http://soulbounce.com/soul/ Adult R&B :: Alternative Soul :: Old School :: Deep House :: Progressive Hip-Hop en Copyright 2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Van Hunt's "Down Here in Hell (With You)" feels particularly timely right now. We're descending into the end-of-year holidays during an unrelenting recession. Everyone is digging in, situations are really tough, and the passion between many lovers is under strain and being tested. "Down Here in Hell" relishes in the mire, stating that it's better to trudge through together than untried and untouched but alone. Singing about how the fairy tale ending is not necessarily bad, maybe even worth something, makes Van Hunt's love song about the flip side worth a re-listening.]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/quiet_bounce_standing_on_the_verge_of_breaking_up_or_making_love.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/quiet_bounce_standing_on_the_verge_of_breaking_up_or_making_love.php Quiet Bounce audio recession van hunt Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0500  The "Month of Mary" on SoulBounce would not be complete without taking a look back on our beloved Mary J. Blige's look in the public eye. As a woman who grew up next to one of the fashion capitals of the world, New York City, Mary's fashion choices have grown and changed as she has matured and evolved in front of our collective eyes. To help us take a look back at Mary's fashion-forward and sometimes fashion-backward moments is Alicia, author of the awesome Los Angeles-based Instant Vintage fashion blog.

No celebration of the Queen of Hip Hop Soul would be complete without noting the many style transformations that have occurred throughout her career. It's not often that we can gauge someone's growth in life based on what they're wearing, but Mary J. Blige is someone who literally wears her emotions on her sleeves. Each of her albums came with shifts in her look as clear as the thank you's in her liner notes. Some of these shifts were for the better, some not so much...

No, I will not be mentioning the gold tooth or the near omnipresence of huge earrings. ]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/mary_j_blige_style_icon_a_retrospective.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/mary_j_blige_style_icon_a_retrospective.php Month of Mary Soul Fashioned jodeci kendu isaacs mary j blige puff daddy Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500 Miss Jackson. There's no denying that the woman is a pop icon. After her gut wrenching interview on ABC on Wednesday evening during which she could barely mention that her brother had passed away, it became even harder to deny her resilience. During that show she also blessed us with a snippet of the video for her fantastic new single "Make Me." It's choreography based, in black and white, and classic Janet. [HT: PPB]]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/make_me_janet_make_me.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/make_me_janet_make_me.php Video SoulBounce janet janet jackson video Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

Oprah to her TV show in 2011: Deuces. [REU]

Hustle and Flow takes on the Soul Train Awards. [MR]

Get ready for a Motown Thanksgiving with Kem, Shontelle, Melanie Fiona, and more! [MT]

Nas, Damien Marley and National Geographic are set to collaborate. [HHW]

