25 Magazine’s Kiah McBride reviews Robin Thicke’s fourth studio album Sex Therapy: The Experience.

Words by Kiah McBride

Robin Thicke has strayed from the classic soul style of his previous albums towards a more contemporary R&B sound mixed with Electronic and Pop. On December 15 he released his fourth studio album Sex Therapy: The Experience, and as implied by the title, the album oozes sexual allusions and stimulating beats. As if that isn’t enough to keep the audience begging for more, he also took the idea of role-playing to another level and took on the persona of a sex therapist through various tracks. He solidifies the album with a wide variety of guest artists including Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Estelle. In Spring 2009, Thicke co-headlined a six-week national tour with Jennifer Hudson and he performed at the 2009 Soul Train Awards. With the release of his new album, we don’t expect him to lose his stroke as he returns to educate us on the art of “sex therapy.”

Sex Therapy: The Experience takes on an erotic tone from the beginning, with the opening track “911” establishing a sexy patient-therapist relationship that thrives throughout the album. On “I Got U,” a woman says in a lustful tone “doctor I have a pain all over my body, can you help me?” in which Thick responds “we have some chocolate-covered strawberries, if you like.” Robin Thicke gives us a taste of his sexual clock in tracks such as “It’s In the Mornin’” featuring Snoop Dogg where he says “You know I like it first thing/ Cuz you let it marinate, let it marinate.”

Based on the beginning tracks it can be assumed that Sex Therapy: The Experience is solely built around—well—sex. However as the album progresses, Thicke gives us more than just that. On “Rollacoasta,” he combines a fun beat with the quick, pulsating sound of a tuba. On this fast-paced track he shows that he would do anything to save his relationship as he says “slap me in the face/punch me in the eye/ do me how you want baby/but just don’t say goodbye.” On the track “Elevatas” featuring Kid Cudi, he alludes to fame being a dark hole that many get sucked into, singing “I’m fallin, fallin/ I’m moving so fast I might never go back.” Robin’s change in song content does well to keep the tracks from becoming redundant.

 Musical variety and the narrative journey will keep the album in heavy rotation. You will easily find yourself craving for more of his sensual vocals as he takes you to a world where the stress of fame and maintaining relationships collide. His collaborations with fellow artists add to the credibility and flavor of the tracks. Fans may be surprised that some of the tracks do start to stray away from the risqué theme and become more about crooning for love. This however, doesn’t detract from the overall appeal of the album. Thicke’s gentlemen-like persona is all we knew before, but after entering his bedroom we now see that he has no place for softness.

NPR has released their list of the 50 Most Important Recordings of The Decade. Rap and R&B only accounted for about a dozen and included albums from the usual suspects, Jay-Z and Beyonce as well as the less expected, Little Brother. See the complete list after the jump.

The 50 Most Important Recordings Of The Decade

01. John Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls
02. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
03. The Arcade Fire: Funeral
04. The Bad Plus: These Are The Vistas
05. Beyonce: Dangerously In Love
06. Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
07. Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
08. Burial: Untrue
09. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: S/T
10. Kelly Clarkson: Breakaway
11. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head
12. Danger Mouse: The Grey Album
13. Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism
14. The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
15. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP
16. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
17. Osvaldo Golijov: La Pasión Segun San Marcos (Saint Mark’s Passion)
18. Green Day: American Idiot
19. Iron And Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days
20. Jay-Z: The Blueprint
21. Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
22. Juanes: Fijate Bien
23. LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver
24. Lil’ Wayne: Tha Carter III
25. Little Brother: The Listening
26. M.I.A.: Kala
27. Yo-Yo Ma: Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet
28. Mastodon: Black Stars
29. Jason Moran: Black Stars
30. OutKast: Stankonia
31. Brad Paisley: 5th Gear
32. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
33. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: The Rising
34. The Postal Service: Give Up
35. Radiohead: In Rainbows
36. Radiohead: Kid A
37. Shakira: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1
38. Sigur Ros: ( )
39. Britney Spears: In The Zone
40. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois
41. The Strokes: Is This It
42. The Swell Season: Once Soundtrack
43. Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate: In The Heart of the Moon
44. TV On The Radio: Return To Cookie Mountain
45. Various: Garden State Soundtrack
46. Various: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack
47. Kanye West: The College Dropout
48. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells
49. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
50. Amy Winehouse: Back To Black

We think some notables are missing from the list, what do you think?

