Eddie Kendricks has one of the coolest, high pitch voices you’ll ever hear on a soul track. I still remember painting a mural in the middle of the night when my homie Miguel threw this song on. I had to ask him to rewind it y’all! The first time I heard a loop from this was on Common’s “A Penny For Your Thoughts” in the early 90’s. The song has been sampled by countless artists including Tweet and Alicia Keys but most recently Erykah Badu flipped it on “Fall In Love (Your Funeral).”

Kendricks, is one of the great voices from legendary soul group, The Temptations. Born in Alabama, his career spans more than three decades of recording, performing, and touring. “Intimate friends” comes from the 1977 album Slick, which was released on Tamla Motown. Kendricks recorded 13 solo LPs from 1971 to 1983. Slick features great talent such as Robert White and Eddie Willis (guitar), George Roundtree (keys), Uriel Jones (drums), Jack Brokensha (percussion), Roderick Chandler (bass), Jerry Paul (congas), Cheryl Lynn, Barbara D and many others on background vocals.

Beginning with slow and sexy keys, the first few bars are what draws you in. Once the voice of a young woman moans the first note, the evening is sealed and the soft congas joined by Kendricks’s voice, the band, and the constant whispering of the background vocalists beckon you. If there was ever a song that came close to lovemaking, this has got to be one of the best. Drifting back and forth, with subtle and sudden increases in intensity, it’s a love ballad for new or ancient lovers. Tell your bff you’ve got a song for her or him to hear tonight. Whew! Is the heat on? Ain’t no kissin’ in church!! Enjoy.

Eddie Kendricks – “Intimate Friends”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Step Like A Giant, the sophomore album from one of our favourite Swedes, Cecilia Stalin, gives us a mix of all the things which light her up!

Taking inspiration from John Coltrane‘s “Naima,” Stalin perfectly sums up her leaning to Coltrane as her, “way of reaching out to people today that haven’t been introduced to the music of John Coltrane, who haven’t been introduced to jazz in a way that appeals to them, to people who don’t know jazz at all and to everyone to understand what John did for the musical platform we all use today!”

Step Like A Giant contains leaps through bounds with Stalin singing with such delicacy and precision, providing us with funky hooks, broken beats, classic and nu jazz grooves, with a little hip hop sprinkled on top.

Production is provided by artists far and wide, such as Drew Beats, Madus & Scogil, EnO, Lil Chif, Unforscene, Replife, Flyphonic, Jay Soul, Dhundee, Waiwan, Nate Smith and band members, Jo Philpotts, Alex Bennett, Paul Jones, Simon King, Liz Elensky.

Delicious listening. Head over to Cecilia Stalin’s Bandcamp page to get yourself a copy of Step Like A Giant. NOW!

Prayers have been answered. D’Angelo is back! Kicking off the first of his European dates in Stockholm, he has returned with such rigor, it’s as though he never left. Voice strong, looking buff; we cannot wait for the new album (whenever that may be). What has been so skillful in this lead up, is there being no pre-publicity or hype, just simply dates booked and tickets hitting box office. While there’s no talk of when this show will hit the US, it is certain D’Angelo will be gracing your town, very soon.

Check out videos below and catch a dose of some funk genius. It is my hope the original plan to collaborate with Prince (and a few others) actually happens—as THAT would be incredible!!!

Soon the name Siaira Shawn will be listed as one of music’s greatest up and coming artists. But don’t let that box keep you confined, Siaira’s music will probably be defined by many more genres such as R&B, Jazz, and Rock to name a few.

Few people can belt out a tune clearly and melodically at a rally, wedding, street corner, or office as well as she can with little to no strain. Relaxed and modest however, you would never know it unless you asked. California’s Bay Area has a historic body of incredible musicians and producers who have broken ground on new frontiers of music, and the business of independent music regardless of genre. Siaira is part of that legacy. If you look up her work, you’ll see she has shared the stage and beats with Bay Area fixtures such as revolutionary rhymer T-Kash (Guerilla Funk/ The Coup) and producer Nick James who is responsible for countless remixes and a few cuts for Native Gunner Bambu. You might also hear her on tracks produced by Zakiya Harris (Fiyawata).

In this interview I ask Siaira a few questions about her musical career, the future, and what inspires her as she prepares to set sail for Brooklyn, New York. Welcome Siaira Shawn to Muphoric Sounds.

MS: What does your stage name mean? How did you get it?

Siaira Shawn: My stage name is my first and middle name. Mommy gave me the first name, and she allowed my fathers choice to be my middle name.

MS: For our listeners/readers who are unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe yourself as an artist? Who are you and what do you do?

