Recently in R&B Category

Radio: Urban Hits

20111129-urban-hits-560x225.jpg These days, urban music can encompass dance pop, quiet-storm soul, and hardcore hip-hop, from Rihanna to Charlie Wilson, from Jill Scott to Lil Wayne in "How to Love" mode. This would all be confusing, except for one thing: You know an R&B track when you hear it. That's why our Urban Hits station mixes tracks from genre queens Beyoncé and Mary J Blige with adult-contemporary goddess Adele and rap heroine Nicki Minaj. All of them contribute to our current understanding of R&B as less of a fixed genre (or a fixed race) than an aesthetic. It's a style of music with deep roots in soul and an appreciation of pop music's boundless creativity. Most importantly, it retains the ability to speak to a wide international audience. So don't be surprised if you hear Rick Ross' "Aston Martin Music" after Trey Songz "Bottoms Up." This is the sound of R&B in 2011.

Listen Now: Urban Hits


Keri Hilson, No Boys Allowed

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Album of the Day Keri Hilson is such a clever girl. We don't just mean that she is an intelligent individual, which she undoubtedly is: Her second album showcases supremely well-crafted and lovingly sung soul-pop, with particular emphasis on the pop, as Hilson treads more deeply into the big beats and fierce stances of diva territory. But she is also very clever about being a girl: No Boys is not only full of smart shout-outs to the ladies (and nuanced reminders about respecting them), it also articulates an idea of girlishness as a strength rather than a liability (see "Pretty Girl Rock"). [Rachel Devitt]

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The-Dream, Love/Hate

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Album of the Day After the runaway success of "Shawty is the Sh*t," ATL singer/songwriter The-Dream unleashes his highly anticipated debut CD. The-Dream has described the album as "very 80's, very Prince, sensual, sexy stuff." Guests Fabolous, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Andre 3000 pop by to get the party rolling. [Sam Chennault]

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Live from New York City's CMJ Music Festival, here's our exclusive chat with fledging R&B starlet Nikki Jean, who talks about writing with her heroes (including Thom Bell and Bob Dylan), the genesis of her new album Pennies in a Jar, and more. Enjoy.


20111115-rihanna-SM-560x225.jpg When Good Girl Gone Bad first dropped in 2007, it re-introduced the world to Rihanna in several different ways. Already an up-and-coming pop-R&B star, the Barbadian 20-year-old morphed into a megawatt hit machine as the album spawned smash after smash, starting with the ubiquitous "Umbrella." Despite her youth, it also introduced her as a mature force to be reckoned with, an all-grown-up pop diva capable of holding her own against whatever heavyweight producers like Timbaland and Tricky Stewart threw at her.

But finally, Good Girl introduced us to a stormier Rihanna comfortable using both sexuality and vulnerability as languages of independence. Not only did her turn to the dark side pave the way for Riri's future experiments with the fine line between eroticism and emotion, it also placed her in a long line of fierce "bad girls" in the history of pop music. Retrace her musical and emotional excavation with our Source Material guide to Good Girl Gone Bad (the 2008 "reloaded" version).

Listen along with my playlist: Source Material: Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad


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Album of the Day Party-rocking electro-funk super jams from the inimitable Roger Troutman and his band Zapp. All The Greatest Hits offers key tracks from their early 1980s heyday, as well as some interesting newer remixes. Check out "More Bounce To The Ounce," "Computer Love," and "I Want To Be Your Man." [Brolin Winning]

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Heavy D, 1967-2011

20111108-heavy-d-560x225.jpg Dwight "Heavy D" Myers, who passed away November 8 from a heart attack at the age of 44, was part of hip-hop's original "New School," a wave of artists that brought the genre its first real critical attention. Previously, most music fans casually dismissed rappers as singles-driven electro artists and black-music novelties. Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, N.W.A., Public Enemy and others forced the world to accept them on their terms instead of the rockist criteria used to judge Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. With the New School's emergence, hip-hop grew from a fad to a generational force to be reckoned with.

However, radio programmers were reluctant to program "hardcore hip-hop," as it was called back then, for fear of upsetting older listeners. Heavy D & the Boyz were one of the few among this pioneering group to cross the generational divide and land hit singles. Beginning in 1987 with Big Tyme, the Mount Vernon, Queens crew—Heavy D, underrated producer Eddie "Eddie F" Ferrell, and backup dancers Troy "Trouble T-Roy" Dixon and Glen "G-Whiz" Parrish—dominated video shows like BET's Video Vibrations and Video Soul with funky New Jack beats and plenty of dancing. These were the kind of joints that taught you new moves to practice before the party and the latest fashions to cop at the mall. During the next several years, Heavy D & the Boyz recorded some of the best songs of the New Jack era, including "We Got Our Own Thang," "Mr. Big Stuff," and "Gyrlz, They Love Me."

When older folks reminisce about how hip-hop used to be fun, they're referring to artists like Heavy D, Salt-N-Pepa, Kool Moe Dee, Kid-N-Play and others. These artists didn't use profanity—Heavy D. & the Boyz made a track called "Don't Curse" for their 1991 album Peaceful Journeyand no one expected them to. Sadly, those days are over, and we demand that clean-cut teeny-bop acts like Soulja Boy Tell'em and New Boyz talk sh*t in order to earn their hip-hop badge. Twenty years ago, those credentials came at a higher price than potty talk: artistic creativity.

senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg 20111101-motown-charm-school-560x225.jpg Motown's indelible impact on pop-music history is a direct result of the talent on the Detroit-born label's roster. Berry Gordy and his team sussed out the most skilled and (equally as important) the most likable kids they could find, often plucking actual kids out of obscurity (and high school), turning them into polished, professional pop stars. But Motown's success was also undoubtedly due to the well-oiled, machine-like way the studio ran, taking ridiculously young diamonds in the rough and putting them through the label's "factory" system, which included training in everything from music and dance to, yes, fashion and manners.

Mrs. Maxine Powell was the label's charm-school mistress, responsible for teaching all those young artists how to behave (and perform) like ladies and gentlemen -- specifically, ladies and gentlemen who could appeal to the widest cross-section of Americans. It's a complicated part of Motown's history, one that's been criticized for everything from its gender politics to its "Fordist" strategy of music-making (in which artists were "designed" to be somewhat anonymous and interchangeable) to its emphasis on mainstreaming in a musical era of stringent racial stratification.

On the other hand, Motown not only produced some of the most significant and beloved songs in pop history, it also helped change the landscape of American music, breaking down decades-old demographic barriers. (And while labels today don't typically employ a Ms. Manners type, teams of stylists and image consultants are commonplace.) Mull over the politics while you immerse yourself in some of the pop riches bestowed upon us by Motown's young charm-school grads.

Click here to listen to the entire playlist: Senior Year, 1965: Motown Charm-School Graduates


R&B Roundup: October 2011

20111024-R&B-RU-560x250.jpg It's been a few months since we've done a roundup of new R&B albums. The summer was quiet, save for urban pop efforts from Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Lloyd and others. But the end of the year is usually prime time for soul artists, so the genre's output has increased. Perhaps the approaching winter months are to thank, inviting us to cuddle with our loved ones; more cynically, the perception that soul listeners skew older and stick to the classics may result in fewer new releases than most other genres enjoy. No matter the reason for the delay, I'm glad to finally hear some new soul music.

This time around, we've got a new Etta James collection, Goapele's long-awaited comeback, Mayer Hawthorne's major-label debut and Van Hunt's first release since his 2008 Blue Note album Popular was unfairly shelved.

If you're looking for highlights, click here for my October 2011 Hot R&B Singles playlist.


1. Etta James
Heart & Soul: A Retrospective
If you only know Etta James from the pop standard "At Last," then Heart & Soul is essential listening. It's remarkable how she's adopted styles over the decades, from a brief stint as "Miss Pitiful" — the female answer to Otis Redding — to machine-gun funk (the incredible "You Got It") to modern blues, like on the effective cover of Elmore James' "The Sky Is Crying" and the previously unreleased "Ashes by Now." No matter the sound, James made her mark with an expressive voice and forceful presence, and Heart & Soul is like reading a biography covering an incredible career. [Mosi Reeves]


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Album of the Day It's easy to lob bombs at Terence Trent D'Arby. His pompous androgynous android funk clearly tears a page from Prince's playbook, he claimed that his debut was the best album since Sgt. Pepper's and his subsequent releases were underwhelming studies in studious pretentiousness. But for a few months in 1987 -- following the overwhelming one-two punch of "Sign Your Name" and "Wishing Well" -- D'Arby was the hottest name in R&B, and deservedly so. The spidery drum machine soul of "Wishing Well" remains addictive, and "Sign Your Name" sounds like Polynesian Goth played by runny-nosed romantics. [Sam Chennault]

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20111004-FRI MIX swamp-dogg-560x225.jpg I've made a personalized mixtape every month for the last five years, combining au courant new hits, old favorites, random stuff overheard in convenience stores, Songs of Personal Emotional Relevance (the one from August 2008 mostly involves my wedding, which explains, for example, "Billie Jean"), ambient stuff that relaxes me in airports (very popular genre), etc. etc. As an example, I thought I'd share the January 2008 volume, which I think hangs together pretty well, considering.

Very brief notes: So we've got hot new indie-rock stuff (Vampire Weekend, the Juno-ascendant Kimya Dawson), recent events I was woefully late on (Franz Ferdinand's LCD Soundsystem cover, plus J. Holiday's luxurious "Bed," a/k/a the greatest song of all time), a track from the There Will Be Blood soundtrack done by a dude from Radiohead, actual Radiohead (was still absorbing In Rainbows, you see), reliable favorites ("Love Is the Drug," Electric Six), a highlight from the crazy Mars Volta concert I went to (they played for, like, eight hours), Marvin Gaye complaining about attorney fees, Youssou N'Dour singing sweetly, Lez (well, Led, but this'll do) Zeppelin wailing uncouthly, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk wailing even more uncouthly. Plus Alicia Keys' "Like You'll Never See Me Again," because she played it on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve or whatever right after the ball dropped, and I dug it a lot. If you only have time for one song here, though, by god make it Swamp Dogg's version of John Prine's "Sam Stone," which is incredible, and plus his name is Swamp Dogg. Nothing here was airport-affiliated, oddly enough. But don't hold that against them.

Friday Mixtape: My Own Personal January 2008


Kool & The Gang, Ladies Night

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Album of the Day Though they had already released several successful albums, Kool & the Gang's 1979 gem Ladies Night earned the group their biggest hits yet: the absolutely classic title track as well as the mellower "Too Hot." Produced by Brazilian funk/disco master Deodato, this record remains a fan favorite and serves as a fitting precursor to their mega-hit Celebrate. —Brolin Winning

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senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg 20110906-juneteenth-560x225.jpg It's a bit late to celebrate Juneteenth. After all, the annual holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States doesn't take place in the middle of September, but at the beginning of summer, on June 19. Perhaps it's the onset of fall, though, that makes our thoughts turn to warmer months and memories of park jams, barbecue and family reunions.

