UCI's very own trance/house specialists, Derek Anderson and Scott Land, are coming through with some solid mixes for our listening pleasure. They formed their alliance in Spring of 2010 and have been working their asses off ever since. Less than a year on the tables and they already have several free mixes up for download on iTunes and their facebook page. I'm not the biggest trance fan, but these mixes are easing me into a better understanding of the genre.
DJ Slander's love for music and concerts pretty much guarantees a quality mix of the best music the scene has to offer. I requested a harder more progressive set for this post, and they've delivered. Extra C+A+D points for starting off with Duck Sauce's "Barbara Streisand," and Wolfgang Gartner's "Fire Power." This mix hits hard as hell, and frankly, I can't get enough. They're going to be spinning at Monster Beach Party for Labor Day weekend. Tickets are $10 each night or $15 for the weekend. They'll be headlining on Friday. Enjoy this delightful mix on us.
Tracklist 1. Barbara Streisand (O-God Remix) - Duck Sauce 2. Fire Power - Wolfgang Gartner 3. Choplifted - BSOD 4. Falling in Love with Brazil (Kaskade Mashup) - Haley vs. Deadmau5 5. Never Say Never (Alex Gaudino Remix) - Armin Van Buuren 6. Hey Baby - Deadmau5 7. All You (Angger Dimas Mix) - Kaskade 8. Babylon (Dub Mix) - Congorock 9. Cookies with a Smile - Dada Life 10. You and I (Deadmau5 Remix) - Medina 11. Oyster (Micheal Woods Remix) - Moguai 12. Complicated (Vocal Mix) - Adam K 13. Where the Party's At (Dada Life Remix) - Tonite Only 14. Moby - Wait For Me (Laidback Luke Remix) 15. It's You, It's Me - Kaskade 16. Just Bleep Me (Satisfaction) - Dada Life 17. BSOD - BSOD 18. Teenage Crime (Axwell Remix) - Adrian Lux 19. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Deadmau5 & Glenn Morrison Remix) - Daft Punk 20. Stobe - Deadmau5
Music.Music.Music.Music.Music. This is going to have to be a shorter, less informative YOLO List for this week. I spent too much time on the HARD Haunted Mansion posts (Night 1/Night 2). Now it's time to make the move out of my former house and ready myself to move to sunny Newport Beach, California. I probably shouldn't have waited to do everything last minute, especially since I'm seeing Chemical Brothers and Chromeo tonight at the sold out Hollywood Bowl. But you only live once, and I'm not about to put my life on hold fo' nothin'. Enjoy this list! All of your feedback fuels this site, so thank YOU for that. C+A+D is happy to hear we're helping to make your music world go 'round.
The San Francisco music scene is currently out of control, especially when it comes to finding fresh creative ways of making pop music. Sonny Smith and his band The Sunsets are creating their own place in this community. Smith's vision is a much more nostalgic and stripped down one; filled with acoustic guitars, hand percussion, catchy bass lines, and beautiful vocal harmonies full of la la la's and ooh's and ahhh's. These songs are so beautifully simple that it can't be overstated. Smith sings about love in all its glorious forms, growing up, killing people with a tube of cream, a planet of women where men are kept in chains, and much more. If you read more about Sonny Smith, you will find he is what you would call a modern renaissance man of the arts. He's written plays, directed films, worked on visual art, and now music. In a recent project, he created 100 fictitious bands, and had various visual artists draw album art for each of these artists, and then Smith wrote and recorded a song for each of these artists... yes.. 100 songs. This project was displayed in a gallery in San Francisco. Look at Sonny & the Sunsets- "Tomorrow is Alright" as a snapshot of Smith's carefree, poetic, and loving view of the world.
Here's a run down of Night 2. The night I'm most excited for, Halloween, and the night I'd like to put the bus together. If you want to check back up on the Night 1 post...click here.
I've said it once, I'll say it again: A-Trak is the most talented DJ in the world. He's the only one that could fill DJ AM's (RIP) shoes with Travis Barker, and the only person that can really show the world how delightful electronic/disco can really be (via Duck Sauce). A-Trak is an artist in every meaning of the word. Not only does he bring out the freshest, get-off-your-ass-and-dance, hard hitting tracks, he weaves them together with undeniable, award winning DJ skills by mashing the turn tables live. His impeccable song selection and groovy style are sure to impress. Adjectives and explanatory phrases aside, if you like to move it move it...DO NOT MISS THIS. Here's a video I got of him at Audiotistic this year:
The more I listen to this guy, the more excited I get to see him. He's making his way onto my Delightful Choice list for the night, because I feel like he would be nothing less than amazing live...as far as song selection and presentation go. He's got a lot of his own tracks that are actually really good. His originals and remixes dive deep into the depths of the type of dubstep I love, the electronic I love, and a hybrid of the two. He uses a lot of the dubstep wobbles but adds an extra bass between the beats to make it more electro and danceable for some songs. He's not as accessible as other artists on the bill for enlightened electronic lovers (EELs), but I definitely would recommend him to anyone who is down with dubstep and hard electro. He's going to be one of the underdog stars of the night. You can quote me.
