If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Tarik Dennie It's been seven years since Ric Wilson released a solo project, but in June he has a new EP due out. The first single from that EP, "Missin My Window," is a just under three minute sprint of R&B infused hip hop and dance music. The song also features Party Pupils and is a pure delight to listen to. Plus, despite Wilson being based in Chicago, there's a reference to a woman he dated who went to Boston University. Even though I'm usually someone who prefers their hip hop to be old school inspired, Wilson's version of modern hip hop seems to always work for me. The man has a natural charisma that is exuded even through his recorded music. Ric Wilson says of his newest single: "You ever get too caught up with work and come home and wanna make some love to your lover but they are asleep. hahaha this song is about that experience and feeling and it's always your fault beloved.” You can listen to "Missin My Window" below. ...

kei Photo credit: Boston Calling, Alive Coverage Boston Calling is New England's largest music festival, drawing forty thousand music fans from all over for three days of music. This was surprisingly my first year attending Boston Calling, and there is simply too much for one post, so we're breaking it down day by day. Here are my highlights from day one! Madi Diaz We've been fans of Madi Diaz for a while, so it was great to see the Nashvile singer-songwriter live for the first time. I was also unaware that she spent time in Boston, and she talked about living ten blocks from the venue. Taking the Green Stage with her guitar and only accompanied by a drummer, Diaz was the perfect way to start off my day with her upbeat mix of indie rock, singer-songwriter fare, and pop. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much of her music the crowd knew. I tend to live in my musical bubble, unaware of what's popular or not, and Diaz is much more well known than I thought.  The Wolff...

Photo by Marcus Lorenzo Ric Wilson, Chromeo, and A-Trak have a collaborative EP coming out later this month, and the first single is going to be impossible to miss. "Clusterfunk" is this intriguing mixture of soul and funk with hip hop. With tracks like this, hip hop is usually the dominant genre, and it will be a rap song with some elements of funk or soul. "Clusterfunk" really feels like a true mixture of the three genres. It's also shockingly stripped down with minimal production with everything considered. This is a smooth sounding track with this impossible to resist intensity. Even though it's only March, Wilson, Chromeo, and A-Trak have made a strong early entry for the song of the summer. You can listen to "Clusterfunk" below. CLUSTERFUNK is due out March 31 on EMPIRE/Free Records. The EP/album can be pre-ordered here . For more on Ric Wilsom, check out the artist's website . Chromeo can be found here , and A-Trak can be found here .

Photo by Jay Lewn Chicago rapper Ric Wilson has teamed up with Yellow Days, the musical project of London's George Van Den Broek. The collaboration's first single, "Life's Been Good to Me," is a disco/hip hop/funk hybrid. It reminds me a lot of the early 90's P-Funk inspired hip hop, especially a song like Ice Cube's "Bop Gun." But, you know... more disco than that. It goes without saying, but "Life's Been Good to Me" is a fun song. Disco, hip hop, and funk are some of the most fun genres of all time, and I could see this being played at thousands of parties on both sides of the Atlantic as the year goes on. You can listen to "Life's Been Good to Me" below. Disco Ric in London Town is due out October 29. You can find out more about Yellow Days here , and more about Ric Wilson here . Dates for a collaborative tour are below the song. Wed. Nov. 10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox Thu. Nov. 11 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre Sa...

Photo by Michael Salisbury Long time readers will know that I tend to be a extra grumpy old man when it comes to modern hip hop, preferring artists that throwback to the 80's and 90's. However, we may have crossed into a period where I'm starting to like current hip hop artists that sound modern. The latest is Ric Wilson. The Chicago based musician has released a new single, "Woo Woo Woo." The latest single sounds like 2021. It's a dance friendly jam, upbeat as humanly possible. You know, things I normally hate. But Wilson's charm is impossible to resist. It's a fun song that could truly end up propelling Wilson into stardom. Ric Wilson says of the new song:  “This song is just about me wanting to talk my shit sometimes and thinking less about how everyone receives and more about me expressing myself freely.  Because sometimes you have to smile at yourself & frown at the world to keep from your own madness.” You can watch the video for "Woo Wo...