Niki.and.The.Dove.(L!VE)...

Niki.&.the.Dove.2013

@el.Rey.Theatre.(Los.Angeles, CA)

Monday.January.28th

"This show is awesome, just like The Faint", someone said behind me while N&TD where performing. Really?!?!  Niki and The Dove show was good, but you can't compare.  The Faint was...AMAZING!  

I arrived around 8 o'clock and the venue was light that I was able to be right on the stage.  I could count the people in the room.  They where two opening acts before Niki and The Dove that where...okay.  I turned around to checkout the crowd and the person next to me, whipped out her mini iPad?!?!  Really?!?!  Funny.  

Right after the second band, the venue was packed.  I use to be that person who would come in right before the opening  band went off stage just to see the main band.  Ever since I arrived early to see Balam Acab  in NYC and TRUST was the opening band (with other two bands), I would of never have stumbled on to them.  So now, I make it a habit to be early because you never know.   Plus, I get to be up close to get a good picture of the band.  

It was great to see Niki and The Dove on a bigger stage with a good sound system.  I loved looking at the fans who where by the stage (like myself) singing to every song.  This show was better from that crazy venue in Echo Park. They had issues there and you can see it in there faces, which made them cut there set short.  Malin Dahlström (Lead Singer) broke out with this hair piece that reminded me of Frida Kahlo.  Then she grabbed her furry fans and fanned us with them.  It felt nice.  

With a great performance, I couldn't stop looking at the outfits that Malin Dahlström and Gustaf Karlöf (Keyboardist) where wearing.  Malin was a clash of eighties Maddona and Cindy Lauper with the dance moves of Lisa Lisa (Cult Jam).  Gustaf was also something from the eighties with his long white dress shirt, wearing black pants that where rolled up to his ankles that showed off his white socks.  That look was HUGE for the Modern Rock guys, because I was doing that.  If you have not heard of them, you should pick up their latest album, "Instinct".  It was one of my top 30 albums of 2012.

\m/ - AWESUM!

Diamond.Rings and Icona.Pop...(L!VE)

CYPT2.

Two.Year.Anniversary.2012

@the.EchoPlex (Los Angeles, CA)

Tuesday.November.6th

Okay...what the hell was that.  It feels like I am watching a variety show.  The first band reminded me of A.R.E. Weapons, but a fucked up version of them.  This is more  noise guitar, think of Sleigh Bells.  The lead singer came out with this black cloak with the hood up and his face painted like a skeleton ghost.  To top this off, he was wearing Adidas flip flops.   It was a fucked up outfit.  This guy would sometimes put his foot on the monitor's and almost trip over it.  Not just once but several times.  On the last song, he took off his black cloak and reveled his Lakers outfit.  GROOVY?!

The second artist was a little better, but not that great.  She looked very Jersey and had two back-up dancers.  Is this the new JLo?  It was very electro-pop.  NEXT! 

Diamond.Rings was up next (Thank God!).  What a step up from the last time I saw him (only him and a keyboard).  Today, he has a four piece  band and they where great.  Looking at John O'Regan (Diamond Rings), he reminded me of Bowie mets Grace Jones with some glam.  This is what we need right now, style with some substance.  When he took off his white Michael Jackson jacket, boy did he have a smell.  Jesus.   Someone hasn't touched water for about a week or two.  With his new album out, Free Dimensional (It has some good tunes), his set was short.  But for sure, I'll see him again. 

Icona.Pop...BLEW ME AWAY!!!  I thought it was gonna be just two girls dancing and singing to a backup track and that was not the case here.  They actually play instruments.  I couldn't stop watching them.  They reminded me of Simian Mobile Disco, playing with knobs and tweaking sounds.  For sure, I would see them again. 

I was not going to stick around for Andrew W.K. or the special guest, Skrillex.  It was getting late and besides, Diamond Rings and Icona Pop made my night and they...

\m/ - K!CKd A$$

Culture.Collide.(Day.3)...

