BrokenKlutch - Promo (2002)

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving or whatever your equivalent is outside of the states. For you, today, I got this. A freebie I was given by a Discogs seller a lot of you probably know when I picked up Orphan Symphony.

BrokenKlutch is a one man New England Wu-Tang Clan (and yeah I am aware New York is New England. You know what I mean). This dudes got the mind melting spiritual raps, produces the dramatic and hypnotic beats and draws, paints with the best of them.

You know already. This promo has some cuts I'm not sure I have on any other albums. There's no track listing or anything so I can't be sure. But it's got some dope beats and rhymes, and it's incredibly difficult to get to listen to this these days. So here you go!

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Nomar Slevik - The Official Bootleg Pt. II (2004)

 

 

Some day I'll get back to promo / review posts. But for now it's just easier to hook you guys up with free music!

Today we got some old old from New Englander ghost chasing rapper Nomar Slevik. With a deep resonant voice, unique production style and a totally original brand of creepy sing-rapping Nomar Slevik is a pioneer in the New England indie rap scene exemplified by folks like JD Walker, Brzowski, Bread and yes even Sole.

In the Field Where I Died is a great one to start with if you don't know him, while this is exactly what the name and cover suggest which is a loose hodgepodge of tracks not found elsewhere, very lo-fi and definitely not all amazing. Nomar Slevik is actually someone I think of promptly when I hear the term "hit or miss". To me a good Nomar Slevik track is fantastic, a not good one is basically a skit gone wrong. To be fair I think that tendency to bullseye or miss the target entirely is a hallmark of the experimental musician and means they're willing to take risks.

I just say all that to express that there's some great music on here so be patient with it, and definitely look into his other stuff if you haven't already. If nothing else it's original as hell.

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ReCaall - A World Without Earth (2007)

 

 

This week we're going as far East as East goes without leaving the continental US (Boston I believe) with ReCaall aka Leo Albatross' A World Without Earth. Punk and nihilistic sensibilities meet hip hop in this somewhat low budget, somewhat depressing, often enjoyable classic New England rap drop.

I like most of his other albums much better. His work as Serum de Facto with Redlist is very unique and seriously ill. But this one is kinda fun as well, so enjoy A World Without Earth!

Oh and exit Covid, enter Monkeypox! What a time to be ALIVE!

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The Most - A.O.K. (2003)

 

 

Happy Friday y'all! Time to take it way way back, to a time long ago called the early 2000's, when two New Haven brothers formed a trio with another dude named Jay Scarafiello and decided to make weird sing songy hip hop in the vein of Imprints and Shapeshifters. The result is just as out there as it sounds.

The Most is essentially Anonymous Inc. minus a lot of what made them so amazing (live instrumentals, good songwriting, Max Heath) but it does have it's moments. And both Ceschi and David Ramos have enough talent to make just about anything sound good.

That said this is mostly for the hardcore Ceschi fans out there, and be warned there's a reason it's never resurfaced. Hopefully he doesn't mind if I share this. It's a great fossil and definitely hard to come by...

 

Enjoy A.O.K.! Oh and by the way, definitely check in a week from today because I caught a glimpse of what Trylemma's offering up and you don't want to miss that...

 

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  Note: There appears to be a single image file of this album cover floating around. I have never seen a larger, higher resolution image, it's clear someone scanned a jpeg back before we could all do it at home. This can't be all there is. Does anyone have good cover art for this one?

New Music: Ceschi - This Guitar was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives

 

 

Well, Trylemma and myself, along with anyone else who preordered Ceschi's final trilogy of albums on vinyl got a surprise email earlier this week from the man himself. Imagine my surprise when while scrolling through it I realize it contains a download of a completely new unheard collection of songs! No shit right?!

By this point I assume most of you have heard this, and that most of you know what I do at this point. Ceschi really does just keep improving over time. His guitar playing is amazing, his songwriting has matured considerably with every release (especially over the last decade), and what I find most remarkable about this particular collection of songs is that he's managed to blur the lines between folk, punk and rap to such a degree that there is really no way to classify this anymore under any existing genre label.

That said for the most part this is a punk record. In places it's brutal tempo, irreverent go fuck yourself attitude and fast paced guitar make that obvious, in others it's roots are more hidden behind the masterful musicianship and beautiful moments of vulnerability, so unlike the garage thrash antics of the angsty punk rockers of last century.

I call this a punk record for three reasons. One, because Ceschi calls it that on the genre section of the files info, and who am I to argue, two for the structural reasons I state above, and three most of all because it purely embodies the DIY ethic that made punk rock in some ways the only place to find honest rock music at one point in it's history. This Guitar was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives is the result of a musician needing so badly to say something that they assembled it through blood sweat and tears, without any corrupting influences. Ceschi has always been about that, and it's only been lately that I've seen how very punk that is.

It's interesting to me that at the time this record came out I was slowly reintroducing myself to punk music through the folk punk scene. Get Dead, We the Heathens, Pat the Bunny and related bands, basically everything Bandits Never Die puts out, etc. I never would have bothered if it wasn't for Ceschi and to a lesser extent Sam King fka Lewee Regal and thank you guys. This is a hip hop blog but that doesn't mean we only like hip hop.

So finally, is this a good record. The short answer is yes, the long answer is fuck yes. Basically it combines the maturity and technical skill of Ceschi's split with Pat the Bunny with the genre melding goodness that was Elm Street Sessions and slaps on a layer of professionalism that comes from working with some truly talented individuals (this record seems to have involved more collaboration than either of the other Ceschi guitar driven releases).

I need to give this more time to sink in, but I did think just in case some of you weren't aware that there was a new Ceschi it was worth shouting it out. If you like music you will probably like this. That's it.

Get This Guitar was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives right here as a pay what you want download because Ceschi really is that cool.

Brzowski - General Surgery (2004)

 

 

Surprise! For this Friday's post I'm not prepared... again... Life gets in the way doesn't it? Oh well, I was thinking about it and I figured now would be a good time to share one of my holy grails that was finally unearthed by the homie Ludz.

General Surgery is the second unofficial album from Brzowski, who's career and credentials I discussed at length two weeks ago, so I won't go into too much of that here. But let's just say this little gem is a great way to get introduced to his earlier work, assuming of course you've already peeped our first post and picked up his very first album New England Gothic. Now that you have both maybe it's time to give that The Subjugation of Bread a listen right over here? Just a thought.

Brzo, if you're reading this maybe you can offer some specifics on this album. My understanding is this is an unofficial compilation of collabs, singles and demos that was offered up for promotional purposes. It contains some great tracks, most of which are impossible to find elsewhere.

Anyway I feel like Brzo wouldn't mind me sharing this but if I'm wrong please let us know dude. UGF is all about Brzowski and Milled Pavement, if you've been sleeping then wake the fuck up.

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New Music: Brzowski & C$ Burns - The Subjugation of Bread

 

 

Well guys, as you know we at UGF do our best to cultivate positive relationships with the artists who's work we love. That's why we have stricter rules than some about what we post on Friday's, why our reviews are more posts about music we like than positive versus negative critiques and why took the time to give our shout outs to our favorite artists of the 10's. And I'm honored to announce that one of my personal favorite artists not just of the last decade but definitely of this new one as well, Brzowski was paying attention. So he offered UGF the chance to listen to his newest cassette The Subjugation of Bread (out 9/11/2020), and I of course was honored and excited to be given that chance.

There's the background. Here's a bit more. Entirely produced by C Money Burns, who's work with Brzo  as Vinyl Cape, that alt rap-metal hybrid machine that will kick you in the balls if you call it nu-metal led to some of my favorite Brzo songs to date, The Subjugation of Bread is quite a bit different from what the duo has done before. C Money Burns has proven himself to be a multi-talented instrumentalist who can not only put together some seriously heavy metal tracks but also spacey and emotionally stirring melodies. His solo work as Elevator Hotels is very much worth a look if you're interested in music outside the hip hop genre, especially if you grew up listening to Depeche Mode or The Cure. His work here is in a way a summation of his skill set, a mixture of live instrumentation, sampling and his signature heavy percussion that evokes very effectively a world on the brink of total collapse.

Speaking about impending doom is par for the course with Brzowski. He's dark like American currency is green and blood is red (see what I did there?), he wouldn't be the musician he is without a depressive bent and a desire to express it. That however is a serious oversimplification of what his music has to offer. Rarely in the music scene have I had the good fortune to find a poet with his ability to speak coherently with such unusual vocabulary, and with such a solid disinterest in adhering to conventions. Take for example the mind bending alliteration found on "Red Lanterns" below:

"Subverting and exploiting the desires superstructure can't satisfy

A self-shot pic from the machinery, self-surveillance, spectacular spook chasing"

Nobody sounds like this, and make no mistake how much I appreciate his contributions for that reason alone.

