Jake Blount & Mali Obomsawin - "Live Humble"

By -

Photo by Yekaterina Gyadu

When I first saw that Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin were making music together, "Live Humble" is more what I pictured... somewhat. The new song draws from the book Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro released in 1874. The song features traditional folk instruments like guitar and gourd banjo, but it's also heavy on synthesizers and includes some noise rock style guitar soloing. The song also incorporates a strong dance element. While it may be based in the traditional music I associate with Blount and Obomsawin, it also rushes off in rock, dance, and pop directions while still sounding like a cohesive song. We knew that a collaboration between Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin was going to be good, but we couldn't have predicted it would be this mind-blowing.

Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin say of their new single:

"’Live Humble’ epitomizes the remix methods used in the creation of symbiont. Inspired by a spiritual of the same name collected at the Hampton Institute that includes a spine-tingling necromantic invocation (delivered here with only minor changes), this arrangement also incorporates another version of the song recorded by Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers, a shape note hymn called 'Occum' penned by Thomas Commuck (Narragansett/Brothertown) in 1845, and a banjo tune called ‘Koromanti’ collected from enslaved Black Jamaicans in 1687. The lyrics warn the listener to humble themselves before the world's greater forces, calling up the dead from hell and the seas to bear witness; the music, however, invites us to revel in our smallness.”

You can listen to "Live Humble" below. symbiont is due out September 27 on Smithsonian Folkways, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin, check out the artists' website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.


Thu. Oct. 10 - Providence, RI @ FirstWorks
Fri. Oct. 11 - Portland, ME @ Portland House of Music
Sat. Oct. 12 - Rockland, ME @ The Strand Theater
Fri. Oct. 18 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Sat. Oct. 19 - Northampton, MA @ The Parlour Room
Sun. Oct. 20 - New York, NY @ Joe’s Pub
Sat. Nov. 9 - Washington, DC @ Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Tue. Jan. 14 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Wed. Jan. 15 - Portland, OR @ Show Bar
Thu. Jan. 16 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Fri. Jan. 17 - Mill Valley, CA @ Sweetwater Music Hall
Sat. Jan. 18 - Sacramento, CA @ B Side Theater at the Sofia
Sun. Jan. 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon

On Repeat...

Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

By -
Image
Photo by Alexa Viscius This may be Liam Kazar's debut single, but the Chicago based musician already has an impressive resume, having worked with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, and others. "Shoes Too Tight" features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy on drums, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Ohmme on vocals. It's an absurdly fun and groovy little song that is a party waiting to happen. What he gives us here is a timeless song that could truly have been released any time since the 1960's (ok... maybe not the 80's...) There are elements of classic rock, 60's crooners and R&B, indie rock, modern Americana... it's really just packed with everything in a cohesive song that maintains the vibe the entire way through. You can watch the video for "Shoes Too Tight" below. For more on Liam Kazar, check him out on Instagram and Twitter . He's also raising money on his Bandcamp for Constellation and The Hungry Brain. ...
Read more

Dutch ReBelle - "GOONIEZ"

By -
Image
How is Dutch ReBelle not a national superstar at this point? The Boston MC just released "GOONIEZ," and I know I'm a bit out of touch with current mainstream hip hop, but this song is absolutely killer. It's a stripped down hip hop song that has this futuristic space age sound to it. Plus, ReBelle's flow is unsurpassed. You can't listen to her and not be completely sucked in. The song has a feel reminiscent of classic Missy Elliott. As much as I love that we can still see Dutch ReBelle in smaller Boston venues, "GOONIEZ" proves she should be playing much larger venues nationwide very, very soon. You can watch the video for "GOONIEZ" below. For more on Dutch ReBelle, check out the artist's website . 
Read more

The Freqs - "Witch"

By -
Image
Photo via Facebook When you're a rock band from Salem, MA, you have to have at least one song about witchcraft. The Freqs have fulfilled their obligation with a banger of a song. "Witch" is this giant monster of a song, filled with fuzz and strained, screaming vocals. This is the type of song that doesn't usually exist in this century. It's giving me some serious 90's flashbacks, like if Hum got aggressive or Alice in Chains decided to do some damage on the college charts. As great as the vocals are in "Witch," what's really drawing me in is the instrumental break down that takes over about halfway through. This is the kind of song to make the hipsters and the headbangers equally excited. You can listen to "Witch" below. For more on The Freqs, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . The Freqs · Witch
Read more