Nestled on the breathtaking waterfront Downtown San Diego, the bi-annual CRSSD festival really takes the cake for us for unique and fun Southern California festivals. This March CRSSD will again deliver a refreshing and exciting line-up filled with great acts from all over the house, techno, indie, realms.

The thing that makes CRSSD so special is the fact that it combines some of the best acts in electronic music with a scene that’s a far from the candy kid rave circuit. Combine that with a great selection of gourmet food and craft beers all under the beautiful Spring San Diego climate and you’ve got one of the best weekends you’re going to have in a very long time. The venue itself boasts 3 separate stages, huge fountains for cooling off, and a grassy landscape comfortable enough to picnic on. If you’re in the area it would not be wise to miss this incredible weekend and did we mention the festival is 21+ so get ready to roam around with your cocktails freely from dancefloor to dancefloor.

This Spring’s line-up includes:

Empire of the Sun, Cirez D, Sasha, Gorgon City (LIVE), Bonobo (LIVE), Jai Wolf, Shiba San, Anna Lunoe, Nicole Moudaber, Tchami (LIVE), Little Dragon, Lee Burridge, MK, Alan Fitzpatrick, Amelie Lens, Boys Don’t Disco, Camelphat, Charlotte de Witte, Cristoph, DJDS, Eli Brown, Henry Saiz & Band, JP Soul, Kartell, Kyle Watson, Mark Knight, Max Chapman, Medasin, Molly, NoMBe, Nora En Pure, Patrice Baumel, Rodriguez Jr. (LIVE), Sébastien V, SNBRN, The Presets, Walker & Royce, Wax Motif

You can buy tickets here!

Romiro Lopez and Coyu – That’s Not Happening (Nicole Moudebar remix)

MK featureing A*M*E – My Luv 4 U

Tiga – Woke

Cirez D – In the Reds

DC & Hooks of Zeds Dead are releasing their new EP tomorrow. The four-track chef-d’oeuvre is appropriately titled ‘Adrenaline’ and is the perfect way to wrap up their epic ‘Graveyard Tour,’ which included more than fifty venues and enough bass to crush a family of Peruvian gorillas. Sure, the EP is only a measely 15 minutes long, but ZD will be releasing a free mixtape shortly on top of a huge Spring tour with Memorecks.

1. In The Beginning
2. Adrenaline
3. Hit Me
4. Oh No

Pre-order the album on iTunes

Credit: Jason Shindler

Not too much going down in the music world this past week. Although, I did make it to a new weekly event at Drai’s Penthouse in Hollywood to see Basement Jaxx spin alongside HARD‘s own Gary Richards (aka Destructo). Pretty cool night at an even cooler hotel. The vibes, although, I could do without. Pretty much the epitome of high class Hollywood clubbers who know they are better than you. Regardless, it was an experience. It was nice to see Basement Jaxx for free, because I wasn’t able to make it to Smokeout Fest due to unforeseen circumstances. Oh well…there’ll be others!

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Delightful Mention!

Artist: The Growlers
There’s something about bands with a timeless sound that always get me. The first time I heard these guys, I could have sworn they were just a bad ass surf/rock/psychadelic band from the 70s, only to find they’re in their mid 20s and local! The Growlers, Costa Mesa’s own, are definitely making a name for themselves, as they should be. The first time I went to see them was at one of their warehouse shows they threw from time to time. Really cool set up. $2 for entry and you get a couples CD with some random songs they had wrote, which ended up becoming collector’s items. They set up the warehouse very creatively and had a bar for everyone. We need more bands to do this. Now they’re opening for the likes off Dr. Dog, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, and most recently The Black Keys. I saw them when they opened for Julian Casablancas with The Strange Boys. Awesome show. All these bands are worth a listen and have made it on a YOLO List or will at some point, so check them out. They just released an EP called Hot Tropics which you can read more about and download at Let Your Hair Down. Looking forward to their full length.

Artist: Kids At The Bar
Another dancy/electronic DJ duo that is bound to make it in the libraries of every electronic fan out there. Just like I called it with the Bloody Beetroots, Jack Beats, The Twelves and Felguk, these guys are going to do big things in the future. They just need to be heard. Kids At The Bar are remix extraordinaires, and that’s how you have to start. Take a song thats big and put your own spin on it. They have all ready developed their own sound, which is crucial, and theirs is more favorable then most. Their “Walking on a Dream” remix is my favorite rendition of the song. It was the first I heard from them, and “love at first listen” is an understatement. I’ll throw it up in case you missed it. Watch out for these guys.
Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream (Kids At The Bar Remix)