If you've ever been to a Juneteenth festival, then you know it's the kind of neighborhood gathering where hundreds of kids run wild in a park, half-crazed on sugar and sensory overload, while parents gossip, dance to the music, and hopefully get some much-needed alone time. Onstage there's usually an earnest activist or two, a few city councilpersons reaching out to the constituents, and a lineup of local singers and bands using the day as a stepping stone to wider fame. Back in 1979, that means you would have gotten a lot of funk and disco with your chicken and ribs. While we can only guess what the actual soundtrack would be, we know it would undoubtedly include the latest hits from Chic, P-Funk and The O'Jays — perhaps not in the flesh, but definitely via a party-rocking DJ's selections.

So why focus on 1979? Why not? The end of the '70s was a fantastic time for black music, and although the omnipresent disco beat could get a little annoying (see the Village People and Amii Stewart's "Knock on Wood"), it also led to incredible singles like Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" and McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now." It's easy to imagine how these songs evoked feelings of pride and accomplishment because, decades later, they remain a part of any community celebration. Rest in peace, Minnie Riperton, whose "Memory Lane" is included in this playlist; she died shortly after the song's release on July 12, 1979.

Click here to listen to my playlist: Senior Year, 1979: Juneteenth Festival.

20110830-funkadelic-SM-560x225.jpg Recently, I scoured the song catalogs for the video games Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Both contain gobs of questionable selections, including indie fluff by The Strokes and even teen pop from Aly & AJ. What I didn't find is a single Funkadelic tune. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I feel like this means mainstream rock fans no longer consider them to be top-tier rock gods. Tell me I'm wrong. Please!

For me, as well as so many rock fans who grew up in the 1970s, '80s and early '90s, Funkadelic were considered one of music's most badass groups, and Eddie Hazel one of the all-time great guitarists. When I first got into classic psychedelia and hard rock, sitting down and cranking Maggot Brain, particularly the mind-melting 10-minute title track, was a rite of passage every bit as fundamental as blasting Paranoid, Led Zeppelin II and Machine Head. It didn't matter one bit if their music was considered funk by some, or that they weren't the same color as most other bands. They rocked.

Q&A: Charles Bradley



Live from San Francisco's Outside Lands festival, here's our interview with soul belter Charles Bradley, holding forth on the majesty of James Brown and how Charles is coping with the tragic loss of his brother.
Enjoy.

Nickolas Ashford, RIP

20110823-ashford-and-simpson-560x225.jpg It's impossible to pay tribute to the late songwriter Nickolas Ashford, who died on August 22, without discussing his wife and partner Valerie Simpson. He wrote and recorded nearly all of his songs with her. (Crate-diggers will note that Ashford made a few solo singles in the late '60s.) Married since 1974, the couple was soul music's most durable relationship. To quote from their biggest pop hit, "Solid," they were "solid as a rock."

For black audiences of a certain age, Ashford & Simpson were an archetype as familiar as freaky ol' Rick James and Stevie the blind genius. On their late-'70s soul albums, marriage became a melodrama of commitment, devotion and ecstasy. Their image was indelible -- Ashford with his long, enveloping lion's mane and thick mustache, and Simpson with her flowing cornrows and lissome frame. On the album covers for Send It and Is It Still Good to Ya, the two appeared enraptured in each other, holding on together no matter what happens. Ashford & Simpson's high-volume disco performances on hits like "It Seems to Hang On" and "Found a Cure" lent themselves to parody -- "Loose me! Please!" they shouted lustily to each other on the former -- and seemingly inspired the '90s sketch-comedy show In Living Color's "Ceephus and Reesie" skits. But their partnership, which lasted until Ashford's death, was also based on hard-won experience that they alluded to in song. "Though they don't complain/ Doesn't mean there's no pain," sang Ashford on 1986's "Count Your Blessings." "To forget is the worst/ So always put them first/ Thinking of their needs/ Make them the one you please."

Ashford & Simpson may have achieved a certain legend as disco artists, but their achievement as songwriters was also significant. The couple began writing together in the mid-'60s, and in 1965 they landed their first hit, Ray Charles' "Let's Go Get Stoned." Three decades of classic singles followed: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (plus Marlena Shaw's "California Soul") in the '60s; Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" in the '70s; and their own "Solid" in the '80s. They wrote and produced Diana Ross' 1979 comeback album The Boss, including the no. 1 title track, as well as albums for Gladys Knight & the Pips. And it must be pointed out that they wrote one of the greatest disco songs ever, Sylvester's incredible "Over and Over."

With Ashford's passing at the age of 70, one-half of this classic songwriting team is gone. But Ashford & Simpson's music together will undoubtedly endure.

Click here to listen to a memorial playlist: A Tribute to Nickolas Ashford




On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Charles Bradley give it up for James Brown's many albums.

Play No Time For Dreaming

Charles Bradley
No Time For Dreaming

James Brown
20 All-Time
Greatest Hits

cheat_sheet_top_header_560x62.jpg 20110823-earth-wind-fire-560x225.jpg Earth, Wind & Fire were the biggest black rock band of the 1970s. But today, they're among the era's most misunderstood platinum acts. The group's discography nearly mirrors black music's evolution, from the Afrocentric jazz of the Black Panther years to the quiet storm balladry and slick corporate funk that marked the end of that tumultuous decade with a merciful whimper. As the visionary leader, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Maurice White sought to encapsulate it all, and he succeeded remarkably. When you hear an Earth, Wind & Fire record, you know it. The soaring brass section led by Andrew Woolfolk and the Phenix Horns, the marvelous interplay between White's cool spoken-sung vocals and Philip Bailey's lush falsetto, and White's kalimba (aka African finger piano) gave them a unique, oft-copied sound. However, their capacity for hit singles has sometimes reduced them to pop-culture clichés, whether it was 1979's wildly over-the-top disco nugget "Boogie Wonderland" or Julia Louis-Dreyfus doing the funky-white-girl dance to "Shining Star" on Seinfeld.

Then there's that other black rock juggernaut of the '70s, Parliament-Funkadelic. The two organizations were rivals, and P-Funk figurehead George Clinton claimed that E.W.F. were "earth, all wind, and no fire." They celebrated the African American experience in markedly different ways. P-Funk adopted a cryptic language based on street slang, black popular culture and authors like Ishmael Reed. Their music was often intentionally cryptic, which not only protected them from homogenization (or "the placebo syndrome"), but also created a cult of believers dedicated to propagating Clinton's message of funk epiphany.

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Album of the Day Just listening to the drum track on "Think" is reason enough to canonize this record. It's not the full-on statement of his first record at the Apollo five years prior, but it just shows how innovative and brilliant James Brown and his entourage were. Maybe 20 minutes of "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" is a bit much, but Bobby Byrd's "Sweet Soul Music" is on fire. —Jon Pruett

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Sade, Diamond Life

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Album of the Day Sade's debut album introduced the world to this Nigerian model-turned-singer. Her detached vocal style and the deliberate, cool musical accompaniment struck a nerve. This is an album of great bedroom music -- supple, simple and buoyed primarily by her resonant voice. It was a highly successful debut that hardly sounds dated nearly two decades later. —Sarah Bardeen

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Ryan Leslie, Ryan Leslie

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Album of the Day If you didn't know Ryan Leslie had spent most of his career as a producer before listening to his debut, you could probably guess it by the end. This well-rounded album is crafted with a fine-toothed comb and a producer's ear for little details (for example, the slightly off-beat keyboard runs on "Just Right"). This is not your typical collection of booty bedroom jams, people. The only potential downside is that the impeccable production on Ryan Leslie sometimes overshadows Leslie's voice, which is, if not mind-blowingly brilliant, is definitely pleasant, mellow gold (see: "You're Fly"). —Rachel Devitt

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20110816-amy-winehouse-b2b-560x225.jpg When Amy Winehouse passed away from as-yet unknown causes on July 23, the trauma registered across music communities and genre barriers. Rap websites chronicled her duets with Ghostface Killah and Mos Def. Green Day and M.I.A. recorded tributes. And nearly everyone returned to the album that brought her to our attention, 2006's Back to Black.

When the album first surfaced, some listeners struggled to tune out the deafening, industry-fueled hype surrounding it, and as a result, may have underestimated its powers. It is now clear that Back to Black is an incredible piece of music. Perhaps we've reached that verdict out of sadness over her untimely demise, or an awareness of how her years-long spiral into drug and alcohol abuse imprinted her literally blood-soaked image into our minds. Only time will tell us if Winehouse the paparazzi casualty will recede beneath Winehouse the retro-soul prodigy, much as we have come to forget the tabloid follies of Kurt Cobain and many others. We shouldn't lose an appreciation of her music.

senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg 20110816-dial-MTV-after-school-560x225.jpg So first off, welcome to the '90s! Even if it still kind of feels more like the last gasp of the '80s: hair metal is almost over but doesn't know it yet, so it's still all over MTV, with songs about cherry pie (RIP Jani Lane) and unskinny bopping and staying up all night and sleeping all day and living in a house of pain, about girls named Michelle and Janie and Jayne. Then there's Jane's Addiction and Faith No More (with their exploding piano and flopping fish) and that new band King's X, whose singer is black and Christian and 40 years old — if you think about it, loud rock's starting to get a little odd and arty again. Maybe everyone's just weirded out that Nelson have the best hair.

Unless Vanilla Ice does, that is, with his rag-top down so his hair can blow. (Except not really — that pompadour's at a standstill!) But take heed, 'cause he's a lyrical poet, killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom and neck-and-neck with MC Hammer in the contest for America's Favorite Rapper. (Hammer's definitely the better dancer, though.) Worst Hair honors may actually go to Sinéad O'Connor, who doesn't have any, and dances sorta clumsy, to boot. As for who has the better smash ballad named "Hold On," Wilson Phillips or En Vogue — it's a toss-up.

But either way, the decision's in your hands. Every weekday, just call your votes in to 1-800-DIAL-MTV toll-free on your parents' landline, then sit down with a New Coke and watch the Top 10 requests. Who's it gonna be? Bell Biv Devoe? Jane Child? Roxette? Snap? Enuf Z'Nuff? You gotta tune in to find out. Most songs in the playlist below probably placed sometime during the year, for better or worse. It's in your face but you can't grab it. U can't touch this, but nothing compares 2 U.

