Los Angeles alt-R&B singer-songwriter Jarell Perry released his “White†EP in the fall, full of hazy soundscapes, moody lyrics, and soulful vocals. He has gained some attention since then amid the budding young generation of modern-day neo-soul, and began his headlining Monday night residency at the Bootleg this week. In the past month, he has […]
On May 27, Stones Throw Records will release an anthology boxed set spanning four LPs devoted to the works of the late MC Charizma. The collection is called “Circa 1990-1993†and commemorates the 20th anniversary of his passing, shot dead at the age of 20 during a mugging in December 1993. His partner and producer, […]
On Saturday, April 26, Rashad Harden, aka DJ Rashad, was found dead in Chicago due to complications stemming from a blood clot in his leg. He was 34. The Chicago-area native was both dancing and DJing by the time he was in middle school, and he eventually helped develop the electronica genre of “footwork” used […]
Just before his band began their second set on Wednesday night, Beck looked around the crowd in producer Bob Clearmountain’s Apogee Studio in Santa Monica and remarked, “With the lighting and the stage, I’m having flashbacks to open mic nights. Apogee Studio is like a coveted and elusive treehouse for music nerds, and with a […]
Twenty-four-year-old singer SZA originally intended to release “Z†as a follow-up EP to the “S†EP of October 2013, but after the increase of exposure since then, “Z†comes to us as a debut full-length album via Top Dawg Entertainment. It features production from DJ Dahi, Emile Hayne, Felix Snow and Toro Y Moi, and […]
The Edinburgh trio of Young Fathers brought their explosive live act to the Airliner for Low End Theory on Wednesday night, in support of their new album “Dead.†After an introductory DJ set by Gaslamp Killer, Kayus Bankole, G. Hastings, and Alloysious Massaquoi took the stage just after midnight and dove into a nearly 40-minute […]
Los Angeles MC and producer Paris Jones has been a roll. After putting out the mixtape “You’re Invited to the Assassination of Patrick Campbell by Paris Jones†in the fall – sampling Active Child, Ellie Goulding and James Blake – he has set out to release an EP each month this year, so far offering […]
Toronto jazz-hop trio BADBADNOTGOOD are one of the most diverse and interesting young bass-drum-keyboard outfits out there. Their love for hip-hop is evident in their sound, having backed Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator on stage, produced for Danny Brown and Earl Sweatshirt, and covered A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Gucci Mane and Kanye […]
Following the release of a collaborative EP each of the last three years (“Shame,†“Thuggin’†and “Deeper,” chronologically), Freddie Gibbs and Madlib are set to put out their long-anticipated full-length album “Piñata†next week, with 17 tracks featuring guest verses from a plethora of talent, including Ab-Soul, BJ The Chicago Kid, Casey Veggies, Danny Brown, […]
Alt-R&B, if that’s what we’re calling it these days – instead of alternative soul, Alt&B, Emo&B, indie R&B or the rather offensive and reductive PBR&B – seems to retain a few distinct qualities: electronic beats (exquisite and/or brooding), vocals (in the high-to-angelically high range) and echo (from mild to drowning in reverb). When that trifecta […]
