Recently in music Category

Can I just say Maxwell is one of the coolest cats around? I loved him when he performed an Al Green tribute at the 2008 BET Awards. For those few minutes while he was on stage, I forgave BET for all their transgressions. Seriously. His performance, his suit, his cool shades, the shoes, the haircut. He was dope boy fresh, for real. He recently performed This Woman's Work and I thought I would share the youtube clip. I hope he really comes out with an album soon. All I know is that he likes to lurk on his MySpace account a lot. Otherwise, he keeps a low profile.



Also, D'Angelo is one of my favorite soul brothers who has been MIA. Read this great article in SPIN about the details behind his low profile/issues. It also sheds a little light on Maxwell's absence as well.

Breakups can be painful, but necessary. Listen to a breakup in four movements, if you will, on  my Muxtape.

Playlist:
Don't Speak - No Doubt
I Used to Love Him - Lauryn Hill
Stay With Me Baby - Shirley Brown
I'm Going Down - Mary J. Blige
Fool That I Am - Etta James
Halfcrazy - Musiq
In Repair - John Mayer
Free - Destiny's Child
Juciest - Alicia Keys
I'm Gonna Find Another You - John Mayer
Try Your Wings - Amel Larrieux
Just Fine - Mary J. Blige

You know the deal. This week's Exchange theme is Where I'm From: artists from your hometown (or as close as possible).



The Playlist:
Jen | Hip-Hop - Dead Prez
Panama | Kryptonite (I'm On It) - Purple Ribbon All-Stars
BK | Lifted - John Legend feat. J. Ivy
Sam | Heard It All Before - Sunshine Anderson
George | Don't See Us - The Roots
Liz | Orange County Girl - Gwen Stefani
Eyejammy | Everyday (Rudebwoy) - Kardinal Offishall feat. Ray Robinson
Marcia | I'll Bet You - Jackson 5
OJ | How to Survive in South Central - Ice Cube
Cye | Geen Verschil - U-Niq feat. Feis & Yootha
Ouxu | Insomnia - Pete Philly & Perquisite

Cop it:
Stream it on Muxtape & also available for download at Rapidshare.

About My Pick:
"Orange County Girl" is on Gwen Stefani's The Sweet Escape. I can't say this is my favorite Gwen track, but it fits the bill for this issue of The Exchange. Gwen and I are both from Orange County and the song is about OC so what more could you ask for? I may be originally from New Mexico, and (currently) live in Los Angeles, but I'm just an Orange County Girl living in an extraordinary world.

Tustin, stand up.

By the way, if you ever refer to Orange County as "The OC," you're a n00b. It is and will always forever be called "OC." Don't believe everything you see on TV.

Gwen's from Fullerton/Anaheim. If you really want to get hyperlocal on me, then check out Ill Phaness and his Strollin Wreckless crew. Ill Phaness is a friend of mine who lived across the street from me and we went to high school together. The (first half of the) first music video below was shot on my block. The second video was shot at my high school.
Buddy P, C-Sharp, Ill Phaness, & Kaliber - Active (Music Video)

"Little Bit" by Lykke Li is my new favorite song, especially that first verse. I love this music video, everything is shot and edited oh so lovely. Lykke Li's album Youth Novels drops in the states on August 19. 

Thanks to Boom for the reminder, and Clutch for the early look.

I have been slippin on my pimpin, slackin on my mackin. Two Exchanges have dropped and I haven't updated my blog with the new stuff. So, this will be your double header. Be prepared.

The Exchange 006: R.I.P.
Songs by the dearly departed


The Playlist:


About My Pick:
I love 2Pac. He was the first rapper I really became a fan of, and I think this track was my first favorite from him. It's thoughtful, and came at a time when people were giving gangsta rap a hard time. I miss 2Pac.

----
The Exchange 007: BIG
Favorite tracks by or featuring Notorious BIG.




The Playlist:

It's been a rough few weeks here at lizbdotscom. I've been everywhere doing everything, yet nowhere doing nothing. All at the same time. So, let me give an update to the few people who keep up with me on my pitiful little piece of cyberspace:

1. I've been consulting on the side. Yes, cheating on all of you! I am a web/social media/technology consultant. It's been fun so far, I have some super awesome great clients, and I have been learning so much. I love it. I will at some point launch a website for my consulting company. Right now, I am too busy doing the actual consulting work though.
2. I am working with a startup. Those in the inner circle already got my e-mail telling them what I am up to. I will announce more details here, shortly. I promise!
3. I went on "vacation"!! I put vacation in  quotes because it wasn't a true vacation, I was so busy! I was in DC,  for my dear sorority's 100 year anniversary celebration. Alpha Kappa Alpha worked it out in DC, ya'll! This was my second national convention since I was initiated six years ago. It was lovely--the little piece I saw of it. Truthfully, I couldn't take off enough vacation days to spend the whole time there, and I was in the middle of launching a site into beta while I was away. I did get some time to catch up with some of my prophytes, had a chapter reunion, saw some of my sands I haven't seen in years, met and hung out with a soror  who is an avid reader of VerySmartBrothas (I'll have to write a post on the experience of meeting your readers). I also spent some a lot of money on paraphernalia, and had the opportunity to spend some time with the BFF and his main squeeze. I still missed seeing some important people on this first round, but I think I am going to be back in DC in January, so hopefully I can finish the rounds then.
   
