Taja Sevelle - Taja Sevelle (1987), Fountains Free (1991) & Toys Of Vanity (1997) TRIPLE POST!!!

I have loved Taja Sevelle from the very start of her career and have enjoyed all of her musical explorations.  I've wanted to feature her here for years, but at one time Taja was offering her albums on her website so I resisted out of respect.  However, someone recently requested her work, and I checked her website and the albums are no longer available there, and they don't seem to be available digitally either, so I thought it was time to share her amazing music.  As her biography is available on her website, I'll give the condensed version.  She was born Nancy Richardson in Minneapolis.  While working in the health food industry and farming, she also pursued music, fronting several local jazz and R&B bands and also working as a radio producer and DJ.  She was accepted at the Berklee College Of Music, but passed when Minneapolis' most famous citizen, Prince, offered her a record deal with his vanity label, Paisley Park, which was distributed through Reprise Records. She had previously done background vocals on his track "The Ladder" in 1985, and obviously this impressed him enough to sign her to a solo deal.  Hooking up with Minneapolis musician Chico Bennett (aka George Bennette), she created an album that incorporated the red hot Minneapolis sound, but with her own folksy, hippiesque vibe. Her first single, the self-penned ballad "Love Is Contagious," became a huge hit in Europe, reaching #7 on the UK charts, and a modest hit in the US, reaching #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains one of my favourite ballads ever.  She followed it up with the funky Prince-penned "Wouldn't You Love To Love Me," but it only managed to reach the middle of the UK Pop and Billboard R&B charts.  Follow-up singles "Popular" and "Take Me For A Ride" failed to chart.  Paisley Park's run would soon end, but Taja stuck with Reprise, and four years later released her second album, Fountains Free.  While Bennett still produced a few tracks (and would go on to work with superstars like Lady GaGa, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake), she also worked with various other R&B and pop producers, most prominently pop producer du jour Ian Prince and the legendary Burt Bacharach.  As a result, the album was much more pop-oriented, but the direction didn't seem to work, as the only single, "Trouble Having You Near," did not chart.  For awhile it seemed that was the end of Taja's musical career, but six years later she surprised her fans by signing with 550 Music and releasing the album Toys Of Vanity.  This time she worked with producer R.J. Rice (of R.J.'s Latest Arrival fame) and she delved deeply into the trip hop sound that was hot at the time.  No doubt she didn't expect the album to become a huge pop hit, but she released the singles "I & I" and "A Lot Like You" to critical acclaim. Personally I was thrilled to discover the album a couple years later, as I was a huge trip hop fan.  During the recording of the album in Detroit, Taja was struck by all of the poverty there.  This led to her greatest passion, the founding of Urban Farming, which encourages people in cities to grow their own food on unused land, and the group helped to plant vegetable gardens around the world for those in need.  Though she has also written books, acted, and even patented her own invention, Urban Farming has remained her passion, and she has made more of a name for herself in this respect than from her music, having appeared on numerous television shows, including Ellen.  But she has still managed to release new music, including the underground house music hits "Never Givin' Up" in 2000 and a remake of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil" in 2003.  She also independently released the Good Times EP in 2004 and continues to occasionally independently release various singles on her e-store.  I have had the pleasure of corresponding with her on her blog and Facebook page, and I can tell you that her personality is as sweet as her voice and her conscience.

Urban Farming

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Musi

Video for Love Is Contagious

Video for Wouldn't You Love To Love Me

Video for Popular

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1	Love Is Contagious
2	Wouldn't You Love To Love Me?
3	Popular
4	How Could You Do Me So Bad?
5	Take Me For A Ride
6	If I Could Get Your Attention
7	Infatuation
8	Baby's Got A Lover
9	Mama 16
10	Fly For Your Painted Rainbow

Download Fountains Free

1	Trouble Having You Near
2	Chase Temptation
3	I'm Givin' In
4	Even Odd You
5	Fountains Free
6	The Power Of Your Love (You And I)
7	Perpetual Motion
8	What A State Of Love
9	Fierce Desire
10	Forever In Love
11	Died Alive
12	Trouble Having You Near (Radio Mix)

   
Video for I & I

Download Toys Of Vanity

1	I & I
2	Us
3	Wake Before I Die
4	A Lot Like You
5	I Feel
6	Killing Time
7	Making Love To The Air
8	Fleet Of Angels
9	Toys Of Vanity
10	Sub-Conscious Me
11	Why?
12	Fleet Of Angels (No Drums)

