Artist Spotlight... Make the best of Coachella while ︻╦╤─ ƱZ ─╤╦︻ brings the beats!

︻╦╤─ ƱZ ─╤╦︻


UZ is a mysterious DJ from the California Bay Area. He works mostly in the Trap genre but has been evolving with a menagerie of sounds to fit the bill. He performs behind a mask and bandanna and refuses to let in on who the man behind the 1's and 2's really is. To him and so many of his fans it's more about the music. However, it's not like the mystery doesn't help his hype. If you've seen him live then you know UZ brings the party. His always danceable sets will be sure to light the dance floors on fire at summer festivals all year long. 

This year, in 2014, UZ got the coveted nod from Goldenvoice to preform both weekends at Coachella. It's not much of a surprise as he is riding a huge wave right now along with artists like R.L. Grime who is also preforming. No doubt, Trap is easy to dance to and friendly to hip-hop and EDC fans. I would bank on seeing this guy as quickly as you can. Before the Trap wave dies out. He has plenty of steam and ingenuity to adapt to the changing tastes but this is definitely a peak for his career. 

 He is a must see for Coachella this year. If you can't afford Coachella though and would like to catch UZ on the cheap. He frequents clubs like 1015 in San Francisco pretty often. I am pretty sure he runs with the Low End Theory and An-Ten-Nae crowds. Check out this video of him performing live. Tons of people come out to watch. 

As always give love to the new artists. They give a ton of free music on their social network pages. It's pretty keen. 

SteveMcQueen36

Summer Festivals 2014... Coachella 2014 Line-Up is out and man does it suck.


Maybe I am just pouting or maybe I'm sour about not being able to afford the tickets, but one thing stands: this line-up looks piss poor. When I first looked at the Coachella poster for this year, I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. Not the artists specifically but the placement of the artists. They must be holding out this year. Where are the Pixies? Where are Nine Inch Nails? Doesn't this line-up seem a little... I don't know... Warped Tour-y? It feels like they are missing a ton of bands too. I keep thinking Zedd is billed too high but there isn't anyone better. Seriously. I remember watching Zedd at like 2:00 p.m. on a Saturday in 2012. Now this motherfucker is on the coveted SECOND LINE? Not even to mention that Lana Del Rey is on the second line on Sunday billed higher than Motorhead. Did everyone forget that she can't sing? At least not live. Paul Tollett and Goldenvoice must have spent their load on Outkast getting back together.

Oh, and Arcade Fire making a return again to the Polo Fields. The more I think about it the more I don't like it. After seeing them twice at the 'chella (in '07 & '11). I couldn't fathom another performance that would top their 2011 show. It was nuts. It was good. It was all we needed. I feel like they are going to have the same caliber performance that Red Hot Chili Peppers did last year in 2013. Lackluster. Tired. Bored. They've tasted the fields before. Let 'em go man.

I know they move things around a lot. They might even have a few surprises up the sleeve, but generally they don't. What you see is more than likely, exactly what you get. Adding Daft Punk would be killer of course. Especially after they did that huge publicity stunt last year with their commercials for Random Access Memories played throughout the event. Maybe David Bowie. The Pixies. Nine Inch Nails. Tool. A Perfect Circle. Something...

Oh well, let the kids have their cake. 

Now that I have that out of my system... Here is my fantasy line-up that I made earlier this year. I wish this was happening instead.  

SteveMcQueen36

New Music... Amp Live - Brass Knuckles ft. Dom from Big Gigantic

Amp Live teamed up with Dom of Big Gigantic to deliver this heavy hitting single and a sneak peak of what to expect from Amp's upcoming solo album.
Amp Live (One half of Zion I) and Dom (of Big Gigantic) bring some really interesting samples to the land of trap. This song has the power and ability to really get you out on the dancefloor. Trap might be on it's way out right now but this pseudo-experimental piece stands out among the rest. The Jazz influence that Amp Live brings is fantastic. It really shows out and makes this such an interesting piece. I can't wait for Amp Lives upcoming solo release. It leaves me optimistic about 2014. 



