URB » Doomtree

Exclusive Video & Mixtape Drop – Prof Moron – ‘Moron’

Phil Nacionales — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 03:38:41 +0000

Fresh from the presses of Minnesota based rapper, Prof Moron, comes the video to his latest video, ‘Moron.’ It’s rare to peep a party track laced with the ‘ironies’ of the lifestyle, but even more rare is to come up on a video that serves as a true to form instructional dance piece.

The track comes off of the cult followed mixtape series, Kaiser Von Powederhorn 3, which also features the likes of Yelawolf, Slug, and production by Doomtree’s Lazerbeak.

Currently touring the country with Living Legends alum, Grouch & Eligh, Mistah FAB, and DJ Fresh, the mixtape is available below as a free stream and download.

Peep the break for the video and more info.

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Kaiser Von Powderhorn 3 unlimited stream and free download link:

http://profstophouse.bandcamp.com/album/kaiser-von-powderhorn-3

About Prof

In the last decade, Prof has established a cultish fan-base throughout the Twin Cities and beyond, welcoming thousands upon thousands of ever growing fans into his world of ridiculous hijinks, Gampo life, memories of Powderhorn, whiskey, girls and wild nights. Out the trunk and grinding to earn one fan at a time, today Prof’s persistence sees die-hard fans virally supporting his music, multi-media content and tours, along with recordings with Yelawolf, Slug and Brother Ali, a guest appearance on Atmosphere’s “Minnesota Nice” and more.

For more info:

http://twitter.com/Profstophouse

https://www.facebook.com/PROFGAMPO

http://www.stophousegroup.com/

http://www.youtube.com/stophousegroup

Special thanks to Kim @ Pitchblend for the extra words and tip.

Top 12 Acts Of 2012 :: URB Readers Poll Winners

URB.com — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:22:11 +0000

The votes have been tallied and once again URB readers have made their voices heard. And how did 2012 flesh out in terms of your favorite artists? A rock solid mix of all-time favorites, current buzz-makers and a few veteran acts climbing their way to the top once again. Don’t call it a comeback — although it seems hip-hop dominated your world in 2012, while the rest of America was jocking EDM as the next big thing. Are MCs the new DJs, who are the new pop stars, already?

12. DOOMTREE

This seven-person collective from the Twin Cities has been on our radar for almost a decade, although it seemed like they’d forever be in the shadow of MPLS patriarchy Rhymesayers. Not that there’s anything but healthy competition between the two camps. And now, riding on win after win as a team, plus all-star performances from individual players Lazerbeak and Dessa, Doomtree has cracked our year end list for the first time. Looks like Minnesota is still the hip-hop capital of the Midwest.

21 SXSW bands x 11 SXSW Superlatives; Really cool then, and still is… two weeks later

ramievenesh — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:12:45 +0000

So as the business card pile collects dust and we all wonder where we were while ASAP Rocky got put in a “Vice Grip” and your car got towed in the $7 dollar public lot after 3 am, lets give you the last of the last SXSW articles. Maybe you went to the Fader Fort and hung out with the Bawss Rick Ross or kicked it with Nardwuar , saw Murs on the street, met Trash Talk, or wondered how the fuck anyone ever made it to Beauty Ballroom which was in the middle of nowhere Austin.
(why would you throw shows so far away?) Did you hit Pitchfork parties to see STRFKR ? Did you catch a dusty band playing for 20 people that was the next best thing?

Did you meet any cool ass guitarists on the street? Did you find the next tech crunch thing like Viddy, a 15 second video boss app that is sorta like instagram with video? (it really is). Myself and Brandon Dorsky of Supergoodmusic linked up to write about a crapload of artists and other things…

via Brandon D
Every year I go to SXSW hoping to have my face melted, catch a ton of music, discover the next huge act before they go huge, and hang with good people. Like any other year – that all happened – although admittedly, it might be hard to pinpoint who is going to go #HAM post SXSW.

What there certainly was plenty of were great performances and performers. Here are a run down of URB’s Top 20 performances/performers as viewed at some point of some night by …ok you get it…

1. Daedelus at BandPage HQ – The veteran electronic music composer played multiple venues at SXSW, but he happened to play BandPage HQ twice and dropped what had to be the heaviest bass of the whole festival. At both their Music Tech Mash Up and the Warp Records/Brainfeeder/Service Company Party – Daedelus brought his A+ game, proving that EDM’s new young faces still have a thing or two to learn from their forefathers. Talk about a crazy sound system and massive drops from a beat conductor – I’m pretty sure you could hear it at 6th and Nueces….but the venue was over at 7th and Red River. Rumor has it that Daedelus’ bass was sooo heavy on Tuesday that it shorted some of the venues electricity and fried the hard drive of a computer. Hopefully HQ had a good insurance policy that covered damage from heavy bass and dopeness.

2. Kosha Dillz at Club 606 (BandPage HQ) (3/14) – Suburban Noize and SUPERGOODMUSIC.com presented a heady night of emerging hip-hop artists, many of whom were playing their first official SXSW showcases. From the opening spit of Wheelchair Sports Camp to the final blow of Blaqstarr – 606 got hot, hyphy and hip-hopped. No one brought the hip-hop essence harder than Kosha Dillz – the rising New Jersey bred Jewish MC whose “Kosha Dillz Is Everywhere” posters were actually true because homeboy was literally everywhere. He was at BandPage HQ, he was rapping on a boat, at the Israeli Beach Party, on CNN news, on CBS radio, even throwing his own Oy Vey Showcase series and always rocking rhymes. At 606 – he rocked for a packed and sold out crowd just before Mickey Avalon – where he delivered inspired versions of tracks from his last EP “Gina & The Garage Sale,” as well as new cuts from his Jetlag EP, his notorious ‘object freestyle’ and a song called “Chump Change” with Kyle Rapps that was spectacular. Check out a snippet of “Garage Sale” here – BD

3. Steve Aoki (feat. Lil Jon) at Republic Live (3/15) – if there is one thing the Dim Mak camp knows how to do – it is throw a rager. Both their Wednesday night fest at BandPage HQ and Thursday night party at Republic Live are worthy of this list – but with label founder in the house at Republic Live for a quintessential set that included crowd surfing in an inflatable boat and some obligatory cameos – Thursday was the Dim Mak highlight. Nothing got heavier than the drop of “Turbulence” which saw Lil Jon join Aoki for some champagne spraying, crowd exciting mayhem. – BD

