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Noisey Beach Reads: Catch Up on Our Best Stories of 2015 so Far

We talked to everyone from Detroit rap crews to Madonna. All in one convenient place.

We've done some weird shit here at Noisey this year. We've seen punk musicals being made and Detroit rap crews taking over strip clubs. We've gone to space with Skrillex (kinda) and convinced Madonna to kiss Drake (also kinda). And now, as you slide into your beach chair with your tablet or smartphone or whatever you read long digital content on, enjoy this collection of our favorite things we've published this year (so far).

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COVER STORY: Maybe You Live Twice: Julian Casablancas's New Void (Kim Taylor Bennett)

The Strokes frontman has always been a tough nut to crack, but after releasing his politically charged, uncompromising new solo album with The Voidz, we set about spending some time with the singer to try and really work out what makes him tick and where he's heading.

COVER STORY: Refused: Pop Songs for the Revolution (Dan Ozzi)

After 17 long years, Swedish punk legends Refused returned with a new album. We tailed the band through their West Coast tour to find them fitting into their new skin. No longer are they playing tiny basement shows, but instead headlining massive festivals. Refused is a business now, but they’ve still got a bone to pick with capitalism.

"Bitch I'm Madonna: 'I Want to Live Forever and I'm Going to" (Kim Taylor Bennett)

Remember when Madonna kissed Drake and then he looked like he'd swallowed a rotten egg? Well, let it be known that we planted the idea that they should maybe make out way back in March when we interviewed the original pop provocateur.

Chamillionaire Wants to Be a Chabillionaire (Peter Holslin)

The 35-year-old gave up rap in order to become a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. We visited him to see how it was working out.

Skrillex Goes to Space (Kyle Kramer)

He's the hottest name in EDM, so naturally his year has involved producing for Justin Bieber and launching a satellite with Google. We gave him a call to talk about—what else—space?

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Charlamagne Tha God Is Hip-Hop’s Nosiest Fan (Slava Pastuk)

Charlamagne was Rap Twitter before there was even a Twitter. We spoke to the radio shock jock about the importance of sticking to your guns, even when it feels like the whole world hates you.

Long Live the Trap King: Fetty Wap Tackles Fame, Fatherhood, and the Future (Kathy Iandoli)

You've been blasting "Trap Queen" all summer, and you're not stopping any time soon. We went to New Jersey to meet the artist behind it and discovered success couldn't have landed with a nicer guy.

DIY Punk Legends Dead Moon on Cancer, Retirement, and the Early Days (Art Tavana)

Noisey called up Toody Cole, one third of seminal Portland punk band Dead Moon, to discuss everything from the 80s punk scene to their most recent mini-tour. The dates may just be their last ever.

It's a Love Story: Watch Our Interview with Brett Morgan, Director of ‘Montage of Heck’ (Kim Taylor Bennett)

It was the most hotly anticipated music documentary of 2015. Maybe ever. Noisey sat down with the director to find out what it was like gaining unfettered access to Cobain's archives, what was revealed, and the difficulties surmounted when it came to stitching together this unflinching portrait of a man.

Repressed: How Independent Artists Are Getting Squeezed Out by the Vinyl Revival (Mike Campbell)

Illustration by Joe Frontirre

Vinyl is back, baby! You’ve probably heard that. Vinyl sales have been on the steady incline over the years, after all. So… why is that bad? We talked to independent labels and bands about how the production strain on pressing plants is actually crushing smaller artists.

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‘The Marshall Mathers LP’: The Album That Just Did Not Give a Fuck (Dan Ozzi)

The Marshall Mathers LP turned 15 this year, and it’s still one of the most offensive, crass albums ever to sneak into the mainstream. It’s full of cartoonish violence and hate speech that very likely would not fly today. We look back at the album that turned Eminem sinister and wondered how he got away with not giving a single fuck.

We Got Levitation: The 13th Floor Elevators Reunite for the First Time in 45 Years (Fred Pessaro)

Fifty years is a long time. The 13th Floor Elevators hadn’t played together in just a years shy of that when they took the stage for the first time at Levitation 2015, a tough gig for virtually any band. The results were bittersweet.

Doughboyz Night Out: A Trip to the Strip Club with Detroit's Most Debauched Rap Crew (Maximilian de la Garza)

Doughboyz Cashout have been Detroit's foremost street rap crew for nearly half a decade. Has their moment to go national finally arrived?

This Is a Hudson Mohawke Story (Eric Sundermann)

On the cusp of his release of Lantern, we spent a night in New York with Kanye West's secret weapon.

Pop Never Sleeps: 48 Hours in Vegas with Charli XCX (Eve Barlow)

It says it all in the headline, really. We went to Vegas with Charli XCX and part of this story definitely involves Charli posing with a poo emoji on a red carpet.

We Interviewed Mylets, the 19 Year Old Guitar Wunderkind or Whatever (John Hill)

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Mylets was born out of a very stagnant music scene, and started producing some of the most subversive rock out there. We talked to him about what it's like to be a prodigy.

Public Humiliation and Flagellation Is Far More Interesting: An Interview with Dominick Fernow of Prurient (Zachary Lipez)

The mastermind behind Hospital Productions, Vatican Shadow, Ash Pool, and many others, Dominick Fernow, discusses his return to NYC and the album that came from that move, Frozen Niagara Falls. In the interview, which he describes as “the most personal he has ever done,” Fernow talks about the perception of noise, being your own worst critic, and about how he almost ended the legendary noise project Prurient.