25 Magazine’s Tray Laws gives Melanie Fiona’s debut album The Bridge, a first listen.

Words by Tray Laws

New artist Melanie Fiona has the vintage soul vibe of the classic Motown era yet she still possesses the flavor to capture today’s hip-hop focused audience. This past July, Fiona’s hip-hop tastes were previewed on The Bridge mixtape she recorded with DJ Questlove, a live mix of songs from her then upcoming LP, and even Kanye West’s “Heartless.” Now Melanie Fiona shows how well she bridges today’s R&B, classic soul, reggae, and hip-hop on her debut album, The Bridge released on Universal Motown. The Canadian soul singer’s first single “Give it To Me Right,” leads an album filled with songs of life, love, and heartache. On the track “Monday Morning” Melanie belts about personal growth and moving on to pursue her dreams, and on “Teach Him” Melanie assures her lover some love he never felt before. The Bridge is a delightful compilation of deep stirring songs sung with passionate note worthy vocals; definitely a bridge worth crossing.

1. “Give It To Me Right”: Melanie Fiona sings with strong lyrics that drip with sexiness. The vocals are fresh, inviting, and compliment the beat. She doesn’t want it all the time, but when she does…give it to her right.

2. “Bang Bang”: A renegade’s theme song. This track definitely has a rock vibe. The vocals pair well with the beat.

3. “Monday Morning”: Once you have outgrown a place it’s time to move on. This track has a classic soul vibe. The harmonies are reminiscent of the girl groups of the Motown Era yet it’s still hip and relatable.

4. “Please Don’t Go (Cry Baby)”: On this track Fiona provides more of that Motown flavor singing about a love she wants to stay. She sounds amazing; however, the track is boring.

5. “Ay Yo”: This track provides insight on Fiona and why she decided to sing. A motivational song. The beat sounds familiar, and the vocals sound sincere.

6. “Walk on By”: Church is the first thing that comes to mind. Then once the beat drops it sounds country. This track is about a love that did her wrong and she wants him to pay for it.

7. “You Stop My Heart”: Another track with a vintage sound. The vocals sound good, but it’s starting to sound the same.

8. “Johnny”: The movie “Grease” is the first thought that comes to mind. Although the track is up tempo she sings about a love lost that draws you in and then you find yourself tapping your feet.

9. “Sad Songs”: Another track about love gone wrong. She vocally sounds great on this song, and the island vibe of this song is enjoyable.

10. “Priceless”: The song about love that is-priceless. This is the first song that sounds like her and not like some other era of music. The vocals are fresh and make me want to find a priceless love to sing about me.

11. “It Kills Me”: Fiona slows the pace down on with track. This track is relatable because so many people go through an unfaithful relationship that they may not want to give up.

12. “Teach Him”: The album closes with a sultry track about a man that needs a little love. Fiona sings of teaching him about the good side of love.

Photo by Kendra Desrosiers

Chester French and Q-tip perform at Summer Stage.

Central Park was live this afternoon at the Summerstage concert with headliner Q-Tip. It was hot and there was no shade in sight but that didn’t stump the crowd’s energy. Chester French, Sweden-based group Little Dragon, and DJ Benji B got the crowd ready for “The Abstract.” Familiar also sited today included Cassie, Damon Dash, and Amanda Diva.

