Is This the Best Michael Jackson Tribute Ever? (Yes. Yes it is)

I envision a future, after SkyNet takes over and the humans are locked in perpetual war with robots, where the most popular form of entertainment will involve pitting man vs. machine in epic video DJ battles. And while the robots will probably be sophisticated enough to beat mere mortals each and every time, there's no god-damned way they would ever beat Peanut Butter Wolf, because that man is a fucking Jedi master of the Serato game. While we may be a long way from seeing a worthy robot challenger for PB Wolf, watching his tribute to the King of Pop is not a bad consolation. (Keep reading to see parts two and three after the jump.)

I've had the pleasure of seeing PB Wolf do live video mixes on three other occasions and each time it was quite impressive, but I always felt like after 40 minutes or so the mixes got a little long in the tooth (not bad enough to be an issue, but still). Usually PB mixes together many different genres of music and a fair share of movie dialog, which can sometimes have this ADD affect on the flow of the mix. Usually not a problem since the focus is visual anyway, but what I love about these tribute mixes is that they are centered around one theme. And since that theme has a plethora of wonderful music to choose from, it works better than anything else like this he's done.

I also think it does a fantastic job of displaying the immense influence on Hip Hop Michael Jackson had. All the songs are bonafide dance floor jams, and it's only logical they would be sampled over and over, but it's nice to hear how it all sounds as one continuous flow of music. And since radio stations have been playing nothing but MJ the last two weeks, it's a nice change of pace to hear something a little more original while still managing to honor a fallen legend. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.
[Thanks to Damian for showing this to me]

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Video of the Week - Neil Young & Paul McCartney: "A Day in the Life" (live from Hyde Park)

I'm not really sure this clip needs any setup. It's two musical giants playing one of the most iconic songs ever written. Is there any way the result wouldn't be amazing? Probably not.

I will say that having experienced Paul McCartney headline Coachella two months ago, the dude can certainly still do all his old Beatles songs justice. Throw in the frenetic guitar stylings of Neil Young, and "A Day in the Life" becomes about twice as loud as you've every heard it before. There's also nothing quite like being in a crowd where everyone is singing their hearts out to a song that has touched all of them in some way or another. Pretty damn special. Enjoy.

[Found originally on The Daily Swarm]

>>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Neil Young & Paul McCartney: "A Day in the Life" (live from Hyde Park)"

Norman Cook + David Byrne + Naked People = Video of the Year?

I really have no idea if this is the best video released this year. I don't watch nearly enough videos to feel like my choice would be an informed one. But what I do know is there can't be many that are better.

Who do we have to thank for this morsel of hedonistic video goodness? Mr. Norman Cook, who spent most of his musical days known to us as Fatboy Slim, but only recently as Brighton Port Authority. His first single under that new moniker is a collaboration with David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal titled "Toe Jam." True to form, the song is light, fun, and catchy as hell. It's so poppy that even the spastic rapping of Dizzee Rascal doesn't manage to knock it off course.

But the real star of this show is the video. So, I won't make you wait any longer until the naked disco party begins.

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Video of the Week - Q-Tip: "Move"

For all those people who wished somebody other than Justin Timberlake (i.e. a black person) would pick up the torch dropped by Michael Jackson, Q-Tip has answered the bell on his new album "The Renaissance." It was barely released last week and already I can tell that it's going to stay on repeat in my iPod for the next couple of weeks. That's because Q-Tip does a fantastic job of inserting his smooth lyrical flow into a kaleidescope of Hip Hop beats, Soul melodies and Jazzy grooves on every single track.

On "Move" we hear Q-Tip summoning his inner Curtis Mayfield, while the accompanying video is an unmistakable homage to Michael Jackson's video for "Rock With You." Tip may have foregone the sparkled sequined getup, but he kept the campy green light and smoke machine effects. It's a fitting tribute from an artist who owes much of the music on his album to the funky jams of Off the Wall. Now I just hope Q-Tip doesn't let this stuff get to his head and ends up recreating Moonwalker.

>>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Q-Tip: "Move""

Video of the Week - TV on the Radio: "Dancing Choose"

Some of you may have noticed my effusive praise for the new TV on the Radio album didn't include any songs for you to enjoy. That choice was a conscious one, as I wanted to force you to seek out the songs yourself based on my glowing praise.

