MCB's resident neuroscientist/writer/computer geek/graphic designerDrew Bender was out photographing Day 2 of the 2009 Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Check out his coverage of the day. Below that is a set of shots from the RJD2 and DJ Z-Trip sets at Redbull’s Music Academy stage
10:30 PM Motor City Rah Rah’s
11 PM Houdini-Style Escape
11:30 PM Beijing Fetish Performance
12:30 AM Mistress Malicious
MCBhas a copy of the latest from A.A. Bondy
Headling the show tonight is Tentacle Lizardo show goin on Tuesday the 26th at the Lagerhouse with Black Elf and Oblisk
At 8 pm on Tuesday, May 26th our seven piece group called "Black Elf Speaks" will be performing a program called Grey Elf and the New Age Biosphere.
Gypsy glamour is the name of the game with Vagabond Opera, the Portland-based sextet that magically melds the sounds of Eastern European folk music and delightfully raunchy cabaret, with a lil’ something called Opera. Yes, Opera. Classically trained, musically adventurous, and scantily clad – sign us up! But don’t go letting the Opera element scare you off. Envision a bourgeoisie Balkan prism through which these tenors and sopranos belt it. Then add everything that comes along with the kitchen sink, you know, like accordion, sax, saw, banjo, stand-up bass. Top it off with lyrics in 13 languages, and you’ve got VO, the bastard love child of World Inferno Friendship Society, Emir Kusturica and the Oregon Symphony. Sound too farfetched? Hear it for yourself.
THE STEPS
Taking their amps from the garage to suburban rooftops and downtown bridges, the brash four of The Steps demand to be heard. Invoking the spirit of Brit-pop, their sound is laden with a rich musical heritage that fuses styles of proto-punk and modern glam-rock. The Steps have burst onto the scene with the swagger of seasoned rockers. Cousins Will (vocals/guitar) and Sam Thompson’s (guitar) fervor for classic rhythm and blues styles drew bassist Stephen Ross and drummer Z Lynch into their after-school garage sessions in 2005. The Steps began their aggressive climb to the top, quickly becoming the dominant band at their high schools. Honing style and stage presence at house parties across Austin, The Steps’ blend of classic and modern mesmerized adoring peers. Soon suburbia could not contain their volume, energy, and loyal masses of fans, so the band launched a series of “guerilla gigs” on the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Austin. After rigging gear in the shadow of night, the vigilante rockers played with such force that the bridge literally shook from the quake of hundreds, jumping to the infectious beat. And as the roaring guitars and snare cracks faded under Johnny Law’s disapproving finger, music industry insiders demanded The Steps amp it back up. Launched by this strong Texas following, the band has shared the stage with Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, and the Black Keys at major festivals Austin City Limits, North American Music Union in Pittsburgh, and South by Southwest.
On July 21, Austin rockers The Steps will release Take It All In, produced by Chris "Frenchie" Smith (JET, Dandy Warhols, Explosions in the Sky). The EP distills the band's 60's influenced garage rock to its most potent and frenetic form.
Hear first single “Cold Floors” HERE!
Commercial features a variety of special guests from Jorge Gonzalez (of Chilean rock legends Los Prisioneros) and Mexican songstress Natalia Lafourcade to Senor Coconut vocalist Argenis Brito and Los Tetas’ C-funk. Los Amigos also enlisted production work from friends like Dimitri From Paris and Cachorro López (Belanova, Miranda).Since their first album in 1995, Los Amigos Invisibles have developed a sound based in the gozadera, an irresistible fusion of Latin rhythms with fiery funk and lounge music.
The band got their first break when David Byrne (Talking Heads) discovered one of their albums by chance in a Manhattan record shop. He immediately called the band up in their native Venezuela and soon after, signed them to his label, Luaka Bop. Byrne opened doors for the band across the globe and Los Amigos Invisibles soon became an international touring machine. Los Amigos Invisibles moved to New York City from their hometown of Caracas in 2001 and entrenched itself in the local scene. With their electrifying live show, the group began building a considerable fan-base across the U.S. Collaborating with artists from Louie Vega (Masters At Work) to Dimitri From Paris, Los Amigos were able to establish themselves in the dance music scene and expand their sound.
While raking in Grammy nominations year after year and performing on programs like the Jimmy Kimmel Show, the group continued to establish themselves. Los Amigos Invisibles spent two years working on Commercial during breaks in their heavy tour schedule.
“The title of the album came out of our desire to make a more accessible record for even bigger crowds,” Pardo explains. “At first, we were hesitant to use the word but eventually we decided to come straight and use it as a concept. In a world where almost no one listens to an entire album and everyone has their thumb ready to press ‘next’ in their iPods, we just wanted to be more focused without taking out what we love about playing.”
