Musical Block Parties in L.A.

Free Music in L.A. on Sunday.  Check out these stellar line-ups of three festivals hitting town this afternoon!

Prob Cause Gonna Knock You Out - "Flex"

Rising Chicago hip-hop artist Prob Cause is back in the music ring for another bout - this time delivering "Flex."  The second single off of his forthcoming "Recipe" project - showcases Prob midwest repping with clever metaphors and, in classic Chicago fashion, a varying flow speed.  



Prob Cause breaks it down for his hometown this weekend at North Coast Music Festival as well as a stop in Bloomington on August 30th with another midwestern spitter - Machine Gun Kelly.  L.A. gets the privilege of another Prob Cause visit in early October for Filter's Culture Collide Festival; start training for the event by watching the video and copping Recipe (featuring Rockie Fresh, YP and more) when it is released this coming Labor Day weekend.  

"Flex" video was directed by Elijah Alvarado and High Ambition.

Check out more at http://probcause.com and more videos at http://www.youtube.com/probcausetv.

Theophilus London Plays Free Show Tonight; Other Hip-Hop In Town

If your Thursday night is still open, then consider yourself lucky because, the Avalon is the place to be and you are invited free of charge. Chegg, Live Nation, and College Battle proudly present the Textbooks and Tickets tour featuring live performances by Theophilus London (in video below), MNDR, Milkman, college battle finalist Rozzi Crane and more special guests. Adding even more fuel to this night of exceptional hip-hop are DJ sets by Ben Oprstu and Burn Unit.

I've been told by respected concert goers that Theophilus has really amped up his game and his live show has improved - so we're going to give him another shot. MNDR is fun and we'll withhold judgment on the rest until we catch their show. If you can't make it to Avalon - or are looking for something at a smaller venue - The Dean's List plays Key Club and Das Racist, Danny Brown and Despot are at The Roxy tonight.

For free admission, make sure to RSVP/ Doors open at 8pm

The Second Collision - Filter Magazine Hosts 2nd Annual Culture Collide Festival 10.6 - 10.9

Like any supergood professional organization should, Filter Magazine is bringing their music celebration party crashing back. Culture Collide returns to Los Angeles for its second annual installment with another banging 4 day internationally flavored extravaganza taking place October 6th - 9th.

With Mr. Kool Aid like energy, current headliner CSS makes everyone move their feet. Without insulting last years event (because it was good), Cansei De Ser Sexy is a step above. Those are some wild women who are representing for all of South America (as of now).

Representing for the U.S. are a favorite of mine - Rainbow Arabia. Check out "Without You" if you've been sleeping on this pot of sonic colors. I also really dig Holiday In Congo (Mexicans With Guns Remix)...amazeballs, but hey, that's me. I like a little womp with my indie at times. Jason Falkner, He's My Brother/She's My Sister, Handshakes, Young Liars and Spain also bear the badge of our U.S. steeze. Buck 65 and Snowblink hold it down for the provinces up North of U.S.

At this point, the fact that their are early bird $20 wristbands available should have you salivating...and then there is Europe.

Europe has already confirmed a gang of artists - Lindstrom for one. I also like Martin Clancy & The Witness Protection Programme. Switzerland's Kassette,Disco Doom and The Awkwards. Indigo Tree, Paula i Karol, Ginga, Isobel Campbell, My bubba & Mi, Please The Trees, and BrainStorm too.

New Zealand's Liam Finn - whom I've dug since I heard "Second Chance" is going to be there. And I'll be there too. At whichever venue they're putting him at on the East Side of Los Angeles.

The Yellow Dogs from Iran round out the lot of confirmations thus far. But rest assured, Filter will have more.

Wonder who will be this years Theophilus London? Will it be Chicago's Keith Masters with England's Futurecop!? Or Plan B? Or both? Who knows? Those FIlter people do. Stay tuned to Filter Magazine's site and twitter for updates to the line-up and the latest deets. But - you could just keep it simple and buy a ticket now. It's $20, it's already worth it.

For the most updated information on FILTER Magazine's Culture Collide, please visit culturecolide.com and follow FILTER Magazine on Facebook and Twitter.

Now, Now from Minneapolis Performs Tonight at Sold Out Troubadour

A month after closing out 2010 with a performance at their hometown's Popsickle Festival and 6 weeks after releasing their new EP, Neighbors, Now, Now (formerly Now, Now Every Children) are gracing The Troubadour.

