Music TBD

-More Cali love, less East Coast snobbery. A new weekly starts in SF tonight and it has a great name, Wall Street, and two of my favorite DJs, White Girl Lust and Sleazemore, and I'm sure that I'd love the others. SF, break out the three piece suit, head to the Arrow Bar (6th and Market) and talk about money and bitches.




-Milwaukee, stand the fuck up! LA's Guns 'n' Bombs are the special guests for Spaced Out, a weekly at Moct (240 E. Pittsburgh Ave.) I mean, Milwaukee! Yeah! More midwest please!



-NYC, it's Saturday night. You know where to be, right? We've gone over this many times, Home Sweet Home (131 Chrysie St.), Project Matt and guests, best weekly (along with High Voltage!), the last refuge in the LES. Look at that flier, how can you not be there? I'll be there, you should too.



-Cousin Cole



-Fixed is back in Brooklyn tonight at Studio B with a massive night. It's Dave P and JDH's mix CD release. I've had this for a few weeks and it hasn't left my rotation. You want more? How about Data Rock, Lo-Fi-Fnk and The Presets? Game over.

-My future home city, Paris, has a unmissable night, Institubes Paris Terror Club. It's at L'Ambassade, Tacteel is the headliner and Das Glow and Bobmo are spinning. Doesn't this just make you want to make love and dance and be young and look chic?



-Whitey on Neon Noise

Stickie: LCD Soundsystem Tickets

I don't normally do this, but I figure what the hell. If anyone reading this has an extra ticket for a reasonable price (i.e. not $50 per ticket) or a plus one for one of or both the LCD Soundsystem shows (Friday and Saturday), please help me out. Even better, if you can get me on the press list, I'd be eternally grateful. I've been a supporter and fan of James Murphy, DFA and LCD Soundsystem since Day 1. You can have my first born child (although as I'm sure my exes will tell you, good luck waiting for that). Music, beer, sexual favors, you name it. Thanks for any help, email me or myspace me.

love,

Pound for Pound

Debbie Deb - Lookout Weekend

Debbie Deb, "Lookout Weekend" (YSI link) 320 for DJs!!!!!!

I feel like I should probably up this track every Thursday or Friday for the rest of eternity. Has there ever been a greater song in the history of songs? The answer is no.

-To disprove any notion that Pound for Pound has an East Coast bias, we're going to lead off with a great party out in San Fran. VHS or Beta are spinning a DJ set tonight at RX (132 Eddy). Omar and Sleazemore are joining them, which means that there will be lots of electro, booty, acid heat all night long. This is gonna rage people, be there.



-LA, former home to JC (:( at former homes), has a banger tonight featuring Whitey from the UK! No flier, but you can grab advance tickets here, it's only $15, it goes down from 9 at the Echo. Dirty Dave and Crash Berlin have the decks, Bloodcat Love and Pink Moshi have opening sets.

-I mentioned this new Modular weekly in London last week and it looks like this is going to be a permanent Friday reference on this blog. Tonight Duke Dumont and Filthy Dukes join the Modular cats for a night of goodness. Get to 6 Feet Anda (42-44 Kingsland Rd.) early, as it was reportedly packed to the gills last week.



-Philly, you know where to be tonight - Making Time! Tonight's edition has the amazing line-up of The Presets (who destroyed Hiro last night), Datarock and Lo-Fi-Fnk. I mean, do you see that line-up? That's not including Dave P in the main room and Adam Sparkles, JDH and Julian S. Process upstairs. Best of all, the Broadzilla crew is getting to spin an early set upstairs, a real nice choice. This is gonna be nuts, be at Pure (1221 St. James St.) as early possible so as to miss nothing.



-Stop in at Upstairs at Sal's before the festivities at Pure (it's a few blocks away) and check out The Model playing live or stick around for the A&E 80s and 90s Electro Dance Rockit Jam-bo-Ree. Your choice.



-For my hip hop kids, there's a really cool Roots afterparty at Fluid tonight featuring the one and only Cosmo Baker. It's free with a ticket stub, 5 bucks on the guest list. This will be crazy packed, so get there early if you know what's good for you.



-The Mad Decent rolls into Brooklyn tonight, joining up with Eamon Harkin and The Banger's Friday night FUN jawn. Live set by Bonde Do Role, Diplo spinning, lots of others at one of the best venues in NYC, Studio B (259 Banker St.)



-For my classier readers, head to Project Matt's new jawn in Soho at The Anchor. You know you wanna grind with that chick from that movie that you saw. Celebs! Getting Wasted!



-Finally, Lauren Flax has White Lightning as usual at Home Sweet Home. It's one of the best weeklies in the city, bangers and bangs as far as the eye can see, i.e. heaven. Special guest DJ UFO! from the aforementioned city of SF.

Datarock - Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa

Datarock, "Fa-Fa-Fa" (YSI link) 320 for DJs

Datarock, "Fa-Fa-Fa (Princess Superstar's New York Dirty Disco Rabbit Pearl remix)" (YSI link)

Datarock, "Fa-Fa-Fa (Shakes remix)" (YSI link)

Datarock, "Fa-Fa-Fa (Fa-Fa-Fast & Furious Discomix)" (YSI link)

I've been meaning to look at Datarock for months now, but it's actually a perfect time now as they are playing some US shows this week. Obviously, we'll put up the fliers for those gigs, including tonight's in San Fran. Datarock is a Norwegian duo, Frederik Saroea and Ket-Ill. They've actually been a band since 1997, playing gigs since 2000 and had a 10" that same year. However, it wasn't until their first album, Datarock Datarock, dropped that they began to get known outside of their home country. I'll take a look at the album in the near future, but their music is in tune with a lot of the stuff that we love here at Pound for Pound. It's dance-floor rock, like The Presets, The Rapture, the Modular bands.

Here's their most famous single so far, "Fa-Fa-Fa," a tune that will make you love music all over again. It's a perfect dancefloor classic, with the catchy chorus

-Philly narrowly wins tonight, as this is a monster of a party at Upstairs at Sal's. First, you're going to get live performances from Pound for Pound favs Plastic Little and Bonde Do Role. There's also going to be a DJ set from Diplo, which alone would have made this a top event. Best of all, this is all part of the weekly Broadzilla party (every Thursday at Sal's), a great chance to check out some of the best up and coming DJs in Philly at one of the best new parties.



-Don't cry for NYC tonight, as Ed Banger crew and The Presets are doing a massive show at Hiro Ballroom. Huge props to Cheeky Bastard for pulling this one off, bringing the French electro bols and the indie dancers together. Tickets are $20, which is a steal motherfuckers, but get there early (9 pm) if you want to guarantee getting in. Don't sleep NYC, this is gonna be a rave!



-There's a benefit tonight in Brooklyn for A.i.R., which provides resources for art groups around the world. Get more info at their myspace page. Tonight, there's an early party at Laila (113 N. 7th) with art and food, then later, Nick Catchdubs, Sujinho and Cassiano, DJ Morsy and others will spin at Glasslands (289 Kent Ave), one of the best venues in NYC. Williamsburg, do this.



-I'm going to do some politcal links later, so it's fitting that tonight there's a party called Apocalyptico going down in the East Village tonight. DJ Doriana spins post-punk, new-wave and rock, there will be a dirty raffle (no clue either), $5 Beam and PBR specials. Get to B-Side (Avenue B btwn 12th and 13th).



-Finally, Datarock plays at Mezzaine (444 Jessie St. @ Mint) tonight in San Francisco. Codebreaker and Lemonade open and DJs Richie Panic and Jefrodisiac will be spinning. Simply amazing flier, if you did this, let us know.

New York Noise Volume 1

Dance, "Do Dada" (YSI link)

The Bloods, "Button Up" (YSI link)

Theoretical Girls, "You Got Me" (YSI link)

I thought we should follow up our post on Dylan and that city sound with more sounds from the streets of New York City. These were the downtown streets of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when downtown really meant something. These tracks above come from the amazing Soul Jazz compilation, New York Noise: Dance Music From The New York Underground 1978-1982. It's one of those amazing CDs that take you back to a forgotten time, chronicling an entire scene that came and went like a flash. The liner notes are especially informative, giving both the history and attempting to define this particular scene and its uniqueness.

What you basically get is the history of a neighborhood, as the music comes from no-wavers, underground dance acts, punk funkers, proto-rappers, all of the people who were playing and living in the Lower East Side at the turn of the decade. You could argue that this isn't an accurate portrayal of dance music at the time, but I think you'd be missing the point. It's a snapshot of a city that's open to all and a scene that took that ethos to heart.

-Pretty massive party tonight at Webster Hall in New York City, bringing that New York noise uptown. The Rub headlined the main room, my bol Dimitry and Nick Hook in some sort of Men's Club room, two open bars, Juiceboxxx and Dre Skull live. RSVP required. If it's too late, say my name at the door and one person can get in, as I'm not going to make it.



-Another amazing Check Yo Ponytail in LA, brought to you by Franki Chan, Iheartcomix and Viva La Rock Present. Datarock are headlining, look for a post on them in the very near future here. Franki and DJ Papparazi are spinning, Safari Sam's (5214 Sunset Blvd.), you know the deal.



-Steven Bloodbath has put together a weekly at Bar Noir for a minute now called Love Buzz, featuring rawk'n'roll, no gay disco or electro or whatever it is I listen to. Head to the underground spot on 18th Street (112 S. 18th St.)



-Inmypants is for the Philly kids looking for more bubblegum in the rock. It's at Upstairs at Sal's (200 S. 12th St.), every Tuesday, $1 PBR until 11.



-Speaking of Upstairs at Sal's, the Diplo/Bonde Do Role show that was scheduled for the Danger Danger house has been moved there. The good folks of Broadzilla have made this happen, this should be an amazing night no matter where it goes down.

Bob Dylan - Thin Wild Mercury Music

Bob Dylan, Thin Wild Mercury Music

Bob Dylan, "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window (1)" (YSI link)

Bob Dylan, "Just A Glass Of Water (2)" (YSI link)

Man, those "Visions of Johanna" posts really knocked me out. I've been listening and thinking about that song so much lately, I haven't really been able to do anything else on Bob Dylan.

It seemed like a good follow-up to those posts to upload this CD, Thin Wild Mercury Music, which compiles the recording sessions of 1965. What a year that was for Dylan, evidenced by the legendary songs worked on in these sessions. "Visions of Johanna," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "She Belongs To Me," "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" all came to being during this time. The seeds of three albums are here - Highway 61 Revisited, Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde On Blonde. It's a creative period unequaled in any medium, even more stunning considering that Dylan was only 24 and 25 years old.

The title of this bootleg comes from Dylan's description of the sound he and his band created during this period. I'm sure that you've all heard the quote from the 1978 Playboy interview, but it's deep connection to this blog can only be understood if you get the whole passage.

Dylan: The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up. That's my particular sound."
Rosenbaum: Was that wild mercury sound in "I Want You"?
Dylan: Yeah, it was in "I Want You." It was in a lot of that stuff. It was in the album before that, too.
Rosenbaum: "Highway 61 Revisited"?
Dylan: Yeah. Also in "Bringing It All Back Home." That's the sound I've always heard...

Dylan: Those were exciting times [the time of Highway 61 Revisited]. We were doing it before anybody knew we would-or could. We didn't know what it was going to turn out to be. Nobody thought of it as folk-rock at the time. There were some people involved in it like The Byrds, and I remember Sonny and Cher and the Turtles and the early Rascals. It began coming out on the radio. I mean, I had a couple of hits in a row. That was the most I ever had in a row- two. The top ten was filled with that kind of sound-the Beatles, too-and it was exciting, those days were exciting. It was the sound of the streets. It still is. I symbolically hear that sound wherever I am.
Rosenbaum: You hear the sound of the street?
Dylan: That ethereal twilight light, you know. It's the sound of the street with the sunrays, the sun shining down at a particular time, on a particular type of building. A particular type of people walking on a particular type of street. It's an outdoor sound that drifts even into open windows that you can hear. The sound of bells and distant railroad trains and arguments in apartment buildings and the clinking of silverware and knives and forks and beating with leather straps. It's all--it's all there. Just lack of a jackhammer, you know.

This quote gets at what I've been trying to say all along about Dylan's music. To me, it's city music, energized, neurotic, tough, dark, cynical, it's the streets. It's probably why I have no interest in Dylan as some 60s icon, a hero to protestors. Dylan may have been born in Hibbing, but he became Dylan in New York City, in Greenwich Village. The Dylan I hear is as urban as they come, all sneer and attitude, yet lying awake at night in his loft unable to sleep thinking of the lover he lost. His songs have that sneer that can only come from time in the city, as far from the hippie/folk icon that so many want to pigeonhole him into. And yet, one could easily argue for an entirely different Dylan (the activist/folkie, the bluesman, the Rolling Thunder showman). In some ways, that's the most urban thing of all, that restlessness, that multplicity of meanings.

The music on this CD is simply amazing; I've been listening to its on repeat for the past few days, it gives you a chance to hear Dylan at work, putting his music together, gives you a few tunes that never made it on to record and a chance to hear a few masterpieces. Pay special attention to the various versions of "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window," which I kept returning to more with each listen. Also, the solo piano version of "Just A Little Glass of Water," later renamed "She's Your Lover Now," gives you the final verse in its entirety.

DJ Never Forget - My Life With The Lo-Fi-Fnk

DJ Never Forget, My Life With The Lo-Fi-Fnk

I'm hoping to make this a regular feature here at Pound for Pound, a Sunday night mix from one of my favorite DJs or a soon-to-be favorite (or even one that looks exclusively at one of the older genres we love). Basically, I want to get the word out about all of the great people spinning and throwing parties in the US and the world, people who haven't gotten all the blog hype that others have gotten. These dudes and dudettes are the ones who are ahead of the curve on everything, who make going out fun and who do all the hard work to make that party a par-tay. In other words, I can give something back, and y'all can get some great mixes and new tunes, and the grinders can get some hype.

I can't think of a better person to start with than my bol DJ Never Forget, one of the masterminds behind the Finger On The Pulse parties in Brooklyn, indie dance maven and an all-around good dude. He's been on tour with one of Pound for Pound's favorite bands today, Sweden's Lo-Fi-Fnk, and he put together a little mix reflecting the tunes these guys have been listening to in the van and what he's been playing out. It sounds like it's been an amazing time and lots of good people have shown the band and DJs love. (We're building an indie dance network, people, holler if you want in.) You get so much goodness in this compact mix. Go check out Never Forget's myspace page for his latest happenings, older mixes, email him and thank him for this mix. Also, make sure to keep an eye on the Finger On The Pulse one, as that party should be kicking back into full gear in the Spring. For those people throwing parties around the world, I can't recommend DJ NF any more highly, so get him to your party to make the girls dance!

Finally, email me or get at me on myspace and send along any mixes you have or are working on. You know the music I post here, it's pretty diverse, I'm pretty open to just about anything. Make sure to let me know your party info to help get the word out. This ain't a blog, this is an army!

Stickie - Lauren Flax Needs Your Help

Final Update: I'm going to take this one down as a stickie, but hope that you will take the time to send a few dollars Lauren's way or a note of encouragement if you haven't already. Pound for Pound will continue to let you know what she's up to, where she's spinning. Thanks to everyone who has contributed already, it means a lot to me.



Update: There's going to be a silent auction and benefit for Lauren at Home Sweet Home tonight, i.e. Friday night. It's $10 for an open bar from 10:30-11, there will be lots of cool ish to bid on from Mishka, Sweatshop Labor and more, live performances by Dreamburger, Lost Penguin and Kim Ann Foxman and most importantly it's a great chance to give something to Lauren. I want to thank her for checking in comments and all of my readers who have given money or sent a nice thought her way. Let's keep it up, Pound for Pounders. Go and contribute some money if you can, let's get Ms. Flax back on the grind.



I just checked the myspace and came across a bulletin by NYC DJ and party promoter Lauren Flax. Her apartment was robbed last night and the thieves took her computer and money and her peace of mind. She's in a tough spot, so I wanted to do what I could to help out. I'm going to repost her message below, but please go to her myspace page and donate a few dollars to help her get back on her feet. She's one of the best DJs around, a Pound for Pound favorite, she's put on some of the best gigs this city has seen and was the person most responsible for the Disco D benefit a few weeks ago at Studio B. As someone who was robbed as well and had his computer stolen, I know how horrible this situation is. Send a few dollars her way (if this paypal link doesn't work, just go to the donate button on the myspace page) and an email telling her that things will get better, as I know that she'd appreciate it. C'mon Pound for Pound massive, let's do this. Leave a comment and let us know that you gave and we'll get her a new computer. Yeah!

Lauren's bulletin:

My apartment was broken into and my computer along with other items and a lot of cash was stolen. If you can spare a little bit of money, please donate and help me raise some money for a new computer. What I had was a MacBook Pro 2.33 but now just want enough for a MacBook. My computer is my livelihood. Please help if you can, it would mean so much to me.

Thank you, sincerely!
Lauren

It was suggested to me to set up a paypal donations so if any of you can spare even $1 I would GREATLY GREATLY appreciate it.

again thank you so much for the messages I've received. It means so much & am deeply appreciative.

