Absolutely Loving Duck Sauce’s “Goody Two Shoes”—So Here It Is

You know those songs you cannot stop listening to even though you probably should listen to something else or, like, go to bed? Yeah, that’s the problem with me and Duck Sauce’s “Goody Two Shoes” as of late. In listening to the duo’s album, Quack, this past week or so, I’ve gotten 100 percent hooked on everything about the track. From the catchy vocal samples to the undeniable grooves, everything just clicks. Enjoy.

And Now, Here’s Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” Demo

So here’s the deal: Soundgarden is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its seminal fourth album, Superunknown, with (you guessed it!) a deluxe reissue. Well, that’s not the whole story. According to the band’s website, there will be several deluxe reissues and one of them includes a bunch of demo and rehearsal versions of your favorite Superunknown cuts.

Here’s A New Black Keys Song, “Turn Blue”

I have a slightly weird relationship with the Black Keys. I’ve always enjoyed their music, particularly their earlier work—I know, how hipster-ish of me, right?

However, I think the time I’ve spent away from their newer material has allowed me to better appreciate tracks like “Turn Blue”, the second single off their upcoming album of the same name that’s out in May. I must say, though, that I think this would probably sound better on another solo project by Dan Auerbach.

What do you think?

Tourist – “I Can’t Keep Up” Feat. Will Heard

Here’s a dreamy, hypnotic new single from Tourist, a British producer that you can learn more about (and follow closely) on Facebook. “I Can’t Keep Up” is a collaboration with singer Will Heard. He adds a dose of reality to an otherwise languid tune that could work well instrumentally but reaches another level with the addition of vocals. I definitely recommend it.

Awesome Rapper Quotes About Playing Cards

When reading an interview with a rapper (or any musician for that matter), you’re typically waiting for him or her to drop some knowledge that you’ll be quoting for the next week. And for the most part, they’re waxing poetic on the music industry, their peers, their upcoming projects, or life on the road. But in certain cases, they’re sharing gems on topics outside of the norm and it’s these that end up being the most memorable.

Neko Case – “I Wish I Was The Moon”

Oh don’t mind me, I’m just obsessing over a certain Neko Case song.

Digging Into The UK’s Post-Rock Scene

Keeping up with the underground music scene in the U.K. is something I hold dear, if only because there is so much of it to dig into. From shoegaze to post-rock to stoner metal, everything and anything residing under the radar with some killer guitars has a place on my musical palate.

Wooden Shjips – Back to Land (Album Review)

In the wrong hands, psychedelic music can often be insular. In the worst case scenario, you have bands noodling away in jam sessions, laying it to track, and dropping an album as often as they see humanly fit. These can be Easter egg hunts in the form of albums for some fans of the genre who are constantly searching for the right groove, solo, or break to justify the listening experience. But can they really justify that? Not entirely, especially because their explanations are often laden with references to the drugs they indulged to coincide with their listening habits. Not to condone anything or anyone here, but psychedelics and the sub-genre of psych-rock often go hand in hand.

Samsung (Re-) Enters Streaming Music Foray With Milk Music

Just after another company extended its reach into the world of streaming music earlier this year, Samsung has (re)entered the battleground with its own service: Milk Music, which launched Friday, March 7.

The 10 Most Slept-On Mixtapes Of 2013

It’s been another banner year for mixtapes in the world of hip-hop. They continue to shift in terms of presentation, as the “mixtapes” some of you once knew have been replaced by what are essentially free albums. In fact, most of the greatest ones of the year could have easily been packaged for retail if not for some sample clearance issues and lack of proper funding.

Not only that, but you could easily make the argument that there were more high-quality mixtapes in 2013 than actual albums. That’s apparent when you look at how two of the best projects—Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap and Run The Jewels’ self-titled release—were (and still are!) completely free to download. And don’t let that fool you into thinking they’re not up to snuff on sound quality or anything like that. I’ve been burning those two (and others) something heavy and they sound fantastic, especially the low-end on that Run The Jewels project.

But as great as the mixtape scene can be, it also can lead to plenty of projects being glossed over by the sheer volume of music released each year, month, week, etc… With that in mind, I decided to look back at everything that’s dropped in 2013 to present a list of the most underrated mixtapes of the past 12 months. Some of them might have slipped by you completely while others you might have slept-on. But, without question, there are 10 of the most underrated tapes of 2013.

