Usher - OK

I frickin' love this song.

Plan B Needed: Local Natives Rules

I'm always late. The thing is I get to things when I feel like it. Well, I felt like some new music and stumbled across this band, Local Natives. Love them. So much I spent actual money buying their debut (under this name) album, Gorilla Manor, and went searching for concert tickets. Unfortunately, their May shows are already sold out, but there's hope.

Enjoy!

Sun Hands


Airplanes


Cecelia (cover)

Thoughts From a Maxwell Concert

1. Men should NOT encourage their girlfriends to see this man in concert. He's like a shimmying, hormone-inducing cult leader, even when hoarse.

2. The non-work black man uniform: V-neck (in a daring but safe color), button up, trendy jeans, brown square-toed shoes, and Donny Hathaway hat. If said black man is under thirty it's probably just trendy jeans and t-shirt with all kinds of color.

3. There are some seriously unfortunate outfits out there. Ladies, I'm looking at you.

4. Despite my non allegiance to religion, I'm pretty puritanical.

5. GET A ROOM!!!!! The couple next to me kept tonguing each other down and making noises and standing up just so the dude could violently grope the girl's behind. Jesus Christ! I'm trying to watch a concert here!

6. Once upon a time, I really, really loved hip hop. (Thanks, Common, for the reminder, and I understand that you're too mature to do your old stuff.)

7. The amount of chatter between a couple is inversely proportional to how long they've been together.

What MJ's Death Teaches Us/ R.I.P. Mike

Look, I don't pretend to really know Micheal Jackson, but being a 30-year-old whose earliest musical memories were saturated with his glittery gloves and moonwalk and mega hits, it does feel some kind of way to have an icon this big gone.

I don't know what plagued Mike. I don't know why he chose to live his life as he did. As a result, I can't really speak with any type of authority on his motivations. I do feel safe, however, in saying that he seemed to be plagued by what our Judeo-Christian society usually identifies as "demons." Hell, his life certainly looked painful and lonely from the outside. All I can do is say "skip it" (edited for the children) and prance through this trying life with a beatific smile on my face just because. If I look like Charlie during the denouement of Flowers for Algernon, so be it. I'm not letting this world drive me to an early grave.

So what am I saying? I know my message-y post screams incoherent through the six pack of eisbocks I'm drinking. Well, I suppose I'm saying a little selfishness isn't so bad all the time. And I suppose that if you're a cross-dressing fella with a penchant for shiny black Louboutins, you shouldn't be ashamed of that. I'm a heathen. I don't believe in reboots, reincarnation or heavenly rewards. Enjoy what you can now cuz living for other folks won't make you any happier; it'll just give you a heart attack and allow people you probably don't like to spout some comforting lies at your funeral.

Now, to my musical appreciation. Some of Mike's finest moments. (And yes, I did buy the Invincible album; i got the orange cover, so there! I'm a bigger fan than you.)

"I Can't Help It"


"Baby Be Mine" -- My favorite song by him ever!


"Butterflies"


"Man in the Mirror" Monica and I wrote a parody of this in 5th grade.


"Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" The fam and I used to dance like hell to this 12" in the crib.


"Big Boy" The beginning.

Not Biting, But They're Chewing On Something

Remember when Chico (DeBarge) got out of jail back in '96, '97 and dropped Long Time, No See? Yeah, I was geeked, for all of the usual chick reasons. After cutting that Flock of Seagulls bouffant and gaining that young jail body, he was foine, so I bought the album. (I did things like that. How do you think I became an Eric Benet fan?)

Anyway, revisiting that album today got me thinking again about musical influences. Ain't nothing wrong with 'em. We all absorb influences, ideas, thoughts from somewhere. Sometimes, though, the influence is so strong you can't help but hear a legend being regurgitated by a newbie. Por ejemplo,

That entire Long Time, No See album should be entitled I Love You Marvin Gaye: Troubleman/Let's Get It On Part Deux. Tell me I'm wrong.

