The fact that Washington, DC now boasts a seven day a week underground party scene is fairly amazing, all things considered. For the numerous taunts and teases the city receives, from being a city of transient non neighbors, to that of being so polarized along racial and socio-economic lines that unity of any sort, on much of anything is virtually impossible, DC’s ability to persevere, namely in the DIY dance and electronic music community is commendable. Friday’s Blisspop Summer Extravaganza event at 9:30 Club wasn’t even so much a celebration of the talents of the DJs, so much as it was a notification of acceptance of our city on a national and international landscape. Nadastrom and Tittsworth, the closers, are INTERNATIONAL superstars these days that get namedropped in the same breath as globetrotting party starters du jour like Diplo, Steve Aoki, Rusko and so on, and so forth. It must be noted that in the mind of this author that it seems as though every time Nadastrom or Tittsworth comes back to the DMV after an extended absence, namely at a Blisspop party, the crowds are larger, louder and more knowledgeable of not just the music of the headlines, but of the culture in general, and that’s nothing but a positive. Will Eastman, a cultural curator of sorts of the Capital City, does well at these parties to support our “superstars,” while at the same time surrounding them with our city’s top stalwarts and rising talents as well, which was more than apparent as Dmerit, with their funky French electro, Bobby Jae and Ken Lazee’s populist mixing, and Eastman’s stellar ear as a selector proving that DC is not just a two horse city.

Miniature water pistols? What's a dance party without a parcel of water pistols?
Photo credit Max "max_imus" Freed (http://www.twitter.com/max_imus)

What's a birthday without a candy filled Little Mermaid pinata to hang?
Photo credit Max "max_imus" Freed (http://www.twitter.com/max_imus)

If DC is going to make any waves on the national forefront, it will be due in large part to crafting an identity, or giving the nation a sense of what DC parties are all about. This is where DC’s transient and cold nature comes in, as, if you read the Washington City Paper, we abuse lots of drugs and alcohol, which says nothing about really having a good time, unless, well, that’s your bag. Blisspop reflected a great DC party angle, that of ribald and outlandish debauchery, as, between Dave Nada and Will Eastman, and a great number of other local DJs, there’s a strong indy and punk rock background, which lends itself well to the type of anarchy loosed upon the event.

You had Dave Nada dancing while swaddled in a DC flag while throwing down Nadastrom’s Beatport #1 single, the Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life” sampling “Pussy.” Then, there were all manner of soccer scarves, ketchup, or pickle juice or mayonnaise filled condoms, as well, there were pocket water pistols filled with water spraying the throng, and the coup de grace, in celebration of Dave Nada’s birthday, a pinata, filled with candy, that Nada savaged like a madman with a stick, a moment certain to be frozen in this observer’s memory for quite some time.

Will Eastman with pickle juice filled condom as Tittsworth murks the DC faithful.
Photo credit Max "max_imus" Freed (http://www.twitter.com/max_imus)

Dave Nada with soccer scarf.
Photo credit Max "max_imus" Freed (http://www.twitter.com/max_imus)

Musically, what can I say. Dmerit, Bobby Jae and Ken Lazee played the role of able openers, a difficult one in the DJ world, as you just can’t throw down hard, rattling basslines or 140 BPM manic jams, but you’re playing solidly, rubbing the sticks to start the flame, Dmerit really showing tons of promise, Micah Vellian heavily involved as a producer for Will Eastman’s debut solo effort and the work of himself and Output Message definitely worth a listen. Bobby Jae and Ken Lazee got busy and even threw in Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” for good measure in one of those congruous incongruity moments that we can thank Girl Talk for. Will Eastman’s Ruby Isle “So Damn High” remix is always a winner (director Kylos who provides Blisspop’s fetching visual backdrops promises a complete video VERY soon), and he, from a technical standpoint was really on point to be point of being phenomenal on Friday night.

