Avail Hollywood #10 New Generation (New Album Alert!)Daddy B. Nice's #10 ranked Southern Soul Artist |
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"Girl You Bad " Avail Hollywood #10 New Generation (New Album Alert!) October 25, 2022: NEW ALBUM ALERT!:Buy Avail Hollywood's new Loves, Lies & Loyalty album at Blues Critic.LOVE, LIES & LOYALTY TRACK LIST:1. Love, Lies, Loyalty Intro2. I Had To Lie 3. Be Careful 4. Hallelujah & Amen 5. Nothing Like An Older Woman 6. You Changed My Life 7. I Gotta Stop Drinking 8. Beautiful Sex (feat. Methrone) 9. A Lil' Of You Is Better Than None Daddy B. Nice notes:"I Had To Lie" charted at #6 in Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 Singles for September 2022.******************** 6. "I Had To Lie"------Avail Hollywood Ms. Jody did a song called "I Had To Lie" and this song by Avail Hollywood is almost as charming, with additional elements to recommend it: Avail's vocal, a superb arrangement, scintillating production, and that super-tasty lead guitar used on 2021's Best Mid-Tempo Song "Dukes & Boots". Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "I Had To Lie" on YouTube ******************** "Be Careful" is the other major song of the set. Released as a single this past summer, I could find no oharting or commentary on it in my Top 10 Singles or Top 40 Singles, meaning I either didn't think it had hit potential or simply missed it. "Be Careful" has a slow, languid tempo---possibly a reason for overlooking it---but in every other respect the ballad is first-rate, with a pristine instrumental track and typical, make-the-women-swoon, Hollywood vocal. Christopher Estell (aka Avail) has a style as powerful as the tides. Of course, no Avail Hollywood album would be complete without his trademark theme, a "drinking-slash-wasted" song, and on LOVES, LIES & LOYALTY it's "I Gotta Stop Drinking," complete with the signature horn phrase from the chorus that's been the backbone of "Drinking Again" and "Wasted" and their previously-recorded iterations. "Beautiful Sex" with Methrone is in the same vein, slow and bedroom-ready. All in all, this is a prototypical Avail Hollywood album, perhaps not as cutting-edge as BLACK LOCOMOTIVE but just as swinging, and executed with sophistication, attention to detail and lots of heart. Listen to all the tracks from Avail Hollywood's new LOVES, LIES & LOYALTY on YouTube. Listen to all the tracks from Avail Hollywood's LOVES, LIES & LOYALTY album at Spotify. Sample/Buy Avail Hollywood's new Loves, Lies & Loyalty album at Blues Critic. Sample/Buy Avail Hollywood's new Love, Lies & Loyalty album at Apple. See the chart.
Daddy B. Nice's ProfileThe unique and relentlessly creative Avail Hollywood has taken a giant leap in stature over the last decade, from #47 on the previous chart to #9 of The New Generation. And as with his fellow, newly-minted, southern soul star Jeter Jones, your Daddy B. Nice has been closely entwined with Avail Hollywood's career from the very beginning, through all the ups and downs (mostly "ups") of an artist/critic relationship.The "downs," since I broached the subject, came around 2016 after a poor review of his album "Wasted Confessions," at which point Avail (not only because of the review) left the southern soul circuit for a songwriting contract with a record company in Nashville. He even recorded a couple of country-western tunes. But he soon came back, and even at its worst, the relationship endured through all kinds of entertaining give-and-take which can be enjoyed in my previous artist guide to Avail Hollywood. But in all that time Avail Hollywood's voice never failed to puzzle me. I knew it was good, I knew it was different, but I could never get a "handle" on his vocals. I could never compare his voice to anyone. In the early years the best I could come up with was there's a lot of air in it. Avail's vocals come at you like an echo with a touch of "reverb," as slippery as a snake in water, or a smokey plume coming from the chimney of a far-off mountain cabin. "His style is unprecedented," I wrote in his latest charting single, "Da Loving Hit Different" (#2 May 2021). And then, not long ago, it came to me. I heard some Elvis---"Heartbreak Hotel"---with whom I was interested in anyway after recently hearing a story of how a young Elvis Presley (already a black-music aficionado) searched far and wide through the chitlin' circuit and found one singer he wanted to emulate, the black Nashville musician Jimmy Sweeney. (There's that Nashville connection again.) And Elvis did. I was just a little kid at the birth of rock and roll, more into the Everly Brothers