The HiFi Cartel’s Oliver Correa took on Austin last week to snap some photos at South by Southwest. The annual music festival played host to thousands of musicians, including The Black Keys, Dam-Funk, Street Sweeper Social Club, Eskmo, Flying Lotus, Nice Nice, Pivot, Born Ruffians, Hudson Mohawke, Local Natives, Bomba Estereo, Holy Fuck, and more.
Day in and day out, breeds of musicians pop up and just as easily, go out the door before you even take notice. Very few times do you find the likes of Tyler Glenn (lead vocals/keyboards), Chris Allen (guitars), Branden Campbell (bass), and Elaine Bradley (drums/vocals) who make-up Neon Trees.
Of sheer mystique with roots in punk rock and electronica, the Neon Trees express their youth in song. The group has a sense of spiritual development through behavioral assessment and explorations that are essentially revealed in song through rhythm and beat. Their new album, Habits, is about bad habits developed from love, life and relationships. Upon seeing the group last December on their first tour-stop in New York City, it was apparent within minutes that their chemistry is hard to come by. Along with what they say in lyric, they sing out and play loud too– yet, the nuance of their instruments never get lost in between. The combination of Tyler Glenn’s fiery vocals with the band’s punk riffs shows that the Neon Trees have learned the rules and are now at a point where they’re writing their own – they feel the music and exude it through means of emotional energy.
Great new bands are met with comparisons to other great bands we hope they would be like, but thus far, the Neon Trees are different – writing their own book and story, a story that will develop on its own because they have so much character. Their smooth combination of pop hooks and rock melodies stand out like an anthem of the youth. With a refreshing vibe, their songs are painted with the charisma of stories that ring with ballads of musical intensity and sensuality by artists who are in-tune with their passion. The group is already making headway to SXSW before their tour with 30 Seconds to Mars and Mute Math this April. (we’re pretty sure that somewhere along the way Tyler Glenn inspired Jared Leto’s new haircut)
Neon Trees – Animal
Check out the official music video for “Animal”
Their debut album, Habits, comes out today. Click through for an interview with vocalist and keys player Tyler Glenn, where he dishes on the band and talks about aspects of their journey, followed by photos of their December performance and their video for “Calling My Name”.
Last Thursday, Mayer Hawthorne made a stop in New York City for a concert at Webster Hall. The singer, who hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was joined by The Country, whose four members wore matching crimson v-neck sweaters and button-down shirts. Mayer Hawthorne (real name: Andrew Mayer Cohen) stepped up to the microphone dressed in a gray three-piece suit paired with custom-made red Nike Dunks. This geek-chic look is just the surface of the infusions that make Mayer Hawthorne’s style interesting.
Hawthorne engaged the audience at Webster Hall with his unique play on revival soul and jazz. When he sang “Green Eyed Love,” he sparked a mellow sensation that inspired a collective shimmy and sway. The boys held on to their girls, listened and sang along is if the performance were just for them. With guitar, drum and key solos, his show is built on progressive transitions for an audience that is familiar with his songs and words. Hawthorne’s sound breaks the expected format with surprises that included covers of N.E.R.D’s “Fly or Die” and Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend”. The band stopped abruptly during “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” which prompted Hawthorne to ask the audience if they wanted to hear a remix. And just like that, he flipped a switch to falsetto over reggae to the audience’s surprise and delight. Hawthorne’s encore came with a tease of a Doctor Pepper jingle before the quirky singer closed with the song “When I Said Good Bye”.
The singer/producer brings new meaning to old-school classics. With a richness in song that can be pulled from a library of records from the 1960’s, Hawthorne can swing his vocals and beats to a melody that may serve as a harmonious soundtrack for couples – his debut single, “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” was released on a red heart-shaped 7″ vinyl in 2008. While he may be a newcomer to an old genre, he demonstrates a refreshing youthful grasp on soul and translates it into ‘retro’ fashion that is beyond charming on the stage. Mayer Hawthorne is clearly an intelligent musician who takes his music seriously – citing Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson, Mike Terry and Barry White among his influences. The audience could relate to what was saying and felt it in how he said it. It takes talent and showmanship to convey these qualities and character on a stage. (Especially to demonstrate and teach the audience the Errol Flynn dance from Detroit)
In collaboration with Converse and Wax Poetics, Mayer Hawthorne and James Pants will release a 7” vinyl, in which Mayer Hawthorne covers the James Pants track “Thin Moon” and James Pants covers Hawthorne’s “Green Eyed Love”. If you’ll be in Austin for SXSW, Mayer Hawthorne will appear at 45 Live on March 17, where Stones Throw will be giving away limited edition copies of the record (you can grab the early digital release here).