There's always the idea in the back of my mind that when I post full songs many readers will just scroll straight to the bottom to listen and might never even bother with reading the words. Since my review of Dear Science was so glowing, I felt my words would be persuasive enough to provoke you guys into visiting TVOR's MySpace page, where you can stream the entire album. But since I am a man of the people I figured I should throw you a bone and post their latest video for your mindless consumption.

BTW, I apologize for the 20 second MTV promo at the beginning of the clip, but their version of the video is much better quality than the YouTube clip.

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

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Video(s) of the Week - Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy & TVOR: "Final Solution" & "Bela Lugosi's Dead"

[photo courtesy of the Official Nine Inch Nails Flickr photostream]

This week I am taking another opportunity to showcase the most fan-friendly and technologically savvy musician in the business, Mr. Trent Reznor. Why another post about Trent Reznor? Because I got floor seats to see Nine Inch Nails (with opener Deerhunter, YES!) tonight and I am pretty excited. Also, I wanted to prove a point about how free music actually benefits the music industry. While Reznor has been kind enough to release two full-length albums free of charge and free of strings attached, it's only fair that fans such as myself pay back the favor and use our cash to see him live and in person. See how that works, RIAA. A band/artist uses music for marketing themselves (and not necessarily as a profit stream) in order to generate ticket sales at the box office. It's not a hard concept to wrap your head around.

I decided to give you two videos because I couldn't decide which one of these I liked better. Filmed during a NIN sound check two years ago in Washington, DC, we see three exceptional acts letting loose to play two of their favorite songs. Peter Murphy hangs in background (at least mostly, since Murphy is too much of a ham to stay silent forever) to let Reznor take the reigns of his most recognizable song, "Bela Lugosi's Dead", while TV on the Radio lay down the backing music. On the next song Murphy takes center stage as the three acts pay homage to Pere Ubu's classic (and one of my favorites) "Final Solution." Both songs are executed flawlessly and I hope I get to see a similar surprise tonight at The Forum.

Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy and TV on the Radio - "Bela Lugosi's Dead"


Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy, and TV on the Radio - "Final Solution"

>>>Continue reading "Video(s) of the Week - Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy & TVOR: "Final Solution" & "Bela Lugosi's Dead""

Video of the Week - Stereolab: "Neon Beanbag"

Stereolab might be the simplest band to figure out. Their music follows a pretty consistent formula, with lounge-y melodies built upon Moog atmospherics and layered with cheery vocal delivery (although often time they are singing about leftist politics, the French lyrics and accents certainly sound cheery). You always know what you're gonna get with Stereolab, and that isn't an indictment of their sound. On the contrary, Stereolab has built a career of perfecting a sound that has managed to stay unique for nearly 20 years, so it would be foolish to penalize them for sticking so close to their guns when they practically invented it to begin with.

Their signature sound is showcased once again on their latest album, Chemical Chords. Like the last several albums before it, it isn't a giant leap forward musically, but is a compelling listen nonetheless. That's because over the years Stereolab has become more of a comfort band for me than anything else. That is, while they may not occupy a constant spot on my regular rotation of music, their music always comes in handy whenever I feel the need to listen to something light and fun. They never disappoint in satisfying that urge and their latest single "Neon Beanbag" achieves the goal just as good as anything else in their back catalog.

Not surprising, the video is simple and to-the-point. It's nothing more than a collage of bright colors and mod aesthetics set upon a backdrop of music that shares the same qualities. It's something that reminds me of Summer and helps take my mind off the fact that my favorite season is quickly drawing to a close.

Neon Beanbag
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Radiohead @ The Hollywood Bowl - 8/24 & 8/25

[photo courtesy of Flickr user sweetcell]

When one of the greatest bands on the planet comes to your town, you do what you can to see them perform. When they come in town for two days? Well, then you bite the bullet and shell out the cash to go twice.

It may not be such a cut-and-dry decision for everyone, but if you've had the pleasure of seeing Radiohead in person before then the choice becomes quite clear. I had seen the boys from Oxford three times previously and each time the experience was amazing. The last two nights were no exception as Radiohead put on a dazzling spectacle that entertained, stimulated the senses and inspired moments of emotional connection.

Sunday's setlist relied heavily on material from Kid A, Hail to the Theif, and In Rainbows, with nine of the 25 songs coming from the latter album. Conversely, they didn't play a single song off Pablo Honey (this was true of Monday as well) and only "Street Spirit" from The Bends made the cut. Clearly, Radiohead feel more at ease showcasing material from their most abstract creative works than with their more conventional rock fare. The accompanying visual stage setup only solidified this fact even further.

