BGV - Etta Bond and Raf Riley

This post will mean I have 2 Odd Child related posts in a row now. Don't blame me for the lack of variety. The music world hasn't been doing much worth blogging about except Magna Carta but I was too busy at the time and now the moment has passed to write about it. Plus you should know by now Odd Child tend to be a reoccurring theme in this blog because they're doing something that music desperately needs so obviously I'm going to be celebrating that. So yeah, lemme just force down another slice of them down your throat :D

There is a good chance you might have seen the #BVG hashtag bouncing around on Insta and Twitter recently. Attached to it you will see pictures upon pictures of beautiful human beings, rightly so, celebrating the skin they're in. This was all at the hands of the amazing Miss Etta Bond - my favourite oxymoron (yeah I said it again and I'll keep on saying it! Refer to previous Odd Child posts to find out what the hell I'm on about). 

Everything surrounding Raf and Etta's new track, Big Girls Vouge, promotes self worth which makes the track double exciting for me because I have a (slightly ambitious - but that's not a bad thing) vision that self worth can change the world. I'd go on but we'd be here for hours so back to the track...

They've switched up the sound a bit, but at the same time that makes no sense in the context of Etta and Raf because they don't really have a "sound". They're "sound" is anything and everything because on whatever they put out, it's their fresh and edgy energy that they flavour the tracks with which make it identifiable as their works of art. They don't need a single "sound" because they don't run with labels and they definitely aren't confined in any boxes - they do whatever they want, but most importantly they do it really really really really really well. 

 It's a track that makes you wanna dance like no one is watching and sing along like no one is listening. It is so fierce but so fun at the same time. It's not rebellious because rebellion would mean that it's breaking the rules - there are no rules when it comes to beauty. But it's fierce in that it's belly bouncing (no abs just rolls) all of societies norms out the arena and filling it with a new attitude of loving you for you and ripping up that "thinspiration" picture stuck to your fridge. What's even better is that the message doesn't come as cheesy - #NoCheddarJustRafAndEtta - which is a sigh of relief because a lot of songs have shared this theme but the message in the bottle came at us washed up from a sea of cottage cheese. The song is great, but the message is greater and that's what takes centre stage with this release.

The video, directed by Jeremy Cole, contributed to the entertainment factor bringing a fun and funky visual to the screen. Every element has been balanced just right with this creation. The real art to this song is that it's not just a song, it's a statement.

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London and Lunch With Labrinth

I don't usually post about my life on this, seeing as it's a music blog and my life is not interesting. But seeing as Tuesday was linked to music and actually quite interesting and there are loads of people that have asked me what went down, I thought I'd blog about it.

In case you haven't noticed I'm still gassed.

Sorry this post comes so late - Wednesday and Thursday I was chucked back down to earth and busy doing real-life-rhea type things which I assure you are not quite as fun as being part of the Odd Child crew for a few hours. It didn't help that Nottingham had the gloomiest day on Wednesday - just to make that smack down to earth sting a little more -_-

But anyway back to Tuesday. Literally getting on our 7:10 coach (yeah you don't wanna know what time I had to set my alarm for) at 7:09:58, we sat at the only seats left at the back of the coach, which I niavely thought were the best seats until I realised they were right next to the toilet with the door that didn't even lock. (You don't wanna know about this experience either)

3 hours later we got off at Marble Arch and from there walked round most of Central London and gave James, the London Virgin, the full tourist experience. Oxford street was naturally the first stop and we (the girls + James' ear) decided to get photoshoot phreshhhhhh in the Topshop photobooth (don't watch me in the top right).

Later the crew split ways when I dragged Sophie along with me to Woodgreen to hit MOSAICA, Labrinth's qwerky?/querky? (basically I mean cool) little restaurant, and sat munching on the nicest bread ever while we waited for Etta, Raf, Labrinth and the rest of the Odd Child team.

