Showing posts with label DoNormaal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DoNormaal. Show all posts

Thursday, July 20, 2017

The New Hotness Vol. 8

1. SZA - "Go Gina" 2017  Queen SZA is killing the game right now. I love that she "conquered self doubt and took Ctrl" because I'm definitely tryna do that shit too. I recently found out that SZA and I share the same last name so I must be genetically predisposed to take Ctrl.(?)




2. DoNormaal - "Third Daughter" 2017  SEATTLE MUSIC  I can't say enough good things about this Earth Goddess. Her artistic journey is already the stuff of legends and she's just getting going. Here's hoping we get to see some visuals from this album very soon.




3. Ravyn Lenae feat. Appleby - "Free Room" 2016  I found Ravyn Lenae via the Spotify algorithms a few weeks ago, shout out to technology. I tried googling Appleby for 5 minutes but came up empty so I can't link you to their work; learn from this musician friends.




4. Mali Music - "Gonna Be Alright" 2017  No relation to the Mali Music side project by Damon Albarn that I mentioned in the 10th post on this website back in 2009. My respect for Mr. Albarn and his art runs deep but this guy is dope too. If you're freaking out about life again, listen to this on repeat and everything will be alright.




5. Kendrick Lamar - "ELEMENT" 2017  For a few weeks after hearing this song for the first time, I couldn't stop Weird Al-ing the lyrics and making all kinds of weird shit look sexy. Its normal I think. Full disclosure, I do it for the gram sometimes but I've never been to Compton.




6. Sudan Archives - "Come Meh Way" 2017  STONES THROW  Stringed instruments in Hip Hop are a do. Sudan Archives is wearing it better than most.




7. VanJess feat. Masego - "Touch The Floor" 2017  It's almost too poppy sweet for me but the ladies got skillz and are more than worthy of your attention.




8. Leikeli47 - "Miss Me" 2017  Lesson Learned: Never pre-judge a music video/artist by their mask and gold teeth. The details in this video really get me; she's got her own swag sauce and everything.




9. Everything Is Recorded feat. Sampha - "Close But Not Quite" 2017  Due to the mind-blowingly awesome art in this video, I added it to the New Hotness YouTube Playlist AND the Special Effects Playlist (Better than Netflix, seriously). It felt like this XL Recordings artist just popped out of nowhere but they were hiding on the internet this whole time.



10. Jehst - "44th Floor" 2017  UK HIP HOP  One of my biggest regrets is not trying my hardest to get into the Bristol New Year's show this past year to see Jehst etc. when I was just an hour away. Regrets are bullshit so I'm gonna have to take care of that issue ASAP.




11. Jesse Boykins III - "B4 The Night Is Thru" 2012  I just discovered this five year old song but it has remained so damn fresh that it still qualifies for The New Hotness cuz I make the rules here.



12. Onry Ozzborn - "Black Phillip" 2017  SEATTLE MUSIC  Onry gave us a present on July 17...




13. Action Bronson - "Let Me Breathe" 2017  Pretty sure we're all tryna live like Action Bronson right now. I'm literally typing this now so that one day soon I'll get paid to travel around the world with dope producers and videographers eating the best food in the universe. Dude in the still looks like a super dehydrated Dog The Bounty Hunter.



14. Jon Bap - "Queen Chimera Pt.1) 2017  Word on the street is that this is Jon Bap's tribute to New Jack Swing (Shoutout to the Don Teddy Riley); I fux with that.



If you wanna re-Bap, here's his What Now album from 2016.




15. Myke Bogan feat. Blossom - "Take The Nite Off" 2017  EYRST/PORTLAND It warms my caffeinated heart to see male rappers collaborate with female artists; some of the best songs in the history of the (my) universe are duets. Example: Method Man & Mary J Blige - "You're All I Need To Get By" (Bad Boy Remix) (of course, duh)



16. Little Dragon - "Strobe Light" 2017  It's been awhile since Little Dragon made me feel the way it did that first hit I took years ago of "Feather" but I'll keep chasing the Swedish dragons for life to feed my music addiction.