He's back to Haunted Mansion yet again. Boys Noize is up in the ranks with sebastiAn for being there at my electronic enlightenment stage. I still remember the first time I heard "Lava Lava." My life was forever changed. I never heard anything like it. He definitely has a very unique sound, and it comes out during his sets. The first time I was fortunate enough to see him was as I was walking away from Justice's set, through DJ AM in the warehouse, to the other outside stage for Boys Noize. All of this was at The Shrine, more on that later. HHM 2008 flashback...Anyhow, he was an absolute treat. He messes around with the records and gets really into it. Very fun to watch. Very creative. If you can manage...DO NOT MISS THIS.
I had been thinking about how badly I wanted to see this guy the night before I saw the bill at HARD Summer. Needless to say, my prayers were answered, and I don't think I could be more excited. With albums titled "I Created Disco" and "Ready For the Weekend," you can pretty much bet that his set is going to be a straight dance party throughout the whole performance. He's definitely proved himself to be one of the better producers, as far as this disco/electro sub-genre goes, with hits like "Acceptable in the 80s," "Colours," "You Used To Hold Me," the list goes on. I've had both of his albums and essential mix (that you can get here) on repeat the past few weeks, and I can't seem to get enough. Just trying to be ready for the weekend, you feel me. And incase you were wondering: he gets all the girls, he gets all the girls...DO NOT MISS THIS.
There You Have It!
I really hope this makes your decision easier. As you can see, this is probably the most excited I've been for an event for awhile...I hope we share at least half of that excitement. The Shrine is my favorite place for these big events. It's got an outdoor section and an indoor section. It doesn't even get that hot inside, because it's just so large. Everywhere is pretty accessible, as the place doesn't get TOO packed and anywhere you stand will give you an acceptable view of the DJs. Check out Deadmau5's video from Haunted Mansion 2008 here. Should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Also, HARD has been known to go all out on the special guests. Last year, the special guests for night two were Deadmau5 and 2 Many DJs. You can bet that made for an absolutely insane night. Something tells me that Justice may be one of the specials. Partially because of the fact that they were there for the first two Haunted Mansions and a lot of the talent from their old label (Ed Banger Records) is going to be there. This also includes the owner of the label, Busy P, who just so happens to manage Justice and Daft Punk. I'm just predicting...the only thing that I am 100% about for the night is that it's going to be a highlight to my concert-going career. If you have any further questions about the event, feel free to hit me up: controlaltdelight@gmail.com
Take a good, long, HARD look at that flyer. Gary Richards has done it again. You can poke blindly at any part and land on someone that should be headlining their own world tour. I had a minor heart attack when I first saw the bill at HARD Summer. This amount of talent couldn't be confined to a one night event, as this is gonna be a whole weekend endeavor. And he's made it damn near impossible to choose a night over the other. Thus, I bought my two day ticket already. At this point, choosing one night just means you're cool with not seeing the DJs on the other, and I'm definitely not cool with missing anyone here. In order to help make your decision easier, I've compiled some artist bios and a track list of songs by from the artists I'm excited to see by night (aka Everyone). This is the best lineup in the world of its kind. It's going to be a delightful halloween indeed.
With his essential mix making it into the top 5 of 2009, Fake Blood has definitely made it apparent that he's one of the more premier DJs/producers in the electronic scene today. With instant classics, like "Mars" and "I Think I Like It," and his renditions of songs like Miike Snow's "Animal," you can expect nothing but bangers through his whole set. I saw him at HARD 13 in March, and you can take my word for it, he will not disappoint.
