I just heard this band Fink doing an in-studio on KCRW as I was driving back from Santa Monica. They sounded pretty cool. It’s funny how these guys with cockney accents transform into angelic Peter Murphys when they sing. They reminded me a little bit of Joy Division. It was kewl.

They’re playing Spaceland tomorrow night. I may check this it out.

The members of Fink are as follows: Fin Greenall (Guitar and vox), Guy Whittaker (Bass) and Tim Thornton (Drums).

Links
Fink on MySpace

AFG Must Rock!
Check out: The Swagger Sticks

You can spend part of tonight at the famous Marrakesh House in Culver City. The house is the location for a benefit for World Aids Day.  The house has a secret location–but I found it. For those who want it: 6310 Tompkins Place, Culver City, CA 90232.

What’s so special about the Marrakesh House? The owner is Chris Paine, director of the documentary Who Killed The Electric Car? “He purchased the home in 2007 with the aim to transform the original Mid 20th Century Modern home into a model for sustainable living in the 21st century. In the process, Paine has also created a private residence that doubles as venue for art, music and culture in the surrounding community”.*

How did this house get so Green? See how below the details of the event:

This December 1st, World AIDS Day, please join us for a very special benefit at Marrakesh House in Culver City. This event is one of over a dozen NextAid fundraisers held throughout December in cities across the country.
All proceeds will go toward the creation of an ecological multipurpose facility for the “Kawangware Street Children and Youth Project” in Nairobi, Kenya, and for the education of South African children through the loveLife goGogetters program. .
Music Talent: Louie Vega -Vega Records www.vegarecords.net, DJ Rap – Propa Talent / Impropa Talent www.djrap.com, Marques Wyatt – Deep- LA www.deep-la.com, Turntables on the Hudson with DJ Nickodemus + Nappy G & Brazilian Drum Troupe + Todd Simon on trumpet. www.turntablesonthehudson.com, Raul Campos – KCRW 89.9 FM www.kcrw.org.
Comedians: Ben Morrison www.benmorrison.com, Whitney Cummings -Chelsea Lately / Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers www.whitneycummings.com and Ben Gleib www.gleib.com – Chelsea Lately / NBC`s The Real Wedding Crashers, Blacklight dancers from ArcheDream For Humankind www.adhk.org, Special Guest, Stephan McGuire – producer of Leondardo DiCaprio’s The 11th HOUR www.csafrica.org.
Open Bar – Silent Auction – Goodie Bags.

Tonight’s Event:

*http://marrakeshhouse.com/about/

Possibly one of my greatest shows ever in the existence of my radio duties!  From Puerto Rico to Canada, Amserstam to El Monte the emails, tweets were all positive.  Having feedback while on air is always a fun thing.  The lights were dimmed, the beats were nonstop and I was surrounded by records + cdrs.

LISTEN HERE TO THE PROGRAM

_____________________________

KCRW PLAYLIST. 12.01.09

__________________________

Black Joy     Golden 1

Souljazz Orchestra – Mugambi

Hardkandy -    Dunks

Joy Orbison -    Hyph Mongo

Zero 7 – Ghost Symbol

Break

The  INS w/ Miles Bonny     Lumberjack Soul

Comfort Fit    Exabyte (Flako Remix)

King Midas Sound – One Ting (Dabyre Remix)

Roni Size – New Forms (feat. Bahamadia)

Break

Red – I Should Tell Yo Mama on You

Common  -  Time Traveling  (A Tribue to Fela)

Electric Conversation – From Africa

King Coya -  Villa Donde

Break

Mia Doi Todd -  Amor (Adventure in Time Remix)

Quadron – Tone

Quadron -  Come You Can Go

Theophilus London – Pull My Heart Away (Remix)

Dj Cam – La 4 e’me Dimension

Break

Jose James -  Love Conversation (Exclusic)

Bei Bei & Shawn Lee  – Make Me Stronger

Sa Ra Creative Partners – SpaceWays Theme (CDR)

Clause Four – Version  (Soul)

Bibio- Fire Ant (Kever & Brause Remix)

Break

Build An Ark – World Music

Build An Ark – When Ancestors Speak  (Nu Waves Mix w/ GB + RACE OF ANGELS)

Ramsey Lewis – Jungle Strut

Doug Carn – Tropic Sons

Linda Williams – Elevate The Mind

Break

Seu Jorge – Tive Razao

Gilles Peterson Presents – Think Twice

Octote Soul Sounds – Tu Fin, Mi Comienzo

Autrechre – Konlied MX

Break

K-OS – Zambony

The Grouch & Eligh – Old Souls

Ammon Contact – Stereo X 5

Bonobo – Dismantling Frank

Clonious – Wolf Teeth Grind

Break

Fink – Q&A

Coleman – Dirty Disco

It’s amazing what having a couple full time jobs will do to your “free time” or there lack of – but worry not, here’s yet another attempt to get back on the blogging train…

Aryn & I listen to A LOT of radio… lucky enough are we to have a GREAT local FM station in Decorah – KDEC FM 100.5 – where yours truly actually worked back in high school. Our friends Jeni and David run the station along with her folks Bob & Colleen, who are all fantastic. KDEC pretty much breaks all the rules in terms of  (GREAT) programming and how “typical” radio stations succeed, and this is a huge part of why we love them. Having a local, commercial, FM station that plays good music is almost unheard of anymore, and so we feel pretty darn lucky to have such a cool station here in Decorah. You can listen on line too – just CLICK HERE and it’ll zip you right on over the interwebs to KDEC-land.

