Ordeal - Beat On, Beat Off Jesus

Ordeal – Beat On, Beat Off Jesus

Writing another review right now would be torture, both for me and whatever lost soul actually reads this crap. Yet I still have time to kill at work and artists that I want to plug on this dumb blog. So I’ll write a little about my experience with Ordeal, his music as well as him.

                It’s kind of hard to believe that I’ve only met Ordeal one time, but have known him for years and still stay in loose contact with him. But it was an interesting enough encounter to leave a strong impression on me. I met him when he toured through Pittsburgh on the ‘Never Ending Gun Show Tour’ with Kristoff Krane, Sadistik, and Bodi. The night before they played in Portland, ME, and that trek is at least a 10 hour drive. Not to mention the show that night was at an art gallery and started at 8pm and had to be over by 11, a fact that seemed to slip the tours mind until they were already late on their way to Pittsburgh.

                When the group arrived to the venue only 45 minutes late, they wasted no time in setting up and playing. Bodi went first, while Ordeal and the rest of the tour filled me in on their drive. It consisted of the usual things you do when you’re late, don’t pull over to eat, piss in bottles, etc. etc. Except when it was Ordeals time to perform he let the crowd know of one extra detail about the drive, that he had some acid (or mushrooms, I can’t remember) about halfway through the trip, and was still tripping.

                With that in mind, he still killed his set. I found it weird/hilarious/awesome that anyone would willing eat psychedelics when they’re around to stuck in a stinky, dirty, van with four other sober people for hours on end. The show was so long ago that’s about all I remember of his set, but whatever that was still enough to make me a fan of him.

               In 2004 when ‘Beat On, Beat Off Jesus’ came out I was 16 sneaking rap cds in my car listening to them alone because I was worried my band mates would make fun of me for listening to this stuff. Meanwhile Ordeal was making music that internet hip hop geeks (like me I guess) are still gawking about. The fact that the cd starts off with a skit dates it as old right there.  Rap skits have pretty much been extinct since the iPod had become the standard method for listening to music.

                Abbadon is featured on this release a lot, and I think he is responsible for producing almost the entire album. But good luck to finding any sort of internet presence from him.  According to Ordeal he has none. Apparently he’s been recording music for somewhere around 10 years and has never even bothered making a cd. He’ll record a song one week, save it on his computer, and if he loses it then the song is lost forever. Ordeal says if you ever want to hear anything Abbadon has made more than likely you have to go through Ordeal to hear it. These two have been teaming up for years and you can still see Abbadon featured on some of Ordeals newer releases. Crude Perdition is my favorite one they collabed on together off this release.

                If you like gritty, unconventional, hip hop then check Ordeal out.

"official" site

bandcamp

facebook

freeeeeeeeee downloaddddddd of Beat On, Beat Off Jesus

HW - Wall Papered Exit Wounds

HW – Wall Papered Exit Wounds

                Here it is, another day at this lame temp job and another sorry excuse for a review…

 Wall Papered Exit Wounds, released by HW (aka Josh, formerly known as Hazardous Waste, but not the punk band) of Boston in July 2012 is produced by MobRobb with cuts by DJ Emoh Bettah is a release that will stand of the test of time and be relevant to people (and not just ‘rap fan people’ everyone can find something in the release) because each of the song topics are something that all listeners are able to relate to regardless what age or social status they’re living in. From relationship troubles, to feeling like everywhere else on earth is better than where you are (This Old Town), to dealing with your own internal struggles, and more all of which are mentioned during the duration of this coming to age 8 track album by HW.

1.)    Memories of Linwood

The album starts off with an overtly personal song over a cool calm beat with a flow so smooth and subtle you almost don’t notice how depressing the track is. And even more depressing than the song topic is beating able to relate to it, from the breakup at the beginning of the track to being 25 and still feeling lost.

2.)    Blueprints to Your Inner Workings

Track two elaborates on the (presumably) breakup that was mentioned in the first track. From what I grasp the female the song is about is jaded, but HW refuses to let her give up on all the potential beauty in the world, and thinks that she can find again in the love they use to have. What a nice guy, I’d never do that, I’ll never be happy for any of my ex’s without me.