4. Dj Jazzy Jeff & Datsik at Red Bull Threestyle Event (3/17) – Admittedly I was not expecting for the aging DJ Jazzy Jeff to be the artist that impressed me coming off SXSW – but I have to hand it to him, he did. As an invitee to Redbull’s Threestyle Event, Jazzy Jeff played one of Austin’s most massive lots/venues and took advantage of it. With plenty of cameras glued to his hands on the wheels of steel, Jazzy Jeff proved why he shares accolades with some of scratching’s pioneers and reminded listeners young and old why his name is routinely included in conversations about hip-hop history. Schooling a crowd in a who’s who of samples – Jeff rifled through classic after classic and the crowd participated with him every step (or beat) of the way. – BD

5 Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire at Oy Vey SXSW Showcase – The recently signed quirky rapper brought his posse, unique fashion and dark party rhymes to the tiny outdoor patio stage at Lipstick 24 on Thursday afternoon to rock a bill of underground MCs from around the country. Playing just after Kosha Dillz and just before Murs – Exquire showcased the attitude and swagger that made him such a buzzworthy name in Austin. Just look at his 13 necklaces. -BD

Via Me with no dates…

6. Grimes – Everyone likes a bad ass Canadian chick that goes on amphetamine adventures, with a twitter profile that says she is from Mexico City. Grimes is one of the best names to come from any artist at SXSW, and someone to talk about that is blowing up but not completely there yet. I think this one reminds me of a indie Amy Winehouse lifestyle and the voice of serious. – RE

7. Kimbra – Not only am I excited to find out about a gorgeous artist that kills it, but def the girl who sells out everything and has Team Bayside remixing their stuff.

8 Shinobi Ninja – NBA 2k12 made us familiar with “Rock Hood” while we get stoned and play the video game. From grinding stickers to multiple years of touring, they are finding their first year of official status with 2 official gigs..

9. Doom Tree- I dont think I would ever think that the #1 rap crew in Minneapolis could literally pack out places with almost all Minneapolis people in other cities. Not only are they cool, friendly and authentic, but the solo success of Dessa and P.O.S. brings the light to shine on the entire Doom Tree family of Mictlan and Lazerbeak. They have become a BILLBOARD force in the past two years…literally.

10 LP – She is new, hip and has an amazing website. The Warner Sound showcase showed us she is here to stay and if you aren’t a fan of girls with curly fros, you should be one now.

11 Rittz – Live @ DJ Booth showcase – this dude did something I haven’t seen in a while. He proved to me that looking Jesus and not rapping like Lil B could still have bitches on your dick. He repped for Yelawolf that’s for sure. Slumerican is exactly what he embodied. You gotta love it when trap beats come on out from the South and hip hop is a completely different vision.

12 Homeboy Sandman – Not only did he play less shows this year, but he made less of an impact in the press. Still with no twitter account, I turned to pagfes of Rolling Stone only to find him as an artist to watch. I thought they should of had him in the section that said, “Humans that inspire.”

13. DJ Peter Rosenberg – NYC isn’t complete without this man for morning show music, and SXSW isn’t complete with out PEter Rosenberg hosting NOisemakers. He brings out Bun B last year and has NAS this year? Holy shit. And how about WAX having to entertain the crowd before NAS? When you start to see underground music break the radio wavs, do realize that its part of this man’s dedication to the craft of hosting and DJ’ing.

14. Lily and the Parlour Trix – Lily and her trix were all over town hustling this week. Classy enought to play at the 18th floor of the HIlton plus 10 other shows made this girl a thang to watch with new southern twang enjoying every moment of her. Kudos for the outfits and synchronized 180 dance moves with finger snaps.

15. MTHDS- a colorado based band makes it to SXSW for the first time. They play on the Madison House bill with Talib Kweli and Amp live and people get so excited (I don’t get into the show ) because its at capacity. So …what a great way to start off your first SXSW experience? They should have this experience every year

16 Porter Robinson w/ Kryoman I saw a robot with electronic things flying everywhere. The whole place goes wild and you think that we are all having an acid flash back. We’re not. We’re on ecstacy and everyone has glowsticks and earplugs.

17. He’s My Brother, She’s my Sister
Im into this folky rock thing. I’m into it. I first saw them with Lily and the P trix and when you have a tap dancer precussionist in you band in a outfit from the early 1920’s you just gotta understand why this group will be successful. Tap Dancing is one of the most unappreciated types of dance in the world, but give a few hundred people alcohol, they would love to see a gorgeous gal tap dance. Its a fact!

18. School Boy Q- At the shady 2.0 concert, you gotta give it up to the dude who had kids wyling out in the back. Schoolboy Q has a goon squad and he raps good. i saw him last year on the Sunday and he mentioned he was released from jail and really sucked if you wanna know the truth. Def the most improved award. Back then it might’ve been the tired crowd, but you couldn’t take anythign away form this cat this SXSW.

19. Nardwuar- Did you guys know that nardwuar has a band? he does. And they’re awesome. Not only do they rock out and represent, but definitley win the most likely to represent Vancouver, Canada award besides Sweatshop Union.Nardwuar…or should we call him…ASAP Nardwuar?

20. Boldy James – This guy is the real deal. He is a rapper’s rapper and is one of the guys that will be a XXL Freshman next year ,even though he has been at it for quite some time. I didn’t really know about who he was, butwith research he is on every blog from PItchfork to Fader and more. That’s kinda killing it, and his latest tweets are from the Alchemist crib. Lets call it a “Trapper’s rapper but not on that dirty south shit. Thats fresh.

SXSW Superlatives:

Best Download Card – Black Lung and Fresco – Whiteboy wasted represents a movement. A colorful one. One of cocaine residue on download cards. Talk about going overboard…literally!

Most Used New App - Instagram – Everyone and their mother is on instagram now. Who remembers when Myspace was the big hit in 2008? that goes into our next one

Most likely to make a comeback party – Myspace – Some how DJ Skeet Skeet ended up doing this party during tech week. I must say that they are trying…and if vintage clothing can come back, so can Myspace.

