Heavy rock has become a really strange term in the past couple of decades, but that isn’t stopping Helen Kelter Skelter from reinventing the limits of the genre through music as profoundly interesting as it is easy to listen to. Chroma Crawl, the latest release from this act, has a futuristic …
Read More »Single Review: ADVM “Weekend”
The numbers speak for themselves – just in the brief time people have been talking about him, ADVM has brought in a lot of attention online through the release of his lead single “Weekend,” which is a track that borrows a little from pop and a whole lot from hip-hop …
Read More »Single Review: Echezona “TMH”
In pop music, and especially hip-hop, you’ve got to be a little more daring than the other folks to stand out in the crowd. With the destruction of traditional scenes and the regional professional politics that came with them, the internationalization of cloud rap and trap was inevitable, but no …
Read More »Single Review: “World of Water” by Shaheed and DJ Supreme
It’s hard to break into the music industry, but in terms of sheer difficulty on the professional level, I don’t know of another genre in the pop lexicon that is quite as difficult to penetrate as hip-hop is. From the beats to the fashion and the culture this music helps …
Read More »Single Review: “Vacations Matter” D3X
To say there’s been a lot of interest in classic rap concepts this year might be too great an understatement for a critic like myself; in all reality, the retro-rap trend has been hard to ignore on all fronts, and this is especially the case in indie circles. Rappers like …
Read More »Single Review: “Reasons” Scoville Unit
In the new single “Reasons,” pop-rockers Scoville Unit prove once and for all that in alternative music, and any structure-dominant genre of music, sometimes the notion that less is more isn’t just a concept to consider – it’s the straight-up recipe for success. Scoville Unit doesn’t try to get into …
Read More »Single Review: Shaheed and DJ Supreme “The Art of Throwing Darts”
Less than a few minutes; that’s essentially all it takes to go from underground sensation to international superstar, and up-and-coming rappers Shaheed and DJ Supreme have a juggernaut just that size in the new single “The Art of Throwing Darts” meant to set off as much this season. “The Art …
Read More »Single Review: Laforren “Outsyder”
Having sonic depth is important in every genre of music, but it’s becoming increasingly pivotal to making a mark on the swelling hip-hop underground. It’s not enough to have a sleek verse and some killer hooks anymore – you’ve got to have instrumental competency as well as creative wits that …
Read More »Single Review: Stringz EMB “Save Me”
Stringz EMB has been picking up a lot of hype since his string of acclaimed releases in the last couple of years, and in his new single “Save Me,” he extends his artistic whims to a deeper level of complexity than even some of his bigger supporters were expecting. I’ve …
Read More »Single Review: Wellingta “No Goodbyes”
Hybrid genres throughout the hip-hop aesthetic have been picking up a lot of steam in the past seven years especially, and while the trend is intriguing to follow, there’s something special about an OG purist like Wellingta. Wellingta doesn’t try and front a lot of emotional lyricism in place of …
Read More »Single Review: Pamela Hopkins – “I Love You Most”
Alright, folks, listen up! We’ve got Pamela Hopkins bringing the heat with her latest single, “I Love You Most.” This song pulls at those heartstrings and leaves you feeling all sorts of emotions. It’s a tender and heartfelt declaration of love, delivered with an intensity that will knock you off …
Read More »Album Review: The Sugar Hollows “The Sugar Hollows”
As soon as the opening number “Highway Daydream” kicks off, you realize that they fall into that small and elite group of bands that makes music that doesn’t go out of fashion. And it stays in style because it was never in manner. Now, wait! Before you send me decease …
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