[SXSW Journal] Day 2
Photo by Asia Ashley
I started the day by drinking a large cup of water and putting on three pairs of socks. The second night of my SXSW had gotten cut short due to Austin Fire Marshalls with weak capacity rules and my feet weren’t getting any better after subjecting them to what was essentially a barefoot marathon in Converse. With my feet neatly packaged into my Bucketfeet sneakers, I set off for my busiest day yet since getting to ATX. Catching a ride downtown by the grace of friends, I was able to make it to the Big Picture Media showcase at the Thirsty Nickel where I met up with The Tontons for the first time since we met at last November’s Fun Fun Fun Fest, also in Austin, and caught up on all the band has been through in the few months since the festival that seemed to be their big stepping out party. I had expected to talk about their new album, Make Out King and Other Stories Of Love and the big rise in popularity they’ve seen since. Instead we talked about burst appendixes and the intricacies of Spenzo’s hit song “Wife Er” which is plastered on seemingly every pole in town, staring down a familiar face on the opposite side of the street as Lil Herb’s Welcome To Fazoland gets a big push down south. After the Tontons, I had the chance to talk to another BPM client, the Philadelphia-by-way-of-Los Angeles indie rock foursome Cheers Elephant. Interviews from both acts are coming soon, but check out the short Instagram previews for some fun facts about both.
After watching both perform, I hiked my way down sixth street to The Fader Fort presented by Converse, slipping in and managing to snag a free drink in time to catch one of my most anticipated bands, Elmhurst, Il-based punk band The Orwells who showed why their building a buzz as one of the leaders of a new school of the genre, as lead singer Mario Cuomo, always an enigma, was at his best in front of the Converse chucks mosaic of the Fader Fort. Writhing on his back onstage, standing in the crowd, singing with his fans, the frontman made sure to leave his mark one of the most popular unofficial showcases at SXSW. The longtime family friends played good, played hard; and then walked offstage. One of TDE’s latest signees, Isaiah Rashad took the stage afterwards, another act with a lot to prove. The Chattanooga native did just that, working through his catalogue and tracks of his latest project, Cilvia, even bringing out label-mate SZA who performs there later this week. After Rashad, my photographer Asia Ashley and I ran to our next interview. Continuing on the punk trend that had been established at the Fader Fort, we arrived at The Hangar Lounge just in time for St. Joseph, Missouri-based punk trio Radkey who put on one of the most authentically punk rock sets I’ve ever seen. The three brothers, Solomon (16), Isaiah (18) and Dee (20) absolutely killed their set and set themselves as a perfect complement to an act like The Orwells in the rise of punk rock again. The preview of that interview is also below. After that, I cruised sixth street, watched people pack the sidewalk outside of the G.O.O.D. Music event on 4th and Brazos and managed to not get caught up in the ugly car accident that left two dead and several injured after a motorist ran his car into a crowd watching the Mohawk/Tyler, The Creator show. Wednesday was also the first day of the vaunted IllMore after party, long known as the premier after party for SXSW. Moved to a larger complex this year, the event, put on by IllRoots and Scoremore felt more concert-like than last year, having traded the old plantation-style home and surrounding grounds for a modified indoor skating rink. Big Sean took the stage and ran through his hits, joined onstage by Travi$ Scott after several DJs rocked the crowd, fueled by a steady supply of Red Bull and Tito’s vodka. Overall, not a terrible day at all despite the tragedy that took place last night. Check back in tomorrow for more updates!
The Tontons:
Cheers Elephant:
Radkey:
Alex Wiley & Kembe X: "Know Normal"
It's been a minute since we've heard from one of my favorite duo's coming up in Chicago right now, but today we got a long-awaited update from the pair of Chicago artists, Alex Wiley & Kembe X who last got together on, "Midnight to Morning" off of Club Wiley since recording 2012s Can I Borrow A Dollar? together. The Closed Sessions release is several songs in one and was recorded this week at Soundscape Studios on Chicago's west side. Stopping in last night, engineer and studio owner Mike Kolar showed me the many levels to the track, produced by The Innovatorz, that is able to succinctly play to both of the artist's strengths.
Expect plenty more from Wiley, who recently dropped a four-song surprise project, and Kembe who has reportedly been spending time in California with the likes of SZA and Isaiah Rashad.
"Know Normal" is a precursor to Wiley's headlining show this Saturday at Reggie's Rock House in the South Loop of the city and tickets are available here.
[RH First Glance] Kris Kasanova: "Tomorrow" (Feat. SZA)
Kris Kasanova has been building a steady buzz for himself in the New York market for a minute now. Since popping up on Peter Rosenberg's New York Renaissance mixtape released earlier this year and featuring a full scope of NYC acts such as, World's Fair, A$AP Rocky and Ferg, Action Bronson and Flatbush Zombies, among others. Kasanova has edged his way into the limelight in one of the most competitive markets in the world and today teamed up with TDE-signee SZA for "Tomorrow", which got a video treatment the other day. Currently, Kasanova is hard at work in the studio, preparing his next project with producers like Justin Rose. Across the country we're seeing hip-hop branch into many different angles, proof the "Renaissance" isn't just confined to one market or another. Definitely keep an eye out for Kris Kasanova, who should be releasing new content throughout early 2014.
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[Video] Isaiah Rashad: "Ronnie Drake"
In case you haven't noticed, TDE is a pretty big deal these days. The latest from Top Dawg Entertainment comes from the pair of recent signees, Isaiah Rashad and SZA. The newbies show they can certainly hold their own, proving why they were tapped by Kendrick, Schoolboy, Ab and Jay Rock to join the team. The video here is directed by Fredo Tovar and Scott Fleishman and eschews stereotypical hip-hop motifs for a more organic, grassroots approach that accentuates Rashad's lyrical ability.Keep an eye out for his upcoming release, Cilvia, due out soon and check the video out below.
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