Ever-elusive underground hip-hop recluse Aesop Rock has returned from the ethereal depths of his recent journeys to deliver his Spirit World Field Guide. Known for his complex and verbose prose informed by his neurotic disposition, Aesop Rock’s newest album follows critically acclaimed 2016’s The Impossible Kid. Spirit World Field Guide Aesop Rock…

Hanson, the pop-rock trio from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who are known for their Grammy-nominated hit song “MMMBop,” when the brothers were still kids, have maintained a consistent level of success throughout the last three decades (you read that right) with a steady release of albums. Their 2018 double-album, String Theory, featured…

Nineties hip-hop icon Busta Rhymes has returned with a bold statement on Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God—the long-gestating follow-up to his 1998 critically acclaimed album, Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front. He hasn’t released a body of work since 2012. That year’s Year of the Dragon lacked focus and…

Legendary London grime-rapper Dizzee Rascal returns to add yet another gem to his ongoing critically acclaimed discography with E3 AF. For those outside of the U.K. hip-hop scene, Dizzee Rascal is known as one of the formative influences of the sub-genre, having been mentored by fellow grime-godfather Wiley. Dizzee…

Trick-or-treating, parties, haunted houses—everything that’s served as a source of spooky Halloween entertainment—is sadly still nonviable as the the U.S. continues to navigate through the pandemic. Clipping., however, has seemingly come to save this season by delivering the follow-up to its horror-industrial hip-hop haymaker, There Existed an Addiction to Blood.…

Electronic dance trio Major Lazer—comprised of Diplo, Walshy Fire and Ape Drums—have returned with the highly anticipated follow-up to 2015’s critical darling Peace Is The Mission. Unfortunately, Music Is The Weapon feels somewhat lackluster as it caters to musical trends that felt played-out in 2017. While a few moments on…

Anime, Trauma and Divorce , the newest album from Open Mike Eagle, hits an emotional chord that feels humbling and familiar, examining insecurities and anguish alongside the ways we cope with them. It’s observational, funny and—most importantly—highly relatable. Anime, Trauma and Divorce Open Mike Eagle Auto Reverse Records, Oct. 16 10/10 The…

After the tragic passing of The Tragically Hip’s frontman and chief architect, Gord Downie, in 2017 due to complications from cancer, his absence has been felt in the greater musical and pop cultural sphere. Thankfully, Downie left some music, which will be released this week as  Away Is Mine, his final album.…

As the country continues to struggle with the pandemic, a dipping economy and unrest over a lack of justice, many share a collective sense of dread. John Carpenter’s “The Thing” comes to mind—in particular, the scene where Kurt Russell’s character records an audio tape to leave behind in the…

Dawes, “Good Luck with Whatever.” Dawes‘ newest release, Good Luck With Whatever, is as disquieting and solemn as this entire year has been. In the follow-up to their 2018 effort, Passwords, the folk rock band pulls no punches—citing personal tragedy, mental health and mishaps aplenty to depict the troubled state of…