Electrik Red- How to be a Lady Vol.1 Terius 'n' Tricky make girl-pop magic

Can this just have its own thread pls?

aww

have we discussed the female empowerment angle?

well I figure this is gonna be a long thread if the three of us are all into it!

a really incredible album

I had been lapping up all the leaks and promo stuff but I'm reeling at how well this holds as an album.

yes the different angles

Also, stranger than LVM?

xp pretty spot on description!

for four words at least!

my favorite is 'bed rest'

9 to 5 is flooring me as I type

headphones or no?

i want to say that these girls do nothing but the album really rides on the fact that they can do these wispy, frothy songs like "so good" and "bed rest" and also these thumping, powerful songs like "p is for power" and "we fuck you" and "drink in my cup"

The "How'd I let him come back" riff in So Good is, um , so gooood.

me: hard and soft
i think it's just about you know multiple personality disorder
like she wants satin sheets
but also vodka straight

"devotion" -> "freaky freaky" -> "bed rest" is the best stretch i think

"devotion" is amazing - so motionless

can we talk about how the vocals are tougher than most mainstream female R&B

must cop

that's one of the big draws huh? xp

these chicks would beat the shit out of Kelis (not that she's been much of a reckoner of late, but you know voice comparisons etc.)

me: i mean
on the other hand
it could also be about how hard it is to get this sorta woman
but once you get her (9 to 5, bed rest), she is so fucking good

yeah i can def see that, like it's hard to get her soft

was it jordan who was bitching about the explicit version of So Good, because the clean version is way better, but then I usually think that.

the sexuality is pretty aggressive

yeah it was me - i find it inconsequential now but it's a pointless remake, they should've just left it "clean"

still pissing me off

i love it when the dj when the dj play my shit my shit
i rock i rock my hips my hips

i think the title does such a good job of pulling the thing together

"i thought i wouldn’t really give a fuck / but now a bitch all in loooove"

I didn't even know that this is what the first line said. Such a good lyric!

― Tim F, Thursday, May 21, 2009 11:48 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^^THIS

Funny how it makes me wanna go back and forth with L/H and LVM

has anybody spotted any cool meta stuff in it yet?

i love it when the dj when the dj play my shit my shit
i rock i rock my hips my hips

― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Friday, May 22, 2009 4:22 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yeah it was me - i find it inconsequential now but it's a pointless remake, they should've just left it "clean"

― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Friday, May 22, 2009 4:19 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

but...it's not a remake...the song had "shit" in it in the first place, it was just censored for the single.

aside from the Tim F one above which I assume is a Luv ur Girl ref

the album is sequenced so well too - "friend lover" is such a revelation coming after the "devotion" -> "bed rest" run

it would have been a cute moment of ladylike behaviour if they'd left it clean

well what i like is the combination of different moods, in like the same song even.

yeah it was me - i find it inconsequential now but it's a pointless remake, they should've just left it "clean"

― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Friday, May 22, 2009 4:19 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

but...it's not a remake...the song had "shit" in it in the first place, it was just censored for the single.

― dream hater, come rescue me (some dude), Friday, May 22, 2009 3:27 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

i guess but it's not like they just took the word out, they added that slight moan and i just think it's way better - it's a different song without it imo

bitch

walking around in my louis vuitton heals with my ass hanging out

9 to 5

my favorite is 'bed rest'

^^ yes

"kill bill" is 3:22 of O_O

i just put WFY on at work and had to turn it off real quick!

oops!

really excited about that distant time in the future when i get to hear this not hunched over my laptop in a hotel room

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/70310-elektrik-red-feat-the-dream-drink-in-my-cup/

video and review of "drink"

ok so who's gonna start unpacking the ~class signifiers~ here

you?

nope! boarding plane in some minutes

btw the-dream sez it was all their idea, the title and concept and stuff, and they bullied him into getting their vision right

hmmm v interesting

and they danced on the boardroom table at the meeting when they got their deal

i guess that makes sense. it would be kind of weird if dream had conceived the whole thing totally and projected it onto some girls.

you think? i can totally imagine him doing that - like, conceptions of "femininity" and "class" seem to be at the heart of the electrik red album in the same way that "love" and "money" are to the-dream's. esp taking into account visuals, videos &c

and they danced on the boardroom table at the meeting when they got their deal

this is awesome

Is it just me or did Dream basically cast his female doppelganger to be the lead Red? As for class signifiers...um...I dunno. Conceptually (not musically) most interesting bits are when the girls take a fictional male audience member to task for, e.g., wearing jeans that are too tight.

yea that made me stop and think

was exchanging tips with a music friend tonight and she was all opposed to the idea of this album, saying "i have class in my taste"

and i was like uhhh i got that drink in my cup

fav lyric in bed rest is obv "i'm so horny"

now that's how to be a lady!!

what does "drink in my cup mean"? I have been wondering this for SOME TIME

I'M THE SHIT

WITH THIS SHIT

Really, an ideal version of "So Good" would contain both "ooh...*gasp*...damn" and "I thought I really wouldn't give a fuck/ but now a bitch all in love"

^^^

I don't really like swearing in pop music because it makes me embarrassed to sing along

wth

i could see being embarrassed to be singing along to like..... "what's your fantasy" or something but otherwise

plax u are a weird dude

apparently "So Good" isn't Tricky Stewart, it's some guy named Sean K

Ah so there was a reason I hadn't noticed "I thought I wouldn't really give a fuck" prior to listening to the album version.

"So Good" is just A+ songwriting, every single bit of it.

I don't mind the ooh/shit/damn bit, if only because the "shit" carries so much ambivalence - like is she saying it because she's pissed off or because she's being serviced right at that moment? And, if the latter, then it must be really good to make her start swearing like that.

Whereas the use of the word "Rockin' That Shit" seems more pointless to me - it's just a general stand-in word in that context.

it should be noted that P is for Power, the U is for Used to, cause my P better than that P that you used to

los da maestro is amazing, "friend lover" sounds so timeless to me

one S is for Superior, one S is for the Sex

"devotion" sounds like aaliyah to me

the Y is for YESSSSSSSSS............vanilla!

now I need to go back and read everyone's comments on all this awesomeness

every song on this album is amazing

OMG the sounds like a volcano erupting if a volcano also happened to be robotic godzilla nemesis during the last 20 seconds of "We Fuck You"

a few of the songs have last great 30 seconds. the "oooh ooohhh oohhhhhh" part on "so good", the "radio kilaaaa" harmonizing on "freaky freaky" - i'm sure there's more but right now i can't think of them

also that part on "we fuck you"

I really love "We Fuck You" now.

CUP/ SIP/ YUP/ YEAUURRR
TWO/ STEP/ STOP/ YEAUURRR

^^^another great ending

This album makes me feel like someone has reached to my pleasure center and just started activating it for their own amusement.

btw, just in case yall were wondering if dream has a fetish or not, the fourth line in "we fuck you" is "i love it when you sweat out my haaaaair"

http://www.abovethelaw.com/images/entries/animated%20siren%20gif%20animated%20siren%20gif%20animated%20siren%20gif%20drudge%20report.GIFATTN: TIM Fhttp://www.abovethelaw.com/images/entries/animated%20siren%20gif%20animated%20siren%20gif%20animated%20siren%20gif%20drudge%20report.GIF

the best of part of wfy is

bridge:

now i hope my momma gone hear this song
cuz she raised a choosy lover i pick my bones
and it's always my decision to get it ooooon
yeah i get it it oooon i get it oooon

then the song just grinds itself into the ground

CUP/ SIP/ YUP/ YEAUURRR
TWO/ STEP/ STOP/ YEAUURRR

― the man they love to hate, the J.R. Ewing of Seattle (The Reverend), Saturday, May 23, 2009 4:57 AM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark

this is one of the main things that reminds me why dream is a genius - his ability to bring lil jon style club sloganeering to r&b but keep it totally weird and distinct to him - the most perfect example being "her titties like ooooOOOOHHH/ her booty like ooooooooooh"

"A-T-L-A-N-T-A-G-A is where i stay" being another

this album makes me turn into a lex style lyrics machine

STEP UP IN HERE FRESHER THAN A MUTHA
YES INDEED IM FLYER THAN A MUTHA
TWO TONE PHANTOM HOT LIKE HELLO
*DIAMONDS ON MY NECK* CANARY YELLOW

these are like young dro lyrics harmonized by girls - it's crazy imo

maybe i just need to hear some brooke valentine albums or something

Would it shock everyone to know that I've never been interested in Mr Nash's fetish (and "Sweat It Out" kinda exhausts it surely) - I just liked the way he sang that particular line so intently on "Purple Kisses".

Just queuing this up now - I predict I'm going to like it more than The Dream's own album. Between this and the Rich Girl record I'm quite psyched about the whole concept of girl group vanity projects from producers.

"A-T-L-A-N-T-A-G-A is where i stay" being another

― 'entertainment purposes' ONLY! (J0rdan S.), Saturday, May 23, 2009 3:11 AM Bookmark

^^has to be the canonical examplar

now bring you body CLOSER/ pin me to the wall like a POSTER/ tonight's your time so baby ORDER/ now I'm bitin on your body like an OYSTER

it's hors d'oeuvre not oyster

my favorite parts on the album:

LITTLE BOYYYYYYY
DON'T TRY TO SHOW OUT
WHEN UR LITTLE BOYS COME TO THE HOUSE
OR I'LL WALK AROUND THIS BITCH IN MY LOUBOUTIN HEELS WIT MY ASS HANGIN OUT!
AAOOOWWWWWWWWWWW!

I'M HOPIN WHAT U DID AIN'T A FLUUUUKE
CAUGHT ONE BUT I'M TRYNA CATCH TWOOOOOOOO

I'M NOT A STRIPPER BUT I DANCE LIKE THAT
I'M NOT A STRIPPER BUT WHERE DA MONEY AT?
I'M NOT A FREAK I'M NOT A NASTY HO...
WELL I'M LYIN, BUT I'M CLASSY THO
I'M LIKE U I WANNA GET GET GET IT
In THE BEDROOM HIT HIT HIT IT

the last 45 seconds of "Devotion"

THE Y IS FOR YESSSSS.... VANILLA!
IF YOU WANNA TRY, BOY YOU GOTTA BUY!

the beat on "Bed Rest" (mental)

Anyway, like I said in the R&B this is easily the best album of the year so far, and I could easily see it being my Album of the Year... it's kind of an instant classic in my book (I don't think I'm being premature since I've been following the leaks and stuff very closely and was familiar with more than half of the album months before it actually leaked)... I know this thread is kind of a Terius love-fest, and that's understandable seeing as he wrote everything, but I don't think you guys should undersell the importance of THESE ladies singing these songs... they bring a certain swag that I think is unique to them, this sort of grown-woman, boss bitch type thing, which was apparent even in the songs they did before Dream got involved:

The only complaint I have is that "Imma Cheat" isn't on the album and instead it's going to be on Milian's Elope.... I really don't think she has the swagger to pull it off tbh, and it's one of my fave songs by them no doubt:

sometimes i wish i was the sort of person who paid more attention to lyrics - have listened to So Good a few times now and didn't even realize there was any swearing in it!

