MMIM fave Anthony David is back at it again. Check out his new single Let Me In which will appear on his upcoming album As Above, So Below slated to hit stores this fall courtesy of Rolling Mojo and Purpose Music Group.
* Track courtesy of Gypsy Soul/Rolling Mojo/ Purpose Music Group.
Our friends at Gypyy Soul are turning one. Be sure to come out tomorrow and celebrate at Tealove. Details are below.
Check out the latest single from soul singer Calvin Richardson, entitled A Woman’s Gotta Have It. This track in addition to bonus track American Dream, will featured on his upcoming LP “Facts Of Life” which is slated to be released on August 25th. Both tracks are refreshing and he sounds amazing.
Time and time again rap groups fade away, but those with a strong foundation like Detroit’s own Slum Village are often hard to dissolve. My Mood is Music had the pleasure of speaking with T-3 from Slum Village where he discusses the group’s upcoming album, their role on the Rock the Bells Tour, upcoming projects, and much more. This group is anything, but tainted yet actually refined as they continue to uplift the legacy of J. Dilla by delivering quality music.
MMIM: Your website refers to Slum Village as a “liquid association” with members coming and going during the group’s evolution. Can you tell our readers what the current state of Slum Village is?
T3: The current state of Slum Village ( Laughs). It’s me Elzhi and Baatin.
MMIM: What about Illa J? (J Dilla’s brother)
T: He has helped us with a couple of songs.
MMIM: What is Slum Village currently doing to keep the J Dilla legacy alive?
T3: We are on the Rock the Bells Tour and it started about three weeks ago. We are also getting ready to drop a new album.
MMIM: Speaking of the new album. Your current single with Marsha Ambrosius, Cloud Nine we really like it.
T3: Oh okay, thanks.
MMIM: The album is called Villa Manifesto correct?
T3: Yes
MMIM: What can we expect to see from you all on this album?
T3: Well you will see all three members on this album, which is good. Baatin brings a lot of flavor to the pot, since he has a lot of character. This album will let people know what we have been doing for the last four years since we’ve dropped an album. It’s a real nice album. We are about to shoot the video for our single, Cloud Nine. However, before we shoot the video for that we are doing a skit, which is hilarious. We are shooting that next week where Baatin will be singing and rapping, so definitely be on the lookout for that. The skit is still untitled, but it’s exciting because our fans will see us three together again.
MMIM: Nice! So how do you all plan to release that. Will it be through different online channels?
T3: Yea just online. We want to release it virally, but the skit will definitely be on the album. The skit was produced by Kareem Riggins, who also did our Tainted track.
MMIM: I love the Tainted track, and how you all collaborated with Dwele.
T3: Dwele is actually directing the video for us, so it should be pretty dope.
MMIM: We are looking forward to seeing that and sharing it with our readers.
Click on more to see the rest of this interview…
MMIM and Gypsy Soul are giving away tickets to see Jaspects and Julie Dexter live in concert. We will choose one lucky winner for a pair of tickets to catch this amazing show.
Click on more for contest details.
(more…)
MMIM had the chance to sit down and chat with one of music’s best kept secrets – Russell Taylor. Check out the interview with this Philly native who labels his sound as “Progressive-Soul” and let us know what you think.
MMIM: How are you?!?! It’s nice to finally speak with you.
RT: I’m great! I’m in Los Angeles right now. I’ve had meetings all day today and I shoot a video tomorrow. So I’ve been going non-stop, so I’m glad that we finally get a chance to sit down and speak.
MMIM: Wow so you have been pretty busy…anything else you are currently working on?
RT: Well the album is done now. I’m just working on promotion and my life is pretty much consumed with that right now.
MMIM: You are talking about the upcoming album “Confessional” right?
RT: Yep! That’s right.
MMIM: So tell us about this album and how its different from the last?
RT: Well the first album, I didn’t write each song to be for one project. I just wrote the songs and kind of put them all together because it was the first CD I ever did by myself. And also I didn’t know much about putting a record out on my own and everything that goes into it – from writing to the proper way of recording it, and getting it mixed. So it was really like a bunch of songs that I put together that just made sense. And with this album, “Confessional” I wrote every song to be apart of one body of work. To say all the things that people should say but we don’t.
MMIM: Hmmmm, nice…so for the people who do not know who you are, how would you describe your music and sound?
