Irredeemable, Incorruptible, Invincible

Every election year we have yahoos from both sides of the aisle proclaim that if their dude doesn't win they are totally gonna move to Canada. Only the Great White North is having none of that shit -- the last thing that great nation wants is a bunch of surly expats!

And that's a good thing too, 'cause if they weren't so goddamn picky we'd probably all live there. I mean, who wouldn't wanna be Canadian? They've got progressive views on marriage, are chill enough to have two official languages and they freely share their single greatest natural resource with the rest of the world.

Of course I'm talking about the goddamn Wordburglar. That man likes his drawings with words.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 142: Haunted Garage Sale

I've got the spirit, friends. I already have that Halloween spirit. And I'm inclined to share. By way of, y'know, a podcast or two.

We have a lotta ghosts this time around, with some zombies and assorted demons for added flavor. Oh, and also samples from cartoons. 'Cause I am a grown-ass man!

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 142: Haunted Garage Sale [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 73.4 MB Running Time: 50:17 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
They got them treats for y'all.

Track 1: Gravity Falls dialog / Swamp Thing – "All About the Brains"
Mad excited about new stuff from the Swamp.

Z's 1st interlude: "The geeky apparitions of my Halloween Crap-tacular."
They'll haunt your ear-holes!

Track 2: The Grammar Club – "Super Girls 'n Ghosts" / Gravity Falls dialog
Apparently Beefy got bamboozled. Ghost girls'll do that.

Track 3: The Crimson Ghosts – "Hybrid Moments"
Yep, cribbed this one from Chris Haley's Halloween mix.

Track 4: cheekyboy – "Diary of a Madman"
Never: that is when I'll get tired of Gravediggaz remixes.

Track 5: Kavinsky – "Ghost Transistor"
Really thought this creepy piece of retro electronica fit in nicely.

Track 6: The Aeronauts – "Ghost's Song"
For all you steampunks out there.

Track 7: South Park dialog / A-1 – "Goosebumps"
Yet another cut from After School Special.

Track 8: Sam Haynes – "Phantom Creep"
Much love and respect to cheekyboy/Sam Haynes, without which these annual Halloween eps likely wouldn't exist.

Z's 2nd interlude: "More Gravity Falls dialog."
Expect a lot of clips from that show to continue to crop up in this podcast.

Track 9: lukemounlasolomon – "Gravity Falls Harry Potter Music Box Mashup"
Just stumbled across this one and totally loved it.

Track 10: Armcannon – "Bhost Gusters"
This is probably one of the single greatest cover songs of all time. It's Armcannon at their most Armcannonist.

Track 11: Psycosis – "Giggle Ghosties Inc."
I feel like I've been neglecting the bronies of late. So here you go, folks!

Track 12: South Park dialog / Sci-Fried and Marc with a C – "Cannibal"
From the epic crossover event known as Co-op Mode.

Track 13: John Anealio – "Undead Love Song (Acoustic)"
John Anealio singing about zombie cocks always makes me giggle.

Track 14: Death*Star – "The Devils You Know"
Such a hard joint from three of Seattle's finest.

Z's final interlude: "Shake what your monster mama gave you."
Which was this episode's alternate title.

Track 15: dj BC – "Ghost Wobble"
Have I mentioned you positively have to cop The Curse of Monster Mash-Up?

One down and one to go. That means if you have Halloween-y requests, get 'em to me with the quickness.
 
Come to think of it, the post-Halloween/pre-Christmas show playlists are starting to fill up as well, so feel free to hit me with non-spooky song suggestions as well.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 140: Back Bacon Cheeseburger

There is some serious Canada up in this episode. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Overall it's just a hodge-podge of what I've been listening to recently. I reckon you might be digging on the same, but hopefully there are enough differences to spice shit up.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 140: Back Bacon Cheeseburger [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 66.5 MB Running Time: 49:59 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
What can I say? This is quite literally my jam.

Track 1: Wordburglar – "Pre-Show Routine" / "Croque Monsieur"
Probably the best intro skit ever.

Z's 1st interlude: "So that shit is… multiplied"
I can do maths.

Track 2: Dr. Awkward – "Different"
Doc dropped this one last week on his birthday.

Track 3: mc chris – "Older Crowd"
Don't know if mc hijacked these beats himself, but the production work on this track is excellent.

Track 4: pomDeter – "Finally Small Things"
I'm still not sure how this one ended up in my collection, but I'm glad it did.

Track 5: Helen Arney – "Last First Date"
At some point this turned into a set about fucked up relationships.

Track 6: Jimmy Klok – "My Name Is Wopbabaluba"
Case in point. #rihanna

Track 7: Producer Snafu – "Oh My Glob"
Yeah, this one would've gotten in the show based on the title alone, but lucky for you it's a kickass song.

Z's 2nd interlude: "A really nice piece of chip-step."
Which may or may not be an actual thing.

Track 8: Dethlehem – "Valley of the Blades" / Ghostbusters dialog
I hope you havent tired of hearing Dethlehem, because I have yet to tire of playing them!

Track 9: Optimus Rhyme – "Ping Pong Song (Remix)"
A repeat from episode 23.

Track 10: Dual Core – "Go Figure (feat. More Or Les, Ghettosocks and Timbuktu)"
Buy All the Things. Just do.

Track 11: Illbotz – "Throw Me an Eggroll"
I kinda can't believe this one hasn't been played before.

Z's final interlude: "On my way to Charlotte."
Tonight it's NOFRIENDS, ONLYFAM.

Track 12: Tribe One – "Nerd Cred"
"Autobiographical sci-fi/fantasy."

Only one more show until my annual two-part Halloween crap-tacular, so get them requests in now while you can. Not sure if the late-September ep. will be themed or not, but I'm more than happy to throw in whatever you wanna hear.

I'm really hoping to catch at least a few of you tonight at the World Famous Milestone in Charlotte. It's kinda my favorite dive.

I'm catching up with some old homies and, with a little luck, making some new ones. And I'll be thrilled to rock out with you regardless of which of these categories you fall into.

Are You Listening?

I won't be so presumptuous as to say I'm a part of the NOFRIENDS clique, but I will admit that there ain't a lot of secrets – musically-speaking, at least – between me and the ThoughtCriminals crew. kHill, for example, let slip a while ago that he and his tourmates were working on a special release wherein they rap over each other's beats. Still, I didn't actually get to hear any of the FUN RAZOR mix until late last week, and… well damn!

Though only a dozen tracks long, this collection is massive in scope. With Adam rapping about digital disconnect, Mikal bringing a heaping helping of southern braggadocio and Jesse D tackling gender identity, it's really all over the place – more so, even, than these already noticeably broad artists are independently. What I'm saying is, despite your tastes, this one warrants your attention.

If the crew can sell just over 200 copies at 10 bones a pop they can totally finance their NOFRIENDS 2012 tour. So give it a listen, and definitely snag a copy if you're feeling it. Which I'm willing to bet you will.

All in the Family

Bomb-ass poster by Matthew Warlick. 

If you are reading these words it can be easily deduced that you already know this to be Nerdaplooza week. (It's kind of a big deal in our humble circle.) But it's my pleasure to hip you to some breaking tour news.