"Trouble Man" - Marvin Gaye


"Love Still Good" - Chico DeBarge


And Rahsaan Patterson? Clearly a huuuuuuuuge Chaka Khan fan.

"We Got Each Other" - Chaka Khan


"Get Here" - Rahsaan Patterson


I love Raheem DeVaughn to pieces (pieces!!!), but that latter half of Love Behind The Melody was straight Marvin too.

"Distant Lover" - Marvin Gaye


"Desire" - Raheem DeVaughn



That's it.

Oh, I saw Coraline in 3D today. Really good.

Wuthering Heights - The Hate Sure Is Strong

So ... last night marked the end of the latest adaptation of Wuthering Heights, another ITV version. Though no one has yet been able to find a non-white dude to play Heathcliff, and the pace was a bit too brisk, I enjoyed it. As with anything else I enjoy, I found myself yelling at the screen, especially at Edgar and Isabella's dumb asses. So yeah, it was good; I'll watch it again.

Now I love the hell out of this book, which is why I keep hoping for the definitive adaptation, but it chaps my hide when people think of it as romantic. This is not a romantic story; it's a great Gothic tale, full of horrible, terrible, stupid people, with a bit of redemption at the end. I'm more amazed by than attracted to Heathcliff's character, as I am by all insanely passionate people. He was able to sustain dangerous amounts of hate for decades (DECADES!) and killed people with it. He's like a super, extra archvillain--Haterman or something. I supposed chicks think his unyielding love for Cathy is especially sentimental, but they kinda forget that he vowed to make her suffer for it. And Cathy (the elder), she had no problem fraternizing with another man while married and actively pursues vengeance on her husband for decisions she, herself, made. Edgar and Isabella are spineless dolts (good people, but dumb as rocks regardless). The whole thing is a mess, a wonderful, terrifying mess. The lesson is, kiddies, hate destroys. If you find yourself wanting to damn people to hell, go see a movie, have a delicious burger, or seek therapy. It just isn't worth it.

Random Comments
-Tom Hardy did a pretty good job. I bought his vengeance, and I see why chicks dig him.
- That scene with Heathcliff cradling Cathy's skeleton? Beautiful, just wonderfully sick and fantastic!
-Charlotte Riley looked fantastic as Cathy and was much less annoying than Juliette Binoche.
-Cathy (the elder) needed to be much more of an asshole. She came off as a somewhat decent person, which she wasn't.
-Love Actually (the one who was in love with Kiera Knightly)was in it; he played Edgar Linton.
-I seriously dislike the Ralph Fiennes/Juliette Binoche version.

A fantastic deconstruction of our protagonists' psyches.


And now another satisfyingly creepy interpretation of Wuthering Heights. Go Kate Bush!

Download It


Oh yeah, I updated Knit Deez ... finally.

Welcome, Mr. President

Nothing to say. These tunes say it all.

"Watch Roger Do His Thing" - Main Source

Download It



"Brother's Gonna Work It Out" - Willie Hutch

Download It



"What a Difference a Day Makes" - Dinah Washington

Download It



"Can You Feel It?" - Fat Boys

Download It



Wreckonize - Smif N Wessun

Download It

Remembered Songs (The Gospel Edition)

It's Sunday morning, and I can't leave my house for fear that the church-goers will steal my cushy parking spot. Once upon a time I was church-going folk, waking up at the crack of dawn to slip into uncomfortable clothes and stockings to get on a cold school bus to be annoyed by all but a few of my fellow busriders to end up at Calvary Baptist Church for Sunday school and service. I never really had my weekends to myself, and now that I'm older, I avoid church like the plague. However, I do miss those delicious pancake breakfasts. (I have never had a pancake so fluffy and buttery as the ones served for Sunday school breakfast. And those grits!!!!! People let me tell ya.) Oh, and the bus ride. Despite strongly disliking more than a few of my companions, there were a few people whom I enjoyed. We'd sing all sorts of secular devil music on the ride to church and later cut Sunday school to go to KFC. See? I was meant for straight sinnin'. Lastly, though, I miss the singing. That was always the redemptive part of having my Sunday morning ruined, those sweet, sweet tunes of redemption and admittance and weakness. Every once in a while, I like to pretend that I'm at church here at home, and I play a few tunes to carrry me back to those moments on the pew when I soaked up just a bit of spirit.


