Chance the Rapper & Jeremih NEW MIXTAPE - Merry Christmas Lil' Mama

Listen to Merry Christmas Lil' Mama here.

Chicago and the ART being created in the rubble of it's dangerous streets is truly inspiring.  

I always wanted to write a piece on Twista and Chance the Rapper never leaving their roots, always supporting and promoting the young music coming out right now with both mentors heavily doing collabs or features for days on tracks by 

Supa Bwe 

NoName

Joey Purp, Alex Wiley , 

Sunny Woods, Mick Jenkins and plenty more.

But then

my feelings on femdot. his new EP to(u). & more.

LISTEN to his new EP here while you scroll down and read.

femdot.

 is fast becoming one my favorite independent artist coming out of Chicago right now. 

Joining the likes of Supa Bwe , NoName , Trapo and a couple more that I'll be writing about a little later here @ Art is Hard TX. 

Giving us his third ep in under twelve months is a feat within itself but the picture he paints

NEW SONG! Black Kids - Obligatory Drugs

I've been waiting years for a new Black Kids album.  This is their first song off their new album coming out in 2017. 

The video is KILL.KILL.KILL. by the way.

I want to dance like them also.

HOW TO USE THE 3 T'S

Their sound keeps on evolving and growing along with them.

They're still capturing my heart with danceable music and lyrics I relate and laugh with.  

There is something deeply intimate about this music video (directed by Kevin Snow-drummer for the band), it shows us quick glimpses of the brother/sister duo in their house and old pictures

The Realness of Racism & Systematic Conditioning

I had stopped writing for a long time.  I couldn't quite handle all that was going on around me. 

 From my own personal demons judging me and devaluing 

my feelings, to all the wrong words 

and thoughts attached to

the social dialogue on these shootings and mishandling of life in general for people of color in America.  

The divide is still alive and well in

Juan Gabriel - My Real Life Disney Prince

goodbye Juan.

Amor Eterno

artwork by ARTETRISTE

-Please Watch & Try Not To Cry-

I never new a time without Juan Gabriel.  Coming from a mulit-cultural household even my Puerto Rican mother deeply loved this man and would often sing his songs with such gusto it

Frank Ocean is scrubbing away his Endless (Visual Album) -track list up-

::update::
For those of you asking me about the links I've put below not working.  
It seems like Frank Ocean is basically scrubbing 
Endless from the interwebs.  
Finding a loophole before his BLONDE album dropping, 
he released Endless off DEF JAM so he could end things with them by giving them an album owed.

Even if you go to his own website, you won't find

DoughBoi & Yung Chef - More then Snack Rap

I stumbled across DoughBoi and Yung Chef where we all probably did, numbingly scrolling down my news feed and sticking out of the mundane, I saw this dude nastily spit out a verse about top ramen while being pushed in a gold shopping cart down the street.

And as I dove into a clickhole of trying to find out who these dudes were

Loveless Pearls

Living in a world full of grownups 

is so hard sometimes.  

And refusing to grow up 

while still

Happiness at 32 Fahrenheit

Comfort food is irreplaceable. 

Why would you even want to try to anyways???

It could a single ingredient or a complex work of culinary art. 

The way fresh made bread wafts it aroma into the air, or the sizzling of garlic and onions tickling your taste buds, can lift someones spirit. 

And then there is Ice Cream. 

Oh silky, smooth beauties.

I'll never forget the way the spoons smoothed in fruits, sprinkles, and nuts  

Drizzle chocolate

And you have yourself Happiness at 32 Fahrenheit.

Things change. Ideals change. Priority Change.

Ice Cream consumption nearly halts for those stricken with 

lactose intolerance. 

Maybe its intentional or unintentional dieting, perhaps it's just natural

MeanGirls -- Meaning It All Up (she doesn't even go here EDITION.)

-listen to MeanGirls SQUIRM here while you scroll down-

The takeaways of one's memory is how we perceive ourselves, not how others see us.