On The Subjugation of Bread we find Brzo taking the plunge into serious protest rap. We've been seeing for a while his willingness to share his political views with the listener (most recently on the excellent "Tear the Facists Down", found on what may be my favorite of his albums, mixtape or not, Blooddrive Vol. 4). The Subjugation of Bread is a serious look at the state of the Western world and how capitalism has worked for us in practice. I agree with what he says here, it's hard not to if you live in the US and bother to follow current events, um... ever. His penchant for twisted and clever verbosity helps keep what is very solid political conversation well outside the realm of preachy, and I think manages to effectively make his point while at the same time keeping the experience fresh and entertaining, as music should be.

The combination of vocal samples and lyrical content, together with sophisticated instrumental work by Burns allow each of these songs a visual quality that makes them immersive and powerful. The included tactical manual also offers more insight into the duos thoughts, and overall depth to the message. I am not as articulate or educated as the man himself, so after asking him for a summary of the message behind The Subjugation of Bread and getting this response, I feel like the best thing I can do is step back and let him tell it to you:

"Willful ignorance is dangerous, self-education is essential, media literacy needs to be ingrained (who OWNS your favorite news/magazine/site/radio/video channel etc.).... Capitalism has been pointed to as the only available avenue to deliver prosperous futures, that are heretofore not arriving, for the vast majority of people living in these systems. This is the Hauntological aspect of Capitalist Realism. I understand the irony of selling anti-capitalist music in a capitalist society, but have been overwhelmingly supported in this project with C$Burns, which tells me a fair amount of people are willing to pay-into this kind of artistic/philosophical exploration, if not try to move these ideas into physical space after the fact. I'm seeing a lot of pre-orders from new names that I don't recognize, and this is an encouraging development.

In November of 2019, C$ and I were having a humorous phone conversation, derisively laughing at how often peers and pundits alike throw around terms like "Communism", "Socialism", and "Anarchism" having no idea what they actually denote as political systems. We went on to talk about how irksome it is to have your average US citizen use the terms "the Left" to mean "the US Democratic Party" (which is functionally Center-Right). This was the genesis of the project: "Hey, let's make a project that explains it to them!", and after another round of cackles, we decided this was in fact precisely what we would set out to do. We of course are addicted to information-based complexity, and so poetry, metaphor, obscure references, and more than a few in-jokes are included in the lyrics and the design of the book itself. We want the project to unfold and become a richer experience beyond "music" after digging in beyond the initial listen.

The purpose of including the lyrics, images, and the "suggested reading list" was to offer a richer understanding of the content by providing a map to triangulate our position, much the way Media Literacy functions. One has to plot and triangulate what art means by its historical/cultural context. This was a rare occasion where the content and sentiment became more relevant between the time the project was completed (February 2020) and when it was released (9/11/2020)." - Brzowski

Very good. As I told him I remember reading one of his posts a few years ago, basically making the point that apathy is as destructive as active destruction. Viewing evil as too powerful to overcome is an excuse to be lazy and allow someone else to do the good work that you might've been called on to do yourself if you bothered to care enough. That resonated with me as at that time I was definitely feeling as though protesting, voting and organizing were unlikely to ever amount to anything real and therefore not really worth the effort. This was mostly a result of depression rather than a lack of concern for the state of things, but what I got from what he said was that it doesn't really matter, I was still allowing myself to be one less voice on the right side of things.

On fully listening to the album twice now, and doing my best to read the accompanying Tactical Manual (see what he says above if you're debating picking that up along with the music. It's essentially half the album you'll miss out on without it) on a computer which is difficult because of the format (I can't wait for my preorder package), I came out of it with this sentiment. Things like drugs, shiny possessions and so-called esteemable positions are what we use to survive in a world that basically lives off the suffering and humiliation of MOST of us. It's never been more obvious than it is now. Brzowski and Burns want us to stop accepting what should be unacceptable, and they're letting us know in a way that's dark, clever, funny in some places, melodic, sad and hard hitting. This album not only offers a half hour of dope hooks, crazy poetry and head-noddable instrumentalism, but it's a very handy way to get oneself excited about possible solutions. This album is fantastic and sorely needed in the world of today.

I just want to take one moment to thank Brzo for reaching out and giving me this opportunity. I can say for Trylemma and I it's seriously awesome to know the artists we love are seeing the stuff we post on this humble site. See ya'll Friday!

 

Do yourself a favor and pick up a physical (or I guess a download works too, maybe if you ask you can get a PDF of the book although good luck reading it on a computer) of Brzowski and C$ Burn's cassette The Subjugation of Bread here, dropping this Friday! You don't have to be a fringe Leftist to love it though, don't worry!

K-the-I??? + DJ Shortrock - Hibernation Experiment (2004)

Welcome welcome back to UGF's Friday Fossil thingy. For today I've chosen this weird little rarity from way back in 2004 by K-the-I??? and Paramanu's own Shortrock, Hibernation Experiment.

Anyone who's been listening to indie rap for a while knows K-the-I??? and his signature question marks. An intelligent and verbose rapper who's stream of consciousness word salad rhymes are often bolstered by his eerie and discordant production style to create a bad acid trip version of hip hop in my experience totally unique. He's put out a huge number of albums and as far as I can tell this one is the rarest.

Shortrock is probably best known for going a little nuts with the cuts although we can forgive him for that because like K himself, his style helps make his music a completely unique and unforgettable experience.

Enjoy Hibernation Experiment, and don't forget to laugh a bit if you're American over the last track. Remember when the Dubya was embarassing? Ha. Maybe listen to it and contemplate where we came from and where we're going this Independence Day, and why our colony wanted to get out of the British Empire. And DEFINITELY vote in November please.

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Also Bandcamp is doing their revenue sharing thing again today, so buy your favorite artists music and know they really are benefiting from each and every dollar.

R.A.P. Ferreira Live in San Francisco Review / "Big Summer" Live Video

Well, as of this post it's been a week since the night of, but Trylemma and I thought it might be cool to post reviews of the same tour, to give a side by side look at two different nights, in two different places, with two different lineups, but with the same one and only artist / visionary now known as R.A.P. Ferreira.

Flash waaaaaay back to 10/26/2019, I hadn't planned on going to a show that night but Trylemma had asked for some copies of the Nostrum Grocers cassette he'd missed out on in Seattle, and having never seen milo or his alter ego R.A.P. Ferreira live I figured it would be worth the trip. I've always enjoyed milo's unique creativity on record. His stream of consciousness ramblings that often seem random but not if you listen close enough are a trip, and his references to things like The Wire (one of the best shows ever made) and Game of Thrones (see previous comment) reward you for paying attention. I'm not one of his biggest fans by far (as I soon realized upon seeing the joyful crowd he'd assembled) but I like him. I'm glad I got the chance to see him in person, because it's certainly given me more reason to cherish his quirky genius.

Wolf Langis: The show began with former Bottled Water (a now local SF act, see here for their music) emcee and producer Wolf Langis (solo work found here), performing a few rap songs and improvisational beat collages. I can definitely say I liked his rap songs, the jam sessions didn't manage to hold my attention but as I may have mentioned before on this blog I've never been able to get excited about instrumental hip hop or electronic music. His mostly seemed to be distorted noise and offbeat drums, not particularly interesting but not horrible either. His overall style on full songs was reminiscent of Anticon or Fake Four acts, trippy melodic production forming the backdrop for angsty rants about the state of starving artistdom(ry?). This is actually my second time seeing him, he also opened for Ceschi at the same location and I will say I just downloaded both Bottled Water albums to get some insight into where he came from, so obviously I'm curious.

Pieces: Second up was duo Pieces (Idhaz & Rose Cherami, their music can be found here). The two nicest things I can say about this act is they're fearless and passionate, and that the audience seemed to get them at least. Neither I nor my companion were particularly impressed. The production was mostly boring and relied too heavily on noise and distortion verses melody. There was obviously some talent there, the singer was a decent vocalist and an entertaining dancer but often the instrumentals drowned out their lyrics and it wound up sounding a bit like two different records played in the same room at the same time, one female singer songwriter the other Nine Inch Nails. Improper mixing maybe, but I think it was likely just how this particular noise act wanted to sound. Good effort, they certainly weren't giving the audience half their attention. Just very solidly not my kind of music at all.

Kaila Chare: Next we had a young woman named Kaila Chare (her SoundCloud is here). She was an extremely likeable stage personality, admitting to being nervous due to never playing in SF before, and being more familiar with basements than clubs. As a rapper she was talented, using complex rhyme schemes and a hip hop oriented flow, the kind you could tell originated as a poem in a notebook before it was ever envisioned as a song. Her overall lyrics were meaningful and heartfelt, and she seemed to have a particular vision for her act as performance art, standing perfectly still at certain points as the music washed over her. Unfortunately I noticed that she was rapping over her full songs instead of the instrumentals, and it made the whole set sound a bit odd, with a doubling effect on all of her vocals. Not sure if this was intentional or not, it did give her a novel performance. Decent production as well. Definitely someone with potential that hasn't fully been realized yet.

