Yellow Shoots Shares Official Music Video For Ambient Single 'Stormy Weather' On IMPOSE

Philly-bred musician Greg Matthews has had a storied career as a guitarist and frequent collaborator with some of his hometown's most notable acts, including Ryan Toby of the Grammy-nominated trio City High. Now known as Yellow Shoots, the eclectic Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has carved his own lane in soul with his seamless fusion of atmospheric R&B tinged with rock, jazz, and electronic music, used to articulate the tumultuous process of reconciliation with loss in his single "Stormy Weather." 

Directed by Aly Migliori, the song's official music video is an intimate look at Yellow Shoots and his band, as they evoke rain clouds of misty grays and blues in their live performance of the song. 

“‘Stormy Weather’ is about a person losing a relationship or separating ties with someone. It talks about how one doesn’t actually feel the depths or significance at the time they lose a relationship. I tried to demonstrate that I often get hit with that wave of “loss” at an unexpected time, which is often triggered by an unexpected event. Life is odd and awkward for a bit and all of a sudden you get smacked in the face with everything that’s missing, everything you had before”
— Yellow Shoots

"Stormy Weather" is the title track of Yellow Shoots' forthcoming EP, set for release before the year's end.

Watch 'Stormy Weather' on YouTube: https://goo.gl/Oqzu7o

Link to premiere of 'Stormy Weather' on IMPOSE: https://goo.gl/PXDzlY

Listen to 'Stormy Weather' on SoundCloud: https://goo.gl/XacI7Q (premiered by The FADER)

More from Yellow Shoots on:

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Electric Wire Hustle Releases Official Music Video For 'I Light A Candle' On Okayplayer

'I Light A Candle' from The 11th Sky by Electric Wire Hustle. Out now via Loop (NZ, AU, Japan) & Bastard Jazz (ROW). Stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0YXvHJ0WadWpgsHzHbhuDx This track is based on ideas from Aldous Huxley's book Brave New World, and is about a blue-collar girl grinding it out in the city; "she should be rated Alpha-1, but her hair is long".

A flagship of New Zealand's soul music, Electric Wire Hustle releases the enchanting music video for "I Light A Candle," the entrancing second single from the group's long-awaited third full-length album, The 11th Sky.   

“This track is based on ideas from Aldous Huxley’s book Brave New World, and is about a blue-collar girl grinding it out in the city; ‘she should be rated Alpha-1, but her hair is long.’ It features string arrangements from Maahuia B-C which soar over 808s, steel string guitar and my social commentary”
— Mara TK (EWH Frontman)

The 11th Sky is out now via Bastard Jazz Recordings (World) and Loop (NZ, Australia and Japan).

Watch "I Light A Candle" on YouTube: https://goo.gl/TKdUfQ

Link to premiere of "I Light A Candle" on Okayplayer: https://goo.gl/Iwh7IF

Stream 'The 11th Sky' on Soundcloud: https://goo.gl/YfhOLb

Purchase The 11th Sky on Bandcamp: http://goo.gl/ucqqLK

Purchase The 11th Sky on iTunes: http://goo.gl/5EaKLq

MORE ABOUT THE 11th SKY:

The 11th Sky expands on Electric Wire Hustle's psychedelic-soul sound and continues the surreal storytelling of last year's Aeons EP, which also featured Kimbra and Deva Mahal on vocals. The brand new album is described as “David Lynch meets Motown” by frontman and producer Mara TK. The otherworldly is present within EWH’s layered electronic production and Mara’s soaring vocals with tracks like “Go Slow” that walk into the genre-fog amidst drum machines and synthesizers. Meanwhile, “I Light A Candle,” with its piano, chopped vocal samples, towering strings and 808s, strikes right at the heart of soul music.

The 11th Sky will serve as the full-length follow-up to Electric Wire Hustle’s critically acclaimed  Love Can Prevail album, which was hailed by The New York Times, BBC Radio and Wax Poetics. The project won “Best Electronic Album” at the New Zealand Music Awards, continuing a track record of critical acclaim that began with the band's self-titled debut album.  

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MH The Verb & ArtHouse95 Commemorate One Year Anniversary Of Paris Attacks In Music Video For 'Last Dance In Paris' On Okayplayer

MH the Verb x ArtHouse95 - "Last Dance In Paris" ft.

Ceremonies were held across Paris yesterday in memory of those who lost their lives exactly one year ago in the worst attack on France since World War II. Today, Philly-based emcee, producer, and multi-media artist MH the Verb and his multi-faceted collective ArtHouse95 pay their respects in the Kate McFadden-directed music video for "Last Dance In Paris." In addition to commemorating the one year anniversary of the Paris attacks, MH reminds us of forgotten tragedies concerning people of color, such as the Beirut bombings that claimed the lives of more than 40 people around the same time last year.

“[When] the city of Paris fell victim to a series of coordinated terrorist attacks, my heart sank… I felt an extreme closeness to the situation… [I later learned that] two suicide bombers detonated explosives in Bourj el-Barajneh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. They killed more than 40 people. I had heard nothing about these terrorist attacks online, in the news, or on TV. No hashtags or specialized profile pictures for Beirut… I felt cheated, hoodwinked, and bamboozled… Even today, CNN’s top stories hover around Colin Kapernick’s jersey sales and Hilary Clinton’s emails, with little mention of activist Darren Seal’s death or the Syrian chlorine gas attacks. Once again, I’ve been let down and distracted by our westernized media. A (news) culture, which consistently devalues the experiences of those with color and those with less. I wrote [‘Last Dance in Paris’] to remind myself and everyone listening that there is more to a story than what you are told. The truth is out there… While at times, the truth will bring pain and loneliness, it will also bring positivity and purpose. For every Paris there is a Beirut, and we need our voices to say something, or else we are just left with CNN.”
— MH The Verb

"Last Dance In Paris" is the third single from the forthcoming ArtHouse95 Vol. 1 EP, the follow up to the collective's 3-song sampling Owl EP.

Watch "Last Dance In Paris" on YouTube: https://goo.gl/IyIqpe

Link to premiere of "Last Dance In Paris" on Okayplayer: https://goo.gl/cMabCv

Listen to "Getaways" on SoundCloud: https://goo.gl/YsPU0B

More Info:

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Isa Shares Long-Awaited Sophomore EP 'Mirrors' Vol. 1 on Hello Beautiful

The sultry Afro-Latin singer, songwriter, and model from The Bronx, Isa, releases her long-awaited, deeply personal 'Mirrors' Vol. 1 EP.  A flourish of Isa's signature contemporary pop/soul, 'Mirrors' serves as Isa's long-awaited follow-up to her debut EP Montage. 

“Mirrors Volume I was made and curated over the course of 3 years. It’s an introspective look into my experiences as a young woman during that time frame (learning to navigate the music industry without losing myself and my focus, being broke and financially unstable, tumultuous relationships, and the list goes on). I based it on the series of interviews Maria Callas did with Mike Wallace, of which she was very candid and ‘matter of fact’ when it came to speaking on her experiences. This was the approach I took when it came to songwriting for the EP. My background is in the Opera world and that was also a major construct in the development of the #MVI. There was a crystalline focus on vocals and lyrics.”
— Isa

Listen to 'Mirrors' Vol. 1 on SoundCloud: https://goo.gl/Cr84BF 

Link to premiere of 'Mirrors' Vol. 1 on HelloBeautiful.com: https://goo.gl/5tsk27

More Info:

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The Black Opera Releases Powerful New Album 'African America'

In light of the current times of our nation, The Black Opera seeks solace on its powerful new album African America.  A hip hop collective that once thrived on the mystique of its anonymity, The Black Opera enlists co-founding members Magestik Legend and Jamall Bufford for the group's most personal and expressive album to date, reflecting the frustrations of a people who struggle to find a true sense of home and belonging. 

Out today, African America serves as the full-length follow-up to The Black Opera's lauded 2014 release, The Great Year.

Stream and purchase 'African America' Digital & CD [w/ Personal Passport ID] on Bandcamp: https://goo.gl/NBq7IW

Purchase 'African America' on iTunes: https://goo.gl/VsasgD

Listen to 'African America' on Spotify: https://goo.gl/KlkBH4

Merch Pack Available Here: http://theblackopera.bigcartel.com

 

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MH The Verb & ArtHouse95 Share Music Video For 'Getaways' On HipHopDX

While it may be important to remain conscious of the world around us, Philly-based emcee, producer, and multi-media artist MH the Verb and his multi-faceted collective ArtHouse95 understand that sometimes we just need to escape. For the vehement hip hop enthusiasts and fans of dusty soul and jazz samples, crate-digging is often the virtuous passtime of choice. Thus, "Getaways" is the result of the artful crate-digging of ArtHouse producer Attic Tapes (fka Fishtown Beats) and the ensuing collaboration of his SP-404 and emcees MH the Verb and Drusef, demonstrated in the song's official music video, directed by Bob Sweeney.

“I started writing some bars of this verse on the Megabus a few nights before on my way back from NYC. I spend a lot of time in coffee shops and I’m always meeting really interesting people with different stories. The first verse is very much a reference to many of the conversations I have these days when I meet girls. There’s so much going on in the world and so many people with different points of view, I find the art of conversation to be a great release from my own world. Hence the concept of a getaway. The video shows all three of us doing what we love to do: hanging around the streets of Fishtown, Philadelphia and digging crates for vinyls. Long live records. Long live pure Hip Hop”
— MH The Verb

Getaways" is the second single from the forthcoming ArtHouse95 Vol. 1 EP, the follow up to the collective's 3-song sampling Owl EP.

