Soul singin'

Raphael Saadiq at Ram's Head--Monday, March 23, 2009

What's the deal with all this neo soul all of a sudden? Where'd that neo come from?

Forget the unstable remixed divas... close your eyes on this one and you're like, "is that Stevie?"

Smart marigold suit, skinny tie, thick black glasses. Mmm, mmm. Songs almost exclusively about love or lovin', sweet little choreographed shimmies, and finger-snapping backup singers.

Raphael Saadiq is straight soul.

Listen here.

[Thanks to my fly roommate, whose sweet article got him free tix and me the chance to be his plus 1]

Art Urbain de Montréal

Somehow I knew this city would have its fill of illegally painted exteriors.

Per Wooster Collective, web mecca for urban artists (or urban artphiles, comme moi), the best time to graf in Montreal is at night, in the middle of winter.

"Sure it is -30 [Celsius, mind you] outside but all the snow lowers visibility and creates large snow dunes near walls. Bring big coats, hats and shoes. One of the best features of this city is the lack of buffing. You put up something in Montreal, it is likely to be there for the next decade.... " [2003]

The city's also been known to host street art treasure hunts, and produce illicit art that proactively works towards urban renewal--like when Roadsworth painted bike lanes in the streets after 9/11 in an attempt to illuminate, and therefore lessen, the city's dependence on oil.

And now, a scrollshow of works.