Show Review: Lost in Company

I finally got around to seeing Lost in Company when they opened for JaE and Darienne Rose at the Hard Rock Cafe. After some brief protestations from one table, our group settled in comfortably dancing immediately in front of the stage. Funky originals mixed well with excellent covers of notables like Teddy Pendergrass for a sexy, soulful sound that left me thirsting for more. Immediately after their set we all left to try and catch mass stickering gurus Out of the Beardspace at a house party west of Temple campus, but were unfortunately unsuccessful and missed out on both shows. Luckily we'll be having both Lost in Company and Out of the Beardspace (as well as Banned Books) at a benefit for Saving Grace Orphanage at Little Bar on MLK Day.

DJ Gigs

A couple weeks ago I got to play the KNO Clothing One Year Anniversary Party and fashion show down in Rittenhouse Square, which was awesome. After a week off for Thanksgiving, DJ LOS and I are going extra hard for Thirsty Thursdays. New fliers are in production and we also have our Saturday monthly this weekend. Hit me up if you need some tunage for any holiday shindigs, etc., because slots are filling up quick.

[RSVP for Thursday]

[RSVP for Saturday]

If anyone is interested, I may post up the mixes from the African Student Union and KNO Clothing parties on the Mixcloud page. Don't forget to check Flying Circus Entertainment for all the latest news!

Saturdays are a bit more open format, so when it gets late and everybody's been enjoying the $3 specials, I can drop jams like this:

[Download via Pants Dance]

Show Review: Holy Ghost!, Jessica 6, Midnight Magic

I finally managed to make it to Union Transfer this weekend. I've been on the mailing list for R5 Productions' new venue since well before it opened, but I've been so busy I haven't had an opportunity to catch any of the great shows they've been putting on there. I am so glad I finally did! The space is gorgeous in every detail, from stained glass windows to the sleek industrial grates serving as railings between balconies, bars, and the main floor. I look forward to many more nights spent in a club so simultaneously intimate and spacious.

Desire Promo Mix by EliEscobar

The show I made it out for was excellent as well. Mountain Dew's Green Label Sound curated what was essentially a tour to bring the NYC underground dance scene to the rest of the country, and did an excellent job of it. I primarily went to see Eli Escobar spin before and between sets, and he did not disappoint. Dance and disco, flawlessly mixed with CDJs, no laptop, provided the perfect warmup for each and every artist, keeping the crowd moving. Midnight Magic was first to perform, and frontwoman Tiffany Roth took it upon herself to pack the dancefloor, instructing the crowd to stop staring and start dancing at every opportunity afforded by interludes in which her powerful vocals and enthusiastic dancing took a backseat to the excellent horn section.

Held together by a common bassist and keyboardist, Midnight Magic and Jessica 6 are both partially made up of members of Hercules & Love Affair, in the latter case fronted by transwoman H&LA vocalist Nomi Ruiz. Musically, the vibes began to skew darker and more sexual when they took the stage, with dirtier, more electro-oriented leads and no horn section. After a significantly longer set from Eli Escobar, Holy Ghost! finally took the stage. As the pop project from the members of defunct DFA hip-hop project Automato, Holy Ghost! has been putting out phenomenal remixes for artists like MGMT, Phoenix, and LCD Soundsystem, as well as excellent original dance tunes. Their live show was more fully fleshed out than the others, complete with an enormous lighting console and analog synth equipment presiding over the center of the stage. By this point, the crowd was euphoric and the dance party was in full swing, having mostly emptied the back bar area onto the floor with the underage kids. I went home satisfied, having danced my Friday night away to excellent music in a beautiful new venue.

Speak! Drops Inside Out Boy

Speak! finally let his album loose to wreak mayhem on these internets, and I for one am excited to have the majority of the tracks that impressed me at It's the Common Ground collected in one place for free download. The release party, with Odd Future associate Vince Staples and Inland Empire stalwarts Cashius Green and Pheo, is sure to be a rager. If you're in LA Friday, hit up the Gravel Pit for a good time. Whether you can or you can't, though, download the album [here].