Internet rap sensations Jesse Dangerously, Adam WarRock, Mikal kHill and Tribe One are proud to announce 14 US dates for September 2012. Under the banner of the NOFRIENDS 2012 tour, these artists will be bringing their unique brands of geeky, indie hip-hop to the following cities along with some very special guests:

9/1 TBA
9/2 Chicago, IL - Burlington Bar
9/3 Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Pike Room w/ Sample the Martian
9/4 Cleveland, OH - Roc Bar w/ MC Cool Whip
9/5 Philadelphia, PA - M-Room w/ DevoSpice, Zilla Persona
9/6 Worcester, MA - That's Entertainment! w/ Shane Hall
9/7 Hartford, CT - Cafe Nine w/ Ceschi Ramos
9/8 Brooklyn, NY- Grand Victory w/ Schaffer the Darklord
9/9 Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
9/10 Chesapeake, VA - Chicho's Pizza w/ The Nerdlucks
9/11 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
9/12 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
9/13 West Columbia, SC - The Conundrum
9/14 Charlotte, NC - The Milestone w/ Sulfur

Sponsored by Fat Kid Revolution Clothing, SIUniverse Media, The Variants, Word Realms, Rutgers GeekWeek, Agreeable Comics and *ahem* WIRED GeekDad, additional info regarding this musical meeting of the minds (and an inexplicable promo shot of Jesse D playing a ukulele) can be found at: http://adamwarrock.com/nofriends

Thesis or the Egg?

I imagine it's hard for most of us in the States, after the three-day MLK weekend, to get back into the swing of the work week on this sullen Tuesday morning. On a personal note, I'm more than willing to admit that it's a dreary winter day in the Deep South, and I am operating on what I conservatively estimate as four hours of sleep. Ergo, not my best.

After a night of fruitlessly staring at the ceiling trying to figure out what, if anything, was keeping me awake into the wee hours, I was less-than hopeful about my potential productivity. Thankfully, salvation was delivered by the force up North known as Backburner.

The video for the title track from last year's epic release Heatwave was (apparently) uploaded in December, but I didn't discover it until yesterday. That gave the joint just enough time to earworm itself back into the front of my brainpan, and the album proper has once again become the soundtrack du jour.

Thus the day is saved!

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 121: Edition Internationale

Though this may come as quite the surprise to many of you – given my understated diction and worldly flair – I am an American. With all the rights, privileges and responsibilities therunto appertaining.

If that means anything it's that I appreciate bad food and cheap gas. And also that I tend to think of my countrymen first.

But that certainly doesn't mean that nerd music ain't coming strong from other parts of the globe. On the contrary, the rest of the world is just as geeky as us Yanks – which is what this particular show is all about.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 121: Edition Internationale [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 62.5 MB Running Time: 48:12 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Spellah is Canadian. Beefy is Whitesican. Peace and understanding through music, people!

Track 1: Wordburglar and Moose Donair – "Yo Canada"
I am totally gonna request moose the next time I hit the doner place on Highway 290!

Z's 1st interlude: "Jump across the Bering Strait to see what's going on in Russia."
I was gonna say "look across the Bering Strait," but Palin references are already dated.

Track 2: Teleidofusion – "Around Past"
Today's background music is also Russian in origin.

Track 3: DJ Moule – "Sonic Ice"
A French DJ mixing cheesy American radio rap, British jazz-pop and Swedish garage? This is like my thesis.

Track 4: L'homme Manete – "Candy Popper"
The name sounds French, but L'homme Manete is a Portuguese artist.

Track 5: The Ranger – "Stat Sheet (Massive DMG remix by Zen Albatross)"
One of many stand-outs from my own 20-Sided Rhymes comp.

Track 6: MegaDriver – "Axetales"
There ain't no video game metal quite like Brazilian video game metal.

Z's 2nd interlude: "A double dose of international delights."
I elected to start the 2nd set with a pair of sea-spanning duos.

Track 7: The Garthim-Master and DJ Extend – "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World"
Ghosts of Nostalgia is a pretty remarkable record. It is also free. So get on that shit!

Track 8: Coova and Bud Melvin – "Yourmachi"
From 2009's epic team-up She's the DJ, He's the Rapper.

Track 9: Hidari – "Abunai Tasting"
Russia, Canada and Japan each managed to get two artists into this episode.

Track 10: Comptroller – "Low Point"
Straight outta Scotland.

