Folk Hip Hop Archives

New Plague Radio went baroque with their folky hip hop hit, Devil Come, Devil Go

Posted on 15 January 2022

Fusion and hybrid sounds are pretty much the standard for new artists in 2022, but in a sonic shift that no one anticipated, bluegrass folk meets hip hop in New Plague Radio’s latest single, Devil Come, Devil Go.

With AJJ-style folk paired with the hypnotic structure of the rapid-fire deadpan rapped vocals, the experimental US outfit well and truly went baroque. Especially with the harmonic crooned deliverances of lyrics such as “a little dizzy all the time” (it’s not just me!!!).

After hearing their hook-filled Beastie Boys-inspired 2020 track, Methamphetamine Dance, in 2020, we were stoked to discover an artist so bold in their experimentalism. Methamphetamine Dance was the ultimate high-octane 90s-rock-tinged urban earworm, but Devil Come, Devil Go definitively proves that New Plague Radio doesn’t have authenticity at their disposal; artful gravitas is also in their arsenal. We couldn’t be more excited by the potential of New Plague Radio.

The official video for Devil Come, Devil Go is now available to stream on YouTube. Or, you can add the track to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

George Flyer – Paranoia: A Deeply Narrative Trap Lullaby

Posted on 17 November 2019

After a six month stint between releases, Trap artist George Flyer is ready to drop their most immersive track yet. “Paranoia” perfectly captures the anxiety seems to be becoming increasingly more prevalent in our society as we all struggle to find meaning in an order-less world.

The track follows the narrative of a man directionless and only informed by their problems while trying to live in spite of their pain. Plenty of us would be lying if we said that’s an emotion which we’ve never experienced. George Flyer’s vocals are impossibly easy to listen to, there’s a vulnerability to their verses instead of abrasive aggression which makes it all too easy to make a connection to their lyrics.

If anyone can restore the reputation of Trap as an aggressive genre, it’s George Flyer. The Alt Trap track weaves in endearingly melodic elements of Folk to give Paranoia a playful friendly tonality which has plenty in common with the orchestral electronic folk created by Cosmo Sheldrake.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out Paranoia for yourselves. In the meantime, head on over to SoundCloud to listen to their earlier releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast