Boob Tubin’: Glee Auditions
There's a little show called Glee on Fox. You may have heard of it. It's about a high school glee club. It comes on Tuesday nights after American Idle. Since the end of March, Myspazz has been hosting a nationwide cattle call in search of new talent. Fans of the show or “Gleeks†submitted a veritable avalanche of video auditions. Mine was among them.
April 29, 2010
Aural Pleasure: VibeSquad
Whoever said white men can't crunk? Eerie-based Aaron Holstein is a walking argument to the contrary. Better known as VibeSquad, Holstein has been not-so-quietly churning out crunkadelic, bass-heavy beats in his hole-in-the-wall home studio for over a decade now. The VibeSquad sound is catching on too. Ever since laptop artists like Bassnectar and The Glitch Mob invaded Jamlandia after-hours events, more and more opportunities have been popping up for similarly inspired producers to follow suit. 303 Magazine recently rendezvoused with Holstein for a cup of virtual Yerba Mate.
April 26, 2010
Aural Pleasure: DJ MLe
What will MLE play in Wunderland? Disappear down the rabbit hole this Friday and find out. I'll be there, celebrating my umpteenth annual Unbirthday and singing with MLE's buddy Ishe.
April 19, 2010
Hindsight: Beats Antique @ The Boulder Theater
I can't pinpoint the specific moment Beats Antique appeared on my radar, but I can guarantee Bassnectar is to blame. Several years ago, he added his signature whomp to their tune “Roustaboutâ€, then invited them to join his traveling circus for a Left Coast jaunt or two. Burn night with Suze Q was definitely my first time experiencing their “live†act, normally consisting of two producers/DJs--one of which who peppers sets with both violin and sitar-sounding guitar--and a tribal belly dancer named Zoe Jakes.
April 17, 2010
Aural Pleasure: MGMT
Sure, the psychedelic poptronica of their Oracular Spectacular debut set a new benchmark for 21st century pop music. Its slow-burner success was never calculated, though. In fact, Spectacular's gradual omnipresence could best be described as a happy accident.
April 11, 2010
Aural Pleasure: MC Flipside
MC Flipside has never been more "In the Zone". Still coming down off his winningest Winter Music Conference ever, Flipside headlines Beta this week for Triad Dragons' NRG Thursdays. Frequencies are sure to be freaked.
April 4, 2010
Festival Window: Winter Music Conference
Winter Music Conference may seem like a misnomer to many, due to its Sunshine State stomping grounds, but Colorado Conference goers were nearly cock blocked by Old Man Winter for the second year in a row. Denver was blanketed in a solid foot of snow when I left; Miami's umpteenth annual mixologist mixer was on fire when I arrived. Beat dieters from around the world rendezvoused en masse for seven days in heaven. Superstar DJs were in abundant supply. Supermodels came out of the woodwork. And dancefloors were demolished left and right.
March 30, 2010
CD Report Card: Black Francis – NonStopErotik
Living up to his Pixies heyday is a perpetual challenge for man of many names Black Francis. Even his most rabid fans are constantly judging new work against classic, time-tested Pixies' platters. That's not to say his post-Pixies output hasn't produced occasional gems. Svn Fngrs, a Cooking Vinyl EP he cooked up in 2008, is an excellent example. NonStopErotik drops today.
March 30, 2010
Sintertainment: Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity
Losing my shirt in a Vegas casino has never appealed to me. Witnessing acrobats and aerialists lose their shirts in a Cirque du Soleil production is a completely different animal. Zumanity, the only Cirque show with actual nudity, has been on my to-do list for years. Even before I collaborated with a former cast member on a performance for Denver's Suite 200, it was on my radar. I finally lost my Zumanity virginity Sunday night.
March 23, 2010
CD Report Card: Bright Eyes & Neva Dinova – One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels
I will never forget the first time Bright Eyes blew my mind. Several of us, including VailPM.com founders Ryan and Nevada, were in Park City, Utah for Robert Redford's annual Sundance Film Festival. I had helped book Bassnectar at a club event called Mind Bender that also featured lucid dream guru Stephen LaBerge and author Daniel Pinchbeck.
March 22, 2010
Festival Window: South by Southwest
Austin is music industry magnetic zero this week. Bands, brands, managers, bloggers, photographers, label reps, DJs, journalists, hipsters, musicians, assistants, publicists, groupies, roadies, street teams, retailers, talent scouts and publishing houses are all represented by themselves or someone else in the Lone Star city.
March 19, 2010
Aural Pleasure: Flobots In-Store @ Twist & Shout
Flobots frontmen Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit have known each other since childhood, and their rap rapport is a testament to that fact. Witnessing them trade tongue twisters the other night was a sight worth beholding.
March 16, 2010