In the midst of “philosophical” differences with record label Atlantic, Pat Douthit (a.k.a. 9th Wonder), has announced his departure from hip-hop trio Little Brother, in a decision apparently meant to ensure that other members of the group can pursue individual careers.

The Durham, NC trio–whose other members are MCs Phonte Coleman and Thomas Jones (Big Pooh)–has seen a handful of releases since The Listening in 2002, but it was 2005’s The Minstrel Show that got them signed to Atlantic and put the group on the map as an important one to watch in hip-hop. The group’s main conflict seems to be–imagine this–a scuffle with the big men at Atlantic that’s prevented a release date being set for their latest album.

Insofar as 9th Wonder’s departure is concerned, Phonte and Pooh claim there is no beef between any parties, but didn’t indicate if the conflict over the new album’s release date was anywhere near being resolved.

Cameron Octigan

Afrobeat collective Antibalas recently left their homebase in Brooklyn to record their latest full-length. Thanks to a collaboration with producer and Tortoise member John McEntire, Security takes a slightly darker turn than previous efforts, though fans of the band’s horn-driven, Fela Kuti-inspired sound will still find plenty to enjoy about the new album.

Implicit within the name Antibalas (which means “bulletproof” in Spanish) is the sense that more rides on the songs than just music itself, like the ideological contrast between the album’s title and its track “War Hero.” Such a socially and politically minded nature, however, doesn’t lessen the collective’s infectious blend of Latin, jazz, classical, funk, and soul–it merely enhances it.

Security is out March 6, 2007 on Anti-.

Tracklisting
1. Beaten Metal
2. Fillibuster XXX
3. Sanctuary
4. Hilo
5. War Hero
6. Ice
7. AGE

Be sure to catch Antibalas on the road this spring, as they tour North America in support of the new album.

Tour Dates
03/10 Brookyln, NY: Warsaw
03/16 Austin, TX: Antone’s
03/21 San Francisco, CA: Great American Music Hall
03/22 Los Angeles, CA: Troubadour
03/28 New Haven, CT: Toad’s Place
03/29 Burlington, VT: Higher Ground
03/31 Cambridge, MA: Middle East Underground
04/04 Washington, DC: 9:30 Club
04/07 Asheville, NC: The Orange Peel
04/24 Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue
04/26 Milwaukee, WI: Pabst Theatre
04/29 Newport, KY: Southgate House

Originally released in 2003, Ruff Draft proved to be a turning point in the career of late hip-hop producer James Yancey (a.k.a. J Dilla). The sample-heavy nature of the tracks, along with the aggressive synth work on the album gave the record a far more experimental tone in comparison to the minimal beats Yancey created for groups like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and The Roots. But taking–and succeeding with–such musical risks only further established Yancey as one of the foremost producers in hip-hop.

The original 2003 release was only available on vinyl and limited in quantity. Since then Ruff Draft has proved an elusive find, and our hats go off to Stones Throw for releasing it on CD for the first time as well as including four bonus tracks and a second disc of instrumental versions of each track. For those who slept on this release the first time around, here’s your second chance to add one of the most defining works of Yancey’s career to your music catalog.

Ruff Draft is out March 20, 2007 on Stones Throw.

Tracklisting
Disc One: Ruff Draft + Bonus Tracks
1. Intro
2. Let’s Take It Back
3. Reckless Driving
4. Nothing Like This
5. The $
6. Interlude
7. Make’em NV
8. Interlude
9. Crushin’ (Yeeeeaah!)
10. Shouts
11. Intro (Alt.)*
12. Wild*
13. Take Notice*
14. Shouts (Alt.)*

*Previously Unreleased

Disc Two: Ruff Draft Instrumentals
1. Let’s Take It Back–Inst.
2. Reckless Driving–Inst.
3. Nothing Like This–Inst.
4. The $–Inst.
5. Make’em NV–Inst.
6. Crushin’–Inst.
7. Intro (Alt.)–Inst.
8. Wild–Inst.
9. Take Notice–Inst.
10. Shouts (Alt.)–Inst.

All Previously Unreleased

Stones Throw fans, take note! It seems the label is out to make everyone’s day, as Chrome Children 2–the highly-anticipated follow-up to Peanut Butter Wolf’s handpicked first compilation–is now available for free download on stonesthrow.com.

Fans of the original can expect to see more tracks from the likes of Madlib, MED, Percee P, and others who appeared on the first comp, as well as new tracks from The Jazzistics (produced by Yesterday’s New Quintet), Guilty Simpson, James Pants, and others. The tracks will also be available on adultswim.com.

Chrome Children 2 is available for free download for a limited time, so jump over to Stones Throw now and get the goods while you can.

