Elzhi shocked the hip-hop world last year with the release of his conceptual mixtape, Elmatic, which took its title and inspiration from Nas’ 1994 classic, Illmatic, and consisted of Elzhi putting his own lyrics over those time-honored beats, re-imagined with live instrumentation. It was Elzhi’s first release since his 2008 solo debut album, The Preface, and it catapulted him back to the forefront of hip-hop’s consciousness. Elmatic is available now on itunes.

Elzhi’s world tour will serve not only the thousands of fans who have yet to see him perform his work from Elmatic, but also performing new tracks from his upcoming album set to release this Fall. The tour routing is below, with more dates in Europe, Australia, and Asia to be announced soon.

2012 Summer Tour Routing

July 12 Ottawa, ON @ Ritual
July 13 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
July 14 Toronto, ON @ Soundclash Festival
July 16 Philly, PA @ Silk City
July 17 Boston, MA @ Middle East
July 18 Providence, RI @ Fete
July 19 New York, NY @ SOB’s
July 20 Pittsburgh, PA @ 720 Café
July 21 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s
July 24 Kalamazoo, MI @ Poppa Pete’s
July 25 Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
July 26 Chicago, IL @ Sub-T
July 27 St. Louis, MO @ Lola
July 28 Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s
August 1 Phoenix, AZ @ Chaser’s
August 2 Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club
August 3 Oakland, CA @ New Parish
August 7 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
August 8 Vancouver, BC @ Republic
August 14 Warsaw, Poland @ Miasto Cypel
August 15 London, UK @ Cargo
August 17 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic @ Hip-Hop Kemp Festival
August 18 Biel, Switzerland @ Royal Arena Festival

LISTEN TO “L.O.V.E.”

Globetrotting producer Onra has staked his claim as one of the most exciting beat-makers of the past few years, thanks to releases like his Chinoseries collections (made from scratch with samples found while traveling Asia) and the Pitchfork-acclaimed Long Distance LP. All the while, his electrifying live MPC performances around the world – everywhere from the Red Bull Music Academy in Bucharest and Giles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival, to LA’s down-and-dirty bass sanctuary the Low End Theory – add new dimensions to the cosmic grooves Onra puts on tape.

With his first release for Fool’s Gold, the Deep In The Night EP (out Tuesday, June 12th), Onra continues to chart new musical territory. The EP’s five tracks meld the snap of vintage jheri curl R&B with squggling disco synths and deeply funky, late-night vibes. From the new jack swinging “After Hours” (featuring T3 of Slum Village) to the moody, screwed loops of closer “Hold Tight,” Deep In The Night’s cut-and-paste danceability proves a must-listen for any occasion. After all, it’s always after hours somewhere…

DEEP IN THE NIGHT TRACKLISTING
1. After Hours ft. T3
2. L.O.V.E.
3. Somewhere (Deep In The Night)
4. V.B.B. ft. Jay Kin & Amalia
5. Hold Tight

UPCOMING ONRA TOUR DATES:
Thurs 5/24 – Chicago @ Beauty Bar
Fri 5/25 – San Francisco @ 1015 Folsom
Wed 5/30 – LA @ Low End Theory
Sun 5/27 – San Diego @ Kava
Thurs 5/31 – Dallas @ Dallas Contemporary Museum
Fri 6/1 – St. Louis @ Lola
Sun 6/3 – Upper Lake, CA @ Raindance Festival
Wed 6/6 – Calgary @ HiFi
Thurs 6/7 – Toronto @ Supermarket
Fri 6/8 – Montreal @ Underworld
Tues 7/17 – NYC @ Santos Party House
Wed 7/18 – DC @ U Street Music Hall
Sat 8/4 – Maui @ Loft in Space
Fri 8/10 – Vancouver @ Waldorf Hotel
Sat 8/11 – Seattle @ The Crocodile
Sun 8/12 – Portland @ Mississippi Studios

