Music Therapy with Miss Moon

A few days ago, I was in Duane Reade picking up a few items, when I spotted a young boy, around 9 or 10, singing along to music on  his iPod. Very very loudly. Now, this isn't an uncommon occurrence. In fact, I see some variation of this theme on a daily basis.

What made this scenario so unique was that the boy was not belting out Little Wayne or Usher or WHOMEVER.... he was singing "Ball of Confusion" by The Temptations. His mother, I guess noticing me looking, jokingly asked him why is he taking it to the Old School. I was quick to point out how refreshing it was that a boy his age not only knew who the Temptations were, but he knew their music by heart!

Popular music is great (Whew! that sentence was hard to type!)... but it isn't ALL that's out there. I've always been of the opinion that if all you listen to is [INSERT MUSIC GENRE HERE] you're missing out on an amazing treasure!

So in honor of that mother in Duane Reade, I selected this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon, "Bridging the Gap" by Nas Featuring Olu Dara. Thank you for sharing the vast and wonderful gift of music with your children!!! And thank you to my Mum and Dad (Who is having heart surgery tomorrow.. please keep him in your prayers!)

I'm REALLY Diggin': "Greatest Weapon Of All Time" By Zo! Featuring Sy Smith

As I rule, I generally do not post music posts back to back (It's just an arbitrary rule I created for myself... for NO particular reason! LOL). Today, I decided to break that rule because I am in LOVE with this song and I couldn't wait until Saturday to share it with y'all as a ".. for a Saturday Night" post!!






And how Afrolicious is Sy Smith?!?!?

Zo!'s debut "SunStorm LP" is scheduled to come out in a few short weeks, but you can download (legally) "The Greatest Weapon of All Time" for free by clicking here.

A Little [CORINNE BAILEY RAE] for a Saturday Night

Every once and awhile... I have to play a little grown folks music on a Saturday night... I heard this song for the first time this week and knew instantly that this was the song I am going to play!!!

Had a fabulous day seeing Cody ChesnuTT live at Weeksville Heritage Center here in Brooklyn (blog to come), hanging out with my honey, my BFF and her honey... after the show we headed over to Frank's Lounge in Ft. Greene for a couple of drinks... so I am nice and mellow... and groovin' big time on this jam by Corinne Bailey Rae, "Closer"... enjoy your Saturday night, folks!!

A Little [PRINCE] for a Saturday Night

Can you believe Prince turned 52 earlier this month? He gave the world a birthday present on the day (June 7th) by debuting his newest song (rumored to be written about the record heat that gripped Minnesota last month.).







Happy (Belated) Birthday to Prince Rodgers Nelson

A Little [JANELLE MONAE] for a Saturday Night

This album is truly becoming a new favorite ... I haven't listened to enough of The ArchAndroid to figure out which song will ultimately become my favorite of the bunch, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this one will be it!!! I hope you all will enjoy "Oh Maker"... and may this Saturday Night be a blasty blast!

Miss Moon's Musing About: Summer Concert Season in NYC!!!

I love music, I love concerts and most important.. I like paying a small amount of money (or not paying anything!!) to go to them! LOL

One of the best things about living in NYC is the ample supply of free or low cost concerts that happen during the summer!!!



So if you live in NYC or plan on visiting this summer, be sure to check out the concerts Irm really excited about seeing (You may run into me!)



Living Colour, Ebony Bones!, Pillow Theory and CX KiDTRONiK
Saturday, June 5, 2010 3:00PM

Rumsey Playfield, Central Park

Classic BRC legends Living Colour usher in a new generation of African-American rock stars.



Celebrate Emancipation Day with CODY CHESNUTT
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:00 PM (doors open @ 4)
$5.00 Suggested Donation

Weeksville Heritage Center
Historic Hunterfly Road Houses
1698 Bergen Street
(between Buffalo Avenue and Rochester Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11213

Celebrate the day enslaved Africans were freed in New York with the return of celebrated rocker Cody ChesnuTT. (Though freed on July 4, 1827, because of threats of violence, African-Americans in New York City celebrated this important holiday outdoors on July 5th) This year’s celebration will include a discussion on Haiti @ 4pm, music by Cody ChesnuTT @ 6pm (in his FIRST NY performance in 4 Years!) and the film Secondhand (Pepe) screening @ 8pm. The vendors for this event are NY Dosa & Wafels and Dinges.



