Category Archives: Underground Me Now

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Vice Principles :: MC Homeless Drops Fake Four Debut In The Form Of ‘Sex And Death’ EP

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When I caught wind of the fact that MC Homeless had a handful of Moodie Black-produced beats and was working on an EP, I knew that we were all in for something memorable.  Over the past year, MC Homeless was showcasing tracks off the project, but there’s something about finally getting to experience a fully realized creation that not even the arresting nature of live performance can capture.  Sex and Death is part examination, part celebration of the trappings that come with the creative spirits.  Sex, depression, drugs and death form the four corners of the framework for Sex and Death, and the instantly iconic artwork is pitch perfect.  Definitely download and share this one around, and if you can, get a hold of the limited edition vinyl, which is equally dope.  Props to Fake Four for putting this one out.

-chief

Full Bloom :: Brown State Of Mind Showcases Poolboi Blu With ‘Flora Sound N°3’

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Every time the homeboy poolboi blu makes moves it makes me happy to know I’m in league with such creative and motivated people.  After a successful run of several mixes in his sincere mix series, poolboi blu was tapped by Brown State of Mind to create a mix for their Flora Sound series.  The series, a showcase of Austin-based DJs, fits right in line with poolboi‘s eclectic range and refined tastes, making N°3 a standout piece.  poolboi made sure to cover the hip-hop, R&B, rock, electronic and remix bases perfectly on this one.  Give it a like, give it a comment it, and share it around so that everyone can get down.

– chief

Night Moves :: SymmaTree Of Grid Squid Entertainment Releases ‘Second Star To The Right’

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SymmaTree of Grid Squid Records is a man on a mission.  Over the course of the last two years, I’ve personally witnessed him work a full-time job while performing and touring regularly, at times crossing multiple state lines over the course of long weekends.  Over that same span of time (a bit longer, actually), SymmaTree amassed a collection of loose tracks that begin with Eren Yeager.  While finishing up the production and waiting for features on his Frozen Leaves EPSymmatree revisited the tracks, and eventually, the groundwork was laid for Second Star to the Right.  He’s been hyping this one up for a minute, and after hearing the project, I can fully understand why.  The album is a free download, so there’s no reason not to cop it and share it around so that others can do the same.

-chief

Social Network :: ChurchCough Celebrates Collaboration With ‘ChurchCough & Friends’

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Like George Clinton once said, ‘the funk can not only move, it can remove’.  In my opinion, he meant removal in the sense of healing, and the healing power of music is undeniable.  With that in mind, I think of ChurchCough as both therapeutic and entertaining the way that they bask in positive outlooks and affirmations.  For ChurchCough & Friends, if it’s not obvious by the title, ConductHer and NonsenseSpence called in the help of some fellow like-minded artists to multiply the positive vibes.  I’m honored to have been a part of this project alongside TokenEddie Baty, and Lemur & Dream Puppy.  Check it out, share it around, and keep supporting your local creatives!

-chief

Emotional Content :: Unusuals Releases ‘True Love Never Dies.’

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Unusuals seems like an artist trying to get to the core of the feeling spectrum that music creates.  His instrumentals somehow manage to be deeply personal and immediately recognizable from other producers, and his broader approach to ideas is bolstered by his execution.  Even when he strips the tracks down, such as the case with true love never dies., he still takes us on a journey reminiscent of the phases a relationship goes through : simple, evolving, and eventually founded in a memory of what you remember but nearly unrecognizable by the end.  The album cover is dope too, showcasing that dark humor that Unusuals and I seems to share.  I’m hoping that this one is an indication that a new project is in the works, but until then, give this one a download or share it around.

– chief

Love Streams :: Croom And Amakiya Combine Forces For ‘Human Too’

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Croom doesn’t seem to just limit himself to ‘music’.  It seems that, when he gets his gear going, you find yourself enveloped in soundscapes that evoke emotion as much as they stimulate the ear.  Croom has been putting in hard work for his upcoming release Belladonna, and part of that work has included collaboration with vocalist Amakiya, a veteran of several successful Austin-based projects.  Human Too, the lead single off of Belladonna, is a great showcase of the way the pair gels, with Croom building up a luscious platform for Amakiya to exercise beautiful minimalism upon.  If this song is any indication of their further collaboration, or the album as a whole, I believe we’ve already got a strong contender for a spot on the 2019 lists on deck.

-chief

Manifesto Music :: T$O Releases Video For ‘Only The Trill’

Reality rap is the closest thing to a documentary in the world of music, in my opinion, and Austin is a city that thrives on that aesthetic.  Recently, Austin-based MC $.dot and producer Eric Dingus joined forces for the T$O (Trill $hit Only) project, and their whole vibe is all about the realness.  In their video for lead single Only The Trill$.dot talks about the pedigree of people he has in his corner and has aligned himself with, all over a Mobb Deep-esque beat by Eric Dingus.  The video looks like a million bucks thanks to the expertise of Super Thing Productions, with smooth tracking shots and artistically framed setups meant to further the written messages.  This one is definitely worth your time, so definitely check it out, leave a like and a comment, and share it around.

-chief

Isolation Drills :: Sanitizer Releases ‘#1 Dad’ Project

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While music is inherently a group-based discipline, there’s something to be said for those who strive to maximize minimalism.  Austin-based solo multi-instrumentalist Sanitizer seems to be one of those artists that thrives in minimalism, and his latest release, the lush lo-fi delight that is #1 Dad, is a display of his multi-instrumental prowess and songwriting variety.  His muted vocals and textured compositions pull you in, and I definitely look forward to multiple listens that will (hopefully) unveil lyrical gems and musical moments of unique expression.  I was not familiar with Sanitizer prior to my Bandcamp deep dig, but I am definitely happy that I stumbled across this one.  Give it a listen and a share, and keep supporting your local creatives!

-chief

Dark Arts :: Evolve And Crew Combine With Moodie Black On ‘SHANKS AND CHANDELIERS’

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Collective efforts can add momentum and weight to a project that solo ventures rarely possess.  Recently, Evolve secured a group of Moodie Black produced beats, called up a crew of folks with bars, and the result is the brief put powerful Valley Winter Chasing Fire by SHANKS AND CHANDELIERS.  The collective is made up of MCs PHreddy Lou Saint LaurelRORSCHACH THE ANTI HERO, CARMEN CASTILLO A.K.A CARMEN FRIA and MELTER SKELTER, with additional guitars by SERGE DE LEON.  There’s a lot to sift through and work with on this one, so definitely take a dive in, share it around, and support monetarily if you can.

-chief

Whispering Winds :: Discovering Freeze Frame And ‘Who’s The Man?

When the universe speaks, we’ve gotta learn to listen, as you never know what you might end up missing.  While searching Bandcamp for something new to post about, I came across Austin-based artist Freeze Frame, and I set his album aside to listen to later.  Later that day, OVRLD put out a call for albums and videos released in 2018 so that they can make sure they’re covering all of their bases, and first in the comments section was a music video by Freeze Frame for Who’s the Man?, released less than a week prior.  That was all I needed to take the dive, and I was certainly impressed.  Freeze Frame manages to capture his aesthetic (his two listed influences are Phillip K. Dick and Slick Rick) perfectly in the video, in my opinion.  Definitely check this one out, leave a like and a comment, and share it around.

-chief