Surrounded by light rods, video screens and LED boards, the stage played almost as big of a role in entertaining the crowd as the music did. Syncopated light blips and waves of color during electronica-influenced songs like "Ideoteque", "Everything In Its Right Place", and "The Gloaming" enhanced the experience in awe-inspiring ways. While moments of noise and chaos like "The National Anthem" and "Paranoid Android" were met with video effects and spastic lighting sequences that made it look like the stage could blow a fuse and crash at any moment.

Thankfully, the stage held up and so did the band. Obviously, I was blown away and the second the lights turned on I was counting down to Monday's show.

While my seats on Monday were way out in the boonies, I did have a direct view of the stage, which was kind of nice as it forced me to pay attention to everything at once (not like I had a choice). What I noticed on the second night was how much the crowd connects with whatever kind of feeling Radiohead is projecting. During sad and slow songs like "No Surprises", "Pyramid Song" and "House of Cards" people seemed to follow Thom Yorke's lead by relishing the hidden beauty of anguished memories. No doubt many of them have managed to internalize their themes and apply them to their own lives.

When the volume got turned up and some older gems like "The Bends" and "Planet Telex" were revisited, the crowd instantly matched the band's thunderous fury by indulging in anthemic sing-along. I was once again reminded of how fiercely loyal and devoted Radiohead's fanbase is, which has yet to produce a bad crowd in the five times I've seen them perform.

Other highlights of night two were Thom and Johnny Greenwood's spontaneous (and well executed, I might add) cover of Neil Young's "Tell Me Why" (video included below) and Thom performing a track off his solo album ("Cymbal Rush") that he nearly forgot the words to.

In the end, it is hard to say which show was better. I felt like Sunday had a better mix of loud and quite songs, while Monday had a better mix of old and new (not to mention, a better encore). It really doesn't matter because the wonderful thing about seeing Radiohead is that it's nearly impossible to quantify which show was better than another. To me that is the mark of a truly great band, and a feat only a select few can actually manage to pull off.

August 24, 2008:

15 Step
There There
Morning Bell
All I Need
Pyramid Song
Nude
Weird Fishes / Arpeggi
The Gloaming
National Anthem
Wolf at the Door
Faust Arp
Exit Music
Jigsaw falling into place
Idioteque
Climbing up the walls
Bodysnatchers
How to Disappear Completely
—–
Videotape
Paranoid Android
Dollars and Cents
Reckoner
Street spirit (fade out)
—–
House of Cards
Lucky
Everything In Its Right Place

August 25, 2008:

Reckoner
Optimistic
There There
15 Step
All I Need
Pyramid Song
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
The Gloaming
Videotape
Talk Show Host
Faust Arp
Tell Me Why (Neil Young Cover)
No Surprises
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
The Bends
The National Anthem
Nude
Bodysnatchers
__

House of Cards
Planet Telex
Go Slowly
Fake Plastic Trees
True Love Waits Intro/Everything In Its Right Place

Cymbal Rush
__

Karma Police
Idioteque


Radiohead :: "Tell Me Why" (neil young cover) from gorilla vs. bear on Vimeo.

>>>Continue reading "Radiohead @ The Hollywood Bowl - 8/24 & 8/25"

Isaac Hayes R.I.P.

How come all the cool brothas keep dying? In just 24 hours Bernie Mac died of Pneumonia (he was only 50) and Isaac Hayes was found dead in his home next to a treadmill. Both losses were sudden and unexpected, but since this is a music blog I will choose to focus on Mr. Hayes' too short life.

Most people remember Isaac Hayes as the man who created one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time, Shaft. In 1972 his work on the Shaft soundtrack earned him the Academy Award for Best Song and three Grammys, as well as the #1 album and song ("Theme From Shaft") on the Billboard charts. While Shaft was undoubtedly a crowning moment, it would be foolish to say that it defined his career. In fact, even without Shaft Isaac Hayes would still be regarded as one of the most important figures in soul music.

Take a look throughout the vast catalog of Stax Records (which, along with Motown, was THE label of the 60's and 70's soul era) and you will see Isaac's fingerprints all over the place. His association with Stax began as part of the Mar-Keys, the original Stax house band who birthed many of the label's most successful and influential artists like Booker T. and the MG's and The Memphis Horns.