Culture.Collide.(Day.3).2012

@TIAX.(Los Angeles, CA)

Satday.October.6th

I am back to TIAX and I haven't been once to The Echo or The Echoplex for this festival.  I wonder why some of these artist where put at TIAX?  You would think they would be at those other two places.  

Wow, sleep is catching up to me and I have this strange feeling that this night is going to be long and it sure was.  FCVK!

 Niki and the Dove went on late and once again (I think this building is cursed) they had technical problems.  I could of gone to see Icona Pop.  They went on around 11pm and Niki at 11:30pm, so I was nervous that  I wouldn't get a good space because this event is by first come first serve bases.  When the last band went on, the crowd left.  There wasn't that many people for Niki, until twenty minutes later, it got packed.  They went on around midnight and they FCVKn killed it!

Malin Dahlström (Lead Singer) was giving us some 80's Janet Jackson, "Nasty" video moves.  I loved it.  What I really liked, was the guy across from me singing.  He was singing his heart out to every note and he was...STRAIGHT!  What!?!?!? That poor girl.  She is in a big surprise. 

Wow, look at the time, 12:45am.  $H!T, but it was worth it.

\m/ - K!CK A$$!!!

TRUST.(L!VE).@the.Echo.2012

TRUST.2012

@the.Echo (Los Angeles, CA)

Tuesday.September.11th

I think personally, they should make this a day a holiday and in other news, I just can't believe two GREAT bands came out today (The Presets and The xx).  But to today is the day to remember and never forget.    

I wanted into the venue and they where playing Everything but the Girl!!!   Ahhhhhhhhhh.  It's a SOLD OUT show tonight!!!  Who new.  Right On!!!

I missed the opening act, but the second band sounded a bit like DFA1974.  They where good.  DZ DeathRays was the name and they where a wild bunch.  Check them out.  

I am looking into the crowd and its very young.  It feels great to correct a young girl that the song that is playing is not Erasure, it's New Order.  She challenged me for the name of the song and the album it's in.  I absolutely had a brain fart on both questions, but I described her the album by saying, "it's the one with all the flowers on the album" (Power, Corruption, Lies).  She was like, "of course".  DAM!!!  

TRUST went on and of course they killed it!  Robert Alfons (Lead Singer) is always entertaining to watch.   He was bouncing and moving around so much that,  I was starting to question if he was actually singing or lip syncing?   You never heard him catch his breath or make a sign, I am just saying.  I was also trying to figure out what he was wearing.  It looked like beige sweat pants and a black mesh top.  Okay.

Beside the kids trying to start a mosh pit...really?!  This is not hard core $H!T, kids.  I was missing the live drums.  Bring them back!

\m/ - K!CK A$$!!

Totally.Enormous.Extinct.Dinosaurs.2012

@the.exhoplex.(Los Angeles, CA)

Thursday.Aug.9th

From the parking lot,  it didn't look that busy, but once inside, it was.  And very entertaining too.  There was a girl with a light up tu tu, a  40 something man with a mohawk wearing a  small tight vest that he might of taken out from his storage  and two kids dressed in dinosaur outfits.  Are they not, hot?!?!  Jesus.  

The first two DJ's where good.  I saw my friend Zowie up in the front.  I went up to her and hung out.  We always happen to pick the same spots to watch the shows.  

T.E.E.D. (what the kids call him now) has improved his dinosaur outfit.   The last time I saw him was at  HARD at the Nokia Theatre.  He opened up for Simian Mobile Disco.  Of course, I was standing at the sidelines of the theatre.  I only caught the last ten minutes of his show because of the fabulous security system they have their.  It looked like T.E.E.D. was wearing dinosaur pajamas from where I was standing.  It was cute.  It had a little tail and those fins on the back.  This time around, his dino suit was very nicely tailored and looks expensive too.  It had a nice tone color (greenish/blue) and I really dig his necklace that he had on.  Very nice. You go Orlando!  

