Teedra Moses

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I think "Be Your Girl" has the same piano sample as "One on One" by Nas and Large Professor. Its a great mournful piano trick.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 07:00 (nineteen years ago) link

It's an odd choice for a single, for sure

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 07:18 (nineteen years ago) link

I got this album a month ago for $7. I knew when I saw the gorgeous video for "Be Your Girl" that the album was gonna be just as hot. "Last Day" and "Be Your Girl" are pure ear candy.

― kevin says relax (daddy warbuxx), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 07:51 (nineteen years ago) link

More thoughts here, though it's hard to top Matt who nailed it so damn perfectly on his article linked above.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Saturday, 13 November 2004 10:32 (nineteen years ago) link

(hey nice to see skykicking back up again tim)

― jones (actual), Saturday, 13 November 2004 18:37 (nineteen years ago) link

I love the way the title track celebrates dancing and drinking and getting your party on while sounding a million miles from a song you'd dance, drink and get your party on to.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:53 (nineteen years ago) link

I still haven't marshalled my thoughts about this fucking amazing work into any semblance of order yet, but "Caution" needs to be mentioned, especially that wonderful image of 'red hot scowling'. Teedra's voice has this unbelievable clarity to it.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 10:09 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm glad you like it Alex.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 10:30 (nineteen years ago) link

"Teedra's voice has this unbelievable clarity to it."

Yeah this is spot on. It combines with her unusually vivid and visual lyrics to make her songs seem very filmic; and then Paul Poli's production is so frequently cinematic. My favourite line may still be the one that Matt quotes in his article from "Backstroke": "picture me in one of those two-seater things, top down so thoughts of you are in the breeze, and the wind, and the wind, and the wind is in my hair..."

But I also love the opening lines in "For A Lifetime": "you give and you give, but you never seem to get back in return/what you give, till your heart's a thirsty third-degree burns."

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 10:56 (nineteen years ago) link

Something else which really stands out about the album is how sparse it sounds at first listen - really, it's just that stark, clear voice and a beat, and maybe one sample, pushed forward in the mix. But there are so many interesting things going on in the background! And this combines with your point about Teedra's lyrics - because the voice is so upfront (and because she avoids melisma, and makes a point of enunciating every word), the listener is forced to engage with exactly what she's saying.

All of this is in contrast to the sophisticated, slightly hazy, evening-dress-and-glass-of-wine image which Teedra projects. The effect is rather like Sade brought suddenly into really sharp focus.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 11:09 (nineteen years ago) link

"And this combines with your point about Teedra's lyrics - because the voice is so upfront (and because she avoids melisma, and makes a point of enunciating every word), the listener is forced to engage with exactly what she's saying."

OTM. I knew you would like this album Alex. It engages the same pleasure receptors in my brains as are engaged by all the stuff we both like.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 12:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Haha the Teedra Moses/Stina Nordenstam connection! (That's not even a joke, they both share a very... crystalline quality.)

It's why I bought it actually, the things you said you liked about it are the same things that are present in everything we both like.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 12:28 (nineteen years ago) link

two months pass...

Just listening to this now. Only up to track 4 so far. 'Backstroke' stands out a mile. What a wonderful track, sonically and emotionally.

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:56 (nineteen years ago) link

same here alba. just caught on yesterday based on the albums poll. what an impressive album. usually the combined weight of 4 minute tracks wears my ears down, but not here...

― john'n'chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2005 20:02 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm really glad you both like this!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 January 2005 20:07 (nineteen years ago) link

I love it. A fine album.

― .ada.m. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 January 2005 20:11 (nineteen years ago) link

i love the "daddy, i'm too cute to fight, you better get that bitch told tonight" line.

also, may i suggest rashaan patterson's After Hours, specifically "So Hot", which i've said elsewhere is the best thing i've heard so far this year.

