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!!!

“Avril 14“ is so beautiful; just rocked my world. The intensity of the music with Mar and UK singer Szjerdene‘s incredibly heartfelt delivery, will make you want to run up to the one you love and just hold them. The video documents a beautiful couple preparing for their first child—the excitement, and the love they have for each other is so pure. However, complications arise and shatters their bright world into something that is harrowingly painful. “Avril 14” is a variation of an instrumental by Irish electronic composer Apex Twin. Again, the music is left untouched and vocals are added to breathe more life and dimension to the original composition.

Directed by Hesdy Lonwijk and actors Nasrdin Dchar & Kim Pieters. Watch the video below, and head over to Mar‘s WeTransfer site to get your free download.

From his latest album, What You Were Hoping For?, is the first video for “Eyes Like Pearls.” Van Hunt says the lyrics to the song came from, ”finding a monster living inside of a girl I was hanging with – and falling in complete, primal love with her. Finding out who someone is – why they are the way they are – and turning their scars into a reason to change my life.” These are the things I love about Hunt‘s vivid songwriting. Somehow, someone’s chaos can give him rectitude. The video shows a man and a woman as they wonder about, deep in thought focusing on their eyes.

If you haven’t purchased What You Were Hoping For? yet, I suggest you do. It’s an electric ride of discovery with profound lyrics that make you go, “Hmmmm…”

iTunes | Amazon

If this woman feels the emotion, know that it will come out through her music.  Owed to Mama Rickie is Georgia Anne Muldrow paying homage to her mother, Rickie Byars Beckwith, who has been a spiritual and musical inspiration in her life. Owed to Mama Rickie, her second release on animatedcartunes, GAM gives us her dose of her signature funk vibes, with messages that are spiritual and inspiring, lessons to learned from her mama. Below is the first video from the album for “More & More” featuring Bilal at the half-way point – directed by Brian Deka Paupaw.

Meridian comprises of two young men, Yohimbe Sampson, also from Game Rebellion and Bradley Valentin, a music teacher at Urban Arts. Their union was something rather organic; musicians tend to always be in a creative space, where anything and all things are possible. With Meridian, they say they’ve “found a way to ARTiculate the optimism that exists in triumph and trial.” The video for “Magic” definitely shows that. With an eclectic and ambitious venture, they’ve pulled off something totally creative, bringing us back to a time when music videos are a series of vignettes that piece together in a story of discovery. There’s something very 80s about this track—the catchy hook, gives you a feeling of expansiveness, and the musical arrangement shows a sensitivity that one wouldn’t expect coming from a Game Rebellion solider. Stay tuned for more from this dynamic duo.

Every time Red Bull Music Academy rolls around, I wish I was a musical artist! The chosen few who pass the extensive application process, attend a month long series of seminars where they get to not only learn from some of music’s legends, but also get to create music with the best in the industry. Check out Erykah Badu‘s session at RBMA 2011 in Madrid, where she gives an honest account of her career from being a performance art student, the various players instrumental to her success, giving us great insights to the legendary J Dilla (the story behind Erkyah’s song “Telephone” from New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) will pull at your heart strings), and she talks about her upcoming album that is produced by Flying Lotus. The interview encompasses all that is the musical sensation Erykah Badu is today. Great interview!

As we patiently wait for J*DaVey to release their forthcoming album The New Designer Drug, they have given us a little music to build anticipation.  This two song teaser, “Whatchalookin@” and “Kill 4 Fun” stays close to what the dynamic duo have been doing of late, embracing an 80s, new wave sound. What I love about this duo is their distinct sense of self and originality. Jack Davey now sporting her baby bump, while uncle Brook D’Leau dotes on; they have a good connection. Check out the video which is again directed by The Ports.

Back in 2007, Onra visited his father’s homeland, Vietnam and was inspired by their music. He incorporated Chinese symphonies and J Dilla-esque beats and came up with the collection  Chinoiseries. Now with Chinoiseries Pt. 2, he continues on his quest to unearth Chinese gems and mix them to hip hop, future soul, and electronic sounds. Very much looking forward to hearing the full project, which hits stores on All City Records, November 15.

Check out the video trailer below, shot by Op Sudasna and get the free download of  “A New Dynasty“  via rcrdlbl.

