[¡!¡BABY PHATTS!¡!]
*J. PHATTS IS HAVING A LIL BABY PHATTS THIS YEAR! Him and Mrs. Phatts have been busy rigorously preparing for this new little bundle of joy, including overhauling their lives and living an all around healthier lifestyle! Please join me in congratulating them both on expecting in mid-year and making changes to strengthen their lives in order to build what is sure to be an ever-so-solid future together! We love you guys!
[Other noteworthy local acts and artists]
*Kelsea Rae Little: The voice & skills on the harp of an angel, with the passion of a firebird! I love this girl dearly, and she is incredibly gifted as an all around entertainer. She's about as genuine as it gets... and I'm almost sure I saw wings tucked up under her sweater when she played Tam's last week.
http://www.reverbnation.com/kelsealittle
*The aformentioned F.U.Z.Z. and Mimi Zulu: We've recently formed a 12 person super-group featuring them dubbed "The Bassmint Collective"... 'Nuff said...
http://www.facebook.com/mimizuluband?fref=ts
*DJ Blackbelt Jones: He's known to rock a dancefloor 'til the early morn... and with oh-so-funky freshness. Mixin' up everything from classic funk and soul to dopest in hip-hop - he's sure to get you movin' one way or another! He's recently rejoined our ranks to spin our sets live and arrived on the scene with fierce tenacity, wasting no time in gettin' heads bobbin' again pre and post-set!
*Viva Apollo: I haven't heard much from this up and coming local alternative rock band, but their lead singer allegedly has an amazing voice, quite the set of moves on the dancefloor, (and she's gorgeous to boot!) Expect to see a lot more from them in the coming months!
http://www.facebook.com/VivaApollo?fref=ts
*The Tom and Gina Trio: Gina Tang is an intensely powerful, and uplifting force to be reckoned with! She wears many hats as a vocalist/spoken-word poet/community activist & hero/and all around SWEETHEART! With "The Soular Power System" she reaches out across SD (and the globe) to inspire and touch the hearts and minds of children and adults alike! Couple that with Tom Camillo's hypnotizing, eccentric and versatile loop setup played out on both guitar and bass and you've got one heaven of a performance...
http://www.facebook.com/soularpowersystem?fref=ts
http://www.reverbnation.com/tomcamillolivelooping
*Justin Fox: Incredible painter, and live artist... actually... incredible is an understatement. He invited us to perform at his opening art reception and his s*it is mind-blowing... just check his stuff out.
http://foxjustin.blogspot.com/
You're welcome in advance ya'll!
(I THINK you can find also find most of them on Facebook!)
Well, that's it ya'll... After a 3 hours, and a retyping of half of this so that reverb would accept it - I think I'm going back to sleep! Thanks for checking in, and stay tuned for more upcoming news regarding the start of several solo/side-projects, us adding a loop pedal to our organic/live setup, new videos, video shoots, pix, photo shoots and our submission to play San Diego's INDIEFEST!!! If you have any inquiries or wish to address any of this, feel free to leave a question on the front page here! We don't bite... hard! ;) Peace, be well, and mad 3!
Stay classy San Diego!
~ß²
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The Brothers Burns & J.Phatts / Blog
Twenty-thirteen - The year we firmly grabbed the bull by the horns (Pt. 1)
Yea... it's kinda been like that! Things have been blossoming like CRAZY over here with ALL of us! There is SOOOOOOOOOOO much that needs to be caught up on as there hasn't been an entry up here in a LONG WHILE! It's going to be a multi-parter so make sure to check the next 3 blog entries as well! Sorry for the delay, but it's all news worth waiting for ESPECIALLY if you haven't heard a lot of it... so without further ado: I'll just start touching on random relevant subjects!
