We recently had the chance to review to the debut mixtape of Lank Dizzim of The Prolegend Movement.  The Jacksonville rapper made himself available to us for an interview to let us get inside the thought process of his new record.  This is a man determined for success.  Enjoy the interview below:

1. How did you come up with the name LANK DIZZIM?

LANK DIZZIM is a two part name. LANK is the nick name I called growing up and its short for Langston my government name. My friends would eventually call me Lank Dogg, the Dogg made famous by Snoop Dogg at the time. Dogg eventually morphed into DIZZIM and the rest is history

2. Tell us about your Best show ever?

My best show ever was as a member of The Prolegend Movement, where we did a Televised 10 song set at a local entertainment complex in Jax, FL called Latitude 30, A local station CW17 put the venue together and we we on TV here locally. We got to connect with the audience in a way we had never before. It was definitely one of our most intimate and intricate shows to date.

3. After some success with The Prolegend Movement what is the goal with your solo work?

To get national recognition and eventually global exposure of my project which will lead to several other ventures in multimedia, record, production and endorsement deals. I want to build the LANK DIZZIM brand and further build THE PROLEGEND MOVEMENT to mogul status in the music industry.

4. We know you promote well, what is the most effective way to get new fans to your shows?

Personally, I like to get out and meet people, when people see you, talk to you, and get a feel for you, they know you are genuine; they respond and want to be a part of your movement. I like to personally invite fans out.

5. Your latest record Hustlemania is available for free download at Soundcloud and Datpiff. Do you feel getting your music out there is more important than making money with it?

Yes because I have to let the people know about the project before the money will start coming in. I know the money is there, but I can’t skip certain steps because the money will be short lived if I do. Promotions are my focus for now.

6. How do you use the social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Soundcloud, etc.?

I try to engage as many audiences as I can on all of these websites, whether posting music and videos, to inspiring quotes, myself and The Prolegend Movement are constantly working to build the LANK DIZZIM brand. We don’t stop. This is a full time grind. i.e #HUSTLEMANIA!

7. What are your plans for the future?

For the rest of 2013 myself and The Prolegend Movement will continue to promote HUSTLEMANIA. Later this fall, other members of our camp will release music projects and I will release another project in 2014. In the meantime, HUSTLEMANIA is the baby wolf that were nursing to be a beast. Everyday its growing bigger and stronger. ITS HUSTLEMANIA BABY!!!

To get involved in the movement check out: http://prolegendplanet.wordpress.com/

For a relaxing Sunday evening I like to dive into softer music that I don’t listen to that often.  Today that led me to some country music out of Nashville.  The discovery was Stewart Eastham.

Stewart Eastham was born and raised in Butte County in rural Northern California where he developed his style.  After spending many years performing with bands in Los Angeles and never finding the right match, Stewart relocated to Nashville, TN to further pursue his own original music.  Stewart was the lead singer & songwriter for successful Nashville band Day Of The Outlaw. He is now open to doing it on his own and has just wrapped up his first full length solo album The Man I Once Was to be released Spring 2013.  The first single is ‘Across The Sea’ that has been released with an impressively produced music video.  Enjoy it below:

Feel free to find Stewart Eastham online at www.facebook.com/StewartEastham

When music is a big part of a child’s life it is almost automatic that he will pursue musical dreams in his later years.  Those early influences provide the base and the spark needed.  The love of music now ingrained, it is only a matter of time before a successful career is in reach.  A good example is the rising star LankDizzim.

The Florida native grew up in Jacksonville’s Ribault Manor.  It wasn’t an easy childhood but with supportive parents and 3 close brothers the love of music was always there.  LankDizzim was drawn to the Hip Hop scene early following older brother Laf’s footsteps.  One story he tells is of entering a “Say NO To Drugs’ rap contest with his brother at the age of seven.  When the curtain opened LankDizzim forgot most of the rhymes his mother had written for him.  The pair still managed to place third in the contest and he was hooked.  Later the duo paired again with 2 other talented artists to form the Prolegend Movement rap group.  They recorded together for the next decade garnering much local success.

Always looking to grow as an artist LankDizzim has recently released his debut mixtape, Hustlemania.  The 24 track record shows off his diverse skills and his ability to rhyme all over the map.  The opening track ‘Port Of Duval’ is a choppy anthem for his hometown.  The jumpy feel of the track gives the listener something else to focus on with each listen.  The old school flow of ‘Cypher Session’ lets the lyrics stand out above the rest.  There is barely room for a breath between the bomb dropping raps.  The focus is on the impressive production on the track ‘GoodGreen’.  The sounds throughout this track sound as if they were formed far from this world.  The melody keeps the song buzzing in your head for a while.  The album also features some great cruising sounds like ‘Grade A’.  The head bopping beat is perfect for riding the streets in the Chevy Impala that LankDizzim often references.

When you are ready for over an hour of body moving hip hop flow, go take a listen to Hustlemania at: https://soundcloud.com/lankdizzim/sets/l

There is something perfect about a band that keeps it simple and aims to bring back straight up classic rock.  That kind of music can appeal to everyone from the old timer to the new kid searching for great rock songs.  Unfortunately there are not enough bands doing this today but we found one that we would love to introduce you to.  Say hello to Handsome Karnivore.