The Return of Houston Part 1

Mike Jones, "Mr. Jones" (YSI link)

Paul Wall feat. Lil Keke, "Break 'Em Off" (YSI link)

Houston, Texas is starting to make its name known again, as the Swishahouse guys are starting to drop some singles and gear up for album releases. It's kinda funny how so many of these guys dropped albums at the same time, as Houston was the place for a minute. But, it's been kinda quiet for the last year as there wasn't any new music to drop.

As you'll see this week, it's all the heavyweights coming back - Slim Thug, Paul Wall and Mike Jones. Mike Jones hasn't done a Counting Crows cover here, just a kinda addictive, standard Mike Jones fare. Listen, you either love or hate dude, "Mr. Jones" ain't gonna change that, as he's still dropping lots of the sameish lines, still has the same flow. I like it, good to have Mike back. No clue who did the music, but it's some crazy shit. At times, you get this like hair band guitar sound coming in, there's a anthemic sound throughout, sappy pianos. Almost bizarre, to be honest, but it kinda grows on you.

The real heat is the Paul Wall jawn, "Break 'Em Off," as this has me wanting to fight someone, the first time I've had that feeling in a minute. Tell me that this one doesn't have you flashing your non-existent grill. It's got a great screwed refrain (mmm, need that sound back in my life). Really really like the instrumental, a nice, slow bass-heavy number, love the Casio sounds that drive the track. It's got some of Paul's best verses in awhile. Plus, you can never go wrong with having Keke drop some bars to give it that underground cred. Grab this one, kids, get excited for the new album. Cheah!

-It's rare that I feel jealousy at someone throwing a party. That some people can take an amazing idea and make it happen. I considered doing a Morrissey party last year, in spite of the fact that someone told me it was a bad idea. Huge props to Kyle M and Manny D for putting this night dedicated to Moz together, as it's the best thing I've ever heard. It goes down at Upstairs at Sal's and if you don't believe my raving about this, maybe you'll trust this writer for the Philadelphia Weekly and his preview.



-LA, one of the city's best parties, Le Disko, is moving to new digs next week. Get out to Safari Sam's (5214 Sunset Blvd.) tonight for the final edition of this weekly there. No guest DJs, just the residents tonight - Daniel, Paparazzi, Keith 2.0 and Mr. White. Shed some tears, dance, drink, check in here next week for news about the new venue.

Cupid Shuffle

Cupid feat. DJ Unk and Fabo, "Cupid Shuffle (remix)" (YSI link)

Omarion, "Ice Box" (YSI link)

A short and sweet one for Saturday, as there's so much party shit happening that I dont' want to take up too much space with my ramblings. I've heard this one is getting some love down South, this new song by Cupid called "Cupid Shuffle." When I saw snap-ers DJ Unk and Fabo on the remix, I knew I had to have it. But, this is a Cupid track, an r&b tune through and through, so don't expect a snap banger. It's an interesting instrumental that picks up during the refrain with some great horns.

I'm also throwing in a great r&b track from the past few months, Omarion's "Ice Box". It features typically sick Timbaland production. I was going to recommend this for making love to your lady or man, but can you make love to a Timbo beat? I'm not sure, but look forward to finding out.

-Late Update: The Misshapes are in Philly tonight. Totally missed any news about this until late, but they're doing a party tonight at Shampoo (417 N. 8th St.), the huge megaclub down by the Electric Factory. I don't have a whole lot of info, but it definitely seems like it's worth a look.

-The Philadelphyinz are back to do the damn thing at the Khyber, Skinny Friedman and Apt One are establishing this party as one of the best in the city. So, brave the hordes of Jersey's finest citizens, it's worth it.



-DJ Steven Bloodbath's Monster party moves to one of the best spots in Philly, the RUBA club tonight, the place where bearded guys go to get drunk and dance stupid late into the night. Opal Rock will handle the late-night, make sure to stop through at some point as this'll be good.



-It's 80s Night at Upstairs at Sal's and DJ Solobuns has brought in R5 Productions head and Philly legend Sean Agnew to spin some tunes. If that doesn't sell you, maybe the free Sparks from 9-10 will.



-Flier of the night comes from my bol DJ Tiny Pants for Hi-Tops and Hearts, Episode 3: Masters of the Boom Dance Party. Royal Oak (594 Union Ave.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, essential stop for my real New Yorkers.



-Another huge night at Studio B (259 Banker St.) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as superstars Ellen Allien and Miss Kittin spin sets along with our girl Lauren Flax, back behind the decks. Cut continues to bring the best parties to NYC, really impressed with the variety and quality of events they put together.



-Spring break at Home Sweet Home tonight for Project Matt's Saturdazed weekly. That means wet t-shirt contests, beer bongs, tan lines and giant plastic yard beer steins emblazoned with your frat's initials. Or maybe just the best Dirty Dirty bangers, reggae heaters, cool people and cheap drinks.

-OMFG! at Beauty Bar (231 E. 14th St.), Dimitry is spinning a special set. No flier, not a good night for those.

-Really great event in Lawrence, Kansas called Get Crunk! Nomathematics will be there, so I know it'll be good. They'll bring that electro-punk shit that makes this blog go, and they'll be joined by host DJ Iggy Baby, Ssion and Rotten Milk. It goes down at the Jackpot Saloon (943 Mass St.), no flier, but it's 18+ and $5 and you know it's the best thing dropping in Kansas.

-What y'all know about them Paris boys? San Fran gets the chance to find out, as the Ed Banger keeps on truckin' (Grateful Dead reference for a SF party, 5 points for me!) with another party, this time at Mezzanine (444 Jessie St.) Omar, Sleazemore and Shaun Slaughter will hold it down with early sets. I'm gonna quote Sleazemore (I think) for this one: "Fellas, bust out your girlfriend's jeans and ladies, tuck those pants in those boots, baby because the french are coming fo' dat azz." L'homme parle la verite.



-I'm always on the lookout for new parties and new cities, been kind of shocked at the lack of info outta Chicago. Clearly, I was not looking hard enough, as I came across Life During Wartime, an amazing monthly that's got a serious show tonight. The Presets, Crystal Castles, afterparty with Digitalism, cheah! DJs Bald Eagle and Mother Hubbard have Chicago on lock, more to come on their shit.

Confused Disco

Answering Machine, "Call Me Mr. Telephone (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas remix)" (YSI link)

Confusional Quartet, "Guerra In Africa (Scuola Furano remix)" (YSI link)

This seems like the perfect follow-up to our disco post, taking a look at the unique and wonderful take on disco music that happened in Italy in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

I wanted to take another look at the legendary Italian Records label, as you really need to get the retrospective 2 CD set ASAP. What I especially like about it is that they have many of today's artists who have been influenced by italodisco have a shot at remixing classics from the IR catalogue. Two of them are above,

-Not too hard to pick the event of the night, as the Fixed in Miami for Winter Music Conference is like Pound for Pound's Woodstock or something. Look at that line-up, make love to it: Justice, Digitalism, Boys Noize, Datarock, Medhi, Busy P, Dave P and JDH.



-The UK came damn close with this massive party in Brighton featuring one of the best of the Ed Banger stable, Kavinsky, along with Nightmoves on the Kitsune label. It goes til 4 AM,



-Or for my London people, get your dance party on with another of my favorite labels, as Modular starts up a new weekly in the city. Another stellar line-up, headlined by Phones (a.k.a. Paul Epworth). Get yourself to Anda de Bridge (42-44 Kingsland Rd.) and start the weekend off right.



-I mentioned the special night at Home Sweet Home tonight for Lauren Flax (open bar, silent auction), but there's also a fundraiser for her in Brooklyn as Finger On The Pulse does their thing at Savalas in Williamsburg.

-Blog legend Brooklyn Vegan Presents goes down at Sin-e (150 Attorney St.) tonight, as BV has invited some of his favorite bands to play for you. But the real reason to get there is for Mr. David Bruno's DJing between sets all night. He's promised me two things : Keytars and "Hearts On Fire" on repeat. I'm sold.


-Melody Nelson and Eamon Harkin have another Calling All Kids at Luke and Leroy's (21 7th Ave South) with guest turns by my bol Dimitry and Adam Neu! & Elliot T. This is one of the most consistent parties in NYC, every other week, you can't go wrong.



-DJ Morsy's weekly The Good Foot has special guest Choimatic at Royale (506 5th Ave.), so take the 9 hour trip to Park Slope and have fun.



-Lights Down Low does its thing again, love this flier, love the party, wish I lived in SF when I consider this night. This one's extra special as Foriegn Islands continue to take over the US, playing a live set tonight at 222 Cloub (222 Hyde @ Turk).



