Latest Posts

-ToBy- – “flowers”

December 19, 2016

Miami rapper -ToBy- brings forth an experimental, yet accessible sound for his single “flowers.” The track speaks to ToBy’s feeling of taking part in an up and coming music scene. Demonstrated in the track’s artwork, ToBy comes from a scene that combines conventional rap influences and sounds with different forms of media like anime. “flowers” also teases some lo-fi, emotional sounds that we’ve seen from some Internet rap darlings, particularly out of Florida. ToBy’s at the forefront of a dope rap scene in southern Florida and “flowers” encapsulates both his and that regions sound. Give it a listen below.

Various Artists – The Hamilton Mixtape

December 19, 2016

There’s no doubt that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning Hamilton: An American Musical has been one of the biggest cultural events in recent memory. The musical and its songs have been able to permeate almost every corner of pop culture, both here and abroad. On this new release, Miranda presents his treatment of the historical figure’s story in its originally conceived format: a mixtape. The Hamilton Mixtape, while a far cry from the flawless grandeur of the musical, serves as a suitable companion piece to the Broadway hit. A slew of industry big shots and indie stars come together to spin the well-known songs into a new context. The tracks themselves range from straightforward covers of the songs to completely reworked and reimagined takes on them. Miranda also threw in two new songs, demos of songs cut from the musical (“Valley Forge” and “Cabinet Battle 3″). Most[...]

Trilllhippy – “SENSATION”

December 16, 2016

Coming from Tallahassee by the way of Germany, Trilllhippy channels his stoner ways into the hazy hip hop track “Sensation.” Trilllhippy is just that, a cool young peacelover, and on “Sensation,” his vibes are rubbing off on a new romantic interest. The chorus is a window into their relationship, “She watch how I inhale it, I light it, she sense my stoner fragrance, she love it.” Youthful, excitable, and experimental, “Sensation” sums up the feeling of new love, new experiences, and living outside of responsibility. It’s a dope track. Listen to “Sensation” below and check out more from Trilllhippy here. 

nIgel – “Gray Music” ft. Neph

December 16, 2016

Chicago’s nIgel and his frequent collaborator Neph keep their rhymes black and white on “Gray Music.” The two Chicago rappers drop a couple of verses that evoke melancholy, washed feelings. Producer Weirddough sets this mood with a killer beat featuring haunting moans, some orchestral strings and jazzy drums. The rappers have sharp words but also flash their stoner ways in their lyricism. Much like the color in the title, several attitudes went into making “Gray Music.” Both solemn and incandescent, the track comes ahead of nIgel’s EP The Future Looks Gray with producer Xany, and they’ve produced some dope work in the past. Give it a listen below.

Kosha Dillz – “No You Can’t”

December 16, 2016

The premise of Israel-American rapper Kosha Dillz’ “No You Can’t” is to remind everyone that he’s reached a status where he doesn’t have to pass out favors. Whether that’s borrowing toilet paper or playing a show for free, that’s not something Kosha will subject himself too. Ripe with self-awareness, “No You Can’t” has the dope distinction of being a really funny track but also goes hard as hell. Dillz raps “Being stupid as hell’s the smartest thing I ever did,” but he’s more than capable of navigating the track’s zany, bloopy beat. After two hard verses, he breaks the song equivalent of the fourth wall, saying “Last verse better than the first two.” It’s little elements like this that make Kosha Dillz a fun, personable artist to listen to.  His personality comes with every bar. Give “No You Can’t” a listen below and check out more from Kosha here. 

$cotti Bishop – “And 1 Freestyle”

December 16, 2016

It’s going to take several listens to grab every bar that Sacramento rapper $cotti Bishop drops on his track “And 1 Freestyle,” but each one is worth it. With no flow off limits, he drops hard lines like “Make a 3 look like a free throw, make a dime look like a C-Note.” Each line comes with the assured brashness of Bishop’s delivery. The instrumental is a great beat for a cypher and Bishop uses it to his advantage, fitting everything you’d want into a freestyle rap song into two minutes. Listen to more from $cotti here and press play on the video for “And 1 Freestyle” below.

Mellow the Muse – “I’m in Church”

December 16, 2016

Mellow the Muse is a female rapper from Dallas, Texas with an unconventional, underground flow. It’s conversational but certainly not lazy, and her technique allows her to have a never-stop approach. She fires out sharp verses for two and a half minutes, only breaking to remind everyone that she’s in a place of divinity, nonchalantly quipping “I’m in Church.” The beat has some Tetris vibes to it, accompanied by some pounding bass and a taste of some haunting church chorus. Check out more from Mellow the Muse here and listen to “I’m in Church” below.