Siaira Shawn: I am a lover, an all around artist, a worker of and for the community, an aspiring renaissance woman, in the tradition of Paul Robeson and others; my ultimate expression is being a singer/songwriter.

MS: What are some of your biggest influences in terms of your songwriting and singing?

Siaira Shawn: I get influences from everywhere; from my life, others lives, culture, history, politics, nature. I want to speak of and for people. I want to speak the truth and spread love and contribute to culture. I like to make the macro, micro; I think we learn in many different ways and music is a very important tool of liberation and education.

MS: Can you tell us briefly what your first positive performing experience was like?

Siaira Shawn: One of the most important performances occurred when I was in the fourth grade and I starred in Alice in Wonderland and my solo received a standing ovation. That moment solidified that performing would be my life.

MS: You’ve performed a lot as an up and coming musician. How would you say this has changed, advanced, or influenced your craft?

Siaira Shawn:I feel like you have to perform, it’s a part of being a musician, so it’s not separate from my musicianship. Performing makes you a better artist period.

MS: How’s the music biz looking to you in 2012? Is it a grim or bright world?

Siaira Shawn: I see a very, very bright world. I think there is a lot of great music out there and it’s finally starting to get it’s due, particularly independent soul/R&B music and all the amalgamations that pull from that tradition. A lot happened for me last year, so I see 2012 as the year where things go to the next level.

MS: You’re voice and your style of delivery is beautiful and unique. I’ve noticed you have a certain flair when it comes to fashion too. Is that on purpose or is it less “thought out” or planned?

Siaira Shawn: Thank you! It’s always been apart of who I was, the women in my family are quite fashionable, even my great grandmother. I have always been into fashion and aesthetics. I actually do styling too, so I want to take that farther as well. At this point it comes naturally, but I do think about it in the way that “my look” is seen as outside the norm or unique as you said. I want to make sure that I represent who I am wholeheartedly and by doing that I can inspire others to do the same and represent for those of us on outskirts. I hope to curate images that are unique and promote culture through a venture I call “The Outsiders Inside.”

“Incarus”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(more…)

We cannot begin to tell you how excited we are about upcoming Black Radio album from Robert Glasper Experiment!!!

Here we have the first taste from the album, “Afro Blue,” which was originally composed by Mongo Santamaria and made world famous by John Coltrane. Glasper and Badu spin it around and make it into something new to our ears. It’s gorgeous!

Black Radio is scheduled to release on February 28. The hype says Black Radio “boldly stakes out new musical territory” as he utilizes the help of his friends – such Erykah Badu, Bilal, Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway, Shafiq Husayn (Sa-Ra), KING, Ledisi, Chrisette Michele, Mos Def, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Stokley Williams (Mint Condition).

Robert Glasper x Erykah Badu – Afro Blue by BamaLoveSoul

From the sound of this, it was created during the infamous James River sessions, which was slated to be D’Angelo‘s third album. We know how that panned out…into nothingness. So here we have a smoking leak — a remake of Soundgarden‘s 1994 hit, “Black Hole Sun.” We can call D’Angelo the master of the remix as his remixes bring something else to the original, whether it’s delicacy or hardness; it’s always special.  My favourite D’Angelo remake is Prince‘s “She’s Always in My Hair.” On “Black Hole Sun,” he has tapped into his inner Prince again, a la Camille era (“If I Was Your Girlfriend,” “Scarlet Pussy,” “U Got the Look“), where Prince would speed up his voice, then pace it to the tune’s tempo. This groove feels oh… so… good…!! And the vocals are unique to D’Angelo.

As said in the Muphoric Sounds Year End Wrap Up, D’Angelo is scheduled to do shows in Europe this month and next; so it’s just a matter of time before he hits the US with what we want. It’s coming!!!

D’Angelo ” Black Hole Sun ” (Demo) by FUNK?U

Have to give a shout out to DJ Come of Age for including me on a tweet to check out new music from John Graham with his album Success in Retrograde. Graham then sent me a message which said, “I’d like to share 3 links with you that may remind you why you fell in love with hip hop. Is that ok?”

Whoa! That’s a huge assertion to make, I had to hear if this guy could back it up. And I have to say, he most certainly did. From the boom clap of the break beat on Configa‘s “Back to Basics,” track which features John Graham, I was drawn in. With his killer delivery and lyrics you will hear that John Graham is no lightweight!

Success in Retrograde is a lyrical journey, with great productions – he got the help of Shade Cobain, Kiddie Fresh, Amir Swain, Mark Henry, Sizemen, and Brandon Lee.

Scheduled to release on January 11th on Ego Free Music Group, you can check out the two tracks below and then head over to his bandcamp site to pre-order (pre-orders receive a USB wristband).