Last Summer, the California duo of Jonathan Rado and Sam France took me by delightful surprise and released Take The Kids Off Broadway, which ended up being my favorite EP from this past calendar year. On the short collection, Foxygen’s sound is fruitful; a lot of everything coming at you from everywhere.  They have a wonderful knack of  taking five sharp turns in one track, smoothly. Double that number when referring to the ten minute “Teenage Alien Blues” epic. When Jagjaguwar announced an early 2013 release, the readiness was all.

“So without further adieu, we’d like to introduce you to the darkness.”

On the intro track, much like McCartney welcoming us all to the Magical Mystery Tour, Sam France addresses his crowds and brings us into his psychedelic territory. We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic  is nothing short of a trip. The main strength of Foxygen is founded on unpredictability. Before you write off “On Blue Mountain” as a song for the hopeless, the optimism pours in. Just as the punk-heavy self-titled tune is finished kicking your ass, you find yourself plummeting towards the unknown  slowly fading away from your sativa high.

As enticing as the organized experience may be, the standout track “San Francisco” is as easy as it gets; Like floating on a cloud, like butter, like everything beautiful on this earth. Similar to their effort from last year, Peace & Magic hits the right spots from nowhere in particular. Foxygen’s music is pure ambition, delivered as precisely as first imagined.

4 out of 5 stars

4 out of 5

“Whole cities are haunted, ’cause some money bag nodded, and dropped the thought product of a Harvard grad upon it.”

When it comes to getting a message across, the Coup is absolutely one of the most powerful hip-hop groups that we have ever had the pleasure of listening to. The Oakland trio, fronted by Boots Riley on the mic, has been pushing the envelope since the beginning of rap’s golden age, just under twenty years ago. Their signature sound has always been a fun, quirky style of hip-hop. Sorry To Bother You, the Coup’s first LP in six years, shies away from hip-hop and, as a result, is a record that shies away from the fun I remember having while listening to the Coup.

We are over a decade past Riley’s prime, when one of the ’90s’ most slept-on hip-hop records, Steal This Album, hit the shelves. It would not be fair to expect Boots to pack the same heat in 2012. During the hip-hop instances on Sorry To Bother You, which are few and far between, Riley does a great job on the mic. The most fun to be had is on “We’ve Got A Lot To Teach You, Cessius Green” and “Violet”, where it doesn’t feel like they are pushing the fun-factor on these hip-hop oriented tunes. For the most part, the rest of Sorry To Bother You is this messy dance party where you can find me in the corner on my iPhone tweeting “COUP DON’T KILL MY VIBE” over and over again.

I will take the radical lyrics, you can keep the radical production that is unfortunately over-the-top in a bad way. The Coup has done a great service for the genre we love oh-so very much, so I won’t be too disappointed with Sorry To Bother You. Apology accepted.

2.5 out of 5 stars

2.5 out of 5

The Yellow House gang will continue to clutch onto its baby — probably on vinyl —  while the band continues their rise to indie stardom. Veckatimest lovers wonder why they cannot find a “Two Weeks”-type single they can share with their friends. Those who can take a new record as, well, a new record, will find plenty to enjoy in Grizzly Bear’s Shields.

Vocally, the delightful one-two punch of Daniel Rossen and Edward Droste continue to dazzle. There are great tracks where one or the other take the spotlight, though they’re perhaps best when sharing the workload on a single track. On “Speak In Rounds”, Droste smoothly takes care of the verses while Rossen’s takes sharp stabs on the chorus. Whether it’s due mostly to their progression as vocalists, or the interesting song structures, or a little bit of both, these two vocalists sound as cohesive as ever.

The Hunt” and “What’s Wrong” are the only real kinks in Shields‘ armor. They are the slower tunes, relying heavily on vocals that just don’t stand up to the more lively bunch. The simple approach on “Gun-Shy”, funky backbeat and all, pays off tenfold. The way “Yet Again” relentlessly lashes out, yet sounds so beautiful as it reloads for more, makes for one of the strongest tracks on the album. Above and beyond every track would be album closer “Sun In Your Eyes”, which shines brighter and brighter as the seven minute masterpiece rolls along. Each of their last three albums have a different feel, though what remains consistent is the quality. Shields should definitely get some recognition at year’s end.

