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The Mad Decent Block Party on July 31st is the end of the hipster movement.

22 Jul
The Crowd Surfing Michael Vick Dog and Booty Obsessed Elmo,
maybe the two biggest names announced for the Mad Decent Block Party
If Michael Wadleigh were directing this story, the 3rd Annual Mad Decent Block Party on July 31st, the hipster generation’s last stand, would end the way Woodstock did. However, instead of Jimi Hendrix playing the “Star Spangled Banner,” it would be the self proclaimed “Philly Club King” and likely the movement’s closest performer on a level comparable to Hendrix, DJ Sega crushing his own remix of the national anthem in the same manner Jimi did, however, this one would be done behind the turntables, head nodding in time to the beat, blunt hanging askew out of the corner of his mouth, with the song that defines the nature and purpose of our nation being taken into avenues and corridors it likely never expected to reach. 
The hipster movement is dead. Just like the hippies before it, the most mainstream accessible and luckiest acts in the movement made it big, cashed out, and became superstars everyone could enjoy. As well, there are perpetual favorites too, the acts that everyone hopes make superstardom one day, because they’re entirely responsible for some of the best songs and defining moments that allowed the movement’s development. On July 31st, on a few blocks in Philadelphia, let’s all take a serious look at ourselves and a serious look at these performers. Let’s all hug each other, let’s all remember the times we shared, the moments we enjoyed, and what brought us together. Because it’s gone. It’s on the soundtrack to Jersey Shore. It’s the background music in video games. It’s number one on the Billboard charts, and it’s #1 on the President of the United States’ iPOD. These days, it’s certainly no longer the domain of the hearts and minds of awkward, creative, technologically enhanced and socially wandering misfits, but it’s the music that informs the world.
Let’s also give credit to Diplo. Much of what became the hipster movement we couldn’t have had without him. He co-opted, co-mingled, resurrected, invigorated, involved, mashed up and reheated many of the world’s most unique and disparate local trending melodies into international champion sounds. Bmore club, Baile funk, Dirty South crunk, Dubstep, and the list goes on and on. Smelly girls and boys with phenomenally terrible beards would never have a clue of who K.W. Griff, Scottie B, Blaqstarr, M.I.A., Rusko, the Paper Route Gangstaz, the entire Brick Bandits crew and so many more were without him and the Mad Decent imprint. From such humble beginnings with DJ Low Budget and the Hollertronix parties to the likelihood of rocking 20,000+ screaming EDM maniacs at the upcoming Electric Zoo Festival, the idea of seeing this man dropping legitimate sound bombs of musical delirium while hanging out on a South Philly street corner in front of a mausoleum was once expected, but is now incongruous with the level of the man’s fame and legend.
And ultimately, that is why this is the end. It is now time for the rest of the universe to become enraptured by what we held near and dear. This block party, complete with a relaxed social atmosphere, local families and bizarre interlopers mixing and sharing and being happy together without threat of crime, is an ideal universe. Hipsters, a culture of people largely defined by eschewing financial gain for personal satisfaction and a self-defined harmony, for a significant era lived and thrived in that ideal. However, the bottom fell out of the economy, mommy and daddy had to pull the purse strings, and in many cases, an entire generation remembered those college diplomas sitting on the wall collecting dust, and used them to *gasp* get jobs, be useful in a traditional sense, and hopefully use the ethos of their era to influence the direction of the next generation.
From Nadastrom to the Death Set, to the Brick Bandits to Paul Devro and Brendan Bring’em to those they directly influenced like Maluca, Po Po, Bosco Delray, and the mysterious Toadally Krossed Out, this is the end of yet another renaissance era. Let’s bask in it’s memory, and revel in its ultimate success.
JULY 31st. Philadelphia. 12th & Spring Garden. 2-8 PM.
FREE FOOD & DRINKS. ALL AGES FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.
If this movement defined you, raised you, and allowed you to truly discover and enrich your life, come join me and let’s celebrate.

We Never Leave the Club! – TGRI’s Quarterly Club Music Update…

18 Feb

Welcome to the first of many quarterly club music updates. Read, click links, but do enjoy the vast diversity that is Baltimore Club music.

The first quarter of 2010 has proven already to be very active in the club music world.

The Philly and Jersey based Brick Bandits crew have in the mind of this journalist produced the most intriguing and voluminous body of work this quarter. DJ’s Tameil (check the No Floors and Left Field mixes for some mind bending club excitement), Tim Dolla, Sega, and newcomer Nadus have spread the interests of the harder than hard bass loving crew to the absurdist limits of club music. Lady Gaga, Major Lazer, Toddla T, the Beastie Boys, and so on, and so forth, and the music just keeps on coming. Yes, they’re favoring an electro and house bent as well as of late, but to be a fan of club music in 2010 is like going back to the early days of Baltimore as well, where the vibrant house scene spawned so many legends who extended the sound in so many intriguing directions. The sheer volume of the work coming from this posse is quite outstanding and deserves commendation.

