Adele - 21

Finally getting around to downloading Talib Kweli's Gutter Rainbows, I did my usual check of new music that I may be interested in. Nothing except for Miss Adele. Her latest album, 21, controls a more melancholy and adult Adele and I can't help but grasp her album in my hand and muse it for my ears. It's powerful, passionate and mad. Miss Adele kicked it up a notch. Her 1st album was good, this as her 2nd album being even better, I look extremely forward to her 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th...



Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

Hooligans In Wondaland

Last week, a cousin of mine posted a flyer on Facebook displaying a tour with Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae, featuring Plan B (5/4-5/30) and Mayer Hawthorne & The County (6/2-6/15). I became beside myself. Immediately flashing back to November 2010 and how tinged I was from seeing MH & The County live at Neumos. Then to August 2008 and how fascinated I was from seeing Janelle Monae live at Nectar... Although no dates were on this flyer, I also became antsy - "What if they're not coming to Seattle? Or what if they are but not on a date that they'll be with MH?!", I frantically Googled. And to my satisfaction... The Hooligans In Wondaland tour was landing in my beautiful city of Seattle on June 2nd, the very day MH & The County will start touring with them. Oh my heart was aflutter.
And again, thanks to the marvelousness of tweeting and my eagerness towards following Janelle Monae, presale tickets became available for purchase via her website (as well as Bruno Mar's website). I jumped on it like a prisoner jumps on some panini after years of lock-up and quickly bought 2 tickets.

If you're devoted fans, as I am, to either Janelle Monae or Mayer Hawthorne and have yet an opportunity to see either of them perform live, this concert should be a must. And yeah, even Bruno Mars fans... get it in... (LoL! Can you tell I can do w/o Bruno Mars?!)

General public sale begins Saturday, February 26 through Ticketmaster. Click here to preview and/or get your tix thereafter.

Or you can also check if presale tix are still available via Janelle Monae's website: http://tixx1.artistarena.com/janellemonae/

I am extremely ready to Errol Flynn Tightrope Tip. Yeah, that's that newnew dance. Y'all ain't even knowing. ;)





Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

GHOST!

Days before I was recommended to watch The Radiant Child (a documentary about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat), I saw a post of Kid Cudi's video GHOST! Familiar with Basquiat, it never dawned on me how much Cudi and Basquiat look alike and after watching The Radiant Child, how much their personalities may have similarities as well. It kinda gave me shivers at how eerie it was.

So if you have time, do check out the documentary, The Radiant Child, or even the movie, Downtown 81. And in the meantime, check out this unofficial video for Cudi's GHOST! featuring Basquiat...



Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

Extra bright/I want y'all to see this...

For some reason, Rihanna featured in Kanye songs/videos works for me. I normally don't like her any other time. Featured in any other artists music or even her own music. But just like in "Paranoid", it just works....

Watch this video sober. Unless you're never sober than watch it as you are. Just remember the key word is "lights". Don't get mad if your pupils go into hyperdrive.



Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

Well hello, Chromeo...

Being a kid born into the 80's (1979 to be exact), I took on a lot of what the 80's had to offer. From it's sitcoms & movies to it's clothing, hairstyles & make-up. So I love how within the past few years the lovely trends of the 80's made a slow & sweeping comeback. Although some of the 80's fantastic trends shoulda very well stayed in the 80's, one thing that I'm most pleased about that made a cameo into our modern day are the sounds... That funky, electronic revival heard in some artists beats like Gordon Voidwell & Peaches. Most recently I was introduced to a duo called Chromeo, by none other than my fellow Vegas musichead/cousin ;)

I immediately dug their sound. Made me wanna put on some white 1-inch heels, a jean skirt, sheer black nylons and tie my hair to the side with a teal scrunchy, teased to high-heaven! Not that I ever wore that kinda outfit or anything... ;)

So all those within my age category (or not, all are welcome), let's have an audio flashback shall we?



Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

Close your eyes. Are you extremely relaxed? Now count backwards starting with 10...

