Category Archives: Spotlight

Artists of all varieties that I know and work with.

Swan Song :: StereoFiend Signs Off With ‘Hennessey’ Single

Posted on March 11, 2021 | Leave a comment

Recently, StereoFiend lead MC SymmaTree took a break from his daily meme onslaught to drop some sad news : the San Antonio-based band has officially ended their long run with the release of their final single, Hennessey.  With so much talent in the group, it’s a shame that things have come to an end, but Hennessey is definitely a high note to go out on… Joy is not only singing with the kind of soul that comes with personal experience, but her lyrical imagery is a rich as the grooves that the band is laying down.  Definitely cop this track if you have a buck to support, share it around, and help keep the name of StereoFiend alive past the band’s selected end date.

-chief

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Groove Food :: Ben Buck Beatbox Blasts Listeners With ‘WHATABANGER’

Posted on March 10, 2021 | Leave a comment

For the unfamiliar or uninitiated, Whataburger is a Texas institution.  Most anybody from Texas will give you a detailed account of their love for the fast food chain, if given the chance, so it makes complete sense that the homie Ben Buck would dedicate a bit of his beatsmith prowess to WHATABANGER, an unofficial sonic ode to the fast food giant.  The production more than lives up to the banger expectation set in the title, and for good measure, Ben Buck throws in every burger-related vocal sample that you could imagine.  If you’re looking for some good beats to keep your head nodding, then look no further than this collection… cop it if you’ve got a few bucks to spare, and share it with all of the other Whataburger lovers you know so that we can all celebrate together!

-chief

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You Know :: Mad1ne & Blazy Green Release Video For ‘Stezo’

Posted on March 9, 2021 | Leave a comment

Raw raps from Mad1ne and Blazy Green over raw production by Green deserves a no-nonsense, direct approach when it comes to a video, and luckily, this is exactly what the duo brings you with Stezo, the third single off of Dark Side of Jupiter.  Mad1ne has been prolific with the videos over the years, and Stezo marks another notch on a belt full of high quality and triumphant marches.  The video honestly speaks for itself, so if you find yourself feeling it, leave a like and a comment before you spread it around for all to enjoy.

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now

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Freedom Sounds :: Poolboi Blu Goes Off With ‘Jubilee’

Posted on March 8, 2021 | Leave a comment

You can always count on quality from the homie poolboi blu, but he really and truly left it all on the table for listeners on jubilee, his newest release.  Before you even hit play, the cover artwork by Tafari Diop takes you to an emotionally moving place (or at least it did for me), and this immediately took me back to a time of nostalgia when a powerful album cover was enough for me to invest my money in an album or tape, regardless of whether I’d heard it or not.  When it comes to poolboi blu, as mentioned before, I knew it was going to be good, and it’s obvious that my man has spent his time during COVID-19 sharpening and expanding his skill set.  Not only does this project continue his trend of providing a variety of soundscapes, but all of it bangs, and the sample choices used (in terms of vocal snippets) are money.  If you can spare a few bucks, definitely cop this one asap, but regardless, share it around for everyone to enjoy!

-chief

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Nature Boy :: Marshall Anderson Shares ‘Sunflowers Leaning’ Video

Posted on March 5, 2021 | Leave a comment

Life tends to get a bit hectic here in the information age, and sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded that it’s ok to take it a little easy every now and then.  If this sentiment ever needed an anthem, then my candidate would be Marshall Anderson, as Sunflowers Leaning, his latest single, embodies these feelings perfectly.  Over a sparse guitar and drum driven track with just the right touches of piano, Marshall tells us all about himself, his past, where he’s headed, and most importantly, he shares his view of the world with all that are willing to listen.  If you dig songs that can shift your mood for the better, then check out this video, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for everyone to enjoy!