(I have no idea what I used this photo. Not that it isn't him, but it's a pretty bad representation of what he normally looks like)

3.)    Brutally Beautiful

Brutally Beautiful is a little me of the “emo-rap” that fans have grown to expect from HW. But as usual it’s done way to good (should I have used ‘well’ here?) to be slumped into that category. Josh is such a better lyricist than most other emcees that get labeled as “emo” it’s an insult to even put him in the same sub-genre as them, he’s more so a great story tell (even though the stories aren’t always true) than a winey heartbroken mc.

4.)    Hello Stranger

This is another incredibly personal story by HW. Even to the point where he mentions his muse, Mellissa by name. Perhaps Mellissa is to HW what Lucy Ford is to Atmosphere, only except I don’t think Lucy Ford is “her” real name, but I’m willing to bet Mellissa is. HW must have balls of steel to not only write this “emo-song” and not only share it with the person it’s written about, but everyone who listens to his cd! There are more awesome cuts on this track by Emoh.

5.)    Moving On feat. Sarah Lynn Bowler

The only feature on this rap cd isn’t by a rapper. This is another reason HW is appealing to more than just rap fans. Sarah Lynn Bowler sings the hook in ‘Moving On’ over a soft jazzy beat with relaxing bass lines, piano, and horns scattered here and there.

6.)    Faded Memories

If you’ve seen HW live chances are you’ve seen him perform this song.  Also, it’s funny to hear him make reference to “surviving on lunch meat” in this song now he’s a vegetarian. Supposedly this cd was done almost a year before it was released.

7.)    Insecurities

Not every rapper can do a song about not being promiscuous. In fact most cats rap about the exact opposite, boasting about humping out girls with no sentimental attachment at all. So hearing HW do a track like this is a total breathe of fresh air.

8.)    This Old Town

‘This Old Town’ is an ode to boring hometowns. In the song Josh realizes the importance in in recognizing your roots, and pays homage to Fall River in this track even though he resides in Boston (well Cambridge, but whatever) now.

 

 Website

facebook

bandcamp

twitter

FREEEEEEEEE DOWNLOADDDDDDDDDD

Then buy it with the poster, and shirt.

Wow, I’m terrible at writing reviews.

Emily Rugburn - I Wish I Could Grow A Beard

                Typically I don’t do reviews. I hate them. I hate reading some has-been-who-never-was-rappers jaded opinion on someone’s release that got more shine than theirs. I never wanted to be the dude bashing someone else’s art, giving praise is alright I guess, but saying something is garbage because the person reviewing it doesn’t like it is totally bananas.

                However, all this week I’ll be at some temp job that the first 6 hours of my work day each day is supposed to be spent writing. That’s it; all I have to do is write. I guess they’re scanning like 10 peoples writing style each week and see if you can identify them just by the way they type. The speed, the words they use, amount of times they use back space, all that shit.

                So I figured whatever, I’ll plug some of the stuff I’ve been listening to lately that is available for free online. Maybe it will make this painstakingly slow work week go faster. Plus technically I’m getting paid a pretty penny for this, and I can guarantee I’ll never get paid this handsomely again for writing about underground rap. So here it is, the worst excuse for a review you’ll ever come across.

 

                First off Emily Rugburn is T.M.F.S.E. (The Man From Somewhere Else, formerly known as abc-def) and Junkwaffel of Slangcorp. TMFSE is known for his slow delivery, unique cadence, bizarre vocabulary, intricate internal rhyme schemes, clever puns, and songs about drugs.  I think ‘I Wish I Could Grow a Beard’ came out in early 2010.

1.)    Imaginary Friend

The cd starts off with a soliloquy from an ‘imaginary friend’ and Junkwaffel drops some soft jazzy samples in the background that set the pace for the ep. For the longest time I thought this quote was from a movie, and I was determined to see it. However, after google searching direct quotes from it more times than I'd like to admit I came to the conclusion that it’s not a movie. I guess a movie about an imaginary friend wouldn’t be that visually stimulating anyway.

 

 "...skate dude who shaves pubes, blaze doobes, and pays dues on credit...”

2.)    Slam Dancing with the Stars

Yep, this song is pretty cool. I don’t really know what to say. Starts and ends with another quote I don’t know the origin of, but I tried to find the movie for a while. As TMFSE said he rocked the posse cut solo… and he laced it. I think this track came out when rappers saying “no homo” was the thing to say, kind of like swag is now. So TMFSE drops the line “fuck homo” in there, but I really doubt a vegan (self-proclaimed) junkie is homophobic. Or maybe he meant literally fuck homos and he’s down? Either way people take the shit rappers say to seriously sometimes.

