Miami & The Beaches Photo Blog

Amanda Blank is bringing her potty mouth to Santos Party House next
Friday, January 29th as part of a show series built by MeanRed.

Amanda Blank stormed onto the scene in the wake of multi-talented
female artists like M.I.A. and Santigold. She raps, she sings, and she might bite your head off. Her frank lyrics and intense performance
style have made Blank a topic of conversation in indie-pop circles across the
globe. Known for her stage appearances
alongside Spankrock, Blank was originally a part of the Philadelphia-based pop
group Sweetheart. She released I Love
You, her solo debut in the summer of 2009.
I Love You features the single “Might Like You Better” and tracks
produced by Switch, XXXChange and Philly big shot Diplo.

Blank will be joined by Maluca, the New York native and newest addition to Diplo’s
Mad Decent record label. Another female
rapper/singer, Maluca’s set promises maracas and neon spandex. You’ve been warned.

And for those New Yorkers who will be hankering for something
local after all this brotherly love, “Bushwick party legend” Anton Glamb from Brooklyn’s Radical Outing has a DJ set planned.

The show starts at 7p.m.  Cover is $14 and you can purchase tickets here.

While so many other artists, record labels, and magazines are taking a break from the daily grind for the holidays, the ever-diligent heads over at Rhymesayers Entertainment have announced that Minnesotan emcee P.O.S. (a.k.a. Stefen Alexander) will be making the rounds across the U.S. and Canada for the “Every Never Is Now” tour. This upcoming tour will mark a full year since the emcee dropped his third album Never Better, which found its way onto several year-end “top” lists, including Spin Magazine’s “Top 10 Best Albums You Might Have Missed.”

It’s true that, despite his hard work and consistent musical delivery, you might have only a vague recognition of P.O.S., but anybody who harbors even a basic understanding of hip-hop will find it hard to understand why he holds only a reserved popularity. His lyrics are expertly delivered with perfect syncopation and enough energy to breath life into even the most adamant of hip-hop detractors. His accompanying beats regularly take influence and samples from unlikely crossover genres of punk rock and hardcore. It might be revelatory to point out that P.O.S. once rejected all things hip-hop and, instead, played strictly punk rock shows with the band Om, where he was first given the nickname “Pissed Off Stef (P.O.S.).” However, hearing how well he can rock a mic makes those of us who follow underground hip-hop grateful that he decided to show leniency toward the expressive musical genre.

If your eyes have yet to be opened to the styles of P.O.S., the future is yours to discover. Check out the “Every Never Is Now” tour when it comes to a city near you.

Tour Dates:

Feb 2 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot
Feb 4 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
Feb 5 – Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theatre
Feb 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Feb 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Feb 8 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Feb 9 – Missoula, MT @ Badlander
Feb 11 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
Feb 12 – Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge
Feb 13 – Portland, OR @ Berbati’s Pan
Feb 14 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
Feb 16 – Reno, NV @ Tonic Lounge
Feb 18 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
Feb 19 – West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour
Feb 20 – San Diego, CA @ The Loft – UCSD
Feb 21 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
Feb 22 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Chasers
Feb 23 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
Feb 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Feb 26 – Austin, TX @ Red 7 *
Feb 27 – Denton, TX @ Hailey *
Feb 28 – New Orleans, LA @ The Parish Room – House of Blues *
Mar 2 – Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder *
Mar 3 – Orlando, FL @ Backbooth *
Mar 4 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *
Mar 5 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 *
Mar 6 – Washington, DC @ DC9 *
Mar 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *
Mar 9 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
Mar 10 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs *
Mar 11 – Portland, ME @ Space *
Mar 12 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge *
Mar 13 – Montreal, QC @ II motore *
Mar 14 – Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee’s *
Mar 16 – Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom *
Mar 17 – Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop *
Mar 18 – Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge *
Mar 19 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
Mar 20 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *

*With Astronautalis and Dessa

If you missed out on the opportunity to buy a wad of Elvis Presley’s hair at auction for over $15,000, there is still a chance to fulfill your desire for jumpsuits, sequins, and slick-backed, pomaded hair. Mississippi entrepreneur and all around Elvis fanatic Paul MacLeod has spent years collecting and organizing endless piles of memorabilia related the rock icon in his Southern-traditional, antebellum style home in Holly Springs, MS, to create Graceland Too, an active tribute to the hip shaking superstar. Where the once typical attraction to the small country town was the architecture of houses such as MacLeod’s, Graceland Too has usurped all other attractions become the number one feature of the community’s tourism bureau. This tourism destination is summed up on a poster adorning the establishment’s entryway which, lacking appropriate punctuation, reads: “The Universes Galaxys Planets Worlds Ultimate Elvis Fans.”

