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Team

Undiscovered or under appreciated, either way these are vocalists, artists, & musicians
worth getting to know.

 

 

Tuesday
Oct022018

[MUSIC] B.Mills - "The Life & Times Of An Eternal Optimist"

Hope. It's something that often can be expressed in cliched terms
but is one of the most meaningful elements of the human experience.
To that end, hope is something that doesn't suffer from too many 
avenues of expression. For B. Mills, it is a vital component of his
life and work. On his latest album, The Life & Times Of An Eternal
Optimist
, that feeling is imbued throughout. Standing in at eight tracks,
Mills displays a versatility that spans the genres of R&B, soul and hip-hop
with a deftness that doesn't come across as heavy-handed. 

It begins with the opening notes of "And We Rise", as Mills's production
crafts a melodic intro that mimics the opening of a new day. It's a track
that is lofty, with a simple bounce and cheery vibe provided by his upbeat
lyrics. That sets the tone effectively, with "Get Up 2 Get Down" and "If
U Will" being highly infectious standouts that could stand on their own as
singles with the high level of harmony they both exude. B.Mills does plan
to have a full-length release on the way, and if this is a sample of what's
to come then the idea of hope will have a newly riveting and rhythmic 
definition. The Life & Times Of An Eternal Optimist is available now on
all platforms. 

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Bandcamp
Soundcloud
Youtube Channel

Wednesday
Aug012018

[MUSIC] Taylor James - "Insane"


There's moments where you need for your tunes to have the kind of
smoothness, one that applies no matter the setting or the genre. And
truth be told, there are still musicians who have the dexterity to deliver
on that kind of a need for their listeners. For some, having that smooth
aura is somewhat second-hand. When first listening to Taylor James, you
get the impression that he fits right within that category. James, who 
hails from Mississippi, has been doing his thing when it comes to music
for quite some time as a singer, composer, instrumentalist and producer.
That experience springs forth on his latest album, entitled Insane


Taylor James - "Say It's Me(Living For You)"

Insane is an album that in one sense is a representation of the work 
James has put in, and it's released through his Heart Of Gold imprint.
The album puts forth a highly relaxing vibe, brought about with James'
vocal talents on each track. For instance, with "Good News", he sings
about the unsettled times that we're in on a political and cultural level
in a tone that belies his gospel background imbued with some R&B 
stylings that harken to what one recognizes from Peabo Bryson. With
"Say It's Me", James delivers a truly mellow love ballad that immediately
puts one in a laid-back mood. And to show that he's a man with an 
ear for anything good no matter the genre, note the firm traces of hip-hop
found in his singing, exemplified in the lively "Let's Go Steppin". Insane
is an album that shows that Taylor James is an artist who's style is a 
balm in a world that isn't always stable on many levels. Check out the
album on his website and Spotify.

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Spotify

Tuesday
Jul312018

[MUSIC] Queen Naija



You may not recall Queen Naija - the singer who hails from
Michigan first came to prominence with her former husband
as part of a duo on American Idol's 13th season. Building on
that momentum and taking time after the separation, Naija 
honed her talents and has now delivered an EP. Listening to
it gives you a real sense that there is going to definitely be 
more from this artist down the line. 

Tuesday
Jul312018

[ART] Lamar Peterson

Photo Credit: Juxtapoz

Lamar Peterson is an assistant professor in the art department at the
University of Minnesota, and hails from western Florida. He's begun a
solo career with his work over the past year and a half with solo shows,
most recently in New York City. Peterson's work is a mix of pop culture,
a kind of youthful whimsy and some somber tones. 

Monday
Apr022018

[MUSIC] Nick Lamb - "Gettin' High Off Of You"

Photo Credit: Artist

"Feel-good" rock is something that can be doubly employed for the
genre as well as a cross-section of it. It takes a lot of plotting and 
a lot of enthusiasm to successfully approach this and to carry it out
with one's own personal style. And in that light, Nick Lamb is someone
who is in step with the beginnings of this journey. Lamb's own personal
story is a key blueprint - hailing from a small town in Pennsylvania's 
coal mining region, he credits his father's position as a cherished local
musician who played rock and roll and country music as well as his
mother's own writing ambitions as the bedrock for his own dreams. This,
coupled with a birthday gift of Def Leppard tapes and a cassette deck 
player was a spark that lit the flames of wanting to be a musician in him.
After college, Nick decided to embark on his musical career and is now 
on the verge of releasing his first album, Rock N' Roll's My Road.