It wasn't long after I first heard these guys that I knew they were going to be one of the driving forces of electronic music in the near future. Big thanks to Steve Aoki for putting them on his label and getting them the exposure they deserve. It's kind of annoying that Warp 1.9 was the song that put them on the spot, because there is much more to them, but whatever it takes! You've heard it and have gotten down to it at one point or another. The first two times I saw them were DJ sets. Don't get me wrong, they were fun but nothing I hadn't seen before. [Death Crew 77] is their live set and one of the more entertaining shows as far as this music goes. Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, The Bloody Beetroots's front runner, teams up with DJ Tommy Tea and drummer Edward Grinch for this action packed performance. Rifo sings, plays guitar, and a variety of keyboards while the DJ and drummer back him up for this show. Seeing all of Rifo's talents right before your eyes is definitely entertaining as hell, and having a drummer adds a lot to the sound. DO NOT MISS THIS.
England bred DJ/Producer is finally making his stand in the city of angels. Dubstep's faceman, and newest edition to LA, is working his ass off to shape the world of dubstep in California and the U.S. It pains me to say that I still haven't seen him, because I feel like he would be one of the few dubstep artists I could stand for a whole hour set. His new album O.M.G.! really let me down. I was expecting a whole CD of songs like "Woo Boost" only to find he decided to get into the more mellow, not-as-heavy forms of dubstep. His live shows seem to be the exact opposite of that. I've been watching a lot of his videos, and it looks like his set is going to be a dubtastic fiesta. With remixes like "Da Cali Anthem," I'm sure he's going to come out hard for this crowd. HARD events make or break you as a DJ, and as far as I've seen, DJ's haven't brought anything less than their A game to these events. So, I'm expecting a lot from his performance. Peep the video if you I haven't convinced you.
SebastiAn is another one of those DJ/Producers that has been with me since the beginning of my electronic music escapades (and by good reason, has remained on top as one of my favorites). He has a sound and style that is unmatchable by anyone else. It's kinda dark, has a lot of quick samples that I feel would take ages to put together in the way that he does, and it's bassy as can be...he makes sure of it. He was a special guest at HHM '08, and definitely a highlight of the night. I remember when I heard him open with "Motor" and I ran to the front of the crowd as fast as I could. Flawless set. He even had a remix of "Reptilia" by The Strokes. If you know anything about me, you know about my eternal love for them, so this gave him extra points. I was devastated when HARD Summer '09 was canceled, because I was most excited to see him that night. All is well, as I will make up for it on October 30th, 2010. He is my Delightful Choice of the night. DO NOT MISS THIS.
As you can see, it's going to be a very promising night. I feel like this line-up would have been better for Halloween, because it's a little bit of the darker side of electronic. Regardless, I'm pumped for this. I'll have the Night 2 post in a couple days, probably after the next YOLO List. Educate yourself on these tracks and artists! I would hate for this to sell out (WHICH IT WILL) after you buy a one day.
The crowd is flowing like a stormy ocean. There’s a sort of electricity in the air, my heart syncs to the beat. Pushing through the endless crowd, I have to get closer. Strobe lights blind my eyes; I throw on my sunglasses. The song is building up to something big; it’s EDC weekend and Felguk is melting my face!
Tantalizing beats, grimy cuts and just a pinch of dub. (Fel)ipe Lozinsky and (Guk)stavo Rozenthal know how to deliver.
On the field or on the decks, nobody plays dirtier than The Netherlands. World renowned for dirty bass, addicting grooves and it’s electro edge, Dutch House is in a class of its own.
This Dutchman is recognized by the dance music industry as a refreshing take on house. There’s only one way to describe his style, “Big Room”, did I mention he’s only 22? Hardwell
Party people. It's always good to be back here with these playlists. I was worried for a second that it'd be harder to make these lists as the weeks went by, wrong. Every time I'm shuffling through my library, I stumble upon another song or artist I feel you guys should be listening to. I hope you guys are using these lists to help guide you in the direction of finding new music. I'm just trying to make it easier. Use Last.fm to help you find related music and just go from there. Last.fm is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me music-wise. When you sign up for it, it gives you this program that goes through your iTunes and sees what and how much of what you've been listening to and gives you recommendations depending on that. Plus, the artist bios and the most popular song lists are very helpful. Anyway, the list is all ready for you below. Try and leave a comment of your thoughts on the list if you can. I love hearing that you guys are enjoying these.
Gifted - N.A.S.A. N.A.S.A. (North America South America) is a DJ duo who have collaborations of songs with artists from a wide spectrum of musical backgrounds. This song in particular features Kanye West, Santigold and Lykke Li. "Gifted" is another one of those songs that has numerous remixes, many of which that rival the original. The first time I ever heard it was the Treasure Fingers remix. Leave it to Treasure Fingers and The Twelves to take a choice song and turn it into a disco'd out party. His remix is definitely my favorite rendition of the original. I just heard the Masuka remix the other night. Instant hit for any bass head. As I've said before, I'm really particular about dubstep. It either hits home or is garbage, to me. This song is definitely one of the better dubstep remixes that I've heard. Ya'll mutha fuckas know who dis is.
