The summer sun has definitely risen over Houston, and it certainly doesn’t feel like it will set any time soon. Fortunately, this week you have more than enough options of cool events to choose from where the atmosphere is light and the air conditioning is on overdrive. Sets from DJ Shadow, Reckless Kelly, and Matthew Sweet will all be on hand while locals like Ruiners, Talking Forever, and Days N’ Daze will all fill the spaces in-between. Houston, here’s how to spend your paycheck this week.

Wednesday you can get started at Toyota Center for the Korean hip hop of G-Dragon. Probably because I don’t listen to pop radio, I wasn’t really aware of this guy’s existence until now. However, he’s a pretty big deal based on his collabs alone with the likes of Diplo and Missy Elliot. His last release was 2024’s COUP D’ETAT, and he’s known for a crazy live show. The all-ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $65.50 and $219.

Over at Walter’s, Chicago’s High Spirits will bring their charged-straight-ahead rock sounds to life. Playing about as traditional metal-toned rock as it gets, these guys are known for a high energy live show. Their latest, Motivator, is pretty solid, and it should remind you of the band Scorpions. The metal of Chicago’s Bible Of The Devil will be on as direct support, while Houston’s The Satanic Overlords of Rock N’ Roll will bring their high energy on as openers.  The all-ages show has doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

On Thursday you can get started over at The Secret Group for the video premiere party of Pecos Hank’s new video for the track “Drive Under The Moon.” There will be other videos leading up to it as well. It should be pretty cool as he is a storm chaser, so who knows what the video is like. The Free show is all ages and has doors at 6:30 pm.

Behold The Brave, Photo: Big Hassle

The gritty indie pop of Nashville’s Behold the Brave will bring their infectious sound upstairs to White Oak Music Hall. Sounding like a more youthful version of Kings of Leon, this four-piece dropped a pretty catchy record this year called Behold The Brave that you should definitely give a listen to. Colorado-based alt rock two-piece In The Whale will bring their high energy, garage-infused sound on as direct support as openers for the all-ages show, with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $10 and $13.

Out at Joke Joint Comedy Showcase, the always funny Joe List will bring his Boston-based comedy to town.  List is a total riot. He’s been on Last Comic Standing, Conan, and The Late Show with David Letterman, and his latest album, Are You Mad At Me?, is a laugh from start to finish. As per all of these shows, two of Houston’s better comics will serve as feature act and host. The 18 & up show has doors at 7 pm and shows throughout the weekend as well, with tickets between $11 and $16.

Only Beast, Photo: Overholser Photography

Over at Satellite Bar, Austin five-piece Darkbird will bring their catchy sound to all who attend. This band defines themselves as a traditional rock band, but with the synths on their latest release, I Remember Feeling My Fingers Slip, they’re nothing if not a rock band with a catchy sound. Their singer, who has mesmerizing vocals, is alone worth making it out for. The electrifying energy of Houston’s Only Beast should captivate all as direct support, while Slow Future will go on prior. The Dream pop of Houston’s Quel Night will open the all-ages show that’s free for adults or $5 for the kids, with doors at 8 pm.

Continental Club will host the blues-heavy sounds of Danielle Nicole. You wouldn’t know it by looking at her, but she’s an award-winning blues musician that can really bring it, and her album, Wolf Den, definitely backs that honor up. The 21 & up show has doors at 9 and tickets for $10.

Reckless Kelly, Photo: New Frontier Touring

On Friday you could begin at The Redneck Country Club for the alt-country of Austin’s Reckless Kelly. Around for right at twenty years, these guys have become well known for their energetic shows and deep tracks. Their latest album, last year’s Sunset Motel, was their most focused to date. There’s no word of support or openers, but that could change on the show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $35 and $45.

Over at Revention Center, you can catch the massively popular hip hop of Logic. Geez, what happened? It seems like a couple of years ago this guy was playing small nightclubs and now he’s getting bigger and bigger by the day.  His latest, Everybody, does hold some strong rhymes, and his live show is pretty legit. Brooklyn’s Joey Bada$$ will be on as direct support, while Big Lenbo will open up the all-ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $105 and $129.

The Cave Singers, Photo: Big Hassle

Rockefeller’s will have a barn burner when Buxton returns for a show at the iconic venue. The five-piece has never really disappointed in a live setting, and while they’re starting work on a new album sooner than later, their last release, Half A Native, was one of the best albums to come off the New West roster in years. The beautiful, melodic harmonies of Seattle’s The Cave Singers will be on as direct support and openers for the all-ages show, with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.

