Friday, April 14, 2023 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with the PBS App + Encore Monday, April 17 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2
Get down with the hip hop electro sounds of Vokab Kompany on this episode of LIVE AT THE BELLY UP! Their energetic world music vibe combined with each musician’s diverse background creates an incredible fusion of hip hop meets mad max. Then next up, California country styles of Brawley featuring singer/songwriter Nena Anderson, drawing inspiration from honky-tonk heroes Faron Young and Ray Price.
VOKAB KOMPANY
Vokab Kompany are two MC/singers from San Diego, California. Their album, "VKCE," a collaboration effort with up and coming production/musician duo Crush Effect, has been critically acclaimed and filled a void at the intersection of the hip-hop and EDM worlds. ‘VKCE’ is Hip-hop, it’s electronic, it’s indie - it’s a shout out to the past, and a taste of the future. Vokab Kompany’s Matt Burke describes the experience:
“As musicians, it’s an ever evolving world; genres are a thing of the past, so we (VK) were really lucky to have teamed up with producers that pushed the boundaries of our boxes. We got outside our comfort zone, stamped a VK next to CE, and the result was something new entirely.”
The brazenly dynamic sound on VKCE has quickly garnered the attention of television and film. The record already has two national commercials, for a major carmaker (debuting 2013) and Southern Comfort. The album debuted at #47 on the iTunes hip-hop charts, behind only major-label releases from T.I. and Chief Keef among all hip-hop records released that week.
2012 saw the band play over 60 shows, including Seattle City Arts Festival, Bounce Festival, Lunacy Festival, Oysterfest San Diego, So Cal Fest and RedFest in Red River, New Mexico. They supported bands from Umphrey's McGee to Collie Buddz and Diego's Umbrella, while carving out headline markets outside their hometown. The spontaneity of the band’s performance art has made them underground phenoms, stealing the show with their Burning Man-esq light shows, dancers, performance artists and special guests who surprise fans at each performance.
The team has been blessed with a slew of great press; in addition to a feature on electronic music in the August print edition of Spin, and "climbing" George Washington Bridge with Al Roker, the band has won best hip-hop group at the San Diego Music Awards for three years in a row, and even impressed Prince Charles when he stopped by Solana Beach's Belly Up to catch a VK show.
BRAWLEY
California country, what could be better? Brawley is a mix of San Diego-based working musicians with decades of history and music projects, including the Hacienda Brothers, Smith's Ranch Boys, The Forbidden Pigs, and Rancho Deluxe.
Their original songs blend seamlessly with country classics, and while being thoroughly modern, the influence of honky-tonk heroes like Faron Young, Ray Price, and Buck Owens is clearly there. Melodic harmony vocals by Nena Anderson and Adrian Demain are accented by the expressive pedal steel work of David Berzansky. For dancers, a solid rhythm section keep things rocking'…Brawley will make you smile while you're crying in your beer and have you signing up for those two-step classes you always wanted to take.
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Belly Up brings the best in new, up-and-coming artists as well as established legends in genres ranging from alternative rock, rock, reggae, and hip-hop to blues, folk, jazz, Latin & more! Visit their online calendar of shows. Belly Up is on Facebook, and you can follow @BellyUpMusic on Twitter.
