EVENT CALENDAR
Friday, February 7, 2025
OUT NOW: MindsOne 'Stages' [Double LP]
MindsOne, the auteur hip-hop collective from Wilmington, North Carolina (Emcees KON Sci and Tronic, along with DJs Noumenon and Slim Deluxe), present their most ambitious quest to date: Stages – their sixth studio album since 2006. As told through the lens of MindsOne’s perspectives, imaginations, and dreams, their new double album (with nineteen songs in total) explores concepts of the human experience, how we are forged through growth and struggle, and the connections that help us along the journey.
MindsOne came together in the early 2000’s when four like-minded hip-hop performers from Southeastern North Carolina decided to join forces and transcend the tribal nature of the local music scene. Collectively, the group has produced and released 8 full-length releases, and found critical success within the international hip-hop community, as well as recognition from respected peers along the way. With each release, MindsOne has refined their concept-heavy approach to hip-hop music and challenged the status quo by offering listeners thought-provoking lyrics, cutting edge turntablism, and cleverly crafted song structures.
Stages is a concept album through and through. The album traces the life cycle from inception, to the reflective later stages in life, and all the phases in between, with an open ended conclusion to the project as opposed to a finite ending. MindsOne uses various literary approaches to tackle all of the psychological, philosophical, sociological and spiritual stages we move through during the course of our development and maturation. Finally, Stages offers personal insight and detail into the unique yet sometimes shared experiences both Tron and KON Sci have encountered through.
LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM | ORDER VINYL RECORD (ALMOST SOLD OUT)
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
REVIEW: JPW & Dad Weed "It's Happening"
[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, January 28, 2025]
Phoenix, AZ based musicians Jason P. Woodbury and Zachary Toporek have released It's Happening, a new single by JPW & Dad Weed project, serving as a taste from their forthcoming Amassed Like a Rat King album. It's a scuzzy sounding exploration of left-field indie rock, as if the instruments have been gathering dust for a couple of decades.
Somehow everything still works, which comes as a surprise for the musicians themselves. The bass and drums only interlude is a 101 for less is more, before giving way wo a Tom Verlaine inspired guitar leading the way to a 60s Sci-Fi psych coda.
It's Happening is released via Fort Lowell Records. The Amassed Like a Rat King album (green vinyl, digital) is available for pre-order here. Release date: April 22.
Monday, February 3, 2025
REVIEW: Kicking Bird - "What Did You Expect (with Such a Beautiful Wife)"
North Carolina's Kicking Bird floored us with 2023's Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album had this amazing 60's and 90's retro sound that we loved, and reminded us of bands like Weezer and Fountains of Wayne. Now they're back with "What Did You Expect (with Such a Beautiful Wife)." This new song also has a 90's throwback sound, and while there are still some sonic references to bands like Weezer and Fountains of Wayne, I'm also getting a little of Lush's poppier side and Velocity Girl. It's a song that puts a little extra noise into dream pop with more of a DIY side than we'd normally associate with the genre. The new single is filled with swirling, slightly off guitars that's going to instantly suck a lot of our readers in.
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