If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Charles Gall Now here's a collaboration that I didn't expect but are absolutely delighted by. UK experimental post-punk meets indie rock artists Mandy, Indiana have collaborated with abstract hip hop artist billy woods on their latest single. "Sicko!" works insanely well, possibly because Mandy, Indiana have always flirted with electronic music and hip hop in their sound, so collaborating with billy woods works perfectly. This is the kind of single that sounds like it belongs to both artists equally, and it's a fairly batshit (in a great way!) sounding track that merges both styles into one that is nearing perfection. As someone who spent their formative years obsessed with the Judgment Night soundtrack, I'm always in favor of rock and hip hop artists working together, and "Sicko!" is one of the best of these pairings I've heard in years. Mandy, Indiana say of their collaboration with billy woods: “We wanted to create something with an a...

Photo by Alexander Richter For their latest single, billy woods and ELUCID (aka Armand Hammer) team with producer The Alchemist and rappers Silka and Cleo Reed. "Calypso Gene" keeps the group's stripped down and intense hip hop intact. Somehow Armand Hammer are able to have a song as laid back as "Calypso Gene" with an intensity lurking underneath. The Alchemist's production centers on minimal jazz piano and chilled out beats. 2025 has been a fantastic year overall for underground hip hop, and Armand Hammer keep pushing the genre forward. You can watch the video for "Calypso Gene" below. Mercy is due out November 7 on Backwoodz Studioz and Rhymesayers Entertainment. For more on Armand Hammer, check out the artists on Instagram .

Photo by Alexander Richter billy woods has already released one of the albums of the year with the killer GOLLIWOG , and now he's back with new music with Armand Hammer, his project with ELUCID. "Super Nintendo" is a stripped down hip hop track that focuses on the lyrcs and flow of billy woods and ELUCID. The Alchemist's production includes music that certainly sounds like vintage video game music. In fact, there is barely anything representing a beat in "Super Nintendo." This is certainly not your traditional hip hop track, but Armand Hammer have never been your traditional hip hop group.  You can listen to "Super Nintendo" below. Mercy is due out November 7 on Backwood Studioz and Rhymesayers Entertainment, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Armand Hammer, check out the group on Instagram and Twitter .

Artist : billy woods Album : Golliwog Quick Thoughts : billy woods offers a form of modern horrorcore that isn't for everyone, and isn't even for me all the time. GOLLIWOG succeeds in embracing the darkness to an extent while also keeping its somewhat disturbing feel - "Waterproof Mascara" is legitimately one of the uncomfortable listens of recent memory. It's honestly worth the listen, although you'll know quickly whether or not its for you. Songs of Note : "Jumpscare," "Waterproof Mascara," "Misery," "STAR87," "Golgotha," "BLK ZMBY" Artist : Mclusky Album : the world is still here and so are we Quick Thoughts : Mclusky are (finally) back with new music, and it's great. Granted, the venn diagram between Mclusky and Future of the Left may as well be a circle in many regards, but in terms of the Falkous Cinematic Universe, this is the best effort they've collectively put out in a dec...

Photo by Natalia Vachisvili billy woods' new album is due out tomorrow, but we're so excited we can't wait the extra day, so here's a new single until then! "Lead Paint Test" has that sound that only billy woods can. Without being a throwback, its roots are in the golden age of hip hop while looking far down the road into the future of the genre. This is the anti-modern mainstream hip hop style. There aren't any samples of iconic songs, and not a shred of an R&B hook. For those of us that grew up with rap before 1995, "Lead Paint Test" is going to sound exactly what it should sound like in 2025. Plus, adding ELUCID and Cavalier is certainly not a negative thing. You can listen to "Lead Paint Test" below. Golliwog is due out May 9. For more on billy woods, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter . Upcoming tour dates are below and include a September 17 date at Brighton Music Hall in Boston. 5/28 - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 5/29 -...

Photo by  Natalia Vacheishvili billy woods has released a new single off his upcoming album inspired by MF DOOM, Ray Bradbury, and Toni Morrison. "BLK ZMBY" has a spaghetti western sound to the music, kind of like a more stripped down version of RZA. woods hits a perfect mixture of a modernized classic hip hop. This is going to be ideal for fans of underground hip hop, especially if you love hip hop with horror elements. "BLK ZMBY" proves hip hop is best while honoring its roots but still moving forward. woods has become one of the most vital voices in the genre today, and GOLLIWOG is one of our most anticipated releases this year. You can listen to "BLK ZMBY" below. GOLLIWOG is due out May 9. For more on billy woods, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter . Upcoming tour dates are below the song and include a September 17 show at Brighton Music Hall in Boston. 5/3 - Vienna, AT @ Donau Fest 5/28 - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 5/29 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent...

Photo by Natalia Vacheishvili Although I had heard Kenny Segal's before, I wasn't familiar with the producer's work until his amazing album with Benjamin Booker. This led to me falling down a Kenny Segal musical rabbit hole earlier this year, so when I saw that he had a new song with New York's billy woods, I was excited to check it out. "Misery" is a great song that highlights both artists. It's a stripped down track heavy on horn samples and a jazz beat that feels restrained and at no point follows a traditional beat. woods' has such a unique flow that recalls early 90's underground hip hop artists while sounding entirely modern. You're going to want to check this one out right away. billy woods says of his new single: "When I was nine years old I wrote a story about an evil golliwog. My mother read it and told me it was overly derivative and needed some work. Here we are." You can listen to "Misery" below. GOLLIWOG , bill...

Photo by Adam Alonzo Nottingham trip hop group Panchiko have teamed with New York rapper billy woods on their latest single. "Shandy in the Graveyard" lands on the more R&B friendly side of trip hop, but there is still that spacey, electronic element that we love about the genre. It's an impossibly smooth track that is nearly hypnotic in the way it envelops around the listener. Like most trip hop, "Shandy in the Graveyard" is one of the coolest tracks we've heard in this young year. It's also the type of song that reveals itself to you more and more with each listen. It goes quickly from a pleasant and cool track to one of the more intriguing songs out there. You can watch the video for "Shandy in the Graveyard" below. Ginkgo is due out April 4 on Nettwerk, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Panchiko, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. 3/25 - Dublin, Ireland @ The Button Factory 3/26...

Artist : PJ Harvey Album : I Inside the Old Year Dying Quick Thoughts : PJ Harvey could rightfully claim an elder statesman status given her importance to the alternative rock landscape of the 1990s and 2000s, but instead, she keeps putting out albums that demonstrate her interest in creating compelling music instead of chasing any particular popularity. This latest album is a very artful effort, equal parts disquieting and attention-grabbing, and showcases a singer and songwriter comfortable in her place. I really loved this album - both as a musical endeavor and as a statement. A mandatory listen this week. Songs of Note : "Autumn Term," "Seem an I," "I Inside the Old I Dying" Artist : billy woods and Kenny Segal Album : Maps Quick Thoughts : Of some of the albums we missed from the first half of the year is this effort, which is a rap effort that isn't what you expect. The off-kilter start of "Kenwood Speakers" and "Soft Lan...