By: Brad JohnsonThe culture of rap is about gain.  Many MCs who start out writing about their lives, struggles, and relationships are usually talking about their gold watch by their next album.But Chance the Rapper doesnt retreat into his fame. The 22 year old, Chicago-born artist has used his burgeoning fame as a...

 Beyondify is our periodic feature which features new music before it hits Spotify.  As usual, we mine Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and YouTube for the goods. Here's what we came up with in the heat of the summer.  Father John Misty seems to be a bit divisive among our readers, but I...

By: Philamonjaro StudioThe 36th Annual Taste of Chicago opened last night with excitement in the crowd and a handful of on-stage surprises.Grey skies threatened, but the weather held out this night for a packed Chicago audience.The opening night headliner was Grammy Award winning band The Roots, belting out their...

By: Alex WoodJames Blake- The Colour In Anything [5/6]Clocking in at a massive 76 minutes, electronic mastermind James Blakes third proper album, The Colour In Anything, is an extremely elaborate work of art, presenting every trick in the songwriters eclectic repertoire side by side. The music is heavy whether its dense keyboard and synthesizer harmonies, moody...

Frequent contributor Alex Wood has assembled his list of the top 150 albums of the year.1. Father John Misty- I Love You, HoneybearIf J. Tillman, AKA Father John Misty, mastered songwriting with 2012s Fear Fun, he perfected the musical side of his work with I Love You, Honeybear. The records sound is beyond massive, with layers...

By: Alex WoodChance The Rapper & Lil B- Free (Based Freestyles Mixtape) [8/5]Supposedly recorded on acid when the two rappers first met, Free (Based Freestyles) finds both artists informally rapping and ranting over long beats. Despite the freestyle format, the product is well conceived and surprisingly ambitious, proving both writers to be amongst the more...

By: Alex WoodMy Morning Jacket- The Waterfall [5/4]Though The Waterfall remains in line with Circuital and Evil Urges, its also like nothing else in the bands discography. The record plays into MMJs live sound, with clean production helping each instrumental layer remain clear and defined. Jim James vocals remain a focal point throughout, interchanging with...

By: Alex WoodAs previously reported, Chance The Rapper has been working with Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment on a new full-length record, abandoning his solo career in favor of a collaborative full-band sound.Today, The Social Experiment released Surf on iTunes for free.The record not only lives up to the hype, but surpasses...

Chicagos Chance The Rapper has officially completed Surf, his full-length debut with Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment.Chance has been backed by the Social Experiment for nearly two years now, and hasnt released more than an occasional single since 2013s highly acclaimed Acid Rap. His full-band record is amongst the most anticipated albums of...

Chicago rapper Vic Mensa has been on the rise since the release of his excellent debut mixtape Innanetape last year.His recent performance at The Metro found him joined by fellow Chicagoan Chance The Rapper for Suitcase. The two artists are members of hip-hop collective SAVE MONEY and are both known for collaborations.Vic Mensas...