Graceland Too is located about halfway between Tupelo, MS, Elvis’s birthplace, and the official Graceland mansion in Memphis, TN, which remains unaffiliated with MacLeod’s honorarium. As its proprietor and premier tour guide, MacLeod rarely leaves the overwhelmingly expansive collector’s paradise and offers his touring duties as well as his encyclopedic knowledge of Elvis statistics on a twenty-four-hour basis. He boasts that prospective patrons can pound on his door at four in the morning and he will happily oblige a tour for the admission price of $5 per, fueling his energy via strategically placed space-heaters and an endless supply of Coca-Cola (around twenty-four cans per day).

“My ex-wife told me, ‘Make up your mind. Either me or the Elvis collection.’ So that put an end to that.”

“Collection” barely even begins to describe the amassing piles of Elvis themed items found within the walls of Graceland Too. Since becoming a true Elvis follower at the tender age of thirteen, MacLeod has collected 35,000 records, 25,000 CDs, 185,000 square inches of carpet from the official Graceland mansion, and an endless supply of photos, figurines, outfits, cardboard cutouts, candy wrappers, paintings (velvet or otherwise), clocks, and anything else bearing a connection with Elvis. He also monitors various media outlets for any mention of his idol and has collected over 31,000 videotapes and 43,000 audio recordings. Not surprisingly, MacLeod named his first son Elvis Aron Presley MacLeod, noting how this was the name the singer went with during most of his career. He later changed his son’s name, placing the second “A” in the middle name after it was etched onto the singer’s tombstone.

MacLeod conducts his tour in an erratic, too-excited-to-blink mentality and rattles off an endless stream of facts, figures, and statistics as he navigates his tour patrons through Graceland Too. It is his semi-incoherent rambling of information that enhances the campy appeal of the place and what also encourages patrons to revisit the home, often accompanied by curious friends who feel they have to experience the “magic” for themselves. Among its many repeat patrons is Robert Lopez of Los Angeles, CA, who is better known as “El Vez, the Mexican Elvis.” Despite having graced the halls of Graceland Too over a dozen times, Lopez is quick to note that this “might be a slight warning of what too much love can do.”

One of the first things that DJ Erick La Peau said to me when I met him (and I almost missed it)
was “I’m very soft-spoken.” While the duration of our conversation certainly
confirmed this, La Peau’s message is loud and clear: “I want to take the world
by storm,” he says. And by the looks of things, he’s well on his way. La Peau
has all the discipline, wisdom, and (of course) talent to accomplish everything he intends to. P. Diddy himself requested DJ La Peau to spin at his 29^th birthday party, and La Peau played for Prince at the Benefit Life Concert he
hosted. Not too shabby at all. Best yet, even though La Peau is routinely
recruited to play for the hottest celebrities worldwide, he’s a normal guy and
watches lame TV shows just like the rest of us. “I’ve been DVR-ing shows a lot
recently,” he says, “like Vampire Dairies and For The Love Of Ray J. I’m
hooked.”

La Peau was born in Crown
Heights, Brooklyn, but moved to Haiti with his
parents shortly after. “To me, Brooklyn is a
family-oriented community,” he says about his hometown. “There are a lot of
artists and musicians in Brooklyn, and
everyone knows one another and feeds off each other. It has that community
feel.” La Peau returned to New York in his
pre-teens and today insists that New
York is where he belongs. “I spent a year and a half
in Miami in
2004 and 2005. It was pretty cool, but it’s not New York. Miami is a nice place to settle down and
raise a family. But I need that New
York hustle, that grind. In New
York, you can go out and do this and do that, get what you want
out of life; whereas Miami
was more laid back and chill. I love New
York. I missed it while I was gone.”

It looks as though New York
loves him right back; along with Miami, Los Angeles, Canada,
Tokyo, London, Zurich, Munich and Copenhagen. He plays
weekly at some of New York’s
most famous nightspots like M2 Ultralounge, Gansevoort Rooftop Hotel, and Pink
Elephant. And
although La Peau has been playing exclusive international venues regularly for
years, Tokyo is
his favorite city to play in. “I love it out there because they really know their
music,” he explains. “They really appreciate skills. I like that.”

In New York, especially Brooklyn, it seems like there’s a self-proclaimed
“world’s best DJ” around every corner. The emergence of computer programs like
Serato has made DJing super accessible. “Before, when we didn’t have Serato,
you had to go out and get records and shop and go to different labels,” says La
Peau. “I’ve been all over the world just buying records, to places like Japan, London,
and Denmark.
For example, a lot of songs in California
never really used to make it out to New York,
so I always went to California
to buy music out there. Nowadays, everyone uses computers to DJ, and that makes
it so easy. Everyone wants to do it. Everyone thinks it just a cool thing, and
it’s so simple for them to start. You don’t have to go hunting for records anymore;
you can just stay home and download everything you need.”

