Tales from the Studio: October

The straight dope on the month’s hottest albums.

Kid Cudi

Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager

Trippy Cleveland rapper delivers a surprisingly rocking album.

Three things you can’t record without:

“Good energy, a little bit of liquor to get things relaxed, and some weed. Maybe. Some songs


I don’t record high.”

Sounds like a cross between:

“It’s a clusterfuck. It’s for the kid who loves Kings of Leon, Jay-Z, and Diplo. Or 50 Cent, M.I.A., and blink-182. All of those.”

What the haters will say: 

“The same thing they said last time: ‘Fu-u-u-u-ck!’¿”

Maroon 5

Hands All Over 

The L.A. band’s Adam Levine dishes on making music in the Alps.

Where the magic happened:

“Switzerland. It was really beautiful, mellow, and bordered on boring. But great!”

Three things you can’t record without:

“A little bit of yoga, a little bit of basketball, and the chance to escape. We rented motorcycles, so I could always take a bike and split.”

Sounds like a cross between:

“Motown and someone going through a tumultuous time. There was a lot going on. I just tried to write it all down.”