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”.

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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

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2009 was a big year for David Guetta, and in 2010 we are still feeling the effects of it. In French, Guetta means to “keep an eye on, watch for.” (To the record industry, Guetta means top-ten, multi-platinum records and versatility between a DJ who is as successful in front of an audience as he is behind the scenes as a producer.) The French superstar DJ and Grammy Award winner came to New York City on February 24th for a set at Pacha that fueled a chaos-of-a-party. Pacha doesn’t open on Wednesdays, yet it was packed. If that weren’t enough, the number one house DJ (also ranked third overall world-wide by the DJ List) arrived with friends in tow – sending the already excited crowd into a frenzy. Between collaborations with Akon, Kelly Rowland, Estelle and will.i.am. and hits from his 2009 album One Love, the creator of the “Fuck Me I’m Famous” moniker and tour has taken on an icon status.

Check out photos from the night by Oliver Correa and Click through for more and Guetta’s latest music video, “Memories” featuring Kid Cudi.

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Ferry Corsten and John Dahlback kicked off Made Event and A|X Armani Exchange’s new event series this past Saturday at the 2,100-capacity Nokia Theatre in Times Square. Featuring a massive expensive and expansive sets of lights, the group behind the Electric Zoo Music Festival created a stage that transformed Nokia Theater to a dance music getaway for a night. Poised to please party-goers with a concert-style production, the artists took advantage of the sound,  lighting, and visual effects put in place and shook a packed house with house and trance music.

While John Dahlback may be in his early twenties, the Swedish house music producer exudes experience. At the age of 25, it is easy for Dahlback to look young, but pressing away at knobs, the skills he has honed since starting his career at 16 (the same age Corsten released his first album) gives some of the best in the industry a run for their money. With a commanding body of work, Dahlback’s chart toppers has solidified him and his electro-house productions as a sensation – his most recent “Love Inside” featuring Andy P. Dahlback  played a variety  in a style that has garnered him respect from fans and  DJs alike who praise his countless tracks, remixes and appearances – this writer included. Sweating behind the decks, he pumped sounds that worked-up the audience and set the stage ablaze for Ferry Corsten.

Stepping onto the stage it was apparent that a star was in the house. Ferry Corsten, the Dutch producer and DJ, has the ability to pull audiences in the ten of thousands to his events – the Nokia Theater doesn’t have the capacity, but it was obvious the thousands who were there considered themselves lucky to be in the same room with one of the World’s top DJs and music producers. From screams to coo’s and an ovation at appearance, Ferry’s responded by taking advantage of the full audio-visual production. The lights flooded the room and exploded to the glee of the audience – as if it were the Fourth of July on a stage. With a bit of “je ne sais quoi” about his ways, Ferry makes the connection of music to elements of feelings that are accentuated in trance. As if he were talking to the audience with his choice of song, Ferry infused elements of trance like a ballad – almost as if he were executing a symphony and orchestrating a cinematic score.  From the stage, Ferry was a conductor at a podium illuminated in rays of light that rendered the stage to a floating deck with the DJs at a center of a cloud and haze of lights. The audience erupted in excitement and sang along like a choir when Ferry played “Silence is Loud” by Altitude. He was met with the same fervor when he  played his mix of “Catch” by Kosheen and his original tracks “Forever” and “Beautiful.”

If the first is of any indication of what is to follow, then we anticipate the series to be of experience and surprise  surmounted by a great venue with talent – right in the heart of New York City. Ferry Corsten set the mark – making it clear as he remarked “this is number one.” In any case, the DJs felt their audience, connected with them and delivered what they wanted and left them begging for more. Past four o’clock in the morning, the room was still packed – no one wanted to go home. So, what does a magician do when he’s already pulled many tricks from his sleeves and the audience begs for more? Ferry met the crowd’s demand with “Radio Crash.” But, of all the tracks he played, the song that exemplifies Ferry’s work and hit home for the audience was his original song “Made of Love” featuring Betsie Larkin – Check it out below.

For more on Ferry, tune in to his show on Sirius XM Radio, Corsten’s Countdown every Wednesday at 9pm ET. Upcoming spring dates in the new series at the Nokia Theater will feature, ATB, Eric Prydz and Sébastien Léger at the Rockwell Group-designed Nokia Theatre.