Artist: Fake Blood
Fake Blood is one of those DJs who constantly delivers. "Mars" put him on the map last year as it made its way onto any experienced DJs set. His songs always hit hard as fuck, and he kills it live. I saw him at HARD 13 in March with Jack Beats and Boy 8 Bit. He also released an essential mix that ended up being the fifth best of the year. Make sure to look him up and remember his songs, because you can bet you'll be hearing them at an electronic show. He's going to be at HARD Haunted Mansion on Saturday. So, if you DO go that day, be sure to see him. You won't be disappointed.
Artist: Cheetahsaurus If you've been following these lists, you probably remember me talking about one of my favorite bands that broke up called The Colour. I don't want to get into how sad I am, still, that they broke up, so I won't. Of their band members, the lead singer Wyatt Hull went to this band, Cheetahsaurus. It's nice to hear his voice, because it was one of the best parts of The Colour, but it's definitely not the same. These guys still have a lot of soul, and the song is pretty catchy. As far as I know, they've only released one album that was decent at best. The remaining members of The Colour went to a different band, that seems to be doing better, called We Barbarians. Both are still great indie rock bands, but they'll never really compare to The Colour.
There's no better excuse to road trip up to San Francisco with some of your best friends than for one of the more premier music festivals of the West Coast: Outside Lands. Pretty much everyone and there mom was playing in the spread out stages of beautiful Golden Gate Park (full lineup), but I had my heart mainly set on finally seeing The Strokes. I'd been wanting to see them for all of my music-listening/concert-going career, and I wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. I bought my ticket the instant I saw that they were on the bill. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Going to San Francisco, and especially Golden Gate Park, is always an adventure. Nothing but good vibes coming from all angles and people in NorCal. I love it. I wasn't able to get as many videos as I should have, because I was too pumped to be at the show. I'll use my words to help you visualize what an amazing weekend it was for music in San Francisco.
Highlights of Outside Lands Through C+A+D's Eyes:
DAY 1
Bassnectar
So after we walked around what seemed like all of San Francisco to find the entrance of the fest, we were greeted with the hard-hitting beats of one of dubsteps finests, Bassnectar. Unfortunately, I was only able to catch the last few songs of his set, because I couldn't find my damn way in to the park. This was my third time seeing him, if you want to count it, and I really can't get enough. He's one of the few dubstep artists I can see myself getting down to for an extended period of time. Dubstep has always been love it/hate it for me, but he just really knows how to stay consistently amazing. He takes a lot of classic songs that used to be on the radio (before it turned to absolute shit) and puts his spin on it to turn it into a heavy, yet enjoyable, dubstep track. He's a must see for anyone that's just getting into dubstep. He'll for sure push you over the edge.
Tokyo Police Club
I missed Tokyo Police Club at Coachella this year, and I wasn't about to let that happen again in SF. After the end of Bassnectar, we rushed over to to see them at the tightly packed croud at the Twin Peaks Stag (where the party was at for most of the fest). I'm not familiar with a lot of their songs, but they were really fun to watch and played everything I did know. They ended their set with "Your English Is Good," and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Wolfmother
There's not very much I can say about Wolfmother, other than I need to see them again. I didn't get to see their whole set, because we were running around and for what I did see, we were at the very side so I had a shitty ass view. They sounded AMAZING, and the singer was fucking awesome so I want to go see them again for real. Their best song was obviously "Woman," and it was really cool to see them play it live. This MSTRKRFT remix is one of the better remixes that I've heard. Dance!
The Strokes
So, we got to the Twin Peaks stage for The Strokes a little later than I wanted to, but I was hoping Furthur would take most of the SF crowd to the mainstage. We got a pretty decent spot, but I wasn't planning to stay there once the music started. I'd waited years to see these guys on stage, and they performed better than I could ever imagine. The light show set up was nuts, as they had a big screen in the back that showed tetris/pong/pacman and other visuals (see here). They played all their songs flawlessly. The solos were perfect. Julian's voice was perfect. He was hammered as fuck by the way, which was to be expected and made it all the more entertaining. They were very much worth the wait, and I'm so happy to have knocked them off my list. From what I remember, the songs they played were: Is this it?, Someday, Reptilia, New York City Cops, Barely Legal, Soma, You Only Live Once, Juicebox, 12:51, Hard to Explain...pretty much everything I wanted/needed to hear. Let's get that new album going, eh? Edit: Found the whole setlist here thanks to Taylor Rae.