Coolest New App to go Viral – VIDDY -Think about Instagram, and then think about 15 seconds more of time. This is what it is. Viddy is the new Instagram with 15 seconds of visual personality, getting the job done.

Best Karaoke During Tech Week- Thrillist Party w/ Asher Roth – If you ever saw cute tech girls going wild to Asher Roth and a nice band to rock the house, you would also pick this as the “best karaoke during tech week” party. Karaoke is where dreams come true to all internet dreamers.

Most Likely to get your Rental Car Reservation screwed over in San Antonio – Kyle Rapps – True Story. kyle Rapps reserved a rental car showed up and it wasn’t there. I think this deserves a superlative so lets give it up for a great rapper who waited two days for a rental car. He smashed various showcases and seemed to be the host with the most this year from Audible Treats to Duck Down Records and Bandpage HQ.

Latest after Party in Austin – BANDPAGE HQ – Give it up for these guys. 4 am no where to catch a cab and atleast one cute girl to roll with if a cab would ever come and pick you up

Most Pictures taken with on the street – Gza – I can’t tell you how mnay people wanna take pictures with this guy. A lot do. So we made this Superlative for him.

Tightest show to play- Killer Mike RAP / Life or Death/ Mishka Showcase – it seemed like if this was the a place to get discovered,this was the place. (bad grammar i know) Like I didn’t know who Children of the Night were, but know I see them all over the place. The themes seems to be punk rock and Trill ass rap.

Best Food you ate but you really shouldn’t have - The Indian food cart on Red River – Talk about Cool Runnings? This cart put the movie to shame. One of the best late night food carts but a mistake to eat before going to a show. Beware of the awesome bad place to eat.

see ya next time. SWAG.

Dessa @ The Casbah (Live Review)

Brett Uddenberg — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:00:29 +0000

“Behind the existence which falls from one present to the other, without a past, without a future, behind these sounds which decompose from day to day, peel off and slip towards death, the melody stays the same, young and firm, like a pitiless witness.” – Sartre

It’s not often at an indie rap show, or any concert for that matter, that the audience feels part of a larger energy. It goes beyond the flawless recreations and improvisations of a catalogue and lingers in the air, subtly evading definition. While Dessa’s work is often mired in tales of relationships gone sour and various pitfalls of the human condition, there is an undeniably uplifting and magnetic appeal to her stage presentation.

Dessa is a true renaissance woman who not only dabbles but excels in everything from rapping to singing to creative nonfiction to teaching. Truly in her element on the Into The Spin Tour, you can see in her eyes and irrepressible smile that she’s loving every minute of the spotlight. As she closed out her set with three songs on the whiskey-coated floor of the Casbah, the crowd became one with Dessa’s meandering siren call and nodded their heads in definitive approval.

“I’m not suggesting anyone here is from La Jolla… far be it from me to assume you’re a complete asshole,” was one of opener Sims’ tongue-in-cheek jabs at the San Diego bourgeoisie and part of his comedic repertoire between songs. A captivating and inspirational wordsmith, Sims’ vast stage presence greatly exceeds his stature. His uptempo set paved the lane for the songbird Dessa to conquer. Always a stellar live performer, the Minneapolis-based artist took it to another level this go around while backed by an excellent three-piece band.

Sims – Bad Time Zoo

Brett Uddenberg — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:31:23 +0000

Sims approaches the microphone with the ferocity of a man who has had one too many sandwiches snatched off his plate. This Minneapolis-based wordsmith, along with his Doomtree cohorts, makes some of the most inspiring and down to earth hip hop in the modern era. A first-person narrative of alienation in the digital age (“Future Shock”) over fearsome drums courtesy of Lazerbeak, who handles all production duties on Bad Time Zoo, sets the mood for a raw, unapologetic 52 minutes of Midwest indie rap.

The importance of the here and now is at the forefront of Sims’ agenda on his second full-length. “Hey you, looking like you’re way past due / don’t let them days pass you” he implores the listener on the record-closing anthem “Hey You.” Through its myriad upbeat manifestos, Bad Time Zoo acts as a self-help book without all the tired clichés.

While the thematic anchor of the finite nature of existence serves the record well, Sims is wise to include diversions in the form of “Radio Opaque” and “One Dimensional Man” and deserves mucho props for the Charlie Day reference on “Good Times.” Six years after the release of his critically-acclaimed Lights Out Paris, Sims is continuing the legacy of life-affirming indie rap emerging from the Twin Cities.

Song you will remember in five years: “Future Shock”

Line you will remember in five years: “We bought wings out of clay and wondered why that wouldn’t fly” (from “Burn It Down”)

Into The Spin: Dessa’s First Headlining Tour

Brett Uddenberg — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:11:48 +0000

This weekend Dessa will embark on her first headlining tour alongside Doomtree brethren Sims and Lazerbeak. Coming off of her wildly-successful full-length debut A Badly Broken Code, the emcee/singer/writer/teacher has enlisted the help of a backing band to expand upon what is already one of the most innovative sounds coming out of the Midwest. It’s been another strong year for the Doomtree collective, highlighted by Dessa’s aforementioned record, Sims’ sophomore effort Bad Time Zoo and Lazerbeak’s genre-bending Legend Recognize Legend. The 21-date Into The Spin Tour, an inspired showcase of DIY indie rap, hits the ground running this Saturday in Sioux Falls.

4.23 – Sioux Falls, SD – Skelly’s

4.25 – Missoula, MT – Badlander

4.26 – Spokane, WA – The A Club

4.27 – Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret

4.28 – Seattle, WA – Nectar

4.29 – Portland, OR – Rotture

4.30 – Boise, ID – Neurolux

5.02 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst

5.03 – Sacramento, CA – The Blue Lamp

5.04 – Reno, NV – Tonic Lounge

5.05 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill

5.06 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy

5.07 – Santa Barbara, CA – Velvet Jones

5.08 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah

5.09 – Scottsdale, AZ – Chasers

5.10 – Albuquerque, NM – The Moonlight Lounge

5.12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court (AA Show)

5.12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge (21+ Show)

5.13 – Denver, CO – Marquis

5.14 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep

5.15 – Omaha, NE – The Slowdown

The last of the SXSW articles : 26 bands + South by Superlatives

ramievenesh — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:32:52 +0000

No pictures, no nothing. Just words and music links. This article wants you to know what we think and the words are written below for you to find out more. Everyone is created equal but if you see the pics you might not click the link and get music from the artist. Take your time here and share this with friends. Hours were spent partying in the Texas sun, passing business cards, getting free tacos at parties (the good ones) and watching bands and films promote their butts off while they played multiple shows per day. Some shows were packed and some shows were empty but someone has to watch. Not everyone was official but everyone was official.