Click here to listen to our entire playlist: Senior Year, 1990: Dial MTV After School.



senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg 20110809-soul-train-560x225.jpg Dance variety shows that targeted younger fans had long been a staple of pop music by the time Chicago DJ and concert promoter Don Cornelius premiered Soul Train in 1970. But with the first howl of "Soooooul Train!" the beloved result irrevocably transformed the heavily whitewashed model of such earlier programs as American Bandstand. The focus on African-American artists and, well, soul music -- Motown, funk, classic R&B, Philly soul, and, later, disco and hip-hop -- made the show a cultural hub for African-American audiences, and brought that culture to the white mainstream, introducing viewers across the United States to new fashions, dances and music.

By the 1974-5 season, the now nationally syndicated Soul Train was a well-established cultural beacon, with kids and young adults alike gathering in living rooms across America to hear new music, watch those dancers seriously shake it, and practice a few moves of their own. The show's guest artists offer a retrospective glimpse into the state of pop culture, music and even politics at the time: as the initial theme song, Gamble and Huff's "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" (as recorded by MFSB) pointed to the prominence of Philly soul, a path that eventually led to disco's preeminence. Boundaries blurred as '60s R&B and earlier, lighter Motown gave way to funk, grittier '70s Motown, and constantly evolving dance music, all heard in the wide range of artists Cornelius showcased.

And while Soul Train could be slightly musically conservative and was certainly trying to cater to a pop audience, that guest-star curation also spoke to African-American politics of the day, from the soft-hued frustration of Philly soul to Curtis Mayfield's angrier attacks on post-Civil Rights-era reality, as well as the dance-your-cares-away, lose-yourself-in-the-beat dystopianism that came to dominate pop music in the 1970s. So strap on your dancing shoes and your thinking cap, and get ready to bust a move like it was a party in front of the TV at your best friend's house with our Senior Year playlist of 1974-1975 Soul Train guest-stars.

Earth, Wind & Fire, Gratitude

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Album of the Day The three live sides reflect their genuine jazz orientation, flowing along enjoyably and unexcessively and offering more new material than is superstar practice. But orientation ain't chops, and despite my prejudices I'd rather hear Dvorak's New World Symphony than the Whites'. The four songs on the studio side are enjoyable, too -- took them a while to figure out their formula, but now they've really got it down. The news that "the good Lord gonna make a way," however, is gonna come as a surprise to Him, Her, or It. (Grade: B) —Robert Christgau

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Parliament, Chocolate City

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Album of the Day On Chocolate City, George Clinton's Parliament set the template for the forward-thinking, funky Afro-futurism that would become their trademark. The spoken-word casualness of the title track gives way to the bass-buoyed glory of "Ride On" and "Together." "Don't worry about being right," the singers implore. "Just worry about being real." —Sam Chennault

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SWV, Platinum and Gold Collection

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Album of the Day Back in the early to mid-1990s, SWV (Sisters With Voices) were one of the most popular and successful groups in music, cranking out numerous chart-topping hits and influencing future superstars (Destiny's Child used to open for them). This compilation features all of their major singles, including "Right Here," "I'm So Into You" and "Anything." —Brolin Winning

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The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3

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Album of the Day By the release of 3+3 in 1973, the Isley Brothers had supplanted the gritty Motown approach of earlier albums with a harder funk template. With its shrill guitar solos juxtaposed against Ron's velvet voice and the group's soft harmonies, "That Lady" is an obvious standout. Covers of "Summer Breeze" and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" are also satisfying. —Sam Chennault

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senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg 20110719-black-radio-560x225.jpg The year 1983 must have been a crazy time to be a black teenager. Michael Jackson was blowing up big time, whether it was rocking that ultra-fresh red zipper jacket in the "Beat It" video or slaying millions of Americans with his "Billie Jean" performance on the Motown 25 broadcast. Prince was creepin' up, too, thanks to his coyly suggestive "Little Red Corvette" and 1999. Lionel Richie got love, too, even if "All Night Long (All Night)" was kinda corny. Luther Vandross was still making post-disco hits with a fury, from his own "I'll Let You Slide" to producing Aretha Franklin's "Get It Right." The funk was still strong, whether it was George Clinton's massive "Atomic Dog" or The Gap Band's nonstop "Party Train."

In retrospect, the year seems so exhilarating and confusing. Yes, the synthesizer ruled the charts, leading critics like Nelson George to declare it "the death of rhythm and blues." But what about electro stars like Afrika Bambaataa and the Jonzun Crew? Hell, what about David Bowie's "Let's Dance," The Human League's "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" and Madonna's "Holiday"? Incredibly, all this stuff found a home on Billboard's Black Singles chart (which wasn't retitled R&B/Hip-Hop Singles until years later). There was even space for the odd novelty jam like Sexual Harrassment's "I Need a Freak."

Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere

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Album of the Day As the feature presentation flickers to life, the auditorium lights dim and you're instantly submerged in Gnarls Barkley's world of insanity, shadowy genius, depression and hard-earned revelation. St. Elsewhere is the first collaboration between trailblazing singer CeeLo and experimental producer-to-the-stars Danger Mouse. Songs such as "Crazy" and "Boogie Monster" are steeped in hip-hop, soul and psychedelia, yet the album manages to maintain a distinctly pop flavor and is as addictive as it is inventive. CeeLo soars throughout, and Danger Mouse continues to produce idiosyncratic and cinematic hip-hop. Uncanny and unrelenting, St. Elsewhere is a must-see. —Jaime Dolling

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20110712-janet-jackson-560x225.jpg Janet Jackson's 1986 breakthrough, Control, wasn't her first album, but it was a debut on multiple levels: most importantly, it introduced the Jackson-Jam-Lewis team, a triumvirate of pop perfection that paired the dance-beat brilliance of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with Janet's pop persona (not to mention that family name). But despite the unavoidable shadow cast by her family's showbiz legacy, the album also presented her as an independent woman. Control was meant to mark Janet's emancipation from the family plan laid out for her, a process that had already begun when she eloped with James DeBarge at the age of 18 (the marriage was later annulled). Finally, Control is the debut of Miss Jackson as we know and love her today: a fiercely sweet woman who carefully balances ferocious independence with disarming emotion and a feather-light, cotton-candy wisp of a voice, equally prone to cooing sweet nothings and barking S&M fantasies.

No Jackson album could emerge from a vacuum, of course, and especially not one so steeped in decades of soul, funk and dance-pop stylings. Control both embraces and eschews Janet's family heritage and musical pedigree, mining a host of other sources along the way. Brother Michael's presence looms large over this album, of course, as does The Jackson Five's. But that goes without saying. So for our deep dive into the roots and routes of Control, we've decided to focus on other, equally vital touchstones. Listen in!

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Album of the Day JT is no Al Green (or even D'Angelo), but his vocal performance on Futuresex is panting and seductive. But more than just the usual collection of hyper-sexualized pop songs, this is a gorgeous, unified album, and producer Timbaland deserves much of the credit. His rhythms-on-'roids backdrops are crunchy and addictive, but they're also nuanced enough so that each track has a hidden treasure—a rattling tabla here, a twisting violin quote there, and sudden outbursts of glitch synths throughout. If this indeed is the future of pop, then it's cause for celebration. —Sam Chennault

Hear It Now!


Janet Jackson, Control

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Album of the Day I scoffed at Janet's claims of autonomy--figured Jam & Lewis wrote her in as collaborator for a price she could afford. But she must have had some input--otherwise what would be not to like? Great beats here, their deepest ever. If her voice ever changes, she may even live up to them--and convince the world she's her own woman. Till then she's just playing, which does have its entertainment value. (Grade: B) —Robert Christgau

Hear It Now!


Angelique Kidjo, Oremi

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Album of the Day Oremi is testament to Angelique Kidjo's wide-ranging musical tastes and her absolute fearlessness when it comes to sacred cows like Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child." Benin is the home of voodoo, and Kidjo effortlessly makes the song her own. Her sunny pop sensibility is at its best in "Loloye" and "Yaki Yaki"—and of course in the title track. —Sarah Bardeen

Hear It Now!


The Wonderful World of CeeLo

20110628-CEE-LO-main-560x225.jpg CeeLo Green is a renaissance man for our young, bewildering century. He's got hit songs in multiple guises (Goodie Mob, Gnarls Barkley and most recently as a solo artist); a plum spot on much-praised new singing-competition reality show The Voice; and now his very own Fuse program, Talking to Strangers, wherein he's free to, say, challenge Lupe Fiasco to a staring contest. To celebrate his increasing good fortune, we proudly present a quick, celebratory peek into the hip-hop soul man's universe: a playlist of his greatest hits, a celebration of songs titled "Fuck You" or the immediate equivalent, an exclusive Talking to Strangers clip, and a special playlist provided by the man himself (Train!). Tune in and go crazy.


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CeeLo builds us a personal playlist, starring Keri Hilson, Lupe Fiasco, Train (!) and more
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Some feisty clips from CeeLo's new Fuse show, Talking to Strangers
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The Best of CeeLo: From Goodie Mob to Gnarls Barkley, a tour through his greatest hits
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The "Fuck You" playlist: CeeLo isn't the first artist to title his song with the ultimate kiss-off
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Songs Named "Fuck You"

20110628-CEE-LO-fuck-you-560x225.jpg CeeLo's "F*ck You" was an instant viral sensation upon release in the summer of 2010, triggering an avalanche of critical plaudits and exuberant cover versions (yes, we see you, Gwyneth). But it was hardly the first track to employ what you might call The Ultimate Song Title. No, a steady stream of rappers, tart-mouthed pop princesses, grunge grousers and (especially!) surly punk bands had already made their own contributions to the "F*ck You" canon. Here, an obviously and severely NSFW primer—look out for Methods of Mayhem's "Proposition F*ck You," starring none other than Tommy Lee in rap-rock mode, espousing a political philosophy we can all get behind. Crank it up, or play it very quietly and discreetly.

Click here to listen to Songs Named "Fuck You"


20110628-beyonce-main-560x225.jpg One of music's biggest stars has gifted us with one of this summer's biggest albums: yeah, you might say Beyoncé's 4 is a pretty big deal. We politely suggest you listen to it immediately, perhaps while sifting through our Beyoncé-related fanfare. First, Rhapsody Pop Editor Rachel Devitt takes an in-depth look at 4,offers up a greatest-hits playlist reaching all the way back to Destiny's Child, and celebrates pop's girl-power proclivities, from Salt-N-Pepa to The Spice Girls. Speaking of Destiny's Child, Rhapsody Hip-Hop Editor Mosi Reeves takes a closer look at turn-of-the-century R&B girl groups from DC to TLC to SWV, and breaks downs the DNA of Dangerously in Love, B's much-beloved 2003 solo debut. Time to fall crazy in love all over again.