17. Toro Y Moi - "Boo Boo (Album Stream)" 2017  An album stream video like this masterpiece would launch a Soundcloud artist into another dimension. Try harder, it works. For real though, I've been fucking with Toro Y Moi since I heard he was into collecting random pieces of wood.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Eleven Music Videos with Extreme Close-Ups

Here's all the Extreme Close-Up videos I've found so far on a YouTube playlist. #YouTubeNchill

(Not the cover of a NIN album...yet)


1. Gorillaz feat. Benjamin Clementine - "Hallelujah Money" 2017  I've been Gorillaz fan since they dropped "Clint Eastwood" back in 2001 and will remain to be as long as I shall live. Benjamin Clementine's voice has haunted me (in the best way) since "Condolence;" love that Damon Albarn caught onto his magic.



2. Fink - "Looking Too Closely" 2014  Fink is one of the many bands I was blessed to discover while working at The Crocodile; they remain to be one of the nicest bands I've ever met. I had just watched the episode of Walking Dead in which their song "Warm Shadow" appears in the weeks before the show and had yet to figure out who the artist was; the timing was wicked.




3. Lusine - "Arterial" 2014  SEATTLE MUSIC  This video couldn't be more appropriate for the Extreme Close-Ups list. My intro to Lusine was seeing him perform at The Crocodile with Trent Moorman a few years back and I've been a fan ever since.




4. The Good Sin x 10.4 Rog - "All For You" 2011  SEATTLE MUSIC  Look closely at the photos they show us in the video, so many wonderful people included. 10.4 Rog has been killin it since...




5. Her - "Quite Like" 2015  NSFW  Skinemax 2015 style...with a better soundtrack. Still not into band names that are hard to google but this song is pretty good so I'll give em a pass.




6. Pharrell Williams - "Freedom" 2015  Check out the Business Ventures section of Pharrell's Wikipedia page to see how hard this man grinds to remain at the top. Good things happen to good people with a strong work ethic, thank you for the inspiration Pharrell!




7. Shabazz Palaces - "Dawn In Luxor" 2016  Stephan Gray nailed this video; no surprise there. Naturally, members of Black Constellation would have killer outer space videos. Shabazz Palaces opening for Radiohead remains to be one of the best things to happen in 2016.




8. DoNormaal feat. Raven Matthews - "50 Jasper Horses" (prod. IGNORVNCE) 2016  SEATTLE MUSIC  I love that the horse got the shine it deserves, for real, look how shiny the horse's hair is at 0:19. Can't say enough good things about DoNormaal and Raven Matthews; they're ahead of the game in owning their uniqueness and speaking their minds. Their musical journey is the stuff of legends. #69/50




9. Phantogram - "You Don't Get Me High Anymore" 2016  Big ideas and big budgets for the win. There's only one Phantogram song that has earned Liz's Currently Overplaying status; the rest of their catalog doesn't really do it for me personally but I still fux with them.




10. Bloom - "Raindrops" 2016  This song literally slaps you in the face, can't figure out if that's a good thing yet. Pretty sure I'd never consume this song without the visuals but mad props to Bloom for making such a huge statement with her art.




11. Run The Jewels feat. Gangsta Boo - "Love Again" 2016  Run The Jewels are winning at life these days; their merch game is on point. Do as they do but continue to do you...or something. Here's hoping I give the *what's up headnod to these two in 2017. [*The what's up headnod is when you casually acknowledge the presence of someone you truly admire (and they do it back) but you don't actually meet them so no fangirling ensues. My favorite what's up headnods of 2016 were Joey Bada$$, Schoolboy Q, and Eddie Vedder.]


Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Ten Artsy Weirdos You Should Know

All 10 artists ready to #YouTubeNchill in playlist form.

