‘The Layered Effect’ by US rapper/producer Andy Cooper offers a punchy reminder of the creative fun to be had in digging for breaks, stringing up loops and layering up strata of sound. Brimming full of delightful inflections from the world of Jazz, Easy Listening, Film Soundtracks and Hollywood voices, it’s a perfectly stitched sound patchwork that pays loving homage to the classic, funky days of early rap. A touching testimony to the joys of Hip Hop then and now.
More than just the skinny white dude who’s into old school beats, Andy Cooper has won his stripes after a twenty year stint with Hip Hop trio Ugly Duckling, then a couple more hanging out with The Allergies, not to mention the recent release of eight 7” singles, an EP and now his second solo LP. What is utterly charming is how enamored and respectful he is how it was at the beginning AND of how it still should be. Far from being the “old timer/delusional revivalist” he describes in ‘Last of the Dying Breed’, Cooper cares not about color or age, but that rap stays fresh, exciting, competitive, similar to a precious martial art.
For Andy, rap is a noble form. He’s a wordsmith extraordinaire, snappy and audacious, tipping his hat “to all the microphoners who still bring that dedication and expertise to their craft” and choosing to work with equally rapid sparring partners like Blabbermouf and MC Abdominal. Ownership of the genre is a constant theme throughout the LP. Like a contact sport, you punch and fight your way to the mic and once there “no one can take it from me”. Reverance is constantly being paid to the dons that went before, overtly Rick Rubin & the Def Jam crew, but covertly the Reggae sound systems and jazzers of old.
Not a sloppy note or shabby rhyme here. It’s an album that pops and fizzes with quirky beats and funky rhythms from start to finish. With production lines neater and sharper than a pair of sta press trousers, it’s impossible not to be seduced by the sheer buoyancy of the lyrics, beats, and intention. A refreshingly entire body of work with no low points, only head-nodding highs. It’s good to stumble across a Hip Hop album that has you giggling, thinking, singing and wearing out the soles of your shoes all at once.
LINKS:
http://www.youtube.com/user/uglyducklingvideos
http://www.instagram.com/andycooper75
http://www.facebook.com/acooper75
http://soundcloud.com/rocafortrecords/sets/andy-cooper-the-layered-effect/s-qKLg0
http://rocafortrecords.com
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Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for 8/10/2020
Exclusive interviews featuring singer/songwriter Sami Chohfi, solo artist and frontman for The Awakening Ashton Nyte, and social media celebrity Nicole Ciravolo as well as video, single, and album premieres from Fly the Nest, Zenith Volt, CloudRunners, Plastic Barricades, Black Bordello, and Mantis and the Prayer.
About Sami Chohfi
Sami is the type of artist that holds the world in his heart and wears that heart on his sleeve. To listen, in this interview, how and why his songs came to be is not only an inspiration for the musician but a lesson in humanity. I wish more people were like Sami. The world would be a much kinder place. and, in this interview, we get a history and reasoning behind his new single and video titled ‘This Majesty’ (video below) as well as his upcoming album titled ‘Extraordinary World’.
LINKS:
https://samichohfimusic.com
https://twitter.com/samichohfimusic
https://www.facebook.com/samichohfimusic
https://instagram.com/samichohfimusic
https://itunes.apple.com/artist/sami-chohfi/1460610496
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4xdpDgzzdLx365502fJweY?si=uTDiAQHiTpyR0iR_8zaKLQ
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sami-chohfi-45290879/
https://pandora.com/artist/sami-chohfi/AR7gVzlwtg77gzX
https://www.youtube.com/samichohfimusic
https://music.amazon.ca/artists/B001RWYDFS?tab=CATALOG&ref=dm_wcp_artist_link_pr_s
https://soundcloud.com/sami-chohfi
https://listen.tidal.com/artist/15568916About Ashton Nyte
Ashton Nyte has recently released his album and companion book titled ‘Waiting For A Voice’. This is a wonderful interview, to say the least. More of a conversation, actually. What we get is that voice we’ve all been waiting for. And that voice is the type of voice we need in this day and age. I’m not talking phonetically. I mean spiritually. Musically.
Both the album and book are from the mind of someone who observes and interprets. The songs are the music that sews the heart to the sleeve and the book is a brilliant and compassionate collage of lyrics, poetry, and autobiographical segments. And the result is a medium of solitary substance that, I hope, the listener inherits as much as they ingest.
And what we get today is that deep conversation with Ashton, where we talk about the album and book ‘Waiting For A Voice’ and get in-depth about both an introverted human being giving the world a voice we’ve been needing but also that inspiration that we can use to move forward.
Take a look at what ‘Waiting For A Voice’ is and get a copy HERE.
Check out our other features about Ashton Nyte HERE.