Orlando Higginbotton (T.E.E.D.) didn't need any special lights or visual images to keep me interested or the crowd tonight (which was well behaved).  I was pulled in from the moment he hit the stage and played the first song.  He had a great voice and Orlando mixed the music very nicely.  He played the latest tunes from his debut album, "Trouble" (album cover is...AWESUM!).  If you haven't picked his latest album, you must.  It's my summer album.  It has "Garden" (song was on my top 2010 list), such a beautiful song and he did a great job with it tonight.  Watch out for him because this dinosaur is NOT going to be extinct anytime soon. 

\m/ - AWESUM!

Vitalic & Riton (L!VE) @Webster.Hall.(NYCity)...

Vitalic.2012

@Webster.Hall (NYC, NY)

Friday.March.30th

It's almost 12:30am and they have not let us in the main room.  I saw that Of Montreal performed tonight, Groovy.  I am walking around to every different room and it's all the same stuff practically (Top 40 electro techno pop).  At least they are playing the new single by Calvin Harris, "Feel So Close".  I went to the new XL night club the other night and I noticed the crowd was young.  Then on the screen on stage said, "20 something Thursday"...REALLY?!?!  FCVK.  Made the best of it with my friends, Steven and Joe.  

It's 12:40am and they opened up the main floor.  It was easy to get to the front of the stage.  Of course, there was a couple next to me making out, grinding and humping each other.  What is going on with me being next to couples lately? It's better then drunks, right? 

Nobody Beats the Drums are the opening act and they are killing it.  I like the fact that they are using live instruments ( Korg, Laptop and other stuff that I am trying to make out on how there are mixing these songs).  Not bad.

Vitalic went on after Nobody Bests the Drums and he played a killer set. He was playing stuff that was so underground.  It was like smelling fresh air.  He started out his set with one of his songs,  "Poison Lips" (Perfect).  The dance floor was not that crazy packed.  I liked that.  More room to dance.  

An hour into his set (Vitalic), Riton was setting up and started to play with Vitalic for a bit.  I wanted to stay longer, but it was getting late.  The party doesn't end in NYCity until 4am and this man (me) is tired.

\m/ - AWESUM!!!

NEW PODCAST M!X....

REMOVE.DELETE.ERASE
Podcast.M!X.55.(the.playlist)


.01.  "Go Outside (Menahan Street Band Remix)"_____Cults
.02.  "An Iceberg Hurled Northward Through Clouds"_____Gold Panda
.03.  "Tick of the Clock"_____The Chromatics
.04.  "You Don't Want To Dance With Me (Picture House's Deep Space Mix) (feat. Britt Love)"_____Monarchy
.05.  "You Used To (Featuring Javine)"_____Richard X
.06.  "Game Above My Head"_____Blancmange
.07.  "Polish Girl"_____Neon Indian
.08.  "Got Glint?"_____Chemical Brothers
.09.  "Intensity"_____The Whip
.10.  "Candy"_____Cameo
.11.  "Slow Track"_____Miss Kittin & The Hacker
.12.  "When The Night Falls (Hercules And Love Affair Remix)"_____Chromeo
.13.  "The Call (Ante Up)"_____Green Velvet presents Jamie Principle
.14.  "Canivalon"_____Rebolledo
.15.  "Take Me Over (Azari & III Remix)"_____Cut Copy
.16.  "Helpless (You Took My Love)"_____The Flirts
.17.  "Favourite Colour (Born Ruffians Remix)"_____Tokyo Police Club


****click on the pic above to download M!X.55 for...FREE!!!*****

the.Good.Natured.(L!V3) @the.Echo

The.Good.Natured.2012

@the.Echo.(Los Angeles,CA)

