Mexicans with Guns releases his next track, “Dame Lo,” off his latest Me Gusto EP (Stones Throw/Innovative Leisure, Exponential). This sexy banger is accompanied by an experimental short film/music video that summons the raucous revelry of any Robert Rodriguez dusty cantina shoot-em-up flick over a Dia de los Muertos celebration.
MWG is making the short trip from SA to HOU this Saturday, August 14th, to put it down at The Backroom (Mink, 3718 Main St, 77006) for us. Pero no se to olvide…ponte los zapatos porque vamos a bailar!
For more on “Dame Lo,” check here. Read the LA Times article on Mexicans with Gunshere. He’s the masked crusader of big beats–big time!
UPDATED: Join us DIRB! DJs at the Fancy Pants Stage at the Free Press Summer Fest on Saturday and Sunday for some cool jams–literally!
The VIP stage in the Bowl near Buffalo Bayou sponsored by Fahrenheit-Media and our Dusty Crates blog of course, is air conditioned! YES, I said AC!! Which will make it a nice break from the heat/humidity and the hotter acts at the Fest.
This weekend, our dudes Klassen and Orion from Austin are stopping off in Dallas then Houston, completing the golden triangle of their Raspberry Criminal (sorta) mini tour. Watch them battle the best originals and remixes from musical icons Prince and Michael Jackson at the Bronze Peacock Room (House of Blues – Houston, 1204 Caroline, 77002) this Saturday, May 22nd.
The Houston battle pops off at 10 p.m. and fizzes all night long. The King of Pop and His Royal Purpleness costumes are strongly encouraged! Tickets are $10 pre-sale (available thru Ticketmaster) and $12 at the door.
Come out and get it on the floor. I’m gonna put my money on Prince ‘cuz I gotta represent for the City of Syrup!
Meanwhile, I’ll be holdin’ it down at The Lot on Washington with my DIRB! pahtnah, CashlessTonio.
Hey, Tonio, after you get over your jet lag, I’m gonna find out what happened to my postcards from Greece! Ha!
In light of current events in the Middle East and even here at home in Arizona, MIA’s new video, “Born Free,” speaks volumes.
The 9-minute short film was directed by Romain Gavras, who also directed Justice’s thuggish “Stress,” so it’s no surprise she chose him to help convey her socio-political message by focusing on the persecution of society’s “red-headed stepchildren”.
Watch the video that’s been yanked from Youtube here and let me know what you think. But a word of warning: it’s brutal, raw and provocative.
If that’s too much, here’s MIA’s airy “There’s Space for Ol Dat I See” (also from her upcoming, yet-to-be-titled, but soon-to-be-landmark 3rd album) to temper an aggressive “Born Free”.
After 12 years on the radio, the say goodbye via their Kracker Nuttz blog:
…we want to thank everyone of you who tuned in. For all the times we felt like giving up on “corporate/commercial” radio & quitting… YOU were the only reason why we stayed. We felt like we owed it to YOU… the voice, the fan, or the listener who was never properly represented…
But these are not the last words on their abrupt departure. Taking a parting shot in an Open Letter addressed to The Boxx, writer/blogger and pusher of all things truly hip hop, my dude MattSonzala put it best on his AustinSurreal blog:
KBXX – you are in the wrong here. You initiated this problem, and now refuse to work to fix it. Your ban on Trae, and the subsequent actions you have taken on fairly innocent parties, is reprehensible and cowardly. It’s also lazy. I realize that in the age of 140 character tweets and Facebook updates, genuine conversations often take a back seat. This situation merits a genuine conversation, and a solution.
Your half assed, one sided solution is not the answer…
Word.
Best of luck to Clean Kutt, Baby Jay and the Nuttz; I’m sure I’ll see you out rockin more clubs where now we’ll all get that first-hand “all up in yo mouth” experience.
Read the entire Open Letter to 97.9 The Boxx at AustinSurreal.com >>
Bristol’s 20-year-old producer Joker has a passion. It’s a passion for subterranean subwoofer frequencies he’s shared with a steadfast group of dubstep fans worldwide for quite some time. Following a string of remarkable releases characterized by 8-bit sounds, swooping synths and rattling basslines, Joker’s anthems are uniquely branded the ‘purple’ sound of dubstep.
The first time I came upon Joker was while * was running a dnb/dubstep/2step record store out of my house in 2007. I had ordered a few copies of his first release called the Kapsize EP on DJ Pinch’s Earwax Label.
The thing that really set this release apart from all the other stuff that was coming out at the time [at least] dubstep-wise was its hype, grimey/SNES feel. It was a good release, but definitely not a game changer…
Enter Jae Swope from Sines. He dropped “Gully Brook Lane” during a set at Gritsy in the summer of ‘08.
