Posted on 06/25/2008
Growing up with her music (ahem) on the radio, I've come to the conclusion that Donna Summer has one of the more powerful voices in the game. Some limit her to being nothing more than the queen of disco, but she has always been diverse in her work, even within a disco context. It may seem reaching that Summer is making an effort to release brand new music...

Posted on 06/25/2008
The Jon B. comparisons are inevitable for Freddy – he’s ambiguously complexioned and makes ample use of Gaye-esque falsettos over bass-laden R&B tracks. No matter that he’s Parisian and so his debut Mes Couleurs (My Colors) is wholly French; it doesn’t disguise the fact that this record could be beloved ’90s R&B resurrected.

Posted on 06/24/2008
Try as he may, Vast Aire’s work may always have to live in the shadows of his group Cannibal Ox’s classic debut LP, The Cold Vein. It was as if the stars aligned during that album’s creation – El-P’s cold, hard production proved to be the perfect showcase for the abstract yet rugged rhymes of Vast and his partner-in-rhyme Vordul Mega. And while Vast’s utterly unique mic presence has remained...

Posted on 06/24/2008
Listening to Yameen’s debut album Never Knows Best, one can help but think of another Philly-bred producer whose sleeper first LP helped launch him on the fast track to sonic glory. RJD2’s Dead Ringer, with its blend of free-form instrumentals and selected verses from guest emcees, showed the beginnings of a promising career from a new talent. Time will tell if Yameen follows down RJ’s road, but Never Knows is...

Posted on 06/24/2008
The mission: Describe pure sound with words. Not sound complemented by vocals, where there’s a flow and language, punch lines and imagery to discuss – it’s just sound. Communicate an auditory impression; find the words to explain the inexplicable or dissect the abstract. And please, no clichés.

Posted on 06/24/2008
Natalia Clavier is an Argentinian vocalist who wants to cover a lot of ground on Nectar, which examines the juices of her inner being. The album features elements of soul, funk, disco, folk, pop, dub, electronica, down tempo, and jazz, creating sounds that will definitely appeal to fans of Portishead, Jazzanova, Jaga Jazzist, Supreme Beings Of Leisure, and and Soulstice. Those who are familiar with Clavier will know...