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

Party people…it’s been too long. I’ve got some delightful treats to make up for it in this week’s list. Lot’s of concerts are coming up in the near future that all you guys should consider. I wish I could make it to Ratatat on the 21st at Club Nokia, but I’ll be at Bassnectar at the Wilter in the city of angels on October 9th. Haunted Mansion is fast approaching, and tickets will take their next price jump soon. Check out the Upcoming Events page for details if you STILL haven’t made up your mind on going. It should be a no brainer. Come with me.

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Delightful Mention!

Artist: Goose
I stumbled upon these guys the other day. I accidentally clicked my Last.fm recommended artist section, and the first song that played was “Bring It On.” They were recommended to me because Soulwax was the first related artist. Needless to say, I was hooked immediately. They have the same thing going on as Soulwax as far as sound and dancy-ness goes. Goose is a four piece band complete with a singer, synther, bassist and drummer. Most of their songs start off with a really catchy synth beat that’s followed closely by the drums that’s almost certain to make you move. It will all make sense after you hear the first song.

White Sky (Basement Jaxx Club Mix) – Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend has always held a special place in my heart. Their good vibes and masterful musicianship has always kept them at the top of my charts. Contra their newest album was very much a continuation of their self titled. A lot of people were expecting a different sound and it would have been nice to see some progression, but I still loved it. It’s all too happy and easy to get down to. Nothing makes me happier than when someone takes an indie track like this and transforms it into a danceable club beat. Basement Jaxx have been in the game for awhile, so you can trust that they wouldn’t put their name on anything that wasn’t choice. I’ve had this one on repeat for the past week and by good reason.

Artist: 2 Many DJ’s
2 many? Never enough, if you ask me. 2 Many DJ’s is essentially a Soulwax DJ set. Stephen and Dave Dewaele thought it wasn’t enough to be part of one of the biggest electronic names in the business, so they went on to create 2 Many DJ’s. They always found themselves wanting to spin some of their favorite music when they were in clubs, so they created this group to do just that. The best part is they put their own little Soulwax spin on the songs and seamlessly weave them together live. Their show consists of them spinning in front of a big screen with the album art of the song their banging out. I always respected this, because they’re helping promote a lot of the songs they play. They released their mixtape “As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2” which showcases how talented of DJs they really are. Not only are these guys gods as producers, they really know good music.

Artist: Thee Oh Sees

These guys are a garage rockers dream come true. I was fortunate enough to finally see them at FYF Fest last weekend, and they were just as crazy live as I had hoped. The band is headed by John Dwyer (pictured), who is the backbone and brains of the group. He switched between a regular guitar and his 12 string through the songs and was getting down the whole time. Their lo-fi sound and creative guitar riffs, coupled with the harmonizing of Dwyer’s voice with Brigid Dawson’s (keyboard) really makes for a good sound. They didn’t really catch on with me until I heard their first serious full length “Help.” From start to finish, it really is a rocking album. My favorite off the album is “Meat Step Lively.” Lucky for me, I pulled out my FLIPcam in the nick of time, and it made for an awesome video. Fuck yeah!

Alright guys I hope you learned something new today. The music just keeps coming, so I’ll try and continue to pass on the latest and greatest and old but timeless. All of your feedback and comments fuel the site, so let me know what you liked and didn’t like.

-Skinny Genes

Goodbye room!

Music.Music.Music.Music.Music. This is going to have to be a shorter, less informative YOLO List for this week. I spent too much time on the HARD Haunted Mansion posts (Night 1/Night 2). Now it’s time to make the move out of my former house and ready myself to move to sunny Newport Beach, California. I probably shouldn’t have waited to do everything last minute, especially since I’m seeing Chemical Brothers and Chromeo tonight at the sold out Hollywood Bowl. But you only live once, and I’m not about to put my life on hold fo’ nothin’. Enjoy this list! All of your feedback fuels this site, so thank YOU for that. C+A+D is happy to hear we’re helping to make your music world go ’round.

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Delightful Mention!