Artist: The Black Keys
All my rock lovers look no further, as these guys are gods amongst men. The Black Keys consists of singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. They specialize in lo-fi psychedelic rock and blues. These guys formed in 2001, and in 2003 Rolling Stone named them one of the top ten best acts behind Outkast and the White Stripes. I had heard about these guys the first time back in 2006 upon their release of Magic Potion, but it took until their most recent release of Brothers for them to really hit home. I’ve always been an advocate of the lo-fi rock sound, and these guys have damn well nearly perfected it. Another one of those timeless sounding bands that any rock or soul lover is bound to enjoy. The whole Brothers album is a work of art and has taken up a majority of my listening time the past couple weeks. They’ve got a massive discography, so I suggest you get started now.

Credit: Jason Shindler

Nothing like a beautifully sunny day in Newport and football to make this Bassnectar hangover easier to deal with. For all of you who missed his sold out show last night at the Wiltern, all I can say is that it would probably be in your best interest to not let it happen again. It was my third time seeing the guy and definitely won’t be the last. He gets better every time. There is never a single second of mediocrity in any of his sets. Three things are guaranteed with Bassnectar: bass, bass, and bass. He sound checks the fuck out of the set before he plays, which makes for unmatchable sound quality throughout. It’s just as loud as you want it to be. If Bassnectar was playing at a 10, the opening DJs were playing at a 6. Tops.

Sound aside, his music selection is impeccable. He plays all the best songs and puts his special spin on them. All the while, headbanging and getting down hard behind his mane of hair for the full two hours. My only complaint of the night was the fact that he didn’t play Seek and Destroy, Timestretch, or Where Is My Mind. All good though, because his sets are always different and equally amazing. Bassnectar is definitely a top of the line DJ as far as performance and music choice goes. The vibes you get at one of his shows are incomparable to anything else you’ll ever be a part of. You can go as crazy as you want, and everyone is okay with it. In fact…if you’re not going crazy, there’s something seriously wrong with you. I’m looking forward to the next time he makes his way down here.

On to my favorite part of the week, your YOLO list.

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Delightful Mention!

Artist: Elvis Costello Album: This Year’s Model
Thanks to my friends at Let Your Hair Down, my earbud pleasures consisted solely of Elvis Costello‘s second creation This Year’s Model. Their review put me over the edge to give it a listen. These guys have told me almost everything I know about rock/indie music and have pointed me in the direction of so many good acts. I’ll leave it to them to sway you:

Elvis Costello may be my favorite artist of all time – and if I’m speaking before I think here, I can assuredly say that he’s certainly one of the most unrelentingly creative and diverse artists to ever press grooves into a vinyl record. Sure, after the Attractions went their separate ways the frist time, Elvis (real name Declan MacManus – why change it? Declan is a pussy-gettin’-wet name) hasn’t been quite the same. No albums have been mind-blowing since the downhill solo adventure that started with 1989’s Spike, but the first 12 years, and first 8 albums recorded therein are pure fucking gold.

My Aim is True, his debut (solo!) album was a revelation for me – hearfelt songs about mysterious loss, first times in the bedroom, getting old, and yes, facism! That album has everything, and it had every reason to make him an overnight sensation (it did.) But, ever the maverick, Costello put together a band, branded them The Attractions, and recorded his second full-length, which would become This Year’s Model. The album contains just as much wonderful wordsmithery as his freshman release, but showcases a more confident, angrier, dare I say – punker Elvis. It’s not punk strictly speaking, but as Elvis rants about how the radio industry is run by retards on “Radio Radio,” one can’t help but see why the Sex Pistols respected the bespectacled virtuoso. (Not to mention his history making SNL performance of the song, google it)

The record opens up with a bang on “No Action” and doesn’t slow down at all until the final track, the “overly british” according to Columbia Records “Night Rally.” This Year’s Model is the bedrock upon which Costello would build his revolutionary music career, send off the 70s with a bang, and inspire artists for years to come. Like Buddy Holly before him, a bespectacled messiah of pop music.

And for all you Radiohead-jerking, Of Montreal-loving doubters out there, Pitchfork gave it a 10/10. Suck it.

Artist: Skrillex
I’ve been hearing more and more about this guy the past few weeks. The first songs I listened to were some of his very creative remixes, but for some reason never decided to look deeper. Major mistake on my part, because this guy is filled with talent. Skrillex (Sonny Moore) used to be the front man of post-hardcore band From First To Last, before he decided to take his talents to a solo act.

