankyondabeatz' work on a track titled "Models". I also have to mention that the featured artists and collaborations on the mixtape did pretty well to make Diaries of a Loner a must listen - most noticeable of which are Tomi Thomas ("Another Day"), female rapper Tesh Carter ("One Time For The Team") and Yung Killing WTF ("All Over Me")

Ozzy B has definitely crafted one of Nigeria’s best mixtapes and with time, I see him totally being amongst the prominent faces of Nigerian Hip-Hop music. We certify this GOOD Music and wish him all the very best.

Till the Next Time...

Peace, Love and Good Music

Neefemi

We Plug To You... Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm

2011-09-03T12:08:00.000+01:00

I’m almost livid at myself for not immediately recognizing the amazing talent oozing out of Benjamin Francis Leftwich until my 14 year-old sister pointed it out. But for what it’s worth, I’m glad I listened. I plug to you 21-year old singer/songwriter Benjamin Francis Leftwich a native from York, England.

I find it interesting that Leftwich has decided to be known by his full name in a case where most artists tend to shorten their legal names or more often than not, alternatively come up with a catchy stage name. Leftwich grew up listening to artists such as The Rolling Stones and Nina Simone and by the tender age of 10, unsurprisingly could play the guitar and piano. Fast-forward to more recent years and a drive to pursue his musical talent, Leftwich released his first EP A Million Miles Hit in October 2010. Another EP Pictures followed in early 2011 before the release of the the Ian Grimble-produced Last Smoke before the Snowstorm; his debut album in July 2011. The debut album and previous EPs were all released under the Dirty Hit label.

Asides releasing his own music over the years, Leftwich is also known for his several radio appearances on Dermot O'Leary’s Saturday Sessions on BBC Radio 2 and co-writing a hit song for Pop group Cascada. His 10-track debut album steers straight towards the Folk music genre, seamlessly blending to make for a great Summery soundtrack. When asked by BBC Radio 1 about his plans for the rest of his career, he simply said “I want to keep playing music and being happy with what I'm writing. I'd like to be in a house in the Lake District in 18 months time writing album two". Now we delve into the musical world of Benjamin Leftwich and what he attests are his pick of songs he's been working on for up to four years that come together perfectly on one record.

The first track I plug to you is the third track from the album titled "1904". The record starts off with an organ sound for the first 20 seconds before an acoustic guitar riff is heard playing, forming what would be the baseline for the track. Leftwich’s somewhat raspy and mellow voice laces the very minimalistic instrumental accompanied with soft harmonies categorizing this track somewhere between Folk and acoustic Pop music. The standout feature on this song has to be it's chorus which is then followed by a violin solo orchestrated so perfectly, it sounds like something out of a movie that you never want to end. On this song, Leftwich sings about a time in his past and how he’s grown from then to now with changes ‘she’ should notice - almost sounding like he needs a sort of acknowledgement.

"1904":

This next song "Shine" - just like the title states - is a warm earthy track complete with subtle drum patterns and hand claps that go well together alongside Leftwich’s signature acoustic guitar sound. Leftwich turns on his romantic side on the track as the verses insinuate actions he is willing to go through for his significant other - things I certainly wouldn’t pass up. As the track goes on, we come to realize he is indeed longing for someone that isn’t his as he sings, “I hope you find what you’re looking for” to start out the chorus. Listening to "Shine" puts me in a cheerful mood and after a couple of listens, you would in no time be addicted to this track like I am. Again, simplicity on this contemporary Folk song works well with Leftwich’s delicate vocals staying true to the sound he’s created. Listen to "Shine" below:

"Shine":

A more upbeat turn to Leftwich’s sound can be heard on our third and final plug - a song titled "Atlas Hands". A joining of multiple stringed instruments make up the complete sound effects on this while on backing vocals, we hear a female voice that meshes well with Leftwich’s soft spoken and almost angelic voice. On "Atlas Hands", Leftwich sings beautifully about an unexpected romance that blossoms into much more between two people who are seemingly based in different parts of the world with lyrics such as, “the stars are the only thing we share”. I especially like the mellow appeal of the track with its soothing guitar strings and I almost feel there should be a second part to the song - maybe on his second album - as this Pop Folk track makes for a really great listen.

"Atlas Hands":

Listening to this album poses no confusion as to what kind of music Leftwich intended to make and put out for his audience. He sticks to one unique style throughout most of the album with vocals ranging at the same pitch creating somewhat of a homogeneous sound which sometimes leaves a longing to hear something different. However, he has nicely packaged a product that is sure to do well both now and in the future. Nevertheless, this 32-minute 10-track album in its entirety is a solid debut and body of work. Last Smoke Before The Storm is filled with other standout tracks such as "Stole You Away" and "Box of Stones" which was the first released single off the album - it made its way to number 24 on the UK Indie chart. If you like what you hear and are in the UK in search of a GOOD music concert, be sure to check out when Leftwich will be in your city because he is currently on tour.

Keep Tabs on Benjamin Leftwich: Twitter // Facebook // Website

Purchase: Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm (iTunes) // Amazon

TemiY

We Plug to You... Cris Cab - Foreword

2011-08-22T13:52:00.000+01:00

So my editor sent this to me and I thought to myself, "what does this preppy looking kid from Miami know about Reggae music?". Still, I downloaded because the Boss knows me well enough to know what songs excite me. My thoughts after listening were exactly this…“He cannot be 18, who writes for him, OMG This boy is amazing, ~~he will surely get it~~”.

You know what they say about not judging a book by its cover? Well it is the absolute truth - PLEASE do NOT do it guys and I should know this too. I confess I was one of those people who thought Adele was this black soulful singer from the Motor City somewhere and I promised myself once I found that to be the contrary, to never be so judgmental again, but “oops, I did it again”. Without further ado, I have the ultimate pleasure of plugging to you Cris Cab - 18 year old Cuban singer/songwriter from Miami, Florida and his exceptional recently released debut EP – Foreword.

Lets just start from the beginning, shall we?

Cris Cab - Good Girls

The first track off of Foreword is a song titled “Good Girls” and it is undoubtedly my favorite on this EP - I mean everything about this song is awesome, from the vocals to the guitar/drums instrumentation to the song's lyrics. Let me repeat that, AWESOME. It has that Jason Mraz feel to it and his voice reminds me of John Mayer. I really don’t know what else to say. How do you explain in words, what your heart feels and the joy in it? The only way to express such emotions for me is by dancing, and that’s what I’m doing right now seated, just grooving, moving my body, pausing every so often just to edit the mistakes I’m making as I type.

“Hey man, I’ve learnt my lessons. Got a good girl, count your blessings. Instead of spending them up on sexing. Good girls don’t grow on trees”

Cris Cab - Black And Yellow

Ordinarily I wouldn’t put the above track as the second track to plug from Foreword, as it is a refix of Wiz Khalifa’s huge single “Black and Yellow”. I have heard at least ten versions of this song plus almost every Nigerian artist I know has a cover/remake of this song and lets not talk about other artists from all around the world. Acapella, R&B, Hip-Hop versions, we've heard them all BUT I have simply not heard it done like this. I would never be able to listen to the original version again without thinking of this version. The video for this has received over half a million views on Youtube. I mean, they managed to play the saxophone on this track - where they do that at? As an aside, you should go on YouTube to listen to his cover of Kanye West's “All Of The Lights”. Amazeballs!

It is no wonder then that Grammy Award-winning rapper, singer, producer and composer Pharell Williams has taken Cris under his wings already and is working with the young guitarist, lyricist, pianist and song writer. Cris is definitely already far ahead of the game, way above his years and has found a niche different from what the young artists of his generation are doing. That impresses me more than anything else about him. Its so refreshing in this day and age to find a young man who doesn’t seem to be just part of the crowd and is rather doing his own thing.

Cris Cab - Take You Away

This right here is my sooooooong. The slow pace, reggae infused rhythm of this song has me in love. Can this boy croon or what? “Take You Away” is a story of love told the way only this young man can. So innocent and without games or gimmicks, just a boy telling the girl he likes her and will be there for her even after the girl left him. The production on this song is so great as well

“Loving you is like a summer’s day, take all of my pain and my stress away and for all of that I feel I must say, that you are truly beautiful in every single way”

All 7 songs on Foreword having a running time of only 25 minutes which is way too short, unfair and leaves you craving for more and more we've been promised as Cris readies his debut album for a Fall release. As such, I must stop here and ask, plead, implore you to download Foreword down below, it will be worth it - trust me!

I think Cris Cab is definitely the future, especially in the world of Reggae/Pop music because lets face it we have not heard of a lot of new up and coming artists doing what Cris Cab is doing. I think he has a great appeal that will see him crossover not only into American mainstream markets, but also the UK and across the globe. I want to know what you guys think though, so please leave your feedback in the comments section.