And the closers. I tend to believe that Dave Nada, Matt Nordstrom and Jesse Tittsworth turn in the kind of performances they turned in in DC on a fairly regular basis. That’s what makes them who they are in the dance universe. Making the commonplace memorable is the type of thing that a chain restaurant strives to do in their credo when they serve you spaghetti and meatballs. The energetic, musical firebrand, crowd murking, wall rattling raucous mania associated with Nadastrom and Tittsworth, when accepted as commonplace, makes memories that if commonplace, you’re either living life quite well at the edge of a lighting bolt, or completely nuts. There’s a love of music apparent in the productions crafted by both performers. There’s a joy of being DJs, of having no real limits, of being able to use wobbling, drunken dubstep basslines that can wake the dead, of sampling just about anything and with some deft turns of talent making it INTENSELY musical, or having at your fingers the world of music, and in Tittsworth’s case dropping Drake and Trey Songz’s collaboration from Drizzy’s So Far Gone mixtape “Successful” as a soulful, melodic and even ponderous dance break in the midst of his three hour piledriving powerslam of music.

At the end of the day, Blisspop didn’t reinvent the wheel. Even better, if you’re full of hate for the entire hipster, DJ adoring community, it probably didn’t rate as important on your radar. But, if you’re a lover of music, and a believer in it’s power to producer such positive concepts as love, peace, happiness and unity, then this was a celebration of that. We’re all broke, we’re all struggling, and, let’s face it, times just ain’t right. Friday night, a slew of uber talented made things a little bit better. And that’s wonderful.

Kudos.

Missing mid 90s moody female singer songwriter lyricism and want it now with an updated hip hop feel or a very jazzy flavor? Well look no further than Miz Metro, the 22 year old New York native whose debut album, Unlimited drops on July 8th. Metro has six years in the game, and with an incredibly diverse background that includes working with Santigold, time spent as a VJ, party host, blogger and television personality and an upbringing by four parents all in the entertainment business, her debut presents an artist with tremendous poise and a clear vision of her career in the future. Think of the point where Fiona Apple meets Lauryn Hill, with Nellie McKay’s adorable flippancy and Lily Allen’s pop sensibilities, backed by a seven piece jazz ensemble with poppy R & B motivations, and you have the industry veteran. At only the tender age of 22, Metro is poised to be at the forefront of the new class of do it all chanteuses in the 21st century.

I had the opportunity this week to chat with the terrifically composed and self-assured Miz Metro about her background, the Unlimited album, holding down a 4.0 GPA at SUNY Purchase, meeting Perez Hilton and his love of lead single “Trashion,” our shared love of Etta James, hopeful future collaborations, and so much more.

DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW HERE

For a chance to hear the debut album in full, check http://www.imeem.com/mizmetro, and for more info on Miz Metro herself, check http://www.myspace.com/mizmetro!

Enjoy, as it’s really an entertaining look into a new artist certain to succeed.

So I’m not gonna lie, I came into this concert not knowing what to expect. I’ve never heard of the bug, but I was going to give him props anyway because his latest release, titled London Zoo, dropped on the venerable NinjaTune Label, home of such acts as the Herbalizer and Roots Manuva.

Little did I know that The Bug has had a long history in the UK electronic, dubstep and grindcore movements, dropping his first album as Techno Animal way back in 1991. With a legacy so deep, its no matter that a huge crowd packed Montreal’s Club Soda for the Thursday night show.

First thing I noticed from this concert off the bat is that its LOUD. Kevin Martin’s reliance on bass heavy riddims created a thumbing rumble that could almost be heard across the street (seriously). If you didn’t like the sound (complete with blinding floor level strobe lights), too bad. The more  people flinched, the louder he would turn up the music.

But like most DJs, The Bug is only there to spin records. He lets MC Flow Dan and ragga artist Daddy Freddy do the heavy lifting of entertaining the crowd.

