Kings of Leon: #OldieButGoodie

I know this is an oldie, but it's a 'goodie.'  I went to Loca Luna the other evening with my cousin, and there was a live band ripping the stage and bursting into this melodic tune:

I was really feeling this one.  Ever since, I've been going into a Kings of Leon 'overload.'  If you haven't taken the time out to get familiar with the group, you might want to do so NOW! 

#thatisall

#ThankfulThursday: Thank God for Flip Flops! And Headphones!

This is completely a random blog; but music will come into play ;-) 

Sometimes, the best pair of shoes a gal can have are a pair of flip flops from Old Navy (My cousin inspired me to write this one- TRL).  Not only are they inexpensive (2 for $5), but they're quite comfortable.  As a matter of fact, in the summer time, rarely you'll see me with closed-toe shoes or other types of sandals.  Most of the fashionable ones don't have enough cushion.  And if they're the thong style and they pop, you'll end up being in a funk all day because you just popped your favorite sandals (trust me, I know).

So unless I'm going to an event or something, I stick with the flips. And if those pop, then guess what? They were only $2.50 to begin with!
I have three pairs of Old Navy flip flops: a black, a brown and a green pair (you know you have to add at least one splash of color).

And here's where music comes into play...sort of. ;-)
Now that my randomness is done, I finally bought a really good pair of headphones to listen to music at work.  With them, it's like I'm in  a car that has a Pioneers in the back.  Everything is pretty crisp, clear and detailed.  Here's what they look like:

You can never go wrong with Sony.

What type of headphones do you rock?



image1: Fabulously Frugal, image 2: BigW

#WhatI'veBeenListeningToAllDay

Probably one of the longest hash tags you've ever seen... but I had to do it. Here is it, 11:30 p.m., and I've been listening to these two songs ALL DAY LONG.  That's right. Eight hours at work was divided among these two tracks:

Please, DO NOT sleep on this guy's album.  It's probably the BEST MALE r&b/ soul album released this year.  If you haven't copped MUSIQINTHEMAGIC yet, I suggest you get to it.  You can also hear the entire album on sites like Grooveshark and Spotify (need an invite to this one).

And as for Sean Kingston, it was hard to take this song off of repeat today:

Sean Kingston hit the mark with this one. The beat is so catchy, and the lyrics give you that summer, partying vibe.  I was snapping my fingers at my computer, then came home and exercised off of this song.  I did this for about forty minutes, and got a full workout with this song on repeat (think I'm crazy, right?).

Needless to say, I was in a good mood all day.  I found two songs that kept my energy up to par.

#thatisall

Does "Shelf Life" in the Music Industry Matter Anymore?

Apparently, the longer shelf life isn't the new thing in music, especially in the hip/hop, r&b world.

What happened to the songs that used to stand out? The songs I could play years after and dance to it as if it just aired for the very first time? 

Since it seems as though artists (not all, but some) are more consumed with what matters now then what will matter and make a permanent dent into the music world, I guess I'll have to stick to the "oldies" but goodies.

And the award for best r&b song for the week goes to:

"So Into You..." for the young lady who just met the guy of her dreams... it was the national anthem.  And even if you were single, it was just something about this song that kept you snapping your fingers, and bobbin' your head to the beat, feeling every bit of it.

(listening to it now, and doing everything I just mentioned)

It's songs like these that make you want to learn every word because they're classy (yet fun and flirty) and they have a powerful meaning behind it where people can relate.  And what a beautiful voice!  I'm so glad that Tamia is planning to release an album this year.  She's so needed in the music world right now. 

This song was released in '98.  Thirteen years later, it still makes me want to two-step.

Nowadays, a lot of the new songs have no real substance; therefore, after its reign, no one wants to really hear it anymore, thus leading to a shorter shelf life.

What type of songs do you prefer?

"Behind the Music 2" With Mary J. Blidge

Gotta love Ms. Blige!

I'm going to make this brief.

This is THE BEST Behind the Music story that I've seen in a while.  Mary J. Blige's story was aired tonight on VH1.  I was glued to the TV the entire time.

Words cannot describe how inspiring her story was.  She's the realest.  She truthfully told the story of her triumphs and trials.  And it ends with the perfect fairy tale ending: she finds hope, the ability to forgive, and the love of her life. It was almost as if you could actually feel her pain and her happiness.

They told her that one day she would sing for kings and queens... and she finally got a moment in a standing "O" performance at the Presidential Inauguration  for President Obama in 2009.

Ms. Blige is a true depiction of a star who made her dreams happen, and was able to turn her life around for the best and become a role model for all women.

Gotta lover her!

image: Soul Discoveries

J. Cole has me Thinking... What's Next for this Guy?

Thanks to my friend Christina (follow her on Tumblr), there's a new song for me to dissect.  Rap artist J. Cole has a song entitled "Work Out" that has me questioning his motives and his next moves/trend.

Listen:

Now J. Cole is HANDS DOWN a favorite on the rap scene.  But Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), Brown Sugar's dynamic duo, would have been a little disappointed with J. Cole on this one, I think.

Why?

Because it seems as if he's abandoned real hip hop on this one.  The beat is hot (love the Paula Abdul addition, too) and there's no doubt that it could possibly be a club banger (I'm bopping my head to it as I write this); but it's not his style at all.  Lord knows I'm not comparing him at all to Drake, but I see it more as a transition into new music-- singing on his own hook and rapping on the next.  Is this what Mr. Cole wants to do?

Honestly, I think it was just a test, just to see whether people would be more in tune with this type of music (which is what's getting more air time), to see if he's a flexible artist, or whether he should stick to what he's best at.

On the contrary, I want to hear more "Lights Please." I want to hear more of the verses I heard on Miguel's hit, "All I want is You." "Loosing My Balance...," "In the Morning," "Nothing Like It..." these are the reasons why I fell in love with his music.  No garbage lines were permitted in these brilliant selections (just to name a few).

In my opinion, everyone has a gift, and J. Cole could run the mic in any hip hop battle he chooses.  And it's okay to have a couple of songs like "Work Out" (since they only have a short shelf life); but songs like these won't allow him to exercise his skills as needed.

What's your take? Am I over analyzing this one?

Feelin' The Beat: John Legend and the Roots Put a Spin on a Powerful Classic

One thing I'm learning to do in this adult life is to really get in tune with myself, who I am, and my purpose.  Sometimes, it's hard, but when you figure out one piece to the puzzle, it makes life easier!

And while it's only a portion  being added to my personal music interests, I'm finding myself more and more connected to old school music, music that my parents used to listen to; ole' skool beats and raspy-sounding voices.  Guitars, pianos and acoustic sounds reaches deep within me, causing me to close my eyes sometimes and just feel the beat.  This is what real music is all about.

Normally, I'm up on my music scene, but I have to give my brother the credit for introducing me to this one (thanks Kap!)

Picture it.  1973 (in my Sophia's voice- The Golden Girls).  Bill Withers writes and dedicates this song, "I Can't Write Left-Handed," to one particular soldier who made it out of war alive, but missing a limb:

Pretty deep, right?  And as a mere reflection of this heartfelt piece, years later, we have a remake of this, with John Legend and The Roots:

Yup, they nailed it. Did you feel it as much as I did?

I think in this generation, we need more soulful music, the kind that tells a story and captures meaningful, respectful and powerful moments.

What's your take on music? Would you like to hear more soulful music like this?