Radio Show:HEAT! Live on Bassdrive Mondays @5 PST

Mark your calendars - even if you're still at work, you can log on to www.bassdrive.com at 5pm PST for Heat live on Bassdrive with my boy Delano.  Support the largest online DNB radio and your local scene at the same time plus jam out and confuse all your people at work!  They also have an ap on the site for mobile capability so you can listen on the drive home.  Muchas Gracias!

Organized Grime this Monday! CSD's Bday Bash Featuring Construct

Want to ruin your week early?  Monday's the best time to start!  Organized Grime, killing Tuesdays since 2010, brings you another installment with LA's Construct.  Come out and see your boy CSD and wish him a happy birthday!

 

New Review: Subtext Gallery Presents Chopsticks: New Works by Neko and Persue

I was unbelievably jetlagged when I wandered into Subtext on Friday night just before the opening night event for Chopsticks was winding down,  but I was determined to see the pieces I'd been seeing previews for all month.  I made it all but 12 minutes (literally - I got there at 9:14 and was back in the car at 9:26), but the show was no less amazing.  Almost every piece was interesting and/or fun, and mixed media really abounded. 
There were a few pieces by Neko which actually contained speakers and were playing music; "Bass (Inspired by Swishahouse Records)", "Butthurt (Inspired by Moodswings)" - a collaboration with Joey Vaiasuso, and "Choke (Inspired by Berlin, Take my Breath Away)" which were on wood board and very colorful.  Neko also had six pieces that were all painted on old Slayer record covers and two working guitars which were plastered in his signature US Mail stickers that he used to (and probably still does) slap up around the city.
The Persue highlight for me was the portrait of "Joey Ramone" holding a cat, obviously pictured above.  You can't get more my taste than that!  There was also a cute Japanese-styled piece called "Apocalypse Meow", done in Sharpie on vellum (where the hell he got vellum, I have no idea).  There were many rocker-inspired pieces by Persue as well as more Sharpie doodles, all really fun.
Despite my travel - induced haze, I was really impressed and actually moved by how good all of these pieces are.  It's great to see San Diego graff talent showcased in this way.
All the pieces will be displayed through April 26 at Subtext if you'd like to take a tour, please email info@subtextgallery.com, or go to their facebook page and send them a message.  Many of the pieces are very affordable, prices range from $120-$3600 so if you're looking for some new art, repeat steps above to go take a look.  As always, I have to give thanks to Subtext for putting on another amazing show and keeping a venue for San Dieo and other street art in town - we desperately need it.  Jetlag-inspired pics appear below. 

Spike & Mike's 30th Anniversary Animation Festival Held Over for 2 More Weeks!

Well I was about to post a quick story about how tonight is your last chance to catch this year's festival but due to sellouts, Spike & Mike's has been held over with 3 new added dates on April 5, 12, and 13 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla.  Anyone who was alive in the late 90s an early 00s should easily be able to tell me one clip from the festival that they saw totally stoned.  No excuse if you're not in San Diego, Spike & Mike's has been in every major American city.  If you don't remember Dirty Bird, No Neck Joe, or Sloaches, I'm sorry but I will need your GenX card back, and your copy of Reality Bites.  My favorite short of all time has to be the Les Claypool cover of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" claymation film.  Who knows, they may top it this year - it is the 30th anniversary after all!
So, now that you have your 2-week reprieve, get your damn tickets by clicking on the "Spike and Mike's" link above.  If you wanted to go tonight, 2bad sold out suckers!

Art Pulse Presents Prequel to Chopsticks Show: *Bonus Material: Graffiti Talk

If you saw my post on the Chopsticks event coming up this Friday at Subtext Gallery this Friday, 3/29, you now know a little but about Pursue and Neko, and should be jazzed to come to the show.  If you want to know more about the artists, the San Diego street art scene, and graff in general, you'll definitely want to check out this event I just found about about brought to us by Art Pulse, who I also just found out about and I plan to feature them heavily in this blog as it's a really rad concept. 
The event is called *Bonus Material: Graffiti Talk, and it will feature Neko and Persue as well as Sergio Hernandez giving a talk about all things graff in San Diego and beyond.  FB Event page is linked and the location appears in this post.  Please check it out and show the SD art scene some love!

