Your Weekend Needs A Dose of So Japan

The Harlem Shake frenzy had SGM searching for some other artists in the internet ether that may be dropping the next traptastic track.  The creatively titled "Pussy Pop" track by So Japan just amplified this President's Weekend turn up.  

Enjoy.

Valentine's Funk

Dam Funk brings his west coast flavor to the Lyric Theatre tonight to make your Valentine's day soiree fully FUNKtional.  For the singles - its a place to get your jive on, look cool and stay cool.  For the couples - show the crowd, which will undoubtedly feature some breakers, bad mommas and a few bangers, how you do your thing.  



Along with Dam, Free Food, Oddience, Benedek and Techno Sam will be playing.  The event is hosted by the Lyric Foundation and a portion of the proceeds go to Urban Compass (http://www.urbancompass.org).  You can snag tickets in advance for the low low price of $10 via lyrictheatrela.com.  

Lyric Theatre is located at 520 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

Two Fresh - "Aloha"

Hopefully you're reading this close to a meal - because this video is definitely going to make you want some sushi....and probably take a trip to a warm beach.  Budding producers (and twin brothers) Sherwyn and Kendrick Nichols, better known as Two Fresh, lay down a tropical syncopated hip hop beat that ZIGGURAT members Purpl Monk and Miyagi take verbal stabs at on "Aloha."  

Hip Hop Dopeness At Echoplex (Tomorrow) and On Conan (Tonight)

As part of his promotional tour for the hugely acclaimed self produced "Cancer 4 Cure" album - El-P is making a stop at Echoplex on Thursday night for a special Check Yo Ponytail 2 performance that also includes MC's Killer Mike, Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire and Despot.

El-P - the MC, producer, co-owner of Def Jux, entrepreneur extraordinaire with plenty of skin in the game - really brought it with his latest release, which includes hard cuts like "The Full Retard" (see below).   You can sample the potential of his live show by tuning into Conan O'Brien tonight on TBS at 11 PM to see him perform "Works Every Time" with guest vocals from Zola Jesus.

SUPERGOOD strongly endorses just picking up tickets to the event because the line-up is pretty f'ing hot with Killer Mike, Exquire and Despot all hitting the stage as well.  Killer Mike's new record R.A.P. (also produced by El-P) features punishing, aggressive flows that are a departure from candy top 40 rap, Exquire was probably the second most buzzed about hip-hop artist at SXSW 2012 and Despot's show is nothing to shy away from either.  Get your tickets for the Echoplex show here - must be 18 or older.

Indie Rock-Rap Mash Up Monday

If you're into indie-rock, you might have heard of Los Angelina Chelsea Wolfe - but not Kosha Dillz (@koshadillz).  If you're into hip-hop (or Budweiser commercials), you've probably at least heard of Kosha Dillz - but possibly not Chelsea Wolfe.

This video for "Moses Wasteland" allows you to get familiar with both artists as it features Mr. Dillz rapping over mashed up Chelsea Wolfe tracks Moses and Wasteland in a dark setting.  Paying some respects to fallen artist icons, while reflecting on some of his own life choices, Kosha spits some seriously dope verbiage, one-liners, honest reflections and even references Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure on the Nate G produced indie-rap mash up.  A few quotable nuggets and knowledge include:

"You can tell who a man is when you shake hands"

"You can snort all the coke, I will drink all the Sprite"

"Midnight in Chelsea with a couple of wolves"

"I'll write a million dollar verse for Justin Bieber while I take a shit"

Both artists are current L.A. residents - although the video was shot in the east coast region of New York City and New Jersey.  "Moses Wasteland" is the first single and video off of Kosha Dillz's JETLAG EP project which features him rapping over indie rock mash-ups from Black Keys, The Neighbourhood, Wavves and more.  Enjoy and cop the full EP for free via DJBooth!

Chelsea Wolfe (@cchelseawolfe) plays Check Yo Ponytail (@checkyoponytail) at Echoplex tomorrow - May 15, 2012.  Get your tickets here. 

Porter Robinson - Language/Sunday Coachella Set

My first instrument I ever owned were turntables, and it wasn't until I played a drum machine that I was able to learn how to play kit - so there is no denying that there is SUPERGOOD love for all things electronic and electronic music culture.

Porter Robinson is killing the game right now.  He delivered a set of epic proportions and monstrous energy at our BandPage HQ party at SXSW - and he is slated to probably do something similar for the next two weekends in Indio, CA for Coachella.  He is playing 4:20-5:15 on Sunday.  To tease the audience on what some of the drops might sound like - he dropped this poppy ass banger big one - "Language" - on his soundcloud yesterday.

Porter Robinson - Language

Porter Robinson - Language/Sunday Coachella Set

My first instrument I ever owned were turntables, and it wasn't until I played a drum machine that I was able to learn how to play kit - so there is no denying that there is SUPERGOOD love for all things electronic and electronic music culture.