CLICK HERE to view photos of Mayer Hawthorne’s performance at Webster Hall. Be sure to listen to Mayer Hawthorne’s cover of James Pants’ “Thin Moon” below and click through for his latest video for “I Wish it Would Rain”.
For the curious: Mayer also goes by the moniker Haircut. Check out some of his hip hop infusions on his MySpace page.
Mayer Hawthorne – Thin Moon
This past Saturday, we joined Congorock, Nick Catchdubs, Jubilee, and DJ Ayres for another dose of Flashing Lights at the East Broadway Mall in New York City’s Chinatown.
This past Thursday, Dim Mak presented a showcase hosted by Roxy Cottontail that included Ninjasonik, Japanther, Team Facelift, The Auctioneers, DJs Gina Turner, Jonathan Famous, Fashen and “(not so) secret European guests” DJ Mehdi, Justice, Uffie and others in town for Ed Banger Record’s seven year anniversary party. The roller-coaster-of-a-night fueled moments of beers in the air, crowd surfing and a party with enough noise and bass to render 96 Lafayette Street on the richter scale as a minuscule earthquake. Fat Jew of Team Facelift summed it up best when he remarked, “its time to make mistakes… let’s have some fun.” And indeed, they did – bringing along rapper Buckshot for the festivities.
Back from their European tour, Ninjasonik rocked the crowd…as usual. DJ Fasheen followed with a combination of mixes that added to the reverberation on the riveting and busy dance floor. The toast of the night, DJ Mehdi surprised the audience with a set that packed the dance floor well into the night. Displaying a great variety of talent and acts (mainly from New York), Cloak and Dagger vivified a cold Winter night with fun indoors. The event seeks to “provide the best in electro” and “solidify dominance over the dance floor” as a part of a new monthly series at Santos Party House with Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label.
Check out photos from the revelry of Cloak and Dagger by Oliver Correa.
Featuring Nick Catchdubs, Jess Jubaliee, DJ Ayres, Proper Villains, Nadastrom, Tittsworth at 88 Palace
Check out the latest Flashing Lights mix here…
Featuring The Gaslamp Killer & Prefuse 73 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM
In case you missed it, the masked Italian duo, The Bloody Beetroots recently unleashed their first LP, Romborama, a 20-track melting pot of arduous beats and synth. Artists featured on the LP include The Cool Kids, Steve Aoki, Lisa Kekaula (of the BellRays), Cécile and others. So, what does shrimp, lobster, shark and craw fish have to do with the Beetroots? It is simply a line from their track “Awesome” – which can single-handedly describe the album.
Hard Fest describes them as the love child of the Misfits and Daft Punk, but the Bloody Beetroots are nothing short of “bloody” fantastic. Perhaps its the Venom masks and their subtle play with the Comedy of Art of Venice, but there is a mad brilliance underneath the noise and mask that conjures a contemporary orchestration of music - dramatic with so many layers of sounds, the album could be the work of a musical ensemble. Artfully influenced by opera and infused with electronic media, their collaboration with the featured artists takes this vacillating album (in a good eclectic way) and makes it a titillating experience.
Check out the “Awesome” track below and click through for the video to another recommended track from the album, “Butter.”
Click here for photos from our last encounter with the Bloody Beetroots at Webster Hall by Oliver Correa.
Bloody Beetroots featuring The Cool Kids – “Awesome“
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I’ve attended a few parties in dodgy locations before, but finding a bit of revelry in a Chinatown mall was a first. Enter Flashing Lights: your no-nonsense solution to realizing a sublime NYC evening. Spearheaded by DJs Ayres (The Rub), Jubilee (Nightshifters), and Nick Catchdubs (Fool’s Gold), these tastemakers bring a genuine dance party to life without the pretentious attitude found in clubs across the apple.
The NYC debut of Toadally Krossed Out begged a comparison to Dim Mak’s Bloody Beetroots as the two DJs donned green toad masks while rocking the dim sum restaurant. What stood out for me was the attendance from label heads, Diplo and A-Trak, who both came out to support their artists and partake in the action. In return, the DJs played their respective remixes of tracks by Switch, A-Trak, and Major Lazer. Their presence exemplifies a certain kinship that exists amongst labels like Fool’s Gold and Mad Decent and the artists they represent. All this juicy party goodness is wrapped together with big help from MeanRed Productions and Good Peoples.
We look forward to what artists and collaborations Flashing Lights will be offering in the future. In the mean time check out the site www.flashinglightslightslights.com and be sure to catch their next party at Glasslands September 4th! Also check out some photos from the evening debauchery as well as the M.R.I. Lightpainting blog.
Major Lazer – Hold The Line (Toadally Krossed Out Remix)
