Polymath visual artist, Amanda Cerini, provided the stunning digital sleeve design for the above “singles” from No More Golden Days. These unsettling cut-out collages used to live on the Lushlife Bandcamp page, but they’re now seeking greener pastures. Maybe we’ll see some edition tour posters in 2012.

I have probably listened to Illmatic more than I’ve listened to any other album. I’ve given it a lifetime of listens. In all of those spins, I never realized that AZ says Schweppervescence (not effervescence), on his Life’s a Bitch verse.  I come to find this out while reading an Interview Magazine piece, no less. Check out the full interview with NY rap underdog, AZ, here.

Big Sur is the first leak from the upcoming Lushlife LP, Plateau Vision. The joint features psych-inspired production from Lushlife’s Western Vinyl labelmate, Botany, and finds Lush spitting a weirdly enticing blend of gully slang alongside the 20^th century Hidden America vibes suggested by the title. In the world of Big Sur, references to Smithsonian archivist, Harry Smith, and Juice Crew boss, Marley Marl, live comfortably side-by-side, while Botany’s production provides a backdrop that’s equal parts ‘60s garage rock burner and classic hip-hop neck-snapper.

Big Sur leaked this morning via tastemaking hip-hop blog, Space Age Hustle. Click here to stream the track, or head to the Lushlife Soundcloud page to download Big Sur in lossless, 320kbps MP3 format.

Philly psych dudes, Power Animal asked me to remix their excellent 2011 single, Better Water for an upcoming release on charity label, Crash Symbols. Proceeds from downloads and purchases of the Exorcism cassette will go to Philabundance, an organization that “helps feed low-income Philadelphia residents at risk of hunger and malnutrition, of which 23% are children.”

Download Better Water (Lushlife Remix) here. (via International Tapes)

Zander Olsen creates “interventions in the landscape,” wrapping trees in white material to echo the horizon precisely. This is breathtaking shit, homie. See more of Olsen’s work, from the aptly titled Tree, Line series here.