Dusty Crates

DIRB! with Witnes

Does this man really need an introduction?

If you don’t catch Witnes at CAM’s Steel Lounge Underground on Friday, Do It Real BIG with us at Block Party (2420 Washington) this Saturday for his birthday and homecoming!

You won’t be sorry…

RSVP here and see event e-flyer in sideline –>

Rocks Off: Rock Box’s Final Night, 2008

SLFEMP mixtape – Witnes & Squincy Jones (mp3)

On an unusually cold Saturday night for Houston in February recently, Daniel Allen (Backseat Bingo, DNA, ATX) warmed up the Block 21 (2420 Washington) crowd with his mixed bag of heaters. The entire dancefloor was fuego by the time I jumped in to play along with him at midnight. We had such a good time, we had to have him back to join the rest of the DIRB! posse on the decks.

This Saturday, April 18, is the return of Daniel Allen as we team up again for another “Bonnie & Clyde” session at DIRB! Block Party! Plus DJ Pooks and guest rounds out the Howard Hughes Bar in the side room.

You can catch Daniel earlier on Friday night at The Roof in Midtown with G.Wizz and later on Sunday at Dean’s newest location in Montrose with Josiah Burke.

Right click and save Daniel’s live house mix:

Safehouse Podcast – Backseat Bingo Live at Barcelona (mp3)

COMING UP at DIRB! Block Party…
4/25 WITNES (Frank151, NYC)
5/02 Brotha Jibril (The Flat, Jaleo)
5/09 G.Wizz (Neon Nites, Fahrenheit-Media)
5/16 Kung Fu Pimp & Co. (Karma Houston)

DAVID DORANTES, LA VOZ, April 1, 2009, 10:38AM

Gracie Chávez asegura tajante que nació para ser DJ.

Desde la infancia, rememora, su padre le inculcó pasión por la música y cada domingo, tras las caricaturas de la televisión, le hacía escuchar su colección de discos de The Beatles.

Ahora, Chávez, de 36 años, es uno de los referentes de la vida nocturna en Houston por sus mezclas originales de ritmos electrónicos con brasileños y cumbias.

“Me hice DJ en 1998 porque mi esposo era DJ”, cuenta Chávez, quien es de Brownsville. “Salíamos, por su trabajo y, un día, él y sus amigos me animaron a que mezclara yo misma mi propia música y a que desarrollara mis propias ideas”.

En aquel tiempo, la ahora DJ era columnista de música en un periódico de Houston ya desaparecido, el Public News, según cuenta. Pero, afirma, para ella fue “fácil hacerlo”.

La DJ actúa en clubes como Boondocks, Block 21 o The Mink.

Chávez, hija de regiomontanos, dice que no le gusta definir su estilo y que prefiere estar alejada de etiquetas.

“Me gusta tocar un estilo de música electrónica que se llama club, y yo la mezclo con house, rap, funk (…), porque me gusta la música que tenga muchos sonidos de bajo profundo”, explica. “Y luego lo mezclo con música brasileña porque me gustan los ritmos exóticos”.

Pero uno de los grandes elementos artísticos que hacen a Chávez muy popular en Houston es su identificación con su herencia mexicana, algo que ella misma trata de mostrar en sus mezclas.

“He estado cerca de la música mexicana porque he hecho algunos remixes de cumbias y a la gente le ha gustado mucho”, dice Chávez.

“Creo que eso también me viene de influencia de mi papá porque a él le encantaba y yo desarrollé el gusto por oírlo a él”, reconoce la DJ.

By david.dorantes@chron.com.  Story published in Chron.com.

Hailing from Houston’s multicultural community tucked away just on the north side of downtown, dubstep innovators Heavy Heights is made up of the scene’s most notorious players. There’s Suma from Rebel Crew and Soular Grooves, then you’ve got BMC of Texas Dub and Purrin Lion, and to top it off you’ve got the voice and the creator of Rebel Crew, Joe B. Truth and Rights is their debut release which features local vocalists Gina and Karina Nistal, plus hints of Dunnock’s Ill Advisory.

Backed by local imprint Starlight Beats, Heavy Heights has created and assembled a collection of dub-infused hip hop that aim to put Houston on the map for yet another original sound. Peep their heavy duty tracks over at HoustonsMostHated.

The album release has been followed up with a healthy dose of Texas Dub events and live performances at SXSW 2009. This Saturday, April 4, Suma joins us at DIRB! Block Party (Block 21, 2420 Washington) to blend in his ecclectic break beats on the decks.

Houston’s Most Hated – BMC of Heavy Heights (mp3)

For more monsterous dubstep beats, go to GotDarker.com.

