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Music
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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
Artist to Watch: Cymbals Eat Guitars
Cymbals Eat Guitars, a Brooklyn-based quartet that draws influences from a range of iconic alternative groups, took the stage at the Hi-Dive on April 1st.
April 5, 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
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
Beatport Floorfillers: Bassnectar – Timestretch
If you thought Bassnectar was some sort of ceviche recipe, consider yourself officially out of touch with the underground. Lorin Ashton, long eclipsed by his strikingly accurate moniker, is an extremely versatile DJ, capable of juggling a plethora of genres within a single, continuously-mixed set. His sublime sunrise sets at Burning Man have soundtracked some of the finest, most memorable moments of my entire life.
March 14, 2010
Aural Pleasure: Kraddy
Glitch Mob, a collective of California producers he has since parted ways with, was largely responsible for the popularization of a cutting-edge hybrid of electronica and hip hop called “glitch hopâ€. Glitch refers to the producers’ propensity for intentional glitches or “stutter editsâ€.
March 9, 2010