The Round Table

Up next for TRT’s bold predictions for “makin’ it” in 2010 is Brooklyn’s own OTiS. I first caught wind of OTiS a few weeks back thanks to one of our most reliable tipsters, Jake, who sent me the band’s cover of Pharcyde’s “Passing Me By.”

Did I fail to mention, OTiS is not a rap group, by any means, but lead singer Craig Schoenbaum sure had me fooled, which points to the band’s versatility. OTiS defines themselves with three words: Rock, Soul, and Groove.

We can confirm after snagging OTiS‘ self-titled album in advance that those 3 words are certainly apparent from the album opener “All Over Again” to its closer in “Under the Gun.” But, for me the album’s stand out song has to be “American Dream,” the politically driven song that examines today’s world. Soap box not included.
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Joss Stone is not the first and sure won’t be the last young female talent to learn the meaning of “don’t bite the hand that feeds” as she’s been publicly taking shots at her label EMI on her latest album, Colour Me Free.

As the titled clearly suggests, Stone is fed up with the games that come along with major label support and wants out. Well, so far it seems EMI will not grant her that wish, rather, they decided to hit back at Stone where it hurts most, her wallet, by not promoting what could be deemed the singer’s most solid album to date.

In their decision to not support Stone they are essentially taking a hit as well, but given the old boys club mentality that still holds true in the recording industry, it’s more about stubbornness than anything else. Enough about the drama — let’s get to the music.

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Joss Stone has always troubled me – that young talent that never seemed to materialize properly. Yes, she busted on to the mainstream scene as a teenager with an brilliant introductory album, The Soul Sessions, in which she covered fairly obscure, lesser-known soul songs that received buzz. While it was her voice that had people talking, especially during live appearances at award shows like the Grammys when she collaborated with Melissa Etheridge on a show-stopping tribute to Janis Joplin, it was her recorded releases that never seemed to meet expectations.

There’s been some hidden gems along the way, but she’s never fully put the pieces together – or perhaps more so, she and her label failed to see eye to eye. She’s been publicly battling with her label for some time now and it seems she’s making her last ditch plea to separate for good. On her newest single aptly titled “Free Me,” Stone takes blatant aim at EMI as she closes out the song wailing “Free me, EMI!”

But don’t worry, you don’t have to wait till the end of the song to feel the pent anger that inspired her to write this song, it’s quite apparent throughout as Stone sings “And if you find it hard to follow me/And if I lose you in my jet stream/Then you only got to raise your eyes/And see me fly/Don’t tell me that I won’t/I will.” Yup, sounds like fighting words to me set over a funked up groove that only Joss could ride effortlessly. Now, here’s hoping she used that anger to fuel the rest of the record and we might finally have a winner. The full album, Colour Me Free, hits tomorrow, October 20th – in the meantime, check out the full single after the cut. Thanks to The Edgitator for the inspiration.

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A few weeks back, we gave you a sneak peek at new artist Andrew Hoover’s with his lead single “Lie to Me” off his debut  album, Chances, Stances & Romances, set for release on September 22nd. We immediately fell in love with the uptempo track that features hints of R&B, soul, and funk with a clever pop twist, which left us anticipating listening to the full length album. Well, thanks to our friends at Rock Ridge Music, we got our hands on an advanced copy.

As it should, Chances, Stances & Romances, kicks off with “Lie to Me,” which is a nice introduction to Hoover’s sound for those unfamiliar with him. His self-taught, slap-style guitar playing sets him apart from counterparts and while his bio likens his sound to Marc Broussard and Ray LaMontagne, I’d probably equate him with Gavin DeGraw (vocally) when he burst on the scene. The DeGraw comparison is most notable on the last track of the album “Someday Cecilia,” a slow, raw, acoustic track where Hoover shines as he pines over a love.

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Sorry Benjy Davis and Tony Lucca, heck even Sondre Lerche, I’ve decided my end of the summer crush is Andrew Hoover. What? You’ve never heard of Andrew Hoover? Well, it’s about time you did.

The twenty-one year old, blue-eyed soul-man is set to release his debut album Chances, Stances, & Romances on September 22nd and if the lead single “Lie to Me” is any indication of what’s to come then the future’s bright for Hoover. The upbeat track features hints of R&B, soul and funk with a clever universal pop twist that should appeal to many folks.

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