I managed not to cry or make myself look like too much of a weirdo which comes as a surprise as you all know I love me some Odd Children (I realise that sounds slightly dodgy after a proof read but you know what I mean so shush innit). All I do is hail my favourite personified oxymoron Etta - the beauty with the purest voice but ratchet lyrics - and her partner in crime Mr Riley - who is hot but, as discovered at the lunch, has a hairy chest which could have potentially lost him a couple of cool points, however I will let him off because:

1. he doesn't give a FFFFFFF-alafel about my opinion so it makes no difference
2.  he provides us with that god damn goodness when he lets loose on what he calls "gangsta beats" and evidently are.

(If you wanna know more about 2 of my favourite ARTists check out my previous posts on 'Inside My Head' and 'Resolve').

So basically yeah it was friggin fandabydosy. The whole team is just as cool as they seem. They made us feel like part of the crew and were just as normal as *enter something normal here because I couldn't think of an effective similie*.

It was an afternoon of nice food in plates bigger than me, crushing Labrinth's hype when I told him the whole Nottingham-Robin-Hood thing just "isn't that deep", laughs, laughing and more laughter, Marc interrogating me about future plans in life, me getting more gassed when Etta said she loved the bracelet I made and wanted one herself and then getting even, more gassed when Etta and Raf took us up to the studio and we got to hear some exclusives from their upcoming EP following from Emergency Room (which you should already be hyped about but I can now confirm you definitely should be!). 

The day was an inspiration - these people were living/working towards their dream and the good energy was present all over the house - #NoSkeptaJustOddChild - and that alone left me a lot to think about. 

I'm really thankful for the experience, not just as a fan, but as someone who has been left in awe of them all. A real and seriously nice guy (Mr Marc Williams who just oozes that big-daddy-gentle-father-figure persona) leading a team of  real and seriously nice people (the artists and the assistants all of which are genuinely lovely and talented individuals).
With even just my slight insight into the type of people they all are, there is no wonder as to why this team already do have, and are going to have even more, success and I'm really happy I can say I have met them and have been a supporter from day one!

After we said our goodbyes, we met up back up with the rest of the guys in Camden and rolled round the markets, had some cwaaarrfee (that's supposed to be Coffee in a NY accent btw) by the canal, got attacked by a pigeon in Victoria Coach Station and hated myself for not being rich enough to avoid the pigeon attack and afford a train home and then loving my life again as I near enough wet myself on the funniest coach ride back with my bubbas.

I'd elaborate on the coach ride back, but I think it's best it's left between us so seeing as there isn't really much else to say here, I'll just leave you a picture of us looking peng :D

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Etta Bond & Raf Riley - RESOLVE

Before I start: GET THEIR EMERGENCY ROOM EP. When it first dropped in July, it was free, but "ya snooze, ya loose", and now you'll have to pay iTunes 6.32 - which is still a bargain. But, if Christmas rinsed your wallet, then at least have a listen on Spotify here. Either way, when you hear it you'll feel the need to at least sent Etta and Raf a thank you card.

But anyway, they dropped their second visual from the EP, Resolve, which I guess, follows on from Boring Bitches as the kick-back-and-relax-track is all about nursing the hangover...probably one of the most relevant tracks to drop in the first mornings of 2013.

Etta and Raf are definitely ones to watch. Under Labrinth's Odd Child label, they both have the raw and edgy talent that music is missing right now. Etta's vocals are stunning and gentle but with her naughty girl image and gritty lyrics she manages to intrigue you further - she's like Rihanna meets...I don't yet have a name to finish this sentence, but this is what I mean - she's different (which is good). Then we have Raf's beats. Raf also brings something new to the table, he definitely is a producer set to make waves. The Emergency Room EP demonstrates he isn't just a one trick pony and can produce a range of different beats, but still have that signature hint of Raf in them. I can't yet put my finger on what it is he does, that pleases my ears so much.

With a great song comes great visuals, Reuben Dangoor, who is also responsible for the Emergency Room artwork, directed the video and did a great job on matching the video to the vibe of the song.

ps. while your here, you might as well find out more about Odd Child and check out there 'Oddumentry' (I promise that you'll giggle)

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