Check in With Lil West — Before He Blows Up
Lil West is a 20-year-old powerhouse pushing music into the future with everything he’s got. His sound is abrasive but familiar, industrial but saturated. He’s lightyears ahead of modern trap, but…
Field Medic Finally Drops “Housekeyz”
No one radiates DIY quite like Field Medic. Kevin Patrick, the band’s sole member, has been gracing basements and Bandcamp servers with catchy, touching, indie-folk ballads for nearly a decade. Four years in, he wrote a song called “-h-o-u-s-e-k-e-y-z-.” Six years after that…
Teleport Into Patreon’s Stream-a-thon
In response to the devastating blow COVID-19 has dealt live music, Patreon–a subscription-based online creative community–is hosting a Stream-A-Thon to raise funds for the artists most affected by the widespread cancellations.
Go See Lund, guccihighwaters, & Guardin at Sonia on March 3
It’s like SoundCloud on ice! (Except it’s not on ice, rather, it’s on Tuesday, March 3rd at Sonia in Cambridge.) Lund–a SoundCloud veteran and recent pop favorite–will be joining guccighighwaters–a lovestruck crooner on the road to stardom–on their first ever tour together.
The 50 Best Albums of 2019
In 2019, memes ruled music. TikTok earworms, unlikely collabs, and saturated cyber-hits dominated the top of the charts, while the underground responded to ultra-pop the way it always does: with neo-traditionalism. Instead of adapting to its changing surroundings, trap stayed stagnant, and declined in general popularity–rather than increased–for the first time this decade. While…
The 5 Best Record Stores in Boston
If you’re in Boston, the city famous for its charm, make sure to hit these shops for some old-school gems.
Deadmall on Vulnerability, Friendship, and “Bunny Rabbit”
Gabe Gill and Honeyfitz comprise the inseparable Western-Mass-crooner-duo that brings true emotional honesty to an underground littered with cries of “Nobody gets me,” and “Fuck my mom.” Deadmall blends the plasticity of autotune with the organic nature of folk instrumentation to bring us their debut album, Bunny Rabbit.
Greaf Bends Minds on “River City Wizard”
When it comes to Greaf, you have to expect the unexpected. While doing so, expect to encounter something unexpectedly normal while expecting something unexpected. It may seem impossible to be a step ahead of Greaf—that’s because it is.
YGTUT Is Back in His Bag on “Mind Ya Business”
It’s been four years since YGTUT dropped his breakout album, Preacher’s Son. Ever since, he’s been rapping about, well, rapping – until now.
Behind the Scenes with Laura Les
Between soloing with dog barks, bitcrushing 4/4 kicks into cyber-mush, and throwing autotune against the lockers until it coughs up its lunch money, Laura Les lives a pretty normal life. Take an exclusive look behind the scenes of her life and process.
Gentle Temper Offers Truly Realistic Virtual Concert Experience
In a time without actual live shows, bands are creating new and inventive ways to simulate concerts. Many are live-streaming performances from their bedrooms, which is awesome, but unfortunately a Zoom talent show just can’t replicate the dynamic sensations and customs of a real concert.
Fish Zhang on Purity and Seafood Music
After one light knock, Fish Zhang opens his red front door. He’s wearing a tuxedo with no shirt and no socks. With his tattooed hands, he lifts a fistful of rare lamb steak to his face and bites off a chunk. “Come on in,” he says, with a mellow tone and high-pitched voice. We settle in his room, which has “MEAT” written in corduroy strips pinned to a wall, as well as Kim Jong-un’s latest New Yorker cover. He says, “I’m coming down from acid right...
Deadmall + Rothstein is a Formula for Success
In an exclusive interview with Allston Pudding, Deadmall & Rothstein go behind-the-scenes of their new collaborative EP, DM+R, a three-song testament to the advantage of vulnerability.
Watercolorsunshine Releases Moving Banjo Cover of Bladee Song
Watercolorsunshine is a Folk musician with a knack for radical reinvention. Recently, he released a heart-wrenching banjo cover of Swedish Promcore artist Bladee’s tumultuous autotune banger, “Destroy Me.”
Bladee Pushes the Envelope Even Further With “Exile”
Over the years, Bladee has explored uncharted musical territories, crafted entirely unique flows and aesthetics, mastered them, then moved on to the next innovation. Exile is the budding of the future for Bladee, and therefore underground rap as well.
Concert Review: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib “Bandana” Release Show
A piñata’s no fun without a bandana.
Fifty Grand Sums Up His Whole Career on “i will take the Ring, though i do not know the way”
Underground icon Fifty Grand has made everything from trap beats to neoclassical compositions over the span of his career. Fifty’s new single draws inspiration from each pitstop along his 8-album career.
The Making of Lil B
He’s a cult rap legend. But who is he really? In an exclusive interview with office, Lil B details his upbringing, family life, earliest memories, and most formative experiences.
Eddy Baker, Born Again
After a recent “quarter-life crisis,” the rapper discovered “God’s glory,” and now aims to convert his fans. office spoke with Eddy Baker to get a better understanding of his newfound spirituality and what it means for his rap career.
Hightosis on TeamSESH, Digital Art, and the Meaning of Life
Aesthetic trends are temporary. They look cool, they catch on, they get stale, and then they die. Furthermore, hollow trends may only be created by hollow artists and perpetuated by hollow consumers.
Hightosis couldn’t be further from hollow. The TeamSESH visual artist considers his process a “sacred healing method,” and uses it to tackle life’s biggest questions.
Michael Christmas Drops Two Realist Raps About Staying Positive
Boston-rap representative Michael Christmas just dropped two colorful bops to brighten up your day, “Young & Foolish” and “Little Bit O’ Weed.”
Honeyfitz’s I Don’t Need Tennis Lessons, I Need A Therapist” Is the Swiss Army Knife of Summer Albums
There are four different types of summer albums: the one for the beach, the one for the party, the one for falling in love, and the one for breaking up. Honeyfitz–Western Massachusetts’ oddball sweetheart–found a way to tick all four boxes at once.
Heart-to-heart With Li Chem and Ratner of 420 UNLOVABLE
420 Unlovable highlights the nuances of modern relationships with their tender alt-trap ballads. There’s virtue in trying, and this Maine-based collective wants to prove it.
Bones, Xavier Wulf, and Greaf Reunite on “LifeAsAMelody”
The music industry eats artists alive. After years of stylistic trailblazing, one would assume that fame, fans, competition, or money would alter the priorities of those who have been around the longest. Nevertheless, Bones, Xavier Wulf, and Greaf stay true to themselves, continue to innovate, drop when they want to drop, and take the risks that they want to take.
Chester Watson Is the Past, Present, and Future of Lo-Fi Hip Hop
In a time when even the most devoted fans of lo-fi hip hop are often ashamed to praise it for fear of resembling mindless consumers of “beats to relax/study to,” the lo-fi hip-hop sub-genre spins adrift with no true home.
Just When You Thought Father Couldn’t Give Any Less Fucks, He Drops “Awful Swim”
Deep in his routine of spitting left-field lyrics over crisp trap beats, Father has hit peak individuality. He’s not interested being trendy or starting a fad, he just wants to be himself. With Awful Swim, Father creates minimalism from laziness and acuteness from absurdity.
ChipSkylark Turns Trap Into Trance on “20s Drizzlin”
ChipSkylark uses the monotony of trap to his advantage. His new single titled “20S DRIZZLIN” is a sedating lounge cut so textbook that it’s original.
