Mashers of The Year - The Hood Internet

The Hood Internet is taking the remix and mash-up world by storm - and this is nothing new if you're from Chicago or have been up on your blogroll. After impressing the industry at SXSW just a few weeks ago - they've embarked on a brief tour alongside Black Moth Super Rainbow's Tobacco that recently took them through Los Angeles, to both Echo and Detroit Bar.

The rest of their tour takes them to the following cities before ending in at Empty Bottle their hometown of Chicago:

Saturday 3/27 - Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco CA
Sunday 3/28 - WOW Hall, Eugene OR
Monday 3/29 - Holocene, Portland OR #
Tuesday 3/30 - Chop Suey, Seattle WA
Friday 4/2 - Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis MN ^
Saturday 4/3 - Empty Bottle, Chicago IL

My new favorite mash-up heroes just seem to get it right every time. From mixing Drake with Miike Snow to Dr. Dre with Class Actress, this duo knows how to take the good things from popular music and the good things from indie culture and bring it together to make something infectiously danceable, repeatable and awesome. I wish these guys would DJ every party I ever had.

You can check out a lot more about the group on their own site -http://www.thehoodinternet.com/ - as well as get free downloads to their zipped mixtapes and other songs.

SUPERGOOD ARTISTS at SXSW

There are a handful of artists we work with going down to SXSW and we couldn't be more excited for them. Even though we won't be getting there until around noon on Tuesday March 16th....some of these amazing artists have already hit the road as they make their way down to Austin and others are leaving soon.

Out of the five artists we work with that will be there (Foster The People, Odd Modern, Saint Motel, Keith Masters and The Stone Foxes), a few of them are doing some quirky stunts along the road to make the trip more lively. Stay tuned to www.fosterthepeople.com to see what ensues on the quartet's ride down to Austin. They depart from Los Angeles tomorrow. Likewise, Odd Modern will be racing to Austin - but placing some scavenger hunt items along the way as part of a Austin or Bust roadtrip game that they are playing with the hombres over at Matador Y Toros and La Banda Elastica. Check www.oddmodern.com for links and potentially some content.

Below is an easy guide to where and when artists in the SUPERGOODMUSIC family will be performing in Austin. You can catch three of them at The Music & Tech Mash-Up on Saint Patrick's Day - including a surefire funky wake-up call from Foster The People around 10 a.m.

FOSTER THE PEOPLE

Deli Magazine (Music and Tech Mashup Party)
Tuesday, March 16th 10:50 P.M (hip-hop/patio stage)
Rusty Spurs
405 East 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701-3316

Deli Magazine (Music and Tech Mashup Party)
Wednesday, March 17th 10:15 A.M. (mainstage)
Rusty Spurs
405 East 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701-3316

The Viper Room/SuperGoodMusic (Rooftop Riot Daytime Party)
Friday, March 19th 12:15 P.M.
317 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
click here to RSVP

Baby Blues Saturday
March 20th 1:00 P.M.
1522 E. 12th St.

ODD MODERN

Deli Magazine (Music and Tech Mashup Party)
Tuesday, March 16th 11:45 pm (hip-hop/patio stage)
Rusty Spurs
405 East 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701-3316

Deli Magazine (Music and Tech Mashup Party)
Wednesday, March 17th 5:15 p.m. (hip-hop/patio stage)
Rusty Spurs
405 East 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701-3316

KEITH MASTERS

Deli Magazine (Music and Tech Mashup Party)
Wednesday, March 17th 2:10 pm (hip-hop/patio stage)
Rusty Spurs
405 East 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701-3316

Two other SUPERGOOD legal clients, Saint Motel and The Stone Foxes, are also taking Austin over. Check out their schedules below:


SAINT MOTEL

FutureSounds Super Rumble
Wednesday, March 17th
6:30 P.M.

45th Parallel SXSW Day Party
Thursday, March 18th
4:00 P.M.

The Roxy Official AustinRox SXSW Showcase
Thursday March 18th
10:00 P.M.
Playing along with She Wants Revenge, Glitch Mob, Orgone and others.

South by Southwurst
Saturday, March 20th
6:30 P.M.

THE STONE FOXES

Manic Fest Destiny
Wednesday, March 17th
9:45 P.M.

Swing House/D'Addario Official SXSW Showcase
Friday, March 19th
2:30 P.M.
Rusty Spurs
405 East 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701-3316

DIMMAK ROCKS EVERY TUESDAY LIKE NOBODY ELSE DOES...

