Atmosphere: "Somebody, MN ft. Kill the Vultures, Big Quarters & MaLLy"

Atmosphere, Kill the Vultures, Big Quarters, and MaLLy are embarking on the six-show Welcome to MN tour. It's the same cities as last year, with added dates in Minneapolis and Duluth. Fantastic lineup and should be a great time. I've got my tickets for the First Ave show, and I hear they're going fast, so grab them ASAP if you haven't yet.

Similar to last year's "Minnesota Nice," all the acts on this mini-tour made a song together. Stream/download it below.

Atmosphere: "Somebody, MN ft. Kill the Vultures, Big Quarters & MaLLy"

Dates for the 2012 Welcome To Minnesota Tour:

2.20 - Mankato, MN @ Verizon Wireless Center Ballroom   

2.21 - Bemidji, MN @ Sanford Center Ballroom  

2.22 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue  

2.23 - Duluth, MN @ Clyde Iron Works  

2.25 - Rochester, MN @ Mayo Civic Center Auditorium 

2.26 - St. Cloud, MN @ SCSU Atwood Center Ballroom

Audio Perm Block Party - Saturday August 27

The flyer above is all that's actually necessary for this post, but allow me a brief moment to help announce the Audio Perm Block Party. The event will take place on Saturday, August 27 at Shuga Records in Northeast Minneapolis. The lineup is basically a can't miss assortment of rising and established local artists, including Toki Wright, I Self Devine, Audio Perm themselves, Kanser, The Tribe & Big Cats!, and more. The California trio Pac Div are headlining. It costs $10 to buy an advanced ticket, and $15 if you show up the day of the show. All signs point to this being a terrific day; you'd be wise not to miss it.

You can RSVP to the event on Facebook, and follow its associated Twitter account here. The MN Daily also posted an article about the event this morning.

Event Announcement: Boom Bap Village 2011

I'd like to announce Boom Bap Village 2011, a Hmong hip-hop event here in Saint Paul. It will be taking place on July 1 and 2. There will be a b-boy competition and the debut screening of two films, "Among BBoys" and "Travel in Spirals." Below is the press release describing those documentaries. If you have some free time this weekend and can attend this event, you should check it out.

Screening of “Among B-Boys” and “Travel in Sprials”
Saturday, July 2nd · 6 p.m. · FREE ADMISSION

Buetow Music Auditorium
Concordia University
275 Syndicate St. N.
St. Paul, MN 55104

Concordia University will be providing screenings of the following documentaries: “Among B-Boys” and “Travel in Spirals.”

Among B-boys” was initially created as a short film. Director, Christopher Woon, has since turned this into an hour long feature documentary focusing on two main story lines, that of B-Boy Sukie and the Velocity/Soul Rivals and twin brothers, Bboys Mpact and Villn of Underground Flow. The documentary takes us geographically from Merced, Fresno and Sacramento in the California Central Valley, to Long Beach, California to as far as Tulsa, Oklahoma. It’s a multigenerational view of the impact B-Boying has had on the Hmong American community, the contributions made by these B-Boys, and the identities they are seeking to forge. For additional information, please visit the following webpage at: http://www.amongbboys.com/.

“Travel in Spirals” tells the story of Hmong hip-hop MC, spoken word poet, and
community organizer Tou SaiKo Lee and his journey back to his birthplace of Thailand. Born on the Nongkhai refugee camp, his parents fled Laos after the Vietnam War and came to America when Tou was two months old. Taking its title from the spirals in Hmong paj ntaub, Travel in Spirals documents Tou’s journey to the source of himself and his heritage almost 30 years after he left. For additional information, please visit the following weblink: http://www.travelinspirals.blogspot.com.

Concert Announcement: Heiruspecs to 'Rap the Aster' Tonight

11th hour awesome concert announcement: Heiruspecs are performing TONIGHT at 10pm at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis. It will be a special show, the band is debuting two new songs from their upcoming album (working title: We are the Future and We Know It). They are also performing some throwback gems, as well as reworked versions of the usual classics we have known to expect and love at Heiruspecs shows. If you can make it to this show, you should go.

Hoolie Fest 2011 at Shuga Records in NE Minneapolis

Shuga Records is putting on Hoolie Fest 2011 this weekend at their location in Northeast Minneapolis. The weekend-long festival features over 75 local bands and artists spread across two different stages. Basically, if you want to see some local music this weekend, Hoolie Fest is the place to be. It's one $1 per day to attend, and some of the festival's proceeds benefit the St. Stephens Homeless Shelter.

Saturday is the big day for hip-hop at Hoolie Fest. Starting at 6:00pm tomorrow, you can catch the likes of Chantz Erolin with Audio Perm, Unknown Prophets, Muja Messiah and Maria Isa. I'd say that's worth a buck or two. Hopefully the end of the world holds off until after the day's performances are over.

