Chances are you have already heard some of V V Brown's work. The British singer-songwriter's material has been featured on primetime shows including Cougar Town, Vampire Diaries and CSI: New York. Brown's debut, Travelling like the Light, features the soulful, retro sound Amy Winehouse brought back to the mainstream.
The set's highlight is lead single "Shark in the Water," but Brown finds her groove with the slower numbers "Back in Time," "I Love You" and the title track. This does not discount the upbeat "Leave!" or "Bottles." The solid Travelling like the Light is out now exclusively on iTunes.
On "Hungover" Ke$ha sings, "every song is out of tune." Based on her debut bow, Animal, she should be singing, "every song is Auto-Tuned." Ke$ha landed on the top of the charts with her album and first solo single, the unavoidable all-night party anthem "TiK ToK." The blonde starlet came into prominence delivering the hook on Flo Rida's "Dead or Alive," which samples the hit "Right Round." Ke$ha's "Blah Blah Blah" and "Your Love Is My Drug" also quickly stampeded into the top 40.
Her witty lyrics focus on drinking and meeting boys, making Ke$ha seem like a second-rate Lily Allen. She even welcomes the premature comparisons to Lady Gaga. But her dependence on Auto-Tuned vocals throughout Animal makes me suspect that Ke$ha will be remembered as the party girl from the Black Eyed Peas era.
In the video for "Get away with Murder," Jeffree Star sports a hot neon pink wig, an eye patch and some impressive boots. Go ahead, do a double take. It is not Pete Burns from Dead or Alive. Star's debut full-length, Beauty Killer, has catchy pop gems, but with a dark electro twist.
"Electric Sugar Pop" is exactly what it says it isan electric sugary pop ditty. Does Star write for Star? On "Bitch, Please!" the queer Internet sensation cleverly calls out the tabloid's favorite celebrities. Star has a reality-TV show as well as a cosmetics line in the works. Beauty Killer is out now on Popsicle Records.
I know I am late on the band wagon for this one, but Chromeo has a white-hot single with "Night by Night." It has elements of funk, electro and rock. In homage to the pioneering funk band Zapp & Roger, Pee Thug has a tube in his mouth to funk up his vocals in the video clip. "Night by Night" will be on the Canadian duo's forthcoming album due out this summer.
Despite an inspiring four-decade-plus career, Marcella Detroit might be best known for being the soprano vocalist on Shakespears Sister's sole stateside top 10 hit, "Stay," from 1992. In the '70s and '80s she was Eric Clapton's back-up singer and co-wrote "Lay Down Sally." She even made a cameo on Absolutely Fabulous, singing "Oh Happy Day" when Edina hallucinates that she is in heaven.
In 2002, I first met Detroit at Pride in Las Vegas. Since then I have seen her rocking it out at Bluesfest, Fitzgerald's and The Old Town School of Folk Music. It is a joy to find such a talented, personable artist.
Now, Detroit is a contestant on the British talent show Pop Star to Opera Star. Having done rock, pop, blues and dance music, it is fantastic seeing Detroit flourish in a new genre. During the competition, the Los Angeles-based Detroit is her own toughest critic, as she continues to wow the judges and audience alike. Unfortunately, the show is airing only overseas, but clips can be found on YouTube.
Need to spice up the soundtrack for Valentine's Day with something other than the usual standbys, like Sade and Maxwell? Shout! Factory has a new compilation The New Jazz Divas. The spirit of the great Ella Fitzgerald is summoned on Madeleine Peyroux's "Instead." Lizz Wright contributes the Sade-worthy "A Taste of Honey." The cool-cat persona comes to life thanks to Melody Gardot's sultry slow-burner, "Worrisome Heart." And no female jazz compilation would be complete without Grammy darling Diana Krall, who is singing "Temptation" here. While Esperanza Spalding's "I Adore You" and The Tierney Sutton Band's "Happy Days Are Here Again" may not nurture a romantic mood, they make this set well-rounded.
As we have seen with raising funds after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2004 tsunami, musicians once again come together in aid of Haiti.
DJBooth.net culminates 26 tracks by multiple artists for the mixtape Rhymes & Rhythm for Relief to benefit the humanitarian organization CARE. Over 100 musicians submitted material for consideration. For a minimum donation of $5, the compilation can be downloaded at djbooth.bandcamp.com/album/rhymes-rhythm-for-relief.
It has been 25 years since an elite ensemble of artists like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen united for the charitable record "We Are the World." Now, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are recruiting another generation of pop singers for a new version of "We Are the World" to help raise funds and awareness for Haiti related relief efforts. The updated take was recorded the day after the Grammys. It has been reported that Taylor Swift was not be there, so no need to worry about an awkward encounter with that diva, Kanye West.