Now that said, our friends Jeni & David (whom help run KDEC) moved to Decorah from LA. Yup, that one, out west… the city of Angels… in which lives my other favorite radio type music outlet – KCRW. This station became famous a few years ago for their hit ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ show hosted by Nic Harcourt. Well, Nic is no longer there, but Jason Bentley continues to host MBE & the station continues to be one of the best sources (in my opinion) for super cutting edge pop / rock music, and yet still manages to mix things up in an “un-catergorize-able” mannor.  The fascinating part of the station to me is that a huge percentage of their traffic & listenership comes from on-line listerners. I listen on-line to KCRW at some point pretty much every week day (It works out nicely that the West Coast morning show starts shortly after KDEC’s finishes!) Plus catching up on National & International NPR news is nice!  KCRW is a public radio format – so it’s memberships, underwriting,  & donations that fund a great deal of their programming – pretty wild.

So that’s what I’m listening to (save for some Last.fm here & there!)… how about you?

PS-

…swing by & check out the new www.theinspiredmedia.com….

]]> http://antvala.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/kcrw-playlist-10-24-09/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:07:24 +0000 antvala http://antvala.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/kcrw-playlist-10-24-09/

New James Pants + The Redman (who im assuming is a moniker for Computer Jay?) and brand new electro cumbia from King Coya with a great new record on Nacional.  Also some throw back Diamond D, Jurassic 5 and Dorothy Ashby.   Hope you enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ENTIRE SHOW ON DEMAND

James Pants – Thin Moon

Panty Raid – Worship The Moon

King Coya    Villa Donde

Bibio – Lovers Carvings (Leatherette Remix)

Electric Wire Hustle – Waters

Break

Kankick – The Tribe Chant

Katalyst – What Are We Talking About?

Lefties Soul Connection – Get Back (Drum and Clap)

HardKandy  – Overkill

The Natural Yogurt Band – Invisible Ink

Budos Band – Budos Rising

Break

Diamond D   -  I Went for Mine

Jurassic 5 -  Canto De Ossanha

Hot 8 Brass Band – What’s My Name?

Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou – Ma / Tafou Gnin o

Break

Arthur Russell  – See Through

STS9  – Musical Story

Dorothy Ashby  – Come Live with Me

Electric Conversation – Melodie

Mister Modo and Ugly Beer  – Im Not Afraid

The Liquid Crystal Method  Tribute to TROY

Quadron – Day

Break

Gil Scott Heron w/ Brian Jackson  -  Song For Bobby Smith

Bonobo -  The Keeper

Dj Cam  – Love Junkee

Build An Ark – Love Is Everywhere

Nick Rosen -  Rainfall

Break

Flaming Lips – Silver Trembling Hands

Uptown Funk Empire – You gotta Have Freedom

The XX – You Got the Love (The XX Remix)

Domu – Springbreak

Break

Linkwood – Tears

Trus’ Me – Can We Pretend?

Dam Funk – The Sky is Ours

Poets of Rhythm – Plus Plus

The Clonious – Wolf Teeth Gang

Wax Poetic – Alessandra

Break

Red The Man – I Should Tell Yo Momma

Havana Cultura – Think Twice

Nneka – Heartbeat

Ocote Soul Sounds – The Revolt of The Cockroach People

Frank Biyoung – We Shall Overcome

Christian Prommer – Around The World

]]> http://antvala.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rest-time/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:22:20 +0000 antvala http://antvala.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rest-time/

Last night, Fast Fwd at Little Temple was business as usual with the squad hitting hard.  Another packed house with friends in the building. Met some cool new folks who came out for the first time and hope to see them all back next Saturday.  Had every Dj’s favorite moment where you could do no wrong and dropped some interesting joints into the set last night.   We continue next week!

Sundays are my favorite days to rest up and relax in the evening.  Headed up to the Drum circle to get some footage for this video clip im working on to promote the record.  I have a feeling tonight will be a long editing session.  Caught some pics.  Hope your weekend was enjoyable as well!

Catch you tomorrow (Monday night) on KCRW.  Lots of new records to share and break with you.

Love!

AV

Sweet Potato Cheesecake Pie sliced for the judges.

Waking up early on a Saturday morning to bake is actually an enjoyable activity during the fall. It’s very soothing to do it while listening to KCRW-FM, our Santa Monica-based public radio station. At 10:00 am, there’s Ira Glass’ This American Life, and right at 11:00 am, Evan Kleiman, Chef & Owner of Angeli Caffe, comes on with Good Food. One morning this summer, Evan announced her Pie a Day project. She would make a pie every day for three months. That’s a lot of pie! Somewhere along the line, an announcement hit the airwaves that she would host KCRW’s 1st Annual Good Food Pie Contest in honor of Evan’s efforts. We were so in.

The plan: Submit two pies–one sweet and one savory–ust to double our chances. The contest would be Saturday, November 14. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we knew we had to do one of our favorite pies with sweet potatoes. You already know we love a sweet potato! The other pie would be one you may have read about before from our three-course meal at Canelé–chicken, tarragon, fennel and grapes enclosed in flakey pastry.

The day of the event coincided with the big USC homecoming game against Stanford, and Amir had tickets to the game. That meant there’d only be one person representing the Duo during the contest. We spent the week separately working on portions of our pie entries, and by Friday evening, we combined our efforts to pull everything together. The Sweet Potato Cheesecake Pie was cooling on the counter, and it would go in the fridge to rest overnight. The filling for the Tarragon Chicken and Grape Pot Pie had been made and sat in the fridge, as the final balls of dough for crust were rolled, wrapped and set in the fridge to chill as well. The final step was filling the pot pie and baking it Saturday morning, so it’d be warm for the judges. We decided to use the pie tin many of us received in our Foodbuzz gift bags during the festival and hoped it would prove to be a lucky token. The next day, the car was packed with both pies and the mandatory utensils we had to supply ourselves. Always safe than sorry, extra knives, paper towels, pie servers and plates were in the bag as well. We’ve been in enough strange situations to know that you can never been too prepared.

Judge Mark Peel, Executive Chef & Owner, Campanile, reads up on our Sweet Potato Cheesecake Pie.

Upon arrival, the crowd was heavy, but the mood was light.  People milled around the registration table at the Westfield Topanga shopping center, and of course, they brought their friends and family to support. Anyone who just happened to be in the mall for a bit of shopping stumbled by and perhaps found a spot to stand behind the velvet ropes. The only people allowed inside were those with registered pies, KCRW volunteers and the judges. Everyone had to slice two pieces for the judges, label the bottom of their pie dishes and set up a sign with the pie’s entry number, name and ingredients nearby. Once you were done, all there was left to do was find a good place near your pie to watch.

It's our Tarragon Chicken & Grape Pot Pie!

There were several tables all filled with pies. You could tell people brought out the big guns from all the lattice work, high layers, crispy crusts, intricate designs and specialty ingredients. There was no shortage of individual character for every entry. Evan Kleiman walked throughout the tables talking to the crowd, while the judges eyeballed and tasted what was before them. The judges included a line-up of well known names:

Mark Peel – Executive Chef & Owner, Campanile
Russ Parsons – Food Editor, LA Times
Stefan Richter – Chef & Owner, Stefan’s at LA Farm
Eric Greenspan – Chef & Owner, The Foundry on Melrose
Elizabeth Belkind – Executive Pastry Chef & Owner, Cake Monkey
Amy Scattergood – Food writer, LA Weekly
Eddie Lin – Head of DeepEndDining.com and author, Extreme Cuisine
Amelia Saltsman – Author, The Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook
Pim Techamuanvivit – Food Blogger and author, The Foodie Handbook
Clifford Wright – Chef and Cookbook Author, Co-Founder of the Venice Cooking School

The only person who was unable to attend as a judge was Pim Techamuanvivit. According to one of her tweets, her flight was delayed at some point in the morning, and it seemed as though she missed the event. It would’ve been great to see her there, but there’s always next year.

Chef Stefan of Top Chef fame and Evan Kleiman discuss the afternoon of pies.

Waiting in the crowd as the judges tasted the pies was more than nerve wracking. Of course, all you’re concerned about is what their reaction will be when they taste your entry. As they inspected the slice, reviewed the entry label and brought fork to mouth, there is no doubt the owner of the respective pie felt their heart fall into their stomach over and over again. As a few of the judges poked their forks into the slices, they tried to maintain a blank expression, but there were a few of them who made it clear what they liked, which is nice if its your pie they are eating.

Chef Eric Greenspan and Chef Stefan seem to have made a lasting friendship.

For most of the crowd, the tasting process for the judges was a bit confusing and for some disheartening. A few people expressed belief that their pie had not been tasted by a judge, but it is difficult to know if that is true. It appeared as though the first round had all the judges walk through the tables, tasting a list of 10-15 pre-selected pie numbers. They voted on their respective pies, then there was a second tasting of more pies followed by another vote. We made it to the savory category’s top five for entry #137–our Tarragon Chicken and Grape Pot Pie. Unfortunately, the Sweet Potato Cheesecake Pie with Pralines did not place in the sweet custard category, but that was no problem. You can’t win them all.

Stick your fork in there Judge Russ! You're going to like it!

