Album Review

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: DMVPOET Album Recording – Heart & Mind of a Gemini

Posted by tagdmv on May 5, 2014
Posted in: Album Review, Events, Music, Spoken Word. Leave a comment

Saturday evening, May 3, 2014, at the Artiz Gallery Lounge in Mt. Ranier, MD; a group of family, friends and supporters are gathering for an intimate, yet exciting event. DMVPOET is finally recording his debut spoken word album, Heart & Mind of a Gemini.

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The evening starts with mingling, food, drinks and smooth grooves from the In Da Cut Band, which consists of keyboardist (and founder), Clayton Morrow, drummer, David Suggs, and bassist, Pap Mensah. After some time of connecting over good food and good times, the show began as local media showman, Rich Rocket, welcomed everyone as the evening’s host. The first act to the stage was singer Davonne D’Neil. She rocked the stage with her band while performing originals and covers in her own spin. The crowd was grooving as she put Hip-Hop/R&B spins on songs, such as Adele‘s “Rolling in the Deep”.

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Up next was the man of the hour, DMVPOET! He blessed the stage with excitement and grace, as he prepared to share and record material with us that had been years in the making. His accompaniment included artists that already impressed the crowd previously, In Da Cut as his band and Davonne D’Neil as his accompanied singer. Here’s what you can look forward to on the album:

“Politician”: DMVPOET deemed this as his theme song, keying in on what it’s like to grow up in the DMV.
“Fallen Star”: This is a personal track about the friends that he’s grown up with, yet lost along the way.
“Trayvon”: A touching tribute song to another “fallen star”, Trayvon Martin.
“Rebirth”: A love song that embraces “the beauty of you” as “Isis”; DMVPOET notes that this song was “written for all the women that holds up someone…everyone has an Isis”)
“Knees Remain Closed”: A song about the sensitivity of a young girl losing her virginity and the emotional pain that comes along with it.
“Cold Sheets”: Could be considered a follow-up to “Knees Remain Closed”; DMVPOET notes that this song is about “a cycle where the love was never there, but the physicality was…this piece represents the man or woman that doesn’t necessarily know how to get out of it”.
“Inadequacy”: A track about the pressures of trying to live up to, often times, impossible standards and the feeling of heartbreak that comes along with it.
“A Letter To You from Me”: A way to close out the album on a high note; an uptempo piece that celebrates life and love.

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As the evening came to a close, DMVPOET‘s closing remarks to his supporters expressed how he was, “so proud to have given you a piece of me from the last 7 years”! Be on the look out for Heart & Mind of a Gemini this coming Fall 2014, and also look out for Davonne D’Neil‘s 3rd solo project, Round Midnight, which will be out this August 2014. To keep up with the artists featured in this event, follow them on their social networking sites (including Facebook, Instagram & Twitter), and be sure to check out www.DMVPOET.com for album updates, and spoken word blessings near you in the future!

– EMW

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New Album Spotlight – Time Machine, by J. Baylor

Posted by tagdmv on April 9, 2014
Posted in: Album Review, Music, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

The sounds of the future of R&B have just been released on Tuesday, April 8, 2014. Those sounds have been encapsulated in the indie album Time Machine, by J. Baylor.

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Baylor is a DMV native, hailing from Prince George’s County, MD. His initial endeavors into music came through mastering the percussive sounds of the drum sticks and snare kicks. He has also proven himself as a singer/songwriter that has an ear for vocal arrangement. Whom has he proven himself to? Try his previous creation of the dynamic Christian band, Vertical Band, as well as other successful artists, such as Chrisette Michele, Brian Courtney Wilson, Trinitee 5:7, Tye Tribbett, Kierra Sheard, and more, with whom he has had the privilege to work with, thus far!

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Now, J. Baylor has released his debut EP project on indie label, GMG World Media Entertainment, which will establish his career going forward. Here’s what we heard from the album:

TRACK 1- “Walking On Air”: This was his first single, which was released Aug. 6, 2013; this production combines light and airy futuristic sounds with hard hitting base and smooth harmonies of R&B.
TRACK 2 – “Better Off”: This overall arrangement is similar to the previous track in terms of the feel, but also makes good use of his falsetto range during his transitions into the hook.
TRACK 3 – “Time Machine”: Baylor makes the best use of futuristic sounds to drive the overall theme of the track; the percussive rhythm merges R&B and Hip-Hop sounds seamlessly, while his falsetto use in the hook keeps you grounded into the true R&B feel.
TRACK 4 – “Love Die”: This track is a smooth, straight ballad, with only piano accompaniment, which provides for a very intimate feel.
TRACK 5 – “Push It”: This is our personal favorite track! This is the most uptempo, Neo-retro-soul, led by a funky electric guitar rift, and smooth electric bass accompaniment; the melodic and percussive transitions within the hook is everything, and can definitely be a party favorite!

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Go now to iTunes and download the Time Machine album! You can also keep up with J. Baylor on his site (www.iamjbaylor.com), your nearest social networking site, including ReverbNation, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (IAMJBAYLOR is the handle on all sites). You can also find him on YouTube, where he also covers hit songs, including “Without You” by Usher, “Thinking About You” by Frank Ocean, and even “Pure Imagination” from the classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory movie. This young artist is just getting started, and we want to follow this “time machine” all the way into the future!

– EMW
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