More on MH:

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Mark Steele Shares Music Video For 'So Long' On AllHipHop.com

On the heels of the recent release of his introspective sophomore album Almost Time, North Caroline emcee Mark Steele shares the official music video for the definitive album standout "So Long."

“So Long’ was the first song we recorded for ‘Almost Time.’ Soon as Mv Riot played it for me, I know this was how I wanted to start the album. The first verse’s inspiration was drawn from how people treated me right after ‘Greatness’ blew up. I would see random people at the store or comments online and they’d say ‘You close, you ‘bout to make it big!’ But honestly I couldn’t see it the same way they saw it at first because my life didn’t drastically change immediately, like I always envisioned. The second verse was inspired by the thought of what it would truly be like when I do finally ‘make it big.’ The uncertainty of what’s really ahead. A third person introspective pitch, almost warning myself about things I need to watch out for. After the song was finished, the title of the album was created; we knew it was ‘Almost Time.’”
— Mark Steele

Out now, Almost Time features guest appearances from Rapper Big Pooh, Raheem Devaughn, and more. 

Stream 'Almost Time' on SoundCloud: https://goo.gl/PTpGJy

Stream 'Almost Time' on Spotify: https://goo.gl/4YoRKx

Purchase 'Almost Time' on iTunes: https://goo.gl/D3CO1V

More Info:

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The Black Opera Releases New Single 'Black Frankenstein' On The Source

Just in time for Halloween, The Black Opera expresses black rage concocted by the horrors of an unjust society on the collective's new single "Black Frankenstein." 

“Black Frankenstein’ is what black anger sounds like. The anger of continuously seeing people that look like you get treated unjustly and murdered, solely because of how they look. Then when we react to the injustice, we get called a monster”
— The Black Opera

"Black Frankenstein" is the second single from The Black Opera's forthcoming album African America (out November 11th), which will serve as the full-length follow-up to the collective's lauded 2014 release, The Great Year.

Listen to "Black Frankenstein" on SoundCloud: https://goo.gl/fL4zI8

Check out the premiere of "Black Frankenstein" on The Source: https://goo.gl/Hhk4Sp

Pre-Order 'African America' Digital & CD [w/ Personal Passport ID] on Bandcamp: https://goo.gl/NBq7IW

Pre-Order 'African America' on iTunes: https://goo.gl/VsasgD

Previous: "Black Woman Is God," premiered by Blavity.

Photo by Ray "Trilogybeats" Rogers

Check out The Black Opera on Social Media

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Mark Steele Releases Long-Awaited 'Almost Time' LP

From being taught and mentored by his idol 9th Wonder at North Carolina Central University, to recording a song with Rapper Big Pooh, Mark Steele has come a long way in his career. Recognized by many for his ESPN Sports Center anthem "Greatness," the young talented emcee from North Carolina releases one of his most introspective projects to date, Almost Time. 

“It’s a story about being so close, yet not quite there yet.”
— Mark Steele

Almost Time features guest appearances from Rapper Big Pooh, Raheem Devaughn, and more. 

Stream 'Almost Time' on SoundCloud: https://goo.gl/PTpGJy

Stream 'Almost Time' on Spotify: https://goo.gl/4YoRKx

Purchase 'Almost Time' on iTunes: https://goo.gl/D3CO1V

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Chisom Navigates His Double Life In Sultry New Video For 'Like Coke (So Addictive)'

Official Music Video for Like Coke (So Addictiv), by Chisom. featuring Bree Darcel [prod.

Chisom Uzosike is a young first generation Nigerian-American producer, rapper, creative director, and recent collaborator of The Black Opera hip hop collective. Born in Detroit and raised in Maryland, Chisom releases the sultry visuals for his dream-hop  groove "Like Coke (So Addictive)." Directed by DC filmmaker Supa Coop, the video follows Chisom as he navigates two opposite extremes of his double life. In one, Chisom. and his dreamy love interest cruise through DC on a gorgeous, sunny day. In the other, Chisom is surrounded by darkness as he's tempted by Lust, Vanity, Envy and the other "Seven Deadly Sins."

“In my last music video, I wanted to show off my culture. This time, I wanted to showcase my artistry. Everyone’s heard of the ‘Seven deadly sins’ — I want people to never think of them the same way ever again.”
— Chisom

Watch "Like Coke (So Addictive)" on YouTube: https://goo.gl/7QmWYJ

Last week, Chisom delivered "Dam Good", a boastful, uptempo dance anthem. The latter and "Like Coke" are to be featured on Chisom's forthcoming Smoov Ride EP this fall.

 

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