Monday, March 15, 2010

SXSW!



I am really jealous that we aren't out there. Everytime someone mentions SXSW I get this empty guttish feeling in the pit of my stomach. So many bands to see, but we definitely have our bases covered. Our very own MONOplayer Jake Cohen is going to be giving us a day to day journal into an artists POV at the festival. We are hoping that he comes back with some killer shots and experiences.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Graham Hawthorne = Fresh


Our very own Graham Hawthorne (David Byrne) gracing this week's Entertainment spread in the San Francisco Chronicle (with our very own M80 Cymbal pack). The only thing better than seeing your gear in the newspaper is seeing Graham live. So, if you're in the Bay, grab a Chronicle and catch this fleeting set of shows.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

DJ D-Sharp# - "Definition of a Star" Single Release



DJ D-Sharp has just dropped his very first single, "Definition of a Star". The track is a west-coast-influenced banger which features Bay Area MCs, Kev Choice and Tony Vic.

It was only inevitable for D-Sharp, a long time producer, to put out his own music after producing songs for artists such as Lyrics Born, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Shock G (Digital Underground), The Grouch and Flipsyde.

D-Sharp began his music career at the age of 15, performing at venues all over the Bay Area. He later became the resident DJ at Maritime Hall in San Francisco and then at Justice League, where he opened for acts like Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Living Legends, Blackalicious and Latyrx. His years of hard work paid off when Chief Xcel of Blackalicious recommended him to Quannum Projects MC, Lateef the Truthspeaker (Latyrx, The Mighty Underdogs, Fatboy Slim) who asked him to go on tour. D-Sharp quit his day job and from there, began touring the world with Quannum artists such as Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, Lifesavas, Latyrx, The Gift of Gab; and joined the infamous Quannum World tour DJing alongside DJ Shadow. It wasn't long before his talents caught the ear of other prominent artists including Lauryn Hill, Clyde Carson, Mike Patton (Peeping Tom), Slum Village, Planet Asia and Goapele -- all of whom he has DJ'd for. On tour, he has shared stages with high profile acts such as Jay Z, Kanye West, Outkast, Common, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Pharrell and The Wu Tang Clan.



Before venturing out on his own, D-Sharp was the DJ for the Bay Area alternative rock group, Flipsyde (Interscope Records). As a member of Flipsyde, D-Sharp appeared on The Tonite Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Soul Train. The group toured extensively, including runs with the Black Eyed Peas and the Pussycat Dolls. Flipsyde also saw the success of their single, "Someday", reach a monumental high when NBC chose the track as the theme song for the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Soon after, D-Sharp broke out on his own and continued to make a name for himself by dominating the Bay Area club scene. He currently holds residencies at major San Francisco night clubs such as Manor West, Vessel and Fluid; and has played prominent clubs such as Ruby Skye and Roe. D-Sharp has also DJ'd in clubs across the United States including Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles.

As a DJ and Producer, D-Sharp has also put together mixtapes for Lateef the Truthspeaker ("Truth Is Love"), Jennifer Johns and Kev Choice ("The Bailout"); and has released his own mixtapes including "Gangster Donuts" (J Dilla & Jay Z) and the Valentine's Day hit, "Love Is Love Is Love". His remixes for artists such as Kanye West, Erk Tha Jerk, Joyo Velarde and Goapele have been praised by other DJs and fans alike.

2009 saw the launch of his official website, TheRealDJDSharp.com as well as his own Podcast Show, "Sharp State of Mind" -- which branched out into a video series in which D-Sharp interviews artists, such as DJ Premier, DJ Shadow, Clyde Carson, Mike Relm, Erk Tha Jerk, to name a few, as part of an online video blog.

With the release of his first single, "Definition of a Star", which he produced, D-Sharp proves himself as a formidable MC as well. Coupled with his current success as a DJ and Producer, 2010 looks to be a very promising year for this multi-faceted artist.

A video for the single is being released on March 23rd with more music planned for the coming months. As he has already proven, DJ D-Sharp is definitely an artist to pay close attention to.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Jonathan Kingham - Smooth Out the Lines

<a href="http://jonathankingham.bandcamp.com/album/smooth-out-the-lines">She's so California by Jonathan Kingham</a>

We first met Jonathan Kingham at a Glen Phillips show where he was backing up the ex-Toad frontman. Glen was just getting over a tragic accident to his hand that left some nerve damage, playing the guitar was as he described it "relearning the thing". So Jonathan was called in to back up guitar duties and lend some backing vox as well. I was immediately impressed with Jonathan and when he contacted us with word that he was putting out another solo album, well we were super excited.



"Smooth Out the Lines" gets really intimate from the start of the album. 'Grace' the second song on the track really hits home with a song about personal reflection of shortcomings but leaving with an abundance of Agape. Towards the middle of the album we find a more soulful tune with "We're All Just Trying to Get By". One of my favorite tunes is "September Skies". If you would like to pre-order the album please visit www.jonathankingham.com

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Coachella is in...43 days!!!

Coachella - Indio CA in the desert. 3 days of music. Every year there seems to be an epic amount of bands that make their way out there. One thing you will need is hydration, I hear it can get quite hot out there.

Expect to see loads of this...



And this years lineup is scary good:

View it HERE!!!

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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

UK Producer Bag review!



Another great review from one of the leading gear reviewers in the UK! FutureMusic Magazine got their hands on the Producer Bag and here's what they have to say:

"...this bag has happily taken me all over the world and protected my laptop and gadgets in a variety of weather situations. Definitely one of the best messenger bags I've ever had the pleasure of jetting with."


UK players, hit up Madison & Fifth here to get yours!

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Andrew Belle @ The Utah



What's great about The Hotel Utah Saloon is the same attribute that makes it suck - the size. The tiny stage seems to be blocked from any angle, whether you're on the floor or upstairs. But, there is something sort of magical about seeing such great artists at point blank range, in a tiny, intimate space. Last time we were there it was David Mead gracing the stage, singing solo and playing a mix of guitars and mandolin. He also jumped on the piano in the corner to play Human Nature - it was unplanned and awesome.

This time it was Andrew Belle on stage, playing songs from his getting-super-popular album The Ladder (as well as some material from his previous album All Those Pretty Lights). If you don't know Belle's music, he's a Chicago-now-Nashville singer/songwriter who recently joined the ranks of the 10 Out Of Tenn tour. The Ladder is his first full length album, although you'll probably recognize his music from that show you're addicted to (his songs are being picked up by many a prime-time drama). Sadly, Katie Herzig did NOT make a cameo to sing Static Waves (on which she is featured on the album), but a great performance nonetheless. I highly recommend catching Andrew now, while he's still approachable and able to hang after the show and sell you a CD in person. Soon he will have the management buffer of an Andrew Bird and you'll be hard pressed to shake his hand.

Shoutout to the other super talented artists there as well: Allen Stone bucked all stereotypes by busting out his soul break-up tunes like Quit Callin, Matthew Ryan and Kasey Anderson traded tracks from each others albums, and while he wasn't on the roster this time, San Francisco native songwriter David Greco was spotted in the building.


[Andrew Belle]


[Allen Stone]


[Matthew Ryan]


[Kasey Anderson]

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