AFTYN Announces Their Upcoming Album "Minutia," Out August 21st
Indie pop duo @aftynband have announced the upcoming release of their new LP "Minutia," out on all digital platforms August 21st. Led by the lead single "Baby," "Minutia" is a simplistic and intimate 10-track collection.
Indie pop duo AFTYN have announced the upcoming release of their new LP "Minutia," out on all digital platforms August 21st. Led by the lead single "Baby," "Minutia" is a simplistic and intimate 10-track collection. A testament to members' Guinnevere Philipp and Chris Maher's musical connection, "Minutia" is incredibly soothing, reaching into personal experiences and nostalgia. About the single, the duo states:
“We are so excited to release what we have worked on over the last year to the world! All these songs were written and produced by us with no other hands involved which we felt kept our identities intact in the music. We have varying influences in music from the 70’s to now, so these elements played a heavy hand in our songs”.
A simplistic indie/folk duo, AFTYN are hellbent on keeping it personal. Comprised of members Guinnevere Philipp and Chris Maher, AFTYN aims to evoke an updated 70’s folk sound, blended with both classic and alternative influences. Soothing melodies and raw instrumentation are the core of the duo, who self describe themselves as ‘modern hippies’. Their approach to live shows is uniquely down to earth, keeping their setup stripped back so they can engage with the crowd. AFTYN heavily utilizes social platforms such as Instagram to showcase their artistry, regularly posting a variety of short covers from various decades and transforming them into their relaxed, folk-driven sound. The duo is preparing to release their upcoming self-produced debut LP “Minutia” later this summer, and AFTYN are ready to introduce themselves.
Watch AFTYN’s new music video for “Baby”, connect with them on social media, and be ready to stream/purchase “Minutia” on August 21st.
Prague Based Singer-Songwriter Milan André Unveils His New EP "love&light"
Milan Andre has just released an incredible 3 song EP entitled “love&light”, which follows his self-produced, debut album “Who Am I?”. Listen to the EP now.
We are excited to introduce you to Milan André, a talented Prague based singer-songwriter, originally from Montreal. Apart from being an artist, Milan does music residencies in Indigenous communities across Canada where he does songwriting and recording with indigenous youth in elementary and high schools.
Milan has just released an incredible 3 song EP entitled “love&light”, which follows his self-produced, debut album “Who Am I?”. All of the EP’s songs were written while Milan was doing residencies in Indigenous communities, Nemaska and Iskut in 2019, and produced by Kristofer Harris (Bear's Den, Mathew and the Atlas) and Nathanael Graham.
Fortnite Launches In-Game Radio Station Radio Yonder featuring Monstercat
@Fortnitegame brings in-car radio stations to the Battle Royale game mode in their Joy Ride update. Featuring the very best of EDM, Radio Yonder featuring @Monstercat is now available for players to tune in while they drive.
Fortnite brings in-car radio stations to the Battle Royale game mode in their Joy Ride update. Featuring the very best of EDM, Radio Yonder featuring Monstercat is now available for players to tune in while they drive. This station features 20 Monstercat songs.
All Monstercat music included in this update will be Content-ID free for 2 years from launch date, benefiting content creators who want to stream their gameplay.
“This important partnership further underscores Monstercat’s commitment to empower our artists and the creative community. All Monstercat music in Fortnite is content creator friendly, allowing fans to share their highlights on livestreaming and video platforms with no risk of takedowns or strikes,” says Daniel Turcotte, Commercial Director for Monstercat.
Looking to the future, Monstercat plans to super-serve gamers with brand new and never-before-heard music.
Gavin Johnson, Head of Gaming at Monstercat, says, “Along with our already long-standing partnership with Epic Games through Rocket League, it’s an honor to extend our offering to Fortnite through Radio Yonder featuring Monstercat in the Joy Ride update. This continues our journey of powering the metaverse of today's games through music discovery.”
To commemorate the update, Monstercat has launched an official Spotify playlist for tracks featured in Fortnite.
Interview: Grand Rapids Artist/Producer Crossworm Discusses His New Album "Eat the Weak"
Major thanks to Grand Rapids, MI artist and producer Crossworm for connecting with DCWS for an exclusive interview to discuss his brand new album “Eat the Weak”, the music genre he coined, “Dirtcore”, and much more.