This single, "Gettin' High Off Of You" evokes a boyish charm from the 
opening notes, one that's awash in a feel that has some kinship with
Tom Petty's musical stylings. Lamb shows a keen proficiency for framing
the lyrics, which paint a picture of a cool cat being enamored of a woman's
style and her own attraction unfolding in subtle ways with a strident 
rhythm that captures the teasing energy that's natural in those situations.
Lamb is almost a one-man show here on vocals, and lead and bass guitar.
"Gettin' High Off Of You" is a sentiment that one can jam out to, and one
that might just be a pointed welcome to all that who are inclined to check out
more of Lamb's music and revel in what they find.

Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp
Soundcloud
Youtube Channel 

Monday
Apr022018

[FILM] The Making of "Isle Of Dogs"

This short video highlights the animators who helped
bring famed director Wes Anderson's latest film to light
in detail...

Monday
Jan152018

[MUSIC] Maxx the Muffin Man - "Every Summer Since"


There are many who flock to music as a release, and for that 
same reason you will find that true of the overwhelming majority
who create music. Some pick up on that knack early, and act on
it in steady movements. This group has a substantial amount of those
who claim rap as their life blood and joining those ranks is Maxx 
the Muffin Man. Maxx hails from the Pacific Northwest - Portland,
Oregon to be precise. The rap bug bit him from early on, and he 
made the decision to capitalize on his skills from the environs of his
college dorm room. But Maxx's ultimate aims are more expansive,
because he sees rap as a way to connect to others with a more positive
vibe and to undercut repetitive tropes often found in the contemporary
rap game. With that in mind, he began to work on music along with
a few trusted friends which resulted in a couple of singles being 
produced and released on streaming platforms such as Spotify.


Every Summer Since is a ten-track mixtape that was released this
past December. On it, Maxx displays a style that's a mix of the laconic
and the upbeat, with parts of the flow more along the lines of early
stuff by Wiz Khalifa. The production throughout is set up to evoke 
a kind of audio surrealism, at times taking on the kitsch found in
psychedelic rock. Maxx's flow is a consistent one, best emphasized
on "Puff Is Enough" where the production by Old Ben matches it
with a bounce that embraces the listener's ears. "Wavy Gravy" is 
like a Grateful Dead mashup through the speakers. The title track
is an evenly-paced song, and Maxx stands out for some clever bars
that highlight the joys of just being chill no matter what. Every Summer 
Since
is available to listen to now at the artist's webpage and "Better
Than This" is available as a single now on iTunes.

 

https://www.facebook.com/maxxthemuffinman/
Spotify
https://maxxthemuffin.bandcamp.com

Monday
Jan152018

[ART] Tess Armstrong

"Chill Girl", Tess Armstrong (Photo: Artist)

Tess Armstrong is an artist with a definitive style that embraces
and adds a vibrant touch to the celebration of the magic of women
of all hues. A student at the Art Institute of San Diego in graphic
design, Armstrong's work employs a mythic surrealism that's coupled
with contemporary thoughts and culture points that captivate the 
eye. Check out her work at these links and look at her store for 
purchasing some of her artwork here

Wednesday
Dec202017

[INTERVIEW] Seven Pillars - Dylan Dili

Photo Credit: Artist

It's said that true warriors not only endure and rise above
whatever has been handed to them in terms of strife, but
they extend their wisdom to those willing to hear so that 
they can do the same. Some do it through certain sciences
and business professions. Others do it through the arts, in
particular through their music. Joining the legion of those 
with a potent message through their music is Dylan Dili. You
may know him through his stint on the MTV series "Making
The Band" that led to some infamous moments. But in this
interview and with his new album, Dylan demonstrates how
much more you and the world don't know about him - but
should. Sit back and read on about the talented musician who's
a son of Grenada and Brooklyn and learn about what went
into the making of his recent album, Pain 2 Power.