1.Doomtree

I like to walk into a packed show and see a really tall gal singing while POS jump in front of her and kills a quicktime flow and Minneapolis girls are screaming in the crowd and then a Mike Mictlan hits them up with deeper voice flow. The collective of the groups aesthetic with a loyal fanbase of so many friends proves they should be touring and be part of your life. Most likely they already are.

Get some DoomTree music on itunes

2. POS

A leader in Doom tree i was blessed to see him rock with Astronautilus and the COS party, with Doom Tree, and at the Austin Convention Center rapping on beanbag chairs. Of course the convention center party for the current was the best show, with sober people, coffee drinkers, and a intimate gathering of Minnesota Nomads hanging in the day that weren’t old enough to get into bars. one of the best performances I saw all SXSW.

He also rocked Paid Dues as the top performance I thought of besides Asher Roth’s. Def get his music here on itunes.

3. The Artifacts

Yeah, the wrong side of the tracks is not on this side of the mississippi (or tex-arcana border) but El and Tae have reunited for more than any old group has ever combined to rock. To think these guys were able to come out and stay together from the beginning of Rocksteady to Club Fuze w/ DJ Premier means to me that Nj emcees are on top. Pace Won of the Outsidaz and Mr Green are other NJ natives to soon take SXSW by storm. Kosha Dillz, Cymarshall Law, Silent Knight, Kyle Rapps, GDP, Apollo The Great are all emcees from NJ and I think there is a good chance people like the Artifacts have somehow influenced their journey. An Aggressive performance for a lot of hip hop junkies at a capacity crowd.

SXSW debuted their old school video for new school flavor here. I am highly anticipating their album

4. Theo Martins

Not sure if he looks like star, but not many rapper/singers possess the quality of say Nelson Mandela along with Theophilus london and Lupe? (thats what i get when i see it) When I see him I think global. I think of him on big tours and enjoy the visuals. New York Toronto, Paris, Shanghai, would all enjoy Theo martins.

Check out his latest video Turn it up ft. Plan B,

Before he hit SXSW he wasn’t even going to make it till last minute, and he definitely made an impact on every stage he hit. Good idea to come down.

5. Homeboy Sandman

I think we are on to something here. Do you see a trend of awesomeness. This guy is headed everywhere from Austin to Aspen. once the world tour sees him proper, I think the fact that a giant man with giant rhymes who has explored everything from complex word play in guns and roses freestyles to vegan raps and lightning bolt dance moves, we have the 21st century of a dope MC.

Check out his album The Good Sun and latest video here.

6. Asher Roth and Nottz

Oh man. Asher Roth’s new music is crushing it to a point where you can’t even believe he was the one invented a completely new scene of hip hop that exists. Frat Rap. Asher came through and blew up with a platinum song and now has managed to increase integrity by rocking with a fresh producer/rapper in Nottz, and not only earns himself accolades at SXSW, but also headlines things like Paid Dues in Cali.

Download the RAWTH EP for free. THis music will change your attitude about hip hop and independence from a major stand point during any minor moment in your life. “Run it back” is my favorite and will be for the next three months.

7. Kosha Dillz

The Jewish rapper did not make Vlad TV’s top 10 jewish MC list like Ill Bill and Asher Roth (who is not jewish) but he continuously breaks different molds buy blending indie rock madness with his current hip hop vibes. He records songs in Hebrew Spanish and English, records in the Wu mansion on occasion, and even did some shows with Tennis. Not many people are doing that, doing remixes for Coachella band YACHT mystery lights’ album, and touring with Matisyahu. he did 10 shows at SXSW and even got featured in the Austin Chronicle with Freddie Gibbs as a select friday night pick. Download his new EP, Gina and The Garage Sale on itunes. If you can’t afford it, a free sampler is here too.

8. White Arrows

Im not an indie superstar but these LA kids rock and with a team of brothers a 17 year old drummer that sneaks into gigs while on tour, and a mastermind of sound piercing synth tracks that rock your indie flip flops off, I imagine white arrows having theme music for the life changing move we exist in. Red 7 was an epic showing

Watch this epic video here

and grab their EP on itunes here.

9. Crew 54

Texas rap is not my whole forte honestly, but after seeing these guys rock to a near capacity show at The Marq, I beg to differ from now on. The chemistry of two people on stage is tough when its so small, but if you want the definition of banging texas hip hop with wholesome family values, i feel that Crew 54 puts that all into one stage show with a great accent, fan base, and good support system. The good guys win here.

Watch a dope music video they shot on a droid x cell phone here. Social technology at its finest!

10. The Knux

If you ever want to see hipsters beat up gangsters, this would be the group t do it. So i’m not sure what they are, but these are def some street people that have blended in to LA via New orleans and have not fell off since they first blasted out at SXSW on 2008. They were the ones to steal the show at Billboard.

She’s so up is the new heat the spit out. Cop She’s so up here.

11. K Flay

Right before the knux, this chick is bad ass and is seeming to brand herself as one of the top rapper/singer chicks and seems as if she has a lot of people looking at her for the big kahuna record deal that pays off big. If Ke$ha could rap, and lady sovereign was taller and also played guitar, and made beats, and they all went to Supreme to get some fresh ass kicks, they might come close to K Flay.

Here new music video Less than Zero, is kinda like #1 to us. Watch less than zero here.

12. Tennis

a lovely couple that sails away for creativity is basically what we all want on the down low with out stubborn artist outlets. I think Tennis can actually rock n roll, and the tape of their album has been in my tape deck for over 4,000 miles non stop. I love couple rock, and the fact that sailing rock has not been invented yet (surf rock has, but not sailing)imagine taking a ride with a group of young love that didn’t even think they could be playing out of state shows. THis year they will play Lollapalooza.

