Bark + Bite

Brandy wants to try something different this summer with Two Eleven

Brandy has had one roller coaster of a year so far. After reuniting with her "Boy Is Mine" co-star, Monica, for the single "It All Belongs to Me," she suffered the devastating loss of her longtime friend and mentor, Whitney Houston.

The singer has spoken at length about the impact Houston had on her life, both as a child and as an entertainer in her own right. And her connection to Whitney lives on, in part, through the title of her upcoming album, Two Eleven, which commemorates both Brandy's birthday and the day that Houston died.

While she honors the past, at this point in her career, Brandy's looking to break new ground. She recently put out her new Bangladesh-produced single, "Put It Down." The song is a trunk-rattling plea for respect and chivalry, which is quite the contrast from much of the material on the radio today, which seems singularly focused on getting sloppily drunk (in the club, of course), taking a warm body home or twerking on a pole for dollar bills.

We recently had the chance to catch up with Brandy and she gave us the latest on her upcoming album, her feelings about her Behind the Music special and the possibility of a tour with Monica.

Ed Sheeran makes his trek across the pond with nothing but his voice and his guitar

Acoustic soul. It's a boldly single-flavor proposition in a top 40 landscape that rewards decadent synth lasagnas and electro pop layer cakes. But then again, given the recent success of Adele, a singer who has racked up eye-popping record sales with nothing but good ol' fashioned soul, it's clear there's a market out there for music fans who'd like to feast their ears on much simpler aural dishes.

Ed Sheeran has leveraged his unique brand of acoustic soul to wild success in the UK. His debut album + debuted at #1 in the UK, earning him the highest UK sales for a debut artist ever. He's also up for numerous awards at the Brits this year, including Best Album, and he has the support of a few showbiz VIPs like Elton John and Jamie Foxx.

We had the chance to catch up with the British wunderkind as he prepares for an extended campaign of the US. Will he be able to cast a spell on the US as he's done in his home, the UK?

Cartel is out on their own - and liking it

With the number of major music labels getting smaller and smaller and the number of bands competing for the spotlight growing exponentially, many groups are taking the recording industry into their own hands and doing it all independently. One such band is Cartel. Frustrated with the constraints of working with a label, they put together their latest EP, entitled In Stereo, entirely on their own (for more on the new music, check out our review of the release here). We caught up with lead singer Will Pugh to talk about the process of setting out on their own, the results, and what’s next for Cartel.

Diggy Simmons and his JetSetters take off on the Scream Tour

It seems like only yesterday when we saw a very young Diggy Simmons running around onscreen with his younger brother Russy, wreaking havoc on his mom and dad, Rev. Run of the legendary Run DMC, in the hit reality show Run's House. But that was more than three years ago and in that time frame, Diggy has carved out a lane for himself as a legitimate artist, scoring a record deal with Atlantic Records.

The 16-year-old Simmons' fan base is exploding rapidly, and his single, "Copy, Paste," has proven to have some staying power on BET's hit music video countdown 106 & Park. Diggy is currently on the road for the 2011 Scream Tour, and he's one of the top acts billed in the show. His (largely) female fan base was eager to see him hit the stage but the young MC was kind of enough answer a few questions with us before he stepped out to the crowd at the Washington D.C. stop of the tour.

Read our interview with Diggy Simmons below

Hamilton Park: On the road with the Scream Tour

R&B groups may be few and far between these days, but the young men of Hamilton Park show promise. The four young men from the Atlanta, Georgia area are signed to Andre Harrell's label, Harrell Records, and they've been setting many a young lady's heart a pitter-patter with their heartfelt lyrics and sweet, sweet melodies. After releasing their first single "Thing Called Us," the guys have hit the road with the Scream Tour.

Mr. Marcus, Royce P, Chris and Anthony spoke with Bark + Bite before shortly before their single dropped earlier in year, and we had the opportunity to catch up with them again at the Washington D.C. stop of the Scream Tour. The guys were polite, friendly and approachable. Above all else, they appeared grateful for the gifts they've been blessed with and expressed their desire to seize every opportunity they could, in the hopes of fulfilling their dreams in the music industry.

For those just getting acquainted with Hamilton Park, they say they've got a few surprises in store for fans in the new year as well.

Read our interview with Hamilton Park below

Never Shout Never talks new group, new album, new everything

Once just a solo project of Christofer Drew’s, Never Shout Never is now a full (permanent) band. Released last week, their new album, Time Travel, was both written and produced by the foursome. Featuring big backing instrumentals, electronic elements, and “trippier” vocals than fans may be used to, the eight tracks feature a good deal of ups and downs.

A major high note is “Simplistic Trace-Like Getaway”, a song with a bit of a pop feel and a more immediately approachable sound. With the new release and an extensive fall tour to accompany it, the group has plenty to be excited about. To discuss it all, we caught up with band member Caleb Denison last week to discus all of the new additions to the band itself as well as the new music, music video, and tour.

Prince Royce is ready for his crossover

Photo: Alex Kirzhner

Having established himself in the Latin music world with a buttery smooth bachata cover of the pop classic "Stand By Me," Prince Royce is now ready for his crossover.

Following in the footsteps of many a Latin pop star, Prince Royce, born in the Bronx, NY, is used to straddling two worlds. The 21-year-old rising star was raised speaking Spanish at home with his Dominican family, but learned English while in school. Perseverance, fate and the Internet fueled then-18-year-old Prince Royce as he decided to derail his college plans and take a chance on the music industry.

Now that he's prepping his English-language debut on Atlantic Records and on tour with Enrique Iglesias, it's safe to say that Prince Royce made a smart bet. We had the opportunity to chat with the Latin pop star and he answered a few questions and shared his story with us.

Mac Miller talks Maroon 5 remix, the meadows and the curious things he used to buy at the gas station

After touring overseas, 19-year-old Pittsburgh MC Mac Miller made a return to the States with a back to school performance at the University of Maryland. The show, which sold out less than five minutes after the tickets released online, was packed to the brim with eager, young fans. As we inch closer to the release of Blue Slide Park, Bark + Bite was able to catch up with Mac Miller himself and get an update on one of hip hop's most promising rising stars.