Charli XCX: I Want It That Way

A look back at Ray Manzarek, Digable Planets' reissue, "Dumb Disco Ideas" and more in our weekly music recap

British pop singer Charli XCX made her mark both writing and featuring on the uncontrollably catchy Icona Pop hit “I Love It,” but she is undoubtedly a successful solo artist, opening up for Santigold and Coldplay in 2012. Last week she touched down in Chicago, where a fan captured her performing at the Boys Town record shop Borderline Music. Whether a nod to its gay-friendly …

Digable Planets: Blowout Comb

A look back at Ray Manzarek, Digable Planets' reissue, "Dumb Disco Ideas" and more in our weekly music recap

Digable Planets’ jazz-infused hip-hop album Blowout Comb feels as fresh today as it did in ’94. It makes perfect sense then, that the Brooklyn trio’s last official LP under that moniker (Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler is now one-half of the thriving duo Shabazz Palaces) is being re-released on Seattle’s resissue-focused record label, Light In The Attic. Their timeless sound, intelligent lyrics and “natural style” have been …

Commander Chris Hadfield: Space Oddity

Commander Chris Hadfield's "Space Oddity" and even more out-of-this-world tunes in our weekly music recap

For his final bow after months commanding the International Space Station, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded a music video from space. In covering David Bowie’s 1969 song, “Space Oddity,” Hadfield was able to croon a viral phenomenon that has inspired over a 12 million views in the week following its release. Hearing the 53-year-old sing about the fictional astronaut “Major Tom”—whose failed mission was revised …