Stussy produced a three part documentary about legendary beat junkie, J Dilla. We’ve included Part 3: Donuts, our favorite portion of the documentary below. It features interviews with some of the people who were close to Dilla as he put together an album that would come to be known as his final goodbye to the world.

Of course, when you listen to Donuts today, you might not realize that most of the samples are from songs with dark undertones and lyrics about mortality, but that’s just the genius that is Dilla. The way he presented even the simplest of edits was always a balancing act of innovation, emotion and surprise.

View part one of the documentary here.
View part two of the documentary here.

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Here We Go Magic’s 2009 album was impressive even though it was a lo-fi experimental journey mostly directed by the singular vision of Luke Temple. Now the group is set to release the more “official” Pigeons on June 8th via Secretly Canadian.

Our first listen is a tune called “Collector”. It’s definitely more polished than any of their previous recordings, but clocking in at just over five minutes, it doesn’t lose the atmospheric soundscape vibe that they established with “Tunnel Vision” and “Fangela.”

If you find yourself lamenting the loss of the low-fi phenomena it’s about time you suck it up. That was sooo 2009.

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The catchy theme song for HBO’s new series, How to Make It in America (aka Entourage Part 2), is courtesy of Aloe Blacc. “I Need a Dollar” is the first single on his upcoming release via Stones Throw (available on iTunes).

If you haven’t already, check out some of the studio footage over yonder.

We posted “Shadow People” a a few weeks ago, but the Dr. Dog tracks keep on coming. “Stranger” was dropped in our inbox yesterday to celebrate the one month countdown to their fourth LP Shame, Shame.

I think I definitely liked “Shadow People” a little better, but “Stranger” is more of a song for those of you who like to play air guitar. Did I mention they hit San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall for two nights in late April? Get on it.

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LCD Soundsystem decided to take their act to the runway at the recent Yves Saint Laurent fashion show in Paris on March 8th. Unfortunately, no official audio exists, but you can hear Murphy and company play a version of Peter Gordon’s experimental track “Beginning of the Heartbreak” in the video below. Sexy.

The much-anticipated, but yet-unnamed, third LP from LCD Soundsystem is due out May 17th.

Bay Area favorites The Morning Benders drop their sophomore release, Big Echo, today. Judging by the album’s coastal artwork alone, we might assume that the Berkeley-founded and now Brooklyn-dwelling band is sticking to their beach bum ways. But as The Morning Benders have grown, their techniques have matured as well. Big Echo moves away from their sunny California sound with a few creative musical elements that swell into a new style bigger and broader than the band’s twanging debut Talking Through Tin Cans.

Last month, The Benders made their first single from the album “Promises” available for free download. The production of Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor is evident – with its soft bass lines and sneaky syncopation, “Promises” has Yellow House written all over it. Diving right into their second single, The Benders featured many of their Bay Area pals in a Wall of Sound-inspired video for waltzy album opener “Excuses” including The Mumlers, Dizzy Balloon, John Vanderslice, Chris Owens (of Girls) and Golden Gram that went viral early last month, hinting to fans of what we can truly expect from the trio this time around. Layered guitar lines and sweetly orchestrated harmonies crash into singer Christopher Chu’s sensual lullaby – “You tried to taste me / And I taped my tongue to the southern tip of your body.” Chu’s voice is impossible to ignore throughout the album, peeking through the eerily percussive track “Wet Cement,” accented by the hushed shuffle of drummer Julian Harmon and bassist Tim Or’s faint, throbbing plucks.

The band kicks it into gear with the beach cruising “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight).” Soft hand claps, clean guitar and the belting melody remind us of The Benders we know. Now added are whispered da-da-dahhs and a confident rollick that come along with Taylor’s production and just plain maturity. This new element is also seen in “Hand Me Downs” but in a different, dimmer light — angry guitar, rumbling bass drum and loud vocals build to express The Benders’ discovered briny sound present in the sweet and salty album.

Reverb-soaked “All Day Daylight” coasts with a casual take on garage-rocking thrash. Cymbal crashes and fuzzy guitars scream over Chu’s party-time lyrics: “Summer, summer’s calling out my name / Somewhere looking for me!” Once we think we have their new sound pinned down, The Benders close the album with “Sleeping In.” Choral harmonies meet starry sound effects until raucous guitar and drums collide, waking up listeners with a new sound carrying the theme of Big Echo that can truly best be described as big – big in its timbre, dimensions, melodies and variety. It’s a combination that sings so well together because it’s the best of their respective worlds.

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Stranger Dance patron saints Spoon were the musical guests on Letterman last night, supporting their January 2010 release Transference. Britt and company were joined by protégé Stephen Patterson of White Rabbits.

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San Francisco label Secret Seven Records recently released In a Cloud, a compilation of 14 unreleased tracks from some of SF’s best up-and-coming talent. The compilation with mastered by Paul Oldham, brother and occasional bandmate of Will Oldham.

The catch? It’s a limited vinyl release with only 500 copies. But something tells us this thing will make its way into digital format sooner or later. Order it online over yonder.

Track Listing:

1. Sonny & The Sunsets – “Heart Of Sadness”
2. Fresh & Onlys – “You Owe Your Life To The Streets”
3. Donovan Quinn & The 13th Month – “Mysteries”
4. Sandwitches – “Grey Wizard”
5. Thee Oh Sees – “Contraption”
6. Dylan Shearer – “4 In The Morning House”
7. Jacques Butters – “Baby Held”
8. Kelley Stoltz – “Pinecone”
9. Paula Frazer – “What Does It Take”
10. Trainwreck Riders – “World Got Round”
11. Tim Cohen – “I Come Alive”
12. Hannah & Raven [of Grass Widow] – “Beehive”
13. Exray’s – “Everything Goes”
14. Ty Segall – “Hey Big Mouth”

Check out the their tour schedule on Matador. Although most dates are overseas, there are stops at Coachella, Sasquatch, four days in Central Park and a show at The Greek in Berkeley.