Fresh Track: GDP & A.M. Breakups “Orly”
GDP is the latest MC to rock over an A.M. Breakups‘ beat and the collaboration is one of the best singles of the year. This is the first I’ve heard of the New Jersey rapper and while he may still be an unknown to most, he rhymes like an assured veteran on “Orly.” When GDP opens over A.M.’s mystical production with the line: “In theory, G’s the black Tim Leary/ free nights and weekends with Siri in the earpiece” he catches your attention right away and doesn’t let go for the rest of the song. GDP’s approach on the track falls somewhere between MF DOOM and Earl Sweatshirt, with verses full of off-the-wall wordplay and plenty of dark humor. GDP is an artist I will definitely be checking for in the future, especially if A.M. Breakups keeps giving him tracks to rap over. Download “Orly” below and get your midweek hip hop fix.
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Written by John Bugbee
Fresh Track: KO “Golden Gal”
Listen to “Golden Gal” via Musical Family Tree
Chances are good that if you have asked me about Indianapolis’ music scene over the last couple of years the name Kristin Newborn likely came up during our conversation. We covered the sudden break-up of her previous project Slothpop early last year. Newborn quickly put together a two-piece band that featured Todd Heaton of Street Spirits on drums. I was on hand when the band, performing under the moniker KO, made its live debut at LUNA Music during Record Store Day last year. The performance was rough with a significant amount of feedback from the two microphones that Newborn employed for her various vocal loops.
Since then, I’ve probably seen KO perform about once a month. The marked improvement between each performance has been nothing short of astonishing. I remember standing at White Rabbit Cabaret last fall. Some of Newborn’s friends were in town for a wedding, and the singer seemed to be feeding off of the excitement of her out-of-town guests. The hairs on the back of my neck stood stiff as she ran through a short set that closed with a cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” I kept punching my friend in the shoulder, sporting this shit-eating grin and whispering, “Can you believe how fucking good this is – already?!”
Fresh off her recent performance with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Newborn graced the cover of NUVO last week for an in-depth story on the KO debut, due out sometime this summer. Last week, the band released the album’s first single “Golden Gal.” It’s a powerful track that showcases the intricate vocal arrangements that Newborn has perfected since she launched this project a year ago. Newborn is also slated as the next performer on MFT’s EP in a Weekend series. It’s nice to see her receiving the type of local recognition deserves, but I will be shocked if KO’s reach doesn’t extend well beyond Indianapolis by the end of 2013.
Connect with KO via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track: Angel Olsen & Marissa Nadler “Frisco Depot” (Mickey Newbury Cover)
Angel Olsen and Marissa Nadler are two songwriters sitting at the crest of a recent wave of stellar female folk output. (See also: Jessica Pratt, Mountain Man, Ólöf Arnalds) Both Nadler and Olsen dropped strong records last year, releasing The Sister and Half Way Home respectively. Recently, the two collaborated on a cover of Mickey Newbury’s “Frisco Depot.” As expected, the results did not disappoint. Listen below.
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 