Porter Robinson is killing the game right now.  He delivered a set of epic proportions and monstrous energy at our BandPage HQ party at SXSW - and he is slated to probably do something similar for the next two weekends in Indio, CA for Coachella.  He is playing 4:20-5:15 on Sunday.  To tease the audience on what some of the drops might sound like - he dropped this poppy ass banger big one - "Language" - on his soundcloud yesterday.

Porter Robinson - Language

Avalon Hosts Fresh Beats from Daedelus, Avalon & Two Fresh

Some of SUPERGOOD’s favorites are tearing up the scene for Avalon’s club night, Control. In just a few short hours - Daedelus, Nosaj Thing and Two Fresh are bringing their addictive beats to heads in Hollywood.

From opening for DJ Assault, Justice and Two Live Crew to appearing in Erykah Badu’s most recent video, “Honey”, more and more are happily becoming hip to Daedelus. As his reputation is growing, so is his notoriety as being one of the most innovative and technically sound electronic composers in the game. The quirky, self-expressed Alfred Darlington maintains avant-garde elements not only in his often hipster-sheik dress (he often wears unique suits) but also in his beautiful melodic electronic orchestrations with hints of soul, world music, classical, hip-hop, electronic and more. Peep his KEXP DJ set below.



Noted as one of LA’s finest musical creators, Nosaj Thing paints a sonic landscape with his obscure and highly imaginative style. As see when he played Coachella’s Gobi Tent this past year, Nosaj Thing creates an experience for the audience that stimulates both the eyes and ears. Check out his DJ set from KEXP as well.



Also joining this crew of vanguards are DJ duo Two Fresh. Stemming from a hip-hop core, Two Fresh incorporate elements of sampling with their distinct synthesized beats and create music that not only agrees with their name but is undeniably catchy. I am not certain if drummer Colby is joining them tonight or not - but whether he is or is not there - the Nichols twins will melt your face. Get to know Two Fresh in this video of their Summer Camp 2011 experience...

Each of these rising Los Angeles DJ’s will make you take notice as they ooze with innovation in everything they create. With music this legit, Avalon’s Control is a definite hot spot for the night.

MC To Watch: ProbCause

Chicago native, ProbCause is bringing us some home-cooked goodness with his latest E.P. Stir Fry. This rising star is adding new flavor to the hip-hop scene, bouncing from gritty rap to dubstep to lyrical hip-hop and even some R&B. With diverse influences from Cannonball Adderley, Mulatto Astatke, Black Milk, Dilla, Stones Throw, Rhymesayers, STS9, Odd Future, Phoenix, Ratatat, Basquiat, Picasso, and Gerhard Richter, you can be certain that versatile talent such as ProbCause will take you on a limitless musical journey.

Immersed in a scene where, according to ProbCause, “there is always going to be hate and criticism”, this young MC is taking and preaching from the best. Mentored by the likes of Chicago’s queen of hip-hop, Psalm One, and Chicago’s veteran MC, Longshot, ProbCause is not interested in “the city of hate excuse.” And his mentality is translating very well in his music career, he's already toured this year as lead support for Big Sean, Twista, Machine Gun Kelly, Steve Aoki, Kreayshawn and Neon Indian in addition to performances with Raekwon, Chip tha Ripper, even earning a spot at the North Coast Music Festival for the second consecutive year (his performance was dope). He most recently visited L.A. last month - dropping in at Dim Mak Studios for their notorious Tuesday party and then hitting up Yost Theater the following night.

Probcause is not only making it hard to keep up but also influencing those behind him in a way that many probably didn’t see possible. Spitting rhymes that make you think and feel good, he’s nothing short of impressive, proving that creativity transcends all labels. For a taste of his most recent Mixtape, “Stir Fry”, SUPERGOODMUSIC has a free download of "Loud Through the Town" available for your listening pleasure and then a video for his remix of "Blue Sky."

Kids Love "Sweatpants"

It wasn't until I was in third grade that I departed from a daily routine of wearing sweatpants. Kosha Dillz latest music video, the second from his EP Gina & The Garage Sale, has me waxing nostalgic for the days when pants with buttons weren't even part of my wardrobe yet. The Jersey based MC most likely will be getting kids amped to rock sweatpants as a fashion statement today as he performs with Yo Gabba Gabba in New Brunswick, NJ at two shows this afternoon/evening.

What makes that so cool is, not only did he just drop the premier of his music video for "Sweatpants" on Consequence of Sound last night (see below), but rappers also are not the norm for the touring Yo Gabba Gabba show. With acts like Pretty Lights, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Leslie Hall normally joining the tour - it is refreshing to see an MC that is always on his grind get his due. Sharing a stage with Biz Markie, Brobee, Muno, Plex and DJ Lance will most likely be not only cool for him - but a career accomplishment.

In support of one of the hardest working MCs I know (and because it is my nephew's favorite song) - I give you "Sweatpants" music video and a link to purchase the song via i-tunes as well as the free download of the Yo Gabba Gabba remix.

