"I'VE MADE MISTAKES. I DID THE TIME. NOW IM LEFT TO. FIGURE IT OUT". If I were to describe Trash Talk, I would describe em' as a bridge between scenes. Trash Talk
was formed in LA with members from the Bay Area. They cross that bridge from Nor-cal to So-cal and they cross it with catchy hooks and memorable lyrics. Trash Talk is
famous for being signed to Odd-Future, which is not necessarily a mind fuck once you get to know the Odd-Future collective beyond their Ladera Heights Rap-Clique roots.
I find it so dope that Mac Miller and Katt fucking Williams were moshing in Trash Talk pits in LA. I find it so dope that Kenny Beats produces for em'. Trash Talk is
great hardcore, and I gotta thank my homie Kyle for putting me on. Mom and Pop on West Soledad 4evahhhh.
Miles and Miles away from home. Miles walked to stumble home. Miles away from the harsh unknown. Miles. Blu & Exile. I gotta tell ya, it's a damn near perfect homage to Miles Davis and the journey of Blu's career as an Emcee. Every diss upon his name, every empty stomach, every reference to south-central Los Angeles, Blu & Exile truly represent their roots and play beyond the title "the sum of your influences" (and they've done it before!!).
It takes that spastic, bebop jazz and infuses it with strong wordplay and dreams laid splattered on a page for the listener to behold. "You ain't never been blue" "Got a dream for every word on the page (Now I can go on for days and days)" "I invent too many patterns to pattern your path after" are all little examples of certain lines that stick to me.
Blu showcases that a rapper doesn't need to flow like a cracked-out swordsman nor needs every line to be a puzzle to dissect. Thats the essence in a genre like hip-hop, and that same adopted spirit found in jazz.
Wishy man. Wishy owns my soul at this point. I've been playing hella marvel rivals with my homies and I feel so terrible because I would always talk about Wishy. "Oh dude! Did you hear Fly???" "Awhhh man! Im so excited about Planet Popstar". Planet popstar didn't
even fucking come out yet and wishy is still one of my most listened to artist of this year. They are taking the crown from The Strokes as my most listened to artist, and that is pretty damn crazy. Some call Wishy shoegaze, but they never really fit into one mold
of genre. They have that indie-rock sleaziness that reminds you of The Sundays, that gazed out guitar tone that makes you glance twice, drums that go from simple loops to hardcore-esque breakdowns and a solid balance of masculinity and femininity. Wishy has it, they have the pitchfork review,
they have the sold out shows, and they are still a cult-following. Count your days Wishy, Tik-Tok is coming for you. We shall light a candle and throw flowers once that day comes.
This is THE Bossa/Samba record, no questions asked. Lately, I have been blasting this at Fishermans Wharf whenever I work there. This album always fits the vibe of any day It warms my soul when I see people young and old dance to songs like "Girl from Ipanema" or "O Grande Amor".
Nothing ever really comes close to the smoothness and the consistency of this record. Pour yourself a glass of whatever and just let the music kick in, it's the only thing you need during these trying times.
If i'm honest, I cannot say anything about this album that hasn't already been said. Its pure fucking genius and its genius at its most subtle. To passerby's at the wharf, this is a 'cool moment' but to Getz and Gilberto, this was a matter of LIFE AND DEATH.
Brazil produces some of the best things that humanity has indulged in over the years. Great athletes, great food, great culture, and great friggin' music! My standout track from this album has to be "Para Machuchar Meu Coracao". I challenge you, reader, to listen to that song and to try and argue against it.
It won't fucking work. Samba is that beauty that you could never ignore.
Furthermore, Brazil holds onto a constant battle. A battle I wouldn't even dare to try and convey to you. It's really not my place, but you can definitely understand the struggles of living in Brazil. Despite that beauty, the tropical environment, the beauty of faith, something always has to give.
Heres to brazil, a country i'm not sure I will ever step foot in (which is not a diss towards Brazil in any way, i'm just broke lol ). Here's to jazz and samba and music and how it cures the world in subtle yet beautiful ways.
ITS NEW! IT SLAPS!
Once upon a time, I was a little scenester who lived on Guam. I still am that same kid, just in a bigger pond lol. Nonetheless, I remember hearing that my friend's brother was in a cool power pop band from San Jose.
Now, at this time, I was head-over-heels in love with the Bay Area. I was heavily intrigued...
That band is Star99, and this release has been the soundtrack to my new life living in the Bay Area. Recently, I actually made friends with the band when I first moved to San Francisco this year.
At the time, I remember feeling pretty god damn lonely since I moved to a place where all my friends were busy with work or school and my homies from back home were on an almost full day time-zone difference. Before I moved, I attended my final local hardcore show I would see for a little while back on Guam.
That band was SPEAR (btw their newest release "Invasive Species" is a fucking banger, pls check it out) and their guitarist is the same one in Star 99, my homies brother. His name is Thomas, and we became closer as I neared my move.
I have a lot to owe to Thomas Calvo, he introduced me to Star99 and I've felt so accepted in the Bay Areas DIY/Hardcore scene.
I can honestly say, Star99 are great people, and they love their craft and their city. That kinda honesty in their lyrics and polished rawness is what sets them apart from other San Jose bands and even Bay Area bands in general. They are legends in their own right, and they deserve every ounce of success they come across.
With songs like "Esta" challenging the ideals of faith, which many Chamorros grow up battling, come across as a breath of fresh air in Guam music lineage. How Saoirse (their lead singer) and Thomas bounce idea after idea off each other is quite beautiful.
Introspection is the name of their game, and I can't help but yelling lyrics like "Don't know where i'm goin' but I miss San Jose" even though I never grew up in San Jose and I quite literally just got to the Bay Area.
There is a lot of richness in their Dinosaur Jr. Esque sound mixed with the tongue-in-cheek nature of a band like Lemuria.
Overall, this album embodies San Jose and the Peninsula, not as a nature tech hub dominated by the wealthy bureaucrats of the Bay Area, but as the city often overlooked. The hype is San Fransisco, the grit is Oakland, but the soul? The soul is San Jose.
Star99 gives you a glimpse into their soul with every sustained note and teary eyed lyric. I love them.
Who wrote dis shit??
Hi. I wrote this shit. It's inspired by design from Chia Amisola and is my take on whatever the fuck I'm into nowadays. Its my little corner of the web and I love every moment spent on working
on this webpage. "Def" is something ill or definitive, it's something you sense and you know: that shit is def. I use def as my main influence in much of my online persona. My instagram handle
is literally @defcabforcj lol. Despite this little indie pitchfork knockoff remaining in obscurity in this vast ocean of the internet, it means the world to me. I love you, whoever you are. You
reading this means parallels to me.
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