While relatively new to the music scene, Kivvy has already been creating quite a buzz around his hometown of Rochester, New York. He has a catchy flow and the beats are always on point. Check out this video for Surely which is the first single off his upcoming mixtape. He spits out what every aspiring rapper thinks about every night before they go to bed – ‘am I going to make it?’ With hard work and the right mindset, Kivvy surely has a shot of doing so.

Check out his first mixtape ‘To Whom It May Concern‘ and keep up to date with young Kivvy on facebook.

Video: Kivvy – Surely |

The Knocks – “All We Got” ft. One Room & Kardinal Offishall (Brenton Duvall Remix)

Brenton remixed this already awesome The Knocks song. I’d tell you to go heart it over on Hype Machine… but the motto is still Fuck Zoya. He’s got an album/EP/project/what-have-you of all original material coming soon. In fact, he debuted a snippet of a track he’s been working on for a year on Twitter today.

Everything he has released lately has been sounding glorious. My music bone has been pulsing with anticipation. Be sure to check out (how often is that generic-ass phrase used on blogs?) Mr. Duvall at Bonnaroo (!)

MP3: The Knocks – “All We Got” ft. One Room & Kardinal Offishall (Brenton Duvall Remix) |

Look who’s back. Childish Gambino, he who still doesn’t understand why that Trayvon Martin line he dropped sucked balls, releases this track after a lengthy Twitter monologue. He touched on common subjects, like his musical development (more power to ya bruh), his poor upbringing, and his favorite target, the irreconcilable differences of race. All in all, we didn’t learn anything new from these tweets, just basically a rehash of his entire Camp album. I won’t knock the hustle, though; Donald does work his ass off.

Anyway, on to the music. The track itself, titled “We Ain’t Them,” is actually pretty dope. The beat rides nice and smooth, and CG tones down his characteristically whiney voice. There’s some clever wordplay and some decent quotables without reaching too far for either one of them. On his website “I Am Donald”, the track is prefaced with a word from the homie Big Ghost, an admitted apathetic to Troy Donald’s work. It’s not a traditional co-sign, but it works for him. Check it out, it’s solid.

Childish Gambino – We Ain’t Them

–@LoneXionc

MP3: Childish Gambino – We Ain’t Them |

“Brick Flair” is another vicious heater from A$ton’s upcoming Versace Rags, produced by Joey Fatts & Leken Taylor. You didn’t know A$AP Rocky bit A$ton’s flow for “Goldie”? “Brick Flair” is getting added to the whip playlist with a sincere quickness. Hope y’all are catching on.

Aston Matthews – Brick Flair

MP3: A$ton Matthews – Brick Flair |

The phrase “Dream Pop” conjures imagery of barely-engaged instrumentalists, sleepwalking their way through a reverb-laden, melody-driven tune, with an emphasis on atmosphere. And, for a subgenre so predicated on large sound, the personalities involved often land on the more tepid side when it comes to performance presentation. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally aren’t exactly bucking that trend, but their progression does speak volumes. Beach House has a very specific skill set and Bloom, the duo’s fourth, and probably most stylistically consistent release, is probably the premier realization of exactly what these two can accomplish in an album format. Beach House is that band that you’ve always wanted to praise to your friends, but couldn’t find an accessible entryway to reference. Bloom is not only that entryway, it also stands as verification for everything that’s preceded it.

As hyperbolic and ceremonial as that assessment may come off as, the music leads to nothing less. 2010′s Teen Dream, a proverbial indie gem, set the stage for a band that was looking for more than the limitations of their genre would allow. Dancing around labels like “chillwave” and “noise pop”, BH blindsided fans and critics alike with left-field song structure (“10 Mile Stereo”), linear progression (“Zebra”), and downright gorgeous composition (“Walk in the Park”). Bloom has taken all of this, channeled it through the filter of perspective, wrung it through the studio meat grinder (via engineering wunderkind Chris Coady), honed in on the where the emotion comes from, and delivered on the binary dynamic of their interplay. The one-two opening punch of “Myth” and “Wild” may be a bit of misdirection on Beach House’s behalf — both tracks, on first listen, come off as somewhat unassuming, mid-tempo introductions. But, the stage is set upon further examination, and the duo’s modus operandi, or secret weapon, if you will, becomes clear: Hidden depth.

