Identity said:

Her new album sold out in my area, so I had to order it through Amazon. She's definitely one of a kind.

She is lol.

War – Greatest Hits (1976; 2014 reissue)

Earlier this month, the seminal funk-jazz-rock combo War issued their first album of new material in twenty years. Evolutionary features original lead singer and keyboardist Lonnie Jordan and a pretty good lead single in “That L.A. Sunshine.” But the other news coming from War is that bundled with this new album is an important old one.

War’s Greatest Hits album was originally released right as the band peaked in 1976 but was never remastered and put on a CD until now. This was long overdue, as — along with other “greatest hits” compilations of the time such as those from Elton John and Seals & Crofts — soaking in War’s Hits is like taking a time machine back to 1975 and listening to AM radio. Realizing this makes it a wonder they’re not mentioned as often as other classic rock acts from the 70s, because this stuff was good then and sounds great now.

The secret to War’s goodness was that like Santana, they were able to incorporate Latin and jazz elements into rock and give it a crossover appeal. But unlike Santana, they also made it utterly danceable by giving their music a heavy dose of Sly and the Family Stone, right down to the ensemble vocals. No one’s been able to do all that as successfully since then, and their formula worked to the tune of six top ten hits and ten top 40 hits between 1971 and 1976. Greatest Hits itself topped out at #6 on the US Billboard album chart.

Ordered on the CD just they were on the vinyl, the songs are sequenced chronologically, which flows fine that way, starting with 1971′a “All Day Music”,” an update on the Rascal’s “Groovin’” all the way to 1976′s “Summer.”

“Slippin’ Into Darkness” is, looking back, probably the first reggae song most anyone in America has heard even though it wasn’t called that; War just blended everything together without much thought as to what to call it. Right after that is “The World Is A Ghetto,” making this the pair of songs that discussed topics that weren’t as sunny as most of the their well-known tunes like “Cisco Kid,” “Me and Baby Brother” and the happy-go-lucky “Why Can’t We Be Friends.” And you best believe that infectious Chicano anthem “Low Rider” is on here, too.

The compilation ends with a song that was new with the release, “Summer,” featuring a breezy groove and great harmonies remindful of their first hit “All Day Music,” showing that even at their peak of popularity they didn’t abandon the ingredients that propelled them into a hitmaking machine in the first place. That song later fulfilled the promise of the album title, scoring War’s final top ten spot in the pop singles chart.

I can’t really complain about a lineup of songs that are all killer and no filler, the way these compilations are supposed to be in the first place, but it would have been nice to have had their first hit “Spill The Wine” on there. Technically, that groovy, left-field hit is Eric Burdon’s tune but with War backing him up, it signaled the beginning of the band where most people are concerned.

Nonetheless, if the only problem is what was left out and no problem with what was put in, that’s about as close to perfect as one can get. The rekindling of War’s Greatest Hits is a welcome reminder of a band that was a force in its day and the music that remains very much potent today.

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Hiromi – Alive (2014)

The great living legend Ahmad Jamal declared that Japanese piano wunderkind Hiromi “has discovered her own genre,” and now three albums and four years leading a supertrio with electric bassist Anthony Jackson and ex-Toto drummer Simon Phillips, I think Jamal could be onto something.

Alive — due out June 17, 2014 on Telarc/Concord — is not overtly different from the group’s first LP Voice (2011) or last year’s Move, but they’re fine-tuning a sonic personality that’s definitely jazz but just as assuredly contemporary and dynamic in a way that no one else is quite doing. By sticking with this path for a while, she’s seeing it through its full development and at the same time, sets herself further apart from her childhood hero, the ever-genre-hopping Chick Corea.

Hiromi, too, loves many musical styles, but prefers to blend them all together into a unified voice together with Jackson and Phillips. With the strong affinity she’s developed with her partners, it seems so easy.

Especially her penchant for turning a pop melody into something deeper. For “Seeker” she begins alone with such a catchy strain, with Jackson and Phillips entering after a bar. Amid a head-nodding strut, Hiromi plays it lithe and light even as she’s throwing off double-fisted asides. “Firefly” boasts of a quiet, melancholy melody performed by Hiromi alone. A comely pop ballad, Hiromi keeps her chops at bay to fully reveal the song’s prettiness.

Even for the “power” pieces such as “Alive,” “Life Goes On” and “Warrior,” Hiromi finds ways to work fetching chorals into adventurous excursions. “Wanderer,” too, is a journey, not a head-solos-head exercise, but also breaks out into jazz swing, and that’s where they reveal even more about themselves: as Hiromi gains momentum, Phillips picks up on her every cue. Following a drum solo that simultaneously segues back into theme, Jackson uncorks a graceful bass solo that no one outside of Steve Swallow can do with that kind of touch.

