New Music – New York Pussy
Shayna McHayle is part of the forefront of women vocalist that combine a gentle run through on vocalist style, with the gruff rhyming movements of current rap. With discussion topics that cover sex, fame, hook-ups, love, and life in New York City; Junglepussy comes swinging in all directions with her newest work JP3.
There is some strange attraction to Junglepussy as obviously the name stands out and makes the audience do a double take, but then with a closer approach that dives into the music; there is a large amount of substance present as well. JP3 takes certain aspects of boom-bap, soul, jazz, and avant-garde styling’s that really reflect the jungle that is New York and the blend of genres and nationalities that create the tops of the Bronx to the bottoms of Brooklyn.
Junglepussy opens JP3 with “State of the Union” that develops behind these graceful string progressions and start to form with raining percussion and snare pops. McHayle delivers on the vocal aspects where she comments on the social ideas behind race and the power that she holds in a modern society, “Everybody wanna be black, it’s so tragic. Every time I wear clothes, I’m stopping traffic… We play the same sport, I don’t smell like you. Getting the same cheese, I don’t melt like you.”
Then in a quick transition, “Get Down” which holds a feature from Rico Love comes shuffling into frame and feels more as a continuation as the production becomes this cascading club style boom. There is a focus on creating the hook from Love into a forefront instrument that makes the track catchy, and ultimately become quotable as he cries, “You about to make me tear this club up. Somebody tell the DJ that I love her, and I’m willing to die ‘bout this pussy.” JP3in all throughout the lyricism and the production is a fun ride that relies on the different approaches of Junglepussy.
Wiki from the same city comes and delivers a verse on “Ocean Floor” which also has one of the more vibrant displays of production. With the dancing piano, the clasping claps and the horns that play these bravado’s and real grasping sections where the whole band comes together and stands well to develop a mood behind Junglepussy and Wiki’s verse.
“You can swim around, hit the divin’ board all the way down is where I need you most,” Junglepussy explains as Wiki leaps in and describes, “I’m diving in, don’t bother testing the water. Nah gotta climb right in, girl let me find that fin… Don’t know where to start, I ain’t all that smart, a fucking shark having too much fun at the waterpark.” It then reflects on the cheerful production that shines on “Trader Joe” where Junglepussy uses these vocal arpeggios which is one of the final moments on JP3.
“Trader Joe” brings the sunshine and grace to the final frontier where Junglepussy dances into the sunset with one of her best, more well-rounded projects to date. JP3 brings an excitement into pop music that can be relatable to some, but make everyone move.
Listen To JP3 Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
Classic Day – Phonetic Love
Behind an array of rhythm sections, horn sections, backing vocals, and engineering crews, Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together is one of the most impactful soul albums to ever be pressed onto wax. The way that Green can capture in a sense, a timestamp of the 1970’s while maintaining a still current approachability in a modern age over 46-years later is impressive.
It is important to look at Green as a more than a microphone controller, he is a storyteller that manipulates the listener into hearing every single inflection, every single vocalist change, every single slight detail that makes Let’s Stay Togetherdifferent every single time. As Green explains in his title opening “Let’s Stay Together”, there is this method of suave, dimly-lit clubs of the sunset-ridden 1970’s. The golden coast of Green’s style was reliant on the change of drum patterns and smooth string sections that formed the back bone of the cheerful hit. It was Green’s first number one single and marked a changing moment in Green’s career as the horn section plays these bravados and rising actions to fill in the gaps left by the strings. It forms well over the listener, cascading them as Green explains, “Let’s stay together, loving you whether times are good or bad, happy or sad.”
Green is then backed by a vocal team of Donna Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes, and Charles Chalmers who provide more of the light-heartedness behind Green’s approachable sound. Even on the following, “La-La For You” where his the subtle horns that then take to the foreground and illustrate this strong abrasive method. The horns become moving parts in a more intricate puzzle that eventually has Green nearly screaming “It’s for you sure that I’m a man, take the bread out of my hand. Now you wanna know how strong I am, All I can say. La la la la you babe.”
Musically, Let’s Stay Together is a progressive piece that uses Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love, as well as Ed Logan and James Mitchell on the horn section. Jack Hale Sr. also makes an appearance which rounds the section out with Howard Grimes and Al Jackson Jr. on the percussion. The bass guitar is headed by Leroy Hodges with Charles and Teenie Hodges on the stringed instruments like piano and guitar.
