Back in the mid 80's, my uncle Mario would take my cousins and I to and from school, and during these car trips is when I got my first taste of so much of the music I still hold near and dear to me to this day. The sounds of rap and freestyle boomed through [...]
The Icelandic producer, Felix Leifur returns to Berlin's prominent Deep House label, Dirt Crew recordings and completely shakes up House Music as we know it with his sophomore EP, "In General". Davíð Sveinn Bjarnason, aka Felix Leifur, got his start in the scene with a collaborative project on local label, Lagaffe Tapes, between himself and [...]
Stones Throw is a panoply of inventive music, a cadre of artists whom flout convention while making some of the most varied, artful projects in recent memory. It’s all due to Chris Manak, who helms the powerhouse label which he founded in San Jose, his hometown and early base of operations. Manak, known widely as [...]
Durand Jones came from humble southern gospel roots. He attended college at Indiana University in Bloomington and it was there he met drummer Aaron Frazer & guitarist Blake Rhein. The three began writing soul tunes and recording straight to tape. Little did they know that they would become Durand Jones & the Indications & release [...]
By The Crew At NERDTORIOUS.COM Iconoclastic rap group Third Sight has stealthily built a resume over the last two decades as one of the more prolific and consistent backpack-style acts left. They have effectively outlived the two genres with which they were initially associated— Underground Hip-Hop and Turntablism. By staying true to their core aesthetic, [...]
For a live instrumental take, "Tearz" sounds remarkably like a pastiche of other songs-- that's because in many ways, it is. Brooklyn's El Michel's Affair, the house band behind Truth & Soul Records, has been quietly releasing effusive, Wu-Tang inspired instrumentals for a few years (past ones include "4th Chamber" and "C.R.E.A.M.", all of which [...]
Crystal Castles' fourth studio album, "Amnesty", sees the departure of Alice Glass and the arrival of mysterious new frontwoman Edith Frances. Many, including myself, wondered if they could even exist without their beloved original singer. I was hesitant, but right when I heard “Amnesty” that doubt was erased. Ediths vocals over Kaths’ heavy drum programming [...]
About 8 months ago, a friend sent me a link to check out this release. I remember not checking it out, and he followed up with me a few days later and said, “you have to peep this track”. So, finally I clicked on the link and immediately fancied the laid back retro soul vibes [...]
Wax Wednesdays is a weekly event at Cafe Stritch in downtown San Jose. The night features local DJ's & vinyl collectors playing records in various formats, along with live band performances ranging from jazz, rock, latin, reggae, soul, blues, hip hop, etc. Needle To The Groove hosts every 2nd Wednesday of the month. Resident DJs for [...]