[The new album & small show update]
*Our upcoming debut trio album titled "Nearly Extinct: The Tale of the Emcee" is still slated to be released VERY SOON, but we've been caught up at the studio with some unforeseen circumstances, so it's going to be a while longer before we're able to get that to your ear-holes! Trust me... the wait is going to be WELL worth it! (We can't put out an inferior product right?!) On a more positive note: We've been generating QUITE a buzz strictly with Organic material, Burns One's solo album material (Get it here: donate or cop it for FREE! www.thebrothersburnsjphatts.bandcamp.com), and the few singles from the new album that we perform live with Soul Ablaze (Emcee, Cali Sunshine, and Welcome Back) and our returning brother from another mother DJ Blackbelt Jones! If everyone's diggin' all THIS stuff as much as is evident: you're going to want to stay tuned as you're gonna LOOOOOOOOVE this new album. Just trust me when I say it's going to be worth it, and we're STILL plannin' on doin' all the crazy party bus shenanigans - so STAY DIALED IN! We've been making a LOT of noise around SD! So be sure to stay up to date on Facebook and this page to see when we're playin' around town! We had like 6 shows we either guest appeared or rocked a set at this last month, so there are going to be PLENTY of opportunities!
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Twenty-thirteen - The year we firmly grabbed the bull by the horns (Pt. 2)
[Soul Food Sessions Vol. 1-3]
On to the next tidbit - we've been staging quite the handful of amazingly talented showcases these last few months as the Soul Food Sessions at Tam's Thai Food have grown increasingly more and more popular! If you don't know about Mama Tam: she makes the MOST amazing Thai and Laotian cuisine in Normal Heights! Her prices are relatively cheap, and she'll feed you with only a few dollars in your pocket if that be the case. Now, before I get off-track (which is easy for me), we had a jam session at Tam's a while back with fellow SD bands Soul Ablaze and F.U.Z.Z. and THAT evolved into these Soul Foods Sessions open mics that we host on the LAST Thursday of every month! Versatility is the name of the game, and it's all about being all inclusive and less exclusive! These events are designed to bring the local music community closer to each other and closer to our local fans, while providing an open platform for independent lesser-known artists of any medium to display their talents on a hot mic! The events are ALL AGES, COMPLETELY free to attend (though you're likely not going to be able to resist purchasing some of Mama Tam's unbelievable food!), and boatloads of fun! The latest installment this last week was by far the best yet, and at this rate they'll undoubtedly grow to be one of Normal Heights' premier open mics! Do yourself a favor and DO NOT miss out on them!
[Mimi Zulu's Release Party]
*We've been graciously invited to grace the stage at Mimi Zulu's solo album release party later this month! Allow me to inform you if you're not in the know - but Mimi and her husband Elkin (commonly known as F.U.Z.Z. in the local music scene) are a fabulously talented and dinamite duo with an eclectic freshness like no other! With her smooth and smokey delivery and flow (think Macy Gray meets Erykah Badu) and his funky/melodic riffs on guitar and bass (not to mention precussion hand-drums), laid over funky/soulful/ambient/hip-hopp-ish grooves: they are sure to tantalize your auditory sense! That being said... this is Mimi's SOLO album release party and said event will be taking place on February the 23rd at the Kava Lounge down on Kettner Blvd. There's plenty of time to plan ahead for it, and this one's gonna be a doozey ya'll... so let's make sure we give Mimi a reception that will be heard for miles around!
