Brandi Kane of The Sistem Crew and Pretty Ill Ent. headlined the Reflect show held at Que Sera in Long Beach March 1, 2016. She performed her latest single, "Shots Fired". Many were impacted by this thought provoking song, and Brandi Kane's entire set that night. Check out what the people had to say. Videography and editing by @reallynotradio
Check out Dawn Gun's live performance at Snatch Power's Rumble in the Jungle where only the illest, queen emcees rock the mic. Dawn Gun isn't new to this, but true to her art. No games played over here as you will see from the video. Video shot and edited by Really Not Radio, Made You Look.
Tuesdays in July just got a little hotter this summer with Anderson Paak & The Free Nationals' residency at The Lyric Theatre on La Brea just south of Melrose here in Los Angeles. Last night, I finally made it to a show and let me just say I will be back next week. Thus far the artist line ups have been jam-packed with raw talent showcasing the diverse genres of the LA music scene. These type of shows are the reason why I moved to LA. Established artists like Shafiq Husayn of SA-RA Creative Partners and Brook D'Leau, who creates with San Pedro's own superstar Miguel, and is one-half of the ever so funky, soulful, trail-blazing, electronic artist, dynamic-duo J*Davey. As well as up and coming artists like Doja Cat and MNDSGN to those who have been making waves in the music scene such as Like of Pac Div and Anderson Paak & The Free Nationals ruled the stage. Live shows can make or break your love for an artist, and it's truly a skill to capture and keep the attention of the audience. I was completely captivated last night by all the performances. They were all so different yet complemented eachother so well. The Lyric Theatre is an intimate venue that allowed you to feel and connect with the artist, which is also worth noting. Upon arrival the vibe was nice. DJ Skitz set the tone with his selections accompanied with the corresponding music video projected above the stage. The host for the evening, Verbs, kept the show lively and moving in the right direction by interacting with and getting the audience involved. MNDSGN set things off with his on-the-fly, electronic sound experience on his Roland SP-555. He will release his debut album on Stones Throw Records this fall. Like of Pac Div came out and dropped some junglist-trap-slap-banger remixes on us to activate the TURN UP in us all. Brook D'Leau shared some of the gems his been crafting up, and to our surprise Jack Davey came out and sang their new song! It was such a treat. Being a big J*Davey fan and to have this all unexpectedly unfold right between our ears! Man! So pumped! haaaa At this point I'm thinking okay the show climaxed it can't get much better than this. Then, Anderson Paak & The Free Nationals happened. Let's just say I wasn't ready. I've come across the name Breezy Lovejoy aka Anderson Paak, but I wasn't familiar with his music. It was a great first impression to see and hear him do it live. He's got "IT". The energy, the bad boyism, the talent. I mean how many vocalists have you seen give there all in a vocal performance then jump on the drums and continue with the same intensity and passion. It was pretty dope. I'm a new fan. The Free Nationals were also rockin' it out on the 4-string bass, electric guitar, keys and DJ Skitz even added accents of some turntable action to complete the musical experience. The arrangement of their set was in sync. I don't know how often they rehearse, but it seems like they have their performance "dressed to the nines". It was sharp. I've attended many shows, and stage presence and performance is everything. They played with my emotions. Just when you thought the set was over, and Anderson Paak is wiping away all the sweat from his face, say a few smooth things to the audience. Then, BAM, all of a sudden we were right inside of the next song. Dope, beyond dope. Next up was Doja Cat, and this is where the story ends for me. It was like being awaken from a wonderful, wonderful dream. I had to leave the show unexpectedly, and I feel totally incomplete. I'm just sayin' haaa From what I did see and hear. I totally dig what she's bringing. I'm familiar with her music and you can find a few of her cuts on a couple Really Not Radio shows. She's still a mystery to me, which keeps the music exciting. Hopefully, I catch her performance tomorrow during the Soulection TSOT show or in the very near future. Last night was sooooo good. I'm mos def anticipating the big reveal of next week's lineup. It's the last show, so I'm sure it will be a killer finale. Ooooh who's it going to be??? Anywho, I suggest you be there. Only if you want that real good, feel good music. Check out some of the above artists' music below and make sure you connect with them on your favorite social network to keep up with all the sweet, sweet music. Anderson Paak & The Free Nationals J*Davey Doja Cat Shafiq Husayn Like of Pac Div MNDSGN
Last night I had the pleasure to enjoy a FREE show at the Bootleg Bar in Los Angeles, CA featuring the soulful, love sounds of KING and Moses Sumney. To date this was the best free show I've ever attended simply because of the pure talent and quality of each performing artist. Moses Sumney opened up the show and prepared the atmosphere. Before last night I was aware of Moses Sumney from his recordings on Soundcloud and YouTube, and I've always felt like his sound was so full of life even when contained on a record. His cover of Lindisfarne by James Blake captured my heart with all of his percussive adlibs and harmonies, which formed the layers to build this masterful sound.