Friday.January.20th

Churches was the firstband and they where okay.  They reminded me of some 90's band and sure enough, they played a Nirvana song.  I glanced over to stage left and I noticed the band schedule.  The.Good.Natured don't go on until 11:30pm...so that means....12am.  Groovy. Another long night and I am still on east coast time.
I am looking around and there is a couple of family.  I also see some teased out Robert Smith hair.  This is gonna be a very interesting night.  My favorite DJ is here and of course he is playing, Mash-Up (give that $H!T a rest already).  
The second band (The Present Moment) was okay.  Think of Fad Gadget meets Peter Murphy.  I looked them up and they are from Los Angeles and they have two albums out already.  I download a couple of songs from the second album "Loyal To A Fault" and LOVING It!!!!  If you are into Electro-Goth, I highly recommend it.
Besides the cool lighting and the tons of smoke from The Present Moment performance, the beat matching from the house Dj was perfection.  Did I hear MORE Mash-Up?  Timeless.
The Good Natured came out and Sarah McIntosh (lead singer) looked a bit like Robert Smith/Faris Badwan (lead singer of The Horrors).  You hardly see her eyes, but what cute shoes she had on.  Of course, someone shouted that out and she thanked him in her cute British voice.  The Good Natured themselves where good.  I liked the fact that Sarah went into the crowd twice singing and wanting us to dance.  Some people joined.  
The set was short, just like the skirt she was wearing and boy...it was short!  It looks like something a hooker would wear, but Sarah wore it in good taste.  Just imagine if she bent down the wrong way, we would of seen her beaver is she was not wearing panties.  

\m/ - Rock On!!!

M83.(L!VE) @Club.Nokia

M83.2012

@Club.Nokia.(Los Angeles, CA)

Thursday.Jan.12.2012

Okay.  How the FCVK do you get the main floor?  NEVER get lucky.  I really don't FCVKn like  this place and from what I hear, the Fonda closed down.  WTF!?!?  Welcome back!  Happy New Year people and I hope you guys partied or kept it slow.  First concert of the new year and M83 did not disappoint, but what is up with this music? 
After my pat down, I went to the shirt stand.  From there, I went to the main floor.  It's not that crowded yet and I noticed that the DJ is playing Top 40 music.  REALLY!!!!  This DJ needs to get off the deck.  I did not come hear to hear Top 40.    
After that DJ, the opening act came on.  Two female drummers, HOT!  What's was more hot, was the lead singer pinching his nipple.  Nice.  What's more funny, the music changed so much after the opening act.  Much better.
M83 opened up with "Intro", but no Nika (I was hoping), but it still sounded so beautiful without her.  I was so surprised that they played "Midnight City" three songs before they left the stage for there encore.  I kind of like that.  I noticed a couple of months ago that Victoria Secrets used that song for there commercial.  I am all about artist doing that.  It's HARD to get music played on the radio these days so why not sell it to commercials and you get a BIGGER audience then radio anyway.  Good for them.

They closed the night with "Couleurs" and what a PERFECT song to end this K!CK A$$ night.  Can not wait to see them again at Coachella.  Can you believe that both weeks already SOLD OUT!?!?  That is crazy cool. It's are Glastonbury.

\m/ - ROCK ON!!!

Top.50.Songs.of.2011.(Part.5)

Top.50.Songs.of.2011
Part.5
.10.(thru).01


.10.  "La Fee Verte"_____Kasabian
*****what a FANTASTIC album!  Velociraptor is A MUST GET ALBUM!*****

.09.  "Remain Nameless"_____Florence + The Machine
*****not a fan of the first album, but "Ceremonials" is...AWESUM!!!*****

.08.  "Someone Like You"_____Adele
*****This is her BEST OF ALBUM and this is just #2!!!*****

.07.  "In Your Nature"_____Zola Jesus
*****If you have not heard of her now, what is WRONG WITH YOU?!  This is Siouxsie & The Banshees for this generation*****

.06.  "Midnight City"_____M83
*****Victoria Secrets is KILLING this song*****

.05.  "Shine Like Stars"_____Glasvegas
*****They have been DROPPED from the record label because of poor sales.  What?!?! "Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\" is there BEST ALBUM YET!!!*****

.04.  "Corner of the Sky"_____Cut Copy
*****YES! another GREAT and AMAZING album.  "Zonoscope" is a MUST GET ALBUM!!!*****