Phantom Thrett: At this point I wasn't expecting much from the next performer, but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised with this next cat. Phantom Thrett is an LA county based rapper and producer (peep his work here), who relies on soulful melodic sampling and a poetic spoken word type rap style. I noticed he would sync up his samples and drum loops on his laptop at the beginning of every song and loop them until he was finished, very much the digital ages version of the back to basics two turntables and a microphone. All I kept thinking was how is this guy not more well known? His lyrics were very deep and meaningful, and his delivery was spot on. He had an old soul stage presence, a humility and maturity that made him seem like more of a seasoned professional than an up and comer. For fans of Mello Music Group and Brother Ali, and I highly do recommend his work. At one point he did choke on a song and forget the lyrics, but I do believe that it can be a measure of your competence as a performer how you handle something like that, and he just laughed it off and went right into the next song.

R.A.P. Ferreira

New song, Big Summer

Now I'm not as familiar with R.A.P.'s work as Trylemma, I've heard all of it but not as often as other albums I like. For that reason I'll leave out a specific set list and just go with my overall impressions of the show.

One thing I think is important to mention is that looking at the audience I was amused and happy to note that everyone seemed to have lost their inhibitions and were just getting into the music. Ferreira's weirdness seemed to be contagious in a very nice way, nobody seemed to be trying to look cool or deny who they really were. One guy in front of me had some of the strangest dance moves I've ever seen, and he's totally awesome for that.

Randal Bravery (what the hell, check him out here) came onstage first and mixed up some tracks for us, followed by the main man himself. In between weird comments, beseeching us to tag the word STRESS everywhere we could (after his performance of "stressrunstheworld" off his newest tape release) R.A.P. flowed with precision, making it all look easy. His low key ramblings are truly so much better live, they should be taken with the personality behind them whenever possible and I gained a much stronger appreciation for him as an artist after that night. Randal Bravery also performed a verse on one of the songs and I really liked his style as well. Definitely a multi-talented artist both behind and before the boards.

Now the song both Trylemma and I believe capped off the evenings was "Big Summer" (see my video above), a new track off his official upcoming release. Over a smooth and haunting beat Ferreira reflected on his struggles to become who he is today. Watching some get placards while he just got a set of spatulas, to paraphrase. In the past I sometimes didn't understand the message milo tried to convey, I felt a bit like he wandered into "weird for the sake of weird" territory on occasion (not to take away the fact that it always sounded good), but this was a solid and meaningful song about the strength of determination and reliance on your friends (Ruby Yacht in this case). If this is what we can expect going forward from the new incarnation of Rory Ferreira, then I believe good things are indeed on the horizon.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, it's the longest post I've done in a while certainly. I'll see ya'll Friday!

R.A.P. Ferreira Live In Seattle Review

I didn't have time to peep any new music this past week, so I thought I'd do a little mini-review of the R.A.P. Ferreira show I caught in Seattle this past Thursday.

As most of you likely know, R.A.P. Ferreira is the artist formerly known as milo and still currently also known as scallops hotel, head and part of the Ruby Yacht collective. Ferreira has put on lots of great shows (I believe this was my seventh time seeing him live,) most notably the Hellfyre tour run of 2014 and the "Who Told You To Think?!?" tour run of 2017. This was of course my first time seeing "R.A.P. Ferreira" live so I was excited!

The show's openers were AJ Suede and BB Sun, neither of whom I was too familiar with going in. AJ Suede was up first (I arrived mid-set) and put on a pretty lackluster performance imo. The songs themselves were fine and I'd be interested in hearing the studio versions of them, but his stage presence was pretty dull. It wasn't helped by the fact that he had multiple homies on stage filming him (often getting in the way) throughout or by the fact that he let his DJ do a couple of his (bad) angry scream raps.

BB Sun was up next and did a couple songs with Suede (I guess they have a duo project together?) before taking over his own set. Sun had a much better stage presence and crowd interaction. The music itself was a step up as well. He sort of reminded me of a lighthearted combination of Subtitle and Odd Future. Ferreira, from the merch booth, was definitely feeling the set. I know Sun is part of the large Thraxxhouse collective, part of which shared housing with Ferreira in L.A. at one point, so I wonder if the two knew each other well going in. Anyhow, good opening set from Sun.

I then witnessed something I don't think I've ever witnessed before...the openers ended early...very early! It took Ferreira about an hour from when Sun finished to get on stage and typically you'd blame this on the headliner, but Ferreira's timeslot seemed right on point and the openers seemed to go very short! Sun claimed to have taken mushrooms before getting on stage, so my best guess is that things were moving very slow for him and he figured he had been rapping for much longer than he actually did haha!

When Ferreira finally took the stage, accompanied by Eldon from the UK as his DJ, he put on a very solid show from front to back. I had heard that he was not going to perform anything from his "milo" catalog, which was true, but he also didn't perform a lot from his newest debut R.A.P. Ferreira tape ("The Truly Ancient And Original Lefthanded Styles Of The Hoodwinkers And Penny Pinchers") either! In fact, the only songs I recognized were "stressrunstheworld," "respectdue" and "speck." Instead, the majority of the songs seemed to be from a new upcoming full length album. This makes sense as (1) Ferreira himself noted during the show that he was just in L.A. working on a new album with Kenny Segal and (2) This tour was pretty short and scattered, much more fitting for a "test run" as opposed to a "promotional run." Ferreira also performed a couple tracks from an upcoming project with Eldon under the name "Small Acts (or Axe?)" that they had apparently just finished writing.

Despite not knowing most of the tracks (and of course longing for the oldies,) Ferreira kept myself and the fairly large crowd very engaged. I don't think the heart or spirit of Ferreira changes from milo to R.A.P. Ferreira. The general aesthetics do ring a bit distinctive to me tho. The "milo" name seems to me to be more disciplined and hard-hitting. The "scallops hotel" name seems to me to be more boundary-less and imaginative. The "R.A.P. Ferreira" name takes elements from both acts and combines them with bright melody and sound. The goals haven't changed, but Ferreira seems to be having more fun than ever carrying out his project.

The show definitely got me excited for R.A.P. Ferreira the artist and the new Kenny Segal collabo project moving forward. He ended with a reflective track entitled "Big Summer," which, upon one listen, definitely came across as one of the best Ferreira tracks I've heard yet (under any name.) Can't wait to hear the full version of that when it drops.

Ferreira has a couple more dates left on the tour in LA, San Fran, and Minneapolis. Check him out if you can!


**Random Show Highlights:**

- Ferreria stoping to say hello when he spotted us in the same restaurant before the show.

- The "The Truly Ancient and Original" cassette-only tape selling out before the show started and Ferreira joking about how we'd likely never get to hear that tape! [Luckily I had someone pick me up copies on earlier dates.]

- Ferreira taking his hoodie off and revealing his one of a kind shirt which featured the Ruby Yacht "37 Gems" album artwork on the front and back (because he loves the album so much!)

- Eldon and Ferreira reenacting the "Wazzup" scene from Scary Movie.

- Ferreira getting ready to recite the Ruby Yacht manifesto but deciding to direct people to the hotline instead.

- Lots of new new music to look forward too! [I feel like I heard some shots in a couple songs. He also mentions "Hellfyre" in one of the joints, but I didn't fully catch the context. He shouts out the great Piff James and Hommy Hom. Some solid Blowedian references too!]

Adeem - Memory Lane is Merciless (200?)

One hip hop artist I've always had a special appreciation for is Adeem, of Glue, The Dorian Three and the macro-scale 1200 Hobos. His music is always conscious and creative, plus he has the credentials to prove his contribution to the indie rap scene with two victories at Scribble Jam.

Adeem's 2011 album The Volume in the Ground is one of the albums that consistently gets play on my iTunes. Maker's production coupled with Adeem's voice, songwriting and technical ability combine to create a seriously dope listen. For those who aren't familiar, first off how is that possible, and second off I suggest starting with that album and maybe downloading this one to check out later on.

Memory Lane is Merciless is a tour album Adeem put out, I don't know when or why. It contains some remixes, live performances and unreleased songs, and is definitely something a fan would want to have. It's not his best work (not surprising as these songs were never intended to be put together in this format) but it is a rare release from a respectable rapper and firmly fits the definition of a fossil. Enjoy!

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New Music: D-FAZ - OneNationUnderDog

Welcome to another Wednesday at UGF as our first year in operation begins to wind down! I wanted to take the opportunity to help promote an artist who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, Brzowski, and the newest album OneNationUnderDog by his band D-FAZ (check out their official website for more information here). While this was originally slated to drop on 9/18, I never did get an official announcement that it could be downloaded in full. The entire thing is up and available though and I figured maybe others who had preordered it were wondering what the deal was, or had forgotten about it and hadn't had a chance to peep it out. So I thought I'd offer my two cents on the album as well as draw some attention to it a bit after the fact as it seems it might have flown in under the radar...

