Tracklist:

MIA – Bad Girls
Busdriver feat. Aesop Rock – Superhand’s Mantra (Fuck Us All)
Mirel Wagner – No Death
John Talabot feat. Pional – Destiny

Two weeks ago, I was a perfect 2-0 for my divisional championship picks, and, as I predicted, this year’s Super Bowl is a repeat of 2007. That makes my record 6-4, and even if I screw this one up, I go out a winner. Having said that, I’m pretty stumped as to who’s gonna win this one. The media likes to pretend the Giants are underdogs again, yet every time I turn on Sportscenter, they’re talking aout Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning. The past few weeks I’ve gone with stats and whathaveyou, but this time around I’m going with my gut, simply because I feel these are two pretty evenly matched teams all around. The Giants have improved, but so has the Patriots defense, and Tom Brady is still sensational. Eli’s been playing better, but I just don’t think a repeat comeback is in order this time around.

So yeah, I’m going with the Patriots. The NFL is an offensive league, and Tom Brady’s the best QB left standing. And I still don’t think the Giants deserve to be in the Super Bowl. Call it wishful thinking the 49ers would do better. or leftover sore feelings from the Packers stomping, but New York is not the best NFC team by far. And I’m a Cowboys fan, so going for the boys in blue just rubs me wrong. So yeah, nothing revelatory here, I’m jut betting the Patriots offense can outlast the Giants. Even though everyone at ESPN wants the opposite to happen.

On Valentine’s Day, LA rapid-fire rapper Busdriver returns with his new LP Beaus$Eros. The first leaked track is a pretty excellent, chaotic, energetic introduction, meaning it’s classic Busdriver material. Aesop Rock, who is also known for quick delivery, wit, and general badassery, guests on the track. Play this one loudly.

The California-based falsetto crooner is back with a 5-song collection of synth pop similar to his previous outings. As is the case with all of Voytas’ music, you either love or hate it, and that’s all dependent on your impression of his voice, which is usually peaked to the highest pitch attainable. Highlights here include the EP’s title track and “You Don’t Even Know Where It’s At.” Apparently Voytas is as laid-back and casual as his music suggests; this is the first we’ve heard from him in a long while, and he has yet to release a full-length. Perhaps 2012 is the year.

Listen to the Feel Me EP on Spotify.

Kendrick Lamar is the breakout star of the Black Hippy collective, a foursome of rappers changing the LA rap game. Probably the one delivering the darkest themes, however, is Schoolboy Q; his debut Habits and Contradictions is a far cry from the contemplative, more upbeat Section.80. Almost everything in the album is aggressive, pessimistic, and raw. While his colleague prefers to analyze our generation and current situation amongst the aura of weed rap wooziness, Q’s vibes are less pensive and more cynical. The drug haze remains in the production, but Lamar is for those who let their mind wander. Q might be smoking, but he never strays too far from the harsh realities around him.

Listen to Habits and Contradictions on Spotify.

Cloud Nothings – “No Future / No Past” Official Video from Urban Outfitters on Vimeo.

Tracklist:

Kendrick Lamar – Fuck Your Ethnicity
Nirvana – School (Live at the Paramount)
Kendrick Lamar – Ronald Reagan Era
Nirvana – Love Buzz (Live at the Paramount)
Kendrick Lamar – Members Only

Not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but Deftones’ Chino Moreno has got a pretty excellent new side project. Last year, Crosses released a dark, electro-heavy debut EP, and now they’ve returned for another one. You’ll find no reverb-heavy guitar work here, no trademark shrieking. Instead Moreno croons through optimistic melodies and synth lines. The upbeat vibe, as is best evidenced on “Purient,” is reminiscent of the feeling from Deftones’ previous, brilliant outing Diamond Eyes. The project thus far is a great distraction for those of us waiting for new material from the primary band, and perhaps a teaser into their gradual progression.

Visit the Crosses website and Listen to the EP on Spotify.