Bark + Bite

Kat Graham serves up a "Sassy" milkshake in Kelis mashup

2010-09-09T10:11:34-04:00

Need a little more sass in your life? Then call on Kat Graham. Fernando Garibay produced a scintillating mash-up of rising star Kat Graham's "Sassy" and Kelis' "Milkshake." Yes, Fernando Garibay, most known to "little monsters" for producing Lady Gaga's "Dance In the Dark." Here he acts as more of a DJ, mixing together two songs that he didn't produce, but "Sassy" fits so seamlessly into Kelis' "Milkshake" that you'd think they were born of the same studio session.

Kat Graham might be more familiar for her work as an actress on the hit show Vampire Diaries, but she's equally passionate about music. She's made apperances in several music videos as a dancer, including Justin Bieber's video "Somebody to Love" featuring Usher. And it was her playful voice that was cooing "I got it from my mama," on will.i.am's "I Got It From My Mama." If Fernando Garibay is getting behind Kat, we could be in for something interesting.

Listen to the delicious mash-up of "Sassy" and "Milkshake" below

Bruno Mars sticks to the basics in "Just The Way You Are" video

2010-09-08T13:07:48-04:00

Bruno Mars comes across as a nice guy, but who knew he was also a cassette tape aficionado? In the video for his bell-tolling ode to simplicity in love, Bruno whips out two old friends most people probably haven't seen since the 1990s: The Walkman and the cassette tape. But he doesn't use them in the conventional manner, he makes living art out of the cassette tape, much to his love interest's amusement. So in addition to being a singer/songwriter/producer, we now have to add magician to the list? Bruno's never gonna be unemployed with this many skills.

Watch Brunos Mars' video for his debut single "Just The Way You Are" below

The etch-a-sketch art with the cassette is reminiscent of the comic book style of B.o.B.'s "Nothin' On You," which also featured Bruno. It offers a nice distraction from the snuggling on the couch. But the whole point of this song and video is simplicity and authenticity. The exchanges are warms, the lighting and is bright. This video is supposed to inspire love, people!

It also shows off Bruno's talents as a musician. He's not just another pretty face with a romantic name. Bruno gets behind the piano proving that he has the chops to go with his rising success. But the video could've a little more movement. Bruno and his lovely lady are pretty much couch potatoes in the video. And the epic, eye-to-the-sky feeling the song's swelling chorus inspires would've worked wonderfully with some breathtaking outdoor shots. The sunlight streaming into the apartment tries to address this but doesn't make it all the way.

In Bruno's world, love isn't messy, and if it gets messy, he makes are out of it. The gleam in his eyes are inviting and his warm smile says, "trust me." Ladies, are you hooked yet?

Willow Smith is whipping her hair, call her the new Raven Symone

2010-09-08T12:03:00-04:00

Sugar, spice and nothing nice is what Willow Smith is made of. The 9-year-old daughter of Hollywood couple Will and Jada Smith has burst onto the music scene unexpectedly with her schoolyard anthem "Whip My Hair." Look, we're gonna be honest: This song is the jam. It doesn't matter if you're 9 or 39. Little Willow puts the stank on this neck-snapping track. Pulling from Rihanna's bad girl persona and Raven Symone's little girl sass from yesteryear, Willow Smith comes off as an adorable, but not-to-be-messed-with kid sister.

Get into Willow Smith's playground banger below

How is it that little Willow was able to out gangster Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston and Soulja Boy on her debut single? Step ya game up, fellas. Willow's takin' over.

Concert Review: Lady Gaga rocks Washington D.C., rails against Don't Ask Don't Tell

2010-09-08T03:41:47-04:00

Photo credit: Wireimage.com
Lady Gaga knows that she makes fun, cathartic pop music that allows her "little monsters" to sweat and dance the night away, leaving their worries behind. It's a role that she takes as seriously as President Obama does his job as leader of the free world. But even Gaga recognizes that she has to be more than just a pop singer "dancing around in a bra and underwear." And so intermingled with the spacey disco beats of her chart-topping hits such as "Poker Face," "LoveGame" and "Bad Romance," are raucous, shrill protests against social injustice. Her main target? Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She admitted in concert to alternating between wanting and not wanting to be a political figure, but ultimately decided she needs to stand for something or risk standing for nothing.