In the ballroom at Warehouse Live, Nigerian-born Afro-Pop rapper Mr Eazi will bring his sound all the way from Ghana. Here in support of this year’s Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1-Accra To Lagos, this guy drops true jams that should get the whole room dancing. There’s no word of support or openers, but that could change on the all-ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $30 and $40.

At Dan Electro’s you could get all psych heavy when VaudeVillain swings by to perform. The Houston four-piece mixes bluesy undertones into their traditional psych sound, and they’re definitely worth checking out. Houston’s Bernie Pink will be on as direct support and opener for the 21 & up show with an $8 cover and with doors at 9 pm.

Sherita Perez, Photo: Overholser Photography

In the Foundation Room at House of Blues, you can have some fun times with the Gulf Coast indie folk of Sherita Perez and The Cosmic Cats. Possibly one of the hardest working artists in town right now, Perez will sing songs from her latest release, H-Town Love, alongside favorites old and new. The 21 & up show has a closing set from DJ Simyu. The doors are at 9 pm and it’s free.

At Continental Club the long running get down series of Fistful of Soul will take place. Dropping some of your favorite soul jams, the show has DJ sets full of feet-moving jams that are hard not to adore. The show is free, it’s 21 & up, and it gets going around 10 pm.

On Saturday you could start off at Cactus when Buenos Diaz swings by to perform songs from his new album, Buenos Diaz. Currently switching between guitarist for Alejandro Escovedo and solo artist, this guy makes music that’s catchy, almost like if Elvis Costello was born on the Gulf Coast. And with jams like “San Fransymphony,” and “Move On,” he might be your favorite Houstonian turned Austinite. The all-ages event gets going around 3 pm, there’s gratis beer for the adults, and it’s free.

Ruiners, Photo: Keith Hatch

Later on at The Secret Group, the Berkeley pop punk of Mom Jeans will swing by to play.  The popular four piece who has two new things to plug like this year’s Split with Graduating Life and last year’s best buds, has become known for a fun and energy heavy live show. Fresno’s Graduating Life will be on as direct support while the lo-fi sounds of Houston’s Cancer Kittens will go on prior. The highly energetic punk of Houston’s Ruiners will also be on hand while the emo of Houston’s Talking Forever will blow the roof off the venue by opening things up.  The all ages show has doors at 6 pm with tickets between $8 and $10.

At Walter’s the acoustic crust punk of Days N Daze will be on hand to kick off yet another tour. This band tours more than pretty much everyone else in Houston, and since they’ve travelled across Europe to high praise, you should at least check out their latest release Crustfall.  The punk of Giant Kitty will be on hand as direct support while the power violence of D.D.A. will go on beforehand.  The hardcore of Houston’s Crawler will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $7.

If you’d rather chill, then you could head to 3708 Main above Tacos a Go Go to shop for vintage wares at the Milk+Honey Vintage Grand Opening party.  Alongside carefully curated items, Rowdy Leather, Space City Mod Vintage, Lee Lewis Designs and many more will have items for sale.  There’s also gratis Topo Chico and Oasis Brewery beer on hand (more information here), with things starting around 7 pm for the Free event.

Warlung, Photo: Kevin Adoor

Satellite Bar will host the controversially named throwback desert psych metal of Portland’s Black Pussy. Here in support of this year’s Power, I’d be lying if I said that these guys weren’t impressive live. One of the strongest new bands in town, Warlung will bring their stoner metal on as direct support, and they’re a band you need to see for yourself. The doom metal of Houston’s Doomstress will get things started for the all-ages show with doors at 9 pm and a free cover for the adults, or $10 for the kids.  

Over at Numbers you can catch the dark industrial electronica of Pig. A mainstay of the Wax Trax label due to the work with KMFDM, Pig never really got that big, but instead had a devoted fanbase that never waned. Their latest release, last year’s The Gospel, is their best to date, and it should be interesting to catch in person. California’s Julien-K will be on as direct support, while the electro pop of Florida’s Ghostfeeder will open the all-ages show with doors at 9 pm and tickets between $16.50 and $20.

On Sunday you could head to House of Blues to catch the one and only DJ Shadow. Possibly one of the best — if not the best — modern era DJs to scratch a record, this guy drops the hammer when he performs. His latest release, The Mountain Will Fall, is his best in a good while, and it’s definitely worth making it out for. Mophono will bring his San Francisco hip hop on as opener for the all-ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $25.