Automotive Steamhorse – “You’d Be Surprised”

December 16, 2016

We think brand new Seattle act Automotive Steamhorse are on to something with their latest single, the droning “You’d Be Surprised.” The song has a pretty unique backstory. “The lyrics of the song are based on a letter I received from an old friend who I counted cards with… There was a husband and wife who had about 10 people working under her, the FBI ended up busting them for fraud. They had ripped me off for thousands of dollars. The husband committed suicide – he took his motorcycle in the wrong lane of traffic. The wife ended up sending me a letter about two years after the fact, [and] all the lyrics are taken straight from the letter.” Recommended for fans of Pedro The Lion, Phantogram, or Radiohead. There’s also a music video for “You’d Be Surprised” – check it out here. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/247110926″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Syracuse Act Ohne-Ká and the Burning River Release Apocalyptic Instrumental, “Where the Forest Ends”

December 15, 2016

Syracuse act Ohne-Ká and the Burning River caught our ears with the apocalyptic sounding “Where The Forest Ends.” Taken from their latest release, Tree Lines and Birth Rights, “Forest” is a part of a concept album accompanied by a book (or digital PDF) that you can read while you listen (or even on its own). The story follows the travels of several forest animals and the pack leader wolf they all follow. Musically, fans of mewithoutYou, Explosions in the Sky, or Thrice would dig Ohne-Ká’s style. Check these guys out on Bandcamp too.

Cities Vanishing – “I Want To Know What The Wind Blows Like”

December 15, 2016

Noisy duo Cities Vanishing caught our ears with the overblown, lo-fi production of “I Want To Know What The Wind Blows Like.” This is the first of five urgent songs that the duo penned together, with “the girl” ripping the theremin and some guitar, and “the guy” shredding drums and some more guitar. Fans of The Thermals or Ted Leo will be jazzed for sure. We think you all should get into these guys before everyone else – listen below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/295166278″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Soviet Dolls Release New Dark-Pop Song, “Ghostlover”

December 14, 2016

Rochester electro-pop act Soviet Dolls recently released their latest single, the dark and looming “Ghostlover.” The quintet combines lush synth textures with an alternative rock backbone and the cherry-on-top vocals of dusky singer Alexandra Wendt. The result is a dark pop banger that we can’t help but crush on. Fans of CHVRCHES, Metric, or The Naked and Famous would really dig this tune. “Ghostlover” is available via Bandcamp for a “pay what you want” rate. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/296780980″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

NE-HI – “Stay Young”

December 14, 2016

After cutting their teeth in underground Chicago venues, NE-HI have refined their songwriting into blissfully hazy guitar pop, demonstrated best by lead single “Stay Young.” We especially dig their music video for the tune, which continues their vintage and hazy vibes with swirling visuals and an overall nod to nostalgia. Dream poppers, post-punkers, and Springsteen fans will all find solace in this mid-western quartet’s music. If you dig “Stay Young,” pre-order Offers on Bandcamp.

Space is Haunted Drop Full Album Contact

December 14, 2016

Buffalo-based low-fi post-punk duo, Space Is Haunted’s new record, Contact is an energetic barrage of crunchy guitar and ephemeral vocals that are all held up by consistently solid drumming. The duo is made up of primary guitarist and vocalist, Jamie Levy and drummer and vocalist, Katie Quider. Contact was released on local independent label, Drug Party in early December. Those familiar with Space Is Haunted through their local gigs and their two previous releases will notice some songs from the past that have found themselves on Contact, namely “Gone” and “On an Ocean,” from past releases Space is Haunted and For Science respectively. The new renditions of these tracks are tighter, more focused, with an extra bit of polish but still showcase the same drive and combination of elements that make the band so enjoyable to listen to. The group has grown and become more experienced but without having to[...]

Oghenero – “Def”

December 13, 2016

Calgary MC Oghenero’s lone wolf makeup comes through in his powerful rhymes. On his first single “Def,” his cutting voice lays down verses of sobering aggression to his competition. He’s rapping with the attitude of someone confident enough to only need himself, and remind his listeners of that in his verses with lines like “You call it burning I just call it rerouting.” “Def” has the spirit of a freestyle and its Bobby Shmurda-esque instrumental provide the perfect landscape. Give it a listen below, and check out the rest of Oghenero’s tracks here.

Dezert Eez – “Rolex Dreamin ft. Talib Kweli”

December 13, 2016

Michigan staple Dezert Eez link up with hip hop legend Talib Kweli on their single “Rolex Dreamin’.” An awesome posse cut, “Rolex Dreamin'” features four furious verses from Kweli and the Dezert Eez trio of 5-Star, Nivek and O’Nill. Talib kicks things off, likening himself to a bird of prey as he vocalizes his viciousness. From there, Eez takes their turns dancing around a great chorus shouting out good drinks, weed, and a great home in the Great Lakes. These dudes are pure spitters, with verses heavy on wordplay and internal rhyme schemes. Even a smoke session has imagery to it in the hands of Eez, highlighted with the line from the closing verse, “smoking algae in the squad in my unc’s garage, collared greens now it’s Nike’s out the box, breaking bread with the guys at the liquor spot.” It’s a dope posse cut from a dope posse, give it[...]