Download: Cris Cab - Foreword EP // (Sound Cloud)

Keep Tabs on Cris Cab: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Till Next Time

Peace, Love and GOOD music.

Neefemi

We Plug to You... Bez - Super Sun

2011-08-17T09:47:00.001+01:00

Help! I'm never usually starstruck but here I am completely won over by the voice of this - rightly put - Super Sun!. However, I'll get myself composed enough to put this review together. I got very excited to do the feature on this particular artist and his music and you can probably decipher the reason why as you read on. I have followed this cool gentleman (even virtually so) from his days of small cozy performances at a Jazz/Soul Jam slash Poetry Slam cafe of sorts called Taruwa in Lagos, Nigeria - a brain child of his sister Lydia Idakula-Sobogun - up to his involvement with one of the most popular and gifted Producers in Nigeria, Cobhams Asuquo and his C.A.M.P production outfit and label. We plug to you, one who many have referred to as "Nigeria's John Legend" - velvety Alternative Soul singer/songwriter by the name of BEZ.

Born Emmanuel Bezhiwa Idakula in 1983 to parents with a huge Gospel music background who played the most influential role in his passion and spirit for music, Bez hails from the northern part of Nigeria, Plateau state to be precise. He maintains the guitar as his instrument of choice and has been playing it since he was nine years old - next to his voice, it remains one of his most skillful performing instruments and is an ever present element in all of his songs. A Covenant University (Nigeria) graduate with a degree in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Bez has been tagged as the next big thing in Nigerian music and from intimate settings to the big stage, he's done it all within just a couple of years of him stepping out unto the music scene. He has performed at major events including the Hennessy Artistry Concert series, Rhythm Unplugged, the Lagos International Jazz Festival, the Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria pageant and Mike Aremu's Sax Appeal among others. He has also collaborated and performed alongside other major Nigerian acts including the likes of Nneka, ASA, Sir Shina Peters, M.I, Banky W, Omawunmi and Rooftop MCs amongst many.

Bez refers to his music as "Alternative Soul" but I say its an eclectic hybrid of all things Soul and much more - Pure Soul, Neo-Soul, Afro-Soul, Acoustic-Soul, Jazz and R&B. He lists the likes of Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Brian McKnight, Corinne Bailey Rae and Jeremiah Gyang as some of his musical influences. On July 24, 2011, Bez officially released his 15-track debut album tilted Super Sun under the CAMP (Cobhams Asuquo Music Production) label. This album eloquently reflects the purity and charming essence of his music and continues perfectly in the same vein as his previously released songs such as "More You" and "Zuciya Daya" which thankfully appear on this album. Cobhams produces all but one song on the album - "I Know" which is produced by IBK Spaceshipboi.

Now for the music, we'll begin at the very beginning with the album's opening and title track "Super Sun".

Bez - Super Sun

"I have a dream that some day, I'll be the Super Sun, will be the Super Sun"

"Super Sun" is as alternative in sound as they come. Musically, Bez delivers his message of self-discovery and inspiration in a very soulful, laid back yet meaningful manner with a song that encourages the mind and soothes the soul. It starts off with the sound of children playing in the background and guitar twangs, setting the stage for a dreamland with Bez's lyrics building up a feeling and vibe of belief in oneself to be the best and even more, "the Super Sun". It's a simple yet effective song that's not overwhelmed with too many words or musical elements while the low-to-mid frequency drum kicks, well placed intervals of violin strings and the piano drops at the very end all come together nicely to give the song its dreamy personality. It steps up a further notch at the 1.18 minute mark as the piano and violin elements enter into full beautiful swing to tell the song's story even stronger. The message of the song resonates clearly in the hook which is catchy and very easy to sing along to - a song for all ages. There is also a Hip-Hop remix of "Super Sun" - if you will - featuring rap artistes Eldee the Don, Ice Prince and Eva on the album that is worth checking out too. Hope you have delightful views of a bright future with this one.

Bez - Zuciya Daya (One Heart)

"Every little thing you do, Mu bayar da zuciya daya.... For you don't know where it takes you too."

This next song above, "Zuciya Daya" means "One Heart" in the Hausa language of Northern Nigeria. This is a keepsake song of love, as I would call it. Like most of his other songs, guitar intros welcome you to a journey of soft acoustic rhythms. "Zuciya Daya" is a sweet, romantic song delivered 'crooner' style. It's a cleverly done sentimental storytelling of a girl's feelings and assurance of love for her man (him?) and with lyrics such as "don't you worry about a thing she said, we should both be happy, we will be together, forever, baby", Bez' vocals are so velvety on this one - with what I'll call a "bubble gum" flavor. The piano interlude at the 2.39 minute mark make for such a soulful and relaxing listen with the accompanying guitar licks skillfully adding that added element also. At 3.44 and beyond, Bez goes an octave higher on the chorus and undulates about twice on it - this is my favorite part. Take a listen above and sway to this.

Bez - More You

"I want more you to make me feel the way you always do, I want more you to make me know that what I feel is true."

The above record, "More You" is a deeeeeeeeeep record. It actually gets into your being and registers itself quietly to whirl up those crazy emotions over a lover and the desire for more of them - their whole being, their heart and soul. Bez takes his time to vocally express the message of the song in the best way only he can, showing excellent songwriting abilities. The scene set to the Kemi Adetiba-directed official video of the song makes the words on "More You" even more poignant and gives it a sad and melancholic twist. Bez - singing as the subject of love - delivers the lyrics with such poetic finesse and his choice of words are so intimate. Bez seems to love the partnership between the violin strings and his acoustic guitar in his music and that partnership fits so perfectly on this song. This is one of my favorite songs by Bez!

Bez - Stop Pretending

"Oooooooo Baby stop pretending, I see it in your eyes and I know that you fake it... don't you smile just to impress me."

Finally, I plug to you - from Bez's wonderful Super Sun album - the infectious acoustic track titled "Stop Pretending". On this record, Bez sings to a girl (or three) telling her to stop pretending, to be herself and stop trying to impress him by being fake. Bez cleverly calls the girl in the song by three different names - Kemi (Yoruba), Nkechi (Ibo) and Fatimah (Hausa) - from the three main Nigerian tribes and I particularly thought that was really smart. By doing so, he is being culturally inclusive or neutral and it's either that or there are three different girls he refers to on this song, I guess I'll leave that to you to figure out. Musically on the other hand, it's a beautiful track that's mostly driven by the acoustic guitar and nothing else, plainly and simply a naked acoustic song. It's as always, in the style of Bez, well arranged and smoothly delivered, no excessive vibrato or vocal gymnastics. Soulful groove all the way, the applause at the end of it says it all, please join in.

I would like to draw your attention to a few other noteworthy tracks on this album, particularly the lighter mood, humorous "That Stupid Song" which features R&B singer Praiz and Cobhams on the main vocals. It is a satirical collection of childhood songs/nursery rhymes creatively sang in a jazzy, very relaxed and "joky" way and you can't help but smile on this one. Worthy of special mention also is a song titled "This This This" - it's a unique record which has this staccato operatic musical backdrop in the beginning and in the chorus, and towards the end it turns into a dramatic rushed upbeat rhythm making for a real enjoyable liste. "... The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" is another one to check out, it has this 'big band' sound that starts it off, some scatting follows and you can't miss the dance groove that comes up afterwards. He's singing in the Hausa language in the hook about rain drops and sun shines falling on all, the good, the bad and the ugly. This is a very well crafted jazzy number.

Super Sun is an album to get because I guarantee you, its good stuff, it is good 'ole, mind stimulating, soul soothing and body relaxing good music, to start your weekend off right, set you in a 'lovey-dovey' mood or just to relax you after a hard day's work. This kind of music is definitely getting popular among the new music generation in Nigeria and Bez is surely fast becoming the face of it. Watch out for him as it looks to me like he is already a super sun ready to shine beyond his African borders. This is global music right here. Super Sun is proof that Nigerian music is not all Afrobeat and Afro Hip-Hop - Nigeria's got Soul in abundance and Bez represents it well. Get your copy of the Super Sun and let the radiance of good music shine on you. Welcome to the sound of natural talent and charisma, welcome to that signature sound called BEZ.

