1. Dandy Heat - "Southpop"
2. Európa Kiadó - "Megalazo"
3. Boiz - "Hope"
4. noimnotwhite - "Burning Man"
5. Jay Sol - "The Game"
6. Simonada - "heat death"
7. Gusto Gusto - "New Laughs, New Jokes"
8. Honeyflowers - "Yellow Boy"
9. 10 Foot Overhead - "Why Do You Care (feat. Boiz)"
10. Isao Tomita - "The Sunken Cathedral"
11. I Killed Techno! - "Heal! Heal! Frog Ass!"
12. Pillowsnake - "Copaganda (feat. I Killed Techno)"
13. STRGHTFWRD - "Unchained"
14. PatrickStarrr - "Go Off"
LISTEN ON MIXCLOUD
LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS
NOTES
The RGV is in really bad shape right now, people are dying of COVID-19 every day, our hospitals are full, and our most powerful hospital is withholding resources - and hospital space. All this paired with the firm refusal on the part of the State Government to shut down the economy again are sending my neck of the woods head-first into a pile of shit. Let's not forget that the Trump administration has also made it so that hospitals are no longer reporting to the CDC - an attempt to control and skew the numbers of cases and deaths connected to COVID-19 throughout the country. Things are bad, y'all. They've been bad everywhere else, but now they're bad here.
That being said, the music on today's show is almost all from Valley artists, each track more remarkable than the next.
EDIT: I've decided to add some write-ups on these tracks. They're all incredible and I think every single one of these artists deserves some pen put to paper about their work.
1. Dandy Heat - "Southpop" | Label: Self-released
It only makes sense that the Valley's answer to brit-pop giants like Blur and Pulp would release a song that sounds like aural sunshine at the peak of summer. With a stripped down beat laying down the grid for washed out guitars and a fluttery, conversational bassline, "Southpop" sounds the way Summer should: thriving, full-of-life, and jubilant.
2. Boiz - "Hope" | Label: Self-released
Keeping with the theme of posi-vibes, we have a bouncy new single from Brownsville's well-preened electro-pop outfit, Boiz. Their latest EP, Everywhere I Go, was produced by Adrian Loera of Brownsville's premier recording studio, Creative Cave, and boasts a consistent set of elevated pop bangers. While some of the lyrical content leans more 'male gaze-y' than I'd prefer - and in the case of hype-beast anthem "High Fashion", just comical - the music shows definite promise, and I believe Boiz have given themselves plenty of room to grow beyond the tropes of popular music. I can only hope that they choose to do so, because with tracks like "Hope", they've demonstrated that they know how to write a damn good song.
3. noimnotwhite - "Burning Man" | Label: Midnight Militia
This kid DMed me on the U-Punk IG account the other day after I put up a call for performers to play upcoming Instagram Lives streaming slots. I thought his brand of sad-boi hip-hop wasn't bad, though some of his tracks run a little morbid for my taste (see his latest horrorcore-lite single "Stalk-Her"). Jay Barr shows he's got a knack for lyricism, and through the network of collaborators he's associated with in the Midnight Militia label, creative vision as well. He's signed on to do an IG Live set on 10/10, so follow us on IG and keep an eye out for that one.
4. Jay Sol - "The Game" | Label: Self-released
This song scratched an itch I've had for some time now. I can't think of a Valley artist that's tackled r&b/neo-soul sounds quite like Jay Sol has. With pipes that send flickering glimpses of Frank Ocean and even a little ZAYN, Jay Sol packs a bottle tight with heartbreak and sends it out sea with grace. Not sure who produced this track, but the production is rightfully minimal and dedicated to supporting Jay's soothing baritone. Looking forward to what Jay's got coming next. I learned recently that he's currently recovering from COVID-19, so sending him best wishes as well.
5. Simonada - "heat death" | Label: Self-released/Futuro Conjunto
This has become my favorite track from Charlie Vela & Jonathan Leal's buzzing transmedia project, Futuro Conjunto. For Charlie and Jonathan to create fictional groups, each with their own personality and histories, is a feat in itself. But to also make distinctly unique music for each group...that's also amazing?? That's a fucking miracle. Simonada features spellbinding vocal performances from two of the Valley's greatest indie-rock vocalists, Jesika Cueta, and Andy Peña of Quiet Kids (previously Dignan). As the two harmonize around the music's vaguely latin rhythms and accordion-brushed melodies, they create a dreamy space that evokes a spectrum of emotion - and that's without reading the lyrics, which lament the fate that has befallen the RGV 100 years into the future. An absolute gem of a song.
