It’s hard to believe it’s been almost three years since Juiceboxxx dropped his last record, I Don’t Wanna Go Into the Darkness. The man hasn’t been “off the radar” or anything; in fact, he’s kept busy with a handful of mixtapes and releases from his Thunder Zone label/curiosity shop. Now, in June of 2k15, we’ve got Heartland 99, which is already sounding like Juice’s best record yet. Over ten tracks, JB tells stories from and inspired by his life on the road, booking shows in computer labs, sleeping on couches, and losing his damn mind. If you’re looking for a “gateway” track, I’d suggest either “Like A Maniac” or “On the Line,” the latter of which is an epic pop jam that wouldn’t be out of place on the Laguna Beach soundtrack.
Going into my first listen of the record I couldn’t help but wonder if JB could keep going with the themes he’d previously explored on three previous mixtapes and an LP. I worried that he would get dangerously close to the bottom of the barrel, but dammit if he didn’t prove me wrong with Heartland 99. Get the record digitally for FREE this month only over at JB’s Bandcamp or, for the vinyl heads, pick it up soon from Vinyl International. As the man himself says, “You gotta follow your fucked up dreams!”
• Juiceboxxx: http://juiceboxxx.com/blog
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