Purchase: BEZ - Super Sun (iTunes) // Super Sun (Amazon)

Keep Tabs on Bez: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Tosinger

We Plug to You... Muhsinah - Gone EP

2011-08-12T10:33:00.000+01:00

Independent singer, songwriter, composer and producer Muhsinah - pronounced Mu•see•na - is back after a long break away from the music scene with a brand new fourth EP titled GONE which she recently released on July 20 for her 28th birthday. The Washington DC native has already performed in front of President Obama at his homecoming inaugural ball in 2009 alongside veteran Chicago rapper Common and has also been nominated for a "Best Vocal Performance" Grammy Award for her work with Hip-Hop/Soul duo The Foreign Exchange. You simply cannot categorize Muhsinah into one genre or box as I found out when I listened to Gone. I found it difficult to place her but after listening to her a few time, I came to the following conclusion: her music and production are very much Electronica/Indie/Experimental but her vocals and lyrics are 100% Soul music and it's therefore no surprise that Muhsinah's dexterity and style have attracted many audiences and acknowledgments such as this one from Radiohead's front man, Thom Yorke.

Gone - this free 6-track EP tagged as a double Urban/Surburban EP - goes an extensively long way to show us exactly how much of an exceptional talent Muhsinah is in case we may have forgotten or didn't already know. She wrote, arranged, composed, produced, performed and mixed every single record on the EP on her own. The amazing thing about Gone is that it's a double EP as I alluded to earlier - it is two EPs in one - in a way that I've not come across before and in Muhsinah's very own words, "the ‘Gone’ 2xEP is essentially 2 EPs in one – (Urban & Suburban) where I take 3 songs ideas and interpret them based on my early experiences in D.C. and Virginia. Hope you enjoy". Rather clever, wouldn't you agree? Each track on the EP is just so different from the next and each song has it's own uniqueness and distinct style but Muhsinah does not stray away from her Indie and Soulful roots. Each song tells a different story in the 28-year old's life which makes it easier for her fans to relate to her.

The first song we are greeted with on Gone is titled "One". It starts off with simple drum kicks and snapped-fingers that instinctively catch your attention and gets you bopping your head and then glorious synths take over and you hear her gripping vocals with the amazing wordplay "you're the dream I dont want to be over". The synthesizers used all over the track beautifully compliment the bass and the tone of Muhsinah's voice. The song has an R&B feel to it despite the experimental backdrop - possibly due to the mellow and not too heavy bassline and while listening to this song, you can hear the "Urban" influences and inspiration behind this song "One", listen below.

Muhsinah - One

This next song "Till I'm Gone" is on a completely different wave length compared to "One". Heavy synths immediately hold your ears captive from the start and then the thumping drum arrangements come rolling in along with Muhsinah's vocals. Muhsinah embraces her Electronica/Indie roots with this Alternative-Pop record and it's such a beauty to see her show great versatility by switching from edgy R&B to Indie-Pop at the drop of a hat. The wordplay and menacing drum patterns on "Till I'm Gone" create quite an aggressive and fiery feel to the song and you can feel the strong emotion running through the track - definitely worth a few listens below

Muhsinah - Till I'm Gone

"Down To 1" which you're about to listen to is the Suburban interpreation of the song "One" which you previously heard and while they are the same song in that they have the same lyrics, they are miles apart sonically. Where "One" gives off an R&B feel, "Down To 1" is more of a Indie/Rock record - you can just hear the electric guitar strings flowing throughout the track especially on the bridge of the song and those fast-paced drum patterns are undeniably and 100% "Rock and Roll". Although "Down To 1" and "One" are indeed similar, Muhsinah has cleverly interpreted the song in two different ways that you might not ordinarily catch the similarities unless you listen properly.

Muhsinah - Down To 1

Muhsinah has cleverly put together two EPs in one, giving the listener two different sides to her that they may not have heard or felt before. I think the fact and feat that she has produced, composed, written and recorded this EP all by herself is one worthy of a few mentions and will give the listener a feeling of a direct connection with the 'Golden Girl' herself. Whilst listening to the EP, I could feel her emotions distinctively on each track and most especially on "One". It has to be my favourite track on Gone because of it's rather mellow nature and tone. Regardless of whether lyrics are repeated, each of the six tracks on this EP has a distinctly different story that Muhsinah tells exceptionally well and allows each listener to interpret and relate to in their own specific way. Her gripping vocals and unique voice on this EP will captivate audiences who listen to a varied array of music - from R&B to Soul to Pop to Indie to Rock to Electronica and whilst each sound on the EP varies between genres, Muhsinah vocals and lyrical dexterity remain consistently constant - always doing each song 100% justice.

Download: Muhsinah - Gone EP

Find out more about Muhsinah: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Sade 'Sweet Fashionist' Nuga

We Plug to You… Kelly Erez - This is Me

2011-08-06T11:03:00.001+01:00

The best ones are unsigned… This is my professional and one might add very opinionated position. I have been doing this for about two years now, receiving music daily from people across the globe and this is just what I have found. The music industry as we have it now will be so much better, if we could get a lot of our unsigned artists signed and on the radio. Maybe then radio stations will not have to repeat the same songs every hour on the hour

But I digress... If there is one sect that is particularly lacking in the industry right now, it’s the R&B sector - more precisely the female R&B sector. They seem to have died with the start of the new decade, giving way to only Pop artists and left it all - R&B music I mean - to their male counterparts. In this artist I plug to you today, there is definitely cause to be hopeful, we have a revival on our hands people, “R&B’s back” – said in my best Rick Ross imitation.

Kelly Erez is the beautiful, soulful, UK, needs to be signed already, R&B/Soul singer and songwriter that has me so hopeful for the music and for the genre. It took me all of one minute to agree to do this review when the boss sent it my way. If you know me well enough, you will know that’s mighty impressive as it usually takes me much longer to be convinced that an artist is worth reviewing. I am in love with this young lady’s voice and the soulfulness it carries. My first thought when I heard her was “Janet Jackson” (not Dance/Pop star Janet but R&B singer Janet), and its no stretch if you know Janet Jackson’s work well - think Janet Jackson's “Anytime, Anyplace”. Its that nasal thing, where you know that the person is singing from the depth of their belly. It immediately grabs your attention, you want more, it has you repeating the song. But see me rattling on, three paragraphs in and still no song. My bad ladies and gentlemen - the good news is that you get to hear Kelly’s entire EP right here!

Kelly Erez - Come To Me

What you just heard is my favorite track off of Miss Kelly’s debut 4-track EP entitled This Is Me. The song is called “Come To Me” and its just an awesome track that has a girl feeling all very emotional - the kinda feeling that makes you close your eyes and sing with everything you’ve got even when you know you have the worst voice ever. This beautifully crafted keyboard-led number backed by sweet drum kicks is one of those songs that gets your attention and makes you listen to what she is saying and has you hitting the repeat button time and time again. Here is a woman not afraid to say she is sorry, she’s in the wrong, her pride got the best of her and she wants her man back. Its also got that old school feel to it (hence my earlier Janet Jackson reference). Tell me guys what do you think?

“Don’t listen to what others think, nobody’s perfect, I promise I’m worth it”

Kelly Erez - Letters

What you just heard is titled "Letters" - the first track off of this rather amazing EP. "Letters" is a heartfelt song, from a woman who has just realized that she needs to move on despite her obvious feelings still for the man. Vocally, Erez is amazing on this song - the strength in it and the sincerity it evokes all come through so beautifully. The accompanying piano strings of this song are also very great, actually I love that you can pick up every instrument on this song - the drums, the guitar, the cymbal and the culmination is really quite sublime and very well put together by the EP's producer Natalie Erez who also credits as Kelly's co-writer on the EP as well as her sister.

“Now I’m getting rid of all your letters, messages on my phone. Cos right now getting over you is what matters. Cannot go on holding on”

Kelly Erez - You Know Why

I must confess that my only complaint about this EP is that the range of the instrumentals do not vary. But that’s not exactly a bad thing, they keep it mellow and smooth allowing for her voice to shine through on every single song. Like you just heard on the track above “You Know Why”, her voice again as the focal point is just damn near perfect, and if the lyrics were different this is the kind of voice you want to have in the background when you plan that special date, that goes on as you guys find your way to the bedroom. But alas, she is saying bye to a guy again. It appears Kelly Erez was going through a very emotional period when she recorded this EP.

“Could it be that I’m so lonely and I just want someone to hold me. I don’t wanna make a mistake.”

Kelly Erez - Hand On Heart

You know we had to end it big right? At this point, I think you must be sold on Kelly Erez already. I mean can you really argue against that voice? The final track we're sharing with you but not in any way the least is “Hand On Heart” - probably the most soulful on the EP and leaves me with nothing much else to say. It’s a great song and her voice comes off so unadulterated and pure. I want to know what you guys think about this one.

“Every time, we touch I forget you are not mine, running out of reasons, cos we had our time”

For a debut entry, I think Kelly Erez has done amazingly well and I envision a really bright future for her. Already with regular Track Of The Week features on the BBC Radio network (including BBC Radio 1Xtra & BBC 6 Music) and Zune Marketplace amongst others as well as a staple at the Top 5 of the Reverbnation UK R&B/Soul Chart since the release of her debut EP; I see nothing but greatness for this great singer.