The New Jersey based rock trio claims classic influences such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, and more modern stars like HIM and Imogen Heap.  Handsome Karnivore consists of guitarist Franco Zizza, drummer Raymond Velez, and bassist Tiago Valerio.  They have all been around the rock scene for a while in local favorites such as The Last Romantics and Snakeheart.  They are ready to go at it full force now and are devoting every available hour to writing memorable songs.

Coming soon will be Characteristics of Instrumental Silence, the band’s debut album scheduled for release this summer.  Indie Band Guru was able to get an advance listen to a few tracks and Handsome Karnivore seems to be on the right path.  The first song ‘Breakaway’ is a high energy guitar driven metal fest.  The powerful drumming and guitar tinkering add a lot to the head banging feel.  ‘Distorted Enchantment’ begins with a slowed down tempo but has flashes of excitement thrown down by some excellent musicianship and instrumental skill.  The last song temporary change has a great mix of that old classic rock feel with progressive riffs that make it stand out as something completely original.

Keep an eye out for the record this summer and keep up with Handsome Karnivore at: www.facebook.com/HandsomeKarnivore

One area of the world where I know very little about the music scene is Eastern Europe.  They had been closed off from the rest of the world for a very long time but now all the barriers are down and the music is starting to make itself known all over the world.  I did some searching and came across something exciting in Slow Earth.

The band formed back in 2009 in a cold industrial city in Eastern Europe.  This influence is heard in their deep and slightly dark sound.  Slow Earth is a fiercely independent band that refuses to write commercial music and instead creates music that feels right to them.   This has been gaining them a strong following at home and now they have plans for a full European tour beginning in June.

Next week Slow Earth will release their debut EP Latitude And 023.  This 4-track record was taken very seriously as the band recorded a top studio in Central Europe utilizing top engineers from the US and Dan Leffler, of U2 and Muse fame, for the final mix and post production.  Visuals seem to be another important aspect, as Slow Earth used the talents of legend Storm Thorgerson for the artwork.  The first song released was the somber ‘Identity’.  The minimalistic piano chords and atmospheric background brought comparisons to Sigor Ros to my head.  Unlike Sigor Ros the lyrics here are in English and have deeper meaning.  We were able to get an advance listen to some more of the album in anticipation of its release.  The next track is the faster piano pop ‘Self Formed’.  This song builds to a cascade of interesting sound all meshing together at the climax of the chorus.  ‘My Pride’ has a more alternative rock feel with its echoing guitars and powerful drum beat.  The vocals grab the listeners attention as well by changing volume and waking you up at times.  The last track ‘Change Nothing’ combines the classic alt-rock sound with the post-modern lo fi feel of today’s underground music.  This one really got me as It bounced all over the sonic map from punk to shoegaze.  This is a song that will mix very well with my current iPod playlist.  We are happy to have discovered them early and think it is only a matter of time and exposure before Slow Earth becomes a major player in the European music industry.

Get a feel for the band at http://www.slowearth.se

and their Facebook page www.facebook.com/slowearth.se

Great music can come from many different influences.  Sometimes it is hearing a certain band and their style that leads a musician to pursue a similar dream.  Sometimes it is other experiences outside of music that lead to the creation of a new style that comes from within.  One artist that draws from inspiration outside of the normal realm is Anodine.

The German band is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Patrick Heyer, who began experimenting with writing and producing music while in his teen years.  He seems to be correct in declaring himself a rebel nonconformist.  His muse comes to him in lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences, occult literature, and controversial conceptions of reality.  His music is not meant for the masses but there is a large underground following ready to eat up his innovative style.  Anodine’s genre could be described as dark trip rock with a goal of truly entering the listeners mind, not only his ears.  Patrick was able to find some like minds in his quest for new music in Holger Girlich on Guitar, Fabian Siepen on Bass, and Jörg Skaramage on Drums.

Back in January Anodine released their debut album Passages.  The 16 track, over 80 minute epic welcomes the listener into an alternate and much darker world with no promise of an escape.  The opening track ‘Antilight’ tries to prepare you for what you are about to hear with sonic explosions and mellow brainwashing keyboard lines.  Songs such as ‘Color Of This Place’ and ‘Dark Side Of Venus’ are more dark rock style songs in the vein of bands like Deftones and Korn.  Aggressive, yet warm in a way keeping the listener glued to his headphones.  There is much experimenting here as Anodine combines different genres together to make something original with tracks like ‘The Virus’ and the schizophrenic ‘Dark Field’.  The production values of the album are top notch and sound as professional as any big budget darkwave album out there today.  Overall this is an amazing album which I thoroughly enjoyed letting myself be immersed in.  It seems like the dark soundscape music that seems to have fallen out of favor with the bubblegum pop crowd is still alive and well underground within Passages by Anodine.  When you are ready to devote a full hour and a half to music that will make you feel deep inside your soul go give this a listen at: http://anodinemusic.bandcamp.com

Enjoy the song ‘Somewhere Sometime Somehow’ below: