Coming Soon Vol. XX

Coming Soon
Lady Saw - “My Way” [Diva Records/Toasting Music]

Of course She has to go first - Starting things off this week is the forthcoming latest release from the (STILL) long reigning Queen of Dancehall Music, Lady Saw, who has jumped out of her VP Records’ contract and returns with her brand new album, ”My Way”. The album comes on Saw’s own Diva Records imprint and finds her calling all the shots (as it should be), while compiling some of her biggest hits over the past year or so with some more new things mixed in. A while back Lady Saw claimed that she had reached a place in her career (and age) where she basically saw it as inappropriate to continue to live up to the x-rated nature in which she had established her name and while that has been shown in some of her output from since then, what she has done, lyrically speaking, is to find more interesting ways to be raw. Thus, thankfully what you’ll hear on ”My Way” is a more clever, but still classic Lady Saw. Joining are the likes of Hip-Hopper, Eve, Camar and Ding Dong and you can definitely expect big tunes such as the WICKED ‘Tighta’ (over the Ward’s dominant old school Cosa Nostra Riddim) on what is likely to be one of the biggest Dancehall albums of 2010.

Rated Potential: 4.5/5
Releases on September 7
CD & Digital

Etana - “Happy Heart” (EP) [VP Records]

From a Queen to a Princess - We can’t be too far away now from Roots Princess, Etana, dropping her long awaited sophomore set, ”Free Expression” (last date I saw was October 12) for VP Records and to prove it, the label is doing what it seems to do more and more these days in cases of big releases - They’re pushing her digital EP (just a DAMN GOOD idea if you ask me) ”Happy Heart”. The piece features two Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor produced sets, the title track (Sweet Riddim) and ‘Mocking Bird’ (Ghetto Riddim) sandwiching ‘Heart Broken’ from the UK’s outstanding Necessary Mayhem imprint (biggup Curtis Lynch). Of course this is just the forecast of what is to come, but even in these three well spun tunes you really get the impression that, again, Etana is set to do something REALLY special with her new album and I cannot wait to get my hands on it, definitely.

Releases on August 17 (how fitting)
Digital

“R&B Hits Reggae Style Vol. Four” [VP Records]

VP Records (and presumably Joe Fraser Records) is also poised to rekindle its ”R&B Hits Reggae Style” series for the first time in more than a half decade by my count, with the four edition of the apparently quite popular series. There’s nothing here out of the ordinary (which is, I’m assuming, exactly how fans of these always nice pieces like it) - The album features a variety of Reggae artists doing their renditions of popular American R&B songs. This year, it appears to be a ‘ladies edition’ of sorts with female singers the wonderful Fiona (who has SEVEN tunes of her own and has pretty much been the star of the entire series), Mandy Wood, Adele Harley, Twiggy and Pam Hall taking twelve of the album’s fifteen tracks, leaving veterans Glen Washington, Richie Stephens and Roger Robin to round out the fifteen with single efforts. I always get the feeling that there’re A LOT more fans paying attention to pieces like this than we might think and in some circles, this one may be a pretty big deal, but certainly at the very least, SOLID in any respect (and hopefully our friend on the album’s cover LET’S LOOSE a bit in the inside pictures . . .).

Rated Potential: 3.75/5
Releases on August 24
CD & Digital

“Goodazz Riddim Meets Sellout Riddim” [Starrdom Products]

I’m going to go ahead and resist the urge to try to sound really smart here because (despite the fact that I could probably pull it off) I don’t really know a damn thing about Starrdom Products’ ”Goodazz Riddim Meets Sellout Riddim” release. What I do know, however, is that this things sounds BIG! It’s definitely not the type of thing that would pop up on my radars with a tracklist featuring the likes of Zagu Zar, Baby Boom (who sounds a lot like Kartel), Redd Man UK, Princess Landa, Fivestar and even Supa Sass (where in the hell they found Supa Sass, I don’t know) (biggup Supa Sass). BUT, this one is special isn’t it? Starrdom Products is, of course, the label of UK young veteran Chukki Starr and the Starr, himself, chimes in on three different tracks and also on board is ‘Popstyle’ from the scalding hot, Gappy Ranks. Oh and did I mention how HARD this first riddim was? It is a big and mighty piece of Dancehall riddim and there’re some strong vocal performances on it, so take a cue from me and don’t just pass on it.

Rated Potential: 4.25/5
Releases on August 20
Digital

Black Dillinger - ‘Volcano Erupt’ (Single) [Richvibes Records]

A long ass time ago there was a video (which I have almost certainly placed here) of outstanding South Afrikan chanter, Black Dillinger, riding in a car singing along to some WICKED tune of his, which seemed to be called ‘Volcano Erupt’ or something like that. Well it’s taken a pretty long time, but the originators of that tune, the Austrian based Richvibes Records, are now ready to give it to the rest of the world. The tune is BIG, it’s seriously a very big tune and Dillinger’s fans (yours truly well included) are sure to love it (and because we just got one last year, I won’t complain too much, but wouldn’t it be so nice if we could . . . Album . . . Just saying).

