The next time you hear someone say that EDM has been soiled by the desire to turn everything into a Skrillex track, remind them that guys like Justin Martin still exist. Delivering a dose of down tempo, funk and drum-and-bass, he and his label Dirtybird Recordings maintain a stalwart West Coast sound denoted by laid back bass wobbles and the inspiration of early EDM pioneers like Goldie and LTJ Bukem. The last time we talked to Martin, on the heels of his 2012 release Ghettos and Gardens, the San Francisco DJ aptly described his music as "booty-shakin, speaker-rattling, panty-droppin, bass-heavy fun."

Luckily, we get to test that description once again--this time in grimy, good-time fashion at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana when he, his brother Christian Martin and the house DJs of OC's Club Focus take over the dance floor for the entire night as part of the Yost's Havoc Thursdays. Yeah, we know you want free tickets to this party--that's a given. And sure, we've got those for you after the jump. But for this week's giveaway,  Dirtybird is also offering you a little something extra...


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We can't tell you how nice it is with all this Mayan calendar talk to hear about one of the first great shows to happen AFTER Dec. 21. And seriously, we can't think of a more appropriate band to help us move on from all this apocalyptic prognosticating than Moving Units. Few things cut through bullshit like angular, sharp, modern rock and in that regard the L.A. band shepherded by Blake Miller is one of the finest in the game. A decade into the band's existence, the band is hot on the heals of their latest EP offering Tension War. It's the first we've heard from M > U in a while--of course we've pretty much been bumping Hexes For Exes without complaint since 2007.

This Saturday, they're ringing in the Winter Solstice at the Glass House with an under card of equally moody and bewitching openers including Magic Wands and Slipping Into Darkness. Those interested in entertaining the idea that there will actually be a Saturday will probably be looking for something awesome to do. And since we're offering you a free pair of tickets to do go see these guys, you can count this as the second luckiest thing that happened to you this week...aside from not being totally obliterated. Find out how to win a free pair of tickets to see Moving Units after the jump.

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Maybe the spirit of Thanksgiving is coming a little early for us this year, but we find ourselves feeling mighty generous toward loyal West Coast hip-hop fans this morning. As you may well know, DJ Quik and Suga Free--two of the genre's permed-out G-funk forefathers--decided to mosey down south this weekend for a gig at the City National Grove of Anaheim. Preparing to inhale chronic-smoking classics from as far back as 1991's Quik is the Name all the way up to last year's hip-hop revelation The Book of David is only half of the excitement when you consider that Pomona's legendary pimp-turned rapper Suga Free will be there to deliver his own stable of lyrical street tales. Anyone interested in following up their holiday madness with some low-riding summertime vibes is advised to get their asses to the Grove. Once again, we've decided once again to give away a handful of tickets to some lucky individuals. Would you like to be one of them? Follow us after the jump.
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Just because it's not the first of the month doesn't mean you can't still feel like a winner. And who better to illustrate that point than Cleveland's own Bone Thugs-n-Harmony? Anyone with an ounce of K-Day pride has watched with amazement this year as the slithery, half-sung flows of Layzie Krayzie, Bizzy, Wish and Flesh were resurrected not only on the airwaves but on stage for the first time in a couple years at Rock the Bells in San Bernardino. Lord knows it hasn't been easy keeping these Grammy-winning thugs together since they started in 1991.

But even if this tour and subsequent untitled album they're planning as a follow up to Uni 5: The World's Enemy is their last with all five members, at least we know OC will get their last taste of one of hip-hop's most iconic rap groups. This Friday, the group rolls in to the City National Grove of Anaheim to celebrate their 20th anniversary in thuggish, ruggish fashion with plenty of West Coast beats and contact highs to go around. You can be there too. Find out how to win some tickets after the jump. More »

A little over a month after announcing their "indefinite hiatus," the L.A. darkwave duo She Wants Revenge is coming out to play one more show in OC. Just before the end of July, multi-instrumentalist member Adam Bravin (aka DJ Adam 12) announced via Twitter that that band was taking some time off to focus on individual projects. 
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Kottonmouth Kings

*Kottonmouth Kings' Pakelika DiesFrom Health Complications
* Pacific Festival: The Dunes Announced
* Boys Noize Talks New Album, Working With Snoop Dogg and Skrillex

This month marks a bittersweet moment for Placentia's psychedelic, tattooed hip-hop hybrid band Kottonmouth Kings. Having just released their latest album Mile High, the group appears to be blazing up the Billboard charts--pun definitely intended. However, just a few days before their new record dropped, we go word that former masked member Pakelika (born Patrick Cochrun) passed away due to health complications. Their show on Saturday, Sep. 1 at the Observatory in Santa Ana will be the band's first show in OC since the tragic loss. If there was ever a time to smoke a blunt in solidarity with your number one stoner rap band, this is probably it. We've got THREE pairs of tickets to give away for the gig. Wanna win one of 'em? Find out how after the jump!

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Starpool

If the quality of a band's tour was measured by how much fun say its name five times fast, then Starpool's End of Summer Ska Splash already has our vote for concert of the month. But all alliteration aside (see what we did there?), this feast of horns and bouncy rhythms from a solid collection of OC-bred, third-wave ska acts is a rarity that should be taken advantage of. Fronted by former No Doubt member Alan Meade, Starpool's ability to keep their punkish, island sounds alive for the past decade is a direct reflection of the band's unabashed live performance. Their jump-around anthems are probably one of the best calf workouts you'll ever experience outside of going to the gym. The same can be said for the stacked lineup of ska bands they're bringing with them to the House of Blues this Thursday, including My Superhero, HB Surround Sound, Defunked and Stupid Flanders. And of course, the ability to celebrate defining chapter in OC's sonic history always has us feeling generous.

We've got FIVE pairs of tickets to give away for this Thursday's Friday's show at the House of Blues. Find out how to win a pair after the jump. But you'd better get a move on!

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Volbeat

When it comes to metal, any band coming out of Denmark is met with an instant amount of shred cred--isn't metal, like, the national music over there? Not content to stick to one particular style of savagery, Volbeat offer a spleen-crushing blend of hardcore, metal and rockabilly that started to make major waves in America with their 2010 American radio hit, "A Warrior's Call," off their 2010 full-length, Beyond Hell, Above Heaven. If there's any warrior in your blood, you should probably go to the the City National Grove of Anaheim and indulge your--you knew this joke was coming!--Viking tendencies.

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Stryper

In the canon of '80s hair bands, few were able to do more for God's glam rock image than Stryper. While bands like Poison and Warrant were pumping out pretty boy metal for the sole purpose of making women drop to their knees for less-than-Christian activities, the Orange County four-piece used their blistering riffs and flowing manes to serve the Lord.

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