Orange County Music Blog

It's a little strange to sense all the buzz surrounding Europe's new dark wave of dance floor sounds, which combine tribal drums with deep, chugging bass and a simmering sense of bacchanalia. The likes of Loco Dice, Sven Vath, Dubfire and Radio Slave have been churning out this latest club-land flavor, which lies somewhere between minimal techno and dubby house music. But it's been done before.

Fabric London

The doctor is in the house.

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Rewind to the mid-1990s and behold one Southern California native Doc Martin, who was rinsing out evil, "druggy" house for the after-after-hours underground. Dry, loopy tracks would declare "New York-London-Amsterdam" ad nauseum; or a song would state, "It's dark in here ... it's wet in here ... it's deep in here ... I like it here." Even before DJ's DJ Danny Tenaglia was declared the king of the "twisted" sound, Mr. Martin was tweaking bodies and minds.

A DJ hero who has been at it since the late 1980s, Doc has never been a flavor of the moment. He's always been his own man, anchoring his strictly underground Sublevel events while jetting off ocassionally to headline the world's greatest superclubs. (London's Fabric is a frequent destination). Check out Doc's timeless, bottom-heavy grooves Tuesday at Focus.

Focus presents Doc Martin Tuesday at Tapas, 4253 Martingale Way, Newport Beach. 18+. Tickets $8 in advance. Doors at 9:30. Info: focus-oc.com.

Some would credit Europe with this thing we call electronic dance music by pointing back to the pioneering work of Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and Can. They would be half right: Contemporary electronic dance music, like blues, rock and jazz, is a progeny of the interplay between black and white music. (See Juan Atkins, Frankie Knuckles and Moby). And so, for many years New York was the club capital of DJ culture, and Southern California was its backyard playground.

DJ T

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But Europe has, in recent times, exacted a swift revenge on the world's dance floors. Berlin, Barcelona and Ibiza, Spain have surpassed New York, Miami and Chicago as clubbing's premier map points. And early techno and electronic dance artists such as Germany's Sven Vath, Booka Shade and DJ T - some of them beyond their 40s -- have come back with a vengeance, adding that lost ingredient of early European electronic - soul - to their teutonic groove boxes.

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Thursday marks the opening of a new weekly club night at Long Beach's Basement Lounge. Called Big Audio, the kick-off event includes former From First to Last frontman Sonny Moore (aka Srkillex) spinning electro re-mixes, DJ Japson and DJ Jahmontee.

There are drink specials and the first 50 people to RSVP here get in for free.

Before the owners were busted for allegedly running a sex club, the Basement Lounge was the closest thing to Hollywood-style nightclubs that Long Beach had. Velvet ropes, dress codes, men/women way out of your sorry ass league, overpriced drinks...the whole nine. Let's hope Big Audio steers clear of all that mess.

Frankie Alvaro, looking flustered.

My girlfriend is part of the newly formed Long Beach Roller Derby, which meant I really couldn't say no when she asked if I wanted to attend their Friday night fundraiser at Que Sera. Luckily for me, I went, and unlike her work Christmas parties, this wasn't a drag at all. It was really fun.

Not knowing what I was in for, I grabbed a flier near the entrance and discovered the fundraiser was actually part of a new monthly event called Rock Box Long Beach. On this particular evening, DJs Frankie Alvaro, Neko, Saratonin and Soozee were spinning a range of house music to '80s re-mixes to Biggie Smalls hits. Somehow, it all worked.

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For Chris Manak (aka Peanut Butter Wolf), the 90s will always hold a special place on his turntables. After starting his official career as a recording artist in 1990, this revered L.A. DJ/producer birthed Stones Throw Records, a premier source of eclectic hip hop culture, in 1996. Tonight, he kicks off his 999 Tour at The Glass House that pays homage to the era of G-Funk, New Jack Swing and those hip hop jams that still get the party going. It's the latest in his tradition of triple digit shindigs ( he's hosted events titled 666, 777,888 over the last several years). Tickets for tonight are $15.

