Looking to get out of the city for the weekend? Then consider getting funky in Vermont at the Royal Family Affair on August 12-14. Headlined by Soulive, Chromeo, Lettuce and Big Gigantic, the line-up also includes Medeski, Deitch & Skerik, Break Science featuring Chali 2na, The London Souls and a closing set by the Royal Family All Stars.

In addition to your typical festival programming, the Royal Family Affair is hosting afternoon music workshops that cover a wide range of topics including composition, improvisation, production and engineering. The esteemed faculty? Eric Krasno, Adam Deitch, Neal and Alan Evans, Skerik, John Medeski and the Shady Horns’ Ryan Zoidis and Sam Kininger. Workshops cost $15 each, $75 for an unlimited workshop pass, and are free with a Full Rager VIP Pass.

If that weren’t enough, the Royal Family Affair is offering a wide range of activities that are free to all ticketholders, including hiking, free beer tasting, paintball and tennis.

Sounds like the makings of an awesome weekend. The Royal Family Affair will be held at Stratton Mountain in Bondville, Vermont, which is accessible by car, train or shuttle bus. CLICK HERE for more info about planning your trip, and get your tickets HERE.

So far, this year’s party scene has been conspicuously devoid of holiday parties. Thankfully, Royal Family Records is getting in the holiday spirit bringing us a night of funky jazz with their Royal Family Holiday Rage, this Wednesday at Brooklyn Bowl. Hosted by Nigel Hall, the evening will feature the musical stylings of Eric Krasno, Neal Evans, Adam Deitch, Sam Kininger, Ryan Zoidis, Maurice Brown and more.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will go to Habitat for Humanity.

This New Year’s Eve, there’s so much going on that we have to break it down for you in a more organized fashion. So without further ado, we present The HiFi Cartel’s Official Guide to New Year’s Eve… after the jump.

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by Richie Adomako and Marjana Jaidi

At Sullivan Hall, Break Science scored early points when they started their set with dubstep; Rusko’s remix of “Pro Nails” (Kid Sister) was an early highlight. Over the course of an hour, duo showcased their wide breadth of both musical styles and talent. Adam Deitch’s sharp drumming was complimented by Borahm Lee, who played the keyboard and dropped samples from his laptop. They played all styles of music, with influences from hip-hop, rock, jazz, latin, and even Indian music. Popular songs included MGMT’s “Electric Feel” and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”. Towards the end of the set, Deitch busted out some funky beats, playing over Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” before transitioning into latin and jazz. Many bands relegate the drummer to the back of the stage, so it was refreshing to see an act where the drummer is the main focus.

From there, we headed to B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill for the Grandmaster Roc Raida Tribute. We weren’t sure what to expect – live performances? DJ sets? Scratch legends the X-Ecutioners/X-Men, Beat Junkies, and DJ Craze were all on the bill, along with electro staples Z-Trip and A-Trak (who, at the age of 15, was the youngest person to ever win the DMC World Championship).

Three pairs of turntables lined the stage, where the DJs took turns recreating one of Roc Raida’s original turntable routines. Despite the sad occasion that brought everyone together, there was so much love in the room, both from the audience and from the performers, who were clearly having a blast on stage. Host Kinetic NRG put things aptly when he equated the event to a high school reunion, and admitted he was “a little star struck”. It was a rare and momentous occasion to witness those scratch legends together on stage and such a fitting way to pay tribute to the late Grandmaster.

Meanwhile at Rebel, we arrived just in time for the enjoyably conventional sounds of Tina Brown and the peculiar, Pimp Ninja. Hunter Valentine followed with some punk attitude on the stage. These girls know how to rock out. With the voice of Kiyomi McCloskey taking charge, she  showed a presence with her belching screams, stopping occasionally for words and taking the audience along for the ride. The Fire and Reason took the stage with a solid performance and later unveiled their new single, perfect boy – which was met with good reception. Among some of their known tracks, the group included some Portuguese renditions in the mix.

Click here for photos by Kenroy George and Oliver Correa

We just caught a glimpse of the initial line-up for CMJ’s annual Music Marathon, and our heads are still spinning. The marathon, which takes place from October 20-24 in NYC, features up and coming artists in venues all over the city.

Last year, we went to a few shows during the marathon, including The Cool Kids, Crystal Castles and the Fool’s Gold Showcase. This year’s long list of artists – with hundreds more to be announced – includes Adam Tensta, Fool’s Gold, Hank and Cupcakes, Mickey Factz, Tommie Sunshine and Z-Trip. Kosha Dillz and Adam Deitch, who both made cameos during Matisyahu’s July concert in NYC, are also on the roster.

The registration badge gives you access to all CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival events, including the concerts (on a space-available basis) and over 60 panel discussions centering on the music industry. Tickets are also available to individual concerts. For more information or to register, visit the official website.