The original D-FAZ EP, Abandoning (get a download of that one here) was an interesting listen. Brzowski is growing to be a very versatile poet and emcee, and with his experimentation ranging from straight up rap to metal with his other band Vinyl Cape (with C Money Burns) and fusions of the two, he's also definitely pretty fearless. D-FAZ goes in a new direction for him, blending an electronic bass music sound provided by four French production wizards with his angst ridden activist lyricism to create something engaging and new.

OneNationUnderGod tells the tale of a dystopian future, where an authoritarian surveillance state punishes free thought and incentivizes compliance. Brzowski's lyrical narrative mostly follows this story, with commentary about war, capitalism and activism, all firmly rooted in the real world as well as the world of D-FAZ's music. It's not an entirely novel concept especially in indie rap, but I have to give him points for his sincerity and energy in putting it all together (as well as his timeliness, although when in the last 50 years have messages like these been anything but timely?).

D-FAZ's instrumentalists are undoubtedly talented as well. While not being a huge fan of electronic music, I do find I enjoy the sounds they create. Their music provides a very apt landscape upon which to display the story line of the album. Bleak, eerie and anxious, a feeling of bad things coming to pass. Overall the sound is more electronic based than the EP, although there are definitely punk and metal elements to be discovered as well, and some especially noteworthy work from the percussionist. I found myself ultimately hearing a bit of the band Tool in their work on tracks like "One Nation". The songs often stretch to 5 minutes long with drum heavy breaks and knob twisting sound effects, and these musicians also have a chance to display their chops on a few instrumental tracks sprinkled here and there on the album. “Rosebud" was a beautiful example of this, although I actually felt that Brzowski could have written something amazing for it, which is unfortunate.

I did like this album a lot, however I still have to say that I prefer Brzowski's solo work or Vinyl Cape. It may just be opinion (I will always like the sounds of instruments or turntables more than the electronic stuff that seems to be huge these days), but I also felt in a few places that Brzowski's vocals didn't quite mesh with the instrumentals, and sometimes it seemed like the collaboration was a little bit forced. That's not a commentary on the skill of any parties involved, just a feeling I had that maybe the band could use some time together to work out a way to let everyone shine in every song. I recognize how difficult that probably can be in acts like this. I'm still excited to hear more from them, and I still highly recommend the album.

D-FAZ is, as stated on their website an attempt to "erase the division between I/We and the dreaded They/Them", so join Us and check it out today!


Don't be put off by the preorder flag still on the Bandcamp download, you can now purchase and download this album, in full, from the ever amazing Dora Dorovich right over here.

New Music: Ruby Yacht - 37 Gems

The Ruby Yacht formed voltron last Friday with album "37 Gems" and wowee do things sound good. 

Headed by the artist formerly known as milo, and currently known as R.A.P. Ferreira, the likes of Safari Al, Pink Navel, SB The Moor, Kenny Segal, Eldon, and Elucid come together for the first official Ruby Yacht crew project. The album, which is produced in-house, showcases both the uniqueness of the, mainly, young artists as well as their chemistry with one another. The body of the album's rhymes are handled by Ferreira (who, along with SB, still shines the brightest,) Safari Al, Pink Navel, Eldon (a welcomed British addition,) and SB The Moor, each of whom has a distinctive voice and style of writing. Hopefully this will get some milo fans to check out the extensive back catalogues of the other members before the next bigger Ruby Yacht project drops (which it is set to.) 

Stream/Cop the album below and be sure to check R.A.P. Ferreira live on an upcoming tour date (the only place you'll be able to buy the first R.A.P. Ferreira project - "The Truly Ancient And Original Lefthanded Styles Of The Hoodwinkers and Penny Pinchers"!) 

STREAM "37 Gems' HERE

PURCHASE "37 Gems" HERE

Anonymous Inc. - Anonymous Inc. (Original Version) (2000)

We're continuing with the Ceschi love this week with 2000's Anonymous Inc. self-titled album - the original version!

This particular version was sold by the Anonymous Inc. guys at the 2000 Broke Ass Summer Jam (for $5.00 according to Ceschi.) The disc art (and sticker) is another creation by the late great Jon Nagel (who also did the artwork for the subsequent 2001 official version.) 

The body of this version of the album is very similar to the 2001 version that I'm sure most of you have heard. There are, however, various sonic differences between the two versions, as well as some tracks that are exclusive to one version or the other. 

There's not much to say about this project overall that hasn't yet been said. So enjoy some early versions of this great album!

DOWNLOAD

New Music: Ceschi - Sans Soleil (Track by Track Review)

"Sans Soleil" is Ceschi's second installment in his final trilogy of albums using the moniker "Ceschi." Today, Dimxsk & I (Trylemma) bring you a track by track review of the album.

1. Nonchalant (Eulogy by Mestizo)

Trylemma: Wow, what an intro. Factor's melodic banger comes across like a marching anthem with a crazed Ceschi as the drum major. Technically, these are some very impressive raps - I'm not surprised that Cesch drew inspiration from battle rap to craft them. The multis in particular, combined with the drawn out flows, stand out (e.g. "aliens" / "cane again.") I can already pick up on a different tone here when compared to "Sad, Fat Luck" (SFL.) While societal criticism is still at the forefront, Ceschi's delivery on this track comes across as a bit more brutal. If SFL laid the groundwork for an enlightenment pool, this track is Ceschi coming out of that pool and slapping society in the face...while still recognizing that he's a part of it. I also loved the Mestizo outro, excited to see what's next. RIP Caddy Ron and Alias. [Looks like Factor's wife got on backing vocals too!] 

Dimxsk: A great opening track, Nonchalant gives us Ceschi railing against hypocrisy in art and everyday life with classic cynicism and rage. The beat can only be described as ominous, with a shouting chorus in the background upping the ante of Ceschi's disdain for racists and celebrity apologists. The sound of it bodes well for what's coming and Mestizo's eulogy at the end is touching and heartfelt. A good Ceschi joint, not one of the standout tracks in my opinion but a great one to get the blood pumping.

2. Sufjan Is Gonna Die

Trylemma: This short interlude has already got me thrown back to Anonymous Inc. days! 

Dimxsk: One of those weird one's here; the guitar work is pleasant and provides an interesting juxtaposition with the synthetic distortion and the eerie vocals. Something you might expect to hear playing on a dusty turntable in a haunted mansion at night.

3. Frank False's Eulogy

Trylemma: We're not only saying farewell to the Ceschi legacy this year, we're also lying the great Francisco False character to rest - and what a memorable way to do so through this track. Frank, a man who's life was full of mistakes, gets put in the ground and with it, Ceschi ponders on the fleeting nature of life and the origins of meaning over a wonderful mix of trumpet and beatboxing. I particularly like that a song focused on ending the Frank storyline itself ends with a reference to another distinct Ceschi track, "This Won't Last Forever." 

Dimxsk: The first great track of the album, an honestly tragic piece of work. Ceschi, if you read this we love you. Ahem, a sound that would've been at home on The One Man Band Broke Up, this track seems to serve as a goodbye to fans and a (duh) eulogy to the Francisco False persona we've grown to know over the long years. A beautiful and haunting chorus, with what sounds like mostly live instrumentation. I have to say this is the Ceschi that I love the most, an artist who can craft rap songs out of melodic folk harmonies and make it both dope and beautiful. The more raw sound of the live instruments in my opinion gives this song a weight and depth that can't always be achieved with overproduction and synthetic sounds.

4. Old Graves (Eulogies by Patrick Schneeweis & Sole)

Trylemma: Ceschi has said that "Sans Soleil" is an album based around sorrow, and this straight-forward acoustic tune bleeds that. I really enjoy the constant issue of "fuck it all" being a source of both genius and demise, and Ceschi tackles the issue quite nicely here. I did think the Pat the Bunny and Sole eulogy book-ends to the track seemed a bit out of place, however. I would have enjoyed hearing the tune in solitude a bit more I think. Sole's eulogy was also a bit too slam-poetry to me. 

Dimxsk: Ceschi does a bit of a murder ballad style song here. Another standout for me on the album, a fantastic and stirring song with some creative poetry from Pat the Bunny and Sole. Just Ceschi and a guitar, singing that the fuck it all "philosophy" can work for a while, but sooner or later we all need to adjust or die. Very moving for me as it hits home, and tells the story of a few people I've crossed paths with in my life so far. They won't be the last, most likely.

