Thoughts on contemporary culture
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Apr | ||||||
| 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 | ||||
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. It is a [...]
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 players are [...]
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 handled [...]
Continue reading about Music You Should Know: Silhouette Brown »
As part of the many outreach efforts for the victims of the Haitian earthquake, many of the music industry’s most popular performers recorded a charity single on February 1. Over 100 artists united across genre lines – country (Keith Urban), rap (Lil Wayne, Kanye West), pop (Celine Dion, Tony Bennett), jazz (Harry Connick, Jr.) and [...]
Continue reading about Doesn’t Haiti Deserve Its Own Song? »
Carl Bean is a treasure and inspiration. As the founder of Unity Fellowship Church, he has created a platform for black LGBTs to fulfill their spiritual needs in an affirming environment. Originally centered in Bean’s home in 1982, Unity Fellowship churches now exist in fifteen cities. Prior to his ministry, Bean recorded one of the [...]
Sly Stone is an artist you should already be familiar with. As the leader of Sly and the Family Stone, he fused rock, soul, and pop to capture the public imagination and was a prime example of black music’s increasing sophistication. His commercial peak was between 1968 and 1973, when he recorded classics such as [...]
© 2009-2012 The Next Write Thing All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright