Today, the Black Lips are allowing their followers to stream their new album, Arabia Mountain, in full on Grooveshark. The band self produced this album with help from the legendary Mark Ronson and Lockett Pundt (of Deerhunter). The album officially drops on June 7, and the band will be hitting the road shortly thereafter. Make sure you catch them live at the Bowery Ballroom on July 29th, or in a city near you.
Click here to stream Arabia Mountain.
The fall season is officially upon us, and while we’re not looking forward to the cold weather, we can’t complain about the slew of amazing artists that slated to perform in our fair city next month. Click through for a roundup of the hottest tickets coming to town, and don’t forget, CMJ hits NYC at the end of October…
It is without question that Ibiza has some of the best parties, venues and sound systems in world, but this live set from Zane Lowe, Mark Ronson and Grandmaster Flash sounds like insanity! Recorded for BBC Radio 1 at Space Ibiza, this is a mash of genres that can ignite any crowd. If you’re just starting your week, this essential mix is sure to gear you up. Check out the mix below, and click here for the track list.
Photo above: Courtesy of BBC.
Zane Lowe, Mark Ronson & Grandmaster Flash – BBC Radio 1 Live in Ibiza – Essential Mix by Yoland
In June we reported on Mark Ronson’s upcoming whopper of an album, Record Collection. While it isn’t due till September 28th, you can get a taste of what is to come. The latest single to come off the forthcoming album features Ghostface Killah. If this were facebook, we’d be hitting the like button all over this one. Check out the track below and enjoy.
Mark Ronson Feat. Ghostface Killah – Lose It (In The End)
Last Saturday, The Creators Project held their second of five global events at the Victoria House in London. The exhibitions, screenings and panels were open to the public during the day from 12 PM – 6 PM, followed by a private party in the evening, which featured an array of musical performances and DJ sets from 9 PM – 3 AM.
Photo Credit: Loren Wohl
On Saturday, Vice and Intel officially introduced The Creators Project to the world with a massive launch party in New York City. Milk Studios was the perfect setting for the event, simultaneously acting as a museum, music venue, movie theater, classroom, and party space.
On June 26th, Vice Magazine and Intel will kick off their Creators Project event series – a roving international celebration of creativity – at Milk Studios in New York City. The five-city tour will continue to London, Sao Paulo, Seoul and end with a three-day extravaganza in Beijing.
The Creators Project celebrates creativity across all media in hopes of connecting global youth through a common passion for creativity and technology. The program identifies leading artists and gives them the tools and platform they need to showcase their wide range of talents. Artists are carefully selected from a wide range of media, including music, film, fashion, visual art and architecture. The interactive website launched last month, and includes a listing of artists (or “creators”) with samples of their work. This page is definitely worth a look – each profile has a wealth of information about the artist through interviews, videos, photo galleries and more.
The New York City kick-off event will utilize Milk Studios’ massive eight-floor art gallery and performance space to host interactive art exhibits, film screenings, workshops, discussion panels, and of course, musical performances. Mark Ronson, Sleigh Bells, The Rapture and Gang Gang Dance are among those slated to perform live; the event will also feature DJ sets by N.A.S.A., XXXChange, Lemonade and more.
Admission is free, but you need to register in order to qualify for passes to this all-day event. CLICK HERE to sign up – this is one event you won’t want to miss.
Last Friday, GBH decked out Webster Hall to celebrate the holidays. Mark Ronson headlined the event with support from Aaron LaCrate and Girls & Boys residents Alex English, Rekles, Gavin Royce and Kids with Snakes. The evening had a great turnout that included Theophilus London, Spank Rock, Prince Terrence (of HEARTSREVOLUTION), DJ Treats, Dances with White Girls and The Chainsmokers.
Last week, Fixed got the holidays started early with a DJ set by Hot Chip. The parties continue this week when our favorite NYC music families bring us plenty of reasons to celebrate the season…
Every year, Matisyahu celebrates the Festival of Lights with a whopping eight shows, each with a different opening act. This year’s festival kicked off last Thursday with Glitch Mob at Webster Hall, but you still have four opportunities to see the reggae musician in action at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Personally, we’re planning to catch this Thursday’s show, when HiFi favorite Kid Koala will also be playing. Get your tickets here.
On Friday at Webster Hall, GBH is celebrating with Mark Ronson and Aaron LaCrate. We caught Mark Ronson with Q-Tip at Santos Party House last week, and look forward to seeing him at our favorite weekly party. A limited number of $10 tickets are still available, so act fast.
Meanwhile, at Public Assembly, the Trouble & Bass Crew will be spinning alongside Finnish producer Rico Tubbs. Click here to win tickets to what is sure to be another great party.
On Saturday, The Brothers Macklovitch, Nick Catchdubs, Max Glazer and Just Blaze will headline the Fool’s Gold and LTD Holiday Party at the Etnies Showroom. The party is free with RSVP.
Also on Saturday, Basic NYC residents Sleepy and Boo are getting in on the holiday action at the Sullivan Room with special guests Mark Farina, Nickmatic, and a tag team set by Pete Schwinge and Tonylee. Get advance tickets here.
Looks like it’s going to be a busy weekend… click through to view the fliers for this weekend’s events, and check in next week for the lowdown on New Year’s Eve in NYC.
After weeks of anticipation, Theophilus London finally released his first single, “Humdrum Town”, on Green Label Sound. Since the debut of This Charming Mixtape in January, Theophilus London has made considerable strides in both his work and his career. Not only has his music matured, he is also a member of Chauffeur, a supergroup that also counts Mark Ronson, Sam Sparro, and The Dap Kings’ Victor Axelrod and Tommy Brenneck as members.
Last month, the up-and-coming artist packed in a whopping six appearances during CMJ’s five-day period, including the Green Label Sound party at the Brooklyn Bowl on October 23. Rocking a pair of sunglasses, Theophilus London’s presence on stage is decidedly cool. He made good use of the large stage, engaging the audience with his slick dance moves. Set highlights included “Humdrum Town”, “Ultraviolet”, and remixes of Amadou & Mariam’s “Sabali” and The Very Best’s “Julia”. He closed with his catchy rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Always Love You”.
It was clear that his sound developed considerably since the mixtape’s January release, evident in the drastic reimagining of “Ultraviolent”. The original version on This Charming Mixtape is punk rock fused with hip-hop, in a manner reminiscent of N.E.R.D. The new version, renamed “Ultraviolet”, retains the punk influence in the bass line and drums, but adds a synth-pop melody that gives the song a completely different feel. A silvery hook and smoothed-out vocals complete the transformation. Listen to the two tracks for yourself:
Theophilus London – “Ultraviolent”
Theophilus London – “Ultraviolet”
If you think Theophilus London’s music isn’t enough evidence of his growth, look no further than his latest incarnation, Chauffeur. Described by Mark Ronson as “a fictitious supergroup”, Chauffeur was commissioned to record a song to tie into the release of Mark Ronson’s new line of shoes for Gucci. There are very few bands that are fronted by both a vocalist and a rapper, proven to be a winning combination when Chauffeur performed at the Levis/Fader Fort on October 24.
With one original song under their Gucci belts, Chauffeur’s set only consisted two songs: a cover of Sheila E’s “This Glamorous Life”, and “Soles on Fire”, which has a soft electro melody over a subtle hip hop/funk beat. With lyrics like “Guccis on my feet, it’s about that time” and “I ran so far, my soles’ on fire”, Chauffeur does a great job of producing a solid track while tying in the brand. Gucci is giving away an exclusive 12″ vinyl of “Soles of Fire” with the purchase of Mark Ronson’s shoes.
Chauffeur has shown a lot of promise in their debut track, and we have a feeling this isn’t the last we’ve seen of their unique collaboration. As for Theophilus London, based on what we’ve heard in the past year, there’s no doubt in our minds that we have a lot to look forward to.
After the jump, check out a few photos of Theophilus London’s recent CMJ performances, and be sure to click here for a free download of “Humdrum Town” from Green Label Sound.
