FRESH OUT THE BOX: Playing Ketchup with LP, Colbie Caillat, Panama Wedding, Tove Stryke, Adore Delano & More

Where is the summer going? Ughhhhh. I've missed the "new release" window on these but it doesn't make them less awesome so make sure you fit these into your Spotify/iTunes playlists!

COLBIE CAILLAT - "Live It Up"

In the past, I was quick to judge Ms. Caillat as just a little too formulaic vanilla cuteness for my tastes (coming from me, this says something, right?). That was until "Hold On" broke late last year. She recently released a surprise EP in Gypsy Heart Side A and it's full of sunny, summery loveliness and a handful of 'real girl'-powery anthems that would be cruel to not stand behind. I stand corrected on my girl, Colbie -- I'm loving all of this.

CHERYL COLE - "Crazy Stupid Love" (feat. TINIE TEMPAH)

It's official. We really are in a post-Girls Aloud World. Cheryl (apparently still) Cole has returned to the solo side of the pond via "Crazy Stupid Love", the first single from her fourth album Only Human. It's very handclappy (a la Little Mix's "Wings") and has a bit of a sax in there (relevant) so basically it's a little bit tryhard. Shrug. She looks amazing. The song is a grower for sure. We'll see how it holds up in the grand scheme -- it's out at the end of July in the UK.

ADORE DELANO - "I Adore You"

If you weren't an avid watcher of RuPaul's Drag Race this past year like I was, you might have no clue who Adore Delano is but if you were an avid watcher of American Idol a few years back, you might still have a chance. Danny Noriega, best known for his head swiveling retort to Simon Cowell of "Some people weren't likin' it!" became a viral sensation back in 2008. He re-emerged recently as the glamtastic party-gal Adore Delano, placing second or third in the sixth installment of the drag queen competition show on LOGO (depending on who you talk to). While I was certainly #TeamBiancaDelRio, I had a soft spot for Adore throughout. Her humor and charm was truly her X-Factor and when you throw in that she's a pretty good singer, you have an undeniable stage performing waiting for the right opportunity. Adore released her debut set, Till Death Do Us Party (cover of the epic Wynter Gordon jam not included). It's a fab piece of guilty pleasure pop ("I Look F*ckin' Cool", anyone?) and quite a few geniune pop stompers in "Give Me Tonight", "Calling All Goddess" and current single "I Adore You". 

EMBLEM3 - "Say What You Mean"

Best known as a marginal success story via the American X-Factor, the three boys of Emblem3 were briefly signed to Simon Cowell's label and opened for Selena Gomez on the road. Their single "Chloe (You're The One That I Want)" flopped hardcore and they released Songs From The Couch Vol 1., their latest EP, independently. However, it's currently looking like there won't be a Vol. 2 anytime soon -- lead vocalist Drew announced his exit from the band last week. So I guess they're Emblem2, now? Either way, "Say What You Mean" is fun little bit of pop -- all of Couch is a more mature departure from the embarrassingly juvenile "Chloe" days.

FIRST AID KIT - "Stay Gold"

There's a lot of hype surrounding this Swedish duo outfit despite the fact that they aren't really new to the scene at all, not even in America. Also, a lot of folks are quick to correlate them to other popular Swedish artists like The Knife and Icona Pop when First Aid Kit's sound is totally different. Their third album, Stay Gold, is quite ethereal and folksy. Basically, if you dig Lana Del Rey but not her dismal attitude (My Hand's Up!), give First Aid Kit a spin. I love the title track best, if only for the Robert Frost/The Outsiders references.

G.R.L. - "Ugly Heart"

This post-Pussycat Dolls/Girlicious/Paradiso Girls revamp group has literally been years in the making but their latest effort in single "Ugly Heart" finally shows real promise. It has just enough sass and snark to feel mainstream modern female with a memorable chorus that sticks. It's by far my favorite from the group so far. Now, if they could just ditch Pitbull.  

LITTLE BIG TOWN - "Day Drinking"

Mainstream Whistle Country Pop. Let's be real -- few are doing it better than LBT when it comes to big radio singles. I wish they got more credit (and exposure). 

LP - "Salvation"

Read My Lips: DO NOT SLEEP ON LP. LP, or Laura Pergolizzi, got her start writing hits for others and the majority of her writing credits skew decidedly more pop than anything depicted on her debut solo effort, Forever For Now. She's written for Erik Hassle, Rihanna ("Cheers (Drink To That)"), The Veronicas ("Lolita") and Christina Aguilera ("The Beautiful People"). Her debut is one of those rare records that every song is listenable and good. There is no need for skipping. It also should be noted that the executive producer for the album was Rob Cavallo, who co-helmed breakthrough projects with Green Day, Paramore and The Goo Goo Dolls amongst others. While the intensity is very much a lighter, more radio-friendly Florence + The Machine, LP's voice has a broader range of dimension. This is easily one of the best records of 2014 so far. No joke.

THE MADDEN BROTHERS - "We Are Done"

The twin bros that front Good Charlotte took a brief departure from the band this year for the much more relaxed, decidedly less emo The Madden Brothers. Whether or not you were a fan of Good Charlotte, give "We Are Done" a spin -- if only for the lead up post-chorus, full of stacked vocal harmonies that are perfect for singing at the top of your lungs in the summer heat. Well done.

