Song Of The Day: Niki & The Dove - Mother Protect (Goldroom Remix)

Niki & The Dove is the project of a Swedish duo featuring vocalist and songwriter Malin Dahlström. The group released their first single in August, 2010, and have had several releases since including their most popular, "Mother Protect." This particular remix, comes from Josh Legg, the Los Angeles based producer and DJ, also known as Goldroom. Formerly of the synthpop trio NightWaves, Legg has ventured out, exploring dance music from a different angle, and drawing more influence from a wider range of artists. I first heard Goldroom's remix of Gigamesh's track "Red Light," as the opening of The Magician's monthly Magic Tape Sixteen, and the remix of Mother Protect was featured in this month's Magic Tape as well (maybe we'll see a collaboration between these two artists somewhere down the line), though Goldroom has many great original tracks, in addition to the many remixes he's already done. Enjoy!

Niki & The Dove - Mother Protect (Goldroom Remix)
Niki & The Dove - Mother Protect (Goldroom Remix) by Goldroom

*Image Courtesy of Sub Pop / Mercury Records

Dubstep Beatbox Street Performer

Song Of The Day: M83 - Midnight City

Several weeks ago, while watching HBO's "How to Make it in America," I heard this song playing during the end credits, reaffirming my belief that this show really knew what it was doing when it came to music selection. After quickly learning the song's name, I discovered the French artist Alexander Gonzalez, whose project, M83, recently released it's sixth full length album since 2001, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.  While 'Midnight City' is easily the best known song off this release, with it's trippy music video, it's just one of many amazing tracks. The rolling 'Intro' is one of the most inspirational sounding tunes I've heard in a while, and tracks like "Raconte-Moi Une Histoire" and "OK Pal" are simultaneously twisted and playful, all while alluding to the playful innocence of youth. The album as a whole is varied and dynamic, all the while touching on themes of playfulness and imagination. I'm definitely going to check out some of their earlier works, but only after giving all of these songs a few more play-throughs.

Enjoy


M83 - Midnight City



M83 - Intro


M83 - Raconte-Moi Une Histoire


M83 - OK Pal


*Image Courtesy of Virgin Records

Upcoming Event: Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival 11/11-11/12

Calling all hipsters, music snobs, and IDM afficionados: this coming Friday and Saturday (11/11 & 11/12) , 37 artists will performs in 6 different venues (all conveniently located in Williamsburg) for the 4th annual Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival aka BEMF. The event will feature a wide range of artists, musicians, producers and DJs from hipster ultra minimalist techno, to the more lighthearted, and everything in between and will be a great opportunity to experience a large spectrum of electronic music. For $45, you get a pass that will get you into each of the six venues, for all of the performances, and $30 single day passes are available as well. The event schedule should be announced shortly, and tickets are available here.

Here are some of the artists that will be featured at BEMF 2011.

Four Tet - Hands


Daedelus - Sundown


Matthew Dear - Little People (Black City)


Hudson Mohawke - Fuse


Thugfucker-Disco Gnome (Tale Of Us Remix)


Tittsworth - EZ


Michna - Triple Chrome Dipped


Diamon Rings - All Yr Songs


*SPECIAL* Reggie Watts - What About Blowjobs?

*Image Courtesy of Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival

New Album: Welder - Florescence

Yesterday saw the release of Florescence, the new full-length album from Welder, the second musical project of San Francisco-based producer Brenden Angelides (also know as Eskmo) . For this project, Angelides utilized many more percussive and symphonic elements contrasting with the bass-centric sound of Eskmo. Florescence is very ambitious in its scope; to try to pin it simply to one genre is a futile endeavor. The plucky, upbeat nature of the first track "Run," contrasts sharply with the wild key introduction and rolling, ominous rhythm of "Japan." Angelides is one of the more talented and experimental producers out there today, having collaborated with artists such as Amon Tobin & Beats Antique, You can listen to the entire album for free here, or show your support by downloading it here.

Welder - Run
Welder: "Run" (FULL ALBUM OUT SEPT 26) by Welder

Welder - Be My Light
Welder: "Be My Light" (Album out Sept 26) by Welder

*Image Courtesy of Ancestor Records

Song Of The Day: Pretty Lights - Summer's Gone

In anticipation for this Friday's Pretty Lights' concert with NiT GriT & Big Gigantic at the Pavilion in Boston, MA, today's song of the day is and oldie but goodie, coming from his 2008 release, Filling Up The City Skies. This double disc, sophomore album served as my introduction to the works of Derek Vincent Smith, and included such great songs as "Hot Like Sauce," "Finally Moving Remix," and "The Time Has Come." Pretty Lights recent rise to fame has paralleled the growing popularity of electronic music over the last few years. From his start as a relatively unknown Colorado-based producer, collaborating with fellow PLM artist Michal Menert on his debut album, Taking Up Your Precious Time, over the last four years Pretty Lights has grown tremendously both as a project, and as a label. Pretty Lights Music, Smith's record label, now boats an impressive roster of six amazingly talented artists including the prodigious drummer/producer Adam Deitch, former collaborater Michal Menert, and beatsmith Alex B (formerly of Pnuma Trio) as Paper Diamond. Looking at the transition from "Finally Moving" to "I Know The Truth," Smith's style has clearly evolved, as has his performance style, shifting from Monome to analog synths, and his presentation. However all of the music on Pretty Lights Music is, and will always be, free to download.