Although Amir couldn’t be there in person, he was there in spirit with texts asking for updates. He received rapid fire communication about our savory entry as it was tasted by judges and our movement into the top five category! Making it into the top five was a huge honor seeing as how there were supposedly just over 160 entries for the entire contest. There were many more sweet pies dominating the entries, so unfortunately, Mr. Sweet Potato Cheesecake Pie did not place. There’s always next year for him!

Eddie Lin wants to be sure he's indeed judging entry #137...our pie.

There goes Mark Peel poking into the pie. If he wants to add it to the Campanile menu, we'll sell him the recipe!

There was a bit of confusion about our pie entry’s number, which surfaced during the judge’s second round of tasting. In the top five list, someone had accidentally thrown in an entry for pie #138…but there was no pie listed under #138. Just our pie at #137 and another one at #139. Several judges crowded around our pie in complete confusion as to whether it was indeed #137 or #138. Thankfully they figured out where the mistake had been made, and we were in the clear. One of the judges who blatantly expressed his enjoyment of our creation was Eric Greenspan. During the numbering confusion, he leaned over and emphatically whispered, “This is your pie? It’s really good”. Score! As a side note, Chef Eric has one of the most hilarious, loud and perhaps grating laughs in all the world, but he loved our pie, so it’s all good.

The judges are voting, and their voting on our savory pie.

They called the final winners for the savory category, and our pie was number one! It’s one of those surreal moments where you’re not sure they said your name, but yes, they did. Once the winners were announced, photos taken and prizes awarded, the flood gates opened and bystanders had the opportunity to come in and taste any of the pies on the tables. It turned into a pie fiend madhouse! As soon as they ran in, it was time to run out to safety. That also meant there was no chance to taste any of the other pies, but it seemed like everyone else enjoyed their samples.

There goes the last piece of Sweet Potato Cheesecake Pie. Gone!

The final list of winners included:
Best in Show
1st – #109 – Barbara Treves’ Apple Pie

Fruit & Nut
1st – #109 – Barbara Treves’ Apple Pie
2nd – #115 – Jeff Winett’s Chocolate Walnut Rum Pie
3rd – #118 – Hae Jung Cho’s Blueberry Hand Pie

Cream/Custard/Chiffon/Mousse
1st – #22 – Marni Landes’ Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Pie
2nd – #15 – Daniel Hong’s Banana Cream
3rd – #5 – Marina Castle’s Dulce de Leche Coffee Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Savory
1st – #137 – Chrystal Baker & Amir Thomas’ Tarragon Chicken and Grape Pie
2nd – #143 – Zoe Jarocki’s Mushroom Pie
3rd – #140 – Edie Black’s Veggie Pot Pie

Interpretive
1st – #123 – Nita Larronde’s Yin-Yang Pie
2nd – #131 – Sharon Treinen’s Ice Box Lemon Pie
3rd – #119 – Lisa Giardino’s Mystery Pie (aka Ritz Cracker Pie)

Top winners holding our awards! Congrats to Marni for taking 1st place in the sweet custard category!

There were two notable parts of the afternoon that stand out for sure. One was meeting Marni from Happy Go Marni who took home first place in the sweet custard category for her Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Pie. Many congratulations go out to our fellow food blogger! Her site is full of very sweet treats, so go check them out.  Luckily, she had someone take our photo, so the memories will last forever.  Another familiar face in the crowd was Charles from 100 Miles. The funny part is that Charles was one of the first people to order our three-course menu from Canelé in September. He was the only person in the crowd who had already tasted the pot pie before the judges. Lucky Charles! If you haven’t checked out his blog, give it a whirl. Many thanks to Charles for all of his kind words and encouragement too!

The pot pie has been obliterated. And that's all there is to say about that.

We’re both very excited to have won first place over the weekend. The gift bag was full of notable prizes, including one of Dorie Greenspan’s cookbooks, a gift card and four fancy port wines. Everything will be put to good use folks! Hopefully KCRW will have more cooking contests like this in the future. It’s a great way to bring professional and amateurs together to have them test their skills, and we’re up for the challenge!

An excellent assortment of gifts thanks to KCRW!

Last nights show had an interesting rhythm.  Lots of new beat material as well as some throw back Moz off a great newly released compilation from the good folks at EMI! Some throw back boogie as well in the mix and I still cant seem to shake off the Quadron or Electric Wire Hustle album.  Im trying but those are simply two amazing albums!  They made my top 10 pics of the year!

