Thoughts on contemporary culture
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Aug | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
In spite of the progress made towards eliminating discrimination, there is plenty of evidence that the highly anticipated “post racial” era is more wishful thinking than reality.
Consider the double standard on some recent news items:
Flash mobs are innovative and fun gatherings when it’s white youth taking over public places. When black [...]
California band Ozomatli has been recording politically charged music since 1995. Their fusion of Latin, funk, hip hop, jazz, and rock music has made them one of America’s most versatile bands and State Department recognition as official cultural ambassadors.
Their most recent album Fire Away includes the band’s first statement on gay relationships, “Gay Vatos [...]
Many hip-hop fans are familiar with the idea of “the gay rapper” thanks to books like Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry, documentaries like Pick Up The Mic, and years of speculation about various performers.
But I think it’s safe to say most people were unfamiliar with Foxxjazell, hailed [...]
Continue reading about Foxxjazell Speaks With The WeHo News »
Jose James is one of the best new vocalists on the scene today.
Discovered and signed by British DJ Gilles Peterson to his Brownswood Recordings label, 2008’s The Dreamer, introduced him as a rising jazz star. On Blackmagic, James goes for a more contemporary sound, enlisting production from Moodymann and Flying Lotus. [...]
Risco Connection was one of the oddest and most original music acts of the late 1970s: a reggae group that performed covers of disco songs. Masterminded by producer Joe Isaacs, Risco Connection could have easily been dismissed as a novelty act, but their music struck a chord with the underground disco scene, becoming [...]
Continue reading about Music You Should Know: Risco Connection »
Georg Levin is a German singer whose latest album, Everything Must Change, was recently released.
His music is a combination of soul, dance, and downtempo.
Here is a preview of “The Better Life” from the new album.
Bobby Hutcherson rivals Roy Ayers and Lionel Hampton as the world’s preeminent vibes player, with a string of classic albums dating to the 1960s.
One of his most popular compositions is “Little B’s Poem,” originally recorded in 1965. This performance is taken from the 1985 concert DVD One Night With Blue Note. Featured [...]
Continue reading about Music You Should Know: Bobby Hutcherson »
It saddened me to learn that Ron Banks, leader of seventies soul group the Dramatics, died March 4. His distinctive falsetto made songs like “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” and “Hey You! Get Off My Mountain” classics in my book.
Per the Electronic Urban Report, his memorial services are scheduled for the following time:
Viewing: [...]
For me, the best release of 2010 has been Two, the sophomore album from Silhouette Brown, the writing/production team of Dego, Kaidi Tatham, and Bembe Segue. All three have substantial credentials in the independent music scene, with Dego being a co-founder of the legendary electronic act 4 Hero.
On their first album, vocals were [...]
Continue reading about Music You Should Know: Silhouette Brown »
Disco fans should be running to the store to purchase the The M&M Mixes
compilation just released on BBE Records.
Morales teamed with Sergio Munzibai to form one of the preeminent remix teams of the 1980s. The M&M Mixes presents alternate versions of disco classics that Morales made for his personal enjoyment. These [...]
Continue reading about Music You Should Know: John Morales »
© 2009-2010 The Next Write Thing All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright