What’s in my earbuds, summer ’11 edition

Hey!

It feels like its been forever since I blogged. I dont even apologize for it. I’ve been living life, enjoying the hell summer and while music is ALWAYS a part of that life–writing about it sometimes just isn’t. I hadn’t even logged into wordpress the entire time. I did miss it, glad to see folks still discovering the site and reading it. No post is too old to comment on, in my opinion. 🙂

But in the month and a half or so hiatus of living “off the wall”  there has been TONS of new music released. TONS. so much that I still haven’t wrapped my good “listening” ears around much of it. but I’m working my way through.

one thing I don’t like to do is rush my tastes because something is hot. I kinda rushed thru Marsha Ambrosius’ CD the last time I did a post like this. I like it a lot more now than I did then, which I figured I would.

so let me first get the obvious out of the way: Beyonce. so, yall know I’m no King B stan–actually I think calling herself King is stupid as hell, but I digs the hell outta “4” like seriously, I haven’t rocked with Bey hard since Dangerously in Love, and I mean that.  She’s had singles here and there on her other projects I liked, but I don’t have a full Beyonce CD on my ipod at all. On first listen “Rather Die Young” and “Countdown” stood out to me, the first for the melody and her vocals, the second just for that catchy ass Boyz II Men sample. Plus her quotables like “all up in my kitchen in my heels, dinner time” and “ooh I think I luh dat boy, do anything fuh dat boy” ahh, the romantic in me  thinks that’s so sweet *sigh* okay moving on. After repeat listens, I definitely feel “I Miss You” those lyrics speak to me, and despite her saying “algeba” I DO like “1+1” as well. Also while it’s 2011’s Irreplaceable, I enjoy “The Best I Never Had.”

“Party” goes hard, but ‘Ye and 3 Stacks dont’ go quite as hard as they couldve–I mean wtf is swagu? I guess. It is a pop song. Just listening again this weekend in the car (you HAVE to test CDs for whip approval) I noticed the throaty efforts on “Start Over” which work for me too. Overall I just think its a good pop album, and I have no problem admitting that it pleases my ears. A lot. I’m such a typical girl for this but I don’t care. lol

^^ face beat, tits sitting high, fierce hair, giving much face! I love Jilly from Philly.

I wanted to post this pic instead of her album cover just because its so damn fly!!!

ok The Light of the Sun is a CD I’m still working thru. I don’t love it yet. But honestly I only loved her first two CDs immediately. Vol. 3 had to grow on me, but baby when it did!?!?!?! LOVE. Jill does no wrong in my eyes so while I’m not in love yet, I love HER, and I’m pleased with her latest offering. Faves include: “So In Love” with Anthony Hamilton, “So Gone”, “Hear My Call”, and “Making You Wait”

I love me some Lloyd.  I consider Street Love to be a hood classic. Year of the Lover was no slump either. I wrote a post awhile back on how consider my boy to be seriously slept on. I didn’t check for Lloyd’s first CD but Street Love is what made me a fan. He is as I say “my favorite nasally yodeler”. “Lay Your Head” is a song I HATED on first listen but damn if that “ole ole oooooleeeee” aint grow on me! I mean, its Lloyd. He  does it for me like The Dream–I often ask myself why I love them so, but then I just resolve not to question it, just vibe to the music. SO I DO!  Now “Cupid” is a song I immediately thought was cutesy and the visuals in the video helped me to enjoy it more. Still need to give this one a few more spins before I identify faves.

Miss Moses, Miss Moses! Yall know this is my grown woman crush and I STANS for Teedra! She’s gorgeous, she’s fly,and she has just a splash of hood that makes her relatable to me. lol Her latest offering is short, but definitely sweet.  I am anxiously awaiting a feature album. “Another Lovr” “Invitation”  ok how about all of it is hot to me. With only 10 songs. not too much extra or fluff, just the chill vibe that Ms. Moses is known for. Check it out for download here.

