Jose James - Code

I was so happy when I ran across "Code," the first video off of Jose James' latest album, Blackmagic. I didn't even know he had a new album in the works! I first found out about Jose late last year from soulculture.co.uk. Looking at him you'd never expect he'd emanate such rich and jazzy vocals - he sounds like an old jazz singer with a lifetime of life experience under his belt. I immediately fell in love with his voice and enjoyed his debut "The Dreamer" quite a bit. I can't wait to pick up his latest; listening to samples of the tracks, it sounds like he's trying different things musically and I love to see talented artists stretching their wings. http://www.josejamesmusic.com/



Bonus video, "Park Bench People" from Jose's "The Dreamer" album

Amanda Diva - Neon Music Video

Amanda Diva is the epitome of a renaissance woman: she rhymes, writes, sings, acts, paints, educates, produces, occasionally somersaults ... the list goes on. I would have never thought the actress who played Dee on the short-lived "My Brother and Me" Nickelodeon show would grow up to be such an incredible woman. Please enjoy her video "Neon" which is an awesome throwback to the fun and almost radioactively bright days of the early 90's. Do ya thang, Ms. Diva!

If you love the song and want to hear more, download her FREE EP, "Spandex, Rhymes and Soul" from her website AmandaDiva.com. While you're there, also click on "Web Shows" at the top to check out some episodes from Diva Speak TV and Diva Diva Y'All. They are some of the best webisodes you're gonna find out there. Enjoy!

Where Have All The CDs Gone?

I know that buying digital music has been alive and kicking for quite a few years now. However, I had been one of those CD purists who refused to purchase it. Particularly, during the dark days of DRM-protected material and less than desirable bitrates.

My how things have changed!

Much to my surprise I took a look at all of the music I've recently purchased and saw that over 90% was digitally acquired (notice the word "purchased," support your artists people! lol). What slowly won me over was Amazon's MP3 store and my beloved, soon to be betrothed, eMusic. However, the main reason I believe, is the independent/foreign music scene.

To put it lightly, it was often a pain in the ass for me to purchase indie/foreign CDs. For one, it was expensive. Secondly, I often took a gamble because it was much harder to sample albums before purchasing. Not anymore, the cost lines have been blurred between domestic best sellers and pretty much any other album that is out there in the digital domain, and I love it! While radio and mainstream music in general seems to be narrowing it's scope with each passing day, there seems to be a musical digital renaissance going on that is available right at your fingertips. And I'm so thankful for it because I've discovered some exceptionally good music because of it (Muhsinah, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Zaki Ibrahim, Brittany Bosco, Amanda Diva, to name a few). Yes, I don't get the joy of opening up a brand new CD (my shrinkwrap, sticker removal skills were so honed I was like a CD-opening ninja) but my wallet is in a much better state and my ears are thankful for the ever changing sonic landscapes they've been traveling through. And while I wish there was some magical, lossless format being widely used, encoding quality has gotten much better over the years. So cheers to you, digital music, for reinvigorating my music collection!

Zaki Ibrahim - Eclectica in Purple Album Preview

After sampling this preview of the "Eclectica: Episodes In Purple" EP, I not only became aware of Zaki Ibrahim but also soon gained another all-time favorite artist. Ms. Ibrahim's artistry and coolness seems to exude out of every pore of her being. Excuse me if I sound hokey but it is an absolute honor to share this video with you all. Enjoy, and I hope you will all pick up the exceptional EP this video showcases. It has not left my music roster since I've picked it up.

Check out more about Zaki Ibrahim at http://www.zakiibrahim.com/

Louwop - "One Two Check/Get Up" Live

This video epitomizes everything I love about hip hop: a melding pot of culture, music, style, talent, passion ... the list goes on. Please enjoy some sonic gumbo of the greatest kind by Louwop, a top-notch Toronto MC joined by fellow Toronto talent including the lovely Zaki Ibrahim. You'll definitely see some Zaki posts in the near future; I think she is one of the most exciting artists to come around in a very long time.

Louwop ft. Shad & Zaki Ibrahim | "One Two Check/Get Up" LIVE from M. Fantu on Vimeo.

Natasha Kmeto "9"

By chance, I came across Natasha Kmeto’s “9” EP over at CDBaby (definitely check it out if you haven’t already at cdbaby.com) and was immediately transfixed. While brief in length, songs like “Saccharine” just reinforce the fact that great releases can be as long as they want to be. Natasha herself has a jazzy, sultry flavor that reminds me quite a bit of Esthero, which music lovers know is a very big compliment. Check out “9” at natashakmeto.com and also her imaginative video for “Drunk Dial” below:

Natasha Kmeto: Drunk Dial Music Video from Natasha Kmeto on Vimeo.

Welcome to the "Chords and Cables" blog!

When I first decided to make a blog, I considered creating a theme one, such as one solely based on my music or spotlighting music I love by other independent artists. I created a few entries for "The Euphoros Daily" blog under that design but soon realized how blog entries seemed more like a chore than anything else. There are enough chores in life and I'd rather write a blog that serves as an outlet for expression and communication. Therefore, I'd like to welcome you all to the "Chords and Cables" blog, where I'll be discussing whatever music or media I'd like.  Music, art, electronics, video games, thoughts… all topics are fair game.

Enjoy!

-Euphoros