One's own wishes and hopeful outcomes are dreamt in what we want to see ourselves as.

both views are slightly different but oftentimes

Taste of Chaos 2016 in Austin

The (Rockstar Energy Drink) Taste of Chaos Tour made a stop in Cedar Park, TX, a 30 min drive North from downtown Austin.  I'll be honest, I was a little baffled to hear the line up this year. Don't get me wrong, I was stoked to sing along to the songs that filled my high school aged headphones. Trust me, we were all called out for that by Adam Lazzara,

Glyde-ing Under Radars and Misunderstandings

I didn't know how to start my write up about Glyde, mainly cause I kept on getting distracted listening to them.
What I can tell you is that they are a 3 piece based out of Austin,TX.
I tried picking one song off of FEEL EVERYTHING, their 5 song EP
but just couldn't settle on one.
I also wanted to be basic

Ben White Carnival

The carnival came to town back in May. Nestled on the corner of an empty lot off Ben White and East of I-35 the Cabtree Carnival quietly set up. There were in town a few weeks prior. However their last run was cut short do to the rainy weather Austin has been experiencing. ( By the way, when did I move to Seattle?) That evening in fact was surprisingly cooler

SXSW 2016

This year for SXSW I hung back from the crowded venues, endless lines, and hunt for freebee's. Instead I took to the streets with camera in hand. Dirty 6th (Congress to I-35) was bustling with energy on an overcasted Friday afternoon. 

Enjoy.

are you LONELY?

Lonely Horse sounds like the perfect band name coming out of a place like San Antonio,Texas. More then a name though, this two piece has been putting out music for some time now. Dragging me along the way until finally putting out Desert Sons, quenching

Strawberry Picking at Sweet Berry Farms

It's finally Spring! Well it was Spring. It is now mid-May and Summer is quickly approaching.  In Central Texas that means it is a busy time of year for the

Sneaks Up

 

What were you doing ten years ago? Have your hobbies carried through life with

Chrvches at Stubb's

Chvrches booked a stop at Stubb's Outdoors in  Austin and almost immediately added a second date. We made it out to the first show. It was a live with energy from the moment Alvvays stepped on stage to the final light dimming on Chvrches for the night. 

Alvvays

Alvvays is a five piece Canadian band with a soft swaying melodic beat paired with a gentle vocals. I have heard New Wave and Jangle rock used to describe their

He.Does.Real.Ass.Music.

New music comes out, sometimes it's hard to find.  I was in a tiny musical slump when I first came across D.R.AM. and falling into a clickhole was the best thing that could have happened.  One of his songs came out on youtube while I was away from my computer, that was the first time I listened to him and knew I found something real.

People might know him by the little controversy about Drake

Where's the snail? Who's the house?

I know summer will be here soon.
And in Texas we had this nice little fresh day, highs barely hitting 70 degrees out, and the breeze coming from the north held the cold in the air all day.
It felt like we were getting

Lonestar Round Up Spring 2016

We checked out the Lonestar Round Up last weekend. The auto show took place in Austin at the Travis County Convention Center. All vehicles were form 1963 or earlier. Oh man did, these beauties have aged with grace and lets be

What's a NoName?

A

lot of people heard of NoName through Chance the Rapper's ACID RAP.  

I never got the memo, but her verse on
XVRHLDY - Black Alabaster (featuring Saba & NoName Gypsy)

just about killed me.  

And

 I would rewind and listen to her

Sorry Not Sorry.

Not Half Bad - Sorry Dudes EP - 

listen to it HERE

NOT Half Bad from Fort Worth, TX will play shows and more shows and more shows after that, in their hometown and surrounding areas. 

Then they'll probably go back on tour, and then write songs about
 loving that

Dr. Dog and Shakey Graves at Stubb's

Shakey Graves and Dr. Dog took turns headlining  during a two night stay at Stubb's April 8th and 9th. Art is Hard TX was at the Friday night sold out show.

Son Little

As the sun began to set, Son Little took the stage at Stubb's Outdoor. Signed to ANTI- his sound is a mix between soft blues and soulful rock and

Dragging in slow Mondays.

