Sunday, March 28, 2010
Camobeeeeezy
Last Friday info can be found here
Bring Back the Beat benefit can be found here
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Q's&A's with the "Rocky Dennis" Tour Crew
(Ps. I want my money back for those tickets, haha)
--Actually, although we were disappointed to have missed their live performances, I was super stoked to get a handful of copies of "Rocky Dennis", as it was only available for advanced purchase on this tour--
Thankfully, Lovefestonline.com and The 'Rocky Dennis' Tour had some mutual friends on the 'Every Never is Now' tour, performing the following evening at DC9. So before the show on Saturday, March 6th, we had a chance to catch up with them at Uncle Ben's Chili Bowl in our Nation's Capital to chit-chat about the new album, "Rocky Dennis", how their tour was going and some other randoms.
*** NOTE: Since I am the worst interview-er in history, the environment of the restaurant was hectic & loud, and there were so many people involved in the conversation, I will be paraphrasing the interview Q's & A's ;)
Lovefest: In the new video for "Dwight Gooden", its hard not to notice the fact that you guys are eating in every other scene. What is one favorite local spot of yours?
Dezmatic: Definitely Cafe 217. Its a breakfast spot that's open for the late night crowd. Ya know, a place for people to stop on the way home from the bars.
Lovefest: Name 5 "Must Have" places while on tour.
Dez: Ohhh, this is a great question because this is what we do. We love to eat and try new things. We're at one of them now, actually. Uncle Ben's Chili Bowl (DC) is always good. In Pittsburgh there is a place called Primanti's. When you're in the South, of course you're going to want to get BBQ, so I'm going to say Miss Ruby's Kitchen in Raleigh, North Carolina. Also, in New York, you have to stop at Crif Dog's.
Lovefest: Where is that located? In Brooklyn? The City? errr...
Seezmics: You know what I really like? I think Sonic is great.
Izzie: So Seez <3's>
--Break for a conversation about how Sonic doesn't always have locations in the same areas that the commercials are aired--
Lovefest: Seez and I have have talked about this in the past. But for the record.. How'd you and he started touring together? Also, what's it like to work with Seez; on tour and making music together?
Dez: I just do this for the money. I hate Seez.
Lovefest: Right, I remember you saying that when we spoke about you're last tour, for instance. Like when you took Cubbiebear with you, you obviously knew he was a good artist and hard worker, and in the end, he fully appreciated the opportunity you gave him. (Check out Lovefestonline's Coverage of the Big Mama Tour; Part One of the Disposable Camera Series)
Seez: Exactly. So anyway, I met Nobs at Scribble Jam many years ago. We kept in touch and he stayed with me some time later, when he came down for a Warped Tour. Later, after their release of Behemoth (Dez & Nob's First Album) is when I met Dez. I liked the work that they were doing and so we started setting up shows to play together. And the rest is history..
Lovefest: So Dez, what about Nobs? How did you two meet and fall in love?
Dez: Well, [a former] girlfriend of mine went to Scribble Jam years back and among other things kept raving about this particular CD she got with Phlegm and Nobs on it. I gave it a listen and really liked it as well. So I reached out to Nobs initially. We met a few times and he came out to see me perform. I was keeping busy putting out multiple demos of my own and he was working with [Hand Held Aspects] and [3 Sides of a Circle]. -Long story short- In the meantime, we eventually started working on music together and released Behemoth in 2006.
Dez: Most definitely, I love traveling. I want to get back to Minneapolis. I like California and Texas. I mean, this is what I ultimately want to do; play shows all over. We're actually going to be in Europe in May. One place I would love to go is Hawaii! I would love to get out there.
Lovefest: Aside from your home town, what has been your favorite city to perform in?
Dez: I like performing in Connecticut. Lots of Cardboard City folks up there. Umm, Cincy, Pittsburgh, DC, Minneapolis. Honestly, I like to perform where I walk into a place and the crowd is ready to have fun, no matter what you throw at them. When you are trying to perform for people who are kind of uptight and not ready to get down/ have fun with you..
Lovefest: Like ...[index finger to the nose to lift the head up]... Snobby?
Dez: Right. I mean mostly places I just mentioned draw crowds that are fun, but none like Albany and CT. It's as if we're performing for family. Everyone is welcoming and excited to hear us no matter what.
