COMMANDING THE MIX Nailing the right mix for your music takes skills, gear and discriminating ears  You’ve penned the perfect songs, recorded flawless tracks, and you’re well on your way to creating a masterpiece. But what about the mix? Snagging that ideal sonic blend can be tricky business, and the stakes are high. The right mix can mean the difference between fulfilling your dreams of revealing your musical brilliance to the world—or not. For... 

THE GAME A chart-topping rapper takes on the concept of religion  “I just feel free,” says the Game. “I’ve got good friends, I’m eating right, working out, doing my music. That’s how I feel.” That’s pretty good for the Compton, Calif., native, who was nearly shot to death when a drug deal went awry in 2001. Even after being signed by Dr. Dre in 2003, the artist born Jayceon Taylor feuded with 50 Cent, Jay-Z and Dre, leaving the... 

PRETEEN ZENITH Rubble Guts & BB Eye preteenzenith.com This side project of Polyphonic Spree main man Tim DeLaughter and buddy Philip E. Karnats is what you’d expect—whimsical, wide-eyed, way-out psychedelic rock—and yet somehow not. Erykah Badu guests on “Damage Control”—maybe the most uplifting indie song since the Flaming Lips battled pink robots.  Read More →