Bassnectar stopped by NYC last Friday for a sold out, ear-shattering performance at Irving Plaza. Along with opening acts Nosaj Thing and Joro Boro, Bassnectar quenched New York City’s thirst for dubstep… at least for the time being.

Joro Boro kicked things off with his worldly set that drew from a wide range of music. With oriental, indian, and even polka influences, it wasn’t surprising to learn that Joro Boro has toured with gypsy band Gogol Bordello.

Nosaj Thing took over at 11 PM with a more subtle, low-key sound. His set-up was simple – a laptop and a MIDI controller – but his hands were in constant motion. Just when I was beginning to liken him to Flying Lotus, he dropped his own remix of Flying Lotus’ “Camel”, solidifying the comparison. Other highlights included a bass-heavy remix of Busta Rhymes’ “Dangerous” and an interpretation of Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon” instrumental.

True to his name, Bassnectar leaned heavily towards dubstep and drum & bass, amplified by the wall of subwoofers lining the front of the stage. While he played genre staples like Emalkay’s “When I Look at You”, “Eastern Jam” by Chase and Status, and his own “Cozza Frenzy”, he also used songs and samples from every genre imaginable, including electro (Justice “Phantom”), reggae (Buju Banton “Walk Like a Champion”) and even rock (Led Zeppelin “Kashmir”). Hip-hop and dubstep have seen a lot of crossover lately, and Bassnectar didn’t shy away from putting in his two cents, dropping reworked versions of The Fugees’ “Ready or Not”, Missy Elliot’s “Work It”, and Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says”. Bassnectar’s set, which lasted nearly three hours, was coupled with a wide variety of visuals that included tripped-out animations and seemingly random video clips projected on a large screen behind him.

When he needs a change of pace from the bass-heavy goodness that is Bassnectar, Lorin Ashton turns to his side project, West Coast Lo-Fi, a more downtempo outlet for self-expression. After the jump, check out the West Coast Lo-Fi Remix of Bassnectar’s “Heads Up”.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

Continue Reading

This weekend is getting an early start when Dim Mak celebrates the release of Fischerspooner’s new single, “Supply & Demand”. With an open bar from 11-12 and $5 advanced tickets for the first 100 people to request an access code, there’s no excuse to miss the third installment of Dim Mak’s monthly NYC party “Cloak & Dagger“, especially when you throw in the musical stylings of Fischerspooner, Junior Sanchez, Ninjasonik and Hot Pink Delorean.

For a no-cover option on Thursday night, your best bet is to head over to “Ether” at Happy Endings where The Captain (of the Trouble & Bass Crew) will be playing a special doo-wop DJ set. We’re not exactly sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing.

If you haven’t already heard, Bassnectar is taking over Irving Plaza on Friday night, and we have the hook up on a pair of tickets and a copy of his eighth album, Cozza Frenzy. Click here to enter to win, or if you missed out, get advance tickets here. We caught Bassnectar at Street Scene in San Diego, and trust us, you do not want to miss this.

If you’re in more of a hip-hop mood, Girls & Boys is bringing The Cool Kids to Webster Hall for a special live performance. XXXChange of Spank Rock and David Berrie will also be spinning. Be sure to RSVP for $1 admission and $1 drinks before midnight.

And finally, after 5 years of radness, one party wasn’t enough of a celebration for Fixed, so on Saturday, they’re doing it all again. With a special live performance by british electronic quartet 2020 Soundsystem, JDH and Dave P are showing us just how far they can push the party.

Whew. Better get some rest… Fliers after the jump.

Continue Reading

On Friday, Chromeo packed not one, but two venues in a single night, with a live performance at Irving Plaza followed by a DJ set at Webster Hall.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

Continue Reading

This weekend, the Pepsi DJ Collective is kicking things off a little early with a party at Roxy’s Playhouse (a.k.a. BK Space, N8, The Space on 8th, etc.) on Thursday. Diplo, Roxy Cottontail, DJ Drama and Eli Escobar will take turns manning the decks, with a special live performance by Mad Decent’s own Maluca.

In support of his latest album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, Mika will perform at the United Palace Theater on Friday night. We saw Mika on his last tour, and the boy definitely knows how to put on a show. Also on Friday, Chromeo will be doing double duty, with a live performance at Irvinig Plaza, followed by a DJ set at Webster Hall for the official after party.

Saturday night brings two legends of house music to town: Erick Morillo is back from Ibiza and will be spinning at Pacha, while Jeff Mills and his signature Detroit techno will be at The Sullivan Room.

Be sure to check out photos from Dave 1’s DJ set at Webster Hall last June and Diplo’s appearances at Hard NYC and Flashing Lights last Saturday.

Don’t forget, CMJ’s annual Music Marathon is taking over NYC next week. Click here to customize your own CMJ schedule, or check in with us on Monday for our top picks.

This fall, Chromeo will join more than two dozen of the world’s best artists, DJs and producers when they release their DJ-Kicks compilation on September 29. Their cover of The Eagles’ “I Can’t Tell You Why” (streamed below), is the only Chromeo track on the compilation.

Chromeo isn’t the only artist on the Street Scene roster to release a DJ-Kicks album. Headliners Thievery Corporation released their own interpretation in 1999. DJ-Kicks was started in 1995 by indie label !K7 records, and was originally created for an in-home audience.

If you can’t get to San Diego to catch Chromeo’s performance on August 28, fear not – they’re coming to NYC on October 16. As for Thievery Corporation, who will hit the Street Scene stage on August 29, they’re playing NYC’s Terminal 5 on Halloween.

Chromeo – “I Can’t Tell You Why”

Check out the full track list of Chromeo’s DJ-Kicks after the jump. Continue Reading