1.  Blossom  - "Black Magic Woman" 2016  (Prod. by Fountaine)  Another gem from Portland's EYRST crew; the label founded by NBA player and musician, Martell Webster. I love that they make videos like "Signing-Blossom" to help us get to know what they're all about. Blossom and the many other ladies that are coming out of their shells show more originality and innovation than most of the males that are dominating the industry (in their minds anyway).




2. SassyBlack - "New Boo" 2016  SEATTLE MUSIC  SassyBlack is one of my favorite people to follow on ALL social media because she has such a positive outlook on life AND she meets all kinds of interesting people. Formerly of THEESatisfaction, she's been efficiently grinding as a solo artist and even appeared on HBO's Vinyl as one of the Queens of R+B, Ruth Brown.




3. Lizzo - "Good As Hell" 2016  This is an awesome song with great visuals and a damn good message for EVERYONE; Lizzo's doing everything right (further proof in this NPR interview). The Minneapolis artist released her "Coconut Oil" EP on her new label, Atlantic Records, last October and is currently taking the show on the road (see you at The Crocodile on January 28).




4. Kari Faux - "Fantasy" 2016  This video gets a Lizzy Award (impetus of yet another idea) for Most Creative Music Video. I love how the visuals perfectly complement the song and show you what is likely a very raw look into the artist's soul. Kari Faux released her debut mixtape, Laugh Now, Die Later, in 2014 and moved from her hometown of Little Rock, AR to LA soon after. The release caught the attention of Pitchfork, and Childish Gambino which helped launch her into a world with stellar music video budgets.




5. Joyce Wrice - "Do You Love Me?" 2016 (Prod. by Mndsgn)  Joyce Wrice and Stone Throw's Mndsgn know the secret formula to authentically creating the eighties vibe. I learned the most about the artist from this LA Weekly article and will happily follow her on all her social media sites to see when I'll be able to see her live for the first time.




6. The Last Artful, Dodgr - "Squadron" 2016 PORTLAND MUSIC  The Last Artful, Dodgr has been grinding hard enough to appear on Sway's Universe. Thanks to the help of Portland's EYRST  crew and many years of steady grind, @TheLastArtful has captured the attention of those who can help multiply YouTube views and beyond.




7. DoNormaal - "Dime" 2016  (Prod. by Brakebill)  SEATTLE MUSIC  The rise of DoNormaal is a beautiful thing to witness and Seattle has been infinitely blessed by her presence. Those who've met Christy are instantly captivated by her spirit and become devoted fans from that moment on. Visuals for her work are coming our way at a steadier pace as she gears up to show us how far ahead of the game she truly is. At this pace, it's inevitable that DoNormaal will continue to be a driving force for positive change in this universe.

DoNormaal – Dime (prod. Brakebill) from Leena Joshi on Vimeo.


8. Guayaba - "Black Trash/White House" 2016  SEATTLE MUSIC  (Prod. by Luna God) Guayaba's Black Trash/White House EP is so rad that I don't even care that there aren't any music videos yet. Shoutout Guayaba for her continued evolution and to Luna God for being one of the most active producers in Seattle. I learned a lot about Guayaba from this writeup from Jetspace Magazine  and this animated interview with Seattle Weekly.




9.  Sa-Roc - "I Come In Peace" 2016  Sa-Roc is one of the latest additions to the Rhymesayers crew, which is a damn good crew to roll with. She's new to me but has an impressive thirteen albums under her belt already (according to the label's bio). Her recent Metamorpheus EP is her first release with the Rhymesayers team which I hope will get her added to the lineup for Soundset 2017.




10. Erykah Badu Performs For The New York Times + Answers Questions" 2016  The YouTube title needs some work but Badu is so far ahead of the rest of us with her self love, she already has a "gold floss" tooth chain. I felt the need to include her on this list because neither my Dad or my Stepmom have ever heard of her; Badu's music can fill the gaps in your soul so I'd hate for anyone (paying attention or not) to miss out on the healing.



Saturday, October 22, 2016

The iPhoneSE Adventures of @206Liz [Chapter 1]

A little over two years ago, I quit my unfulfilling safe job with benefits to see if I could carve out a niche for myself in the music industry. I was able to use this website as a resume to get my foot in the door and have been working (and learning) at music venues almost every single day since then.