I Miss The Streets

For one reason or another (willful disbelief perhaps), I failed to post about Mike Skinner's retirement of the moniker The Streets, UK grime's iconic pop crossover. Skinner's humorous and insightful ramblings over skittering garage beats have been a part of my life for years. I first heard The Streets when I was on one of those all-inclusive high school European tours watching MTV Europe somewhere in Spain. The above video for "When You Wasn't Famous" was on the TV, and my mind was blown. All that to say Skinner recently dropped a mix for FACT, which includes some great house music, Streets edits, and one track from his new project The D.O.T. If you haven't experienced The Streets before, consider this your point of entry. [FACT mix here]

Show Review: Wildebeast and Turning Violet Violet

There are two ways to arrange straightforward pop songs and maintain underground credibility. The first could most easily be called the Nirvana method: submerge the vocals in the mix and crank up the distortion to make it all sound more alienated. The second is to use extreme dynamics and shifting beat patterns to make a sort of audio collage that sounds unlike a traditional verse-chorus structure even if there is one. Judging by artists I've reviewed (Brand New, mewithoutYou, Colour Revolt, etc.) it should be clear that I prefer the latter. Last night I journeyed to Cedar Street Studios in Port Richmond to see Wildebeast open for Last Full Measure at Cedar Street's second Saturday monthly. I ended up leaving before the headliners due to public transportation schedules, but was impressed by both Wildebeast and Turning Violet Violet as purveyors of subverted pop music primarily differentiated by the gender of their frontperson and the variety of pop on which their compositions are based.

South Jersey's Wildebeast works with an arena rock palette both lyrically and in the basic guitar/bass/drums/keys setup, an impression emphasized by frontman Sam Morales' sardonic take on rock star swagger. The firm planting of his tongue in cheek, occasional digressions into epic post-rock breakdowns, and bassist Adam Catell's arrival straight from work at Philly Pretzel Factory complete with uniform ensured a safe distance from the odd sincerity/commercialism dynamic of the arena and the near-flawless sound quality provided by performing in a professional recording studio kept Nirvana away. This show has me hoping Wildebeast has a longer and more extensively recorded run than sideman Chris Small's previous work in Troubador.

Turning Violet Violet stays far away from the arena, working with the varied instrumentation of chamber pop and mixing it up with dance grooves rather than post-rock theatrics. A healthy dose of clarinet and violin can help any local band stand out from the rest, and the technicians at Cedar Street allowed both to shine. This studio has put some serious effort into developing the local music scene, and hopefully I'll be back there again soon, probably to see Lost in Company since they were stuck working doors and merch on this one.

OnCue - Better Than Before

OnCue and CJ Luzi again visualized by Adam Ross over at Visual High Life. Maybe in a couple months we'll see this one on MTVU too. In the meantime, Can't Wait drops in 10 days.

Upcoming Gigs

Tomorrow Jared and I start the monthly throwdown at Liberty Bar that I'm currently calling The Shindig. We'll be playing ridiculous party jams and helping people enjoy $3 Miller Lites, Yuenglings, and kamikaze shots, all for no cover as usual. The Fox and the Hound are back!

Eventually we will be getting DJ LOS involved. He started splitting Thirsty Thursdays with me last night, and hopefully we can build that weekly to even greater levels.

Tonight I'm playing solo for the African Student Union's Karibu Afterparty at SouthSide Cafe at Messiah. For those of you who have missed me in central PA, here's your chance to hear what I think are the most danceable sounds of the African diaspora.

Make sure to follow Flying Circus Entertainment on Facebook for more info about upcoming shindiggery in various locations!

Mob Device Dropping Beats

It's been a while since we heard from Tim Kolstrom aka Mob Device, but this week he decided to bless the interwebs with two brand new tracks. "Astral Projection" is continuing his trek into more of a laid-back dubstyle, while "You Call That" is a banger I'll definitely be playing out in the near future. Listen and download for free! Mob Device - Astral Projection Mob Device - You Call That

Feel Tall on MTVU

Cuey and his fans successfully voted the video for "Feel Tall" into rotation on MTVU over tracks by Ninjasonik and 50 Cent weedcarrier Hot Rod, among others. Congrats to OnCue, producer CJ Luzi, and director Adam Ross. Make sure you watch that jawn at J & H during Temple's 4th meal, or wherever else they play MTVU.

The Black Keys - Lonely Boy

Listen to the new single from The Black Keys' forthcoming album El Camino. Also, this video is awesome.

B.O.B. - Epic [feat. Playboy Tre & Meek Mill]

As I have been saying forever, B.O.B. is not a cheesy pop rapper, he just got tired of not being famous. Proof is right here. Hopefully he can railroad Playboy Tre into enough money to get security for his house so he doesn't get robbed again.

New Website/Fan Page

In tandem with the launch of my new weekly at Liberty Bar, I've finally officially launched the Tumblr page my sister and I have been working on for a few months. Flying Circus Entertainment is the name of my djing/promotion company, and all my future events will be under that moniker. Check it out at flyingcircusentertainment.tumblr.com and become a fan on Facebook [here].

