Sadistik [Artist]

Underground hip hop has become a well received genre these days.  The idea that hip hop music can be not only a form of poetry, but literature in motion, has become a relevant and accepted tradition by most in these times.  In fact, it is entirely pleasing to know that an act like Atmosphere is now a household name even outside the artistic communities.  And yet with the explosion of popularity happening, the true essence of the music has yet to have been lost.  Wordsmiths are still all around us.  And one can not express the power of this lovely branded music without mentioning the master of lyrical wit, Sadistik.

Sadistik is the bourbon in the espresso.  The freshly rolled blunt in the moonlit dive bar.  This Seattle based MC is a merchant of rhyme slaying who rarely goes contested in his respected field.  With blends of indie rock and old school soul, this is a cat that brings an all new sense of enlightenment to an already engmatic field of soldiers for the pen.  He’s been putting it down for a long while.  In 2008, he released critical acclaim from the underworld with his debut album, The Balancing Act.  The album may have been promoted heavily by guest appearances from the likes of Mac Lethal and Vast Aire, but it was Sadistik’s own prolific abilities that really rode him along to the earned respect he has (or at least should have) today.  He managed to create beautifully spastic lyrics meshed a perfectly timed flow in motion.  It was damn good.

But, our man has only gotten better.  He proved it in 2010 with the release of The Art of Dying with the Chicago based style master Kid Called Computer.  Rarely has a follow up album been this amazing.  And since, and before, this inception, Sadistik has seen himself working amongst the likes of so many great artists (Sage Francis, Eyedea (RIP), Blue Sky Black Death, etc.) in which he has continually proven that he is either on par with, or better than depending on who you may ask.  As well has opening for/performing with the likes of major acts such as Bone Thugs N Harmony, D12, Lotte Kestner, Cage, and more.  And to top it all of, he just completed a nation wide tour with two other amazing artists from the underground scene, Bodi (formerly Alexipharmic) and Kirstoff Kane (P.S.  watch for these two on Trainwreck’d very soon!) on the aptly titled and Kickstarter assisted Never Ending Gun Show Tour.

And nothing seems to be stopping this kid.  He is currently prepping for a Canadian performance debut, and some spots with Sage Francis in the Northwest, an EP with Kristoff Kane,  a full length with a electronic supernova Emancipator (who can also be found on The Balancing Act), and a solo album due out very soon.  There should be no doubt that Sadistik is a mad man on the loose, and should be adored at any given moment.   Do not question it:  Sadistik is destined, and deserves to be, the next household name in underground hip hop.

Check out Sadistik  at his WEBSITE, and watch for him as he hits the road, most likely in a city near you.

And if you find yourself in the Northwest this month, find Sadistik performing with Sage Francis at The Roseland Theater in Portland (9/210 and at Neumo’s in Seattle (9/22) before he heads to Edmonton, Alberta to play the Avenue Theater (10/1).

Jason Michael Allred [Showcase]

Jason Michael Allred is not a paid artist.  In fact, you can simply refain from asking him to “like, draw me a tattoo dude!”.  He won’t do it.  No, Jason is simply an amazing illustrator who would rather not take himself too seriously.  His illustrations and own personal brand of “street art” are for his entertainment only.  And maybe Facebook.  In fact, all of the illustrations and pieces in this blog were stolen directly from his Facebook album, without any permission given whatsoever.  Isn’t the internet grand!

Allred is definitely an amazing artist.  But, it is his style and demeanor in which he works that is most impressive.  What this highly eclectic designer of the dark can “doodle” during a slow day at work is in itself easily on par with some of the biggest names in the illustrated and sketching world.  And should our man decide to movie towards a career in the art world, there is no doubt he would take the world by storm.  But, really, I can’t see him giving two to three shits what others really think of his work.  And that is undoubtedly what makes a true artist.

To find more work from Jason Michael Allred……….well, good luck!

Guilt Monkey [Band]

Let’s face it, we all love classic rock.  But, we don’t want to admit it sometimes.  I don’t like to call myself a hipster because of the ill qualities that are consistently followed with such an expression of interest, but I might very well be one.  I only like country music when it comes from the time of my grandfather, and I only like classic rock that is nowhere near The Eagles, and is slightly updated if recreated properly at all.  Chuck Klosterman would call me a hipster douchebag for this, and since his word is bond, I must conform.  But, no matter, I am in love with a new artist who epitomizes the old ways of rock and roll.  Introducing Brin Addison and his band of merry men, Guilt Monkey.

