From O’Briens Pub, Allston, MA, 11/6/2011.
the bear trap of indie rap
after two years as freelancer (and interviewing Astronautalis, Grieves, Brother Ali, Sage Francis, B. Dolan, P.O.S., Dessa, Cecil Otter, RJD2, Cage and more in the process), I'm doing my own thing.
See it at otherhip-hop.com.
Ask me anything
after two years as freelancer (and interviewing Astronautalis, Grieves, Brother Ali, Sage Francis, B. Dolan, P.O.S., Dessa, Cecil Otter, RJD2, Cage and more in the process), I'm doing my own thing.
See it at otherhip-hop.com.
Ask me anything
November 11, 2011
My Interview With Astronautalis
November 2, 2011
Updated Show Calendar
Dessa and Grieves & Budo head to the East coast. Ceschi plays in Japan and Australia. Fellow Fake Four Inc.-er Bleubird also set to play Japan. Doomtree’s Blowout is looming, half of the Rhymesayer’s roster is heading to Europe and Seattlites Macklemore and Blue Scholars are each going coast-to-coast.
All these tour dates and more on otherhip-hop.com’s (recently updated!) calendar.
October 7, 2011
Review: Dessa - Castor, the Twin
What usually follows an album nowadays is something called a deluxe edition. The original plus added “incentives”, usually b-sides or live recordings haphazardly tacked on often as an afterthought as a way to revitalize interest in an album. To convince me to buy your deluxe edition, paying several dollars more than the original, is something that won’t happen. Now. Here’s the experiment. It’s October 4th, 2011 and Dessa just unveiled her new album, Castor, the Twin to the masses. It’s not a deluxe edition, but somehow it feels that way to me. The songs are songs we’ve heard before (except “The Beekeeper”), the iteration is different. Even though I am as big a fan as any of the
songwriter(she authors fiction),writer(but is not just an author)…that astonishingly creative mind, revisiting songs is something hard to convince. An all-time favorite of the past twelve years, Alkaline Trio, did it with Damnesia, and I didn’t bother listening.What’s the change? For one, Dessa added Sleeping with Nikki, a short story in a miniature, convenient bundle of pages that was pre-order only. Have yet to read her fiction, was always intrigued-got me on that one. Other change? Unless she’s performing with Doomtree, her live sound is no where close to what it was on Falsehopes or A Badly Broken Code anymore. It’s jazzed up with a live band. So readers, peruse on as this review goes on the first spin of Castor, the Twin. (read full review)
August 30, 2011
Minneapolis, MN
See more photography at http://wewerkaphoto.com.
August 20, 2011
Doomtree’s Dessa headlines the West Bank Music Festival in Minneapolis tonight, 8/20.
The West Bank Music Festival will return for a second installment this year, anchored around an outdoor stage and fanning out to all of the music venues that line Cedar Ave. in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis. The festival will take place on the evening of Saturday, August 20, and organizers have announced that Dessa will once again headline the fest along with Retribution Gospel Choir, the Goondas, Gramma’s Boyfriend, and dozens of to-be-announced acts. As with last year, a wristband will be sold for the festival that covers admission into the main stage area outdoors as well as all of the participating West Bank clubs, which last year included venues like the Nomad, Acadia, Triple Rock, Red Sea, Whiskey Junction and Palmer’s.
Admission: $5.
Address: Cedar Ave near UofM campus.
July 12, 2011
Track list of Astronautalis's next album announced by Consequence of Sound
Details:
The 11-track effort sees collaborations from multiple members of Doomtree, the rap collective from Astronautalis’ new Twin City home, including P.O.S, Sims, and production work by Cecil Otter and Lazerbeak. There’ll also be a song called “Contrails” with Tegan Quin, of former tourmates Tegan & Sara.
This Is Our Science Tracklist:
01. The River, The Woods
02. This Is Our Science (feat. Isaiah Toothtaker and P.O.S.)
03. Thomas Jefferson (feat. Sims and Mike Wiebe)
04. Measure the Globe
05. Dimitri Mendeleev
06. Midday Moon
07. Contrails (feat. Tegan Quin)
08. Holy Water
09. Secrets on Our Lips
10. Life the Curse
11. One for the Money
This Is Our Science drops September 13th.
June 17, 2011
Alternative weekly newspapers
Minneapolis City Pages interviews Astronautalis. Solely because he is moving to Minneapolis. It starts:
There’s a new love in Astronautalis’s life, and it’s the kind of all-consuming, heart-palpitating summer obsession that is the subject of so many songs. The rapper—known offstage as Andy Bothwell—is in a relationship with the entire city of Minneapolis, and things are starting to get serious.
And it’s awesome.
The Seattle Weekly publishes a story chronicling the pipeline from the Seattle scene to the Rhymesayers roster, in anticipation of Grieves’ upcoming Rhymesayers debut.
Label co-founder Brent “Siddiq” Sayers explains that his interest is rooted in the similarities between the two cities’ hip-hop scenes: “I definitely feel that there’s a connection to us and a scene like Seattle . . . that’s why there continues to be this synergy.”
Meanwhile, here in Boston, the Dig’s only mention of hip hop is a feature about an art gallery’s Wu-Tang exhibition. At least the Phoenix got the Best Local Hip Hop Act right (Moe Pope), but they followed that up by later saying, “[t]he most exciting new local alt-hip-hop act, Time Crisis, have already proven smart enough to separate themselves from the Boston rap community.” Not to mention the fact that the Phoenix named Kanye West Best National Hip Hop Act.
I am feeling jealous.
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