Category Archives: Spotlight

Artists of all varieties that I know and work with.

Galaxy Brain :: Mirage The GR8 Mixes Mediums With Latest Video For ‘THE GR8’

Posted on October 25, 2019 | Leave a comment

Working over the past year and change with Mirage The GR8 has been both rewarding and educational.  After collaborating with him on editing duties for The Amelioration Collection, we decided to collaborate again on a series of videos with different inspiration sources and criteria from project to project.  For THE GR8, the concept was a simple one, but one that we’d seen work before : sync up a cartoon series to Mirage‘s raps, a la Ghostface Killah‘s underground classic video for Daytona 500.  In all honesty, I couldn’t be happier with the finished product as an editor, and it seems that Mirage was equally satisfied with the finish product.  Check it out, leave a like and a comment if you dig it, and share it around for others to do the same!

-chief

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

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Sacred Text :: Faylita Hicks Releases ‘HoodWitch’

Posted on October 24, 2019 | Leave a comment

First and foremost, as a friend and a creative peer, I am extremely proud of and happy for Faylita Hicks.  I’ve watched her grow from a poet into a hip-hop artist, from a hip-hop artist into an activist, and so on.  A couple of years ago, she first started talking about her journey towards becoming a published author, and just like clockwork, about a year ago, she mentioned locking down a deal with Acre Books for the publication of HoodWitch, a collection of poems that reflect on her personal experiences, as well as experiences of black women in America on the whole.  Now, here we are, about a year from that time, and the book has rolled out to respectable amounts of success.  The first pressing sold out in rapid fire fashion, the feedback has been positive, and Faylita has been given the opportunity to do appearances in bookstores she frequented as a customer, only now she finds herself (and her work) placed among the very same pieces of literature that once inspired her to reach these heights.  If nothing else, Faylita Hicks is living proof that a vision backed with pure drive and determination can become reality.  Check out HoodWitch sooner than later via the links in the video description, and help Faylita Hicks reach a level where her books are on demand.

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

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Moog Meditation :: Kinder Releases ‘And Longer Days Still’

Posted on October 23, 2019 | Leave a comment

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The homie Kinder has an innate ability to make luscious, textured tracks out of seemingly minimal elements.  For his latest magic trick, Kinder took some field recordings and a Moog MG1, and the end result was And Longer Days Still, a slowly evolving, steadily paced meditation in layering elements on top of a deceptively shifting rhythm.  I’m a fan of these particular tracks that Kinder releases, as they remind me of score material… hopefully one day, I can employ him to score a film of mine, and people will hear what I hear in his work.  Until that day comes, be sure to check out this track, share it around, and leave a like and/or comment so that Kinder knows folks are digging what he’s putting down.

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

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True School :: Ben Buck And Company Release ‘Spirits’ Visual

Posted on October 22, 2019 | Leave a comment

The Dang Ol’ tour that Ben Buck, Cold Sweat, Jantzonia and Manny Phesto took part in recently looks like it was a blast, based solely on the feedback from the crew, and the subsequent EP release that followed.  It looks like their downtime, however, was not wasted, as Ben Buck has proven with the release of the video for his Spirits single.  The track, produced by Flobama of Hermit Kingdom, hearkens back to the early/mid-1990s hip-hop energy that many of my peers know and love so well, so it’s only fitting that Ben Buck would employ Diggy and Wyatt El to make a video parallel energy infused with new school editing touches.  Plain and simple, this video looked like it was a blast to make, and it only strengthens the message of the track by matching the energy and spirit (no pun intended) that already existed.  Definitely dope, so check it out, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for others to enjoy!

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

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Manipulated Masses :: Feral The Earthworm Waxes Philosophical On ‘Like Button’

Posted on October 21, 2019 | Leave a comment

I’ll let Feral the Earthworm break down Like Button for you :

“Semi-serious song about social media.  As a human being I probably wouldn’t even interact with these mediums, yet as an artist I seem to be required.  I don’t actually care what people think, yet my career seemingly depends on these likes and shares.”