"Silver and Gold" - Kirk Franklin and the Family



"This Little Light of Mine" - Random Dudes in Washington Sq. Park


"The Old Rugged Cross" - Caravans (Loleatta Holloway on lead)


"Peace Be Still" - The Emotions


"Sinnerman" - Nina Simone


"Expect Your Miracle" - The Clark Sisters

Forgotten Songs (The Funky Version)

I've been in this funk/r&b hybrid phase for a few months. I figured I'd share some lesser known (maybe) songs from a few artists we all know and possibly love. That's my intro.

"Watching You," "Just a Touch of Love," we all know these songs. Some of us even hate them. (Me! I hate them.) Stone Love, Slave's 1980 album, however, was damn near perfect. "Dreamin'" is perfect. I haven't been able to go a single 24 hour period without bursting out into song with this one. Enjoy.



When Steve Arrington left Slave, I imagine people were worried. I speculate only because I was too young to care. He had hits, one being "Way Out," which, in all fairness, did get play. The problem is that I don't hear it enough, not nearly as much as "Weak in the Knees," so in my opinion it's forgotten. Pure retarded funk exuberance.



Most people knew "The Deele before Babyface went solo." Most people know "Two Occasions" and "Shoot 'Em Up Movies," but "Let No One Separate Us" suffers from relative obscurity. Poppycock! While this may not be a funk song, The Deele were funky, so it counts.



"Don't Disturb This Groove" -- The System. I'll wait while you count how many times you've heard this song in your life. Now count how many times you've heard "Lollipops and Everything." Whatever the number, I'm pretty sure it's a travesty. Here, enjoy some thinly- veiled innuendo for sex.



Now, I'm a huge fan of this woman. My mom played "I Want To Thank You" hundreds of times during my childhood, but Alicia Myers is more than that. She's "Appreciation" and "You Get The Best From Me (Say, Say, Say)" and these two songs --"Just Can't Stay Away" and "Don't Stop What You're Doin'."

Just Can't Stay Away


Don't Stop What You're Doin'


Finally, there's Yarbrough & Peoples' "Guilty," a song I hunted down for years. I have a Tapemaster cassette of me singing my little seven year-old heart out to this. Note: I hate "Don't Stop the Music" more than I can ever express. This song, on the other hand, is adorably funky.

Top 25 Voices Ever - Finale

We have, my dears, reached the end of the road. In this final stretch, let me remind you that this list is completely subjective, and I don't care for your opinions. Great! Let's do this.


6. Phyllis Hyman - Loved, LOVED, Phyllis's voice. It's a hackneyed expression, but the woman was/is seriously underrated. She could sing anything, was absolutely gorgeous, and hilarious as hell--what more could you ever want in a woman? Unfortunately, as is the case with some of our best voices, her material was often inconsistent. Fortunately, that voice could carry some of the most marginal material.

"Be One"


"Loving You - Losing You"


"Betcha By Golly Wow"



5. Anita Baker - Old mush mouth herself. I'm telling you, the Midwest breeds some serious talent. Please, don't be in the car with me if/when "Been So Long" comes on. I will sing this song from beginning to end, scats and all, LOUDLY, and will not give a tinkler's damn. She was it in the 80s/early-90s, one of those artists whose material will automatically grant or deny "black points." I mean it, think back to the post-Saturday morning cartoon house clean, what was your mother playing? Yep, Old Nita here.

"Summertime (Live)"


"Been So Long"


"Angel"




4. Bobby Blue Bland - The voice of the blues, my dears. That is all. The man's voice in its prime was a magical amalgamation of bitter tears, alcoholic evenings, and pre-Keith Sweat pleading. Unlike most of my musical heroes, I actually saw him in concert. Granted he was at least 70, and I seriously feared for his health when he did his trademark chortle-snort, but I was in the presence of greatness. Nevermind that I was the youngest person there. (Really great Salon.com article linked; read it.)

