Steve Athey, owner of Skinnie’s Records in Norfolk, talks about his status as an endangered species, the beautiful sound of vinyl, and what’s wrong with the local music scene.

New Claire Hux mixtape. These are the compulsively entertaining Baltimore Club baby powder enthusiasts who rocked the Boot recently.

Bpitch Control seems to be having a good year. They already released my favorite recent album, Telefon Tel Aviv’s Immolate Yourself, and the hints I’ve heard from this record have been tantalizing as well.

The Yellow Snow Mix is 50 minutes ranging from droll hip hop to avant downbeat electronic to jazz. I could make up more specious and legitimate musical descriptors, but it would make more sense just to click here and cop it.

This is a net label. I think they also have physical records for purchase, but more importantly they give everything away digitally on their site here. They also do the favor of pointing towards several free bits of web culture that do not suck. The focus is on contemporary experimental hip hop. Their Bag of Nothingness collection is anything but, collecting underexposed progressive instrumental hip hop from around the globe.

He’s everybody’s local hero, and he can rap too. Swagger to slay robot dragons with. Clickedy click to download “Tumbling Down” from Ced Hughes. It “features” Keane, which is a cute way to acknowledge samples. Rocks well.

If you’re looking for a totally legal way to sample their delicious, laidback platter, you can download “Alright With Me” here.

If you’re curious, go ahead and take a listen to El Michels Affair on their version of “C.R.E.A.M.”

New free mp3 from Rebel E emcee Max Mega