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE

Carlos Nino w/ Lil Sci -  Inspiration

J Rawls – Welcome to North Africa

. Electric Conversation  – Retour A’ L’innocense

Bibo – Lovers Carvings (Leatherette Remix)

The Natural Yogurt Band – Space Echo

Jason Yarde – Ro’s Reflection

The Bacao Rhthm Steel Band -  Pi.m.p

Break

Kissey Asplund – Move Me

Himuro  -   Die Faultiere

Mitus The Beats – Mitso Says (Break Through Remix)

Amede & The Sound Smith – Vast

Kankick – The Tribe Chants / Untitled Beat # 16

Havana Cultura – Think Twice

Gretchen Parlato – I Cant Help It

Brass Roots – Liberian Girl

Pacha Massive – Two Step

GB – Love Songs

Break

RES  – For Who You Are

Lewis McCallum – Fly Or Die

Floating Points -  Love Me Like This

Anthony Valadez – Vibrations

Break

Djavan -  Serrado

Quadron – Average Fruit

Misel Quitno – A Fancy Friendship

Slum Village – Fall In Love

Jackson 5 -  Were Almost There (Dj Spinna)

Break

Yu  – Fine

Sarah White – Dance on Mars

Brenda Taylor – You Cant Have your Cake And Eat It Too

T.S Monk – Bon Bon Vie

Electric Wire Hustle – Again

Chancho Via Circuito – Break

Break

Florence and The Machines – You Got The Love  (The XX redit)

Jose James – Black Magic (Joy Orbison Remix)

Moody Men -  Black Mahogany

Break

K-Os – Zambony

West End Street Mob – Break Dance/Electric Boogie

Edan – Echo Party

Poets of Rhythm – Plus Plus

Break

James Brown – Its  a Mans World (Live from the Garden)

Build An Ark – World Peace Now

Kelpe – Decompression Introduction

Arthur Russel – Calling Out of Context

Morrissey – The Loop

A Race of Angels – Present Love

Florence and the Machine

Avec son groupe The Machine et en plus d’être mignonne, Florence Welch nous pond des compositions du feu de Dieu. Univers original, une voix exceptionnelle le tout accompagné de son “orchestre” m’ont beaucoup séduit. Oui je peux le dire haut et fort  je suis tombé sous son charme. Suivant de très prés les artistes figurants sur KCRW Morning Becomes Electic, je suis tombé sur la prestation de Florence qui est de loin la meilleure que j’ai pu voir actuellement avec celles de Lykke Li, Sebastien Tellier et Julia & Angus. Sortie cet été, Lungs est le seul album de ce groupe Londonien. Impressionné par leurs talents, je vous propose de regarder la vidéo de KCRW Radio dans laquelle ils interprètent  quelques morceaux de leur album. Ça se passe ici.

Florence and The Machine - Dog Days are Over

You can listen to last weeks shoe by clicking here

PLAYLIST.         11.10.9        KCRW      ANTHONY VALADEZ

Quadron – Day

Electric Wire Hustle – Again

Dimlite – Back To The Universe

Nite Jewel – What Did He Say?

Phenomenal Handclap Band – Baby

Break

Anthony Valadez – Vibrations

The Raah Project – Funeral Wedding

Mokee – Breakdown

Neil Cowley Trio – Revolutionary # 9

Manfred Hubler & Siegfried Schwab – Vampiros Lesbos

Electric Conversation – Golden

Favorite Flava – Calling To you

Break

Havana Cultura – La Grimas De Soledad

Milziq – Nomumbah

Julien Dyne – Incredulous

Kat 010 – Mammatus Mindtricks

Biz Markie – Make The Music With Your Mouth

Theophilus London – Pull My Heart Away

Break

Aaron Jerome – Kwa Kungasa

The Natural Yogurt Band – Chapter 1

Portico Quartet – Steps in the Wrong Direction

Adriana Triana – Lost Where I Belong

Machine Drum – 911

Break

Trus’ Me – Narda

Al Kent – Come Back Home

Linkwood – Fudge Boogie

Stereolab – Miss Modular

Build An Ark – Celebration

Break

Belle & Sebastien – The Boy With The Arab Strap

Beirut – Nantes

Lewis McCallum – Its you

Break

Meshell N’degeocello – Love You Down

Nick Drake – Introduction

Little Joy – Unattainable

Break

Monsters of Folk – Dear God

James Brown – Bring It Up

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – Stranded In Your Love

David Ruffin – I Miss You Part 1

Otis Redding – Try A Little Tenderness

Michael Jackson – Got To Be There (Strip Remix)

Break

Edan – Echo Party Pt. 1

Shawn Lee and Clutchy Hopkins – What More Can I Say?

]]> http://sarafine.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/kcrw-is-giving-away-free-music/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:19:06 +0000 sarafine http://sarafine.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/kcrw-is-giving-away-free-music/

KCRW one of the coolest/forward radio stations is offering up a mix of music to download free from iTunes. All you have to do is full out your info here and they send you the link!

