Dental Damage :: BÖNDBREAKR Unleashes ‘Angry Tooth’ Single And Video

From the digital desk of BÖNDBREAKR‘s Hurricane G : 

“I wrote Angry Tooth as a way to deal with depression and anxiety, both of which I’d been suppressing with self-medication via partying, beer and hard liquor. It took years for me to seek therapeutic counseling, but I knew it was time for a change when the drink stopped working. Oddly enough, I composed the main riff and lyrics while having my wisdom tooth prepped for extraction. The tooth became infected and needed to be removed right away. As the dental assistant cleaned the affected area, she sucked in her breath and said, “Oh, my! Now that’s an angry tooth.” She was right. I’d lost interest in the basic necessities of taking care of myself, with my teeth being the first to show signs of distress. Not only was the tooth angry; I was angry, too. And deeply depressed. After a couple of years of counseling, I learned how to better manage my depression and anxiety. Although there are days that are more emotionally taxing than others, songwriting and playing music with my bandmates really helps reroute my thinking. While I don’t want to go through anything resembling the lyrics of Angry Tooth ever again, I think it’s important to talk about such experiences that force growth, whether it’s pleasant or not.”

Very well put, and props to Jonathan Nunan for helping to bring the band’s vision to life in this gritty and unforgettable video. If you dig this in any way, shape or form, then leave a like and a comment on the video, share it around for everyone to enjoy, and support your local creatives!

Hit Singularity :: Th’Mole Hits The Masses With ‘Rise Of The Mole People’

Over the past 6 months or so, I’ve formed a pretty solid working relationship with Th’Mole.  After a few requests to take part in remixes and compilations, he recently reached out to me to collaborate on a full project (keep your eyes and ears open for that down the road), and not too long after that, I was invited to be a part of the #WeirdRapDiscussionGang, a semi-regular YouTube show and podcast centering around discussions about often overlooked aspects of hip-hop culture and music.  With my awareness raised on Th’Mole, I recently became hip to his latest project, the instrumental giant Rise of The Mole People.  His signature, epic, cinematic sound is present and accounted for, and if one takes the song titles into account while listening, it’s not all that difficult to envision your own movie in your mind to go with the sonic stimulus.  If you’ve got a few bucks to support, definitely do so for this project, but at least give it a listen and spread the word about it if nothing else!

-chief

Natural Movements :: Yawny Yelly Glowy Floaty Makes Moving Video For ‘Set It Up Right’

Sometimes, the direct approach is best.  Exhibit A : Set It up Right, the latest music video from the unique sonic laboratory of yawny yelly glowy floaty.  If taken purely on sonic merits alone, the song stands as another achievement from a duo quickly becoming known for their consistency in quality… the track comes on ominous, but quickly amps itself up into triumphant levels, while the lyrics are as encouraging as they are comforting.  Luckily for all of us, yawny yelly glowy floaty reached out to Jaylin Lane for assistance with the video, and the result is a true celebration of unrestricted expression in the form of Lane finding open spaces to perform extremely expressionistic dancing, with the result being an extremely moving and captivating piece of art.  Dig the video for yourself, leave a like and a comment if you feel it, and spread the word so that all can enjoy!

-chief

Swan Song :: StereoFiend Signs Off With ‘Hennessey’ Single

Recently, StereoFiend lead MC SymmaTree took a break from his daily meme onslaught to drop some sad news : the San Antonio-based band has officially ended their long run with the release of their final single, Hennessey.  With so much talent in the group, it’s a shame that things have come to an end, but Hennessey is definitely a high note to go out on… Joy is not only singing with the kind of soul that comes with personal experience, but her lyrical imagery is a rich as the grooves that the band is laying down.  Definitely cop this track if you have a buck to support, share it around, and help keep the name of StereoFiend alive past the band’s selected end date.

-chief

Groove Food :: Ben Buck Beatbox Blasts Listeners With ‘WHATABANGER’

For the unfamiliar or uninitiated, Whataburger is a Texas institution.  Most anybody from Texas will give you a detailed account of their love for the fast food chain, if given the chance, so it makes complete sense that the homie Ben Buck would dedicate a bit of his beatsmith prowess to WHATABANGER, an unofficial sonic ode to the fast food giant.  The production more than lives up to the banger expectation set in the title, and for good measure, Ben Buck throws in every burger-related vocal sample that you could imagine.  If you’re looking for some good beats to keep your head nodding, then look no further than this collection… cop it if you’ve got a few bucks to spare, and share it with all of the other Whataburger lovers you know so that we can all celebrate together!