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Does 4 stand among B's best? We take an in-depth look.
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The Best of Beyoncé: a career-spanning playlist celebrating her biggest hits
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R&B Girl Groups: Destiny's Child, TLC, SWV and other sultry sirens
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Source Material: Dangerously in Love: The key components of her killer 2003 debut
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Girl-Power Pop: Beyoncé, Salt-N-Pepa, and other girls who run the world
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Senior Year: 2002 Cheerleaders: "Crazy in Love" and other floor-routine staples
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20110628-beyonce-dangerously-in-love-560x225.jpg When we think of Beyoncé 's Dangerously in Love, we remember the hits. "Crazy In Love," with its brassy horn licks (courtesy of The Chi-Lites' "Are You My Woman [Tell Me So]") and funky go-go rhythms, is one of the best singles of the past decade. "Naughty Girl" oozed an aggressive sexuality that seemed more visceral than the pre-packaged showgirl struts of her previous group, Destiny's Child. And "Baby Boy" was right in tune with the dancehall revival and synonymous club anthems like Lumidee's "Never Leave You (Uh Ooh, Uh Ooh)" and Elephant Man's "Pon De River, Pon De Bank."

But Dangerously was split between those celebrated numbers and nearly a dozen torch songs. It's not an easy transition. The singles arrived early and ended quickly, and Beyoncé spent the rest of the hour on melodramatic love tunes like "Yes," "Speechless" and "Signs," the latter coyly referencing her love affair with Jay-Z: "I was in love with a Sagittarius/ He blew my mind." Some of the ballads, particularly "Me, Myself and I," aren't bad, and they gave her a chance to demonstrate her incredible, octave-scaling voice. But the uptempo songs were so incredible that they left us wanting more.

20110628-beyonce-destinys-child-560x225.jpg Sisters With Voices. Total. Destiny's Child. You didn't need a lyric sheet to get the point with the legion of R&B girl groups who dominated urban pop music in the 1990s. It was plain to hear, from the coquettishly sexual lyrics to their sassy, irreverent tones and lovely multipart harmonies. Sadly, music critics tended to give them cursory attention, instead devoting their time to untangling rap music that often required a degree in regional slang to understand. And following the breakup of Destiny's Child and the quick dissolution of Danity Kane, the R&B girl-group phenomenon seems like it's over. Perhaps there can only be one diva in today's gladiatorial Fame Matrix, leaving little room for sisterhood.

Cheat Sheet: Girl Power

cheat_sheet_top_header_560x62.jpg 20110628-beyonce-girl-power-560x225.jpg "Run the World (Girls)" may mark the first time Beyoncé has ever assembled an actual army of ladies to stage a pop-culture gender coup, but she's always claimed a powerful position for girls with her music. Bey's been on a girl-power trip for a long time, from Destiny's Child's strong sister anthems (see "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Independent Women Pt. 1") to the tables-turning "Suga Mama," from the "A Milli" answer song "Diva" to the Fosse-fied kiss-off "Single Ladies." As fiercely original as they are, however, those female-focused cuts are also steeped in a long history of girl-power pop: mainstream-friendly tunes that make you wiggle your booty and maybe think critically about what it means to do so.

Extended Review: Beyonce, 4

20110628-beyonce-ext-review-560x225.jpg After three solo albums and a full tour of duty in Destiny's Child, Beyoncé Knowles has earned the right to experiment. And that's just what her new record, 4, is: a bold, risky test of the parameters of pop stardom in 2011. Eschewing current dance trends (and really, club-ready tracks in general), she spends most of the album growling through gut-punching slow and mid-tempo jams steeped in solid-gold '70s soul, '80s R&B and rock, and even some New Jack Swing. To put it another way, if everyone else has gone robo-disco retro, Beyoncé's excavating a different throwback reserve, albeit one from an overlapping period: synthy horns, chunky keys and a whole lot of Prince-ly high drama. And while not all of it is somber, rain-against-my-window waxing about heartbreak, most of the tracks here — and even several of the up-tempo cuts — are pretty introspective. Or at least, that's what they're supposed to be.

banner_HTC_white.jpg 20110621-miguel_560x225.jpg Welcome back to Rhapsody Radar, our month-long survey of 24 new artists we're thrilled about. Recently we had the pleasure of talking one-on-one with one such honoree: up-and-coming soul singer Miguel, who is apparently not only incredibly talented, but also smart, articulate and oh so charming. (Good thing he's so damn cute, or we might have to hate him a little!) He gave us the lowdown on his rebellious plans to shake up the music industry with his sexy, sexy songs, not to mention his secret fandom of Justin Timberlake and what it's like to work with Usher. For a better idea of what this guy's all about, check out our Miguel and His Influences playlist.


20110621-SM-angelique-kidjo.jpg By 1998, Angelique Kidjo was already a much-heralded Afropop success story, with a sonic reputation for bridging cultures, continents and aesthetic categories, reflecting her own multicultural roots and routes. In other words, she made Afropop with both international and African appeal. But with her fifth album, Oremi, she took her gift for hybridization to the next level.

Armed with a plan to record a trilogy that explored the African roots of music in the Americas, Kidjo headed to New York, where she recorded with jazz artists (Cassandra Wilson, Branford Marsalis) as well as R&B/gospel singer Kelly Price, all while boldly re-imagining Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." The resulting album is a graceful effort that subtly, smoothly laces together African and American music in innovative ways. An Afropop aesthetic dominates the sweet, sunny "Babalao" (a plea for the world's youth), with American soul providing nuance and adornment; for the church-choir-meets-girl-group slow-dance number "Loloye," she uses delicate African aesthetic gestures as a point of entry into American pop styles. The title track, meanwhile, offers a chicly cosmopolitan sound that more fluidly blends together hip-hop, soul, lounge music and African musical traditions.

The Best of 2011 (So Far)

summer-best-of-2011-so-far-560x225.jpg One aspect of summer that never fails to surprise is that the year is now nearly half over: we are closer to 2011's year-end critics-poll season than we are to 2010's. You've started drafting your own Top 10 list already, right? No? You haven't? Don't panic: here, Rhapsody's genre editors each pick their five favorite records of the year so far. How many will survive until November? Which ones will be replaced by Lil Wayne, by Beyoncé, by the soundtrack to Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark? Time will tell, but for now, here are our picks for the year's best, half a year early.

summer-what-your-summer-jam-says-560x225.jpg Summer jams. Everyone's got one. That song that evokes instant images of sun and fun, that makes you smell the barbecue and taste the daiquiri, that just sings summer to you. But what does your summer jam of choice say about you and, more importantly, your summer personality? We've developed this handy-dandy little guide to psychoanalyzing your summer anthem —or at least finding the perfect drink to pair with it.

Your Summer Jam: "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
You're a classicist. None of these new-fangled, frenetic dance-floor anthems the kids get all sweaty for these days. You prefer your summers lazy, hazy and chill … and your summer jams slow, smooth and swaggering.
Your Summer Activities: Barbecuing. Riding down the street in a lawn chair on the bed of a truck. Sitting back and unwinding.
Your Summer Drink: Henny and coke. Spiked Kool-aid.
Your Summer Destination: Philly, or anywhere your family and your crew is.
Your Summer Outfit: Anything really, as long as it involves bright colors and a ball cap shoved rakishly to the side.
Your Summer-Romance M.O. You'll dance with whoever, but when the sun goes down, you're in bed with wifey.

senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg20110607-new-jack-house-party-560x225.jpg Do a little dance y'all! (Like this y'all, like that y'all!) Feel the groove! (I feel it, I feel it now!) Make a little love now! (Ooh, aah, ooh ooh, aah!) This party's at the funhouse, we're rocking high-top fades, Cross Colours tees and high-top Jordans, and the sound is the New Jack Swing.

It's been here since 1987, ever since Teddy Riley dropped a bomb on us with Keith Sweat's "I Want Her" and Kool Moe Dee's "How Ya Like Me Now." And it ain't going nowhere; as Guy's second album title put it, it's The Future. So what if G-funk and boom-bap lie just around the corner, and dudes were about to keep it too real and hardcore to have fun anymore, and soul music was about to get so horny it would make Digital Underground's "Freaks of the Industry" seem as G-rated as Disney's Beauty and the Beast? For now, U can't touch this, even if you rocked a pair of MC Hammer's yellow parachute pants.

And don't even get us started on New Edition. They're straight running things in 1990, whether it's Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant or Bell Biv Devoe, who had us on lock with "Poison." And don't forget Bobby Brown ... Cool used to do her, too. Yeah, buddy, you better heed EPMD's warning and watch out for those fly honeys: they might be a "Gold Digger," or may leave you thinking "I Thought It Was Me?!!" like B.B.D. But hey, every guy wants an "Around the Way Girl" like Uncle L, while the ladies just want to "Hold On" to their love like En Vogue. We're conscious enough to keep it Afrocentric, work out the battles between the sexes and build a true Rhythm Nation.

So swing your black medallions and get busy to the sounds of Janet Jackson and Father MC, and an era when R&B and hip-hop still seemed innocent and carefree.

Click here to listen to the entire playlist: Senior Year, 1990: New Jack House Party.


Marvin Gaye, I Want You

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i_want_you.jpg A collaboration with songwriter/producer Leon Ware, this stands up as one of Marvin Gaye's finest LPs, with a love vibe that out-mellows Barry White's cinematic soul and turns the Philly disco sound into waterbed music. Sure, this smooth, intricately produced make-out platter is more style than substance, but every record collection needs a little music this stylish in it. — Nick Dedina

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New Edition, New Edition

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Album of the Day Taking cues from the Jackson Five, Boston boy band New Edition took the charts by storm in the early 1980s, racking up several major crossover R&B hits. On this, their major label debut (and first platinum LP), they serve up a collection of perfectly crafted pop songs, among them "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone Man." — Brolin Winning

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Album of the Day For their second full-length, the ladies of Destiny's Child return triumphantly, delivering poignant vocals over sleek tracks produced by Missy Elliott, Dwayne Wiggins and Rodney Jerkins, among others. The Writing's on the Wall features some of the group's biggest hit singles, such as "Say My Name" and "Bills, Bills, Bills." — Brolin Winning

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Album of the Day The essential Steve Wonder album. The sheer number of excellent tracks on Songs is astonishing, and Wonder balances his erudite social commentary with rapturous love songs and jaw-dropping musicianship. Funky, danceable and brilliant, the album is a culmination of his '70s aesthetic; it still sounds fresh today. Highlights include "Sir Duke" and "Pastime Paradise." — Sarah Bardeen

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20110510-comedy-r&b-560x225.jpg Humor in soul music hasn't been the same since everyone went hardcore in the late '80s. These days, if you want to cut a joke, you can't just make a corny novelty song like Bobby Jimmy & the Critters' "Roaches." You've got to do it cool and use plenty of ironic asides, sly put-downs and slang-filled allusions.

R&B comedy may not be as broad as the good ol' days of Rufus Thomas and George Clinton, but it's still full of cheating spouses, smack-talking ladies and ornery men. In short, battles and truces between the sexes comprise the dominant theme, and the humor comes from the farcical situations that ensue, whether it's Trey Songz claiming that "I Invented Sex" or Missy Elliott claiming she doesn't want a "One Minute Man." Consider this an introductory lesson on how ribald R&B can get (if not necessarily pornographic — after all, this is a family blog), triggering sometimes-uncomfortable laughter when we realize that these would-be players are just like us.