PANAMA WEDDING - "Uma"

I saw them live during CMJ and they just dropped their debut EP in Parallel Play. The too-short EP includes debut single sparkler "All Of The People" and this current single "Uma" which sounds positively The Police-like in the best way.

PASSENGER - "Coins In A Fountain"

He's an Alt-AC version of Ed Sheeran perhaps. The one-man band Passenger has seen a steady uptick in interest with his radio single "Let Her Go", "Heart's On Fire" and "Scare Away The Dark". Despite the well-earned hype, he's still much more famous around the world than he is here in the States (isn't that the rub, though?). His latest record, Whispers, is great singer-songwriter pop. My fave is "Coins In A Fountain". 

TOVE STRYKE - "Even If I'm Loud It Doesn't Mean I'm Talking To You"

Not to be confused with another fab Swedish popstar Tove Lo, 21 year-old Tove Stryke made her name on the Swedish Pop Idol and released her debut in 2010. She's had a handful of good 'uns credited to her but her latest, "Even If I'm Loud It Doesn't Mean I'm Talking To You" (mouthful), is being served to US radio! Hurray! Because she's blonde and Swedish, the comparisons to Robyn are sure to come but they aren't totally unwarranted here. The song itself is very handclappy and sounds to me like a lost Ting Tings jam. Fantastic.

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Jennifer Lopez on GMA

Mel wearing a purple bob wig in public like
she's Britney circa 2007.

I'm literally seeing so many shows I can't keep up A) with recaps, B) with anything else. #SorryNotSorry

On Friday morning, I headed up to scenic Central Park supppper early in the AM (4AM and I are totally BFFs now, guys) to the ABC Summer Stage area to see an icon in her own right, Ms. Jennifer Lopez, do her thing live in support of her latest disc, A.K.A., out this past week (on my birthday - June 17th!). Full disclosure, the access to this concert was not of my own volition but through my day job as we had VIP Access thanks to the Alzheimer's Association (NYC Chapter) as part of the sponsorship for the event that day. Kudos to them because we had a blast.

Right at 7AM, Ms. Jennifer Lopez appeared in full hair and makeup with all of her gorgeous, tanned, ripped male dancers (and two gorgeous, tanned, ripped female ones, too). She was wearing all black and a pair of black high-top sneakerheels and began rehearsing in earnest her set that would be going live on ABC in about an hour. She ran through a handful of songs but the one that seemed needing the most kinks ironed out was "Booty", a cut from A.K.A. that is to be on deck to be the project's next single. I may be wrong but I think the 'Good Morning America' performance was one of the first live performances of the song -- and it's easily my favorite cut from A.K.A.

You may laugh but that song, co-written by Diplo, is catchy as all get out and I'll be damned if I didn't have it stuck in my head for the rest of the day following this performance. The routine included oversized golden spatulas (that were doused in glitter and looked like they were covered in shiny golden tinfoil up close) that were waved by her sexy male dancers. We joked that they looked like pizza trays (#ILuhYaPizza). Oh, the delirium induced by being woken up at 3AM! Another part of the routine included Jenny rolling on to a white couch (probs from IKEA and it was so filthy and beat up close up! Some assistant should be fired for this!) that her mens lifted up over their heads and spun around. Slay, Diva Mama. Own it.

She also ran through a bit of "On The Floor" and when the opening licks of "Let's Get Loud" were called up we lost our damn minds (it is, of course, the best J.Lo song ever recorded, thanks). Given our relationship with the AA, we were there in full purple regalia that included purple wigs and Jennifer came over to our side and waved and pointed to our wigs and smiled. It was a magical experience, guys. Obviously, we're now best friends. After her run through, she ran off stage to get properly dressed and the dancers continued choreography run throughs with Ms. Lopez's choreographer slaying it as her stand in. 

Once the show started/transferred to Central Park for live coverage, everything started to blur. Liv Tyler suddenly appeared -- a gorgeous Amazon of a woman, I had no idea she was so tall -- and had a short interview live on stage that none of us could really hear. (Insider Dirt: when you go to these types of live studio/television tapings, the audio is captured through sensitive microphones but aren't necessarily amplified for the studio audience like you'd expect microphones to. I don't know the logistics of why -- just be satisfied that it's the truth.) Then, J.Lo arrived in full silver glitterbomb gorgeousness -- as GMA themselves tweeted, her sparkle-spangled boots deserved their own concert -- and opened with "Booty", which went off without a hitch.

(While I'm on "Booty", can I just say her infamous 'booty' didn't seem that big in person? She herself is super petite, as most popstars/showbiz folks are. Either it's -- gasp! -- gotten smaller over the years or the camera/right wardrobe choices just add to its voluptuousness. It was there but it wasn't overwhelming. Yes, this legit was a topic of discussion of ours during her soundcheck. No, I am not kidding.)

She also performed the album's Max Martin-penned current single "First Love", "On The Floor" (like "Booty", performed sans Pitbull, thank Jososphine), just a touch of "Let's Get Loud" (sigh) and once the filming was through, she came out to perform another song just for the fans. She chose the A.K.A. ballad "Never Satisifed", which she had co-written.

Overall, I feel like very few go to a J.Lo show to be wowed by her voice -- they go to see her kill it with her dancing and her stage persona. Jennifer gave us that and then some, dancing hard in her high heeled sparkle boots. She also looked fantastic and seemed very much the consummate professional both during rehearsal and her performance. "On The Floor" included a pseudo-impromptu dance break that included a lot of hair swinging. Oh, and did I mention one of her background singers is Pia Toscano, formerly of American Idol fame?

