It’s fair to say that here at SoulBounce we can’t get enough of José James. Whether we’re catching him live or repetitively playing his stellar album, No Beginning No End, we are just eating up everything and anything James touches…
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We introduced you to the blissful sounds of Marie Dahlstrøm back in September, and since then her single “Search” has made itself very comfortable in my head, with the slow groove of the jazz-tinged soul track steadily keeping my faith in the future of music alive. Dahlstrøm has now delivered a video of a live performance of the track for our aural and visual pleasure. In the video we see Marie and her band take “Search” in a new direction with a nice change in the second half of the track that only serves to increase my curiosity of what freshness her debut album will hold when it sees the light of day. For me, that album can’t come soon enough, but til then I suggest you hit play and let Marie Dahlstrøm captivate you with her “Search.”
Looking to avoid the drunken, crazy, mind numbingly painful crowds on New Years Eve in Sydney? Then why not save your partying for New Years Day & head along to High Flyers Little Secret New Years Day Warehouse event instead?
Following the success of last year’s New Years Day Warehouse event at Sun Studios, Sydney, Funkdafied and Dig Deep are bringing it back to you for NYD 2012, with over five areas of quality House, live Funk & Soul, Old School Hip-Hop and Nu Disco.
Headlined by one of the worlds best live dance music bands Crazy P, as well the Netherlands own DJ Mestro & Australia’s Katalyst this is sure to be an event for those who appreciate quality music & a great crowd. If the three headline acts weren’t enough to get you in the mood, then how about over 40 other live acts, across several indoor and outdoor stages bringing you the very best in sound and lighting production to help you kick off New Years Day 2012 in style.
Click the button below for more info on High Flyers Little Secret & to hear some of the sounds from the international & local artists performing on the day!
I was a little unsure what to expect walking into The Basement on Saturday 6th August for the King Tide self titled Summer Vibration compilation launch. I had never witnessed the self proclaimed ‘3rd best reggae got soul band from Bondi’ in action before, and wasn’t too familiar with their music. However, I felt pretty sure that a band with a name as big as their reputation would not disappoint.
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Open up any newspaper today, check any news site or blog in Sydney and you will see the hype about Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball one off show last night in Sydney. But while Gaga’s faithful little monsters and most of the media was jumping on this Icon imitation Madonna/Grace Jones band wagon, I was encountering a female musical force of a different kind. A true pioneer in the Sydney soul scene, and a woman who can match Gaga’s eccentricity and musicality (and then some) - Alphamama.
I have spoken about Alphamama on numerous occasions here at The Kitten Jam, and let me tell you after what I experienced last night at her self titled EP launch, I probably won’t shut up about her for a while! (I’d like to offer an apology in advance to my flat mate and work colleagues as I will be chewing your ears off about this soul queen indefinitely!).
Gyptian Australian Tour
A few months ago, I had a friend who left Australia to reconnect with his African roots in Mali for the Summer. When he came back from his trip, he had an external hard drive bursting with music, some of it traditional Malian music, some if straight up rare funk & groove from the 70s & 80s and some of it the latest hits he heard in the clubs over in Mali. One of the latter that he came back with was “Hold Yuh” by Jamaican reggae & dancehall star Gyptian. Apparently this was THE Summer anthem in West Africa, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s instantly catchy and has that summer love vibe going on with a groove that makes you want to get your dutty wine on. Well, there’s good news for Australia with the bonafide crossover international reggae dancehall star with an impressive list of lovers rock, roots reggae and dancehall hit singles set to hit our shores for a tour next month.
The Gyptian Hold Yuh Australian Tour will be hitting Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay, Perth & Brisbane from June 9th - 13th thanks to Big Tunes Music.
Have a look at the official music video for “Hold Yuh” above & check out www.bigtunesmusic.com.au for more information and to buy tickets.
It makes me so proud to see Australian & New Zealand artists getting some light overseas, especially at a huge festival like the iconic Glastonbury Festival. For those of you lucky enough to be attending the festival, I thought I’d give a heads up on 4 great bands/artists from Down Under that will be gracing the stage at Glastonbury this year.