Flashes of Quincy (Jeff Weiss)

We sat down for a talk with music's most legendary producer.

Mastermind: The Radio DJ Drake Flew to Calgary to Meet (Slava Pastuk)

Noisey spoke to the man who cemented his image as a Toronto OG by moving to Calgary, one of the most boring places in Canada. His status was enough to convince Drake to come to Calgary in order to meet Mastermind, a radio DJ who has seen hip-hop grow and evolve in Canada since its inception. We interviewed Mastermind about his extensive history and how he got The Boy to fly out to The Land That Oil Birthed.

Shit Got Crazy: When The Cramps and The Mutants Invaded a Mental Hospital (Phil Barber)

By some strange circumstances, a punk show was held at a mental hospital in Napa, California in 1978. It’s almost become folklore at this point. We revisited this wild event and talked to the folks at the facilities at Napa State about how this incredibly bizarre show came together and what it meant for the bands who played—The Cramps and The Mutants—but also for the patients in attendance.

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After Ten Years, Fort Minor Is Back, and Mike Shinoda Still Wants You to Remember the Name (John Hill)

Illustration by Stefani Akner

Mike Shinoda is the half-Japanese rapper in the biggest rock band in the world, Linkin Park. Ten years ago he started Fort Minor, a project showcasing his abilities as an MC, and has now brought it back.

Meet 2 Milly and the Crew Behind the Milly Rock, Hip-Hop's Next Summer Dance Craze (Brian Josephs)

Everyone is Milly Rocking this summer, so we met up with the Brooklyn rapper behind the new dance hit to find out what it's all about.

Why Iron Maiden Still Rules, and Heavy Metal Will Never Die (Kim Kelly)

Iron Maiden will never die, and neither will heavy metal, so bring on the new album. Bring on the new tour. Bring on a new Eddie shirt design, and new videos, and more photos of Bruce flying his fucking airplane. Bring on the metal.

Roc of Ages: Dame Dash's Second Chance at a Second Act (Paul Cantor)

Damon Dash is 44-years-old and if you pay attention, you can see that he is playing a character he is presenting to the world. Damon Dash starring in The Life of Dame Dash.

Tamaryn Tells All (Eve Barlow)

Tamaryn didn't grow up in a cult, she says, but the government in New Zealand my disagree. The singer opens up about her unconventional upbringing, fleeing from New Zealand, and her search for self and control through the creation of art.

Vince Staples's Summertime in the LBC (Max Bell)

The 21-year-old rapper has just released one of the year's best rap albums in Summertime '06. How did a kid from a broken home who tangled gang life get to this moment?

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Henry Rollins Talks to Frederick Michael St. Jude on Van Halen, Studio Musicians, and the Lost Classic ‘Gang War’ (Henry Rollins)

Musician, writer, author, and all around artist Henry Rollins interviewed Frederick Michael St. Jude about his lost classic Gang War LP. The musician talks about its inspiration, going the DIY route, and the work ethic of musicians today.

Steven Brodsky on Cave In, Miley Cyrus, Sir Lord Baltimore, and Mutoid Man’s New Album, ‘Bleeder’ (Fred Pessaro)

Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky has a new album and a new band with an old friend. Mutoid Man combines the guitarist/songwriter’s considerable talents with those of insane drummer Ben Koller of Converge, making for an inimitable supergroup with bassist Nick Cageo on board.

The Early November Aren't the Kids You Knew Before (John Hill)

Ace Enders and Joe Marro open up about coming back from late-career struggles, and how the emo/pop punk scene has changed over time.

Jazz on Bones and X-Ray Audio: Chasing the Ghost of Soviet Russia's Most Dedicated Vinyl Bootlegger (Kim Kelly)

Photo courtesy of the X-Ray Audio Project

How Soviet hipsters invented the first flexi discs… and were sent to the gulag for doing so.

"Though This Can Be Draining, It Ultimately Binds Us, and Makes Us Stronger": A Conversation With False (Kim Kelly)

We snagged a super rare interview with one of American black metal's finest and most secretive new bands. It got emotional.

Kali Uchis Want to Give You a New Perspective on Life, Music, and Everything (John Hill)

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We talked to Kali Uchis about how it feels to be a pop artist on the precipice of huge success, and how her experience working with Tyler the Creator and Snoop Dogg shaped her output.

I've Got a Feeling That We're Here to Stay: Dance Gavin Dance's Jon Mess Gets on with His Life (John Hill)

Jon Mess of Dance Gavin Dance has been alongside three different singers, and a rollercoaster of problem. We talked to him about finally finding peace.

From Gilman Street to Broadway: NOFX’s Fat Mike Is Selling Punk Rock to Your Mom (Dan Ozzi)

Fat Mike has no problem selling records to idiots with mohawks. That’s easy. He’s been doing it for 30 years with his band, NOFX. But now he’s got an unlikely new business venture—producing musicals. We went to Connecticut to see Home Street Home come to life.

I Took Mushrooms and Experienced Peak Canadiana at a Tragically Hip Concert (Slava Pastuk)

We took drugs and saw the most Canadian band on earth in an attempt to understand why Canadians love them so much. The results were melty, to say the least.

The Top 11 Reasons That We'd Be Glad if David Vincent Really Did Leave Morbid Angel (Kim Kelly)

The weakest link in this legendary Florida death metal band has got to go.