A Reefur Smoking Pooch? No, it's Collie Buddz!

To be honest when I first heard about this cat I had to ask a couple times. Quite a name for a kid born Colin Harper in Nawlins (for the uninitiated, it's New Orleans), Louisiana. He was raised in Bermuda and apparently the Caribbean breezes seeped into his system because he is currently causing a sensation on the reggae scene.

I looked him up and his music is part roots and part dancehall meaning some of his songs are either one or the other. Like Matisyahu or the more rootsy Soldiers of Jah Army (more about them in an upcoming post), some folks may be a bit put-off by a white boy performing reggae, but at least he does the genre some justice. Did I mention he's also pretty hot? Here's Come Around off his eponymous album, Collie Buddz.

This one's for you, January!

Hmm...What to Say about Janelle Monae

Sometimes I come across artists with great promise, artists whose music I may really enjoy, but there's something about them that just doesn't quite jibe. Such is the case with newbie Janelle Monae. It's hard to articulate what it is, that thing. Take for example, the fact that she's got the support of Outkast's Big Boi (yay!!). She's also got the backing of Sean P-Doody Combs (boo!!).

She's out of Atlanta and has been featured on Outkast's soundtrack for their 2006 film Idlewild. Though her movements come across as self-conscious and stilted, she's got a great voice and interesting styling. I like the idea of her, but somehow the package as a whole doesn't sit well with me. Here are Voilet Stars, Happy Hunting! (not the official video, obvs) and her performance of Sincerely Jane which reflect this dichotomy. What do you think?

Wanna Fite??

Today was my day off so I watched quite a bit of Current TV which makes me pretty happy when it's not depressing the crap outta me. In addition to my eye-opening experience with Roots Manuva, I came across a strange little pod about this Brooklyn-based musician named Tim Fite. His music is quite a mish mash of influences and his videos feature his quirky artwork. I can't really say too much more about him other than see for yourself and make up your own mind.

Don't Sleep On...Roots Manuva

Have I mentioned that I love Current TV? It's the only reason I have cable! Really!! If it weren't for Current TV I'd have forgone the "triple play" as my sucky cable company calls it's 3 in 1 (phone, cable, internet) package in favor of access to you, my dear readers. Yes, Al Gore "invented" it much like the rest of the interweb and it's been quite a platform for young progressive storytellers. It has its own cadre of talented producers while also open to viewer submissions. Don't get it twisted, there's very few youtube-like admissions that make it to air, these guys air the submissions with good stories and high to high-ish production values. Current features pods on all aspects of politics, culture, music, fashion, technology and socio-economic issues.

I was watching today and lo and behold, there's a pod (that's what they call their 3-5 minute docs) with Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva airing. I've been hearing about Roots Manuva for a few years especially from my DJ/audiophile friends, but never had the level of interest to pursue the music. I'm more of the "believe it when I see it" type, never buying into hype. See my Kate Nash post if you don’t believe me.

Well, I saw it and I'm sold! Not only is he pretty hot, but his music is pretty good, too. It’s a mix of his Jamaican heritage and his South London rearing. Here’s a bit of his older material, a funny little video for his song Witness from his 2001 album Run Come Save Me and Colossal Insight off of his album Awfully Deep released in 2003. Which speaks to you more?