Open Mike Eagle's 'Brick Body Kids Still Daydream' Out Sept 15 on Mello Music Group

Open Mike Eagle’s ‘Brick Body Kids Still Daydream’ (out Sept 15/Mello Music Group) finds the polymath “art rap” MC/lyricist/comedian/TV+film writer revitalizing Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes, the massive public housing complex in Chicago that was torn down a decade ago following public vote. This cutting album is based on Mike’s experiences and a vivid, comic book-style reimagining of the Homes from the perspective of "a daydreaming kid in the projects," he says.  The narrative serves as a larger commentary on the current political climate and race relations, from an artist known for impressionistic, incisive lyrics over beats that bounce from soulful to haunting and jagged.

Watch the video for “95 Radios” via Pitchfork: http://bit.ly/2v6TGy7

'Brick Body Kids Still Daydream' was initially conceived while Mike was flying to Chicago. He was reading about the Homes and was shocked to discover that nothing was rebuilt where they stood, all that existed was an overgrown field. He was even more shocked to find a YouTube video of one of the towers being demolished. Mike grew up in Chicago and spent time at the Homes with family that lived there.  He imagined the album as a series of stories found in the rubble of the demolished buildings.  

Mike imagines a post-apocalyptic world where the projects exist as mythical pyramids, home to an iron-hooded knight that can walk through gunfire (“Legend of Iron Hood”). Songs like “Breezeway Ritual,” “Brick Body Complex” and “Daydreaming In The Projects,” along with the album cover art, personify the buildings and create a parallel between how the buildings were treated and how the people who live in them have been treated. “My Auntie’s Building” starts with foreboding beat and “they blew up my Auntie’s building / put out her great grandchildren / who else in America deserves to have that feeling / where else in America will they blow up your village.”

 Other tracks on the album explore the deepest corners of Mike’s mind. “95 Radios” is a yearning for simpler times set to the search for a radio and the lost community of listening together. “Wedding Ghosts” opens with the lyrics: “So don’t invite me to your wedding / you didn’t invite me to your funeral” – slyly hilarious over a woozy beat. “TLDR (smithing)” is a flurry of rhymes, with references to everything from Toure to The Predator and Lake Wobegon and the line “been woke so long I might need to take a nap and I’m likely afraid of that.”

‘Brick Body Kids Still Daydream’ was mixed and mastered by Daddy Kev and features Sammus on the song “Hymnal.” Producers who worked on the album include Exile (Aloe Blacc, Mobb Deep), DJ Nobody, Andrew Broder, Kenny Segal, Illingsworth and Has-Lo. The album also features live instrumentation from GRAMMY-nominated musician Jordan Katz (De La Soul, Iggy Pop).

The album artwork was done by McKay Felt.

Accompanying the album is a music video concept called Dark Comedy Television. Each music video for this album is formatted as a television show called Dark Comedy Prime News on a cable network programmed by Open Mike Eagle. All of the videos have been conceptualized and produced by Mike himself along with a handpicked collective of producers and directors.

2017 is going to be a big year for Mike: Comedy Central has announced that they will broadcast a new TV series called “The New Negroes,” an adaptation of Mike and Baron Vaughn’s live show that they've presented since 2015.  He's writing for film and TV, new episodes of his podcast Secret Skin will air, and his “The Tour of the Robert Taylor Homes Tour” starts Sept 15. Throughout the year, a series of videos tied to the new album will be presented via Open Mike Eagle’s “Dark Comedy TV” channel.

The LA Times has referred to Mike as “One of LA’s smartest young voices” and he’s appeared on WTF with Marc Maron, performed with Thundercat and Flying Lotus on Hannibal Buress’ Comedy Central Series and on The Eric Andre Show. His last solo album, 2014’s ‘Dark Comedy,’ was included on Spin and Rolling Stone’s “Best Rap Albums of 2014” lists and called “one of the most compelling indie-rap listens of the year” by Pitchfork. In 2016 he released ‘Hella Personal Film Festival’ with Paul White (Charli XCX, Danny Brown).

Pre-order the album here:

Apple Music: http://radi.al/HPy3hxD

Bandcamp: https://tinyurl.com/yd7lwev9

Vinyl: https://tinyurl.com/ybhdsbc3

TRACK LIST:

1. Legendary Iron Hood
2. (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home
3. Hymnal Feat. Sammus
4. No Selling (Uncle Butch Pretending It Don’t Hurt)
5. Happy Wasteland Day
6. Daydreaming In The Projects
7. Brick Body Complex
8. TLDR (Smithing)
9. Breezeway Ritual
10. Wedding Ghosts
11. 95 Radios
12. My Auntie’s Building

TOUR DATES

9/15 – Dallas, TX – RBC http://ticketf.ly/2sMcgY6

9/16 – Houston, TX – The Secret Group http://bit.ly/2tKh2a4

9/17 – Austin, TX – Barracuda http://bit.ly/2tEVYTQ

9/20 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon http://ticketf.ly/2sM4M7y

9/21 – Detroit, MI – Marble Bar http://ticketf.ly/2tJZACt

9/22 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern http://bit.ly/2v97W5T

9/23 – Ames, IA – Maintenance Shop http://bit.ly/2gLv08s

9/24 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry http://bit.ly/2uadIXS

9/26 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory http://bit.ly/2u5emWM

9/27 – Washington, DC – Black Cat Backstage http://ticketf.ly/2uaEUFN

9/28 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs http://bit.ly/2ualvEW

9/29 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie http://bit.ly/929OPENME

9/30 – Portland, ME – Waking Windows http://ticketf.ly/2lXugQ2

10/5 – Seattle, WA – Barboza http://ticketf.ly/2u5lPp5

10/6 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir http://ticketf.ly/2taOSmz

10/7 - Hood River, OR - Underground Music Station http://bit.ly/2uBBE4u

10/23 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar http://ticketf.ly/2t0MELf

10/24 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah http://ticketf.ly/2uNZutI

10/25 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo http://ticketf.ly/2u5refN

10/26 – San Francisco, CA – Independent http://ticketf.ly/2sMPuj1

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