"Little Boy Blue"


"If You're Gonna Walk on My Love"


"Jelly Jelly Jelly"



3. Patti LaBelle - If I were capable of idolizing people, I'd be all over the Patti thing. No one puts on a show like her. Sure, she'll be dipped to the high heavens, but she has a job to do and those stilettos will come flying off when things get truly serious. Patti will sing anybody under a table, and she doesn't even mean to. She's just doing her. Patti ain't no punk, y'all, for real.



"Over the Rainbow (Live)" -YouTube link because you have to see it.



"Walk Around Heaven All Day"



"You Are My Friend"



2. Sam Cooke - I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain this, and again, Chicago runs this. (Just in case you didn't know.)


"Nothing Can Change This Love"


"Lord, Remember Me" w/ Soul Stirrers



1. Donny Hathaway - You do not know how interested (obsessed) I was with this man's music some years back. I'm not creepy. I just wanted everyone to understand how great he was, that's all. Plus, he was a fellow Libra. Plus, he was a Chicagoan. Plus, his voice could conjure up sadnesses you didn't even know you had. Plus, you can't go a Christmas without hearing at least one of his songs. (Note: New singers, stop remaking "This Christmas"; you sound terrible.) Reader, if you're out there, I need you to know that Donny is more than "Giving Up" and "A Song For You" and "This Christmas"; there's a whole world of Donny that you're missing out on. For that reason, I'm gonna include more than my standard three audio files cuz I expect somebody somewhere needs some schooling.


"Come Back Charleston Blue" w/ Margie Joseph


"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"


"I (Who Have Nothing)" w/ Roberta Flack


"I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know (Live)"



"Sack Full of Dreams (Live)"



And that's it. I'm done.

Top 25 Voices Ever (Con't)

After a short intermission I'm back with the latest installment of ...

TOP 25 VOICES EVER!!!!!!!

12. David Ruffin - Real weird coincidences here. He had two brothers named Quincy and Jimmy. So do I. His sister's name is Rita Mae. That's my nickname Down South. Just weird. Anyway, Leon sure showed out in that miniseries, huh? Well I guess you'd have reason to as well if you were playing THE voice of the Temptations (okay, ONE of THE voices cuz Paul Williams and Dennis Edwards could blow). I don't know what it is about talented people and "demons." Perhaps we like to make them even more special by considering their tragic stories extraordinary; after all, there are plenty of regular folk with demons too. Whatever, the voice was just plain undeniable, and for a few years he was hot as sin.

"(I Know) I'm Losing You"


"Somebody Stole My Dream"


"I Don't Know Why I Love You"




11. Cassietta George - Another Midwest entry, a Chicagoan in fact. A legendary member of the legendary Caravanas (who incidentally pretty much introduced the world to almost every major gospel star of the 60s-80s-Shirley Caesar, Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, James Cleveland, and that ain't even the half). So revered, in fact, that I want her version of "Walk Around Heaven All Day" to play at my funeral. I don't know, every time I hear her voice I feel so connected to my Baptist upbringing. I just throw up my hands and do the "gospel snatch". RIP Cassietta.

"Walk Around Heaven All Day"


"I'm Ready to Serve the Lord" w/ The Caravans


"Honor Honor"


10. Al Green - Let me get this out of the way. I think Al Green is creepy, a real weird dude--strangely upbeat and kinda vacant in the eyes; however, dude has pipes, so he must be honored. Teamed up with Willie Mitchell (who strangely reminds of me of my grandma), he's made some of the most memorable tunes of all time. Hearing them, you just think of grits and beige-colored kitchens and love.

