Always a sore subject in the music industry are the creation and distribution of mixtapes. It’s promotion for the artist–especially new ones–but there’s also no money being funneled back to the labels. Santigold’s label, Downtown Records, reportedly sent the DJ a cease and desist order, but Santi later told Pitchfork it was the first she’d heard of it. Sound familiar?

Santi says she supports the mixtape movement, and Suckers also see the value in it too, both for artists and fans. What do you think?

Formed just a year and a half ago, Brooklyn-based Amazing Baby has skyrocketed in a short amount of time. The core duo–Will Roan and Simon O’Connor–met at Wesleyan, the university that also spawned pals MGMT, Chairlift and Santigold. The two joined forces and began writing songs together when their separate bands started to crumble and–voila!–Amazing Baby was born.

Their music–equally poppy and psychedelic–is a fresh take on the comforting kinds of sounds you grew up listening to if your parents were hippies of any real degree. Infinite Fucking Cross, their debut EP, only came out last summer, yet the guys have captured the attention of fans and critics alike. Later filled out with Rob Laakso on guitar, Don Devore on bass and Matt Abeysekera behind the drums, the band has been featured in publications as respected as The Guardian and NME to Interview and Rolling Stone.

After touring with MGMT and Cold War Kids, the band is now preparing to release their anticipated debut full-length, Rewild, out June 23. “Bayonets” has made its rounds on the Internet as their newest hot single, while the video for “Headdress” is a hazy, fantastic trip, complete with a cloak, a forest and a fair maiden.

In another reality, the boys discuss the brainchild of Teddy Riley–new jack swing–and gems of the genre given to us by Bobby Brown, Bell Biv DeVoe and Tony! Toni! Toné!

The shows are an extension of (RED)WIRE, a digital magazine where part of the subscription fee goes toward purchasing medicine for those with the HIV virus. The mag has featured artists like Jay-Z, Elvis Costello, Neko Case, TV On the Radio and, of course, U2.

We don’t think they had to twist Lisa Hannigan’s arm to participate. She’s long been a supporter of social causes and recognized the rigorous work that goes into fighting the good fight.

On the heels of The Muslims redubbing themselves The Soft Pack comes word of Santogold’s metamorphosis into Santigold. Here’s the scoop from the artist herself:

“Change the graffiti on the bathroom wall, get your tattoo fixed, get your t-shirt airbrushed and change the name on your year end list–Santogold is now Santigold. She’s not telling you why, that’s just how it is. No unpronounceable symbol, no numbers where they shouldn’t be, no random capitalization, just plain ass Santigold so remember that.”

Well, ooooh-kay then! Geez! No questions! No potential answers! Just “plain ass Santigold.” Fine. GAWD. We love her either way. Although we hope you, reading this, are not one of the angry fan-people who now has indelible body ink to tinker with.  With any luck, you were smart about it, and just post-ironically got the words “L.E.S. Artistes” etched into your arm. Which is really just so the thing! But get it fixed, stat, or she might fix it for you and that would hurt.

Surely someone in the magically creative music scene at Wesleyan could have prevented this moniker debacle from occurring. Bear Hands, where were you guys?!