5. Incesticide (Feat. Open Mike Eagle, P.o.S. & Onry Ozzborn)

Trylemma: Easy contender for song of the year thus far. Factor crafts a hectic slapper and Ceschi recruits some of the biggest names in the indie scene to join in on the fun between the amazing hook that is certainly one of Ceschi's best (which is saying a lot.) The theme is early indie rap lives versus current indie rap lives, and I've gotta say that Open Mike shines the brightest overall. Whether intentional on Mike's part or not, I take his verse as a eulogy to both the many great Project Blowedians that never fully reached their potential and the legendary Hellfyre Club collective that met its untimely demise. Hearing about P.o.S.' Warped Tour days, Onry's relinquishing of a baseball college scholarship, and Ceschi's constant pursuit of music for music's sake only adds to the song's greatness.

Dimxsk: Ceschi reunites with Factor Chandelier as well as guests P.O.S, Onry Ozzborn and Open Mike Eagle for a pretty epic banger, touching on the old days and the way things have changed in the indie rap scene. Open Mike Eagle provides his first ever collaboration with Ceschi, opening the song with his trademark laid back genius wordplay. P.O.S comes through with cynicism and wit. Then Onry offers a unique look at his background in music, revealing he left behind a scholarship to pursue his love of rapping. Always love hearing from Onry, probably one of my favorite rappers alive. And finally Ceschi's flow is in top form as well, describing the state of despair brought about by the drug abuse and death around him, and his disgust for the capitalist agenda that slowly takes over every life and sucks out the spark that would've had us creating works of beauty and meaning, so that instead we mass produce the same boring mediocrity we've had to eat our whole lives. The same process that slowly drove Kurt Kobain to suicide...

6. Britney 

Trylemma: This somber slightly distorted cover of Spears' "Baby One More Time" will probably get the skip from me on future replays. I've unfortunately heard one too many "dark" covers of the song over the years for this to reach me personally...

Dimxsk: Well there's this. I've always believed that the pop artists of the late 90's / early 00's were selling tunes that had potential. Before you laugh at me consider that the worst things about boy bands and girl pop is the inanity of the lyrics and the utter insincerity and lack of artistic merit that went into the deliberate marketing of said tunes. They were written by someone else for someone else, maybe they had a personal message but it was diluted by too many cooks in too many kitchens. That said, Genie in a Bottle had a sick beat, and Ceschi crafts a decent little interlude out of Hit Me Baby One More Time. Not exactly a standout moment for the album, but amusing and not unpleasant to listen to.

7. Ceschirito

Trylemma: This track has been floating around live for a bit I believe. A recent DNA test showed that I'm at least 95% Korean, but luckily I spent about 4 years living and growing up in Honduras, so my Spanish is pretty good. I sort of view this as a companion piece to SFL's "Daybreak." Amidst grief and exhaustion, Ceschi finds clarity, even if briefly, in anarchist hopes and a love that inspired even if it didn't fully work out. I think Tommy V's guitar was ultimately the right instrumental move, but apparently this was originally supposed to be over a Reggaeton beat. As a big Reggaeton fan (I'm guessing Ceschi isn't as much lol,) I would have loved to hear that. 

Dimxsk: Sadly my grasp of Spanish is limited to slang cursing and basic vocab. I can understand bits and pieces of this track, but lyrically it totally leaves me behind. That said, we have a Toca-esque joint here, which is always welcome. Catchy work with the finger piano and guitar, with Ceschi bringing us both melodic and rhythmic vocal work. A good track.

8. Cici Atlas

Trylemma: This little interlude has Ceschi reciting some old Xololanxinxo lyrics over his brother and niece's riffing on drums and keyboards, respectively. Another moment that calls back to the Anonymous Inc. and (obviously) Toca days. 

Dimxsk: A weird little interlude. Not much for me to say about this one, kind of spacey and tripped out in an Anonymous sort of way. Provides a good introduction to the next track.

9. Christ On A Cross

Trylemma: We got an acoustic version of this earlier this year and I was excited to hear the final product. Ceschi and Factor cleverly rework SFL's "Say No More" to address modern Christianity's portrait of Jesus as a strict detached moralist. Ceschi offers up, instead, a portrait of Jesus as a hated communal teacher. In "Say No More," Ceschi appears to cry out to the proverbial "God" amidst losing his friends to arrest. In "Christ on a Cross," Ceschi appears to address the judeo-christian god amidst a realization that the story of Jesus might closely mirror his own (and perhaps his friends in "Say No More" as well.) Amazing track.

Dimxsk: An interesting reflection on Ceschi's lost faith, although it's a little bit unfortunate that this has the same chorus as Say No More, which he already did a remake of with Sad Fat Luck. It is a beautiful chorus, and it was by far my favorite track on Elm St. Sessions. And he does give us some new lyrics to contemplate. I think a good way to look at this track is less as a remake of the original and more of a part 2. I believe that's how it was intended, and that's how I receive it.

10. Yoni's Electrocardiographs

Trylemma: The original "Electrocardiographs" was the only track on SFL that I didn't care for. This version, however, is superior to the original in pretty much every way. Sonically, Yoni's production kicks into gear much quicker which I appreciate. I think his more quirky beat choices work better for the song as well. Lyrically, I like all of Ceschi's additions (e.g. the ICE stanza) and minor tweaks (specifically the Freestyle Fellowship "griot" reference.) The redone layered closing hook also improves upon the original. The track is still a bit disjointed imo, but, unlike the original, I likely won't be hitting the skip button on replay. 

Dimxsk: A remake of Sad, Fat Lucks Electrocardiographs, and in my humble opinion a much more interesting version. It's amazing how far Yoni has come since The Early Whitney EP as a musician, this track is both catchy, complex and orchestral. The new instrumental work allows the lyrics to come through more clearly, and the more percussive but less cramped production gives the song a much more epic build up to the climactic chorus. Everything falls in line, like electrocardiographs when we die. Not a bright message, but delivered with sincerity that instills the listener with hope for the possibility of something more. Another standout track no doubt.

11. 1998 (Feat. Anonymous Inc.)

Trylemma: I believe some version of this was on the Broken Bone Ballads pre-order CDR. In any case, the song is a beautiful tribute to Ceschi's childhood and general childhood naivety over some proper 80's synths and drums. I am very excited to see the video for this one when it drops.

Dimxsk: So I was lucky enough to get to hear a CDr I apparently shouldn't have, and there's a demo version of this song featured on it. This plays a bit like a Trent Reznor remix of that demo version, with harder hitting drums and a crisper overall sound. Ceschi's melodic falsetto vocals perfectly complement the mood of nostalgia and fond reminiscence that the tune and lyrics convey. I am a bit reminded of 1979 here, the tone and driving beat match up, with the titles possibly playing a role in that connection. But 1979 may be one of my favorite rock songs ever written, so I'm not complaining. A great song, both as a demo and in the Anonymous Inc laced remake featured here.

12. Pepe on the Game (Feat. Pepe)

Trylemma: Such a strong eulogy that is advertised as a "Eulogy to the Game" but comes across much more as a "Eulogy to the Player" insofar as the "Game" continues to operate as normal as the state protects its drug interests against would-be competitors like Pepe. We've heard these stories a lot from Ceschi - it's nice to hear them from another voice within a Ceschi experiment. 

Dimxsk: The title says it all. Ceschi's views and lyrical content have been forever altered by his experience with the American "justice" system, and this Pepe guy who's voice is distorted most likely to protect the innocent gives us a very succint description of what the game offers you in the end. It ends quick, no parting gifts, just long waits and no goodbyes. Interesting little number.

13. Animal Instinct (Feat. David Ramos, Shoshin, & iCON the Mic King)

Trylemma: At this point, it certainly feels like it's not a proper Ceschi album if David, Shoshin, and Icon (collectively known as "Counterfeit Quartet") don't show up together for a track. Unfortunately, I think this is one of the weaker of the crew's collaborations. The Factor beat is a bit too subdued for my taste and while I shouldn't be comparing, it's hard not to pair this track up against the earlier "Incesticide." The hook could have also been much stronger (maybe David just screaming the "Animal" portion?) The rhymes on the police state do hit hard and Shoshin, in particular, gives an amazing performance (his cadences are crazy on the track.) In the end, however, I wasn't too extremely moved by the song as a song. 

Dimxsk: When I heard Sad, Fat Luck I was wondering where these guys were! David is absolutely brilliant, always, Icon is a genuine vet with a serious rep. Shoshin I only know from his work with Ceschi and a single track on Farewell Archetypes, but he's pretty damn good. These rappers come together once more (for those who don't know we've had a track with this lineup on every full length official Ceschi solo work since They Hate Francisco False) to give us a straight up rap banger, with a beat that allows each artist to rip the song to shreds. It's not my favorite track on the album at the moment, but it's something that might grow on me as I start to grasp the message. It appears to be a rant on the ways in which some of us are held down until we either break or attack, and then held accountable for the damage we never meant to cause. I might be wrong, but I hear in David's verse some meditations on seeing his brother in prison. It does lead me to think further on that whole scam played on those of us born with the least power, and the anger I feel matches what I hear on this track. For that it's got my attention.

