KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez’ debut full-length album is finally out this week. Audio/Visual, released on Recordbreakin’ Music is a multi-dimensional collection of atmospheric soundscapes and progressive soul jams. Inspired in large part by Valadez’ post-club journeys through the streets of Los Angeles, Audio/Visual demonstrates his eye for images, his ear for sound and his ability to mesh the two together. Gems of LA’s progressive music scene pop up all over the album including vocalist Wendisue and musicians Dexter Story (Life Force Trio, Build an Ark), Shaunte Palmer (Raphael Saadiq, Talib Kweli) and Evan Lasrey. Kissey Asplund is also a featured vocalist. What I appreciate most about this album is the way A.V. integrates both electronic and organic sounds that gives the album a depth that elicits repeated listens. Definitely worth your ten dollars to download.

Get a taste of the album - Download DJ Destroyer’s sampler mix of the album

Then:
Purchase Audio/Visual at:

More info on Anthony Valadez

Meet the band:

Strictly Social was off the chain as usual last night. Excellent performances from Erik Rico and Kissey Asplund were just the beginning….an impromptu freestyle session featuring cameos from Jimi James and Babystone’s Novena Carmel, and orchestrated by fantastic beat selections from DJ Anthony Valadez, was the highlight. Their birthday serenade to organizer and Nu-Soul founder Norman Mayers was also pretty sweet! I nabbed the following pics from Vala’s blog – please head over there for more pics and his wrap-up of the event. Next month Strictly Social is hosting Lisa Shaw, so that’s gonna be a must-see as well…..

Strictly Social is hosting Erik Rico and Kissey Asplund next week – two of the brightest stars in progressive soul. Can’t wait for this show. DJ Anthony Valadez is the guest DJ, along with residents Destroyer and Myxzlplix. There will be soulful drum n bass in the smaller room, courtesy of Jayvon and guests.

Admission is $10
$5 before 10:30 with an RSVP to events@nu-soulmag.com with the subject Strictly Social April
Purchase Presales HERE to guarantee entry

Strictly Social
Wednesday April 15, 2009
9pm-2am
21+
Little Temple
4519 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
www.littletemple.com

Those Strictly Social fellas just don’t stop bringing the soulful heat! Volume 4 in the Strictly Social mix series has arrived courtesy of one of the resident DJs – Myxzlplix. And this guy doesn’t just blend and splice the beats with style – he’s nice with the pixels too. He’s responsible for all the fly Strictly Social and Nu-Soul Mag graphics and flyers.

TRACKLIST

1. take it slow-boozoo bajou
2. revolution ft. lyrics born & the mamaz-j boogie
3. the final view-nujabes
4. air signs-illa j
5. keep it real-milkbone
6. broken-ursula rucker
7. u do ft. stacy epps-jazz liberator
8. sunshine ft. phonte-marsha ambrosius
9. draw your bow-restless soul ft. shea soul
10. talking to you-brother dvooa
11. you and i-kissey asplund
12. believe-ayah
13. put it down f. kissey asplund-replife
14. this love-vanessa freeman
15. mojo-erin leah
16. underlined(rapson rmx)-atjazz ft. ernesto
17. keep your shirt on-hint ft. laura vane
18. come get with it-basic vocab
19. sun vibes(beef wellington rmx)-swamburger
20. i wanna dance-brother dvooa
21. want you to know-vanessa marquez
22. my gift (destroyer rmx)-rogiers

DOWNLOAD STRICTLY SOCIAL VOL 4

http://www.myspace.com/djmyxzlplix
http://www.djmyxzlplix.podomatic.com/

Nu-Soul Magazine‘s eclectic picks for 2008:

1. Eric Lau – New Territories
2. The Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind
3. Kissey Asplund -Plethora
4. Afta-1 – Aftathoughts Vol. 1
5. Santogold -Santogold
6. Replife -The Unclosed Mind
7. Solange – Sol-Angel & the Hadley St. Dreams
8. Wayna – Higher Ground
9. Robyn – Robyn
10. Hil St. Soul – Black Rose

See editor Norman Mayers’ list with his commentary and music players here

International tastemaker/manager/publicist/event producer extraordinaire Fiona Bloom reflects on 2008:

1. Kameron Corvet-   Korporate Rockstar
2. Maya Azucena “Get It Together” – single- download-  (Purpose Records)
3. MadCon- So Dark The Con of Man-  Bonnier/Sony(Norway)
4. Heston Storyteller-  World Soul
5. Kissey Asplund-  Plethora- R2 Records (Sweden)
6. Kuku-  Absence of Cool
7. Proton-  Red and Purple Vol 1 Mixtape
8. Kery James-  A L’ombre Du Showbusiness- France
9. George Duke  Dukey Treats-  BPM
10. Sy Smith-  Conflict

Fiona Bloom- The Bloom Blog/The Bloom Effect
thebloomeffect.com/blog

Todd Kelley has put together another solid installment of his mix series “Prototype of Nu-Soul.” The tracklisting below speaks for itself.
Download it here and visit Todd’s site to check out his many other mixes, all of which are available for download.

