Gee Slab has been undeniably prolific as of late! Hot on the heels of his collaborative EP with Negro Justice, Resplendent, he’s also released his own solo EP Because I Can, a solo single entitled “Younng Blvck Gifted” and full feature with Top Prospekt entitled “Garnett.” We’ve gone with the video embed for the purposes of this post but you really can’t go wrong with clicking through on any / all of the releases.
The video follows Slab on an adventure through LA visiting dispensaries, performing live and generally living the life. The track is laid back and lays a funky space for Slab and Prospekt’s flow to shine.
Released in mid-June, this one almost slipped past us. Slow Pass is a brand new brand gearing up to release their debut EP High-Pass on August 27th with a new single coming out regularly in the lead up. “Parking Lots” is the the first of the batch but “Tuesday Morning” is coming out July 16th. Keep up with the new releases by following the band.
For fans of The War on Drugs, fuzzed out guitars, hypnotic bass lines and just the right amount of swirling keyboards. While it’s only one song that’s been officially released, it is clear that this is band to catch live and loud.
You may have caught the excellent Lou Turner solo release, Songs for John Venn, back when it was released in early 2020 via cassette but Centripetal Force is giving it a proper vinyl re-issue and as part of the promotion for that release, they’ve unveiled this video for “Solar Eclipse.” The vinyl pre-order isn’t up yet but keep your eye on the labels Bandcamp to snag it when it does.
For fans of delightfully drifting indie pop touched with loads of flute, this whole album is an excellent backdrop for your lazy days in the blazing hot Tennessee sun.
The official video for the title track off of Tayls Have You Ever? I’ve Always dropped and it’s a delightful time in a roller rink. Tayls has taken on the genre moniker of “Friendship Punk” and this track really embraces that vibe. It’s a wonderful balance of catchy, raw and loads of fun.
Look for the full album on July 31st, 2021 but, in the meantime, go stream a load of preview singles over on Spotify and read more about the video here.
We made mention of it on the WOTT Music podcast but We Own This Town has been on a bit of a summer break! Sometimes you gotta reset and recharge to keep the engine running (it also doesn’t hurt that I, Michael Eades, got married and went on a honeymoon). Regardless of the reasons why we were on a mild pause, we’re back now! And there is a ton of great new music to catch-up with. Hopefully the Nashville Scene’s “Recent Releases” rundown, No Country for New Nashville’s & POPSQUAD’s ongoing playlists and WNXP highlights kept you plugged in but there’s always room for more.
Below are ten new tracks and videos that we’ve kept as open browser tabs just waiting to be fully soaked up but there’s a load of additional releases at the bottom of this post that we’ll be spending even more time with.
The official video for the title track off of Tayls Have You Ever? I’ve Always dropped and it’s a delightful time in a roller rink. Tayls has taken on the genre moniker of “Friendship Punk” and this track really embraces that vibe. It’s a wonderful balance of catchy, raw and loads of fun.
Look for the full album on July 31st, 2021 but, in the meantime, go stream a load of preview singles over on Spotify and read more about the video here.
You may have caught the excellent Lou Turner solo release, Songs for John Venn, back when it was released in early 2020 via cassette but Centripetal Force is giving it a proper vinyl re-issue and as part of the promotion for that release, they’ve unveiled this video for “Solar Eclipse.” The vinyl pre-order isn’t up yet but keep your eye on the labels Bandcamp to snag it when it does.
For fans of delightfully drifting indie pop touched with loads of flute, this whole album is an excellent backdrop for your lazy days in the blazing hot Tennessee sun.
Released in mid-June, this one almost slipped past us. Slow Pass is a brand new brand gearing up to release their debut EP High-Pass on August 27th with a new single coming out regularly in the lead up. “Parking Lots” is the the first of the batch but “Tuesday Morning” is coming out July 16th. Keep up with the new releases by following the band.
For fans of The War on Drugs, fuzzed out guitars, hypnotic bass lines and just the right amount of swirling keyboards. While it’s only one song that’s been officially released, it is clear that this is band to catch live and loud.
Gee Slab has been undeniably prolific as of late! Hot on the heels of his collaborative EP with Negro Justice, Resplendent, he’s also released his own solo EP Because I Can, a solo single entitled “Younng Blvck Gifted” and full feature with Top Prospekt entitled “Garnett.” We’ve gone with the video embed for the purposes of this post but you really can’t go wrong with clicking through on any / all of the releases.
The video follows Slab on an adventure through LA visiting dispensaries, performing live and generally living the life. The track is laid back and lays a funky space for Slab and Prospekt’s flow to shine.
Following up on his Searching for Shiloh release, Virghost drops a new single that blazes through criticism. His lyrics on this one are absolute fire – particularly the line “if you got a small catalog, don’t speak to me.”
Hip-Hop has always excelled at putting off the haters and proving an artists skills by actually demonstrating them and Virghost absolutely embodies that practice.
If you missed the Dee $ouf 2020 release The Jake Gittes EP or his numerous singles, you’ve got time to catch up before the release of his new tape Eagles Don’t Soar With Pigeons.
The first track from said forthcoming release, “Fried Rice,” was produced by Burm and sounds like it’s going to be the best release from $ouf yet. The beats elevate this track with throwback flourishes and dancey bass while $ouf’s lyrics ride the line between highly personal and cuttingly boastful. The title of the release is a nod to throwing down the gauntlet to $ouf’s skills and it sounds like he’s going to deliver on that promise, soaring like an eagle.
Wilby caught our ear with a random single released in the fall of 2020 entitled “Bad” and followed up this Spring with a series of singles including “Mush,” “Joanna” and “Translucent Beauty” – all of which we unabashedly loved. There wasn’t much of a clear indication at the time if these songs were part of a larger release but it’s with great joy that we can share the release of the Translucent Beauty EP; which compiles all three of the aforementioned tracks and an EP only track for “Naive.”
These songs have a sweet melancholy that is hard to pin down – they’re self-deprecating, self-reflective but with a silver lining of optimism running throughout. They’re all carried wonderfully by Wilby’s vocal delivery and beautifully nuanced tracks that beg repeating. Safe to say, we’re big fans.
Occasionally you run across something on Bandcamp that defies all logic. In the case of New Bang, we seem to have stumbled upon the first single from a forthcoming release entitled Ultimate Tiki Beach Breaks, which promises to be “a Surf-Influenced exploration of Hip Hop Exoticism.” How could this exist? And how could it possibly successfully mix such styles?
We don’t have the answers to these questions but can confidently say that we’re fully intrigued. This first release, “Mystic Grind,” certainly delivers on the synopsis – it’s a surf-influenced exploration of hip-hop break beats and it only gets more interesting with each remix that is provided. There’s not a whole lot more to say about this one yet but we can’t resist recommending that you follow this project immediately.
Self-described as “experimental shoegaze,” Kentucky Derby Con Man is a somewhat new outfit around town and their debut, self-titled, EP delivers on that promise. The five song release is a big wall of sound, fuzzed out in all the right ways that you’d hope for a shoegaze record to be but it sprinkles in plenty of surprising instrumentation and flourishes that you wouldn’t generally hear from a “stock” shoegaze release. Having listened through a few times, this is best experienced with your volume knob cranked as far as it will go.
All of the music we feature on We Own This Town is meant to shine a light on the diversity of the Nashville music scene but it bears repeating here; this is big, immersive, shoegaze coming out of “Music City” and it is good. If this band doesn’t play a show with Tape Deck Mountain, something is wrong with the world.
Little fun fact for you: Future Crib released an album in 2019 entitled Friends and the title track is a highly overlooked gem. That’s a subjective take so maybe “fact” isn’t the right word to use but Future Crib is one of those bands that, unfortunately, flies under the collective radar too often.
The band just released the single “Most Likely Never Going to Die” from their forthcoming new album Full Time Smile and it clearly has the potential to be another highly repeatable ear worm that you’d be remiss for overlooking. The album is set for release on September 10th, 2021 and you should just go ahead and pre-order it now.
The one and only Negro Justice joins us on this episode to talk about some of his favorite Nashville hip-hop artists, potential collaborators and loads of folks that inspire his work. It’s fifteen tracks all curated by our guest and we don’t shy away from talking about what makes Nashville hip-hop exactly so unique. We may not have the immediately identifiable sound like New Orleans or Houston but we’ve got versatility and adaptability in spades. Many thanks to Negro Justice for joining us, it was certainly a blast.
