May
17

Question In the Form of An Answer: James Blake — interviewed by Aaron Frank

James Blake is one of few modern electronic artists who has managed to stay relevant both commercially and within the underground community that birthed him. Since exploding onto the scene with two groundbreaking experimental EPs and a widely applauded commercial full-length, Blake has stayed true to his underground roots by releasing several dancefloor-driven singles and… Continue reading »

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Mar
28

Deniro Farrar is The Patriarch

Aaron Frank is the Archbishop. I assumed Deniro Farrar was just another mixtape rapper until I saw him jump on stage during Lunice’s set at a recent Boiler Room event. Shirtless and covered in tattoos, the hulking Charlotte-based rapper easily stood out amid the sea of snapback-sporting kids in the crowd, some of whom looked… Continue reading »

Posted in Aaron Frank, Deniro Farrar | 2 comments | Read Later

Mar
05

Question In the Form of An Answer: Zomby Interviewed by Aaron Frank

Paranoia seems to pervade every aspect of Zomby’s life, so I didn’t even attempt to go through his publicist to arrange this interview. Not only does he keep his identity a secret, he wouldn’t let his dog be included in a photograph, explaining that an ex-girlfriend had been stalking him. Considering the low probability, I… Continue reading »

Posted in Aaron Frank, Interviews, Zomby | 4 comments | Read Later

Mar
01

Question In the Form of An Answer: inc. interviewed by Aaron Frank

Brothers Daniel and Andrew Aged of the LA-based duo inc. concluded their run as session and touring musicians in 2009. After playing live with Elton John and 50 Cent and spending time in the studio with Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, they became disillusioned with the stilted environment of the pop world and decided they… Continue reading »

Posted in Aaron Frank, Inc, Interviews | 1 comment | Read Later

Feb
08

Frank N’ Beats: James Blake in Retrograde

Aaron Frank is so retrograde he only wears Helly Hanson. It’s only been a year since James Blake released his last EP, but in the time since, dubstep has been fully commercialized and we’ve been left to suffer the unavoidable wrath of EDM. So when Blake’s forthcoming album Overgrown was announced yesterday, it was welcome… Continue reading »

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Jan
31

Refusing to Fade: Two Decades Deep, Yo La Tengo Release One of their Most Inventive Albums

  Aaron Frank has it. Cloud-based streaming services like Spotify and Rdio still have some issues to smooth out with artist compensation, but I’m certainly not alone in feeling that the pros outweigh the cons. With such an expansive collection of music at your fingertips, it’s undoubtedly been a game-changer. The most notable impact Spotify… Continue reading »

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Dec
14

Question in the Form of an Answer: Mount Kimbie Interviewed by Aaron Frank

When Mount Kimbie first emerged from the ashes of the dubstep scene in 2009, they were quickly tagged with the “post-dubstep” distinction along with their friend James Blake. By 2012 though, dubstep had become a dirty word altogether and with the rise of EDM and “bro-step,” virtually no one wants to align themselves with the… Continue reading »

Posted in Aaron Frank, Interviews, Mount Kimbie, Warp | 1 comment | Read Later

Nov
05

Frank N Beats: How Jamie xx Stole Remix of the Year

Vote Aaron Frank for Secretary of Agriculture. Around my fifth listen of Jamie xx’s new Four Tet remix, I noticed a Soundcloud comment that almost exactly mirrored my feelings on the track. “Totally incredible. It’s the future,” the comment read. And while the first part might have been bombastic praise, the second part about it… Continue reading »

Posted in Aaron Frank, Four Tet, Frank and Beats, Jamie XX | 1 comment | Read Later

Oct
18

Lonerism: Tame Impala Embraces A New Philosophy

Aaron Frank will accept your offer of a trip to Paris. All too often, new music is judged on back-story rather than its actual quality. Obviously it’s the critics’ job to separate music from myth, but occasionally, you come across an artist whose music is as interesting as its creation process.  A good back-story can… Continue reading »

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May
21

Frank N’ Beats: The Lonesome Dusty West

Aaron Frank has been hustlin, hustlin. With American dubstep mutating into ever-undesirable forms, it’s satisfying to see the artists on Oakland’s West In Dust label adding their own flare to the recent revivals in house and UK bass. Most of these artists have been making silky, uptempo electronic jams since well before the dubstep craze… Continue reading »

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Older posts «

The Top 50 Albums of 2012

All Gold Everything. Read more

The 50 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2012

No "All Gold Everything"

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A Bluffer's Guide to Rinse FM

Son Raw surveys London's Best Radio Station

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  • The 50 Greatest Producers of All-Time #50-1
  • Why Harvard & Stone is Against Rap Music and/or Why I'm Canceling My Participation in Tonight's Show
  • Why Is Big Sean Famous?: An Inquisition
  • The Union Forever: R.I.P White Stripes (1997-2011)
  • Earl Sweatshirt, Lost and Found: An Investigative Report by Doc Zeus