LINKS:
https://ashtonnyte.com
https://facebook.com/ashtonnyte
https://youtube.com/ashtonnyte
https://instagram.com/ashtonnyte
https://twitter.com/ashtonnyte
https://theawakening.com
https://facebook.com/theawakeningofficial
https://youtube.com/theawakeningsaAbout Nicole Ciravolo
We are mixing it up when it comes to interviews. As you know, normally we interview musicians, but today, we are branching out and have reached out to an internet celebrity in the form of TikTok sensation Nicole Ciravolo. Having already gotten major press from the likes of Buzzfeed (article HERE), Nicole has not only began captivating audiences on the TikTok platform but is someone who is seasoning her resume and honing her craft. Having already gained experience via Second City, Nicole is expanding her experience via the various outlets out there and gaining an audience with her personality, style, and skillsets after having literally conquered TikTok with millions of views and likes while also rapidly approaching a million followers.
And today we get a glimpse of things to come with this exclusive interview with Nicole. We discuss her plan for the future, as well as her take on the state of entertainment in this new era of the pandemic and #metoo and the big secret of how to engage with premium content plus her take on the recent battle between TikTok and the U.S. Government. Enjoy!
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/nicoleciravolo
https://www.youtube.com/c/nicoleciravolo
https://www.tiktok.com/@nicoleciravolo
https://twitter.com/nicoleciravoloAbout Fly the Nest
Fly the Nest, aka Stephen Cooper, is set to drop his new single titled ‘Wild Ride’. Energetic from the start and passionate throughout, ‘Wild Ride’ is a blossoming track of layered guitars and harmonizing vocals that set the mood and take the stage in ways that harken back to that turn-of-the-century power-pop when rock ruled the world and songwriting mattered.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/flythenestofficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7bsdKGo4cOlAYj1i5HMsRL?si=rQ9qGWU7S46Pm5sTBhVCXwAbout Zenith Volt
Zenith Volt has premiered the new single titled ‘Hold On‘ right here on Jammerzine. Starting off as an electronic burst of energy from the first note, this First Listen garners the attention with ecstatic energy and electric harmony in ways that only a true artist can muster. Designed for the dancefloor and mastered for the masses, ‘Hold On’ gives that certain something we all need to erode the isolation and ‘go through the motion’ and lets us ‘hold on to what we got’, which is each other. This is brilliance with bass.
LINKS:
https://www.zenithvolt.com
https://www.facebook.com/zenithvolt
https://snd.click/ListenToHoldOnAbout CloudRunners
CloudRunners have premiered their new song titled ‘The Only One’ right here on Jammerzine. As a bonus, we also get what is becoming rarer and rarer in the days of the pandemic and that is a video. What I get with that initial listen is a cross between the alternative progressiveness in the underground music scene in that wonderful but all-too-short era in music between 1989 and 1991 when we got absolutely original bands such as Live and School of Fish. This band is of that caliber and level in originality and musical personality. The song itself is a well thought out lesson in songwriting with a solid hook and imaginative vocal-harmony intense chorus.
Let CloudRunners be your next favorite artist.
LINKS:
https://www.cloudrunnersmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/CloudRunnersMusic
https://instagram.com/CloudRunnersMusic
https://www.twitter.com/CloudRunnersUS
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCto1cEbMQWo7QDAUImhQzRAAbout Plastic Barricades
Plastic Barricades release an acoustic version of their song ‘Tunnel’. The song is one of those types of tracks that really shows it’s true colors when stripped bare and revealed and compared to the original (video below). Plastic Barricades is a band that obviously shines live and let’s hope, for all of our sakes, that those live venues open up soon.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/plasticbarricades
https://twitter.com/plasticb
https://www.instagram.com/plasticbarricadesAbout Black Bordello
Black Bordello have released their eponymous album. A solid fusion of a little of everything from Fusion to vintage show and everything in between but one thing is for sure, this is all Black Bordello. In all of their glory. And this is what I love about #indie music. That unbreaking originality and melding of influences. This is the love of music put to record.
LINKS:
https://www.blackbordello.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/siennabordello
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LhmtJ38vRhd35Eg3oC1nt
https://music.apple.com/us/album/leeches-single/1503188893About Mantis and the Prayer
Mantis and the Prayer drop the new EP/Double AA Single titled ‘Murder Ballad and the Blue’. The first track, titled ‘I Know you’, is a sonically diverse yet subtle track with a somber vocal track coupled with layered guitar and an almost light orchestral with cinematic flare. Almost done in a way as to enhance the meaning of the lyrics, ‘I Know You’ is a melancholic soliloquy for the isolated.
