Rated Ruby Goe - 'Badman'

I posted about this singer last week and thought I'd just give you a cheeky link to her cool ass video for 'Badman'. This is an epic track: gritty vocals, a wicked bridge and some brilliant dance infused beats make it a total success. The video is so complimentary to the track it's genius. Check it out below:

Rated Joss Stone - Soul Sessions Vol. 2

Joss Stone has taken tonnes of flack in her decade long career, mainly from her homeland. It's a shame that one silly accent mishap caused so much animosity, but I guess the music world is a shallow place and the public can't see the talent beyond the person. The truth is, Joss Stone is a remarkable singer with a voice that coils its way around you as you sip your red wine and puff on your Marlboro on the couch, squeezing ever so slightly with every note. This is the case with the sequel album to her huge debut, Soul Sessions Vol. 2, which has Stone reunite with the mastermind behind the original album, Steve Greenberg.

The evolution of Stone's voice is apparent on Labi Siffre cover 'I Got The...', the same song Eminem sampled on his debut 'My Name Is'. '(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People' opens with an enormous roar from Stone's pipes and as the uptempo soul number kicks in you can't help tap your hands off everything around you. The tempo is kept with 'While You're Out Looking For Sugar', which is about as uplifting as a song can get. 'Sideway Shuffle' is a sassy, sexy soul song that suits Stone's foxy tones perfectly. Covering Womack & Womack's classic 'Teardrop', Stone almost makes the song sound like it was written for her.

The beauty of Stone's voice is that it's timeless. She sounds classically current; like a vintage voice for the modern generation. This is apparent on all songs on the album; reworking Eddie Floyd's 'I Don't Want To Be With Nobody But You' and Barbara Acklin's 'Stoned Out Of My Mind' Stone brings belting soul/funk melodies into the 21st Century and makes them appealing enough to fit in with the current wave of synth overdosing. 

Soul Sessions Vol. 2 is a great album to win back those fans who turned their backs on Joss Stone when she revamped her image and sound on Introducing... many years ago. Fantastic vocals, great soul songs and plenty of charisma make this one of the singer's most exciting albums to date.

4/5


Update! Not going to lie, I did get a little over excited about this. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship (shopping, drinking and dancing that is - no monkey business)

Rated Ruby Goe

A copious amount of alcohol and uneasy start to the day has ended in me being splayed across my bed by 11pm on a Friday night. However, everything happens for a reason and in a certain order, so I believe and thus I have discovered some new music to fluff out my recently played playlist for the coming months only because of said alcohol consumption.

East London entrepreneur and star in the making Ruby Goe caught my undivided attention with her distinct vocals this evening after reading a lovely wee interview with her in the latest issue of Dazed & Confused. A bit like a more vocally capable Santigold (no disrespect - I love Santi!), Ruby's single 'Badman' kicks off with some lovely electronic beats followed by thumping synths while her vocals evolve throughout the track from reserved to emotive, 'shot down those tiny daggers from your mouth' (bloody good line!). This has anthem written all over it.

She cranks up the tempo further with 'Get On It' which is basically about getting set for a night out and then getting on 'it'. It starts off with some heavy bass and rough synths only to burst into a marching band drum beat before the chorus belts you in the nuts. I've only listened to this through ear phones but I can only imagine how amazing it's going to feel when it's pounding out of my speakers tomorrow morning (sorry naybz). Check out the video too where she chunders black oil and then throws it at the wall. Standard.

Big things are coming this girl's way!

Rated Misha B - Home Run

When 'Home Run' kicks off in lounge ballad style it doesn't quite prepare you for the r'n'b insanity that's to come. Misha B was my favourite Xfactor contestant from last year; regardless of what people disliked about her personality she was the most original and exciting performer of the lot. As predictable as this debut single is (who didn't see an American inspired r'n'b dance floor filler coming) it's a total joy. Misha oozes charisma and presents herself as a nu-age Missy Elliot rapper/singer type bird with bigger hair and BOY leggings.

4/5

Rated Little Mix - Wings

Here's the thing, I didn't expect to like this, but I do. I can't help myself, I really like it. No, actually I love it. It's by no means revolutionary, but it is so bloody catchy there's nothing else to do but sing along and feel totally elated by the close. I challenge anyone not to be impressed, even if just in contrast to their original expectations. 

By the way, it's probably going to be number 1, for a long time.

