Today's White Suburban Kid Music Picks...

Working late at the office takes on a different feel. The lights are dim, there's less embarrassment dancing and doing that stupid shoulder shake thing that I do.

Still, unencumbered by the presence of coworkers and clients, after 5 pm I can let my luscious locks down, unbutton the top button (of pants or shirt? he'll never tell...) and indulge in yet again further proof that I am a suburban white kid.

I'll be honest- I'm a sucker for good neo-soul/R&B music. The distinction between the genres is a point of contention to some, I'm sure so I won't pretend that I know the difference between soul, R&B, or any other modified genre. I'll just present what I enjoy.

E.G.,

Musiq's "Half Crazy"
What can I say? Good voice, syncopated horn lines, and just all around dope. Wish this guy was more popular.

Slum Village, featuring Dwele's "Tainted"
Granted, this isn't necessarily R&B, but Dwele's vocals and organ backing (tell me that doesn't sound dirty...)

D'Angelo's "Untitled"
There's nothing I can say that wouldn't be construed as having overt homosexual under(and possibly over)tones. So I'll just leave that video there. (If you have Victorian sensibilities like yours truly, just play the video in an other window as it's sNSFW.)

Jill Scott's "Golden"
Scott has worked on so much stuff, and is an unbelievable singer/songwriter. And, without getting too preachy, she's not "mainstream" largely due to the fact that she doesn't look like Rihanna. The thing is, though, in my opinion, if you're selling RECORDS, the focus should be on your ability. And I'm sorry, Rihanna is quite literally a 3-4 note wonder. She is talentless and the more I hear from her on the radio, the more I sympathize with Chris Brown. J/K! Kinda...

Bill Wither's "Aint no Sunshine"
Keeping things in historical perspective, I present one of the greats: Mr. Withers, with a special shot-out to the one reader who has a tendency to create the sunniest days in this god-forsaken rain forest. Withers' voice is straight-up UNbelievable and a force to be reckoned with.