With many of the tracks talking about the re-discovery of love, the smooth style of Green, or the bitterness of breaking up; Al Green covers similar topics but makes each track feel as a new journey. He keeps the action continually interesting while relying on the instrumentation changes to keep a flow of motion.
His vocal performance is powerful and actually moving in some instances where “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” comes into frame and displays Green’s ability. Through the slow build-up of organs and the subtly of a sudden action, Green displays high notes that are so passionate and are a perfect send off into the unknown of what would become Al Green’s following success with Let’s Stay Together.
Listen To Let’s Stay Together Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Album) Ghost/\/Ghoul – “g/\/ight6
SESH // Listen Here – SoundCloud
STREAMING // (Track) Oh Sees – “Overthrown”
Listen Here – BandCamp
John Dwyer: Guitars, Vocals, synths, samples, effects, Mellotron, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Golden Throat, hand percussion and marching boots
Tim Hellman: Bass
Dan Rincon: Drums
Paul Quattrone: Drums, samples, timbale and shakers
Brigid Dawson: Vocals
Tomas Dolas: B3 Organ, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Mellotron and synth
Mario Ramirez and Enrique Tena Padilla: Marching boots
Heather Lockie’s viola was sampled for “Last Peace”
Produced, recorded and mixed by John Dwyer, Eric Bauer and Enrique Tena Padilla
Engineered by Eric Bauer, Enrique Tena Padilla and Mario Ramirez
Mastered and cut for vinyl by JJ Golden
Art by Matthew Stawicki
STREAMING // (Video) Nickelus F. – “I Ain’t Cried Yet”
A chilling depiction of life in the tar pit
Shot and Directed by Petey
//
Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
Misc. Day – Modern Day Shakespeare
Michigan is home to some of the world’s greatest acts, especially Detroit. The Motor City has seen more talent in one city than some entire states, countries, or even continents. With Gavin Christopher Tennille, known more professionally by Quelle Chris, there is this storytelling element that makes his 2013 record, Ni**as Is Men an easy on the ears but conscious journey.
Ni**as Is Mentakes the substantial ability of producing these primarily smooth sailing beats that relies on the production of Chris to direct the stage. Chris takes Ni**as Is Menin the style of a play or series of shows where a tagline is introduced on the first track, “Try To Get Over” which features DJ Groweyez. A female voice explains, “2Dirt4TV Episode two, ‘Niggas Is Men’ starting now…” as the sudden flood of these church-esque vocals create this slowly moving, but graceful piece that transitions the sound into “Long Tokes” where the the jazz and soul influenced sound comes from.
With “Long Tokes” there is this grindhouse style cinema behind the production that initiates these snare tramples and stomping movements that is not on the aggressive spectrum, but feels orderly. Chris touches the inner beauty of sampling and outsourcing to a sound that captures in essence, the ability to craft an idealistic view on being black in America. Throughout “Long Tokes” and the following, “We Eat It” features Cavalier on a saxophone-centered instrumental.
Chris adapts this velvet movement while staying actively charged in racial tension, political policies, or just the movement and ideology for the daily life. His music feels relatable with the border-line jazz frame, but gives a prime example of how perspective changes within each city and every person. The style is touching, relating to a similar fashion of A Tribe Called Quest where “Greene Eyes” has the cascading chord progression and a boom-bap percussive beat that feels smooth as butter. “Greene Eyes” features Fresh Daily, Tanya Morgan, and Cavalier with production from Messiah Musik that wraps the entire mood into one centralized tune.
“I’m tired of eating rappers, what’s next on the menu? If I don’t think you fly then why would I pretend to?” Chris explains, as the microphone is passed along from rhymer to rhymer. The track then uses some sampling and fading tools to drain the life out of “Greene Eyes” and instead, forms “Good Days”.
Tanya Morgan is replaced by Denmark and holds some strength behind him as he controls the final verse for the track which stretches into familiar territory with the piano focused instrumentation.
Ni**as Is Menforms this adaptability factor and this overbearing sense of free formed production where the music is structured in some instances, but is primarily a mix of different moving parts. Chris works well under the weighing pressure of creating this classy hip-hop sound, choosing the right rhymes, and deciding to form one of the more obscure gems in music.