DAY 2
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
This marks my third time seeing these guys, and I don't think it'll ever quite match up to the first, which was at Coachella. That was definitely more of a place for them than at Outside Lands, if you ask me. Anyway, I'm always down to see these guys. They always get really into it and sound amazing at the same time. Sometimes the singers try and talk to each other for the show, and it gets a little awkward when they mess up or don't really improvise well. All in all, great band. Great sound. I recommend seeing them if they come around and you're down with happy folk music.
Chromeo
I love Chromeo. These guys are so damn entertaining. The two play off each other and make for a really funny show. They're comedians and musicians. That definitely puts them ahead of a lot of people. They came out with some really hard disco/dance renditions of their classic songs: Mama's Boys, Bonafied Lovin', etc. Definitely going to try and see these guys again if I have the chance. People who were walking outside of the event mobbed the fence to get down for Chromeo, because the entrance is about a 15 minute walk from there. I should have done the same, because I missed a lot of Edward Sharpe's set because of it. Check out this interview my friends at West Coast Leak got at their show in Oregon right before they came down to SF.
Nas & Damian Marley
These guys were amazing. I saw a video of their performance on Jimmy Kimmel's show which didn't make them look that promising. On the contrary, they rocked the fucking show like none other. I was getting down with that reggae/hip hop combo. They transitioned off each other from genre to genre perfectly. From fence to fence, people were showing them the love they deserved, and I'm so happy I was fortunate enough to see them. I just picked up their album and am going to give it a shot. Maybe I'll get a song or two on the next YOLO List.
Empire of the Sun
Ok. Where do I begin with this? Empire of the Sun could quite possibly take the cake for weirdest shit I have ever seen in my life. This performance was so much more than for the music. Straight up Cirque de Soleil shit. They had a bunch of dancers in scary/weird costumes doing scary/weird things for a straight hour. Sometimes, I feel like they would make the beat really hard to follow just to trip people out on purpose. This show was made to be seen on acid. Not condoning, just saying. Everybody around me was doing a lot more standing and staring than listening and dancing. Definitely YouTube videos of it if you haven't already. Seeing them play "Walking on a Dream" was unreal. I've listened to that song so many times and have heard numerous remixes, but seeing them play it was definitely fulfilling. Through their whole set, they had a lot of glam rock/disco/classic rock jambalaya thing going on that was really interesting to watch. Was not expecting to be blown away to that level, but they definitely succeeded.
All in all, it was a damn good weekend. I had so much fun running around Golden Gate Park and just being in San Francisco. I love that place AND I love concerts. Win/Win. Couldn't have asked to be with better friends to share the experience with. Definitely going to try and make it out there in the upcoming years, assuming the lineup is anywhere as good.
Bonus!
I couldn't wait til the next post for these delightful treats. I've heard the song on numerous occasions in Soulwax and 2 Many Dj's sets, but wasn't ever to get my hands on it til I picked up the Calvin Harris essential mix. Lucky for you, I got both, and you need both. I'm pretty sure the essential mix is the reason I nailed my midterm today. I'll be seein' him at Haunted Mansion!
Friends and family! I was thinking the other day that I want to try and do more with this site, because one or two updates a week isn't as legit as it could be. I didn't really know where to start looking, but fortunately my prayers were answered. The dude's a really good friend of mine from home, and lemme tell you, this guy knows his shit. He's been in the game for just as long as I have. He researches and goes way more into the depths of mash-ups and underground electronic than I ever have. You can bet im going to be picking up off his posts too. Without further ado, the newest addition to C+A+D:
I spend most of everyday texting, bbming and facebook messaging anything and everything music. Scouring deep forgotten corners of cyberspace; continuing the ongoing pursuit for sick, whack, crazy and just all around fresh beats. I’m here to share my passion for music with anyone and everyone who can appreciate. My name is Ori Tabak and I take the oath to deliver you the dirtiest, nastiest, panty dropping bangers I can get my hands on. You can call me Chronic Mncher.
French for ‘In The Style’, this duo is doing just what Ratatat did for electro rock and redefining the scene. In fact, If Ratatat, Axwell and Bach had a threesome and Wolfang Gartner was videota… I digress. Who knew violins could compliment dirty electro so well?
