Freddie Gibbs & Madlib: Shame

Chairman Mao's love for Leonard Cohen, Pacman and Peso in North Korea, William Onyeabor remixed and more in our weekly look at music

This week the internet was blessed with a rare and insightful interview by Dazed Digital with reclusive master producer Madlib. Towards the end—after we learn about everything from Madlib’s personal endeavor to consume and collect the world’s music, his knack for conspiracy theories, the potential for a Madvillain follow-up and his plans to burn all his unreleased music just before death—the music video for “Shame” …

White Lies: Big TV

Remembering Benjamin Curtis and Phil Everly, White Lies' album art, Afrika Bambaataa and more in music this week

With vinyl sales reportedly up 33% in 2013 (according to Billboard), the increasingly popular, resurrected medium has become not only an analog way to enjoy music, but a chance for visual artists of all sorts to show off their talents to a potential new audience with enticing cover art. 2013’s Best Art Vinyl award goes to NYC-based painter Michael Kagan for “Pilot 2″—a 2010 work …

ListenUp

Remembering Benjamin Curtis and Phil Everly, White Lies' album art, Afrika Bambaataa and more in music this week

School of Seven Bells: Painting a Memory 2014 started off with the sad news of musician Benjamin Curtis passing at the young age of 35 after a battle with cancer. The distinctly talented artist began as a drummer in Dallas-based bands UFOFU and Tripping Daisy before becoming the rocking guitarist in Secret Machines and ultimately the multi-instrumentalist in NYC’s beloved indie rock band School of …