During the ballad portion of her show, Lady Gaga shared with the audience that she'd spent time with military men and women and was heartbroken over the disruption and rejection DADT was wreaking on their lives. She spoke of two female soldiers who were booted from the military for being lesbians. One had 12 years of service behind her in the military, the other a young student at West Point. As Gaga recounted their personal tales, the frustration came out in her voice. She was pissed about the ridiculous waste of it all. But sensing that perhaps her outrage was spoiling the party atmosphere a bit, Gaga said, "I don't mean to be a political asshole, but it's [DADT] f**ked up, isn't it?" The crowd roared in agreement.

After opening her show in silhouette to "Dance In the Dark," a song from The Fame Monster that pays homage to Princess Diana, Gaga began weaving a play of sorts about her and her friends embarking on a journey to find an elusive "monster ball." The narrative gets picked up and dropped abruptly throughout the show, making it hit or miss as a story. It's part Wizard of Oz and part Stephen King, with its mixture of innocence, discovery, violence and corruption, but really, the "plot" of the concert is a sideshow to the big kahuna that is Lady Gaga herself.

As a performer, Gaga is exhaustive. She does detailed choreography, belts high notes, does daring stunts and wears trunkfuls of costumes. The show went on for two hours and unlike other pop stars, Gaga makes sure to spend time bantering and engaging with the audience in between songs. To be sure, there is a script here. But Gaga is smart enough to engage it and disengage it so that her fans know she's not just some robot. In fact, at one point, after she finished performing "Monster," Gaga stopped the show to break up a fight she saw going on in the crowd shouting, "STOP FIGHTING! That's not what this is about." "Mother monster" is a title given to her by fans and in that moment, her maternal instincts seemingly kicked in as she scolded her little monsters for their bad behavior.

Other newsworthy highlights: The VMAs. Lady Gaga shared with the audience that she was particularly excited about the 13 nominations she had received at the VMAs. She acknowledged that many fans might be disappointed that she wouldn't be performing at the awards show this year, but she explained that she needed to rest up for to prepare herself for "what's to come." You can take it as a promise or a threat, but it sounds like Gaga is preparing for even more explosive antics on her next album. She doesn't call herself a "free bitch" for no reason.

For most of the show, Gaga had the audience in the palm of her hand. Fans donning colored wigs and Gaga-inspired costumes shouted, squealed and drunkenly hugged each other through much of the show. But Gaga lost the Verizon Center for a moment when she plunged into her relatively unknown new song, "You And I." It's an old style rock ballad, which was painfully out of place at an otherwise dance pop extravaganza. "Speechless" gets away with it only because fans have at least become uber familiar with the tune, but "You And I" left many fans in the crowd puzzled and looking somewhat bored. Once the song was over though, the little monsters snapped right back into it.

Lady Gaga is intent on creating her own world. In fact, during the show she says she abhors the truth, preferring to surround herself with "bullshit." Though she was being crude (she swears quite a bit in the show, as a matter of fact), what she's getting at is her adoration for imagination and fantasy. In a world where reality can often bite, it's great to have a Never Never Land where glitter lightning bolts and illuminated disco sticks wield magical powers. Escapism hasn't been this fun in ages.

Single Mingle: Shakira, Jamiroquai and Shanell

2010-09-07T13:15:08-04:00

Get loose and wild with the perpetually uninhibited Colombian pop star Shakira on her new single "Loca," which returns the singer to her Latin roots. Beloved 90s act Jamiroquai swoops in with an updated version of his classic jazzy/electronic/dance sound. Given all the affection toward the dance genre these days, now's a ripe time for a comeback. And the leading ladies of Young Money, Nicki Minaj and Shanell, team up against Cupid. Love is a battlefield after all.

Listen to the new singles and get the scoop below

Shakira feat. Dizzee Rascal - Loca

What's good:Even though Shakira's no stranger to U.S. shores, she's still best received when she wears her ethnicity on her sleeve. She's sort of a new age Carmen Miranda in that way. With her last single, "She Wolf," she put together smart, sexy eletronica track, only to find that American audiences weren't as receptive to a blatantly Latina Shakira. So here she is again, with a new album one year later, hollering about "loca" she is and promising to moan "ay papi." The good news is that even though Shakira shined on "She Wolf," she really hits her sweet spot with rougher, unpolished material like this. The production is dangerous and jittery, designed to get the hips moving. If you loved "Hips Don't Lie," this is it's dirty dancing cousin.