-This one almost got top billing on name alone, as The Booty goes down in LA with The Cocaine Kids. I mean, those are two of the best names ever! You have to go to show love to that. They're joined by Luv-tek, DJ Shakee and Wendy City, it all happens at The Redwood Bar (316 W. 2nd St.)



-The ever-grinding guys of Seclusiasis have their monthly Khyber (56 S. 2nd St.) jawn, The Straight Dope. Dev79, Stumble and Generic Man will provide all of the heavy bass tunes to hold you over for a month.



-A new monthly starts up tonight in Philly at Upstairs at Sal's (12th and Walnut) called Mu Ha Ha Ha (I think that's the correct name) with Juan Dolla, Benny Brows, Peter T and Tony Playstation. It's gonna have a nice mix of music, rap, dance , pop, so give it a chance and see what you think.



-Finally, the best weekly in Philly happens again tonight, as Hands and Knees takes over The M Room (Frankford & Girard Aves.) Best of all, they've finally put up a flier! Yeah! Do it, Philly, maybe you'll get your photo on the next flier.

Bloc Party - The Prayer Remixes

Bloc Party, "The Prayer (Phones Metal Jackin' remix)" (YSI link)

Bloc Party, "The Prayer (Break and Silent Witness remix)" (YSI link)

Bloc Party, "The Prayer (Does It Offend You Yeah remix)" (YSI link)

I've been meaning to do a review of the new Bloc Party CD, A Weekend In The City, but I haven't been able to give a good listen yet. In the meantime, I finally got my hands on a copy of the "The Prayer" 12" that came out late last year from Vice, featuring various remixes of the first single from the album.

More to come on these songs, heading out to a

-I've been hyping this party since it's inception and I'm not about to stop now. High Voltage! is quickly becoming one of the best weeklies in the city, great DJs, no cover, big crowds. I'm hearing that there's been a line the past few weeks, as the word has gotten out. Tonight, there's an open Zygo vodka bar from 11 til it's gone, special guest DJs Ultragrrl (fresh off the Village Voice cover) and Josh Madden. It all goes down at Sutra (1st and 1st), Pound for Pound will be there tonight, it's on.



-Not too far away, my bol David from Slap You In Public and Rezound + Workweek do their biweekly party at Happy Ending (302 Broome St.), Moonwalk + Neon Presents. Tons of guest DJs tonight, Popstatic from Chicago, Pocketknife from Brooklyn and Ed UFO from SF.

-On the opposite coast, my bol Daniel Le Disko (post foreshadowing!) headlines at Club Moscow tonight at Boardners (1652 N. Cherokee).



-More Cali happenings, as Sleazemore and Omar do their weekly Bounce party up north in SF. Special guests tonight are Kelley B and Seraphim, get to Gallery Rx (132 Eddy Street) for dirty, filthy music.



-Hurrah in Philly at Sal's goes off tonight, with DJs Stereo Faith, Chris Rogy and Shawn playing "post-punk-funk, dirty disco dub, & other rhythms." Sounds good to me, free vodka and vitamin water from 9-10, $2 PBRs from 11 on, if that's important to you.



-Finally, two of my absolutely favorites right now, Le Castle Vania and Lo-Fi-Fnk, are playing at the Drunken Unicorn tonight in Atlanta. No flier, but check out the Unicorn's myspace page and make sure to get there early to hear our boy Vania.

Dance Dance Dance

Marta Acuna, "Dance Dance Dance (original 12" mix)" (YSI link)

Catherine Miller, "Hunchin' All Night (original 12" mix) (YSI link)

I really can't believe that it's cold again on the East Coast. I mean, really, this is ridiculous. That groundhog is full of shit, that's for sure. It's incredibly depressing to walk outside and be hit with that gust of wind despite the fact that March is almost over. In good news, I finally bought a iPod connector so I can once again transfer music to my device. I lost my original one in the divorce (what a kick in the nards knowing that some douchebag lawyer dude is not only playing with my daughter-cat but also putting Dave Matthews and Widespread Panic songs with my shit! krazee!) and haven't been able to listen to as much new music as normal. In a metaphor for my life, my iPod broke and plays no music now.

When things have you down like this, what do I turn to? Disco music! Yeah! Here's a few underground classics that you may not have heard yet, although sadly I feel like anything that wasn't a huge crossover hit probably isn't well-known. Well, Pound for Pound is slowly going to change that, ya hear me?

The real gem here is the first one, Marta Acuna's "Dance Dance Dance". I did some google research and couldn't come up with much info on her. In fact, this is her only release, according to her Discogs profile. Oh, but what a song it is! Honestly, this is one of my favorite disco songs ever, hell, one of my favorite songs period.

-Another massive Check Yo Ponytail tonight at Safari Sam's (5214 Sunset Blvd.) in LA. Pound for Pound favorites Boys Noize, Para One, Shout Out Out Out Out and Foreign Islands are all playing tonight, as Franki Chan really keeps outdoing himself. More on Mr. Chan this week, as he's got some massive WMC jawns too.



-A great night in Philly at Upstairs at Sal's with bands starting at 8 and the inmypants DJ crew going from 9:30-closing. I'm really excited at this increasing focus on bands at Sal's, as this really is the best, most interesting venue in the city right now.



-Finally, go out and cop LCD Soundsystem's new album, Sound of Silver, which is out today in the United States of America!

Klaxons Do Paris

Klaxons, "Golden Skans (Surkin remix)" (YSI link)

Klaxons, "Golden Skans (SebastiAn remix)" (YSI link)

I've been waiting for some of the Parisian heavyweights to take a crack at remixing the Klaxons tunes. It finally happened with a French-only vinyl edition of "Golden Skans," the most recent Klaxons tune to get love. You get two remixes from two of the lesser known talents making Paris the center of the Pound for Pound universe, SebastiAn and Surkin.

SebastiAn did a quite restrained remix, featuring a nice oscillating synth, warbly vocals and a molasses beat. Surkin, who should be such a huge name, brings my favorite of the two (although neither will be on the greatest hits list for either man) with an edgier take on the original. It starts off a little blah, but once he starts bringing in the chopped up and fucked up vocals, it gets nice.

-I'm writing this as the 4th Anniversary of the Iraq War comes to an end, not really sure what to say. It's a tragedy of epic proportions and it seems to have no end in sight. BarbinMD of Daily Kos takes a look at Bush's words these past four years and the escalating death toll. Eric Alterman has a great look at a piece by The Weekly Standard, one of the main cheerleaders of this disaster, mocking anti-war people for being wrong. He also destroys Christopher Hitchens and his latest embarassing apologia for Slate. Joan Walsh of Salon also has a great quote from Hitchens, a man wrong about everything.

-In other Bush White House disgraces, the US Attorney keeps growing. It looks like Alberto Gonzalez won't last much longer, thankfully. One amazing detail came to me in a discussion of the most recent document dump of email correspondences within the Justice Dept. The Attorney General of the United States does not use email. How is this possible? Does he use a telegraph for daily communication? Is D.C. a part of Narnia now?

-I want to finally call attention to this piece by Michael Kinsley, former Crossfire host, New Republic editor, blogger now at Time, on the US AG scandal. It's one of the most pathetic pieces of writing I've ever seen, contrarian for the sake of being "independent" and sums up the sad state of journalism today. The comments below the post are some of the most brilliant, funny shit I've ever read.

Dancehall Classics

Angela Lansbury is a hot gal

Chaka Demus & Pliers, "Murder She Wrote" (YSI link) 256 for DJs

Junior Reid, "One Blood" (YSI link)

Terror Fabulous feat. Nadine Sutherland, "Action" (YSI link) 256 for DJs

Let's stay in Jamaica and continue to look at some classics from dancehall years past. I've always felt that a dancehall classic is all the more impressive because of the sheer number of releases that come out every year. For a particular song or version to achieve the status of classic, it needs to shine that much brighter than the hundreds of other releases that come out of every month, many on the same exact riddim.

These three tracks come from the early 1990s, the period when dancehall became the dominant Jamaican sound. I believe that these are all good starting points for people looking to get into the history of the music, as it's a nice midway point. I specifically went with songs that I think you'll know even if you don't them. In other words, the classics that nearly everyone has in their crates, that you've heard so many times that they're almost embedded in your DNA.

The first track, Chaka Demus' "Murder She Wrote," is the first dancehall track I can remember hearing it. In fact, it's song that I would see often on MTV Jams, as the video runs pretty consistently on that station devoted to rap videos (I'm guessing that there just aren't that many reggae videos). As familiar as that refrain is, it's the bassline that immediately hits when I listen to it again. It dropped in 1993 on the Bam Bam riddim. You can cop the full-length album, although nothing comes close to this one song.

