Aesop Rock

Video: Aesop Rock’s “Zero Dark Thirty”

Aesop Rock: SkelethonAesop Rock: Skelethon (Rhymesayers, 7/10/12)

Indie-rap icon Aesop Rock is releasing his first solo album in five years, Skelethon, on July 10. The followup LP to None Shall Pass features full production by Aesop as well as a small clan of contributors, including Allyson Baker of Dirty Ghosts, Kimya Dawson, and the other members of Hail Mary Mallon.

The video for “Zero Dark Thirty,” the first track released off his forthcoming album, shows a stoic, subdued Aesop reclined against a wall while time-lapse murals are painted and painted over behind him. Though the concept may be straightforward, the effect leaves a lasting impression.

Aesop Rock

Concert Photos: Aesop Rock @ Lincoln Hall (Chicago, IL)

The unlikely pairing of hip-hop artist Aesop Rock and indie-pop songwriter Kimya Dawson recently took the stage in Chicago. The two have been collaborating on new material and have already performed together a handful of times this year. The show at Lincoln Hall, which also featured performances from Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz (with Aesop, the three comprise the new group Hail Mary Mallon), kicked off with an acoustic set from Dawson. At one point or another in the night, everyone performed with everyone else, breathing new life into old tunes and introducing new tunes to an eager audience. Photographer Tracy Graham captured these shots.

Rob Sonic