Cymbals Eat Guitars, Photo: Eric White

Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall, the indie rock of New York’s Cymbals Eat Guitars will swing by. Since their critically acclaimed debut in 2024, these guys have remained pretty solid in their albums, and their latest, Pretty Years (2016), is as solid as it gets. Not to mention, their live shows are always worth making it out for. The indie pop of Austin’s Palo Duro will open the all-ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $10 and $13.

At The Heights Theater nineties alt rock favorite Matthew Sweet will swing by for the first time in a very long time. I’ve long maintained that Sweet is one of the most underscored artists of the nineties, with hits like “Girlfriend,” and “Sick of Myself.” In fact, his albums 100% Fun and Altered Beast are two of the best albums you’ve probably never heard. He’s back with a new album, this year’s Tomorrow Forever, that’s pretty amazing.  Maryland’s Tommy Keene will open things up for the all-ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and tickets between $22 and $34.

Astragal, Photo: Astragal

Satellite Bar will have the indie rock of Brooklyn’s Oshwa. Full of gritty guitar and some of the strongest vocals you’ll hear in a good while, there’s no wonder that critics are in love with what she does, especially on last year’s almost symphonic release I We You Me. Houston’s Two Star Symphony will bring their lushly crafted sounds on as direct support, while the energy-heavy indie rock of Astragal will get the all-ages show started. The doors are at 8 pm and the show is free for adults or $8 for minors.

At Rudyard’s the San Antonio-based garage rock of The Rich Hands will be on hand to perform. These guys make music that’s a bit like fifties doo wop mixed with garage, and their album Take Care from this year is hard not to love. San Diego’s Bad Kids will bring their surf punk on as direct support, while California’s Fake Tides will open the all-ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $8 and $10.

Sleeptalk, Photo: The Artery Foundation

On Monday the indie pop rock of LA’s Sleeptalk will bring their latest singles to life at Walter’s. Those singles, tracks like “Bright Eyes” and “Young,” to name a few, are super catchy to say the least. The alt rock pop of Houston’s Moth Wings will be on as direct support, while Dallas’ Quiet Please will open things up. The all-ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $10 and $12.

That’s about it for this week. No matter what you decide to do, remember to stay hydrated, stay dry, and that drinking like an adult is what’s best for everyone.

Chicago rockers The Kickback are fresh off the release of Weddings & Funerals, a triumphant follow up to 2024’s debut entitled Sorry All Over The Place. With their catchy hooks and memorable riffs, the group found the ingredient to keep listeners wanting more. Currently on the road, vocalist Billy Yost spoke to FPH ahead of the band’s show at Warehouse Live on July 23rd to talk about separating themselves in a competitive city, letting out the inner parrothead, and the adversity of being a tour manager.  

Free Press Houston: I’m into how the band is so diverse; you opened/will open for both Bush and Passion Pit!

Billy Yost: Yeah, I think people have a little bit of a hard time nailing [our sound] down, so we got to do that. It’s been a blessing to being held back. We’re just happy to be here.

FPH: So is it safe to assume you are the missing link between the two?

BY: You know, that’s what we’ve heard just oodles and oodles of times. People send us a lot of fan mail letting us know that we’re the missing link between Passion Pit and Bush. That will probably go on my tombstone or something, that we’re the missing link between a synthpop band from the late 2024’s and grunge rock band from the mid to late ‘90’s.

FPH: A lot of younger rock bands I’ve heard from lately happen to hail from Chicago, and other genres have similar situations, for example Atlanta is where all of the new, prominent rappers are coming from. Are you guys feeling like a Seattle right now? I mean, is there pressure on those local bands to outdo the others?

BY: I think a lot of the rock coming from Chicago right now tends to be more garage-y, and a little more kind of throwback – I mean, it’s great, but it’s not what we really do. We just played with Twin Peaks last week, those guys are awesome. Obviously the city also has the bigger bands like the Orwells, Ne-Hi, and that whole little crew. We’re not any of that, really. We’re our own thing, I guess. But it’s just music, not, like, rocket science. I think there’s so much good stuff coming out of Chicago that it’s hard to keep track of all of it, but it is definitely a good place to be for rock music right now.

FPH: Are you keeping up with these other scenes around the country, specifically Atlanta? Do you dig the sounds of mumble rap?

