CARMICHEAL
On The Neo Soul Train
Singer, songwriter and producer Carmichael discovered his passion for music when he started playing with his little sister’s Casio keyboard as a teenager in Birmingham, Alabama. He attributes his love and obsession for ‘real’ music to waking up every morning to his dad blaring tracks of artists like Al Green, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. He had sent his demo to super  producer Manual Seal of So So Def Records and was immediately signed to Seal’s newly formed record label. So Carmichael left school behind during his junior year and moved to Atlanta to pursue his dream. He has worked with Grammy Award winners Tony Rich, Joe Rich and Peter Moore in various aspects. In 2004, he sang background vocals on Tony Rich’s Live DVD recording. During his early years in Atlanta he worked with a then unknown Pink whilst she was a member of the girl group Choice, writing songs and providing musical direction.
Carmichael has released three full-length albums independently. The first studio album entitled ‘You Can’t Break Me' (2003) was followed by ‘All About Love’ (with tracks like ‘Angel In The Sky’ & ‘I Want You’) in 2008. His brand new double disc joint ‘Fantasy Rain’ (released in the UK and USA) is currently doing the rounds on the underground circuit. The set includes a duet with Nadine Charles entitled ‘Eternally’. Right now, Carmicheal is working on some Funky House remixes, some Reggae tracks and writing with some of the UK’s finest up-and-coming artists including Chidi, Brooke Bailey, Bashiyra and Floetic Lara. His management team is based in London hence he launched his latest album there. Watch out for his two new videos which are on rotation on Youtube: ‘Every Morning’ and ‘The Most Beautiful’.
STACIE ORRICO
The US Neo Soul Star
Stacie Orrico made her music industry debut aged twelve and recorded the hit album ‘Genuine’ which, went Gold in the Christian music market. Promptly signed by Virgin a couple of years later, she was transformed into the latest Pop princess with two massive hits ‘(There’s Gotta  Be) More To Life’ and ‘Stuck’ off the back of a successful 3.4 million selling album. However, the pressures and demands of the industry at such a young age had a detrimental effect on the teenager that saw her run into a few personal problems including an eating disorder. At this low state, there was no real alternative but to totally withdraw from the industry. She settled back into ‘normal’ family life and eventually moved to LA to be with her sister. Her musical taste buds were re-ignited and she started song-writing embarking on recording the sophomore set ‘Beautiful Awakening’.
THAT WAS WELL OVER TWO YEARS AGO…!! And, guess what? After two years of, as far as I’m aware, virtually no air-play in the UK, recently ‘deejays in the know’ have picked up on this outstanding album and is rinsing the hell out of the Neo Soul magnum opus of ‘Take Me Away’. My favourite track is ‘I Can’t Give It Up’…. and, can you believe it, I remember introducing this cut to someone and he has now turned round and cheekily asked if I knew who sang ‘Take Me Away’! Anyway…, just to gloat a little more… I’ve decided to post this article up here as Stacie truly deserves some more recognition and I’m hoping by doing this that one of the major labels will give this set a re-release…!! Check the internet, try and find this album and enjoy..!! MCS
ANGIE STONE
Neo Soul Sista Number One
Ever since her breakthrough on the fertile R&B scene in 1997 when she teamed up with Devox on ‘Everyday’ (a smooth sophisticated Rare Groove styled song she co-wrote with D’Angelo that featured on the Money Talks soundtrack), one distinctively knew that this classy lady had  Soul! Around the same time, the maestro D’Angelo was kicking up a storm with the track ‘Brown Sugar’ and of course, our fascination grew intensely when rumour had it that he was talking about his Soul Sista, Angie. By the time she dropped her debut album ‘Black Diamond’ in 1999 (containing the aforementioned track plus the magnum opus ‘No More Rain’), we sensed that we were witnessing an R&B evolution as during that time, there came a sudden influx of Rare Groove artisans who took their music back to the old school where smooth melodies driven by live instruments were key. Justifiably, all eyes were firmly fixed on the Lady of Soul when she released her compelling sophomore set ‘Mahogany Soul’ in 2001, unquestionably the ‘album of that year’. Joints like ‘Mad Issues’, ‘Brotha’ and ‘Snowflakes’ expressly became standards in what was then being moulded as Nu Skool, yet another Soul sub-genre that catered for the needs the connoisseur requiring a fresher approach to their music.
The Nu Skool persuasion morphed into Nu Soul and then Neo Soul as it is now readily referred to and there is none better to represent the coolest output of R&B than Angie Stone! And whilst most may have exhausted their limited scope when it comes to producing fine music, into 2010, the Neo Soul Sista Number One has just got started as she flings down her umpteenth set with a vengeance! The consummate and brightly polished ‘Unexpected’ is as good as it gets conjuring up sweet dreams of long summery days, the gentle rush of fresh sea breeze, champagne on ice and all that finesse. Yes, this is the kind of enchanting music that I love to kick back to and so should you! What? Haven’t you got the album??
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