OMG THIS ALBUM

IS SO AMAZING

xp I know what you mean. Most of the posters on this thread are obsessed with lyrics too. I can know the lyrics to an entire song without actually knowing the lyrics. Just automatic singalonging.

if my body's a club you're my disco ball.... ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

yes exactly. like i can sing along perfectly to a song when it's playing but ask me how it goes again afterwards and it's all a blank even when i've heard the song 10000 times before. i wonder if there's a name for people who listen to music like this. xp

srsly most of these lines ppl are quoting are really unfamiliar

los da maestro is amazing, "friend lover" sounds so timeless to me

― 'entertainment purposes' ONLY! (J0rdan S.), Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:38 AM (7 hours ago)

OTM, it's definitely his best production.

Can a mod change the title of this thread to "Electrik Red- How to be a Lady Vol.1... so fetch!"

you guys are gonna be totally done talking about this by the time i buy it on tuesday, aren't you

NE-YO v THE DREAM
Britney Spears - Blackout

probably not

roz, the single version of "So Good" doesn't have any swearing so that's probably why

I initially listened to this on my PC and then went for a walk with it on my iPod and OMG it's really fucking loud!

I really enjoyed it on the first couple of listens but haven't quite formulated my thoughts yet (other than that Kill Bill sounds weirdly like Girls Aloud, but I have missed the age of the 'OMG THIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD!!!' ILM thread and this one makes me happy in that alone.

The only time I got a "this is too loud" vibe is on "Kill Bill", which is the one song that isn't doing anything for me.

The first listen did nothing for me, and I'm blown away by it now. Can someone please forward Ci an email w/ "P is for Power" to show her how spelling songs should be done properly?

really love this album

you don't fuck us nigga
we
fuck
you

jaw literally dropped a little bit @ the bass on "Freaky Freaky"

Attempted to pick this up over lunch, but apparently B3st Buy isn't carrying it yet. Kinda surprising considering its on Def Jam, no? Twenty copies of the new Grizzly Bear, but nothing on this. Asked a guy to look it up for me and he said no stores in the area had it, nor were they planning to getting any.

sorry we aren't talking about this album now that ship owns it

lol, have you found it, j0rdan? don't think slackers is getting it, maybe streetside?

The sad part is that the Grizzly Bear album will probably end up selling more.

i forgot that it came out today - i would've gone to best buy but i guess they don't have it? i don't support slackers or streetside

Sadly, probably. Doubly so if the big chain stores can't be bothered to carry it.

(xpost)

said it before, gonna say it again

devotion -> freaky freaky -> bed rest = totally next level r&b imo

i'm so annoyed though that i can't very well play this at work

i still haven't ~gathered my thoughts~ on this really, except

a) 'electrik city' should def be on the album
b) i've had 'friend lover' and 'drink in my cup' knocking around my hard drive for ages but only now in the context of the album do i realise how next-level they are
c) two-tone phantom, hot like HELLO; diamonds on my neck, ~canary yellow~
d) LITTLE BOYYYYYY! don't try to show out! when your little boys come to the house! or i'll walk around this bitch in my LOUBOUTIN HEELS with my ASS HANGIN' OUTTTTT!
e) yeah i could just turn into a lyrics machine
f) it's SO pro-female, this is awesome

g) if my body's the club, baby you're my discoball

b) i've had 'friend lover' and 'drink in my cup' knocking around my hard drive for ages but only now in the context of the album do i realise how next-level they are

me 2

nothin's gonna topple so good for me, which has sounded just as good since the first time I heard it

'friend lover' is the kind of thing that if done wrong, ever so subtly wrong, it could be discounted, but it's just not

it's so 80s but doesn't feel like a pastiche at all

otm

jordan i think you said something once about l*dy g*ga's 'just dance' capturing that feeling of being totally fucked up in a club and not knowing/caring where or what or who - 'drink in my cup' does that for me

i mean we have all seen the video, right? seriously don't think this'll be beaten this year http://videos.onsmash.com/v/bIH3Lab4eCSGssNM

'friend lover' is so candy sweet that it almost makes you forget it's about having a no-strings fuck-buddy

jordan i think you said something once about l*dy g*ga's 'just dance' capturing that feeling of being totally fucked up in a club and not knowing/caring where or what or who

just to clarify, i said that i appreciated that a pop star was saying these things so explicitly, but yeah i get you

xp otm

i never heard "Friend Lover" or "Drink" before today, both sound like odd single picks to me.

always thought Jordan was a little hyperbolic with his futurespacecat description of the production on LvM, but it's totally appropriate here.

hold on

i dont remember ever lauding the prod on lvm anymore than i would any dream song, in fact if anything i think i said that the production on some of the songs was pretty standard, just that trick & dream were able to infuse enough of their quirks to push them over the top (regarding specifically "home 2 ur mama" and "lvm"/"lvm2"), altho i would say "fancy" and "right side of my brain" are futurespacecat def

but yeah the production on these songs is just in another galaxy

i think my fav thing about "devotion" is that it sounds like she's being cradled by the song - it's such a soft and sensual and thus comforting beat and it perfectly matches the sentiment

this proves my thesis for me at least that the girl equivalent of any album is better (if this could be said to be the girl-LvM)

u so fulla shit JS: NE-YO v THE DREAM

LOL!

jordan i think you said something once about l*dy g*ga's 'just dance' capturing that feeling of being totally fucked up in a club and not knowing/caring where or what or who - 'drink in my cup' does that for me

i mean we have all seen the video, right? seriously don't think this'll be beaten this year http://videos.onsmash.com/v/bIH3Lab4eCSGssNM

― lex pretend, Tuesday, May 26, 2009 7:31 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark

right on

like i totally feel that this is what goes on in my head on a friday night

i love how the production throughout is like full of detail but not OVERly complex

alright point taken al, but that was obv on the night it leaked so i was punch drunk

it's like they took the first thing off they saw in the mirror

xp

muah :)

so "kill bill" is like the iffy song? but i kind of like it

"Kill Bill" is way too Brooke Valentine. (I should probably go back and listen to her album again before I start using her as a punchline, but whatever.)

p is for power" swells to this point, where it's so simple but so not

love that

wow, you guys weren't kidding about this album being hard to find in stores. I was in a store today (an independent one that sells a lot of R&B and currently has Chrisette Michele at the top of its best sellers list, even), and couldn't find a single copy. glad I already got it only this week -- only $6.99 on Amazon's mp3 store!

yeah man i didnt see this anywhere >:(

it's at streetside

really? ok

This sounds so amazing walking through the city in the sunshine. I think my favourite bit is the run through Friend Lover -> P Is For Power -> We Fuck You, it's like "yeah you think we can't get any more riotous but watch us go HERE".

If this album isn't getting a massive push even in the US there's no hope for us. Unless this becomes one of those occasional freakish rnb records that does better in the UK than the US.

nah there's def no hope for us

it's insane that they wrote this whole album in their spare time for fun

once it sets in how amazing the songs are you realize how many places all of them go. "we fuck you" alone has like 15 incredible parts

you'd think it would be over at the I GET THAT ON I GET THAT ON part and there's a whole 90 seconds of insanity left

"drink in my cup" really reminds me of "high price" (the singing esp) - i wonder which came first in terius' brain

"shawty" is the slow burner imo

boy you know im lovin what you doo-ooo-woooh
put your lovin in my gun i wanna shoo-oooo-ooot
you're not the kinda guy that i wanna loo-ooo-ooose

go shawty go shawty go shawty go
go shawty go shawty go shawty go
mo shawty mo shawty mo shawty mo
dip, boom, explode

I thought it was "tick, boom, explode".

Great song.

yeah that would make more sense

Actually what this reminds me most of all is Blackout, something about the barrage of noises from all sides. But it's Blackout if Blackout suddenly sobered up and got its shit together and was all "right then, from now on you're going to do what *I* say."

Wanted to say something like that before but I thought I'd get in trouble

hahaha

if there's one thing it has in common w/ blackout it's that both have a driving vision

It's weird, i absolutely adored 'we fuck you' when i listened to it on its own before the whole record leaked, but in the context of the album it's just the eighth track in a run of amazing songs? By the time I get to it I'm sort of thinking "that fuzzy yacht-rock guitar-line sounding thing in muah, that was pretty amazing, maybe i should listen to it again".

(the beginning of 'bed rest' makes me think of girls aloud - none of the rest, though. 'kill bill' is totally brooke v but i love her so w/evs)

Devotion always makes me wanna listen to LVMpt2

the most hilarious part on the album is the end of the bridge of drink in my cup where it goes "i park that like turn... skrr!/ get up off that, look back chirp-chirp" with terius making ridiculous high pitched bird noises trying to imitate a truck beign put into reverse

if someone has made it this far down the thread and has yet to hear the album you can stream the whole thing on last.fm

http://www.last.fm/music/Electrik+Red/How+To+Be+A+Lady%3A+Volume+1

OK, I'm breaking my "no posting at work, ever" rule to say

OMG OMG OMG THIS ALBUM I LOVE IT SO MUCH

IF MY BODY'S A CLUB YOU'RE MY DISCO BALL!!!!

Ha hem. Sorry for that interruption. Yeah, it's *that* good.

i hope this album makes it into ilm's end of year top 10 - would be the smallest of victories no doubt but we can try our best

"if my body's a club you're my disco ball" is an incredible line - so powerful. makes me think of gaia and stuff, the club as the whole world, and those giantesses in sébastien tellier videos.

the grinding synths + soprano vocals in the 'freaky freaky' chorus were TOTALLY slaying me last night

I still haven't been able to find this in stores around here.

been meaning to mention the awesome soft-rock guitar solo in "Muah" also the part in "We Fuck You" where they drop out the "We" and just repeat "Fuck you!" over and over

oh and "9 to 5" is the slow burner, been trying to figure out exactly which Prince song it sounds like and the answer is "Gotta Broken Heart Again"

Could not find it ANYWHERE in HMV. Why oh why? What do I have to do to get a physical copy?