BY: It’s really cool to see that, despite the diversification that electronic and social media has offered, in terms of fusing all of these sounds, geographic locations are still able to have some sort of identity. I enjoy that. But the mumble rap thing is real hard for me, because we have people like Chance [the Rapper] right now. Someone is always going to overtake something, so you just have to grab the aspects you like and keep pressing on. It’s a weird time for rock music right now, and I think it’s even weirder for hip-hop, which is awesome. I’m enjoying it.

FPH: What about the select few that are fusing rap with rock? But not, like, nu metal; rather, new kids like Lil Peep, who claims to be the best emo rapper.

BY: That emo rap stuff from Soundcloud is pretty heavy. I’m not educated enough to have an opinion on him, though, for sure.

FPH: He actually sampled this emo band from Texas, Mineral, and got a cease-and-desist from them.

BY: People are finding ways to enjoy stuff that most would say have no business going together. They’re able to either find something so cool or such a trainwreck that you have to listen to it at least once. I’m all for it. It’s just such a strange time, and I guess it’s because people are willing to take chances. While cities are still able to have their own identities, there isn’t as much importance on what’s acceptable. I feel like there used to be a lot of rules, for examples bands couldn’t wear shorts on stage. It was one of the unwritten rules of bands. But that stuff just isn’t true anymore. A lot of bands take themselves too serious, and it’s cool seeing time go on and that change.

FPH: But you represent more than just Chicago – you’re leading the path for millennial parrotheads, aren’t you?

BY: Oh, I haven’t heard that one before. That’s pretty good. The only thing I have to say about Jimmy Buffett is, once for my mom’s birthday, my brothers and I – we’re all fairly musical people – formed a band to play her party. For that party we had to play a bunch of cool, old-school songs, bands like Paul Revere and the Raiders and other one hit wonders. But right in the middle of the set was “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and that was the song we had to play two times during that goddamn birthday party. You could look around to each of my brothers and see all of their soul being sucked out of them; I’ve never seen my brothers look so sad while my mom was having such a good time. So that is probably the short version of my heavy Jimmy Buffett influence.

FPH: I guess I have to thank Buffett for my love of concerts, because he was my first.

BY: Was it really? Are you scarred for life, or have you found peace? I mean, people can hate on the guy, but he’s stuck around, and he’s stuck around for a reason. But were you able to pull something from that?

FPH: You know, not really. But on YouTube there was some recommended livestream of his, which I obviously checked out. Still not for me.

BY: I don’t want to say anything, but I think your Free Press credentials might be revoked if you’re getting recommended videos of Jimmy Buffett on YouTube.

FPH: According to one of your songs, you lost your love in central Pennsylvania, but while you were there did you come across the Billy Yost that ran for mayor of the city of Shamokin?

BY: No, is there really a guy name Billy Yost that ran for mayor? Dammit! I try to live my life like there is no one else even named Billy, let alone Billy Yost. That’s kind of a drag. I don’t know the guy’s policies, so I’m not willing to endorse him at this time. I actually ran for school board while I was a senior in High School in South Dakota; I lost by approximately 70 votes, and that was a hard loss to take. So if that guy feels like reaching out, depending on how his campaign goes, I’m here for name-related counseling, if he comes in empty-handed. But I wish him the best, unless he’s running on some white nationalist ticket – obviously I couldn’t endorse the guy.

FPH: Perhaps it’s plausible that a fan of yours might show up to one of his events thinking it’s you, or vice versa?

BY: Yeah, so now I’m going to have to drum up some public relations and have a split ad, a “so you know this isn’t me,” kind of thing.

FPH: So there’s no doubt that being a newer touring band is quite difficult, but do you think tour managers have an even more difficult task? I understand that you have one of the most prestigious in the game, Howie the puppet?

BY: Yeah, I wouldn’t be a tour manager – I mean, we make absolutely no money. If I was making twice that I still wouldn’t tour manage even my favorite band. It’s like wrangling cats, but cats who are unnecessarily taking adderall. It just seems like a real drag. Our tour manager, Jesse, I’m not sure how he hasn’t stabbed us all to death, multiple times a day. We just spent 40 minutes at a truck stop trying to get our back door to open because a sleeping bag fell down and was hanging around the lock of the van. We had to break into it using a bass string and a fish hook, and doing a classic “drop and pull.” I think that’s an average day of tour managing. To anyone that tour manages bands, number 1: why? Number 2: there’s a special circle in heaven for you.

