Outkast :: Aquemini
MP3: Outkast: "Spottieottiedopaliscious"
"From the ridiculously pimped-out cover art, to the spot-on production and perfectly placed live instrumentation (check the horns on the epic "Spottieottiedopaliscious"), to the languid Southern sprawl of the near-nine-minute "Liberation", Aquemini is smooth and well-conceived."
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2Pac :: All Eyez on Me
Video : 2Pac: "Ambitionz Az a Ridah
I've really been feeling the West Coast, low-ride feel of this 90's hip-hop gem lately. The album celebrates the pursuit and leisure of the thug lifestyle that was ever so characteristic of California in the 90's over smooth, funky beats.
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The Weeknd :: House of Balloons
MP3: The Weeknd: "What You Need"
"House of Balloons is a remarkably confident, often troubling debut that excels at both forward-thinking genre-smearing and good old-fashioned songcraft."
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Nicolas Jaar :: Space is Only Noise
MP3: Nicolas Jaar: "Keep Me There"
"The young techno producer with a heavy Villalobos influence and some strong singles and remixes to his name crafts a strange and wonderful debut LP. The textures and ingredients of Jaar's music exist in the context of techno-- rhythm and repetition are clearly important to him-- but Space is not dance music."
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Big K.R.I.T :: Return of 4eva
MP3: Big K.R.I.T.: "Dreamin"
Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. just dropped a new mixtape, Returnof4Eva, over at his website. The 21-track tape features guest spots from Bun B, David Banner, Chamillionaire, Raheen DeVaughn, and Ludacris. You can listen to a cut from Returnof4Eva, "Dreamin" above.
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Clams Casio :: Clams Casio Mixtape
MP3: Clams Casino: "Numb"
"Hip-hop producer Clams Casino-- aka 23-year-old physical therapy student Mike Volpe-- just released his first beats tape for free online. The recent mixtape highlights his signature style, which combines thick, East Coast snare and bass hits with blurry, almost-new-age-y samples. It's an intoxicating sound that recalls singer-producer How to Dress Well's Xanex'd approach to R&B (though Volpe has never heard HTDW's music)."
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February- March 2011
Destroyer :: Kaputt
"Dan Bejar returns with a brilliant album drawing from the lush sounds of the early 1980s, but never forgets the importance of songwriting. The sound surrounding Bejar cast his songs in a very particular light and reinforces the feeling of the singer as persona."
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Lil B :: Angels Exodus
Video: Lil B: "Motivation"
The based god himself releases his best and possibly most coherent LP thus far.
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Smith Westerns :: Dye It Blonde
"On their second full-length outing, the young Chicago band has delivered on their early promise, with a richer sound and a better batch of songs."
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James Blake :: James Blake
After releasing three excellent EPs this year, boldly innovative 22-year-old London electronic producer and singer James Blake is ready for his LP close-up. The Rising artist's self-titled debut album is due out February 7 via Atlas/A&M in the UK and the following day in the U.S. on Universal Republic.
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Braids :: Native Speaker
"Promising and fast-rising group brings a sense of drama and lust and elliptical, unexpected arrangements to indie rock."
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Star Slinger :: Rogue Cho Pa
