Strong… very strong. The hiatus between her debut album “A Little Deeper” and this second album has paid off. Taking an explicit decision to first raise her child and only then get back to her music certainly has enriched the total exposure of this album.
Hearing the first sounds and lyrics of “Father” was enough for me to buy this album… Miss Dynamite is conscious in many ways, both ethical and political, as well as self-conscious. She knows to produce lyrics that trigger your thoughts and simply make you think. This additionally powered by the eminent emotion put in her story-telling lyrics.

The album cannot really be defined as soul, hiphop or neosoul… It is varied in a pleasant way and does not bore…
My thumbs up!

“Splendid Isolation” (Yonderboi) is the long awaited follow-up of “Shallow and Profound” by young musical mastermind Yonderboi.
With this latest album Yonderboi has shown some real progression. Where his previous album is still perfect background music for lifestyle shows on TV, Splendid Isolation is more firm, has more vocals and has simply more balls. If both albums would be used for movies, the latter certainly is the action movie with probably Quentin Tarantino as director.

Laszlo Fogarasi delivered a profound sequel to his stunning first album and proves to be a quite unique character in his genre.

Never to hoighty-toighty to be surprised by something out an unsuspected direction… I am NOT into cars and kinda detest bling car-brands like BMW and Mercedes… But the latter really surprised me with a really nice mixtape.
Besides, I like the idea that they make compilation with artists from different continents and more important: artist that need a little kick in tha butt for some extra attention.
Sweet… and varied… breakbeats by Pimpernel Jones really rokkit!

Check it out for yourself at this part of the Mercedes-Benz international website.

Hot news this morning in the radioshow of Giel: Llewy [front-man of Dutch hiphop-formation RELAX] announced that yesterday, Relax recorded a track with Brittish jazz-piano-maestro Jamie Cullum! As he explained the two had met a few years ago and kept contact. Now there was time and place for a joint recording…
The track will be released as collabo (Relax WITH Jamie Cullum) early in 2006.

Really curious what this will sound like: Relax has proven to be quite diverse, as can be heard on their latest album “Odeur de Clochard” and Jamie Cullum seems to be able to handle any genre…

Another hot mix from the Digital-DJ’s: The Afternoon Session by MissKai [right-click]

Tracklisting:
The Afternoon Session (Discerning Dance Music)

Lisa Shaw – Stylin’
Dalminjo Fjord feat. Alexandra Hamnede – Goodbye
Zap Mama feat. Bahamadia & Lady Alma – Show Me The Way (Seiji Remix)
Ian Friday – Caribs Leap (West End Blue Mix)
Monday Michiru – Mysteries of Life [The Ananda Project Black Tall Dub]
Erykah Badu – I Want You (Redsoul Remix)
Hanna Hais – Parfum Chic (Matty’s Soulflower Radio Edit)
Joi Cardwell – Be Yourself
Mark de Clive-Lowe – por la manana
Curtis Mayfield – (Don’t Worry) If There’s Hell Below
We’re All Going To Go (Maurice Joshua Nu Soul Mix)
Colorful Karma feat. Terra Deva – For The Music (Unknown Remix)
Kelis – Trick Me (Basement Jaxx Mix)
Chic – A Warm Summer Night (King Britt Remix)
Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up (Erick Kupper Vocal Mix)
Zap Mama – Nostalgie Amoureuse (Bootleg Mix)

[All credit to MissKai and named artists]

Floetry’s hour-plus set Wednesday at the Roxy blended insightful lyrics, solid stage presence, a tight band and intricate vocal weavings to satisfy their fawning audience. Riding the recent release of their third album, “Flo’Ology,” and with six Grammy nominations for their first two albums, the concert sold out quickly.

Yes, Finally! This is the kind of news we are waiting for!

I really enjoy the fact that a kind of undervalued duo like Floetry finally gets some mainstream attention… in this case in a very nice article on Reuters.

I hope to see this in the very near future for some other “underground” artists, that simply have to be heard by more people.

This is good for soul, this is good for music.

Grammy Awards coming up: 8 nods for Mariah Carey, kanYe West & John Legend…

This is simple: Download – listen – enjoy.
Some great mixes with even bigger artists, emerging from the underground.

Karma Soultra by Tymeek [right-click here]

Tracklisting:
Intro – Kama Sutra
Stay Down – Velben (Exclusive)< --- DDJ's Own
Sexual Alchemy - LadyBug Mecca
Tired - Sebastian ft B.I.G. (Me7ek RMX)(Exclusive)
N2U - Eric Roberson ft Marcia Ambrosius
Ketch A Vibe - Julie Dexter
Una Palabra - Carlos Verela
Cant Get U Out of My Mind - Blackstreet
Every Women's Dream - Shanice
Softest Lips - Eric Roberson
Lets Get it On in My Jeep - Marvin Gaye ft LL Cool J (Me7ek RMX)
4 Da Luv of Da Game - Raheem DeVaughn & E.Roberson
Holla - Dwele
Close Your Eyes - Lorenzo Owens
Around the World - Lina ft Anthony Hamilton
Dreamin - Jill Scott
Too Close - Next (Me7ek RMX)
Call Block - Jaguar Wright ft Obie Trice
Ha Ha - Toni Blackman (Exclusive)
Rocket Love - Stevie Wonder

(more…)

LOL at the picture of 50Cent with Freddie Mercury’s mustache… Q-Unit Greatest Hits [remixes]