Misfit Tunes The Magazine July 2014

HE GOT PIPES
During a time in music when
romantic metaphors have
been replaced by blunt
vulgarities, one might believe that
R&B is dead. Or that the art of
wooing a woman through song
is now just a thing of the past. To
those people, I say hold on, there
is still hope. You merely need to
search behind under every unturned
rock to stumble across one of the
few remaining R&B crooners. A
crooner such as Mel Alston Jr. out
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also
known as Philly.
Mel Alston Jr., an indie singer/
songwriter, fell in love with music
at a very young age thanks largely
in part to his mother, Renee.
His mother kept Alston and his
brothers busy with music to ensure
their safety growing up in Philadelphia.
Everything felt to evolve
around music which really taught
Alston how to deeply appreciate
melodies and music creation. His
mother is seated high on the list of
people that have inspired him on
his musical journey. The list also
includes such greats as: Babyface,
Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson,
Jodeci and Steve Wonder to name a
few. Mel did not get into songwriting
and singing until after attending
Howard University. While at
Howard University he played the
trumpet for the “Showtime Marching
Band.”
After graduating from Howard
Alston returned to Philadelphia.
Where he started acting and singing
in local productions which
eventually led him to pursue his
solo career. He also sought to unify
local Philly through his Da Circle
Entertainment Group. The group
was created along with J. Forbes
and others with the primary focus
to positively impact Philly’s indie
music scene.
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In 2010 Da Circle Entertainment
Group presented Alston’s first mixtape,
“Waking Up vol. 1.” “Waking
Up vol. 1” was recorded at Da
Circle Ent. Studios and contains 15
tracks of soulful R&B. It featured
four of Philly’s top indie artist.
Features by Jalima Shani on ‘All
Grown Up’ a track which evokes
childhood memoirs of summertime
fun, block parties, and community.
Astro Inch on ’See Your Face’
a funky track which finds Alston
attempting to get a young lady to
go on a date with him in person opposed
to simply chatting on social
media. Lei Row on ‘Never Be The
Same’ a duet between
battling lovers
trying to figure
out if they should
hold on to or let go
their dysfunctional
love. L.A.W on
‘Pretty Poison,’ the
first single off of
“Waking Up vol.
1,” an electric track
depicting the struggle
Alston endures
when trying to let
go of a no good
woman. The mixtape
has become
known as “music
for tha soul.”
In 2013 after
spending the
next three years
performing on
numerous stages
up and down the
East Coast collecting
countless fans along the way
Alston released his sophomore
project an EP entitled “Waking Up
vol. 1.5.” “Waking Up vol. 1.5”
was released digitally worldwide
in conjunction with BYNUMAgency/iNgrooves/Universal
Music
Group. The EP contains 6 tracks
of previously unreleased music as
well as remastered songs including
the motivational single “Dreamer.”
Much of the EP was produced by
Alston’s long time collaborator,
Willie Stone who also serves as
one of the Executive Producer on
the project. “Waking Up vol. 1.5”
was somewhat of an appetizer to
keep fans hungry for Alston’s next
move.
Alston’s next move came in
2014 with the release of his highly
anticipated debut album, “Movie
Muzik: A Cinema For The Blind.”
“Movie Muzik” introduces a new
raw sound strongly influenced by
Rock and R&B, developing a blend
of classic soul melody with modern
rock rhythms. The soulful sound of
Alston’s voice embodies what can
best be categorized as “Philly Soul.”
Alston defines “Movie Muzik” as “a