Review: Rubik Records Living the Dream EP Vol. 4 Feat. Random Movement, Sinistarr, Calculon

Calculon is forever annoying me with Liquid.  That is to say, I am not generally a fan of mellow, chilled out Drum and Bass beats with pretty oversamples.  As is evidenced by most of the content in this blog, I'm happy to stay ensconced in my world of heavy, dark beats, helicopter basslines and glitched out drops.  However, since Calculon snuck onto the scene in 2005(?) and stared making mixes and playing in clubs, he always manages to get my attention with just that - chilled out beats and pretty oversamples.  It's rather irksome, but there you go - variety unwillingly introduced into Layla's grumpy DnB diet.  
This new EP, volume 4 of the Living the Dream series, just released on Caculon's label Rubik records, is no exception to that scenario I just described.  I don't want to like it, but dammit I do.  This will be the last EP in the Living the Dream series.  Why?  Because "Methodus just felt it was time for a new concept," says Calculon.  Methodus, another producer from Florida and admin of the famed Bassdrive.com who shares the running of the label with Calculon isn't featured on this EP, but I do trust the vision of these two, and if they were looking to make the last of the series a smasher, they did just that.  
There are 5 tracks on the EP:

1. Random Movement & Komatic - Accidental Causes
2. Pennygiles - Quiet Seas
3. RoyGreen & Protone - Back To Now
4. Calculon & Sinistarr - Rubenesque
5. Will Miles - Ring of Fire

Each has its own unique flavor while still being tuned down and danceable.  At this moment I'm partial to the Random Movement & Komatic track, as well as Calculon and Sinistarr's Rubenesque, but that could change.  They're all really well-produced but the Rubenesque track is especially interesting - a bit of a departure from your standard Liquid.  
The easiest way to get at these tracks and listen for yourself is Calculon's Bearport Artist Page.  There are samples of each track on the page and you can purchase for download.  Also releasing today is VIP Remixes featuring Calculon and Sinistarr again as well as Austin Speed, who is quickly becoming another of my favourites in the realm of chill, pseudo-experimental Drum and Bass.  Check them all out.

 

 

New Contest Pics

This one should be pretty easy - I frigging love the Banksy satire.  No one has tried to answer these freaking posts man!  Don't you want to win whatever it is I come up with?  Jeez.

Review: Bachelors of Science at Spin Nightclub

I want to start off by saying that Bachelors of Science's set at Spin was bloody phenomenal.  They definitely delivered and more than exceeded expectations.  Every track dropped was huge and rattled in the listener's chest.  Dare I say, it was emotional.  The boys were definitely feeling it as well, having a great time behind the decks and proud of all the bangers they were pulling out.  Also, as usual, Spin's sound system was amazing.  I love seeing the big wall of speakers at the side of the dance floor - ahhh that takes me back.  They're not Tonka, but damn close.  The set was made even more amazing by those beasts. 
The only unfortunate part of the evening was that the club was not as packed as it should have been.  I'm not sure if the event was under-promoted (I know I tried my best with my little cut-rate blog here and there was a decent notice from SleeperCell Music) or everyone was in LA or just stupidly asleep, but I was really bummed to see how many true heads missed this gorgeous set.  If you were there, you know I'm right.  I was dead tired too, but it was definitely worth it.  Also, if you saw my Twits going back and forth between myself and BOS and were expecting an interview, sorry but we missed each other 3am + a drunk reporter + drunk Bachelors of Science = Nodice.  The boys looked like they were having a great time though, as should all of you have.  Next time don't sleep, SD!

How Did I Miss This? RAW and Delano at Timeless DnB Tonight, 3/22/13

Whoops!  I'm trying really hard not to be too SD-centric, but this week I guess I failed because I totally missed this event at which and old friend and a good friend will be laying it down pretty hard.  If you're in LA tonight and searching for something decent to do, look no farther.  LA DnB legend and icon, RAW/BBOY3000/6Blocc/whatever he's calling himself this week PLUS my buddy for a very long time, Delano, will both be there just killing it at Rain Nightclub in Studio City  Timeless DnB is a great organization as well, always working to keep the scene going and bringing you mega talent such as this on a regular basis.  Flyer and info below - now you have at least 2 great choices for world-class DnB tonight, whether you're in LA or SD. 

