Chris Palko a.k.a. Cage is the kind of person who shouldn't worry about rumors, mostly because it would be damn near impossible to even come close to competing with the truth. While his new EP I Never Knew You -- which he's giving away to promote the upcoming 7/7 album -- is certainly not lighthearted, it does contain promising evidence that Palko is willing to expand his artistic horizons beyond the confines of his fascinating, albeit horrifying past.

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Two exclusive pre-releases for you folks today! The long-awaited LP from Discovery (Vampire Weekend + Ra Ra Riot), and the debut from Brooklyn "shwag-rockers" Motel Motel.

Plus, an insanely good new release from Welsh (post-/meta-) punk band Future of the Left, a mixtape from Chicago rapper Naledge (1/2 of Kidz in the Hall), and more!

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Let me introduce The Kickdrums by listing just some of the artists that they have produced for, remixed, or mashed-up: 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Slaughterhouse, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Estelle, The Black Kids, MGMT, Justice, The Tings Tings, and Kid Cudi. Phew!

With an eager aptitude for navigating genres and two killer mixtapes under their belt, the Kickdrums come to us with their official debut, Just A Game.

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"If she never uttered another word into a microphone, Debelle could content herself with the knowledge that she said it all on Speech Therapy's penultimate track. 'Finish This Album' starts with a thumbnail lyrical sketch of passengers on a bus, spidering out into a rhapsodic note to self, Debelle balancing regrets about the past with worries about the children she has yet to have, like a South London hybrid of Lauryn Hill and Tracy Chapman."

[★★★★★]

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What's most amazing about the project is how organic and fresh this thing sounds. There's no dust on these tracks whatsoever. Of course, that was always the beauty of Dilla's production. To describe his work is nearly beyond my humble abilities, coming across as some kind of futuristic Space Cowboy Ninja Pimp soundtrack with enough old school tastiness to make you want to smack your momma, as I believe the saying goes. (Don't ask where I get my sayings.)

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New Mos Def album! Spin says it's "easily his finest full-length since Black on Both Sides," featuring production from Oh No, Madlib, J Dilla, and a special appearance from Talib Kweli.

Plus the first Spinal Tap album in two decades, and new music from Labrador Records' The Legends, Southern Gothic indie rockers The Builders and the Butchers, the freak-folk cabinet of curios that is Samandtheplants, and more!

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Today we've got a new J Dilla collection that Rolling Stone calls "possibly the best posthumous rap record since the final releases of 2Pac and Biggie," along with new music from Baltimore's The Seldon Plan, Dave Allen from Gang of Four's new band Faux Hoax, a free track and $5 album from Butterfly Boucher, and more!

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