This Is Book’s Music

When it comes to soul and R&B music, Hawai’i isn’t the first place most people think of. However, artists have been trying for years to crack the market without much luck. Nohelani Cypriano recorded “Lihue” in 1978 at a time when there wasn’t an issue to mix up disco with soul, jazz, and funk, while Loyal Garner took some hints from Teena Marie and Cheryl Lynn and created “Shave Ice”. Cecilio & Kapono recorded the funky “Someday”, Kalapana had “Black Sand”, and of course cratediggers known the hidden secrets of Lemuria‘s “Hunk Of Heaven”. Fans of jazz-flavored pop will of course call Seawind and Hiroshima personal favorites, but must of these artists and songs were at their peak 30 years ago. While reggae has been embraced by Hawaiians, it seems covering soul and R&B is almost touch and go, and sometimes leading down the road of novelty status.

Brysen G. is a singer who wants to show off his brand of R&B with his new album, Brown (GO Aloha Entertainment), and while he has the look to be the next Chris Brown, Usher, or Trey Songs, that’s where he traps himself: by trying to be someone else. His songs are aimed towards pre-teens and teens, a young man who is all about impressing the young ladies at the mall by telling them “Label You My Girlfriend”, and “Girl You’re Looking Real Good”. Unfortunately, the lyrics and methods in which he sings have been done for the last ten years, he sounds like what came before but doesn’t bring anything new or original to his work. What I’m saying is that you could bring any other singer onto these instrumentals and it might be better suited for them. To come off as just “Hawai’i's version of” a trusted formula is not going to work, and it’s going to get you lost in the crowd.

G. credits himself as a songwriter, maybe wanting to be the next NE-YO, which is a good thing, but the lyrics are so amateurish that it’s embarrassing to hear, more embarrassing to know someone approved them without questioning it. What would work is if he found better songwriters to help shape and develop his voice, which I feel is something that still needs development. He has something, but what may be working isn’t working with the songs that are on this album.

Let me put it another way. If these songs were submitted as a demo to American Idol for contestants to cover, would they even pass the mail room? Most likely not. I’d like to hear him cover songs that may not be expected of him, and see how he turns them out. Or he can move towards doing background work for other artists. Grown is hopefully a pre-cursor to the potential of a rising star.

While he has been concentrating on a Hollywood career in recent years, with appearances in CSI:NY, Nelly is still doing his thing in the music business, in fact he has a new album due out very soon. This is a taste of it, in the form of “Tippin’ In Da Club”. Click here (4.71mb) for a listen.

Response song, “Tippin’ At Da Farm (Country Grammar Part II: Sip The Teets)”, is inevitable.

Humble Tip are a duo who perform their music with a spiritual and positive vibe to it. The video is very home grown, independent to the core, but the song is really good. Their About Business album was released last year, but the video is brand new.

Karyn Paige may not be a household name yet, but in the words of Jimi Hendrix, “but you will, heh heh”. Paige is a Bay Area vocalist who is looking forward to making the 10′s her decade, and she’s about to spark the movement with the release of her debut single “Want To”, which she is releasing for free on her website at KarynPaige.com. Paige says she wants the world to dance to her music, just as she did with some of her influences, including Prince and Michael Jackson. As she makes moves to the ears and hearts of fans, she has already performed with Lyrics Born, Chali2na, and even Stevie Wonder, which is good company to be with.

Forthcoming projects from her include the digital-only The KP EP, and the full-length Hola Mademoiselle, due out this fall, said to feature a diverse bland of pop, R&B, new wave, soul, and funk. New wave used to be “white people music”, but as many discover and rediscover what Prince did with it in the late 70′s and early 80′s, it’s allowing people to take it and twist it into their own worlds, just as Paige is doing.

Again, “Want To” will be released tomorrow as a free download at KarynPaige.com, so head there and spread the word.

It has been a few decades since Jonathan Butler first hit the scene, making an impression on soul and R&B fans, but not really taking a bit bite of the spotlight. His talents were nothing short of amazing, so while he did step back from massive stardom, he was able to create the kind of music his audiences seem to love, all while being able to cater to his muse. So Strong (Mack Avenue/Rendezvous) is an album that musically combines elements of the old and the new, being able to cater to all facets of his audience without letting anyone down.