Her passion for music is immense and clearly evident in her work and so is her respect for the art. I look forward to her reaching the top of her career and we over here at WE PLUG certainly certify her as GOOD Music. You can download her EP for FREE via her Facebook or Reverbnation pages or you can support Kelly Erez by purchasing the EP below for under five pounds - the retail release comes with a bonus fifth track titled "They Long To Be (Close To You)" that is 100% worth every penny.

Kelly Erez will be playing her second London headline gig of 2011 on September 22 at Hoxton Hall Theatre and I would implore you to get your tickets NOW and go see this amazing talent LIVE!

Purchase: Kelly Erez - This Is Me EP (iTunes) // This Is Me EP (Amazon)

Keep Tabs on Kelly Erez: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Till the Next Time,

PEACE, LOVE and GOOD music.

Neefemi

We Plug To You... CocknBullKid - Adulthood

2011-08-01T13:34:00.000+01:00

I plug to you East-London resident Anita Blay (by way of Hackney); Blay - also known as the unique yet intriguing stage name Cocknbullkid - is a 26-year old UK singer/songwriter of Ghanian heritage who has had a love for music ever since she can remember. Growing up with dreams of one day becoming a pop star, she started writing in her bedroom at age 10 and not before long, got immersed into the industry - writing with rapper-now-turned Soul singer Plan B by the age of 16. Blay went on to release her debut single "On My Own" produced by Joseph Mount (Metronomy) in July of 2008, which landed her a slot on seminal TV show Later With Jools Holland in the same year. With a stream of self-released singles under her belt, she later released an independent EP Querelle in 2009 under the moniker The Cocknbullkid and soon after went off the radar for a while. On her return from a 2-year hiatus, she dropped the pronoun from her name, got signed to major label Island Records and released a very stellar debut album titled Adulthood...

Listing artists like The Knife and Madonna as her influences, so far in 2011, Blay has gone on to support Duran Duran and Janelle Monae on their respective UK tours while she will be supporting Patrick Wolf on his UK/Ireland album tour later this month - not bad at all for the 26 year old. Her debut studio album Adulthood - released earlier in May - was recorded in London, Paris and Stockholm with production largely from from Liam Howe (Marina and the Diamonds) and co-production from Chilly Gonzales. Blay co-writes the songs on the album with a handful of songwriting talent - Hannah Robinson, Peter Moren (Peter, Bjorn and John), Joseph Mount (Metronomy) and longtime collaborator Mark Tieku to name a few - and the end result? Well, Adulthood exudes a sense of wit, confidence, truth and excitement that translates very much in her lyrics. In Blay’s words…

"The music I made at first was cool, but it was work in progress. There was only so far I could take it. I knew I was capable of more. I wanted to make music that reached people further than E9, or whatever the cool postcode is now."

Our first pick off the album is the track titled "Distractions". From the intro, it sounds like the instrumentals were generated using a beat pad while infusing pop synthesizers to create the ultimate British pop song. Somehow the song reminds me of those that graced the track lists of NOW compilations in the early 2000’s as it bears resemblance to acts like All Saints which is not surprising as Shaznay Lewis, former member of the band had a hand in this song's creation. This Pop melody keeps a mellow tempo with a hint of earth-like sounds for the verses, but the rhythm picks up at the chorus with more instrumentals fused in to make for a richer sounding instrumentation. Accompanying these cords are warm vocals from Blay, chanting lyrics that delve into her past relationships and working through the obstacles or distractions as she explicitly titled the song.

"Distractions":

The self-titled track "Cocknbullkid" co-produced by Howe and Gonzales starts off heavy with piano keys and an array of lush strings which build up with steel drums and trumpet sounds. The song's lyrics play on people’s opinions on how they perceive Blay in a rather upbeat and refreshing manner. Quite noticeable though is that the project seems to have a recurring self-loathing theme and this track is no difference. Blay’s lyrics and delivery however covers the self-obsession making it more of a sing-along than a self-pity song. Listen to the autobiographical track filled with witty lyrical wordplay from Blay below.

"Cocknbullkid":

The last plug from Adulthood is the Blue May-produced "Asthma Attack" which takes on a slight diversion from the previous pop tracks we have featured from the album. The quirky track seemingly about the city of London has a very catchy chorus, but with lyrics like “you were the first one I lost my heart to so how can I ever forget you… what part of me belongs to you”, it begs the question if Blay is really belting her feelings towards the city of London in a literal manner or using it as a figure of speech to refer to an ex-lover. The use of dance pop instrumentals with the presence of what seems like an organized orchestrated sound fits rightly well with her playful delivery of the lyrics and in line with the current climate of UK mainstream music. The hook drops into a uniform drum loop complete with piano chords and harmonizing before ending the track with the same tempo as the chorus. "Asthma Attack" is the official third single off the album and I feel this should do very well on the charts.

"Asthma Attack":

I could go on naming other tracks off the project that are very review worthy, such as "Dumb" and "Hold On To Your Misery", but I’ll leave the musical exploration to your listening. I’ll admit it took a couple of listens to warm up to the album as the tracks seemed to all somewhat represent the same theme, but Blay as an artist creatively delivered a good album that should do very well on the UK charts. Blay shows off not only her vocal talents, but also her songwriting capabilities luring us with beautiful lyrics all across the album - such as “not long ago I sold my soul to see how much it would fetch thought it’d be fine [be]cause at the time I really wasn’t using it” as heard on the track "Mexico".

Purchase the album for some GOOD quality Synth-pop music!

Purchase: Cocknbullkid - Adulthood (iTunes) // Adulthood (Amazon)

Keep Tabs on CocknBullKid: Website // Twitter // Facebook

TemiY

We Plug To You...FLO - The OverFLO

2011-07-27T00:28:00.001+01:00

Now where do I start from on this one? From the very beginning I hear you say. OK, In the beginning was a lawyer who got restless with his musical talents and decided to put it to work - writing, arranging and producing songs for other artistes. He got quite excellent at his craft, and the big names kept rolling in, he produced for well known Gospel acts and even top mainstream artistes brought their work to him to engineer, mix and master. His popular sign off on his works 'F-L-O Baby or FloRocka' and his vocalisms on their tracks became a brand. As time went by, he "found" his singing voice and decided to step out into recording his own work, and history began. We plug to you gifted lawyer turned prolific producer turned unique and Inspirational Rock Singer/Songwriter - FLO.

FLO (Real name: Nathan Akiremi) is a multi-talented Nigerian Gospel/Inspirational fusion musician. Fusion because there are elements of a number of genres in the music he makes - you can hear Eastern sounds, Reggae, Afrobeat, World Music, Jazz, Pop, Urban and Rock elements all in his music. He has been described as eclectic; his songs stand out in a branded style of composition and arrangement, his voice - exceptionally distinctive & refreshingly matchless, his music - very captivating. As FLO the producer, he has written, co-written, produced and worked with countless numbers of Nigerian mainstream and emerging artists including the likes of Efe, Aaron T Aaron, Vivien Stephen, Kore, Midnight Crew, Onos and Ibiyemi. He has also worked with legendary 70's and 80's American disco group Shalamar on a recent remix.

Distinct with his long hair, a humorous persona and a diverse outlook on life and music, FLO grew up in a musical family; his mother was a classical soloist while his father was a writer, singer and musician. In December 2010, FLO released a Christmas album - Christmas According to FLO to huge acclaim and reception online as well as on the Nigerian music scene and earlier last month (June 2011), FLO released a new solo effort by way of the 14-track album - The OverFLO. With songs on this album, you are sure to be held spellbound by his immersive lyrics, persuasive melodies and distinct harmonies but just don't take my word for it, let us peruse some of the music.

We begin with "It's Not About You and Me" - a song (according to FLO) borne out of an experience with a "road rager" interestingly enough. The rocky guitar strings and twangs welcomes you to this song. It starts out with a "dirty grunge" pair of guitar strums and a telephone vox. Almost immediately, the chorus comes in with angry Gibson guitars running here and there! Then comes the verse with the guitars still rocking the background. At 0:54 minutes, the backing vocals come in strong with aggressiveness to buttress the verse. By the 1:51 minute mark, the pop drums establish themselves as the backbone of the song but the most interesting portion of the song comes at exactly 2:20 minutes. The guitar solo runs in smooth successive sessions giving that grunge "Michael Jackson" appeal. The song ends with a heart pounding stop with the lead vocal. Get pain relief for this one!

