PRESS – TIM STILES
Album Review: Tim Stiles’ “Cicada Exoskeletons”
Posted by Nada Staff September 19th, 2021
Tim Stiles – Cicada Exoskeletons (2021)
By Andrea Bartunek
On his most recent album, Cicada Exoskeletons, Seattle hip hop artist Tim Stiles continues to flex his intelligent and lyrically eloquent underground rap skills.
The record begins with “Froggy Window,” which exemplifies his ability to deliver intellectually stimulating prose, while also embracing the elements of production necessary to get heads bobbing along.
Each track has an underlying activist message even if it’s just about frogs or dinosaurs, like album standout “Jurassic Dark.” But really, when you listen close, you recognize his educated perspective on things like mental health, police brutality, and environmentalism. The lyrics, style and delivery used by Stiles is clever and funny to me, it literally makes me laugh out loud. The album especially shines on the track “Private Parts” with underground legend The Grouch, known for his work with Atmosphere and Living Legends.
The beats and production are super fun, with infectious rhythyms and synth flowing through the instrumentation and piano. Plus, he throws in nostalgic audio clips like some random Anchorman samples on the track “Swell In My Gut.”
If you are a fan of Sage Francis or Brother Ali, you’ll love Tim Stiles. He’s smart and silly, in all of the best possible ways.
Cicada Exoskeletons is available now on all streaming platforms. A Limited Edition Double Vinyl LP version is also releasing early 2022. Limited to 300 copies, you can preorder the vinyl now at Tim’s Bandcamp page.
“Jar of Fireflies” (Official Video)
9 February 2017
by Big Takeover Exclusives
“Visceral Candy is the brainchild of Seth Swift (vocals, music), who regularly collaborates with Ian Hernandez (strings, vocals) with the occasional assist from Jay Battle (everything else, including production).
Their new album, ‘Visceral Candy feat. Tim Stiles’, is a creation with Tim Stiles, the independent hip-hop artist and lead vocalist/rapper of Passion Party. The album pushes all of their outrageously diverse ideas and rhythms into cinematic proportions. A mind meld of soulful rhythms, snappy beats, classical instrumentation, clever arrangements, and mindful weirdness. ‘Visceral Candy feat. Tim Stiles’ is a radical departure from the two previous albums the band have put out.
‘Plastic Sleep’, which The Big Takeover premieres today, explores the hardship of anxiety and depression, and relays transparent opinions about the pharmaceutical industry. Before you start to assume, this song was written years before Macklemore’s ‘Drug Dealer’. This single’s release timeframe is pure coincidence. ‘Plastic Sleep’ is based on Stiles’ actual experience being a general practitioner’s guinea pig in early 2014.
Coming out in both digital and limited edition vinyl, Visceral Candy feat. Tim Stiles is limited to 250 copies. The 180gm 12” vinyl version of the album is being produced with colors at random. There are one of any 21 possible colors you may receive and no one will know, not even us as to which color yours will be.”
Saturday March 25th at Substation 9PM – Visceral Candy feat. Tim Stiles – Vinyl Release Party
Premiere: Visceral Candy Feat. Tim Stiles’ “Clown Shoes”
“#41for2016 band Visceral Candy stopped byThe Battlefield periodically throughout the year with Tim Stiles, of Passion Party, who we done told you about this year too. The fruits of their labor is available for pre-order in both digital and limited edition 12” vinyl.
The album, “Visceral Candy Feat. Tim Stiles” vacillates between neurotic self-consciousness and oblivious swagger. Seth Swift and Ian Hernandez (of Visceral Candy) move on from their last concept album about losing pets with a push/pull of morose poetry and frivolous bragging. Stiles leads the sense of gravitas on this record, riffing on uncomfortable dinner parties, men who dress as clowns, and stuffing your big fat face.
Local recording artist and producer Jay Battle (QREEPZ, Dead Rich, Gran Rapids) takes a leap in producing live instrumentation, which is what gives the first track “Clown Shoes” a groovy Soul Coughing/Why? feel.”
TIM STILES – A FISH LIKE THIS FT. TRINITY RICHTER
Posted on by Pure M Magazine
by Ferdia Mooney
“Fresh from US rapper Tim Stiles comes A Fish Like This. One half of party-rap duo Passion Party, Stiles teamed up with 13 year old Trinity Richter for this tribute track to baseball player Mike Trout. Do I know who Mike Trout is? Absolutely not. I doubt any Irish person will, but I do know that this is a nice, lively track from the California based rapper.
Clean and constant, Stiles’ vocals dance on the bass-heavy beat, produced by J. Lee Mezus. However, the whole show is stolen by the 13 year old feature. Trinity Richter shines on the beat, hitting her notes flawlessly and coming with more power than any 13 year old I know.
Again, I have no idea who Mike Trout is, but this is a good track.
Check it out if you like good, solid rap, baseball or Mike Trout.”
PRESS – PASSION PARTY
WOTS Version 15 with Tim Stiles of Passion Party
Album Review: The Unihorn EP by Passion Party
November 8th, 2012 by Joel Leavitt, Savage Henry
“This shit is fantastic. Yes, I’m the one who said I hate rap and especially white guys who rap, but this is some refreshingly original material. It’s not white guys rapping about smokin’ pot, it’s dudes singing and rhyming in a self-deprecating, hilarious manner about being skinny, broke and ginger-haired and wishing their man-breasts would produce milk. Seattle hip hop duo Passion Party brings clever, witty lyrics. The beats are fun, accessible and professionally produced. Their mothers should be proud! Rating: 10 out of 12 cans of PBR!”
Stuff I Liked in 2012: Like You To Death by Passion Party
January 26th, 2013 by Leah Brzezinski, Hearingade
“They crank out hilarious, often raunchy hip-hop jams about the trials and tribulations of love and life, managing to say stuff with a straight face that should probably never be said. “Like You to Death” is all about getting “friend-zoned,” a subject on which I am all-too-expert, and it’s the only track on their release that may manage not to offend more sensitive audiences. Anyone who can create the rhyme “granny throws/expose/your pantyhose” is A-OK by me. Like THAT to death.”