Flow Dan took the reigns as the dubstep MC, competently dropping mad rhymes over heavy (yet accessible) dubstep instrumentals. The combination should’ve KILLED the crowd, (which are some of the best and most appreciative that I’ve seen in a while) but Flow Dan’s complete lack of stage presence dampened the mood and completely killed any vibe that the tracks were bringing.

Daddy Freddy, however, was the complete opposite. The dude already held the title of World’s Fastest Rapper, the the energy that he brought into the room did not go unnoticed by the crowd. The quick rhyming over instrumentals that I can only call neo-dub were straight up out of this world.

Having that said, the sensory overload took its toll and I retreated to the back with my new friends and took in the whole show from a decent decibel rating. Taking in the show from a completely different perspective, I was able to take in the sheer voracity of the entertainment below me. I’ve realized that the The Bug  has done what most artists have failed to do–seamlessly integrated Caribbean culture into his set. Unlike some projects that felt forced, the MCs on stage were completely natural and the pace at which they kept with the beat (which never seemed do dip below 100bpm) needs to be rewarded.

The Bug  was a welcome edition to my trip to Montreal. If the Jazz Festival thumps as hard as it did last night (and I know it will) then it’s going to be a great weekend.

Download: DJ Underdog - Africa Plays On

If you don’t know, the monthly Afrobeat party BLACK Light Special put on by my homegirl every last Friday in DC is the LOOK. The party, which combines African rhythums with some Latin and Brasilain on the side, is one of the best times I’ve had in DC in a while and has grown exponentially. The key to the outing, however, is DJ Underdog, a vernable DC name, who leaves the Serato and iPods at home in favor of spinning old school vinyl.

Africa Plays On, the new mixtape from Underdog tries to contain the hotness of this night into one mixtape. It’s a real good look and thankfully part of a monthly series.

Maestro Knows - Tour Edition (Episode 5) from Maestro Knows on Vimeo.

So if you didn’t know from the Twitter, I’m heading out to Montreal this weekend to cover the 30th annual Montreal Jazz Festival. Last year I had the opportunity to hang out with Chuck D and Flava Flav of Public Enemy and discovered some new and upcoming talent. This year, I’m checking out Joshua Redman, Thunderheist, Wale, Esmeralda Spaulding, and Femi Kuti among others. Look for more photo diaries and video interviews too. While I’m in MTL, I’m definitely going to peep the latest in streetwear and culture as well.

Montreal readers, hit a brotha up at articleonline [at] gmail [dot] com or @couchsessions on Twitter.

Check out Last Year’s Coverage Here

We’ve been following Baltimore artist Rye Rye for a hot minute now and I’m glad to hear that she’s FINALLY put out a video for her track “Bang,” which has been making waves on the club circuit. The vid, directed by Mrs. Maya herself, has that grainy, gritty B-More quality we come to expect from the Charm City. Will this track make waves in the mainstream? I hope so.

Nacey (l.) and Steve Starks. The most potent DC connection since Doug Williams to Ricky Sanders. Photo by Sexy Fitsum/iLLIMETER - http://illimeter.com

Nacey - Lose Your Love

What DC has known for awhile now is that Columbia, MD natives and friends since high school Nacey and Steve Starks, two-thirds of the Nouveau Riche triumvirate with Gavin Holland, are two of the most underrated DJs and producers in the country. The reason why the rest of the country didn’t know, is, well, Nacey and Steve Starks are also two of the most humble DJs and producers in the country, opting to let their mixing and skill speak louder than their marketing and voice. However, with a less than inspiring Winter Music Confernence spurring on the talented duo to replace thir humility with quiet confidence, Starks and Nacey have rolled out the most consistently solid remixes of the year, Nacey gaining the big prizes from Mad Decent and Discobelle, along with tracks rapped over by former Yo Majesty! rapper Shunda K, and Starks quietly honing his craft, a musical viper waiting for the right time to attack. Amd that right time was this past Tuesday, as the duo released their debut EP, a six song compilation of completely original tracks and reworkings of popular tunes as well, a clear shot to DJs everywhere that the duo are forces to be reckoned with.