Howie has been in an extended stay at rehab. He’s coming back soon, though. Like I said, being TM is a hard job, and I think Howie got real burnt out after the first record. I’ve seen a lot of outrage from people about him not being on the road, so I think he will be with us on the second leg of the tour.

FPH: Oh, I imagine. But in a way, he got you guys further in your careers than ever imagined, yeah?

BY: Yeah, for having no legs he’s done a lot of movement for us. A lot of successful public relations, too. Especially for not having blood or a pulse either.

The Kickback performs at Warehouse Live on Sunday, July 23rd. 

For Houston’s Get A Life, another quality project from Chase DeMaster (children of pop, Guess Genes and Kult Disney), it’s all about having fun. And in a sea of bands that seem so serious sometimes that it feels like they’re just going through the motions, it can be exciting from time to time to see a band that doesn’t appear to take things all that seriously. So even when DeMaster offered up the tongue-in-cheek band’s first new song in a good while, the ultra-catchy and hook-heavy jam “What You Deserve,” he didn’t seem at all serious about its release. The track (found exclusively here) is a reminder that while owning a label and managing artists, tours, and your own varying projects, there are still moments when being in a band can just be fun.

The song falls into the typical Get A Life formula of “we’re unaffected,” in their jokey, tongue-in-cheek manner. It’s the kind of unaffected pop, if you will, opening with a meandering electro beat that hits hard, that isn’t what you’re expecting from a band with live instrumentation. However, when the vocals, guitar and beat roll in, it’s instantaneously lovable. The song immediately sticks in your head with a beat that has an almost overblown sound that works as a placeholder between the grinding, driving guitar tones, creating a space that feels closer to a dance track than that of a rock band. Produced by Yuuki Matthews of The Shins, the song is a mixture of carefully crafted pop and disassociated rock that you can’t help but love and place on repeat. It’s a refreshing example of a band actually having fun.

You can grab the rare 7” vinyl from Very Jazzed when it’s released to the public on August 4. You can see Get A Life in person tonight at White Oak Music Hall upstairs.  The all ages show has sets from Post Animal, Evening Attraction, and an opening DJ set from Jazz Radio with doors at 7 pm and a $10 ticket.

If you weren’t aware, hip hop is ruling the charts across streaming platforms and sales alike. And no matter what you think of the genre, you can’t deny that a true banger is hard to resist. Since he came on the scene about seven years ago, Compton’s Kendrick Lamar has seemed to be hell-bent to prove that he’s one of the strongest mic spitters in the world, and Saturday night at Toyota Center he did just that. Running through a blistering set that featured favorites old and new alongside some deep cuts, Lamar introduced Houston to Kung Fu Kenny while bringing plenty of grace and showmanship to the performance. While Free Press Houston and, to my understanding, no other outlets were allowed photographers, the show was definitely one for the books.

Opening up with a short film complete with a kung fu theme, it was Lamar’s entrance from the bottom of the stage that got the crowd going. He opened things up himself on the large stage with “DNA,” while explosions, crazy light rigs and videos set the mood. Complete with a kung fu-fighting, acrobatic performer and a clip from Fox & Friends in the background, you could definitely say that Lamar got the DAMN. tour off to a rousing start. Following things up with “ELEMENT,” Lamar made sure things stayed on point. When he started the opening lines of To Pimp A Butterfly’s “King Kunta,” there wasn’t a still body in the entire arena. Keeping things on top, Lamar dropped fan favorites “untitled 07|2014-2016” and “untitled 02| 06.23.2014” like he was on a tear. Covering Future’s “Mask Off” and Schoolboy Q’s “Collard Greens,” before dropping “Swimming Pools (Drank),” and “Backseat Freestyle,” things were going off like Lamar was having the time of his life. Then, after dropping “LOYALTY,” Lamar let the second kung fu-themed film play before he popped up in the center of the audience on a very small stage.