Timeless DnB Event Page 3/22

Art Show Review: Mandala Art Show Sponsored by Tumbprint Gallery

This is going to be my first sort of "meh" review, and I feel bad because I really love Thumbprint Gallery, San Diego and I want to be supportive but this show at Basic was not as advertised.  To me it seemed that there were a very limited amount of pieces from each artist, and that everything had just been thrown up on the wall in semi-bad lighting at the last minute.  The pieces chosen for Exist1981 and Ali Bautista seemed underwhelming given the amount of press they received, and I know each has many better pieces.  Also I'm not sure there was enough emphasis put on the fact that this was really a clothing and hair show more than an art show.  When we got there, much more space was dedicated to the hair and clothes than the featured artists.  Yes, I realise that bodies and clothes racks take up more room generally than paintings, however I just think more care could have been taken. 
All was not bleak at Bar Basic, however, as the drinks were still very good, the artists were nice and there were plenty of fun prints for sale.  There were a few great pieces, pictured below, and the highlight for me was a little "portrait station" set up in the corner by the dj booth, where an artist name Tr4e was displaying some fun and interesting (though a bit samey) pieces and also had an easel where he/she (I didn't meet the artist) would paint a portrait of any person for tips.  I thought that added some much-needed authenticity to the event and I hope that artist made some good money. 
All in all it was a moderately enjoyable event, but my friend and I weren't really digging the hipster vibe and ended up jamming pretty quickly over to Tivoli's for buffalo fries and $3 beers. 
The show will not, however, deter me from going to Thumbprint's next show, because it's about  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!  I can't wait.  Details on that will be on a following post.  In the meantime, hastily shot artpix!

New Contest Photos - Name this Weirdo Artist!

I actually know this one, so it'll be easier to validate.  Remember if you enter your answer on this artist to go to the one previous in this section for extra points.  Whomever has the most correct answers in the comments by April 30 will win!  Pics follow:

Portland Exclusive! Rubik Records' Calculon at Proper Movement 3/27 in PDX

One of my very best friends moved to Portland a few years ago, and since she's been there, she's told me about this weekly, Proper Movement.  They have a lot of great local talent and also as I've been follwoing their progress, have pulled a lot of big names to play. 
Next Wednesday they'll have another of my friends, a heavy hitter in spite of the current SoCal DNB climate, Calculon.  He's all over the board right now so I have a hard time nailing down exactly what his associations are currently, but I know no matter what he will bring a great set, with smooth Liquid sounds (I almost tnever like Liquid DnB but I'll listen to his), and som new experimental shit that there's no way you've heard before.  If you're in Portland, ditch the Best PDX Hiking Spots (Portlandia reference, anyone?) and jam out to Proper Movement.  Sounds like it'll be an epic time and I'm grumpy I don't get to go hang out with my people up there.  Love you Whits!  PS there's $3 Whieky drinks all night.  Now I'm really pissed. 

 

Calculon Soundcloud Page

Update/Reminder: Sacred Geometry at Basic in San Diego Tonight! 3/19/13

I had to do a little update on this because since my post about this event lauding Exist 1981, I overlooked the fact that Ali Bautista's work will also be there, and now she's been featured in CityBeat.  I love the piece they chose for the cover - so freaking creepy (pictured below).  There are 19 artists who are showing at this opening, so I'm sure there will be something there for everyone.  I also heard a rumor that Mr. Dvice, Dave Weitz, will also be putting in a cameo to support his fellow SD artists.  The event is from 6-10pm, so it's early enough that you can come on a Tuesday, and it's free.  Come on, how many mroe reasons do you need?  Come join us at Basic - I'll be there with my huge glass (they do more than ample pours) of some fabulous red wine, snapping pictures and harassing the talent to give me an interview.  Another big thank you as well to Thumbprint Gallery San Diego for coordinating this event.  See you there!

Respect Thursday, 3/28/13 DJ SS! Machete is Really Bringing It This Month!

DJ SS has been a favorite on the world DnB scene since the mid-90s, known for his deep, dark beats.  He lets the bass speak for itself in his tracks, and they will hit you right in the chest every time.  If you're in LA on March 28, don't miss SS killing it at Respect.

Check out this Upcoming Street Art Show: Chopsticks at Subtext Art Gallery. Opening event on 3/29/13

Subtext is by far my favorite street/pop art gallery in San Diego, and that has nothing to do with the fact that it's 12 blocks from my house.  This gallery does so much to further the cause of street and pop art in San Diego, quietly hosting awesome shows for unknown and famous artists alike as well as hosting charity events and showcasing some of the best up-and-coming talent in the country.  For April, they'er going local and showing some amazing pieces from SD street artists Neko and Pursue.  SD Locals will most likely have seen one or both of these artists around town, and it'll be great to have them in a gallery with FREE BEER and great entertainment. 
The opening event for this show is on 3/29 from 6-10pm, so you can stop by and take a look at these mixed-media pieces before heading out to your Friday night (I know a lot of you who read my blog will be going to the Loadstar show at Spin, and Subtext is just around the corner).  Pics appear below and there's also a link to Subtext's blog and FB page.  Follow and like them to stay up on the coolest art that'll be coming through San Diego monthly.

Subtext Blog

Subtext FB Page

First Contest Pics! "Zombiebomber"

That's what Im calling him/her anyway.  I have no idea who this artist is, so I definitely need help.  These "Zombiebombs" were popping up everywhere in downtown in 2011-12 and I'd really like to know who the artist is so I can get him on my page.  It's such a cool concept.  Take a look at the pics below and let me know in the comments who you think it is.  If you have a website or backup, so much the better.  Thanks for the help and remember this counts for your April score, whoever has the most right answers wins!

Name that Artist!

As many of you may or may not know, I spent the better part of 4 years either unemployed or underemployed, with no car, wandering around various cities taking photographs of street art.  When the Viva La Revolucion exhibition hit in San Diego, it re-energized the San Diego street art scene and allowed me to happily snap away for hours at a time; I've built up quite the gallery.  The problem?  For at least 2/3 of these photos, I have no idea who the artist is, so for this page that prompted me to create a little game, Who's Art is it Anyway?  I will try to post 1 or 2 of my photos per week, and the person who leaves the most correct answer in the comments each month will win something.  I have no idea what the prize will be, but I promise it'll be something.  Some of these I do know who they are, but some of them I genuinely need help with, so it's a double benefit!  Thanks and let the guessing begin!  The first photo will be listed in the next post in this section on 3/18.  Please note that all answers in March wil be prorated into April's game.    

Chase & Status - Blind Faith: The Prettiest, Grimiest Track that Should Be on Your Ipod Right Now

I know this track is a little old, but I frankly don't care - it's definitely one that cannot be ignored on this page.  I actually didn't hear about this track until the end of 2012, in yoga class of all places.  Imagine my surprise in hearing a dubstep track from Chase & Status while doing star pose, but I instantly recognized the production and immediately ran home to Google (the yoga instructor, predictably, didn't know who it was), and confirmed my suspicions.  In the 90s and early 00s, Chase & Status were pretty big in the US, and I'd seen them play a handful of times in LA and New York, but recently I'm not sure if they fell off or I did but I'm very happy to see them re-emerge in my yoga class with this gorgeous track during a time of questionable mental health for me.  I really needed to hear it when I did, and it was quickly added to the lexicon of my favourite  songs of all time.  The females vocals and featured Liam Bailey are beautiful and haunting and C&S compliment them so well with their string sampling and somehow still hard & grimy dubstep beat.  It's possible that I haven't heard a dubstep track flow this seamlessly, ever (suck it, Skrillex).
It's nice to see that despite all the changes in music in the last 10 years, Chase & Status are still quietly producing amazing songs and I really hope they do a US tour very soon. 

Chase & Status Official Website

Chase & Status FB Page

Brewery Art Walk in Los Angeles April 27-28. I've Always Wanted to See that Place!

Driving around LA on the 5 anytime in the past 50 years, you couldn't help but notice the old Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery looming over west side of the freeway, looking creepy and abandoned.  I always wanted to break in and wander around.  Whether it was my natural penchant for going ghosthunting in abandoned buildings or my years of raving, I always wanted to know what was inside, and I know I wasn't the only one.
Well, unbeknownst to me until a few months ago, the old brewery was very much not abandoned and has been an artists' colony since 1982.   In 1997 it was even known as "the world's largest artist-in-residence community (LA Weekly archives, 1997-98)."  If I'd known that, I would definitely have gone to check it out sooner.
Now, twice a year, the Brewery Art Association c/o i5 Art Gallery opens the space to the public for the Brewery Artwalk.  This is like no other Artwalk you've ever seen - it's huge, and a lot of the featured artists actually live in the community.  These are real talents - not just watercolors and cheesy landscapes.  The artists have pieces for all price ranges and every kind of medium you can think of, and there's even an on-site restaurant.  I will definitely be there covering the event this time around, on April 27-28 and I urge you to come along.  If I like you, we can even carpool.  The best part?  This event is free!  It promises to be a unique experience with some really cool art.  Sorry I can't picture any of it here, I don't have permissions but the links to the website and FB page are below.
 

