Best of 2008

Yah...I know that 2009 is officially 3 months in the making. However, it wouldn't be my blog if I wasn't late to the party. Here are a couple tracks and musicians that stood out to me during the last year. I gave them categories just make it fun.

Best Song - Kid Cudi - Day n Nite (Crookers Mix)
Best Album - Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Best Rap Song - Lil Wayne - Lollipop Remix feat. Kayne West
Best Rock Band - Kings of Leon
Best Rock Song - Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
Best Chillout Song - Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Mix)
Best Song that used to be Underground before people found out about it = Kid Cudi - Day n Nite (Crookers Mix)
Best Remix (and the Grammys agreed) = MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice Mix)
Best DJ - Diplo
Best New DJ - Treasure Fingers
Best Guilty Pleasure - M.I.A. - Paper Planes

Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Mix)
MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice Mix)
Kid Cudi - Day n' Nite (Crookers Mix)

Metronomy

In my ultimate quest to avoid the radio, I have started to broaden my horizons when it comes to music genres. One of those new genres I found a hankering for is indie rock. Here is a gem from English rockers, Metronomy.

Metronomy - Heartbreaker

SXSW 09: What I Saw, What I Missed, What I Wish I Had Missed

For the most part, my first SXSW lived up to my expectations. Austin is town that does a good job of letting loose and welcoming its visitors. So let's chronicle what worked during the extended weekend.

1. The Weather: Highs in the 80s, lows in the 50s and not a cloud in the sky the entire week and weekend.

2. Diplo at Emo's: As usual, your boy from Philly killed. He even made me forget that most of the crowd wasn't wearing deodorant. Anytime you have a chance to catch one of his sets, I strongly advise.

3. Kid Cudi: Good set from this up and coming rapper from Cleveland. Of course, everyone sung along to his hit "Day n' Nite," but I was more enthused by his performance of Maui Wowie. An ode to the sticky stuff.

Now, what I missed:

1. The Twelves: I was really looking forward to seeing the duo of electro DJs from Brazil. Hopefully, they'll return soon.

2. Kid Sister: Raw aggression, sexy vocals and a baby face. Ingredients for a great female MC. Maybe I'll make my way to lollapalooza this year and catch her in Chi-town.

3. Kanye: Yes, he only played 5 songs. Yes, it was the Perez Hilton party; but...it's Kanye.

And, that leaves what I wish I had missed:

1. Treasure Fingers: His set was practically a copy of his "Winter 2008" recorded set. Not impressed.

2. Diplo in South Austin: I was way too drunk to make it to 3am for his set. Thanks Yellow Cab.

SXSW 09: Bird Peterson & Flosstradamus

To start off my SXSW adventure, I caught Bird Peterson & Flosstradamus at Beauty Bar on Wednesday night. Although the venue is kind of a chain, it's an interesting space. It's a lot like an indie oasis in the middle of dirty 6th street.

This joint is always full of a colorful mix of characters (which is getting harder and harder to find in Austin). From your ultra hipster crowd sporting their Converse high-tops and and tight jeans, your techies with their iphones, your weirdos with their mohawks, and even a couple of squares mixed in for good measure. Bird Peterson was solid, mixing across musical styles. His warmup lead up to Flosstradamus. The duo of DJs from Chicago rocked the crowd. Flosstradamus encompassed a long list of different styles from baltimore club to house to dubstep and onward. About halfway their set a group of guys started a j-set routine. If you don't know what J-Set is, check this for example (Youtube). Yeah...strange.

Anywho, the highlight of the night was a mix a house mix of R. Kelly's Ignition. It sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The Week Ahead: SXSW

I have been waiting with a good deal of anticipation for this year’s SXSW. I have to confess, even after 11 years living in Austin, I have not been the biggest fan of live music. SXSW is usually one of the weeks I aim to avoid downtown as much as possible. However, this year is different. With my newfound appreciation for genres such as Electro, Indie Rock and Baltimore Club and the discovery of nightlife away from the far too touristy 6th Street, I have found myself strangely optimistic this year. It also helps that I actually know some of the acts that are coming into town this year and there is a good number of reputable DJs on this year’s bill. Some of the more interesting acts include (Kid Cudi, Blaqstarr, Don Rimini and Tittsworth). Must sees for me include New York/Atlanta DJ Treasure Fingers and Brazilian DJ/Producer duo The Twelves at Beauty Bar on Friday, March 20th. Also, Grammy nominated DJ/Producer Diplo plays a huge party on Saturday, March 21st at the Abandoned Salvation Army.

This along with the NCAA tournament should make for an interesting week. Or maybe not.

Virgin Post...

So to kick off my brand spankin' new blog, I give you a gem from French Pop scenesters, Telepopmusik. Ridge & Thorne put a fun, poppy spin to it. This track is the definition of optimism and fun, so that's what I'll lead off with.

Telepopmusik - Smile (Ridge & Thorne Mix)"