“In my mind there has to be a certain aggression to make a song sound like it’s dirtcore. A darkness as well. Like if you took a trap song and made the lyrics a super dark social commentary, and the beat had an abrasive industrial sounding edge... people who already know dirtcore, are probably gonna identify it as that. ”
Congratulations on the release of your new album "Eat the Weak"; what does this album and song title represent to you and why did you select it to be the title?
I appreciate you. For this record, I published a 76 page book as a bundle companion to the album (buy the book HERE). It has all the song lyrics and in depth analysis and meaning of the lyrics. I end the foreword with, “for the duration of this album, a lone wolf eats its weakest pack member”.
I think overall, there are themes of finding weakness within, as well as in the opposition.
This album was an aggressive exploration of both exploiting and exterminating weakness. A means to cleanse and strengthen.
In a way it’s kind of a play on a minor literary trope of “eating the enemy”.
"Eat the Weak" is your 8th album release; how do you stay inspired to create new material and do you listen to other artists' material, specifically mainstream music?
Creating is the only thing I consistently WANT to do so for me I seldom have to stay inspired. I almost wonder if inspiration is a necessity of those who aren’t really made for doing what they’re doing.
I’m always creating and always aiming music, but to be honest, I mostly listen to music that is nostalgic to me. It helps pass time better. At least, that’s the majority of my consumption.
Despite being a niche underground artist myself, I do actually listen to a healthy portion of mainstream artists and bands.
How have the time periods of transition (move to Toronto, death of father, homelessness, touring) influenced you as an artist and producer, especially from a songwriting standpoint?
In my case I really believe they forced me into a position to conquer fear. Coming from a very tiny town with a population of around 8k, everything is difficult to overcome unless you’re thrown into it.
Not having resources or opportunities to slake the thirst for more kind of backs you into a corner in many ways. But in the end it has lead to invaluable growth.
With the album now released, what's next for you musically? Are you working on another project?
Yes definitely. In the next couple weeks I’ll be closing this album with a music video for “Like Them”. I’ll be shooting it with the same director as my last two videos “Beg”, and “It’s Okay”
It might be safe to say that for 20+ years I’ve been perpetually composing instrumentals.
Albums just happen to come out of that process. But right now I’m working on a new record tentatively titled “Legends of Autumn”. I think it might end up as a 3-5 song EP but could be more.
Tell us about the music genre and sound you coined, "Dirtcore"; how would you describe it and what makes a song dirtcore?
Back in the 90s everyone wanted to say they had their own style or genre. It was a cornball thing to do really. I did that kind of half joking but my fans gravitated to it really hard. I happen to sound unique so it caught on.
In my mind there has to be a certain aggression to make a song sound like it’s dirtcore. A darkness as well. Like if you took a trap song and made the lyrics a super dark social commentary, and the beat had an abrasive industrial sounding edge... people who already know dirtcore, are probably gonna identify it as that.
It’s almost like a third wave alternative movement. It has pieces of hip hop, punk, industrial, and goth in it, but it’s an alternative to what has been presented in those genres. Btw, I really appreciate DCWS giving me the spotlight for a min.
Buy the Eat the Weak bundle companion HERE
A.L. Laureate Releases His Compilation Project, "Completion"
Miami based rap artist @ALLaureate_ has just dropped his project entitled "Completion", which features tracks that he has done throughout the years. His album “Intrepid Perspective” is coming soon.
A.L. Laureate is a Miami based rap artist, originally from Los Angeles, whose music presents listeners with compelling life lessons and situations via lyrical storytelling.
The talented emcee has released four EPs over 17 years and now comes to DCWS with a just dropped compilation project entitled “Completion”, which including fifteen tracks that he’s recorded over the years. “Completion” features production and features from STREETRUNNER, Mr. Porter, Teddy Roxpin, AHMAD, Solomon Childs, and many more.
A.L. Laureate is in prep mode for his upcoming album “Intrepid Perspective” due to be released later this year, so metaphorically, “Completion” is the appetizer while we wait for the chef to finish cooking his award winning entree dish.
Listen to “Completion” right now, stream it on Spotify and connect with A.L. Laureate on Twitter. Also, be on the lookout for our in-depth review of “Completion” and our interview with A.L. Laureate coming soon!