3.)    Perms, Sperm, and Sherm feat. GDP

Starts off with another quote I don’t know what it’s from. In case you can’t read, this song features fellow Slangcorp alumni, GDP. GDP did a good job rapping at TMFSE’s super slow bpm.  Yep, this is another cool song by Emily Rugburn. And it ends with a relevant Bill Hicks quote about drugs, hell yeah finally something I can pin point.

4.)    Watermelon Lemonade

Arm Arm Leg Head. I don’t get it but sure, why not. TMFSE does 8 bar verses in this song instead of the standard 16. I’m always into different structures, but sometimes I wonder how incredibly short his already short tracks would be is he rapped at an average pace. “…Smack your ass no homo,” there it is, the token ‘no homo’ line of the time.

5.)    Pumpernickle

I have no idea who the girl who dubs her vocals behind TMFSE’s vocal track is, but I’ve heard her on a few Emily Rugburn tracks. I think you have to be from Jersey to be able to rap anything about pumpernickle.

6.)    One More Bag feat. Pistol

Another Slangcorp affiliate featured on this release, this time it’s Pistol. Pistol is only featured on the hooks though. Tracks like this always make me wonder how these dudes on heroin are able to be so prolific with their music, when there are so many clean people out there that can’t get anything done. It’s like, “Hey look what these people did while heavily addicted to such a deadly drug. What’s you’re excuse for not getting anything done again?” Remind me to never to work in a rehab center.

7.)    The Girl with the Thorn in her Arm

For the longest time this was my favorite track on the release. Everything about it, from the title being a pun on The Smiths song ‘The Boy with the Thorn in his side’ to the guitar (I think that’s a guitar) loop that TMFSE raps over with no drums, to how the drums kick in and he does the “refrain” or whatever a real critic would call that. Is it bad to like songs about someone else’s struggle drug addiction? I like this song so much I used a line with it to try and pick up a girl before. We didn’t have anything to do, so I suggested “let’s get high and drive all night.” I don’t think it worked, but that’s alright because I can use it again on another girl out there because chances are she doesn’t read this blog or listen to Emily Rugburn.

8.)    Star-Belly Sneech

This is another good jam to finish off this ep. At the end Junkwaffel drops the beat and lets you get a better listen to TMFSE’s unique style.

     Bonus track)

But wait, there’s more! This song became my favorite over ‘The Girl with the Thorn in her Side’ once I discovered it. I feel like for the most part bonus tracks are fading away because so much stuff is only digital, but they were always my favorite part of a cd when I was younger. I really dig beat boxing drums and the sample and am pretty curious of the origin. “Just cause my name on the flyer don’t mean I’m gonna show up,” was an awesome line, then I heard it was true. On the ‘Only Rule: Eyes Out’ tour with HW, ESH, and DJ Halo I saw according to their dates a few days before they played in Pittsburgh, those guys were playing Trenton, NJ with Raymond Strife and TMFSE. I told HW that was pretty rad they were getting to play with TMFSE. A few days later when I met played with those guys in Pittsburgh they told me he showed up so late he didn’t even get to play. On one hand that really sucks, but on the other I think it adds to his “enigma” if you will. But then again, I can’t stand when I book something and people don’t show up. “TMFSE the black Heath Ledger.”


Get 'I Wish I Could Grow a Beard' for free.

Stillborn Identity/MC Homeless split cassette

It's about time I shamelessly promote myself. I(Stillborn Identity) did a hand numbered, limited run, split cassette with MC Homeless at the end of last year. Since the release, MC Homeless has "retired" but I still wanna keep this release in circulation because I think both sides are awesome. As far as I know this is the last release he did as "MC Homeless." I think there is a Brain Busters(MC Homeless and Joey Silva) release out there, and he started doing some non-hip hop project.

MC Homeless' side starts off with a track Imaginary Audience, a track by Brain Busters.

The second track is 66 featuring Me, Stillborn Identity. It's produced by C Money Burns. Homeless and I drive from Youngstown, OH to Austin, TX after he moved there and needed his car. I was super pumped to hang out in Austin, TX, but Homeless started a new job during the day and was gun-ho about hanging out with his at the time lady friend at night. So most of my time was spent trying to figure out how the bus line there worked only to instead walk 5 miles to a skate park, drinking Mad Dog20/20 by myself, and writing this track. Homeless had a half finished verse and polished it up in like 3 takes after I took over a half over to record my verse I had been working on all weekend. We're both kinda Vincent Gallo geeks and titling the track was never even a question after we put the quote from Buffalo 66 in there.