Pretty Lights - Summer's Gone


*Image Courtesy of Pretty Lights Music

New Album: Wolfgang Gartner - Weekend in America

I can say with certainty, that one of my favorite times for dance music is the transition from the Summer to Fall, when artists, coming back from rigorous touring schedules and festivals, begin to release new music. Last month's big release for me was Nero's Welcome Reality, and last week Porter Robinson released his first EP, Spitfire. . Today, Austin, Texas based producer/DJ Joey Youngman (aka Wolfgang Gartner) has just released his first full-length album, Weekend in America. The album, available here, features 13 tracks, including the previously released hit singles "Space Junk," "Illmerica," & "Ménage a Trois." The ten remaining tracks do not disappoint, and run the gamut of Youngman's electro-house style. After collaborations with artists like Timberland, Mark Knight, & Deadmau5, Youngman was prominently featured on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix last November, and since then has experienced a meteoric rise to fame, and this latest album is certain to cement his relevance in today's dance music scene. Enjoy!

Wolfgang Gartner - The Champ


Wolfgang Gartner - Shrunken Heads


Wolfgang Gartner - The Way It Was


*Image Courtesy of Ultra Records

Song Of The Day - Mark Ronson - Record Collection (Perseus Remix)

Today's song of the day comes from Perseus, remixing the song, "Record Collection," off mark ronson and the business intl's album, Record Collection. I wasn't able to find out a whole lot about the artist, Perseus, other than his SoundCloud page, but I have posted some of his other remixes that I'm quite fond of. His remix of New Life by Jeremy Glenn was prominently featured on The Magician's Magic Tape Twelve, and who in their right mind doesn't like Grum?

Mark Ronson - Record Collection 2012 (Perseus Remix)
  Mark Ronson - Record Collection 2012 (Perseus Remix) by PERSEUS

*Image Couresty of Kitsuné Records

Jeremy Glenn - New Life (Perseus 'Summer of 83' Remix) by PERSEUS

Grum - Through The Night (Perseus Club Mix) by PERSEUS

New Mix: That Fucking Guy - One Last Summertime Dance Party

While a great deal of my free time consists of searching for new music, a good portion of that involves DJing for friends, at parties, and the like. As I have been stingy with the posts lately (the new job makes it hard to listen to music during the day), I've decided to share my latest mix. Hopefully you'll enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed putting it together, but my hopes are that this blend of house, nu-disco, and indie rock will keep your summertime groove going a little longer (in spite of all the shitty weather we've been having).

I will attempt to post mixes like this regularly, so you can follow me as That Fucking Guy on Soundcloud, or right here on DRTN.

Enjoy!

  One Last Summertime Dance Party by That Fucking Guy

Get Your Groove On: Cheap(er) Upcoming Events in Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday-Friday, September 6th-9th

Umphrey's McGee - Brooklyn Bowl

Tickets - $25-$45

Friday, September 9th

!!! - The Bell House

Tickets - $18

Rich Medina - Brooklyn Bowl

Tickets - $5

Digital Tape Machine - Music Hall of Williamsburg

Tickets - $12

Saturday, September 10th

Miami Horror - Brooklyn Bowl

Tickets - $10

Saturday, September 17th

Papadosio - Public Assembly

Tickets - $10

Wednesday, September 21st

Ana Sia - Brooklyn Bowl

Tickets - $5

Saturday, September 24th

Particle - Brooklyn Bowl

Tickets - $8

Sunday, October 2nd

Conspirator - Brooklyn Bowl

Tickets - $15

Friday, October 14th

Eoto - Brooklyn Bowl

Tickets - $12

Thursday, October 20th

Metronomy - Music Hall of Williamsburg

Tickets - $15

Tuesday-Wednesday, October 25th-26th

Amon Tobin - Brooklyn Masonic Temple

Tickets - SOLD OUT

Monday, October 31st

The Magician - Public Assembly

Tickets - $10

Tuesday, November 1st

SBTRKT - Music Hall of Williamsburg

Tickets - $15

Saturday, November 26th

Holy Ghost! - Music Hall of Williamsburg

Tickets - $18

Song Of The Day: Nero - Must Be The Feeling (Original Mix)

Nero is the project of Daniel Stephens & Joe Ray, two British producers who've focused largely on Drum & Bass & Dubstep. Having remixed tracks by Daft Punk, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, Justice & DJ Fresh, and recent collaborations with artists like Skrillex, Nero has consistently delivered chart-topping singles, including 2009's "Act Like You Know It," which won the Beatport award for Best Dubstep Track. Nero released their first full-length album, Welcome Reality (available here) this past August. Their most recent release, "Must Be The Feeling," brings them in yet another direction, focusing more on Techno rhythms and Electro-House basslines. The duo have cited French Electro-House as one of their influences, during their 2010 BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, and that is certainly evident in this newest track. Enjoy!

*Image Courtesy of Nero

The Magician: Magic Tape Fourteen

Yesterday, the Magician, aka Stephen Fasano, released his fourteenth installment of his recurring Magic Tape mixtape series, available free for download here. This has become one of my favorite monthly mixtapes, regularly incorporating elements of Nu-Disco, House, Synthpop, and Funk with all sorts of musical styles. It is a very light-hearted, feel good experience from start to finish.

