In anticipation for the release of their highly anticipated upcoming album, Nu Revolution, French duo Les Nubians have released a video to the track “Veuillez Veiller Sur Vous Reves” (that’s French for “Don’t Let Your Dreams Fall Asleep) featuring French MC John Banzaï.

Nu Revolution is slated to be released in April and features, among others, a track with Blitz the Ambassador (!!!!!!!!!!!!!). The pair’s US tour kicks off March 17th in Washington, DC and ends in May in San Diego. See below for tour dates.

March
17- Washington, DC @ La Maison Francaise
18- Washington, DC @ La Maison Francaise
April
21- Philadelphia, PA @ Kimmel Center for Performing Arts
29- New York, NY @ BB King’s
May
14- Chicago, IL @ The Shrine
17- Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
18- Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
19- San Francisco, CA @ Yoshi’s (2 shows)
20- San Francisco, CA @ Yoshi’s (2 shows)
22- San Diego, CA @ Anthology

Peace,

Radio M.

The post Les Nubians – Veuillez Veiller Sur Vous Reves appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

The past 48 hours have been an adventure for Los Angeles based trio KING. Questlove happened upon their music serendipitously on Twitter, and as to be expected, when tweeted by an artist and celebrity of this caliber followers followed suit and followed KING. Now with over 1,000 followers, the talented group have won over people with their dreamy, yesteryear sounding blend of soul and R&B.

Made up of twin sisters Amber and Paris Strother and Anita Bias, the three not only wrote all of the songs on their debut EP, The Story, Paris showcased her musical prowess by producing all of it. That makes me happy; the sound of their EP, The Story, is all theirs – the vocals, the songwriting, the arrangement.

As if that’s not impressive enough, the three women filmed their music video and created all of the artwork. Over achievers? I ain’t complaining. They took DIY to a whole other level and for that, I approve.

Here’s “The Story” off of KING’s eponymous debut EP:

The post KING (@wearekingmusic) – The Story appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Electro-soul duo Belle Boussole have teamed up with, erm, me, Stephanie “Radio” Morillo, to create a song about love and lust underneath streetlights. The tune, “Midnight Aria” was co-written by Bryan McGurn and I, and features Belle Boussole’s decadent soul-infused funk pop music as well as my penchant for dramatic lyrics and jazzy vocals. It was a match made in chocolate heaven – speaking of which, “Midnight Aria” is available for FREE download (below), so make sure you get your copy and send it along to your better half along with flowers and chocolates. Did I mention Belle Boussole has a track called “Chocolate Cake” off of their 2010 debut album? Now you see why we both teamed up to make a record.

Here’s “Midnight Aria” by Stephanie Morillo and Belle Boussole:

The post Stephanie Morillo & Belle Boussole – Midnight Aria appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Malaysian R&B/soul singer Najwa Mahiaddin is widely known as an artist with exceptional musicianship. Just recently she performed at the “Dimanakan Ku Cari Ganti: Satu Indiepretasi” event, commemorating the contributions of iconic Malaysian artist P. Ramlee to the national culture. A student at the International College of Music, Najwa’s been delighting Malaysian audiences for years but has not rushed into releasing and heavily promoting recorded material; instead, she has been taking the time to hone her craft and changes in her style have been noted. Either way, her voice is definitely what we need on a dreary, New York City day. And any other day, for that matter.

Here’s Najwa Mahiaddin’s “Your Love”:
Your Love (Live at NBT) by najwa.

Peace,
Radio Morillo

The post Introducing Najwa Mahiaddin (@najwamahiaddin) appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Vanessa Fernandez is known in her native Singapore as a DJ for radio station 987fm as well as being a singer with a powerful, versatile voice. She’s been making her name in the local scene, giving her the opportunity to work with different producers and musicians and honing in on her sound.

Here’s what Vanessa has to say about her journey from music to radio and back again:

Radio Morillo: Tell us a little bit about your journey to making music.

Vanessa Fernandez: I grew up singing in the choir. When I was 12 a couple of friends from choir and I entered a Girl Groups talent competition on TV called “Rollin Good Times”, singing 50s songs and we won. That was when I realized I wanted to do it professionally. When I was 16 I was in a school musical, which led to me joining The Singapore Repertory Theatre. I kept performing on stage and at random club venues and at 18 became part of a hip-hop group called Urban Xchange. We fronted a Coca-Cola campaign and went on to make 2 albums. Couple years later we changed our name to Parking Lot Pimp and the hip-hop took on a slightly rockier edge when we released our album Welcome to Our Frequency. The group disbanded in 2006 and that’s when I joined radio, still continuing to do the odd singing gigs here and there. I tried writing my own stuff but I don’t think I was ready to go solo. Finally last year I decided to get back to making music because it was time and I felt I was ready both in my heart and as an artist.