The flier is pretty self explanatory: come out and party with PB Wolf and his gang of legendary DJs and performers for 9 consecutive nights in 9 different area codes at a party that is all about, you guessed it, the 90s. As far as LB and OC are concerned, you can look forward to catching the party on Sep. 3 at Club 149 in LB, Sep. 6 at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa and Sep. 8 at The Continental Room in Fullerton.  And in case you forgot what the 90s looked like (I know, it seems sooo long ago), PB is ready to refresh your memory.

Stepping into his role of Video DJ, the night promises a barrage of Clinton-era classics that bridge the gap between the golden age of hip hop and today's radio faves. Joining the roster for all 9 shows will be the legendary DJ/producer Prince Paul (De La Soul), DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill), Rhettmatic, Dam Funk (who we wrote about not too long ago), Mayer Hawthorne and Pase Rock. As if you need any more reasons to drag your ass to at least on of this wild parties, PB also has decided to tease you with a little bit of you tube promotion . You can tell they really put a lot of time into this. Check out the little tyke in the overalls.

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You know something big is going down when both of Detroit Bar's most recognized DJ nights (Busywork and La Boite Funk) have to join forces to host an event. And really, what could be bigger that Steve Aoki performing in mom jeans. Oh wait, correction... playing WITH Mom Jeans. Tonight Steve Aoki, world class electro DJ, Newport Beach native and founder of Dim Mak Records is rocking with actor Danny Masterson (owner of the aforementioned Mom Jeans moniker).

 A few days before his brief tour of Europe, Aoki returns to one of his Costa Mesa stomping grounds. Though Masterson's better known for punishing Kelso on the Fox TV sitcom That 70s Show, he's continued to bolster his rep for issuing beats of a different sort on dance floors throughout LA. At one point he was even nominated by Paper Magazine for Diesel Nightlife's award for "Best DJ". Trust me, they don't just give that out to any old sitcom star with marginal turntable skills.

And even at the price of $20 a head, you're still getting the power of two great night for the price of one. Not to mention the unshakable prowess of Busywork and La Boite Funk regulars Dan Sena, GMO, Rockberry and Colossal KNXN. Don't be foolish. Get there early. And if you can scrounge up a pair of ACTUAL mom jeans to wear to the party tonight, I've sure Masterson would appreciate the support.

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A couple months ago, I did a music feature on a couple of Huntington Beach DJs known for firing  up dance floors across the county under the name Colossal KNXN (pictured). Tomorrow night, they'll show you the skills that put them on the Weekly's radar when they take on a pair of L.A. song selectors in an old fashioned DJ battle at Sutra Lounge, one of their glossy backyard stomping grounds in Costa Mesa. Newport Beach DJ Kedd Cook is also representing OC alongside them in a tag tam style contest.

Their L.A. opponents include Mr. White and C-Town, two highly established turntable wizards in the world of house and electro. As part of another installment of Sutra's XOBESO Thursday night entertainment series, this battle is a straight OC vs LA throw down (I smell an a sequel to You Got Served brewing) as both teams vie for the affection of Sutra's sweaty club goers in a back and fourth test of song selection, nifty tricks and other miscellaneous forms of bad assery.

As far as the home team is concerned, both CK and KC's ability to integrate hip hop, dub, house and electro is fluid fashion is truly what makes their styles blend so well together. Though this won't be an easy contest, I'm pretty sure L.A. will be in for a rude awakening when the OC team steps to the turn tables to snatch their bragging rights. If you show up before 10:30 p.m. it's only $5 to get in, $10 after. The crowd decides the winner at the end of the competition so make sure to come out and show your love.

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In this week's music section of The Weekly, many of you got your first taste of the spaced-out beat mechanics of DaM FunK, an L.A. DJ who's made his mark in these parts with his sweaty, late night forays into Fullerton's Continental Room. Combining Prince-era funk, a pinch of disco glam and a whole 'lotta synth, this crate-digging Stone's Throw artist, is increasing his profile everyday, even amongst the hipster literati. Today, Pitchfork  issued FunK a solid "7" rating on his slow-melting, laid back single "Toeachizown" (it's okay, sound it out: "to... each...his ...own") off of his upcoming 5 LP Box Set to be released this October. For more specifics on his story, check Chris Ziegler's article here.