.03.  "I Don't Know How to Love"_____The Drums
*****after ALOT of comparisons to The Smiths, album "Portamento" by The Drums is pure FUN.  The torch should be passed.*****

.02.  "Moving Further Away"_____The Horrors
*****they self produced "Skying" and what an AMAZING ALBUM number 3.  WOW and we just scratched them off on the 1st album as a joke.  The joke is on us now.  I don't think they need anyone to produce another album of there's.  GREAT JOB!!! *****

.01.  "The Power & the Glory"_____White Lies
*****It took me awhile to like "Ritual" and the more I listened to the album, the MORE I FEEL IN LOVE.  Not a lot of people liked it, but you have to really listen to it very carefully with your headphones on.  One word...FCVKn AMAZING!!!*****



Enjoy my Top.50.Songs.of.2011.  Until next year.  Adios!


*****to download this FREE podcast, just click on the pic's*****

Top.50.Songs.of.2011.(Part.4).

Top.50.Songs.of.2011
Part.4
.20.(thru).11.


.20.  "Devil Is a Lady"_____The Chain Gang of 1974
*****my Favorite NEW artist of 2011*****
.19.  "Aroused"_____Tom Vek
*****10 years (J/K) for a new album and worth the wait!*****
.18.  "Under Cover of Darkness"_____The Strokes

.17.  "Miss You"_____The Rapture

.16.  "Underworld Usa"_____Cold Cave

.15.  "City Grrl (feat. Ssion)"_____CSS

.14.  "Do You Need Someone"_____Beth Ditto
*****I want MORE!!!****
.13.  "A Lack of Understanding"_____The Vaccines

.12.  "Circles"_____Digitalism

.11.  "Corinne"_____Metronomy

*****click on the pic 2 download this FREE Podcast*****

Digitalism.(L!V3) @Webster.Hall.(NYCity)

Digitalism.2011

@Webster.Hall.(NYCity)

Friday.December.2.2011

This is FCKN Crazy!!!  Top 40 music while we wait for the main floor to open?!  It feels like I am at a gay club (nothing bad).  I find it a bit awkward for a place like this.   I guess it helps to balance the music here and get all types of people to come to "Girls and Boys".  
It's already 12am and the main floor is OPEN!!!  I see so many X's on kids  hands.   They can get someone like me and sneak a drink around a dark corner or go to the bathroom.  The more I look at the crowd, the younger they keep looking.  I have not spotted a single techno color outfit or any kind of glow stuff on these kids.  Its a relief not to see it.  it's VERY gray and black here. 

I walked around.  I started to get annoyed with that Techno Electro sound by Nadastrom.  I need vocals in my music.  Thanks GOD for that Top 40 room, now it makes since.  I went downstairs to see if  they opened the Studio (under the Webster Hall) and they did.  It was turned it into another Top 40 room.  Why!?!?  I thought they might get some local up coming live bands down here because thats what the Studio is known for.  Back upstairs I go to catch Data Romance.

Data Romance was the opening band and they sure cleared the main dance floor after Nadastrom.  At least they helped me get to the front.
It's almost 2am and Digitalism hit the stage and what a FCVKn AWESOME SHOW!!! They added another member (I think just for the tour) that played real drums.  I was disappointed when they did not play, "Fire in Cairo".  Why wasn't it on the playlist?  That single put them on the map.  After they played "Pogo", they  left the stage and they never returned.  Wow, no encore.  We waited just in case they came back out, but they never did.  I was happy that they played, "Circles" (made my Top 50 of 2011 list) and "2 Hearts".  Nice.      They also had some KICK A$$ visuals and lights.  It was very colorful and they got rid of there signature green.  It OLNY came out when they played, "Pogo".  

After the show, I went to see the shirts because Digitalism always have really cool T-shirts.  Sure enough,  they did and bought one.  I looked down on the table and they had FREE Digitalism matchbooks.  Score!

\m/  \m/  \m/  \m/  \m/ - FCVKn AWESUM!!!