This past Saturday P.O.S took the stage taking part in MPR’s ‘Muse for Music’ held at the historic Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN. ‘Muse for Music’ was a special commission from 89.3 The Current which explored “the hidden creative origins and stories surrounding some of music’s most notable songs.” The event was hosted and curated by Jeremy Messersmith and included performances by Doomtree’s P.O.S, Chastity Brown, and storyteller Dave Mondy. P.O.S delivered a showstopper when he joined Messersmith onstage to perform rearranged versions of “Let It Rattle” and “Never Better” off of his 2009’s Never Better album. Noting his personal muse and favorite band Spoon, P.O.S covered “Metal Detektor” as well as Prince’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover.”

In early June The Fitzgerald will showcase another Doomtree member, Sims, when he takes part in MPR’s ‘Works for Words’ hosted by Chris Koza. The show is expected to “explore the meanings of the lyrics and importance of words in pop, rock and folk songs. From gibberish words to poetic love lines with special guests to help find enhance the stories told in in song.” The audience is in store for a night of firsts at this one-of-kind event. Sims’ smart, aggressive lyrics and raw delivery will be backed by a lush, soaring orchestration. Tickets are currently available for this show.

Recently recognized by KSTP Channel 5 news for their accomplishments within the Minneapolis hip hop scene Doomtree have been going non-stop in support of their most recent release No Kings. Having just wrapped up a 3-month US national tour and a 2-week stint in Europe, Doomtree will spend the rest of the summer playing the festival circuit including Lollapalooza as well as various solo gigs.

Doomtree Upcoming Tour Dates
6/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Rock The Garden – SOLD OUT
7/13 – Dour, Belgium – Dour Festival
7/20 – 07/22 – Seattle, WA – Capitol Hill Block Party
7/27 ­- Somerset, WI – Sound Town Music & Camping Festival at Somerset Amphitheater
8/4 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza – (8/4 day passes SOLD OUT)

Sims Upcoming Tour Dates
5/22 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fasching*
5/23 – Oslo, Norway – BLÅ*
5/24 – Bergen, Norway – Garage*
6/8 – St. Paul, MN – The Fitzgerald Theater

* – with Brother Ali

P.O.S Upcoming Tour Dates
5/27 – Shakopee, MN – Soundset Festival

Dessa Upcoming Tour Dates
6/19 – Grand Forks, ND – North Dakota Museum of Art
6/20 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
6/21 – Rochester, MN – Peace Plaza
6/22 – Sioux Falls, SD – 605 Summer Classic
6/23 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room

Stream Both Tracks via DFA’s Soundcloud

Shit Robot returns with his first new material since the release of his debut long-player, From The Cradle To The Rave, releasing the “Teenage Bass” single with “Space Race,” the first cuts from his new project, The Green Machine. After spending much of 2010 and 2011 touring the globe with his live show – including a string of dates opening/performing with LCD Soundsystem during their final shows in NYC – the rebooted Robot is back with The Green Machine.

The first result of his Stuttgart/New York studio adventures is a double-header of dancefloor jams, “Teenage Bass” b/w “Space Race,” which is now available on vinyl and digitally on DFA Records. It’s the first in a series of releases called The Green Machine, which will culminate in an album early next year.

Lead cut “Teenage Bass” rides a rude EBM bassline and rave alert sirens, before expanding further with key changing chords and a defining arpeggiator. The hypnotic “Space Race” is a distant relative of 2007’s “Chasm” – a meandering, melodic, star-gazing Robo-techno workout.

Speaking about the new release, Shit Robot said: “After the album I just wanted to go back to my roots and make some dance 12”s, music for people to get drunk and jump around to.” In addition, today is the launch of a special Shit Robot contest via DFA Records – email a copy of your receipt for either the vinyl or digital version of the single to iwantyou@dfarecords.com for a chance to win a special Shit Robot prize pack.

To mark the new release, Shit Robot will be announcing a series of live The Shit Robot Show/DJ dates across the world, details on those coming soon. In addition, a new range of Shit Robot merchandise is now available from the DFA webstore. You can grab Robot coffee mugs, pins, stamped ‘Wrong Galaxy’ white labels and a rather nifty From The Cradle To The Rave value pack, which includes a vinyl, CD and pin for $15. You can find all that good stuff here.

Upcoming Shit Robot Tour Dates

5/24 – New York, NY – Hudson Terrace
5/25 – San Francisco, CA – Venue TBD
6/02 – Forbidden Fruit, Dublin *
6/03 – Forbidden Fruit Afterparty, Dublin
6/15 – The Nest, London
6/21 – 6/23 – Japan DJ tour
7/01 – Chicago, IL – Wavefront
7/13 – Razzmatazz, Spain
7/14 – Benicassim, Spain

* = The Shit Robot Show (Live)

ALBUM TO INCLUDE NEW UNRELEASED SSION TRACKS AND REMIXES COMING FROM MNDR, GRIMES, NIGHTFEELINGS, PHYSICAL THERAPY AND MORE

Hailing from Kansas City’s unexpected art-scene, SSION has reached the apex of synth-pop perfection with the album Bent, out August 7th on Dovecote. Led by the charismatically avant gender outlaw Cody Critcheloe, SSION creates music that is simultaneously dance inducing and cheekily crass and that irreverently pokes fun at contemporary culture. Tracks are meticulously crafted with reverbed synth, deep bass and vocals that verge on the addictive. Critcheloe’s creativity is not bounded by music making, as he has been commissioned to produce music videos for a multitude of heavyweights in the unconventional-pop world, including Peaches, Gossip, CSS and Santigold as well as promotional videos for the vibrant outsider designer and fellow Kansas City local, Peggy Noland. Drawing from a multifaceted artistic background, SSION is a total multimedia experience playfully on the vanguard of culture, replete with high-concept visuals, performance, costuming and make-up. The enhanced hard copy re-release of Bent will include previously unreleased bonus tracks and remixes from MNDR, Grimes, Nightfeelings, Physical Therapy and more.

Bent features the lushly reverbed introverted single “My Love Grows In The Dark.” In the accompanying video, conceived and produced by Critcheloe and lauded by Paper as “absolutely captivating,” the front man portrays himself as the antithesized pop-star, journeying through a surreal house of androgynous dancers and confronted with issues of representation, indifference and intimacy. The track got a dreamy disco remix treatment by Nightfeelings (Nick Weiss of Teengirl Fantasy) and is available for free download on The Fader. SSION not only nods to the most influential and iconic pop artists of the past, but also stands to carve out its own place in the future as a whole new breed of pop.

SSION will play select live dates across on the east and west coast, appearing with Gossip, JD Samson and Sharon Needles. He will also be performing at this year’s San Francisco Pride.

WATCH VIDEO FOR “MY LOVE GROWS” IN THE DARK

BENT TRACKLISTING
1. Listen 2 The Grrrls
2. Blonde With U
3. Psy-chic
4. Luvvbazaar
5. Earthquake
6. Growin
7. Feelz Good (4-Evr)
8. My Love Grows In The Dark
9. Nothing Happens At Nite
10. Weird Yearz

UPCOMING SSION TOURDATES
05/22/2012 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY *
06/22/2012 – Neumos – Seattle, WA #
06/24/2012 – Soma Arts – San Francisco, CA
06/24/2012 – San Francisco Pride Festival – San Francisco, CA

* w/ Gossip, CREEP
# w/ Sharon Needles, JD Samson

PRIVATE “FULL FLEX EXPRESS” TRAIN TO PLAY FESTIVALS IN OTTAWA, MONTREAL, TORONTO, WINNIPEG, EDMONTON AND VANCOUVER

In line with his ongoing attempts to re-imagine the idea of touring and performance, ubiquitous Grammy-winning DJ/producer Skrillex announces a string of Canadian dates featuring some of the most bubbling names in Electronic Dance Music, all of whom will be traveling between cities on a private passenger train. At each stop, a festival event will take place, featuring performances by Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Diplo, Grimes, KOAN Sound and Tokimonsta on multiple stages to crowds in the tens of thousands.

