Tag Archives: zion i

Northern Nights Music Festival 7/18-7/20 in Mendocino, CA [Festival Preview + Playlist]

The most common complaint about the meteoric rise of music festivals has been their commercialization. Regardless of your stance, its hard to argue that events are generally far more pleasant when there’s some room to move around and, even more so, with a scenic, temperate backdrop. For those looking for a break from the usual stress of festivals, this weekend’s Northern Nights Music Festival might be the perfect opportunity.

A few hours north of San Francisco in the gorgeous expanse that is Northern California, the festival offers a pristine setting for camping under enormous Redwoods. Its location along the Eel River lends itself to the awesomely unique option of hopping in a floaty and going for a relaxed trip downstream—something us ninjas could’ve used at this year’s blistering Coachella. Just as its more remote location might suggest, Northern Nights boasts a refreshing lineup leaning towards underground electronic and alternative genres. In addition to the music, there will also be various art exhibits, food, drinks, workshops and yoga classes.

With the live-electronic band, Beats Antique, headlining, the festival features a number of other TMN-favorite artists, which we’ve included below in our preview playlist—we’ll let the music do the talking! Don’t just take it from us, though, and make sure to check out some of the names you’re not yet familiar with.

If you’re up for the adventure, and feeling the lineup, make sure to head over to Northern Nights’s website to grab your tickets.

’Beats Antique – Roadworthy (feat Antibalas Horns)’
’ODESZA – Memories That You Call (feat. Monsoonsiren)’
’Minnesota – Float (Featuring Zion I)’
’Viceroy – The Life Feat. Penguin Prison’
’The Floozies – Love, Sex, And Fancy Things’
’DallasK – Alienz (Two Fresh Remix)’
’Giraffage – Music Sounds Better With You (Remix)’
’Mr. Carmack – another intrepidity, with evil needle’
’Lindsay Lowend – Wind Fish’
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[Hip-Hop] Zion I – We Don’t (ft. Grouch & Eligh)

Oakland-based veteran duo Zion I have been around pretty much as long as I have been listening to hip-hop music. Their sound has always been progressive with the innovative production of DJ Amp Live and just the right amount of social and political consciousness from rapper MC Zumbi. While these talented artists have been in the game for over a decade, they have managed to stay relevant evolving their sound, with out losing their unique style, and collaborating with artists from a wide range of genres.

On their most recent release, they enlist fellow Cali-bred emcees, and frequent collaborators, Grouch & Eligh, of Living Legends, to bring us a display of pure, west coast lyricism over a trademark, complex Amp Live instrumental. While many artists who rose in the early 2000s find themselves fading into obscurity, Zion I and co. continue to create pure, timeless hip-hop making the chorus proclamation of, “We Don’t Stop,” so appropriate. “We Don’t” is the second single off Zion I’s upcoming album, Shadow Boxingout October 2nd.

’Zion I – We Dont Ft. Grouch & Eligh’
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[Hip-Hop + Dubstep] Zion I & Minnesota – Float

Well this is a collab I never saw coming, Zion I and Minnesota.  Zion I consists of DJ Amp Live and MC Zumbi both hailing from none other then Oakland, California. They released this track to support their fall tour together titled, Shadowboxing Tour. This will also be on the upcoming album also titled, Shadowboxing. Minnesota is a master of melodic dub masterpieces and when you team up with one of my favorite Hip-Hop artists of all time, Zion I, it is sure to be on repeat for days.The rhymes in this track mesh perfectly with they sexy dub that Minnesota delivers, especially the chorus. Now we finally got someone to rival the Zeds Dead and Omar Linx collab.Cheers.

We float though……

’Zion I & Minnesota – Float’
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