This album was recorded in 1972, a year before the band, Hedzoleh Soundz, would rerecord several of the same songs for a classic Hugh Masekela album. Here are those songs, minus the trumpet and dub effects, but given a more primordial force by way of thick basslines, relentless percussion and...

A few weeks ago I found myself in Davis Square—just outside Boston—where I was unexpectedly greeted by the accumulation of vendors of decidedly quirky sculptures and paintings, selling their wares to decidedly quirky people that can only be an art festival. Fortunately, at the same time my...

For some reason,  rock has seemed to co-opt the term “indie” when it comes to music. Sure, Indie hip-hop had it’s day in the late 90′s but really, when you think indie, you almost exclusively think rock and roll and all of the trappings of the indie rock world....

Well, we’re just barely a week into April and the temperature has already cracked the 90 degree mark here in New York City. So, since we’re apparently skipping over those precious few Spring days and headed straight into the sticky, lethargy-inducing humidity of summer, I’ve...

Been so slacker it’s not even funny. I can’t apologize enough, and strangely, the Google analytics haven’t shown much drop off. You all rule. So because you have been patient, and because November has produced a cornucopia of instrumental magic, I will be bombing SK with a...

The world’s greatest (and only) Norwegian 9-piece electro-afro-prog-whatever rockestra* has re-emerged from their lair with a new batch of indescribably brilliant songs for confused music fans worldwide.  By “confused” I mean “awesome + eclectic.” I’d...

I can’t say that I’ve been a huge fan of the “acoustic pop/folk” thing as it always seems to remind me of the James Blunt/John Meyer frenzy over the last decade or so. Of course, we can go way before that for generations of solid folk music, but often, when that lone...

Sometimes you just have to believe the hype. It feels like it's been ages since a truly fresh perspective has come out of the underground hip-hop scene.

I've been corrupted. You know you've stumbled upon something great when you're exhibiting obsessive behaviors like playing a song 10 times in a row because 2:55 just isn't long enough

A.M. Architect is another project from Diego Chavez (Aether), together with Daniel Stanush, building on a foundation of guitar and keys over smartly produced beats.

Today's post "Variance" captures the mood perfectly but this is a record meant to be listened to from start to finish (oh, the horror!) with unexpectedly funky BPM changes ("It Was") and nods to Aether's many influences ("Makeshift Sanctuary" could be part II to Blockhead's "Sunday Seance.")

Totally hot new spot from Nike. As soon as I saw this for the first time — rather, as soon as I heard it (I was away from the TV) — I knew this was a new Nike spot. They consistently utilize top notch music supervision. I’m lucky enough to be one of a select few to have...

Today's post, "Something to Behold" is a perfect example of what these two do best. Enjoy. Highly recommended.

"How could I not know about this shit, when it's being done right here in my backyard?" My guess is that the secret bunker lab that these guys work their sonic experiments in is somehow off the grid.

Few, if any, current producer/musicians out there manage to be as dense and melodically satisfying as Max Tundra, unapologetically birthing electronic pop so saccharine that it reminds of you of your mom's favorite 90s tracks from Lisa Stansfield and Desiree.

... Other maverick online music models have resulted since (like NIN's free record), but few have the charm of the recent 4AD release from David Edwards, aka Minotaur Shock.

So imagine my surprise -- thinking Red Snapper had gone the way of so many bands before them -- when a brand new record shows up in my mailbox from Red Snapper. The original Red Snapper.

Few things are as exciting as a really top-notch, unsolicited, new-to-the-world remix. It wouldn't be sensible of me to reveal my sources, but scissorkick has recently come across a truly stellar remix of Roots Manuva's "Again and Again" by Arctic Monkeys' drummer Matt Helders.

Stone's Throw often relishes in mixing the new with the old but few of the venerable label's artists sum it up as well as Koushik, the eponymous moniker of Koushik Ghosh.

Look no further than today's post, a truly awesome cover of Bill Conti's classic "Going the Distance" from... well, after one listen, you should know. And if not, follow it up with James Brown's "Living in America."