I broke down and ordered it from Amazon. After looking again at lunch today, I'm convinced there is conspiracy to keep this out of the Chicago area. But, y'know, thats what you can expect with a tiny little no-name label like Def Jam handling things.

so far i'll be voting this #1 probs

mm

ok we've got surm/tapestore/lex/masonic love for this -- sounds more than safe, I'm ordering NOW. (Impossible to find physical object around here though (tried for a week or so on s/t/l love alone), but mailorder physical object is for some reason marked down 40% already! -- do not get reason, but shan't complain.)

OK thanx to J0rdan S for pushing me to finally listen to this. I know Siltbreeze apparently has better distribution than Def Jam but does anyone know if the lyrics are included with the CD? It'd be nice to have them all in one place.

Because I'm a very tacky person, my fave so far is "P Is For Power." And "Kill Bill" makes me guffaw (a good thing).

once it sets in how amazing the songs are you realize how many places all of them go. "we fuck you" alone has like 15 incredible parts

― hazmat yayo (J0rdan S.), Friday, May 29, 2009 6:32 AM (14 hours ago) Bookmark

i love the end where she goes "it's cool, it's cool, it's in fashion"

man, this was listed as 13.99 when i picked it up, then i went up to register and turns out it was only 7.99, shittttt

awww, and in the thank yous, binkie says "and to my girls in Electrik Red. LOVE YA - we getting Spice Girls money!"

;_;

>:(

"Shoobies: Kanye West, Usher, Ne-Yo, Ludacris, Jamie Foxx, T.I., Nick Cannon, Ciara, Amerie, Jamaica Ibn Jasper, Gee Roberson"

"...thanks Batman for all the advice"

does it have the lyrics in the book?

naw, but it has cool ER quotes...."Always remember where you came from and never forget those red pumps on the way to where you're going," etc.

ok we've got surm/tapestore/lex/masonic love for this -- sounds more than safe, I'm ordering NOW.
― anatol_merklich, Saturday, May 30, 2009 12:01 AM (1 hour ago)

I am offended that I am not included in this axis.

cassie fan club llc

i think im going to spend the weekend transcribing the lyrics into this thread, but don't hold me to that

you better be coming to trapped in a closet tonight

when/where? im pretty trapped in the closet'd out tbh

ugh you guys are like making plans

yeah i'm jealous :(

lol, it's at sparky's. we have r kelly's chocolate cherry butterfinger ice cream! starts @ 11. also a show right now at cafe berlin that i'm heading out to. and another at the fugue (lol) that's weird but notable

this is pretty sexy...i approve.

i put this album on when some friends were over and it operated perfectly fine in those circumstances, which was good

Bed rest is pretty much perfect

not even on iTunes, huh?

This is one of those cases where I would LOVE to buy the album, but have had to rely on d/ling just coz it doesn't seem to exist in the physical world.

you saw my titties before you saw my face

k8, not only does this not have a UK release date, but when i mentioned electrik red to the-dream's UK PR, she hadn't even heard of them. this is the point where i carp endlessly about how PRs will bombard me with CDs and emails and phone calls about their terrible indie bands, but when i'm actually enthusiastic about an act, getting basic information like a release date is suddenly blood/stone.

it's apparently available to order on amazon though!

ill walk around this bitch in my louis vitton heels with my ass hanging out

I've been blaring this in the ice cream shop and in the car. "Freaky Freaky" is perfect in both situations, blowing my mind.

when i mentioned electrik red to the-dream's UK PR, she hadn't even heard of them

This is ridiculous.

I suspect they'll probably wait to see how The Dream's album does over here before even making a call on a release date. Despite the Electrik Red album being like 20 times better.

listened to this so much over the wkend walking round in the sun

OK, I am gonna play the shit out of this album. Starting tonight. I'm going to play it out every set.

Devotion is the only one I'm not mad crazy about but that's because I don't really like breathy slow jams. I'm sure it's a great example of its kind though.

I'm OK with Devotion - the only one I skip is 9 to 5.

devotion is great, but i can see how it's a tough sell sandwiched tween "so good" and "Freaky freaky"

the lyrics "expose my devotion" and "verify my love" have that gr8 balance of technical + romantic that i lpve

"expose my devotion" is such a visceral lyric

clinical too <3

bed rest does this bjork syllabic repetition thing at the end

ill walk around this bitch in my louis vitton heels with my ass hanging out

― i am rubber, t u.r.koglu (k3vin k.)

http://kuwait-style.com/images/2007/05/05-30-07-LOUBOUTIN-SUPER-WALLIS-PLATFORM-PUMPS-357Pounds.jpg

LOUBOUTIN!

anyway, Rich Juzwiak's write-up of this is really good:

http://fourfour.typepad.com/fourfour/2009/05/oooh-shit-damn.html

great piece. Though I'd rate this a little bit below The-Dream's own albums.

i wholeheartedly disagree

thx for the louboutin lesson brain ;)

Hrrmmmm. That blog raises an interesting point - that, despite all the gurl power stylings, they are still females singing men's words.

(See also: the endless arguments that Miss AMP and I had about the Long Blondes*.)

I suppose it comes down to the concept of acting / performance / delivery whether it comes across as believable, as much as the skill of the lyricist. I mean, girl groups and divas have a long history of singing other people's words and making them their own, making you FEEL it - so it's not bothersome that they're singing someone *else*'s words, so much as singing a man's pneumatic ideal of what an uber-sexy in control babe would sing. (Are they really posed as whores, or women who demand a man who is capable of meeting them on their own level? I don't get whore so much as "I'm a fucking rock star baby, you ought to be able to hold your own with me, financially as well as sexually.")

Do I find them more convincing than, say, Pussycat Dolls (who I find revolting) or more that I *identify* with their take on sexual freedom?

*I suppose the disparity there was the conflict between this notion of Indie Band - i.e. song-writer author, supposed to write their own lyrics, and yet still reliant on dynamic of male songwriter / female mouthpiece and how that just played into the whole "men act, women appear" thing.

This is better than the Dream's own albums due to not having The Dream's annoying persona all over them.

^^

man i love it when u guys get real excited about an album. listening to we fuck you now and it's gonna sound pretty great in my car.

haven't read rich's piece - and don't intend to until i've finished my own piece - and briefly, as am distracted by the tennis, but the-dream told me that all the ideas and concepts re "femininity" came from the girls, and they bullied him into following what they thought rather than what he'd intended to do with them - i mean as much as they're "his" project, he didn't put them together or anything - they were already a group prior to hooking up w/him

This is better than the Dream's own albums due to not having The Dream's annoying persona all over them.

― Tits Bramble (Matt DC), Tuesday, June 2, 2009 11:13 AM (23 minutes ago)

*grinds teeth*

also "devotion" is my favorite!

So which song should I play tonight?

Do I have the ... heh ... "Balls" to play W.F.Y. out? I've already had a Payne request it, so I might have to.

I wanted to play Freaky Freaky but I've got to keep the BPM high just to stay awake.

they bullied him into following what they thought rather than what he'd intended to do with them

HA HA YES YES I LOVE IT!!!!

is it a club or pub, k8? actually i'd say 'we fuck you' or 'on point' regardless...

unless it's outdoors and summery in which case 'so good' or 'friend lover'!

In 93 Feet East. Think I'm gonna go with We Fuck You.

"Go Shawty"! Sexy time in the club

(I'd tell you to come down, but that really depends on how you feel about crafting - I mean, it's riot grrl derived crafting not beardy folky crafting but still. I understand it's not for everyone. But 3 out of 4 Shimuras will be DJing. Anna has promised an all Italo Disco set which I'm a bit worried about, eep.)

i'd have asked where it was so i could come down if i didn't have a ton of work to do tonight :(

Aw. I think no one would mind if you sat down and worked! That's kind of the point. I like to draw there.

I was gonna do, like We Fuck You -> Grace Jones - Williams Blood (rejected Aeroplane mix) but, you know, like, I. Do Not. Beatmatch.

(I've already been in a massive row with some dude out of Shadow Dancer about how beatmatching is the guitar soloing of DJing.)

sit down... in a club? is this a british thing?

it's more of a bar, brainwasher...can't remember if it has wifi. if it does, text me or something k8...might well need to get out of the house.

jesus if you're djing in a bar like 93fe of course you don't need to beatmatch

my favorite part of "friend lover" is the way she sings "i gotta be at work by nine"; dream's debt to kelly has never been more apparent or awesome

i want to strap a boombox to the back of my bike and go everywhere with this record playing

For some reason, I think they do have WiFi, but maybe I'm confusing it with Cargo.

This is the event:
http://www.93feeteast.co.uk/diary/index.cfm?View=Day&EventDate=2009-06-02

Love the way they namecheck us on the front page now, ha ha "Are you looking for a venue to host your new tech-knitting craft night?" Coz like, knitting is the new clubbing. Ha ha ha.

I suspect they'll probably wait to see how The Dream's album does over here before even making a call on a release date. Despite the Electrik Red album being like 20 times better.

― Tits Bramble (Matt DC), Tuesday, June 2, 2009 1:33 AM Bookmark

I would think ER would have a lot more UK-appeal than -Dream. His singles generally seem pretty specific to US r&b radio, where ER is a bit more straightforwardly pop.

Terius is -Dream now btw

yes, things can only get better for dream in the uk.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0ifuxzq0ldhe

kells' review of lady will end up being the one i'm most disposed to, i wager - persuasive last line in partic. as far as other takes go: i'm a choosy lover, I PICK MY BOOOONES... with yall later cos i'm not ready just yet.

(i chuckle at that line every. single. time.)

oh aren't we on tenterhooks, wtf happened to you today? even worse than usual

A Kells has never been wrong.

When I first heard "Bed Rest" (and without looking at the title) I thought they were singing "you've got me on benefits."

I interpreted this to mean that the loving was so good that Ms Electrik Red had been recognised by the Govt as suffering from a total and permanent disability meriting a pension.

ha! not far off!

