Free music from The Hood Internet, The Crown And Two Chairmen, Kid Sister, A Hero Named Hope
The Hood Internet, The Mixtape Volume Four
Hometown DJ sensation The Hood Internet easily stands as the most prolific mash-up outfit in Chicago, if not nationally. With hundreds of genre-spanning productions mixing two or more tracks—some quite different, like Sunn O))) and Kid Cudi—DJs STV SLV (a.k.a. Steve Reidell) and ABX (a.k.a Aaron Brink) consistently crank out unexpected creations, often crafting new dance grooves where none previously existed. Keeping up with the act’s constant output can be daunting, but the Hood’s frequent mix-tapes take care of that.
Stylistically, The Mixtape Volume Four follows suit with the pair’s past releases, segueing dozens of the group’s mash-ups. Highlights include a tense blend of Isaac Brock’s vocals from Modest Mouse's “Float On” over the sped-up groove from Kanye West’s “Paranoid,” a busy, aggressive mix of Amanda Blank and VEGA (“No Reasons To Like You Better”), and a marriage between Beastie Boys and Matt And Kim that recalls the veteran New York hip-hop act’s playful side. As with any significant Hood offering, the Pied Piper Of R&B appears in the smoothly sexualized “Number One Christmas,” which finds the Chicago singer crooning against Sally Shapiro.
Download here; see the group live Nov. 27 at The Vic and Dec. 31 at Smart Bar.
The Crown And Two Chairmen, All The Secrets To The World EP
With heavyweights like Pelican and Russian Circles, Chicago more than holds its own in the instrumental-metal scene, so another local act following suit risks redundancy. Thankfully, The Crown And Two Chairmen differentiates itself on All The Secrets To The World. Over the course of two songs (totaling an impressive 17 minutes), The Crown veers away from heavier doom-metal territory in favor of experimental post-rock excursions that reward as they unfurl. Sometimes you don’t need lyrics to say something worthwhile.
Download here.
Kid Sister, Ultraviolet remixes
Kid Sister’s debut, Ultraviolet, finally arrived this week, but the Chicago MC released a handful of tracks to the web well before that, many of them receiving the remix treatment. The JFK remix of “Control” chops the track’s vocals, leaving little more than elements of the chorus over a buzzing, vibrating beat with a rapidly fluctuating pitch. The Bag Raiders' version of “Pro Nails” leaves the vocals relatively intact but adds a jumpy foundation that becomes increasingly electrified as it builds. Current single “Right Hand Hi” gets redone twice by high-profile club acts. West Hollywood’s Kill The Noise's version sounds both relaxed and dance-y, clocking in at five minutes but feeling longer. By comparison, Brooklyn’s Kingdom provides a comparably shorter take where a ’90s electronica vibe pings in the background as KS asks “Boy, you got a problem?” on constant loop. Consider these Ultraviolet's bonus tracks.
Download here; see her live at House Of Blues on Nov. 25.
A Hero Named Hope “I Invented The Web Shooter”
A preview of the local pop-hardcore act's latest, “I Invented The Web Shooter,” incorporates a range of the usual genre elements, from the synthetic intro to vocals that go from singing to shouting to growling. With similar Chicago acts like Reforma and Escape From Earth currently out of commission, A Hero Named Hope is poised to fill the void.
