You can't have a discussion about thrash metal without bringing up Testament. The band helped define the genre in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 1980s, a scene widely recognized as one of the birthplaces of this faster, more aggressive take on heavy metal.

Less than two weeks before embarking to Europe, Chicago's Maps and Atlases will navigate around the lakeshore toward Grand Rapids to begin a modest four-day stint in the Midwest – all terrible puns barred.

There are as many endings as beginnings on West Michigan's music scene, sparked by the ups and downs of venues and clubs or the germinations and gyrations of local bands. Such is the case with Muskegon's popular Four Finger Five, an uber-talented trio.

The infamous 'crew' is something of a time-honored tradition in the hip-hop world. Rappers take their friends with them upon getting big. This past year has seen the rise of the Black Hippy crew from Los Angeles and the A$AP Mob from New York. Closest to home is Danny Brown's Bruiser Brigade from Detroit.