Track 11: Superpowerless – "Wonderwall Remix"
Probably my second favorite Superpowerless remix of all time.

Z's final interlude: "Nerd music and culture really is a global affair."
And thanks to the power of the internets, we can enjoy its many exotic flavors.

Track 12: Videogame Orchestra – "Electro, Music, Transform"
Greece's premiere electro-chip duo doing what they do best.

Once again, lemme say big-ups to Sam for the show idea. I sometimes focus on specific geographic areas for musical inspiration, but it was awful fun to instead look at the whole big ol' world.

Please keep your song requests and show ideas coming, folks. I always welcome them.

Speaking of, if you have any holiday-themed tracks you'd like me to put on the menu for next month (or better yet if you're an artist releasing a seasonal album or single), be sure to let me know.

Hallowinners

image credit: @galendara

This year's crop of Halloween-related musical releases has been a little light. But I reckon between occupying Wall Street and bitching about folks occupying Wall Street and everyone preparing for the Rapture we've all really had a lot on our collective plate.

Still, there is some good, spooky shit out there, and I am gonna pause for a moment to shine my own little light on a handful of my favorites.

The Halloween mash-up collection is what we can now safely call an annual tradition. We've been gettin' 'em steady since 2004 thanks to the combined might of scene staples like DJBC and Cheekyboy, and they are always positively packed with pleasant surprises. This year's compilation is the double disc Texas Chainsaw Mashacre, which notably includes, among its Duck Sauce and Deadmau5 bootlegs, Sticks Downey's "C.H.U.D.," an original horrorcore cut that I actually included in last year's Halloween Crap-tacular.

The Texas Chainsaw Mashacre volumes 1 and 2 are freely available from the Monster Mash-Ups site, and I insist that you check 'em out.

While not intentionally Halloween-y, per se, the latest from my Canadian homeboy The Garthim-Master should fit in nicely with your seasonal playlist. Combining thick, atmospheric beats from German producer DJ Extend and The G-M's own unique blend of story-driven narratives and impressionistic lyrical gymnastics, Ghosts of Nostalgia is a look back on the beloved entertainment properties of our childhood that's not afraid to take a grim turn. For every breezy "Dude, Where's My AT-AT At?" there is a dirge-like "Krang" or a surreal "After Midnight."

I've actually been grooving to early leaks of joints like "Save the World," "The Crystal Shard" and "Rorschach's Journal" for a while now, but the full release is now available to everyone. For the very competitive price of free.

Expect a full review in the near future – most likely after the limited edition vinyl drops – but in the meantime spend a little quality time with this one yourself.

Lastly comes a brand new single from fellow GeekDad John Anealio. Generally, there are a number of elements I expect from John's songs: things like delicate guitar-work, straight-ahead percussion and cleverly-layered counter-melody. What I don't expect is bawdy humor, but "Undead Love Song" certainly has it.

There are a few easy jokes to be made about a human-zombie marriage (and consummation), and Anealio makes 'em all. The trick is, he's so mellow and earnest with his delivery that you totally don't even mind!

This one is also available as a free download, so add that grisly fucker – I made a pun! – to your collection.

So what about you, faithful readers? What's on your new Halloween listening list?

Go Get 'Em

I was actually planning to save this one for the next podcast (which should drop later this week) due partly to the fact that it ably closes out the second set and also because I kinda went video crazy last week. Still, this is an excellent slice of musical film-making that I think you'll enjoy. Plus with the premiere of The Walking Dead's second season less than a week away it is mad relevant.

So sit back and enjoy this zombie-centered public service announcement featuring the talents of Buck 65, Buck 65 and Buck 65:

Hat tip to my pal Selfhelp for this one.

Land of the Lost

Recently I came to the startling realization that if I respond to an email, the person on the other end will, nearly without fail, write back – further contributing to the catastrophe that is my inbox. What I'm saying is that this shit is a vicious cycle.