From there Hayes collaborated with Stax labelmate Otis Redding before eventually hooking up with David Porter to pen many of the label's most successful songs. In 1967 he finally stepped into the spotlight with his debut album Presenting Isaac Hayes, which was a commercial failure, but significant in that it established his signature sprawling jazz orchestral sound that would soon become his trademark.

Form there Hayes continued to build on that sound and achieved immense commercial and critical success with his second album Hot Buttered Soul. Considered perhaps his best work, Hot Butter Soul became one of the most influential soul albums ever. His next three albums "...To Be Continued", "The Isaac Hayes Movement" and "Black Moses" would also bring increased album sales (all broke the Billboard top 20) and critical praise, thus cementing his status as one of the most important figures in all of pop music even before Shaft was released.

So, while the casual music fan may instantly think of "Theme From Shaft" whenever Isaac Hayes is mentioned, it's important to recognize that the music world lost a creative giant today. As far as soul music goes, there aren't many who had a bigger impact than the man known as "Black Moses."

>>>Continue reading "Isaac Hayes R.I.P."

Video of the Week - Truckasauras: "Fak!!"

When I was a little kid the WWF (er...sorry...WWE) was probably the most important "sport" in my life. I remember always being disappointed whenever I couldn't convince my parents to pony up the cash to order Wrestlemania on pay-per-view, as if any amount of persuasion on my part would ever convince them to waste money on something so silly.

But when you're a kid it's hard to understand why anyone wouldn't like pro wrestling. I mean, the biggest and strongest "athletes" in the world are risking their lives to beat the hell out of each other, so what's not to love? And what about the buffoonish story lines, staged action, blatant racist overtones, and homo eroticism? My mind was too young and impressionable to process such things.

Thankfully Seattle electronic group Truckasauras made a video that points out how stupid this shit looked back then. This one focuses on the epic "Champion vs. Champion" match between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VI, with lots of clever editing to make all the gay innuendo as blunt as possible. Oh, and there's also a few cameos by Stallone, Travolta and Estevez.

[via Pitchfork.tv] >>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Truckasauras: "Fak!!""

Video of the Week - Public Enemy: "Rebel Without a Pause" (Live from the Pitchfork Festival)

So, there was this little music gathering in Chicago over the weekend called the Pitchfork Music Festival. Maybe you've heard of it? Anyway, aside from having a stacked lineup that included Ghostface and Raekwon, Spiritualized, Spoon, Boris, Cut Copy, King Khan, Dinosaur Jr., and many other super awesome bands, the organizers at P4K and the brains behind All Tomorrow's Parties Don't Look Back series joined forces to bring festival attendees something extra special. How special? Try Public Enemy performing It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back in its entirety special.

For those of us who couldn't make it to Chicago, at least P4K was kind enough to record some of the performance and share it with the world. I've been lucky enough to see PE live a couple of times, and they truly are one of the few hip hop acts whose style translates well to the stage. And even after all these years Chuck D, Flavor Flav (reality TV show embarrassments notwithstanding), Terminator X, and the S1W's can obviously still bring the noise with the best of them.

>>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Public Enemy: "Rebel Without a Pause" (Live from the Pitchfork Festival)"

Video of the Week - Radiohead: "House of Cards"

It was bound to happen sooner or later and what better band than Radiohead to have the distinction of being the first to receive "Song of the Day" and "Video of the Week" honors for the same song? As you may recall, I have quite a fondness for this track and believe it is one of the strongest found on In Rainbows. Where the song stood out mainly because of its simplicity and intimacy, the accompanying video is distinguished by its technological originality.

Created without the use of cameras or lights, "House of Cards" employs a combination of structured light and Lidar laser-enhanced scanners to create a real-time 3D model of Thom Yorke's movements. I really have no idea what most of that means, except that it sounds real cool and it's not surprising that Radiohead would be receptive something like this. Check out the video after the jump and read all about how it was made in the latest issue of Creativity.

>>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Radiohead: "House of Cards""

Video of the Week - Nine Inch Nails: "Echoplex" (Tour Rehearsal)

[Photo courtesy of the official Nine Inch Nails flickr page

Trent Reznor is on fire. Pure and simple, the man has been reborn ever since he was emancipated from his record deal and decided life as a musical free agent suits him well. Not only has his musical output exploded, but in a matter of months he's become the most web-savvy musician on the planet. NIN.com has evolved from a mere band website to the model for how to fully take advantage of all the latest social media and Web 2.0 (I hate that term, BTW) has to offer; and not in that square peg in a round hole type of way that so many make the mistake of doing. Indeed, you can tell that Reznor and his web developers carefully plan the digital content he offers to fan to ensure that it is always useful and informative.

