The Word Around the Sound is that TeZATalks is gearing up for the debut of her highly anticipated album with the release of her latest singles, “Oxygen” and “Not Your Body.” The latter of the two being a powerful anthem speaking towards bodily autonomy. Forever, women have been subjected to men feeling like they have control over them; because they have the sperm, women should allow them to do whatever they want with their bodies. In today’s fluid society, however, we are straying further and further away from those outdated and misogynistic gender roles.
“Not your body even when I’m naked.
Don’t ya, try to stop me even when I’m shameless.”
TeZA has all the sensibilities of a massive pop star, but with the depth of personality that you find in the deepest corners of the indie space. She stands for what she believes in and releases her feelings into the catchiest, most emotionally soothing songs that could serve as the soundtrack for a portion of someone’s life as they come to terms with whatever tumultuous event they experienced. Her cathartic process of writing music acts as a bridge between other people’s pain and ultimately allows her and her followers to heal together.
In her latest release, “Oxygen” she speaks to her perseverance and the anxieties felt when striving for her goals. Even though her vulnerability shows us how uncertain she may be at times, the world is taking notice of her music with American Songwriter recently naming TeZATAlks as one of 16 artists to watch in 2023.
Mediums Collective Opens Up A Storefront in Capitol Hill
Local luxury streetwear brand, Mediums Collective, have finally found a brick-and-mortar location to call home. On January 28th, they held a grand opening for their storefront with a celebratory runway show and afterparty. They represent Pacific Northwest fashion with their high-quality, premium comfort clothing. You can browse their collection in person at their shop in Capitol Hill. They’re open every day, and they stay up late because fashion don’t sleep.
705 E Pike St Suite A, Seattle, WA 98122
Sun-Tues: 11 AM–8 PM
Wed-Sat: 11 AM–11 PM
KEXP Presents 50 Years Of Hip-Hop Hosted by Larry Mizell Jr.
Larry Mizell Jr. is examining and discussing the past 50 years of hip-hop history with a brand-new series on KEXP. Every week, he’ll be visiting a different year to highlight some of the more pivotal moments in the genre’s history. Other KEXP DJ’s and heavy hitters from the culture will join him in the discussion and paint a thorough picture of the impact that hip-hop has made over the last half-century.
Kassa Overall Kicks Off Behind the Beat Master Class Series with LANGSTON
On January 29th, Kassa Overall held the first Behind the Beat Master Class session at LANGSTON. Through this 4-part series, he’ll be giving the next wave of creators an insight into his process, as well as his knowledge of how to thrive as a jazz drummer. Most recently, Kassa has released SHADES 3, the third installment in a series of sample-heavy remixes that “exemplifies Kassa’s irreverent, gonzo approach to the jazz tradition he is steeped in.” According to his Bandcamp, “Shades 3 also reflects Kassa’s recent embrace of the drum machine, surfacing a far more danceable sound than the previous Shades efforts.” I listened to it while writing this article and it’s inspirational.
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All Day Trey Released His New Song “Proud Of Me”
If you were around the UW campus near the end of January, you may have seen All Day Trey wandering around promoting his new single “Proud Of Me,” which dropped on the 31st. This is his first release since moving to Seattle and it seems that the community is embracing him with open arms.
Ava Dasar Wants To Kick Off “Pisces” Season Early With New Song
Ava Dasar has one of those voices that will silence a room without even having to project her vocals. Her song “Pisces” flows like water through your ears as her lyrics drip around your eardrums. She’ll hypnotize you with her melodies and send you through a loop wanting to listen to the song over and over again.
Blake Anthony, Animal Face, and Rell Be Free at Barboza February 11th
Word Around the Sound is it’s about to be a family affair at Barboza with Blake Anthony, Animal Face (wow), and Rell Be Free all coming together to perform on Saturday, February 11th. Blake’s latest album, The Neon Rose, was featured in my list of the top 22 albums of 2022. It showcased a little bit of a different side to him as an artist and I was really rocking with it.
Honestly, this bill is stacked with artists featured on that list; Rell released Sow What? (Phase 3) last year, and it blew me away. As well, Noah Coinflip is the ringleader of the Animal Face ensemble, and his project God Is Love quickly became one of my favorites of the entire year. This is going to be a show that I promise you will not want to miss.
Buy Tickets – $15 ADV // $20 DOS
Belltown Bloom Festival Announced Their 2023 Lineup
Sisters Valerie and Veronica Topacio founded the Belltown Bloom Festival as a way to highlight women who rock. As the front ladies for their band La Fonda (who were recently featured on KING5 Evening News), they too often see the gender disparity within the industry. So, for two nights – May 5th and 6th, a stacked lineup will take over the Crocodile compound for three stages of immense talent. Early Bird tickets are currently on sale with a VIP option available as well.
Word Around the Sound is a breakdown of the things that Respect My Region Head Editor, Taylor Hart, sees and hears around the greater Puget Sound area. Whether it’s new music releases, different events, or just dope community happenings, we want to highlight every nook and cranny of the arts and entertainment world within Seattle.
Did we miss something? PLEASE email us at info@respectmyregion.com with the subject line “Word Around the Sound” to be considered for the next article.
