New Music: Nan Fiero (fka Esem) - Looper

 

Hope the holiday season went as well as it could in 2020. Why not celebrate by peeping Nan Fiero's new EP, Looper? 

Nan Fiero is the new name from the rapper formerly known as Esem, of the Feo Faces collective. This year he's dropped a couple really good tapes of straight up good rapping, no bells or whistles. This latest release is based around the 2012 sci-fi film "Looper." The beats, which sample the film and which are updated versions of an old 2016 beat-tape he made (sadly no longer online,) and rhymes are moodier than his previous outings, but just as clean. 

Peep the EP HERE. 

Father Scott Unlimited - Sweet Potatoes (2002)

 

 

Any Educated Consumers fans out there? No?? Okay no post this Friday then. Go get your awesome free music somewhere else...

Well since I already went to all this trouble to track this album down, rip it, tag it and upload it, I guess I'll post it. Just know how deeply upset I am by your lukewarm interest in such a dope ass group like Consumers.

Sorry, weird mood this morning as per usual. Anyway Father Scott Unlimited is a little known project put together in the early 00's by a group of emcees out of Washington (the district not the state) with the humble names of Napoleon Da Legend, Jesus and also the well known Seez Mics.

I can't say much that wasn't already said better by UGSMAG here. That's one of the few mentions of this album I can find online. I will say I remember really liking the smooth, professional sound of this album and thinking the combination of the intelligent rhymes and seamless production makes it worthy of far more attention than it gets. So enjoy!

Oh and in writing this early I didn't realize what day it was gonna land on. Merry Christmas to some of you, and absolutely Happy Holidays to the rest. If you don't like my inclusive attitude then you should ask yourself why inclusive bothers you so much.

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New Music: Otem Rellik - We Creatures / Built Soft

 

 

Well it's not exactly new music, but this past October a personal favorite of mine dropped this fascinating little album, and since I just got the chance to listen to it I figured I'd do him a favor and drop a little post promoting it.

Otem Rellik is the Colorado based soft folk electronic rap circuit bender who's otherworldly production and depressingly beautiful vocals have been behind some of my most favorite songs for feeling sad. Blood Bone Piano actually made my list of my top ten albums of the decade because Otem Rellik is not only original and one of a kind, he's also been progressing towards an accessibility that I think would make him a staple for any indie music fans iTunes and that album was essentially a perfect blend of original and catchy.

I was never a huge fan of his older material, but starting with Elephant Graveyard back in 2010 and beyond I've really found his music both interesting and infectious. "Sour Segments" really impressed me with it's heart and mournful beauty for example, and actually really made me feel better through what was essentially one of the worst years of my life (2011).

So I've been annoying him about a new album for four years since unbroken&unheard with Bandcamp messages and he's finally delivered. What do I think? Well, Rellik's ingenuity for circuit bending has hit new heights with this one. Songs like "After School Special" really display a lush array of unusual sounds, used in very effective ways. Listening to the album with surround sound is a must. I can honestly say I have no idea where some of his synths come from but I guarantee you will be drawn in to the dreamy world he creates with them.

Lyrically he's as he always is, writing songs about nostalgia, heartbreak and loss sprinkled with hope. He's leaned more towards digitally altering his vocals which is unnecessary given his unique singing voice, but I guess my aging ass can tolerate a little autotune in the spirit of surreal sonic world building. I actually find myself thinking that given the recent revelations about Astronautalis (who Rellik has worked with and belongs to the same genre camp of folky indie pop rap), Rellik is really a good fit for those of us who really really miss that irreverent genre bending sound. Dammit Astro, why did you have to turn out to be such a dirtbag....?