Weekly Shindig at Liberty Bar

This past Thursday began my weekly residency at Liberty Bar on Market Street in Philly. The management there is awesome and we're working on developing a rock'n'roll night at this great spot between University City and the business district. The kickoff went pretty well, but we're trying to build it up bigger and better each week, which shouldn't be hard with drink specials like a $15 open bar from 10 to midnight.

Last time I played a bunch of old-school Weezer, Sublime, and the occasional pop hit and the bar regulars requested classics from The Clash and Dinosaur Jr. If you want a great place to hang out on Thursday nights in Philly, we got your back. Shoutout to all the kids who came out and supported the opening, and especially to Dominic Cruz on the flyer design.

Shadows Released Yesterday

The New Division just released their first full-length, Shadows, on Division 87. Pick it up on Bandcamp [here].

OnCue - All The Way

My boy CJ Luzi collabs with Manicanparty on the track, Visual High Life again on the visual, and Cuey sticking to his guns with introspective thoughts and a catchy sung chorus.

Caveman - Great Life

This song is proof that polyrhythms make any genre more exciting. Unfortunately, Fader informs me that Caveman does not have this many drummers live, so for that fix perhaps I'll have to see Grandchildren play again. In the meantime, Caveman's debut album was released exactly a week ago. Check it out!

Odd Future > Tyler the Creator

In all the flurry of attention surrounding Best New Artist Tyler the Creator and his horrorcore-for-the-swag-generation, other members of Odd Future have been getting shortchanged. For example, pop/r&b mastermind Frank Ocean has been consistently flooding Vimeo with gems like "Thinking About You" and the heartbreaking "Swim Good". Watch those two videos and download the latest from OF's Domo Genesis [here] to get a sense of all that this crew has going for them before their upcoming Adult Swim show spills the beans:
(via The Fader)

Belated Block Party Review: Mad Decent LA

My first (and somewhat lasting) impression of the LA edition of this year's block party is that the boys from Philly have finally 'made it' now that they've moved out to the west coast. It's gone somewhat corporate. I remember the first block party in Philly; everything was free-food, drinks, merch-all free. This time around there were serious food trucks, and giveaways were sporadic and temporary.

My second impression was that the 'block' they selected was too long and narrow, meaning a substantial amount of space went unused and another substantial amount of space around the booths and such was out of reasonable hearing distance from the music. This worked nicely when you wanted to relax, but made the experience somewhat more disjointed than the Philly editions have generally been.

My musical impressions (to the extent that I remember them) are as follows:

• A live set from Major Lazer is everything it's cracked up to be. Diplo spun literally everything, mixed into that very specific electro-reggae vibe, and Skerrit Bwoy is insane.
• Death Grips is an instance of some white producers getting a mediocre at best rapper to work with them because having a black front man provides street cred. They do manage to focus on sounding like the apocalypse enough to almost distract from the fact that Spank Rock, King Fantastic, and Atari Teenage Riot all do this sort of thing much, much better.
• Dawn Golden & Rosy Cross is just one guy, and he is the American James Blake like Owl City is the Christian Postal Service. Not that that's a bad thing.
• Mad Decent is a great electronic/hip-hop label. They are a terrible rock label.
• Dillon Francis is a great LA hometown hero. Kids went nuts.
• Lunice is fun to watch and fascinating to listen to. He makes Soulja Boy and Lil' B listenable.

Meek Mill - I'ma Boss [Video]

Meek Mill finally put out a video for summer anthem "I'm a Boss", dragging Rick Ross up to Philly to do a ridiculously fun street video like he used to independently with Maybach Music label money. Ross tries to pretend he can have fun in a video without a boat by hiding in a Bentley, while Millz spits triumphantly in front of Geno's Steaks (RIP Joey Vento) like a northern Young Jeezy.

Countdown to Shadows

The New Division just released "Shallow Play", the second single from upcoming debut LP Shadows, which is already getting attention from Prefixmag. Catch them performing this and other jams at Soda Bar in San Diego tomorrow or at the Shadows release party in Claremont at the Hip Kitty on the 29th [RSVP].

If you're not in SoCal to catch a show (my current situation), console yourself with frontman John's latest solo effort, "The One Thing I Can't Have":

WHYY Connections Festival

Watch the full episode. See more On Canvas.

If you're available Saturday (which I won't be), go check out the free concert local PBS affiliate WHYY is putting on at Penn's Landing. Expect great music from Kyo Daiko, Toy Soldiers, Birdie Busch, Kuf Knotz, The Baseball Project, Justin Townes Earle, and local legends Dr. Dog.