Check them playing “water birds” live at SXSW here Now you can buy Cape Dory here on itunes

13. Holiday Shores

These indie monsters make you feel good about feeling good (double positive.) Think happy go lucky or not so lucky music , rock n rolling enough to play with Tennis. I know things are interesting when you drink coffee, but these are fresh riffs with one cup of Starbucks (or whatever independent coffee shop you choose to go to.) they just got off tour with surfer blood. they are promoting this new album called “New Masses for Squaw Peak” that will be coming out on two syllable records. Look for keyboard driven 80 psych pop. Not beach pop, but they do still go to the beach. They live in Florida.

They played this song Phones don’t Feud at Bowery Ballroom right before SXSW.

14. Screeching Weasel

Unlucky number thirteen (plus one)! This doesn’t count as a great performance. The asshole lead singer punched a woman in the face at the Scoot Inn and then punched a chick trying to break up his fight. The entire band quit immediately after.I don’t blame them. He needs to get help asap and I don’t wish him anything but horrible success and Feminist protests of his events in the future. The only thing that happened was that Rolling Stone covered it.

15. Das Racist

The first time seeing them perform, lets be real. I was maybe unsure but that maybe proved to not be unsure. These emcees are dope, don’t give a funk, keep it digital, play only “numbers” (not joints or tracks) and had caucasian rapper friend rubbing his cut off jean/hamstring area with the microphone. It was really nasty and one of lead singers borrowed deodorant form the crowd. Hence we have a Das Racist show. It was amazing. i think they are the truth ( they responded we’re not that bad) and i’m very happy that while i was rocking out some old woman asked me to sit down. the moral of the story? Old woman go to Das Racist shows at convention centers. Hell yes. Listen to a lot of their stuff on hype machine here.

16. Tanya Morgan

They ended up in the Billboard Tent this year, which means to me that some real ass emcees (and NBA 2k11 characters) in Von Pea and Don Will have managed to keep it solely independent and rock with everyone from Hood internet to Black Milk. As far as crossover from hip hop to more, I’m happy they shared the same stage with Odd Future, Black Milk. They are the cool ass kids too and don’t need to do anything crazy except grind. Get their Itunes catalog here.

17. Prof

Biz 3 def had their share of artists. I eaves dropped in on conversation with a guy from Atlantic Records who was raving about how awesome this guy “prof” was from Minneapolis. Not only did he rock the funky fresh showcase opening for Freddie Gibbs and Das Racist, but he has also recently hit the road with Atmosphere on their Minnesota tour and appeared on a song with Slug called “Minnesota Fresh.” Sorry Mr. Atlantic records guy, this kid Prof already has a home. Check out his myspace that got all the videos yo. Also get his FreeP

18. 12th Planet

Had never seen this homie before, let alone much dub step – but 12th brings the womp. His performances are heavy on the bass and the fun, he’s developed an affinity for stage diving and he seems to always rock flat brims and a beaming smile. The best part of his show is his hustle, as he repeats his name, passes out stickers and induces the dance party proper. he states that he breathes eats and lives dub step. We even get to see him mash out with Skrillex so that is also a treat. Looking forward to catching the homie at Coachella as well. Research him in soundcloud asap

19. The Stone Foxes

Bay area brother built band bear a resemblance to The Black Keys, which may explain why they are opening for them in the month of April. This quartets music sounds like it was lifted directly out of a Sons of Anarchy show and plopped on stage. It fit perfectly in Austin, especially with all four members rocking out on vocals and drummer Shannon taking his harmonica to the dance floor. there was even a moment where they got on each others shoulders Grab their album and other goodies here.

20. Oh Land

Gorgeous and gifted describes this blonde European bomb shell whose album came out March 15th. They crushed The Fader Fort, amongst other venues. Whether its with “Son of a Gun,” “We Turn It Up,” or just a wink of her eye – Nanna Oland Fabricius had Austin crowd’s everywhere wrapped around her delicate little pinky. Beautiful voice and a must see! Get their debut album here on itunes yo!

21. Saint Motel

Los Angeles based quartet Saint Motel brought their cinematic indie rock back to 7th Street again at SXSW. Although not employing their typical visual antics, they did utilize “Puzzle Pieces” as a crowd pleaser and delivered rocking versions of their For Play material. With a rumored full length album coming out soon, hopefully they will be back on the road and in a city near you. Till then cop this on itunes

22. Operator Please

Operator Please snuck into town on a few unofficial gigs and definitely impressed. Their glitter-glam lead singer reminds me a bit of Beth Ditto, although lacking the amazing vocal range. Really the comparison comes down to a heavy set brunette being the centerpiece to an indie electro dance pop band. Dial Zero and add them to your up and coming list please.

23. Cadalack Ron

If you can mix trash with class and heavy weight on the bash (your face in) the machine muerte stalwart made his official trek to Austin this year. Cadalack managed to promote his new album by being one of the first official battle MCs to rock Texas and gain record buyers by low west coast hats, lots of tats and former addiction in a story that seems quite violent and guised by his amicable charm. In lesser terms, he ripped some kids up in the Texas Battle League. Get his album Space Cadalack here.

24. The Eastern Sea

New Austin music with a bit for nagging, face-booking and folk rocking. Their song say yes starts out softly “don’t stop now, its hard for me to figure out…the way you move.” This sort of reminds me of my life, although I ha already started it and have spent lots of money on therapists trying to figure me out. Kudos to great music to drive to and sip coffee too. I recommend your next cup of java be charged to the Eastern Sea.

25. Josy (japan band)

Think of the old school betty boop status chicks in Japan and they have completely take over Texas in style. They only formed 5 months ago and have only 23 myspace friends but — Cumi, Non, Mami and Nanohana are the future of their country. Their presence is way more killer than any other female group you’d see at this point and I wouldn’t be surprised if this door influence psychedelic feel hits late night US tv shows with Jimmy Fallon and Carson Daly. Japan night is something special especially since the horrible earthquake. Like them here.

26. Jay Nash

not much music like this will usually crack into these charts but I respect the grind of a person who is not the typical hustle as everyone else for 20 SXSW gigs. This guy not only rocked SXSW, including the Roving Festival Writer series at the convention center, but is currently en route to play overseas in Europe and rock Wakarusa with acts like Pimps of Joy Time, Skrillex and Bass Nectar. I’m looking forward to seeing more of honest expression in a one man artist. Listen to the Nash man here.

