Curren$y Does His Thing When It Comes To Rap
Curren$y has made a habit of releasing free projects on a moment's notice. And when it comes to giving fans a consistent product, he's one of the best. He's so good at that, the The Spring Collection isn't just new music, but also features Curren$y curating the listening experience. On the intro, he clearly states the purpose of the project and the best ways to enjoy it. He gives his fans a chance to get ready, grab their "supplies", and enjoy. He interjects through the project as well, coaching them along on where they should be in their consumption of said "supplies".
The theme of Curren$y being ill at this rap shit runs throughout the project, and perhaps is best illustrated on "4 Phantoms" a crash course in how Curren$y has maintained when several of his peers are no longer really doing it. He spits effortlessly, "I do my thing when it come to rap, I buy more jewelry because of that."
Well done, Spitta. Well done.
[RH Review] ShowYouSuck: "Dude Bro"
ShowYouSuck has been one of the more interesting artists in the Chicago landscape for a minute now. Since establishing himself as a witty lyricist and connoisseur of all things "rad" on his One Man Pizza Party trilogy, released throughout 2011-13, Show has carved out a niche unto himself with a character and personality to match. Dude Bro, released today, is the culmination of a long road of experimentation and progression that pulls from all sides of what makes up the complex and fun-loving LOD/Treated Crew affiliate.
Linking up with Chicago outfit Closed Sessions for his latest project, Show recorded a majority of the album under the watchful eyes of Mike Kolar at Soundscape Studios, which has become habit as of late. The continued work and personal relationship between Closed Sessions CEO Alex "RTC" Fruchter, Kolar and ShowYouSuck shows on Dude Bro, as an overall aesthetic reigns supreme in a tightly-knit, entertainingly different approach.
The lead single off the project, "80s Boobs" is wholly ShowYouSuck through and through. From the artist that brought you "Viva La Chon Chon" and "Mom Jeans" is the perfect reverie back to the days of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" as Show reminisces over the intricacies of the era's breasts, rapping: "Double D's on my sofa/Double A's in my remote/Weird Science on VHS but my goddamn VCR broke." J. Arthur of Chicago duo theWHOevers handles the duties on the beat, employing a synth-heavy backing that calls to mind the eighties perfectly to add a fitting platform from which to let Show explain the subject matter further.
Perhaps the most appropriate song ShowYouSuck has ever made is also the final track on the album, "Awesome" featuring punk rock duo Unstoppable Death Machines. Anyone who's been to a ShowYouSuck show will testify to the fact that his performances more clearly resemble a punk rock show, complete with moshpits and stage dives, so the two acts complement each other deftly. As a kid who grew up going to Metal shows in and around Chicago, Show is completely in his element, using his performance call and response "Show is so awesome-Show You Suck" as the chorus over the wild, intense backing from Mike and Billy Tucci that make up Unstoppable Death Machine.
Top to bottom, Dude Bro is fully and totally the artist that is Clinton Sandifer, ShowYouSuck. Show is a narcissistic rapper; his songs are just about things he enjoys. For a less interesting person, this could pose an issue, but for the fun-loving lyrical Jedi that he is, Show has found just the right amount of all the aspects that make up who he is and found a way to transfer that perfectly to an album. For an artist that wears his emotions on his sleeve as anyone tracking his Twitter account last night as Dude Bro dropped can attest to, this release means something, and may just be the kind of polished, well put together project with a solid backing that could once and for all vault Clinton over the proverbial wall to the big time. ShowYouSuck is on iTunes, buy Dude Bro here for only $4.99. You can also stream Dude Bro in its entirety below.
Score: 
8.5 out of 10
[EP] Curren$y & Smoke DZA: "The Stage" (prod. by Harry Fraud)
Curren$y, Smoke DZA and Harry Fraud is a tandem that #JetLife aficionados always get excited for and now, they have the perfect project to celebrate Halloween as they have just released a new EP to the masses. Big K.R.I.T. and French Montana also cameo in The Stage, which is a brief but enjoyable listen.
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[Mixtape] TwoLetterz: "Goodbye Summer"
Chicago got no love from the weather gods this year and native hip-hop artist TwoLetterz penned his send-off to the brief, yet beautiful summer months here in the Chi, which he released today with his Goodbye Summer EP produced by Reg Young. As we skip over Fall and head straight for Winter, TwoLetterz provides some tracks to bring back those hazy days of summer laziness, outdoor shows and smoke breaks without frostbite. Check out the whole EP available here below.