Brewery Artwalk Home Page

Brewery Artwak FB Page

Havok Mega is Back! Spectrumega Media and Drumz Clothing PresentDirty Birdy 4/6/13

And they got Cyber Optics!  Lo these 5 years in San Diego, we have sorely missed the presence of Havok in all his wacky glory (I call him Old Gasmask - those of you in the know will not need to question that) as he took a sabbatical in Austin, up a mountain and god knows where else.  Many tried to hold it down the way he did, but without Drums and Spectrumega, there was a palpable hole in our already ailing Socal DnB scene.  The prodigal party has returned, and I for one can't wait to see what Spectrumega has in store, as they're trying to go legit but still maintain that nasty UG vibe we all loved so well back in the day.   This will be momentous no matter what - do not miss if you're in SD this weekend.  Beatkillerz, featuring Old Gasmask himself, will of course be a highlight in addition to Cyber Optics.

Eric Yo! Presents Loadstar at Spin Nightclub 3/29/13

The newest installment of We Love Bass will bring Loadstar, comprised of Lomax and Xample, to Spin Nightclub at the end of this month.  This promises to be a great show in a venue that can stay open for your partying needs until 4am!  I believe this is Loadstar's first appearance together in Southern California.  They were also recently featured on the RAM Records 2012 Essential Collection.  Definitely worth checking out, as I guarantee this party wil be cooler than anything else going on in SD that night. 

Loadstar @ We Love Bass Event Page

Loadstar FB Page

Respect 3/21 Brings You Supreme Being (Image Muzik, UK)

This week Respect keeps bringing the heat with Supreme Being.  Machete will also be smashing thru with one of his uniquely grimey sets.  Don't sleep, weekend starts early in LA this week!

 Respect Supreme Being

Free Vintage Stream!! In the Clutches of the Kingpin - Does Anyone Remember this Shit??

Holy crap I was just about to listen to this mixtape that I somehow didn't destroy from overuse in 1999, and I looked it up to see if I could find a picture of the sleeve.  My beloved Internet did me one better, unceremoniously coughing up online versions of the whole mixtape in multiple file formats!  Holler if you remember this amazing mix and played it to death in the 90s like I did (I lied, the one I have is a copy I made for my brother.  The original is so worn the spokes in the tape are rounded)!
http://www.neutrinorecords.com/mixtapearchive/Kingpin-In%20the%20Clutches%20of%20the%20Kingpin-Side%20K.mp3

http://www.neutrinorecords.com/mixtapearchive/Kingpin-In%20the%20Clutches%20of%20the%20Kingpin-Side%20I.mp3

http://www.neutrinorecords.com/mixtapearchive/

HUGE! Bachelors of Science Coming to Spin Nightclub on 2/22/13! Brought to you by Sleeper Cell Music and Schedule One Media

This little gem was smuggled to me earlier this week.  Next Friday, you musn't sleep, ma'am/sir!  BoS always put on amazing show, and my old buddy Deco will be there as well.  The 2nd best part about this event?  Spin Nightclub is open until 4am, allowing for legit partying and more music.  You're just ridiculous if you don't go to this.  Check out the event page http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/166517853498505/ and give them a headcount!

Grimes - Genesis: What the Hell is Going on in this Video??