I’ll be perfectly honest, I’m writing this debut up for Antler Shell’s newest video, “Trailhead,” while vacationing in Palm Springs. I meant to write it up before departing but time got away from me. The upside to this approach is twofold- brevity and a proper appreciation for the escape the video provides.
The track itself is the second from the forthcoming album and was written during COVID as an alternative to communing with nature. More specifically, since it wasn’t always clear if going outside was safe; songwriter Kristian Garrett wanted to make a track that would take you there mentally. Additionally, he says:
The there is a large story at play here and this song is about the beginning of a journey. When you, the protagonist, are traversing the woods, things become a little out of wack and things are not quite as they seem. Time and space seem to warp. When it’s all over, are you in the same place? Are these the same woods?
It’s a question worth asking of any experience. Your participation changes both yourself and the thing you were interacting with. It’s like a simplified version of the Double Slit theory. Regardless of the deeper thought exercise, it’s a worthwhile track to let carry your attention elsewhere.
“Trailhead’s” intended goal of providing an alternative to going outside is quite successful. Writing this from an area surrounded by desert, I can personally attest to being transported to the dense woods and lush areas of Tennessee.
In this episode, Kim Baldwin sits down with Gena Johnson, a Nashville-based producer, recording engineer, and mixing engineer. Gena is nominated for 2021 Audio Engineer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. She is the first woman nominated for this award. Gena’s credits include Ashley Monroe’s 2021 album, Rosegold; Jason Isbell’s 2020 album, Reunions; Chris Stapleton’s 2020 album, Starting Over; John Prine’s last recorded song, “I Remember Everything,†which won two Grammy awards in 2021; the Oscar-winning soundtrack for A Star is Born (Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga); and GRAMMY-winner Brandi Carlile’s 2018 record, By the Way, I Forgive You. Gena is Governor for the Recording Academy’s Nashville Chapter Board and Chair of the MusicCares Fundraising Committee within the Recording Academy. She also mentors aspiring female engineers, both in college and as assistant engineers.
Join us for a conversation about the hustle of freelance recording in Nashville, working with John Prine, and being the first woman nominated for ACM’s Audio Engineer of the Year award.
Find Gena on Instagram and read more about her ACM nomination here.
To get full show notes and learn more about Ladyland, visit us at ladyland.show and follow us on Instagram at @ladyland_podcast.
We welcome back photographer, writer and friend-of-the-show Lance Conzett to supply this weeks playlist. We talk about the storytelling strength of Nashville hip-hop, getting over the spectacle of Nashville Pop and leaning in to the weird. As always, it’s a treat to have Lance on the show and provide his insights into Nashville’s music scenes.
Go check out Lance’s photography portfolio on his official site. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter while you’re at it.
Oh, and we mention the POPSQUAD playlist in this episode, you can find that here.
We’re calling this one a Mega episode! Though, honestly, it’s just one more track than what we normally play so that’s probably a bit of a misnomer. Regardless, it’s a jam packed episode of tracks and the playlists are refreshing.
This episode also marks the start of We Own This Town Summer Break. We’re going to be a bit quieter over the next two weeks but we’ve got some special guest curated episodes all lined up. So, things will be quiet but not that quiet. Keep your ears tuned in.
If you didn’t catch the article in the Nashville Scene all about the 2021 Far Out Free Fest, allow me to refresh you on the impending offering.
Prior to 2020, Far Out Fest was an in-person festival of bands across a spectrum of styles; with a heavier focus on psych and art rock (to oversimplify it). In the Year of the Pandemic, the festival pivoted to an online affair and it went swimmingly. The curation was impeccable, the performances immersive and the communication around timelines was all top notch. The festival won “Best Streaming Festival” for a reason. We Own This Town is proud to sponsor the 2021 undertaking and have no doubts it will be as enjoyable as the prior undertaking.
Starting on June 18th, Far Out Free Fest will begin streaming this years offerings and the lineup looks as incredible as ever. Performances include Kings of the Fucking Sea, Mouth Reader, The Sufis, Nashville Ambient Ensemble, ElonMusk and a load more. Light show and immersive entertainment from MKAV, Lambrys, Far Out Free Fest founder Kari Leigh Ames and plenty more. If you aren’t following @faroutfreefest on the Instagram yet, go familiarize yourself now.
The two day festival will stream for free over on the faroutfreefest.com site and the historic evidence is very strong that you need to tune in.
