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Star teamz

Special Teamz
Another trio who deserve the “supergroup” tag: Boston hip-hop elder statesman Edo G, former Kreator Jaysaun, and one of the city’s most buzzed-about rappers of the last few years, Slaine, whose profile recently got a big boost thanks to a prominent role in Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone. Special Teamz’ first full-length, Stereotypez (Duck Down), has collabos with Devin the Dude and members of Boot Camp Clik, as well as production from such heavy hitters as DJ Premier and Pete Rock — a stellar album that mixes “golden age” sounds with modern mixtape æsthetics. And it’s hard to hate on a disc that ups Beantown as much as this one.

Thunderdome
When the sorta-monthly Thunderdome parties started happening about a year ago, it made me nostalgic for the Hollertronix parties in Philly that I never went to: heaping helpings of booze and bass at non-club-like venues, first the Cambridge Elks Lodge and now the Greek American Political Club. Throw in killer guest DJs like Detroit ghetto-tech pioneer DJ Assault (“Ass-N-Titties”) and Fool’s Gold co-honcho/Fader editor Nick Catchdubs and just try to stop your rump from shaking. Who said Boston doesn’t dance?

Tulsa
Carter Tanton may have the best set of pipes of any newish band in town — “His indie-seraphim voice is not of this world,” as David Fricke wrote in Rolling Stone. Huge and resonant, it’s the driving force behind Tulsa’s reverb- and delay-laden music, which is marked by a push-pull between melody and dissonance, concision and unhinged sonic exploration. Bully for us that Tanton moved here from Baltimore two years ago.

Viva Viva
Who doesn’t love sex, drugs, and the Rolling Stones? Fronted by dynamic odd couple Chris Warren and Dave Vicini — leaders of the defunct Dirty Holiday and Lot Six, respectively — Viva Viva channel all three into their scuzzy, thrilling, dance-floor fire bombs. Despite their DIY MO, they have one overriding goal: to “get famous,” as Warren told me earlier this year. Don’t put it past them.