6. Gusto Gusto - "New Laughs/New Jokes" | Label: Self-released
An earlier demo version of what has since become a staple of the band's live sets, "New Laughs/New Jokes" acts as a thesis for bandleader Gustavo Bañuelos' ever-evolving songwriting handbook. Groovy basslines, pocket drums, foggy synthesizers, and subtle guitar lines all play second-fiddle to Gus' firm but flexible tenor vocalizations. One night while I was delivering some buttons I made for the band to Gus' house, he invited me in to listen to some of his demos, stuff he'd been working on at home alone. One song in, I was absolutely floored with the sheer space this dude can create in a single track by himself. Truly a talent, not to be underestimated. He'll be playing a live set this weekend on our Instagram, so be sure to tune in for that.
7. Honeyflowers - "Yellow Boy" | Label: Self-released
This song opens with shining keys, and leads directly into silence. What breaks that silence is vocalist Paolo Honey's smokey baritone falsetto, crooning with a constant vibrato that evokes all but the frustration at the core of this beautiful and otherwise unassuming anti-racist indie-pop jam. Instead of channeling anger, Honeyflowers lean into tight-knit rhythms, swirling synth lines, and guitar solos to release tension. It's a smart move songwriting-wise, and also a refreshingly cool-headed approach to this undoubtedly painful topic. Also, incorrectly labeled this as a "Paulo Honey" track when it's by the band Honeyflowers, also Paolo's name isn't spelled with a 'u'. The new image reflects this.
8. 10 Foot Overhead - "Why Do You Care (feat. Boiz)" | Label: Self-released
Another jam I got wind of through the excellent Raymus Media blog! 10 Foot Overhead are a quartet based out of Brownsville with a bit of an emotional streak. Classic alt-rock balladry at play here with some contemporary furnishings, could easily see this jam holding its own among other sync-worthy tracks playing in your favorite new streaming shows.
9. I Killed Techno! - "Heal! Heal! Frog Ass!" | Label: Self-released
IKT's Eric Linares is back on Doomed Forever, his latest full-length cassette, bringing the horror punk vibes with greater dissonance and doom than ever before. "Heal! Heal! Frog Ass!" doesn't really resemble the traditional Mexican folk-spell it's named after ("sana, sana, colita de rana" in Spanish), but perhaps alludes more to a grimy tale of willing self-destruction ("He’s eatin his way out of his brain / You’ll see his masterpiece soon / As winter draws in closer / He slowly fades away into his favorite place").
10. Pillowsnake - "Copaganda (feat. I Killed Techno!)" | Label: Self-released
This is the crown jewel of the show, in my opinion. Pillowsnake's Jacob LaFollette has a history of building unique glitched-out sound-worlds on his previous releases, but never have they sounded so concise and directional as "Copaganda" does. The track is a fervently anti-police industrial-pop(?) journey through layer after layer of synth textures ranging from booming lows to flickering electric-violin highs. The music video for this track would look like the most fun videogame you've ever played. At the point where IKT enters the arena - like a veritable Player 2 - the song takes a brief pause to let some almost harpsichord-y deep organ sounds resonate on their own, and it feels as if we're about to walk into a boss fight of some kind. I've been listening to this track so much since it was released a couple months back. So fun.
11. STRGHTFWRD - "Unchained" | Label: Self-released
The solid debut single from this EDM powerhouse. I'm probably least qualified to talk in-depth about EDM, as it truly is a universe unto itself, but I like what these guys do. According to their SoundCloud, this jam falls under the umbrellas of BASS, HOUSE, and TECH HOUSE. Sounds apporpriate to me! They've been building a good brand for themselves since their transition from "3AM" to STRGHTFWRD earlier this year, and I'm looking forward to what they're able to put together once we're able to lose our minds in clubs to beats again.
12. PatrickStarrr - "Go Off" | Label: ONE/SIZE / PatrickStarrr
Today's closer is a ballroom JAM. Produced in no small part by the RGV's own producer-extraordinaire, Charlie Vela, "Go Off" screams pride. When PatrickStarrr, who for the uninitiated, is a HUGELY famous make-up and lifestyle YouTuber, calmly slides out a "don't get mad bitch" I can't help but release the cackle of a lifetime. The confidence and sheer power in this song - don't even get me started on the music video, which is absolutely bananas - is enough to get anybody ready for literally anything that they find intimidating or frightening in any way. Watch the video below:
Whistleblower Twitter Thread - also be sure to check out some of her follow-up tweets, she shares images and accounts sent to her by other medical workers at DHR.
I don't have that much else to say right now. Spread this whistleblower story far and wide, please and thank you. Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other. See y'all next week.
AS
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