FLO - It's Not About You and Me

This next song is "Addicted" - the first song on the album - and I spoke to FLO on the inspiration of this song and he had this to say:

"Having grown up with a Christian background, my life tended to tilt towards ‘christiandom’ naturally. However as I grew older I got to realize that a lot of Christians tend to move further away from their faith for all sorts of ‘justifiable’ reasons. It almost seemed as though professing Christianity was gradually becoming an antique of sorts. I find some Gospel artists trying to ‘para-phrase’ their belief in ways that would sooth the listening audience. I believe that every religion has its foundation in its history. And you gotta be proud of who you are and what you profess to believe in – otherwise its all a farce. ‘Addicted’ speaks of my belief in my religion and my conviction of the God that I serve. Its not a track for everyone. If you feel connected to it..so be it. Most of my songs are written from a viewpoint of my ‘personal experiences’ and this track is no different. However towards the end I made an ‘alter call’ in a very subtle way! But of course, you gotta hear the song to understand what I’m talking about. Besides, another reason I placed this song as the 1st song on my album was to give the listening audience a notion of ‘who’ and ‘what’ I stand for." - FLO

"Addicted" is a contemporary Gospel song which has a very urban groove with some R&B licks stealing in at random intervals. It is upbeat with the bassline running arpeggios every opportunity it gets. The backing vocals are very ‘in your face’ with harmonies that get you hooked! Once in a while, you find that groove creating that ‘moonwalk’ moment especially from the 3:00 minute mark. There's a break at the 3:23 minute mark that gives you a 5 second window to catch your breath while tempting licks and several break beats towards the tail end of the song give "Addicted" 5 stars in my books.

FLO - Addicted

Coming up next is a song titled "Ope Loye O" which means "You deserve all the thanksgiving/praise" in Yoruba language. This is one of my favorite songs on the album - it is essentially a song of praise and worship to God and a song to appreciate Him with. The hook of the song in itself is an old communal praise song which FLO re-adapts and remixes in a very musically relevant way. This track starts off with an Asian flute rendition and then at 13 seconds, the chorus comes through with sleek and velvety backing vocals that make you wanna lift your hands up - this is definitely where Pop, Reggae, Hip-Hop and Rock meet Contemporary African rhythms! "Ope Loye O" morphs with rock guitars streaming in at intervals while the verses are laced with Ragga tones with the lead vocals surfing through with the same Reggae smoothness. I must say that the backing vocals make this song a must listen and at 2:14 minutes, the song takes a turn into deep African praise laced with traditional call and responses. You just gotta love this track!

FLO - Ope Loye O

Last but not least in our review of The OverFLO is "Let it Go". A nu-sound track laden with R&B licks .The song starts with a sweet piano arpeggio driven by synth brasses and a tapping Hip-Hop bassline. The verses are quite distinct with the synths and piano taking the lead whilst the lead vocal morphs through them all. As the chorus swings by, you get to hear those sweet ‘Tina Turner-like’ rock guitars. The kick drum keeps the song on a leash with strong pounds on every bar! Very melodic and sleek is what I like to call this one!

"Let It Go" has a poignant message for all to hear. The song speaks of some of the issues and struggles we face in life and how a lot of times we stay ‘stuck’ in a mode of unforgiveness, bitterness and rage. Even the melody and rhythmic tones of the song are intentional. Although, it makes you wanna get up and sway from side to side, the song holds it compelling nature and the message still sinks in. It speaks of past and present pains that we unknowingly harbor - that have subconsciously relinquished our ability to love, give, receive and live. "Let it go" takes you through that thought process of coming to a self realization that nobody should cause you to stay in an emotional dark place - this is a song for all ages.

FLO - Let It Go

On The OverFLO, FLO shows promising and exceptional artistry, musicianship and songwriting dexterity among other great traits and personally, I confess that I have become a fan for life. Having come to the conclusion that this is music I'd like to have in my collection not only because it's inspirational in content but also because you have to agree that musically, it's quite different from the mold and has the potential to last longer. It has that uncommon musical revolutionary effect that will be around for a while in my opinion. Other songs worth checking out on this record are "I Want to Praise" which features the phenomenal and energetic singing sensation Yinka Davies and Michael Abdul of Midnight Crew - Africans and non-Africans alike will love it for its Afro-feel while "Give Him Praise" is also a groovy one to listen out for. "I'm only Human" is another personal favorite for its real lyrical content (it speaks of our human frailty and a desire to be better towards a possible perfection) .This is one of those albums where it's actually difficult to have a favorite, you won't ever find yourself skipping a song to get to the next. Take me up on it and get a copy. If you want music that's energetic, edgy, unique, interesting, inspirational and captivating all at the same time, then my advice to you is this - add The OverFLO to your record collection.

You can get The OverFLO album on iTunes // Amazon

Keep Tabs on FLO: Reverbnation // Facebook // Twitter

Tosinger

We Plug To You: Solar Taxi - She Dies With Beautiful Teeth EP

2011-07-19T12:40:00.000+01:00

If you are interested in new age electronica music or just some good electronic band music then listen up because Solar Taxi is the band for you. I am one to listen to all different types of music so finding out about Irish band Solar Taxi was amazing. The instrumentation of their songs make them stand out from most other electronica bands and sets them in a league of their own. Imagine a band that hold onto their electronica roots but with a dash of pop, a hint of alternative, a touch of folk - and there you have Solar Taxi.

Solar Taxi is a 4-piece Irish band made up of superb vocalist Aisling Browne, Peter Vogelaar - on bass and production, John Foley on drums and Jamie O'Hallorohan on lead guitar. The band came to life properly in 2010 with a relentless string of tours and gigs all over Ireland as well as the release of a number of singles and remixes which have gotten thumbs up from the likes of Tom Findlay of popular electronic duo Groove Armada and legendary electronic producer/DJ and remixer Timo Maas.

She Dies With Beautiful Teeth is the brand NEW EP from Solar Taxi which I find is suitable for every mood. The EP has only 4 tracks but those four tracks are just right - the mood of each song is different from the next and the lyrics of each song never quite follow a similar route, pattern or concept which goes a long way in displaying the very different styles the band can conjure up - each track displays the abundant amounts of talent Solar Taxi possess. Their style is quite unique and even though bands like Goldfrapp and Led Zeppelin can be stated as amongst their influences, one word I would use to describe Solar Taxi is (refreshingly) original.

On the EP's opening track titled "The Fool", you are given a feel of their dance electronic styles and the bass guitar-led musical backdrop is very well complimented by the vocals of Aisling Browne and vice versa. "The Fool" uses a mix of synthesizers to give it that whole feel of a 70's/80's dance record while accompanying those with thriving drum and bass guitar arrangements to give the track a really funky feel. The tone of Aisling's voice also adds to the song's funky feel while adding quite a soulful element to it - her voice compliments the style of the track really well.

Solar Taxi -The Fool

This next track "Glass Hearts" has a totally different feel compared to the first track or anything else on the EP. From the word go, we are greeted with heavy guitar arrangements which highlight the raw talents of Peter Vogelaar and Jamie O'Hallorohan - their guitar solos mid-way through the song are also worth mentioning. The introduction of synth chords to the guitar arrangements usher in a hauntingly ethereal vocal performance from Aisling Browne and with lyrics like "you wear your glass heart on your sleeve", "Glass Hearts" makes for quite the relatable song. Again the synthesizers and the guitar give the song a bit of a glam rock feel - similar to David Bowie - but still keeping it contemporary.

Solar Taxi - Glass Hearts

"Peachy Peach" takes the band back to its funky side with a distinctively rockier edge to it. The song also has a psychadelic feel to it from the use of a Sitar which you can hear all through the song. Peter Vogelaar goes hard on the track making the song a winner for bass lovers. Aisling displays her vocals abilities especially well on this song and after the acoustic "White Lights" which is the final song on the EP, her vocals shine through the most on the rock-infused "Peachy Peach". Out of all the song on the EP, this track has to be my favorite because of the bass - it makes me want to get up and dance and to be honest, ever since I heard it, it has been stuck in my head.

Solar Taxi - Peachy Peach

Listening to this EP immediately makes me want to put on my wellies and head out to a music festival (with Solar Taxi playing of course) amongst other things - all the songs just give you that great festival feeling. These songs also made me want to throw a big BBQ party under the sun - just partying, dancing and great music. All in all, the songs give off a great vibe and I thoroughly enjoyed the EP from start to finish. The songs also give a chance for each band member to shine and show their immense talent from Aisling's vocal dexterity to Peter's production to the instrumentation of both John and Jamie. The band have landed firmly on their feet and know exactly where they are heading to, they are steadily making their mark on the Irish music scene and have set themselves apart from most other bands out there with this EP. With a full length due in 2012, next up for the band is possibly world domination and we're fully backing Aisling, Peter, John and Jamie - Solar Taxi - to do just that!