Music downloads include songs by:

The Morning After Girls / Part of Your Nature
Fanfarlo / Ghosts
St. Vincent / The Strangers
Headless Heroes / Just Like Honey
Nickodemus / Calle Sol
Black Moth Super Rainbow /  Smile the Day After Today
Sonic Youth / Malibu Gas Station
A Camp / Here Are Many Wild Animals
Iron and Wine / Belated Promise Ring
Zap Mama / Do You Wanna?
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / 40 Day Dream
Miike Snow / Sans Soleil
Eels / In My Dreams
Bibio / Ambivalence Avenue
Generationals / When They Fight, They Fight
Moby / Pale Horses (Empyrean Dub remix)
Mayer Hawthorne / Maybe So, Maybe No
The Temper Trap / Sweet Disposition
Quantic and His Combo Barbaro / Un Canto a Mi Tierra
Mocky / Birds Of a Feather

Kissey Asplund

A major thank you to Ariana Morgenstern + Jason Bentley (Morning Becomes Eclectic) for picking the song I recorded w/ Kissey Asplund entitled Fire Fly as part of KCRW’s Top Tune of the day for Thursday November 12, 2009.   Earlier in the year they had selected “Azucar” as their top tune which you can download and peep here.   Fire Fly was recorded the night I first met Kissey and introduced her to In-N-Out, Los Angeles, and just the good energy that we have in LA.  She wanted to capture her expirience over one of my beats and after months of mixing, layering keys and bass lines, we created a musical baby I am very proud of.

Tune in to Morning Becomes Eclectic at the 11′o clock hour on November 10 on 89.9 KCRW or online at www.kcrw.com

Music from The Natural Yogurt Band (dont sleep!), Theophilus London, Build an Ark,  Biz Markie,  Kat 010, Trus’ Me, Stereolab, Dimlite, Nite Jewel and other space beats from beyond.   If you miss this one, you can always listen on demand here.

la paz.

]]> http://indymusic.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/florence-and-the-machine-krcw/ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:41:05 +0000 You Are the Music http://indymusic.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/florence-and-the-machine-krcw/

They rolled through KRCW last month performing their incredible music for the radio station.

Last month we posted on KRCW’s set with Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard (DCFC)

Check out the acoustic Electric Prom set from Florence and the Machine posted here.

KCRW è una radio di Los Angeles che mette a disposizione sul proprio sito tutti i video delle band, o solisti, ingaggiati per i live in studio. Sono tantissimi. Io l’ho scoperta per caso su youtube e mi sembra impossibile che non venga pubblicizzata qui da noi, forse non seguo abbastanza le riviste specializzate.

Il sito è un po’ incasinato, quindi metto i collegamenti qui sotto. Si possono vedere le singole canzoni oppure le puntate complete di Morning Becomes Eclectic che durano più di mezz’ora con le interviste.

Un assaggio dei video, qui: link

Archivio completo dei video e ricerca dei gruppi, qui: link

Ne copio qui due a caso (ma sul sito ufficiale si vedono meglio):

Ordinarily I am especially (or exceptionally) thankful for children on the first few business days after Halloween, when fun-size Butterfingers appear in bulk in our office kitchen.  Sadly, our kitchen is bereft of Butterfingers this year, perhaps because 25 hours of Sunday were available for binging before candy could be pried from plastic pumpkins.  Don’t worry.  I won’t re-enter child-appreciation mode until Girl Scout cookie season, but I needed that extra hour of sleep.

A Saturday Halloween provides the treat of two party nights.  The trick?  Costume concepts that strike me as remarkably clever on Friday seem markedly less clever on Saturday when I see two more of each of them.  This was the case with the Karl Lagerfeld costumes.  For your information, I’m informed that he no longer wears sunglasses.

On Saturday night, I attended KCRW’s masquerade at the Park Plaza Hotel.  The Edward Sharpe set was a highlight, and it was the highlight’s highlight when someone costumed as Alex Ebert, the vocalist, hopped on stage for the soundcheck in blasé fashion (“Check one, two, happy Halloween”), then hopped off moments before the actual Alex Ebert emerged.  I’d sent New York Boy a link to the band’s song “Home” (“Home indeed,” he replied) and devoted Saturday’s performance to recording cellphone video to be dropped in the flirtation well.  The video sounded atrocious and I realized I’d recorded myself, singing along.  Never mind.

I started Sunday at the Hollywood farmers’ market with a couple of friends who are on extended leave from New York.  I mentioned that I have a mild crush on the mushroom guy (attractive, tattoo sleeve, mushrooms!), and recalled the Flight of the Conchords episode in which Bret returns again and again to the pet store but can’t summon the nerve to converse with the cashier.  Each time he leaves with a bag of goldfish (three for the price of two).  Jemaine opens a cupboard in their apartment to reveal a veritable koi pond.  Better mushrooms!  My friends were kind enough to buy some shitakes, and I was forced to reveal that I have no idea how to cook them.  Dating the mushroom guy without cooking mushrooms is like dating the scooter guy at Choke motorcyle shop (who has been recommended) without riding scooters.  Hopeless.

The day was marred when gonebutnotlost failed to return my call.  It was a small but evocative disappointment, magnified by the final fifty pages of Home.  (I won’t tear up everything, but I might tear up a few things.)  When we did trade voicemails, he “totally forgot” to respond.  I formally acknowledge that he is lostandgone.  Thankfully, I have nothing more to say, as words don’t speak to disregard.