RM: How long have you been a DJ in radio? Did you ever foresee yourself on radio?

VF: Funnily enough I was first on radio promoting that musical I did at 16 and that was when a veteran DJ told me I should think about becoming one! I did radio in school when I was in a Mass Communication course but it never really interested me. I initially went into radio because I needed to make a living and I thought it was perfect because it was still in the music industry somewhat, and the hours were flexible. It’s been almost 4 years and I’ve grown to really love it.

RM: What opportunities have come about professionally because of your radio career?

VF: Well, I get to meet and talk to celebrities, although no huge collaborations have come out of that. Although thanks to the fact that my colleagues know I sing, I recently got the chance to duet with an Italian crooner named Patrizio Buanne because our sister station Gold 90fm was promoting his concert. Because I’ve built up my reputation over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of the best musicians in the scene here.

RM: What kind of music/show do you produce on 987fm?

VF: 987fm is a commercial hit radio station so we play a lot of current popular music. The show I do is called AM Jam and I just got a new partner, Divian. AM Jam’s silly yet intelligent, light-hearted but informative, and we do crazy challenges with each other. The other day Divian made a concoction of squashed tomatoes, butter, raw eggs and 8 MEAL WORMS which I ate, live on air. It was gross!!!

RM: Who are your musical influences?

VF: When I was a kid, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson. I used to practice Mariah’s runs til I could do them – could never hit the notes she did though! when I was a teenager I was into a lot of folk and rock – Alanis Morisette, Jewel, Silverchair, Oasis. As I got older and began to define my style more I was very much inspired by D’Angelo, Maxwell, India Arie for their style and John Mayer for his writing. Lately I’ve been getting inspired by 50s and 60s soul – The Supremes, Aretha Franklin.

RM: Do you write and produce your own music?

VF: I write my melodies and lyrics. Sometimes a situation inspires a few lyrics, which I put a melody to and I’ll do a rough demo then take it to a producer friend, Don Richmond, who works on the beat and gives me advice on style. Sometimes a producer will play me a beat and I’ll hear a melody and then write lyrics to it. I also like to do acapella covers, which is another way to express myself creatively. I’ll hear a song and I’ll think, hmmm, I could do it this way, and then I’ll record it.

RM: Do you write and perform your songs before you record it in a studio, or do you write and record material first before performing?

VF: Mostly the latter.

RM: How often do you perform?

VF: I used to have a regular pub gig every week, twice a week for a period of time, but that’s stopped recently. I do a couple shows here and there too – keeps me from getting complacent!

RM: How would you describe your music?

VF: Sexy soulpop.

RM: What kinds of responses have you received from your radio audience (about your songs)?

VF: People are very sweet. Radio is incredibly supportive of my music. They’ve always played any song I’ve given to them. A lot of people didn’t know I was a singer when I first started radio but that’s slowly changed over the past couple of years and I’ve never had someone say anything mean to me about it. They’re generally really nice and positive!

RM: What does success in the music industry look like to you?

VF: Doing projects that are challenging and feel true to who I am as an artist. Having a creative online space where I can share music and life with people who care and I care about.

***

Here’s “Love Me Crazy” by Vanessa Fernandez:

Peace,

Radio M.

The post Interview with Vanessa Fernandez appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

If one had to chart some points in the history of electric-soul duo Belle Boussole, these might stick out: a love of music-making (Bryan), happening upon a music career on accident (Nicole), a marriage (Bryan and Nicole) and a move to New York.

Belle Boussole’s Bryan McGurn and Nicole McGurn came to music through different avenues but their musical compatibility is undeniable; they create soulful and electronic-infused melodies that put them in the same categories as dance pop bands like Jamiroquai, Madison Avenue and Deee-Lite. Though these bands had their heyday in the ’90s, Belle Boussole’s music sounds timely without sacrificing melodies. Today’s dance, pop, and electronic music can hardly be praised for the originality or complexities of their melodies; in fact many acts have stopped writing melodies altogether and settle for “beats” and noises that are cut and pasted.

