INTERVIEW: F.STOKES
Friday, October 15th at 9 PM for $5Majestic Theater, 115 King Street, Madison, Wisconsin F.Stokes with Action HeroIce MantisStink TankJ.DanteDJ Vinnie Toma and Radish F.Stokes, a Chicago native, is returning to Madison where, years ago, the city gave him a strong following and passion he l
REVIEW: PAPER TIGER – MADE LIKE US (2010)
Music has undergone an unexpected renaissance since the internet has destroyed decades long barriers. What if the industry just ignored your region? What would happen? Well, Minnesota has albeit been ignored aside from exceptions named The Replacements and Prince. It has not stemmed t
REVIEW: CLARA PLUME – MES FILS D’ENCRE (2010)
Concurrent with Dessa Darling up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes mixing poetry with rhymes, across the ocean you have Clara Plume illuminating the City of Light. The two are quite similar in blending styles around verses, often in a rapid-fire delivery, but while one can get quite vi
MIXTAPES TO HOLD BACK THE TIDE: F. STOKES AND ASTRONAUTALIS
Back a few weeks in my alternate life at Radio Free Chicago covering gigs across this land, F. Stokesand Astronautalis opened for Doomtree’s Dessa and P.O.S.. The most well-rounded show of the year thus far with talent across the wooden floor boards. Chicago’s F. Stokes released a free m
REVIEW: DESSA – A BADLY BROKEN CODE (2010)
My first exposure to Dessa just so happened to be on one of the False Hopes that the Minneapolis collective, Doomtree, has been churning out over the 2000s. She’s the countering anchor to heavy hitters, Sims, Mike Mictlan and P.O.S.. With A Badly Broken Code
REVIEW: DOOMTREE – FALSE HOPES 15 (2009)
5 emcees.4 producers.1 house. (give or take)15 false hopes. It’s got the makings of a reality television show. And that’s what’s behind the Doomtree collective out of the Twin Cities. While the one house may be a stretch, False Hopes 15 definitively debuted with Blowou
REVIEW: FELT – FELT 3: A TRIBUTE TO ROSIE PEREZ (2009)
Confession. I hate hip-hop. The beats are repetitive, unimaginative to the point it may as well be techno. Lyrically, it only (mis)treats drugs, abuse, and violence. There no true musicianship behind rap, nothing that makes me want to learn an instrument or be a better artist. Welcome to early 2003,
PHOTOGRAPHY: P.O.S IN PARIS (MAINS D’ŒUVRES)
Minneapolis’ P.O.S. traversed the St. Croix over to Saint-Ouen just north of Paris’ péripherique highway in support of his stellar Never Better, released earlier this year via Rhymesayers. The club is tucked away but still saw a strong showing including a couple more Minneso
REVIEW: KERO ONE – EARLY BELIEVERS (2009)
“It seems like it took forever for that sun to shine…” follows the lead on When the Sunshine Comes, the second track off of San Fran’s up and coming Kero One‘s sophomore album. Dropping from his Plug Label, Early Believersattempts to wrap up all those anticipated feelings of the upcomi