This week saw the floatation of Facebook on the stock market after its owners placed a value of more than $100 billion on the social networking business. The historic debut meant over 1,000 investors in the site became instant millionaires and it indicated the phenomenal power that social media has on 21st century living. The [...]

A little bit of Scandinavia arrived in New York last week, as We Are Serenades came to town in support of their recently-released album Criminal Heaven. At the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, the band was joined by the Aviation Orange and HITS on May 11. Helmed by Adam Olenius of Shout Out Louds and Laasko’s [...]

The New Zealand songstress Kimbra is becoming something like an enchanting, music-making goddess in the States. After being featured in Gotye’s infectious “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Kimbra started to be recognized as a stunning force of art. She then worked with Mark Foster and A-Trak for the “Warrior” joint, and killed it at [...]

“It’s good to be home,” said School of Seven Bells frontwoman Alejandra Deheza from the stage at Le Poisson Rouge on May 5.  The duo, formed with guitarist Benjamin Curtis, came back to New York to wrap up its national tour in support of recently-released third album Ghostory.  From the stunning album opener “The Night” [...]

The Beastie Boys have done huge things for music. There are few bands that could be considered more successful and more diverse than the New York trio who have been lighting up stages since their 1984 debut. The infamous line-up of Adrock, MCA and Mike D has been on musical journeys unlike any other band. [...]

Nasir “Nas” Jones is back. Being the emcee that brought us smashes like “Thief’s Theme,” “Made You Look” and “Hip Hop is Dead,” it is no surprise that his latest track is an absolute banger. Nas has focused his attention back on representing his home – New York City – and on staking his claim [...]

Downtempo introspection may not often come to mind when searching for descriptors for a Major Lazer single. On the other hand, you couldn’t possibly expect Diplo and Switch to rest on their laurels. The ever-evolving producers used spacey arpeggios and the angelic octave ascents of Amber Coffman to create this truly eclectic cut. Accompanied by [...]

Last week, the Drums brought their summertime sorrow to New York City’s Webster Hall on a night that matched the gloomier side of the band’s identity. The quintet brought their retro-prep style to their hometown at the beginning of a cross-country tour in support of their 2011 album Portamento. World-weary, memento mori lyrics and all, [...]

With each track beginning with the sample: “You’re now listening to AraabMuzik,” it’s pretty hard to mistake an AraabMuzik joint. But being able to recognise his production goes way beyond a simple name-check sample. The undisputed MVP of the MPC has taken live-performance beat making to the next level with his incredible technical skill. Whether [...]

The inimitable Later… with Jools Holland had a pretty epic night, bringing some North American sonic exports to the Brits. The episode featured legends-in-the-making Jack White and Norah Jones, along with up-and-comers Grimes and the Alabama Shakes – all WILD favorites.

For dwellers of the Northern Hemisphere, summer is coming, which means preparing a summer soundtrack is a necessary task. The perfect track to start off with is “Walkin’” by Brainfeeder artist Thundercat. This little gem comes from his Flying Lotus-produced debut album The Golden Age of Apocalypse, and is yet another example of the type of unique and imaginative music Brainfeeder [...]

Yuksek, aka Pierre-Alexandre Busson, is not the latest artist continuing France’s strong reputation for electronic music right now. He’s just one of the best. Below is the second half of our conversation. You can check out part one here. It does sound like you’re in a much better place with touring now than you were [...]

Yuksek, aka Pierre-Alexandre Busson, is not the latest artist continuing France’s strong reputation for electronic music right now. He’s just one of the best. In addition to two albums of his own, the dance-pop maestro has remixed artists from M83 to Lady Gaga to Ghostface Killah. His 2009 debut Away From The Sea was filled with party-ready [...]

The dazzling Nina Kraviz has found herself as one of the most respected names of tech house at the moment. It is not a surprise that the breakthrough Russian doll’s work is being massively emphasised by the devoted press, from Mixmag to Resident Advisor. Indeed, if we should give a name to current hot electro, [...]

Drake and Rihanna have collaborated before and they’re at it again, this time on the title track of Drizzy’s sophomore album Take Care. The song has already achieved international success and gone platinum in America, which is unsurprising given its pairing of two of the hottest stars in music right now. The fact that these [...]

Eden Rice and Charlotte Kemp Muhl are really pretty things that make really pretty songs. The two met in the lazy, hazy heat of suburban Georgia when they were just little girls (Rice was six and Muhl was four) and as little girls will do, made up their own language and waxed poetic about faeries. [...]

Dive into this self-directed low-fi clip for “Passenger” by Emily Wells. The collage of images were taken by the talented multi-instrumentalist while on tour in support of her new album Mama, which drops today. An additional side project with Dan the Automator, Pillowfight, will be released later this year. The Texas born, New York City [...]