Slomo Drags - Austin based - Pop Indie Rock ( I think, I hate placing bands in categories)

First came across this band playing inside Cheer Up Charlies, turned my night around, been following them ever since.

You can find their four song ep HERE, which

TRAPO -Tripping All Over Love- (WARNING! THIS ISN'T TRAP MUSIC)

This young artist out of Wisconsin has released two EPs in his short career.  Both are making waves, first his The Black Beverly Hills Ep let us know his voice and with his She Ep, he showed us his heartache.

:LISTEN to SHE while you scroll down:

Released about 8 days ago, it's been on repeat ever since.  

The whole ep is a therapy session for

Local H -- Getting Dead.

Local H is finally putting out their As Good As Dead album on vinyl.  In support, the 2 piece that started out in the 90's and hit it big with THIS LITTLE NUMBER:

is going back on tour and playing the whole album from start to finish.

But the album had other songs that really got me when I was growing up in my small slow moving town and this album would be on repeat until I got my hands on their follow up Pack Up The Cats.

Through the years I would go back every now and then and listen

Drake + Dilly Dally = Song of the WHA??

listen to Dilly Dally's version of Drake's Know Yourself

 Art is Hard TX got to catch Dilly Dally at Hole in the Wall during SXSW.  Truth is, catching them was one of the main, if not the only thing I told myself I had to do during south by.

Their set was good, more then good in fact

Stream Your Consciousness While You - Hurt EveryBody

                                          

 (UPDATED)

I've been wanting to write about this collective out of Chicago for a long, long time now.  I couldn't decide what ep/album to write about, but I did want to do it before they disbanded. Two or Three months after posting this piece about their first EP they did infact have a falling out and Supa Bwe is staying with the Hurt Everybody social media handles/networks from here on out. 

I'm still hoping for a reconnect though. Qari and Mulatto recently

You know what to do…

I can always find a song to match my mood.  I don’t even find it strange anymore when the voice in the radio echos my thoughts.  I find it centers me.  Makes me feel like no matter how upset I am, someone else out there has had the same feeling.  And that person or persons created something out of it.  A song.  For me.  To know that everyone is the same.  

“i want to know the reason why

you make me wanna cry

Euphoria Fest Preview: Above and Beyond

Let's talk about Above and Beyond for a minute here. This trio hails from the UK and has been making waves for years. When their tour comes near you, buy your ticket then and there. They have been known to sell out, and for good reason. As a predominate player in the global dance music scene, their label, Anjunabeats, has produced over 20 albums from various artists. Above and Beyond has dished out three studio albums, two remixes, and I'm not going to try to count the vast amount of singles under their belt.  The point is, this group is dynamic. Over the years they have evolved their sound. For better or for worse is up to you to decide. Personally, I enjoy a groups evolution. Just like we change the music to fit out mood, so should the artist be allowed to do the same. Keeping to their roots, their core sound is always a challenge.  Above and Beyond has done just that. The contrast between their work like Tri-State (2006 release) that

Zilker Kite Festival

The 2016 Zilker Kite Festival was nothing short of glorious. Sure, the sun didn't show up and the wind was a little strong. Overall there experience was still memorable as one of the long standing Austin traditions.

Euphoira Fest Spotlgiht: Lil Dicky

                                  

There are a lot of rappers out there, there are a lot of comedians out there too. A few brave souls decide they got game in both and double dip. It's absolutely refreshing....