And despite run on sentences, overwrought analysis and SAT vocab that seem to turn Funk's neon, interplanetary grooves into fodder for a rigid grad-school thesis, they actually wrote him a pretty good review (click here for the full review). But one question still lingers in this precious scrap of Pitchfork criticism; how can a song "sound sterile at first glance?"

 Ultimately the reviewer tells us that, the art of eccentric 80's dance music isn't for everybody. In fact I was pretty surprised to even see it reviewed on Pitchfork's website, given their allegiance to the indie rock college crowd. And in this realm of highly stingy music aficionados, a "7" ain't too shabby.  But hey, at the end of the day, it's YOUR review of what you see and experience that really matters..."Toeachizown" right? So why not check out Dam Funk for yourself as he makes another trip to The Continental Room tonight along with DJs Billy Goods and Bobby Soul. The show is free and starts around 10 p.m. 

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Monthly DJ nights are a dime a dozen in Southern California. But finding the good ones is another story. Luckily one residency that hasn't lost it's step is Dubtroit, a bombastic alter island-inspired beats courtesy of Detroit Bar.

 But lip-service aside, its status is constantly being proven by the song selectors and dubstep enthusiasts who come faithfully every month to dance and sweat in the dark. Not to mention the fact that they pull talent from far and wide.

Case and point: tonight's newest installment presents the heavy beats and thick waves produced from across the pond by UK Dub/drum and bass artist Sukh Knight, currently on True Tiger and Nasha Records. Dubtroit also roped in some East coast talent, specifically, NYC/Boston duo Incyde and Pandai, both of which have a time tested residency at NYC's Dubwar residency.

A then there's the local talent. Which is not to say the DJs Tea Long and Steady, couldn't get a dance floor going wherever they happen to be spinning that night. Long, who is one half of electro/hip hop DJ crew Colossal KNXN (read about the here) has been rocking Dubtroit alongside Steady, his L.A. comrade, for quite a while and knows exactly how to incite an OC crowd.

But what does all this hype really amount to? Let's skip back to what I said in the lead. A good monthly night. In Orange County, a good FREE Dubstep monthly is even harder, maybe impossible if it weren't for clubs like this.

 

The 20th anniversary of rave culture's American birth is coming next year, and already it feels like the happy face era is making a comeback. In Los Angeles last month, Electric Daisy Carnival, a two-day dance fest with origins in the glow-stick underground, claimed attendance of 135,000 people. And rave veteran Destructo's new-school Hard festivals (the next one's Aug. 8 at the Forum in Inglewood) are getting bigger and bigger. Frankly, geezers are coming out of the woodworks. Orbital even regrouped to celebrate its own 20-year mark.

Add to that list a name from Orange County's hand-raising heyday, one Simply Jeff. (He might say, don't call it a comeback - he's been here for years). The OC DJ churned out some of the more compelling sets and mix-CDs of the 1990s and became a headliner on the national party circuit. His "funky breaks" style was as loose as they come. Well-spaced kick drums were spiced with sparse snares and the occasional hip-hop sample. While other spinners, including DJ Dan, moved away from the sound, we always credited Mr. Jeff for sticking with it. But alas ...

It looks like Simply Jeff redux has moved on to four-on-the-floor, electro-flavored stylings. (He still revisits break-beat bridges though. Check out his remix, with Swedish Egil, of Shannon's "Let the Music Play:" myspace.com/simplyjeff. We can't entirely blame him. Funky breaks died a long time ago. Some DJs still spin its predecessor, nu school breaks. But even some of that genre's biggest proponents, such as Adam Freeland, have move on to straight 4/4 genres or even band-based rock 'n' roll.

The problem with breaks is that people sometimes don't know how to dance to them. The lack of an emphasized kick drum on each beat causes some folks to skip a step, even though they don't need to. The thump-thump-thump-thump of four-on-the-floor music (house, techno, trance) leaves not one beat to chance. And so a breaks DJ is a rare thing these days. Too bad. The genre bridges the gap between hip-hop and electronic dance music as it harkens to our break-dancing past. If trance is sometimes soulless, breaks is all heart. The resurgence of electronic dance music in pop, in fact, is giving us shades of rave's break-beat glory. Witness Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow," a funky breaks track in pop clothing. Twenty years on, if we can bring back punky colors, disco flavors, indie sensibilities and mega-raves, we can bring back the breaks. Jeff, we have a special request.

