Music
Press
I couldn't help but do another post on an artist from the Afro Punk Fest because THIS IS THE WOMAN I was looking for! Her name is Tess, and when I heard the guitar riff in her song Haunted, I was an instant fan.
- lavishmagonline.com
Day Two featured Tess, who displayed an awesome talent at songwriting and a powerful voice that certainly awakened the surrounding neighborhood."
- thecouchsessions.com
Tess and her "HipRocknB" sound was undoubtedly the breakout star of the festival, praised in The New York Times as "a dynamic belter, whipping up dramatic rock vignettes." - bandweblogs.com
more pics from 2012 Afro Punk Fest - brooklynvegan.com
Great photos from day two of AfroPunk 2012 featuring Toro y Moi, Tess, Phony ppl, Reggie Watts, TV on the Radio, and more. - verbicidemagazine.com
Last month Afro-Punk staged a battle of the bands for slots at the festival. One of the winners, the New York City songwriter and bandleader Tess, was a dynamic belter, whipping up dramatic rock vignettes in an early afternoon set. - New York Times
In the words of Charlie Sheen, Singer/Songwriter Tess, is WINNING!! August has proven to be a great month for the HipRocknB Rebel. On Friday, August 3rd, Tess gave an incredible performance at the final Afro Punk 'Battle Of The Bands' show; and was announced one of the winners of the evening. Tess will perform along side Eryka Badu, Janelle Monae, Gym Class Heroes and many more on August 25th and 26th at Commodore Park in Brooklyn, NY. The 2012 Afro Punk Festival will definitely get a taste of #HipRocknB. - artandculturemaven.com
Tess - MJ (Official Video) - Indie360Magazine.com
Our love for New York singer/songwriter Tess is no secret. Straddling the world of RnB and rock like the second coming of Tina Turner, Tess has spent the past few months kicking some serious ass. After dropping her debut EP The Name Is Tess earlier this summer, Tess destroyed at the Afropunk Battle of the Bands. She was recently added to the line-up of Afropunk Fest 2012, and you will not want to miss her live set. Check out the video for “MJ” to get psyched... - Afropunk.com
TESS is definitely reaching new levels of success! Not only will she be opening for Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu at the Afro Punk Festival, she also dropped her first music video for “My Name Is Tess!” - peacemagazine.com
I listen to every single artist that lands in my inbox and rarely do I ever enjoy or post about them which explains why the 'Artist Spotlight' posts are few and far between. Tess is an artist that was brought to my attention recently and her song "MJ" is kind of catchy. Last week the singer released the fun colorful video that you can check above! - teen-savvy.com
Tess aims to flood the music scene with a sound she's coined "HipRocknB". Tess' debut EP, ‘The Name Is Tess’ (released May, 18th 2012) mixes thoroughly a bit of hip-hop, pop, and rock, and that 'nB' easily sneaks into the bowl as well. Tess’ new project serves a platter full of tunes that are boldly poignant and keen and this video shows no compromise. - lx-goods.com
Coining the term “HipRockNB,” Tess has done the best job one can do in defining her style of music. Although the term “HipRockNB” is identifying, don’t let the term define Tess’ style, the only way to do that is simple; experience her music and then make your own decision. Enough with trying to characterize her because after you hear her music one thing will be certain and that’s her talent for entertainment. Tess recently won Afro Punk’s Battle of the Bands competition, and it has never been more clear that her career is starting to heat up in a major way. If you haven’t heard of Tes before don’t assume she came completely out of nowhere. Even though her career is young, Tess has managed to work with some very big talent. You can see some of her music videos below and you can hear more by checking her out on Reverb Nation. Enjoy our interview with Tess below and make sure you check her out on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with what she’s doing! - Soletron.com
Tonight we’ll be unveiling the first video off my debut EP “Thspacer WORLD EXCLUSIVE: The Name Is Tess MJ Official Video Name Is Tess”. Looking to kick things off on a high note, the infectious single MJ was the obvious choice! Produced by Immortal Technique’s own DJ Static and super producer Mr.Reynolds - ThisIsVibes.com UK Mag
Singer/songwriter and AP member Tess refers to her music as “Hip Rock & B,” which even if it doesn't quite roll off the tongue, is at least a pretty solid description. She has the massive voice of a pop star, but an eclecticism and depth of soul rarely heard these days in Top 40 land. Though The Name is Tess is her debut EP, this isn't Tess' first time around the block. She previously made a splash with her collaboration with DJ Static on the inventive Jodeci cover EP TESS Goes Jodeci. This time the songs are all hers, and they definitely pack a punch. - Afropunk.com
the New York–based songstress did a great job of playing the hand she was dealt: stretching her voice to the limit, coming into the shy Toronto crowd, dancing until she was dripping in sweat, and breaking into tears on one of the slower, more emotional numbers.