[EP] Isaiah Toothtaker X Jacob Safari: "?OTHING"
Sometimes, it seems like Tuscon rapper Isaiah Toothtaker never rests. Less than a month ago, a music video for the Blue Sky Death remix of his collaboration with Gunplay, "Frownin," was released showcasing the two fronting a cult. Toothtaker isn't one to shy away from controversy or risk taking, illustrated by his previous mixtape's title, Illmatic 2, which serves as both a reference to NaS' iconic Illmatic, but also Toothtaker's acceptance and understanding of internet culture.
With his latest EP, ?OTHING, the rapper teamed up with former Wavves drummer Jacob Safari producing the tracks. However, the aforementioned controversial risk taking Toothtaker is notorious for comes in the use of unlicensed Nine Inch Nails samples used for the EP. ?OTHING combines Safari's use of dark (aren't they all?) NIN samples to complement Toothtaker's lyrics of insightful self-reflection. Safari also utilizes some extra vocal production, such as an echo effect on the "la mer" chorus that creates a medley-like sensation that reflects and enhances the chorus' lyrics themselves ("Some say it's a cycle/And then some say I'm just psycho/Like I don't know what I'm doing when I'm doing what I'm doing/I'ma ruin everything/You won't do a thing").
A little bird tells me there'll be more coming from Isaiah Toothtaker really soon. For now, listen to ?OTHING below.
[via Noisey]
[EP] Against Me!: "True Trans"
At one point in time, Against Me! represented the future of punk rock. I remember my Senior year of high school when I bought their first full-length, Reinventing Axl Rose. You could just feel the energy and desperation in singer/guitarist Tom Gabel's growl... man, to be 17 and listen to that album for the first time again... Yet, with every release following Reinventing, a little something that made the band so amazing was taken away from the band, coming to a head for myself with their major label debut, New Wave.
Through their songs, a secret was hinted at within Gabel's songs, coming to a head last year when he came out as suffering gender dysphoria and opening up about his plans to transition. Now known as Laura Jane Grace, she was one of the first public figures to open up about her transition, making headlines across all forms of media. However, many wondered how Against Me! would fare following her announcement, with the bulk of the questions focused on whether or not she'd retain her very distinct style of singing.
With their first album since Grace's announcement, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, set to come out later this year, the band has released a two-song acoustic EP, True Trans, of songs recorded during the Transgender Dysphoria Blues sessions. The songs, "FuckMyLife666" and "True Trans Soul Rebel" are about Grace's journey as she made her transition. Finally, that desperation and honesty that was missing from her voice after (arguably) As the Eternal Cowboy sounds like it's back, especially for the message and story she wants to tell.
You can download True Trans for free right now. All you have to do is enter your email in the widget below. Keep note: The free download is only available for a limited time. Don't forget to catch Against Me! at this year's Riot Fest, too!
[EP] Rich Jones: "3Peat Vol. 1"
Rich Jones was stranded in Chicago's China Town at one in the morning and had two choices as he puts it:
Slog his way back to the Northwest side, or see if he could get a hold of friend and collaborator Doc Da Mindbenda.
Fortunately for us, Rich headed over to the Grindhouse and recorded an EP entitled 3Peat. Today you can stream and download the project below, plus catch a video shot by Stefan Klapko in which Rich talks more in-depth regarding the 'tape.
http://youtu.be/5G1hf9KnaeA
[EP] Icky Blossoms: "Revisions"
There was a time when Saddle Creek was one of the most influential indie band labels. In my personal experience, Cursive's The Ugly Organ kind of represented a growth in my musical discovery. Other Saddle Creek bands, like Azure Ray, The Faint, and especially Bright Eyes, paved their own ways in the indie rock music scene. A lot of time has passed since then, yet the Omaha-based label is still trucking on, introducing new generations to their outstanding back catalog of artists, as well as presenting new bands.
One such band is Icky Blossoms. Their debut album, Icky Blossoms, released yesterday. The trio plays a fusion of genres they're both collectively and individually influenced by, such as avante-garde pop, electronica, new wave, and indie rock. To commemorate their debut release, they've released an EP of remixes entitled Revisions. Composed of six remixes that you can listen to below, each song has been selected from Icky Blossoms and remixed by such artists as Them Jeans, Enso, Ghosteffects, Haunted Gauntlet, Jeffrey Jerusalem, and Depressed Billionaires.
You can buy Icky Blossoms' Revisions EP separately on both iTunes and Saddle Creek's website or together with their self-titled debut album also on iTunes and Saddle Creek's website.