]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/morning_soul_im_not_a_player_i_just_crush_a_lot.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/morning_soul_im_not_a_player_i_just_crush_a_lot.php Morning Soul big pun damian marley joe motown thanksgiving nas national geographic oprah winfrey soul train awards Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500 Brand New Heavies. How happy was I when the original lineup--consisting of Jan Kincaid, Simon Bartholomew, Andrew Levy and N'Dea Davenport--reunited and released an album in 2006. They've toured extensively in that time and if you've been blessed to see them live in concert as I have, then you know that BNH is the real article. Now we get to own some of that realness with the recent release of their Live In London disc. Capturing all of their energy and funk, listening to this is truly the next best thing to being there. Oddly enough the song that I'm drawn to the most on this live set is the slow burn of "Forever." Known for their uptempo, danceable tracks, BNH slowed it down with "Forever" from 1994's Brother Sister. N'Dea sings of her unwavering love in a performance filled with conviction and passion. Hearing this live rendition makes me love this song even more than I already do.
]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/quiet_bounce_i_will_love_you_forever.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/quiet_bounce_i_will_love_you_forever.php First Spin Quiet Bounce audio brand new heavies n'dea davenport Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:00:00 -0500 Miles Davis. For those of you who just did a small leap of joy in front of your computers, I feel you. For those of you who are kinda sorta interested, here's your chance to understand how great the next five days will be: Miles' over 100 albums, never-before released material, and interviews with collaborators such Carlos Santana, Quincy Jones, bassist Ron Carter, and more will all be heard. Want more info? Click here. In the meantime, I'll be counting down the minutes until tomorrow when I can bask in the magnificence of Miles over and over again. ]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/get_you_fix_for_miles_real_quick.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/get_you_fix_for_miles_real_quick.php Jazzy Ways carlos santana miles davis quincy jones ron carter Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500 Black Dub--Trixie Whitley, Brian Blade, Daryl Johnson and Daniel Lanois--recording the song "I Believe In You" is simple. Just a black and white recording of a...recording. For the first thirty seconds or so the affectations of singer Trixie Whitley were a bit distracting. But there's no doubt she can sing and the performance becomes riveting quickly thereafter. This song is really fantastic, especially in its final third when Whitley works herself into a vocal frenzy, wailing, periodically pulling it back on a dime into a near whisper. Admittedly, this will not be for everybody. Aside from impeccably smooth instrumentation from the rest of the band, the style is gruff and guttural. And passionate. And will have you looking forward to the release, whenever that happens. [H/T: YYY]]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/i_believe_in_you_black_dub.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/i_believe_in_you_black_dub.php Video SoulBounce black dub brian blade daniel lanois daryl johnson trixie whitley Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0500 Mary J. Blige's My Life would be complete without talking about the videos that accompanied the singles from the album. Although there were only three videos made, they are as iconic as the album itself. Filmed during a time when music videos were still a big deal, the visuals for "Be Happy," "I'm Goin' Down" and "You Bring Me Joy" defined Mary during the My Life era. Sure you've seen these clips hundreds of times, but there's a reason why you continue to watch all these years later--these videos were just that good.
]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/my_life_at_15_the_videos.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/my_life_at_15_the_videos.php Month of Mary Video SoulBounce hype williams marcus raboy mary j. blige matthew rolston sean "puffy" combs Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500 Jay-Z & Alicia Keys' Billboard-topping "Empire State of Mind," something fresh this way has come. Yup, this is the remix! Tuesday night, during a live performance at PC Richard & Sons Theater in Tribeca as part of the Stripped series for iHeart Radio, A. Keys unveiled "Empire State of Mind (Part II)." This time, the track, which will appear on her new album, The Element of Freedom, is much more mellow, with the former Hell's Kitchen resident taking us on a nice, long walk through the city that never sleeps. This version harkens back to Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind," and that's a good thing, except with a decided hip hop edge. All in all, I love it. New Yooooooooork lives on.]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/alicia_shines_with_altered_state_of_mind.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/alicia_shines_with_altered_state_of_mind.php Video SoulBounce alicia keys billy joel jay-z Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:43 -0500

Jay-Z's "Empire" nets him his first Billboard Hot 100 #1 single as lead performer. [BB]

Ludacris is *sigh* boarding the Last Train to Paris. We're numb to this. [RR]

Jennifer Hudson is set to star as Winnie Mandela in a new film. Wait, what? [CL]

Everything you never wanted to know about R. Kelly's Untitled album. [AHH]