Kendrick Lamar at Bonnaroo 2024, Photo: Film Magic/Live Nation

The lighting on that stage seemed pretty weak, and Lamar would get elevated above the audience as he thanked them all for showing up. Rolling back the clock five years to drop “Money Trees,” he then followed things with “XXX” before switching gears and rolling into “m.A.A.d city.” Lamar wasn’t kidding around in how he presented the tracks. When he dropped yet another film and returned to the main stage, things got pretty intense with police lights and a dancer while the ceiling lowered for “PRIDE.” Donning a red outfit, Lamar’s visage with the lowered ceiling was intense and added to the more groove-oriented pops of the track before he took the audience into the bars of “LOVE..”After promising this “to be the loudest concert you’ll attend all year,” Kendrick brought things to a hotter place with “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” where the audience sang in unison. This was followed by the hit jam “Alright” where it was obvious that this was no longer the home of the Houston Rockets, but possibly the house that Kendrick built. During Lamar’s performance of “HUMBLE.,” the audience really go into it and started singing the lyrics back to him.  

After a short video with the words “Ain’t Nobody Prayin’ For Me,” Lamar returned for the encore track, “FEEL.” It was ninety minutes that would easily cement Lamar as the stronghold everyone wanted, and it undoubtedly made many of those in the attendance believers in his strengths as a performer. For me, as my fourth time catching Lamar, this performance was by far my favorite. With tons of energy, plenty of humility, and more than enough prowess on the mic, Lamar proved to Houston that he’s earned every ounce of praise he’s received.

Some artistry can be so different, so entrancing, and so lush that delving into it can be both mesmerizing and perplexing. That’s certainly the case with Houston’s favorite experimental psych group Ak’chamel. I’ve always assumed that anyone who sees a live performance from this band will either walk away mystified or simply won’t get it at all. The sometimes two-piece, sometimes five-piece is a lot to take in for the average concert goer, and that’s the point. On their new album Death Chants, Ak’chamel takes us further down the rabbit hole of their universe while offering up a mix of ghostly mysticism and dark beauty to create one of the most interesting pieces of work you will probably ever hear. Released through Brooklyn’s Already Dead Tapes and Records, the 13-track album is like a dark spirit quest through the hellish depths of the Eastern side of the world.

The opener, “You Destroy Your Heart on Earth,” begins with dark chants that sound almost like a group of shaman moaning in unison during a healing ritual. Though occasionally a stark bell is played, the track sounds like a field recording from a film about a lost civilization. While the track closes with a mix of brass instrumentation, the darkness of the track cannot be lost on anyone who hears it. When the second track, “Life Is Not For Me,” begins, it’s a stark guitar that gently strums while a wind instrument faintly blows alongside. Soon enough, cymbals come crashing in and a chorus of vocals triumphantly make their way into the mix. The magic behind the songs Ak’chamel creates is that you feel almost intrusive listening to them, as if you’ve stumbled, uninvited, into a room where a sacred ceremony is taking place. The vocals don’t sound like English, but closer to the wailing of souls in transition between this life and the next. Those far away chants continue into the next song, the dense and airy “Spit On The Sky.” Like a tragedy has just occurred, the ominous tone of the song is faint and indistinct while carrying elements that would sound joyful if they were sped up half a step.

The chaotic opening of “The Tragedy of Birth” sounds like a speeding train careening by, where the band uses wind instruments and strings — as well as possibly synths — to create a fevered opening. The riff of cymbals clashing together while a mix of faint vocals and strings make their own heavy mixture underneath is strange but not without merit. When the song feels like it’s coming to an end, that fervent pace speeds up, now with more strings and brass instrumentation, like the song is being played in a house being torn apart by a tornado. When those vocal chants return, they have a more apocalyptic feel. The song then folds back in on itself, ending in a haze of feedback and ambiance. While the group returns to the Eastern-stringed sounds of their previous efforts on “Give Me Your Ancestor,” it’s the more Western sounds of “Hearts Melt In Horror (and knees will shake)” that grabs hold of your attention. What has always intrigued me about the music Ak’chamel makes is that it feels simultaneously organic and chaotic, familiar yet from another place and time. This might be their most engaged track on the album. The jazz influence, the chaotic drums, the deathly laughs in the background, are all brought together by an orchestral chant and a singular-stringed instrument, sounding like a deathly film about Western expansion.

While the band gets trippy on the next track, “The Skull Spat Upon The Maiden’s Hand,” the following song, “The Boar,” reminds one of their past leanings, sounding like transmissions coming from another space. The very slight percussive and stringed instrumentation used in the song sounds almost like they’re performing in the remoteness of a Siberian forest. The nomadic and tribal nature of the track reminds you that even though this group is from Houston, they can take you to faraway places very quickly. This dissonance continues on the dark and ritualistic sounds of “Death Chant.” There’s a subtle bell that comes on and off of the track, while group vocals that sound like that of spiritual leaders singing to the heavens keep the pace of the track going. Like most of the band’s music, this track really sounds like one that is a glimpse into someone else’s world. The ethereal ending of the track takes the early, more rhythmic sounds of the band and meets them with a more heavenly sound that is like nothing else.

