Your Daily News Vitamins
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
On Deck Mo Brown Rocks Stages and Book Shelves Alike. Now, She's Working On Combining The Two. By Tiney Ricciardi
On Deck: Mo Brown Rocks Stages and Book Shelves Alike. Now, She's Working On Combining The Two.By Tiney Ricciardi Tue., Aug. 23 2011 at 4:01 PM Dallas Observer Blog
Musicians are undoubtedly influenced by the music they listen to. An artist's musical selection can sometimes even foretell what a next album might sound like. So if you've ever wondered what the artists who grace your stereo are getting funky to, here's your chance to find out. Every week, I'll ask traveling musicians -- as well as a few locals -- the fated question: What are you listening to right now?
Mo Brown is an artist on a few levels. She sings back up in Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, she performs with her own band called Emotion Brown & The Cosmos and, somehow, she's found the time to publish a number of novels under the name of Camika Spencer.
It's no surprise, then, that, between live performances and time spent creating her own music, Brown takes to the pages of a great book for comfort. Plenty of it, too, it seem: She's already written all the songs for her second album, she says, but she also feels no need to rush into the studio and get them on tape.
Instead, Brown is preparing for another three-month tour from coast to coast with The Northern Lights. Before she took flight for the rest of the year, we caught up with the DOMA-nominated R&B singer to find out what she's listening to and how she's staying inspired these days.
Currently jamming: The Roots Present (live DVD), D'Angelo
"There are a bunch of things I love about The Roots. First of all, it's live music. It's instrumentation, it's lyrical, it's really saying something. The music seems like it's always bound in some really good purpose. It's feel-good music. The D'Angelo stuff is kind of bittersweet. When I rock D'Angelo, I remember who he was and the personal life crisis he was going through as an artist. He's also really good social background music. It's not too up or down, and you can play it and it feels consistent. He adds a certain kind of ambiance."
Aspires to: diversify her musical styles.
"Performing my original stuff is very different form performing with Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights because they're two different styles of music. JT is more rocking, with a heavy soul and R&B influence. Mo Brown & The Cosmos is what I consider 'soulternative.' For example, if Mary J. Blige did a Rickie Lee Jones song. Or if Madonna did an Aretha Franklin song -- and did it well. It's got that kind of alternative vibe that is totally laid back."
Where the two roads meet: combining music with writing.
"I'm currently working on a novel and I would like to have a soundtrack to that novel -- like the book has a CD you're supposed to play while reading the story. I have written novels in the past and got another one published this year. I just contributed to a James Brown anthology, and I wrote an essay about life post-civil rights movement for a post-civil rights book called Children of the Changing South. I don't lend myself to one art form. I know what it feels like to have that one thing that you do. But for me it just doesn't work. It mentally isn't good for me."
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
It's full moon nite and I just woke after hitting the sack at 6pm. I am in the van and we r Florida bound. Orlando is the destination. Tonite the Mavs beat The Thunder in game one of the semi-finals. I hope you are well. I believe JTNL to be on a steady course finally. We know what we need to do and are perfecting how to do it everyday. Thanks for sticking it out with us. I am looking forward to sum real sunshine even though May has not yet turned over. It's chilly and I have on flip flops. Who is wrong? Me? Or Mother Nature? Ha! There is much going on in this world that has been predicted to end (on sum level) this coming Saturday. If it does, I will b on the beach at Hangout Fest. JTNL has been nominated again to appear on MTV-U's The Freshman This time the song is Gypsy Woman and your vote this week would b appreciated:How to Vote?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
It takes a while for water to get over not being dry land, air or fire.
It has to absorb the truth of stillness and wade in its' own drenching reality.
Cascade to the depths in leagues of oneness and swim back to the top panting thru gills.
Water is a fluid identity crises. A transitional element that has no standing position. Like the Queen, it is ubiquitous in motion. It is mighty and royal in natural theory.
Water gets over being water the same way God gets over creating the Olive branch.
#mospeak28
Thursday, April 28, 2011
I've thought to chase you down. I've thought to caress you with soothing words to bring you back. I've thought to tickle you under the chin of your fingertips and whisper your name in languages of a foreign nature. I've thought to retreat from a sacred place and submit to your fraternal order but if God owes no apologies, then neither do I. #mospeak25
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
I hope your wings spread wide today! Hello! Just two more shows left and then back home to Mic City. The van is nasty and apparently all bets r off for community cleaning. Lazy folks have started sleeping in the van to avoid getting up and without bathing you can imagine the funk.Jordan is the One in JTNL who seems to pride himself on going days without a shower. Yeah... Go b his chick why don't ya.
This is what we deal with as a band. I'm not phased however. Surviving is one aspect of this ladies' personality that is in tact and I refuse to tell a grown man how to b grown.
We played Vinyl in Atlanta last night and it was a good show. Coming off the 4/20 show in Nashville we had several hangover dispositions happening, but good food, great hospitality, and under five hours of travel seemed to help. We r now on our way to Mobile, Alabama.
This is the home stretch. I will b pulling myself off the grid for the time off. I need to recharge, reconnect with family and tackle these book projects. Also, Emotion & the Cosmis will be doing shows in New Braunfels May 6 & May 7 at Billys Ice House. It's gonna b a blast and Im amped!!! Hope u r well, smiling, and taking the good with the bad. It's all we can do to make the world z better place. Au Revoir.
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