B. Dolan Archives

ALARM’s 50 (+5) Favorite Songs of 2012

Last month ALARM presented its 50 favorite albums of 2012, an eclectic, rock-heavy selection of discs that were in steady rotation in our downtown-Chicago premises. Now, to give some love to tunes that were left out, we have our 50 (+5) favorite songs of last year — singles, B-sides, EP standouts, soundtrack cuts, and more.

Video: Dan Le Sac & B. Dolan’s “Caretaker”

Dan Le Sac: Space Between the Words (Sunday Best, 7/10/12)

A frequent collaborator with MC Scroobius Pip, UK producer Dan Le Sac is releasing his first solo album, Space Between the Words, next month in North America. The album features a spate of quality guests, including wordsmith B. Dolan and singer HowAboutBeth on this here cut, but it also accentuates Le Sac’s skills as a songwriter and helps introduce him as a vocalist in his own right.

Here’s the video for “Caretaker,” a stylized revenge story of a servant-slash-“shepherd of the damned.”

Review: B. Dolan’s House of Bees Vol. 2

B. Dolan: House of Bees Vol. 2 (Strange Famous)

“Still Here”

[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/B_Dolan_Still_Here1.mp3|titles=B. Dolan: “Still Here”]

In 2005, indie rapper / poet B. Dolan, with a self-released full-length under his belt, hooked up with Strange Famous Records after gaining notoriety among New York City’s slam-poetry scene. His first record, The Failure, was re-released in 2008 through his new independent home with the welcome addition of such names as Sole and label head / fellow Epic Beard Man Sage Francis. Since then, he has pushed deep into foreboding hip hop and sociopolitical commentary on another full-length as well as a mixtape titled House of Bees.

Video: B. Dolan’s “2Bad” f. Sage Francis

Bearded MC B. Dolan is releasing the second installment of his House of Bees mixtape on June 12 via Sage Francis’ label, Strange Famous Records. Mixed by Buddy Peace, its old-school form returns Dolan to his roots as an emcee, while singles “Still Here” and “2Bad” take his rapper/activist persona to the next uncompromising level.

100 Unheralded Albums from 2010

Among the thousands of under-appreciated or under-publicized albums that were released in 2010, hundreds became our favorites and were presented in ALARM and on AlarmPress.com. Of those, we pared down to 100 outstanding releases, leaving no genre unexplored in our list of this year’s overlooked gems.