Leomoon - Leomoon (1999)

Here is another of those mysterious bands that appeared in the late 1990s, when there seemed to be an explosion of electronic acts influenced by the likes of Portishead and Everything But The Girl. Leomoon consisted of three members: singer Erin Moran (no, not Joannie from Happy Days), musician and producer Stephen Harris, and DJ Sae 1. Their music is indeed very much like earlier Everything But The Girl, but with a lot more trip hop and lots of samples and scratches thanks to the enigmatic DJ Sae 1. The album was released on the indie American label Topaz, and they managed only one single, "Frequency". It went unnoticed and the three obviously decided not to pursue any further music together. But Stephen Harris was already an established producer and engineer before the group formed, and he has continued as such, working with acts like U2 and Dave Matthews. Erin Moran took on the moniker A Girl Called Eddy and released a highly acclaimed self-titled album in 2004 that hearkened back to the 60's soul-pop of Dusty Springfield. She is said to be releasing another album under that moniker this year. As for DJ Sae 1, it is likely he is still involved in music, probably using his real name, whatever that is. But this album, though it encompasses a sound that was then very fresh but is now somewhat dated, still remains a fond tribute to a very particular style and time in music, and it deserves more attention than it received the first time around.

Download Leomoon

1		Intro
2		Frequency Part 1
3		Stay
4		Jeremy's Least Unweak
5		Jesus Boots
6		Freebyrd
7		The Orchid
8		It's You
9		Leaving California
10		Always Tomorrow
11		Frequency Part 2
99		Final Outro

Trinity Hi-Fi - Fuego (2000)

There is perhaps no band more enshrouded in mystery on this blog than Trinity Hi-Fi. My research has led me to many dead ends. The fact that the CD includes no artist images and few credits certainly doesn't help. But I have managed to find out a few details. First, the act is apparently from the UK. They were signed to alt label TVT Records. A songwriter (and vocalist) credited as 'Kay Dee Kay' is really Kathryn Dion King. In the early 1990s she recorded a couple house tracks ("You Send Me" and a remake of Dead Or Alive's "You Spin Me Round"), and was featured on rave favourite "Brothers & Sisters" by 2 Funky 2. The rest of the people involved in Trinity Hi-Fi were mostly involved in those tracks and seem to be part of a collective called Airdog Funk Research Laboratory, which was part of their original label, Airdog Records. One member, Jon Davies, also released music under aliases such as Ill Disco. Trinity Hi-Fi released one single, "Turn The Lights Down", which was a minor club hit. And that's about all I could find out. I can get no real indication of what any of these people are up to now. But I suppose what matters most is the music itself. And it is very nice, I must say. There are elements of so many kinds of music: electro, drum 'n bass, trip hop and straight up pop. The pop aspect is further solidified by the quiet, sweet voice of 'Kay Dee Kay'. I have no doubt that this is a gem most of you will love.

UPDATE:  Received a message from Kay Dee Kay herself!  Thanks for visiting, girl!

"Oh my God, this is so funny I feel the need to say hello, I am Kathryn Dion-King aka Kay Dee Kay aka Trinity Hi Fi thank you for appreciating my work your detective work is impressive. KDK xxxxxxxx"

Download Fuego

1		Lazy Afternoon
2		Hey Joe
3		Turn The Lights Down
4		Never Gonna Let U Go
5		So Glad
6		TV Dinner For One
7		Lost You
8		Take It Slow
9		If Only
10		Certainly Not
11		It's Not You
12		Inside

Melleny Melody + The Pop Machine - Super Happy Darkness (2001)

