[Album] theWHOevers: "Ridin' Waves"
At long last the latest offering from DotKom and J. Arthur, better known as theWHOevers out of Chicago, is here with their latest release Ridin' Waves which hit an Internet near you today. The album, a follow-up to 2012s well-received RedTape somewhat chronicles the last year for the duo, as the songs veer from sultry jazz measures (Bonus track with Lili K) to D.jbari's production on several tracks, to the West Coast-induced sound of Bambu's production on tracks such as "Mean". The ever-present Netherfriends also makes the production credits, helping to open things up with the lead track on the project, "No Waves". Check out the album below and be sure to stay tuned to RH for more to come from theWHOevers.
Lili K: "Something Special"
Who's your something special? Sultry soul songstress Lili K shares with us a song about her personal "Something Special." Taking Rockie Fresh's "Something Special" off of his Electric Highway, Lili leaves her own stamp on the song's instrumental with production and mixing help from The Upper Classmen and Elton Cheung at Classick Studios. Burn "Something Special" on to a CD, walk over to your loved one's house, and hold a boombox over your head to show them they're your own something special.
[RH Feature] Vic Mensa Takes Over The Innanetape
Photo By: Bryan Lamb
It's ten o'clock at night in late March and I’m fighting sleep. Sitting almost horizontal on a massive, black leather couch as my photographer, Bryan Lamb, and I watch Chance the Rapper racing back and forth from the booth behind us to the computer in front of us, occasionally taking frantic puffs from his cigarette.
His counterpart, Vic Mensa, lounges on a couch nearby, staring intently at a Macbook perched carefully on his lap, analyzing the first cut of the video for “DiditB4”, the lead single off his September 30 release, Innanetape directed by fellow Savemoney member Austin Vesely. The pre-rendered cuts are too quick for the computer and the screen stops on a scene of Mensa, in a white coat and goggles, holding a cow brain. “That shit was too raw, Austin drove to some farm to get it,” said Mensa.
By now, you've most likely heard of Chancellor Bennett, the 20-year-old artist who turned a ten-day suspension from high school into a pair of nationally-recognized mixtapes. You also likely have heard of Vic Mensa, the 20-year-old former front-man of the now-defunct Kids These Days who announced via an XXL interview in April that the band was done.
Together, the pair make up the leadership team of "Savemoney"-an eclectic collective of young artists, musicians, students and more based in Chicago that have helped elevate the city to the top of hip hop's collective consciousness. That rise was aided heavily by Chance’s April release, Acid Rap. Mensa’s Innanetape is poised to blow the roof off the Chicago scene.
[RH Feature] Lili K: Hard out here for a soul singer
Photography By: Jeremy Frank
Lili K is very much a different breed in today's music scene. Without frills, clever marketing schemes or extravagant funding, the Milwaukee native and current Chicagoan has made a name for herself on talent and hustle, in a genre that is lacking listeners or widespread publicity.
It is hard to pin down Lili at first glance. The tattooed, blond haired white girl, occasionally sporting a hoop between her nostrils, sometimes looks better suited for a hardcore rock show than a jazz club, albeit with a sort of elegant swagger that can be hard to pinpoint.
Success can be relative for a neo-soul singer in the modern age, and a tough exterior can go a long way. Having just played an opening set with one of her heroes, Musiq Soulchild, weeks ago at The Shrine on Chicago's near south side, the recent Columbia College graduate exited stage left, got a hug from the man of the hour, teared up a little bit at meeting one of her heroes; and retreated back to her far North side loft to prepare for the next thing on the agenda. Because, if all you have is your fans and your health, the hustle is a little more real.
Soul music doesn't always pay the bills. But the difference between Lili and many of her contemporaries is her unwillingness to bargain with her passion, a sort of tunnel vision that has helped carve her standing amongst fellow singers across the country.
"I feel like my aesthetic and music and personality combine into this quirky, not-what-people-expect type of artist, and I love that. I sing soul and jazz music, I love hip hop so that's always in there somehow, I like to wear weird clothes, and I love to be goofy," said Lili. "I don't have a gimmick, I don't use the whole 'sex sells' mantra, I just make the music I love and stay true to myself. It's not mainstream, but it's real."
[Video] The Whoevers on WGCI Morning Riot
One of the biggest gripes artists have had with the Chicago market over the years has stemmed from getting local radio play. WGCI has done a lot lately to dispel that problem, hosting several Chicagoland artists on their Morning Riot show, including Chance The Rapper and Lili K. Most recently, The Whoevers visited Tony Sculfield in the studio September 10 and luckily had a video person with them to capture everything. Check out the video for yourself below.
http://youtu.be/cqvo1uAuGkg
Lili K: "Help" (ft. Lorine Chia)
Chicago's soul songstress, Lili K, is back with a new single with fellow crooner Lorine Chia. "Help" premiered earlier today on Noisey and features production from Peter CottonTale accenting the varying vocal tones of the two dynamic artists as they contemplate over past and future relationships. Check out the song below and be on the look out for more from Lili soon.
[Video] Lili K: "Interlude"
Earlier this morning, angelic singer Lili K released the video for "Interlude" off of her most recent EP, My Favorite Things. The brightly-colored, bubble gum-like video features Lili and her band performing in a music hall interspersed with scenes of her serenading a mystery man (whose back of the head looks oddly familiar...), culminating with a sudden twist at the end. If you've never seen Lili perform live, this "Interlude" video gives you an idea of just how much fun and comfortability she has with her backing band.
If you liked "Interlude," you'll love the rest of My Favorite Things. Before long, you'll find yourself calling Lili K's songs some of your favorite things.
"I live in a dream for a moment, we'd loved in a midnight solitude, but I never knew at the moment, love was just an interlude." The Dizzie Gillespie penned jazz standard, "Interlude," is given a new life with Lili K's playful arrangement, matched beautifully with production by Peter Cottontale. The young vocalist appears with her band in the romantic and dreamy visual, directed by Addison Wright and J Frank Visuals, and a mysterious lover serves as the sole audience member of Lili's vivid dream. Accompanying the lyrics of "Interlude" perfectly, the bright backdrops and magical imagery create a lovable and charming video.
http://youtu.be/wiuXi-vAOFs
[Video] The Making of Lili K's 'My Favorite Things'
On July 1st, Chicago's Lili K dropped her third EP, My Favorite Things and this afternoon she dropped some footage - shot and edited by Addison Wright - about how the project came together. In the five minute video you witness collaborations with long-time producer and homie, Peter Cottontale, Nico Segal of Kids These Days playing horns, and her manager, Hustle Simmons clowning on her. The clip gives us some insight into how the four track EP was created and why Miss K chose these particular jazz standards to recreate.
http://youtu.be/evDCATOSLNY
If you haven't listened or downloaded Lili K's EP, My Favorite Things - fix that now: