Most Popular

Most Viewed
Most Commented
Music
Recent Articles

Recent Articles By Andy Vihstadt

National Features

  • Houston Press
    "It Was Like an Armageddon Movie"

    For days after Hurricane Rita, a Texas prison was hell on earth.

    By Chris Vogel
  • SF Weekly
    The Candidate

    Our columnist knows Ralph Nader's running mate all too well.

    By Matt Smith
  • Village Voice
    Project Runaway

    What becomes a gossip columnist most?

    By Michael Musto

Isaac Diehl (ID) isn't afraid to take chances — not with his delivery as an MC and not with the musicians with whom he surrounds himself. Along with past collaborators Nezbeat and Sleeper, guests such as Ming & FS, Miles Bonny, Deep Thinkers and the Symbol Heavy crew inhabit the Lawrence rapper's latest, Avatar Hotel. Pieced together throughout various projects, the 19-track collection zigzags from dingy, back-alley beats to orchestral compositions. The production is impressive throughout, but at times it — along with the album's overall lack of studio sheen — tends to force the lyricist into the background. This can be problematic with music designed to rock a decent set of headphones instead of a dance floor. Still, Avatar shows why ID is worthy of center stage, especially on minimalistic tracks "Big Dreams," "Already Down" and the live-band-backed "Give More."

The Pitch Insiders

  • Local food, music and news blasts
  • Free Stuff