Soul Music

Ah, the semicolon. The defiant minx of the punctuation family that loudly trumpets: "I can be a period and a comma. You got a problem with that?". Unless you're Kurt Vonnegut, grammar nerds know that it is one of the flyest punctuation marks in the game as it separates clauses and gives periods some time to relax. Yeah, they're awesome. The Lonely Island crew (consisting of comedians Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) feel similar as I, as they plant tongue to cheek on this fractured grammar lesson that is appearing on their pending third set, The Wack Album (due June 11th). Of course, the song is "incredibad," and they don't exactly give the proper usage of the semicolon, but, hey, isn't that the point of these lampoons? Besides, Solange makes an appearance and sounds lovely on the hook, so this crime against grammar can be forgiven. "Semicolon" is not the School House Rock you grew up on, but if you're in the mood for a chuckle or two then have a seat and take in this wacky lesson.

With the hot and hazy days of summer fast approaching, it's high time to get your summer soundtrack together. And while finding something to shake that thing to is usually at the top of the list, we can't forget about the sounds needed for the more quiet moments. Brooklyn duo denitia and sene. are here to help with their latest track "the nude." "Take off your things and put them next to mine, drop down your jeans and lay them on the side," they demand over a simply piano and drum loop. But, as direct as that request is, they're soon asking to "slow down" amongst a hazy swirl of horns. It seems, though, that the song might be as much about getting naked as it is about baring one's soul to another. Either way, it's a slyly sexy jam perfect for those late summer nights that turn into early summer mornings. "the nude." is available as a single on iTunes now, as is their debut album his and hers., which dropped this past March. But, before you go, press play for some seriously seductive sounds.

Experimental soul duo Black Fantastic is back with something fresh and hella funky. Roman Lee Norfleet and Jacque Hammond have grown in every aspect of their artistry, and it definitely shows on their first release under the new moniker. "Regrouping [You]" finds the Los Angeles residents teaching a lesson on how to successfully make a change in the world. Not only does Norfleet produce the entire self-titled album, but this time around he's also taking a step from behind the boards and introducing us to his extra smooth vocals. "The choice is yours but make it now/Our breath is shortening with every sound," he sings soulfully. From the lead single "Black Diamonds" to "Strength" and the heart-wrenching "Nothing's Special," everything about this album is inspiring, empowering and again, funky. Visit Black Fantastic's website and Bandcamp page to download a copy of their brand new self-titled album.

Back in April, Cali-based producer Turquoise Summers dropped an instrumental opus called A Touch of Turquoise on the Omega Supreme imprint. Released in limited edition vinyl and cassette tape form (in addition to digital form), the 12-track album is chock full of funky '80's vibes just as throwback as the formats it is available in. The instrumentals alone transport listeners on a journey back in time when we wore our shoulder pads high and our hair styled even higher. As if the album's instrumentals aren't good enough on their own, Turquoise kicks things up another notch by joining forces with SB regular I, Ced on one of my favorite cuts "Phase Shiftin.'" Though a talented producer in his own right, its Ced's voice that gets to put in work on this revised version. Admittedly, this new rendition left me wondering what other type of awesomeness could be made if vocals were added to other cuts from A Taste of Turquoise (hint, hint). Additional vocals or not, you'd be hard pressed to resist the urge to break out your best bodyroll while jamming along to this. A perfect way to get you ready for the summer, take this one for a spin and take advantage of the free download, then head on over to Omega Supreme's site to cop the entire album.

Novel is a man of many hats. Though most recently he's been keeping busy behind the scenes penning songs for the likes of Ashanti, Kid Rock, Joss Stone and Leona Lewis, he's still making time for the most important artist of all -- himself. Since releasing his six-track EP, Under Water, Overwhelmed, back in November, the singer-MC-songwriter has been a self-promotional machine, churning out music videos to support the indie project. The third video taken from the EP for the song "Pretty Scars" takes a sobering look at how deceiving looks can be. The clip's conflicted protagonist, though beautiful on the outside, hides her pain from the world behind a veil of self-medication. Novel also showcases his lyrical skills as he shines a light on the subject's insecurities, while also letting her know he feels her pain. And the multi-talented crooner is showing no signs of slowing down, as recently revealed via Twitter the video for his next single, "To The Limit" will be out soon.

The wait for the follow up to Quadron's self-titled debut has been excruciating, but with Avalanche due to hit shelves/digital retailers on June 4th, that wait is almost over. "Hey Love" gave us a taste of a more upbeat, more vibrant (and some say more commercial) Quadron, but with that being the only track to surface, we were still unclear what direction Avalanche would be heading in. If the second release from the album is anything to go by, fans of their debut should find plenty to like. "Better Off" sees the duo return to the dreamy soul of tracks like "Average Fruit," with Coco O.'s whispery, enchanting vocals drawing the listener in to Robin Hannibal's understated groove. The track features a guest verse from man-of-the-moment Kendrick Lamar -- the only guest on the album -- and while his contribution is in no way offensive, it doesn't really add a great deal to the song and feels a bit of an afterthought, tacked on at the last minute. That said, we are always ready for some new Quadron, and June 4th cannot come soon enough.

Almost two years after the release of Break of Dawn, Goapele releases the video for the fourth single "Undertow." As always, she looks stunning (if somewhat awkward) in the simple, John Mazyck-directed video, but the entire affair comes off a bit like a low-rent Sade tribute. "Play" notwithstanding, at this point it's safe to say Goapele is not a video artist -- but with gorgeously subtle slow-burners like this, who needs video anyway?

Who would have thought the afrojam of the year would come from the land that gave us Lego blocks? Denmark's own Okapii recently released their second single "Gattu," which fuses African percussion and electronic beats to give us a sweet pop confection. Okapii Is the brainchild of producer Mads Oustroup and singer Alex Rita, whose heavenly vocals provide the pop sensibility to "Gattu" and give the song a universality. The Afro-electronic combination generates a bouncy and infectious groove that will touch everybody from Copenhagen to Compton. Between this track and their debut single "Don't Mind The Rain," Okapii is firmly on our radar.

Paris Hilton confirmed plans to release her second album though Cash Money Records and has already shot a video with label mates Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Christina Milian. [DS] Since his Def Jam projects appear to be shelved, rapper Shyne launched a new clothing line called Gangland. [HHDX] Former American Idol contestants Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson may return to the show as judges next season as producers seek ways to increase sagging ratings. [VLTR] The Howard Theater will now host Axel F., DC's popular classic soul dance party featuring SoulBounce DJ favorites Rhome "DJ Stylus" Anderson and Jamil "Jahsonic" Hamilton. Don't let the new digs fool you -- still be prepared to sweat your perm out. [TR] After five decades of success, Quincy Jones has nothing to prove -- but his latest role as manager may be his riskiest project yet. [NYT] Performances on the 2013 Billboard Music Awards boosted records sales for performers like Bruno Mars, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Brown. [BB]

One of the comeback stories of 2012 had to be SWV's return with a hot album with I Missed Us and a GRAMMY nomination to boot. Their momentum has continued in 2013 with the Sisters With Voices performing at concerts across the country for fans who still gladly support the group. Friday, May 24th will find the talented trio performing at the historic Howard Theatre in Washington, DC at what is guaranteed to be a hot show. No, seriously, I saw SWV perform last year and they tore it down so I'm sure it'll be more of the same on Friday night. Tickets are on sale now at the box office and also online at Ticketmaster, and the good people at Howard Theatre have also given us one pair of tickets to give away. Enter to win now!