Grab a free download from blues outfit Toy Soldiers [here] and be there at 2 PM Saturday for the show!

Joy Ike - Sweeter

Check out Joy Ike's new video for "Sweeter" and download the mp3 for free [here]!

Free Boosie

Some of those screaming free Boosie aren't exactly helping his case, though in situations like this one, perhaps their feelings are understandable:

His mother sets things straight in an interview [here].

Low - Especially Me

Minnesota indie darlings Low still deliver their trademark relaxing sound 18 years later, this time with a video treatment that reminds me of listening to I'm From Barcelona on the subway in Philly, which may be the highest compliment I've ever paid a music video. Download "Especially Me" [here] and get familiar with their extensive back catalog if you haven't already stopped reading this to do so. (via Buzzgrinder)

It's the Common Ground

This week's It's the Common Ground was a producer showcase, which was an enjoyable night out, but not so easy to review for you. Peep tracks from the dudes showcasing their skills [here] and enjoy the above video of Speak's throwdown last week.

Blitzen Trapper and Dawes EP

To celebrate their upcoming co-headling tour, the purveyors of country-folk music known as Blitzen Trapper and Dawes are releasing a split EP for free on NoiseTrade. NoiseTrade is a service that allows artists to upload and distribute music for free in exchange for an email address and a zipcode, serving as an excellent promotional vehicle for up-and-coming artists. Catch the tour at the TLA October 27th.

OnCue - Feel Tall [Video]

The CJ Luzi-produced Cuey jam I posted about a while back got the video treatment as of Wednesday courtesy of Adam Ross at Visual High Life.

TND - Opium - Remixes & Free Download

The New Division's latest single "Opium" is up for free download this week only at their Bandcamp page. The single comes with the original track plus remixes by band members Juan the Tiger, John Glenn, and Vaab, who each take it in a very different direction. Juan the Tiger makes it into an ambient dub, John Glenn takes it international with an Italo disco rework, and Vaab moves into glitch territory with an epic 8 minute rendition.

Show Review: It's the Common Ground

Sunday night myself and a few coworkers ventured down to The Vibe, a dive bar near UCR, for long-running local hip-hop showcase "It's the Common Ground". Though the hosts were a bit talky, it seemed like a genuinely good, open-minded crowd with a positive attitude; in other words, a great place to discover new local talent. The Facebook event advertised appearances by Machete, A. Cain, Raw Class, The Future 3, Andre Damar, A.R.S., Kev Martin & Edgar Sosa, and Speak.

After a few acts of the quality I was expecting from the evening had performed and one no-show, I was thoroughly impressed by the headliners. The first of these was Kev Martin and Edgar Sosa, performing as each other's hypeman, each with a smooth flow laced over the mixture of old-school boom-bap and electronica samples that has become a college party staple.

Before the DJs returned and my friends and I left to catch some shuteye before work in the morning, Moreno Valley-based Speak wrapped up the live action for the evening. We had noticed this Zach Galifianakis lookalike earlier, chatting with the girls inexplicably selling what looked like thrift-store clothing from a rack in the back over a PBR. Now he took the stage in a Jesus costume, playing off the resemblance in the lyrics to his opening track. Thumping, bass-heavy beats propelled his set forward as he bounced around the stage, yelling "SWAG!" at every conceivable interlude and shouting out such hip-hop luminaries as "Mac Miller's Unibrow" and "Big Sean's Mustache". From this description one would dismiss him as simply another hipster rap flash in the pan, but his versatile flow and acerbic wit had even the thugs in the room on their feet and nodding along. It was then I realized this was the very MC whose Spaceghostpurrp collaboration inspired this rap-royalty-baiting piece from LA Weekly, and decided the number of freelance photographers encircling the stage were more than mere vanity. I went home with all my expectations for an Inland Empire rap showcase well exceeded.

Motown/Reggae Blends

Emynd and Kenny Meez put together this collection of Motown classics over one-drop reggae riddims just in time to ride out the summer properly. Listen to Emynd's take on Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" and download them all zipped up [here]. (via Crossfaded Bacon)

Lil' B Can Still Rap

For those of us who remember the greatness that was "Vans" (or The Pack in general for that matter), the recent #based nonsense Pack alumnus Lil' B has been spouting has been a frustrating experience. If you can do this:

Why would you do this?

