Cures for the Summertime Blues

Let's see... it's 90+ degrees outside, it rains every afternoon at 2:00 and the mosquitoes are a-bitin' ... Summer in Florida must be in full effect. There's plenty going on in Orlando this weekend to kick off your muggy season properly.



First up, the new weekly Friday night party at Sky60: Get Mental with MOT and Andrew Spear. These guys totally kill it and usually have a few tricks up their sleeve (like wearing KISS makeup when they opened for MSTRKRFT). Not to mention, they write the best Myspace bulletins ever:

Holly SHEET man the weekend is here. You know what that means? Me neither. But you can sweat fluorescent light bulb funk from the office out of your system and replace it with alcohol fueled dancing at the most mental party on the planet.

We don't fuck around when its time to play our favorite tunes.

Wait we totally fuck around. We are idiots behind the decks in the most AWESOME way to show YOU a GOOD TIME...Does that make sense? Hell yeah that makes sense!!!! Who's Mental. I'm Mental when I write these Bulletins. Anyway.

So come GET MENTAL Friday Night at Sky 60 with MOT and ANDREW SPEAR.

Password for free admission is "Bipolar as I wanna be"



If you're low on cash but still want to get your drink on, hit up Crooked Bayou tonight for "Indulgence." There's no cover, but dropping $20 at the bar will get you all you can drink (!!!!). Wow. Quite a bargain in my world. Music provided by Nic Alvarado and T.A.R.D.



Over at The Peacock Room, Induced Grooves is hosting a "Celebrity Trash Theme Party." Dress like your favorite celebrity and get in free before 11. DJs Kevin Terry, Quez MV and Just Affects will be on hand and there will be giveaways from Van Gogh Vodka.





Tonight at BackBooth, local band Summerbirds in the Cellar will be making a hometown pit stop on their summer tour through the Southeast. Also playing are Athens band, Maserati. They always have dope flyers.



And Saturday, if you're looking for an alternative to Wall Street's Beerlympics, look no further than Orlando's favorite organic brewing company, Orlando Brewing. From 4 PM - Midnight, they will be hosting the Brew Music Fest with local bands Fairweather Friend, XOXO and The Sugar Oaks to name a few.



If you're a Cancer and celebrating your birthday month (like me!) hit up the Chuck Norris approved B-day bash Saturday night at Crooked Bayou. This is the part where I would tell you who's playing but since I can't read the flyer, you're on your own. C'mon, DJ's!!! Use readable fonts to promote your parties, please!!! Still, the name of the party is funny, so I am posting it.



Have a great weekend!

Tonight: Get Your Fixx + Mumpsy CD Release Party

The last Thursday of each month, the Hard Rock Hotel hosts a rock party called the Velvet Sessions: 25 bucks covers admission, free drinks and an awesome concert, either with someone you really want to see (Colin Hay from Men at Work) or someone you can't wait to make fun of (Bret Michaels). The people-watching alone is worth the admission price: middle-aged ladies with big hair and leather outfits paired with ponytailed rich guys dressed in khakis. Hard Rock is pretty secretive about announcing who will be performing, probably because the musician(s) will only commit at the last minute if there's nothing better to do. Tonight's special guest is none other than The Fixx.

I have stated before that I think One Thing Leads to Another is one of the greatest songs of all time (seriously, I listened to it on repeat for three days straight last summer), so you can imagine my disappointment that I have to miss out tonight. If you don't believe this song is amazing, listen to it again (especially all you electro heads) and then tell me.

The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another.mp3



Also tonight, over at The Social, local indie band Mumpsy will be hosting a release party for their new CD, Cat and Canary. They vividly (and a bit repulsively) describe themselves as a "moist towelette for the ears." From what I can gather, their sound is pretty eclectic and worth checking out. They will be joined tonight by XOXO and Baron Von Bear. I heard through the grapevine this may be BVB's last show (despite the fact they were just featured as a cover story for Orlando Weekly), so you might want to catch them while you can.

Here's one of their MP3s for nostalgic purposes.

Baron Von Bear - Live Off the Land.mp3

Tonight: Felix Cartal and Suprise Guest DJ!