Best Moment: Undoubtedly when she covered The Police’s “Roxanne,” then passed the mic to the audience during the chorus.
Miscellaneous: Her back-up singer, Jack Fuller, has a powerful enough voice that he could easily be a leading act in his own right.
Verdict: The next time Tess plays Toronto, it will be on a much, much larger stage. - Torontoist.com
Tess, hailing from New York’s Washington Heights, came on. Someone described her as a vocal powerhouse with Tina Turner swagger. With her big reddish-blonde ‘fro and legs for days, this sounds about right. - CadenceMag.com
UMTV Featured artist--Tess - UrbanMediaTV.com
If you didn't know her name before, you will know it after listening to her debut EP "The Name Is Tess". Tess Santos released her creative Hip Rock-n-B EP to the masses last week Friday at her listening party at the Ella Lounge in NYC. - synchrhythm.blogspot.com
Fashion Week Recap - Vouge Italia
Street style from Fashion Week
- Metro NY
SOB's Ghetto Metal Recap - thesource.com
http://www.suprememanagement.net/?p=1266 - suprememanagement.net
http://www.wpix.com/videobeta/4789efcb-d6d0-4c34-a7b5-ede9df071a94/News/Apollo-Theater-s-Music-Cafe-Opens - TV --Pix
http://www.thesource.com/events/986/ - thesource.com
I received an invite from AE3sixty Media Group to attend a listening party for a new up and coming singer from Washington Heights named Tess. I love music and hearing about new artists so I jumped at the chance to attend. The listening party took place at Stadium Red Studios in Harlem on Park Avenue. The studio has produced and has had some of the top artists in the industry record there. But for that night everyone was there to listen to Tess and her take on some classic songs from the 90s R&B group Jodeci. I was curious to know why Tess chose to remake Jodeci songs instead of another popular all male group. Her answer was simple “I wanted something challenging”, Tess explained to me,“Plus who doesn’t love Jodeci”. Well said indeed!
As everyone in the studio was mingling and networking, while listening to some tunes and sipping champagne. Tess came into the room and everyone’s eyes were on her. Funny and well spoken, Tess introduced herself to everyone and proceeded to showcase her vocals and show everyone why she is one artist to keep your eye on. She sang her take on Jodeci’s popular song ‘Feenin’, which was one of my favorite songs. She sounded amazing, as well as her backup singers, and had all eyes on her and ears on her voice.
Overall the event was great, I got to meet some new people and listen to great music. Tess is definitely one to watch out for in the upcoming year. To learn more about Tess and her music please visit her site http://thenameistess.com/ - theinfamouslife.com
http://graegram.com/ - Graegram.com
Tess releases music video for "Feenin." The music video is from her latest project 'Goes Jodeci' with producer DJ Static. - Singersroom.com
We have to admit, normally we remain partial to originals. However, we must give credit where credit is due–and said credit is due to an artist named Tess.
We all know the song Feenin, made famous by Jodeci. This song has led to many moments in people’s lives and we’ll just leave it at that for now… But what Tess has done here is she has taken a well known song and made it her own; a very steamy, sensuous version that is now her own as shown here in this video directed by Salvador Bolivar.
Please take this time to now have your own moment… Enjoy. - Impact Magazine
http://www.afropunk.com/profiles/blogs/tess-intense-vid-for-jodeci - Afropunk.com
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
In May 2012 Singer/Songwriter, Tess released her Debut EP, The Name Is Tess which is flooding the music scene with a sound she's coined "HipRocknB". To ensure a superb project, Tess enlisted the help of Mr. Reynolds, who served as Executive Producer. Mr. Reynolds has worked with top selling artists, such as The Roots, Kelly Rowland and Lyfe Jennings. In the past few years, Tess has toured internationally with Deemi, JT Taylor (of Kool & the Gang), Atlantic Star, and has worked with Nona Hendryx and Musiq Soulchild. Shortly after the EP release, Tess was invited to perform at the NXNE Music Fest, in Toronto; and has earned her way on stage for the 2012 Afro Punk Fest.
In 2009, Tess teamed up with Super Producer, DJ Static; and as homage to the legendary group, Jodeci, created the EP, TESS Goes Jodeci. Tess handpicked seven of her favorite Jodeci tracks, giving the classics a new sound with a completely new musical arrangement and a contemporary new twist. The project has been called musical genius.
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