Tag Archives: austin

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!

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

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

Traveling Jams :: Curbside Jones Taps OOg And Dexter Fizz For ‘Last Train’

Nobody is representing Texas and world hip-hop culture quite like the homie Curbside Jones is.  His latest single, the super mellow and jazzy earworm that is Last Train, holds itself together with a lightly satirical ode to Texas “swangin’ and bangin'” hip-hop, only to present us with three uniquely clever and confident MCs, one of whom is spitting in a completely different language (which I will not attempt to identify for fear of sounding ignorant).  Producer Phill Blanks gives us plenty to nod our head to as he stretches the beat’s pocket to maximum potential, which matches the swagger-filled energy of the trio it provides a foundation for.  With The Last Train dropping this April, releasing the titular track as the lead single will certainly pique the interest of hip-hop heads far and wide, so definitely get hip in anticipation of the upcoming big drop, and share it around so others can do the same.

-chief

Motivated Moves :: Kydd Jones Releases “James Baldwin” Single And Clothing Line

From the digital desk of Kydd Jones

Kydd Jones teams up with fellow born and raised Austinite Bomani Ray Barton for their Black History Month anthem James Baldwin.  Inspired by the illustrious author, Jones has released a clothing line for this song in collaboration with artist Will Bryant and print label Raw Paw. The proceeds from sales of the James Baldwin t-shirts will go to a relief fund for students and staff of Austin Learning Academy as they deal with the aftermath of historic winter storms in the area.  Austin Learning Academy has operated as an educational nonprofit organization in East Austin for over 25 years. For more information on how to help Austin Learning Academy, please contact Toni Davis at contact@austinlearningacademy.com.”

-chief

Tribute Talk :: Clemits Gives Respect On ‘RIP MF DOOM FREESTYLE’

The announcement of MF DOOM‘s passing on New Year’s Eve of last year tore a hole in the collective heart of the hip-hop community.  It’s hard to find creators on any level from the past couple of decades that where not either directly or indirectly influenced by the legendary wordsmith and producer, so it only makes sense that creatives on all levels would feel the need to pay homage.  Recently, Clemits stepped into this realm with his RIP MF DOOM FREESTYLE, a quick blast of tribute released via his YouTube channel.  If you dig what he has to say about MF DOOM, or you miss MF DOOM like Clemits (and the rest of us do), don’t hesitate to leave a comment and a like on the video, and share it around for everyone to discover.

-chief

Rhythmic Revolution :: (RAS) Riders Against The Storm Give ‘Flowers For The Living’

With all that (RAS) Riders Against the Storm does for the community and the culture, it’s easy (and foolish) to forget that they are as talented at making music as they are driven at making social improvements.  If anyone needs a reminder (or an introduction) to their prolific music-making abilities, then you’re in luck, because they recently dropped their latest collection of songs in the form of Flowers For The Living.  Chaka and Qi are as sharp as ever over a dynamic and varied range of production, giving us everything from modern-era hip-hop stylings to outright dance tracks, all of which firmly fit into their aesthetic and sound completely natural.  The lead singles set a high bar, but there was never any doubt that (RAS) couldn’t meet (if not exceed) those expectations, and as usual, the dynamic duo came through in stellar fashion.  If you can spare a few bucks, cop the album from their Bandcamp page, but otherwise, find it on your favorite streaming site and run those numbers up!

-chief

Triple Trouble :: BoomBaptist, Juicy The Emissary And Elaquent Release ‘Komfort Food’

You’ve seen the posts about the singles, but the moment of truth has finally arrived.  I’m sharing the release of Komfort Food directly off the strength of the parties involved : BoomBaptistJuicy the Emissary and Elaquent are all well known for their diverse and impactful production, so I know that I don’t need to have heard Komfort Food to know it’s an instant classic.  Trust me, I’ll definitely be bumping it this weekend, but in the meanwhile, why don’t you go ahead and give it a listen?  Maybe cop it?  Definitely share it around.

-chief

Faded Loyalty :: Cha’keeta B and Lakrea Drop Video For ‘In My Bag’

Cha’keeta B has been shooting shots for years, and in my opinion, she hasn’t missed yet.  This go ’round, she reached out to Lakrea for a brief but powerful rumination on how jealously can shift the intentions and actions of others titled In My Bag.  As with most all of the production Cha’keeta selects, this one is catchy and has plenty of bounce, which keeps her already inspired and high energy flow at a level that darts and weaves through the bassline and hi-hats.  As for lyrical content, you already know that if it’s coming from Cha’keeta B it’s going to be real talk, and Lakrea helps punctuate the matter with a memorable and catchy hook assist.  This one is rapidly approaching a four-digit view count, so if you want to help this clip achieve virality, go give it some spins, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for others to do the same!

-chief

Proper Praise :: Riders Against The Storm (RAS) Drop Video For ‘Flowers For The Living’

The adage of ‘give me my flowers while I can smell them’ has become an ethos that is gaining rapid popularity, as many people often find themselves regretful when it becomes too late to give someone the praise that they deserve.  It is quite possible that this new cultural awareness may get a boost in the form of Flowers for the Living, a song as self-explanatory as it is catchy.  Chaka and Qi’Dada bar up the Ayma-produced track (as they are known to do) while Clarence James shines on the hook, and thanks to director @JustinHCinema, the track is given a colorful and vibrant visual counterpart full of the life that it celebrates celebrating.  It may be a little early for a summer jam, but if this track ends up having some legs, it’ll definitely serve as a proper candidate due to its immense amount of feel good vibes.

-chief