The Roots: …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
Young Widows: Easy Pain
Little Dragon: Nabuma Rubberband
Tobacco: Ultima II Massage
“Walk Us UPTOWN” is the lead single from “Wise Up Ghost,” due out September 17 on Blue Note Records.
In the latest installment of “whoa, didn’t see that coming,” The Roots drummer Questlove and singer-songwriter Elvis Costello have collaborated on a full-length album.
Roots member and Late Night bandleader Questlove has opened a chicken-and-dumplings food stand in NYC’s Chelsea Market.
Drummer, chef, and Roots rocker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson has announced a new drum kit, produced in partnership with Ludwig, called Breakbeats. The kit is easily broken down and moved, designed for the drummer who might not have a lot of space to practice or perform.
Now on its 45th go-round, Milwaukee’s massive Summerfest returns from June 27 to July 8, offering 11 days of high-profile and independent musicians performing around the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park along Lake Michigan. This year, our favorite performers include The Hives, Foo Fighters, Ben Folds Five, Devotchka, The Promise Ring, Galactic, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Atmosphere, The Roots, Common, Thievery Corporation, Mayer Hawthorne, and Lupe Fiasco.
Some big names in independent music will roll through Raleigh, NC this September 6-8 for The Independent Weekly’s third annual Hopscotch Music Festival, with 170+ bands joining headliners The Roots, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Built to Spill.
Each Monday, Beats & Rhymes highlights a new and notable hip-hop, rap, DJ, or electronic record that embraces independent sensibilities.
Atmosphere
: The Family Sign (Rhymesayers, 4/12/11)
Atmosphere: “Just for Show”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Atmosphere_Just_for_Show.mp3|titles=Atmosphere: “Just for Show”]The land of independent hip hop is a dangerous, inconstant place. Giants like Rawkus Records and Definitive Jux, once considered among the most vital sources of hip-hop innovation, have collapsed into footnotes. But Minnesota-based Rhymesayers Entertainment has managed to hold its place in the world of underground rap for more than 15 years, thanks in part to founders Slug and Ant’s flagship duo, Atmosphere.
Atmosphere’s previous album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, broke into the Billboard top 10 — an impressive achievement for an underground hip-hop group, and, as a result, Atmosphere represents to the general public what underground hip hop is. Its latest album, The Family Sign, typifies all of the strengths and weaknesses of indie rap, but it’s unusual and accessible enough to be easily enjoyed. If the genre must have a face, it could do much worse than Atmosphere.
Blue Note announces another list of catalogue deletions; Akron/Family and High on Fire sign to new labels; Trent Reznor comments on Nine Inch Nails‘ music being used in the torture of overseas detainees. Keep reading…