Quit Mumbling

There is a magic to Sigur Ros. Their explosive melancholy is deep and powerful. Their soaring vocals and summiting sonicscapes are simultaneously light and ethereal. Bow teased guitars and resounding bass tow a tenuous line between a transcendent grace and a foreboding apocalypse made manifest in sweeping suites of eerie Post-Rock. The band’s latest live [...]

It’s been two years since we’ve heard from the Jersey boys of Real Estate. Their self-titled debut album was released on Woodist Records back in 2009, falling right in line with the wave of lo-fi surf rock that continues to permeate indie music. Since then, the band signed to Domino Records, bid farewell to drummer [...]

“Pursue happiness with diligence.” Sage words from Mastodon in the form of a haunting mantra repeated over the epic groove that closes out The Hunter, the band’s fifth studio release and their most complete album yet. It’s been twelve years of hard touring with their explosive neo-metal so take some hard earned advice from the [...]

A lot has happened to Leslie Feist in the four years since she released The Reminder in 2007. High-profile Apple ads and numerous soundtrack features quickly brought her music to a much wider audience in a relatively short amount of time, all while the Canadian songstress has kept a mostly low-profile herself. In fact, today’s [...]

A voice echoes “grimy” on Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire’s lead single “Huzzah” and that word captures the intended tone of eXquire’s debut tape, Lost in Translation. A tone that matches a grimy worldview shaped by 40s, dirty apartments and chicks willing to performsexual acts on record. Fueled by this outlook, eXquire mines the late 90s/early 00s [...]

I was always taught to make prayer part of my everyday life.  But lacking discipline in this practice makes it easy to fall into the category of those who view prayer as sort of a life boat, a remaining shred of hope at moment of desperation.  It’s clear that on Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Girls [...]

When Detroit-bred rapper Danny Brown dropped his free mixtape XXX last week, folks were understandably amped for the tape. Since releasing his stellar album The Hybrid last year and later signing to a hipster favorite record label, Brooklyn-based Fool’s Gold, Brown’s profile has risen considerably. Still, some questioned whether Brown had fallen off given his [...]

There is so much great hip hop coming out right now that it can be hard to begin sifting through it all, but let it be known: if you’re only going to listen to a handful of hip-hop records this year, make sure that Roc Marciano & Gangrene’s collab ep, Greneberg, is included in that [...]

Over the past few years, there’s been a much revived interest in the music and work of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, due in large part to the success of FELA! (the broadway musical focusing on the life of the famed Nigerian, which has garnered rave reviews and Tony nods). This Fela onslaught is much welcomed [...]