Based out of Chicago ourselves, we love to find homegrown talent. There is something to be said about a talented artist from our very own Chicago and now, Daphne Willis will join the ranks of such artists as Cheap Trick, Kanye West, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, Lupe Fiasco, Liz Phair and Koko Taylor. Not a bad list. Especially the Cheap Trick part.
Her soulful voice is so powerful it will literally blow your socks off (do people say that anymore?) Her voice is very similar to up-and-comer Angel Taylor in the sense that her pitch is impeccable and her control is completely acrobatic. Her old school sound adds in horns and bluesy guitar riffs for a vintage feel generally only achieved by seasoned veterans. But Daphne Willis has the “it” factor now, so why wait to be seasoned? Exactly.
Her latest release What To Say promises to deliver everything you imagine and more. Assuming you aren’t imagining the album comes with $100 bills stuffed in the case. If that is what you are imagining than no, it won’t deliver. If you are looking for a solid album from a solid up-and-comer, than What To Say definitely promises to deliver.
Since she’s from Chicago, you better believe we’ll be at one of her upcoming shows, but if you want to check her tour schedule for some other dates, make sure you go to her website for all of the details or “deets” as we call it on the streets.
Check out the video for “Everybody Else”. It has what appears to be Cookie Monster in it. Although I’m sure for copyright reasons I can’t confirm that:
Buy What To Say:
Thanks Special K!
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We featured Mika a little while ago in our world-famous Weekly Jukebox. If we knew then what we know now, we would have given him his own post. Truthfully, we did know then what we know now, but had I known now what I could have known then before now, he would have gotten his own post. So now he does. Make sense?
Mika is a British singer-songwriter who is, shall we say, quirky. His style is catchy, likable and light but also very, shall we say, unique. His vocals are very Queen-ish (the rock band, not the old monarch from England) due to his vocal range which is, quite frankly, all over the place. I will warn that it’s very poppy. But sometimes you need that pizzaaz to help you get through the day. Songs like the featured “Blame It On The Girls”, “We Are Golden” and “Good Gone Girl” will have you clapping for no good reason at all. Seriously. It happened to me at work. It was super awkward.
Make sure you check out his latest album The Boy Who Knew Too Much for the freshest beats this side of the Mississippi. You won’t be disappointed. And if you are disappointed you have no one to blame but yourself. You’re just not listening hard enough.
Watch Blame It On The Girls:
Buy The Boy Who Knew Too Much:
Shontelle – “Impossible”
Shontelle has been on my radar for some time now. Let me apologize for not featuring her here on Fresh Scouts much sooner. My bad. Now that you have forgiven me, I will go on.
Barbados gave us Rihanna and now the country gives us Shontelle. Way to go Barbados! “Impossible” is made possible because of her upcoming release of No Gravity. Prepare yourself, because you will be listening to Shontelle on the regular. I guarantee.
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Jenna Andrews – “Tumblin’ Down”
I can’t get enough of this track! Canadian singer/songwriter Jenna Andrews is positioning herself to make a huge splash on the music industry. Her soulful voice is absolutely incredible. When I came across the song the order of events went like this:
- Listened to the song and was blown away by the vocals.
- Watched the video and scratched my head in wonder.
- Realized that the old soul voice was actually coming out of her mouth.
- Wrote about the song on Fresh Scouts.
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Freshlyground – “Fire is Low”
Congrats to Spain for taking home their first World Cup title. Ah, the sweet song of the vuvuzela will finally be fading away. Well, not completely. Hello, new ringtone! Another sound that I am sure you will recall is the World Cup theme song, “Waka, Waka” from Shakira. What you might not be aware of is that the backing music and supporting vocals were provided by a group called Freshlyground. This talented band from South Africa mixes traditional South African music with blues, folk and rock. Shakira is great and all, but I am loving me some Freshlyground right now!
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I’ve been in the mood for some hot music. I’m not talking about the latest Kanye track or anything you might find in an inappropriate video. No, I’m talking about genuinely hot music. Music that will burn your ears if you get to close. For a while, I thought it didn’t exist. I thought it couldn’t exist. And after searching literally for minutes, I thought I would give up. But after running into a very wise (very drunk) bar patron the other night wanting to offer me every person he has ever listened to ever, I discovered Sia.
I thought it was destiny after I went home and listened to some of her tracks. I thought it was meant to be. I had been searching for the hottest of hot music and I had finally found it. One listen to the soulful stylings of “The Fight” and “Clap Your Hands” and it was hook, line and sinker. Her Nelly-like beats and sound blend with a Fiona Apple-ish vocal to create tracks that are completely playful and dance worthy.
Slow it down a bit with tracks like “I’m In Here” and you get the full package. In fact, she’s so good she only needs one name. Not like those other guys that have TWO names. Ha! Two names?! Who needs TWO names when you can have ONE?! That’s what I imagine she says anyways.
Check out the video for “Clap Your Hands” and, you know, clap your hands:
Buy We are Born:
Debi Nova – “Drummer Boy”
“Drummer Boy” is a beat driven dance track that will get your blood pumping. Costa Rican diva, Debi Nova, looks like a sexy goddess in her beach themed video. When I take to the beach I burn instantly and somehow always step on a broken shell. My escapades would not translate well to a music video, Debi’s certainly does.
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Scissor Sisters – “Fire With Fire”
The Scissor Sisters are always good for delivering some quality dance tracks. What they are not always good for is delivering sound advice. Trust me, the next time you have a fire break out in your kitchen, don’t run and grab matches in an effort to fight the fire with fire. Yeah, just makes more fire. So make sure you listen to “Fire With Fire” for enjoyment and not as a lesson. I am guessing Smokey the Bear will not have this song on his next mix tape.
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Florence and the Machine – “Dog Days Are Over”
Don’t let the video scare you away. Take in these Brit indie rockers and welcome their music into your collection. Yes, the video does sport what appears to be two Smurfs, or I guess they could be the blue opera lady from The Fifth Element. And yes, there is a lot of elaborate face paint, rhythmic drumming, and a head of hair that rivals Carrot Top. With all of that being said, you need to expand your horizons and take this track in. If anything, it does have dancing blue people. That’s awesome.
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