Before
After

He’s on the darker side of electro, much like sebastiAn and Wolfgang Gartner. He throws together a bunch of really quick, hard samples in a fashion I’m not used to hearing, which puts him apart from others. Another of his specialties is producing dubstep. There aren’t many producers that can put out some banger-ass tracks across two sub-genres. Skrillex just released an EP, which you’re seeing less and less of nowadays. If you want to get big in the electronic world, you really have to have your own shit. Anyway, his EP titled respectively My Name Is Skrillex EP is on Mau5trap Records (as of Sept. 30, 2010). Click that link to download it for free! They accept any and all donations. He’s going on a U.S. tour with our very own Deadmau5, which is HUGE, and I couldn’t be happier for him. I see big things coming from this guy in the near future so remember the name.

Credit: Jason Shindler

While summer tours and events come to an end, autumn brings us the last music packed months of the year. Monster massive, HARD Haunted mansion(omfg), Smokeout Festival, Lovevolution (oh wait..), TAO .. and way too much more. I saw SPOON for free the other day at sold out Palladium (courtesy of FYF Fest). Absolutely beautiful last-minute show. I saw them at Coachella, but nothing beats seeing a band that everyone is there to see together at a more intimate venue. Much like when I see Bassnectar at the Wiltern this Saturday. COME WITH! Tickets are $30 here.

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Delightful Mention!

Martin Solveig feat. Dragonette – Hello
Just as I started fiending some new, catchy, dancy, upbeat electro my brother Amir senses my despair and sends me this A+ track. Martin Solveig (born Martin Picandet) is a french DJ/producer who collabbed with Dragonette to birth this ridiculously catchy track. Dragonette is a 3 piece new wave/synth pop band from Canada. One of those bands with a girl singer with a really pretty voice that’s perfect for throwing on electro beats and remixing. I was introduced to them, because Midnight Juggernauts remixed one of their older tracks (included it as a bonus below). Been at the top of my playlists for years. Definitely haven’t been able to stop busting out “Hello” so enjoy.
Dragonette – I Get Around (Midnight Juggernaughts Remix)

Artists: Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP
Now I know this isn’t an unfamiliar set of names. Their single “We Speak No Americano” has topped the charts in countries all over the world. The Jersey Shore fags even made a video with it. And if that wasn’t enough, I’ve heard it on 102.7 as well. I’ll cut the bitterness. I’m happy for these guys, and they definitely deserve the exposure. Creativity like this definitely needs to be heard. Yolanda Be Cool is a DJ duo from Australia consisting of Sylvester Martinez and Johnson Peterson. DCUP, also a DJ/producer from Australia, throws down on some tracks with YBC. I’m thinkin’ they should just combine forces under the Yolanda Be Cool name…on account of the fact that it’s a bad ass name. The name is a reference to the film “Pulp Fiction”, where the character Jules (played by Samuel L. Jackson) shouts “Yolanda be cool” to a female armed robber named Yolanda. I LOVE Quentin Tarantino movies, so extra points for them. Their “Afro Nuts” song is a funky ass, disco’d out masterpiece for your listening pleasure. These guys are good.

Artist: Deerhunter
This isn’t the first time I’ve thrown Deerhunter on one of the YOLO lists. But if you didn’t like it before, give them one more chance with these tracks. Their new album Halcyon Digest was released last week and, thanks to my friend Amir (damn two Amir’s this week), it’s all I’ve been listening to. It’s an indie fans dream. Deerhunter is a four piece indie rock band from Atlanta, GA. They usually stick to a more ambient sound with Bradford Cox’s (solo project: Atlas Sound) dream like voice taking you away. More on the mellow side. On Halcyon Digest, they stick to their ambient sound but take it to a more up-beat level. Lots of really dancy songs accompanied by their classicly psychadelic, mellow treats. This album is necessary for anyone with ears.

Credit: Jason Shindler

Ten weeks of this…wow. Can’t remember the last time I’ve committed myself to something for that long, and I couldn’t be happier. I love that people have been going out of their way to tell me they’ve been picking up from these lists, because that’s the motivation I need to get it done. Very busy week with school starting, and I had to miss out on BOTH socal Ratatat dates because of it. My friend and I entered a contest and won tickets to the Pomona show, but I couldn’t go so I had to live vicariously through her that night. I only cried a little, though, and I’m sure they’ll come back. On the other hand, I did get to see my friends’ band In Fear and Faith that night at sold out Chain Reaction, which ensued some nostalgic memories. Nothin’ like a hardcore show to unleash some anger on teenage scenesters. Concerts are concerts, so I still had a great night. Have a good week and good luck on midterms to state schools!

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Delightful Mention!

