Austin-based hip-hop dynamite duo Retr0gRaDe made waves in 2016 when they dropped their self-titled debut album. Now, fresh into 2017, the group has dropped their first video. Tribal Bounce finds the fellas (with an assist from Clifton Dukes) going off over a visually stimulating, slightly psychedelic framework, reminiscent of the Scenario or Return of the Boom Bap classic videos. Definitely super dope. Like it, share it, and make sure to keep an eye out for more from these cats.
-chief
For all of the forgettable moments most will attribute to 2016, there were personal highlights I cannot ignore. Being introduced to NGHT HCKLRS was certainly one of them. These cats, plain and simple, are making some of the most standout music in Austin, and the release of the EP HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa! appears to solidify that statement. Seeing these guys is a must if you get the chance. They will be rocking Exploded Drawing this upcoming Friday, and I am wholly certain that their star is on the rise.
-chief
Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I love lyrics. No matter the musical genre, if you can put some words together in a way that catches my attention, you’ve got me 1000%. This is one of the things that gets me hype about Jay Mackall‘s #REALEST CYPHER (Austin TX) series. Not only have I come to expect top notch bars from these cyphers, but it’s doubly assuring to know these cats represent where I’m from. The sequel to the sequel includes George Vondoom, Syndicate Same Ol, Charlie Rock, Dub Fresh and Black Haze. Enjoy, share, like and support local!
-chief
Many years ago, during the days of The Word Association, Experience and Binary Audio Misfits, I made a connection with the highly driven, super talented and insanely humble Francisco Esteves. Although we did not speak the same language, we understood one another enough to form a base connection, and music has since then propelled that connection into places I never expected.
From the ashes of Binary Audio Misfits arose the label We Are Disco Doom Revenge, and an effort to keep like-minded and forward thinking artists connected and collaborating. When Zedrine and Francisco reached out to me to be a part of the Dum Spiro upcoming album, I was very excited, to say the least. Months later, Hors chant has hit the music scene, and as impartially as I can say it, this is quite the entertaining and engrossing album. I knew it would be good… I did not know it would be this good. I am honored to have been a part of this, and hopeful that you all will give it a listen and some support… next time you’re on your favorite streaming service or download app, give it a look up and a listen.
-chief
Every Wednesday night, a group of Austin‘s most diverse wordsmiths and creative thinkers get together for Austin Poetry Slam at Spiderhouse Ballroom. I have heard quite a few people drop knowledge and bless the mic with verbal dexterity, but sometimes you just have to sit the people down and talk straight with them. Enter The Poetic Butcher, and his piece titled The Non Social Network. He’s not covering any new ground, and we are all aware of how the information age is reshaping cultures and changing the world on many levels, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t about as crystal clear as your uncle taking you aside and telling you the things that you need to hear. I look forward to hearing more from The Poetic Butcher and the many, many other participants of Austin Poetry Slam.
-chief
Austin, for what it’s worth, has built itself a respectable scene for electronic producers and musicians. For most any shade of that spectrum, you can find someone to represent your tastes. Enter more eaze, a self-proclaimed producer of ‘collage based work and the deconstruction of song forms’. This is definitely a lofty and unique title, but on w0rk, we find that more eaze is quite capable of standing up to the gravity of the title he has appointed himself. This work falls somewhere between Brian Eno, Matmos and Captain Beefheart, all run through a digital strainer. If you’re looking for something to change your way of thinking about music, this is not a bad place to start.
-chief
2017 is already showing promise on the local music front. I have a nice backlog of material to share in the upcoming opening days of this new year. I figured there was no better way to kick off a new year than with a banger from the factory at Ruler Why Recordings. This is a track from Lords Of Ale entitled Outlaw Canyon, and if it’s any indication of what’s to come from Laguer Lounge then it’s clear we have some solid material to expect. As always, support, share and keep your eyes and ears open for more from this camp.
-chief
Perseph One is having a killer December. Sip is the second video off of the recent Freecember release from Fake Four records, Machine Mammal EP. The clip finds her meditating in a trainyard, letting the Stephen Farris instrumental serve as the perfect roadmap for her lyrical explorations. I am excited to see what the future holds for Perseph One and Fake Four.
-chief
What a wonderful December it’s been for my independent creative peers. This Christmas Eve finds the homies at Fake Four releasing Nada Tengo by Chisme (also the homies) for Freecember Week 3. Seeing REL and Progeny release their collective boom-bap magic on the same label that has signed Alligator Food and Perseph One brings me joy of the highest degree for the Texas independent hip-hop scene. Maybe one day, if I get my musical act together in an evolved status, I may see about joining the movement. It should go without saying, but make sure to cop this project, and take a moment to make sure your friends do the same.
-chief
You’ve gotta be open to the universe and the signals it sends you, because you never know from which direction the love may come. Austin-based rapper Omenihu‘s latest release, All Vibes Matter, is a prime example of this, as it recently was shown major love by the blog curators over at OkayPlayer. The song is dope, the video has a nice aesthetic to it that will make it hard to place its direct timeframe when it’s rediscovered way down the line, and a co-sign from the homie Delano Taylor on Facebook doesn’t hurt either. I really enjoyed this song… a nice positive button for the end of this trying year.
-chief
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 