It was a $20 and under Christmas this year and my lovely lil sis totally listened to my Christmas list. As I was opening my gift(s) from her... set aside Grown Ups... set aside The Tell-Tale Heart... it was like it illuminated... N*E*R*D - Nothing. Been playing in my deck ever since. Although I woulda liked a couple more tracks on the album, it's still well worth the buy. Signature N*E*R*D sounds, signature Pharrell lyrics & vocals... And not a thing wrong with that. If it ain't broke, ain't gotta fix it.



Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

My mojo so dope/Bitch.

And on the day of my birthday a superb album dropped. None other than the Kid Cudder's second official studio sounds. I awaited to purchase, just in case someone was being thoughtful and gifted it to me. And what a surprise! My cousin, Jen, did! Unknowing that it dropped that day and only knowing that I love me some Cudi, she splurged on the deluxe edition. Happy as a clam, this pic says a thousand Cudi-words...



Giving Big Boi & Mayer Hawthorne a rest - Mr. Rager is currently in constant play...

Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

This Mayer has my vote!

For the past 2 weeks, I've been the busiest I've been in a long time. Exhaustedly busy (and it doesn't help that I've cut back on my coffee intake quite a bit)... So I'll go back to the weekend before my birthday, November 6 & 7.

November 6th - DJ Haircut at HG Lodge. Y'all don't know who DJ Haircut is? That's the splendid crooner, Mayer Hawthorne, in disc jockey form. And just as smooth his tunes & voice are, so goes his DJ set. I was out with my crew on this wonderful eve of Daylight Savings time and as half of my peeps retreated to my car, the other half (including me) stayed and enjoyed every minute of DJ Haircut's 2 1/2 hour set. Pretty tipsy thanks to my bestie, we Dougied and swayed back and forth on the wide-step stairs. Now I haven't swooned over a DJ's skills since Donald Glaude, but DJ Haircut has swiftly taken that cake...



November 7th - My bestest in the westest took me out to a pre-bday dinner & concert. Dinner at Cheesecake Factory - lovely. Show with Mayer Hawthorne & The County - lovelier. His opener was this upbeat, time-travelled from the 80's, Prince & The Revolution type of funk, performer by the name of Gordon Voidwell. I was movin' & groovin'. Y'all have got to get hip...

After Mr. Voidwell performed, shortly came out the Mayer and his County. I was in extreme delight. One of the best shows I've ever been to in my concert-attending life. He sang, he danced... the audience sang and danced. I was tinged for an entire week after his show. I couldn't get it out of my system. Especially after they left the stage and the audience went no where. Swiftly chanting his name, he came back out to do 3 more songs. One of which was my favorite, Strange Arrangement. It got me so sincere, even a big-haired, black lesbian noticed my clear eyes. (Ahaha! Inside joke, you had to have been there...) There are a handful of artists that I will not miss performing live and Mayer Hawthorne has quickly taken a spot in my hand.


Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

Pick your next move/You can leave or live with it...

It just wouldn't be Kanye if he couldn't create an extravaganza out of his music... And even though we may not understand half the shit he's portraying in this film, it's visually pleasing and you get to hear a mixture of some of his new music. And just a quick sidenote: you'll need a little over 30 minutes for this one... Enjoy.



Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO

deCYPHER this...

I no longer watch BET so obviously I didn't watch this year's BET awards. But for the past couple days, I haven't stopped hearing the buzz behind this year's BET Awards cyphers. What's a cypher you ask? 3-5 minute freestyle skits displaying the impeccable flows of some of Hip Hops greatest, and some underrated, artists. And this is the kinda shit that makes me stay in love with Hip Hop. The veterans can't be touched and the new kids are well on their way.

Wiz Khalifa | Bones Brigante | Yelawolf | Raekwon


OMG | Doughboy | Ice Cube | Diggy | JoJo | Rev Run


Pusha T | Big Sean | Cyhi Da Prynce | Common | Kanye West


Listen well
Be swell
And remember half the time I really 'Don't Give a Shit'

XO