“So Strong” take a few cues from the John Legend and Maxwell departments and gets a chance to let them know who was a tentative boss in soul music in the 80′s. It definitely has a late 80′s/early 90′s vibe, in terms of sounding positive and bright, which at times has been overshadowed by what hip-hop had taken from soul music the era before, only for R&B to want to cash in on that before it became lost in translation. Butler’s vocals and guitar work is distinct, there’s no denying where his heart is at. Same can be said for “You Got To Believe In Something” or the smooth jazz radio-friendly “Make Room For Me”, and “Factual”, which sounds a hell of a lot like an Angie Stone outtake. Move a few tracks ahead and you’ll find Miss Stone taking part in a duet with “Be Here With You”, and it will bring to mind the word Stone did with Vertical Hold, or what it could have sounded like if she became a part of Soul II Soul.

On one hand, newer fans may find this to be dated, perhaps their mom’s music. Arguably, that is Butler’s audience today, but by breaking his music down to audiences, he lets younger audiences know what they’re missing, and his longtime fans are able to hear the artfulness he has always put into his music. One can easily hear the influences of George Benson and Stevie Wonder, musicians who were once a part of everyone’s “must have” list, and maybe by hearing this album, people of all ages will be able to sense what’s missing. What’s missing is the essence that is a major part of the music. Style and substances is not in short supply with Butler, so for those who miss the romantic side of enticing and being enticed, look no further.

You may know of the man and artist named Rob Roy. Now you get to know him as a lover and a fighter… well, that is, if you wish to know him that way. For everyone else, he has a new album that he’s making available for free, called King Warrior Magician Lover. Are you ready for the challenge? Oil up your bodies, slap on your headphones, and make the phone welch!

I’m a huge fan of doo-wop and acapella R&B, and this is what A Street Corner Symphony: Under The Blue Light (Rusty Key) by The Sounds Of Rhythm are offer. It looks and sounds like a group of four longtime friends, gathering together and saying “hey, let’s make an album with some of our favorite songs growing up, make it feel like the good ol’ days”. On the CD you have nice, polished takes of “Daddy’s Home”, “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)”, “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)”, and “For Your Precious Love”, done in a manner that sounds like you’re right in the studio or concert hall with them. If you have a love, if not need, for that classic soulful sound because you think NE-YO and Usher sound like gacks, this is definitely a CD you must buy and treasure. Turn the blue light on, it’s time to get romantic.

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If one were to tell you about a hot new soul/R&B band called Twilight you might say “that’s hot, very timely name with the movies being all the rage right now.” If you’re a cratedigger or are a soul/funk fan who loves the obscure stuff, then the name Twilight may bring back some fond memories of the 1980′s. If it does, then you also know that Twilight is not the name of a band, but the nom de plume of Lawrence Ross.

Ross was a California kid with ambitions of wanting to become a star. He wanted in the studio, but knew that studio time meant money, so like many others, he got a job to make it happen. When he couldn’t find musicians to work with him, he learned a few more and kept going to the studio. Ross didn’t want to play what people might call “his norm”, so he went all out to be as musically diverse as possible. The end result was the 1981 album Still Loving You, which didn’t sell massively (he could only afford to press up so much) but it did make people curious about this one-man band, especially at a time when people thought Prince really didn’t play anything on his own albums. It would be years before Ross followed it up, but what he made from it would go right into Pains Of Love, where he was able to get some help from others to help create the musical vision he wanted. Unfortunately, at a time when artists were crossing over in every way, maybe Ross did not have the chance to be heard by the massive. However, all it takes is for a few vinyl junkies to discover your music and realize it’s something that needs to be heard almost 30 years later.

Ubiquity Records will be reissuing both Twilight albums on both vinyl and compact disc on May 11th. The look of the covers is very “of its time”, but the music can finally be appreciated for what it’s worth, in the now time.

(Still Loving You and Pains Of Love can both be pre-ordered from Insound.com, click the title links. The links will lead to pre-ordering the vinyl, but CD versions are also available as well.)

This video has already caused many to drop their pants in front of their computers, laptops, or cell phones and get into the simulate of the stimulate. Some might feel that her Michael Jackson/Janet Jackson hybrid dance moves is a bit too much, but most guys are going to look at her imaginative figure eights and go “what?”

Will this be the summer jam of 2010? With luck it will be, and you don’t have to be from Baltimore to enjoy. You can find out more about Rachel McDonald by going to her official MySpage page.

(Video and link courtesy of Music Dish.)