Listening

Jeff Weiss

  • Kevin Gates - The Luca Brasi Story
  • Curren$y - New Jet City
  • The Underachievers - Indigosim
  • Zodiac - Zodiac
  • Mandrill - Mandrill
  • King Sunny Ade - Juju Music
  • Nosaj Thing - Home
  • The Besnard Lakes - Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO
  • Stan Getz & the Oscar Peterson Trio - Stan Getz & The Oscar Peterson Trio

Sach O

  • A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP
  • The Underachievers - Indigoism
  • Roc Marciano - Reloaded
  • Wen - Commotion EP
  • Slew Dem - Playground
  • DJ Furious & Wiley - The Eski Sound
  • Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli
  • Captain Murphy - Duality
  • Cypress Hill - Temples of Boom
  • Elijah & Skilliam on Rinse.FM

Douglas Martin

  • The Urinals - Negative Capability
  • Ice Age - You're Nothing
  • Wimps - Repeat
  • Beach Fossils - Clash the Truth
  • Eat Skull - III
  • My Bloody Valentine - mbv
  • Grouper- The Man Who Died in His Boat
  • Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription
  • Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
  • Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin - Reverse Shark Attack

Aaron Matthews

  • Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
  • Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Fegmania
  • Supergrass - I Should Coco
  • Gunplay - Cops & Robbers

Doc Zeus

  • A$AP Mob - Lord$ Never Worry
  • Meyhem Lauren - Respect the Fly Shit
  • My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
  • Wrecking Crew - Wu-Tang Pulp

Max Bell

  • Black Uhuru - Red/Sinsemilla/The Dub Factor
  • Curren$y - New Jet City
  • Black Sabbath - Paranoid/Master of Reality
  • V/A - Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label
  • The Underachievers - Indigoism
  • Souls of Mischief - 93' Til Inifinity
  • Nosaj Thing - Home
  • Giraffage - Needs
  • Teebs - Collections 01

Evan Nabavian

  • Slum Village - Dirty Slums 2
  • John Barry - The Ipcress File
  • Karriem Riggins - Alone Together

Tosten Burks

  • Roc Marciano - Reloaded
  • A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP
  • Q-Tip - The Renaissance
  • Julian Malone - Enemy
  • Quakers - Quakers
  • Raphael Saadiq - Instant Vintage

Matt Shea

  • Serengeti - C.A.R.
  • Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
  • El-P Cancer 4 Cure
  • Serengeti - Kenny Dennis EP
  • Ab-Soul - Control System
  • Burn One - The Ashtray
  • Alpine - A is for Alpine
  • Chromatics - Kill for Love
  • Curren$y - The Stoned Immaculate
  • Grand Salvo - Slay Me in My Sleep

Slava P

  • The Underachievers - Indigoism
  • Chester Watson - Phantom
  • Kendrick Lamar - C4
  • 100s - Ice Cold Perm
  • li>King Louie - Drilluminati
  • Kevin Gates - The Luca Brasi Story

Jimmy Ness

  • Chief Keef - Finally Rich
  • Mike Will Made It - Established in 1989 Pt. 2
  • Deftones - Koi No Yokan
  • James Taylor - Greatest Hits
  • Joni Mitchell - Blue

Jonah Bromwich

  • Shlohmo - Laid Out
  • The Underachievers - Indigoism
  • Curren$y - New Jet City
  • Rhye - The Fall
  • Alexander Spit - A Breathtaking Ride to the Other Side
  • Nosaj Thing - Home
  • My Bloody Valentine - mbv
  • Night Slugs All Stars Volume 2
  • Dawn Richard - Goldenheart
  • Chester Watson - Phantom

Adam Wray

  • My Bloody Valentine - mbv
  • Toro y Moi - Anything in Return
  • Lee Sins - Lina/Youth Gone 12"
  • Lee Sins - Fetch/Taken 12"
  • Physical Therapy - Safety Net
  • The Underachievers - Indigoism

Reading

Jeff Weiss

  • Dorothy Parker - The Portable Dorothy Parker

Sach O

  • Rayond Chandler - The Long Goodbye

Douglas Martin

  • Michael Chabon - Telegraph Avenue

Max Bell

  • Richard Ford - Rock Springs
  • Charles Bukowski - War All the Time
  • Tobias Wolff - Back in the World
  • Kate Chopin - Bayou Folk & A Night in Arcadie
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby

Aaron Matthews

  • Pico Lyer - The Lady and the Monk
  • David Thoreau - Walden

Slava P

  • Leo Tolstoy - The Cossacks

Jonah Bromwich

  • Don Delillo - Underworld
  • Adam Mansbach - Rage is Back
  • Italo Calvino - Cosmicomics

Doc Zeus

  • Dan Charnas - The Big Payback

Adam Wray

  • Simon Reynolds - Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture
  • Evgeny Morozov - The Net Delusion

Alex Piveysky

  • HP Lovecraft - The Dream-quest of Unkown Kadath

Evan Nabavian

  • Jon Burlingame - The Music of James Bond

Watching

Jeff Weiss

  • 30 Rock
  • The Lakers' Existential Laments
  • Mad Men - Season 3

Sach O

  • Django Unchained
  • Lincoln
  • Argo
  • Zero Dark Thirty
  • The Daily Show
  • George Carlin HBO Specials

Douglas Martin

  • Mad Men - Season 5
  • Archer - Seasons 1-4
  • Wristcutters: A Love Story
  • The Mindy Project Season 1
  • Girls Season 2
  • Community Season 1
  • You're Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson
  • Parks & Recreation Season 5
  • Style Wars
  • We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen

Max Bell

  • Californication - Season 6
  • The Twilight Zone
  • Miller's Crossing
  • L.A. Plays Itself
  • Steven Wright Stand Up Material
  • Barfly

Aaron Matthews

  • Simpsons Season 4
  • Goodfellas
  • Searching for Sugarman
  • Community Season 3
  • Looper

Evan Nabavian

  • Seven Psychopaths
  • Zero Dark Thirty
  • Hitchcock

Jonah Bromwich

  • The NBA
  • NBC Comedy
  • New Girl/li>
  • Girls
  • The Colbert Report

Slava P

  • Breaking Bad
  • Zeitgeist
  • House of Cards

Doc Zeus

  • Bronson
  • Breaking Bad
  • Warrior
  • The People vs. George Lucas
  • WWE Monday Night Raw

Matt Shea

  • Mad Men Season 4
  • The Dark Knight Rises
  • Birdsong
  • Sorcerer
  • To Live and Die in LA
  • Extreme Prejudice
  • Romancing the Stone
  • The 13th Warrior
  • Margin Call
  • The Olympics

Adam Wray

  • NBA
  • NHL
  • Portlandia Season 3

Alex Piveysky

  • Boxer's Omen
  • The Hobbit
  • Futurama Season 6
  • Killing Them Softly
  • Get A Life

Inner Sanctum

  • 33 Jones
  • A Human Vacuum (Alfred Soto)
  • Analog Giant
  • Bass is the Place
  • Berkeley Place
  • Bloggerhouse
  • Budget Fashionistas (Douglas Martin)
  • Byron Crawford
  • Clap Cowards (Zilla Rocca)
  • Cooler Than That (Trey Kerby)
  • Diving Off Docks (Renato Pagnani)
  • Drop Tops & Stacey Lattisaw Tapes
  • Hip Hop is Read
  • Metal Lungies
  • Marathonpacks
  • Problem World (Nate Patrin)
  • Screw Rock N' Roll
  • Smoking Section
  • So Much Silence
  • Soul Sides
  • Up North Trips
  • Yours Truly

Miscellaneous Apostles

  • 92 BPM
  • 900 Bats
  • Brooklyn Vegan
  • Fake Shore Drive
  • Fluxblog
  • Gorilla Vs. Bear
  • Hidden Track
  • Hipster Runoff
  • I Am Fuel, You are Friends
  • Largehearted Boy
  • My Old Kentucky Blog
  • Nah Right
  • Nialler9
  • Oceans Never Listen
  • OnSmash
  • Phat Friend
  • Question Mark Exclamation Point
  • ReqEffect
  • Root Blog
  • Sasha Frere-Jones
  • Shabooty
  • Skeet On Mischa
  • Slushy Gutter Summer
  • Some Velvet Blog
  • Sonic Router
  • Steady Bloggin
  • The Rap Up
  • The Rising Storm
  • The Singles Jukebox
  • The T.R.O.Y. Blog
  • Typo-Graphical
  • Unkut
  • Voodoo Funk
  • Wayne and Wax
  • Wediditcollective
  • Whatevs
  • You'll Soon Know

Local Natives

  • Aquarium Drunkard
  • Buzz Bands
  • LA-Underground
  • Rollo & Grady
  • Surfing On Steam
  • The Rawking Refuses to Stop
  • The Scenestar
  • Understanding Media

    • Daytrotter
    • Dusted
    • Hip Hop DX
    • LAIST
    • LA Weekly
    • Los Angeles Times
    • New York Magazine
    • New York Times
    • Pitchfork
    • Resident Advisor
    • Slate
    • State Magazine
    • Stereogum
    • The Agit Reader
    • The Daily Swarm
    • The New Yorker
    • Vanity Fair
    • Fact
    • XLR8R

    The Sporting Life

    • Ball Don't Lie
    • Grantland
    • Hardwood Paroxysm
    • The Basketball Jones
    • The Classical

2011

  • Top 50 Albums
  • Top 50 Hip-Hop Songs

2010

  • Top 25 UK Bass Tracks
  • Top DJ Mixes
  • Top 50 Albums
  • Top 50 Hip-Hop Songs

2009

  • Top 50 Albums
  • Top 50 Non-Rap Songs
  • Top 50 Hip-Hop Songs

2008

  • Top 50 Albums
  • Top 50 Non-Rap Songs (A-L)
  • Top 50 Non-Rap Songs (M-Z)
  • Top 50 Hip-Hop Songs

2007

  • Top 50 Albums
  • Top Local Albums
  • Top 25 Hip-Hop Songs

2006

  • Top 25 Albums
  • Top 25 Rock Songs
  • Top 25 Hip-Hop Songs

Miscellaneous

  • Top 50 Rap Albums of the 00s
  • Top 25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All-Time