Lostandgone maintains a Twitter account of similes.  For the Angelenos:

Like crying into the L.A. River.

Another great show featuring the new Havana Cultura CD as well as new music from Adriana Triana.  Also showcasing some of the most amazing soul music coming from New Zealand as well.  If you missed the show you can listen here. Catch you next week with much more music to share!

Ant.

KCRW PLAYLIST – 11.03.09 w/ ANTHONY VALADEZ

Arthur Russel  – This Is How We Walk on the Moon

Bonobo feat. Adriana Triana – The Keeper (Grasscut Remix)

Havana Cultura – Think Twice

Build An Ark – Love

Break

Adriana Triana – Lost Where I Belong

Cinematic Orchestra – Channel 1 Suite

Electric Conversation – Africa

Finn Peters – Atlas

Little Dragon – Feather

Break

Lewis Mccallum – Its You

Rep Life – R U Ready?

Machine Drum – Embers

Tita Lima – Eesquizofrevo (Fulgeance Remix)

Shawn Lee + Clutchy Hopkins – What More Can I Say

Break

Electric Wire Hustle – Water

Cvees – For You

Goldie – Angel

Hudson Mohawke – Paint the Stars

Pacha Massive – 2 step

Break

Infinit Skills – Spring Breez Bossa

Julien Dyne – Fallen Down

Pacific Heights – In a Quiet Storm

Goapele – Milk & Honey

Floating Points – Shangrila

Bibio – Fire Ant

Break

Larry Young – Turn Off The Lights

Fella Vaughn – Listen

Portoform – Purple Planet

Aaron Jerome – Angel Lady

Meshell Ndegeocello – Slaughter

Break

Nick Rosen – Winter in Spring

Nick Rose – Rainfall

Georgia Ann Muldrow – Caracas

Mr Scruff – Midnight Feat

Breat

Alice Russel – Got The Hunger (Dj Vadim Remix)

Jim Tenor/Tony Allen – Sinhue

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Ballicki Bone

Anthony Valadez – Rewind Phase Two

Flaming Lips – If

Break

Lord Newborn + The Magic Skulls – A Phase Shifter

Dego – Dego in Brooklyn

A KCRW affair is always a classy one. This year’s Halloween Masquerade did not disappoint. From the gorgeous setting at the legendary Park Plaza to the central casting styled beautiful people in costumes fit for a movie shoot, there was everything needed for a visual and aural bacchanal.

The grand staircase of the Park Plaza was jammed with incredible ensembles ranging from clever to kitschy. There were the topical and predictable, like a Galifianakis in blu blockers with baby from The Hangover, to costumes so intricate they had moving parts which lit up.

There were hats and gloves, masks, tails and plumes, which scraped floors and door frames. The amount of glitter, feathers and fur left in clumps on the floor of the women’s bathroom made the place look like a kennel in Vegas.

Each level in the historic Neo-Gothic hall had a full bar, spooky projected visuals and grand gothic décor. Out in the back, the premier foodie trucks, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Koji Korean barbeque, Border Grill and Kool Haus served up treats to hungry ghouls.

Gothenberg’s electropoppers Little Dragon dressed in all black like Dieter dancers with brightly colored Aztec paper masks, played their synthy tunes for an enthusiastic crowd in the Bronze room. As Yukimi writhed and waved her oblong tambourine and atoned ala Siouxie over the poppy goth beat, the well dressed crowd didn’t waver for a moment.  She rewarded the audience by dancing harder and singing to the back of the house with Evita arms outstretched. There was a massive response for these Swedes. Angelinos want more Little Dragon and they want it immediately.

Little Dragon by Jeremiah Garcia

Upstairs, the crowd for Sea Wolf was just as great, even though Little Dragon’s set overlapped theirs – the only unfortunate problem during the evening – Alex Church and company took the stage decked out a la Day Of The Dead in black skeleton jumpsuits and white skull faces. True, I was a bit disappointed he wasn’t dressed as Teen Wolf (luckily KCRW DJ Eric Lawrence WAS dressed as the MJ Fox character) but that’s where my disappointment ended. Alex sang the new songs with a confidence I haven’t yet seen from him, which will serve him well once the New Moon hoopla snowballs into insanity.

The band launched into old favorites like ‘Songs For The Dead’ and ‘Black Dirt’, asking Big Bird, Super Mario Bros, Jack and Meg White, and several slutty showgirls in the front row to join the band on the stage steps. As they played their hit ‘You’re A Wolf’, the scary visuals being projected above dissolved into the twins from The Shining which almost pulled focus from the newly charismatic Alex Church. Almost.

Sea Wolf by Jeremiah Garcia

Downstairs, DJ Shadow took the decks with 45s, of course, spinning funk and old school favorites. In my eyes, Shadow was the ‘get’ of the night and the clear headliner. He is one of the premiere DJs of his time.

