a music blog

If you have a good ear or if you want a good time

[headytimes-blog]

No Camp Bisco

It's official: there will be no Camp Bisco this year. After mounds of rumors and a perpetual game of tug-of-war between believers and skeptics, the Disco Biscuits have confirmed that the beloved festival will be taking this summer off with promises of a bright future in 2015.

Spectators have countless reasons on why the festival needs a year off. Bad press has been rising regarding the deaths and overdoses. Negative fans even believe the band has lost its love for their own festival and would rather concentrate on side-projects (Conspirator and Barber's popumentary film Badpuss). It is clear though that the major reason has to do with ILCC which has been Camp's home for the last 5 years. Essential requirements were not met last year, such as a complete report after the festival, as well as being packed overcapacity. 

The official statement on the Disco Biscuit's Facebook does not go into detail:

With a lack of Camp Bisco and smaller festival The Big Up calling it quits, the Northeast festival community is going to undergo serious change this summer.

[headytimes-blog]

Review: Emancipator Ensemble

Emancipator is well known for his intimate music, so where can be better to spend Valentine's Day in New York City? 

Although this was my mentality my expectations were not fulfilled. Considering the fact that he was playing with an ensemble, I was excited to see something magical on the stage that I have not yet experienced at an Emancipator set. Generally he only plays with a violinist, which does indeed make for a good performance, but this time he had a full band. Quite frankly I was disappointed. He should have just labeled it "live band".

Even with this addition to the set, I heard the same music I have been hearing for the last five years whenever I have seen Emancipator. The music was wonderful, nobody can argue that. But the act is getting stale. As an artist with such talent it sure is a shame that nothing new has come from these last few years. The show was enjoyable, just disappointing. I doubt I will be rushing to his sets this festival season.

[headytimes-blog]

The Simpsons Go To a Festy

Which phan are you?

[headytimes-blog]

Don't Call It A Comeback

It’s no secret that Disco Biscuits fans often complain that the band has been off their game after 2009. From Barber’s infamous (alleged) cheesesteak addiction to Brownie favoring side projects, fans have been creating a wide array of excuses for the band’s lack of monumental moments for the past three years. Well, the time has finally come to be proud to be a Bisco kid.

Proving their dedication by doing an in-studio Sirius XM Jam On session, playing shows monthly, and being added to festivals, it’s hard to not call this a comeback. The New Years run thus far has shown elements that have long been only a memory. Experimental riffs, band chemistry, and genuine energy have been in full force. Passion leads to greatness, and the best is yet to come.

They might have been here for years, but the show is just getting started. The boys are back.

[headytimes-blog]

OG Camp Bisco

The Disco Biscuits posted the first ever Camp Bisco flyer and I could not resist sharing it. Our beloved festival has come a long way since.

The second flyer is not much of an upgrade.

My question is, why is Camp Bisco no longer an "All-Star Loonfest"?

[headytimes-blog]

Spacey Gaga

No, this is no parody of Lady Gaga. Apparently the artist is going to be the first to perform in space.

She will be blasting off from Zero G Colony high-tech music festival and performing in zero gravity in 2015. In order to prepare herself she will undergoing special vocal training to get her lungs accustomed to the bizarre environment. The festival is claiming to be full of advanced technology to create a galactic experience. Although there is not much more information on the topic, we still have to wait two years until the event, so there is plenty of time for details to unveil.

If this is the future of music, I cannot say I'm too excited. We may be pushing the envelope too far too quickly. But at the end of the day I must admit lazers in space would be cool so I can't complain. One day this will be the norm, perhaps a day sooner than we expected.