Photo by Kcoll Designs

Canadian super electro-kid, Felix Cartal, will be gracing the tables with the guys of Carnival this evening. Although his Myspace page lists him playing at Studio B tonight, he's actually playing at the more idiotically-named Suite B (Yes, it was unoriginally named after their address. Yes, and everyone thinks you're saying Sweet Pea).

Felix has certainly proved himself to be a big dog in the electro game, remixing the likes of MSTRKRFT, Dragonette and Franz and Shape, to name a few. And I must say, anyone who can make me like a Britney Spears or Ashlee Simpson track must have some skills.

Not necessarily his most recent, but here are some of my favorite tracks:

Felix Cartal - Drugs.mp3

Felix Cartal - Moss vs. Tree.mp3

Britney Spears - Outrageous (Felix Cartal Remix).mp3

Ashlee Simpson - L.O.V.E. (Felix Cartal Remix).mp3

Now, onto the real fun of this post: a section I like to call, "Guess the Heavily-Advertised 'Surprise Guest DJ'!!!"



Assuming there actually is a surprise DJ, let's look at the options. Based on Felix's "Top 8" (yes, most of my research is based on Myspace), here are the choices:

The D.A. - I have to be honest: I have no idea who these dudes are. Maybe a Canadian DJ crew of sorts? All I can gather is they are also from British Columbia and they're "sort of like an abortion but with more cursing." I can't even Google search them without a million Da Vinci Code pages coming up, so I'm ruling them out.

MSTRKRFT - They were just in O-town on the 14th + they're playing in Norway tonight = I am crossing them off the list.

AM - Lol... straight from his website: "You know a party is hot; high profile and happening if AM is the DJ. A-Listers show up to events not to be seen but to hear AM spin and tear up the dance floor to his records of choice." Yeah right. They're showing up because he dated Nicole Richie. I'm guessing the most pretentious LA DJ alive is not the one playing tonight.

Miko - Um, I think this is Felix Cartal's manager and he isn't even a DJ. So.... no.

The Bloody Beetroots - I heart these guys so much and wish they would come to Orlando; I'm even learning Italian for when they come to Florida and I can take them and Crookers to Disney World. Their only US dates appear to be in LA or NYC at the moment, though, so they look like a no-go. Ché Vergogna.

Hostage - This Scotsman has remixed Felix Cartal several times and vice versa. He's super dope but also over in the UK this weekend and It's doubtful that a mid-week trip to Orlando was on his agenda.

This brings us to our final two:

LA Riots vs. Lazaro Casanova. I know the Carnival guys are friends with LA Riots but they were here pretty recently. If I had to guess, I would imagine the super secret DJ is Miami's own Lazaro Casanova. Maybe they're keeping him under wraps because the only time I ever saw him DJ, he managed to completely CLEAR the dance floor. At the Winter Music Conference, no less. Yikes.

So there you have it -- based solely upon my (not so sharp) deduction skills, Lazaro will be spinning with the Carnival boys tonight. Perhaps I should have been a detective.

Happy Wednesday!!!

EDIT: Damn, I was *this* close. As a late-breaking Myspace bulletin reports: "Don't forget, a Special Guest will be causing RIOTS on the dance floor earlier in the evening." I guess LA Riots it is!

Wonder-full Birthday Weekend!!!

This weekend, I'll be in Boston celebrating the final year in my 20's, but I won't leave you high and dry. Did I mention I'll be seeing Stevie Wonder on Sunday night?!?!?!? I did?



Okay, let's move on to what's happening here in town:



Of course, you should know by now that I am having my (Stevie) Wonder-full Birthday Party tonight at The Peacock Room. I'll be DJing with Ken Sherry and Andrew Spear, so come out and buy me a birthday shot!!!



Tomorrow, summer is officially here! This doesn't mean as much to Floridians as it does to northerners, but still. Soul Elevation Music is kicking the season off proper with their monthly party, Saturday Sessions, at Downey Park from 12 - 7 PM. The music will be on the deep house, NYC garage and afro beat tip -- perfect for a summer day. Click the flyer above for more info.