4. I snuck a quick trip (24 hours) to NYC while I was on "vacation."  Spent some time with some of my favorite people :) New York loves me, I tell you! I was in BK exiting a restaurant, when I heard somebody call out to me by my government name. Turns out one of my friends I hadn't seen in years was walking by and saw me. Crazy. I thought he was in LA this whole time, but turns out he had moved to NYC since we lost contact. An iPhone restore gone bad has erased his number from my phone tho! LOL.*sigh*
   
5. Let me not even go there with Apple right now. They deserve an entire entry over this whole new iPhone fiasco.
6. I've been in a grouchy mood lately, and I realized it's because I hadn't heard any new music (I haven't had time to look in my usual spots). I am back on the bandwagon though. Amanda Blank and The Cool Kids have revived me out of my funk. Check Amanda out on Santogold's "I'm A Lady," and take The Cool Kids' Bake Sale for a spin.
7. I recently gave a presentation called Blogging 101 for the local chapter of the NABJ. It was a great experience. Even though I have been blogging here and everywhere for the past five years, when you sit down to articulate your experiences and best practices to a new audience you realize there is an art to this whole blogging thing.

Now that everyone is thoroughly all up in my business, I think I'll shut up now. New blog tagline courtesy of The Cool Kids. 

Another week, another Exchange drop from the crew. This week our theme is JORGE!, because today is George's birthday!

The Playlist:

The new Exchange is up for the week. Let's pretend we were out on holiday last week. The theme is Summertime: tracks that make you think of summer.
Sam | ATLiens - Outkast

Listen Here:
Stream it on Muxtape
Download from Zshare

The Story Behind My Pick:
For the record, George and I must be separated at musical birth because I was going to pick the track he chose for this release (this keeps happening with us). I pretty much grew up in a household where secular music was never allowed, so my earliest favorite song was 1991's Summertime.

I remember I was at my grandparent's farm in New Mexico for the summer (as usual), and four of my cousins from Texas were also staying there for the summer. [Sidenote: don't ask me why my grandparents took in five grandkids for three months, but we were on a farm with lots of animals so there was tons of space--and work--to do.] I was introduced to secular music by my cousins, and Summertime happened to be the jam of the summer. I remember we spent a lot of time collectively listening to this track, memorizing the lyrics (knowing all the lyrics to a song was the ultimate form of freshness) by writing them down and arguing about what the Fresh Prince really said in that one line in the middle of the third verse.

However, since George took my first pick, my second pick is Motownphilly by Boyz II Men. Both tracks were released that summer, so Philly was reppin hard. I don't think we had satellite television, but I distinctly remember sweating the music videos for these songs. All five of us would crowd around the TV and study every move and scene, especially Motownphilly. I am pretty sure we put together a dance routine to Motownphilly as well. We used to do shows all the time for my grandparents, haha.

Those were the days. 

In my quest to procrastinate on things I should be taking care of, today I decided to switch up my Muxtape. The theme is CRUSHWORTHY: all the songs I love to listen to when I am in the middle of one of my schoolgirl crush obsessions moments.

I am a pro when it comes to having a crush. Trust.

Go listen.

Another week, another deck from The Exchange crew. This week our theme is Touch, giving you the songs that make you want to reach out and touch that special someone.

The Picklist:
George | Put it in Your Mouth - Akinyele
Marcia | Crown Royal - Jill Scott
Ouxu | Crush on You - Lil' Kim feat. Lil' Cease
OJ | I Pop - Trick Daddy
BK | If I Had You - Frankie
Eyejammy | I Wanna Do Somethin Freaky To You - Leon Haywood
Sam | Feel Like F**kin - Plies
Jen | Seems Like You're Ready - R. Kelly
Liz | Slowly - Tank
Cye | G-Spot - Wayne Marshall

Don't Take My Word For It:
Download the stack.
Stream it on Muxtape.

About My Pick:
"Slowly" by Tank. I love Tank. When Jamie Foxx came out with his last album, I said it sounded like a Tank album. Come to find out they're BFF's of some sort. Force of Nature was my album jam for one of those summers in college. I am a sucker for an R&B man singing his heart out, and Tank came through for me with this track. I might have to give Force of Nature a spin today!