We recently interviewed Belle Boussole about their musical influences, their backgrounds and the process of making their album:

Radio Morillo: Can each of you briefly describe how you got to where you are musically?
Bryan McGurn: The road has been long and dusty!  I’ve been playing guitar in bands since I was a teenager.  Being a guitarist I was naturally drawn to the blues and other roots music forms along with all the popular music I was listening to at the time.  I always, however, had a parallel music track running which was a love of electronic music.  This started with early ’80s electro-pop, and then carried through New Wave, to Industrial, to Rave/House in the early ’90s.  In the mid ’90s while living in Hong Kong I was exposed to acid jazz, which to me was the perfect blend of the rootsy, jazzy music which I had explored while learning to play guitar with the club sounds that I had, up to that point, thought of as being quite separate.

Nicole McGurn: I’ve always been a big fan and lover of music, but never thought I’d pursue making music myself.  I took piano and saxophone lessons as a kid and sang in the school chorus in 7th and 8th grade, but that was about as serious as I got with music in my young life.  I could always sing along with my favorite songs and knew all the words to songs on the radio, but I though everyone could do that.  Through Bryan’s encouragement, I sort of discovered my own singing voice and realized I was capable of writing my own songs.

RM: Where are you from? How long have you been in the New York City area?
BB: We both grew up in Morris County, NJ, approximately 50 miles West of Manhattan.  Our towns actually bordered one another although we didn’t meet until we started working for the same company after college.  We lived in Hoboken, NJ for about 7 years before moving up to New Paltz, NY in the Hudson Valley.

RM: What’s the inspiration behind the name “Belle Boussole”?
BB: Belle Boussole means “beautiful compass” in French.  Since a compass is a tool used to find direction, we liked the idea of our music giving us a beautiful direction in life. We also like the way the words sound together…kind of  like a play on words even if you don’t know what the words mean, bringing to mind “soul” music.

RM: What are your musical inspirations?
BB: We are inspired to make music by places we’ve traveled, situations we’ve experienced, other music that we’ve listened to, and vibes that we enjoy.  Musically, we’re inspired by many musicians and groups: Jamiroquai, The Brand New Heavies, Steely Dan, The Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, Astrud Gilberto, Chic, Freddy King, Ronny Jordan, Stevie Nicks, Gladys Knight, Sade, etc.

RM: When did you start making music?
Bryan:  I’ve been writing music for about as long as I’ve been playing guitar, but hadn’t written anything that I believed in until recently.  I think that the reason for this is partially that, a few years ago, I went back to school and completed a Music degree in Jazz Studies.   Ever since I became hip to acid jazz while living in Hong Kong I’ve wanted to imitate those sounds both as a guitar player and compositionally as a writer, but didn’t have either the writing or the playing chops to do so.  Now I feel that I’ve bridged that gap and can create compositions the way I hear them in my head.  Also, writing with Nicole has really been fantastic.  She has an incredible ear for melody and phrasing.

Nicole:  I wrote my first song just over 2 years ago, it’s called “Hard Rock” and appears as the last song on our album.  Bryan had been encouraging me to explore the musical talent he saw in me but that I didn’t really see in myself at the time.  So he said I should try to write a song.  I sat down at the piano and over the course of a week or so, that song emerged. Then we began collaborating on songs together, Bryan would come up with chord progressions and I’d develop the vocal melodies and harmony parts.

RM: What are your day jobs?
Bryan: Since graduating college I have worked as a software engineer with a few different companies.  I left my day job about a year ago, however, to get this album completed, and hopefully use it to start forging a career in music.  I attended an Audio Engineering trade school during summers while in college and worked for a while at a recording studio in Soho, NYC.  During that time I got to work with some top NYC producers and learned many of the skills which I’ve hopefully employed on the recording of the Belle Boussole album.  Apart from pushing this album because we love these songs and want people to hear them, I also hope the album will serve as a portfolio for me find other work in the music industry.

Nicole: I work as a data and reporting analyst for a well known culinary school in New York City.  Music is my creative outlet and alternative to cranking out spreadsheets.

RM: What does success in the music industry mean to you?
Bryan: For me, to be successful in the music industry means to be able to sustain a career in music.  I want very much to become better at playing, writing, producing, programming, marketing and everything else musical that I do in the process of creating music and trying to share that music with others.

Nicole: Success in music would be to find our audience and connect with them and create songs that capture the sound and vibe that we love…and financially be able to sustain it without having to keep a day job.

