Photo via Up North Trips In 1980, Kurtis Blow stood astride a freshly minted genre like a good time goliath. He was the first rapper to sign with a major label, and the first to achieve a gold record with his single, “The Breaks”. In that sense, there will always be a touch of disappointment […]

Art by Delgoff. Aaron Matthews had a good weekend. Eddie Argos has been stammering out honest tales of embarrassment, alcoholism, love and rock n roll with Art Brut since 2005. The band’s latest album Brilliant! Tragic! was produced by former Pixies bellower Frank Black and finds Eddie, actually singing instead of speak-singing for a change. […]

Photo via Scott McDonald Darkened highways. Pocket combs. Battered Gibsons. The vein of Americana imagery drawn upon by Dirty Beaches runs deep. The Taiwan-born, Vancouver-reared Alex Zhang Hungtai is the man behind Badlands, a fleeting, evocative record that tours through the back roads of David Lynch films, Duane Eddy. I chatted with Hungtai via email […]

In hindsight, it would’ve been tragic if Dap King and Daptone co-owner Gabe Roth hadn’t approached soul singer Charles Bradley in a small New York club nearly a decade ago. The payoff came on the 62 year-old’s debut, this spring’s No Time For Dreaming, a record that initiated a wider audience to his James Brown […]

Photo by Josh Bis As much as the bulk of his work with Shabazz Palaces properly captures the discord of living in 21st Century America, in conversation, Ishmael Butler sounds remarkably at ease with himself and his place in the world. After a career that has had tall peaks (the well-noted Grammy nomination for Digable […]

Butterz is the label. While Night Slugs and Hessle grab more headlines in the EDM world, London’s top new Grime imprint is busy connecting the streets to international bass massive by breaking barriers and going places others won’t. Following an outstanding first quarter that saw the release of two top rated singles in Royal-T’s “Orangeade” […]

Though known to most as B.O.B.’s right hand, ATLien Playboy Tre (born Clarence Montgomery) has carved out his own niche in the rap game as a thoughtful storyteller and skillful shit-talker with a trio of excellent, cohesive mixtapes. He first made an impact as a solo artist with the excellent “Goodbye America” tape in ’08, […]

Everything you read about Domo Genesis will refer to him as Odd Future’s resident weed head. This is how it goes when you title your debut, “Rolling Papers” and arrive to interviews with eyes the color of Coke cans. He capsized his own existence in six words: smoking weed, fucking bitches, eating cereal. Not every […]

The talent on tap for Erland & the Carnival, who emerged out of the busy London indie scene in 2008, is more than a little intimidating. There’s the charismatic, angel-voiced Erland Cooper out front, while the Carnival consists of David Nock, former right-hand man to producer Youth, and Simon Tong, one time cornerstone of The […]

Releasing a successful album can be a double-edged sword, especially for new artists or someone that’s never been in the spotlight. Touring and publicity can become a poisonous combination for those lacking a relatively well-adjusted background, and for some they may just feel like an unnecessary bore. Luckily, Egyptrixx (real name David Psutka), has found […]