Celebrate Brooklyn! Presents OkayAfrica with The Roots and Talib Kweli
Sunday, July 11, 2010 7:30 PM
$3.00 Suggested Donation

Prospect Park Bandshell
The Bandshell is located inside the Park at Prospect Park West and 9th Street.

The Roots headline the OkayAfrica World Cup 2010 Finals party to celebrate the first time in its 80-year history the tournament will take place on African soil. With a kick-off by Sahr Ngaujah, the star of the hit Broadway musical Fela!, the show features performances by artists from all corners of the Diaspora, including host Talib Kweli (Brooklyn), Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew (Sierra Leone), Blitz the Ambassador (Ghana), and many others to be announced. Musically omnivorous hip-hop icons The Roots honor the fresh music of Africa jamming throughout the day with surprise guests and capping it all off with a closing set.



Raphael Saadiq, Aloe Blacc, and Special Guests
Saturday, July 17, 2010 3:00PM

Rumsey Playfield, Central Park

Award-winning songwriting/producer/performer Raphael Saadiq brings new meaning to old soul.

Raphael Saadiq is a standard bearer for ’old school’ soul, a contemporary artist continuing the time-honored American tradition rooted in the sounds of ’60s and ’70s. From his early days as a member of the groundbreaking ’80s group Tony! Toni! Toné!, through his work as an award-winning producer for Joss Stone, The Roots, Snoop Dogg, and John Legend, and in his own perfectly crafted solo albums, the multi-talented Saadiq has kept the faith. His latest release, the three-time Grammy-nominated The Way I See It, was named the Album of the Year by iTunes. While other contemporary artists may attempt to emulate the sound and flavor of soul, Saadiq brings real emotion and production values that are simply “right on.”



Celebrate Brooklyn! Presents Daptone Review: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
with Budos Band
Saturday, August 7, 7:30 PM
$3.00 Suggested Donation

Prospect Park Bandshell
The Bandshell is located inside the Park at Prospect Park West and 9th Street.

The Bushwick label Daptone Records, long committed to bringing you the finest soul, funk, gospel and afrobeat sounds to be found on analog tape, trots out the family. With the unstoppable Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings headlining and the hard-hitting Budos Band and Charles Bradley also on the bill, an epochal moment of the great Brooklyn soul revival is clearly at hand.

Another great place to find terrific in Brooklyn is the Martin Luther King Concert Series in Wingate Field... past years Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Lauryn Hill performed!!! The 2010 lineup in scheduled to be announced in a few weeks, so check this blog out in a few weeks... I might have added a few more shows!!

Peace (And Music) from Brooklyn!!!

A Little [MAYER HAWTHORNE] for a Saturday Night

I love "I Wish It Would Rain" to death!!! This really reminds me of growing up listening to my Mum's old 45s!!

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

One Is The Magic Number
Jill Scott

No hay nadie mas que yo,
Uno es el numero magico
En vida y en muerte,
Uno es todo
Comprende
If I multiply 2 times 2 is it really, really 4 me
La [x6]
And if I add 5 to get 9 minus 8 that just leaves me
Me [x8]
So many times I define my pride
Through somebody else's eyes (La da da, la da)
Then I looked inside and found my own stride,
I found the lasting love for me
If I'm searching for my spirituality
Passionately I must begin with me

There's just me...
One is the magic number [x2]

If I add myself unto myself multiplied times
You and yours and you again
There's just me
And if I divide 8 billion, 48 trillion, 98 zillion
There is, there is just me
If I subtract one plus me to the 5th degree,
Use any theorem
There's just me

There's just me...
One is the magic number [x2]

Me, me, me, me...
[Ad lib to end]

A Little [CODY CHESNUTT] for a Saturday Night

A few summers ago, I had the joyous experience of seeing Cody ChesnuTT perform live twice (In Central Park, with Talib Kweli, Res, Raphael Saadiq and Joi on the marquee & during the Smoking Grooves Tour performing "The Seed 2.0" with The Roots). Since then, I've been hooked.

In the past few years I've been patiently awaiting new music from Cody and in hearing "Come Back Like Spring"... I am reminded of the adage "You always get what you want... even if it's not exactly the way you want it!". In under 2 minutes, this song manages to be beautiful, earnest and full of passion.... what else can you expect from Cody ChesnuTT?!?