Dez & Seez: Well, its more so the crowd that matters, not necessarily the venue. We also like to try different venues each time we go to a city.
Dez: The staff that work at these venues plays a role in whether we like the place or not, as well.
Lovefest: I totally agree. I personally don't like to go to 9:30 in DC because I think the staff there are [not nice].
Dez: You know what the most important thing is, honestly? The sound man! Seriously, if you don't have someone that knows what they're doing, it could ruin a show.
Seez: "YEAH! Having a venue without a good sound man is like having sex with someone that's alseep!"
Lovefest: Dude, I'm going to quote you on that. For real.. that's hilarious.
Lovefest: Ok, so we've gotta know.. what has been your strangest or most memorable tour moment EVA??
*Seez, Dez and Timmy all looked at each other simultaneously and started laughing*
Seez: Can I take this one? haha.. Ok, so we were just in VA playing a show in Richmond.
There were of course local acts that were opening up for us. So there were these two guys. One was rapping about blunts and 40's, ect. and he would pass the mic off to this other guy. Well, the other was a much more aggressive rapper. No lie, this dude had on a wrestling belt. Like a WWE -type massive wrestling belt.
Lovefest: Wow, so it sounds like these two rappers were like extreme opposites. As if they were on different ends of a 'rap' spectrum.
Seez: Yeah; strange combination. So, after the second guy would finish rapping and passed the mic back to the first guy, he would just stand there; Arms folded in front of him, chest sticking out and a completely serious look on his face. I mean this guy would literally hold his arm out to someone in the crowd and affirm them, as if he was gunning for them. I mean this guy was dead serious.
Lovefest: Oh my goodness, so he kept the role going as to keep the crowd entertain? Like he believed he was that character and wouldn't break from it?
Seez: Yeah, he believed in his product.
Dez: Ha, he sold crack, but he believed in his product.
**Note: Lovefest attempted to record this story on camera, although failed miserably due to the noise volume in the restaurant. Unfortunately I wasn't able precisely recreate/describe the story that Seez told, because I am an admittedly terrible story-teller. However, they will be posting footage of was just talked about on StashboxTV. Stay tuned..
Lovefest: So as far as tours go, what would be your ideal line up, to play with?
Dez: I like to do shows with my friends and who's art I respect. Louis Logic, Timmy and Seezmics obviously, Alaska from Hangar 18 is a good dude..
Lovefest: I know this is like asking you to go to work yet being told you're not allowed to work... but who would you like to see? What would be your ideal line up to sit back and watch?
Dez: Big-Biz and the Melvins, Jay-Z, Sade, Portishead, Atmosphere has always put on a good show. Definitely ICE CUBE! excited to go see him at Paid Dues this year! Ice T.
Timmy: Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh!!
(All agreed on MJ)
Dez: Anyone with a live band as well. I saw Jay-Z with a band; that was Phenomenal. The Roots; always a great show.
Lovefest: Im a huge Roots fan. I have a tradition where every time I drive into Philly I put on Illadelph Half life.
Dez: Oh! Also, A Tribe Called Quest. I saw them a while back at "Party in the Park" in Albany's Lincoln Park. They got on stage and the crowd was out of control.
--As we we're leaving the restaurant, we continued our conversation in transit to the venue--
Lovefest: I know you've stayed busy in the meantime, but how does it feel to finally release this follow up album?
Dez: I feel like I've been pregnant for four years.
Lovefest: Haha. What is your formula for making music?
Dez:Im a work horse. I don't really think about it too much. I just do it. I make music like I'd check off a grocery list. Each song revolves around a certain theme, so I just go through and make each song as it pertains to something I may be thinking about or would like to address.
Lovefest: Well, what can fans expect from this album? What would you like to say to your fan base as a whole; older or newer fans?
Dez: This album is straight to the point. Our last album seemed to have more anomalies. We have also endure more shit in our lives since Behemoth.
Lovefest: Right, so of course that's going to filter through..
Dez: Think of it like this; If you're hungry, a delicious juicy steak would be extremely satisfying, no? But sometimes a simple and quick grilled cheese could be satisfying all the same, right?
Lovefest: Ok..
Dez: Well, in that case, "Rocky Dennis" is like the Meat and Potatoes of albums.
Lovefest: Nice, I can dig that. To wrap this up, what is your current job and how does it affect your music?