Breathe was originally released free online on his Wild At Heart ep produced by Johnny La Rock.

This fourth track on his side is almost to good to believe. MC Homeless toured with Illogic and Baker a year or two ago, and they had a day off in CT during their tour. During their day off they wrote and recorded this song with Ceschi.

My side starts off with Artist Wishlist produced by Pat Urn of 7718. I think I also wrote most of this song at Homeless' place in Texas. I didn't finish it until weeks later when I was in New Jersey "working" as a videographer on a freestyle motocross tour. That night one of the best FMX photographers (at least in my opinion), Chris Tedesco talked to me about what he had to do to "make it" in the industry. The only direct quote from that drunken hotel foyer conversation was, "just don't sell out, whatever that means to you." Ironically enough, I think that was my last weekend working on that tour.

Jack Wilson played me CREAM sometime in the beginning of the year when I was couch surfing in Baltimore and I was so pumped on his verse, and the beat by Visionary Brotherhood, that I demanded that he let me collab with him on it... and luckily he did.

I'm leading Me Down produced by Tybo Beats was the last track I wrote for the release. I thought it sounded like something HW would fit in with, so before I was finished with my second verse I sent him a text seeing if he was down, then emailed him a rough copy. Within hours(before I was finished with my second verse) he sent me his final version of the track.

Photo from left to right: Cathy Cathodic, HW, Stillborn Identity, Eric, Baker


Pitseleh's a Goner produced by JE Double F is my favorite track. I never knew that Pitseleh was Yiddish for "little one" but after I figured that out when I opened for Height with Friends at the 31st Street Pub it made the title even more fitting. Originally the titled was inspired by an Elliott Smith song. http://www.pghcitypaper.com/FFW/archives/2012/10/22/mp3-monday-stillborn-identity-pitselehs-a-goner

I wrote 1,000 Miles(produced by Zoen) away when I was living in Nevada and still in love with a girl in Pittsburgh. After I wrote this song and sent her the demo, I thought she would ask me to come back to her. But she didn't. She just said it was another really sad song I wrote, and asked what it was about.

Physical copies of the tape are available through this blog, Milled Pavement, Harford and Rekords, and whatever hard copies the artists have left.

MC Homeless
facebook
tumblr
twitter

Stillborn Identity
facebook
bandcamp
instagram @codycodyjones

Raymond Strife - Self-Loathing Egomaniac

Raymond Strife is awesome. If you didn't already know, you're blowing it. He's got a new album coming out called I'm Sorry, but until it does get use to him stuff by checking out his 2010 release Self-Loathing Egomaniac. I'm gonna try and get an interview with him when his new album drops. He also has a demo between Self-Loathing Egomaniac and his upcoming release I'm Sorry, called Autumn Down Drunk Demo 2012, depending what tracks don't make the final cut I might put that on here too.

free download
bandcamp
soundcloud
facebook
He's on instagram too, but I dunno how to link that.

B.Done X Space Ghost

The homie B.Done dropped Space Ghost. Free digital copies, and $5 hard copies with all kinds of little goodies. Manchild of Mars Ill is featured on this, that's pretty rad. I haven't heard anything from him in a while. It also features cats like Brandon Brains, Space Ghost, and Conphusion.

Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp

ESH & ARC - Nightworks

Another free download from ESH the Monolith. ESH & ARC put out this ep, Nightworks. It features Romen Rok, Fran-P, and Ceschi. It's rad, download it and begin the brainwashing process.

I haven't even got a chance to watch this video yet, but judging by the thumbnail it looks awesome.

Little Eskimo Jesus - Could You Please Be Quiet, Please?

Little Eskimo Jesus is Ira Lee and Mattr. Ira makes heart breaking sad/awesome music. I haven't even listened to this but I know it's going to be good so I hooked all you loyal pawns up. Chances are I'm going to make mixtapes featuring songs off this album for girls I'm trying to hump. If it works, I owe Ira Lee and Mattr a beer next time they're in Pittsburgh.

Little Eskimo Jesus - Could You Please Be Quiet, Please? free download

ESH the Monolith interview and free download.