Joseph Milligan's Sins

Joseph Milligan, lead guitarist of Anberlin, recently started a side project called Sins. Judging by the first two tracks released, this will consist of driving punk instrumentals with vocals leaning more toward the stadium-sized pop ambitions of his regular gig. Personally I enjoy the distorted vocals at the beginning of "Keep Quiet", as it is here he most steps into his own musical territory. [stream on Facebook] (via IndieVisionMusic)

The Hood Internet - Trillwave 2

The Hood Internet - Trillwave 2 by Мишка Bloglin

Mishka presents this excellent barbeque soundtrack from indie/rap mashup magicians The Hood Internet. To paraphrase a classic track "bang this in the yard baby". (via Mad Decent, whose NYC block party they recently rocked.)

Osama Throws An Eighties Party Mixtape

As an 80's baby who never really experienced the decade, I put this mix together as a 21st century perspective on the second-to-last decade of the 20th. It is a musical answer to the question "What do the 80's look like in a post-Michael Jackson, post-Osama bin Laden world?" And besides, girls love 80's parties.

Joy Ike's Summer Tour

Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Joy Ike, who did an excellent show at B-sides this past year, is hitting the road and stopping by some of my favorite venues. If you get a chance, go.

• 7/30 - One World Coffeehouse (Columbia, MD) w/ Nelly's Echo
• 7/31 - Ocean City Beach Project (Ocean City, NJ)
• 8/3 - WJTL "New Tunes at 9" [listen here]
• 8/4 - Stage on Herr (Harrisburg, PA) w/ Maura Jensen & Brooke Annibale
• 8/5 - Fuel House Coffee Co (Vineland, NJ) w/ Lindsay Katt
• 8/6 - Burlap & Bean (Newtown Square, PA) w/ Jeffrey Gaines
• 8/7 - Elephant Talk Indie Music Festival (Atlantic City, NJ)
• 8/9 - Van Gogh's Ear Cafe (Union, NJ) w/ Amanda Duncan
• 8/10 - Public Assembly (Brooklyn) w/ Paul Luc, Kevin Garrett, Charlene Kaye, Ohene Cornelius
• 8/11 - Pianos (Manhattan) w/ Dead Flutes & Fleetweek (DJs)
• 8/12 - World Cafe Live @ The Queen (Wilmington, DE) w/ Caleb Hawley & Jessi Teich
• 8/13 - Purple Door Arts & Music Festival (Lebanon, PA)

Download her album Songs That Sound Like Spring for free [here] for a preview of the goodness you are about to enjoy.

The New Division - Opium

The New Division just released "Opium", from the forthcoming Shadows LP, out September 27th. Give it a listen and then buy it [here].

Watch the Throne Drops in August

Kanye and Jay-Z's long-awaited collaboration Watch the Throne is scheduled to drop August 8th. Despite early worries of trend-chasing with disappointments like the Lex Luger showcase "H.A.M.", the latest leak "Otis" shows Kanye back at the peak of his production game, flawlessly sampling Otis Redding and going toe-to-toe with the greatest retired rapper alive thereon. Production on other tracks will come from 88 Keys, Q-Tip, The Neptunes, RZA, Hit-Boy, Swizz Beatz, Southside, No I.D., Mike Dean, Sak Pase, and S1, with guest spots limited to Beyonce, Mr. Hudson, and Odd Future crooner Frank Ocean.

Stream "Otis" at Jay-Z's Life + Times [here].

VMA Nominations & Voting

Nominated for 'Best New Artist' and 'Video of the Year', I finally have an excuse to post Tyler the Creator's self-directed "Yonkers". In other categories, I am also opinionated:

• Best Pop Video: Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
• Best Rock Video: The Black Keys' "Howlin' For You"
• Best Hip-hop Video: Chris Brown/Busta Rhymes/Lil' Wayne's "Look At Me Now"
• Best Female Video: Nicki Minaj - "Super Bass"
• Best Male Video: Cee-Lo Green - "F*** You"
• Best Collaboration: Kanye/Rihanna - "All of the Lights" (sort of a runner-up hip-hop)
• Best Art Direction: Death Cab For Cutie - "You Are A Tourist"
• Best Choreography: LMFAO/GoonRock/Lauren Bennett - "Party Rock Anthem"
• Best Cinematography: Eminem/Rihanna - "Love the Way You Lie"
• Best Direction: Beastie Boys - "Make Some Noise"
• Best Editing: Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"
• Best Special Effects: Kanye/Katy Perry - "E.T." (winning this was the point of this song)

You can vote for these (or your favorites) [here].

Christina Grimmie - Advice

She's come a long way from covering System of a Down at my birthday show. Currently on tour with Selena Gomez & the Scene, Grimmie just released this music video for single "Advice", from her debut EP Find Me. This one certainly fits into Radio Disney's dance-pop-lite format, readying young listeners for the club-centric sounds of 21st century American pop music.