Nacey’s three songs reflect his diverse interests, with a particular investment n his love of Southern bass and appreciation of an upbringing saturated in Bmore club. The EP kicks off with “Lose Your Love,” where Nacey deftly handles one of the most emphatic disco breaks of all time from the extended mix of The Emotions’ “Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love,” where the sisters sing the title as chorus over horn stabs, and with the aid of the break from “Doo Dew Brown,” and ambient noise, creates a perfect track that doubles as the perfect breakdown at the height of a Bmore club specific set, or to jazz up any disco mix. It’s a hit for sure, and I FULLY expect to see it showing up all over the place this summer. “Money on the Dressa” turns a sample of Bun B’s iconic voice from “International Playa’s Anthem” into a gangstafied house banger, replete with samples of a shotgun loading and shooting, squealing car tires and violin strings over a futuristic and hollow breakbeat, creating the perfect soundtrack if Major Lazer wasn’t a Jamaican freedom fighter but a Dolemite clone. “Work For This” may be the most sonically lush and mentally stimulating of the three tracks he delivers on the EP, taking what sounds like a sexed out Trina sample and creating a classic house jam, lush Arabian horns mixing with jazz horns over a syncopated bassline to create a sexy, sexy, sexy club heater that is certain to get the ladies moving seductively on the dancefloor.

Steve Starks on the other hand is similar, but with his deep house and funk explorations is a different DJ entirely. “So Sexy,” his first EP track, plays as an homage to Green Velvet (i.e. Cajmere of “Percolator” fame’s later project), all distinct spoken word vocals, deep synthy basslines and tinny hi hats with congo drums, it’s a classic deep house track, a retro fit for these most interesting times. “You Don’t Want None” follows next, a far more bass heavy and big sounding Bmore club exploration than Nacey’s smooth as silk “Lose Your Love,” it sounds like a Brick Bandits type club cut, the enormous filling sound mirroring what Philly has done with the early 2000s work of Debonair Samir and others. He closes his section and the EP itself with his most accessible for the current sonic atmosphere track, “Don’t Let Me Go” (Dub Mix f/ Manulita) featuring samples of heavy and orgasmic breathing, it’s a very dubbed out mix of a classic sexy club jam, and certain to be a necessity in the Serato boxes of any DJ looking to create the perfect mood as nightcapper to a night of playing nerve pounding wobbly basslines.

The EP is clearly aimed at creating noise and being relevant to the current set of producers and DJs presently making noise in the mainstream. At the same time though, neither Nacey nor Steve abandon what stylistically brought them to the forefront, instead weaving it into a set of tracks that are certain to continue the trend of DC infiltrating the club music mainstream.

DOWNLOAD EP HERE

If you didn’t know, Will Eastman is one the DMV’s most prolific DJs. The name is in your consciousness, because Eastman has been on his grind in the city for a hot minute, opening for such acts as Moby and MSTRKRFT. This FRIDAY marks the annual Blisspop EXTRAGAGANZA this FRIDAY with Tittsworth, Nadastrom, Dmerit, and SPECIAL GUESTS. Check him at Blisspop.com or @willeastman on Twitter. Buy tickets here.

So yeah man, you’ve been in the game for a while, doing indie rock and such, how did you get started DJing??

I played in bands and spun music at house parties in high school, did college radio, etc. but didn’t really step behind the decks until grad school when I started hosting parties with bands and DJs at the old Black Cat. The notion was to pair like-minded bands and DJs. I picked up DJing duties and quickly fell in love with it. Since 2007, I’ve been a full-time DJ.

Are you a vinyl or Serato man? And why?

I use Serato because it’s the closest you can get to playing with vinyl and still having 10,000 tracks at your finger tips.

You started Blisspop over 5 years ago, and it’s become one of the mainstays on the DC party scene. What was the idea behind that party? How has it evolved?

