DUSTY CRATES

A couple of weeks ago, the We Get Famous blog team stepped into The Lot and did it real big with us.

Check out their review of our DIRB! Saturday nights at The Lot on Washington (4212 Washington, 77007)!

This Saturday night (05/14), DJs Dayta and Gracie Chavez will be on deck. And next month, we’ve got very special guest DJ Mel returning to DIRB! with us, too!

Check for updates and RSVP here: DIRB! Saturdays

Doin It Real BIG
About two years ago, or thereabouts as the story goes, DIRB! descended on Washington Ave.

Nowhere near as epic as the history behind Washington on the Brazos, the DIRB! crew of Texas DJs–Gracie Chavez, Squincy Jones, Antonio, Dayta and Jep to name a few–came to take over at least part of the now popular bar and nightlife strip in Houston. And while we almost retreated and then lost a few good DJs along the way, we managed to keep DIRB! (Doin It Real Big! for those not indoctrinated) each and ever Saturday night at The Lot on Washington since.

Sabado Gigante
And although we ain’t quite two yet, this Saturday night, March 5th,  we’re doing it extra LARGE for our DIRBversary! at The Lot (4212 Washington, 77007) with yours truly, Gracie Chavez, Squincy Jones and Dayta. We even recruited our dude Shaun from Caught in Customs to press up some fresh DIRB! shirts to giveaway for this special soiree. So get there early to cop you one! There’s never a cover, and it’s always 21 and up.

¡Gracias!
We want to give thanks to the staff at The Lot for taking a chance a bunch of DJs with wild styles, out-of-the norm tastes (mostly for drinks) and a need to showoff our moves (lookin right at you, Dayta)!  Thanks goes especially to Sunshine, Jeff, Cam, Jay Dub, Kat, Eric, Big T, Edgar, plus all the lovely bartenders that quench our thirsts and the security dudes that protect us from bad requests after 1am.

And thanks to the aforementioned DJs (past and present) that gave this pseudo ice house a spin to help it achieve it’s lofty regular club-going aspirations, including DJ Mel, Witnes, Good Grief, DJ Raize, Empanadamn (XXL thanks for the flyers, dude), El Roy Boogie, OG Bobby Trill, G.Wizz, Cashless, Nonsense, Leo, Sizzle, cameos by Karina Nista and Wine-O, and last but not least, the infamous Go Go Garcia.

The DIRB! fam raises a Lone Star can up to you, our Texas-friendly friends! Let’s DIRB! this Saturday awwready!

FB RSVP at our DIRBversary! event page.

*Sniff, sniff*

I may not have tickets to see the sold-out Phoenix show tonight, but this HOB Klever-Sober-Dayta-Roy show should make up for it!

Bring your Phoenix ticket stubs and get in FREE!

FB RSVP for more info.

Download

Klever mix-tapes

If I had this Saturday night off, I’d be off to see ATX’s Nick Nack at Top Notch HTX (Boondocks, 1417 Westheimer, 77006).

So who’s the DJ with the odd sing-songy name, you might ask?

Well, if you’ve browsed thru GigaCrate for music (see our widget –>), then chances are you know the man behind the Texas-based DJ-friendly digital download music site. And like most top-notch talent worthy enough to play out of town often, Nick Nack has been rockin it for quite some time, covering everything from golden-era hip hop and psych rock to more current dance/electro via performances (2000′s SXSW show with the late all-mighty Guru ain’t too bad) and a gang of mixes. Plus it helps when you also own your own record label, Crowd Control Records. Nick Nack is gearing up for an upcoming full-length CD/mp3 release, Dearly Departed, of original music and remixes any day now. The album’s first single, “Strangest Secret,” is available on limited 7-inch vinyl.

Here at Dusty Crates, we can admire that ability to turn the drop in vinyl use in the DJ game (more on that later) and parlay that into a new opportunity–it’s precisely why this blog was initially established as a shared ftp site for digital music in ’06.

But digital downloads and tool use aside, I’m just down for a DJ that makes me work up the dance floor. However, this Saturday, April 24, I won’t be able to make it; but perhaps you will, and I hope to get a full report from the floor as DJ Nick Nack joins them two, Sober and Dayta, and El Roy Boogie for the usual mayhem.

Meanwhile, Squincy & yours truly are cueing up requests and workin up The Lot on Washington. So post up your Tweets or send me a postcard from Top Notch with, “Wish you were here. <3 Nick Nack”

Download, Buy or Listen

>> Nick Nack’s Mixes

>> Nick Nack’s Soundcloud

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!

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!!

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

Free Birding it tonight at Boondocks (1417 Westheimer, 77006) tonight.

It’s gettin’ festive tonight, ho! Let’s go!