WONGIE LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: d.d dumbo - walrus / tropical oceans (npr music field recordings)

d.d dumbo - walrus / tropical oceans (npr music field recordings)
first things first, d.d dumbo (aka oliver hugh perry) is incredible live. with his 12 string guitar, a simple drum set and loops galore, the aussie creates a sound that is totally his own while offering vocals that are just lush. secondly it's taken a few years to put out a debut solo album (this live performance was done back in 2014!) but the wait for 'utopia defeated' is definitely worth it. i wanted to have you check out the live version of d.d dumbo skills first, then enjoy the studio version of his latest awesome single 'walrus' below.

LOVE THIS

d.d dumbo - walrus

WONGIE LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: jack garratt feat little simz - far cry

jack garratt feat little simz - far cry
holy cow this live performance of jack garratt is AMAZING!!! jack gets little simz (who did a remix of her own last month) in on the video and boy her verse is just as stunning. if you don't understand why this guy was easily my fave act of last year, this should give you an idea why. DAMN this is great!

LIVE PERFORMANCE: beyonce - made in america 2015 concert

beyonce - made in america 2015 concert
[please note to watch the video you need to press play twice and close the pop up windows in order to watch]
headlining saturdays evening, beyonce went on stage and gave yet another flawless concert to her fans. though there was a rumor that new material would be premiered at the performance, bey stuck to her catalog of hits and gave her fans exactly what they wanted. it's intoxicating to watch this woman perform! check out her masterclass now (while the video is still up)!

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL LIVE: rhodes - blank space (taylor swift cover) (live @ bbc radio 1 piano sessions)

rhodes - blank space (taylor swift cover) (live @ bbc radio 1 piano sessions)
uk singer/songwriter david rhodes (aka rhodes) goes on bbc radio 1 and gives a seriously yearning cover of taylor swifts hit smash and turns the whole spirit of the song into something quite lonely and desperate. we are definite fans and will post more of him in the coming days, but for now, enjoy this beautiful gem.

WONGIE DISCOVERY: rag'n'bone man - bitter end (live) / hard came the rain

rag'n'bone man - bitter end (live)
um... what just happened? watching rory graham (aka rag'n'bone man) perform this live version of his current single is like discovering chocolate for the first time. i think i may have found my fave male vocalist of the year!!

want more? check out his current single where he rips into the chorus like a mack truck and takes you down with him. awesome! (oh and the video is pretty dramatic too!)

rag'n'bone man - hard came the rain

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL LIVE!: mansionair - hold me down / seasons (waiting on you) (future islands cover) (live @ triple j like a version)

already creating quite a buzz with the indie set over in australia, this sydney three piece recently found themselves talked about over on our side of the pond when the gorgeous 'hold me down' reached #1 on the influential hype machine chart. signed to chvrches label 'goodbye records' in the UK, you'll be hearing ALOT more from these boys in the coming months. first up though, check out these two AMAZING performances they did recently on triple j's like a version show and you'll understand why they are on my radar!

mansionair - hold me down (live @ triple j like a version)
want more? listen to mansionair's cover of the beautiful future islands song 'seasons' below! le sigh!


mansionair - seasons (waiting on you) (future islands cover) (live @ triple j like a version)

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL LIVE!: jessie ware - jealous (labrinth cover) (live @ bbc live lounge)

jessie ware - jealous (labrinth cover) (live @ bbc live lounge)
hot damn! the ever brilliant jessie ware does an excellent cover of labrinth's current ballad (which truth be told, has never left much of an impression... until now!) and even mashes it up with a verse from chaka khan's "through the fire". not much more to say than just press play and enjoy this wonderful wonderful cover.

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL LIVE!: sia - elastic heart (live @ the ellen show)

sia - elastic heart (live @ the ellen show)
another day another sia posting! the elusive pop singer/songwriter went on ellen to perform her current single 'elastic heart' (with maddie ziegler front and center plus a crew of the cutest singing heads!) we heart the song so really, enjoy it again!

