SDF-one in his element. Photo by Jessie Weber

UPDATE: It took a minute, but I finally pieced this monumental night together thru photos and actual accounts. I unfortunately got there late and missed Joker entirely. But from the looks of it, a lot of people should be able to fill in more of the gaps and help me experience the sounds radiating from the stack of rumbling subwoofers vicariously.

Here are a few quotes and flicks from the Houston Beats and FB Joker/Gritsy recaps:

That had to be one of the best top 5 nights of my whole freaking LIFE! My entire body still hurts from dancing. Absolutely unbelievable! Thanks again to all the Gritsy family for bringing it proper. You guys are ridiculous! — HB

Ohmydays! big up gritsy for bringin that UK grime to Houston…now, i dont wanna sound greedy..but who’s next? big sets all around tonight and joker put the show to rest! — FB

Joker & MC Nomad on deck.

Purple H City!

OE and Drank was flowin'.

Gilbert feelin top notch!

There were too many great photos to post. But you can see more photos here, thanks to Jessie Weber. Other photos here. If you got ‘em, feel free to toss me more links to photos in the comments area below.

Noted! I’m not gonna miss it either, that’s for damned sure, and neither should you.

Gritsy DJs Live, Pt. 1,2,3 – 4/10/10 (mp3)

Gracie, Dayta, Morsy and DJ Sun huddled up. Photo by Article

A major cold front overcast a lot of SXSW plans on for many Saturday. After layering up as much as possible, we headed out to see if we could weather the last SXSW day/night.

The first stop was Levi’s Fader Fort. Once you braved the cold, long line to get in, Levi’s had the right idea by setting up a retail area right as you step in. This is where most Fader Fort guests snapped up whatever was left of long-sleeve T’s, hoodies and jackets just to stay warm.

Linked with DJ Sun, Dayta and Morsy to catch the end of Salem’s lackadaisical performance, which was literally “booed”. I can’t say that out of all the shows I’ve attended, I’ve never seen an act get the proverbial rotten tomatoes cast at them. Ouch!

It was too cold to stay and watch Poirier’s DJ set outside so we warmed up to a bluegrass band inside the Fort.

I had Morsy photo bomb the poor lads!

Next up, it was Carnaville with Major Lazer. G.Wizz and I caught the end of “Pon de Floor” along with the thinning crowd. Not even a hot cup of chocolate could keep us there. Sorry Diplo and Switch! There were reports that the carnival eventually shut down early.

After grubbing at Cuba Libre and more photo bombing courtesy of G.Wizz, we moved on to Malverde for the highlight of my night: some git down funk, Latin and soul by none other than Chicken George. The spot was so bumpin, I didn’t wanna leave. But we also thought there was more left to see.

Later, we walked by the Vice party but the line was wrapped around the building. That nonsense got the big deuce! And so did the line at Beauty Bar down the street. Cover was $10 just to see Treasure Fingers at 1 a.m.

Finally, we caught the end of Rye Rye’s performance at the Billboard stage, had a Lone Star at some random bar at the end of 6th Street and called it a night before 2 a.m. This is pretty much what the night cap looked like…

When you're in Texas, do it like Texans do--DIRB!

Although this year’s SXSW seemed a bit lack luster, here are a few of the Dusty Crates highlights:

Squincy ain't skurred of la Chupacabra.

Bobby def was.

HTX deep!

Finally, a nice shot!

See more Dusty Crates SXSW 2010 photos.

And last but not least, Dave Wrangler wrapped it up best with this recap mix. You went the distance with this one, bro!