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Twenty-thirteen - The year we firmly grabbed the bull by the horns (Pt. 3)
[Upcoming San Marcos show and possible Stone Brewery tour]
*Speaking of party buses, (or a big blue party coaster departing from downtown) - We've been invited to do a show out in San Marcos in March! When originally offered the opportunity, we were a bit apprehensive as to how we could work this out with the distance being so far, and still be able to responsibly enjoy ourselves with our local demographic being mostly from central SD... THEN I GOT TO THINKIN'! How could we get a HUGE group of people out to this venue and make it TOTALLY worth the trip?! Now, I don't know if very many of you are aware of this - but San Diego possesses some of THE MOST amazing craft and microbreweries in the WORLD, one of those being San Marcos' own STONE BREWERY! If you haven't experienced their beer you've either lost your pulse, lost your ID, lost your mind, or your ability to consume alcohol - because this stuff is LEGEN-... ... ... wait for it... ... ... ... ... ... -DARY! Let that stew in your noggin' for a sec... YEA, a trip to the STONE BREWERY, then an evening of tearin' it up with your friendly neighborhood hip-hop heads! How AWESOME would that be?! Yea, I KNOW RIGHT?! Sooooooo we're trying to engineer that lil scenario! The catch is we're also pushing to get them to let us bring more musicians and artists with us so we can REALLY do our thing! Now tell me, as our incredibly amazing, adoring and immensely appreciated fans: would you guys TRULY be interested if we coordinated somethin' like that? The more feedback we get, the more likely an event of this caliber is to occur! Who knows... maybe we could even get Stone in on it! ;)
[Whole Planet Fundraiser]
*Whole Foods Market is set to host it's fifth annual Whole Planet Fundraiser following a handful of days after the release party we're playing! This soiree goes to support the establishment of micro-lending agencies throughout the world, particularly designed for women in lesser fortunate countries. These agencies are designed so that these women have access to low-interest funds in order to build their local independent small businesses, all of this as a means to aide in lifting their families and communities out of poverty! "For those of you that don't knowwwwww..." {Whoop (x2) to all my los and lettes lol} We played last years not-so-little gala and managed to pack North Park's Cafe Calabria wall-to-wall and floor-to ceiling! (If you don't believe me ask the band or watch the Cali Sunshine video on this page! HAHA!) Along with several generously donated gift baskets, sundries, libations, foodstuffs and specialty items - several local San Diego acts proceeded to rock the house and help rake in somethin' like $7.1k in just under THREE hours! That money went on to help as many as one-hundred and nine small loans of $65, or almost thirty loans of $250 or more WORLDWIDE! (With an approximate 90% repay rate which gets reinvested into the program for OTHER women to use!) This event was the HIGHEST GROSSING Whole Planet Fundraiser in the company! The Hillcrest location gained REGIONAL recognition for this and are the hallmark store for these events! With all the notoriety we've gained in the last year with our music group: we could EASILY double that this year! Let's shoot beyond the stars and prepare to party it up for a good cause this month ya'll! This is all slated to go down in the end of March (around the 26th), but follow up on Facebook or this site to get all the info you'll need!
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Twenty-thirteen - The year we firmly grabbed the bull by the horns (Pt. 4)
[¡!¡BABY PHATTS!¡!]
*J. PHATTS IS HAVING A LIL BABY PHATTS THIS YEAR! Him and Mrs. Phatts have been busy rigorously preparing for this new little bundle of joy, including overhauling their lives and living an all around healthier lifestyle! Please join me in congratulating them both on expecting in mid-year and making changes to strengthen their lives in order to build what is sure to be an ever-so-solid future together! We love you guys!
[Other noteworthy local acts and artists]
*Kelsea Rae Little: The voice & skills on the harp of an angel, with the passion of a firebird! I love this girl dearly, and she is incredibly gifted as an all around entertainer. She's about as genuine as it gets... and I'm almost sure I saw wings tucked up under her sweater when she played Tam's last week.
http://www.reverbnation.com/kelsealittle
*The aformentioned F.U.Z.Z. and Mimi Zulu: We've recently formed a 12 person super-group featuring them dubbed "The Bassmint Collective"... 'Nuff said...
http://www.facebook.com/mimizuluband?fref=ts
*DJ Blackbelt Jones: He's known to rock a dancefloor 'til the early morn... and with oh-so-funky freshness. Mixin' up everything from classic funk and soul to dopest in hip-hop - he's sure to get you movin' one way or another! He's recently rejoined our ranks to spin our sets live and arrived on the scene with fierce tenacity, wasting no time in gettin' heads bobbin' again pre and post-set!
