Issue 118
Heavy Rotation
What We're Listening To
BJ The Chicago Kid finally drops his Motown debut in an R&B record that captivates as it blends hip hop beats, Marvin Gaye lyrics, and romantic sentiment to create an album that struggles with and challenges our modern hook up culture. Read more.
The Hamilton-based Canadian band doesn’t let up on their second album, clearly having learned from their tour mates in the past three years. Sittin’ Heavy has the band refining their style and fine-tuning their brand of hard-nosed rock and roll in the process. Read more.
Madlib’s remixing of Blue Note Record’s archives is a glorious success, and a statement not solely about Madlib’s production skills, but also about the states and futures of the hip hop and jazz genres. Read more.
Visionary producers and songwriters Chet Faker and Flume mesh unexpectedly well on this EP, but it’s their raw potential that continues to enthral and excite. Read more.
The soundtrack for popular mobile game Monument Valley is as beautiful as the game is, but its real power lies in the ability to transport listeners to new destinations. Read more.
At this point, it’s obvious that Kendrick Lamar’s second major-label release was the best album of 2015. We’ll take it a step further: To Pimp A Butterfly is, right now, the most important album of the decade. Read more.