‘Go Too Far’, while appearing more upbeat, is just as melancholic in emotion but from a different creative angle. With more of an upbeat demeanor, ‘Go Too Far’ achieves originality with subdued sound effects and an original chord progression that chugs away with the beat.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/MantisAndThePrayer
https://twitter.com/TheMantisPrayer
https://www.instagram.com/mantisandtheprayer
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3LZeCFFqBGxsSWSs9J5jCN?si=cAkHBCoER_ekv876GZwmpQ
https://soundcloud.com/mantis-and-the-prayerClick HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’. -
Dives Premieres ‘100 Times’ Single (The Week in #Indie Segment)
DIVES released their new single titled ‘100 Times’ on June 17, 2020. We get a listen of the suave new track in all of its glory and shimmering originality. The track is a showcase of sorts and a perfect introduction track to what DIVES’ sound is and creativity can bring. The song is a strong blend of solid chord progressions and harmonies that soar and dive in unison causing that inevitable hit of the repeat button.
Click HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.ABOUT DIVES
Teenage angst has paid off well, DIVES are now ready to have it all. DIVES know their capabilities, their strengths, and the songs they want to write. On their first album, titled ‘Teenage Years Are Over’, they now become an essential integrant within Europe’s big indie-bands.
With their first EP, DIVES got off to a dream start: In Dresden, they played in front of 12,000 people, headlined the Viennese Popfest, toured with Courtney Barnett, accompanied the Vengaboys at the Viennese Ballhausplatz and played various shows as support to established artists (Franz Ferdinand, Bilderbuch). Three years have passed since their formation at pink noise Girls Rock Camp and ever since, they not only toured Central and Eastern Europe, crashed big stages and important industry festivals (Reeperbahn Festival, c/o pop), but also did not back away from well-known underground venues (8mm Bar, Ostpol Dresden).
On their debut Teenage Years Are Over, DIVES channeled their energies together with producer and label-mate Wolfgang Möstl (Voodoo Jürgens, Clara Luzia, Nino Aus Wien). Their album is going to be released on the Viennese label Siluh Records. DIVES earned their spurs on tour and now they only comply with their own rules. In doing so, they do not need permission or well-intentioned advice.
“Appreciate your concern, you’re gonna stink and burn.“
DIVES accompany Surf-Garage-Pop with emancipated lyrics. They don’t shy away from speaking their mind. There’s no crying over missed chances, no pointless vanity, and no fake pretending for the sake of being part of something. This mindset also shows in their thoroughly produced music videos, most recently for the song Chico for which they teamed up with director Kevin Pham. It accentuates the trio’s refined aesthetics while they are riding a speedboat over the Vienna’s Danube River. On their first, full-length record, DIVES wave good-bye to the initial doubts – „Are we good enough? Where do we want to see ourselves? What will happen if our youthful easiness is gone?“. They found their answers: On the stage, in their songs and finally in themselves as friends and companions.
This is their new single ‘100 Times’.
DIVES are Dora de Goederen, Tamara Leichtfried & Viktoria Kirner.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/DIVESvienna
https://divesmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/divesvienna
https://dives-vienna.bandcamp.com -
Bailey Coats Releases ‘No Other Way’ Single (The Week in #Indie Segment)
Bailey Coats officially releases her new single titled ‘No Other Way’ as of today (June 19, 2020). Beginning as a vocal exercise, Baily starts the song off with a subtle bang of reminiscing of life and love with that message of no other way, sent to us just in time as a pick me up and mental reassurance that is well needed and deserved with the state of things being the way they are.
Featuring a unique duet between the percussive yet melodic vocals versus the staccato beat and lush piano-driven music, ‘No Way Out’ showcases a solid artist at the introduction of her career.
Click HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.ABOUT BAILEY COATS
Bailey Coats makes her return with the heart-felt pop single ‘No Other Way’, June 19th. Having consistently released singles in 2020, Bailey never fails to deliver inspiring anthems when duty calls. Having built an award-winning team around her, ‘No Other Way’ proves her affinity for sublime pop music and takes the pop sensation to the next level.
Having worked with vocal coach Robert “RAab” Stevenson (Justin Timberlake, Dave Matthews, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, etc), Grammy-award winning producer Wirlie Morris and renowned songwriter Traci Hale, Bailey has a strong team around her that never fails to deliver addictive pop tracks, complete with Bailey’s captivating vocals.
Accompanying the release is the stunning music video shot in Malibu, USA.
Speaking more about the new single, Bailey explains: “’No Other Way’ was written during a season of new beginnings. Just as the world prepares for summer and life after a pandemic, ‘No Other Way’ serves as a euphoric summertime anthem for new beginnings in journeys of both life and love.”
Having built solid foundations over the last year with ‘SNACK’ and ‘GET Low’, Bailey now returns with her strongest track to date, showing again her genius through sincere lyrics and pop harmonies.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/baileycoatsofficial
https://www.facebook.com/BaileyCoatsMusic
https://twitter.com/bailey_coats