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now

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Still Waters :: Cecil James Spills His Soul On ‘Las Canciones del Borracho’

Posted on March 4, 2021 | Leave a comment

One of the many pleasures that comes with setting up my hideout in the San Marcos, Texas area is the wealth of talented singer/songwriters that also have chosen to take up residence.  Over the years, I’ve run across a number of them that have truly blown me away with their talent, and one of the more recent personalities to step out of the pack is Cecil James.  I knew he was a solid guitarist (this coming from a completely inept guitarist) and a singer with a richness to his voice similar to that of M. Ward, but with a bit more playful storyteller, but up until recently, I had no idea what he would sound like in the framing of a recorded project.  These curiosities were laid to rest with the recent release of Las Canciones del Borracho, a 3-song EP that plays out like a movie story arc that lies somewhere between David Lynch and the Cohen Brothers.  He’s always sounded great acoustically, but hearing him with a strong backing band and focused production not only brings out the sonic griot in his lyrics, but it subtextually comments on his ruminations about being an isolated soul in search of close company full of kindred spirits.  In my humble opinion, that should be relatively easy to find around San Marcos, especially with a calling card like Las Canciones del Borracho in your back pocket.

-chief

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Dedication Game :: Clemits Follows Up MF DOOM Tribute Single With ‘CLEM F DOOM’ EP

Posted on March 3, 2021 | Leave a comment

Last week, the homie Clemits shared his sorrow over the loss of the legendary MF DOOM with the track RIP DOOM FREESTYLE.  As a broader show of respect for an MC who influenced a large cross-section of wordsmiths and beatsmiths, Clemits has followed this up with the release of CLEM F DOOM, a collection of tribute raps set to selections from MF DOOM‘s iconic Special Herbs collection.  The mixtape is free, so if you’ve got an MF DOOM-shaped hole in your heart like the rest of us, jump on that download asap, and let everyone else know they can do the same.

-chief

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Traveling Jams :: Curbside Jones Taps OOg And Dexter Fizz For ‘Last Train’

Posted on March 2, 2021 | Leave a comment

Nobody is representing Texas and world hip-hop culture quite like the homie Curbside Jones is.  His latest single, the super mellow and jazzy earworm that is Last Train, holds itself together with a lightly satirical ode to Texas “swangin’ and bangin'” hip-hop, only to present us with three uniquely clever and confident MCs, one of whom is spitting in a completely different language (which I will not attempt to identify for fear of sounding ignorant).  Producer Phill Blanks gives us plenty to nod our head to as he stretches the beat’s pocket to maximum potential, which matches the swagger-filled energy of the trio it provides a foundation for.  With The Last Train dropping this April, releasing the titular track as the lead single will certainly pique the interest of hip-hop heads far and wide, so definitely get hip in anticipation of the upcoming big drop, and share it around so others can do the same.

-chief

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Motivated Moves :: Kydd Jones Releases “James Baldwin” Single And Clothing Line

Posted on March 1, 2021 | Leave a comment

From the digital desk of Kydd Jones : 

“Kydd Jones teams up with fellow born and raised Austinite Bomani Ray Barton for their Black History Month anthem James Baldwin.  Inspired by the illustrious author, Jones has released a clothing line for this song in collaboration with artist Will Bryant and print label Raw Paw. The proceeds from sales of the James Baldwin t-shirts will go to a relief fund for students and staff of Austin Learning Academy as they deal with the aftermath of historic winter storms in the area.  Austin Learning Academy has operated as an educational nonprofit organization in East Austin for over 25 years. For more information on how to help Austin Learning Academy, please contact Toni Davis at contact@austinlearningacademy.com.”

-chief

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Sonic Singularity :: Robotfingers Releases ‘Finger Foods, Vol. 1’

Posted on February 26, 2021 | Leave a comment

Houston-based producer Robotfingers seems to have some big plans for 2021, and his first item on the list is the release of Finger Foods, Vol. 1, the first installment in series of beat tapes he plans to lace the masses with.  For this volume, the unifying theme is space, so if you’re in to concept albums and instrumental fare, then don’t sleep on this one.  Cop it if you can, share it if you can’t, or find it on your favorite streaming service and boost those analytics!

-chief

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