When he created a social network for fans to interact he made sure it was more than simply a glorified message board and instead offered fans the opportunity to remix Nine Inch Nails songs and share them with fans across the world via podcasts, MP3 downloads and playlists. Now that he is preparing to launch a world tour with his NIN bandmates, Trent has also made keeping track of the band's travels a fan-friendly experience. Besides cutting scalpers out of the loop during ticket presales, he's released a free tour sampler EP with tracks from his band and the various opening acts throughout the tour (which includes Deerhunter, A Place to Bury Strangers and Crystal Castles), created fan pages on Facebook and other social media networks, and even made it easy to add tour dates to your Google Calendar.

And just recently he collaborated with Pitchfork.tv to offer fans three exclusive high quality videos showcasing the band rehearsing for their upcoming "Lights in the Sky" tour. I thought I would share my favorite one with you, if for no other reason than it totally makes me crazy go nuts in anticipation for when I see them play at the Forum on September 6th (I got floor seats, baby!).

Nine Inch Nails - "Echoplex" (tour rehearsal)
. >>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Nine Inch Nails: "Echoplex" (Tour Rehearsal)"

Shaq Disses Kobe in New Rap Song. The Real Victim? Hip Hop

So, by now most of you have heard about the major shitstorm caused by this video clip that's been floating around the Internet over the past few days. Shaq, in another attempt to convince America of his "talent" as an MC, decided to grab the mic at a New York club and lay down a freestyle rap about how great he is and how much Kobe Bryant sucks. If you haven't seen it then you would be wise to check out the video after the jump as Shaq masterfully rhymes the word me with me roughly 47 times. Get used to Shaq doing more and more stuff like this as his NBA career enters its twilight and he looks to expand his repertoire as an "entertainer". Oh boy, just what the hip hop world needs, another jackass who thinks he can rap!

>>>Continue reading "Shaq Disses Kobe in New Rap Song. The Real Victim? Hip Hop"

Video of the Week - Touchscreen Turntables in Action

Final Technology // User Testing from Scott Hobbs on Vimeo.

You may recall that I hailed video mixing the next frontier of turntablism, but what I neglected to take into account was the possibility that the turntable itself might be in store for its own redefinition. As this video shows, soon turntables won't even have to spin anymore. Instead, they could be manipulated with touchscreen interfaces and software, thus creating an entirely different way to interface with your music collection.

The prototype shown in this video is called ATTIGO TT and it works by allowing the DJ to use a touch interface to manipulate graphical waveforms in exactly the same way they would with vinyl records or CDs. As the demo shows, this ability to see a song or sample in a visual waveform affords the DJ unprecedented control over how they can manipulate sounds. It also seems to be much easier than scratching records, which requires more of a trained ear then a trained eye.

Truthfully, I have no idea how I feel about this. As a novice DJ myself, I get excited about the possibility of being able to spin and scratch music like a pro, but I can also see how this takes much of the skill out of being a good DJ. Plain and simple, blending and scratching with wax is much harder than this, and it takes a certain degree of talent to do it right. Though, I guess if Serato Scratch hasn't killed the vinyl DJ (in fact, many of the legends have incorporated it into their repertoires), then touchscreen turntables might not either. What do you guys think?

>>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Touchscreen Turntables in Action"

Video of the Week - Flight of the Conchords: "Ladies"

Bret. Jemaine. Rollerskates. Porn mustache. Do I really need to say anything else?

For those of you who don't already watch HBO's Flight of the Conchords, either because you don't have HBO (you can always download it via Bit Torrent), or never bothered to give it a shot, or you just have a horrible boring sense of humor, then please watch this video and enjoy the wonder that is The Fourth Most Popular Folk Parody Group in New Zealand.

>>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Flight of the Conchords: "Ladies""

Coachella Music Festival - Day Three

After almost two weeks have passed, now comes my final installment of my Coachella recap. I would've done it sooner, but I think I am coming down with a cold, so the motivation to post isn't that strong at the moment. Plenty of stuff happened on Sunday that made the day memorable, even if the pure awesomeness of Saturday made the day a little bit of a let down in comparison.

