Category Archives: Underground Me Now

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Soft Parade :: Muff Continues To Grow With ‘Go Gently’

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There’s something about the Austin-based band Muff that just works for me.  I don’t know if it’s their wonderfully playful guitar and bass melodies, the driving drums, the lyrics that reveal new insight upon repeat listens, the way that they sing, or a combination of all those elements, but Muff makes music that I can just hit play and allow it to take over.  Go Gently, the band’s new release, not only continues their tradition of great songwriting, it ups the ante by introducing new elements : production that is more layered and textured, synth sounds that were either not present in the self-titled debut or not showcased, and an overall more composed and up front sense of being about the band.  The performances are more confident, and listening to this album is like getting to know a friend better more so than meeting them for the first time (which is how it should be in terms of musical progression).  I still have high hopes for Muff, as I can envision great things happening for them due to the caliber of band they are.  Here’s to hoping that Go Gently points them in the right direction and affords them new opportunities.

-chief

Renaissance Man :: Andrés Forecasts ‘Friendly Skies’

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andrés is a man of many diverse interests and styles.  When I originally got to know him, it was via his Unusuals moniker and the unique production approach he took with his albums.  Over time, I’ve gotten to know him deeper via his radio exploits with Cosmic Grooves on KZSM Radio San Marcos, his vintage clothing ventures with BORDER PALACE VINTAGE, and a recent transition into the middle ground of beatmaking and singer/songwriterdom with his work under the name andrés.  Friendly Skies is a reflection on connection, a lament about what one feels when an opportunity for intimacy presents itself, and all you want to do is make things as easy and easy-going as possible.  Bonus shoutout to me on the artwork assist, inspired by the recent admiration and respect andrés has for Missy Elliot.  andrés is certainly carving out a niche for himself that the San Marcos scene hasn’t seen since the likes of Roger Sellers, but andrés (much like Roger) is a wholly unique individual, so it should be a journey worth watching for those lucky enough to witness the growth.

-chief

Smart Money :: Riders Against the Storm (RAS) Present ‘OverUnder’ Video

It’s late August, and in Austin that means folks are gearing up for RAS Day, a celebration of the Austin-based powerhouse that is Riders Against the Storm, all that they do for the community, and the overwhelming positive energy they’ve brought to the music scene.  With this year’s RAS Day gearing up to be something special, it’s only fitting that the duo dropped a new song and video in preparation.  OverUnder finds RAS waxing poetic on taking action and not being passive in regards to both your support of and your contributions to your culture, hip hop or otherwise.  The video is a simpler affair than past videos, but still effective with it’s striking color palette and it’s portrait-esque portrayal of RAS and friends.  Tracks like these hit that much hard with RAS laying them down, as you can almost feel the ‘walk it like I talk it’ mentality emitting from their lyrics.  The fact that the track, a collaboration with Walker Lukens for his Song Confessional music project, was conceived, written and produced in two hours is a testament to that realness, as well as the message of not accepting limitations in your quest.  Great work from a great squad doing great things.

-chief

Clean-up Hitter :: Poolboi Blu Knocks It Out Of The Park With ‘Sincere (Volume 005)’

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sincere (volume 005) just dropped, and it’s safe to say that poolboi blu is feeling maximum levels of swagger these days.  The sincere series has been getting progressively stronger with each release, but (volume 005) is a true achievement.  The song selection flows seamlessly… the mixes are clean, concise and executed precisely… best of all, poolboi blu doubled down on the mix length, clocking in at just over 45 minutes with (volume 005).  There’s a handful of songs I really dig on this mix, as well as a few that feel like possible new favorite songs in the making.  This mix is most definitely the right way to transition out of that summer madness.

-chief

Shock Value :: MC Homeless Expounds On ‘Dead Rappers’ With Chris Conde In New Video

There’s braggadocio, and then there’s truly being unbothered by what the common crowd is doing… I think it’s safe to say that MC Homeless falls more in the latter category.  An MC that’s never been known to do anything less than his own thing, MC Homeless recently teamed up with San Antonio-based Chris Conde to draw a clear line in the sand between the true unliving heads and those that are basically already the walking dead.  The duo gets down over a Death Woods track (plus a drone loop from Vanishing Cities) with a little visual assistance from co-director Joseph Ramirez (MC Homeless also pulled director duty), makeup and special effects by Chris PaulosHolly Paulos and Leigh Kessel, and digital effects from David Hampton.  The track will be found on the upcoming split cassette with BrzowskiDig Two Graves, so definitely keep your eyes and ears open for that release… I’m sure this is just a small sample of the dopeness that project holds in store.