My only complaint would be how short her performance of "Let's Get Loud" was so I'ma just leave this one here. Luh Ya, J.Lo...

That video above is from 2000, guys. Bow down.

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Little Mix on the TODAY Show (on Mel's Birthday!)

Little Mix @ the Today Show 2014
(L to R: Jesy, Jade, Perrie & Leigh-Anne)
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

Today -- June 17th -- is my birthday and I spent it with who else but my gal group of the moment, Little Mix. I've come out of it sunburnt, exhausted, and a little worse for the wear but it was WORTH IT.

The UK quartet was in town for a performance on the Today Show for their Toyota Presents...Summer Concert series. They performed a handful of their singles live at the Rockefeller Plaza promenade around 8:30AM.

My birthday, however, started wayyyyy before then. I was up at 3AM in order to catch a town car (#bougie) to Manhattan to get to my VIP pass (again, #bougie) to front row. It's my birthday, I'm not even gonna be modest about it. #sorrynotsorry

Little Mix (Jesy, Jade, Perrie, Leigh-Anne) - Today Show Soundcheck
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

Leigh-Anne, Jesy, Jade & Perrie (all but Jesy in fabulous pairs of sunglasses) walked onto the stage with their dancer troupe to soundcheck around 6:30AM or so, performing snippet bits of "Little Me", "Move", "Salute" and "Wings" -- the four songs they performed in the action-packed performance hour.

Crowd Malay. (c) MelismaticBlog.com

All four looked casually fabulous even during a 6 o'clock hour Soundcheck. Jesy wore an African Sunset-printed tunic and faux leather leggings -- and let it be said, her hair is God's Gift. No joke. Jade wore a black sleeveless crop top and grey drawstring lounge paints. Perrie wore a black crop top and black drawstring pants -- and seemed somewhat self conscious while dancing regarding her top (LOL?). And Leigh-Anne wore a black tank top with tribal-print pants.

After Soundcheck, we were told a celebrity "surprise guest" would be appearing right in front of where we were standing. Turns out it was Dave Chappelle. Dave to Us: "I didn't know people were awake this early!" Me neither, Dave. Me neither.

Staff began passing out random Today show swag including the obnoxious "sunglasses" I'm seen wearing here to your left, bath sponge microphones, neon orange snapbacks and a gray t-shirt that had all of the concert series performers on it.

The group's requisite videographer was on hand filming the fans, supposedly for another one of their YouTube Tour Diaries. He got a bit of me on film saying it's my birthday (like Christmas Day came early) and that this was the best birthday present ever. We shall see if that footage ends up anywhere...

The entire Today Show crew came out afterward, including Matt Lauer and my new BFF in life Hoda Kotb.

When I asked for a selfie with Hoda in honor of my birthday she looked genuinely surprised people wanted pictures with her. She asked how old I was turning and when I told her "27 (and don't judge me!)", she said, "27?!? You look so young!!" It's a blessing and a curse, guys. Try and tell me that #selfie isn't one of the best things you've ever seen. We totes look related, no?

Hoda & Mel = BFF for LYFE.
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

In between the girls televised performances, they were eagerly signing and snapping photos for any of the fans nearby. Perrie and Leigh-Anne both walked right in front of us on their way into the studio for an interview...

Me (to Perrie): PERRIE! Picture? Picture? Selfie?

Perrie: (nods) Nice nails! (walks away)

Womp womp. But I did manage to get a selfie with one of the Mix -- my fraternal name twin (and curly hair cohort) Leigh-Anne. Birthday = Made. Salute! Salute!

Leigh-Anne of Little Mix & Mel = Birthday Made
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

You can check out some of the live footage from their performances via the video below. Keep an eagle eye out for your girl -- front row, curly hair, blue dress, purple lipstick. What what.

For even more photos (including an instavid that includes soundcheck footage and Perrie waving at us), hit up my Instagram here.

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: La Roux Rocks Hipster Williamsburg

There's a reason why locals call Williamsburg the Capital of All Things Hipster. I finally figured that out on Wednesday night when I ventured in the north side of the City where I currently reside (Brooklyn...keep up) via the frigid but thankfully ventilated L Train (so much flannel, you guys) to see an artist I've been a fan of just about as long as this blog as been alive -- the UK's own La Roux.

Midnight Magic @ Music Hall - Williamsburg
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

It was my first time at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, yet another venue operative of 'The Bowery Presents' (who also directs my fave spots in the Mercury Lounge, Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall, and Terminal 5 among others). It's a mid-level size venue -- much bigger than Mercury Lounge but half the size of Webster Hall. Overall, the sound quality was really fantastic and I found it much easier to hear and enjoy than at Webster Hall. Like many of the other Bowery venues, it has a balcony set-up and also has two raised platforms on either side of the stage if you're short like moi. Somehow however, maybe by the Grace of the Queen Ms. Janet Jackson, we ended up right flesh against stage left. Amazing.

The show began just past 9PM with Midnight Magic, a fantastic surprise support act that we really genuinely enjoyed, jumped on stage. They straddled the line between true funk and electro dance, complete with a full horn section of two trumpets and a trombone. There was also a bongoist (is that a word? It is now.).