Special Award Category

Best Stage Show: Eyes Lips Eyes
if you haven’t seen Eyes lips Eyes perform before, you might wonder why need to have eyes twice in their name, (only if you could see what they do!)
Lead Singer Tony speaks in a creepy horror indie voice if you gave it a double take, and occasionally takes a flipper (to scuba dive with) and attacks a garbage can while singing Utah love songs.

In other words there is no horror, only fun. Check their latest video losing my head on their website.

Biggest group Hustle: Shinobi Ninja

Not only do they have their own App, video game, and tour van that broke down three times in the same tour, they literally took over every telephone pole in Austin Texas with their blue and pink stickers and posters. Multiple people were see walking down the street with their tee shirts and stickers on some part of their body so being that if you have not got a chance to listen to them,

you knew they were there. Their album Rock Hood comes out on April 4th. Click here and get it.

Grind King: Mistah Fab
If there is a guy who can seem to do it all, its him. He is overseas in Europe, back to the USA, getting booked for VIBA magazine showcases the day before, flying to Texas, playing paid dues, and leading the world on twitter. The Grind is a terrible thing to waste is one of his quotations that are my favorite, and he is bringing the underground lyrical skill to a new par on the west coast, as well as being the 2nd coming of Too Short vs. Master P out the trunk hustle to a new level of class. Lets give him the Grind King of SXSW award.

He has over 300 songs on itunes. Buy them all.

Dopest Video: Fat Tony

Nigerian fella from Houston with North Carolina Flavor and NY Rhymes? I dunno. This video is dope as hell. i don’t think its unlikely to see him teaming up with a producer like 9th wonder. “Ni#$a you Ain’t Fat” could be one of the best videos SXSW has ever discovered. I unfortunately could not see him perform. Me seeing this video before everything else is awesome because now I will know every word to this song when he does. Kit kats, chicken, treadmills, and little white kids in super markets = Oh hell yes. Watch the video “Ni#$a You Ain’t Fat” here

Biggest Buzz band getting so much press they don’t need to be here: Odd Future
These dudes are killing it so much there is no reason to watch their stuff in here. You are better of following @Fucktyler to know the haps on OFWGKTA and
making your own FREE EARL tee shirt to wear at Coachella.

Most Street Credible Showcasing Act in the Convention Center: LEP Bogus Boys
Not only are their shirts amazing, but to see the LEP Bogus Boys in the Austin Convention Center was such a cool experience. Being the fact that there were chairs there and a crap load of cameras, it was enjoyable because I knew if I was watching them in the club i would get Rick Rossed on and not get to wyle the F out. These guys are more on the rise than any other group I know and word is they got some ish with Rick Ross soon. Check out Goin’ in For the Kill music video here.

Best Name of Showcasing Act: Surfer Blood
They also headlined the Pitchfork showcase, but their name makes them better than lots of other acts already. Who doesn’t like surfing? (couch or waves) Who doesn’t like Blood?

Check out a performance of them form the Brooklyn Vegan SXSW 2011 party at Emo’s.

Longest trip to perform: Black Lung and Verbs
This young MC who is only 21 years old celebrated his birthday by skipping spring break and heading to SXSW to showcase at Hip Hop Howl and Roving Festival Writer with the likes of Crosby, Pig Pen and Pat Maine, Rakaa Iriscience and more. 33 hours in a grey hound bus from Chicago is not my idea of fun, so kudos for pursuing your career. I have not met that many people who are willing to do what he was willing to do. That’s a lot of time to text an ex-girlfriend, write a rhyme, etc. Listen to him here. Verbs, who toured with Murs all over the USA in the previous years, took a 40 hour amtrak train from Los Angeles to Austin. I don’t really know how you can top that.

Watch his video “Cancer Sticks,” w/ Alpha MC for your smoking enjoyment.

Most rocking female performance: Shunda K
The dirty south breeds some tough rappers but this girl brings booty shaking beats to Tampa in new fashion, confidence and class of a lady all combined into one. If you get to have a conversation with her you feel like she is poised for a world takeover. She’s been on everything from Domino records to solo independent but the one thing she never stops doing is being a superhero. Shunda K solo performance is so good I have still yet to see a full Yo Majesty performance. Metrosexual lyricism dance off inspiration. Make sure you grab her latest 20 track album The Most Wanted on Itunes, and watch her video “I’m Da Best” ft. Shon B. of Yo Majesty.

Six other dope acts you need to know about:
Letlive, a killer ass hardcore post punk cluster fudge of dopeness on Epitaph that has more hip hop influence than you think, but is crushing the hardcore circuit. they rocked a few shows at Emo’s during SXSW, and their album comes out April 12th with a release show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Watch a sick video called Casino Columbus here.
Macklemore and Ryan lewis: They own the most of the United States on tour and are currently and are selling everything out. They played Fader Fort, and are the first to do Seattle sold out shows since Blue Scholars did 5 of them a few years back. Watch the irish celebration even if you don’t drink. Its that awesome of a celebration.
Grieves and Budo: You’ll get to see them on tour with Atmoshphere if you haven’t already. They are awesome and can entertain anyone, and Budo adds on with trumpet and keyboard for what might be the best two man duo at SXSW. Grieves tours more than any rapper out, and his twitter bio used to say “I blame it on the long van rides.” Watch for him on the Vans Warped Tour this summer. Buy his stuff here.

Kyle Rapps: He managed to open up the Audible Treats showcase with a bang at the Scoot Inn and then host the entire thing rapping in front of a cool thousand people through out the night and hitting with Talib Kweli, Opio, Black Milk and more. That’s pretty sweet. he has a new project out with Kev brown called Re-Edutainment which flips the old KRS samples of the original album. Cop Re-Edutainment on itunes here.
Watch his video “Me” here.
Party Supplies: I’m not all into the dance scene, but this kid makes music good enough to be down on the Fools Gold party as one of the opening acts for A-Trak, he’s pretty damn good to me. Check out his remixes on hypemachine.
Jackie Chain: hip hop needs an asian that is better than all the white boys down south, and this dude has been rocking shows everywhere, getin buzz in Complex Magazine, Fader, and more. Check out his song Molly here with Nick Catchdubs.

