Lowdown Brass Band Release Their Roaring New Single "Ghost Town"

Photo courtesy of Lowdown Brass Band and The Bloom Effect

We’ve sure seen our share of hip-hop/funk brass bands over the years, but nothing has compared to the thoughtfully hip, energizing and funky sounds of Lowdown Brass Band (LDB). This thriving eight-piece second-line extravaganza has been marching their way through venues across the U.S., steering audiences through a thrilling brass-powered experience that emulates a diverse and irresistible sound.

With a blistering array of horns, funktacious drums and a powerful sousaphone, the Chicago-based brass set has also perfected a gritty and dynamic sound through the genres of hip-hop, soul, ska and rock. The fusion of MC Billa Camp’s poetic rhymes and adaptive storytelling, one of the band’s leading vocalists, has helped catapulted LDB’s national movement with cruising vocals, ferocious depth and provocative flows that helped audiences to capture the LDB experience.

With the release of their fifth self-produced studio album Lowdown Breaks arriving January 19th, Lowdown Brass Band has continued to build upon their hip-hop, ska and jazz styles under their newest single, “Ghost Town". Lead by Billa Camp with illustrious wordplay, keen lyricism and intricate arrangements, “Ghost Town,” exemplifies LDB’s music through groovy brass hip-hop with a unique alloy of genres that is indulgently entertaining to hear.

What began as a Chicago collaboration between Lowdown Brass Band and Chicago hip-hop punk set, The Dread,” has grown into one of LDB’s biggest songs of 2017, aligning perfectly with the 2018 release of their new LP. With a commanding tempo ripe with roaring horns, long brass and robust beats, the song contrasts perfectly with Billa Camps flourishing vocals and profound individuality.

What we really dig about LDB’s new track is the music video – an entertaining, high-energy adventure shot on a fishing boat during Lowdown Brass’s Alaskan tour in July 2017. As a recommendation of a great way to see the Cordova region in Alaska, the band brought their instruments on the boat and randomly had a quick jam session right in the middle of the Prince William Sound. Suddenly, the session quickly turned into a video shoot for “Ghost Town” with people on the boat shooting the session entirely on their iPhone’s. A wild ride filled with humor and dance, Lowdown Brass Band’s “Ghost Town” video is one for the ages and is certainly a must watch!

LDB’s barrier breaking sound is as intricate and explosive through your headphones, as it is on-stage: A second-line brass-knuckle spectacular that gets you on your feet and keeps the party pumping all-night long. They’re a band that get’s it: progressive brass beats with a festive attitude and a groovy onslaught of stellar vocal harmonies and horns that are marvelously entertaining and unique. Lowdown Brass is a band that can’t be missed and a must see for when they march across your town.

For more on Lowdown Brass Band, follow their social media and stream/download their music below. 

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Don DiLego Puts on a Foot-Stomping Performance at The Bowery Electric

Don DiLego & band at The Bowery Electric. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Alt-country artist, Don DiLego, gave us a foot-stomping performance at the Bowery Electric this month during his impressive record release show for his new album Magnificent Ram A. Along with a bottle of bourbon and a few bales of hay, DiLego’s astonishing seven-piece band rocked the stage as they wooed the sounds of western Americana and some feel good rock n’ roll in front of a packed-audience.

Coupled with fellow indie-folk artists, Linda Draper and Emily Duff, the Velvet-Elk crooner commanded an impression collection of musical arrangements that gently carried the crowd through a cowboy’s journey – synonymous with the old whiskey saloons and boot strapping jamborees of the great west. DiLego’s outstanding performance provided a collage of rich complex melodies that had us both moving our hips and singing along to the indie-folk singer’s dynamic vocals paired masterfully with a gritty acoustic sound.

Don DiLego performs at his record release show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

DiLego performed the majority of his songs from Magnificent Ram A throughout that steamy Thursday evening, portraying his innovative delicacies both on stage and in his new record. DiLego’s music provided a range of indie-folk harmonies, graceful melodies and the pride of blue-collar heartland rock. DiLego’s mastery was illustrated perfectly on stage with the harmonious beauty “Go Pack Your Suitcase” and the soothing gospel-esque tune of “Running in Place with a Desperate Heart.” With every heart-felt note, DiLego’s caressing vocals and comforting rhythms passionately embraced the crowd, encouraging us to follow his carefully orchestrated compositions that profoundly detail DiLego’s precise musicianship.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

DiLego’s complex sound and on stage depth, however, howled for audiences to jump on their feet during DiLego’s alt-country jams, “Drive Like a Pirate” and “I’m on Fire.” Here, we witnessed a contrast to DiLego’s phonic sound with a gritty savory arrangement to his music along with an his incredible relationship with his already endearing fans, mustering them together as they sung and dance to his Americana tunes. DiLego’s country anthem, “The Westside Oak” had us all stomping our feet and clapping, revealing the versatility that exists with DiLego’s on-stage presence.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Linda Draper and Emily Duff provided a perfect mesh for DiLego’s record release show portraying both indie-folk harmonies and gospel-esque chords to the brewing audience for DiLego’s headline set. Draper’s tranquil vocals and in-depth storytelling delighted the on-hands crowd, drawing them closer to her tender musical arrangements that soothed listeners as they eased their way into the Bowery’s main stage.