"Jesus is Waiting (Soul Train -Live)"


"I'm Glad You're Mine"


"Simply Beautiful"



9. Luther Vandross - Oh, Luther. I'm still pissed about his death and often find it difficult to believe. This man is responsible for one of my top five R&B albums of all time (Never Too Much), one of my favorite Aretha tunes ever ("Jump to It"), and millions of births. I'll never forget where I was when I found out, The Chicago Taste, at the ticket booth. Within minutes my age advanced about 30 years and I exclaimed, "Looord! Not Luther!!!!" Yeah.

"You Stopped Loving Me"


"Make Me a Believer"


"I Can Make It Better"



8. Sarah Vaughan - I spent so many days of my youth trying to sing like this woman. I swear, she has the most beautiful voice. Her version of "Misty"? Flawless. Sassy was the woman. I remember Donnie Simpson's interview with her right before she died. I recall being so surprised that this tobacco-voiced, feisty woman was the same one who sang "The Man I Love." I decided then to like her even more. I love my women tough.

"Have You Met Miss Jones?"


"Shulie a Bop"


"Stormy Weather"



7. Dinah Washington - Another woman I'd put against your Ellas and Billies. I'm not quite sure about the amount of adoration she receives, but I feel it's not enough. You don't hear her name mentioned with Billie Holiday's and Ella Fitzgerald's, and that's plain ridiculous. Have you heard this woman's voice? It was dumb great, like John Woo choreography and perfectly edited curses and Giuseppe Zanottis--forbidden, dangerous things so beautiful you have to pay attention. Plus, she reps both Alabama and Chicago, need I say more?

"Sometimes I'm Happy"


"Back Water Blues"


"Long John Blues"

Top 25 Voices Ever (Con't)

18. Z.Z. Hill - Another one of those voices from barbecues and family gatherings. Raspy, bluesy, and just right. Unfortunately Arziel died too soon to capitalize on his vocal gifts.

Down Home Blues (THE Version)


Everybody Knows About My Good Thing


Let's Make a Deal


17. Angela Winbush - Will there be a louder woman on this list? Save for one, I doubt it. Angie's levels of loudness surely surpass your favorite singer's, and it works. Who can forget her fierce sequined body suits from the 80s and the haircut all black mothers (including Claire Huxtable) had in the late-80s/early-90s?

Angel


Your Smile


I'll Never Be The Same


16. Regina Belle - I don't know what the people's problem is. Folks (that includes you) are straight narcoleptic on Regina's rawness. That voice? C'mon! She can do jazzy, straight R&B, cheesy Disney, what else do you want? Plus, she looks fantastic nowadays. I love it when people age well.

So Many Tears


Show Me the Way


Baby Come To Me


15. Chaka Khan - Okay, maybe save two cuz Chaka is definitely in contention for loudest woman (hell, person) ever, but again, she can sang. You can't just be loud, you have to be able to control it. This Ms. Khan does.

Love Has Fallen on Me


We Got Each Other


Stop on By w/ Rufus (Bobby Womack wrote it!)


14. Gladys Knight - Another voice of velvety gravy and oyster dressing and other aptly symbolic foods. (And on another episode of When Fat Girls Get Literary ....) Gladys isn't as big as Aretha 'nem and that's a shame cuz unlike some others she hasn't lost that voice at all.

The Makings of You


If I Were Your Woman


Love Overboard


13. El DeBarge - This is kinda blasphemous cuz El is meant to represent the ultimate male falsetto on this list, and I know somebody's gonna go, "Phillip Bailey? Eddie Kendricks?" Yeah, I know, I know, but this is MY list, and I do what I want! Now, Bobby could've easily been here instead, but let's face it, El is more of my contemporary. These days, I can't listen to him without becoming a little sad. All that talent. Poor baby. (Okay, I'm including a Bobby DeBarge song, too. I just can't leave him out. Also, if you're out there and have the Gemini album by El, hook me up.)

Time Will Reveal


Where Is My Love?


Secret Garden w/ Quincy Jones, Al B. Sure, James Ingram & Barry White


I Wanna Be Closer (Bobby DeBarge w/ Switch)