What's bad: In a way, the choice to put Dizzee Rascal, a popular rapper in the UK but relatively unknown in the US, is a brave one. But in another way, it's a bit of a dangerous gamble. The obvious choice for a Latin-inspired track like this would be someone like Pitbull, and his verse would've probably set the record on fire with his playful mix of dirty talking Spanglish. Dizzee on the other hand sort of stumbles about on the track like the gringo that he is. That's why if you understand Spanish, the Spanish version of "Loca" is so much better.

Jamiroquai - White Knuckle Ride

What's good: You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and in Jamiroquai's case that's a good thing. Make no mistake about it: "White Knuckle Ride" is classic Jamiroquai. It will have your disco ball spinning and Soul Train lines forming with it's funky groove. But it also feels fresh enough to play in today's music scene. It's the perfect marriage of the past with the present. And just try to dislike the Bee Gees-inspired yelps of "Pressure!" You're helpless, don't even bother.

What's bad: Even though rap features on tracks can prove to be distracting and without merit, this track could use a good rapper on it as bait for the younger audiences. Certainly stay away from the modern Marky Mark, Flo Rida, but maybe a Pharrell or even a Kanye West on the track could've boosted the hip factor up a notch or two.

Shanell feat Nicki Minaj - Cupid's Got a Gun

What's good: It kind of sounds like a Dirty Money song, but this is Young Moolah, baby! The bleak song's lyrics are appropriately melodramatic for both artists, especially Nicki Minaj, who is always good for ratcheting the drama up a notch or two. Shanell surprisingly shows off a pretty, crystal clear voice. D.Woods' little sister might have a leg up on her in this music game.

What's bad: Nicki is underused. Where's her spitfire verse full of quotables? She's criminally used more as a background singer, rather than a co-star. While it's great that Shanell is getting her own platform, putting these two together should've been more of a Brandy and Monica affair.

Rihanna keeps it light for her dance pop single "Only Girl(In The World)"

2010-09-07T09:56:44-04:00

Put away all the leather and black, because Rihanna is back in the club with the strobe lights on, fist pumping the night away. Her new single, "Only Girl (In the World)," returns the Bajan pop star to the dance pop territory she ruled with songs like "S.O.S." and "Please Don't Stop The Music." The Stargate-produced track will certainly get bodies sweaty and feet moving, but there's something faceless about this Euro-pop jam.

On her previous lead singles, "Umbrella" and "Russian Roulette," Rihanna was setting the trends or experimenting with new sounds and styles. But "Only Girl" is following the dance trend, not reinventing it or doing anything unexpected with it. In fact, this song sounds like it could just as easily be a Taio Cruz song, with a few lyrical changes here and there.

That's not to say the song doesn't deliver as an upbeat dance floor-filler meant to divorce Rihanna from the dark imagery she draped herself in for Rated R. Despite what some might say, one of Rihanna's biggest assets is her unique voice, and on "Only Girl" she adds her mark to the track with classic Rihanna grunts, growls and whispers. Her voice is almost feline-like as she slinkily purrs on the verses: "Want you to take me like a thief in the night, Hold me like a pillow, make me feel right." Rihanna wants to be your teddy bear, don't disappoint.

"Only Girl" is purposefully light-hearted and care-free, meant for easy consumption and minimal thought processing. Which is fine; a mindless tune here and there never hurt anybody. But hopefully there are more daring and experimental tracks in store for us on the new album. "Only Girl" is a bag of Cheeto Puffs: Tasty but not very filling. Let's just hope there are some meat and potatoes on the back burner.

The Samson Effect: An exploration of male musicians and haircuts

2010-09-06T07:38:00-04:00

R&B singer Lloyd, formerly of Irv Gotti's Murda Inc. label, made a bold announcement on VIBE.com last week when he decided to undergo the big chop. The singer who had hair as long and as silky as Chilli from TLC, built an identity that seemed somewhat synonymous with his hair. Whether it was juiced up with curl activator or braided up in elaborate cornrows, Lloyd seemed to take great pride in his long, flowing mane.

Lloyd says that his haircut is for a good cause (in this case his chopped strands will go to Locks for Love), but it's also likely that he is casting the die with an image makeover as he embarks on relaunching his solo career post-Murda Inc.

