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I am a music writer based in Dearborn, MI. Skirting the periphery of the local music and arts scene for several years, I got involved in 2016 when I was hired by Detroit-based musician collective and licensing firm Assemble Sound as Blog Manager. My goal with the blog is to put the spotlight on emerging local talent with engrossing articles and features.
In addition to Assemble Sound, I handle a few freelance projects, including a recent feature on local music in the Detroit Metro Times.
Ugly Heroes truly is a blessing in disguise. Iconic producer Apollo Brown brought together Red Pill from Detroit and Verbal Kent from Chicago to form this hip-hop all-star team. These artists tell the story of the undying individual spirit: fighting for the ones you love while having a little fun along the way.
Kaleb Waterman says he's the worst intern anyone will ever have. "I'll never get anything done," he says. "I'll just be talking and picking up on what everyone else is doing." Between time spent practicing piano, producing music, and attending school, Waterman got involved in a studio internship with Seth Anderson at his church in Madison Heights. The meetings were awkward at first; he would spend hours in the studio with Anderson, the two sitting in complete silence. However it was no...
Josh Freed and Josh Smith have spent a few years cultivating a sound that tampers with reality itself. From their debut with the breezy Window EP, up through this year's 24 carat Gold Chain EP, Gosh Pith have covered a remarkable amount of ground.
This is Humons. Not Hu mans, as the accursed autocorrect may suggest, but the creative outlet of one Ardalan Sedghi. A Detroit producer, Sedghi's own brand of dream house might not necessarily sound sublunary, but his music retains very distinctive human qualities. Such is the case with Spectra, a 5-song EP written and recorded entirely at Assemble Sound.
One might say that Detroit rapper Wurl Sotto was put on this planet to bring people together. An actor, poet and activist in his own right, Sotto also belongs to the Detroit-based artist collective Weirdoz Gang, whose mission is to "spread the culture and creative energy across the world and bring people from different walks of life together to share their insight and stories." He and the many members of Weirdoz are also affiliates of other creative entities in the city, like 777 Renegade and...
Detroit producer Nydge and Los Angeles-based songwriter Kim Vi have teamed up for the mesmerizing "El Segundo." This summer, Nigel Van Hemmye made his debut as Nydge on the Sunday Songs with "We Are Now" and "Lemme Know."
Look no further than the cover art for Kalamazoo producer Epicure's In My Mind's Eye to get an idea of what this EP entails. A mostly featureless individual lifts Earth by its southern hemisphere, but a closer look reveals that this is no Atlas crushed beneath the planet.
The seeds of hip-hop were planted in Oshea Davaun from his very beginning. After all, he was named after O'Shea Jackson Sr. — better known as Ice Cube — and grew up watching his father and his friends rap. Last September saw the release of the Detroit rapper's debut album, Motor City Rose. The title stems from The Rose That Grew From Concrete by 2Pac (itself a reference to rough upbringings).
The ninth Sunday Song is authored by producer duo Stacks//Culture and Assemble resident Greater Alexander, titled "Ultimate Fields." This track really has an otherworldly quality about it, characteristic of much of Alexander's work. That coupled with the cinematic production qualities from Stacks//Culture makes for another unconventionally beautiful Sunday Song.
Ambition is tricky-too little leads to predictability, too much boosts the chance of failure. Artists can end up spending their entire careers trying to establish that delicate balance, but in the rare case of Valley Hush, it comes completely naturally. They frequently flirt with experimentation, but they are a pop band to their core.