Hip Hop: Prince Po (Organized Konfusion) & Oh No (Madlib fam) come through with a collab I’m excited about. MMG put out vol. 2 of their Mandala series that features their damn stellar stable of artists. And while I don’t know Johaz, I know Exile is on point so their Dag Savage project comes with high expectations (they also feature some real dope friends). Young Fathers is another group that pops up here and there that don’t seem to get the glory they deserve but also doesn’t seem like that bothers them much either way.

Alt, Indie, Electro, Experimental, Etc.: Xiu Xiu at it again. And again. Broken Bells (Dangermouse & James Mercer of The Shins) drop their second. Sunn 0)))/Ulver is interesting, real interesting. Bombay Bicycle Club too, with another one. Enjoy.

First off, holding it down for the Northeast corner of the states, Zulu Delta by Def Dee & Zar (put out by MelloMusicGroup). Some more slightly off-kilter, Seattle hip hop with laid back but booming mpc beats, Pete Rock mixed with a little angel dust. Or some “THC and Joe Cuervo.”

Next up it’s a little mixed bag, compilation from Uncommon Records, Uncommon Burners 2. They also got a deluxe edition for sale with a t-shirt and remixes, including a joint with Prince Po.

And pick up Sean Born’s new album, “Behind the Scale” here.

“A gritty 90′s style album for those who grew up on Illmatic, Midnight Marauders, Only Built for Cuban Links, Moment of Truth, and Ready to Die. Behind The Scale shows the other side of what some are glamorizing about street life and drug trade. This is unfiltered, real sh*t on tape. Some of the stories are intensely personal and Sean second-guessed including them, but if it ain’t raw it ain’t real. Behind The Scale is about change, transition and growing up.”