Many a poor, unwitting friend of mine has been subjected to the above video multiple times due to my obsession with it.  I discovered it because for a 6-month period straddling 2011 & 12, it would come up as a suggestion literally every time I watched any music video on YouTube.  One day I gave in (remind me never to do that again), and stared, slackjawed, for the next 5 minutes and 33 seconds at what was on my screen.  It is the most inexplicable, confusing and disturbing music video I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot.
Subsequent to that first time in my office where I think I pulled my assistant in for moral support and she fled, terrified, I've watched this video easily hundreds of times.  I still don't have an answer as to what the hell is going on.  Just in case you couldn't get past the first few seconds (for which I wouldn't blame you), some choice points include a drag king complete with Fu Manchu, an opening sequence wherein a pale, elbowy girl booty dances in a car's headlights to absolutely no beat while her equally creepy friends watch, and the same girls posing in the desert with swords and morning stars.  The elbowy girl, Grimes herself, also spends a lot of time with an albino python in pigtails and a sailor's outfit.  It's as if, when coming up with the concept of this video, Grimes and her friends took lots of Extacy and brainstormed for about 5 days, then paid a director to put every single one of their insane ideas into a video.  I'm assuming the director was on DMT as well.
The shining highlight (or lowlight, depending on your perspective), however, is Brooke Candy.  If you hadn't already guessed by the name, Brooke is the one with the 7' long pink braids and wall-eyed white contacts dressed in a metal body suit (flesh-colored body stocking clearly visible) and stack sneakers.
She flaps around in the desert, sits spread-eagle in the woods, and inappropriately touches Grimes' pigtails throughout the video.  She's absolutely amazing, and instantly seals the doom of this video with her odd Mad Max-cum-raver look to make it my pick for weirdest video of the century.  In my quest to figure this shit out, a friend and I googled Brooke Candy, and found that she is a rapper(!) from LA who is also a stripper.  I refuse to post her videos here because this is a new blog and I can't afford to lose readers.  Suffice it to say, it's horrifying.
Finding out who Brooke Candy was didn't explain at all WHY she was in the video, or more to my own point, why this video was even made.  When I watched it over and over, I truly felt as though I had come to the end of the Internet.  It was the endgame.  After months of trying to crack the code, my quest eventually ended with me unsatisfied.
All of the above being said, I truly do love this video, and even Brooke Candy.  Somehow the ethereal chillout music goes with the wacky images, and if nothing else, it's piqued the curiosity of many people with similar tastes to mine, though it almost drove me mad.  Above all, it introduced us to the very real and un-weird talent of Grimes.  Genesis really is a good song, and she has quite a few more, with really good videos.  I swear:

She's got really clean, seamless production values and editing, and her elfin voice and ethereal tunes are pretty and meditative.  Watching interviews, you can also see in her a quirkiness and punk rock spirit that I attribute to the 90s Montreal music scene, where she hails from.  She's won me over in spite of the over-the-top oddball Genesis video.  Grimes performed at Coachella last year, so I'm not the only one who has been taken in by her disturbing siren song/video.  So have a listen to some of her tracks, try to make it through Genesis, and thank the drug-addled wackos who put the video together, because if their aim was to use confoundedness to highlight a great new talent, I'd say mission accomplished.  

Peacemaker, Gum-B at Organized Grime 3/18/13

Ok this is a quick one: we don't have much in the way of DnB weeklies in San Diego anymore, but one spot that's still going strong is Organized Grime.  Determined to make sure we all completely destroy our work week whenever there's a good dj, OG is on Mondays at the AC Lounge.  Next week my old buddy Peacemaker, also of Chronic Tattoo fame http://www.facebook.com/thespecialtechnique?ref=ts&fref=ts, will be pulling out a rare appearance for Gum-B's Blockhead Bash.  Worth a Tuesday of sheer pain?  You decide.

FB Event Link:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=508794622489793&set=oa.464351236968309&type=1&theater

New Track Review: Empress - Alien nation (GenR8 Remix)

If you're involved in the U.S. drum and bass scene on any level in the last 15 years and you haven't heard of Empress, I believe I'll need your pass back immediately.  Empress has been a major player in NYC since I can remember, my first recollections of her being one of the sickest female djs in the scene.  Infinitely cool while still being positive and fun, I can say she was a bit of an anomaly back then where "crew rivalries" and blacklisting were prevalent in New York.
Recently, as if she wasn't cool enough, Empress started singing with a backup band, and released a video for her song "Alien Nation".  Original video linked below.

