SPARKY'S FLAW IS A FIVE MEMBER BAND OUT OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. RECENTLY GRADUATED, THESE KIDS GOT TOGETHER DURING THEIR EARLIER UNDERGRAD YEARS AT UVA, AND HAVE BEEN ROCKING OUT EVER SINCE. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEM LIVE A FEW WEEKS AGO AT A SMALL TAVA [NEW PEPSI BRAND BEVERAGE] SPONSORED SHOWCASE IN THE CITY, AND I MUST SAY THE LEAD SINGER, WILL ANDERSON, IS A FULL OF PERSONALITY AND TALENT TO SAY THE LEAST. THEY CAME OUT FULL FORCE, NO INTRODUCTION, JUST STARTED THEIR SONG, AND IT WAS LIKE THAT THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE. THEY HAVE A VERY BLUNT, HERE'S OUR MUSIC, LIKE IT OR LEAVE IT APPROACH, AND APPARENTLY THE CROWD LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WILL BE IN THE SUNNY STATE OF FLORIDA THIS SUMMER, YOU SHOULD CHECK THEM OUT, AS THEY WILL BE TOURING THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN THE MONTH OF JUNE.
YEA YEA I KNOW IT'S MONDAY, BUT WEEKENDS ARE RELATIVE, AND IN MY OWN MIND IT'S STILL THE WEEKEND. SO HERE'S YOUR ROUND-UP...
IN FAVOR OF ALL THINGS DIFFERENT, IN A VERY REMINISCENT FAMILIAR WAY, HERE'S ANOTHER ONE YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR RAINY DAY CD COLLECTION. NOT NECESSARILY BIRTHED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MAP, BUT DEFINITELY RAISED AT THE TOP, IS "SOUL"TRY ACOUSTIC R&B ARTIST JUSTIN NOZUKA. BORN IN QUEENS, SIXTH OF SEVEN CHILDREN, JUSTIN WAS MOVED TO TORONTO AT AN EARLY AGE WHERE HE TOOK A KEEN INTEREST IN HOCKEY, AND SAW HIMSELF MAKING A CAREER OUT OF IT UNTIL HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC GOT TOO LOUD FOR HIM TO IGNORE.
WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, JUSTIN DECIDED TO HIRE PRODUCER BILL BELL, SANS A RECORDING COMPANY, TO HELP HIM PRODUCE HIS DEBUT ALBUM NAMED AFTER HIS MOTHER, HOLLY. WITH A SOUND MUCH OLDER AND FAR MORE MATURE THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM SUCH A YOUNG GUY, IT'S NO WONDER IN SUCH A SHORT TIME SPAN JUSTIN HAS ALREADY SHARED THE STAGE WITH GREATS LIKE ZIGGY MARLEY, JOHN CALE, AND SAM ROBERTS.
THIS WEEKS ARTIST IS TEYANA TAYLOR. BUT I'VE GOT MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS ONE. FIRST OF ALL MS. TEYANA CAUGHT MY ATTENTION ON THE LASTNIGHTSPARTY WEBSITE, SITED AT THE MAC AND HEATHERETTE PARTY A WHILE BACK. THEN I DECIDED SHE REALLY HAD DOPE APPEAL SIMPLY OFF OF THE FACT THAT SHE ROLLS WITH ONE OF MY FAVS PHARRELL AND IS NOW SIGNED UNDER [STAR TRAK/INTERSCOPE RECORDS]. I LOVE HER SENSE OF STYLE, THE FACT THAT SHE'S FROM HARLEM, AND HER VOCALS ARE AMAZING. NOW YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING 'WELL WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER'? UNFORTUNATELY, AND YOU MAY NOTICE THIS YOURSELF WATCHING HER LATEST SINGLE/VIDEO "GOOGLE ME" OFF OF HER DEBUT ALBUM, SHE IS VERY REMINISCENT OF THE EVER SO ANNOYINGLY CLOWNISH LIL' MAMA. WORD TO THE WISE MENTOR PHARRELL, DROP HER I'M ONLY 17, I LIKE BUBBLE GUM ACT, AND GIVE THIS GIRL SOME SERIOUS SUBSTANCE. SHE HAS AMAZING TALENT AND POTENTIAL. I'D HATE TO SEE IT GO TO WASTE WITH A FEW HITS ON 106&PARK NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN. MY OPINION, "TRAFFIC STOP" SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST RELEASE. LOVES IT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST GROUPS TO BREAK THROUGH THE GENRE BARRIERS. IF YOU THOUGHT RIHANNA WAS THE FIRST FROM THE CARIBBEAN TO TO BE ABLE TO SPIT CALYPSO TO R&B YOU WERE MISTAKEN.