Dez: I Manage a restaurant; I bar tend, cook, serve. A lot of my songs have food incorporated into what I'm saying.
Lovefest: Whats the Strangest job you've ever had?
Dez: Being a rapper.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, and if you haven't seen our post-interview "Rap-L I B S" Session with the boys, check it..
-Thanks for your time, gentlemen-
The turkey burger was delish!
You all are hilarious. *Hugs*
-Crista and Izzie
Keep an eye out for "Rocky Dennis".
Official release date: May 4th
Available for purchase at the on-line store @
Other Lovefest Suggestions:
Educated Consumers - Big Mama, Write Hear
Timmy Wiggins - The 90's Mixed Tape hosted by Chauncey
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Short List
Let's Be Professional is the latest release by The Tribe & Big Cats! The critic-y thing to do here would be to get all long winded about the growth between Supply and Demand and this... Thankfully for both of us we all know I'm no critic, just a believer. So please, download away and share your thoughts because I've been bumping this one all week. Favorites include I Ride My Dinosaur To Work and We Go Hard featuring Franz Diego.
Seattle favorite alert! Seattle favorite alert! I know, I know its been out since Christmas but I can't come up with enough big sloppy word kisses to rain down on Mashhall's (formerly They Live!) They La Soul mixtape. Large.
Speaking of the hometown, the lady Dice just dropped The Foundation which features Fatal Lucciauno, Sol and others. You can grab both that and her previously released Then & Now off datpiff.
There are no more nice things left to say about Young Black Male that haven't been said countless times by others across the blogosphere already. So I'm just going to stick to my plea that he bring back his The Best Week Ever freestyles. And make sure if you liked the mixtape to make a donation as well.
You either love him or hate him but I definitely have a soft spot for Yelawolf. I know its been out for a minute but Trunk Muzik was an immediate download so I have to mention it.
And TuesdayTuesdayTuesdayyy don't forget Kaiser Von Powderhorn 2 is officially unleashed upon the masses. I promise this one is well worth the wait.
I want to sign off by mentioning that Thee Satisfaction will be setting out on their six city Black Weirdo tour this spring and have set up a Feed The Muse page for those that would like to aid and encourage these ladies on their journey. Also be on the look for them and other Seattle favorites on MTV's $5 Cover coming in June.
A quick P.S. from Georgia :Jem P, formerly of Meandyoucrew, has rapped his way from Chicago to Fargo and back again. Now he has released a new long awated solo album for download, FREE. Don't miss this. Jem P is a crazy talented lyricist and a personal (relatively) hometown favorite.
Friday, March 12, 2010
In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb
As the fat rain drops plop loudly out my window, I'm sitting here thinking about Spring. For me, as for many, spring is an intoxicating mix of sorrow and hope, despair and rebirth. The earth begins awakening from slumber, and with that comes change: large and minute. The birds return one, two, three at a time. The storm clouds rumble and roll in with fervor, and all this change can awaken a little craziness in us all. My nephew, born with cerebral palsy and many saddening birth defects, has just had his first birthday, a HUGE milestone for such a tiny baby with so many struggles just to survive. So with this, I am posting this FREE mixtape as a sort of moody celebration of death and rebirth. Both are necessary and both are beautiful. Enjoy this mixtape and its two faces, and look around you for the evidence of both in the world.
1. Portishead- Hunter
2. Atmosphere- Body Pillow
3. Helio Sequence- Back to This
4. Black Kids- Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend
5. Drake/Bun B/Lil Wayne- Uptown
6. Joanna Newsom- Sprout and the Bean
7. Fever Ray- Now's The Only Time I Know
8. Lady Gaga- So Happy I Could Die
9. Broken Bells- The High Road
10. ATL RMX- Breakin' Bread
11. Dessa- Matches to Paper Dolls
12. Elliot Smith- Pitseleh
13. Gorrilaz Ft. Mos Def- Stylo
14. Etta James- Don't Cry Baby
15. Fever Ray- Seven
16. Shiny Toy Guns- Major Tom
17. City and Colour- As Much As I Ever Could
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Relay For Life: Izzie's Story
I grew up a middle child of 1 Boy and 3 Girls; I was the middle girl. I still have the middle child syndrome, haha. But one thing that I could appreciate was that my mother never really made my siblings or I feel neglected, or more/less loved that any other. She had a way of making everyone feel loved, at peace, respected and cared for. From her I learned how to be strong, loving and, most importantly, patient.