New Mixtape Weezy

I'm about a week late on this, but Lil' Wayne just dropped a new mixtape called Sorry 4 the Wait. On it, he takes on Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci", properly demonstrates how awful of a rapper Lil' B has become since his days in The Pack by demolishing him on my favorite Waka Flocka track, and shouts out everybody and their mom over Beyonce's Major Lazer-sampling "Run the World". (via The Fader)

Old People Listen to Music Online, Record Industry Survives

The AARP has now launched their own internet radio service to cater to the listening tastes of the 55+ crowd, but despite this drastic expansion of internet listeners to an entirely new demographic, the first half of 2011 has seen a 1% increase in record sales, the first such increase since 2004. The increase comes with the strength of Eminem and Adele's record-breaking digital numbers (over a million each). Maybe the AARP will get the old folks into Adele? (via Paste)

Kalibur - Arch Dat Back

DC rapper Kalibur rides this track to club banger heaven. Simple, infectious, and danceable. What happened to this kind of rap music?

Show Review: The Dimepiece Party Summer Kickoff

The members of VCR Monster (the headlining band I missed at The Crescent Jewell) throw a monthly party at Rancho Verde Golf Club in Rialto. Evidently they have been trying to get The New Division to perform for quite some time, and this month they finally did.
As the youthful crowd gradually filled the room to the electro sounds of The 1200s (Snatch, Inglish the DJ, Androids Don't Stop), I was thoroughly impressed by the lighting. The atmosphere was much more dance club than golf club, despite the heavy concentration of smokers out on the patio with a clear view of the course. TND went on around 11, sans guitarist Brock Woolsey due to work commitments. Their set noticeably altered the enthusiasm of different crowd segments, for the most part switching the casts of smoking patio and dancefloor. Focusing on their more club-ready tracks, their set was significantly more 'thumping' than usual, though that was perhaps due to a bass-heavy soundsystem that buried John's vocals in the mix in favor of basslines and synth leads to keep the kids moving. "No Health" was definitely a crowd favorite, with a circle briefly opening for ravers and b-boys to do some odd cross-genre battling.


The 1200s kept the party going following The New Division with tracks like Armand Van Helden and Dizzee Rascal's "Bonkers" and a dubstep remix of Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci". In all, quite the evening; significantly better than one would expect when hearing "club night at a golf club".

The Warrior Art Rebel

I wish more music sounded like this. As Dev79 put it "this is what it would sound like if Andre 3000's cousin recorded a rap dubstep crossover project in a spaceship hovering over Jamaica". (via PalmsOut)

Farewell Flight - Out For Blood

The single from Farewell Flight's split with Deas Vail (as well as their upcoming Mono vs. Stereo debut) now has an official video, but Alternative Press has it exclusively for the time being, so listen to the lyric video above and then go check it out [here].

Pusha T & Tyler the Creator - Trouble On My Mind

Tyler the Creator (of Odd Future) finally holds his own on a mainstream track. Pusha T (of Re-Up Gang), who recently signed to Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music as a solo artist, grabs a feature from the divisive OFWGKTA mastermind on this boom-bap Neptunes number. (via First Up!)

New Vaab Mix

If you are in need of some dance music to fill your summer nights, or at least your drives to and from whatever you're filling them with, Vaab's latest mix of progressive house, electro, and trance might be just what you're looking for.

Tracklisting:

1. Bjork - Venus As A Boy
2. DJ Zilos - Always Changing [feat. Sophia Cruz][Rev-Players Remix]
3. Melleefresh vs. Deadmau5 - Cocktail Queen
4. Cevin Fisher - You Got Me Burning Up [feat. Loleatta Holloway][Tim Davison Remix]
5. Moguai - ZYVOX [Steve Duda Remix]
6. Arno Cost - Lise
7. Chrizz Luvly - Amen
8. Rihanna - Rude Boy [Tommie Sunshine's 5 AM Edit]
9. Josh Gabriel presents Winter Kills - My Friend [Francis Preve Remix]
10. Rihanna - S & M [Sidney Samson Club Mix]
11. Mord Fustang - Lick the Rainbow
12. Arty - Hope [Club Mix]
13. ATB with Dash Berlin - Apollo Road [Club Version]

Chanes - The Bird Cage

For those who can't get enough of Wiz Khalifa's rhymes over Lex Luger's beats, this just might be the next best thing: frequent OnCue collaborator Chanes flips Arcade Fire's "My Body Is A Cage" into a churning organ loop for Wiz to spit "Youngin On His Grind". Taken from Chanes "The Subherbs" Arcade Fire vs. Wiz mashup project, which you can download [here]. (via OnCue)

Dr. Freecloud's Record Shoppe

I was searching for a spot to grab The Decemberists' The King Is Dead LP for my girlfriend for our anniversary when I stumbled across Dr. Freecloud's phenomenal reputation on Yelp. Despite the unlikelihood that they would have what I sought specifically, I just had to stop in. Proprietor Ron D Core, who has a great reputation as an all-vinyl hardcore DJ going back 25 years, was behind the decks demonstrating something to a customer, and I took some time to browse the huge collection of dance records available.