Girl Talk who? The White Panda is completely killing the mash scene; they’re the definition of fresh. They just released their debut album this year, and it’s out of control. You can pick it up on their website. ALSO! Did I mention they’re going to be destroying the Roxy Theatre on Sept. 2? I didn’t? If you didn't pick up your tickets already, you're outta luck because they're performing for a sold out crowd. Stoked for them, but I would have been down to go. Next time..
Just a taste for what’s to come. I’ll try to keep shit fresh as often as I can. Got something you want me to hear? Send that shit Chronicmncher@yahoo.com. Enjoy the music. - Chronic Mncher
Had to work on this week's YOLO list early, Outside Lands took up a lot of my time this weekend. Another monumental weekend to add to the books. I don't get to go to San Francisco often enough, so that was a treat for me. I'll fill you guys in on how it went down later this week. I know I don't give this disco shit a rest, but I had to stock up for you guys this week. My buddy Marc hooked me up with more BreakBot than I know what to do with. This is a good thing for both you and me. Keep the feedback and music coming! I love when you guys help out with these lists. If you're wondering where I got the picture up top, it's from this venue called The Smell in Los Angeles. Their bathrooms are all tagged up like that. Thought it was cool...Beaches are starting to clear up as the summer weather we've been waiting for finally decided to show. Enjoy the list compilation on the way there.
Artist: Young the Giant Young the Giant, formerly known as The Jakes, are another OC native. Though most of these guys went to neighboring high schools, I didn't get to know them as well as I would've liked. All cool dudes. I went to elementary school with the guitarist and haven't seen him in years. It's cool to check back on someone years later and see that they're doing really great things, because that's what Young the Giant is. This band is filled with all the talent and devotion you're gonna need to make it to the top. The lead singer took time off from Stanford to put work into the band, and it's paid off. They've played with the likes of Kings of Leon and Minus the Bear. They earned it, though. They'll be playing every Sunday this month at The Troubador and every Wednesday at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa for cheap. See them! Here's a video of my favorite song off their upcoming self-titled album on Roadrunner Records. The song was #1 on Hype Machine's Most Popular list last week. If you know anything about Hype Machine, you know that's not an easy feat. Let me know if they deserved it:
Justice vs Simian - We Are Your Friends I was talking about this song in the last post. I thought it would be a good idea to throw it up on here if for some reason you were robbed of hearing it. This song is pretty much what put Justice on the map. They collabed with Simian (now Simian Mobile Disco) to make this song for a DJ contest and won. Now they are one of the premier producers in the world. I saw them for the first time at a smaller venue in LA almost a year after the release of their first album. Their live show is amazing. They DJ behind the cross with stacks of light-up marshall amps to their sides. Get here if you haven't yet. Worth every penny. The other two times I saw them was at the past HARD Haunted Mansions. It's always good to see them, but a DJ set doesn't give you the feel for what they can really do. I want them to come back to LA to play their live set sooner than later. People here need to see what one of the biggest influences of today's electronic music has to offer.
Leave me some comments on what you guys liked so I can coordinate these lists to better suit your needs. Otherwise, thanks to the people who sent me songs! Keep them coming. I mean it.
BONUS!! By some miracle, a recording of Soulwax's set has surfaced on the internet. Big ups to GottaDanceDirty for making it happen. It's unreal listening to this set, which I have been for the past six hours straight, and knowing I was there to see it. It gets me every time. These guys are truly the greatest. If you got love for Soulwax, this is a delightful treat. The quality isn't as good as the last live set I put up, but it's definitely good enough to appreciate. Also, I threw up the opening song that they teamed up with Crookers and Mixhell to create. Help yourself.
I'm happy to say that this year's HARD Summer went the exact opposite of last year's. Don't even get me started on that night...though, it's been more than made up for. I posted up at the very front of the HARD stage all day, because you can bet your ass I was going to be in prime location for the upcoming acts. The day started off with this and ended with the best performance I've seen from any band in any genre. No one can do it quite like Soulwax. I'll get into that and the only thing that went wrong the whole day shortly. With the help of a party bus full of the best people and the flawless performances of some of the biggest names in the electronic world, HARD Summer turned out to be the place to be on August 7th.
Nothing like starting off the afternoon with that disco you know I love. I had heard about BreakBot, because he's on Ed Banger Records with the likes of Justice, SebastAian, Mr. Oizo and friends. It's headed by none other than Busy P. Most of those guys are gonna be at HARD Haunted Mansion as that lineup trumps many that I've ever seen. I couldn't have found out or listened to him at a better time. I've been researching all these hard disco electronic producers and hadn't had a chance to hear him until this show. His whole set was groovy as shit. I stocked up on most of his songs and have yet to hear one I don't like. For some reason, I didn't record him so we're left with nothing but a picture and a song...for now.