**Courtesy of Muddy Flowers singer Amir Razmjou, who was also featured on YOLO List: Week 3.

Artist: Sonny & the Sunsets
Album: Tomorrow is Alright

The San Francisco music scene is currently out of control, especially when it comes to finding fresh creative ways of making pop music. Sonny Smith and his band The Sunsets are creating their own place in this community. Smith’s vision is a much more nostalgic and stripped down one; filled with acoustic guitars, hand percussion, catchy bass lines, and beautiful vocal harmonies full of la la la’s and ooh’s and ahhh’s. These songs are so beautifully simple that it can’t be overstated. Smith sings about love in all its glorious forms, growing up, killing people with a tube of cream, a planet of women where men are kept in chains, and much more. If you read more about Sonny Smith, you will find he is what you would call a modern renaissance man of the arts. He’s written plays, directed films, worked on visual art, and now music. In a recent project, he created 100 fictitious bands, and had various visual artists draw album art for each of these artists, and then Smith wrote and recorded a song for each of these artists… yes.. 100 songs. This project was displayed in a gallery in San Francisco. Look at Sonny & the Sunsets– “Tomorrow is Alright” as a snapshot of Smith’s carefree, poetic, and loving view of the world.

Previous YOLO Lists
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1

do NOT forget to dance.

Party people. It’s always good to be back here with these playlists. I was worried for a second that it’d be harder to make these lists as the weeks went by, wrong. Every time I’m shuffling through my library, I stumble upon another song or artist I feel you guys should be listening to. I hope you guys are using these lists to help guide you in the direction of finding new music. I’m just trying to make it easier. Use Last.fm to help you find related music and just go from there. Last.fm is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me music-wise. When you sign up for it, it gives you this program that goes through your iTunes and sees what and how much of what you’ve been listening to and gives you recommendations depending on that. Plus, the artist bios and the most popular song lists are very helpful. Anyway, the list is all ready for you below. Try and leave a comment of your thoughts on the list if you can. I love hearing that you guys are enjoying these.

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Delightful Mention!

Gifted – N.A.S.A.
N.A.S.A. (North America South America) is a DJ duo who have collaborations of songs with artists from a wide spectrum of musical backgrounds. This song in particular features Kanye West, Santigold and Lykke Li. “Gifted” is another one of those songs that has numerous remixes, many of which that rival the original. The first time I ever heard it was the Treasure Fingers remix. Leave it to Treasure Fingers and The Twelves to take a choice song and turn it into a disco’d out party. His remix is definitely my favorite rendition of the original. I just heard the Masuka remix the other night. Instant hit for any bass head. As I’ve said before, I’m really particular about dubstep. It either hits home or is garbage, to me. This song is definitely one of the better dubstep remixes that I’ve heard. Ya’ll mutha fuckas know who dis is.

Artist: Fake Blood

Fake Blood is one of those DJs who constantly delivers. “Mars” put him on the map last year as it made its way onto any experienced DJs set. His songs always hit hard as fuck, and he kills it live. I saw him at HARD 13 in March with Jack Beats and Boy 8 Bit. He also released an essential mix that ended up being the fifth best of the year. Make sure to look him up and remember his songs, because you can bet you’ll be hearing them at an electronic show. He’s going to be at HARD Haunted Mansion on Saturday. So, if you DO go that day, be sure to see him. You won’t be disappointed.

Fake Blood Essential Mix

Artist: Cheetahsaurus
If you’ve been following these lists, you probably remember me talking about one of my favorite bands that broke up called The Colour. I don’t want to get into how sad I am, still, that they broke up, so I won’t. Of their band members, the lead singer Wyatt Hull went to this band, Cheetahsaurus. It’s nice to hear his voice, because it was one of the best parts of The Colour, but it’s definitely not the same. These guys still have a lot of soul, and the song is pretty catchy. As far as I know, they’ve only released one album that was decent at best. The remaining members of The Colour went to a different band, that seems to be doing better, called We Barbarians. Both are still great indie rock bands, but they’ll never really compare to The Colour.

Previous YOLO Lists
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1

Giving another week it’s own playlist..