Three tracks later, the group takes things darker than ever before on “He Who Hung The Earth.” The mix of distorted guitar, ominous vocals, and the slow stride of the drum sounds almost demonic. Or in the least, it sounds caliginous to the point of it being more frightening than most of the tracks on the album. Death Chants ends as it began, with a whole new sound from the band on “Hammering a Nail Into Space.” As close as this group comes to a mainstream sound, the celestial sounds of the synths alongside a softer and more divine vocal creates a proper ending to another mysterious release from the band. There’s no real way to wrap your head around what Ak’chamel does, and perhaps that’s the point. Ak’chamel is the most intriguing and interesting group I’ve seen perform in the past twenty years, and Death Chants is just another glimpse into a world that we may never understand. If music is meant to take the listener to another place, then Ak’chamel has definitely achieved that with this album.

You can purchase “Death Chants” from Already Dead Tapes and Records, or grab your own copy from the band in person when they perform next on July 17 at Hotel Vegas in Austin. The show, with doors at 9 pm, will also feature sets from Dead Recipe and Panama Grant with a $5 cover.

Atlanta-based hip hop artist Bobby Ray Simmons, also known as B.o.B, has been a pop culture staple for nearly a decade. While he has four studio albums — his latest, Ether, dropped just a few months ago — the 2024 album B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray is the one that threw him into the world of airplay, especially with smash hits like “Nothin’ On You” and “Airplanes.” Just last year, Simmons garnered attention for speaking out on his views relating to the “flat earth” movement, which he explained in several Twitter posts last January, and even prominent astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson responded in an (unsuccessful) attempt to convince him otherwise. Prior to his performance at Warehouse Live on Saturday, FPH spoke to B.o.B about the current state of his career, what gets an artist to the top of the charts, and his views on science and technology.

Free Press Houston: You released your latest full-length Ether a while back, your first in four years. How long did this project take to complete?

B.o.B: Really, a lot of those songs were written before I even began to work on the Elements mixtape. If those songs from the record were already done, then the mixtape really sculpted this one.

FPH: Are you planning on putting out another EP in the near future, or perhaps even a full-length?

B.o.B: Yeah, I always have something in the works. I never stop. I’m working on something right now.

FPH: Speaking of your EPs, the “Concept” ones, i.g. NASA, water, fire, earth air; what is the meaning of them?

B.o.B: They represent the physical world that we can see with our eyes, but also the unseen forces that act upon nature as well.

FPH: What do you mean by “unseen forces”?

B.o.B.: Unseen forces refers to the the ideas of Nikola Tesla, which talk about the realm in which all matter and material moves through. So, Tesla was way ahead of his time, you know; he invented wireless power, and that was 50-plus years ago. He came up with free energy. Lots of things that he invented — basically, the powers that be are not one. To hide that stuff, making life easier for humans, they went with Edison’s blueprints instead, so they can charge us for power. You know, just to keep stuff more controlled.

So yeah, not to get off topic, but the mixtapes kind of speak of all aspects of the physical and unseen world that we live in.

FPH: I find it cool when hip-hop material is an obvious concept project, for example Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. Speaking of him, have you kept in touch with him since the feature you both had on that T.I. song? I mean, he’s performing in Houston the same night you are.

B.o.B: No, I actually haven’t seen him since then. I mean, we’ve shared a few words, but other than that, not too much.

FPH: Well he’s undoubtedly one of the biggest rappers right now, and you also had some chart topping singles. What is it that keeps talented, fresh groups like Shabazz Palaces and Run the Jewels from really blowing up like the two of you?

B.o.B: I mean, I think a lot of people are huge because of the hype around them. Not to say anything about anyone in particular, but I think once fandom reaches a certain point everyone else will just jump on board, you know? I think it’s a part of human nature to flock to wherever the crowd is. It just depends on the wave that’s moving. That’s where the term waves is in now, because it’s really like catching a wave. So I think there are a lot of people talking about the same thing me, Kendrick [Lamar], and Lupe [Fiasco] are talking about. The list goes on. I think it’s just really about timing, getting big while everyone is watching.

