From the couch to the club

Late January can put down a frosty beat to cover for a column calling itself The Shine, and I’m either 15 years too late or 15 degrees below way-too-fucking-cold to chip at all those ice grills we’re seeing out there with a suave promise to “bring that heat.”

Luckily for us all, it won’t come to that. I’ve got leads for those staying sheltered and those stepping out alike, and hope to persuade you all to inject a little of both into your cold veins this week.

For the homebodies, this week I have a grab-bag of links to a few fine recent local releases to warm your speakers with. There’s a little something for more or less every kinda hip hop fan in here. These are all free/name your price, but if you elect to pay “zero,” at least spread the word if you like what you hear.

Aspect Mendoza, C’est ça l’Amérique Vol. 1
Hot off the digital press, the increasingly prolific Mendoza is back with 15 mostly self-produced tracks, bringing along a fitful Queb crew of guests and co-conspirators. A new year for Montreal rap is upon us and it’s taking no prisoners here.

Cyrus, Back Now EP
Cyrus is the brainchild of Ruckus sax player Jarryd Torff, exercising here — and even more recently here — a knack for laid-back, lounged-out production to positive effect.

6oy 6lue, Out tha 6lue
This southwest spit-kicker’s full-length mixtape dropped the second-to-last day of 2012, and if it keeps up like this for the young talent, this year should be a 6ig one.

15-23.com & Beatahoe, The Bakery
You can ask him why he calls himself Beatahoe because I can’t even be bothered, but this extremely and somehow endearingly pushy local beat-maker got 24 other local beat-makers — several of whom are well worth watching right, right now — all in the same kitchen, and the goods are pretty wholesome.

BuddaBlaze, Got It Covered
As reported here at Cult MTL, the ubiquitous DJ/producer/Mook-about-town dropped this live instrumental redux in December to much applause. Join in, won’t you?

That oughtta hold everyone over till the much-anticipated, so far extremely well-received and fully crewed-up KOSSÉÇA drops next week on iTunes — Tuesday, to be precise.

Now, for those about to go freeze your rocks off, I salute you with the following suggestions:

Friday – If by then we’re all suffering from hypothermia, a few DJs may very well save our lives when the crowd gets wild at Cabaret Underworld with two-time DMC world champ Vekked of Waterloo, Ont. He is invited by DJ Brace, who sends himself off to keep it moving in NYC in style with further guest love from Toast Dawg. All the best to the man I call Brace-o, and keep crushin’ it, homie!

Out in Dorval, it’s strictly rap shit at End of the Month with battle legend and Brown Bag AllStar Soul Khan, up from NYC and in the house with Loe Pesci and Yo-Yoshi.

Saturday – Let’s face it, friends, the whole freakin’ town is an Igloofest right now. If you’re going, you’re going — there is no reasoning with the forces of nature.

If you’re one of those people who is always “thinking about it” (I am, no bull), I’d think about TNGHT, Lunice’s two-man show with Yeezy-signed U.K. golden boy Hudson Mohawke, if I have to tell you, what with their having been buzzed-about like killer bees on bath salts since inception.

This is a big moitie-hometown debut with the extra incentive of openers and rising stars Kaytranada and Tronald Trump. Stick around to hear Schlachthofbronx close it out on that stage, or head to the Virgin Mobile Igloo right after TNGHT to ride it out with Milton Clark.

The party keeps going at le Belmont post-Igloo. Sango, Phil Sparkz, Charles Cozy and, one more time for ya’, Kaytranada come with more power than Hydro-Québec till lights out.

Monday – It takes all kinds, and New Orleans bounce rap phenom Big Freedia is definitely all kinds. All kindsa what, exactly? You’ll have to be back at le Belmont to figure it out for yourself. It just might be exactly what you need to finally get you outta the house. ■

Shinecultmtl@gmail.com