ADAM FREELAND

Why is it that so many local DJs suck? Maybe it is just because I go to school in Tucson, but there should be good music everywhere damnit. Last night I asked the DJ at the local hipster/indie club, Club Congress, what style he is into and planning on playing tonight. The ignorant prick responded "why don't you just wait and see," and "I don't take request." Well he should. Of course he went on later and played dead jam after dead jam. Everyone was outside smoking cigarettes instead of inside dancing. The dj before him sucked too. The guys couldn't mix or beatmatch if their life depended on it. Being really into Crystal Castles at the moment, I asked him if he could play any of their stuff. I'm pretty sure he was lying when he told me that he couldn't because it wasn't his laptop. My roommate asked the next dj if he had any Mr. Oizo. Of course not. If only we had someone with talent playing here every weekend. Like an Adam Freeland spinning a set like he did for Global Underground: Mexico City? Now those are two sets that would fit the 'indie' and 'rave' crowd.

CRYSTAL CASTLES

So I finally got my room booked for South by Southwest (SXSW) and I am totally excited. It is my first time to go and I have really high hopes for it to be a good festival. I’m thinking about doing a series of posts showcasing some of the artist I am looking forward to seeing there. Here it goes.

CRYSTAL CASTLES
Crystal Castles remix of Health’s “Crimewave” is my favorite song of the week. Sadly my blog hasn’t become popular enough for me to receive free promos yet, so I don’t know all there other good tracks, but “Magic Spells,” "Untrust Us" and “Air War” are really tight. Their remix of "Goodbooks" by Leni is splendid as well their remix of Divebomb "The Whip." This simple Canadian duo of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass are in the midst of a tour right now with Health. I’m hoping to check them out in Phoenix on March 11^th; if I do I will let you know how they are live, but if not I am just going to have to wait until SXSW, which they have still yet to announce where and what day they are playing. Their debut album is due to hit your local record stores shelves March 18th. Peace and Beats

TOUR DATES WITH HEALTH:
02-28 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
02-29 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Pyramid Cabaret
03-01 Regina, Saskatchewan - The Exchange
03-02 Calgary, Albert - The Warehouse
03-03 Edmonton, Alberta - The Starlite
03-05 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
03-06 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
03-07 Portland, OR - Backspace
03-08 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
03-09 Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy Theatre
03-10 San Diego, CA - Casbah
03-11 Phoenix, AZ - Brickhouse Theatre
03-12 Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad
03-16 Denton, TX - Hailey's
03-17 Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Studio & Gallery
03-19 DeKalb, IL - House Café
03-21 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
03-22 Philadelphia, PA - Transit
03-23 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
03-25 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B
03-26 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
03-27 Montreal, Quebec - Musee Juste Pour Rire
03-28 Toronto, Ontario - Circa

SOULWAX

Soulwax consists of the Dewaele brothers (aka 2 Many DJs) and a couple of other kick ass guys. They released Nite Versions way back in 2005. They really rock live. It is really fun to watch them all go at their instruments in perfect sync with one another instead of turntables for a change. As far as I know, they only play live (with instruments). Otherwise I believe it is just the Dewaele brothers spinning as 2 Many DJ’s. To bad neither of the groups ever seems to come over to the U.S. The album starts of with a re-work of Daft Punk’s “Teachers.” It then smoothly goes from there to the nice track “Accidents and Compliments,” and into the 3^rdand kick ass track “E Talking.” No tracks on the album are a bust. They just keep the flowing going until the bangers like “Krack” come on. The album then proceeds to finish strong with last two tracks “NY Lipps” and “Another Excuse.” If you like electro, and even if you don’t, check this album out. Remember “Part of the Weekend Never Dies.” Peace & Beats

Top Tracks: “E Talking”, “I Love Techno”, “Krack”, “NY Lipps”, “Another Excuse”

So This isn't the same version of "E Talking" from the album, but luckily I came across it because it is one of the coolest music videos I have ever seen.

THIEVERY CORPORATION

Thievery Corporation’s The Mirror Conspiracy (2000) is one of my favorite albums to listen to when I am relaxing. It is also one of my favorites to listen to when I am studying, which I am doing way too much of today. It keeps you chill and focused. Good stuff for being romantic as well, or at least from my experience. You probably know “Lebanese Blonde” from the Zach Braff movie Garden State. I am pretty sure the soundtrack won a grammy. Thievery Corporation is dub, acid jazz, down-tempo, chill out, lounge etc. Many songs have a great Indian/worldly vibe to it. I saw them live at Vegoose and their performance was magnificent. It was refreshing and something new for me to dance to. I was impressed by how ‘into’ them everyone got. It might be credited to the substances everyone was taking in preparation for Daft Punk’s final ‘Alive Tour’ show in the U.S., but regardless it was a classic performance. If you like Air, you should definitely give these guys a shot. Peace & Beats yall, I am off to study some more.

Top Tracks: “Lebanese Blonde,” “Shadows of Ourselves” and “Illumination”

FASHION FRIDAY

Sorry for no post yesterday, especially the ones who don't even care about my 'Fashion Friday' post, but once again my laptop battery went to shit. Luckily this time it didn’t catch my computer on fire (Don’t by a Dell). So in order to save time and not have to use my girlfriend’s laptop all day I am going to keep it how yall like it; short and simple. Just click the picture to be linked to the site to purchase. Peace




Art School Vets, although I am not sure exactly where they are located, are my best find of the week. Some really fresh Tees.

'Girlfriend' by Chaunce Clothing. $26



Sick shirt by Growing Pains. $31
Fresh Nike kicks available at wellgosh. Make sure you wash dem feet before you put these babies on.

Ha, I didn't know Mohamed Ali was an evil dictator. Sweet shirt though. $45

COMMIX

So I am not sure about you guys, but when I think of DnB I think the metal heads of the rave scene and how crappy it is. I had pretty much given up all hope on DnB, but then Commix, George Levings and Guy Brewer, came along. However, I wouldn’t consider them traditional DnB even though they are signed to the label MetalHeadz. Their album Call To Mind is definitely not as hard as most other DnB albums, at least the ones I have listened to, and is actually soft around the edges. I’m predicting that Commix is going to do to DnB what Burial did for the dubstep & grime genre. It’s just going to take them awhile to do it because music sites like Pitchfork Media don’t review electronic albums until months after they have been out. Seriously, today they are just now getting around to reviewing that not so great Steve Aoki album I heard in October. On that side note, how is it that kids from California are so in to Aoki when California is one of the few places that all the major DJs go to? It must be his fashion sense or something. Anyways, Call To Mind starts out with the track “Be True.” After listening to it I think you will notice a Burial feel to it. “Call To Mind” and “How You Gonna Feel (Feat. Steve Spacek) are the same way. Both tracks contain vocals that actually accentuate the beat, unlike many other albums where vocals take away tracks freshness (aka Pinch’s Underwater Dancehall). “Change (feat. Nextmen)” and “Emiley’s Smile” have a more traditional, but toned down, DnB feel to it. “Satallie Underground (Resistance Remix)” is another cool track; Lindstrom’s “I Feel Space” meets DnB. This album is probably the first DnB album I can actually relax or dance to. By no means do I consider myself an expert on the genre though. It just seems to be composed of many different styles. It has the bleeps, the basslines, the synths and the production I look for in album. I hope this album lives up to its hype. It did to me. I can’t wait to hear more from this young and talented duo. Peace & Beats

VA TURBO RECORDINGS

Turbo Recordings is a Canadian record label run by the multi-talented Tiga. Don’t judge Tiga by his very 80’s glam looks. The guy is great at what he does. He also has a great podcast that I seriously recommend you to check out. He plays all types of music and seems to just be winging it. They are free to download, if you didn’t already know, and I’m sure they will give you some great new tunes. His momentary in between tracks is actually very entertaining and way better than any radio DJs you hear on ‘real radio.’ Anyways, I think Tiga has a great ear for good music. He further enhanced my belief after I listened to Tiga Presents 12 Great Moments In Turbo. This is definitely one of the best mix compilations out there. Many other labels usually stick to one or two genres, but like his podcasts, Tiga’s mix is very eclectic. It starts off with the smooth as silk “Crockett’s Theme” by FPU. I am especially fond of this track because I grew up watching Miami Vice. What is even more embarrassing is that sometimes I think my style is very 80’s Miami Vice like, or at least my Ray Bans. The mix then smoothly blends into “Ocean Drive,” also by FPU, but remixed by Tiga. The next half of the albums is just stellar; including Techo, Electro, Acid House, Tech-House and Electro House tracks. Is it just me, or are there not many Acid House tracks being put out these days? Luckily “Azid Life” is a really cool one. Check out the album and let me know what you think. Peace & Beats