Considering the massive sea of pseudo-DJs taking over the New York music scene, it
makes a lot of sense that La Peau doubts the quality coming from a lot of the newcomers.
“It’s not really much about skills anymore. If you market yourself right, you
can make it without necessarily having the talent. But every DJ thinks they’re
the best, so it’s very a competitive job.” La Peau humbly gives credit where it
is due, and sympathizes with the struggle for notoriety that every artist
endures. “I don’t think anyone’s better than me,” he says, “but at the same
time, everyone is unique in a certain way. I suppose that new DJs that didn’t
start with vinyl records are missing out on the passion of it. They can
absolutely be devoted to the job and what they want to do, but I think there
was more passion back then, when buying vinyls was the only way to DJ. Because
in order to be the best, you had to have everything; you had to get exclusive records,
and you had to go looking for them. It wasn’t easy. Nowadays, you can download
an album before it’s even released. So there’s no exclusivity.”

DJing since 1995, La Peau has a pretty good idea of what it
takes to truly succeed in the DJ scene. “A lot of people come up to me wanting
to learn how to DJ. I’m like, ‘Alright, go get turntables and mixer.’ If you’re
serious about it, that’s what you need. If you don’t have those things, then
don’t talk to me,” he says. Sitting around in your apartment experimenting with
DJ software and posting your Grizzly Bear remixes on Myspace
isn’t going to impress Erick La Peau, or anyone else for that matter. A new DJ
must first prove his or her worth and show true dedication by being fully
equipped for the job and showing steady improvement.  “I don’t waste my time with people who don’t
improve. I’m not a nice person when it comes to these things. I’m very blunt
and brutal, and I’m going to tell you how it is.” However, La Peau also
acknowledges the gaping disconnect between talent and success. “I think a lot
of it has to do with marketing yourself and reaching out to people,” he says.
“Whether or not your skills are as good as someone else’s, if more people know
you and like you, you’re going to be the one who comes out on top. Nowadays,
you need a publicist, you need a stylist, you need a model girlfriend. You need
a team, all of the above. It’s not necessarily about raw talent.”

Although he has come a long way from his DJ beginnings in
1995, DJ La Peau well remembers how it felt starting out on a career in the
music industry in New York.
He says, “when I first started DJing, I had just quit my job at the World Trade Center working for corporate America. My baby boy had just been
born. It was incredibly risky; I had just become a father and had a child to
support. But I knew that music was my passion and that I had to pursue it.” A
music enthusiast his entire life, his top favorites include Marvin Gaye, Bob
Marley, Garnett Silk (the reggae artist who “made [him] want to start DJing”) and
Jimi Hendrix. “I used to have an afro;
people would say I look like him. I should have just told people that I’m his
son. Maybe I would have gotten more work,” he jokes.  

La Peau credits the reggae scene for giving him
his start. “When I used to go out, I’d go to a lot of reggae clubs. I was
really into it,” La Peau says. “I started out playing reggae at first, at
reggae clubs. My cousins were also DJs, and they really impressed me.” As his
career as a DJ started to take off, he began hanging out more in the hip hop
scene, where he discovered other beats and sounds that influenced his music. “I
had always heard the name Stretch Armstrong, but I never knew who he was. And I
was at this party one night and I was like, ‘Who is this white guy spinning?’ It
was Stretch. I was like ‘Wow! That’s him!’” Other artists he admires include “Mark
Ronson, of course, because we were partners when we started DJing. We used to
do a lot of parties together. And along the way, I also learned to love Kid
Capri and Red Alert.”

No artist is entirely without complaints about their current
scene. These days, La Peau would like to see a greater variety of people at
clubs and venues. Even in a city as cosmopolitan and diverse as New York, many of the
major venues are inaccessible to people who don’t meet the venue’s standards
for their patrons, who don’t “fit in.” La Peau says, “I wish there were more of a
mixture of people. This is New York;
there’s a scene here for everyone. You’ve got your underground spot on the Lower East Side, you have your chichi posh clubs, you
have places like Mansion that cater to the elite: athletes, models, actors,
rappers, whoever. I wish there was something in between, so everyone could come
to one place and see what the DJ is about, what I’m about.”