SteveMcQueen36

New Years Eve 2014 with who else... Matthew Dear (DJ Set)



We spent our New Years Eve grooving to a great show at Public Works in San Francisco. The tunes were completely dancable and accessible to the entire audience... why is accessibility important? Well, a common issue I take with DJ sets is that sometimes only 1/3 or so of the crowd really seems to be able to tell what the beat is, and be able to dance to it. In any case, here's a rundown of the show!

Venue - Public Works, San Francisco
This was my first time coming to Public Works and it was a nice enough venue. There were 2 floors open and plenty of room to move on the upper level. I ended up with a killer view right over the stage. It was a blast being able to watch the DJ's work their magic. I have a couple qualms with how some of the decorations were done. The ad for the show specifically recognizes H.E.X. and BAAAHS as the creative minds behind the "custom lighting installations". I'm unfamiliar with H.E.X., but I remember BAAAHS, or the Bad-ass Amazingly Awesome Homosexual Sheep, from their successful Kickstarter campaign earlier this year. I didn't see the sheep, but I did see a pretty lame light set up behind the stage. There were 3 hexagons behind the DJ that had a honeycomb of color-changing lights. Sounds cool enough, right? But then you look closer and realize it has a sheet draped over the lights (to soften the light and make it look more interesting, most likely) clipped on with binder clips! It just looked tacky. The confetti probably could have been done better, too. Two problems: the confetti guns were shot off downstairs (you can get a better spread by setting them off upstairs), and against the flow of a fan pointed back at the stage. Basically, the poor DJ's got the entirety of the "Confetti Countdown" back in their faces. 

Acts - DJ Galen and Matthew Dear
Brandon and I entered PW at 11:20pm according to the handy clock projected onto the wall. Unfortunately, that meant we only caught the end of DJ Galen's set and then Dear's. Galen really had the crowd going by the time we had joined the dance floor and you could tell that everyone was enjoying themselves. He managed to keep them engaged and on their toes with interesting drops and clever looping. With about 10 minutes until midnight, Matthew Dear came out looking dapper as always  The passover between the two was fun and they were both on stage for a bit, head bobbin' away. Dear's set relied on strong beats that varied only on occasion. He was the reverb master last night and revisited his signature bass-y "BOOM BOOM BOOM" at each drop. I could definitely hear the blending between Audion and Matthew Dear last night. He was obviously enjoying himself, and at times was smiling ear to ear while interacting with the audience. Having already seen a Matthew Dear DJ set, I kind of knew what I was in for, but he always manages to put on a great show.

Highlights
I'm a bit of a people-watcher, so clubs are great for me. In one night I no only found the doppelgangers for Jason Segel and Jake Gyllenhaal, but I also saw a large, sweaty, tattooed man-princess dancing like nobody was watching (he was my favorite). 

 And a little something extra to ring in the new year

  
Matthew Dear (feat. Tegan and Sara) - Pale -- A cover of Tears for Fears, and Matthew Dear's most recent release

Unknown

New Music... Phantogram released 'Fall In Love' earlier this month!

Weirdly, Phantogram has always played the underdog for me. They are really good but I always found something that I believed was better. However, more times than not I really enjoy what I hear. Take for example my current Phantogram obsession 'Fall In Love'. Released a couple of weeks back, this groovy tune started to mysteriously sneak its way onto the mainstream alternative radio station I listen to. Usually I am weary of stuff I discover on the radio. However, this was really good! This song is awesome on many levels. I think I have to go back and dust off the old Phantogram album and get back into it.

The beat is on point. The lyrics are a little hard to pick out. Especially on the radio. It's a wee bit sharper on this recording. So without further delay... check it out!



