Album Stream: Oreo Jones ‘Betty’
Indy’s own Oreo Jones is an artist that hadn’t really caught my ear in the past, but that’s not because he isn’t a talented rapper. I have a tendency to overlook a lot of local hip hop because of the scene’s lack presence on the national stage, but Oreo’s debut LP Betty has the potential to change all of that. “Frankie”, “Needy”, and “Joseph Kittinger Wings” are probably the three best, straightforward rap songs on Betty, yet they don’t sound anything alike, a testament to Jones’ ability to shift his style and his flow at will. “Joseph Kittinger Wings” is a particular favorite because of the obscure name-drop in the track’s title (see Wikipedia) and the fact that Oreo raps like a long, lost member of De La Soul.
Oreo Jones has been hit with the “party rap” label in the past, but it sounds like a label he’s attempting to shed. The album’s varied production might be a little too quirky for my taste at times, but Oreo Jones’ artistic focus is clear. “Rotate” is the last song on Betty, but it feels like the album’s emotional core with its revealing, introspective verses. My favorite song on Betty though is Jones’ self-produced banger “Burnt Circle”. The track’s buzzing reverb and hard hitting drums fit Oreo’s booming delivery perfectly and make you wonder why he didn’t make the track longer and why he doesn’t make more of his own beats. The deluxe version of Betty comes with 4 bonus tracks including the amazing “The Rifle”, a heartbreaking song about a boyfriend of Jones’ mother. Betty is easily Oreo Jones’ most ambitious project to this point and should expose him to a much larger audience. Stream and download the album below and get familiar with one of the best young musicians that Indianapolis has to offer.
Connect with Oreo Jones via Facebook | Twitter | Rad Summer
Written by John Bugbee
Fresh Track + Video: The Bears of Blue River “MES-44”
The Bears of Blue River is a Midwest project for whom Indianapolis serves as a home-away-from-home. The Chicago band stops through Indy frequently, and our humble music scene is all the richer for it. Last week, The Bears of Blue River released a beautiful, limited edition 7″ for their new single “Flamingo”, available via Nashville’s Rhed Rholl Recordings. The 7″ features a technique that Rhed Rholl has dubbed “ice scream splatter” which gives each hand-pressed copy of the clear vinyl a unique splash of pink color.
The b-side of the release is entitled “MES-44“. Listen to the studio version below and watch a stripped-down house performance from one of The Bears of Blue River’s recent Indy visits. The release is limited to 250 copies, so act fast!
Connect with The Bears of Blue River via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Rob Peoni
Video: Blouse KEXP Session
The warm souls over at KEXP dropped a previously recorded session with Portland’s Blouse late last week, adding yet another gem to their collection. Blouse’s self-titled LP was released earlier this year via Captured Tracks and, in my eyes, has to be one of the most underrated releases to hit the indie scene over the past 9 months. The performance shown in its entirety below is intriguing in a multitude of ways, mainly being that it does not feature member Jacob Portrait (also of Unknown Mortal Orchestra) and was performed at a time when, according the lead singer Charlie Hilton, the band has only played live about 15 times. Despite the short list of rehearsals in front of breathing human beings, the group’s sound is pretty spot on with the album, especially during hit “Into Black”.
Track Listing:
1. Roses
2. They Always Fly Away
3. Nights & Days
4. Into Black
Connect with Blouse via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 