     ESH the Monolith is an awesome rapper, and a cool dude I met a while ago when he toured through Pittsburgh. I decided to give his 10 inch, Invisible he did with DOX some shine for the millions upon millions of people that follow this blog, and to try and make the post slightly more interesting than a boring JPEG image I decided to email him a few questions that have little to do with his music, and nothing to do with this vinyl. Proofreading your blog is for total nerds, I'm just kind of a nerd, so here there interview complete with every grammar mistake, punctuation error, and type-o he or I have have mad.e

TheThrowAwayDays: I see you petting the cat pretty hard here, did you land this kick flip? (looks like it's gonna be a kick flip)
ESH the Monolith: This was an attempted kick flip and no I didn’t land it. I didn’t land a single trick that night on account of I suck at skateboarding and I am old. This was just me getting my Little Wayne on and trying to appeal to the kiddos. Drink Mountain Dew, kiddos.

T-TAD: When is the last time you really "skated" and why did you get out of it?
ESH: I think I quit skating when I was in high school. Around 1943 I believe. I wasn’t immediately good at it so I quit because I am lazy and I quit things that I am not immediately good at. I stick with the bike nowadays.

T-TAD: What kind of eccentric super hero sprains his ankle jumping off a car? You can't save anyone like that.
ESH: The worst super hero out, that’s who. I was so fucking drunk that night. I was drinking vodka out of pint glasses all night in Trenton, NJ. HW is a son of a bitch for posting such an un-superhero like video of the god.



T-TAD: How, when, and why did the super hero thing become a staple to go along side ESH?
ESH: It was around 1943 I think. I’ve always been into the idea of superheros who are really just fuck ups. Like, “Yeah I can fly and I’m really strong, but this blow habit is draining my pockets and my girlfriend is a bitch.”

Also, rappers have the tendency to elevate themselves to these untouchable super man like characters, so I decided to make myself the worst superhero out because that’s more accurate.

T-TAD: You got any good dirt on HW or Halo after touring with them? Or any rad stories from the road in general?
ESH: First of all, those dudes are great to tour with. I would tour with them again in a heartbeat.
That being said, here is some dirt on HW:
1. He has a Juggalo hatchet man tattoo on his shoulder.
2. That night I busted my shit jumping off Halo’s jeep, HW got beat up by Raymond Strife’s lady friend and cried and peed his pants and said he wanted to cancel tour and go home because of the bruises.

As for Halo, this isn’t really dirt, but dude was legally dead at one point and got brought back to life. He also has the uncanny ability to play a Gangstar song followed by a Misfits song followed by the I’m Barbie Girl in a Barbie World song and make it work. And has a stylish fur coat.


T-TAD: Why does it take you so long to put out music? According to your bandcamp you have a release in 2008 and 2011 and that's it, or do you have stuff out that's not on there?
ESH: In between those two projects I did a bunch of collaborations and produced joints for a bunch of people. I did a lot of work on my homie Romen Rok’s album “Absolutely” which came out in 2010.

I’m not making excuses. Most of it was due to being fucked up all the time and unfocused and messing with trashy birds. That isn’t the case any more. I’m much more motivated now. I have another project that’s coming out next month and a full length production album that’s almost done. I’ve mended my slacker ways.


T-TAD: What are your future rap plans?(tours, releases, publicity scandals, etc)
ESH: In December I’m releasing a new half an album over with my dude The Arcitype’s beats. It’s called Nightworks. Topics include: alcoholism in the werewolf community, LARPing, cubicles, being a small person, falling out of love with bridges, the episode of Punky Brewster where Cherry got locked in that refrigerator, and giving people dead arms. It’s a bunch of raps, mostly. It features Romen Rok, Fran-P, and Ceschi. My brother also plays guitar on it which I’m pretty hyped about. We are putting out a new video when it drops too.

Then sometime next year I’m releasing a project called Loop Minded Individuals, which is a compilation that is co-produced by me and Intrikit. We rap on it too, but not much. It features verses from too many people to mention (plus I’m still waiting on some people).

Hopefully I’ll be touring again in March, but I’m not sure yet. I’d like to get back out to Pittsburg soon and chill with your dog, who seems like a pretty chill dog.

After that I’m going to drive my car into the Grand Canyon.