Hot off of the success of producing the remixes of Beyonce’s “Video Phone,” Unruly Records has laid forth their aggressive new plan to truly expand past having an influence just in the sphere of club music. King Tutt’s “Takeover,” which samples The Doors’ “Five to One” sample used in Jay-Z’s The Blueprint’s massive battle track against Nas has the bass that typifies club music, but as is the feel now for most of the city, warping electro trending synths dominate the landscape upon which the track is made. The involvement of electro in club music is certainly a nod to the dominance of the David Guetta and Dr. Luke productions dominating the pop charts, as club producers attempt to cash in on the mainstream’s turn to the underground for support.
Unruly’s DJ Class may be one of the more interesting cases as of late, as the “I’m the Shit” and “Dance Like a Freak” producer still with an unreleased Alameda and Coldspring album is favored by the likes of bottle service destroyer Clinton Sparks and having those sort of Vegas aspirations seemed to lend themselves to his refix of ODB’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” one of the few Bmore club influenced tracks with elements of electro, dub and numerous disparate influences. Moreso than electro, the hard bass and massive sounds of that rising genre being indoctrinated into club music really makes for an interesting take on the sound.

Scottie B is busy too, but in a most interesting way, having opened a Facebook Fan Page and having not one, but two old school Bmore club mixes available for download. The legend and cornerstone figure of the genre spins weekly at the party he curates with TaxLo DJ Cullen Stalin, and while he rarely errs to the club side, his opening of the party house mixes at the party are truly worth a weekly visit to the free event.

The most important party in the city at the moment may be the hipster dominated, Radell Kane organized, young Moustache Crew DJed Moustache Party. The key to this party is that outside of the young spinners, it is the weekly residency of the classic club, no frills, low electro influence James Nasty, the most hyped DJ in club’s underground. He has an EP forthcoming, but with tracks featuring Ninjasonik, Maggie Horn, Menya and DC’s Roll Wit Us All-Stars and possibilities of some grand slam names from club music lore forthcoming, he may be the retro link to the early days of club music’s rediscovery by the underground. The maintenance of that link is firmly in his hands every Friday night at the Ottobar’s upstairs, and in viewing the party, you see that he sees it as a positive advancement of his career, sharpening his skills as a live DJ buoyed by his excellent productions.

Classic party starter Jonny Blaze is back, too, now claiming a religious overtone to his club productions after some unusual life occurrences. His new track “Here We Go” features Blaze on the mic and has a Charleston bounce and religious themes. The invocation of religion and club music is a positive move, and outside of his own creations, possibly grabbing some Mary Mary acapellas could lead to some really fantastic tracks, as they, alongside Kirk Franklin in the genre are the most musically forward thinking to benefit from the club treatment. Blaze has an EP dropping soon as well, and fully expect an interview with the legend to drop here soon at TGRIOnline.com

Youth has been served as well, as DJ Pierre and Murder Mark both have done mixes as of late for this site, and continue to hold down the 18+ scene. Mark, along with his “Yo Boyz” cronies have an album dropping later this year with Aaron Lacrate’s Mikcrate Records which is vital sounding and entertaining at first listen and puts the young producer in a good situation for career growth. He’s also decided to possibly release a new track a day for the month of March. If any of them are as hot as “Cherry Hill and Down Ya Block,” the buzz will be high. As well, he’s recorded with TT the Artist, who, if you like Rye Rye (who’s back in the studio by the way) is absolutely one to watch as TT has recorded with DC’s Will Eastman amongst many others. Pierre is in the lab as well working on the eighth volume of his mix series as well as new tracks, his rapidly developing smooth as silk mixing style blends well with his minimalist, groove centered productions.

DJ Excel’s Bmore Original label, home to Benny Stixx and DJ Booman amongst others still stays adamant along the Top 40 path, Excel’s refix of Ludacris’ “How Low” another in a long line of top 40 edits some that hit, and hit hard, others that sound like ClearChannel radio aimed remixes. Neither is a bad look, as from “That’s What A Pimp Does” to Benny Stixx’s refix of Twista’s “Wetter,” there are giant jams that the style can produce.

If you have tracks or events that you would like to see profiled on the Quarterly Bmore Club Update, email dowling.marcus.k AT gmail.com for more information.