I’ve also been listening to Ledisi’s Pieces of Me, Jean Grae’s Cookies or Comas, Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80–prior to hearing this I had not listened to any of his music, so I was pleasantly surprised. And older music is always in rotation.

so tell me, what has your summer soundtrack been looking like? If you’ve heard the joints featured in this post–what are your faves? let me know!!! 

Your Guard’s Up…

and your hearts cold. This might be the one but you’ll never know…

My. Jam.

ever since I started this blog I’ve blabbed about, and people that talk music with me on the regular know about my girl crush on Teedra Moses. So thats nothing new.

This song is one of my favorites on Complex Simplicity, because its so honest and it just speaks on the things we go through. I had a recent conversation about people basically not treating you the way you treat them–that off balance thing. So the opening line speaks on that: “you give and you give but you never seem to get back in return, what you give…”

And nobody likes that feeling. That feeling is what makes us jaded, and “guarded” as Teedra mentions. It allows us to “block our own blessings” as some may say. That could be related to other situations; not just romantic love by the way.

This song also makes me think of my favorite Luther Vandross song because its just one of those things, we are so used to being done dirty, things going wrong that we don’t know how to be open for the good stuff coming our way! Luther says just wait on it boo, its coming.  Let me drop a gem from THAT ONE: “I remember not too long ago, I was just a lonely person with a lonely heart…”

*this is the part when I start waving my hands in the air*

There is an absolute difference between being alone and being lonely. Lutha was speaking on being LONELY. Nothing is wrong with the former, but the latter? That’s something you gotta work around on your own. #truestory

so back to Miss Moses, ladies and gentlemen: “For A Lifetime”

“Even in the hard times
Even when it’s going down
You’re gonna find someone’s riding with you
You don’t have to be alone
You just gotta hold on
You’re gonna find true love

Sure as all that breathe will die
And showers fall from April skies
A heart that’s pure won’t be denied
The kinda lovin’ that’ll rock ya
The kinda lovin’ that’ll hold…
Hold ya for a lifetime”

She’s a bad chick….

so I girl crush/stan on some female artists. Hard. I’m not ashamed. I said that I would no longer use the S word in 2009 but I will say this chick has IT. Tee Tee ( my nickname for her like she’s my peeps for real) has swag.  I don’t know why she’s not a radio killer! well maybe I wouldn’t like her so much if she was…because I kinda pride myself on liking some non mainstream people. BUUUUUT my girl is popular enough that she’s not like totally obscure or anything.

I got put on maybe in 03…I just remember being in grad school and I used to bump the hell outta yahoo launchcast radio at work. they’d play some random songs based on the artists I liked and voted on….and they played this song. Be Your Girl had my head bobbin….I was diggin it.

then it was this song that made me a fan. “you will never find a better woman, or a better fool”. I used to feel like this about my ex. I think I was a fool and STILL the better woman, but I digress. water under the bridge. so yeah back to Teedra…..I am going to buy her new mixtape cuz I am a fan *even though I  hate paying for music these days* but I am waiting for the new cd to drop!!! The Young Lioness was supposed to come out in February 07–you know I know. Can you say pushed back to be pushed back to be pushed back? ugh. Why they do my girl like this?!!!!!

may I just add that when Complex Simplicity came out I had to fight with the staff of Best Buy to get a copy. Then I played it so much that it scratched. the only other CD I have scratched and had to replace numerous times in my life is MJB My Life. So I had to use the upload from the bought CD to burn another CD, then scratched that joint up too! I love Complex Simplicity!!!! I had a similar  shopping experience with Robin Thicke’s joint. I had to search all thru the damn store to get me a copy of The Evoloution….weird, cuz he’s hella popular. now anyway….

she’s so cute, but looks like she’ll still cut a nigga if she has to! love her!

I’m listening to her song So Kool now….and I dig it.

she also has a duet with my main joint Raheem DeVaughn on the mixtape too. yesssssss! I just placed my paypal order. I’m sick that I have to wait for it to come in the mail–homegirl, can we get a digital download I mean sheesh! but I am uhhh “sampling”  it in the meanwhile….