The original track is more industrial and pretty amazing in its own right, but a new remix has just come out, done as DnB by Dj GenR8, and it's super-hot.  The integration of the lyrics make Empress' voice sound even more haunting and charged, and the guitar work is sampled in a way that doesn't allow the beat to overpower it (tricky business if you've ever had to do it).  Genr8 really does the original track justice in capturing and then speeding up and intensifying the sound.  Overall a great track and definitely worth a listen or download if you can find it on itunes.
https://soundcloud.com/empress/alien-nation-genr8-remix
 I know I've focused on the new track a lot, but Empress has also just posted a new podcast on Soundcloud that features this song and I can't understate how awesome it is as well.  Check it out - I know it will prove me right that Empress still drops a fierce set in the DnB room.
https://soundcloud.com/empress/empress-empowercast-4

Links to Empress and GenR8 FB Pages:
http://www.facebook.com/EmpressEmpower?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Genr8/211658048861852?fref=ts

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Coming to the Balboa Theatre! Are You Kidding Me?? 4/16/13

I could not even believe when I got this demure, classy invite from the Balboa Theatre on my Facebook page advertising that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are playing at this awesome venue.  I believe you are not allowed to claim that you're part of GenX if you don't know and love this band.  I can barely even handle this!  Not much more to say, just get your ass there!!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/597825090245202/

http://sandiegotheatres.org/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds

A-Sides (Eastside Records, UK) Coming to Respect March 14!

As you may or may not have guessed by now, this blog will tend heavily towards Drum and Bass events-wise, just because that's the scene I'm most embroiled in, and, quite frankly, I dare you to find me a genre that's as consistently as cool and unique as this.  That being said, one of the legends in stateside DnB is Machete, whose weekly in LA has been running as long as I can remember.  Respect and its lineup will feature regularly here, and I'm going to try to get the schedule coordinated in my events calendar, but in the meantime I wanted to make sure I got this event up, as A-Sides is always throwing out crazy tracks and is still one of the best DnB acts live that I'm aware of.  If you're in the LA area or just feel like a retarded almost-weekend roadtrip like the ones I used to know, give up your notions of feeling rested on the Ides of March and go check this dude out.  Event page and link to Respect listed below.

http://www.facebook.com/events/592315667462631/

http://www.facebook.com/respectclub

You Suck for Missing This! Us vs. Them Presents: Oil & Water

My best friend is an artist with big fish syndrome who lives in Arkansas (and he will be featured heavily and often against his will in this blog).  Despite that, he's usually infinitely cooler than me, and he proved it once again this weekend when, from his small, cultureless town in a state basically owned by Wal-Mart, he pointed me towards this fantastic art show.  Neither of us knew too much about it, other than the fact that some great artists such as Neko Burke, Peeps Kid and Deph would be featured.  We didn't even really fully understand the concept, but luckily it hit me in the face as soon as I walked in: art done on or as cars, bikes and surfboards - water meets oil.  Simpistic?  Nope.  As I walked around and snapped pictures of things I vaguely recognized, I couldn't help but also notice all the different types of people milling around - you had bikers, hipster art people, members of the tattoo community - all in one space.  Everyone seemed to be mixing well and to know each other in some capacity or another. 
As I mentioned, much of the art was actually featured on motorcycle gas tanks and surfboards as well as skate decks and helmets.  A Peeps Kid piece was even on a gas can.  It was a really interesting clash of media, people, and culture that seemed to blend at the same time.  
I managed to track down the owner of Us vs. Them and organizer of this event, now in its sophomore showing.  Jason Banuelos gave me a better understanding of how he came up with the concept: "Traditionally oil and water do not mix. The surf, hot rod and motorcycle cultures that grew out of Southern California from the 50’s-70s however, were all connected by the idea of personal freedom and expression-not conforming to the standards of the societies they existed in (Oil & Water press kit)".  It seems that the clothing and deck line that Banuelos deveoped also goes along with that theme.  Banuelos told me he was really excited that he'd been able to pull so many heavy hitters from the motorcycle design and tattoo world to contribute to this show.  You can tell he really believes in what he's doing with this idea of freedom of expression in all its forms.  
From my perspective, it was great to see this space, formerly a Segway rental shop and doggy daycare, being used to showcase such major talent, creativity and subculture.  It seems a fitting opening review for this new syndicated blog, which I hope puts accross the same message: live as weird and wild as you want to live.  In the shadow of the Horton Plaza mall next to the Os Gemeos mural from Viva La Revolution, I urge you to come check out the great array of pieces from different genres and cultures, all reflecting one thing: individuality and sidestepping the norm.  Also stop by the Us vs. Them flagship store to check out the decks, clothes, and maybe get a tattoo from one of James Banuelos' talented friends.  Hastily taken pics of some of my favorite pieces appear below, as well as the flyer with all the featured artists.