Upon listening to the track “Crash and Burn” from the little known Guilt Monkey, I was immediately reminded of one of my favortie, and most unrepresented, times of music….the post bullet in Cobain’s head period of the 90’s.  I thought I was hearing a b-side from Stabbing Westward, mixed with a bit of post Ozzy, Black Sabbath.  For those familiar with the differences, this has to be appealing.  And then I dug into a few more tracks, and intriguing became a loose term I could no longer afford to use.  Move right into the funkadelic yet extremely heavy “Checking Out” and you will realize that somewhere in Belgium, a motherfucker is developing the exact sound that so many new hard rock acts wish they could create (Dear Danko Jones, take notes).  Guilt Monkey is a mosh ready, tantilizing and heavy sound far superior to what your small town radio station could ever get away with playing.  This is a superior blend of blues chords mixed with in your fat fucking face hardcore riffs that will leave your ears bleeding if you are not ready for such a damn good time.

Guilt Monkey  knows their shit to say the least.  Addison recently produced one of the finest albums of 2010 (Jesus Rehab’s The Highest Highs and The Lowest Lows) that is far beyond his own personal sound, but still obviously holds a bit of his creative spirit and bit of his personal ambition.  No matter the man’s credentials, this guy is the definitely the heart and soul of hard rock and roll today.  We need more people like Addison to keep our minds boggled, and our hearts beating in an amazing fashion.  And when a man like Brin finds a team of such talented hard rockin’ musicians as he did with Guilt Monkey, it is amazing to see think of what the future might truly hold.

Check out music from Guilt Monkey on their SOUNDCLOUD page.  You won’t regret.  I promise.

Kathie “Keona” Bayne [Showcase]

It was around the fall of last year when I learned that an old friend of mine was doing some amazing things with digital art, sculpting, and drawing.  Subsequently, I was in the beginning stages of putting together a compilation album for Children of Mercy.  As fate would have it, I was able to snag Kathie to create a piece for the cover of the album.  And what she created soon became known as The Face of the Children of Mercy.  Let’s just say that I was far beyond impressed with what she gave us.  And if all the stars align (in whatever astrological way they may do so these days), Kathie will be doing a new piece for a super secret (sort of) project in the works.  For now, I thought I would show off a few pieces from an artist I consider to be one of the finest artists in the pop and digital world working today.

You can view, and purchase, even more work from Kathie “Keona” Bayne from her deviantART site.

Children of Mercy Compilation album cover

“Adriana Lima”

“Bean”

“Love The Way You Lie Part II”

“Lost Eyes”

“Anna”

“Zooey”

“Team Conan”

“Zappa”

Oy Vey [Band]

Photo by Matt Eisman

Oh snap, it’s finally happened!  The dubious sounds of electronic combined with a hook heavy, singer/songwriting stamina that has gone unmatched since MGMT graced us with their electric feel.  Oy Vey have emerged, and the competition is sure to be thicker than Rosie O’ Donnell after a casino buffet.  Longtime friends Bryce Aubrey and Kevin Corcoran have created something that is so simply cool it’s almost indescribable.  But, I will give it a shot.

The most grandoise and spectacular aspect of Oy Vey’s debut album Botanical Curiosity is how each track is a singularly amazing experience.  The album’s first single, “White Lies” sends you back into a time warp to the days where a well constructed chorus was an absolute must.  When there was no need for an abundance of confusion and when lyrics where meant to be interpreted however you chose to hear them.  Jump back to the Ziggy Stardust-esque “Astronauta” and prepare to begin an out of this world experience on a planet filled with grit and hardcore guitar riffs.  Skip down to the ultra pop cut “Idiot” where you learn a little bit about love and the beauty of stupidity.

Oy Vey has only just begun making a name for themselves.  Hitting the airwaves last May, these little known geniuses in their own right have hit the airwaves hard across the U.S. and overseas eventually landing themselves a very respectable spot on the CMJ charts, without actually dropping an album yet!  These New Hampshire bred buddy rockers have since dropped the album digitally on CDBaby and other convenient outlets, but the official physical release will be hitting the shelves on August 30th.  And proving how dedicated these cats are to their craft, they have already began recording their sophomore release, Recession Girlswith the likes of talented musicians such as Johnny Rabb and Steven Stokes.