Saturday night at BackBooth, local band the Sugar Oaks are having their official release party for their EP, No One Can Love You Like Me. If you're not sure who these kids are, check out Jason Feguson's article in the Orlando Weekly. 5 bucks gets you in to see three bands -- Sugar Oaks (obviously), Look Mexico and The Alvarez Quartet, plus a copy of their new EP.



I haven't heard his name in a minute, but Chez Damier is DJing Saturday night at Crooked Bayou. Back in '98, I couldn't stop hearing his song Close; it was pretty much on every compilation and mix CD I bought at the time. His name was synonymous with Pepe Braddock, Julius Papp and Alex Gopher (on a side note, I love how Alex Gopher has totally shifted gears from the dreamier, airy side of French house to the heavier, grittier French electro scene). I was looking for some background on Mr. Damier but all I could gather from his Myspace page is that he's turned into a religious nut (or perhaps he's always been one). Jesus freak or not, don't miss the chance to see a staple in the deep house scene at an intimate venue.



Sunday brings us another installment of "I'm Dat Digga" -- a BBQ and record exchange at Post Renaissance. Last time the selection was mostly hip hop, but I managed to score some dope funk on vinyl: Open Sesame by Kool and the Gang, Too Hot to Handle by Heatwave and On The Rise by SOS Band. Total spent: $4. Not too shabby. Click the flyer above for more info.

Have a nice weekend, kids! I know I will!!!!!

Pop Off: The New Thursday Night Part-ay

Tonight, The Rocksteady Soundsystem presents Pop Off, a new weekly Thursday night party at The Social with Kittybat, DJ Diddles (whose b-day is this Saturday!!!), Infinite Horns, and Fishdicks + Hardersauce. It's even 18 and up, so the kids who are boycotting Saturday Thursday will finally have place to dance! The 21 and up crowd shouldn't be discouraged -- just get there early for free vodka!

If you missed it, check out my April post for Kittybat's mix, What the Hell You Just Standin There For!?

Also, grab some mixes over at Glitter and Gold:
Sunday Morning Smoke Session #4 - DJ Diddles

Sunday Morning Smoke- Dj Diddles and Infinite Horns

Click the flyer for more info



PS... Don't forget tomorrow at the Peacock Room!!! I would love to see all your smiling faces for my birthday!!!!! <3

1.21 Gigawatts?!?!?!

Warning: I couldn't resist the numerous Back to the Future quotes in the post that follows.



If you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style? And if you're gonna start a producer slash DJ outfit that cranks out discofied-electro music, why not give Doc Brown's wheels a paint job? Cue Hot Pink Delorean. Hailing from Red Sox Nation (that's Boston for the baseball illiterate), these guys have been blowing up music blogs and dance floors across the land. And thanks to the Carnival kids, HPD's density -- I mean, their destiny -- has brought them to us. Count on them to get your badonkadonk moving at Suite B tonight, because if my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eighty-eight miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit.



Here are some MP3s to get you in a righteous mood.

Hot Pink Delorean - Played Out (Feat. Fantastadon).mp3

Hot Pink Delorean - Badonkadonk.mp3

Hot Pink Delorean - Freak Night.mp3

And a bonus remix from Fantastadon:

Hot Pink Delorean - Freak Night (Fantastadon rmx).mp3

The Big Two Nine

This Friday -- June 20th !!!!

If you are reading this, then I expect to see you at my b-day party this Friday night at The Peacock Room!!!!!!!!

I'll be turning 29 on June 22nd, but we're celebrating early this year! Why? Because on my actual birthday, I will be in Boston watching STEVIE WONDER play live !!!! Best birthday present ever??? Yes!!!!!!

So, in honor of this, my WONDER-full birthday party (get it???) is happening this Friday! My two good friends Ken Sherry and Andrew Spear will be joining me to DJ, so the music will be all over the board (and awesome). Of course, Mr. Wonder will be thrown in the mix, probably as many times as I can get away with it. Oh wooord.

So YOU! Yes YOU!! I want to see YOU!!! I need YOU there!!! You can even buy me a bday drink!!!

Thank you for being a friend :D

xoxoxo
<3 Becky

Shipyard Will Take You Out To The Ball Game!