TLC, CrazySexyCool

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Album of the Day Far mellower and more R&B-flavored than their debut LP, CrazySexyCool showcased a more mature TLC, sold millions of copies and proved that they were more than just a gimmicky girl group. Includes their classic hits "Creep" and "Waterfalls." — Brolin Winning

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Color Me Badd, C.M.B.

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A pop R&B quartet hailing from Oklahoma City, Color Me Badd debuted with a bang, scoring a chart-topping, double-platinum hit with their infectious single "I Wanna Sex You Up" (originally on the soundtrack to New Jack City). The group's first LP is a near-perfect mix of party anthems and love jams, and includes hits like "All 4 Love." —Brolin Winning

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Roundup: R&B, May 2011

20110503-r&b-RU-560x225-2.jpg The world of soul music may not generate as much product as rock or hip-hop, but it tends to have an outsized impact. Two of this year's best-selling records thus far came from Adele and Marsha Ambrosius, while Chris Brown's comeback album may be the most controversial. Beyond the headliners, there were troubadours like Noel Gourdin, Anthony David and Ginuwine, men who exemplified vintage R&B, and a lineage that stretches back to the late Teddy Pendergrass. Whether it's the Afropean neo-soul of Les Nubians or the dance pop gospel of Jennifer Hudson, when you hear soul music, you know it.


1. Adele
21
Adele's shtick seems to be album titles that correspond to her age - and completely belie the old soul inside. Her sophomore album, 21, sounds like no 21-year-old. Adele spends most of it dominating styles she has no business knowing how to sing so intuitively, from the rafters-shaking, revival-ready "Rolling in the Deep" to the big, brassy '70s rock of "I'll Be Waiting." Elsewhere, she croons weathered ballads that sound more lovelorn than someone so young should (see "Turning Tables," a "Chasing Pavements" redux down to the syllabic structure). It won't help a wider audience find her, but those who do will be rewarded. — Rachel Devitt

Estelle, Shine

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On "Wait a Minute," British emcee/R&B songstress Estelle coolly proclaims, "You keep coming back 'cause the girl is tight." Truer words have never been spoken. The efforts of all-star collaborators like Wyclef, Cee-Lo, Kanye and John Legend are top notch, but she doesn't need them. She is luminous and versatile enough on her own. "More Than Friends" sums up the conundrums of modern love. "Magnificent" is a reggae-flavored walk on the beach; "Come Over" is a romp in the sheets. "Back in Love" is a deep-soul groove; the title track, produced by Swizz Beatz, pulses like a tribal-banger. — Angela Bruno

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Lauryn Hill, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

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Alluringly unplugged: a guitar and Hill in song and conversation. Starts with a throaty laugh and builds to tears as she breaks open her soul in jams like "Mr. Intentional." Revel in rich acoustic guitar, poetry-slam lyrics, and intimate melodies that she admits are not fully developed (she even gets lost once). Play it through, let your soul wander, repeat as necessary. — Amy Bartlett

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Coachella Report: Day Two

coachella_custom_header_560x60.pngcoach_ac_560x225.jpg When it comes to adventures in music, you can do a lot worse than Coachella - a kaleidoscope of bands and fans spanning all manner of genres and scenes. Rhapsody sent its rock editor, Justin Farrar, out to the desert to get his take on the whole big mess. Dig his wrap-ups in this space over the next three days.

Saturday at Coachella: before digging into the jams, we need to address two of the festival's most potent demons: heat and traffic. The former is worse today, a blistering 98 degrees. Yowsa. The latter is, however, less intense. Yesterday, cars were backed-up to Jefferson Street, which isn't anywhere near the festival grounds, in all honesty. If I were a Coachella veteran, then I'd tell every newbie seeking my highly prized wisdom to utilize one of the many shuttle services. Or even better: rent a bicycle. Then again, there is one upside to driving, and that's getting to park in the outer lots. From there, the path to the grounds leads attendees through the all too colorful car-camping grounds.

For the anthropologist in all of us, these campsites -- the totality of which can rightly be called a modern day Bartertown for 24-hour party people -- contain a motley assortment of sub-cultural tribes that offer quality observation along the way: beefcakes with leathery pecs boozing and whooping at the scantily clad pop tarts passing by, indie kids dressed as neon Native Americans knocking back Jell-O shots, classic Deadheads just chillin', punks standing around looking bored and Burning Man types flying pirate flags while maintaining snazzy encampments laced in all manner of disco lighting. The car-camping grounds are also home to its own bundle of food stands and oddball activities, including a makeshift roller-derby rink, what looks like a space designed for bicycle jousting and a tiny stage for impromptu jam sessions.

senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg 20110401-SY-1965-gogo-560x225.jpg Here at Rhapsody, none of us were high school age back in 1965, so we can only imagine what a genuine go-go was like. Our thoughts turn to the scene in Malcolm X when his assassins tour the Audubon Ballroom during a youth dance the night before he was killed, casing the joint while kids shuffle and stomp to Junior Walker's "Shotgun." Or here's a happier example: all the incredible Motown sounds heard during the 1976 teen flick Cooley High, an evocative depiction of black urban life in 1960s Philadelphia. The iconic Detroit label was at the height of its glory, issuing classics like The Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie)," Martha and the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run," and Stevie Wonder's "Uptight." It released so many great singles that we had to leave out a few, or else we wouldn't have space for the great Otis Redding, James Brown, The Impressions, and Fontella Bass of "Rescue Me" fame. Even if we weren't doing the twist on American Bandstand or doing the alligator when these golden oldies blasted out of AM radio, we'd be fools to not see that 1965 was an incredible year for soul.

Click here to listen to the complete playlist: Senior Year, 1965: Going to a Go-Go


Senior Year, 1995: Lowriders Club

senior_year-banner-560x60.jpg 20110329-SY-1995-low-rider-club-560x225.jpg Talk about "Hands on a Hard Body": for a certain species of auto-shop student, back in 1995, tricked-out rides were raised to the level of an art form. And while all kinds of hip-hop fueled their subwoofers, surely the most potent strain was G-funk, with its slinky leads and suggestive bounce, rolling and purring like an El Dorado.

Coming largely out of Los Angeles' Death Row camp, G-funk turned away from sampled breakbeats in favor of live and synthesized funk vamping, with laid-back drum-machine thump dragging tempos back while portamento synth leads slid mercurially over the top. It was perfectly calibrated to prove that gangstas could be lovers too — even if their rides were the true objects of their affections.

The sound first broke with Dr. Dre's 1992 album The Chronic and had some of its greatest moments with Warren G and Nate Dogg's 1994 song "Regulate" and Tha Dogg Pound's 1995 album Tha Doggfather. We've created our Senior Year Playlist around that year, but by all means, don't forget 1998's G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2 by Nate Dogg, who passed away on March 15 at just 41 years old.



20110329-chris-brown-kanye-560x225.jpg What is the cost of forgiveness? Chris Brown might be finding out. In recent months he has tweaked his image from a cherubic teen pop star broken by scandal to a blond and heavily-tattooed player flipping the "Deuces" to ex-girlfriends and haters alike. He released some of his best songs to date, including the aforementioned "Deuces," "Look at Me Now" and "Yeah 3x." Improbably, and despite recalcitrant pop radio support for those singles, he landed his first No. 1 album with his comeback album, F.A.M.E. But no matter what he does, many will never forgive him for assaulting Rihanna on the eve of the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Brown can take solace in the plight of Kanye West, who has also struggled to rehabilitate himself after a disastrous (and silly) national scandal. Instead of trying to woo back fans with a teary apology à la Brown's "Man in the Mirror" performance at last year's BET Awards, West focused attention on the one thing in his control: his music. The result, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, made us remember that West is an incredible musician, regardless of his personal failings. (And yes, I am aware that he does not play analog instruments, did not create most of the beats for Fantasy and, as Quincy Jones retorted to comparisons between himself and West, does not write classical and jazz arrangements for orchestras. George Clinton didn't play an instrument, either. West's talents include vocals and production, and synthesizing disparate elements into a greater whole.)

20110322-neil-strauss-560x225-v2.jpg Celebrated author and music journalist Neil Strauss, the force behind such tomes as Mötley Crüe bio The Dirt and The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, recently unveiled his newest book, Everyone Loves You When You're Dead, compiling 20 years' worth of his interviews with rap and rock stars for places like Rolling Stone and the New York Times. For the next several weeks, he'll be dropping by every Tuesday to tell us a little about it. Here's his first dispatch.


At some point in my late teens, I realized there were people in this country who actually made a living by hanging out with rock stars. They got to meet their heroes and ask any questions they wanted, which the musicians basically had to answer. Then they shared that experience with millions of people. And they actually got paid for that.

It sounded like the most incredible job in the world. When I told my parents I wanted to write about music, they told me to not be an idiot and to study something practical, like economics. When I insisted, they cut me off. And sure enough, they were right: I went broke, could barely afford food, and lived in a room with nothing but a turntable, a stack of books, and a sheet on the hardwood floor to sleep on. But gradually, I began writing—first for avant-garde magazines, then alternative weeklies, then glossy magazines like Rolling Stone, and eventually daily newspapers, until the New York Times actually hired me and paid me a salary to go to concerts and interview musicians.

Along the way, I got to not just meet but go on bizarre adventures with the artists I admired. When I told Rhapsody's editorial staff about my book compiling the best of two decades of these adventures, Everyone Loves You When You're Dead, they asked if I wanted to celebrate the book's release last week by sharing a few of those memorable moments on Rhapsody's blog. So here are my top five weirdest interview moments, with appropriate musical accompaniment.



Brandy, Full Moon

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Brandy has grown up, and her third release, Full Moon, reflects this maturation with her choice of material. Smooth, polished rhythms alternate between slow jams and bass-thumping party numbers, but clearly, it is her rich, powerful voice that makes this collection of 17 songs shine. — Sarah Bardeen

Hear It Now!

Soulful White Girls

20110222-soulful-white-girls-560x225.jpg Much of soul history has been dominated by powerhouse African American singers — rightly so. Soul is often couched in the pain and joy, trials and tribulations of African American experiences. Every so often, however, along comes a white girl who has the blues — or manages to sing like she does, belting her way through one soul style or another with a big voice and bigger heart. Adele's recently dropped sophomore album is a perfect example: with richly nuanced vocals and a stylistic maturity that belies her youth, 21 is soul, through and through. Take a listen to the sweetly crooned pleasures and pathos of Adele and other soulful white girls like Nikka Costa, Dusty Springfield, Teena Marie, Amy Winehouse and more.

play-button.jpgListen to the full playlist here: Soulful White Girls

Celebrating Black History Month


February is Black History Month, and Rhapsody would like to recognize and honor the immensely rich cultural contributions of African Americans musicians. From Louis Armstrong to Kanye West, African Americans have helped define popular music in this country. Click below for an overview of those accomplishments, great playlists and in-depth discussions on the political roots of Dance Pop in black music; the role of the "outsider" in African American music culture; and the influence of African Americans on Country music. We also have playlists highlighting the music of New Orleans as well as a selection of civil rights anthems.