Purchase: Solar Taxi - She Dies With Beautiful Teeth EP (iTunes) // (Amazon)

Find out more about Solar Taxi: Facebook // Twitter // Website

Sade "Sweet Fashionist" Nuga

We Plug To You... Ryan Hemsworth - No Plans

2011-07-14T13:11:00.000+01:00

I wouldn’t consider producer Ryan Hemsworth new in the music industry, but it’s quite a surprise it has taken us this long to hear about his work. Ryan is a 21-year old producer hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada who has been producing and making beats for the past 7 years of his life.

"A couple of months ago, BBC Radio aired a Ryan Hemsworth track and beyond a little rambling about the naughty name of the compilation it appeared on (Dope Valley Fuck) they speculated about who he was, whether the vocals on the track were actually him or not, and surely were thinking to themselves how weird it was that his warm, funk, soul, and R&B infused jams were coming out of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. Little did they know, Nova Scotia's the second most densely populated province in Canada, and its capital Halifax is more populous than Pittsburgh. His debut reflects the same intersection of culture that occurs in any reasonably cosmopolitan locale, though we tend to think of Ryan's work as being particularly exemplary, giving nods to and sampling a menagerie of contemporary musicians, referencing internet memes (track 5, "Benny Lava," for example), synthesizing a distinctive, syncretic style and personal aesthetic." - [^]LAND

His new project No Plans co-released via [^]LAND and The Villa is a lush 12-track instrumental album that features a number of samples - some you may be familiar with - from the likes of Cassie, New Order, Three 6 Mafia, Duke Ellington and even Nintendo soundtracks but before we delve right into this project, here’s what Ryan had to say about it.

"I'm hoping there's cohesion in these tracks. Some of them were made weeks ago, some were made in 2010, but they've all stood out as one big thing I want to give to everyone. The concept behind No Plans references a few of concerns: having no plans with school, no plans with jobs, and no plans for the future. I'm hoping these songs can help you forget about those concerns, at least for 30 minutes of your day." -Ryan Hemsworth

I plug to you the first track on the album titled "Should’ve". For the first 30 seconds of the song, you’re stuck wondering what to expect from producer Ryan Hemsworth as you hear an eerie instrumental and looped vocals whispering the words “take it easy” faintly in the background. The beat then kicks in and noticeable, are the drum patterns used accompanied with cymbals in a rhythm that then draws some clarity to the track overcoming the initial strangeness. The somewhat homogenous rhythm plays on for its short run of 1:39 minutes, but it’s a good up-tempo and unique opening track to the album. However, in a good way it’s not reflective of all what Ryan Hemsworth is capable of creating.

"Should've":

This next track "Good Things Can Never Last" - the same track BBC Radio 6 aired from the Drop Valley Fuck compilation a few months ago - starts out with a 80’s Funk/Soul type of sound and smoothly progresses on with a few drum loops and plucked guitar strings to create a beautifully mellow groove. This song takes No Pain a slight turn away from being solely an instrumental album as it samples vocals throughout the song (I’m not quite certain, but I believe it could be a sample) but we're certainly not complaining. The lyrics are delivered with lush vocals and the song title is self-explanatory, and if asked to describe this song in one word, smooth would be it. I really like the addition of this genre to the project because it gives it yet a broader reach and in our case, I hope the good things do last.

"Good Things Can Never Last":

Just in case you can’t quite place why this next track "Benny Lava" sounds too familiar, I’ll explain why. The song originally titled "Kalluri Vaanil" comes from an original Indian flick from a few years back. However, the song was uploaded to YouTube and tagged "Benny Lava" complete with incorrect but highly amusing lyrics which instantly made it an internet sensation. Ryan’s version steers not too far from the original, starting off with a triangle percussion mixed with drums and other traditional Indian instruments. The beat breaks down at about the 1:20 mark with yet more cultural instruments coming into play. Keeping with the authentic vocals of the song seals off the harmonious instrumentals and adds that extra cultural feel to make for quite an enjoyable listen even without an understanding of the lyrics being said.

"Benny Lava":

There are so many other tracks I’d like to highlight from this 12-track album, one of which would be "Battle". The track didn’t stand out to me too much on first listen but after a few more listens, the complexity, arrangements and use of original samples really did impress me. The song reminds me of something I could probably hear in a video game. The album's final track, "Would’ve" is another one worthy of a mention as its refined loops gear it towards new age modern dance music while still remaining equally suited for everyday listening.

On the flipside to these tracks, I’ll admit that while listening to some of the songs, I couldn't possibly fathom what must have been going through Ryan’s mind as he created such sounds. Such examples would be the tracks "Richard Shaw" and "Nowt Redneval" - although the intricacy and uniqueness in their creation made me gain an appreciation for it. The album contains distinctive, contemporary instrumentals and Ryan definitely adds his personal artistic flair to make for a very likeable project that is worth checking out. It’s no doubt that this young producer has massive talent for days and I hope he gets the recognition that he deserves in due time.

Download: Ryan Hemsworth - No Plans

Keep Tabs on Ryan Hemsworth: Twitter // Bandcamp

TemiY

We Plug To You… DJ Klem - Afrofunkydiscosoul

2011-07-08T17:02:00.000+01:00

Let me just start by telling you that this is a full on HYPE post. The difference however in this case is that this is a deserving kind of HYPE. I will not ever hype something that was not totally worth it - DJ Klem's Afrofunkydiscosoul is totally worth it - and the interesting part is, wait for it, wait for it…. It is totally FREE!!! Music this good should not be free, there should be a law against this BUT thankfully, I don't write the rules books.

This - Afrofunkydiscosoul - is the second release from award-winning Nigerian producer and Red Bull Music Academy alumni, DJ Klem (real name Clement Kponu) - his first record being the critically acclaimed Six8Ten EP from last year - and it features some of the best and most promising artists to come out of Nigeria this year. DJ Klem's Afrofunkydiscosoul draws together established acts such as Wizkid, Sound Sultan, Sauce Kid, Mo Cheddah, Zara and Kel and combines them with emerging artists like Iye, Teeklef, Funbi, Efa and Myst to make this album the best album, hands down, out of Nigeria so far in 2011.

This record gives you exactly what you expect when you see the name "Afro-funky-disco-soul". Somewhere in that title should also be "Hip-Hop" but after trying many variations myself, I see that there was no way it could be fit in.

DJ Klem's production shows so much creativity and such a diverse body of work like this one can only be indicative of the constant growth and change in the Nigerian music industry. He was not afraid to try something new and "new" turned out to be great. A friend of mine said after listening to the album "It’s a great album. I am not sure if it is great because it is different or it is indeed great". Whatever the reason, this record has the power and dexterity to do for DJ Klem what So Far Gone did for Drake last year. OK you get the analogy right? But enough with the rhetoric, let’s get right into the music.

I was hard pressed to pick my favorite track on the record but I had to pick unfortunately and so the honor goes to "Disco Boogie (Eniyan Gidi)" which features emerging singer - with the bestest voice I might add - Myst. As the name implies, what Klem does on this song is bring back Disco from the 80's and makes it new century worthy with lush guitar licks, horn arrangements, hand claps and a sick bassline. Myst infusing Yoruba into her lyrics makes the song even much more enjoyable and gives it a right sprinkle of Afropolitanism. I was born in the 80's so I missed the disco era by a bit, but I have seen the movies and heard the songs and this is so skating rink, gypsy pant, crazy hair, competition worthy. I can so envision it and if there was ever a video, it should be the only direction/concept they could possibly take. Listen after the jump.

"Disco Boogie (Eniyan Gidi)":

Our second pick on this record was rather obvious and its none other than "Footprint" which features Teeto Ceemos on the verses and Iye on vocal duties. I am in love with the beat of this song, there's just something about how calm the musical milieu comes off and how the synthesis of each instrument is very clear and sharp - from the keyboard chords to the drum patterns to the horn arrangements. I am more impressed with Teeto's rap on this song, the story behind each verse, his flow - understanding that he did not need to lay it on extra heavy or thick. I love it. I will be remiss though if I don't say that Iye on the chorus was yet another testament to DJ Klem’s genius in putting together the best artists for each song. Yoruba never sounded so sexier than with Iye on this chorus.

"Footprints":

This third pick was also not that hard to decide because... well I would not be a good reviewer/writer if I did not mention this song and just have you listen to it for yourself. "Journey Into Sound" featuring Sauce Kid and Phenom is exactly just that; a journey into sound that you do not hear on the regular, anywhere around the globe. It’s a really beautiful sound with lush synths, electronica elements, properly-used vocoding and thumping drum machine kicks and I’m hoping it gets maximum air play on Nigerian mainstream radio. It definitely gets my vote for best rap song and best production on a rap song. I have never heard Sauce Kid sound better, he went hard and I am not very familiar with Phenom but he held his own as well.