If there are any misplaced Chicago-ians in need of a Cubs game, you're in luck -- they'll be in Tampa playing the Devil Rays tonight and tomorrow. If that seems like a far drive, grab your seat aboard the Shipyard Bus for one of their infamous baseball excursions. $55 will get you a roundtrip ride, complimentary Shipyard beverages along the way and a ticket to the game. Not a bad deal for baseball fans.

Visit their Myspace page for more info. Tickets are also available through Fiddler's Green, which is where the bus will be departing from both evenings.

Seats are limited, so don't sleep!

Heavy Metal in Baghdad + Mr. Gasper

BackBooth seems to be the hub of all things awesome in town this evening. At 8 PM there will be a free screening of the new documentary by Vice Films and VBS.tv that's so metal it hurts. Heavy Metal in Baghdad shows the struggle of Iraqi band, Acrassicauda, as they battle for freedom in post-Saddam chaos. They will also be selling DVDs of the film with proceeds donated to the band. \m/



After the movie, stay to check out LA-based DJ, Mr. Gaspar. Here is some background via a Myspace bulletin:

Mr. Gaspar is a funny little fellow with about a gazzilian wicked good remixes out of a funny town called Las Angeles. He's been featured on a dozen or so sites and here are a few of them below. My favorite remixes by him are:

Pictures (Mr. Gaspar Remix) - Sneaky Soundsystem
American Boy (Mr. Gaspar Remix) - Estelle
Love Fool (Mr. Gaspar Remix) - The Cardigans

All of which and more are available from these fine resources:
http://www.thefastlife.org/2008/04/02/gaspar
http://www.amfmpm.org/2008/02/how-insanely-hot-are-those-new-m.html
http://thelemurblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/mr-gaspar.html
http://hotbiscuits.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/mr-gaspar/



If you happen to miss the movie, you can still get in free before 11 by signing up for the Crush guestlist.

Friday the 13th !!! (and the 14th)

There are plenty of bloodcurdling events taking place tonight to help you get your Friday the 13th on. First up are Killer Robots at The Peacock Room -- join Strobo, Maximilian, and Auto as they perform in Daft Punk meets Gwar fashion. The visual aspect alone is worth the cover charge.



Next up, we have a themed punk rock show taking place at BackBooth, aptly named Mosh of the Zombies. If you want to get in on the zombie-fied action, stop by A Comic Shop between 5 PM and 7 PM to get free zombie make-up. Makeup will also be provided at the door and zombie films will be playing throughout the event.



Crooked Bayou is hosting a "5-hour Nightmare of Terror," with Latenight Society and T.A.R.D. providing the tunes. Since the music won't be very scary, take advantage of the terrifying drink specials: $5 Bloody Marys, $4 Red Death shots and $3 drafts.



Grab your bike for a ghoulish midnight trip from cemetery to cemetery. The Ghost Ride will be gathering at the Baldwin-Fairchild Cemetery (301 N.E. Ivanhoe Blvd.) at 11:30 PM and riding over to Greenwood Cemetery (1603 Greenwood St.) promptly at midnight (which is technically Saturday the 14th, but who's counting?). Ghost and zombie costumes encouraged!



The hockey mask antics continue on to Saturday the 14th, with the return of MSTRKRFT to Firestone. Every time these guys play, they are on point: it's definitely a show you don't want to miss. Andrew Spear and MOT will be opening and have hinted at a special surprise in the works. Hmmmm....



And finally, this has absolutely nothing to do with Friday the 13th but is still awesome enough to list. Saturday night, Hard Rock Live is hosting Classic Albums Live featuring Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. With all the layered studio work this album encompasses, I can't even fathom seeing this album performed live -- especially considering the 35-piece Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will be backing up the musicians. It should be pretty spectacular, to say the least.



Be safe this weekend, be wary of your friends named Jason and try to avoid any zombie bites!!!

Tonight: Ladytron + Datarock

Quick and dirty post since I am way too busy today.



Don't miss Ladytron laying on the floor with candelabras and Datarock doing hooded bicycle headstands tonight at Firestone. Early show - doors are at 8!!

Carnival + Krames = <3

If you missed Krames the last time he played in Orlando, you're in luck because the Carnival kids are bringing the Cobra Kai member back to Suite B this evening. Check out his Euro Thrash mix below for a preview of what's to come.