From Sly to Outkast, listen to all the classics.
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Get your cheat sheet for the top black
music innovators
.
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Discover the influence of African Americans on Country music.
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The Roots of
dance pop
: Where Gaga got her style from.
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Discover the role of the black "outsider" in popular music.
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Black Dialogue: History through Blues and Modern Soul music.
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Black Outsiders

20110222-black-outsiders-560x225.jpg Before we get started, it bears remembering that the black community is not monolithic. There are various segments within it just like any other. Just as there is a pop mainstream, there is a black equivalent, too. Historically speaking, black radio programmers can be more conservative than their white counterparts. Stars have long complained of being unable to crack black radio playlists, from Bob Marley to Public Enemy, who recorded "Bring the Noise" in response to black stations' boycott of hardcore rap music.

What makes an outsider, anyway? Some innovators, like Betty Davis, drew a negative response from audiences in general. Others — like Shuggie Otis, Fishbone, N.E.R.D. and Blackalicious — have a following that is mostly white. Conversely, even radio-approved black stars can attract the ire of black fans, such as Whitney Houston, who was famously booed at the 1990 Soul Train Awards for allegedly being a pop sellout. In other words, take this list with a grain of salt.


cheat_sheet_top_header_560x62.jpg 20110222-black-innovators-560x225.jpg It's impossible to summarize the contributions of black musicians to our cultural history with a few random albums. Some of the innovators we could not fit into this short list include Prince, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Max Roach, Jimi Hendrix, Chic, Sam Cooke, The O'Jays, Lauryn Hill, the Supremes, Big Mama Thornton, Salt-n-Pepa and Ella Fitzgerald.

Just because it is relatively easy to pay tribute during Black History Month does not mean it's unnecessary. Whether you support or oppose President Obama, consider yourself part of the progressive wing or the conservative movement, it would be hard to deny that racial and class conflicts have steadily increased during the past few years. The recent controversy over a dearth of rap and R&B winners in major categories at the 2011 Grammy Awards, mostly waged at the expense of Arcade Fire's surprising and commendable win for Album of the Year, is just one relatively superficial example of how balkanized and oppositional our country has become.

20110208-r-kelly-SM-560x225.jpg Released in late 1993, 12 Play isn't R. Kelly's best album, or even his most successful one. But it may be his most important work. All of the hallmarks of the eventual and unquestioned king of R&B are here, from the smooth bump-in-the-night bass rhythms to the brazenly hardcore come-ons. Unlike Teddy Riley, who often appropriated hip-hop trends at the expense of soul traditions, Kelly remained faithful to the legacies of the Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, and other pioneers. He merged the oft-conflicting worlds of quiet storm balladry and New Jack Swing, innovating a contemporary R&B style that has lasted to the present day (or at least until Timbaland reinvented the genre all over again a few years later).

Despite all that, 12 Play is a transitional work. Kelly began his career as a singing and rapping hybrid, first as part of the unheralded group MGM, and then as leader of Public Announcement, who released the platinum debut Born into the 90s in 1991. He offered five pop-rap tunes on 12 Play, some better than others. But even the relatively successful "Homie Lover Friend" and "Back to the Hood of Things" pale in comparison to classic Kelly ballads like "Your Body's Callin'." Pop-rap, exemplified by smooth lover men like Heavy D and LL Cool J, was still a viable commercial genre in 1993, but even then it was clear that Kelly was much better as a vocalist and songwriter.

Valentines Day Music
If you're like us, you have a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day. It's great when you're in a stable and strong relationship, but pure hell when you're alone or things are on the rocks. That's why Rhapsody is celebrating Valentine's Day with a little something for the lovers and the haters. If you're snuggling up with something warm this year, check out the list of Country's Greatest Romances. If you're flying solo, plug into Love Bites: The Anti-Valentine's Playlist, where you'll get your fill of disillusionment, bitterness and romantic recrimination. Elsewhere, we have playlists about chocolate, lovers in need of a restraining order, wedding songs, a Valentine's Day radio station and everything else you might want, whether you love or hate Cupid's day.





Romance is in the air as Rhapsody looks at pop's Best Wedding Day Songs
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Listen to songs that will satisfy your sweet tooth with Chocolate: The Playlist
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Songs of Marraige and Divorce


For Better and Worse: Songs of Marriage and Divorce
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Country Love: Country Musicians Talk About Their Greatest Romances
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Songs of Marraige and Divorce


Love Bites: The Anti-Valentine's Playlist
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Obsess Much? Valentine's Day radio station
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La Musica del Amor: Latin Pop Love Songs
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Christian Love songs
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Raphael Saadiq, The Way I See It

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If Sharon Jones adapts Stax's grungy soul, and Amy Winehouse makes it palatable for the Sunset Blvd. set, then Raphael Saadiq effectively photo-copies the stately swing of Motown's golden era. The best moments here ("Oh Girl" and "Love that Girl," among others) recall early Temptations, and Raphael obviously feels an affinity to the tight grooves and cooing harmonies of Eddie Hendricks and Co. Yes, this does feel a bit gimmicky, but Saadiq's ability to so accurately mimic a sound thought lost is admirable. — Sam Chennault

Hear It Now!

Michael Jackson, Off the Wall

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Many favor this album for its warm, genuinely unpretentious feel. The stellar selection of songs precludes any notions of Jackson being the King of Pop, but surely they helped fan that flame. The gentle disco beat of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and the heart-wrenching "She's Out of My Life" are just two of Off the Wall's many highlights. — Linda Ryan

Hear It Now!

Goapele, Even Closer

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Hailing from the Bay Area, Goapele is without a doubt a star on the rise. Blessed with an ultra-smooth singing voice and ear for quality beats, she shines brightly on her solo debut. Even Closer also features collaborations with some of the Bay's nicest emcees, including Pep Love and Zion I. — Brolin Winning

Hear It Now!

Macy Gray, On How Life Is

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The endearingly kooky Macy Gray burst into our lives with this delicious, delirious funk-fest. "I Try" got the most attention, but the whole album feels strong and confident, thanks to Gray's spunky singing and attitude. "Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak" could turn even the plainest Jane into one -- such is the power of Macy. — Mia Quagliarello

Hear It Now!
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After decades of digital neglect, one of history's most gloriously pure voices finally gets remastered on this stellar overview of Cooke's artistry. Includes R&B, gospel, standards and such timeless hits as "You Send Me," "Chain Gang," "Another Saturday Night" and "(What A) Wonderful World." It gets no better than this. — Nick Dedina

Hear It Now!
20110111-teena-marie-SM-560x225.jpg In his 1988 book, The Death of Rhythm & Blues, Nelson George talks a lot about how, starting in the late '70s, crossover of white artists compromised the role of black radio. An old R&B disc jockey named Jack Gibson, who'd worked in radio since the '40s, started a tip sheet called Jack the Rapper, battling the trend. "Black stations should not play any white records," Gibson told George. "Every time they do, they take airplay away from a black artist." He did name one exception, though. And that exception was Teena Marie.

Gibson's logic was partly that Teena, who died at age 54 on December 26, 2010, "works for a black-owned and -operated company, Motown." By the mid-'80s, though, she'd already fled that label for Epic and sued Motown for unpaid royalties (resulting in "a clarification of California law," Ben Sisario wrote in his New York Times obituary, "that made it much more difficult for record companies to keep an act under exclusive contract" — which basically makes Teena the music world equivalent of baseball's Curt Flood). And long after she left Motown, Teena's devoted fans were still, overwhelmingly, a black audience. She only had one real "pop" hit — 1985's "Lovergirl" — and she had to cross over from black radio to get it. Has any other white artist, ever, been able to make that claim?

Yet Teena Marie was no R&B purist. In fact, in the past three decades, music has seen no less "pure" performer. Her music left nothing out, and held nothing back. Here she is, in 1981's "Square Biz," which combined rap and R&B before anybody else thought to: "I like spirituals and rock/ Sarah Vaughan, Johann Sebastian Bach/ Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, and Nikki Giovanni just to name a few." The excellent album containing that song, It Must Be Magic, was dedicated to John Lennon, two Kennedys and Martin Luther King, Jr., at the end of a typically lengthy and florid cover poem that noted how "art is long and life is short." From another poem, on the cover of 1980's Lady T, which pictured Teena in glamorous eveningwear on the front and as a baseball-playing tomboy on the back: "I am upper suburbia and I am Venice Harlem/ I am one million contradictions to my complacent life." Later: "I have been persecuted and labeled just like you/ Aah but you label Campbell Soup cans … not people!" Teena Marie could not be pinned down.

Best of 2010 Lists

20101221-list-of-lists-560x225.jpg 'Tis the time for reflection and resolutions. Sometimes thinking about the past can give us big ideas about what we want in the future, and so it goes with the annual "best albums" lists that nearly every major music publication cranks out around the turn of the year. These lists can be great conversation starters, and can also be a great source of music discovery. We've compiled our own lists of best 2010 releases across many genres, and we've also put together some playlists based on the picks of some other heavy hitters. Sit back and enjoy, and let us know which lists you agree or disagree with.

Entertainment Weekly's Best of 2010

Vibe Magazine's Best of 2010

Spin's Top Albums of 2010

Rolling Stone's Top Tracks

The Guardian U.K.'s 2010 Picks

Billboard's Top Tracks of 2010

Pitchfork's Top Tracks of 2010

Mary J. Blige, What's the 411?

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Blige's much-loved debut album, What's The 411?, blew away listeners and critics when it was released in 1992. Produced in part by a pre-Bad Boy Puffy Combs, the record was among the first to perfectly fuse hip-hop beats with soothing soul vocalism. This is the one that inspired Blige's label as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. — Brolin Winning

Hear It Now!

The Best Albums of 2010, 30-11

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Albums:   50-31 |   30-11 |   10-1


30.
Matthew Dear
Black City
After his left turn with 2007's Asa Breed, there are no great surprises on Matthew Dear's Black City. Once again, it sounds like he's spent many a long, dark night holed up in his studio, channeling David Bowie and Ian Curtis through the mic while he fiddles with wine-soaked synthesizers. There's more of a full-band feel here, with ropy electric bass lines and daubs of electric guitar, but it's typically broken into off-kilter electronic rhythms. Even in its moments of disco abandon, Dear's Black City is a claustrophobic place to live. — P.S.