The basic notion behind Bliss is a no-attitude, no velvet rope party that merges DIY punk spirit with dance music. The musical format has changed over time as my own tastes and abilities as a DJ have evolved. The party has a free-form format and it’s not uncommon to hear house, hip-hop, indie, and classic punk in a night.

What was it like to open up for Moby??

He’s an incredible artist. I mean, Play alone. It revolutionized dance music. He has tremendous presence. He played hard and deep, as one would expect from someone with as much experience, but he also played a really “now” set, not resting on his laurels. I admire that alot. Frankly, I didn’t expect my set to go over as well as it did warming up for him, but I’m thrilled it did. People still come up to me and say “Aren’t you the guy who opened for Moby?” During his set the power went out and we ended up banging on beer kegs and plastic garbage cans on stage for about 15 minutes. It was surreal. There’s a video of it on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8eQw1yDoUE)

What do you think about the DC DJ Scene in General?

There are a lot of really live events happening now, and, more important, a lot of DJs are getting into the production game and doing it well. It’s a welcomed trend and I see it blossoming further next year.

What is your favorite spot to play in DC?

9:30 Club has one of the best sound systems in the county. I’ve been fortunate to play some really fun Blisspop parties there with Tittsworth, Nadastrom and a ton of others and great shows with the Ting Tings, Ghostland Observatory, etc. The Black Cat back stage is always fun and I like that you’re so close to the floor and you get a real feeling of connection to the crowd.

So I know you’re stepping your production game up this year. Can you share with us what you’re doing with Baltimore’s TT The Artist and the DMV’s Helix Queen? Also, I hear that you’re working on an album soon?

Yes, I started working on the album last winter with Micah Vellian from Dmerit. A single, “Feelin” is coming out in September on Plant Music with remixes by Tittsworth, Nadastrom, and Dmerit. I hope to release that and at least one more single before the end of the year, and the album will drop when it’s ready. There’s an electropop/Hip-Hop track with Helix Queen and T.T. the Arti$t called “If U Like” and a funk/house song, “No Sleep In Brooklyn” that T.T. raps lead on. We debuted those songs live last week opening for Thunderheist and are doing them again this Friday at 9:30 Club for the DC Summer Extravaganza. T.T. and Helix are on point and it’s great fun working with them in the studio and on stage. I’m also currently working on a remix for Outputmessage.

We all know that last year’s Blisspop Summer Extravaganza popped off real well. What surprises do you have in store for Blisspop this year?

If I told you, homey, they wouldn’t be a surprise! Hahahah, well I just mentioned one, which is the live vocal performances by Helix and T.T. Y’all have to come out to find out what else is up. It’s Dave Nada’s birthday so you know some crazy things are gonna happen.

If someone were coming to DC from, let’s say NYC, where would you tell them to go?

It depends on where their interests lie. If they’re cocktail fans, I’d tell them to go to The Gibson. If they like house music or reggae I’d tell them to go to ESL Sundays and Wednesdays respectively for Sam Burns and See-I. If they like records, I’d tell them to visit Neal at SOM Records and if they like wearing flip flops to clubs I’d tell them to go to Arlington and stay there.

And finally, what are the top 10 songs on your iPod right now??

Oh snap, I guess I can’t fudge it! According to my Top 50 Most Played automatic playlist:

1. Friendly Fires “Paris” (Aeroplane Remix Feat. Au Revoir Simone)
2. Wale “Sweating Out Weaves” (ft. UCB)
3. Van Morrison “Sweet Thing”
4. Major Lazer “Pon de Floor” (feat. VYBZ Kartel)
5. Catherine Wheel “The Nude”
6. Classixx “I’ll Get You” feat. Jeppe
7. Outputmessage “Resurface”
8. Ryan Adams “When The Stars Go Blue”
9. Little Boots “New In Town”
10. The Glass “Wanna Be Dancin” (Nadastrom Dub Edit)

There you have it. The iPod doesn’t lie.