When it comes to his audience, it’s refreshing to hear that
La Peau isn’t too picky, even though he can afford to be. He says, “I’m always
excited to work for a celebrity or other artist. It’s amazing to get a chance
to work for someone like P. Diddy or Prince. I’ve worked for a lot of great
people in the past. But there are some people who just want to hear certain
things. That’s cool; I have to do what I have to do to please them. It’s their
event or party, and I want to make that happen for them.” To La Peau, DJing is
not about whom he’s playing for, but the attitude of his audience. “I want
people to have a good time and feel good about themselves, whether they’re in a
club or bar or whatever. As long as they’re having a good time, that’s it! I
don’t mind doing any type of party, as long as I have a crowd that I can rock
to. That’s what I want.” In fact, his crowd and the attitude they project is an
integral part of his craft. “I’m the type of DJ that just goes into work and
feeds off the crowd and gives them what they want,” La Peau explains. “I don’t
make a playlist before a show. I’m too good to prepare myself that way, because
you can put a lot of effort into making yourself a playlist, and the crowd may
not like it at all. You may be bored, the crowd may be bored. And that’s the
worst. To prepare myself, I just make sure that I have all the songs that I
know I might want to play. For example, for the New Year’s Eve party at M2
coming up, I’ll have some New Year’s Eve songs ready. That’s the kind of
preparation that I do. I just show up and work it out when I get there.”

2010 looks like it’s going to be a groundbreaking year for
La Peau. He’s got plans to team up with entertainment mogul BJ Coleman on an
undisclosed project. He’s also really excited about working on his music,
saying, “I’m getting all the programs
and everything I need to take it to the next level. It’s something I’ve been
working on for a while, but it’s very demanding and you have to be working on
it constantly. I’m going to be very careful not to let it slip through my
fingers.”

As for New Year’s resolutions, while everyone else is
trying to lose 15 pounds and eat less chocolate, La Peau plans on “taking the world
by storm.” In 2010, La Peau is going to
focus on “making [himself] that guy that people look for when they go out.” He
says, “I want to be the guy that people talk about, that people are raving
about. I want to make sure that people go home happy because they have a good time and
love my music. In 2010, I really want to make that happen.”

New York City is where everyone goes to “make it,” and accordingly, only a very small portion succeed. Countless numbers of actors, artists, writers, musicians, and other “professionals” have ultimately been forced to turn tail and retreat from a city that exemplifies the “dog eat dog” mentality. Rising proudly from the slew of undocumented failures that this city has aborted is The London Souls. When contemporary musicians spend their time experimenting with electronics that clog a stage faster than dreadlocks caught in an overhead fan, The London Souls occupy their time refining their soulful, blues-rock influence into a rocking sound that quickly fills any listener with the warm comfort of a traditional rock feeling. They play fervently with decades of musical influence under their belts and convert that energy into a show ripe with power, charisma, and an overall rock and roll sound that is equally fresh and familiar at the same time, not to mention loud. I got the chance to speak with this unique group of musicians about their music, their influences, the importance of having fun, and playing rock and roll music in the fickle New York music scene.

Brady Berthelson: Let’s start off with the basics. What’s the story of The London Souls? Where did you guys come from?

The London Souls: We all met in New York City through friends. We started jamming and hanging out together one summer and felt a unique sound.

BB: So tell me, where does the name “The London Souls” come from?

TLS: London Souls is an homage to our musical roots. We all started playing because of bands from the London scene in the 60s. Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, etc.

BB: So kind of a blues-rock revival meets an adaptable garage-pop influence? In that case, how would you define your particular sound?

TLS: Soul music on 10.

BB: I think I can get down with that. What do think of the current state of modern rock/pop music?

TLS: It’s going in interesting places, but still lacking in grit and soul.

BB: I couldn’t agree with you more.

TLS: Right. It seems to be more about listening to a band that can’t play very well and thinking it’s a new sound, where it’s more just that they can’t play.

BB: So how do you stay fresh and relevant playing in a genre that some think is “out of style?”

TLS: We just play what we love to play. We just try to play what sounds good to us and it seems to work. I think if people can sing along to our songs, bob their heads, and dance at the same time, then it’s relevant because it’s a real experience. Not an industry party where everyone is told how to feel about it.

BB: How do you survive as a rock-and-roll band in a city that seems to have an unhealthy obsession for “experimental” groups?

TLS: The music and the drive to get better helps us wade through all the other stuff.

BB: So you don’t find any problems?

TLS: No. There’s so much going on in this city, you can find your place in almost any style. It’s never been a huge problem.

BB: Now, you appear to have a lot of fun in your live performances, even while standing in front of a microphone. How important is having fun with your music and rock-and-roll in general?

TLS: It depends on what you’re going for. But for us, if we didn’t have fun, why would we do it?

BB: Why indeed. A lot of your songs are relatively short (less than 3 minutes). Does this have any influence on your particular style and/or performance?

TLS: Definitely. It’s so important to have great concise songs that are structurally sound. The Beatles didn’t need 8 minutes to get a point across. They didn’t even need 3 minutes, or sometimes even 2.

BB: That’s a good point. Some the best Beatles songs are extremely short and have only one or two verses. So how do you transfer the sound and energy generated from your live performances onto a record?

