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.
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.
