Last Wednesday, Easy Star All Stars brought the positive vibrations to Highline Ballroom along with John Brown’s Body and Cas Haley. Keeping in spirit of the infamous holiday, wisps of green smoke propelled through the crowd as reggae riddims echoed across the room. Cas Haley opened the evening with a couple cuts off Connection before being joined on stage by the whole All Star group. Following Cas was John Brown’s Body, or “JBB”, as many fanatical fans kept screaming. With authentic fusions of roots reggae, funk, electro and dub, JBB’s eight piece band was the most refreshing act I’ve experienced in a while. After climaxing with dreads bouncing and horns blaring, they left the red-eyed crowd begging for more.

After a heady interlude by DJ Charlie Brown whose vocal antics might have dubbed him DJ Charlie Sheen, Easy Star took the stage to uproar. They visited their much beloved Beatles covers, “With A Little Help From My Friends”, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “Lovely Rita”, which were all hits with the crowd. ESAS also premiered their single “First Light” off their newest album of the same name. The frenzyed rasta vocals and dancing of Menny More added to Ras I Ray’s solid bassline. The Pink Floyd covers were also huge hits, with “Time” and bong sampled “Money” getting the crowd higher. Easy Star’s music continues to bring pure happiness to their fans, which was evident by the laugher and grins as the crowd dispersed. They are an act worth checking out and you will find yourself humming to their songs long after the last bassline has been struck.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS

Have a listen to Easy Star’s cover of Pink Floyd’s “Money” below:

New York City’s music scene has yet another great week ahead of it, with the Fixed guys offering up two back to back events featuring some awesome talent. Thursday night, April 21, The Twelves are playing live at Highline Ballroom, which is guaranteed to be a riot. Last time The Twelves were in the city, they tore the roof off of a sold-out Good Units, so be sure to buy your ticket in advance, or at least get there early. The next night, Friday, April 22, Pantha Du Prince and The Sight Below are both performing live at Good Units, bringing their unique electronic conceptions to the subterranean space. Fixed residents JDH & Dave P will warm up both nights, so rest up early in the week while you still can!

Check out photos from The Twelves at Santos Party house last April HERE.

We have two tickets to give away for both events on Twitter. Tweet the following messages to win a pair of tickets to either show. You must be following both HiFi Cartel & Fixed to win.

The Twelves Twitter Message (“I want to win tickets to The Twelves at Highline Ballroom 4.21 via @hificartel & @fixednyc http://bit.ly/fixed-contests”)

Pantha Du Prince Twitter Message (“I want to win tickets to Pantha Du Prince at Good Units 4.22 via @hificartel & @fixednyc http://bit.ly/fixed-contests”)

You may enter both contests and we will pick winners at random this Thursday.

The BET Music Matters Tour featuring J. Cole, K. Michelle, CJ Hilton and Sean Garrett at the Highline Ballroom.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM BY LAUREN MARSH

Last Tuesday night, we made our way to Highline Ballroom for Chiddy Bang’s Opposite of Adults’ Release Party. Featuring Chiddy Bang, Donnis, XV, 2AM Club and Samuel, the night had many surprises in store for eager fans.  We arrived just in time to catch 2AM Club’s great crowd interaction. As they sang “Worry about you,” the audience chimed along. Next up, XV stepped up to the plate, commanding the stage with an awareness as he delivered sharp verses to some heavy beats. Playing several tracks from his mixtape, Everybody is Nobody, the audience took heed to every word. From Smallville, Kansas, XV showed that he has game, and that he can certainly play with the rest.

Donnis blew the roof off the house when he jumped onto the stage. The Atlanta-based rapper exploded with metaphors and presented a fresh accent of country cool and grammar. One of XXl Magazine’s 2010 freshmen class, Donnis exercised crowd control like an experienced pro. Having seen him several times, he has certainly grown up from his freshmen days, but still knows how to play. When he brought up Jim Jones for a number, the audience erupted in fervor and excitement, and it didn’t stop there. Following up, the live and instrumental infusion of Chiddy Bang added a fresh touch of indie hip-hop to the music depository of the night. With a hodgepodge of styles, Chiddy Bang has a knack for creating great combination of melodies intertwined with lyrical play. Their live variations and tracks from ther new album, The Opposite Of Adults, was a treat for the audience – especially when they unveiled a new song produced by Pharrell Williams.

Overall, the entire show had a great vibe, and for their first sold-out show in New York City, we’d say Chiddy Bang hit this one out of the park. The audience came for fun, and by the expressions around the room, they certainly got it. Check out photos from the night by Oliver Correa.

After over a year of anticipation, Nas and Damian Marley have finally announced a release date for their collaborative effort, Distant Relatives. The album, whose title refers to the bond between the two artists as well as their connection to their African ancestry, explores the deep-rooted connections between hip-hop and reggae, drawing musical and lyrical influences from Africa.

The duo will perform at Highline Ballroom on May 17 to celebrate the album’s May 18 release. Tickets are available HERE. Listen to “Patience” below, and click through for a trailer of Distant Relatives.

Nas & Damian Marley – “Patience” (via EARMILK)

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Genre-defying Free the Robots (a.k.a. Chris Alfaro) brings together myriad musical styles, including traditional jazz, psych, electronic and hip hop, blending them with progressive melodies and beats. He has shared the stage with the likes of Prefuse 73, Flying Lotus and Afrika Bambaataa, and will hit Highline Ballroom this Friday with Glitch Mob and Deru.

Enter to win a pair of tickets by filling out the form below. The contest will close on Thursday, May 6 at noon, and winners will be notified that afternoon. Good luck!

[form 30 "freetherobots"]

Last Sunday, Donnis, Izza Kizza, 88 Keys and Kidz in the Hall kicked off the Crowd Control Tour with an explosive show at Highline Ballroom. Each artist delivered an engaging high-energy performance that kept the crowd going from start to finish. The camaraderie between the artists was clear – Izza Kizza popped in for a song during 88 Keys’ set, and Donnis joined Kidz in the Hall as they brought the show to a close. Other guest appearances included Spree Wilson, The Kid Daytona and Choc Mic, who helped Izza Kizza deliver a spirited performance.

Click here to check out photos from the night, and be sure to get Kidz in the Hall’s Land of Make Believe when it drops on March 9.

Full list of tour dates after the jump…

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