TLS: There’s a million different ways of doing it onto record, but the best thing is to listen back and wait for a take that captures a moment beautifully. For us it’s more important to get an amazing take live than it is to concentrate mainly on manipulating the performance and the listener in post production.

BB: So it’s more about the classic “in the moment” concept of music recording rather than extensive post-polishing? In that case, with all the modern technology and recording practices, how important is it for a band like The London Souls to make a record?

TLS: Very important. But more important than that is making a good record that we don’t have doubts about putting our names on. It’s better to put out one amazing album than to put out four pretty good ones in the same time.

BB: Speaking of making an album, how was it to record in Abbey Road studios in London?

TLS: It was crazy. I don’t think I can describe how crazy it was.

BB: Admiring the Beatles as you do, I can imagine. What are your feelings on the current recording industry, as in online singles distribution vs. full album production and sale?

TLS: There’s no one way to do it. Some people like listening to full albums, some people like listening to that one song. It’s good to have the options. When there were only full albums on sale, we all bought CDs that only had one good song. It’s probably good to have an option.

BB: True. Do you think that in the next five years there will be no physical record stores left anywhere?

TLS: There will still be physical products to buy after 5 years. Don’t know about 10 years, but for now there are a lot of people who like their music in the CD format. Vinyl still sells these days. There can’t be just one way to listen to music.

BB: What are your thoughts on touring? How crucial is it for the success of The London Souls?

TLS: Touring is essential for any band. You can only go so far if your live show is lacking. Even if you’ve got all the hits, if you can’t play them live there’s almost no point.

BB: If you could play one dream gig, where would it be and what band, or bands, would you play with?

TLS: Don’t know. Maybe a festival with lots of great bands. Don’t know how to answer that one.

BB: Fair enough. You seem to be fairly comfortable with yourselves as musicians. Has there ever been a time where you weren’t so confident?

TLS: Sure. There are still times of discomfort. It’s more of a personal thing, but when you get to a certain level, it raises the bar. We may be unhappy with a show, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the audience thought it was a bad performance.

BB: It’s not up to you whether the audience likes your performance even if you don’t think it went well?

TLS: Right.

BB: Okay, with regards to your career, what can you say about where you’ve come from compared to where you are now and where you plan to go?

TLS: We’ve been at it for a few years in the hardest city to make it in. We’ve come so far and it’s all panning out nicely. We plan to just keep playing music.

BB: Well you’ve certainly shown that you can make it if you try hard enough. What advice would you give to a young musician who wants something more out of an oversaturated music industry?

TLS: It’s not enough to put in the time and it’s not enough to struggle. What you do in that time is what matters. There’s never one way to do anything, so don’t become comfortable with methods. Always get better.

BB: Good advice. What can we expect in the future from The London Souls?

TLS: Our album from Abbey Road and hopefully a nice tour around the world opening for a band full of cool people.

Catch the London Souls at our New Year’s Eve party at Le Poisson Rouge!

It was a sorrowful and heart-breaking Christmas for the family and friends of Vic Chesnutt, who died in a hospital in Athens, Georgia on December 25th. The 45 year old folk singer-songwriter had spent two days in a coma after attempting suicide by overdosing on muscle relaxers. The founders of Constellation records, Chesnutt’s label, released this statement:

“In the few short years that we knew him personally, Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about. Our grief is inexpressible and Vic’s absence unfathomable.”

Chesnutt was an iconic musician among his contemporaries. After becoming paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident when he was 18, he continued to pursue his dream of making music despite being forced to rely on a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He wrote and recorded 16 albums and found close friends with musicians such as Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, Throwing Muse’s Kristin Hersh, Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan, and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, who first discovered Chesnutt and produced his first two albums Left and West of Rome. Chesnutt is perhaps best known for his 1998 benefit album Sweet Relief II: The Gravity of the Situation, which was a cover album of his material by the bands Garbage, Soul Asylum, Live, Sparklehorse, Madonna, and R.E.M. among others. The album was in support of the Sweet Relief Fund which provided assistance for musicians stricken with high medical bills, an affliction to which Chesnutt, due to his paralysis, was far too accustomed.

Chesnutt’s music hangs on the darkly comical aspects of life and love. His songs address the morose emotional occurrences of everyday life and serve as a semi-foreboding prediction to his untimely fate. Despite his critical appeal and highly esteemable group of contemporaries, the strain of coping with his condition, coupled with unending medical bills, had rendered the singer severely depressed. He once revealed to NPR that he had attempted suicide several times in his life but that those attempts “didn’t take.” The gravity of his last attempt was made evident when Kristen Hersh, a long-term collaborator and friend, revealed that Chesnutt had left a note prior to his overdose, saying, “This time, it’s real scary: This time, he left a note, this time, he asked them to call me.”