Listen To Ni**as Is Men Here!!! – BandCamp/Soundcloud/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
New Music – Stuck in the Mud
The Richmond City Powerhouse, the Virginian Destroyer, Pistol Petey, are just some of the names given to the legend of the undergrounds of the city. His music captures that classic sense with a modern revamp and revitalization that moves Nickelus F. to the foreground in storytelling and vocal style. With his newest work Stuck, there is this incredible re-emergence of what the realness behind hip-hop is, but personified.
Stuck is a primarily hopeful journey, it follows Nickelus F. through the stages of fame, desperation, relaxation, and ultimately a struggle to rise above the competition in a game that is saturated with a large array of styles. Nickelus F. has this vocal performance and grasping ability behind his sound that makes Stuckone of the hottest records to within his discography. F’s ability to choose beats that mix the action in a wave of synthetic and authentic percussion; The bass and atmosphere that Nickelus F. holds is almost overpowering, but does not try too hard and come off as unauthentic. Stuckbottles this emotional distress and for Nickelus F., to be giving off one of the better performances of his career is saying something substantial.
Still breaming off the top of Triflin’, Nickelus F. displays a wide discography with some notable rhymers and producers in the past. But now, able to make his own beats, craft his own style, and work the best within himself; there is a need for Nick to bring his all. In a rare breed sense, Nickelus F. holds no bar back, delivering on every aspect on Stuck. The album here, is entirely almost perfect, Stuck is entertaining and holds the listener’s attention without ever becoming too long or drawn out even by the final, 14th track.
Performing some high lights on “On Our Own”, “King Soulja”, or “Hands”, Nickelus F. relies on some more cheerful, more energetic styling to capture these works of art into one frame. Stuck is this snapshot of the ability to turn distress into power, to which then turns into pure energy. Nickelus F. is a fire that has been burning for a long time, but always manages to add some ingredient that always makes that fire awe-inspiring.
From the references to Lil Ugly Mane, or to Sleazie Wonder, or the clever bars that show up time and time again. There is always something for Nickelus F. to prosper off of and to teach to the listener. His music opens a list of artists stemming just from Richmond in only a few bars, telling a history of Richmond rap in a 38-minute package.
Nickelus F. makes quite possibly his best album in years after jumping off another album that was already engaging and shifting on his style. Stuck stands as a perfect ten that relies on a grand variation of production, a wider stance on lyricism, and something to bust the speakers out of any that come in contact.
Listen To Stuck Here!!! – Spotify/iTunes
Classic Day – Food For The Ears
To remake a classic sound through modern instrumentation takes time, vigilance, and a stance on working to create a mosaic-esque fashion. It takes the pieces of yesterday, repurposes them, and shifts them to fit a modern mold. This mold can be shown on Beauty & The Beat, the 2005 project coming from collective Edan.
Not to be confused with Pittsburgh and I.D. Labs producer, E. Dan. Edan Portnoy who is better known as his performance name of Edan, is an American hip-hop artist that attempts a different approach at traditional record-scratching and progression. Beauty & The Beat is the direct extension of years of practicing to splice the sounds of randomized funk samples and chord movements in a genre-less mix. It uses guest vocalist Insight, Mr. Lif, Dagha, and Percee P, rhymers who are known well in the underground shadows of avant-garde hip-hop.
Sounding more as a stance on the fast pace working of funk, but forming the backing of 90’s boom-bap; Beauty & The Beatholds this merit to experimentalism in style. It plays incredibly loose and turns the listener into a victim of unstructured ability. The album runs as one continuous working song that forms each separate track into different journeys. There are not much breaks in the actions coming from Edan as the direction is constantly in a free fall throughout the 13-track course.
With “I See Colours”, to then “Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme”, to finishing with “Promised Land”, there is always something that fractures up the balance of either fast paced car chases, to the glory-filled mountains and valleys of sound here. The emotional clash that appears causes this dissonance between the listener and the sound. Rather than becoming this inviting mix, the options switch quickly and act almost as flashing pictures. Similar in fashion to Clockwork Orange’s brainwashing tool, Beauty & The Beattakes an organic style and manipulates it to become almost non-human. The lyrics are presented so quickly, over these psychedelic sound frames that the various sampling and words mash together.
This style is hard to understand at first, aggressive, but ultimately an original sound that becomes a standing monument in the crowd. As “Torture Chamber” floods into the frame, it samples this overbearing crashing of what sounds like horrid screams and door slams that act as the bass of the track. It becomes a tingling frame that uses vinyl crackling and these suspicious strings to form an instrumental. It is purely evil, synthetic, but intriguing and ultimately engaging.
