Remember GirlBlueSTL's Recap on Sol Village? A petite NJ native, once on Diddy's Starmaker, who goes by the name of Lauriana Mae stepped up to the stage and surprised everyone. She donned a throwback outfit, some curly blonde locks (I googled her to get her name right when she hit the stage, and a long black-haired girl showed up in the results. Same person!) and her own traveling band--The Pains.
Now she has released a gift just in time for Christmas: The Love Mae EP. Three tracks is more than enough to crossover the most stout opposer (One can imagine this opposer getting all the words stuck in his head and singing them at random times for reasons he knows not). The girl doesn't disappoint. So take a listen, and don't stray too far...because there's more where this came from. --GB
It's been a few years waiting for the first single from Ngaiire, and here it is! "Filthy," produced by David Skeet, off her undisclosed debut album. And you can watch the video after the jump. *Warning: Wait 20 minutes before or after drinking or eating, if you know what's good for you.
Last night, Brooklynites and such gathered in Williamsburg’s famous the Knitting Factory to travel into another dimension with the sounds of headliner V V Brown. The small venue catered to the needs of the urban eclectic, some pulling out chairs and sitting to get a comfort view, most standing. But everyone was at the edge of their seat for what turned out to be an exclusive look into V V's new album Lollipops & Politics.
But first up, the opener Christina LaRocca took the floor for a 40 minute set with an empowering “Independent Lady” anthem. Then, V V's sister Jay Brown took the stage with a guitar and her new-found friend Sly, equipped with bongo's. “We met today, and we’re playing today!” she exclaimed, starting off with “Waiting,” “Into You,” and “Throne.” She gets credit for her raspy and melodic, yet gritty vocals, and her straightforward songwriting, calling her boy toy “p***y boy” in that tune, and “spammah” in another (that’s “idiot” to you Americans). The solemn “27 Club” was a tribute to the late great Amy Winehouse; then she ended with “London,” which she could only describe is about “how it hates you, but you love it anyway.”
Her departure only kept the ever-growing masses feigning for V V, and when she did take the stage, she did so in style, shoe-less, with a black flowy quilted skirt, fur vest, and purple headband. V V started off with unfamiliar songs, but soon after she revealed she was performing hits from Lollipops & Politics! “Tough Like Glue” and “Famous” were sung; while the former had an innocence to it, the latter questioned why someone would want notoriety. Love is then compared to a “Red Balloon,” as V V croons, “When you think you’re in control, you better keep your head up,” amongst heavy guitar riffs and xylophone, also with some purity, as children’s voices sing at the end.
V V has branched off from her “break-up” anthems, for she’s all boo’d up. “I wrote this about my boyfriend, who I am in love with,” she says before “Be Yours,” and “Like Fire,” which is also a love song but with heavy organ and cymbals. “10 Ft Tall” lets the guitar shine, culminating with piano, and “Circus Town,” also organ and drum-pedal filled, proves that no matter how wild life gets, we’ll survive. “Children,” whose melody she got from an ice cream truck playing "Turkey in the Straw," came last. It shows the naivety of world debauchery, and she rapped Chiddy of Chiddy Bang's part well. “The economy is f***ed, and every thing is upside down, but we don’t give a damn, for the children keep on singing!” V V croons. Speak.
*V V also performed the well known hit songs “Quick Fix,” and “Shark In The Water.” Tonight she will be at Mercury Lounge in NYC, performing a sold-out show to industry insiders and fans alike.
Common's visuals for "Blue Sky" off The Dreamer, The Believer show an established Common Sense sitting on his bed daydreaming. Images of a writer, future basketball star, and future mother flood the screens as Common spray-paints an ode to the city skyline.
Sol Village at SOB’s on Wednesday night in NYC was completely and utterly unexpected. That’s what one gets when venturing out to find the next big thing in CMJ week. The trial and error of it all would force some not to bet at all. To, in complete angst of the situation, stay home and turn on the radio, and frolic to the ones that have already made a cut. That would be a sad mistake.
Backed by the band The Collective, veteran Eric Roberson hosted. Among crowd warmers such as singing an impromptu tune with random words picked out by the audience ("pineapple," "crackhead"…), and belting a lady’s digits so that concertgoers could text her, he was well received.
First up was the colorful Yasinabdur. Wearing a neon ensemble, the artist brought in the positivity with “Fighting Love,” and “Angel.” Then, in “Cutthroat,” told the audience to “cut” their haters, or nix them with the hand motion that says “Ixnay.” The stage presence brought an new flavor, but the gear was a clincher.
Candice Anitra broke the mold with punk flavor packaged in a black lace dress. “Boy Crazy” was interesting to say the least, as Candice appeared slightly possessed, rolling her eyes into the back of her head as she sang. To top it off, she performed “Objectify Me,” a subjective song about being a fan of rough bedroom tactics; the title says it all.
When Lauriana Mae hit the stage, the audience was unsuspecting, but the slim and petite blonde-mane bombshell, in one foul swoop, smacked the entire audience with her first word. The sound is a throwback from the flapper era, mixed with a bit of 40’s/50’s groups like The Andrews Sisters. She performed songs including “My Guy” and another knocking boots tune, “Beat It,” before ending with “Shine.”
Bridget Kelly made Roc Nation proud (the fam was in attendance indeed). She performed songs off of her recently released EP, Every Girl. She fits the bill, with hard spitting lyricism that could interchange as a rap-- straight-forward, in your face, and concrete. After “In The Morning”, “Every Girl”, and after “Thinking About Forever,*" she sang the crowd favorite, “Seek and Destroy,” pointing to the audience, singing, “You better not f*** this up/ Or I’ma f*** you up!”
Verse Simmonds brought the appeal with “Buy You A Round (Up and Down)”, crooning “If you’re a single lady let me buy you a round!” Then sang a soulful “Love No Glove”, with a Soul For Real bridge of “Candy Rain.” “Boo Thang” was his last diddy, before he gave the stage to Nikki Jean.
When she hit the stage she took off her boots, and pressed the keyboard pedals with her bare toes. Then she sang “I Only Have Eyes For You” and “Million Star Motel" sans Lupe and Black Thought. Audience participation ruled “La Di Da Di Da” with a folk sound (Slick Rick anyone?*), creating a cross between the local light hits station and throwback classics.
Last but not least CJ Hilton worked an intimate crowd to his advantage, coming down into the audience and having one on one with the ladies. After the break up song "Cold Summer," he asked “Would you leave me?” to each girl in the front…and each giggled fervently and shook her head like a bobble like, “You? Never!” He crooned on his knees with "Tonight" and ended with a “So Fresh” that showed an impressive headliner mentality. End with a bang.
...Here's the full version of James Morrison featuring Jessie J, "Up," off James' new album "The Awakening." Kind of couples self-help thing they have going on here in this video. They look cute together. ^ James just fell from #1 to #5 on the UK album charts, so to that I say, "The only way is upppppp...." ^ That album is fire.