Primal Scream

The album I suggest you to buy or download today is Primal Scream’s Screamadelica. This album is golden for anyone who is coming down from an E trip. The concept of the album seems to be describing the whole ‘rollin’ experience. Taking ecstasy is an experience, to the people who have tried the drug, unforgettable, and the people who haven’t tried it, a mysterious a scary one probably never to be attempted due to the myths surrounding its use. Bob Gillispie tries to take you through the whole E experience with this remarkable album. The album starts out with “Movin’ On Up,” basically describing how he was once blind to the idea of trying , but now he can see, “You Made a Believer Out of Me.” My favorite song of the album is “Higher Than The Sun.” I think the track’s name speaks for itself. The second best track is “Loaded.” It starts off with the famous speech from the movie Animal House about wanting “to be free, to do what we want to do, and get loaded” before it breaks into an awesome old school house track. You might of heard it before if you have seen the great Peter Jennings special Ecstasy Rising. Then of course how could you describe your first experience on ecstasy without talking about the come down. That is just what the last track does in a nice a relaxed way. Peace & Beats

FASHION FRIDAY

A couple of cool t-shirts from MHI by Maharishi


"The Pop Girl Tee" by Insight. $40

"The Kick It Tee" by Insight


"A Opened Mind tee" by imaginery foundation. $30



So I'm not sure if this t-shirt is a big joke or not, but who the fuck would pay $45 for one of these shirts? My suggestion is to save your cash.

Also here is a video I just watched and thought was pretty cool, but not really the music. I watched off of some girls site that was bashing nu-rave.

Hadouken! - That Boy That Girl

MR. OIZO

So, I'm really into the whole electro thing right now. I know half of you think it is just a fad, and the other half just don't know anyone out there besides Justice. Well let me introduce you to Mr. Oizo. Mr. Oizo is yet another French producer now signed to the out of control, and also French, music label Ed Banger. I first got into him listening to the Transsexual-Patrick 122 EP released in 2007. The track "Ovoma" has a dark, 80's, and Kavinsky like feel to it. The top track on the EP however is "Patric 122." It's choppy, french house, and electro all in one. Not to mention the amazing saxaphone part! Can anyone tell me the last time they heard something like this before? Mr. Oizo also has two great breaks tracks("Monday Massacre" and "Sick Dog Try To Speak") and a nice electro house number with the title track on Flat Beat (1999). It is probably his best record. All three tracks are solid.

Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat

Sasha and John Digweed

Sasha and John Digweed are legendary DJs with decades of experience behind the turntables. They have played at everywhere warehouse and club known to man, and are one of the few DJs to stand the test of time and not fade out of the scene like so many artists from their time. They are booked to play a set at Coachella this year before an even more legendary group, and the pioneers of the electronic genre, Kraftwerk. The reason they have remained in the game for so long is because of their ability to pick timeless tracks for their mixes. There most renown mix/album being Renaissance: The Mix Collection which dates all the way back to 1994. Yes that’s right, the year OJ Simpson lead police on that infamous chase in his white Ford Bronco. Also the year when kids tried to embrace “2 more days of peace and music” by slinging mud, at the now corporate megastars Green Day, at the 1994 Woodstock music festival. However, Sasha and Digweed’s Renaissance is aimed at a more peaceful audience more in tune to the ideals of the old Woodstock. The 3 disc Mix Collection is jam packed with old school, but ageless, Trance and House tracks. Disc one is heavy on trance and disc two more house. My favorite mix is probably disc 3. It has more of club/rave feel to it. Unity 3’s “Age of Love” (which must have influenced the Field) transitioned into EMF’s “They’re Here” is just fucking amazing! The crowd must have been in heaven when they heard it. For one of the first mixes ever put to CD, you can’t help but be impressed by their track list and mixing skills. No wonder they decided to put out a 10th anniversary reissue with better audio quality thanks to new technology that was not at their use back in the 90’s.

