Detroit Underground

Electric Forest 2012 began with a heat wave like no Michigan festival has ever seen before. Record high temperatures kept festival goers hiding in any form of cool climate they could find. Famous for its layout, Electric Forest remains one of the most well run and well designed festivals I’ve ever been too. With 5 [...]

Over Memorial Day, besides being at the Detroit Electronic Music festival, Detroit Underground also spent the weekend at Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois.  This was the 12th annual Summer Camp Music Festival and it was a HOT one! The weekend was probably the hottest, dustiest, dirtiest festival I have been to.  When we [...]

When Detroit music is culled to mind, the sounds of classic Motown, raw garage-inspired rock or aggressive, lived-out hip-hop ring through the auditories as pronounced and intelligible free associations, whereas country, bluegrass or folk wouldn’t register to even the greenest of uninitiated.  The Cadieux Cafe is trying to uproot that notion, with its “Country Tuesdays,” [...]

White Shag was summarized to me as, “Queens of the Stone Age, but with a female singer,” on the ride over to the New Dodge in Hamtramck, Saturday night.  I immediately and viscerally turned up my nose; I am unapologetically particular when it comes to female vocalists in general, but especially female rock vocalists, as [...]

Halloween proper fell on a Monday this year, not exactly the most raucous night of the week, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when rolling into Small’s in Hamtramck sometime after nine.  The incandescently lit bar was near empty with just a few patrons casually milling about, chatting in hushed tones.  But this inauspicious [...]

During Michael Jackson’s memorial service, Madonna reflected on the memories of her friendship with Michael, and made it clear their relationship was purely platonic. If, however, Madonna and Michael Jackson had ever made love, their offspring would have been something similar to Tunde Olaniran. (@tundeolaniran) Babatunde is a visionary with a true bohemian spirit. Every [...]

On Sunday July 10th, Matisyahu performed his soulful music in the sweltering heat of St Andrews Hall in Detroit, Mi.  Matisyahu and his band mix great reggae vocals with a bit of beat box to create fresh new sounds.  This is not their first time to play in Michigan.  In 2009, Matisyahu played an afternoon [...]

Legendary jam band Phish invaded (what the locals have known forever as Pine Knob) DTE Energy Music Center for the first time on Friday night.  Although they played at Cobo Hall in 2009, this was their first outdoor concert in the Detroit area since playing in the pouring rain on the rooftop parking deck of [...]

David Lingholm (@davidlingholm) and Jaysin Urban (@thatjaysin) discuss their highlights and favorite acts of Movement 2011 at Vitaminwater Uncapped. Source: Detroit Unspun

A series of open mic hip hop shows have been going down at The Old Miami every Tuesday to benefit 5 Elements Gallery, (@5egallery) while the gallery is under construction. I went to the event last night to support their fundraising efforts for a new venture they are working on with the Justice Coalition, to [...]

Downtown Pontiac, a place most commonly known for urban sprawl, dilapidation, and now a resurgence of independent music culture. A scene forged from virtually nothing, out of nowhere, and attracting some of the most well known acts in indie music, the Crofoot Ballroom hosted Scottish indie pop outfit Camera Obscura along with ambient dream pop [...]