On June 23, 2008 at Chicago's legendary roots club “The Hideout,” Mavis Staples played with a stripped down, raw, and swampy three-piece band and just a handful of backup singers, providing a rare opportunity for fans to get close to a figure who has led a five-decade long musical charge towards equality. “Live: Hope at the Hideout” comes off her critically lauded "We'll Never Turn Back," and is a potent mix of her classic civil rights freedom songs alongside some fiery new compositions co-written with producer Ry Cooder (Buena Vista Social Club).

Grammy-winning hip-hop pioneer Q-Tip released his highly anticipated new album, “The Renaissance” this week. His first release since 1999's acclaimed solo debut “Amplified,” “The Renaissance” is a versatile portrayal of a multi-talented artist at the top of his game. Q-Tip, handling production duties, taps into a unique sound combining live instrumentation and samples.

“Season of Poison” is the highly anticipated sophomore album from Shiny Toy Guns, and is the follow-up to their critically-acclaimed debut, “We Are Pilots.” STG spent the better half of two years on and off the road progressing their dance/rock and electronic roots. They used 2008 technology to marry dynamic late '70s style synthesizer programming with face-erasing stoner rock.