...Lil Dicky is the hip-hop spirit animal of comedian David Andrew Burd. His first record appropriately named Professional Rapper has sleek beats, smooth flows, and light-heart comedic relief (heavily) peppered in. The way Lil Dicky takes

Euphoria Fest Spotlight: Lettuce

Euphoria Fest is a weekend long music experience you need to check out. For the past two years, Carson Creek Ranch has hosted the party. This place is an oasis on the outskirts of Austin, Texas and includes campsites (sold out) so you won't miss a beat of the madness. If camping isn't your thing, there are single day passes available too. Euphoria is more than just another music festival. This is a place were you can listen, create, collaborate, make friends, and experience life in the now. That is exactly what music is for, to transcend the little ego self into something higher and greater than the worries of everyday life. The folks putting on this experience for us have really put together an amazing line up this year. We already spoke about Digital Tape Machine

Neon Desert Preview: Tyler The Creator

Neon Desert Festival will be hosting its 6th annual music fest. The event takes over 15 blocks of downtown El Paso, Texas aka Chuco Town. This town use to be known as sleepy nothing to do, (really) far west Texas town nestled between Mexico and New Mexico. As of late, Chuco Town has been making a name for itself in the art and music scene. This year, Neon Desert Festival has brought a well rounded mix of national acts and local artists to please almost any music junkie. Weekend passes are on sale now, get yours and stay tuned for more upcoming spotlights on a couple artists you need to catch this year.

Let's begin with...


...Tyler, The Creator

SWEET SPIRIT - Sprinting Through Fear City -

               

            -I would watch the video first, then proceed-

Sweet Spirit is an Austin based local band which I've been enjoying for about a year now, catching them outside museums with kids dancing around and in front of unknowing crowds at salsa festivals.  I might be making an assumption here but I think the many SXSW showcases

Euphoria Preview: Digital Tape Machine

Art Is Hard TX is revving up for Euphoria Fest 2016. We will be spotlighting various groups at this years fest. Do you have your tickets yet??

Digital Tape Machine has revived my love for music traditionally categorized under a generic label 'electronic'. It's more than that though. This is electronic music brought back to its roots while maintaining a very modern feel. A group based out of Chicago originally founded by Jole Cummins, who has since stepped down. The current touring members are Joe Hettinga, Byran Dohety, Marucs Rezak, and Neal Wehman. They are an impressive and skillful line up. A set by Digital Tape Machine is not like a typical electronic DJ set. When these guys get

kendrick lamar. untitled unmastered.

I woke up today with news of a new album released by Kendrick Lamar.  With the pushing and prodding by Lebron, Kendrick Lamar put out songs he had previously recorded simply titled - untitled unmastered - which you can listen HERE.

It's 8 tracks all named by their order, and maybe

Nancy Mims

The spring air is creeping in and the humidity is still at bay. What better time then now to have an open aired gallery. That is exactly what Nancy Mims did.  I was

Kite Festival

There's not much more that says springtime like flying a kite on green grass under a big blue sky. Spring weather has officially arrived in Central Texas, and that means the annual Zilker Kite Festival in Austin is right around the corner. The event will take over Zilker Parks Great Lawn on Sunday March 6th (rain date March 13th)  This is an Austin tradition

dating back to 1929!

The event is free and open to the public to attend. Make sure to bring some spending cash as proceeds this year will benefit Communities in Schools of Central Texas. You can donate to this event here. 

Carnival Brasileiro Preview

Mark your calendar, you don't want to miss this. On February 27th the Parmer Event Center will be transformed into one of the biggest Brazilian Carnivals outside of Brazil known as Carnival Brasilerio ! 

Mullers Farmers Market

When you find yourself in Austin on a Sunday morning, I recommend checking out the Muller Farmer's Market, located right off Airport blvd and the Muller development.

SprATX- Re-Grand Opening

SprATX, a creative collective that has been uniting the Austin community with dynamically skillful artists since 2013. They recently moved to a new home off Cesar Chavez, sharing a wall with the Blue Owl Brewery.  Their re-grand opening party was open to the public and the party went down with a line that wrapped around the block. The RSVP list

oh DILLY DALLY, my DILLY DALLY

-listen to SORE while you scroll down-

You always regret not going to a show. Well in my mind, I always regret it, and the fear of missing out on new bands and amazing sets always linger with me, slowly picking at my brain.

It was around August that I wanted to catch a show with Speedy Ortiz, Metz and Big Ups but I wasn't strong enough and my anxiety got the best of me and I couldn't go outside that day.