than Elvis's "Hound Dog" or "Heartbreak Hotel," but when Presley recorded "Don't Be Cruel," which might be considered "swing-out" if recorded these days (residing in the nether territory between southern soul and zydeco), I gladly climbed on the Elvis bandwagon. And yes, Avail Hollywood's tone and style does sound something like the rock and roll King, which is even funnier and more ironic when you realize that Avail (Christopher Estell) took his performing name (Avail Hollywood) from an Elvis Presley poster. (Scroll down to "About Artist"). It's even tempting to think of the Elvis analogy when looking at Avail Hollywood's body of work, which in the early years mined the slow, weeping ballads in the "Heartbreak Hotel" mode with such magnificent anthems to despair as "Drinking Again," "Rehab Ain't Working," and the glorious culmination of all that helplessness, "Wasted". Along with occasional forays into clubbing and "grown-folks stuff" (aka sex), these early-album, title-track weepers defined roughly the first half of Avail Hollywood's career. The power that Avail brought to the table---the raw emotions that made him stand out from his peers---were most effectively packed into these ballads focusing on dissolution, addiction, pain and loneliness. So it has been a revelation and a real pleasure to witness Avail's growth and maturation over the last few years, recording songs that take on the "up-side" of life, especially sexual, without losing the edge and depth and lasting impressions of his early dark-side classics. Ironically, the album that best showcases this more fully-rounded Avail is about the only CD Avail never sent me to review: 2019's Still King. (Most of the reviews can be read by scrolling down this page.) If he had, I would have given it five stars, "southern soul heaven," with at least four outright stand-outs in "Unbelievable Booty," "Girl You Bad," "Don't Rush" and "DJ Let Me Grind On Her." And 2020's Black Locomotive, reviewed here in Tidbits #2 (scroll way down this page) continues the high level of artistry with the quasi-title-track "Love Train," a tour de force in mid-tempo time whose power matches if not exceeds any of the potent early ballads. In spite of the millions of views racked up by his older classics, I've chosen 2019's "Girl You Bad" (with DJ Trac, a great find) as this artist guide's #1 Avail Hollywood song because it has aged so well and it fits Hollywood's vocal prowess like a glove. He's never sounded more comfortable. "Gimme that green light," Avail sings with just the right balance of aggression and permission, "because I'm coming through". Specializing in writing and production and the occasional hiphop voice-over, collaborator Trac has brought an impressive artistic filter to Hollywood's last couple of albums, and his arranging touch gives "Girl You Bad" a natural sound that epitomizes Avail's soulfulness. (They're currently touring together---summer of 2021---see concert calendar.) In basic musical structure "Girl You Bad" is just a glorified hook, not a fully-fledged, verse and chorus and bridge, but who doesn't like hooks? Sparked by a minimally-used but effervescent guitar run, "Girl You Bad" sounds at once in the moment and timeless in a way some of the older Hollywood favorites no longer do. It conjures the kind of place you want to be in, the kind of place where physical love---slow, drawn-out, grown-folks love---is imminent... satisfaction guaranteed. It's just what grown-folk women who have made Avail a star want to hear. Love for the long term. Ongoing love. And happily, "Girl You Bad" itself holds up to the constant playing. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Girl You Bad" on YouTube. ************* Scroll down for biography, discography and more. To automatically link to Avail Hollywood's charted radio singles, awards, CD's and other citations on the website, go to "Avail Hollywood" in Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index. ************ ********** Note: Avail Hollywood also appears on Daddy B. Nice's Top 100 21st Century Southern Soul (2000-2020). ********** --Daddy B. Nice About Avail Hollywood #10 New Generation (New Album Alert!) Christopher Estell, aka Avail Hollywood, was born July 24, 1983 in Texarkana, Texas. His father, Collins Estell, was a professional guitarist (R&B and gospel), and two sisters, Loraine and Donna, were gospel singers. Estell entered the music business as the drummer in Shades of Ebony, a gospel group that included his father and two sisters. The aggregation, three female singers and a full band, was signed to Claytown, Willie Clayton's label, in 1998.