29.
M.I.A.
MAYA
Much has been made of M.I.A.'s "terrorist" tendencies, a reputation she exacerbates on album three. MAYA* is an aural assault, battering the listener with a barrage of repetitive lyrics and sometimes grating waves of sound. This is an album that is designed to alienate. Yet "Born Free"'s high-octane dissonance is, if not likable, then energizing. And fascinating (once your ears stop ringing) pockets of sweetness and quiet exist: the electro-dancehall "It Takes a Muscle" (a cover of '80s Dutch group Spectral Display), the Bollywood-meets-sacred-harp "Tell Me Why." — Rachel Devitt

The Best Albums of 2010, 10-1

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Albums:   50-31 |   30-11 |   10-1


10.
Mumford & Sons
Sigh No More
Standing in the front row of an electrified crowd for the opening of Mumford & Sons' set this year at Lollapalooza, I watched a practically hyperventilating girl toss a frayed John Steinbeck paperback at the feet of frontman Marcus Mumford, as if it were a bouquet of roses. As he sang the first lines of "Sigh No More," the titular lead track off the band's debut, Mumford looked down at the book and smiled, as if to say, "How fitting." It's no secret that Mumford borrows lyrical imagery from the Great Depression-era novelist (not to mention fashion tips: he and his band resemble a 1920s traveling revue), but what was a secret, at least around February of 2010, was just how earnest and ebullient an effort he makes doing it. But that secret got out quick. Mumford & Sons spent practically the entire year on the road, moving from small clubs to main stages in a hurry as word of their impassioned sound -- the seeming lovechild of Neutral Milk Hotel and Billy Bragg --got around. Perhaps their success has something to do with context: in these cynical times, Mumford's frightfully earnest messages of love conquering all provide a welcome comfort; the band's somewhat antiquarian sound -- a mishmash of acoustic guitars, mandolins, double-bass, etc. -- is at once a throwback and a reminder that there's still plenty of life to wring from the past, not to mention assorted literary heroes. — G.K.

The Best Tracks of 2010

20101206-best-2010.jpgMaybe it says something about 2010 that the year's most ubiquitous and demographic-defying song was a chirpy '70s soul retread entitled "F*ck You," or that Kanye West's "Power," the most ambitious pop single of the year, paraphrased a quote from Malcom X in an effort to deify hip-hop's reigning enfant terrible. It was that type of year, people, and the songs that we selected as our top 50 tracks are strange, funky, heartfelt and confrontational slices of magnificent pop music. Whether you agree or not, leave us a comment, and don't forget that you can listen to a playlist of all these tracks right here.

Also, be sure to check out our list of the top albums of the year right here.


50. Far*East Movement feat. The Cataracs and Dev, "Like A G6"
49. The Sword, "(The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire"
48. Vybz Kartel ft. Popcaan and Gaza Slim, "Clarks"
47. Ciara, "Ride"
46. M.I.A. , "Born Free"
45. Miranda Lambert, "The House That Built Me"
20101206-old-school-soul-560x225.jpg Three decades into hip-hop's recorded lifespan, in this time of Auto-Tune and ringtone hooks and hashtag rhymes, R&B is a music addicted to newness — to not sounding "dated." So it's refreshing that, every now and then, an artist from soul music's distant past will still find his or her way onto R&B stations. Quite often, the catapulting factor seems to be a younger star who's always been a fan and who sets out to champion an inspirational legend's comeback, perhaps to pay off a debt for having been influenced in the first place. Below are a whole bunch of old-schoolers — singers born, say, in the mid-'50s or earlier (before Prince and Michael Jackson in 1958, at least) — who've charted in the current era.


Smokey Robinson was born in 1940; his first charting single with The Miracles, "Bad Girl," came at the tail end of the '50s. He now records for his own label, RobSo Records. But his most recent album, Time Flies When You're Having Fun, reached the Top 10 of the R&B chart in 2009; its single, "Love Bath," reached No. 83 and did even better on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.


 


Black Eyed Peas, The Beginning

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The beginning of what exactly, BEP? A new sound? The hip-pop crew does wade more deeply into club music terrain here: Droning beats, sinewy synths and robo-vocals, not to mention the lack of anything that smacks of standalone smash hit (possible exception: "The Situation"), gives the album a long-playing dance groove feel. Perhaps this beginning is a philosophical reinvention? The new style blends the Peas together into a unified front rather than a group of individuals. BEP is almost unrecognizable, but it's exciting to see what will happen on this new journey. — Rachel Devitt

Hear It Now!

Rihanna, Loud

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Loud is a positive rebirth, featuring a Riri who's purged the demons of the dark, tortured Rated R and survived to dance another day. Loud is sexy and drenched in dancefloor sweat, and more islands-kissed than anything she's done in years. It's also incredibly smart: Take naughty club banger "S&M," which turns pain into something she can control. Or the aptly-titled "Complicated," which stages the crazy back-and-forth of love in soaring, multi-part harmonies, as if each emotion gets its own voice. Riri's voice is a commanding presence over an impressive range of styles and musical ideas. — Rachel Devitt

Hear It Now!
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Motown's supremely successful Commodores churned out a long line of hit records throughout their lengthy career. This compilation mostly features standouts from their 1970s heyday, including classic party anthems ("Brick House") and ballads ("Easy"). — Brolin Winning

Hear It Now!

DeBarge, Greatest Hits

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A Motown-backed family group who racked up a string of hits in the early 1980s, DeBarge released five quality albums during their heyday. Masters of synth-laced balladry, their tunes are characterized by soaring vocals, mellow beats and smooth keyboard flourishes. This compilation includes all of their signature jams, such as "Rhythm Of The Night" and "All This Love." — Brolin Winning

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Alicia Keys, The Element of Freedom

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Alicia Keys is sailing through some serious storms on The Element of Freedom -- finding ways to feel more, love more, emote more, pitching into the depths, flying close to the sun, and then washing up, spent but still singing, on the shores of self-revelation. From the start, catharsis is the goal, and what feels overwrought at the outset becomes an admirable and affecting narrative as she weaves through songs that take on love (as life's goal) from all angles. Where does it end up? In New York, where reinvention, no matter what you've been through, is always possible. Bravo, Ms. Keys. — Sarah Bardeen

Hear It Now!

R&B Roundup

20101004-pop-roundup-560x225.jpg The world of contemporary R&B is such a rich, wide-ranging landscape, a fact that's been driven home by the diversity of albums that have come out of (or at least been related to) that genre in the past couple of months: Shontelle's dancefloor-ready bangers and plaintive soul-pop, Seal's amorous adult contemporary, Lyfe Jennings' earnest, weathered crooning, Bruno Mars' limber tenor and dexterous pop stylings. It's a lot to keep up with, we know, so we've rounded up the hottest new releases, complete with nutshell reviews, don't-miss tracks and further listening suggestions. We'll get you caught up!

Lauryn Hill, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

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Alluringly unplugged: a guitar and Hill in song and conversation. Starts with a throaty laugh and builds to tears as she breaks open her soul in jams like "Mr. Intentional." Revel in rich acoustic guitar, poetry-slam lyrics, and intimate melodies that she admits are not fully developed (she even gets lost once). Play it through, let your soul wander, repeat as necessary. — Amy Bartlett

Hear It Now!

Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans

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Bruno Mars' background as a songwriter coats every inch of his debut. These are impeccably crafted little pop masterpieces, designed to make you smile and sing along, and to showcase Mars' grainy tenor and deft touch with almost any genre. You want sunny, Jason Mraz-style love songs? Try "Count on Me." Sticky, dubby grooves? Check out the winsome "Liquor Store Blues," with Damian Marley. MJ? Cee-Lo? B.o.B.? They're all here in person or in spirit. Mars is almost too good a chameleon, refusing (or unable) to nail down a sound of his own. But he's got the charm and talent to pull it all off. — Rachel Devitt

Hear It Now!
20100928-lauryn-hill-560x225.jpg Nearly 12 years after its release, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill towers as an essential piece of musical lore. With its legendary credit "produced, written, arranged and performed by Lauryn Hill" (a statement that would eventually lead to lawsuits from her production team, New Ark), The Miseducation won the first Album of the Year Grammy for a hip-hop album, and sold over five million copies. Then, amidst rumors of a nervous breakdown and the poorly received live album MTV Unplugged, Hill slowly retreated from the public eye; her comeback appearances on this year's Rock the Bells tour were a bittersweet affair. Her prolonged absence from music, coupled with the mainstream rap industry's continued devaluation of female artists, has made The Miseducation a commercial and artistic achievement that the hip-hop community has yet to equal.

Shontelle, Shontelligence

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shontelligence_500x500.jpg On Shontelle's smash single "T-Shirt," the singer's post-breakup depression seems both pathetic (sorry, but the girl should get out of bed and throw away her ex's t-shirt) and curiously noble (at least she doesn't, like many of us, drown her sorrows in debauchery). But regardless of the merits of the mourning process, the song is pure pop gold: fluffy, relatable and expertly executed. The rest of the album nicely balances Shontelle's Caribbean past ("Roll It," "Life Is Not an Easy Road") with her pop music present ("Battle Cry," "Superwoman"). — Sam Chennault

Hear It Now!

Raphael Saadiq, Instant Vintage

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 A founding member of Tony! Toni! Tone! and the short-lived Lucy Pearl project, Raphael Saadiq has been lacing listeners with his smooth crooning since the late 1980s. Instant Vintage is his first solo LP, and it oozes with neo-soul niceness. Angie Stone, D'Angelo and T-Boz appear on the album, which has earned Saadiq five Grammy nominations.— Brolin Winning

Hear It Now!

New Orleans: The Rebirth

20100824-NO-SG-levee-break-560x225.jpg If Hurricane Katrina was one of the great tragedies of modern America, then New Orleans’ resurrection in its aftermath is one of our greatest triumphs. The road hasn’t been an easy one, but the Crescent City has returned to its rightful place as one of the cultural capitols of the world. It’s a place that is one of the key birthplaces of modern music and, on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we pay tribute to the great city with a selection of the best it has to offer - past, present and future.