"Journey Into Sound":

Now comes the hard part - because I feel like I am doing injustice to all the other songs I will not be mentioning on this review but I can't very well talk about every song. We'll be here for far too long otherwise. I apologize to all the other great artists on Afrofunkydiscosoul who we've failed to mention. You all did a fantastic job on this album and I doff my hat in accordance. This is sooooo hard so how about I plug two other songs from this record that are oh so worth mentioning without talking too much about either?

The first is "Farabale" featuring Yemi Alade and Efa. Yemi kills this song - the beautiful singer brings chills to my body every time I hear this song - and as far as I am concerned, she wins the contest for best female singer in Nigeria off of this song alone. The melody is ridiculous and I dare you to not hit the repeat button on this song. I DARE YOU. Rapper/Singer Efa is also not overshadowed though - his cocky swagger (yes, I know I used the word swagger, sue me) is on point - the only way to be on this kind of song.

"Farabale":

The last - but definitely by no means least - song worthy of our mention just makes me dance. Come to think of it, any song the self-proclaimed Young Fela, Wizkid is featured on lately has the ability to do just that. "Let The Music Play (Remix)" which also features Zara and Myst is no exception. I don’t need to say much really, just listen and get to dancing...

"Let The Music Play (Remix)":

Did I mention that this album is FREE? Certified G.O.O.D Music. DJ Klem is definitely a producer to look out for and one you should be fortunate to work with. Get to downloading ladies and gentlemen, ENJOY - Afrofunkydiscosoul is certainly the BEST album to come out of Nigeria so far in 2011...

Download: DJ Klem - Afrofunkydiscosoul

Peace, Love and Good Music

Neefemi

WPGM Recommends: The Stow - The Covers EP

2011-07-05T19:01:00.002+01:00

Have you ever wondered what a cross breed of Indie, Hip-Hop and Pop music would sound like? Well take that thought and pepper it with masses of attitude, palpible passion, boundless energy and an overdose of stage presence and you have... The Stow - their excellent fusion of genres, hard-hitting lyrics, humour and unapologetic rawness make this band worth getting stuck into. It will be worth your while, I tell ya!

This five-piece band is made up of rapper/vocalist/songwriter Haydn Corrodus, soulful vocalist Shiama 'Shi' Young, Mat Money on lead guitar, bass guitarist Dave and drummer Augustin 'Gus' Hennecker.

The Stow have graced stages all over the UK including Club NME and Barfly Camden in the two years in which it's been formed. Their credentials include supporting UK artist VV Brown on tour and performing at the cream of all UK musical festivals, Glastonbury. Being selected as the recipients of the 2010 Camden Crawl 'Best Live Act' amongst other accolades continues to prove that The Stow are leaving their indelible imprint on the underground music circuit and are more than ready to stomp their way to the forefront of the mainstream.

I defy you not to tap your foot, nod your head or whoop in delight when listening to The Stow. Even more so when you get the opportunity to witness them perform live. The Stow's live set is a vital component in understanding the buzz surrounding this emerging band, and will assist in soaking in the full effect of The Stow experience. Only then can one truly appreciate what this refreshing British band is bringing to the table.

The music is what brings us here however - their latest release is titled The Covers EP. The 4-track EP is the second EP from the fast-rising band, it follows up from their debut EP - 2010's Just Another Band which we featured right HERE last year and rated highly but does their sophomore effort improve on that debut project? Resoundingly very much so!

Penned by the band's vocalists Haydn and Shi, the opening track of this new EP - 'Give A Damn' - pretty much slaps you upside the head and demands that you sit all the way up and pay attention! That exactly is what you will do as Shi unapologetically launches into the following lyrics:

"Fuck what the others say cause we don't really give a damn... Cause we don't give a monkeys, we don't, we don't give a monkeys, no!"

That pretty much does the trick as Shi's soulful and powerful vocals serve as a wake-up call, accompanied by the pounding drum patterns and effortless guitar skills courtesy of Gus, Matt and Dave. The rebellious 'Give a Damn' makes no bones about boldly flipping the "middle finger" to any statements, assumptions or negativity that can be a drain on your human existence.

The guitar contribution on the verses is raw and gritty, really giving this track the necessary 'Rock n Roll' element. This provides the setting for Haydn's offering, which reveals an honest reaction to such negativity and the seed of doubt it can place in one's mind. But soon after this, Haydn shares with us the epiphany one receives when they realise.... "I shouldn't allow anyone else's negativity to affect me". Haydn's lyrics are cheeky but still effectively portray the reality of the situation.

This catchy song has every potential to become an anthem, as it boldly declares that The Stow are not willing to change who they are or what they do to conform to the masses... Perhaps this is a subliminal message to the industry's tendency to sanitise music? Hmmm. Regardless, I'm sure everyone can relate to the message of 'Give A Damn' but I'll let you judge for yourself below:

Tinie Tempah's "Written in the Stars" is the inspiration behind this next song I want you to check out titled 'Lifeline'. Strong guitar licks serve as the appropriate introduction to Shi's kickass vocals. The build-up provided by the accompanying pacy guitars, thumping drum kicks and crashing cymbals, almost create a crescendo which aptly leads us into the first verse.

Then enters a contrasting change of tempo and mood with a slowed-down musical backdrop as Haydn launches into a melancholic tale of a broken home, school bullies and seeking solace in alcohol with honest and forthright lyrical content that appears to be autobiographical. The mood is uplifted as he finishes with a reminder of what his dreams once were and that it is possible to get back on track.

'Lifeline' illustrates a tale of refusing to allow your current environment and circumstances to assassinate your dreams. Again, another topic I'm sure we can all relate to and is intelligently executed by the contrasting tones of the chorus and verses. 'Lifeline' tells a story of emerging from the darkness and being led to triumph as the song reaches a crescendo.

The inspiration for 'Angels' is drawn from House of The Rising Sun. A subtle guitar intro eases us into this track, providing the somewhat ethereal sensation of floating/drifting. Once again, The Stow use a change of tempo - with more pronounced chords and licks and distinct backing harmonies - to lead us into Shi's commanding vocals while maintaining the same mood and tone. The listener is abruptly brought back by Haydn's staccato verse, accompanied by the distinctive brass section.

'Angels' feels like the intimate fusion of two which causes an ascension to higher heights. Far from a cheesy love song or crude depiction of an intimate exchange, 'Angels' portrays the euphoric experience of a deeper mutual union.

It's safe to say that this EP is more than a collection of "covers", it's really only a "covers" EP in the title. The Stow have drawn inspiration from their favorite popular Pop stars - Tinie Tempah, Katy Perry et al - as well as their individual music styles and songs to create an EP that not only compliments and is inspired by these mainstream artists but also shines light on The Stow's musical and artistic dexterity. The band truly make their mark on these records and listeners will not ordinarily be able to figure out the original artists and songs being referenced on this EP. This EP does more than enough to showcase the creativity and originality of The Stow. I do have one criticism however, The Covers EP - at only 4 tracks - is TOO short! Outrage! *Huff* but alas I digress...

The work ethic and versatility of this band allow their music to reach and be accessible to a wider and more varied demographic. I predict that The Stow will soon take their rightful place on the UK mainstream music scene, boldly flying the British flag but in the mean time...

Check out the really impressive video for 'Give a Damn' right HERE

Download: The Stow - The Covers EP

For more information about The Stow >> Facebook // Twitter // Website

Carol Ohemaa

We Plug to You... IYEOKA

2011-06-28T16:47:00.007+01:00

Powerful, passionate and talented are the words that come to mind when asked to describe the poet and artist that goes by the name Iyeoka Ivie Okoawa. Iyeoka pronounced ee-yo-kah means “I want to be respected” - a name originating from her native land of Nigeria - and respected she is or very well should be. Iyeoka is a seasoned and incredible artist and performer by all accounts despite the lack of mainstream popularity and it is with great pleasure and delight that we're able to share her with you...

The Nigerian-American poet, recording artist and singer began her musical career by founding the group The Rock by Funk Tribe and was able to blend her poetry with genres like Jazz, Blues, Funk and Gospel with the aid of this collective of musicians to create a beautiful bridge between poetry and music. In 2004, she released her first album of poem-songs (fusion of poetry and music) called Black and Blues followed by her second album Hum The Bass Line in 2007 and then in 2008, she recorded a live album in Hawaii called Live @ KTUH – Honolulu. Later that same year, she beautifully covered the U2 hit song "Desire" for the compilation album In The Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 which also featured Grammy Award-winning and nominated African artists such as Angelique Kidjo, Les Nubians and Soweto Gospel Choir.

