Freebie | Valentina, “As We Grow” and “Guilt Trip”

I know all the Valentina fans in Milwaukee will be happy to hear this.  Since we have been playing the UK singer/songwriter Valentina on 88Nine, I have been getting emails on how to get her music. Unfortunately, I couldn’t share her music with you, until now. Valentina is offering free downloads of the songs “As We Grow” and “Guilt Trip” in exchange for your email. Both of those songs we play on the air.  I think that is a great exchange.  Valentina will be releasing an EP in June.  I hope this will tie you over till then.  Enjoy and Partake and support independent artists.

Valentina – “Guilt Trip” (Download)

Valentina – “As We Grow” (Download)

As We Grow in Beirut

Seven O’clock Sample time!
This past weekend I was teaching at my DJ class, and I asked my students to bring in some of their favorite songs to make a mix. One of my students brought in this track…

Post Cards from Italy, is track number 4 on Beirut’s debut album Gulag Orkestar on Ba Da Bing! Records.
I knew I’d heard this track re-worked, but couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was. When I got back to work, I ask Tarik, and said, “Duh That’s the sample for the Valentina song “As We Grow”.

OOH YEAH!

Are You Feeling This: jj, Selah Sue, PS I Love You and Valentina

Lots of songs never make it to the radio that are getting lots of attention online. Live tracks, sanctioned and unsanctioned remixes, mash-ups, overlooked gems by unsigned artists. Every week on “Are You Feeling This,” we invite you to hear what the buzz is all about. You tell us what you think. Vote in the Are You Feeling This poll, leave a comment, send us an e-mail.

This week we have music from the jj, Belgian signer Selah Sue, PS I Love You, and the return of Valentina. Take a listen below and let us know what you think by voting in the “Are You Feeling This” listener poll.

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jj – “My Way feat. Lil Wayne”

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Selah Sue – “Raggamuffin“

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PS I Love You – “Facelove”

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Valentina – “It’s A Line”

Don’t Sleep On: Piper Davis

It has been a while since I have done one of these “Don’t Sleep On” posts.  If I were to start my own label, I would sign the Atlanta band The Constellations, UK’s Valentina and Vancouver’s Piper Davis. Of course you can here The Constellations and Valentina on 88Nine RadioMilwaukee, but who is Piper Davis? She is an artist whose voice and music I’m falling more in love everytime I hear it.  She is a singer, songwriter, and producer from our neighbors to the north in Vancouver. She was also a participant in 2008’s Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona.  Think of her sound as electro-funk and even a 21st century Betty Davis.  She is also currently working on some material with another amazing artist out of Mexico by the name of Natalia Lafourcade. Check out the video below to get to know Ms. Davis (courtesy of Winnie Cooper) and also check out some amazing tunes from this up and coming artist.

Piper Davis – “Academics”

Piper Davis – “New Machine”

Piper Davis – “Hotel Bedset”

Valentina and the Power of Radio

I just came to a conclusion. Reports of Radio’s death has been greatly exaggerated.  I read a lot that radio is dead especially music radio.  Sites like Last.FM and Pandora will replace music radio and the DJ. Well I have to completly disagree with that, and its not because I am a DJ, but because of a new unknown, unsigned artist and the reaction I got from playing it on 88Nine RadioMilwaukee.

Who is this artist?  Her name is Valentina.  She is originally from Italy, but currently resides across the pond in England. I first came across her almost two years ago by accident on Myspace.  I was truly blown away by not only the production but her songwriting.  I emailed her to see if I can get some of her tracks to play on the radio.  She sent some tracks over and we added to our rotation in radio.  When we started playing Valentina’s track “Guilt Trip”.  I was really surprised by the reaction that the song got.  Then I notice at her myspace page, that there were a lot of comments from people from Milwaukee.  The comments not only moved me, but it gave me back my faith in the power of radio.  Yes maybe commercial top 40 radio maybe dying, but good non-profit public radio is not only not dying it is gaining strength becuase people are looking for something different and new.  Check out some of these comments and tell me that radio has lost it mojo.

Another observation, technology will never replace a good DJ.  A good DJ can find a song that can evoke an emotion.  Music is nothing but the sonic representation of human emotion. Not to belittle what Pandora and last.fm does, but what better than a  good DJ (who is human) to pick out music to appeal to people by emotion and not by some fancy algorithm. I became a DJ because of other good DJs expose my soul to beautiful music.

These comments are from Valentina’s Myspace blog.