Mind Equals Blown

Being different doesn’t make us any different. It might not be the mantra of UK-based electro-rockers Enter Shikari, but the ups-and-downs of its career thus far, including the lead-up to the band’s third full-length, A Flash Flood of Colour, would probably suggest otherwise. Though the band has a knack for lacing post-hardcore with lashes of techno,

Boy, was it great to be a pop-punk fan in 2011. With seasoned vets showing that they still have life in them (Blink-182, Saves The Day, New Found Glory, etc.) along with plenty of quality releases from modern pop-punk heroes (The Wonder Years, Man Overboard, Transit, etc.), the genre was clearly at its finest this year. More and

“Thank you for making this the best night of our lives.” These words were spoken by Marky Hladish, lead singer and guitarist of The Felix Culpa, at the band’s final show on Friday, Dec. 9 at The Metro in Chicago . An indie/post-hardcore quartet from Rockford, IL and Beloit, WI, the group broke up just

Getting older is sometimes hard to do. Growing up can sometimes be harder. For a metal band, doing either can often spell certain doom, but for Whitechapel, the musically destructive, lyrically scathing deathcore outfit named after Jack the Ripper’s killing grounds, the path to realization and maturity has turned out seemingly every way but the

2011 is drawing to a close and we have another year of music behind us. What follows is a list of the best (and worst) of 2011 as voted by the Mind Equals Blown staff. Leave us your opinions at the bottom! Show All Best New Artist Childish Gambino Though his EP earlier this year was

2011: the year chillwave became a real thing. The debate over whether chillwave is a real genre has been pretty heated since Hipster Runoff first (supposedly) coined the term. I think it’s safe to assume however that the genre has finally gained some legitimacy, with its pioneers proving they were more than buzz-bands and releasing

Bars, speaker systems, rafters, chains, tables, humans, boxes — it doesn’t matter: If it is a physical object and available, the men behind So Many Ways will be climbing it and shouting in your face from atop it. The passion is real, and the thrashing pop-punk tunes of the Chicago quintet never let you forget.

Hip-hop has found a fascinating year in 2011. Unlike 2010, which had the veterans controlling the game, 2011 has been the year for the upstarts. This year has seen major label releases that just didn’t live up to expectations. Lil Wayne disappointed fans with Tha Carter IV. The new Lupe Fiasco record was so packed