Anyway it's not all rosy with them album, although I will say I did like it a lot. My biggest complaint is the lack of any songs that particularly resonate and have me hitting the back button all day. "Blood Bone Piano", the title track from the aforementioned album was one of those, as was "Sour Segments" and "The Back Catalogue of Broken Teeth" from his last album. Maybe that will change, and it may be a good thing as there may just be too much going on to really get these songs with the single listen I've had time to give them. Then again it may be that there is a bit more atmosphere than songwriting here, although I do need to say again that I liked this work. I've come to realize as a hardcore music fan that my response to a given album is likely to bounce around depending on my mood, what I'm doing and how I'm listening. So if you're looking for a simple yes or no, yes, give this one a shot. It's cool, showcases some daring stylistic elements and repurposing of toys in bizarre ways, and does contain some truly beautiful songs. Just because I haven't started singing along yet doesn't mean I won't.

 

Get we creatures | built soft here as a pay what you want, but toys / instruments are expensive so consider a donation!

 

Longevity - Blowed Xmas EP (2012)

 

Today's post is actually of some music that is currently up (for free) but that is also currently uncompiled and a bit hard to actually stumble upon. In 2012, Project Blowedian Longevity uploaded 3 tracks he produced from an apparent Project Blowed EP. The tracks were obviously streamable and also downloadable, but to my knowledge, the EP itself was never promoted or released beyond the individual tracks on the Soundcloud. Shame, because, on the vocals, are some heavy left coast hitters. The tracks include "Christmas In The City" (Feat. Aceyalone, Beond, and Ellay Khule,) "Killin Claus" (Feat. Otherwize,) and "The God That Stole Xmas" (Feat. Born Allah.) 

You can, and should, still peep the stuff on Longevity's Soundcloud but since this is the season, I figured I'd compile the tracks from the Xmas EP here. Enjoy!

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Trylemma's Holly Jolly Christmas Mixtape V.2!

 

As promised, here is the fully revamped "Trylemma's Holly Jolly Christmas Mixtape V.2!" This year I compiled 28 fresh tracks not featured on V.1 (though by all means, go back and enjoy that one too!) Enjoy! 

TRACKLIST:

1. Buck 65 - The Night Before Christmas

2. Random - Christmas Is Comin'

3. Murs - Christmas Rules Everything Around Me

4. Planet Asia, TriState & Blu - Everyday Is Christmas

5. NutCracker - F.D.O.G., Tabb Doe, P.W. Esquire, B-Line & Equipto

6. Sahtyre - Home For The Holidays

7. Theory Hazit - Homeless On Christmas

8. Wool See - Merry Merry Vibes

9. Ras Kass - Jack Frost II

10. Jonwayne - Sticky Bandits

11. Macklemore - It's Christmas Time

12. Circus & Gangstahz For Gawd - Black Santa

13. Gregory Pepper - White Gold

14. Wordburglar - My Christmas Catalogue Number

15. Geniusis - Little Drummer Boy

16. Mark Reveley - Charlie Brown's Weird Christmas

17. Moka Only & Psy - Wonder Winterland

18. Earl Sweatshirt & Tyler The Creator - Fuck This Christmas

19. Jesse Dangerously & MC Lars - Swag Nog

20. Boac - Santa Claws Is Coming

21. Teenburger - White Christmas

22. Lucas Dix - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

23. Lil B - King On Xmas Eve

24. Noah23 - Wisemen

25. Bop Alloy - Our Message

26. Jolly Ol' Saint Ricc - Santa

27. D-Sisive - Here Comes Santa Claus

28. Born Allah - Mama Wasn't Kissing Santa

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Jundax - Oraloragami: The Karaoke Collection (200?)

 

 

Hey y'all. So for once this week I knew just what to share for you. After the surprise revival of West Coast jazz rap act Private School and my review I remembered I had this one laying around, and that it'd been a bit of a pain to track down. Fortunately I'm determined to spare you guys the same experience, so here it is!

Jundax is a founding member of the Record Players, a NorCal super group composed of folks like Joe Dub, Maleko, Neila, members of Araknophobix and more. Her vocal style is laid back and sort of cute, but with a bite that comes from intelligence and the true DIY ethic that propelled all of those folks from the bedrooms and garages of the Bay to hard drives all around the world.

Oraloragami is lo-fi as hell, but also fun as hell and definitely something for the indie rap fan who still buys cassettes and finds it frustrating that they don't hiss anymore.