Even though hair styling is often more associated with women, hair has actually played a major role in the careers and livelihoods of men for ages. The biblical story of Samson, for example, tells the tale of a man who is blessed with immortal strength, so long as he doesn't cut his hair. When his lover, Delilah, betrays him and cuts his blessed mane, Samson becomes weak.

The same can hold true in pop music. For some artists, cutting their hair can be the equivalent of the Samson Effect, resulting in a loss of popularity, success and relevance. But others have used their newfound looks to their advantage, finding renewed success in their shorter dos. It's unclear right now which side of the coin Lloyd will fall on, but looking back on those who've gone down the path before him might give us a clue.

Check out the guys who've cut it all off in the name of change

Bow Wow

Long hair: Lil' Bow Wow breaks out onto the scene as Jermaine Dupri's newest little protege. Not since Kris Kross has a little rapping kid in braids caused such a flurry of attention. Girls immediately fall for the pint-sized rapper and his debut album cracks the top 10 of the Billboard 200, winning him double platinum certification in the end. As he released albums, Bow Wow's popularity with the 106 & Park crowd only seemed to grow.

Short hair: As Lil' Bow Wow grew older, he began to make drastic changes to himself. First, he dropped the "Lil'" from his name, booting him the club of "Lil's" in hip hop. Then, he chopped off his iconic braids for his 2006 album The Price of Fame. Things started out decently, as he was able to land a moderate hit with Chris Brown on "Shortie Like Mine," but after that, Billboard and Bow Wow parted ways like Moses and the Red Sea.

Samson Effect?: Gonna have to go with a YES on that one. Though Bow Wow's career was always more noteworthy on 106 & Park, he fell off hard after he cut his hair. Guess there was something potent in those beads at the ends of his braids.

Trey Songz

Long hair: With his silky tones and scrappy "movin' on up" anthem "Gotta Make It," Trey Songz, with his street-friendly cornrows, seemed like a rising star. Though the song received moderate airplay, it never went anywhere, petering out at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up single "Gotta Go" did slightly better, but again, no major impact. The lead single to his sophomore album, "Wonder Woman," tanked and the album only produced one hit, "Can't Help But Wait." The trend was beginning to form and there was clearly some dead weight hanging around Trey.

Short hair: But everything changed when Trey Songz unveiled his short hair cut. Gone were the labyrinth of cornrows. The singer's bold cut also came with a bold sense of sexuality. On his third album Ready, Trey wanted to have sex so loud that the neighbors could hear, boasted he'd already invented sex and wanted to pour something down the ladies' throats. He scored his first top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Say Aah" and established himself as a force in the R&B arena, even knocking Usher off of his game for a minute.

Samson Effect?: Not here! Trey flourished once he decided to take the clippers to his head.

Omarion

Long hair: Well, if you count B2K, there's lots of sold-out concerts and a few platinum plaques. Once the braided-up, long-haired singer went solo, things were shakier. His first two solo albums O and 21 opened at #1 on the Billboard 200, but the sophomore set failed to even reach gold status, despite the Timbaland-produced hit single "Ice Box." Was O's long mane cursed by J-Boog?

Short hair: When Omarion debuted his short do, fans were torn. Some fans had difficulties relinquishing their attachment to O's long hair, while others embraced the fresh, short hair style. But his music career was none the better for it. His third studio album Ollusion has flopped embarrassingly and he's taken up a judging gig alongside fellow struggling musicians such as JC Chasez and Lil' Mama. Yikes.

Samson Efect?: In the words of B2K, "Uh huh."

Ludacris

Long hair: Salacious wordplay on his debut single "What's Your Fantasy" attracted most people's attention before Ludacris' cornrows and braids did, but they were a consistent part of his image nonetheless. It played a role in his afrocentric image for some songs like "Saturday," in which he wore his afro picked out. His music only grew more and more popular with each album, though he received criticism for being a singles rapper, with some lodging the complaint that he couldn't produce a solid album.

Short hair: But with 2006's Release Therapy, Ludacris got the recognition he was looking for, walking with the Best Rap Grammy. He kicked off the album by showing off his surprising new low cut, which was generally received well. Everything wasn't rosy though, his follow-up to Release Therapy, Theater of the Mind, didn't match the success of previous albums. Thankfully, he has since bounced back with his latest album, Battle of the Sexes.

Solomon Effect?: Nah. Luda's power was always in his mouth, not on his head.