Melleny Melody first became known in her native Toronto as an eclectic fashionista who traveled around the city in her oddly decorated car. She was also a huge dance music fan, and in the mid-1990s, thanks to her local celebrity, she helped form indie electronic label Play Records, which would put her unique musical persona on record. They also started Gay Records to launch their more pop-oriented music, and Melleny Melody + The Pop Machine was born. The "Pop Machine" were a couple of her friends who handled some production and instrumental duties. They released a couple singles in 1999, "Fashion Victim" and "Honey Pill / E-Me", but their album didn't appear until 2001, along with two more singles, "Doin' Dishes" and "Loveshower". Their music incorporates everything from lounge to drum 'n' bass to techno to electro to house, all pulled together by her girlish voice and lyrics. They remained a very underground act, and I'm sure they never imagined being anything more. Their last release was "Bad Girl / 8 Inch Pumps", and then The Pop Machine was no more. Melleny did collaborate with composer and arranger John Henry Nyenhuis to produce the strange Cartoon Songs To Drive You Crazy, but otherwise stayed out of the music spotlight. Then, in 2006, Melleny reemerged as Mellee Fresh and appeared with popular Canadian electronic house wizard Deadmau5 on "Cocktail Queen" and "After Hours", both underground club hits that also helped make Play Records a bigger success. Over the next couple of years they collaborated on more singles, with her Mellee persona being more a spoken word artist, a la Peaches, than a singer. This year, with their song "Attention Whore", they finally hit the big time, hitting number 10 on the Billboard Club Play charts, and the song is still charting there. Obviously Melleny's new persona has garnered her a broader audience, and there's no telling how far she'll go. To explore here Melleny Melody persona, go HERE. For her Mellee Fresh persona, go HERE.

Video for Doin' Dishes

Animated video for Doin' Dishes

Video for Loveshower

Download Super Happy Darkness

1		Doin' Dishes
2		I'm Already There
3		Bad Girl
4		Love Shower
5		Eight Inch Pumps
6		Cocktail Time
7		401
8		Honey Pill
9		Fashion Victim
10		E-Me

Móa - Universal (1999)

Móa (full name Moeidur Juniusdottir) is another artist who no one would have expected to have a massive pop career. Her music is too eclectic. But no doubt her label Tommy Boy noticed the huge following that Bjork had and they snatched up this equally eccentric Icelander in the hopes that they could snatch some of that audience. Móa began her music career focusing on jazz music, releasing a jazz/lounge album locally in Iceland in 1993 entitled 'Syngur Login Vid Vinnuna'. But she also gained a love for electronic and dance music along the way, and in 1994 released an album as half of industrial/techno duo Bong with Eythor Arnalds. They were apparantly quite successful in Iceland, but Móa had other ideas. She wanted to merge the electronics with the jazz, and thus 'Univeral' was born. It was actually originally released in 1997 as 'Cool, As In Hot', but only in limited countries and soon grabbed the attention of Tommy Boy, who released it with some song changes and remixes. But the album was lost in the influx of eclectic electronic music that was being released at the time, and Móa remained relatively unknown. And the album is an acquired taste, despite the production by primarily pop producers (as well as Eythor Arnalds). More than anything, her voice was likely challenging to some. If you know and like Helicopter Girl or Nicolette, then you'll love this. If not, maybe you won't. Whatever the case, Móa's very Uma Thurman-like looks attracted Calvin Klein, who used her in a campaign, and she later went on to form the synth-pop/new wave group Lace.

Video for Joy & Pain

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1		Joy & Pain
2		Toy
3		Memory Cloud
4		Rockets
5		Can't Forget You
6		Tenderly
7		Declaration
8		Raining in My Heart
9		Forever
10		Overcome
11		Virtual Affair
12		Raining in My Heart (Remix)

Amar - Outside (2000)

This album is yet another that I saw in a delete bin and was intrigued by, mostly because I noticed that there was a version of Prince's "Sometimes It Snows In April" on it. What I didn't expect was that it would be so eclectic and electronic. Amar Dhanjan is both British and Indian, and her songs are a mix of English and Hindi. The music behind them is generally downtempo and involves a lot of programming, samples and world beats, with some drum 'n' bass elements. The closest music I could compare it to would be Goldfrapp's first album Felt Mountain. Very ethereal and complex. The singles "Red Sky" and "Sometimes It Snows In April" (which was produced by the incredibly popular Guy Sigsworth) were both remixed into drum 'n' bass and UK garage versions and were underground successes. But Amar's music was obviously too left-of-centre to attract a big audience and she seemed to disappear. So I was surprised to discover that she is currently working with Timbaland on a new album! She appeared on Asian mixes of Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" and "Promiscuous", and from there Timbaland asked her to sing on the song "Bombay" off of his Shock Value album. This led to collaboration on her solo work, so expect her to release a new and much more popular album next year. It pays to make friends in high places!

For the maxi-single of "Sometimes It Snows In April", go to my other blog HERE.

