BURGERS Winter 2011/2012 Mixtape is out!
December 20, 2011
The Burgers Winter 2011/2012 Mixtape is here and available for you listening/downloading pleasure. I kicked it off with some classic deep cuts, then took it to a chill/sexy/moody vibe, then finished it off with some great new discohouse. I’m kinda proud I managed to crank out a mix that didn’t involve Breakbot or Bit Funk. Those two dudes make pure gold out of everything they touch. It’s really hard to resist. But right now my DJ hard-on is all for Gigamesh. Seriously- that dude’s been busy making amazing remixes and golden original tracks. Check out his EP called “Space Dinosaur Stuff.“
LOL. It’s actually just “Gigamesh EP.” Anyway, here’s my mix:
Tracklist:
Prince-Controversy
Gino Soccio-Try it Out
Madi Diaz-Trust Fall (Jensen Sportag RMX)
Niki & The Dove-Mother Protect (Goldroom RMX)
Gigamesh-When You’re Dancing
The Magician ft. Jeppe-I Don’t Know What to Do (Fabian RMX)
Knight One-Hearts of Oak
Girls Generation-The Boys (Robotaki RMX)
Database-New Disco
P Money and Dan Aux-Kinda Lovin’
Caravan Palace-Clash (Jupiter RMX)
A Few Good Shows: 12/16/11
December 16, 2011
Before I get to the regular listings I have a bit of shameless self-promotion. I’ve been drumming in a new-ish (at least to Nashville) band called Scale Model, and we’re playing a free show at the 5 Spot this Sunday night along with I Believe in Hotpants, Girls & Money, and Karma Kite. This show is all noobs, so we decided it should be a freebie- therefore you have no excuse not to come. All of us are good bands with good songs and each is worth your attention. Now, on to the other good stuff happening around town this weekend:
FRIDAY:
Futurebirds w/ Grass Giraffes @ The Basement. 9pm $10 Adv/$13 DOS 21+
Mayhem performs The Doors’ LA Woman w/ Buffalo Clover @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $5 21+
SATURDAY:
Moon Duo, D. Watusi, Spanish Candles, and The Black Faces @ The End. 9pm $10
3rd annual Beatles vs. Stones Christmas Bowl, benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank. Ft. Mayhem & members of By Lightning!, Lonely H, Nite Nite, Jeremy Lister, Derek Hoke, Mike Grimes, Nikki Lane, Chuck Mead, Tommy Womack, Warren Pash, and many more… 9pm. $7 or 3 cans of food for admission. 21+
Natural Child, Ranch Ghost, Electric Dollhouse Groovebuggy, NEW BAND ft. members of the Cannomen and Bad Cop. @ Mount Swag. $3 It’s a house show so if you wanna go you can figure out the address. 🙂
SUNDAY:
Scale Model, I Believe in Hotpants, Girls & Money, Karma Kite @ the 5 Spot. 9pm FREE 21+ (See above!)
Have a great weekend!
The music of Les Miserables in a concert benefitting YEAH: tonight & tomorrow at Mercy Lounge
December 7, 2011
It’s been a big season of benefit shows for YEAH! but this one is probably the biggest- a bunch of local musicians/artists have teamed up to present the music of Les Miserables live in concert two nights in a row at Mercy Lounge. It kicks off tonight, tickets are $18, and it will be awesome. With Larissa Maestro and Jordan & Alex Caress at the helm and a huge cast of local musicians from such acts as Uncle Skeleton, By Lightning!, Ponychase, The Privates, Umbrella Tree, The Non-Commissioned Officers, Happy Little Trees, Blue Heart Hour, and many more, this is quite the undertaking. Again, this is a two night stand, but I have a feeling tonight will be the biggest of the two since Hall & Oates are at the Ryman tomorrow night. YEAH! is just about the coolest non-profit in all of TN and I’m proud to be an active volunteer with them. They deserve your support!
On a completely separate note (but still relevant to this blog), I’ve been approved by YEAH’s music programs director to start a new workshop at the Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp this year- the Science of Music. Here’s the description I came up with, with the help of fellow volunteer (and former camper/fellow nerd) Alyssa Scheele:
How does an electric guitar work? How does a microphone work? How does MUSIC work? Learn this and much more in the brand new Science of Music workshop. This workshop will give campers a crash course in the science behind music and how different instruments and audio equipment create and amplify sound. This workshop is ideal for campers who might be interested in the production side of music. The Science of Music will empower campers to pursue science as well as music by showing them how science is an integral part of art.
I’m ecstatic about getting to teach kids how basically everything, let alone modern music, would not be possible without science. I want to get them to make that connection and realize that science isn’t all far-off labs, atom smashers, and old dudes in white coats. It’s also a part of literally EVERYTHING. I think that focusing on how science makes music possible is the best way to make it “hit home” with them. AND it will hopefully jumpstart some of them in the direction of music production, both studio and live.
A Few Good Shows: 11/11/11
November 11, 2011
This weekend is a little weak in the show department, but there’s still some good stuff to be seen around Nashville. Let’s get straight to the point:
FRIDAY:
The Black Belles album release w/ The Black Faces @ Third Man Records (Sold Out) 8pm.
Spidervirus reunion, w/ Riff Raff (AC/DC Tribute), Rock City Birdhouse, and Flesh Vehicle @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5
Those Darlins @ Gilligan’s (in Murfreesboro). 9pm $10
SATURDAY:
Nashville Premier of Girls Night Out, a film by Meredith Kotas and Chris Davis. 4pm-8pm @ the 5 Spot, accompanied by performances by Birdcloud, Rall Tide, and very special top secret guest. $5 (proceeds benefit Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp)
Har Mar Superstar, Fake Brad, Five Knives @ 12th & Porter. 9pm $10
SUNDAY:
Melt Banana, Diarrhea Planet, Look What I Did @ The End. 9pm $12. *BRING EARPLUGS YALL*
Have a great weekend!