In an attempt to "be the change" I hope to see in the world, I decided to share some of the experiences that made me the happiest and learn iMovie at the same time. In the spirit of Chase Jarvis who said, "The Best Camera Is The One That's With You," I've decided to use the tools I already have to their fullest potential. This is gonna be fun.



@206Liz Instagram

Monday, July 11, 2016

Ten Great Low Budget Music Videos

I decided to add a link to a YouTube playlist for each list because I just got a Smart TV and I'd rather watch music videos than television. Adding YouTube playlist links to previous lists will be another new long term project. TEN GREAT LOW BUDGET VIDEOS YOUTUBE  PLAYLIST

1. Taylar Elizza Beth - "Daisies" 2016  SEATTLE MUSIC  Can't say enough good things about this woman and her video debut. With one video she's been able to show us what she's all about and leave us wanting more in a way that a strictly Soundcloud release cannot. I have no doubt "Fresh Cut Flowers" will be worth waiting for. @taylizzabeth




2. DoNormaal - "Let That Thing Go" 2015 (Prod. by Roach Carter)  SEATTLE MUSIC  Her beauty and talent shines from the inside out. DoNormaal's progression as an artist is a beautiful thing to witness. Here's hoping a new DoNormaal album is coming soon. @donormaalright 




3. The Last Artful, Dodgr - "Pestilent Intestines" 2013  PORTLAND MUSIC  Since The Last Artful, Dodgr released this low-budget gem, she's been working with the uber-interesting EYRST crew and making some big moves including being named one of the "5 Female MC's Leading The Charge" by Milk Studios. It would be in your best interest to follow @TheLastArtful on Twitter.




4. Stevo The Weirdo - "LUNCHTIME X LIKE ME REMIX" 2016  PORTLAND MUSIC  I haven't yet delved into Stevo The Weirdo's catalog but this song is dope. I get infinite inspiration from the goldmine of great music in the Pacific Northwest. @StevoTheWeirdo




5. Able Fader - "The Wind And Rain" 2015  SEATTLE MUSIC Can't say enough great things about this dude. He is a true professional in everything he does (Graphic Design, DJ, Producer, Sound Engineer, Father, etc.) and a joy to work with. @AbleFader




6. Macklemore feat. XP "Brad Pitt's Cousin" 2016  SEATTLE MUSIC  The adventures of Macklemore and his crew are not low-budget, they still made this video on an iPhone. This song is not that tight but I love how they're showing us what we can do with the tools we already have. I'd love to work for this crew because they understand that music can be used as a tool for social change.  @Macklemore




7. DonMonique - "Kendall, Kylie, Miley" 2015  I've never followed the moves of Kendall, Kylie, or Miley but DonMonique seems coo. Here's a video about the Brooklyn artist via Noisey.  @DONMON1QUE




8. Jorja Smith - "Where Did I Go?" 2016  This UK artist further proves that one great low-budget video is all you need to capture the attention of the world. The simplicity of the video shows us that she doesn't need flashy gimmicks because her "Personal Sunlight" alone can carry the video. I've been overplaying this song since I first heard it a few days ago. @JorjaSmith




9. DoNormaal - "Standing" 2015 (Prod. by Brakebill)  SEATTLE MUSIC  She's amazing because she's being herself 100%. One of my favorite DoNormaal moments was when she performed with Nu Era at their "Armadilla Lexus" Release Party at Sunset Tavern. @donormaalright




10. Lady Leshurr - "Queen's Speech Ep. 4" 2015  I'd love to see my girl Z3LLi make videos like this. It's simple and low-budget but showcases the personality of the artists well. The rap/walk multitask is a classic music video skill...I sense a new list coming on. @LadyLeshurr




*Use what you've got! If you or one of your friends has a smartphone, you can make a music video. A YouTube presence is vital if an artist wants to be taken seriously. The only thing holding you back is yourself.