But all eyes were clearly on vocalist Tiffany Roth, looking pin-up gal gorgeous in a black sequined cocktail dress with a thick belt and shoulder pads. She was a bit like a cartoon, emoting and belting and getting the crowd proper warmed up. (At one point, a drunk heckler tried to yell to her and she responded, "Jazz? Dance? I can't hear you. Let's do both. Let's jance.") 

Think of them as a blend of Alphabeat and The Scissor Sisters transported to the 70's. The troupe has a handful of albums out on Permanent Vacation and are available for perusal on Spotify. My current fave is the ethereal and spaceship funky "What The Eyes Can't See".

La Roux @ Music Hall - Williamsburg
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

At just past 10PM, Team LaRoux walked on to the stage to a roar of approval. The set was their first post-Governor's Ball performance (which happened the weekend before here in NYC) and was a 70/30 mixture of faves from the debut set and brand new tunes from the upcoming sophomore record Trouble In Paradise (due out the first week of July).

Vocalist Elly Jackson is beautiful in her androgyny, choosing to rock a primary-color blocked top (the bottom half unbuttoned) with her iconic styled red hair. Elly was flanked by keyboardist/vocalist Micky O'Brien, a drumkit, a synth setup and guitars. Early in the set, a saxophone jumped on stage during "Let Me Down Gently" and ROCKED out. Oh, and she had a floor fan. Yup - Beyonce isn't the only one.

At one point during their set, fans started tossing oversized balloons to be batted around the venue and eventually up to the stage. By midway through La Roux's set, there had to be 20+ balloons flying around or taking rank on either side of Elly and her microphone. At one point she smirked and said, "This isn't a f*ckin' Flaming Lips show," and later, "Where the f*ck are they coming from?" We never did find out and to be honest, it got old fast when you were trying to rock out only to get pelted in the head by balloons. To whoever chose to bring so many, uh...thanks.

The show opened with new cut "Let Me Down Gently", the song that helped launch the new era. Familiar singles in "Fascination" and "I'm Not Your Toy" helped break up the torrent of new music which -- it needs to be said -- all sounds fantastic. If you are like me and felt like a lot of the material on La Roux sounded very similar, you'll be happy to know that Trouble In Paradise is all very catchy but every song stands on its own legs while still feeling inherently La Roux. My faves of the new set were "Tropical Chancer", "Kiss and Not Tell", "Cruel Sexuality" and "Silent Partner".

Faves like "Colourless Color" as well as singles "Quicksand" and "In For The Kill" (my fave) provoked serious sing along sessions. The group finished with "Tigerlily" and finally, returned for their encore of their most mainstream hit in "Bulletproof".

La Roux @ Music Hall - Williamsburg
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

Elly's voice sounds just as haunting and ephemeral in person as it does on the records. She stayed quite serious and intense throughout the set (with the exception of the insane balloon throwing) and danced with her mic stand as she warbled through, occasionally walking to either side of the stage to sing directly into the audience. I can't explain how thrilling it is to see her literally less than a foot from my face singing my favorite jam "In For The Kill" with that stotic monotone intensity. (instagram vid plug) I just can't.

I legit cannot wait for July 7th to grab Trouble In Paradise. Given what I heard, it may just be the true piece de resistance in La Roux's catalog to cement the fact that La Roux's greatness wasn't just lightning in a bottle. The wait is finally over and La Roux "hiatus" (per Elly "or whatever the hell they wanted to call it") is officially done. 

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Shareen Debuts at 'The Bitter End'

Shareen @ The Bitter End
(c) MelismaticBlog.com

Back in February, I first mentioned NYC indie artist Shareen here on the blog on the back of her debut EP release, Light. While I've been a fan since then, Tuesday finally marked my first chance to see her do her thing live and it was well worth the wait.

Tuesday marked Shareen's first "headlining" showcase at a live venue in NYC -- at 'The Bitter End', a cabaret-style bar/nightclub in Greenwich Village (just a few blocks from SoHo). The famed venue is long and skinny and features light brick walls. A small stage is set up against the wall on one side with a smattering of tables across from it just north of the main bar. It holds just over 200 people and is well known to have been a stomping ground for emerging talent (both Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey played shows there very early in their careers) as well as a chosen place for established talent like Bob Dylan, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Pete Seeger, Donny Hathaway and a ridiculously long list of others.

Shareen's staging included a keyboardist, two live backing singers, two backup dancers, and a backing track. She hit the stage in a black catsuit that had smatterings gold sequins and a burgundy bob haircut with blunt bangs, belting out my original fave from Light, "Don't Let The Credits Roll". I really loved the choreography for this one.

Midway through her set, she called up back to back two unexpected covers. First up was a balladized version of Mandy Moore's debut single "Candy", sultry and seductive and complete with Mandy's growled "Like sugar to my heart, baby" delivery. From 1999 to modern day, the second cover was of Justin Timberlake's "Take Back The Night" and it really got the crowd clapping. The inclusion of these two covers really spoke to my personality -- I knew Shareen and I were kindred hearts in our love for bubblegum pop!

She closed with her original cut "Live Again" before bouncing off stage to change into another outfit for her encore (proper popstar alert!). Her dancers took the stage in jersey tops and cut-off jean shorts, dancing it up to an instrumental cut of Janet Jackson's "Escapade". Shareen returned in similar jean cut-offs, accessorized with a black mesh top and black thigh-high stockings to the tune of her cut "Set The World On Fire (Remix)". She closed with her favorite of her original tunes (and my current favorite as well), "Escape", complete with chair choreography.

