Release the Angry Mob, I may think Biebz is actually okay. Yeah, he does have the baby face of an overly eager toddler, and I do think he looks ridiculous in his oversized baseball cap but, I do have to admire his premature perseverance.

Justin Bieber was a Youtube star in my eyes until his “One Time” video showed up on the internet. Watching the “hit,” I could only imagine this was how eight year olds partied it up at Usher’s “crib.” Overall, the irritating song made his decent vocals sound stupidly feminine. Everyone on the radio uses excessive Auto tune now, but his sound was unnatural.

Still not believing me? Listen to this. Keeping his studio “Baby” in mind, close your eyes and forget your preconceived notions.

It’s popular to jump on the “Bieber is for fourteen year olds” bandwagon, but for me, his voice and swagger actually emulate his Usher upbringings.

But, he’s Bieber! He’s not supposed to be the most creative or best musician. His studio versions really do reek, but it would be ridiculous to say he has no talent at all. The indie community is probably in the process of shunning me, but I assure you he can sing! He can.

But don’t get me wrong, even though I can bear him, you won’t catch me in a fan club any time soon, orever for that matter.

Ezra Koenig brought it last night. The band’s lead tackled every yodel on their newest album, Contra, to a tee with that newly gained frontman swagger.

I first discovered The Hype Machine two long summers ago when I needed new music to satisfy my “oh so hipster” needs, but after that blissful time, I fell out of love with the website that had showed me so much. I began to despise this godsend because most of the top ten was just work to listen to.

The website that was supposed to ease the hunt for good picks was showing me obscure covers of obscure songs and rave highlights. Really, for regular ol’ me, this “ease” was way more effort than I wanted it to be.

So, why am I now singing its praises?

1. It is now serving its purpose.

The Hype Machine, a beacon that once uplifted artists on the rise, now has a Twitter feed to measure a track’s popularity by its number of tweets. You can also find Twitter buddies that enjoy the same genre of music, adding social networking also under its belt.

2. It’s simply easy-to-use.

Its revamped interface mixes new and old ideas to amp up its connectivity. The real-time “spy” feed allows users to view what others are “heart”ing and obsessively listening to. The hearts, a cutesy way of increasing the popularity, is just truly intuitive to its demographic. The straightforward compilation of international blogs just makes sense.

3. It lets you not just stay in the “now” but also look at the past.

Everyone knows the indie scene is ruthless in its timing. If you stay out of the excitement for a minute, you can miss a year’s worth of amazing content. Just flip into the “zeitgeist,” The Hype Machine’s answer to the end-of-the-year lists every blog holds so dear. With top artist, album and song lists accompanied with fresh artwork, you can see new artists along with past heavy-hitters.

4. It’s relevant

Let’s just say you’re not into discovering a new favorite but just looking for a song to complement your mainstream liking. Right there, the number one slot is a little ditty called “Airplanes” by Paramore’s Hayley Williams and B.O.B of “Nothin’ on You“ fame. It’s a catchy name-dropping track with great beats. Plus, you already know the artists.

Check it out – Hypem

The melodic artist has picked up steam in the music industry by epitomizing thoughtful lyrics and sincere grace ever since his 2008 critically-acclaimed album, Holly. Niche had the opportunity to interview the musician and attend his acoustic performance at the benefit show, BAND[AID].

He spoke about everything from his different influences in traditional Japanese and Indian music to his love for charity and the vision in his new album. Look out for Justin Nozuka with his exciting projects and in our next issue for the interview.

“Flash Delirium,” MGMT’s new single, has now produced an eclectic music video for the ages.

Starting off as a sordid welcoming home party for veterans, the video depicts the duo experiencing multiple sensations only to be described as “flash delirium.” Toward the end of the insane video, Ben Goldwasser reveals a strange issue rumbling under his skin.

The video definitely garners multiple views for the full experience, but even I still don’t understand it.