Sexual obsession qualifies one for income support? woot! sign me up!

(I've already been in a massive row with some dude out of Shadow Dancer about how beatmatching is the guitar soloing of DJing.

Beatmatching is clearly the rhythm section of DJing – scratching is the guitar solo! This would make harmonic mixing the singer-songwriter??? I guess beatmatching with software is the equivalent of a drum machine.
Hmm, I wonder what other analogies can we come up with?

Anyhoo, loving this album – would love to get my hands on a vinyl copy, but I guess that’s fairly, ahem, tricky in the UK?

Ha ha, no, that's not what I meant at all. I meant that it's a sheer technical skill which is appropriate in some settings, but by no means necessary to good musicianship, either as a guitar player or a DJ.

I really don't want to rehash this whole argument all over again!

which did you play in the end, k8?

YOU DON'T FUCK US, N*GG*, WE FUCK YOU!!! YOU!!!!! YOU!!!!! WE FUCK YOU!!!!

Even the barman started shaking his ass behind the bar. It was great.

(Isn't it weird that I feel the need to bleep out a racial epithet, even when directly quoting lyrics, but don't feel the need to bleep out the blatant swearing?)

Ha ha, no, that's not what I meant at all. I meant that it's a sheer technical skill which is appropriate in some settings, but by no means necessary to good musicianship, either as a guitar player or a DJ.

I really don't want to rehash this whole argument all over again!

(^_^)

Definitely, I know what you mean! Tune selection, setting the tone, or its flipside, “reading the crowd” (for better or worse) and are all equally as valid skills as beatmatching in DJing, but which some (most?) DJs seem to be less aware of.

Exactly.

And I do think that's something that you can only really learn from experience - which is why the kind of bedroom DJs on that forum will always big up technical skills like beatmatching - while people like me (who never intended to be DJs at all, but just kept being asked to come down and play some tunes) tend to stress tune selection and tone/crowd mood.

If you're DJing house music in a club, beatmatching is more like the equivalent of being able to keep basic time. I mean, it's pretty fundamental. DJing in a bar, it doesn't matter at all.

technical skill which is appropriate in some settings,

My own personal bugbear are the vinyl DJs who go on about how lifeless mixes made using software are, which seems likes an exact analog of “real” musicians moaning about DJs or drum machines/samplers/synths etc.

It’s just a tool, you tools.

I find it amusing (ironic, even?) that CDJs now sneer at MP3-Js the same way that vinyl DJs used to sneer at CDJs.

Anyway, sorry, this is NOT a thread about DJing, I'm not even a DJ, honest!

This is about ELECTRIK RED and how awesome they are.

TRUE DAT!

YOU DON'T FUCK US, N*GG*, WE FUCK YOU!!! YOU!!!!! YOU!!!!! WE FUCK YOU!!!!

Even the barman started shaking his ass behind the bar. It was great.

― If My Body's A Club You're My Disco Ball (Masonic Boom), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 10:17 (3 hours ago) Permalink

hot!

the Y is for YESSSS! ooh - VANILLAHHHHH!

if u wanna try, boy u betta buy

CD has pretty cool packaging

if it exists

bought it today!

yeha I found a copy in Best Buy buried behind a bunch of ELO albums.

after going to 2 Targets and a bunch of other stories and not having any luck

btw this is the biggest flop ever, it sold under 5,000 copies 1st week

haha yeah the employee at the store i got it from was kinda like "???" and then proceeded to recommend the new eminem upon finding me checking out the rnb/rap section and adding "relapse 2 comes out in october!!"

but all of those 5,000 started a band, etc.

I'd probably attempt to break his fingers at that point. xp

ilm r&b crew makes up like 1/500th of their fanbase

ouch

lol :(

tbh given how many other projects were shelved or never emerged i'm amazed this album exists at all. i can easily see it being a slow burn though...the quality is that high.

album artwork is great too, booklet peppered w/electrik red quotes like "always remember where you came from, and never forget those red pumps on the way to where you're going" and "it's hard being an authentic girl in a botox world".

oh today's quotemachine

the Y is for YESSSS! ooh - VANILLAHHHH!

like a kid with the cake u can really eat it
like a stray dog, happy every time i feed him

"but you gotta get your mind together...and them jeans is a lil' too tight - what! i fux with it, it's cool, it's cool, i get it, it's in fashion, haha..." you can HEAR her rolling her eyes!

http://i39.tinypic.com/1zqarlt.jpg

is that them?

"but you gotta get your mind together...and them jeans is a lil' too tight - what! i fux with it, it's cool, it's cool, i get it, it's in fashion, haha..." you can HEAR her rolling her eyes!

― lex pretend, Thursday, 4 June 2009 12:26 (35 minutes ago) Permalink

i love this attitude

"like a kid with the cake u can really eat it"

I though it was "you can barely eat it", if I'm wrong I like my version more.

I love "I fux with it"!

pretty sure it's 'really eat it' which also ties in w/ 'happy like a dog every time you feed him'

yeah but "barely" hooks up with her having to finish herself off after he's done. His eyes are bigger than his stomach.

and them jeans is a lil' too tight

His eyes are bigger than his stomach.

stomach??

he wants to eat her

I was thinking of another body part.

"bed rest" damn.

on good headfones

I like this better than Love vs Money (esp. "Bed Rest" and "W.F.Y."), but so much that I want to praise this to the heavens.

what?

I'm late to this party. If I think "p is for power" is the best song, does that make me a santigold neon altbro or something

Seriously hoping electrik red and janelle monad conquer the earth

yah

there's some truth

Seriously hoping electrik red and janelle monad conquer the earth

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Friday, June 5, 2009 10:39 AM (2 hours ago)

^word dude, also "p is for power" is tied for the best with "devotion"

so good and bed rest (omg) are amazing but the rest of this has not quite clicked for me yet, i think i'm comparing it unfavorably with the-dream's the-dream albums. the svengali gender ventriloquism business is kind of skeeving me out too tbh

i like this record more than (or it is more interesting than) the new the-dream, but the first dream is still some kind of pinnacle imo.

goole i think u could come around to '9 to 5' or 'friend lover' for sure??

yeah i'm sure i will be listening to little else thru the summer no matter what my initial impressions are! the "i gotta BE at work by 9!!" line is already deeply implanted.

sad this is tanking

this is going to be our annie from norway isn't it

talking of which, the sleevenotes (yeah existence confirmed): "puss och kram" -- is one of them Swedish?

i like this record more than (or it is more interesting than) the new the-dream, but the first dream is still some kind of pinnacle imo.

agreed. I think LvM is great, but while the songwriting is strong and the production is just as detailed, it's a bit monochrome compared to the other two

xp: not that I know of, but 2 of them are canadian, which is close enough

OTM.

2 of them are CANADIAN?

As if I could love this album any more.

lvm > l/h > htbalv1

anyway, i just wanna look at you while the birds singing TWEET TWEET TWEET

no joke today i was thinking about if whiney has posted in this thread and i decided that he had but i wasn't sure if i had dreamed it up or not

i'm out of things to say about this album - just so great

when is vol2?

Electrik Red f. Demi Lovato? "I want to collab with The-Dream one day..."

i love that girl so much, i hope it happens!

How to Be a Lady

A lady out and about dresses nicely and has good posture.

From its roots in British nobility as the female equivalent of "Lord", the term "lady" carries a connotation of elegance and class. If you'd like to be thought of as a lady, they key is to mix traditional feminine ideals with modern reality in a way that works for you.

Steps
Dress the part: You don't have to wear a suit or dress but a lady always wears clean, coordinated clothing - free of wrinkles. No sweat pants! All clothes should fit properly - not too baggy, not too tight. Always wear underwear and a bra. One is not usually considered classy if she exposes an intimate body part. A lady will dress for her body type and not try to get ahead using her physical attributes.
Cleanliness is key: Shower on a regular basis. Blow-dry and style hair before leaving your house. Apply a subtle amount of perfume. Apply a modest amount of make-up or just enough to cover skin imperfections and to accent your strong points. Your beauty should look effortless. Smile!
Choose your words wisely: What you say and how you say it are two very important factors in exuding class. Always speak at a soft to moderate tone--you shouldn't need to raise your voice. If you're dealing with a person who won't listen unless you speak forcefully, then they aren't worth dealing with. If you have nothing good to say then don't say anything at all - take that to heart! Cursing is also inappropriate.
Actions speak louder than words: Now that you look the part, you should act it too. For example, pull your skirt under your legs when sitting down. Always sit with legs crossed or together. Do not overindulge in food or alcohol at a party or business function. Gluttony or drunkenness shows one's lack of self-control and can cause a loss of respect or potentially embarrassing moment in front of your peers. Burping or passing gas in the presence of others is bad etiquette as well.
Sharpen your mind: Keep yourself informed of world events, politics, selected movies, plays, and music. Being cultured expands one's knowledge and interests, while opening doors to stimulating conversations with new people that can develop into meaningful business or romantic relationships.
Practice martyr-free modesty: In everything she does, a lady will acknowledge those who helped her before she takes any credit for herself. A lady will not flaunt herself, her valuables, or her accomplishments. A good reputation can surpass all of those things. Do not correct others unless they ask your advice. Do not act like you are better than anyone else. A lady is not self-absorbed. But be careful not to seem overly modest--do not be weak and submissive. You are too intelligent and classy for that.
Never lose your cool: Don't let people get under your skin, no matter how much they try. Keep your composure. Express your surprise or disappointment at someone's behavior in a gentle way to show that their actions have affected you and to show that you have feelings, or else people might think you're cold.
Be well mannered. Manners are a necessity to being ladylike. Read up on books that teach etiquette and always be nice to everyone, but at the same time, don't be a doormat.

Tips
Many women follow these steps part-time. For example, you might need to be confident and assertive at work, but enjoy being ladylike at home. Or, you might be wild and crazy at home, but prefer to be ladylike in public. How you break it down is completely up to you.
In an effort to say the right things, think positive and realize a better thought or response to, "whether or not the glass is half empty or half full", is always that the glass is half full.
Confidence is a good tip when being ladylike. Stand up tall, and show the world you are beautiful and that nothing will bring you down!

Warnings
Some people still carry the archaic notion that the more traditionally feminine you are, the more help you need (i.e. less capable). Be prepared for this. Show them that a woman can be ladylike and help herself at the same time.

