Artist Spotlight: Jean Grae “You & Me & Everyone We Know”

I’ve been sitting in my swivel chair for the past two and one half hours figuring out how to follow-up a blog post featuring the music of someone as coiled-and sometimes flat-ironed follicled as Gwen Bunn. Her music is so intriguing that I have been compelled to repost Sunday’s blog three days after Sunday. If music were currency, this woman’s voice would be rich enough to feed a very small to medium-sized island.

While searching for something to rearrange my interests and inspire a new blog post, I stumbled upon Jean Grae’s new single off of her upcoming album “Cake or Death”. Is the title suggesting that this album eulogizes all women who have died from faulty butt implants? Probably not, but that would be interesting.

The track is titled “U & Me and Everyone We Know”. I presume the title is loosely based on the uncanny movie of the same name, directed by Miranda July.

Musically, this rocks my boat. Lyrically, it is a lament and may be the best soundtrack to friendships that are perpetually under construction.

“I still adore you, but you adore me theoretically”. Whoa.

Listen. Appreciate. Feed me back.

Artist Spotlight: Gwen Bunn

Nothing matches an undercooked bowl of oatmeal on a rainy morning than a nice glass of unfamiliar juice and alternative media that doesn’t cast Black men as eager consumers of Wal-Mart street booty.

Girl, catch ya breath.

This morning my oats and I watched instead, joshua bee alafia’s fourth episode of “Staying Together”–a web series that explores questions Black men and women have around relationships and intimacy. Each episode is closed David Chapelle style with a featured vocalist performing an original song around the theme of couples staying together. Musically, the fourth episode is my favorite. I was introduced to Lotus Love, two women who sound like oatmeal.

A very well-cooked bowl of oatmeal.

I have yet to come across a duo like this since Musiq Soulchild’s “Settle for Your Love” ft. Aaries.

I jumped into a quest for more music from these women. After watching their first and only video on their YouTube page, my flight fell short, and I landed upon the likes of Gwen Bunn.

This young woman immediately made a fan out of my disdain with contemporary R&B artists. Particularly the ones with ovaries. Gwen Bunn, 20 years old, hails from Berklee College of Music. Not only can the woman sang, she writes and produces. For all of those who have issues trusting the opinions of bloggers, here is a quick fact for you: Ryan Leslie shopped her a beat. An excellent songwriter in his own right, surpassing warm-oatmeal status, Leslie’s got to see something in this cropped Afro of a singer. I’m pretty certain if her lips were brushes, she’d give Basquiat something to run tell dat.

I’ve listened to her EP “The Verdict” over three times, with minor snack-breaks between. My favorite tracks are “A Baby”, “Right Now” and “Let Me”. However, I vouch for the first seven songs on her EP including a separate track titled “Do It For Me” which can be found here.

Enough of my flaccid review, here she is:

 

 

Short Post: I’m a Hater.

Once every forty to fifty-eight days, I become an avid hater of all things beautiful. Today is one of those days. Thanks to Facebook, I just might go to bed with even more of a bitter heart than I originally planned.

Contrary to what a virtual yogi may suggest, online status updates and photo albums depicting seemingly flawless lives of “friends” do not inspire me as often as they may intend. On some nights, like this one, I go into compare mode and contrast my reality to static images. This can’t be a good thing.

Facebook has a way of reminding me that I have baggage. I swore when I first picked up my tote, it was barely big enough to carry a frail looking dog.  After a few failed relationships, my baggage has enough capacity to fit a nomadic tribe of twelve. It has become not only a burden, but the bearer of spears, occasionally shot at love infused status updates. And teenagers who relentlessly hold hands. In public. As they upload photos of clammy palms onto their profile pages.

Perhaps, I need to take my co-worker’s advice and begin a daily regimen of taking multi-vitamins. I heard nutrients increase one’s energy, thus boosting overall cheer. We’ll see.

In the meantime, I am going to tuck my bags under my bed and prepare for work. I have two and three-quarters of an article left to read by tomorrow’s a.m. #notgoingtohappen.

…and since I am a single woman working on being more committed to things I want to be more committed to, I decided to at least show my blog some love. Thanks for bearing with me.

Signed,

The Grinch Who Stole Beautiful.

Waiting on Awkward.

I’m doing my best not to blog for the sake of blogging. However, I did make a promise to myself to blog every day, so long as my eyelids do not cave in by the time I make my way to the keyboard.

Tonight’s intent was to watch Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl Season Finale, but it’s nowhere to be found on the internets. So, the game-plan has switched and instead, I have found a link to a really cool blog. It’s super (insert poppy cultural adjective).

Follow this young man’s blog. After following mine, of course. Remember who sent ya!

Finding Rhythm Between These Sheets….

For anyone who’s been keeping abreast of this year’s blog posts, bear with me. I am trying to find a convenient rhythm and diversify my content so that it is not so monochromatic. (I.e. all about after-hours knee-knocking and stomach slapping).

My goal is to blog. One day at a time. Mostly about things that put a snuggie on my heart. However, it is past my bedtime and I have yet to brush my teeth. So today, I decided to keep this post short, and hit you with some grown up, semi-but-not-really-politicized art from a dater’s perspective.

Wait…this contradicts what I just said.

…and so it is. I am a human who retracts statements in less than two paragraphs and not-so-loosely titles her posts after sexual innuendos. Cue the Marvin Gaye and Lil’ Kim. As soon as I put on my grown woman drawers, I will re-post the photo and fully expose its text. Until then, I am going to zip myself up in a onesie and call it a night. Enjoy!