The Full Flex Express concept is inspired by The Festival Express tour that took place along a similar route in 1970 featuring Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and The Band. An assertion of the camaraderie and like-mindedness of the performers, this tour is less about practicality than it is simply enjoying the ride. When asked about the run of dates, Skrillex said “we were really inspired when Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharp and those guys did a train tour. We wanted to do it as well and share this music with people across Canada. Just to do it and have fun”.

Audiences will undoubtedly share in the exclusive revelry, much as concert-goers in New York and Los Angeles did earlier this year when Skrillex ambitiously played a series of “takeover” club dates in diminutive venues on both coasts.

FULL FLEX EXPRESS TOUR DATES:

Fri. July 13 – Toronto – Fort York
Sat. July 14 – Ottawa – Ottawa Blues Fest*
Sun. July 15 – Montreal – Parc Jean Drapeau
Wed. July 18 – Winnipeg – Shaw Park
Frid. July 20 – Edmonton – Kinsmen Park
Sun. July 22 – Vancouver – PNE Coliseum

*no Grimes

Parallels 2012 Tour Dates
May 3 @ Church of Boston – Boston MA
May 4 @ Public Assembly- Brooklyn NY May 9 @ The Garage at Motorco – Durham NC
May 10 @ The Milestone w/ Moon Furies – Charlotte NC
May 11 @ Tom Tom Founders Festival @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar – Charlottesville VA
May 12 @ Emerald Lounge- Asheville NC
May 16 @ Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta GA
May 17 @ No Control – Savannah GA
May 18 @ Vagabond- Miami FL
May 19 @ Respectable Street – West Palm Beach
May 22 @ Crowbar w/The Dark Esquire (DJ Set) – Tampa FL
May 23 @ Retrofit Records – Tallahassee FL
May 24 @ Alabama Music Box – Mobile AL
May 27 @ Pilot Light – Knoxville TN
May 31 @ MOTR Pub w. Skeleton Hands – Cincinnati OH
June 2 @ Cosmic Charlies w/ Skeleton Hands & Ellie Herring – Lexington KY
June 3 @ Lemmons – St Louis MO
June 6 @ Cobra Lounge w/ Ghosthouse (DJ Set) – Chicago IL

Listen/Download/Share: “Moonlight Desires” MP3

“Time Will Crawl” EP – Out Today On iTunes
1. Time Will Crawl
2. Moonlight Desires
3. Ritual Dancer

Parallels, aka Holly Dodson, is excited to announce their upcoming US tour dates, kicking off today in support of early Summer release ‘XII’ out June 26, 2012 through Marigold Records. Having shared the stage with internationally-acclaimed artists in the past, including Florence and the Machine, The Juan MacLean, Sebastian Tellier, Crystal Castles, Midnight Juggernauts, A-Trak and Broken Social Scene, Holly Dodson will be joined by an exciting new line-up to her live set featuring Artem Galperine on keyboards and Nick Dodson on drums.

The album is a perfect blend of sparkling pop and electronic radiance. While their 2010 release, “Visionaries” boasted a darker blend of static synths and HI-NRG rhythm patterns, ‘XII’ takes on a brighter direction with front girl Holly Dodson’s honey-sweet vocals enveloping the record with a radiant, moonlit perfection.

Parallels have received critical acclaim, with their previous release featured on french boutique imprint Kitsune Maison and notable collaborations with a fantastic list of artists including English indie quartet Delphic.