There are more acts you can imagine that should’ve made some list. I can create more lists but I think we covered it all. Thugs, Japanese acts, videos, surfer bands, bus trips, Jewish rappers, chicks, gangster hipsters, posses…yeah…we did it all. If you didn’t make it to SXSW, make sure you learn how to apply early for next year and get in there. if you don’t get in there officially, it doesn’t mean you can officially bring yourself to Texas, whether hitchhiking, bus ride, tour van , train, or plane. You best believe that you need to be there.

I can’t tell you how many shows were missed, based solely on exhaustion, but the good news is that if you see names in here that you didn’t see during your festival, or where ever you are in the globe, you can easily drop a couple bucks and enjoy what we got to see in Austin, Texas. Until next year:)

A big shout out to Brandon of Supergoodmusic on contributing to this article, and all the acts who are within it, and those are yet to discover.

Interview :: Lazerbeak’s “Legend Recognize Legend”

Scotty Pippen — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 04:21:51 +0000

Before our conversation, I listened to the new album, watched the video for DoomTree’s “Drumsticks” a million times. I’ll have to wait a month or two till he comes to play West Hollywood to shout it at him at a show. At at 28, he’s already logged a considerable amount of time in the studio, and four hundred plus some odd tracks which is definitely a professional average. Spin has even called him a child prodigy, various mainstream media corporate outlets bowed at his feet as well in previous write-ups. He was down for the exchange, and I was unbelievably ill. It was decided via text message would be mutually beneficial way to proceed.

Your new LP Legend Recognize Legend just came out. I was looking for the production credits online, but no dice, did you do the instrumental on “Drumsticks”?

Yes

That was the first MPLS hip hop record I heard. It blew my mind, the production on that one got me, I was shown the video, then after that Brother Ali, the whole scene.

Aw thanks man. Definitely proud of that beat in particular, that’s sweet it was the first stuff from here you’d heard. I always figure everyone starts with (Slug) Atmosphere and works their way down the chain.

That’s only if you don’t count Prince. He’s got bars for days. His new song “lay you down” he says something to the effect of, “I’m the Purple Yoda, from Minnesota”. have you heard his new album? It was only released in London for free inside newspapers or something, and he said the internet was dead and Prince is the future.

Ha Ha, I knew he could spit a little something. I’ve been impressed with what Sims and Mike (from Doomtree) have played me off that album. Dude is beyond legendary here. Almost like a mythological beast or something.

What was it like playing the 1st Avenue venue, (in MPLS) since his majesty christened it as the location for Purple Rain?

It’s still surreal, I played in the Plastic Constellations since I was 13 and we were lucky enough to play there in high school. Then sold it out years later on our own, and a bunch with Doomtree. There are no words for it. Doomtree even got our own star on the wall this year. Such and honor, I can’t say enough how much I love my town.

My father always says “genius without humility is nothing”. I’ve never been to your neck of the woods but hear great things about the annual Soundset festival. What was your favorite year (performing)?

I missed the first one, but have had a blast the last two years. Various members of the crew have played every year and it’s a blast to see us all geek out, at the bigger artist’s sets. This year’s highlights were definitely Yelawolf, Method Man & Redman, and Hieroglyphics. It was crazy to stand in the middle and watch Dessa headline the second stage as Meth and Red the first.

I saw them do the new Black Out 2 material at E3 this year, and Spring Gathering in San Bernadino. Who else’s stage show/beats do you admire but yet to work with?

Man a long list, off the top I’d say Hov, Black Milk, Yelawolf, Rawse, Phoenix, Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi, a ton of R&B artists and Randy Newman? (laughs) but that might take some time.

Agreed, Black Milk is a beast and Album of the Year is official. I’m curious, which singers?

Black Milk is insane, but in R&B? The-Dream, Drake, Charlie Wilson, Bilal, Maxwell, Ron Isley, Sade (laughs) like I said that might take some serious time. I do like Little Dragon.

Little Dragon has been my new favorite band for awhile. I’ve seem them three times so good. Speaking of dope records, have you heard that Carpenter’s cover with Ron Isley feat. Lauryn Hill? “Closer I get to you”, for the grown and sexy set it’s close to perfect.

That is my shit! R&B, grown sexy music, is pretty much all I listen to though it might not reflect a ton on this album. I think it’s because I really have no idea how they’re making it. There’s still a lot of mystery there for me.

“Outstanding” (by the Gap Band) was a huge record in my DJ years. I’m a huge fan of dude also, literally every time he performs in LA I have to take the time stop him and be like, “Yo, I know I’ve told you a half dozen times at different spots already. But your dope, I just had to put it out there.”

I was checking out this new Bilal record this morning, so far so good. Yeah, Charlie and the Gap Band are the truth.

Let’s change gears. How did Legend recognize Legend come about as a title? Was it something that came to you in a dream, or just out of thin air?

It spawned from a TPC tour joke about being in the game so long and becoming legends. A play on real recognize real. I kind of ran with it and became a proponent if the phrase as a universal thing. You can be a legend at your shitty day job type thing. But when making the album and dealing with some of the big picture subject matter I felt like it could mean a legendary person recognizing a legend (like land or folklore whatever) as well. God does that sound super lame? Really it was the only title I ever had and I never came up with anything better. Still really like it though. Like Rob Dyrdek says, “Live your brand”.

I feel that. How about the (AKAI) MP, your relatively new to the production game, which greats influenced you as far as production?

I didn’t start making beats until around 2001 so it was a lot of the current stuff at the time for me. The whole Rocafella takeover: Just Blaze, Bink!, Kanye. Southern stuff: DJ Toomp, Mannie Fresh, Pimp C. I guess I’m less of a old school purist when it comes to beats. Of course the usual, Premo, Timbo, Bomb Squad suspects. Love Justice League. Right now it’s almost entirely southern production that inspires me. Trunk Muzik and Krit Wuz Here are incredible for that. Can’t forget EL-P and Polow (da Don). Coming from here it’s cool because we’re not too close to a specific coast or sound so we’re free to draw from everything.

You’ve got a show coming up at the Roxy in November, anything your looking forward in particular when you come back out here?

First off, I am so pumped for this entire tour! LA is always a highlight and we have so many friends and people to catch up with out there, it’s gonna rule so hard. I’m determined to get to the Fantasy Factory at some point, maybe not this time around though. Plus I’m just thrilled to be finally playing The Roxy. I’ve heard so much about it and know how many greats have been through it so it feels good to be getting to a bigger level with the crew and playing some of these legendary clubs. So amped!