The Magician will be performing a special Halloween show, live at the JDH & Dave P. Though I've yet to pick out a costume, you can certainly expect to see me there.

Magic Tape Fourteen by TheMagician

Song Of The Day: SBTRKT - Hold On

I will admit, I definitely missed the boat when it came to SBTRKT. I'd only just heard his 2010 debut Step In Shadows EP this past July, and squandered two opportunities to see him at Starscape and Camp Bisco X, but I won't waste the opportunity to share this. When walking by Sound Fix downstairs in my building I saw they had SBTRKT on a board for recent releases. I sprinted upstairs, and discovered his new self-titled LP, released this past June.

SBTRKT, aka Aaron Jerome, continues his collaboration with singer Sampha on several tracks, as well as other vocalists, including Jessie Ware, Little Dragon and Roses Gabor. The influences are varied, from Dubstep, to R&B, to various African/Brazilian rhythms, but the result is quite remarkable. This is easily one of my favorite releases so check it out.

SBTRKT - Hold On (feat. Sampha)

Also check out some of these other great tracks from SBTRKT:

SBTRKT - Trials of the Past (feat. Sampha)

SBTRKT - Right Thing to Do (feat. Jessie Ware)

SBTRKT - Something Goes RIght (feat. Sampha)

*Image Courtesy of Young Turks Records

Official Camp Bisco X Aftermath Video

Awesome recap of the Disco Biscuits' 10th annual Camp Bisco Festival in Mariaville, NY. This was my fifth year in a row going, and barring some incredible lineup announcement for next year, I don't think I will put myself through the long lines, water shortages, and overcrowded dance tents for a sixth... Bro.

Live in Brooklyn: Amon Tobin ISAM Tour

Fresh on the heels of his debut ISAM world tour, Brazilian ex-pat Amon Tobin, has announced the US leg of the tour, beginning in Seattle, WA at the Decibel Music Festval on 9/29. With an unparalleled visual stage production, and unique blend of music, Amon Tobin has already sold out several dates on this tour, including the initial 10/25 performance at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Don't despair, however, as a second date has just been added for the following night 10/26 and tickets are available here.



Amon Tobin - Journeyman - ISAM


Amon Tobin - Slowly - Supermodified

Electric Forest: Sherwood Forest

Before I even saw this, I knew I wanted to go to Electric Forest. Now, having seen it, I am convinced. See you next year, Rothbury, Michigan.

New(ish) Video: Scissor Sisters - Invisible Light

Back in April I posted a Boys Noize remix to the Scissor Sisters' song "Invisible Light," as my Song Of The Day (you can here the original here). Recently while exploring the videos of Spanish filmmaker Mark Gómez del Moral (whose credit includes El Guincho's amazing video for "Bombay") I discovered that he had also directed this video to the original version of this amazing Scissor Sister's tune.

Song Of The Day: Wolfgang Gartner - Ménage à Trois

Here's a brand new release from American Electro-HouseDJ/Producer Wolfgang Gartner aka Joey Youngman. Youngman is certainly a rising star in the Electronic Scene, having produced such hit tracks as Space Junk, Illmerica and Fire Power, and collaborated with artists like Mark Knight and Deadmau5, this young artist has already been prominently featured on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix. He can be seen here entertaining the late night dance tent at this year's Camp Bisco X in Mariaville, NY.

Wolfgang Gartner - Ménage à Trois


*Image Courtesy of Ultra Records

Song Of The Day: BassNectar - The Matrix

Today BassNectar aka Lorin Ashton released Divergent Spectrum, his first album since 2009's Cozza Frenzy and first release since 2010's Wildstyle EP. The album, available here, features 15 tracks and includes remixes of Gogol Bordello, Ellie Goulding and Rollz as well as collaborations with ill.Gates, Jantsen and Seth Drake. It is interesting to see how much Ashton's style (both in performance and production) has changed since 2007's Underground Communication. In the Summer of 2007 I saw BassNectar for the first time at Camp Bisco VI to perhaps 200 people on the secondary Hill Stage, and this past July I saw him perform to a main stage crowd of nearly 20,000 at Camp Bisco X. It is nice to see talented, hard-working, independent artists get the success and appreciation they deserve.

Divergent Spectrum runs the gamut in terms of genre, with many of the typical bass-heavy tracks you would expect to hear, Dubstep, Drum & Bass, Hip-Hop beats, Gypsy Punk, remixes with pop-artists, and some more experimental down-tempo tracks. I chose "The Matrix," after having heard it at this year's Starscape and Camp Bisco X, because it is certain to "drop bass in your face."

BassNectar - The Matrix


*Image Courtesy of Amorphous Music

July Dirty Electro House Mix

Here's a mix from last week:

Sexy Summertime Dance Party Mix

Song Of The Day: Woodkid - Iron (Remixes)

Woodkid the musical project of French filmmaker Yoann Lemoine. Having directed music videos for the likes of Moby, Taylor Swift, The Shoes, and Katy Perry, Lemoine decided to try his hand at music after a chance encounter with a personal idol, Richie Havens. For the Woodkid project, Lemoine took on the roles of songwriter, singer and filmmaker for the release of his debut Woodkid EP and the accompanying video for the song "Iron" (seen below). Here are two remixes of the song "Iron" by Gucci Vump and Mystery Jets.


Woodkid - Iron (Remix By Gucci Vump)


Woodkid - Iron (Remix By Mystery Jets)


Video: Woodkid - Iron (Original)

Woodkid - Iron from WOODKID on Vimeo.


*Image Courtesy of Woodkid

Song Of The Day: SBTRKT - Look At Stars

SBTRKT is the enigmatic, London-basedDJ/producer Aaron Jerome. Performing with a mask, Jerome initially witheld his identity, citing his intentions to have listeners focus on the project and the music instead of the man behind the mask. The track "Look At Stars" featuring the vocalist Sampha, was released on his debut EP, Step In Shadows last November, along with this video.

SBTRKT - Look At Stars

*Image Courtesy of Young Turks Records

Song Of The Day: TV on the Radio - Will Do (Switch Remix)

The Brooklyn-based band, TV on the Radio, has teamed up with DJ/Producer Switch on this remix of their track 'Will Do' from their most recent release Nine Types of Light. Switch, who is perhaps best known for his work with MIA and Santigold also runs the labels Dubsided and Counterfeet, and is one half of the DJ Duo Major Lazer with Diplo. Nine Types of Light (released earlier this year) is TV on the Radio's first release since 2008's Dear Science, which was received with warm critical acclaim. The group is known for combining elements of countless genres (free-form jazz, electro, indie-rock, punk, blues, etc) with intelligent, thought out lyrics.

TV on the Radio - Will Do (Switch Remix)


TV on the Radio - Will Do (Original)


*Image Courtesy of Interscope Records

Song Of The Day: Caribou - Jamelia

What can I say about Canadian Producer/Composer/Musician Daniel Victor Snaith (aka Manitoba, aka Caribou) other than that his music is entrancing. Having earned his PhD in Mathematics at the Imperial College in London, England, Snaith creates music that is simultaneously artistic and scientific. Music, like math, with it's structure, theory, and composition is truly a universal language, and while you may never hear Caribou on the radio, or in a club, I think it certainly speaks to us all. The song "Jamelia" is the final track off the 2010 release Swim, and lately I haven't been able to stop listening to it. Enjoy.

Caribou - Jamelia

*Image Courtesy of City Slang Records

Song Of The Day: Groove Armada - History (feat. Will Young)

Andy Cato and Tom Findlay comprise this electronic chill-out duo from the UK. Having first come to fame in 1997 with their hit single 'At The River,' the pair have collaborated with the likes of Fatboy Slim, and Jay-Z. This single comes straight off their 2010 release Black Light.

Groove Armada - History (feat. Will Young)


Groove Armada - History (Grum Remix)


*Image Courtesy of Columbia UK

Song Of The Day: John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads (Pretty Lights Remix)

Early, last Sunday morning, Derrick Vincent Smith of Pretty Lights debuted this track at the All Good Music Festival in Masontown, West Virginia. Celebrating its 15th year, All Good typically features a bevy of artists and musicians from Further to moe. to the Toots & the Maytals, though recently has been adding electronic artists to their late night sets. This years' line-up of electronic artists included Sound Tribe Sector 9, Pretty Lights, Big Gigantic, and Umphrey's McGee.

Pretty Lights has been touring heavily this summer, hitting festivals from coast to coast, and across the ocean. At this years' Camp Bisco Tenth Anniversary Party, Pretty Lights late-night dance tent set was easily one of the most attended of the weekend, but it's great to see that given his busy tour schedule, he's able to come out with some regular releases from 'I Know The Truth' at this year's Bonnaroo, and some of his mashups, 'Pretty Lights vs Summertime,' and 'Pretty Lights vs Radiohead vs Nirvana vs NIN.'



*Image Courtesy of RCA Records

Song Of The Day: Bassnectar - Upside Down

Today, Bassnectar released the first single off his upcoming release Divergent Spectrum (available August 2nd) called 'Upside Down.' The single is available free to download here. If you've got a pair of headphones, you'd better get them on, and get them cranked up.



*Image Courtesy of www.bassnectar.net

Song Of The Day: DJ Shadow - Giving Up The Ghost

In looking at the state of music today, I believe it's as important to look back at where things have come from as it is to look forward to where they are going. DJ Shadow, aka Joshua Paul Davis, is one of my favorite producers and DJs, and was a pioneer of instrumental hip-hop. His first album, Endtroducing... was released in 1996 on Mo Wax Records to much critical acclaim. 15 years later, his style has evolved, his work has influenced many, but he still tours with the same energy and dedication he had when starting out.

'Giving Up The Ghost' of Dj Shadow's 2002 release, The Private Press, is undemanding, eerie, wildly energetic and beautiful all at once.



DJ Shadow is currently touring around the world, including at this Summer's US Identity Festivals.

*Image Courtesy of MCA Records

Song Of The Day: Sound Tribe Sector 9 - When The Dust Settles

On June 7th, Sound Tribe Sector 9 have released their first EP since the return of their frontman and bassist, David 'Murph' Murphy. Overall the EP continues in the same exploratative direction they have been going over the last few years with Peaceblaster, and their more recent Ad Explorata. The EP has 5 tracks, with my personal favorite being the eponymous 'When The Dust Settles," a lengthy, rolling track which harkens back to some of their earlier work, specifically 'Shock Doctrine' and 'Metameme' from Shock Doctrine.