This is a stance that I understand wholly, as I would probably not be on social media myself if not for the ability to connect people with my music, which I ultimately do for self-centered, therapeutic reasons in all honesty.  It’s a strange give and take for the public creative, and that’s not even the normal synergy, as most people become dependent on social media for validation on a much more basic, vastly less esoteric level.  It’s a mess, that’s for sure, but Feral the Earthworm lays it all out well.  Check out the video, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for others to do the same.

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

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Lo Fire :: ‘Sidewalk Puke’ Releases Self-Titled EP

Posted on October 18, 2019 | Leave a comment

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When my friend Annie Mirage hit the road towards Boston to study music, I had an inkling that her creative spirit would grow, and it appears that I hit the nail on the head with that particular bit of guesswork.  She’s recently formed a duo known as sidewalk puke, and their self-titled project packs a might wallop for all of its less than two-minute glory.  Themes of empowerment and identity are supercharged on a lo-fi recording setup and presented in a manner similar to jingles, making them instantly memorable and catchy.  If they decide to stick with the bite-sized songwriting, I’m all here for it, but if they decide to expand on the song length to explore ideas further, I’d allow that as well.  Check this one out, leave a like/comment if you dig it, and share it around for others to do the same thing!

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

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Fly Girl :: The Vapor Caves Shine On ‘Bitch To The Boys’

Posted on October 17, 2019 | Leave a comment

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Holy smokes y’all… I knew that The Vapor Caves were already one of my favorite projects making music these days, but I didn’t know how bad I apparently needed a Yadira Brown rap verse in my life until I heard Bitch to the Boys.  Like many of their songs, The Vapor Caves drench this one in an old school aesthetic, employing shades of Neneh Cherry meets Mary Jane Girls for this round.  This album doesn’t appear to be a concept album, per se’, but the way that BoomBaptist and Yadira Brown execute their ideas so fully is impressive and inspiring.  This one will make some lists at the (rapidly approaching) end of this year… mark my words.  Check it out, spread it around, and support your local creatives!

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

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Massive Output :: Bjørn Vådër Keeps The Good Tunes Coming

Posted on October 16, 2019 | Leave a comment

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If I wanted to, I could probably dedicate my entire blog to the prolific amount of output that Bjørn Vådër blesses us with.  His latest project may be Tolstory the Crater, but my man puts out new music on an almost daily basis, until he has enough to gather into a collection.  This post will hopefully serve as an introductory point for listeners to dive into the lush, textured and ethereal world of sound that Bjørn Vådër creates… maybe if I play my cards right, we can get some collaborative work going.

-chief

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

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Sky Captain :: MAD1ONE Hits The Internet Again With ‘Invisible Kingdom’

Posted on October 15, 2019 | Leave a comment

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For the last few years, you know you’re good for about two releases from MAD1ONE, and with the second half of the year cresting and running into the final portion, it makes sense that he’d release Invisible Kingdom, a collection of hard-hitting, mostly high energy songs from the San Antonio-based veteran.  The production line-up for this one is insane : Four Limbs, DJ Gonz, Ruler Why, Kizer, SBVTK, Furthermore, Progeny, Sultan Mir and Mikey all contribute to the stellar sounds that MAD1ONE eloquently professes on.  This one is another strong notch in his belt, so don’t sleep on it… check it out, share it around, and if you have a few bucks, make a donation when you download, as every little bit helps.

-chief

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Another Day :: Feral The Earthworm Strikes Again With ‘Sitting On A Curb’ Video

Posted on October 14, 2019 | Leave a comment

Making videos is so nice, why not do it twice?  That must be the energy that Feral the Earthworm, Buddy Brown and Carly Molstad are feeling these days, because right on the heels of their Crust Rapper video collaboration, they’ve dropped Sitting on A Curb, an equally creative follow-up music video with it’s own unique look and feel.  The group decided to go for a more artistic look, framing Feral on several literal curbs with visually pleasing cracks and background areas, lining him up clean enough so that they could cut between the locations while Feral stayed fixed and flowing.  The end result is strong, making the video instantly memorable and one that stays on your mind long after viewing.  Share this one around too… like and comment on it too… and you may as well subscribe to Feral‘s YouTube channel if you’ve not done so already, as I imagine there’s more in store…

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

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