Resurrected For Your Listening Pleasure: River- Joni Mitchell /Cee Lo Green

So, this Christmas I fell in love with a 40 year old song. A classic that I'd never heard before. I came across 'River' by Joni Mitchell after hearing the song on Cee Lo Green's Christmas album- Magic Moment. In fact it was hearing the 60 second iTunes sample, which made me part with my £6.99 and buy the album. The song is about heartbreak and longing. It revels in the sadder side of Christmas where missing loved ones and remembering the year's regrets is the order of the season. 'River' is just so gorgeously melancholic that even if you're not lonely at Christmas-  it kind of makes you want to be- just for that moment. It's a song to listen to alone, to empathise or sympathise or just to get lost in a moment with. The song has been covered by  loads of artists and Joni Mitchell's original version from her 1971 album 'Blue' is of course wonderful but Cee Lo's version is the one I discovered and fell in love with. Which version do you prefer?

EVENT REVIEW: Vocals & Verses- The People's Choice Edition

Vocals & Verses has been responsible for bringing some of the year’s most accomplished underground singers and poets to the fore. The Christmas Special edition of the bi-monthly showcase promised to see out the year with a bang. It was a people’s choice version of the music and poetry showcase where the public were able to vote for their favourite eight past performers. The line up for this highly anticipated event included MOBO award winner Rachel Kerr, former MOBO unsung winner Jacob Banks, Soul-folk singer JP Cooper  and emotive spoken artists such as  LionHeart and  G.R.E.E.d.S.

It was a fantastic night of some of the best up and coming talent that London’s live event scene has to offer held at West End’s 229 The Venue. Resident host and comedian, Kae Kurd conducted proceedings while the really quite awesome house band kept the crowd entertained in the breaks with their quirky, soulful interpretations of popular songs.

Scandinavian soul singer, Marie Dahlstrom was the first performer of the evening. Her version of the Phil Collins classic, “In The Air Tonight” was popular with the crowd who whooped and hollered their appreciation when the familiar chorus kicked in. Singer Jacob Banks, whose career has been steadily gaining momentum throughout the year, gave an elegantly paired down performance. He began with a beautifully re-imagined interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”. Instantly, the uniquely smooth rasp of his vocals almost sent the largely female crowd into frenzy. His performance was a slice of modern cool intertwined with the finest vintage Motown spirit. 

MOBO award winning singer Rachel Kerr did not disappoint her fans in the crowd. She performed the heftiest set of the night and was vocally on point throughout her polished, energetic, gospel spectacle.  The performance from soulful- folk singer, JP Cooper was one of the many highlights of the showcase. His selection of charmingly humble acoustic songs created a delicately reflective mood, which was perfect for this end of year edition of Vocals & Verses. His set included songs from both his EPs. There were a few quiet groans of disappointment that Cooper did not perform his superb ballad, “The Only Reason”- which is fast becoming a favourite among fans. But nonetheless, Cooper’s performance was completely stunning.

This special edition of Vocals & Verses featured a great crop of talented artists. And although the “Vocals” component of the show was amazing- it was actually the “Verses” component that truly stole the show. The favourite poets from past showcases, once again brought their own unique artistry to the stage, reasserting the power and beauty to be found in today’s urban poetry scene.  Open Mike performed his poems, “The Time Traveller’s Wife” and “A Tale of Two Haitians” with atmospheric musical accompaniment from the house band. The softly spoken poet’s hypnotic delivery created calm stillness, which encouraged the audience to listen out for the intricate narrative twists within his poems.   

 When emerging poet LionHeart performed his unique combination of politically and emotionally astute poems. You could almost feel a breeze from the collective swoon of the females in the audience. He gave a confident, self- assured performance, demonstrating his artistic appetite for clever word play. Anthony Anaxagorou’s politically conscious performance also stood out- the simple clarity of his poems spotlights the complexity of his message. His set made the audience sit up in their seats and take note.

South London poet G.R.E.E.d.S performed excerpts from his extended work “Confessions of a Teenager”. It’s a series of coming of age poems, which document his migration from Nigeria to England and his various experiences during this time. His piece on child abduction was particularly stirring. His powerfully emotive delivery transported the 300+ audience to a reality that seemed like a world away from where they sat. It was a truly sobering experience that moved some to tears.

The night included an open mic section featuring acts chosen by the public and the hilarious trademark segment “The Verse Off” in which two randomly chosen audience members must wax lyrical about a given subject.

This was a very well organised event. The professional yet welcoming attitude of the Vocals & Verses team meant the show ran smoothly and came across as effortlessly efficient. This, combined with all the inspiring performances means the People’s Choice Edition of Vocals & Verses lived up to everything it promised to be. Roll on next year!

