MiaAlien

Love meets Art

Miguel releases his latest visual; chock full of cinematic close up shots of his lips & some beautiful featured canvas art. 'Adorn' is an abstract love song addressing passion to and through any medium. ENjoy.

Losing Greats

  1936-2012.   The timeline in between is one wrought with innovation, creativity and dedication. Don Cornelius, renowned creator of the classic variety/performance show 'Soul Train' was found with an allegedly self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Los Angeles residence. He was later pronounced dead at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center at 4:56 AM. I'd rather not harp on the tragic details and would prefer to go into the importance of his role in music today. From laying the groundwork for shows like 'TRL', '106th & Park' to exposing America's mainstream audience to the music of artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Xscape, Don Cornelius played an integral part in entertainment across the board. When the show was syndicated nationwide in 1971, my mom..was a newborn. That should help you realize how timeless the concept and tagline of the show are..I can hear the intro song and imagine the animated train dancing along to the beat. The history of Soul Train is extensive. From the stage to where Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5 crooned to crowds of teens and young adults, to where Marvin Gaye sat with his knit cap and personified cool with his sultry voice, Soul Train's significance in live performance/entertainment is unmatched.Mr.Cornelius, kept the show in syndication for 35 years, bringing countless acts of revolutionary artists and some of the most unforgettable background dancers to living rooms across the nation. His 'cool cat' persona was often duplicated by VJ's over time such as the smooth-talking 'Donnie Simpson' and the low-key 'Carson Daly'.  Cornelius has been honored by BET, and by artists such as Aretha Franklin and Quincy Jones who appreciate his tenacity in a time of Civil Rights affairs. Cornelius gave way to some of the most memorable performances ever broadcasted. He was one of the first Black show owners and created a platform for R&B,(Classic + Neo) Soul,Hip Hop, and Gospel artists that was the first of its kind. This effort trickled down into influencing competition shows such as American Idol, X-Factor and So You Think You Can Dance and allowed the 'average' person to participate in the entertainment world and possibly build a career. Don's work will never be forgotten and will always hold a place in the hearts of music fans, especially classic soul fans (such as myself . In the meantime, plug Soul Train into your nearest search engine and take a wild ride through the 70's to the present day , in appreciation of the era and the creator. Don Cornelius...we wish it back to you...

Love,Peace + Souuuul.

& If you haven't had the luxury of shuffling down a Soul Train line...you haven't lived!

Ear Candy : Omen presents Afraid of Heights

Dreamville's own 'Omen' presents his mixtape of self produced, poignant and eclectic tracks. Hailing from the sweet spot of the midwest, yes..Chicago, Omen has been active in rap circuits since 2006 with the release of his Spike Lee themed Do The Right Thing [mixtape] . Gaining notoriety for his 'fire-flow' on 'The Badness' (J.Cole's  mixtape "The Warm Up"), Omen's lyricism,delivery and production evolved and he released his second project : Delayed [mixtape]. Now, Omen has taken his talent up a notch and brings us his newest mixtape. His third installment, the Afraid of Heights project features a handful of Omen's favorite indie/upcoming artists (Eric Roberson, Ari Lourdes , Shalonda, Kendrick Lamar, Voli, Elite, Peace) and RocNation/Dreamville affiliate J.Cole. The mixtape is a journey climbing through reality, imaginative storytelling, personal experience and sultry tracks that will send you through every emotion. From a quirky intro track to the bonus track , Afraid of Heights is celebratory of life: in sound, in delivery and through meaning. Hopefully, Omen's work will be truly appreciated for his innovative approach to infusing hip hop with positivity and  boundless creativity. I'm enjoying it, I'm ecstatic about the genre-crossing instros on here ....come join me nerrds  ...Ear Candy & Eye Candy ha ha !   Afraid of Heights [mixtape]

Lovely Minutes <--listen!

(art by Impakt Studio)

[Support/Contact] I Am Omen @Omen Omen (Tumblr) Ari Lourdes Hey Shalonda Eric Roberson Impakt Studio

Coldplay : Unstaged -- NOW

Right now if you click the link below, AmEX & Anton Corbijn are hosting Coldplay LIVE in Madrid ! http://www.youtube.com/user/ColdplayVEVO enjoy

Young Talent : Eric Stanley & his violin

So, just randomly listening to violin on YT this morning, I came across Eric Stanley. A 20 year old classical violinist who reinterprets and rearranges popular songs. Apparently, he's accompanied Big Sean, B.O.B. & Wiz during performances and has graced numerous stages with his talent. Enough talking, please download his mixtape & donate to his talent if you support what you hear. Yea...I'm MAD late. Eric Stanley x B.O.B's Airplanes The Eric Stanley Project

Xtra Melo

Brooklyn MC,DJ,Producer...everything yea.. my favorite up & coming all around artist : Melo X hits us with a banger. He merges three theme related love songs..well "estranged love" songs into a sultry,eclectic mix. His release of "BK AllNighter" laced with elemental soul tracks is nothing short of the best feel-good song to leave BK in years. I'll let the music talk. LOVE TRIANGLE BK ALL NIGHTER MELOXTRA ONLINE

Acoustica: FTP

Here's a treat, Foster The People's 'Pumped Up Kicks'... no effects. All guitar everything, now you can decipher the meaning. =)

Ear Candy: Bad Rabbits

Hailing from Boston, this 5-man punk fusion group has claimed their glory from myspace to the the mainstage. BadRabbits, will be performing at Afro-Punk, as well as the Warped Tour.BadRabbits' are infamous for crowd involvement at shows, New Jack Swing merged with Punk-Rock/Soul and dope lyrics. Take a listen, their music is refreshing, soulful & sure to keep you on your feet. Free EP Downloads

Universal Pulse

International Ska superstars 311, have released their 10th studio album for preorder sale. The follow-up to their album 'Uplifter' that debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, has been highly anticipated for two long years. 311, known widely for their songs 'Creatures for a While' and 'Amber' , dropped their first single from the album back in June called ' Sunset in July '.       Pre-Order Universal Pulse    311-Amber         They're also touring the U.S.