Related wikiHows
How to Be an Attractive Woman
How to Have Good Manners
How to Walk in High Heels
How to Apply Makeup
How to Be Classy
How to Act Like a Sweet Celebrity

tbh given how many other projects were shelved or never emerged i'm amazed this album exists at all. i can easily see it being a slow burn though...the quality is that high.

yeah seriously...i'm bummed that my favorite album of the year is selling so little, but at the same time amazed and grateful it got released at all given the single's very moderate success. by modern industry logic this thing should be in the middle of an 18-month turnaround and only the handful of y'all who grab every R&B leak would have any idea how good it is. and people who wait for official releases like me would probably still be sitting around going "i liked So Good, too bad it never took off and i never got to hear the whole album."

So. This weekend I went on a big Prince kick and got realllly into Prince's Electrik Red equivalent Vanity 6/Apollonia 6. The first incarnation/album is the superior one but they are both quite good.

Highlight: If a Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up) in which the lead singer calls her boyfriend and another girl (voiced by Prince) answers the phone. They then proceed to have a bitch fight over a funk riff. It's sort of amazing.

Pertinence? Early Electrik Red track "Glamour Girl" from pre-Terius sessions w/ Darkchild samples the drums from Vanity 6's Make-Over and takes the melody from Prince's I Would Die 4 U. It's kind of amazing.

I need to write a piece on the girl group fronts for R'n'B auteurs at some point, because they are myriad and awesome.

This album is amazing!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bsxrw3eZ_No&hl=en&fs=1&";></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bsxrw3eZ_No&hl=en&fs=1&"; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Whoops.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Bsxrw3eZ_No&hl=en&fs=1&

Brainwasher might be amused to see:

Sassy British-Canadian/Jamaican beauty Naomi chimes in, “We’d love to be colossal like the Spice Girls and the Pussyclot (sic) Dolls.”

damn "Glamour Girl" is good -- what other non-LP songs does Electrik Red have floating around?

xp lol that was my username for a minute

non lp tracks:

Blind
Glamour Girl
Top Rankin
Imma Cheat
Electrik City
Eye on You

I know, that's why I posted it.

yeah I know thats why u posted it

"Eye On You" is a long-lost great Janet single, right?

Oh and also that little scary string bit that appears in the chorus of "Drink in My Cup" is awesome, v. 36M.

the intro of "drink in my cup" is so badass, especially the sliding ultra fat bass...

the 'so good' video :PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

which one?

http://videos.onsmash.com/v/NlPwwNNaAdBx5T62

oh god just watched the 'drink in my cup' one too

these girls should be huge

lol

"devotion" sounds exactly like "purple kisses"

which is awesome

funny, i was just listening to this for the fist time in a while today. the shouty anthem-type songs are growing on me but i still think the sultry stuff is way better.

I'm starting to think that the "I'm not gonna fuck you because you don't earn as much as I do" tracks on here might just be outright misogynistic while pretending to be the exact opposite.

I actually wouldn't care if there was outright barefaced unashamed misogyny at work here, but after listening to big chunks of Love vs Money again I'm having trouble squaring one with the other.

I know what you mean; it's a male songwriter's idea of independence. I haven't completed warmed to this (or The-Dream's second album) despite enjoying several cuts.

If you're not going into any The-Dream project without the understood knowledge that he's kind of sleazy and doesn't necessarily have the most enlightened or progressive ideas about love, sex, gender politics, etc. that's on you. You can smell a strip club just looking at him.

sorry for the double negative, but you get the gist of my point

He's not a misogynist: I'm just more aware of his limitations when he lets chicks sing his fantasies (see also the Apollonia solo album)

yeah. being familiar with the two dream albums makes listening to this album weird, though; it's just so clear where stuff is coming from. they even sound like him vocally at times. i feel like this might not have bothered me at all if he'd stayed solely a songwriter and i would know on some abstract level that a dude wrote all the songs but it wouldn't really mess with my enjoying them. i just got this album, though; i might get over it in a week. hate P is for Power, though, that's the one that seems most explicitly like the obverse some of the grosser sex and money stuff on Love v. Money.

that was kind of an xpost.

okay i love "friend lover" though

So driving home Sunday night in Washington DC at 11:30 after seeing loud clanging rock band Future of the Left, I drove past 14th and Park, a trendy upscale club where NBA basketball players and such hang out. There was a huge line of folks down the sidewalk from the place. Oh yeah, Elekrik Red were there tonight. But this is the kind of place where they may have just made an appearance and not actually performed.

ER were at a big outdoor festival in Baltimore this weekend too -- was out of town and missed it, but it would've been nice to at least see if they can really perform and do the songs justice live

That's right, they were at Artscape. That would have been worth checking out. I wonder if they have made their appearance yet at 14th & Park?

being familiar with the two dream albums makes listening to this album weird, though; it's just so clear where stuff is coming from. they even sound like him vocally at times.

imo this makes the album alot better, actually. i'm not sure why. oh, it's probably just because i like the-dream so much. by the way dude is becoming prolific, already written and produced two great albums this year.

not to mention a grab bag of other great songs by other artists, with mariah and milian (iirc?) still on the way

i hope even if his/electrik red's solo career never picks up that he will live a long and obscenely rich life off of umbrella royalties.

He's done well enough as a solo artist.

i hope even if his/electrik red's solo career never picks up that he will live a long and obscenely rich life off of umbrella royalties.

pretty sure he already is

He's done well enough as a solo artist.

oh yeah? i actually wasn't basing that on record sales or some kind of solid fact, but just that my sister-who listens to nothing but this type of music-had only heard of one song and was like "oh he was in that song with mariah carey, right?"

Was thinking about why I find the line in "Friend Lover", "Rule 4: you can't stay past five, I gotta be at work by nine" so affecting.

I think this bit works a lot like the "I could have another you in a minute/matter fact he'll be here in a minute" line in Beyonce's "Irreplaceable". There's that same sudden jump in register which on the one hand is supposed to suggest an almost callous sense of levity, and yet on the other hand is a classic giveaway that the singer doesn't believe what he or she is saying.

Or, rather, it's not exactly a lie, but the emotion is confected - the rule suggests that Ms Red is ultimately gonna make her love life fit in with her professional life, but maybe secretly Ms Red isn't happy about that, or maybe sometimes wishes she wasn't the kind of person who put work before love. Or maybe she just feels trapped by her own pride in enforcing this arrangement.

Which is supported by the arrogant "he could be my man if I wanted him to" beforehand. Again, the way this is sung suggests that maybe she does want him to be her man, but can't admit this to herself for fear of some private loss of face.

I was trying to think of examples in film and tv where one character is in a relationship with someone and is totally in love with them but for reasons of warped personal pride affects a pose of absolute indifference. Only a couple come to mind though.

themes of pride in the context of love seem to be very prevalent on this album and in a lot of music, especially hip hop/RnB. mostly, though, i find that line affecting for the reason that most lyrics about being a working woman are affecting: they put the singer in the place of the audience.

OMG, I have only just noticed the kind of wibbling space noises in the background of Devotion.

the bloody CRAFTSMANSHIP of this album is just staggering, the little things hidden in the background of the production that you only notice after hearing it 100x.

binkie = v good twitter value btw.

@BinkieER a woman is like a tea bag you never know how strong she is until she is in hot water ! fyi a bitch is on boil !
26 minutes ago from web

Speaking of which can someone provide me with a breakdown of who does what voices?

I'm assuming that the four voices are:

1) high-voiced breathy girl - e.g. "Devotion", "Friend Lover"
2) more sultry Kelis type girl - e.g. "So Good"
3) lower, slightly nasal singer - e.g. "We Fuck You" (same singer who does the nasal but higher "... and I don't know why you feel so alarmed..." bit in "P is for Power"? Possibly also "Kill Bill"??)
4) rapper in "Muah", presumably also the second spoken word section in "P is for Power"?

Or am I mixing these up and getting it all wrong?

i'd also love to clear that all up, i've got no idea

binkie is the one who raps occasionally, no idea about the others but i get the impression that naomi does quite a lot of the lead vox

There's two rappers though, right? First verse and second verse of "P is for Power" are different I think? The second verse is probably Binkie then as that's the same singer who does the rap on "Muah".

omg lex that tweet

A quick rewatch of the clips confirms that "So Good" and "Friend Lover" are both sung by the same girl who turns out to be Naomi. But according to some internet commentary:

binkie has on point
lesley has we fuck you
and sarah almost has p is for power. she has teo verses on that song but shares it with naomi

Sounds like everything else bar the rapping (presumably Binkie on "Muah" and "Drink In My Cup") is Naomi but I'm willing to bet "Kill Bill" isn't her.

yeah "Kill Bill" vox sound totally different from almost every other song. kinda hate that one, tbh.

that's cuz it kinda sucks

haha yeah "radio might not play this record" -- gee hmm i wonder why!

Haha. Worst of the album is definetly Kill Bill.

I'm guesssing still not sign of a UK releease for this? Shame as it seems to my ears to have more of a Brit-friendly sound (like Kelis).

I thought she was saying "radio better not play this record" because that might warn Bill that she's planning to kill him.

I think Bill probably got over that one after those Tarantino films a few years back, he'll be lulled into a false sense of security by now.

Kill Bill > Womanizer imo

noooooooooooooooooooooo

"kill bill" def >>>> "womanizer"

for the shitty schaffel pop track, it's surprisingly good - def inessential in context of the album though

kill bill is too loud and cluttered, it's like a migraine. womanizer is perfect :)

It's totally essential, it's the big brassy blow-out at the end. Ending with 'Go Shawty' wouldn't be much cop.

That whole electro-schaffel-pop signature has got so tired to me that Electrik Red turning it up *really loud* and adding some righteous anger kind of invigorated it for me. When Britney released Womanizer my response was more "oh, another one".

I dunno, if you're threatening to kill someone it's probably good to do it really loudly. Either that or with whispering menace.

When Britney released Womanizer my response was more "oh, another one".

― Matt DC, Monday, September 21, 2009 10:59 AM (2 minutes ago)

if electrik red "realeased" kill bill what would your reaction be?

mine would be let me go to the bathroom and throw up

released* obv

oh yeah i always forget that "electrik city" isn't actually the album closer, even though it is PERFECT in that role - finishing the album with that deadpan "ELECTRIK. RED."

^^^ My ipod plays it this way too.

I like "Kill Bill" and agree with Matt here but it shouldn't be a single.