Tristen needs your help to press a Christmas 7″
November 10, 2011
UPDATE: Tristen made her goal not long after I posted this, but you should still buy the 7″ when it comes out!
You’ve probably already seen this in a few other places, but it’s a cool thing that deserves repeating:
Nashville’s budding startlet Tristen loves Christmas, so she recorded her own version of 3 of her favorite Christmas songs and needs your help to put it out on vinyl. As awesome as vinyl is, it’s really damned expensive to produce, so many lesser-know bands/artists have a hard time coming up with the dough for the up-front costs. So Tristen has started a Kickstarter campaign, and is asking for your help in making this Christmas 7″ a reality. Check it out, and help her out. She’s a rad gal and is one of the best local acts in the game right now, so let’s make this thing happen, eh? Watch the video below and click here to donate.
Makeup and Vanity Set: Charles Park III (Your Halloween soundtrack)
October 26, 2011
Ladies and gentlemen, Charles Park III from our man Makeup & Vanity Set has arrived. It will be your Halloween 2011 soundtrack. It can be purchased tomorrow (10/27) but you can stream it all now via his soundcloud. Or below. Words seem meaningless in comparison to simply giving this thing a listen. Only then will you understand. Clearly I am biased because I love this dude, but it’s the TRUTH. Everything he’s done is utter badassery.
New Duck Sauce video (slightly NSFW)/Chromeo & Breakbot tonight
October 25, 2011
Duck Sauce (A-Trak + Armand Van Helden) released a video for their latest single “Big Bad Wolf” today and… um… well… it’s *scratches head* absolutely ridiculous? I don’t even know. I wouldn’t recommend watching it at work, though. (It’s age-restricted on YouTube, so it probably won’t play embedded below, but we’ll try anyway…
Also, tonight Chromeo (fronted by A-Trak’s brother Dave) takes over Nashville at the Cannery Ballroom. As of posting there are still tickets left. What’s possibly even more exciting than Chromeo is the fact that the one and only Breakbot is opening for them. It’s a VERY special treat to get to see an Ed Banger artist in Nashville, so you should seize this opportunity. Breakbot is one of my all-time favorite dance/electronic producers and he will NOT disappoint. Even cooler is the fact that locals How I Became the Bomb are on the bill in place of Mayer Hawthorne, and they’re doing a set of Hall & Oates covers! (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not glad Mayer Hawthorne canceled for whatever reason, just glad that my pals in HIBTB got seize such a great opportunity.) Check the video for Breakbot’s “Baby I’m Yours” below:
A Few Good Shows: 10/21/11
October 21, 2011
This weekend is fairly average in terms of good shows to see, with Saturday’s “The Big Nashty” being the exception. More on that under Saturday.
FRIDAY:
The Swan King, Stallion, Laser Flames on the Great Big News @ The End. 9pm $5
SATURDAY:
Deer Tick, Virgin Forest, Dead People @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $15
The Big Nashty: an all-day music festival featuring a hoard of great local bands including Bad Cop, Hans Condor, Evan P. Donohue, Cy Barkley, Natural Child, Natalie Prass, Reid Magette, and many more. The festival is being held at a farm of sorts at 550 South Tunnel Rd., way out near Gallatin. Camping is encouraged because let’s face it, you’re probably going to imbibe and we don’t want anyone making that drive back to Nashville proper at 3am while questionably intoxicated. Cost is $10 adv/$20 DOS.
Have a great weekend!
The Nobility: The Secret of Blennerhassett Island
October 18, 2011
One of Nashville’s most underrated bands is back with a brand new album. The Nobility (formerly Jetpack, then Jetpack UK) just released their latest, The Secret of Blennerhassett Island, and it’s a masterpiece. 2007’s The Mezzanine was their first proper album under the new moniker, and it firmly set the tone for their future as a band. That tone was one of more mature, intricate, and clever songs with a wide array of instrumentation, all with an unwavering pop sensibility. They stated in their own description of the album that they had been listening to early Paul McCartney and Kinks records, and it shows. TSBI (I refuse to type that name again!) is clearly influenced by the same era of pop music, but no matter how obvious the influences are, these songs never get old or tired. I’ve always loved a good marriage of band to producer, and this album is no exception. They worked with Brian Carter of Paradox Productions as they did with The Mezzanine, and honestly I don’t think there’s a better producer for this band than him. The orchestral instrumentation fits perfectly where it’s used, and it’s never over-used. Especially impressive are the horn arrangements. TSBI is easily one of the best albums to come out of Nashville’s rock scene this year, so go get it at their bandcamp page and thank me later. AND go see them at the record release party on Nov. 14th Nov. 4th at the Rutledge.
Closet Case Vintage fall/winter 2011 lookbook
October 4, 2011
Take a gander at yet another impressive video/photo lookbook put together by Seth Graves (video) and Bradley Spitzer (photo) for my friend Carmen who runs Closet Case Vintage here in Nashville:
The whole deal with photos and all can be seen on the CCV blog. Among the models involved is the lovely Nikki Lane, who I just photographed performing at the Basement last friday for the Scene. I haven’t had a chance to check out her album yet, but her live show was quite impressive. She has a good “neo-classic” (to steal a phrase from the Spin review) country voice and a cast of Nashville indie/Americana staple players backing her up. Keep an eye and an ear on this one.
steve cross loves music and science 