As we near cooler temperatures and cozy weather, St. Louis area artists are slowing down the pace and serving up chill tracks that still hit hard. Co-hosts of Fresh Produce – a tournament style beat battle for local music producers – Matthew Sawicki and Chris “Klevah” Shaw discuss their favorite tracks with host Elaine Cha and music show originator Miya Norfleet on this month’s St. Louis on the Air new music round up. On one track, Trifeckta, Rockwell Knuckles, Primerica Keem and Indiana Rome come together to create mid-tempo hip-hop magic with “Steez”.
“I'm a big fan of all these artists individually, and then as a group, I was just incredibly excited to see that they [put] an album out [together].” Sawicki said. “Trifeckta has been really ramping up his production and bringing a bunch of artists together and doing different things. So for me, it was just an easy win to suggest something so cool.”
Also featured is the latest single from pop-punk artist Wes Hoffman titled “After Hours”. Hoffman was the first musician to join St. Louis on the Air as a featured artist last year.
“You know, 12 months ago, Wes Hoffman blew my wig back.” Norfleet said. “He's still blowing my wig back. It's getting into the fall season [and] for me, pop-punk reminds me of high school and that autumn vibe of like, ugh, I’m gonna be on the school bus for a billion years.”
Through their Fresh Produce beat battle, Sawicki and Shaw create a space for artists of all mediums to come together for the sake of good music. Producers of all skill levels and genres are invited and encouraged to apply for free.
“It's a hub where everybody that's in that particular scene comes,” Shaw said, “so you've got artists, you've got musicians, you got people who would battle, and then you just have producers that just like to be around [other] producers.”
The next Fresh Produce Beat Battle will take place on Wednesday, October 1 at Atomic by Jamo. Competitors will compete in a bracket style tournament of 8 for the $500 grand prize
Here is a list of our favorite new releases:
Tifeckta Presents, Rockwell Knuckles, Primerica Keem, Indiana Rome - “Steez”
Album - “The North Remembers”
Brawsh - “Something Like That”
Album - “Brawsh II”
Black Le’More - “Hold the Line”
Album - “A Dove in the Dark”
Middle Class Fashion - “Jellyfish”
Hi-Fidel, DJ Crucial, Bits N Pieces - “I-55”
Album - “Traveling Between St. Louis And Chicago”
For more reflections of new and “new-ish” releases from St. Louis-area musicians, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
Calling all St. Louis-area artists and music fans: St. Louis on the Air wants your recommendations! Help us discover and feature musical talent in the region by filling out this Google Form. All genres are welcome!