Overall, I was really excited and impressed by Shareen's performance. Vocally, she sounded really solid and her choice of covers both showed off her personality and added to her setlist in terms of crowd participation. It also should be noted she was rocking serious choreography alongside her dancers in serious heels and still sounded great. You can definitely keep her on your shortlist of Potential Popstars!

Liking what you hear? You can purchase her Light EP on iTunes now and follow her on Twitter via @ShareenAmour. My many, many thanks to Shareen herself and her manager Shean for the invite. I had a blast!

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Danity Kane, Jessi Malay & GoGo Morrow via the #NoFilterTour

On Tuesday night, I returned to the Irving Plaza showcase for the second time in less than a month for the #NoFilter Tour, featuring openers GoGo Morrow and one of my long-time faves Jessi Malay, and headliners in the recently reunited Danity Kane.

Not to start this 'Live from NYC' with a rant but I am less than impressed with this venue. While the time between when the doors opened and when the show began was considerably more manageable this go 'round than with Iggy Azalea, it's not an ideal place to see a concert if you are vertically challenged (like moi). Thinking I'd be doing  myself a solid, my plus one and I headed toward the second level only to be told by security that to stay upstairs would be an additional $30 on top of the ticket price I had already paid months ago. Say what? Pay more money to be further from the stage? Tell me how that makes sense. Unsurprisingly, we headed back into the crowd malay in the general admission downstairs area but I'd be lying to you if I said I won't be thinking twice about heading to Irving Plaza again. (Yeah, I said it!)

The crowd was formidable and that much I was expecting (and hence wanting to go upstairs!). The members of Danity Kane may not be from New York City but the group itself was birthed here via Making the Band -- it should be no surprise that NYC turned up in droves to show their love to Aubrey, Dawn, Aundrea and Shannon. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

First up just after 8PM was GoGo Morrow, an indie soulstress from Philly. She set the tone of the event -- three powerful, sexy, female artists who were all currently unsigned --  working the mic and slinging melismas left and right alongside a troupe of four fierce female dancers. GoGo wore a yellow crop-top and matching high-waist shorts made out of a shiny fabric (for her first number, the outfit included a tulle skirt overlay but that was quickly removed). Her voice was very impressive but the center of her set was her stage presence -- managing to sing with power and intensity while flipping her cute platinum blonde, asymmetrical 'do back and forth, matching the choreo with her dancing troupe behind her. At one point, she cued up a medley of Janet Jackson hits ("Nasty" / "Rhythm Nation") as the crowd roared and sung along with her (amusingly, even the security guard near us freaked out and started doing all the iconic moves -- it was bizarre and amazing).

This photo was ten years in the making! Me & Jessi Malay.

Around 8:45PM, my girl Jessi Malay scorched onto the stage, exclusively singing tunes from her recent EP Give Me Life (appropriate). Jessi is a former fifth of early 00's girl group No Secrets (signed to the mother of all pop labels at the time -- Jive), who toured with Aaron Carter and had a few minor Radio Disney hits in "That's What Girls Do" and a cover of "Kids In America". Following the group's demise, Jessi went solo and signed a deal with Reprise/Warner, releasing a series of "first" singles including the ace "Topsy Turvy". Eventually, her label deal also went sour and she opted out in favor of UCLA and pursuing her education. Now a college graduate and a popular fashion blogger via My White T, Jessi finally saw the fruits of her musical labors as well via Give Me Life, released in early May this year via her own co-founded indie label The Coalition Group.

Jessi's sex appeal was on full display during her set, flanked by two female dancers; I was getting all kinds of Janet Jackson influences from her. After opening with "Give Me Life", she ditched her long black robe to reveal a black, dominatrix-y crop top and matching panty set, launching right into the meat of Give Me Life -- sexier uptempo club cuts like "Fetish" and "Beg". At one point, a guy was pulled up on stage (coincidentally enough, he was from our section) and Jessi faux-tied him up during one song. Toward the end of her set, she dusted off a familiar single in "Bougie", a tongue-in-cheek ode to being fashionably fabulous, complete in a white fur jacket.

Following the show, I was able to go say hi to Jessi in person and snag a photo with her -- which was so fun after being a fan since the No Secret days! I told her sincerely I was so proud to finally get to see her perform live in person doing material she loves, it was clear the struggle was real due to lack of label support, etc. It was a real joy to see an artist like her who fights for what she believes in because that's what it's all about. She said, "It's good to be out." Yes, girl! Long overdue!

Finally, around 9:15PM, the four ladies of the freshly rebranded Danity Kane appeared on stage and the crowd went ape. Aundrea, Dawn, Aubrey & Shannon each appeared in various stylings featuring flannel, usually with bare legs and midriffs aside from Drea, who rocked a black corset and flannel robe. And the weave on Aubrey and Dawn! Girl! They entered to a dramatic allusion to "Ride For You" before jumping right in to fan favorite from their debut set, "Sleep On It". This set the tone for the night -- the focus was decidedly not on the on-paper "hits" ("Bad Girl", their final "official" single as a fivesome was completely omitted) but instead focused on the songs that the fans loved. It was a special kind of "Greatest Hits" montage and it was clear all four ladies were loving every minute of it.