Check out Los Amigos Invisibles music and videos:
Free MP3 of “Mentiras” here
“Mentiras” video
Ha Ha Tonka playing Hamtramck Wednesday 6/24
Small's Bar & Grill/8pm/21+/$6
Their latest record, Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South
hits stores Tuesday, 6/16
Rolling Stone raves they "occupy the sweet spot between country and indie, writing ornery songs with big hooks." "Walking on the Devil's Backbone," the single you can download here, is hailed as, "a great, galloping number that's all sturm and twang."
Investigating morality and individual responsibility, Ha Ha Tonka take listeners on a complex tour of the South—through lynchings and mob violence, sacrifice and reconciliation. On the two trails of life, how does your history affect your present, and how much can you change the future? It’s dense subject matter for any artist, but delivered beautifully on this record by Springfield, MO native sons Ha Ha Tonka. Named after an Ozarks state park, the band has earned comparisons to Kings of Leon, Old 97s and Fleet Foxes.
Following their last record, 2007’s critically lauded Buckle in the Bible Belt, the band gathered up their four-part harmonies and tore across the nation, opening for Ben Kweller, Backyard Tire Fire, and Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin before their well-received show at Lollapalooza 2008. This record, driven but contemplative, mysterious but clean, delicate but much more guitar-heavy than the previous effort, is the next logical step in their musical journey—and an amazing step
Check out THE DEAR HUNTER at any of the following stops on their upcoming tour with Mewithoutyou which starts June 8:
ah - we only have mp2s so myspace it and check out the show
With Mewithoutyou:
Mon 6/8 Richmond, VA The Canal Club Downstairs
Tue 6/9 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Wed 6/10 Orlando, FL The Social
Thu 6/11 St. Petersburg, FL State Theatre
Fri 6/12 Gainesville, FL Common Grounds
Sat 6/13 Metairie, LA The High Ground
Sun 6/14 Houston, TX Java Jazz
Mon 6/15 Dallas, TX The Door
Tue 6/16 Austin, TX Emo’s Alternative Lounge
Thu 6/18 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
Fri 6/19 Tempe, AZ Clubhouse
Sat 6/20 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
Sun 6/21 Pomona, CA Glass House
Mon 6/22 San Luis Obispo, CA Downtown Brew
Tue 6/23 San Francisco, CA Slim’s
Thu 6/25 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
Fri 6/26 Seattle, WA Neumos
Sat 6/27 Boise, ID The Venue
Sun 6/28 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon Theatre
Mon 6/29 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
Wed 7/1 Lawrence, KS Granada
Thu 7/2 St. Paul, MN Station 4
Sat 7/4 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
Sun 7/5 Chicago, IL Metro
Mon 7/6 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop
Tue 7/7 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small’s Theatre
Thu 7/9 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
Fri 7/10 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Sat 7/11 Boston, MA Middle East
"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here
Here is tip for the a show next month at The Crofoot Pontiac
With 4 of the MCB troops at DEMF / MOVEMENT and another covering SCOTS / Los Straijackets in Pontiac Crofoot and two more on a special assignment in Toronto we pretty much have our bases covered for tonight - last night was great with all of our video /interviews going off without a hitch - we covered MAE / GOMEZ / PRODIGY / Medeski Martin & Wood and tonight is pretty much the same EXCEPT for the fact that I didnt schedule myself for anything!
and even though I don't really go to the movies that much I am hitting the midnight showing off Life of Brian at Main Art Theatre - what else can you say about this movie or MP in general
simply hilarious - would usually list all the details - you know the movie - you know where Royal Oak is and surely can find the theatre - stop in and get an ice cream at Oberweis and visit with our pal Sam - tell him MCB sent you and he will take care of you for sure
see you there!
"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here
GHOSTHOUSE are kicking off MOVEMENT 2009 by playing a free show 18+ tonight - Friday May 22nd at The Garden Bowl Majestic Complex Detroit.
ROTHBURY's 2009 SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS INITIATIVES ARE IN FULL SWING
ROTHBURY'S GREEN ROCKS! CONTEST PRESENTS THE GRAND PRIZE TO PINEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL'S 5th GRADE CLASS ON THURSDAY, MAY 28 AT 1 PM AT THE SCHOOL
LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GATHER TO PLANT TREES
DONATED BY ROTHBURY FESTIVAL
ROTHBURY's Green Rocks! Sustainable Schools Contest, in partnership with law firm Dickinson Wright PLLC's Education Task Force and JFNew, will present the Grand Prize context winners at Pinewood Elementary School on Thursday, May 28 at 1 PM.