Michael Stipe paid tribute to Chesnutt during a recent interview on NPR:

“He was able to bring levity to very dark emotions and feelings, and he had a humor that was really quite unusual. I said recently that I thought he was one of our greatest songwriters, and one of our greatest voices.”

Tuesday, December 29

Ryan Star Rock Star: Supernova

Friday, January 1

Christina Milian Christina Milian

Carnie Wilson For the First Time

Can’t decide whether you are a neon-wearing, Nike-polishing, flat-billing, “durty-Sout’” player or a Ray-Ban wearing, skinny-jean cramping, porno-stache sporting, experimental-indie hipster? Well, if you are on-the-ball enough to follow the unlikely quandary I just proposed, put down your “crackberry,” flick those stubby little fingers across your computer keyboard and head over to the Adult Swim website. In their music subcategory, you will find ATL RMX, a specially commissioned album by the Rockstar Games and Timbaland Beaterator music remix video game.

As the title may indicate, each track on the album is a remix of songs by various southern drawl spitting Atlanta rappers by some of the most eclectic and experimental remix artists in modern music. Original tracks from Young Jeezy, Lil Jon, Gucci Mane, and Hollyweerd get the proverbial “chop-cut-screw” from remix specialists the likes of Flying Lotus, Phaseone, Dam-Funk, and El-P. Even if you hold a greater affinity for the rap artist over the remix specialist, or visa-versa, the commingling of these unique musical styles is something worth listening to, especially if you are familiar with both artists on the track.

This very enigmatic project is being headed by Williams Street records, who are less of a sales oriented label and more of an “ars gratia artis” (art for art’s sake) company, and the Beaterator video game which was released for Playstation gaming systems in September 2009 and as an iPhone/iPod app in December (a flash version of the program has been available on the internet since 2005 but was never officially released commercially as a music mixing program). The game allows users to create original tracks by manipulating production samples, loops, and vocal tracks into imaginative user-generated compositions, which can then be shared online in Beaterator “Social Clubs.” Two tracks from ATL RMX, Goodie Mob’s “Is That You God? (Dabrye remix)” and Cee Lo and the Good Time Guys’ “Hello Miss (XXXChange remix),” can be uploaded to the Beaterator game and users can manipulate the tracks to their heart’s content.

With everything that has been mentioned about ATL RMX, there is one thing that makes this album just that much cooler than anything else on the market today. Much like a number of other projects put out by Williams Street records, the entire album is available for free on the adultswim.com website. Don’t bother letting the iTunes Genius choose music to expand your musical horizons. Aural exploration is only a click away.

Rapper Kid CuDi has found himself trapped on the downward slope of the rollercoaster that is his musical career, and it hasn’t even been six months since he dropped his highly anticipated first album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. In his most recent bout of misfortunes, the Cleveland emcee, his entourage, and several members of Britain’s NME magazine were held at gunpoint by the LAPD in transit after a photo shoot. The group was pulled over on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles where police officers surrounded the convoy with guns at the ready demanding their targets to, “keep your hands visible!” The entire group was then ordered to exit the vehicles and kneel on the ground where they were then put in handcuffs. However, after several moments of tense inquiry, every member of the group was released as the police realized they had detained the wrong party.

The reason for the officers’ pistol-waiving internment? The group was mistaken for another party that had burglarized an establishment in the vicinity near where CuDi and his convoy were located. The emcee commented that the incident was simply an unfortunate circumstance; wrong place at the wrong time.

“We’re in LA, it’s a rowdy place in the United States, you know? And a lot of s— goes down. And these cops have to use force. So, it’s like, I understand that they were doing their job.”

However positive his attitude regarding the situation, this is not the bit of negative news regarding CuDi. He made entertainment headlines last week when he announced that he would be cancelling his involvement with Lady Gaga’s Monster’s Ball tour. He cited issues of scheduling conflicts for the departure and stated how he intended to work more to “balance his schedule.” Whatever his reasons, it should also be noted that CuDi has also received a slew of negative criticism for punching a fan in Vancouver during a stop on the tour.

We here at joonbug have a deep appreciation for musicians who play at our parties. If it wasn’t for them, our parties would just be a bunch of people standing around staring at each other like a bad high school reunion. Who wants to party like that?

Nevertheless, we hold a special place on our website for people like O’neal Mcknight. Musician, stylist, and overall great person, O’neal is always ready to bring a positive attitude to everything he puts his mind to. His career is quickly rising to an astronomical level and I was privileged to conduct a follow-up to his Halloween interview to ask him questions about his thoughts on where he’s come from and what to expect for the coming year.

Brady Berthelson: So, what have you been working on since we last talked to you for Halloween?