Krames - Euro Thrash mix (via Divshare)

An MC Good Enough to Envy

Can Phat-N-Jazzy do anything wrong? Their persistent dedication to bringing the dopest names in hip-hop to our fair city continues to blow my mind. They are always so on it!!! Tonight they maintain their winning streak with the super talented MC/DJ, J-Live.



His first single, Longevity, was made popular by Mark Farina's first Mushroom Jazz mix, released in 1996. It's hard to believe the song could hold up this long and still be as awesome as it was back then, but it is. The title of the track pretty much says it all.

J-Live - Longevity.mp3

Here is a track off his new album, Then What Happened?, which dropped May 27th.

J-Live - The Upgrade (feat. Oddisee and Posdnous).mp3

And finally, while scouring the interwebs for J-Live info, I came across a promo mix from 1997 that gives a great example of what you may hear at The Social this evening.

J-Live Promo Mix (1997).mp3 (via Div Share)

Click the flyer for more info:

DJ Rut + Torque's 9th Bday + Kid Charlemagne

The Crush kids have a very special guest joining them tonight at BackBooth: DJ Rut. Although he's barley old enough to drink, he has co-founded Club City Records and his tracks have already been promoted on notable blogs like Discobelle and Iheartcomix. I saw him DJ at the Windish Agency party at the WMC this past year and he is definitely one to watch.

Check out a few of his remixes below and visit his Myspace page to hear his WMC promo DJ mix.

DJ Rut - U See Me Again Remix.mp3

Sara Bareilles - Love To Be Bmored (DJ Rut Remix).mp3


This party is free when you get on the Crush guestlist.



Also tonight at Crooked Bayou is the 9th year anniversary of Torque, Orlando's longest running drum 'n bass night. Any night that has made it this long in Orlando deserves mad props and support. Click the flyer for more details.



And, finally, if you're in the mood for a road trip, the ultimately awesome "driving in the car with dad" band, Steely Dan, is playing at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Tickets are a bit expensive but totally worth it.



Happy Monday!

Tonight: Club Queso + Get Mental

I don't get it.

Margaret Cho is "performing" at Hard Rock Live tonight and it's fucking SOLD OUT.



Really? There are really that many people who would buy her tickets??? Seriously??? Orlando, how can I keep sticking up for you if you are going to keep doing this to me???

Anyway, on to the REAL events for the evening.

Tonight at The Peacock Room is everyone's favorite Mexican wresting-themed monthly party, Club Queso, hosted by Q-Burns Abstract Message and Hoochie Productions. This time the theme is "disco" -- quite possibly my least favorite theme besides Pimps and Hoes.



It's not because I hate disco, it's because I love disco: the music, clothes and everything associated with the whole scene. I seriously can't stand when people try to replicate the era in a cheeseball way. Here's a good example of what I mean:



Sigh. Not to mention that Q-Burns won't play anything that even remotely resembles disco. He probably has a bajillion disco records, too, so why not play some at a freaking disco party???!!!???!!! Okay, now I’m just getting mad.

Let's watch the real deal.



Now I feel better.

If middle-aged white folks dressed in bad afro wigs isn't your scene, then join Andrew Spear and MOT over at Sky60 for their new weekly party, Get Mental.



Tonight they invite you to join them for "Dirty Dancing" and the password for free admission is appropriately "Nobody puts baby in the corner." You'll have the time of your life and you'll owe it all to those two.

Bruce Campbell + Big Jef

Obviously, if you already have tickets to see Vampire Weekend, then you don't need my blog to tell you where to go tonight. Have fun cramming into Firestone with 8 million of your closest friends! If you don't have tickets, please read on!



Coliseum of Comics at the Fashion Square Mall has put together a comic book nerd's wet dream. Tonight is a very special double feature of "Evil Dead 2" and "Army of Darkness" at Premier Cinema (that's the semi-trashy mall movie theater with really bad graphic design in case you weren't sure). Tickets are only $10 for this awesomely cheesy event.



Also playing tonight at hole-in-the-wall Uncle Lou's is Big Jef Special, a self-proclaimed "eclectic blend of punk, country, rockabilly, blues music for the soul." Be sure to hit up Wally's across the street first to get your drink on.