Strictly Social with Gina Rene Photos

Thursday night was the first Nu-Soul Special Event at Strictly Social. It was a great night of positive vibes, good people, and excellent music. The Keite Young listening party was in full effect with samplers all around the venue. Thanks to Gina Rene for coming through for us at the last minute and rocking the mic with her dope rhymes and sultry voice! This girl is on that conscious tip if you didn't already know.

Gina Rene on Myspace

Props to DJ LP for creating the vibe!

DJ LP on Myspace

Special thanks to Soul Union for reaching out to us with Strictly Social, Lucy Beer from Elemental Consulting, Thornell Jones, Hidden Beach, Monica Young, Wendy and Showanna of Social Butterfly, Fusicology, Abby Harris, and everyone who helped organize and promote this event. We plan to just get bigger and better to bring you the best in eclectic soul fusion! And a big shout out to everyone who came out to support and signed up for the newsletter!

Download Ledisi Single for Free on Itunes

Flavalife photoshoot

I shot with Flavalife Magazine back in March and I am finally getting the photos. I thought I would share them. I think they did a good job of capturing my fun silly side. Let me know what you think.

Flavalife Magazine

My DJ gig at the Little Rock

Here are some pics of me DJing at the Little Rock. It was a Sunday night so the crowd was small but it was still fun!

Gina Rene confirmed for Strictly Social August 30th

Due to unforeseen circumstances Peter Hadar will no longer be performing at the August 30th edition of Strictly Social. Instead we will be bringing you a live performance from Gina Rene, of Soulstice fame, alongside DJ LP. Showtime is at 11pm!

It will be the same great vibe and same free admission!

Gina Rene on Myspace

DJ LP on Myspace

Strictly Social on Myspace

Strictly Social Special Event August 30th
Keite Young Listening Party
LIVE PERFORMANCE by Gina Rene and DJ LP
@ Skinny's
4923 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601
FREE ADMISSION!
21+
9pm-2am

New Reviews up on Nu-Soul

I just posted some new reviews on my website Nu-Soul. Enjoy!



Artist: Chrisette Michele
Album: I Am
Genre: Soul
Read the Review



Artist: Davina
Album: Return To Soul v.1
Genre: Soul/Electronica
Read the Review



Artist: The Politik
Album: The Politik
Genre: Soul/Hip-Hop/Electronica
Read the Review

Ledisi "Lost & Found" Review

Ledisi
Lost & Found
Verve
8.0 out of 10
By Norman Mayers

It’s unfortunate that not enough people know who Ledisi is. This Oakland-bred singer/songwriter is an astonishing talent with a booming voice and a knack for writing a nice catchy hook. On her Verve Records debut Lost & Found, Ledisi – whose name means “to come forth” in Nigerian – is hoping to change things. The album is as complete as soul albums can hope to be in this day and age. Lost & Found is a triumphant proclamation of fierce talent and skill. While it may not rock the boat of R&B, it is an efficient example of excellence in the genre. Brilliant from beginning to end, the album should do much to bolster Ledisi’s profile in the music world at large.

Ledisi’s voice is a thing of unmatched energy and rawness. It is immediately reminiscent of the power of Chaka Khan, yet Ledisi does well to control the power of her instrument, often scaling back between her frenetic scatting and gospel runs. The strength of Ledisi’s voice is just one of the strength’s of Lost & Found, but it is the one that will grab listeners at first. It’s actually the songs themselves that are the true power of the album. The production forgoes the traditional neo-soul sound of merging hip-hop and old soul, and instead goes for a very modern and streamlined take on pure soul. Live instrumentation, thick drums, and elegant melodies converge throughout the disc for a sound that is fresh in today’s musical landscape.

The album’s best songs, such as the first single “Alright”, the minimal “Joy”, and the energetic “Get To Know You”, all feature a seamless melding of catchy lyrics, accessible production, and a warm, sassy performance from Ledisi. The level of songwriting is incredible, matched only by the complex arrangements. No where else is this on display than on “Think Of You” a slinky number that prominently features a thick drum breakdown over gorgeous call and response layers of vocals. Ledisi is also adept at powerful ballads, perfecting the art on the candle wax and massage oil vibe of “In The Morning” and the melancholy “Lost and Found (Find Me)”. There is true depth here, with all aspects of the soul spectrum getting covered with expert skill. Lost & Found doesn’t reinvent the wheel or anything but it is an accurate playbook on how to create the perfect soul album.

Ledisi's website

Ledisi on myspace

I am DJing on August 26th

Nu-Soul Magazine's Founder and Editor Norman Mayers, aka DJ Nomad, will be DJing his first club gig on Sunday August 26th. If you have never heard him spin, you are in for a surprise!

First off, he doesn't spin the traditional soul and downtempo grooves that Nu-Soul Magazine is mainly known for. DJ Nomad is set to rock the dancefloor with his signature style of classic funky breaks, booty shaking Miami Bass, and speaker rattling electro bass. His coveted vinyl collection features classic jams from DJ Icey, Fixx, Jackal & Hyde, 2Live Crew, Funklab and Kaleidoscope Records. If his set doesnt make you shake your ass then you must be dead!

Come out and support on Sunday August 26th @ the Little Rock. Nomad's set begins at 11pm!!!

And make sure you stay for a set from Joe Galdo spinning the hottest electro breaks, old skool, and Miami Bass

Download a mix from Joe Galdo

DJ Nomad and Joe Galdo
Sunday August 26th
The Little Rock
5507 Reseda Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91356
FREE ADMISSION!

Win a copy of Ledisi's "Lost & Found"

Here is your chance to win the astounding new album from Ledisi "Lost & Found". This collection of songs is set to take the soul community by storm!

Send an email to info@nu-soulmag.com with your full name, address, phone number and email address for your chance to win. Make sure to include the subject: Ledisi Contest

Three winners will be chosen! Good luck.

Ledisi on Myspace

About Ledisi

From her name to her music to her mission to the circuitous path that brought her to legendary Verve Records for her third album, Lost and Found (in-stores August 28), Ledisi is a galvanizing, all-natural wonder. Wherever she goes, she wows and astounds.

Three years in the making, the 16-track Lost and Found (for which Ledisi co-produced all of the songs with veterans Rex Rideout, Jamey Jaz and Mano Hanes, newcomer Lorenzo Johnson and longtime collaborator Sundra Manning) is the album destined to usher a deserving talent into some well-earned limelight. Overflowing with deeply touching songs of love and life, the CD cuts a swath through intimate snapshots of relationships that linger in the mind long after the last note has been sung.

Emotions swing from the soulful swoon of falling in love with your "Best Friend" to a liberating acknowledgement that it's time for lovers to throw in the towel on the insanely hooky "I Tried" (featuring Errol Cooney on guitar - the chorus reads: "I tried, you tried / We tried…Time to move on!"). "In the Morning" flows like an old R&B LP a la Stevie Wonder or Barry White, expressing a woman's need for love after the lovin'. On the more contemporary side are "Joy" and "You & Me" that telegraph the bliss of being truly connected to someone. And the smoothly hip hop-spiced "Think of You" is so reverent that it really couldn't be about anything else but loving The Lord.

The first single from Lost and Found is the moving "Alright," reassuring words of comfort, self love and survival that everyone can relate to. "'Alright' came from me just being tired from the ups and downs of my journey," Ledisi shares. "It came during a great low as well as a great high in my life. I was trying to stay positive and feel like, no matter what, things were gonna be alright. Before I signed with Verve, I was writing and recording songs with no idea where the money would be coming from to pay for all of it. It was tough."