― john'n'chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2005 22:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Will do - thanks. (It's Rahsaan, not Rashaan, I've discovered)

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 20 January 2005 22:46 (nineteen years ago) link

wow. i'm an idiot. i need to correct the thread i started about the guy.

also, i couldn't get teedra out of my head last night, esp. the title track.

― john'n'chiago, Friday, 21 January 2005 15:57 (nineteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I think "Be Your Girl" has the same piano sample as "One on One" by Nas

saw the video on tv today and, yeah, it does. anyone know just where the sample's from though?

― jermaine, Saturday, 26 February 2005 13:50 (nineteen years ago) link

Ahmad Jamal's The Awakening, apparently.

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 26 February 2005 14:04 (nineteen years ago) link

three months pass...

I might be interviewing Teedra tomorrow!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 09:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Sweet!

― Negativa, True Believer (You know you love it when I'm dressed in drag) (Barima), Thursday, 2 June 2005 09:38 (eighteen years ago) link

who for? i'd be interested to read it.

― stelfox, Thursday, 2 June 2005 09:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Plan B

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 09:46 (eighteen years ago) link

I haven't done an interview in about a YEAR. I am actually a little nervous. About two weeks ago I had a daydream about interviewing Teedra, during which I came up with lots of interesting and awesome questions. Needless to say I can remember none of them now.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 09:48 (eighteen years ago) link

Take her shopping! That could help.

― Negativa, True Believer (You know you love it when I'm dressed in drag) (Barima), Thursday, 2 June 2005 09:50 (eighteen years ago) link

I think I get vv limited time with her, I am not sure if this makes it worse or better (ans: worse)

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 09:52 (eighteen years ago) link

Ask her for a new album post haste. Tell her she and Kiley should team up and lay the smackdown on Whitney and Mariah. Ask her if she danced in the 'Dip It Low' vid and tell her she has fabulous taste in outfits.

― Negativa, True Believer (You know you love it when I'm dressed in drag) (Barima), Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:24 (eighteen years ago) link

i love the be your girl single, but as for the rest of the album, it seemed pretty below-par. nice voice, just not that great songs. she sings what seems like the same melody song after song.

― ppp, Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:26 (eighteen years ago) link

they're really slow burners. the title track is one of my favourite songs ever, I think.

the cover of the UK release of the album is diffeent to the import I bought, I worry that this means BONUS TRACKS.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:31 (eighteen years ago) link

It does. I used iTunes to merge the tracklistings, though I still don't think I've completed either edition.

― Negativa, True Believer (You know you love it when I'm dressed in drag) (Barima), Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:37 (eighteen years ago) link

i don't understand why outta my head isn't a massive favourite here. it's a great track

― stelfox, Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:37 (eighteen years ago) link

well, slow burners maybe, or maybe theyre just not that great, actually. they dont seem particularly well written, theyre just listenable i find cos she has a nice voice. im selling my cd on ebay. its like a lot of R&B albums, one or two great songs, the rest is filler. i was hoping for better from her.

― ppp, Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:43 (eighteen years ago) link

the Outta My Head/Complex Simplicity/For A Lifetime triptych is the peak of the album for me, a really incredible triple emotional blow.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:43 (eighteen years ago) link

i'd absolutely agree there.
something about last day really gets to me, too, though.

― stelfox, Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:48 (eighteen years ago) link

I love the way it unwinds so...gracefully. there's so much relief there, like she's realised what the key to life is and can relax now.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:52 (eighteen years ago) link

i cant believe you guys are rhapsodising over teedra and yet noone on ILM is talking about the new mariah album. now THAT album is tremendous.

― ppp, Thursday, 2 June 2005 10:58 (eighteen years ago) link

I would really like to hear the nouvelle Mariah, I love the single and the title.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 2 June 2005 11:05 (eighteen years ago) link

seriously, its SO brilliant. the best R&B album of the year in my opinion. shes really outdone herself. the bridge on the single its like that is sublime. you have to hear we belong together and circles.

