welcome to miami.

Winter Music Conference 2009 was no exception to the fact that MIA really pops off like in the Will Smith joint. Over a decade after the song was released, I still heard it in nearly every cab I took. The trip was filled with sun, surf, spa, sippin', and sets by some of the world's most notable DJs. The party was pretty much non-stop so I'm just gonna talk about some of my favorite moments.

A lot of the action went down at the Gansevoort rooftop Plunge. This was an awesome spot because the ocean is in view, there is a rooftop pool, and, well, we saw Dennis Rodman. Ca$$idy and Fabiana DJed here on our last day in town.


The Scion parties were nice because they were in the sand. The high point of these two days was definitely the finale duo of A-track and DJ Mehdi.


My favorite parties were the Armani Exchange afternoon events and the Le Baron party at the Raleigh. Belvedere and Monster sponsored, to make things more amazing. Rye Rye stole the show with her performance at the AE party, reminding me why I love her so much. Le Baron featured Mattie Safer of The Rapture, DJ Medhi, and Erol Alkan. They killed it.


Before I knew it, it was our last night in Miami. Here we are sitting at Rokbar, anxiously awaiting heading to the Mad Decent party to see Diplo, etc. Lil' Jon ended up being the special guest. I especially enjoyed Trouble & Bass, though, because they had one of the most energetic performances I have ever seen. Rusko also delivered an impressive set, but I couldn't krump to it.


Mad Decent started to get a little bit out of control (i.e. man in a dress on a bicycle on some kind of psychedelic drug(s)) so we went back to crash at the hotel. The next night as my flight landed I was tuckered out and so happy just to see the Washington Monument blinking at me. But I won't forget my first trip to Miami: Party in the city where the heat is on.

LINKS:
Miami
Shake it to the Ground

i will always be the outlaw for your love.

Ramesh Srivastava has still got it in terms of vocals, haunting melodies, and lyrical genius. The new Voxtrot track "Trepanation Party" makes this clear. The question is whether their newfound electronic sound stems from the undeclared absence of stellar guitarist Mitch Calvert. Ramesh addressed the band's quietude only in saying:

Regarding our absence, sometimes one needs to disappear in order to regroup; situations change and human beings are swept here and there by the marvelous ebb and flow of culture. And so, there can be only this: a return to a love of music.

I adore "Trepanation Party" for its metaphor and attention to an individual's reality. Voxtrot lyrics always find a way to have a resonance and relevance to my life, making me listen over and over again because of the connection. The music I would say is just okay, following along the heels of some kind of New Order or Depeche Mode cover. I think I could do without the new direction. In the end, I will always cherish the days of the Raised By Wolves EP, but this track does enough to keep me wanting more.

DOWNLOAD HERE
radio interview with ramesh

back it up on me.

I haven't felt so hyped about a song in a long time. "Neva Believe U" by Mavado, a Jamaican dancehall artist, has me dancing whether it's in my room or out in the club. I don't even usually like dancehall! Something about the key is perfect and the dirty lyrics add to the charm because everything sounds better in Jamaican Patois. This song was tweeted about by Diplo and made the rounds to me via DJ Gavin Holland. Looks like Gully God has a summer jam on his hands.



& for all kinds of hot joints, download the Nouveau Riche for DURKL mixtape free from http://durkl.com/.

we're too old. we're not old, old at all.

Last night I headed over to The Black Cat to check out Nunchucks and The Antlers. It's been a while since I've seen a band live without hearing any tracks first, so I just dove in. Ronald was gracious enough to comp me on the "food stamps list" so that us poor folk can stick together and see live music. His band, Nunchucks, are a high energy rock group hailing from the DC metro area. They are a solid group and put on a great show. The songs are catchy, they have coordinated moves, and had the backstage dancin' a bit. Check them out at www.myspace.com/nunchucksrock.

The Antlers, out of Brooklyn, have a more ambient sound. Their set had a very ethereal vibe to it. During "Bear" and "Two" my eyes were glued to the stage. The vocals were tender yet strong and the instrumentation suited the songs and set a mood. Look 'em up at www.myspace.com/theantlers or stream their full album here.

she asked me if i would ever fall.

Skywave are an amazing group from the 90's and early 2000's. Hailing from Fredericksburg, VA, they helped the resurrection of shoegaze in the United States. Every time some type of "shoegaze" is mentioned there is talk of derivation from The Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, but Skywave definitely carve out their own place.

In terms of albums, I am partial to Took the Sun (1998). Each song is mesmerizing with its perfectly placed feedback, dissonance, and accentuating percussion. The guitars are layered with complexities and add so much to each track while the vocals work well to set an emotional tone. Not one song sounds the same as the one before it, but there is an innate cohesiveness to the album. In addition to the below song, I highly recommend "Walking on Stars" and "Sanddune".

"Sixteen" -


The music is still alive, the bassist went on to form A Place To Bury Strangers. They come off as a bit more abrasive to me, but are still very very good. Ceremony, another solid effort, came from two other members. I just can't help but keep a little special place in my heart for Skywave.

go somewhere private where we can discuss fashion.

On the heels of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week I've decided to sum it up with LISSY TRULLIE.



Trullie, hipster model turned musician, was present at the La Baron party at the Bowery. She also DJs at Paul Sevigny's hotspot Beatrice. Lissy is worth checking out just to see that not everyone in that scene is so vapid. Her songwriting skills are actually pretty decent and her voice is incredibly unique.

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In terms of New York party spots, I would also highly recommend Mr. West. One of the best hip-hop DJs I've ever heard and a pretty relaxing atmosphere make this a club frequented by Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Mary J. Blige when they are in town.

Most fun fashion show? I would say this is a tie between Jill Stuart and William Rast. The Jill Stuart show featured these amazing and sophisticated black lace pieces that I could see myself wearing. It also helped that The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Blonde Redhead accompanied the girls as they strutted down the runway. Justin Timberlake's line, William Rast, left something to be desired clothing-wise. The "New America" theme just didn't do it for me, but I was starstruck by the Hilton's, JC Chasez, Jessica Biel, Anna Wintour, and Carine Roitfeld.

Fashion Week was crazy, but it's good to be home.

please don't throw it all away.

My New Favorite Song:


When I was doing my radio show over the summer I came across a demo. A song called "You're Making This Hard" by Irish indie band Sweet Jane. The song was reminiscent of Darklands (1987) era The Jesus & Mary Chain and featured a duo of male and female vocals, steady bass drum beats, and driving guitars. Unfortunately, they changed it up a lot for the version in their EP, which can be previewed on their myspace.

"Blackboots Blackhearts" is the title track on the EP. It is really the style of stuff I'm into right now. In lieu of something lovey and valentiney, I'll go with something that reminds me of exactly how I feel. Just the right blend of melancholy and feedback.