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Kaskade at the Grammy Museum Program

On Tuesday night, the Grammy Museum hosted a Grammy nominee spotlight on Kaskade, (government name: Ryan Raddon). The program at The Grammy Museum marked the first time a DJ has answered questions inside their Clive Davis Theater, a monumental evening for dance music. Kaskade is among the EDM elite up for "Best Dance/Electronic Album" for his seventh studio release Fire & Ice. This is Raddon's first Grammy nomination after more than a decade in the scene and numerous billboard hits. The former San Clemente dweller is up against the likes of OC's Steve Aoki, The Chemical Brothers, Deadmau5 and Skrillex at this years 55th Annual Grammy Awards which airs February 10th.

The 200-capacity theater was sold out as fans, other artists including electro queen Audrey Napoleon and industry folks were ready for Kaskade's hour long Q&A with Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli. Other artists who have visited the museum to discuss their careers include names like Tom Morello, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Stevie Nicks and Ringo Starr. Raddon answered Santelli's insightful questions with ease and humor. He spoke about making tracks that are quality over quantity in response to how other DJ's put out a new track every week. Though that strategy can be big for Beatport chart-toppers, most true artists prefer a full album compilation that tells a story from start to finish like Kaskade's latest Fire & Ice in which he emphasizes how before deejaying he is first and foremost a songwriter. Something we hope the academy is now realizing.

See Also:
*The American Music Awards Celebrates New EDM Category
*Kaskade at Staples Center and Exchange LA--Which Show Was Better?
*Kaskade Talks EDC, Freaks of Nature Tour and Partying at Focus Tuesdays in OC

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Courtesy of Laura Deschner

Richie Hawtin and Loco Dice

Richard "Richie" Hawtin has been a pioneer in electronic music for over 20 years, originating the Detroit techno sound here in America. This English/Canadian artist has played a pivotal role in the rise of electronic music all over the world while mastering the art of the technology that is used to make this kind of music. As one of the most respected and in demand artist of his kind he has participated in Insomniac's EDMbiz Conference in Las Vegas earlier this year and just finished his own 17-stop CNTRL: Beyond EDM Tour. We talked to Hawtin about his plans to help America discover and showcase electronic and techno(logy) based music across North American college campuses.

OC Weekly (Alejandra Loera): Has having your own stages at Electric Daisy Carnival featuring PLASTIKMAN live and your own Richie Hawtin Presents ENTER stage at Escape from Wonderland influenced you to do this CNTRL tour across North America?

Richie Hawtin: I think the whole Insomniac thing started off with playing different music and catering to a different crowd and what they are proving right now is that they want to expand the sound and bring lots of diversity. I think the main important point for me in electronic music is that everybody gets to hear all the different types. The way I feel right now is there are hundreds of thousands of new electronic music fans who are getting into this music and perhaps only know a small little part of it. Our CNTRL Tour is meant to widen their musical spectrum. It's not to say what we do is better, or what we do is worse. The idea that electronic music is getting bigger and bigger in America is an incredible force. We just want to see the music continue to evolve and people to continue to get into electronic music on a very deep level.

See Also:
*The American Music Awards Celebrates New EDM Category
*Sonar Festival Brings EDM Insanity From Spain to the States
*Top Five Best and Worst Parts of Escape From Wonderland - NOS Events Center - October 27,2012

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Madonna, trying to fit in with her daughter's friends

Madonna's new album -- her first in five years -- will be released in late March. The first single from the record, "Gimme All Your Luvin'," which features Nicki Minaj, will be released the last week of January in anticipation of her Superbowl halftime performance.

Interscope confirmed the pop star has signed a three-album deal with the label.

Believe it or not, even at 53, Madonna's still causing a commotion with her racy stunts.

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Screw you Christmas-- here's another reason why Halloween is the greatest holiday of the year. Creme Tangerine Records will mark down 1000's of LPs to 50% off for Halloween. Old school record players, 8 track players, tape decks, speakers, cassettes and 45s will also be included in the sale. The record store located in a turquoise vintage trailer in front of Urban Outfitters at the Lab in Costa Mesa will hold the sale from noon on Sunday to 9 p.m. on Monday.

Creme Tangerine opened earlier this year and is co-owned by local musician Parker Macy and Jonathan Staph. 

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Parker Macy is all over the place in the best possible way. When he's not shredding in Pistolero, he's a solo artist who plays the blues. And as if that weren't enough, he's opening a vinyl record store at the Lab on March 1.

Called Creme Tangerine (it's a Beatles reference), the shop will specialize in classic rock with a focus on jazz and blues and will be a sanctuary where shoppers can kick back, listen to records or spend hours digging through bins.


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Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly

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Feb. 3, 2011
Fingerprints

Click here to see the photos!

There's not much on the walls, and all the merch that aren't CDs or vinyl are nowhere to be found, but if you squint long and hard enough, you can see that the new Fingerprints location near the intersection of Fourth Street and Long Beach Boulevard is going to be an improvement over the cramped quarters of its former Second Street abode.

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​Back in early November, we blogged about Fingerprints record store and Portfolio coffeehouse teaming up and moving to the East Village Arts District in Long Beach in December. It's a month later, and Fingerprints is ready for its grand reopening on Jan. 11, with Portfolio to follow in March. Fingerprints owner Rand Foster is featured on the cover of City Beat, in which he goes into detail about the combined space. He told City Beat, "I think [it's] creating an environment that really makes people feel comfortable. It's the old saying, 'Do what you love, and the rest follows,' and I feel like the rest of it works with an aesthetic as well. More than an aesthetic, it addresses our very human need to congregate."
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After a late night-ish trip to the Barnes and Noble in Santa Ana the other day (is there any cooler Tuesday night activity?), I made a distressing discovery: it looks like Go Rilla! Gallery across the street from Main Place mall in Santa Ana with a downstairs vinyl toy shop called Go Zilla!, has closed. And by all indications, has been closed for a while.

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