Tidbits 1. Avail Hollywood on YouTube: Updated May 16, 2021Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Twenty-Five And Up" at Big Pokey Bear's Birthday Bash on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Unbelievable Booty" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood and DJ Trac singing "Let's Barbeque" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Rehab Ain't Working" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "A Lil' Of You Is Better Than None" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Fatal Attraction" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Let That Hurt Go" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Creole Shuffle" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Real Love" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood & Black Zack singing "Club In Da Woods" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Country Road" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood and Sweet Nay singing "When We Make Love" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Fatal Attraction" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Domestic Love" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Drinking Again" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "I'ma Give It To You" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Forever And Always" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Lonely At Christmas" on YouTube. 2. January 25, 2020: NEW ALBUM ALERT! NEW CD REVIEW: Black LocomotiveSample/Buy Avail Hollywood's new BLACK LOCOMOTIVE album at CD Baby. BLACK LOCOMOTIVE TRACK LIST:1. Box Top Chevy (Deep 'N Tha Woods)2. Love Train 3. That Was the Liquor Talking 4. Stop Playing with My Emotions 5. Temporary Nigga 6. Got 2 Get It 7. This Hit For Tha Grown Folks 8. The Grass Ain't Greener (But Sometimes) 9. Box Top Chevy (Music Mix) See Daddy B. Nice's 4-star review! Scroll down...************** Buy Avail Hollywood's BLACK LOCOMOTIVE album at CD Baby. Listen to Avail Hollywood's BLACK LOCOMOTIVE album at Spotify. Buy Avail Hollywood's new BLACK LOCOMOTIVE album at Apple. January 26, 2020: 3. AVAIL HOLLYWOOD: Black Locomotive (Avail Hollywood / AvailMusic-Nlightnrecords). Four Stars **** Distinguished effort. Should please old fans and gain new.Avail Hollywood's 2019 album Still King marked a major step forward for the unique tenor with the hard-to-define style. Known for his problem-drinking hit singles like "Drinking Again," "Wasted," "Rehab" and "Rehab Ain't Working"--songs that plunged into emotional darkness and resurfaced with a singular soulfulness not heard in quite the same fashion on the southern soul circuit before--the album painted a broader canvas, incorporating domestic joys and sexual pleasures. Not that Hollywood hadn't recorded other themes before ("Club In The Woods," "Fatal Attraction," "Country Road," "A Little Age On It"). But prior to STILL KING those tunes hadn't carried the heft of the drinking songs. Suddenly Hollywood was singing emotionally-convincing material on a wide range of subjects: "Girl, You Bad," "Unbelievable Booty," "Don't Rush" and "DJ Let Me Grind On Her".Avail's new album, Black Locomotive, continues this remarkable artistic maturation. The two songs that open the album, the punchy, guitar-driven "Box Top Chevy (Deep In The Woods)" and the orchestral-sounding, mid-tempo, lullaby-like "Love Train," are surefire crowd-pleasers and potential hit singles. The latter would have been better served with the album title "Black Locomotive," but that is easily overlooked. Watch for one or both of these tunes on Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 Southern Soul Singles for February 2020. If they're any indication of what's to come, we're in for a marvelous year to come in southern soul. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Box Top Chevy" on YouTube. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Love Train" on YouTube. Nor does the balance of the set disappoint. The ballads "Stop Playing With My Emotions" and "Temporary Nigga" combine worthy lyrics with first-rate vocals and production. What does Avail Hollywood's "Got To Get It" have in common with another new single by Narvel Echols called "Country Folks Party"? They both share the iconic horn riff (from KC & The Sunshine's Band "Boogie Shoes") used by Floyd Hamberlin to great effect in Nellie "Tiger" Travis's "If I Back It Up". "This Hit For The Grown Folks" is a novelty tune with nifty special effects including a cartoon-character-like voice over. "The Grass Ain't Greener (But Sometimes)" is a Hollywood ballad with a simple message: Sometimes it is greener. "That Was The Liquor Talking" mines Avail's specialty, the ballad, extracting a surprisingly strong message of apology. The instrumental track and production are sure-handed and impressively distinct. as they are throughout. Finally, "Box Top Chevy (Music Mix)" reprises the opening track with its influences made more prominent: namely Curtis Mayfield's beloved masterpiece, "Diamond In The Back". And like Curtis, we can... "Just be thankful For what Avail's got". --Daddy B. Nice Listen to all the tracks from Avail Hollywood's new Black Locomotive album on YouTube. Download all the songs from Avail Hollywood's Black Locomotive album at CD Baby. 4.
March 2, 2019: NEW ALBUM ALERT!:Sample/Buy Avail Hollywood's new STILL KING album at Amazon. STILL KING TRACK LIST:1 Unbelievable Booty 2 Honey and Lemon Juice 3 No More Tears Baby 4 Don't Rush 5 DJ Let Me Grind on Her 6 Mess Around and Loose 7 You're My Sugar Foot 8 Girl You Bad (feat. DJ Trac) 9 Go to Work (feat. DJ Trac) Daddy B. Nice notes:"Unbelievable Booty" charted at #2 on Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "Breaking" Southern Soul Singles for March 2019.*************** Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Preview For. . . -------MARCH 2019------- 2. "Unbelievable Booty"-----Avail Hollywood With this song and new album, Still King, Avail Hollywood is officially back, singing with a strength and panoramic scope that eclipses his already significant catalog. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Unbelievable Booty" on YouTube. ***************** The ballad "Don't Rush" charted at #4 in December 2018. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Don't Rush" on YouTube. ***************** "You Bad" charted in June 2018: *************** Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Preview For. . . -------JUNE 2018------- 10. "Girl You Bad"----Avail Hollywood featuring DJ Trac Atmospheric and hiphoppy. From the upcoming Hollywood CD, Still King. Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Girl You Bad" on YouTube. ************** Buy Avail Hollywood's Still King album at CD Baby. Buy Avail Hollywood's Still King album at iTunes. Browse Avail Hollywood albums at Daddy B. Nice's CD Store. 5.
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