Grand Rapids, MI Artist Crossworm Releases His New Album "Eat the Weak"
Grand Rapids, MI based artist and producer Crossworm has released his new album entitled “Eat the Weak”; listen to this Hip-Hop, Industrial, Punk, and Alternative infused project now!
Fresh to DCWS is the brand new release from Crossworm, a Grand Rapids, MI based producer and solo artist whose music bridges the gaps between multiple genres including Hip-Hop, Industrial, Punk, and Alternative. Entitled “Eat the Weak”, and released on Dirtcore Music, the album is comprised of 16 tracks and features Red Eye God.
We won’t get too deep into the “Eat the Weak” album now, because our in-depth review is coming soon, as is our exclusive interview with Crossworm, but trust us when we tell you that it is incredible. You are in for an auditory treat, especially if you are a fan of Yelawolf, Linkin Park, and Nine Inch Nails.
Listen to “Eat the Weak” now, connect with Crossworm on his website and social media, and be on the lookout for our review and interview coming soon!
Review: "Just Before Dawn" Album by Ezza of Choom Gang
The “Just Before Dawn” album shows off @ezza905 impressive, unique tact proving him to be a rapper of piercingly good caliber. Check out our in-depth review of Ezza's newly released project now.
Niagara, Ont based rapper Ezza of Choom Gang goes for an intense minimal trap take with the sheer physicality of his newly released album “Just Before Dawn”. The songs rumble for the bass has a force of nature quality to it while it lumbers on through. A woozy sensibility pours out of the powerful lyricism for they are delivered with a clear-eyed determination.
By far the highlight of the album, Ezza’s vocals never let up, going ever deeper and deeper. Narratives emerge capturing the small moments in life, whether it is area code pride or the ways that time slowly gets burned away. Everything is kept to the essentials; the songs have an almost psychedelic cyclical quality, and the samples and electro flourishes help to tie the entirety of the sound together.
Production takes on a number of unique tactics. Instead of going for the usual, Ezza incorporates a yellowed nostalgia. Never speeding things up, the slowed down churn adds to the emotional heft. Even further along the hazy spectrum, the graceful glide and mellowed tempos recall a bit of DJ Screw’s warped take on hip-hop.
Ezza’s delivery also feels acutely balanced to this more contemplative temperament, as he takes on the reflective cadence of Earl Sweatshirt’s careful stance. His wordplay further adds to the interior monologue Earl employs so deftly.
Echoes emerge on the opener “Pursuit of a Dream (Intro)”. Within this track, the slow coming into focus approach works wonders. Fragile delicate textures are woven together on the spacious “Ezza Bop”; check out the accompanying music video HERE. Swirling along in a celestial daze is the weird disorientation of “Fruit Roll Up”, feat. King Gordy. A bit of hometown pride emerges on the surprisingly intimate scope of “905ish” complete with a mournful string sample. Beats hit hard with the infectious “Someone Like Me”. A luxurious groove unfurls over the album highlight “Bowl up Dawn” as the multiple layers add to the work’s chilled-out vibes. “I’m Not One of You Remix”, feat. Jorel, brings things to a careful, considered whole.
The “Just Before Dawn” album shows off Ezza of Choom Gang’s impressive, unique tact proving him to be a rapper of piercingly good caliber.
Stream and Share “Just Before Dawn”
Interview: Onplanetzu Talks About His New Music Video "Evening News"
Big ups to songwriter and rapper @onplanetzu who connected with DCWS for an exclusive interview to discuss the music video for his single “Evening News”, and much more.
“...There is no main type of formula that happens, we are so gifted beings that inspiration, just a natural vibrations, that hit you at any given time, either some thing you feel, hurt, angry, sad, are walking down the street, a picture or a sound, so that’s my process.”
What are some things that inspire your creativity when developing new music? Also, what do you look for in the production that you write to and record?
First part of this question, there is no main type of formula that happens, we are so gifted beings that inspiration, just a natural vibrations, that hit you at any given time, either some thing you feel, hurt, angry, sad, are walking down the street, a picture or a sound, so that's my process.
What i look for in production, is first stay away from trends sounding things, we create our unique sound just like groups was back into the day, Wu-Tang, Black Sheep, Busta Rhymes, De la Soul etc. When you heard these groups you instantly knew their sound; that is what we going for.