O’Neal McKnight: Today I’m headed to Verizon studios to record a song for the brand. And just living in the studio working with new producers on new material. People like Scram Jones, The Knocks, Nelly Pro-tools, Steve Sola and Arie Deutsch, just to name a few.

BB: With all the time you’re currently spending in the studio, can we expect anything new and exciting for your New Year’s performance?

OM: Yeah, I changed my play list a bit, added new stuff and took out other stuff. I guarantee Amnesia will be jumping New Year’s Eve! Fo’ sho!

BB: When the clock strikes midnight, who would be your number 1 person to lock lips with?

OM: Leighton Meester. (Stares off in the distance.)

BB: Hey! (Snaps fingers) Come on back! … What are your resolutions for the New Year?

OM: To focus on the positive and keep people dancing.

BB: “Keep people dancing.” I like it. Strive for something fun rather than something selfish. Do you prefer working on expanding your musical repertoire in the studio or working the club circuit?

OM: I plan on expanding what I got. The clubs just allow me to understand what the people want, and the experiences are real.

BB: You have maintained a long appreciation for the work of Michael Jackson. Do you see your musical career as following in his footsteps?

OM: WOW! I dream to influence music, people, and the world like Michael did. He is my inspiration, the reason why I do this. To bring joy to the world through dance.

BB: Sounds like if you keep to your resolution, you should achieve that… You’ve had a lot of experience working with various people in the music industry. Who would be your “dream team” to work with on an album?

OM: Kanye, Timbaland, and Ne-Yo.

BB: Damn! That’s quite a group to work with! … In your opinion, what is the worst trend plaguing popular music today?

OM: Can’t say. I respect people expressing themselves.

BB: Really? I can’t even begin to count the number of things I hate about pop music.

OM: (Shrugs) Focus on the positive.

BB: Anyway, you’ve attributed your unique musical style to homage that of ‘80s artists and styles. As current styles change, will you adjust your particular interests to match these changes?

OM: No. I’m setting the tone. I’m a brand.

BB: Okay. Being a unique stylist yourself, do you ever adjust yourself to these changes or have you always followed your own path?

OM: No. Let me repeat, I AM setting the tone. I AM a brand.

BB: ‘Nuff said. As a former celebrity stylist, do you often find yourself criticizing the wardrobes of your fellow artists, either secretly or vocally?

OM: Secretly “YES” LOL!!!! (Names omitted to protect the guilty.)

BB: You put Christopher Lloyd in you video for “Check Your Coat.” Any surprise guest appearances in any future projects?

OM: YES! Can’t reveal anything yet. Keep watching.

BB: If you had the opportunity to remake a classic ’80s movie with a modern flair, what would it be?

OM: TEEN WOLF! Gotta love Michael J. Fox.

BB: I think we’re all waiting for that one, and hoping that it doesn’t suck.

OM: Not if I have a hand in it.

BB: True… Your career is extremely versatile, singing, dancing, fashion styling, acting, is there any medium which you wouldn’t dare to venture?

OM: No. If it’s creating art, I’m with it as long as it’s respectful and not hurtful.

BB: Looking at your career so far, I’d say you’ve kept to that model. Now, you started your music career at a considerably older age than most of your contemporaries. Do you think this puts you at a slight disadvantage in the industry?

OM: Not at all. I already know more. I’ve seen it. I’ve been around the best: Michael Jackson, Russell Simmons, and Diddy, from the business side to being an artist. I have the advantage.

BB: Speaking of who you’ve shared company with, you’ve met so many celebrities in your career. Aside from the first time you met MJ, do you ever feel intimidated meeting such influential people as Nelson Mandela or Muhammad Ali?

OM: No, because I feel my path is the same as theirs; to help change the world and bring awareness.

BB: That’s an admirable quality to attach to your career. Given the vast number of acquaintances in your Rolodex, who is one person that you are just dying to meet?

OM: James Cameron. I just saw Avatar I wanna just sit and talk with him and pick his brain. He’s just amazing!

BB: Maybe the two of you could work on a music video. That would definitely be worth checking out…Growing up in such a small, rural community, are you ever accused by ne’er-do-wells as lacking “street cred?”

OM: No.

BB: Wow. That answer is to the point. Hard work really pays off. Make a note of that, kiddies. How are you giving back to the community that brought you to where you are today?

OM: I encourage them to dream big and do positive things; we’re only human and we do make mistakes.

BB: So, as the say, “keep reaching for that rainbow?”

OM: Yeah, but not so lame.

BB: (Laughs) Okay, last question, and I ask this regarding you as an expert on the matter. Who would win in a fight, Linda Hamilton from Terminator or Janice Dickinson pre-fashion week?

OM: Janice Dickinson would whip that ASS!!!!!!