This completely hit me left field, with a resounding, “Wow!” ISHE + HEZEKIAH PROJECT‘s “Hold On” in it’s original form has a sexy, sleepy musical arrangement, with a tinge of electric guitars in the background. This remix, by the incredibly talented Georgia Anne Muldrow, turns up the heat, magnifies the bass into a dirty grind, and the electric guitar become an unmistakeable roar. THEN we have Australian duo, Stephen Tannos and Morgan Choice with outstanding interpretive dance. I absolutely LOVE this! Check it out below, and if you haven’t yet gotten yourself a copy of the project, I suggest you do so on their Bandcamp page.

It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard new music from Swedish belle Kissey Asplund. In fact, the last Kissey update we shared was the collaboration with Brooklyn-based drummer/producer Daru Jones on his So Good EP, which featured Kissey on vocals. “Cry” is bare in production, with synthesizers, drums and percussion that allow Kissey‘s emotive vocal layering to fill the track into something that is hauntingly beautiful. It wails with energy. Check it out below, then head over to Kissey.co website to get a free download of “Cry.” Looking forward to what’s coming down the pike from Kissey!

“Cry” Free Download

Good artists simply find each other and in this case it’s the union of rap group The Primeridian with producer Tall Black Guy with Darling Lure—a display of cohesive and  fluid dimensions in hip hop. Hearing projects like this, restores our faith in rap’s recovery.

Tall Black Guy is that continual rattle and hum in Chicago, winning beat battles such as “Dance To The Drummers Beat” and “Red Bull Big Tune” beat battle of 07, and also winning Eric Roberson’s “Tale of Two Remix Contest” and the “Unique Squared A3C Beatz and Lyrics 2 Go Contest” in 2010. The Primeridian are Simeon Viltz (V) and Darshon Gibbs (Race) who also hail from Chicago and have been on the scene for quite some time, having performed with artists such as Run-DMC, Redman, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, and Common to name a few.

Darling Lure takes us back to an era where hip hop is about lyrical creativity, originality, with live instrumentation and samples that make for great listening. The Primeridian are not simply good emcees, they add their own musicality to Tall Black Guy‘s production – V is a trumpeter.

Darling Lure released this week, so check out the video for “Whistle While You Work” and listen to “High Noon Stank” below, then get yourself a copy!

“High Noon Stank”

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iTunes | Amazon

The great background to this video is that it was animated by Little Dragon‘s lead singer Yukimi Nagano‘s father Yusuke and edited by his collaborator Olga Nikoulina. One of my favourite cuts from the album, “Brush the Heat” has trippy off kilter sounds, so the video is equally compelling in design. Check it out. And if you haven’t purchased Ritual Union, we suggest you do so from the following links. Peacefrog | iTunes

The second video from their Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mixtapes, “Quickstand” demands to know “Who do you love?” With Jack Davey sporting gothic style gear, and see-through plastic, stranded out in a hot desert, with her counterpart Brook D’Leau styled a la Clockwork Orange, while iLLaV8r‘s Def Sound kicks his verse comparing a woman’s body to Dali as the group ebb around. J*Davey‘s videos are always a visual treat, pushing boundaries either in theme or composition. The video is directed by The Ports.

Although I’m from the UK, watching footage like this brings back a happy sense of nostalgia. Every generation has their moments in music that makes us look back and remember the ill-fated fashion, the animated dance, the attitude, and just some good-arse music. ”A Long Time” transports us to a late 80s local Detroit TV show in Highland Park called The New Dance Show, hosted by a Donny Simpson type guy named R.J. Watkins. Making a name for himself in nostalgia, Mayer Hawthorne gives us sounds from eras of music that should not be forgotten, and definitely should continue to be made. Love this song and the various idiosyncrasies displayed in the video (the Count Dracular and the guy with a giant bluetooth-like device attached to his ear!). Check it out below.

Oftentimes when listening to a Roy Ayers record, you often wonder what the story is behind a track. When listening to “Poo Poo La La” and “Dontcha Say No” and “I Wanna Touch You Baby,” I can’t help but think, Uncle Roy is one smooth player! These were tunes that breathed sex, love, life, sensuality, with unparalleled musicianship. His fusion of jazz with an R&B sensibility created timeless music, that many have sought to emulate. A whole genre of music — neo soul — was born from his sheer influence. Simply put, there’s no other like Roy Ayers!

What is The Roy Ayers Project? A documentary about the life, music, and philosophy of the spirit of Roy Ayers, bringing artists together to express themselves through their art to capture the spirit of this outstanding musician. Combining live performances with Roy Ayers himself as they perform in venues across the US, The Roy Ayers Project is going to be the documentary to watch to gain understanding of an important artist. Check out the trailer below, directed by Haylow Overby and Ariel Nuñez?with music provided by Detroit-based producer, Tall Black Guy.