Category Archives: Review

Jessie Ware: Devotion (Album Review) + Stream

Let me start by saying I can’t remember the last time I anticipated a debut album quite as much as Devotion by Jessie Ware. I was blown away upon hearing Running a few months back, and with every flawless track she has released since that my excitement grew. I finally got my hands on an advance a few weeks ago and have been playing it non-stop ever since, Devotion has certainly lived up to my high expectations based on the quality of the first singles Running, Wildest Moments and 110% .

Ware first caught my attention with her collaborations with SBTRKT and Sampha, those resulted in her signing to PMK for the release of her debut. On the album production duties went to Dave Okumu of The Invisible and house producer Julio Bashmore. Rather than showcasing her gorgeous voice through straight up Whitney Houston style ballads, they chose a more interesting route and crafted phenomenal modern sounding productions which when mixed with Ware’s classic soulful voice create a more intricate and engaging soundscape.

These emotion soaked songs will surely make an impression on you if you are a lover of classics like Sade. Quite simply it’s really just a phenomenal album, one of the best of the year, a perfect blend of soul and pop with a dance flavor and a wonderful nostalgic feel in places. This is album is so strong that I could easily name each and every song as a standout, but my absolute favorite tracks are the super smooth Sweet Talk which sounds like a classic 80s soul track, the sultry laid back groove Swan Song, and of course the gloriously smokey Running.

Keep your eye on her, she’s going places!

Devotion is set for release 8/20 in the U.K and 8/21 in the U.S. Stream it below.

Marina and the Diamonds: Lonely Hearts Club Tour Live at Webster Hall (Review)

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Last night, I excitedly headed down to Webster Hall to catch the first of Marina and the Diamonds‘ two sold out NYC shows which will close out her successful Lonely Hearts Tour. I last saw her perform back on The Family Jewels Tour back in 2010, and since then much has happened in the world of Marina. She has released the extraordinarily brilliant Electra Heart album, played lots of headliner gigs and supported acts as huge as Coldplay, all the while securing a growing fanbase of Diamonds!

Earlier this week we had the pleasure of interviewing Marina and chatting to her about her favorite artists, so when much to my delight I heard songs including Madonna’s Hollywood and Garbage‘s Stupid Girl as I waited in the photo pit for her to take the stage, I knew she’d had a hand in the marvelous selections. Shortly after nine she appeared on stage to the opening notes of Homewrecker and the screams of the eclectic crowd gathered below (teenage girls dressed in Electra Heart garb, screaming gays, and rather randomly a bunch of older gentlemen who appeared to be alone) covered in a wedding veil and with a white fur draped around her shoulders, which instantly reminded me of Madonna on The Virgin Tour – never a bad thing!

She then tore through Oh No! and Mowgli’s Road, two of my favorites from The Family Jewels, passionately singing and bounding around the stage electrifying the crowd. One guy behind me screamed ”Oh wow, she is serving right now!” and as I snapped away trying to resist the urge to dance and focus on shooting, I thought to myself “I couldn’t agree more.” She slowed things down for Lies, which she revealed to us in our interview is the most personal on the album, showcasing her operatic voice and delivering a pitch perfect rendition that stopped me in my tracks – the power and emotion in her voice was just incredible.

“Are you ready for the first costume change of the evening?” she asked jokingly as she removed a sheer pink dressing gown from the assorted rack of props assembled at the back of the stage and slipped it on over her outfit. Then came The State Of Dreaming and a show stopping performance of Power & Control, my favorite from Electra Heart. During Bubblegum Bitch as I watched her don her ‘Miss Selfish Beach’ sash and switch between ‘Miss Sugar Pink’ and ‘the bitch’ personas reflecting the song’s punchy lyrics, it struck me that in concert she really puts everything into embodying each character she has established for Electra Heart.

One particularly cute moment was when Marina’s toy dog Marilyn found herself in the spotlight as she was introduced to the crowd before Primadonna. Marina clearly has a brilliant sense of humor as she told the crowd she found Marilyn smoking a crack pipe in a back alley, asked her to be in the Primadonna video, and now she was living it up in the spotlight after a stint in the Betty Ford clinic!

When not twirling happily around the stage Marina also made sure to demonstrate her instrumental talent during the evening, first taking to the keyboard for a sparkling rendition of Obsessions and later Teen Idle which served as one of the encore tracks. The concert was a perfect mix of ballads and dance tracks from Marina’s two albums and the audience was treated to all the sides of her that make her one of the most talented pop stars to emerge in recent years. If there is any justice in the world, this will be the album with which she breaks America.

