"4am" by Melanie Fiona

4AM MF by urbaninformer I need this song in my iTunes stat!

Timothy Bloom - 'Til The End Of Time ft. V

So beautiful. I'm sure that this is banned from TV, but I'd prefer that my future children watch something like this than the crap that they call music videos now.

H/T to What Tami Said.

New Music Videos from Beyonce and Sade

Beyonce's "Why Don't You Love Me?" is from a bonus track on her last album. I love the song and the video, it's one of few songs that Beyonce's come out with in the past few years that I've been able to relate to. In the past I've tried too hard to be perfect for a guy, only to wonder why he doesn't see how awesome I am. I think the video is cute too, and it made me wonder if Beyonce's problem, acting-wise, is that she's always trying to play the heroine. I suspect that, despite the fact that she seems like a very nice person in real life, she'd probably be very good at playing a tortured, bitchy diva.


"Why Don't You Love Me" - Beyoncé from Beyoncé on Vimeo.

"Babyfather" by Sade, actually made me tear up a little while I was watching it at work yesterday during lunch. I think it was the lyric, "Your daddy's love comes with a lifetime guarantee". I've always thought that I was okay not having a father my whole life, but every now and then something will remind of what I've missed. The video is gorgeous, though, and Sade is the most beautiful woman in music.



H/T to Soul Culture for the videos.

"Tightrope" by Janelle Monae - Music Video

Such a cool video!  And the song really makes me want to move.

Lady Gaga's "Telephone" Music Video

I had to post it, being a movie buff who's fascinated by Lady Gaga's insanity.  I don't see how the video fits with a song, I mean, hell, she's not a bad actress (ahem, Beyonce), she should just start making her own bizarre acid tripped movies.  I'd pay to see it.  Um, since she and Bey are apparently best buddies, does that mean that I'm going to have to suffer through her dragging down future Gaga endeavors?  I mean, she looks amazing (when did her boobs get that big?  Pregnant?), but I kinda would have preferred her singing, not talking.  Oh, and a note:  this is apparently the rated R version (for naughty words, a possible cooter sighting, and multiple shots of Lady Gaga's skinny little bubble butt), so do not watch at work.

"Soldier of Love" Music Video

Sade "Sizzle" Reel

I'd never heard of a sizzle reel until I saw this.  But anyway, Sade is one of my mother's favorite artists, making her one of the few things that we have in common.  I love this woman, her voice, her lyrics, her music, everything.  And can I say, she makes my list of the top 10 most beautiful women in the world.  See the sizzle reel below for her upcoming album, and below that is the new single, "Soldier of Love", which I played three times in a row this morning while walking to work.

Alicia Keys on "The Colbert Report"

Songs I Can't Skip on My Ipod and a Mouse in My House

Lately I've been coming across obsessions in my Ipod. These are some of the songs that I either replay or refuse to skip.



Also, there is a mouse in my house! I saw something dark scurry under my desk, and stood there with my mouth open for about a minutes, realizing that it had a little tail so it couldn't be a cockroach. I called C--W, my landlord, and told him, and he said to come over and get some rat poison, and that I could sleep in his spare room tonight. As I was talking to him, it darted out again, then went back into my closet (boxes, no clothes). I screamed. I'm writing this from the spare room of the main house. I hope that thing is dead by tomorrow. Then I'll have to figure out how to clean it up. Blech!

"Barack & Curtis" - by Byron Hurt

This short documentary was mentioned in a post by M. Dot on Racialicious.

"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga

I'm not convinced of her vocal ability, but I'm guessing that's not the point of Lady Gaga.  I can respect that she's a woman in the entertainment industry who's in control of her image, because you can't say that about many.  I mean, no suit at a record label could create something as bizarre as this:



No, that crazy is all Lady Gaga.

"Russian Roulette" by Rihanna

I know she's not the greatest singer, but somehow she's made me a fan.  I really like her darker videos, and while I hate the photo-shopped blood, the images in this video are beautiful.

News Briefs: Crumbling Levees in Algiers, True Blood Beverage, Free Amazon Downloads, Racism in Schools, Police Monitor Resigns, Trailer Trials Begin

The levee in Algiers is crumbling, but the Army Corps of Engineers is saying that this is totally not a problem.

B-positive for me, please.

Free music!!!!!!!  Get it while you can!

NOLA Film Fest Line-up.  They're showing Precious!  Can't wait, and I'll actually have money this year.

How should teachers discuss racist attitudes towards each other and students?

I didn't even know about this, and already this dude's resigning.

First FEMA trailer trial is about to begin.

I think most of these links came from New Orleans Ladder.  I keep forgetting to note where this info comes from, if it's not something I discovered myself.  That's what happens when you leave a hundred tabs open for several days in Firefox, you end up with no idea where any of it came from.

Michael Jackson Tribute at the VMAs

I love Janet...

New Music - More Music Videos

A Look At BET From A Former Insider

A Look At BET From A Former Insider

Music is My Symphony: "As" by Stevie Wonder

Clifton from Cliff's Crib and Just A Song wrote a great piece on this song, complete with a bio of Stevie Wonder, lyrics, and of course, the song itself. This is my favorite Stevie Wonder song, and makes my favorite 5 songs of all time. Seriously, this will probably be my wedding song.

Music Video for "Bad Habit" by Maxwell

This is my favorite song from Maxwell's new album. And I love that the video is exactly what I was imagining in my head - pure forbidden sexiness. Oh, to be someone's bad habit, if only for a little while (but, without the adultery). *Sings* "I can't control the feeling..."

You Should Be Famous: Goapele

I first heard of Goapele (pronounced gwa-pa-lay) from Honey Soul, the same place where I'm continuously updated on all good music that doesn't get played enough on the radio. I promptly searched for her on Last.fm and fell in love with her gorgeous voice. You can download several of her more popular songs for free on her website. My favorites are "Closer", "Don't Be Shy", "Milk and Honey", "Back To You", and "Chocolate".

Here are samples of her first two albums:



And here's her new music video for the song "Milk and Honey", which is an example of appropriate use of auto-tune.

Milk and Honey - Goapele from goapele on Vimeo.

Shakira: "She Wolf" Music Video

This video is insane, so I had to share it. It may just look like a hot chick shaking her goodies around, but a lot of her moves are derived from pilates and yoga, and as someone who has done both, that shit is hard. And boy, she is flexible. The song is...meh, but I can imagine it getting played in a lot of clubs.

Shakira - New Music - More Music Videos

Jay Smooth: Dance You Into the Sunlight

Jay Smooth's speaks on Michael Jackson's passing.