Swap a CD: 15 Recently Posted CDs in Neo-Soul

Erykah Badu - Live Album

Erykah Badu — 2013-03-06T15:38:16-05:00

Her second album coupled with a six track R&B sampler comprised of cuts by Badu, Rahsaan Patterson, Mary J. Blige, Rakim, K-CI & JoJo featuring Snoop and Queen Pen.

Chico Debarge - Give You What You Want (Fa Sure)

Chico Debarge — 2012-09-26T03:02:10-05:00

Tony Toni Tone - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Jewl)

Tony Toni Tone — 2012-09-22T10:58:39-05:00

The 20th Century Masters series is the best-selling single-artist line in music history and is being re-released by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) in its ground-breaking, environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company's long-standing commitment to being "green."To further reduce the amount of paper in the Eco-Pack, the CD booklet will no longer be offered. Official liner notes are easily accessible on the Internet at http://www.ilovethatsong.com/green.UMe is the first North American music company to replace the traditional jewel case with recycled paperboard sleeves and the plastic tray with trays made from PaperFoam®, a new packaging technology from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper, that is paper-recyclable and biodegradable. Shorewood Packaging is the first North American packaging supplier to produce disc trays from PaperFoam®.

Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell — 2012-07-26T21:08:21-05:00

No Description Available. Genre: Soul/R&B Media Format: Compact Disk Rating: Release Date: 2-APR-1996

NDea Davenport - N'Dea Davenport

N'Dea Davenport — 2012-07-01T17:42:28-05:00

N'dea Davenport started working on her debut solo recording in 1990; she finished eight years later. In between she spent six years traveling the world with British funk revivalists the Brand New Heavies. After four albums on which she sang lead, wrote songs, and produced, she took a hiatus to buy and restore a house in Louisiana, then resumed the solo project. N'dea Davenport was recorded in San Francisco, Atlanta, Nashville, and Los Angeles. It sounds less like a clever pastiche of an artist suffering from wanderlust than the travelogue of a woman who is fluent in many different languages. Her native tongue remains the saucy, '70s-inspired funk she honed with her former bandmates, and the sultry vibe of "Bring It On" and "Whatever You Want" pushes that sound forward. Elsewhere she's mixing it up with the Crescent City's Rebirth Brass Band on "Getaway," reviving the Southern torch tradition on "Save Your Love for Me," showing off her jazz chops on "In Wonder," and infusing Neil Young's "Old Man" with a heady dose of soul. Her lyrics range from social criticism to tender love themes, and her enthusiasm lifts every track. Her long-awaited debut makes an eloquent argument for broadening the narrow confines of contemporary R&B. --Martin Johnson

Maxwell - Embrya

Maxwell — 2012-04-28T13:13:10-05:00

No Description Available. Genre: Soul/R&B Media Format: Compact Disk Rating: Release Date: 30-JUN-1998

Tweet Fabolous Bubba Sparxxx - Oops (Oh My) / My Place

Tweet, Fabolous, Bubba Sparxxx — 2012-02-19T19:12:39-05:00

Missy Elliott and Timbaland present Tweet. Features 4 tracks, 'Oops (Oh My)' (Album Version, feat. Fabolous - Amended Version, feat. Bubba Sparxxx - Amended Version) & 'My Place' (Album Version). 2002.

Tweet - Call Me

Tweet — 2012-02-18T19:17:31-05:00

The Second Single to Be Lifted from her Debut Album 'southern Hummingbird'. Features Three Bonus Tracks Including a Mix of her Previous Single 'oops (Oh My)'.

Floetry - Floetic

Floetry — 2011-12-19T02:09:53-05:00

It's hard to imagine two more talented hipsters than Floetry singer Marsha Ambrosius and emcee Natalie Stewart, a.k.a. the Songstress and Floacist. The U.K. duo's Floetic debut has it all--smooth R&B, soulful jazz, hip-hop, spoken word, supple ballads and a warmth that cradles the listener from beginning to end. In short, it's exquisitely, decidedly feminine. The pair occasional raise the roof with sizzling rhymes and beats, but they clearly place a premium on vibe, evident in Floetic's mostly chilled, after-dark feel. Jill Scott and Michael Jackson have already benefited from Floetry's deft songwriting; Jacko covered Floetry's "Butterflies" on his Invincible disc. A demo version of that song is included here, but that's the least of the bounty. "Hello" is pure honey with the women's silky voices braided in harmony while the dreamy, gently gurgling "Sunshine" is like a soundtrack to a daydream. Comparisons abound (Lauryn Hill-meets-Dionne Warwick as scored by a blunted De La Soul maybe?) but perhaps the best description of Floetic yet unearthed is "sass and soul." And, at almost 70 minutes long, it's a steal. --Kim Hughes