As written for Mixtape Madness

Introducing: The Weeknd

Canadian Singer The Weekend will, no doubt be making his mark in 2013 with his unique contemporary sounding R&B. Following his critically acclaimed nine track EP, House of Balloons, released in 2010, the 22  year old singer went on to feature on Drake's 2011 song "Crew Love". Since then, he has been steadily garnering interest throughout the year. He has appeared on Later with Jools Holland and he performed a sold out secret gig in London earlier this month.The combination of his haunting vocals and his poetically stark lyrics creates a magnetizing aura of eeire, stylish cool. Having been nominated for the BBC Sound of 2013 and dubbed by MTV as "the best musical talent since Michael Jackson",  The Weekend has received some mighty praise and is definitely one artist to look out for in the coming year. His album The Trilogy is out now.

Alicia Keys- No One [Live] at 12.12.12

I had to post this video because it's just a beautiful version of "No one" off Alicia Keys' 2007 album, As I Am. She performed it for the 12.12.12 charity concert held at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York victims of Hurricane Sandy. It's a stellar performance- Keys sounds amazing and the piano melody is just so pretty!

NEW VIDEO: Jacob Banks- Kids on The Corner

Jacob Banks has been going form strength to strength. He is a regular on the live event scene, doing gigs a'plenty and also gaining radio airplay on BBC 1Xtra. Back in June Creative Juice posted a video of Banks doing a live version of his front-runner track, "Kids on The Corner". Now we have the official video for this outstanding track. Banks is kind of, doing a similar thing to Ed Sheeran in that he uses old song- writing and musical techniques to tell new stories- stories of today's youth. The Soul -Motown feel of "Kids on The Corner" is contrasted with images of desolate youth, idle in an inner city. Take a look!

EP REVIEW: Juliyaa -Stars & Dragons

All artists seek to express something of themselves and their experience within their music. Juliyaa is an artist, whose cultural and social roots are deeply ingrained in her music. A child of Welsh and Ghanaian parents, the North London singer, celebrates her rich cultural heritage on her debut EP, Stars and dragons.

The EP title is a reference to the national symbols featured on the flags of her parents’ native countries: ‘Stars’ alludes to the Black Star of Ghana and ‘Dragons’ refers to the red dragon of Wales. Juliyaa describes her music as ‘rhythmic soul’ and the opening track, “Thursday Born”, provides the framework for the EP as a whole. On this track, Juliyaa eulogises her story of growing up in a multicultural family in London. She lists the varying musical experiences that have influenced her life, such as singing in a church choir and listening to Garage music. Juliyaa turns her everyday story into a mythical sounding tale of musical and cultural discovery. The five tracks that follow this are an eclectic fusion of cross-beats and polyrhythm played out on songs that incorporate elements of R&B, Garage, Drum & Bass, Dub-step and Highlife music.

“Tidal Wave” is a great example of this. The track uses water as a metaphor to describe the over whelming effects of love. The song combines elements of Pop, R&B and Electronica. The echoic vocals and repetitive bass-line imbue the song with a mood of brooding intensity. Undertones of Drum & Bass and Dubstep woven into the song become increasingly intensified. The arrangement on “Tidal Wave” actually imitates the movement of waves: the layering of different musical strands on the core bass line produces an exciting tidal wave of sound.

“IWIHIA” (I Wish I Had It All) is a gorgeous piano led ballad, executed with class and simplicity. It’s about finding the balance between striving for more in life while still being appreciative and content with what is current and real in the present. Juliyaa’s emotive voice rings out with spine tingling clarity over this poignant song. This track stands out as a moment of calm and stillness on the EP. The paired down arrangement is contrasted against the other predominantly up tempo, elaborately layered songs on Stars & Dragons.

The title track “Stars & Dragons” is inspired by West African Highlife music. It’s an uplifting song that revisits the themes of heritage and identity seen on the first track, “Thursday Born”. It’s inspired by Juliyaa’s trip to Ghana and how this experience enriched her sense of identity. It centres on the concept of home as a state of mind rather than a physical place.  It’s a striking touch to have traditional African music featured here and in some small way it goes toward contextualising the Afrobeat music that’s currently gaining commercial popularity. The intricacies of sounds on this song create a feast for the ears. The rich opening harmony and the percussion- heavy, cross-rhythm creates beautiful colour and texture. “Stars & Dragons” is a celebratory song, which defies you to stand still- there’s a plethora of rhythms and the song quickly encourages you to pick a beat to shake a leg to!
  