If you give a fuck, we can be computer buddies here:

www.EcenticSuperHero.com
Twitter: @ESHtheMonolith
Facebook.com/ESHtheMonolith
Instagram: EshTakesPictures

free download

Frigid Giant - The River Tam EP

Download
bandcamp
facebook

Jack Wilson - Photophobia

Jack Wilson - Photophobia
facebook
bandcamp
soundcloud

Photophobia free download

Political Animals. May 4th, 2012

     Typically when this much time has passed after a show I consider writing about it a lost cause. However I liked Political Animals a lot and have been wanting to plug them on my blog for a while. Not that this blog has high traffic and it will benefit them at all, but it's the thought that counts, or so I think.

     Less than two weeks before this show Connect( of Fortified PhonetX) hit me up about trying to help out a Connecticut hip hop band.  Being the prematurely jaded 24 year old that I am, I offered little to no help with finding a venue. Booking is stressful, and without proper time to promote getting a decent amount of gas money for the touring act, above a rental fee is near impossible.  Luckily Connect showed more chivalry than I did, and found a venue(The Smiling Moose) that was willing to do a free day show and give the acts a percentage of bar sales. This was good because it was low risk for us "promoters," but it was also going to be low reward for the touring act, unless I got in full lush mode and used my self destructive drinking habits to support Political Animals' tour.
     Finally, I thought to myself, I'm drinking for a cause and not just because. I had the noble plans of drinking only high end beers, not only support the touring act, but also to trick everyone at the show that I was a baller. However when I showed up and there was a game day special I found myself double fisting dollar beers at the bar as quickly as possible to get my buzz going before the special was up and the sun was down. And I did so ef ficiently, buying beers upon beers in advance for myself to stock up for after the special. Completely disregarding my initial plan of using my alcoholism to financially support the touring band as much as possible.

     Luckily I played first before my buzz completely settled in and I said too many embarrassing things on stage. Next was Proseed who always kills it, and subsequently is also always sober for his sets. Political Animals played third and brought to the table their live band and conventional boom bap style. Positive songs about elevating hip hop instead of getting diluted by mass media rappers, and also elevating and being positive about yourself. I dug it. I also dug how humbled they were, and how honored they were that Connect would help them out so last minute. Last was Fortified PhonetX who always kill it. All this before 9pm, it's pretty rad to see what can be done by artists when they respect each others music enough to help them out. Get drunk, play a show, get paid, all before turning into a pumpkin.
Stillborn Identity
Proseed
Political Animals(download their free ep)
Fortified PhonetX
@ The Smiling Moose. May 4th, 2012

Steddy P @ Shadow Lounge 7-2-2012

     Live hip hop shows have always been, in my opinion, for getting boozed up. It's pretty rare that I can go to a live, hear someone for the first time, and be into anything more than their presence and beats. Leaving out the element most important to me, the lyrical content. However last night that outlook of going to shows just to get faded changed considering the fact that I'm broke and virtually unemployed.

      So when I heard about Proseed and Fortified PhonetX throwing a show at Shadow Lounge I could think of every excuse not to go so I could stay home and save money. But when my brothers in arms were frantically sending out texts last minute to avoid a flopped show I couldn't help but go out and support them when I'd rather be sitting in my lonely apartment listening to rats shit in my silverware drawer. Not to mention one of the texts I got said the $5 cover was reduced to $3 for fellow artists, and I assumed I'd be able to get a little buzz up by stealing drinks off of rich girls while they weren't looking.
     I arrived to the show two and a half sets in(missing Frigid Giant, Dos Noun, and part of Proseed), and to my dismay wasn't able to get in at the rumored reduced rate. No worries though, because I went out to try and salvage my friends potentially small show, one $5 cover charge at a time. Also to my dismay half the girls there were in some way related to Moemaw Naedon, making it a little uncomfortable to steal drinks from them in case I got caught.
     Either way, I showed up just in time to catch my first show experience with Steddy P. And although I was crabby and sober, the dude from Kansas City killed it. Steddy P's set was super enthusiastic and you could tell he was more than happy to be in Pittsburgh for the first time. One of my favorite lines of his that really stuck with me was,"work hard, play hard, party hard, fuck hard... until we reach the graveyard." He ended his set by inviting everyone in the audience to go do shots with him. If only I could have...
     He's got free shit online, and seems to be the touring type, check it out, then don't be a scrub like me and buy his shit when he rolls through your town and do some shots with him.


http://www.facebook.com/steddyp
http://steddyp.bandcamp.com/

Ceschi - Fake Flowers R.I.P. #2

Look at this, a free, legal download from Ceschi similar to the one I stumbled on that I thought was some rare gem in the last post, turns out I was wrong. When I saw Ceschi at Youngstown a few weeks ago I'm pretty certain he had none of these available. I don't know why, I get super pumped when I see an artists discography sprawled across a makeshift merch table.