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Hear the music from the hit series Treme.
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Check out this star-studded benefit album for New Orleans!
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Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler with our Mardi Gras radio station!
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An audio history of New Orleans music
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Trombone Shorty's new album, Backatown
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Listen to a songs that reflect on the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina
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Ohio Players, Fire

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Emboldened by the crossover success of 1974's "Jive Turkey," The Ohio Players followed through with their most commercially successful and artistically sophisticated release. The title track and "Runnin' from the Devil" are classic slabs of loose and easy 70s funk, while the spring-heeled soul of "Together" shows that the group can work within tighter pop paradigms. — Sam Chennault

Hear It Now!
summerfest_day1_575x225.jpg Ah, Summerfest. A wonderland of cheese fries, overpriced Miller products and classic rock jam sessions. At least at first glance. Rhapsody's here in Milwaukee, hanging out at the massive, annual festival, an 11-day extravaganza featuring more than 800 bands. Our own Classic Rock Crate Digger, Justin Farrar, is spearheading the Summerfest coverage, and quite frankly, it seems to be very much his territory. Over the course of day one, we chatted up excited Moody Blues fans (everyone's favorite "Nights in White Satin" played tonight), interviewed Puddle of Mudd and got lost in one of Umphrey's McGee's epic grooves. But hold onto your favorite Gaga t-shirt, pop fans: there's a place for us here, too. In fact, Summerfest has quite a lot of spaces for fans of pop (not to mention just about everything else). My goal over the next few days is threefold: One, I want to dig out the pop nooks and crannies in the Crate Digger's coverage. Two, I want to see if we can find common ground between the rockers and the popsters. And three, I want to try to figure out what makes the World's Largest Music Festival -- the "Big Gig," as it's known -- just so big and so well-attended year after year. Oh yeah, and I want to eat some cheese fries. Like, a lot of them.

Let's start with the pop fare. Summerfest's range varies widely. The headliner for the entire festival is Tim McGraw -- and then the country coverage all but drops off until July 4, when Carrie Underwood takes the stage. Tomorrow features a bunch of good hip-hop. And today, tucked into a day that seemed to be overrun with jam bands and post-grunge outfits, was none other than Usher. That's right: the R&B singer known for his fly dance moves, impeccable style and ability to make the ladies say "Yeah!" rocked Milwaukee's Marcus Amphitheatre tonight. And oh, what a show. Opener Lyfe Jennings managed to get the crowd both warmed up and in a thoughtful mood, performing new material from his upcoming album like "Statistics" (which encourages women not to fall into the booty call trap) and older faves like "S.E.X." Then Mr. Raymond took the stage.

Rhapsody's Album Of The Day


impressions.jpg The Impressions
The Complete A & B Sides 1961 to 1968

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After the departure of Jerry Butler, Curtis Mayfield took creative control of the Impressions in 1961 and had a big hit right off the bat with "Gypsy Woman." Soon, his civil rights beliefs were showcased in hits such as "Keep On Pushing," "Meeting Over Yonder" and "People Get Ready." The big surprise here is how good the B-sides are. It's 60 tracks long, yet even novelty tunes like "Twist and Limbo" and forgotten ballads such as "Long Long Winter" are essential (even the cover of "Up Up and Away" comes out on top). Though Mayfield's leadership lasted until 1970, this set ends in 1968. — Nick Dedina
20100615_drake_R&B_hip_hop_575x225.jpg Hip-hop and R&B share a history fraught with musical romance and cultural tension. Though there have been successful marriages — Faith Evans and 112's massive "I'll Be Missing You" tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G. comes to mind — the two cultures remain suspicious of one another. R&B fans often claim that rappers are just entitled industry thugs that perpetuate noxious ghetto stereotypes about people of color. And hip-hoppers claim that R&B singers are just bougie careerists whose baby-maker blandishments are far removed from the halcyon days of sweet, socially relevant soul.

Drake's new album, Thank Me Later, revisits those fault lines. Merging introspective lyrics and emotive (and, yes, occasionally Auto-Tuned) vocals, he has become something of an overnight superstar. But it has also led to accusations of being an industry product cynically designed for radio hits. Some rap fans complain that he’s more concerned with wooing teenage girls with lovey-dovey vocal hooks than spitting deft rhymes for the hardcore faithful. Or, to paraphrase De La Soul, it’s whether his mix of rap and R&B simply translates into “rap and b*llsh*t.”
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Nneka and every other artist mentioned in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we’re all about.

Nigeria's a pretty fascinating country. It has a massive poverty rate (somewhere in the range of 70%), nearly nonexistent rural infrastructure, and an oil-rich delta that multinational corporations have been busily plundering for decades, at no discernible benefit (and often at considerable detriment) to the Nigerian people. On the other hand, Nigerians are not among the happiest people on earth ... they are the happiest people on earth. By a long shot. And the country boasts a massive film industry, a huge proportion of the continent's recording studios and the lion's share of its artists. The music scene in Nigeria is so vast and ever-changing that it's essentially impossible to keep up -- from a distance -- with what's going on there.

But in recent years that flood of music has begun to escape Nigeria's borders. Last year the Paris-raised Nigerian singer-songwriter Asa generated some buzz with her catchy tune "Jailer." And this year a pint-sized, model-gorgeous German-Nigerian singer named Nneka (pronounced "Nay-ka") is finally making waves on this side of the pond, after setting European hearts aflame for the past few years. Her accomplishments, to date: an appearance on David Letterman, a show review by Times music critic Jon Pareles, and blog interest that's nearing high tide.

Why Nneka? Why now?

Maybe the better question is, why not? Americans love hearing foreigners do our music better than we do (otherwise the Rolling Stones wouldn't have made it past album one), and hip-hop and R&B claim African parentage, anyhow. Nigeria has been powerfully influenced by American music for decades: in the 1970s, Fela Kuti's love of American jazz and funk helped birth Afrobeat. Young Nigerian musicians these days listen to everything, from Kuti to the Fugees and back again. Hip-hop and R&B have become the lingua franca for an entire generation.

What makes Nneka of particular interest is, quite simply, her talent. She didn't write songs until she moved to Germany for university and found herself stunned by the cultural differences she encountered. (She grew up in Warri, a small town in Delta State.) That experience fed into a wider examination of the striking imbalances between the so-called first and third worlds, and, somewhere in that period of awakening, her songwriting was born. And what songwriting. A torrent of words seems to pour forth from her, sharp and dazzling and slotting effortlessly into that other pillar of her growing success, DJ Farhot's production. She has studied assiduously at the feet of Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, then one-upped them, managing to sound like the gorgeous-girl-next-door (a la Hill) while slinging razor-sharp social criticism (a la Badu). And she does it well, ultimately sounding like nobody but herself.

She's not alone. While Nneka's currently the most polished and talented of a crop of Nigerian hip-hop and R&B artists (call it Naija pop; "Naija" is slang for Nigerian), she's truly just one in a crowded field of domestic and expat Nigerian musicians. We've put together a playlist of some of the best Naija pop available in Rhapsody -- check it out here, or go spin Nneka's excellent U.S. debut, Concrete Jungle, immediately. If you find yourself intrigued by the nation that could spawn such globe-dominating talent, dig deeper -- we've compiled a list of albums for your listening pleasure below.

Further Listening
Fela Kuti: The Best of the Black President
Various Artists: Nigeria 70 -- Lagos Jump
Various Artists: Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk in 1970s Nigeria
Various Artists: Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound of the Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-79
King Sunny Ade: E Dide (Get Up)
Lagbaja: Africano ...The Mother of Groove
IK Dairo: I Remember
Ebenezer Obey: Juju Jubilation

Afro-Pop Radio
Bobby Charles2.jpgVery sad news: Bobby Charles died on Thursday, January 14, in the morning, apparently. Though an exact cause of death has yet to be determined, the New Orleans composer and singer had been battling health problems for several years.

I love Charles’ music, yet I know very little about the guy. Then again, very few music writers do, outside of my pal Brian J. Barr, who wrote a fantastic profile on him for Oxford American’s 10th Annual Music Issue. Charles, according to the Seattle-based scribe, “kept a death-grip on his privacy and spent his last years in a two-bedroom trailer ‘with a wide deck on it outside Abbeville [Louisiana]. He told me there was a seafood restaurant he frequented near his home where the waitress would already be mixing his Grey Goose martini before he’d even finished parking his car. He ate alone and he lived alone.”

Bobby Charles, an ethnic Cajun, was more or less a major-league talent who didn’t like the spotlight, who didn’t crave fame and fortune -- just a martini and some killer seafood. This means a lot of music fans out there don’t understand his impact, which is considerable. First off, he’s a legend in New Orleans music. If you’re a legend in the city that gave birth to the very idea of an “American sound,” then you’re a pretty big deal just about everywhere else, from New York to Des Moines to ... Seattle. Much like fellow Big Easy great Allen Toussaint, Charles devoted a good chunk of his career to writing songs for others and in the process had a hand in creating several genres including swamp pop, Southern R&B and hell, even rock 'n' roll its bad self. In the 1950s and ’60s, he penned a string of pop standards, namely “But I Do,” which Clarence "Frogman" Henry had a major hit with; "Walking to New Orleans,” the Fats Domino classic, and the Bill Haley No. 1 “See You Later, Alligator,” a song whose title threaded itself into the very fabric of the American lexicon.

Other chestnuts include “The Jealous Kind,” “Why Are People Like That” and the ballad “Tennessee Blues” (a sublime version of which J.D. Crowe & the New South, with a young Keith Whitley on lead vocals, recorded for their 1978 album My Home Ain't In the Hall of Fame).

chris_brown_playlist575x225.jpg

Given the roller coaster of his career so far, it's hard to believe that Chris Brown has been in the pop spotlight for just four years. But it was only late November 2005 when "Run It!" began its five-week streak atop the pop chart -- a peak that, among male solo artists, only Montell Jordan a decade before had managed with a debut single. Three albums, numerous solo R&B and pop Top 10s, several equally popular collaborations and guest spots, a few TV and film roles, countless mind-boggling dance moves, and one potentially career-destroying guilty felony assault plea later, Chris Brown is now at a major juncture.
So to mark the release of Graffiti, we've put together a few playlists taking stock of where Brown's career now stands and putting it inside a larger picture -- which is to say, not just Chris Brown's own hits and those of his peers and influences, but in the context of the assault against Rihanna that will inevitably define him in many minds for the forseeable future. (To listen to, collect and share the awesome tracks we've compiled, all you need to do is sign up today for a free trial Rhapsody membership.)

Dancing Like It's 1999

Ah, 1999, we hardly knew ye: we were so caught up in preparing for the looming millennial ball drop that we dropped the ball on savoring the waning days of a thousand-year stretch that began with the founding of Norway and ended, as usual, with Dick Clark holding court in Times Square, as I'm pretty sure he'd done every year since around the time of the Norman Conquest. (The big difference at 1999's New Year's Eve parties was that people seemed to be listening to a lot more Prince, for whatever reason.)

Blame the Y2K bug for our inattention. But at least we danced. Oh, how we danced. Basement Jaxx, Underworld, the Chemical Brothers, Moby and other relics of the rave era were enjoying proper pop credibility. Dr. Dre was "Still D.R.E.," while Britney was, well, still Britney, but without the "b*tch." Le Tigre proved that riot grrrls were down with the disco. And the underground was teeming with activity, from U.K. garage to minimal techno. Relive it all with our five-hour playlist of the best dance tracks that 1999 had to offer. Don't you deserve a break from the "oughts"? Thought so. Check a sampling below, and get the whole thing here at Playlist Central.

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