From the ugliness of the sounds of death, to the beauty of the final track, “Promised Land” there is something here that every hip-hop head can feel and move their body to. It invokes the head nods with the banging percussion that booms over the sinister chords, but also moves the hands and closes the eyes on the glorious string progression. Edan holds this clouded vision on the listener, making them feel every hit, every grace, and every movement made within Beauty & The Beat.
There are moments of pure hell, moments of despair, the moments of the true darkness behind sound. Then there are the moments that raise Edan to an almost clairvoyant status where the listener can feel the sunshine and the real sense of magnificence in the non-vocal extensions.
Listen To Beauty & The Beat Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Video) Death Grips – “Black Paint”
Track three from Y.O.T.S. // Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
Misc. Day – Gentle Touch
Bedroom and lo-fi hip-hop and pop have been a favorite ever since discovering some of the heavyweights on different YouTube playlists back in 2014. While lo-fi went through an explosion because of its relaxed, approachable, and do-it-yourself appeal, Jakob Ogawa is an artist that subtly shuffled into the playlists after his 2017 release, Bedroom Tapes.
It was a sound that became capsulized and personified by the sunrise, or rather the sunset into the darkness of a perfect day. A sound that was almost indescribable, but everyone had felt before. That feeling of bliss, the first approach of warm weather after a cold winter that raised hope for the incoming dawn. Ogawa captures this sense of gleaming touch, the smell of the woods burning into the falling day, and the passion of the home recording studio.
Bedroom Tapestaps with only five tracks, a short, but necessary realization as it grazes different emotional monuments throughout. Obtaining to a keen audience, Ogawa appeals to the in-betweeners of pop music and atmospheric. It is a steady balance that makes the Bedroom Tapes have this overpowering bass that feels sentimental and almost moves with these graceful touches of true love and the tenderness mixed with something more powerful.
Opening with “Up and Away”, There is this somberness behind the piano and clasping synth pads. It works with the almost out of breath vocalization from Ogawa which fits well into this emotional sandwich of both the beauty of instrumentation, but the pain of loss. The way his voice goes in and out of inflection displays these sense of how the notes can be formed to invoke the audience to get a grasp on the feelings of Ogawa.
“Perfect Sweet Blue” follows in a similar fashion of “Up and Away” where the instrumentation is a more flat, but forward approach that acts as more of an interlude. As the piano chords start to really sink in and create this ambiance behind the sound, it gives the Bedroom Tapessome substance and difference between the individual tracks. This is where “Next To Me” forms and is more upbeat, creating a dance and movement behind the normally somber display. It is gorgeous, fulfilling, and creates this distance between the other tracks.
The glittering guitar and snap of the snare works in tangent to form the backbone as Ogawa delivers a higher-pitched vocal delivery of ad-libs and some lyrical poetry. The entire mix on the track bears directly on the bass line that forms behind the action to create a structure and ability that leads into the final, last moments of the EP.
“Let It Pass” is the real stunner of Bedroom Tapes where Ogawa is just simply magnificent behind the music. The glimmering style that glosses over is almost indescribable. The sound becomes this glorious mix of guitar solos, chimes, percussion, and beautiful performances on the vocals that stand out for its simple grace. There is beauty behind the magic on Bedroom Tapes, and Ogawa moves quickly and occupies for a short time, but is quite actually everlasting in style and sound.
Listen To Bedroom Tapes Here!!! – Soundcloud/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
THIS IS A LIST OF THE MOST RECENT STREAMS...
The complete list of all past streams can be accessed here as well
(Click Here)
MATT'S MUSIC MINE - MERCH FOR SALE
VIDEO REEL 2
LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY – JESUS PIECE AT BABY’S ALL RIGHT, DECEMBER 6TH, 2022
SUNDAY SAMPLER // (Playlist) “12/04/2022″
(Track) Jake Mason Trio – “Rib Eye”
(Video) Lightning Bolt – “Dead Cowboy @ TAICOCLUB 2014”
(Video) The Velvet Underground – “After Hours”
(Video) Mac Miller – “10 Years Of You”
(Video) A$AP Rocky – “Same Problems”
The complete list of all past streams can be accessed here as well
(Click Here)