The same goes for album reviews. I get a new disc, listen to it and write up my thoughts, and then, goddamnit, another album arrives on my doorstep!

I'm being facetious, of course, as the last thing I want is for people to stop recording and releasing music. I mean, what would I do with my spare time then?

Still, there are always albums that, as good as they are, tend to fall through the cracks. They are projects that, though they become a steady part of my musical diet, I often fail to expound upon in a timely manner. Thus every once in a while I am forced to comb through my playlists and highlight the releases I have neglected to promote with the requisite gusto.

This is one of those times.

What follows is a bit of spring summer early autumn cleaning on my part. It focuses on a trio of albums that managed to hit hard and make distinct impressions on me over the first half of 2011. I just sort of forgot to mention how awesome they are.

My bad.

Robots. Lasers. Awesome.

Nathan Meunier is, among other things, my journalistic homeboy. He is also a bit-popper with a distinctly grimy lean. His Robots. Lasers. Awesome., which I've been sitting on since March, proves as much by kicking off with the dark and aggressive "Doomlaser" before slowing down into the vaguely dub-tinged "Chasing Satellites."

From there the album goes off on a number of odd and interesting tangents, but driving chiptune melodies punctuated by even sharper guitar hooks are the order of the day. Whereas joints like "Iterate" channel The Cure into lo-fi electronica, "Nerd Rock" instead paints itself as a retro game soundtrack with traditional musical accompaniment.

The album slowly builds across 8 tracks to the amazingly evocative closer "Portal of Solitude" – it's rather desperate and somber, and, like the rest of Robots. Lasers. Awesome., manages to communicate real emotion despite a total absence of lyrics.

If you're looking for a solid instrumental soundtrack to your workday, some late-night driving music or if you just wanna explore a new hybrid music act, give Nathan a listen.

Villainz for Hire

Viet Vu reached out to me about Soup or Villainz's Villainz for Hire back in April, and it admittedly took a while to grab me. After a few listens, though, I began to grok the group's dynamic; SoV exists somewhere between the smart-ass swagger of Southside and the self-effacing nerdery of Death*Star. It's a strange position, sure, but one that only they can fill.

Vu's lyrical high-end was the initial turn-off, but once it got its hooks in me I realized a very prevalent blend of aggressive punches and comical follow-ups that even now puts me in mind of Childish Gambino. Remison, his coconspirator, holds shit down on the other end with hints of both West Coast and Deep South styles in a Midwest spit that is always on-point. Individually they've got talent, but together they are a two-headed geek rap juggernaut.

"Game to Play" and "The Code" represent fine examples of the Villainz's own take on gamer rap – a well that they seem all too willing to visit – with the latter boasting ample amounts of soul thanks to in-house hook machine Danyeal McIntosh, who also adds a shot of sultriness to the surf guitar-inspired "Gamer Tag." The VGM thing isn't their only trick, though, as the group takes on everything from relationship woes ("Only Option") to anthemicly braggadocios bangers ("Soup or Crazy)" across the breadth of the release.

The album's become a go-to release for me – especially "D.K.," which, though it makes for a slightly unsatisfying closer, has a chorus that's nothing short of irresistible – so I definitely suggest you give it a spin. Cheap-asses can also cop a half-size EP version of this disc for free from Scrub Club which features, among other tasty cuts, the project's blistering, if unfortunately short, "Intro."

The Lost

More recently Thomas from Hand'Solo Records hooked me up with the latest from long-lived Canadian hip-hop clique toolshed. Originally a loose collective of MCs and DJs, the toolshed of today is a more streamlined affair. Consisting of old friends Chokeules, Psybo and Timbuktu, it's now a hip-hop power trio in the classical sense.