The EP is available for purchase here.



*Image Courtesy of 1320 Records

New Video: Skrillex - Rock n Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)

Skrillex's newest video "Rock n Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain) seems to be his own iteration of 2010's wildly popular "Barbara Streisand" video by Duck Sauce, to show you just how many famous people he knows (or will allow themselves to be filmed in his company), and how much better the life of a DJ is than your own. Enjoy.

Song Of The Day: Signal Path - Taste

Signal Path is a progressive, genre-defying livetronica trio hailing from Denver, Colorado. The group consists of Ryan Burnett (Guitar, Live Production), Matt Schumacher (Bass, Live Production), and Damon Mentzer (Acoustic Drums). They've released their fourth EP Minds Make Light last Tuesday, June 21st. The release is completely free, and available here. Their style fuses elements from many genres of live and electronic music with a live performance style similar to other electronic/live performance groups like the Pnuma Trio, Big Gigantic, and Sound Tribe Sector 9.

Signal Path has been touring heavily so far this year, hitting up festivals like Nocturnal, Summer Camp, and Sonic Bloom. I look forward to their next visit to the Northeast where I definitely plan on checking them out. Here is one song from their newest EP, Minds Make Right.

Signal Path - Taste


*Images Courtesy of www.signalpathmusic.com

Song Of The Day: Emancipator - When I Go (Michal Menert Remix)

My apologies, as my music player/cloud website appears to be having technical difficulties, so I will posting all songs on YouTube until I find a solution.

Today's entry comes from Michal Menert, straight off of Emancipator's new album Remixes, released yesterday, June 21st, 2011. The album consists of numerous remixes of tracks from Emancipator's 2010 release, Safe In The Steep Cliffs, by artists such as Big Gigantic, Blockhead, Michal Menert, Ooah of the Glitch Mob, and Emancipator, aka Douglas Appling, himself.

Many have noted that Michal Menert's sound is similar to earlier releases from Pretty Lights, while it is tough to not draw comparisons between the two as Michal Menert is now on the PrettyLightsMusic label, Menert co-produced Pretty Lights' first EP Taking Up Your Precious Time. Michal Menert's style has remained true to the original, drawing influences from funk, psychedelic rock, blues and hip-hop, and relying heavily on his own instrumentation and sampling, it continues to grow around itself while remaining on the same course.

This track, and the whole album are available here.

Preview: Governor's Ball Music Festival

This Saturday, June 18th, marks the inaugural Governor's Ball, a dance-centric music festival located on Governor's Island in New York City, featuring some high energy headliners. The event also boasts numerous art installations, interactive events like a satellite Beer Pong tournament, table tennis, beach volleyball, and much, much more. Here is a little information about a few of the headliners.

Pretty Lights - Still Rockin (Big Apple Stage 10:30pm - ???)


Pretty Lights is Colorado-based producer, Derek Vincent Smith's most recent musical project. Relying heavily on old funk, soul, and hip-hop samples, Pretty Lights infuses this blend with his own style of Bass heavy music, and electro beats, to create a very unique and evolving sound. Smith performs live with fellow producer and drummer, Adam Deitch. Together, Pretty Lights has become one of the most sought after live performances in electronic music today, and with the combination of talented musicians, unique performance style, remarkable stage production, and high-energy sound, it is easy to see why.

Girl Talk - Still Here (Gotham Stage 9:05pm-10:25pm)


Musically, nothing is sacred when it comes to Pittsburg native Greg Gillis, aka Girl Talk. The self proclaimed king of the mashup has been starting dance parties around the country for the last few years, combining everything from Elton John to Notorious B.I.G. to create some of the most notable mashup mix tapes of the last decade. Expect to sweat, suddenly notice a large portion of the crowd has climbed up on the stage, and see Gillis standing atop this sweaty writhing masse of people, shirtless, laptop in hand, showing you why he deserves his title.

Empire Of The Sun - We Are The People (Big Apple Stage 8:00pm-9:00pm)

Known around the world for their ostentatious performances, and synth-pop anthems, this Australian electronic duo is no stranger to high energy events like Governor's Ball. I've never seen them before, but know few people who haven't heard some of their music by now, so I'm excited to see what they'll have to offer.

Neon Indian - Ephemeral Artery (Big Apple Stage 5:55pm-6:50pm)

After the release of their debut LP Psychic Chasms, this Texas-based group has been garnering both critical and popular attention, and are hitting this summer festival season hard, performing at Camp Bisco X and the North Coast Music Festival in addition to Governor's Ball. The group also recently partnered with Pitchfork for their 3d Music Video series with their song Mind, Drips. It will be interesting to see what they have in store for this performance.

Tickets to this event are still available, and can be purchased here, or at the gate on Saturday morning. Tickets include round trip ferry, and the first one leaves 11:15am from Pier 11.

Song Of The Day: Pretty Lights - Pretty Lights vs Radiohead vs Nirvana vs NIN

From PrettyLightsMusic.com: "Pretty Light's newest creation remixes and samples Radiohead's "Everything in its Right Place," Nirvana's "All Apologies" and Nine Inch Nails' "Closer." This is the .mp3 of the first release for Pretty Lights 2011 Remixes collection."



