THEDARKESTDIM

From garage gigs to making a global influence, the Northern Irish band, Two Door Cinema Club, has announced a North American tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of their award-winning 2010 album, Tourist History!

Presales begin TOMORROW, March 17 at 10AM local time.

General sale starts March 20 at 10AM local time.

El dúo de música Flyy Armani y el ingeniero de sonido JLLY forman parte de un colectivo de música subterráneo que esta transformando el sonido de oscuro

R&B. El 19 de deciembre, Flyy y JLLY lanzaron su cinta de seis pistas titulada, jazminbounce.

Con trece minutos de duración, este proyecto sigue la fórmula de oscuro R&B siendo malhumorada, sensual, y conceptual.

La cinta cuenta un cuento de «Jazmin», quien queda escondido forzando la audiencia a llenar los huecos. ¿Es Jazmin una novia, una altera ego, un eufemismo o código para otra cosa? La decisión de no relevar a Jazmin es parte de la seducción.

R&B duo, singer Flyy Armani and producer JLLY, are a part of the underground crew who are transforming the dark R&B sound. On December 19th, Flyy & JLLY released their 6 track EP titled, jazmin-bounce.

This 13 minute project follows the dark rhythm & blues formula being moody, sensual, and conceptual.

This tape tells a story of 'Jazmin' which remains deliberately obscured, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks. Is Jazmin a lover, alter ego, euphemism, or code for something else? The refusal to explain this Jazmin character is part of the project's allure.

Last Monday, up-and-coming Nigerian rap artist Seth Fx (pronounced fox) released a project titled, Are You Still Nigerian If You Live In Your Head? His music is heavily influenced by surrealist rap and underground experimental hip hop. The way Seth moves through his work is like a fox: sharp and strategic. 

The title alone is philosophical and begs the listener to ponder the question: Is cultural identity able to survive psychological isolation?

There is a Gothic feel to the cover art. Skull figures are depicted digging into their exposed bloody brains, layered over a newspaper collage filled with commentary around leadership, democracy, and integrity. One segment boldly warns listeners to “BEWARE OF POLITICIANS.” Together, the cover art and title frame the project as both psychologically introspective and politically conscious. 

This project contains 11 songs with a total runtime of 28 minutes. Seth Fx wears his influences on his sleeves. Similar to Earl Sweatshirt and Capital STEEZ, he effortlessly delivers complex abstract word play over loop driven instrumentals. Opening with “pajadelphia intro,” Seth attempts to throw listeners into the everyday chaos of the streets of Lagos before guiding them through the psychological landscape that follows.

Throughout the project, recurring themes of violence, politicians, corruption, death, grief, distrust, frustration and survival emerge. Instead of approaching these topics directly, Seth filters them through his own psyche, so listeners can experience both the environment around him and the emotional consequences. 

On the song “honey, i’m not coming home pt. 3” there’s an instant sense of dread established by the short news report of a fatal car crash killing three men in Abuja. This track to me is one of the project's most emotionally compelling moments. Seth paints a vivid portrait of grief and psychological exhaustion over melancholic production. By the end of the song, the listener wonders was Seth the driver and the killer?  

On the song “folake” it’s evident Seth is frustrated with mediocrity: upset with people settling for crumbs and waiting on circumstances to magically improve. This track represents a recurring tension throughout the project: awareness of one's circumstances without losing oneself in them. 

Beneath the murkiness of the project lies a sense of hope: there’s a deeper desire to become liberated from the sarcophagus of his psyche and claustrophobic environment. However, it’s the faith in his pen that motivates him to survive another day. His artistic arrogance is undercut in almost every track: “Who better than me? Nobody / Nobody can come guard me.” Seth leaves a message to his competitors: if you think you can touch him, think again because “When it come to the bull shit [he’s] over fluent.” 

The project also includes three rap features and an interlude with a solo vocalist, helping expand the project's emotional range. The woman’s voice creates contrast and provides a moment of softness amid an otherwise bleak listening experience.

A sample-driven instrumental closes out the project: “miss u outro,” is an upbeat track that juxtaposes much of the tape’s grim content. Like waving goodbye to a friend after a memorable visit, the outro uses no words, yet still manages to say a lot.

In 2023, the D.C. rapper ItzDeuce dropped his first full project, rightly titled, Introducing Deuce: The Mixtape. The following year, ItzDeuce dropped his sophomore project, titled C R U I S E C O N T R O L. As the title suggest, the album is suited for those who prefer to take the scenic route.

Cruise control is a car feature designed to maintain a steady pace without the driver consistently pushing the gas, and that’s exactly what Deuce achieves on this tape. C R U I S E C O N T R O L invites listeners to lift their foot off the gas and take a ride with him. Deuce takes his audience on a musical voyage guided by straightforward lyrics and a punchy flow. There’s a calm and confident assurance in his storytelling, like someone who has mastered the landscape and knows exactly where the road leads.