SXDW: The Unofficial Guide to SXSW 2010 (Soundcloud)– Dave Wrangler

Track Listing:
1. Sleigh Bells – Beach Girls
2. Theophilus London – Enjoy the Sun
3. Gorillaz – Stylo
4. The Hood Internet – Just-A-Friendomania
5. Little Boots – New In Town (Golden Filter Remix)
6. The Golden Filter – Hide Me
7. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
8. LCD Soundsystem – Too Much Love
9. The Gossip – Heavy Cross (Yuksek Remix)
10. La Roux – Quicksand (AutoKratz Drags to Riches Remix)
11. David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi – Memories (Armand Van Helden Remix)
12. The Juan Maclean – No Time (Shit Robot Remix)
13. Phoenix – 1901 (The Dirty Tees Remix)
14. Yeasayer – O.N.E. (XXXChange Remix)
15. Asher Roth – She Don’t Wanna Man (Yes Giantess Remix)
16. Gorillaz – Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)

Hope to see ya’ll  in Austin again next year!

Photo courtesy of Psyne for Mattsizzle

Last night (Friday) we rolled into Austin and set up the very first, official Dusty Crates showcase at Chupacabra Cantina (400 6th St, ATX). G.Wizz kicked it off with some rock and other choice selections before Squincy and I stepped up (literally). Did I mention that the DJ booth was set up for Godzilla?

Chupacabra was HTX deep with familiar faces in the crowd–shout out goes to Bjorn, Dessa, Denise and company, Bobby, Go Go Garcia, my boy Psyne (you’re a soldier!), sis Maggie and Keith for keeping the dance floor (and drinks) moving.

OKC’s Blake Ward and cohort Dylan stepped in for DJ Cat NYC, who was DJing over at the Vice Party. Meanwhile, G.Wizz and I stepped out on 6th for a bit and ran into the jazztronica man himself, DJ Chicken George, who hipped us to a screen printing session by The Hit and Run crew. Thanks for the t-shirts, dudes!

Back at Chupacabra, I got a surprise visit by Daniel Allen, my arch nemesis. Ha! He joined me on the decks for a little back and forth before closing it out.

Thanks to Reprogram, Marcus and Nikki at LegitArt Entertainment for making us feel so welcome. And a big nod goes to G.Wizz for coming thru with sound–as always. Photos up soon.

And did I mention: Squincy Jones just hates me.

Writing, posting and SXSWing makes for some serious multitasking. So, to make it easier just follow me at @djgraciechavez.

Finding the Blogger’s Lounge at Levi’s Fader Fort today made me feel like I wasn’t alone!

Thursday night I DJed the Magic VIP Nite at the museum. They set me up on the mezzanine overlooking the paleontology exhibit and it almost seemed like the dinos were gonna lean in to start making requests! And as it turns out, hanging with diplo was more fun than I thought.

I got to play a lot of rare cuts and set a vibe for the artsy, smartsy set. On my playlist was Mayer Hawthorne, Pretty Lights and Passion Pit–stuff I rarely get to play out. I did, however, have to dedicate “Crazy” for the old bat that insisted I turn it down. [Insert proverbial too loud/too old phrase].

Hoping for more good-time people, I’m sure my sets at HMNS’s Mixers and Elixirs this summer will be more lively and welcome.

It’s been a while since Witnes was back home and last night was a hellova visit! It almost felt like Rock Box all over again, but with better bathrooms (kinda). Even the Mathmatechs reunited for a split second.

At the start of the night, El Roy got all futuristic on us and Ustreamed the first two hours at Boondocks…

Dayta and Wit got it dancy and raised the roof! But Squincy pretty much recapped the rest of the night better than I could here. So I’ll just toss you over Awwready!

Thanks to primo Nonsense for some of the blurry flicks. LastNightPics has nothin on ‘em! Cheers to that!!

Austin’s Big Face couldn’t make this SDC pre-Valentine’s event last week, so G.Wizz and I stepped in to cover at the last minute. Get well soon, *smiley face.

Meanwhile, I’m not sure I can top Squincy’s Awwready rave review (sic), so I had to repost it hurr…

Hey look a rave

Last week I opened up for Drop the Lime and played a gnar gnar DARSHSTEP set. I was nervous as shit the whole week pretty much because I was supposed to play 2 gigs that night, DTL & Gritsy, but ended up not playing Gritsy due to time constraints. =/ Heres a couple flicks from the portyyyyy. (Flicks by Mad Bass & Steven Sartini)

Here’s a bit of the hair of the dog that bit ya last weekend.