]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/morning_soul_go_to_my_heavy_chevy_and_pop_the_trunk.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/morning_soul_go_to_my_heavy_chevy_and_pop_the_trunk.php Morning Soul bone crusher jay-z jennifer hudson ludacris r. kelly winnie mandela Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500 Silk created such a jam with "Lose Control"--a magical ballad filled with all the sensuality needed to redirect your heart from the wrong turns of love. Tim Cameron, Jimmy Gates, Gary "Big G" Glenn, Jonathen "John-John" Rasboro, and frontman Gary "Lil G" Jenkins harmonized this hit more than sixteen years ago. Press play and you'll discover that its melodious luster can still shine in the moonlight of your next session.]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/quiet_bounce_lose_control.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/quiet_bounce_lose_control.php Quiet Bounce audio lose control quiet bounce R&B sexy silk Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0500 Aaron Hall. His voice instantly makes me reminisce about my childhood and gives me warm, fuzzy feelings all over. I don't get very star struck over most people but witnessing Faith perform an impromptu duet with him last New Year's Eve nearly brought me to tears while simultaneously screaming like a banshee. Most of us know him as an R&B crooner, but as Aaron himself explains in "Aaron Hall's Dog Rehab", he's been known as a "dog whisperer" for quite some time. Judging by the 10 minute long clip, Aaron not only has a way with dogs in English, but also in Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi, and German. It's pretty amazing to watch. In the day and age when celebrities have done things less dignified to maintain some semblance of importance in the public eye, it's nice to see someone actually using his natural-born talents to bring happiness to others' lives. ]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/aaron_hall_gets_in_touch_with_his_furrier_side_in_rehab.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/aaron_hall_gets_in_touch_with_his_furrier_side_in_rehab.php Video SoulBounce aaron hall faith Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0500 Yukimi Nagano, a full year and change after discovering her existence. Since falling in love with the Little Dragon frontwoman, I have poured over her discography, trying to grab what bits and pieces I could find to stitch them together into something that made sense. While I'm happy with what I currently possess, it lacks the sonic cohesion that a mix manages bring together. Luckily, my desires can be fulfilled with Supa Qool DJ Uncle Q's A Tribute To Yukimi Nagano. This mix is blended very well and the transitions are seamless and organic. It's a lovely reminder of how wistfully beautiful her voice is, the closest this generation may have to--gasp!--Helen Folasade Adu. Download this with the quickness and tell all your friends. Tracklisting and download info after the bounce. ]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/bask_in_more_yukimi_as_you_pay_tribute_to_her.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/bask_in_more_yukimi_as_you_pay_tribute_to_her.php Mixtape Roundup little dragon sade supa qool dj uncle q yukimi nagano Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 Mary J. Blige's "Be Happy" was the upbeat first single from My Life to the rest of the world of people who hadn't taken the time to delve into this overwrought, thickened with emotion of an album. To outsiders, Mary was on top of a building, arms outstretched, beckoning The Creator to enter her vessel of a body and deliver her from the pain she vaguely referred to. The video was all blonde Florence Henderson hair, shiny bubble jackets, Hip Hop dancers and smiling faces. But to those who had taken the time to get to this point of the album--the termination--needed a song like this one to prevent us from all wanting to take a proverbial leap off the building that Mary was perched on top of, waiting for blessings to be bestowed upon her.

"Be Happy" was really no different than other songs from this album. It too contained a wish to improve oneself in the face of diminished self-esteem just like "I'm The Only Woman" did earlier on My Life. But just because you put a smile and a beat you can dance to on the face of this track doesn't mean that you're happy. Mary may have fought the good fight and convinced some of us that she really was happy, but Mary was someone we knew like a play cousin. She wanted to be happy. She wanted us to be happy despite her hurting. That is called selflessness. And that is ultimately why we love her so. Because Mary is always willing to channel her own pain to take us away from ours. We may still be bopping along whenever this is played but the undercurrent of shame and disappointment is still ever so palpable. As long as we are willing to forgive and never forget, we'll be able to progress from such dark places. Thank you, Mary, for not being afraid to show us that this path may be long and winding but it always, invariably ends. ]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/my_life_at_15_be_happy.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/my_life_at_15_be_happy.php Month of Mary audio mary j. blige Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500 V.V. Brown has been making a splash on the UK scene for quite some time now even if we may be ignorant of her talent on this side of the pond. But talent she has, along with a sweetened quirky style that make her very accessible. Did I add that she's always clothed by the way (note to aspiring Pop tartlets)? She's decided to tackle one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs, the always funky "Miss You" that was vehemently adopted by those of the browner persuasion because it's funk just can't be denied. V.V.'s version is all stripped down and simplistic but not simple. The acoustic take on this track lends more credence to the fact that this girl can sing, something that, besides her sense of style, is really the most important thing to any vocal artist, no? See for yourself below. [H/T:AW]]]> http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/vv_brown_really_misses_you.php http://soulbounce.com/soul/2009/11/vv_brown_really_misses_you.php First Spin audio rolling stones v v brown Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500