DJ Teridactyl

I played this past weekend at an Anniversary Party in Palm Springs. I was absolutely delighted to DJ the party, which really was as big as any wedding reception would have been, complete with the happy couple's first dance.

















It seemed as if the crowd was hesitant to get on the dance floor at first (probably because it was so close to the pool). But luckily I got a good crowd up and moving before the end of the night.

















Thanks to David & Sal for entrusting me with the DJ responsibilities on their special night!

I don't normally think about posting my setlists, but I recently DJ'd a party and was asked if I could list what I played that night. I figured it would be fun to take it one step further, and actually show you what I see on my screen when I DJ, notes and all. Working through a set beforehand helps me relax and have fun with it when I'm mixing live. Although I did end up playing some songs off-the-cuff at the end, when one of the resident DJ's at the party asked that I play off of his song choices. Even though I had never tried that before, it seemed to work out well, and the general consensus was that everyone had fun that night. I know I did!

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I fondly remember dancing with my college friends to the song "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeah's when it first came out. Which is why this track by Montreal, Clubstep duo Adventure Club, immediately caught my attention. They've reimagined Karen O's vocals into a dance hit, fit for today's music scene. Brings back good memories!

Wait by Adventure Club Dubstep

It's been 3 years of lead up to the release of Rye Rye's debut album Go! Pop! Bang!, and you can hear how time has lent itself to some impeccably crafted raps. "Dance" is a shining example of this, although my personal favorite would have to be one of Rye Rye's many collaborations with M.I.A. in the song "Better Than You."

Rye Rye - Better Than You (ft. M.I.A.) by Interscope Records

This song already has a lot of things going for it: great title, catchy tune. What more do you need to go on to make a great music video? How about Jake Gyllenhaal channeling American Psycho in an 8 minute short, and now we're talking amazeballs! If that wasn't enough, the song also has awesome remixes out, my favorite being this one below by SebatiAn. Watch and listen.

Since I've been enjoying looking for cool remixes of contemporary songs, I started to wonder if I could find updated remixes of older songs. With the celebrated return of Blur to the music scene, and their having just been given the Brit Award's 2012 honor for Outstanding Contribution to Music, I thought it would be appropriate to start with their party classic, "Girls and Boys." Check out this awesome House inspired remix by DJ Paul Beer.

Pianoman - Blurred (DJ Paul Beer 2012 Remix) by DJ Paul Beer

Sleigh Bells sophomore album Reign of Terror, dropped today, and it does not disappoint. The 11 track album is an overall solid effort, although I can't put my finger yet on any standout songs that match up to what was offered on their previous album, Treats. The one that has come closest, and my immediate favorite after listening to every song for the first time today, is "Crush." Listen below, and if you like that then I recommend you check out the entire album on Spotify!

Crush by Sleigh Bells

Came across this awesome new track by Skrillex today. It's upbeat, without the usual beat distortion normally associated with dubstep. This is why he won 3 Grammys people!

Tom Vek has a new remix out for his song, "Aroused". The first half isn't really dance friendly, but it does kick in with a cool beat by the end.

Aroused (Ulterior / Zlaya Remix) by Tom Vek

I had been searching around for sometime for a good remix of this song by Gyote featuring Kimbra, and finally came across this 80's inspired mix by Miami Nights. It maintains the integrity of the song, while adding on a beat that's worth dancing to.

Gotye-Somebody-Miami84RMX-check details for download;) by MIAMI NIGHTS 1984

Thanks to KROQ radio here in LA, I was able to attend last night's Hollywood premiere of Re:Generation. In the film, 5 DJ's are given the challenge to reinterpret a different music style, either Rock, Jazz, Country, Motown, or Classical, into their own sound. Some are naturally paired, such as Mark Ronson with Jazz, while others found themselves with a larger learning curve, as did DJ Premier with Classical music. All of them however, rose to the challenge and created awesome tracks, the process towards which, is documented in the film.










Immediately following the screening, all the DJ's who participated in the project were on hand to answer questions and discuss their experiences with the project. Each of them expressed that it was a privilege to be able to work with music legends who have come before them and work on this project not for the sake of fame, but simply to make good music. Here is one of my favorite tracks from Re:Generation: Skrillex's Rock contribution, "Breakn' a Sweat" in collaboration with The Doors.

Skrillex - Breakn' a Sweat (RE:GENERATION) by CRUSK

Now this is how I like a debut single off a new album to sound! "Big Mouth" is Santigold's first offering off her upcoming sophmore album, Master of My Make-Believe, due out later this year. Unlike M.I.A.'s track, this one has got me eager to hear more.

After hearing all the criticism of Lana Del Rey's Saturday Night Live performance, I had to find out what all the fuss was about. She may not be the most engaging live performer, but I found her songs off her debut album Born to Die, rather lovely in a stripped down kind of way. Which also just so happens to be the perfect platform for a great remix. Here's one I found of one of my favorite tracks, "Video Games."

Lana del Rey - Video Games (Jussbert Remix) by Jussbert

I didn't understand why Madonna would be performing at Superbowl's halftime show in 2012, but I've now found out why. Looks like she's gearing up to release her new album MDNA next month. This first single's cheerleading chorus doesn't really work for me, but Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. do add to the track, other than to keep Madonna relevant in today's music landscape.

Thanks to this video, I think this track is now growing on me a little. But as a debut single for a new album, I would have hoped for more from M.I.A.

M.I.A. has released a new single onto the world, as a precursor to her 4th studio album, due out this summer. As a fan of M.I.A., I have to say this song leaves me unimpressed. Maybe the music video, set to air later this week, might help to win me over.

M.I.A. - Bad Girls by Interscope Records

I told you Skrillex was a DJ to look out for! He along with 4 other DJ's, including The Crystal Method, are featured in this new film, out on limited release and only playing in theaters Feb. 16th and 23rd. The movie explores music's past, and it's present reinvention. This will be a must watch for me, so I'll be sure to follow up with a review once I get a chance to see it.

I may be new to Skrillex, but at only 24 years old, Skrillex (aka, Sonny Moore) is not that old to the scene. Apparently he has been making his name in the DJ world the past 2 years, by creating remixes of popular songs (which has garnered him 5 Grammy nominations this year). He has yet to release a full length album of his own, but it looks like 2012 will be the year for his official debut. Below is Skrillex's take on Benny Bennasi's song, "Cinema."

Benny Bennassi - Cinema (Skrillex Remix) by Skrillex

I recently was the DJ for my good friend's wedding at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. It was my first time both attending and playing a destination wedding, but I'm happy to report that everything went off without a hitch (well, except for the one between the bride & the groom)!

















It was really great to see everyone, both young and old, celebrating by getting down on the dance floor. Congratulations again to Tiffany & Ruben!