4 out of 5 stars

4 out of 5

There’s  a 19-year-old redhead female who goes by Kitty Pryde and she raps. She raps and then some of my favorite rappers really dig her, and then follow her on Twitter. She released Haha I’m Sorry, all by herself, like a big girl.

It’s a blessing that “Give me Scabies” is placed at the front of the EP. Kitty’s a clever girl for putting it there. Take Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”, Kenny G the shit out of it, and voila. You’ve got an opening track that keeps expectations LOW. Toss in the GRANT-produced nonsense before laying down the delicious Beautiful Lou production, right after telling me to give you the seven-year itch, in between a handful of dainty giggles. This is a genius move.

“ay shawty: THE SHREKONING” slowly emerges from the water and this dude Dankte does a very good job in hollering at his shawty, Kitty Pryde. Kitty Pryde then proceeds to mirror her shawty by hollering back at him. This is 2012′s Romeo and Juliet, right here. With Beautiful Lou taking care of the soundtrack, I’m all for it. “smiledog.jpg” comes with another giggle! It’s so cute, I swear. Beautiful Lou puts together a neat, naive beat, swaying back and forth perfectly for Kitty to gush about how she’s all over Google and her affection for candy that you can wear on your finger.

“Orion’s Belt” is what we’re all here for, no doubt. Riff Raff brings out the best in Kitty Pryde. Hell, Riff Raff would bring out the best in all of us, if we had the chance to meet the phenomenon. Beautiful Lou creates a fun environment for two of rap’s biggest enigmas. Who are these emcees and what do they want from us, ultimately. Kitty Pryde loves Danny Brown and ”Okay Cupid” is a result of that. I love Danny Brown too, Kitty! Beautiful Lou scores an ace by doing no wrong whatsoever on the entire EP. Another catchy beat, giving rap game’s Taylor Swift plenty of room to seduce us all with her barely legal voice.

I can’t really explain this EP. I take a cold shower after listening to it, and then I listen to it again.

2.5 out of 5 stars

2.5 out of 5

Yeah, this is a Ninja Tune record all right. Similar to legendary labelmate Amon Tobin, producer Hot Sugar (aka Nick Koenig) has a knack for crafting his pieces from sounds that can be found, well, anywhere. Your moth-eaten attic is, without a doubt, a gold mine for this NYC artist. Everyday actions are recorded, commonplace items are registered, laws of physics are responsible. Front to back, Hot Sugar’s Moon Money EP fascinates like few other records can.

It all starts before even strapping into the music itself; look at that tracklist! Right off the bat, “Theres a Man Waiting at the Bottom of the Stairwell” leads into “The Kid who Drowned at Summercamp”, while just a little bit later on in the first half, “Everybody’s Parents Will Die” meets with “The Girl who Stole my Tamagotchi”. Powerful titles that make for the best tracks on the album, believe it or not. There is an eerie, captivating lullaby quality present in each of these tunes, allowing the listener to gently tip-toe through a ghostly milieu, wanting to find out what’s around the next corner. It’s a strange experience, though not one you would be keen on getting out of.

The tail end of Moon Money takes heart, albeit abruptly, as soon as Koenig is done with dwelling upon his electronic pet. “0_0″, still with that signature cradle song character, plays on the greener side of the grass. While nice to have the peace of mind of a visible light at the end of the tunnel, I would have preferred to mellow around in the malaise a little longer. Regardless, Hot Sugar masterfully displays an abundance of raw emotion, no matter the mood. “Addictions” closes the EP out and I’m left wanting another fix.

4 out of 5 stars

4 out of 5

Most of us here at Potholes remember Stalley’s Lincoln Way Nights very well. It easily cracked our Top 15 Free Albums & Mixtapes of 2011 list, largely due to killer 808s that all spawned exclusively from Elev8tor Music’s own Rashad. While well-deserved kudos was tossed in his general direction for a job well done, it wasn’t exactly the break-out party that a solo album could have provided. So here we are, in 2012, with just that: Rashad takes advantage of his diverse bag of tricks and lays everything down on his debut LP, Museum.