RM: Explain the process of making this album. Are you releasing it independently?
Bryan: Yes, the album has been released independently on my label, Wanderlust Sound.  We’re using CDBaby for physical distribution of CDs and all the major digital retailers for digital distribution.  In terms of writing, the album contains songs that Nicole has written, songs that I’ve written, and songs that we’ve collaborated on.  Basically the process is that we flush out the chords and lyrics first, and then I’ll start creating beats, guitar, bass, and synth accompaniment.  For those who are nerdy about production tools, I use Propellerhead’s Record/Reason software for everything!  We recorded just about everything in our pretty minimal home studio, and mixed right on the laptop.  We did send the mixes out to be professionally mastered.

RM: What advice do you have for other independent artists balancing a day job and their musical endeavors?
Bryan: Become a sponge for information.  With the new world of Music 2.0, gone are the days of the artists who had major support from labels with regard to getting the music produced, recorded, registered with PROs, marketed, distributed, etc.  Indie musicians now need to do all of this and more.  It’s easy to become overwhelmed as I do just about every day, but don’t be afraid to ask people who are a few steps ahead of you career-wise for help on EVERYTHING!

—

Here’s a FREE download of Belle Boussole’s song “Free Tonight”. You can purchase Belle Boussole’s debut album on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Peace,

Radio M.

The post Interview with Belle Boussole appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Here’s one fresh out the inbox. New York City-based chanteuse Yvette Rovira is gearing up to release her eponymous debut album this August. The Berklee College of Music graduate delivers an infectious and sophisticated blend of funk, R&B and pop. It’s exactly what we need for a summer weekend.

Here’s “Let’s Go Out Tonight” by Yvette Rovira:

Happy Friday,

Radio M.

The post Introducing Yvette Rovira appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

You can peep two new tracks below. “You and I” and is a crazy power-rock anthem with crazy guitars and crazy synths while the other, “On time” is an infectious, dancy, electro-pop jam that I’m pretty sure you will be singing over and over.

enjoY!

The Disco Biscuits – On Time

The post The Disco Biscuits Set to Release New Album, Planet Anthem, in March appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Silhouette Brown fuses jazz, soul, and hip hop into  head-nodding groove that is hard to escape. Their production work is spot on and you can really hear all the different instruments in the tracks. Their sound is further augmented by the  distinctive, powerful/beautiful soul vocals of Lady Alma who has appeared on many club classics over the years. (Dee Sylk 130’s “When the Funk Hits the Fan” to Soul Dahmma’s “Happy” and 4hero’s “Hold it Down.”)

Silhouette Brown is set to release their latest album, Two, on February 8th, but you can check out two tracks from the album below.

enjoY!

Silhouette Brown – Leave A Note
Silhouette Brown – Constant Questions

The post Silhouette Brown appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

My friend put me on to this mixtape from ATL (Atlanta for the un-educated)  producer Bobby Ray. Not usually a fan of these kinds of mixtapes, but this guy has some dope beats, and vocals (he both sings and raps on the 22 track tape).  It is a concept mixtape titled B.O.B vs Bobby Ray, which apparently puts his  singing side against, his emcee side.

He does both quite well, and produced most of the beats on the tape. What I really like about this album is that his music is very accessible to the mainstream (read: tons of pop), more so than I would ever have thought. His melodies/hooks are catchy, the sounds tight, and you can tell he had a lot of fun making it. Some tracks to check out are “Goodnight,  “No Mans Land,” Voltage and “Change Gonna Come”

You can download it for free from here

enjoY!

B.O.B – Voltage (Feat. Playboy Tre & Mickey Factz)

The post New Mixtape: B.O.B Vs. Bobby Ray appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Oakland producer Joe Burge is here to seduce you with his smooth, silky R&B/soul tracks. He started playing piano when he was eight years old and along the way picked up guitar and bass. A few years later his parents buy him a 4 track and a drum machine– the rest is history.

With this passion to bring his sound to the masses, Mr. Burge has thus far released 2 EPs (one of which you download for free from his website) as well as his debut LP, Dare Go Wrong. In a true one-man band style, he plays all the instruments, while composing, producing, and engineering the entire thing.

The first thing you will notice while listening to him is his voice. It has a very R&B tone that is very sensual and romantic. (I’m sure a few of his songs have made the ladies drops their pants) With lyrics that are creative, smart and very heart-felt, he delivers his melodies in a laid back way that adds this smooth gloss over the whole track. The music, for the most part is very smooth an jazzy with drippings of R&B/Soul styling. You’ll find electric pianos, groovy bass lines lines and throwback drum patterns that fit together quite well for a unique vibe/style.

Overall I’d have to say that his music is baby-making music, the type of music you play for a girl on date when your trying to impress her– The music that will most likely get you laid. Wine not included

enjoY!

