This Sistah Here Can Sang!: Presenting Avery*Sunshine

You know, I always say that the very best music cannot be found on mainstream radio, or even on the top ten charts, but reside somewhere off the beaten path, sometimes out of an open window, sometimes in a small smoky room, sometimes at some obscure, small town soul food festival, sometimes sitting on a blanket in a park on a lazy Sunday afternoon armed only with a beautiful smile, dimples, and an acoustic guitar.

Good music sometimes sounds best when it surprises you, grabs you, and demands that you sit and listen.

And as of late, my main man Dewan of Soul Reservoir and I have been on a mission to find these hidden jewels and bring them to you.  We complain about the lack of quality music, but we often overlook that which is right there within earshot.

Take this sistah here out of Pennsylvania, Avery*Sunshine, that Dewan pulled my coat to.  So, I’m sitting here listening to a few cuts she is offering as downloads on her site, and scrolling through the picture gallery, and I thanks to myself, “Dang, girl child.”  And you know when I cease thinking and begin thanking, I usually end up in some kind of trouble.  But that sultry, soulful voice coupled with those looks and a personality that shines through even in photographs, even on stage is where the whole concept of soul begins.

Her musical journey has taken her from the church to the stage, even to a number of private performances during President Obama’s inaugural celebrations.  On her first CD which is due out soon, she states that she sings about the possibilities of being a single woman and the promise of God.

But anyway, check out the cuts embedded below, let me know what you think, and throw your full support behind this sister’s career.  And one day when you are driving down the street with her beautiful voice serenading you, and in that brief moment in which everything seems just right in your world, remember that the soulbrother told you so.

Avery*Sunshine Homepage

Avery*Sunshine MySpace

Avery*Sunshine on ReverbNation 

Really, George Rekers, Really?: Just Give Us the Straight Story about the Whole Rentboy Debacle

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The Writing Lesson; or, My Exquisite First Lie: A Short Narrative by Max Reddick for My Mother on Mother’s Day

You know, I owe my mother so much.  In a number of ways, she is most responsible for the man I have become.  At least, all the positive stuff.  My mother gave me so many things and taught me so many more.  However, there is one lesson that stands out in particular.

You see, in the very beginning it was just me and my mother.  She and my natural father separated soon after I was born.  And between then and the time she met and married the right Reverend L.G. Reddick, I was being raised by committee in a very rural area of West Tennessee with my mother and maternal grandmother being the co-chairpersons of that committee.

The Chronicles of Max Reddick #1: #housemackfail

This one goes out to all the young and up-and-coming housemacks, those who put in work at the crib on the daily.  I want to give you this advice and leave you with this lesson so that what happened to me does not happen to you.

So, my wife and I were in the bathroom getting ready for work, and as our custom, we had this deep philosophical conversation going on.  And that’s not unusual because often we’ll debate the same subject for days.  But this morning she made the mistake of re-hashing old material so I found myself losing interest until finally I turned my attention to the television.

Because I’m (Sometimes) Immature: My Chick Bad GLEE AUDITION (NSFW)

Original video Ludacris My Chick Bad remix ft. Diamond, Trina, and Eve  

God’s Law, Man’s Law, or Just a Cynical Attempt to Change the Political Trajectory in Arizona: Why the Constitutionality of Arizona State Senate Bill 1070 Does Not Matter

Yesterday the spring semester ended for me, and I spent the first day of summer idleness reading Arizona State Senate Bill 1070, the notorious “show me your papers” immigration bill.  And I read the whole thing too, not just the naughty bits. 

Book Review: Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden

Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden

I have waited a while for a book like this one. Quite a while. Sometimes when you read texts for a living, the pure joy of reading, the ecstasy of wallowing fully and wholly in the language of the text is crushed by a cinderblock of deadlines and expectations.