Aphex Twin Is Weird

I've always thought Aphex Twin's Richard D. James and Windowlicker album covers were some of the creepiest ones out there. Like they were made using whatever program there was out there before Photoshop, or whatever everykid uses now days besides me because I can't afford a Mac. Anyways, it turns out that the only thing weird about Apex Twin is not just his album covers, but als his music videos. The guy is actually the electronic equvilalent of metal music fans' Rob Zombie, and by no means is that a diss on Aphex Twin at all. So, when I was first started watching the "Window Licker" video I was like what the fuck, is this really the video to one of Aphex Twin's best tracks? I mean, I find it hilarious and all to listen to ghetto ass people talk, but after four minutes into the video I was getting really sick of it. That's when the song and video finally started to get going. The visuals and cinematography in the video are great. It actually made me wish they still made cool music videos today, but then again MTV and VH1 don't even show music videos anymore. Peace & Beats

FASHION FRIDAY

I love to sport my "Leave Us Kids Alone" shirt by Soy. Almost everytime I wear it somebody will come talk to me about it; usually something in reference to Pink Floyd or the government. This shirt is also unique unlike the "Dark Side of the Moon" shirt everyone wears and probably half of them have never even listened to the album.

Akomplice "10 Shades of Blue"

Cool "Mixtape" t-shirt from Addict Clothing Line.


Some clean ass Aisics that I think can only be found at wellgosh, which sucks because they are located in Europe.


Dance Party Massacre's "Blood on the Dance Floor" t-shirt. $28

Holy Fuck & Super Furry Animals Tour

Super Furry Animals are one of the biggest Britpop bands of our generation. They have developed an extensive indie based following since their debut album "Fuzzy Logic" in 1996. Considering the Super Furry Animals have been around for so long I was somewhat surprised to see Holy Fuck blow them out of the water when it came to their live performance at Club Congress in Tucson. Holy Fuck played an action packed set that was able to get even the heavy footed indie crowd moving on the dance floor. They are one of the few bands, like Man Man, that after you see them live it is hard to listen to their album again because it doesn't compare to their live performance. Unlike Animal Collective, who I have seen twice live and was largely disappointed, that are saved by the production studio. Super Furry Animals set wasn't bad either; they just lacked the energy I look forward to when seeing a band live. They played the songs I wanted to hear as well as songs from their new album "Hey Venus!" that I haven't heard before. I mean who can't help but like when the lead singer Gruff Rhys starts off the gig with a giant red power ranger helmet on and later chomps on carrots to amazingly form a pretty cool beat. This show is definitely one to check out if you haven't seen them already.

Holy Fuck Tour:

03.22.08 Music Hall of Williamsburgh · NYC NY · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.21.08 Middle East Upstairs · Cambridge MA · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.20.08 Johnny Brendas · Philadelphia PA · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.17.08 Drunken Unicorn · Atlanta GA · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.11.08 Conservatory · Oklahoma City OK · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.10.08 The Bluebird · St. Louis MO · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.09.08 Waiting Room · Omaha NE · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.08.08 The Record Bar · Kansas City MO · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.07.08 Larimer Lounge · Denver CO · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

03.06.08 Urban Lounge · Salt Lake City UT · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.29.08 Noise Pop Festival - Bottom of the Hill · San Francisco CA

02.26.08 Chop Suey · Seattle WA · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.25.08 Richards on Richards · Vancouver BC · w/ Place to Bury Strangers

02.23.08 The Hi Fi Club · Calgary AB · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.22.08 The Starlite Room · Edmonton AB · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.21.08 The Exchange · Regina SK · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.20.08 Parkway Theatre · Winnipeg MB · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.19.08 The Aquarium · Fargo ND · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.18.08 Triple Rock Club · Minneapolis MN · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.17.08 Schubas · Chicago IL · w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

