Berkeley Place » Hip Hop

LEIF(kolt) & Dusty Nix-Nothing for the Vultures (EP)

ekko — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:33:12 +0000

This one is just weird. It’s gritty electronica hip hop with rapper LEIF(kolt) who tends to spit, growl and hiss more than rap, and San Diego producer Dusty Nix.

Get the EP as a digital download here.

Here’s a vid of the best cut off the EP.

BABYFACE MONSTER-Cadillac Brougham Joints (EP)

ekko — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:29:24 +0000

Rich Daley, a.k.a. Babyface Monster, wants you to have his FreEp. He’s a Chi-town lyricist with a silky flow and lyrics that range from Cool J shmoove to street stories, all told with humor. The whole album feels very person. Really solid stuff.

Get it here.

Babyface Monster – Cadillac Brougham Joints by bfmbangerz

THE GRANVILLE SESSIONS-No State (EP)

ekko — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:30:01 +0000

Here’s how this band reached out to me: “My name is Aaron and I’m in a live Hip Hop band from London, England.”

When I see “hip hop” and “England” in the same sentence, my first instinct to to head for zee hills. But this one’s good. Real good.

Check out the vid for “Pubsteppin,” below. That’s British for barhopping. And if you like it, the album is just six pounds on Bandcamp I don’t know what is in dollars, but I’m pretty sure it’s about six.

We also recently dropped an album (free link below):

SILENT KNIGHT-Stayin’ Busy

ekko — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:10:28 +0000

Good rap single that samples Fiest. So all you indieraplovers can dig it.
Here’s the remix.
Here’s the video:

TOWNFOLK-Dakota

ekko — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:40:51 +0000

A collection of very cool instrumentals from Sabzi of the under-rated Blue Scholars hip hop band.

Check ‘em out here.

Get a taste right here:
Download Sabzi Jenisea
Sabzi Jenisea

YYOU-OTF (EP)

ekko — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:06:11 +0000

There are rappers who you listen to because they have tight lyrics, and paint pictures you’ve never seen before–they may be dressing up standard ideas (boy loves girl; “I’m great and rich;” getting high; etc.), but they talk about them in a new way. And then there are rappers who make your head bob and nod, and make you want to dance and move and shout along. And then there’s the beat: Some rap lyricists may suck, but they’ve got tremendous hooks (I’m thinking of Dr. Dre here).

And there’s the rare rapper who can do all of the above.

Readers, I give you Yyou, an independent HipHop artist from Victoria BC, Canada, who wants you to hear his new album OTF so bad, he’s giving it away. Go get it, and make sure you listen to “Take Me Home Tonight” (produced By Jonathan Lee),” which takes the familiar Eddie Money hook and turns it into a monster.

Get it here.

(NOT) THE TOP 10 INDIE ALBUMS OF 2011

ekko — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:24:10 +0000

I already posted my top 10 albums of 2011 list. These here? They’re the next ten, the runners up, numbers 11-20, whatever you wanna call it. They just ain’t the top 10 indie albums of 2011. Just damn close.

I must listen to between five and ten new records every week. Times that by 52 and you get…A shitload of records. About 15% of those get a review or a mention on my site. Those get tucked away in a neat little “2011″ playlist on my iPod, which I listen to from time to time throughout the year. If you survive the year, you get to be a candidate for my end-of-the-year “Best Of” list. If you survive the candidate selection, but don’t get on the list, you may get to go here, on this list, the “bubbling under” ten.

10. CyHi the Prince-Jack of All Trades.

Fantastic mixtape from the ATL.

9. Edubble-Written Thursdays.

I can’t believe this guy is still underground. Get it here.

8. Imaginary Cities-Temporary Resident.

A totally beautiful record.

7. Rademacher-Babyhawk.

These guys never do no wrong. Check ‘em out on Bandcamp.

6. Javelin-Canyon Candy.

Alt-country electronica. Wild. Check it out here.

5. Death Grips-Exmilitary

Angriest album of the year. Motherfuckers sample Arthur Brown, too. Is this industrial rage? Rap? The hardest rock you’ve ever heard? Or just some insane preacher with a backbeat? No idea.

Get it free here, but don’t say I didn’t warn you: This is an extremely disturbing record.

4. Ultramods-Underwear Party. A little farther down, you’re gonna read that Kurt Vile is the new Lou Reed. Well, Ultramods are the old Lou Reed singing in the modern day: Odd, rap/rants about life in the digital age. Check it out here. Entire thing was recorded on an iPad.

3. Papoose-Law Library.

It’s a mixtape of raps about various felonies–defining them, discussing them…Witty, and smart. You find a link here.

2. Kurt Vile-Smoke Rings for My Halo (+So Out Of Reach EP).

Kurt Vile is the new Lou Reed, no shit. Not only did he release a great album this year, but he followed it up with an EP of outtakes that were just as good…And even delivered a cover of Springsteen’s Downbound Train!

You can buy the set here.

The Creature (from so out of reach)

1. Colin Hay-Gathering Mercury.

The man’s been pumping out amazing songs for three decades, and he’s still brilliant. Is it blasphemy to say I like him better than Bob Dylan? Probably. But I don’t care.

THE 10 BEST INDIE RECORDS OF 2011

ekko — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:23:10 +0000

There was some real good indie rock this year. But, surprisingly, there was a ton of good hip hop as well. Usually there’s a few rap records on my list, and the rest are rock. But 2011 was a good year for rap. Truly. Every year, folks complain about how there’s not good hip hop anymore, and usually they’re right. But this year is an exception.

Even the major labels managed to get a few things right. Eminem and Royce knocked it out of the park. Kanye and Jay-Z’s album didn’t suck as hard as it could have. Granted, it avoided creative, deft lyricism in favor of slick production, and generally wasn’t about anything, but it was fun to listen to. It was like potato chips: Temporarily filling and fun to eat. The Beastie Boys’ record was better–not the best they’ve done, but better than you’d expect. Couple that with strong releases from Pusha T and Royce Da 5’9″, and that’s about as good as it gets for releases on the major labels–albums that have to make money also have to avoid surprises, so it wasn’t that bad.

But we’re not really about that, are we? This site is all about independence from the RIAA; freedom from commercial bondage; and getting the name of the little guy out there. So what was good on the indie front this year? Lots. So many, I can’t keep it to a top 10 list.

And soon I’ll be posting the runner-ups, too, so if you’ve already got these but you want to get some new tunes, make sure you don’t miss it. Now, hit the break for my list.

HOLLYWOOD FLOSS-So Much To Say

ekko — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:08:44 +0000

I do really dig this cat.

TOP 10 INDIE EPs and SINGLES OF 2011

ekko — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:56:35 +0000

Here’s my list. Let’s do this.

10. SCOUT-Pi

A sweet, simple EP.

Please Excuse Me.

9. SELF SCIENTIFIC-Trials of the Blackhearted

An EP with Big K.R.I.T., Talib Kweli, Freddie Gibbs, Game….And the shit’s free?!?

8. MOTHA FOLKIN’ SOUL-Self Titled.

Hilarious, rated X, irreverent, catchy and well-written. Awesome debut. Here’s the review.

Best Friends.

7. GRYNCH-Timeless EP

“All I Wanna Do” is as good as “My Volvo.” Word.

Get it here, free.

6. KREAYSHAWN-Gucci Gucci

Pretty much as soon as this dropped, this Brooklyn chick got picked up by the Majors. Let’s hope she’s got more in her than one song, a la Fannypack’s “Cameltoe.”