Download Outside

1		The World
2		Sometimes It Snows In April
3		Claustrophobic
4		Maybe
5		Rain
6		To An Alien Land
7		Demons Win The Game
8		Red Sky
9		Another Tune
10		Tere Bina
11		After Sunset
12		Morning

Terra Deva - Pulled Apart (1998)

Terra Deva McNair got her first taste of fame as a Mouseketeer, appearing on two seasons of the Mickey Mouse Club. Unlike her castmates JC, Justin, Xtina and Britney, upon leaving the show Terra decided to focus on music far outside the mainstream. She traveled to the UK and befriended several DJs in the rave scene. Spurred on by the exciting sounds around her, she recorded her debut album using several producers from that scene, the result being an electronic exploration in trip hop and drum 'n' bass. The album was an underground success, and the singles "Fresh Start" and "Inside" were club faves. But the music was far from the pop music recorded by her contemporaries that was favoured by the public, and Terra and the album remained underground. She continued on as a featured vocalist on several club hits by acts like Furry Phreaks, Pete Moss, Charles Webster, Who Da Funk and, most successfully, Shakedown, whose "At Night" with Terra was a UK hit. Excitingly, her website indicates that she is recording a new album, and she states her current obsessions are disco, freestyle and the Mary Jane Girls, so consider me excited for her next release!

Download Pulled Apart

1		Rain Rays
2		Over It
3		Inside
4		Fresh Start
5		Lethal
6		Pulled Apart
7		Devastate
8		Inside (Bugs Remix)
9		Gratify
10		Speak Low
11		Fresh Start (House Mix)

One True Parker - Will I Dream? (1999)

One True Parker is essentially DJ Karen Parker. She was a well- respected drum 'n' bass DJ during the genre's heyday. She also remixed songs by various alternative acts ranging from Pig to Ruby to The Orb. She released the single "Bubblegum" in 1996 to lots of fanfare from the drum 'n' bass audience. It took her three years to release an album, but with it's release she also released another single, "Singing Ringing Tune" and later, "Killer". While all three tracks and the album were well received by critics and drum 'n' bass and jungle fans, the music was likely too much for the casual pop fan, despite Karen's soothing pop vocals, and it went mostly unnoticed. One fan, pop tart Gina G., summed up the album's spirit and sound: "It's the kind of thing I could really get into. It's got a heavy jungle feel with atmospheric, floaty vocals. Very innovative..." So if Gina approved, so should you! LOL It appears Karen recorded nothing more as One True Parker, and her current whereabouts are unknown. No doubt she is still DJing somewhere, though.

Download Will I Dream?

1		Bubble Gum
2		Stop
3		Killer
4		Tree Top
5		Keltik
6		Song For Sean
7		Kanga
8		Bad Day
9		Singing Ringing Tune
10		Singing Ringing Tune (Juttajaw Mix)
11		Singing Ringing Tune (Orb Mastermix)

Solar Twins - Solar Twins (1999)

Solar Twins were former lovers David Norland and Joanna Stevens. They traveled from their native London to Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal. Once there, they didn't have long to wait until they were plucked out of obscurity by Guy Oseary, the head honcho (next to Madonna, of course) of Maverick Records, thanks to a performance at the celeb hot spot The Viper Room. But for every Maverick success story like Alanis Morissette, there were ten stories like that of Solar Twins. Their music was certainly inventive, very electronic, with pop, breakbeat and drum ' n' bass elements. In fact, unsurprisingly, their music was very similar to Madge's 'experimental' Ray Of Light album, released the year before. Unlike Madonna, however, they had no profile of any sort to fall back on, and their experimental music fell on mostly puzzled, deaf ears. They released two singles, "Alleluias" and a remake of the Clash's hit "Rock The Casbah", and had a couple songs on soundtracks, but to no avail. They began recording a follow-up, but Maverick's troubles ensured it would never be completed. Joanna went on to do vocals on albums by electronic acts like Delirium and Conjure One, while David has most recently reappeared as a songwriter and producer for Disney acts like Vanessa Hudgens and the Cheetah Girls.

Video for Rock The Casbah

Download Solar Twins

1		Puppet
2		Nightfall
3		Better Life
4		Alleluias
5		Rock The Casbah
6		Living Your Dream
7		Earthbound
8		Astral Hymn
9		Out There
10		Splintered
11		Cybersadhu
12		Swayambhu