 Essentially, Stars & dragons is not only a tribute to Juliyaa’s cultural heritage but also to the diverse music that has helped to shape her life. Everything about this EP is to do with fusion and unity. Even the name Juliyaa is representative the union between European and African traditions. There is particular emphasis on the enhanced unity to be enjoyed from embracing various kinds of fusion- whether it’s racial, cultural, social or musical. Even the EP’s art work fuses different patterns, shapes and colours giving a striking visual representation of the brilliant kaleidoscope of music featured on the EP. Stars & Dragons is a great debut, it’s an excellent introduction to Juliyaa. Her unique, yet accessible sound is truly intriguing.
 

LIVE GEMS: Pink- Girl on Fire [BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge]

                               

P!nk did a cover of Alicia Keys' hit song for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She sings the song effortlessly and even though she keeps the lyrics to hand on an A4 sheet, that's part of what makes the performance so cool. One of the best things about P!nk apart from her amazing voice, is the fact that she doesn't take herself too seriously. She's a comfortable natural performer so nothing ever appears over rehearsed or too contrived. P!nk and Keys actually have very similar voices- I can imagine Keys' voice would sound great on a number of P!nk songs. The cover has had excellent response over the social networks, perhaps this will bring out a duet from these two great singers in the not too distant future, fingers crossed...

M.I.A Leaks new song on Twitter

Singer M.I.A, who is now infamous for erm, "flipping the bird" during Madonna's Super Bowl halftime performance, has released a new song on Twitter. She leaked the song to a super fan's email in response to a barrage of tweets she'd received from supporters eager to hear something new. Have a listen below. Has it been worth the wait...?

All about JP Cooper

Back in August I posted about  JP Cooper's fantastic performance at  the bi-monthly Vocals & Verses showcase .The Manchester native’s love of music started from a young age. He joined a rock band in his teens and then later hit upon a love of gospel music after joining a choir. Cooper describes himself as an acoustic singer song writer. His music is a subtle eclectic mix of many music genres including folk, blues and soul.

His two short EPs (EP 1 and EP2) brilliantly showcase not only the captivating versatility of his vocals but also his unique dexterity as a songwriter. Cooper has described his music as a reflection of his slightly romantic world view. Hope and unity are core themes within Cooper’s music. He writes songs of love, relationships and redemption and he delivers them with a gentle self assured expression that carries humility and honesty.

The Only Reason (from EP 2), is a heartfelt love song which exhibits the transcendent quality of Cooper’s music. His crystal clear falsetto is instantly stunning. The exquisite chord progression of the strings and the drop-kick rhythm of the drums are soul stirring. The song is a luscious musical and lyrical ode to love, faith and romance and it is conveyed with simple elegance. The Only Reason is entirely gorgeous.

  

The emotive power of Cooper’s voice can be heard again on the song, Oh Brother, (from EP 1).This song is just another example of Cooper’s ability to mesmerize. One moment you’re flying on the crest of his fleeting falsetto and the next you’re completely grounded by the trembling resonance of his full voice. This song is about learning to see the value and equality in human beings and he delivers it with such simple finesse that prevents it from sounding condescending or over sentimental.

Sure, anyone who has switched on a radio before will have heard songs about love and togetherness but rarely are they expressed with such acute insight, heart and humility and without a patronising undertone. There’s a modern tendency to find music that depicts the harsher realities of life more believable. And while Cooper’s music is without the anguished shades of darkness found on a Damien Rice record or the bitter-sweet grit of an Ed Sheeran track, it is still just as believable. So, although Cooper goes against the current grain and presents a more optimistic reality- he does so with the same intense honesty as his contemporaries.

 Part of the overall appeal of JP Cooper is the unassuming charm of his music. He has an incredible ability to still listeners, lock them into the story and the moment of the song. So, it doesn’t matter whether you’re listening at a packed out gig or if you’ve just hit play on your iPod after hopping on the train at rush hour- the beautiful sounds of JP Cooper will have you entranced wherever you are. It’s Simple, honest, genius.

NEW BUZZ: Mck Nasty

 Introducing DJ- drummer extraodinaire- Mck Nasty. When you go to a gig, you might only be thinking about seeing great singers or dancers. Mck Nasty offers something a little different: Using, a highly technical looking drum set up, he delivers an electrifying performance of popular Hip Hop tracks accompanied by his unique high energy live drumming. He has worked with a number of artists including Tinie Tempah, Lily Allen, Devlin, and Bluey Robinson.  Be sure to catch Mck Nasty at a gig, seeing this man remix and drum out to all your favourite Hip Hip songs is an awesome experience!

New Music: Shakka- Sooner or Later

London singer Shakka has been working the underground scene with his quirky, charismatic blend of Ska, Reggae, Pop and R&B. His new release 'Sooner or Later' produced by Deany Boy is off Shakka's forthcoming EP 'Foolishness'. It's upbeat, fresh, new music that proves, once again that there is greatness out there on the underground UK music scene. Enjoy.