When it comes to putting things to record always trying out do my self and push the envelope to raise the bar.
Congratulations on the release of your new music video for "Evening News". Why was it important for you to bring your song to life visually?
Because listening to a song is one thing, but when you put the visuals to the art, it takes on a hole different meaning putting the voice to the artist.
At this time i felt the new generation is clueless on the history of our enslavement and police brutality. Injustice been going on for decades; I am just reporting, nothing has changed.
Tell us about your motivation to create the song itself initially.
As artists we all have a duty to be socially conscious, and to have at least one of those kinda songs on the album, was not about me being a artist, it was about me being just a human being wanting the same rights as white folks have equality. Just like Marvin Gaye wrote “What's Going On”, this was our what's going on in today’s times.
What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment musically thus far in your career?
My biggest accomplishment I would say I have a few. I had the pleasure to meet Prince and play for him for his birthday before he died. He gave me some words of encouragement, and told me to keep doing what I was doing, soon they all going be following you.
Two, I met up with George Clinton at a Battle of the Bands show. He liked me so much, we went back to his hotel and wrote a song called “Headphones” and toured with him for a while.
Three, the late Ol Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang, i did a song with his son Ol DIrty Bastard Jr called “Rude Boys”.
With "Evening News" now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2020?
Now that's a million dollar question to answer. To be honest with you, our career to a huge turn. March 12, 2020 was our last show, we were scheduled to tour South Africa, Canada,Japan, Germany, and back to US tour to the end of the year. Since this virus hit, everything got on hold. In the meantime, putting out singles and live stream shows. Not sure how this ends to tell you the truth.
Monsta X is Set to Perform Live Stream Concert on August 8th
Worldwide phenomenon, @officialmonstax, has been nominated for a @MTV VMA; their smash hit “Someone’s Someone” is up for “Best K-Pop.” The band is also gearing up for their highly anticipated full-length global concert, taking place on August 8th at 8:00PM PT / 11:00PM ET
Worldwide phenomenon, Monsta X, has been nominated for a MTV VMA, as announced by Variety. Their smash hit “Someone’s Someone” is up for “Best K-Pop.” The band is also gearing up for their highly anticipated full-length global concert, taking place on August 8th at 8:00PM PT / 11:00PM ET. VIP bundles sold out within minutes, but additional ticket packages are still currently on sale (purchase HERE). The pay-per-view concert marks the first and only time Monsta X will perform this particular set list, combining both English-language and Korean-language songs. The event will feature never-before-seen choreographed routines as well as backstage footage, interviews and fan interaction.
Voting is open now for the MTV VMAs, which are taking place on August 30th. You can vote up to 20 times per category, every day, up until the show airs. VOTE HERE: http://www.mtv.com/vma/vote/
Monsta X continues to take 2020 by storm; they’ve also teamed up with Radio.com for their LIVE! FANDEMIC series. The interview will be airing this Thursday, August 6th, and fans can submit questions via Twitter NOW!
The Vamps Announce Their Upcoming Album, "Cherry Blossom" and Release "Married in Vegas" Single/Video
@thevampsband are back with a brand new single 'Married In Vegas', a scuzzed up, sky-scraping banger which is the first off their upcoming album, “Cherry Blossom”, due on October 16th.
The Vamps are back with a brand new single 'Married In Vegas' released via Island Records. 'Married In Vegas' heralds a new era for the band, the rebirth of The Vamps. The song was created remotely in lockdown by lead singer Brad Simpson with producer Lostboy (Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Anne-Marie). The scuzzed up, sky-scraping banger is the first off their upcoming album, “Cherry Blossom”, which is due out October 16th, and is their most personal and fully-formed album to date.
Earlier this year, the band turned in what they thought would be their completed fifth studio album, with singles just left to be decided on. They knew they had a strong collection of bangers and ballads that told the story of a band re-born, but they weren't entirely certain about which song should properly mark the start of The Vamps Part 2. “On the day we handed the album in I went on a Zoom call with Lostboy” explains Brad. “We had a few beers and then four hours later Married in Vegas was birthed.” James adds: “Brad FaceTimed me and he was like 'I've just written this song!' I love moments like that because even when you think something's done it can still change at the last minute.” They jumped on a zoom with Lostboy the next morning to finish the song and the race to be Cherry Blossom's lead single was won by a brand-new song.
