Above & Beyond

Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki

Due to the multiple sub genres of electronic dance music and the amount of decades in which this type of music has been produced, it's almost impossible to pick the top 10 albums of all time. The old school ravers and elitist will argue the importance of including a lot of the pioneers, but the last thing we need is another throwback 1990s list. Yet with the rising popularity of "EDM" (which is just a fancy word we use to encompass all the complex genres of dance music) it's only natural that the demand for such a list exists.

It's difficult to make this list relevant today because most DJ's produce singles without ever having a full-length album or after only releasing an EP - think Avicii and "Levels." Additionally some of the greatest albums are actually compilations or filled with remixes such as Sasha's Involver. So though we know that any top 10 list is stepping into the boundaries of controversy, we couldn't help and compile our top 10 EDM albums to listen to before you die. Who knows, maybe in between all of the untz untz and and wobbly bass lines you might actually fall in love like we did.

See Also:
Eric Prydz & Audrey Napoleon - Yost Theater - 8/16/2012
Above & Beyond's Tony McGuinness Shares Why He Loves SoCal
Nero on EDM Naysayers, Clubbing and the Possibility of Another Track With Skrillex

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Christopher Victorio

Reiusse Against the Machine!

On November 10, 1992, Rage Against the Machine released their self-titled debut assault of rap-rock radicalism upon the music world. Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford combined their collective talents together as the Epic release would eventually peak at No. 1 on the Billboard heatseekers chart. The commercial success of the uncompromising album of leftist political anthems surprised the Los Angeles band as critics hailed its blistering offerings including "Killing in the Name" and "Freedom."

Twenty years later, Legacy Recordings will commemorate the musical feat with a remastered reissue of Rage Against the Machine. When the anniversary box set is released on November 27 to the collective joy of the rebel rockers' loyal fan base, it will deliver a treasure trove in the form of a double CD, double DVD, vinyl LP, poster and 40-page booklet!

When that day arrives, here's what to look for:

See Also:
*Tom Morello's Nightwatchman Brings Chord Changes We Can Believe In
*[CD Review] One Day As a Lion, 'One Day As a Lion' (Anti)
*Inside Out: Early Zack de la Rocha Band and Hardcore OC Pioneers Still Have Bestselling EPMore »

Burning Man

See Also:
The Fantastic People of Burning Man
FYF Fest 2012: A Complex Punk Portrait of the SoCal Music Scene
Insomniac Donates $115,000 From EDC Sales

Burning Man is an annual event and temporary community based on radical self-expression and self-reliance in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Having conquered every other major music and arts festival in the US from Ultra Music Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to Electric Daisy Carnival it seemed only natural that I was ready to embark on the journey to take on the 26th Annual Burning Man pilgrimage. On top of being a community of over 60,000 music and art aficionados it is a spiritual refuge where burners gather to reflect on their lives and mourn the loss of loved ones or other obstacles with the burning of the man (a giant wooden effigy in the shape of a man) and then the temple so beautiful it rivals many churches.

Burning Man takes place on a dry lake bed, a vast flat expanse of alkali salt called the playa. Two girl friends and I made the nine-hour drive to meet our three guy friends who drove an RV all the way down from Vancouver and another close girl friend who flew into Reno, Nevada. All sharing journeys of overheated cars and electrical problems on planes, I wish someone would have told us the journey to the playa would take an entire day. But we were finally together, brought some bad-ass army and Indian tribe outfits and stocked way too much vodka and beer with not enough tequila and Four Lokos. Living on an RV in Black Rock City made us the closest hippie family and taught us plenty of valuable life-changing lessons.

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These must be strange days indeed for Calvary Chapelites. Having heard from Chuck Smith for more than four decades that Jesus will return in the Rapture, they must've expected to be in glory by now, alongside their faithful pastor and friend.

But it appears Chuck may be heading to heaven the old fashioned way, and one wonders if it is a bittersweet reminder to the aging Jesus People that they won't escape the fate of every man. So what's a church to do as Papa Chuck prepares to meet his maker? Rock that shit, of course.

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​Speaking of two-decade anniversaries, the album that started it all, No Doubt's eponymous debut, dropped on March 17, 1992.

No Doubt recorded No Doubt independently, and by 1990, the band was signed by Interscope. The label insisted they rerecord the album, which had no radio singles, and it sold only 30,000 copies--considered a commercial failure. (It was probably because Interscope barely promoted it and refused to finance No Doubt's tour or release a single.) The band was paid their own way on tour, and they paid for "Trapped in a Box"'s  music video themselves. (Watch it after the jump.)

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​Canibus offered his opinion that "the greatest rapper of all time died on March 9th" on "Second Round Knockout." For hip-hop heads, the day has been forever etched in stone as Christopher 'The Notorious B.I.G.' Wallace was fatally gunned down in Los Angeles in 1997. Hard to believe, but this day marks the 15th anniversary of his death. While GOAT discussions are always subject to debate, Biggie Smalls, possessing a smooth, unparalleled delivery is one of rap's all time greats.

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​In 1962, Neil Sedaka said everything that needs to be said about ending relationships when he sang, "breaking up is hard to do." It's simple in an "aw shucks" 1960s pop song sort of way, but the tune's direct approach has not meant the end of the break-up song. In fact, we've got some pretty dandy ones the past few years, the kind that make you almost forget that guy/girl/celebrity crush who just won't return your fan mail who ripped out your heart, spit on it and fed it to his/her dog for dinner. Almost.

Here, for your misery and heartache, are five recent songs that say everything about breaking up that you never could.

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Hide Your Kids!

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​Long Island rock band Brand New are reissuing their debut, Your Favorite Weapon, in November. The set was originally released on Nov. 21, 2001, but the 10-year-anniversary edition will have new artwork, liner notes and a download card with previously unreleased demos.

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​In mid-September, store owner Kelvin Anderson announced that the World Famous VIP Records in Long Beach announced the end of an era. He said that the store, which was made famous by Snoop Dogg and was considered a landmark of the famed West Coast rap sound in the '90s, will fold by the end of October if an alternative business plan can't be developed. Since his Sept. 14 announcement, Anderson has launched a petition to get VIP recognized as a historic landmark (sign it here), but he's also said that the store may just go a different (non-musical) direction after the outpouring of  support for the brick-and-mortar location.

In a story by the Press Telegram, Anderson cites the store's debt as the cause of the news. His physical record store was not being able to compete with the Internet, he says: "I knew this day was coming...It's been real tough for the last few years, maintaining, but we are way too far behind financially now to come back selling CDs."

For followers of Southern California hip-hop, the news is heartbreaking--especially after Nate Dogg's death in March this year. VIP was a hub for many artists throughout its history; Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg, known as 213, got their start at VIP, and recorded their first album there.

After the jump, the top five reasons we're going to miss the World Famous VIP Records.

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