*Image Courtesy of Pretty Lights Music

New Release: Feed Me - To The Stars EP

British Producer/DJ Jon Gooch aka Feed Me has just released his first EP of 2011 on Mau5trap and exclusively on Beatport. Feed Me's synth-laden, hard-hitting, Electro House style is a welcome addition to this year's many solid releases, and I can say without any restraint that he is the artist I am most looking forward to seeing at this year's Starscape Music Festival.

Feed Me - To The Stars (Original Mix)


Feed Me & Tasha Baxter - Strange Behaviour (Original Mix)


Feed Me - Pink Lady


Feed Me - Chain Smoker


Download the EP here.

*Image Courtesy of Mau5trap Records

New Video: Justice - Civilization

Justice has been known to put out remarkable videos. Their video for D.A.N.C.E. won numerous accolades including being nominated for MTV's 2007 Video of the Year, and this newest video is no slouch either. The big questions now is, after releasing the single Civilization and this accompanying video, when can we expect their next full-length release?


Justice - Civilization by justice

Song Of The Day: Adele - Set Fire To The Rain (Plastic Plates Remix)

Lately it seems like it's all about Adele again. Since the release of her massively successful album, 21, earlier this year, artists, producers and DJs have been pumping out remix after remix, most recently to her single, Rolling In The Deep. If you've been following my postings at all, perhaps you've noticed in the remixes lately (Hi-Hats, Disco Beats, etc). This remix of Set Fire To The Rain is similar in many ways, but slowed down to a slightly more relaxed tempo. Enjoy.



*Image Courtesy of Columbia Records

Song Of The Day: Das Pop - The Game (Villa Remix)

This song of the day comes from The Magician's Magic Tape Eleven mixtape. Das Pop is a Belgian indie pop band from Ghent, the same town as Soulwax. I wasn't able to find any information about the remixing artist, Villa, but will update this posting once I do. I love the rolling heavy bass that starts the song out, and the contrasting French electro bass that finished the song up, nice touch.



*Image Courtesy of EMI Records

Review: Blondes (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl 5/13/11

The DJ, livetronica duo, Blondes, performed a DJ set, last Friday the 13th at Brooklyn Bowl. While the event was somewhat under attended (based on my initial impression of how awesome they are), they flexed their electro/progressive house muscle, playing playing lots of funky, danceable tunes late into the night. We stuck around until we were the last two on the floor, and then had a chance to speak to Zach Steinman, half of the duo. He told us they'd be doing a full, live set at Let's Play House in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, June 17th. Can anyone say Governor's Ball Pre Party? I plan to attend this upcoming performance and will include a more in depth review of their live performance skills following that.

Song Of The Day: Cameron Adams - Definitive Daft Punk

I'm certainly a big Daft Punk fan, and while this song is a very interesting mash-up (it certainly reminds me of some of the tracks from Alive 2007), what made this the song of the day was the accompanying visual representation of the anatomy of the mash-up itself. Graphic designer Cameron Adams created this website as a means to demonstrate the relationship between the visual and sonic representations of music. He offers his own explanation of the project here.

Cameron Adams - Definitive Daft Punk

Song Of The Day: Gorillaz - Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)

My apologies for yet another staggered post. Here's another remix of an otherwise popular song from 2010, which I prefer to the original. When Stylo was released as the first single off Plastic Beach, I was initially underwhelmed. It was nice to see the collaborations going into the album, and while I knew this wouldn't be one of my favorite tracks once I heard a preview of the remainder that release, it has since grown on me. This remix is brought to us by Alex Metric, a British producer and resident DJ on BBC's Radio 1. Though I had heard his name, I had not heard any of his music until recently a friend of mine repeatedly played this Alex Metric remix of another recently popular song. Since last Thursday I'd been exploring his music and found that I personally enjoyed his remixes to most of his original tracks that I was able to find, and of all of those, this was easily my favorite.



*Image Courtesy of Virgin Records

Friday (5/13) in the 'Burg: Blondes (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl

What better way to get freaky on this upcoming Friday the 13th than with some late night, live electronica. I definitely owe this one to my neighbor, Brooklyn Bowl, for informing me of this upcoming event. I couldn't find a lot of information about the group, but Blondes are a livetronica duo, Zach Steinman and Sam Haar, who met at Oberlin College. They released their debut EP "Touched EP" in the spring of 2010, it includes 5 tracks, my favorite at the moment being "Paradise City," a rolling, synth-laden track that is ambient and danceable at the same time. I would be lying if the cost ($5), and the parenthetical subtext (DJ Set) weren't the first things that peaked my interest, but after seeing this video on Brooklyn Bowl's event page, I knew I had to go check them out. Will post a review following the show.

Blondes - Paradise City

Song Of The Day: DJ Fresh - Louder (Feat. Sian Evans) (Flux Pavillion And Doctor P Remix)

What better way to keep the weekend going than a little Brostep. The last time Flux P remixed a song by DJ Fresh we were blessed with this. With the addition of Doctor P, this newest track is certainly going to raise your expectations for what can come next. Listen to the bass.