Many of the songs were clipped down a bit in order to pack in as many memorable favorites as possible, the majority from their sophomore set, Welcome To The Dollhouse. "Pretty Boy", "Sucker For Love" and "Strip Tease" all got loud screams of approval from the crowd who sang along to every word (myself included). Another DK male fan was called on stage for a four-way lap dance to the tune of "Right Now". Songs that weren't performed in full were alluded to with crowd sing-alongs with each member (chiefly by Dawn & Aubrey), including "Ooh Ahh", "Touching My Body" and "One Shot".

A surprise highlight for me was the full performance of their underrated semi-ballad "Poetry" which could arguably be considered the Danity Kane equivalent to Sugababes' "Too Lost In You". It was introduced by everyone's favorite extrovert Aubrey, who stated this song helped prove the group was different from the other girl groups that flooded the market at the time, and she certainly had a point. The jam was performed complete with an a capella-esque bridge breakdown. I instantly have a new fave in their catalog.

Of course, the singles obviously ensued chaos. "Show Stopper" was called up early in the set to floor stomping approval and chants of "DK! DK!" afterward. Their biggest hit -- the song that took them from "just some girl group to Danity-Mother-F*ckin'-Kane" per Dawn -- the Stereotypes-produced "Damaged" made the crowd downright lose their mind. I almost literally needed to have a first aid kit handy (REFERENCE!) due to the banshee-level screaming that song inspired.

The 'Greatest Hits' Brigade concluded with Aundrea thanking the crowd on her own for being so supportive of her decision to exit the group once more in favor of getting married and starting a family with her fiance. She brandished her ring and gleefully stated "he did a good job, right?" to loud claps and screams. While I am sad she's leaving as her vocals were one of the reasons why I was anticipating this reunion in the first place, I respect that she went through with the tour as planned for one last go-round of all the hits. She finished the night by re-introducing Dawn, Aubrey & Shannon as Danity Kane and the three returned to the stage in new outfits that each featured a black and white jersey-style top. 

DK3 ran through three new songs -- my favorite in "Rhythm of Love", the head-nodding "Rage" (complete with Aubrey successfully crowd-surfing) and finishing with the new single "Lemonade", featuring dayglo neon accent wardrobe pieces for their final bow (Dawn wore a neon yellow-green mesh crop top with a halve of a plastic lemon over each breast). No sign of "All In A Day's Work", which remains to my fave of all of the premiered "new" material from the reunion project. The song ended and they thanked the crowd for being so supportive -- no matter if there's five, four or now three members of the group.

Overall, I left the show so full of energy. It was clear the four (and indeed five counting original member D.Woods) were not chosen to be a part of the Danity Kane project on accident. Drea's killer pipes were stunning, Shannon's warm vocal was given much more attention and her dancing constantly drew your attention, and Dawn and Aubrey both sizzled with sex appeal and charisma. All four came off so genuine and down to earth, genuinely appreciative of the insane crowd response and genuinely loving every second of being on stage -- not only for themselves but together as a team. 

It was also a strong reminder how much fun pop shows can be and that America is in desperate need of a sassy, sexy girl group to rally behind. Should that group be this now trio version of Danity Kane? I say, why not. Haters, to the left -- go sip your lemonade, lemonade.

For more on GoGo Morrow, follow her on Twitter via @GoGoMorrow. She has three tunes available on iTunes/Spotify for your perusal, including the highlight "Potion." For more on Jessi Malay, follow her on Twitter via @JessiMalay and pick up her Give Me Life EP on iTunes. And to follow DK3, hit up @DanityKane on Twitter and buy "Lemonade" on iTunes!

FRESH OUT THE BOX: Austin Mahone, Mariah Carey, Robyn, Miranda Lambert, Cher Lloyd & more...

This past week in particular was pretty slow in terms of bankable releases but in terms of what's new, here's what I was grooving to for the past two weeks:

MARIAH CAREY - "You Don't Know What To Do" (feat. WALE)

Undoubtedly the most high profile artist release this past week was Mariah's latest, Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse. I grew up on Mariah -- I wanted to be her when I was a little girl. That being said, it's not much of a surprise how much of a retrograde she's been in over the years with the one shining exception in The Emancipation of Mimi. Her latest is definitely better than critics are saying it is, but that's not really saying much, now is it. I do like a handful of the cuts but mostly, the rest was forgettable. It is worth mentioning that she sounded great and opted for a more retro production flair on most cuts. But I'm not anticipating any iconic gems from this set. This one with Wale is my current running favorite, mostly because it sounds like a disco smash (although Wale is more than a little distracting in the beginning).

CHARLI XCX - "Boom Clap"

Any nugget from Charli, I'm gonna take -- including this bratpop one-off featured on The Fault Is In Our Stars soundtrack. It's the second post-True Romance offering after the undervalued "SuperLove". Given its placement on such a high profile soundtrack and the success of "Fancy" with Iggy Azalea, the US might actually get her sophomore album after all. Yassss.

COLDPLAY - "Magic"

Requisite "adult" music suggestion here -- the lead single from Coldplay's latest, Ghost Stories. I probably should like them more than I do, I just wish they weren't always so darn morose (divorce to Gwyneth not withstanding).

DANITY KANE - "Lemonade" (feat. TYGA)

The lead comeback single from the newly trio-ized Danity Kane surfaced awhile ago but finally hit iTunes this past week. It's jaunty and it's sassy and it references "Show Stopper". It also has no Aundrea Fimbres, who has announced she will be stepping back from the group following their #NOFILTER tour that is currently in process (I have tix for Tuesday!). Not enthused about Drea's departure at all. Still, this is a fun one for summer.

