Conference by day and music event by night, the Essence Music Festival is the largest African American event in the country. Acts take the stage at two stages at the Louisiana Superdome from 7PM-1AM each night while attendees can visit the Ernest J. Morial Convention Center for seminars, the arts and culture marketplace, and food pavilion from 9AM-5PM each day.
SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.
The Grammy Awards are out of touch, contradictory and hypocritical a longtime music marketing executive asserted in this past Sunday’s New York Times. The charges were printed in a full page letter written by Steve Stoute wherein he criticized The National Academy of Arts and Sciences (NARAS), who presents the Grammy Awards.
"Over the course of my 20-year history as an executive in the music business and as the owner of a firm that specializes in in-culture advertising, I have come to the conclusion that the Grammy Awards have clearly lost touch with contemporary popular culture… Where I think that the Grammys fail stems from two key sources: (1) over-zealousness to produce a popular show that is at odds with its own system of voting and (2) fundamental disrespect of cultural shifts as being viable and artistic."
Of particular contention to Mr. Stoute are the Academy’s snubs of hip-hop artists and cultural phenomenons. Wrote Stoute, "We must acknowledge the massive cultural impact of Eminem and Kanye West and how their music is shaping, influencing and defining the voice of a generation." Further querying, "How is it that Justin Bieber, an artist that defines what it means to be a modern artist, did not win Best New Artist?"
Anyone who watched CBS leading up to the Grammys saw these artists in commercials, and Stoute condemns the Awards for understanding “cultural relevance when it comes to using Eminem's, Kanye West's or Justin Bieber's name in the billing to ensure viewership and to deliver the all-too-important ratings for its advertisers,” but not acknowledging their critical or commercial successes.
Lastly, Stoute challenges artists to refuse to be used for ratings, and to stop accepting invitations to perform until the Academy begins to uphold “its mission for advocacy and support of artistry as culture evolves.”
SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.
Back in November, Adele posted a link to a makeshift video for her upcoming single, “Rolling in the Deep” and the world collectively got excited for her sophomore effort.
21 was released in the United States Tuesday, and is expect to fare very well on the charts. The album came out across the water a month ago, and has been at number one for four weeks straight. In fact, Adele is the first artist to simultaneously have two Top 5 albums and two Top 5 singles in the U.K. since The Beatles in 1964.
21 is a collection of powerful songs about heartbreak, written when she was 21 years old (2008’s 19 was written when Adele was 19 years old). Adele, now 22, recently told MTV News, "It broke my heart when I wrote this record, so the fact that people are taking it to their hearts is like the best way to recover.”
SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.
What is the purpose of a music video? Is it just a vehicle for a song,
is it to gain the artist attention, or should it be an artistic
statement of its own? Erykah
Badu achieved all three with her video for new single "Window
Seat," which shows the soul star strolling through Dealey Plaza, Dallas,
shedding her clothes, and then falling as if shot on the same spot
where President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Some
commentators have criticized the clip as distasteful, and Badu could
have faced up to a year in jail if she'd been caught and arrested for
public nudity. But most fans and bloggers seem to like the video, which
was shot in one take a few weeks ago. "I tied it in a way that compared
the assassination to the character assassination one would go through
after showing his or her self completely," Badu explained to Dallas
Morning News.
"She was already prepared to deal with whatever
consequences because she knew she believed in what she was doing,"
director Chike told MTV, adding that bail money had already been
collected in case the police had arrived. And amid all the talk about
the rights and wrongs of the video is the news that Badu's fifth studio
album, New
Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), is out this week.
She's a shrewd lady.
The video can also be viewed at Erykah Badu's official website here, it is censored but don't watch it if your boss is looking over your shoulder!
What do you think of the video, and of Erykah's new album?
SoundUnwound's editorial
team write about the latest big music news and
quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of
these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more,
visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow
us at twitter.com/soundunwound.
Mariah Carey is the Rainman of pop music. Focused, blank faced and sometimes capable of genius. Each toothpick lying on the diner floor is a hit song; each cheese puff is a music video featuring a greased-up, jiggling Mariah bearing an expression that translates to either a)Tabula Rasa; or b) “I’ve had too much turkey dinner.” I can’t tell. My Latin ain’t so good. It goes without saying that Mariah Carey is an undisputed talent who has achieved greatness. She has a reported 5-octave voice and has sold something in the neighborhood of, what – like 200 million records? Amazing! I used to get chills listening to she and Whitney Houston dominate radio in the early 90s with pop songs that showcased considerable soul and range. Like major powerhouse vocal business. It just knocked me to hear voices like that. Whitney disappeared from the scene and Mariah stole it, supplementing her vocal range with some kind of fantastical Hip Hop genie oil that, when applied directly to skin, creates MTV and radio perfection. A quick scan through music video history finds Mariah in all manner of locale (a school, a countryside hoedown, in water, in posh cars, on various silk beds, in her knickers, in bikini in front of Vuitton luggage, in mansions, etc.), jiggling awkwardly and touching herself prettily while wearing a bloated, vacant smile that reminds me a bit of Patrick Swayze’s smile in Ghost when his spirit left Oda Mae for the last time. Perhaps the smile is just a way of coping with the interminable breeze that seems to follow the poor woman around onscreen (it’s always windy in her videos, which is perplexing considering many of them take place indoors.). A couple vids from the early years are below, but the new ones, the really gross/awesome ones ("Don't Forget About Us," "We Belong Together," "Say Somethin'," "Touch My Body"), cannot be shown here, sadly. "Embedding disabled by request." (Sigh*).
