The Zipstream: MC Starr's album at a non-Corner Store price

Welcome to The Zipstream, a semi-regular column in which The A.V. Club will round up new local albums, mixtapes, and EPs that Madison-connected artists share via such channels as Bandcamp pages and upload sites. Got something you'd like us to consider? Email sgordon@theonion.com.

MC Starr, Corner Store
Early on his new solo album, Corner Store, Madison rapper MC Starr seems to be addressing the Internet commenters who launched a spat this summer—on this site—with DJ Pain 1 about "I'm Fitted," a lighthearted single about fitted baseball caps the two recorded under the name Fall Guys: "I rap about hats so they say I ain't progressive," he says in a verse on opening track "Rap Circle." Most of the subject matter here is less playful than that of "I'm Fitted," but much of it—especially the frustrations of being a local musician, on the fast-bouncing "Who's That?"—provides a flexible, respectable introduction to Starr's rhymes. He doesn't bloat these 13 tracks with many guest rappers, and he strikes a nice balance with the tracks' producers. On "Through The Light," Da Ricanstrukta (of local rap group Lucha Libre) paces his vocal and brass samples around the warm crackle of old vinyl as Starr says: "I need a raise like a rapper need a gimmick / All I really need's a beat and I can flip it like a gymnast." Though Starr mostly comes off unapologetically brash, he finds a measured path through Pain 1's mix of acoustic guitar and whistles on closing track, "Searchin'," matching the mood with lyrics about "starin' out the window at this grey road." Starr is now selling the album on CD at his shows in addition to offering it for free on Bandcamp. Download here.