Simply Jeff headlines Relentless Beats 2009 at the Hudson Theater, 295 E. Caroline Ave., San Bernardino. 18+. Tickets $15 advance. Doors at 8 p.m. Info: plurlife.com

Okay despite the fact that he mentions playing in the "IE" tonight on his Myspace page when referring to his gig at The Continental Room, we're willing to give Jeremy Sole a break. He's just that good. And maybe while he's down here, someone can remind him that Fullerton is still in Orange County.

But either way, the fact that this late-night turntable wizard from KCRW 89.9 FM is coming down to show some love adds another solid lump on to Continental's DJ cred. As one of the co-founders of Afro Funke Thursdays in Santa Monica, Sole has been heavily entrenched in the L.A. underground scene for years, also fronting his own live 9 piece band and of course spinning his favorite funk, afro beat and world music in the wee hours of the weekend. He's also had the privilege to DJ and record with names like Lauryn Hill, Cut Chemist and Stevie Wonder. No, that last name was not a type-o.

Tonight, he'll be joined DJs Bobby Soul (no, they are not cousins) and Thee Conductor, in an all night vinyl session tailored to fans of rare, exotic grooves and some shit that just makes you want to pack the dance floor. Sets start at 9 p.m., no cover.

BY DENNIS ROMERO

There was a lot of buzz in clubland last month when the organizers of Electric Daisy Carnival claimed that 135,000 people attended its two-day dance music event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. All the action up there makes it seem like crickets have taken over in Orange County, which has but a handful of regular, DJ-driven events these days. Of course, that wasn't always the case. There was a time when Orange County practically overshadowed L.A. as the rave capital of the nation.

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means the DJ team known as the Sugarlight Girls are taking over Alex's Bar.

Unlike those lame-ass DJs at your older sister's wedding, these disc jockeys play some shit you actually want to hear. Ya know, indie, garage, soul, '60s, '70s...that stuff.

I used to kinda sorta know Dylan, one of the SGs, way back when. In fact, I'd like to think I'm one of her first regulars. Back when I lived in the South Bay, my friends and I would go check her out at a Hawaiian bar called Hale Hawaii. Even then she was good and it never got old hearing Iggy's "The Passenger" on a monthly basis. Then, our old bands played together a few times. She sang/played guitar in the Tarts while I made a wall of noise in the Heathens.

If you go tonight, tell her Ryan said hi. She'll totally have no idea who you're talking about. It'll be great if you dig uncomfortable moments.

BTW...the Sugarlight Girls also appear every third Wednesday of the month too.

In the life of  almost every great DJ residency, there is a time and place where the man/woman behind the turntables ultimately says "enough already!" and moves on. As the first DJ to ever spin at The Crosby, DJ Weird Beard could very well fall into that category. Flexing his record collection during his weekly Wednesdays with Weird Beard, the 26-year-old DJ showed himself to be one of the club's sharpest purveyors of dusty punk, funk and soul in an environment that constantly clamors for all things vintage.

But judging by the bulletin that talks of the Beard's last hump day set on the Crosby website, it looks like he's not packing up his turntables for good, just making time for other things. Like having a kid for instance. Look for the phrase "proud parent" to show up on his Myspace page as he prepares to start a new family with a little Weird Beard on the way. The only reason I bring this up is that although most bar hoppers and club goers are in constant search for weekly club nights to fill our time and bring us joy, how many times have you gone up to the DJ that had you bobbing your head or spazzing out on the dance floor to say "thank you"? Not many.

Well consider this post a little advance notice for you Crosby regulars to muster up some gratitude and shake the hand of one of Santa Ana's finest on his way out.

The Long Beach club formerly known as the Basement Lounge is gone. The venue began as some sort of hipster lounge for singer/songwriters and djs. Somewhere along the way it became a place for orgies. Or something like that.