With so many Valentine’s-themed mixes to choose from, it felt like standing in front of the condom aisle wondering which was gonna get the job done.

I rounded up five mixes, so choose a flavor to get you in the mood. Or try them all–just be sure to also pick up Alka-Seltzer for that love hangover in the monin‘!

1) The Motel Mix 2: For the Ladies – DJ Mel (aka Mel Caravicci) [mediafire]
A nice segue from our last post, this smooth transition is brought to you by none other than our dude in Austin, DJ Mel.

It’s been a minute and since it’s that Valentines time of year, I’m breaking you off another volume of THE MOTEL MIX. This time around, the focus is on the ladies and female R&B groups.

Get the track listing at www.smellyone.blogspot.com.

2) VDAY Mix – DJ A-One [mediafire]
Double-whammy! Also coming off an All-Star weekend high, Dallas’ DJ A-One found time to drop this joint. Find out how insane it got at www.djaone.blogspot.com.

3) #CHNS2DSD – Bobby Trill [zshare]
This one hails from our boy Bobby Trill in S.A. He’s been rampin’ up on them Twitter hash tags and this is the pantie-droppin’ outcum. Squincy Jones pimped it on his blog Awwready:

This mix hops around genres with dope cuts and blends while staying on that luvy dubby tip.

4) Cowboys & Girls, Vol. 1 – Ace Boon Coon & B*Luxe [mediafire]
B*Luxe dropped this hot one on me via email. Now that he’s back in the H, B*’s ready to ro-de-oh with pahtnah Ace BoonCoon! Check ‘em out at www.cushcushco.com.

5) LuvStep – Dirty South Joe & Flufftronix [direct]
With dude-step now synonymous with dubstep, it’s a huge relief to hear that Dirty South Joe & Flufftronix exposed a softer, more feminine side thru LuvStep. No half-steppin’, this podcast mix made me wonder why I didn’t think of it first (thanks, SDF-One ;P)! Mami likes!!

We live in a cynical world, and we work in a business of tough competitors, so what’s in a wobble? You don’t have to be a smart man to know what love is. LUVSTEP completes you and is programmed for pleasure. It’s music for starry nights and candle light…slow wine and grind time. Dirty South Joe and Flufftronix are your captains for this maiden voyage into the heart of the boom’s cosmic bosom. It’s amazing, the love inside. You take it with you.

Peep the track listing and more on Mad Decent.

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.

DJ Mel Mixes

• DJ Mel – The Motel Mix
• DJ Mel – The Funky Terrier.
• DJ Mel – Live @ Nasty’s – 06.11.07.
• DJ Mel – Live On East Village Radio – 11.17.06.

For more details, RSVP: DJ MEL at The Lot, Feb 2010 (Facebook)

Welp, this is the last day of the year, and the last December for the decade. What have you done that’s so important in the last ten years?

If you’re still thinking, maybe you should get back on track and join us for NYE at YAO’s Restaurant & Bar Downtown (1201 Main St., 77002). Dayta, Chris Miguel and yours truly will be Doin It Even Bigger as we recap the last decade, or two, of some of the best music you didn’t get to download on Napster when you should’ve.

We’ll be ringing in the new year with a traditional champagne toast (perhaps even the “Auld Lang Sine” mainstay ditty) and jammin’ the decade away from 9pm to 2am. There’s no cover and you gotta be 21+. Check the sideline flier —> for more info.

To reserve a table, email livingroomhouston@gmail.com and let them know you wanna DIRB! thru 2011!

That’s a good re-start, right?!

While I feverishly work out my top ten list as I go thru my music for tomorrow, here are a couple you should check out:

Top Ten Songs of the Decade according to…

ACCORDING TO…
PITCHFORK
ROLLING STONE