In the space of just six years The Vamps have morphed from bright-eyed and bushy-tailed boyband with instruments into a proper fully-fledged pop band crafting arena-sized hits. On Cherry Blossom, the musicality that's occasionally been lost in frantic release schedules and world tours and award shows has been given the time to properly, well, blossom. This isn't a vehicle for pop's current crop of in demand songwriters and producers, this is a Vamps-lead project that's made all the more impressive by the fact it was honed and finessed during lockdown. “We'd be lying if we said we didn't want it to go out into the world and be received positively,” says Simpson of their hopes for the album, “but ultimately, we love it so much, and that feeling of self-fulfilment is so exciting. These are songs that really touch on parts of our lives.”
Watch “Married in Vegas” now, stream it on Spotify, and be ready for the “Cherry Blossom” album on October 16th.
Ezza of Choom Gang Releases His Brand New Album "Just Before Dawn"
Niagara, Ont’s own award winning emcee @Ezza905 has just dropped his new album entitled “Just Before Dawn”. Check out this DOPE new project now.
Niagara, Ont’s own award winning emcee Ezza of Choom Gang has just dropped his new album entitled “Just Before Dawn”, and we’re excited to share this release with you.
Consisting of seven tracks, and featuring King Gordy and Jorel, “Just Before Dawn” is the follow-up to Ezza’s last project “Pilot Boy”. Ezza also just unveiled the music video for one of the album’s tracks, “Ezza Bop", which you can vibe out to on YouTube HERE.
Listen to “Just Before Dawn” now, stream it on your preferred music service and connect with Ezza CG on his social media. Hit him up in the DMs and tell him how DOPE the album is. Hang close to DCWS because our review of Ezza’s latest is on the way!
Review: "Off the Grid" Album by Ultra_eko
South London based rapper Ultra-eko explores the zeitgeist on the urgency of his debut album,“Off The Grid”. His delivery has a sprechgesang quality to it, and every single lyric feels carefully selected for maximum impact.
South London based rapper Ultra-eko explores the zeitgeist on the urgency of his debut album,“Off The Grid”. His delivery has a sprechgesang quality to it, and every single lyric feels carefully selected for maximum impact. The arrangements too further highlight the potency of these lyrics for they have a sense of a heavy grandeur.
Ultra_eko's lyrics focus upon the state of the world, the difficulties of how online and offline life intersect. Frustrations associated with trying to navigate the world at large emerge, for the temptations of modernity alongside the frayed relationships that define this moment feels ever so poignant. Samples are stretched out, distorted, and contorted in new unexpectedly beautiful ways.
Ultra _eko's flows are spit like fire for he proves to be a highly unique rapper. At times touching upon the hard-edged Sleaford Mods, the album works best when taken in as a singular whole. The bile that informs many of these tracks further draws from Sleaford Mods’ highly pessimistic view of the world. Production goes for something smoother, one that has a more discernibly electro quality. Stylistically pieces of chiptune, trap, and EDM are woven together to create a wild unhinged tapestry, at times reminiscent of Brainfeeder Records’ weirdness.
A sense of unease introduces the album and sets that tone with “Viral”. Facts race on by while the percussion goes for a force of nature physicality. Elements of glam intermingles in the funk grooves of “Yellow Redux”. Trap beats rule supreme over the woozy “Boy Done Good”. Reflective to its very core is the surprisingly tender “Eternal Sunshine”, which opts for a brutal honesty.
“Daddy” goes for an intense exploration of family dynamics, the sadness that can define someone's life. Neon-hued splendor anchors the whole of “My Life”. By far the highlight of the album, a bit of hope and light is allowed into the proceedings, resulting in one of the more optimistic tracks. Reflection runs through the soothing finale of “Neon City”.
The “Off The Grid” album shows off Ultra-eko’s powerful worldview, one that reveals a world full of constantly shifting social mores and knowledge.
Stream and Share “Off The Grid” on Spotify
Review: "See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!" Album by KYLE
Check out our in-depth review of @superduperkyle newly released album "See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!".
In May of 2018, KYLE released a project titled "Light of Mine". The album was narrated by Lil Yachty and it featured the most successful song of KYLE's career, "iSpy" (which also featured Lil Yachty). Two years later, KYLE has now dropped his new project "See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!".