Manifesto: So, Pain 2 Power - a strong title for a strong project.
What compelled you to name your album that way?

Dylan: Man..I think a lot of people feel that because you're on
          television, the radio or have a business - any kind of business   
          at that, they think you're successful and that you're doing
          great. If they don't see the blood and the sweat, they don't
          believe it and they don't care. So there's been a lot of pain
          that's been built up with the beginning of my career and life
          in general. I have a lot of pain that I was built up with. And
          at times, the pain drowned me. I was literally dying and drowning
          from that pain. I realized that you could really take every ounce
          of the pain and flip it and turn it into something good. 

          Even something as simple as the jokes by Dave Chappelle, for 
          example. It went so viral, made top five lists, and so forth. That
          joke in the beginning was the cause of every single label saying
          no to me. Every single DJ not playing my record. But everyone
          knew me from that - it got so that something that painful, where
          you stopped checking for me as a result of it I had to look at in a
          different way. Like, "Hold on - he may be known by about 50 million
          people." That's powerful. You're going to know who I am for the 
          rest of your life. That's power that I had to learn to appreciate, and
          I had to appreciate the pain that was in that lesson. So this album 
          is not just for me y'know, It's for everyone, everybody who will feel
          that. That pain to power is transformational.

Manifesto: You've mentioned in other interviews about the business side of
                things being overwhelming from the Making The Band Days. What's
                the difference in your perspective now?

Dylan:      The difference was, at the time I didn't realize it was just business.       
                I remember carrying my emotions on my sleeve. I wore my emotions,
                which was good for TV at the time. (laughs) It was great for TV but 
                I came from a street mentality, or a roadside mentality, when ya 
                out there 'pon de road, you know? Out there on the road, you have 
                your crew, and certain values that we go by. Street laws that we go
                by, certain values that we go by. Loyalty is a big issue on the street
                so if you're rolling with me, we go to the club together, we came in
                together we leave together. You got beef with somebody? I've got               
                beef with somebody. Those are just simple laws that we go by on the
                road. Now when you go into the music industry with that mentality
                and you realize that they don't really care about you, (laughs) not 
                realizing that it's not personal then you start to get mad, you go like
                "eff that person", you're flipping out!! Not realizing that you're on 
                contract, relax. This has nothing to do with emotions, this is a business
                relationship. So that illustrates my view of the difference between
                now and then, then I didn't know it was business.

Manifesto: So, going back to an earlier point you made about loyalty, that leads
                me to the next question. Being a son of Brooklyn and of Grenada, how
                do those experiences hone not only your persona but your music? How        
                is that the fuel?

Dylan:     Being a son of Brooklyn and a son of Grenada is what really made me.
               Because I lived in both places. I went to high school in Grenada, grew up
               in Grenada as well as doing my thing being in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. It's
               the best of both worlds. To know the country life of taking care of cattle,
               sheep and goats...I remember living with my grandmother and to bathe at
               the time (laughs), we had a cistern that caught the water when the rain fell.
               And we had to carry the bucket and catch the water - it was best to do it at
               noon when the sun was high because the water would be cold but at that time
               the sun warmed it up. So that would be the best time to bathe. Now knowing
               that, and living in Flatbush...you already know how Flatbush gets down.

Manifesto: Yes sir! (laughs)

Dylan:     In Flatbush, you'll never be cocky, you'll always be humble. I don't care how
               far you go, if you get a Grammy - "man you bathed in a bucket." (laughs) You
               are aways going to be one with the people, to show love to the people.


Dylan Dili - "It's OK"


Manifesto: With the album, there's a constant vibe that's all about rising above. What
                was your reasoning for gettting producers to help you create that vibe? 

