In times of great turmoil in the world, it can be reassuring to focus on the simple fact of our shared humanity. That’s one way to hear “Uniforms,” the latest single from the Polish art-rock band Trupa Trupa: as a clarion call that the world needs right now. “I wanna …
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Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis wrote in his 2004 autobiography, Scar Tissue, that the band’s drummer, Chad Smith, originally came to Los Angeles from his native Detroit with dreams of becoming a movie star — though Kiedis apparently failed to fact-check that bit with his bandmate. “That’s bullshit,” …
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Though they were preceded with a nostalgic special edition of the long-retired Rap City and capped with a medley of Nelly’s hits through the aughts, this year’s annual BET Hip Hop Awards was at its best when it highlighted new talent in the world of rap. Here are the best …
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In 2011, Tink’s debut mixtape, Winter’s Diary, introduced the world to a 16-year-old pining and recording ballads from the basement. Ten years, seven mixtapes, and two albums later, the Chicago singer and rapper has built a devoted fan base for her heartfelt, honest, and soulful music. Tink’s process of creating …
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Afrobeats heavyweight Wizkid just dropped the deluxe edition of his fourth album, Made in Lagos, imbuing the final days of summer with more tropical grooves. The original version of the album arrived last fall, earning adoration from critics and fans alike. That appreciation only grew with time. For many, the …
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Where was Abstract Mindstate all these years? That’s a question that Chicago has had as long as “What if Bartman never tried to catch the ball from Alou?”— and to find the answer, you’ll have to take it back to the early 2000s. Abstract Mindstate was a key part of …
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As the world re-opens and live music and nightlife return, you can sense a significant shift of energy in the air. A fluctuation in the cultural mood. More people are returning to the summer parties and club nights that once cemented us in the present moment and reified our participation …
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On “Free Ride,” the first single from Mykki Blanco’s new mini-LP Broken Hearts & Beauty Sleep, the musician constructs a tabernacle from which to worship the sensation of love. The accompanying video features Blanco refiguring tropes of family, community, and celebration to more inclusive ends. What might read as dysfunctional …
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Artists who found themselves recording music in lockdown last year were often split between two creative paths: those geared towards introspection, and those who anticipated the post-pandemic hedonism to come in summer 2021. Loraine James, meanwhile, found a way to synthesize both states of mind. The London-based producer’s latest album, …
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The Monkees have survived many logical endpoints. They first seemed like they were done when their TV show went off the air in early 1968, and then again multiple times after: when they disbanded as a recording unit in 1971, when their reunion tours fizzled out amid bitter infighting in …
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