The Green Rocks! Sustainable Schools Contest, which asked students in classrooms (grades 1-8) in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Oceana County schools "How can you make your school or community more sustainable?"
The Green Rocks! Grand Prize winner is Mrs. Karen Weaver's Fifth Grade Class at Pinewood Elementary School in Jenison, Michigan. Mrs. Weaver's Fifth graders recycled more the 3,000 pounds of plastic shopping bags and made sure that 7 tons of phone books became home insulation. Nine other classrooms were also awarded first place for excellent work.
"We were blown away by the sophistication of all the entries," said Leslee Lewis, contest organizer. "These amazing young people understood and explained the concepts of organic gardening, green building materials, live roofs, composting, alternative energy, recycling and fair trade. Clearly our future is in good hands."
All winners listed below:
ROTHBURY Festival's 2009 Sustainable Schools projects, including the Green Rocks! Sustainable Schools contest and a recent Tree Donation and Planting Ceremony, encourage local area students to consider environmental consciousness and engage them in activities that give back to their communities.
On Tuesday, May 12 a group of students from Shelby High School gathered to plant trees donated to the village of Shelby by the ROTHBURY Festival. Ten Caliper trees were planted in front of Shelby's Department of Public Works Building. The trees were a gift from ROTHBURY's many 2009 ticket buyers who, when purchasing Festival tickets, opted-in to ROTHBURY's Green Ticket. The Green Ticket funds programs to that give back to local communities by helping make schools more sustainable.
ROTHBURY emerged last year as a new Fourth of July celebration. With The Dead performing their only summer show, The String Cheese Incident together for their only show for 2009, and cultural icons Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and Ralph Stanley, ROTHBURY 2009 continues to honor America's extraordinary festival lineage. Interlacing ushers of the new American music scene such as STS9, Chromeo, and MSTRKRFT, globally recognized acts including Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley & Nas, and King Sunny Adé & His African Beats and local Michigan artists The Macpodz, Steppin' In It, The Ragbirds, Four Finger Five, and The Hard Lessons, ROTHBURY delivers music of integrity across all genres. Coupled with a commitment to exploring the integration of art and modern thought and technology throughout the event, ROTHBURY creates a unique 21st century American gathering unlike any other.
Building on its mission to create a state-of-the-art large scale sustainable event and to organize and nurture community involvement that makes a difference, ROTHBURY 2009 promises even more cutting-edge festival implementation of ever-changing green technologies. The 2009 ROTHBURY Think Tank, an event within the event, explores the topic of the emerging "New Green Economy." The Think Tank will host various buzz sessions and roundtables between leading scientists, scholars, writers, progressive political and corporate leaders, youth leaders, ROTHBURY artists, and ROTHBURY attendees. Think Tank Programming details coming soon.
ROTHBURY itself is committed to producing a near zero-waste concert. The first to tackle a green program of this magnitude at an around-the-clock (camping) concert in the USA, ROTHBURY has an on-staff Greening Chief, and has implemented multiple initiatives toward this effort, including replacing disposables with 100% compostables, recycling and composting, choosing clean energy, carbon-offsetting, and Green Ticket options. Visit www.rothburyfestival.comfor more information.
Tickets to ROTHBURY on sale now at www.rothburyfestival.com
"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here
Those who know me are aware of my passion for music and neuroscience. As a PhD student in psychology (no, I won’t ask you to tell me about your mother) studying cognitive neuroscience, I’ve always been fascinated with music-brain phenomena like earworms - where you get a song stuck in your head, playing on a seemingly endless loop. But more than anything else, it seems that music holds a special place in human culture and evolution. The power of music to evoke emotion, memory, and even states of altered consciousness and ecstasy is evident across the world. A lot of the music that I have loved over the years and that I cover in MCB continues to impress me both with the social element of how it can create communities and bring people together and in how it can transform people’s mental states.
Music is a powerful drug – even without any other drugs in one’s body. Of course, if a little booze, some weed, or something more powerful is added to the mix, the result can be synergistic – where the two elements combine to be more than the sum of the parts. Over the past twenty years, this has been abundantly evident in the rave scene as designer drugs, MDMA, liquor, smart drugs and more are used as fuel for all-night dancing and party-making. Not that we condone that of course, and the jury is still out on the damage that MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine, or even marijuana might do to one’s brain or cognitive abilities. But it damn sure makes for some great music and parties. Which brings us to a few different things going on around town this weekend.