Joe Burge – Still On Your Mind

The post Introducing: Joe Burge appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Her voice is so amazing and smooth and fits perfectly with the loungy beat. This song proves talent never disappears.

The post Music Video: Sade – Soldier Of Love appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Karina Pasian first hit the soundwaves in spring of 2008 with the single “16 @ War” off of her Grammy-nominated debut album, First Love. In anticipation for her sophomore album, this young chanteuse has blessed us all with a free download of her new song called “Perfectly Different”. Karina does best when accompanied by few instruments; the song is all about the vocal melody and a subdued rhythm. We don’t hear many R&B jams like this these days and it’s a welcome change when artists bring it back to basics. It goes without mentioning, however, that she actually has the chops to make “back to basics” possible and achievable.

Click HERE to download “Perfectly Different” by Karina.

peace and love,

bixo

The post Free Download: Karina Pasian – Perfectly Different appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Real simple. They are called NewDay, a band from Brooklyn made up of Devon “D.E” Johnson and Antonio “TONE” Husband. They have an urban-pop style/top 40 type sound.

“She’s Hollywood” is the their new single off The Distortion Project Album.

Pretty catchy if you ask me.

enjoY!

NewDay – She’s Hollywood

The post Check It: NewDay – She’s Hollywood appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

The Knocks seem to be an up and coming production duo cranking out track after track. With originals and remixes floating around the blog-o-sphere, they have teamed up with NYC artist Samuel to produce a track which is a re-working of Ellie Goulding‘s track, “Starry Eyed”

The track has this very R&B Top 40 pop feel to it. Soft and mellow, but upbeat when is needed. If this is what The Knocks have up their sleeve, they are definitely ones to lookout for in the future.

Samuel will be spending the month of September finishing up his yet to be titled debut album on Startime/Columbia Records with The Knocks

EnjoY!

Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding Cover Produced By The Knocks)

The post Samuel – Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding Cover) appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Tabi’s rhymes are fresh, and his beats are crisp. He tends to do a lot of “studder” type vocals in his productions. Its not your usual hip hop which i like. Check out a track from Dope, “Nuttin But A Superstar”. Its very smooth and makes this Friday afternoon much better.

Tabi is also on the Rock The Bells tour coming to a city near you this
summer and is all set for a tour in the fall with Schwayze and the
Knux.

EnjoY!

Tabi Bonney – Nuttin but a Superstar

The post You Are My My My Superhero appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

This track was sent over from our friends at iMergeAndSee. It is the latest Estelle track with guest vocals by Sean Paul.

The jam has a nice dub/reggae sound that is just ever-so-grooving. Estelle’s vocals are beautifully placed in the mix (and beautiful to begin with) with Sean Paul doing his typical rhymes.

This track has massive potential… peep it

enjoY!

Estelle – Come Over (ft. Sean Paul)

The post Come Over – Estelle ft. Sean Paul appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

The track, Warning, is def in the same category as any flo-rida track– classic crossover type beat, (sounds a little like Timbaland)not too much hip-hop/not to much dance, but tons of pop.

The hook will get you

EnjoY!

Trillogy – Warning

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First up, “El Fin” the single from producer Jemex’s album “Square 1” which is expected to drop in early June. The album contains 4 songs and one mix bringing you a plethora of flavorful sounds from R&B to electro pop. We’re bringing you just a taste of what that album will feel like today, so stay tuned for more in the upcoming weeks. Have an aural orgasm with “El Fin” below.

El Fin – Jemex ft. Dean Gray

Next up, David Guetta “When Love Takes Over” ft. Kelly Rowland to be featured on his 4th album due out in August. This has some summer dance hit potential, but nothing will ever beat Bob Sinclair’s World Hold On. Who’s with me on this? World Hold On… oh and answer me this if you will, why is Kelly Rowland now doing the vocals for dance music? Dance vocals + questionable hostess on Bravo’s knock off of “Project Runway” = Career spiraling downward… sigh, Beyonce stole your shine.

Love Takes Over – David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland

The post Your Weekend Beat Box:Jemex and David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland appeared first on BoomBoomChik.

Super People, produced by Curtis Mayfield in 1975 on 7″, and subsequently released on his record label, brings you back to that classic disco sound, but with beautifully arranged 4-5 part harmonies and falsettos galore, Super People will catch your attention.

This track screams funk. Remix anyone?

EnjoY!

The Notations – Super People

The post Throwback: The Notations – Super People appeared first on BoomBoomChik.