Digital downloads only are so lame, keep print alive... but if it's free digital download only I'll take it.

Ceschi - Fake Flowers R.I.P. #2

Proseed - Quintessential

Proseed played a show a few nights ago at The Shadow Lounge and I totally missed it because I'm a scrub and decided to stay home and play with my dog instead. Luckily a there is a footage of the show online so anything I missed in person I get to catch up with online and talk about the show like I was actually there. Right? Or is the internet only used for watching monkey piss on themselves and women masturbate... Either way here is some footage of Proseed killing it with DJ Blacklisted(of Fortified PhonetX)

It's awesome to see Proseed getting such a warm introduction by one of Pittsburgh's most reputable emcees, Real Deal. Proseed has been killing it for years and deserves every bit of respect he gets and much more. He's one of the few emcees I've seen in Pittsburgh whose draw transcends one genre of hip hop. He'll rip every show he's put on weather the audience be backpackers, thugs, punks, deaf dogs, hipster hop heads, drunk yinzers, nerd rappers, crabby pregnant women, or anything and anyone you put in front of his stage. It's inspiring to see great his great lyrical ability will go above and beyond his standard Solid Ground Entertainment(SGE) realm that he's been dominating ever since I saw him open for Louis Logic and Z Man in 2005/2006.

In spite of missing his show the other night I decided to listen to all I have of his discography today while miserably wrenching on withered old Mustangs at my dads auto body shop. And in doing so I came to find out(again) that his even his 2007 first full length, Quintessential, is so much better than what people are doing 5 years later, although he considers it to be "a little premature."

When this came out I use to go to shows on a straight solo mission, dead sober, sitting at the bar by myself, ordering water, nervously looking around and pretending to check my cell phone that didn't have texting... it was awkward. I had tried to work up the courage to ask Derek for a copy of his cd, with $10 in my hand to make the transaction as fast and painless as possible, but that water on the rocks I was sipping didn't give my any extra confidence. So needless to say when I saw the release a few weeks later at The Record Exchange for a mere $10.70 I did not hesitate to pay the extra 70 cents not to have to talk to an artist that I respected. It doesn't make sense I know, but what can I say, I have horrible social skills, which is probably why I blog.

Years later when I watching one of his sets at The Smiling Moose he grabbed a few long lasting copies of Quintessential and set them on the floor in front of the stage and said that anyone who wanted one could have one. After that he looked at me, knowing I had bought it years prior and apologized that I had to pay full price for it. Then he added some dry humored comment like, "no refunds," and went on with his set. I didn't mind paying money to support artists that I respect, talking to them(while sober) is the tough part.

try it for free
then when you like it buy a physical copy here or digital here
facebook
website

January 7th at Hamilton Arts Collective

   
Saturday January 7th I was in Baltimore and decided to check out an underground hip hop show some of my friends from various cities were playing at The Hamilton Arts Collective. I arrived just in time for the third set, JE double F, of Atlantic City, to start. Anxious to get home after the last day of a 13 day tour Jeff was still able to deliver the intensity that he's been spreading across the country with his relentless touring promoting his ep Paganomics.

     Next to play was local rapper DP the emcee who I was unfamiliar with but had a positive message to convey wrapped in a smooth laid back flow, and somehow was even nicer when he went off the top. My good friend Jack Wilson, originally from Pittsburgh but now residing in Baltimore, played next and was accompanied by a DJ whose stage name I can't remember, but considering he was the only one with a DJ next time some ipod rappers it made his set aesthetically more pleasing and his songs never slack either. Last to play was local rapper Trace Blam. Trace's set suffered slightly from a cold, but when I looked some of his stuff up online after the show I wasn't the least bit disappointed. Plus he approached me because I was carrying a skateboard and said that he skated, which made me even more of a fan.

     The first two sets I missed were by Jumbled, who I've seen perform before at Charm City Artspace, and Avant-Garde originally from Delaware who I heard of prior to the show and was pretty bummed out when I missed his set. However during every set that Avant-Garde heard someone he liked on the mic, which seemed to be every set, he demanded a cypher session with them after the show at the end of the night.