Nimbleness is a hallmark with this group, and that’s what makes “Dreamer” even better. Phillips introduces an interesting repeating figure that Hiromi builds upon and negotiates capably. After a while she settles down, performing her solo with focus and purpose, one idea always leading into the next one. The gospel feel sets the tone for “Spirit,” so gospel you can almost hear a church organ. Even at half their normal speed, this threesome sounds good.

As Hiromi and her trio get settled into their own take on virtuosic yet listenable contemporary jazz, listeners are advised to strap in. It’s a fun ride.

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New single from the album The Spell.

Goapele releases summertime jam "Hey Boy", the first single from her fifth studio album, Strong As Glass.

Soundcloud


goapele.com

Norah Jones' 'It Was The Last Thing On Your Mind' Video From 'They Came Together' (Exclusive)

By Phil Gallo | June 24, 2014 1:30 PM EDT

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the USC Shoah Foundation Institute

Norah Jones provides the musical centerpiece of the romantic-comedy spoof “They Came Together” that opens Friday (June 27) in theaters and on demand and stars Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler.

Rudd and Poehler tap the rom-com clichés in the film, scenes of which pepper the new music video for "It Was the Last Thing On Your Mind." The filmmakers take it a step further by including “musicians at work” clichés in the video with cameos from John Stamos, Adam Scott and the film’s stars.

Lionsgate Records will release today (June 24) a digital EP for “They Came Together” featuring original songs by former Shudder to Think lead singer/film composer Craig Wedren and Amy Miles along with the Jones track. Wedren’s other scores include “Role Models,” “Afternoon Delight” and the TV series “United States of Tara.”

Jones has previously contributed songs to films such as “Ted,” “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” and “My Blueberry Nights.” Her next project, the trio Puss n Boots, will release its debut album “No Fools, No Fun” on July 15. The band features Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper. Watch the video below:

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http://www.billboard.com/...e-together

Tessanne Chin To Drop Debut Album “Count On My Love” on July 1st

Posted by: (NixS) @YardHype June 23, 2014 in Featured Content, News Leave a comment

Tessanne Chin is putting in the finishing touches on her new album Count On My Love due on July 1. The reggae pop songstress released the cover art for the highly anticipated album via her Instagram page.

Tessanne Chin has already released two singles off the album “Tumbling Down,” and “Everything Reminds Me Of You.”

Last month Chin debut “Everything Reminds Me Of You” on The Voice 2014 season finale.

Tessanne Chin convincingly won The Voice season 5 last year and secured a recording contract and a cash prize of $100,000. She has been busy recording her new album since.

Tessanne Chin is gearing up for a big performance at this year’s Reggae Sumfest.

Count on My Love.

Producers include Jerry ‘Wonda’ Duplessis, Stargate, Shama ‘Sak Pase’ Joseph, Mark ‘Exit’ Goodchild, Shaun Pizzonia aka Sting International; and Dwayne ‘Supa Dups’ Chin-Quee.

Among the songwriters who contributed to the project are Autumn Rowe, Claude Kelly, AC Burrell, Ryan Tedder (of rock band OneRepublic fame), Rock City aka Planet VI, and legendary songwriter Diane Warren.

The first single, Tumbling Down, which was released in the wake of her The Voice win, failed to ignite radio and the charts. The track was written by Tedder.

The second single, Everything Reminds Me of You, was written by songwriting duo of brothers known as Rock City aka Planet VI. The US Virgin Islands natives (Timothy and Theron Thomas) have written songs for the likes of Rihanna (Man Down and Pour it Up), Justin Bieber (Runaway Love), Iyaz (Replay), Sean Kingston (Take You There), Jennifer Hudson (If this Isn’t Love), Miley Cyrus (We Can’t Stop)and R Kelly (Crazy Night) among others.

Chin debuted Everything Reminds Me of You during the Season 6 semi-final round of The Voice with a live performance on Tuesday.

The single was produced by Supa Dups. It was recorded at Inner Circle’s Miami-based Circle House studios.

“It was an honour to work with Tessanne. She is such an amazing talent and humble soul. The experience was magical, and being able to share in it with a fellow Jamaican just made it that much sweeter,” Supa Dups told the Jamaica Observer.

Count on My Love is to be released by Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group. Works from Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley and the Marley-owned Tuff Gong International have been released internationally by Republic Records.

Among the more popular acts on the label’s roster are Lorde, Taylor Swift, Drake, PSY, Ariana Grande and Kelly Rowland.

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Jhene Aiko graces Vibe magazine's summer 2014 cover, which sees the singer talking about how she handles comparisons to other artists.

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Soundcloud audio

Grimes' new summer jam "Go", was originally written for Rihanna.


grimesmusic.com

JoeBala said:

I like her voice so very much on this.

^^Shame her CD is not out here yet.

Ariana Grande's 'My Everything' Track List: The Weeknd, Big Sean, A$AP Ferg & More

By Jason Lipshutz, N.Y. | June 30, 2014 1:52 PM EDT

[Edited 6/30/14 20:37pm]