14. Joanna & Anna (Eulogy by Squalloscope)

Trylemma: This apparently combines two covers of songs by Joanna Newsom "A Pin-Light Bent" and "Sadie." I'm not familiar with either of the originals, but Ceschi certainly makes them work together here, fully displaying the melancholy feels of the passing of time and life. Squalloscope's eulogy to his grandfather is the perfect outro.

Dimxsk: A pretty and quirky song, not one of my favorites as it seems a bit forgettable but it is nice, and the lyrics evoke some interesting imagery. Squalloscope's eulogy at the end is probably what makes this song most worth a listen. It's a great tribute to her Grandfather, who sounds like an interesting man and certainly changed the way she sees the world in crucial ways. I don't know much Squalloscope but I like what I've heard. Time to get familiar.

15. Stop & Smile (Feat. Tommy V. & Ashley Crevier, Eulogy by Barfly)

Trylemma: A somber and quirky tune where Oldominion's Barfly gives the album a new twist by eulogizing the notion of rest. In an album dealing with death, decay, and passing, we're asked to view these things as just continuous entries along the constant line of change. I'm not sure if this is re-assuring or even more horrific. Tommy V's intertwined nostalgic vocals mesh extremely well with Barfly's lines. 

Dimxsk: A simple song about remembering the dead fondly. Nothing in a phenomenal world is ever at rest as it says, and considering Ceschi's exploration of the darker side of death in his music, a song like this is a pleasant break from the more solemn numbers. That's about all I can say about it, mostly a spoken word jazz influenced number. Nice but not incredible.

16. Red Emma

Trylemma: Here we get a riffy eulogy to a long-term relationship, or rather perhaps an attempt to eulogize a long-term relationship while realizing the difficulties of letting go of the small things. As Ceschi asks about the state of his ex's dishes, the album's theme of sorrow is perhaps the strongest yet. 

Dimxsk: A good breakup song where Ceschi strums his guitar and wonders what his exes life is like without his presence. Something we've all wondered when relationships end with the finality of a serious fight or the kind of harsh words we can't take back. I have one person in mind specifically. A solid folk song, not really amazing but good.

17. Seeds Of Revolution

Trylemma: A quick jazzy static piece whose swift lyrics ponder the speed of change. Solid interlude. 

Dimxsk: A short spoken word piece where Ceschi reflects on the role art plays in real social change. Trippy percussive background and turntable work make this an interesting interlude.

18. My Bad (Feat. Gregory Pepper & Kenny Dennis)

Trylemma: Possibly my favorite track of the album. To begin, the song samples Gregory Pepper's "My Bad" which fits the melancholy, yet left-field, tone of the project perfectly. Lyrically, I love the idea that when someone passes, we not only lose the person we knew, but the person we didn't fully know (yet could have.) I also love the idea that this realization can be used as fuel to more fully embrace our own lives. Having Serengeti close the song pushing for such embracing is so well done. 

Dimxsk: Okay, UGF loves Gregory Pepper, and any time two great artists like Ceschi and Peps work together we can expect something good. And Ceschi does offer a great poem, unfortunately it's over a remake of the Gregory Pepper title track off the EP of the same name. It's still a good song, but when I saw the features I was really looking forward to something new and exciting. It's still good, just not as good as I really believe it could have been. And Serengeti as Kenny Dennis? So much potential. Maybe I miss the real point of the song, but it's probably the one I'm least impressed with. Feels a bit unnecessary. Honestly, blame my expectations...

19. Greatest Poem Of 2019 (Eulogy by Mikal kHill)

Trylemma: In the album's notes, Ceschi acknowledges that this poem is not good at all - and I sort of have to agree. The observational freestyles mixed with creed over the cluttered instrumental don't come across well imo. Mikal kHill's eulogy to his testicle lost to cancer could have been given a better home I think on this album. 

Dimxsk: Basically an interlude. Distorted vocals with some drums and keys and not much going on lyrically. Mikal kHill eulogizes his missing testicle. Weird one, don't entirely see the point.

20. Better Man / Material Girl (Eulogy by Kaleigh O'Keefe)

Trylemma: From this song, I gathered two competing, though often co-existing, viewpoints as to how we deal with our inadequacies. In O'Keefe's eulogy to her father, she recognizes her father's faults, which may be present in her own life, and vows to do better herself. Ceschi then, with his short cover of "Material Girl," shows the viewpoint of realizing one's faults but embracing them insofar as they are merely a product of some external force. Very engaging idea imo. 

Dimxsk: This song is Kaleigh O'Keefe speaking about her father, followed by a short cover of Material Girl by Madonna. The eulogy is moving, Kaleigh speaks about her feelings before and after the death of her father, and how she had to become the "better man" in their relationship. Sad, thoughtful and well written. The cover is sort of amusing, not sure what the connection is between the beginning and end of the song. Not a bad track, but not a standout.

21. Capsize

Trylemma: Recalling to the first track I'll say, wow, what an outro. With it's eerie melodic keys and flutes, the song traces the depiction of total destruction and the acceptance of that despair. In the notes, Ceschi says that he wrote this song while experiencing such feelings, yet out of such events, arose Fake Four. This fact does make the song, and album as a whole, more interesting insofar as it was written with true feelings in mind yet, as subsequent history has shown, something great quickly followed. For an album full of truth regarding sorrow and pain, perhaps it is vital not to be ignorant towards the possibility of beauty that could show itself in the process. 

Dimxsk: This is what feels like the first complete song in a while on Sans Soleil. Vibes and woodwinds gently draw the listener in before Ceschi's falsetto comes in, slowly building into a pretty and complex chorus. A soothing song with an undercurrent of menace, probably coming from the vocal references to descending into the darkness. Reminds me most of what we heard on One Man Band, which I may have said before is probably my all time favorite record from Ceschi. This may be from that era, as he seemed to be on a nautical trip around that time with The Fall of Captain E.O. and Swallowed Salt all referencing death by or in water. A good closing piece that reminds us what's so unique about Ceschi. He can sing in a way that is so unlike what we usually hear in rap, but it fits his style so well and gives him an appeal that spans across all genres of contemporary music.

Final Thoughts:

Trylemma: Before "Sans Soleil" was released, Ceschi appeared to do some pre-emptive damage control by warning people that this album wasn't as cohesive as SFL and operated more as a collage. I respectfully disagree. If anything, I think "Sans Soleil" delivers a clearer, more cohesive statement when compared to SFL. There are certainly more pieces and voices to "Sans Soleil," so I understand the collage comparison, but this only adds to its fullness in my opinion. Furthermore, these days piecemeal albums are common both in the underground and mainstream, so "Sans Soleil" doesn't feel strange structurally at all. Now I personally enjoy SFL more but this is based solely on how much I enjoyed the songs on that album and has nothing to do with how cohesive either album is. As we prepare for the final installment in the series, expectations are certainly high! See you in November! 

Dimxsk: Overall, this is not an instant favorite of mine. I have to say at times, especially during the second half it becomes somewhat of a challenging listen. This is not a bad thing, it just means that these songs are the kind that grow on you with time and attention and you have to have enough of the former and the patience to offer enough of the latter to discover you enjoy it. I may find myself in love with Sans Soleil in the years to come. It's subtle, quirky, fun in places and tragic in others, with so much personality it's hard to find the right words to use to describe it. As a fan of Ceschi I have to say I did enjoy it, it has everything I love about the musicians work. If you're not a huge Ceschi fan but are looking for a smart yet hard-hitting album of folk rap, look at Sad, Fat Luck, Broken Bone Ballads or The One Man Band Broke Up. Those are solid albums for anyone who likes music to enjoy. This is for the real Ceschi heads, and in a way I feel this album is even more special for that reason. It wasn't designed to be good or bad, it's not designed to sell and go platinum or to attract the art rap snobs with it's pretense. It's just Ceschi making the music he feels like for the love of it. That will always be a great thing to behold. My biggest actual complaint is in places it lacks totally original material. It feels like a mixtape, with lots of covers, interludes and reprises of older tracks. In fact that's basically what it is, it's a reflection of the entire life of Julio Ramos's Ceschi persona, so it's appropriate that it reflects back. If this were the only official release to come from Ceschi in years, I might be somewhat disappointed. However, taken as the second album in a promised trilogy, it feels appropriate as a little brother to Sad, Fat Luck and an introduction to the forthcoming (and final) Bring Me the Head of Francisco False. I'm a bit sad that we now have only one more Ceschi album to look forward to. I hope he just does what he feels like again, because no matter the result Ceschi is a real musician with an unimpeachable integrity and no matter who likes what he puts out, it belongs in the world for that reason. 

