Tag Archives: austin

Love Jones :: Kiki Ambrose Debuts With ‘Numb’ Single And Video

Posted on July 29, 2020 | Leave a comment

It’s funny how the music industry is ever changing and finding its role marginalized, yet many of its practices are still present and extremely necessary.  Case in point : I recently shared the latest Cha’keeta B single, Pull Up, and one of the highlights from that track was the assist from Austin-based R&B newcomer Kiki Ambrose.  Cut to a week or so later, and like a consummate professional, Kiki Ambrose had a debut single and video ready and waiting to drop.  Numb is an exploration of how that natural physical and intimate attraction that occurs between people can be so all consuming that it literally turns the volume down on the rest of the world.  The video, produced and directed by Cooly Films, bolsters the song with vivid and colorful visuals that’ll have you feeling the need for some sexual healing before you even realize it.  Don’t sleep on this one, especially if you have a soft spot in your heart for soul and R&B… leave a like and a comment if you dig it, and spread it around for all to enjoy.

-chief

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Cinematic Orchestration :: Curbside Jones Continues To Rise With ‘Gyakusou Vol. 1’

Posted on July 28, 2020 | Leave a comment

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The list of my hip-hop/rap peers that I respect is a vast one, but the club of my hip-hop/rap peers that truly inspire me is a very exclusive one.  One of the longest standing members of this club is the Austin-based legend Curbside Jones.  Since the day I discovered Wolves’ Clothing, every single bit of creative output from Curbside Jones has been amazing, be it music, videos, animations, clothing, photography or whatever he chooses to dip his toes into.  Gyakusou Vol. 1, the brief but powerful collaboration with Japanese producer Ballhead, is further proof of Curbside Jones‘ ability to make nothing less that concept albums.  Check the Bandcamp page for a complete breakdown on the origins and inspiration for the project, and cop it while you’re there, because it’s a bonafide banger.

-chief

 

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Greater Good :: Suzanna Choffel Gives Back With ‘Greater Good’ Release

Posted on July 27, 2020 | Leave a comment

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Many people are finding themselves having to face problems that have always existed while trying to survive in the shadow of COVID-19.  For Suzanna Choffel, who self-admittedly knows her problems are lesser compared to those of many out there struggling, found that these times brought up ideas she explored in 2019 while preparing for the birth of her second daughter.  During her first pregnancy, the red tape and games of health care opened her eyes to the true nature of the American health system, how politicians give lip service to the industry, and how it impacts women in particular.  These ideas manifest as Good Problems, a dual attempt for her to recognize the bigger problems in the world and to inspire those going through them.  As if this effort was not enough, $1 from each sale of this track will go towards the ACLU and their efforts to even the playing field and make life a bit easier for everyone.  Support if you can, but definitely give this one a listen regardless of whether you can support or not, as Suzanna Choffel‘s immense talent cannot go ignored.

-chief

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Daily Operation :: Cory Kendrix X Sloesip Connect For ‘July 18 Freestyle’

Posted on July 20, 2020 | Leave a comment

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My man Cory Kendrix stays in the booth.  Personally, I’d find myself distracted by all the party favors in Colorado, but Cory has managed to not only find his voice as an MC and an artist, but he continues to grow in terms of confidence and range with each new song and project.  For July 18th Freestyle, Cory whipped up a deceptively simple monster of a track and hollered at his homie Sloesip to jump on board for some braggadocio bars.  Cory Kendrix even put the artwork together for this one, showing that he sees the bigger picture and is not limited to traditional rapper roles.  This one sounds like it’ll find itself comfortably within someone’s mixtape with its all business approach, so don’t sleep on it.

-chief

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Direct Action :: Kydd Jones And Ben Buck Speak Truth On ‘Rubber Bullets’

Posted on July 10, 2020 | Leave a comment

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Two Austin icons teaming up for some real talk about the current (and seemingly never-ending) hard times that minorities are facing?  You don’t have to tell me twice… and that’s exactly what we’re getting here.  Kydd Jones has dropped a number of socially-aware tracks over the past month, and the streak continues with Rubber Bullets, a collaboration with Ben Buck and producer Wiardon.  What really hits me about this song are the two parallel perspectives, which are different yet like-minded : Kydd talks about achieving dreams while hoping your light isn’t snuffed out early, while Ben Buck speaks a bit on privilege, being a proper ally to the cause, and the clear-cut difference in approach that Police bring to the table, depending on whom they are dealing with.  This track is another notch in the belt of positivity for Austin hip-hop, so don’t sleep on it.