4.5/5

Rated Calvin & Flo's 'Spectrum'

I love Ceremonials and I love 'Spectrum'. In fact it's one of my favourite songs on the entire album and so when I heard the remix was being presented as single I was of course a bit anxious as to the result. However, Calvin hasn't disappointed me before and thankfully he hasn't this time. The remix of Spectrum is brilliant, summery and totally infectious. Rather than stifle the song's charm it lifts it up and in true Calvin style, gets a scream when it blasts onto a dance floor (yes, from me). Nothing will ever satisfy or elate me as much as 'We Found Love' did, but this ranks damn high on my tracks of 2012. Good job.

5/5

Rated National Anthem

We've had 'Video Games', 'Born to Die' and 'Blue Jeans' from Born to Die,  Lana Del Rey's f*cking stunning debut album. Now we get... I just need a moment to regain myself and maybe let out a few squeals of school girlish joy... 'National Anthem' as a single. Here's the thing, this song is bloody brilliant. It's catchy, intoxicating and has some heady beats bumping up and down behind Lana's sort of rap (which is sexy btw). As if this wasn't orgasm inducing enough, the video is fantastic. 'Booyah baby bow down' you say? Lana babe, I'm on my knees already so keep singing.

Words escape me... so good. So good!

Check out the video here

Rated Aiden Grimshaw

My favourite Xfactor contestant of his line up, Aiden Grimshaw showed himself as special as soon as he belted out Kanye West's 'Gold digga' at his first audition. 2+ years on and he's finally here with his debut album Misty Eye, out on 13 August. The lead single 'Is This Love?' is a drum n bass heavy dance track with some stunning vocals showcased throughout. The new single, 'Curtain Call' is a haunting, down tempo number featuring some amazing vocals from a little know female singer called Sherelle. Both of these are brilliant songs so I can only imagine the album is going to a belter.

Rated MDNA

This is hugely delayed, but I can't review something till I've actually had a sit down, with a mug of chamomile and a jar of Nutella (always a fat boy at heart) and properly absorbed it. So I did what I refused to do months ago and listen to Madonna's latest effort at remaining young and relevant, MDNA. I won't lie, my hopes weren't high and my expectations were so low you'd mistake them for dog sh*t. Thankfully for Madge's sake, I was a bit more impressed that what you'd now expect.

Hiding those wrinkles Mad?

MDNA is no Ray Of Light nor is it a behemoth masterpiece like Confessions, it is however a distinct sounding pop album with some fun moments and some growers. I reviewed second single 'Girl Gone Wild' a while back and I slammed it. I feel a review retraction/amendment is in order here as after a few more plays the song is actually a catchy little mother f*cker with some pretty immense dance production and a simple but insanely catchy chorus. This is about as gay as Madonna can get, but it's damn fun. It should seem a bit gross that a 50 something year old woman is singing about being a bad girl, but it's surprisingly convincing. 'Gang Bang' brings on a '........' response the first time you hear it but it too is a grower with a hellishly infectious beat. 'Turn Up the Radio', 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' and 'I'm Addicted' are all great pop songs, the first being the third single from the album and the second being the lead and one of the most funs of 2012. The third has some awesome electronic production going on and I'd stamp it as the album's finest track.


Things don't go so well with 'I F*cked Up', 'B-day Song' and 'Best Friend' with Madge's average at best vocals struggling to evoke any sort of emotion in her performance. Songs like these feel a lot like fillers and could actually have been removed and no one would notice. 'Fallin Free' harks back to the gorgeousness of her classic 'Frozen' with some hypnotising orchestral production and wraps things up in stylish form.


My advice to Madonna is: MDNA is not awful. It has some strong pop songs on it that act as saviours for the weaker/awful songs that litter its tracklist. What I'd say ol' Madge is that you take a step back and think about how you can make yourself different again. When Ray Of Light came out it was like nothing else on the pop music scene at the time, hence its popularity with the public and critics alike. An album like that cemented your position as one of Pop's most experimental, interesting and often daring artists, ever. Trying to fit in with the 'it' crowd isn't going to work now, so get back to what you did best, experiment. NO hip hop!


2/5

Rated Flashback - Lose My Breath

Following some exciting rumours that Beyonce and her backing dancers are going to make a comeback, I thought it suiting to post about one of their best songs. Check it ooouuut.

8 years ago Destiny's Child made a 'comeback' after a 3 year break following their monster album Survivor. What became their last outing as a trio, their final album Destiny Fulfilled signalled the end of the girl group's era, one which they pretty much governed. The album spawned some brilliant rnb/hip hop inspired pop songs such as Soldier and the soul tinged Girl, however it was Lose My Breath that got asses vibrating on dance floors the world over.

A marching band drum line on amphetamines opens the song and then a pounding beat bounces under the group's stellar vocals. This was and still is one of the most exciting and well produced girl group songs of our time, still feeling current and fierce as f*ck! Time for Sunday play number 7.

Check out the NINE dirties in the video too!