Before listening to this project, I had been keeping up with KYLE's tweets. A few days before the release he stated that this project was his best work to date. Needless to say, I had high hopes going in. After listening to the album, I must say that I have mixed feelings about it.
KYLE dropped three singles for this project: "Bouncin", "YES!" and "What It Is". I loved "What It Is", thought "Bouncin" was ok and didn't really care for "YES!". These tracks left me very curious about how the full album would sound.
Now, it is very clear from the title and cover art, which both come from KYLE's high school yearbook, that this project was intended to be sort of a dive into the past. I believe that his goal was to sort of recreate the feel and sound that he had when he was a teenager hungry to make it big in the rap world. This is also made clear by the track 10 interlude and by track 11 where KYLE raps as K.i.D, his original rap name. He also mentions that he had a lot of his original team do work for the project, both musically and visually.
All that being said, as a fan of KYLE’s, I cannot agree with him that this is his best project. Truthfully I don’t think that it’s better than any of his previous ones. Tracks like, “Money Now” and “Forget” are cool but are really only likeable because of the bigger name features; Tyga and Trippie Redd. On the other hand, some songs are alright but seem to almost be ruined by the features. Examples of this are “YES!” featuring Rich The Kid & K CAMP and “GIRLS” featuring Rico Nasty.
The songs I truly enjoy and feel are up to par for KYLE are “Bouncin”, “Over It”, What It Is”, “The Sun” and “Mr Man & K.i.D”. Honestly, if it was an EP that consisted of just these songs, I would’ve enjoyed it more. The rest of the tracks either feel like filler or have features on them that feel unnecessary.
The reason I have mixed feelings about this project is because I believe that this was the music KYLE wanted to make. As an artist myself, I know what it feels like to make music that you personally love and to not have it be accepted as well as the catchy songs that you don’t really care about. I believe that making this project made KYLE happy, gave him a chance to reminisce and allowed him to feel the way he felt before he had all the pressure and stress of being a famous rapper. I also think it reminded him of his climb and just how far he has come from his humble beginning in high school.
If I had to rate this album off the music alone I would have to give it a 5 out of 10. To put that in perspective, I’d give “Light of Mine’ about a 7. I don’t believe that KYLE has fallen off or anything like that, I just think that this was a project he wanted/needed to make for himself. I can’t be mad at that.
Stream and Share “See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!" on: Spotify | Apple Music
Review: "No Pressure" Album by Logic
The production on the “No Pressure” album is excellent, which is to be expected since it was executive produced by the great No I.D. The beats were perfect for Logic to do what he does best… rap. Check out our in-depth review of the album now!
In 2014, Logic released his debut album titled “Under Pressure”. This project was extremely transparent as Logic detailed a lot of his tough home life and struggles growing up. He was relatively new to the rap game and was feeling both the pressure of escaping his troubled youth and the pressure to be a great rapper and artist.
Fast forward to 2020 and I think most would say that Logic has had a successful career. He has a huge, loyal fan base, several quality projects and mixtapes under his belt, several tours, a big radio hit (“1-800-273-8255”) and much more. This made it that much more surprising when about a week ago, Logic announced that he’d be releasing a new album titled “No Pressure” and that it would be his last.
Before even listening to the project, a lot was made clear by just the title and the cover art. Both are flips of “Under Pressure”. The title, mixed with the fact that Logic said this would be his last album, show that he’s now freeing himself from the pressure he’s been under since the beginning of his career. The cover art was essentially the same as the “Under Pressure” art but instead of Logic sitting at his computer he’s almost levitating as his computer monitor and speakers all float away.
From the very start of the album, it was clear to me that this was going to be one of the better Logic projects. His rapping made it very apparent that he was planning for this to be his last release. It almost felt like he was saying “Yo before I go, just remember I rap better than most of y’all”. It felt like he made a conscious effort to showcase his rapping ability instead of trying to make a catchy radio song.
Logic does a good job of mixing in bits of nostalgia for his fans throughout the album. It was just the right amount. He essentially remixed his track Soul Food (a fan favorite) on Soul Food II and occasionally mixed in some pieces of older verses. It was a good way to sort of recognize where he’s come from while also showing how his mindset has changed after several years in the industry. He now cares less about what others think about him and he realizes that some of the things he used to put a lot of weight in are no longer important to him.