Photo by Matt Eisman

The story behind Oy Vey is one of constant friendship and consistent distances.  But thankfully for all of us, the boys have gotten their act together (all pun intended) and do not show any signs of losing the relentless spirit that makes them so damn brilliant.  Ladies and gentlemen, we might have found the obvious breakthrough group of 2011.

Oy Vey’s debut album, Botanical Curiosity is currently available on iTunes and CDBaby.  Physical copies are in the works, and will be available as a self released album on August 30th through CDBaby.  Find all the information you need from the band’s website, where you can also stream the entire album in all it’s glory!

The Handcuffs [Band]

Photo by Sam Pillsbury

The Handcuffs, a.k.a. Chicago’s Chloe F. Orwell and Brad Elvis, have been called many things.  Sultry and irrepressible are two adjectives that stick out in my mind.  But, I would like to put a new touch on this strangely entertaining group – classy!  This is a stunning personality collective that combines the impeccable heavy riffs of 70’s legendary power rock, and the estranged songwriting stanzas of the 90’s all wrapped up in a glittery glam rock blanket.  The Handcuffs essentially combine the greatest aspects of the rock and pop in the last 50 years, and fine tune it into their own brand of delicious power pop.

And for their third release, Waiting for the Robot, Orwell and Elvis picked up some help making them a lovely five piece, upping their talent three fold.  The kick of single for Robots is, without a doubt, a direct representation of the magic these phenomenal artists are able to create.  The title alone, “Dirty Glitter” could very well be this glamtastic groups own name.  This hook heavy track is reminiscent to the outlandish underworld of the 90’s that burst out with zero explanation on MTV, back when they still played music.  Remember?  And the slowed down, yet entirely enticing, “Miss You On Tuesday” is even greater proof that The Handcuffs are a band that is finally finding their place in the world, and only beginning to receive the respect they have always deserved.

Waiting for the Robot is set to be released on September 6th.  A record release party would be make perfect sense, right?  But, how about a record release party at The House of Blues.  And better yet, how about being accompanied by Blondie?!  All in The Handcuff’s hometown of Chicago?  There really couldn’t be a more monumental way to kick things into gear.  Although a show with Blondie might just be another notch in their belts considering the immense touring they have involved themselves with including spots with Eleni Mandell, Joan Jett, Evan Dando, Glen Tilbrook, and more as well as having their songs featured on several television shows and leaving their mark on the Sundance featured documentary The Education of Shelby Knox.  The list of successes could go on and on.  It is suffice to say that The Handcuffs is a phenomenon in the making.  And Waiting for the Robot is destined to be one of the finest albums of 2011.

Check out “Dirty Glitter”, “Miss You On Tuesday”, and even more tracks, old and new, on the band’s official website.  And look watch for Waiting for the Robot to be released on September 6th.

And if you find yourself in the Chicago area on September 7th, make sure you get your glam ass down to The House of Blues to check out The Handcuffs and Blondie.  Tickets are $37.50 Advanced/$40 at the door (if they still exist by then!)  Pick them up HERE before it’s too late!

Arman Augusto [Artist]

In the music blogging business (if you could really call it that) some pretty sweet and amazing coincidences can occur. When you randomly come across an artist that becomes an instant favorite, you become instantly thankful for the random research you find yourself falling into.  Arman Augusto is most definitely the epitaph for my findings over the last few years.

A dear friend of mine living in Portland, OR slyly recommended the works of this San Diego based experimental folk artist back in 2008.  During the following year, Arman released his sophomore release under the moniker The Walking entitled Wanderings and Distractions on what would soon become one of my favorite record labels, Sergeant Sparrow Records.  It became one of my favorite albums of 2009, and continues to be an album that can be played at any given moment of any given day (check out my 2009 review at Fensepost).  His debut album (Manor/Model), and 2011 follow-up as The Walking (Sensory) would prove to be just as worthwhile.  And in 2011, Arman and Sergeant Sparrow Records would showcase his full-blown experimental styling with a side project entitled The Old Lace.  This is where we find Mr. Augusto experimenting in an entire electronic form, which is in turn, entirely wonderful.