*Viva Apollo: I haven't heard much from this up and coming local alternative rock band, but their lead singer allegedly has an amazing voice, quite the set of moves on the dancefloor, (and she's gorgeous to boot!) Expect to see a lot more from them in the coming months!
http://www.facebook.com/VivaApollo?fref=ts
*The Tom and Gina Trio: Gina Tang is an intensely powerful, and uplifting force to be reckoned with! She wears many hats as a vocalist/spoken-word poet/community activist & hero/and all around SWEETHEART! With "The Soular Power System" she reaches out across SD (and the globe) to inspire and touch the hearts and minds of children and adults alike! Couple that with Tom Camillo's hypnotizing, eccentric and versatile loop setup played out on both guitar and bass and you've got one heaven of a performance...
http://www.facebook.com/soularpowersystem?fref=ts
http://www.reverbnation.com/tomcamillolivelooping
*Justin Fox: Incredible painter, and live artist... actually... incredible is an understatement. He invited us to perform at his opening art reception and his s*it is mind-blowing... just check his stuff out.
http://foxjustin.blogspot.com/
You're welcome in advance ya'll!
(I THINK you can find also find most of them on Facebook!)
Well, that's it ya'll... After a 3 hours, and a retyping of half of this so that reverb would accept it - I think I'm going back to sleep! Thanks for checking in, and stay tuned for more upcoming news regarding the start of several solo/side-projects, us adding a loop pedal to our organic/live setup, new videos, video shoots, pix, photo shoots and our submission to play San Diego's INDIEFEST!!! If you have any inquiries or wish to address any of this, feel free to leave a question on the front page here! We don't bite... hard! ;) Peace, be well, and mad 3!
Stay classy San Diego!
~ß²
Reply
News and Updates (6/4)
"Crusin' down the street in my 6-4..."
Yup... ... ... I went there...
It's June 4th ya'll and your boys have been busy! In the recent handful of weeks we've been steamrollin' our way around SD, lightin' up local bars and stages with Soul Ablaze! More noteably: We played 3 INCREDIBLE shows pretty much back to back last week and rocked the hell out of all of 'em. Each had it's own particular element of charm...
The first was a house party in this awesome gazebo (5/26) in which we were invited to perform for a friend's birthday celebration. Upon the initial request, the group agreed collectively (B.B.J.P. and Soul Ablaze.) We proceeded to immerse ourselves in a diverse crowd of complete strangers, only to win their hearts by the end of the evening with a smooth composition of organic hip-hop, neo roots, and a freestyle fusion of said styles! Needless to say we made many a friend that evening, and walked away feeling a genuine sense of accomplishment and swelling pride.
Round 2 was at the Banana Bungalow hostel's annual celebration in PB! The event took place on their stage, which just happened to be DIRECTLY on the boardwalk! We played on a bill of somethin' like NINE bands and the evening's energy progressively grew, more and more WILD! It took the crowd a while to get warmed up to us, but once we established that we were bringin' somethin' NEW and FRESHLY INVIGORATING to the table they quickly warmed up! It's an understatement to say that a good time was had by all!
Evening #3 jumped off quickly as The Soular Power Exhibit graced The Griffin off of Morena Blvd (5/30). As we stepped INTO the building, we quickly realized we were in for more than we had originally anticipated. The spirited energy in that building on that night was somethin' like no other yet experienced at our shows. It had it's own completely different relative wavelength and a unique feeling all its own, not to mention the place was HOPPIN' and it wasn't even 9PM YET! We HAMMERED OUT an awesome set with Soul Ablaze and tore the roof off The Griffin. We knew the evening was nothing short of a success as the crowd strongly encouraged us to perform a DOUBLE-ENCORE! (I know, weird right?) Though dwindled down after a long evening, we gave the lasting crowd every ounze of creative juice we had in us that night! (giggity) All in all it was one hell of a week!
I'm not sure where this creative collective is headed, but the sky's not even a limit... We're engaging in something truly incredible and unfathomable. This is going to be nothing short of an insanely awesome adventure, and we're delighted to have you all along for the ride! Peace and be well ya'll!
Mad The album is still slated for a late summer/early fall release, and promises to deliver an eclectic, contemporary and refreshing look inside our hip-hop hive-mind!