Phantogram is an electronic indie pop duo from New York. They rose quickly to popularity with their hit Mouth full of Diamonds and When I'm Small. If you are listening to the music on this site then you should be pretty familiar with them. Their live shows are full of lasers and dance beats, really worth it if you get the chance to see them in your neck of the woods.

SteveMcQueen36

Worst of 2013... Lorde leads a bleak outlook on the future of pop.

Lorde fever has spread through America and possibly further. KROQ and Live105 are two stations in California that I know have been playing Lorde non-stop. She is on the radio as I type this. They have been playing her on heavy rotation since at least early in March. While her beats are steady and lyrics are clean. I just can't bring myself to get into her stuff. To tell you the truth it all sounds the same to me.

Pure Heroine was regarded as one of the most anticipated releases of 2013. Her songs Royals and Tennis Courts (the best of the bunch) were strong enough to land her with a big recording contract. Instead of letting her simmer for a bit longer. They jumped right into making this Kiwi singer a instant sensation. She's only sixteen for Christ-sakes she has all the time in the world to really hone her craft. Instead, she's popping prematurely.


Look at the creativity displayed above on the album art. Just about as much creativity as one of her songs. The lead single from her album is Teams. Sure, it's catchy and the beat just wont stop. However, that doesn't stop it from sounding like every other song on the album. The tempo may change but the general attitude stays the same throughout. Teams is nothing more than a regurgitated version of Royals.  



Am I being too harsh on her? No. It's like Howard Stern says on America's Got Talent. It's better for her to hear this harsh criticism now. Show business is a rough road and she has to have the ability to bounce with the drops. If she can pick her crap up and put out something really from the heart, then I might give her another listen. Who knows though? Maybe her music just doesn't speak to me. If she really breaks out then she will with her next release.

SteveMcQueen36

Christmas 2013... Actual good Christmas music!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas songs are the same every year. Stuffy old Bing Crosby, sauced up on eggnog, singing about some Caucasian Christmas. Or Nat King Cole sending a Merry Christmas to You and Yours. With people becoming more and more independent the Traditionals are starting to fall by the roadside. However, it's important for us to have tradition. Personally, I love Christmas. It's just a day to spend with loved ones. A day to let those you love, know that you care about them. No religious stuff. Plus it's another day off work. So lets get some good music together. I dub thee the new Traditionals!



This Taking Back Sunday song has become a favorite every year. I love the banter, it fits MY version of Christmas better than any other song I could think of. Two good friends, sharing a tune, and some good times together. The spirit of the season. 

My personal favorite of every year is the most ironic choice. For a time that is about coming together and being with friends while celebrating happiness. This sad, depressing little tune is so good. Nothing warms me up more than hearing this tune come on every year. It has to be the instrumental  version too. The vocal is good. This is just 1000 times better.  


This is another "new traditional" that sounds like it's been around for the past forty years. Julian Casablancas does a good job with this cover. It's no secret that he and Jimmy Fallon are pretty good friends so... it was fate. This version is missing Horatio Sans, Tracey Morgan, and Chris Kattan though somehow he pulls it all together. If you want to see the original video then check it out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFfXqz1h5AY This chick doesn't allow embedding! Ha!


When I was in High School, I had a job at Vans Shoes in the Northridge Fashion Center. (818 What's up!) This song would come on during Christmas time on the videos we would play in the store. It made the Christmas season for me everytime I would hear it. The bells and the beat keep it relevant and it is short enough to not get on your nerves. Enjoy. 


While punk is obviously completely dead and bloated. This song doesn't really strike the same chord. It does, however, work as a nostalgic look at the world in the nineties. This song is great because it makes me nostalgic for Christmas in Southern California. They used to play it all the time on KROQ. 


...

For honorable mention I am going to give you this Christmas message from All Trap Music. It's not bad and unfortunately Trap music found it's foothold in the pit that was left by dubstep. 

SteveMcQueen36

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)