Here we are back with another installment of our Best of Springfield Music 2019 series!! This time we are finally to the albums / releases. We are going to divide this segment into two parts – one to be posted now and the other tomorrow. We are just running down your picks #11-20 right now. Again, each pick features different write-ups by different members of the Springfield music community! And, all of these results are available in print in the newest issue of Activator Magazine at our store and other locations around town. Here are your picks!

#11. Satisfy – Take A Deep Dive Into What I Go Through
Take a deep dive into what I go through is a poetic compiling of songs showing the pain carried within an individuals heart. Looking at ones own reflection is often difficult, and can be as damaging as it is humbling. A passion for creation whether artistic or academic becomes an avenue for self-expression, aswell as evaluation, and may free the heart from the weight of daily life.
– Spiff Hutchinson

#12. Emily Hough – Glass EP
Over the top of the excellently recorded and mastered 5-track EP, “Glass,” is the voice of 17 year old Emily Hough. As a young woman who’s been passionate about music since the age of 7, this will be her second officially listed EP featuring alternative folk musical pieces such as, “Like the Weather,” “Losing Sleep,” and title track, “Glass,” which highlight Emily’s deeper sense of soul and musical maturity. Accompanied by well rehearsed guitar talent and on-point vocal harmonies, “Glass” is more than a miraculous act of musical showmanship as it portals you into an alternate space within yourself. Sit in your car, on a train, or in the privacy of your bedroom with your headphones on, and this EP becomes a hug from yourself to yourself to cradle you through the sadness, nostalgia, healing, and closure of which the intimately sung lyrics and melodies provoke within you. “Glass” is available for streaming and purchase on Spotify and Apple Music, as well as on physical copies you can pick up at one of Emily’s upcoming shows for $7.00. Get your copy of, “Glass” and make it to an Emily Hough show this 2020 before the chance is gone!
– Dexter Anodyne

#13. Meezy Killafield – Killafield Kronicles
Meezy Killagfield had been a fixture in the 217 hip-hop scene for a long-time, but the Killafield Kronicles Vol. 1 represents his first full-length album and he put together a release that showcases his versatility, his talent, and his vulnerability as a human being. Grappling with emotions ranging from success to suicide, and all that comes in between, Meezy mixed together the varying levels of his existence and brought us tracks to smoke and kick it, like “Bad Habitz” and “Day Drinking”, along with heartfelt tracks like “Smile”, “Lies”, and “Runnin’”, giving his fans something more than a one-note release. Meezy’s development as an artist has been about continual growth, and Killafield Kronicles Vol.1 showcases that commitment to reaching his peak while making songs for everyone who loves music with heart. One of the best hip-hop releases of 2019 without a doubt!!!
– Ken Pacha (Hiphop Humpday, Activator)

#14. Animals With Human Names – Anti-Social / Duck Guts
Animals with Human Names is super underrated. Listening to Anti-Social/Duck’s Guts, you can instantly tell how much Human Names loves hip hop. The beat for Anti Social is that classic boom-boom-clap that will make any head bob theirs. Lyrically, this verse is as funny as it is smart with lines like “I woulda bought a chain but I couldn’t find a groupon” and “still making tasty shit tho my styles expired/with all these sleepy emcees it’s hard to stay inspired/and I woulda burned out but I got bald tires”. This track sounds like if Del was in the Beastie Boys. Duck’s Guts takes the funk up a notch with an Another One Bites The Dust style bass line and a great warbly guitar sound, he doesn’t hold back on the raps here. Don’t mistake his casual delivery for weak writing or cheap rhymes, he’s got bars. This release has everything I love about hip hop good beats, and solid rapping. If you like boom bap, backpack or just real emceeing, don’t sleep on Animals With Human Names.
– Zack Embery (Baristie Boys, Til We Die Podcast)