Since rent was due recently, I only purchased Young MC's "Bust A Move" single, but I will hopefully be back, if not for the $75/hour DJing lessons, then for one of the free Sunday barbeques with guest DJs like this.

Paste Magazine mPlayer

As the music director of WVMM my sophomore year at Messiah, I was encouraged to read Paste as a way of determining what music we should be putting on the playlist and purchasing for the library. I was hooked. A magazine covering pop culture in all its aspects, focusing on independent manifestations thereof rather than the ordinary industrialized bits. Unfortunately, I caught the tail end of this wonderful trove of culture, as Paste ceased its print publication in September 2010. While I have still followed their blog(s) and e-mail blasts, I've missed the long-form pieces (like this) especially.

It turns out I'm in luck, as Paste is returning as a weekly multimedia subscription service called the mPlayer. It will be in beta for free all summer and start up in earnest in the fall. (via Paste)

The Return of Marc Seeley

For those of you who don't know, I once managed Marc Seeley, who recorded and performed under the moniker Letters from the Prom. Last summer he essentially dropped off the face of the earth, depriving us all of his musical genius in the ensuing months. He is now writing a new album as Tokyo Quest, the first song of which is the above "Eloise".I had a rare opportunity to discuss music with Marc recently, and the forthcoming album is tentatively entitled Play My Tiny Tune, Big Orchestra, and will be made up of folk tunes like the one you just enjoyed above.

Erika Ricchini Does A Pop Song

The first music we've heard from Erika Ricchini since Troubador is a pop song with lots more sheen than we're accustomed to hearing her vocals with, courtesy of producer Jay Criss. I could get used to this. Especially with that '80s snare.

New OnCue/CJ Luzi

My boy CJ Luzi has been back in the lab with OnCue, and the first result we get to hear is "Feel Tall", a pop gem on which Cuey brings his singing chops back out to play: And in case you missed it, here's the official video for their Eisley-sampling jam "It Usually Goes":

The New Division Crew & Its Ever-Expanding Repertoire

Though we've covered founding members John Kunkel and Michael Janz' production efforts, it seems that guitarist Brock Woolsey's work as Juan the Tiger has been missed. He has done his own remix of The New Division's "Saturday Night":

as well as some original productions, my favorite of which is his latest, "Orange":

Somewhat Unfinished Track

I've been holding off on posting this because I never finished it to my satisfaction. I've played it out once to a decent response, and it has a few plays and downloads on SoundCloud. I mashed up Lady Gaga's "Telephone" with "Beeper" by The Count & Sinden, which has some great phone type sound effects and additional rhythm, then added an interlude from "The Telephone Hour" in the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Let me know what you think!

Things Bothering Me About Mainstream Hip-hop

1)Rick Ross is a correctional officer, but no one is calling him out on naming himself after a dealer, continuing to constantly rap about cocaine, his supposed source of wealth, and promoting drug dealers like Big Meech and Larry Hoover to youth. He is encouraging kids to engage in the same sorts of behavior the convicts he once guarded did. On top of that, he cannot even use the excuse of describing his life: he never did any of the things he talks about, and has no regretful or admonishing songs to speak of like other rappers with questionable content.

2) Drake constantly talks about coming from nothing, despite being a freaking child television star. Degrassi was huge. Every girl I knew watched it at age 12ish. I want to hate his music, I really do, but unfortunately I don't. His one of his first hits was a ripoff of an old Kardinal Offishall mixtape track. Kardi gets considered a one-hit wonder, but Drake is taken seriously as an artist? You've got to be kidding me.

3) Why did they make Nicki Minaj a singer on her album? Enough said.

Guess I'll just have to mope and listen to underground stuff til I cheer up:

My First Mixtape

This was the first mix I ever made with MixMeister Fusion. I was trying to learn how to use the program, so I went back through several times to work on the details. I tried to keep it around 130 bpm in the key of C. Having just begun growing beyond iPod DJing Sweet 16s and such for Warped Tour kids, primarily through the influence of Diplo and his Mad Decent blog, I assembled what I thought was about as diverse a tracklisting as I could after listening to Flosstradamus' 3 Peat Mix at least once a day for about a month.

