"R'n'B" recommendations PLEASE!?

[CrowleyHead]

this seems a very patronising argument to me.

I would agree, it is an odd context. But there's an interesting trend of people "TRYING" in R&B. They reach for what admittedly, is fairly text-book standards of electronica that people actually treat rather 'cool' at that time. (Let's be fair, Boards and Pusher are good, but they're also looked at with a grain of salt nowadays).

Meanwhile, we're actually being impressed by what they do on their own. Not when they try to play with the supposed 'cool kids' of music. So I don't understand the consistent need to reach 'that bunch'. I mean, half of us are raving about The Dream's ability, and he certainly doesn't waste time trying to tell us how he loves Godspeed! You Black Emperor or something like that...

 

[tox]

The Dream 'Love vs Money' is finally getting an official UK release!!! (via Mos Dan) Looks like there'll be a couple of bonus tracks too http://www.play.com/Music/CD/-/23/43/-/10083117/Love-Vs-Money/Product.html?searchtype=genre

Been listening to this on Spotify all week. Quality record. Not sure there's an individual track as catchy as I Luv Your Girl, but as a whole it seems like a better album than Love Hate.

 

[shiels]

Some great recommendations here, liking The Dream's stuff
has anyone else fallen in love with this..
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the beat is sooo sugary.

 

[gumdrops]

still dont get the hype/overratedness of cassie. first single was great but not that keen on the rest. and the 80s sample used on official girl is just icky.

 

[shiels]

Na it's beaut, i've listened to it about 50 times in the last 2 weeks, fairly close in style and structure to Ayo Technology. This, M & U and Addiction are all great.

 

[CrowleyHead]

Essentially all the Ryan Leslie stuff is great with Cassie.

"Must Be Love" is... well, on a beat level, it's amazing. "Official Girl" is too...

But whoever's writing Cassie's songs as of late has to stop trying to cram 50 words into a melody. It sounds like she's being punched in from 5 different directions.

 

[boyalive]

official girl is my favourite tune of the year blatantly. she could fit a couple more words in if you ask me. the synth chords are wonderful.

 

[nomadthethird]

The Dream - Walkin on the Moon

The Dream - Rockin That Thang Remix

T-Pain - Chopped and Screwed

Lloyd - All Around the World (this one's older but I still like it, don't see it on here)

 

[nomadthethird]

Solange's really, REALLY calculated. I liked her album, but at the same time, the whole "Boards Of Canada" chasing thing smacked of trying 'to be down' with the music intelligentsia. Not unlike Andre 3000 being "Yo dawg, I totally want to work w/ Squarepusher".

I'm not saying that it's not possible for these artists to be interested in that sort of stuff. But at the same time, it doesn't help that people who would've originally written off their sort of music suddenly flock to it because of a name drop.

Everything you post is either weirdly sexist or borderline racist.

 

[gumdrops]

i doubt solange is that interested or even that aware of what the 'musical intellegensia' (who is that anyway? pitchfork?) thinks or is into, really. i mean, she sampled zero 7. thats hardly venetian snares. but shes is in between 'neo soul'/leftfield R&B (which prides itself on being 'eclectic', hence maxwell talking about grizzly fucking bear) and commercial R&B anyway, hence her working with people like bilal, as well as pharrell. so i dont doubt that she likes BOC, in the same way i dont doubt erykah badu likes half the stuff shes into either. plus that stuff is kinda laid back/soothing etc in its own way, so its not hard to get why a soul/R&B fan might like it, in the same way old school soul artists would usually like easy listening/burt bacharach/certain pop etc. it fits their tastes.

 

[Sick Boy]

You know I figured I'd be sick of T-Pain by now because of how kitschy the auto tune thing is becoming, but you know what? I'm really not. He's such a brilliant producer.

 

[owengriffiths]

I'm not really into R&B but I reckon 90's slow jams has the potential to be a brilliant era of the music. Does anyone know of any good compilations or albums covering this period, APART from R. Kelly

 

[gumdrops]

dunno about slow jams compilations (theres mastercuts comps but i dont think they focus much on slow jams) but you can pick up most of those albums really cheap (for nothing too, obviously lol). if you dont know who to look for, check out intro, jodeci, mary js first album, keith sweat, kut klose etc. loads really. classic era really. r kellys first 2 albums have some killer slow jams too.

 

[owengriffiths]

Cheers for the tips. I'm liking the sound of Kut Klose, I prefer the female vocalists.

 

[mos dan]

i just say this in case anyone has missed it: the-dream album is beyond brilliant. if you added up all the songs i've listened to by everyone else this year it would probably still be less than the-dream.

he also gets the award for drop of the year.. terrible sound quality here, find a full quality version for yrselves, but:
how cool do you have to be to have the drop 6.15 into a 6.33 tune? very very cool.

and 'put it down' is even better

 

[Billy Bevan]

Playa's 'Cheers 2 U' album has a fair mix of amazing tracks and clangers alike...

 

[CrowleyHead]

Everything you post is either weirdly sexist or borderline racist.

I'm sorry?

Out of curiosity, what's misogynist about my statements? I'm going to assume that it's for this thread only...

I just happen to think that Ryan Leslie's work with Cassie was her best (he was the Prince to her Vanity) and that Solange Knowles name-dropping BOC is her attempt to sort of prove that she's MORE than just an R&B artist.

To show an example, you know how say, FACT love The XX for being possibly the first indie band to be influenced by Aaliyah? You check the youtube link of their "Hot Like Fire" cover, and half the kids commenting are "It's so superior to THAT song".

Case in point: The name drop is her way of proving she's superior to R&B, because some people aren't capable of regarding R&B as good music automatically sometimes, for whatever reason.

 

[baboon2004]

I'm sure Drake has been mentioned in this thread already somewhere, but I can't get enough of Successful after hearing it almost every morning on the Rinse breakfast show. Not strictly R&B I suppose, but vocals from Trey Songz.

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This is such an un-breakfast song, made me laugh. Great, though, no doubting it.

 

[gumdrops]

the dream writes some great songs but his voice is so weak. but yeah, fancy is one of THE r&b songs of the last few years. speaking of the dream, i need to hear that new mariah album.

 

[optimum]

I've never really understood the criticisms of The-Dream's voice as weak. I prefer it to a lot of other singers tbh. Drake is great too, 'Uptown' is the one for me, I wish he sang more too.