In 2009, Iyeoka transformed her sound and songwriting approach from poem-songs into more traditional song forms with the help of new producer David Franz and original collaborator Francis Phan and released two EPs that year - This Time Around and Run Into the Rain - with a more "electronic soul" sound fusing more Pop, R&B, Dance and Hip-Hop into her music. In November of the following year, Iyeoka released her third album Say Yes. Outside of the music, the list is endless when it comes to what this Nigerian-American singer/songwriter, poet, educator and 2010 TED Fellow has accomplished but for this here feature, we focus on the music and plug to you... IYEOKA

"Say Yes", the title track from her current album is one of my favourite Iyeoka songs. With it's alternative sounding Pop/Soul feel, it distinctively and instinctively remind you of a sunny day by the beach hand in hand with a significant other and it feels like that song that should fill the speakers at your favorite coffee shop. The backing strings played over an acoustic guitar is the sealing point to the track accompanied by soft sounding harmonies by Iyeoka. Ironically though - as hippie as the track sounds, "Say Yes" has a slightly sad tone to it as Iyeoka sings about being torn between a lover who wants her but isn’t willing to make the move. I especially like that it’s not the typical love song of a scorn woman drowning in her own tears of self-pity but rather standing empowered [cues "Who runs the World" by Beyoncé] and conveying the message that you can’t learn to love until you love yourself. Listen to the track below.

"Say Yes":

"Breakdown Mode" is a fast-paced record telling a story of broken up emotions with the catchy sing-a-long chorus housing lyrics like “It’s like a merry-go round we go […] I need to take control before my heart goes to breakdown mode”. It’s a very upbeat song easily fitting into an "electro-funk" box complete with synths, a funky bass line and drum kicks, drawing near similarities to sounds of one Janelle Monae. The groovy song is portrayed as a narrative from the singer's point of view of an ended relationship, her needing closure, being lonely and emotional while trying to stay in control of herself. Listen below:

"Breakdown Mode":

This final track we're featuring from Iyeoka - "This Time Around" - is taken off of her 2009 EP of the same name. The song's very subtle sounds and instrumentation give the distinct impression that R&B/Soul legend Sade must be one of Iyeoka's idols as it bears quite a huge similarity to the music icon's music style. Regardless of the comparison, this song holds it own. It is beautifully sung, definitely one to listen to with a poignant message of believing in one’s self despite facing adversity and is currently nominated in the R&B category at this year's forthcoming Independent Music Awards.

"This Time Around":

A very worthy mention amongst Iyeoka's back catalogue is the very stellar "The Yellow Brick Road" which is off of the Say Yes album; it’s an upbeat track with lush bass guitar and horn arrangements accompanied by thumping drum patterns and probably her most popular song to date. The track was featured in an episode of the hit HBO series, How To Make It In America and is the theme song for USA Network's new TV series Fairly Legal. It’s quite a catchy song which includes a clever reference to the popular movie The Wizard of Oz. Also from the same album, comes the poem "I Travel Home" which is also certainly worth listening to - it paints a picture of Iyeoka’s transition from being a child in Nigeria to blossoming to a woman in Boston. Refreshingly, it lets us understand the pride within her as she embraces her culture choosing not to let go of her identity.

Her albums undoubtedly give a very holistic musical experience and perspective into who Iyeoka is as an artist, poet and an educator as it shows from her songs and music and the words and messages behind them that she painstakingly wants to reach her listeners with that authenticity and inspiration. I personally appreciate Iyeoka's ability to create beautiful and poignant music that fits every mood plus if you enjoy an eclectic mix of artists from Corrine Bailey Rae to Sade to Nina Simone, then Iyeoka’s albums are essential to your collection.

“My goal is simple… I just want to move the world one poem at a time”- Iyeoka.

Include the word "music" into that quote and Iyeoka does exactly that on her records.

Purchase: Iyeoka - Say Yes (iTunes)

Keep Tabs on Iyeoka: Twitter // Facebook // Website // YouTube

TemiY

We Plug to You... The Illersapiens - Elevate

2011-06-20T00:08:00.002+01:00

Hi GOOD folks, here's a story for you! A friend of mine heard this UK Hip-Hop group by the name of The Illersapiens while roaming the shops of London late last December and she was ever so kind to send me one of their songs (have no fear, I'll be sharing it later on in this feature). After listening to it and more songs by the group, The Illersapiens have fast become one of the few UK Hip-Hop acts that I find myself constantly looking out for.

I plug to you The Illersapiens, a seven-piece band hailing from South London, UK made up of Mr. Man (MC), Louis (drummer), Ollie (stringer), P-Riddimz (bass), Callum (sax), Dom (percussionist) and Katy B (female vocalist). Some of you might recognize Katy B from Rinse FM and popular hits such as "Lights On" and "Broken Record" to name a few and her very excellent solo debut album On A Mission. In a recent interview with Heads High Music, the group's lead eMCee - Mr. Man described their sound as an eclectic mix of genres that span Afro-beat, Hip-Hop, Garage and Reggae with basically no limits in creativity.

This diverse sound that cuts across different cultures has often earned them comparisons to US acts like The Roots, Arrested Development and Digable Planets amongst others. In 2009, the group released their debut mixtape Soul Jam Slaughter Volume 1, a compilation of live tracks and improvisations that has become a cult classic amongst their fans and music heads alike. That year was a busy one for the band as they also released their debut EP Elevate; five tracks of which open up an entire window into the group's alluring sound.

The word 'Illersapiens' when translated literally means “better knowing” and with a forthcoming EP titled Change, we wait to see if this band from Brixton can continue to leave their indelible mark on underground UK Hip-Hop music but before then, we delve into their 2009 debut EP to remind ourselves of the goodness that is The Illersapiens...

"The Sweetness" is the first track I plug to you from The Illersapiens, it is off of their Elevate EP and is also the song (as I mentioned earlier) that introduced me to the group. This song takes on a romantic path and as introduced by Mr. Man, is for the lovebirds that are clearly in the early butterfly stage of a relationship. Mr. Man handles rap duties on the verses of the song delivering a few notable lyrics relating them in such a playful manner that some might consider a bit cheeky. The band's use of horns, drum kicks and keyboard chords matched with Katy B’s harmonies on the mellow chorus add an extra soft touch to the already euphonic track.

"The Sweetness":

“you are to me what Bob [Marley] was to reggae”

"In a Daze" - another track from the Elevate EP - takes a slight detour from the previous track as this song holds more thought provoking lyrics. Once again Mr. Man delivers exceptionally on the verses showing diversity in his craft, this time using a different and rather switched-up quick fire flow over this musical milieu. Katy B, with her vibrant voice, powers a sweet harmony on the chorus over a backdrop of bass drum patterns, snare injections and horn arrangements which are apparent throughout the song. I can see where the comparisons to The Roots come in since both bands largely employ and infuse live instrumentation in their music; a trait which is very noticeable on this song. It’s a great track overall and probably one of the band's most popular ones.

"In a Daze":

“I’m fresh like lucozade glucose”

“Elevate” - the EP's title track - starts off with an old school rap flow similar to that of The Fugees for example. As you can tell by now and with this song holding an edgy underground feel, the group takes their chosen Hip-Hop genre and culture very seriously. Mr. Man's thought provoking lyrics touch on varied life topics ranging from poverty to religious morals to music, giving a truly comprehensive meaning to the song's title "Elevate" - a clear intention in the first place. It seems to be a personal one for the group and educational if you will, creating a conscious awareness to life through music in your mindset. A good combination of the bass and lead guitar is apparent through out the song with sax and drum toms coming together to bring this track to a beautiful end.

"Elevate":

As a bonus, we've also included a live version of this song culled from the Soul Jam Slaughter Volume 1 mixtape underneath for your listening pleasure. Although it's shorter than the original, it gives you an idea of how the band sounds live on stage.

"Elevate (Live)":

"they exaggerate and fabricate, its ok they’ll tell the truth when they’re at the gates”

The two other tracks on the EP are "Bap Bap" and the aptly titled "Brixton" which is inspired by and an ode to their hometown. With seven different musical personalities in the group, it is no surprise that the band has the ability to create a unique blend of music and interpretation of traditional Hip-Hop music. If you’re reading this blog, it is safe to assume that you also have an appreciation for GOOD music that's not entirely mainstream and The Illersapiens fit right into that description. Considering their multi-faceted talent, witty lyrics, consistency and a bizarre name like ‘Illersapiens’, who wouldn’t be compelled to listen?

If you’re now drawn to the group just like I was and still am, then download their mixtape below and cop the Elevate EP on iTunes (link below) PLUS the Illersapiens have quite a number of shows and gigs lined up for the Summer. Check their website for shows and dates near you and definitely GO catch one and enjoy some GOOD music in anticipation of their sophomore project Change.

Download: The Illersapiens - Soul Jam Slaughter Volume 1

Purchase: The Illersapiens - Elevate (iTunes)

Keep Tabs on The Illersapiens - Twitter // Facebook // Website

TemiY