It was the first time I’d heard [the track played] out on the Gritsy sound system, and quite frankly, it was the shit!
This track shoved my prior conceptions about dubstep immediately out the door. I wanted more.
I purchased the record that next Monday and instantly fell for the B-side, “Retro Racer,” which became one of the first of many Joker tracks in heavy rotation in my DJ sets.
Since then it’s been a stratospheric rise for Joker, including remix work spanning various genres. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s in the company of international dubstep superstar DJ/producers Skream and Benga.
Not surprisingly, Joker’s “purple” anthems havegone over really well in Houston, particularly “Purple City” which got a lot of play last summer. I’m still partial to the monstrous “Snake Eater“.
And as expected, Joker’s recent popularity has also made him as elusive as his purple-draped comic book namesake. But persistence always pays off. Suraj and the notorious Gritsy boys finally locked Joker down for a Houston date.
Now the city infamously known for purple drank and passionate for dubstep parties is only one of four dates on Joker’s North American tour this spring. He touches down this Saturday, April 10th, at newcomer venue Wired Live (2000 Bell Street, 77003) to play alongside MC Nomad. Tickets are $20 for 18+ and $10 for 21+ before 11 p.m. with a Facebook RSVP. Doors open at 9 p.m. Purple attire and earplugs are highly recommended.
Most of you are gearing up for lots of green beer. Some of us are packing up for SXSW cheer!
If you’re staying near and feeling a wee bit of the luck of the Irish, our new friends over at Houston Blog Blog can help you find a pot of gold (or a pint of black n’ tan) amid all the local sudsy festivities.
Otherwise, head to the Hill Country as the music portion of Austin’s most coveted conference starts on St. Patrick’s day. And what a better way to kick it off than with some Down Souf leprechauns.
The beats are kickin. The bass is thump, thump, thumpin.
Your toes are tappin. The tempo starts to travel from your toes, up your leg and through your body.
Your heart is pumpin just a bit faster than the cut that’s playin right now. But all you hear is the next one cued up in your headphones.
You look up for a sec…yep…they’re still dancin. Now you’re starting to feel their heat. A beam of light shines in your eyes. The disco ball showers the dance floor with color.
OK, focus…
Levels? Check!
Beats are on…
Timin’s right…
All right, here we go…
When it comes to DJing, Austin’s DJ Mel always maintains that next level. His eclectic musical taste blends well with his masterful mixing. This DJ innovator pulls out classic gems and current tracks for awe-inspiring mixes each and every time. He programs sets from a vast collection of history’s recorded dance music. Plus, it helps when you’ve been Waterloo Record’s perennial music buyer for years.
Mel’s broad criss-crossing knowledge of music genres coupled with an unbelievable dexterity behind the decks has earned him numerous credits–Lollapalooza’s stage manager (2008), Scion “Free Your Mix” Finalist (2004) and Austin’s “Best DJ” four-times over!
But, I personally consider DJ Mel a “DJ’s DJ.” He happens to be one of my top favorite DJs of all time and, I’ll even admit, a source of inspiration for my threading musical taste in my DJ journey. But I’m not gonna discount that he still makes me shake my ass pon de floor.
Mel made his debut at The Lot (4212 Washington, 77007) with us last month in the H. It was one of the coldest weekends in Houston, but he brought some heat with him and set shit on fire. The response was tremendous!
So, I’m happy to announce that he’s back this month to DIRB! with us again! This Saturday, February 6th, get there early because traffic on Washington Ave. gets pretty heavy after 10 p.m. Parking can be spotty, but there’s valet available right out front of the Lot. There’s no cover and drink specials include our favorite Texas beer: Lone Star tall boys. I’ll be on deck to warm it up before Mel, but save me a spot on that dance floor as soon as he’s on!
Now, if that ain’t enough to get you out to see this man live in 3-D this Saturday night, push play on the video link to see what you missed last month. Or just download DJ Mel’s mixes and remixes at www.smellyone.blogspot.com.
Now if you never been to Texas, there's a picture to paint./Cause we Doin' It Real Big, in case you thinking we ain't ...--Bun B of UGK
DustyCrates.com is the blog for DIRB!, a DJ collective and movement originating from Houston, Texas. Started in 2006, DIRB! is made up of Matt Sizzle, Gracie Chavez, Antonio, El Jeffe, Squincy Jones and SDF-One who all share varying tastes in dance music: club, electro, drum & bass, dubstep, hip hop, house, world beats, etc.