With Rashad, undeniably, there’s talent wherever you want to find it. On a dime, he can transition a track’s mood as easily as he can switch from rhyme to serenade. “The Truth” shows how fluid the passage from rap verse to catchy soulful hook can be for Rashad. It makes sense that, apart from a passable Styles-P cameo and short entry from Ohio’s PA Flex, there really isn’t a need for guest appearances on Museum when you’ve got a jack-of-all-trades running the show.

Therein lies the rub, though; nearly everything on Rashad’s first record is decent, yet nothing is particularly great. Apart from the rugged standout track “Machine Gun”, which will immediately leap out at you with a grimy guitar riff and delightfully drowsy brass layer, there aren’t really any other blips on the radar; Museum seems to be too smooth for its own good. I won’t keep in contact with this record, though now knowing what Rashad’s capable of on his own, I’ll put money on a shorter, sweeter sophomore album in the near future, where he will hopefully be able to separate from the pack.

2.5 out of 5 stars

2.5 out of 5

View the tour dates here.

Ooh, baby, I like it raw. To hell with guest appearances. Gimmicks, begone. This is one emcee, and one producer, making a hip-hop record in its purest form. This is the perfect marriage between Detroit and New York City. This is Apollo Brown and O.C. with Trophies, and what a showcase they have in store for those of you who have yet to get familiar.

You’ve got to respect the consistency on this record. After a 40 second intro that makes quite a huge impact (“I don’t need no god-damn trophy or… award or… recognition… I do this shit ’cause I love to do this shit!”), you are left with 15 tracks of what may have made you fall in love with this genre in the first place. Dope beats, dope rhymes, what more do y’all want?

“The First” has Apollo flaunting Cream’s timeless “White Room” single from 1968. Did not think it was possible, but Brown’s work with the psych-rock classic easily surpasses J57′s delicious cut of the same tune from Homeboy Sandman’s “Angels With Dirty Faces”. As for O.C.? He can’t stop, won’t stop, ala Diddy. He’ll dish out three relentless verses on anything you throw his way. The lyrics are not flashy whatsoever, but his rhymes steadily hit just as hard as the beats that Apollo puts in place.

If you love the way Detroit’s style sounds, and the way New York rappers execute, take comfort in the fact that this hybrid will keep your attention from beginning to end. This record is no-nonsense, and hits straight to the gut. Everything you hear will hit hard; Apollo and O.C. follow a simple structure of making a strong impression, both sonically and lyrically, on every piece they create. Stand this record up against any hip-hop you’ve loved this year. Trophies shines, at the end of the day.

4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5 out of 5

“greetings. elaquent makes beats. he watches batman. he plays sega. yuen woo-ping choreographs awesome fight scenes in hong kong movies. elaquent likes those aforementioned kung fu movies. he also makes beats. okbye.” That’s Elaquent writing about himself in a nutshell. Intro, body, conclusion. Simple as that. That’s who we’re dealing with today. Here’s a geek from up north who invests a lot of time into his passions. You get what you give; Elaquent’s production continues to improve the more and more he hangs around his equipment. The Scenic Route validates his dedication to dynamic instrumentals.

“Montreal Poutine” is a fine example of Ela’s ability to blend the hard-hitting with the soft and soulful. A poutine is a combination of fries, gravy, and cheese curds. The glitchy vibe from this track stumbles around as melodic female vocals meet up with a Busta Rhymes sample. In both cases, your guess is as good as mine as to how these concoctions are truly beautiful blends, so we’ll go ahead and give kudos to the bold creators. It’s what you get with The Scenic Route from beginning to end; The sharp sci-fi punches you’d expect from a Flying Lotus type, fused together with the luscious, organic samples you’d receive from the late and great Nujabes. After riding along Elaquent’s road less travelled, you start to wonder who would dare choose a straight and narrow path over this trip.

3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5 out of 5