CHECK OUT photos from the illuminating night by Oliver Correa. Click through for a list of Made’s upcoming events and video for Ferry Corsten’s “Made of Love”

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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.

Last Saturday we made our way to Le Poisson Rouge for Fixed’s party featuring the band Pink Skull from Philadelphia and  the French DJ-producer Louis Brodinski. Pink Skull sparked the fires of the night with a great live set. They were rhythmically driven and leaned towards a mambo/funk sound that led to a segment of genre bends that included indie punk and electronic dance music.  Among the crowd dancing favorites was their track “Oh, Monorail,” which set the stage for DJ-producer Brodinski.

If mixing were a sport, the 22 year old DJ-producer would be a phenom. Brodinski’s unorthodox style comes with the tactics of a rogue attitude and touch that binds his eclectic mixes to an explosion of dynamic sounds. Along with excitement, he delivers tracks in a subsequent manner; weaving them together by a stream of elements. From the combination of flutes to reverberations, echoes and sound effects, Brodinski takes a variety of fragmented sounds and lays them down subtly – like the facets of a diamond. Among the crowd favorites, Brodinski played “Sha! Shtil!” by  his alter ego Gucci Vump, where he incorporates the subtle accents of Brigitte Bardot from her song with Serge Gainsbourg, “Comic Strip.” While many of the audience members were French – visiting and local – Brodinski played a variety that included a rework of Major Lazer’s “Hold the Line.”

With all the dancing and sweating, Le Poisson Rouge could have easily been mistaken for a gym on this particular night. If this were the case then Brodinski was certainly the gym master, as he pumped out fierce tunes that left the audience wanting more as he crafted cuts and mixes at hand. There is a systematic madness to Brodinski, and within his methods of assessment in sound, he delivers on a playing plane with witty beats and effects that inspire movement on the dance floor. While his music can be described with a ‘feel good’ and uplifting taste, he ultimately delivers joy builders with a sense of lightness meshed with complexity. Brodinski’s level of expertise is certainly one to watch. With works that include remixes of Peaches, DJ Mehdi, Das Pop, the Klaxons, Hearts Revolution, the Shoes and Tiga, along with original tracks of his own, we look forward to the prolific work his artistry holds in store.

Check out photos from the night by Oliver Correa.

Listen Brodinski’s track “Sha! Shtil!”  from his alter ego Gucci Vump below. Also, click through for his trailer  and click here for his latest  and exclusive mix for Bacardi B-LIVE.

Gucci Vump – “Sha! Shtil!“
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Initial impressions of Vampire Weekend’s sound would hardly place them in New York City, where the band originally formed. Lead singer Ezra Koenig and drummer Chris Tomson first joined forces on the comedy rap band L’Homme Run, before creating Vampire Weekend with Chris Baio and Rostam Batmanglij. The influence of African popular music – including Ladysmith, Black Mambazo, and Kanda Bongo Man – can certainly be heard in “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “Diplomat’s Son”; Koenig has also collaborated with Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya on the title track of The Very Best’s Warm Heart of Africa.

Contra, Vampire Weekend’s sophomore effort, is a contemplative album that derives from the fun and playful vibes of their 2008 mainstream hit, “A-Punk”. Throw in a bit of ska, baile funk, violins, marimbas, some simple electronic infusions and a smidgen of auto-tune, and the result is a jamboree that has become the signature touch of Vampire Weekend. While many critics have tried to compare their sound to a variety of artists and genres, what they have ultimately proven is that Vampire Weekend has established a unique sound of their own in a remix era where everything is pop.

If their eponymous debut album wasn’t enough evidence of Vampire Weekend’s longevity, then Contra solidifies them as a lasting part of the music scene. While Vampire Weekend established the band’s sound, Contra uses the play of melody and lyrics to showcase a depth in the ballads that makes the album a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

“California English” and “Run” show the brighter side of their youthful pleasantries in a story format that unravels with a somber tenderness of (happy) memories being recalled. While Contra has a preppy tone, its carefree nature is reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, especially in the track “White Sky.” On a broad scope, the album has a breakthrough feel like the duo’s contributions to The Graduate. In the embroilment of preppy innuendo, Contra reveals a gem of complications that is foreshadowed by the album’s cover, an image of a Polo-clad blonde with one of her collars standing up.

