It was difficult to find engagement in this year's music. This was a year of loss, of disappointment, of scattershot feelings and even moreso scattershot expression. This isn't to say there want immense work of quality, which makes discovering it even more intriguing. There wasn't a lot of overlap in our staff lists this year, which made for a group of rather exciting … [Read more...]
Nextbop’s Favorite Non-Jazz Albums of 2015
I like that we make this list every year. No, it's not as well read as our other posts. It doesn't exactly fit what we do. But I like the rounded nature of this, that there's a humor in making a jazz and non-jazz list, of the other vast majority of the market share while still including folks who are still just as independent. Many on this list are jazz musicians anyway, … [Read more...]
Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment Release New Album ‘Surf’ (Video + Download)
Fans have been eagerly awaiting a follow-up to Chance the Rapper’s 2013 mixtape Acid Rap since it more or less broke the Internet, and on Friday they got the next best thing. Surf is the debut album from Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, which began as Chance’s backup band. The group consists of Donnie Trumpet (aka 21-year-old Nico Segal), Peter Cottontale, Nate Fox, … [Read more...]
Nextbop/The Art of Cool Project’s Favorite Everything Else Albums of 2013, #18-12
The Everything Else lists don't get nearly as much web traffic as our jazz lists do. Of course, this makes sense-- this is a jazz and fringe jazz website. People visit this site to learn about what's going on in this specific genre. Talking about music that doesn't fit in this genre is a move outside of the format and purview of Nextbop, and eventually of The Art of Cool … [Read more...]