Duo, Chester French moved the crowd with hits from their mixtape “Jacques Jams, Vol 1: Endurance” and debut album Love The Future. DA Wallach had the crowd laughing at his dorky swag as he instructed the crowd to commence in a soul snap. “Hands up in the fucking air! We need you to snap with us in a second!”

They performed songs like “Jimmy Choos,” “C’mon” and crowd favorite “She Loves Everybody.” The pit was packed with toddlers and guests of a guest but we managed to get some video of their set, check it out:

Chester French @ SummerStage NYC from 25 Magazine on Vimeo.

The Queens Hip Hop legend, Q-tip gave a phenomenal performance with a live band to the at capacity venue. He performed a mix of A Tribe Called Quest classics including “Bonita Applebum,” “Scenario,” and “Sucka N*ggas” as well as “Award Tour,” in which all the die hard “real Hip Hop heads” sang word for word. Tip also performed songs from his latest album The Renaissance, such as “We Fight/We Love” and “Gettin Up.”

While Tip performed “Vivrant Thing,” Diddy danced into the press pit, hopped on stage and did his famous two-step. No one expected it (but 25 caught it on tape and video!). After ending his set, Q-tip came back on stage for “Life is Better,” and jumped in the crowd.

No one wanted Q-tip to ever leave the stage and he clearly gave all his energy to the crowd by sweating out his white tee and presumably his knee high black socks. His performance was unforgettable indeed.

Here’s some Twitter highlights:

@25mag: @iamdiddy jumped on stage w/@qtiptheabstract, guess who’s the only to get video and photo? @25mag, get familiar, best show of the summer!

@25mag: Industry rule number 4080, record company people are shadyyyy

@25mag: He’s in the crowd, where is he? we can’t see you tip, you a lil short my man

@25mag: @qtiptheabstract is sweatin hard, great show!

Check out our exclusive video coverage and photos of Q-tip’s performance, including Diddy’s dance number:

Check out: Q-Tip @ SummerStage Photo Gallery

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop was confirmed dead in Los Angeles at 2:26 p.m. PST, by his brother Jermaine Jackson in a press conference.

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop was confirmed dead in Los Angeles at 2:26 p.m. PST, by his brother Jermaine Jackson in a press conference. Jackson was found by paramedics in his Los Angeles apartment with no pulse and was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center at 12:21 p.m. local time. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office, he suffered a full cardiac arrest and was unable to be revived, despite many attempts of resuscitation.

Michael Jackson, the seventh of nine children, was born on August 29, 1958. The singer, dancer, songwriter, and music video pioneer got his start as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 on the famed Motown Records. In 1979, he teamed with producer Quincy Jones to release his fifth studio album Off The Wall, which won three American Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, and one Grammy. Jones continued working with Jackson to produce Thriller, his six studio album, and the best-selling album of all time with estimated world-wide sales of 120 million. <

Michael Jackson made history by crossing color lines with his music videos during the 1980s. “Never really accepted black artists in the past, MTV played the clips to death, garnering massive publicity for Jackson and droves of viewers for the fledgling cable network,” MTV says. He broke the Guinness World Records for having the best selling album of all time, receiving the most Grammys in a year, and for having the best selling music video. He has also inspired many A-list performers today such as Usher, Ne-Yo, and Chris Brown.

Michael Jackson is survived by his parents, three children, eight siblings, and his fans who will remember him through his music.

Don’t be left out.  A Matter of Time Download Here

By Kendra Desrosiers

It’s Yardfest. And while thousands of stylish undergrads, D.C. natives and proud alumni are commandeering the university courtyard for some hardly headliners and overpriced vendors, a band from Atlanta is a few blocks down the hill in a damp hallway, trying to make a name for themselves.

They’re six deep and just squeezed out of a “quaint” campus radio booth eager for exposure, and now two of Thunderkatz’ members are attempting to win over the few straggling Howardites with tales of their days at HU, Hampton University—clearly delusional.