My mom, Alice, was a very out-going person who could make friends with anyone, even the stranger at the grocery store or the homeless man at the corner. She'd give the shirt off her back, last dime out of her pocket or a place to sleep and a warm meal to anyone in need. I could write a book on the good she had done in her life, but I'm going to try to get to the point here..
Alice developed and auto-immune disease before I was ever even born, so she was sick my whole life; but this never effected her spirit. Then she was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer when I was only 12 years old. I remember being in 7th grade and yet in the hospital with her when she had a double mastectomy (breast removal) and went through her Chemo/radiation treatments. The doctors would say the type of cancer she had was so aggressive that most women with this form of malignancy could only survive for a year & a half TOPS! So you could imagine the anxiety I had as a young girl, believing her mother would die at any moment. I continued to live with this for years..
Fortunately, she went into remission for 5 years. She maintained a positive attitude, had a strong faith in God and refused to let go before she saw kids grow up. My family would supported her when she would go to Relay For Life events and we really did raised a lot of money over the years. My Mom always loved the Ocean and wished that she could live near the water. Well, she got her wish, I suppose, but she wasn't specific enough. My father's job relocated us to the Midwest, near Lake Michigan, where she would spend the rest of her life.
When I was around 17 or so, the cancer returned, and slowly would spread to her bones and liver over the next three years. I spent countless hours at doctors offices with her while she had chemo, coached her with physical therapy treatments when she had her hips replaced, gave her shots at home to boost her immune system, I had taken science and anatomy classes in high school so that I could help her decipher what information medical professionals would give her about her blood work and what not... in retrospect, I realize it was a bit much for such a young girl to carry all that on her shoulder on top of work, school, social life, ect. I decided to stay home instead of going away to college to see through that she was taken care of. I mean, what was I suppose to do? How could I leave my dying mother (as my older siblings both did when they were 17) when she needed support the most?
A few years past and she was in and out of the hospital. And on a cold yet sunny winter day, four days before Christmas in 2004, she took her last breath that morning in the hospital while my brother and I sat beside her. She was only 52. I was with her for the entire roller-coaster ride. From the day she came home from the doctors crying, telling me she had found a lump in her breast, to the day she left this earth. I watch her deteriorate and eventually die over the course of my teenage years.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm one of the most fortunate people on earth to have been blessed with such an amazing mother. A woman who positively changed the lives of MANY people. But I also watched a disease take the life of someone who didn't deserve to die such a slow and horribly painful death.
After she passed I saw through that my younger sister graduated high school and afterward I moved back to the East Coast to begin MY life. I needed to learn how to take care of MYself, because all I ever knew how to do was take care of other people. It took me a long time to truly come to terms with what has happened in the past. And honestly, I have not done a single Relay for Life since I was a teenager doing it with her. I'm now 25 and realize that I need to reach out for support to do this just as she needed the support to. All those years that people were raising money, it really was for a good cause. Indirectly, it helped my mother stay alive 7 years longer than predicted with medical and technological advances. I had the chance to spend more time with her than I could have ever hoped for.
Everyone has a story like this. You could ask every person you see throughout the day, and I bet you that 80% of them have someone close to them who has/had cancer or has had it themselves.
So, I decided to finally do this again. As part of the "Woman in Science" Club at my school (Towson University), I will be walking on March 26-27 7p-7a. I'm asking for your support to help me do this for the first time in YEARS. Think about it, you could be helping someone like my mother who deserved to live a longer life. Someone like me who deserved to have a mother.
Even if you can't donate monetarily, your awareness and concern is appreciated.
Thank you,
Izzie
If you would Like to make a Tax-Deductible donation, please visit The American Cancer Society and if you put it under my name (Elizabeth Huyette-Arrizza) I would greatly appreciate it!
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Heartland Panic: go DJ, go DJ, go DJ!
A Def once mentioned that when they started making music together, he and Dirt Dee sounded like the same person. "The Heartland Panic" gives Attn: Def and Dirty distinct voices; in tone, rhyme patterns, and lyrics.
With the classic instrumentation you get the feeling that "The Heartland Panic" should have a dance accompanying it by the same name, much like "The Hustle", "The Jerk", or "The Monster Mash." Everybody do "The Hearthland Panic!" You can’t help but move, or at least strut down the street, when you hear this album.
