Recently with BBC Radio 1′s Zane Lowe, the Channel Orange programmer drops a few hints on his latest album as well what its like to sit in with a legend like Pharrell.

This is my dude Malik “The FreQ” Moore. We work together on his music as a solo artist and I’m always doing what I can to put good, excuse me, great music in front of people. He knocked out a gig this past weekend. I picked it up on my phone.

Here is a little taste from the rehearsal the night before; undeniable.

FIND HIM

– Malik “The FreQ” Moore -

http://www.facebook.com/TheMalikMoore

http://www.malikthefreq.com

http://www.malikthefreq.bandcamp.com

So I got myself 2 tickets to D’Angelo’s return to an LA stage with his Independence Day Concert at the House Of Blues Sunset Strip, hell yeah!

Anyway with all the hoopla (well deserved) surrounding D’Angelo’s imminent return to the stage and stereo, it got me thinking.  Really I got to thinking and relatively loudly if you ask my girl and roommates when reviews and audio dropped of his EU dates a few months back.  I precede to turn my room into a sound dungeon (very easy with one of these units) and bump Brown Sugar and Voodoo in their entirety, while regaling my girl with my love for D’Angelo *pause*.  I’ll start with an easy one for everyone at home.

I guess I’m soulful guy at heart, with all the posts on hip hop, indie, EDM, etc that hit my site, nothing really impacts me like a top notch R&B or soul track.  That’s just the way it is and has been.  In fact my first two CD purchases were Brown Sugar and Tony Rich’s Words, so as I said pretty soulful out the gate.  Though both were heavy  in 12 year old me’s rotation, there weren’t really other choices (I also burned my money on Upper Deck NBA & NFL sets / video games / anything Dallas Cowboys), Brown Sugar was spinning constantly.

I couldn’t part with this album, there was something to it I felt like I knew immediately; familiar and classic, yet new and prescient (I was 12 years old, so I hadn’t really run into a situation that legitimately called for the phrase “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker”). The album is still with me after close to 16 years.

If you’re one of the girls I crushed on or dated between the ages 12 & 20 years old; I leave you with this reminder of the song I sang and the mixtapes I made.

Last week I had the opportunity to see my girl’s best friend’s son graduate from Highschool, its not your average highschool mind you, its a top end performing arts highschool in Los Angeles. Having attended a handful of their events in the past have always yielded a handful of recognizable names and faces from entertainment, who have kids or extended family attending LACHSA. And on top of that the kids are fantastic and enthusiastic, aspects that are often lost when dealing with the cynicism of the industry and artists at large.
Well all of that was ignored as their dean of students walked out to announce a very special performance. Most everyone in the audience up to that point had noticed the lone man in sunglasses inside the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, Stevie Wonder. Let me say that again . . . Stevie . . . Wonder. . .
He takes his seat at the piano addresses the audience and most importantly the students and starts. Below are the moments I captured on my camera (the stellar Olympus OMD EM5 w/ 12 – 50 lens) between cheers, claps, and exasperated breaths of “oh fuck thats Stevie Wonder.”

I don’t know what else there is to say about this video beyond what Shadow On Stars threw down on their Tumblr “Erykah is a fucking bad ass for this”.

I can’t say how much I’m a fan of this woman, intensely principled, talented, beautiful. Anyway she’s recently released two videos from her upcoming sophomore US release Soul Is Heavy “My Home” & “Shining Star”.

Look out for the Nigerian born songstress’ latest and no doubt stellar effort Soul Is Heavy on the shelves February 28th via @Decon.
Follow her @nnekaworld & at her official.

Stones Throw keeps some freshness coming and team with startup Drip.fm, on a subscription service. The concept seems simple enough – Give your fans an easy avenue to your label’s collection and on time, in a simple way. Not much is known about how this will come to pass, but Drip.fm appears to be on the right track:

@StonesThrow Digital Discography
Join the Stones Throw Digital Discography, a subscription music service where we share every new Stones Throw release, delivered right to your inbox. Members get every new Stones Throw album, single and EP as they are released, select music from the catalog, and exclusive advance material.

How it Works:
- Get every new Stones Throw release, delivered to your inbox
- Download anywhere
- 320 kbps MP3 files, with no ‘DRM’ restrictions of any kind
- Exclusive tracks, mixes and sessions from Stones Throw artists

I’m interested to see what this comes to so check out StonesThrow.com for the lastest and their scheduled releases and Drip.FM (invite only right now).

Sweet.

J*Davey have been inn front of me for years now, and definitely a duo that need a larger presence in music cuz they’re cranking our top notch genre fucking material. It’s undeniable. I saw them last night at The Key Club and the infatuating Jack Davey made the stage her own, and she is well into her second trimester – the hardest working pregnant woman in the world right there.

Below is the just released video for Quicksand.

Frank Ocean’s bit of subversive disillusionment with the industry, though can be said about all artists when the line between content, commerce, and passion collide. A definite pop track with some slamming keys, which seems to emphasize every moment when Frank bites back at the industry.

Frank Ocean – Best Seller by mutintamutuma

Its a good day when new Frank Ocean hits the net. “Thinking About You” is definitely for you to drive up the coast to.

Frank Ocean – Thinking About You

Let me know if you’re feeling it @bjones21 & @social8gency

“Anywhere” – Frank Ocean