Any fan of hip-hop knows "One Blood" by Junior Reid. Hell, we just posted a song by Reid and he's sung on a few others, my favorite of which is the Wu Tang Clan's "One Blood Under W" off The W. Reid takes the show here, as his voice is hard to forget. There's a wailing quality when he sings "One blood," a marked contrast to the more rap-deejay style that we've come to expect from dancehall. It came out in 1990 and hasn't lost any of its charm yet. Cop the album here, although again this is by far the highlight.

Finally, one of my favorites, Terror Fabulous' "Action." I know that you've heard this one, it's been killing dancefloor for 10+ years (released in 1994). It's a classic male-female duet, with the great Action riddim providing a percussion-heavy track that features a great bass interludes throughout. Buy the LP, Yaga Yaga, which is the crowning achievement of the man's career.

-Le Disko vs. Royal Rumble. Celtics vs. Sixers. Yankees vs. Red Sox. Duke vs. UNC. Yeah, this is real serious, LA, so get to Safari Sam's (5214 Sunset Blvd.) and see a DJ throwdown.


-Boys Noize continues his US tour with a stop in Riverside, CA tonight. He's joining DJ S!N and Luv Tek at their Sunday night weekly, Era Disco. Again, I've caught Boys Noize a few times in the past few months and consider him one of the best. Get to the Ultra Lounge (3252 Mission Inn) and see if you agree.



-

Mims - This Is Why I'm Hot

Mims, "This Is Why I'm Hot" (YSI link)

Mims feat. Junior Reid and Cham, "This Is Why I'm Hot (remix)" (YSI link) 320 DJs!

There's something kind of perverse about listening to reggae jawns on a spirit-crushing snowy, cold day, but whatever. It's the visions of Jamaican beaches and girls in bikinis that keeps us all going. Here's one of the hot new rap tracks that I'm sure everyone's heard, Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot." Mims came out of nowhere, dropping this ridiculously catchy song that references every region in the country over a nice, minimal track. It's funny to hear him rep NYC and talk about putting it back on top, when everything about this track screams Dirty South. Oh well, it's nice to see NYC acknowledge where the heat is coming from, it's long overdue.

The real treat is the remix, which features dancehall's superstars past and present. Junior Reid and Cham take over the beat

-Philly's the place to be for St. Patrick's Day tonight, as emynd & Bo Bliz of White Ts and White Belts are teaming up with fellow Philadelphians Caps & Jones for a massive bash. Get there early as it's going to be packed and you want to make sure that you can get in.



-Pound for Pound friends Tactic are doing it up in Austin tonight for SXSW, with a nice night headlined by Yo Majesty.




-Robot Rock in Kansas City. What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Nomathmatics will be spinning from 10-12 tonight at Record Bar (1020 W. Port Rd.), wear green leather.



-San Fran, say goodbye to the Frisco Disco tonight, as it comes to an end after a 5 year run. Jefrodisiac and Richie Panic are bring their party to an end tonight, make sure to make it out to The Arrow Bar (10 6th @ Market) as there ain't no next week.



-Berlin, oben stehen! My girl DJ Almost Tropical is spinning at Dr. Pong (21 Eberswalder St.) and will be wearing this jacket. Es tun.



-Finally, Project Matt at Home Sweet Home, I'll be in the house, hopefully avoiding the drunken masses in Manhattan.

Pound for Pound Loves the '80s Part 1

A Pound for Pound family portrait

The Human League, "The Sound of the Crowd (12" mix)" (YSI link)

Visage, "Night Train (12"mix)" (YSI link)

I don't want people to think that taking a look back to the past means looking all the way back to the ancient 90s. No, there was also stuff going on in the 1980s! You know, that decade that everyone loves because they were too young to actually remember it. I've tended to focus on the electro, freestyle and Miami bass that happened during that period, but it's time to start expanding the sonic pallette. It's time to take a look at the more pop side of things, the stuff that was getting radio play.

Here's a couple of tracks off of the first disc of 12"/80s/2, one

-A pretty amazing Calling All DJs in LA tonight, as lots of Pound for Pound favorites will be in the house. Freeform Five are the special guests



-Downtown is the place to be tonight, as there's lot of dance-y goodness below 14th. The late addition of Para One and Boys Noize to Ruff Club make it the party to beat tonight. I got to catch those two last night at Hiro Ballroom and highly recommened checking them out at The Annex (152 Orchard St.). Phenomenal electro madness, huge basslines, synths. Live the good life.



-People Don't Dance More returns to Element (Houston & Essex Sts.) tonight to get the downtown kids dancing again. Guest DJs My Cousin Roy and Jacques Reneault join my bol David Bruno of Slap You In Public and Robot Blair from Music for Robots for Edition Discodrome.



-Dimitry from High Voltage and Nick Hook of Men, Women and Children are at Trash tonight, special guests at the Rififi weekly. Go for the music, stay for the hipster porn.



-Night two of the Project Matt weekend, The Anchor. Go to the spot where Mischa Barton, Jamie-Lyn Sigler and Kirsten Dunst partied until they threw up.

-Don't forget about White Lightning! at Home Sweet Home, Lauren Flax's weekly with special guest Fitforuse and Mo Probs from London.

-If you don't want to leave Brooklyn, head to Studio B for Spring Break '92. Forget the spirit-sapping sleet outside by doing jello shots and participating in the hot body contest. Make sure to check out the Side Room with Jeffrey Ssfire of Ghostly International and Mike T of Paradise in Philly.



-Hands and Knees in Philly

-Finally, if you're tired of hanging out with lame indie music writers, check out UGK, OG Ron C, Rapid Ric and

A Project Matt Weekend

One of my favorite DJs is starting to heat up with the warmer weather, so I wanted to give y'all a heads up on a Funtime Party Team/Project Matt weekend itinerary. First up, head to the East Village tonight for Three Amigos at Plan B (339 E. 10th St.) where Matt, King Solomon and Resting General will hold it down all night. I'm counting on lots of dancehall heat, with those names, plus lots of cheap beers ($4 drafts! In NYC!).


Friday night, things move down to Soho. No, seriously. I've never been to The Anchor, but it seems to be home to the Ronsons and celebrity DJs. Check out the photos of previous nights at the bar, which make me think that this isn't your Mom's Soho. This one is hosted by Matt and JensRocker with DJ Doug Grayson.



Finally, avoid the masses of douchebag St. Patrick's revellers in Manhattan by heading to the Lower East Side for one of the best weeklies in the city, Saturdazed. This version features special guest Moe Choi, along with Matt and the usual bartenders and degenerates.



Okay, there's your weekend, that's your weekend. Seriously, stop in as these are all guaranteed good times. Pound for Pound will be there, so you'll even have a celebrity sighting. For those non-NYC party people, get at Project Matt and bring him to your city. I don't support wack DJs, only the best. You have my word this man will rock the party. Now, if I can get him to do a Pound for Pound mix...

Josh Wink - Don't Laugh

Josh Wink, "Don't Laugh (Live Raw mix)" (YSI link)

Josh Wink, "Don't Laugh (Junior Vasquez remix)" (YSI link)

Josh Wink, "Don't Laugh (Josh Wink remix)" (YSI link)

Back to the mid 90s for some more rave classics. I'm kind of embarrassed that I haven't done anything on Josh Wink until now, as Wink is a Philly legend. Dude is an international star, but still does a monthly in Philly at Fluid and still lives here when not travelling. Anyway, he came to fame in the mid 1990s on the strength of a few classic songs that brought him to the forefront of American DJs. He

More to say on this song, will write it when I get home from the first event listed below. Say hi if you're there too!

-New York City is the place to be tonight, as we get a taste of Paris. Institubes and Cheeky Bastard present Paris Terror Club



-Brooklyn does it real big too, as Get Physical's Booka Shade spins at Studio B for the latest edition of Cut with Baltimore club kigs Scottie B and King Tut, Star Eyes and residents The Captain and Shark. Wow.



--I'm not going to be putting up too much SXSW shit, as I'm not there, I'm jealous and all the people there will know what's good. But some friends of Pound for Pound are in Austin, so we'll let you know that they're up to. Fixed's Dave P and JDH are hosting my choice for party of the festival, as Peaches is spinning, along with Simian Mobile Disco and The Rapture's Druzzi & Mattie. It's all brought to you by Factory People and Anthem Magazine. Essential.



-Broadzilla does it again on Thursday. As KT says, "Philly Spring Party Season has officially begun. Don't be sluggish." I couldn't have said it better, Upstairs at Sal's (200 S. 12th St.), do it.



-Bounce! Omar and Sleazemore have your SF Wednesday night covered with their RX Gallery (132 Eddy St.@Mason) weekly. You get special guests Michael Anthony & the Late Night Sneakys and DJ Johnatron this week.