Friday: Remixes I Like Better Than The Originals

Sorry for the delay in posting, I've been a little under the weather, but I am back, and will hit you with four awesome tunes today. I think there are many different ways to enjoy all forms of art. I feel that music, particularly live music, thrives and grows off of the relationship between those performing, and those listening to it. If a song is simply just good, it may only be good for a short time, or it could be good forever, but it will never be great. However, a good song can be a great remix. Here are four examples:

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (DFA Remix)


Phoenix - Lisztomania (Holy Ghost! Love Paris Remix)


LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost! Remix)


La Roux - In For The Kill (Skream Let's Get Ravey Remix)

Song Of The Day: Scissor Sisters - Invisible Light (Boys Noize Remix)

The Scissor Sisters are wildly entertaining glam-pop disco group from NYC. "Tits On The Radio," "Take Your Mama Out," and "Filthy, Gorgeous," were some of my favorite tracks when I wanted to hear some sexy, danceable, witty music. So it makes sense that the German electro producer/DJ, Boys Noize (aka Alex Ridha) would remix their single "Invisible Light," and create an entire mix-tape of Scissor Sisters' remixes and some electro, house, and progressive house tracks that work well nicely, simply called Scissor Sisters vs. Boys Noize, which you can listen to here. The song below is the first track on this mix-tape, which is the first place I heard it. The driving rhythm, background guitar riffs, and simultaneously inviting and ominous vocals of the first three minutes of the track reminded me of earlier Pink Floyd, unsurprising after their cover of "Comfortably Numb." So check out the song below, and if you have time, the mixtape (above), bob your head up and down, and enjoy.



*Image Courtesy of Boys Noize Records

Song Of The Day: Cyclist - Bass Face (Hemingway's Space Party Mix)

I found this song leading off Treasure Finger's recent Spring 2011 mix. I haven't been able to find much information about the artist, hmgwy (pronounced Hemingway) other than that he's otherwise known as James Harris of Toronto, Canada. None of his stuff is available yet outside of his SoundCloud page, but I'm definitely digging the disco vibe. This song is a great way to enjoy the weather and think about summer if you're unable to be out enjoying the 80 degree weather today.

Bass Face (Hemingway's Space Party Mix) - Cyclist by hmgwy

Song Of The Day: Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend (High Contrast Remix)

Certainly not a new song, and I don't have a whole lot to say about it. I think the name says it all, and reminds us that every Friday is a good Friday.



*Image courtesy of Columbia Records.

Review: Delorean Live @ Brooklyn Bowl 4/21/2011

It had been a while since I'd been to Brooklyn Bowl, though considering it's proximity to my apartment and a failed promise to myself to go there at least once a month, I accepted my brother's invitation to see the band Delorean. Neither of us knew anything about the band, but when his friend Dave described them as "trance pop," I became very intrigued. When we entered, the venue was packed, and people were handing out 3d glasses. They introduced the band with two 3d music videos that were pretty cool, even without the glasses.

The band sounded like a blend of Passion Pit (minus the falsetto) and Cut Copy, which is to say, a disco-influenced, alternative synth pop, slightly less 80's sounding than many of their contemporaries, but I could certainly see how someone would call this trance pop. I wasn't able to dig up too much information about the band, other than that they're originally from the Basque Country in Barcelona, and they were originally a punk band. Their eponymous debut album sounded much less like punk and more emo than I would normally care to listen to, but their more recent albums sound more like this:

Delorean - Real Love


Delorean - Deli

Song Of The Day: LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous!

I was first introduced to this band, and this song during my senior year of college by my former roommate. At the time we lived a floor apart, but his awesome sound system, extensive taste and music and our shared appreciation for danceable tunes meant I often found myself down on his giant orange couch listening to a combination of new music, 90's rock, 90's dance music, or the New Deal's "Gone Gone Gone" and "VL Tone." As the first track on LCD Soundsystem's second album, this song served as a proper introduction for me to their music. It wasn't until 1:40 that I realized this was a band and not a DJ, but that realization was a fantastic one. This was at a time in my life where a strange void had been created in my soul, I was moving away from the musical genres of my youth into uncharted territory. I had just spent the prior summer attending two completely different music festivals (Southside in Germany & Camp Bisco V in Mariaville, NY) and didn't necessarily have a bearing for where I was in my own musical exploration. Hearing this song for the first time, and the 100s of times since, has given me a solid grounding in setting the parameters and priorities of my lifelong musical search. It would be difficult to argue that this is the best song on the album, even for me (probably "All My Friends," of "Us v Them"), but I think it was the best introduction I could have had to a style of music that includes many of my current favorite groups (Soulwax, Holy Ghost!, !!!, The Juan Maclean).



*Image Couresty of DFA Records.

Song Of The Day: Caravan Palace – Star Scat

Today's posting comes from Adam Thime: Caravan Palace is a French sextet that fuses electronica with jazz and swing. The result is a sound I find somewhat difficult to describe. I will attempt to do so by saying that it sounds like something off of the Triplets of Belleville soundtrack combined with the hip-hop beats of Pretty Lights. And then there are the vocals. As the attached track’s title would suggest, Star Scat showcases the jazz vocal. Not since Jerri Blank was belting it out for Jazzy at Flatpoint High have I enjoyed scatting quite so much.

