PENNAME

*AUSTIN CHRONICLE REVIEW, NOVEMBER 16, 2007, BY THOMAS FAWCETT* A Tale of Two MIDIs is a minimalist manifesto created by newcomer Penname alone in his room with a MIDI keyboard and microphone ("Fuck your street cred; I'm making a whole record on the end of my queen bed"). The independent release is headphone heaven for the Def Jux and Diplo crowd. On "Rims," Penname drops a scathing indictment of commercial hip-hop over a bananas banjo-laden beat, and blues guitars are flipped beyond recognition on "Man With a Machine (Alan Lomax)" as he spits, "While others rhyme about busting stomach caps, I'm a throw Leadbelly in my battle raps." Heady rhymes about The Charlie Rose Show and Jorge Luis Borges won't earn Penname any Clear Channel spins, but this DIY release is ripe for college-radio rotation. Best of all, it's a free download at www.pennamemusic.com. MyGen Profile Generator