I don't do full album reviews because most of the time, it can come across like I'm pandering or attempting to kiss the artists ass. What I can say for certainty about Titus Jones and this album is that I think he can do for pop music mashups what Girl Talk has done for hip hop mashups. I've talked about them before and I have given my opinion about mashups but if you missed it, here it is:
A good mashup is an art form. Anyone can take 2 songs and smash them together. There are databases of BPMs and software that will change tempos and remove vocals and strip beats out but when you are dealing with an artist, a true artist, that can conceptualize how to take 2 or more songs and layer them together so that they flow and fit flawlessly, then you have elevated the project to art. And the world is desperately in need of more art.
I've just downloaded Culture Shock by Titus Jones and Arkeology by The Ark. I will be reviewing these shortly as well as all three albums by The Ex-boyfriends and The Rest is History by Same Difference.
I hated the dance mixes of Bleeding Love and most any other ballad but there is something about this that just works. Even with the faster tempo, I think the original feeling of the song carries over. Just love it and love Adele with more than the words I can put on the page. She is gorgeous in every way and I wish her nothing but the best in everything she does.
I hate the fact that I was late to the dance with these guys. Just got around to jumping on the bandwagon only to find out they are now on "hiatus". Not sure for how long but I think I am going to be a little disappointed without new music from them. Not only are they an awesome alt-rock band, but their gay. I've purchased all three of their albums and plan to review them and spread the message so that they know they aren't forgotten...wow, did I just type that. How freaking corny. But they are good and I will listen to them and give recommendations to all.
The whole dialog portion of this video was incredible. I love Ke dollar sign ha and have never made any excuses not too. Throw in some James Van Der Beek and you've got tots awesomeness. Love the video, love the unicorns and the whole thing.
Following the Brits on Twitter this afternoon was about as close to them as I will probably ever get. I had to post to give a HUGE congrats to Plan B, Mumford and Sons and Take That. There were other winners but I am super happy for these acts because I feel they deserve it.
British Male Solo Artist Plan B British Group Take That MasterCard British Album of the Year Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
I've been a fan of Take That since "Back for Good", seen Mumford and Sons in concert and have just become a massive fan of Plan B so I wish them all the best and look forward to many more years of music from each of the groups.
On a separate note, I think it's hilarious that Justin Bieber won in the UK but not here in the States. It makes me question the state of Pop Music more and more here in the good old U S of A
I know this isn't music related but after some contemplation and some recent events, I felt it was time to deactivate my Facebook Account. While this decision was primarily selfish and to promote a better state of being and frame of mind for myself, as I have become far too dependent on it, my friends felt otherwise. And it was that outpouring of support to stay and be "One of Us" that made me realize that I was making the right decision. Facebook had proliferated every facet of my life. I was spending hours upon hours a day on the site and that's not a good thing. I was letting petty drama build up and fester in front of my face and it became all consuming and was affecting my feelings of self worth and self esteem and that's a huge problem.
My friends were worried that we would never talk again and that was our only line of connection. This amazed me because the majority of those people have my cell phone number, they have my home phone number and they have my email address. Hell a goodly percentage know where I work and my home address. So that idea that we would never speak again because I wasn't part of Facebook anymore just amazes me. How reliant have we become on that technology? Don't get me wrong, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't experiencing some DT's right now and I know that all I have to do is type in that URL and it will be all good. It took me 5 trys last night to actually type in the Captcha to actually delete the account and I think there was quite a bit of hesitation on my part because I really didn't want to delete the account.
So if you follow me on here, then you may have a little better insight as to why I've done what I have. I bet my friendships are going to suffer, as they have been already, and I feel that the friends that are really there for me and want the best for me will rise to the top and we won't miss a beat and keep on doin what we've been doin. Those people that had our friendship all tied up in the bonds of Zuckerberg's famous machine, I guess it was nice to know you and I hope you can see just how far down that rabbit hole goes.
In what I can only classify as a solid mixture of soul and hip hop, Plan B has made his way into my music library and hold residence there now. I saw the video for Stay Too Long on PopLab the other day and was initially impressed with him on a physical basis but upon further inspection, I really dug the music a lot, enough so that it's pretty much all I've listened to for the past week. Let me start this with some background ripped straight from Wikipedia:
"Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew (born 22 October 1983), primarily known as Plan B or Ben Drew, is a British rapper, singer-songwriter, actor and film director from Forest Gate, London. Plan B first emerged as a hip hop artist releasing his critically-acclaimed début album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words in 2006. His second studio album The Defamation of Strickland Banks (2010) was a soul record and went straight into the UK album chart at #1. He has also collaborated with other artists such as Chase & Status most notably on the top ten single "End Credits" (2009)."
Now, I'm generally not a fan of rap and hip hop but there is something about British Hip Hop and Grime that I just get into. Whether it's Lady Sovereign or Chipmunk or Tinie Tempah, I prefer this type of urban music than that of American hip hop artists. That's not to say I am wholly against American Hip Hop, there are quite a few artists that I love but the British scene is just cooler to me. Getting back to the matter at hand, Mr. Drew.
Starting with the track I heard first it's easy to see how one could get wrapped up in it. The soulfulness of his vocals, the edginess to his lyrics and the solid flow of his rhymes are all in place and ready to be received. I've taken a listen to both of his albums and can see why he has garnered as much attention across the pond as he has. It's good. It's just solidly good. His first album, Who Needs Action When You've Got Words is an all out hip hop album that is much grittier than I expected and the follow up, The Defamation of Strickland Banks focuses more on his singing. Both are amazing albums and I recommend you head over to his website, his twitter, his youtube page or his Facebook and pay attention because he deserves attention in the United States.
His sophomore album is more of a concept album and it tells the story of Strickland Banks and his untimely incarceration at Belmarsh Penitentiary. There is an order to the videos, I'm just not sure which one is the start. His videos off of Strickland Banks play out like a movie and keep you captivated and want to know more.
As an aspiring music blogger, I get really amazed when an artist makes contact with me. Minding my own business a handful of days ago, I received an email saying someone new was following me on twitter. I checked out the follow to make sure it wasn't a robot, found out it wasn't and started following too. I sent him a DM to let him know I appreciated him following me and would be happy to check out his work. Much to my surprise, I got a DM back and he asked if I would like him to send me some music to check out. About an hour later, I got an email with 3 tracks.
After spending some time with his music because I feel that's the only way I can make a fair determination of whether or not I want to share it, I can say that Neil Tennant should feel a bit of happiness because there is a definite homage to the Pet Shop Boys throughout the tracks. I think that with time and proper backing, James could do big things. There is a raw unfinished quality to the tracks that gives them a feeling of realness and not something that is just cookie cut out of a mold. I appreciate that because it makes it more easy to identify with the fact these are real songs that came out of a real person not some corporate machine that produced them as a pay for play type deal. I think his music would sound amazing coming out of a throbbing sound system at a club and I could see him playing live at G-A-Y
He has a soundcloud where his tracks are uploaded (Link) and I recommend taking a trip over there and checking him out. I recommend Caught Up In Your Vanity as it's my favorite of the tracks. I'm gonna keep an eye out of for James because I hope big things will come his way. I'm gonna try to score an interview with him and if I can get it nailed down, you guys will be the first to see it!