Dylan:      With the producers it was a matter of being picky as hell. (laughs) The man            
                dem would send me about 10 riddims at a time and I'm like, "naaaah." But
                I was recording a lot, however. I was recording to a lot of different riddims
                but when it came down to choosing it was deep and I didn't know what to         
                do. We already had done about 100 songs, and I told my brethren 3MP - he's
                our master engineer - I told him, "You know what? You're going to have to 
                take the job of cutting it down and making this a Pain 2 Power. You're going
                to have to take these last 30 songs and make it 12. 'Cause I don't know what  
                to do." And he did that man, he did the arrangement and it helped due to 
                preparation. Before we would have sessions, we would listen to a lot of  
                classical albums like Ray Charles, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke.
                And in other sessions we would listen to Tenor Saw, (Mighty) Sparrow, we 
                would listen to Bob Marley so that before we even got to recording we would 
                have a good time just listening to the greats. And knowing that we would be
                the next one up to be in that pantheon.

Manifesto: That's what's up. How did you link up with VPAL Music?

Dylan:      Well, a friend of mine was one of the heads of VPAL for years and I didn't know
                that that's what she did. (laughs) I knew she (Jeannie Seranno) had some job
                but I wasn't aware of what she did. After I came back from Grenada and doing
                the album, I got a notice from Instagram that said "your friend Jeannie is now
                under the account of VPAL Records" and I went "wait, how is that?" And so I hit
                her up like, "Jeannie what's good?" And she let me know she was involved, her
                and Donovan. So I went "ah, well mi have somethin' for you." (laughs) And we 
                went forward from there.

Manifesto:  After Pain 2 Power, what do you plan on doing next musically?

Dylan:       After this, the power! (laughs) We are gonna toast up!

Manifesto: I'm with that. (laughs) So my last question is, for anyone who is aiming to
                  succeed from a similar road like you have, what would be your advice?

Dylan:       Prepare to go crazy. (laughter) Prepare to go crazy, absolutely. Because you have 
                 to understand, you're sacrificing your whole f---king life. You're sacrificing 24/8 and 
                 and that's the only way you're going to be great. Just giving your all. You have to  
                 have faith, you have to have full faith. You have faith and action, and it's a huge 
                 sacrifice. Just know that it's huge, it's not regular. I'll finish off with this - it wasn't
                 about how much work you put in and how much studio time you could do, it was 
                 more about mentally how much can you take from all of these different souls and 
                 energies and different people. If you can take that mentally, you're all right. It's a
                 lot people you have to meet, it's a lot of people you have to talk to. It's a lot of vultures
                 out there you know. It's a lot of snakes. And some are dressed as sheep are. But 
                 it takes having a strong mentality.

Pain 2 Power is out now through VPAL Records on iTunes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday
Nov272017

[MUSIC] Dima Kash - "All Night"

If there's anything to be said about persistence, it's that having
it instilled in you early sets you further apart from the pack. When
it comes to rising rapper Dima Kash, that persistence is propulsion
for a career that's already gotten some notable events. Hailing from
Minnesota, Kash was originally born in Russia and came to the U.S.
with his parents at a young age. From that time onward, he took
it upon himself to be more independent. It wasn't until the birth of
his son that he made the choice to turn his love of music into what
he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He went into music full time,
creating a professional studio and going on to release his first album
in 2013 called Vibe With Me. Since that decision, Dima Kash has 
slowly built up a solid rep by opening up for and going on tour with
various established artists on their tour dates through the Midwest
such as Wiz Khalifa, Twista, Travis Porter and many more. He's even
performed at SXSW and has done shows in Japan.


All of that serves as a springboard for more possibilities with his music,
which he's keen to seize on with the release of a new single, "All Night."
This track is a decent entry point for those who may be new to Dima Kash's
sound. It's one of crisp production that doesn't concern itself with extra 
effects that would distract from the bars that Kash and King Wayz drop.
Kash has a style that fits with the more clever of those rapping today but
there's also a seasoned tone one gets when he rhymes. Listening to the
single makes it highly apparent that for Dima Kash, persistence is the 
tool that expresses his insistence on being around in the rap game for
years to come. 

http://dimakashmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dkashmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/dkashmusic/
https://twitter.com/dkashmusic
https://soundcloud.com/dima-kash
https://www.youtube.com/user/MrKashMusic