Tracklisting:
Alex H - Champion Floss
August Burns Red - Truth of a Liar
Girl Talk - Dance With Me (Baila Baila) [Club Mix]
Girl Talk - Dance With Me (Baila Baila) [Dub Version]
Missy Elliott - Lose Control [feat. Fatman Scoop & Ciara][Radio Edit]
Martha & the Vandellas - Dancing in the Street
Sister Sledge - Everybody Dance [Live] vs. Afrika Bambaataa - Just Get Up & Dance [Hip-Hop-a-Lula Remix]
Bodyrox - What Planet You On [feat. Luciana]
Kanye West - Stronger [A-Trak Remix]
Kanye West - Stronger [Tyler Fedchuck 1/2 Alive Remix]
Hellogoodbye - Here (In Your Arms) [2006 Tommie Sunshine Mix] vs. Dr. Dre - The Watcher [Instrumental]
Hollywood Undead - No. 5
Ciara - 1, 2 Step [feat. Missy Elliott][X-Mix Dance Series 79]
Jokers of the Scene - Juggle It [William Russell Remix]
DJ Laz - Feel the Funk
Daft Punk -Phoenix vs. Robert Randolph & the Family Band - I Don't Know What You Come To Do [Live]
Funkerman - Speed Up
Armand Van Helden - This Ain't Hollywood [Sinden Remix]
Britney Spears - Piece of Me [DJ Biggie Mashup]
Erick E - The Beat Is Rockin'
Meg - Party Time [Club Mix]
Get 'Em Mamis - Push It [Freestyle]
Bob Sinclar - Sounds of Freedom [Whole Album Mix]
Bamboo - Bamboogie [Radio Edit]
Rihanna - Please Don't Stop The Music [Mr. Slaughter Soca Remix]
Say Wut - Drop
Kissy Sell Out - Gonna Make You Mine [Kissy's Ghetto Fabulous Mix]
Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor [LA Riots vs. Villains Remix]
DJ Earworm - I Like the Way Jenny Scrubs
Brit & Alex - I Like Boys
The Hush Sound - Wine Red [Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire Retouch]
Tommie Sunshine - Dance Among the Ruins
Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance [Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire & Brimstone Dub] vs. Lloyd - Get It Shawty
Family Force 5 - Earthquake
Casper - Cha-cha Slide (Part 2)
Hurricane Chris - Hand Clap
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean vs. Spank Rock - Shake That
Afrika Bambaataa - Just Get Up & Dance [Party Mood Remix]
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
Daft Punk - One More Time [Foxy's Hip-hop Voiceover Edit]
Aaron LaCrate - Blow [feat. Spank Rock & Amanda Blank][Low Bee Remix]
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams [DJ Stranger Remix]
The Four Tops - It's the Same Old Song [Acapella]
Fergie - Fergalicious vs. The Count & Sinden - Beeper
MSTRKRFT - Bounce [feat. N.O.R.E.]
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Let's Make Out
Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor
Spoiled Bratz- Roc 2 Da Beat
Robi-Rob's Clubworld - Make That Money
Panic! At the Disco - The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage [Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Fire Remix]
Alex H - Imperial Bombaclaat
Spank Rock - B.O.O.T.A.Y. [Stereobait's Technics Edit]
O-zone - Dragostea Din Tei
Sean Paul - Private Party
Spank Rock - Blow
Usher - Nice & Slow [Remix][feat. Twista] vs. Benny Benassi - Love Is Gonna Save Us
Mr. Mixx - Freak Dance (Let Me See Ya)
Chemical Brothers - It Began In Africa
Daft Punk - Rock'n'Roll
Trina - You Ain't Ready [feat. Paul Wall]
Pitbull - Fuego
Twista - Overnight Celebrity [Remix][feat. Kanye West]
Klever - Kryptobounce
Brandtson - Nobody Dances Anymore
DJ Assault - Play It Again
Pitbull - Fuego [DJ Buddha Remix][feat. Don Omar]
Eurofrog - Chariots of Fire [Dance Remix]
Izza Kizza - Red Wine [Clean]
Vengaboys - We Like To Party
2 Live Crew - Shake a Lil' Something
Flo Rida - Low [feat. T-Pain][Foxy Edit][feat. Pitbull & Travis Barker]
DJ Laz - Move, Shake, Drop [Remix][feat. Pitbull & Flo Rida]

Artists I Was Evidently Riding Hard: Tommie Sunshine (5), Pitbull (4), Spank Rock (4), Kanye West (3), Daft Punk (3)