Never Touch That Switch

Robbie Williams, "Never Touch That Switch (Switch remix)" (YSI link) 320 for DJs

Robbie Williams, "Never Touch That Switch (Nightmoves remix)" (YSI link)

Robbie Williams, "Never Touch That Switch (Dark Horse dub)" (YSI link)

Well, Pound for Pound is percolating right now, so expect lots of posts in the next few days. First, something new. I definitely didn't expect Robbie Williams to get a mention on this blog. In fact, I really only knew him from an episode of Cribs that he did a while ago, which lead me to believe that he was sort of the big pop star in Britain. While he may have had the money, the big house and cars, it seems like he may have been dying most of all to get on this blog, as he brought in one of my favorite remixers, Switch (Dave Taylor). On the real, this dude is just killing everything he touches right now, making it clear that he wants a one-year wonder. This remix is classic, love the buzzing bassline, the claps, that sorta duck-call sound that comes in

The other two remixes are good, but nothing too special. Nightmoves are the UK duo of Matthew Nicholas Waites and Peter Benjamin Cage. They're starting to get some attention, having also remixed the Klaxons twice. This one works with the original more, letting a lot more lyrics stand untouched. What starts to go down a few minute into this remix should make it clear why these guys are getting commissions more and more. Those synths just blow me away, can totally see this rocking out a club at peak hours. The final remix is a Dark Horse dub, not really sure of the info behind that moniker. It's not your typical dub remix, as it's actually a full sound, none of the typical echo-y effects or minimalism is found.

-I have to tell this story from the actual life of Pound for Pound. I was waiting at a falafel jawn in Manhattan, having already ordered. A young girl entered, asked if I was in line, I told her no, line was over there, went back to reading my book. She then came back over and asked me what I was reading (Paul Auster's New York Trilogy) and its cover. She then asked me if I was reading it for class. Yes, if I was reading it for my college class. I asked her how old she thought I was and she said, "My age. 20, 21."

-On the depressing side, I hope that everyone is following the unfolding US Attorney scandal. It's slowly come out over the past few weeks that 8 US Attorneys were fired for political reasons and that the planning for this purge goes into the President's office. Talking Points Memo is the best source on this one, stay tuned as there's more to come on this, I feel.

-Finally, what's up with Heidi? Why is she being such a bitch to Lauren now? Why is she into that jagoff Spencer, who face looks like a ventriloquist's dummy face? Most importantly, why isn't Whitney a bigger part of the show? Why isn't she dating me? If you don't know what any of this means, you need to be watching The Hills immediately, the best reality show on TV.

Human Resource - Dominator

Human Resource, "Dominator (original mix)" (YSI link)

Human Resource, "Dominator (Joey Beltram mix)" (YSI link)

Human Resource, "Dominator (Frank de Wulf #1 mix) (YSI link)

Human Resource, "Dominator (Frank de Wulf #2 mix)

Okay, time to go back to the early part of the 1990s and take a look at a classic rave tune from the UK. Human Resource's "Dominator" was a massive tune in the early 90s, one of those rave tunes that broke through to the mainstream, so much so that MTV requested a video for the song. I should add that this all took place in Europe, as I don't think it made it beyond the underground here in the US.

Once you listen to the tracks above, I think that this popularity will be stunning. This is dark, almost-frightening music, to be honest. The lyrics convey that state quite well : "I'm the one and only dominator/There is no other. No other. No other." This is definitely not the whole Ibiza, naked on the beach rave scene; there's an amazing urban paranoid energy to this music, perhaps reflecting the increasing harrassment of rave culture at that time. Or perhaps urban producers came to the forefront and reflected the state of the cities after Reagan and Thatcher and conservatism.

Human Resource were actually a group of musicians from Rotterdam, 5 in total, formed in 1991. They would release two albums, drop a few massive tracks, spend the decace touring and making money off of songs like "Dominator," then disband before the new century began. It's the Joey Beltram mix that proved the best and most popular. His is the most unrelenting and heaviest, never letting up for one second.

-Pretty easy to pick the main event tonight, with Diplo, Bonde do Role doing Check Yo Ponytail in LA. In fact, Franki Chan has Tuesday on lock for the next month or two from what I can tell.


-Holy shit, Boston comes alive. Tonight upstairs at the Middle East (480 Mass. Ave.), Paper does it up in Beantown. Resident DJ E-Marce has a few guests DJs, including sets by Head Automatica's Daryl Palumbo, Men Women and Children's Nick Conceller and Cage's DJ, DJ Krazy Glue. Good to see our neighbors up north doing good things, shout out to JC.



-Inyourpants at Upstairs at Sal's (200 S. 12th St.) tonight in Philly, the flier really says it all.



-Finally, DJ Steven Bloodbath has a newish weekly called Love Buzz at Bar Noir, the below-ground bar that specializes in late-night drunkeness. Be warned, you're only going to hear rock'n'roll at this night. I trust Steven to make that work.

International Deejay Gigolos

DJ Naughty, "Gigolo Style" (YSI link)

David Carretta, "Les Coloquintes" (YSI link)

I think that we're going to take a look back this week, as we focused on so much new shit last week. Can't forget your roots, blah blah blah. Following on the DJ Hell post, here's some stuff from the recent International Deejay Gigolos Box Collection 1: 1997-2000, the 4 CD compilation that rereleases the first four releases in the International Deejay Gigolo series. It's an essential document, filled with so much great music and a nice piece of history for that period in electronic music.

I'm not sure if many of you associate DJ Hell and his label with electroclash from the beginning of this decade like I did. If so, you really need to get this box and listen. It totally opened my eyes to how much amazing shit the label has put out, how long it has been doing so (mid 90s) and how it came out of the techno scene as much as anything. On this first disc, which the two tracks above come from, you even get two singles from Jeff Mills, the Detroit legend. While techno was the obvious influence, the label's success stems from its willingness to push at that genre's boundaries. My favorite example is DJ Naughty's "Gigolo Sound," which sounds like a Berlin kid re-imagining electro music. It's phenomenal, for real, vocoders, synths, heavy bass, industrial drums. Naughty's the star of the first disc, with three tracks here.

There's a few more classic tracks here, but I figured I'd throw up an unknown one to me in David Carretta's "Les Coloquintes." This one seems to take its cues more from the house side of things, sort of briding the gap between techno and house with a nice, repetitive yet rhythmic tune. The synth on this demands that this get played on a huge system in a big room in Berlin late-night. Okay, we'll have much more to say on this boxed set, the label's past and present. In the meantime, cop the boxed set as it's an essential purchase for any fan of dance and electronic music.

-LCD Soundsystem's new album, Sound of Silver, drops today in the UK and on iTunes, so go grab that shit as it's the album generating the most excitement at Pound for Pound HQ. It drops next Tuesday in the U.S. It's Spring, motherfuckers! LCD Soundsystem! Yeah yeah yeah!

-Speaking of highly anticipated albums, there's a really cool event at Sway tonight, as Oxy Cottontail has brought in Crime Mob for an early show at Sway. I'll be doing a post on the new album, but here's a chance for NYC to see some of the ATL's best for an album release party (combined with a Mass Appeal issue #44 release party). RSVP at CrimeMobRSVP@wbr.com to get in and enjoy the Bacardi open bar.



-There's also some fun live RAWK music going down in Philly at Upstairs at Sal's (200 S. 12th St.) with Wolfenschnitzeltron and The Crippled Detectives.

Jesse Rose & Sinden - Me Mobile

Photo by shabphotographic.com

Jesse Rose & Sinden, "Me Mobile (original)" (YSI link)

Jesse Rose & Sinden, "Me Mobile (Duckbeats Ringtone Riddim)" (YSI link)

I kinda feel like Graeme Sinden is the man of the weekend, what with his first appearances in the US in Philly and NYC. He's spinning tonight in Williamsburg, details below. Here's one of his collaborations with another up and coming star, Jesse Rose.

-This is New York City's night, more specifically Brooklyn runs it. The highlight is The Rave, which features a DJ set by Sinden, along with the members of The Rub - Cosmo Baker, DJ Ayres and DJ Eleven. Best of all, it's at a warehouse in E. Williamsburg and I can walk to this shit! Tittsworth and Star Eyes are also spinning, hoping that there's lots of acid and bass tonight.

-Williamsburg, how I love thee. I also love DJ Tiny Pants, who is doing Hi-Tops and Hearts tonight at Royal Oak (594 Union Ave.). He's joined by Les Arrogantes Bastards and it's sponsored by Love Brigade.



-In Greenpoint, Fixed Meets Modular for another huge event. Dave P and JDH have all of your favs from the amazing Australian label. It's at my favorite club, Studio B (259 Banker St.) Yea! Favorites!