Overall, Contra is an album that is ‘hot under the collar’. While it may be Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album, its nature shows the band’s ability to follow through on an album concept that is consistent from start to finish, while unraveling refreshing tracks that reveal Vampire Weekend in a whole new light. The whimsical cover of the album couldn’t have made it any clearer as the story within – Contra is a serenade worth falling for.

In anticipation of today’s release, Vampire Weekend has already sold out three performances in New York City. They will appear at the United Palace Theater on January 17th, Webster Hall on January 18th, and the Bowery Ballroom on January 19th. Contra is in stores now, though a stream of the full album has been available on their MySpace page and official website for a few weeks.

Click through for the video for “Cousins” and the the album below.

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Originally from North Wales and hailing from London, The Joy Formidable is a three-member indie rock band who made their way to the music scene in 2008. Acclaimed by the Times (UK), who described them as “dreamy indie pop” and regarded as one band to watch by the Guardian (UK) upon the release of their debut single “Austere” in August 2008  – the group is of pure sensation with regard. Their syncopated style draws on a contention of riffs that are backed with the resounds of pleasing and rejoicing melodies. The reavealing voice of lead singer Ritzy Bryan plays off their forceful drums and raw guitars to create a sound that is fervently fit for a  jaunt. It is also nice to come across a band that isn’t trying to sell you anything. Their music is their brand – and a good one that is! Tagged with the likes of the Editors, White Lies, and Passion Pit, The Joy Formidable will be making a stint in New York City from January 8th to January 12th. (Their exact schedule is below.)

Selling out their debut UK tour, the heavily creative group is more than the sense of optimism they omit in song. True artists, we can only imagine them live…for now. With four dates to choose from, we certainly won’t miss them. Check out their tracks “Austere” and “Cradle” below. Click through for the video of their recently released track “Greyhounds in the Slips” featuring Paul Draper.

The Joy Formidable - “Austere”

click here and save-as to download track

The Joy Formidable - “Cradle”

click here and save-as to download track

The Joy Formidable – 2010 New York Tour Dates

UPDATE?: Click here for photos from the night by Kenroy George

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If the Grim Reaper had to sing, he would probably sing about death. Cage, the New York-bred rapper and indie-rocker may not meet the reaper’s demise in song but gives him a run for his money in a fashion reminiscent of Charlie Daniels’ Johnny in “The Devil Went To Georgia.” In such a case, the Reaper should have been at BB King in New York City this past Friday for the “Depart From Me Round 2″ tour.  With Shinobi Ninja and Tame One setting the stage, Cage’s appearance was met by fans who were eager for his story-driven lyrical journeys. Backed by DJ Chauncey, he spewed over beats in the familiar form that garnered acclaim in the New York underground and independent hip-hop scene. With a cult status following, the audience responded to every single jagged and jilted word in his lyrics.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

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The British rave band is the latest example of electro’s pollination to different styles of music. The dynamics of Hadouken! combines the genre-hopping tactics of dance music in a catacomb fit for the mainstream with appeal to the underground. Their second album, For The Masses, is already being compared to the innovative breakthrough scales of the Prodigy and Chemical Brothers. (If you can, imagine the metamorphic fragmented doors that were opened by the mainstream releases of Fat Of The Land and Dig Your Own Hole.)

Established in late 2006, the talents of Hadouken! took hold by word-of-mouth and internet fandom, ultimately leading to the success of their 2008 debut album Music For An Accelerated Culture (an appropriate title given the musical style of the band). The album debuted at number twelve on the UK charts and number four in Japan with little to no media attention or press. While we await the release of their widely anticipated album and the announcement of their North American tour, the group has released a bass-heavy EP of the track “M.A.D.” (Mutually Assured Destruction), with reworks by Detboi, Plastician (known for producing “Snoop Dogg Millionaire”) and Phace.  Click here to check out the EP, where four of the six tracks are available for free download.

The band will make the cross-over to the US markets in 2010 with For The Masses, slated for a February release. In the meantime, check out  two tracks from the EP below and the video for “Turn The Lights Out” after the jump.

UPDATE:  Hadouken! will make their first stop in the us at the Mercury Lounge on February 8th 2010.

Hadouken! – M. A. D.

Hadouken! – M.A.D. (Detboi Remix)

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