One word comes to mind when looking back at Detroit’s music projects of 2017: variety. Unlike other cities celebrated for their musical specialities, Detroit is home to countless genres, sounds, and communities — all distinct, yet part of the same ecosystem. This year, full-length albums, mixtapes, and EPs demonstrated the capacity to which artists are…
It didn’t seem possible, but 2017 was plenty worse than 2016 for most people. But if there was one area that remained consistently great, it was the quality of Detroit’s musical output. This year saw a bevy of tracks that pushed the envelope, connected traditions and styles, or just made us get on our feet…
The mark of a great album is always a balance between cohesion and contrasts. This natural push and pull between unity and diversity draws a listener closer and more articulately paints the big picture. Artists who have mastered the strategy behind music-making, production, promotion, and release often see their work celebrated for more than their…
Detroit’s boundless creativity meant there was a surfeit of memorable releases in 2015. It’s a good predicament to be in, but when compiling our publication’s choices for the top 10 albums of the year, we had to leave many solid records off the table. The following list highlights works that our staff members feel stood…
Everyone knows that Detroit has an unparalleled musical tradition. From Motown soul and pulsing techno to unapologetically loud garage rock and everything in between, we have been the starting point for multiple genres and the benchmark for many more. We are a historically musical city and have maintained that well into the twenty-first century. Our…