SETLIST

Homewrecker
Oh No!
Mowgli’s Road
Lies
I Am Not A Robot
Starring Role
The State of Dreaming
Power & Control
Bubblegum Bitch
Obsessions
Hypocrates
Primadonna
Shampain
Radioactive

ENCORE

Teen Idle
Fear and Loathing
How To Be A Heartbreaker

Azealia Banks: 1991 EP (Review)

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Clearly Corona’s 1993 euro-hit song, The Rhythm of the Night, merged with Lil’ Kim’s dirty-frisky 2003 rap-hit Magic Stick – ignore the innuendo, if you please – to birth an ever so necessary 1991: Azealia Banks’ debut Hip / Hop – 90’s dance craze original flashback EP. The stellar fact that the title pays homage to her birth year, a time when Marky Mark was on top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts with Good Vibrations, Elizabeth Taylor married husband number seven, Madonna was “justifying her love” and while the “cool kids” were listening to Nirvana, the cooler kids were mourning the loss of Paradise Garage, simply clarifies that Azealia has no fear when it comes to becoming the first fierce disco-rap queen.

The singer has successfully incorporated notions from many of today’s female pop stars (and their outlandish performance art behaviors), with the pure simplicity and beauty that is Azealia Banks – almost like the pure simplicity and beauty that is a “chocolate croissant” – which she name drops to describe a “cool French dude named Antoine” in the title track, 1991. The track is a sure-fire hit and its R&B dance beats are most reminiscent of The Nightcrawler’s 1992 meca-dance smash, Push The Feeling On meets the recently ultra-revisited, yet amazing, Show Me Love by Robin S.

Van Vogue is track two and is the experimental / unusual attempt. It’s the “rappy” one on the EP, yet it’s got a Madonna She’s Not Me / Love Spent vibe in that the song splits into two completely different musical stories, or, in this case, two separate human beings. It’s fun, androgynous and filled with cusses, but definitely not a favorite.

Alluding to the area code that pre rules 646 and 917, and the three digits many New Yorkers would give their first born away for, 212 is a bonafide Summer 2012 anthem – although Azealia’s coveted tune came out via Youtube video late last summer. The song is so hot that it’s indescribable. A must listen for any music-lover, particularly any New York City self-proclaimed music adorer. “I guess that BLEEP,” (“Look it up” *sly eye gesture*) “getting eaten” might be our mantra this year. That and Madonna’s infamous “Look It Up” reference.

Liquorice closes the sixteen minute and six second EP with the surest guarantee that Azealia will not be going anywhere anytime soon. “Hey, I’m the Liquorice bitch,” proclaims Miss. Banks as a fusion of house music, howls and Jamiroquai-coolness gallop behind the rapper quick paced articulations. Something tells us you just might be more than that, Azealia.

Make sure to grab the free Fantasea mix tape right here.

Florrie: Late EP (Review)

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Florrie‘s latest release Late is the third in a series of independently released EPs that the uber talented British songstress has treated us to over the past few years. Like her previous offerings, the four track EP is expertly crafted pop with fantastic synths, smooth vocals, and a serious injection of attitude!

Things get off to an excellent start with the feisty Shot You Down, a French disco take on the Wild West which boasts a fantastically catchy chorus“Got my finger on the gun, bang bang I shot you down” she sings, showing Madonna‘s not the only gun-toting pop star in the game!

Next up is I’m Gonna Get You Back, a fast paced guitar heavy track on which Florrie sings about getting her man back. This is a little more rock flavored than the songs on Introduction or Experiments but the addition of soft wistful hooks give the song a great balance, and it’s brilliant to see her playing around with styles.

On Every Inch, she seductively schools a prospective lover on what he must do to get with her. Electrifying synths and a pounding bassline make this instant classic and my personal favorite on this release. It marks all the boxes of what a good pop song should be and has huge potential to be a mainstream hit.

To The End, makes for a wonderful album closer, it takes us into more melancholy territory lyrically but the energy is maintained with an interesting mix of punchy synths, smashing drums and a haunting piano.

Late is the last independent release as Florrie has now signed to a major label, we’re so excited for her! Late is available on iTunes now.

Lana Del Rey at Irving Plaza

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We’d like to welcome Andrew Tess to the Hard Candy family!

