Between hit 2011 movies like Contagion and Melancholia, and the lunar Mayan prophecy looming, —it’s hard not to get the sense that life as we know it is ticking. So partiers will have the right to be confused at the club next weekend, December 31, when large unidentified objects dive down from the sky. Or from the ceiling, as certain venues are planning to unleash of 100,000 balloons to descend upon the crowd at midnight. But NYE party-goers, which includes anyone who wasn't transferred here begrudgingly for work, take heart, for if haplessly flapping through inordinate amounts of latex and helium doesn’t cut it, and aerial, and we assume hot, performers and pyrotechnic play don't either..then tip it up, throw it back & focus on the spin. Our favorite DJams of New Year's Eve include:
You didn’t think electronic music was going anywhere, did you?
Sounds of dub step and electro beats can be heard playing in the background of everywhere from shopping malls to restaurants these days; and that’s not even including your weekly house music hot spot. Festivals such as Coachella, Bonaroo, Electric Zoo, and Ultra have been getting rave reviews from electronic music enthusiasts, gathering tens of thousands of people every year. Although an amazing experience, these festivals tend to last for days, draining both mind and wallet. Taking that into consideration, the people over at Skullcandy are treating EDM fans to a one day festival to keep the music flowing beyond their stylish headphone gear.
Already feeling that summer buzz-kill from missing out on Coachella and Sasquatch this year? Don’t worry, there are still plenty of festivals fixing to satisfy that music-hungry appetite at a much lower price than Bonnaroo or Lollapalooza. Check out these upcoming music festivals that will tune your ears in to some audio bliss.
Where: Chicago, IL
When: June 15-17
Who: Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, Cut Copy, TV on the Radio, Neko Case, Thurston Moore, No Age, Gang Gang Dance, Deerhunter, Superchunk, Ariel Pink, Curren$y + more!
Ultra Music Festival (UMF) is returning to downtown Miami’s Bicentennial Park for what is probably the most anticipated weekend of the year. Thousands will flock to Miami for Ultra’s first three-day event (formerly only Friday and Saturday) on Friday, March 25, Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27. The growth of the electronic music genre, from the past year alone, is clearly visibile through the expansion of Ultra this year and the growth of its headlining artisits.
Ultra is expecting 150,000 attendees over the span of three days this year, being the world’s first ever major electronic music festival to expand to three days and completely sell out. Being the first major North American music festival of 2011, Ultra Music Festival will no doubt raise the bar and set the standard high for live music everywhere. Spirits are already high in Miami as the stages are being built and the streets are getting crowded.
"Doing the best they can" since August 2006, Brooklyn band Bear Hands is returning home from a successful stint at SXSW (where they caught the attention of justintimberlake.com, which states that "we've fallen in love with their choppy but dreamy indie-rock stylings. We particularly like it when, mid-set, bassist Val Loper abandons his guitar to play drums with a maraca. Good work.") to play at Glasslands Gallery tonight with Holy Ghost!. See what the hype is all about and download their single "What A Drag" here and get your tickets for tonight's show (fingers crossed that Loper is feeling the maracas again tonight). Catch them tonight before they head out with Passion Pit for a full US tour. They won't be returning until May 6th for a show at Irving Plaza with As Tall As Lions, so don't miss your chance to see the band that provides, according to RockSounds, "just the right amount of danceable anthems to transform the crowd from an intrigued gathering into an all singing, all shaking disco party."
He may only be 22 years old, but Jesse Marco is already well-established as one of New York City's most talented and sought-after DJs. His signature style and flair for mixing cross-genre classics, like Led Zeppelin and Jay Z or Michael Jackson and Nirvana, has caught the attention of some of the industry's biggest names, including Tom Ford, Russel Simmons, and Kanye West. Since he started spinning on his first turntables at the age of 12, his passion, talent, and dedication has taken him to the top, with a little help from DJ legends Mark Ronson and DJ AM. Don't miss your chance to get in on the action with Jesse Marco at Joonbug's Fashion Week Gala. Oh, and did we mention that he's also a model? How appropriate.
Sunday: traditionally a day of rest and contemplation. According to Steve Aoki and Hornitos Tequila, that might not cut it anymore. With some help from Jesse Marco and Holy Ghost!, this crew transformed Sunday at the Bowery Ballroom into a Friday night. Neither Chris Tucker nor Ice Cube were in attendance, except perhaps in spirit.
Friday, like the movie. See what I did there? Remember 1995, anyone? Hm, ok then, moving on.
New York City and followers of the indie-music scene are mourning the tragic death of drummer Gerhardt “Jerry” Fuchs, who died on Sunday from a five-story fall down an elevator shaft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. While riding in a manual freight elevator during a benefit party, the elevator got stuck between the fourth and fifth floors. A passenger riding with Fuchs had managed to jump to the fourth floor, but on one of Fuchs’ attempts to jump to the fifth floor, his clothing caught on something in the passageway and he fell to the bottom of the elevator shaft.
Alex Frankel, Fuchs’ roommate and singer of the band Holy Ghost!, of which Fuchs was the drummer, arrived at the party shortly before 1AM to find the distressing news that someone had fallen down the elevator shaft.
