In tandem with the music, Render has become well known for his political activism. He’s established himself solo and through a rap super duo, Run the Jewels, with fellow rapper and producer El-P. Killer Mike’s deep, affecting voice and riveting flows have solidified his place in hip-hop. The rapper - whose real name is Michael Render - first made his mark with a verse on fellow Atlanta-bred duo Outkast’s “Snappin’ & Trappin’.” Just a year later, his verse on the duo’s “The Whole World” helped elevate it into a Grammy Award-winning song. It’s been more than two decades since rapper Killer Mike’s famous debut. “The resistance has always been there / It grows, it dies / And it comes back again,” Roditis scream-sings the last line - a matter-of-fact statement that injustice can’t win forever. The explosive penultimate track “For What” is a standout. Along with Roditis, guitarist Violet Mayugba and drummer Narsai Malik have released three albums of pure punk, starting with their more lo-fi 2017 debut, “Sorry, Mom.” On their latest album, “Open Mouth, Open Heart,” released in 2021, the band’s lyrics have sharpened, and, in true punk fashion, the musical risks are bigger. Later in the song, Roditis sings, “Put me in a hole and then I made it my home,” pulling listeners deeper into lust’s spinning contradictions. Punk rock trio Destroy Boys opens its latest single, “Beg for the Torture,” with a provocative line: “Your red back with scratch marks, it’s my art.” Lead singer Alexia Roditis’s rage-filled delivery perfectly reflects the push and pull of an obsession you know is dangerous but can’t resist. “Seems like breaking out won’t be too far in the end,” Hall sings, giving in to a relationship’s doom. In the breakup song “Notions,” softer percussion tiptoes around a subdued guitar. On the Stews’ latest album, “What Was,” released in April 2022, the band is just as soulful and perhaps more reflective and moody than usual. When Hall sings, “Oh, it’s hard to stand here when it could all burn down / You just got to know it’ll be just fine,” you can feel his gritty vowel sounds in your bones. It’s a rousing and introspective song about making it out of a difficult place. Throughout the song, Blake Dobbs’s rhythm guitar playing sounds almost wavy, like he’s submerged in water. From the Stews’ self-titled 2021 EP, the song “Make It Out” (the band’s most listened to on Spotify) is a great encapsulation of what makes the Stews so good. And lead singer Preston Hall’s thrillingly raspy voice is invigorating - even, occasionally, shiver-inducing. The Auburn, Ala., band’s guitar melodies are undeniable, and the drums are lively. The one word that best describes the version of indie rock offered by the Stews? Soulful.
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