Aliya S. King

Heather A. Faison, AKA Haftime, is  the young whippersnapper with her ears to the street. I’m the old fogey who’s trying desperately to keep up with what’s new and hot.

The Noisettes – Never Forget You

AK: Interesting name!
Haftime: Interesting group.
AK: love it.
AK: Only heard one note.
Haftime: Yeeeeesss
AK: She sounds like Tina Turner
Haftime: Thought you were gonna say…Amy
AK: Sounds like her too.
Haftime: Yeah, she has more flare
AK: Is she the lead singer of the band?
AK: Who are the Noisettes?

Haftime:  The band’s from London. Been together for three years
AK: I knew she had to be international.
AK: She just kicked off her shoes. Like she’s Patti Labelle
Haftime: Well yeah. All the U.S. pumps out are little Beyonces
Haftime: She’s of English and Zimbabwe descent
AK: Not that there’s anything wrong with Beyonces….
Haftime: No. But can we get some variety? Geez
AK: But yeah. This is very fresh and new and exciting and wonderful and refreshing
AK: Okay. Love it. Good job Haftime!
AK: Whoo-hoo!
Haftime: One point for Haftime. Sweet!
AK: 2 points!
Haftime: I’ll take that
AK: They’re worth double points!

Rita Ora and Craig David – Awkward

Haftime: She’s the newest artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label
AK: What is Roc Nation?
AK: I mean, I know what it is.
AK: But weird that it’s so similar to Roc-a-fella
Haftime: Jay kept the name but judging by this girl, the label will be nothing like the old Roc
Haftime: The business model with Live Nation is totally revamped
AK: Interesting
Haftime: Alrighty. Her verse is after Craig David’s few lines.
Haftime: Another UK export
Haftime: This isn’t an official single. They are keeping material by her on the hush

AK: Niiiiice
AK: I like this.
AK: She looks young.
Haftime: And what is she?
Haftime: She’s from London. Don’t know her ethnicity
Haftime: Bio info on her is hard to find
AK: She’s from Kosovo!
AK: Albanian.
AK: Interesting!
Haftime: Whoops
AK: Sounding like a straight up Black girl.
Haftime: Yeah she does
AK: Wow.
AK: Great voice.
AK: She reminds me of Joss Stone.
AK: Young. White. Soulful.
AK: Wonder is she performs in bare feet….
Haftime: Yep. That sums up Joss!
Haftime: I can totally see that
AK: This girl has some African. Or African-American blood in her.

AK: What happened to Craig David?
Haftime: That’s what I wondered! I used to really like him.
AK: Me too.
AK: I think I interviewed him.
Haftime: Gotta dig him up
AK: But I’m not sure.
AK: Yes! Let’s find him!
Haftime: You “think”?
Haftime: How many people have you interviewed woman?!
AK: I have no clue.
Haftime: Ahhhh that’s crazy
AK: Moving on sister!

Mayer Hawthorne – Maybe So, Maybe No

AK: Love this guy
Haftime: Already half way into the song
AK: Whoa.
AK: I just looked at his picture.
AK: Whoa.
Haftime: lol!
AK: He’s dope.
AK: Very Motown-esque, actually.
Haftime: Quddus said Hawthorne looks like he should be doing someone’s taxes.
AK: Very big band. Brassy. Very musical.
AK: And yes, he looks like an accountant.
AK: How do we know that’s really him!
Haftime: Reminds me of what Raphael Saadiq did with his latest album
AK: I need to see him singing live!
AK: Yes! Very similar.
Haftime: Had that one on repeat
AK: One day I’ll tell you about how I feel about Mr. Saadiq.
AK: And what happened when I finally met him.
AK: Sigh.
Haftime: whhhhaaattt?!!!

Haftime: One day? Fine.

AK: What do you think about Hawthorne?
AK: Love it!
AK: But it may be just a *touch* over the top for me.
AK: As much as I love Raphael Saddiq, I couldn’t listen to that album over and over either.
Haftime: *snapping my fingers
Haftime: Oh. Yeah. Fair enough

AK: But wow.

Haftime: Dude’s super talented. You should hear some other material from him

AK: You hit it out the park tonight, sister!

Haftime: thank you, thank you
Haftime: *playing “encore”
Haftime: *doing my victory lap around the living room

Haftime: And tonight’s winner? Besides me

AK: Hmmmm.

AK: The Noisettes. Without fail.

AK: Because they are so original.

AK: While I love Rita and Hawthorne, there is a bit of a derivative-ness there.

AK: Influences are more obvious.

AK: Particularly with Rita. Who will probably grow into her own sound.

AK: But that Noisette chick is something else. And the band is not playing.

Haftime: The band is the truth! And she holds her own among the boys like Gwen Stefani

AK: Yes! She actually reminds a bit of her. Not the voice. But the stage presence.

Haftime: Brash and flirty

AK: Whelp! The Noisettes it is.

*still doing victory lap

AK: Ya done good!

AK: Keep doing that victory lap

Haftime’s victory music: Nas – Halftime (of course!)

This entry was posted on August 3, 2009 at 3:48 am and is filed under Haftime's New Music Monday. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.