Tarra Dei pop quiz

Due to some difficulties this did not post on Friday as scheduled.  Things are back on track.  Apologies to Tarra Dei.  No less enjoyable today, though.  Read on.

Tarra Dei is a New Jersey pop artist who’s debut album, Loved, is one of the first two CDs I reviewed to kick-off the feature LTR (Long Term Review) here at popolio last month.  Read the review here.  Now, that the pressure’s off , she can have fun with our pop quiz.   She’s up-and-coming and so are we, so we relate.

June 5, 2009

Name:   Tarra Dei
Genre:   Pop
Latest Release:  Loved (API Records)
Release Date:   March 3, 2009

This, That, or the Other
1. Underground OR Mainstream? Mainstream
2. Maintain Artistic Integrity and Vision OR Make a lot of Money? (or both)?? I think a little of both would be perfect!
3. Studio or Stage? Stage!
4. Spirituality or Hedonism? Spirituality takes you further in life
5. Make Love, Have Sex, OR %$*!? Make Love

Fill in the Blank
6. Music is my boyfriend.
7. I’m musically inspired by the experimental sounds of the ‘80s.
8. My favorite old school joint is “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode.
9. If I was a super hero I’d be Super Anxiety Girl.
10. Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll should change to Love, Pharmaceuticals, and Pop.

Short Answer
11. I make music because: I can’t live without it.
12. I want my fans to: Identify with my lyrics.
13. If I could share one thing about myself it would be: I am the most uncultured cultured person you will ever meet, and I will make you laugh so hard that you might wet yourself…
14. Wild Card!  If I had to choose between being blind and deaf, I’d rather be blind, because I could never live in a world without sound.
15. I want my musical legacy to be: If I can inspire one person with something that I wrote… that’s legacy enough for me.

Listen to Tarra Dei’s “Here We Go”  from her debut release, Loved.  Check out her official site for more.

Tarra Dei’s favorite old school joint!

 

Letter from the Editor

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 8:02 PM

To Whom It May Concern:

Well, I’m in the middle of a few things, so I’m going to make this quick.  Seems like the last 2 weeks of the month are always the busiest.  Maybe, that’s because I started putting off MY TOP 10 these last few months.  Seriously, though, I like to come up with a good idea for it and I’ve started to think it’s nice to end the month with it.

So, what did May 2009 bring? I introduced 2 NEW FEATURES this month.  LTR (Long Term Review) and Questions for.   LTR expands on Single and Listening — instead of reviewing singles, I’ll be reviewing whole CDs in single posts using the same 5 musical note scale.  Questions for expounds on pop quiz.  It just allows for more timely, individualized, and random responses. 

LTR was a double-dose in one week to kick things off with El Paso Artist Aux.78’s (who’s been previously featured in a pop quiz here) A Worn Ballad and Loved by Tarra Dei from New Jersey.   It was our first time featuring her in any capacity and this was the first EVER review of her debut album, which I was not aware of.  So, it’s exciting that I was the first to review it.

Questions for kicked of with Miz Metro from NYC just last Friday.  A BONUS is coming this Friday and I’ll be posting another next Friday.   But, actually, something has come up TODAY and I’ll be posting a 2-parter (20 Questions for) tomorrow and Thursday.  More on that as it develops.  Stay tuned.  It’s fun and it’s worth your while.  At least I think so.  So, it’s 2 BONUSES of Questions for this month.  And, no worries, love Single and Listenings and pop quizzes, so those WILL continue  (Levi Kreis’ pop quiz was the first for this month and the next is coming this Friday).

Working on some things for next week that might pop-off (yeah, ashamedly, I admit I’ve watched Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club).  Not definite, now, but, hopefully, things will work out.  The latest MY TOP 10 is coming for sure.

Lastly, J. Dub has created the 2009 Mandrake Arts & Media Listener Survey.  So, if you frequent popolio or any of the other Mandrake Arts & Media sites – Mandrake Society Radio and/or Mandrake FM – this will help us improve our content and bring new things that are relevant to our audiences (That means, you!).  So, please take 10 minutes to take the survey here.

Yeah, I said quick.  Go figure.

8:22 PM

peace, love & all that jazz

Freddie Rodriguez aka freddie beat 
popolio creator/editor

 

LTR (Long Term Review): Tarra Dei’s Loved

So, here’s the second EVER Edition of NEW FEATURE LTR (Long Term Review).  Kickin’ it off this week with not 1, but 2 reviews.  Check out the first  review of El Paso, TX artist, Aux.78′s, A Worn Ballad, originally posted on Tuesday just below this post.  This is a review of Tarra Dei’s Loved.   She’s  a new artist to popolio.  So, check it out!                                                                                                               

LTR (Long Term Review)
Full Release Review

♪	all over the place
♫	carries a tune
♫♪	part of the chorus
♫♫	featured soloist
♫♫♪	conducting the choir

Tarra Dei Loved
Released:  March 3, 2009

Tarra Dei’s got a sweet voice that echoes the possibility and potential of past dance/techno/pop princess, Cathy Dennis, and more current pop diva, Kylie Minogue.  Loved gets an “A” for effort, but the material isn’t quite at those heights.  Dei co-wrote each of the 8 tracks (and 2 remixes) and lyrically she’s got a nice pop sensibility.  Musically, the songs are similar enough that they create one sound, which isn’t a bad thing, but, they sound so similar that individual songs struggle to shine through.

“You Were Loved” is a melodious reflection on past love with a sweet guitar riff and accompanying chorus.  It’s one of those you’ll sing along to again and again.  “New Year” is a clever take on new love that opens with a nice cello introduction and contains a playful interplay between Dei’s lead and backing vocals.  “Call Me” is a flirty sing-song talky number about sitting by the phone waiting for that call (you know the one).

Loved has a bit of a retro feel (I’d say a fusion of 80s and 90s), which I don’t mind.  It even includes the requisite guest rapper with Pappa Doe appearing on “Flow” and “Cosmic.”  He does a decent job, but for the next effort I’d speed up the beats, focus less on the rap, and really take it to the clubs.  That voice has “dance diva” written all over it. ♫♪^1/2

Standout Track:  “New Year”
Check Out:  “Flow,” “Cosmic,” and “Call Me” (James Bratton Remix)

 

Tuesday Tease

March 3, 2009

A popolio selection of today’s New Releases.

Neko Case	Middle Cyclone
Tarra Dei	Loved
Molly Jenson	Maybe Tomorrow
Lunatica	New Shores
Buddy & Julie Miller	Written In Chalk
Say Hi	Oohs & Aahs
U2	No Line On The Horizon
U-Cef	Halalwood
Watchmen	Original Motion Picture Score by Tyler Bates
Watchmen	Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Wild Light	Adult Nights
Alif Wood	Clockwork