Album Of The Day: Kindred The Family Soul – Surrender To Love

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Straight out of the city of brotherly love, Kindred the Family Soul — aka Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon — are a married duo that fronts a ten-piece band.

Surrender to Love is their debut album released in 2003. The album was a minor success at best peaking at #159 on the Billboard 200 and #29 on the Billboard R&B chart.

The album’s only official single was “Far Away”, which peaked at #53 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

The modest chart success of the album is in no way indicative of the quality of the music contained on the album. Steeped in the DNA of 60’s and 70’s soul music the album is a thrilling mix of R&B, hip-hop, funk and pop.

The vocal interplay between Dantzler and Graydon is intimate and soothing and reflects the primary theme of the album; black love.

Running to 25 tracks the album might be slightly overlong but there are so many highlights on the album that it is never boring and doesn’t drag. It’s a fun, funky, sophisticated and mature album that explores all the facets of love and family and arguably one of the best R&B albums on 2003. This is one that is well worth checking out.

Song Of The Day: Change ‎– The Glow Of Love

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Glow of Love is a 1980 single and the title track from the debut album of Italian-American group R&B/dance group Change. The band’s sound was heavily influenced by Chic. Glow of Love features vocals from then newcomer Luther Vandross. Together with Lover’s Holiday and Searching, which also featured lead vocals by Vandross, the song spent nine weeks atop the Billboard US Dance Club Songs charts and a total of 13 weeks on the charts. Vandross’ sizzling vocal star turn on the single remains exciting and essential listening.

If you are unfamiliar with the song you might recognise it as the song sampled by Janet Jackson for her 2001 Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one “All For You” which introduced the song to a new generation of music lover.

A true post disco classic with a scintillating vocal performance by Luther Vandross. What’s not to like?

Check out the 12″ Long Version of Glow of Love from the recently released Everything and More: The Complete Collection (1980-2019).

 

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Song Of The Day: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125 “Choral” – 4. Presto – “O Freunde, Nichit Diese Tone” (Ode To Joy)

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When I started this blog my main aim was to share my love of music. Not just Pop Music, Rock Music, R&B, Grind-core, New Wave, Country or whatever other genre. I have always been drawn to music without much consideration as to its genre. After all good music is good music regardless of any genre label that might attach to it. In keeping with that ethos the SOTD is one of the most famous pieces of Classical music. One that is both exhilarating and invigorating.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is the fourth movement of his 9th Symphony. Its the choral finale of the Symphony and the longest movement of the Symphony clocking in at approximately 25 minutes. It also is the the final complete symphony by Beethoven. One could argue that the perfection he achieved here could not have been bettered. As someone once described it Ode To Joy is like a burst of sunlight. One that stirs up a sense of hope that makes it one of the most enduring pieces of music no matter the genre.

The melodies in this movement are sublime and the cellos at the beginning of the theme are a thing of aural beauty.

This performance of the Ode To Joy is by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by André Cluytens as part of the first Stereo recordings of the complete Beethoven Symphonies between 1957-1960.

In these challenging times and as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth I can think of no better piece of music to be my Song of the Day.


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A New Jack Swing Playlist

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The New Jack Swing sound was all conquering between the mid 80s to the early 1990s.

New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle.

The style originated from Janet Jackson’s third studio album, Control from 1986.

Here is another curated playlist celebrating thisonce inescapable sound which dominated the charts and the radio and what better way to start the playlist than with the group created by the aforemetioned Teddy Riley; the massively influential Guy and “Teddy’s Jam”.

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Alternative Rock Playlist

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120 Minutes initially aired on MTV and then MTV2 from 1986 to 2000 and 2001 to 2003. The program was dedicated to promoting music videos from band in the alternative music genre. In honour of the show here’s a playlist of music that would have been prime candidates to feature in the show.


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80’s R&B Playlist

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It’s our first site Playlist and its all about some cracking 80’S R&B tune so sit back, relax and enjoy but rest assured I won’t hold it against you if you decide to “Get Down On It” instead!

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Album of the Day: Kylie Minogue

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Kylie Minogue celebrated her 52nd birthday on May 28 and whilst her sales numbers are not where they used to be and her presence on the charts with every new release is not as assured as it once was she is still putting out music that is worth hearing. Today, we look back to her self titled fift studio album which was released in 1994 released on the indie record label DECONSTRUCTION.

This album is generally seen as Kylie’s attempt to forge a new musical direction after her tenure at PWL and her close association with Stock, Aitken and Waterman. I would say that it does that successfully moving away from the bubblegum dance-pop sound featured on previous albums to a more mature sophisticated sound draving a much wider palette of sounds from the dance-pop that Minogue was known for but also acid jazz, ambient, piano house and R&B influences. The sound was still accessible just more polished with left of mainstream pop influences able to shine through.

This approach is best captured by the lead single “Confide in Me”. Released in August 1994 “Confide in Me” was not a typical Kylie single even the length of the song which clocks in at almost six minutes (5:51) was a massive departure. Produced by BROTHERS IN RHYTHM the song isa dizzying combination of pop and trip-hop with a heathy dose of middle eastern instrumentation and it ranks as one of Minogue’s best singles.

The alnum debuted at number three in her native Australia and number four in the United Kingdom and the album eventually was certified Gold.

an attempt to draw a line under her PWL/SAW years KYLIE MINOGUE is a great triumph and thats why its today’s AOTD.

Check out Confide in Me below.



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