Come Back Like Spring | cody chesnuTT from Bigger Than Blogging on Vimeo.

DOPE: "Stylo" - Gorillaz (featuring Bobby Womack & Mos Def)

This song is HOT!!!!!!!!



Click here to check out the review on Thisisrealmusic.com

A Little [OTIS REDDING] for a Saturday Night

One of my favorite memories growing up is of my mother breaking out her records to do her weekend cleaning. She had a fabulous collection of 45s and LPs that she had collected since she was a teenager.

Her fabulous collection unfortunately was destroyed when our building collapsed 16 years ago, but my mind always lingers to her favorites and my favorites, and the favorites we have in common, like "I've Been Loving You Too Long" by Otis Redding... Enjoy!!!

A Little [RES] for a Saturday Night

This song is so beautiful... it's amazing & crazy to me that Res isn't a commonly known artist, because she's so talented. I hope you all will enjoy her song, "There's No Way"!

A Little [D'ANGELO] for a Saturday Night

This is a perfect song of a mellow Saturday night.... D'Angelo's remake of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'"

A Little [BLUES TRAVELER] for a Saturday Night

The Mountain Wins Again "Blues Traveler"

DOPE: "Window Seat (Teaser Video)" Erykah Badu

I am so excited about Erykah Badu's newest album,"New Amerykah Part II: Return Of The Ankh," (Which will be released on March 30, 2010) based on this video. This song is... simply put... DOPE! LOL

DOPE: The Original "Roses" - Georgia Anne Muldrow

A few weeks ago I posted the Mos Def/Georgia Anne Muldrow collaboration of her song "Roses", as a Music Therapy with Miss Moon blog....This song is my favorite one that album

I was so happy to hear the original song and see the original video courtesy of This is Real Music!! I am definitely going to have to visit iTunes for this song today! Enjoy!

 

 

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

This song has been on my mind for the past few hours, so I figured that although its not the perfect "Music Therapy" song... But it's still dope as hell - because Neneh was telling a certain somebody (Not saying any names... but his name rhymes with Smenny Smavitz! lol) about himself and how he wasn't doing right! Gotta love sisterhood like that!



Neneh Cherry "Buddy X"

A Little [JOHN COLTRANE] for a Saturday Night

I am so in love with this song! It's a bitterly cold night here in Brooklyn, so I am nestled under the covers, listening to music. When this song started playing, I jumped up and pulled out my laptop because I knew this would be the perfect "for a Saturday Night" song!!!



John Coltrane "Naima"

Miss Moon's Musing About: Adulthood (As Seen on TV)

I am 32 years old... so I have been an adult for over a decade now. And I can honestly say that until very recently, I did not enjoy my adult years. My 20s, put plainly, sucked. And I blame Hollywood for it. LOL

It all started when I was 17 years old and saw the movie "Reality Bites"... About Gen X College Graduates going out into the Real World! Man, was Janeane Garofalo, Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder cool as hell! I envisioned my life being a chocolate-coated version of the movie!

I wanted to be just as creative and quirky and counter-cultural as they were.... until 2007. And then..... I saw "Love Jones"!!! Whooooo, chile!

I was 20 years old and I thought the Universe was sending me a celluloid version of what I had in store for the next decade. The passion, the culture, the music, the dope ass, awesome life!

Sadly, my 20s was not as eventful or passionate as Nia Long's character, Nina. Which I guess could be a blessing in disguise, since she spent the entire movie pining for Darius (Larenz Tate), only to finally get it together a year later, being drenched in the cold cold rain.... sorry if I'm giving a spoiler! LOL

All-in-all, I really shouldn't complain. My twenties weren't so horrifically bad. I did a lot of growth work, which has made me the woman I am today. And my life is pretty damn terrific now.

So instead of kvetching about my 20s, I will end this trip back to the 90s with two of my favorite songs from "Reality Bites" and "Love Jones".... enjoy, y'all.



Squeeze "Tempted"



Lauryn Hill "The Sweetest Thing"

Peace from Brooklyn!

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

Today was such a rainy, dreary, bleh kinda Monday here in NYC, so I had to pick an upbeat, cheery song his week. Enjoy!



Junior Senior "Move Your Feet"