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Current news and updates 4/7/12
What up everyone?! It's your friendly neighborhood hip-hop heads back on the scene! We've been puttin' it down around town lately, and we've got a whole lot of good stuff in store to stimulate your senses! We recently hit Capricorn Studios in Downtown San Diego to lay down the next 3 rough cuts off of our upcoming album "Nearly Extinct: The Tale of the Emcee." We're 7 for 12 in terms of having the rough tracks recorded and it is bangin'!! The progress is slow and steady, but we're bringin' the heat on this one and looking forward to fine-tuning this raw material! It sounds AWESOME so far! On a relative note: We've been diligently working with Soul Ablaze to bring producer extraordinaire J. Phatts' music to LIFE with live instruments! Front-man Verdell Smith is pushing for a lot more than just a few, so the possibilities are endless! They've learned the music for three tracks off the upcoming album, and we've already begun work on a collaborative track titled "Wake Up." In other news: Our cousin Mimetic Delirium will be joining our scene relatively soon with his smooth blend of electronica/experimental/trip-hop grooves. He's surely a more than valuable asset to our movement and the cause! There's no tellin' what will happen from here on out! The sky's the limit, and we aim to reach the farthest expanses with our creative expressions! For now, we've got a whole slew of shows coming up locally so keep your eyes peeled and ears WIDE OPEN! You don't want to miss out on all of amazing ideas that are coming to fruition within our collective. Stay tuned, and keep on supporting your local music scene ya'll!
Mad 3 ~ß²
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House of Blue Post-Wrap and upcoming shenanigans!
The show at House of Blues' Voodoo Stage was UNBELIEVABLE! So much energy flowing through that room... It was incredible! Collaborating with Soul Ablaze continues to be nothing short of an amazing learning experience, and a powerful demonstration of creative unity! We have footage from that show coming soon! Pressing forward, expect a WHOLE lot more from these two groups collectively. We're continuing to line up shows at venues all across San Diego, so come catch a sneak peak of our upcoming album "Nearly Extinct: The Tale of the Emcee." and let Soul Ablaze melt your face off with their tantalizing eargasms! They're beginning to breathe life into the music behind our rhymes with their instrumental madness! It's a different look at what we're doin' live, so come get down with us at one of the upcoming shows! As a collective we bring so much more than your average expectation of a performance, and we're reaching for new heights!!! See you up there ya'll!
~ß²
P.S. Fortify your tympanic membranes, cuz we'll be invading your external auditory meatus like never before this summer... Our freshman album attempt as a trio is no joke, and it's not even complete yet... I'm not tryin' to toot any horns, but just from what I've heard from BurnsOne and J. Phatts on a lyrical tip... Ya'll ain't even ready. Hell... I'M NOT EVEN READY... That is all... ... ...
P.P.S. Get BurnsOne's solo album from 2008 here: www.thebrothersburnsjphatts.bandcamp.com
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Rehearsal for House of Blues
After last night's meeting and rehearsal I think Spotless Studios might have to rebuild sections of their property, cuz we burned that bitch DOWN! Tuesday's show at the Local Brews Local Grooves promotion is going to be out of control. Follow, the link, get the info, and come support some of the finest in local entertainment and adult beverages! It's FREE and ALL AGES!
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Limited "White Envelope Edition" track listing for Unspoken Words!
For any of you who are curious about the track listing and got the "special edition" check this out!
Unspoken Words
1. Intro
2. The Process
3. My Story
4. To Whom
5. Skilled Emcee
6. The Beatmasta feat. J. Phatts and Fathom
7. A Toast to the West Coast feat. J. Phatts, Burns², and Fathom
8. Come 'n Get Some
9. The Anthem
10. Livin' Hip-Hop
11. Outro (Hidden Track)
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Attention friendly neighborhood hip-hop heads!
I Got Beats is our latest track from our upcoming studio release "Nearly Extinct: The Tale of the Emcee", and "A Toast to the West Coast" is a classic from BurnsOne's debut solo-album titled "Unspoken Words." Expect a lot more from us in coming months as we delve into deeper subject matter outside of snappy punch-lines and bangin' beats, and love for our hometown (though all necessary elements!) Stay tuned hip-hop heads!
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