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Zo! To Release a Sunstorm Upon Us

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If you are like me, then you know that July is a hot month in the music scene. Coming up on the horizon is a project from a producer who has been putting it down on the soul scene for years. On July 27th the new project from Zo! “Sunstorm” will hit the shelves.

If you are lost to whom Zo! is you must have been hiding under a rock. From Zo! and Tigallo Love the 80’s to the Grammy nominated “Leave it All Behind” from Foreign Exchange. Zo! has been part of some of the best soul music released over the last few years.

“Sunstorm” will feature an amazing line up from Yahzarah, Phonte from Foreign Exchange, Eric Roberson, Jesse Boykins III, and Sy Smith. Sy is featured on the first single “Greatest Weapon of All Time”.  It is a nice laid back up-tempo jam to get the party started.

Just based off of the 2 singles released, “This Could Be the Night” being the other, “Sunstorm” is shaping up to be an instant classic. If you can’t wait for something from Zo!, download two of his FREE projects if you have not already, [Download not found] and [Download not found].

Pre-order the album and look for Zo! and Foreign Exchange to hit a city near you.

Tracklisting below:

1. Greater Than the Sun f. Phonte
2. Greatest Weapon of All Time f. Sy Smith

[audio: Zo!%20-%20Greatest%20Weapon%20Of%20All%20Time%20feat.%20Sy%20Smith.mp3]Download Track [Download not found]
3. Say How You Feel f. Carlitta Durand & Phonte
4. For Leslie
5. Be Your Man f. Darien Brockington
6. Free Your Mind f. Lady Alma
7. SunStorm f. YahZarah
8. If I Could Tell You No f. Jesse Boykins III
9. This Could Be The Night f. Eric Roberson, Darien Brockington & Rapper Big Pooh

[audio: 01%20This%20Could%20Be%20The%20Night%20feat.%20Eric%20Roberson%2C%20Darien%20Brockington%20%26%20Rapper%20Big%20Pooh.mp3]Download Track [Download not found]
10. Flight of The Blackbyrd f. Phonte
11. All Is Well With Love f. Chantae Cann
12. Make Luv 2 Me f. Monica Blaire

Artist Spotlight: Carlitta Durand

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Website/MySpace/Twitter/FaceBook/BandCamp

Carlitta Durand.  Know her?  You should.  I didn’t until recently, and then I kinda went over board and tried to collect all of her music.  She has been blessed with a sensual voice, and a talent that just draws you in, and makes you stay awhile.  She has released an album titled “Carlitta’s Way The Prelude“.  It was released April of 2009, but it’s still a great showcase of her voice.  Of course, I personally like her softness and clarity.  In the past year or two , she has been featured on mean songs, released The Doug And Patty EP’s (Season One & Two), and featured on four songs of  Nicolay’s “City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya“.  She has done an exceptional job of getting her voice out there. The thing that blows me away, is that she is currently on 19.  Yup.  I know grown-ass artists who aren’t that prolific or talented.  Some of the items that I mention are available for download, some are available to stream.  Enjoy.

[Download not found]

[Download not found]

[audio: 01%20-%20Nicolay%20-%20Lose%20Your%20Way.mp3]

[audio: RobotHeart-AppleJac-remix.mp3]

Upcoming Albums To Watch For

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It’s a new year, and the party is over.  Now it’s time to get back to business.  The past few months have been kind of dry on the retail music front.  It looks like Spring 2010, will change all that.

January Releases

Maysa – Woman In Love (January 25)

Corinne Bailey Rae -The Sea (January 26)

February Releases

Solider Of Love By Sade (Feb. 10)

New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) By Erykah Badu (February 23): Everyone is awaiting this follow up album to New Amerykah Part One.  Here is how Erykah Badu describes the album “I called it ‘Part II: The Return of the Ankh’ because this album is the sister of the left side of my brain — it is the right side,” Badu explained during a listening session this week at New York City’s Chung King Studios. “‘Part I was the left side of my thoughts — it was more socially political and my thought process was more analytical. This time there wasn’t anything to be concerned with — the album is more emotional and flowy and talks about feelings. It reminds of the days of ‘Baduizm’ — this is just about beats and rhymes in a cipher.”

The Love and War Masterpeace by Raheem DeVaugh (February 16)

Kings Ballad by Georgia Anne Muldrow (February 9)

Concrete Jungle by Nneka (February 2)

March Releases

It’s Personal by Angela Johnson (March)

Intermission/The Bitter Suite By Carmen Rodgers (March 30)

April And Beyond

Synthesis By Raul Midon (April 13)

Milk And Honey By Goapele (spring)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vhmvU3j8h8

Purple Saint James By Yahzarah (spring): With this upcoming album, being her third, I really feel music blossoming.  After listening to her two previous albums, and then to her “The Prelude” EP, it’s a whole new world.  So, personally I can’t wait for the album, so I can really enjoy this musical phoenix.  She has also signed with The Foreign Exchange Music, so you know that all add extra goodness to the production.

SunStorm By Zo! (unknown): After the recent “…Just Visiting Too” EP that was released, more people are coming to appreciate his music and talent.  There is also the “…Just Visiting” EP, which was released in 2006.

James River By D’Angelo (spring/summer): People have been talking about this album for a year or two.  It will be ten years since his last album.  A tour is also rumored this summer.  The whispers have been getting stronger lately, with the news of the artists that he has working on the album.  This is what his manager said of those collaborations,” “James River,” D’Angelo’s first studio effort in nearly 9 years, is also sporting a collaboration with Gnarls Barkley’s Cee-Lo Green. Green joins Raphael Saadiq, Mark Ronson, and Roy Hargrove, who have already contributed to D’Angelo’s forthcoming album.”  It has also been reported that he is teaming up with Prince.

Darien Brockington (unknown): This release would be his second solo album, after “Somebody To Love”. The wait just got a lot harder with his latest EP “Cold Case Files“.

Carlitta Durand (unknown)

The Foreign Exchange does EP tribute of Zo!

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Zo! Just Visiting Too

Website/Myspace

This is turning out to be a great day for free music. I should be shot for not having an Artist Spotlight on Foreign Exchange yet. Anyway, this great group has done covers of fellow label mate, Zo! His album “SunStorm” will be released soon. To pay tribute to that, FE has put together and EP with the likes of Yahzarah, Darien Brockington, Phonte and others. This is a free EP which serves double duty. It exposes you to the muisc of Zo! and the style of FE. You can download the album here or Soulified’s backup link. Enjoy.