TSM Artist #HotList: August 4th, 2020

Welcome to TSM Artist #HotList Episode 10, with your host Alexia Johnson! This week features new music from Danny Kalima & the Raw Rhythm Section, Rockstead, Sista Argie and Desert Shade.

Featured songs:

“London Bridge”

Danny Kalima is a Malawian musician and accomplished vocalist, who recently partnered with the renowned Raw Rhythm Section to produce the latest track, “London Bridge”. Kalima is most known for his appearance on The Voice Holland in 2016; he has since gone on to win several international awards. The Raw Rhythm Section is a collective of renowned musicians from all over the world. “London Bridge” features a roots reggae sound, with a dash of RnB. “London Bridge” was released on July 23rd of this year and is available on all digital outlets.

Link: Facebook

“Distractions”

Hailing from Cincinnati, four-piece reggae rock band Rockstead have been together since 2013. The band is known for their ability to mix reggae, rock, hip hop and alternative flawlessly into their performance and sound. Throughout the last seven years, the band has managed to make quite a name for themselves in the mid-eastern United States with their hip sound and socially-conscious lyrics. Rockstead’s new single “Distractions”, featuring James Begin (of Tropidelic), more than measures up to their past releases, centering around the daily distractions that we face and how they keep us from reaching our highest potentials. Whether it be the media we consume, divisive propaganda we may be exposed to or the general day-to-day struggle, we are constantly kept from focusing on our dreams. The song also touches on the frustrations that many people around the world — especially in the United States — have with their governments.

Link: Facebook | Instagram | Website

“Heavy Rain”

Sister Argie is a reggae artist from Germany and the song “Heavy Rain” is actually the pairing of her and her friend, Hene Marheineke. Sista Argie worked with him on the recording as she wrote the lyrics to the song. She enjoyed its tone as it touched on 1980s reggae dancehall and rub-a-dub. This is the fourth track off of her new EP, which was released in April of this year. The album was intended to come out in April, yet due to the world’s circumstances, it was inevitably pushed back to this upcoming September 20th for its official digital release. Sista Argie is releasing a limited edition vinyl and CD of 50 copies on September 1st, which is available for pre-order now. The song starts out with sounds of rain and lead guitar before it drops its lyrics. The song dives into how the world can be so hard and how we sometimes wish that we could look at it through the eyes of a child. Sista Argie’s daughter helped shape the lyrics by a poignant and innocent question: “Why are things so complicated when you’re a grownup?” And, dare I say, we all wonder the same. The song has a general positive tone about staying the course despite our own obstacles. Once you learn one thing, it’s time for another lesson.

Link: Facebook

“Crazy Talk”

Crazy Talk is the first single of the band Desert Shade’s debut EP, which will be available for pre-order later this month. The band can be described as classic rock n’ roll or heavy alternative… kind of if the band Cake mixed with elements of the bands Black Berry Smoke and Bad Company. They have almost a southern sound to them, with a grit of the city. The new song is about how someone we are involved with can drag us along with their words and the craziness, and how that can make us feel inside. “Crazy Talk” touches on the concept of getting older and trying to keep grounded in an unglued relationship. We have all been there, right? The song is almost a challenge to the ones in our lives driving us mad. The guitar solo in the song, paired with a heavy drum and bass breakdown, definitely emulates the feeling of that frustration.

Link: Facebook

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