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For the remainder of the month, Video of the Week has been taken over by a Deadbolt wine. They believe they have the chops to knock our socks off. Deadbolt isn’t just a new wine, it’s making its own rules and creating a new type of wine culture through great music promotions, sponsorships, and even a series of concerts to lend aid to these musicians giving them a voice to a larger audience. So let’s see what kind of chops they have. Read more

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It’s common knowledge that as NY (Let’s Go Knicks and Yankees) as I am to the core, I’ve always had a soft spot for Boston (or as we say Bawston) boys. Especially Boston rappers. Mixing members Everlast, DJ Lethal and Danny Boy of the historic group House of Pain with rising Beantown lyricists Slaine and Ill Bill, La Coka Nostra started making their mark in 2005. Performing with the group, launching a successful acting career and dropping solo projects, Slaine’s got a full slate on the horizon. Dropping his latest effort, The Boston Project , featuring a slew of dope up and coming artists a few weeks ago, he chose to spotlight the best the city has to offer.

I connected with Slaine right before he was set to fly to Mexico City and Chile to rock with the La Coka crew to discuss the recent Boston terrorist attack, his musical start, acting career, memorable concert performances and interestingly what he likes in a good woman. Peep the videos and soundclips below and check Slaine out on Twitter and Facebook !

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Welcome to another edition of Unsigned and Wound Up, volume 10 ladies and gents. The top three vote-getters will receive a professional review from a staff writer. The top vote-getter receives an interview feature.
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Guards will join Portugal. The Man on tour in June and July, rounding out a busy couple of months on the road that includes dates with Palma Violets, Best Coast, Alt-J, and appearances at Lollapalooza, Primavera Sound, and more.

On tour in support of their new album In Guards We Trust (Black Bell Records), the New York-based band just performed a highly-praised set at Coachella. The Wall Street Journalstates “on tour behind In Guards We Trust, one of the year’s best albums, Guards muscled up, its live music less textured but no less appealing as a synth growled in the midrange along with washes of guitar feedback.” Similarly, Los Angeles Times declares “Guards toy with loud-soft dynamics, and touch on pastel harmonies and thick, almost ’60s garage rock riffs, but it’s the back and forth between keyboardist Kaylie Church and Richie Follin that sets the group apart.”

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Very few can deny the 90’s yielded some of the best hip-hop trios and quartets ever. The East Coast definitely repped during the era but the West equally held it down (including Vancouver and the Pacific NW) with groups like Juno-winning, platinum-selling Swollen Members (including Prevail, Mad Child and Rob The Viking) immediately coming to mind. Weathering the storm of drug addiction, dark periods and legal issues remaining together, the group released their tenth album, Beautiful Death Machine in March. Collaborating over the years with respected heavy-hitters like Everlast, Talib Kweli, Tech N9ne, La Coka Nostra, Dilated Peoples and Saigon, they’ve cemented their places in indie hip-hop history.

I caught up with Prevail a few weeks ago to chat about the storied Swollen Members’ legacy, his solo lifestyle site venture, touring plans and crazy fan experiences potentially involving fangs. Peep the videos and check out our interview clips below! Connect with Prevail on Twitter and Facebook !

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The one and only electronic duo Daft Punk are finally back! In anticipation of their new record Random Access Memories out May 21, here is their very first official single from the upcoming project. It’s called “Get Lucky”, and features special guest Pharrell Williams.  You may remember they teased us with those SNL TV ads a while back. Find all the songs listed below, leaked via Twitter’s Vine app.

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The Black Angels used lights and a lot of hard rock to electrify the crowd at Newport Music Hall in Columbus April 17.

A capacity crowd enjoyed the concert, which saw the band use odd lighting in the background to excite the audience. The lighting used different colors, although it often went to black and white. Sometimes you saw images of the band on the wall, featuring odd expressions and sunglasses.

It was a night for the sitar, as well. We got our first look and listen from the Indian instrument when Elephant Stone, one of the opening acts performed. Stone’s front man, Rishi Dir, even sat in with the sitar on some  of the Angels songs.

Earlier in the evening I had some reservations about the sitar. I remembered the weaker tracks on the Beatles Revolver and Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band albums featured George Harrison’s sitar playing.

Then I remembered good songs by the Beatles (“Norwegian Wood”) and the Rolling Stones (“Paint it Black” used the sitar, and I didn’t feel so bad about listening to the instrument. And it sounded  better the more I heard it. Read more

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Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents and Starr Hill presents, in a partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, are very proud to announce the lineup for the sixth annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival. The world’s only gourmet music festival that Rolling Stone called “one of America’s best,” will once again take place in San Francisco’s historic Golden Gate Park August 9 – 11, 2013. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday April 18 at 12 noon PDT via www.sfoutsidelands.com. A significant portion of every ticket sold will directly benefit San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department.

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Flume just wrapped up his first (and massively successful) tour of the US, which followed a breakout run at SXSW and Ultra Fest. He sold out virtually every show on tour, an amazing feat considering he had previously only played in New York City, and during the insanity of CMJ, no less. Now he’s back home, gearing up for his Infinity Prism Tour, an Australian run of dates in massive rooms, which will feature a new centerpiece to his show. He’s sharing a new video for album track “More Than You Thought,” premiered today on Pitchfork TV,which reveals the hypnotizing power of the Infinity Prism. Watch the video, below, and expect to see more of Flume stateside before the end of the year. Flume released his self-titled debut album earlier this year on Mom+Pop.

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Yay for the interwebs. Since falling into the wonderful (or potential addicting) world of social networks, I’ve been blessed to have some amazing artists come to me in random ways. Case in point. I discovered an artist Fuze the MC recently followed me on Twitter . Who was this person? Lo and behold, I discovered a million plus Twitter-followed “Atlien” with a few dope albums under his belt who’s garnered a slew of industry props from the likes of XXL, MTV, Big Boi, Melanie Fiona, Blu (who would become a collaborator) and Black Hippy’s Schoolboy Q. Introspective, slick, clever, the “Legend of a King” who’s opened for rising hip-hop superstars Kendrick Lamar, Wale and J. Cole preceded him.

A few weeks ago, I connected with this Swiss army-knife Noble Black Society founder, web designer, digital strategist and MC to get the deets on his accomplishments, his new album and more. Peep the videos and Fuze interview clips below! Check out his website for free album downloads!