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New Music: Private School - Duchamp EP

 

Coming in under the radar a few weeks ago we had a new (short) album from some of the jazziest and coolest folks in the west coast underground scene, Private School! Composed of some of the pioneering hip hop voices that brought you the Record Players (alongside Joe Dub himself, the original SF indie rapper) this crew was relatively famous for composing and performing dreamlike, dusty sample based raps that toed the fine line between stoney and boring with poise and skill, somehow making somnolent into the finest praise for an art form that is well known for telling us to "bring the noise".

Ian, Jundax (aka Jun Dax, aka Quiet) and Dagoldenray are three emcees who share a style and a vision. Private Schools sound has been dope for decades now, and has managed to keep the same style surprisingly fresh through various incarnations, solo outings and side collabs (I Ran Y, INK etc.). Beginning in 2001 with Orientation, I can say I've always been a pretty big fan. Especially of Ian's production, which has more recently found a great home alongside vocals by Nonce OG Sach(illpages).

That said, how do they sound now? Well, true to form not much has changed about these folks between 2001 and 2020. And why not? There's something truly timeless about jazz, and it will always to me be a particularly evocative and interesting source of samples for the type of rap that hits like an opium dream.

Consisting of raps from all of the original members, some instrumental material and some interludish type songs Duchamp EP is a tiny slice of the sound we may already know well. With just 5 tracks and only a few that really qualify to me as polished songs, if it wasn't also free I might be slightly less enthused about it, but as it is there's no reason any fan of rap or even music in general wouldn't find this a nice break from the current political and medical climate of today's world.

As is always my only complaint about Private School, sometimes the lack of variation in tone, cadence and overall sound can get slightly tiresome (as in, it puts me to sleep a bit) and that's certainly still worth mentioning with Duchamp. However to be fair I went to a jazz show once and actually did fall asleep, so maybe I just don't have the proper attention span. That said, I enjoyed it and I enjoyed this as well. Clearly professional grade jazz sleepy rap. Enjoy!

 

Get the long awaited new EP from Private School, Duchamp EP, right here!

Toolshed Throwbacks (1999-2002)

 

Today we're digging in the scene rips e-crates for some oldie but goodie Toolshed releases!

Toolshed has always been one of my favorite Canadian groups. The Backburner mini-squad, consisting of Timbuktu, Choke, Fat Mike, and Psybo, always brought the creativity and light-heartedness that I enjoy in my rappity raps. Included below are some of the earlier works from the crew: 1999's "Cabin Fever," 1999's "Lyricistic Fibrosis", 2002's "Murr Bags B Side," and 2002's "The Scotch Tape EP." 

I believe Toolshed is currently, no pun intended, on the backburner especially with the rise of Swamp Thing, but maybe someday we'll see the guys return for one last go. Enjoy! 

 

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New Music Round-up

 

Hey UGF party peeps - hope the holidays are treating you well. Things are likely to get loosey on my part as we near the end of the year. In the meantime, here's some recent releases you might want to peep!

Starting down south, The Visionaries finally reunited voltron and dropped their fifth album appropriately entitled, "V." Hiero-head A-Plus dropped another one with The Architect with "Blvck Switzerlvnd." Gurp City and Rec League fans will enjoy the new Bigg Tae album, "Thanks for the Ryde." Likewise, Grand Invincible has returned with "Demolition Strictly." Finally, Def-I dropped new EP "DRZLTN" backed by Smoke of OD! 

Moving to the Northwest, we got another new album from Nickels Hawkeye entitled "All the Things." Claud Six (of Jellyfish Brigade) dropped EP "Hoodie Season." Finally, Rafael Vigilantics dropped a moody folky project in "Blue River, Grey Sky."

Finally, let's move to Canada where Factor dropped his latest "Eastlake," Kay the Aquanaut dropped new album "Ancient Fish from the Northwest," and People of the Sun (the latest group from MC Infored) dropped the live debut "Last Day of Summer." Oh yeah, overseas Zoen dropped a new instrumental project you should check called "Wonderful Times"!