#15. Iris Wake – Demo
Does music put pictures in your mind? Listening to the latest demo by Iris Wake conjures images of the cold woods, murky air and grey skies as if by spell. The two tracks are made up of dissonant guitar, haunting vocals, subtle ambience, and lyrics abstract yet effective in portraying emotional spaces difficult to navigate. A quiet anger, the pain of change, and the bitter sweetness of pushing through it all to find you are still there, running, breathing, waking, evolving. Finding your place all over again.
– Kate Laine (Kate The Band)

#16. Black Box – What Happens Inside
Black Box has nailed what punk should be sounding like. Something with some smart guy riffs and lyrics, but that’s not afraid to get down right dumb. Everything is fast paced and full of a fresh energy that keeps everything from feeling predictable. “The Crawl” features a super addictive chuggy riff spliced into it that makes it stick out as my personal favorite, while “The Beauty” is top slamming song #1. Bands like Black Box keep local punk exciting for me, and it should for you too!
– Drew Kodrich (Prevention, Final Order)

#17. Idle Oath – Community Outreach
There’s something about fresh spring dandelions, clean linen sheets, and fresh new indie folk duos. It warms the heart. The album starts with “Blue Chicory and Queen Anne’s Lace” with a beautiful voice and ukulele. Seems to be laying that indie folk rather thick, right? You feel like you know where this is going until you hit the 2nd track “Charmingly 3rd Time”, and then it’s like well ok wait just a minute. Karen Nickerson and Mark Beanblossom have done a wondrous job of keeping things interesting throughout the album, even after multiple listens. Duly noted every song on this album has “(Demo)” in the title, just to remind us this is only going to get better from here. I can certainly attest to that after seeing the live set. These two humans have strikingly different musical sensibilities and yet work together so well. I’m looking forward to more great things to come from this band!
– Jeff Black (The Radon Lounge / Dumb Records)

#18. KaBass – Dead Static EP
KaBass’s Dead Static EP is anything but what its namesake may lead you to believe. The Springfield native delivers two tracks full of his instantly recognizable cerebral and distorted sound design, rich sample work, and heavy sub bass. While the EP may offer much more sonically than just “dead static”, both selections still paint vivid imagery of a technological dystopia in which at any moment, an alien entity could materialize from within the lonely tube television on the album art. This release marks one of many in 2019 for this quickly up and coming producer but is undoubtedly an important and defining moment in his growing catalog and local electronic music as a whole.
– Jordan Ward

#19 Ty Witty / Junior Pasaré – Half Full EP
Simply showing off at this point, Ty Witty and JunioR Pasáre dropped an EP in August that should have hit the national radar, given the smooth blend of TJ’s fierce bars and smooth delivery meshed with Ty’s absolute wizardry on the mic. With only five songs, this EP delivers a hit in every track, tackling serious topics on tracks like “Everybody Dies” and “Alive” while sharing space with more playful pursuits on “Next” and “Half Full”. While both artists dropped a solo release in 2019, this collaborative effort was a notable effort, giving fans of both artists something that’s long-awaited, while also giving new fans a taste of all they have to offer. 2020 only promises greater things for two of the 217’s best, and if you haven’t become familiar with their output, now’s a great time to become acquainted with their catalogue by enjoying one of 2019’s best EP’s.
– Ken Pacha (Hiphop Humpday, Activator Magazine)

#20. Final Order – Tainted Tradition
The world is fucked up – racist cops, perverted priests, abusive parents, addiction – injustices existing in broken systems, that everyone knows about but never seem to change, continuing to exist as Tainted Traditions. Final Order’s debut release Tainted Traditions starts with vocalist Nat, begging for a fight and it doesn’t calm down from there. This record is tough and pissed off. Musically, it’s all over the place,  fast in parts and slow and chunky in others. Interesting guitar riffs and the character that is the vocals is what makes this release for me though. Lyrically, the tape ranges from seemingly very personal experiences of abuse to broader ideas of corruption and injustice. Final Order seems to be able to pay homage to hardcore of all sorts, while still making a cohesive piece of art and still completely being their own. It’s everything a hardcore record should be: riffs and breakdowns, loud and aggressive, fun and motivating. Background music for the revolution or maybe just a riot… anyway A.C.A.B.
-Zack Embery (Baristie Boys, Til We Die Podcast.