Matt Scharenbroich, who did the Legend Recognize Legend artwork, I really liked his stuff on his blog. Tons of photos of Behind the Scenes stuff for the videos on your album which is actually a two disc project. Known him forever, did you reach out to him to work with you?

Matt has been one of my best friends since the seventh grade. Now that I think about it, almost everyone involved in this record from my backup vocals to artwork, videos I’ve known for over a decade. Pretty loyal dude I guess. Anyways, Matt actually drummed in The Plastic Constellations and did artwork for all those albums as well. It only seemed right to include him on this one and he murdered it!!! He also made 5 of the 10 videos that come with the physical copy of the album. Such a talented and creative dude, I’m just so proud of how everything turned out and want to make sure to emphasize how “bawse” my entire team is. LRL for real.

Dessa: Doomtree’s Polymath

Brett Uddenberg — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:00:57 +0000

Dessa of the Doomtree crew took some time out from her busy touring schedule to discuss the past, present and future of her career. From humble origins in the Minneapolis slam poetry scene to selling out shows alongside P.O.S. on the Every Never Is Now Tour, Dessa has emerged as one of the most diverse and talented artists in indie rap. When she’s not on the mic she finds time to write thought-provoking works of creative non-fiction and poetry and teaches a hip hop diploma program at McNally Smith. Also check out the video for “Dixon’s Girl” from her stellar full-length debut A Badly Broken Code at the end of our interview.

URB: Who were your influences when you first got into writing and performing?
DESSA: It was a writer of creative non-fiction named Dave Eggers, who was a pretty big deal in my writing life. I really liked his stuff. It was candid and found a way to be goofy and serious at the same time. So he was probably a major influence. And then… Lauryn Hill. I listened to Miseducation a couple times til it wore out the disc.

URB: How did you get involved with Doomtree?
DESSA: I initially started as a prose writer, so I was writing essays and then a friend of mine took me to a poetry slam on a particularly lousy Valentine’s Day. So I went back next month and competed, made the Minnesota team, and then participated in the slam community for a year or so. And that was kind of my principal exposure to the underground hip-hop scene in Minneapolis. The slam and hip-hop scenes overlap quite a great deal in Minneapolis. So that was how I got involved there. And then after rapping for a while with a different crew, I heard Doomtree and was like, “Man… these guys are awesome. Where are these guys from?” And one of the rappers in my old crew said they live next door. So I started hanging out with them socially and was eventually asked into the collective.

URB: You teach a hip-hop diploma program in St. Paul. How did that come about and can you tell us a little about it?
DESSA: I’ve been teaching at a music college for maybe three years total. And when McNally Smith said they were going to start a hip-hop diploma program I was excited… and cautious, probably too. So they hired some really great people which answered any concerns that I had about the program. Now I teach a class there called “The Language of Rap and Spoken Word” and it deals mostly with poetry… ya know—similes, metaphors, assonance, alliteration. It’s the same kind of stuff that you would study at any college language class, but we’re doing it aggressively through the lens of hip-hop. I’ve dug it. It’s a risky prospect bringing rap music into an academic institution.

URB: Yeah, it’s a definitely a new concept.
DESSA: Yeah… for all the reasons you would imagine. And so it’s been a relief and a delight that it’s come out as well as it has.

URB: Spiral Bound, a collection of essays and poetry, was released last year to high praise. Do you have any other writing projects in the works?
DESSA: Yeah. Thanks for asking. Well Spiral Bound was poetry and creative nonfiction, so it’s true stories. And I’m starting to work on another collection, which I’ve tentatively titled A Perfect Burn. And this is another collection of essays and part of it will chronicle the trip that I took to India to visit the funeral pyres.

URB: There’s a lot going on in the video for “Dixon’s Girl.” What themes are being explored here and how would you describe exactly what’s taking place in the video?
DESSA: [Laughs] Well I gave the album to a few music video directors when it was finished, and I asked those directors if they would be willing to work on an indie label budget to produce a video. The guy who created “Dixon’s Girl” is named Todd Cobery. And in large part, it was his vision. He heard the music, he had the disc. And then he presented to me a treatment with images, and kind of a storyboard that he saw in his head. So I know that there’s a lot of references in that video. You can see that there’s a reference to A Clockwork Orange and that there’s a reference to Little Red Riding Hood as well. So I think for the most part, it’s a collage of kind of sinister… kind of sexy images that he was inspired to create after hearing the song.

Dessa – A Badly Broken Code

adam figman — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:30:43 +0000

Calling Dessa Darling “multi-talented” might be an understatement. The Minneapolis-bred author/singer/songwriter/rapper/poet does, um, all of those things, and she does them damn well. On her debut album, A Badly Broken Code, the Doomtree-affiliated emcee grabs hold of all her talents and squeezes them into a 15-song, 48-minute rollercoaster of an album that is bound to have something you’ll enjoy, assuming you listen to some kind of music every once in a while.

As a rapper, Dessa has unquestionably honed her craft over the years. Coming from a literary background, she tells layered stories ranging from heart-warming to depressing, and hops on Doomtree producers MK Larada, Paper Tiger, Lazerbeak, and Cecil Otter’s beats and molds them into her own like very few can. Her status as the only female in a crowded collective has given her somewhat of an edge (See: “The Bullpen”), and it only adds a fire to her rapping that we don’t see nearly enough of from other female performers these days.

And yeah, she can sing too. Dessa croons about an almost-made poor decision on “Go Home,” and doesn’t even bother with background music on the emotional, beat-less “Poor Atlas.” The songs are written with a specific style of verse that can only be the result of years of writing stories, songs, poems, and who knows what else, because the metaphors and literary techniques (and Chicago Manual of Style reference) remind me more of what I’d hear in a college English class than on, say, any other hip-hop record.

Unfortunately, the entire album may cause some stomach pains for those trying to digest it in its entirety. From beginning to end, Code varies so widely in style, tone, and subject matter that it’s a bit of a headache to listen to as a whole. You can’t blame her; like most artists do, Dessa went for it all on her first attempt. Over time, she’ll only get better at understanding how to channel her talent and create a slightly more cohesive album. I mean, she’s good enough at everything else.