Category Archives: Spotlight

Artists of all varieties that I know and work with.

Night Moves :: Yngldy Drops Video For ‘Final Bout’

Austin is weird, no doubt, and for the most part that weirdness has been captured across the city’s musical spectrum.  Hip-hop in the city, for the most part, is a relatively serious venture, where even the funny MCs and groups still have a certain level of gravitas that they carry themselves with, as to be taken seriously regardless of lyrical cleverness.  It seems that Yngldy, unlike these other groups, could give less than a damn about coming off as serious, and yet Final Bout lacks none of the lyrical weight or sharpness of their contemporaries.  The video is a sight to see, for sure, and the song will stick in your head long after the final frames have faded away.  This Austin trio has definitely just hit my radar in a major way, and I’ll be keeping an eye and an ear out for what’s next.  Check out the video, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for others to do the same.

-chief

Getting There :: Emcee Eats Shares F@mbly Practice Session For ‘I’m Coming Home’

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Every time that Hill Country Fair rolls around, I get to thinking about bands like F@mbly.  This San Marcos-based outfit, made up of members of other projects and solo artists that all shared a common vision, rocked many a stage and party during the hey-day of the San Marcos music scene, and as the Hill County Fair became the institution that it is today, their reunion shows for the event became something to look forward to.  This year, the crew will not be rejoining (on the stage, anyway), so in order for their energy to not be completely missed, Emcee Eats shared a recording of a practice session for one of the band’s popular stage numbers, I’m coming home.  Hearing the band in raw, measured form, rather than their all or nothing stage style, is a refreshing look into their process and the way that the members all gel.  Check it out, leave a like and a comment, and share it with someone that used to hang around back in the day… let them know you miss them and you’re thinking about them.

-chief

Earth Tones :: The Deer Release ‘Swoon’ Single In Preparation For ‘Do No Harm’ Album Release

Watching The Deer go from close friends to local heroes to band on the bubble of stardom has been a pleasant thing to experience from afar.  I can attest that the group is still standing behind the values that helped them form and propel towards spreading their good word.  Their latest single, Swoon, from their upcoming release Do No Harm, shows growth from the group that I cannot wait to hear be translated into live performance, as it possesses a new found spirit and energy that has been hinted at in the past, but (to my knowledge) never embraced with such force or joy until now.  That being said, I continue to be a fan and supporter of The Deer, and I am excited to see where this leg of their journey takes them.

-chief

Prime Time :: From Left Field Podcast And Friends Talk ‘MacGruber’

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Joining a podcast full of hilarious people is always a blast, and when it’s the From Left Field crew of Wendy SimmonsJJ Summers and Morgan Davis, it’s always good for a laugh or two, as well as the occasional bit of thought-provoking conversation or trivia.  This time around, I joined the crew along with special guest and director Stefan Gill, and with the season’s theme being Saturday Night Live and its lineage of films, everyone sat down to talk MacGruber (a personal favorite of mine).  The topics came fast and furious, so check it out and have yourself a good old time.

-chief

Looking Back :: Acclimated Assassin Revisits A Bygone Era On ‘Restoration’ LP

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Hip-hop is known for the cycles that it goes through, and how it folds back in on itself to create fresh sounds out of new-sounding elements that are deeply rooted in its own past.  That being said, with 808s making the resurgence they have as of lately, it only makes sense that the boom-bap era is due its time in the sun near future.  Acclimated Assassin, and Austin-based hip-hop producer (by way of Maine), seems to be in that same mindset, as Restoration finds him putting an updated and personal spin on familiar drums and stabs that made the boom-bap era such a prolific one.  The result is a handful of tracks that you wish you’d heard Black MoonO.C.Casual, or any name from the absurdly long list of monolithic MCs that emerged from the early to mid-1990s rap on.  Definitely check this one out asap, spread it around for others to dig in to, and cop it if you have a few bucks.

-chief

Actual Magic :: Orthy Drops New Single In The Form Of ‘Your Spell’

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I’m always happy when the homies are productive, especially the ones I knew before any of us were turning our dreams into reality.  That’s why any Orthy has new work out, I’m all in, considering I’ve known the dude well over half of my life.  In anticipation of his upcoming album Fable Living, due out in January 2020Orthy has released the first single, an appropriately magical piece of synth-pop titled Your Spell.  The energy is high, the arrangement is lush, and it sets a nice, high bar for what the album may possibly hold in store.  Check out the track now, and get ready for the full-length when it touches down, no doubt.

-chief

Self Medication :: The Vapor Caves Encourage The Masses To ‘Feel Yourself’

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It’s been a bit since I anticipated a local release on the level of a major label release, but when I recently determined that The Vapor Caves had their debut project, Feel Yourself, up on iTunes and ready for pre-order, I went all in on that purchase.  After a handful of clever and unique promotional campaigns for their leading singles, it was pretty much a given that I was going to purchase this project, and my first few listens have been incredibly rewarding.  BoomBaptist and Yadira Brown are almost certainly guaranteed to make some noise with this project, so I recommend getting in on the ground floor for this one.  Check them out on your favorite streaming service, or purchase the limited edition vinyl via the Bandcamp link above.  Whatever you do, though, don’t sleep on The Vapor Caves.

-chief

Moments Passing :: Chuck Duze And You F. Oh Get Deep On ‘Waiting…’ Visual

Chuck Duze, member of the FOCI collective and Austin-based hip-hop creative, just dropped a gem in the form of Waiting…, a reflection on action versus observation in hopes of riding the inspirational wave.  The D-Low produced track is a lush, low-key bed of drums and melodic elements, and this foundation allows Chuck Duze and fellow MC You F. Oh to display their unique but complimentary styles.  The video leans slightly into the realms of absurdity, with the duo donning full body animal costumes as if they’re normal attire while strolling the streets in a seemingly self-imposed daze.  When it comes to independent work, this checks all the boxes in the top-notch category.  Check it out, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for others to do the same!

-chief

Mood Music :: Curbside Jones Breaks New Sonic Ground With ‘Kwamé Vol. 01’

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I’ll let Curbside Jones break this one down :

Kwamé Vol.01 is a compilation of moods that I’ve been going through expressed through house music.  I grew tired of creating the same style of music and decided to branch out and find myself again in a new lane.  Each song represents conversations I’ve had with others and myself; themes of love, appreciation, doubt, miscommunication, self-care, and solitude.”

I’m definitely feeling that, and I know you will too.  Check out the new project, share it around so others can do the same, and cop it if you have a few extra bucks.

-chief

Fanning Flames :: Feral The Earthworm Unleashes ‘Dumpster Fire’ On The Internet

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After a flurry of solid music video releases, Feral the Earthworm has released his latest full-length project, Dumpster Fire.  If you’ve visited this blog in the last two weeks, you’ve already heard me talk about how dope Feral the Earthworm is, so your best bet at this point is to jump on your favorite streaming or download service and dive in to this one.  Do it.  Like… right now.

-chief