-chief

Wasted Hours :: Mad One Reflects On Time With ‘Winter Nights’ Video

Mad One and DJ Ninja are making sure that their new collaborative project Ghost Of The Record Store gets all of the attention it can (and deserves), and one of those routes is the promotional music video push they’ve unrolled.  After dropping the hard hitting Bombz video, complete with images that help reinforce the album idea, the duo has followed up with Winter Nights, a reflective and somber track glorifying an understanding of time and how all aspects of it can affect us.  Paired with Max Fleischer era animation, the bars and earworm piano sample hit that much harder in terms of relevance, making the song a gem that reminds us of the mid-1990s jazz influenced boom-bap hip-hop we could use more of these days.  If you haven’t already, go check out Ghost Of The Record Store, and be sure to give both videos a like, comment and share.

-chief

Missed Connections :: Curbside Jones And The ‘Milk Tea Choronicles’

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Curbside Jones has already done what it takes to prove himself as one of the most creative and charismatic artists in the Austin hip-hop scene via previous releases, but he’s in the midst of making a major impact with his latest project.  A serial journey over several different EPs titled Milk Tea Chronicles, this series of songs and releases has some serious head nod factor working for it due to Curbside Jones‘s extremely mature production and highly confident lyric ability.  Installment one is a reflection on expanding your horizons and exploring the world around you, while Voicemail Blues is a reflection on our new existence in the information/communication age and how we still manage to not maximize these potential connections despite every given opportunity to do so.  For my money’s worth, it feels like Curbside Jones can do no wrong, and I’m really hoping he becomes one of the artists that can break through Austin‘s glass ceiling and make noise on a bigger level.

-chief

Razor’s Edge :: Leather Tuscadero Collectively Unleashes ‘Smokes, s’Go!’

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There may be a greater distance between the collective members of Leather Tuscadeo these days, but that distance has not stopped them from making classic material.  Thanks to opportunities afforded by the creative think-tank known as Concuss, the members of Leather Tuscadero (producer Progeny, emcees Evolve and Barfly, and guru Rob Castro) have unleashed a beast with the hard-hitting EP Smokes, s’Go.  In just five songs, it is abundantly clear that the chemistry between the steadily attacking Evolve and the off-kilter approach of Barfly come together like Voltron over Progeny‘s boom-bap production.  The lyrical fodder is full of sharp wordplay, pop culture references and words of warning to those thinking that testing the collective is a safe move.  I definitely see this one getting repeated play and spins during my DJ sets.  Make sure to support your local creatives, wherever they may be, via likes, shares and monetary support.

-chief

Pride Rhymes :: ConductHer Drops ‘Golden Gays’

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Identity is a very key part to hip-hop, as anything less than the truth is glaringly obvious when it comes to the beats and rhymes.  Clearly, ConductHer (of ChurchCough) is completely aware of this fact.  She is currently deep in the trenches producing ChurchCough‘s upcoming release, but she took the time to drop Golden Gays, a statement on being honest to yourself, your feelings, and the people close to you when it comes to attraction.  ConductHer weaves her tale through the bombastic track, making sure to include very key points such as not falling into societal norms by default, trusting those feelings you may not understand, and avoiding looking for love in all the wrong places.  It’s been a pleasure watching ConductHer grow as a producer, songwriter and a person, and I look forward to more expressions of self and reflections on life from her.  Be sure to like the track if you’re feeling it, leave a comment, and share it around so others can benefit from shared truths.

-chief

Pull Up :: Poolboi Blu Drops Another Banger With ‘Lounge’

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Summer is coming to a close, and if there were a shortlist for summer MVP, it’d be safe to say that poolboi blu would be somewhere near the top of it.  Be it solo singles, sincere mix volumes, or collaboration with Red Comet, the amount of work that the homie has put in these last few months cannot be denied.  The Red Comet collaboration series continues with lounge, a track written and produced by poolboi blu with engineering and cover art assists from Red Comet.  The track plays like a personal affirmation, with poolboi walking it like he’s talking it.  My man has always been fire with the tracks, but what really stands out on this one is the confidence that you can hear growing in his lyrics and his delivery.  It looks like poolboi blu the MC may slowly be stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight… time will tell.  I’ll definitely be around to watch that spotlight action go down when it happens, and the smart ones out there will be right there with me.  Dig the track, share it around, and support your local creatives.

-chief