May 18, 2012 Name: Batida
Where He’s From: Lisbon, Portugal via Luanda, Angola
Genre: Kuduro (Redux)
When He Started: 2007
Most Similar: Baloji, Buraka Som Sistema
The Sound: Time-traveling Central African street party
Kuduro just keeps on moving....
May 17, 2012 Name: Tricot
Where They’re From: Kyoto, Japan
Genre: post-rock
When They Started: 2010
Most Similar: Electrelane, Explosions in the Sky
The Sound: Mathy jams with a blithe spirit
Maybe...
May 17, 2012 In January, a few months before an unexpected coup d’état toppled the Malian government and launched the country into a spiral of political chaos, it would have been hard to imagine that “Festival In The...
May 16, 2012 We've all heard the proverbial rags to riches stories of how rappers can go from hard knock lives to gold-plated roadways tricked out by overly-priced wheels. And oftentimes when said rapper is female,...
May 16, 2012 Before Jamaican dancehall legend Vybz Kartel was charged with murder in 2011, he was already making headlines around the world. Yes, for his flamboyant press wrangling, yes, for his so-called 'skin...
May 16, 2012 Name: Los Vigilantes
Where They're From: Puerto Rico
Genre: Garage Punk
When They Started: 2009
Most Similar: Davila 666, Mark Sultan
The Sound: Like trouble
Favorite lyrics: "No...
May 16, 2012 Twin Atlantic’s huge rock sound have bewitched UK audiences from Glasgow to London, and they’re currently working on American domination. Their debut full-length Free hopped to the top of the iTunes...
May 16, 2012 Originality comes few and far between these days, especially in overly saturated music categories where some artists are merely carbon copies of legends from generations prior. The smart ones are those...
Arif Lohar is a burgeoning heavyweight in Pakistan’s Sufi music scene. The son of legend Alam Lohar, Arif has carried on his family tradition –all the way to New York’s gritty streets. We took the star...
Country’s got a new chanteuse by the name of Nikki Lane. The South Carolina-raised sweetheart’s “Gone, Gone, Gone” is her recollection of ditching the South for the Sunshine state…and not looking back at all. Though much of her earlier music was...
Man Like Me, a north London electro pop duo, plays dresses up in “Squeeze.” They participate in the small town escapades that most people dream of –surfing through the aisles of a mini mart, swiping a hospital bed, that sort of thing. Their sound is...
Emeli Sandé, a pop singer/songwriter, has whip appeal. She sings about her close relationship with a very worthy lover in “Next to Me.” He nixes nights at the club and unfaithful frolics for a spot next to the Zambian/English songstress. We dig her...
We think that Diplo and Oliver Twizt, Mad Decent labelmates, probably dabble in computer art courses when they’re not making global bass delicacies. “Go” is already hypnotic with its synth zigzags and 100-second long buildup, but we can’t stop staring...
Want to meet the biggest legends in Japan’s music industry? You might not have heard of them, but these icons have been in the business for years and all are at the top of their game. From idol Jin Akanishi’s steamy pop appeal in “Test Drive,” to rocker...
Drop the Lime, also known as Luca Venezia, flirts with a few deadly sins in “Bandit Blues.” The NYC-born producer plays the role of the wrongful ringleader clad in all black. He witnesses gluttony, sloth...
Amanda Mair, the doe-eyed Swedish crooner, touched down in NYC for the first time this Spring. But when the 17-year old ingenue arrived at Molly's Cupcakes NYC for her MTV Iggy live performance shoot,...