I was really happy with how these guys' set went. The Twelves have been referred to as "Brazil's answer to Daft Punk" from BBC's Radio 1. They played a lot of their remixes that I wanted to hear, plus some that I've never heard. One in particular I was really happy to get down to was their "Lisztomania" remix. Unfortunately, I can't find just the remix of the song in the video, but I did find their essential mix! The essential mix is fuckin' awesome, by the way. It's pretty identical to their set which is a really, really good thing. Their song choice was impeccable. It's also cool, because it looks like one of the guys was working a drum machine and effects, while the other brought the songs in. Nothin' but a good time. I put some of their remixes in the HARD Summer mix that you can get here.
I had never really heard or listened to this guy up until Saturday. I'd seen his name around Hype Machine, but had never made the leap to listen to him. This all changes now. Not only was he dropping some fresh ass, hard hitting, house bangers, he was definitely a pleasure to watch. The whole time he was dancing and throwing it up for the crowd. LA was throwing those good vibes right back.
This marked the third and best time I've seen Erol. He was also getting down with the crowd and playing around to make it an eventful set. I had some trouble trying to decide which of the two videos I recorded to put up here. I decided to go with this one, because it pretty accurately portrays how his set went, plus it's one of his original songs that he made with Boys Noize. Those two are always doing shit together which is pretty tight (no homo). Expect to see them share the stage at HARD Haunted Mansion. If you want to see the other video go here.
The first time I was exposed to Diplo and his record label Mad Decent was at the Mayan theatre in 2008 when he opened for Justice. CRAZY live set by Justice, might I add. I miss them...anyway, Diplo was throwing down all the club bangers we wanted to hear, and he gave me my dubstep fix since I missed Magnetic Man.
I must admit, I was pretty pumped to see Crystal Castles for my first time. I had heard polar opposite reviews on their live performance. Initially, I read that that's where they get most of the acclaim. So I had high hopes. The set turned out to be sub par. I don't know if that was compared to other performances or not, but I was expecting something different. Got some snaps of the better parts of it though. Alice Glass is a performer, for sure.
I'm not the biggest fan of Major Lazer. I've heard some of their songs that I liked, but I have to give them credit for producing todays "We Are Your Friends." It's hard to go through a set without hearing a rendition of "Pon De Flor." Their set was a party, without a doubt. Definitely always entertaining as hell to watch. I don't think I'd go out of my way to see them, though. Their introduction was pretty funny though. Go here if you wanna see it.
Soulwax 11:20-12 I'd been waiting for this set for almost two years. Last time I saw these guys was Haunted Mansion 2008 with pretty much anyone and everyone who mattered in electronic music (besides Daft Punk) at the time. It was also the last time they were in LA. Everybody that was there saw history that night. DJAM threw down one of the best sets of his life in Thomas Bangalter from Daft Punk's helmet. I've been talkin' up Soulwax's set that night to everyone that would listen. It was the crazies thing I've ever seen. The thing about Soulwax is they do no wrong. Everything they do is how it should be done. They tour almost every day for years on end and bring the best performance anyone can ask for. They play all their songs flawlessly together with a bassist and drummer. The drummer is probably my favorite part of their set up.
The worst part of the whole set was when it ended. They robbed us of twenty minutes when they were setting up and ended promptly at 12. I figured they owe us at least an hour for being gone two years. Recorded the whole set from almost front row in HD only to find that it didn't save when my camera ran out of battery. That's the only thing that went wrong the whole day. I'll take it. It makes that memory and the people their that much more valuable in my head. Until next time Soulwax!
BONUS!
Here's my favorite live set recording of all time. Soulwax's set from a couple months after I first saw them
Still coming off that HARD Summer high. And to be honest, I think it definitely made it's way into the "Best Night of My Life" level like I thought it would. Expect details and highlights of the night + videos and some delightful downloads in the next post. I tried branch out a little more and throw in some of my favorite hip hop/rap into this weeks YOLO list. I'm really particular about hip hop. To me, a good rapper is someone you can listen to without any beat and still have it be a pleasure to listen to. (AKA i'm not down with Lil Wayne...if anyone has some of is shit that will make more sense to me, send it my way). Anyway, someone who flows and still manages to get creative with the beats is really what I look for. With artists like Immortal Technique and Del the Funky Homosapien, good beats and seamless flows are a given. Don't forget to have an open mind while you go through these lists. There's some good in every genre, you just have to give it a solid chance.