The lips parted, peekaboo glances and self love that mark her music video performances could be almost lovable if there were something substantial -- like her shining TALENT, for example -- to anchor it. There's not. The last few albums have been produced within an inch of their digital lives, her vocals seemingly quadruple tracked and Pro-Tooled to bits, only to be ultimately sidelined by Hip Hop glitterati guest appearances. I’m all for double-tracking vocals (Dave Gilmour in Dark Side of the Moon, anyone?) and collaborating with your buddies but at some point it becomes a major bummer. The vocal legend’s latest (with its straight-faced title), Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, provides no reprieve on the bummer front. More breathy vocal business. More songs with barely any sung words. More tiny dresses fit to burst. More indoor breezes. More self-conscious touching of the face and hair. More lazy grins. More killer song titles like “Angels Cry” and “H.A.T.E.U.” (although to be fair, "H.A.T.E.U." is one of the finest songs on the album). A quick aside: while Memoirs… came close to winning the award for Best Accidentally-Comedic Album Title, the trophy still stays safe in the harbors of Mariah’s 2008 release, E=MC2. I know the new album has sold a quarter of a million and that my opinion may elicit derision from some, but folks - please be gentle. I am an imperfect angel; Don’t H.A.T.E.ME. Love me, love me…
There are plenty of live albums issued solely as afterthoughts or
contract fulfillments, but there are plenty that are as transcendent as
the best in-person concert experiences, only with zero lines at the bathroom. For
this particular list we came up with the following criteria:
• Only one album per artist.
• Albums were been performed live in front of an audience, but don't necessarily have to be culled from a single performance.
• No EPs or singles—this list is about albums
• We decided to limit this list to music, which means no comedy. We
wanted to save those records for a separate list for laffers.
Of course, we exercise their judgment regarding quality and/or
historical significance. If you disagree with our choices (and there's
a good chance you will), let us know in the comments.
Foo Fighters - "Wheels" Even though their last couple albums have been spotty enough to make me almost lose interest, I've always felt like the Foos had it in them to assemble a pretty stacked greatest hits collection, which they've VERY CONVENIENTLY done just in time for the holidays. Unfortunately for us, the band tacked on two new jams, of which, "Wheels" is one. Listening to the beginning, I felt like the MP3 was mislabled and I accidentally downloaded some Keith Urban. What followed was a generic smear of limp, slick, unfortunate, late-period Tom Petty impersonation. I'm not against the new stuff, but I'm pretty sure I would have been happier if they had clipped this from the tracklist in favor of "I'll Stick Around" or "Walking After You."
Suggested if you like: Tom Petty, an extremely competent cover band performing Tom Petty songs, "mediocre-of" material appearing on a "best-of" Rating: 13/69 Full Moon Fevers
Consequence (feat. Kanye West and John Legend) - "Whatever U Want" Because he has but one flow and a steadfast refusal to vary his rhyme schemes, Consequence is best taken in small doses. For a number of IMMA-LET-YOU-FINISH-related reasons, our old pal Yeezy has, as of late, also been getting his mail forwarded to an address in the best-in-small-doses zip code. As such, you'll be satisfied to know that they're each limited to four bars at a pass in this slinky Gin and Tonic of a tune. With its low-key vibe and 2:37 run time, it feels more like the suggestion of a song than an actual song. Still, I've listened to it five times in short succession, mostly because I'm left wanting more each time. When was the last time you could say that about anything involving any of these parties?
Suggested if you like: "I'm Good" by the Clipse, "Love Hangover" by Kidz in the Hall, surprise awesome Rating: 26/30 prefunk cocktails
Melissa Laveaux - "Crazy in Love" I have no idea who this person is and I'm generally against covers of songs I like (TWO STRIKES, LADY), but this thumpy, acoustic reinvention of the Beyonce ultrajam is-- no exaggeration-- the best new song I've heard in months. Should you decide to scoot over to her MySpace page, you can listen to, along with some of her originals, another unique cover, this time of Elliott Smith's "Needle in the Hay." Her version of "Crazy in Love," however, is so good I don't even miss the Jay-Z verse. A++++ NEW ARTIST. WOULD BUY FROM AGAIN.
Suggested if you like: Lykke Li, Emiliana Torrini, making a great thing even better Rating: 93/100 oh-no-nos