― ppp, Thursday, 2 June 2005 11:11 (eighteen years ago) link

I think the new Mariah is great but so is teedra! Hardly *Just* about the voice for me. "Backstroke" is my favorite track.

― deej., Thursday, 2 June 2005 12:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Teedra is lovely, and very very small.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 3 June 2005 13:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh shit, did you ask her if she'll marry me?

― BARMS, Friday, 3 June 2005 13:18 (eighteen years ago) link

she is very pretty. she looks lovely.

― ppp, Friday, 3 June 2005 13:21 (eighteen years ago) link

PPP, listen to the section from "You Better Tell Her" through to "Last Day" again. I find the charge of weak songs quite surprising, esp. as if anything I'd probably consider "Be Your Girl" to be one of the weaker tracks on that score (relatively - this was my equal fave album from last year so all such distinctions are pretty pedantic).

Lex is OTM about the title track (occupies the same place in my heart), but yeah, I adore "Outta My Head" as well, and I like the way that on that portion of the album every song sounds like a massive switch-up after the previous one.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 3 June 2005 13:30 (eighteen years ago) link

I didn't I'm afraid Barima. We talked about the impossibility of finding decent jewellery in Camden (she was confused about this before I informed her that Camden is the hellhole of London), the last fight she got in, and she gave me a sneak preview of this song she's writing called 'The Whole World Is A Ghetto'. She's really sweet and very thoughtful, and she wore these amazing red-tinted shades throughout.

I kind of need better dictaphone skills, though.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 3 June 2005 13:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I got 25mins in the end which was excellent!

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 3 June 2005 13:34 (eighteen years ago) link

i'll look fwd to reading this and, yeah, the mariah album is fabulous, too.

― stelf)xxx, Friday, 3 June 2005 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link

i like it less than teedra, tho.

― stelf)xxx, Friday, 3 June 2005 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link

unbelievably given her lyrics she said she "doesn't intend to be poetical", and is amazed/flattered that people keep telling her that she is...

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 3 June 2005 13:47 (eighteen years ago) link

Skipping 176 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

They're calling her Friday May 8 show in DC an album release gig

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 6 May 2015 13:44 (eight years ago) link

two months pass...

album will be out 7 aug

it is really lovely

― lex pretend, Monday, 20 July 2015 21:25 (eight years ago) link

thanks

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 23 July 2015 14:57 (eight years ago) link

four months pass...

she just posted a new mixtape: https://soundcloud.com/teedramoses/sets/clairvoyant-the-mixtape

― How to Destroy How to Dress Well (lou), Friday, 18 December 2015 07:49 (eight years ago) link

Waaaaait. How did I miss that she put out a new album?!

― Some Pizza Grudge From Twenty Years Ago (Old Lunch), Friday, 18 December 2015 13:48 (eight years ago) link

three months pass...

Waaaaait. How did I forget that I missed that she put out a new album?!

And how do I always forget how amazing Complex Simplicity is?

― My Whole Existence Is Flan (Old Lunch), Thursday, 7 April 2016 17:40 (eight years ago) link

three years pass...

15th anniversary edition of Complex Simplicity is out, with some added tracks. It’s on Spotify as well, from where the original album has been absent for a long time, at least where I live.
https://ratedrnb.com/2019/09/teedra-moses-releases-15th-anniversary-edition-of-complex-simplicity/

She’s doing a tour in the US right now and will also be doing a couple of shows in the UK in February.

― breastcrawl, Sunday, 29 September 2019 10:03 (four years ago) link

one year passes...

honestly found it hard to get enthusiastic about most of her post-complex simplicity material but "make me" appeared in my release radar this morning and sounds great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKtUAiQwO_g

― monotony, Friday, 7 May 2021 00:05 (two years ago) link

one year passes...

Is it possible for one of the OG teedra fans to please re-up her "young hustla vol 1-3" series? I've been looking online forever, all the links are decayed. I'd appreciate it.

― Ibadan, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 02:51 (one year ago) link

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