Logic’s content matures in this album as he speaks on being a father. On “DadBod” he speaks on what his everyday life is like and how it really isn’t super exciting. He speaks on how fans criticize him for no longer making the music he used to make about his trials and tribulations. He sort of responds to this by saying it wouldn't be healthy for him mentally to always rap about his rough upbringing. Plus, who wants to hear 6 albums about the exact same thing.
The production on this album is excellent, which is to be expected since it was executive produced by the great No I.D. (who also produced Logic’s debut). The beats were perfect for Logic to do what he does best… rap.
I really like the production, sequencing, content and rapping on this project. I liked being able to hear the growth not only musically but emotionally/mentally from his debut up until now. After a few listens, I settled on rating this album an 8.2/10. To put that in perspective, I have “Under Pressure” at around an 8.5, “The Incredible True Story” at around an 8 and “Everybody” at about a 6.5.
Logic has signed an exclusive deal with Twitch as he plans to move into the next chapter of his life. The night before the album dropped, he got on Twitch and thanked everyone from his producers and fans to Kendrick and Drake. Something that really stuck out to me is he said every time he dropped a project he wanted to be loved. He would read the internet looking for that and would always be disappointed. He said that this time around he won’t be doing that because he finally loves himself.
This album was a solid final project for Logic and though I will miss his music, I’m excited to see what the next chapter of his life looks like.
Stream and Share “No Pressure” on: Apple Music | Spotify
Review: "Forget the Days" Album by Jim Soule
Chicago singer-songwriter @jimsoulemusic embodies the power of hope on the sunny sound of “Forget the Days”. Going for a perfect slice of indie rock, the whole album possesses a thoughtfulness that reveals itself in multitudes.
Chicago singer-songwriter Jim Soule embodies the power of hope on the sunny sound of “Forget the Days”. Going for a perfect slice of indie rock, the whole album possesses a thoughtfulness that reveals itself in multitudes. Arrangements have a distinct cleverness with anthemic riffs with a sense of playfulness. Lyrics too seem to be drenched in sunlight while they tap into an optimism. The entirety of the album has a force of nature quality to it. Volume is a must for there is an undeniable allure to its desire for so much physicality.
The creative arrangements at times recall They Might Be Giants’ joyous discography. Akin to They Might Be Giants, Jim Soule goes for the unexpected at times, offering clever shifts within songs and allowing for a great deal of tenderness that radiates throughout the entirety of the whole album. Highly addictive with their insistent grooves, they draw from Spoon’s careful classic sound. Everything about this goes for that same sort of carefree attitude, while the guitars at times offer so much sheer passion as they glide on through.
A burst of intense rhythms races through on the celebratory opener “A New Brand of Fiction” with crystal clear vocals front and center. The mellowed-out vibes of “Snapshots” incorporates a bit of determination with the communal vocals further adding to the track’s emotional core. Guitars weave themselves together on the brilliant bright patterns of “Face”.
“In The End” strips the sound down to the essentials with the piano anchoring the whole song. Easily the highlight of the album comes from the urgency of “At the Wheel”. With an aptly employed driving rhythm, the piece is a whirlwind of intensely felt freedom. Reflective to its core, the tenderness of “Missed the Parade” chooses a rather lovely demeanor while it unfurls, featuring gorgeous strings in its latter half. Guitars intertwine on the western twang of “Avenue of Fears”. Neatly bringing the whole of the album to a transcendent close is “Fool’s Day”.
The triumphant “Forget the Days” album shows off Jim Soule’s deft skill in delivering a slice of truly great rock, the kind of thing that touches the very soul.
Stream and Share “Forget the Days” on Bandcamp
Interview: Singer-Songwriter Jim Soule Talks About His New Album "Forget the Days"
We connected with Chicago based singer-songwriter @jimsoulemusic for an exclusive Q&A to discuss his newly released album “Forget the Days”, and much more.
“Trying to find the line between personal and “too” personal is a challenge that every songwriter deals with...Heartache, depression, loss, hope and concern are all great motivators in telling great stories that relate to just about anyone.”
What are some things that inspire your creativity when writing/producing new music?