[headytimes-blog]

Current Obsession: Psydub

Recently I have not been able to rip myself away from psydub. Some aspect of the genre feels comforting. I have unknowingly become infatuated with this genre before, but now that I pinpointed it I can finally explore its depth. Other psy categories are enjoyable as well (psytrance, psystep, etc) but psydub holds comfort due to its downtempo nature. With middle eastern influences and reggae beats it's hard to go wrong. Here are a few artists you should start yourself off with in case you are new to the genre:

Kaminanda

Brujo's Bowl (meditative relaxation dub)

https://soundcloud.com/brujosbowl

Andrelein/Heyoka (glitchy psydub)

https://soundcloud.com/andreilien

[headytimes-blog]

The Evolution of Genres

In this day and age the conglomerates of music genres make it nearly impossible to make out the origins of style. Genres are given multiple adjectives (i.e. acid funk trap house) giving us too much information resulting in a confusion that parallels that of too little information. Technology and globalization are beautiful in the fact that we are able to blend these styles and come up with new ones. But you can't go too far without knowing the history of it all.

I found a quick guide to explain it all.

http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/infographic/interactive-music-map/index.html

The map seemingly shows a mess of arrows and genre titles but with a closer look it is quite helpful. When you press play, the map goes through a brief timeline, starting in the 1800s, of musical genres.

What you see above is the interactive map at the present. Go have a look and see how your favorite genre began.

[headytimes-blog]

Artist Spotlight: Schlang

A new collaboration group is quickly rising to the top of the scene, making appearances at festivals all over the Northeast. Schlang is the musical lovechild of Supersillyus and Space Jesus. The combination of forces results in a super heady experience. Priding themselves in their trippy nature, Schlang uses their psydub influence to infiltrate the scene. If you like acts such as OTT and Shpongle, I would highly recommend these guys. Keeping it intelligent while dance-y is what makes their act so enjoyable.

See for yourself via their soundcloud. This track, amongst others, depicts their style. Enjoy.

And remember, they're schlang, you're schlang, we're all schlang.

[headytimes-blog]

Bella Terra Festival: A Review

Of all festivals I have had the glory of attending, this has been the best to date. The vibes were impeccable, the music was great, and the artwork was refreshingly beautiful. Although I wish I could go through every second of the weekend, I will gladly tell of some noteworthy highlights. EOTO started the party off right, playing the sunset set on the first day. It's always incredible seeing these middle-aged dudes switch their style up from String Cheese's blues to tasteful live wobble. Wobblesauce followed on a smaller stage, ripping it up with melodic jam without even having a guitarist. Schlang created a trippy experience on the second day, somehow even in broad daylight. Come nighttime, legend Zach Deputy rocked the stage. Coming from the man himself, "They told me my set would be 45 minutes, I didn't know they meant four hours." Ghostface Killah was so late to his set that Zach had to play from 7 to 11. He kept a happy face and even alluded to Wu Tang. Emancipator blew the audience away on a side stage with his soothing talent. Saturday is always the biggest party of any festival and Robokop and Turkuaz proved this to be true. Aside from all the acts, the festival had plenty of perks. The actual land is charming, with visible mountain ranges and grazing cows that come close to lot. People came to enjoy one another rather than the contrary. Overall, the weekend was a memorable one.

[hotsugar]

i did an interview with 1.21 Gigawatts magazine

*read the FREE digital version here*

<3 ♜♆♜

NEW STUFF COMING SOON

[headytimes-blog]

Nick Koenig interview

[headytimes-blog]

Festie Survival Guide

Since festie season is finally amongst us I wanted to help out the newbies with tips on how to be properly equipped. Here are some things you can't leave without, and others I just highly recommend.

WATER. Please don't forget this. The first time I ever went to a festival I had no water or food and was completely unprepared. Although it led to make for some of the experience, I highly recommend just bringing what you need. Staying hydrated is a must.

Moneys. Although it can be a fun quest to go to a festival with only a dollar in your pocket, spare your friends' wallets. Nobody wants to be camping with the mooch.

Try to convenience yourself with room set up in a tent and a sleeping bag. It gets rainy, you can't always sleep in the grass. 

A good crowd. Your experience can quickly go sour with people who have any intention other than having a good time. 

There are many other things that will help you out such as sunblock, rainboots, etc. The most important is that you're comfortable and safe.

