2009 brought the debut album from Rich Terfry (the man behind the Buck 65 moniker) and his newest collaborator, Belgian producer Joëlle Phuong Minh Lê.  The electronic/hip-hop project, known as Bike for Three!, released More Heart Than Brains this past summer to almost exclusive acclaim.  Today’s song is not from that album, nor is it [...]

Amongst other things, 2009 will be remembered as the year I re-discovered my fondness for hip-hop; equally as important, it was the year I discovered Steam Whistle, but my beer preferences don’t fall under the ever expanding umbrella of indie-music.  Today’s song comes to us from D-Sisive, the stage name of Canadian rapper Derek Christoff, [...]

I Was Stabbed by Satan can be found on K’naan’s first PolarisPolaris reviews-nominated album The Dusty Foot Philosopher, released in the summer of 2005; his second Polaris-nominated release came this year via his sophomore effort TroubadourTroubadour reviews.  On top of the nomination for best Canadian independent album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher would take home the JunoJuno [...]

Today’s track is another fine piece of Canadian hip-hop from Toronto’s own k-os.  Eye Know Something can be found on k-os’ 2009 Polaris long-listed LP Yes!, released in Canada on April 14th 2009 and digitally in the US on November 17th; the physical US release is set for February 2010, along with a video for [...]

Today’s post comes from the electronic/hip-hop (sometimes referred to as electrohop or ghettotech) act Thunderheist; my God I wish I was the one to coin the term ghettotech.  Do the Right Thing can be found on the Toronto/Montreal duo’s self-titled debut album, released on March 31st of this year.  The unlikely tandem of MC Isis and [...]

Here’s one more for everyone on this Monday-ish feeling Thursday, this time from the Berkley, California alternative hip-hop act Why? Originally a solo project of frontman/lyrical-mastermind Yoni Wolf, Why? evolved into a full band prior to the release of their most recent album Eskimo Snow (released on September 22nd of this year); Even the Good Wood Gone [...]

For whatever reason, my relationship with hip-hop music seems to be cyclical.  In grade 8 I was rocking to school with the Wu-Tang Clan (seriously), and then in high school I remember a two-week period where the only album allowed in my car was The Marshall Mathers LPThe Marshall Mathers LP reviews.  Thanks to artists [...]

Today I bore witness to the true value of Twitter, when I saw a link for this song in one of Said the Whale’s twoots.  The song is a mashup that features Gentleman from Said the Whale, Time to PretendTime to Pretend reviews from MGMT, Lovely Alien from Holy FuckHoly Fuck reviews, Baba O’RileyBaba O’Riley [...]

I’ve been listening to a lot of K’naan since seeing him perform at the Polaris Music Prize gala this year; an obscene amount of K’naan actually.  Everything about his music, from the melodies he creates to his seemingly effortless delivery, is really really good.  Take a Minute can be found on K’naan’s second full-length album [...]

It’s 4 hours into my work day, and I’ve already listened to this song 15 times.  This means that at any given point this morning there was a 20% chance someone walking into my office would hear this track; I like to think I carry a lot of the cool around there.  I Wish I [...]

I learned a valuable life lesson last evening.  If your buddy pisses off a table of dudes by talking to one of their girlfriends, sending the alpha-dude a Pina colada does not smooth out the situation.  Anyways, today’s song comes from the Canadian hip-hop band Grand Analog.  I Play My Kazoo can be found on [...]

Congratulations to the Toronto, Ontario hardcore punk band Fucked UpMoms Fucked Up reviews, whose album The Chemistry of Common LifeThe Chemistry of Common Life reviews took home the 4th installment of the Polaris Prize last night.  As promised, here are my thoughts on the show last night; In point form of course, as proper sentence [...]

Today felt like a good day to post another Why? track; Fatalist Palmistry is currently my favorite track from the Berkeley, California indie/hip-hop act, though this title seems to change bi-weekly.  The song can be found on Why?’s third full-length studio album Alopecia, released in March of 2008.  Again, Yoni Wolf’s lyrics steal the show on [...]

I’ve got a reallllllllly good track for everyone today.  Typically, I don’t listen to a lot of today’s hip-hop as I’m not a huge fan of hearing music about hoes, bling, blang, guns, and sizzurp, but today’s song is an exception.  One Track Mind comes to us from the Canadian hip-hop artist ClassifiedClassified reviews, and his [...]

There are 57 days until this year’s Polaris Music Prize gala, and still no invitation for BowlingStone.com; I’m still feeling pretty optimistic however.  I thought I would close out the week with anotherAnother Year reviews tune from the American indie/alt-rock/hip-hop band Why?.  The band seems to have this uncanny ability to exclusively create songs I can listen to [...]

It feels like years since my last Why? post, so here it is.  I was perusing Pitchfork today, as I so often do when I should be working, and came across a postPost reviews announcing an upcoming Why? album entitled Eskimo Snow, scheduled for release this fall; This pleased me greatly.  Today’s track comes from the [...]

Is it lame to post a song called Good Friday on a day called Good Friday?  I’ve decided it’s 40% lame, 40% rad, and 20% holy shit this song is good.  As you may have guessed from the title of this post, and the first two sentences, tonight’s tune is titled Good Friday.  If you [...]

I’ve got ANOTHERAnother Year reviews tune from Why? today, making the Berkeley, California indie-rock/hip-hop band my most blogged about artist.  By Torpedo Or Crohn’s is another track from the band’s third full-length release Alopecia.  Front-to-back, side-to-side, or however one consumes an album, Alopecia is one of the solidest albums I have listened to over the past [...]

From the brilliant minds that brought us Lazy SundayLazy Sunday reviews, Dick in a Box, and Jizz in My PantsJizz in my Pants reviews, comes what will surely be one of the most important rap songs of our time.  Teaming up with T-Pain, Andy Samberg’s The Lonely Island gives us I’m On a Boat.  The [...]

I stumbled upon a pretty cool track today from Asher Roth, a hip-hop artist from…. wait for it… Morrisville, Pennsylvania.  Like Mickey Avalon before him, Roth is another white hip-hop artist with a sense of humour who is benefiting from the doors opened by EminemEminem reviews.  After posting some verses on his Myspace page while [...]