The group caught a bit of a fire at New Jersey's Bamboozle Festival and later dropped the Every Children from their name to be in tune with their musical maturation. From what other critics say (I didn't rock out to Cars, their debut EP very much) - they've improved their structure and are playing with more confidence.

Filter Magazine said "[l]eading ladies Cacie Dalager and Jess Abbott's vocals blend perfectly with the indie-rock, guitar-laced, and anthemic tunes that seem to blast out your speakers on Neighbors," while Spin compared the band to Metric and Be Your Own Pet.

Big Hassle's hosting two of their tracks for streaming - "Giants" and "Neighbors". Tickets for The Troubadour are sold out. They are opening for Hellogoodbye.

Guide to Collide

Filter's Culture Collide Festival officially kicks off tonight at The Standard with an intimate lobby performance from Theophilus London amongst others. But, the true festivities get going in the early evening on Thursday when six different venues open their doors to Filter's festival badge bearers.

You could get confused with all the different options presented to you - so we're giving you a little pointers in this friendly GUIDE TO COLLIDE.

With Echoplex, Echo, 826 and Taix all within legitimate walking distance of one another, it is hard not to gravitate towards the events at those four venues. Thursday offers artists at all 4 with notable performances from Black Lips, City Riots, Kamp! and LexiconDon at Echoplex, CasioKids from Norway at Echo, rising LA act Gamble House at 826 and the European sounds of The Black Atlantic (Netherlands), Gold Lake (Spain), Laleh (Sweden) and Nive Neilsen & The Deer Children (Greenland) at Taix. In audition to the aural pleasureas, Taix also offers some internationally themed happy hours that are likely to please the palate.

However, to draw some of the crowd away from a massive collision of people, Filter made sure the line-ups at Spaceland and Standard were super strong on opening night. I'm heading to Spaceland - which boasts Risers, a young band out of Los Angeles already making a statement with well crafted, somewhat epic songwriting, opening for Finaland's K-X-P and Zebra and Snake. For those with an international appetite for DJs, Standard hosts El Guincho (Spain), The Witness Protection Programme (Ireland) and Sebastian Tellier (France), along with a live performance from Voxhaul Broadcast.

Risers

Friday, your Collision Decisions get a little bit easier as only four venues play host. If you want to go to festival center - you'll have easy access to Klaxons, Land of Talk, The Besnard Lakes, Suuns and Baby Monster at Echoplex if you prefer music from North America. If you love the blokes from over the pond, The Boxer Rebellion, White Lies (Dj set), Amusement Parks on Fire and Witness Protection Programme at Echo is probably for you. Taix hosts artists fromt ehr est of the world - with Battle Circus (New Zealand), City Riot (guide says AUS - not sure if thats Australian or Austrian - reminds me of DUMB & DUMBER - put another shrimp on the barbie, mate!), Harrys Gym (Norway) and L. Stadt (Poland). We'd guide you to those three venues over Spain inspired Spaceland's line-up of El Guincho, Gold Lake, Capsula, The Outline and Two Sheds.

Saturday is the last "venue day" and also the last day of beer gardens and Happy Hours at Taix. I think I'm going to invest some time in the tribes culture by visiting Taix from 2-4 pm to check out the happy hour and special guest performance presented by the Israel Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Wonder if that special guest might be Pink Noise or Monotonix, both Israeli acts performing later at Spaceland where they will be joined by Mariachi El Bronx, The Franks and Jacuzzi Hi-Dive.

Also performing Saturday night are White Lies, Voxhaul Broadcast, Battle Circus + others at Echoplex; Cass McCombs, Laleh, The Black Atlantic at 826LA and Bambi Kino, Capsula, Two Sheds and Hello Saferide at Taix.

Sunday is the culmination, the climax, the entree course - as most of the above mentioned acts pour out into the streets and flood Sunset Blvd. with indie tunes galore. The Toyota Antics sponsored Block Party begins around 2:30 p.m. with Glaciers, followed by The Tender Box and a special guest. Things don't get going with multiple acts until around 5 pm - which leaves enough time to recover from a wild Saturday and poke your head in at the start of the Do Over (only 3 Sundays left after this one).

But, once 5 rolls around - acts multiply - Monotonix, Amusment Parks on Fire and White Lies all take the stage within that hour, followed shortly after by Phantogram, Cass McCombs and The Boxer Rebellion, who headline stage 2. The festival closes out with headline spots from Tokyo Police Club on the Main Stage at 8 and Seal Wolf and Fran Healy's respective acoustic performances at the Church.