-chief

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New Normal :: Click-Clack Explores The Times With ‘Thankful’

Posted on July 9, 2020 | Leave a comment

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Shelter-in-place measures, compounded by a resurgent drive for racial social-economic equality, has taken a taxing toll on most creatives.  I’ve found a few peers who have stepped up to bat in regards to the racial issues, and a smaller handful who have taken on our lifestyle adjustments directly, but to my recollection thus far, Click-Clack is one of the first to take both on with equal measure.  On Thankful, his collaboration with producer Brokeboishy, Click-Clack takes a six-song journey that covers isolation, bigotry and prejudice, systematic oppression, questionable social behaviors and much more with clever and insightful examination.  Over the past ten days or so, his refrain of ‘partner, could you pardon me?’ has been stuck in my head something serious.  Click-Clack has proven his consistency over the years, so it shouldn’t even be a question whether or not you check this one out and support it.

-chief

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Street Knowledge :: CP Loony’s Standout ‘American Rebel’ Out Now

Posted on July 8, 2020 | Leave a comment

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I never really got into this whole blogging thing to make it a profession.. it was more just a way to keep the front page of my website from getting stale or a bit too much about self-glorification.  Cut to many, many, many years later, and I’ve found myself often getting solicited music for blog post consideration, which will always and forever be a trip to me.  That being said, I love getting to discover new music, and when CP Loony hit me up to check out the recently released American Rebel, it only further validated that discovery feeling.  What I really and truly dig about CP Loony is how he moves effortlessly between what many have labelled ‘old head’ and ‘new head’ styles of hip-hop, bridging the gap between generations in a much needed manner that brings your Playboi Carti‘s and Public Enemy‘s a bit closer together.  The songs are incredibly personal, heartfelt and moving, with CP Loony taking the time to examine the world around him, and his role in it, with dynamic and observant detail.  The production is money as well, with assists from ChiChi, Nashi, Eighty 8 and ThatBossEvan filling out the roster.  If you’re looking for a brief but powerful bit of realness for your soundsystem, look no further than American Rebel.

-chief

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Preserving History :: Mirage The Gr8’s ‘The Rhythm Still Plays’ Documentary Now Streaming

Posted on July 8, 2020 | Leave a comment

Mirage the Gr8 and myself have had a several year working relationship, and an even longer friendship.  The music video commissions he sends my way have made me a better editor and creator, in my opinion.  As the previous decade was coming to a close and 2020 was on the horizon, I envisioned myself making a documentary project of some kind, so when Mirage proposed his idea for The Rhythm Still Plays, a documentary celebrating the 20-year anniversary of his Good Vibe Records release Life Is A Rhythm (L.I.A.R.), I was all in.  I knew that it would be an important reflection of a big moment in the careers of he and Tee Double, but I had no idea that it would turn out to be a solid reflection of the era in Austin hip-hop that was the most inspirational for me as a young man.  Sit back, enjoy, leave a like and a comment if you dig it, and share it around for everyone to see!

-chief

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No Relation :: Benji Alx Snaps On ‘It’s Not Your Boy’

Posted on July 7, 2020 | Leave a comment

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One wonderful bonus of having a talented network of friends and peers is that everything dope and creative ends up on your radar.  With the homie poolboi blu out carving a major name for himself in the Central Texas area, I make sure that I stay attentive to his posts and support them when I can, so when he posted that he’d produced nearly half of the recent Benji Alx release It’s Not Your Boy, I had to check it out on general principle.  I’d always been a fan of Benji Alx‘s way of mixing his laid back nature with an aggressive edge, but I was in no way, shape or form prepared for the lyrical and stylistic onslaught he brought to the table for this one.  I could sprinkle praiseworthy adjectives on this project all day, but it’s best to go ahead and check this one out for yourself, and then reserve it a spot on your local year-end lists, as it’s almost certainly guaranteed to appear on a few.  It’s Not Your Boy is streaming and available for purchase in all the places, so go cop that asap.

-chief

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Dropping Science :: Feral The Earthworm Makes A Historical Deep Dive For ‘Heritage’

Posted on July 6, 2020 | Leave a comment

With no signs of shelter-in-place slowing down anytime soon, many artists have been forced to make wild adaptations to their lifestyle.  Feral the Earthworm, the Austin original known for being a man on the road, has recently found himself parked back in the weird city once again, and after a bit of an adjustment period, it appears that he was snapped right back into action by the extra-volatile nature of current day social media.  With items like The Confederate Flag being used as bargaining chips against the main issue, it is important to recognize their inflammatory history without allowing them to be a distraction from the primary goals, and with an educated wordsmith like Feral the Earthworm scoping the landscape, gems like Heritage come to life.  Dig how he addresses the flag’s significance, symbolism, the brief time period it represents, how it came to be a monument of an overly-glorified period of time, and much more, all in a brief but powerful two minutes and change.  Feral the Earthworm never ceases to amaze me, hence my sharing with you, so you already know what to do… like and comment if you feel what he’s putting down, and share it around for all to see and hear.

-chief

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