Originally recorded after the release 2006's Relapse, the basis of The Lost is material from the titular lost album with a twist. Tim worked his production magic to incorporate new remixes and collabs in with the classic material, and the final result is a perfectly enjoyable slice of intelligently constructed rap that's also unafraid to appeal to the baser nature of your inner teenage hell-raiser.

Opening strong with "Peppercorns" and "Rock N Rule," the guys dive headfirst into funk-rock hooks and razor-sharp cuts. Guest stars abound on the phenomenal (and aptly named) "Round Table," and Ghettosocks' turn of "Hit 'Em With His Running Shoes" stands out as the kind of cameo that would shame most host artists. Thankfully the toolshed is composed of sterner stuff.

As flexible as they are talented, the 'shed excels at both bringing the proverbial pain to the idle youth – on not one but two different mixes of "Clubsuck" – and keeping the part alive with proper drinking anthems – "Irish Car Bomb Pt. 2" and its late album analog "Irish Tiger Balm Pt. 2." And their feats of instrumental strength and verbal stamina don't stop there.

Clocking in at 16 tracks of hip-hop for heads of all stripes, the album never misses, but that's not to say I don't have my favorites. "Flavor Saviors (remix)" brings in shades of BDP that can't help but satisfy, and the closing salvo of "Dream Team (Bix rmx)" and "Final Round (original version)" stand out as some of the strongest selections to come out of the always impressive Hand'Solo catalog.

Sexy Skeksis

I'm on a bit of a mini-vacation with the fam for the first part of this week, so don't expect a lot of content around the ol' blog. (Though I will endeavor to keep the Twitter feed hopping in the interim.) Still, since it didn't seem right leaving you all high and/or dry, I figured I'd point you toward an interesting development from our neighbors to the north to keep you proper entertained.

It's a video teaser from Saskatchewan-based art initiative Secret Cloud promoting the forthcoming release by its own The Garthim-Master and German producer DJ Extend. Clocking in at just over 3 minutes, it highlights a half-dozen songs focused on Star Wars, Heroes and, of course, The Dark Crystal, and promises additional enticing amenities like guest spots from Kitty Pryde and SJ the Wordburglar. I'm very much looking forward to exploring the finished product, but in the meantime I've secured an exclusive cut which I'll be sharing with you in the next podcast.

You know how I do.

Oh, be aware that within the following clip there are some exposed breasteses, so, y'know, NSFW and all that. Enjoy, and I'll holler at y'all later this week.

Provinces, Not States

MC Frontalot warns that we should beware our northern neighbors. I, on the other hand, suggest that we embrace them. I reckon we'll just have to agree to disagree.

From Hockey Night to Rush, Canada has a lot to offer with regards to quality culture, but one of my favorite imports is their many unique flavors of hip-hop. That is why my first official review post of the New Year centers on three fine rap albums of Canadian persuasion. Each made its way into my possession in the waning months of 2010, and each is well worth your time.

Various Artists – Bassments of Badmen Volume 2

Hand Solo's Bassments of Badmen Volume 2 was originally released in 2003, but it made its way back to the masses last year with updated cover art and across a more diverse cross-section of contemporary formats. The tracks themselves, however, are classic Hand Solo.

Right out of the gate the comp comes in with a thematic intro (Fatt Matt & The Verbals' "Enter the Bassment (The Halifax Takeover)") that transitions quickly to the clever bombast of Fritz the Cat, Mindbender and Vangel with "Bury The Bodies." It sort of loses me for a few tracks there, but Toolshed ably picks up the slack with the phenomenal "Flash Forward," and from that point on the collection continues to run scattershot, touching on a myriad of styles and themes. From spacey head-bobbers ("The Prosecution Rests" by The IF?) to oddly surrealist electronica (Restiform Bodies' "Uh-Oh") to straight-up studious lyricism (Noah 23's expertly measured "Amnesia"), Bassments of Badmen Volume 2 hits all the high points.