Kristoff Krane: Never-Ending Gunshow Tour Dates

Kristoff Krane recently arrived back from some shows in Europe and is soon embarking on an expansive, 60-day tour through the states. He's even got a couple shows in the Twin Cities — one in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul, how diplomatic — to precede his appearance at Soundset 2011.

Also, Kristoff Krane mentioned that there are a few gaps in his upcoming tour. Here's what he had to say, and information for you to help him out.

As you may observe. We have some gaps in between dates that we still need to fill, due to shows falling through and what not. I really really want to meet you all if I can and it'd be a shame not to be able to hang. So...

If anyone can assist us with the locations listed below, please email Brady at Skillkrane@gmail.com, Thanks.

Dates we need to book:

-May 21st, Ohio or Wisconsin
-June 3rd, Nebraska or Kansas
-June 8th, Kansas or Colorado or New Mexico
-June 11th, Colorado
-June 12th, New Mexico or Colorado
-June 14th, Nevada or New Mexico
-June 15th-19th, California (from San Diego to San Fran)

The Daily Show: Tone Def Poetry Jam (Video)

I pondered commenting on the ludicrous story regarding Chicago rapper Common that Fox "News" is stoking, but initially opted to ignore it for its sheer stupidity. I did write on Twitter about how ironic and utterly moronic it was that on the day Tyler, the Creator's album was released, Common, of all people, was the one in the news for being controversial. Really, Fox? Common? I give up. The anchors at Fox have a fetish with being news makers rather than news reporters. But the fact that they're digging for something so trivial as Common getting an invitation to a White House poetry event to flip into controversy is outrageous. I'll continue to ignore Faux News and save for consolation the fact that the Republican party has no viable candidate to legitimately compete with our boy as we move forward towards 2012.

Anyway, as far as this post goes, on last night's The Daily Show, Jon Stewart added some excellent insight, perspective and much needed levity to the Common "controversy."

Face Candy: "Fifteen"

Waste Age Teen will be available 5/25, through RSE:

Rhymesayers have announced Waste Age Teen Land, the second album from Twin Cities quartet Face Candy slated for a May 25th release. The album features the talents of dual vocalists Micheal "Eyedea" Larsen and Kristoff Krane freestyling over the improvisations of bassist Casey O'Brien and drummer JT Bates. Waste Age marks the final record Eyedea was able to completely finish before his tragic passing in October of 2010 and shows his growth as an artist and musician, with influences spanning jazz, hip-hop, and ambient music.

Face Candy: "Fifteen"

Concert Announcement: 'Pink_A_Palooza' featuring Jordan Looney

Saturday night at the Triple Rock Social Club Jordan Looney will headline Pink_A_Palooza. The night will feature rappers/bands from the Twin Cities and Chicago, and there will be plenty of free giveaways to supplement the music. I'd go if I weren't out of town. You should attend too.

Big Jess: "Not About Ya'll" + Album Release Party

Here's another new track from Big Jess' upcoming double album, Self Therapy/Good Clean Fun 3. The albums will be available for free tomorrow, via the Unknown Prophets website. They feature guest appearances from MaD SoN, Braille, Musab, Muja Messiah, Mally, and more. Keep in mind that Big Jess and Big Zach of Kanser are throwing a concert together to celebrate the release of Jess' double album and Zach's New Crayons album. That will be on Thursday, March 24.

Big Jess: "Not About Ya'll"

Blueprint: "So Alive" + EP

Blueprint just released another song from his upcoming album, Adventures in Counbter-Culture. "So Alive" is an electro-pop single with a vintage feel because of the drums and vocal samples. Printmatic also does more singing on this track than I can ever recall. Stream the song below.

"So Alive" has also been remixed by a handful of artists. The remixes are available at a handful of sites:

"So Alive" Remix by Budo
"So Alive" Remix by X:144
"So Alive" Remix by Innerpartysystem

Or, you can grab the entire package at once, which contains the original single and all remixes. The So Alive EP can be purchased via iTunes, Amazon, or on vinyl from Fifth Element. As always, props to Rhymesayers Entertainment.

Toki Wright on MPR (Audio)

Toki Wright was recently invited to Minnesota Public Radio to partake in a discussion about the new book The Anthology of Rap a collection of rap lyrics over the history of the genre. Toki, along with Adam Bradley (author of the Anthology of Rap) and Mark Anthony Neal (Professor in the Department of African and African American Studies at Duke University), discuss the power and the poetry of rap music, across its relatively short history.