My favorite part of the Basement had nothing to do with the Basement itself. You see, the club literally is the basement of the Broadlind Hotel. My friend lives on the second floor and every Friday and Saturday, we'd drink beers in his closet-sized apartment and be treated to our own danceclub thanks to the noise and booming bass roaring from downstairs.

Soon after they opened, the Basement tried to get all posh 'n shit. Once I saw the club setting up a velvet rope outside, I knew the club wasn't long for this world.

After months of nothing, the location is having a grand opening this weekend, albeit under a different name.

The newly christened Tango is hosting live mariachi and dj sets by Jack Freedom and George Vibe, two people I've never heard of. The flyer says "this venue is for a mature and well dressed audience," which means I can't get in. I love poop jokes and have holes in the shoes (thanks recession!). But once things pick up, I'll give it a shot. Maybe.

There are free giveaways all night and everyone gets in free before 10:30. If they're giving away shoes, there's a shot I'll go.

 

I really like Vice Magazine and would kill to see my name in print over there (if anyone from Vice is reading, I'm available). Ok, seriously, there's a story in the new issue about a form of dance music in Northern England called donk. The words and pictures were intriguing enough that I went to their site to check out the videos.

After viewing this, I suggest you do the same.

It seems as if donk is a mixture of electro-dance and hip-hop. The "donk" element comes from producers who throw a steady noise atop the beats to act as a bass. Or so they said. With those accents, who the hell knows what they're talking about.

And the best part? The crowds, who consist of fake-tanned, steriod-pumping dudes with really short hair and teenage girls who wear as little as possible. It's amazing!

The story follows donk's version of the Beatles, Blackout Crew, as they record a tune and play a show. The reporter, a bloke who looks like what you'd expect a bloke Vice writer to look like, even goes through a make-over where he...well, I won't spoil it for you.

Based on Vice's track record (and some of their commentary), it's obvious that they are making fun of donk, but not directly to these peoples' faces. Donk fans, on the other hand, are too drunk to notice. Or care. 

To less-adventurous hip-hop fans, the realm of the DJ appears to be a fully- explored frontier. Sure there are plenty of great ones out there, but after one has mastered the art of programming beats and scratching vinyl with surgeon-like dexterity there's not much more to learn right? Don't  tell that to the talented ten pack of beat-smiths known as My Hollow Drum. Armed with a collective sound that boasts everything from dark psychedelia to Golden Age break beats, the last thing these guys have in mind is keeping a conventional sound. 

The group is definitely on the come-up, garnering praise in revered music mags like Filter and URB...and now us, yay! The group are currently in residence at the Crosby on the first and third Thursdays of every month. The Weekly recently caught up with young producer Co. Fee, one of the members, to discuss the inspiration behind the organized chaos of this innovative groove clique.

OC Weekly: Who's in the band and who does what?

Co. Fee: We are a 10 person crew/collective made up of DJ's and producers. Half of us are from Orange County area and the rest of us are from the Chino/Chino hills area.

OCW: What motivated you to start the group?
 

CF: Chad aka Yuk. who is also a member, noticed that his friends In Orange County and in Chino were listening to and creating the same type  of progressive beat music that is emerging out of L.A. and Europe. He decided we should all come together and collaborate, that was the birth of the crew.

OCW: Who are your biggest influences and why?

CF: It may not always be in sound, but the spirit of the psychedelic movement is a large influence on us. Also the many artist that perform at L.A.'s Low End Theory have had a lasting effect on us.  The beat showcases there along with the live perfrormances motivate us even more to push ourselves and our craft.

OCW: What's the best thing that's happened to your band? What's the worst
thing that's happened to your band?

CF: The best thing to happen to us are the many gigs we've had in the past year. From the weekly gigs at the Crosby to being able to DJ at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for Dublab. Also the time we all got to perform at The Low End theory was real special night for us.

Probably the worst is the challenge of having all 10 of us in one place at the same time to plan events and talk about future plans.  We've still been able to manage that pretty well though.

OCW: There are millions of bands and solo artists creating music now. Why
should people listen to you?