02.16.08 Mx Beat Soundfest · Guadalajara, Jalisco · w/ The Go! Team...

02.12.08 Neumos · Seattle WA · w/ Super Furry Animals

02.11.08 Doug Fir · Portland OR · w/ Super Furry Animals

02.09.08 Great American Music Hall · San Fran CA · w/ Super Furry Animals

02.08.08 Echoplex · Los Angeles CA · w/ Super Furry Animals

Holy Fuck - Milkshake


SFA - Hello Sunshine

Bass Bass Drum

Signed to Ellen Allien's label, Bpitch Control, Modeselektor released their second album "Happy Birthday!" late in 2007. Modeselektor is a German duo composed of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. By no means would I put "Happy Birthday!" in my top ten list of albums from last year. That’s because there are 17 tracks on the album when there should only be about 10. If the duo chose to slim down the track list then the whole album would just be brilliant! However, considering they made the album in some kind of mobile recording studio you have to be more impressed than disappointed. The album transcends all genres. If you are looking for electronica tracks then check out "Godspeed," "Happy Birthday" and "Deboutonner" featuring Siriusimo. Hip-Hop fans check out "Let Your Love Grow" and the "The Dark Side of the Sun." Or if you are more into Dubstep & Grime; "Hyper Hyper" is fantastic. Techno fans should download "Sucker Pin" and "Black Block." So, as you can see there is a wide variety of genres in "Happy Birthday!" There is even a track with radiohead's Thom Yorke titled "The White Flash. I think they will put on one hell of a live show so we all should be hoping they go on a tour in the U.S. before they play Coachella this year.

What I'm Listening To

Gui Boratto is an excellent minimal, house and techno composer from Brazil. Signed to the Kompakt label with other talented acts like Superpitcher and Michael Mayer; this is one of the labels releases. Gui Boratto's "Chromophobia" is not a minimal album like you probably would expect from German label. The tempo is always changing in the album. You got your minimal tracks like "Gate 7" and "The Blessing." You also have "Beautiful Life" which has a house vibe to it. Finally, you have a nice electronica track titled "Xilo" and the standout techno track "Shebang" to really get your head nodding.

Gui's Tour Dates

Movie Monday

The movie I recommend to watch this week is "Me and You and Everyone We Know" from 2005. It is a great and actually really weird indie movie written, directed by and starring Miranda July. You come to love July's character, Christine Jesperson, a cute little hippy chick that would be fun to drop acid with I probably imagine. The other characters are also very unique, sometimes too much so, which leads to a very entertaining screenplay. I guess you can kind of describe it like a more sophisticated "Juno."

What the Critics Thought

In the News...

We are "the muscle of Obama's army." Well depending on whether or not you are around the age of 18-25 and planning on voting for Obama. I know I fit the demographic. Not that my endorsement would help him in any way but I know my vote for him certainly would. With Super Tuesday coming up it seems that Barrack Obama is banking on us to put down the pipes, Tivo "The Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" and hit the booth. David von Drehle from Time magazine explains.

Fashion Friday

Fresh kicks from Reebok with an old school twist. Reasonably priced at $90 too. My favorite are the Black/Green/Pink pair. I think I used to have a pair back in 3rd grade. Best place I found to get them is Zappos.


Chaunce has a cool re-design of the Chicago Cubs logo replacing the blue bear with a gorrilla. I also like how they decided not to try to be over the top by only putting a small imprint of the gorilla in the bottom right corner of the t-shirt. Get it on their website for $26.

Alex Pardee's artwork is amazing and dark. I'm sure he would probably choose other words to describe it but whatever. He also has gotten around to making a unique shirt titled "Vomit Love." Even if you don't think this shirt is your type of style you should at least go to his website to check out Alex's personal artwork if you have some free time. Get it on his website for $20.


Roll in style with these shutter shades. You have probably seen that douche Kanye West sportting these but that doesn't mean you can't. They now come in a variety of colors to choose from. Buy them online for $25.