You can purchase "Sans Soleil" digitally HERE or physically on vinyl, cd, and cassette HERE.

JD Walker - Bleed the Reservoir (2000)

Hey, so I'm covering for Trylemma today, he's got a lot on his plate right now. Anyway for today we have JD Walker's debut EP Bleed the Reservoir. I know next to nothing about this album, but on one of my trips to Facebook someone was asking about this guy in a group I get notifications from. It reminded me about this humble offering.

JD Walker hails from Maine; he was one of the founding members of one of Sole's earliest groups Live Poets along with Moodswing9. His music often has a folk flavor, but is essentially good old fashioned abstract hip hop. He's put out a few vinyl singles, an EP and two albums, one under the alias Loganprojects. All of these are worth a listen for fans of Anticon and Fake Four; they're weird in places and clearly independently produced and recorded but they've got a ton of personality.

Get the album below, and excuse the brevity of this post, it's been a long week!

Download

I did want to take a moment and recognize that next week marks the 6 month anniversary of Underground Fossils. Plus we recently reached 9,000 views and as someone who's never done much social media I'm pretty damn happy about it. So I was thinking that next week could be all about sharing some rare music, but maybe there's other ways we could celebrate. Who knows, but I promise this: next week will be epic.

If anyone has any ideas, or requests free to comment below or reach out via the contact box, and *Thank You* for your support!

Oh and please no more comments with hyperlinks, or stories about your successful insemination (although I'm very happy for you).

New Music: Ceschi & Factor Chandelier - Sad, Fat Luck

Ceschi and Factor are two of my and Dimxsk's favorite artists, and they play a small part in how we originally met as well. As such, we're teaming up today to give you a track by track review of the new album, "Sad, Fat Luck," the official follow up album to 2015's "Broken Bone Ballads." The album is still fresh in both of our minds, so we're just giving our basic thoughts on each of the 13 tracks for now. A fuller, more in depth review may follow at some point. Enjoy! 

1. "LOST TOUCH": 

Trylemma: A live version of this one dropped back in 2017 when Ceschi and Factor were just planning on doing a short EP instead of 3 full length albums, though I had forgotten about it until now. Such an epic opening. Based on recent interviews, Ceschi seems more focused than ever on confronting and rectifying capitalist trains of thought (this being supported by the three albums he has dropping this year and his planned move to LA,) and this opener really captures such sentiments perfectly. It sort of reminds me of a better, more refined, version of Sole's "Capitalism Is Tearing Us Apart." The hook really conveys the false sense of hope and security that Ceschi appears to want to target throughout this body of work. Also, the way Factor places and builds up the synths here is crazy - easily the best producer of all time in my opinion. 

Dimxsk: I had heard the live session recording of this track a year or two ago, and didn't really "get" it. Something about it seemed missing to me, and Ceschi usually shines live. But from the moment I hit play this track had me engrossed, Ceschi's frustration with the modern world comes through brilliantly, with a desperate sounding chorus fit for the climax of your favorite scene from your favorite show.

2. "JOBS":

Trylemma: I love the pitch play and schemes on here, Ceschi really pulls it off well. I think it's a really good follow up to "Lost Touch" insofar as that song frames the capitalist issue on a pretty grand scale and interprets the fight against capitalism as a larger moral fight. "Jobs," then, addresses similar concerns but brings them a bit closer to Ceschi's everyday life and profession. Ceschi is anti-capitalist not only because of a larger moral good but also because his art-making requires him to be. I believe the line about making his mom's salary in two weeks refers to the great success that this album's pre-orders had (such that it equaled, in terms of monetary results, his mother's yearly salary as a lecturer at Yale.) The shorter length of the track works really well too.

Dimxsk: I would almost decline to discuss this track, because for me this is the closest thing to a song I don't like on this album and I don't want to spoil a sublime piece of work for anyone by saying Sad Fat Luck has a weak spot when it really doesn't. I have never been a fan of trap style rap, and Jobs is undeniably that. Complete with autotune (why use autotune when you have an amazing voice, this isn't Kanye) syrupy MIDI drums and spacey synths, this sounds nothing like what I expect and love from Ceschi. The style does (as Trylemma pointed out) fit the content of the track (hustling) in a way that is a bit tongue in cheek, and it doesn't prevent Ceschi's talent from shining through, but I have to say I will never like music like this.

3. "SAD, FAT LUCK": 

Trylemma: I think Ceschi's odes to weariness (and possible depression?) hit so hard because a lot of us view the man as the great Fake Four head who is constantly rounding up our favorite artists and helping them bring us classic music. Maybe we also view him as the guy who got locked up, came out, and continued to fight. Maybe we just view him as the dude who puts on crazy shows every year - sun, rain, snow. So hearing Ceschi wrestle with wanting to give up is something special. This title track, I believe, hits even harder, however, than some of Ceschi's other tracks where he shows such sentiments because this track is really just focused on that raw tired feeling (as opposed to some greater lesson on how to overcome it once and for all.) The harmonizing with Taylor Jade is pulled off so well. I could have done without some of the chopping near the end, but even so, this is definitely in the running for my favorite track off the album.

Dimxsk: Okay, back to the good stuff (for me). A beautiful, personal chorus (no autotune), cinematic beat and an insanely fast verse where Ceschi spits very frankly about his experiences as a musician. Still a bit trappy but a great song. 

4. "THE GOSPEL":

Dimxsk: You've probably had the opportunity to hear this song even without owning the full album yet. It's incredible, one of the moments on Sad Fat Luck that almost brought me to tears. The content hits close to home, and you can FEEL the same is true for Ceschi. One of my favorite songs by him at this point.

Trylemma: We originally heard this one on Factor's top notch "Wisdom Teeth" album last year. We now get a slightly remixed version of it here, and its inclusion on the album makes a lot of sense. Right after a song about getting worn down by a long career, we get a track about addiction, or rather devotion, to opioids - wowee. I really enjoy the juxtaposition between the poppy sound of the track and Ceschi's darker, very (I won't use this term again) poetic, lyrics. The fact that the song deals with the drugs as pure power, as opposed to either mere comfort or mere decay, is very smart. 

5. "DAYBREAK": 

Dimxsk: At this point in the album I'm thinking, bring the folk. And Ceschi does. To say that Ceschi has improved as a guitarist throughout his career is an understatement, he's gone from average to very very good. He's a brilliant and unconventional songwriter, and has managed to build folk songs that never really do what you expect. A beautiful track, and it wouldn't be a Ceschi album without something like this.

Trylemma: And we get our first acoustic based ballad! I can't say for certain, but I'm assuming this chronicles Ceschi's most recent ending of a longterm relationship - brought about by, again partially assuming, Ceschi's demanding work life as an artist (hence the "floating in limbo" line.) The melodies on here are great and Factor's backing keys add an almost celestial feel to the song. Situating the track within the greater album, we really get an even closer sense of the cost of dedication that Ceschi deals with. Can't wait to sing along with this one live. 

6. "TAKE IT ALL BACK (PARTS 1-4)": 

Trylemma: We got this one back in 2016 I think and it finally finds a home here now. I'm not entirely sure what to make of the four distinctive sections that make up this track, but, from what I can gather, it seems like the song traces (though likely not chronologically) the various ways in which Ceschi has dealt with societal issues. Specifically: Head on and almost abrasively (Part I); In the company of like-minded youth positioned in a dying society (Part II); Barely, in a coping fashion (Part III); Head on again, only this time with a sort of aged wisdom (Part IV.) The "Thinking that a meme is a revolutionary strategy" line is something that I've heard Ceschi talk about on various occasions when it comes to how some of the political Left deals with issues in the internet age. I enjoy the clearer divisions between the Hip Hop and Punk sounds here - major props to Factor for giving such unique backing to each of these parts. The production works well in all four segments.

Dimxsk: Released previously as a single, most of you probably know this one. It goes all over the place, with each part flowing seamlessly into the next. Awesome, and a perfect introduction to what Ceschi does for anyone unconvinced that folk and rap can coexist peacefully on the same song.

7. "SAY NO MORE": 

Trylemma: We first got this one, in recorded raw acoustic form, on Ceschi's great "Elm St. Sessions" that dropped last year. It was easily one of the best tracks on that project and it is definitely in the running for my favorite track on this album as well. The song is written about two friends facing marijuana cases and you can really feel both the sincerity and the desperation in Ceschi's verses and hooks, especially considering what he himself went through. The notion of an atheist calling out to God, knowing that he/she/they/it doesn't exist is such a powerful, dare I say religious, tool and comes across as so here. The 'religion/AA/AK aimed at your head' line is killer. I do think I slightly prefer the acoustic version as Ceschi sells the hook a bit more there. This one is almost as great, however, thanks in big part to the added backing vocals. 

