Aside from artists like Fashawn and B.o.B. there really aren't that many new rappers out there that have done anything to grab my attention so far this year. Well, that was true up until a few weeks ago, when I heard some leaked tracks from this new collaboration from New Orleans' Curren$y and Philly's Wiz Khalifa. The project obviously takes on somewhat of a Cheech and Chong/Meth and Red vibe, but there's something special about the sound that these two guys create when they hop on a track together. I've always enjoyed Curren$y's laidback Southern drawl, but [...]
Directed by Heath Ledger. via Stereogum
If there's one thing the Gaslamp Killer is known for it's probably his insane DJ sets, but I was definitely excited to hear about him producing his own solo material and unexpectedly dropping this new My Troubled Mind EP via Brainfeeder. This man is easily one of the most sought after DJs in the world right now and it's good to hear him finally capture that sound on an album. "Anything Worse" is the Gaslamp Killer at his best though, and the one thing I love about this guy is how difficult it is to put him in a box. [...]
If there was one thing I totally didn't expect to see when I got home tonight, it was a Diplo remix of a Dead Weather song. Being a huge fan of both artists though, I was definitely happy to Diplo make his triumphant return to the remix game today with this oddball of a track from the Dead Weather. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally in love with the Dead Weather's debut album, but oddly enough "Treat Me Like Your Mother" is one my least my favorite tracks on the album. I say oddly enough, because it's one of the [...]
I realize I'm a little bit late on this one, but I guess I didn't realize just how great this new Air track was until a few days ago, when I heard it on KCRW super late at night. I guess it was one of those experiences, when you don't really comprehend the overall feel of a track until you're in the right state of mind. But I was definitely in the right state of mind at that time, and since then, "Do The Joy" has become one of those songs I'll have on repeat about half a dozen times [...]
Los Angeles' Pac Div finally released their highly anticipated new mixtape Church League Champions today at churchleaguechampions.com. The free mixtape is a precursor to their major label debut, Grown Kid Syndrome, which is expected to be released later this year on Universal Motown. Their hit song "Mayor" has been in heavy rotation in the car recently, and if you were a big fan of their first mixtape, you'll definitely enjoy Church League Champions. Download: Pac Div - Church League Champions
There's no way I can pass up a chance to use that pic again. Here's another leaked track from Wale's upcoming debut, Attention Deficit, which has now been set for a September 22nd release date, according to Prefix. Even though I'm a big fan of Wale and the whole Allido crew, I'll admit that I was a little skeptical about the final product when I heard "Chillin" with Lady GaGa, who I absolutely can't stand. However, I've kinda come around to the track, especially the Benzi remix, and now that "Pretty Girls" sees Wale incorporating more of his go go [...]
When I found out Josh Homme was taking the lead as executive producer on the new Arctic Monkeys album I predicted that the project was likely to take a darker, more edgier turn compared to the band's previous material. Well the Arctic Monkeys finally premiered the lead single from their new album Humbung and lo and behold, it's noticeably darker from that of their previous work. There's kind of a creepy, horrorcore sound to "Crying Lightning", but that unmistakable Arctic Monkeys sound is definitely still present. Either way, it's definitely good to hear some new Arctic Monkeys, and I can't [...]
Southern California's current favorite DJ the Gaslamp Killer has been hyping up his latest mix CD, Hell and the Lake of Fire Are Waiting For You, on Twitter for the past couple weeks, so I was definitely excited to hear what he was bringing to the table this time around when I picked up a copy of the CD at his show in Venice with Samiyam last Thursday (which was nothing less than spectacular by the way). Needless to say, after hearing GLK jam out live that night at an art gallery for about 45 minutes, and then hopping in [...]
This is Wale's long awaited collaborative mixtape with former Little Brother producer and elusive genius 9th Wonder. As the name implies, every track on the mixtape has a feature from a list of guest artists that includes Young Chris, Freeway, Currensy, Beanie Sigel, Joe Budden and K'NAAN. The K'NAAN collaboration, "Um Ricka", is definitely my favorite, featuring some nice, groovy production from Mark Ronson. "Life's A Bitch" with Talib Kweli and Joell Ortiz comes in at a close second though. Download: Wale & 9th Wonder - Back To The Feature via [...]
Not the Only Person - The Rumble Strips from Matthew Wheeler on Vimeo .
I was browsing my neighborhood bookstore the other night and noticed the new issue of Spin with the Dead Weather on the cover. Aside from Vampire Weekend in the fall of 2007, I don't recall ever seeing a band without an album out on the cover of Spin. Now, I usually trust the people at Spin, and seeing as the Dead Weather is already filling some huge slots at festivals like Outside Lands, Street Scene and even ACL later this summer, I'm all the more excited to hear their debut album, Horehound, which doesn't even hit stores until July 14th. [...]
The White Rabbits' new album, It's Frightening, is in stores now via TBD Records. And if you plan on heading out to see them live, White Rabbits are on tour right now. I'll be heading out to their show at the Troubadour on June 18th. Tickets are only $12 plus some ridiculous service fee at Ticketmaster.
I'm jamming Welcome 2 Detroit right now in anticipation of Dilla's next posthumous release, Jay Stay Paid, which looks like it turning out to be the release that the hardcore fans have been waiting for. The cover art is enticing on its own, but looking at the tracklist for Jay Stay Paid, which features guest appearances from DOOM, Black Thought, Lil Fame, and Illa J, I get even more excited. The track with Black Thought leaked a while back on Nah Right, but "24K Rap" with Havoc and Raekwon sold me on this one. The gritty beat on this track [...]
Heard this on KCRW the other night on the way back from the KROQ Weenie Roast. "Two Weeks" is one of the best tracks on the new Grizzly Bear album, Veckatimest, which is definitely one of my favorite albums so far this year. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally see them live at the Wiltern in a few weeks, and if you're in LA, tickets are still available for the show through Live Nation. The Fred Falke Remix is from the Two Weeks single, which is available now on vinyl and through [...]
With LA's Flying Lotus incorporating more dubstep in to his recent DJ sets and remixes, it's no surprise to hear this new track "Glendale Galleria" exhibiting some of the same characteristics. Flying Lotus has always had sort of a dark, earthy feel to his beats, so it's a good fit and I agree with GvsB that fans of Burial will likely dig this guy's work. Flying Lotus is already known to throw some Burial in to his DJ sets anyways, the most recent of which you can check out here. "Glendale Galleria" is from the Flying Lotus/Joker split, [...]
Passion Pit's debut album, with the same title as this song, is unexpectedly one of the best albums I've heard all year. It's a bit different than their EP, with songs like "The Reeling" sounding a lot more full than their stripped down earlier songs like "Sleepyhead". This ends up making for quite an incredible album, much more so than their EP. In fact, if the album ended up sounding like the EP, there's a good chance I wouldn't have even posted this. Alas, it's a lot better and I'm even venturing out to see Passion Pit later this month [...]
I was a bit caught off guard last week when a couple new Cool Kids tracks popped up on the internet, along with this video of the duo and renowned mixtape DJ/producer polishing off the finishing touches on a new mixtape. Little did I know the tape would be dropping so soon, but I can't say I'm not pleased with the urgency in which this thing was released. It seems like it's been a while since we heard some new tracks from the duo, but the Cool Kids have emerged from the cold Chicago winter with some hot new material. [...]
This is one of my favorite rap collaborations in quite some time. There are all kinds of cameos in the video too. Back On My B.S. is in stores May 19th. Bonus: Kid Cudi - Respect My Conglomerate Freestyle
Critical Acclaim
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