Linda Draper performs at The Bowery Electric. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Duff’s acoustic trio provided an incredible blend of folk, gospel and heartland rock n’ roll throughout their impressive set. Along with guitarist Scott Aldrich and Skip Ward on the “gut bucket bass,” Duff’s sensational compositions and powerful lyrical ability provided audiences with an array of bible-belt blues and Americana novelties.

Emily Duff performs at The Bowery Electric. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

After witnessing Don DiLego's incredible performance, it is safe to say that the indie-folk rocker is in a class of his own. Gathering amongst the sounds of old country and contemporary rock, DiLego has set the bar for how the sound of modern country should be. His ingenious lyrical ability and savvy storytelling technique places us, as an audience, in the boots of the modern cowboy, and within the heart and pride of blue-collar Americana, in each of his works.

Don DiLego at The Bowery Electric. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

DiLego’s dynamic energy on-stage and the utilization of his flourished cohesive sound, makes him one of the best singer-songwriters in the genre. DiLego’s emerging status within the alt-country scene has made him a must-see act whose music we highly recommend for you to listen. His new album, Magnificent Ram A, is out now on digital, streaming and vinyl via Velvet Elk Records/One Little Indian. Follow and listen to Don DiLego today!

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French HipHop/Blues Band Scarecrow Put On a Roaring Performance at Drom NYC

Very rarely do we get the chance to witness a group of music who can grasp the sounds of different cultures so effortlessly and harness them as their own. With the power of a roaring bluesy vocal, a groovy baseline and a smoking late 80’s/early 90’s sound, Scarecrow - The Blues Hip Hop showed us how artists can successfully master that calling. 

With much thanks to the combined efforts of The French Embassy and Bureau Export, Scarecrow showcased their talents for the France Rocks SummerFest in New York for the first time in over two years last Friday. We caught their performance at the mysteriously intimate and gypsy-esque Drom NYC amongst a group of music enthusiasts excited to take part in the French quartet’s latest act as they prepared for their second album, The Last, releasing this coming Friday.

Scarecrow’s featured performance was a spine chilling and aggressive piece that spoke of the band’s ingenuity and aesthetic appeal. Ahead of a thunderous and enticing intro, lead vocalist and bluesman, Slim Paul, let out a roaring vocal that channeled across the shadowy halls of Drom, crawling up its back-stage curtains and hurling towards us. It was a unique sound that truly blew us away: A kick-ass note that personified beautifully through Paul’s affirmed lyrical and edgy voice, labeling its mark at any New Orleans jazz club or Memphis BBQ joint.

What followed was a genre binding and sound twisting bar from French emcee, Antibiotik Daw, who also masterfully scratched the turntables with late 80’s/early 90’s urban adlibs, screeching hints of Chuck D, Run DMC and The Wu Tang Clan. Although we unfortunately couldn’t understand the fast hitting French lyrics, it was Antibiotik’s confidence, swag and all-out vibe that helped get our heads bopping, while the bluesy bass lines from Jamo and funky drum set from Le Pap, helped solidify Scarecrow’s urban and bluesy musical arrangements.

What really struck us was Scarecrow’s consistency. Whether their song was predominately hip-hop, blues, funk or a bit of both, the quartet meshed the sounds together flawlessly. When Antibiotik viciously spit on the mic, Slim Paul's raw vocals and Jamo's gripping guitar play brought Scarecrow's performance from the sounds of classic hop-hop into the essence of rock. Accompanied by Antibiotik’s scratches, we were constantly taken for a musical ride that stopped along 80’s hip-hop, 70’s funk and good old fashion dirt-road blues.

Scarecrow’s hip-hop elements, raw rural bluesy notes and urban-esque vibe provided the finishing touches on an already bubbling melting pot that billowed a steam enriched with generations of musical influences, cultures and instrumentation. Scarecrow’s continuous efforts to bridge together American and French music are groundbreaking. With sounds reminiscent of both Screamin' Jay Hawkins and 90's Hip-Hop, the group truly is deserving of their international praise. Their ability to embrace these different sounds allows them to conquer audiences in not only the U.S. or Europe, but throughout the world as they've performed over 400 shows in 10 countries and have a tenacity to produce even more.

This group can truly be an inspiration to aspiring artists and bands across the globe not only for their incredible showcases, gritty music, and cool vibes but for how they can bring cultures together. Somehow we seemed to have lost that in both the mainstream and independent music scenes, but Scarecrow tackles it head on. Truly, they are one of the best bands we’ve seen this year. Can’t wait to catch these guys again. Their new album, The Last, will be available for streaming and digital download this Friday, June 24, 2016. Make sure to catch Scarecrow the next time they’re in your city!

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