The upstart quartet starbelliedbug are from San Francisco, where they make compelling mid-fi dream-pop with a gritty emo/post-hardcore edge. Or at least that’s the sound I’m hearing on “crayola car,” the opening track from their forthcoming Lash EP. The band evolved out of a home recording project from Caitlyn Davis and Chris Reza, and you can hear those DIY origins …

When Digable Planets member Ishmael Butler announced his Seattle art-rap project Shabazz Palaces about 15 years ago, he presented it as a loose and mysterious collective. Now, Shabazz Palaces is essentially Butler’s solo project, though he’s still getting plenty of help in making his records. And now there’s a new record on the way. This fall, Shabazz Palaces will follow …

Last year, Anxious released their awesome second record Bambi. The Connecticut emo outfit is getting ready for their stacked tour with Citizen, Hotline TNT, Rocket, and Cryogeyser, so they’re sharing a new banger called “Don’t Move,” which takes influence from Jimmy Eat World and up-and-coming Australian indie duo Armlock. The post Anxious – “Don’t Move” appeared first on Stereogum.

“Blow Up” rips. Axis: Sova’s new release out today, the opening track and lead single from new album Flowerage, is technically a post-punk song, but it’ll almost certainly elicit a “hell yeah” from those who love to rock. Brett Sova, Jeremy Freeze, and Josh Johannpeter lock into a propulsive rhythm and pile on the riffs, like Wire or Mission Of …

Song People is a sneakily informative band name. It sounds generic, but it suggests the Philly upstarts value songs over, say, riffs or vibes. There’s some truth to that, but band names can also be deceptive. Song People are not the down-the-middle power-pop I expected when I first read about them. There’s certainly some jangle-pop in the mix, but they …

Last year, Caroline Rose leaked their own album year of the slug, which was recorded on GarageBand into a phone. The lo-fi atmosphere made the songs special, but Rose is upping the ante. Today the singer-songwriter is announcing her new LP Gentling The Horse At The Walt Whitman Mall, and the second single “Chow Mein” boasts amusing extravagance. The post Caroline …

Everyone’s stoked for Melodie. The third Slow Pulp record arrives in a little over a month, but the compelling previews “Better Man” and “Not For Nothing” have us on the edge of our seats. Today, the Chicago band is sharing “Spill,” a dejected but tragically relatable ballad about the pains of modern dating. The post Slow Pulp – “Spill” appeared …

Right now, Usher is on a giant stadium tour with his fellow R&B megastar Chris Brown, and he keeps going viral for goofy reasons. A couple of weeks ago, he invited a female fan to the stage for grinding purposes and then promptly disinvited her when she clearly wasn’t into it, which led to a whole online fracas. Now, Usher …

As jury selection officially got underway in Las Vegas for the long-awaited trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, prosecutors released a massive official witness list containing more than 200 names—highlighting… The post Over 200 Names Released on Witness List as Jury Selection Begins in Tupac Shakur Murder Trial appeared first on .

On August 11, 1973, something happened inside the recreation room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx that nobody in attendance could have possibly known would help change music and… The post Today in Hip Hop History: Kool Herc’s Party At 1520 Sedgwick Avenue 52 Years Ago Marks The Foundation Of The Culture Known As Hip Hop appeared first on …