And on August 16th, I found myself in awe of Arman once again.  Our man has developed yet ANOTHER side project.  But, this is unlike anything he has ever done before.  I truly didn’t know what I was going to be getting into, and was actually sort of spooked when I first pressed play on track one of the Curse of The Black Widow debut EP of the same title.  Here is Arman in a raw and somewhat malevolent form.  Over thrash heavy beats and rhythms that crush skulls and spirits in a single strum comes the sound of a demon sent directly to the heavens to entice the calm angels of earth.  This might seem like an extremely fucked up way to describe somebody’s artistic endeavors, but I will be damned if I couldn’t smell the blood of the non-believers flowing in a dark stream as I began hear what a folk artist is creating.

It’s actually pretty amazing to hear an artist who actually loves to experiment with new sounds, and not just saying they do.  All three projects of Arman Augusto are entirely different and unique in their own way.  Thinking of it now, Arman could very well be the American counterpart to fellow Trainwreck’d featured artist, Thom Carter of the UK.

All satanic symbolism aside, Augusto’s latest project Curse of The Black Widow is as compelling as his previous efforts.  It is yet another venture into the world of one of today’s finest independent acts creating masterpieces that develop from within their own inner psyche, and from little other inspiration than what they consider personal and exploitive to their inner thoughts.  Arman Augusto is an independent artist who stands really stands out among his thousands of peers creating today.  Whether it be on his latest effort, or as The Walking or The Old Lace, this is definitely an artist you will want to follow.

Check out Curse of The Black Widow on the Bandcamp site.  You can pick up this terrific 6 track digital EP for just $1.  A sweet deal!

And check out Arman’s work as The Walking and The Old Lace from the Sergeant Sparrow Records website.

Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits [Band]

Photo by Lia Walker

I have been a fan of Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits since high school.  Which, sadly for both me and them, is starting to become a VERY long time ago.  Nevertheless, BJE took a substantial break to make time for other endeavors.  But in 2010, the band made a triumphant return with the release of their first album in several years aptly titled, F.  I was fortunate enough to be the first person to do a full blown album review at Fensepost (right HERE) from them since, well, I was in high school (initiate sighs and grumbles).  And since then, I have become fortunate enough to consider Dan Abbott and Corbett Redford III good friends of mine.  My psychopathic fanboy status actually earned me a very generous donation of Dan’s writing in a little book you might know (for my 3-4 avid readers out there) as Children of Mercy.  Thus, it is only proper that I show my upmost support in everything they do!  Which is very easy because everything they do can be scientifically proven as nothing shy of awesome!

Since BJE returned to our lives with the release of F, these chaiotically charming masterminds have been relentless in their attempts to make you laugh, cry, or menstrate on command over the last year.  They went on a nationwide tour (including a stop in my hometown of Kelso, WA in which I was sadly NOT in attendance, sad faces), have been seen all over the blogosphere, and released an amazing video for the single “Poly” that was (un)fortunately to dirty for Youtube and were forced to remove it.  It is however, available on Vimeo, where you can also find a brilliant video for my personal favorite track, “Lake of Flies”.  And if you find yourself at all interested, the boys are looking to make a video for my other personal favorite cut “Life Is Excellent” and could use a bit of help.  So, needless to say really, our boys have been working very hard.  They have relentlessly pimped out their own brand of sophisticated and satirical brand of comedy through talented musicianship with a die hard attitude greater than Bruce Willis.

And this is where their latest installment comes in.  The video for “Time Is Crawling”.  This video is so amazing for two reasons:  (1) I can’t even show it to you here, because it is so damn gory that you must have entered a valid birthdate to watch it, and (2) It is actually a very genius short film that is more thought out than any music video you have seen since R. Kelly made 50 of them for one song!  This is some amazingly disgusting, blood squirting stuff.  Our boys teamed up with bloody-disgusting.com and and Shoot At Will Films to create an all out fascinating arrangement.  Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits are known for being all over the damn place.  Whether they rap along Hyphy style, exploit women for the greatest comedic results, or, now, creating horrific images of castration and sufficiation, all the while making you laugh your ass off….these guys never lose.  Their comedic presence is always accessible.  But, there is definitely an underlying tone to their music that can not be disregarded.  These cats have made a life work’s of beautifully crafted songs that torture reality with a comedic glance through the looking glass into it’s own raw emotions.  Basically:  it’s not always funny because it’s true.

Check out “Time Is Crawling” for yourself at bloody-disgusting.com.  For fans of horror and/or castration comedy, I guarantee you will love this one.

Find more great work from Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits on Facebook.  You can also support the making of “Life Is Excellent” by visiting their page on IndieGoGo.