Atmosphere: 'The Family Sign' Album Art + Tracklist

Rhymesayers just released the artwork and tracklist for The Family Sign, due out on April 12. Also, Atmosphere has joined Twitter. Color me excited. Here's what they had to say:

Atmosphere returns with their 7th official studio album and the newest addition to their unparalleled body of work. The Family Sign comes from a place well refined and firmly planted, from a universal perspective. It's about being okay with losing friends and strengthening your bonds with others, celebrating the person who's been the most positive in your life, your kids, your homies, leaving the people you need to behind, and bringing the ones you love with you. It's about your family, your time and the time you have with them. It's about living and dying. It's the truth about family, that it comes from loyalty as much as biology. It's about breaking down your perceptions of family and really appreciating the people who've made you who you are and continue doing so.

The Family Sign is Atmosphere's most personal and intimate album yet; it involves and engages the listener like never before. Slug's signature voice weaves in and out of Ant's ASR-born production, Nate Collis' bluesy guitar riffs and the sound of Erick Anderson's unmistakable keys giving The Family Sign a fresh, unique edge without sacrificing Atmosphere's signature sound. Join the Family April 12th, 2011.

1) My Key
2) The Last to Say
3) Became
4) Just For Show
5) She's Enough
6) Bad Bad Daddy
7) Millenium Dodo
8) Who I'll Never Be
9) I Don't Need Brighter Days
10) Ain't Nobody
11) Your Name Here
12) If You Can Save Me Now
13) Something So
14) My Notes

Atmosphere Announce New Album 'The Family Sign'

This morning Pitchfork Media reported that indie rap powerhouse and local darlings Atmosphere will be releasing their new album, The Family Sign, on April 12. No official word from Rhymesayers yet, but I'm sure an announcement is soon to come. The album will be the follow up to 2008's spectacular When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. It will also be the band's first full-length since officially announcing their expanded lineup, with keyboardist Erick Anderson and guitarist Nate Collins. In 2009, the band released a double-EP, To All My Friends... Blood Makes The Blade Holy.

Kanye West Announces Next LP, Other News

Kanye took to Twitter yesterday to announce some very exciting news — some of it we already knew, some of it is new to us. First, Kanye reported he was in the studio working while watching Da Bears game. Kanye probably spends much of his free time in the studio, so this isn't terrible surprising. The exciting part is that he's apparently already working on the follow-up to his magnum opus, and in my opinion 2010's best musical work, My Beautiful Dark Twister Fantasy. The yet-untitled album should apparently be released this summer. According to Kanye, it will be "HIGH END RAP MUSIC." No surprises there. And my personal favorite Tweet of his is listed below, for fun.
In other Kanye news, he claims that the video for the mega-banger "All Of The Lights" will be released in one week, and that his Jay-Z collaboration Watch The Throne will be out in two months.

Freez & Mike Frey: "Man-Radio"

Since all the way back in 2009, Freez and producer Mike Frey have been working on a full-length LP titled Freez's Frozen French Freys. But while we wait for that, they're putting out an EP scheduled for release sometime soon. This song, "Man-Radio", is the title track to that EP.

Freez & Mike Frey: "Man-Radio"

Sims: "Burn It Down" + 'Bad Time Zoo' Album Preorder

I'm still playing catch up from my brief vacation, but here is one of the most exciting upcoming local projects, already on my shortlist for favorite records of 2011. Sims will be releasing his sophomore solo LP Bad Time Zoo, entirely produced by the esteemed Lazerbeak, in early February. Preorders are now available on the Doomtree website, both in normal and deluxe packages. The deluxe package comes with all kinds of goodies:

• Signed copy of the Bad Time Zoo CD
• Signed poster
• Two exclusive extra songs
• Password to a live, streaming webcast with Sims and friends. [Questions will be answered. Secrets will be shared.]
• Chance to win a mask worn in the Burn It Down music video
• Exclusive BTZ t-shirt (available only to the pre-ordering crowd)
• A Sims-brand box cutter to be used to cut the origami-style album art which folds into a dioramic mini zoo. [A blade! In the mail! Dangerous and fun!]
• The entire package arrives in a silk-screened box, rendering the recipient the coolest kid on the boulevard.

Preorders help support local and independent musicians, so jump on this opportunity now. Buy two, in fact! Also, check out the lead single from the project, "Burn It Down". If the rest of the album sounds this good, we're in for something special.

EYE Will: A Michael "Eyedea" Larsen Benefit Art Show

Lipset & Lokes: 'Level Heads LP' Album Release Party (Video)

Lipset: "Taking A Step Back" ('Level Heads LP' Promo Video)

If you didn't know already, Lipset's Level Heads LP is officially released today. It's available at retailers all over the Twin Cities, and online too. Make sure to go and pick it up. If you want to hear more of what it's like before making a purchase, check out his single "Distortion" below.

Lipset: "Distortion"

Also keep in mind that the album release party for Lipset's debut album is this Friday, November 5 at Hell's Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis. Doors open at 10pm, you gotta be 18 to enter, 21 to drink.