Originally when I started writing songs, it was all about the music and "does it sound cool?". I truly love great melodies and harmonies! If the lyrics were funny or clever, great, but it meant less to the 18-19 year old me. As I had some hard times and lived life a bit more, it became an outlet to cope and get how I am feeling out on paper or to at least work through it. I've also been very open to new types of music and storytelling which I think can drive or shape how I share my stories.
Being in a band with a great storyteller like Nick Leet, I feel I have had a great mentor as he is one of the greatest storytellers in my opinion. Others like Jason Isbell, Ryan Miller, Kevin Griffin and Britt Daniel have been muses as well. I think it has become a perfect collaboration between great and catchy sounds, melody and harmony, with emotionally soaked stories.
Trying to find the line between personal and "too" personal is a challenge that every songwriter deals with. One of the lines in "Cut the Tape" is a direct reference to just that. "Poison pen's had its last day; a brand new page with so much to say". Heartache, depression, loss, hope and concern are all great motivators in telling great stories that relate to just about anyone.
Congratulations on the completion and release of your album "Forget the Days". Describe for us your musical journey during the development of the album's 12 songs.
I have been writing and recording songs for years since being inspired back in high school by They Might Be Giants and their story of how they became popular in the early 80's in Massachusetts and New York. I started with a cassette deck bouncing back and forth to a VCR in my parents basement. Technology has made home studios more effective. This album spent as much time traveling through the internet between Chad Wheeling and I as we spent recording it. It's funny, the album actually came to be when the lead singer from the band I play in, High on Stress, suggested a solo (or Soule-o as he called it) release as a Kickstarter give away when we released the band's first album, "Moonlight Girls" on vinyl back in 2018.
When I approached Chad Wheeling at Triple T Studio about his involvement, I already had 5 or 6 of the songs pretty much in the can with the rest written and demoed. For example, "Face" was pretty much fully recorded in my home studio except the drums that he added and then I had my Dad play bass on it, well actually he decided he was playing bass on it.
What really drove the direction of the album as a whole was "A New Brand of Fiction". Chad had taken a really rough demo of it, worked through some of the parts (guitars, drums, solo, etc.) and sent back what was heard on the album and I decided I knew what I wanted the album to sound like. After a secret weekend recording session in January of 2019 at Triple T Studio, “Forget the Days” was well on its way.
Were there any songs that you recorded that you decided to not include on the album? If so, why didn't they make the final cut?
Yeah we had another 4 or so songs that were in contention. What's crazy to think is that this all started out as an EP originally. As we took a look at it and, to remember I've been writing and recording in a home studio for 20 years, the options became clear really fast and there were a bunch of them.
Once I decided what I thought the feel and capacity of the album was, it made it obvious which ones had to be cut. It was a hard decision for sure. It's like trying to decide between your kids. One of the songs that got cut features a good friend, Elliot Hilton, who played an amazing piano part on a song called "Natalie".
I've decided to take a few of these songs and release a "B-Sides" EP later this year featuring that and a few other songs. I think the songs are good enough to be heard. Plus, a couple are favorites in my Livestream shows. Give the fans what they want right?!
Do you plan to shoot videos for any songs on the album? If so, which one(s)?
I did a concept video for "A New Brand of Fiction" when releasing that single in early June. It's on my YouTube and Facebook pages now. I'd love to do a video for "Face" or "Flicker" at some point. 2020 has been a hell-of-a-year and focus obviously for all is in so many other places. I think it's nice to have music and art to lose yourself in or to distract us from reality but reality also makes it a challenge to do some of those things. We'll see how that fleshes out.
With the album now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2020?
Like I've mentioned before, with so many songs eating away at the back of my brain, I think finishing up the "B-Sides" EP and releasing that will be fun as well as really getting to work on the next group of tunes. Not for a 2020 release but a slow go for that of course but eager to plug away.
Outside of that, hoping to find ways to play music besides doing livestreams from the basement every couple of weeks. Don't get me wrong, I'll keep doing them and streaming on my Facebook page because it has been a blast. The response has been so cool and it has been fun interacting with people who are coping with the quarantine and social injustice alone.
Being an outlet to get away or switch your mind off for a bit is really great. But, if I can find a way to use being a musician and having a platform to engage people in discussions about health and safety, social and human equality as well as civic duty than holy hell, I better step up to the plate. We've got a lot of work to do.