Lil Bibby: "Lettin Up" (feat. Lil Herb & Lil Durk)
Lil Bibby is firing on all cylinders with every single release he puts outs as the day of his his highly-anticipated mixtape Free Crack gets closer and closer. "Lettin Up" is the newest leak from Bibby and it features his east-side compadre Lil Herb and OTF's Lil Durk. DJ Victoriouz, DJ Bandz, DJ Twin and DJ Keem unleashed this record via their We Mean Biz Vol. 1 'tape (available now), but there's a real possibility this might end up on Free Crack as well. Peep below.
Khalfani: "Singled Out" + "Way Too Cool"
UPDATE: As I hinted at, his other release, "Way Too Cool," is now available. You can find it below.
It's been a couple of months since we've had Khalfani around these parts, but that's not to say the rapper/producer powerhouse has been sitting idly. The Impolite Society member branches out to express why he's feeling singled out in all the right ways. Khalfani's a multi-talented artist, writing and producing his songs, and sometimes even shooting videos. I think most would be safe in thinking "Khalfani" was a music group, no?
There's more coming down the pipeline from the Chicago rapper in due time, but for now, chill out to "Singled Out" below.
"Way Too Cool"
GLC: "How You Do It" (prod. by Grants Parks)
After revealing his forthcoming project Drillling Season Vol. 1, producer Grants Parks has let loose a track he did with GLC as the first single off the 'tape. Any time the Chicago emcee blesses the masses with some new Ism, you definitely want to have your ears plugged to the nearest speakers available. GLC really takes advantage of Grants Parks' production on "How You Do It," and they both give us download-worthy record.
Lil Bibby: "How I Was Raised Up"
Chicago's rising star Lil Bibby has left the streets craving for his debut 'tape Free Crack ever since he hopped on the scene alongside Lil Herb with their viral videos and hazardous rhymes. To date, there's still no official release date for the project, but what we do have is a new single entitled "How I Was Raised Up". In it, Bibby takes us through memory lane and talks about his experiences while growing up in one of the most dangerous places in the country. Listen below.
Sleigh Bells: "Bitter Rivals"
Brooklyn-based pop duo Sleigh Bells are back with a new single, "Bitter Rivals" off their upcoming album with the same name. The song is a blistering, electronic-infused rock-pop track that has the self-directed visuals to match. Alexis Krauss shows off her Grimes-esque vocals alongside Derek Miller's Tyrann Mathieu-laden guitar work. Check out the song, video and tour dates below (tickets available here) and keep an eye out for the full album, due out October 8 via Mom + Pop Records.
http://youtu.be/Cr-ahiFDkts
Sleigh Bells Fall Tour Dates:
10/4/13Â Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
10/10/13Â Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
10/11/13Â Portland, OR @ Roseland
10/12/13Â Seattle, WA @ Showbox at Market
10/15/13Â Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory
10/18/13Â Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
10/20/13Â San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Music Festival
10/22/13Â Salt Lake City, UT @ The Grand
10/23/13Â Denver, CO @ Bluebird
10/25/13 Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
10/26/13Â Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre
10/27/13Â Austin, TX @ Stubbs
10/29/13Â Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
10/30/13Â Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live
11/1/13Â St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
11/2/13Â Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
11/4/13Â Orlando, FL @ Firestone
11/5/13Â Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
11/6/13Â Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
11/8/13Â Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
11/9/13Â Columbus, OH @ Newport
11/10/13Â Chicago, IL @ Metro
11/12/13Â Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews
11/13/13Â Toronto, ON @ Phoenix
11/14/13Â Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/16/13Â Boston, MA @ Royale
11/17/13Â Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/19/13Â Washington, DC @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/20/13Â Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/22/13Â New York, NY @ Terminal 5
HighLife: "Dollar After Dollar" (feat. Koop Cantrell)
HighLife and his southern cousin, Koop Cantrell, are counting "Dollar After Dollar" and they're not afraid to brag about it over production by J Kush. This is yet another very fun record from HighLife, who also recently released the Vic Mensa & Caleb James-assisted single, "Myspace." Check out what his whole movement is about by streaming his latest joint below and be on the look out for his upcoming mixtape.
M.I.A.: "UNBREAK my Mixtape"
It seems like all of the controversy surrounding the release of M.I.A.'s next album, Matangi, is beginning to fade away as the marketing push for the album has finally begun. Following her drop of both "Bring the Noize" and the controversial behind-the-scenes documentary, M.I.A. has released a new track from the aforementioned Matangi, "UNBREAK my Mixtape." The song has a trippy, repetition-heavy beat paired with M.I.A.'s airy vocal delivery with lyrics about a breakup. The song includes samples from "Tender" by Blur and "I Love You More Than Words Can Say" by Karen Dalton.
Check it out below.
Bars of Gold: "Coffee with Pele"
One of my favorite bands of all time was a Michigan, post-hardcore band called Bear vs. Shark. Their debut album, Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands. And if Something isn't Quite Right, Your Doctor will Know in a Hurry, is also in my Top 20 Albums of All-Time. Of course, my discovery of the band happened around the same time they broke up in 2005. As the story goes, the best bands are the ones that don't stick around for too long. In the case of Bear vs. Shark, it was all too unfortunate for myself to have never caught them live.
Following the band's demise, singer Marc Paffi and ex-BVS drummer Brandon Moss reunited alongside members of Wildcatting to form Bars of Gold. The sound is equal parts Bear vs. Shark and Wildcatting, forming a distinctly original Bars of Gold style. Their song, "Coffee with Pele," is a great first song to introduce you to the band's indie-rock sound.