RT: It’s like a progression. The first album would be Emo-Soul. I’m a soul singer and my first love is performing. So I like to get the emotions going whether you are sad or happy or in love or pissed. So that would explain the first record. And for this upcoming album, I like to think of it as a progression so I would call it progressive-soul. So I don’t stick into one type of genre. I have a couple of rocks tunes in the albums, some pop-ish tunes, slow music and session (live) songs but the one common thread is soul. So right now I would label my music as progressive soul.
MMIM: So can you say that a lot of your writing comes from something that you are going through at the moment or does it naturally come to you? Where does the inspiration come from?
RT: Some songs just come to me. I keep a journal throughout the day and write stuff down as it comes to mind. And some stuff comes from my own shit that I go through and some stuff comes from when you are talking to friends and listening to situations that they are going through.
MMIM: So who are your favorite artists that are out right now?
RT: As far as mainstream, I love The Dream. His album is the shit! (laughs)
Click on more to see the rest of the Interview
(more…)
Gypsy Soul and Briclyn Entertainment bring music fans the long awaited Ear Candy Chronicles Volume 1 (ECC), mixed by DJ Phaze. This mix tape is an off shoot of the Ear Candy live series which is Gypsy Soul’s fresh approach to listening parties. With a simplistically sultry atmosphere that encourages the digestion of good music, good food and good conversation. Ear Candy allows fans to experience rare moments as they get to know the artists they love while introducing new comers to artists they are sure to fall in love with. Some of the artist include W. Ellington Felton, Yahzarah, Jaiden The Cure, and Jaspects.
There are only 50 free downloads so make sure you get your copy! Volume 2 and 3 coming soon.
MMIM had the delectation to interview Andwele Gardner better known as “Dwele.” This talented artist is an R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. Dwele began honing his songwriting at a young age. It was inevitable that growing up in ‘Motown City’ would guide him towards music.
“The Rize,” which was his demo tape, captured the attention of many, and subsequently began his collaboration with such artistry as Slum Village. Dwele then released his debut mainstream album “Subject” in 2003 and thereafter released his sophomore album “Some Kinda” in 2005.
Dwele’s third studio album “Sketches of A Man” was released June 24, 2008 and the first single “I’m Cheatin” was previously featured on MMIM and is currently making a buzz on radio as well as the web.
MMIM: So who is Dwele?
Dwele: I like anything that has to do with creativity and expression.
MMIM: When did you first know that you wanted to sing?
Dwele: I think it was less me knowing that I wanted to sing more when I was about eleven or twelve. I was real young when I found that music comes from what happens in everyday things so that’s what I write as well.
MMIM: Do you have any musical influences?
Dwele: I’m influenced by so many greats, I listen to a lot of Nadia, Stevie, Marvin Gaye, Roy Ayers, I listen to a lot of Roy Ayers.
MMIM: So what was it like growing up in ‘Motown City’ Detroit?
Dwele: It was cool you know, it was cool. My moms and my pops always had get togethers at the house; it’s always a party house. So, that music was always playing, music was in my earlobes growing up, so it was always there. I was always that cat that didn’t want to go to sleep and wanted to sneak downstairs and be underneath the table and try to sip some of the beer suds off of the empty beer cans, you know. That was me, that’s what I was doing so you know I was always around that music.
MMIM: “Sketches of A Man” I, for one, love that project. What influenced you on this current masterpiece you have here?
Dwele: I’m influenced by everything, life situations, I always write from that. You know things that I’ve gone through, things that I see my people going through, that’s what I write about. You know, I try to relate to people. I try to talk about things that people can relate to. That’s what influenced me on this one.
MMIM: What’s in the future for Dwele?
Dwele: Who knows? Who knows, two or three weeks from now I could be an actor. I could be a comedian, you know what I’m saying. I could be a rapper. Who knows, that’s the beautiful thing about this business, you know, it opens up a lot of different doors for you to do whatever it is that you’re feeling. But right now, I enjoy being an artist.
MMIM: Wonderful, we’re enjoying it as well.
MMIM: Well how can your fans reach you?
Dwele: They can check for me at dwele.net. There’s a message board on there. Also myspace.com/dwele. Check out tour schedules, post crazy pictures and crazy videos. You know what I’m saying, have fun on MySpace, so definitely check me there.