The group is currently in the works of filming a video for next single "P Is For Power".

^^ i seriously doubt any more singles are going to be pushed off this record but man that's almost as bad an idea as "Kill Bill" would be imo

nah p is for power is the most obvious single of the bunch i thought. like a raunchy hollaback girl

hmmmm not a bad point

i disagree - not sure the kind of open space that song deals w/ is their best look for radio. "friend lover" is the obvious next single for me. it aint "kill bill" for sure tho

trying to keep a straight face of course while discussing "singles" and electrik fuckin red is a good time tho

yea friend lover. i dunno i'm bad at singles cuz like, what's catchiest for me is generally not the same.

surely friend lover has already been a single what with its strong video unless yall mean worthy of re-release (which it is)

"Friend Lover" was already a single.

lex & MDC otm re: "Kill Bill"

"Friend Lover" was already a single.

ha, my point exactly, sadly

Listening through the album, sounds to me like the non-Naomi lead vocals are:

Rap on "Muah": Binkie

Responce lines during verses on "Freaky Freaky": Binkie
Pre-chorus on "Freaky Freaky": Leslie (the Milian-sounding one, right?)

Bridge on "Bed Rest": Sarah (the nasally-sounding one, right?)

Chorus on "Friend Lover": Leslie

Verses on "P Is For Power": Sarah
Rap on "P Is for Power": Binkie
I think Leslie splits lines with Naomi in the bridge of that one, too

Verses on "W.F.Y.": Leslie
Pre-chorus/chorus on "W.F.Y.": Sarah
Bridge on "W.F.Y.": Binkie

"On Point": Binkie

Intro on "Drink in My Cup": Leslie
Rap on "Drink in My Cup: Binkie

"I'm coming" part on "Go Shawty": Sarah

"Kill Bill" except for some Naomi lines and some Terius interjections: Leslie

BinkieER #helookgoodbut he only rocks magnums and they baggy !
3 minutes ago from mobile web

@SarahRoseteER Wrap me up like a gift. Whisper in my ear say I'm the $hit. Can u feel my eyes on ur lips? Tears in ur mouth give me a kiss

her twitter is some sort of gift

A BITCH IS ON BOIL

i wanted to tweet her and ask her if she sings that part on the album, but itd prob come off a little disrespectful

NaomiER Jus wanna giv a quick shout out 2THE GOLDEN PEN aka @LesleyER THE LIYRICIST aka @Binkie AUNTIE HARMONY aka @SarahRoseteER & me aka DJ DEMO

AUNTIE HARMONY

ANTI-HARMONY

NaomiER Happy Canadian Thanksgiving... And Good Morning (kelly price voice-i can't think of the original)

^^^Love these girls. Canada represent!

Good god this album is ridiculous. Pretty ardent pop follower and I hadn't heard of it till I noticed this thread. Only halfway through the thing, but record of the year by a mile already.

ORDERING THIS OMG

Don't mean to put him on the spot but I'd love it if Tim wrote and pitched more! (His forthcoming Electrik Red review will unite us all.)

― scottpl, Thursday, October 22, 2009 9:45 PM (13 seconds ago)

spoiler alert i guess but cool!

Eagerly awaiting the surprise appearance of Electrik Red in the P4K Top 25 of 2009, leading to Lex having a stroke.

cool! i'm curious if the non indie-minded pitchfork writers have any sort of limit to their freedom with this sort of thing. on the one hand i don't see anyone intervening if he gave it a glowing review, but then anything over an 8.7 is equally unimaginable. not that tim necessarily thinks "how to be a lady vol.1" is 9.0 material, but if he did would it get published? seems those sort of reviews are reserved for album-as-art statement-type, "significant" indie albums.

all three of the terius-produced albums this year deserve 8.7 at the very fucking least

Are there anywhere out there, a capellas of this bitch, because I wanna make a proper edit of my Boris/Electrik Red thing.

^ touch it bring it pay it watch it turn it leave it start format it HYPNAGOGIC

yeah i agree with you lex, but all i'm saying is i feel like there seems to be a limit to the praise a non-staff favourite album can get.

Why is the Electrik Red album being reviewed for Pfork, but they haven't managed to review The-Dream to this point? I mean, dudes at Pfork love them some Kanye and I see the overlap in their fanbases as being pretty significant. Just wondering. Maybe it's like the Erykah album where the review doesn't appear until late in the year? Probably will just be overlooked, though.

Oh good, a chance to talk about Pitchfork's reviews policy on yet another thread. I'm gutted I have to go to the pub and will miss this.

lol

we will miss u matt

I'll be thinking of you.

we'll be thinking of pitchfork. always, always thinking of pitchfork.

barf

:'(

CAN WE GO BACK TO TALKIN' ABOUT GIRL POP MAGIC KAYTHANXBYE

yeah i didnt mean to turn this into that, i just like tim's writing and was glad he was reviewing it

yeahhh i got me that electrik red tee

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/4040557990_e60fdaaa63_o.jpg

and i rocked it

don't think i could pull that off

damn i kinda want that

the t-shirt!!!!! *blushes*

u little u

lol

you can't see here but it says

FUCKING
FILTHY

at the waist

Love Vs Money is my favorite album of the year, but I'm not feeling the Electrik Red album after a couple spins.

BinkieER where are the eloquent fashionable brown people on mtv's the city and the hills? are we that segregrated ? we dont live in a city or a hill?
about 1 hour ago from mobile web

dope punchline

lol

she also started a blog ^_^

http://theheadnurse.blogspot.com/

well hello everyone, my name is binkie, i'm the head nurse and will make it all better. so come on in for your daily dose of get right, reality, laughter, fashion and sarcasm. So open wide and say ahhhhh now rinse and repeat .

POSTED BY BINKIE AT 1:39 PM 0 COMMENTS

hmnn you need a chill pill

so today i wasnt in the fluffiest of moods ,its so funny how when you sorta have an i hate my life kinda day everything is annoying ? Like the next house down do you really have to start construction on your illegal building of the roof that is a violation of code 6 2a at 8 am? uggggh i prescribe the biggest CHILL PILL your health insurance can cover.

POSTED BY BINKIE AT 3:25 PM 2 COMMENTS

i feel like she needs to know that we exist

i like her attitude man

best. girl. ever. REALLY wkiw.

BinkieER today i feel like my devil horns are holding up my HALO so please please watch that mouth ! this is a public service announcment !
about 13 hours ago from mobile web

yeah binkie is awes

She's a history channel addict = SHE IS MY HERO.

she was talking about how the elizabethan era, ancient egypt and the american revolution were her favourites a few days ago

wkiw

<3 <3 <3
so.awesome

also want that t-shirt so much

Haha Lex stop fronting you know you would be doing the disgusted venom spitting if anyone else was caught doing this.

awww

binkie bringing it at a ridiculous rate now

@BinkieER fight or flight ! whats it gonna be ? btw ya feathers are showing
8 minutes ago from web

BinkieER side note everytime i hear @ladygaga song papperazzi i wanna sing lets play lets play yahtzeeeee ! maybe that will be there holiday campain
about 1 hour ago from mobile web

she is hilarious

If the Electrik Red thing doesn't work out she's probably got an amazing career on Saturday morning kids' TV.

@LesleyER I got 99 problems but a dick aint one! :) twizzy
about 3 hours ago from UberTwitter

so i've been listening to ridiculous amounts of this album lately, and i'm wondering if any of ya'll could point me in the direction of other music that sounds like it since it seems like it's all i want to listen to these days. so uh, if you could take a minute to school a dude on the wide and wonderful world of confrontational, hyper-sexual female fronted club rn'b it would be much appreciated. the only other things i listen to now that come close are yo majesty and kid sister, but it's not quite the same and i get the impression some of you have a pretty firm grip on this stuff.

um, We Fuck You came on last night. and i had this moment when i totally blanked and i was like, "who is this, britney?"

the verses in that song are crazy slick and good.

(not that i'm saying britney is the epitome of this, at all. it just morphed into a song in its own category for a hot minute there)

samosa, you definitely need lil kim's notorious k.i.m. and trina's diamond princess and da baddest bitch in your life, that technicolour ho-rap is more of an obvious precursor of electrik red - there isn't a great deal of r&b precedent for something as explicit as them (a few isolated songs apart) (though you should also check out vanity 6 - prince's girl group back in the day and the act that electrik red most obviously update).

for more specific r&b recommendations, i'd go with tlc and kelis, i guess.

hoo boy this is exactly it, yes yes yes. technicolor ho rap is what i meant by confrontational, hyper-sexual female fronted club rn'b.

vanity 6 is fun. thx for the recs lex!

gonna go in with some electrik red antecedent youtubes now (aka some of my favourite songs ever)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBqOFMaIpHc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsu93Uw9m9k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9B3aqpaxaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkrSdfwgrV8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ld7XSiWn4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9OLmPRt0w8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQJ0Cs_Gmk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR4Jan8duO4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKWeAdmSHbA

One vaguely similar R&B album is Mya's Mood Ring, which I think covers similar ground thematically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvi1ne27s_M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZnqCuaSu6I&feature=player_embedded

yes, that mya album! every time i play it i fixate on a different track. today - "taste this"

get ready cuz a three-six-oh's about to go down...

for they call me a silent storm...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXKo8sm2SLs

no more running, no more hiding
cuz my crazy ass will find you and get you back...

i didn't know she went by a last name! wha

whats that mya track that samples shuggie otis? a jam imo

"things come and go"! with sean paul! i LOVE that song.

tim f's review on pfork today

great review!

Now, cue the P4K masses to jump on board the bandwagon, rendering Electrik Red the #1 indie sensation of 2010! Next gig = Opening for Grizzly Bear + Solange in February.

Forreal, though. Great review, Tim.

Maybe they've changed things, but I think it's inexcusable for an 8.2 review to be listed fourth on the page, regardless of likely audience interest. Usually, IIRC, you have the featured review (score is irrelevant), then a neutral listing the albums according to the score they received.

My fave line: "If that sounds like a criticism, it's not meant to be: Electrik Red understand that we don't know what we want even when we sound like we do; if they seem to conflate love and sex a little too freely, well, life's like that when the going's good."

That was my favourite line to write actualy - the idea of a certain confusion between lust and romance is pretty important to my relationship to the album.