-Also in my hood(ish), Sound Advice goes down at Supreme Trading (213 N. 8th St.) with guest Krames from Richmond's Cobra Kai



-Dimitry and Alex English! OMFG! Beauty Bar! Tonight! The flier was too tech savvy for me to put up here!

-Philadelphyinz will make your life better tonight, the perfect follow-up to last night's madness. Get to Medusa (21st and Chestnut Sts.) for some basement, underground love.



-Finally, a new city to the Pound for Pound map, San Jose. Anyone within shouting distance should hit up Victim at The Blank Club (44 S. Almaden Ave.) Resident DJs Basura and Disaster welcome LA's Omar of Popscene fame. There are promises of "booty bass hoochiez and electro hoez."

Crystal Castles

Hiding your face in photos is so necessary. Learn from this, young aspiring bands. Photo credit: Stuart Pillinger

Crystal Castles, "Alice Practice" (YSI link)

Crystal Castles, "Air War" (YSI link) 320 DJs

Klaxons, "Atlantis To Interzone (Crystal Castles remix)" (YSI link) 320 DJs

Here's another young, upstart indie dance band that you need to hear. Yeah, yeah I know, you're over this and it's played out. Get over yourself, ride this out as long as there is good shit as before you know it we'll be inundated with sad-faced white guys with guitars and beards killing our souls and our will to live.

Crystal Castles is a Toronto based duo who've only had a few releases. I've put up two songs from their only official release as a group, the Alice Practice 7". Unfortunately, it's sold out, so you're gonna have to check eBay I guess for your copy. The music reminds me a lot of CSS, mixing up a dance influence with a louder, punk element. Or maybe it's just the female vocals that bring that comparison up.

-Making Time in Philly tonight at Pure (13th and St. James), featuring a DJ set by Simian Mobile Disco and a live set by the aforementioned Crystal Castles. Tie-ins are the new black. I'll be there, say hi to the guy in the black and grey striped sweater.



-Across town, Sinden is making his debut in the US tonight at Fluid (613 S. 4th St.) I really don't know what to tell you on this one, you can't go wrong with either choice and may even be able to make it to both.



-Hush Hush at Cinespace

-Shake and Pop goes off at the Zanzibar (1301 N. 5th St.) in Santa Monica. I have no idea where Santa Monica is in relation to LA or SF, but I do know that they have guest DJ Passions of Kitsune and Trouble & Bass. That's along with DJ Pube$ and Acid Girls, so find out where this is and go!



-A little farther North, Lights Down Low seems pretty fucking solid, with resident DJs Sleazemore and special guests Audrock and Landshark. It's going down at 222 Club, San Fran starting to stand up, yeah!



-DJ DJ Dylan holds it down in ATL as always, this time opening for the man, DFA's Juan MacLean. Peep the flier, btw, yeah! Get yourself to The Mark (79 Poplar St.) and dance, burn Atlanta to the ground again.



-Finally, NYC has its weekly heat. Lauren Flax's White Lightning! has special guest Krames of Cobra Kai, another Pound for Pound favorite.

-Ruff Club at The Annex is a few blocks away and has the usual line-up, but with special guest Dimitry

-Finally, Stretch Armstrong and Aaron Lacrate do it up in Brookyln, for those of you who just stomach a night in Manhattan. This is another edition of FUN, the people who've brought you The Rapture, Optimo and Girl Talk. It's at Studio B, you can't go wrong with this one.




-Whew, that's it. Feel free to add any events I missed in the comments or get at me so I don't miss them in the future.

DJ Hell Remixes

Human Resource, "Dominator (DJ Hell remix)" (YSI link) 320 DJs!

Justice Vs. Simian, "Never Be Alone (DJ Hell's Bavarian Gigolo remix)" (YSI link)

Chelonis Jones, "Deer In Headlights (DJ Hell remix)" (YSI link)

I'm a huge DJ Hell fan, have always loved the mixes that the man has dropped and the great shit that he's put out on his International Deejay Gigolos label. I've been meaning to do more posts on the man and the label, so consider this the start of that goodness.

Here's some of his most recent remixes, all of which came out in 2005 and 2006. The main attraction is his remix of the classic old school rave track, Human Resource's "Dominator." This one is a monster, no doubt. Mixmag went nuts over this and one listen it should be pretty obvious why.

I'm assuming that everyone has heard the "Never Be Alone" remix, as that song and all of its remixes pretty much defined 2006. If you haven't, here's a chance to hear the first remix. Make sure to grab the Chelonis Jones one up there, as it's a good example of how skilled and flexible Hell can be with his remixes. This is a far cry from the heavy sounds of "Dominator," giving off a nice house vibe complete with Jones' rap-y vocals.

-Congrats to my girl Elizabeth, as her new clothing boutique Umoi got a mention in today's Daily Candy email for Philly. It's in reference to the Idear products she carries, from pencil cases to diaries, great handmade stuff that you can only get there. Nice to see Daily Candy catching up to Pound for Pound, as y'all remember that I profiled the store in the Philly Weekly more than a month ago. Losing my edge? Not yet, motherfuckers!

-Check out my favorite new blog in the whole world, La Femme. It's an amazing fashion blog, covering new trends and designers and it's all written in unpretentious way. Best of all, Eurobrat also travels a ton to places like Paris and Finland and it's all cosmopolitan and shit and she likes street art and she seems as obsessed with shoes as me. For real, this is way better than any stupid mp3 blog talking about the new remix and lameness like that.

-Paris, get ready for a Pound for Pound excursion some time this summer. It has to happen. Get at me if you are a Parisian and you can help me plan and figure out what's good.

The Whistler Remixes

Claude Von Stroke, "The Whistler (Diplo remix)" (YSI link)

Claude Von Stroke, "The Whistler (DJ Assault remix)" (YSI link)

Hoo boy! This is a great post, lots of great shit going on all across the country, amazing music above. Can you feel it? Can you feel the fog lifting a bit? I sure can, I feel a Pound for Pound renaissance slowly unfolding. Lawd have mercy on the blogosphere, they know not what awaits them!

Claude VonStroke is another essential name for anyone interested in dance music today. Von Stroke (real name: Barclay Crenshaw, seriously, that's his real name!) has been around for a few years, starting up the dirtybird records label in San Francisco. dirtybird has specialized in releasing obscure techno and house records, along with new stuff from VonStroke and fellow producer Justin Martin. He's considered one of the best DJs today, had a highly acclaimed album last year and has dropped a few massive singles.

Here's one of them, "The Whistler," which just got the the remix treatment from the best of the best imo. Diplo, Jesse Rose, DJ Assault (!) all did their thing. I figured I'd put up the Diplo and DJ Assault ones as they're probably two of the biggest influences on my taste. For the record, their versions are the weakest, so you need, need, NEED to buy this CD and hear the Jesse Rose and Claude VonStroke vs. Luca Aginelli verions, which destroy.

-The newest addition to the Pound for Pound party list is Bounce in San Francisco. It's covers everything that matters in the world - Miami bass, crunk, hyphy, electro, B-more club, Chicago booty, ghetto tech and French dirtiness. What more do you need? Oh, cheap beer? Check ($1). Amazing guest DJs? Check (White Girl Lust) Great resident DJs? Check (Sleazemore and Omar) Get yourself to RX Gallery (132 Eddy St. @ Mason) tonight San Franciscans, it's your duty.



-It's Wednesday, so you know it's time for High Voltage. MY bol Dimitry and DJ DJ Tanner hold it down with guests Zachary Michael and TKOmri. Let me just add that this is a great flier, really love the design and look.



-My boy David from Slap In You Public is doing Moonwalk tonight at Happy Ending (302 Broome St.) and he promises lots of fidget house.

-We Are Your Friends brings in two more P4P favs in Lauren Flax of White Lightning! and Huggs from Montreal. It's the Grizzly Bear afterparty, if you were lucky enough to cop those tickets.



-DJ DJ Dylan is spinning at MJQ tonight in ATL with Brian Parris. Now, if I could just get him to post up some fliers!

Au Revoir Simone - Fallen Snow

Au Revoir Simone, "Fallen Snow" (YSI link)

Au Revoir Simone, "Fallen Snow (Teenagers remix)" (YSI link)

You know your boy loves to be timely and since Philly, NYC and the East Coast are expecting snow tomorrow I had to drop this new song, "Fallen Snow." Actually, it's all about Au Revoir Simone dropping their new album and getting a remix from another of the big name indie band, The Teenagers. The album version has grown on me, as it features great female vocal harmonies, nice circus-y organ, a nice minimalist sound. It's the lyrics that have made the biggest impression, as they're much darker than the song sounds. Favorite line: "The chill is strong and nothing seems/To thaw the icy sentiment/Of love that's gone once winter's spent." Dedicated to RV. The Teenagers kill it with the remix, although it's not a indie club banger by any means. It's kind of reserved in fact, but not in a bad way. They give the original a pulse, chop up the vocals a lot and bring some subtle synth to bear.

