…Sometimes it snows in April…

Lost for words after hearing about Princes death…

D’angelos beautiful tribute to one of the late legends best songs ever “Sometimes It Snows In April” is achingly touching. One piano, one voice, and a Prince cover band, Princess featuring Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum performing the Wendy Melovin off Wendy & Lisa backing vocals part of the song…while being bathing in purple light…

 

Thank you Prince, D’angelo, Princess and Jimmy Fallon for sharing and spreading the beautiful words. Live 4 Love – Wish you heaven!

D’angelo the “Black Messiah” is back!

The greatest comeback of 2014
It took D’angelo 14 years of silence, between “Voodoo” released 2000 and his latest release “Black Messiah”, rush releases in December 2014, actually it almost passed us by. The album was rush released without any huge PR campaign, no big boards, no social media leaks. It´s just here in yer face, right here – right now – and it´s a helluva great comeback – a classic album from day one!

It´s the first to be credited to D’angelo And The Vanguards. His new band, and what a band!

“Black Messiah” sounds like a continuation of “Voodoo” taken 14 years into the future, without loosing it’s inspiration from the big ones from the past. “Black Messiah” shows the path into the future of nu-neo-soul. This is DEEP SOUL!

As earlier releases by D’angelo the shadow of Prince is found all over the album, but on the “Black Messiah” album we also get a large slice of George Clintons psyched out space funk. Guitars ripped off Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers and Eddie Hazel, even Jimi Hendrix here and there. The funk of Sly Stone, the political soul of Marvin Gaye and the political lyrics and falsetto of Curtis Mayfield. And we’re not forgetting Prince, because this album has also a track, just like “Voodoo”, that is more Prince than Prince has been the last years. «Another Life» is this years «Untitled (How Does It Feel)» both tracks is some of the best tracks Prince has never written, the track you have to double-check the liner notes twice a day!

D’angelos third album is embracing a huge handful of genres but is without doubt a soul album that’s instant funky,  dry like the deserts of Sahara and sweat like a long hot summers night at the same time, groovy as hell, smooth like butter, juicy jazzy, latin and sitar flirting rock and gospel bomb; Sometimes all at the same time!

The return of D’angelo
D’Angelo has had some tough years, his much written a about weight problem, his problem with coping with his own  success and his almost fatal car crash while on drugs, that almost killed him!

Musically Frank Ocean has almost been there on the fantastsit “Orange”, Beyonce has dipped her toes in the same eksperimental water with her self titled latest album, Miguel almost made it, Prince and his 3rd Eye Girl has tried, and revitalised the sound of Prince! But It’s cool to see how D’angelo collects all the loose threads from the aforementioned to create his third album. With “Black Messiah” does D’andelog dare to show his music colleagues how real soul should be done in 2014. The album and sound of “Black Messiah” will be a blueprint for how soul should sound in the future, without loosing it’s roots in the past!

The albums mighty production sounds 50% improvised and 50% produced. Everything sounds right. It’s a living proof that there is still place for the sound of D’angelo in a world were we questions the future of the album – and physical formats. This is album music, as album music should be released and listened to – at a whole, as a story, as a part of history – from first track – untill the finnished last track!

With their deep soul album «Black Messisah» shows D’angelo And The Vanguards that they live up to the album’s title as a saviour of soul music and that the long wait was worth it!

All of a sudden 14 years didn´t sound so long time ago. What perfect way to end the year!

LISTEN TO “BLACK MESSIAH” ON SPOTIFY – OR DOWNLOAD IT ON ITUNES HERE!

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New discovery: Lion Babe

What´s in a name? When it comes to Lion Babe the answer is everything!

The voice reminiscence of Eryka Badu´ism and a bit Beyonce´ish 
The body of Beyonce and the hair of Tina Turner in the mid 80s multiplied with 10
The sound of  Massive Attack meets D´angelo kinda like trip hop meets nu-soul

 

Fun fact;
According to the webpage BCK; Black Celebrety Kids Lion Babes singer, Jillian Hervey is the daughter of actress and singer Vanessa Williams of Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewife fame!

Lion Babe is a really nice package in disguised as a band; Fronted by singer Jillian Hervey and producer/musician Lucas Goodman

You can read and hear more and follow Lion Babe here:

LIONBABE.com
Twitter.com/lion_babe
Twitter.com/astro_raw (Lucas Goodman)
Twitter.com/jillonce (Jillian Hervey)
Facebook/Lion-BabeSoundcloud/lionbabe

Lion Babe is hot stuff! Grab pen and paper and take note of the name(s) at once!