Judging by his first project, it’s clear that Deuce doesn’t like to share the mic. With only two features, his debut felt personal—no outside influences, just him. However, even then, it was obvious those features weren’t random: they were trusted voices from his close circle. Deuce has an ear for selecting collaborators who complement his sound making the appearances of KatoDaTruth on “Reminiscing” and 10kurkn on “Essence” feel deliberate rather than excessive.

C R U I S E C O N T R O L is a 13-song project, clocking in at 32 minutes in listening time, averaging around 2 minutes per track. It’s evident Deuce’s creative expression is very intentional. In his music, he says what he needs to say, then exits. He’s not dragging out intros or saturating his songs with heavy ad-libs. In fact, most of his tracks are pure bars; there are no choruses, bridges, or hooks.

On this project, the rapper invites us inside of his psychological disposition and emotional state that is concerned with feelings around love lost, friends gone, and the disorientation of navigating adulthood. He ventures deeper and recites rhymes about manhood, maladaptive coping, survival, and self-actualization. This tape is vulnerable, expressive, and deeply personal. What I admire most about Deuce’s craft is that it’s authentic...no games or gimmicks. Authenticity is rare, especially in a genre like hip-hop that’s characterized by hyperbolic narratives and exaggerated personas.

BLVDBRADLEY es un artista emergente que se inclina fuertemente hacia el sonido del R&B oscuro.

Sus visuales frecuentemente son minimalistas, enfocándose en sí mismo: estéticos y abstractos. Sus portadas suelen ser en blanco y negro, mientras que su trabajo más reciente incorpora tonos azules y verdes.

En 2025, lanzó dos proyectos—Pain Tolerance y Now It’s Over II—ambos mostrando vocales fuertes y narrativas emocionalmente convincentes, consolidando su posición como artista y demostrando su habilidad para producir obras completas.

Sus sencillos más recientes son PORNSTAR, JUST US, HIGH OFF LOVE y NIRVANA.

Un nuevo proyecto está en camino: Hidden Desires será lanzado el viernes.

BLVDBRADLEY is an emerging artist, heavily leaning into the dark R&B soundscape. 

His visuals are often aesthetic and abstract, centering himself through close-up shots and controlled lighting. His cover art ranges from black and white to, more recently, hues of moody blues and greens. 

In 2025 he released two projects—Pain Tolerance and Now It’s Over II—both of which demonstrated strong vocals and emotionally convincing storytelling, further cementing him as an artist and showcasing his ability to produce cohesive bodies of work.

His latest singles are PORNSTAR, JUST US, HIGH OFF LOVE, and NIRVANA. 

A new tape is on the way. Hidden Desires is dropping on 5.22.26. 

After a long NY winter, Bronx rapper, A Boogie wit da Hoodie is clocking in for the Spring with a run of shows near college campuses. First stop: Amherst, MA on 3/27. Tickets are available for purchase on all major platforms.

For all the fashion heads, this one is for you!

ThriftCon is a traveling vintage and collectibles convention that tours multiple U.S. cities. It’s not just your average thrifting experience. It functions more like a fashion festival, bringing together 100+ carefully curated small businesses with their best vintage pieces and retro collectibles.

Expect immersive installations, live musical performances, panel discussions, and more.

The first stop is ATL on 2/28 with special guest appearances from Lil Yachty and the Ying Yang Twins.

Just a few weeks ago, the world celebrated and cheered as singer-song writer and musician Leon Thomas Ill took home two Grammys in the R&B category-one for Best R&B Album for "MUTT" and one for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "VIBES DON'T LIE."

You might know them for their 3× platinum-certified international hit “Hey, Soul Sister,” or their Grammy-awarded 2001 single “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me),” which recently surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify, the all-American pop-rock band Train is gearing up for their Drops of Jupiter: 25 Years in the Atmosphere Tour.

Joined by Barenaked Ladies and Matt Nathanson, this tour will be a celebration of ’90s and early-2000s rock.

Starting the year strong, Don Toliver dropped his fifth studio album, Octane, a little over two weeks ago—pulling in 32.8M streams on Spotify in its first 24 hours. 

Adding to the momentum, Don Toliver will also be a headlining performer for Billboard’s three-night concert series, THE STAGE at SXSW.

Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com.

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Al comenzar el año con fuerza, Don Toliver lanzó su quinto álbum de estudio, Octane, el 30 de enero, acumulando más de 32.8 millones de reproducciones en Spotify durante su primer día. 

Además, el artista fue anunciado como uno de los artistas principales en la serie de conciertos de tres noches, THE STAGE at SXSW, presentada por Billboard.