JETTA - "Can You Hear Me Now"

The debut EP, Start A Riot, from this British soul siren shouldn't be missed. I first discovered her when her single, "Start A Riot", was offered as a free download on iTunes earlier this year. Vocally superb and pretty catchy, too.

MIRANDA LAMBERT & CARRIE UNDERWOOD - "Somethin' Bad"

The summer weather brings out the honkey-tonk in me, even if I don't want to cop to it. This floor-stomper sees reality star winners/country cuties Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood trade verses. The track is a hype single for Lambert's latest, Platinum, out this week, and follows the lead single "Automatic". The full set also includes a track with another of my faves Little Big Town. Throw in Gloriana and Shania and you legit have all the country artists I can stand in one place. 

CHER LLOYD - "Bind Your Love"

After dropping a handful of surprisingly pretty good hype singles, Cher's delayed sophomore set not-so-tongue-in-cheekly-titled Sorry I'm Late dropped this past week. About half of the album we've already heard in the weeks leading up to its release, plus singles "I Wish" and "Sirens". Overall, it's much more  of a cohesive sound and definitely more listenable (read: less rap-talking) than her debut, Sticks & Stones. My favorite of the new cuts is "Bind Your Love". 

LOVE DOLLHOUSE - "Can I"

Bringing back the 90's urban gal group game, Detroit trio Love Dollhouse (formerly just Dollhouse) have dropped their debut single "Can I" on Capitol and it's so effervescent and singable! Lead vocalist Ryan is serving serious Chilli of TLC vibes in the very best of ways. Hoping for more good 'uns!

AUSTIN MAHONE - "Secret"

Do you miss the days of *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys? Then honey, you gotta jump on the Austin Mahone bandwagon! His latest EP, The Secret, dropped this week and with the exception of bleh single "Mmm Yeah" (featuring who else but Pitbull), the entire set is full of serious almost Cheiron/Zomba b-sides re-recorded in 2014 with some additional crunchy electroswizzle. The fact that all of these sparklers were produced by RedOne was a pleasant surprise to moi. Give "Secret" or "Till I Find You" and tell me they aren't forgotten boy band smashes (written when Mahone was a toddler -- he's 18).

MELANIE MARTINEZ - "Carousel"

If you're a fan of dark singer-songwriter pop a la Charli XCX above, file Melanie Martinez under one to watch. This Long Island songstress first gained steam on one of 'The Voice' seasons where she was guided by Adam Levine. Her debut bow, Dollhouse EP, dropped on Warner and the four track set is full of slow-burn scorchers. My favorite is the lyrically deep "Carousel", complete with circus pomp and roll.

ROYKSOPP & ROBYN - "Monument"

Our Queen has returned to us! The full offering of the Royksopp & Robyn project, named after the brilliant first single "Do It Again", dropped at the very end of May. Just five tracks in length, it pains me to say it's a touch self-indulgent in places. I'm not a huge fan of these super long track lengths (I'm looking at you, too, Timberlake) but it's forgivable because she's effing Robyn. While "Do It Again" is easily my favorite, "Monument" comes in a very close second. In the latter's case, the almost ten minute track length is somewhat warranted and makes sense -- it's literally an audio journey.

JAZMINE SULLIVAN - "Dumb" (feat. MEEK MILL)

The latest from one of the most underrated power alto's out there. "Dumb" is not as instantly iconic as previous Jazmine hits but her soulful delivery really cuts through the ether to bring the most generic of cuts to a whole other kind of level.

WGO: Iovine & Apple; One Direction's Blunder; Twitter Music Charts

In an attempt to truly make these 'Fresh Out The Box' type columns a reflection of my former 'WGO (What's Going On)' posts, I will also be including a mini-breakdown of this week's #1 hits as well as relevant industry info that happened this week, so look for this as well as 'Fresh Out The Box' to be a weekly staple. Thanks, everyone!

RUMOR MILL

Hits Daily Double has posted a blind this week regarding a potential "surprise album release" from an industry heavyweight and speculation is legit everywhere in an attempt to guess who will be "pulling a Beyonce". I don't have money on any horses in this race but if I did, I'd go Nicki Minaj or Gwen Stefani. There's a lot of chatter that it might be Madonna but I feel like she would consider herself too revolutionary to follow Beyonce's example. We'll see...

APPLE & Co.
The biggest news to break this week was Apple's acquisition of the Beats music subscription service backed by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Iovine has officially stepped down from his role of CEO at Interscope Records in favor of a larger role at Apple alongside Dre. That's a pretty huge shakeup in the music industry -- Interscope undoubtedly became one of the most successful labels in the marketplace during Iovine's tenure (think breakout success of Lady Gaga, OneRepublic and Eminem). The new CEO was announced to be John Janick, who previously had a lot of success at the Fueled By Ramen label that he co-founded. FBR is responsible for the success of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Paramore, fun. , Cobra Starship and Gym Class Heroes/Travie McCoy amongst others.

