BUSHWICK MUSIC BLOG

• Datalog Brings His Beats To 13 Thames

  

  By Mike Steyels OCTOBER 18TH, 2011
  Datalog just popped up on the internet radar a few months ago, but he's already got a body of work that spans a diverse range of electronic styles tied together with a solid theme. He's posted a free EP and album online, and they adeptly mold unique samples, various tempos, and a range of moods with a loose orientation towards a beatsmith mentality. The below track is one of his best and is a great example of the ground he ...
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• CMJ in Bushwick

  By Amanda Farah OCTOBER 17TH, 2011
  Heloise and the Savoir Faire The CMJ Music Marathon begins on Tuesday, which means hundreds of bands will flock to the city for official showcases and just as many unofficial parties. Here's where you can see the influx of bands whether or not you have a badge. Shea Stadium is hosting a series of showcases this week, featuring such bands as Parlovr, Unstoppable Death Machines, Dent May, and former Mika Miko members in Bleached. Xpo 929 is having a series of "unCMJ" ...
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• Techno Warehouse Sludge at BLK Market

  

  By Mike Steyels OCTOBER 13TH, 2011
  If you're looking to cop the hardest techno on the black market, this weekend is your best bet. BLK Market Membership doesn't play around - they always rent the most serious sound systems and book big international guests for their underground warehouse jump offs, and Bushwick gets treated again this weekend. Sweden's Skudge, a duo who run a label of the same name, is first on Friday's list performers, and their live set is made on all analog equipment. They deal ...
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• Great Caesar Playing Arlene's Grocery Residency

  

  By Amanda Farah OCTOBER 13TH, 2011
  East Williamsburg group Great Caesar takes a scrappy indie rock approach and smooths it out with a fully formed horn section in a slightly messier fashion than popular bands of the '70s. The band also puts a lot of emphasis on their lyrics (notable when many are washing out vocals under waves of reverb), with their folk storytelling full of clever word play and murder ballads. There's a lack of polish and a bit too much angst for ...
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• Telepathe Remixes Spoek Mothambo

  

  By Mike Steyels OCTOBER 12TH, 2011
  This remix by Telepathe is one of those tracks that shifts midway through into something entirely different from the preceding half. It starts off loud and messy but then dives into a driven '80s flashback. The early hardware derived second portion is the most effective, by means of smashing throwback drum machine beats, bubbling bass stabs, and washed out vocals. It's taken from an EP by South Africa's Spoek Mathambo, who only asks for your email in exchange for it. ...
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• Biggest Rappers Lace Statik Selektah's Beats

  

  By Mike Steyels OCTOBER 7TH, 2011
  Producers are getting a lot more public recognition in hip hop these days, and Statik Selektah is a name many are familiar with now. The Bushwick-based artist releases a steady stream of beats in an updated version of the classic East Coast crate digging style. There's always new material from him out there, but he's seeking to present concise list of what's really good these days with his upcoming album, Population Control. "Everybody thinks they’re a rapper," he tells HipHopDX, ...
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• WickFest Returns to Goodbye Blue Monday

  

  By Amanda Farah OCTOBER 6TH, 2011
  This weekend may very well be the last sunny and warm one of the year, and a good opportunity to sit outside and listen to some music. The third annual WickFest is this Saturday at Goodbye Blue Monday, bringing together local bands for an afternoon sun, booze, and music. Solo folky Christopher Paul Stelling will be playing the outdoor stage, along with Shoney Lamar, Sidestep Complex, and the End Men. Should you get too much sun, or should the weather reports ...
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• Aman Ellis Builds On Bass By Hirshi & Eyelove

  

  By Mike Steyels OCTOBER 6TH, 2011
  Sometimes the word 'remix' isn't always the most accurate description for what an artist does to another's work, and that's the case with local producer Aman Ellis's new version of Eyelove and Hirshi's "Magnet feat Bea". It's more of an edit than a remix. But that certainly doesn't trivialize this warm dubstep tune, as his tweaks improve on the collaborative original. He rearranges its progression in a manner that's easier to follow; fleshes out the percussion with a broader pallet, ...
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• Bushwick Music Review: Kitten Berry Crunch

  

  By Amanda Farah SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2011
  Each week we’ll highlight a different song by a Bushwick band or artist we like. If you would like to have your band’s song considered, you can submit an MP3 here. The '40s style radio intro to Kitten Berry Crunch's "Dreams" suggest off the mark that something unexpected is going to happen. Forgive the prejudice, feline parodies of breakfast cereals aren't usually denziens of anything remotely earnest. But the solo project of Shaun Hettinger (though he incuded his cat ...
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• Epic Dubstep Pop For Creep And Nina Sky

  

  By Mike Steyels SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2011
  The remixes of area duo Creep's collabo with Nina Sky continue to drop unabated, and thankfully so - because Robot Koch's epic dubstep pop take on "You" took it places none of the others did. The German producer strips the track of its sorcery and replaces it with power. This version is strong with growling bass and triumphant piano strikes that force their way through overcast clouds. He even pitches Sky's vocals into new, more lofty melodies and uses them ...
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• Dream a Little Dream with Sleeping in the Aviary

  

  By Amanda Farah SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2011
  Sleeping in the Aviary are two parts '50s teen idol crooning, one part indie rock muck up. Their songs come from a decade of gentle, swooning vocal harmonies that convey sadness no matter how joyous the declaration of love. Rather than focussing on the tragic deaths of teenagers, in between the love songs they reflect on bored housewives and fears of poverty. While they do break out the occasional frazzled rock lick, the focus is mostly on ...
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• Word Music By Kile Atwater And TeV95

  

  By Mike Steyels SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2011
  Local artist TeV95 has got his grind on high speed these days, and his most recent project is the freshly released EP Stand Clear of the Closing Doors with vocalist Kile Atwater. The free EP features the forward thinking side of 95's beats and draws from a broad enough palette while remaining cohesive. And Atwater makes good by continuing his theme of perseverance with some aware lyrics. As singer he's missing range, but as a word musician he makes some ...
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• Footwork Party with Rashad and Manny

  By Mike Steyels SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2011
  Not only is local label Lit City about to drop releases by some of Chicago's biggest names in juke, it's bringing them all to the area for a warehouse party tomorrow night. DJ Rashad, and DJ Manny will bless the decks at the space where Ghe20 G0th1k usually throws its parties. The first release for the label will be an album by Rashad. That will be followed by EPs from Spinn and Manny. All three are members of the Ghetto ...
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• KRTS and Teleseen at Quantum Culture

  

  By Mike Steyels SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2011
  Everyone on this bill has been covered on our blog at least once, so it's great to see them all in one place. The twice monthly Quantum Culture dives into the physics of music once again, and this time around they've booked KRTS, doing so just in time for the release of his new EP on Project Mooncircle, Hold On. If you caught the mix he made for us a few weeks back, you've heard bits of the title ...
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• Bushwick Music Review: Nihiti

  

  By Amanda Farah SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2011
  Each week we’ll highlight a different song by a Bushwick band or artist we like. If you would like to have your band’s song considered, you can submit an MP3 here. The subtlety of Nihiti's "Pinko Morning" is appropriate for such an intentionally enigmatic band. The song presents itself as a pleasant, mostly acoustic tune with pleasant, steady tenor vocals that completely disregarding repeated references to lunacy and blood in the snow. Never mind, though. Sinister lyrics are ...
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