Morgan from OVRLD will tell you… on one of Moodie Black‘s last trips into town, they were playing new tunes. When they dropped Sway, us fans and the new listeners got H Y P E. With the specter of the Lucas Acid album release on the horizon, I am happy that Sway is the pre-release single, and even more happy that K is getting to voice the experience of efforts to bring trans-awareness to the table. This song could shape up to be both the jam and a possible benchmark moment all in one.
-chief
Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now
Tagged chief, k, lucas acid, moodie black, morgan, ovrld, sway, the doomsday device
YouTube video magazine Elevator just poured major validation all over The PNTHN. At the time of writing this post, the Chumbucket music video is sitting on almost 9000 views, with more than 200% likes over dislikes. For an up and coming crew, that’s pretty impressive. Let’s hope that these cats can stay humble and focused, because it looks like things are already lining up in a major way for them.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight
Tagged chief, chumbucket, elevator, the doomsday device, the pnthn, youtube
Austin-based director Fum Fum Ko‘s long awaited film collaboration with blakchyl and chiclopz of Mindz of a Different Kind (MDK) is now available and streaming on Facebook. No Sleep No Breaks is a heartfelt story of two creative spirits excited about an opportunity to document their art, and the anticipation of this opportunity. The film is set against the backdrop of East Austin (mostly), showcasing an area of the town that does not get the love it deserves. Definitely give the film a like and a share, check it out, and let Fum Fum Ko know what you think about it!
-chief
Henry + The Invisibles is no stranger to dropping an inspirational track. Whether he’s encouraging you to move your body or to explore your world, he’s always on point. Sometimes, as in the case of Let’s Bounce, he does both at the same time. Henry + The Invisibles rides the dual metaphor wonderfully in his lyrics before lacing the track with a moving solo and one of the funkier bridges he’s committed to tape in a hot minute. I’m looking forward to sharing some festival time with him at the upcoming Martian Arts Festival, and definitely I’m looking forward to more new music.
-chief
I’m all about innovation in hip-hop. I don’t think we should be chained to production and performance tropes, and I find the divide in tastes emerging between the last few generations disturbing. That being said, I love hip-hop that is rooted in the elements that brought it to the status that it has achieved today, and it’s apparent that Secret Levels feels the same way. The Game is Never Over is drenched in the boom-bap aesthetic, and while dropping tons of homage to days past, the album never sounds dated. Think Ugly Duckling with a bit more bite to it, or a linear evolution of what Pharcyde was doing. Period point blank, this is an album that should be in your rotation if you care at all about supporting the Austin hip-hop scene, because this is high quality work.
-chief
MC and poet Jonathan Brown has always been creatively ambitious and unafraid to take chances, but 2018 is finding the artist stepping well outside of his comfort zone to attempt taking on the responsibility of a full-time artist. In order to achieve this goal, his initial step is an Indiegogo campaign to help fund what will hopefully be his breakout release, Aggressively Vulnerable. His plan is to raise enough via crowdfunding to release the project on vinyl and CD with the inclusion of a 60-plus page insert of his poetry and spoken word selections. If you’re one that likes to be in on the ground floor of making dreams come true, this may be the campaign for you to share with your social circles and/or donate to, as it could really make a difference for someone who has earned and deserves one.
-chief
Hip-hop man of the earth SniperShot has been leaving his imprint all around the globe lately, literally. He’s recently been sharing a series of vlogs titled Guate about his adventures in Guatemala. He has been taking part in coffee-brewing, environmental exploration and restoration, general goodwill ambassadorship and playing shows. If you’ve got some time, dive in. Hip-hop affords us as many opportunities as we’re open to taking, and it’s up to us to make our dreams a reality. Sometimes, your dreams becoming a reality are lucky enough to impact others, continuing the cycle.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, Spotlight
Tagged chief, guate, guatemala, snipershot, the doomsday device, vlog
Blasfamous USA, in their short existence, has not been a group to shy away from issues and topics that matter. The video for their latest single, Out Here, drives that fact home by taking place in the midst of an anti-Trump rally held in Austin. The crew looks right at home among the throngs of demonstrators upset with the current political direction, and the lyrics of the song seem to almost directly reflect what you are seeing. Hopefully, the dissidence settles in due time, and Blastfamous USA continues to make bold statements in their banging music.
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now
Tagged blastfamous usa, chief, out here, the doomsday device, trump
When it comes to production and electronic music in the central Texas realm, not many are doing it to the skill level of Exploded Drawing OG member Kinder. Even his demos are an event, as the recent Soundcloud upload of 2.24 (tapemix) demonstrated. 6 minutes of Kinder exploring the ideas and pathways of a new song is more entertaining than some so-called producer’s finished products. For a genre of music that can be formulaic and pattern based, Kinder manages to capture an incredibly hands on feel. As always, be on the lookout for releases from Kinder, because the man is always working on something dope.
-chief
As much as I dig individual skill in hip-hop, I’m more so a fan of a crew that can get down. The PNTHN seem primed to be the crew to watch for in the central Texas scene these days, taking all of the necessary steps to blaze a trail. After a handful of memorable videos and some time on the road, the crew has released POTLUCK on all of the streaming sources. The project, while only 6 tracks deep, does a great job of showcasing each member’s skill and personality without being disorienting. Those familiar with the live shows should easily be able to identify who is who, which will certainly amplify reaction at the live shows. Plain and simple, I’m excited to watch the trajectory of The PNTHN, because it feels like success will be as attainable as they want it to be… staying focused and driven will be the key to making it a reality, and the crew has already shown they are ready to make moves.
-chief
Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now
Tagged chief, hip hop, potluck, san marcos, the doomsday device, the pnthn
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 