If you haven't yet had a chance to get familiar with Nashville rapper Nathan Conrad, aka Spoken Nerd, this weekend is a great time to pick up what he's putting down. His new LP I Need a Friend Like You is out today, and you can stream and buy it at the bottom of this post via Bandcamp. He'll also be marking the occasion tonight with a show at the (sorta) new incarnation of Radio Cafe, at 4150 Gallatin Pike, with help from MC Ceschi, rocker Thomas Erak and experimental folkie Dale J. Gordon. (I gathered the particulars in a Critics' Pick in this week's Scene.)
The Nerd is a big guy with a big beard whose tunes straddle hip-hop and post-grunge pop, and they tend to feature perceptive character sketches with broadly hopeful messages, often with a dose of self-effacing humor. The pre-release single "Friday Rich," with a feature from Blueprint, is a great example, as is "Spaghetti," the video for which we're very pleased to premiere today. The song celebrates how you don't have to have access to vast resources to do something meaningful. KidDead, another Nashville rapper you should get to know, directed the clip that you can see above, which features a visit to the Bill Martin's grocery store in East Nashville and some time spent in the kitchen.
“‘Spaghetti’ is from the perspective of a person who wants to show affection to their significant other,” says Conrad in an email to the Cream. “In a world where people impress with jewelry, automobiles and fancy restaurants, this individual is a standout for being able to put together the most boss batch of spaghetti. Dale J. Gordon plays a cowboy in the video who, despite being out of his element, is on a mission to make a very special meal for a very special individual.”
Give it a look and make plans to head over to Radio Cafe tonight. In the event you can't make it, check out the album below. And if you're hungry after watching that spaghetti being made (I know I am), take a look at this week's Food and Drink feature on daily specials.