Tonight , jazz/jam/funk trio Medeski Martin & Wood (or MMW for those in the know) are playing at the Motor City Casino’s swanky SoundBoard venue. I’ll be there with bells on (or more accurately, with Bell’s in [me] if they happen to be serving Oberon at the SoundBoard). MMW is one of those acts that truly defies simple description – they pull from jazz, funk, rock, soul, noise, and electronica. Mostly though, they’re explorers, plumbing the musical depths with abandon. They’ve played with master jazz guitarist John Scofield, including a great performance at the Detroit International Jazz Festival two years ago. I remember seeing MMW at the 2005 Detroit Jazz Festival shortly after I first moved to Detroit from Southern California. Standing in the middle of downtown, with the Compuware building looming on one side and the Ren-Cen in the background as we got our groove on to their funked out sounds, my wife (a metro-Detroit native who lived in SoCal for almost 10 years) and I couldn’t believe that this was Detroit. Before I left San Diego, a lot of people asked me, rather incredulously, ‘You’re moving WHERE?!??’ And of course, a lot of people in the D upon learning of my previous residence would ask, ‘Why would you want to move HERE from San Diego??!?’ The answer of course – to slough off the soft and mushy exterior that LA and San Diego had deposited on my skin and exchange it with the tough, leathery, soulful carapace that only the D can instill. That, and to work on my PhD.
On a different note altogether, did I hear somebody scream the word ‘FESTIVALLL’?
Yes, that’s right boys and girls - that time of year has once again returned to the Motor City as music, art, food, and cultural festivals seem to be popping up across our corner of the mitten and beyond. Some of the bigger Spring and Summer festivals include Arts Beats & Eats, the Detroit International Jazz Festival, City Fest (formerly Taste Fest), the Detroit Festival of the Arts, Ann Arbor Art Fair, and so many more that I’m loath to even try to name them all. If you’ve got a favorite festival and want us to feature it here on MCB, give us a shout out mcbmotb@gmail.com.
Festival of the Week: DEMF/Movement –
GET YOUR FIX OF THE UNTZ-UNTZ
The Detroit Electronic Music Festival (yes, we all realize that you were there back when it was a free event) goes from Friday through Monday all across the Mid-town and Downtown Detroit areas with 4 stages down by Hart Plaza and countless ‘After Parties – although I’ve yet to figure out how a show going on at the same time as the main event qualifies as an ‘after party’ but I’ve never been too bright in that way. Stupid semantics always discombobulate my brain. Even thought it’s supposed to be a bit cooler over the weekend than over the past couple of days (Saturday is supposed to be warm, according to the weather channel)
I implore you – if you’re gonna freak out on ecstasy at Movement – PLEASE drink a lot of water. While rave kids convulsing on the floor might make for an interesting photo series, I’d rather see everyone enjoying themselves and staying healthy (wasted and having a great time but healthy).
I’m going to be all over the place, what with the 4 stages, and too many after parties to mention.
Some great acts will be performing at the DEMF/Movement this weekend, and I’m particularly stoked to see Z-Trip, who I first saw at the inaugural Bonnaroo festival in 2002. RJD2 is another more hip-hop oriented DJ that I’m looking forward to seeing, having not seen him live since Coachella in California a few years back. There are so many great acts, it’s hard not to name them all – just check out the Movement web site here http://www.myspace.com/detroitmusicfest , or I’ll see you running around Hart Plaza.
On Sunday night I’ll be at Bookies Bar for the Face the Music afterparty to see my good friend Marissa Guzman sing and Keith Worthy workin some serious grooves. Some info on that party:
Sunday 5/24/09 Deep Heat Detroit + Juicy Lucy Records(San Francisco) bring you: "Face the Music" - a party not only bring people together to Face the Music and Dance, but also to support NextAid (http://www.nextaid.org" ). NextAid is a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization committed to developing and implementing innovative solutions to the challenges facing African children. NextAid's mission is to promote community-driven, environmentally sustainable, economically and socially empowering responses to the AIDS orphan pandemic. NextAid collaborates with individuals, businesses and nonprofits to produce creative, culturally-rich, awareness-raising projects and music events involving technology, the arts, public education projects,and volunteer opportunities. They'll have 2 stages, including a rooftop stage, and things will get started at 7pm and go til they're kickin people out.
Location: Bookies Tavern - 2208 Cass Ave. - Detroit, MI - http://www.bookiesbar.com
Doors open at 7pm - $15 cover before 11pm (25% goes to NextAid) - 21 and up - Free shuttle service from Hart Plaza from 7pm to midnight
Another DEMF satellite event that promises to be goin off all weekend. is the 3 days of House at the Big City Bar & Grill
Their EP is currently selling online, (Champagne Taste with a Koolade Wallet)
Have a great Memorial Day weekend y’all!!
WERD!!!
-drew
Yesterday MCB was invited to a few cool events that are happening
MR. SANDMAN'S 
