20 Songs You Need To Listen To Now (April 2013)
Once upon a time, the only way you could find out about new music was by being a mag head. Flipping through pages took you away from the Top 40 and introduced the Jay Reatards, the Lykke Lis and the Kendrick Lamars of the world. For most, nothing felt better than throwing a new artist onto their third generation iPod and falling into the deep end of a different sound, and that's where this feature comes in. Every month, we'll mess with nostalgia... Read More
40 Must-Haves For Record Store Day 2013
Turning six this Saturday, the annual shindig known as RECORD STORE DAY is set to raid independent record stores once again. It’s just this time, artists and labels aren’t kidding around. Special releases range from cassettes to chess sets and even add to the discographies of MGMT, David Bowie and Public Enemy. Since the master list of releases is almost like an index of new addictions, we’ve weeded out the 40 best pieces of vinyl... Read More
40 Must-Hear Artists At SXSW 2013
Remember the days where a concert used to be an “average” thing? We don’t. The city of Austin is stacking amps and propane tanks in preparation for its biggest edition of SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST and like careless teenagers, we’re jumping right into the thick of it. Justin Timberlake, Dave Grohl, Iggy Pop and Depeche Mode are just some of the big names headlining premier events, but with this year’s lineup, we want the stage... Read More
Why Frank Ocean Deserves A Grammy
Having once been the whitest 12-year-old on a Caribbean island, my preference in music has had a tendency to flip flop but the Grammys have always exhibited a sense of importance to me. It was the righteous little bro to the Oscars; a gala that celebrated music and introduced songwriters to another level of the phrase “I’ve made it”. A lot of folks may tune out during Sunday’s ceremony because of the latest rule on T&A,... Read More
Why Dave Grohl Will Always Be Rad
In case it’s been a while since you’ve involuntarily thought to yourself, “Man, Dave Grohl is so rad!” there’s this. It’s a new documentary directed by Grohl titled Sound City, about him and a bunch of his most famous rock star friends, all in the recording studio together, jamming and laying down tracks… okay, no that’s not what it’s about but that’s in there. That premise might have already... Read More
30 Artists To Watch In 2013
We’re not afraid to say it: 2013 is going to provide an endless amount of music. With MP3 blogs blowing up with new tracks every day and fests looking more like an escapable black hole, it would almost be racist to not dust off that tray and burn a CD-R full of car-ready jams. It’s not quite 2003 but the new “wave” of artists has now become a tsunami with Godzilla slamdancing at the helm. We’re no prophets as we still... Read More
The Top 50 Albums Of 2012
If you’ve come to the conclusion that 2012 was a terrible year for albums, then there may be something seriously wrong with you. The past 12 months have exposed a whole new side to music, one that’s changed the way listeners receive full-length efforts and has even convinced us not to overlook an emerging musician and his Tumblr sounds. 250+ records later, here is a list of our Top 50 albums that includes deranged punk outcasts, bits of... Read More
The 10 Best Mixtapes Of 2012
Even though mixtapes will never get reacquainted with magnetic tape, they’ve become the heart and soul of modern day hip hop. The genre isn’t fully caught up on their Billboard-plaguing ways but as last year proved, one single tape can push an artist (hint: Frank Ocean) to record a major label LP and snag half a dozen Grammys in just 22 months. With its overflowing talent pool that will likely never stop growing in the new year, we high-five... Read More
The 10 Best EPs Of 2012
They may be a far cry from being a full-length, but extended plays hold a lot of value. They feed addictions to new music, showcase the textures to B-sides and rarities and on occasion, provide an example of where your favourite artist is headed. In 2012, the EP became an art form that provided all of the above along with some of the year’s best tracks. Spinning release after release and even excluding extraordinary compositions like How To... Read More
The Best Music Videos Of 2012
MTV may have decapitated the music video fan, but thanks to YouTube and NSFW personas, they’re still prominent with their own ingenious makeups. Action Bronson and Das Racist hid rap music behind crushing forms of humour, noisemakers Cloud Nothings and Killer Mike added confusion to creatively gutting scenarios and even some of hip hop’s biggest names reassured us it’s okay to have more swag than a flu-ridden Michael Jordan in the... Read More