Learn more details about Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival, including where you can get tickets - by clicking here.

Filter Presents: Culture Collide Festival (10/7-10/10)

FILTER, festivals and food trucks! Oh my! What does every half-employed, LA-based hipster love? Vivacious tunes with a side of PBR and grilled cheese, of course! Luckily, FILTER Magazine has decided to appeal to the music masses and offer up a multi-day street festival composed of radical bands from all over the world, and delectable food trucks from all over the city. Seriously, what’s better than that? The answer is: nothing. We’re lucky enough to live in Sunshine Central with an over-abundance of creative minds all looking to let loose and get their dance on. So let’s prove to our parents that our college degrees were worth it, and take advantage of this. Don’t make me tell you twice.


October 7th through 10th FILTER magazine is taking over the streets of Echo Park and Downtown to give us musical, as well as edible, deliciousness. From Klaxons to Sea Wolf, and Casiokids to Caribou, they’ve got a United Nations of enticing beats to appeal to your own individual tastes. Wristbands for all four days are a mere $20 - that’s $5 per day, or to put it in hipster terms, is the near-equivalent to one PBR on tap during Cha Cha Lounge’s happy hour. For more information go to culturecollide.com, or better yet, take my word for it and get your ticket directly from ticketweb.com. It’ll be the best (and least expensive) decision you made since... well, let’s face it, you guys probably make bad decisions all the time. Buy your ticket, and then proceed to make your bad decisions at the festival in typical LA-fashion, you’ll be happy you did.


by Lauren Lomma

A Night With Chromeo (Lommabot Checks in From NYC)

Dave 1

We've got a fancy FILTER friend who keeps her finger on the pulse of the coolest haps, including what's brewing in the music scene, at all times...Lauren Lomma, maybe you've heard of her? If you haven't, you should try and follow her on twitter @lomfry3 (if she'll accept your request) because she is hilarious and she knows what's what.

Aggressively trying to rival anyone for most wicked concert schedule of the summer, Lommabot, as we like to call her, has been seeing anyone and everyone in NYC, from Cut Copy to Chromeo. With just a few weeks ahead of them before the scheduled release of their third studio album, Business Casual (set for September 14, 2010), the latter apparently they threw it down for the east coasters.

Don't miss the opportunity to see them, and if you need to be convinced why, just read what Lommabot has to say about their latest NYC performance below:

The humidity plaguing the streets of New York was nothing in comparison to the heat being generated inside the Bowery Ballroom on this particular Thursday night. Bodies bounced against each other, everyone danced in excitement as Holy Ghost! belted out some delicious tunes. The Passion Pit-esque quality of their beats was a welcome change to the classic DJ sets they usually dole out. The crowd bopped their heads and moved their bodies in approval, though they were all really waiting in anticipation for the headliner: Chromeo. Unbeknownst to the fans who pummeled their way to the foot of the stage, Dave 1 and P-Thugg were saddled up in the back near the bar. Dave 1 nodding to the beat, clad in all white with some sort of retro/hipster Jew-fro hybrid atop his head. P-Thugg, however, talked it up to a sassy brunette chick, only exiting after finally catching her digits.

P-Thugg

The lights glared on, and the classic intro of “Chro-me-o. Oooh! Oh!” blasted through the speakers; the crowd was instantly electrified. The duo came to the stage, Dave 1 donning a pair of classic wayfarers to shield himself from the glaring lights. They opened with a song from their soon-to-be released album, “Business Casual”, and throughout the night they alternated from promising new songs to reliable super-jams off their previous albums. The Hall & Oates of the electro era managed to excite the masses with classic hits such as “Fancy Footwork” and “Bonafied Lovin’”, as well as a Dire Straits cover, “Money For Nothing." Rocking out under the hot lights of the stage these two are the super-hip electrofunk geniuses known as Chromeo, where as moments earlier they were merely David and Patrick of Montreal: just a couple of hipsters admiring another fellow musician, being oh-so cool sipping on their cheap beers and lavishing in the advances of the ladies. One ridiculously amazing set and an encore of “Momma’s Boy” later, and every New Yorker in the place was dripping in sweat, grinning from ear-to-ear, and running home to scoop up tickets to whatever Chromeo show they could hit up next.

The duo comes to Los Angeles on August 29th to the Hollywood Bowl, where they will share the stage with The Chemical Brothers, YACHT and KCRW's Jason Bentley. You can purchase tickets here.