The stand-out tracks for me were not entirely unexpected – specifically "Sugar Cubes" featuring Choke, Thesis, Uncle Fes and Jesse Dangerously and SJ the Wordburglar's iconic introductory joint – but the beauty of the compilation is that everyone's bound to find something that appeals to their own unique ear.

Though the game has doubtlessly changed a lot in the ensuing seven years, Bassments of Badmen Volume 2 holds up well. Thankfully, things like true talent and artistic integrity are still en vogue (at least in the underground), and the Hand Solo crew and its extended musical family recast some of their best tracks of yesteryear as the earworms of today.

Hidden Fortress – All That Is

Also from the fine folks at Hand Solo comes Hidden Fortress's All That Is. The follow-up to the duo's freebie EP Third Eye Cyclops, All That Is is another thickly produced, lyrically enigmatic slice of alternative hip-hop. A mere nine-tracks deep, it still manages to make the most of the odd union that is DJ UsdNeedls and rapper nofutureface.

The opening title track comes through like a Kool Keith joint slowed to a crawl and crowned with some brilliant turntablism, and follow-up track "Good Hurt" takes that odd blend of energies and runs with it. "The Cure" brings in some glitchy, almost chiptune-style influence and powers the album to its first single "Apotheosis" featuring Toronto's Modulok. While not the strongest track on the album, it's a definite attention-grabber.

"Iconoclast," an obvious showcase song, marks the halfway-point, while "Rich Folks (feat. Planit)" succeeds a bit more on the production end than in its lyrical delivery. The waning moments of the album, however, are when UsdNeedls and nofutureface truly pull out all the stops.

"Slangshot (feat. Kaigen)" is like a musical distress call from a distant planet that comes through as a darker analog of YTCracker's recent release Space Mission. "Psychonaut" combines a delicately layered backing with reverb-soaked vocals to create a musical mind-fuck like no other, and closer "Good Bye (feat. Raven Madd)" adds a dash of brightness that is nonetheless unsettling.

Hidden Fortress are themselves a bit of a qualified recommendation from me, and All That Is even more so. If you like the unrelenting energy of horrorcore but can't abide the laughable imagery or enjoy the verbose linguistics of nerdcore but crave a more holistic, almost spiritual slant, then this is not one to be missed.

Selfhelp – Broken Shadows

Lastly is Broken Shadows from Canadian rapper Selfhelp, a cat who once described this particular artistic alter ego as "a guy who complains about stuff." Broken Shadows collects remnants of that trademark social commentary clipped from the sessions that gave us 2009's Old Friends and a nearly endless parade of earlier recordings. The 20 tracks presented were among more than 50 random cuts found backed up on numerous hard drives, all of which were songs not previously released in any official capacity.

Opener "Questioning Reality" offers an interesting blend of upbeat production (provided by Fresh Kils) and Selfhelp's trademark art school rhymes, while "Mooncat & the Girls (feat. Thesis Sahib)" is an early standout that's actually proven an all-time favorite for me. There are a couple of missteps as the collection shifts gears, but the odd jazz hook of "Kiss of Death" makes for an interesting diversion, and "Humans" is both another high watermark and stands out as Selfhelp's practical musical mission statement.

It's very much hit-or-miss from that point on, and your enjoyment of the disc will likely depend on how abstract you like your abstract hip-hop. Still, the undeniable charms of tracks like lyrical chill-out "Escher's Forehead" and the heavy-handed but still satisfying "War Pigs" made for a fun listening experience on my end. Likewise, "The Rent is Too Damn High" and instrumental "Mountain Antique" really wind it down in style. Oh, and "Misguided Child" boasts a guest vocalist referred to as Kitty Pryde, which is worth something own its own.

Offering such a broad retrospective is a bit of a risky gambit and a number of these tracks don't hold up against Selfhelp's current output, but it's an interesting enough collection, particularly for the price. If you're looking for some left-of-center indie hip-hop that's not afraid of experimentation, Broken Shadows will surely satisfy.