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Hometown Highlights: Tione, The Vitamens, Justinxshon + more

We hope your summer is going well! If it's not going well, some of these new local songs should cheer you up. If your summer is already going well, listen anyway. We picked eight new Kansas City and Lawrence punk rock, noise rock, hip-hop, and instrumental songs that you should be checking out immediately.

Bummer - "Birthday Snake"
If you know anything about heavy music in Kansas City, you already know about Bummer. If you don't, welcome to the party. "Birthday Snake" is the first song out from Bummer's upcoming split release with Texas band Pinko. This headbang-ready cut utilizes the stop-start riffing that the band has come to love so much, as well as bassist Mike Gustafson's signature sliding grooves.

J-Tone - "[primetime]"
Coming off an ebullient appearance at the Shuttlecock Music Showcase last week, villainous teen J-Tone and the [Explicit Content] crew have been letting some new tracks loose. J-Tone premiered this track at the show, bouncing across the stage and flexing all the way through the chorus. The song documents his hustle through the lens of his fascination with television. His city-spanning upraising is also referenced early on in the track with lines like "I got business major bros and I've got homies pushing deals." "[primetime]" is appended with a snippet of a new rock-flavored WontoN track titled "R.O.C.." Be sure to check out Izzy's new track "Hallelujah" as well -- which also premiered at our show.

The Vitamens - "R&R"
While the band may already be nearing its end due to members leaving town, The Vitamens' first release is not one to be skipped over. Its fourth and final track, "R&R," is a danceable, mid-paced melodic rocker that lets vocalist McKayla Edmonds shine more than any other track on the EP. Whether you're wanting to Rest & Relax or Rock & Roll, The Vitamens' take on classic '70's punk is certainly worth throwing on.

Dettsa - "Obsessive"
Zarin Micheal and Alexander Preston may take the cake for Best Rapper/Producer Team in town, but Dettsa and Bam Keith are quickly creeping up on them. A month ago they dropped two songs together titled "Magic" and "Babylon." Now they're back with another crucial track. "Obsessive" features the growling, distorted synths that are all the craze among modern producers, paired with Dettsa handling the chorus with a perfect amount of autotuned vocals. Many current hip-hop artists do their best to skate around writing multiple extended verses, but Dettsa seems to live for delivering solid, lengthy verses on four-minute tracks. Dettsa is a rapper's rapper and that's hard to not appreciate.

Donnell - "Bigger And Better / Say My Peace"
Only two months ago, Good Colors associate Donnell released his debut project "Nudepink." The teenage singer/rapper/producer is already back with a new EP called "Daylight" and has stepped his game up an astonishing amount. On "Bigger And Better / Say My Peace" Donnell pours over his ambitions and explains how past relationships weren't cutting it for him. As the track's end approaches, the drums cut out, the keys take on a vibrant, almost sunny tone, and Donnell gets even more introspective than before. Fans of Tyler, The Creator may be reminded of songs like "Lone" or "Inglorious" that consist of Tyler pushing out any remaining negative thoughts before closing his albums.

Dom Chronicles - "Safari Zone"
Indyground rapper and local Reality Maker Dom Chronicles decided to let his producer side show by releasing a six song instrumental EP to SoundCloud on Independence Day. "Safari Zone" is a flowery two-minute beat that features a harp sample, light synths, and clapping mid-paced drums. This tune could act as an appealing backdrop for an upbeat rap, but can easily stand alone as well.

Tione - "Holupyah"
Tione and Alccalh of Lawrence hip-hop collective Vivid Zebra have teamed up for one of the college town's most quietly catchy tunes of the year. Its quick, simple, and mumbled hook is reminiscent of what stars like Lil Yachty are making hits out of, but Tione's take is several times more lowkey and lo-fi. "Holupyah" was made to tiptoe around your bedroom doing the Lil B cooking dance to.

Alex Dace - "Coming Up" (ft. Plu$+ and WontoN)
It would be criminal of us to not throw at least one rap banger into this mix every couple weeks. Kill Bill sirens? Check. Ad-lib track? Check. "Coming Up" features Kansas City emcee Alex Dace spazzing until his voice cracks and two perfectly braggadocious verses from Plu$+ and WontoN. Turn your volume up one time for this.

Justinxshon - "Neon Blue Baby"
If you're looking for a Kansas Citian with a SoundCloud account to throw on and just vibe to one evening, Justinxshon's is a excellent pick. This instrumental track starts off twinkly and lighthearted, but after a couple minutes transitions into something more nocturnal and luxurious; not far off from A$AP Rocky's backing track on "L$D."


Check out past Hometown Highlights updates here.

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