Check out who is playing in town below - but if you want our advice...just go to Cinespace. Every Tuesday, week in and week out, Dimmak throws it down with some of the best in the business. They had Kid Cudi and Dan Black in but a mere few weeks ago. I was introduced to the awesomeness that is Ebony Bones there...and if you are lucky you've caught people from the Daft Punk crew there before. Plus - there is always the likely Steve Aoki spotting.

Anyhow, we're thinking of going to a comedy club...and then to Cinespace for DIMMAK Tuesdays. Tonight - free drinks at the top of every hour for 5 minutes - so come thirsty (and ready to wait in a line). Resident DJs Them Jeans and Dan Oh will be in full effect - plus some very special guests - one of those being Stereheroes.

Tuesday March 9th

Twin Tigers, Skybombers, Useless Keys, Apes of Wrath @ Echo

Laura Veirs, Old Believers, Cataldo @ Spaceland

Apes of Wrath, Superfuzz, Volapike

Red Tide, Superhumanoids, Random Patterns, His Orchestra @ Silverlake Lounge

Green Umbrella @ Walt Disney Concert Hall

Manchester Orchestra, The Features,Biffy Clyro, O'Brother @ Troubadour (SOLD OUT)

The Rescues, HoneyHoney @ Saint Rocke

Girl Problems, Sol Giant, Polaris At Noon @ The Viper Room

D'Santi, The Diamond Light, Red Stone Hall @ Air Conditioned Lounge

Anuhea @ The Mint

The Big Pink with A Place to Bury Strangers and Active Child @ El Rey

Scott Simons (8PM), Ashley Raines (9PM), Brianna Sage (10PM) @ Room 5

Mayhem and Mirth Present: Kashmere (8PM), Magnolia Memoir (9PM), Bandito Royale (10PM) @ Molly Malones

Taterbug, Tracy Trance, Infinite Body, Pocohaunted @ Echo Curio

Jesse Piemons, Marc Robillard, Kathleen Blackwell, Caroline Ashkar, Spaceman @ Genghis Cohen

Planets, Totally Serious, LA Fog, Secondary @ The Smell

Kristen Toedtman (7PM), Lauren Tarantino (8PM), Sheila Nicholls (9PM), Aijia Lise (10PM) @ Hotel Café

Odd Modern @ Senor Fish Tonight

Odd Modern Pre-SXSW Fiesta @ Senor Fish (Sat. 3/6)

Tonight we are heading downtown to Senor Fish Cantina to indulge on some Odd Modern at the SXSW Kick-Off Party hosted by 103.1 and presented by Matador Y Toros and Automatico. Joining the modern duo will be local L.A. acts Twin Falcons and Black Charro as well as DJs Knyfeparty and El Profe.

Check out one of our favorite local artists as they perform for the last time before making the Austin or Bust roadtrip for their 2 performances at the Music & Tech Mash-Up Party on March 16th and 17th. They will be playing some exciting new material that you can hear and download for free at www.oddmodern.com!

Set time is around 11:15 so come by 11, start to get lubricated and get ready to get the dance floor dirty!

Noise Pop: Atlas Sound at The Great American Music Hall

For my third night of the 2010 Noise Pop Festival I made the difficult decision to head over to the Great American Music Hall to see buzz-band Atlas Sound with supporting acts Geographer, Magic Wands and Nice Nice. Unfortunately for all of you, I was only able to snap a couple of photos of the first band before security pulled me to the side and warned me that photography was not allowed under any circumstances.

The first band of the evening was Nice Nice who come to Noise Pop by way of Portland, Oregon. If you’ve kept an open ear to the music that’s been coming out of the “indie” scene as of late than you are probably familiar with the blips and beeps that are all the rage. Well if that is something that you are into than Nice Nice is the right band for you. Their set was filled with rock-dance vibes that isn’t always easy on the ears, but always perfect for a good time. You can’t find this duo on iTunes yet, so look out for their 7” called One Hit.

Following Nice Nice was Bay Area natives Magic Wands, who were completely off my musical radar until Noise Pop. Luckily for me, the first time I heard anything about them involved me seeing them live as well. They are your typical Rayban wearing indie rock hipsters, but there was something special about this band. I’ve never been shy about my distaste for MGMT, and though Magic Wands draw many comparisons to the over-hyped band, I find them to be more enjoyable than them. Their EP Magic Love and Dreams was released in May of last year, so if you seek it out I would highly recommend the song Black Magic as a perfect way to get your spring started off right.

The next act was Geographer, who like Magic Wands, are native to the San Francisco area, and also like Magic Wands, I had never heard of them before. The band is typically a trio, but they are known to have a special musical guest on occasion. While at their show, I found that their music had a lot of 1980’s video game influence and the lead singer reminded me of Morrissey. They are a great representation for how much incredible music is coming out of the San Francisco area, and the band is currently in the process of finishing up their new EP, so definitely keep an eye out for that when it comes out.

Last but certainly not least was Atlas Sound, and by the time they hit the stage the Great American Music Hall had been completely filled up. 2009 was a huge year for Atlas Sound, and after reading so much about them and getting bits a pieces of their catalog from the internet, I was very intrigued to see what their live show would be like. To be honest, I was disappointed but I wasn’t blown away at the same time. It’s very difficult to bring the lo-fi dance-rock sound to life, but he did give it his best shot. I am still a fan of the band, but can’t say that I will be seeking them out on their next stop in Los Angeles or at the festival circuit this year.

Noise Pop: Rogue Wave & Company Rock Bottom of the Hill

For my first night of the 2010 Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco I made my way to the venue Bottom of the Hill to see one of my favorite bands Rogue Wave as they played to a full house with supporting acts Princeton, Man/Miracle and Two Sheds.

The night began with Two Sheds who are a wonderful husband and wife duo from Sacramento who have partnered up with Rusty Miller and James Finch Jr. to form a band that is best described as Bluesy Americana.

After Two Sheds it was time for the Bay Area’s very own Man/Miracle that is made up of four members that play music that is best described as rock with a pop sensibility. The bands first full-length album The Shape Of Things brought the band some big buzz and comparisons to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Rogue Wave. If you decide to seek out some of their music, which I think you should, I highly recommend the tracks “Dayglo” and “Back of the Card.”

Following Man/Miracle was Los Angeles Natives Princeton, and this indie pop group have made a name for themselves for having a very tight live show, which I agree with. Their show at Bottom of the Hill was well rehearsed and had zero lag time in between songs. Definitely a great band to keep an eye out for and after having a conversation with the boys from LA, I even snagged a free copy of their album Cocoon of Love on vinyl and I can’t wait to give it a spin.

Now, I don’t mean any offense to the three bands that played before Rogue Wave, but the night truly belonged to the band from San Francisco. Rogue Wave is one of my favorite bands and their second album Descended by Vultures, which was released in 2005, still stands as one of my favorites of this decade. So when Zach and the boys took to the stage, I was praying to hear songs from that album. I was not disappointed in the least. Though most of the songs in their set came from their latest album Permalight, they still made time to play such songs as “Publish My Love” and “Bird on a Wire.” Also, for those that were able to get inside the packed venue, we were treated to something very special when John Vanderslice came on stage to close the show with Rogue Wave.

My first night of Noise Pop was an absolute dream come true. There are not many times when I am able to see one of my favorite bands play live in a venue that holds only 300 people and have them play some of my favorite songs of the last decade.

Noise Pop: The Heart is a Drum Machine Film Review

The Heart is a Drum Machine

Director: Christopher Pomerenke

What is music? That is the simple question that the new documentary The Heart is a Drum Machine so eloquently tries to answer with the help of some of the most renowned musicians, producers, actors, journalists and singers in the industry.

It all begins with a NASA space engineer, who was given the daunting task of selecting music to be transmitting into space for the universe to hear. The focus of her segment is on how she believes that other forms of life in the universe must have their own form of music in their world and that this was the chance to connect all of us.

From there, the film explores what music is by asking people such as Wayne Cohen (The Flaming Lips), Kurt Loder (MTV News), George Clinton, Britt Daniel (Spoon), Becky Stark (Lavendar Diamond), Juliette Lewis, Faruza Balk, Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit), Jason Schwartzman and many others who all give personal accounts on what music is to them, how music affects them, and why they feel that at the root of music is the simple beating of our hearts.

Though slow at some points, I couldn’t help but be completely fascinated by the stories of all of these incredible people. It truly made me look within myself and not only ask myself what is music? But, more importantly, what is music to me?

If at any point you are able to watch this film I do recommend for anyone who has been affected by music, isn’t that everyone?

Check out the trailer for The Heart is a Drum Machine below.