10th & Commerce

Tacoma MC Rockwell Powers recently dropped a new EP, Pocket Full of Stones, available for free download here. Powers previously worked with a more traditional beatmaker named Ill Pill on his last release, Kids in the Back, but opted this time for a newbie to hip-hop production named Matt Wisner, of Viper Creek Club. The track below, "Escapades," shows Wisner injecting some pop accessibility into Powers' fairy/cautionary tale with a pulsating piano riff and some ghostly vocal effects. - Seattle Times Reverb Blog

In an admirably honest message, Tacoma lyricist Rockwell Powers writes that he and his producer, Seattle-based Ill Pill, have decided to offer their recently released debut for free on their site "due to so many of our friends and kids like us being broke." Of course, dude could've said "due to popular demand," or "due to a masochistic loyalty to our fans," or "due to a misspent night with Mad Dog." But, no, the young MC just came with the truth.

And Rockwell's honesty isn't limited to emails to journos. As I wrote previously, Rockwell packs many of the tracks on Kids in the Back with a hard-nosed reflection, especially the crisis-of-faith cut titled--uh-huh--"Faith." I dig the sincerity and Rockwell's willingness to address matters of conscience, sans sentimentality. I think you might, too.
- Seattle Times Reverb Blog

Meet Rockwell Powers, one of the performers at Grynch's EP-release show July 12 at Nectar The 21-year-old Tacoma lyricist and his Seattle-based producer, 19-year-old Ill Pill, recently debuted with Kids in the Back, a loosely wrapped package of sincerity that sometimes borders on the saccharine. But Rockwell has plenty of time to edit the puffed-up sentiment and track down the essence. The album traces a jagged line of emotionally-charged narratives--the evil that men do ("Hoodie Up"), the break-up blues ("Okay"), and the vertigo-inducing climb toward independence ("Changes")--but the most affecting is the track below, "Faith."

For those of us sick of rappers, athletes and politicians treating god like their own personal genie-in-a-bottle, Rockwell's second-verse opener is damn near a revelation (no pun intended): "I left the church about a year ago/Since my soul has been restless/Scared to death--must confess." If this kid starts winning awards, he won't join the holy choir thanking the good lord above for his success as if he were the only worthy out there. Indeed, Rockwell seems more apt to question it--never a bad thing. The album is available for purchase here; press release available after the jump.
- Seattle Times Reverb Blog

I have rarely, if at all tapped into any other genre of music besides HipHop in the greater Tacoma area. So when 10th & Commerce lead singer/MC Zach "Rockwell" Powers hit me up about reviewing and posting a section about their EP release "Instruments and Parties," I was a little hesitant. But I tell you what, these guys got something. I decided to post the song that I really liked, titled "Rainbows." I cant really give a detailed review of their music and sound, but just based on what I hear, this band maybe the next best thing out of Tacoma or damn near close to it. Take a listen to "Rainbows" and see if you agree.
- Stay Fresh Daily (blog)