Electric Empire may be based in Melbourne, Australia circa the year 2011 but their roots are firmly planted in late 60s and early 70s music, specifically that of Al Green, Stevie Wonder & The Beatles. Consisting of accomplished singer, songwriter & producer Dennis Dowlut (formerly of 90s chart toppers Disco Montego), drummer/singer extraordinaire Jason Heerah, keyboardist Aaron Mendoza and bassist Marcel Yammouni, these boys have breathed new life into Australia’s soul music scene. Through their prolific gigging in Melbourne since they came together in 2009 & the release of their self titled debut album in 2010 they have developed quite a large following here in Australia, and soon they will in Europe too.
Frontier Touring & Illusive Present Brian McKnight & Dwele live
Two great artists in the world of contemporary soul & R&B will be touring Australia in June this year. Brian McKnight - the Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, producer & multi instrumentalist who is probably best known in Australia for the wedding day classic “Back at One” will be touring Australia with one with one of my favourite modern soul singers Dwele.
McKnight, although releasing his first album in 1992 first came to my attention with the single “Anytime” in 1997, which was followed in 1999 by arguably his most celebrated record, Back at One, which went on to sell over three million units in the US alone. Since the turn of the millennium, he has continued to carve out a successful career at the top of the US gospel scene and has collaborated with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Quincy Jones and Australia’s own Guy Sebastian, just to name just a few.
As much as I respect & love Brian McKnight, I can not hide the fact that i most excited about the support act - who is cult neo-soul favourite Dwele. If you aren’t familiar with Dwele’s solo work then you most likely are with his collaborative work with Kanye West (Flashing Lights and Power), J Dilla (Tainted - Slum Village), Common and Pharaohe Monch.
Today I’m going to leave you with a taster of what to expect from Dwele in the shows, with this video of his live performance in Amsterdam last year of his track “Truth”.
Brian McKnight & Dwele will be touring Australia (Perth, Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane) from June 23rd 2011 to June 26th 2011.
*UPDATED*
Frontier have just announced a second and final show for Sydney on June 29th 2011. Tickets on sale to the public Friday 27th May. See their website for more details
For all the tour info check out http://www.frontiertouring.com/brianmcknight
Live Review: Ladi6 + Electric Wire Hustle at The Gaelic presented by Niche Productions
It was a rainy Saturday night here in Sydney but inside the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills, New Zealand’s finest Soul trio Electric Wire Hustle were definitely heating things up. I arrived with impeccable timing - just as EWH began their set. As much as I adore these guys, having caught onto them in 2009 when they released their self titled debut album & it started getting love on many blogs, I was not too sure what to expect from their live show. After all, there had been a few NZ bands who I’d loved on their recordings but had failed to deliver in their live shows. Thankfully, EWH came with the goods in their live show. They were captivating, and I found myself intrigued by the full sound that was being created by these 3 kiwis (Mara TK, David “Taay Ninh” Wright & Myele Manzanza), and their utilising of keys, MPC, guitar, bass & drums. Lead vocalist Mara TK is an unlikely front man, not being overly attention hungry but having a quietly intriguing persona that keeps your attention, and his silky smooth vocals don’t hurt either. Their set felt almost like you were part of a sublime journey or jam…but without the parts that don’t work and only the parts that do.
After EWH completed their set, I was wondering is it really possible, in this world of auto tuning & underwhelming live performances that 2 acts on one night could actually live up to their hype? I had heard so much about Ladi6 over the years. And to my detriment, I hadn’t paid attention to it. Friends had been sending me links to videos and gushing about her live shows. I hadn’t listened. I must say it was my loss, because this kiwi queen is Aotearoas answer to the legendary Lauryn Hill. Often when you have singer/MCs, I find they fall short in one aspect (for e.g. UK artist Estelle and her barely average vocal skills), but Ladi is equally sharp with her tongue in rhyming skills and has the vocal chops to match. She came on stage in a gold hoody and commanded the audiences attention before she had said a word or sung a note. In contrast to EWH and their smooth dreamy set, Ladi, along with band members Brent Park and Julien Dyne, played a set that was infectiously high energy, however just like EWH this 3 piece also managed to create a fuller than expected sound by utilising various instruments.
This was one of those shows that you didn’t want to end, and although surprisingly not packed out, the room was filled with good vibes and I think everyone there kind of knew they’d been lucky to witness these two bands, that complimented each other so well, in this one room on one night. It’s quite obvious these guys are both headed for huge things - with Electric Wire Hustle booked for the iconic Glastonbury Festival this year and Ladi6 embarking on a European tour. Let’s hope 2011 is the year the world takes note of all the great talent coming out of this side of the world.
