Friday, January 27, 2012

Beyonce College Course: Rutgers Creates Class in Her Honor

Beyonce Rutgers courseSlaven Vlasic, Getty Images
After Jay-Z was honored with a Georgetown University sociology course named after him, wife and new mom Beyonce has become the subject of a university course of her own. Rutgers University's Department of Women's and Gender Studies now offers the course 'Politicizing Beyonce,' which examines the social and cultural significance of the superstar's music and image.

Rutgers PH.D. candidate Kevin Allred teaches the course and explained on the school's website, "This isn't a course about Beyonce's political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama's inauguration weekend. She certainly pushes boundaries. While other artists are simply releasing music, she's creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona."

D'Angelo Performs First Show in Over a Decade on Stockholm Stage

undefinedFrank Micelotta, Getty Images
After much fanfare, reclusive singer D'Angelo has finally made his return to the stage, performing his first show in over a decade, in Stockholm, Sweden Thursday night (Jan. 26).

Rocking an all-black tank top and shawl ensemble, D'Angelo looked to be in good spirits as he engaged the crowd during the first stop of his "intimate" European comeback tour, opening with a raucous rendition of 'Chicken Grease' from his last album, 'Voodoo,' which was released back in 2000.

Despite the various legal and personal battles the troubled crooner has fought over the past decade, he appeared to be in classic form last night, rocking a selection of hits from his two albums, and even some new, unreleased songs from his long-delayed follow-up, 'James River,' which he is said to be close to completing, according to longtime collaborator Questlove of The Roots.

Sean Paul Enlists Kelly Rowland on 'How Deep is Your Love -- Listen

undefinedGetty Images (2)

Kelly Rowland pops up on 'How Deep is Your Love,' the latest single from mohawk-sporting dancehall artist Sean Paul's forthcoming album, 'Tomahawk Technique.'

Much like the rest of the songs that have leaked from the album thus far, the Stargate-produced dance track, which was penned by Ester Dean, is unabashedly club-minded and synth-heavy.

Lil Wayne 'Mirror' Video Teaser Shows a Jackson Pollock-Inspired MC

Kevin Winter, Getty Images | Frank Hoensch, Getty Images
Jailbird Lil Wayne has tapped fedora-wearing crooner Bruno Mars to join him on video for his 'Tha Carter IV' track 'Mirror.' The video is set for release in the coming weeks but in the meantime, you can preview Weezy's newfound love for abstract painting in the snippet below.

The short clip features Wayne, perched in front of a massive canvas. With a combination of acrylics and spray paint, the MC churns out a red-and-black master print in the same vein as Jackson Pollock. Splotches and dots cover Lil Wayne's shirtless chest while Bruno admires his friend's newest work.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sucré Craft Dreamlike Pop on 'When We Were Young' -- Song Premiere

Elsie Larson (RedVelvetArt.com)
Featuring the ethereal vocals of Stacy King, along with her drummer husband Darren King, and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Larson's gorgeous soundscapes, Sucré write the kind of pop songs that get lodged into your head even before the very first chorus even kicks in. Even though their collaboration began a couple of years back, it took Stacy some time to get the nerve to ask Jeremy if he was even game to work together.

"From the first time I heard Jeremy's wonderful string compositions, I wanted to sing to them. I felt that he was doing something really beautiful and unique, and it took me a while to get up the courage to ask him to collaborate with me," says Stacy. "Among many things, Jeremy and I had this in common: my husband Darren was our favorite drummer. Thankfully, he was readily available."

Sucré will be releasing their debut album on April 10, but Spinner is thrilled to bring you the exclusive premiere of 'When We Were Young,' one of our favorite tracks off the record. The way Stacy's crystalline vocals float through the lush arrangements is almost dreamlike. This is pop music of the highest order.

Lana Del Rey Drops F-Bomb on BBC, Distances Herself From 2009 Footage

Redferns | YouTube
What does Lana Del Rey have in common with the Sex Pistols? Aside from being a divisive artist whose look and sound may be the work of clever managers, she's now sworn over British airwaves.

In an interview this morning (Jan. 23) with BBC radio host Huw Stephens, the U.K. Metro reports, the singer uttered the words "f---ing hell" during the chat. She promptly apologized for the gaffe.

This slip-up comes as footage of her from a 2009 performance has been getting attention around the Web. Back in those days, Del Rey was a pop hopeful known as Lizzy Grant, and as the video below shows, she had not yet adopted the stylized retro look that is now her signature. The singer's past has haunted her for some time, and since she broke through last year with the viral video for 'Video Games,' haters have labeled her a prefab fraud.

Northern Exposure: Adaline, 'Say Goodbye (I Won't Even)' -- Free MP3

AdalineVanessa Heins
Singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman may be known for his quirky take on pop songcraft, but his keen production work with a wide variety of similarly-inclined artists shouldn't be overlooked -- he's helped draw out the dramatic flair in musicians from Sarah Slean to Hey Rosetta.

So hearing that Workman helped helm the new sophomore album by Vancouver songstress Adaline immediately conjures up a certain vibe -- lots of melody, lush vocals, and rich keyboard textures come to mind. And while all those elements are certainly at play on 'Modern Romantics,' there's also a sleek electro feel to the lovelorn torch songs that make up the record.