Me and my brother got the day off to another somewhat early start as we eagerly wanted to watch the Cool Kids perform at 2PM. We managed to make it inside by 2:15 and caught a good 30 minutes of their set on the main stage. Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish got the crowd riled up in classic hip hop fashion by pitting one side of the crowd against the other (always a go-to move by any hip hop artist) and shooting water at us with some Super Soaker squirt guns. There was also some football tossing with a couple of audience members and plenty of beats and rhymes to leave the crowd satisfied. The Cool Kids definitely managed to live up to their name in the short time they were given to perform (I mean, just look at how sweet those outfits are!).

Next up was one of my personal favorites of the weekend, dance noise outfit Holy Fuck. These dudes rocked the Gobi tent (the smallest of the three tent stages) as hard anyone I saw, with the exception of Cut Copy. There was tons of button pushing, knob twisting and keyboard mashing, along with heavy drums and guitar noise to keep the crowd moving throughout their 45 minute performance. As for me, I loved watching the band bob up and down like headbangers as they jammed away on their instruments. I hadn't realized it before, but Holy Fuck seriously aren't much different than your standard jam band. The only difference is their songs are shorter and you can dance to them.

After Holy Fuck finished up we ended up having a huge gap in our schedule as The Field's set was canceled due to VISA problems (thank you, Department of Homeland Security) and there wasn't much else that interested me and my brother for about two hours. So, we did what most people would've done, we killed time in the beer garden.

After some beers and food it was time to head to the Mojave tent to catch Spiritualized. This was another act that I was anxious to see, but after about 20 minutes of listening to horrible feedback and sound problems we decided to skip out early. It was pretty lame, but at least it afforded us the opportunity to catch the first 20 minutes of A-Trak and Kid Sister's set in the Gobi tent. While we only got to see the A-Trak warm up the crowd with a funky sauce DJ set (Kid Sister came on later, but we left to see Love and Rockets), it was nice to see how far this dude has come. I remember seeing him at the first Coachella Music Festival performing with the Original Scratch Pickles as a 16 year old kid and now he was moving a crowd of 3000 people any which way he pleased.

Next up was Love and Rockets. This was a band that I've always known I should like, but never did much to listen to their music before. I do like the first couple of Bauhaus records, so it only makes sense that I should listen to this band as well. After their performance at the Outdoor Theater, I think I will pick up a couple of their albums soon. They ended up being much louder than I thought they would be, and a couple of songs into their set I realized that Love and Rockets were indirectly responsible for 80's hair metal bands. They don't sound that similar, but if you add in some outrageous costumes, a lot of drugs and alcohol and remove half the talent, then you get Motley Crue. Sad, but true.

Once Love and Rockets did their thing all eyes pointed towards the main stage as Roger Waters' crew was still making final preparations for their elaborate setup. Elaborate is an understatement as the stage included an enormous video wall, something like 15 performers, pyrotechnics, speakers setup at the back of the field that pointed inward (for that 360 degree sound effect), puppets and, of course, a giant inflatable flying pig. When Waters came on at 8:30 the crowd that had accumulated was massive, but not overwhelming, as most people wanted space to experience Dark Side of the Moon sitting down.

Of course, Waters and his crew were given two and a half hours to perform, which means lots of time was filled with non-Dark Side material. I had heard the first hour was mostly solo material with a couple of Pink Floyd songs thrown in, so I only stayed for the first 20 minutes or so and then headed to the Sahara to watch Simian Mobile Disco.

This turned out to be a great decision as SMD threw it DOWN! For one, the tent was packed and I could only get a spot on the outskirts and secondly, these guys never stop moving around the stage. It's not like they are dancing or anything like that, but instead they are constantly moving from one modular synth to the next, twisting knobs and pressing keys at a rapid fire pace. There's four of them in all and they are arranged in a diamond formation to make it easy for each person to move from one to the other. They sounded great and crowd inside the tent was going absolutely bat shit crazy for them. One of the best acts I saw all weekend (non-Prince division).

Once SMD ended it was time to head back over to the main stage for some Dark Side of the Moon action. I only stayed up through "Money," but holy crap was that a good show! If it wasn't for the fact that I wanted to see Black Mountain really bad, I would've had no problem staying for the rest of Roger Waters' set. The sound and presentation were amazing and everything sounded exactly like Pink Floyd that it was hard to imagine that David Gilmour and the rest of them weren't on stage.