This is the best way to explain what I felt the first time I listened to this album:
In case you forgot:
Soulcrate Music
The Heartland Panic
In Stores TOMORROW
Black Clover, distro by Fat Beats.
All Tracks Produced By: DJ Absolute
All Words By: Attn:Def & Dirt Dee
Supplemental Instrumentation:
Keys-Jonathon Hegg
Trombone-Joel Broveleit
Saxophone-Matt Wallace
Guitar-Xopher Smith
Vocals And Guitar-Nick Thomas
Sunday, March 7, 2010
On the 12th day of Soulcrate . . .
Keep an eye out tomorrow when we post our over-arching thoughts on "The Heartland Panic." In the meantime - get your copy (and other dope ass merch) over at Lethalville. Also - starting on the 19th of March, you can find Soulcrate, along with label master Mac Lethal, and friends of Black Clover - Prof and Akream on tour in a city near you.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sleep Awake
Sleep Awake, the eleventh track of Soulcrate's The Heartland Panic, struck me as something quite easy to relate to. The song unfurls like one's thoughts at the end of one's day, lying in bed wondering what this world is coming to. The stress, the people, the pace of life, the mundane tasks and overwhelming responsibilities all seem to pile up when you're trying to get some rest. This track approaches said issues in almost a relaxed manner, perhaps even defeated at times and the subject matter flirts with both sides of the proverbial coin- the metaphors and relationships between sleep and death, and the finality of one and the relief of both, sometimes interchangeable. This song shows a maturity these Black Clover boys have come to develop in ways only life experiences can teach.
Soulcrate Music
The Heartland Panic
In Stores 3/9/2010
Black Clover, distro by Fat Beats.
All Tracks Produced By: DJ Absolute
All Words By: Attn:Def & Dirt Dee
Supplemental Instrumentation:
Keys-Jonathon Hegg
Trombone-Joel Broveleit
Saxophone-Matt Wallace
Guitar-Xopher Smith
Vocals And Guitar-Nick Thomas
Friday, March 5, 2010
Wake Up
Have you ever been in love? Like reeeeeally deeply in love, then it just turns to shit? Built something from the ground up and that foundation of trust just deteriorates and everything falls apart?
If you can feel me then you'll dig this jam. This song embodies what it feels like to be smacked up side the head with reality.
--Izzie
Soulcrate Music
The Heartland Panic
In Stores 3/9/2010
Black Clover, distro by Fat Beats.
All Tracks Produced By: DJ Absolute
All Words By: Attn:Def & Dirt Dee
Supplemental Instrumentation:
Keys-Jonathon Hegg
Trombone-Joel Broveleit
Saxophone-Matt Wallace
Guitar-Xopher Smith
Vocals And Guitar-Nick Thomas
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Think About Me
The Heartland Panic
In Stores 3/9/2010
Black Clover, distro by Fat Beats.
All Tracks Produced By: DJ Absolute
All Words By: Attn:Def & Dirt Dee
Supplemental Instrumentation:
Keys-Jonathon Hegg
Trombone-Joel Broveleit
Saxophone-Matt Wallace
Guitar-Xopher Smith
Vocals And Guitar-Nick Thomas
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Thirteen Days of Soulcrate: Day 8
The Heartland Panic
In Stores 3/9/2010
Black Clover, distro by Fat Beats.
All Words By: Attn:Def & Dirt Dee
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Old Vs. Dumb
Soulcrate Music
The Heartland Panic
In Stores 3/9/2010
Black Clover, distro by Fat Beats.
All Tracks Produced By: DJ Absolute
All Words By: Attn:Def & Dirt Dee
Supplemental Instrumentation:
Keys-Jonathon Hegg
Trombone-Joel Broveleit
Saxophone-Matt Wallace
Guitar-Xopher Smith
Vocals And Guitar-Nick Thomas
Monday, March 1, 2010
Drop Sound
Soulcrate Music
The Heartland Panic
In Stores 3/9/2010
Black Clover, distro by Fat Beats.
All Tracks Produced By: DJ Absolute
All Words By: Attn:Def & Dirt Dee
Supplemental Instrumentation:
Keys-Jonathon Hegg
Trombone-Joel Broveleit
Saxophone-Matt Wallace
Guitar-Xopher Smith
Vocals And Guitar-Nick Thomas