VIDEO: “Against The Bottom” – Grieves & Budo

This is either an add for Gap clothing or footage from a party in Brooklyn I attended last weekend. I’m not entirely sure. In any case, it’s the closing track on Grieves & Budo’s recent Together/Apart, an album which represents the duo’s best work, by far.

You may hate and call this clip corny, but we’ve all had days just like this when every girl you met was your dream girl and it felt like the sun would never set.

Video

DOWNLOAD: “Magnums” – La (prod. by Jester)

Click track artwork to D/L.

“Magnums” is the second leak from La’s next project, SEALAB 2012. Jester on the beat. This song is about getting laid, not the infamous cop show from the 80’s that starred the Patron Saint of Mustaches, Tom Selleck. (Though if it were, La would undoubtedly make it an entertaining song.)

Judging by this and the last drop from SEALAB (“Dutches”), this album promises yet another sound from La. Dude has already shown he can go Golden Era with Gravity (206UP.COM’s top Seattle hip-hop album from 2010) and gully with Roll With The Winners (another standout from last year). The artist formerly known as Language Arts is quickly on his way to shedding his rep as just another battle rapper.

Downloads

DOWNLOAD: “Wylout” – Th3rdz (prod. by BeanOne)

Click photo to D/L.

Correction: there is a “z” at the end of Th3rdz. And it is pronounced “The Thirds.”

Now that that’s established, check the latest drop from the Oldominion-affiliated three-man wrecking crew of Candidt, JFK and Xperience. “Wylout” is produced by BeanOne and sounds like one of them early hype Wu-Tang joints. The kind built exclusively for jumping up and down repeatedly in the club. If this track were a candy bar, it would consist of chocolate, caramel nougat and crunched up bits of microphone. It’d be called a “Chunky, Son!”

“Wylout” – Th3rdz (prod. by BeanOne)

Downloads

DOWNLOAD: “Do You Have Time” – THEESatisfaction

Click image to D/L at Subpop Records.

Freshly-signed Subpop artists THEESatisfaction dropped this track last weekend (#LatePass). I consider myself lucky to have been able to meet Cat and Stasia back in ’09 during their foray to CMJ out here in New York City (where I live). Read the 206UP.COM Interview from that meeting, here.

Someday soon I’ll be able to say, “I met those girls back when they were recording mixtapes in closets and booking all their own shows!” THEESatisfaction deserves all the future success that is soon to come.

“Do You Have Time” – THEESatisfaction

Downloads Interviews Listen

DOWNLOAD: “Therapy” – Th3rd (prod. by 10.4 Rog)

Click photo to D/L at Rog's Soundcloud.

Everything about this track pops. From 10.4 Rog’s piercing snaps and hand claps, to the spirited verses from Th3rd’s all-star roster (if you don’t know by now you better do your homework, dunny). This joint is about H.E.R. love and it sounds like Summertime.

Downloads Listen

VIDEO: “Spell On You” – Black Stax

This is hella filthy. Watch the members of Black Stax transcend yo’ earthly ass through movement, music and good old-fashioned home cookin’. Simple but so complex. Directed by The Note.

Video

VIDEO: “Focused” – Logics (feat. Geo & Adrian Sims)

If I were a rapper who appeared in many music videos (which I’m not and I don’t), I’d have trouble finding ways to bide my time in the background while waiting for my turn to spit. What do I do with my hands? Do they give lessons on proper rap posturing? Is it uncool to make bunny ears behind the dude who’s letting me guest shot on his track? These are the questions that would keep me up at night. Neither Geo nor Logics have these problems and this is why they are rappers and I’m not.

(By the way, “Focused” is one of my favorite local tracks of the year and I featured it on the 206UP.COM Town Movement mixtape that you have already downloaded and shared with all of your friends. Right?)

Downloads Video

DOWNLOAD: Dear Friends, Vol. III – Sol

Click album cover to D/L.

The final entry in Sol’s Dear Friends EP series is live and ready for bumping. Click above or below to get that. From dude’s press release:

I am proud to present: Dear Friends, Vol. III! This project is the final installment to my free EP trilogy and the prelude to my full-length album Yours Truly scheduled for a fall release. DFIII, an eclectic collection of six songs, is the continuation of my evolution as well as an introduction for all those who have only recently tuned in or who will hear my music for the first time via this project. With a little bit of classic hip-hop, a little bit of genre-bending, and a little bit of baby-making music… no matter who you are I think you will like this EP!

Downloads

NEWS: Blue Scholars Fall Tour w/Bambu

The longest headlining tour Blue Scholars has ever done includes 29 dates across cities in the West, Midwest and Northeast. Check the list below for your town. Tickets on sale Friday, July 29.

09/14 – Vancouver, BC – 560 Nightclub
09/17 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Market
09/20 – Eugene, OR – Wow Hall
09/21 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
09/22 – Olympia, WA – The Royal Lounge
09/23 – Bellingham, WA – Wild Buffalo
09/24 – Belllingham, WA – Wild Buffalo
10/12 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
10/13 – Santa Cruz, CA – Atrium @ Catalyst
10/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Key Club
10/16 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
10/18 – Scottsdale, AZ – Chasers
10/19 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
10/20 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
10/21 – Denver, CO – Cervantes
10/22 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep
10/23 – Ft. Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
10/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court (early) & Urban Lounge (late)
10/26 – Boise, ID – Reef
10/27 – Missoula, MT – Top Hat
10/28 – Spokane, WA – A Club
11/03 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
11/04 – Madison, WI – Frequency
11/05 – Chicago, IL – Schuba’s
11/06 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig
11/07 – Toronto, ON – WrongBar
11/08 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
11/10 – Boston, MA – Paradise
11/11 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

Live Coverage News