In multiple aspects, Bloom plays like one hour-long ambient track, weaving aimlessly through various emotional and instrumental themes. “Other People” gives us “punk ballad Beach House”, with an exasperated Legrand lamenting “other people want to keep you down” over Scally’s sullen guitar plucks. It’s genuine, but not out of place surrounded by the especially dreamy “Lazuli” and the shot of testosterone in “The Hours”. A lot of these tracks don’t exactly grow as much as ease into their sweet spot. What Beach House has has done well, historically, is accentuate the more flowery aspects of their songs, while burying the muscle that drives them. This is no clearer then on the masterfully crafted “Wishes”, which can stand as the epitome of ‘hidden depth’, stuffing what can be interpreted as anything from horns to strings to muffled Casio synths into the frame of the chorus. There’s a youthfulness to much of the music here that sometimes veils the intricacies of their composition.

As far as flaws go, Bloom‘s are essentially readymade and built-in. As previously noted, the album flows a lot like one, multi-movement song. While this is beneficial to conventional continuity, much of the nuances that contribute to the albums depth can’t really shine beyond the familiar tone of the songs. Many of the tracks start and end in the same fashion, demanding patience, more than anything, from the listener. The back half of the album is certainly tethered song-by-song, from the ethereal “New Year” to the aforementioned “Wishes”; Bloom doesn’t exactly race toward its finale. But, what a finale it is! The nearly 17 minute closer (including the hidden track) “Irene” begins with some hypnotic, Panda Bear-reminiscent guitars that form the foundation for the duration of the track. Then, halfway through, the vocals and synths drop out, and the piano, *ahem*, blooms to crescendo, giving way to one of the most triumphant and climactic conclusions in their catalog. Well worth any amount of prior tedium.

As a fan, Beach House gives you everything you’ve known they could accomplish in one, succinct package. And, as of this point in time, I can confidently say that every single BH album has gotten incrementally better since their 2006 self-titled debut. Though the connotation isn’t necessarily negative, I don’t see Legrand and Scally as “dream pop” artists anymore. There’s an organic, almost plenary disposition to their sound now. So, while they may still be experimenting on the dreamier side of the spectrum, there’s a clear sense of tangible reality. And Bloom is as lucid as dreams get.

9.3/10

Beach House – Bloom (REVIEW) |

Way before Rihanna was even “a thing,” Adina Howard was the R&B sex symbol that everyone was ranting and raving about. Ms. Howard pushed the envelope with songs like “Freak Like Me” and of course, “T-Shirt and Panties,”—letting men know that women could be sexually explicit in their music too.

Late-night t-shirt and panties attire is female code for, “I’m comfortable around you” and in most instances, “I’ma let you hit tonight.” If she opens the door with just that on, drive to the hole, Bron Bron.

And by the way, yes that is Jamie Foxx at the beginning of the song boo-loving with Adina on the phone.

Late Night Snack: Adina Howard – T-Shirt and Panties |

Death Grips’ The Money Store is one of the most exhilarating and unconventional albums in recent memory. Anyone who has caught the experimental trio’s live set can attest that they’re flipping the status quo. The group-directed video for “Hustle Bones” has weed, money, beer, and pills going through the laundry machine, an accurate visual representation of the accompanying music.

The Money Store is in stores now, and a new album is on the way.

via Fantano

Video: Death Grips – Hustle Bones |

COMPLEX debuted “Escape To Italy,” the first listen to Frank Ocean’s cousin SK La’Flare & superproducer Michael Uzowuru‘s upcoming joint project Mark Of The Beast. Listen to “Escape to Italy” below and look for Mark Of The Beast to rattle trunks this summer.

MP3: Sk La’Flare – Escape To Italy (prod. Michael Uzowuru) |

More info, updates, etc. can be found here.

5th Annual Roots Picnic Lineup (+ MJF Philly Fam) |

Man, Alex Nazari did one Hell of a job directing this visual for 2 Chainz. Whack song, dope video. This was definitely one of the more skippable tracks off of his T.R.U. REALigion mixtape. But hey, you can’t knock ‘em all out the park.

Watch: 2 Chainz – Murder ft. Kreayshawn (Video) |