-It may be heard to think about pools and parties with the wind that's been blowing in NYC the past few days, but Apocalypse Wow! is the new party put on by Dreamburger and Lost Penguin with Ms. Lauren Flax spinning. Is it true that there's a heated pool, steam room and sauna available? I'm actually not totally positive this is true, but I do know that some of the best bangs in the world will be on display tonight, be there NYC.



-Massive Check Yo Ponytail tonight with Pound for Pound favorites Lo-Fi Fnk playing live, along with Young Knives. There's also a DJ set by the dudes from Snowden, along with the regular goodness from Franki Chan and Paparazzi. It all goes down at Safari Sam's (5214 Sunset Blvd), be there LA.



-Finally, get inmypants. I don't know much more than the flier says, but oh what a flier it is! S+M in colonial times, I'm in. It all goes down at Upstairs at Sal's, be there Philly.



-No links yet, but just want to warn America to get ready for Daft Punk this summer. Daft fucking Punk!

Visions of Johanna Covers

What did you expect? Visions of Jerry?

Grateful Dead, "Visions of Johanna (live)"

Jerry Garcia, "Visions of Johanna (live)"

Lee Ranaldo, "Visions of Johanna" (YSI link)

Marianne Faithfull, "Visions of Johanna" (YSI link)

Robyn Hitchcock, "Visions of Johanna [Version 1]" (YSI link)

Robyn Hitchcock, "Visions of Johanna [Version 2]"

I wanted to thank everyone who left comments on the previous post about Bob Dylan's "Visions of Johanna." I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who considers that Dylan's masterpiece (or one of them, at least). I figured I'd follow that one up with a post looking at the various covers of "Visions" from over the years.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Grateful Dead, and Jerry Garcia in particular, would have covered this tune live. The Dead and Dylan had a special relationship, which I've discussed before, covering each other's songs, going on tour together, expressing their respect for the other's music. Garcia, imo, comes closest to matching Mr. Dylan's own versions. It's the voice, as neither man has what you would call perfect vocals. But, it's those imperfections that allowed both men to take their songs of heartbreak and pain to the next level. The two versions above capture the Grateful Dead live, the first is on the Fallout From The Phil Zone compilation, the second from the amazing Garcia Plays Dylan 2 CD comp. The second is a phenomenal version, the best I've heard the Dead do, check for the part where Jerry nearly screams the lyrics (6+ minute mark). Grab those CDs at the Grateful Dead Store, summer's coming up and there's no better time for some Dead in your life.

Surprisingly, those are the best cover version of the song. That title belongs to Lee Renaldo's take, which is as near-perfect. Renaldo, of course, is the guitarist for Sonic Youth, and with a little thought, it makes sense that he would get this song perfectly. SY are one of the perfect NYC bands, raised on the no wave, post-punk scene, they've always conveyed that gritty, noisy, edgy version of city life. For me, Dylan's Blonde on Blonde hit that sound first, filled with anger, sadness, energy

The rest, quite honestly, prove to me that Bob Dylan was the best interpreter of Bob Dylan's songs. I read many people who complain about Dylan's voice and all that, but I couldn't disagree more (read the embarrassing first review on the Hitchcock disc). When you hear these amazing artists do his song, they just fall flat. They convey none of the pain or madness that Dylan does with their "better" voices. Hitchock actually does two discs worth of Dylan material live on Robyn Sings, including a recreation of the famous 1966 "Royal Albert Hall" electric second set. It's great to see someone so open about their influences, but it just never rises above a cover band feel. Marianne Faithfull's version from Rich Boy Blues just doesn't work for me, she seems uninspired to be honest and the female voice probably just runs into my own preconceived notions of what the song should sound like.

Dada Life -The Great Fashionista Swindle

Photo by Martin Adolfsson

Dada Life, "The Great Fashionista Swindle (original)")

Sorry for the slow posting of late, I wanted to clear this post with the band and now that that is all settled, will get back to the normal deluge. Yeah! Anyway, Dada Life are a duo out of Sweden, which seriously must be a country full of amazing electronic bands and hot chicks on bikini teams. They've been around for a minute, dropping a few 12" releases on various labels, including Breastfed and Southern Fried. I wish that I could say that they sound like the music that Duchamp would have made if he were still alive today, but that would be lame to say, so I won't. I actually really like the their own description of Dada Life on their website: "Destroy dance music and have fun. Don’t look back in the past. Always go forward. Don’t think too much. Always follow the money."

"The Great Fashionista Swindle" is their most recent tune and it's a monster. It dropped on Pickadoll a month or so ago and has already been picked up by DJs like Eric Prydz. It's not hard to hear why, with its huge peaks, massive fuzzy bass and trance-like synths. I'm not really sure what sort of genre this would fit into, maybe electro-house for big clubs. Download it now, as it's gonna be gone in 2 days. DJs, make sure to pick up a copy of the 12",, which features two excellent remixes from Laidback Luke and Serge Santiago. Check out their myspace page, request their friendship, find out all of the places you can buy their music. I would add Turntable Lab as a place to cop the The Great Fashionista Swindle vinyl. Most of all, thank them for letting me share this music with my readers. Support great music, hopefully much more to come on these guys.

-My roomie JK put me up to the cool news that Pound for Pound favorite and one of the most beautiful women in the world Chan Marshall (Cat Power) has been selected as the new face of Coco Chanel's jewelry line. Such a great choice and a great fit. Marshall has that classic beauty and it's always nice to see a dark-haired woman get some love. Brunettes, stand up!

-Fellas, here's a nice handy guide to dressing better. Pretty sound advice, although I've never heard anyone say that pleats are legit. Fit really is most important, as the whole baggy look just makes you look fatter and sloppier than you are.

-All of which leads me to my Operation Wardrobe Upgrade, my own personal mission to fix up look sharp. We've made great progress over the past 2 months, but there's still much more work to do. I'm open to any suggestions from my female readers or fashionable male ones. Where to shop, what to buy, good brands. If you'd like to help out, please get at me.

Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music

Debbie Deb, "When I Hear Music" (YSI link)

I've been meaning to drop more freestyle music, as I've built hte collection up over the past 6 months. No better place to start than one of the stone-cold classics of the genre, Debbie Deb's "When I Hear Music." It's also a perfect tie-in to tonight party at the Ukie Club, as I first came to hear this song there back in the Hollertronix days. Not much for me to add on this one, other than this is a nice HQ mp3 and it's a full version. I was so used to hearing Diplo spin it that I forgot how great it is extended, as I want that bass to go on forever. Vocoders, Debbie's great voice, one of the best freestyle songs, massive, squirming bass and sick synths. You need this in your life.

-White Ts and White Belts. At The Ukie Club. North Philly. Obolon. Special guest DJ (hint hint). 'Nuf said. Game Over. Smoke if you got 'em.

-Hands and Knees with Yo Majesty! JHN RDN & Ian St. Laurent will destroy you with dance music. I promise you will be seeing those rabbits by the end of the night. Acccciiiieeeeeeeeeed!




-White Lightning! joins forces with Arveene of Dublin (Ireland) and Frankie Banks of Detroit (Midwest) for dance music madness. Lemme take another minute to give props to a party. Lauren Flax has put together one of the best weeklies in NYC, it's an amazing chance to hear dance bangers and amazing DJs in a great bar with cheap drinks and no Manhattan garbage. Home Sweet Home (131 Chrystie St.), you know what to do.

-FUN at Studio B (257 Banker St.) continues to bring the heat, this time with special guest bands Teddybears and Radio 4. Resident DJs Eamon Harkin and The Bangers bring the fun. Greenpoint!

-LATE UPDATE: My bol Skinny Friedman is spinning tonight in the LES at Guero (9 Ave. A, right below JulesP, aww mang my old stomping grounds, shout out to the crazy guy who walks around screaming at the top of his lungs listening to his Walkman). It's free, make it a downtown night!



-Here's a party I've been meaning to check out, Ruff Club at The Annex. This one looks especially jam-packed



-The Pull Out Method is back at Club Midway (B and 3rd) with The Isles and Elizabeth Harper live



-Shout Out Out Out afterparty in Montreal with DJ Huggs



-Berlin, where ya at? My girl Elizabeth, a.k.a. DJ Almost Tropical, spins tonight at a new bar in the city called Post-Post (No. 10 Brunnen Strasse). Most romantic flier ever, guaranteed kissing to those smart enough to show.



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