It’s been a few weeks since Wiz Khalifa has released his last mixtape, Taylor Allerdice, named after the high school which he attended in Pittsburg. Lyrically, Wiz doesn’t stray from his previous themes- smoking an obscene amount of marijuana and showering in money. One significant difference seen on this mixtape is that Wiz adds a dialogue between himself and MTV’s Rob Markman after every song. This sounds pretty cool with a few effects over it, but becomes a bit redundant after the second time through the mixtape. Nonetheless, the mixtape turned out hot, with a variety of styles thanks to the input from a variety of producers on the track.

Listen to the album for free! It’s all the bass you ever wanted- http://www1.rollingstone.com/hearitnow/player/bassnectar1.html

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnqtkcgGa78[/youtube]

Those of you who have witnessed Lorin Ashton aka Bassnectar’s shows can’t deny the intensity of the energy he brings. From the slow and heavy “Magical World” to the in-your-face “Encore”, that sweet nectar of pure bass keeps you thirsty for more. With 17 years of experience behind the decks under his belt, Ashton used his metal music background and education in sound design to create a heavy electro style with various grooves, time signatures and tempos that keep the crowds hands in the air.

After hosting numerous shows that get the crowd raging, Chicago’s Congress Theatre finally showcased a show where the point is to “sit back, relax and get comfortable.” Joining Rebelution in their Piece of Mind Tour was Bob Marley’s former band, The Wailers. The chill ambience convinced me for the first time ever at Congress to sit dead center, front row on the balcony and prop my feet on the ledge while I sang along to Bob Marley & The Wailers classics like “Is this Love” , “No Woman, No Cry” , “Three Little Birds” , “Get Up Stand Up” , “Exodus” , “Jammin’” and “Buffalo Soldier.”

Daley is stirring up the music scene with a new soulful sound. Daley, the UK native, recently released the video for “Alone Together” featuring Marsha Ambrosious. Putting these two together was an amazing collaboration, they have great chemistry. It’s too soon to tell but I wonder if he will join the European invasion and follow in the footsteps of Adele. If you are interested in hearing more music from Daley, he has a list of great songs that you can find on his mix tape Those Who Wait which was released in 2011. I haven’t heard of an official album as of yet but I bet it won’t be long before he gets the attention he deserves.

John Mayer | Chicago Summer 2010

Lots of John Mayer fans were excited to hear that after 2 years, Mayer was finally going on tour again, but now after a sudden medical problem for the singer, they are just in tears from devastation. The tour is now cancelled. But I guess in retrospect, there were a few early signs and progressive disappointments leading up to this. Fans were first surprised at the new country music like sound of the upcoming album, then at his choice of cities and smaller venues to be preformed at on the tour, but now to make life even worse for his die hard fans, the tour has been pulled completely.

Natalia Kills is making waves this year and keeping it diverse! Check out this new music collaboration with her and The Knux. The video just made its debut the other day, and although I’m not a huge fan of the song itself, I always enjoy a music video that makes me want to dance, or in this case play guitar and roller skate like the good ole days. I’m also not a big fan of Natalia, but one has to admit she is playing her cards right and probably will continue to climb the music charts this year. If you haven’t already heard of her, I’m sure you will start to recognize her name more from this moment on.

Multi-talented producer, DJ and artist Blaqstarr is gearing up to release his long awaited full length album entitled Here We Are , featuring his latest single “Roses”, this summer on N.E.E.T/Interscope. Blaqstarr will be previewing some of his new material next week down at SXSW. We’re really excited for this album – listen to the first track “Roses” and check out the dates at SXSW below.

Here’s some new music for your hump day! I was just cruising through SoundCloud and came across this new electro, powerpop, techno treat, from Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs’ upcoming album due out April 2nd titled Tapes and Money. It’s a simple melodic synth heavy track to jam to if you’re looking for something new and not so mainstream. Check this out and more of their music if you haven’t already…you’re in for a treat, a electro, powerpop, techno treat that is!

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Spring Awakening is back and better than before. Opening up in Chicago on June 16th, this two day festival is already causing an uproar throughout the city limits, and even beyond.

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GrandBar Chicago - 1600 W. Grand Ave.

GrandBar couldn’t be a better name for the soon to be popular gem of Chicago’s Near West Side. The bar is literally bringing a new “spin” to Chicago’s Near West Side, with acts and DJs such as GrandBar’s current in-house resident, DJ Crisp E. GrandBar is sure to soon make waves throughout the Chicagoland area and add to the rich history the Near West Side has already established.

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There’s a lot of controversy surrounding 22 year old, Chris Brown, but there is no denying he is one very talented artist, possessing a brilliant voice and amazing dance skills, both displayed very well in he’s latest music video “Turn up”. This electrifying music video was directed by Chris Brown himself and Godfrey Taberez, and is the first video and first single on his upcoming ablum “Fortune”, due out on March 16th.