After months of anticipation, Sammie’s mixtape is finally here. No longer a boy, Sammie has matured into the young prince with big plans to dominate the R&B industry. Joining forces with the likes of Trey Songz and Yung Joc, Sammie presents Swag & B.

I was just searching Youtube a few days ago for a new video from India’s latest album, Testimony Vol. 2: Love and Politics. Therapy is the opening song for the album, and I really like it. As for the video, it’s a new look for India; usually her videos are very mellow and earthy, which this one is in parts, but we see her in a new environment and obviously enjoying herself. Therapy comes from different places, and I can appreciate the fact that she embraces that in this video.

Shouts to poetik517… saw it at her spot first!

Haaaaa!! Okay, let’s be honest… I really hate this song. If Soulja Boy was a singer, this is a song he would make. But the concept for this video is pretty damn funny!! It actually makes me like the song a little more. I recommend you check out my review of Jeremih’s self-titled debut album, this kid has talent but you won’t find it on that album. Still, this is one hella funny video!

Caught this on Kanye’s Blog, a new joint from Kid Cudi, which doesn’t appear to have made the tracklisting for his debut album Man On The Moon: The End of Day. Very mellow vibe he’s got here, the production reminds me of Say You Will from Kanye’s 808’s and Heartbreaks. Cudi’s release date: 9.15.09.

After their debut album opened at #2 on the charts then rose to #1 in its 9^th week, it was apparent that the men of Daughtry had something special to offer. With the release of their sophomore album Leave This Town, the #1 spot was reserved for their opening week, and rightly so. The band’s full chemistry shines on this album, and is characterized by the consistency in sound and the strong lead voice by frontman Chris Daughtry, which made him a formidable opponent in his stint on American Idol. In many ways, this project echoes their first and while it doesn’t outdo it, the music here is still great, making this album a good selection for fans and followers of the group.

There’s a bold energy to be felt on songs like Everytime You Turn Around and What I Meant To Say, and that energy is countered by the sappy vibe of Life After You, one of the album’s best offerings. I’d give Open Up Your Eyes my choice for favorite song on the album – I’m a sucker for somber rock songs with big vocals and this song is just that. September is a great song that presents a more mellow side, but Tennessee Line really shows the versatility of the group, exchanging the heavy rock sound for a softly strummed country vibe. This change in sound brings forth the purity of Chris Daughtry’s voice making this a favorite as well. Aside from the lead single (No Surprise) and the aforementioned tracks, the rest of the album didn’t really stick out as memorable to me.

Leave This Town isn’t the hard rock album some might expect, but it rests on a happy medium between rock and pop, which is a comfortable zone to be in. After the run they had with the first album, it’s no surprise this one opened at the top of the charts proving that American Idol does produce some real talent… sometimes anyway.

“We dare anybody to step to us and say they’re better than us”

If you’re wondering what happened with the group BRUTHA after the season finale of their BET reality show Brothers to Brutha, here’s a quick update: In late December, they released their self-titled debut album (check the review here), which effectively flopped in sales (less than 100K) as well as quality. The problem I have is that these guys can REALLY TRULY SING, but listening to their album, you wouldn’t know they had a shred of genuine talent (same problem as Jeremih’s debut).

In this BET On Blast video, Brutha addresses the issues with their first album, acknowledges it’s shortcomings and vows to make amends with their sophomore album, entitled Vacancy, which they claim has “new heat” and is “themed for the ladies”. They also make some pretty big claims against the other (albeit few) R&B groups out there, saying that they’re the best: “We dare anybody to step to us and say they’re better than us.” Really now? After one flopped album and a failed TV show? Their latest Youtube video shows the guys in true form, covering Boyz II Men’s arrangement of the New Edition classic Can You Stand The Rain. If they expect the next album to sell, this is the formula they should follow. This is an awesome cover…

“So the Alcohol is the pain, the sting, the struggle, the agony, the hurt, the addiction. And the Harmony is the music, my peace, my joy. And I use that to get away from the alcohol, my escape.” –Durand Bernarr, “Alcoholharmony (Intro)“

I must give shouts to the wonderful Poetik517, a fellow blogger who introduced me to the YouTube clip you see below. When I heard Durand Bernarr sing this version of Maxwell’s Pretty Wings, I was immediately blown away! What I love about it is that he captured the quality that made the original so good – it’s just enough without giving too much. Check out his mixtape, Alcohol Harmony, and then hit him up to give him some feedback (his contact info is listed below), let him know what you think.

DOWNLOAD: Durand Bernarr – Alcoholharmony: The MixT@pe

Durand’s Myspace / Twitter / YouTube / imeem