When I made it album of the week on our show (I naturally got to choose for R&B week), one of the co-panellists Mia (who is into metal, mainly) complained about how much the album seemed to focus on losing control, "giving it up" basically. (for contrast, she'd adored "He Ain't Wit' Me Now (Tho)" when I introduced it to her)

And I went on this long rant about the importance of not really being in control sexually and emotionally, and how real to life this felt to me, before suddenly thinking "oh wow I have just revealed way to much of myself on television!" I haven't watched the episode back but there's probably even a "penny drops" moment when you can see it in my eyes.

the importance of not really being in control sexually and emotionally, and how real to life this felt to me

Yeah, this is one of those things that I take for granted and colours why I like the album as much as I do. And I've just sort of assumed that it is a common understanding, except when I try to pitch Electrik Red to friends of mine and use this as a selling point it seems to be a sticking point instead, frequently.

Yeah it hadn't really occurred to me until I had this debate with Mia how a lot of people place a lot of emphasis on the R&B they like sounding confident, swaggering, etc. and feel uncomfortable with stuff that doesn't sound like that - like "Crazy In Love" may strictly speaking be saying similar things lyrically but Beyonce never actually sounds like she's not in control.

What's the name of the show, Tim? Is it on http://pitchfork.com/tv/ ?

http://dancingaboutarchitecturetv.blogspot.com/

Excellent! Thanks Tim.

mmm but don't electrik red always seem to own their lack of control? like, they submit to it, but that's a conscious decision in the first place...i don't feel they're ever powerless against their emotions, even on the "bed rest"/"devotion" tracks.

(nb haven't read tim's piece as am doing my own this week - can't wait to read it once i've filed)

i think there are times when submissiveness does rub the rong way tho, 'cater 2 u' was pretty awful although maybe it would have been easier to stomach if the music had made it ... i dunno. im not even sure what the music could do other than make it ironic. at best it could be one of those songs where you would be like "super catchy but kinda uncomfortable"

"cater 2 u" was weird because it was uncomfortably submissive but also not remotely convincing

Of course it's a conscious decision to submit, but that's where the power of it comes from. Would it make more sense if I rephrased Tim's "importance of not really being in control sexually and emotionally" --> "relinquishment of control sexually"? The possibly of power and control in the loss of it is something that plays out strangely and differently for a lot of people, and that is (to some extent) what ER traffic in - the Ashlee Simpson "La La" thing. I relinquish sexual control because I choose to do so, and in doing so, retain control. And like Ashlee, I think the bluster is in part to disguise the fact that emotions can and do get the better of them on occasion (viz. So Good, Friend Lover, etc.).

The supremely confident and swaggery tracks are as much about convincing yourself/themselves as they are about flaunting their strength, no? I mean, there's a performative aspect to all of the "I'm the shit, with this shit."

RE: Cater 2 U...I think there's a distinction that I'm having trouble fleshing out between straight-up submissive/servile stuff like that vs. what ER and others do. Need to give C2U a spin first - haven't heard it in forever.

Maybe they've changed things, but I think it's inexcusable for an 8.2 review to be listed fourth on the page, regardless of likely audience interest. Usually, IIRC, you have the featured review (score is irrelevant), then a neutral listing the albums according to the score they received.

I don't think this is actually true, PF seems to give top billing to pans and so-so reviews of high profile albums with good small albums getting lower billing all the time. And I think that's fine, their responsibility is to run accurate reviews and praise what deserves to be praised, not make sure it has optimal browser window real estate or give every good thing "best new music" branding (plus it's not even a matter of "likely audience interest" -- the ER album was a commercial flop and probably sold less than a lot of indie bands covered by PF).

OH NO IT'S THE 4TH ONE LISTED

Lex I think the idea of electrik red owning their lack of control is exactly what i was hoping to get across!

Agree re "Cater 2 U" btw.

One thing I like about Mya, and why she reminds me of Electrik Red, is how she plays with similar issues of control and its loss - tracks like "That's Why I Wanna Fight" and "Why You Gotta Look So Good" have a similar sense of honesty about how complex sexual politics can get and how often that's what fuels desire.

i agree, but i can't imagine mya ever being as brassy or forward as electrik red - even on "whatever bitch" she's pretty coy.

(wasn't referring to your rvw - haven't read it as i make a point of not reading other pieces on any act that i'm writing one on...)

NaomiER RT @BinkieER: d'angelo how does it feel video has got to be the most erotic video ever made . paul hunter is the man - TOT!
5 minutes ago from UberTwitter

BinkieER @NaomiER tot. if he could have just panned down a hair more . NOODLETIME
4 minutes ago from web in reply to NaomiER

wkiw these girls so much!

Yeah I meant more that I suspect we're 100% in agreement on this issue.

These girls are so great.

And, though it's been said before, 50% Canadian. ;)

i think there are times when submissiveness does rub the rong way tho, 'cater 2 u' was pretty awful although maybe it would have been easier to stomach if the music had made it ... i dunno. im not even sure what the music could do other than make it ironic. at best it could be one of those songs where you would be like "super catchy but kinda uncomfortable"

― unicorn strapped with a unabomb (deej), Tuesday, December 8, 2009 4:35 PM Bookmark

pretty much. the remix is awesome on a musical level but still kind of icky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY3yhoQlwzs

apparently binkie's pops was in kid creole & the coconuts?!

Lex provides another spot-on summation of what makes this album so great: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/17/electrik-red-cd-review

Fantastic article Lex.

wah-hey! i did see that article and wonder if someone here wrote it

thx tim. the first thing i did after filing was sleep, and then the second thing i did was read your review, which i'd been holding off from! obv it was excellent.

it's surprisingly tough to review an album one has constantly been talking about for 6 months. so happy it got lead review, even happier that BINKIE CALLED ME "HONEY LOVE" ON TWITTER FOR IT <3

i'm on board

yea that made me stop and think

was exchanging tips with a music friend tonight and she was all opposed to the idea of this album, saying "i have class in my taste"

and i was like uhhh i got that drink in my cup

― Surmounter, Friday, May 22, 2009 9:27 PM (6 months ago) Bookmark

awesome

it should be noted that P is for Power, the U is for Used to, cause my P better than that P that you used to

― the man they love to hate, the J.R. Ewing of Seattle (The Reverend), Saturday, May 23, 2009 5:36 AM (7 months ago)

good post, otm

wait is it a truth bomb also?

Electrik Red 2010:

New track called "Touch Me"

http://limelinx.com/files/4d07a75939252d288ac33095d0ccc183

Apparently Tricky and Terius aren't on duty here? Not sure if there's been a split or if this is just a one-off or what...Can lightning in a bottle be captured twice?

any idea who produced this?

Nah, but the links on blogs etc. all suggest that it is not Radio Killa etc. Also scuttlebutt says that Def Jam aren't behind a second album, but this is nothing credible - just the blogs. The girls all just did a big push on twitter promoting the album and each other and The-Dream, so I have no clue what's up.

love these girls but really hope dream/tricky/los are behind the next album

Me too! They are a TEAM. I don't know why they wouldn't be. Terius has his fingers in many pies, but he wouldn't ditch the girls, would he?

Otherwise all we have to look forward to in 2010 is Ciara and Milian. :S

BinkieER Yah trick yaaah
about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter

haha shit!

maybe i'm just pessimistic because of historically how careers tend to go in R&B after selling as few records as ER did, but i wouldn't be surprised if they never get to make another album, w/ or w/o The-Dream's help

sad, but true

I'm just bumping this to remind people to vote for ER in the ilx poll: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~FINALLY - 2009 ILX Albums 'n' Trax Poll voting thread ahoy~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (ballots due Jan 22)

i overdosed on this rec and only so good is really year end for me, but im pretty sure it was 2008 when i was diggin on it so...

so

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6bp-UpxP8Q

what's the third song they do? it sounds really dope

no idea, sounds like some gully shit

right?

YURRR!!

LesleyER

In da studio! Everynight I gotta fight to prove my love for how bad I fuckin want this! Bitches are focused!

awesome

I'll be a lot of things, but one thing I won't be is disrespected

SarahRoseteER Sometimes I'm goody goody,right now I'm
naughty naughty
1 minute ago from UberTwitter

damn

otfm

how can a quote be otm

an otm state of mind

this that shit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keln5frXUDc

I FEED OFF DRAMURRRRRR

FIRST CLASS STRETCHED OUT OVER THE ATLANTIIIIIIIIIC

yeah i'm claustrophobic so i cut off the roof, baby

Ha ha that's awesome.

I was waiting for the Gucci guest rap though.

Also, I hope they're singing "I keep the blocks on fire, i feed off drama..."

yeah i fear you hope in vain. i guess references to blogs are here to stay.

appaz it's a "sneak preview" so i wouldn't be surprised to see a gucci rap emerge.

I don't even know why I'd be upset about use of the word "blogs" - it just seems like an acknowledgment of their limited impact (unless they mean perez or tmz, which would be lying), which in itself might be some sad portent of the future.

blog references still make me flinch a bit but i think it's more acknowledgement that they're the gossip centres and hubs of conversation - i mean when rihanna sings "where dem bloggers at" (or is it "where dem blog girls at"? i'd like that better, it's bitchier) it's not about her limited impact - quite the opposite!

Yeah maybe i'm just behind the times, maybe it's just the 2010 equivalent of pagers and cell phones.

(Juve:) Nigga you got that Sunn O)))?
(B.G.:) Well cook something nigga
(Juve:) Nigga you let them 320Kbps go?
(B.G.:) Well bust somethin nigga
(Juve:) Are you duckin that lol?
(B.G.:) You better run from em nigga
(Juve:) Are you playin with that rar?
(B.G.:) Well won't you front somethin nigga
(Wayne) Tha Blog is Hot, Tha Blog is Hot, ha-ha
Tha Blog is Hot, Tha Blog is Hot, ha-ha

yeah the custos is hot, i know.

never really got the fuss about rihanna's given she did have a fair bit of idle chatter to bust back at and all. also dj quik's semi-sarcastic "yes / bang internet / blog with a nigga, let's get it wet" was a rare winner.

that new e.r is the kind of thing that's cool in an album context but completely woeful at getting the hype ball rolling by itself. w/ever. more importantly though, do my ears deceive me or is that track chopping up the music from oz the tv show??

i lolled

rihanna mentioning blogs isn't really a problem for me so much as the absolutely horrendous bridge the mention was contained in, and the fucking typey-fingers motion she does in the video as she says it

great song, v encouraging

midi mafia! miss that dude

fave midi mafia production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFSCExFqCEM

midi mafia's gotta be more than one guy, right? i always assumed

ok, it's 2 dudes, was thinking it was just one for some reason

For some reason, '9 to 5' sounds really amazing this morning. How did I not appreciate this before?

yeah it's definitely a real solid grower. so lush!

whole album is great but i realized a while back that my 5 favorite tracks are the first 5 tracks. what a run!

i think my favorites are "9 to 5", "devotion", and "go shawty" - but i'm a sucker for "promise" bites

"9 to 5" might be my favorite song from last year period

i really like that it took me so long to really get into "9 to 5" because it basically means this album is still continuing to give for me

yeah same, "devotion" was my instant favorite but it wasn't until like october that "9 to 5" started really hitting me

Naomi's performance on "9 To 5" is amazing. "OHHHHHH! Punch the clock! Put it on me baby we ain't got much time..."