—
“Her pipes have a sweet but haunting fragility to them, and when juxtaposed with synth-heavy, gothic pop gems… the results are a kaleidoscopic, aural roller coaster that you’ll probably want to ride over and over again.”
Paper Mag

“A young Madonna-meets modern electro”
NME

“Parallels pull off that balancing act between retro and futuristic, borrowing from the past while pushing the sound forward into the present. Their take on darkly lustrous synth-pop is certainly amongst the catchiest stuff you’ll hear all year.”
AOL Spinner

“Crackling with ‘80s dance sentiment and new-wave electricity, Parallels’ brand of sonic joy could be called the new vintage.”
RCRD LBL

“That straight ahead dance beat, the vibrating synths and and the nightmare-twinkling piano laid on top are New Order or Depeche Mode through and through.”
My Old Kentucky Blog

“John Crawford of Berlin-like arrangements and Talk Talk/early 80′s pop ingenue singing against one another in an appropriate mix of throwback gems”
The Culture of Me

ANNOUNCE TOUR EXCLUSIVE 7-INCH “RODRIGUEZ”

‘MR. IMPOSSIBLE’ LP OUT NOW ON RIBBON MUSIC

Watch the video for “Rodriguez” now

Brooklyn’s Black Dice reveal the self-directed video for “Rodriguez”, a track off their new LP Mr. Impossible out now on Ribbon Music. The band kicks off The Electronic Mind Monsters Reader Tour tonight in Boston. An exclusive 7-inch for “Rodriguez” featuring b-side “Pissed In A Cave” with art by band member Bjorn Copeland will be available on first on tour. Pre-order is available now.

Black Dice Tour Dates:
May 03 Boston, MA – Blue Triangle
May 04 Montreal, QC – Il Motore
May 05 Toronto, ON – Polyhaus
May 06 Detroit, MI – PJ’s Lager House
May 07 Chicago, IL – The Bottom Lounge
May 08 Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center
May 11 Seattle, WA – Seattle Tavern
May 12 Portland, OR – YU Contemporary
May 14 San Francisco, CA – The Lab
May 15 Los Angeles, CA – Eagle Rock Center for Arts
May 18 Austin, TX – Red 7
May 19 Dallas, TX – Sons of Hermann Hall
May 20 New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks
May 21 Memphis, TN – The Poplar Lounge
May 22 Atlanta, GA – 529
May 23 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
May 24 Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
May 25 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
May 26 New York, NY – Secret Project Robot

Praise for Black Dice:
“ZERO: Number of bands weirder than Black Dice.” – The Fader

“There’s real joy in this stuff, an infectious sense of discovery as Black Dice find ways to make bizarre music into something tightly structured and fun.” – Pitchfork

“One of the most influential noise acts of the past decade.” – XLR8R

“Mr. Impossible is pop in the way that a slimy plant pod from Invasion of the Body Snatchers looks like your boyfriend. It’s what pop would sound like if you showed Martians a diagram of a Mike Chapman (or maybe Dr. Luke) production and let them have a go at it.” – Village Voice

LISTEN TO NEW TRACKS AT ADULT SWIM

PREORDER KILLER MIKE’S R.A.P. MUSIC HERE

Atlanta-born rapper and Grammy®-Award winner Killer Mike will release his self-proclaimed finest work to date with the debut of R.A.P. Music on May 15 from Williams Street Records. The album, which was produced entirely by El-P, Brooklyn’s resident laureate hip hop artist, producer and entrepreneur, features a line-up of tracks that both deliver on rap’s most basic level and simultaneously document the socio-economic discrepancies and racism that still plague America today. With the album’s title acronym representing “Rebellious African People’s Music,” it takes its influences from all genres of music black people have rebelled through, including gospel, jazz, soul, rock and funk.

The R.A.P. Music album page is now up on Adult Swim and features two unheard tracks off the LP, “Jo Jo’s Chillin” and “Southern Fried”. Listen to clean versions of the tracks here or if your ears prefer it dirty listen to “Jo Jo’s Chilln” here and “Southern Fried” here.

This summer Killer Mike takes his talents on the road in support of R.A.P. Music. Album collaborator El-P will join Killer Mike along with Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire and Despot on an all-star North American tour. Check out the tour dates below.