10. After The Smoke – Microwaves

Microwaves is one of the most recent projects on this list, which means it hasn’t been fully absorbed like the others. That being said, I get the feeling too many folks will sleep on the hazy, world-weary sounds of this New York City-based trio. They’re led by rapper/artist Rob Coin, who also made sure that the visual side of this project was on point. Just head to their YouTube and peep their videos.

9. GrandeMarshall – Mugga Man

Philly native GrandeMarshall isn’t just delivering gritty, stark rhymes on his solid Mugga Man mixtape. He also produced a fair amount of it, which gives it an even more cohesive and well-rounded feel. Expect big things from Marshall moving into 2014, thanks in part to his deal with Fool’s Gold.

8. Denmark Vessey – Don’t Drink The Kool Aid

As the prequel to his also-great new album, Detroit native Denmark Vessey dropped a mixtape filled with new material and tracks he’s released over the past few years. It serves as both a strong introduction to a truly talented artist and a fine piece of work in its own right. If you like you’re hip-hop weird, you’ll dig this.

7. Lil Bibby – Free Crack

The Chicago hip-hop scene had an incredible year, thanks to strong releases from acts like Kanye West, Chance The Rapper, and Lil Durk. Not to be overlooked, though, is Lil Bibby, a quickly rising rapper out of the Chi who just dropped the Free Crack mixtape. His often grimy and trap-heavy approach might not be for everyone, but this is a guy who can balance all that tough talk with actual technical proficiency. In other words: Bibby can spit.

6. Gorgeous Children – ICE

Gorgeous Children is the somewhat-mysterious duo of rapper Face Vega and producer Gila Monsta. Together, they craft dark, codeine-laced hip-hop that draws you in with gripping vocals that aim right for the throat and beats that sound like they’re coming from a crypt. Fans of acts like Three 6 Mafia—especially their earliest, gulliest work—will definitely enjoy what Gorgeous Children have to offer on ICE.

5. CJ Fly – Thee Way Eye See It

Pro Era leader Joey Bada$$ might get all the time in limelight, but other members of his crew came correct in 2013. Like CJ Fly, who established a sizable fanbase with the release of Thee Way Eye See It. It also featured some nice cosigns (by way of guest features) from the likes of Ab-Soul and Buckshot. The project also fit neatly into Pro Era’s old-school revivalism but still, it all went largel. unrecognized. Let this be an alarm clark for your boom-bap soul.

4. Joey Fatts – Chipper Jones Vol. 2

West Coast gangster rap saw a resurgence in the hands of artists like Joey Fatts, A$ton Matthews, and Vince Staples (more on him later). And the Long Beach, Calif.-hailing Fatts drove that point home with his second Chipper Jones mixtape. It dropped this past May to some minimal fanfare, which was bizarre given snarling bangers like “Live Blasphemous” with Action Bronson and “Choppa” with A$AP Rocky and Danny Brown. Fatts isn’t letting the snoozers get on his nerves, though, because he’s already looking ahead to a new tape. Before that gets here, get acquainted with this impressive project.

3. Mr. MFN eXquire – Kismet

It’s not really clear why folks decided to sleep on Kismet, but it is clear that they did because you’ll be hard-pressed to find its name on any other year-end list. Mr. MFN eXquire—who just goes by eXquire now—decided to ditch the boozy raps of his previous projects for a more grounded, and often angry, approach. And that’s what makes Kismet so refreshing: It’s like a rebirth for a guy who caught our attention for “drunk drivin’ on a Wednesday.”

2. Bishop Nehru – StrictlyFLOWZ

It seems that while Bishop Nehru caught a strong buzz off Nehruvia—with good reason—but people seemed to pass on his StrictlyFLOWZ mixtape. The reason why is difficult to figure out, because the young New York rapper has never sounded sharper than on here. Whatever the case, if you’re one of the heads who missed this project, you’ll need to change that immediately.

1. Vince Staples & Larry Fisherman – Stolen Youth

Considering Vince Staples nearly stole the show on Earl Sweatshirt’s Doris, it’s only right that he gets some love here, right? Of course, especially considering how many people let Stolen Youth slip under their radar. Staples is a gully, straightforward MC with a monotone flow and a great ear for beats. Speaking of beats, they all come courtesy of Larry Fisherman, better known as Mac Miller. Yeah, he produces, too.