Curtis Mayfield, "Move on Up" Curtis Mayfield was the leader of the Impressions, but when he went solo, he found another gear. This is the centerpiece of his first solo record, and it's just incredible stuff. The urgency of the percussion,...
Danny Brown, "Greatest Rapper Ever" I love the hubris in naming the first track on your debut album "Greatest Rapper Ever". It's a little like the now forgotten Cinder Block naming their first LP Greatest Hits, something I think...
Freddie Gibbs, "Careless" Freddie Gibbs came off the triumphant Piñata, an album-length collaboration with Madlib, riding high. For his follow-up, Shadow of a Doubt, he worked with a variety of producers, and while the production is solid, it's really all about...
Gas Huffer, "Crooked Bird" As Gas Huffer moved into the middle of their run, they added a little touch of sruf. A little more reverb takes us in a slightly different direction on their garage rock. Still very recognizable as Gas Huffer, mind...
Buildings, "Smell the Pool" I really kind of tend to think of noise rock as mostly a 90s thing, with it kind of falling out of fashion after that point. But, of course, it's alive and well, and bands like yesterday&...