Rated Potential: 4.75/5
Releases on August 20
Digital

Karli Owli - “Mama Africa” featuring Leslie Moryson (Single) [Karli Owli Music]

And finally is the German based (I actually don’t think he’s based in Germany, I just think he does most of his work there) Karli Owli from out of Portland who seems (VERY) content to just release single after single and EP’s, while continuing to tease the public with a potential album release (you’d think that he’d just put them all together and release the digital). On the good side, he always seems to promote the hell out of them and this time, with ‘Mama Africa’, he’s struck gold, because this tune is very nice and hopefully it continues to push him forward to a bigger stage which he clearly deserves. You’ll also get a mix and an instrumental version (of the mix) and come away with a new name to watch, Leslie Moryson, who joins Owli on the big tune.

Rated Potential: 4.5/5
Releases on August 13
Digital

In Stores Now

Toussaint - “Black Gold” [I Grade Records/Zojak Worldwide]

Easily the review that I wrote for ”Black Gold” by US singer Toussaint has been the most responded to that I’ve had in quite some time and hopefully that’s a sign that the masses are really interested in hearing the music. Well, the opportunity to get your (digital) hands on one of the best albums of 2010 thus far has come as ”Black Gold” has been released by I Grade Records. So stop sending emails (actually, please do continue) and see for yourself what all the (warranted, extremely warranted) fuss is about.

{See Review Here}
{CD drops on August 24}

CC The Cat - “Inna Babylon Jungle” [Musicadium]

Okay so, I had a reader from Australia awhile back mention this band, CC The Cat (don’t ask, because I don’t know), which apparently an all girl Reggae-ish band from Australia. And of course, I love Australia and so do you, so when I (on my own) came across their new, debut album, ”Inna Babylon Jungle”, I thought that I’d mention. What they seem to do is make a very kind of Jazzy/Bluesy and it certainly isn’t straight forward to any degree, but I think more kind of ‘world fans’ will really appreciate it. I should also mention that the vocals on the songs sound kind of . . . ‘different’ - It sounds like it was all recorded at the same time (or under the exact same conditions), because the singer literally sounds like she’s standing right next to you at times. Step carefully, but you might like it.

Digital (it may be on CD, but good luck finding it)

Smokin’ Riddim [ZJ Chrome]

Uhmmmm, hmmmm, while I’m still right in the middle of trying to figure out how I feel about this piece, it’s fresh on the digital so I thought that I’d mention it (yep, slow week) - It’s ZJ Chrome’s latest drop, The Smokin’ Riddim. The riddim itself is pretty good actually, very heavy and kind of electric Dancehall piece, but some of the vocal tracks . . . Yeah, I’m still working on that. What I’m already convinced about, however, are efforts from the likes of Achis Reggae favourite Ce’Cile, Beenie Man and poster boy Sean Paul (who gets a WICKED mix of the riddim). And while I haven’t decided on efforts from the likes of Mavado, Kartel and Ele, it certainly doesn’t mean that they’re bad and we could even potentially be dealing with one of the better Dancehall riddim albums of 2010 here. So either stay tuned (you know I’m reviewing it if it’s REALLY good) or just check it out for yourself.

Digital

The Pleasure Riddim [Cash Flow Records]

I’m a little less apprehensive about telling you about the well traveled Pleasure Riddim these days because I’m a wee bit more familiar with it (it’s been around from awhile now) and while it isn’t quite AMAZING (although the riddim itself might be), the Pleasure Riddim from Cash Flow Records is another gorgeous drop. The vocal acts also do pretty well, on the whole, with the biggest shots coming from the likes of Bad Gyal Ce’Cile, Konshens, Denyque and Gyptian. And other respectable links come through from Delus, Sophia Brown (whose ‘Let It Be Me’ is apparently quite the hit in Canada) and Khago. This one won’t get as much spin as quite a few others (and it hasn’t), but again, the riddim itself is just so nice (sounding maybe just a step or two behind what you’d hear from Don Corleon - In that same style) and it definitely makes a nice edition to anyone’s catalog.

Digital

The Bankrobber Riddim [Don Corleon Records]

And as usual, I’m pretty late in referring Don Corleon’s latest piece (whatever it is at any given time), but I think I have a good excuse this time. . . I just don’t like it that much. The ace producer’s latest creation, the Bankrobber Riddim, isn’t so much ‘bad’ (the man doesn’t make bad music), it’s actually a very good (HYPNOTIC) Dancehall riddim, but unfortunately the vocal acts, for the most part, just needed to step up their levels when approaching it. Amongst the likes of Beenie Man, Kartel, Merital, Wayne Marshall and others (like Gaza Slim on a tune CLEARLY written by Kartel, so clear is it that she actually recycles a Kartel lyric), the only two who manage to score big, to my ears, are Ce’Cile alongside Liquid (seeing a pattern here???) (Ce’Cile around from how long and just now seems to enter her prime?) and Da Professor who absolutely manhandles the riddim. Still, you attach the name ‘Don Corleon' to a project and justly so, it’s due for a big reaction and you can very well expect this one to continue to rise.

Digital

Lutan Fyah - ‘No More War’ (single) [Anthony Watt/Zeph Records]

And lastly, I thought that I’d mention yet another single release from the outstanding Lutan Fyah (been quietly keeping tabs and he has had more than a few in 2010 that have reached the digital market), ‘No More War’ from Anthony Watt. Of course it’s not to be confused with that other tune of the same name, but just like that one, this song is, of course, EXCELLENT. It’s a really big lyrical display on a very serious matter, but as is his norm, the Fyah puts it so nicely together and makes it sound COOL while retaining his power at the same time.

Digital