TWO BROTHERS FROM THE "HOUZIN' " PROJECTS OF DOWNTOWN ST. THOMAS, USVI TOGETHER MAKE THE GROUP R.CITY, ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS 2EQWIP. THESE TWO HAVE PERSONALITIES LIKE NIGHT AND DAY, RIGHTLY NAMED "DA SPOKESMAN" AND "DON'T TALK MUCH", THESE TWO ARE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF OPPOSITES ATTRACT, AND IT'S NOT HARD TO SEE THAT THEY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER JUST RIGHT. R.CITY IS A HIP HOP, R&B, REGGAE AND CALYPSO GROUP RECENTLY SIGNED TO [KONLIVE/INTERSCOPE RECORDS]. THEY ARE CURRENTLY ON THEIR PROMO TOUR VISITING CITIES DOWN SOUTH AND ON THE EAST COAST. YOU CAN GET THEIR TOUR DATES AND MORE INFORMATION AT:
THIS WEEK I'VE DECIDED TO SHOWCASE ANOTHER NOT-SO-WELL-KNOWN BAND THAT I DISCOVERED A FEW YEARS BACK OPENING UP FOR GYMCLASS HEROES IN DC. THE BAND IS RX BANDITS. THEIR STYLE IS VERY SKA MEETS A LOT OF ROCK THAT HANGS OUT WITH A LITTLE JAZZ ON THE WEEKENDS. THINK EARLY NO DOUBT WITHOUT THE GWEN. SIGNED TO [MASH DOWN BABYLON RECORDS] RXB IS NO NOVICE. THEY BROUGHT OUT THEIR 5TH ALBUM IN 2006 TITLED "...AND THE BATTLE BEGUN". MORE OF A LIVE SHOW BAND, RXB IS A TREAT TO SEE IN PERSON. TO SEE THEM LIVE IS TO WITNESS A HIGH ENERGY DRIVEN SHOW OF BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MUSICALLY EXPLOSIVE PERFORMANCES. CHECK THEM OUT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.....
CAN ANYONE PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION. WHY ISN'T THERE EVER ANYTHING TO DO IN NYC ON THE WEEKENDS? THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF THINGS TO DO DURING THE WEEK, BUT I GUESS WEEKENDS ARE RESERVED FOR RELAXING AND CATCHING UP ON SOME WELL DESERVED ZZZ'S. I TOOK THIS TIME TO RELAX MYSELF AND ZONE OUT TO SOME GOOD TUNES.
I LIKE TO FIND ARTISTS NOBODY ELSE FUX WITH YET AND KIND OF CLAIM THEM AS MY OWN, AND RIGHT NOW MY OBSESSION IS THIS NEW MALIBU BORN AND BRED HIP HOP KID WHO RECENTLY SIGNED WITH [SURETONE/GEFFEN RECORDS], SHWAYZE. IF YOU CREATE A PLAY LIST, MIX SHWAYZE IN WITH A LITTLE N.E.R.D, GYMCLASS HEROES, AND SOME THROWBACK SUBLIME AND YOU'RE STRAIGHT. I HAVEN'T FOUND A TRACK OF HIS THAT I HATE, BUT I STILL HAVEN'T PICKED A FAVORITE JUST YET EITHER. SOMETHING ABOUT HIS SONGS BRING ME BACK TO MY DAYS GROWING UP IN ST. THOMAS KICKING IT AT THE BEACH ON A LAZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH NOT A WORRY IN THE WORLD. IT COULD BE HIS CREATIVE MIX OF LAID BACK VOCALS, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, AND THE TUG OF WAR BETWEEN ROCK AND HIP HOP THAT FLOOD EVERY TRACK. WHATEVER IT IS, IT WORKS. CHECK THIS CLIP OF HIM LIVE AT THE ROXY, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK......(IF YOU GUYS LIKE HIM AS MUCH AS I DO THEN I'LL TRY MY HARDEST TO GET HIM HERE TO THE CITY.)
AND WHILE I'M ON THE SUBJECT OF MUSIC, HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE LEGENDARY TV SHOW YO! MTV RAPS. THIS SHOW HELPED CREATE A MOVEMENT THAT HAS MOLDED A WHOLE GENERATION. TAKE A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME, REMINISCE ON THE JAMS THAT ROCKED YOUR BODY, GET REACQUAINTED WITH THE SOUNDS OF THE GREAT POETS OF THEIR TIME, LOOK BACK ON THE STRUGGLES AND OPINIONS THAT MOVED THEM TO SPEAK THEIR MINDS, AND TRY NOT TO CRINGE AT THE WONDERFULLY HORRIBLE FASHION CHOICES OF THE LATE 80'S. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO PAY HOMAGE TO YO! MTV RAPS....