The man with the golden voice: Daniel De Bourg

When you have a voice that sounds like a fine combination of Jamie Woon, Robin Ticke, Justin Timberlake and Drake – you know you got something really special.

If I had a voice like Daniel De Bourg I would really love to do what he does; do a capellas, remakes and covers and pay tribute to the artists I love, just like he does. What do you say about this list of artists? Prince, Justin Timberlake, D´angelo, Usher, Miguel, Trey Songz, Cee-Lo Green, and rappers like 50 Cent – and Lil Wayne. Even female artist like Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Adele and Lianne La Havas!.

Daniel De Bourgh actually does his own versions of all the best new and legendary performers out there. A real show off of who´s-who in soul, from nu-soul to funky and more danceable tracks.
He also does some of his own songs!

Did you know Daniel De Bourg has done one studio album 10 years ago, back in 2002 – and the last two years he has made three mixtapes. I haven´t heard his first album, but his three mixtapes have been played to death since the first time I heard them. All three mixtapes includes over three hours of music an a total of 60 songs all in all. You heard me right, 60 songs!

Maybe I should one day be making a mixtape of all the originals Daniel De Bourg covers and remakes. What do you think?

So who is this Daniel De Bourg?

He is from england, and another living proof that even white men got soul.
According to a wikipedia post about Daniel De Bourg, he has been a dancer and a model. After he had a knee injury he had to end his dancing career. During the year 2000 he started as a songwriter for other artist like Jamelia, and he worked with the late Heavy D – he even got at few tracks produced by bedrom-soul-king R. Kelly. His album that even entered the famous Billboard Charts. Then it all stopped – until 2007 when Daniel De Bourg entered the X-Factor, were he reached to be one of the last twelve – until he was eliminated by both the public and the judges.

Back in 2010 something really cool happened, Daniel De Bourg released his first mixtape, called “the DDB Mixtape Volume 1 – THE PRELUDE”. The album contained a great mix of covers and his own tunes, and this mixtape made him won an award for “Best R´n´B Mixtape 2010” at The Official “Mixtape Awards” at the start of 2011.
During the last 2 years he even released a second and until now third mixtape, In 2011 he released “The DDB Mixtape Volume 2 – THE BRIDGE” and in 2012 ” the third album The DDB Mixtape Volume 3 – OUTRO”. Rumor has it that Daniel De Bourg is now I the studio, working on his second official album!  

Would you like to check out Daniel De Bourgs mixtapes?
All three albums can be downloaded on Daniel De Bourgs Bandcamp page!

You can click the album covers to download the albums! 

Here´s some of the songs you´ll find on his fabulous mixtapes!

Alicia Keys “Sleeping With A Broken Heart” is a male response to her song of the same name.
The controversal “F*** You” by Cee Lo-Green is done in an all-vocal cover.
So is also the Prince classic “If I Was Your Girlfriend” from the legendary “Sign ´o´The Times” album.
Even Justin Timberlakes Prince-sque “Until The End Of Time” gets covered.
And while we´re talking about Prince, the “Purple Rain” sampled “Yo Side Of The Bed” by Trey Songz also has to be mentioned.
The last years queen-of-soul Adele and her songs “Rolling In The Deep” gets an a capella rework!
The already classic “How To Love” by Lil Wayne sounds really great in Daniel De Bourgs a capella soul arrangement.
You can move your feet to Enrique Inglesias “Tonite I´m Loving You”.
The smooth “Marvins Rooms” sounds great.
Musique Soulchilds “L.O.V.E” is actually that: love!
Latino indie jazz lady Lianne La Havas “No Room 4 Doubt”
And the first solo single from Frank Ocean “Swim Good” gets De Bourg-ified
Along with one of the last ten years greatest souls songs, D´angelos “Untitled (How Does It Feel) is done in a short edit.

Phew…and here I just mentioned 13 of the total 60 songs – the last 47 songs you can feel free to find out about yourself

Now you know what to do, check out Daniel De Bourgs music, read more and get to know him and his music through the following social media;
Like Daniel De Bourg on Facebook and Twitter make sure you check out his YouTube page – and last but not least, check out his music on Bandcamp

Happy listening!