FPH: So I was checking out your Twitter page and couldn’t help but notice that your profile photo was set to the United Nation’s logo; what’s up with that?

B.o.B: The U.N. logo is believed to be what the earth actually looked like.

FPH: Of all the followers you have, more than two million, who are you most excited about that follows? Do you think it’s cool that people like Lil B follows you?

B.o.B: You know, since last year I’ve gotten a lot of new followers — shoutout to them. It kind of all happened at once. It was pretty wild. It’s literally like a lot of celebrities that follow me, and I can’t even begin to narrow the list down. I also have a lot of celebrities that come up to me and commend me on my outspokenness, because they aren’t in a position to do that themselves. So I feel the support and whatnot.

FPH: Obviously those tweets you made about the shape of the earth got a lot of attention, and certainly a large amount of criticism. Do you think that whole situation was handled fairly?

B.o.B: Well, you know, the world is never fair. I feel like the relaventness of that tweet was more important than it being handled fairly or not, or what people believe. They may have used those to discredit it or make me crazy for some clicks on an article. But it kind of gave new life to something that many people never knew existed. But in my eyes it’s a win.

FPH: It seems like Elon Musk is a modern day rockstar, and one who wants to get us to Mars. But is that the only one we’re going to be able to get to, if we get there at all?

B.o.B: I feel like we as a culture have not talked about what planets really are, so when people ask me if I think planets are flat, I think that they don’t really know what planets are. I’ve done so much extensive research on heliocentrism and geocentrism, pre-Galilean astronomy dating back to ancient times. I just feel like somewhere along the way the same people that didn’t want Nikola Tesla’s inventions to be used changed shit and started teaching the wrong way. There’s a lot we have to learn as a culture that we can’t just take one side of. I’m not saying that everything from the past is more accurate, though. We just can’t rule out what people thought in the past, because a lot of the so-called “new” technology actually existed before. A lot of that stuff was just written out of history. In today’s world you work all fucking day, and when you get home you just want to watch football. Who wants to go to a fucking library and dig up dusty books and research shit. Nobody is trying to do that. So it’s like you have to understand the world we live in and try to meet people halfway, which is a real challenging thing, but still. Especially when you’re in the business of making music, you know. I’m not an astrology major.

I don’t know about the second part. I feel like Earth could be a colony, and that there are other places like it that are already colonized, but we’re just separated from it. We think that there’s nothing out there colonized.

B.o.B will perform at the Ballroom at Warehouse Live (813 St. Emanuel) on Saturday, July 15 with London Jae, Jaque Beatz and Havi. Tickets are $25 presale or $30 at the door with doors at 9 pm.

5. Hortlax Cobra — “Light as a Feather”

“Light as a Feather” feels like a blast from the past. Its jumble of incongruent images and random weirdness reminds me of the sort of videos Robot used to produce for Numbers back in the day. In addition to just being a fantastic song all around, the light-hearted surreality of the video is tremendously engaging.

4. WatchTheDuck ft. T.I. & DJ E-Feezy — “Making Luv to the Beat”

This is honest to God one of the most inventive music videos I have ever seen in my life. Directed by Warren Kommers, “Making Luv to the Beat” explores the idea of a song as a guided art exhibit. In a slow pan, the tune is illustrated by an evolving collection of lights and disembodied limbs that highlight the lyrics. The vaginas made of stereo speakers were a particular favorite of mine. Watching this made me wish it was possible to actually step into the screen.

3. Goldie — “Castaway”

Thanks to this video, I learned that it is apparently illegal to keep a breakdancer in the trunk of a car. Kidding aside, this is a bizarre but wonderful video. It’s an oddly beautiful, slightly nonsensical short crime drama, and it is so spectacularly acted that its constant absurdity feels incredibly meaningful. I’d keep an eye on Goldie if I were y’all. This cat is doing good work.

2. & 1. Raj and the 100s — “One of the Oldest Men Who Ever Lived”

I’ve given this one the top two slots because it’s an entire video series presented in one big gulp. Utilizing the talents of more than 50 different artists, director Andy Byers weaves a narrative across seven different videos in a manner meant to mimic the turning of a vinyl record. It’s a profound showcase of the nature of loss, not to mention an amazingly ambitious project. There are so few bands that attempt the full-on video album anymore, and I would love to see it make a comeback.