After that it was off to the Mojave for one last time to see prog-rockers Black Mountain. I really enjoyed this set, if for no other reason than to watch their guitarist shred away to create the grinding piercing sound that I love. The songs were loud and precise and that's really all I could ask for.

Once I left the Mojave tent I was tempted to make one last trip inside the Sahara to see Justice, but after being propositioned for mushrooms by a group of 17 year old girls and then noticing how many people around me were obviously on ecstasy (really people, it's 2008), I decided to bail and beat traffic home. I'm sure Justice was awesome, but I will have many opportunities to see them again, so I really can't say I left Coachella with any regrets. Another year, another weekend full of wonderful experiences. I already can't wait until the next one.

Roger Waters - "Time" live @ Coachella 2008 from Ivan Juarez-Mrazek on Vimeo.
>>>Continue reading "Coachella Music Festival - Day Three"

Coachella Music Festival - Day Two

Friday was a good warm-up for the more anticipated moments of the festival. While on the first day I spent most of my time in the the Gobi, Mojave and Saraha tents, Saturday was all about positioning myself in a prime spot for the Kraftwerk-Portishead-Prince trifecta that was to close out the main stage.

Now, in order to convey my experiences of the day accurately it is important to understand one important thing. Each band I saw fell into one of three categories: those who rocked it, those who sucked, and Prince. Yes, Mr. Nelson's performance was so special that it deserved its own special category. If you were there, then you know such hyperbole is totally within reason. If you weren't, then there's some nice videos at the end of this post to give you an idea.

The day got off to a wonderful start with a high energy set from Carbon/Silicon. Mick Jones was the center of everyone's attention as he posed and paraded around the stage with his trademark guitar punk style and gabbed with the crowd in his incomprehensible cockney accent. I was borderline giddy seeing one of my musical heroes (the dude was in THE ONLY BAND THAT MATTERED people!) in the flesh, and even more excited when they closed their performance with a cover of "Police and Theives." Since Mick and the boys refuse to cover Clash songs, covers of songs the Clash covered are good enough for me.

Next up was perennial Coachella favorite Cafe Tacuba. I have seen these guys at least 10 times previously, but I am always game to watch them again. And with Coachella always drawing a significant Latino following, their crowd was sure to be full of enthusiasm. The band played many favorites like "Chica Banda", "Chilanga Banda" and "La Ingrata" while also integrating some material off their newest album Sino. The crowd went wild as they waved flags, danced around, "heckled" the band (a playful show of respect) and sang every word. What surprised me the most was seeing a decent amount of gringos who knew all the words. Thank you very much, KCRW.

From there it was off to the Sahara tent to see nerd dance superstars Hot Chip. While they certainly blew away the crowd with their beats and electronic gizmos, the crowd was so damn big that I could only hang out way in the back. No matter, as there was plenty of entertaining people dancing on the grass to keep me interested (see the picture of the dancing scarf guy).

Afterwards it was time to make my move to the main stage. I knew Kraftwerk would have a sizable, but not enormous, crowd so making my way straight to the front wasn't a problem. I had one goal and it was to get up close photos of German robots, followed by some great shots of Portishead and Prince.

Kraftwerk played a wonderful set, which isn't hard for them since 99% of everything they do on stage is pre-programmed anyway. Nonetheless, the crowd was treated to a history lesson of the origins of modern dance and early hip hop in the form "Trans-Europe Express," "The Model," "Computer Love" and many more favorites. As is to be expected, ze Germans treated us with wonderful video screen visuals and even an appearance by real German robots. As many people who know me can attest, I have a soft spot for robots.

After Kraftwerk's dazzling set, the second most anticipated moment of the weekend was finally here, the first US performance by Portishead in over 10 years. Playing half old material and half selections from their new album Third, the Bristol trio seemed very comfortable on stage and sounded exactly as good as I hoped they would. Beth Gibbons showered us with her amazing voice, all the while looking as if she would cry at any moment(yes, she is every bit as sad in person as her lyrics suggest). Geoff Barrow worked on the Mini Moog, drum machines and turntables like the mad scientist we all think he is; and Adrian Utley strummed away on his guitar creating a lethal combo of understated melodies and metallic noise. The performance proved to me that Portishead deserves every bit of praise that critics bestow upon them.