Artist: Ratatat

Because of their socal shows this week, I haven’t been able to stop talking about them. Much to my surprise, a lot more people haven’t heard of Ratatat than I thought. This raises a major problem. Ratatat opened for Daft Punk the last time they were in LA, and they wouldn’t let just anyone carry that honor. Ratatat is an electronic/indie music duo out of Brooklyn, NY, composed of Mike Stroud (guitar) and Evan Mast (bass, synth, producer). Their music is more on the synthed-out, electronic side with added guitars and toe-tapping drum beats. A lot of their songs would work great for hip-hop artists to rap over (they’ve worked with Kid Cudi on songs like Pursuit of Happiness) or for mix tapes. They’ve provided us with two remixed mix tapes doing just that (Volume 1/Volume 2). I threw one of their mix tape songs on the YOLO list for you to get a feel of what they can really do. Hopefully, they come back soon because they’re latest album LP4 is my favorite and I need to see them throw down live. Here’s a picture my friend took from their sold out show at Pomona…it hurts to look at:

Artist: Beck
I’ve been listening to Beck consistently since the first time I ever heard him. He’s got a sound that I haven’t heard anywhere else. He combines a lot of rock, classic and new, and electronic while adding a weird funky feel that only he can pull off. All of his albums differ greatly which makes him very enjoyable to listen to. Pretty much has an album for every mood. Whether you wanna dance, or cry, or chill, or jam, he’s been there and has got the tunes for you. I was fortunate enough to meet him after I saw Air at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, because my friend was nice enough to give me friends of the band tickets. When we were in the waiting room to meet Air, I looked to my left and lo and behold there he was! I had to say something, so I just told him how much his works meant to me and asked if he was planning on playing in LA or making more music. The future looks grim in that regard. His live shows are action packed affairs, so you can bet I’ll have my fingers crossed for sure. Coachella, please Beck!

Kelis – 4th of July (Rusko Remix)
Rusko does it again, that cheeky bastard. You’ve probably heard me talk about him on here, and if not, just know that I gotta lotta love for the guy. He’s dubstep’s frontrunner in the world and has finally made the big move to LA to evoke some change in the scene. His last album was a major disappointment and is nothing like the sound of this song, so don’t let it fool you. His remixes and EPs definitely make up for it, though. Check out Chronic Mncher’s dubstep post to get the 411 on his bangers, and then some. I’m very selective with my dubstep, as it either hits home or is garbage. This song is the direction I hope dubstep heads towards. Super heavy, lots of creatively quick samples, and dirty bass drops. Make sure your speakers are turned up all the way, because dubstep just isn’t the same unless that bass is rattling your core.

Can it be Halloween all ready? Fuck man…I can’t wait for Haunted Mansion. Let me help you make your decision: Night 1/Night 2

-Skinny Genes

Credit: Jason Shindler

Another day, another dollar. Another week, another playlist. I just shuffled through my library for this one. A little less personal, but it will get the job done. I’ve been needing a new mix. It’s week zero for UC people…when the regulated parties bring you down, listen to this:

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Delightful Mention!

Artist: sebastiAn

I’ve mentioned this guy in past posts, and by good reason. If you haven’t picked up some of his stuff yet, now is the time. sebastiAn has been with me since the beginning of my electronic music escapades. He has a sound and style that is unmatchable by anyone else. It’s kinda dark, has a lot of quick samples, that I feel would take ages to put together in the way that he does, and it’s bassy as can be…he makes sure of it. He’s also on Ed Banger Records, which is one of, if not THE most renowned electronic music labels in the world. With acts like Justice, Mr. Oizo, Uffie, DJ Mehdi and headed by Busy P, you can bet they wouldn’t be on their for nothing. sebastiAn made a CD full of remixes that you can get here. It’s a compilation of everything he’s remixed from 2005-2008. All good. All necessary.

Artist: Pretty Lights
I’ve been getting more and more into Pretty Lights as the days go by. They’ve been recommended to me on numerous occasions and have been at a lot of the festivals I’ve been to. For some reason, I have yet to see them. Apparently, their live show is where they get a lot of their acclaim. Pretty Lights consists of DJ/producer Derek Vincent Smith and Adam Deitch on drums, for live shows. They are very comparable The Glitch Mob, but still have their own thing going on. Smith started off producing a lot of hip hop beats early on and the result was Pretty Lights. He samples a lot of vintage, funky soul songs and mixes it up with his take on hip hop and synthy electro. A very unique sounds that makes for a pleasant listen. All of their albums are available to download for FREE on their website. He requests a small donation if possible. For these tunes, I can make the sacrifice.

There you have it folks. School is almost in session…let’s hope it doesn’t restrict the flow of posts. The YOLO lists are too fun.

-Skinny Genes