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Chris CataniaFeatures
FM Supreme [Chicago, IL]FM Supreme may be young, but she's well on her way toward creating awareness and building momentum for social and personal action using hip-hop, spoken word, and youth activism. [20 August 2009] Flavor for Your Ear, Eventually: An Interview with Danny!When Danny Swain finally got a record deal and it didn't play out as expected, he just kept doing what he's always done, which means he's still working hard for you to hear him. [14 April 2009] Radius [Chicago, IL]Skirting the line between hip-hop and electronica with an aural tribute to the neighborhoods of Chicago, Radius delves deep into the introspection of bone-chilling winters and aimless depression in search of salvation. [16 February 2009] Marty Beckerman and America’s Dumbocracy“When you say more rash and outlandish things you get heard and when you say more nuanced things your voice gets drowned out.” [5 February 2009] Layers of Composition: An Interview with Andy MilneYou might consider him a jazz artist, but Milne continues to incorporate new forms into his work, teaching himself when he isn't teaching students. [21 November 2008] “The Real is Just as Magical as the Fictitious”: An Intimate Talk with Saul WilliamsFew people would give their new album away for free online. Fewer would stop a prison brawl by reciting a poem. Fewer still do all this while making a powerful statement about the issue of race in our country today. Saul Williams does all these things. [24 June 2008] “Bigger Than Hip-Hop or Oprah”: An Interview with Mr. J. MedeirosFrom Fisher Price to Phillipino porn, this smart rapper takes in all in and talks with PopMatters about his career as a b-boy, graffiti artist and social activist. [17 December 2007] The Exact Wrong Person: An Interview with Michelle ShockedMichelle Shocked attempts to meld her politics, her religion, and her art while taking the scorn and criticism. [21 September 2007] Not Ready to Die: An Interview with Plan B.Plan B delivers his brutally raw socio-rhymes to not only rip open the ears of listeners but inject a poignant message that entertains and lingers. The UK rapper describes the world he's taking on and the unusual way that he's a racist. [7 August 2007] More Than One Story Out There: An Interview With Henry Rollins"I just don't think we know the whole story... and for America that is very dangerous." The seminal hardcore rocker and sage spoken-wordist chats with PopMatters about Iraq, Iran, music and activism, and how contemporary culture profits off those who defy it. [2 July 2007] Closer, Still: Reflections on Joy DivisionTo some, Joy Division's music is depressing. To others, who've trailed along where the music takes them, it's cathartic. [12 June 2007] One of Those Bands: An Interview With the NoisettesShingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes turns the tables on the Western mindset and contemporary pop music, as well as on our interviewer. [7 May 2007] Rattling the Cage: An Interview with Screamers Director Carla GarapedianWith a new documentary and the aid of System of a Down, Garapedian tries to get the world talking about genocide. [30 March 2007] Inside a Chicago Fan’s Super Bowl ScuffleChicago sports fans suffer from a chronic self-induced nostalgic obsession, passed down from generation-to-generation, which destroys any chance for realistic expectations. [7 March 2007] ReviewsBell X1: 25 September 2009 - ChicagoFar beyond the end of the show and into the night, the songs continued to burrow deep and swift -- these Irish lads know exactly how our hearts and minds are wired. [3 November 2009] 
Twista: Category F5Twista can slice and dice words like a razor-sharp Ginsu knife. But F5 finds him getting twisted by the torque of his own tornado. [27 October 2009] John Legend: 21 July 2009 - Ravinia FestivalOn record or live, Legend succeeds in mixing reggae, church spirituals and love ballads into an irresistible neo-soul tapestry woven through with sensuality, spirituality and sexuality. [22 September 2009] 
Heavyweight Dub Champion: Rise of the Champion NationHeavyweight Dub Champion’s sophomore album is the socially conscience sequel that leads the listener towards a spiritual revolution. [7 July 2009] Black Moth Super Rainbow + School of Seven Bells: 20 May 2009 - ChicagoLove and pain, ecstasy and horror, joyful jubilation and perpetual elation -- it’s all in a night’s work for Black Moth Super Rainbow. [24 June 2009] 