Speaking of deserving high praise, the Main Event of the Coachella Music Festival came about 50 minutes after Portishead exited the stage in the form of Prince. To say this man is talented performer is and understatement. The man is Sly Stone, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix all rolled into one.

From the large cast of characters that joined him on stage (including Morris Day, Sheila E, a full brass section and backup singers), to the theatrical guitar solos and the epic song medleys, every second of Prince's performance was a spectacle. On top of that, he managed to play well past the festival's curfew (he ended at 1AM, curfew is midnight) and even covered Radiohead's "Creep" and the Beatles' "Come Together." Also, did I mention he played "Purple Rain"? PURPLE FREAKING RAIN!

In the end, after everyones' faces had melted from the memorable performance, it seemed like the consensus was that the night Prince played Coachella was among the seminal moments of the festival's history. For me, it ranks as the best I had ever seen (and I've never missed a Coachella), just ahead of the legendary Daft Punk and Pixies performances.

Kraftwerk "The Robots" - Coachella 2008 from Ivan Juarez-Mrazek on Vimeo.



Portishead "Glory Box" - Coachella 2008 from Ivan Juarez-Mrazek on Vimeo.



Prince covers "Creep" - Coachella 2008 from Ivan Juarez-Mrazek on Vimeo.



Prince "Purple Rain" guitar solo - Coachella 2008 from Ivan Juarez-Mrazek on Vimeo.
>>>Continue reading "Coachella Music Festival - Day Two"

Record Store Day = The Future of Turntablism?

For those of you who don't know, Record Store Day was a simultaneous celebration of independent record store culture that took place in stores across the nation and the UK. Here in Los Angeles that meant the place to be yesterday was Amoeba Records, where promotions, giveaways and celebrity DJ sets were on tap for their appreciative customers. So, naturally me and my brother, dedicated vinyl junkies that we are, decided to venture over to Hollywood to check out the festivities.

While we both spent over four hours searching for records (one of my favorite pastimes), we were also treated to DJ performances from the likes of Daniel Ash and David J (of Bauhaus/Love and Rockets fame), the Donnas (who basically put as little effort and enthusiasm into their set as possible) and Stones Throw co-founder/producer extraordinarie/beat magician Peanut Butter Wolf. I'll give you five seconds to guess which of the DJ's made a lasting impression. . .ready?

Rather than throw down a set full of vinyl goodness (which would've been fine by me, since PB Wolf can spin wax with the best of them), PB decided to kick it up a notch and do an all video set. What this means is he used a computer program (my guess is Virtual DJ) that interfaced with his mixer and allowed him to mix video clips as if they were records. It was pretty cool to watch and it was a pretty ingenious way of forcing the audience to focus their attention towards the stage, rather than nonchalantly listening to the music while flipping through the record racks.

As I watched PB Wolf do his thing, I kept thinking to myself "is this what the future looks like?" That is, will DJ-ing eventually turn into as much a visual experience as it is a musical one? I have no idea, but it's obvious that the synthesis of old (turntables, vinyl) technology and new (software, computer hardware) is creating more opportunities for the DJ to expand their artistic craft. It's fun to watch and I can't wait to see what else they'll come up with next.

[Photo courtesy of flickr user beaucolburn]

Peanut Butter Wolf @ Amobea Records, Hollywood from Ivan Juarez-Mrazek on Vimeo. >>>Continue reading "Record Store Day = The Future of Turntablism?"

Video of the Week - Bjork: "Wanderlust"

Nobody makes more imaginative videos than Bjork. Unsurprisingly, Bjork never plays it safe and uses the music video to create images that match the avant garde nature of her music. Her new video for "Wonderlust" is certainly no exception, and it's arguably the most visually beautiful video she's ever produced (and that's really saying something).

Directed by the production team known as Encyclopedia Pictura, "Wonderlust" actually comes in two flavors, regular old 2-D and an enhanced 3-D version set to debut tomorrow during the first annual Record Store Day (support your indie record stores, people!). While I can't speak for the 3-D version, I can say that the 2-D version is nothing short of stunning. So many bright and beautiful colors, as well fantastic set/costume design and even Cirque du Soleil-style choreography make this video truly a unique artistic endeavor. Of course, those of us who follow Bjork wouldn't have it any other way.

Wanderlust - 2d

>>>Continue reading "Video of the Week - Bjork: "Wanderlust""