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.
Minneapolis-based photographer Dan Monick just released a book called Seven Years with Atmosphere & Rhymesayers, which catalogs his travels with the venerable Midwest hip-hop crew. The book features 200 color and black-and-white photographs of live shows, behind-the-scenes action, and more, and will retail for $45.00. You can pre-order the book right now on Rhymesayers.com.
Indie hip-hop group Atmosphere — consisting of rapper Slug and DJ/producer Ant — has announced fall tour dates with label-mates Blueprint, Grieves & Budo, and DJ Rare Groove, slated to span 23 performances through September and into October. The tour intends to introduce Blueprint’s upcoming release, as well as to showcase recent Rhymesayers signees Grieves & Budo.
We got a sneak peek at the artwork for Freeway & Jake One’s new album, The Stimulus Package (Feb. 16th, Rhymesayers) created by hip hop design star Brent Rollins.
ALARM leaves no genre unloved in our round-up of 50 albums that didn’t receive enough attention in 2009.
Holy collaboration — Mike Patton and Justin Broadrick are contributing to a score by Fog‘s Andrew Broder and Adam “Doseone” Drucker for a semi-autobiographical “photographic novel” by Alan Moore. Whoa.
In other news, The Dillinger Escape Plan has signed to Season of Mist, Eyedea & Abilities has a new album, two Rodriguez-Lopez brothers (not Omar) are releasing a debut full-length, and Múm will release a new disc in August. This and more is in the roundup.
Minneapolis hip-hop artist P.O.S., creator of one of the year’s best rap albums, explains how he got the idea for his new video, “Optimist.”
P.O.S. has saved hip hop.
I haven’t been this excited and energized about a hip-hop album since Shadows On The Sun by Brother Ali came out in 2003.