TEENAGE DREAMS & HEARTBREAK
Other big news to break this week: two of the reigning heartthrobs went through scandal. A video was popped online from four years ago featuring Justin Bieber using a racial slur and One Direction caught a lot of flak when a video discussing them smoking pot broke the surface. (Oh, the humanity!) The result of the 1D-bacle (get it?) was a lot of teenage tears but its unclear if this will be the hurdle that thwarts the snowball that is their popularity. (In the case of Bieber, just throw it on to his stack of terrible.) A member of the group has since publicly apologized. Also, Billboard debuted their first "real time" chart, tracking tweets that use "music" and relevant "#nowplaying", etc. Unsurprisingly, Austin Mahone dominated the debut charting (and I think it's a safe bet that any and all other teen heartthrob related artists will do very well here -- including One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, Ariana Grande, Cody Simpson, etc. etc.). Most upsetting to me was the fact that the chart was promoted ad naseum where else but on Twitter, where it was gleefully stated to be brought to us by Hollister. This world, man.

THE #1's:
Hot 100: IGGY AZALEA (feat. CHARLI XCX) - "Fancy"
Radio Songs: JOHN LEGEND - "All Of Me"
Billboard 200: COLDPLAY - 'Ghost Stories'
Heatseeker Albums: SAM SMITH - 'Nirvana EP'
Heatseeker Songs: KONGOS - "Come With Me Now"
Pop Songs: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - "Not A Bad Thing"
A/C Songs: PHARRELL WILLIAMS - "Happy"
Dance/Electro: DJ SNAKE/LIL JON - "Turn Down For What"
UK Singles: SAM SMITH - "Stay With Me"
Korea KPOP Chart: HIGH4 (feat. IU) - "Not Spring, Love Or Cherry Blossoms"
Japan Hot 100: AKB48 - "Labrador Retriever"
Canada Hot 100: JOHN LEGEND - "All Of Me"
Germany Singles: CRO - "Traum"
France Singles: MILKY CHANCE - "Stolen Dance"

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: FIRST EVER BOOKCON

Happy Sunday! This doesn't have a whole lot to do with music so if you'd like to skip this post now, feel free. However -- for those of you are nerds like me and enjoy reading as well as listening to music, I'm here to dish a little bit about the first annual BookCon event held here in NYC yesterday. 

As a New York City resident, I spent a lot of time on the subway trains, in particular while commuting between my job in Manhattan and my home in Brooklyn. Suffice to say, I read a lot of books.

BookCon is a new off-shoot of the annual BookExpo, re-invented and re-imagined by the same team who puts on the dizzying New York Comic Con every year (I attended last year with the job -- it was insane). It was held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center (which is literally in the middle of nowhere in Hell's Kitchen), the place is 1,800,000 square feet -- it's gigantic. Only half of the showcase floor was open for BookCon (aka for the normal average book-lover who purchased a ticket), the other half was reserved for BookExpo ticket holders (aka trade/industry people, librarians, press, writers, folks who's main job centers around literature), but there was still so many booths (and books) to see and learn about.

In addition to the showcase, which featured all of the major US publishers as well as a ton of indie and self-published authors, there was also a series of panel discussions with authors like Veronica Roth (Divergent) and John Greene (The Fault In Our Stars) -- the latter being the biggest attraction for the younger set. A slew of celebs who have put out or will be soon publishing memoir material were also present, including Jason Segel, Stan Lee, Amy Poehler, Martin Short, Cary Elwes and Danielle Fishel.

We didn't make it to many of the panels due to the sheer number of people present -- plus we were more interested in seeing as much as possible rather than waiting in place for hours on end, as many did. One panel we did get in to featured celebrity chef Mario Batali (complete in neon orange Crocs), talking about his upcoming recipe compilation. 

Me and Danielle Fishel

There was a lot to buy if you were so inclined, but there was a lot of material offered for free. Many of the authors were giving away copies of their book gratis and would sign them personally for you which was really thrilling and a great way to interact with the people who enjoy writing. I waited in line to meet Fishel, of Boy Meets World and now Girl Meets World fame, and Elwes (both actors were a big part of my childhood) and was a little disappointed that neither were offering their material, only autographs and in Fishel's case a photo.

Don't get me wrong -- it was so much fun to meet them in person, but I was looking forward to reading Fishel's upcoming memoir, Normally This Would Be A Cause for Concern, out in September. Instead, she and Elwes provided excerpts from their upcoming pieces (Elwes' is called As You Wish, a memoir about the making of the iconic 'The Princess Bride' film).

The big get was Stephen King's new book, Mr. Mercedes, which will be available in stores on June 3rd, 2014. Only 200 copies were given away at BookCon with five of them signed by King himself. My copy wasn't signed -- but I do have it. King is one of, if not my very most favorite author so you better believe it will be the first book I received from the event I'll be reading.

Here's my impressive list of books I received (all free!) in the order how I plan on devouring them, in case you're considering purchasing your ticket to BookCon next year (FYI, ya'll - it was only $30 and you got all this and probably then some if you really felt like hoarding -- bring a suitcase with you when you go):

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
I'll Love You Forever: Weird Love Tales by April Grey (personally signed)
Worth The Weight by Eileen Palma (personally signed)
Executive Actions by Gary Grossman (personally signed)
Your Perfect Life by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
A Deadly Wandering by Matt Richtel
Sugar Pop Moon by John Florio
Rock Angel by Jeanne Bogino
Grace & The Guiltless by Erin Johnson
I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

And for those who were curious, here's a snap of my imPRESS zipper mani I chose to wear to the event.