Greetings, Cream readers! Are you in the mood to get your stream on? Here's a virtual buffet of fresh tracks from some of your favorite local artists — prepare to feast your ears!
Excellent tracks just don't stop piling up — great raps, rock jams, electronic joints and because we're deep into the season, spooky (and spooOOooky) stuff. Let's get to it!
As always, send submissions to cream[at]nashvillescene[dot]com, and look back at past weeks here.
Mike Floss, "Holy Ghost"
As contributor Lance Conzett explains, Floss' Don't Blame the Youth was our pick for Best Hip-Hop Album in this year's Best of Nashville issue "not just because it’s a lyrically complex banger with fearless production by frequent collaborator Ducko Mcfli, but also because it defies categorization." "Holy Ghost," produced by also-frequent collaborator Shmuck the Loyal, carries on the tradition in both form and content, delivering a ferocious and thoughtful lyric about separating himself from organized religion without rejecting a higher power.
"I just got burnt out believing and attempting to do things perfectly," Floss told Good Music All Day. "It’s impossible. I want to be the best person I can, I want to have a strong relationship with God, but I’m not going to pretend to be anything I’m not so I can impress church people."
Scotty Rockwell, Viva La Rockwell
On his new full-length, Rockwell's got some long-term goals in mind: "When I'm all dead and rotten / And my name's been forgotten / When they're talkin' 'bout the best / Hope there's at least one kid that / Brings me back up." With a record this fierce and trippy — the title of the intro, "Hope U Brought Drugs" is spot-on — he would have nothing to worry about, in an ideal world anyway.
Jitch Mones, Super Heavy
There are plenty of great keyboardists in Music City, but Mitch Jones has one outstanding ear for arrangements, which makes him a great addition to bands like Fly Golden Eagle and Majestico as well as a stellar producer. Light the lambsbread and lean back with his solo record of sweet instrumental dub.
Acidic Goose, Thank You Kindly
Here with your weekly dose of WTF is Acidic Goose. I might be inclined to mention them on account of my nickname, but it's a noteworthy record by any name, with ominous samples framing some serious sludgy improv.
Jonny Gowow, "Gypsy-Fingered Nights"
Jonny Gowow's been trickling out new tunes — some of his first recordings since his 2014 album Wide Stance. It's building up into another fine collection of what Gowow described to contributor Jason Shawhan as "gay music for straight people." One day, one hopes, no one will consider top-shelf pop songs about gay love and/or sex a somehow non-normal thing — but even then, these would stand out for their songcraft.
Sallow, "Untitled II" b/w "Wound"
Sallow's one of those bands whose name you probably recognize from a lot of DIY show lineups, but if you haven't seen 'em in person, check out this twin-pack of bad-dream-pop — which is a term I just made up to describe guitar rock that falls between early Built to Spill and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Boo Dudes, Beast of Boo Dudes and Graveyard Guys, Monster Mosh 7-Inch
It's October, and that means it's time for Boo Dudes, Nashville's most-dedicated Halloween-y band, to come creepin' out the crypt! Like all superlative Best Of comps, The Beast of Boo Dudes includes some new tunes — most notably a Peter Tosh riff called "Felonize It" (perhaps the unofficial theme song of the Marijuana Makes You Violent Facebook page). And, just after press time on this post, the Dudes dropped another release called Spook 'Em All.
And, in keeping with tradition, the Dudes have also scared up Monster Mosh, a "long-lost" hardcore 7-inch released on Halloween 1983 by The Graveyard Guys, most of whom tragically died from "smoking marijuana to death" after the release show. To keep up with all things Boo Dudes, including their Halloween Up Your Ass intra-city tour, follow them on Facebook.
Gay Vibes, "We Melt" Feat. Leticia Wolf, Entity from Between Dimensions EP
Speaking of the spooky, Scene contributor Seth Graves' project Gay Vibes has dropped a couple of solid jams. The first is a chillwave pop jam featuring vocals from The Dead Deads' Leticia Wolf, which is sweet and sleek. If you want something seasonally appropriate, look to the EP, which features brooding ambient jams with far-out titles like "Matter is Plastic in the Face of Mind."
Fluorescent Half Dome, "Gemini"
Fluorescent Half Dome is a project of Wildfront's Krista Glover. If you have tickets to Tegan and Sara's Oct. 24 show at Cannery Ballroom, you owe it to yourself to check out the other tracks on Glover's Soundcloud.
The Shadowtones, The Shadowtones
Following the release of a great self-titled LP towards the end of last year, Churchyard co-frontwoman Alice Buchanan moved to the Big Apple and the group went on an indeterminate hiatus. Though twe likely haven't heard the last of the original Churchyard, the rest of the band joined forces with ex-Mom and Dad guitarist Dave Cate and morphed into The Shadowtones. Their first two tracks are just sort of the snarly, creepy garage goodness I'm looking for this time of year.
Mom and Dad, "Reaching My Paper Rad (Demo)"
And speaking of Mom and Dad, they've dropped another effervescent blast of hooky art-rock (or a demo for it, at least) from their forthcoming record I Am, Therefore I Is (ICYMI, check the video for "CGW&M").
Brineaboy, "Unalienable"
Amy Wright from Yumi and the System and HA Hill have embarked on a new dark electronic collaboration, and the first fruit of their labors is as propulsive and danceable as it is creepy. The next single, "Xenophobia," is due to drop Oct. 18 via their Facebook page.
Jota Ese, 24 Hour Dick
To play us out, here comes Jota Ese on a roll! Hot on the heels of U Say Problem/ Say Passion, the ingenious mixologist has paired some choice hip-hop verses with all new ultra-fly beats — "Hurt Me Baby" recasts Andre 3000's bars from Devin the Dude's "What a Job," "First of All Lady" repurposes Yo Gotti's "Act Right" and so on.
