There seems to be a bit of a stigma attached to our infatuation with social media. It’s as if we get home from work, feed the fish, pump a few reps on the BowFlex, inhale some remnants of the stale bag of tortilla chips we can’t seem to throw away and then jam the giant cords into our spine so we can enter the matrix and endlessly scroll through pictures of people that piss us off until our eyes turn to jelly and dry on our cheeks like the glaze on a gas station doughnut.
Facebook is undoubtedly an evil creation (as he posts this to Facebook), but that doesn’t mean it can’t allow something beautiful to happen every now and again.
Maryland trio Misun (Mee-Sun) formed just last summer after DJ/producer Andrew Wallace discovered lead vocalist Misun Wojcik via a GarageBand track she posted to Facebook. Wallace, who goes by the moniker Nacey, was shown the track by the band’s guitarist William DeVon. Nacey had already made waves by DJing in clubs in the D.C. area over the better part of the last decade.
As it turns out, DeVon and Nacey were house DJ’s for the exact same bar in which Wojcik served. How serendipitous. Immediately after the band formed, production began on their debut EP, The Sea (2012).
Their sound is defined as Aquawave, because of lyrical references and actual samples from the ocean (oh, and the record is called The fucking Sea). Overall I enjoy the six-song pop piece. Wojcik’s voice is dreamy throughout. I especially dig Cutoff. The production isn’t too bad. A few tracks are a little tired. Maybe it’s the idea of playing to the aqua theme a bit too much. I just think it should be a little bit rougher around the edges; the innocence in Wojcik’s voice needs to be offset by more energy and some bite underneath it. (sort of talking out of my ass, ya dig?)
Lo and behold the band puts out this little ditty, which is set to be on their new EP coming at the end of this month. Nacey seems to get back to his roots with a hip-hop beat bagel topped by a soft spread of cream cheese funk over the top of it. I’m getting hungry.
It’s old school, I like the direction the band is heading in and I look forward to new Misun music. You can download this song, another one expected for the EP and The Sea in its entirety from the band’s SoundCloud page.
Track Name
Don't Harsh My Mellow
Album
Traphouse Rock
Artist
Kids These Days
Chi-town stand up! Jesus that took forever to say. Apologies for letting all of your earz wallow in silence so long. My procrastination got the better side of these past few months, but my laziness has finally been broken thanks to Kids These Days.
The phrase would be more often reserved for general confusion and apathy towards younger folks, however Kids These Days seem to know exactly what they’re doing. Composed of eight Chicago musicians, each only 19 or 20 years old, the band has had a nearly meteoric rise to fame.
They formed in 2009, won a battle of the bands concert at the Congress Theater that same year and played SXSW before they even released their first EP (Hard Times). This past 2012 they played a picnic held by the Roots, appeared at Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Ottawa Bluesfest and their hometown’s world-renowned Lollapalooza. They were also musical guests for one of Conan’s special windy city shows at the Chicago Theatre.They’re much more talented than any one in the music industry at their age, and they hardly get the credit for it.
I’m getting to that point that every adult knows all too well. It’s not all at once, but slowly this feeling creeps up on you that people your age and younger are starting to do really cool things, like a lot more impressive than any sort of feat you’ve dreamed about. It’ll make each day a little darker. After I listened to this album I had to go sit in a park, think about life and cry for a few minutes, because I thought it was that damn good.
They’re like a fruit smoothie of rock, blues, jazz and soul in a big, foam cup on a hot summer’s day. Hip-hop verses flow naturally over the whole production. Give “Wasting Time” a try, too, featuring a Kids’ hometown purveyor of poetry named Chance the Rapper. The band’s own vocalist Vic Mensa can spit just as well and the band delivers it all most excellently on their debut album Traphouse Rock. It is on their website to download for free. Go get it now! They won’t be upset.
RIP Das Racist. Expect more songs, but don’t hold your breath.
To all of you who liked reblogged the Yonder post, thank you. My blogging spirit has been awoken once again. Expect more songs for your ears over the next couple days.
I’ll Take Another (Gimme One More) by The Main Squeeze
I’ve been all over California’s musical nut sack. Let’s give it up for some more local talent, shall we? The Main Squeeze is a post funk collective that formed three years ago in fantabulous Bloomington, Indiana; five excellent musicians at the Crossroads of America with plenty of soul still intact.
This little ditty is off of their self-titled full length debut, which one can purchase or stream for free from their website. It’s a bit crunchier than the rest of the album (Dr. Funk is where it’s at) but it shows how seamlessly the Squeeze blends jazz, soul, rock, electro and hip-hop like some sort of tasty musical milkshake. Umphrey’s McGee is worth a shot if this makes the cilia in your Eustachian tubes dance with delight.
Bloomington has quite the music scene, and you won’t find a better place to see a show than the Bluebird. With five shows scheduled for said venue for the rest of the year, the Main Squeeze is like the Bluebird’s house band. Their first performance is this Saturday night and it’s free! I’m trying my darnedest to get down there. Like most things I do in Bloomington, though, I’m probably going to need one more.
Hardcore punk from the California capital. So short and sweet that their most recent EP fits into a cozy eight minute span. The group formed in 2005 and released their debut album two years later. It’s a little sad that it took getting signed to Odd Future Records this past May for me to get exposed to the band, but better delayed than not at all. Being from the best coast and not giving a fuck seems to click with audiences these days.
After getting interviewed by Nardwuar, one can say that Trash Talk have somewhat “made it.” They have in my proverbial book, if that means anything (it doesn’t). If this kind of thing butters your audible loins, then The Circle Jerks or Cerebral Ballzy might be worth your time. Check out Trash Talk if you happen to find yourself in Western Europe next month. Their next album is scheduled to come out this October. Â
