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[MUSICAL THERAPY]

The Quarantunes

Here are some local artists whose songs, videos and records are helping us get by

Written by YMANI WINCE

What are you most looking forward to doing after this is all over?

It’s a loaded question. Many of us are struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel, as well as coming to terms with the very real fact that a new normal is upon us.

I think about going to my favorite bars and clubs. I want to have small plates and tacos with my friends. I wanna walk with my grandparents through their backyard garden. I’d love to give my parents a hug. My wants and feelings are small in comparison to the sacrifices essential worNers are making every day. And for that, I am beyond grateful.

I remember being a super angsty teen. I’m talking completely losing my shit listening to Coldplay songs, and “identifying heavy” with Deathcab For Cutie. Sometimes I look back on my teen years with disbelief of how weird I was. And yet, I remember exactly where I was in my life when those older songs play in bars, the mall and on random shuɛe on my phone.

Over the past seven or so weeks, I’ve relied heavily on music to get me through. Since last November, I’ve been writing about local music. It’s an opportunity that’s given me the freedom to write about artists St. Louis might have otherwise never known about. The local hip hop and indie music scene has tremendous talent. It’s been a privilege to witness what feels like a sort of renaissance of art happening over the last several years. St. Louis creatives have been living in a bubbling cauldron that is ready to boil over.

e Show Me Cypher recording a track during simpler times. | CURRY STREET STUDIOS

Then COVID-19 came.

When bars and music venues were forced to close their doors, the upcoming local concerts went with them. For so many up and coming artists in this city, the opportunity to perform at many of these venues were guaranteed ways to get audiences interested in their music. When that opportunity was taken away, St. Louis artists continued to rise to the challenge.

And so I continue to be inspired by the sounds coming out of these neighborhoods. Musicians are hosting live streams on social media, they’re still putting out the projects they’ve spent months working on, they’re premiering music videos. They are even performing on rooftops for their neighbors. Through it all, my own quarantine playlist has been a lineup of local artists; some I’ve written about, some I haven’t. From the perspective of a local music writer, here’s what’s on my quarantine playlist.

TRACKS

Pinkcaravan! — “Hot Sauce”

Ever so creative with her wordplay, “Hot Sauce” is the latest single from rapper pinkcaravan!. It’s a catchy and bouncy song that raves about, you guessed it, hot sauce. The rapper has a history of uniquely describing food in her music, laid on top of tick-tocky Candy Land-esque beats that can

NandoSTL. | RABSOPETTY

only be described as quintessentially Namesake, pinkcaravan!’s longtime producer. FAVORITE LINE: “Lunchables / Lunchables / I only got time to stack cheese / And if you talking to me crazy / you ain’t talking to me”

MBZ Live: “Stop Talkin’ to Me” (featuring J’Demul and EJ Carter)

Good hook writing is really hard to come by with local rap artists. 2ftentimes, artists find themselves just spitting over a beat with really heavy lyrics and no memorable hook. Truly not the case here. MBZ Live on the hook and the first verse is e[citing. +is cadence and voice control are unique, and “Stop Talkin’ to Me” is the type of song one would expect to hear in heavy rotation on the radio. Coupled with J’Demul on the second verse and EJ Carter to round out the song, it’s a track everyone should hear. FAVORITE LINE: “Pockets ain’t fat ‘cuz I got it on a credit card / And it swipe real well”

Anwar: “On Baby”

7he first time , heard “2n %aEy,ȋ , was shook. ,t’s a tracN Ey the artist Anwar and has quicNly Eecome the first thing , play in my car on the way to Euy essential items. ,f the *rim Reaper was a rapper, his voice would sound liNe Anwar’s in this song. 7he tracN has no traditional structure. ,t Must starts, reading liNe one long Ereath with repetition at the end. ,t’s the perfect song that illustrates it’s not what Anwar’s saying, it’s how he’s saying it. Produced Ey /ove%aNer. FAVORITE LINE: “, stay in the hood  7hey’ll roE you for your goods  Most houses here are vacant  %ut they still sell quality drugs  *oddamn oh hell  7hat shit ama]ed me  <eah this gon’ slap  , put that on EaEyȋ

NandoSTL: “What a Day”

A soulful rapper whose sound is influenced Ey multiple genres, 1andoS7/ is an artist whose rise to fame is certain. 2ff his recent EP Bamboo, which he released the first weeN into quarantine in March, “:hat a 'ayȋ is nothing short of sonically stunning. ,t’s a song that features 1ando rapping over his live Eand, playing with vocal styles, tempo and cadence. 7he tracN is heavily influenced Ey 1ando’s struggles in life with lacN of trust in family, in past love and in life’s ups and downs. Perfect for this time of social distancing and reflection. FAVORITE LINE: “7rusted in my daddy and he let me down  :hat a day  7hat side of my family can’t even come around  ’Cu] of things they say  Plus it really hurt me when my EaEy momma cheated  *uess everything , was wasn’t everything you needed  , got scars on my heart from that  :hat a dayȋ

EP RELEASES

Orlando Vaughn: No Rush

:ith a title fitting of the times, musician and producer 2rlando 9aughn Elesses listeners with his latest EP, No Rush. )or five tracNs, 9aughn mi[es chill, groovy instrumentals with se[y, soothing interludes. ,t is sonically pleasing, what could Ee descriEed as the soundtracN to finishing up house chores. :ith a sampling of vocals, 9aughn does not disappoint. STANDOUT TRACK: “My /ighterȋ

Zado: Stuck in Tha House

Ever the clever wordsmith, =ado’s aptly named EP Stuck in Tha House is an appeti]er of a Eody of worN for listeners eager to have fresh content in quarantine. ,t’s got three tracNs that showcase the rapper’s styli]ed mumElings he’s cultivated as a signature sound. ,ts e[plosive Eeats with matching punchlines maNes =ado a rapper that audiences can always e[pect something unique from. STANDOUT TRACK: “Penn 7ellerȋ featuring -+op

TO WATCH

Nikee Turbo: “Slap”

1iNee 7urEo is EacN with a super creative music video for his latest song, “Slap.ȋ ,t’s a fun watch that showcases 7urEo in a variety of situations, including clad in a Storm 7rooper suit, handpainted Ey prolific artist %rocN Seals, along with quirNy scenes. 7he tracN is e[plosive, e[ecuted in a way only 1iNee 7urEo can.

Various Artists: “#SHOWMECYPHER”

2nce heralded as the premier rap cypher in the city, 7he Show Me Cypher is EacN. 7his time, it features a younger crop of some of the city’s most e[citing names, including Myrion 7wos, .9the:riter, %ig 1eph, /ou7riEe -igg and -+op. ,t’s a stunning tenminute looN, as the rappers showcase their varying styles in a mashup that’s equally Eeautiful to watch as it is to hear. Creator and awardwinning filmmaNer -on Ale[ander enlists the creative prowess of videographers Ale[ 'on and 'rew %rown for a proMect that had all social media awaiting its release.

Tre G: “Take Off”

Singersongwriter and theatre performer 7re * recently released the visual to his tracN “7aNe 2ffȋ from his  proMect As I Am. The song itself is a touching Eallad, and the video matches its viEe perfectly. As we’re all at home thinNing aEout life and what the future holds, 7re *’s somEer yet uplifting piece is Must what everyone needs. )or this, the artist tapped fellow singersongwriter 'rea 9ocal] for her directing sNills, while /ou7- riEe -igg shot and edited with a touch only someone invested in the piece could wield. n