Writing about music in lieu of human interaction
Gnarly Ant, a newcomer to the Pittsburgh hip-hop scene, recently released his debut EP, Basement Tapes. Gnarly Ant brings a youthful energy to the project, his around-the-beat flow reminiscent of a less hyperactive Blueface. On "187," a track built around wooly, blown-out trap production, he manages to discuss gun violence, suicidal thoughts, lustful exploits, and … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Gnarly Ant – 187
The ever-glitchy Pittsburgh artist The Universe Online returns with the incredibly named Full metal jagoff. It's Friday! A day that, to many, used to signify fun, human interaction, and a coming break from the drudgery of commuting. I've found that social distancing has warped the concept of Friday until it signifies nothing but the weekly … Continue reading Daily Yinz – The Universe Online – Sindiana
Lilac's music exists in a degraded cyberpunk hellscape, in which humans merge with machines and all are exploited by a technocratic elite. Lilac's most recent EP, ConVnet, is a concept album inspired by the twisted 1991 Japanese horror film 964 Pinocchio. The opening track, "Pinocchio pt. 1," draws on classic body horror imagery as it … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Lilac – Pinocchio pt. 1
County Conservation District (the musical alias of Pittsburgh artist Stephen Matejka, who is also the force behind the Autumn Sounds tape label) provides some placidity on this Monday morning. CCD recently released "Transmission From Tokyo" as part of a split with Iowa's Bob Bucko Jr. The ambient track sounds like the morning sun swell of … Continue reading Daily Yinz – County Conservation District – Transmission From Tokyo
Pittsburgh's Jvggy Hendrix and Maryland's Nigel Frank team up for the smoky, atmospheric Vanilla Abstract. The tracks on Vanilla Abstract exist in a dimly lit room with the shades drawn, snatches of ambient jazz mingling with puffs of smoke while Swishers, snack wrappers, VHS tapes, and soul music cassettes carpet the floor. Musically, the tape … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Jvggy Hendrix x Nigel Frank – Grandma’s Cigarettes from Guyana
On their latest album, Reality Tunnels, Pittsburgh dreamers Sciencevision augment vintage rock tunes with funhouse sonic flourishes and space-age interludes. Take late album highlight "Learned from Inversion," for example. Its moody, descending melody, propulsive bass groove, and choppy guitar chords recall Rubber Soul-era Beatles (and associated Rickenbacker-toting acts), but the rock 'n' roll meat and … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Sciencevision – Learned from Inversion
Panta Rhei, an aleatoric (meaning that some element of composition is left up to chance) black metal project masterminded by prolific Pittsburgh noise artist RJ Myato, released a split album with the ever-bleak Thar Desert last month. The Panta Rhei side of Transmuter sounds like a supergroup consisting of corpse-painted Scandinavians and straight edge punks … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Panta Rhei – 133 189
Purchase golden moldies, a compilation album featuring local indie, experimental, ambient, and noise artists, to support Collision, one of Pittsburgh's most treasured DIY spaces, during the COVID-19 crisis. Not sure if the moldies found here are golden in the traditional sense (I'd substitute words like "decaying", "neon", "foreboding", "dystopian", "hyperactive", "lugubrious," etc), but who needs … Continue reading collision – golden moldies
Pittsburgh-area experimental artist TOBACCO (a member of Black Moth Super Rainbow) emerges from the moldy robot cave in which he's been dwelling since 2016 with two singles in advance of his upcoming release, Hot Wet & Sassy. "Centaur Skin" features an insistent, distorted bass line, arpeggiated with inhuman precision (a la Daft Punk), that skips … Continue reading Daily Yinz – TOBACCO – Centaur Skin
Driving While Black Records affiliate JM the Poet drops "Function," the first single from his upcoming album, Deja Vu. When I first listened to "Function," I was reminded of a song I used to like back in my dorky high school days, "Unbelievers" by backpack rap collective The Dean's List. Where that song filled out … Continue reading Daily Yinz – JM the Poet – Function (ft. Jordan Montgomery and Victor Muthama)
Bored In Pittsburgh 