Yesterday marked the 18th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death. For this Good Friday edition of From the Live Vault, let’s take a look at this haunting interpretation of “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam.” In his introduction, Cobain explains that the tune is “a rendition of an old Christian song, I think. But we [...]

It is quite obvious that women are underrepresented in hip hop, and the genre, even today, remains a patriarchal one. It doesn’t help that there is still a great deal of misogyny and machismo in songs and music videos. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any decent female rappers out there though. In fact, the evidence [...]

No frills. No gimmicks. When you’re Alabama Shakes, a band led by the ferociously voiced Brittany Howard, add-ons aren’t necessary. As the video for the first single off of upcoming debut album Boys and Girls, “Hold On” plays like a snippet of the live shows that have been garnering performance nominations for the band and [...]

Since working with Terry Urban on his 2008 mixtape, Goin’ Ape, Ohio-native Stalley has been doing his utmost to establish himself in the ever-competitive world of hip hop. Having toured alongside major hip hop players like Mos Def, Styles P, Jay Electronica and KRS-One, he is now starting to gain recognition as a standout artist [...]

The Beatles are unmatched in their depth and diversity of style. One of their greatest influences, both sonically and philosophically, was the group’s introduction to Eastern thought. This included transcendental mediation and classical Indian music. As the legend goes, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds introduced George Harrison to the music of sitar guru Ravi Shankar [...]

Who: Renee Yohe What she does: Musician Where: Orlando, Florida What are you currently working on? Recording my first EP, this interview… and myself (always). What do you think there is too much of, and too little of? Too much comfortable complacency, too little practical action. With whom would you like most to go on [...]

No matter how mild a winter, the vernal equinox is always a welcome arrival. Mark Twain once said, “In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” The Earth’s axis has tilted in favor of the sun in the northern hemisphere, bringing life to our limbs and color to [...]

The past 24 hours were all about insomnia for hardcore Madonna fans (and worried Lady Gaga fans). After last night, the songs off Madge’s new album – out on the 26th of March, now internationally called #madonnamonday – started to leak online many of us spent our Tuesday without trying to catch our breath. As [...]

Jake Gyllenhaal is no stranger to music videos. He has previously made cameo appearances in videos for tracks by Jamie Foxx and Vampire Weekend. Now he’s taken more of a starring role in the epic eight-and-a-half minute video for The Shoes’ song “Time to Dance”. The song itself is a catchy electro-pop number that has [...]

Jurassic 5 DJ and producer, DJ Nu-Mark, has joined forces with legendary emcee Bumpy Knuckles (aka Freddie Foxxx) on his latest offering ‘Dumpin’ ‘Em All’. The track effortlessly balances Nu-Mark’s bouncy production with Knuckles’ aggressive vocal style and there is a definite tinge of that old-skool J5 sound, which was always so appealing. Coming in [...]

We’re only 3 months into the year and 2012 already seems to be an exciting time for music. Santigold, the electro-reggae queen with monster beats, a killer voice and quirky but conscious lyrics, returns with her second solo album, Master of My Make-Believe. The album is set to release on May 1st. What a wonderful [...]

Music has an incredible power to engender empathy for those on the other side of the planet. As central Africa has suddenly become a part of western social discourse, let’s take a look at a local group of musicians making beautiful music in an ugly setting. We’ve previously explored the contemporary collaborations of Damon Albarn’s [...]

Sometimes you hear a song for the first time and are blown away. This happened to me when I first heard “The Black Dog” by the Canadian artist Black Atlass. The haunting Babe Ruth sample and hushed R&B vocals play off beautifully against the looped and layered instrumental backing. It sounds like something that could [...]

It is difficult to pinpoint what exactly it is it that qualifies a song or artist as being hip hop these days. The way in which hip hop has diversified over the past few years has left many people confused as to how to accurately describe the genre. Do you merely need an emcee and [...]

Ever since their inception in 2007, the multiple members of Odd Future, or, to give them their full name, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), have been on a mission to shake things up. Careering at full throttle into the mainstream music world’s consciousness in 2011 meant they had to crank it up [...]

Who: The Bones of J.R. Jones Born: Syracuse Resides: Downwind of the East River What he does: Musician Photo by Nolan Conway What’s on his mind today: Um. I suppose a number of things…if it’s ever gonna snow. If there’s ever going to be enough time to accomplish what needs to get done today. And [...]

Check out the new video from the electro pop musician, Yuksek. Based out of Reims, France, Pierre-Alexandre Busson recently released this kaleidoscope clip for the single ‘Off the Wall.’ To avoid complacency with blasé club-hopping, Yuksek decided to explore pop melodies in his sophomore album. Living on the Edge of Time was inspired by “the [...]