Caravan Palace’s self titled album came out in 2008, but I did not hear them until 2010 when Bassnectar threw Star Scat into his IDJ mixtape. Having featured ragtime piano in past mixes, it is understandable that he would feature some gypsy swing this time around. I often find myself turning his mix to 8:47 in order to hear this song, and after doing so today as I get psyched to see Bassnectar in Albany in a week, I finally searched out the original artist. Now I can enjoy some of their other tracks too. It also makes me wonder if Caravan Palace was featured on the playlist Conor had going in February at Nazo Labs the last time I stopped by.

I hope you enjoy this tune, and if you feel like hearing it spliced into Bassnectar’s 2010 IDJ Mixtape (which I would highly recommend), it can be downloaded here.



*Images Courtesy of Wagram Music

Song Of The Day: Brazilian Girls - Pussy

No this is an advertisement for a pornography. Brazilian Girls was a 4-piece NYC based band, focusing in Latin, Lounge, Bossa-Nova, Funk and Electronic Dance Music backed by an amazing enigmatic vocalist, Sabina Sciubba. Founded in 2003, Brazilian Girls had 3 major releases on Verve Records: their self-titled debut in 2005, 2006's Talk To La Bomb, and 2008's New York City. Personally I tend to ignore their most recent release as it was wildly disappointing, terribly experimental, and, for undisclosed reasons, the band parted from their bassist, Jesse Murphy, a questionable decision at best for a band who was well known for their awesome danceable rhythms.

My first exposure to this band came in 2006 at the Langerado Music Festival at Markham Park, in Sunrise, Florida near Ft. Lauderdale. The acts I was most excited to see were The Flaming Lips, RJD2, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, and Robert Randolph & Family Band. Due to the poor planning for this festival, I was unable to return to my campsite midday to rehydrate. Desperately seeking refuge from exposure to the hot, Florida sun, I made my way to the dance tent. As I neared, I was able to clearly discern the music emerging from the tent amidst the confusing sonic medley you typically experience at a festival where many artist are performing simultaneously, side by side. Immediately, the pain of my sunburn subsided, and I was no longer seeking refuge, but rather being drawn by the Siren Sabina's beautiful vocals, and the eerie melody of the music. When I entered the tent, I found this (Forgive the quality). It was a kind of music I had never heard before, and it was incredible. I would certainly credit this band, and this particular experience with forging my interest and passion for live music, particularly electronic dance music. Since Langerado, I had the opportunity to see Brazilian Girls perform live twice in New York City, once in Boston, and once in Berlin, where I was pulled up on stage, and had a memorable, romantic (at least in my mind) moment with the lead singer.

As things inevitably do, their music changed drastically, and, after the brief departure of their bassist in 2008, the pregnancy of their lead singer in 2009, the band officially disbanded in January of 2011. It would be nice to say that they went out with a bang, or never passed their prime, as they certainly missed the mark on the latter by several years. However at the very least, they left us with songs like Pussy, which like the band, were warm, exciting, bold and dirty. A nice reminder, like today, that summer is just around the corner.



*Image Courtesy of Verve Records

Song Of The Day: Monarchy - Love Get Out Of My Way (Holy Ghost! [feat. Dixon] Remix)

After listening to the Holy Ghost! Remixes Volume 1 (Sides A & B) for the duration of last week, I found myself wanting more than the hour and thirteen minute Mixtape had to offer. I began searching for more Holy Ghost! remixes, wanting the constant disco beat, and didn't have to go far before I found my new favorite remix (which was already in my iTunes as part of an A-Trak mixtape). By new, of course I mean to me, as this remix is nearly a year old. Monarchy is an electronic pop-duo from London, England. Their first single, "Gold In The Fire / Black, The Colour Of My Heart," was released February of 2010, and they have an EP slated to be released sometime in the coming months of 2011. The remix really brings out the bass and percussive elements of the music, and replaces the original lyrics entirely with Dixon apparently on the pipes, although in the last few days I've been unable to find out who that is exactly, or what song it's from. Either way, this song has a great upbeat disco feel to it, that you might need once the weather drops back into the mid-50s for the rest of this week (in NYC at least).



*Image Courtesy of Universal Music Group

Song Of The Day: Rusko - Everyday

The Brit-King of Brostep is back with a new single, released yesterday on Mad Decent records. I had the pleasure of seeing Rusko aka Christopher Mercer at Electric Zoo last September, and he certainly new how to make a crowd Wake The Fuck Up, so I am definitely looking forward to seeing him this July at Camp Bisco X. This track delivers more of what we've come to love from this Dubstep producer, so give it a listen, as well as the Netsky Remix.

Rusko - Everyday (Original Mix)

Rusko - Everyday (Netsky Remix)

*Image Courtesy of Mad Decent Records

Song Of The Day: Holy Ghost! - Wait & See

Brooklyn-based DJ Duo Holy Ghost! have a new single released last week on DFA Records, called 'Wait & See.' This single comes in the midst of their national tour with Australian band, Cut Copy, and bears certain resemblances to their 80's synth-pop style. The song reminds me a little of "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears, but is a pretty solid track for the duo. Holy Ghost! is opening for Cut Copy tonight (4/4/2011) in Boston, MA at the House of Blues. Tickets are still available here. If you're in the city of Boston, and not obsessing over pre-season baseball, I recommend you get your ass down there and party it up with yours truly, who is gracing Beantown with his presence for one night only.




*Image Courtesy of DFA Records.