[headytimes-blog]

A Quick Note On Artists

It is very rare for me to respect an artist. Not for any other reason except that I do not take the term "respect" lightly. Many people in the music industry are just out there, having fun, doing what they're doing. That's cool too, but when I respect an artist it means I can genuinely feel the passion he has for the material he is creating. He is so passionate that it transpires through his music and how he speaks about the world in its entirety. If I can practically touch the essence of your soul during your set, I know that you poured every fiber of your being into this. This case scenario is very rare. I have had the pleasure of witnessing it many times in my life, and more importantly realizing its power. I'm always willing to listen to music that can make me dance, but to make me feel infinite emotions is another story. I listen to a lot of music and I like most of it, but there is a line that not many are able to cross. And for those who do, I hold you so highly.

[headytimes-blog]

Artist Spotlight: Orchard Lounge

A hit with the underground jam scene, Orchard Lounge is worth the praise. I have held out for a long time, because I heard they were very "trance-y" and I usually don't enjoy that type of music. Recently I gave them a shot and I cannot be happier with what I found.

The truth about OL is that they are not just trance, they encompass every genre in their own unique way. You're likely to find a hip hop beat or sample on the same set as heady dance grooves. They are a three-DJ group that integrates with such finesse that the teamwork shines. The best part about these three: one of them is a chick! Gotta love girls in the music scene with real talent.

In fact, these guys are so cool that they even made many of their full live sets easily accessible on their Soundcloud. Yes, that means you won't have to dig through Archive to get a decent quality set. These are all top notch recordings.

Click here to be redirected to OL's Soundcloud

My personal favorites are 10-20-12 and 11.11.12. The former has a downtempo Swedish-dance vibe. The latter has funky old-school aspects. Try them all to see what OL suites you best.

[headytimes-blog]

Barber Shreds Kickstarter

Instead of writing new Disco Biscuits songs, guitarist Jon "barber" Gutwillig is working on a side project for "BadPuss".

"BadPuss" is a popumentary about a fictional girl band. Barber's role in the film is creating original music, with other known musicians such as Clay Parnell of Brother's Past, which will be passed off as music by BadPuss. A Kickstarter has been started for this project.

Watch Barber describe his role as the creator of BadPuss's sound, from start to finish, incorporating different eras of sound.

Read the full article here

[headytimes-blog]

Diplo & Friends

Recently the "Diplo & Friends" mixes have been everywhere. It's almost as though everyone with a launchpad has made one. I guess Diplo has a lot of friends.

I'm a mix addict, so it's safe to say that this trend excites me. It has been a tedious task to sift through all the repetitive electro garbage and find the good ones. Here are a few I deem worthy:

RL Grime - This mix has a refreshing balance of genres and quite a few throwback surprises. Click here to grab the mix

Ryan Hemsworth - I've been following him since I saw his show with Daedelus at the beginning of March. This mix is a more laid back one, with plenty of trap remixes and r&b. Keep your syrup close.  Click here for all of his mixes of the past year, including Diplo&Friends

Flying Lotus - I admire an artist that can stick to his roots without sounding too repetitive and buying into the latest trends. FlyLo does just that; how can anybody not love him and smile to his music? Click for the mix

Find many more D&F mixes here.

[headytimes-blog]

Rock N Roll Resort Announces Schedule

It's time to get your heady festival pants ready because staring April 12 festival season is in full gear.

Rock N Roll Resort, located in Kerhonkson, NY, takes place in Hudson Valley Resort & Spa combining the juxtaposition of hotel cleanliness with festival life. Back for it's third time, this festival brings acts that are surely Northeastern favorites of the jamband scene together into one space accompanied by an assortment of activities such as golf, poker, yoga, and of course, spa treatment.

Hitting the stage will be acts such as Kung Fu, Soulive, Fikus, Barefoot Panther, Jeff Bujak, Cosmic Dust Bunnies, Cosmal, and much more.

Click here for more information on the artists.

Find below the schedule for this early getaway. Why wait until June to start having fun?

Shack up in a real bed (not a tent!) and catch some great music at Rock N Roll Resort.