Good Music Roundup

New music hits the Pittsburgh music scene consistently. Keep up with some of the good music that's out in the 'Burgh now.

My Favorite Color - "GO!" 

Lyricist My Favorite Color shows his skill on his debut album, "GO!" At times, his raps are confident, strong, and freaky. "Young with no kids, but she talking like we got some," he raps in "Dollars." Yet, "GO!" is vulnerable in places too. In "Slanted" he says, "All these voices in my head should bother someone else." Then in the album's final song, he opens up saying, "Bitch left in eighth grade took my heart wit' her. Dad cheated on my mom, but she still wit' him." My Favorite Color's authenticity comes with his transparency, which listeners find they can relate to. Artists Benji and Pet Zebra support the project along with Cody Maimone, Dom Pomposelli, and Jeremy Rosinger of one800 music productions.

Choo Jackson - Drive Thru

ForeverKool's Choo Jackson is back with some bop. The rapper, who calls his style "grunge rap" on his SoundCloud page, drops off his latest single "Drive Thru" with the push of DJ Topgun's exclusive release and production by Clibbo.

LiveFromTheCity - Do You Love Me?

Musician LiveFromTheCity goes hopeless romantic in his new single, "Do You Love Me?" The song carries a cinematic and engaging musicality while Live ponders his relationship with his queen. "I just wanna give lil' mama all respect or nada," he says in the song.

Ahsé ft. Judah & Bossy - Starter | Ahsé - WHEN THEY TALK

Last we heard from rapper Ahsé he was moving to Los Angeles to chase his major label music dreams. So far, his time on the West coast has been valuable as it's "helped my music a lot with new experiences and new people. Honestly, a lot of opportunities out there, it all matters on who you know yah know," he said. We asked him about the great In-N-Out vs. Whataburger debate, and he said he prefers In-N-Out, but "I rather cook my own burgers." Check in with Ahsé by listening to his two newest songs, "Starter" and "WHEN THEY TALK," both of which dropped on the rapper's 20th birthday.

James Perry - SHE I

James Perry, a member of the Lokal Foreners rap crew, delivers his "SHE I" album. The project documents the "feelings of the encounters with other women," he said. Lokal Forener mate Hippy Swizzy adds production on the album. Perry also gets credit for self-producing his project. Listen to "DND" or "Blue Flame."

Kris Hollis - Invite Me Over

Taylor Gang's Kris Hollis returns with his smooth talk R&B in the form of a new extended play. With its sultry lyrics, "Invite Me Over" tempts the female listener and hits grooves to improve pillow talk. To start, hear the track "Lately."

$toney - $toney's World 1.5

One of the best music technicians in the 'Burgh is $toney. Give him credit for engineering trap-star Jimmy Wopo's songs and also give him credit for working with known hip-hop acts like Maxo Kream, Sonny Digital, and more so says his Twitter page. "$toney's World 1.5" is the follow-up to the 2017 "$toney World" the album. 1.5 jumps with fun, glitzy tones. The favorite track is "2On."

Pet Zebra - 5 Clips

Self-defense is everything no matter the arena and a Glock is Pet Zebra's tool of choice to keep himself safe. Listen to his chill single and understand his perspective on his second amendment right.

Nappy Nappa Joins The Bop Wave

NAPPYNAPPA's music has a spacial vibe to it.  Whether that be the reverb and synths paired with his trademark echo, making you feel like you're adrift in the galaxy, or his crashing 808s and "T'd up" rage taking you through reentry—his sonics are not of this earth. 

However, yesterday’s release was an exception, a return to orbit.  Drawn in by the Millennium generation's gravitational pull, his latest song, "\+YENE FRIKIN+/," joins the bop music wave.  Produced by BASEDCHINK, the two-minute track has hints of those 8-bit video game sounds that have proliferated hip hop music over the last two years.  What's more is that Nappa's voice is auto-tuned, rapping about Rick Owens, Nike checks, and his "OFF WHITE soul."  This is both surprising and welcomed to hear, as the Southeast, D.C. rapper often waxes poetic on more abstract and dense topics.  It shows he's listening to his surroundings at the very least--never conforming and equipped to hit the mainstream should it come calling.  Listen to the track above.

Forehead Kiss III Is For The Lovers

For all lovers of love and lovers of music.

Mix cover designed by The Kufi Smacker.

Thomas, better known behind the ones and twos as "The Kufi Smacker," is likely to out aux chord you if you're about afro beats and grime music.