Explore – R.A.P. Music

Listen – “Jo Jo’s Chillin”

Listen – “Southern Fried”

Pre-order – R.A.P. Music

Killer Mike
R.A.P. Music
(Williams Street)
May 15, 2012

1. Big Beast (feat. Bun B, T.I. and Trouble)
2. Untitled (feat. Scar)
3. Go!
4. Southern Fried
5. Jo Jo’s Chillin
6. Reagan
7. Don’t Die
8. Ghetto Gospel
9. Butane (Champion’s Anthem) (feat. El-P)
10. Anywhere But Here (feat. Emily Panic)
11. Willie Burke Sherwood
12. R.A.P. Music

Tour Dates

06-19 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade *#^
06-20 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues *#^
06-21 Dallas, TX – Granada *#^
06-22 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live *#^
06-23 Austin, TX – Mohawk *#^
06-25 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent *#^
06-26 San Diego, CA – Casbah *#^
06-28 Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex *#^
06-29 San Francisco, CA – Regency *#^
06-30 Portland, OR – Hawthorne *#^
07-01 Seattle, WA – Neumo’s *#^
07-02 Vancouver, British Columbia – Fortune *#^
07-05 Minneapolis, MN – Fineline *#^
07-06 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge *#^
07-07 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop *#^
07-08 Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig *#^
07-09 Toronto, Ontario – Hoxton^
07-11 Boston, MA – Paradise *#^
07-12 Providence, RI – The Met *#^
07-14 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero #^
07-15 Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel *#^

* with Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire
# with Killer Mike
^ with Despot

Download New “Hanging On (GRVRBBRS Remix)”

Active Child kicks off the last North American tour this week in support of his debut LP You Are All I See on Vagrant Records. Witch house producer, Balam Acab and fellow L.A. band, Superhumonoids will support all dates. To coincide with the tour, Active Child will reissue acclaimed The Curtis Lane EP on 10-inch vinyl, available for the first time since its limited release in 2010.

Nothing can quite prepare you for the leap that Pat Grossi of Active Child has taken with You Are All I See. Drawing inspiration from his early days in which he lent his heavenly voice to the boys choir, to his descent into the world of laptop-assisted, indie-pop and R&B intonations, Active Child’s wide array of layered vocals, shimmering synths, contrapuntal harp lines, and tracks boasting in fresh, forward-thinking lyrics, Pat’s artistic vision is truly realized on You Are All I See.

Of the album title, Pat says, “You Are All I See is an attempt to build a bridge between the listener and I, in that, I wrote these songs for you as much as I did for me. And right now when you are listening to my voice, by yourself, it really is just you and I.” The album itself focuses primarily on the joy and heartbreak of relationships; from the harsh realities of love lost and rediscovered, the struggles to remain monogamous, to the battles with one’s identity.

ACTIVE CHILD ON TOUR

04/26 – La Jolla, CA @ The Loft at UCSD*^
04/27 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House*^
04/28 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom*^
04/29 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress*^
04/30 – Santa Fe, NM @ Sol at Santa Fe Brewing Company*^
05/02 – Norman, OK @ Opolis*^
05/03 – Dallas, TX @ Sons of Hermann Hall*^
05/04 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk*^
05/05 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s*^
05/07 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl*^
05/08 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle*^
05/09 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat*^
05/10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom*^
05/11 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge*^
05/12 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall*^
05/14 – Montreal, CAN @ il Motore*^
05/15 – Toronto, CAN @ Lee’s Palace*^
05/16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*^
05/17 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird*^
05/18 – Lawrence, KS @ The Jackpot Station*^
05/19 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge*^
05/20 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre*^
05/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge*^
05/24 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge*^
05/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl*^
05/27 – Quincy, WA @ Sasquatch *^
05/29 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent*^
05/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour*^

* = w/ Superhumanoids