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL LIVE: sia - chandelier / elastic heart (live @ snl)

sia once again brings her version of performance art/pop into the mainstream as she flawlessly performed her two hits from her current grammy award nominated album '1000 forms of fear' on snl over the weekend. bringing along a mime (bradley leconey) who sign languages 'chandelier' and once again using her dance muse maddie ziegler (and adult doppelgänger denna thomsen) for 'elastic heart'. honestly, it's all sorts of amazing so press play!


sia - chandelier (live @ snl)



sia - elastic heart (live @ snl)

WONGIE LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: kendrick lamar - i (live @ snl)

kendrick lamar - i (live @ snl)
if you didn't know kendrick before, hopefully saturday's performance on snl would have convinced you that this guy is on a different level in terms of what he brings to the music scene these days. weirdly the studio version doesn't have the intensity as this version, but thank goodness kendrick showcased his massive talents for everyone to see.

check out the studio version below:


kendrick lamar - i

LIVE WONGIE: asgeir - stolen dance (milky chance cover) (live @ triple j like a version)

asgeir - stolen dance (milky chance cover) (live @ triple j like a version)
aw... this is nice! happy weekend y'all!

WEEKEND MIX: laura welsh - bound (cover)

laura welsh - bound (cover)
damn she is good!!! covering a stripped down mash up of the charlie wilson and original by ponderosa twins plus one, this is a gorgeous version that is strictly laura's own. awesome!

wanna hear the original? check it out below!


ponderora twins plus one - bound

WONGIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: jessie j feat ariana grande & nicki minaj - bang bang / (live @ elvis duran)

thanks to hip hop n more for the image

jessie j feat ariana grande & nicki minaj - bang bang
ahead of it's official release tomorrow, here is the bombastic retro flavored pop gal jam launching jessie j's new album with a little help from ariana grande and nicki minaj. rumor has it that the three will be performing this at the MTV VMA's in august, so get to knowing this song now so you can bop along in a months time!

[UPDATE] check out jessie j sing this song INCREDIBLY live on elvis duran's show below:

jessie j - bang bang (live @ elvis duran)

5 SONGS YOU SHOULD KNOW NOW: melanie de biasio - i'm gonna leave you (live @ ancienne belgique)

melanie de biasio - i'm gonna leave you
belgian jazz chanteuse melanie de biasio isn't usually the kind of act that i'd place on my music blog, but this 8 mins performance (of the nina simone classic) is one that initially seems repetitive, but slowly turns into a focused hypnotic emotional work of art. the woman is buzzing in music loving circles and her album 'no deal' is being called one of the albums of the year. wise up to this talent if you haven't already.

WONGIE COVER OF THE WEEK: chet faker - (lover) you don't treat me no good (sonia dada cover @ triple j / like a version)

chet faker - (lover) you don't treat me no good no more (sonia dada cover @ triple j / like a version)
to be honest, i think this hit by chicago songwriter sonia dada may have skipped me altogether back in 1992, but the way chet faker covers it is pretty darn sublime! once again the triple j show 'like a version' proves to be a wonderful source of amazing covers!

wanna hear the original? check it out below:

sonia dada - lover (you don't treat me no good no more)

LIVE WONGIE: sam smith - how will i know (whitney houston cover @ sirius xm)

sam smith - how will i know (whitney houston cover @ sirius xm)
just some yearning for your july 4th weekend. have a good one!

BIG UP!: le1f - wut (live @ late show with david letterman)

le1f - wut (live @ late show with david letterman)
it was a BIG night for queer hip hop as le1f brought his two year old jam to the national arena. how cool is that?

WONGIE BALLAD OF THE WEEK: lea michele - battlefield

lea michele - battlefield
THIS is more like it! even though alot was buzzed about lea's first release 'cannonball' a few weeks back, i kind of felt 'meh' about the song (which i have a suspicion that i wasn't the only one since the song kind of did nothing on the charts) but this heartbreaking sia penned ballad is solid and definitely on repeat! nice one.  

want more? check out lea as she performs 'cannonball' on the ellen show:

lea michele - cannonball (live @ the ellen show)

COOL MIX: childish gambino - 3005

childish gambino - 3005
not sure why donald glover and co won't release official videos outside of the US for you to check out, cause it's a fine number for the masses. so all i can give you is a live version from jimmy kimmel that is just as cool though!

LIVE PERFORMANCE: lady gaga - venus & do what u want (live @ xfactor uk) / venus (audio premiere)

lady gaga - venus & do what u want (live @ xfactor uk)
gaga went on xfactor uk on sunday night and world premiered her self penned/self produced kooky track 'venus' to the world. though i'm not too crazy about the song, i am VERY crazy about the level of energy and skill the woman puts into her live performances. while watching her do her current single 'do what u want', i realized that NONE of the current pop divas can command the stage completely alone. so for that feat alone, gaga is the queen.

wanna hear what the studio version of the song sounds like?:

lady gaga - venus