#20. Prevention – Your Bad Habbits
Prevention’s “Your bad habits” starts with an aggressive chant of “cant, cant look away” and why would you want to? This was my favorite Springfield release of the year. This band is tough and has something to say. The tape starts with an emotional song about alcoholism and quickly moves into a few songs about the bigger problem. Prevention doesn’t just want you not to drink or use drugs; they want you to challenge the system at the source. “Another World” lyrically looks at how much money is to be made from addiction and how fucked that is, musically it starts with an intense build up and then takes off into the fast hardcore punk we all love, but then comes the completely primal breakdown that could turn the coolest of hardcore kids to full caveman mode. “Overstep” acknowledges that it’s not as easy as “don’t do drugs” for some communities, and that the War on Drugs targets poor people and especially P.O.C by incarcerating them at a much higher rate… “racist machines oiled in blood”. The album then takes a turn for the posi with “Don’t Forget” and closing with a straight edge anthem and title track “Your Bad Habits.”

• Mario Cannamela (Bottom Bracket, Looming)

Prevention’s “Your bad habits” starts with an aggressive chant of “cant, cant look away” and why would you want to? This was my favorite Springfield release of the year. This band is tough and has something to say. The tape starts with an emotional song about alcoholism and quickly moves into a few songs about the bigger problem. Prevention doesn’t just want you not to drink or use drugs; they want you to challenge the system at the source. “Another World” lyrically looks at how much money is to be made from addiction and how fucked that is, musically it starts with an intense build up and then takes off into the fast hardcore punk we all love, but then comes the completely primal breakdown that could turn the coolest of hardcore kids to full caveman mode. “Overstep” acknowledges that it’s not as easy as “don’t do drugs” for some communities, and that the War on Drugs targets poor people and especially P.O.C by incarcerating them at a much higher rate… “racist machines oiled in blood”. The album then takes a turn for the posi with “Don’t Forget” and closing with a straight edge anthem and title track “Your Bad Habits.”

• Zack Embery (Baristie Boys, Til We Die Podcast)

Here we are back again today with the second installment of our Best of Springfield 2019 Music Series! Today we bring you the top 10 songs that you all voted for from local bands and musicians of the past year. Again, all of these results are available all in this month’s issue of Activator Magazine, which is available for free at Dumb Records and other locations around town.

Once again, write-ups are done by different members of the Springfield music community. There were a couple we didn’t get write-ups done for, but only because there was so much for us to cover! Wow! Some of these songs you can find streaming next to the listing, but ones that we don’t have players embedded we still have the listing with a link you can click on and take you to the song.

#1. Dexter Anodyne – “The River”
This song is a great example of, not only how great of a performer Dexter is, but of how impeccable her craftsmanship is. I think my favorite part is how the song builds. Layers are brought in, building a sort of pressure feeling, that is then released when the bass drops off. The song is beautiful and the sophistication showcased here is unprecedented in Springfield.
– Ricki Marvel

#2. Vincent Sebastian – “Not Alone”
“Not Alone” is a fresh and unique composition. This is a dark, chill, psychedelic styled jam that is easy to leave on repeat. Vincent’s lyrics are catchy and can be relatable to the listener. “Not Alone” is a great example of complex simplicity and Vincent does this very well, It’s no wonder that it was nominated this year.
– Brady Gudgel (KaBass)

#3. Chance Reiniesch – “Divine”
“I think what qualifies a song as a ‘good’ song is its ability to make anyone in earshot feel like dancing and that is exactly what Chance Reiniesch has done in creating this bop. From his clever lyrics to the song’s catchy beat, you’ll be on your feet and singing along in no time. From the perspective of a fellow artist, this song is a masterpiece. The layering, vocal harmonies, and overall development make ‘Divine’ exactly that—divine.”  – Stephanie Hannel

