Minnesota indie darlings Low still deliver their trademark relaxing sound 18 years later, this time with a video treatment that reminds me of listening to I'm From Barcelona on the subway in Philly, which may be the highest compliment I've ever paid a music video. Download "Especially Me" [here] and get familiar with their extensive back catalog if you haven't already stopped reading this to do so. (via Buzzgrinder)
This week's It's the Common Ground was a producer showcase, which was an enjoyable night out, but not so easy to review for you. Peep tracks from the dudes showcasing their skills [here] and enjoy the above video of Speak's throwdown last week.
To celebrate their upcoming co-headling tour, the purveyors of country-folk music known as Blitzen Trapper and Dawes are releasing a split EP for free on NoiseTrade. NoiseTrade is a service that allows artists to upload and distribute music for free in exchange for an email address and a zipcode, serving as an excellent promotional vehicle for up-and-coming artists. Catch the tour at the TLA October 27th.
The New Division's latest single "Opium" is up for free download this week only at their Bandcamp page. The single comes with the original track plus remixes by band members Juan the Tiger, John Glenn, and Vaab, who each take it in a very different direction. Juan the Tiger makes it into an ambient dub, John Glenn takes it international with an Italo disco rework, and Vaab moves into glitch territory with an epic 8 minute rendition.
Sunday night myself and a few coworkers ventured down to The Vibe, a dive bar near UCR, for long-running local hip-hop showcase "It's the Common Ground". Though the hosts were a bit talky, it seemed like a genuinely good, open-minded crowd with a positive attitude; in other words, a great place to discover new local talent. The Facebook event advertised appearances by Machete, A. Cain, Raw Class, The Future 3, Andre Damar, A.R.S., Kev Martin & Edgar Sosa, and Speak.
After a few acts of the quality I was expecting from the evening had performed and one no-show, I was thoroughly impressed by the headliners. The first of these was Kev Martin and Edgar Sosa, performing as each other's hypeman, each with a smooth flow laced over the mixture of old-school boom-bap and electronica samples that has become a college party staple.
Before the DJs returned and my friends and I left to catch some shuteye before work in the morning, Moreno Valley-based Speak wrapped up the live action for the evening. We had noticed this Zach Galifianakis lookalike earlier, chatting with the girls inexplicably selling what looked like thrift-store clothing from a rack in the back over a PBR. Now he took the stage in a Jesus costume, playing off the resemblance in the lyrics to his opening track. Thumping, bass-heavy beats propelled his set forward as he bounced around the stage, yelling "SWAG!" at every conceivable interlude and shouting out such hip-hop luminaries as "Mac Miller's Unibrow" and "Big Sean's Mustache". From this description one would dismiss him as simply another hipster rap flash in the pan, but his versatile flow and acerbic wit had even the thugs in the room on their feet and nodding along. It was then I realized this was the very MC whose Spaceghostpurrp collaboration inspired this rap-royalty-baiting piece from LA Weekly, and decided the number of freelance photographers encircling the stage were more than mere vanity. I went home with all my expectations for an Inland Empire rap showcase well exceeded.
Emynd and Kenny Meez put together this collection of Motown classics over one-drop reggae riddims just in time to ride out the summer properly. Listen to Emynd's take on Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" and download them all zipped up [here]. (via Crossfaded Bacon)
For those of us who remember the greatness that was "Vans" (or The Pack in general for that matter), the recent #based nonsense Pack alumnus Lil' B has been spouting has been a frustrating experience. If you can do this:
Joseph Milligan, lead guitarist of Anberlin, recently started a side project called Sins. Judging by the first two tracks released, this will consist of driving punk instrumentals with vocals leaning more toward the stadium-sized pop ambitions of his regular gig. Personally I enjoy the distorted vocals at the beginning of "Keep Quiet", as it is here he most steps into his own musical territory. [stream on Facebook] (via IndieVisionMusic)
Mishka presents this excellent barbeque soundtrack from indie/rap mashup magicians The Hood Internet. To paraphrase a classic track "bang this in the yard baby". (via Mad Decent, whose NYC block party they recently rocked.)