Who: Ango /Andrew Gordon Macpherson Where: Montreal, Quebec, Canada What he does: Synth pop/R&B singer and producer with a new release on UK’s LuckyMe label. Filmmaker behind videos for Jacques Greene and videos for designer Rad Hourani. What’s on his mind today: Trust issues. The illusion of control. Paranoia mistaken as inspiration. I think I [...]

Some artists convey an unmistakable message that transcends language barriers. Reading between the lines, or listening between the sound waves, fans the world over just seem to get it. Ana Tijoux, a French Chilean hip hop artist uses her subtle flow and classic beats to convey social messages that have grabbed hold of America Latina [...]

The ever-classy Norah Jones just dropped the first single to her May 1 release, Little Broken Hearts, but it is the album’s cover art that has caught our attention. The illustration that adorns Jones’ fifth LP was inspired by “a sadistically sensual motion picture,” set in the days of the Depression and Prohibition. The 1965 [...]

To commemorate the 47th anniversary of Malcolm X’s death, Yasiin Bey – formerly known as Mos Def – released a video for his remix of “N****s in Paris,” a hit single off of the Jay-Z/Kanye West album, Watch the Throne. Titled “N****s in Poorest,” Bey’s version paints a picture far darker than the original.  Known [...]

The neo-soul sensation D’Angelo has been pretty quiet over the last few years. However, he seemed to suddenly re-appear in January and has just completed a number of European tour dates in major cities like London, Paris, Stockholm and Oslo. It seems the music world is starting to get excited about Mr Michael Eugene Archer’s [...]

During several appearances that take place in February and March, Bjork has been introducing a New York audience to Biophilia, her most recent project that is both an album and an interactive collaboration. The ten new songs, presented by The Creators Project and performed at New York Hall of Science and Roseland Ballroom, were composed in conjunction with a downloadable app that is presented within the context [...]

Who: Vapor Maché Where: Los Angeles, California What He Does: Composer, producer and performer of electronic music delivering a healthy mix of melody-driven hip hop, dubstep, downtempo, tech house, glitch, and cinematic textures to ears worldwide. Photo by: Rel Fried What’s on his mind today: Taxes – just finished those though! Hooray. There’s a track [...]

Who: Meleni Smith Where: New York City What she does: Spreads Love (singer/songwriter) What’s on her mind today: It’s Valentine’s day so love is on my mind:) What she is currently working on: I am working on creating videos for my latest project ‘My Heart in Focus.’ The album chronicles an entire relationship so the [...]

For this edition of From the Live Vault, we travel back to 1983 to join the Talking Heads on stage for a performance that still seems progressive by today’s standards. Shot at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre over three nights, director Jonathan Demme teamed up with cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth and the legendary David Byrne to create one [...]

There can be no denying that France has had its fair share of international music successes. From Gainsbourg and Hallyday, through to Daft Punk, the Ed Banger Records crew and superstar producers like David Guetta and Bob Sinclar, there’s definitely global love for our Gallic friends. French hip hop may be harder to sell abroad [...]

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody. Here’s a visual and sonic treat for you. Jesse Ware teams up with Sampha for this downtempo, emotionally heavy track shot in black and white. The two are label mates at Young Turks records, and were both heavily featured on SBTRKT’s breakout debut album. We hope to see more to come [...]

A young girl from Newark, NJ called Whitney Houston grew up to be one of America’s most powerful female R&B singers of the late 20th century. Sadly she left us yesterday, but her legacy will live on forever. To read more about Whitney click here.

Who: Robin Bacior Born: Northern California Resides: Brooklyn What she does: Musician What are you currently working on? Musically, I’m working on instrumental melodies. I’ve been listening to a lot of different genres of music and taking a theory course to strengthen my songwriting. I tend to get really wrapped up in lyrics, but instrumentation [...]

On Monday, the online music hub Stereogum was kind enough to share a list of Fred Armisen’s top Portland bands. Armisen is of course the co-star of the awesomely weird sketch comedy show Portlandia that takes endearing jabs at progressive and alternative subcultures. For this edition of Heavy Rotation, we are going to dive into [...]

Live from the Shangri-La Studios in Brooklyn, St. Vincent puts on a dazzling display of art rock in this 4AD Session. Led by the breathtaking Annie Clark, the band play four tracks in support of their critically acclaimed 2011 release, Strange Mercy. Clark, formerly a member of the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Steven’s touring band, [...]

It seems the words of Chic’s 1978 disco classic are still true in 2012. South African hip hop crew Die Antwoord are back, and not only are they the stars of fashion designer Alexander Wang’s spring 2012 campaign, but they’ve also got a new track with a video that’s freakier than ever. I Fink U Freeky, from their new album Ten$ion, is [...]