DUSTY CRATES

After a few dance floor test runs (as seen in this video at The Lot on Washington), “El Dougie” is finally an official DIRB! release.

Check out Squincy Jones & Gracie Chavez’s cumbia crunk edit on SoundCloud. It got a  proper debut last week on KPFT’s airwaves during Tuesdays’ Son Pacifica Radio show, and has been making its way onto a few blogs and mixes.

In case you missed it, grab your El Dougie copy (main, inst, art) here now! Color in the artwork for a prize. Enter submissions to dirbtx [at] gmail.

CSD – El Dougie (Squincy Jones & Gracie Chavez DIRB! Edit) by graciechavez
CSD – El Dougie (Squincy Jones & Gracie Chavez DIRB! Edit) Instrumental by graciechavez

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

After a sensational DIRBversary! at The Lot last weekend, we are gearing up for another gigantic night with DJ Platurn this coming Saturday, March 12. The self-described “real-deal hip hop DJ who rocks the party the original way” just needs two turntables and a mixer to pull-off some classic DJing with top-notch selections and skills to back it up.

The Icelandic jock by way of the Bay is on a quick tour of the Texas region courtesy of all the SXSW festivities, but is making Houston his home-base for the duration. Platurn recently joined DJ Sun for a 45 session at Onion Creek last Wednesday before heading out to Corpus Christi today, then back to Houston to rock the decks with us at DIRB! Saturdays at The Lot on Washington (4212 Washington, 77007). More DIRB! deets and RSVP here.

But here’s how he’s sized up his trip so far:

Dusty Crates: You still play vinyl 45s and you rock on Serato. Do you have a preference?
Platurn: No preference, but 45s will always have a special place. You gotta know how to rock it with whatever format presented, be it analog or digital.

DC: Looks like you’re on a mini-Texas tour at the moment (hope your tall-ass is going first-class on that Greyhound). Where have you been and where are you going next?
Platurn: New Orleans, Mississippi, Houston, Corpus Christi & Austin. Lovin’ the South!

DC: If you could choose a song that represent each city/night you’ve been to since arrived, what would those be?
Platurn: Trip can be summed up in 3 songs so far:

1. Professor Longhair-Big Chief
2. Outkast-Spottieottiedopalicious
3. Archie Bell & The Drells-Tighten Up

DC: Who’s got better Mexican food: Texas or Cali? Don’t answer that! We awwready know.
Platurn: Pretty sure Texas whoops Cali’s ass, but I think it’s safe to say we place in the top 3. Can’t fux with our produce yo!

Keep It Rockin’
If you can’t make it out to see him this week, you still have one more chance. After all the Austin gigs, Platurn will be back for Rock Steady’s Bay Area Invasion on Monday, March 21, with OM’s J.Boogie and DJ Sun again.

Check out more of Platurn’s sound here.
Love & Hate (TRUE Clothing Mix) by platurn

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.

It’s that time again, mi gente! Our monthly pachanga, Bombón, is in full swing again!

So bring your güiros, maracas, cowbell or anything else you wanna shake tonight at Avant Garden (411 Westheimer, 77006). DJs Navo, OG Bobby Trill and yours truly (Gracie Chavez) will keep you moving, so step your cumbia game up! DJ/MC Bobby will lead the “grito” contest–aye, aye, ayeeee!

While we get our hustle-on, peep out Houston’s own Panchitron, who’s raverton tracks were recently featured online.

Panchitron-Everyday by Panchitron

RSVP for Bombón – Houston (www.facebook.com/BombonHouston) now and check back for updates and upcoming events every First Friday!

A couple of weeks ago, we are embarked on a showcase of new sounds in H-town with BOMBON. The takeaway: people have been waiting too long for this kind of night in Houston!

As cumbia is gaining momentum worldwide, it’s exciting to see how this folkloric tradition has been given so many new mezclas and treatments. The future of South American-inspired electronic riddim has no shortage of color or creativity.

MICHEL CLEIS – LA MEZCLA (ROBB G REMIX) by ROBB G

In the coming months, you’ll hear a collection of fresh uptempo melodies and bass-heavy beats that make up a variety of “Cumbiatron.” From Cumbia, Bajo Tropical, Salsa, Latin Beats, Baile Funk, Reggaeton, Moombahton, y Mezclas AfroLatinos, we have banded together to bring you this full-on Latino experience, without a need for a passport.

To see where the next sound of the Americas is headed next, mark your calendars para saborear BOMBON each month with yours truly, Gracie Chávez, plus DJs Navó, OG Bobby Trill and Tonio.

Starting January 7, 2011 and every first Friday of the month, centrally located Avant Garden (411 Westheimer, 77006) is hosting our first in a series of Latin parties full of irrepressible music, live instrumentation, cinematic loops, spirited libations and excessive dancing!  Now, why would you want to miss the next one?

¡Entonces, ponte los zapatos pa la pachanga!