When I first discover artists I can quickly point out who they sound like to me, but Moses Sumney truly has his own distinguished voice. Experiencing Moses' music live has done more for me than simply make direct artist comparisons. He gave me feelings and ideas. He reminded me of artists that can REALLY sing and create on a whim like Take 6, Al Jarreau, The McFerrins. Then, he took me to a time period where music had a soulful, classic, refined sound like the crooners Sam Cooke and Frank Sinatra. The last element necessary to mention that helps to shape his sound is more of a statement. I believe he will have international appeal because of his passion, message and poetic lyrics like Sting or Seal. Moses Sumney has got "IT". It's going to be really exciting to journey along with his musical career because I envision big things for him like performing at the white house or other first class events. Moses Sumney is the type of talent no one can deny, no matter what walk of life you are from. He is really this good!
You have to catch his live performance because it is such a treat to watch and hear him create the percussive layers of sound right before your eyes. Moses Sumney IS music and I'm convinced that everything on, in or around him is an instrument lol. So, whether he's beatboxing, clapping, humming, popping his tongue, strumming his guitar, adding melodic vocals or even silence, just know that the end result will leave you astonished. He is the definition of a true entertainer because the way he interacts with his audience charming us with his playful, humorous banter while allowing us to be apart of the show lending a clap, snap or holler ALWAYS makes for a good time! Last night, good times were had by all leaving us wanting more...ENCORE! ENCORE! Per usual support up and coming, independent artists by attending their shows, buying their albums or simply connecting with them on your favorite social network! http://mosessumney.com/Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud.
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The latter part of 2012, within a two month period, I had the opportunity to attend two, count 'em, two Jose James show experiences. The first show was in October at the legendary Royce Hall on the UCLA campus where he and Taylor McFerrin opened up for the Robert Glasper Experiment. The show was super dope, and I began to fall in love with his tone. He gives me hints of Al Jarreau, but he truly has his own unique vocal instrument. Not to mention he brings hip hop flavor to the jazz world with his New York fitted caps on tilt and black leather jacket ensemble, but creates music that makes the jazz greats proud. However, you can't put labels on Jose James because he crosses and blends many genres together to create Music, which makes him a perfect fit here on Really Not Radio. The next show I caught was an intimate show presented by KCRW at the Apogee Berkeley St. Studios in Santa Monica, CA. This show definitely reinforced what I already believed about Jose James, but had the chance to get to know a bit more about the man behind the Music from the interview below with KCRW's Tom Schnabel. This was such a great show to experience because it just felt so right. His band mates were so on point, and are top notch. There's nothing better than hearing the vibrations of real instruments. *chills*. Jose James is currently on tour, and his latest album just released 1/18/13 called "No Beginning No End". Purchase it here from iTunes. Here are his digits, well you get what I mean Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud and YouTube.