Pacific Festival Post Fact - Part 2 (recap by ZSE)

Part 1 of my Pacific Festival review consisted of acts that performed during the day. Part 2 below consists of acts that performed at night.

After Calvin Harris got the party starting on the main stage, Steve Aoki continued the party with his bangers ranging from "Turbulence" to his stellar remix of "Pursuit of Happiness." He had by far the greatest stage presence. Here's my favorite song he did, his remix to Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness".

Pursuit of Happiness (Steve Aoki Remix)

After seeing Aoki, I scrambled over to see Aussie house duo Bag Raiders. They were one of the up-and-coming acts I was most excited to see. What I didn't expect was that their sound would be so exceptional, not only with the instrumentals but the vocals as well. "Way Back Home" appeared to pump the crowd up the most as the duo both were banging on drums and the catchy chorus was hot and dope!

Bag Raiders - Way Back Home

After Bag Raiders, we went back to the main stage to see Ghostland Observatory. If you're looking for a group that not only sounds good but has amazing visual effects as well, look no further than Ghostland Observatory. While I don't remember all the songs they performed, I won't forget the amazing light show and lasers during their performance, which made their set pretty much amazing. Here's my favorite song I heard from them live, "Midnight Voyage".

Midnight Voyage - Ghostland Observatory

Ghostland was a great pick me up act for west coast hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg. Even though we had to wait over 30 minutes for Snoop to get on stage, his performance was off the chain. Seriously Snoop Dogg is a legend and if you're a fan of hip-hop, you must respect Snoop's music, his swagger and his status. He played mostly his older tracks, which I personally loved and while there was a couple older tracks he didn't play ("Deep Cover" and "Gz and Hustlers"), he still was great. Here's video we got of his performance:

Lastly Australian act Cut Copy came to the stage as headliners of the festival. I was surprised as anybody why Snoop Dogg wasn't the closer, but after seeing Cut Copy jam out with the energy they had, I left with a great appreciation for Pacific Festival and their scheduling. I enjoyed almost every song Cut Copy did and really absorbed the energy from lead vocalist Dan Whitford. Here's my favorite song from Cut Copy, "Take Me Over", just a great song for a road trip or any other adventure you embark on.

Cut Copy - "Take Me Over"

Review Post by Zach Siegal Eisman (BeforeTheBigs)

Donald Trump Digs "Donald Trump"

Donald Trump cosigns Mac Miller's song of the same name. Kind of funny. But the "New Eminem"??? I don't know if Donald Trump is the guy you want making that comparison for you....

We've enjoyed the song for a while and I'm not letting Mr. Trump's endorsement rain down on that because the song is, in fact, ill. That's why people like Neon Hitch are covering it AND making videos for the cover. Peep her video and the original below...

Rizzle Kicks - "Down With The Trumpets"

Basically my favorite song right now.



Star Slinger remix is good too. Anyone got some other great remixes to this dirty summer jam?

Eli James - Spanking Skin....Drum Skins

If you've been hip to the underbelly of the L.A. scene, found yourself at the Sunset Jubilee in May (not the Silverlake Jubilee) or you've got a constant hankering for drums - you might be familiar with the artist Eli James. If not, you're response to an Eli James question might just be "Who the fuck is Eli James?"

Well, this below video should do a lot more justice to explaining that than the words I write - but suffice it to say James is part of a new breed of musicians. More than just a drummer - he is a multi-talented DJ, engineer, storyteller and performer. A one-man, skin beating, bass drum stomping, dance floor wrecking drummer.

With LED lights synched to his kit, a James performance is a total sensory experience. Its also a walk through pop nostalgia as he pops off personalized live remixes of chart toppers like Kanye West, Katy Perry, Nine Inch Nails and more. He takes his sensory overloading performance around the country this summer starting next week when he kicks off his Pump Up The Jam Tour 2011 in San Antonio, TX that ultimately delivers him to Los Angeles and the Sunset Strip for the esteemed Sunset Strip Music Festival where he will play Friday night at The Viper Room and Saturday on the main block.

PUMP UP THE JAM TOUR 2011

Date City Venue

July 19 San Antonio, TX Boneshakers

July 20 Austin, TX Beauty Bar

July 21 Houston, TX Super Happy Fun Land

July 22 New Orleans, LA TBD*

July 23 Birmingham, AL The Nick

July 25 Atlanta, GA Eastside Lounge

July 27 Worcester, MA Lucky Dog Music Hall

July 29 NYC, NY Pianos

July 31 Philadelphia, PA Dockside Bar

Aug 3 Madison, WI The Frequency

Aug 5 St Louis, MO 2720 Cherokee**

Aug 6 Warrensburg, MO 400 Bar

Aug 11 Denver, CO Moe's Tavern

Aug 13 Las Vegas, NV Artifice

Aug 19 West Hollywood, CA The Viper Room - SSMF

Aug 20 West Hollywood, CA Sunset Strip Music Festival

** playing with Freq Nasty

Check out these other drum driven remakes by James!