01. Take Off The Blues – The Foreign Exchange
02. Pantyhose – Jesse Boykins III
03. Sticks & Stones – Morgan Zarate
04. Girlfriend – Jay Electronica
05. ASOR – W. Ellington Felton f/ Sy Smith
06. Everyday – Lina
07. Workin’ On It – Dwele
08. Try – Samon Kawamura f/ Aloe Blacc
09. I’m Only Human Zo! And Tigallo
10. One More Drink – Ludacris f/ T-Pain
11. Find My Way – Ayah
12. Search In – Chester Gregory
13. Break My Little Heart – Jazmine Sullivan
14. Phone Call – Kissey Asplund
15. Picture – Kreme

Los Angelenos know DJ Anthony Valadez as one of the hardest working DJs in town. He holds down several residencies at spots like Little Temple and Zanzibar. He has opened for the likes of Les Nubians, Ben Harper, Nikka Costa, Talib Kweli, Meshell Ndegeocello, Eric Roberson, Van Hunt, Sa Ra Creative Partners, Aloe Blacc, Platinum Pied Pipers, Doug E Fresh and much more. He can also now be found on the tastemaking radio station KCRW.

In addition to his vinyl-juggling schedule, Vala also finds time to produce some dope tracks. He has remixed projects for Ammon Contact,  Build an Ark, and was featured on Mochilla’s Keepintime Soundtrack alongside Daedelus,Nobody, Cut Chemist, J Rocc and much more. Now, in conjunction with the homie DJ Junior, he has just released a single on Record Breakin’ Music entitled “Go” featuring Wendisue and John Robinson. You can cop the limited edition 7″ single here. Oh yea, and he did the cover art for it as well. Take a listen:
Anthony Valadez ft. Wendisue & John Robinson “Go”
[See post to listen to audio]

Here’s some other tracks to wrap your ears around that the man laced us with.
B Side for Philly:
[See post to listen to audio]

Daru Remix:
[See post to listen to audio]

Firefly, w. Kissey Asplund:
[See post to listen to audio]

Galore:
[See post to listen to audio]

Roommate Remix:
[See post to listen to audio]

She Walked Away:
[See post to listen to audio]

[credit to TreesForBreakfast, cos that's where I found this.]

This is a Nike-sponsored video of Kissey Asplund’s “Silverlake” track – note the prominent shots of the Nike Air Max 90. According to Mr. Dee Phunk, this vid is part of a series where Nike profiles select European musicians. Anyway the song is pretty cool and the vid gives you a little glimpse into the life of Kissey. And if you ever get to see her perform live, you should absolutely check her out. She did a brief set at Strictly Social back in April and was totally captivating.

And here’s the mp3: http://www.zshare.net/audio/199005176e336b21/

DJ Rahdu has just dropped this dope mix of progressive soul and hip-hop. Download it for free here (or listen below) and enjoy the dreamy sounds, featuring some of our faves like Peter Hadar, Kissey Asplund, Velben, Dwele, Sy Smith…well shoot, pretty much the whole damn tracklist.

Thanks homie!

PLAYLIST
1. Swoon Unitz Intro
2. Erykah Badu – Me
3. Hil St.Soul – Black Rose
4. Peter Hadar – Laugh Together
5. Raashan Ahmad – Close
6. Jazz Liberatorz – Cool Down
7. Esthero – Superheroes (GAS’D remix)
8. Deborah Jordan; Kamara – Rise
9. Kissey Asplund – You & I
10. Lemongrass – This Way
11. Black Spade – True Friends
12. Coultrain – Lilac Tree
13. Dwele – Free as a Bird
14. Circle Research – I’m Your Density
15. J-88 (Slum Village) – The Look of Love (The Liquid Crystal Project Remix)
16. Byron the Aquarius; Nadine – Turn Back Time
17. Prefuse 73 – Last Night
18. Sy Smith – Fly Away With Me
19. Attica Blues – Blueprint
20. Velben – Come Around
21. The Rurals – Mother Sun
22. Sene; Kissey Asplund – Demon Love
23. Stacy Epps – Addicted
24. Flying Lotus; Dolly – Roberta Flack
25. Samon Kawamura; Aloe Blacc – Try
26. The One – Drippin’
27. Shingo Suzuki – Eternal Sunshine