CF: We are apart of a new movement of producers who want to push the envelope and challenege listeners. Alot of people may not get the music at first but once it grows on you your hooked.

My Hollow Drum performs on Dec. 4 at:

The Crosby

400 N Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 543-3543

Listen to the Band:

My Hollow Drum- Myspace

Tonight, before you waste another Wednesday, we suggest that you sweat out your hump day frustrations with the boys from Busy Work at Detroit Bar. Conducted by DJ Dan Sena, GMO, Clifford Lidell and Rock Berry, this weekly audio romp delivers an all-night mix of techno, house and hip-hop that has become a staple at this Costa Mesa culture cove. The DJs start spinning around 9 p.m and by the time you look down to check your watch, it'll already be Thursday. Tonight's as good a night as any to come down and check it out for yourself. And in case you didn't notice the flier...two-dollar beers can make any Wednesday night special.

The first Posse on Broadway shindig in June was a flaming success; all three venues—Memphis Café, Proof and the Crosby—were filled to capacity at various points of the night and nobody died (although we heard reports of a couple of fights transpiring).

Anyway, this month's POB (happens every third Friday this summer) should be just as thrilling for lovers of next-level musica de fiesta. See the flier above for the lineup. I'm most excited about Stones Throw artist Dâm Funk, who's established himself as one of the country's foremost DJs of '80s funk and electro.

Action starts at 9 p.m. and is free all night, even if you aren't.

Here's Dâm Funk spinning at a Miami party.

The breakdancing competition at the first annual Freedom Festival July 4 was awesomely spectacular—definitely one of the major highlights of this very good inaugural event.

Energetik from Fullerton won the battle, edging out LA B-boy Smurf (the bald dude). Both of these cats put on incredible displays of athleticism and rhythm. Their moves are like world-class gymnastics, but funky as hell.

Check out the clip below of their final headspin-to-headspin match.

The Mancunian responsible for some of the most memorable bass lines ever for Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook now maintains a lucrative little hobby DJing 'round the planet these days. From all accounts, Hook's quite the entertainer, if not the most skilled decknician ever to work a pair of CDJs. Be forewarned, though: If he plays "Blue Monday," watch a certain music editor get medieval on his ass.

Anyway, the great man allegedly loves to sign JD/NO records and memorabilia, so if you possess any of that stuff, bring it with you to Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa tonight and have its value increase exponentially.

Here's footage of a DJ set Hook did in Argentina (yes, he shamelessly spun some New Order).

What's the Rub? Glad you asked. The Rub are a DJ collective from NYC consisting of Cosmo Baker, DJ Eleven and DJ Ayres. They're renowned for their History of Hip Hop mixtapes that compile a year's worth of classics from 1979 to 1999 (talk about obsessiveness; DAMN), their clever mashups, their regular night at Brooklyn's Southpaw club and their overall party-rocking prowess.

One of the Rub crew, DJ Ayres, mans the decks tonight at Detroit Bar. This cat gives you maximum bang for your ADHDance-music buck. Expect to hear lots of familiar cuts recontextualized and given fresh makeovers. The fact that dude looks like an Amish carpenter only enhances his appeal.

Here's a teaser for you—Ayres' remix of Notorious B.I.G.'s “Dead Wrong.”

Last night at the Continental Room's Bizarre Love Triangle weekly, I heard the DJ (it was either TVD or Dijon—or maybe it was both making an awkward baton handoff) segue from Rod Stewart's disco travesty “Do Ya Think I'm Sexy” (not a good look in 2008—or in any year, really) to Can's leftfield funk classic “Vitamin C” (always a smart move, as thousands of breakdancers will attest). But those cuts back to back? Kinda wack.

Rod

Can

Don't try this at home: DJ Frane's infamous "lightning lip scratch" trick.

Recent Sprawl of Sound star DJ Frane will be spinning at Continental Room's event in Fullerton tonight; he also plans to play some records. And oh what records he'll play. Anyone who's heard his bongadelic hip-hop instrumentals (composed of hundreds of samples from Frane's deep, deep stash of excellent funk, psych-rock, prog-rock and spoken-word wax) will attest to the Santa Monica producer's impeccable taste. The man rarely plays in OC, so don't sleep on this.