The folksy, indie-pop band The Clientele has announced plans to take their eclectically groovy sounds on tour across the U.S. in February and March. This is a chance for true fans of indie music to congregate around an intellectually stimulating group who know how to show their influence without overzealously attempting to outdo their contemporaries. There is no competition with The Clientele. They simply exist for the pleasure of those who seek something wonderful.

With no prior knowledge of the foursome, one might imagine that this would be the kind of music flowing out of a San Francisco head-shop along with billows of patchouli and anti-establishment rhetoric, but the group actually hails from across the water, London specifically. Originally formed in 1991, the group struggled to find any major-label interest until the late-nineties/early ’00 when they released Suburban Light, a compilation of various 7” recording released previously. The continued working on refining their sound and releasing albums until their latest record, Bonfires on the Heath, where we find them expressing their expressionistic sentiments to their fullest extent. Their sound, which resembles, yet is significantly different from, bands such as The Association and other mellow, folk acts from the 1960’s, is a breath of refreshment in the midst of the slew of indie groups obsessed with conforming to the “I’m-so-independent” mentality. As previously stated, The Clientele isn’t trying to fit into a certain mold; they simply exist for the sake of existing.

Tour Dates:

Feb 21 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
Feb 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Feb 23 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Feb 24 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cats Cradle
Feb 25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Feb 26 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
Feb 27 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
Feb 28 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre
Mar 01 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Mar 04 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Mar 05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
Mar 06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
Mar 07 – Visalia, CA @ Cellar Door
Mar 09 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Mar 11 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 12 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Mar 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Mar 16 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Mar 17 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Mar 19 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Mar 20 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
Mar 21 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Mar 23 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

When I first brought the news that a subversive, independent facebook campaign was gaining headway in their effort to overthrow a single by Joe McElderry, winner of Britain’s The X Factor, as number one Christmas single in the U.K. pop charts with a Rage Against the Machine song from 1992, I had strong reservations as to whether they would actually succeed in their mission. As the U.K. pop charts closed on Sunday and I heavy-heartedly checked the NME website, who had been covering the battle extensively, my reaction was the same as that of “Rage Against the Machine for Christmas No 1” creator/moderator Jon Morter, as well as many others who had been following the campaign, “F— me, I can’t believe it’s Number One!”

That’s right. When all the single sales were tallied, Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” received over 50,000 more purchases more than McElderry’s cover of Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb.” The U.K.’s Official Chart’s Company announced that the week’s events have given the RATM song two unprecedented landmarks in chart history; becoming the UK’s first download-only Christmas Number One and notching up the biggest one-week download sales total in British chart history. Not bad for a U.S. single nearly two decades old.

However, the success didn’t come without its share of nail biting and hair pulling. As McElderry’s single was released to physical sale in stores, a purchasing medium which the RATM song was not privy, sales numbers rose to around 9,000 less than the RATM tune and looked as though it would usurp its spot at number one. Also, as McElderry had wished the best in competition and naively mentioned at the start of the sales week how he had never heard of the hard-rock band or the song which was placed in contention with his, later went on record to brandish the tune as “dreadful.”

In the waning hours of the campaign, Paul McCartney, who had performed on The X Factor beside McElderry, gave his support on the side of the RATM song stating that their success would be “funny” and also “prove a [significant] point.”

Simon Cowell, who had spoken up immediately about the usurious campaign calling it, among other things, “very scrooge,” actually showed a respectable amount of humility as he called Morter as the polls were closing to wish him luck and even offering him a job at his production company. Morter explains:

“Simon was very sweet and it was lovely to talk to him. We had a good chat about music in general and just wished each other good luck. I’ve got total respect for him. That was really nice thing to do.”

Jon Morter himself is, perhaps, the most admirable of all the players involved because, as all the dust settled, he was noticeably vocal in the overall mission of the campaign; as a way to raise money for the Shelter charity program (£64,726 or approx. $104,043). He humbly acknowledged the influence of the campaign’s rivalry by stating;

“The whole aim of the campaign was not to dis The X Factor at all. The X Factor fans like music as much as we do so I’ve got absolutely nothing against them…there is nothing sad about being Christmas Number Two. There are thousands of bands across the country who would cut off their right arm to have a Christmas Number Two. It will probably go to Number One next week anyway.”

As promised, Rage Against the Machine will be performing a free concert in the U.K. due to the success of the campaign, although they will most likely not have to apologize for the song lyrics as executives of the BBC had to following a live performance where singer Zach De La Rocha sang the unedited version of “Killing in the Name” after promising to omit the vulgarity. (Really, BBC? You didn’t see this coming? This is the same band who was rumored to have been kicked off the Saturday Night Live set after threatening to take Steve Jobs hostage).