Thunderkatz have been cross-country, pushing their dance single “3 a.m.” and are now in the chocolate city trying to cash in on some Howard love—seemingly they missed the Kanye censure of ’05. But this doesn’t faze the sextet. They were the unlikely victor at BMI Atlanta’s annual unsigned urban music showcase in 2006 so an aloof crowd of amateur critics are small potatoes. A few years have since passed and Tkatz have signed a brand-bending deal with The Inc., gigged nationally, dropped a radio-friendly single and despite their early success, few above the Mason-Dixon know their name.

There are thousands of great acts that have been signed that you’ve never heard of—a million maybe. Record labels are like family heirlooms. They grew dusty over the years, and like grandfather’s Vietnam transistor radio and Dad’s A-trak, they’re now obsolete and merely decorative antiques.

Everything’s digital and the 40 plus record execs can’t wrap their heads around it so your new favorite band never makes it to your myspace or the blog scours. It’s not in the torrents, on the ringtones or the late muxtape (darn RIAA). They get shelved, and according to Thunderkatz—a rock hop band you’ve never heard of— if a band doesn’t get on their viral hustle, they’re exiled to 2.0 oblivion—so much for getting signed.

Luckily for Thunderkatz, their timing is impeccable. Two years ago no one was on the hipster tip. We were still dancing. But now that M.I.A. can remix rap allstars, Janelle Monae has a mainstream audience and The Cool Kids are well, cool, “alternative black music” is no longer an alternative and genre meandering acts can join the ranks of their left predecessors. The industry is changing, as are the tastes of its consumers and now the band from Atlanta can finally get some play.

25 Magazine: How did you guys meet?

O8O (Vocals): We didn’t, I don’t even know these people [laughs].

Ginger (Vocals): Yea, I don’t know these guys. Him and I went to high school together, Del [O8O] and I. And they went to college together, Mel and Del.

Jive (Bass): John and Del worked together at the hit factory. And that’s how I met those two guys at the hit factory.

Ginger: Those two have been BFF since the womb or something and when he was working at the hit factory basically that was when everybody met each other up in New York City, and they were a band before I came along.

25: What have you guys been working on? An Album?

Ginger: Yea it’s supposed to be released sometime next year, that’s when we’re on the calendar. And right now we’re pushing our single “3 a.m.” We don’t really know what the impact is going to be on that but I mean we’re just trying to get out in clubs right now, get spun and any radio stations that you know have started to pick it up hopefully that just snowballs through.

“3 AM” – Thunderkatz

25: You’ve all come a long way from town band to signed artists, what was your big break?

Juno: We won a BMI contest.

O8O: and I think it was a big deal for urban music too because it was a urban showcase and kind of the fact that we came out with a band and killed it and it was the height of down south music.

Ginger: It was kind of scary. It was cool. It was really the point where things started rolling for us we decided to move down to Atlanta after that.

John: it was like a month later we moved down. Half way back up to New York and New Jersey we had sat down actually in D.C. wasn’t it and we’re like how do you guys feel actually the independent owners at the time we’re like how do you guys feel about moving down here and getting things poppin? So we were like let’s do it! A month later we came down, it was me, Jive and June and we came down and looked for a place to live and its [history] since then.

25: As a pop/rock/rap group what role do you play in the branding of The Inc?

O8O: I don’t think it’s ever going to be the same. Once we actually start impacting and spreading I think hip hops going to change. I think it’s already starting to change and I think that The Inc is one of the most solid hip hop labels outside of Def Jam and they work very closely with Def Jam so it’s like those two.

Ginger: I think it going to change them too a little bit because when this pops off its going to give them more leverage to do more things like us but sometimes now. Like Ja Rule and Ashanti are who you know and I think that once things start moving for us it’s going to open people’s eyes like to a whole different side of The Inc. it will be good for them.

25: What distinguishes you all from any other emerging artist in the hipster trend?