DJ Shadow by Jeramiah Garcia

Unfortunately, his crowd was a bit thin, due to the set times overlapping and the fact that he was up against the Jonestown-like fervor of Edward Sharpe and an electronic rave that Jason Bentley was commandeering on the top floor. I’ve never seen men in full Amadeus regalia and powdered wigs dance in a room that was hot enough for a Bikrams yoga class. It was like Bentley had them in a Trance trance and none of them could pull their overly made up bodies away.

Bentley's crowd by Jeremiah Garcia

Many people filed in the ballroom to watch the final band of the evening, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, perform. Alex Ebert and his polyphonic spree type cult of musicians crowded onto the stage and launched into pleasant singalong sounds. It’s funny to think of Ebert this way. I remember him with the bi-level razored hair and skinny Ima Robot jeans when his songs ‘Scream’ and ‘Dirty Life’ made me do a lil’ indie dance. That was before he made a pilgrimage to Pioneertown and started dressing in all white, all the time. Now, everyone is entitled to a sea change both musically and looks wise. I just wish I liked the new music as much as everyone else around me did. Even the guy dressed as a Golden Shower, danced like a Manson family member on a Joshua Tree LSD binge.

Edward Sharpe and Spree by Gary Leonard

I went back downstairs for more DJ Shadow and for some Garth Trinidad who brought the obvious missing element: Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Decked out as Moses, he used his great, ahem, staff, to part the wheat from the chaff and really make the zombies dance. On the floor. In the round.

Garth/Moses and his big staff

Thriller night, indeed. Something for everyone and each one of the senses provoked, the masked masses danced straight into the early hours of All Saints Day.

Alice Cooper In Wonderland

Possibly the best party of the year held at the Park Plaza in DTLA.  Seeing so many people in costumes and watching Little Dragon rock out was a major plus for me personally.   Selection wise I tried to keep it moving with a world beat set that went into funk that went into house and that somehow stayed on the electro tip for a minute before ending w/ Blur’s Song 2.   Raul followed and I ventured off to see Little Dragon just hold the crowd in a musical daze with synth bass lines and Yukimi Nago strutting her moves like only she can!  Enjoy the pics!

AV

KCRW MASQUERADE BALL

KCRW MASQUERADE BALL

YUKIMI @ KCRW MASQUERADE BALL

Dan Wilcox + AntVala + EJL + Tom Schnabel + Raul Campo

photocredit : Jeremiah Garcia + Jessica Chai’s I Phone.

If you missed last week’s program, listen to it on demand  here.

Last weeks show featured brand new music from Build An Ark
hand delivered into my hands hour before I was to go on air.
Some great feedback for that record as well music from
Bonobo, La Melodia, Dimlite, Jungle Brothers,
Quadron, and much much more! Hope you enjoy!

PLAYLIST – ANTHONY VALADEZ   / KCRW  / 10.27.09

Frankie Valentine – Zumbi
LCD Soundsystem – 45:33 (Trus’ Me edit)
Machine Drum – Late Night Operation
Sharon Jones + Dap Kings – Keep on Looking (Kenny Dope edit)
Meshell Ndegeocello – Bright Shinning Morning

Break

Bonobo – The Keeper (Grasscut Remix)
Mux Mool – Eagle Fantasies
Quadron – Tone
Dj Shadow – Six Days feat. Mos Def
La Melodia – Vibin High (instrumental)
Eric B & Rakim – In the Ghetto

Break

D’Nell – Thats How I know
Erykah Badu – Soldier (Co.fee edit)
Mike Slott – Home
A Race of Angels – Home
Kutmah – She Appeared through the Clouds
Massive Attack – Splitting Atoms

Break

Mark E & Dragon – Good Times (Quiet Village Edit)
Pete Rock & Cl Smooth – Smooth It Out
Dimlite – Back to Universe

Break

Build an Ark – World of Music
Jungle Brothers – Straight Out of the Jungle
Shingo Suziko – Voice of the World
La Melodia – Keep It On
Slakah The Beathchild – Some Beats
Francis Del Rio – Sentinento
Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou – Minkou E So Non Moin

Break

Various Artists/Jam Session – Happy Born Day, Flying Lotus
Anthony Valadez – Vibrations
Shawn Lee and Clutchy Hopkins – 70 Mph
Rob Swift – Fusion Beats
Jason Moran – Planet Rock

Break

Sylk 130 – Seasons Change
Mulatu Astatke – Mulato
Take – Black Space & Tangerines

Break

Finley Quaye – Even After All
Betty Davis – Stars Starve You Know?
Karen O & The Kids – Capsize

Break

Ticklah – Space Root
Peven Everett – Sankofa
Natural Self – Feet Keep Moving
Digable Planets – Nickle Bags
Tenor & Allen – Selfish Gene
Dam Funk – Lets Take Off

They bleeped him!

Had a great time spinning at the Westfield as part of KCRW’s Sounds Around Town with The Lions. Managed to grab a few snaps.

biggups jonathon for the pic http://www.puravidaphotos.com/

Sounds Around Town

Sounds Around Town

What a delicious bit of ear candy. Eclipse begins 30 minutes in.