Detroit producer and MC iLLingsworth has been a major player in the city’s hip-hop community for years, not only as a solo artist, but in collaboration with the likes of Open Mike Eagle and Clear Soul Forces. He’s a prolific artist but only just released his debut album Worth the Wait in November via…
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…
This week we posted our lists of Detroit’s Best Albums and Tracks of 2015. Here, we present our contributors’ individual lists. Dan Jones Albums 1. Tunde Olaniran: Transgressor 2. JR JR: JR JR 3. Gosh Pith: Window 4. Guilty Simpson: Detroit’s Son 5. Flint Eastwood: Small Victories 6. Britney Stoney: Native 7. Seraphine…
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…
Nothing stops Detroit, as is evident by the plethora of amazing musical offerings from the city this past year. The city has always had a reputation as an industrial behemoth, its successes and failures dependent on notions of innovation and toughness. This drive bleeds into the arts and culture as well, with the rise of…
Detroit has always been a mecca for live music. Whether we were checking out old-timers trade blues licks at Campus Martius, getting our fix at the venerable Masonic Temple, bobbing our heads to hip-hop showcases at The Majestic Theatre or Paycheck’s Lounge, leaving it all on the dance floor of Two James Spirits’ Annex, or…
“Collective of artists and occasional record label” No Rest Until Ruin will host their second annual No Rest Fest on Saturday, December 19 at warehouse venue Tires. Twelve bands will play ten-minute sets in rapid succession, with Clear Soul Forces, The Armed, Old Gods, and Mexican Knives among them. Tires also features an indoor skate ramp,…
Now in its tenth iteration, Mittenfest will be hosted at Bona Sera Restaurant in Ypsilanti, MI from December 29 through January 2. The benefit concerts will raise funds for 826michigan, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting young students in their creative and expository writing endeavors. Over the course of the festival’s nine-year history, it…
2Lanes is the alias of Joe Linden. The DJ and producer seeks to keep the lifeblood of the Motor City’s electronic music legacy moving ever forward. Drawing inspiration from footwork and funk to social media networks like Vine, 2Lanes’ unique personality is right at home in Detroit’s diverse creative scene. Detroit Music Magazine sat…