"I've been listening to grime since 2003," he said at Uptown Art House, running through b-sides from the pre-Skepta grime scene.  This is when the United Kingdom's garage genre by groups like The Streets still presided over radio waves.  "The first artist I heard was Kano or Dizzee Rascal."

Thomas is really just trying to dance.  FHKIII is representative of that fact, and it's just in time for you to catch the groove with your significant other on Valentine's Day.

"[Forehead Kiss] is the one kiss you give a girl that means she's the one.  You don't give them jawns out to anyone," he said about the inspiration behind his latest mix.

At 41 minutes, Thomas interlays a whole host of futuristic bounces to some familiar songs, new and old.  He covers the afro beat base with a remix of Juls' "Skin Tight," while later transitioning to a version of Masego's 2017 hit, "Navajo" that potentially sounds better than the original.  Around 22 minutes though, TKS hits this irresistible pocket remixing "Do For Love" into a perfect club joint.

Listen for yourself here, and if you're in D.C. don't miss him at 9:30 Club's Backbar on February 23.

Listen To Dreamcast's SoundCloud Bests on The Lost Tape

All those hits from Dreamcast Burymeinamink vol. ii & vol. iii are now thankfully in one place.  Download The Lost Tape today.

Davon Bryant AKA "Dreamcast" had a momentous 2017.  He found himself exploring the streets of London and Amsterdam thanks to the warm reception of his vinyl release of two funk, soul tracks "Liquid Deep" and "Summer Love."  D.C. based label Peoples Potential Unlimited, an esoteric record company focused on 80s funk preservation and discovering some of the best underground boogie, funk, and dance music, was responsible for the distribution of the seven inch.  Good luck trying to get your hands on the novelty, though--Dreamcast's record sold out.

"Primarily because the scene--this future funk, Dam-Funk, Sasac sort of style--never really had had a vocalist on the whole scene.  That's a shit load of producers who do it but don't have a vocalist and so "Liquid Deep" just sprouted, which is fun," he said in his Uptown Interview.

To cap the year, Bryant also found himself in a spotlight feature by The Fader.

His latest project, an LP called The Lost Tape, is a long-awaited compilation of tracks that Bryant had teased on SoundCloud to only leave listeners disappointed who came back to his page finding certain grooves missing.

DB: I like to experiment with a track...were you listening to that second project, Dreamcast vol. ii?

ITR: Yea, man.  Why the fuck did you delete "Devil's Red Dress" from SoundCloud?

[Laughs]

DB: I want to put it back because I've gotten backlash from taking that shit down.

"Devil's Red Dress" is an ultimate rock ballad produced by Fat Kneel that Bryant said just sort of happened after a night of libations.  You can't go wrong with any of the ten tracks off The Lost Tape, honestly.  It opens with a chopped version of Three 6 Mafia's "Sippin on Some Syrup," while "Lonely Hearts Club," "Do You Wanna Go," and "Locked Up" allow Dreamcast's soulful vocals to shine through.

The Lost Tape is available for purchase on Bandcamp.  Let this release tide you over until Dreamcast's debut album set to drop later 2018.

Watch Jenna Camille's Roseanne Inspired Video for "Up & Down"

Jenna Camille plays a deflated wife vying for her husband's lust in the new video for her single, "Up & Down."

"I got this idea of writing this song about a working-class couple whose still trying to find the time to keep the spark going," she says in her upcoming 'Uptown Interview.'  "The video is inspired by Roseanne where Dan, her husband, is having dreams about another woman, and she's trying to figure out why he's not into having sex with her anymore...and trying to find ways to make their sex-life work."

Art work designed by St. Clair Castro, CMPVTR CLVB.

Davon Bryant AKA Dreamcast, who's been featured in the Sounds of D.C. playlist and most recently in The Fader, plays disinterested Dan.  Both Camille and Bryant are consistent supporters of one another's artistry; find them in attendance at each other's D.C. shows, but perhaps there is an ulterior motive behind this collaboration.

"I feel like this is a question that could get me in trouble..." Camille said when asked why Dreamcast was the subject of choice.  "Well, one because to be honest--Davon--I feel the most comfortable with him as a leading person.  And two, because...don't make me answer that!"

"Up & Down" is now available on Bandcamp, where you can also download an exclusive Michael Jackson outro performed live at 9:30 Club.  Watch the video above.

Free, Jenna Camille's next album is on the way, stay tuned.