Namen Namen : Namen Namen EP

Every once in a while a local band sends an album my way and I get the feeling they won’t be a local band for long. Fort Wayne has seen its share of amazing artists; Orange Opera, Vandolah, Thunderhawk, B-Sharps, and Heaven’s Gateway Drugs to name a few. Four-piece Namen Namen can now be added […]

Sankofa : BLKTCHP

Does MC Sankofa sleep? Is there any downtime for this Midwest rapper? If you check out the list of albums he’s been putting out at a record pace I’d say no. If he’s not plotting the next album with some killer production courtesy of some amazing producer friends, he’s dropping videos of him freestyling over […]

Steve Henn’s ‘Guilty Prayer’

Steve Henn is a poet living in the Midwest. He’s more than that, though. He’s a father, a teacher, a Cubs fan, and someone looking for a connection in this world. He played drums in a Guided By Voices-influenced indie rock band at one point, but I don’t think Steve puts that on his business […]

NYC

Last week the wife and I cleared the family van out and hit the road for a 12-hour trek to New York City from our Midwest abode. This wasn’t really a pleasure trip, as we were going out to load up our oldest and her belongings and move her back to Indiana after a successful […]

Flyover Sounds : Sankofa & Chef Mike’s 313260

I’ve been following Midwest rapper Sankofa for a few years now. I can remember hearing his praises by local music writers well over a decade ago, but hadn’t really locked into the world of hip hop just yet. Not that I’m an expert now(far from it), but I know what I like when I hear […]

Complex Distractions Presents ‘Flyover Sounds’

I’ve been writing about music for almost nine years now. I started this site in December of 2011. Within these nine years I’ve spent an ample amount of time talking about “local” bands. Bands and artists that while may not live in my zip code, I could easily meet them for coffee or a beer […]

Joyhouse Premiere’s “Truman” Video; There Will Be Blood

Midwestern three-piece Joyhouse were just about done recording their debut EP back in March when the world shut down. Recording vocals a week before the state of Indiana went on lockdown, the band which consists of Chris Kelsey(vocals, guitar), Ian Skeans(vocals, guitar) and Kiah Gerig(drums), thought they were a mere few weeks away from debuting […]

Shelter From The Storm

It does’t matter how many times you go through it, a tornado is always a scary situation. Last night was no exception. Throughout the day I kept reading about a storm heading our way, from as far away as Iowa(or Idaho, I get them mixed up.) Rain, hail, thunder, lightning, and damaging winds were all […]

Sankofa : Weird Summer

Stephen Eric Bryden, aka Sankofa, is the premier Midwest wordsmith. A guy whose vernacular is that of an Encyclopedia Britannica, and his rhymes are always in-the-moment and of the utmost urgency. He’s a thoughtful lyricist, whether he’s rapping about our failing political system(“Joe Harvey X #doubledownondumb”), social unrest(“Killer Mike For President”), or the best damn […]

John Prine 1946-2020

I have never been a fan of country music. I’m just not wired for it. Much like how some people aren’t wired for jazz, David Lynch, or TLC shows. And even though I may not be down with outlaw country or Little People, Big World, I do appreciate a great songwriter. Guys like Kris Kristofferson, […]