Rusko - Woo Boost Dubstep is finally making it's way onto DJ sets and people's playlists world wide. Rusko has always been a front runner and face man for dubstep, and he just moved to LA to help spread the good word in sunny southern California. I've been getting less weird looks every time I throw on some dubstep at parties. At first, it's kinda weird because it sounds like robot sex...but once you get with the groove, there's nothing quite like it. It's usually very hit or miss for me. I either love a dubstep song or absolutely can't stand it. This track, on the other hand, is everything I would want from a dubstep song and definitely my favorite so far. It hits hard as fuck when the beat drops, and it's just an all around great song. Rusko's new album was a big disappointment. I was expecting a CD full of heavy "woo boost-esque" songs and got an album full of the more mellow side of dubstep that I'm not into. This song should give you an idea of where dubstep is going.
Artist: Ty Segall As garage rock solidifies its own special spot in my heart, I owe a lot of the thanks to Ty Segall (pronounced sea-gul). His first two CDs were decent, but he didn't really do it for me until the release of his latest album Melted. With a full backing band, including a girl bassist and drummer, they bring nothing but hard grungy rock that still manages to stay catchy and fun to go crazy too. You'll understand when you hear "Girlfriend," my favorite off the album. I saw them live at The Smell in LA, and it was a straight riot the whole time. Takes me back to my old hardcore days in the pit. These guys are easy to get down to. Let me know what you think.
Architecture In Helsinki - Heart It Races (Dr. Dog Cover) Dr. Dog has always been one of my favorite bands. They're really folky and kinda have a country vibe to them, but I love it. Pretty much everyone in the band sings, but they're mainly led by their bassist and lead guitarist. The high and low pitches of their voices harmonize really well. I never got into Architecture In Helsinki, or gave them a fair shot even, but this remake is where it's at. You can hear the original here. Clearly, Dr. Dog knows how to remake a song the right way. It's upbeat and really easy to get stuck in your head so be careful.
Artist: Del the Funky Homosapien (aka Deltron3030) The name may come off as a little funky to you, but it's nothing less than just that. His voice will probably sound familiar, and by good reason. Gorillaz have used his expertise in a few songs (Clint Eastwood, Rock the house). The way he spits is really unique and he's got a hella bay area thing goin' on since he's from there. Whatever, though, fool knows what he's doing. His beats just top it off. I can always trust a song with him in it to be what I need out of hip hop/rap artists.
Artist: Bassnectar As A-Trak said it, "Get down with that dubstep LA." Check out the Audiotistic post here for a video of the beginning of his set where he plays "Here We Go" and some tasty remixes for download.
That wraps up this weeks YOLO list. I hope you guys are finding use in the playlist and going places you never thought you'd go. If so, I'm doing my job, and I will continue to help you all out. Leave thoughts/comments/opinions/concerns!
So, it's Sunday, and I pretty much played out last week's CD. I'm likin' that we both win on these playlists, because it definitely makes my daily driving a lot more tolerable. A little bit of dance, a little bit of hip-hop, a lotta bit of indie/alternative. Ended up being a pretty mellow list, now that I look at it. You can sleep to this playlist.
Artist: The Muddy Flowers I'm proud to say that this band consists of a bunch of my friends from home (allllllllllllllllll the way back home......where I'm from). Call me biased, call me whatever, I know talent when I see it. If you're into the lo-fi/garage rock stuff, there is no reason why you wouldn't enjoy these guys. A melodic combo of instruments and personalities, driven by the passion of their frontman gives them a very unique sound. I had their last album, "Downer," on repeat upon its release a few weeks ago. You can pick up a copy at their local shows. Here's a vid
Flight Facilities - Crave You I was hooked on this track right when I heard it. It has a Daft Punk feel to it. I'm not sure what it is exactly that gives it that feel, but I'm sure you'd understand. No other voice could be a better match for this track. Lyrics are very important, and for this song, they're key. We've all been there. I tried to find more from these guys after I heard "Crave You." For the most part, all they have is remixes of the same song. All good.
Artist: Arcade Fire Ok so Arcade Fire's new album just leaked, and it's been racking up most of my plays for the last week. Funeral, their first album, is definitely one of my top 5 most played. Neon Bible, their second, never really caught on for me. The two tracks are my favorites off The Suburbs so far. I'm gonna leave the rest to BBC (full article):
"...The Suburbs is their most thrillingly engrossing chapter yet; a complex, captivating work that, several cycles down the line, retains the magic and mystery of that first tentative encounter. You could call it their OK Computer. But it’s arguably better than that."