With Bobby Soul and Billy Goods at Continental Room, 115 W. Santa Fe Ave., Fullerton, (714) 526-4529; 9 p.m., free.

The Bizarre Love Triangle crew has booked DFA Records producer the Juan Maclean for a DJ set at Fullerton's Continental Room Thursday April 10. This New York musician—who used to play guitar in Six Finger Satellite—has great taste as a selector, if his set at SXSW I caught in 2006 is any indication (and I think it is). Expect hot trax from the underground-disco, house, techno and krautrock genres—and probably more. Hardy support comes from BLT regulars Scotty Coats, AM180, Beef, Dijon and TVD.

“Give Me Every Little Thing (Cajmere Remix)” [possibly NSFW]

DJ Harvey, the Sarcastic Disco potentate.

To honor the memory of Avalon Bar owner Mike Conley, the Suck My Disco crew (Poppa, Scotty Coats and Dirty Lo, formerly Double Fisted Underground and featured in Sprawl of Sound last month) are doing a monthly at the Costa Mesa venue called The Other Side, which is the title of one of Conley's M.I.A. songs. Each edition of The Other Side will be dedicated to the late entrepreneur/musician, with the debut happening March 15. The first guest will be DJ Harvey, a world-renowned champion of underground disco who's now based in LA (you can read this interview with him by OC Weekly contributor Andy Beta on his blog). The Other Side will occur every third Saturday after the mid-March bow.

The disco these savvy spinners play sucks... you in.

Sorry for the last-minute notice of this, but Anglo-Russian crate-digger supreme and underground beat master DJ Vadim is headlining the Continental Room in Fullerton tonight. Vadim's an awesome selector and his own productions have been rocking headier parties since the mid-'90s. Don't sleep.

Go here for more information.

Last night at Spin City (held at Sutra, that place is sooo beautiful), another 2 hopeful DJs made it a little bit closer to the Winter Music Fest in Miami.

And I got just a little bit closer to destroying my liver.

The competition, which consisted of 20 minute sets, started off with Peter J spinning an enjoyable set sprinkled with Interpol and Jay Z. It was more enjoyable to watch the Tila Tequila wannabe on stage gyrating tragically off beat.

Second was DJ Dizzy whose fans showed support by sporting his name on t-shirts. His own shirt resembled the vertical bars representing levels on a stereo (I’m sure there’s an actual name for them but whatever) and it lit up. He was un-fucking-believable. Dizzy started with some reggae then wound it up to a heavy house beat, holding out a note just long enough then boom! back to the sexy. He even threw in some Jefferson Airplane, some Outfield and some Daft Punk.

Now here’s where the unprofessional journalism comes in: yours truly had a little too much wine.

OK, a lot too much.

It’s a hazard of the job, sometimes the Clubs Editor gets smashed. I’m going to blame Jonathan, our Marketing Coordinator, because... well, he’s just good to blame stuff on.

It was especially apparent judging by the chicken scratch that my notes became. And the fact I no longer was able to distinguish melodies, but wrote about nearly every contestant: Greatest fucking DJ EVER!

The night ended with DJ Dizzy and DJ Sonic as the winners, and my designated driver telling me I was making an ass of myself and that we needed to leave.

Check out the slideshow, thankfully I’m not in it.

Last night at Kitsch Bar in Costa Mesa, DJ aDJective (Steve Fisch) transitioned from the Kingston Trio's “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” (dewy, earnest folk song from 1962) to Public Enemy's “Public Enemy No. 1” (hard-as-nails, toughness-flaunting rap track from 1987). Damn. That's some ballsy whimsy right there.

(You can catch aDJective spinning at Kitsch on Thursday and Friday nights and at Memphis at the Santora on Saturdays.)

While at venues where dance floors must be filled it may be impractical to swing so wildly among genres, more DJs should attempt this absurd non-sequitur style of spinning. Predictability is the bane of most club nights.

Below see video evidence of the songs under discussion.

“Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”

“Public Enemy #1”