Tick Tock! Want you to love me like the flowers love the sunlight...

And the beat is so....stately? Especially that repeated piano chord.

The way she wraps around those short sharp syllables at the beginning of each line (punch the clock/tick tock/don't stop/I pop).

"Tick Tock. I need you like hearts and lyrics need a beat."

I said it before, but the song "9 to 5" makes me think of most is Prince's "Gotta Broken Heart Again"

The way she wraps around those short sharp syllables at the beginning of each line (punch the clock/tick tock/don't stop/I pop).

totally, and how each is immediately followed by a stream of words that just pours out - "it's 5 o'clock / i'm-comin-home-i'm-runnin-home-to-relieve-the-tension---"

So there's a WFY Remix featuring Ludacris?

http://www.zshare.net/audio/592297075d7efabc/

Leslie threw me on the bed
She tied my hands and feet
Put a blindfold over my eyes
And told her CENSORED not to make a peep
I swear she was super-warmy??
Cause she had some legs of steel
And she was looking like a lightning bolt
With Electrik Red stiletto heels
I tried to tell her I'm about to lose it
Then she proceeded to put on some music
All of a sudden came Binkie, Naomi and Sarah
And then I got electrocuted
Now tell me what I'm posed to do
They fucked me black and blue
Cause..."yall don't fuck us...we fuck you"

probably superwoman

freaky freaky

shit, i actually forgot that this album was this good. actually it sounds way better than i remember

friend lover atm, vocals sounds so colored-in

a couple more old pre-deal tracks have emerged, "Rush Into It" and "Friend Zone"

http://www.zshare.net/audio/7258096130513e3c/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/72580885c5af08fd/

naomi tweeted about http://www.electrikred.freeforums.org/index.php just now, & i think they should just fold their forum into ilm pretty much

This album just keeps on giving, currently enjoying a hungover Sunday afternoon of 9 To 5

Yeah...after almost a year's worth of demurrals, I finally came around last Wednesday.

Last time around, Radio Killa Record signees recorded exclusively with The Dream, but it seems for their follow-up, they’ve logged studio time with R. City, Joi Starr, Danja and more. No word on a solid release date.

Always :( at any artist I like working with those hacks R. City.

Also the finished version of "I'm That Chick" sounds great.

what is a joi starr

loldreamstan but this is probably bad news for me

it was pretty much inevitable, but ya it will take some wild stroke of fate if this does not result in a significantly shittier album

well okay, obv it's not going to be better -- that's pretty much impossible -- but based on their few non-terius/tricky tracks, it still has a decent chance of being one of the best r&b albums of the year -- they have a really defined aesthetic that might be drawing out great tracks in producers/writers, or maybe they just have great taste, or maybe they had more input in the first album than we think or or or or (cuz "i'm that chick" is dope)

still... danja

more than anything you just fear for the balance between sass and vulnerability within each track that made vol 1 come alive. i'm still confident they can manage each separately to a worthwhile degree, but yeah.

it still has a decent chance of being one of the best r&b albums of the year

whoa there with this high, high praise in 2010

more than anything you just fear for the balance between sass and vulnerability within each track that made vol 1 come alive

they managed it on "electrik city" with, like, darkchild, so...

the red panties joint? yeah, the emotional spectrum didn't really scream itself out to me there.

more than anything you just fear for the balance between sass and vulnerability within each track that made vol 1 come alive. i'm still confident they can manage each separately to a worthwhile degree, but yeah.

This is what I was thinking.

I love "Electrik City", and a whole album of tracks like that and "W.F.Y." would be great but it would also come on like a pretty different group (not that i really expect the next album to be just like this - see below).

What I feel like The-Dream did was to really push Naomi to the fore on the majority of tracks. That sass/vulnerability tightrope that Naomi walks so frequently can't really be done by any of the other singers except to the extent that they are in supporting mode.

They do great tracks without Naomi on lead but I feel that those tracks just form the outer points on a constellation with a cluster of Naomi-led tracks in the centre.

Whereas I could imagine a new album not helmed by The-Dream going a bit more bipolar, focusing on "Electrik City" style tracks while pushing the counterpart Naomi tracks into "Never Ever" zones of sweetness. It's the latter more than the former that I'm worried about. I don't know that many other producers/songwriters are um... is there a less poncy word than "nuanced" here?.. enough to get the right balance on any Naomi-led tunes.

A pre-falling-off Polow coulda done it maybe.

^^^sick wid it

I'm not sure I trust Terius and Tricky to give a new album their full attention and effort, given the massive drop-off in their quality control of late. A few more producers is probably a good thing.

yeah but non-washed up producers woulda been nice too

idk last time i got preemptively worked up over production credits was the gucci album and that turned out great, so we'll see

I've always been pretty willing to believe the narrative that ER brought a lot of their own personality/topics/opinions to their album, and would like to see them work w/ different producers and songwriters to verify that. Although as I said upthread, I'd be surprised if Def Jam ever releases another album by them -- really I'm still amazed and thankful that the first one was released.

Rock City really is the fuckin worst though

dont really think of Electrik red as a band that that is abt production?

um it was a huge part of the appeal of the first album to me

your average industry hack has at least a few tracks that justify their existence, but have r. city ever once did anything that didn't suck scrotum?

they were one that one semi-defensible Asher Roth song with Beanie and uh, i think their song on the Rich Boy album was alright? but yeah they are really the bastard stepchildren of the Konvict Muzik stable.

according to wiki, nicole scherzinger's "supervillain" and janet jackson's "rollercoaster"

"supervillain" is a masterpiece so there's hope

I've always been pretty willing to believe the narrative that ER brought a lot of their own personality/topics/opinions to their album,

eh what's the big deal? No snark intended, but these gals are only as good as their material.

but again, how can you make that call based one album done w/ all the same production team.

i don't agree that they're only as good as their material, but good production and writing > wack production and writing

those statements both essentially mean nothing, though

huh? i'm just saying that i think the girls are super talented but i'd rather not take a chance with lame producers (as spotty as tricky/dream have been lately)

"good production is better than bad production" isn't the same thing as "known quantity is better than unknown quantity"

dream & tricky are having a great year

well, idk what tricky has done actually -- terius is having a great year tho

interesting article with sarah rosete - http://www.hiphopcanada.com/2010/06/sarah-rosete-interview/ - inc. some behind-the-scenes management stuff on how the electrik red project got going and how it's going to keep going given what they sold.

i wonder what she's referring to with this:

A lot of decisions were made without any kind of confirmation from us. They were made just because they had to be made. That really hurt our image and Shakir wouldn’t have let any of that go down — he would have made sure everything was perfection before it was put out. We know now more than ever how great your first impression has to be. Anything less than a great first impression means that success isn’t guaranteed, so you really have to go hard or go home.

b-b-but their first impression was one of the best albums of all time

tbh i'm not sure how else they could've been marketed either...

I think the reason why they didn't "hit" is that the Prince-sound aesthetic might be on the way out in r&b. Maybe the kids were getting tired of the lin-drum sound. I personally loved it because it reminded me of Vanity 6 and Jill Jones. But I guess only a few people can remember those acts as a reference to Electrik Red.

9 to 5 soundin so good

has this been posted anywhere?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_dX0sqeYiU

Yeah I posted in the R&B thread the other day, forgot about this thread. I don't know much about Midi Mafia.

yeah im not really feelin it, i prefer when they sound a bit more decadent rather than stripped back

i think it's fun

Could really do with these girls returning ASAP

^^^^

http://twitter.com/LesleyER/status/45365257694224384

!!!!!!

well shit

we're all !!!!!ing at the background of that twitter, right?

because !!!!!

he loves electrik red, i found out about this album through him - can't imagine how hyped he was to meet her

http://twitter.com/BinkieER/status/57857485188509696

BinkieER

Swag low ill build ya up knees weak ill stand you up RED LIPS RED DRESS like em like a fire truck. #redlipandabadattitude
9 minutes ago via ÜberSocial

please let these be new ER lyrics

seriously please I CAN HEAR THEM IN MY HEAD, i want this song NOW

#redpandabadattitude

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vdI2KXwkaoc/R8FuGikUO1I/AAAAAAAADAw/OcxfonUd-UQ/s320/Red+Panda.jpg

red panda!!!!

also ugh never mind i just googled and they're from a chris brown song

lol u got breezyrolled

loooool

Whoever it was who decided to blast "We Fuck You" over the PA in the student union hall today, you are a fucking hero.

lol

have we discussed the female empowerment angle?

― have the lime of your life, heyyyyyy (Tape Store), Friday, May 22, 2009 4:06 PM (1 year ago)

^ one of my alltime fave ilm posts 4reals

haha yeah it cracks me up every time i open this thread

UHHHH

http://twitter.com/kkingdomm/status/67689308089368576

epic studio session last night w/ Naomi Allen of @ElectrikRed! stay tuned for her vox on Away With Me (formerly Okay to Dance)
12 minutes ago via web

!!!

everytime I think about Kingdom and Electrik Red together I feel the sun shines a little brighter

!!!!!

and yea, though foul necromancers may keep their forms wretchedly animate like those of cassie and nina sky, only the sad moonlight of our memories shall truly make the marble tomb of electrik red gleam just as their lives once did so very long ago.

whatever, i'm stoked

belated lol at r|t|c

i just listened to this entire album by accident when i was meant to be doing something else very time-sensitive and ended up basically singing along to every line

this fucking album!

yeaaaaah