Incognito - No Time Like the Future

Incognito — 2011-09-18T16:36:03-05:00

From the opening bars of "Wild and Peaceful" (almost a description of the group's style) with its soaring strings, crystalline piano, and flawless vocal harmonies, it's apparent that No Time Like the Future is rich with Incognito's patented blend of soul and finesse. "It Ain't Easy," with its refrain of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On," is a classic funk outcry; "Fearless" is a wordless chant with some great rhythm guitar and booting jazz saxophone; "Nights Over Egypt" backs another great vocal with popping bass and orchestral atmospherics; "Black Rain" mixes exotic drumming with some subliminal dissonance. Producer-composer-guitarist Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick has added string arrangements by Simon Hale, appearances by the horns of the hot Cuban band Irakere, and the performances of small army of R&B singers (Maysa, especially) and British contemporary jazz players (Ed Jones stands out on tenor and soprano). The result is an irresistible combination of strong songs and pulsing rhythm tracks, all polished to slippery perfection. --Adam Rains

Bob Marley - Bob Marley: Chant Down Babylon

Bob Marley — 2011-08-31T11:10:11-05:00

On Chant Down Babylon, Bob Marley's master tapes meet the next generation. Marley hardly needs help selling records, so these studio-engineered duets may reflect an honest attempt at linking his musical legacy with contemporary artists. Even those sympathetic to the concept, though, should wonder if it's wise to substitute new backing tracks for the original sinuous grooves of "Concrete Jungle" and "Rebel Music." (To the disc's credit, the rhythms of "No More Trouble" and "Rastaman Chant" are left largely intact.) And as obvious as the connection between reggae and hip-hop is, Guru ("Johnny Was") and even Chuck D ("Survival a.k.a. Black Survivors") have nothing to add to Marley's perfectly chosen words. Finally, don't be surprised if your patience wears as several of Marley's sons help travesty "Kinky Reggae." --Rickey Wright

Kelis - Wanderland

Kelis — 2011-08-18T22:46:11-05:00

Import only pressing of her sophomore album 'Wanderland' includes 2 hidden bonus tracks and was never released in the USA. Kelis reunites with Hip Hop's premier production duo, the Neptunes. The first single, 'Young Fresh 'N' New' includes mixes from Timo Maas & So Solid Crew. The bonus tracks are tagged on to the last track #14 'Little Suzie'. 2001. Virgin.

Joe - Everything

Joe — 2011-08-03T21:55:12-05:00

Amel Larrieux - Infinite Possibilities

Amel Larrieux — 2011-08-02T23:26:31-05:00

Amel Larrieux, formerly of mellow duo Groove Theory, unleashes her wholesome musical and personal aspirations on her ear-catching solo debut, Infinite Possibilities. A fusion of hip-hop, groovy R&B, jazz, and Middle Eastern and African rhythms overlaid with the singer's soulful vocal meanderings, the album resonates with the influences of Sade, Innervisions-era Stevie Wonder, and Prince. All the while thoughtful and respectful to God, Larrieux's good-girl vibes are made less ordinary with a multilayered, proficient musical backdrop that deepens with each listen. The single "Get Up" reels the listener in with atmospheric synth notes and Larrieux's beguiling vocals, which spiral into a jazzy tone poem to close the track. "Sweet Misery" is another tune bolstered by her heartfelt vocal expressions, and "Infinite Possibilities" conveys the title's meaning as it builds to its climax of overlapping vocal rounds, dreamy keyboards, reverberating guitar chords, and plugging bass. "Down" is a striking funked-up variation on the piano-bar diva's usual melancholy mood. While not as gutsy as such contemporaries as Macy Gray and Angie Stone, Larrieux's vision for a modern, world-beat-savvy sound gains significance the longer it stays in the player. --Rebecca Robinson

Joe - And Then...

Joe — 2011-07-06T21:38:06-05:00