-chief

You Know :: Mad1ne & Blazy Green Release Video For ‘Stezo’

Raw raps from Mad1ne and Blazy Green over raw production by Green deserves a no-nonsense, direct approach when it comes to a video, and luckily, this is exactly what the duo brings you with Stezo, the third single off of Dark Side of Jupiter.  Mad1ne has been prolific with the videos over the years, and Stezo marks another notch on a belt full of high quality and triumphant marches.  The video honestly speaks for itself, so if you find yourself feeling it, leave a like and a comment before you spread it around for all to enjoy.

-chief

Freedom Sounds :: Poolboi Blu Goes Off With ‘Jubilee’

You can always count on quality from the homie poolboi blu, but he really and truly left it all on the table for listeners on jubilee, his newest release.  Before you even hit play, the cover artwork by Tafari Diop takes you to an emotionally moving place (or at least it did for me), and this immediately took me back to a time of nostalgia when a powerful album cover was enough for me to invest my money in an album or tape, regardless of whether I’d heard it or not.  When it comes to poolboi blu, as mentioned before, I knew it was going to be good, and it’s obvious that my man has spent his time during COVID-19 sharpening and expanding his skill set.  Not only does this project continue his trend of providing a variety of soundscapes, but all of it bangs, and the sample choices used (in terms of vocal snippets) are money.  If you can spare a few bucks, definitely cop this one asap, but regardless, share it around for everyone to enjoy!

-chief

Nature Boy :: Marshall Anderson Shares ‘Sunflowers Leaning’ Video

Life tends to get a bit hectic here in the information age, and sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded that it’s ok to take it a little easy every now and then.  If this sentiment ever needed an anthem, then my candidate would be Marshall Anderson, as Sunflowers Leaning, his latest single, embodies these feelings perfectly.  Over a sparse guitar and drum driven track with just the right touches of piano, Marshall tells us all about himself, his past, where he’s headed, and most importantly, he shares his view of the world with all that are willing to listen.  If you dig songs that can shift your mood for the better, then check out this video, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for everyone to enjoy!

-chief

Still Waters :: Cecil James Spills His Soul On ‘Las Canciones del Borracho’

One of the many pleasures that comes with setting up my hideout in the San MarcosTexas area is the wealth of talented singer/songwriters that also have chosen to take up residence.  Over the years, I’ve run across a number of them that have truly blown me away with their talent, and one of the more recent personalities to step out of the pack is Cecil James.  I knew he was a solid guitarist (this coming from a completely inept guitarist) and a singer with a richness to his voice similar to that of M. Ward, but with a bit more playful storyteller, but up until recently, I had no idea what he would sound like in the framing of a recorded project.  These curiosities were laid to rest with the recent release of Las Canciones del Borracho, a 3-song EP that plays out like a movie story arc that lies somewhere between David Lynch and the Cohen Brothers.  He’s always sounded great acoustically, but hearing him with a strong backing band and focused production not only brings out the sonic griot in his lyrics, but it subtextually comments on his ruminations about being an isolated soul in search of close company full of kindred spirits.  In my humble opinion, that should be relatively easy to find around San Marcos, especially with a calling card like Las Canciones del Borracho in your back pocket.

-chief

Dedication Game :: Clemits Follows Up MF DOOM Tribute Single With ‘CLEM F DOOM’ EP

Last week, the homie Clemits shared his sorrow over the loss of the legendary MF DOOM with the track RIP DOOM FREESTYLE.  As a broader show of respect for an MC who influenced a large cross-section of wordsmiths and beatsmiths, Clemits has followed this up with the release of CLEM F DOOM, a collection of tribute raps set to selections from MF DOOM‘s iconic Special Herbs collection.  The mixtape is free, so if you’ve got an MF DOOM-shaped hole in your heart like the rest of us, jump on that download asap, and let everyone else know they can do the same.

-chief