Dimxsk: Being my favorite song on Elm St, I was excited to hear what Factor could bring to this track. It is a very good version, although in my opinion the first verse fits a bit better the live acoustic sound of Elm St. There is a pretty strong dose of that trap sound thrown in as well (betrayalll [ay al ay al ay al]) which I have said previously I can't really dig. It's also autotuned again. But after the chorus which is seriously amazing, he gets going on the beat and brings the song to life in a big way.

8. "ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHS": 

Dimxsk: A sort of stream of consciousness rap song, taking references to drugs, sex and toxic masculinity and blending them together into something like a 4th step moral inventory. Very dope rapping too, builds to a pretty epic finish.

Trylemma: I feel like I may have heard this one performed live in 2016? Maybe not, it sure sounded familiar though when they dropped the video. Anyhow, and minor spoilers ahead, this entire album is greatness in my opinion save one track - this one. I feel like the song is a combination of various ideas from Ceschi's "rhyme book" that are tied together at the end rather sloppily (and in a cliche fashion.) We certainly get some fun lines and heartfelt content, but in an album with such strong focused songs, this one stands out as below par. Also, and this is just from the standpoint of a rap nerd, the "enough," "Rican," and "foreign" rhymes are delivered super forced and really distract from the important content being conveyed. The instrumental at the beginning is also sort of disjointed and took me out of the song. Luckily, the beat gets much better in the latter portion once Factor establishes a constant melody. I also think that the positioning of the song is sort of strange. If this had been put at the end (with a cleaner instrumental) I think it would have worked slightly better. As a middle track sandwiched in between two of the best tracks on the album, however, it sticks out as the clear, and only, weak link. 

9. "MIDDLE EARTH (Feat. Sammus)":

Trylemma: So there's a handful of candidates for my favorite track off of this thing, but this is currently the strong frontrunner. The song is a great companion to the previous title track insofar as we get Ceschi acknowledging the struggles hinted at in the title track (and throughout the whole album) but also identifying a desire to continue and embrace the life he's chosen. I love the play on the common "H.E.R." theme with the "I know she don't love me like that - not the game or the lady" line in the chorus. Sammus gives an incredible performance here as well, giving her fresh version of "struggling artist" in a wonderful fashion. The upbeat strings and bass orchestrated by Factor are amazing and fall perfectly in sync with the vocals. If there is another video in the cards for this album, I hope this song gets it. 

Dimxsk: One of the brighter sounding tracks (with the obligatory references to death and depression), Ceschi and Sammus talk a bit about childhood dreams and letdowns over a foot stomping, Celtic influenced folk rap beat. Classic Ceschi.

10. "SANS SOLEIL": 

Dimxsk: The more I hear this the more I'm convinced it's the best song Ceschi has ever written. More of that cinematic production from Factor with a beautiful set of chords that lay the groundwork for a track that is simply heartbreaking. Ceschi speaks about anxiety, about the loss of Sixo, Bender and a friend named Niles who committed suicide, and most importantly about sticking it out. There are traits to this song that hit me like Half Mast did, which was previously my favorite Ceschi song. Came the closest to crying from this particular track. I can't stress enough how good it is.

Trylemma: This is certainly one of the most somber songs we'll hear this year and is the emotional high point of the album. Ceschi has to be one of the most "connected" people in indie rap. If you make a list of your favorite indie rap acts - chances are, Ceschi has made a song with, played a show with, or at least knows a good amount of them. And that's just his peers, not to speak of the countless other people he's met along the way. As such, it's not surprising that Cesch has seen loss. This doesn't lessen the blow at all, however, when he raps and sings about it here in depth. The lines about Sixo and Bender cut hard. The glimmer of hope and continuance that Ceschi adds in is the high point of this great cut (another potential favorite off the album.) [RIP Tech 9 and Nipsey.] 

11. "ANY WAR (Feat. Astronautalis)": 

Trylemma: As the vocal sample at the beginning of the track suggests, "this is the hardest one!" This is the closest thing the album has to a banger - and it's a good one! Factor's drum and brass work here crafts a solid instrumental for Ceschi to spit his "rise up and rebel" raps over. Astronautalis also shows up to the party and delivers a good, though not extraordinary, verse, taking a sort of dystopian approach towards the track's theme. I'll mention here that I do like that there's only two rap features on this project and they're both from artists that Ceschi and Factor have toured nationally with recently, one having been a headliner (Astronautalis) and one having been support (Sammus.) 

Dimxsk: This track strikes me as similar to Broken Bone Ballads. Fairly optimistic for Ceschi, with some awesome rapping and a steady, dope beat. Astronautalis comes through with a decent verse, but I have to say on an album of brilliant songs, this one is just good. There's no reason not to like it, but it doesn't cut as deeply as some of these others. I'll forgive Ceschi for stopping the bloodletting and simply rapping his ass off for us.

12. "DOWNTOWN (Majical Cloudz Cover)": 

Dimxsk: Trylemma has a story for you guys about this song. It was meant to grab my attention. Ceschi kills it, a pretty song and a cover that doesn't just play the same notes. He does his own thing with it, and while the sound doesn't totally fit the record, I'm still glad it's there.

Trylemma: Quick story. A day or two before Dimxsk and I heard this album, I recommended that he watch "The OA," a Netflix show that originally aired in 2016. Once we heard the album, he texted me and told me that this song sounded like something he had heard in "The OA" the night before (I couldn't remember what song he was talking about as I hadn't seen season one of the show since 2016.) He looked it up and sure enough, during a pivotal scene of the show, the Majical Cloudz song is playing triumphantly. This coincidence was very strange, especially considering that neither of us had heard the original song (or heard of Majical Cloudz) before - and just based on YT views, it looks like Majical Cloudz is/was a pretty successful group but not extremely famous by any measure (it seems like they might be best known for having the song in "The OA.") Anyways, while, after listening to both versions, I like the original slightly more, Ceschi certainly does this song justice and the track fits in really well with the album. I'm not sure Ceschi's exact intent, but I think the song works well both as a tribute to a lost loved one and as a tribute to music itself and the dedication Cesch has towards it.

13. "BONA DRAG TAPE": 

Dimxsk: Ceschi takes the three Bona Drag songs from Elm St and blends them together to create a perfect final track to the album. As a chronic maker of mixtapes I appreciate the art of the final track. It must leave the listener with a specific mood. And this song is like a sunrise at the end of a stormy night. Perfect. "Pretty sure this music will not heal your broken bones," but it may help you to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and rock out while doing it.

Trylemma: This was originally given to us via 3 separate, very rough, tracks on "Elm St. Sessions." I thought they were cool, but also thought that they were sort of a low point on that project. Here, however, those 3 tracks have been combined and given full production and some singing - leaving us with a pretty great closing track. Factor's breezy production gives Ceschi's rhymes a cohesive reflective vibe, giving us what I think "Electrocardiographs" ultimately couldn't. The "pretty sure this music will not heal your broken bones" line makes it pretty clear that "Sad, Fat Luck" isn't a "I'm better now!" project from Ceschi, but rather an album really based around constant coping and struggling. It's in that coping and struggling, however, where Ceschi flourishes the most. 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Dimxsk: This album had such a visceral and positive effect on my mood when I first heard it, and even as a fan of rap I have to say I can't often get that feeling from it as a musical style. Even with this being a markedly darker offering than Broken Bone Ballads, it still offers moments of hope that show us Ceschi will fight on. This is not dark for the sake of dark, it is real, it is a man ritualistically purging his struggles and anyone who has ever struggled will find something to hold onto when they hear it. Cechi's songwriting has improved so dramatically over his career, where once my only complaint about his music was a slight simplicity to his vocabulary and word choice (which he more than made up for with raw honesty and singular talent), now he writes with confidence and sophistication. 

Trylemma: This is easily the best album I have heard this year so far. Ceschi and Factor's chemistry is perfect at this point. While I need to let the album sink in a bit longer, I'm pretty sure I like this more than "Broken Bone Ballads" (which was my favorite album of 2015.) I am so excited for Ceschi moving forward, should be a great year. 

"Sad, Fat Luck" officially drops this Thursday (4/4.) You can order the vinyl, cassette, cd, stickers, mug, tattoos (yes, tattoos) HERE. Also, if you want the album digitally, you can enter the code "phat" and pre-order/order the album for literally only 50 cents HERE. Ceschi and Factor are also taking a 7 piece band on a national tour to promote the album, with lots of cool acts as "local" support (e.g. P.o.S, Nostrum Grocers, Dark Time Sunshine, Astronautalis, Myka 9, Mestizo, Awol One, Sole, Armand Hammer...) so make sure you go see them live! And the good news doesn't end there. Ceschi and Factor are putting out another album, called "Sans Soleil," on July 4th of this year and then another album, called "Bring Us the Head of Francisco False," on December 4th of this year. So be on the look out for those as well!