Tracklisting
1. Madlib the Beat Konducta “Chrome Dreams”
2. MED “Rhymes With An L” (produced by Dabrye)
3. Roc C “Living For The City” (produced by Oh No)
4. Chocolate Star “Stay With Me” (produced by Gary Davis)
5. Percee P “Reverse Part Two” (produced by Koushik)
6. Oh No “Gitback” (produced by Decypher
7. Guilty Simpson “Money Motivated Movements” (produced by Four Tet)
8. Madlib the Beat Konducta “Selah’s Children”
9. Baron Zen “Theme (Danny Breaks Remix)”
10. Aloe Blacc “Happy Now?” (produced by Four Tet)
11. J. Rocc “Bubbha’s Dance”
12. Gary Wilson “Soul Traveling”
13. Clifford Nyren “Keep Running Away (Egon’s Edit)”
14. The Jazzistics “Marcus, Martin and Malcolm” (produced by Yesterday’s New Quintet
15. James Pants “Murder”
16. Arabian Prince “Strange Life”

PapercutsCan’t Go BackGnomonsong
San Francisco has a range of talent from all spectra of the indie realm, but Jason Robert Quever’s Papercuts moniker is in a league of its own. Can’t Go Back rifles through ’60s-style pop melodies and sustained, shoegazing guitars that are undeniably the shit.

VariousGo Commando with JDH and Dave PDefend Music
JDH and Dave P are the toast of the New York City underground. Having established the party “Fixed” at the Tribeca Grand Hotel, their installment of the Go Commando series finds the duo mixing a fine concoction of contemporary electro bangers with acts from In Flagranti to 120 Days to The Knife. These are finely tuned party jams.

Gus GusForeverPineapple
Having released albums with 4AD and Underwater, the long-standing electronic-orchestra known as GusGus has set out to win us over again with a house-heavy long-player and anthems aplenty. Mission accomplished.

CocoRosieThe Adventures of Ghosthorse & StillbornTouch and Go
While The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn is sporadic as all hell, these girls pull off their patent blend of art rock with aplomb. Always pushing boundaries, CocoRosie is officially a staple in progress.

The Black Dog The Book of DogmaSoma
When it comes to UK techno and IDM, The Black Dog is unrivaled in its importance. These veterans took the dancefloor by storm long ago, and this two-disc, remastered collection of hits and rarities is a lesson in archetypal dance music.

Tracy ThornOut of the WoodsVirgin
Without any need for introduction, Everything But The Girl’s Tracy Thorn dominates our eardrums yet again. Out of the Woods finds the Grammy-nominated vocalist paired with long-time producer Ewan Pearson and a series of diverse guests for an intense electro-pop record for the ages.

PriestbirdIn Your TimeKemado
What would we do without bands like Priestbird? Formerly known as Tarantula AD, this reformed New York trio takes the trippiest moments from the late Syd Barret and infuses them with a savory blend of prog-angst that will bring music nerds from all facets flocking. If it’s not the heaviness, it’s the space that’ll get you every time.

Various Ed Rec Vol. 1Vice
It almost goes without saying that Ed Banger Records has one of the strongest rosters around. And Ed Rec Vol. 1 is the perfect introduction to the French sound that has brought clubgoers worldwide to their knees. Give this record to your little brother and watch his eyes light up.

Thee More ShallowsBook of Bad BreaksAnticon.
Like The Arcade Fire with a shitload of feedback, Thee More Shallows have mapped a new indie genome. While not necessarily something you’d expect from Anticon., Book of Bad Breaks ventures beyond rock and mellow electro to form an innovative, heartfelt blend of pop vocals and unpredictable atmospherics.

Keith Hudson & The Soul SyndicateNuh Skin UpPressure Sounds
Although his life ended roughly 20 years ago, Keith Hudson’s dark dub lives on and Nuh Skin Up is the best proof we’ve got. This moody, bass-heavy record is a testament to the impact this Kingston-born icon has had on all facets of dub and reggae for decades.

Thanks to BPitch Control’s Sascha Funke, we now know that minimal techno DJs are in fact capable of making music in places where the sun shines and the climate calls for smiles and relaxation. The producer and remixer headed off to the South of France recently–a highly publicized decision, it seems–with labelmate Paul Kalkbrenner in tow, and caught both sunshine and inspiration. The result is a great tan for Funke, and a new 12″ for fans to enjoy.

“Auf Aix,” is straightforward, no-nonsense techno with a dry, steady beat designed for the dancefloor. Flip to “Ey” on side b, where some bubbling synth melodies mingle with fuzzy percussion and a vocal sample that shouts–you guessed it–”ey!” The latter track was supposedly born of an argument Sascha and Paul had while on the trip, but we’ll overlook the scuffle since obviously more good than bad came of the impromptu holiday.

“Auf Aix” is out February 12, 2007 on BPitch Control.

We love our music videos so much we decided to go a little nutty this month and redesign our entire Videos Section.

Now you can view the hundreds of videos from your favorite XLR8R-approved artists–everything from Warp Records classics to brand new videos from Klaxons and Chrome Children–on our custom-made video player, leave comments about what you loved (or hated), and see who’s been added to the list of recent artists during the week.

Ready, set, start watching.

James Figurine “Apologies”