On Sunday night, at precisely 8 P.M., Irving Plaza’s doors opened for Lana Del Rey‘s final New York City show, or what should be described as a microcosm of a “Promo Tour.” Exactly two hours and two minutes later, at 10:02 P.M., Lana made a nonchalant entrance onto her flower / palm tree / bush decorated stage. As she walked onto the stage, the hounds of screaming fans seemed to shock Lana, herself. She giggled (in her calculated ditzy Nancy Sinatra-meets-Tinkerbelle persona) her persona’s nerves and her fans’ cries off and began to slowly sing a downplayed acoustic rendition of Blue Jeans. Forty-five minutes later, and ten songs later, Lana finished a Hip-Hop treated rendition of National Anthem, lingered along the cusp, or the threshold, between the stage and the audience to kiss a few lucky audience members and, suddenly, abruptly left the stage.

As it began to dawn on me that Lana wasn’t coming back for an encore, I, like many of her other fans, wondered: Where is Diet Mountain Dew, or Off To The Races, or Radio or This Is What Makes Us Girls?!? These were the songs I wanted. These were the songs we wanted – yet it was almost like they did not exist in Del Rey’s eyes. Heck, Diet Mountain Dew name drops New York City in the chorus! We wanted to hear that! Instead, Lana sang us three bonus tracks: Body Electric, Lolita and Without You. She was gone too soon.

Despite this minor – or major, depending on how you look at it - setback, the show was really awesome. The lighting and sound were wonderful. The purple lighting against Lana’s lovely white mini dress, Amy Winehouse beehive-inspired hairdo and eccentric sexy-weird looks helped create the perfect live ambiance.

My favorite performances were Born To Die, Summertime Sadness and National Anthem. These were the songs that I felt the connection between the artist and the audience most certainly. During these short moments, we really connected to Lana and to each other. As Lana teased us with her bubbly stage persona, audience members managed to make the singer’s character out of character. She would laugh at our jokes and posed for individual fan photos. It was quite interesting, to say the least.

Lana left us wanting more. She didn’t sing every song off her standard album. But, I wonder, was this decision just as manufactured as Lana’s stage persona, flaws and flaunts? If so, would I pay to see Lana again? Hm- “You’re no good for me, but baby I want you. I want you.”

Gossip Live at Terminal Five (Concert Review)

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I’m always thrilled to have an opportunity to see Gossip live, but their latest album A Joyful Noise has been an obsession of mine for the past few months, so I was more stoked than usual to see them play at Terminal 5 on Tuesday evening.

When you go to a Gossip show you not only get to experience their intense live performance but also Beth’s wit. I swear if she wasn’t a musician she would have been a comedian, we were barely a few songs in and she was cracking jokes about Jesus’ sexuality! She had on rather tight sequined strapless dress and after nearly every number she had to go and get Nathan to pull it up for her, she playfully chatted with audience about the hilariousness of this while sharing backstage stories about everything from fat jokes to squeaky shoes.

It may have just been my position but the sound was a bit questionable, and vocally I’m pretty sure the last time I saw them live she sounded better, or perhaps my ears have just become accustomed to the polished finesse of the latest album. Still, you don’t go to a Gossip show to stand there and split hairs about the sound man not doing his job well, it’s all about the energy the band radiate and that didn’t dip for a moment.

There was mix of new material from A Joyful Noise, 2009′s phenomenal Music For Men, and classics like Your Mangled Heart, Listen Up, and Standing In The Way Of Control which once again served as the encore. One of the best moments of the evening came right near the end when Beth started talking about the loss of Whitney Houston and then proceeded to launch into an acapella version of The Greatest Love Of All and was quickly joined by the rest of us in the crowd.

Bowery Presents streamed the gig live on their YouTube page so we’ve got the added bonus of HD quality footage of some of the tracks for you to feast your eyes on. If you get the opportunity to see them play live grab it with both hands, you’ll not be disappointed!

Cher Lloyd debut NYC showcase at Canal Room

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On Wednesday night I attended UK Factor alumni Cher Lloyd‘s NYC showcase at Canal Room. I had watched her on the X Factor and not really followed her since, so I was surprised to see that she is apparently already making waves in America. A massive amount of teen girls crowded around the stage while myself, Muumuse, Jon Ali and the rest of the industry folk lingered further back from the stage sipping on cocktails.

Shortly before 8, much to my delight L.A. Reid appeared on stage to introduce her. I had absolutely no expectations of the show but I was impressed by her voice and stage presence. I was only familiar with the U.S. debut single the super pop I Want You Back, so was excited that she chose to do a cover Robyn‘s Dancing On My Own and Usher‘s OMG. It was a fun night and I think she has the potential to be a success over here.

After the show I was excited to grab a picture with L.A Reid and since the cocktails went down rather well, rather than just thinking in my head “Wow, this man is a legend” I told him “You’re a legend”, I wasn’t a very cool customer, but it was a deserving tribute since he signed and was an integral part of the careers of many of my first music loves like TLC and Mariah Carey.