UNITY TOUR – SUMMER 2011 – TOUR DATES:

7/6 Wednesday WICHITA, KS 7/8 Friday BONNER SPRINGS, KS (KC) 7/9 Saturday ST LOUIS, MO 7/10 Sunday MILWAUKEE, WI 7/12 Tuesday PITTSBURGH, PA 7/13 Wednesday DETROIT, MI 7/14 Thursday CHICAGO, IL 7/16 Saturday CINCINATTI, OH 7/17 Sunday COLUMBUS, OH 7/19 Tuesday OMAHA, NE 7/21 Thursday HOLMDEL, NJ 7/22 Friday WANTAGH, NY 7/23 Saturday BOSTON, MA 7/25 Monday BETHEL, NY 7/26 Tuesday PHILADELPHIA, PA 7/28 Thursday VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 7/29 Friday WASHINGTON, DC (Bristow, VA) 7/30 Saturday ATLANTA, GA 8/1 Monday CHARLOTTE, NC 8/2 Tuesday RALEIGH, NC 8/4 Thursday 311 POW WOW FESTIVAL, FL 8/5 Friday 311 POW WOW FESTIVAL, FL 8/6 Saturday 311 POW WOW FESTIVAL, FL 8/11 Thursday LAKE CHARLES, LA 8/12 Friday HOUSTON, TX 8/13 Saturday DALLAS, TX 8/14 Sunday AUSTIN, TX 8/16 Tuesday DENVER, CO (Morrison, CO) 8/17 Wednesday SALT LAKE CITY, UT 8/19 Friday SAN DIEGO, CA 8/20 Saturday IRVINE, CA 8/21 Sunday SANTA BARBARA, CA 8/23 Tuesday SAN FRANCISCO, CA 8/25 Thursday EUGENE, OR 8/26 Friday SEATTLE, WA

Ear Candy : Gilbere Forte'

First off, click this link & enjoy the preview o f his digi-album !  Gilbere's Bandcamp . Don't ask me why I've been postponing fully listening but, I guess I've been overwhelmed with greatness. Either way I'm extremely impressed with his flow & choice of beats to spit on, he's an alternative rapper after my own heart. ( & easy on the eyes !) Michigan born/ Philly bred -- Gilbere is a young lyricist inspired by the likes of BIG,Pac, Roy Ayers and the creativity of artists such as Phil Collins and Sade. Taking off with his hit 'Born in '87', Forte's hard work began to pay off with notoriety from Hip Hop's own DJ Cannon, who proceeded to host Gilbere's 'Eyes of Veritas'. Gilbere continued to gain fame by jumping on popular electro and dance records such as remixes to Adele's Set Fire to the Rain & Stromae's 'Alors on Danse' featuring Kanye.Take a listen to Gilbere's collab with Eve & Swizz Beatz - Everybody Coolin Remix, let us know what the Nerrds think!  

Bad Girls Club

  JCole on the hook & beat, with Wale's usual sports & weed references in an ode to the Bad Girl..what do you think of the RocNation x MMG Collabo? ( Does anyone remember Wale being the premiere RocNation star? ....ehhh )   Bad Girls Club- Wale featuring J Cole Purchase Bad Girls Club - Cole / Wale from ITunes  

VEVO Presents: G.O.O.D. Music

Apparently, I'm a few days late but Vevo presented a collection of live performances of Getting Out Our Dreams Allstars @ SXSW : Big Sean, Kanye, John Legend & Kid CUDI Enjoy!  

Ear Candy : Little Dragon's Ritual Union (Live Stream)

Click the album cover below to check out the live stream of electro-soul-pop-funk-rock group Little Dragon's latest EP [Ritual Union]

Adele's US Tour ( Rescheduled)

The soulful,sultry siren Adele (whose show was postponed by Dr.'s orders) , has posted her rescheduled performance dates. She's making some stops in some pretty important places & I urge you to grab some tickets to tune into her live sets. In the meantime, check out Adele's performance of her smash single Rollin in the Deep @ iTunes Live Festival Here are the dates : AUGUST 2011 Tue 9 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum Theatre Thu 11 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield *VENUE CHANGE Fri 12 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre Sun 14 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre Mon 15 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre Wed 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Palladium Thu 18 – San Diego, CA – Open Air Theater *VENUE CHANGE Sat 20 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas: Chelsea Ballroom Sun 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Gallivan Center *VENUE CHANGE Wed 24 – Saint Paul, MN – Theatre at Xcel Energy Center *VENUE CHANGE OCTOBER 2011 Fri 7 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Spa & Resort: Event Center Sat 8 – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center Mon10 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium Tue 11 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Thu 13 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live Fri 14 – Miami, FL – Waterfront Theater at American Airlines Arena Sun 16 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre *VENUE CHANGE Tue 18 – Spring, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Wed 19 – Austin, TX – Frank Erwin Center *VENUE CHANGE Fri 21 – Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon [Tickets available on Ticketmaster.com ]

JCole in Miami

RocNation's own will be in the magic city of Miami at Club Mansion! Check JCOLE out featuring DJ Affect & LS ONE on 7/14/11 =) Here are some simple reminders ! J.Cole- I Get Up J.Cole-We On