MC Lars: This Gigantic Robot KillsThis Gigantic Robot Kills is a strange and peculiarly entertaining mix of old school hip-hop, ska, techno and all sub genres of punk rock. [11 May 2009] 
C-Murder: Screamin’ 4 VengeanceThe citizens and rap fans of New Orleans deserve a better storyteller than rapper C-Murder. And they should be the ones screamin’ for vengeance. [13 January 2009] 
Rehab: Graffiti the WorldA ballad-tinged tribute to late '90s rap-rock, complete with barroom anthems sans Kid Rock. [12 January 2009] Smashing PumpkinsBilly Corgan’s new experiments rock like the older hits but they lack the secret ingredient that makes past Smashing Pumpkin tracks transcendent -- melody and a compelling emotional storyline. [8 January 2009] 
Jim Jones & ByrdGang: M.O.B. (Members of ByrdGang)Rapper/Producer Jim Jones introduces his Members of BrydGang. But do the beats and rhymes take flight? [18 December 2008] 
A.P.O.S.T.L.E.: Lyrical ActivismSan Francisco emcee APOSTLE gets socially metaphysical with hip hop’s spoken word performance and dub roots. [16 December 2008] 
Sepalot: Red HandedGerman DJ Sepalot travels the world as a connoisseur of dance floor genre-fornication hoping to ignite flames under the feet of clubbers. [15 December 2008] 
T.H.U.G. Angelz: Welcome to Red Hook HousesBrooklyn’s Red Hook Houses get a new lyrical listing from the T.HU.G. Angelz. [11 November 2008] LollapaloozaFrom Radiohead’s transcendent set on Friday night to Kanye West’s emotional homecoming hit parade on Sunday, Lollapalooza offered the sold-out crowds over 120 acts as well as over-hyped rumors of a Senator Obama visit that never happened. [28 August 2008] 
Dub Syndicate: OverdubbedOne third of dub-experimental group Smith & Mighty reworks the classics of Dub Syndicate. 
Various Artists: RmxxologyJust as Delicious as they’ve always been. Now with more electro-crunch for those digital taste buds. [12 August 2008] 
Mass Hysteria: Chicago Underworld Vol. 33rd Underworld offering of new and remixed beats and rhymes from Chicago underground hip hop duo Mass Hysteria. Welcome to their world! [23 June 2008] DJ RekhaRekha is a one-woman movement pushing hip-hop forward while successfully re-introducing Punjabi folk music to an American music culture, one show at a time. [30 April 2008] 
Yak Ballz: Scifentology IISophomore experiment straight off the mean streets flows beyond the Petri dish of NYC and into your ears like good indie-rap should. [23 April 2008] 
Damemas: Let Your Tape Rock“Give me more!” screams the Spanish moniker. And boy do they, in just three songs! [17 April 2008] 
Dub Trio: Another Sound is DyingA trio of bloody kittens are starving and their favorite meal is dying. Will they get fed? [16 April 2008] 
P.O.D.: When Angels & Serpents DanceMeet the new P.O.D. same as the old P.O.D. (minus the hip-hop, that is.) Marcos is back! Cue the power ballads and let the dance begin, again. [8 April 2008] 
Two Ton Sloth: Self TitledThis Two Ton Sloth moves slowly at night but his abstract rhymes and beats hold him up in the wee hours of the morning. [7 April 2008] DJ Green Lantern: God’s Own CountryDJ Green Lantern creates unofficial soundtrack for the film God's Own Country, grafting African and African American hip-hop into one unified 21-track continent. [12 February 2008] 
Rhymefest: Rhymefest: Man In the MirrorJust in time for the Thriller 25th anniversary, Chicago MC Rhymefest freely reflects his love and admiration for Michael Jackson. [5 February 2008] 
Yea Big and Kid Static: Self TitledChicago duo soars among skyscrapers, with capes built from cartoon-inspired hip-hop and beats that have been mutated to move your body silly. [18 January 2008] 
Mac Lethal: 11:11Kansas City’s gates fling wide to release Mac Lethal. He may like to pound the beer but don’t let the love for brew fool you. His rhymes will sober you right up! [11 January 2008] 
Cannonball Jane: Knees Up!The second wick is lit as this elementary school music teacher shows just how fantastic electro-pop can be when it’s taken to the glitter-filled dance floor. [2 January 2008] 
DJ Rekha: Basement BhangraWith her debut album, DJ Rekha releases (in recorded style) the Bhangra beats she’s been dropping during her sets at the New York club, Sounds of Brazil. [15 November 2007] 
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: Scotland Yard Gospel ChoirScotland Yard Gospel Choir grips the past by the throat, stares it right in the eye and delivers an album that listens like a gorgeous exhale of exorcizing songwriting. [13 November 2007] 
Blue Scholars: BayaniA sophomore album teeming with soulful beats and lucid lyrics that protest without protesting your ear off, but instead lure you to the Seattle epicenter where this hip-hop duo is just heating up. [19 October 2007] 
Cracklin Moth: My Heart Is LeakingChicago quintet challenges the city’s ban on pub smoking and exhales five plumes that could reverse local law. [21 September 2007] 
DJ Alibi: Lets Ride 12A brief taste of Toronto’s DJ Alibi and his ability to lure you into a kitchen that’s simmering with boom-bap, jazz, and soul. [20 September 2007] 
Rainman: Bigga Than LifeSouthern gangsta rap takes a soggy nose dive into crunk cliché via limp and lagging Biggie Smalls poses. [7 September 2007] 
Yea Big/Kid Static: The Heavy 7 InchChicago duo pushes the boundaries of hip hop through the vortex of laptops and interplanetary lyrical flow. [28 August 2007] Paid Dues Fest feat. Sage Francis, Slug, and the Living LegendsThe power and originality of a Paid Dues artist is in both socially-intricate lyrical content and a fresh take on old-school beats. [20 August 2007] 
Border Film Project by Rudy Adler, Victoria Criado, and Brett HuneycuttThe Border Film Project's political backdrop and cultural context is the complex struggle for US immigration reform. [15 August 2007] 
Various Artists: Urban Spotlight DVD-Zine: US West Coast World Premiere [DVD]West Coast rap publication melds two types of media to promote its latest stars. [14 June 2007] 
Various Artists: Hip Hop Life [DVD]Where other hip hop capture more of the artists and the beat on the street, Hip Hop Life just skims the surface. [6 June 2007] Tyrone Wells + Ernie Halter + Leigh NashA pair of pearly whites may look good on camera, but in the world of non-Idol pop and rock, the best back charisma and cuteness with something a little bigger. [25 April 2007] 
Apostle of Hustle: National Anthem of NowhereBroken Social Scene offspring trio Apostle of Hustle proves that it’s okay to come from a broken family, especially when these kinds of fine Cuban grooves are smuggled back. [21 March 2007] 
Patriarch: Son of a RefugeeBay Area rapper Patriarch mines his Palestinian and activist roots to make a debut record that takes aim at ending corrupt government politics, poverty, and ghetto violence. [7 March 2007] 
Faux Pas: Entropy Begins At HomeElectronic beats begin from down under and circle the globe, gaining speed with Melbourne maestro Faux Pas's first full length album. [22 February 2007] 
The Pack: Skateboards 2 ScrapersMusicians love to sing about (and sell) shoes! Skateboard hip-hop collective The Pack ride their debut EP right into the cement side of the hyphy, dirty, snappy, half pipe. [8 February 2007] 
The Manhattan Love Suicides: The Manhattan Love SuicidesA cathartically fuzzy love drone debut inspired by the Velvet Underground goes for the famed 15 minutes and shows its sonic youthfulness. [6 February 2007] 
Moros Eros: I Saw the Devil Last Night and Now the Sun Shines BrightMoros Eros went face to face with Prince of Darkness and now has a debut album that’s both grim and glorious. [5 February 2007] P.O.D.: TestifyWhat went wrong with Testify? [3 January 2007] BlogsNotes from the Road: Saul Williams + Afro-Punk Tour: 27 October 2009 - Double Door, Chicago [2 November 2009]Mixed Media: Keak Da Sneak and San Quinn—Welcome to Scokland [30 June 2009]Mixed Media: Dam-Funk - “Purple” (video) [18 May 2009]Mixed Media: Kid Acne - Romance Ain’t Dead (video/stream) [2 March 2009]Notes from the Road: 20 shows in 20 Days: More Than Just a Live Music Experiment [19 December 2008]Consuming Consumables: Various Artists - Rmxxology [25 November 2008]Notes from the Road: Smashing Pumpkins Call in Sick [23 November 2008]Notes from the Road: Interview with Secret Machines in Chicago [12 November 2008]Notes from the Road: Shugo Tokumaru (interview): 13 September 2008 - Chicago, Empty Bottle [16 September 2008]Notes from the Road: Andrew Bird - 3 September 2008: Chicago, Priztker Pavilion [9 September 2008]Notes from the Road: Interview with Chan Kinchla of Blues Traveler [2 September 2008] |
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