#4. Meezy Killafield feat Mariah and Vinal Luciano – “Smile”
This track showcases two of the 217 hip-hop scene’s most talented veterans, with Meezy Killafield continuing his hot streak throughout 2019, building on the February release of Killafield Kronicles Vol. 1 and a continual stream of videos, and Vinal Luciano fresh off the release of his EP Growing Pains, along with a new rising talent, with Mariah showcasing her impressive vocal ability on a track that spreads a positive message and seeks to shine a brighter light on other people’s lives. While people tend to only see the negative, this track aimed to bring a smile to the face of anyone who’s just trying to make it in this world, with the video, shot by Twenty One Seven Studios at the Illinois State Fair, serving to bring this fantastic track to life and spread the positivity that it radiates. People say hip-hop only spreads a negative mindstate, and this track flaunts its blatant disregard for those tired expectations and outdated assumptions.

#5. Deezy Da Paperboy – “Trap”
*It appears that this is one of Deezy Da Paperboy’s songs from 2018, but it somehow made it on to fifth place on our 2019 list, so here it is!

#6. Satisfy – “Hurt”

#7. Idle Oath – “Blue Chicory”
Is the Ukulele still hip? Idle Oath’s Karen Nickerson certainly clears up for me why every teen girl I know wanted one last year. Whether pining for a lost love of a gone-by summer or youth in general, her soft songbird voice and gentle plucking brings all the feels in Blue Chicory and Queen Anne’s Lace, which kicks off the album like a flower in springtime, fresh and sweet and eager to grow. The very first album offering from Karen and husband Mark Beanblossom, “Community Outreach” has caused an immediate sensation, their “outreach” has made them the scene’s newest darlings. They are everywhere and I’m not mad.
– Carol Weems (Activator Magazine)

#8. Ty Witty – “Raindrops”
Ty Witty has established himself as one of the premier voices of the Springfield music scene. The multi-talented creator delivered one of the area’s best songs with “Raindrops”. The song captures feelings of loss, depression, and healing. Opening up about his own struggles allow the listeners a chance to identify with Mr. Witty’s experiences and see them as their own.
– Aaron “Uncanny” Phillips

#9. Kate The Band – “Wine & Dine”
On ‘Wine and Dine’, Kate The Band brings a healthy dose of indie rock nostalgia. A driving rhythm section (provided by BJ Pearce and Jessica Knight) is the backbone for Kate’s swirling, reverberating vocal arrangements as the song pushes it’s way through a steady dynamic swell. The final chorus growls with distorted guitars before settling into gentle ‘oohs’, offering a glimpse of both the Kate Laine so many of us know and love and the power that a full KATE THE BAND brings to the table.
– Brandon Carnes (Looming)

#10. Kid Ziggy, Papa Luke, RJC & Kdoe2x- Double Dribble
This track is an absolute monster. If you’ve been to a Zippir Collective show, you’ll become familiar with this track, as the audience knows every word, and the considerable talent they possess is on full display. Employing a playful and ribald style, while building on the covert sexuality of the title, this track is just pure fucking fun with a chorus that features lines like “Booty soft marshmallow/I go hard, armadillo/smoking on weeping willow/two hoes double dribble.”, while everyone is going bonkers on the track, and this is a major reason this track is streaming at 150k so far on Spotify. It’s an electric track, and promises greater things to come for Kid Ziggy, Papa Luke, & RJC. Giving it all they’ve got throughout, which is practically their creed, with Kdoe2x joining in on the fun with a verse that shows why he belongs on this track, and showcasing his own lyrical skill, Double Dribble is one of 2019’s best local tracks, across genres, and if you don’t agree, the problem is you. -Ken Pacha (Hip Hop Humpday)