On Saturday we’ll also be celebrating a few birthdays–Antonio, Caitlin, Oanh, Tina, Squincy, Dru, Witnes–ya’ll know who you are! Aries/Taurus folks represent. More info on Witnes’ upcoming birthday party at DIRB! Block Party here.

Tonight with DIRB! DJ El Jeffe and in the Howard Hughes Bar with Thievery Corporation DJ El John.

Let’s do it real big tonight!

SATURDAY

See You Back at the Block Party

DIRB! Block Party

with

DIRB! DJs

Gracie Chavez & Antonio

plus

Guest DJs

Leonardo & Chris Miguel

Pop champagne! See y’all there.

BLOCK 21
2420 Washington, Houston
21+; No cover. Come as you are.
www.dustycrates.com

Next Up
03/07 Graice Chavez & Cashless + Howard Hughes Bar with DJ Pooks

03/14 DIRB! with Gracie Chavez, Antonio + El JEFFE

DIRB! sponsored by:
www. frank151. com
www. fahrenheit-media. com

Daniel & Gracie DIRB!

You see, you missed out on all the fun!

Finger-lickin good!

DIRB 'em up!

G.Wizzard power!

More photos here >>

DIRB! Block Party, part I – photos by Karma Houston

DIRB! Block Party, part II

DIRB! Block Party [02/21/09] – Photos by Amish

DNA is made up of Daniel Allen & Alex

Yep, we haven’t seen his mug in a while, but last month’s Houston’s Most Hated featured DJ is back on the scene. Daniel Allen (bka DJ DZ) was not only a fixture during the height of Houston’s drum & bass domination, but he also taught me the DJ basics. In the last few years, Daniel’s releases on several labels have given his work well-deserved notoriety. In fact, few of this bad boy’s remixes never leave my DJ crate.

Here’s his rap sheet:

Since buying a pair of old, belt drive turntables at a pawn shop in ‘89, Daniel Allen has run the spectrum of music–from 80’s to drum & bass to jackin house and pseudo-techno. As a DJ and producer, he’s all about the dance floor. Check for numerous releases and remixes on Revolutionary Music, Kolour Recordings, and Jackin’ the Box alongside Nathan Stewart under the name “BACKSEAT BINGO.” Also in cahoots with dj 0045, check for releases under “DNA” (Daniel and Alex) on labels such as Cobalt and Pure Trax. Check back for updates, as the release schedule is always updated…www.myspace.com/danielallen54

Daniel guest DJs with us at DIRB! Block Party (2420 Washington, Houston) this Saturday, February 21. DJ Pooks & guest hold down the Howard Hughes room.

Go ahead and grab some of Daniel’s tracks and remixes here:

Nathan Stewart – Everybody (DNA Moose Farm mix)

DJ Red and Josh Dupont – Killa Beatbox (DNA Redux)

DNA – Roadtrip

DNA – Touch

DNA – Touch (DJ Red and Josh Dupont’s Dont Touch Me mix)

DNA – The Love

Dna – Dont Stop

Dna – Touch (0045s Sloppy Seconds remix)

mad decent video podcast # 13 from Mad Decent on Vimeo.

For those of you not feelin so lovey, dovey, here’s a video treat ripped straight from the heart of the Mad Decent camp.

Tonight’s Friday the 13th–ahem–festivities kick off with The Return of Karma at La Strada and Lovers & Friends at Block 21.

FRIDAY

Karma comes back to get you!

www.myspace.com/karmahtown

xoxo, Squincy, Dayta, El Roy Boogie & Cashless

www.awwready.blogspot.com

SATURDAY

For the rest of you that have to endure Valentine’s Day,

join us on Saturday for…

It’s Not You…It’s Me.

ADMIT ONE:
DIRB! V-DAY BLOCK PARTY

with

GRACIE CHAVEZ
ANTONIO
CHRIS MIGUEL
+ Guest DJs

BLOCK 21 [2420 Washington, Houston]
21+; No cover for all you ballers on a budget!
Come as you are–single or double.
www.dustycrates.com

This weekend kicks off with a bit of a Ruff Cutt reunion at Boondocks. Fredster and Jeffe regularly “F” the Scene together but this Friday I’ll guest DJ along with them as “Gracie ChaFez.”

So come prepared to put it down on the flo. No requests. No filler. Just murdah! Now that’s bigger than DIRB!

And this Saturday night is our DIRB! Block Party at Block 21 (2420 Washington) with DJ Pooks in the Howard Hughes room. Pop champagne!

See y’all there.

Sponsored by:

www. dustycrates. com
www. frank151. com
www. fahrenheit-media. com
www. myspace. com/djfredster
www. myspace. com/graciechavez