O8O: I’m not going to say way before any of that but we’re definitely leaders of those packs I know when those people were coming up and they came across our situation especially being in Atlanta a lot of hipster hop, hip hop whatever it is the scene has been budding there and a lot of those people have come across we’ve all crossed paths. The biggest difference between us and a lot of what’s going on there is that we’ve brought music into it and we’ve brought live music into it and that’s a big element we brought the band element into it and I think we kinda like, it’s just like…like Mcdonalds and Burger King. We’re kind of like what they listen to [when they get their start].

25: As an emerging band what would you describe as your most frustrating moment?

Mel: [There'a always something] especially with the business like the music business you know. When you’re new I think you have aspirations and reams of how an artist is supposed to get signed. How things are supped to magically unfold but it’s really just learning how you have to be very tactful and very mindful of what goes on with your business, how to handle it, really knowing contracts the actual process of breaking an artist so its like everybody looks at oh he’s signed I made it he signed a record deal and that’s realistically the very first step and it’s the beginning of the journey to really go up the mountain. I think that has been the frustrating part just learning the business and making it work for us.

John: On a new indie label that’s what it feels like. When we first signed as a band on a independent label it doesn’t feel any different than when we signed with a major label because now a year later we’re still footing it. Like how Mel said the way you thought it was is not how it is until they see a return from you.

O8O: The nature of music business has changed its all about an artist and their impact virally it’s all about the impact virally crossing over into the major media streams like radio everything is touchable now it’s not like before where it was all about a promotions budget and the street team it’s about the artist relationship with their fans.

25: Are you guys finding that you’re doing most of the leg work out there since the consensus is that label heads don’t understand digital?

O8O and Mel: they do not…

Ginger: it’s hard, it really is. We’re pretty savvy when it comes to things that we should do we’re kind of telling people what we want and that’s how things have sort have been happening and we’ve got to figure it out a lot of it ourselves but if we don’t do it nobody else will do it [laughs]

John: or it’s just not gonna get done the way it would. You know there’s like a million other great acts that have been signed that you’ve never heard of it. You’re shelved which is the worst possible scenario.

Mel: Unfortunately, record labels are like dinosaurs now they are used to working a certain way for so long that with the impact of like iTunes and downloading.

Juno: They’re playing catch up.

Mel: They’re really playing catch up and trying to figure out how to make it work for them so that’s a struggle.

25: With that said, what do you all think is the future of music?

Mel: Honestly I think the future of music is really what we’re doing in the sense that people are going to start believing in what they see, they wanna see somebody get in front of them and not be a studio product where you’re working with great songwriters and engineers and mixers but the talent isn’t being showcased. I think that’s what’s happening. People don’t buy albums anymore because they’re like I don’t wanna spend $17 on three songs that I like when I can go to iTunes and download the songs myself but when there’s it always speaks for itself when you fall on an artist who is putting the work in and giving the talent, hitting the road and actually giving shows and tours something that’s really tangible for people to hold on success happens i.e. Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Jonas Brothers.

O8O: I think lifestyle has a big impact on music now too. People buy into the whole persona of the artist they like everything from the socks they’re wearing to the type of toothpaste they use. If you buy, I think that if you’re an artist that has an interesting lifestyle that people can get down with you can also have a healthy career of providing all different aspects for your fans.

25: What would you say is your biggest grievance with the industry?

John: I think that the whole label thing like you know music in its self [inaudible] it’s become very dumbed down and a lot of it’s the same. I know when we first moved down south I was like I can cant event turn on the radio I was not really into that snap, crunk stuff you know what I mean. I guess even that starting to change even that is starting to get more musical. It’s up to you to see what’s positive and grasp that and not so much focus on what’s negative because there’s so much negative stuff in this industry, it will drive you crazy and make you not want to do it.

25: Anything you’d like to add?

O8O: Tkatzmusic.com check us out.

John: And come to the show wherever we play.

Ginger: yea check us out.

John: wear soft shoes.

Ginger: you need to see us at a show.

John: be prepared to have beers spilled on you, more or less thrown